Tokka One Shots

Panic

(Modern AU)

    She was freaking out. She's never been in a room with so many people. She gets pushed around as people walking by shoved passed her through the packed ballroom. Her feet felt like they were glued to the ground, unable to move from where she stood in the center of the room. It was so overwhelming.

     Suddenly the glue-like feel on her feet faded and she bolted out of the room, looking for any escape from the crowd.

***

     "I'll be right back!" That was the last thing Sokka heard from his sister. It has been an hour since she left him at the snack table to go "talk" with Aang.

He gazed around the room as he took a sip of his sixth glass of punch that night, looking for something to amuse him at this boring block party his neighborhood is having. He wondered why he even came to this pointless celebration then he remembered it was for Toph.

     A couple hours before the party, his sister told him about the event that she planned with some other neighbors that night. He immediately refused the late invitation, he already had plans to lay in bed all night scrolling through social media and shutting people out for once in his extrovertive life.

Sokka continued to argue with his sister until she mentioned that she also invited their good friends Aang and Toph, though he only heard the Toph part.

Recently, he's grown fond of the blind earth bender, he enjoying her sarcastic and wild nature that complimented his own, though he didn't really know what the feeling was. So at the mention of her he snapped a yes, leaving his sister a little suspicious of his sudden agreement but she shrugged it off, focusing on the fact that she got her way.

When they arrived at the large, rented ballroom he didn't expect there to be as many people as there were, living in a relatively small neighborhood. He just assumed people invited friends like they had.

     The remembrance of how he ended up at this "block party of boredom" made him wonder where Toph was, he hadn't seen her night.

As if the universe responded to him, he saw a familiar black-bunned girl bolt through the crowd of people and out the door of the ballroom. Though he couldn't see her much, she seemed nervous or rather frightened. He pushed through the crowd to go after her, worried for his long time friend. She's never been the scared type, from what he's seen at least.

     He reached the entrance and burst through the clear glass doors to find a heavily breathing Toph.

     "Hey, hey, what's wrong?" Sokka asked as he approached the rapidly pacing girl.

He placed his hands on her shoulders and turned her to face him causing Toph to tensed up at the sudden touch. She was surprised that he was here, she didn't feel him coming, but didn't focus on the feeling of shock as she was too busy taking in uncontrollable, anxious filled breaths.

     "S-So...many...people," Toph stammered in between breaths as she stood there wide-eyed.

     "Toph," Sokka said sternly, gripping her forearms tightly and bending down to her face level.

The sudden and assertive words interrupted Toph's train of thought, her attention now on the boy who was inches away from her face.

     "I need you to calm down, okay? Take deep breaths, in and out." Sokka demonstrated the breathing pace he wanted her to match.

Her breathing slowed down in an attempt to match his but it was still fast. He instinctively pulled her into his chest, wrapping his arms around her shoulders and resting his hand on her head, hoping it would help and comfort her.

     Sokka felt Toph's breathing slowing down against his chest and eventually stop after a little while, her arms now lightly wrapping around his torso.

     "T-Thanks..." she choked out, slightly hugging him tighter.

"I'll always be here for you, Toph." he said, a small smile growing across his face.

     Sokka wanted to help Toph. Sokka wanted to protect Toph. Sokka wanted to be with Toph. These now strongly felt emotions made Sokka realize what his sudden sprout of feelings for Toph was. It was love.