Annoyance
Don't annoy me, I'm running out of places to hide the bodies
"Be quiet, Snoozles," Toph snapped, glaring through bloodshot eyes, "I'm tired, cranky, and not in the mood"; even so, she wasn't really surprised when she heard the familiar harrumph accented by the thud of a boomerang thudding against a tree and a voice she knew too well whine, "But I'm bored."
67
Do the math
"It's arithmetic," Sokka explains patiently, motioning to the paper, "you know, one plus one equals two?"; even at the sight of Toph's scrunched up nose and dumbfounded expression, Sokka just sighs inwardly and begins explaining the concept of addition.
Obsession
Don't let it take over
"Yue!" he remembered screaming on those nights when he couldn't get the snow-haired princess out of mind enough to sink into anything but a fitful, nighmare filled sleep, and now Sokka realized that the dreams stopped only when Toph first joined the group.
Mischief Managed
Or so you think
"Taken care of," Toph announced, smirking, "Azula got her little butt kicked –" she barely finished her sentence when a bolt of blue lightning struck the ground two feet away, singing her skin and hair and causing Sokka to yelp like a dog who had just seen his master burned at the stake.
I Can't
Try, try again
"You can't, Meathead?" Toph sneers, looking down at a pathetic Sokka, his sword thrown to the ground in frustration and eyes alight with self loathing, "What kind of excuse is that?" – he blinks and, slowly, slowly, reaches out to accept her outstretched hand.
Are You Challenging Me?
Trust me, that wouldn't be smart
"Are you calling me selfish?" Toph asked, eyes narrowing and fists clenched; the only thing that stopped her from leaping at Zuko right then was Sokka's arm blocking her path and the understanding voice whispering in her ear: "Leave it, Toph, he's not worth it."
Mirror
7 years of bad luck and a reflection you can't get back
She wordlessly handed a flat, solid object to him and he stared down at the cracked and worn shard of glass in his hand and nearly cried at what he saw – a tangle haired young man with a bleeding lip and eyes as empty and cold as looking into a cave; a moment later, they both relished the sound of fragile sand spun earth smashing against a rock.
Broken Pieces
Picking up whatever's left
"No," he clutched the golden fan to his chest, tears streaming down his cheeks, "No!", and could only dimly discern Toph's hand resting on his shoulder and five slender fingers gently prying away his grip then intertwining with his own.
Test
Please don't flunk it
"Time for your exam," Toph announced loudly, yanking back the covers from Sokka's bed and throwing open the curtains; "What exam?" he sputtered loudly, and she simpered – "You didn't honestly think I'd let you go out with me without a proper assessment first, did you?"
Drink
Cool on the lips
"Here, drink the water," he told her, pressing the cup to her lips, "Come on, Toph"; she groaned and brushed it away deliriously before he forced it to her mouth and spilled it down her throat, seeping deep down into her tired body like the first breath of a new life.
Starvation
Die on an empty stomach
"I'm hungry," Sokka had moaned, his hand on his stomach, glaring when Toph shoved at him a moldy piece of bread, but now, the burning sensation in his side slowly spreading, he realized he should have eaten while he had the chance.
Words
But I can't understand them
"A letter," Toph said slowly as she clutched the paper in her hands, her voice tinged with disbelief, "a letter – dammit, Sokka, you know I couldn't read them, dammit, dammit" – she closed her eyes and let the tears run freely as she dropped it into the fire and imagined (not watch, imagine) the letter smolder, and, finally, burn.
Pen and Paper
Because you just won't listen
"Give it to her," Sokka told Aang, pressing the scroll into his palm, "Give it to Toph, she won't believe me otherwise; give it to her if –" although by now, Sokka knew it was when – "I don't come back"; only too late, as cold, lethal steal was held to his throat, he realized she wouldn't be able to understand that, either.
Can You Hear Me?
You better
The voices seemed to be coming from far away as though Toph was underwater and blinking with unnatural effort she mumbled, cheek twinging when she spoke, "Where's the knife-girl?" – she struggled away from Sokka's suffocating hug much sooner than she'd have liked to.
Heal
Let it be
"Toph," Sokka begins softly, eyes full of pity and shared pain, "I know what it's like to lose a parent, and I –" but he doesn't get to finish – Toph shoves him out of the way and stomps off, eyes forcefully avoiding the charred remains of the Bei Fong mansion; for a moment he just stares after her as Katara rests her hand on his shoulder and murmurs, "She just needs time, Sokka, she just needs a little time."
Out Cold
At least I'll be well rested
Toph groaned as she slung Sokka's arm over her shoulder and began to drag him across the tiled floor of the Fire Nation palace with all her strength; she wouldn't leave behind a another friend, wouldn't – she allowed herself to pause for a moment and pant, asking aloud only after Sokka was in the process of being towed again, "Man, Snoozles, what have you been eating?"
Spiral
Twists and turns
They had never been able to see the snaking ropes of time, neither of them, the twirls and rotations of life that would so often spin out of control like a top without a string; and indeed, life had certainly thrown them a curveball, Toph decided, because who honestly would have expected them to be the only ones left in their little group after it had been the other two that had fought so hard?
Seeing Red
Shut up
"Just be quiet, Toph," Sokka snapped, head in hands as he looked up at her, furious; "This isn't the time to be making jokes with the Fire Nation at our doorstep," and he tried not to feel guilty when she only looked hurt, because that was exactly what he would have said and they both knew it.
Food
Or essence of life, whichever you prefer
Stirring the soup with the wooden spoon, he commented, "You know, I never really expected you to force me to cook the first time I came over for dinner;" Toph just threw a pillow at him from her position on the couch and tried not to smirk too much.
Pain
Make it go away
"He's gone," she moaned, tears streaming down her cheeks as she clutched deserpately at the avatar's corpse, still warm with life; "He's gone" – it is after what seems like a thousand torture-filled years that she feels the comfort of Sokka's arms around her and a soft voice murmur, "It's okay, Toph, I'm here, I'm here."
This is my first Tokka, so go easy on me, lol.
I hope it isn't too trashy; I just wanted to go with the whole 1 sentence theme.
Did you like it?
