Notes: Written for savvyseverine, who requested it.

"So, how is work?" Katara asked in a cheery voice, one that put Toph on edge, though she couldn't say why. There had been something off about the woman all evening, though Toph couldn't quite put her finger on what. Aang had seemed cagey, too, as if he wanted to be anywhere but there with them, nestled in a corner of their favorite restaurant in downtown Republic City.

All around them, the restaurant buzzed with quiet conversation. The staff knew them well and left them alone. There were only about twenty other patrons in the place and everyone was being fairly quiet, their voices a low buzz. Nothing was amiss. Toph was finding Aang and Katara's behavior…odd.

It wasn't like the four of them didn't have dinner together every Saturday evening. It had become their little tradition over the years. Busy schedules that never quite matched up kept them from seeing each other throughout the week, but Saturday nights were for friends and playing catch up. Zuko and Suki even joined them they were in town.

Even that situation had become less and less awkward over the past year, something that Toph was thankful for. It wasn't exactly relaxing to listen to Sokka grind his teeth and curse Zuko under his breath. He was mostly over the breakup now.

Not that she cared.

"Pretty good. I've been thinking about building a cultural center for the Water Tribe. We've got plenty of Earth Kingdom citizens and lots of Fire Nation, but it's been harder than we thought to attract other members of the Water Tribe to the city. Maybe if we make it more welcoming, they'll come," Sokka said around a mouthful of food. He bumped Toph's elbow and then squeezed her knee under the table in brief apology.

Toph smacked his hand and she felt him withdraw immediately. A smile twisted her lips as she grabbed her cup and took a drink of peppermint tea.

"That's a great idea," Katara said brightly. "Maybe if we get some more Northern Water Tribe women in the city I can start a healing center. Or teach the women some of the defensive waterbending moves."

"I thought you smashed the patriarchy when you and Aang first went there for training?" Toph said.

"Hmmph," Katara said, annoyance clear in her voice. "I think some traditions are harder to smash than I realized when I was thirteen. From what I understand, the women are still relegated to learning only healing. It's insulting."

"Agreed," Toph said, lifting her tea. Katara clinked their porcelain cups together.

"You know, there's already a thriving Water Tribe neighborhood southeast of the bridge they're building on Silk Road. If you build the cultural center there, it'll show that they really belong, that there's a space in the city for them," Aang said, across from Toph at the table.

"That's what I was thinking," Sokka said, and then bumped her in the ribs again. "What about you? How's crime fighting?"

Toph took a drink and then said, "Not bad. I had to punch a dirtbag in the face after I arrested him today. He and two of his friends were shaking down some of the vegetable venders at the farmer's market near the docks."

"Why'd you punch him?" Aang asked as someone in the restaurant dropped a plate. The others ignored the sound, but Toph felt the vibrations of the waiter cleaning up his mess.

She ignored the waiter and said, "He grabbed my ass."

Aang and Katara both made sympathetic groans, but Sokka put down his cup with a bang.

"HE DID WHAT?"

"Hard enough to leave a bruise," she said, her lips twisting a little. "Why do you think I requested two cushions from the waiter?"

Sokka's anger boiled over like a pot of water, scalding her as he shifted in place to face her. "Why did you let him grab you?"

"Excuse me? Let him?!" she scoffed. "You think I let some mouth-breather grab my ass while I was on duty? Seriously?"

"I didn't mean… I know you didn't let him, but… You gotta be more careful, Toph! There are some shady people in the city now. They could have…you know… I hope you weren't working alone!"

Her eyebrows rose as she felt his heartbeat through the floor. She could tell by its rapid pace that he was genuinely worried about her safety. That fact did nothing to soothe her irritation.

"I can handle myself. And believe me, I know all about the types of criminals that we're attracting these days. I know how to do my job, Sokka."

"I know you do!" he said quickly. "I didn't mean… Nevermind. I'm sorry. Did you at least break his nose?"

"Straight across the bridge. And I had a rock in my hand when I did it. It was pretty sweet," she said, making a fist to show her split knuckles. Pride rose in her like a wave.

"You shouldn't have hit him though," Aang said, in his best Avatar voice. Maybe he was afraid someone in the restaurant would hear. Toph didn't care. "That's against regulations."

"Come on, Twinkle-Toes, what would you have done?"

"I don't know. The only person who grabs my butt is Katara."

"How can I resist it?" Katara said, and then there was the sound of kissing.

Sokka turned to her and made a soft retching noise. Toph laughed as his hand touched her back and he leaned in to her and whispered, "How can I resist puking?"

They laughed together, Sokka's hot breath on her neck. Goosebumps ran up her sides and down. His worry had settled down a little, but she could still feel it in his pulse, in the protective weight of his hand on her back.

She should have been irked by it, but instead it felt comforting.

"I heard that and I think the two of you are—" Katara said as the two of them surfaced. She stopped though and made a little sound that Toph had no idea how interpret. "Huh. See? I told you!"

"Katara…" Aang said, with a weary tone of suppression. "Don't…"

"Don't what?" Toph asked as Sokka leaned away from her. His hand dropped off of her back.

"Nothing," Aang said forcefully.

"Yeah, that usually means something is up," Sokka said. "Come on, sis. Spit it out."

"It's just… Well, Aang and I have been talking, haven't we, sweetie?" Katara said carefully.

"I wouldn't say that…" Aang mumbled, and Toph had a feeling that whatever was going on, it had more to do with Katara than him. She sank back on her cushion, wincing as the purple bruise on her left buttcheek throbbed.

"Well, we were just saying that we think it's totally okay. I mean, it's weird—even you guys have to admit that—but we're not exactly surprised, you know? There's always been something between the two of you. Well, at least I always thought so."

Toph made a face. "Huh?"

