Chapter 8: Double the Trouble
Sokka slings his arm around Toph, the pair seated at the bar as they sway and sing along with the band, a stern-looking man on stage bellowing out a surprisingly upbeat tune. It's the same seedy tavern Sokka went to all those months ago, but after his first visit, he found he was drawn to it. And he was right…Toph does like it. Sokka started taking her here a few months ago, and the two have quickly become regulars.
And while the bar was fairly quiet that first night, tonight the hall is full of life. Gruff, tattooed men drink their ale and flirt with robust ladies, filling the room with boisterous, hedonistic energy. In the back of his mind, Sokka has always wondered if any of these men belong to the triads that Toph has been working so hard to bust. They certainly fit the part of scraggly gang members.
But if she's ever been concerned about being in the company of criminals, she's never shown any sign of it. Toph is always off duty when they come here. It's become their ritual. Between work and dating people and spending time with Aang and Katara's family, both Sokka and Toph stay pretty busy. Still, they've somehow ended up making their visits to the tavern a weekly routine - just the two of them. And their little ritual is never about worrying, so Toph makes a point not to mention work too often.
Instead, she swings back her ale, gulping down the pint all in one go. Sokka can't help but bite his lips, the sight shooting a jolt of excitement down to his belly. Toph's skin is flushed from drink, and her eyes are bright as she wipes the beer from her lips with the back of her hand. Sokka fights the urge to reach out and taste the beer off her lips instead.
Okay, so his effort to distract himself by dating other people hasn't exactly been going as planned. It certainly hasn't done much to subdue his attraction towards her. Lina is long gone, but there have been other women in between. And - much to his dismay - there have been other men in Toph's life too. She seems happier though, not wound so tight…so at least there's that. He just tries not to think so hard about how she's been unwinding these days…or with whom.
Toph holds out her empty pint glass to the barkeep, who refills it before handing it back to her. She holds her glass up towards Sokka, and he clings his own against it, beer sloshing around. They both swig back their drinks, racing to see who can finish first before slamming their empty pints onto the bar top, awaiting another refill. Fidgeting in his stool, Sokka finds himself instinctually drawing himself closer to Toph. His breath is just a hair away from her cheek. But it's fine. The music is loud, so you have to get close just to hear each other. It's a perfectly valid excuse for their proximity. Though, admittedly, he's not sure if the hand he places on her thigh is necessary. Though, if it bothers her, she gives no indication.
Sokka moves his mouth close to her ear, his breath sending a shiver up her spine, though his words are innocent, "Can you believe Kya is already a year old?"
Toph sways towards him, "I know. Feels like just yesterday she was born. Bumi too!" She hiccups, smacking a hand over her lips.
She only notices just how close her friend is as Sokka's laugh reverbs in her ear. "Ha! Maybe we're just getting old. You're almost thirty, right?"
He suppresses another snicker as Toph lands a playful punch on his arm, "Hey, who you calling old, Mr. 'I-swear-have-arthritis-in-my-hips'? Arthritis from what? Complaining so much?" Her words are sharp, but her tone is undoubtedly flirty, and Sokka takes no offense, "Besides…I still have a couple years left till I'm thirty. How old are you again? That's right, thirty-one."
She crosses her arm and sticks her tongue out at him, proving just how youthful (and somewhat immature) she is. Instead of responding with words, Sokka playfully pinches her side, and he's more than satisfied by the yelp it elicits from her lips.
"Hey there, stranger."
Startled, Sokka turns his head away from his friend, surprised by the strangely familiar voice. He's met with a pair of grey eyes, pouty lips and shiny black hair. It's that girl. The first girl he was with after Suki. Spirits, he hasn't seen her since their one night together, over two years ago at this point.
"Hey!" his voice is filled with false familiarity, like he's greeting a long-lost friend and not some one-night stand, "Long time no see! How have you been?"
The woman shrugs, "You know, same old, same old." Sokka nods, as if that's supposed to mean something to him.
The deliberate sound of someone clearing their throat reminds him of his other company, and he looks back at Toph to find her arms crossed and brow raised expectantly. Oh, right.
