Hi all!

This is the fourth chapter of my Toko Week :) not too happy with how this turned out, but I'm glad I wrote it still. Could've been more Toko, but I'm happy with how it turned out okay anyhow.

Disclaimer: I don't own Avatar :)

Enjoy!

Boat

It had been a good week, Toph thought.

The team had been travelling around the Fire Nation, visiting and rebuilding destroyed or dying towns located in the more remote areas of the country, for the past few months – war did not just impact the other nations. This week, they would have had visited their one hundredth town, Toph mused, smirking. And it was on a small island just off the west coast of the mainland.

"Toph?" Katara asked, nudging her friend gently.

The blind girl faced the Waterbender. "What?"

"Can you help me with this?"

Toph nodded, and heard a rustling of material before a roll of bandages was dropped into her hands. Knowing that was required of her, she unrolled a little of the long cloth strip, and cut it at a certain length with a knife and handed the bandage to Katara, who wrapped it around her patient's arm, having already checked and healed whatever was wrong with it, with her water. Toph sighed as she lifted her feet off the ground, not wanting to feel the long line of the injured, waiting to be healed by the Waterbender who had come to their town.

As the day wore on, and the line shortened and the Earthbender grew thankful that there was not much more people to nurse back to health. Just then, she felt a great gust of wind blowing at her tunic.

She stayed where she was as Katara turned and gasped: "Aang!"

"Hey Katara," the young Airbender greeted. Toph could hear the smile in his voice. "Hi Toph."

"Twinkle toes," she answered, nodding. "How's fixing the town going?"

As Katara and Toph worked on the sick, Aang and Zuko and some other hired workers as well as some Fire Nation soldiers went to repairing the houses, while Sokka and Suki were negotiating with the town leader, discussing matters like the lack food and businesses. Personally, Toph would have liked to fix the houses with Aang, as she was an Earthbender, but Katara needed help and the Firebender and Avatar were not too thrilled to accept. No one wanted to look at bloody wounds and burns and scars. Aang offered of course, but hearing the reluctance in his voice made Toph feel obliged to take on the role of Katara's assistant instead.

"Great! Thanks! We've finished the whole town," Aang exclaimed. "You?"

"The people are feeling better," Katara answered. "But they just can't wait to see their new town."

She was right, Toph knew. Because Aang and Zuko were 'renovating' each house, all the town's citizens had to sleep in camps just outside the town boundaries.

Aang smiled. "That's good to hear. It's been a good week for this town, hasn't it?"

"Yes, but we're going to have to hurry. It's getting dark," Katara stated, as she looked around at the forest around them. The sun was just beyond the mountainous horizon, across the forest terrain.

"Should we pack up and let the people get back to their homes?"

"I think we should, but there are still some people here who need a doctor, not a Waterbender."

"Maybe we could take them back to the mainland with us tonight and get them checked up. We can bring them back tomorrow. I'll take them on Appa."

Katara smiled. "That's a great idea Aang! But there are about seven of them. Only you and I and those seven can fit without Appa collapsing from the weight. Does that mean that the rest will have to go by boat?"

Toph's head snapped up at this, finally paying full attention to the conversation. "What? No! I am not getting on a boat. Nuh-uh. No boat for Toph Bei Fong."

xxXxx

Zuko walked around the wooden boat as the water gurgled and moaned, hitting against the hull. Everyone was having dinner below the deck, but Toph, she was nowhere to be found. The poor girl, Zuko thought. She hated being away from her earth. There was no telling how she was feeling right now. He knew if this had been a metal boat, it would have lightened the Earthbender's mood a little, but he did not want to take the large metal ships, as he wanted to keep all this travelling and such on a low profile. It would be a nuisance if people started following them around everywhere.

The scarred teenager decided to try searching the deck. He called her name several times, before he found his small friend sitting at the prow, the front part of the boat's bow. He listened as it cut through the water as they sailed across the large body of sea between the island they had just been on before, and the mainland.

"Toph?"

"Leave me alone," snapped Toph, not bothering to face the sixteen-year-old for a greeting.

Zuko sighed. "You know it's our duty to help these people. They need to get to the mainland as fast as possible. Understand that they needed to take Appa more than you do."

"Oh yeah, that makes me feel loads better," Toph scowled. "Not."

