Drabble: Letting Go (Tokka)

[avocado_love]

For

tehlobster 'cause she's not feeling well, and I can't give chicken soup over the internets ;D (Get better soon!!!!)

 

 

 

When the airship had cracked in half with Suki on one side and him on the other, Sokka had screamed out her name. But in the end, he turned away… he had his mission to accomplish, things to destroy and the Earth Kingdom to save. His heart was being ripped into two, but there was nothing he could do for her.

 

And when he lay on his back on the metal platform, his leg twisted backwards to a wrong angle, Toph’s weight on his arm pure agony… he couldn’t let go. Boomerang and Space Sword were gone, firebenders were rushing in on all sides, the remaining airships were going to lay waste to the land, but letting go of Toph's clasped hand was out of the question.

 

“I don’t think Boomerang is coming back, Toph.” He could feel her grip sliding from his. He squeezed his eyes shut, willing his hand to be strong. She didn’t weigh all that much, but he couldn't anchor himself with his broken leg…  She was pulling him down, tilting him off the edge.

“I think this is the end.”

 
He saw her tears, but she didn't cry out. Didn't beg for him to hold on. Maybe she knew already that letting to was out of the option.

His hand stayed locked around hers. The only way she was going to fall is if he went down with her.

A rolling shudder went though the ship. Sokka looked back, his eyes widened. Another ship had cut under them at ramming speed – the point of impact sending up a blossom of fire.

 

He let go, and rolled off to join her.

 

The fall wasn’t so great. She landed and rolled. He instinctively landed on his feet and crumpled at once, crying out, and clutching his injured knee.

 

Toph crawled over to him, hands at his chest and his face as if to make sure he was still in one peice. She was shaken and there were tear tracks down her cheeks, but she was alive. Even pumped to the gills with adrenaline, about to throw up from the pain in his leg, and mostly sure he was gonna die a firey-crashy death any second… Sokka thought her determined expression, completely free of fear, was the most beautiful thing he had ever seen.

 

“How did that happen?” Toph asked. “Did Boomerang come back?”

 

“No.” He looked up and grinned, despite the pain, seeing Suki up near the rudder controls. “Suki did.”

 

Toph grinned back at him and put his arm across her shoulders, helping him pull himself to his feet.

 

He owed Suki, like, a million kisses for saving him and Toph today.

 

Sokka didn’t realize it at that moment, or even for years afterwards. At the moment of crisis, he had let Suki go, but he never had with Toph. Seeing Suki fall away from him had pierced his heart… it would have been unthinkable to see the same thing happen to Toph.

 

He would have died, first.

 

Comments

[tehlobster.livejournal.com]

Oh, my gosh. This. Eeeeeeee! *runs around in happy circles*

You are seriously awesome, dear! I was feeling SO crappy, and then I saw this, and now, OK, I still feel bad, but I'm in a great mood, and that makes a huge difference.

And the fic, it was seriously wonderful. Just, whoa. It took my breath away.

[thecolourclear.livejournal.com]

Ah! Toph/Sokka! I love it!

[miki-km.livejournal.com]

:)

[katherine-lupin.livejournal.com]

Lovely ^_^