Fair Weather Friends
Note: This story was originally supposed to be a lot different than it came out to be, not that I'm upset. I started this for Tokka Week (Day Three, "Weather"), way back when it was still going on… two months ago. Life got in the way (computer problems, moving, general life-related messes), and this got shuffled off into the "in progress" folder on my computer, and I forgot about it. Since this is part of the Tokka Week submissions, I really didn't want to go with a second fic that focused on Sokka and Toph's friendship maybe leading somewhere after Suki, and so this became fluffier. Looking back, though, all three somehow incorporate Suki and Sokka's break-up, even if I didn't mean for that to happen...
Disclaimer: I don't own Avatar, I don't make money off my fanworks, don't sue, etc.
Description: Sokka could hardly consider her a friend if Toph wasn't there for the bad times, but it didn't mean he had to like it when she was.
Toph considered herself, by and large, an observant person given the circumstances of her life. Blunt, perhaps, and unusually brash for a girl, but she didn't need functional eyes to see what she needed to know and act accordingly. At that particular moment, she was acutely aware that Sokka was removed to his room, where he had been holed up for the better part of a week. She was also acutely aware of Aang and Katara chatting amiably by the balcony, Zuko and Mai murmuring softly in the corner, and the noticeable gap between the four of them and herself.
"Where's Sokka?" She called after Katara, who turned to face her, heart skipping a beat and speeding up a bit.
"He's… in his room. I don't think he's coming out."
"Why not?" Toph demanded, stepping away from the wall. "He's been in there for days already."
"Toph," Katara sounded troubled, and Aang gently took her hand. "He and Suki are… Well…" She couldn't seem capable to put the words together.
"So they broke up," She started toward Sokka's room. "Then he doesn't need to be holing himself up in his room for days."
"Toph!" Katara cried, darting across the room and following her into the hallway, where the short girl was already outside Sokka's door. "Toph, don't!" She hissed through clenched teeth, seizing the girl's arm in a futile effort to stop her.
Despite Katara's attempts to hold her back, Toph banged on the door with her free arm. "Sokka, open the door!"
Katara groaned softly, tugging insistently at Toph. "Leave him alone, Toph! He needs time!"
There was no noise from within the room, and Toph resumed her noisy banging. "Open the damn door, Sokka!" There was a long silence before a few scuffling noises could be heard from within, followed by a low call in Sokka's voice.
"Go away, Toph."
This didn't seem to bother Toph in the slightest, who shook off Katara's grip and pounded furiously on the door with both fists. "If you don't open the door for me, I'll open it myself."
She allowed him the long pause before he stood up and opened the door for her. He looked over her head to Katara, with whom he exchanged helpless looks. "What's wrong, Toph?"
Brushing past him, Toph strode purposefully into the room. She could feel the slow accumulation of grime in the room, and if earthbending weren't enough to give away the state of disarray, she could smell the pungent odor of unwashed boy. "It stinks in here, Sokka. Open a window." The unwavering stance she took told him that she wouldn't accept refusal.
He gave in and opened the window, but not without shuffling his feet and generally making as much of a fuss about it as possible.
A short stomp cleared the dust off a nearby chair (indeed off most of the furniture in the room) and Toph settled neatly on the emerald cushion. "So, what's the problem, Sokka?" When he didn't answer, her agreeable mask fell away and she tapped a foot impatiently on the stone floor. "You know, pretending I'm not here won't make me disappear."
"I'm fine." He lied, but the words didn't come out as smooth or as convincing as he had hoped.
"Right," Toph raised an eyebrow and crossed her legs with as much dignity as she could muster with her legs tangled in the yards of cloth that made up her skirt. She looked up at him and pretended to be surprised. "Oh, you were serious?"
"It's Suki, alright?" He finally managed through clenched teeth, and started to build himself up to tell off the younger girl before she raised a single hand to stop him from speaking.
"That's it? Just Suki? You broke up, and now you're hiding from everyone in your room? Did she take away your masculinity or something?"
"Toph, it's not like that." Sokka interjected impatiently. "I just want to be alone, okay?" When Toph didn't budge, his frown deepened. "Toph."
Emitting a derisive snort, she settled further into the chair. "Well, as long as you're in here, I'm staying."
"What do you want from me?"
"I want you to stop hiding in your room because things didn't turn out the way you wanted them to."
