This is the third chapter. What happens here is con-current with Chapter 2.


Denial

Toph was confronted by Aang right after breakfast. The young avatar immediately found himself chained up, and watched Toph walk off, not being able to metal-bend.

"Hello! Someone help! Suki! Help me out of these chains!" Aang pleaded, and Suki used the kitchen knife to cut through the chains.

Aang muttered a word of thanks, before asking, "How do you feel about Sokka?"

Suki immediately blushed deeply at the mention of "feel" and "Sokka", stammering a faint, "I like him. I mean as a friend."

"Come on I can't help you guys if you can't even be honest about your feelings! Look what Toph did to me when I tried to ask her the same thing! Now are you going to let me help or live in the shadow of your feelings forever while watching Sokka love another girl for the rest of your lives?" Aang was frustrated.

Suki sighed, defeated, "I do like Sokka, but what's the point? Toph has been with him longer, and they've been through more together. I can fight all I want but my chances of getting him are as good as zero. I might as well just give up..."

"Wait! You don't even know what Sokka thinks how can you just assume it? I'm going to talk to Toph, so think about it thoroughly." Aang said and rushed off after Toph.


Toph sensed his thundering vibrations long before she heard her name being shouted. She ran even faster, aided by the earth.

Aang refused to give up, and used the same method to try to catch up. "Wait! Why are you running? It's not like I'm going to kill you!"

That only seemed to spur Toph on to run faster, until she came to a cliff.

Aang caught up, took a second to recover, and bent the water from Katara's pouch to hold Toph.

"Now you can't run, so you better answer me truthfully, and then I might release you. Don't bother lying, I'll know. Thanks to you of course, Sifu Toph. Now shoot, how do you feel about Sokka?"

"I'm not telling you!" she replied stubbornly.

"Fine, I'll just leave you here till you're ready to talk. It's getting cold in there!" and if walked away, leaving Toph dangling slightly above the ground so that she couldn't see or bend.

The plan was to make her real uncomfortable till she agreed to talk.


About an hour later, Aang heard a cry from where Toph was 'trapped', and he went to see if she was ready to talk. To his dismay, the ice had thoroughly melted through.

He cursed silently, and followed the tracks that Toph had left while escaping. She had left a whole trail, a mistake caused by her impatience to get out of there by earthbending.

As he approached, he used airbending to sneak up on her.

When he got close enough, he trapped her again, securing her wrists, separating her fingers, and suspended her, keeping the soles of her feet away from any earth.

"You going to talk?" he sighed, and tried a different way, "look. I'm trying to help. From the looks of it, you are not only running from me, but also from your true feelings. You do like Sokka, you're just too proud to admit it. You don't want anyone else to think that you are affected by emotions. You know, that is not a weakness. I mean, look at me! Emotion is what usually triggers the avatar state. Provided that it's strong, that is... But what I'm saying is, feelings make you human. I hope you will seriously open yourself to your feelings. I'm not going to force you anymore..." he released her and flew away, defeated.

"Thank you, twinkle toes..." Toph silently said once he was out of earshot.


That night, when Katara was back, Aang pulled her into a dark corner of the second storey and kissed her deeply and passionately.

Katara's eyes widened before she realised what was happening, and her eyes soften. She lost herself in the kiss, savouring the taste of airbender's soft lips, letting his sweet scent overwhelm her. It was everything she wanted her every kiss to be; romantic, sincere, yet not too forced or awkward.

Unfortunately, Aang had to interrupt that trance by breaking the kiss for air.

"I missed you. You have no idea how much trouble I've had this whole day. Oh what I'd give for every girl to be like you." Aang sighed.

"Somehow that doesn't appeal to me very much... I wouldn't want too many Aangs around, that's for sure. No I meant that in a good way. If everyone were like you, you wouldn't be unique anymore." and she pulled him in for another breath-taking kiss.

A perfect end to a not-so-perfect day.


Well there you go. Fluff. Enjoyed?? Don't forget to review!! Thank you! Oh and chpt 2 slight mistakes.