Chapter Text
“You’re doing it wrong.” Toph stated simply.
“Is there really a wrong way to give a foot massage? Not like you’ve ever given me one!” Aang countered.
Toph tossed her hand in the air, “Don’t get your sash in a twist, Twinkletoes. You normally massage then roll the ankle. First clockwise, then counterclockwise. And right now you are rolling my ankles and you haven’t even massaged my foot! So yes, you’re doing it wrong.”
Aang gave Toph a deep sigh and obliged to her demands, but gave off a little chuckle because of the ridiculousness of the conversation.
It was an ordinary evening for the Beifongs. After a long day at work, Aang and Toph would come home to a bare kitchen. The two would scramble around the house, seeing if there was anything edible, then they settled for takeout when they came up empty handed. On special occasions, their house would be fully stocked with delicious foods courtesy of Katara, however, her and Zuko were at the Fire Nation currently and wouldn’t be visiting Republic City until later in the year.
After they finished their meals, the two relaxed and listened to shows on the radio, or Aang would read a book he found laying around. When their daily programming ended for the night, the couple retired to the bedroom, and somehow, Aang got roped into giving a foot rub to Toph almost every night. At first, the Avatar really didn’t want to put up with the request (more like demand, Aang thought) because her feet were always dirty. But after a while, he got used to the routine and found himself enjoying the quiet moments before bed where they would talk about the work day or random topics that came to mind. Aang was actually getting good at giving foot rubs too, or so he thought…
“Twinkletoes, are you listening to me?” Toph kicked him with her free foot to get him out of his thoughts. Aang shook out of it and replied, “Sorry, T. I am now!”
Toph sighed, “I was saying that Katara radioed me during lunch today. She was complaining about how the kids tore out all the flowers from the main gardens or something and Zuko just laughed and let them go play with the turtleducks or something. She was furious that Zuko wouldn’t punish them or and that she had to go do it. In the end, they didn’t even listen to her, so now she’s trying to ground them.”
Aang laughed, “Really? Who would’ve thought Mr. Serious and Mrs. Sweetness would have such rascals for kids!”
“That’s what I said!” Toph put her hands over her head, “I’m also surprised Sparky is the one that is the ‘cool parent.’ I mean, I know Sugar Queen is the poster figure of a mother, but she seems like she would be so lovey dovey and not lay down the law.”
Aang shrugged, “I agree. But I stopped underestimating her ‘stern’ side a long time ago. She’s got the kindest soul, but if you mess with her, you get the saber-tooth-moose-lion horns.”
Toph gave a hearty laugh, “Yeah, I recall getting the horns once or twice before.”
Aang couldn’t help but raise his eyebrows at his wife, his voice matching his expression, “Only once or twice??”
Toph tossed her hand out as she replied, “Okay, okay, many times. But after two times, they start to blend together.”
The couple laughed for a bit before Aang continued the topic, “It’s weird, too, that Sokka and Suki are the opposite of what I expected as parents. Like, I thought that Sokka would be super chill and act like another kid. But really, he’s the one who dishes out the rules.”
Toph scrunched her face, “I don’t know, all those itineraries during the war and the scheduled bathroom breaks make me think that he prefers a very orderly home life.” Toph laughed, then added, “But yeah, if I had to pick between the two of them who was going to be the fun parent, I would’ve put my money on Sokka. Hands down.”
Aang silently nodded and became occupied by his thoughts. He started staring off at the corner of his bedroom wall when he decided to think aloud, “Strange how parenthood changed our friends.”
Toph shrugged, then let out a little sigh, “Yeah, but they’re not that different, are they?”
Aang gave a shrug of his own, “Maybe? Hard to tell now that we don’t see them everyday, you know?”
Toph nodded her head in agreement. She began to get lost in her own thoughts and, dare she say, fears. Her personality and beliefs haven’t really changed since she was a teenager, so it was shocking to think that her friends would be attuned to change so… easily. It seemed impossible to Toph that something like a kid could change the way she perceived the world and how the world perceived her.
“Do you think we’d change a lot?” Toph asked Aang quietly.
Aang turned his attention to Toph, “Hmm?”
“Do you think being parents will change us?”
Aang stopped massaging, then switched to begin rubbing the other foot, “I think you and I both know the kind of parents we want to be. Hard to say if we will change, but all that matters is that the kids would be happy. Don’t you think?”
Toph let out a shaky sigh, “Yeah. I guess you’re right,” She laid her head back on the pillows and tried to calm the nerves that were building up. Ever since Katara and Zuko had Izumi, the conversation about having children became more and more frequent. At first, the idea wasn’t terrible, but it certainly wasn’t a priority in Toph’s mind. To be frank, the idea was scary even back then. As the years went on and the number of children the group had increased, Toph’s fears and apprehension to the idea of parenthood only built to what it was today.
Aang turned to look at his wife. He could see that she was getting lost in her own thoughts, and he knew that when she thought about one topic for too long, she broods. And when she broods, it led to a very moody Toph. Not fun.
He tried to pull her out of her thoughts by tugging on her foot that he finished rubbing, “Who knows. Maybe it’ll be super easy for us! If our kids turn out like you, I know you like the back of my hand!”
Toph opened her eyes and scoffed at her husband, “Oh please. You don’t know me that well!”
“But it would be so fun to raise a little Toph!” Aang laughed, “She’d be all cranky, then when she wants something, she’d just give you the sweetest voice and face that makes you melt.”
“I don’t do that!”
“Sure you don’t, Toph…”
Toph kicked Aang playfully before replying, “You better hope the kids turn out like me, because if they’re anything like you, they’ll be flying around, knocking into stuff, not using their heads. Bunch of airheads… what a nightmare.” Toph gave a fake shudder at the thought of more airbenders. One was enough in Toph’s book.
Aang gave Toph a little laugh, “Well, I do hope our kids are all like you. Smart, loyal, headstrong, beautiful. It wouldn’t be so bad!” He started to crawl towards the head of the bed, but not before leaving a bunch of kisses on his wife’s enlarged abdomen and tickling her. Toph let out a few giggles before pulling Aang up for a kiss on the lips. When they parted, the two laughed for a moment and Toph gave a small sigh of relief. Aang placed his forehead on top of Toph’s head as she absentmindedly rubbed at the spot where the baby recently kicked. Aang noticed and placed his hand over hers, his voice just above a whisper, “I think we’ll be just fine, Toph.”
It made Toph smile knowing that Aang always knew how to get her out of a mood. She couldn’t help but think of how lucky she was that she took a chance on him and taught him earthbending all those years ago. Looking at where they started and where they were now, Toph knew she would never find another that just understood her and accepted her difference of opinion. Aang was so patient and kind to everyone, especially Toph. And it warmed her heart to know that he would be the same with their own children and that his best qualities could be embodied in their baby. Toph turned her head up so that her forehead was touching Aang’s, and moved her hand to his cheek. “You know,” she began, “Having another airhead wouldn’t be so bad either.”