She hears the rumble of unsettled waves below, and even though she is equally restless, she remains silent.

Toph canceled all of her meetings and plans for the day. She was supposed to send a messenger to Bumi, telling him that reconstruction in Ba Sing Se was going slower than expected, and he needed to send more earthbenders to help out. The committee in charge of rebuilding the schools and establishing a curriculum was supposed to be convening today, but they would have to wait. She was even supposed to keep Bosco company while the Earth King Kuei was out traveling the world, earning the experience and wisdom necessary to, as he said, "rule Ba Sing Se as a true leader."

She was doing none of that. She was busy waiting.

Last night, Toph had awoken at midnight, which was unusual because she usually slept undisturbed. And what was more unusual was that she felt completely alert; not an ounce of weariness lingered in her body. Bewildered and wondering what she had eaten for dinner that caused such an odd sleeping pattern, she rose from her bed and happened to glance outside. Piercing the sky was a brilliant beam of light, shimmering and glistening in the bold moonlight. A faint smile had lifted the corners of her mouth. Since she knew she was not dreaming, Toph knew there could be only one cause of that light.

The Avatar had returned from his spiritual journey.

Aang is coming back.

---------------

He stood at the precipice of a north-facing cliff, tasting the salt on the breeze that carried from the sea. Closing his eyes, he exhaled, trying to clear his head.

"I have so many places to visit and so many people I want to see. What should I do first?" Aang asked out of exasperation, opening his eyes to stare at the endless expanse of ocean before him. So many nations and towns and names and faces were swimming through his mind; he could not imagine being able to see them all. It was a wonderful freedom, to be done with his spiritual training (for now), but mixed with his joyous relief was a sensation of being overwhelmed. He did not want to disappoint anyone, especially after being gone for so long.

"Go to whom your heart guides you," the guru said with a knowing smile. Aang slowly nodded in understanding, though he still did not know who that would be yet. Nevertheless, the guru had shown his wisdom time and time again, and Aang trusted him. Inhaling, the Avatar gathered his energy within his chest and then expelled it through his arms, into the wind. A powerful gust propelled him through the air, and he could not restrain a blissful yell of exaltation as he soared. Being in the Spirit World meant not having the ability to bend, and in two years he had almost forgotten the addictive feeling of ecstasy that accompanied airbending.

Clothes fluttering and eyes watering, he descended toward the waves. With a quick circular movement of his arms, the water rose to absorb the impact, and with several sharper, more fluid gestures, a sturdy bowl-shaped piece of ice froze itself into formation out of the liquid. Despite his lack of bending, he had become more understanding of the spiritual mechanisms that made bending possible, so he found that his bending abilities had remained developed. As Aang landed onto the platform, the surrounding water dipped to cushion the force of his fall. He looked back to wave a cheerful goodbye to Guru Pathik, and with that, the Avatar threw his hands behind him, sending him rocketing across the water's surface with the speed of a missile.

He had someone to see, after all.

---------------

When she had told her secretary that she was abandoning all of her duties for the day, he could only stare at her, dumbfounded.

"And if anyone dares attempt to come find me, they'll get their mouths stuffed with mud," she had added for good measure before slamming the palace door shut behind her.

She figures that settled that. No one would come looking for her. They knew how much she prized her privacy.

Toph considered herself a very responsible person. She liked to have fun and relax every once in a while (and who said work can't get done without an occasional prank or two?), but she took her job as Manager of the Earth Kingdom Reconstruction seriously. Well, as seriously as a fun-loving girl her age could. Just the same, she knew she should feel guilty or anxious about the progress she was putting on hold, but she didn't.

Aang was coming back, and she had to greet him. Simple as that. Everyone else would have to wait for her own return.

A breeze caressed her cheek, and she smiled.

---------------

Faster, faster. Come on, I can go faster than that!

