Open hands are hard to hold onto anyway.
They didn't speak until later that night, when Sokka was already sprawled over across her bed and she had just returned from the bachelorette party. Toph wasn't positive if he was sleeping or not, but assumed he was awake since she didn't hear any of the usual snoring.
He was absolutely silent as she washed her face, as she left the room to change into her pajamas, and then still quiet as she plopped down beside him onto the soft mattress with an exhausted sigh.
"Move over," she said gruffly, rubbing at her sightless eyes sleepily as she listened to the unmistakeable rustling of his movement, shuffling over so she had space to sleep.
"Thanks." Toph crawled underneath the covers, exhaling as she sunk her head into the large, fleecy pillow. It had been a very tiring day; being a girl was insufferably irritating and incredibly strenuous… she had no idea how Katara, Mai, and Ty Lee did it every single day of their lives! Laughing at the right times. Sipping your stupid, flavorless tea in between sentences. Insulting yourself and complimenting someone else, both within the same sentence. None of it made any sense to her at all.
Suddenly feeling a little insecure, Toph soundlessly grasped outside her fluffy blankets, searching for her companion's hand. It was lying open for her; as always. She pressed her palm down into his larger one. Their fingers crossed over each others as he brushed his thumb slowly over the front of her hand, warming her frosted skin.
"How was it?" Sokka asked quietly, his voice low and tired.
"Boring," the young girl sighed. "You?"
He paused. "Interesting."
She turned over onto her side to face him. She wondered if he was looking at her, obsessed over it even, as she listened to her unwavering heartbeat echo through the smooth fabric of her pillow. Slow and steady. One by one. It calmed her.
Toph thought about absolutely everything as she lay there with a still heartbeat, sleeping across from the only person that had ever made her pulse race.
The wedding was tomorrow. What was going to happen? What if he was there? She would have to leave, she really would...
Am I ever going to get married? Toph abruptly questioned herself.
She emitted a soft breath from her lips as she puzzled over this. The question was: who would want to marry her? Who would she want to marry?
She felt her face flush a little bit. There was only one person, and they didn't like her. Not like that, at least.
Was she doomed she feel this way until the day she died? Like her nerves were being pulled at and plucked like guitar strings? Like she just got punched in the face? Like her feet had sunk into concrete?
Toph had always thought love was supposed to feel light and fluffy, to make someone as beautiful and alive as they could possibly be. And yet, she felt like she had been tied to a tree and left for birds to peck her eyes all the way out.
Sokka had gradually slowed down, and then stopped running over her skin with his fingertips. She had already assumed he'd fallen asleep, and was surprised when he spoke. "I missed you today."
Of course, she had missed him. More than she should have. But she was too prideful, too haughty and wouldn't admit that kind of thing so easily. She said in a voice hardly an octave above a whisper, "I'm glad that we're friends."
He squeezed her hand. "Me, too."
It had been a while, maybe a little less than a week, since Toph had experienced one of her nightmares. At least, one of those nightmares, the kind that left her thrashing and crying as he felt dumb and clueless as to what to do or how to help her.
The sun had just begun to rise when he woke up. The first thing he noticed was the lack of warmth in his palm, the absence of Toph's smaller hand nestled comfortably into his. He blinked, his eyes adjusting to the darkness of the room, blurry due to his fatigue.
Toph had her pillow drawn up to her chest, tightly compressing it with her arms as she wept noisily. Tears ran down her reddened cheeks and her hair lay sprawled out around her. He quickly crawled over, grabbing tender hold of her shoulder and rocking it back and forth carefully.
"Toph," he whispered, "Toph, it's me, Sokka."
He continued shaking her until her eyes opened and body stiffened with fear.
Everytime he woke her up like this, there was always a moment of hesitation. An unspoken paragraph of distrust, of paranoia, of fear.
"Sokka..." her eyes fluttered, leaving a few tears trailing underneath her eyes. With his free other hand, he wiped them away hastily, leaving his thumb to rest on her cheek.
"Shhh, Toph. It's okay. I'm here for you." He released his grip on her shoulder and instead wrapped her up in an embrace, gently holding her face into the crook of his neck.
