Avatar One-Shots

I Should Tell You (Tokka)

A/n Tokka for @nae-booty. Wrote this while listening to I Should Tell You from RENT.

(A/n from the future: ^^ that explains the title, although this one-shot has absolutely nothing else in common with that song. Since I started editing I've counted three one-shots linked somehow to musicals what is wrong with me?)
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Why did I let Katara talk me into this? Toph wondered as she stood outside the door to Sokka's-correction, Councilman Sokka's-office. She was uncharacteristically nervous, which did nothing for her worries. She was the greatest earthbender ever, why should she be nervous?

With a sharp intake of breath and as little thought as possible, she knocked on the door.

"Come in," called a familiar voice. He sounded a bit distracted. Toph clenched and unclenched her fists before opening the door a crack and sticking her head in. Sokka was seated at his desk, staring blankly at a piece of paper like a student who had been studying too long. He looked up when she entered, and smiled.

"Hey, can I talk to you for a sec?" she asked. He nodded, a relieved expression crossing his face. Thank you, he seemed to be saying.

Toph took a deep breath and entered the room. She took a seat in the chair opposite his and planted her feat firmly on the ground in an attempt to read his face. Faces had never been easy for her to see.

"What's up?" He asked casually. She swallowed. How was she going to phrase this?

"I guess the best thing to do is to come right out and say it," she said, finally finding her voice. No turning back now. Oh spirits, why was she doing this? She took a deep breath, trying to prepare herself.
"I am in love with you."

Sokka's eyes widened and his face went pale, but before he could say anything, Toph was explaining herself as quickly as possible.

"I mean, I've had a crush on you since I was twelve, but I'm pretty sure I've been in love with you since I was sixteen. But you were with Suki, and then Kanto happened, and I thought I loved him, but really I didn't. We were better off as friends the whole time, and now that we've split he's hit the road without even thinking about his daughter, that bastard. And it's given me a lot of time to think, and I just... I thought you should know." And she actually blushed. Sokka hadn't seen her blush since she kissed Suki on the cheek that time during the war, when she thought it was Sokka saving her.

Well, I guess that makes sense now...

"Look, I know you have Suki and all, and I don't expect you to drop her and run to me or anything, it's just...it's been bouncing around in my head, driving me crazy, and I had to tell you."

Sokka really and honestly didn't know how to respond. There was what he wanted to do: jump over his desk and kiss her right there, ask her why she couldn't have said that before he proposed to Suki, and tell her he loved her too.

And there was what he should do: tell her he didn't feel the same, no matter how much it killed him inside, and watch her walk away heartbroken.

How to compromise, that was the question.

Toph took his extended silence as rejection. She sighed.
"Well, now that I've gotten that out of my system, I guess I'll see you around..."

He waited up until she'd opened the door and almost walked out to do something.

"Toph, wait!" He called desperately, standing abruptly and throwing his chair back in the process. Toph froze in her tracks.

"I... I love you too."

Slowly, she turned around. For a moment her expression was unreadable. Then she crossed her arms, and her entire demeanor looked irritated. He mentally cursed. Now he'd incurred the wrath of Toph.

"Then why in Kyoshi's name didn't you say anything?!" She almost yelled. He shushed her frantically.

"Someone will hear you!" He warned. She rolled her eyes.

"Answer the question, meathead."

Sokka sighed. "Look, I wanted to tell you, but you were with Kanto, and I was with Suki, then you got married and I kinda lost all hope and proposed to Suki. But then you two broke up and now I keep putting the wedding off because I've been hoping against all hope this would happen and-"

He was cut off by a pair of lips on his. It felt like he'd been wandering the desert for years with no water, and he finally found an oasis. His arms wrapped around her torso as he (very eagerly) returned the kiss. They both knew that they shouldn't be doing this. It was wrong. They couldn't hurt Suki, she didn't deserve it.

But at that point, neither of them cared anymore. They'd been suppressing their feelings for years, neither could stop if they tried. Too parched for too long, and now water was in sight. It was impossible not to dive in. Hands wandered, lips drifted, and assistants were paid to keep quiet.

And that, ladies and gents, is how Suyin happened.