"I had forgotten how purely awesome your dad is, Katara," Toph said quietly as she snuggled under the covers for the night. She pulled the quilts up to her chilly nose, curling her legs up closer to her body.
Katara laughed before she spoke. "Well, you haven't seen him since… wow, the Invasion?"
Toph sighed, "Yeah. Four years." She flipped over to her side, facing Katara. She could hear Katara's light breathing, muffled only slightly by the pillow. She moved closer to Katara, trying to absorb her heat. Toph couldn't tell if it was Katara or if it was all the South-Pole girls. Katara was radiating warmth. The bed squeaked as Toph scooted over, but Katara didn't say anything to show that she minded.
It was strange to Toph. During the war, she generally refused any sort of physical contact. While she was traveling alone, there was nobody to have contact with. And now, it was almost as if she craved it. No, she told herself, she was just freaking freezing.
But it does make her think.
She can't remember where they were. But the scene played out in her mind, as clear as yesterday. They were camping outside, she recalled. During the war, when they were camping outside, they would oftentimes sleep under the stars, the crackling fire serving as their peaceful lullaby. Aang and Katara slept close together that night, their bodies pressing against one another. Maybe it was because Katara was finally giving into to his gentle advances. Toph couldn't tell.
As Katara's warmth finally begins to spread out underneath the covers, Toph remembered.
She sat away from the fire, absentmindedly picking her toes. She couldn't sleep. So she picked her toes and watched Aang and Katara. His arm moved, and he laid it over her shoulders. They snuggled closer.
It made her sick.
She couldn't stand being that close, physically, to a person. She knew that it didn't bother them in the least. Hell, they were asleep. They'd never know it. And besides, if they ever did, they'd deny it. She laughed to herself, about to walk away to a place a little less awkward.
Movement. She turned her head back to the fire. Sokka got up, rubbed his eyes, and looked up at the moon. Was he checking the time? Or was he thinking of Yue? Or was it Suki this time?
She could never tell what he was truly thinking, and it infuriated her. His heartbeat was steady. No give-aways. He usually kept his heart under control, unless he was lying. Toph always could tell if he was lying.
"Hey," he said quietly when he noticed her staring blindly his way. Sokka always took a long time to observe around him.
"Hey, Snoozles," she said. She absently fingered the bracelet he had given her. It morphed under her touch, slipping into new shapes every few seconds.
Sokka stood up, stretching his arms out above his head. She stood still, feeling the movement around her.
"What are you doing up?" he asked, his voice low. His hair hung low in his eyes as he looked down at her.
She formed the meteorite back into a bracelet and slipped her wrist through it again. "Can't sleep. I thought that was obvious."
"Come lie down with us," he cajoled her, grabbing her hand. She felt his blood pumping through his veins. She hoped he couldn't feel hers. She pulled her hand away.
"No thanks," she said, "You guys are my friends, but I'm not really into snuggling."
"Suit yourself," Sokka said, unwilling to start up an argument. Toph smiled. She was glad he knew when to stop pestering. Sokka stumbled back to the fire, and lay down next to Katara, closer than where he had woken up.
It drew her attention back to Aang and Katara. He held her closely now, in an awkward, one-armed hug. Toph groaned and threw her hands in the air. As she did, two sheets of rock formed a canopy over her.
She just wanted to be alone. Couldn't they see that? Couldn't Sokka see that?
At her memories, Toph inched away from Katara again. She felt too close, and again, she just wanted to be alone. She couldn't bring herself to flee the warmth of the bed, but her yearning for solitude again was sated by the few feet of distance she made between herself and Katara.
Katara's breathing was slow now. She was asleep. Toph had always envied that about her. Whenever she wanted to go to sleep, that's exactly what she did. Toph couldn't claim the same talent for herself.
Her mind drifted back to that night.
Was his mind set to Yue? Or Suki?
One thing for sure, it wasn't set on Toph.
Where was Sokka anyway?
She was scared to ask.
Katara didn't say anything.
Toph didn't ask.
She didn't want to reveal her fear.
She was scared.
She was nervous.
What would he say?
What would she say?
Yue, Suki, Toph… Never Toph…
And slowly, slowly, she drifted off to sleep, memories still racing through her mind.
In the morning, when Toph woke up, she was alone.
Katara had left the bed but had made sure to tuck the covers back in. It was still cold, though, despite her efforts. Toph's legs shuffled underneath the cover, skin rubbing against skin, but the friction wasn't enough either. She groaned as she resigned to getting out of the bed, and she groaned again when she peeled the covers away from her body. She located her boots, her coat, her hat, and shoved them onto herself. She was still cold.
She left Katara's room and entered the main room of the hut. Hakoda was sitting at the table, drinking something. Toph couldn't tell what it was.
