1. Faces

**A/N: I have no idea where I got this idea from. Wait, no, not true. I have wanted to write a story about this for a while, but I know how many there are out there. This was originally very different, the first part I wrote will actually be the next chapter. It will focus on Toph explaining a similar thing to Aang. I was also annoyed with how little detail goes into stories like this.**

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Ever since she could earthbend, consciously earthbend, Toph could see. At first, she hadn't been able to explain this skill. She had known that there was a world out there, a world filled with light and colour, where things that were shaped the same could be very different. She had never understood this how something that was the same be different. She knew that different flowers had different smells, different foods tastes, but she couldn't fathom that they looked different. After all, how many colours could there be?

This was before she met Aang. Before she met the Water Tribe Siblings. Before her life changed, for the better. It had been incomprehensible at first, physical differences, but when she met the foreigners, the people from another nation who would become so implant to her, she understood. Ironically, perhaps, it hadn't been Sokka, with his humour and spirit that reminded her so much of herself, that taught her the difference. It hadn't been Katara, mothering over her, making sure she was okay, she wasn't hungry - taking care of her. No, it was the strange boy with a personality so displaced from her own that taught her of the differences in people. Perhaps it wasn't irony at all.

The most surprising part was when he asked her. He was curious, how did she see? How did she know people, how did she picture them? It was that one particular blind fire-lit conversation that taught her more than it taught him.

"I see with earthbending..." She gave her answer warily; he knew this, why ask again?

"No, that's not what I mean. I meant, you see with earthbending, but how do you see us? How do you picture us?"

She had just looked at him.

"I see you by your footsteps or your heartbeats. The way the earth is compressed slightly wherever you sit or stand. I picture you as a person. A human. What else would I picture you as?"

"No, how do we look to you?"

"No different to anyone else. I mean, I know boys have... Other parts to girls, and some are taller or larger, or have different length arms or feet, but you are all the same. The only thing that is different, really, is how you breath or talk or walk. I know that old people go wrinkly, and babies are so small and fragile that they might die if you drop them. How do you tell everyone apart? You can't sense them, and I bet it takes too long to calculate body size."

"Well, by their face!" She had felt him shift closer to her as he said it, could feel the piercing gaze he gave her. Shuffling uncomfortably, she leaned forward, hands open, soaking up the fire.

"People are the same. How can you tell." That way she said it made Aang think it wasn't a question.

"People's faces are just as unique at their heartbeats, you know," he told her simply, opening his own palms to mimic her. "Sokka has these really small eyes, but he has a strong chin. And a broad forehead, probably from slapping himself so often!" Aang chuckled at the thought. "Katara has this small, button nose, and thick lips. Her face is rounder than Sokkas, but I think that it's just because she's younger. It will become leaner in a few years."

He looked at her to see whether she would say anything, but Toph remained silent, absorbing what she could of the information.

"I have these blue arrows all over my body. You can't feel them, but that's because the monks coloured my skin permanently. It isn't a scar, just dye. I haven't got any hair, and I have these really big eyes. People say it makes me look younger than twelve. I don't believe them, it's just what all Air Nomads looked like." He again looked at Toph, noticing a small frown on her face. He opened his mouth to speak, but she interrupted him.

"What do I look like?" He could sense her hesitating, as though she didn't want to know what he thought of her appearance.

"You have a round face and a huge smile, when you choose to smile. It makes everyone else's face light up when you do. You have black hair that is a lot shorter than it looks considering the size of the bun you keep it in. And despite always being really dirty, you have the palest skin I've ever seen anyone with, with no scars or blemishes. It's really pretty, actually."

Toph turned her head to face him, and for the briefest second their eyes met before she moved hers away.

"Aang, can I... Can you let me do something?"

He knew what she would ask - in fact, he was surprised she asked at all; he expected her to just do it.

"Sure, Toph. And if its what I think you're going to ask, the answer is yes."

A small grin tugged at the corners of her mouth, and for a second Aang thought he saw the tiniest trace of embarrassment work its way into her features. Turning her entire body around, Toph sat on her knees facing where he sat. Again, he copied her movements, except he sat crossed legged; he lost circulation when he sat on his knees. Tentatively, Toph lifted her hands up, bringing them to gently rest on Aang's head.

"I'm glad Sokka and Katara took an early night. Thank god they're too old to stay up late." Despite agreeing to her request - the one she never actually made - Aang felt incredibly awkward, as thought their actions were taboo, something to be frowned upon. Sensing his discomfort, Toph removed her hand.

"Aang, if you're uncomfortable, I don-"

"No!" The fervour in which he cut her off surprised even himself. "No, it's okay, I don't mind." He smiled at her, even though she couldn't see it. She could sense it, though, as he became more relaxed, and she gave him a tiny smile as she replaced her hand, shuffling closer so she could reach better.

Gently, she began to rub the top of his scalp, feeling every bristle of hair which he would routinely shave off. She could feel more around the sides of his head than in the middle, which confused her.

"Aang, is your tattoo in the middle of your head? About..." She felt a little more, before taking her hands away, thumb and forefinger about two inches apart. "About this wide?"

He looked at her, surprised. "Uh, yeah, Toph. How did you know that?"

"The hair is thinner there. It just made sense," she told him, shrugging slightly. Putting her hands back onto his head, she felt the muscles move slightly.

"Are you smiling? Stop it, I can't have my image of you ruined because you're smiling." This resulted in Aang shaking slightly, trying to hold back his laughter.

"What?" For the fourth time, Toph removed her hands, instead folding them up in front of her chest as she sunk into her knees. "Why are you laughing!" Despite sounding angry, she was more confused than angry. Was he laughing at her?

"I'm not laughing at you," he told her, as if he could read her mind. "I'm laughing because this is absurd. How an you tell I was smiling? And generally, people want to remember people smiling. It reminds them of happiness, of good times."

"Well, if I can feel you when you have a blank face, then I can feel it when you're smiling, and then with a frown, and then when you're sad. To answer your first question, it was because I felt the muscles in your head move. Now, shut up, or this will take all night."

"Wait." Aang grabbed her hands to stop her from moving them, noticing as he did so how smooth they were compared to other earthbenders he had met. I'll have to ask her about that later, he thought. Just loud enough for her to hear, though, he whispered his request.

"I'll only let you keep going if you tell me more about how you see, okay?" She squirmed slightly, whether about the question or the fact that he was holding her hands, he didn't know. Hesitantly, almost begrudgingly, Toph nodded her head, pulling her hands from his.

This time, instead of placing her hands on his head, she touched his shoulder before sliding her small fingers up to grab his chin. Dancing her fingers, she gently caressed the smooth flesh, noting a few whiskers appearing on the side of his jowl. Moving her hands around to the sides of his face, she rubbed under and around his ears before moving to an a hold of them, chuckling slightly.

"Sokka was right, you do have huge ears. Well, compared to mine, anyway."

"Hey," he muttered out of the sided of his mouth. "Maybe you just have freakishly small ears."

She grinned at him, one of her toothy smirks which signalled that she knew she had won the verbal spar.

"Yes, well Sokka has never said anything about my ears, has he? Apparently, there was a girl who thought she loved you because of your ears..."

Aang allowed a small smile to grace his features, just long enough for Toph to sense before he returned to a blank stare.

Getting back to work, the earthbenders lithe fingers roamed up to Aang's forehead, gently rubbing the short bristles of his hairline before moving down to fiddle with his eyebrows. She looked at him questioningly.

"It's too difficult to shave them on a regular basis. Besides, it keeps water out of my eyes when it rains or I have a shower."

Accepting his excuse, she left the line of hair, dragging her fingers down the middle of his face, feeling his nose. It was smaller than she expected, especially after feeling his ears, but she didn't let it daunt her. His nose felt remarkably similar to her own. It was slightly flatter and wider, but just barely; the only reason she could tell was because of how many hours she had spent feeling her own face as a child. All her life, she had believed people to look the same, it was only body shapes that changed. Now she thought about it, it was a terribly silly, narrow minded assumption, but she had made it when she first realised that things had properties she couldn't see. To her, seeing is believing was always very strong in her heart. If she couldn't hear it, feel it, taste it or smell it, it didn't exist. No questions asked, if she couldn't sense it, there was no way it would exist. Colours were something adults made up to give life to drab objects. It was nothing more than a figment of imagination. Feeling Aang's face, noticing things that he had never considered made her rethink this view.

Aang noticed she had stopped moving her hands, resting them on his nose for several seconds as she thought this over. Gently taking them, he felt her jump slightly as he moved her small fingers to his closed eyes. He felt her relax when his intentions became clear, and she greedily caressed his soft eyelids, taking in as much detail as possible. There were no more jokes, no more remarks. It was simply a blind girl learning something new.

Gradually, she removed her fingers from his eyes, almost reluctantly, and set them down in her lap.

"You aren't finished yet." Aang was looking at her simply, confused. "Didn't you want to see me smile?"

She looked away from him, a slight blush creeping up her face. That alone set of alarm bells. Since when did Toph blush? Since when did she hesitate?

"Yeah, uh, it's okay Aang, thanks for everything else..." She made to get up, but was rather forcefully dragged back down when Aang grabbed her hand.

"Come on! You wanted to try it. What's so bad about seeing me smile?"

Despite being blind, Toph still averted her eyes, embarrassment building by the second.

"It's the method used to see you smile... It's awfully... Intimate, isn't it?" She scrunched her mouth, cheeks burning.

