Tokka Week: Day 2

Prompt: Worse Case Scenario

Making Up the Difference

"Every time you look at me, all you see is her."

Half of you wants to tell her no right off the bat, because no matter how many times you've lie to her—no, I love you more and you're the only one for me—you've never wanted to hurt Suki. She's stuck with you through it all, which says something about her character or her stubbornness, maybe—you can't tell which.

But, either way, you don't want to deny it so quickly she'll think you're lying, because however much you wish it was another face you wake up to every morning you don't want to hurt Suki, either.

One thing's for certain, though: whatever Suki says about you only ever seeing her in your wife's face, it's not true and never will be.

For a moment you ponder the possibility of telling her this. But how can you explain it to her? How can you explain this curse, this abomination?

Because every time you look at Suki, her eyes seem to stand out against her fact—so grey, when all you want to see is the lightest green—and her hair turns even redder (black, your heart whispers, why isn't it black?).

Her lipsticked mouth glows with the potency and red of the makeup (Toph would never wear it), and when she fights, it's the very worst.

Your eyes can only stay glued to the ground (unmoving, still) as she steps and glides and twirl, and never once does it move, like you so want it to. The truth is an ugly thing, and in a situation like this you think you'd almost prefer the lie your wife thinks you're living.

Because Toph is not Suki, however much you want her to be.

No. She is wrong, wrong, wrong, whichever way you look at it. It will never, ever change: The only thing you ever see when you look at Suki is Suki, and it's never hurt you more.

When you speak, your voice rings with the hollowness of regret.

"No, Suki. I don't."