Tell Me Why

Toph stood still against the cool summer night's breeze. Tears began to well up despite her efforts to keep them from forming. She was cold, and sad, and hurt. And there stood Sokka. Toph wondered how long he had been waiting for her to say something. It had to be at least a few minutes of weighted silence.

"Toph?", he asked, his voice barely breaking a whisper. "Why didn't you say anything in there?". Sokka sounded disappointed with her, maybe even a little angry. He was careful not to spark an anger in Toph, but he already seemed to have done just that.

"What's it even matter to you for? My life doesn't affect you Sokka!" Toph snapped. As she turned to face him, the moonlight highlighted her tears and splotchy red cheeks. Yue had a way of doing those things. She would subtly bring the aspects of life that truly needed to be seen into the light.

"It matters to me because we're best friends and I know that you would speak up if you didn't want to do something.", Sokka explained. This earned a sarcastic chuckle from Toph who shot back, "Well there you answered your own question then dumbass! Now just go back inside, I need to be alone."

There was another silence, but Sokka didn't leave. He waited while Toph sniffled as she wiped her tears away. "I told you to go away." Toph pleaded. Sokka again didn't move. Instead he asked, "Toph why are you agreeing to marry Kanto? Don't you at least want to know if you love him first?".

"I want to marry Kanto end of story." Toph said. Her tone was numb but her face told Sokka all he needed to know.

"Cut the crap Toph. We both know that's a lie." Sokka insisted.

"You don't get it do you Sokka?", asked Toph, her voice rising. "Of course I want to be with someone who loves me and I love them back, but this a fucked up world we live in. And I'm so tired of this love crap! You don't get to lecture me about love when you've seen what it's brought me Sokka! I loved Saturo, the Duke, and how did that go? Do we remember Sokka? It didn't go well! And fuck! There was even you! I loved you Sokka!"

"Toph-" , Sokka began to interrupt. Toph continued anyways. "No Sokka I loved you and you didn't love me back! You love Suki! You two belong together! And I'm not mad at you for that. I never will be. But I'm so tired of all of it! Every time I'm selfish and love someone I get hurt! So maybe it's time to grow up! Maybe It's time to be selfless! Crane fish town needs representation that benders and nonbenders can get along. My family is the head of this city, and they need me! And I don't need to love Kanto, I need to love the distraction that he'll be for the rest of my life. I won't need to worry about finding someone to love, I'll be married. We'll probably have kids one day, the kids that I won't fantasize about with someone I love. And one day I'll get to look back at how marrying Kanto was a good choice, because I do want to marry him."

Toph was met with a warm embrace, as Sokka pulled her into his arms. She could feel a few tears trickle down his face and onto hers. "I'm not ready to let you go." He whispered. Toph replied, "I was never meant to yours to give away."