"Everyone deserves to see a smile, no matter how it was achieved. Katara and Sokka see me smile all the time. Now, it's your turn." He grinned at her, a big toothy smile that only became bigger when she smiled her small smile back.

Slowly, as though moving too fast would ruin the illusion, the tips of Toph's fingers came to rest gently onto Aang's now stony face. Moving them around, she followed the path she had previously followed, starting from his chin. After reaching his eyes once again, she slowly moved the tips of her first three fingers down, feeling the corners of his lips. She was barely aware of how shallow her breath was coming, how faint she felt. If she were more aware, she would have realised that Aang was having the same reaction. If simply touching the top if his head felt wrong, this was positively abhorrent. Taking a shuddering breath, she felt the airbender do the same as she quickly worked her fingers over his lips. They were dry, like hers, but where hers were rough and cracked, his felt soft and smooth. A small smile ghosted his face, and she stopped her work, pulling her hands back slightly.

"Okay, I want you to smile now," she whispered to him, unable to raise her voice any more than that. Bringing her fingers back to his face, she could sense the difference straightaway. His features, so stoic and heavy lightened when she smiled. His skin felt smoother (was that even possible? She questioned herself), his face felt brighter. Allowing her own smile to cross her face, she gently felt the rest of his, noticing the dimple on his left cheek, and the way the skin crinkled slightly at the outside corners of his eyes.

"Smile all the time. You look a lot better." She removed her hands for the final time, adjusting her seat on the ground so she was sitting cross legged.

"Thanks Aang... No one's let me do that before..."

"No problem. I learnt something about you, too." He grinned at her, and now she knew what it looked like. She would have smiled at him, was it not for the tone in his voice.

Eyes wide, she practically shouted at him.  
"Great! Well, I'mgoingtogotobednowbye!"

She got up hurriedly, not even fully standing up before Aang dragged her back to the floor for the second time that evening. Bringing his face close to her red one, he smiled evilly.

"Where do you think you're going? You have a bargain to uphold."

Grumbling, Toph rearranged her spot on the ground, working out what to say.

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**A/N: So there you have it folks! The next chapter should be up next week sometime, there are still a few wrinkles to iron out. Weird, considering I wrote it before this part...**


	2. In the Moonlight

**A/N: Well, that was fun to write. Another story, just in time for Valentines Day. Curse this +10:00 hours time zone. It means I have to be extra prepared, and then watch as my story gets drowned in the millions of Zutara fics that are sure to be uploaded. Curses.**

**On another note, keep an eye out for the Batman reference. I tried to word it differently, but I still hope it's recognisable... There was also another reference to something in there, but I can't remember what it is, and I couldn't be bothered reading it to find out.**

**Also, I know this story may not fit in exactly with the whole 'learning' theme, but I don't care. I like it too much. And don't complain that its shorter than my other stories. I know, I don't care. It was longer, but I cut it down a little. Just, let me know what you think. But not about length.**

**This was originally very different. The beginning was an angsty mix featuring Sokka, but then my beta said "_No, stop it, you're ruining angst. Oh god, you wrecked angst? The internets broken. My brain is leaking from my fingertips. Everyone go home and rip your toenails out, because that's what the world has been reduced to._" Okay, not really, he said that it is "_Kinda out of place._" I know you were just sugarcoating, Adam, no need to be ashamed. Anyway, enough of my ranting. On with the story before my eyeballs implode.**

**Disclaimer: Oh, that's original...**

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She wasn't his first choice - not by a long shot. Heck, for a time, she hadn't even been a choice. He had always been so distracted by Katara that he hadn't even noticed his best friend growing up right in front of him. Even when they split up - a mutual thing that still saddened the both of them - he didn't notice her. Looking back, he supposed he should have. Her brisk brisk manner, and abrupt attitude remained, but she still had changed in more than just looks; where she was once vulgar and unrefined, her personality developed into a mature young woman, with subtle wit and a sarcastic humour that was so refreshing. He found himself spending more and more time around the gorgeous warrior, everyday an excuse to be with her. He loved her own unique way of seeing the world, and her answers to his questions never seemed to sate his curiosity. As when they were younger, he still didn't - couldn't - understand her. And he loved trying to figure it out.

Alone with her, looking over a dark and gloomy forest, he couldn't fathom the reasons why she brought him out here. In the pale moonlight, he could make out great pines and bat-owls flying in the night. He could hear the cries of cicada-crickets calling through the night and a small brook bubbling over a little river of stones.

"It's beautiful, isn't it Twinks?"

Looking at her in the dim light, he could honestly say that it was, with her there.

"Yeah, you- it is..."

She looked at him curiously, titling her head slightly. She gave him a small smile from the side of her mouth that made his heart melt down to his shoes. His breath caught in his throat and he looked away embarrassed. She turned her sightless eyes back over to the landscape in front of them, indicating that he should do the same. Giving his own small smile, he turned back to the scene in front of them.

Instead of focussing on what he could see, he imitated his teacher, and used his energy to feel what she could. The change was instantaneous. He could sense so much more - he could feel the entire forest living in awareness of the creatures and trees around it. The family of jerboa-rats sneaking out if an underground burrow, watched carefully by a lynx-fox, waiting in the shadows. He could feel the small stream that he had heard earlier, the flowing water over the stones smooth and soothing. It didn't matter his own inner conflict, right here and now he was going to enjoy the peace and serenity the little forest held. Well, he would try.

"So, what do you see?" Toph's voice appeared right next to him; he could feel her hot breath on his face. Opening his eyes, he could see her milky green orbs only centimetres from his own. In the faint moonlight, she seemed even paler than usual, any scars or blemishes hidden by the drastic shadows. His breath caught in his throat for a second time, and it took all the self control he had not to lean over and kiss her then and there. He looked away quickly before he did something he would regret - if only because of the giant punch she would throw at him.

"Everything..." He replied in his own whisper, barely able to push the air from his lungs.

"Are you okay? Your heart is going... Really fast..." She still hadn't moved away from him and he looked back at her, savouring her small frown of worry, the way her mouth became really small as she scrunched up her nose.

"Yeah, yeah, I'm fine..." he replied, noting with satisfaction that his voice wasn't as breathless as it had been.

"If you're sure..." she said doubtfully. "Thanks for letting me stick with you, Twinks..."

He looked at her again, this time more in shock than anything else.

_Did she just... Thank me?_

He had no time to dwell on it, as she was talking again and he didn't want to do anything that would take him away from the melodious sound.

"I know you needed my help after... what happened... I just want to say... Thanks for not sending me away... I really liked spending these months with you..."

A blush had formed on her cheeks, and she looked away from him, embarrassed.

"I wouldn't send you away, Toph! I love... having you around," he told her, hesitating through it. He hoped she hadn't noticed, but the Universe wasn't on his side tonight.

He had tried to stop himself saying something more powerful than the words he had, and he had succeeded, although it had a far worse effect than he intended. Toph wasn't sure what to makes of it, only that it confirmed her worst fears; while she had gone off and fallen in love with the goofy airbender, he saw her as nothing more than a hindrance, someone who he couldn't get rid of no matter how he tried. He didn't have the heart to tell her that he didn't want her around anymore - what other reason was there? She felt her heart breaking, and did the only thing she knew - she his her vulnerability behind a wall of anger.

"Oh, well if you wanted me to leave, you just had to say so. I didn't have to follow you around and he you. The least you could have done is tell me how much you hate my company!"

_Wha-?_

"No! I didn't say that! I never even thought that!" Even furious, she was beautiful. Unwillingly, his heart sped up and Toph, unable to see his terrified expression completely mistranslated what it meant.

"Don't lie to me! I tell you what I'm feeling, and you lie to me?!"

"No! No! I'm not lying, I really like spending time with you!"

_No, no, no, this isn't right! I'm supposed to tell her how much I like her, and then she finally opens up to me, and we get together!_

"Oh, stop lying to me!"

She was furious; she had finally created a door in her fortifications, and he hadn't even deserved it. He didn't want her around at all. She wanted to hit him, punch him. She wanted to scream at him until her throat was hoarse. She couldn't, though; she couldn't hurt him, no matter how much he hurt her.

Her fury was feeding his own anger and frustration. He wished she would strike her, because then he would have an excuse to fight back.

"Don't have a go at me just because you can't tell when you're being lied to, or given a compliment. I guess after Sokka you never thought anyone could ever like you. Well, maybe you're right!"

_Oh god, oh god, oh god, oh god, should not have said that. Why did I do that, that was stupid. Oh, my god, I'm such an idiot!_

He didn't look at her, he couldn't face her. She had said something similar to him only months before about his infatuation with Katara, but that was different. He had needed her harsh words if he was going to get over her. He had missed his chance with the waterbender, but at that moment he refused to let the earthbender slip from his grasp, using any method he could to have her stay. This time, though, he crossed a line. She had never said anything so emotive before, never told him how much she loved spending time with him. She just misunderstood what he mean, so why, _why_ did he have to yell at her for it?

"Toph, I'm so sor-"

"Go away." He could hear tears in her voice, and wanted nothing more than to apologise until his throat was raw, beg for her forgiveness until his hands were red.

"I didn't mean it, I was jus-"

"Of course you meant it. The Avatar doesn't say things he doesn't mean!" She threw her head back and blinked rapidly, letting out a loud laugh that was so unlike her. "God, I like someone, he's taken. I like someone else, and they don't even notice! You're right, who would look at a blind tomboy?"

"I would!" He moved closer to her before shrinking under her withering glare.

