AN: My first Avatar: The Last Airbender fic!
Pulse.
Beat.
Throb.
That was the key.
Pulse.
Beat.
Throb.
It grew up between my toes. I felt that, felt that tempo beneath my feet, felt it grow up into my body, felt it spread into my arms and on through my fingers. It focused in my chest, felt it correspond and match the easy rhythm of my heart. But then it spread to the very fine tips of my fingers and grazed out, and then I was the strongest bender that was ever created.
I had tried to explain it to the idiot, but he just didn't get it.
"I don't get it."
"Listen, Twinkletoes: when you Airbend, what do you feel?"
"Like flying," and I smirked when he answered instantaneously.
"Alright, so when you Waterbend, what do you feel?"
"Really light and… I feel like water."
"So when you Firebend, what do you feel?"
"Warm. Just really warm and powerful."
I grazed the power in the tip of my finger and there was a pebble, twirling in my palm.
"And when you Earthbend, Twinkletoes?"
I had to touch my heel back to the soft soil beneath Appa to make sure he hadn't somehow run off. I couldn't hear him, couldn't smell him (that was something I was used to by now; he didn't have a definite scent since he changed all the time, changed with the air and the water and the earth) and I couldn't feel his pulse for just the slightest moment. But then I was reassured, because I could feel him there.
Pulse.
Beat.
Throb.
Then his pulse was just a little bit closer, enough so that he could personally grab the pebble out of my hand. I smiled but I let him keep it.
"I feel like you." His voice was different, another one of the things that changed with his environment.
"What does that mean?"
"I feel strong and intimidating and easy… really a part of something."
And then I sat up, because I only felt three of those things.
"Easy, Twinkletoes?"
"Yeah, easy."
"Easy how?"
"You're easy to be around. I can't lie but I don't really feel like I need to. You don't have to look at me when we talk and I like that. You're really relaxed all the time but then you're just the awesome fighter." I heard him shove the pebble into the ocean that was around one hundred feet down from the cliff we had parked on. "It's weird. You're just easy to be around."
His pulse hadn't quickened. If anything, his voice had eased and he was relaxed.
I turned and reached for him, feeling for his center pulse with the heel of my foot. I was pleased when the tips of my fingers met his cheek.
"Good, Twinkletoes. You're easy to be around too."
That time, I did feel his pulse quicken. But it was hard to smile when mine was too.
And then it was easy when he said, "Good." And then he swallowed. "Toph, I feel like I'm bending all at the same time."
And then I smiled at him.
"Me too, Twinkletoes. Me too."
And that was that, with me pushing him forward just a little bit so that we were nose to nose. I swear I felt the heat from his cheeks and I swear I felt the breath from his lips.
"Except…" I said
"Yeah?"
"I don't know how to bend anything except Earth."
I felt him shrug.
"I could only Airbend at first."
"You still feel like flying, Twinkletoes?"
"I'm already flying."
It was a strange experience, to feel his pulse, his beat, his throb against my own. I had touched his arm, held his hand on occasion, but there was nothing that could match to the sensation of his lips against mine. It was different and subtle. But I felt light, I felt like water, but I was so warm and then, really, everything felt easy.
"Good job, Twinkletoes."
"Huh?"
"I don't mind flying so much anymore."
I felt his heart flutter again.
"So, whaddya say? Up for a rematch?"
"Come on, Toph, you already beat me once today."
"Yeah, but kicking your butt is just too much fun."
And then I felt him move—rather, soar—to his accustomed position by the waterfall and I stepped away from Appa. I concentrated again, focusing on his center point like always, and then the power was grazing against the tip of my fingers. I smiled.
His pulse.
His beat.
His throb.
That was the key.
AN: Mad props to those who could find the one bit of a past relationship in here.