Unfortunately, his physically. Fortunately, yours mentally (Part 1).
Slightly inspired by “Promise” - Laufey.
“It hurts to be something, It’s worse to be nothing with you.”
Yearner!Adult!Toph x Princess!F!Reader
Content: SFW/Implied NSFW, Fluff, heavy angst, hurt/comfort, light swearing, may contain grammatical errors, Not proofread, implied emotional self-harm, lore inaccuracies, slight TLOK spoilers, and etc.
Sypnosis: Being the princess of the Northern Water Tribe already gave you too much stress, but now you were expected to marry a guy you met thrice in your entire life? Now that was new. Running away probably wasn’t the best decision, but you weren’t completely helpless when Aang and Katara found you and decided you’d be in Toph’s supervision for the meantime.
a/n: been sitting in my drafts for a whole month so nobody better attack me on how bunssss it is😢 was gonna be a oneshot since this is my first fanfic but it would take me years to finish so im posting it in parts. HOPE U LIKE IT
❥ Ever since your older sister, Princess Yue, became the Moon Spirit, your father, Chief Arnook, decided that your wedding would happen when you're 21, becoming extremely overprotective of his last daughter, not wanting you to end up like Yue. He was determined to spend more time with you before you were required to be married to your arranged husband, Siku. You’ve asked him multiple times to let you choose your own partner, but he was convinced that it would be too “careless” and “dangerous” to let you choose God knows who.
❥ The day of your 21st birthday finally came. You were nervous, but it wasn't as extreme as the terrified pounding in your heart. It was as if your heart was ready to jump out of your body and eat you alive. It was then that you realized you weren't ready at all.
You were already engaged to Siku since you were 16. Sure, he was a decent guy; handsome, rich, intelligent, but you wouldn't really say so on the nice side. You've seen him yell at people for no reason and you for sure didn't wanna be tied down to someone who lacks human decency for the rest of your life. So, you did what you had to do.
❥ On the night of your birthday, you decided to run away. While Katara, Aang, and Sokka were on their way to celebrate your birthday, Sokka spotted you crossing one of the ice bridges wearing a dark cloak. They then decided to land Appa to see what was happening. You told them how you felt about this marriage, how unsure you are about marrying someone you barely knew. They ultimately agreed to bring you along to Republic City.
❥ This was definitely the first time you went to Republic City, though you've only ever been to the Southern Water Tribe. Aang chose to leave you in Toph's supervision for now. They dropped you off at her Metalbending Academy.
You were aware of who Toph Beifong was, who wasn't? She was one of the best Earthbenders ever. So, when Katara said that you'd be dropped off at Toph's place, you were extremely surprised and even more nervous. You? Meeting the Toph Beifong? It felt like you were on cloud 9. You've always admired how carefree and confident Toph was; she was the complete opposite of you, constantly being told what to do and what not to do. You sometimes wished you could live a life like hers someday.
❥ When you arrived at Toph's Metalbending Academy, it was pretty dark, but you could see that the academy was quite big, and in the middle of the training ground, Toph was there. When Appa landed safely, you started admiring the view around you, but your thoughts drifted elsewhere. You couldn't help but feel a pang of guilt after leaving your father behind, but you knew it was the right decision.
❥ Toph was skeptical of you at first, thinking that you were another spoiled brat who didn't know any better, but when Katara explained your situation, Toph let her guard down just a bit.
"Seriously? Now you're letting me babysit some princess?"
Toph says, with a slight scoff, "There was no real bite to it, but you could tell she was slightly irritated."
"She just needs a few days to stay, Toph. Just let her stay here for a few months until we can find her a permanent place."
Katara says in a soft yet understanding voice as she gets off Appa.
Toph stays silent for a bit before responding,
"Fine. I could use a little help with the chores here anyway."
She says before looking at you with her milky eyes,
"Alright, princess. Follow me."
You follow her instantly, not wanting to make her any more irritated. Though you found her attitude quite irritating.
❥ It’s been a month since you moved in with Toph in the academy. It was actually pretty easy to get along with Toph, just don’t do things that could potentially piss her off, but other than that she’s pretty fun to hang out with.
You’ve recently started training Waterbending with Katara since you barely knew how to defend yourself. After the lessons, surprisingly, Toph agreed to spar with you and would even leave snarky comments if you ever missed her by just a few inches. Toph can sometimes be hard-headed, but you were still thankful that she took you in knowing that she could’ve left you in the streets.
Toph didn't really have an issue with you whatsoever. Though, she couldn't figure out why she instantly felt a strange connection with you, knowing you’ve only been here a few weeks. Maybe it was when she’d ask you a question and you’d answer truthfully every time, not that you’d have anything to gain by lying in the first place. She trusted you enough to give you a nickname, Pebbles. Sure, it wasn't really original since she used it years ago, but it fit you too well.
❥ You were sitting at the front steps of the academy, observing Toph spar with her students as she destroyed them one by one. You look up at the sky realizing it was almost sunset, and you call over Toph to tell her it was time to go on a journey to the market. This was one of your daily routines with Toph.