"Oh, don't patronise me, Aang. You've never noticed anyone except Katara - so why do you care who I like? I told you because I thought you wouldn't laugh at me, or judge me. I guess I was wrong, you're just like every other guy out there!"

She was sitting right in front of him now, jabbing her index finger in to his chest angrily. He looked into her eyes and was shocked to see tears falling freely. He wanted nothing more than to wipe them away and hold her.

"I'm not! Toph, I'm sorry! I really lik-"

"Don't say another word. I'm sick of you and your perfect life. I'm sick of you lying to me, keeping secrets from me; I can feel it all the time. I stayed with you because I thought you needed me to get over Katara, but I was wrong. You used me so you wouldn't have to. You let me follow you around like a lost goat-dog while you pined after her. I'm sick of this crap!" Pounding her closed fists on the earth around her, she created a small hole that swallowed her, before closing up and leaving Aang alone. He held back the tears that threatened to stream down his face as he tried to make sense of what he had done.

_Stupid airbender!_

He had to go see her before she did something that they would both regret. Opening his glider, he sprung into the air searching for his teacher. He didn't have to look far. Circling above the camp, he saw that she had walked into the centre of their small camp and was packing up her belongings.

_Oh, no! You can't run away!_

Landing lightly in a tree, he carefully made his way to the ground. He didn't want to startle her further - he had first hand experience with the earthbender when she was emotional. Lets just say that it didn't end well, for Aang or for the Foggy Swamp Tribe.

"I'm leaving, don't try and stop me."

"I couldn't, no matter how much I want you to stay. It's my penance. I deserve to be left..."

He sat down on the edges of the camp, not trying to stop her or persuade her to stay. She put down her pack and turned to face him, a confused expression written on her face.

"... What? Don't lie to me, either!"

He sat in silence for a moment, thinking, opening his mouth several times before becoming scared and closing it again. She glared at him angrily for a second longer before roughly grabbing her pack off the floor and turning away. She was almost at the edge of the camp before he cried out.

"Wait!" He didn't mean to shout at her, but he couldn't help it. No matter what he just said, he couldn't just let her walk out of his life like so many other people had. He was going to fight this time.

Huffing, she sat down on the opposite side of the fire, only a few metres away from him. He marvelled at the way the orange glow bounced off her porcelain skin. She was no longer crying, but her cheeks had a slight blush to them that he loved and if he looked closely, he could see that her eye colour had changed, from a milky blue-green to a sharp lime colour. Unwillingly, his heart began to speed up. If he screwed this up, he could say goodbye to their friendship.

"I, uh... I deserve anything you choose to do to me. I was wrong, I shouldn't have said those things."

"No, you shouldn't," she retorted, her face set in a hard frown.

"I know, and I regret it! I'm so, so sorry, Toph..."

"Why did you do it?" she asked him, her voice soft, but not gentle.

His heartbeat never slowed - it was make or break time. He had to tell her though, had to try. If he didn't try and right the wrong that he had done, he would never forgive himself.

"I said it... I said it because..." _Ah, to hell with it. _"I like you, Toph. I really like you, and I'm so sorry for what I said. I truly hope that you don't leave... But I understand if you do..." He hung his head low, unwilling to meet her piercing gaze. It didn't matter that she couldn't see him, the effect was still the same.

Putting his hands on the floor, he couldn't feel her sitting across from him. Looking up, he saw her standing in front of him, before he saw nothing at all. Sprawled on the dirt floor, he raised a hand to his cheek, his own fingers aligning perfectly with the reddening mark. He looked up at Toph, the fire reflecting angrily in her eyes.

"I said, no lying!" The broken way that she said it cut him deeper than any slap, tears spilling over her face again.

"I didn't! Why would I lie about something like that!"

"I don't know! Another sick joke, playing a prank on the blind girl. I thought you were above this," she sneered.

Aang stood up. _No, no, no! It can't end like this! How can she think it was a joke? Couldn't she sen- oh, spirits..._

"Toph, I would never do something that cruel," he said, stepping forward and placing his hands on her shoulders. She shrugged him off and stepped away.

"I can feel your heartbeat. I can tell you're lying!"

"You mean, when my heart races when I tell you that I do care for you, that I think you're the most amazing person in the world and I can't believe it took me four years to even notice that you were even here?"

"Stop it! Stop lying to me!" She flung her fisted hands down and stomped her foot, angry tears pouring down her face.

Taking a shuddering breath, Aang forced his heart to stop racing, drawing on his meditation skills to bring it under control.

"Toph," he said, moving towards her again. This time she didn't back away, instead holding her ground and her head up as though he wasn't really breaking her heart.

"Toph, I never lied to you about any of that. It's the truth." He waited while she felt his heart for any deception. Shaking her head ever so slightly, she refused to believe him.

"I really like you..." He felt his heart fluttering again, the butterfly-dragons in his stomach multiplying. He stepped forward, barely a foot away from the woman in front of him and wiped away the tears forming in her eyes. She quivered slightly under his touch and he drew a deep breath. He moved his hand to her cheek and she closed her eyes, leaning into him. He could feel her warm breath on his face as he leaned forward, their foreheads touching. Opening his mouth, Aang let out a shuddering breath, savouring the close contact that he had longed for since he worked out his own feelings. This could be the only chance he had - she could be gone in the morning. He had to make the most of it.

"I love you Toph..." He whispered to her, eliciting a small gasp from her. He didn't want her to feel obligated to love him, he didn't want her to lie. Another shaky breath later, he stepped away, the cool air overwhelming him after their close contact. He could see her sway slightly on the spot, as though dizzy and for the second time that night it took all his willpower to not take her in his arms.

"I'm not going to stop you leaving... I never was very assertive. I just hope you're here when the sun rises. If not... Good luck... Toph." He walked away to his tent slowly. Lying down on the thin cotton, he could still sense her with his earthbending. She was standing where he had left her, her heart beating erratically.

_Perhaps she would stay?_

Even as he had that thought, he knew it was futile. No-one could control Toph, no-one could cage her - least of all him. He felt her lean over and pick up her pack, before slowly walking out of the camp, towards the spot she had taken him to that night.

_The place where all this started..._

He would always love and hate that little hill, overlooking a beautiful forest, even if they were the only two people who could see it. It would be their spot, a little piece of their history that he would never forget. He always knew she would leave. She loved freedom, but she also needed stability. An earthbender couldn't be a nomad. The were rooted and unyielding, their own personalities in direct contrast against his own; that's why he loved her. She was his rock. She kept him grounded when he wanted to blow away and she had kept him sane during the worst months of his breakup with Katara. She had always known what he needed, and when she had needed him to understand her most, help her, he had been blinded by his own jealousy. She was right to leave. He was a terrible person. She had only ever tried to help him, and all he wanted to do was help himself.

But, he had to stay true to his word. He had to let her go, just as he said he would. No matter how painful. Perhaps if they meet again, things might be different?

He had to hope. He had to have faith, at least for the future. Tonight, he would focus on what the new day would bring, instead of what the moon had taken.

Pulling his blankets over his head, he let the first of many tears leak out from under his lashes.

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Walking away from the camp, she didn't understand what had happened. She had never understood, not really, but this was ridiculous. Even for an airbender, he had always been especially evasive. What was that, tonight? He was so... Forward. And there was she, blubbering like a baby moo-sow who had lost its mother. Why did he have such an effect on her? She was sixteen, surely old enough to be in control of her emotions by now, right? Wrong. She had felt something developing for Aang, the months she had spent punching him, bullying him, waiting for him to get over Katara paving the way for her own feelings to develop. Honestly, she didn't know why she said anything at all. She knew she would get hurt, she always did - but for him to lie so blatantly to her! How stupid did he think she was? She could sense him!

_Are you sure he was really lying?_

His heart sped up! If that wasn't proof, she didn't know what was. He had lied to her so much lately. Whenever she was around, his heart would speed up as though he was keeping a secret. This must be it. Wait for her to open herself up to him, and then pull a prank... Did Sokka plan it?! It's something he would do!

Arriving at her destination - the small knoll that she had taken Aang to earlier - she sat down, hugging her knees to her chest. She didn't know what to think. She was conflicted, a feeling that didn't sit well with her. Her heart ached, but she didn't understand why. He had lied to her, used her, and then done something like this. She couldn't feel this way.

_But... what was that then, after you slapped him?_

The little, treacherous voice at the back of Toph's mind was right. What was that? The way he had held her felt so... right. All her heart had wanted was to be closer to him, but her head wouldn't let her move. She had felt weak at the knees - she didn't know why she had let him get so close. The way he held her... It had made her heart melt, and she had wanted nothing more than to close the distance between them. It had become easier and easier to let down her guard around him.

_And look where that got me..._

Lying down on the soft, dewy grass, she sent out tendrils of earthbending, smiling slightly as it returned, bearing the vibrations of so much life, before being drowned out by a larger, stronger beat; her heart. Curling up slightly, she forewent her traditional earth shelter, instead lying with the stars looking down on her as her own heartbeat lulled her to sleep.

* * *

The sun had risen. She could feel it on her face, gently warming the tearstained cheeks. It was only soft; it couldn't have been too long past sunrise. The birds were singing a gentle song, the tune made up as they whistled to each other. Sitting up, Toph realised that she still had no idea what to do. Plagued with dreams and nightmares alike, she felt as though every angle had been scrutinised by her subconscious, as though it too was annoyed with her indecisiveness.

_And why wouldn't it be? An earthbender is decisive! I can't toss and turn over every issue!  
You've never had a problem this big before..._

Standing up, she picked up her pack and looked around her. She couldn't sense whether or not the camp was still there. She knew what she had to do, and both wanted and hated to do it. Letting out a slow sigh, she began walking back to the small clearing.