Truth was, Aang could not remember when he had traveled so quickly. Stray water droplets splashed onto his face, feeling like shards of glass upon contact, and the wind was smothering him on all sides. But the wind was his friend and water is gentle, so he reaffirmed his command of the elements and cushioned their touch. He continued to windmill his arms at an increasing speed, vaguely wondering if he was heading in the right direction. He had passed various islands and ports; none of them had felt right. The path he was on now seemed less like a path and more like a thread that was wrapped, tight, around his wrist. It was pulling, pulling, and he had to do everything within his power to keep up with the thread's tug. It was persistent, this thread, in an almost irritating way, but its persistence seemed necessary in its relentlessness. So Aang followed it with everything he had.

The ice boat was holding him steadily, slicing cleanly through the water like a blade. His ankles and calves were beginning to ache from holding him upright so solidly, but he did not mind the pain. It was not because the powerful Avatar was beyond such an insignificant earthly inconvenience, but because Aang would rather focus on reaching his destination- wherever it may be. During his teachings, the guru had made a point to reinforce the idea that the Avatar was not a symbol of invincible power, but rather a symbol of humble acceptance of great responsibility. Aang had learned this first-hand before, but defeating the Firelord had given him slight arrogance, admittedly. He felt much more comfortable now, with his confidence high but kept thoughtfully in check.

That was how he kept going with such rapidity. He was confident that he would find whom he was meant to see first. Not because the Avatar had a supernatural sense of direction, but because Aang had faith in Fate.

---------------

She welcomed the scent of dusk.

It smelled like damp air, fallen flower petals, and cool soil. She spread her toes across the grass, digging into the dirt underneath. Even though she had been waiting for hours (she assumed), Toph could not have felt more at ease. The cliff's edge was made of firm, healthy rock, the wind was crisp but mild, and she had infinite patience. At least, she had infinite patience for an event like this.

She wondered if Aang had changed since their last meeting. His spiritual adventures usually altered him in some way or another. Maybe he grew out his hair again, or maybe he finally gotten some muscle, or maybe he had found another spiritual animal to keep Appa company. The old man had told Aang that he had to proceed to the Spirit World without his bison companion, so Appa had grudgingly stayed behind to be tended to by the palace's caretakers. Momo was prowling the grounds somewhere, probably agitating the songbirds or stealing cabbage.

Briefly, she wondered if she should have brought the loyal creatures. Just as quickly, she decided that if Momo and Appa wanted to greet Aang, they would come of their own will. If she could sense his return, so could they. They would come if they wanted to.

Returning to her original thoughts, Toph began to reflect on her own changes. Was she any different since she last saw Aang? Her hair had grown out, but she kept it tame in the same bun she always had. Stray tendrils of her bangs still hung in front of her face, and her feet were still always dirty. She wore more formal clothes now, clothes fit for the organizer of the rebuilding of a civilization. Much greater tasks had been levied on her shoulders, and she bore them with perhaps a greater sense of duty. She supposed she was more mature now, but with an impish grin, she figured it was not by much.

Yup, Toph thought, Twinkletoes will have no problem recognizing me.

---------------

He was growing close. He could feel it.

The sun began to dip beyond the horizon, and Aang watched his shadow gradually lengthen. The ocean glistened with the colors of the sunset, and more than once he dipped his fingers into the pools of violet and red. After a while, a pod of dolphin-otters had begun to gather around him, eager for a race. As they started to leap about him, their graceful bodies forming sparkling arcs of water, Aang laughed, his heart warming.

I'm glad to be back, he thought, and with a sharp extension of his arm, he bended the water to shoot him upward, mimicking the dolphin-otters jumps.

