Disclaimer: I do not own Avatar: the Last Airbender.

A/N: Tokka shenanigans return, and so does Artemis Rae's idea of Toph/Cake!

This story also has its roots in the many, many tales of Drunken!Tokka misadventures and/or confessions. If you have wrote one of those, my hat is off to you, and thanks for inspiration! This one is for you!

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005: Alcohol

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"So, Toph…" drawled Sokka, as they lounged in the gardens of the Bei Fong Estate. "So…"

"So what?" she asked, when he did not finish. Toph swallowed another piece of cake. She tried not to hum too loudly. She loved cake, especially birthday cake. There couldn't be anything that tasted better than cake in the entire world.

"You're sixteen now!" Sokka nudged her a little on the shoulder. She shoved him back and he fell to the ground. The rough show of affection did not faze the boy. He jumped back up and draped an arm around her. "You know what that means, right?"

She shrugged. "Yeah, my parents actually have an excuse to parade me in front of potential suitors."

"No! Well… Yes, yeah, I guess that's true," he said, leaning back onto his elbows. Toph heard him scratch his head, and even wilt a little. "Ugh. But that's not what I was talking about."

"Then what are you talking about?" Mmmm, chocolate…

"You're finally old enough to go out drinking with me!"

Toph choked on her mouthful of ooey-gooey goodness. "Who, what, where?" she said, weakly. She coughed, and Sokka patted her good-naturedly on the back. "Drinking?"

"Sixteen is the age where a young man, or a young lady, or a Toph, can go out and enjoy herself at the local bar, legally, and have any drink she pleases! With good company, of course, such as a dashing Water Tribe warrior, who just happens to be a Toph's best friend."

What an idiot.

"Sokka, I've been out drinking with you plenty of times."

"It wasn't legal, and Katara got all pissy when she found out."

"She'll still get all pissy if she finds out. She's a mother hen, what do you expect?"

He stood up straight. "It doesn't matter! She can't stop us now, because you are legal. And that means we can have legal drinking fun, and get legally drunk." Sokka sat up. "So, are you coming?"

"Let me think. No."

"Awww, Toph! Why not?" whined Sokka.

"Because I don't want to. And it sounds stupid."

"Well, what could possibly be better than hanging out with me, and enjoying a pint of ale?"

"This cake, for one thing," she said, without missing a beat. Toph snatched his plate of mostly untouched desert away from his lap. "I'm stealing yours, by the way."

Sokka grabbed his plate away from her, and, ignoring her almost murderous glare, shook his head. "No more cake for you, my dear. We're going out to have some fun, and you are going to enjoy yourself!"

He pulled her up, but Toph dragged her feet, bare even under the lovely gown she had been forced into for the birthday celebration, into the dirt. "You can't make me," she said.

It wasn't as if she didn't want to go. Toph had never cared much for the small bits of drinking she had experienced, but she did like having fun with Sokka, and he made for a funny drunk. If this had been any other day, she would have leaped at the chance to join him on any adventure, no matter how stupid it sounded.

She was more upset at having to leave her precious cake behind.

"Come on, Toph," he said, almost begging. "Just one drink, that's all! Just come with me, please?" He enunciated that last "please." "I know you don't want to stay here all day," he added, when she did not seem moved by the pleading.

She narrowed her eyes. "Are you blackmailing me?"

"No, I just know you. You don't want to be trapped her all day, by yourself." Sokka took her hand, but did not move away. Instead, he said, in a much easier tone, "Please, Toph? We'll have fun, I promise, and I won't make you do anything you don't want to. Just come with me, please."

He whispered, like a conspirator, into her ear, "It'll make Katara and your parents mad."

And that always promised fun.

Toph huffed and said, "Fine."

Sokka practically tittered as he dragged her away from the estates and into town.

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Toph did manage to convince Sokka to stall long enough for her to change clothes. Not only was the gown itchy, it was hardly the sort of thing you wore to a drinking den. She was glad to get out of it, though she was sure her mother and Katara would have a fit once they found the grass-stained dress lying in a heap on her bedroom floor.

Sokka took her to a small tavern on the outskirts of Gaoling. It was a tiny little pub, loud and smelly, and had probably been there on the side of the road, serving travelers, bandits, and citizens alike since the earliest days of the city. Sokka claimed that it was the best place in town, and Toph took his word for it.

It certainly sounded interesting.

