"The sound of a kiss is not so loud as a cannon, but it's echo lasts a great deal longer."-Unknown
"-And that's it folks! The Gilacorns are out of the tournament!" the announcer exclaimed from the crackling radio.
"You dumb bastards," Toph grumbled as she reclined on the couch with Lin huddled against her.
She was still dressed in her formal robes, at Lin's request, but her skirt was hitched just above the knee, bare feet resting on the table before her as mother and daughter listened to a pro-bending match on their wireless. Lin had insisted they stay dressed up and have a tea party after the abrupt exit of her grandparents made their efforts feel wasted. It was a sweet idea so Toph indulged her, pouring tea for Lin and her stuffed badgermole- and then finally a little something stronger for herself. It had been a long day after all, and to top it off the Gaoling Gilacorns had lost another match, meaning she would owe Ho Tun ten silver pieces come Monday. Absently, she fingered the velvet pouch in her pocket, unrelieved by its presence.
Toph moved to take another sip of her sake and registered the dead weight of Lin's sleeping form encumbering her movements. With a sigh, she shifted the bottle to her left hand carefully and took a long drink, leaning forward after to place a kiss on the crown of Lin's head. She sat in silence a moment, gathering the will to move when she heard the front door creak. One foot immediately dropped from the table and onto the stone flooring in an attempt to identify the intruder.
"Knock, knock!" He said softly from the door way. Toph let out a sigh of relief at the sound of his voice and the familiar thrumming of his heartbeat.
"We're in here, Sokka," she called out as quietly as possible, careful not to wake Lin. Sokka rounded the corner and smiled at the sight of them. His two favorite girls- made up in blush and expensive clothes, but still unchanged. No amount of preening could alter the slope of Toph's smile or the carefree way she linked her ankles on a table top, resting with Lin who remained unconscious and open-mouthed, a slight puddle of drool gathering at the corner of her lips.
"Long day?" He joked, taking in their appearance.
"You don't even know," Toph replied, shifting slightly.
"How did it go with your parents?"
Toph shrugged, indicating indifference. Sokka glanced from her poker face to the nearly empty bottle in her hand and discerned for himself the things she was unwilling to say.
He walked over, leaning down to gather Lin into his arms, "I'll put her to bed and then you can tell me all about it." Toph nodded, releasing her grip on Lin.
As he lifted her, she woke, wiping her eyes in a daze.
"Sokka?"
"Hey Bones, I'm tucking you in," he explained quietly as he began walking toward the bedrooms.
"G'night Mama," Lin mumbled groggily over Sokka's shoulder.
"Night-night baby girl," Toph replied, polishing off the final sip of her sake.
A further fifteen minutes passed as Toph waited in the living room for Sokka to return. She turned the radio dial to a music station and a slow, melancholy tune poured out- speaking volumes to its listener. Sokka came around the corner again, seating himself beside Toph with a heavy thud. Wordlessly, she let her head fall onto his shoulder.
"She wanted a bedtime story," he said after a moment, explaining his brief absence. Toph smiled.
"What story did you tell her?"
"I told her about the time I hit Combustion Man in the head with my boomerang and clogged his fire hole," He replied with a hint of laughter.
"Oh boy. I bet that put her right out," Toph snorted.
"Hey! It was epic!"
"Yeah, if you're into stuffing fire holes."
"How do you always make an innocent statement sound so gross?
Toph shrugged, "Its a gift."
"So...you want to talk about it?" Sokka asked finally, his tone changing from playful to concerned.
There was a soft sigh from the woman at his shoulder, "I suppose...it wasn't a big surprise. I was right- they wanted to take Lin to Gaoling."
"That's ridiculous," he told her, patting her bare knee lightly, "the best place for Lin is here with you."
Toph had a self-deprecating response lined up in her head, but lost her train of thought when she realized that Sokka had left his hand in place at her knee. She felt the blood rush to her cheeks, warming them with her thoughts- both terrifying and thrilling. However, it was not in her nature to become flustered or lovesick, so she collected her nerve and continued without acknowledging his gesture.
"I like to think they are wrong..." she began, "but sometimes I wonder if I am doing the right thing for her or if I'm just being selfish."
Sokka made an exaggerated groan of disagreement, lifting his hands in a moment of frustration. Toph's knee bounced at the break in contact, straightening quickly when she caught herself.
"Toph, listen to me," he said, picking up her hand and threading his fingers through hers, "you are a fantastic mother. I mean yeah, you work long hours and sure- you are pretty hard on her about bending practice-"
"Are you going to get to the part where you're reassuring me? Or...?"
"Yes! What I'm saying is that you work to give her a good life, you push her so she will do well. Everything you do is for Lin. A mother is somebody who is selfless in their love. That's you, Toph."
