A/N: I know this is supposed to be a songfic, but I couldn't find a song to go, and I really wanted to continue with this. So, from now on, it is a regular story. This chapter is Zuko's perspective.

"Wait, Zuko? Can I ask you something?" He heard Toph say as he turned to go.

"Yea, anything." Zuko said, turning around. Toph seemed to think better of the question, and muttered, "Nevermind, it's fine."

Giving her a quick "okay", Zuko went to his room, and in the morning, he still hadn't slept. He kept wondering what Toph was going to ask him. He turned to ask her about it, but before he could say anything, Sokka loudly announced that the group needed a pep talk.

Sighing, Zuko sat down with everyone else, watching with mild amusement as Sokka began his speech. Soon, though, his amusement faded as Sokka to spoke.

" We are not going to let the Fire Nation beat us up, are we?"

Zuko cringed.

"We are going to beat them up instead! They have come after us many times!"

At this, Zuko pulled his legs up to his chest in shame.

Toph gave him a worried glance, but left him alone.

" Many times they have failed, they have gone on pointless journeys to find us, only for us to beat them!"

When Sokka said this, Zuko did a very un-Zuko-like thing. He whimpered.

The group turned to look at him, and Sokka gaped as he realized what he had said. He rushed over to Zuko, exclaiming that he hadn't meant it like that, and that they had all forgiven him about it.

"No, it's o-okay. I-I hate myself for what I did. I would give anything to n-not have done that to you. I-I'm the one that s-should be apologizing." Zuko said, his voice shaking. Then, he put his head back on his knees.

"Zuko, we forgive you! There's nothing to apologize for!" Aang said. He kept trying to give Zuko a hug, but Zuko just pulled his knees in farther. He just felt like crawling into a hole and dying. That was how much shame he felt about what he had done.

"Hey Sparky. Do you want some alone time?" Toph asked, putting her hand on his shoulder. Zuko gave her a little nod, wishing they would leave him alone in his shame.

"Moving won't help." With this, she stomped her foot and a box around Zuko.

He muttered "Th-Thank you." Then she closed the top of the box.

Zuko took a deep breath, thankful for the small crack in the top that let in light and air. Then, he gave in to his thoughts, which mostly consisted of cursing himself and wishing he had stopped attacking to group sooner than he had. Eventually, stopped brooding and focused on calming down. He could hear the group talking out side.

"Stupid, stupid, stupid! I can't believe I said that!" Sokka excaimed.

"Maybe I should go in there and do a little dance and say, 'Happy everybody forgives Zuko Day!'" Aang exclaimed. Zuko grinned at the younger boy's antics.

"Just leave him alone Twinkletoes." Zuko was shocked at how much Toph seemed to care. His cheeks flushed a little thinking about his little crush on Toph. Then he scolded himself for being so silly. She would never think of him like that.

Zuko snapped out of his thoughts as Katara spoke.

"How long are you gonna let him sulk in there Toph?" She asked.

Zuko could imagine the smug look on Toph's face as she snapped, "I will give him as much time as he needs."

Zuko smiled. Maybe they really DID care?

He kept listening to their continuing conversations. Sokka was on his left with Suki, Toph and Aang were on his right, and Katara was sitting at the right front corner. They were all sitting there waiting for him. The realization his him like a blast of warmth. Zuko took a deep breath.

"T-Toph?" Darn it, his voice was still shaky.

"You okay now Sparky?"

"I-I think so."

Without another word, Toph removed the slab of rock in front of him.

"You didn't move at all?" Aang questioned, looking slightly concerned.

"He didn't need to. He was to busy unnecessarily beating himself up on the inside." Zuko was glad when Toph answered for him. He was suddenly struck by how beautiful she looked framed by the midday light with the others framed behind her. He gasped, and tried to cover it up with a cough, but Toph didn't seem to buy it. Katara did though.

"Oh, don't tell me you're coming down with mild depression AND a cough!" She exclaimed, glaring at Sokka as he laughed, as if it was Sokka's fualt Zuko supposedly had a cough. But who could blame him, he was the first and only person he had told about his crush on Toph, and Zuko was Prince of the Dorky Awkward Boys. Even Zuko thought it was funny.

"I'm fine. No cough," the banished Prince (of the Fire nation and dorky awkward boys) said. He was glad his voice had stopped shaking.

"You know what makes even grumpy, sad, Zukos feel better?!" Aang yelled.

"What?" Both Toph and Zuko asked this simultaneously, and they looked at each other, then looked away, a slight blush on each of their faces.

Not noticing the slip, Aang continued, "Sparing!" Ready set go!" Aang didn't attack. Zuko looked at him confused. Sokka was motioning to Toph frantically, and by the time Zuko figured it out, Toph had already catapulted him into the remains of the little box ha had been in. Then she was laughing at him.

Zuko grumbled, the blush creeping back into his face. "How is getting beat up gonna make me happy?" He grinned as Toph hesitated, she was seeming to debate wether to keep attacking or help him up.

He jumped up, crashing into Toph, and they rolled around, not even bending, just hand to hand fighting. Zuko laughed even when Toph threw him off.

"Alright Fire Nation, spar over." She snapped.

Zuko sobered when she called him Fire Nation. He beat himself up enough by himself, and they knew that, so why did they keep helping him out with it? It wasn't like he WANTED to be reminded.

"Come on, seriously? Why don't you just move on? Don't tell me that speech about how you should be the one apologizing and you hate yourself, I already know that. But you gotta at least have moved on a little bit! So why are you always so sad?" Toph exclaimed, sitting down next to him.

Zuko waited a second before answering, thanking Agni that they were behind the box she had made for him. Then, he gave her a shy smile. "Why wouldn't I be sad, I am a shameful being AND it makes you pay attention to me Toph."

Toph's mouth hung open for a second, and then she scowled.

"I can't believe you Zuko. You broke my heart over and over talking about Mai, but you liked me?!"

I-I just pretended to still like Mai because I thought you would never like me like that." He exclaimed, elated at Toph's revelation.

"You've been very bad Zuko. Breaking my heart is punishable." Toph shook her finger at Zuko like Katara. He loved it when she teased him, so he played into her game.

He sat back on his heels, head bowed, arms up. The same pose as the day he asked the group to take him prisoner if they weren't going to take him as an ally.

Toph grinned and formed stone handcuffs, putting them around his wrists. She then pushed his hands down into his lap, whispering, "A very bad boy Sparky."

Then she kissed him.