Author's Notes: Hmm... what to even say about this. When I started, I was hoping for 800 or so. Then it exploded all over the place. This story has three main ships, two being blatantly obvious and one only mentioned at the end--see if you can guess the crack ship! . . . Anyway. Have you ever met and/or are that type of person who's just constantly holding hands with another person or hugging or throwing an arm around someone's shoulders? Yeah. Those people obviously influence me.

You know, I kinda see Toph as the type of person who's like, "I'll do what I want, when I want, with who I want, and no one's gonna stop me." So if she's in a relationship, she'd have no qualms about PDA, because is it really any of your business? XP

Alisa

Just Him and Her

Ba Sing Se

It was a beautiful day in Ba Sing Se, the best she'd seen in years. The sun was shining, the breeze was warm, and the city was alive with chattering people.

She took a deep breath and smiled. It had been a long time since she had last been in the city, and it was nice to visit it again, with all the ordered chaos and shouting and happy people and hand-holding couples. She was glad she decided to take a little time off for a vacation—or rather, she was glad she had been forced to take time off for a vacation. She was still a little sour at having been kicked out of her own home, but now that she was here, she was secretly thrilled at the idea of some time to herself. It had been getting a little crowded at home anyway.

Ba Sing Se certainly had changed a lot since the last time she had been there, at—what was it?—seven years ago already. What had once been structured and sheltered was now teeming with life and ever-growing, children now running in the streets and vendors shouting out over the bustling activity of shoppers. She decided that market day was the best day to go out, and moreover, she was rather parched. She'd heard good things about the drink shops of Ba Sing Se.

So, with enough bronze coins jingling in her pocket for more than a few cups of tea, she set out on an exploration of the city, and maybe a bit of shopping while she was at it.

The first street she peered down was filled with rows and rows of carts, all selling clothes of every kind. Shirts and sashes and tunics and pants and dresses and every other possible piece of clothing imaginable, in browns and greens of every shade. She made a mental note to herself to check down this street again later—a particular green tunic had caught her eye.

The next street was jammed full of small shops selling everything under the sun, from pots and pans to cooking ingredients to bolts of cloth in all sorts of colors. There was a jewelry store next to an apothecary, and a beautiful jade necklace looked as if it would match the tunic perfectly.

When she turned down the next street, she couldn't help but sigh in delight. Down this particular path were restaurants and delis and bakeries and carts on carts of different foods. The first thing she did was spot out some good drink carts.

She spotted a quaint little cart that was draped in oranges and yellows, a welcome sight compared to the flood of brown and green around her. Walking up, she realized that it was a cart boasting Airbender cuisine. Thoughts drifting to the Avatar Aang, she got in line and ordered a mango juice, which had apparently been very popular among the monks.

Sipping her drink contentedly, she decided to head back to check out that tunic. She was just passing a tea shop known as the Jasmine Dragon when she spotted them.

It wasn't that hard to recognize them, really. Aang had a giant blue arrow on his head, after all, and was wearing bold orange and yellow robes. Next to him, and in her customary blue clothes, was Katara. If the clothes didn't give her away, then the dark skin and two hair loopies did. Trailing behind Aang and Katara was the little blind girl (not much of a girl, though), Toph. While her memory of Toph recalled a bun, this Toph had her long black hair trailing down her back in a thick braid and a pale green tunic covering yellow leggings. She looked remarkably older, despite the fact that she was nearly the same height as she had been seven years ago. Walking close to her was—she felt her breath catch in her throat—Sokka, his long hair tied back neatly and blue Water Tribe garb obvious. He looked older, better, more mature than the last time she had seen him, three years ago and counting. They had lost touch.

She felt his name pushing against her lips as the group continued to walk farther away. She raised a hand in a half-wave when it happened.

That little girl, that Toph, gave Sokka a half-hearted push and he stumbled into his sister. Righting himself—and laughing?—he slung an arm around that Toph's shoulders and pulled her closer, his other hand ruffling her hair. She seemed to be the perfect height for that. One of her tiny hands reached up to his back and took a handful of blue cloth to pull him closer, and he nearly tripped on her feet. She laughed at that—Suki could hear her laughter even from where she was. It sounded cheery and bright and happy.

She couldn't remember happy laughter from the blind child in the time they had been traveling together all those years ago. Then again, she couldn't remember happy laughter from Sokka either, and yet here it was, ringing throughout the crowded street and making people turn.

One rash decision later and she was trailing after the Avatar and his companions as they continued their journey through the market. She wasn't spying, really... no, she was just watching her friends, just—observing them.

She took a sip of her drink as the group stopped at a cart near the end of the road. Katara seemed to be purchasing something with Aang as Sokka and Toph waited. They were having a conversation, the two of them, as they stood side by side. It was private, though, for she couldn't hear a word, even from where she was standing only a cart over, not even ten feet from them.

As she watched, the little Toph said something (she could see her lips moving), then grinned wolfishly. Sokka blushed a cherry red and gave a sharp "Hurry up, you two!" to the shopping pair. Then he turned and his eyes landed directly on her.

She felt her face heat up for the first time in what felt like forever as gazes locked, brown on blue. Her legs were rooted and she doesn't know why.

His voice sounded faint and distant when he spoke. "Suki?"

Suki blinked, surprised he had even recognized her without her makeup.

"Suki!" he said again, loudly this time, his arm slipping from around Toph's shoulders as he bridged the distance between them in three quick steps. Arms were around her in an instant and she couldn't help but notice that he smelled strongly of Earth.

He pulled back and she breathed his name, more to relax herself than anything.

"What're you doing in the city, Suki?" Sokka asked brightly, acting much like he had at fifteen.

