Title: Boundaries

Fandom: Avatar: The Last Airbender

Rating: PG-13

Pairing: Toph/Sokka

Word Count: 1,131

Summary: There were some boundaries that Toph didn't mind Sokka crossing. There were other boundaries that she forcibly shoved him over.

Disclaimer: ...Do I really need to say this?...I don't own it.

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Toph couldn't take it anymore. If Sokka tried to fluff her pillows one more time, just one more time, she was going to bend his ass into the next week. And she was going to enjoy it. Granted, she'd probably have to earthbend some sort of gag into his mouth so that she wouldn't have to hear him whine, but either way it was a win win situation for everyone.

She had just burnt her feet, well technically Zuko had unintentionally burnt her feet—again(Katara was still yelling at him about that despite everyone's protest that it was an accident) --- but that didn't mean she was a complete invalid. Burnt feet had nothing to do with lumpy pillows. Well, maybe it did in the water tribe, but that was something that Toph didn't even want to contemplate.

It wasn't five minutes after Toph had launched a rather large boulder at Sokka's head that the water tribe boy stuck his head in Toph's room again.

"What is it Snoozles?...Are my pillows flat again?" growled Toph before Sokka could even get a word out.

"I…Wait, how'd you know it was me?"

"Snoozles, I'm blind, not deaf. I could hear you stomping half way down the hall."

"Oh…Well, I just thought that I would carry you out to the fountain so that Katara could heal your feet again," mentioned Sokka while toeing the dirt in front of him with his boot.

Toph couldn't see very well with her feet burnt, but she could feel with her hands Sokka's sincerity and for some reason a hint of embarrassment in the vibrations. In Toph's mind, she didn't see any reason for Sokka to be embarrassed. It wasn't as if he hadn't carried her before. He had packed her around for a week after the first time that Zuko burnt her feet four years before.

Plus, she was completely dressed. So, it wasn't like the time that Zuko and Haru had stumbled in on Katara and her in the bathing pool (Toph was hidden behind her own personal chest high rock wall). Those two had been such a mess of nervous embarrassed vibrations for days that Toph had sworn that their hearts were going to pop right out of their chests.

So, what was Sokka's deal?

Sokka made his way over to Toph's bed and slowly slid his arms under her thighs and around her shoulders. Toph could feel the vibrations of Sokka's heart against his chest in full force now. It was almost the same as she had felt that time with Zuko and Haru, but different. It wasn't as uncertain. As Sokka rose and turned towards the door, she settled close against his chest, completely secure that he wouldn't drop her.

There was one thing that Sokka was without a doubt, and that was trustworthy Toph mused as they made their way out to the fountain. It had been four years since they had begun fighting against the Fire Lord (They had managed to destroy Sozen's comet, but the Ozai had managed to slip into hiding before they could finish everything), but other than the normal physical growth that came with aging, Sokka had changed little.

The same went for Toph. She had grown a little taller, but still could be considered petite to her annoyance, and she had become a little curvier. She still cared for Sokka as well, despite the fact that he annoyed her more than any other person on earth at times. And, like most girls her age, she had her moments where she wanted more than just a friendship. She did have a bit of an advantage over most girls though. Her talent of earthbending gave an excellent site picture of pretty much anything from a respectable distance, including one water tribe warrior changing 20 feet away while she was on the other side of a large boulder.

Toph would have loved to continue that train of thought a little while longer, but they had reached the fountain and it was time for Sokka to set her down on the lip of the pool. As he set her down gently, Sokka's hand lingered a bit longer than what would have been normal on the small of her back and the underside of her thighs. It wasn't something Toph would have normally noticed if she hadn't been keyed to the slightest change in Sokka's behavior due to his previous actions in her room.

Ah there….His heart sped up, just like Twinkle toes and Sparky's do when they are near Katara. I wonder…

But, before Toph could really delve into that particular idea, Katara had arrived for the healing session. Sokka had wandered off to let Katara do her "mystical water swirly thing" as he called it, but Toph could still feel him lingering in the near area. He was also still emitting the same vibrations that she had detected earlier.

And that gave her an idea. It was a risky one, but if things didn't turn out favorably, she could just chalk it up to messing with his head and Sokka would never know the difference.

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Around 15 minutes later, Katara was done healing what she could for the day and told Toph that it wouldn't be much longer before Toph could stand on her feet again. Good news in that Toph could proceed with plan "Beat the Living Daylights Out of Sparky with Large Heavy Rocks," but it also sped up the time frame for her new plan including Sokka.

It wasn't long before Sokka made his way over and picked Toph up for the trip back to her room. Things went much the same they had every other time that they had done this, Sokka talking about something and Toph snarking out sarcastic comments. Sokka didn't have the slightest clue that Toph was planning something.

So, when Sokka set Toph down on her bed, he didn't expect for her left hand to fist in the collar of his shirt and jerk his face down to meet hers in a kiss. When Sokka finally came to his senses enough to respond, Toph pulled away with a smirk tugging at the corners of her lips.

"Wha…huh…eh?" sputtered Sokka.

Toph settled back into her pillows, crossing her arms behind her head. "Here's how this is gonna go Snoozles. You are gonna kiss me and you aren't gonna mention a word of this to Sparky and Twinkle toes, or I will bury you so deep that you wont even get to talk to another Foof Foof Cuddly Poops. I don't need Sugar Queen fluttering all over me."

"Whaa?"

"Get over here Snoozles before I bend you to the wall."

"Yes Toph."

As Toph snagged the holder out of Sokka's hair she was glad that Sokka understood boundaries.