Lub
Dub
Lub
She waited for what seemed like an eternity for that next beat and when she finally understood that it was not going to come, she sagged onto the floor next to the bed, her legs no longer willing to support her weight. The darkness she had lived in her entire life seemed to crush in around her, now filled by nothing but the weight of her grief and the knowledge that she had lost him. Lost Iroh. Iroh, Iroh. His name echoed and swirled in her head. Iiiiroooh. It became a sob and then a keening of grief and the betrayal she felt. He had always been there for her when she needed him most and now... Now she was alone in the dark.
Eventually she became aware that she was no longer the only person in the room. Had she ever been the only person in the room? It didn't seem to matter much but she did want to be left alone with her grief and she said so, "Out! Out. Please, just go." She didn't care much who was there, her blind rage at the intrusion clouding her senses.
A hand on her back. Gentle but firm. Zuko's voice saying, "Toph." Nothing more, just her name. But she could tell he was crying, that he was angry and overwhelmed all at the same time. She wasn't sure if she was ready to share the raw emotions that stormed within her and threatened to sweep her away but Zuko did not seem to be willing to give her a choice and even though she could tell from the way he was breathing that he too was wrapped in a maelstrom of emotion, he still seemed to be a steady presence in a world that was suddenly gone to quicksand. She sagged against him and let him wrap his arms around her as they both grieved the death of the man they had loved best.
A/N – This is a scene that's been running around in my head for a long time. I finally decided to put it on paper but at this point I am fairly sure it's a one-off.