She didn't know what she was going to say to him when she faced him again. Perhaps she should tell him how she felt? But, she didn't even know how she felt. Yeah, that conversation would go down well.

_Hey, Aang. Sorry I slapped you for saying you like me. I may or may not like you, too. Lets find out!_

No, thank you. She was trying to avoid awkward conversations. She had participated in enough with Sokka to last a lifetime - and they were all pointless! Perhaps Aang would have packed up and left? That would solve one problem, but create hundreds more.

Coming closer to the clearing, she could feel the airbender moving around, packing up sluggishly as though he was putting it off.

_He's hoping I will return..._

She wasn't sure how she felt about that. She wanted him to be angry with her for leaving - she knew how to deal with that; she didn't know what to do if he wanted her. She had never been wanted before. Needed, yes, but that didn't mean that the people she was with appreciated the company, just her skills. Creeping forward, she walked to the edge of the camp, still partially hidden in darkness.

"Aang?"

He whipped around, and she could feel his breath increase, his heart threatening to break from his ribcage.

"You came back..."

She nodded her head, not moving closer to him.

"It felt wrong to leave like this," she told him, her voice low and quiet. "I'm sorry about last night. I shouldn't have slapped you... I shouldn't have said anything about- I mean, I shouldn't have thought you were lying. I was... Confused. I still am... I don't know what I feel about myself... Or you..."

He looked at her, but her head was down, long black hair concealing her eyes. She had apologised - something unheard of. She had tried to right her wrongs. It was now his turn.

"Toph... I shouldn't have said what I said. It was wrong of me, and cruel... Nothing will ever excuse my behaviour, and I'll never forgive myself for hurting you.

Drat, here came those accursed tears again. He really did care about her, and she hadn't told him how she felt. This whole situation was way out of her comfort zone - at this moment, for the first time in her life, she just wanted someone to hold her.

She didn't try to hold back the tears. The ones she had shed last night were nothing compared to the ones now leaking from her useless eyes. She felt... happy. Her heart ached, but she relished the feeling, like stretching muscles after a good workout. She stayed rooted in the spot, tears slowly dropping to the floor. Aang was walking towards her slowly, before dropping the small bag he was carrying and running to her, pulling her into a tight embrace.

"I forgive you..." she whispered to him, lifting her arms up to return the hug. She nuzzled her face into his chest, right above his heart. Aang gently rubbed her back, not saying anything. He didn't want to ruin this moment.

"Everything I said last night was the truth... I love you, Toph... Pease don't leave me," he whispered into her ear. She shuddered, his warm breath sending chills down her back.  
"I can't stop you from being you, leaving if you want and going wherever you please. I hope that you let me come too, though, because... Well, it won't matter. I will follow you to the ends of the earth if that's where you're going."

A strange sound came from the young girl, and he pulled away slightly so he could see her. She still had tears on her face, but was she... smiling? And was that a laugh? Albeit a choking kind of gurgle, but he would take an upside down frown at this stage.

"Twinkletoes... Aang... I couldn't stop you even if I wanted to. I don't want to. I want you to stay with me... To make sure I keep walking, to... help me... If I fall, I want you to pick me back up, because without you I don't think I could do it on my own..."

She wasn't laughing anymore, the tears she was shedding changing from ones of pure joy and ecstasy to ones of fear and grief. She had never opened herself up so much, had never allowed anyone to see that underneath her hardened exterior, she was a blind little girl, terrified of herself and of the world. Pulling her close again, Aang knew it wasn't words that she needed to comfort her. For the first time in her life, she needed, not wanted, needed, someone to hold her and tell her how much she was needed.

Taking her hand, he lead her to one of the stone benches she had bent during their stay in the clearing. Gently setting her down, he knelt in front of her. She wasn't sure what he was doing, but trusted him. She was in her element, she wasn't blind, and she was with a man that she would die for. It was still a surprise when he leant over and kissed her, gently, delicately, right in the centre of her forehead.

It came as a greater shock when he repeated the action, this time on her left temple, then right.

"Toph Bei Fong, I love you-"

_Kiss_

"I will never, ever leave you-"

_Kiss_

"-... It would kill me..."

He placed the last kiss on the tip of her nose, and watched amusedly when she slowly lifted her fingers to touch the places where his lips had left searing impressions.

"Aang... You don't need to... I'm blind... I can't ever-"

"Toph..." He silenced her easily - she really had no idea what she was going to say, only that he must be making a mistake. What she had screamed at him earlier was true - no one liked blind tomboys.

"Toph, I don't care that you're blind. You're amazing, as amazing as a spider fly. You learnt to create a home, you learnt to see on your own, with no one to help you. You taught the Avatar how to earthbend, how many people can say they can do that? It's not what people see you to be, it's who you show them you are, that defines who you truly are."

Softly, he moved his head forward and kissed her on her closed eyelids before removing them painstakingly slowly, leaving her short of breath.

Reaching out her own fingers, she deftly moved them around his face, getting to know the general layout. There would be time enough to memorise his features, she didn't need to know the shape of his eyes to do what she had next planned. Taking his face in her small hands, she leaned forward, her lips making contact with his for the first time


	3. Time

**A/N: Okay, this was posted on the Avatar Wiki site, because it had song lyrics in it that can't be posted here. If you wanna read the original, I'll put a link onto my profile. Keep in mind that I did write it as a songfic, so the effect is increased if you listen to ****_Friday I'm in Love _by_ The Cure._**** Hope you like it, and review and stuff!**

_**(Also, I broke up this little kittle differently to my other stories. The OoOoOo's indicate a change in time, months or years, whereas the x's indicate same time and place, but a little later [so, hours].)**_

* * *

He had given her everything, and what had she done to him? She threw it back in his face. It wasn't enough that she had broken his heart, but then she had to go and cut it into pieces and stomp on it. Deny it as much as she wanted, Katara knew he was there when she kissed Zuko. Kissed Zuko... Aang let the tears fall from his face, slowly sinking into the floor as the heartbroken sobs wracked his body.

**OoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOo ****OoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOo **

It had been weeks, yet he still couldn't be in the same room as Them. The happy, happy couple. He knew he wouldn't be able to control himself if he saw them together, so he spent most of his time outdoors, practising his earthbending with his friend. Toph seemed to be the only person who didn't pity him. Sure she was empathetic, but not sympathetic (you'll get over her, Twinkletoes. There is always someone else). He desperately hoped she was right. He couldn't see the light at the end of the tunnel, but he knew his blind friend could.

**OoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOo ****OoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOo **

She was but a faint memory, never clearly defined. He could still remember the pain as clear as day, though. Well, not as clear as day. He could remember the pain as clear as he knew he loved her. He could remember the pain as clear as her ocean blue eyes. He could remember the pain as clear as the knowledge he was the Avatar. The pain... Clear as the hole in his chest where his broken heart had fallen out.

**OoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOo ****OoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOo **

Shut up, Toph. You have no right

I have every right! You abandoned the world, then saved it. Then you abandoned it again! Abandoned me!

I distinctly remember you left me first! Left me to suffer their wedding, then the birth of Kai! You left me too!

My father died, Aang! He died, without me telling him that I loved him, no matter what. He died because I left, and I can't ever tell him I'm sorry. So, I'm sorry if you die because I leave. I'm sorry if part of you did because I left. But it's not all about you! You weren't there to help me, why should I help you?

Because I'm your friend. I needed help!

So did I, but I guess my friendship means squat to you. I'm leaving, don't you dare play the victim here. It's been ten years Aang, ten years since she said no, and instead of seeing the forest, you focused on the platypus bear droppings sitting in the middle of the path. Goodbye, don't try to find me.

**OoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOo ****OoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOo **

The pain never dulled, never dimmed. But sometimes, if he was really lucky, he got to remember the good times. When she found him, then saved him that same day. When they all found Appa, together, and the family was whole. At the dance party, how beautiful she looked. Then there were the days they practised bending, how she taught him, encouraged him. Then, the best memory of all. They were all sitting in Iroh's teashop, the sound of a Tsungi Horn playing a peaceful melody that seemed to have waited one hundred years to be heard. Aang opened his eyes slowly, realisation dawning on him.

He didn't know which teacher he was thinking of.

**OoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOo ****OoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOo **

He had to find her, apologise. The first place would obviously be her home. Sending a letter, he was surprised when a reply was received, barely a week later.

_She isn't here. I don't know what you did to my daughter, but please stay away from her. If you do find her, ask her to come home. Then leave. I want nothing more to do with you, Avatar.  
- Lady Bei Fong_

He crumpled the letter, letting it burn in the fireplace. He had been alone in the Southern Temple too long. It had been two years since their argument, and there wasn't a day he didn't wish he could take back what he said, what he did. He knew nothing of how the world had changed, knew nothing of what happened to everyone else he had fought with. Fought for. Spirits, he couldn't even remember their names properly. Katana was a distant memory, as was her brother, Soccer. The Fire Lord, Zumba, must be doing a better job than his grandfather - soldiers hadn't stormed the Air Temple yet. The only person he remembered with any clarity was Tough. No, Toph. He couldn't forget her, wouldn't forget her. He had to find her.

**OoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOo ****OoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOo **

He couldn't see, couldn't breathe. He had arrived at the Western Air Temple, to be greeted by a quick jab to the back of his head, knocking him out. He was alone, again.

