knight toph x princess!reader (pt. 3)
content: slow burn (?? question mark), fluff, falling in love, fem!reader, brief mentions of SA/slight gore, misogyny.. i think that’s it? most of the tags are in the previous parts!!
summary: i’ll think of one later zzzzz
author’s note: a little tired so this isn’t proofread! will check for mistakes later <3 this started out nice and then.. idk.. i feel like i got sloppier around the end. i hope it isn’t too noticeable bc i still like it 😓 also going on a small break after this, you can read the post here icymi!
wc: 4.7k // prev. part here.
⤷ art creds: sleemonkv on X! — toph masterlist!
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“alright then,” toph stretches her limbs before giving you a final bow. “are you really sure you don’t want me to stay the night?”
“don’t be ridiculous,” you huff, blushing at the implication even though she didn’t mean it. “a knight can’t stay the night with a princess, and i am not in need of your assistance any longer. i have troubled you enough as is.”
she smiles, tapping your forehead with her armored finger, “my job is to be troubled by you, princess.”
you hate how unfairly sweet her tongue is, able to disarm you in a matter of seconds. “.. you.. j-just leave already!”
“if you say so.” and with that, her hand finds the top of your head to give it a gentle pat, then the heavy thudding of her steps echoes through the ridiculously huge room.
you watch her retreating figure, and a quiet panic seizes your heart.
you really, really didn’t want to be alone tonight. that was the truth, but you couldn’t find it in yourself to make her stay. she’d already done so much for you today, she deserved rest too. and the last thing you wanted right now was to indulge your spoiled whims more — you went through most of your life without help, and you weren’t about to ruin that streak now. you wouldn’t abuse her kindness simply because she offered you a hand and a shoulder to cry on.
she stops by the door, giving you a final smile before closing it after her, “good night, your highness.”
the shutting click feels so unbearably loud, piercing through the silence like a pebble through water.
you let out a shaky sigh, looking down at your lap, “.. good night.”
the night is long and restless, filled with the constant sound of the sheets rustling as you toss and turn, the awful memories plaguing your mind.
but the more that evening plays through your head, the more the man’s face gradually blurs, and toph’s seems to shine more gloriously than ever before.
you recall it all so vividly; the spurt of gushing blood, the slice of steel through the cold air, the whipping of her hair when she slid the helmet off.
she was so beautiful.
those milky eyes as white as the rising moon, her skin so soft unlike what you’d expect of a knight of her caliber, her features so pretty it felt criminal to hide them behind that hunk of metal..
but more than anything, she was so strong.
the tales of her fights served her justice, but witnessing it for yourself was a wholly different experience. in only a few seconds, the edge of her blade found the perfect spot on his neck, cutting through like it wasn’t human flesh and bone but soft fruit, his severed head rolling off on the grass in its entirety, the slice so clean for a sightless woman..
a shiver went up your spine.
so, this was toph beifong.
by the umpteenth loop of the memory, you’d almost completely forgotten what the man looked like, like he’d never existed at all. instead, toph’s face took up all your thoughts, increasing in beauty and detail each time. you curl up on your wide bed, hugging your plushie tighter, a small reluctant smile tugging at your lips as your eyes finally flutter shut.
sleep soon claims you, lulled by the repeat of toph’s honeyed words in your mind.
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you wake up at the first chirp of a robin at your window, its tiny beak poking at the glass. you’d normally huff and roll over at the unwelcome noise, but today you were more than grateful for this small bird indicating the start of a new day.
yes, it was a completely new, untainted day, for you to forget everything and start over. you get off the bed, hair as mussy as that very bird’s nest, pulling down your ridden up gown.
you reach for your small stash of seeds and berries, tucked in a corner of your closet to escape your father’s judgment, dropping a few on your hand and heading back over to your window.
you open it, the cold breeze of early autumn mornings hitting your still sleep-warm face, then you stick your palm out, watching the little hungry creature dig in and occasionally pinch your skin.