"Toph! Right…this is…" He gestures to introduce the woman, but his voice trails off. He never did learn her name.
Thankfully, the woman saves him from embarrassment. She bows respectfully towards Toph, though her voice is laced with false enthusiasm, "I'm Rini, nice to meet you...?" Her voice trails off in question, waiting for Toph to introduce herself. Instead, Rini is met with a skeptical brow raise as Toph hops down from her seat and stands, her hip cocked to the side. Her figure is short compared to Rini's, but it's domineering nonetheless.
"Hmmm…'Rini', huh? Doesn't that mean 'little bunny'?" Her voice is laced with cynicism, and Sokka's eyes widen, nerves racing as he senses her confrontational attitude. He knows a standoff when he sees one.
Rini smiles, though there's an edge to it, "Yes. 'Little bunny'. My parents are animal lovers. And you are?"
Toph doesn't miss the intimidation that this 'little bunny' is trying to lay on her, and she suppresses the urge to earthbend this girl into the ground. Pfft…she doesn't scare her. Everything about this woman screams 'fake'. Granted, Toph can't see her, but the chokingly strong perfume she wears and the false sincerity dripping off her tongue is enough for Toph to know that she doesn't like this 'Rini' girl… But, Sokka likes her.
Toph blows a hair away from her face, her lips pursed. Unable to match Rini's false enthusiasm, Toph says, "Hmmm, cute. I'm Toph Beifong. Nice to meet you…I guess." She shrugs, not finding it in herself to feel bad about her lack of manners. She may be harsh sometimes, but at least she's no liar.
At this, Rini's posture stiffens up, and Toph feels a twinge of victory when she senses the woman's heart rate spike. Toph thinks she must have done her job at returning the intimidation tactic, but Rini's next words surprise her, this time filled with genuine enthusiasm, "Oh, I know you! Wow, I can't believe I'm meeting the Toph Beifong! You're incredible! You helped the Avatar end the war, and you invented metalbending! Wow, what an honor it is to meet you!"
Said metalbender raises a brow as the perky girl bows again. Okay, so maybe she's not so bad. Still… I don't like her.
Rini continues, "And you're the Chief of Police! What are you doing in a dump like this?" A couple of heads turn at this information, but quickly return towards their drinks, unbothered. Rini takes in a sudden intake of breath, realization dawning on her, "Wait! If you're Toph, that must mean… well that must mean that you're Sokka!" Jaw dropping, she turns her attention back to the man in question, who's been nervously watching the interaction from the comfort of his bar stool.
Toph sends a quizzical look in his general direction, confused as to how Rini didn't know who Sokka was already, as they have clearly met before. Then suddenly, the nature of his and Rini's 'relationship' dawns on her, and she bites back a frown.
Sokka's cheeks flush at the sudden attention, an awkward laugh passing his lips as he scratches the back of his neck, "Yup, that's me. Guilty as charged." His throat starts to tickle with nerves for some reason, and he sips at his beer in an effort to ease the itch. Seeing his best friend/kinda-sorta-crush interact with his one-night stand is certainly a unique experience.
Rini, still overly excited, "Wow! This is amazing! So, Sokka, is Toph your girlfriend?"
"What!?" Toph exclaims, eyes bulging at the woman's bluntness. Sokka chokes on his drink, leaving Toph to pat his back awkwardly as he coughs up liquid.
Struggling to catch his breath, "No, no. Toph and I are just friends."
Toph huffs another stray piece of hair, arms crossing over her chest in her default pose, "What he said."
Ignoring their weirdness, Rini walks closer to Sokka until her body is pressed against his, Toph standing awkwardly to the side. Thank spirits Toph can't see, the vibrations of the movement alone are enough to send a quiver of nausea to her gut. She represses the urge to outwardly cringe. Oogies.
Rini raises a seductive brow, "Good. Does that mean you're free to take me out this weekend?"
Sokka clears his throat, "Uhm…"
Toph gnaws at her thumbnail, any trace of a buzz completely doused by this girl's presence. Sokka's not quite feeling it anymore either, and he raises a pleading brow at Toph - looking for a way out - but of course, she doesn't see it.