“Seriously? It's that time already?”
Toph absolutely despises going to the market since she thinks it's “boring”, but hey, you make it a lot less boring.
You take her to the market to buy ingredients for your dinner tonight. You needed one more item to complete your dinner, so, you approached one of the stalls that sold tomatoes. The vendor noticed you were heading to his stall and quickly hid the wooden sign that said “2 Yuan”
“Excuse me Sir, how much are the tomatoes?”
You asked politely, picking up one of the tomatoes to check its quality.
“Hmm.. Normally they would be 7 yuan since these are beautifully harvested, but for you, I’ll make it 5 yuan.”
The strange vendor says with a smug grin playing on his face, obviously trying to squeeze you for some more money.
“You’re lying. You’re a terrible liar, I can practically feel you shaking on the ground.”
Toph retorted to the vendor. You knew she hated liars and this guy was especially bad at it.
The vendor laughs nervously before responding.
“Uhh.. Actually, the prices just went down to 2 Yuan! What a coincidence!”
You couldn't help but chuckle a bit at the obvious lie, but then you noticed it's almost getting dark. You quickly purchased 2 tomatoes and headed back to the academy.
❥ After finishing both your meals, you both got ready for bed. You were in Toph’s room, brushing out her long jet-black hair.
“Is this really necessary? My hair doesn't need all this caring y’know.”
She said with an irritated pout on her lips. She was extremely impatient when it came to taking care of herself, frankly, she never even really thought about how she looked until you came along.
“Of course it does! Just cause you’re blind doesn't make your appearance any less important.”
You responded teasingly. It wasn’t a lie though, Toph was indeed beautiful, and you knew she could tell you weren't lying.
Toph lets out a loud yawn before responding.
“Must be true then. Fine, I’ll let you brush my hair just for a little longer.”
She liked it when you complimented her looks, not that she really cared about it. Though, it did make her want to put more care into her appearance.
You noticed her obnoxiously loud yawn and chuckled a bit.
“You seem tired. Don’t worry, I’ll wrap this soon. You need your rest to y’know.”
You stated calmly as you quickened your pace.
Toph’s milky eyes widened slightly, quickly replying.
“I know I do, but that yawn was nothing. I yawn all the time! It’s not anything outta the ordinary, you’re thinking too much. Just.. Keep going until I say so, got that?”
Toph leaned her head closer to you, insisting that you continue.
You laughed loudly, before going on with whatever you were doing.
❥ You’ve met Toph for nearly a year now. Not much has changed, but it was obvious that you both grew a lot closer.
You’ve just completed your lessons with Katara. Now, it was your turn to demonstrate what you had learned to Toph. However, you always got the feeling that this was her way of trying to kill you, she always showed no mercy on you! Though, you can’t deny that she helped you improve by a lot.
When Toph reached the training grounds, she smirked, looking at you mockingly,
“Ready to train hard today, Pebbles? Let’s see if you can land a hit on me this time.”
Unfortunately for you, you were once again defeated. Though, you did manage to leave a slight bruise on her shoulder earlier, which boosted your ego by just a bit.
Now, you’ve known you had feelings for Toph, for a few months now actually. Sure, she was sometimes annoying, but she showed you that home can be in the form of a person. She was someone you adored deeply. You’ve thought about telling her your growing love for her, but each time you tried, you swore you could’ve peed your pants out of sheer nervousness.
It wasn’t that you were afraid of rejection, you could take that easily. You figured that since you were already engaged with Siku, the chance of you two getting together was extremely low. You knew that you’d never end up together, and that was fine. As long as it meant you’d spend most of your days with Toph, it was a better outcome than any confession could give.
❥ It was already quite dark, and you both were in Toph’s room. You were attempting to heal the bruise you accidentally caused during training after she complained that it “hurt badly.” You didn't believe her, but you didn't say anything.
Toph would never admit it, but she appreciated it when you took care of her, brushing her hair or healing her bruises after training, as you’re doing now. She cherished the time she got to spend with you since she barely got to. She liked the thought of having someone trustworthy enough that she could share quiet moments with.
Toph suddenly yelped in discomfort before scolding me.
“Ow! Can’t you go any slower, Pebbles?!”
“I- Excuse you?! I’m trying, but your hand won't stay still. I can practically feel your nervousness from here.”
You shot back at her with a light pout on your face. It was pretty normal for you guys to argue over small stuff. Somehow, you were always the one to start it.
You weren’t really wrong about her nervousness either. She was tense, but for a totally different reason. The real reason was how close you were to her, and she could practically feel your breath on her neck.
Toph coughs a bit to break the awkwardness before asking a question.
“Are you really not going to go back and marry that prick? I know I know, should’ve asked this a long time ago, but I can’t help asking.”
She asked as if she wanted to hear the answer she wished for.
You thought about it for a minute before answering.
“Definitely not! He’s too cocky and bossy, I can't stand guys like him.”
You declared mockingly.
“Sounds like an awful lot like me.. Is this your way of saying you secretly dislike me?”
Toph says mockingly, she didn't mean it, of course, but it would feel good to hear some reassurance.