His skin began to feel wet from all her sobs, but he ignored the strange sensation and instead focused on her lips pressed lightly against his collarbone. Her breath was hot and shaky, the rest of her body positioned very unsure and awkwardly.
"It's okay," Sokka repeated, and she finally conceded, wrapping her arms around his torso and melting into his hug.
"I was so scared," she sniffed, her voice coming out muffled by his skin.
"I know."
"So confused."
"I know."
"I didn't know what to… or how to..."
"I know, Toph," he said, silencing her. He combed through her hair, trying his best to pacify the young girl. "You don't have to explain yourself to me. It's okay."
She paused, allowing his words to process, before slowly uttering an apology, "I'm sorry." Her weeping had finally ceased.
"For what?"
"For not... being strong."
He stopped petting her head. "Oh, Toph," he breathed, planting a kiss onto her temple as she sniffled a little bit.
Sokka glanced over towards the window only to find the curtains drawn with just a sliver of dawn peaking out into the bedroom. He wondered if Zuko was arresting Dai right now, or if it had already happened long ago. He was a little stunned to realize he didn't really care, as long as he was gone and away.
Toph adjusted herself in his grip. When he looked down at her, he was startled to see that she was looking up at him as well, blindness and all.
It made him smile, just a little tug at the corners of his mouth. He was always grabbing her chin, pointing her neck and making it so he could at least pretend she was staring at him while they talked. It irritated her to no end, and usually ended with her smacking his hands away, but she knew to him it made their conversations just that more special.
He lowered the hand tousled in her hair to her cheek, hooking his thumb underneath her jaw and he gazed into her angular opaque eyes dimmed by the darkness of the room. Tears dried at her chin and dribbled down her throat, but she was still easily recognizable. He knew her face anywhere.
"Don't worry," Sokka said, "I will never let anything hurt you ever again."
In response, Toph merely blinked. She wordlessly shook his hand from her face and nuzzled her nose into his chest. He felt her eyelashes bristle against his bare skin, and guessed she had decided it was time for her to go back to sleep.
She was so special, and so important to him. He was always going to be angry - maybe even hate himself - for not being able to protect her back when she was most vulnerable. Maybe that was okay.
Maybe, no matter how incredibly powerful she was, Toph would always feel the effects of what had happened. Maybe even years from now, she would still have nightmares. That was okay, too.
Because no matter if the culprit was alive or dead, rotting in a jail cell or murdered by Sokka's hands, it wouldn't have changed what he had done to her.
Toph was strong, but at times she could be made weak. And that was okay.
"So," Ty Lee purred, working some sort of voodoo magic on the blind girl's head as she spoke slyly, "What were you and Sokka up to last night, hm?"
Toph felt her face instinctually heat up.
"Oh, my goodness. Ty Lee!" Katara exclaimed loudly. "Would it kill you to mind your own business for once?"
The acrobat simply giggled. "I mean, if you had walked in on me and, say, the Earth King wrapped up in a sleeping lover's embrace, wouldn't you have at least a few questions for me?"
Katara groaned. "Forgive her, Toph. She was clearly raised without learning manners."
Ty Lee scoffed. "I'll have you know, Katara, that I was the daughter of a nobleman, and attended a set of very prestigious private schools where I was educated all throughout my upbringing." She pulled a little tighter at the ends of Toph's hair, making the younger girl squirm where she sat.
"And!" Ty Lee continued, "When I was Toph's age, I already had a pretty lengthy list of admirers. I don't see any reason why she can't follow in my footsteps."
"Oh, geez," Katara moaned, suppressing a little laugh.
Ty Lee snapped the rubber band on her wrist, skillfully tying it around the end of Toph's dense braid. "Just call me Sifu Ty Lee." Toph stood up, then bowed mockingly.
"How do you like it, Toph?"
She just grinned. "Looks great."
"So, it's gonna go Aang and Katara first, and then you and me," Sokka whispered to her. She replied with a nod.
Toph felt a little bit funny. Lately, she had been plucked and displayed so often that it was beginning to feel almost… well... normal. That wouldn't do - she had to get herself out of this princessy, glamorous lifestyle. She felt the need to get her hands dirty, regain the callouses that used to decorate her heels and palms. It didn't feel right always having a glossy mask over her face, her scalp pulled at so tightly she could pass out. It just wasn't her.
