Summary: Toph can feel him every night leaving his bed to stare up at the moon, and one night curiosity gets the better of her and she decides to ask him why. Toph/Sokka
Disclaimer: I do not own avatar, I wish I did- but I don't
Moon
Toph had never wished more in her life that she wasn't blind. She could feel him from her bedroom that he was on the porch of the house in Ba Sing Sa looking out into the sky.
She had heard about stars, like dots of lights in the sky.
But she had never seen light- he mother had tried to explain to her the moon, a large white glowing orb in the black sky.
But she didn't know colors, there was no white for her to imagine.
Toph had never really cared though; she knew it must be beautiful from what she heard, but she had never cared much for beautiful things.
But now her heart ached just to know what he was staring at- what he was staring at all the time. She had noticed when she first joined the group he had done this then too, but she hadn't known him then. She didn't know who he was then so she had always shrugged and fallen asleep but now- she wished she knew what was causing him such pain.
She could tell he was frowning sadly every time he looked up, she could feel the lines etched into his face every time he or she moved. Just get up and ask him, her mind urged her but she found herself frozen, just go!
So she took a deep breath and sat up, slid off her bed and walked out onto the pouch, "What's up, Snuzzles?" she said.
He jumped turning around, "Oh," he said, "It's only you Toph."
"Oh no," Toph said, "I couldn't tell."
Sokka smiled a bit and turned back to the sky.
Toph looked up too but she knew she would only see black, and she found herself correct.
"So," she said going over next to him and leaning on the rail vaguely aware that she was still in pajamas, "Whatatcha lookin' at?"
Sokka blinked and looked down at her, "Oh," he said and gave a little not completely happy laugh, "I'm looking at… the moon."
Toph hummed thoughtfully as Sokka looked back up, "What's it like?" she asked,
"What's what like?" Sokka asked dimly his mind clearly somewhere else.
"The moon," Toph replied her eyes blank, "what does it look like?"
"Oh," Sokka said breaking out of his thoughts, "Well its very beautiful… its almost silky white… and she somewhat glows out of the darkness… like a savor…" he added quietly.
"She."
"What?"
"You said she." Toph repeated, "I didn't know the moon had a gender." She said sarcasm dripping from her words, but never less there was also curiosity clinging to her words as well.
"Oh." Sokka said yet again and he laughed rubbing the back of his neck, "Yeah sorry."
Lines creased on Toph's forehead, "Sokka, are you alright? You don't seem like your self tonight."
Sokka raised an eyebrow as he gave her a sly look that Toph was blind too, "Really, well what am I usually like?"
"Well," Toph said putting her chin on the rail, "Your usually crazy, sarcastic, stubborn, funny, brave-"
Toph blinked, and immediately her head bolted up, then she cleared her throat rather loudly blood rushing to her pale cheeks, "So anyway why are you looking at the moon or- her as you like to put it."
"No reason." Sokka replied quickly.
"Oh come on Sokka!" Toph said throwing her arms up in the air, "I've felt you come out to look at the moon every night ever since I joined this group."
"R-really?" Sokka stuttered turning to her.
Toph nodded hands on her hips.
"Alright," Sokka sighed, "I'll tell you but- are you sure you want to know?"
"Positive." Toph replied.
"100 percent positive?"
"Yes."
"Are you ssuuurrree?"
Toph sighed in annoyance, "I think the only one here unsure is you."
"Ok, fine!" Sokka gave in but then his voice became more somber, "Well we told you about how we went to the North Pole right?"
Toph nodded.
"Well there I meet someone- her name was Yue, and she was the princess of the northern water tribe." Sokka explained, "She was beautiful, smart, kind, thoughtful, and brave – I never meet someone – ever – as brave as her." He looked sadly up at the full moon.
Toph could already feel her heart ready to burst from jealously but she merely gritted her teeth, dug her hands into the wooden rail, and nodded.
"I had liked…no... I loved her- and still do and she liked me back but she was… engaged-"
"Wait what?" Toph interrupted abruptly, "She was ENGADED but going around and making out with you!" she shrieked as the word 'slut' crossed her mind.
Sokka gave her a hard look but Toph could feel the heat of him blushing against her, "One, it was a choice it was an arranged marriage- and let me talk!" he shouted as she opened her mouth to say something back, "Two, we weren't making out anyway!"
Toph snorted, "Really you got further then that? Oh, Sokka I didn't know you had it in you!" She smiled brightly at him to annoy him more.
Sokka glared at her, "ANYWAY" Sokka said so loudly Toph feared for a moment that it might wake Aang, and Katara up even though the back door was fully closed, "She was engaged so we couldn't be together but then one day the fire nation attacked and the general killed the moon spirit." Sokka said again his voice full of sadness and he took a deep breath as he said the finally words painfully, "And to save the world… Yue gave her life to the moon."
Toph's dull blind eyes grew wide, "Wait so she… died?" she said in amazement as she felt guilt for being jealous sinking into her stomach like a stone.
Sokka nodded slowly, "Well… sort of… she's the moon now."
"So…" Toph said contemplating what she just heard, "your girlfriend is the moon!" Toph asked stunned.
Sokka gave a little laugh, "You know… I never really thought of it that way- but… yeah, I guess so."
Toph slumped up against the rail even with the sinking guilt still found it hard not to be jealous, "So let me guess she was beautiful, tall, skinny- long flowing hair?"
"Pretty much." Sokka said vaguely not noticing Toph's obvious jealously that was clinging to her every word.
Toph huffed while Sokka still stared at the moon.
"You know you're the first person I've ever told that to." He said a smile playing on his face as he quite suddenly realized how much weight was off his shoulders.
Toph blinked and straightened up, "Really?" but then she slouched over again, "But what about Suki?" she spat the girl name out like it was a disgusting spider crawling up her arm.
"Not even Suki." Sokka replied.
Toph hard features softened, "Really?" she asked again.
"Really, really." Sokka confirmed.
Toph smiled and looked up at the night sky was a completely inky black mess to her, but she tried to imagine the moon- but failed. She had no idea what glowing was like, or white was like, or even something beautiful looked like.
Sokka sighed next to her and she felt him hang his head, "I just wish I could have protected her…" he said so quietly Toph had to strain her ears to him.
Toph brought her head down, and then biting her lip she straightened up against the rail and stood closer to him and with a trembling hand she put a hand on his.
Sokka blinked as he felt the warmth of her surprisingly soft hand of his he looked at her surprised to find her staring forward looking slightly nervous as she bit her bottom lip.
He smiled at her, as he had never really seen like this, so delicate, fragile, vulnerable, and so…pretty as every other time he had looked her he couldn't seem to get past the tough, and stubborn personality of her to really see what she looked like.
Toph though could not see him smile at her, and Sokka of course knowing that, gently took her hand and held it.
He could see the look of surprise on her face but she didn't say anything- she didn't need to say anything as he cheeks went to a delicate shade of pink and a tiny smile unfurled on her face.
She squeezed his hand tightly, "You won't lose me." Toph said quietly.
Authors Note: First off I would like to apologize for the cheesiness of my fanfic, second of all I very much liked writing the vulnerable Toph whom you do see the newest episode which I really loved because you see a side of her she never shows and I really felt that Sokka needed to see that side in this story of mine. Please review it means a lot to me.