Do I really have to say it? Really? Fine. I don't own Avatar. There, now that that's out of the way, let's get to the story.

Changed Minds

Small, pale fingers drifted across his face, gliding over every inch of his skin. Seemingly delicate hands, hands that were often the bane of their earthbending lessons, moved over his eyelids. So quickly, so gently, he couldn't be sure they had been there at all. Aang could recall only a few times he had allowed someone to touch his face, and none of them did it with this much...scrutiny. Maybe it was the intimate nature of the act itself, but for the life of him, Aang just couldn't understand why his face had suddenly turned a darker shade of red. He felt the unexplainable urge to run for the hills.

You know what the irony is? It was his idea. She had wanted to know what he looked like, but since he didn't know how to describe himself, he suggested that she feel his face instead. Oh, boy that was a mistake. There had to be other ways that for a blind girl to find out how you look like.

Actually, now that he thinks about it, it wasn't all that bad. Sure, it weird to have you friend and teacher touch you in such a familiar way, but it certainly wasn't unpleasant. He had expected the palms of the master earthbender to be rough and calloused, so much like her personality. However, one of Toph's greatest talents was the ability to keep surprising Aang.

Actually, her hands are...soft. And warm. It feels...kinda...good...

Woah! Where did that come from?.

His grey eyes widened comicaly. Aang was glad that Toph couldn't see the guilty expression on his face.

Wait, why was he feeling guilty? All he thought was that she had nice hands. He was just noticing her hands, that's all, she's his friend and teacher so it isn't weird that he would think that and she's touching his face so of course he would notice her hands how could he not they're right there so any thoughts he had about her don't count because they...well they just don't so this isn't a big deal and besides she's just a friend!

Right, even he didn't buy that.

And to make matters worse, there was this uncomfortable twisting feeling in his gut.

Her thumb moved across his lips.

There was that twisting again. And he had just turned another shade of red.

The palm of her left hand was now rubbing the top of his bald head.

"I didn't know you were bald," she said in surprise.

He hadn't noticed, not until she had spoken for the first time since this fiasco had begun, but Toph was very close to Aang. They were seperated only by a few short inches; close enought to see past the ebony black hair that normally blocked her eyes. Struck dumb by the hypnotizingly beautiful color of her eyes, a striking balance of milky ivory and soft sea green, he stared deep into her broken eyes. Eyes that stared past Aang, past everything, seemingly into infinity.

Aang felt his face burn even hotter.

"Would you stop blushing? Geeze! You're acting like I'm trying to get to second base with you."

Aang blinked, shocked back to reality. Spirits, he must look like a tomato.

"S-sorry. I'm just-I didn't...uhmmm...I mean I'm not used to you…being so…, " he stammered.

"Being so what?"

"Being so…nice."

"Nice? So you think I'm some kinda jerk earthbender, is that is?

"Yes! No! I mean no!"

"Well, I'm sorry for bothering you with my 'niceness'. I'll go be a jerk somewhere else."

"No! I don't...That's not...wait, come back!"

Oh boy, this was going downhill fast.

Without meaning to, Aang's hand snapped forward and grabbed Toph's wrist before she could turn away from him completely.

"Wait! I didn't mean for it to come out that way. I'm sorry. Just...don't go." He didn't know why, but more than anything, he didn't want Toph to leave.

"I think you're very nice. It just came out wrong. I'm sorry."

Toph didn't say anything, but neither did she walk away.

"It's just that your…uh…gentleness…surprised me."

"Yeah…well…if you didn't act like such a fool sometimes, you would probably get to see my gentle side once in a while."

"I like your gentle side" Aang said without thinking.

She seemed to have accepted his apology because she had this look content look on her face.

"Uh…Aang?"

"Yeah?"

"Could you let go of my hand now?"

"Oh, sorry." His hand quickly snapped back to his side.

-Awkward silence-

"I think I hear Sokka calling me! I should go see what he wants!" a blushing Aang said as he quickly walked away.

Too focused on the sudden blush that had colored her face, Toph didn't feel the shadows sitting in the corner watching her.

Sharpening his boomering while watching them, the shadow of a boy just said with a knowing smile on his face, "Eh, it was bound to happen some time...At least now Zuko has a chance... Dear Spirits, what am I saying? Actually, now that I think about it, the only chance Zuko has is to be frozen to a tree."

"Am I the only one who thinks it's weird that we have time to worry about saving the world AND be able to have all these social, teenage problems?" asked the Kyoshi warrior.

The old man sitting next to her said, "Eh, they are young. What can you expect?"

Toph couldn't sleep that night. She couldn't stop thinking about Aang's soft lips on her thumb. And the smoothness of his cheek on her palm. And the gentle tingle that went down her spine when Aang told her how he liked her gentleness.

And the way that she liked all those feelings.

Maybe gentle isn't so bad...

A/N