A/N: I know, I can't believe it either. I wrote another chapter to this! Took me a while to get this right, and I'm still not entirely satisfied with it (it's pretty darn long!), but I hope those of you that have been amazingly loyal will like it :) I'm off for holiday soon, so it may be updated soon! (I know...I say that every time. But seriously, I'm gonna try!)

This chapter is rated K+.

4. Dark

On a normal spring day in Republic City, Sokka could be doing a number of things. He could be sharpening his boomerang, practicing on a couple of homemade targets. He could be browsing the street vendors for food and things for his small loft. He could be wiring a message to Katara across the city, or he could even be simply wandering about, taking in the new season.

But having Toph make fun of him wasn't exactly what he had in mind.

His eyes narrowed as she collapsed in a chair in a fit of giggles. "So wait…you're afraid of the dark?" she asked, failing to stifle her laughter.

Sokka sighed, almost regretting telling her. It had been five years since the end of the war. Everyone had become overwhelmed with their new duties and responsibilities, so when they actually did find time to get together, it was on last-minute occasions such as this one. Toph had a little apartment on the outskirts of the city, which Katara had at first protested because Toph was living alone, but after many heated debates, Toph had convinced her that she could handle herself. And she had; Toph was now part of a rising police force in Republic City, slowly teaching other Earthbenders how to move metal. Her job was tedious, but she absolutely loved it. Today, she had the day off, and asked if Sokka wanted to swing by to catch up. They'd begun talking about what had been happening in their lives lately, and somehow, the conversation had drifted from tea to poodle-monkeys to nighttime, when Sokka had accidentally blurted out his deepest, secret fear, which resulted in Toph's merciless teasing.

As Toph regained her breathing, Sokka slumped further in the couch across from her armchair. They were both much older and much more mature, but Sokka still hadn't gotten over his fear, and Toph still couldn't control herself on occasion.

"It's not funny!" he finally blurted out, his face reddening. "I have perfectly good reasons for it."

The Earthbender snorted, but stopped laughing. "Like what?" she asked, adjusting her position so she was flopped on the chair sideways, her legs dangling over the arm.

"Forget it. You wouldn't understand."

Toph picked up the hurt in Sokka's voice and calmed down. "Sokka, we've been friends for years. If you can't tell me, who can you tell?" He was silent for a moment, but she added, "Try me."

Sokka brought his knees to his chest and rested his chin on them. "When I was little and the Fire Nation invaded the South Pole," he began slowly, "the air was covered in soot. I couldn't breathe…couldn't see. There was nothing around me but blackness and death and destruction. By the time I'd found my way back home, my mother was gone. I had nightmares for months, seeing only black, hearing nothing but screams in the darkness."

For once, Toph was quiet as she listened to him, having no idea what to say. Before she could think of anything, however, he pressed on.

"When I went to the Northern Water Tribe with Aang and Katara, I met the princess, Yue. She was…beautiful, wonderful. But she had been touched by the moon spirit, and when the spirit was killed, the entire world went dark. She gave her life to save the spirit, and even though it was her duty all along, I felt as though a part of me was lost."

Sokka took a deep, shaky breath. "And then Suki…"

He couldn't continue. About a year and a half ago, Suki had decided she couldn't handle the city life anymore. Many of the Kyoshi Warriors had returned to the island to help rebuild the villages after the war, and she knew the long-distance relationship would be too difficult to maintain, so she said a brief goodbye and left in the middle of the night, without even giving him time to process what had happened. Although Sokka had eventually moved past the relationship, even tried going on dates with a few different girls, the memory was still hard to bear at times.

Toph nodded. She knew that Suki had left and was no longer with Sokka, but never probed him for information. Some questions, she'd learned, were better left unasked.

And she'd never admit it, but every time one of her friends had asked if her feelings for Sokka had left completely, she would lie.

"I see," she said quietly. Toph never liked to deal with emotional situations. She'd always been the rough-and-tumble kind of girl, not the delicate child her parents wanted her to be. When she did show her softer side, it was rare, and she always tried to lighten the subject afterwards, something she found herself to be particularly good at. As she thought about this, a smirk spread across her face.

"I've got an idea."

Toph suddenly moved from her position in the chair to the small desk in the corner. She felt around in the top drawer until she produced a strip of cloth, something that may have decorated a person's tunic. Instead, she folded it in half and, without warning, threw it over Sokka's eyes, tying it behind his head.

Immediately, he recoiled. "Toph! What are you doing?" His voice was frantic and he tried to tear the cloth away, but she slapped his hands down.

"Relax," she said, her voice strong but calm.

"Relax? How can I relax?" Sokka protested. "I can't see a thing!"

"That's the point," Toph sighed. "Just stop for a minute. Sit still."

Sokka did as he was told, but his breathing was still heavy. There was absolutely no light passing through the dark cloth, and he felt trapped. After several moments, however, he noticed his other senses adapting. He could hear Toph pacing behind him, eventually sensing her presence as she stood before him. He calmed down slightly when she spoke again, much softer and much closer.

"Now you know what it's like to be me."

Sokka's breathing eased considerably, but his heart was still racing. "I'm not sure I like this," he admitted. "This isn't going to do anything."

"Listen," Toph ordered, but her voice was still gentle. "I've lived my whole life in the dark. I have to live by the figurative light, the kind that comes from good experiences. And you'd be surprised how much I've secretly relied on that for years. I can't run from the dark. I can't hide from it. So I create my own light by using the rest of my senses."

Unsure of what to say, Sokka sat numbly as he heard the discreet swishing of Toph's clothing move farther away. The door hinges creaked as she opened it, allowing the spring day to enter the room.

"Do you hear that?" she asked.