"Good morning," he said as she took another step closer, clinking his cup back down against the weathered wood of the table.
"Hey," she responded. "Not at HQ?"
He stretched his arms over his head, and Toph was reminded of his son. It was the exact same gesture.
"A man's gotta wake up before he resumes his chief duties, Toph," he said. His voice didn't hold much happiness, though. Before Toph turned out of the door, she hesitated. He had seemed like this last night. Downcast. What was the problem?
"Is something wrong, Hakoda?" she asked.
"It's nothing to concern yourself with, Toph," he said wearily. He mumbled something like, "They can handle themselves." But Toph couldn't really hear him. He added loudly, "If you're looking for Katara, she's out by the ocean. Shocking, I know." He laughed heartily at his little joke for but a moment. His face fell again. His weariness was overwhelming. It was just the start, but Toph could feel it. It saddened her.
"Thanks, Hakoda," she said with a wave, trying to look happy. Toph strode out of the hut, the air chilly on her face. She didn't know how they grew accustomed to this.
The snow crunched underneath her boots, and the ice underneath reverberated strangely with each crunch. She did know where she was going, though, despite the fact that her feet couldn't see very well for her with the cold. Katara had shown her around their village a little. Toph followed her feet, followed her instincts, which led her to the edge of the water.
"Toph!" Katara yelled. She turned to the right. Damn. She had only been a smidge off. As she walked closer to Katara, the sound of waves grew louder. "I didn't want to wake you," she explained to Toph, her voice quiet.
"No prob," Toph said, crossing her arms. Katara turned and focused her attention back to the ocean, bending the waves to her will. What was she doing? Toph felt her slab of earth down the coastline. Her fingers tugged at the air and the rock came flying, slamming into the snow at Toph's feet. She jumped onto it and sat down. She felt very comfortable. Katara quietly sat on the edge of the rock.
Her heartbeat was out of control.
"Whoa," Toph practically yelled, the syllable stretching out as it broke the silence. Katara jumped. "What is your problem?" Toph asked.
"Problem? I don't have a problem," Katara lied. The waves picked up their frequency, splashing against the rocky coastline more often than before.
"Don't try and pull that shit with me," Toph retorted. "Blind girl knows when you're lying." Katara stood up and cursed as she ran a gloved hand through her hair. Toph laughed. "That's what you get for getting near my element."
Toph loved catching peoples in their lies. It felt good.
She pulled her shoulders up and cupped a hand around the back of the ear nearest Katara. "What's got your panties in a bunch? Do tell," she said, almost mockingly.
Katara didn't laugh.
"They were supposed to have come back yesterday," Katara explained seriously, wringing her hands in her lap. Again, the waves picked up in intensity. Toph lowered her hand from the side of her face. She wasn't expecting something to be seriously wrong. She didn't know what she was expecting, truthfully, but something trivial, pointless. "That's why I was waiting out here yesterday, when you came. I was waiting for them."
"Waiting for who?" Toph asked, already guessing the answer. Him.
"Sokka. Zuko. Two other younger boys." Her voice was frightened. Toph couldn't decipher why she was so scared, why her heart was beating so fast.
"Why the heck are we staying here?" Toph asked as she leapt up, slapping her thighs. "We girls always had to save their butts, and now's no different." She laughed.
"It's not like that," Katara said as she grabbed Toph's wrist and pulled her back down before she could run off to save the day. Toph jerked her arm from Katara's grasp.
"What are you talking about?" Toph asked. She couldn't understand. "You're always the one saying how we have to help people. You're the crazy one who'll do anything to save someone!"
"I know," Katara growled, slamming her fists down against her sides. The waves crashed, sending water sprinkling above them.
"Then what's the problem?!" Toph yelled back. "You said there're kids out there. You said it yourself. We have to do something. We're not weak little girls, Katara, we're benders."
"I'm not allowed." Her voice resonated angrily through her gritted teeth.
"What?"
"I'm not allowed to help," Katara repeated, each word spoken slowly.
Toph gave up. She sat down quietly, her shoulders hunched. She was just going to have to wait until Katara explained herself. It didn't take long.
"In my tribe, when a boy turns thirteen, he has to go spend a week out on the ice. Once they return, they have entered manhood," she began. Katara rubbed her arms, and her eyes never left the horizon as she explained. "The last boy who completed the, well, you could call it a journey, I suppose… he is obligated to lead the other boy. We're not trying to send them out to their death. It's more like a test. I'm not supposed to know much about it. It's strictly a male thing, but Dad told me about it when Sokka had his… right before Dad left for the war." Katara paused, taking a deep breath. "It really scared me when he left that first time. But he came back that time."
"So Sokka is leading them?" Toph asked, beginning to understand the strange Water Tribe tradition. Katara nodded.
