Time is the best healer known around. Toph had known this to be true, she had a living testament. But at occasions she wished she could too be a living account. Somehow, though, she realized that time only healed wounds not ideas or thoughts that would haunt her rest away and would leave her awake at night, picturing images of things she never seen before. This, Toph found, a bit ironic because she was blind. Toph, also found it uncomfortable and immoral, wrong since the simple indication that he would ever be involved with her in some way was beyond imaginable. Later, Toph came to the conclusion that time was a predicament that constantly changed. To her time never made things better, somehow it made things worse.

Sokka in a way had fully recovered, if it weren't for the occasional window that at moments left open could reveal the shallow broken boy left behind. Because men are too old to dream and in occasion becoming a man meant a broken dream. Of course, Toph was sure no other but her notice, the vibrations indicating any fault; it seemed that the others were more preoccupied that their friend had returned from the lion's den to put any notice. Toph, didn't blame them though, because maybe if she wasn't as aware of the things that she had been told she wouldn't be as observant as she is now.

Toph hadn't heard from Suki since the wedding and hadn't asked or have the others mentioned her. She wasn't sure if it was because after what Suki had done to Sokka she had lost all recognition among the other or because Sokka would ask whoever mentioning her to shut up. Either way, it didn't matter, she was gone. But with all dread her words stayed, like a bad experience lurking every each minute in the back of her mind as a reminder every time Sokka was near.

Toph hated it more now, though, she didn't tell Sokka that. It seemed she couldn't avoid the dread as much as she wanted. Sokka had accustomed himself to cling to Toph as an anchor. She knew that he didn't see it that way and if at all. How could she avoid the guilt of ruining a perfectly happily ever after when she is constantly recalled by Sokka, who's by her side at all sides? Not that she doesn't mind, but now every little detail he does she was seeing it in a different light. Every laugh. Every comment. Every push. Every Joke. Every him.

Toph found herself in a present where she was constantly nervous about what she was doing. She couldn't relax. Not when Sokka told her he was getting married. Not when Suki left him in the altar. Not when Suki told Toph the reasons for her actions. Not when she realized she was the reason. And it seemed to be getting worse.

One day at work, when Sokka had resumed his duties as a Council Man, he entered Toph's office without knocking. Somehow in the last week he had resolved in not asking permission and just waltzing in. She hadn't mind at first, seeing how in the begging he did this to release some tension (either by breaking things or be grumping about co-workers, even though it was clear it was something else) but now it was getting irritating and bothersome to her work, Toph cursing the day she ever been so polite and he taking advantage of it. It also unnerved her seeing how every visit was different. One time he almost started to cry when he asked for café and what came to him in return was a 'cold' piece of damp dirt.

She should have seen it coming. But with him everything is unexpected.

"Toph?"

His voice was unusually usual and talked as if whatever he was about to ask couldn't be denied or somehow accepted. Toph's heart sank. He usually got what he wanted.

"I'm busy if you can see," she said, motioning to her work on the desk, knowing there was an assistant who could deal with it since she was blind and couldn't do much paper work, but finding it as an excuse to avoid anything he was about to encourage.

"Can I move in with you?" he asked. He didn't wait for it all to dawn. "I was living with Suki and now it seems…I mean it feels… pointless. And I don't want to bother Katara and Aang more than I have to in their house."

Not that it mattered, Toph thought, since you spend most of your time with me. But it couldn't get more official than this. All of the sudden the aftermath of his proposition came rushing back. Toph wanted to puke. Run. Be invisible. She truly became the woman who stole the man of another. Somehow, Suki was right.

How badly Toph wanted to say no, how badly did she wanted to push him way and forget everything but when he said: "What do you say?" all of the memories and circumstances came rushing back, reminding her of who he is to her and what friend she'd be if she denied this simple thing.

"All right." Toph said sounding hesitant no matter how much she tried to keep it at bay.

Sokka must have catch a glimpse of it because he quickly added, "Just until I find someplace for myself."

Of course he never did. And of course Toph never brought the subject back to life when it died months ago in his stay. Now she regrets never saying no. Because somehow that small mistake led to weird vibrations from the staff at work and from her friends and sometimes even from herself. Nobody asked or press the subject of their living arrangement but in the air held the big question. It wasn't inevitable when Toph started to feel degraded and even when she heard murmurs she immediately assumed it was her without ever considering other alternatives. Sokka on the other hand was oblivious or maybe a good pretender (he was good at that) and since the arrangement haven't seemed to care for anything else, his interruptions to her office diminishing.

A routine begins to form and soon Toph was sucked in. In morning she was awoken by breakfast, at first it was a surprise but quickly she started to this dread too. It was one of the things that Sokka and Suki did or more Sokka did to Zuki and even though Sokka shrugged saying it was programmed on him Toph could hear the remembrance the small task brought. Though, she protested he continued. The rest of the day was spent at work (which they left both together to) and if it were a weekend or some sort they found themselves thrown around the apartment mindlessly doing nothing. At night Toph headed for her room and Sokka to the sofa. Despite the breakfast everything was almost normal, like the old days when they use to travel on Appa with Aang and Katara with the later addition of Zuko.

