Karin: Hello everyone. I just found out it was Zutara week today so I scrambled up this. Hopefully it's not too bad. I really tried to keep them all in character, but since this one wasn't really planned out—due to lack of time—I don't know.

Anyway, the title is the way it is because I refuse to title it "Zutara Week 2010" when I've already seen so many others do that. I've titled it the way it is because "Cursory" usually means something short or hasty—in this case it can be applying to the length of the drabble or the length of the whole series in general—while the "Meaningful" part is a contradiction showing that despite it's shortness, these moments in time can be treasured to Zuko and Katara. It's basically an oxymoron, which I find amusing.

I hope you enjoy despite it's possible errors.

Note: This takes place after "Boiling Rock" but before "Southern Raiders"

Disclaimer: I don't own Avatar: The Last Airbender. If I did, I would've made sure they went through with that original plan to have Zuko and Katara together.

"The great gift of family life is to be intimately acquainted with people you might never even introduce yourself too, had life not done it for you."

—Kendall Hailey

Meaningful Cursory

In response to Zutara Week 2010:

Family

When was the last time she sat around for such a long period of time? Lately her memories consisted of running away from Fire Nation soldiers or flying away on a giant flying bison from the crazy yet calculating Fire Nation Princess.

Perhaps, she figured, the last time she had sat around and done nothing was when she was living—more like imprisoned, but she didn't feel like applying pessimistic words into her vocabulary today—in her vast estate with her parents believing her to be a weak, helpless blind girl.

Irony sure kicked them in the butt for that ridiculous conception…Toph snorted as she began to pick her nose.

Back to the present though, Toph laid back on the cool stone floor of the Western Air Temple with a sigh blowing her hair out of her face. She didn't know whether to relish in the great outdoors and an opportunity to be lazy or be consumed by the fact that she was bored. As such, the young earthbender was not into being drowned in her own boredom.

But what to do? Everyone else was doing there own activities. Sparky was teaching Twinkle-toes some firebending basics… Sugar Queen was once again mending Snoozles' pants—something caused from a drastic stunt involving his sword and attempting to see if it would return like a boomerang—Fangirl was doing training exercises while Snoozles and Hadoka were going over battle plans… and Teo, Haru, The Duke, and Pipsqueak along with that firebender convict from the Boiling Rock were exploring the air temple.

Another sigh escapes her and she takes a bit of rock, absent-minded of any purpose besides creating random shapes. Still bored, the task of bending is mechanic as her mind drifts over solutions to her problem.

Without realizing however, Toph found that her little bit of earth had formed into little figurines of her parents. Sighing in frustration—boy, this boredom better be solved quickly because she was turning into the dagger chick who sighs a lot—her thoughts unwillingly turned to her parents. Then to her home life before Aang, Sokka, and Katara burst into her mundane existence.

Pondering further, Toph found that unexpectedly the gaang—great, she's using Sokka terms. What a way to convert spectrums of resemblances to other people—was more of her family than her parents were. Don't get her wrong, she loved her parents, but they didn't understand her. All they saw was a little blind girl and never listened to the master she became.

They were blinder than badger moles… and that was saying something considering badger moles have as much normal sight ability as she did.

But the gaang… they understood her. They listened to her and took her, flaws and all, in stride. In fact, they relished it. Despite her blindness, the others took her in with open arms and welcoming smiles regardless of the fact that she couldn't see them. But she felt them. She felt the happiness and friendship they provided.

Her aimless bending ceased as her musings took on her full attention. She thought of all her companions and found that indeed they were, in a sense, a strange and dysfunctional family. A grin came upon her features when she found herself an activity to do. Her thoughts now taking on an active role while she sorted her odd comrades into family positions.

First there was Twinkle-toes, which was easy to her. Aang was the little brother—the baby of the family who everyone doted on (What? Everyone did dote on him, avatar or not.). He was the one who was the most innocent and could always put a smile on any of his family's faces when they were burdened by the adult troubles of the world.

Then there was Snoozles, who Toph snickered at the role she found, that was perhaps the silly uncle. He was the eccentric member of the family who made everyone laugh and yet still took care of them all. Fangirl would probably be the stern aunt who obviously wore the pants in the relationship, but still found the uncle enjoyable to be with.

Hadoka, Toph easily concluded, was the grandfather. He watched over all of them: his children, whether by blood or not, but didn't take charge over them like an overbearing father. He allowed his children the independence to watch over their own families, yet he didn't ignore them and would provide a helping hand if need be. He was always the oldest and the wisest from age and experience.