"It's the twins with him. Hoshi and Rito. That's why there are two with him," Katara said. She absently formed snowballs on the ground below by clenching her fingers together mid-air. Toph would have laughed at her "stress-balls" if she wasn't being so serious. Toph had learned a long time ago not to joke around when Katara was serious.
So Sokka was helping these twins take the leap into manhood. But-
"Why… why is Zuko there?"
Katara couldn't conceal her smile. It didn't reach her eyes, however. Her bright blue eyes shone with worry. Toph didn't notice either.
"When Zuko learned about the custom, he wanted to go. Sokka agreed. Why he wanted to go, I'll never know."
Toph shook her head. Some foreign customs were too difficult for her Earth Kingdom mind to comprehend. They were all crazy. Fire Nation and Water Tribe.
"They can take care of themselves," Toph said confidently, and Hakoda's voice sounded in her mind. She had to say it aloud, so she could suppress the tiny piece of worry swimming about her head. Sokka is strong. He's done it before, she told herself.
"I know, but-"
"No buts, they can handle themselves."
Katara silenced, and she started bending the waves again to pass the time.
Toph sat with her face towards the sun. There was something she was missing here. Why would Katara be so concerned? True, Sokka was her brother. And Zuko was a friend. But Katara knew they could take care of themselves. And Toph was sure they'd be able to take care of the twins as well. There was something that she wasn't telling her. She shouldn't be so worried.
Hours passed, and they mostly rested there quietly, Katara staring at the sea. Hakoda brought them lunch around noon. No matter how much Toph tried to convince her that everything was going to be okay, Katara was still nervous.
The sun slowly completed its arch across the sky. Toph felt the southern sunset bathing her cheek in light.
Right before Toph was going to get up and walk back to the village, Katara jumped up.
"It's them!" she yelled. Toph could tell she was itching to waterbend them back faster, but she wasn't allowed to help in any way.
Toph leaned up on her elbows. She still couldn't feel their presence, but she didn't doubt Katara.
"It's them!" she repeated joyfully.
As they approached, Toph felt the waves from their small boat rippling through the ocean. It was them. They were coming.
Her stomach dropped. What was she going to say? How would he react? She didn't want to think about it, but it was all she could think of.
Before she knew it, the boat collided with the coast, and she felt four bodies get out. They all survived. She exhaled. She knew there was no reason to be nervous.
"Katara," Sokka said as he walked over, "Zuko needs some healing." He sounded like he had matured decades. Or maybe Toph's mind was just playing tricks again. He hadn't noticed her yet, had he? She guessed they all were too preoccupied to notice.
"What happened?" Katara asked fearfully.
"He fell in the water yesterday. I couldn't believe it. The twins did everything right, and this knucklehead went and fell in." Sokka laughed, despite the evident seriousness.
"Yeah, and it was real funny," Zuko retorted. "He didn't even help me out. He just kept screaming 'flameo' at me. Like that would help."
"It was funny!" Sokka laughed harder.
"It's not funny, Sokka," Katara snapped, her mother instincts kicking in. She grabbed Zuko's arm gently, and turned back. "Congratulations, you two," she said to the twins. As she pulled Zuko away, she heard him complaining.
"Hey, I finished it too," he grumbled as they strode away.
"Hoshi, you go pull the boat back. You know where it goes. Rito, you can go tell your parents you two are back. Tell them it was all the Fire Lord's fault," Sokka said, and Toph's attention was dragged back to him.
Her heart was pounding in her chest, and she hated the feeling. She usually could keep her emotions in check. What was wrong with her?
The two boys ran off, chattering as they fled to do their duties.
Sokka stood there silently. She knew he was staring at her. The blush started to creep up on her face, and she was preparing to flee herself.
"Toph," he said.
The sound of her name coming from his lips made her feel so good.
"Hey," she said, putting a hand on her hip. Play it smooth.
"Long time no see."
"Yeah. Long time no see."
They stood silently, awkwardly. I'm sorry, she wanted to say. But her mouth wasn't working properly. Before she could say anything, before she could move, he spoke very quietly.
"I missed you," he said.
Her cheeks flared, and she was lost for words. Why was she like this? She finally said the first thing that came to mind.
"I'm going to go check on Zuko," she said, running off before he could respond.
The cold forced her eyes to water as she ran. Every footstep in the snow seemed to mock her.
Stupid, stupid, stupid.
She was prepared for scolding. She was prepared for disappointment.
She wasn't prepared for I miss you.
x.x.x.x
a/n: Hmm, second chapter. I feel like it should be longer, but it's not. Besides, I still haven't decided how many chapters this is going to wind up being. So, here you go. Hope you liked... a little? Review?