One drunken idiot was tossed out the front door the second they got there. He mumbled bits of nonsense as they stepped over him to get inside. Shouts, curses, and the tell-tale taps of chips and dice echoed from what had to be a gambling table. A fight was just beginning to start in a secluded corner of the tavern, and extremely bawdy entertainment played out on a stage on the far end.

"Nice," she said. She wondered if she could get away with a few friendly scams in this place. After all the craziness and stiffness of her birthday celebration, Toph was even willing to join in with the brawlers just to get all the frustration out of her system. "Not bad at all."

"It gets better," said Sokka, mistaking her truthful comment for sarcasm. "The drinks are the best thing about this place, anyway. You need to try this fruity stuff they have. It's great!" He was quiet a moment, and then said, "There's a table over there. Come on."

He led her across the wooden floors, his hand on her elbow. Toph did not really need the help. She could not bend the wood, but she could still "see" a little. Sometimes, though, she forgot her pride, and just let him take care of her.

The table he had found was not too far from the bar. Sokka held up a hand so that they could order, and a barmaid came in from out of nowhere to take care of his request.

"Well, hello there, handsome." Toph bristled immediately. "What can I get you?" the lady asked sweetly.

Toph thought she sounded way too sweet. It was disgusting. And why the heck did she have to be so close to Sokka anyway? It wasn't that loud in here.

"I'll be ordering for me and my friend," said Sokka.

"Oh! I'm sorry, miss." The barmaid giggled. "I didn't notice you sitting there."

Yeah, I bet you didn't. An ugly sort of feeling made her stomach cramp.

Sokka, as oblivious now as he had always been, spoke cheerfully and brightly. "Two mugs of ale, please. The very best you have!" Elbows on the table, he leaned forward and said, "See, it's her birthday, and we're here to celebrate!"

"That's so sweet of you, to treat her like that," said the girl. "What is she? Your sister?"

Didn't he just tell you who I was? What a dingbat.

"No, she's my best friend. Toph's a lot more fun to have around than my sister, believe me."

The barmaid giggled again. Toph scowled. Could this get any…

It got worse.

The barmaid sidled closer to him, her voice lowering ever so slightly so as to get Sokka's attention. "I wish there were more men like you. What's your-"

"Hey!" said Toph, pounding a hand on the tabletop. That broke whatever spell the witch was trying to weave, and made her back off a little. "He just told you what we wanted, so why don't you go and get it already?"

The barmaid's heartbeat picked up somewhat. Toph could easily feel the glare boring into her face, and returned it with one of her own. Huffing, the lady said, "I'm sorry. I'll be right back, excuse me." She retreated back to wherever she had come from.

"Toph, that was pretty rude," said Sokka, once they were alone again. She tried to ignore that he sounded both irritated and disapproving of her. "She was only trying to help."

"Yeah, so, what's your point? It's my birthday, and I can do whatever the heck I want." Her fists clenched at the hem of her shirt. "She was a slut anyway."

"Toph!"

The barmaid returned a few seconds later. This time she did not linger, and left the two friends to enjoy their drinks.

"Well, bottoms up," said Sokka. "Happy birthday, Toph!"

She smiled. "Thanks." Maybe this wouldn't be so bad after all.

They finished their first mugs, and moved on to more. Sokka told her that he was treating her to as much as she wanted, since it was her special day, and Toph was willing to take him up on that unspoken challenge.

As it turned out, Toph turned out to be able to handle her liquor far better than the lightweight Sokka. By his third drink, he was already acting loopy. And when he downed his fifth, he was piss drunk, and saying all kinds of crazy, random things that set her to loud bouts of laughter.

Most of their talk revolved around his dreams, where there was food that ate people, how he couldn't decide which he loved more, his boomerang or space-sword, and how about that time they went scamming together, and other stupid things she was sure she wasn't going to remember later.

It was typical drunken idiocy, the sort she had always heard come out of his mouth when he was intoxicated. It was expected, familiar.

So it came as a complete shock to her what he said next.

"Toff," he said, slurring his words very badly, "yer awful purdy tonight."

Her face heated up immediately. Was it even healthy for her to have this much blood flood her cheeks?

"Sokka," she said, evenly and slowly, as she nursed her drink. The sense of longing that ached in her chest was almost too much to bear. "You shouldn't say things you don't mean."

"But I do! I do mean it! Yer purdy, Toff."

Sokka, chair creaking loudly in protest, leaned forward and nuzzled his face into her shoulder and neck. Toph sat, stock-still, stomach and heart battling for residence in her throat. She could hardly believe what was happening.

