A/N: Please don't murder me for the chapter title XD I couldn't help myself.

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"Uncle Sokka."

The whispered voice right next to his ear, breath tickling the skin, jolted him out of an uncharacteristically light sleep. "Wha-!" he said, jerking and reaching for the weapon that was, of course, nowhere near his body. It was still dark, though he could make out a small figure next to his bed. "Lin?" he guessed, the large badgermole-shaped toy in her arms giving him a hint. "That you?"

"Yeah," she whimpered.

"What are you doing up?"

"I had a bad dream," she said in a shaky voice. "Can I sleep with you?"

"Alright, c'mere. What was your dream about?"

"Bad guys," she whispered, curling up next to him.

Sokka sighed. He remembered being young and having nightmares. His dad would always tell him to describe the dream so he'd realize how illogical it was and it wouldn't seem scary anymore. But the problem was…Lin's nightmares were real. Talking about them might make things worse.

"There aren't any bad guys here. You're safe."

"What about Mom?"

"She's safe, too, either working in her office or at home getting some sleep. Either way, no bad guys will get her. You don't need to worry. Just go back to sleep. You're safe here."

She didn't say anything else, and after about fifteen minutes her breathing had settled into the peaceful rhythm of sleep. He closed his eyes and allowed himself to drift back off, wishing he knew how to make her fears go away. But…he worried about Toph, too.

Sokka woke again to his shoulder being shaken roughly.

"Uncle Sokka! Aunt Katara says it's time to get up!"

"Yeah, yeah, ok," he muttered, gently swatting Lin's hand away. "I'm up, I'm up."

"Nuh-uh! Your eyes are closed."

"I'm tired. Someone woke me up in the middle of the night." But he said it with a smile so she'd know he was only teasing.

"Aunt Katara says get up now or no breakfast!"

"Well, we can't have that, can we?" He sighed and yawned, pushing himself upright. "Alright. Tell her I'll be out in a minute."

Once dressed, he found his sister frantically trying to maintain some semblance of peace and order. Between two energetic five-year-olds, a smartass tween, and a teenager who was still 'going through a phase', it wasn't easy.

"Bumi, you cannot wear that to school! Go change!"

"Mom–"

"This isn't a discussion. Go. Change."

"Ugh!" He stormed off back to his bedroom.

"Mom, am I dressed ok?" Kya asked in a saccharine voice. Sokka knew it was less innocence and more a desire to act superior.

"You're fine, honey," Katara replied wearily without even looking, too focused on the pan she was scrubbing.

Meanwhile, Lin and Tenzin kept taking things off each other's plates, using bending to retaliate. Since Sokka had been in the room, already more than one piece of food had been knocked onto the floor.

"No more bending at the table, kids," he said sternly, grabbing Lin's wrist before she could try and steal anything else. "Or Katara is going to take your breakfast away."

"Right, because I'm the bad guy," Katara snapped. "Thanks."

"Fine. If you don't stop, I'll take your breakfast away." He gave his sister a withering look that she seemed to understand, as she looked just the faintest bit penitent.

Twenty minutes later they were all loaded up and ready to head out the door.

"Thanks for coming over yesterday," she said to him before they left. "And for staying."

"And for taking them to school. Because I'm an awesome uncle and an amazing brother who gives up good sleep for kids that aren't even his."

"I said thank you! You don't have to be a jerk about it!"

"Have a good day, Sis," he said with a smirk, unfazed.

"Good luck with your big meeting."

Sokka grimaced, not wanting to think about that. Ludo's memo regarding it had filled him with a sense of foreboding. The only time the four of them met as a group – and in the formal Council chambers, no less – was when there was a serious issue that needed to be discussed and voted on.

Partway to the primary school, Bumi broke off for the nearby secondary school. It had been a huge point of contention when he'd started there, Sokka knew. Katara had been adamant about taking all of her children to school, but Bumi threw a fit, saying he was too old for that and it was embarrassing, that his friends made fun of him. Finally, after a long talk and many tears, Katara had relented. Reluctantly.

When Sokka dropped the younger kids off, Lin had a bit of a moment, giving him a tight hug and not wanting to let go.

"What's the matter? You love school."

"I miss Mom," she mumbled.

