I've been asking people for prompts to help get me out of my writing slump and my friend over at LJ—known as pineconecircus—jokingly gave me the prompt "Butts". I decided to go with it. It really doesn't have anything to do with this fic, but still.
This is an AU: modern-day. Not quite sure on anything else. I wanna say Toph is 14 and Sokka 17.
New Spring
"You didn't have to walk me home."
"I know."
"I'm not a child."
"I know."
Toph stood there on her doorstep, head down and eyes furrowed with suspicion. "So then why did you do it?"
Through the earth she felt him shrug. His calm demeanor was disconcerting.
"I just thought I'd walk with you was all," he said.
Her heart started pumping faster. To cover her discomfort, she blew the hair out of her face and scowled. "We didn't even talk about anything."
"Huh. I guess we didn't."
This was more than a bit strange, and it made her anxious. She could only think of one reason as to why he was acting this way. She didn't know if she liked the implications or not.
"Well, I guess I'll see you around, Toph," Sokka said after a minute of the awkward silence had passed. He was turning, getting ready to walk away.
Through her shock and sudden irritation, she snapped out, "That's it?"
"What?" He turned back to her.
"You're not going to kiss me or something?"
Here she felt his shoulders immediately tense and his pulse quickened. He stepped back and almost stumbled. "What?"
"Didn't you walk me home because you like me?" she asked, both perplexed and insulted. Sure, she'd have socked him in the gut had he tried to kiss her, but that didn't matter!
Now he was as rigid as a stone. "What—no! I mean—yes! I like you—but not like that, Toph! I walked you home because we're friends!" He spoke so fast and so disconnectedly that she had a hard time understanding what he was trying to say.
"What a gyp," she grumbled, hand now on the handle to her door. Her insides felt deflated for some reason as she went to open it.
Suddenly, Sokka's hand was on her shoulder. "Wait…" she heard him say, his voice constrained.
"Sokka, I—"
She couldn't finish before his other hand was on her chin, moving her face up toward his. Then his lips touched hers with a tenderness she'd never felt and she moved instinctively toward him.
After a few seconds, he pulled away. Her lips were still tingling.
"See you later, Toph."
There was a new spring to his movement as he strode down her front steps, which she promptly put an end to with a flick of her foot. The cement under his feet shifted and he was sent sprawling face first with a yell.
He was up again in a few seconds, though, and now he was whistling as he walked away.
She clenched her fist in annoyance, but after a moment she relaxed and a smirk played on her lips as she opened her front door.