you sigh softly, your breath coming out smokey as you take in the wispy fog around the castle, the sky a soft blue.
the sun was just beginning to rise.
when your hand’s empty, you roll your eyes fondly at its relentless nipping. “that’s enough, you greedy thing. shoo.”
you give its fuzzy head a slight nudge, and it takes off to go pester someone else.
you never usually woke up this early, so your maids hadn’t come to tend to you and dress you yet. your bare feet softly pad across the floor until you reach your door, opening it slowly to confirm the emptiness of the hallways.
your head pokes out to the right, drinking in the completely unoccupied corridor; it is indeed too early for anyone else to be up. you’re about to snicker when your eyes slowly drift to the left, and a startled gasp almost leaves your lips before you quickly muffle it with your hands over your mouth.
what the hell?
a knight was stationed by your room, the tip of their sword against the ground for support as their arms rested crossed over the hilt, soft snores escaping their half-off helmet.
this was scandalous. nobody was allowed near your chambers without permission!
your features scrunched up in shock and anger, and you were about to shove them awake when you noticed the familiar curve of their lips and the tip of their nose, the bottom half of their face having slipped out of their headgear.
you squint.
“toph!?” you spit out when the realization dawns on you, and your doubts are confirmed when she stirs, her tongue darting out to moisten her dry lips. “mm.. your highness. so early..”
you blink, heart still racing from the jumpscare, watching her drowsily sheathe the blade back around her waist.
you stare at her, confused, before your face twists into a sterner frown. “toph beifong.”
she slides her helmet off, rubbing at her half-lidded eyes, “.. yes, your highness?”
“.. how long have you been here?” you ask pointedly, crossing your arms over your chest.
“i just came here, princess.” she answers casually, but her disheveled appearance does anything but aid her lies.
“did you stay here the whole night?”
“no.”
“beifong.”
“…” she scratches the back of her head, “.. uh, i like it here?”
you sigh, grabbing hold of her armored hand and pulling her into your room. “i ordered you to leave me last night.”
she hums as you shut the door behind you both, “i thought you might need me.”
“but i told you i wouldn’t,” you step over to her and give her chest a frustrated prod. “you could have gotten into a lot of trouble if someone spotted you, a knight, waiting by my chambers without permission. do you think they would assume your intentions pure?”
“but i am a woman.”
“even if!” you rub your temples, a helpless blush rising up your cheeks. “that aside, you still didn’t have to do this. i know it might not have been obvious enough yesterday, but i am a perfectly capable woman. i don’t need you to lose sleep over me, or guard me all night.”
“so stubborn,” she complains sleepily, lifting your chin with her index. “i simply wanted to guard you that night. was my presence really that unwelcome?”
“i..” you trail off, her gaze softening as she tilts her head. “tell me, princess. look me in the eyes and tell me you didn’t want my help in the slightest.”
“o-of course i didn’t.”
her thumb finds your bottom lip, tugging it down. “you’re lying. i can tell by your heartbeat.”
your mouth moves in useless shapes, before you decide on lowering your gaze and grumbling under your breath, “.. that’s not fair at all.”
her touch urges you to lift your head again, “it’s alright to ask for help, princess.”
“i know that.”
“clearly not.”
“you don’t know me.”
“i know enough. you’re too proud.”
“i don’t wanna hear that from you, of all people.”
she sighs, “i’m not trying to argue, princess. i just want you to admit that you did secretly want me to stay the night.”
“…”
“mhm?”
you huff, and she smiles at the feel of your lips puckering up into a pout under her finger. “.. just a little.”
she shrugs, “i’ll take that.”
you push her towards your bed, cheeks flushed, “yeah, yeah, whatever. just go to sleep, you must be exhausted.”