"You'll see her tonight."

"Promise?"

"Yeah, I promise," Sokka said, hoping to the Spirits that he was right. But he doubted Toph would send her to the Island two nights in a row without a really good reason.

With his uncle duties finally completed, he turned to his Councilman duties, setting off for City Hall with a heaviness in his stomach, the last to arrive in the Council chambers.

"Well," Ludo said, standing. "Now that we're all here, I suppose we should get down to business. I'll cut to the chase. Four weeks from today, I'll be stepping down from the Council." There was a moment of silence while the others blinked in surprise and glanced at each other. "I'll be spending that time getting my replacement up to speed," he added.

"Wow," Sokka said. "I had no idea you'd been considering retirement."

Ludo laughed. "I've been considering retirement for the last fifteen years. You know, I didn't have a gray hair on my head when I took this position. Now look at me! And half of them are from your friend at the police station."

Sokka sighed and resisted the urge to roll his eyes, thinking it might come across as juvenile. His relationship with Toph had remained a sore point for the last five years. He tried to bear the brunt of Ludo's unhappiness so she wouldn't be more stressed out than she already was, but the fact was that they hadn't done a great job of keeping their friendship discreet.

"Anyway," Ludo continued. "Per the by-laws put in place when this Council was formed, the role of Chairman will fall to you, Amaruq, as you have held your position the longest."

Sokka tried not to make a face. Ludo was a breath of fresh air compared to the Northern Water Tribe man. Amaruq got along with him – on the surface – as Sokka was not someone to invite confrontation without good reason, but the man's rivalry with Toph often caused problems.

Amaruq frowned pensively, which was a little bit of a surprise. He didn't usually display such meekness. "I must say, I did not expect this. The truth is, I, too, had important news to share at this meeting. While I haven't yet settled on a replacement or formalized anything, I also intend to step down. Soon."

Ludo looked flummoxed. "Wh– Why didn't you mention this to me privately?"

"I wasn't under the impression that was necessary."

"Not necessary, perhaps," Ludo blustered, "but as Chairman, I should know these things, as a courtesy if nothing else. Now I am obligated to put off my own retirement so that I may participate in the process of approving your successor."

Something suddenly occurred to Sokka that made him totally tune out their conversation for a few moments. With Ludo and Amaruq both leaving, he would become the new Chairman. He was going to be Toph's boss.

"Wow," Toph said, leaning back in her office chair, distant eyes blinking slowly.

"Yeah. I know," Sokka agreed.

"This does not mean you get to tell me what to do!" she said, suddenly fierce.

He chuckled. "Well…"

"I'm serious, Sokka! Don't let this go to that big, meat-filled head of yours! You may be my best friend, but don't you think for a second that I won't fight you tooth and nail if you try to micromanage me!"

"Would you chill? Why would I make your life harder? This could be a good thing, you know. I could actually make your life easier."

"Hmph", she grunted, crossing her arms unhappily. Stubbornly.

Sokka couldn't help but wonder if there weren't something else on her mind, because there was definitely something else on his mind. If there was even the slightest chance that her feelings for him were reawakening – and he truly believed they were, which nurtured that tortuous seed of hope – this new development certainly changed things. He still wasn't quite sure how it changed things, though.

Or…maybe she really was just mad that he was technically going to be her superior instead of her equal.

"Whatever the case," he continued, "I've been doing a lot of thinking. I've got some ideas for the city that I've really wanted to implement, but Ludo was either resistant or too busy to give them much thought."

"You never told me any of these ideas," Toph said, looking a little wounded.

"Sure I did. What about wanting to have an air acolyte on the Council?"

"Oh, that. Ludo's the only one who was against it, right? Didn't want to give up his double vote?"

"Pretty much. But who knows what his and Amaruq's replacements will be like. How they'll feel about it. We'll see."

"Aang'll sure be happy if you manage it. Really, it's well past time for the Air Nation to be represented on the Council, now that there actually is one. Those acolytes have been breeding like mongoose-rabbits these last couple of decades."

Sokka couldn't help but laugh, but smacked his forehead with his hand, too. He could always count on Toph to be inappropriately candid.

