Disclaimer: I don't own the Avatar. Darn.

Song:

Falling Slowly – Glen Hansard and Marketa Irglova

Read on…

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I don't know you
But I want you
All the more for that
Words fall through me
And always fool me
And I can't react
And games that never amount
To more than they're meant
Will play themselves out

Toph. I missed her so much. When I saw her headband lying right next to me I instantly felt a pain in my chest that almost crippled me. After knowing what it was like to spend a whole daywithout her…I knew that I had to come clean to Katara. I just couldn't live without Toph. It's as plain and simple as that. But how was I going to break it to Katara?

A month and a half without Toph was becoming increasingly morose. Katara was beginning to notice how down in the dumps I was and every single day, for that 6 weeks, she asked, "Are you feeling okay, Aang?" and every day I answered, "I'm fine." But I wasn't; I was farfrom fine. I missed her so much and I knew that I needed her here with me if I was ever going to be "fine". For the whole 6 weeks I was trying to come up with a way to break it to Katara, but every time I tried to tell her about Toph and me, she hit me with those baby blues of hers that melted my heart and I chickened out.

But today was the day I was going to tell her. I swore to myself that I was not going to chicken out and I was going to keep that promise.

Katara was currently in the kitchen fixing dinner and I asked her to meet me in the living room. She wiped her hand on a towel and followed me as I paced around the living room.

"Aang, what's wrong?"

"I have something to tell you."

"About what, Aang?"

I looked into her eyes and I almost chickened out but then Toph's smooth ivory face and sparkling emerald eyes clouded my mind and I knew that I had to come clean.

"It's about that time when Toph was visiting." I took a deep breath before continuing. "I need to get to the point; Katara, you know I love you…but I'm in love with Toph."

Take this sinking boat and point it home
We've still got time
Raise your hopeful voice you have a choice
You've made it now

I waited for the yelling and tears but all I got was silence. Katara's face was showing no emotion as she stared me down.

She sighed. "Is that it? Couldn't you have saved the dramatics for later, we're about to have dinner." She got up and left me with my mouth open. I tried to come up with something to say but my mind was far gone. Slowly, I began to regain my composure and I ran back into the kitchen where she was chopping up the vegetables.

"That's it? No yelling at me? Why aren't you yelling at me? I cheated on you…with Toph. Your best friend. I didn't mean to but one thing lead to another and I couldn't stop myself. I feel so ashamed and I know that you don't deserve that! You're a better person than me. I'm so, so sorry."

"Oh, I know you've been cheating on me. I was just wondering when you were going to come clean."

This fact left me dumbfounded. "How'd you know?"

She turned to look at me with tired eyes. "You've been depressed ever since she left. It wasn't that hard to put two and two together."

Falling slowly, eyes that know me
And I can't go back
Moods that take me and erase me
And I'm painted black
You have suffered enough
And warred with yourself
It's time that you won

"I am hurt, Aang. I mean, I thought you had morals, ethics. But at the same time you are a guy and you got carried away by your emotions; I get that, but I'm going to need some time to myself to see if I can forgive you. You really hurt me, Aang."

"And I'm really, really, extremely sorry. From the bottom of my heart–I'm sorry. I'm just a stupid guy who got carried away by my stupid hormones and who's really ashamed of himself. You deserve someone better than me, Katara." Tears rolled down my cheeks.

"Aang," she said in a soft tone, "please leave. I just need some time to myself to come to terms with the situation." She took off her engagement ring and placed it in my hand. Do what you have to do, Aang."

She turned around but not before giving me a kiss on the cheek. She wiped some of my tears and went back to our room…her room now, I guess. I put out the fire in the kitchen because I didn't know how long she was going to be in her room and I'd be a bad person if I just let her sit in her room while a fire could burn down the house. But what was I saying, I was already a bad person for hurting the both women I loved. I knew that one problem could fix itself with time, but the other had to be solved by me.

So, I hurried to the Bei Fong's estate. I mean, I didn't know where Toph was but I figured that's where she was. It had to be.

After traveling for a few days on Appa, full speed with little rest for me and a lot for the big guy, I finally made it to the Earth Kingdom. I was practically flying in my seat on Appa's head with the excitement at seeing my beautiful angel. I was expecting to get hurt physically by her because I had waited so long, but there was one thing that I was not expecting and had me falling off of Appa in denial. Of course, I landed safely on the ground once I figured out that I was falling. I quickly made a survey of my surroundings.

