A/N: LiumD - Thanks! At the moment I don't have any plans to follow up that story (or one like it), but that's an idea I've never played with before so... perhaps someday!

Tokka Week 2015

6. No Excuses

Katara swept into the room.

"Sokka was wondering some things about you, so I thought I'd ask you- wait, first, why are you blushing all of the sudden?"

"I'm doing what?" Toph jerked her face away, withdrawing behind the hair that always covered her face - or, at least, she was under the impression that it covered her face. Was Katara even being serious? There's no way Katara could see that she was doing that color-changing face thing...

"It happens a lot when Sokka comes up," Katara said smugly, which only added to Toph's irritation. "But it seemed particularly pronounced just now when I mentioned he was wondering about y-"

"You're imagining things." Toph gritted her teeth, welcoming the heat of her anger. Maybe that way Katara could really see her face when it was red (or whatever people see) and drop the whole issue. "Just get to the point."

"I should have known you'd be this way." Katara sighed and tsked. "So, what's with you these days? Ever since you got back from your metalbending tour through the northern provinces you've been kind of stand-offish. I mean, I know it's been a few months..." Katara trailed off. "Okay, maybe longer than that," she added after a moment.

"I don't know what you're talking about." Toph wanted to say Katara was imagining things again, but she wasn't much of a fan of repeating herself these days. She started picking her toes and stuck out her tongue. "Is this because I didn't go with you to find perfume? Really, you shouldn't be surprised..."

"No, it's more the everyday stuff that seems different," Katara, said, waving her hand so dismissively that Toph could feel the current as well as the vibrations. "Like you haven't been staying through meals, and you haven't been joking around with Sokka as much as you used to." Katara faced Toph squarely, crossing her arms. "Did you get a boyfriend while you were away, or something?"

Toph burst out laughing, half accidentally, half on purpose. "No," Toph managed to say with perfect firmness - it was nice that Katara hadn't even gotten close to a real explanation. "If I found a guy I wouldn't sit around here pining, or whatever you're thinking. I'd drag him along with me if it mattered that much to me." There was an implication in the order of Katara's words that Toph still wanted to call into question, but she feared doing so would give Katara new material to get all smug and presumptuous about.

Unfortunately, Katara didn't give up easily.

"But there is something up, isn't there?" she insisted, and Toph sighed. "You're not denying that something's different, just that it isn't, you know, someone else."

"Well, I dunno, maybe things are a little different," Toph said, ignoring the way Katara emphasized that last word. She bit her lip before continuing. "I don't really notice a difference, but I suppose it could be inevitable, with all the time that's passed."

Toph didn't immediately regret how she had worded her response and Katara didn't have an immediate retort, so it seemed one danger had passed. Truth to tell, Toph felt a little... out of place these days, among her friends. Everyone was moving through different stages of life now, and she doubted things could ever get back to how they used to be. Especially since they couldn't spend as much time together. All of them were only going to be in the same town for a couple more weeks... Toph couldn't even decide if that was reason to keep more distance or not.

"So are you going to get over this and start acting normally around each other again?" Katara said, trying to restart the conversation as if there was no pause.

"What are you talking about, you're getting on my case just like you always used to do," Toph said, unable to keep herself from chuckling a little.

"I meant around Sokka, obviously," Katara said with a little huff. "He's actually getting kind of depressed about it."

Toph felt her skin prickle at these words. "Well, maybe you haven't been feeding him enough meat." What was that? She didn't seem to be thinking of a coherent retort. "His mood always seems erratic when he's not eaten, I don't know why you'd bring me into it." Did that help? Toph was too busy rolling Katara's claim around in her mind. Did he seem more depressed these days? Sure, they hadn't been bantering as much, but that didn't mean he was depressed - and even if he was, why would that be because of Toph? Wasn't he just, oh, more preoccupied with his responsibilities these days? Now that she thought about it, he did seem to be pretty responsive when she did feel comfortable joking around with him, but the rest of the time he seemed unusually quiet-

"So you haven't noticed at all?" Katara said in a low voice. "You're not paying attention to that any more? Are you looking for anyone these days?"

"Y'know, Katara, you seem awfully determined to get into my personal business and, what's worse, you're tossing Sokka in for no good reason." Toph did her best to make every word drip with derision. In her estimation, it was working. "Funny," she added, lightening her tone oh-so deliberately, "Last I knew you came here to talk to me about some question or other of Sokka's."

"Right," Katara said. Toph raised her eyebrow. She would have expected Katara to be a little flustered. Or perhaps outright contrite. But... she sounded even more smug. "Oh, did I forget to mention?" she continued, almost mirroring Toph's light, sardonic tone. "All this was what Sokka was wondering."

Toph blinked.

"You're joking."

"No, no, I wouldn't joke about that," Katara said, a chuckle belying her words. "But I'll be sure to tell him that there's no use asking you anything, because you're just going to be biting and taciturn like always. No use putting himself out there just to get spurned."

"What are you playing at?" Toph said, her voice coming out higher and louder than she intended. "That doesn't sound like Sokka. I mean, him- m- spurned?" Toph shook her head, trying to knock some sense into it "Doesn't sound like Sokka at all. Even if what you're saying made any sense, why would he ask you to ask?"

"Oops." Katara still sounded smug, making Toph feel more nervous. "Come to think of it, I don't think he actually asked me to ask you at all," Katara admitted, but Toph could tell she was smiling. Toph wanted to wipe that smile off her face. But that would probably say more than she meant to say, knowing Katara. "I probably shouldn't have told you anything."

Katara clasped her hands together and started backing out of the room.

"Hey!" Toph said, jumping up from her sitting position almost by reflex. "You're just going to act like you betrayed Sokka's confidence - which, honestly, probably isn't the case, I mean, really," Toph added hurriedly, not sure who she was trying to convince more, "- and get all up in my business, and act like nothing happened? Where do you even get these ideas?"

Katara had passed through the threshold, but she popped her head around the corner - one of those seeing people habits, again - and said, "I told you I was talking to Sokka about it. Not my idea."

"Why would Sokka be wondering stuff like that?" Toph retorted, with a hard and low voice.

"I dunno, I think you ought to ask him," she said, tilting her head. "You both could stand learning to confront each other. As for me, this go-between business hasn't been working out so well. Good luck!"

And with a little, obnoxious chuckle, she disappeared.