"What? You know I'm right," she continued. "Bunch of teenagers who ran away from their parents to 'be free', combined with Aang making the temples co-ed. What did he think was gonna happen?"

"Anyway…" Sokka said. "The other big thing I want to do might…potentially…be a challenge for you. Temporarily." He cringed at the fierce scowl on her face.

"What?" she snapped.

"But…it should eventually help keep the city more organized."

"Spit it out, Meathead."

"I want to establish official boroughs, dividing the city up into logical zones. It'll be a little chaotic for a while, but I really think it could have some great benefits in the long term."

"Ughhh," Toph groaned, rubbing her temples. "First the sewage system, then the power lines, the streetcars, the radio towers, the telephone lines. Now this? When will it end?"

"You can't stop progress, T. Why would you want to?"

"I don't, but why does it always have to make my life harder?"

"It'll only make your life harder for a little while."

"And then you'll come up with another obnoxious new idea," she grumbled, though he was pleased that she didn't seem to be genuinely upset. This was just normal Toph complaining.

"That's right," he said cheerfully. "Anyway, I should get going. I just wanted to let you know ASAP. Nothing will be changing soon, not for weeks or possibly months, but don't tell anyone yet."

"Right. Because I'm such a gossip."

He just laughed and headed for the door, though he didn't get very far.

"Sokka." There seemed to be an odd weight in her voice.

"What?"

"Are you happy about this, or are you dreading it?"

"Hm. I don't know. Little bit of both, maybe."

"Well. I think you'll make a good Chairman." Her genuine, borderline sentimental words caught him off guard. For a moment, he was speechless, allowing her to continue. "But, hey, if you don't and you end up quitting, then Yunari will take over and there'll finally be a woman running this city."

Sokka shook his head and rolled his eyes. Typical.

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"Faster! Faster!" Lin screeched, riding on Sokka's shoulders. They were in a race with Aang and Tenzin, weaving in and out of the obstacles set up by Bumi and Kya.

Still buzzed from having gone a tiny bit overboard with the sake at dinner, Toph's thoughts were going somewhere that was usually forbidden. Happy memories with Sokka were pouring in, making her feel all warm and fuzzy.

It was far from the first time. In the last year, with things finally starting to get easier with Lin, those sorts of thoughts had wiggled their way into her awareness more often than she liked. And he was so good with Lin; she loved every minute she got to spend with her Uncle Sokka.

"Come on, Sweetie!" Katara cheered. "You can do it!"

"Crush him, Sokka!" Riju shouted.

The group was pretty evenly split, with Katara and Kya rooting for Aang, Riju and Toph cheering for Sokka, and Bumi heckling both of them.

"Come on, Dad!" Tenzin said. "They're gaining on us!"

"Faster!" Lin cried again.

"I could beat both of you old farts blindfolded!" Bumi cackled.

"So could I!" Toph added enthusiastically, to much laughter from the others.

They were neck and neck as they rounded the final obstacle. Everyone was just shouting nonsense now.

"Aaaand Dad wins by a single nose hair!" Bumi called, standing at the finish line.

"Aw, man!" Lin complained.

"Sorry, kiddo," Sokka said. "You know, I bet he used airbending to win."

"I did not!"

"You've been spending too much time behind a desk, Snoozles."

"I'm also forty-one years old," he scoffed.

"Alright kids," Katara said. "It's getting dark. Why don't you two go inside and play in Tenzin's room for a little while before bed?"

"Uncle Sokka, come help us make a fort!" Lin said.

"No rest for the weary, huh?" he said while she tried to drag him inside. "Alright, alright, I'm coming."

As they all dispersed, Toph meandered down towards the beach, trying to clear her head a little. It was hard not to ruminate, though. Her life on the Island was so different than her life at home. When it was just her and Lin, every day was the same: Get up, drop her off at school, work, go home, eat dinner, do some training, put her to bed, then do some actual training.

It was a good routine, but sometimes got dull. And she'd be lying if she said she didn't sometimes wonder how much sharper her skills would be if she could spend all her free time training and doing pro-bending.

Many weekends were spent here on the Island because, frankly, Toph had trouble keeping Lin entertained for an entire day without one – or both – of them getting bored or frustrated. Lin had a lot of energy and shared her mother's passion for bending, but spending hour after hour training wasn't exactly her favorite thing.