Toph gave him a reluctant grin, "You don't think I work for the fame and glory and I push her so she will make me look good?"
There was a pause, "Uh, well maybe that too," Sokka admitted with a laugh that Toph returned.
Sokka smiled, watching her face. Her eyes were blank, but her expression was tender. There was a vulnerability there, coupled with an impish compulsion to stir the pot and make fun. He gazed at her comprehending all that she was; natural, caring, funny, and beautiful. His thumb brushed the back of her hand lightly, moving back and forth with affection.
For her part, his movements didn't go unnoticed. The moment she felt the pad of his thumb graze her hand her heart leapt into her throat. This was not like their usual best-friend pep talks. Those were all silly jokes and light punches. This was soft, subtle movements and unspoken words. Toph didn't dare acknowledge it, fearing his retreat. He gathered a breath and continued to speak, his thumb never pausing.
"I just wish you could see-"
"I can't see," she interjected.
"Shut up- I just wish you could see how great you are. You are funny and smart and giving. You are a great Mom, the greatest earthbender in the world-"
"Hmm, yes. Go on," Toph laughed.
"- and you deserve more than sitting around at night with a bottle of sake second guessing yourself."
Toph laughed lightly, pressing the empty bottle to her cheek with her free hand, "You'll never understand our love, Sokka!" she joked dramatically of the bottle. She made a quick kissing motion at it and without warning, found herself being kissed in return.
Toph's stomach sank in the most pleasant way. It didn't take much coaxing for her to return his kiss, in fact it was Toph who pushed her tongue through the barrier of his lips first. Head swimming, she dropped the bottle on the couch beside her and moved her hand up to his face, running it along his jawline until it curled around the back of his head. Her fingers rubbed gently against the soft stubble of his hair and she couldn't help but smile against his mouth at the sensation.
Feeling her lips curl, Sokka detached from her with a tentative look. He wasn't quite sure if that was a genuine smile, a laugh at his stupidity, or the result of a night of drinking. Toph gasped a little as they parted, tugging him back toward her mouth with urgency. He let out a laugh against her this time, kissing her quickly twice before pulling back again.
"I've been wanting to do that for a long time," he confessed in a whisper, resting his forehead against her own. He moved in again, but was halted by her hand on his chest.
"What?"
"I said I've been wanting to do that for a long time," he repeated.
"Yeah, I heard that. I guess what I'm wondering is what the hell took you so long to do it?"
Sokka blinked a few times, wondering if she actually wanted a serious answer. He wouldn't put it past her.
He had his reasons for waiting. For the longest time it was ignorance- blissful and uncomplicated. He viewed Toph as one of the guys; a great buddy who knew all the best dirty jokes, had a character as rough as the palms of her hands, and left nothing to the imagination. It was this version of her that he knew in their war days, this version he felt safe around.
The first time he caught a glimpse of the other version of her was at Katara and Aang's wedding. She was dressed in a fine silk dress, a deep green that suddenly made her emerald eyes obvious to him. They had always been obscured by her bangs and were generally clouded, but something about the setting sun and that dress reflected a brilliance in them he had never noticed before. It was a very feminine look and she wore it well- it never appeared awkward or unwelcome on her small frame. Many of the guests remarked on this metamorphosis, unbeknownst to the subject of their admiration. Toph remained disinterested in the power of a little blush and a fitted outfit and by the time the ceremony ended and the dance floor opened- she had donned a pair of silk pants and emancipated her hair from its braided prison, falling into her face once again. Still, it was a moment that stuck with him.
He was faced with the undeniable proof of Toph's femininity once again a few years later when she told him of her pregnancy. It was a reminder of her womanhood, but not a sudden turn in his attraction. That came months later. As he watched Toph handle this new life, a gentleness and grace emerged. He wasn't sure if it had existed before or not, but now he saw her plainly. A complex mix of firmness and fragility, the hearty girl he knew before, but somehow more open and delicate- and he was drawn to her.
Their friendship had grown ever closer due mostly to their respective professions. As Councilman and Chief of Police they worked with one another on a weekly basis and in a more relaxed setting- more relaxed than wartime anyway. Republic City at peacetime was the backdrop of their times together, mostly spent with Lin and once a week, spent at Wulong's Dive Bar.
It was there, on what they had dubbed a "thirsty thursday" several months ago, that Sokka became fully aware of his attraction. By now, he had come to recognize her as pretty- beautiful even, but on this particular evening she had suddenly become downright sexy. The bartender made a fruity drink by mistake and offered it to them. Being a consummate gentleman, Sokka insisted that Toph have at it. He wasn't sure if it was the alcohol or the setting, but when she lifted the cherry from her glass and plucked it from its stem with full lips, he was transfixed. This simple gesture drew attention to her mouth and suddenly Sokka could not get it out of his head. He told himself at the time that it was a passing thought, but the tugging in his pants refused to subside. That is when the guilt came into play.