_Perhaps if I die, everything will be the way it should be?_

No

_Perhaps if I die, the next avatar will find peace?_

No

_Perhaps if I die, everyone will be happy?_

_No!_

A person walks into his line of vision, and at once he is looking into familiar eyes, familiar eyes looking at him. Or, looking where he sat. He could see the pain, the torture that he knew he had caused in those milky green eyes, unique to one small, blind earthbender.

Toph

**OoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOo ****OoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOo **

The familiar ache in his chest was back, but it was a good feeling. He had found her! The fight, now seemed so long ago, when really it had only been 5 years. Only, hah. He had been on his own for much longer than that, but now he was looking into the eyes of his best friend, and only now did he realise how lonely that time had been. His chest constricted painfully.

**OoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOo ****OoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOo **

Toph...

I told you to leave me alone, Aang

No Twinkletoes?

I only nickname my friends

Please...

No, Aang. Listen. I'm sorry I left you, and I'm sorry for everything that happened to you, but it means nothing. Only you can get over it, and obviously you have never wanted to-

Stop, Toph. I came here to find you, to tell you. I can't keep living in the past. She made her decision. I need to make my own.

**OoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOo ****OoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOo **

He loved her smile, her laugh, her voice.  
He loved the way she shook her head, a slight movement as if to clear the dust  
He loved the way she held herself, almost regally  
He loved that she forgave him

He hated himself for leaving her, for driving her away, for letting her leave, all those years ago

**OoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOo ****OoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOo **

There's a festival in town. You want to go?

No

Oh, please, Toph? Just for an afternoon?

No

Why not?

Because I don't want to. You go

I don't want to go on my own!

And I don't want to go at all. I guess it's settled then.

What?

We aren't going

Grrr, I wanna go!

And now you sound like a child

Yea, well, I'm hungry, deal with it

... Well, eat something then. Duh?

What? You ate the rest of the rice, and you won't go out to buy more. Where are yew going to get more food?

We can go out for lunch, you know. It doesn't always have to be home made

Where?

The festival, idiot

Hey, ow! Don't slap me, it hurts

It hurts!

Boo-hoo

**OoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOo ****OoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOo **

He was sick. This was a good sick, though. It was a sickness of the body, not the mind. It was impossible to be mind-sick around Toph. It was highly probable to be body-sick around her though. She never stopped training, even after he did, and tok it upon herself to see him get back into shape. He was still young, and some parts of the world needed an avatar. It was her job to give them that, her job to get the avatar back. She loved her Twinkletoes, but she needed her Aang.

Not enough to pull the punch that broke three ribs, though.

**OoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOo ****OoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOo **

He felt it returning, the familiar, terrible brilliant feeling in his chest. It was the same feeling that had brought him so much pain, but that also had the power to cause him so much happiness. He vaguely wondered why, after fifteen years of peace, of living his life, it decided to resurface.

Well, he knew. He just didn't want to admit it.

He was in love

**OoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOo ****OoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOo **

How would she react, he asked  
Did she feel the same way?  
He needed to know, yet didn't believe he could handle rejection again  
He knew he couldn't  
She knew he couldn't  
She knew how he felt

That was why she asked him to the great Dance, held in the Earth Palace. It had been close to two decades since they had seen, or heard from their friends.

It would be nice seeing everyone again.

Even Katara

**OoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOo ****OoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOo **

She was beautiful in her simple Earth Kingdom dress. He couldn't but stop and stare as she made her way over to him, a faint rosy hue colouring her cheeks. Eyes averted, she gave him a small smile.

**XxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXx XxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXx XxXx**

He couldn't dance to save his life. She would have to do it for him, because as with everything about her, she was amazing at it, moving like a waterbender, with the passion of a firebender.

**XxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXx XxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXx XxXx**

He could see Katara, see Zuko and Kai, a gorgeous boy. He frowned, that should have been me. His thoughts were interrupted when a certain earthbender smiled at him, not smirking - she gave him one of her rare, genuine smiles. And he was smiling back, his lost love forgotten

**XxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXx XxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXx XxXx**

He could listen to her laugh all day. When she let loose, he couldn't help but join in, the laughter infectious. Plus, it gave him a perfect excuse to watch her. He loved how her face lit up as she laughed at him, she smiled at him. He would do anything for that smile

**XxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXx XxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXx XxXx**

He had noticed her hair earlier, but now he really noticed it. He saw how it shimmered in the moonlight. He could see how straight it was, a trait rare even in the Earth Kingdom. He was surprised that it had taken him this long to notice. After all, he was nearly thirty, he had been with her for years now. It made him happy, though, that he was still discovering new things about her, even now.

**XxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXx XxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXx XxXx**

Like that she loved dancing. And she was good at it. He had never danced, not since... But he would, now, if it was with her.

Why do you never dance when you love doing it?

I've never had a reason to, Twinkletoes

What's your reason now?

You.

**XxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXx XxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXx XxXx**

His lips were wrapped around hers as she melted in his arms. Spirits knows she waited long enough. She moved under him, for the first time in her life becoming submissive. His arms were wrapped around her body, seeming barely to touch her, holding her steady as he continued to kiss her on the balcony. Not wanting it to end, but knowing he had to stop, he slowed down, gently removing his lips from hers.

**XxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXx XxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXx XxXx**

She was beautiful. He had said it before, but at this moment, he could see - truly see - the extent of that beauty, even when she didn't want to be. Her dress, one of the more simple ones to be worn, was a light green colour, the same shade as her eyes, with intricate grey patterns, the same colour as his. Her lips, still partially open, were a dark red colour, some form of dye applied earlier. Her cheeks were a soft pink, a rising colour as she realised what she had done. Biting her bottom lip, Aang resisted the urge to begin kissing her again. Holding her hand, he led her back inside, ignoring the stares as he pulled her close to him. He finally felt happy.

**XxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXx XxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXx XxXx**

He never left her side, wouldn't until she commanded it. She wouldn't command it. He was never left alone, she didn't want him to be alone. She was here for him, as Katara hadn't been. Making her way to one of the many tables positioned around the great hall, she sat him down, sitting as close as she could without sitting on him. Not that he would have complained. Feeling around the table, she grabbed the bowl of sweet fruit, picking up a small piece. She sniffed it, and realised it was a strawberry. She could feel Aang's gaze on her, and gave him a wry smile. Reaching out with her free hand, and brushed it along his face, learning where his eyes were, where his mouth was. Smiling, she lifted the piece of fruit up to his lips. Eyes wide in surprise, he opened his mouth gently, tasting the sweet fruit. Closing his eyes, he copied what Toph had done moments earlier. Picking up a piece of fruit, he smelled the unusual aroma of the moon peach. Slowly extending his free hand, he gently traced her delicate features, noticing how her skin became hotter as he did so. Trembling just the tiniest bit, he brought the fruit to her lips.

**XxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXx XxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXx XxXx**

He couldn't get enough of her. Her smile, her laugh, her kisses. He loved her hair, the way she moved, the way she spoke. He couldn't believe it had taken him almost twenty years to realise. He wasn't going to spend any more time waiting.

**OoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOo ****OoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOo **

She squirmed, not completely out of his grip, but enough for him to loosen it.

"Toph? What's wrong?" Aang was worried - was she regretting choosing him? She didn't want to be with him, that's the only reason... His mind was a runaway rabaroo as he waited for her answer.

"I'm sorry..." She sighed deeply. "I'm not a very good girlfriend. It's just, I'm not used to physical contact. It feels... I just, I like it but... Could we maybe..." She trailed off, hoping he would understand. He was the Avatar, of course he did.

"Sure, Sifu T," he leant over to plant a kiss on the top of her head, and was pleased that she didn't move away. "I know you aren't used to this. I just wanted to let you know."

"Know what?" She quivered a little as she felt his mouth pressed up against her ear.

"You're the perfect girlfriend to me."

She giggled, but quickly stopped.

"Ah, no more lovey-dovey couple stuff today, Twinkletoes. I wanna see some good ol' down to rocks earthbending, you hear?"

She felt him stand to attention, moving his arm up to his head in a salute of some kind.

"Aye-aye, ma'am!"

**OoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOo ****OoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOo **

Toph?

Yeah, Aang?

I love you

I love you too

**OoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOo ****OoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOo **

_Sokka, Suki? I apologise for missing the wedding. And every celebration of Kyoshi Day. And the birth of Arya. And Konni. My behaviour is inexcusable, and I hope you find it in your hearts to forgive me. I personally give you an avatar promise that I will be at whatever celebration you next decide to throw. I will also be detouring through Kyoshi Island on my way to The Western Air Temple. I will talk to you, and see you, soon.  
Your friend, Aang_

_Aang! You idiot, do you know how long its been. People thought you died, again. Third time lucky, man. You need to get out of the temples, show people you still care. But, I'm glad to hear from you. It's been too long. I seriously think you need to go to the Fire Nation and apologise to Katara. She took you leaving pretty badly too, you know. Also, you know Toph is going to kill you, right?  
Suki says hi, and she'll give you details of the next party when you get here. And she'll personally go to the Temple if you don't show up.  
The absolutely fantastic Water Tribe Warrior, Sokka_

Aang smiled at the reply. He was forgiven, at least by those two. He looked over to where Toph was sleeping.

"You don't need to worry about that, Sokka. She forgave me a long time ago..."

**XxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXx XxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXx XxXx**

Zuko was staying in a room just down the hall from him - it would seem stupid and pathetic if he were to send him a letter. Instead, he manned up, as Toph would say, and marched down to the Fire Lords room. The sun was up, so he would be too. Knocking on the door, he was surprised however, when the 13 year old Fire Prince answered the door.

"Who're you?" He asked groggily, rubbing sleep from his eyes.

"I'm Aang! Can I talk to your father, please?" Aang smiled down at the boy, who despite being a prince was taught that he probably would never meet the Avatar.

"Y-yes sir!" Came Kai's awe inspired reply. He turned to call to his father, only to find the Fire Lord standing behind him.

"You were wrong, Dad! I did meet the Avatar," the prince excitedly told his father.

"So you did. Why don't you run and tell your mother while I have a talk with him, is that okay?" Zuko turned to Aang as his young son raced back into the room. He bowed politely.

"Avatar Aang, anything I can do for you today?"

"Actually, yes. I need for you to stop bowing. I don't make old friends bow to me, no matter how our relationship has changed," he explained calmly to the older man. Zuko began to say something, but Aang silenced him by holding up his hand. "I'm so sorry for shunning you, Zuko. I was hurt and lost when Katara chose you. You are a fine man, a fine leader, and a fine husband and father. I honestly cannot see Katara in a better family than this." Grey eyes met gold before Aang bowed to Zuko, a deep low movement, displaying exactly how sorry Aang was. He straightened up before being pulled into a hug by the Fire Lord, tears running down his face at the easy forgiveness.

"It's good to have you back, Aang."

**XxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXx XxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXx XxXx**

Following the sound of a child's laugh, he soon stumbled upon the waterbender teaching with her golden eyed, raven haired son. He had difficulty with the element - he was partially of fire. Aang walked over to the boy, and whispered something into his ear. Katara looked up in surprise as her old friend approached her. She honestly believed he would never get over her rejection. It had killed her, but seeing him after so many years, she couldn't help but run to him, arms open for a hug. He received her gladly, and felt a small tug at his heart before brushing it aside. It no longer bothered him, he didn't care for her that way anymore.

**OoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOo ****OoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOo **

He looked at Toph, even though she couldn't feel it. Kneeling down, he pulled out a small object, placing it in her hand. Toph gasped as she felt what it was. It was a headpiece, similar to the ones she normally wore, but with a few subtle differences. The top was adorned with engravings, symbols of the Air Nomads. On the sides were indentations marking her own nation. While she couldn't see the colour, she knew what it would be. It would be white.

"Aang, is this-?"

"Mhmm," He nodded his head fervently. "Toph, ever since I met you, you have been my rock, and you've been my friend. I don't know what I would do, who I would be, if you hadn't save me. I don't think I can live without you, and I don't want to try. I want you to be my wife. I want to spend the rest of my days growing old with you, making you laugh, and making you smile, and chasing away any evil in your life. Will you do me the honour of letting me become your husband?"

Her tear stained smile was all the answer he needed, but she leant forward to kiss him anyway. Some affection is good for the soul.

**OoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOo ****OoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOo **

His face was streaked with tears, but this time, at this wedding, it was for the right reasons. No longer was he alone, because he was about to be joined to his best friend, physically as well as spiritually. He looked around and could see his friends, their smiles showing their happiness at his elation.

"Knew this was going to happen," Sokka whispered to Suki. She pinched him.

**OoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOo ****OoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOo **

She was sick. They hadn't even been married for two months, and he was already afraid he was going to lose her. She was sick, constantly, and although some days were fine, she had found herself unable to bend. At first it had scared the blind girl, however she could still feel the earth, she could still see. Soon, she wasn't worried at all, while Aang was ripping his hair out. His moustache hair. He couldn't lose her, not now. It just made him so angry that she had accepted it so easily. Even Katara couldn't stop the sickness, but she refused to tell him what was wrong.

"That's for Toph to tell, not me," she told him simply. "But the likelihood of her dying from this is very slim. She'll tell you when she's ready." Katara placed a hand on his shoulder comfortingly.

**OoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOo ****OoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOo **

Toph?

Yeah, Aang?

Why won't you tell me what's wrong?

I can't tell you

Why?

It's a surprise

Toph! You've been sick for almost 2 months! I need to know if you're going to die!

Relax, I'm not going to die

How do you know? You could be on the way to the Spirit World already

Geez Aang, and I thought Sokka was thick. Even he knows. And Katara didn't tell him

Tell him what?

Listen, why don't you put that earthbending to good use and feel what's wrong with me?  
... Don't hit yourself, it's unseemly

Fine. This distraction won't work- Toph?

Yes, Aang?

Why can I feel two heartbeats?

Well, there are two of us, mister mathematician

I know, I mean, why can I feel two coming from you

Well, seeing as how I'm not a master of time, what do you think?

...Toph, are you-?

I surely am, finally. I wasted my good years waiting for- oof. You can get off me now Aang.

No, I can't, this is too special.  
... Wait, what do you mean, Sokka figured it out. How did everyone know about this but me?!

**OoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOo ****OoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOo **

Barely seven months later, the Western Air Temple was filled with the sounds of a crying baby.

"What's it like, Aang?" Toph asked wearily.

"She... She's beautiful. She looks like you," he smiled at his wife, holding the newborn in his arms.

"All babies look the same."

"Yea well, you look so beautiful that ours inherited obvious good looks. No need to wait until she grows up, the boys are going to be pounding on the door tomorrow to court her! Do you want to hold her?" Toph nodded, too tired to speak. She felt Aang shuffle around slightly as he placed the sleeping baby in her lap.

"Do you know what you're going to name her?" He gently asked his wife.

Toph closed her eyes, allowing a smile to appear on her face. She looked to her lap where the baby was lying. "Lin. Her name is Lin."


	4. Blood and Spit

She should have expected it, she didn't time herself very well. But then again, Toph had never been a patient person. Katara had known, and had helped her, sort of. It was the duty of a friend to help a friend. It was a duty of a sister to set a brother up with a nice girl - and his current girlfriend, Azula, wasn't a very nice girl. Sure, she _liked_ Sokka, anyone could see that, but she was also Queen Bitch, Ruler of the World (aka tables 8-23 in the cafeteria), and she didn't love the boy - just his skill on the football field. Katara didn't like her much, which was why she offered to help Toph. The blind girl appreciated it, it was just that her method was just _really slow_. Toph didn't really consider the "give it time - if the universe wants it to work out, it will" approach to be a very good one. She liked Aang's better, even if he was a wimpy high jumper - whom she had never really had an actual conversation with. He had just overheard her telling Katara (and had received a kick where he _really_ didn't want one, for his troubles).

_Tell them. If you do, you can only gain. If you don't, you've already lost._

It was the best and worst piece of advice she'd ever received. Perhaps she should have followed it to the letter, the first part being the "telling" part. She had never been good at articulating her feelings. She glared to show she was angry, punched to show someone she liked them, and occasionally placed a hand on the shoulder to show she cared. That was about it. Maintaining a conversation about, ugh, _feelings_ didn't really appeal to her. So, as always, she let him know through action.

Unfortunately, it was during a timeout of his soccer practise, in front of several talent scouts, and his current, very territorial girlfriend, who also happened to be cheer captain. She had walked blindly into the middle of the field and called out his name. She couldn't very well make the mistake of approaching the wrong person. He came, as he always did; _Toph, what are you doing? Do you need help?_ It only lasted a few seconds, and in the several more it took him to realise what had happened, she had made her way off the field and into an abandoned hallway of the school where she proceeded to break down at her own stupidity.

She hadn't faced him since then. She had embarrassed the both of them, but she couldn't work up the courage to apologise. Thank whatever deity anyone believed in (thank _all_ of them) that she couldn't see the looks people gave her, the stares. She could hear them, though, and that was just as bad. So for the rest of the week she stumbled through school, ignoring everyone, and everyone ignoring her. She couldn't face her friends; it was too embarrassing. Anyway, he was always there, hanging around. She may not be the best at thinking things through, but she wasn't going to deliberately sabotage herself. It hurt more than she let on, being separated from her friends, but she was used to it. She had been alone most of her life, it was only in the last few years since she hit high school that people had bothered trying to talk to the small girl with the blank stare.

Stumbling into the pizza shop that the students from her school frequented, she shook out her damp hair and wiped down the handle of her cane. It had been raining (the Universe apparently had a clichéd sense of humour) and it was better to wait inside the warm parlour than under the bus shelter; it smelled better, too. Maybe a slice of hawaiian pizza would scare away the rain? She took a few steps into the room before she heard them; heard him. Laugh. About her. A side effect of being almost completely blind was that she had very good hearing, and was very quiet so she didn't deafen herself. She wished she could drown out his conversation, but she couldn't; she heard everything.

_"I wish a chick would walk up to me and slobber all over my face during a match!"_

_"No, you don't Haru. You really don't. I felt like Aang's dog Appa had just sneezed on me and then licked it off. And did you guys see the talent scouts glaring?"_

_"I didn't..."_

_"I totally saw them staring at you! Guess they don't like PDA by random chicks. I feel really sorry for you."_

_"Hey, when I want pity, Jet, I'll go to anyone but you."_

_"Woah, calm your tits. I'm just saying, I would hate to be face raped by the school cripple. Did you see her run into the locker outside science today?"_

They guffawed, and she decided that she had heard enough. Taking extra care to not run into the door as she left the crowded parlour, she walked past the wet bus stop. She just wanted to get out of there. Taking out her phone, she flipped it open to call her parents to pick her up. Well, send one of the maids to pick her up. Bringing it close to her face, she couldn't hear the inbuilt voice that should tell her what button she was hovering over. Shaking it, she realised with a sigh that it was out of battery. Turning her dulled eyes to the sky, she knew it would rain again long before she got home. She didn't really have a choice anyway, she wasn't going back into the pizza shop.

