2. Love

2.1 Zutara

"Do you want me to reheat the fire, Katara? Zuko just showed me how to--"

"No, that's alright Aang, its time for bed anyway." Katara looked at her small family, noticing that the younger three were already asleep.

"Don't worry Katara, I'll get The Duke and Teo to bed," smiling, Haru stood up and carried The Duke, who was clutching his helmet in his left hand, while pushing Teo in his wheel chair off to bed. The Western Air Temple had such a vast number of rooms that each of them had their own, with the exception of the two youngest that Haru was carrying off now.

Katara then focused her attention towards Toph. The blind earthbender had been training all day, making it no surprise when she was one of the first to nod off in front of the fire. Aang had already left to feed Appa, leaving Zuko, Sokka, and a sleeping Suki behind.

"Sokka, could you--," but her brother was already carrying his girlfriend in his arms, off to the room the couple shared nightly.

"Great," the waterbender moaned under her breathe. "Now I'm stuck asking Hothead."

But there was no need for Katara to ask, before she could turn around and open her mouth, Toph was already in Zuko's arms. The firebender was silent as always, waiting for Katara to lead the way to Toph's empty chamber. (What else would a blind earthbender need but stone to bend?) Katara bet some water from her skins onto the almost dead fire, gave a cold glance at the banished prince, and walked on…

They were half way to Toph's room and neither bender had said a word. Surprisingly enough, it was Zuko who broke the silence.

"He loves you, you know."

Katara stopped walking and looked up at Zuko, who was at least a few inches taller than her, with hatred in her eyes.

Zuko turned around, still holding Toph. "Aang, he loves you."

"I don't think that's any of your--"

"It is. He was afraid to firebend because of you, he's always glancing to see if you're watching him during training, and you block him from ever reaching the Av-"

"Shut up!"

"And you don't even love him back! Yet you kiss him, pulling him along!"

"I do no--"

"Ya, you do! Admit it, you don't love him!"

Another silence issued, the two staring at each other, watching to see who would break the silence this time. It was Katara.

"I don't love him because…Iluvsumuhnels."

Toph sighed in her sleep, but to anyone with hearing as well as the earthbender's, it would have sounded more like a soft snort.

"What?"

"I said I love someone else!" And with that the waterbender flung herself at the prince, their lips locked while careful not to suffocate Toph between them.

If they had any care in the world, and taken the time to separate and breath, the couple would have noticed Toph smiling, whispering "sweetness" as she laid still in Zuko's arms.