“i really am!” she groans as she falls face first into your plush pillows. “wow, these are the softest pillows i’ve ever felt in my life. you royals really go all out with everything, huh. oh,” her curious hand feels up a nearby object, which turns out to be your plushie after further inspection. her grin widens, giving it a squeeze, “aw, what’s this? princess still sleeps with children’s toys?”
“tophhh!!!” you lunge at her with a whine, trying to pry it off her grasp, face redder than ever before. “give it back!”
“no wayyy,” she laughs and you want to cry at how useless you are in front of her strong bulk, managing to keep you at bay with her left hand on your forehead alone. she coos, nuzzling it mockingly, “i wanna sleep with cute teddy too.”
“i-i hate you so much!!” you settle for grabbing a pillow and tossing it at her face, which only causes more sleepy giggles to erupt from her throat. you grab the blanket and throw it over her entire figure, “go to sleep! forever!”
“i sure will.” the thick blanket does nothing to hide the smugness in her muffled voice, “especially with this adorable.. plushie whatever thing keeping me company. mhm, puts me right to sleep. ow!”
you give her a final hit with your pillow before stomping away, embarrassed. “whatever, just sleep. and don’t make a noise, lest anyone should find you.”
her head peeks out from the blanket, “but won’t your personal attendants come in here, your highness?”
you sift through your large collection of dresses, up on your tip toes, “i’ll get ready by myself and leave before they come, so no. just be off before eleven, understood?”
…
you look back over your shoulder and bite back a snort; she was already sound asleep.
it took you several attempts and lots of cursing to finally get into all the layers of your dress without help, having only rarely done this before, and more disgruntled grunts accompanied your tedious hair styling.
you pat down your bodice, taking in every angle of your dress in the mirror, quite satisfied with the results.
the sky is brighter and your helpers will be here any minute now. you take one last glance at toph, who had kicked half the blanket off in her sleep, and your eyes rove over her armored body.
you frown.
sleeping in that had to hurt!
the clock read 7:32 AM, so you still had a little bit of time left. you lift your dress off the floor, making your way to her unmoving form.
you slowly reach for her shoulders, gently shifting her to try and find how the hell this gear came off. it never crossed your mind that you seriously had no idea how they put their armor on.
you spot the leather straps around her different joints, and your delicate fingers try working them open without waking her, and this process absolutely puts your earlier struggles to shame.
what was the deal with hard clothes today?!
“ahh..” you sigh softly, pleased when the breastplate finally comes off. you’re about to smile at your success when you realize how terrible this looks. you were undressing a sleeping woman!
you shake your head, already growing warm with fluster. hey, this was completely, totally innocent. yes, the armor had to be bugging her.
your eyes do — through no fault of your own — drift to her chest for a moment, admiring the beige linen snug against the beautiful swells, and you quickly look away in shame.
you were two women anyway, so this was not wrong, right?
and with that flimsy excuse, you allow yourself to look again. even though you were now well aware that she was a woman, this felt like even more concrete, face-slapping evidence. your gaze travels back to her unfairly pretty face, bits of saliva leaking out of her lips.
you grimace at the vulgar sight, fishing out your handkerchief to clean it up. it was not lady-like to drool so shamelessly in your sleep.
as you dab it off her cheek, a weird sense of envy settles in your chest. she didn’t have to be lady-like.
she could drool in her sleep and spar with men. lead battalions and drink lots of beer. her orders were as absolute as a man’s, with strength just as equal if not better.
she didn’t even need anyone to protect her like you did — she could do anything she wanted without the slightest fear or worry in the world.
you chew on your bottom lip. it wasn’t fair; she was everything you wished you could be.
you snap out of your thoughts, running out of time, and find the rest of the tied up knots to undo.
you finish taking off most pieces of her armor, quietly setting them under your bed to avoid any suspicious clanking, then you softly brush all the hair away from her face, some of the strands sticking with sweat.
you give her another once-over (well, a thrice-over), and your jealousy bubbles at how different her body is than yours.