Even though he did not know to whom he was being lead now, Aang knew he would, eventually, visit all of his closest friends. He thought about how Katara was doing, if her goal of training benders in the South Pole was working out well. For a moment, he allowed himself a small chuckle, for he knew that if it had been years ago, he would have sped straight to Katara without a thought about Fate. Perhaps, unknowingly, he was being led to her now, but he doubted it. There was something about this merciless tug that did not feel like Katara's tender nature. He thought of Sokka and how his position on the Four Nation Council, alongside Zuko and Iroh, was suiting him. In the beginning, Aang never imagined Sokka would be skilled at handling nation politics, but it turned out that the water tribe warrior had a knack for making strong alliances and establishing treaties. He figured that it was because of Sokka's innate understanding of each nation's inner workings and his intuitive comprehension of human nature that made him such a valuable asset to the Council. With Suki at his side (and marriage imminent, so he had last heard), Aang figured Sokka was happy with his life, wherever it had taken him last they met.

Then there was Zuko and Iroh. Since he had become to new Firelord, Zuko had a lot to handle, Aang knew that much. However, he had faith that Zuko was able to manage it all with the composed, stern, decisive manner that he had developed over the years. Iroh ought to have still been on his nations-wide journey to visit each government and build stronger ties between the Fire Nation and other lands. Hopefully, Aang would be able to catch him while he was visiting.

Toph was being kept busy as well, he knew. She had volunteered to head the Earth Kingdom reconstruction and was already in the process of restoring Ba Sing Se when he left. He hoped the stresses of the job were not wearing her down, but then he smiled in spite of himself at the thought. Toph Bei Fong being worn down by anything? Impossible. Besides, Bumi was the supervisor of the project, and if she needed assistance, he was there. Abruptly, Aang felt a knot of guilt shoot through him; if he had not left, he would have been able to help her, too. And he would have been able to see Sokka fulfill the role of leadership he was destined to have, to help Katara re-establish the bending population in her tribe, to stand by Zuko's side as he tried to reform the bonds of trust that his father had callously shattered.

But Aang knew he could not dwell on what he had missed. There was nothing that could be done about the past, and he had to look toward the future. He had to strive to be there for his friends now, when it counted.

With his determination enlivened, he pushed harder, much to the glee of the dolphin-otters. Then, suddenly, Aang saw the very tip of a land mass ahead. He was heading directly for it, and he did not feel a tug in any other direction. This must be it! he thought, his heart pounding joyously in his chest. Hastily, he charged forward, and the dolphin-otters squeaked in goodbye as they gave him his privacy.

He squinted to have a better idea as to where he was, as to whom he was racing. But he could not see anything but a vague speck atop a jutting cliff. His shoulder muscles strained in protest to such reckless movement as Aang hastened further, his curiosity proving better fuel than any kind of coal. The rest of the world blurred into masses of shapes and hues while he concentrated on that solitary speck. As it began to grow in size and distinction, Aang did not bother to restrain the beaming smile that splashed onto his face along with renegade waves. He was close enough now to see a frame of green around the form towering ahead. Finally, he knew to whom Fate had led him.

Toph.

And all at once, he knew that he had known all along. Only she had that strong and stubborn of an influence. Only she could drag him across him across an ocean without letting him slow down and rest. Only she could stand there atop a narrow precipice with the confidence that only a master of the earth beneath her could have.

As he grew closer, he noted she looked taller than he remembered. Her newfound height was no match for the growth spurt he had gained while away, but he imagined that she would be able to rival his chin. She seemed darker in skin tone as well; no doubt due to the many hours spent Earthbending in the sun.

The edge of the cliff was threatening to obscure his view of Toph as he neared her. He needed to get higher, to get where she was. Without a second thought, he contracted his arms into tighter, more condensed circular movements and sharply lifted them above his head. The water complied with each gesture and coiled within itself, mounting into a monstrous wave (that even Waterbending Master Pakku would be impressed with, he knew). The liquid rumbled and roared, rushing skyward with strength paramount to tidal waves. Aang had not bended with such ferocity in several years, and he appreciated feeling such immense vigor from the water again. The titantic wave swept his ice platform up and up, until Aang was about fifty feet above Toph. With the water still building, Aang rolled his shoulders and swiftly pushed his hands forward, so the wave began charging directly at the patient Earthbending Master, who was wearing a wide grin.

