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Suddenly I See
Chapter Seven
"Kiss me down by the broken tree house, swing me upon its hanging tire.
Bring, bring, bring your flowered hat, we'll take the trail marked on your father's map."
Together
Silence fell around them like darkness over the mountains. It was just like the other night, Toph realised, but she was enjoying this far too much to let it slip through her fingertips like last time. She wasn't going to keep secrets from him anymore. She knew that they were close again, perhaps, in some twisted way, even closer than before. And although she was still with Suki, why couldn't she share him? Sokka needed his friends just as much as he needed his girlfriend.
And she needed him far more than she thought she did. Far more than she would admit to.
His pulse echoed faintly in her ears. She couldn't comprehend why but it was beating quicker than normal. Was it still the guilt? She wouldn't have given any notice of it had she not recognised it, found it so strongly familiar. Her own hear beat matched it almost perfectly. It shared the same rhythm, the same beat, the same pulse, whenever he was near. Like now. Or was this just that wishful thinking of hers again?
"Sokka?"
"Hn?" he sounded somewhat surprised. She wasn't as used to using his first name; it tasted different on her lips. Should she really have done that? But by now she couldn't stop herself.
"Kiss me."
She had expected him to refuse. She had expected him to push her away, to freak out at the request. Why wouldn't he? She wouldn't have blamed him; it would only have been the normal reaction. But her heart would still belong to him, no matter what. Even if he rejected her, as he was bound to, she would continue to love him endlessly. She had tried not to give in to the emotion, not to let it grab a hold of her as it just had, but she had failed miserably. She just enjoyed it far too much and she really, truly, couldn't help it.
Just as anticipated, he pulled away from her. He looked down at her, she assumed with uncertainty, probably mixed with some confusion, some worry… but then he did something she had never suspected. He leaned down, his breath ticking her neck as he moved in closer. And mere moments later his lips touched hers.
"Lift your open hand, strike up the band and make the fireflies dance,
Silver moon's sparkling.
So kiss me."
Fin.