Gigi

you and toph weren’t even married yet, and you knew how she felt about commitment.

in your first “getting-to-know-each-other” dating days, you’d drunkenly recount tales of your exes and past situationships, and from what you could gather — whenever commitment got in the picture — toph scared easy.

oh gods, was it your turn now? was she gonna leave you too after finding out?

you did your best to keep everything under wraps.

thankfully, she always left early for work, so she didn’t get to witness your awful morning sickness and the hours you spent hugging the toilet. you’d try to get it all out of your system before she came home in the evening, so she could find you in better shape and not suspect anything.

but of course, you couldn’t really escape toph’s perceptiveness. she knew something was wrong, and she repeatedly interrogated you about it every night without fail, holding you against her chest as her hands roamed your body with scrutiny, but you’d just brush it off, laugh and pepper kisses all over her face to distract her long enough for you two to fall asleep.

you knew she didn’t have any ultimate way to tell yet, the pregnancy having just started, and there were no obvious tell-tale signs other than your symptoms that you managed to keep mostly hidden, so that put your mind slightly at rest.

however, this was building up much faster than you expected, and you could hear the clock ticking in your head.

you knew you had to tell her eventually.

it was getting harder and harder to greet her casually like nothing was wrong, cook her lunch and dinner when the smell of food was absolutely unbearable to your sensitive nostrils, putting on your best act to not arouse suspicion — but even you had your limits, and your body was adjusting to your baby whether you liked it or not.

your genetics clearly didn’t help, with symptoms setting in so unfairly early.

this couldn’t go on much longer.

alright, then.

today, you’d tell toph when she comes home from work.

₊˚ ✧ ━━━━⊱⋆⊰━━━━ ✧ ₊˚

your foot anxiously taps against the linoleum floor, sitting at the kitchen table, your hands raking through your damp hair as you cast a glance to the entrance door every now and then.

your eyes flit to the clock then back down at the table, the bouncing of your knee as incessant as the negative thoughts flooding your mind.

what if she really left you over this? you haven’t even been together that long yet, and you already fucking got pregnant.

if you’d just been more careful with your birth control, you wouldn’t have gotten in this situation in the first place. this was so fucking stupid.

you don’t realize how your lips part open for more air, panting as beads of sweat soak your palms and roll down your temples.

you let go of your head, sitting up straight and trying to calm your breathing, a wave of nausea rolling over you and you couldn’t tell whether it was caused by your pregnancy or the dread twisting your guts.

you hear the jingling of keys, and your entire body jolts up.

you quickly wipe the sweat off your forehead with the back of your sleeve, getting up from your seat and ignoring the cramping of your pelvis to greet your girlfriend with a big smile.

“welcome home, my love!” you rest one hand on the table for support, exhaling softly as toph walks in, shrugging off her coat with a relieved sigh, “ugh, finally. home sweet home. i missed you darli—”

she abruptly pauses, her gaze focusing in on you instantly.

since you met her, you grew used to her gaze not always being 100% set on your face, often staring at somewhere next to your ear or forehead.. but this time, it felt a little too off the mark, even for her.

it was set lower down. on your tummy, specifically.

you swallow the lump in your throat.

no no, she’s just staring there because she’s blind. don’t overthink it.

but why was she not speaking?

the silence stretches out awkwardly before you force out a small chuckle, “toph, honey? what are you being so quiet for—”

she cuts you off impassively. “you’re pregnant.”

you immediately freeze, and you feel all your organs sink to your feet.

you don’t know what’s worse — the certitude of her tone or its indifference.

everything starts spinning so you sit back down on your chair, your hand now shaky against the table, not tearing your eyes off her expressionless face, and your plan crumbles down in its entirety.

you were going to tell her today.

what was this timing? how did she even know? was it just a lucky guess, her voice confident to simply throw you off?

what were you even supposed to do now?

