Submissions for Taangst Week 2021 (May 24-28). Prompts: Unrequited Love, Loss, Star-Crossed Lovers, Arranged Marriage, and Death.
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"Hey."
Toph jumped slightly, she hadn't been paying any attention to the flighty footsteps coming towards her. Otherwise she would have avoided them.
"What's up, Twinkletoes?" She tried to casually cover up her thoughts. She hoped Aang didn't notice her spacing.
"Are you alright? You've been out of it lately."
Damn it.
Toph took a deep breath to calm her heart- she couldn't give herself away so easily. No doubt Aang would be checking to see if she was lying (a trick she regretted teaching him).
"Don't worry about me, Fancy Dancer. Don't you have a pregnant wife to worry about?" Oh sure, that wasn't bitter at all.
"Katara doesn't need me hanging on her shoulder." Aang chuckled, taking a seat next to her. Toph wished he would just leave her be- and yet she hypocritically thrummed just being near him.
Aang bumped her shoulder playfully. "Especially not when my best friend is down in the dumps."
Toph felt her smile tighten at the corners. Right, her and Aang were best friends.
She had lost her chance of anything more a long time ago.
"Alright, you got me. It was a rough week at work and Kanto and I broke up." Toph wasn't lying- this week had sucked.
Aang frowned and put a comforting hand on her shoulder. It took all of her restraint to not lean into him. "I'm sorry, T. I thought things were going well with Kanto?"
Toph shrugged. Things were fine until he had found out that she was pathetically in love with her best friend- her very taken best friend. Kanto hadn't taken very kindly to the revelation. Toph couldn't blame him.
"We had a fight. We broke up. It happens."
Aang sighed and removed his hand- she immediately missed the warmth.
It was torturous to be around him. It would be torturous to leave him behind.
"Sweetie! Can you help me with something?"
Aang air bended himself up before turning back to Toph. "I'm sorry Toph, if you need anything let me know. Maybe we can go out for drinks later?"
"Sure, Twinkles." She waved her hand at him as he quickly left her to follow Katara- like usual.
She was stuck, cursed to watch the love of her life be with someone else. It should be her. Not Katara.
And she felt horrible for thinking such a thing. The bitterness she felt was eating her alive. She should be happy for her friends. Actually happy, not the pretend smiles that she gave them. But she would never be happy- and that was just something she had to accept. She realized too late. This heavy sadness was going to follow her the rest of her life.
But what choice did she have but to longingly watch from afar?