CHAPTER 3;
'Great Aang, just keep up with streaming the water, round and round…like this…' Katara demonstrated as the thick tendril of water whirled speedily around her in a flurry that caused her now wet hair to whip effortlessly along with it. Aang was a first learner…he narrowed his eyes shiftily in her direction and too pulled up a stream of water, gingerly taking it around his body in slow but steady movements.
'You'll want to do that faster if you are to gain any lift whatsoever.' Katara commented as she twirled her water very fast it created a semi-solid base that gave her slight rise of a few feet above the base of the pond; the aim was to create a long tower from which a water-bender had the advantage of altitude. Aang nodded in consent and concentrated his chi in making the water spin faster in a ring around his body, especially at his ankles, steadily he felt the rise which the water gave him…like he was floating on it, and it was rising. Soon he was at Katara's level.
'Very good, pupil Aang…' Katara commented with a startling grin. Aang nodded back, concealing just how happy he was to have mastered the basics.
'Now draw more water to the base, not releasing your hold…this will take you even higher!' Even as she demonstrated Katara was now two good meters above the monk. He knitted his eyebrows in determination. Drawing more water, he spun it at the base, causing his tower to grow taller and taller…
'Careful Aang…' Katara cautioned, he was taking it too fast-she'd noticed.
'I'm careful.' He growled back. She sighed in confusion as he drew a lot more water than she expected. She gently released her hold on her own water tower and sank softly back to the base, staring up at Aang the entire time, her mouth gaping in shock coupled with amazement.
'Whoa…' came a voice from the bushes. It was Sokka who emerged, shirtless, sweaty and brandishing his sword in one hand. The other hand was shielding the sun from his eyes as he gazed up at Aang who was now some good feet above the tree tops. 'Now that's water bending.'
'Yeah, well…he still has a lot to learn.' Katara said, suppressing an inexplicable surge of jealousy-the boy was a natural! And deep down, she was proud. Suddenly, Aang let out a shrill cry as his hold on the water seemed to relax; the tower fell back in a useless splash of lifeless water, drenching Sokka who stood nearby.
'Dang it-Katara!' he yelled, Aang was falling fast, but she was faster as she reached forward to grasp him before he could hit the water hard- even though she felt in this instance he would deserve it, she had warned him after all, and a child once bitten didn't dare play with a saber toothed lion-hog.
'Aang!' she spluttered once she had him cradled in her arms, he wasn't as small anymore she noticed as she supported him and the waded away from the pond back to the house. 'What happened?' she asked, draping his tattooed arm over her bare shoulder as she bended the water from his drenched body and hers.
'Ahem…and what of me?' Sokka asked, following close behind wiping water off his face.
Katara merely regarded him in one swift glance. 'You needed a shower anyway.' She said with a sly grin.
'Whatever…' Sokka said as they approached the clearing. 'Toph sent me to tell Aang it's time for earth bending practice.' He yawned. 'Message delivered…' He turned, 'Sukiiiiiii' and vanished into the house. Katara felt pity for the Kyoshi warrior who was now the victim of her brother's affections, she hoped Suki could handle him. Katara made to move Aang up the stairs into the house but he stubbornly sat at the verandah.
'You heard Sokka-I have earth bending practice'
'You're in no state to practice, Aang-much less earth.' She released her hold on him and stood by, watching him wearily. 'You pushed too hard- you're pushing too hard.' She said, placing a hand to her waist and one on his shoulder. He shrugged it off.
'I just fell-and even then, you caught me, as always…' he muttered standing up with a slight wince. He didn't know what had happened, He'd just…lost control when he tried to bend all that water at once, trying to concentrate on spinning it fast enough and drawing more and keeping it in a stream around him…
'You don't have to be perfect the first time…' She softly muttered, tilting her head to one side with a radiant smile.
'You don't understand…' he began.
'Then make me understand.' She implored. But they were interrupted by a tall figure. Katara first stared, mouth agape at the shirtless fire-bender who was wiping sweat off the back of his neck with a piece of cloth. She quickly found herself and painfully detached her gaze from his well chiseled physical features.
