You Make Life So Hard

Mutterings: Toph Edition

Hakoda hears more in the Western Air Temple than he ever signed up to, but he resolves to make the best out of it.

AN: okay so this one's not strictly zutara because initially I had three parts (Suki, Katara, and Toph) all condensed into one, but I want to take a little more time with the first two.

disclaimer: if you're a tokka fan, you may not take a liking to this - sorry! I do not own Avatar: The Last Airbender or anything else you recognize.

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Being a warrior trains you to sharpen your reflexes, listen to your instincts, and hone your senses. As such, a renowned and feared warrior like Chief Hakoda had fantastic instincts and excellent hearing. This, paired with the excellent acoustics of the stone temple, meant that Hakoda heard everything that people muttered to themselves, whether he wanted to or not.

When Sokka wasn't talking battle plans, he was talking about food or Suki. From Chit Sang, he heard all about how much he missed his girlfriend and best friend, as well as how much he wanted to get into a fight. From Haru, he heard the whispers of how cool it would be to metalbend and how she didn't pay attention to him anymore. (Hakoda had an awful feeling he knew who she was.) The Duke and Teo were often coming up with some game to pass the time or talking about their adventures in the Northern Air Temple and treehouses. Zuko muttered to himself about pretty much everything, ranging from the intricacies of tea to how unfair she was being. (Again, Hakoda was not happy when he figured out who Zuko's she was.) Aang mumbled about his forever girl (oh, if Hakoda had been a firebender...), the Avatar State, and what a hard teacher Zuko was. But while the Chief was very concerned about the mental stability of some of these people, their mutterings were not what truly worried him. No, when he heard Katara, Suki, or Toph ranting to themselves in badly concealed whispers, that was when he truly felt fear. Nevertheless, his paternal instincts would not let him sit back and do nothing.

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Toph:

Hakoda found the tiny earthbender sharpening a rock into a perfect blade. As soon as he was within five feet of her, he heard a voice call out.

"What's up, Beardy?"

He instinctively touched his beard. He was pretty proud of it, but it was nothing to get a nickname over. However, when he saw the shape Toph's rock was taking, he decided not to argue.

"I was just wondering if you're alright." He had heard from his children that the young Beifong was missing a real parental influence, but that wouldn't be the case if he had anything to say about it.

A beat.

"Why?"

"Oh, nothing much. But sometimes I hear you muttering to yourself about how stupid my son is and I was wondering if he made you mad."

Two beats.

"He likes Suki," came the quiet reply.

"What?" He had heard her perfectly, but what did that have to do with anything?

"He likes Suki, old man!" He let the insult slide. Still, why did it matter- oh . Hakoda allowed himself a moment of fatherly pride for the fact that his son was just too attractive for his own good before he refocused on the matter at hand.

"Ah. I see. Do you not like Suki?" He sat on a rock across from the young girl

"No, I like her fine. She saved me that one time. And she kicks serious butt. But I don't know. I really thought that maybe, for once, someone would see me as something more than just a blind little girl."

"I don't think anyone in this temple sees you as just a blind little girl. You're one of their closest friends and you are very, very powerful in your own right, especially for your age. Take it from someone who has seen hordes of earthbenders and fighters."

"I guess...but still."

"You know, when I was your age I liked a girl in my village too. She was very pretty and a little older than me. But when I actually started talking to her, I found out she was incredibly mean and dull."

"Are you telling me Meathead's mean and dull? I already knew that," Toph said, sounding like she was choking back laughter. Or maybe tears.

"Well...no. What I'm trying to say is that the girl I told you about wasn't the one I ended up marrying. I met Kya and she was fierce, kind, brave, and perfect. There was no question about her being the one for me, and she loved me the same way. I can only imagine how miserable my life would have been if I had never met her. So Toph, you'll find that right person too. He'll be perfect for you and really treasure you as the brave girl you are. And it's okay if Sokka isn't that person. He still cares about you a lot, as a best friend. I know that must hurt right now, but it will get better. Trust me." The rock dagger had dropped to the floor, forgotten and a single tear made its way down Toph's face. Hakoda really hoped he hadn't made the situation worse.

"Thanks, Chief Hakoda. It feels like such a stupid, weak problem, but...it's hard."

"I know. Affection, caring about someone - that's never stupid and weak. But unfortunately, it's rarely easy either." They sat in silence for a few minutes before he spoke again. "Do you...do you want a hug, Toph?" A small nod was his only response, but he was at her side and folding the girl into his arms.

When Toph was ready, she stalked off into the temple with a "Later, Beardy!" and Hakoda smiled in satisfaction. The talk may have been helpful for Toph, but it was also good for him. He often felt regret at having missed so many of Sokka and Katara's formative years, but this had made him feel like he had helped a daughter get through one of the problems of adolescence. After all, he thought with a clenched jaw, silly crushes were what these kids should be worried about, not the results of a war.

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AN: absolutely no editing went into this. but still, let me know if you liked it! it's tough to be "in character" for Hakoda because we honestly don't see his character outside of being a warrior, but I think I managed?
also, what do you guys think suki and hakoda would discuss? i have a very rough draft but I want to make it better