“i—” you try to break this even more awkward silence, your lips dry. “how did you—”

“so it’s true.” she steps closer and you’re desperate for anything that’ll give her emotions away, but it’s no avail, her face as cold as stone. her index points at your middle, “i heard two heartbeats. it’s faint, so i just thought my mind was playing tricks on me. especially considering that, you know, you’d think my fucking girlfriend wouldn’t keep her pregnancy a secret from me.”

huh?

you blink, slowly.

you wanted to know her emotions? well, dig in.

a frown begins to tug at your features, “i just—”

“nahh, don’t worry about it, i completely understand!” she suddenly laughs, now pacing around the room and gesturing wildly. “a heartbeat starts at like, what? five? six weeks of pregnancy? no no, i understand, that’s way too little time; i’m sure you simply haven’t found a good minute to tell me yet. especially since you’re a stay at home girlfriend! gee, you must have been way, wayyy too busy to give me the life-changing news. oh, i’m so sorry for ruining the surprise so soon! were you going to inform me by leaving a baby in front of my doorstep in eight months?”

“toph!” you yell at her, tears already streaming down your face at her biting sarcasm. you’d been on edge all day — all week, really. your hormones were all over the place and you were too tired and overwhelmed; this was genuinely the last thing you needed in your current state.

you sniffle, looking at your now blurry girlfriend through tear-filled eyes and a too heavy heart, “stop it, toph.”

she scoffs and heads your way, stopping right in front of you. “stop what? i’m just saying what this is. you’ve been lying to me this whole fucking time, and you know how i feel about broken trust.”

your eye twitches. ‘how she feels’.

it’s always, always about how she feels, never about how you feel.

“of course you’d fucking make my pregnancy about you, you self-absorbed bitch. i’m sure you’re the one in the most pain right now.” you snap back angrily, wiping at the tears that she didn’t deserve.

she seizes your shoulders, glaring into your soul. “don’t take that tone with me.”

“you’re gonna let go of me,” you immediately grab one of her hands on you, returning her glare despite the free flow of tears down your cheeks. “right now.”

that’s when you see that familiar flicker in her teal, sightless eyes.

you know that flicker like the back of your hand.

it’s her “i just realized i fucked up but i’m too proud to admit it yet” flicker.

she hesitantly lets go of you to take a step back, then both of your shoulders sag in unison.

“i..” you watch her brows furrow, her lips pursing as her stupidly stubborn brain racks itself to work something up. “.. this is just a big thing for me to take in. i-i shouldn’t have snapped at you like that, but i just—.. i felt really betrayed. and confused. why didn’t you tell me?”

you look down at your tear-soaked lap, your fingers curling around the fabric of your gown. “..i was scared.”

her voice softens, “of what?”

“of you reacting badly.” you answer, your knuckles going white with the tightness of your grip, “like this.”

you hear her suck in a sharp breath, before calloused hands find your face with a newfound sense of urgency, lifting it up for you to see the remorse on her features.

“i’m sorry,” she inhales again, trying to convey enough gentleness through her touch to make up for her lack of it in words. “t-this isn’t about your pregnancy, i swear. we’ll talk about that later. i just reacted like that because— you know what, it doesn’t even matter. this isn’t about me. i’m sorry. i never meant to make you feel bad.”

this time, you fully let the walls break and your crying intensifies, turning you into a clingy mess of sobs and snot as you’re cradled in her arms, picked up from the kitchen so she can properly hold you on the sofa.

when she opens her mouth to speak, you quickly shake your head against her chest and she gets the memo, shutting up and quietly running her hands through your disheveled hair instead.

no more speaking. no more arguing.

just holding.

this is what your body craved for now.

a proper conversation was due — but if it already waited a week, it could wait a few hours more.

you melt further into her touch, bawling into her neck to your heart’s content.

she gently rocks you in her arms, her fingers sliding down to rub comforting circles on your trembling back.

₊˚ ✧ ━━━━⊱⋆⊰━━━━ ✧ ₊˚

“are you feeling better?” she murmurs against the top of your head after a while, finishing her question with a soft kiss there.

you nod, wiping the last of your tears and willing yourself to get on with this long due conversation.

toph feels your nod and begins, her voice uncharacteristically quiet, like she was worried she’d scare you off. “for how long have you known?”

