Restlessness
Here is a little Tokka one-shot that I thought of. I tried to keep Toph and Sokka in character as much as I could. I hope you like it and reply.
Toph sighed impatiently and tried to get into a comfortable position on the ground. She was tired but sleep still didn't claim her.
Grumbling to herself, she decided to wake up a little and see if that helped her insomnia. With a quick flick of her wrist, the door of her earth tent slid open and Toph made her way towards the campfire.
Even though it was dark out, Toph didn't have to worry about tripping over her friends. It was one advantage to being blind, that she didn't need light to see by. She just calmly walked past them and sat on a log that was nearby the small fire.
The fire wasn't strong, but it was enough to keep her warm. Toph sat quietly by it, warming her hands and feeling thankful it wasn't too cold out. As she sat, the mysterious night sounds entered her ears as well as the familiar ones like her friends' snoring.
Sokka's deep snore rumbled from where he slept, making the other ones hardly audible. Toph couldn't help but smile when she thought of him. His snore seemed to suit his personality a lot. Loud, brash and not afraid to speak his mind!
Sort of like me I guess. Toph mused to herself. Maybe that was why she liked him so much. The feeling of affection had been growing in her heart for awhile now but how to deal with this new crush was beyond her knowing.
Ever since the Serpent's pass, this had been on her mind. Sometimes at night she would have nightmares of drowning, of being completely helpless and alone.
Jelousy and fustration also entered her nightmares at the memory. It was Suki that had rescued her, not Sokka. Despite Suki's good intentions, Toph still felt unhappy.
Sometimes it seemed to her that Sokka cared only if Suki was okay. He didn't even thank her after she saved his life!
Maybe I shouldn't he try liking him that way. What's the point if he doesn't even care? She thought sadly.
Just then, a strange sound broke her out of her thoughts. Startled, she got up and listened intently.
Nothing out of the ordinary happened. No Fire Nation was near by, so that couldn't be it.
"It's probably nothing. I'm probably just tired." Toph muttered to herself after listening for a bit.
She was about to head back to bed, before the noise came back.
"No…don't drown Toph. I can't …loose…you… too. Not like…the others…" Sokka's voice mumbled.
Toph faced her head towards him, surprised by his words. Did he just say what she thought he said?
She quietly got up and got a little closer to his sleeping form. He moved around a bit and seemed to be upset about something.
"Sokka? Are you okay?" She whispered. He didn't respond, so Toph figured it must be a nightmare.
He continued to mutter a few incoherent words before turning over in his sleeping bag. She listened to his cries with concern and wondered what to do.
Finally an idea came to her. It should work out perfectly because it wouldn't make her concern too obvious.
Toph gave a small smirk; maybe she could have a little fun too.
With a swift kick she earthbended him up in the air. He didn't fly too high up but the fall made him wake up immediately.
"Huh! What? Toph!" He exclaimed loudly.
Toph smiled innocently towards him. "What? Is something wrong? "
"Yes, something is wrong! Why did you earth bend me when I was sleeping?" Sokka asked, clearly annoyed.
Toph gave a shrug and lied. "No reason."
Sokka groaned. "Well if you were going to wake me up, at least do it in the morning when the sun's out!"
"Can you two be quiet? Some of us actually want to sleep here!" Katara's voice rose with irritation. She was sitting on her sleeping bag nearby, giving them an angry glare.
"Tell that to Toph. She's the one that woke me up." He muttered under his breath.
Katara groaned. "Well you two can argue in the morning! Now good night!"
Sokka grumbled in reply and got up out of his sleeping bag.
"Well, I hope your happy Toph because I'm awake now." He complained followed by a yawn.
"Well, sorry if I just wanted to help!" She retorted in a whisper. When Toph realized what she said, she blushed softly.
"Help me with what?" Sokka asked, obviously confused.
"You know, it doesn't matter. I'm going to bed." Toph said evasively and tried to go back but Sokka held onto her arm to keep her from leaving.
Toph pulled away from his grasp. "Leave me alone, okay?"
"What were you trying to help me with Toph?" He asked again.
Toph sighed in defeat. "You were having a nightmare…about me. You seemed very upset and I was… worried. You usually don't act that way Sokka…is something wrong?"
Sokka was silent for a moment and Toph wondered what he was thinking. Finally he said "With Yue gone and Suki missing, well…I just didn't want to loose anyone else."
Toph blushed once more despite her tries to keep calm.
"Well…I…" Toph stuttered. Her thoughts felt like they were going a mile a minute.
Come on Toph! Get a hold of yourself. She thought desperately.
"I...I'm just glad your okay. You don't have to worry about me Snoozles; I'm not going anywhere anytime soon!" Toph finished.
Sokka smiled at her and gave her a small hug. Toph gasped with surprise but didn't resist.
When he let go Sokka said "Thanks for caring so much Toph. I'll see you in the morning…and I do mean the morning!"
He walked back to his sleeping bag leaving a speechless Toph behind.
When he was gone, Toph grinned happily.
Maybe this crush wouldn't be in vain after all! She thought happily. Soon Toph followed Sokka's lead and went to her own tent to get some well deserved rest.
This time, she fell asleep almost immediately, because her restlessness was gone.