"You look good, by the way," Sokka spoke, his voice a little louder this time. She responded by punched him in the shoulder. "Ow. Hey, I'm being serious."
Before she had a chance to either punch him in the mouth or the groin, Sokka looped his arm into hers. "It's time," he leaned down and whispered, his breath brushing her ear. "Katara and Aang are about to go."
Like always, Toph listened to the earth. She felt her friend's definite footsteps, landing with soft vibrations each time they hit the ground and slowly trailing upwards to the altar where a figure - she assumed was Zuko - stood still.
Believe it or not, this was the first wedding Toph had ever attended. She knew it was stupid, but there was a little prickle down in the pit of her stomach. What if she tripped over Mai's train? Or face-planted into the cake? The horrible possibilities, the very feasible and realistic ways she could ruin the event, were endless.
"Now," Sokka whispered, taking a step forward.
She let him lead her by the arm, but wanted to make it clear she could easily walk by herself. Mai followed closely behind them. Toph could only imagine that her own wealthy, upper-class family combined with Zuko's royal status had created quite an extravagant wedding gown.
Once she and Sokka had assumed their proper positions right beside Katara and Aang, Toph quietly inquired, "Where is Ty Lee again?"
"She's next to Mai," Sokka replied. "It's a… maid of honor thing, I think?"
"Doesn't Mai look so beautiful?" Katara's voice was drowning in raw emotions, she sounded as if she was about to cry.
Brought to tears by a dress. Toph was almost sad that she couldn't see it for herself.
"She looks, um…" Sokka paused for a minute, "...slightly less annoyed than usual."
When the ceremony began, everyone became very quiet. To Toph, it only intensified the sounds of a very tradition, boring speech being made by a very pompous sounding old man.
If I ever get married, I will do everything in my power to make sure it definitely won't be this boring, Toph told herself. Instead of walking down the aisle, we'll race! And instead of exchanging vows, we'll have a fight!
There were a lot of flames, a lot of torches being lit in celebration and fireworks decorating the sky. I guess this is what the fire nation likes to do. Toph could feel the heat and smell the smoke as the crowd oohed and ahed over the lavish stunts. When Mai and Zuko began to recite their I do's, the mood suddenly shifted as if everyone had been attending a funeral in lieu of a wedding. Katara was downright sobbing and burying her head into Aang's shoulder in order to muffle the noise. She could hear the Avatar himself sniffling in between breaths, and even Sokka's breathing seemed to become irregular.
Finally, the couple sealed their fate with just one of many kisses. The audience's cheers were so loud that Toph moved to cover her ears - only to find herself tucked into Sokka's arms wrapped around the young girl in a hug.
"What's this for?" she asked as soon as he released her, feeling a little fuzzy and warm.
"Just happy."
"Uncle?" Zuko asked, his voice incredulous and eyes wide as he gazed at the old man dressed in a fine suit and a huge grin on his face. "What are you doing here? I thought you were in Ba Sing Se!"
"You think I would miss my own nephew's wedding?" Iroh chuckled, pulling the shell-shocked Zuko into a loving embrace. "You must be crazy, Prince Zuko."
"Fire Lord Zuko," Mai corrected, a smirk upon her face. She bowed to her elder as he laughed, holding his arms out to her as well. "You know there's no need for that. After all, we are family now!"
"This rice..." Toph's familiar voice pulled the warrior right out of his observations, and he turned over to where she was sitting across from him. "Is. So. Good. Seriously, who is their caterer? I'm going to have to hire them."
"Hire them for what? Your funeral?" Sokka joked, resting his elbows on the table.
Toph just scoffed. "I'm immortal, Snoozles. Maybe... I'll hire them for my wedding. Maybe."
"Ooh, your wedding, huh? Who are you marrying?" Sokka sneakily stole a spoonful of rice off of her plate.
"I… don't know yet. I don't even know if I'm ever marrying anyone. That's why I said maybe, you dummy."
"Mm." The rice actually was pretty good. "Well, whenever this wedding of yours is - real or fake, I better be invited."