"Very purdy. And you smell nice, uh-huh. Like lotus flowers, ya know."

"I smell like dirt."

He chortled. His breath, smelling of ale, tickled her cheek. "I like the smell of dirt…"

Toph shoved him off of her. Having him that close made her hot, and not just in the face. It wouldn't end well if she allowed herself to fall for him and his drunken ramblings.

"Stop it, Sokka. You're drunk. You don't know what you're saying."

Sokka paid her no mind. Standing, and wavering on the spot, he toppled over to where she sat. He fell to his knees and grabbed her hands.

"Yer purdy, Toff. I like you. I like you a lot," he said, and she could hear that big, stupid grin that had to be jumping across his face. "Yer my best friend. I can always count on ya ta be there for me, Toff…"

"Sokka, please, don't…"

She was startled when he started kissing her fingers, and then her knuckles, each and every one, one at a time. This time, she could not bring herself to pull away. His lips, so sure and steady despite his less than sober state, trailed to her palms, and then lightly touched the sensitive spots on her wrists.

She shivered. "Sokka…"

Sokka did not go any further than that, but held one of her hands up to his cheek.

"Yer my best friend," he said, again. "But yer so much more than that, Toff… Yer so good and sweet and beautiful, and the greatest girl that there ever was. I dunno what I'd do without ya, Toff. Die, maybe, or somethin' like that. I lurve ya… I lurve you, Toff…"

She yanked her hands away for him, and he actually whimpered. "Wassss wrong…?" asked Sokka. His miserable voice struck her harder than any physical blow could hope to. "I lurve you…"

"You don't mean that," she said. A sense of depression and broken hopes touched her. As lovely as this dream was, she had to remember reality. If she didn't, she would only end up letting herself get hurt. "You don't."

"Uh-huh! I do lurve you, Toff… I lurve you a whole, whole lot. More'n meat. I lurve you more'n Boomyrang and Sp-Space-Sword."

"You say that now, Sokka, but you're drunk. And you have Suki."

He shook his head so hard that Toph felt it through the wooden table. "We broke up," he said.

"What? Really?" Toph had not known that. He hadn't said anything…

"Yeah… We decided we wanted ta see more people, ya know? Weren't happy and lurving each other any more, not like we used ta. So we broke up."

"I'm… I'm sorry, Sokka," she said. Toph meant it, too.

He hiccupped. "'S okay. I lurve ya, Toff, na Suki no more."

Toph sighed. As nice as it sounded, it didn't matter anyway. "Come morning, you won't even remember this."

"Huh…?"

She could not stop trembling. Why did the spirits seem to hate her so much? Why did she have to go through heartbreak, all over again? It just wasn't fair.

"You'll forget all of this. You won't remember what you said tomorrow. You won't love me anymore."

Without warning, his lips landed on her mouth, and he kissed her. He dragged her close to him, his hands rubbing up and down her arms, her back, and fingers dancing up to stroke her hair. They broke away only a few seconds later. Toph gasped, her breath stolen away and heart hammering the inside of her chest.

Sokka hugged her, almost possessively. "I'll never ferget I lurve you, Toff," he whispered into her ear. "Never, ever, never! I promise…"

"Yeah," she mumbled. "Sure you won't…"

If only…

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Toph ended up having to lug Sokka back to the Bei Fong estates. The boy was much too drunk to take care of himself, as he mistook a barrel for the barmaid when they stumbled and wavered down the streets, him leaning into her the entire way. He no longer confessed his undying love for her, but switched between muttering odds and ends of information about potential inventions, and just plain snoring.

They got back late and, as expected, they ran right into a storm. Aang tried to warn them, but he was pushed to the side by far less understanding souls.

Katara screamed bloody murder, lectured both Toph and the barely conscious Sokka on the dangers of too much drinking, and drinking dens in of themselves, swore she was going to kill her brother when he was sober enough, and then promptly demanded a cold towel so that he would be able to sleep comfortably that night.

The Bei Fongs told Toph that she had left her guests hanging, her beautiful gown could not be repaired and had to be sent to the poor, and that she had also potentially ruined a fine marriage arrangement they had been working on for months. She also caught whispers of plans to cover up the scandal, and that surely their precious daughter had not deflowered herself with that "southern rube."

It was all very, very annoying, the last thing she wanted to deal with after the night at the bar, and so after leaving Sokka in bed, Toph went to her own room and lay down. She wanted nothing more than to fall asleep and forget what had happened at that pub.

