Dirt at the Bottom of Your Teacup

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MOP: I'm not a romance writer, and since there aren't enough friendship fics out there, I though I'd write this.

Please don't ask me how Zuko ended up with the Gaang in some garden. It's a random oneshot.

xXx

"Why aren't you drinking your tea?"

"How can you tell I'm not? You're blind."

"You just admitted it."

"What? No, I've had some. The cup is half-empty."

"Even if you were a good liar, I could tell. I can feel pulse and breathing through the earth."

A few yards away, Sokka waved his machete at Zuko. "You keep that in mind, firebender boy!"

"You can't call me a boy! I'm older than you!" he shouted, then said in a normal voice, "...and a better fighter."

"Yeah, but he's not completely useless."

"Hey! What are you two saying over there?"

"Can it, Snoozles!"

"Yes ma'am," he whimpered, bowing his head and returning to his maps.

"Nicely handled," he commented, then, in lower tones: "...even for a – "

"A what?" she demanded.

"A peasant," he replied, remaining stoic.

"The Bei Fong family," she roared, holding up her passport, "is not a family of peasants!"

After a momnet Zuko gave a quick nod and looked away.

"Well? What have you got to say to that?"

"I nodded!"

"Not that, you dunderhead! How are you any higher than a peasant yourself?"

"I'm the Fire Prince!"

"You don't act like royalty, Prince Zuko."

Zuko slammed his teacup onto the table. "WHAT?"

"If it were me, I'd take it as a compliment."

"I'm proud of my heritage."

Toph smirked. "Oh, does the little boy love his daddy?"

"Yes, I love my father! Doesn't everyone?"

"Not really."

Zuko stared. How was that humanly possible?

"I harldy think of him as my father. He thinks I'm weak... He thinks I'm – "

"Worthless?"

There was a pause. Zuko looked into the depths of Toph's blank eyes. She leaned forward.

"I don't like it when people interrupt me." With a thrust of her foot, she sent the Fire Prince flying towards an unaware Water Tribesman. A great collision occurred.

Sokka froze. There was a firebender on top of him, no doubt an unhappy one. He held his breath. He counted to three.

He moved his arm.

At the same moment both of them scrambled in a mad rush to get away from each other, wiggling, punching, shoving, kicking, shouting, and freaking out in general until Toph earthbended them apart.

Sokka rubbed a black eye; Zuko's nose was bleeding.

"Toph!"

"What?" she spat. Sokka crawled back to his maps. Zuko returned to the tea table.

Katara walked by, bending some water as she lectured Aang. She noticed he wasn't paying attention and splashed him. Smiling, Aang streamed water from the nearby pond towards Katara. A waterfight ensued.

"Look, Twinkletoes and Sugar Queen are all sparkley together. Ugh."

"...Is that really what you call them?"

"That's right, Toast Princess."

"Toast Princess?" Smoke issued from the hand of his on the table.

Sokka looked up and laughed. "Toast Princess? That's a good one, Toph! Hey, watch the furniture, Toast Princess."

Zuko took his hand off the table, which now had a hand-shaped scorch mark. He growled and folded his arms.

"You shouldn't have said it that loud. Now you're stuck with it."

"Toast Princess!"

"Don't make me hurt you, peasant."

"Ha! As if you would ever – "

Zuko stood up and shot multiple fire-blasts. Sokka screamed and ran for his life.

"Aang! Katara! HE'S A TRAITOR! Attack him!"

"Sorry, Sokka," Aang called after him, "but it's kinda self-inflicted!" Katara giggled.

"Done yet, Princess?"

Zuko made a frustrated noise and sat down. Sokka crept back to his maps, grabbed them and ran off.

"Remind me why he's useful."

"He's smart; he has good ideas."

He raised an eyebrow, and when he realized she couldn't see his eyebrow, he said, "Not from what I see."

"Yeah, that was stupid. Haven't you ever made a stupid mistake?"

Zuko kept quiet.

"I thought those would be common with you. Why aren't you drinking your tea?"

"I don't like tea."

"You're not like your uncle."

Zuko stared into his teacup. "No, I'm not."

"He gives good advice. I like him."

"I take it you've never been stuck on a ship with him for two years."

Toph's laugh startled him. "What are you laughing at?"

"You, Princess. You know, Sokka, Aang, Katara and I – we drive each other crazy. But we forgive each other. We tough it out through doubt and dispair because we're a family. You can't just give up on someone. Didn't your uncle teach you that?"

Toph sipped her tea. Zuko smiled, his pride glad she couldn't see. His uncle did teach him that.