Toko Week 5 Prompts
A/N: Okay, I'm sorta participating in Toko Week, and I'm sorta not participating in it. :/ I don't have entries for every prompt so... Yeah. (Sorry, drew a blank there.) But I do have two stories based on the prompts. So, I'll be compiling all of them on this particular fic(?), going by chapters and yep. They aren't necessarily connected in storyline or anything though. :/
Disclaimer: I do not own Avatar: The Last Airbender.
Prompt: Trouble
Curing the Workaholic
"Come on. Tell me what's wrong," Toph urged, hopping onto his desk.
He scowled as some scrolls rolled off the desk as they made way for the earthbender. She started swinging her legs, knocking some of the dirt caked on her toes onto his once-pristine floor. He rubbed his temples slowly, picking up his brush to start from where he had left off.
It was going great, him ignoring Toph and all, until she kicked the desk and his handwriting turned into illegible scrawls.
"Toph, leave," He ordered in a low voice, gripping his brush so tightly he was sure it would snap into two.
She was off the desk now, but she did not budge. She had no intention of leaving. Toph folded her arms as if in an act of defiance.
"You're getting from bad to worse," She declared. "I'm not leaving until you tell me what's wrong."
"Wrong? Nothing's wrong," Zuko said. "Unless you consider someone barging into your office while you're doing work wrong."
She scowled but remained firmly planted to the ground. "I get it now. You're a workaholic."
"Thank you, Captain Obvious."
"That means you're in deep trouble, Sparky. We need to get you cured right away," She said in a deadpan, grabbing his arm.
Zuko frowned. Leaving his work alone for a moment certainly sounded inviting but… "I don't need to be cured of anything."
"As they say, the first stage of grief is denial. I'm going to help you jump all the way to acceptance!" Toph grinned as she hauled him out of the office.
"Grief? What grief?" He half-yelled, knowing it wouldn't get through her once she had her mind made up.
xxx
"… This is your cure, Doctor Beifong?" Zuko asked in a flat voice. "Sparring?"
"This is the best cure!" She announced somewhat proudly.
"Wrong," He said. "This is the only cure you could think of."
Toph's response to that was a jab at the back, courtesy of her friendly earth column. Zuko groaned inwardly. Her supposed 'cure' was just an excuse to get him to spar with her.
xxx
Zuko hated to admit it but… Toph was quite right. He did feel better. He stared at the ground as he took time to catch his breath.
"I guess… This is what you do with the rest of the Gaang, huh?" Zuko asked.
Toph grinned, "Probably."
He arched an eyebrow in response, waiting for her to continue.
"You… If you were in trouble, I definitely have to help."
"Oh? Why?"
"I don't suppose you remember how we first met?"
"I uh… Burned your feet?" He said slightly uneasily.
She shook her head and rested her head against a tree. "The first gift is always the hardest to repay. Especially when that gift is the chance to live."
Zuko frowned, not comprehending it the least.
"I was a little girl still, around six or so. I had just learnt to earthbend. I left my house in secret to train again. That's when I fell into a lake." Toph shook her head, "I couldn't identify water bodies as readily as I can now."
"When I was ten… I had insisted that Uncle Iroh bring me along as he gathered intel on Earth Kingdom and Ba Sing Se…" He furrowed his eyebrows in deep thought.
"Someone saved me," Toph stated clearly. "I'm not too sure who he was, but the earth tells me that person was you."
"T-Thank you…" The girl shuddered as I placed her on the ground.
I nodded before shock registered in my head. I just saved an Earth Kingdom girl, an enemy. My eyes quickly darted around, hoping no one had seen my rescue. I glanced at the girl again, huddled together, trying to keep herself warm.
I frowned. How could a girl like that be an enemy? Still…
I gathered a few dry twigs in the vicnity and hastily made a fire. The warmth scared her at first, but then she reached out for the flame in curiosity. I chided her, telling her not to touch the fire, or she'll get burnt. She nodded obediently.
Seeing this, I felt somewhat assured.
"Get it now, Sparky?" Toph broke through his thoughts.
Zuko nodded. "Let's head back, Doctor Beifong. I'm 'cured' already. "
A/N: Heh. That's it. :) It's pretty short, I know. :( This just popped in my mind so I just wanted to write it out. Also, I'm a sucker for childhood friend backstory stuff. (What do you call it anyway...?) Please review! I'll appreciate it if you would! Thank you for reading! :D