'Erm Aang…I think Toph needs you for practice now, and she said if you didn't come she was going to-well I can't actually repeat what she said, but you get the idea.' There was an amused grin plastered on his handsome face.
Aang gave Katara a knowing look before standing up straight with a shrug. He nodded in Zuko's direction before squeezing Katara's hand in an apologetic gesture and vanishing behind the house.
'That earth-bender is arguably one of the most frightening people I have ever had the pleasure of meeting.' Zuko absent-mindedly commented with a grin on his face.
'Well you seemed awfully forth-coming with your hug yesterday…' Katara commented, rather harshly.
'Why do I sense retribution in your voice?' Zuko walked down the few stairs until he was just towering over the water-bender. She turned her face away from him.
'I don't know what game your playing-'
'What game? We're friends, Katara! I just happen to enjoy her company'
'Ah…company.' She sarcastically drawled with a wave of her fingers.
'Why are you being like this?'
'Like what!?'
'If this is about the kiss at the Western Air temple, I said I was so-'
'Oh you're so self-righteous!' And with that she stormed off, leaving behind a very confused golden-eyed fire bender…
'Oh now you show up-when I was just about to leave.' Toph could recognize those light air-laden footsteps anywhere. She turned angrily to face a bush that formed part of the clearing's perimeter. Her strong arms were crossed in an angry gesture.
'I'm sorry Toph it's just that Katara-'
'KATARA!' Toph threw her arms up angrily. 'Katara...Katara-It's always been Katara! The rest of us exist too you know…' She was peeved to the core that he'd blown off earth-bending practice for something as trivial as-GAH!
'Toph are you-'
'Jealous?! In your wildest dreams.' She turned to face him.
'I was going to say serious…' Aang regarded her pensively, her usually pale face flushed crimson with fury. His water-bending practice should have ended half an hour earlier but he had insisted on learning the water tower as an excuse to stay closer to the water-bender for a while longer. He supposed he was to blame. 'I can't believe you'd think I'd consider any of my friends less important, I love you guys, all of you, equally.'
'Yeah, but if you had to choose, you'd definitely choose Katara!' She pointed in his direction, anger written all over his face.
'What? I'm the avatar, that would be-'
'And I can tell your lying.' It hurt her to utter the words, but that was her nature. 'I just wish you'd realize that to defeat the fire-lord, you're going to need both water and earth bending, even if you happen to be in love with the water-bending teacher.' There. She'd said it. Angrily she stormed past him. Angrily she waited for him to stop her as she walked past, the bitter gale between them blowing her dark hair into her blank eyes…She waited for him to grab her and say that it was all untrue, but she didn't need earth-bending to tell it was a lie. He didn't stop her and she knew he wouldn't, but it still hurt.
She wasn't looking where she was going. She paid no heed whatever to what the vibrations gave off; she just wandered aimlessly towards her room. That was until she bumped into someone.
'Sorry,' the voice rasped. Great, flame boy, just what she needed-a reminder of her betting loss.
'Yeah, yeah…I'll be your slave okay, some other day, just spare me today…' she waved her hand frantically in his face as she spoke.
'Are you…okay?' Zuko asked, unsure of whether or not to delve into whatever was bothering her. She frowned, pursing her small lips into a thin line.
'Nothing you can fix.' She told him with a sigh that implied more.
'Erm actually,' He said, tactfully changing the topic, 'I wanted to tell you that there's no need for the, um…slavery, I don't want you to do anything of the sort.'
'Oh, fire boy…you really don't know me, I lost. It's only fair that I serve my punishment. It's only honorable.'
Zuko's eyes glinted at the mention of the final word. He mumbled something pensively before saying out loud.
'In that case you shall be Aang's slave for a day-because technically, I didn't actually win the game…he did.'
'Wha-'
'It would be dishonorable for me to take credit for something I didn't rightfully win.' Zuko smiled before turning on his heel.
'You know he used earth bending right? That doesn't even count! Honorably!'
'You didn't seem to think so when you were beating me mercilessly…'
'But that was-argh!'
Zuko started to walk away to avoid a crisis. 'I'll go tell him this instant. Wait, aren't you supposed to be in earth bending practice with him?'
