Chapter 2: Bitter Cold Nights
After trudging through the forest - side-by-side and exhausted - the duo collapse on the ground as darkness and sleepiness takes over them. Toph (a little reluctantly) shares her earth tent with Zuko as a cool, billowing breeze manages to find its way through a hole - about the size of Zuko's fist - that they use to get some sort of breeze and oxygen circulating throughout the 'tent'.
Zuko uncomfortably shifts on the hard, dirt ground, attempting to find a small patch of grass or moss to rest his head on as some sort of comfort instead of a rock.
His eyes now adjusted to the darkness, he pulls out the hooded jumper he had picked up earlier that day and places it under his head as he stares at the back of Toph's head.
The wind whips around Toph's face, blowing wisps of hair around her feature, tickling her ever so lightly. She continuously swats at her hair and shivers slightly due to the bitter cold of the night. Rubbing her exposed arm to the wind in an attempt to get rid of her goose bumps she finally resorts to turning over to face toward Zuko. His breathing rhythm tells her that he is definitely not asleep and she feels his gaze (metaphorically) burning into her.
"What?" She makes a face at him, her eyes wide and eyebrows elevated and her mouth absentmindedly hanging open.
"You're cold aren't you?" Zuko asks sympathetically, squinting to see her in the dark-filled earth tent.
"No."
"Yes."
"No."
"Even I don't need your lie detecting skills to know that you're lying."
After a few moments she questions, "So?"
"So, you're going to get sick and we can't afford that. Take this." Zuko throws her the jumper, not at all indisposed, which lands on her lying figure.
"I don't need it, I'm not cold," she chastises, throwing the jumper to the side.
Zuko shrugs awkwardly and closes his eyes ready for sleep to take him shaking his head slightly. He has his inner fire to keep him warm, but Toph, she's only got her stubbornness and rock hard attitude to keep her warm at night. He figures she may use it in the night and decides not to retrieve it for his own benefit.
The sun peeks through the canopy of trees, vines and bush, finishing upon an earth tent where the sleeping figures of Zuko and Toph lay; their chests rising and falling with every breath. A bull worm casually slides through Toph's toes and she wiggles them delightfully. A birdrat chirps from atop a tree branch peacefully and Zuko awakens to the sound of its sweet whistling tune. He distinctively looks over to Toph and smiles, knowing that she is safe, and thankfully not shivering. Although, he sees the jumper still lying where she had thrown it to the side the previous night and he sighs quietly.
Deciding to let her sleep for a while longer, Zuko begins scavenging through the bag of supplies that they had taken as their own. He hadn't thought of doing this before. There is the usual food and clean water. But unfortunately as he digs down to the bottom of the bag he discovers no map, no compass, no nothing that could help get anybody's attention or get them out of there. Just supplies to keep them fed and watered for the next couple of days…if that. It would need to be rationed.
Everything happens for a reason. I know that fate would've given us some sort of help if we needed it, so it looks as if we are capable of making through this on our own…so far.
He gets up and takes off his shirt revealing his toned chest. Getting into a squatted position, his legs placed wide apart, he begins his morning hot squats. He struggles to even do one in the small enclosure as his head touches the tip of it. But nonetheless he continues with a small grunt.
After an hour of this he realises the morning is slowly creeping away and soon midday would approach, and so wiping the sweat off his face he puts his shirt back on and Zuko finally wakes Toph up, they had to get going sometime.
"Toph…Toph…" He shakes her awake.
Rubbing her eyes with the heel of her hands she sits up yawning loudly.
"Are you ready yet?" she asks in a somewhat impatient tone.
"I've been ready for an hour!"
"So have I." She grins.
I should've known she had been awake. Toph can never wake up this quickly…well not since I've known her.
Lowering the earth tent she asks, "So what's on the agenda for today?"
"Well I was thinking we'd catch a play, then feed the turtle ducks and finally sit down to a feast in the evening."
"Since when did you have a sense of humour?"
"Since I had to spend time with you and Sokka." He smirks.
"Well at least I make decent jokes unlike him," she replies proudly causing Zuko to roll his eyes, although a smile still gracing his lips.
"So…"
"So…Uh, are you and Mai thinking of getting married or something soon?"
And the awkward conversations commence.
Zuko clears his throat nervously.
"We're actually not together anymore."
"Oh, why's that?"
She never seems to have any problem about prying into other people's business.
Letting a breath escape his lips he starts, "We just weren't right for each other. We started drifting apart and in the end we just finished our relationship. And…" he trails off.
"And…?" Toph prompts.
"And…yeah, nothing. There is no 'and'."
"Wrong."
"Fine, I think she has a crush on someone else."
"Wrong."
"Um, Uncle didn't like it," he says uncertainly hearing the lie as soon as it hits his ears.
"Wrong," Toph retorts in a bored tone as if she could say it all day as pure impulse.
"OK, I have a crush on someone else!"
"Correct! So who's the lucky girl, Sparky?"
Damn! Why is she so persuasive?
There is such a long break until Zuko answers that Toph figures he hadn't heard her (or didn't want to answer it, which was more likely), and was about to repeat her question when he responds with, "Race ya?"
And before she has time to reject his offer he runs off and she sprints after him, not daring to lose against the almighty Zuko.
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