Don't worry, the story isn't finished, and I'm sorry for the short chapter. I'll try and make it up to you guys with a longer chapter next :).

Also, sorry for not editing :(


Chapter Two.


"How far from Ember Island are we?" Toph asked as she and Zuko set up the tent once more. "I'm really worried about Aang and the others."

Zuko didn't speak for several minutes. "So… you and the Avatar huh?" he said.

"What?" Toph said, dropping her sleeping mat. "Are you serious?"

"I'm sorry… I just assumed…" Zuko stammered

"Well you assumed wrong!" Toph said, straightening her mat and laying on it, facing away from Zuko.

"I'm sorry, I really didn't mean to offend you" Zuko said, sitting on his own mat, looking at the back of Toph's head. Toph sat up, still turned away from Zuko.

"I don't do the whole relationship thing or anything like it for that matter." She sighed.

"What do you mean?" Zuko said, almost in a whisper.

"What's the point?" She said, turning her body towards him but her face pointed towards the grass.

"Don't you want to fall in love with someone? Like, love at first sight and all that stuff?." Zuko said.

Toph sighed loudly. "Zuko… I am blind. I will never see anybody and fall in love with them. Besides, who'd fall in love with me?" She added jokingly.

"Huh? What are you talking about? Why wouldn't anybody?"

"Because who would choose me when there's millions of girls out there like Katara, I know she's pretty, the way you and Aang swoon over her. Why would any guy in their right mind go for the uncaring blind girl?"

"Don't say that!" Zuko found himself shouting. "That's stupid!"

"It's not Zuko, you wouldn't understand." Toph said calmly. "You don't have to try and make me feel better, I got over it a long time ago."

"Got over what? I don't understand."

Toph looked up. Her unseeing eyes rested on Zuko's as they sparkled with tears.

"That I won't ever be beautiful." She whispered, as a droplet spilled onto her cheek.

Zuko reached out timidly and wiped the tear away.

"I wish you could see yourself" He sighed. "Because for the record, and I'm not just saying this. You're one of the most beautiful girls I've seen."

Toph smacked his hand away and put her head down once more "Don't lie to me."

"I'm being serious!" Zuko shouted, reaching out to lift her face up. "I watched Mai sit in front of a mirror everyday and she never looked half as beautiful as you."

"Why would I believe you?" Toph whispered.

"Because you know me, if I didn't think it, I wouldn't say it." He whispered back.

"Well I don't believe you!" Toph said, smacking his hand away once more and getting to her feet. "You're just making me feel even worse." She stepped away, facing the heat of the fire. There was a second of silence until Zuko stood up. Toph could feel him stood behind her. He placed a hand on her shoulder and whipped her round. He moved his hands unsurely to her waist, his heart beat racing. Toph looked at him, shocked. "Maybe this will convince you." He whispered, bringing his face closer to hers. His lips ghosted over the tip of her nose before resting on her lips. He kissed her gently as she became rigid beneath his grip. He pulled back the slightest to stare into her crystal-like eyes, sparkling brighter than any diamond. She blinked once and pressed her lips to his once more, putting her hands carefully on his chest. Zuko threaded his arms further around Toph's back until he was embracing her tightly, her chest firmly against his. As the last of Toph's tears vanished, the kiss was broken apart by the sound of footsteps. Toph flung herself away from Zuko and sent several large pieces of earth flying through the trees.

"What is it?" Zuko shouted, alarmed.

"It's that metal freak who blows things up with his mind!" She shouted. "Grab Appa, I'll hold him off!"

"No way!" He said, grabbing her by the forearm.

There was a massive explosion as the trees in front of them burst into flames and toppled over. Zuko swirled Toph behind him, protecting her.

Toph shifted her feet and twisted her hands as a large wall of earth shot from the ground like a barricade.

"Lets go!" She shouted, shifting her foot once more until they were catapulted onto Appa's back. Zuko clambered onto Appa's head and grabbed the reins. "Yip-yip!" He called as Appa lifted up from the ground.

As a loud bang came once more, flames shot towards Appa. Zuko jumped onto the back of his saddle, pushed Toph to the floor of it and re-directed the fire around them as they rose higher and higher, the metal man becoming smaller.

"I think we lost him" Zuko sighed in relief, climbing back onto Appa's head. "I thought he was a goner at the Western Air Temple."

"Apparently not. Come on, we'd better head back to Ember Island and warn the others, he might know they're there." Toph suggested.

"You're right." He said, turning Appa around.

Toph shivered involuntarily.

"Here," Zuko said, pulling his outer robes off with one arm, as he kept hold of the rein. He threw it to Toph. "You can sleep under that, I can stay up tonight and get us back sooner."

Toph wanted to disagree but as the material landed on her, she couldn't help but feel warm and comforted. She pulled the robe around her and laid back down on the cushion of the saddle. Before she could even gather what had happened in the last fifteen minutes, she was already soundly asleep. Zuko looked back at her still form as she sniffed the collar of the robe and smiled in her sleep. Zuko widely smiled too, for the first time since he could remember.