Readjusting the position of her pack, she began the forty minute long walk home. Her parents lived in the richer part of town and they generally had maids or a servant to chauffeur her around. She wished she hadn't told them that she was going to get a slice of pizza with friends. She hadn't had plans to sit with anyone, but they needed the assurances. She hadn't really planned a lot of things that had happened lately.

Swinging her cane out in front of her, she walked down the busy street, rain mixing with her salty tears as the sky mimicked her own inner conflict. She was so distracted she didn't feel the rain falling harder, faster. She didn't notice the streets had emptied, save for a solitary car speeding along occasionally. Sopping wet, Toph didn't realise something was following her until she tripped over it.

"Ahh!" she cried out, landing heavily on her hands and knees. Sitting back, she touched her legs gingerly, bringing her fingers to her nose only to smell blood on them.

_Great._

Any further thoughts she had were pushed from her mind as her face was assaulted by a slobbering tongue.

"Appa! No!"

_Appa? Sokka said something...Was it really like that?_

"Aang?" she called out warily. She wanted to get up off the ground and go to him, but the pain in her legs convinced her to stay on the ground. That, and she had lost her cane.

"T- Toph? Is that you? What are you doing?" She could hear him moving closer as he questioned her.

"Yea, it's me, Aang... Help me up, would you? And where's my cane?"

"Oh, it's righ- Woah! Hold on, don't move!"

"Why?! It's raining, I wanna get home!"

She was still seated on the floor, feeling the water going through her clothes. She was soaked through, and quite cold. She just wanted to get home and have a warm shower while listening to something heartbreaking and depressing; just like she'd done every other day that week.

"Hold on. I've got your cane, but you can't walk home like that. Here, you can get cleaned up at my house, it's my fault anyway," he told her, before reaching down and scooping her up in his arms, bridal style.

"Woah, what are you doing, Airhead?! You wanna get the spit punched out of you?" She thrashed in his arms but he held on tightly until she calmed down enough to let him speak.

"Not particularly, but Toph, you're soaked - you must be freezing. And it's my fault Appa got loose... I need to put some salve on your knees and bandage it, otherwise they might get infected. Now, I'm taking you to my house to get you cleaned up, and then we can call your parents to pick you up. Does that seem reasonable?"

"No, it doesn't." She still had an angry look on her face, but she didn't try and escape his arms again. It was pretty warm anyway, even though he was getting soaked fast.

Aang didn't put her down when he reached his house - he had left the door open and walked right in, followed closely by a smelly, muddy, happy Appa. Toph felt herself being placed on a hard surface. She put her hand down and realised it was wood - it must have been a table or cutting board.

"Stay here, I'm just going to get a towel." She heard his voice grow slightly fainter as he walked out of the warm room, before he popped his head around the doorway and added, more like an afterthought than anything, "Oh, I've got your cane, too."

She didn't really want to talk to him, her best fiebds boyfriend; thatvwas who Aang was to her. She hadn't really spent a lot of time around him before, and never on her own. Katara was always there, and conversation seemed to flow through her better, as though she was a messenger between the two mid-teens. Gently leaning forward, she touched her knees with her fingertips before withdrawing them with a hiss.

"Oh, I'll go get a washcloth too, just a minute. Here's the towel." Toph looked up quickly. Surprisingly, she hadn't heard Aang enter the room - she always heard where people were. Reaching her hand forward, she felt him move the towel forward so she could grab it.

"You better take your shoes and socks off too. I think I have some spare clothes you can change into... Clothes, washcloth, salve and bandages. Back in a minute!"

He was gone again, zipping off around the house collecting things for her. Shouldn't he be annoyed with her? Sokka was his best friend! Sports always brought guys together, and it wasn't really a surprise that they were friends. Dating his sister, both popular and fit; Aang was the best high jumper that the school had ever seen, too. He had even had a thing with Sokka's current girlfriend before the siblings had transferred. He didn't need to help her...

Quickly untying the laces on her shoes, she dropped them on the floor before peeling the sodden socks off her cold feet. Hesitating slightly, she also took off her jumper and over shirt, leaving just a singlet and her bra on, shivering as the cool air hit her wet flesh. Taking the towel in both hands, she tousled her hair, getting the excess water it of it before bringing it lower and patting her face and arms down. She managed to get some water out of her clothes, but it was still horribly damp and sticky. Toph didn't even bother with her legs. They didn't seem to be bleeding anymore, but they were still very sore. She would wait for Aang to do something about it - she would only screw it up even more.

"Woah..."

Toph jumped again. _Did he have to be so sneaky?_

"What? What's wrong?"

"Uh... Nothing... I mean, you're legs... Blood, and the like..."

He was obviously uncomfortable, even if she couldn't see it - and it wasn't the blood.

_He's embarrassed because I only have a singlet on?_

Had it been anyone else, she would have poked fun at him, but she didn't really know him that well. That, and he was helping her, so she let it slide.

"Yea, blood. I can't clean it off, either, you know, no sight?" She waved her hand in front of her face for emphasis. "You're gonna have to do it. Sorry if you get squeamish. Apparently people don't like it."

She shrugged as she felt Aang wiping away the blood on the lower part of her legs.

"Toph?" She could feel his gaze on her, and she sensed worry and... something else in his tone.

"Yeah?" she asked quizzically.

"I hate to say this, but... you don't have a toenail..." He lasted perhaps two seconds before he burst out laughing, Toph only a few more before she was joining in, shoulders shaking with mirth.

"Yeah," she told him when she had calmed down. "I hate shoes, and my parents would always force me to wear these dainty little things. I kept getting ingrown nails, so the doctor ended up just cutting it out. I have to be super careful not to drop anything on it, though. Man, that was sore..."

"Well, at least you know about it. It makes your toe look like a potato. Get it? Pota-_toe_?" He laughed, and she giggled along with him. For some reason, she didn't really mind him laughing at her. He only meant it in jest, and to be honest, it was nice that he had forgotten that she had no idea what a potato looked like.

Stifling the rest of his laughter, Aang began focussing on her bloodied legs again, working his way up and around where she assumed it was grazed. He didn't say anything as he cleaned the cloth off and began wiping gently at the grazes, but Toph knew it must have been pretty bad by how much care he was taking. Toph let out a hiss as the cloth passed over a particularly deep graze.

"Sorry..." Aang murmured under his breath. Pulling the cloth away, he squeezed the excess blood and water out of it before wiping his hands on a dish towel.

"Why were you even walking out in the rain anyway? I thought you lived in the expensive estate that's like, an hour away? Shouldn't you have like, butlers and stuff to drive you around?"

"Woah, not so many questions. I was walking home because my phone died. Yes, I live at Gaoling Estates, and we do have maids, but not a butler. I was gonna get a slice of pizza at Omashu Pizza and Ribs, but that fell through, so I thought I would walk... Ouch!"

Aang looked up from applying the salve, throwing her an apologetic smile but forgetting that she couldn't see him. He noticed the look of pain on her face pass into one of relief - the smooth cream was definitely helping.

"I love that pizza place! I know the guy who runs it, so I get free food all the time. The veggie pizzas aren't worth that much anyway. Who were you going to meet? Katara has her CPR course today..."

He finished applying the bandages, but looked at her again when she didn't immediately answer. Toph had managed to keep her face blank but she couldn't prevent the red colour rising in her cheeks.

"Can't a girl go and have a slice of pizza on her own?!" She glared at him, more upset than angry. Unbidden, the memory of _Him_ laughing at her returned, causing tears to form in her eyes.

"No! I mean, yes, they can!" Aang stumbled to find the words that would make her feel better.

Toph looked away from him, hoping to hide the tears she felt brimming on the surface of her eyes. She almost had them under control until Aang spoke up again.

"I haven't seen much of you around this week. Katara won't tell me what happened, and Sokka's been really touchy during all the sports meetings..."

She stared at him incredulously. "Didn't you go to his soccer game?" She felt the table she was on move slightly; Aang had jumped up to sit next to her.

"Nope. I had a meeting for the track and field finals, so I haven't really had any time to myself lately, 'cept during lunch breaks. Even then, I'm busy - I'm failing chemistry, so I need to go to the homework centre like, everyday," he explained to her.

"Oh."

"Why, did something happen during his last match? Like I said, Katara hasn't said anything to me... Well, she did seem especially pissed at you, but I figured it was a girl thing. PMS and like, cat-fights or something..."

Toph couldn't suppress the snort that made its way out her nose.

"Hah, do you even know what PMS is, Aang?" She giggled, forgetting momentarily why they were even talking about it.

"Uh... sure?"

"Yeah, whatever..." She remembered the question he had asked, and quickly changed the subject. "Hey, do you have any clothes I could change into. I'm really cold now."

Aang looked at her and noticed how blue her lips were. Jumping off the table, he handed back her cane as she followed suit, wincing slightly as she stood.

"We have some fresh clothes in the laundry, it's just down the hallway," he told her, walking towards the desired destination. Toph followed behind slowly, careful not to trip over Appa, who until that moment had been dozing in a corner.