The Island gave her a place to run around and be loud and actually interact with someone else her age. And while Katara ran a tight ship, Toph never let her force Lin to their rigid lifestyle, at least as long as she was present. It was ironic, really, considering how structured their lives were at home. The Island was a place of freedom, for both of them.

All in all, things were good. Balanced. Work was always stressful, of course, but she'd been on that ostrich-horse for nearly two decades. Lin often complained about how she worked too much, how she missed things. It had led to plenty of arguments over the last couple of years. But...that was just normal family stuff. Most of the time, there was peace. More often than she expected, she actually liked being Lin's mom.

There was only one thing missing from her life. And ever since Sokka had become Chairman of the Council – with Ludo out of the picture – she had begun to feel a rebelliousness rise up in her.

"That you, T?" Sokka called, interrupting her deep reverie. His voice made the hair on the back of her neck prickle.

"Yeah."

"We've been looking everywhere for you!" Lin said.

"I thought you were making a fort with Tenzin?"

"We did that already, but Aunt Katara said it was time for bed."

"So we left before she could get annoyed that you let Lin stay up however late she wants on the weekends," Sokka added with a laugh, sitting down next to Toph in the sand. "Lin, show me some of those sand sculptures you were doing the other day."

"Ok!"

"She's gotten pretty good, huh?" he said to Toph after a little while.

"Yeah," she murmured, smiling proudly, though it quickly faded into furrowed brows. "Still trying to figure out metal, though."

"Ah, don't worry. She'll get it."

"I know."

They sat there in silence for a little while – Toph trying her damnedest not to think about how nice he smelled – until Lin persuaded him to get up and play with her. It mostly involved making him attack her crude sculptures with a stick sword.

After about twenty minutes, he bowed out and sat back down. "Sorry, Lin, this old man's beat. Maybe your mom will play."

"Uh-uh," Toph said. "This is relaxing time. You can stay up if you want but I'm not going to entertain you."

"You guys are boring!" Lin complained. "I'm gonna go find Kya and Bumi."

"Fine," Toph said off-handedly, yawning.

"You sleepy?" Sokka asked as Lin ran up the hill.

"I think I overdid it tonight with the sake."

"I thought you looked a little flushed earlier."

"I didn't even have that much. It just affects me more than it used to, before Lin was born."

"That's because you used to drink way too much, T." He laughed when she made a vaguely affronted noise. "Hey, no judgment. I was the same way. Worse, probably."

She yawned again and reclined back, making a little sand pillow for herself.

"Sounds like it's your bedtime," Sokka joked, leaning back too but propped up on his elbow.

She rolled onto her side, facing him. "Mm. I could sleep here. Nice and warm. Good company." It occurred to her how rare it was for them to be alone together; had she been unconsciously avoiding it all these years? Avoiding the temptation?

His other arm was bent in front of him, lying in the sand between them. She impulsively reached out and put her hand on top of his. Instantly, his pulse spiked. It made her chuckle, knowing she could still cause such strong reactions in him.

"T…?" he said hesitantly, a question in his voice.

"What?"

"What are you– Is, uh– Is this just the alcohol?"

"Maybe." She curled her fingers to wrap around his, relishing the warm contact. The feel of his familiar callouses. It had been so long. "Maybe not. I don't know."

He was very quiet for several long seconds.

"Please… Don't do this to me if you don't mean it. I'm serious."

"I mean it," she whispered. "But…"

"But what?"

"I'm…" She couldn't say it. Couldn't admit to the fear that accompanied these feelings. There had been reasons – good reasons – to avoid this, but she couldn't quite find them at the moment, and that concerned her.

He sat up, pulling her along with him, and scooted closer. His free hand went to her shoulder, then to the back of her neck, thumb rubbing the edge of her jaw. He leaned in and her heart started pounding in anticipation. But he just lightly kissed her cheek and lay his forehead against hers.

"Tomorrow," he said. "Tomorrow, when your head is clear and you've had some time to think, we'll talk. If this is really what you want, I need to hear it from sober Toph."