I was in the street in front of one of the huge walls that protected the estate and I had to recheck my surroundings twice before I came to terms that this was the right place. From the air, it looked like there was a wedding going on…but…it couldn't be…Toph's wedding. Could it? No, it had to be a cousin or some other relative. Yeah, that's it.

I climbed over the wall and saw something that made my heart break into pieces.

Toph was in a wedding dress.

Take this sinking boat and point it home
We've still got time
Raise your hopeful voice you had a choice
You've made it now

I heard the priest say "Does anyone have any objections as to why this couple should not wed? Speak now, or forever hold your peace." I couldn't believe what I was hearing. This was wrong! Why was Toph marrying this guy? Did she love him? For her parents–for what!?

I heard someone yell out, "Don't do it, Toph." It took me a moment to figure out that the voice was coming from me. All the guests were looking around for the owner of the voice, but found no one.

I airbended myself right in front of Toph, got down on my knees and begged for forgiveness.

"Please, Toph! I'm sorry. I'm sorry for everything I did; I'm sorry for everything I put you through emotionally. Please, forgive me. I made my choice, Toph, and I chose you. You and only you! I'm so sorry that I made you wait, it was wrong of me to do so. I was the one who was wrong; you and Katara were the victims of my stupid mind. Please, can you find it in your heart to forgive me?"

I could tell that Toph was concentrating extremely hard on breathing in and out.

Take this sinking boat and point it home
We've still got time
Raise your hopeful voice you had a choice

Suddenly, Toph ran like the wind out into the street via a whole she made when she destroyed one of the walls of the estate. I heard her mother and father yelling her name and I heard yells and screams but I soon left those behind as I ran as fast as a hurricane after Toph.

After ten minutes of feeling her vibrations, I suddenly saw her running a few feet in front of me. Her hair was falling out of her bun behind her and her white dress was somewhat ripped and dirty towards the bottom.

I yelled out to her, "Toph, please wait! Talk to me! Toph!"

Her footsteps wavered for a second before she took off running even faster than the first time. I was faster than her and soon was on her heels. When I finally caught up with her she turned to the left and ran towards a small forest. I had to stop abruptly and turn back towards the direction she was running in.

I found her sobbing against a tree and instinctively I went towards her.

"Don't touch me," she sobbed and the sound was hurting my heart.

"Toph, I'm sorry. But I left it all for you–just you, Toph. Please, forgive me!"

She sniffed and wiped her eyes. "You're lying. Aren't you? You're just saying that to get back with me but you're really with Katara, still, aren't you?" she accused me.

"No," I said as tears started running down my own face. "I'm really not with Katara anymore! I left her; I finally told her the truth and she let me go. I reallywant you, Toph! Just you and only you. Nothing and no one else but you! Please believe me!" I pleaded.

My words only made her cry even more as I hugged her tightly around her body and I let her wrap her arms around my torso, sobbing into my chest.

We stayed like that for about an hour before she calmed down enough to speak.

"Are…you sure?" she asked quietly.

I hugged her tighter against me, "Of course! I told you that I loved you and I want nothing more than to be by your side – for as long as we both shall live!"

"I thought you were lying. But you're not. It just surprised me that it was actually true and it took me a while to come to terms with it. I really do love you, Aang. I'm so sorry for running away." She hugged around my neck and planted a kiss on it.

"It's okay. But you shouldn't be sorry. I am sorry for everything I put you through. It wasn't right or even ethical. I am so sorry!" I hugged her tighter again.

"I forgive you, Aang. And I do want you in my life. Just…please."

"I love you. Don't leave me ever again, Toph," I whispered against her ear.

"So…now what?" she asked after a moment of comfortable silence.

"Well, you are in a wedding dress so why not? It's what I've been wanting for a long time."

She smiled at me. "You're so cheesy."

I smiled at her compliment. I pulled her face up and kissed her nose, then her forehead, both her cheeks, her chin.

"What are you doing?" she laughed as I kissed the top of her head.

"I missed you. I wanted to kiss you, but I didn't know if you'd let me kiss your lips just yet."

"Well, take a risk and find out," she said and put her hands on my face as she pulled my face down into a kiss. This kiss was different than all the others; this one was running deep inside my core like molten lava searing us to each other.

And I knew that we'd never be separated again.


You've made it now
Falling slowly sing your melody
I'll sing along

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A/N:

Sorry this took me a while to finish, I had so much crap to attend to before I could finish writing this.

Well, I hope you liked my two-shot!

Please R&R!

Love: Lola of the Peaches

=]