“.. around a week,” you mumble, clinging to her tighter. you don’t dare look up at her yet.

“i’m sorry about my outburst earlier.” she whispers, pulling you even closer to her, “this must have been hard on you, dealing with this and having nobody to tell. but i just can’t help but be a little upset with you— why wouldn’t you tell me? why would you be scared of me? i thought you loved me.”

you take a slow, deep breath. you know toph isn’t ill-natured, even if her questions can come off as selfish and self-centered. you know what she means.

“i thought you’d leave me,” you admit, and you feel her stiffen up under you as you continue. “you always said you weren’t into committed stuff, like how your last break-up was over them proposing and i.. i just figured you wouldn’t want a baby. i mean, it just makes sense. not only is it a lifetime commitment, it’s also a huge burden and—”

“hey hey hey,” she grabs your face in both her hands, urging you to look up at her, and you can’t decipher whether her features are scrunched up in panic or offense. “those are some big accusations you’re throwing around. i never said i’d leave you over something like that.”

you frown, looking away, “but it was implied.”

“no it wasn’t.” she brings your face closer to hers, your noses almost touching. “it was just vague, drunk talk. yes fine, i’ll admit it, i do have commitment issues. but that means nothing when it comes to you, sweetheart. it doesn’t apply to you, and it never will. i fucked around in the past, but this isn’t like that at all. i’m in love with you. baby and all. it doesn’t matter. i’m ready for the most committed shit ever as long as it’s with you. yes actually, i’ll marry you soon. i’ll—”

“toph,” you bring your hand over her mouth, cutting her off with a soft, genuine laugh; one that she hasn’t heard in days. “thank you, but you don’t have to act all ridiculous for me.”

you feel her pout against your palm, “what? i’m totally serious.”

you finally look up at her, puzzled, “you? marriage? i thought you wanted to keep things casual.”

she shrugs, “eh. marriage, babies, pretty casual if you ask me.”

“toph.”

she noses your neck, “oh c’mon, enough of all this sappy stuff. just smile already, let me hear that sweet laugh again.”

she presses her thumb on your lips, an eyebrow cocked. “i’m waiting. smile.”

and when you do, so does she.

you lean into her hand, “so, this is really all okay with you? i mean, i’m pregnant, toph.”

“really? you don’t say.” she gasps dramatically, and you huff. “toph!”

she laughs and hugs you tighter, “baby, everything is okay with me if it’s with you. you could kill someone and i’d already be earthbending their grave.”

you give her a small smile, “that’s very you.”

her hand slides down your back to come rub your stomach. “so you’re baking a mini beifong here?”

you sigh, “unfortunately. one beifong is already killing my soul, i don’t know how i’ll survive two. spirits, give me strength. ow!!”

she pinches your waist, a playful frown on her face. “hey, just because you’re pregnant doesn’t mean you’ll get away with all that sass.”

you chuckle, the last of your sadness dissipating at the light-hearted atmosphere that you’d craved all week. “well, too bad for you. i will get away with all of it. so be ready for the worst time of your life, toph beifong.”

she snorts, patting your tummy. “worst time? you’re gonna be all nice and swollen, and you’ll need my help alllll the time. that’s like, the best thing ever. you’re gonna be all sweet and whiny, “tophieee can you help me reach this?” “tophhh my darling i could use some help in the bathroom”, y’know, cutesy stuff like that.”

you scoff and roll your eyes, blushing at her cocky tone, “i’m just pregnant! i’ll still be able to take care of myself just fine. it’s not like i’m on my deathbed.”

she grins, giving your belly faster rubs like you were some puppy, “awww, look who’s embarrassed because they’ll need big, strong toph all the time. it’s okay babygirl, no shame in being cute and needy.”

“you’re the worst, toph.”

“well, i was clearly good enough to knock you up.”

“toph!!!!”

