Tokka Week Day 2 – Parents

Rating: K+

A/N: This started out pretty simple, but I ended up running with a couple ideas I had along the way, which made it much longer. Curse you OTP feels! XD

Also, please bear with me through the couple time skips. Hopefully it all makes sense.

Finally, yes, I borrowed a line from The Lion King. Disney, please don't sue me.

Word Count: 977

Sokka and Toph lay together in bed, holding each other close. After a long day, there was nothing they liked better than to climb into bed and just enjoy the physical presence of the other, and the peace and quiet that came with night.

But tonight, just like many nights, that tranquility and silence was shattered by the crying of the infant in the crib on the other side of the room. The little baby Lin had awoken again, and had started crying out for the attention of her mother and stepfather.

Toph had been in a long term relationship with one of the police officers who worked for her, and was even engaged to him. Technically, it was against policy, but not wishing to go against Toph, the city council agreed to allow an exception. However, soon after he discovered that Toph was with child, he realized that he was not prepared to become a father, and he left Toph to raise the child on her own.

While Toph prided herself on being extremely strong and independent, she was forced to admit to herself that she was scared, and that she needed help. Fortunately, she always had Sokka as a source of emotional support whenever she needed it. Sokka, of course, was more than willing to do anything in his power to help out one of his oldest and dearest friends.

During the course of providing assistance to Toph whenever she needed it, the two managed to grow even closer. Sokka had long hidden his feelings for Toph, just as she hid her feelings for him. While it had been several years since he and Suki had split up, and he was eager to find companionship again, he kept a respectful distance from Toph. The last thing he ever wanted was to allow his personal feelings to make things harder for a friend in their time of need.

One night, though, only a couple months into her pregnancy, he was coaxing Toph through a small emotional crisis. They had been sitting together in Toph's house, reminiscing on the good old days, when Toph suddenly began crying.

Sokka put a comforting arm around her shoulder as he asked her what was wrong. After taking a moment to dry her eyes and regain her composure, she said

"I was thinking about how great my life was, and how things will never be that good again. Don't get me wrong, I will love my child forever, but things can never be the same now. It's going to be a constant struggle."

Sokka tightened his arm around her a little more as he said

"No, you're wrong. Things won't get any worse; they're only going to get better, because I'll always be here for you. I lo…"

His voice trailed off at the end, and he tried to take back what he had begun to say. At the sound of the two syllables he had managed to say at the end, Toph's head perked up slightly.

"Wait, what was that?" She asked.

"Oh, nothing." Sokka mumbled as he stared down at the floor and slowly twiddled his thumbs.

Toph immediately sat up straight and turned towards Sokka. She scowled a bit as she said

"Sokka, you better tell me what you were about to say, and don't try to lie. You know I can tell if you are."

Sokka gulped as he realized that his back was against the wall. He had no other way out except to tell the truth. But what cost would that truth bring?

"I… I love you." He mumbled.

Toph leaned back as a confused look quickly spread across her face. She took a moment to process what she had just heard, and then chuckled a little.

"Yeah, I figured you'd laugh…" Sokka said as he started to turn away from her.

"I'm laughing because you acted like I didn't already know. I'm blind, not stupid, you know." She smiled.

Sokka quickly turned back to face Toph again, his cheeks beginning to flush a little.

"So, um, how do you feel about me then?" He asked cautiously.

Toph giggled, which was something she rarely did.

"What does this tell you?" She said, right before leaning in to place a light kiss on his lips.

From that night on, things between Toph and Sokka only grew more and more. A couple months later, Sokka began spending more and more nights with Toph. By the time two more months had passed, most of Sokka's belongings had made their way to Toph's house. He had all but forgotten what his old bed felt like.

When it came time for the child to be born, he was by Toph's side the entire time, holding her hand and reassuring her through the pain. After a few hours of labor, Toph gave birth to a beautiful baby girl. She named the girl Lin, after Toph's grandmother. While the child was not Sokka's, with time, he thought of the child as his own. Lin would come to think always think of Sokka as her father, even after she discovered that he was not her biological father.

Sokka and Toph were both awaken by Lin's crying, though both of them made no move to get up.

Sokka groaned slightly, and mumbled to Toph

"Before sunrise, she is your child."

"Hey, I got the last one; it's your turn now." She quickly whispered back.

Sokka lay there for a moment, realizing that she had him on that. He sat up in bed and stretched his arms as he yawned.

"Thanks Snoozles." Toph whispered as she placed a loving kiss on his back.

Sokka smiled at this, and then slowly rose out of bed. As he sleepily shuffled across the room to tend to the child, he muttered under his breath

"Parenthood…"