Rini catches Sokka's eye movement, and turns her attention back to Toph, "You don't mind, do you?"
Toph's brows raise, surprised by the question. "Who, me? Uh…Of course not," of course, she does, "Why would I mind? Sokka's a single man, he can do what he wants. Besides, I have a date this weekend too so…" She cringes inwardly, not sure why she felt the need to add that.
Now it's Sokka's turn to raise a brow, "You do? With who?"
Not that he's surprised that she has a date. Okay, maybe he's a little surprised. It's no secret that Toph has been 'putting herself out there' in the past year, but it's usually spontaneous and unplanned. A date is very much a planned thing. His stomach churns with a familiar wave of jealousy.
Toph shrugs, noncommittally, "Just this guy I've been seeing."
"Great!" Rini's perky voice rings out, slicing the sudden tension, "Why don't we make it a double date then!?"
Again, both Toph and Sokka, "What!?"
"It's settled then!" Rini kisses Sokka's cheek, muttering details about when and where they'll all meet for their date, before scurrying off to spirits know where.
Sokka and Toph stay unmoving for a second, the strange exchange lingering in the air. Toph mutters, "What just happened?"
"Looks like we're going a double date this weekend." Sokka takes another, earnest sip of his drink.
"Right. This should be fun."
Sokka notes the sarcasm in her voice, and finds he's inclined to agree. Up till now, they've managed to keep their love lives completely separate from their friendship, sharing an unspoken rule not to disclose the details of their dating lives.
Toph takes her seat at the bar again, but any trace of flirtatious energy from before seems to have gone out the window. And, for the first time since they started their weekly ritual, the two sip their drinks in silence, neither knowing what to say.
The delicious, greasy smell of fried dumplings makes his stomach grumble as Sokka leans against the wall outside the restaurant. His arms are crossed disinterestedly as Rini babbles on about her long-lost pet turtle-fox or something. For someone who had no interest in small talk the first time they met, Rini sure knows how to ramble on about everything and nothing all at once. Don't get him wrong, she's…nice. She seems kind, she's quite feminine and graceful, and she's thoughtful with her words…if not a little patronizing. But the girly, overly exuberant energy has him wishing that his favorite little earthbending, toe-picking grouch would just get here already.
As if on cue, he spots Toph turn the corner into view, and a smile automatically finds his face at the sight of her. But… he frowns just as quickly when he catches sight of the guy she's holding hands with. Dammit, he's good looking. Not that it matters, since Toph is obviously not too concerned with outer appearance. Still, Sokka subconsciously flexes his own muscles when he gets a look at the size of this guy. In all honesty, he's the kind of guy one might imagine Toph to be if she were a man. Big, tall and muscly. Toph looks tiny - and quite feminine - in comparison. Not only does the man look strong, but his face has all the traits of a classic pretty-boy. Piercing green eyes, high cheekbones, and what looks to be a chiselled chin, hidden underneath a quite impressively grown beard. He looks like he could be a general of some sort, definitely someone important and good at fighting. Dammit.
Ignoring the irritation (ahem, jealousy) churning in his gut, Sokka switches his attention back to Toph and dammit, she looks good too. Well, she always looks good to Sokka - a problem he's been dealing with for many years at this point - but tonight she looks especially breathtaking. She isn't particularly dolled up or anything. Compared to Rini, who is scantily clad in a short dress and face plastered with heavy makeup (not that there's anything wrong with that, he's all for freedom of expression), Toph looks rather plain. Even so, the sunset hours cast a golden light onto Toph that makes her alabaster skin glisten. Plus, one of the strange perks of being blind is that Toph never has to shield her eyes from the sun, and Sokka gets a perfect view of her crystal, jade irises as they glimmer in the sunrays.