The prevailing reason he had for taking so long to make a move was guilt. He was with Suki at the time, albeit separated by distance. Toph was with Mo, even if it was an unhappy arrangement. For these reasons, he put his feelings and attractions to the side in the thought that if they were never dwelled upon, they would cease to be. It came as a relief to read Suki's break-up letter, in which she alluded to her own distractions in the fire nation. He couldn't hold it against her, it wasn't intentional- it just was. Any lingering regrets about his relationship with Suki seemed to vanish when Toph told him of Mo's departure. It was sad news, he never wanted their family to crumble, but he couldn't help the bolt of electricity that surged through his body at the thought of Toph being single.
From then on it was simply nerves and timing that held him back. This was new for him and Sokka was afraid of disrupting the delicate ecosystem of their friendship. But, when Sokka rounded the corner of her living room tonight and saw her in that same dress from Aang and Katara's wedding he wasn't sure he could hold off any longer.
His fingers squeezed her own and then he released her hand, placing his hand back on her knee.
"What took me so long? What took you so long?" he deflected. Toph snorted at his question.
"Buddy, if it were up to me we'd have been doing this since before I could metalbend," she snarked in honesty.
"Really?"
"Yes, really. How thick are you? I mean obviously there were reasons...- wait a second," she paused, looking serious, "I just realized something."
"What?"
"We're talking instead of kissing. Let's do more of that kissing thing," she replied, craning her neck up to meet him again. His hand at her knee began to travel up the length of her thigh, the silk fabric hitching and bunching on his knuckles. The surprising softness of her skin here juxtaposed her forceful motions causing his hips to jerk involuntarily.
She responded by throwing one leg over his lap and pushing against him, her kisses becoming deeper and more insistent. The change in her position drove his hand up further, eliciting a gasp from her enterprising mouth.
"Maybe we should take this into the other room," she suggested, in a breathy voice Sokka would have never associated with her before.
"Are you sure?" He questioned out of respect, it was in her nature to be caught up in tempestuous moments like these and he wanted to give her the opportunity to back out.
There was a pause in which he achingly hoped she would continue, "Yes, I'm sure if you are," she told him finally. He kissed her again in response and she stood quickly, tugging on his hands.
Toph locked the door to her bedroom, for once grateful that Lin could not metalbend. They tumbled on to the large bed together, a tangle of limbs. Sokka was surprised by how quickly Toph found her way around his body and had no complaints about the need for her to feel her way. When he commented on it, she responded by reaching into a bedside drawer and retrieving a blindfold, "Now we're even," she remarked, tossing the fabric at him. Theirs was a slow burn, the embers stoked by friendship and respect, but when the spark ignited, the fire between them could only be extinguished by each other.
Sokka woke the following morning in Toph's overstuffed bed, the light outside his eyelids indicating that it was somewhere around dawn. He decided there was no hurry in getting out of bed, so he let out a contented yawn and circled his arm around the form beside him, drawing it closer.
It was soft, much softer than any person should be...Sokka cracked one eye open to find he was clutching a pile of blankets and pillows. Waking fully, he looked around the room and found himself alone. He heard a crashing from outside and went to the window, looking through to see Toph and Lin sparring in the vast expanse of their yard. Lin wore a blindfold around her eyes, and Sokka took note that it was not the one from last night, thankfully. She slid one foot across the ground, fingers twitching and curling before two enormous towers of rock shot up on each side. She slammed each with the palms of her hands quickly, sending chunks of rock hurling at her mother. Toph demolished them on contact with a proud smile on her face.
He watched them practice for awhile, reconciling the proud mother he saw with the woman from last night and then with his good buddy, Toph. They were three opposite personalities, but somehow it made sense to him that they were all part of one woman. It felt right.
Shaking from his contented reflection, he made his way to the kitchen, preparing to make a breakfast worthy of his warrior girls. When they entered, covered in dirt, Lin was delighted to find Sokka preparing his go-to breakfast item, rolled omelets.
"What are you doing here, Sokka?" she asked. He and Toph froze, unsure how to answer her innocent question.
"Just thought I would make you girls some breakfast," he replied ambiguously. She seemed satisfied with this response and climbed into a seat at the table. Toph moved beside him, reaching around his waist to grab a freshly chopped slice of green pepper and popped it into her mouth with a smile.
"Would you like Sokka to make us breakfast more often, Lin?" she asked her daughter, from where she stood at his side.
"Yeah!"
"I think we can arrange that," Toph replied, her tone suggestive enough for him to pick up on. He smiled as he broke one egg into the frying pan. It could be arranged, certainly.
This was definitely something he could get used to.