₊˚ ✧ ━━━━⊱⋆⊰━━━━ ✧ ₊˚

as the months went by, you indeed found out your worries of her leaving you were baseless.

if anything, she gave you the completely opposite problem.

clinging to you like a pot of glue.

“toph.” you say for the umpteenth time, and she ignores you again, pressing her ear against your now prominent six-month bump. “i’m talking with the baby. give me a second.”

you roll your eyes again. you were sat on the edge of your bed, only in your flowy gown, one hand on your lower back and the other resting at the top of your belly bump, with toph crowded between your legs on the ground and snuggling with your tummy for over an hour now. “mm, i’m hearing lots of things.. i think she’s complaining about that weird chocolate fries combo you’ve been having this week.”

you deadpan her. “i think what you’re hearing is just my intestines digesting those chocolate fries, toph.”

she tuts, glaring up at you. “you think you have better hearing than me, the blind bandit?”

“that’s not even your nickname anymore.”

“okay, i don’t care. it’s still cool.” and with that, her ear is back on your bump and you groan loudly.

“oh yes, wait—” she grins excitedly, pressing herself tighter against an exact spot on your belly where she heard stirring. “yes yes, i think she’s about to say something— ouch!”

the baby kicks, and hard, making toph’s head finally detach from you . you’d normally wince at the pain but this time you just burst out laughing, looking at your now grumpy girlfriend glaring daggers into your stomach.

you giggle, wiping a tear from your eye. “you were right, toph. she definitely said something, and i completely agree with her statement.”

she huffs, getting up from the floor, “whatever! ungrateful baby!”

she didn’t get much better at night, though she at least had the courtesy to wait until you fell asleep.

or so she thought.

you’d randomly wake up in the middle of the night to quiet mumbling, only to find your girlfriend passionately (which was quite impressive to convey with how low her voice was) engaging in full-on conversations about her life with your.. fetus.

it was always so hard not to crack a smile or keep up the sleeping act during these moments, and your heart felt so warm it could melt off.

you wondered if your baby girl was going to grow up to be just like her.

the thought had you biting down hard on your bottom lip not to laugh, picturing their stubborn arguments about the pettiest stuff. you could just perfectly see them fighting over the last piece of cake. maybe even have official earthbending matches if your daughter inherited it.

₊˚ ✧ ━━━━⊱⋆⊰━━━━ ✧ ₊˚

and also as predicted, you did — to your misfortune — need to rely on toph more for basic tasks.

“my sweet princess,” she’d coo, scooping you up with one arm even with the added weight of an almost fully grown baby inside you. “just can’t help but want to be carried by big mama toph, hmm?”

you’d always sigh, “i literally just asked you to cut up some fruit for me. why would that involve carrying me?”

“aww, such a stubborn little girl.” she’d shush your protests with a giggly kiss. “it’s okay. you can stay in my buff, strong arms while i make you the best fruit salad in the whole world.”

“.. an apple would be fine.”

“no way.”

and just like that, you’re easily carried down the stairs, still in only one arm as her other hand skillfully cuts up every fruit in season.

you stare at her focused face, always amazed at how she can do anything so breezily even though she was blind.

you smile, reluctantly blushing at how effortlessly cool your girlfriend is sometimes, and you decide to indulge her with a kiss to her cheek. “you’re right. maybe i do like being carried by big mama toph.”

she chuckles, plucking off the stringy parts of your oranges because you once complained about them. “ ‘course you do, baby.”

once more, despite your flustered protests, you’re forcefully hand-fed and endlessly teased about it.

she shakes her head at your insistence on doing it yourself, “feeding yourself is too much work, let me do it for you. you just focus all your strength on making the second greatest earthbender in the world.” she then laughs, puffing out her chest, “obviously, i’m the first. no baby is surpassing me, even if it’s mine.”

… yeah. petty squabbles were definitely on the way.

what you didn’t know then though, was that with them would eventually come your wedding ring, too.

₊˚ ✧ ━━━━⊱⋆⊰━━━━ ✧ ₊˚

* this was so cutesy i’m proud of it.. i need toph be pampered by toph so bad :((