the fabric is tight against thick, toned arms and legs, as opposed to your weaker figure. your whole life you had heard how muscle suited men and was utter blasphemy on women, that it emasculated them and stripped them off their natural beauty and femininity.
if that was true, then why was the woman laying before you the most beautiful girl you’d ever seen?
she didn’t look masculine at all — far from it. it felt like the very definition of womanhood rewrote itself in your head when you saw her.
she looked like the woman of your dreams.
a soft blush tints your cheeks when you realize what your thought sounds like.
erm— you meant the woman you dreamt of being, of course.
pairs of steps reach your ears from the hallway, so you quickly pull the blanket over her body once more, clutching the hem of your dress and walking off.
they’re met with you the second you go out the door. perfect timing.
you notice their mouths open in confusion, about to ask how and why you’re fully dressed up so early and without their help — but you save them the conversation by striding off briskly. “i just wanted to get ready by myself today. come now, join me for some breakfast.”
your assured tone thankfully lets nothing slide, and so they follow suit, wordlessly joining your sides.
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you spend the day sipping on your tea, strolling around the gardens to gaze at your lovely flower collection. you’d briefly joined your father for a meeting — a dreadfully boring one that had you counting the ridges of your fingertips — before politely excusing yourself. it’s not like they ever listened to your suggestions anyway, too busy gawking at the only woman in the room to care about her words.
you walk around the castle, your gown collecting some dust, when you find the knights’ training ground.
you come closer, the clashes of steel and the grunts and moans growing louder as you do, and your gaze falls on the oh so familiar silhouette fighting three men simultaneously.
mhm. so, she did wake up and successfully leave through your window without arousing suspicion.
good.
loud cackles resound through her helmet, two of the men knocked down as the tip of her sword grazes the last one’s chin, his shaky arms up in surrender. “that all you got?” she gives him a light slap with the flat surface of the blade, taking a step back. “pretty fat loss for such cocky boys. thought you could take me on if you teamed up, do you realize how stupid that sounds now?”
“yes, general beifong..” they mumble together in defeat, and a small smile tugs at your lips at the sight.
you’d been silently watching them, back pressed against the wall a few feet away from them, when her head suddenly turned your way.
you can’t see her eyes on you, hidden behind metal, but the mere acknowledgment of your presence from so far away causes your breath to slightly hitch.
once again, calloused hands find the heavy headgear, sliding it off as pools of black hair swirl and drop down her back. for the amount of times she’s done this, it’s impressive how captivated it gets you each and every time.
she calls out to you, her helmet tucked under her armpit and a furiously charming smirk plastered on her face, “is that you, your highness!?”
“y-yes!” you reply back, voice cracking at the amount of eyes on you, all the soldiers leaning and twisting to catch a glimpse of you. she beckons you closer, and while the gesture would normally offend a royal like you, you find yourself bunching up your dress as you step over the rocks, going over to her.
she brushes back her thick, sweaty hair, her stance much softer when you stand in front of her. she gives you a big grin, “come to watch me train, princess?”
the heavy, insisting gazes on you made you shift in discomfort, but you tried replying normally nonetheless. “no, i— .. i just happened to pass by.”
she hums, a sweet allure to her eager smile, “i see. did you see how great i was? how i absolutely swept the ground with these idiots? you should give it a try, princess.”
you perk up, eyes widening, before you shake your head vehemently. “i-i couldn’t. i’ve never ever held a sword like yours before.”
she leans down, pale eyes accurately set on yours, “well, do you want to?”
you’d heard that question many times in the past — but it was always mocking, condescending, rhetorical. you tensed up reflexively, but slowly relaxed when you noted no hint of sarcasm in her voice.
you blink, incredulous.
a knight scoffs from behind her, his steps loud against the ground as he comes stand next to both of you. he glares daggers into her, “what are you doing, general beifong? this is the princess. how dare you suggest she sullies her soft hands with dirty male duties? just because you’re a failure of a woman doesn’t mean you can lump our beloved king’s daughter in with you.”