Her bangs are pinned back - hair in a half-up, half-down style - and Sokka appreciates the rare sight of her silky, raven locks free from their signature bun. Her outfit is simple, but tasteful enough for a formal date night. She's ditched her typical Earth Kingdom colors in favor of a bold, red tube top, the tautness of her abdomen and the definition of her arms exposed. Her gaucho pants hang low at her hips, and she's even made the effort to wear 'shoes'. Her appearance brings him back to their war days, her outfit remarkably similar to her fire nation disguise. Except this time, she has a woman's body and a bit more exposed skin to pair with it.
She bites her lips as she and her date approach, and as always, Sokka's eyes flicker down at the gesture, his palms starting to sweat at the sight.
While Toph can't see Sokka, she senses his heart rate spike as they draw nearer, and it causes her own heart to flutter down to her stomach. She feels Sokka and Rini walk towards her and her date to meet them halfway, and she's caught off guard when she's greeted by Sokka with a tight, overwhelming hug. She makes a noise of surprise as his arms gulf around her, but she returns the embrace, releasing her date's hand to give Sokka a light pat on the back. She enjoys the whiff of his aftershave on his neck, and they linger in the hug for perhaps a moment too long.
His voice is silk in her ears, "Toph. Good to see you."
He pulls away from the embrace, and Toph almost makes a pointed remark of how he just saw her yesterday, but instead, "I'd say it was good to see you too, but you know." She waves a hand in front of her eyes and Sokka - along with their respective dates - laughs at her joke. Shoot, I nearly forgot the others were there.
"Rini." With a curt nod, Toph acknowledges Sokka's date, though it's not quite a warm greeting.
Rini smiles tightly in response, "Toph. Nice to meet you again. Who is your handsome friend?"
Toph gestures to introduce her date, her voice unenthused, compared to Rini's, "Sokka and Rini, this is Zukoru. Zukoru, this is Sokka and Rini." Zukoru and Rini both shake hands respectfully, but Sokka makes no move to meet the other man's extended arm. Instead, he looks unimpressed, crossing his arms over his chest.
"Ha! Zukoru? Really?" Sokka snickers, but stops suddenly when he spots Toph's angry, incredulous glare. Shit, did I say that out loud?
"Uh, why is that funny?" Zukoru scratches his beard, and Sokka's hand instinctively flies up to measure his own scruff. Hmm…this guy's beard is not that impressive.
"It's not." Toph says, clearly not entertained, "The councilman here is apparently just an elected idiot. Come on, let's go grab a table."
Toph links her arm with Zukoru's and starts pulling him inside the restaurant, sending one last glaring look in Sokka's direction. Sokka returns the glare, knowing she can't see it, but is jarred out of it when Rini's arm links with his and pulls him to follow the couple inside.
"I don't think you're an idiot, Mr. Councilman. Come on, let's go inside." Rini's voice holds a trace of sensuality, but Sokka secretly feels a pang of irritation at the 'Mr. Councilman' moniker. Somehow, the formality only makes his stomach flutter when Toph says it.
The restaurant is quite large and lively, more upscale than Sokka is used to, and the four of them are quickly ushered to a table. Sokka notes how Toph's date pulls out a chair for her, and he can't help but feel irrationally irritated by the act of chivalry. Toph is perfectly capable of pulling out her own chair. Nevertheless, he makes a show of doing the same for Rini, sending a triumphant glare in the other couple's direction. See, I can be chivalrous too. Take that, Zukoru. However, the other couple pays no mind, and Toph kisses her date on the cheek, saying a quick thank you before taking her seat. Sokka suppresses a grimace.
The two couples make themselves comfortable, chatting amongst themselves before a waitress comes by to take their orders. The conversation feels slightly forced, and neither Sokka nor Toph can bring themselves to act very friendly towards the other's date, though both Zukoru and Rini seem amicable enough.
Sokka tries to distract himself from his dislike towards Zukoru by admiring the interior of the restaurant. The more he looks at the place, the more he realizes how fancy it is. The decor is quite posh - a tsungi horn player entrancing the restaurant with a smooth, jazzy number - and the swanky, calm atmosphere is a strange contrast to Sokka's racing heart as he finds himself watching Toph from across the table. She's leaning close to her date, and Sokka notes the way Zukoru's hand seems to be rubbing absentmindedly at her thigh under the table.
