Hehe, betcha that you thought I was gone, huh

Hehe, betcha that you thought I was gone, huh? I'm back! I've had this idea in my head ofr AGES, but I never got the time to put it on paper…again. Jeez, my schedule's crammed! Anyways, hope you like!

Avatar belongs to Mike and Bryan. They're not 15 like I am.

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Where the Sea Meets Shore

"Hey, Toph." Sokka had wandered up the hill to where she had climbed up an hour beforehand, gazing cooly out to sea through her unseeing eyes.

The 15-year old blind earthbender smiled and, without moving her head to recognize his presence replied, "Hey, Snoozles."

"It's a, uhhhh...nice day." Sokka continued, as if commenting on the weather. She sensed a deeper reason than being a weather reporter for the blind, and merely nodded her head in reply.

Struggling to figure out a way to ask this without getting blasted into the air, he tried to initiate a verbal response from her. However, she kept him dangling (as she so often did) and toyed with him by letting his tongue trip over itself, tying to find the right words. And he could feel her doing it. She always did that...

"So umm..." he spat it out before he could stop himself, "doyouwannagoforawalk?" As soon as he said it, Sokka immediately cursed himself at his stupidity. Smooth, Sokka, very smooth.

"Come again?" Toph asked, a smile playing at the corner of her lips, still not turning around to face him.

"Uhh, hehe..." Sokka stumbled around, rubbing the back of his neck as the heat rose in his cheeks. She could tell. She adored every second of it. This had been so much easier in his head! "I was just wondering if, I dunno, you wanna go on a walk? With me?" He left out the word 'please', though Toph knew it had nearly slipped through his tongue.

"Why?" Toph asked him, making the conversation turn back to him. This was becoming irritating. How she was able to get him so frustrated, he didn't know. She seemed to have that kind of talent though...

"Because," Sokka said, knowing he was repeating himself, "it's a nice day."

"Thanks Sokka. Glad you told me that. You know I couldn't tell." Sarcasm licked him to the bone through her piercing words. She had no right to treat him like that, what made her think so? He was three years older than her.

"Toph, wait, no..I didn't mean nothing like that." Sokka said, trying to keep the peace and forcing it into his voice.

"Well, spit it out already! What else you got, Boomerang guy?" That did it for him.

"You know what, Toph?" Sokka said, looking up at the sky in disbelief of her attitude, "All I wanted to ask is if you wanted to go for a walk. But you know what? Forget it..." And he stomped off, fed up with her at the moment.

Toph jerked up and turned on her stomach as it did a flip, sensing him take his leave. She knew she had gone and pushed him over the edge...maybe even pushed him away. Without thinking, she burst out, "Sokka, wait!" The normally tough girl found herself lingering with baited breath as he stopped, her heartbeat suddenly pounding for no good reason.

Sokka stopped, but didn't turn around. She could do the talking this time.

Toph began, cringing in anxiety at what he might do. "Where...where can I find you?"

Silence from the fully realized Water Tribe warrior, as he stared out into space, pondering. Then, to her confused but relieved mind, she heard, "Down at the shore." And he walked off.

Toph let out a sigh; releasing her clutch on the clump of grass she had, until recently, held so tightly.

An hour later, Toph found herself walking down to the beach. Supid Sokka, why'd he hafta make me come down here? But she knew that it wasn't really his doing; she was in complete control of herself. The young earthbender was just being stubborn and laid the blame on him.

When Toph felt the soft sand on the soles of her feet, she stopped, not wanting to go where she couldn't see. However, she sensed a small, rocky tide pool off to her left, slightly above the water. Shrugging her shoulders, she made her way up the grass-covered earth towards the ledge.

When she reached the cold, washed-over stone, she sat down, staring blankly out to sea. Maybe Sokka'd notice her up on this ledge, because there was absolutely no way she was going out in open water. She'd had one-too-many bad experiences with water, the last one leavingh her wishingshe had drowned.

Out on the waves, Sokka was floating lazily around in the refreshingly cool water. A sigh escaping him as another gentle wave passed below him, he glanced at the shoreline. Nothing but sand.

Then he noticed Toph, who switched from a sitting position to laying down on her chest. She lay on a black stone ledge, only slightly higher than the waves that were rushing up to meet it. Her right arm propped up against her cheek, her feet rose in the air and crossed, and sightless eyes stared out towards the sun sinking behind the clouds.

Even as he thought this, an incredibly sly smirked crossed his face as an idea passed through his mind. He began swimming towards where the fifteen year-old lay. Every stroke drove him on, the idea nearly possessing his mind. It was simply too good a chance to pass up on.

When he was about 10 feet away from where she lay, he stopped. Her fingers dangled right over the ledge, completely unaware of how close he was. Breathing in as quietly as possible, he sank beneath the dark waters, shutting his eyes for a second to avoid the sting. Briefly, he opened them again underwater, blue eyes shining with mischief. Taking a stroke towards the dark rock, he swam as close as he dared without touching it, knowing it would be within her range of sight. Looking directly above, Sokka saw the silhouette of the earthbender. Rising out of the water, Sokka quickly grabbed her behind her neck, and before she could do anything to react, he kissed her.

Toph wrenched back in surprise, but this person kept his arm wrapped around her hair, restraining her from escaping as they held tightly to one of her arms. Then she recognized the touch of her mystery man, and her heart skyrocketed.

"Sokka..." she breathed, her chest pounding, and she sank into his lips. She almost felt him drowning her in a kiss so passionate, it took her breath away. His wet arms wrapped around her, water clinging to her top, but she didn't care. All of her feelings that had been bottled up inside had ripped open and poured out. She inhaled him, breathing in his scent deeply, of rivers and salt; sand and tree bark. She could almost taste him, the thought sending a shiver down her spine. Her hands curled behind his neck, never wanting to let go. Eventually though, they had to come up for air, breathing deeply as the waves bashed against the rock.

Toph pressed her forehead against his, wet and warm. Her hair draped down behind her, Sokka ran his damp fingers through it, soft and silky. Sokka just held her there, the ache in his heart gone, replaced with something so much better.

Their lips found each other, locked as they both smiled, floating. As the sun drifted away behinds them, they held onto each other tightly, the pairs of lips meeting, intertwined.

Where the waves meet the rocky ledge.

Where the sea meets shore.

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Like it? Hate it? Tell me, and if u DO like it, using the word 'sexyfine' would cheer me up! XD