Toph stood frozen, her breath trapped in her chest as Sokka clutched her hand to his face, and for a moment it seemed like time stopped. The tide seemingly ceased and nothing made a sound in the early morning air. He watched her expression closely as it flitted through several stages, beginning with obvious confusion and settling on...shock, maybe? Her mouth had dropped open slightly and in the pale glow of the moon he thought her cheeks appeared a bit darker; was she blushing? Sokka was privately amused that she seemed, for once in her life, to be speechless. He waited expectantly for her to begin mapping his features with her tiny hands, or even just to say something, but after a few seconds she snapped her mouth shut and abruptly snatched her hand from his cheek as if she had been burned. A small piece of him was disappointed- strange though it might have been, he wanted her to know what he looked like. Needed her to suddenly, when he'd never given the matter a single thought before. He pointedly ignored the little voice that told him that her hand on his face didn't feel as strange as it should. That it actually felt...kind of nice.

"You don't have to do that, Sokka," she mumbled, turning away from him as she retracted her hand. Sokka let his hand drop to his side with a frown, wondering if he had done something to offend her. She stood facing vaguely in the direction of the shore, away from him, and remained that way for an indeterminate length of time. He cast a glance up toward the full moon as if beseeching her for an answer, or maybe reassurance. Suddenly he became aware of how much colder it felt now that he was no longer sitting in the surf, and the wet parts of him were exposed to the cool air. He gave a little involuntary shiver.

With no warning, he was assaulted by a splash of frigid water. He turned frantically, looking for its source (had Katara woken up and discovered them?), to see Toph standing several feet farther away from him than she had been minutes ago, no longer a picture of solemnity but giggling maniacally as fresh water dripped from the sleeves of her shift.

"To-oph!" Sokka shouted. "What was that for?" He gave his now wet hair a shake, followed by a swipe of his hand to remove the strands that had stubbornly plastered themselves to his face.

"What's the matter Princess, can't handle a little water? No wonder you left the South Pole!" she taunted, hands on her hips and with no hint of rancor.

Sokka immediately scoffed in mock outrage. "Oh that's it, you little earthworm; you're gonna get it now!"

He didn't need to be a bender to know that he could give back whatever she dished out. He crouched down toward the shallow water and leaned back slightly, trying to get as much leverage as he could. With a thrust of his arm and as much power behind it as he could muster, he skimmed just under the surface of the bay, sending a torrent of water in an unsuspecting Toph's direction.

He grinned unabashedly as he first saw her go rigid, and then heard her say, "Sokka, what are you- SOKKA!" She shrieked as a veritable wave hit her straight in the face. He stood back up and crossed his arms, a smug smile on his face.

"Not so tough now, are you Toph?" he gloated. "Can't handle a little water?" He snickered heartily, using her own taunt against her.

"Ohhh...you're gonna pay for that one," she said in a low, playful voice.

"Oh, yeah?" he asked, mocking her good naturedly and enjoying the show as she wrung her hair out. "First you're gonna have to catch me. I'll give you a hint- I'm over here."

With that he flicked a hand across the surface once more, sending a smaller spray of water toward her.

"Sokka, don't even thi-" Toph began warningly, taking a step back as if she could outrun the inevitable, and yelping in surprise when she was drenched with a fresh blast of water. She held her hands up defensively seconds too late, and Sokka smirked once more in satisfaction at the indignation he saw on her face, which was glistening in the full moonlight now. She stood there, with her shift sticking to her in unlikely places that he couldn't help but notice, and her arms poised in mid-air out to either side as she sputtered in disbelief.

"Oh, you are dead now, Ponytail," she promised.

It never occurred to her to try and use bending, and he never thought to consider that she might. Right now, they were just two teenagers reveling in each other's company for a few stolen moments. It didn't matter that they were in the middle of a war, wanted collectively by the Fire Nation, just weeks away from Sozin's Comet...and whatever came after it. Right now, there was nothing but Sokka, Toph and a whole lot of water, in the dead of night...two friends discovering the kind of things about one another that just couldn't be done with words alone.