He narrows his eyes at the hidden gesture, but his flare of jealousy is interrupted as another server comes by, this time carrying a tray of fruit, "Good evening. Can I offer you some fresh watermelon? Freshly imported from Ember Island."
Rini, with her cheerful, polite charm, "Oh that would be lovely. Thank you."
The server puts the tray of melon down on the table, and for once, Toph is inclined to agree with Sokka's perky little date, "Great! I love me some melon."
Toph feels for the tray, eagerly picking at the watermelon. She picks up quite a large piece and brings it to her lips, biting down with a subtle, yet satisfying crunch. Sokka's eyes stay glued to her lips as she sucks on the pink juices.
"Easy there, Melon Lord," Sokka teases, swallowing back a gulp as a bit of the juice drips down Toph's chin, "Wouldn't want to choke on that melon now, would we? That's a big piece."
"Pfft. Thanks, mom," Toph retorts, popping another piece of watermelon into her mouth, "But, I think I can manage."
A bit more juice dribbles down her chin, and Sokka is suddenly feeling rather emboldened. Without thinking, he wiggles his brows as he says, "What, used to having big things in your mouth, are we?"
Toph pauses mid-bite, and for a split second Sokka thinks he's about to be killed. Instead, she swallows the bite, and the look she sends him shoots sparks right down to his belly. Her voice low, "Wouldn't you like to know."
Sokka's heart throbs down to his gut while the rest of the table chuckles at the dirty little joke. He pulls at this collar, his neck suddenly itching, and it's all he can do to keep a very inappropriate image from flashing in his head of Toph's mouth wrapped around his-
"Yeah she is!" Zukoru nudges her shoulder suggestively. Sokka fists his hands under the table, suddenly feeling the urge to hit something. Toph sounds a noncommittal laugh, but she looks a little embarrassed as she bites into another, rather large chunk of watermelon.
Moving on from the innuendo, Rini's chipper voice pipes in, "So, Zukoru. What do you do for a living?"
With a humble shrug, "Nothing fancy. I work in administration at Republic United Bank, downtown. It's not a bad gig - can be fun sometimes. Well, it pays the bills anyway."
Once again, Sokka speaks without thinking. Skeptically, "Wow, sounds like fun. What else do you consider 'fun' - watching paint dry?"
"Sokka." Toph warns, sending another admonishing look his way. She makes her own pointed remark, "As if working on a stuffy council qualifies as 'fun'."
Sokka sneers at her comment, but he doesn't disagree. Thankfully, Zukoru doesn't seem to be insulted by his rude comment. With a hearty laugh, "You're right, bud. Admin isn't that exciting. Certainly not as exciting as what Miss. Babe-Fong over here does for a living."
Toph blushes at the nickname, not liking the sudden attention on her as Zukoru scoots his chair closer to hers and swings a flirtatious arm around her, planting a wet kiss on her cheek. Rini giggles at the couple, but Sokka looks on with discomfort.
Sokka, not hiding his cynicism, "Babe-Fong?" Why didn't I think of that?
Toph sends a glare across the table in response as Zukoru continues the conversation, oblivious to the pair's silent squabble, "Anyway, banking is just what I do for money. My real passion is swordsmanship. I'm not a bender like Toph here, but I'm a master with the sword, if I do say so myself."
Sokka glowers at this information, but Rini's face lights up, and he's suddenly reminded that Toph isn't the woman at the table that he should be trying to impress. This guy thinks he's so great, doesn't he?
"Master swordsman, huh?" Sokka narrows his eyes, his voice laced with false humility, "You know, I once trained under one of the most esteemed swordsmen of all time. Maybe you've heard of him. Master Piando."
Zukoru nods, impressed, "You know Piando?"
Sokka leans back in his seat, stretching widely as he pretends to act casual, "Oh yeah. Piando and I go way back. He even said I have the potential to be 'one of the greatest swordsmen' of our time."
Toph rolls her eyes while the other man shrugs, a friendly smile on his face, "Well if Master Piando said so, then I'm sure you're very talented with a sword.… Funny though, he never mentions you."