"I just mean to say that the two of you don't have to hide it anymore," Katara said in a rush, as if she and Sokka were supposed to know what she was talking about. "Isn't that right, Aang?"

But Aang was shoving food in his mouth, probably to keep from having to back his wife up.

"Mmff," Aang said and took another sloppy-sounding bite. Toph flexed her bare toes on the stone floor. She could feel Katara's racing pulse. Whatever she was talking about, she was telling the truth. Or what she thought was the truth. Whatever that was.

"What are you even talking about?"

"The two of you. Dating!" Katara said, matter-of-factly, her voice lowering in a conspiratorial hush so that the other diners wouldn't hear.

"Dating who?" Sokka exclaimed.

"Each other, of course," Katara said exasperatedly. Toph frowned, the words sinking in. Even as she comprehended Katara's words, she realized that they still didn't make sense. "We're all adults here. I know you two are sleeping together."

"HUH?" she and Sokka said as one.

"Look, drop the act. We know how the two of you feel about each other! And we're okay with it, aren't we, Aang?"

"Uh…" Aang started, but Katara spoke over him.

"I think it's cute! I mean, Toph you're so surly and kind of stand-offish toward guys a lot of the time and I know you don't date a lot, so it's really nice that you and Sokka are together. And Sokka! I know how upset you were when that whole thing with Suki and Zuko went down and you handled it really well! It's been two years though and I know you're ready to move on and I'm so glad it's with Toph. You guys make a lot of sense together, you know?"

"Katara…Toph and I are just friends!"

"Sokka, you don't have to lie! I'd have to be a complete idiot not to know that the two of you are having an affair."

"We are?" she said, bewildered. Sokka turned to her and she felt his eyes on her. "Why didn't you tell me?"

"I don't know. Why didn't you tell me?" Sokka replied and then turned back to his sister. "Look, Katara, I don't know why you think Toph and I are sleeping together, but we're not. Seriously."

Katara was quiet for a moment and the whole room went still. "You're not?"

"No," they said together.

"Oh… But I mean… I thought…" Katara started and then put her hands flat on the table. "Well, you two act like you are…"

"We do?" she asked, bewildered, as she felt Sokka's pulse leap.

"Yes!"

"Aang, do we act like we're dating?" Sokka asked his brother-in-law.

"Uh…" Aang started, obviously trying to stay out of it. "Well… You guys are awfully, uh, familiar with one another. And you spend a lot of time together. And you flirt with each other. A lot."

Toph's eyebrows shot up and she felt a damnable flush creep up her cheeks.

"No, we don't!" Sokka insisted, sounding just as embarrassed.

"If you say so," Aang said easily and then turned to Katara. "I told you we shouldn't bring it up."

"Coward," Katara said sourly and then sighed. "I was so sure! The two of you seem so… I don't know! Perfect for each other!"

Sokka laughed nervously. "I think you just like playing matchmaker! Remember how you were with Ty Lee and that Air Acolyte you were just so sure she'd be perfect with? The poor girl practically ran screaming and Ty Lee's hopes crashed and burned."

"He's got a point," Aang said as footsteps approached them. It was the restaurant owner, who addressed Aang in respectful tones, asking if they needed anything else.

While they spoke, Sokka nudged her elbow ever so slightly and she leaned into him a little bit.

"You wanna have some fun with these two?" he whispered in a voice so low she barely caught it over Katara's angry voice. She felt a tingle spread over her and tried her best to ignore it.

"You bet your ass."

"Follow my lead," Sokka said, his breath brushing her ear. The tingle birthed goosebumps and she bit down on the inside of her lower lip to stop herself from smiling.

"Okay! Okay! So maybe I was wrong to play matchmaker with Ty Lee and maybe I was wrong about the two of you! Still doesn't mean I don't think the two of you aren't perfect for each other. It's not like anyone else is going to date you," Katara said stubbornly, in a not-very-nice tone the minute the restaurateur walked away.

Which, in Toph's opinion, mean that the Waterbender had just earned whatever it was she and Sokka were going to do to her. Beside her, Sokka sighed heavily.

"You're right, Katara."

"…I am?"

"Yeah. You know, maybe I just needed you to point it out to me. Maybe I have been hiding how I feel for a long time…" Sokka said in a measured voice.

"Are you serious?"

But Sokka ignored his sister and turned to her. "Toph, I can't hide my feelings for you anymore."

"Do you mean…?" she said, letting him lead her. She saw where he was going though, and fought a grin. This was going to scandalize the whole restaurant. Oh, this was going to be fun!

"Yes. Toph… I think it's time we took our friendship to the next level. We should have…the sex."

"The sex?!" She clutched her chest in shock.

"Yeah. Doing it. The wham-bam boomerang. The big frickle frackle!" Sokka said with conviction. She wondered how he hadn't burst out laughing yet. She was teetering on the brink herself and was only keeping a straight face through sheer force of will.

"Guys…" Katara tried to interject, pain in her voice, but Toph ignored her. Katara had started this and she was going to get what she deserved.

"The old in and out?" she offered.

"The beast with two backs!"

"The horizontal mambo?"

"Let's not rule out the vertical, too, baby," Sokka said in a schmoozy, seductive voice. "Let's just get naked and fuh-reaky with each other!"

"And by freaky, you mean…?"

"Butt stuff."

"I did not need to hear that…" Aang chimed in from his chair, but they ignored him. "That isn't wholesome. Guys, we're in public…"

"I want you, Sokka," she said, grasping the front of his clothing and wrenching him toward her. His hands slipped around her waist.

"I want you too, Toph! Let's do it!" he said, moving in to kiss her. She put one finger over his lips, stopping him as she heard Katara make a disgusted noise.

"But will you still respect me in the morning?" she sighed, biting down on the inside of her cheek to keep from smiling.