She launched herself in the general direction that the last spray of water had come from, laughing when the water and her soaked, cumbersome shift slowed her progress. Sokka yelped as Toph used her hands, flailing wildly, to bombard him with spray from as many directions as possible. He retaliated in kind, stumbling backward in his attempt to retreat and drawing her farther and farther out of the shallow water in the process. She was gaining steadily on him despite the water's resistance, and he was just enjoying the sight of Toph being so carefree and unfettered in her quest to best him; he hadn't forgotten her whispered fears, but watching her now, one might think that she had.

As she got closer still, water up to her waist now, he laughed and fell back in the water, allowing himself to float on the surface. He used his feet to propel him out farther into the bay, with the added bonus of sending another onslaught of water in Toph's direction. She threw her arms up to shield her face just in time when she heard him start kicking and paused momentarily, having trouble breathing from laughing so hard.

Sokka stopped kicking after a moment and just lay there, floating on his back, eyes closed and enjoying the direction his abrupt awakening had taken. He couldn't remember being so relaxed or having this much fun since he'd left the South Pole. He'd known even then that their lives were going to be forever altered, with the discovery of the Avatar, but he never could have guessed in just how many ways- for better and for worse. He floated lazily along the surface, almost forgetting his purpose in this place, at this time, as he mentally catalogued the incredible chain of events that had led him here.

"Sokka...?" Toph's tremulous voice broke through his reverie, pulled him back to the present. "Are you still here?" The half-whispered words, rife with trepidation, tore at his heart as he realized that he'd forgotten her impairment, again. Spirits, she didn't act like someone who could see nothing; how was he supposed to remember that she was? He supposed it would seem like he had just abandoned her when he wasn't making any noise in the water and she couldn't see him.

"Over here, Toph," he said softly, not wanting to startle her. For emphasis he splashed a little with his right hand. She jerked her head in the direction of the noise and exhaled noisily out of relief.

Sokka found the bottom of the bay with his feet; he couldn't believe how far out they'd gone. The water easily came to Toph's chest- she was holding her arms out to either side along the surface of the water cautiously, as if she feared she might lose her balance and go under.

"Sokka, I think you need to come over here." She paused for a few seconds. "We're out too far and I'm kind of freaking out," Toph stated matter-of-factly.

He gave her a wary look that was totally lost on her, but she looked genuinely distressed so he closed the distance between them. As he came to a stop a few feet from her, her left arm shot out and connected with his upper shoulder, the force behind it like a rock.

"OW!" Sokka shouted, rubbing the spot where she'd punched him. "What was that for?" he exclaimed.

"Don't ever do that again, jerkface," Toph said solemnly, leaving no confusion as to what she was referring to.

Sokka glared at her, annoyed that she had punched him, even more because he probably deserved it. He mumbled a few words under his breath.

"What was that?" Toph asked in a sweetly exaggerated voice, suggesting that she'd heard every word.

Sokka rolled his eyes and made a face at her, just because he could.

"Alright Water Princess, which way is it to shore? There's no swimming going on here and I'm starting to get pruny," Toph stated.

Sokka put a hand on both of her shoulders and turned her about ninety degrees to his left. He found himself staring at the shadows being made by the way the moon played across her neck; it was distracting to say the least. She stiffened when his hands touched the bare skin of her shoulders...or was he imagining that? Despite the coolness of the water still clinging, her skin felt hot to his touch, and softer than he ever would have guessed. Disturbed by his own train of thought, he dropped his hands back to his sides, dipped them in the water- as if doing so would erase the warmth, and the uncomfortable awareness, he'd felt just seconds ago.

"There you go, Toph. That way for those who can't hack it," he remarked, wondering even as he said it if he should continue to prolong this. He was seriously starting to question his own motives for keeping her out here.

She turned back in his direction sharply, swinging her arms around with her and nearly taking Sokka's head off in the process; he leaned back out of the way just in time to avoid contact, but he could still feel the breeze generated by the arc of her arm.

"Excuse me?" she questioned him, offended. "Maybe if you wanted to actually show me how to do something useful, instead of just playing in this puddle..."

Sokka chuckled and shook his head; only Toph could describe the sea as a puddle and get away with it.

"Alright, look..." he said, crossing his arms, bringing his hand to his chin and thinking about it for a moment. "Let's start here. Before you can swim, you need to learn how to float...and that means, you've got to take your feet off the ocean floor," Sokka told her.

"But I won't even know where I am, or which way I'm going," she protested weakly, knowing that she had no choice if she really wanted to learn how to swim.