She had sensed his presence miles ago. It had been a faint feeling, a vague impression, almost like she was dreaming, but somehow she knew he would reach her soon. And then the feeling became firmer, taking root in her chest until she swore she could measure exactly how far apart they were. Twenty miles, she had thought mere minutes before. She did not understand how she capable of such precise calculations, but all she needed to understand was that he would arrive momentarily.

So when she felt him mere feet away, the mist of rising waves sprinkling upon her face, she laughed and smiled and allowed her heart to lift in airborne joy.

The wave crossed the last few feet with such tremendous speed and energy, that if Aang had not been piloting it, the force of nature would have crumbled the cliff as if it was a mound of sand. But Aang was beaming with radiant confidence, and the water was dancing at his fingertips. Finally, with the tip of the cliff directly before him, Aang leapt forward, cutting his hands backward so the motion of the current was reversed, decisively dispelling its approach. Lingering remnants of the wave's crest glittered in the last rays of the sunset as they dampened Aang's neck and showered Toph's cheeks. He soared rapidly through the air to her, and with a swirling action of his arms, the wind curled around his body, halting his momentum and gently placing him a handful of inches from her.

The resulting breeze brushed Toph's face and ruffled her bangs, and she could only broaden her grin at the feel. Every time the air had been disturbed in the last couple years, Toph would think of Aang, commanding the sky with his compassionate yet self-assured guidance. Even though she knew he was not really there, imagining him in close proximity would bring a calming effect upon her. And now, with the wind cooling her skin and wisping across her palms as a direct result of Aang being before her, Toph realized that this moment was what she had been imagining all those years.

Aang was back.

He came back.

"Was that supposed to impress me?" she asked with a mock scoff, smiling. Aang returned the expression even more brightly than before.

"Well, did it?" he challenged, absolutely engrossed in her presence, in actually standing in front of her after all that time. Seeing her was like seeing a constant image of his mind manifest, but most of all he felt her before him. And it was the realest feeling he could imagine.

The thread that had been tight around Aang this entire time now hung slack between them.

"Not a chance, Twinkletoes," she replied, her countenance illuminating the world that the coming of night had darkened.

And with that, Aang reached forward, enwrapping Toph in his arms, pulling her into a soft embrace. He had not been able to contain himself any longer; after so long with such space between them, he wanted nothing more than to eliminate all distance and unify them utterly. Toph felt comfortably enveloped in his arms, and she doubted she would feel so at ease in such an intensely emotional gesture with anyone else. Hugs could often be discomfiting because they were too overwhelming or born from selfish, unrequited desires, but with Aang, she knew it was born out of a mutual need (not a want) to be close again. His tender touch was soothing, warming her down to her very toes.

Tightly, she pressed her hands across his shoulder blades, making the embrace her own. Stars began to blink awake in the sky above, shining to illuminate the instance of shared intimacy.

However, not one to get lost in sappiness, Toph withdrew and punched Aang on the arm.

"Alright, Twinkletoes, that's enough of that mushy stuff. I didn't miss you that much," she said, grabbing his hand firmly and turning. "Come on, we got a lot of work to do."

Aang could not help but smile as she pulled him along, but after a moment he quickened his pace and drew himself even with her, returning her grip. She did not object.

They both knew Toph had done enough pulling, and Aang had done enough following.

END

Author's Note: I like to think this story, in addition to being my first Toph/Aang piece, is sort of a return of my own. I've been gone for a long time for various vague reasons (I may as well have been away on spiritual training), but I plan to come back for real this time. I will not be 100% active because I have an active life outside of the internet now, but I'm trying harder to get my life in order so I may come online more often and more consistently.

There are certain people I've hurt more than others by not coming online (such as Damien), and for that I could never apologize enough, though I'll try. I can only write this story and post it in hopes that the message is conveyed. I'm sorry, Damien and others. I'm sorry for all the harm I've probably caused you. I'm back now. I don't think that's enough, but I'm back.