Blind in the Water

As the air cleared, Suki whipped her body around. Two large earthen spikes jutted out from the ground, piercing the corners of the tent flaps, holding them open, flanking Toph as she stood at the shelter's entrance. Kneeling in front of the Earthbender, Suki's eyes slowly moved up along Toph's body. A thin layer of sand and dust had caked on her feet, and streams of water dribbled down from her undergarments onto her legs and stomach. Shiny lines of wetness trailed down her pink face. Suki heard a small scream behind her; in the corner of her eye Sokka scrambled to pull the blanket across his body, then, after a moment, let it fall awkwardly over his knees as he saw Toph's pale eyes.

In the silence that had fallen over the tent, Toph's entire body seemed to waver. She loosely clenched and unclenched her hands, fleeting fists held down at her legs. Unsteady breaths shook cold droplets off her chest as she started to stutter. "H-How can you just --"

"Toph --"

Her hands clenched hard and her eyes narrowed at the sound of Suki's voice. "Look, Miss Greasyface!" Toph shouted, trying to muster all the venom she could. "You just -- just show up out of nowhere, and the next night you're in his tent?! You thought you were the only one who cared about Sokka?" She felt dizzy, unable to think straight, and she didn't much care.

Sokka's eyes widened, shock striking him dumb as he stared at the two girls from the corner of the tent. "No, I --" he heard Suki protest.

"How blind are you?!"

Suki swallowed, her hands pressed hard against her thighs. "I saw you last night, Toph," she said, drawing her arms up around her breasts, hiding her nakedness from the pale eyes that stared past her. "I heard you."

A chill swept over Toph as her knees wobbled. She knows? the Earthbender thought in shock. Of course she had -- she must have known for months, ever since the Serpent's Pass! Her eyes widened, hot tears building up at their corners, each shaky breath threatening to release them.

"And -- and you still kept doing it?!" the Earthbender yelled. "What, are you trying to hurt me, Greaseface?!"

"No!" Suki cried, reaching out and grabbing Toph's hands, peeling her rough fists open with long fingertips. Suki closed her eyes, feeling her breath quicken as she pressed the young girl's palms against the Kyoshi Warrior's face.

Grunting, Toph tried to pull away, but her hands were held firm against Suki's cheeks. They felt very warm -- and smooth. Her paints were gone. Is this what you wanted to prove? Toph thought, sneering. That you're not a 'Greaseface'? How self-centered can you --

Wait. That's not it. Toph slid her hands along the curve of Suki's cheeks, her thumbs extending to trace out the path of the smile on her face. The Earthbender gasped, feeling dizzy from the sudden rush of air. It wasn't anything like she had imagined. Feeling Suki's grip loosen, she ran a hand up to the woman's eyebrows, following their angles. No, this was warm, like she was --

"Toph, I'm your friend," Suki said firmly, her emotion cracking through as she struggled to steady her breaths. "You know this. I never wanted to get in between anyone here. I never wanted to hurt you."

She's not lying. Toph groaned. She felt weak, like the wind had been knocked out of her. Collapsing onto her knees, the Earthbender dimly saw Sokka start towards her, but she felt Suki's arms wrap around her back as the tears finally spilled down Toph's downturned face. "But you did!" she cried, her hands still gripping Suki's face.

"I know," Suki sighed, shame rippling over her. Grabbing Sokka's discarded clothes from behind her, she wrapped the blue cloth around the shivering Earthbender, drying her off. She squeezed it hard into Toph's disheveled hair, catching the droplets of water as they ran down her back. "I didn't know at first, and then I tried to stop, but I just couldn't."

A tiny stream flowed down the woman's face, splitting and pooling between the girl's fingers. Her head hanging down between her arms, Toph felt her face brush against Suki's breasts. I can't make Sokka refuse this, she thought, drawing back her own flat chest, trying to hide it from Suki's touch. "It's just -- you're graceful and --" she ran her fingers back down to Suki's lips, "-- and beautiful --"

"Toph..."

"Don't lie! I can feel your face right here!" the Earthbender shouted, exasperated. She gave a small, pursed frown. "You're beautiful, and I'm just -- Toph."

Stealing a glance at the still-frozen Sokka, Suki bit her lip; she knew Toph wasn't interested in what she thought of her. Her arms slackened, and she felt Toph pull away. Panic rushed through the Kyoshi Warrior's mind as Toph tried to slide out of her embrace, out of the tent. It had all been worked out in her head, and now it was slipping away --

Suki moved one arm down around the small of Toph's back and held her tightly, pressing the Earthbender's still-wet midriff against her own stomach. Toph shivered, shaking both their bodies. Her free hand slid up over Toph's shoulder and gently touched her chin. As she lifted up the younger girl's head and stared into pale eyes, Suki felt a strange calm wash over her, forcing out the flurry of concerns buzzing in her mind.

"Toph," she said with a steady voice, "whatever I am -- whatever you think I am -- it's because I've been trying to be like someone better than me." She winced inwardly, fighting back the returning nervousness she felt from her awkward words. No distractions, she thought, closing her eyes for a moment, feeling Toph's chest rise and fall with her soft breaths.

"Kyoshi," Suki said. "You know who she was?" Toph nodded slowly, head slightly tilted in confusion. Yes, she remembered learning about the old Avatar from her tutors, back in Gaoling. A history lesson? Now? she thought incredulously.

The Kyoshi Warrior smiled and brushed her hand past Toph's cheek, wiping away her tears, resting it on the nape of her neck. "She was graceful," she mused, speaking more to herself than to the Earthbender in her arms. She suddenly laughed, interrupting her reverie. "And much, much taller --"

"Hey!"

"But you are so much like her." She stroked Toph's neck, seeing her brow furrow. "And not just in your Earthbending. She had a will, a beautiful strength within her, that let her stand against kings and conquerers."

Suki leaned forward, pressing her forehead to Toph's. She could feel Toph's breaths deepening, hot against her own skin. "I've tried to have that, too -- and until today I thought I did," she said, her voice shaking. "But you --" she smiled, "-- that's who you are. You proved it just by coming in here tonight. You're one of my sisters to me, Toph."

A hint of a smile crossed Toph's face. She lifted her arms over Suki's, wrapping around the older girl's neck in an awkward embrace. Suki moved a hand down between their midriffs. Caressing Toph's navel with a slender finger, Suki turned her head slightly, gazing intently at Sokka.

"And no sister of mine should ever have to be alone," she said, smiling seductively.