'Tomorrow' never happened, nor did the next day or the day after that. It was always something– one or both of them being too busy, or trying to work around Lin. A few times, Toph found herself pacing back and forth across her office, half-tempted to stalk over to City Hall, lock herself in his office, and jump his bones.

She wanted him. She needed him. That night on the beach had done something to her. The alcohol had made her show her hand. There was still reluctance, sure, but it was being crowded out by other things. Memories. The smell of him in her hair, the taste of his sweat dripping down his chest as she–

"Chief?"

Toph stopped pacing, Rinna's voice pulling her from her reverie. She cleared her throat, aware of the heat in her cheeks. "What?"

"Was that…important?"

"Was what–?" It was only then that she realized she was holding the tattered remains of a report that she'd rolled up and twisted mercilessly, picking at it with her fingernails in her agitation. "Oh. Uh... It's fine, I'll rewrite it later…" she said absently.

"Is everything alright?"

"Yeah. Just have a lot on my mind." Toph sat back down and tried to focus.

I need to get this out of my head. He probably chickened out anyway. If he doesn't want to talk about it, fine. Neither do I. We both know how it's going to go.

-Doesn't change the fact that you *want* him. More than you've wanted him in a long time. You let your mind go into that forbidden pit and now you can't get out. It's your own fault.-

He's the one who almost kissed me! So I touched his hand. Big deal! I was buzzed…

-You showed him how you really feel. You showed yourself, too. Can't take it back now. He's not going to let this go.-

Clearly, he has.

-You don't know that. If he pursues this, you know you won't have the self-control to stop him. And what then? It'll be–

Shut up, already! Whatever happens, happens. Just gotta take it one day at a time.

She ended up staying at work quite late that day, asking Sora to drop Lin off on the Island to spend the night. Around eleven o'clock, she finally dragged herself home, not even noticing that there was someone downstairs in the training room until her hand was reaching for the knob.

Her stomach flopped over, a cold chill going up the back of her neck, but she soon realized the figure was a familiar one. Sokka? She quickly strode inside and locked the door behind her, heart rate beginning to pick up.

"I have to say, when I gave you the back door key, I never thought you'd use it to ambush me after a long day." She meant it as a joke, but it came out harsher than intended.

He stood up and met her in the middle of the room. "I've been here for three hours," he muttered. "I know you're a workaholic, but damn. I wish I'd brought some food with me. And a book."

"How'd you know the house would be empty?"

"I called Katara earlier to ask her something and she mentioned that Lin was staying overnight. So…it seemed like a good opportunity for us to talk. Privately."

"Hmph." Toph crossed her arms stubbornly. "Figured you'd given up on that."

"Given up?" he blurted, sounding quite surprised. "I thought you were avoiding me?"

"I've just been busy." It was the truth, but…she did silently acknowledge that she'd appreciated the extra time to think things over.

"So you still want to talk?"

"Well…you're here now." She couldn't help but smile coyly. "Here in my house, late at night. Careful, Councilman, or the neighbors might get scandalous ideas."

"I was discreet. Slipped into the alley once it was dark and climbed the fence. Damn near broke my ankle. I think you have gopher-rats in your backyard."

An electric silence passed between them. In the last several years, they'd become used to a certain physical distance, rarely even hugging each other platonically. Because Toph knew…it wouldn't be platonic for either of them. So she had resisted.

Now, barely a foot separated them. His heart betrayed the outward calm, pulsing through the floor into her feet. Racing. She was glad he couldn't feel hers. Fatigue had created something akin to tipsiness and, despite his insistence that night on the beach, her head was anything but clear right now.

She couldn't stand it. Couldn't bear the tension. She had to do something. Without thinking, she reached out for a handful of his coat and closed the distance between them. His hands appeared on her upper arms; she could feel his breath on her upturned face.

"Toph…" he murmured. Spirits, but she loved her name on his lips. But he was putting pressure on her shoulders, holding her back. "Wait."

"Wait?" she repeated, confused. "It's been eleven years. Now you want me to wait longer?"

"I came here to talk."

Her hand relaxed, releasing him, and dropped to her side. She turned towards the stairs, shrugging out of his grasp, and stalked away. "Are you coming, or not?" she asked, trying to inject as much innuendo into her tone as she could.

