Written for the pro bending circuit.
Task: Someone else discovers your character's fear.
Prompts: Location Omashu and (song) Say Something by A Great World.
My pairing is: Toph & Zuko
Word count:1082
Its dark out, the streets are lit by candlelight as twilight turns to nightfall. Zuko and Toph are walking through the centre of town accompanied by two guards. Zuko is wearing a green sleeveless tunic with green trousers and brown pointed boots, while Toph is wearing something unusual for her… a dress.
"Sorry the meeting with King Bumi took so long, it appears that after my sister took over the city tensions are at an all time high." Zuko said.
"That explains the guards and the fact that you're not wearing your Firelord armor." Toph replied with a coy smile.
"Wait? how did you know? Zuko replied staring at Toph.
"The fibers in cotton move differently and I can hear the way it sounds when you walk." Toph said casually much to Zuko's surprise.
"That and the guards explained the whole blend in thing before we left, which is why I'm wearing this." She said smiling and gesturing to her dress and continued. "If anyone recognized me as a Beifong and saw me dressed like I normally am, they would cause a bit of a scene."
"I guess so, it looks nice" Zuko said with a small smile.
"Thanks Sparky" Toph said sarcastically turning her face to hide her blush.
"So where do you want to eat, I hear Omashu has some great vegetable Pad Tai, King Bumi told me I should really try the *Sigh* lettuce leaves." Zuko said.
"He made the pun didn't he?" Toph asked.
Zuko nodded with an annoyed expression on his face.
"So where do you want to eat?" Zuko asked.
Toph looked at Zuko through her pale green eyes and used her head to gesture at the guards and gave a devilish grin.
Zuko returned her smile and whispered "Ok, on the count of 3."
Toph nodded.
"1…..2….3" Zuko said sprinting forward taking toph by the hand.
The two laugh as they sprint into a nearby alleyway, with the guards in pursuit.
Toph bends an earth shield around them and the guards run past unable to see them.
"So, for the last time…where do you want to eat?" Zuko said with a laugh.
"Badgermole ramen, they make some great sweet Moo-sow buns." Toph says with a smile.
"I've never had Moo-sow, this could be interesting." Zuko said.
Toph dropped the earth shield and the two of them walked back to the main street.
Zuko and Toph are walking through another crowded section of the city, children are running around holding popsicles.
"Ok great buns." Zuko said.
"Told you so." Toph responded.
The two walk through the crowd and approach a huge frozen pond with people ice-skating.
Toph shivered. "Why did it suddenly get so cold?"
"I've heard about this, apparently King Bumi has Waterbenders from the swamp tribes come in and freeze a few of the ponds and fountains so the citizens can ice skate during the hot days of the summer." Zuko said placing a hand on his chin, then turning to Toph.
Toph's eyes were pointed at her feet.
"Would you want to try, we've got some time?" Zuko asked.
Without raising her eyes Toph quietly said "no"
"Toph, are you ok?" Zuko asked reaching a hand out for her shoulder.
"I'm fine just leave me alone!" Toph snapped, much to the shock of Zuko and the crowd around them.
Toph turned and ran away.
After 5 minutes of searching Zuko found Toph, sitting on a quiet street corner wiping tears from her face.
"Toph?" Zuko asked cautiously.
"Oh, hey Sparky." Toph said pulling her hand away from her face.
"What happened? Was it something I said?" Zuko said.
"No, I mean not really…I just." Toph hesitated.
"What" Zuko asked.
"I don't like ice ok…" Toph snapped.
"Because it's hard to see…" Zuko said placing a palm on his forehead.
"Yeah, that and when we were traveling to Ba Sing Se, something happened." Toph said.
Zuko looked at Toph worried.
"We were on Serpant's Pass Katara made an ice bridge for us to get across and…well I got scared." Toph said.
"Toph, that's ok." Zuko responded reaching a hand out to Toph.
"Don't do that! Don't coddle me! Not you! You're the only one that hasn't really acted like I was blind, you're the only one that has always treated me as an equal, that hasn't seen me and wanted to take care of me and think I'm weak!" Toph screamed.
"I fell in ok! I fell into the water at Serpents' Path and all of a sudden I was the helpless blind girl that my parents always thought I was!" Toph said putting her hands back on her face.
"No you're not! You're strong and you're only going to get stronger! Toph you're one of the most amazing people I've met. At the age of 12 you've mastered one bending art and did something that hasn't been done for centuries, you've invented another one. Everyone needs help sometimes regardless, infact someone once told me a little help from friends can be a great blessing." Zuko said looking square at Toph.
Toph raised her head and looked at Zuko.
"You really think so?" Toph asked.
"I know, and I'm going to help you…Do you trust me?" Zuko said extending a hand out which Toph took with a smile.
The two walked back towards the pond hand in hand.
"Wait." Toph said, taking some metal off a near by sign she bent it into skate blades underneath both their shoes.
"This should help us on the ice." Toph said.
Zuko nodded with a smile.
As they approached the pond a light melody started playing from a band that had set up near by.
Zuko began nodding his head to the rhythm.
"I've heard this before just only on Tsungi horn, it's a slow song but should be good for skating." Zuko said.
The two approached the ice and stepped on Zuko held tightly onto top, as she tried to gain her footing.
"I've got you." Zuko said faintly.
Toph smiled. "So you can't just drop a hint and do nothing with it, what are the lyrics to this song you were talking about? If I've got to skate, you could at least serenade me."
Zuko blushed and coughed.
"Say something, I'm giving up on you… I'll be the one if you want me to." Zuko sang.
As Zuko continued Toph tightened her grip on the young princes hands smiled and nestled her head into his chest.