Chapter Two

Aang sat at the water's edge, his feet dangling in the river. He leaned back on the palm of one hand. It had been a few months since he had defeated Ozai, but so much had changed. Katara avoided him at almost every turn, and the pressure of rebuilding the world after a century long war was weighing heavily on his shoulders. As he stared at the water rushing by, he wished he could go back in time when being the Avatar was fun, when he could still be a kid.

Someone sat down next to him, startling Aang out of his reverie.

Toph had returned to her usual style of loose green pants, and her hair was its usual mess, but something was different about her. She had changed since the victory, too. Her usual brass attitude remained, but she seemed to move with a certain grace, like Katara. She had begun to… develop, though it made Aang flush to think about. And lately, she hadn't been teasing Aang as much.

Her dark hair danced in the wind as she wrapped her arms around her knees, her milky blue eyes focused faraway. Aang looked back at the river.

"So, Twinkle Toes." Her usually sarcastic tone, now bland, floated on the breeze. "You've come back victorious, what will you do next?"

Aang furrowed his brow. "I guess I'll start rebuilding the world again."

A few moments passed. Something seemed to hang heavy on Toph, her shoulders slightly hunched and her chin resting on her knees. The only sound was the gurgling of the river and the soft laughter of the wind.

Finally, Toph broke the silence. "It's all different now, huh? No more quests or enemies or battles."

"It's kind of nice."

"Lying." Toph turned her head towards him. "You miss it, just like me. Sugar Queen says she doesn't, but we all know she does. Sokka has Suki, but I think he misses it too."

Aang ran a hand over his freshly shaved head. He couldn't feel the arrow on his skin, but he could feel it inside. It weighed on him like a battleship. The whole world was watching him, wondering how the Avatar would restore balance and peace. But he was just a kid. Aang wasn't even fourteen yet.

"My father wants me to come home," she continued. Aang turned and stared at her shocked. Toph had barely mentioned her father since she had joined them. "He says that since the war has ended, it's time I came back to Gaoling and rejoined the family."

"You can't!" Aang shouted. Toph whipped her head around and stared blindly at him. He composed himself. "We've just started fixing everything the Fire Nation broke. We need your help. I need your help." Without thinking, he placed his hand on hers. It was smooth and cool.

Toph looked down at the hands, and Aang went to pull his away, but Toph flipped her hand upward and gripped it. "I wasn't planning on leaving."

A blush crept up into Aang's cheeks. He and Toph returned their attention to the river. The cool air sent shivers down his back.

"I thought you liked Sugar Queen," Toph said after a while.

Aang glanced away. "I did. But you're right, everything is different now. We kissed, but I'm not sure either of us feel that way anymore."

Toph began to pull away her hand. "I don't want to be your rebound-"

"You're not," he said, tightening his hold. In a softer voice, he repeated, "You're not."

They sat together on the river's edge until the sun began to dip below the horizon.