"I'm just taking a little vacation," she replied, a smile forming as Aang, Katara, and Toph approached. She gave hugs to each, albeit slightly awkward ones, then blinked when she noticed something. Suki pointed a finger at Katara.

"You're pregnant!"

"Ah! Yes," Katara said, placing the hand that wasn't holding a bag of Fire Flakes on her barely-there stomach. "But how'd you know?"

"You're starting to show, I told you that," Sokka cut in, then returned his attention to Suki. "How's everything at Kyoshi going?"

"Everything's great. But it's been getting pretty busy back home—that's why the girls forced me on vacation. They said I needed a little down time."

"Good thing you came to the new Ba Sing Se!" proclaimed Aang brightly, popping a Fire Flake from his own bag in his mouth.

Suki nodded and observed the three smiling faces in front of her—and one scowling one. She coughed.

"So, Toph, how have you been?"

"Fine."

Suki blinked at the curt answer; Sokka flicked Toph in the head with a finger.

"So," Katara said quickly, "Suki, have you ever thought about settling down?"

"Katara!" Aang waved a hand at the woman. "Don't mind her," he quickly told Suki. "She's been asking everyone that since she got pregnant."

"She's asked me eight times already," Sokka informed Suki with an apologetic shrug.

"Try twelve!" threw out Toph, arms crossed.

"That's because both of you need to settle down," Katara announced, and Suki couldn't help but feet vaguely uncomfortable. "You're not going to stay young forever, you know."

Sokka wagged a finger at his sister. "Just because you had your perfect man thrown at you doesn't mean it's like that for the rest of us. I'm waiting until I find the right woman."

"Wait."

All eyes turned to Suki as she frowned.

"You're saying that you and... Toph aren't together?"

Silence as Sokka shook his head.

Suki felt her cheeks flare up for the second time that day. "Oh, um... I'm sorry. It just... looked like it to me."

"You really think that would work out?" Toph had a hand on each hip. "I mean, me and Sokka?"

"Hey!"

Talking over him, Toph continued, "Sure, I'd be able to handle it, but Meathead over here? Ha! He wouldn't stand a chance!"

"I would too!"

Toph gave a sharp laugh and Suki shot a bewildered glance at Aang and Katara, who both looked much more interested in their Fire Flakes.

"—think it would be you!" Sokka was saying, a finger poking Toph's chest with each word. "I could last through any relationship with you!"

"I bet you can't," Toph said, thrusting her hand out in front of her.

"I bet I can!" Sokka countered, and grabbed her hand.

Suki fidgeted in the silence as the two tried to break the other's hand, and then attempted to fill the void by taking a sip of her mango juice.

"Huh," said Sokka, draping an arm around Toph's shoulders as if they hadn't just radically altered their relationship. "Does this mean I have to kiss you?"

"I dunno," replied Toph, sounding awfully sarcastic to Suki. "Hey, Katara, did you 'n Sparky ever lock lips to get that thing inside of you?"

Katara paused from transferring a Fire Flake to her mouth and said mock-thoughtfully, "I seem to remember some kissing..."

"There you go, Snoozles," Toph said. "You'd better practice puckering up, 'cause from what I've heard, you're not very good."

"Hey!"

Suki half wanted to say that she thought Sokka was a good kisser, but then decided again it.

"Hey, Aang?" she asked, a thought passing through her head as Sokka and Toph continued to squabble. "Who's Sparky?"

"Hmm? Oh, that's just Toph's nickname for Prince Zuko," answered the Airbender, who was emptying the last of his Fire Flakes into his hand.

"You mean—Katara's married to Prince Zuko?" she asked, eyes wide and mind boggled.

"Sure am," Katara said. "Say, Aang, you wanna go get a pastry together?"

He smiled brightly. "As long as it's peach!"

They both turned to Suki at the same time and enveloped her in a hug, as if it had been choreographed.

"It was nice seeing you again, Suki," Katara said, and Aang added, "Maybe I'll stop by Kyoshi Island sometime to visit."

"That would be great," Suki said, and waved to them as they walked off together, now arguing good-naturedly about what type of pastry to get.

"So... um..."

Suki turned to find a pink Sokka and an even pinker Toph. His arm was still thrown around her shoulders.

"Me an' Toph are gonna go. But it was great seeing you again, Suki!" he said, and offered a quick hug, which she accepted.

Toph, who was still pink, punched Suki in the shoulder as means of goodbye.

Sokka grinned and whispered from behind his hand, "That means she likes you!"

He received a punch in the shoulder as well, though Suki could tell by his wince that it was undoubtedly harder.

"And that means I said something I shouldn't've."

She laughed appreciatively and waved them off. Once they were out of earshot, she gave an exhausted sigh and watched them walk away, Sokka slipping his hand in Toph's as they went. It reminded the Kyoshi warrior of a father leading his young daughter, the way Toph had to lift her hand up to hold Sokka's.

Suki hardly knew Toph, but she could tell, even within the few minutes they spoke, that the younger girl had feelings for the warrior. She didn't know the extent of those feelings, but Suki was almost positive they were there. As to what Sokka was thinking, though, Suki was having a more difficult time discovering. He was obviously very affectionate toward the young girl, but she wasn't quite sure if it was simply sisterly love, or if it was something more. But either way, Suki was glad for them. As strange as the two seemed together, they fit surprisingly well.

No, she wasn't jealous, like she herself had expected to be when Sokka eventually moved on. If anything... she was relieved. He had moved on to Toph, and she had moved on to Mamoru. (Slightly Avatar-obsessed, but sweet Mamoru nonetheless. She'd have to tell him she saw Aang.)

She was glad, and she was relieved. But mostly, Suki was just happy to be in Ba Sing Se.