"Toph, you're just gonna have to trust me," he said simply, having figured out that this, out of everything, was her biggest fear in this situation.

Toph took a deep breath, steadying herself, and said in a positively grim voice, "Alright then, let's just do it and get it over with." She held her arms out front of her in a hesitant invitation, not entirely sure what Sokka was going to do next.

He took a steadying breath himself before approaching her.

"Ok, I'm going to tell you what I'm going to do before I actually do it, alright?" he asked.

She nodded and exhaled deeply. "I'm ready."

"First, we'll start with floating on your back. I'm going to put one hand on your back, and the other one on your shoulder, ok? All you have to do is pick your feet up off of the ground."

"Piece of cake," she hedged, unable to completely conceal her anxiety.

"Ok, good. Here goes, then," he said as he stepped right up to her and placed his right hand on the small of her back and his left hand on her left shoulder securely. He thought she went stiff again as his hand grazed the sensitive area on her back, but she said nothing so he continued.

"Ok, good," he reassured her. "Now go ahead and lift your feet up when you're ready. I'm going to keep my hands where they are for now."

He waited a few seconds, which turned into several seconds, and finally a full minute before saying, "Aaaa-ny time now."

Toph had a look of utter concentration on her face and for once, she ignored his jibe. He watched her, anticipating her movement so that he could support her securely. Her body was extremely tense and after another few seconds passed, she relaxed and pushed his hand off her shoulder.

"Nope," she said. "Not happening."

Sokka removed his hand from her back, appreciating the curve of it as he did so, with no small amount of guilt. If he had any sense, he'd give this up right now.

"What happened?" he asked.

A muscle in her jaw worked as he waited for an answer; finally she said, "Don't know. Guess I'm just not ready."

Exasperated, he stepped back and chewed on his lip while he considered the next course of action. He could think of one way to get her feet off the ground...and she literally wouldn't see it coming. Then again, she might never speak to him again. Ah well, talk was overrated anyway, he thought as he made his decision.

"Hey, Toph- hold on," he said offhandedly as he hooked one arm under her right shoulder and the other under the mass of wet shift at her knees, knocking her feet out from under her in one swift motion.

Toph screamed and flailed her arms until they found the solidity of Sokka's neck and shoulder, which she clung to tenaciously in her panic.

"It's nice to be wanted, Toph, but I kind of need air," Sokka quipped in a raspy voice, Toph's grip on his neck like a band of iron.

Breathing erratically and attempting to stifle the stabbing pains in her chest, she relaxed marginally once she realized what had happened and that she was safely in Sokka's arms, not floating away on the tide or being swallowed by the endless expanse of water.

"I'm going to give you exactly four seconds to explain why you just did that before I earthbend you into a permanent Fire Nation fixture," Toph said, trying for calm when her heart was still racing and her blood rushing in her ears.

"Well, it got your feet off of the ground," he pointed out helpfully.

As the adrenaline began to subside, she became aware that she was clutching Sokka's bare shoulders; she could feel his hair brushing the backs of her hands (so it was on the long side...) and the heat emanating from his upper body. She fought the urge to let go completely and went stone still- the only thing scarier than Sokka finding out about her crush was being dropped back in the water.

"Are you ok, Toph?" he asked, wondering why she stiffened up every time he touched her.

"Can you just put me down, Sokka? Please?" Toph asked in an uncharacteristically quiet voice.

He gave her a quizzical glance, but set her down gently, neither one letting go until her feet were firmly planted on the uneven ground. He didn't say anything; her talkative, playful mood seemed to have evaporated. The familiar camaraderie from earlier in the evening had evolved into a tense, wary kind of apprehension- one that grew as minutes ticked by in complete silence on both parts. Toph seemed to be mulling something over in her head, reluctance warring with her natural impetuosity. Sokka sensed that whatever she had to say was important, to her at the very least...it made him curious.

He could tell that he would never know though, once her expression shuttered. It was not something she felt comfortable sharing apparently.

"I'm pretty tired," Toph lied and feigned a yawn. "I need to get some beauty sleep. Thanks for the lesson, Sokka." Her tone was impassive now, no longer teasing. He watched her intensely, thinking she might give something away, but after a moment of silence she said, "So, uh...which way is the beach?"

