Pure Tokka One-shots(ATLA)

I won't let go

"I don't think boomerang is coming back, Toph!" Pain and hopelessness dripping in his strained voice. His leg was searing with white hot flashes of pain, his eyes stung from tears and ash, and his shoulder felt like it was being pulled from its socket as he held the fingers of the slipping girl.

Toph's eyes were as blank as usual, but filled with unfallen tears as a horrified look struck her face. She said nothing, lips pulled back in a tight line, fingers still clenching his. The only thing the blind bender could feel was him.

Just as Sokka prepared to push himself off the metal platform to fall with the girl, one of the war balloons came crashing into the side of the one they were on.

"Suki came back!!" The teen shouted with relief, tightening his grip on Toph's fingers before dropping them both down onto the new blimp. He immediately crumpled from the unbearable pain in his leg, cradling the damaged limb and hissing.

Toph was at his side instantly, hands on his shoulder, worry mixing with her terror. "Sokka? Are you okay?" She asked frantically. Sokka couldn't respond, pain blocking his voice, but he grabbed one of Toph's pale hands and squeezed it in a death grip. Toph squeezed back and took a deep breath.

Neither noticed Suki who ran up top to meet them. " We gotta get off this thing!" She yelled. Toph quickly helped brace Sokka as they ran after Suki, sliding down the opposite end of the war balloon and jumping into the shallow water. Suki also helped carry Sokka's weight as they all limped onto dry land. They all collapsed to rest on the shore, gulping in air.

Sokka's leg was definitely broken, so Suki grabbed a piece of metal from the destroyed balloons and Toph quickly metalbended a cast for Sokka to wear, which was a bit difficult because she had to do it one handed. Sokka hadn't said a word, gritting his teeth from pain and refusing to ease his grip on the blind girl.

The water slowly began to rise and cover the still burning flames, effectively putting out all the fires. The three kids gasped, knowing what this meant.

"Let's go! Aang won! We won!!" Suki screamed in excitement, Toph breathed a huge sigh of relief she didn't realize she was holding, and she was back to gasping when she was yanked up into a bone-crushing hug by a crying Sokka.

"Tui and La, it's over." The boy breathed into her messy black hair, tears wetting her head. "Thank Yue, Toph." He whispered. The earthbender was a bit surprised but understood how he felt, relaxing in the hug and patting his back, grinning into his chest.

"Let's go see Aang, Meathead."

The whole way up the rocky platform, Suki and Toph helped Sokka, Toph's hand starting to go numb from how hard he still held it.

Finally his hand released her's as he leaned on Suki and they made fun of the fallen Phoenix King, congratulating the avatar. Once Katara and Zuko arrived on Appa to get them, Zuko helped Sokka onto Appa's new saddle and Katara healed his leg as much as she could, numbing the pain and stopping any bleeding.

The Gaang sat in a relieved, weightless silence, and Toph blindly looked to the clouds, wind whipping her hair out of the already loose bun, dark locks flying free behind her. Nobody commented on how Sokka stared at the blind girl, once again holding her hand, but not in the tight grip from before. He locked their fingers together gently and pressed their intertwined hands to his still racing heart, smiling the softest smile at her.

He never would have let her fall. At least not alone.