'Not when he'd rather be in water bending practice…' Toph leered.
'What do you mean?' Zuko asked; his attention sparked by the mention of water, Toph felt his heart beat race.
'What's wrong with me?' She blurted out.
'What do you mean?' Zuko repeated, more urgently this time.
'I mean you and sugar-queen clearly have a thing going on- I don't know about Twinkles, Snoozles has that Kyoshi-obsessed fan throwing chick…'
Zuko gulped unsurely at the mention of him and Katara. Did Toph know about the Western Air temple? He stared down at the blind earth-bender who was now opening her heart to him, feeling unsure of just what to do with the delicate contents. Toph was clearly insecure, but she felt unsure of how to deal with it because she was so convinced the problem was her, as was the case with all insecure people. He felt a slight pity for her, but knew all too well that Toph Beifong was not one to be pitied. So he just stood there, dumb as a rock.
'I need a drink.' Toph finally uttered to break the overwhelming silence.
'I could get you some water…'
'You know what I mean-'She narrowed her eyes in what she believed was his direction, with her hands on her hips.
'So which type of whiskey shall it be this time?'
'Now you're talking…'
When Toph was bored, she wandered around the place, and it was in this way that she had come to find a hidden stash of age old whiskey in the house cellar, apparently Fire-pops had a drinking problem. But she didn't really mind, because hours later Zuko had found her knee-deep in bottles singing praises to earth gods and barely aware of her own name. It was then that she had tried to kiss him but he had left out that little bit to spare her whatever little shred of dignity she still had when she sobered up. It was rather funny, the mortified expression she had on her face when he'd told her later on in the morning. She could barely stand near him after that-But it had become their little secret; her source of solace. (Theirs when she forced him.) What gave her the energy and abandon to relate all her problems, the fire prince was a trusted companion.
'Am I ugly?' she downed another cup with the swiftness of a sailor, the stuff was pretty strong, it had Zuko reeling.
'No, come on…why would you say that? You're one of the prettiest girls I know.'
This time she reached for the whole bottle with a shrug, openly turning scarlet at Zuko's compliment. At least he had seen some girls he could compare her to.
'Describe me.' She commanded. Zuko sighed.
'Well I think one of the most striking things about you would have to be your hair…'
Her hands instinctively reached for the now open locks that were untidily draped against her face.
'Hmm…what of it?'
'Well its dark, flawlessly dark, and it just hangs there in this-curtain like way that dare's someone to take a peek in, and it's grown really long of late. Then there are your eyes.'
'Aang says they're grayish green.' She answered with a sigh. Taking another sip, it was depressing, the mention of Aang.'Enough about me-what's with you and sugar queen?'
'Who?'
'Hair loopy fussy britches…Katara' She impatiently answered like it was the most obvious thing on earth.
Even in her semi-intoxicated state, Toph could still feel the effect Katara had on the poor prince.
So there was something.
'Noth-Nothing, we're just friends,' Clearly Azula had taken all the lying genes in the family and left Zuko none.
'I'm drunk, Sparky-not stupid.'
Zuko sighed and ran his fingers through his hair.
'We just got really close,' He took a swig from his cup, he seemed sad as he spoke. '…Bonding over the things we have in common-'
'So you're both members of 'lost-moms R us', big deal-I don't see your heart rate increase when you're next to Sokka.' Then again that would be weird. Really weird now that she considered it.
Said by anybody else, Zuko would have found it offensive, but this was Toph. He didn't know how to answer without bringing up the Western air temple.
'Let's start with this-What happened with you two at the Western Air temple?'
Great, she was now a mind-reader as well.
'We…kissed'
'Ho! Ho!' she was now on her feet, her tummy churned awkwardly, maybe she had had enough. 'This. Is .Royal…literally! Does Twinkles know?'
'NO!'
'Well no wonder she kept on sneaking into your room late at night…' Toph said, more to herself…
'Wait-you knew?'
'Darling- I know everything…'
Zuko cringed. Toph's abilities were frightening-He wondered just how bad it would be if she could actually see.