Teo and The Duke were like her cousins—the children of Suki and Sooka, she figured. They hung out with her and got along with her, but they didn't fight like siblings did. They all looked out for each other and had fun like normal kids should. Haru, Pipsqueak, and maybe that convict guy were most likely the neighbors who got along with her crazy household, but still managed to retain their sanity somehow.

"Toph?" Katara's voice fluttered into her brain and the blind earthbender turned her head in the direction of Katara's voice. She felt Katara smile and a part of her smiled too, feeling the gentleness radiate off Katara like soothing waves.

"Sorry, am I interrupting anything?" she asked Toph. Toph shook her head.

"Nah, just thinking Sugar Queen. No worries." Toph replied. "What's on your mind?"

"Well, since you weren't the only one who looked busy, I wanted to get your opinion on dinner tonight. I've noticed that you haven't really liked the stuff that Sokka and the other boys have been demanding for the past three days so I thought I'd let you have the choice of meal tonight." Katara explained. At the mention of what they've been eating for dinner for the past few days, Toph grimaced. Indeed, she did not like what had been served due to Sokka's insistence. Usually she wasn't picky with food, but that stuff… yuck, how can those morons like that stuff?

"Really?" Toph asked her, mind already searching for possible choices that Katara could fix up with her rather limited resources.

"Sure." Katara told her. Then after a second, she added with a suggestion, "How about some lizard chicken with white rice? You like that, don't you?" Though something let Toph know that Katara did in fact know that she did like that choice of meal—she just wanted to confirm because that's who Katara was. She wanted to make sure that's what Toph certainly wanted.

No complaints from Toph on that impression. She certainly wanted lizard chicken with white rice. Her mouth watered at the thought.

"Sweetness! Of course I'd want that!" Toph nearly exclaimed in her excitement at actually having a decent meal tonight. However, an unwanted fact presented itself in Toph's brain ruining her elation. Katara must've noticed Toph's change of mood because the earthbender felt worry and concern coming from the waterbender.

"What's wrong?" Katara questioned her and placed a comforting hand on the younger girl's shoulder.

"Didn't we feed the last of the lizard chicken to Appa because he was really hungry?" Toph inquired. Katara seemed to have remembered that detail as well for she let out a weak "Oh yeah…"

They were quiet for a moment, each in there own thoughts before Katara seemed to have stiffened and Toph wanted to let out a groan of "Oh boy…" knowing very well, even without the ability to see, just who was nearby.

"I don't know about Fire Nation protocol, but it's considered rude to eavesdrop among the Water Tribe." Katara stated, although the hostility flowing from her was obvious. The blind earthbender could feel Zuko flinch at Katara's icy tone.

"Sorry." he apologized despite the fact that Katara wouldn't forgive him. "I just came back to ask for some water since Aang is too busy doing his assigned fire squats. I didn't mean to eavesdrop…" he trailed off, unsure on how to continue. Zuko could never be sure how to go about things when it came to the waterbender.

"Don't worry about it, Sparky." Toph interjected before Katara could develop this into an argument against an undeserving Zuko. "Sugar Queen is just upset that we'll have to eat some more disgusting grub tonight instead of some real food." At this, Katara let out a snort, as if trying to contain a laugh at Toph's wording.

"I see." was all Zuko said. From the way he sounded and from his vibrations, the earthbender felt that Zuko was in the process of being lost in his own thoughts. She imagined Katara could see the boy's brow furrow and his expression become thoughtful, but most likely would ignore it due to her blatant distain for him.

"Here." Katara said, bringing Zuko out of his musings. Toph heard something being passed, which she assumed it to be a jug of water like Zuko asked for. "Don't let it go to waste." she warned like she was expecting him to do something horrible with her element.

"I won't." he promised her, looking straight into her eyes, and the earthbender felt the Fire Prince's sincerity for Katara from where she sat. When she felt Zuko's presence fade away, she turned to the waterbender with an arch of her brow.

"Must you be so harsh, Sugar Queen? When it comes to you, he's constantly in the dog house, even when he tries so hard to get you to like him." the younger girl remarked, suddenly overcome with an image of Zuko in a dog house while Katara chained his leash to the house. It took all of her self-control to not burst out laughing.

Katara let out a sigh, and Toph heard the remorse—for Toph, not much for Zuko—in her response.

"I'm sorry, Toph. You have a point… but it's just really hard for me to trust him…" At this, Toph snorted.

"And yet when it comes to you, he tries the hardest to earn trust. Face it, Sugar Queen, you just can't admit to the fact that Zuko might do something to surprise you because he's hurt you before." Toph pointed out.