your body instantly locks up in response, the words grating on your nerves like nails on a chalkboard.
you want to speak but toph beats you to it, “so, pretty princess. do you want to?”
huh?
you look at her, confused, her smile warm like he didn’t speak at all. you glance between them both, and you watch his face redden in irritation, “do not ignore me, beifong! this is foolish, even for you. you may do whatever you want, but our princess is off limits. you can’t take your selfish desires out on her just because you’re—”
“selfish desires?” she laughs, and it’s humorless. she gives him the most scathing look, “hilarious, coming from the people who want her to be nothing more than an obedient, pretty doll. drop the benevolent act.”
to that, he sneers, “you think you know better than us soldiers, who have sworn to protect our princess from all danger at the cost of our lives?”
“so have i.” she spits out. you don’t know when it happens, but the tip of her sword is already hovering over the knight’s neck, grazing it when the thick ripple of his nervous swallow travels down his throat.
she isn’t smiling anymore. “how about we hear the princess’ desires from her mouth herself, hm?”
he casts you a scornful glance, that he quickly smothers to appeal to your emotions.
she gazes back down at you, soft and sweet again, like she didn’t currently have steel pressed against flesh. “what is it, princess? your word is rule. do you want to hold a sword?”
everyone is looking at you. it feels hard to breathe when so many men are looking at you so pitifully, like they’re ranks above you even though they’re at your command, your sex making them so entitled to impose their strength and beliefs upon you, as if despite being everything they weren’t, you were still only a helpless woman in their eyes.
it stung, badly.
but when you look into toph’s eyes, so confident and reassuring, you see what you could be.
your fingers curl around your dress, and you inhale deeply, “.. i do. i want to.”
her sword is swiftly flipped in her grasp like one would twirl a pen, and she hits his chest with the hilt. hard. even with the breastplates protecting him, he staggers back and falls over.
“good job,” her armoured hand gives your head a gentle pat. “that’s the stubborn princess i know.”
under her protection, it all felt so.. easy. your eyes swept over the knights, and you couldn’t understand how you’d ever felt uneasy and scared of them before.
some begin grumbling, spitting and cussing at toph for “tainting their princess”.
her lips part open, but this time you snap first. “get out of here,” you bark at them, your heart racing a thousand miles a minute despite the brave front you were putting up. “that’s an order.”
you don’t elaborate, and you don’t need to. they can look down on you all they want, but disobeying a royal order could earn them the guillotine.
she whistles as they all sheathe their swords, departing with a slow drag of their feet.
“so strict,” she teases, ruffling your hair. “are you ready for some sword practice, your majesty?”
you let out a deep exhale you didn’t know you were holding, then you nod against her hand, which leaves your head with a small pat.
“alright then,” and with that, you watch her suddenly slash the air in front of you. you frown, puzzled, until you hear the sound of fabric ripping.
you look down, and your eyes blow wide open in surprise when half of your gown is cleanly sliced off right above your knee, the heavy silk and tulle pooling around your feet.
you squeal in embarrassment, flushing completely red as you try to cover up your bare shins with your hands. “toph!? what the hell!!!!”
she chuckles, “relax, princess. nobody’s here, and i can’t even see. you didn’t actually think you could fight with a blade in all that poofiness, did you?”
“that ‘poofiness’ costs millions, toph!”
she rolls her eyes, “oh, please. you’re the king’s daughter, why do you care about money?”
you’re about to argue back when her hands suddenly grab yours, placing her sword in them.
“ah,” you’re taken off guard by its weight, needing both hands to properly grab it. how did she swing it around so effortlessly?
you tilt it, drinking in the beauty of its forging, her name and the king’s etched into either side.
“soon,” her fingers join yours, feeling up the markings. she smiles, “your name will be here too, when i serve you through your future rule.”
you flush scarlet, embarrassed by both the excessive flattery and the unlikeliness of the scenario. your grip tightens, “i.. i probably won’t be the next ruler. i’ll most likely be married off to some other prince.”