'Don't get any ideas; we didn't actually do anything at first. She just used to come to my room to warn me not to hurt Twinkl- Aang. Then after we went on the mission to avenge her mom's death and I saw this whole other side of her. Later on she'd come to my room to just…talk. And then one night- I swear I didn't mean for anything to happen. '
'Well don't stop now-it just got interesting!'
He was earnestly remorseful. Toph knew that much. But there was a difference between the remorse of one who has stolen and one who has killed. The one who has stolen can at least return the property, but when one has killed, no amount of sorry can change things- And Toph was afraid that the type of remorse he bore was the latter. Her heart bled for him.
He was grinning as he spoke, lost in a reverie of illicit nostalgia, or maybe the whiskey was finally beginning to work.
'We were talking about how we had a difficult task ahead of us, what with defeating the fire-lord and all.'
Toph noted how he now referred to Ozai by title and no longer as family. What was Azula? Crazy liar pants lightning chick supreme probably-yep, that about summed her up.
'And as we were talking about the fire lord, the conversation kind of drifted to my scar.'
His left hand subconsciously drifted up to the marred part of his beautiful face.
'I'd always been so self conscious about the scar, and Katara knew that. She'd even considered healing it once, at the crystal catacombs in old Bah-sing-seh… I'll never forget her words that night. "I'm glad I didn't heal your scar, it sort of defines you- Imperfectly perfect.'
'THEEEEEEENNNN?'
'I'm not telling you everything!' He turned a delightful shade of carmine.
'Suit yourself.' She smacked her lips and sat down. 'Sugar queen'll tell me anyway…'
'Really!' He now sounded exasperated. Toph was about to open her mouth and comment with something excessively snarky when there was a loud knock at the door.
'Sifu Toph!'
'About time…' she gritted through her teeth. Zuko eyed her wearily before placing down his empty cup.
'Go away, Aang!' she was in no condition to teach anyway.
'I wanted to apologize…'
'We all want things…' she slurred.
'Toph…Are you okay?'
'Just forgive him,' Zuko told her.
'Wait-Is Zuko in there too? Zuko- Open the door!'
'Zuko if you value your life you will stay seated.' She pointed…yep, her tummy was really queasy. She'd over done it -again. She groaned a bit too loud for her liking.
'Toph? I'm sorry!?'
'I'm opening the door, Sport…'
'Zuko, don't you dare- Aang, shut up.'
'No, I won't. You will listen to me, I didn't mean…'
'LA LA LA LA' She'd covered her ears and was humming away, trying to drown out the sound of Aang's apology, because then it meant she would have no logical reason not to forgive him, and sometimes she just NEEDED to be angry at something.
'You're such a kid…' Zuko droned, crossing the thresh-hold to open the door for the avatar.
'Zuko I swear I'm going to kill-'but she didn't get to finish, because next thing she knew, she was spewing vomit on Aang's shoes.
Aang was back at the pond, except this time it was with Toph and not Katara. The stubborn earth-bender was bent over and he was holding back her long black hair from her face as she rinsed it with water. When they stood up, he regarded her in silent scrutiny. The front of her frock was covered in vomit. She was a pitiful sight, just like the front of his shoes which he had washed over with water bending and now lay pitifully at the bank. He needed to do the same with her tunic.
'Take your tunic off…' He murmured. The words seemed innocent until he actually said them. 'So that I can…clean it.' He quickly added. 'Unless you want me to get you wet, 'he mentally face-palmed himself. 'W-with water, pond water.' He was making a downright mess of things.
'Okay already!' Toph yelled, reaching for the cream and green cloth that made up her outfit and clumsily handing it over to Aang and remaining with the belt in hand. Aang had often witnessed Toph in her under garments, but something was different-better…perhaps it was the intimacy of actually watching her take it off? Vomit –stained as it was. She was rather irritable because Aang had witnessed her vomit-(how could he have not?) She was in water, and yes… Aang had witnessed her vomit. She inwardly groaned at the embarrassing moment that would haunt her for years to come. (Yes kids…I puked on the avatar's shoes)
She stood angrily with crossed arms in only her cream binder and green three-quarter pants that revealed her flat equally pale abdomen.