Once upstairs, she plopped heavily onto the couch with her arms crossed, feeling a little disgruntled by his rejection. He came in behind her wordlessly, taking his time with shutting and locking the door, then crossed the room slowly.

"Why don't we have a cup of tea?" he suggested.

"Fine." Toph waved her hand dismissively. "You know where it is."

But he just stood there for a moment. "Why are you upset?"

"I'm not upset. I'm just being myself. Toph the bitch. You sure you're prepared for that?"

He sighed and sat down next to her. "I'm getting the distinct impression that finding me here gave you some expectations. And…I'd be lying if I said I didn't have my own hopes–"

"I'm sensing a big ol' 'but' coming."

"–but we have a bad habit of rushing in head first. There are important things to consider. And I want to do this right. I want it to mean something, more than just two people scratching an itch."

"Are you saying you have an itch?" she asked with a sly smile.

Sokka chuckled softly then got up and walked over to the gramophone. "Hm. Let's see… Yeah, this one. Perfect."

He started winding it up but Toph rolled her eyes and metalbent the crank to speed things along.

"Wh–" he blustered. "Hey! I was doing just fine, thank you very much."

"I can do it faster."

"Not always about speed, T. Sometimes a little build-up makes it better."

"Ok, I realize we're not talking about the gramophone anymore, but seriously. There is nothing to be gained from you tiring yourself out by standing there hand-cranking for five minutes."

"Wouldn't take me five minutes…" he muttered under his breath. A moment later the music started up. He'd chosen a slow, smooth song. It wasn't one she listened to very often because it was so sappy. He came back and grabbed her hand, bringing her to her feet.

"What are you doing, Meathead?"

But he wordlessly pulled her close and started swaying to the music. It wasn't dancing, exactly, but something like it. As torn as she was, her mind battling between What the fuck are you doing, Toph? and I want to rip his clothes off with my teeth, she couldn't help but enjoy this calm intimacy. Feeling her body pressed against his, the scent of him all around her– it was intoxicating. She was done for.

"So," he said heavily after a few long moments, his deep voice rumbling in his chest against her ear. "You already know where I am. Job-related obstacles aside, I haven't budged an inch."

Toph wasn't sure what to say. She'd hoped to avoid this part – the feelings talk – and skip to the good stuff without having to think about it too much. But…he was holding her, and she was letting him. All felt right with the world, once again. "I…may have budged," she said reluctantly. A small voice in the back of her head tried to whisper something but she pushed it away, as she had many times in the last few days.

"Mm. That's the impression I've been getting lately."

"Lately?" She lifted her head from his shoulder, confused. "What do you mean?"

"You haven't exactly been hiding it well. From me, at least."

She was at a loss. What exactly had she done – besides their conversation a few nights ago – to give him that impression? "Hold on, if you're referring to that tiny peck on the cheek after I fell off the dock, that didn't mean anything. It was just relief. A friendly 'thank you'."

He was quiet for a couple of seconds. "You– You really don't remember, do you?"

"Remember what?"

"Last year, when you got really drunk before your hearing? You kissed me."

Her mouth fell open. "I– I thought that was a dream," she stammered, dumbfounded. "I was sure you would've confronted me about it if it had really happened."

"I didn't see the point. You obviously weren't yourself at the time. And you didn't bring it up, so I figured you either regretted it or didn't remember."

"I can't believe you didn't tell me…"

"It's not important," Sokka said gently. "I only care about how you feel here and now. And it seems like you're in a different place than you were five years ago. I happen to remember you saying you were done with men?" he added with a soft laugh.

"Pfft. Whatever. That was when I was still young and fertile. Forty isn't far off for me now. Pretty sure the factory is shutting down. And I assume you don't intend to pressure me to pop any more out?"

"No," he said with a wry laugh. "You and Lin are enough for me."

"Glad that's settled."

"What about emotionally, though? No more hangups?"

She sighed, frustrated that he was dragging this out. "You know I hate this shit. I don't know what the fuck you want me to say. Obviously, I've been thinking about it. How could I not? You've just…been here, all this time. Waiting for me to crack. Being your charming, helpful self. Lin adores you. You know she told me that she'd like it if you moved in with us?"

"Really?" he said, a pleased smile in his voice. "That's nice. But not really possible right now, all things considered."