Both Toph and Rini can't help but snicker at that, and Sokka's face heats up, embarrassed, "You know Piando?"
"Well, he is my uncle, so yeah," Sokka's mouth drops as Zukoru continues, "He taught me everything I know about the sword. That's why I came to Republic City. Like I said, banking pays the bills, but in my free time I like to practice the art of the sword. I actually opened my own school to pass on the knowledge that Uncle Piando taught me. Maybe I can give you a lesson sometime."
The man's tone is entirely gracious and genuine, but Sokka sends an antagonizing glare in his direction anyway. He slumps in his chair, arms crossed in defeat with his lips pouted, feeling slighted and thoroughly one-upped. Not to mention, he can see why Toph is interested in this guy…He is clearly very strong, altruistic, and good-natured… plus they both opened their own schools at one point. Sokka doesn't even know the guy, but he can tell that Zukoru and Toph clearly have things in common, much to his chagrin.
Mumbling under his breath, "Whatever. Bet you're not that great."
Toph hears his mumbling and sends another warning glare in his direction, along with a sharp jab of rock to the soles of his feet - her equivalent to kicking someone under the table. Sokka sounds a noise of pain that earns him a questioning look from Rini, just as the server comes by with everyone's food. An awkward silence washes over the four of them…well, more like it washes over Sokka and Toph. Zukoru and Rini seem perfectly content and companionable in the silence as they dig into their meals. Sokka, on the other hand, feels antsy in his seat as he's unable to keep his eyes off Toph.
She doesn't seem too bothered with manners in the company of her date. Sokka can't help but note how cute Toph looks, her cheeks round as she slurps in her noodles. Still, he can tell that she's just as antsy with the silence as he is, and after a few minutes, she breaks it. Making a considerable effort to seem interested, "So, Rini. What about you? What do you do for a living?"
Rini dabs a napkin at her face politely, a sharp contrast to Toph's hearty mouthful of noodles, "I work in massage therapy. It's not very glamorous, but I like it. Plus, people say I'm really good with my hands."
Toph, not able to bite back her cynicism, "Yeah, I bet you are."
Now it's Sokka's turn to throw a warning, "Toph."
Rini giggles, "It's okay, Sokka. I don't take it personally. In fact, Toph, I bet you would really benefit from my spiritual healing package. It allows me to get deep in the tissues and really work out all those knots. Helps to reposition your aura. You do seem a little wound up."
Toph's expression exacerbates, and Sokka snickers, enjoying the rise out of her. She raises an indignant brow, voice outraged, "Wound up!?"
Zukoru releases another hearty laugh, then leans closer to the earthbender, innuendo on his tongue, "Don't worry Toph, I bet there are other ways to release all those knots."
Once again, Toph blushes, feeling slightly uncomfortable. She may like the guy's company, but his insinuations are a bit much. Still, that's for her to worry about, and it bothers her when Sokka's disgruntled voice pipes up from across the table, "Oh give me a break."
She turns her head towards him, gritting through her teeth, "Sokka, can I have a word with you, please?"
Like a cat-deer in headlights, "Who, me?"
"Is there another Sokka sitting here? Yes you. Do you guys mind?"
Before their other company has a chance to respond, Toph reaches across the table, grabbing a hold of Sokka's sleeve and pulling him up, roughly. He makes a few noises of protest, but Toph's in no mood to indulge him. She throws out a noncommittal gesture of apology to their dates as she drags Sokka towards the back of the restaurant for some privacy. They end up in a tight space, near the bathrooms and kitchen, and they have to huddle close to the wall as servers and busboys scurry past them.
Toph wastes no time, "What is your problem!?"
Indignantly, "Me!? You're the one who earthbended at me. What's your problem!?"
"I only earthbended at you cause you're being an asshole! Do you think I wanted to come on this double date with you and little Miss Playboy bunny? No, but we're here now, and you're ruining any chance of this being a good night by acting like a jerk!"
In a tone that indicates no actual remorse, "I'm sorry. I just don't like that Zukoru guy, that's all."