Slightly aggravated and a little hurt that she would keep secrets from him, but not in any position to do anything about it, he took her hand and said, "Follow me." He'd thought they were better friends than that.

Once they'd reached the point where the water was just below Toph's waist, he reluctantly let go of her hand and said, "Just keep walking straight- you'll hit the beach eventually. Watch out for holes."

She didn't head for the beach right away, but stood near him with her head bowed. He wondered if she would change her mind and tell him what was bothering her; it seemed bigger than just learning how to swim, or not being able to, but he couldn't define how- to his growing frustration.

"Seriously, Sokka- thanks for trying," Toph finally said quietly. "I appreciate it."

Disappointed at her words, he tried for cheerful. "No problem, anytime. Same time tomorrow?" he asked, simultaneously trying not to sound hopeful and mentally kicking himself.

Toph's cheeks colored again slightly and she said, "NO! I mean, I'm not sure about this whole swimming thing. I think maybe I ought to ask Katara, or Aang...maybe having a waterbender teach me would be easier? I mean, it's been fun and all, minus falling into a huge hole, but that really wasn't your fault...but uh, thanks anyway..." she trailed off, a strange expression on her face.

Sokka arched an eyebrow at her rambling words- he'd never known Toph to sound so unsure of herself, or well...nervous. Like she couldn't get away from him fast enough. She kind of sounded the way he thought he did around Yue. And Suki sometimes. Like he couldn't make his mouth work right.

"Well, I guess I'll see you back at camp," she said quickly and turned for the beach. As she exited the water, she said reverently, "Ahhhh, thank the spirits- land sweet land!"

She made her way unerringly over to where she'd unceremoniously dumped her tunic and picked it up, slinging it over her shoulder. He heard her chuckle to herself, and called back to him from the shadow of a fire palm, "Don't forget to bring Momo back with you!" On that note, she turned and made her way back toward the camp.

He watched her retreating figure from his place in the shallow water until he could see her no longer. When a passing cloud obscured the moon and cast darkness over the bay, he shook his head as if coming out of a dream. He suddenly felt foolish and very juvenile, standing alone in the water. With Toph gone, the oddness of the situation struck him- who goes swimming in the middle of the night? He decided he'd better get himself back to camp and get his own beauty sleep- it was back to real life tomorrow, and who knew what would happen over the course of the day? He needed to be ready for anything.

He left the water and headed toward his trousers. They seemed to form a larger pile than what one pair of pants normally would...they also appeared to have a tail all of a sudden. He reached down and poked the pile cautiously; the fabric cooed, confirming his suspicions. Momo popped his head out and chattered at Sokka sleepily before laying his head back down, apparently unconcerned that his bed consisted of Sokka's only pair of pants in the near vicinity.

Sokka sighed and sat down on a nearby rock, no longer in any rush to get back to camp. He drew his knees up to his chest and rested his elbows there as he watched the moonlight play across the waves lapping at the beach. He would wait to go back to camp until he was sure Toph had fallen asleep. Tomorrow, he imagined, things between them would seem back to normal- there would be none of the awkward speech or thick silences or...awareness that he had felt in her presence tonight. He was nearly as thankful for it as he was reluctant to let it go.

If the moon held any opinion, or reserved any kind of judgment, she wisely kept her own counsel as she watched tirelessly over the solitary figure on the beach below. He had more than enough to think on tonight.

A/N: Firstly, thank you all so much for your wonderful reviews and words of support and encouragement on the first half of this story...I hope that this installment, which I wrote against my better judgment (for fear of messing up a good thing), measures up to your expectations. Nearly all of you wanted me to continue this story, and since the ending of the last chapter turned out differently than even I had intended at the time, I decided to attempt to give it a little more closure (as was my original intention). I've tried to keep the tone of the two chapters and the words/actions of the characters consistent; you will be the judge.

I know that some of you may find this ending underwhelming or disappointing...I really wanted this story to mesh within the confines of the story that already exists, and lets face it folks- as much as we may want it to happen, in Mike & Bryan's world, Toph and Sokka just aren't meant to be. But hey, that's why there's fanfic :) There's no rule saying I can't break a couple rules in a different story...we'll see.

I hope you enjoyed and that you'll take the time to review whether you loved it or hated it. Thanks again!