Severance

Chapter 12 -Toph

Almost six months into my pregnancy, I found that I could definitely no longer hide it. My ankles were constantly swollen, and my stomach was the size of a bowling ball at this point. Yet, I didn't want anybody to know what was going on. Not yet at least.
And when I say anybody, I mean Sokka. Katara knew, Aang knew, and both of my parents knew. Once again I was hiding it from only him, yet this time I had a purpose. I was a mother with a plan of keeping her child close and safe from assholes.
It wasn't that I thought Sokka was an asshole, I just thought he was in the wrong. I would tell him at some point that the baby was his, but was it really necessary right now? No. So, I wasn't going to have my new child anywhere near him, and in order to do that he simply couldn't know that they were going to exist. Instead, I was going to move in with my parents, and try my best to drop off the face of the earth. You can hide something if you're gone, right? I had done it before for God's sake! Sokka would never know before I wanted him to as long as everyone kept their mouths shut.
At least, that was the plan until he showed up at my door.
I heard the knock and walked over with Lin following behind. I was tired, and wasn't really paying attention to who it could have been, so I just went and opened up.
There he stood, his shoulders slumped and his fingers twiddling with each other, nervously.
It had been six months since I'd last seen him. Six months since I had gotten pregnant.
I frowned, and went to slam the door as quickly as I could, but he blocked it with his foot.
"Toph, please," he started, pushing the door open and coming inside, "I can't keep pretending that this isn't killing me!"
"Yeah well I can" I frowned, starting to push him out. I quickly realized I should have been more concerned with hiding the bump on my stomach, and simply gave up, sitting on the couch and placing a pillow against my stomach. If he wanted to come in, fine, but that didn't mean I had to tell him anything still. I wouldn't crack, I couldn't. I didn't have the time for this right now.
He looked at me shocked, thinking he'd won—he hadn't, of course.
But had I?
Pregnant with another child without being married? It was disgraceful.
"Listen... I understand why you're mad, I'm mad at myself," he muttered, sitting at my side slowly, "but you can't deny that what we had was special. I love you, Toph..."
"Oh? Yeah well I love my daughter" I frowned, trying my best to shut him out—if I let him in again at any point, I knew I wouldn't be able to shut him back out. Part of me wanted him so badly, part of me wanted him gone.
"Come on, you said you loved me too."
"That was before everything happened, Sokka. That was before you lied to Suki and I, crushing both of your relationships along the way. Do you remember that?"
He frowned, and laid his hand onto my cheek, stroking it softly with his thumb. We sat in silence. Not an awkward silence or a bad silence, just a normal silence. It felt comfortable. It always had when I was with him. I hated it in this moment.
He moved his other hand to my thigh, just looking into my eyes. I closed them, as even though they didn't work, I felt like it was a violation. He didn't have the right to do that anymore.
So why did I want him so badly?
He pulled me close and kissed my on the neck, moving his hands to my back.
"Sokka, stop it... You know you don't have any right to do that anymore. You lost it a long time ago." I muttered.
He frowned, and did as he was told. I didn't want him touching me, but at the same time, I wanted him all over me. I wanted his hands in my hair and his lips on mine, but I also wanted him out of my house.
The conflicting feelings in my head gave me a headache, and I got up to get a drink. I walked to the kitchen—still holding the pillow to my stomach—and poured myself some water.
He followed, and held my hand. "One more chance. All I ask for is one more chance" he pleaded.
I frowned and turned at him, crossing my arms. "One more chance? Bullshit. I've never believed in second chances, and who's to say you won't do it again?"
"Make an exception."
"Absolutely not."
"Make an exception" he frowned, saying this more forcefully. And I couldn't help myself.
I let the pillow I was holding in front of my stomach down, wrapped my arms around his neck, and kissed him. Yet when he picked me up and put me on the counter, I felt my stomach flatten.
It was entirely flat, as if I was no longer pregnant.
What was going on?
I moved my hand to it, and turned my head up at him with confusion. He kissed me, and I closed my eyes.
I had never been more confused, and I pulled away from him, looking down at my now flattened baby belly. I didn't think that was possible, and if it was, I probably should be rushing to the hospital right now.
My confusion was overwhelming until I snapped awake at the sound of Lin crying.
I looked around to process what had just happened, and frowned upon realizing I had been asleep.
That had all been a dream.
Even in my dreams I couldn't get what I wanted. Nothing ever worked out for me, and nothing ever would either. I wouldn't get the chance to have good karma.