Aang drew up a puddle of water which he passed through the cloth before completely drenching it. Then he used his water bending to drain the moisture from the garb and a final bout of air-bending to get it completely dry. He grasped it eagerly, satisfied with his work before calling out to his owner. He regarded her un-amused estate and noticed that some of the vomit had seeped onto her binder as well. That wouldn't do at all…
'Erm, Toph?'
'What?'
'You've still got a little…erm…' He could barely string a sentence together to explain to her, but she seemed to get the message as she felt around her bosom.
'Oh…' She said, embarrassed as she turned her back to him. Her fingers gracefully laced for the edges of the cloth.
'What are you-?'
She pulled it off in one swift motion, leaving nothing but her pale back glistening back at him. He was dumb-stricken as her crème binder slapped him in the face, wrenching him back to reality.
'Make it quick!' she snapped, draping her bare arms over her chest in an attempt to conceal anything too explicit-but not everything could be easily covered, Toph had grown more than Aang had cared to notice. He first stood there in the hazy afternoon glow, just enjoying the way the sun glinted off the water surface and shimmered unrealistically against her back which was framed by a mane of tangled black hair. Her hair had grown too…One couldn't easily tell with the way it was always held up. He liked the way the water made the curled up ends stick against her back, the contrast was sharp and alluring. She was truly a sight to behold…
'Aang…my clothes!'
Oh…right. Toph was easily distracting, she'd always been…Except this time Aang couldn't figure out why, which worried him even more, nagged at his conscience. He pushed it out of his mind as with a whisk of his hand he rinsed out Toph's binder, his thoughts momentarily drifting to the soft and silky skin the binder held, and then he felt embarrassed of his unorthodox thoughts and cleared his throat huskily as though he had just said something unpleasant. He knew that feeling, but not necessarily in a mood to label his emotions shrugged it off. He drew out the water and passed a tuft of wind through it.
'Here' he held out her cloth. Half-wondering what he would do if she turned round to receive it. She didn't but merely stretched out her petite porcelain-like hands to receive it. He emitted a sigh of relief mingled with…disappointment? She gave a low grumble that sounded like thanks, at least he chose to think so-because you don't kill those you're grateful too, right? But then again, Toph was a rule-breaker. She nonchalantly begun to dress herself up, choosing to ignore his unnaturally first pacing heart-beat. Yeah -what up with that? His heart beat was "deafening" her.
'I'm sorry.' He said when she was done. They waded out of the shallow pond, him pausing at the bank to put on his now dry shoes. If at all she heard him, she chose to ignore. She looked glazed over anyway as she made her way for the house. Not a 'sorry for hurling all over your shoes and thanks for cleaning me up ' on her lips. Not even an 'I forgive you' and he just had this feeling that things would get way worse if he let her sleep on it. Running after to catch up he gripped her elbow, spinning her to face him and staring into her bland foamy ocean colored eyes.
'Toph I said I'm sorry okay!'
'For what?' the way she said it, if he didn't know better he'd say she'd actually forgotten. But this was Toph. She made Zuko carry her around for weeks on end after burning he burnt her feet, she forgave him alright-but she never forgot. He exhaled exasperatedly through his mouth, the weight of his words seeming too much. For seeming to care too much about water bending? For liking Katara? Aang didn't want to make his apology out like she was some helpless victim, or like he was some villainous…well villain. So he said nothing.
'Ah' She spat drily…and he instantly regretted it, why was it so hard all of a sudden? She wrenched her arm from his hold. 'Then I'm also sorry.'
'For what?' He threw her words in her face with the same forced nonchalance. It wasn't as effective, he hadn't had the practice of pretending to do it his whole life. Her answer left him confused and highly curious…
'For being too expectant.' She walked away. He watched her walk away. What just happened?
"There is something, I see in you…it might kill me, but I want it to be true." Decode-paramoreA/N; I was in a sort of three-month daze writing this chapter, no kidding, and high on Troye Sivan's voice, my happy little pill…aaaaaah, I've been busy on another fanfic (Tahnorra) ANYWHO… All aboard the SS. Zutara…lez go!