But as hard as she tried, Toph could not forget. She wondered if she even wanted to. The things Sokka had said and done had made her feel warm inside, desirable and beautiful and lovely, someone worth loving. She wished, more than anything, that even something of it could have been true, but she knew better.

Sokka would never love her. She had dreamed about it for years, but that was all it would ever be.

A dream.

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It was early morning when she was woken up to pounding on her door.

BAM, BAM, BAM!

Toph sat up, hair a mess, stomach rolling, and head banging with a bad hangover. It was one of those times where she was glad that she could not see. She was sure the bright lights would have killed her.

"Who's there!?" she demanded. The pounding did not stop. If anything, they grew louder, more insistent.

BAMBAMBAMBAMBAM!

Toph moaned into her pillow. "Okay, okay! I'm coming! Jeez…" She slipped off the bed, and her feet touched the floor…

And then Sokka barged into her room. He was breathing heavily, chest heaving and heartbeat fluttering wildly. He shook like a leaf in the wind. "Toph…" he said, all in one wheezing gasp. "I… Toph…"

"Sokka, you…" Toph cleared her throat and walked towards him. "What's wrong with you? Why are you all-!"

Again, Sokka surprised her. He pulled her close, just like he had the night before, and his hands settled on her waist. "I didn't forget," he said, in a voice so light it could be a whisper. "I didn't forget, Toph."

"Forget what?" And then she knew, and stiffened with disbelief. "You…"

She felt his body, flush against hers, shift, and his lips captured hers. He kissed her, long and soft and sweet, and pulled back only enough so that it was just barely broken. Their foreheads still touched, and his lips grazed hers as he spoke.

"I love you, Toph," he said. "I love you so much. I'm sorry it took me so long to say it, but I do. I really do. I love you. I mean it, Toph. I love you. And I came here, because I didn't want you to think that it was just me, drunk, saying stupid stuff. I meant it, every word. I love you, Toph."

"Sokka…"

He kissed her on the forehead. "I love you."

On each closed eyelid. "I love you."

Tiny kisses swept along her jaw-line and against each cheek, all loving and gentle. "I love you."

He kissed her, again and again, from her temples to her chin, always trailing closer to her mouth. With each kiss, he murmured into her ear, "I love you." Their lips met once more, and it lasted for some time, until she lost all thoughts for anything else in the world.

Sokka pulled away, when they actually had to breathe, and just stood there for a long, nervous moment. Toph did the same, flushing bright red, her fingers touching her swollen lips.

Neither one spoke. She tried, her throat aching with the effort, but nothing would come to her, not now, when all her dreams had suddenly come true.

But it seemed as if he took her silence not as shocked wonder, but outright rejection. She sensed Sokka droop, his entire frame wilting, and sigh. Toph did not have to see his face to know he was fighting back tears.

"I'm… I'm sorry," he said, backing away. His voice cracked. "I just made a huge mistake, didn't I? I ruined it. Our friendship, I ruined it. I'm so, so sorry, Toph. I'll go now, okay? I won't bother you ever aga-"

"Oh, shut-up, you idiot, and kiss me again."

Toph grabbed his shirt, dragged him down to her level, and kissed him. Her kisses were more aggressive than his had been, true to her nature as a rough and the edges girl, but no less loving, and very true to her feelings towards him.

Sokka began to kiss her back, his arms wrapping themselves around her as her hands trailed up to wind themselves into his hair. Their hearts beat at the same time, their breathing mingled as one, and the knowledge of it made them both smile against each other's lips. They stumbled back and fell onto her bed, he on top of her, and both started giggling like mad.

"I love you, Sokka," she said.

He stroked her cheek and kissed her again. "I love you too, Toph."

They stayed that way for the rest of the morning. Lying beside one another on her bed, her head on his shoulder, his arm holding her close to his chest, Toph and Sokka cuddled and kissed, never let go of each other's hands, and whispered and talked about nothing and everything at the same time.

She decided that there was only one thing in the world that tasted better than cake.

Sokka's kisses.

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A/N: So, a little bit of angst, and a lot of fluff. I am a little unsure of this one myself, but I still hope you guys enjoyed it.

All of my stories, by the way, are canon with one another. Of course, they are out of order. So far, the continuity would be like this:

004: It Takes Two to Tango

003: Weather

005: Alcohol

002: Worst Case Scenario

001: Betrothal

Thanks for all the reviews so far!