You chuckled a bit as you finished healing her bruise.
“Hey, even if you are sometimes annoying, you’re actually fun to have around. You guys aren’t alike at all!”
You retorted back before dropping the water on top of Toph’s head, causing her to be soaking wet.
It was almost midnight so you ultimately decided to head back to your room. You stood up, but before you could even begin to move, Toph grabbed your hand tightly.
“You aren’t going anywhere, you're staying with me tonight.”
She said as she pulled you back down beside her.
“What? I haven’t even agreed to it yet..”
“Well, were you gonna say no?”
She waited for your answer, though she already knew what it was.
“I was seriously considering it, but I guess saying no to you isn’t an option..”
❥ Toph could barely sleep that night. Her thoughts were filled with you and she couldn’t explain why. She started overthinking, what if you returned to the North Pole? What if you chose that man over her? She felt like a mess, she couldn't keep hiding it forever.
Toph never told anyone about her growing feelings for you, she always assumed that it was because you were the only person that she could easily spend time with. Unlike Katara and the rest of the Gaang, they were pretty busy with work. You were really the only person who was around 24/7, and honestly, she would’ve never chosen anyone else to spend her days with.
She loved you, more than words could express. So, she showed it through her actions, always helping you out with chores, complimenting your cooking, and even spending quiet nights like this with you. Hell, if she were given the chance to marry you, she’d accept it in a heartbeat.
She planned on telling you, she really did, but she knew that it wouldn't work out. She figured that since you were already engaged to Siku, you two could never be together.
Maybe getting some rest would relax her a tad bit, she thought, but remembering the betrothal necklace you mentioned to her kept the nightmares lingering. She knew she had to tell you soon, she just had to wait for the perfect time. She was willing to do anything at all to keep you by her side.
❥ One morning, Aang and Katara arrived at the academy urgently. You saw them land Appa at the training ground and Katara rushing down to hand you what looked like a letter. You and Toph rushed outside to check what was going on.
Katara handed you a letter with a concerned look,
“Your dad sent us a letter, he knows you’re staying with Toph and needs you to return to the North Pole.”
“…Did he say why? There has to be a reason. He wouldn’t just send a letter for no reason.”
You urgently opened the letter, reading it thoroughly; your face turning pale as you continued to go over each word.
“The North Pole’s running out of resources, Siku’s parents can help but in return, I’d need to agree to the wedding.”
You paused for a long moment before ultimately deciding on your final decision.
“Tell my dad I’ll be back home by next week.”
You stated sternly, leaving no room for argument. They knew this wasn’t your decision, it was your father’s.
“Are you sure? The second I-“
“Yes, I’m sure.”
You cut Katara off harshly.
Meanwhile, Toph felt her heart drop. Her eyes shot wide open as she let your words sink in; there's no way you’d actually leave her, right? That’s what Toph wanted to think, at least. She knew you were sincere the entire time, but this was the first time she wished she was wrong.
❥ That evening, you were once again in Toph’s room, gently brushing out her hair before heading to bed. You both stayed silent the entire day, neither of you attempting to break the silence. That is, until Toph decided to.
“You’re not changing your mind... are you?"
She questioned, her voice unusually reserved.
“Even if I wanted to, I... I just can’t..”
You paused for a bit, letting your fingers run through her hair.
Toph turned to face you, her face filled with frustration as you met her cloudy eyes. You felt her fingers tracing your jaw before her thumb traced your lips. She leans in closer, her lips brushing against yours lightly. She slowly closed the gap between you before finally pressing her lips against yours ever so gently.
Your breath hitched slightly, but instead of pulling away, you cupped her cheek and kissed her back tenderly as you felt her arm slowly wrap around your waist. You both stayed in that position for a while, that was until you felt her tears trickle down your knuckles. You decided to pull away to brush away her tears, but it was no use. Before you could say anything else, Toph broke down in tears, letting out a loud sob, and you knew exactly why.
You both knew you loved each other, yet neither of you wanted to admit it. You both knew that no matter how strong your feelings were, you were destined to be with another man. So you both pretended that being friends was something you were both content with, but you knew it wasn’t. Now, all that hiding caused her to fall apart. She was tired of pretending that she didn’t want you, tired of pretending that the thought of you marrying someone else didn't destroy her.
Toph buried her face in your shoulder, her breath quickly coming out in hitched gasps.
“Don’t l-leave me... Please.. Fuck. I.. I love you...”
She pleaded, her voice shaky and quiet.
You cupped her cheeks, placing a quick kiss on top of her head before responding.
“I won’t. I promise.”
That moment alone nearly made you rethink your decision.
❥ You spent the night making love with Toph, even though you knew you shouldn't. You knew this was wrong, and she did too, but neither of you cared. Toph was someone important to you, and every second needed to be spent with her. You knew you’d eventually have to let her go, but the very idea of it nearly ends you right on the spot.
Toph on the other hand knew your promise was nothing but a hoax to keep her grounded, but to her, it felt real enough for her to keep believing that you’d stay with her. To her, that night was hell and heaven in one.