Sokka shook his head at first, but stopped once his ears picked up a sound. It was so subtle, so quiet, but he could hear the wind brushing against the trees, the tiniest of birds singing in the branches. He'd never tell Toph, of course, but without the cloth over his eyes, he probably never would have noticed. It was the most tranquil sound he'd ever heard.

"Wow," Sokka murmured, still mesmerized. "That's amazing."

"Isn't it?" the Earthbender replied. "Until you experience it, you don't realize that your senses are much stronger when one of them is missing." She closed the door and strode past Sokka again, rattling something in the kitchen. After a minute, she came back toward him again, and he could smell food, though he wasn't quite sure what it was.

"Open your mouth," she ordered.

Sokka gave a sarcastic laugh. "You're joking, right?" he said. "I'm not letting you feed me a thing! What if you poison me?"

"Will you just trust me?"

Sokka was hesitant, but did as he was told and opened his mouth very slightly. Before he could change his mind, Toph shoved a large spoon in his mouth. Sokka smacked his lips a few times, relishing in this new taste. Whatever it was, it was absolutely delicious.

"What is it?" Sokka asked, surprised at his own reaction. "Can I have more?"

Neither one of them could see it, but Toph broke out into a huge smile. "It's jook…a recipe I got from an old friend. It's really good, but even you wouldn't eat it because I'm told it doesn't look that appetizing."

The Water Tribe man actually found himself laughing. "I think I'm getting used to this not seeing thing, just a little."

She nodded once in response. "We're not done yet," she said. "You've still got a few more experiences in the dark."

Sokka had actually almost forgotten he was blindfolded. He had been so overwhelmed by the things Toph was presenting that his lack of sight had nearly become irrelevant. Before he could acknowledge his eyes again, though, he smelled something flowery and light.

"What is that?" he questioned. He made a move to reach for it, but it was removed almost right away.

"It's the white jade plant," Toph responded. "It's very deadly and dangerous—I had to cover my hands just to touch it. People generally see it and back away, but it has a very subtle sweet smell that I enjoy. Most people don't even know it has a scent because they're too terrified to approach it."

"Huh," was all Sokka could say in contemplation. So this was how Toph saw light—metaphorically, through things that made her happy. Despite being blind, she could "see" what others could not. She had been right; darkness wasn't a thing to fear, but actually a way to make the world brighter, more prominent, to recognize things in a way that you never imagined you could.

Sokka reached for the blindfold. "Thanks. I really appreciate the insight, Toph, but I kinda miss looking at things."

Toph stopped him, grabbing his wrist in her strong hand. "Not yet. There's one more sense you have to experience, and it's probably the most important one."

She eased the grip on his wrist but still held onto him, sitting on the edge of the table in front of Sokka. He was nervous, but he did as he was told—he trusted her, and therefore allowed her to move his hands around and on different objects.

"I rely on touch the most, I think," Toph mused, placing different things into his hands: a china cup, different coins, a tunic, a piece of earth. "I feel everything. That's how I get around, even without my Earthbending."

Sokka was trying to grasp her concept, but was failing. "I'm confused. What does this have to do with anything?"

Toph sighed, but her tone wasn't frustrated, Sokka noticed. It was almost…calm. Relaxed. As though this was something she'd needed.

"Because, like all the other senses, there are some things I enjoy more than others."

She placed an object in his palm, although he wasn't exactly sure what it was. He slowly turned it over in his fingers, feeling the smooth, cool texture, the oval shape. It was hard, though not metal. But there was something else there, something almost…alive, as though whatever he was holding was vibrating with the slightest bit of energy.

"My space earth," Toph confirmed. "I never go anywhere without it. When I need to feel something—actually feel it—this is what I do."

She cupped Sokka's hands around hers, and he could feel every muscle in her fingers move as she bended the earth into different shapes. He wasn't a bender, but this was the closest he'd ever come, and the experience was unlike anything he'd ever had before. He knew he was a great warrior without having bending, but finally, he could feel all the effort that was put into it, all the strength and patience. For the first time in a very long time, he was speechless.

After a few shapes, she placed the earth on the table next to her. Maybe it was the fact that Sokka could hear so well, but he swore he could hear Toph's voice trembling as she spoke again.

"There are other things that I like, too," she said quietly. "But I've only ever held them a few times."

Sokka gained his voice back. "Really?" he asked, intrigued. "Like what?"

Toph was silent and motionless for a moment. Very slowly and carefully, she reached for Sokka's hands again, this time enveloping them in her own.

Sokka crinkled his eyebrows behind the blindfold. "I don't get it," he said. "There's nothing there."

"That's the point."

Immediately Sokka's face flushed in embarrassment. "Oh."

Despite being a rough Earthbender, a strong young woman, and a fierce friend, Toph's hands were unusually soft. Sokka actually cherished this gentler portion of her personality. He knew her well enough that her hard external complexity was often just a barrier. For years, he'd endured her teasing and sarcasm, but she was older now. She was tired of holding back everything she had. This experience she'd put him through, helping him get over his fear…she really did care, even though she'd never admit it.

And, like all these things he'd newly experienced, this made Sokka feel something entirely new…yet he found himself enjoying this one above all others.

He took one of his hands from Toph's grasp and, blindly but carefully, held it up as close to her face as he could, knowing she could sense it.

"May I?" he asked quietly.

"Yes."

Very carefully, Sokka placed his fingertips on Toph's face. He knew what she looked like, but this was something completely new. He could feel the warmth in her cheeks, the softness of her lips, the fluttering of her eyelashes. She had grown into an amazingly talented young adult, but this real, true beauty beyond her rough exterior could not be observed with eyes. It didn't matter that Sokka's world was physically dark; he was seeing Toph in a way he never had before. He laughed quietly to himself.

"I don't think I'm afraid of the dark anymore."

Toph just smiled.