"Baby, I'll respect the boobs offa you!"

"THEN KISS ME, YOU SEXY BASTARD!" she cried, wrenching him forward. He gave a little grunt as he pulled her across the floor and into his lap. She could feel the attention of everyone in the restaurant on them and grinned.

"WITH PLEASURE, YOU NUBILE GODDESS, YOU!" Sokka growled in what she thought was supposed to be a seductive voice. It just came out ridiculous, which was the point, she supposed.

Their mouths slammed together, a little off-center, sloppy and awkward. His stubble was scratchy and he tasted like the peppermint tea he'd been drinking. She tried not to laugh, to ruin the whole thing, but she couldn't help the way her whole body cramped up with the need to let loose a barrage of giggles.

Sokka's hands roamed her body, staying respectively away from any scandalous body parts.

She grabbed his hand and purposefully placed it on her left breast. He made an interested noise in his throat and squeezed a little, as she tried valiantly not to laugh.

Someone cheered in the distance and there was some cat-calling and some whistling.

"Don't do that…" Aang said, a laugh in his voice as they both made loud smacking noises, mouths frantically moving together. "THIS IS A FAMILY ESTABLISHMENT!"

"What the fuck…" Katara said under her breath, surprising Toph into snorting against Sokka's mouth. She'd never heard Katara curse before.

To stifle her laughter, she slipped her hand around the back of Sokka's neck and adjusted the crushing force of his close-mouthed kiss. He instinctually adjusted with her, and this time their lips met with a wet, slightly open-mouthed tingle.

The laughter died in her throat as a hot little thrill went through her from head to toe, completely unexpected and entirely surprising. Sokka worked his mouth against hers, her lower lip pulled between his with a sensual tug. It only took a few seconds for Sokka's fake moan to fade and die. He faltered for a split second, pulling back for the barest instant. She felt him hesitate, as if taken entirely off-guard by something—and then he eagerly pressed for more.

She met his kiss with surprising vigor, blood thundering through her veins as her heart rate picked up. Her mouth opened up under his and she felt his tongue brush hers, just enough to entice her.

Uh-oh.

Sokka moaned again, and this time she was pretty sure it wasn't fake. She slid her hand up into his hair, grasping his wolf's tail and pulling him down harder, deepening the kiss. It went on for several long moments, too long, too deeply. She knew it and so did he.

Things weren't even remotely funny anymore. The cheers and whistles had died down.

"Stop, guys. We get the point." Katara called, her voice breaking through…whatever it was that was happening, like a shock of cold water.

Sokka's hand squeezed her breast again and then moved to her thigh, as if bringing them back to reality. Their tongues rolled together with a frantic slide for a few blistering moments. Remembering they had an audience to scar for life, they parted their mouths and their tongues flicked together between them. The effect on Aang and Katara—and the other diners—was immediate. The whole restaurant made a grossed out sound.

"ALL RIGHT! WE GET IT!" Aang exclaimed as Katara made a sick retching sound. The Avatar laughed, though he didn't sound amused. Toph could tell how embarrassed he was. "THAT IS SO GROSS! STOP!"

"Please, for the love of all that's sacred!" Katara pleaded as Sokka ignored them and Toph straddled him, pushing him backward onto the floor, making loud, pleasure-filled moans. "Oh, that just looks so wrong!"

"Pardon me, but could I ask the two of you to um…" It was one of the waiters, who trailed off, either intimidated by telling off the Avatar's brother-in-law for making out in public, or just disgusted in general. She wasn't sure which. "If you could just…not do that… EVER."

"I can't stop, I want her so much," Sokka panted, breaking away from her mouth. She took his cue and rolled with it.

"Take me, Sokka. Take me right here, right now!"

"MY LOVE!" Sokka exclaimed, laughing, and pushed his face into her neck. Peals of laughter burst out of her and this time she couldn't stop them. They effectively covered up the sudden bought of nerves his kisses had brought on.

"You guys are sick!" Katara said, standing. "FINE! I get it! You guys are just friends! And you're both disgusting! No wonder you're both single!"

Without pulling away from each other, they both lifted a hand and threw up their middle fingers at her. The waiter scoffed at them.

"I hate the both of you. Aang? We're leaving!" Katara said with conviction and stormed out of the front door as Sokka's mouth slid back over hers, stealing her laughter with a fiery press.

Nope. She hadn't imagined it. Not at all.

Oh crap, oh crap, oh crap, OH CRAP!

Aang had stood, thrusting money at the server with a mumbled apology for their behavior. He hesitated at the table. "I hope the two of you are proud of yourselves."

Then he made an exasperated noise and followed Katara out of the restaurant, leaving them alone, groping on the floor. It took a few moments for that fact to register.

She was a little too lost in the feel of Sokka's mouth against hers, and the way he seemed in no particular hurry to stop.

"Okay, they're gone," she managed breathlessly, turning her face away from the drugging heat of his mouth. He gasped, panting against her lips. She could feel his racing pulse, the rapid rhythm infecting her. She pressed her hands over his heart, her fingertips sliding into the front of his vest. His skin was warm and hard with muscle. Still straddling him, she sat up in an attempt to clear her head.

"Right," he said after a moment, his voice thick. "Right. We should…"

"Yeah," she said as he shifted beneath her.

"Because they're gone."

"Right. That'll teach 'em."

"Right. Because there's no way you and I would ever hook up…and, uh…now they know that," he said in a stilted voice as the waiter came back to the table.

"I'm sorry, I'm going to have to ask the two of you to leave," he said in a rush, as if afraid they might go at each other again. "And don't come back, please."

Toph and Sokka scrambled to their feet and rushed out of the restaurant and into the late summer air. A nervous laugh bubbled up out of her. Beside her, Sokka did the same.

