20.3 Tokka

"Toph! Open this door! We need to talk! Let. *bang* Me. *bang* In!"

Sokka slammed his fist against the marble door of Toph's room, audible vibrations ringing through the hall. The Air Temple, long empty and deserted, was now alive with the taste of tension.

Another night, another fight.

Sokka punched the door with his right fist, anger evident against his furrowed brow. Before he could pull his hand back for another swing, however, the stone suddenly sucked up his fist, keeping him stuck against the wall.

"Toph!"

He swung his free arm, but it hadn't even made contact with the door before it was sucked in too.

"Seriously?" Sokka yelled, exhausted by his failed attempts to pull away. "This is how you want us to deal with our problems?"

The stone wall to Sokka's left suddenly parted until a small gap was created, and the water tribe veteran watched as the short earthbender walked right through, closing the wall behind her.

"Toph, let me go this instant."

"You wanna talk?" she asked, ignoring his request as she crossed her arms. "Talk."

"Ugh!" Sokka sighed in frustration, pulling his arms again as he pushed against the wall with his feet. It was no use.

The earth seemed to have a tendency for getting him stuck in uncomfortable situations.

"Fine," he said, dropping his feet back to the ground. "You've given up. You've given up on us."

Toph opened her mouth to interrupt, but Sokka stopped her.

"No. You wanted me to talk, you're gonna shut it until I'm done." Toph pinched her face in annoyance, but kept silent as she waited for Sokka to continue.

"You are the strongest person I know, Toph. You've been near defeat, captured, shackled, and you still never stopped fighting. So I can't help but wonder why the most stubborn, hotheaded, convinced-she'll-win bender alive would suddenly give up on a relationship.

Or maybe you're not as strong as I thought."

Hearing these words, Toph looked up at Sokka, her face red to her pale ears.

"I gave up? I gave up Sokka? I've been fighting longer than you ever had. How do you think it feels, having a boyfriend who gives up on you, do you think I want to keep fighting then? Bceause it seems like you'd rather keep running off to Suki then try and win this battle with me. It seems like you gave up before we even began."

Toph swept her arm in the air, releasing Sokka from his bounds. She gave him once last look and turned on her heels, done.

"No."

Sokka stepped forward and grabbed Toph by the wrist, turning her around and capturing by the waist as he swept her into a kiss. Her lips were cold against his, a single tear tracing the space between their lips in silence.

"I never gave up on you," he said, still holding her against him. "And I never will."

Toph's cold, dead eyes stared at the space above Sokka's shoulder, no emotion shining through them. He waited for her to say, do anything, a sign that this would work out.

She gave him a sign alright.

Toph raised both hands and directed the earth beneath Sokka's feet to push him back, away from her. She turned towards the other end of the temple, whispering as she stepped into the darkness.

"Show me then."