A/n: Yay! I finally got the urge to write another oneshot, lame titles, I know, but deal with it. This one is mostly Toph, but gets better at the end. Hope you like it.

Toph sneered. So, Katara had finally figured it out. That little crush the earthbender had on Sokka. Toph had the feeling Katara had found out from the moment she wanted to talk to her in private. The second she had brought it up, Toph became defensive and angry with Katara, and stormed off. However, she wasn't running from the motherly teen, her only pursuers were her own feelings.

A drop of water hit Toph's nose and the sound of summer thunderclouds echoed in her ears. "Crud, now there's a storm coming, I hate rain." She could detect tree roots in the earth she was running towards. Toph sighed; at least there was a place to stay dry.

As she ran, a vine hanging between some bushes caught her foot, and she tumbled forward through the air, but she never hit the ground. Unknowingly, she had run into a thicket with all sorts of close-growing plants all in a wild jumble. Vines and overgrowth held her fast, suspended above the ground. The vines were coiled and tangled around her arms, legs, waist, and face. She struggles violently, but she knew very well that she was stuck.

The worst part was she couldn't reach the ground, she couldn't earthbend. Her eyes opened wide in fear when she realized this. Then her anger came back, this was Katara's fault. If she had just not brought up the topic of Sokka, Toph wouldn't be in this mess. It was all her fault!

However, as she stayed there, she had to admit, reluctantly, perhaps it was her own fault, just a bit. Her and her feelings for the sarcastic, meat-loving Sokka.

Toph sneered at her own thoughts, "Why should I like him anyway? He has Suki to love, he doesn't like me that way." Her eyebrows furrowed in frustration.

Rain began tumbling down, each drop pattering off the leaves of the numerous leaves in the thicket. The trees' canopy provided some shelter from the shower, but nevertheless, Toph's clothes and hair got wet as she hung there on her mangled net of vines. She felt the raindrops plock on the back of her head and body.

"Love," Toph grumbled, "Why should it concern me? Love is for floozies and sugar queens, not something the Greatest Earthbender in the World should think about. I don't need it, I'm fine on my own," The vines holding her quivered from her body's reaction to how cold and damp her clothes were becoming from the rain.

"I wonder what he does think of me. I know he doesn't love me, but perhaps he likes me a bit as much as I like him, a little. Maybe a little more than that. That would be good enough for me.

"Hmm…how would he react if I hinted at it? I could even say that I like him…a lot…I guess I could allow that.

"Maybe if I was older, prettier, more like Suki, then he might like me the way I like him.

"What am I saying? Who cares how I look? I sure don't. I've got plenty of things to make up for it. I'm tough, strong, a powerful earthbender, the best. Besides, I don't need anyone protecting me like he does with Suki, I can take care of myself. Actually, he's the one who needs protecting. He's smart, but he isn't very attentive. He isn't careful, and that fancy sword of his isn't going to provide enough protection.

"I know! I could protect him, watch his back, make sure he doesn't do anything stupid. I could do a lot for him, especially with my metalbending. Locks, doors, cages, I could get us out of any jam. Maybe then he would appreciate me, even like me…the way he likes Suki, just a little."

Toph's thoughts were interrupted by a not-so-far off call. "Toph? Toooooph! Come on out, it's raining too hard, you'll get drenched!"

"Sokka?!" Toph called back, "Is that you? I'm over here!"

Toph heard the sound of boots squelching in the mud as Sokka ran in her direction. She then heard hie sword as he used it to make a path for himself through the thicket.

"There you are, how'd you get yourself all tangled up like this? You're not hurt, are you?"

"No, I'm fine," Toph said. Then she sneezed, three times, and shivered.

"You call that fine? Sounds like a cold to me. Great, now our schedule is even more thrown off."

Toph sneezed again, "Oh, what a tragedy," she remarked sarcastically.

"It's okay, I've given up on it anyway. Here, let me get you out. Hold still."

Toph felt the vines binding her slacken as Sokka's sword made quick work of them. Then she fell face down onto the wet and muddy ground with a splash.

"Nice going, Sokka," Toph said as she stood up, earthbending the mud from her.

"Sorry," Sokka apologized, "Climb on, don't want you to get any more sick in this downpour."

Toph obliged, putting her arms around his neck while he held onto her legs. Sokka was just as soaked as Toph was, his clothes were soggy and his ponytail was weighed down by water."

"Thanks for getting me out of there, I really appreciate it." Toph said quietly.

Sokka was slightly taken aback by her tone of voice, but replied, "Don't worry about it, that's what friends are –"

Sokka stopped talking as Toph quickly gave him a small kiss on the cheek. He smiled.

"Let's get you back to camp and dry you off. You can have my blankets tonight, sound good, Toph?"

"No need to fuss over me. You're wet too and need those blankets just as much."

Sokka chuckled, "Fine then, after drying off, we'll share the blankets. Is that better?"

"Yup," she said as she repositioned herself on his back, smiling.

A/n: So how'd I do? Like it? Hate it? Somewhere in between? I don't know if you don't tell me, so please review.