"That was fun."

"They had it coming," she said stubbornly as they started down the empty sidewalk. Aang and Katara were already gone. The breeze was coming in from the harbor only two blocks away, bringing with it the smell of the water and chilly air. She shivered and started down the sidewalk in the opposite direction.

"Mmmhmm. We proved our point. No sparks here."

"Totally. None. None at all," he said and reached out, grasping her hip and stopping her.

"R-Right. That was…a joke…" she said as the smile slid off of her face. Sokka's hands shook a little as he stepped close.

Holy spirits, what is happening right now? Is he…? Are we…?

"We're just friends, right?" he said heavily, as her hands lifted and pressed into his warm skin.

"Sokka…" she whispered as he sat up, the heat of his breath against her aching, stinging lips again. Her pulse was practically galloping now. Sokka's hands tightened on her, just a little. Just enough to let her know that he wasn't ready to let go of her.

She knew how she felt about that, and was absolutely surprised at herself. Sheer, blind panic made her push away from.

"I should go," she said in a tight voice, turning away from him. Her hand went to her mouth as she pressed her lips together in a thin line. "I have…work…"

"You're off on Sundays," Sokka said in a much calmer voice than she would have given him credit for, considering his racing, aroused pulse.

"Right. But, uh, I'd better… Um…" She couldn't believe how tongue-tied she was. Couldn't believe how he'd kissed her. Couldn't believe how much she wanted to launch herself at him.

Where had this come from? Had he always…? Had SHE always…? She didn't want to examine that little knot any closer though. She was afraid of what she might discover.

He followed her to the down the street, breathing a little harder than normal. She hadn't gotten more than a few feet when she felt his hand on hers. She stopped dead in her tracks as he stepped close, pulling her back against him again. His body was a warm wall at her back. A sexy wall.

"Or you could come home with me." His voice was weighty, full of a thousand unspoken things and she let the weight of it spread over her. He was aroused, but he wasn't panicked. Apparently whatever had just happened hadn't freaked him out like it had her. She wondered why that was.

"Don't tempt me," she said before she could stop herself. She hadn't meant to say that. "Dammit, Sokka…don't tempt me."

"How would I do that?" he asked, as his other hand cupped her waist and he leaned into her neck from behind. Her eyes closed as she breathed in the scent of his cologne. Familiar, seductive, with just a hint of sea salt. That was Sokka. Why hadn't she ever noticed that before?

Because I didn't let myself, came the tiny voice in the back of her head. She told it to shut up, but it wasn't listening. Because Sokka is my friend. My best friend. And things between the two of us have just never been like that.

Except that had obviously changed and all it had taken was a split instant and one damned kiss. How easily their constructed walls had crumbled, as if they'd been engineered to fail from the beginning.

"Toph?" he said against her neck, his voice low and seductive; the opposite of his fake version. It worked on her like his hot kiss, licking through her confusion and searing her to her soul.

Oh, damn you… Damn you and your sweet muscular ass…

"Yeah?" she said, catching her breath, waiting.

It didn't surprise her in the slightest when he turned her in place and kissed her again. She met him in mid-reach, slamming her mouth into his with an imprecision that caused her to blush. Sokka didn't seem to mind though. He adjusted, tilting his head to the side as he slid his hand around to the back of her neck and pulled her to him.

She definitely hadn't imagined it. Not at all.

What the hell are we doing?

Her bewilderment rose and fell on the surface of her mind as she kissed him back, glorying in the taste of him, the feel of his skillful mouth against hers. She opened her mouth a little, and he lost no time in gently gliding his tongue against her lower lip. She shivered in his arms as, in his eagerness, he pressed her back against the wall of the building to her right.

His kisses seemed to have no end. Deep, hungry, playful. She lost track of them, of the way they made her feel, of the way she followed him down the rabaroo hole without hesitation. Desire made her fingernails dig into him, marking him, claiming him. Sokka's hand threaded between their bodies, touching her breasts, slipping beneath her shirt and cupping her.

Neither one of them seemed to care that they were standing in the middle of the sidewalk, where anyone might come along and see them. There was no one around though; she could feel that with her feet well enough. Still…

She moaned against his mouth as his fingers branded her, turning the heat between them up a few notches. She wanted nothing more than to shrug out of her clothes right then and there, just to feel his skin against hers. His tongue dashed against hers with a searing slide as her hand spread on his hip and then smoothed down, cupping the not-so-small bulge in the front of his pants.

Sokka groaned into her mouth as her fingers dug in a little. When she twisted her head to the side, he panted into her hair for a moment and then claimed her neck. The gentle nip he graced her with shot electricity down her skin with a jolt, tingling in the warm, wet places of her body.

Toph laughed, breathless, squirming against him as his mouth attached to her neck. The lusty suction sent shivers straight down her sides and into the little hidden corners of her skin. Her laugh petered out into a throaty little gasp as she shivered, her fingers wrapping around the fur-lined collar of his vest.

She bit down on her lower lip, arching against the wet heat of his mouth. His hands flattened on her waist, pushing her back against the wall as his knee pushed between hers.

When she tugged him by his hair back to her mouth, he kissed her again, just as hard, just as hungrily. She couldn't breathe. Everything was buzzing. Her skin, her lips, her pulse. Sokka's taste clung to her as he pushed her against the wall, his cock digging into her hip. There was something entirely carnal about the way he held her.

As if something in him had been unleashed.

She couldn't say she didn't feel the same way.

"Okay, crazy suggestion?" he breathed raggedly against her neck when he released her again.

"What?" she asked breathlessly, wiping at her wet lips, her heart thumping in her chest.

"Now hear me out on this," he said carefully. "This is kind of a radical idea, but I think it's a valid one."