"Soo... Where have you been?" He turned around slightly to look at her out of the corner of his eyes. Toph stumbled slightly at the question, and Aang held out a hand for her to stabilise herself with.

"I uh... I just did something stupid..." She muttered evasively once she had regained her balance.

"Everyone does stupid things sometimes. Only stupid people let it interfere with their lives," Aang responded, eliciting a small look of surprise from the blind girl.

"Di- didn't you say you had some clothes I could change into?" she asked, desperate to change the subject. She hadn't thought that avoiding him was being stupid - on the contrary, it seemed like the smartest option.

Realising that he had said something bad, Aang smiled sheepishly and began to lead her down the hallway again. He hadn't realised that he was still holding her hand, but Toph noticed and couldn't stop the heat that rose to her face. It was more due to the fact that someone liked her enough to help her, even if she didn't really need it.

"You- you won't laugh at me?" she asked him quietly. Aang turned around slightly, leading her around a corner and into a tiled room.

"Why would I laugh at you?" he asked innocently, genuinely surprised that she would ask that question.

"Because I- He did... He laughed at me..." She had managed to keep the tears spilling over, but couldn't keep the tremor from her voice.

"Look, Toph... Sokka can be a jerk sometimes. You know that, you guys were virtually inseperable... Unless he was on a date... here," he handed her something dry and fluffy. "Why don't you get changed, and I'll make some hot chocolate, and then you can tell me - only if you want, alright?" He smiled at Toph before making his way out of the room and closing the door. After wiping her eyes and some initial difficulty in establishing what item of clothing was what, Toph got dressed. Walking back towards the kitchen, she could hear Aang stirring something in a pot.

"It's milk," he explained once he saw her questioning gaze. "Gyatso is really healthy - he doesn't believe in microwaves... but he still drinks coffee... huh..." Toph gave a small smile as she felt around for something to sit on.

"So, why is Sokka a jerk this time?" he asked again, keeping his tone light and neutral.

"You know, I never said it was Sokka," Toph replied vaguely, not entirely sure how much she should tell him. This was the longest she had ever spent around the quiet boy who was dating her best friend - who was currently ignoring her. Toph had to be careful, Aang might go and blab everything to Katara.

"Katara hasn't mentioned you, and Sokka has been avoiding us too. It's obvious," he replied with a shrug before turning around to stir the milk again. Toph leaned up against the back of her chair, sighing.

"Yeah, okay, it was Sokka... I kinda... kissed him..."

"Really?" Aang took the milk off the stove and poured it into two mugs of drinking chocolate. Stirring the liquid, he brought them over to the table and passed one to Toph.

"Careful it's hot... So, you kissed Sokka?" Toph blew gently on the drink, nodding silently.

"Why is that a bad thing? I mean, aside from the fact that he already has a girlfriend. You, on the other hand, initiated the kiss and are surprisingly still available. I can kinda see why you did it, too. I mean, he's your best friend, the only guy you really spend any time around... He introduced you to us, but he still spent the most time around you. I don't think he saw it coming, though - the kiss." He blew on his own drink, stirring it slightly with the spoon.

_He's surprised that I don't have a boyfriend? Is **he** blind?_

Toph took a careful sip of the frothy liquid, catching some on her nose. Wiping it away, she began to talk again. "No-one likes the weird blind girl, Aang. I... I kinda walked up to him in the middle of his soccer game... If I didn't do it then, I wouldn't have at all! I don't talk to people about my feelings... Why don't you think he expected it?"

"You're talking to me," Aang pointed out, causing Toph to smile a little. "I think it's because he always saw you as one of the guys. You never tried to make new friends or do 'girly things'. He honestly didn't think you'd be one to like boys. Hey, even I thought you weren't interested in love and dating and all that jazz."

"Yeah, but I'm only talking to you 'coz I owe you for patching up my legs." She moved them a little so they swayed on the edge of her chair - they didn't quite reach the ground, which made Aang smile. "I'm not interested in dating... I just couldn't help the love aspect."

"No one can," he told her, sobering up after laughing at her dangling legs. "Sorry that Appa got loose, too. It wouldn't have happened if he didn't. I swear, we've tried to stop him, but he doesn't dig under the fence..."

"How did he get out?" Toph asked curiously, silently thankful that the conversation had turned from her love life into something ridiculous.

"Well, he isn't burrowing, so he must be jumping over the fence... Our very big fence... Oh, dear God, I am the owner of a flying dog!"

Toph laughed again, surprised at how comfortable she was around Aang. She was so used to Sokka's sarcasm, or Katara's bossiness, that being around the joking boy was quite refreshing.

"Well, because he is the world's only flying dog, I'll forgive him - just this once," Toph told Aang before downing her lukewarm drink.

"I should probably be going home now..." she said after wiping her mouth. Toph wasn't really used to this one-on-one bonding, and she knew that Aang could sense her discomfort.

"Alright, just lemme go find Gyatso... Oh, and Toph?"

She turned her blind eyes in her new friends direction, her gaze piercing through his.

"I wouldn't worry about Sokka. You guys are best friends - the world would have to end for the Dynamic Duo to break up for good. And I think that this is the kind of wake-up call that he needed." Aang could see Toph looking at him blankly, and he felt the need to reiterate, simplifying everything he just said.

"Just... now he knows there are more girls out there than just Azula, and girls who like him for him, not his proficiency on the football field. Don't give up, it'll work out" he told her, offering a wan smile. "Everything happens for a reason."

"... Thanks Aang... Do you- do you think I could borrow your phone to make a call?" she asked timidly.

"Sure," he told her, handing her his mobile. "I'll just get Gyatso. Oh, and Toph?" She looked up at him from behind the phone, barely 5 centimetres from her face.

"Yeah?"

"Speed dial 3." With that, he walked away. Locating the buttons she wanted, Toph clicked 'dial' and held the phone to her ear.

_*ring-ring*_

_*ring-ring*_

_*ring-ri-*_

_"Hey, Aang! What's up?"_

"... Sokka? It's Toph... Can we talk?"

_"...Toph? Sure!"_

Smiling, Toph could hear his own happiness through the phone.

_Don't give up, it'll work out_, she repeated to herself. _Everything happens for a reason_.

* * *

**A/N: Hey, guys! I don't own Avatar, thought I should tell you that in case you thought I did. Anyway, just a few notes.**

**1. Sokka plays soccer. That was the joke.  
2. I hate Azokka or Sozula or whatever you call it. Obviously.  
3. I have had my toenail removed, and yes, it does look like a potato (which my sister loves reminding me about).  
4. My mum is also really healthy (but she doesn't drink coffee), and we don't have a microwave. Also, I don't make my hot chocolate on milk - a habit I picked up from a school camp last year, where the only things to drink were water (which had to be boiled first), powdered milk, or hot chocolate. I also don't drink a lot of milk anyway.  
5. This is my first AU (hooray!), but I feel the need to tell you people that I take prompts and requests. Seriously, I can't think of new ideas all the time (well, no, I have about 20 oneshots that I've started but never got any further than the first paragraph).**

**Anyway, I hope you liked it, it was sitting on my computer for like, 2 months while I tried to figure out what to do with it. Thanks to a-dot-fictional-dot-love for beta-ing this. If it seems better than my other stories, that's why.**


	5. Pseudo-drabbles

**A/N: Just a few drabbles. I'll elaborate further down the bottom.**

* * *

Apprise  
'Thats amazing...' Toph could hear Aang's words echo in her mind, and actually allowed herself to smile at the memory before yelling at her student to correct his stance.

Sense  
All her life, she had been allergic to people, of their simpering voices and itchy touches - it came as a surprised, then, when she longed for his hands wrapped gently around her own.

Flambé  
Amidst Toph's threats of 'setting his ass on fire,' and many, many punches, Aang noticed that she didn't hurt anyone else nearly as often as she did to him; for some reason, that made him smile

Prevent  
Earthbending a small stone, she watched in silent glee as the airbender tripped, head butting Katara. 'Idiot Avatar,' the girls thought at the same time.

Embarrassed  
Looking at the angry earthbender, Aang would have wished for the ground to swallow swallow him up, if only she couldn't feel him under there.

Fireworks  
"Toph, there's going to be a firework display!" Aang told his Sifu, not expecting her tart reply of "not if they can't find the person to light it," before seeing a man shackled to the floor with earthbending.

Cut  
Blindness never stopped the young girl; she was watched in silent adoration by the monk as she struggled to learn to take care of herself - in this case, dividing the fruit tart into equal portions.

Different  
Around the group, she was rough, unyielding, stubborn and sarcastic - a rock; alone with him, she was sensitive, strong, tender and beautiful - a diamond (and she was his diamond).

Nails  
Sokka was the hammer of the group - he kept everyone working; Katara, the wood which held them up. Aang was the paint, the symbol, and Toph was the nails; she was the small, insignificant character who kept everyone together.

Spirit  
When the waterbender spoke of souls and spirits, she laughed and walked away; when the monk talked of it, she hung onto his every word.

* * *

**A/N: I felt really bad for putting this on the back-burner, so I thought I would release what little I have. I have another ten or so already written, but these are just the first few.**

**Firework was inspired by line in roca dos's story Practise Makes Perfect (if you're looking for some Taang, go take a look at her stories)**

**I don't have many Taang ideas, because to be honest, I've fallen in love with Tokka. Rest assured, I haven't 'abandoned ship'; however, it is a little harder for me to gain inspiration for Taang. I'm not leaving this, though, so don't worry.**


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