"Yeah, he surprised me alright…" Katara muttered in distain at something she remembered. Possibly a memory involving a certain crystal prison with a certain firebender. Toph didn't know the details—none of the group did—or what occurred while Katara and Zuko were in prison together, but the blind girl knew that something, no matter how many times each denied it, happened. And according to Katara's behavior ever since Zuko joined their group, it was something big.

While the others in the group looked over this fact or didn't address it, Toph actually did care about the situation between the firebender and waterbender. Not because of group dynamic, but because they were her family. Those two were the most important roles to Toph.

Katara and Zuko were the mother and father.

Of course, if she were to ever share that sentiment with any of the others, they would think her crazy. Sokka would laugh as if it was a joke. Aang would probably give a weak chuckle, but say it wasn't going to happen. Teo, Haru, and Hadoka would look at her funny and The Duke would be confused on the whole prospect, as he was young and didn't understand those kinds of things yet.

But she knew it was true. The notion fitted them. It suited them because they took care of Toph like parents did. When she was having problems, Katara would notice without Toph saying anything and ask her what's wrong or she would take time out of her schedule to spend time with the earthbender when she noticed she was lonely or bored. Zuko made sure she was well-taken care of when her feet were burned and would do anything to make her as comfortable as possible or would answer any of her questions to the best of his ability simply because she wanted to know something. They gave her attention without Toph asking or needing it, like they did for Aang as well, but they always came back to Toph to make sure she wasn't left out. As if they were parents reassuring their oldest child that even though they have a new baby, they still loved her just as much.

And secretly, deep in the recesses of the earthbender's soul, did she wish they were her actual parents. Nevertheless, that wish was impossible, and the wish of Katara and Zuko ever getting along seemed even more impossible, but Toph could dream. She could pretend, and she could play the peacemaker until she received a sign from above that indeed, there was a chance at these two opposites could be on the same page again like they were in Ba Sing Se.

So when dinner time came around and everyone was shocked to find they had lizard chicken with white rice after all, Toph listened to Katara's footsteps approaching Zuko while the others whined about not having any more of that disgusting grub worthy of being called puke.

"Thanks… I guess, for getting the lizard chicken." Katara whispered, the tension not as great as before, but still present. Toph felt Zuko shrug, but she sensed bashfulness and his heartbeat slightly pick up in excitement and nervousness.

"I just wanted to be helpful…" Toph pretended to be eating so Zuko wouldn't know she felt his eyes flicker to her and a small smile came upon his face. "Besides, it's nice to know I wasn't the only one who didn't like that stuff, whatever it was…"

"So my cooking's bad?" Katara inquired, but strangely, there was no malice in her tone. However, Zuko began to stutter for a protest, thinking he offended her.

"N-no! I like your cooking! It's just that I wasn't used to… whatever it was…"

"It's something that is eaten among many lower class people so upper class don't usually have a taste for it, especially since they have the choices of the best meals." Katara explained. Ah, Toph noted, that would explain something…

"I'm sorry." Zuko couldn't help but apologize.

"For being a prince?" Katara snorted with an unladylike manner that Toph would be proud of.

"And for other things." And somehow, Toph knew that statement contained so much more than their conversation. Circumstances that had been wronged in the past were being laid out by Zuko to Katara, and Toph couldn't help but feel irked that she didn't know everything when it came to those two.

A silence fell upon the two benders before it was broken by Sokka.

"Hey! Why does Zuko get an extra piece of lizard chicken? And so does Toph!" Sokka complained.

"Because we had to suffer with your bad taste in food for the past couple of days, Snoozles." the blind girl smirked at him as she ate her lizard chicken just to spite him.

"Toph is right on that Sokka. She had to deal with your food choice for days." Aang told him.

"But you liked it too!" Sokka cried to him. And thus, a battle of wits started among the group in good fun. There was laughter and jokes all around as Sokka once again made a lovable fool of himself.

Yes, this was her family. Her dysfunctional and silly family, which she wouldn't trade for anything, not even for tons space earth.

"Thank you, Katara." Zuko whispered to her as he ate his food.

There was a silence between the two among the earsplitting chatter of the others, but Toph knew without a doubt she had caught her sign in this one moment with Katara's reply.

"You're welcome… Zuko…"

And Toph smiles while placing a piece of juicy lizard chicken in her mouth.

Karin: Okay, I hope you liked it. I'm sorry if it wasn't good, but I didn't get enough time to actually plan this one. Hopefully the next one will be better. Have a nice night everyone and reviews are highly appreciated.

See ya Next time!