"Get to the point," she said, kissing him again, fast and rough.

When they pulled back, he cupped her face and said, slowly, in a deliberate voice designed not to scare her off, "I think we should have sex."

"I would never have called that, considering how hard you're grinding your cock into my hip."

"You're not complaining."

"Didn't say I was," she said mildly. "But that's not something we do, right? Have sex with each other?"

"Be a first, that's for sure."

"Definitely…" she said emphatically.

He made an assenting sound, paused for a moment and then plowed on eagerly. "So do you want to?"

"Fuck yes."

She reached out and grabbed him by the front of his shirt, pulling him toward her with a rough yank that spun them both back into the stone wall. He put out a hand, catching himself on the rough plaster as their mouths slammed together, and she was lost in the heat of him yet again.

"Okay, but if I get too weirded out by the fact that you're sexing me up, I get to call the whole thing off," she said as she broke away from his mouth, making a cutting gesture of her hand.

"Of course. Totally respect the boundaries here. Wouldn't have it any other way."

"Damn right. My vagina, my rules."

"Ewww, Toph! Don't…don't use that word..." He shifted uncomfortably in place on the sidewalk.

"You are a grown ass man, Sokka! If you can't say the word, you can't stick your penis in it!" she said, jabbing him in the shoulder.

"But it's…" he shrugged and flailed his hands in the air a little bit.

"VAGINA, VAGINA, VAGINA! Deal with it, you big baby."

"Fine, your vagina, your rules," he said and then kissed her again. But he pulled back just as quickly. "Not here."

He grabbed her hand and all but yanked her off of the wall. She stumbled over her own two feet, but Sokka didn't seem to notice. He was all puppy dog eagerness, pulling her down the sidewalk toward his little apartment, two blocks away.

She would have been just as content to fuck him right there against the wall of the building, public indecency be damned. The thought made hot rockets go off in her chest and she held on harder to his hand as he tugged her into his apartment.

The minute they were inside, his arms went around her with crushing force. His kiss was blistering, all-consuming and it ignited the fire within her like a shot of pure alcohol. Her fingers grabbed his vest again and with a yank of her fingers, the fabric ripped, laces tearing. Sokka didn't seem to care. He shrugged out of it with an impatient jerk of his arms, and then grabbed her shirt to do the same.

She pushed at his shoulders. "HEY! No! I have to go home at some point and I'd like to do it clothed!"

"Sorry," he said sheepishly as she briskly undid the buttons. His hands landed on hers and she felt his hot breath rake her temple. "The thought of ripping your clothes off kind of…"

And he made a noise, utterly flattering in its primitiveness, its raw desire. A shiver gripped her as his trembling hands helped her peel her clothes off. She wasn't body-shy, but she wondered how she looked to him, and wondered too, what he looked like.

She contented herself with touch, and the vague echo of vibration through the floor that told her so much more than she could put into words. The rest of her clothing followed her shirt and Sokka got to one knee as he pulled them off of her. His mouth landed on her belly, his fingers digging into her hips.

Goosebumps trailed over and down her skin as she cupped the back of his head, grinning down at him. His hands moved to her buttocks, squeezing tightly.

She winced and his head shot back. "What? What's wrong?"

"My butt's all bruised from that grabby bastard today," she said and he made an angry noise in his throat, and then turned her in place. He rained light kisses all over her buttocks, holding her hips in his hands. She covered his hands and shook in place. The bruise twinged beneath his careful kisses, but it was a good pain. She bit her lip and concentrated on the racing beat of his heart.

"Nice ass."

"I know it is," she replied smugly and he chuckled, scoring her buttocks with his teeth. She yelped a little and squirmed away from him, though it hadn't hurt in the slightest. Instead, it seemed have set off a series of sensations in her midsection that was so arousing it turned her knees to water.

Sokka gained his feet and pulled her against him, his mouth on her ear, arms threading around her. His chest was a warm wall against her back and she pushed her butt back into his crotch. Sokka growled a little as she reached behind her and gripped his narrow hip. "This is so weird."

"You're telling me," she said and turned around to face him. "Now take off your pants, I wanna say hi to your eager little friend. I think he's trying to get my attention."

Sokka laughed as her hands fumbled on the laces of his pants. "S'not that little."

Toph stood on tiptoe as she yanked laces free and shoved his pants down his hips. She nipped his chin as his arms held her tightly to him. "I'll be the judge of that."

And she dropped to her knees, taking his pants and underwear down with her. Sokka stepped out of them as she ran her hands up his muscular thighs, glorying in the sleek feel of him, the power. Sokka's hands found her hair, and he tugged it free of its tucked up bun, letting it fall freely down her naked back. He breathed out her name as her hands wrapped around the base of his cock and stroked him experimentally.

He grew even harder in her fingers as she pressed a kiss to his belly, enjoying the way his abs contracted and the way his hips shifted forward to fill her hand. She worked her mouth downward, pressing kisses into his hot skin, burying her nose the thick patch of hair leading downward. He smelled wonderful, all masculine musk, clean and delicious. Her hands quickened a little, stroking him with a squeeze that forced a groan past his teeth.

When she flicked her tongue over his blunt head, he practically vibrated against her, need causing his fingers to tighten in her hair. She worked her mouth down onto him slowly, her tongue rolling against him, tasting him fully. A few shallow thrusts of her mouth had him breathing hard, shaking in place.

When she pulled off of him, he swore at her and she grinned, feeling his racing pulse through the floor as she sat back on her heels.

Her tongue circled him as she pumped him from the base, enjoying the way she affected him. When she slid her mouth down the underside of his shaft and gently suckled his balls into her mouth, he groaned, his knees shaking.

She gently nipped the rim of his head and he immediately cried out, jerking away from her a little bit.