“is that what you want?”
you stare up at her, irritated and upset at the question. “that doesn’t matter. i’m a woman, there’s nothing i can do about it.”
“that’s not my question.” she states simply, to which you scoff. “.. no, it’s obviously not.”
she silently moves behind you, and you gasp softly when her arms wrap around your waist, her fingers entwining with yours against the hilt. she breathes into your ear, “then do something about it.”
you swallow thickly, saddened eyes set on your joined grip, “i don’t know how to.”
“then learn.”
she begins moving, one hand guiding the sway of your blade, the other adjusting your stance by the hip.
“sword fighting isn’t actually about your arm strength,” a firmer press on the side of your thigh. “your whole body needs to be engaged, especially your core.”
swing.
a pat on the waist, “relax. you’re too tense.”
swing.
“your grip’s too tight, loosen your thumb and index.”
swing.
“good job, princess. don’t forget your feet.”
swing.
she lets go of your hands, satisfied with your grip, now holding both your hips. “you got it, now let’s just work on your positioning.”
you shift. “like this?”
another pat. “loosen up.. ah, not too much. there you go, good girl.”
you don’t feel the hours trickle by, unbridled joy coaxing the sweetest of giggles out of your mouth as toph trains you. the adrenaline felt so good, so unlike the peaceful knitting and the quiet gardening.
this was different.
toph seemed to relish this as much as you did, skillful hands already working you into mastering basic stances and average blade swinging. her praise might be over the top, but in the moment, you couldn’t bring yourself to care.
with bruises adorning your pretty knees for the first time, you’d never felt so free.
“much better,” she praises again, laughing with you as her arms wrap tightly around your middle. “see? you can totally do this. ruling this kingdom is gonna be just as easy.”
you chuckle, feeling her chin slot against the curve of your shoulder. “i’m pretty sure ruling over thousands of people is gonna take a little more effort than that, toph.”
she smiles, nosing your neck, “this is your calling, princess. i’ve never seen you this happy.”
she presses a light peck to the soft skin, and you immediately tense up. and you can tell that kiss wasn’t intentional because so does she.
“um,” she pulls back, and as much as you’d love to turn around and see the expression on her face, your feet are frozen in place, your cheeks burning up enough to fry three eggs on top of them.
“i—i’m sorry,” she sputters, and it’s the first time you hear her so flustered. “forgive me, your highness. i didn’t mean to do that.”
your lips purse tightly, the warmth of her kiss lingering so vividly on your neck. your blush keeps deepening and you swore you could explode.
your long silence only worries her more, unable to see you. “i’m sorry, princess. i really am. i got ahead of myself when i shouldn’t have. please, say something.”
“i—..” you stammer, red as a rose, gathering up the courage to face her.
when you do, it flusters you even more, your breath catching in your throat.
right when you thought she couldn’t get any more beautiful, she did. the gentle wind blew the black hair strands away from her face, revealing the prettiest blush and the sweetest frown.
“i’m sorry,” she repeats, bowing low. “i won’t do anything so shameless again.”
you stay quiet for a minute, eyes darting around shyly.
“.. it’s alright.” you look down at your feet, fidgeting with your fingers. “i didn’t mind it.”
you don’t know why you said that, and the silence that follows suit makes you burn even harder with embarrassment.
“oh.” she finally says, bewildered, the shock tamping down into a softer, curious heat. “is that so?”
you don’t trust yourself enough to speak, and you wished she could see you nod.
after a minute, you clear your throat, “.. yes.”
she slowly steps back into your space, “.. i see.”
your mouth has never felt so dry.
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* 10k words in 2 days isn’t for the weak, i’m FRIED
will be going on my break now, thank you for your patience! 🫶 i’ll get to your asks soon i promise :) they’re +25 so i’m just a little overwhelmed right now 😭 i’m not ignoring you lovelies!
