Four Times, Part Two: Tokka

The second time he told her he loved her, she flinched.

Sokka found her in the courtyard outside the Jasmine Dragon.  "Tired of the party already?" he asked.

Toph half-shrugged.  "It's no big deal."

He sat next to her on the small stone bench.  "You're voluntarily leaving a party before it's over?  You must be hurt."

Her head whipped around to face him.  "I am the Blind Bandit, remember?  I do not get hurt in simple earthbending matches."

Sokka chuckled.  "Toph, you forget.  I know every one of your moves; every rock you throw, every speck of dirt you move; every movement."  She opened her mouth to speak, but he stopped her.  "I saw you in the last match.  You overextended your shoulder."

He expected a denial.  Instead, she bowed her head, defeated.  She gave him a slight nod.  "So, maybe I did.  Just a little.  I'll be fine."

He was having none of it.  "Yeah, I know you will.  But can I do something first?"

"Sure," she said with a flip of her hand.  "Whatever you want."

Sokka stood and interlaced his fingers, stretching then out in front of him.  He walked behind her as she sat staring straight ahead.  He hesitated for a moment, unsure of how best to begin.

He started with her hair.  He gathered the ebony tresses from around her shoulders with both hands.  He smoothed it between his fingers, lingering when he reached the ends.  The silkiness was addictive.  He marveled at the way it pulled light into it, yet still managed to shine.

Toph shifted in the bench.  He cleared his throat and placed all of her hair over her left shoulder.   He gently touched her shoulders, and she pulled away.

"Sorry," she whispered.  "It's just sore."

"I know, but you can trust me."

She nodded for him to continue.  With precise and unusually deft fingers, he began kneading her shoulders.  Her right one was the one she'd injured, so he paid special attention to it.  He rubbed his fingertips into her muscles; not so gentle to be ineffective, not too hard to hurt her more.

She bent her head until her chin rested on her chest.  A small, almost inaudible moan escaped her throat.  In response, he ran his thumbs up her neck and let his fingers dance behind her ears.  Each touch of flesh to flesh sent invisible sparks from his skin to hers.

When he'd finished, Sokka stepped around the bench and knelt in front of her.  He took her hands in his and rubbed his thumbs over her palms.  "Feel better?"

Toph raised her head and smiled.  "Much," she replied, and stood.  "Let's go back to the party.  It's not every day someone wins Earth Rumble Ten."

Sokka let go of her hands as she walked back into the tea shop.  He folded his own hands in front of him and closed his eyes, remembering the feel of her hair, her body, her skin.

He could still feel the love flowing out of his fingertips and into her.