"Shit, no teeth…" he managed as she released him with a dark chuckle and then sucked him back into her mouth. She slid down on him all the way, the tip of him slipping into her throat. He gave two shallow, gentle thrusts and she pulled off of him, breathing hard. When she stroked him, he was slick with her saliva. She cupped the head of cock and rapidly worked him in her hand, laughing as he nearly bent double, moaning. When she put her mouth back on him, he shivered.

She loved it. Loved the taste of him, the feel of him, the way he said her name as she shaped him with her mouth. She sucked him into her mouth again, fast and rough, forward and back as she stroked from the root. After only a few minutes, Sokka couldn't seem to take it anymore and when she pulled off of him, he gripped her by the shoulders and tugged her back to her feet.

He kissed her, hard, telling her without words how much he wanted her. When he picked her up, she wrapped her legs around him and held on as he walked them into the bedroom and sank down onto his bed with a flop. She laughed against his mouth as Sokka grabbed her hands and pinned them to the bed.

"Still feel weird?" she teased him as his hands smoothed down her sides.

"Definitely. Good thing I like weird…" Sokka replied as he landed kisses along her breasts, tugging her nipples into his mouth. Little tingles spread across her body from the pressure of his mouth and she bucked upward, their bodies connecting in all the right ways. It reawakened the heat between her legs and she felt a distinct thrill circle through her. When Sokka's fingers pushed between her legs and skimmed down her center, she felt wetness spreading in anticipation.

He worked his way down her body, kissing her, exploring, his hands pushing into her hips and cupping her breasts. A smile hovered on her lips as she bit them, following his progress with rapt attention. She couldn't see with her feet on the bed, but that hardly mattered, not with his mouth on her skin, his breathing stirring between her legs. When he buried his face between her thighs and kissed down to her center, she nearly crowed with delight.

"Mmmm…" Sokka hummed and kissed her, his tongue probing through her folds with a wide lick that made her tense and relax. Then he pushed his face against her, his mouth warm as it closed on her labia.

Her head pushed back against the pillow and she bit down on her lip, following the gentle glide of his tongue as it slid across her wet flesh. His mouth followed, closing on her labia. His tongue flicked her and she waited with baited breath to feel him there, right where she needed him… Instead he went a little left of center and stayed there, causing her to frown.

After a few moments, she sat up her elbows. "What are you doing?"

"Going down on you?" Sokka offered confusedly, lifting his head.

"Like that?"

"Like what?" he said indignantly.

"Uhhhh…badly."

"WHAT?! I'll have you know I'm freaking amazing at this. I am the pussy-eating champion of Republic City!"

"Who told you that?"

"It's a known fact!"

"Well, you coulda fooled me, Champ! My clit's feeling real ignored right now," she said, reaching down between her legs and gliding the pad of her index finger over the little bundle of nerves. "You know where the clit is right? I'm freaking blind and I can find it!"

"OF COURSE I DO! Uh… You mean…that wasn't…?" he said, sinking back to the mattress between her thighs, the wind taken out of his sails.

"Not even close."

Sokka hesitated, huffing out a breath against her inner thigh. "Hmmmph. Okay, show me."

"Or we could just move on. You really don't have to—"

"Oh, no! I want to! I have a reputation to uphold!" Sokka said vehemently, making her shake with silent laughter. She bit down on her lower lip.

"Honestly, it might be more than you can handle."

"I am eating this pussy, and you are going to freaking enjoy it! No take-backsies!" he said, crawling across her body. He grabbed her wrists again and pinned them to the bed, pressing a blistering kiss to her lips. When he pulled away, she was grinning at him, giggling a little. "Don't laugh at me…"

"Stop being so funny, she said, freeing her hand and sliding it down his hip. Her fingers combed through the thick hair at the root of his cock. She felt him shudder over top of her, and then he kissed her again, slowly this time, lingering.

When he pulled away, he nuzzled her nose and whispered, "Show me how you like to be touched, Toph."

She kissed him again, just for that, her arms wrapping around his broad shoulders and pulling him down against her body. His cock, half-mast now and still wet from her mouth, pushed into her inner thigh a little bit, sending more thrills through her. Sokka moaned into her kiss and dragged his mouth down her chin. He nibbled his way down her neck and scored her pulse point with his bottom teeth, right over the tender love bites he'd raised earlier.

His hand trailed down her side, tickling her as she squirmed beneath him. When he pushed his hand between their bodies and slid his fingers against her, she bit down on her lower lip.

"Here?" he asked, his fingers slowly stroking her.

"Almost," she said, reaching down and grasping his hand. She guided his fingers over her clitoris, rubbing gently. "Right there."

"Ahhh, there it is. Tricky little sucker…" he said, amusement in his voice as he slowly circled his fingers over her clit. She stroked the back of his hand. "Does that feel good?"

"Mmmmm…." she said in assent, her hips twitching upward. Things were definitely starting to feel good below the waist. Sokka kissed her again, deep and promisingly, and she felt his smile when he pulled back.

"You ready for more?" he asked as she arched an eyebrow.

"You sure you know what you're doing?" she countered and he responded by gently slipping his fingers inside of her. Her head went back as her mouth formed a soft little 'o' of pleasure.

Sokka's breath caressed across her neck as he whispered into her ear, his voice rumbling through her chest like distant thunder, "What do you think?"

But he didn't wait for a reply, slipping down her body, the bed bouncing beneath her as he went back to his original position. He grasped her thighs, pushing them open a little and putting his shoulder up beneath them. His hot breath stirred the hair between her legs and slid across her aroused flesh.

He gently withdrew his fingers and then spread her open to him. His thumb rubbed across her clit and she reacted by hitching in her breath a little.

When the tip of his tongue replaced his wide thumb, she smiled and sighed. Her hand found the top of his head, patting it gently as he lapped at her slowly, teasingly.