"If I come out, will you leave me alone?" Sokka didn't mean to sound hopeful.
Toph laughed. "No. If you come out, then I'll consider it the first victory and start working on getting you to start acting normal again. It's not the end of the world, you know."
Smoothing the wrinkled covers, Sokka sat on his bed with a pout. "It feels like it."
"You don't die of a broken heart, Sokka." A tap of her foot indicated that she was evaluating the state of the room. "But you can die of not taking care of yourself and hiding in the dark."
Opening his mouth to argue, Sokka got a good smell of himself and closed it immediately. He rubbed his hands together. "I guess I could use a bath."
"A bath is just the beginning of it."
Sokka suppressed a cynical retort. "I need time for everything else, Toph."
She stood up straight and punched him in the arm. "Well, you won't get anywhere in here."
He took her hand and pulled her to sit next to him on the bed. "It's just… nice. You know, not to have to see Aang and Katara, or Zuko and Mai. Not to be reminded that I'm… alone."
"Oh, sorry, I forgot that being around couples might be hard on someone who's single." Toph deadpanned, crossing her arms. "I didn't realize you were so lonely all by yourself in Singles-ville."
"Ah… I'm sorry Toph. I forgot about you… You're just… you know, not like that." Sokka stammered.
"Who says I'm not like that? I just never said anything to you all because, hey, everyone was neatly paired off." Cynicism all but dripped from Toph as her frown deepened. "You guys were all pretty sickening."
"I'm sorry." Sokka hung his head and stared at the dirty floor to avoid looking at Toph. "I never thought that it bothered you."
"You mean you never thought of me or what I might think about everyone sucking face where no one else could see?"
"How would you… Oh."
"If it touches earth, I can see it." Toph reminded him, her good cheer steadily returning as she felt Sokka slowly relax into the comfort of their conversation.
"I… ah, I'm sorry, Toph. I don't think we ever…" He trailed off and looked up at her for the first time. "I'm just making this worse for myself, aren't I?"
"I'll get you back for it sometime." Her smile was faint, but genuine. Sokka couldn't help but return it.
"Thanks."
"For what?"
"Putting up with everyone being insensitive. Caring enough to come get me out of here while I was being… stupid." He touched her hand gently, because she wouldn't be able to feel the half-smile on his face. "For still being friends with me after both."
Toph shrugged, wishing the blush on her face was as invisible to him as it was to her. "It's nothing. No one else seemed like they were going to. Besides, if your friends don't drag you out when you get stuck in a rut, who else will?"
Settling on a non-committal mumble in response, Sokka breathed a long sigh of released tension. Halfway between stretching his arms, he paused and looked at Toph, who was staring aimlessly at a corner.
"Hey, Toph?"
"Yeah?"
"Have you ever even liked someone?"
The look she gave him told him that she would have liked it very much if he withered up on the spot. "Of course I have." She told him with acid in her voice.
"Can I guess who it was?"
"No." The blush was spreading so far that Toph was sure that if Sokka couldn't see it, he could certainly feel the embarrassed heat radiating off her. Sokka wasn't sharp enough to catch onto her crush when they were younger, but if he didn't know after the expression on her face…
"Was it The Duke?"
She choked on the breath she had been taking. "What?" The word came out as something between a giggle and a snort rather than horrified disbelief. "No."
"Teo?"
"Yeah, because that was going to be a winning combination."
"Well, who was it? Aang?"
Toph laughed at long last. At least he was feeling better. "No. Can you imagine me having a crush on Aang?"
A grin spread on his face at the mental image. "No, but I'd pay to see it."
"Exactly." She shot him one last glare before standing up. "So, are you going to take that bath and keep me company out with the others?"
"Yeah, just one more thing." He reached out and took her wrist, pulling her toward him and brushing his lips over hers, first briefly, and then firmly. The sensation sent electric shivers down her spine.
"Was it me?" He breathed to her cheek.
Pushing him away quickly, Toph forced the giddy feeling from showing itself on her face. "You really smell… and that was my first kiss, you jackass. Go take that bath."
As she left the room, he poked his head around the door. "Is that yes?"
"Just hurry up, Sokka. It's a nice day outside that room." Her voice was a cool as ever, but she couldn't completely hide the slow spread of a smile on her flushed face.
End