There was a knock on Toph's door and the sixteen year old, who was draped over her bed, called for the person to come in.
"Twinkle toes! Why are you here?" Toph asked, sitting up. Aang and everyone hadn't come to see her in over three years! Well, mostly everyone, that is.
"I just wanted to say 'hi'. That's all. See how you were ding," Aang said. "Now stand up so I can get a better look at you.
Toph stood, revealing a yellow and green long sleeved silk shirt with matching pants. Her hair was longer, but still tied back in a neat bun by a head band. But the oddest and most shocking thing of all was how tall she had gotten. Not as tall as the boys, but taller than Katara that was for sure.
"Wow. Look at you," Aang examined Toph head to toe, pausing slightly at her chest, Toph realized this, but kept her mouth shut.
"Your voice is deeper and you're taller, too. How old are you anyway?" Toph asked, crossing her arms.
"Sixteen. I'm turning seventeen in two months. What about you?"
"Sixteen, but I'm turning seventeen in three weeks," Toph didn't sound that happy. She made her way over to her bed and sat down, her eyebrows furrowed.
Aang crossed the room in a few strides and sat next to her, making the bed sink slightly under his weight.
"What's wrong?" His voice was heavy with concerned. Toph barely ever showed dismay or discomfort.
"Here goes," Toph took a deep breath, "I like this guy more than anything in the world, but I have to marry him when I turn seventeen. I want more time to grow and explore the world.
"Living with parents I know understand me and that have lots of money works out most of the time. I mean, just look at this room!" Toph gestured a hand and Aang saw how nice it was.
"But my parents are getting old, like in their fifties, and are afraid they will go before they witness these events in my life," Toph sighed and looked at Aang with unseeing eyes.
"Do you know who he is?" Toph asked seriously.
Aang gulped as he realized this was the right time for him to do what he had come for. He slowly extracted a round yellow hoop from his finger and took Toph's left hand. Her eyes winded in surprise and curiosity.
"Can I be that guy?" Aang slipped the ring onto Toph's ring finger and leaned in for a kiss.
To his surprise Toph jumped up and yanked the ring off.
"Wh-what?" Aang's eyes were wide and he had recoiled.
"What! What!" Toph yelled, her voice loud and high pitched.
"I tell you I like, I love, another guy, and you ask me to marry you! What happened to Katara anyway?"
"We broke up about a year ago," Aang muttered.
"So you come looking for me off the rebound? It takes nearly a year to get here!" Toph was in Aang's face now, her eyes piercing his.
"Who is he?" Aang whispered.
Toph took a step back and her voice lost some of its edge when she said his name.
"Teo."
Aang's throat felt backed up and he croaked out "Teo?"
"Yes, I love him. We got together after all you guys left for who knows where, Haru moved back home, the Duke met up with Pipsqueak, and that left Teo and I.
"I had decided to go home, I told you guys that, but you left before we could think how to get me back. Teo helped bring me home," Toph stopped for a moment, smiling vaguely ay her own memories.
"But , how did you get so close, without even telling us? We all missed you."
"We got close because we had fun together, and if you guys missed me so much, you would have come to see me, or at least write me!"
"I guess it might have helped to tell you where we were," Aang said quietly.
"Might have! I wanted you so badly at first. I wanted to know what it felt like for a boy to love you back.
"I wanted that person to be you."
Toph sat down and looked at Aang with a face only she could pull off. It was a look of warmth, anger, and irritation. There were tears in her eyes.
"But you had Katara, and you were in love. I had no one. But Teo came and it felt right being with him. We laughed, we still do, and we have fun together."
A tear trickled down Toph's face, very unlike her to get emotional like this. Aang felt a pang in his heart knowing how much pain he had caused her without even knowing it.
"I should be going."
Aang slowly rose to his feet only to have Toph pull him back down.
"Tell me about everyone else," Toph's eyes were desperate. Aang blinked but sat for comfortably and answered her.
"Well, Zuko and Mai are getting married soon, I think, Sokka and Suki are already married, and Katara's in the South Pole teaching little water benders."
"Is that all? Are you sure?" Toph leaned closer. She wanted Aang to stay, it was clear.
"Toph, there really isn't anything more. I wish there was, though," Aang moved a bit closer to Toph.
Their pinkies were touching
"What about you, Toph? Anything besides Teo?"
"Not much worth mentioning. Have you been traveling?"
"Well, I went to a fire nation tow. I picked up some skills there," Toph moved even closer to Aang looked into his eyes.
"Let me show you some skills of my own."
And then she kissed him.
They stayed like that for a long while. Both too consumed with their own emotions.
Finally, Aang pulled away.
"I think I should go,"
This time, Toph didn't object as her eyes followed him out the door.
A/N I wrote this like a year ago in a random journal I found today. I liked it so much that I typed it and added in some of my new writing style to make it even better. Let me get this straight, okay? I ship Zutara. I ship Taang. I ship Teoph. I ship Toko. I ship Maiko. I do NOT ship Kataang. Okay? Okay. If you object to this fanfic in any way, please tell me so when you review. 'Kay?