"Good boy," she said indulgently as a he pulled her clit between the soft of his lips, sucked hard, and released her.

He lifted his head, much her to dismay. "M'not a polar bear-dog."

"Ruff-ruff!"

"I'll ruff-ruff you," he mumbled and rolled his tongue against her. She laughed, pushing her head back onto the pillows, losing herself in the gentle probe of his tongue. Her hand slid to his neck and she followed the movement of his strong jaw with rapt attention. Every lick, every suckle, sent little twangs of pleasure along her nerves. She moaned as his tongue teased her with rapid flicks that had her hips lifting off of the bed.

"That's good," she breathed, relaxing bit by bit as pleasure swirled over her. "Just like that."

"Mmmhmm?" he breathed against her and then trailed his tongue down, slipping it inside of her with a shallow thrust. The sensation had her sucking in air between her teeth. He tongued her a few more times, moaning himself as she twisted on the bed beneath him. When he withdrew his tongue, his finger replaced it and she greedily clenched around him.

"Ooooh…maybe you are good at this," she breathed, rubbing his butt with one foot.

"I'm the Champ," he said, lifting his head. She made a protesting noise.

"I didn't say stop, Champ," she said and he laughed against her, dragging his bottom lip along her clit. She sank into the pleasure, following the progress of his tongue with rapt attention. His finger massaged her and when he added a second digit; her hips eagerly met the gentle thrust of his hand. Everything was starting to feel good and wet. And warm; so, so warm.

She licked her lips and, her left leg shaking beyond her control as his tongue found the exact perfect spot and focused there. He didn't stop, following her as she cried out, bucking up off of the bed, her left heel digging into the mattress. Her hand went between her legs, spreading herself open to him. He breathed noisily, little sounds of pleasure as he took her to the edge and left her teetering there.

"Keep going, I'm so close… Mmm….Sokka….yes…."

Her toes curled up as Sokka's fingers pressed into her, rubbing just so. Her free hand hit the bed and immediately clawed at the covers, getting a tight grip. Her mouth opened as her breathing slowed to tiny shallow gasps. A tremor ran over her and she clamped her thighs on his head, a deep groan pushing past her lips. Sokka laughed against her and lifted his head after a few moments.

She could feel his gaze on her, hot and hard as she shivered in place. She let out a breath and relaxed her hold on the covers, reaching down and catching him by his wolf's tail.

"Come here," she said, and tugged him up by the hair. He went willingly, crawling back across her body. Their mouths met the moment he was in reach and she kissed her taste off of his tongue, glorying in it. Sokka groaned into her, nudging her thighs open with his knees.

She felt his cock against her, rubbing through the wetness he'd conjured from her center. She grinned against his lips at how eager he was. He kissed her with expert patience though, thoroughly, teasingly. He made her heart pound, her toes tingle.

She turned her head a little and whispered into his ear, "I still can't believe we're doing this."

"Me neither," he said, rubbing his face along hers, his stubble grazing in a delicious way. "You taste good, by the way."

"So do you, Champ," she said and grinned at him. She slid her hand up his ribs as his hips pulsed against hers. The tip of his cock rubbed against her over-sensitive clit and she practically purred in pleasure. Her hand slipped between them and flatted on his cock, rubbing him as he rubbed against her. Sokka groaned into her ear.

"I need—" he choked unnecessarily. She knew what he needed. She needed it too. He reached between them as she moved her hand, grasping his cock. She felt the tip of his cock at her opening and he eagerly pushed forward, and then slid down and out of her. He made a frustrated noise and pushed forward again, this time against the tight little hole just south of his destination. She clenched her toes and tightened her thighs on his ribs, nose scrunching up.

"Whoa, wrong hole," she said gently, tempering it with a breathy laugh. He huffed out a breath.

"Sorry," he mumbled.

"Don't be. We can try that later, if you want," she said with a cheeky grin. Sokka chuckled and kissed her scrunched up nose.

"Damn, Bei Fong. You're a lady in the streets and a freak in the sheets."

"I am not a lady! Who is spreading that rumor? I'll kill them," she said in mock offense as he slowly pushed the crown of his cock inside of her. She shivered a little, at all the little promises he was making, at the way she was obviously affecting him.

Sokka sighed against her lips, a tremble running through him as he slowly entered her. "Oh, you're a lady. And you deserve to be treated like one. Always thought so."

Toph lifted her head off of the pillow and slammed an off-center kiss onto his lips. He seemed surprised by it, but he shouldn't have been. When she let him go, she rubbed her nose against his and whispered, "Thank you."

Sokka kissed her again, pushing her back down onto the pillow. He seemed in no hurry to stop and she clung to him, losing herself in the hot dark static of his kiss. His hips worked against hers in steady pulses, taking her gently, reverently. His hands found hers and their fingers linked as he pressed them to the bed. He breathed into her mouth, shaking as her body arching into his.

She hadn't expected it to be like this. For all their joking and in between taking turns bossing each other around and after their initial awkwardness, there was definitely something here; a mutual respect and a shared need that went deeper than she'd ever suspected. It didn't feel like two friends having sex because they could. There were sparks and she'd known it from the moment his kisses had turned serious.

Maybe Katara had been right, after all.

Damn her.

When she tightened her thighs on his hips and rolled them over, he didn't seem to mind, landing on his back as she sprawled across his body. She pulled of him, readjusted and then joined their bodies once more. Sokka hitched in a breath as she rolled her hips over his, riding him in shallow pulses that ignited little fires along her spine. His hands wandered her body, cupping her breasts, spanning her ribs, pushing into her hips and then sinking into the bruised flesh of her buttocks.