Then there were the nightmares.

When she first witness this she laid in bed awake, unsure of what was happening because after all, one moment he was begging and the other he was silent. He repeated this sometimes with shouts or questioning cries. Was this the bothersome things he was doing in Katara and Aang's home? She thought for a moment if they woke him, picking out details in how she was going to do it herself. In the end she opposed to it, figuring it was a onetime deal.

It wasn't. When it was the fourth restless night she decided to stand and shook him awake. He was startled but seemed to come quick. Was he accustomed to it?

"What is it, Toph?" he asked as if nothing was wrong.

"You're screaming," she got to the point, not caring if she sounded bitter. In fact she was, very.

Sokka didn't deny it, like she thought he would. Since this process began he has not denied anything which is strange, she had been told. Toph hadn't expected anything less, Sokka was not a man to common things and for a fact was known to assist the problem to its totality. Maybe that's why he was council man.

Instead he sighed, "I'm sorry. It seems sleep is the only place I can't hide from her."

Toph's breath was pitched. She hoped he didn't notice. "It's okay. I just thought maybe you wanted to hide in reality instead."

A few seconds passed. "Thanks, Toph. It will never happen again."

It surprised her even now how she childish she'd been for believing another word he said. Well, she can validate to it, just this one time. Since he did keep his words, maybe stifling his voice or Suki's name in a pillow, for as long as she could regain the strength lost in the restless nights. But then somehow that dispatchment she misunderstood from time seemed just like another lie she had foolishly misinterpret. He was worse than her.

Countless and countless were the times she stood and dragged her body to wake him. Each time thinking that he was being too dramatic over the split, each time regretting ever opening her arms to him. But then as his eyes water, repeating his apology, the same he used, with the same excuse, she saw no other way. With a pang of jealousy she returned to her sleepless dream thinking before she did anything : he really did love her.

It was dark. She was peaceful, she suppose she was dreaming of something joyful before she was rouse, shaken awake by arms. She was prepared to fight, thinking it was a break in until she located her hands into the attacker's arms that she realized it was that big of a threat.

"Toph?" he said her name before she could his.

"Sokka?" she was beginning to get concern. "What happened?"

"Can I sleep with you?"

"What?" he sounded serious, her heart starting to crash and flutter at the same time.

"I…" he took a moment. "I had a nightmare. I know it sounds silly and kids do this stuff- but, can I sleep here?"

No, she wanted to answer. This was the time to make the right decision, to amend all the things she'd broken. Instead she found another object cracking. "Sure."

She headed for one side as he slipped on the other. At first it was uncomfortable but as the night rolled and the sleep took over it was all it took for Toph to care for anything else.

Since then there were no more nightmares. Though, it could do to the fact that ever since Sokka has slip into Toph side. When it began he had waken her up and asked, but then it became like her office, in the morning finding him next to her, sometimes with a hand on her stomach or his head on her shoulder, always unannounced. When she confronted him he said: "I'm not going to wake you every time." Because that would be inconsiderate. She wanted to cry out in that instant.

She felt everything Suki accused her of, even if her words didn't indicate exactly that. More because she liked waking up to Sokka's presence. Feeling every time when he joined her and when he turned and when he left. It fed her quilt even more. It felt more devastating when he didn't know what he was doing. The contradiction he was inflicting on her.

One time when Katara and Aang came to her apartment for a visit and found this awkward scene, not finding Sokka's pillow on the sofa, that was the time when she finally decided it was enough. It took her great strength but when night came and she felt Sokka sneaking in with her she took the opportunity.

"Sokka?"

Sokka took a breath then release it, as if he lost a game. "Sorry, for waking you."

"Not that. I was already awake." Toph, shook her head. She was losing track. "Sokka?"

"Huh?"

He was already pulling the covers over his head. "I want you to stop sleeping with me."

"What?" he sounded genuinely hurt. "Why?"

"And…" it was harder than she imagine, there was already a lump forming in her throat. "I want you to leave my apartment."

Sokka was so silent that Toph thought for a second that maybe he had left already but when she reached out he was still there. "What happened? Did I do something? Was coming here, sleeping beside you too much?"

The lump grew. "No. It's just… It's no good. It's just…"

"What is it, Toph? What did I do?" Sokka was already getting out of bed.

"It's me," she declared, whispering. "All, right. It's me."

"What are you talking about?"

"It's my fault you're here," she said. "My fault you're so sad."

"Toph, how can you say that? You're the only one who's making me happy."

She couldn't hear his words. He would not hear his words because she knew that he still didn't understand and if somehow he kept on talking she would resolve on keeping here further, that was what she was trying to avoid.

"Suki told me everything." She said, feeling the words like venom.

"Toph-"

"Just go! Leave!"

And so he did.

In the silence and emptiness that followed Toph realized that time was never truly a healer, if anything time was the one inflicting pain all along. Now… she didn't know how she felt now….

A/N: I would like to clarify that they did not have sex. They just slept as roommates nothing more.