breathing together
CH 03. Toph
Toph, Sokka, and Aang: Invincible,
"There is a time for departure even when there's no certain place to go."
She was mildly repulsed, even though she could not see.
Pushing a loose hair to the side, the young bender only sat and gaped, never moving to aid Sokka, who ran wildly about the alcove. Toph analyzed his vibrations with care–he ran, tension in his movements, while slurring incoherent orders to himself, "get more water," "faster, Sokka, faster!" His figure grew more pathetic with each trudge of his tired feet. She crossed her tiny arms across her chest, frankly annoyed with the turn of events the quiet night had taken. A midnight moon beamed eerie lights through the doorway, aiding Sokka's three lamplights. Toph finally spoke up, her vexation glaring:
"Calm down, she's not dying."
Sokka paused in his hurried pace, evidently unhappy with her tone, and stuck his tongue at her.
"It doesn't hurt to be safe." He retorted, dragging the bucket near his knees, spilling water haplessly from all sides.
Toph groaned, frustrated by the boys' persistence.
"Then why don't you ask her?" Toph pointed towards a makeshift cot in the right corner of the room, where a body wrapped in countless blankets, supported by at least ten pillows, and surrounded by soupy foods, rested. Sokka paused to observe the fruits of his three-hour labor–in merely three hours, he had managed to cause a rise in her temperature and nearly suffocate the Kiyoshi Warrior.
"Uh," was the dull reply of the Water Tribe peasant.
"Sokka…" A small voice emerged from the mess of linens.
Sokka, livened after Toph's criticism, dropped the bucket and ran towards the reply. "Suki, you're awake!" He gushed, disregarding the water that poured over the ground. For the moment, his only concern was the girl before him, sickly and pale, an ailment caught by the seasonal rains. Toph glanced their way, coughing a suggestion:
"Comfortable?" She asked.
A rather long silence ensued, whilst Suki crinkled her face apologetically. "It's, well … uh, warm …" Suki's voice was scratchy and tired, and her cheeks flushed of all colors but a pale ivory.
For another moment, silence captivated the three.
"I'm a failure as a boyfriend!" Sokka screeched, alarming both parties.
With a lopsided grin, Toph belched proudly. "Amen."
As the hours passed, Toph felt the temperature in the Kiyoshi Warrior slowly drop–a sign that Sokka's crackpot healing methods were actually working. The earth bender groggily wiped her eyes, feeling the effects of missing a steady night's sleep; however, there was still time to slumber a bit longer. She trapped a yawn in her throat, dropper her shoulders, and hunched in response to her fatigue.
"Coming, witch doctor?" Toph grinned. Sokka glared at her from across the room, where a dozing Suki released soft breaths–Toph could barely feel the vibrations.
"In a bit," Sokka's voice was calm and kind, as he held Suki's hand firmly in hers. "Don't wait up for me."
Toph turned, afraid he might catch her fallen expression. "Oh," it was betrayed in her voice. "Okay."
Before she left the room, the girl who could not see could feel him lift the blanket higher over Suki's torso, tuck it in her sides softly, and kiss her gingerly on her nose.
"I won't." Toph's voice was only audible to her own ears, and, for that, she thanked GOD fervently.
She was one of a kind, the earth bender–best kind, strong kind, she liked to say.
Her normally quiet steps were loud, though, and lazy. Her lack of sleep was best told through her heavy movements and sluggish reactions. By the time she reached Appa, and the culminated allies fighting for an end to the war, her loud steps awakened Aang, who rested over Appa's fur. Toph paused, and she could tell Aang was watching her curiously.
"Toph?" The avatar yawned, grasping a fist full of bison hair.
"Go back to bed, Twinkle Toes." Now, Aang was not spectacularly intellegent (therein, not in the least) or amazingly altruistic to begin with, but he could hear something in her voice, something sad. The boy blinked out his sleep, deciding it best not to pry.
"Here," Aang offered, patting the place next to him, "Appa won't mind."
Without further questions, Toph fell back into Appa's hair, and next to her student. Aang grinned, stifling a yawn.
"Thanks." Toph turned over.
Toph was invincible and strong, very, very strong–most times.
© Disclaimer: I own nothing from Avatarverse,
or any of the pretty quotes used. All characters, places, and
quotes remain the intellectual and creative property of whoever
they belong to, which, if you did not catch, is not me.
I know I promised Teo next, but I ended up combining the requests of mio and suki together for this oneshot, and I just hate it, so I did not have the courage to publish it alone. For Toph, I am only doing the one, instead of three, because this sums up everything I wanted to do, anyhow. Basically, this is scum, and my portrayls of all characters are horrible creations that Zeus should smite! Thunda'bolts! In any case, this is the Tokka/onesided Tokka + Aang/Toph friendship I combined between my two wifeys. Mio, I promise you your own fanfiction soon! btw, happy ZUTARA week: ahem, she loves Zuko and not you-ko!
Next Chapter: Teo.
¤ composed by lunamaria.