She kissed him a little savagely as pain tempered with pleasure rocked through her lower body. She bent over him, her hair falling across one shoulder, breasts crushed to his chest. His big hands spread up her back and tangled in her hair as his hips rose up off of the bed, meeting her thrusts in the middle.

The friction was exquisite, the pleasure transcendent, like bending pure silver or gold. It rose up within her, rocking her foundations like an earthquake.

She gasped against his mouth and shoved her face against his neck. Sokka's teeth scored her shoulder and she felt the rising quake expanding, taking her over the edge with a white-hot crackle. She cried out, coming with back-bowing force. Her fingers dug into Sokka's ribs as the whole world seemed to explode around her.

"Did you just…?"

"Oh yeah… Good job," she managed. He kissed the stupid grin off of her mouth and then grasped her, rolling her over on the bed again, their bodies locked together. He pulled out of her, teased her clit with the tip of his cock as she bit down on her lip, pleasure flooding her. When he entered her again, she could feel his need in the way his hips worked into hers impatiently.

"Your turn," she said, her tongue sliding along her upper lip. The sight of it seemed to excite him and he slammed a rough kiss to her mouth. His tongue chased hers as his body moved into hers with a hard clench. She welcomed the roughness, the pace, her hands learning the hard muscle of his shoulders and back. When she moved down and grasped doubled-handfuls of his ass, he made a rough growling sound against her mouth. She slipped one hand back to his face, feeling the crease of his brow as he concentrated. He turned his head, kissing her palm. She sighed when he sucked one of her fingers into his mouth. When he released her finger, he bent over her and kissed her hard.

And when she slipped her hand back to his ass and slipped the tip of her wet finger into his ass, he released her mouth and gasped, coming with a snap of his hips. He came inside of her, exhaling with bone-deep shudder. She squeezed her hips, lifting up off of the bed with a claiming thrust.

Sokka tensed and then sank bonelessly on top of her, his weight crushing in all the right ways. He was breathing hard, sweaty, wonderfully warm and absolutely sated. She knew the feeling.

"Hnnng," he mumbled incoherently against her neck, his breathing steadying out as she stroked the back of his neck. "That was…"

"Yeah."

"Fucking awesome. That, uh…finger thing…that was…" He cleared his throat and lifted off of her a little bit, his knees taking his weight. "I…uh…I liked it."

She laughed a little and whispered in his ear, "I could tell."

He kissed her gently, skillfully, pressing her into the pillows. He slipped out of her body, leaving her feeling messy, wet and absolutely satisfied.

When he pulled away, leaving her breathless, he rolled to the side and landed on his back beside her. She cuddled up against him as he put his arm around her shoulders and pulled her closer. Her head rested on his shoulder.

She wondered when she was going to start freaking out about what they'd just done. After a few minutes of companionable silence, she decided she wasn't going to. Sleeping with Sokka had felt completely right. She couldn't for the life of her imagine why they hadn't done it before tonight. It seemed like…such a waste of raw talent.

"We shoulda done this a long time ago," she said.

"I was just thinking the same thing," Sokka chuckled.

"Remind me to thank Katara tomorrow."

"Don't you dare thank her! Can you imagine how smug she's going to be once she realizes she was right about us?" Sokka huffed as he absentmindedly stroked her shoulder.

Toph stopped, the implications swelling over her. "Damn. She was right! DAMN! We can never let her know."

"Agreed. We'll just have to have a torrid, steamy love affair behind her back," he said, rolling onto his side to face her. He hooked his hand under her knee and she wrapped her leg around him as her hands spread on his chest.

"Oh, so you think this is going to become a thing, huh?" she challenged him. "That we're going to just be orgasm buddies or something? Nope, sorry, you can't even find my clit without directions."

She rolled back over, putting her back to him. He curled around her, pulling her against his chest as she smiled to herself.

"You're not going to let me live that down, are you?" he mumbled as he nibbled on her shoulder.

"No fucking way, Champ." His hand slipped down her hip and pushed between her legs. She bit down on her lower lip, sighing a little as his fingers found the turgid nub of her clitoris. He tapped it with his middle finger.

"Boop," he said, knocking a laugh out of her that turned into a little moan. He rubbed her clit slowly, teasingly. His breath was hot on her neck as he touched her, sending little swirls of pleasure through her. "I think I've wanted you for months, you know," he whispered into her ear. Her pulse picked up as she clutched the churned-up bedding.

"Oh, really?" she said skeptically.

"Yeah, really. I just didn't realize how much until we kissed," he said heavily, his fingers rubbing in little circles. "You're kind of an incredible woman…"

"I know," she said airily and he laughed, the vibration of it echoing through her back. She put her hand over his between her legs. "Maybe I wanted you too. I don't know. I kind of…I don't know, didn't realize it, I guess. Sounds stupid, huh?"

And obviously Katara and Aang had picked up on what she hadn't. That thought kind of burned her a little. Watching the two of them make out and grope each other in the restaurant didn't seem like punishment enough. Then again, it was Katara's pushing that had led to this, so maybe Toph owed her one. At the moment she was undecided.

"It doesn't sound stupid at all," he said as she turned her head toward him. She knew that he was smiling, even though she couldn't see him. "So what are we after tonight? Friends? Lovers?"

"Do we have to label it?"

He was quiet for a moment and then kissed the tip of her nose. "You're right. Let's just be whatever we want. Whatever that means."

"You're on," she said and lifted her head up, kissing him full on the lips. He kissed her back, gently, but with an edge to it that told her he wasn't tired yet. She smiled against his mouth as his fingers slipped inside of her. She was soon lost to him, their bodies moving together once again.

Whatever they were, if they were anything at all, Toph decided not worry about it. He was Sokka. Her best friend.

And maybe her lover.

Somehow, she was sure she could find it in herself to live with that.

(end)