"I know that. It wasn't in an invitation. I was making a point. You're always around and perfect and impossible to resist and it's not fair."

"Huh. Perfect and irresistible. Go on."

"It wasn't a compliment."

"Pretty hard not to take that as a compliment." He slid one of his hands up to the back of her neck, making goosebumps break out across her body. "Listen... I do want this. I always kept a shred of hope that we'd find our way back here one day. I know there are difficulties ahead of us but I think two people as stubborn as us can find a way to get past them. But…I don't want you to feel like I'm pushing you into something if you're not ready."

Toph cocked an eyebrow. "Have I not made it glaringly clear how ready I am?"

"You know that's not what I meant," he said with a chuckle. His thumb rubbed against her jaw and her whole body prickled with pleasure. "I need to hear you say it."

But a strange inhibition kept the words locked behind her lips, though they danced across her tongue, tormenting her. "Why? You already know it."

"Say it."

His sultry tone made the fire inside her roar to life, numbing her mind to everything else. She threw her arms around his neck and pulled him down to meet her. This time, he didn't stop her, and she whispered the words he wanted to hear against his lips.

"So–"

"Oh, c'mon, don't ruin it," Toph complained, snuggled up contentedly next to his warm body. "This is nice. Lying here, happy and satisfied, not thinking about serious things. Living the dream."

"We're not twenty anymore. We have to talk about the serious things. We have our jobs to consider, and you have Lin."

"Yeah, I'm aware," she said, rolling her eyes. "It's not like I conveniently forgot I had a kid. Ugh. I don't know what we're going to do about her."

"She does have her own room, you know."

"Pfft. Not going to happen. Not anytime soon, at least. I asked her about it a few weeks ago, just out of curiosity, and she burst into tears at the thought of sleeping alone. Anyway, she's a light sleeper, and I am not quiet."

"Heh. I know. We'll put a pin in that. What about the other elephant koi in the room?"

"You mean the fact that I'm fucking my boss?"

"You know, I think that's the first time I've heard you admit that out loud. The 'boss' part, I mean."

"It was for dramatic effect. It's not permission for you to start telling me what to do."

He picked up her hand, lacing his fingers through hers, and lightly kissed them. "I'm not sure where we go from here."

"Don't overthink it," she cautioned, desperately trying not to overthink it. It was like realizing a good dream was, in fact, a dream; thinking about it too hard would make it end. "You're here, in my house. In my bed. No one jumped out of the closet with a camera. The world didn't end. No one has to know about this."

"You know it's not that simple. And I wish it didn't have to be secret. I wish things could be how they used to be, but better. I wish we could be a real family, the three of us."

"Be realistic, Sokka. I know you don't want to give up your job, and I sure as fuck can't give up mine."

He sighed heavily. "No, you're right. I'm not in a position to quit right now, nor do I particularly want to. I don't know, maybe down the road I can reassess."

"Sneaking around could make it more fun, you know," Toph said mischievously, pushing aside thoughts of 'down the road'. "Add a little thrill and danger."

"That may be a perk for you," he said with a short laugh, "but I'd much rather not have that kind of anxiety. And there's more to it than the worry of people finding out. There's a good reason why Ludo made those rules for us."

"Ludo's gone."

"Yes, and now his responsibilities are mine. If we're going to do this, we need to establish some strict boundaries. No work talk. At all. We have to keep all that stuff separate."

"I can do that."

"So if I make you mad, and then come over here, you're going to be able to forget about it and not argue?"

"How about don't make me mad?"

"Impossible," Sokka laughed.

Toph rolled her eyes and flopped over to lie across his chest, propped up on her elbow. "I know how to compartmentalize, Snoozles. I've been doing it for a long time. You walk through that door, it all falls away. I can't guarantee that I'll be sunshine and smiles every time, but I've become an expert at finding other outlets for my frustrations. You just sit back, relax, and let me blow your mind."

‹¤›‹¤›‹¤›‹¤›‹¤›‹¤›

"What the heck is going on with you and Toph?" Katara asked one evening when Sokka was getting ready to head back to the mainland.

He blinked, heart rate picking up nervously. "What do you mean?" His mind raced through the various lies he'd prepared just for a moment like this, figuring it was inevitable.