Zuko sat himself in front on the girl and crossed his arms. "Okay then. What will make you feel better?"

"Getting off this boat. That's what."

"You're impossible."

"And so are you."

Zuko frowned. "Is this about the boat, or something else?"

Toph glared at the dark-haired boy. She bit her bottom lip. What was up with all this questioning? Did he not understand that she just wanted to be left alone? But then again, she did have to give him some credit for seeing through her mask. Sure being on a boat was upsetting, but there was something else bugging her other than this wooden hell.

The Earthbender turned away. "It's none of your business."

"Okay then," Zuko shrugged. "Have it your way. I'll be inside if you need me." The Firebender got up and made his way towards the stairs leading beneath the deck.

"Wait!"

He turned around and saw Toph dive forwards, grabbing him around the waist. He froze, and found Toph hugging him tightly, with no explanation whatsoever. "What now?" he asked confused as ever.

"Sorry. I just needed that," Toph soft voice came from somewhere around his ribcage.

He paused before slowly kneeling down, so Toph would be more comfortable. She shifted positions and moved to wrap her arms around his neck. Zuko patted her back, unsure of what to say and do. The two stayed this way for the next few moments, ignoring the howling of the wind and the black of night, as well as the sound of tireless waves crashing against the boat, rocking it ever so slightly. He thought he heard Toph sniffling.

"Toph? What's wrong?"Zuko whispered into her hair. Another long silence followed his words, to which he regretted speaking. He was about to open his mouth again when Toph finally answered him.

"Aang."

At the mention of the Avatar, Zuko almost doubled over in surprise. Now he understood. Travelling by boat, Toph did not mind too much, but the fact that Aang was on the Flying Bison with Katara seemed to cut her fresh. She just used this boat as an excuse to be angry, to be hurt. Wow, Toph liked Aang. Zuko felt even worse for the blind bender. He should have caught on earlier though, with her always blushing around the Airbender, and also how she seemed really eager to help Aang fix the houses back at the island. And she had been very sour towards Katara ever since she and Aang announced they were dating. Poor Toph indeed.

The thirteen-year-old had just experienced her first heartbreak.

"Do you want to talk about it?" Zuko offered. He felt Toph shake her head against his shoulder. Yeah, he could understand that. "Do you want to go inside? It's getting really cold out here."

Again, Toph shook her head. "I don't mind. You make up for the cold."

He smiled at that. Of course she was using him to heat her up. Zuko tightened his grip around the small girl, using his breath of fire to warm up the both of them as the boat sailed on. At this, he could feel Toph relaxing a little, her muscles no longer tense.

"You –"

"I thought maybe... I thought..." she started suddenly, choking for words. "I thought he was going to... I really liked him. But I guess he's not into girls who pound him in rock, and make fun of him."

"But that's what makes you, you. Aang is someone who openly accepts people for who they are. But if he doesn't like you in that way for who you are, then that's definitely his loss."

"You... really think so?"

"I know so. I like you, just the way you are. You'd be foolish to think something is wrong with you. Love is a complicated thing, so just give it some time. Either he'll come around or you'll find someone way better."

"Wow, Zuko. I never knew you were one for advice," Toph laughed as she drew away from the Firebender, ending the embrace.

"It rubs off on you if you hang out with Uncle. But I warn you, never live on a boat with him for three years straight. It'll drive you mad."

"So how was your boat ride?" Aang asked, smiling.

Zuko returned the smile as he walked onto the wharf, and quickly glanced over to Toph, who was talking happily with Katara, Sokka and Suki. "It was good, and Toph was kind of okay about it in the end."

"That's great!" Aang said.

"Yeah."

Aang nodded and walked over to Katara, whispering something to her before the two walked off alone. Sokka seemed hesitant in letting them go, but shrugged it off as he continued his discussion Suki. Toph turned in Aang's direction for a short moment as well, before she turned away and took a deep breath. She then smiled and butt into Sokka and Suki's conversation.

Zuko smirked, happy that Toph was approaching this matter with a better attitude. But then his heart stopped when she faced him for a second, and her cheeks coloured as she turned away.

I was a little disappointed in this chapter, as there was hardly any ZukoToph bonding, or fluff, or whatever. But still, it was hard trying to fit the idea of 'boat' into something like this while being original :)

Hope you all liked.

Happy Days

TezTra