Toph paused before speaking. "Only if I can come to yours."
"Of course. If I have one."
She stuck her tongue out at him, then went right back to her meal. Hm. She looked a little pinker than she did before; maybe she had gotten sick again?
Sokka glanced out at the floor of the ballroom, where a vast amount of couples swayed and chatted to a slow melody echoing throughout the room. He even caught sight of Katara and Aang, laughing and smiling at each other like idiots. Ty Lee was leading some poor boy by the wrist, her mouth moving miles by the minute.
"Hey, Toph, you wanna dance?" Sokka asked suddenly, pivoting around to look back at her.
She furrowed her eyebrows in confusion. "What?"
"I asked if you wanted to dance."
"Yeah, I heard that, but why would I want to dance with you when I can much more easily slit my throat?"
He laughed, taking her hand in his. "Because I'm your best friend? Come on, one dance."
"Just one?"
"Just one."
The young girl sighed, standing up from her seat and allowing Sokka to escort her towards the dance floor. "You better at least find me the name of this caterer."
He led her to a little secluded spot near the edge of the floor, far enough away from all the couples that they could talk and dance privately without much interruption.
As Sokka glanced down at her, his eyes soaking in at her cute little face and petite frame, he suddenly began to fumble while wrapping his arms very tentatively around her waist. She was so small she only came up to his chest; it was a good thing he had long arms.
Toph had to stand on her tiptoes in order to loop her sleeved arms over his neck. He wondered if she could tell he was nervous, was his heart beating faster than normal?
As they awkwardly stood in this position, Sokka desperately tried to make some decent conversation. He sorted through his mind recklessly before blurting out, "I don't want to leave."
"What?" Toph asked.
"I mean..." he was too flustered. Sokka searched for a sentence where his words would make some kind of sense, then continued, "It gets lonely, you know? I think I'll go back home and visit my dad... Stay down there for a while. Katara and Aang, they have Avatar business. So they're no fun, you know? What do you think you're gonna do? I mean, after Zuko kicks us - ''
"Snoozles!" Toph interrupted him, letting her hands fall back down to her sides. He rubbed the cold area on his neck sheepishly. "What exactly do you mean what am I gonna do?"
He stared at her, then answered very slowly. "I mean, like… where are you gonna go?"
She dropped her head, clearly upset about something. Toph cleared her throat before saying, "Oh… I mean, I just thought…"
"Thought what?"
Toph raised her useless gaze, a slight blush gracing her cheeks. "What you said before, about us travelling together… I just thought you were serious, that's all."
It took a minute, then: oh. Oh!
Sokka lunged forward, grabbing onto her tiny shoulders rashly. "Toph!" the warrior cried out, watching as the surprise flickered across her face. "Of course I was serious! I just - I didn't think that you wanted to!"
She laughed crudely, swatting his fingers away from her collarbones playfully. "Well, I obviously want to… God, you're so dumb, Sokka. I can't believe you."
His hands dropped, a soft smile creeping across his lips as they chuckled together. "Yeah. You're right."
Toph lightly smacked him in the arm, beaming wildly. He rubbed the sore spot for a minute, and then reached an exploratory hand outwards to graze her shoulder.
The young girl's face was so full of wonder. Of curiosity. Sokka looked at her, really looked at her - smiling as his eyes scanned over her the shapes and angles that made her look how she did, made her recognizable to him.
His hands drifted down to her wrist, gently cupping around the smooth joint before he ultimately found her hands. They were open, waiting for him. Sokka laced his fingers in between hers, noticing her palms were a little cold and hoping that he could warm them with his own.
His hands closed around hers, and a soft smile split across Toph's face.
In case you didn't catch that, Toph and Sokka will continue travelling together after the gaang all split their separate ways. Which means this story isn't over yet! Whoo!
There will probably be a little delay between this chapter and the next, since I begin school very soon and getting them situated in their journey will be a little hectic, writing-wise. But, don't fear, I will never abandon this story because of how much I love this pair together!
Though I love every single one of my readers dearly, I would like to personally thank zulfi for reviewing every single chapter and for following this story from the very beginning! Much love 3
Have a great day.