"You two are acting weird. I haven't seen her in such a consistently good mood since… Well, in a long time. Those inappropriate comments, lewd grins, flirtatious smirks. And I know you've noticed, because you get this really uncomfortable look on your face and walk away, instead of just going along with it and laughing."

"Well…" He cleared his throat, settling on the simplest explanation– the one that was closest to the truth. "She's probably in a good mood because she's getting laid."

Katara's eyes went wide, then narrowed suspiciously. "What? She's seeing someone?"

"I found out accidentally. I don't think she knows that I know."

"Who is it?"

He shrugged. "I dunno. Some guy."

A sympathetic look spread across her face and he had to fight not to roll his eyes.

"I'm sorry," she said. "I know– I know that must be hard for you."

"What makes you say that?" he asked innocently.

"Oh, come on. I know you're not over her."

"You don't know as much as you think you know."

"That's because we hardly ever talk anymore. I don't know much of anything that's going on in your life. So I have to rely on my own observations. I–" She stopped and twisted the corner of her mouth up in mild frustration. "Look, I know you have some old wounds. I'll leave you be. I was just curious, that's all. Was kinda hoping you two might get back together eventually, to be honest."

He barked a laugh, doing his best to inject some false bitterness into it. "Well, that's never going to happen."

‹¤›‹¤›‹¤›‹¤›‹¤›‹¤›

A curious sound pricked at Toph's ears as she waited downstairs for Sokka. It was coming from the tunnel she had earthbent that began nearly a block away in an alley between two abandoned buildings. It sounded like…humming? Was Sokka humming? The thought amused her until she picked up the words he was now singing.

"...and a mountain divides us apart… Goddamnit, I hate this song."

"You have got to be kidding me, Meathead!" Toph yelled into the hole.

"Secret Tunnel! Secret Tunnel!"

"It's not going to be a tunnel much longer if you don't shut up!"

"It's too late!" he called. "It's stuck in both of our heads now!"

She stopped yelling and waited for him to come the rest of the way, then blocked off the hole. "Way to ruin the mood, idiot," she said, only half-joking.

"I couldn't help it. I mean, think about: The Cave of Two Lovers legend? Me coming here via a secret tunnel? It fits way too well."

"That story doesn't exactly have a happy ending, you know."

"Don't take it so literally. There's no war going on for me to die in." He stepped closer and wrapped his arms around her. "It was torture being on the Island with you today and having to keep my distance," he murmured, kissing her neck. "Not to mention playing it cool around my nosy sister. You are not a great actress, by the way."

She chuckled into his shoulder. "What makes you think I'm not doing it on purpose?"

"You are evil, you know that?" His hands traveled down to her hips and she bucked against him mischievously. "Is Lin asleep?"

"Mhmm." She uncovered a different hole in the stone floor that concealed an assortment of pillows and blankets– their solution to the 'Lin problem'. They could make as much noise as they wanted, within reason, as long as they stayed downstairs.

As the days slid by, Toph found she had been right that the thrill of secrecy would make it all the more intense. Unfortunately, it also made certain other aspects of their relationship more intense.

"I don't fucking care!" she exploded at him one day during a meeting. "I'm telling you, you cannot draw a line through that neighborhood! You just can't!"

"You're not in charge of this project, Chief Beifong," Sokka shot back. "You're welcome to give your input, but if you think for one second that I'm going to stand here and listen to you t–"

"You're not even listening to my input! You're just being petty and stubborn! I'm telling you, very clearly, why you're wrong, and–"

"Ok, OK!" Yunari interrupted. The other – newer – Councilmembers were very quiet. "Enough! Why don't we take a quick break to calm down?"

"Fine with me!" Toph spat, stalking out of the room.

In a way, those fights were kind of a good thing, in the sense that they kept anyone from suspecting that there was an illicit affair going on. Them arguing was nothing new, and if it helped keep up the pretense, all the better, right?

And as agreed, they left it all at the door when they had their nights together. The frustration remained, but Toph knew how to channel it, transform it into pleasure and satisfaction. With all their energy expended, they would just lie there in each other's arms, too exhausted to fight anymore. He was there, with her, and that was all that mattered.