Laughing sardonically, "You don't like him? Pfft. You're the one who's been insulting him all night. What is your problem with him? He's been nothing but friendly to you."
"I just don't like him, okay!" Arms crossed over his chest, he grumbles, "Call it instincts. And please, it's not like you've been a ray of sunshine to Rini either.
Toph narrows her unseeing eyes, her face contorting in a contemplative way as she bites her lips. Instinctually, Sokka's body sways forward at the gesture, but he stops himself. Toph looks like she wants to continue the conversation, and Sokka waits for a further dig.
Instead, she relents, "Whatever. They're waiting for us - we should get back." She pauses, scorn returning to her voice, "Just stop being an idiot!"
Returning her scowl, "You stop being an idiot."
It's not quite fair of him to say. Toph is at least trying to behave, but it does nothing to ease his frustration with the night. Toph turns away from him with an angry growl and stomps back to their table. Sokka trails right behind her, and he's just in time to see Rini standing up, making a move to gather her belongings.
Sokka, for the first time showing real concern for his date, "Rini, what are you doing? Is everything okay?"
Rini pauses, looking up at him with guilty eyes. She sends a withered look in his direction, "It's getting late, I should get going."
"You're leaving? But I thought we were headed to the bar after this?"
Rini speaks slowly, her tone condescendingly sweet, despite her next words, "Yeah, no thank you. No offense, but you and Toph both kind of suck. I'm out of here."
"What!? I thought we were having fun!?"
"Sorry, Sokka…but watching you and Toph flirt-slash-kill each other isn't my idea of a good night."
Face burning, Sokka says, "What! We were not flirting!"
Toph sits down at her seat slowly, whistling awkwardly in an effort to ignore the terse rejection taking place. She fiddles with her space bracelet to further distract herself. Similarly, Zukoru fidgets uncomfortably in his seat, moving the remnants of his food around with his chopsticks.
Rini continues, "Maybe not, but there's some weird energy between you too, and it's producing this murky aura that is so not good for my skin. I'll see you around. Well, probably not. Anyway, it was nice to meet you, Zukoru that is."
Rini blows a pompous kiss in the group's direction before prancing her way towards the exit, flicking her perfectly tousled waves as she turns her back towards them. Sokka watches her walk away, not necessarily feeling too troubled that she's gone. Still…Toph's mocking voice piping up from behind him is enough to ignite a spark of irritance.
"Serves you right."
He turns to her and finds her expression to be irritatingly smug. He's about to make a quick comeback when Zukoru beats him to it.
"Toph, I'm going to head out too."
"What! Why!? Come on, don't let Mr. and Mrs. Buzzkill get in our way."
"I'm sorry, Toph, but Rini is right. I don't think this is working out."
Sokka can pinpoint the moment that Toph's expression turns from smug to hurt, and he feels a flicker of guilt at having something to do with her pain. Sokka hadn't gotten the impression that Toph liked this Zukoru guy that much - call it instincts - but still, he's been surprised by her choice in men before, and he now knows the sting of rejection.
Toph, with trepidation, "Are you saying you don't want to see me anymore?"
"What! Nooo…" Zukoru pats her shoulder, tone not very convincing, "We can still be friends, of course."
Toph huffs out a hair, crossing her arms defiantly as she slumps in her seat. Her usual bravado returns, only with a bit more bite, "Oh buzz off."
Zukoru simply shrugs, unbothered, before making a dash to leave. Toph can distantly hear him calling out for Rini, and then her flirty laugh as the two exit the restaurant together. Well at least they got along.
A few other patrons in the restaurant send them strange looks as Sokka takes his seat, and he and Toph sit in more uncomfortable silence. Her anger radiates off of her in waves, and Sokka swallows a lump, afraid of what she might do to him.
He treads carefully, scratching the back of his neck, "I guess double dating isn't our thing, huh?"
In response, Toph shoots him with another icy glare, then flicks her wrist, sending another painful jolt of earth to his feet. She gets up from her seat, wordlessly heading towards the exit, leaving Sokka with the bill and a sore foot.