Well folks, this FanFiction is almost done... so get reading!
It was odd for both Zuko and Toph to constantly hear the gurgling of a baby in the background, but it was a good kind of odd. Zuko surprised Toph with a smoothly carved high chair for Lin to sit in while her mother had breakfast. Ever since Lin's birth, Akashi and Iroh simply could not get enough of the adorable Lin as they tickled, coddled, and played with her. For Lin, it was a relief to be sitting between Zuko and Toph at the breakfast table without being badgered by her adoring fans. She contentedly sucked her milk from her bottle as she curiously watched her mother listlessly playing with her scrambled eggs.
"So…" drawled Toph as she scraped her plate with her fork. "I… guess I'll be heading off soon."
"Oh right," muttered Zuko. "Are you going to Yu Dao?"
"Not right away," responded Toph. "I want to take Lin to Kyoshi Island to show her off to Suki and Sokka."
Zuko smirked. "Of course you do."
"Anyway, now that I have Lin there's really no reason to stay…" Toph trailed off, leaving a stiffened Zuko to refute her if he wanted to.
"I guess not." Zuko felt like punching himself in the face for being such a coward.
Toph's shoulders dropped, but she still smiled to shield her disappointment. She internally reprimanded herself - after all, what did she expect him to say? Did she expect him to confess undying love and to beg her on his hands and knees to stay with him? That was all a fantasy. When he looked at her, all he saw was the snarky blind twelve-year-old from his past.
Toph cleared her throat, pushed her chair back, and announced, "I'm not all that hungry. I'm going to take Lin back to my room."
Zuko nodded, wishing that his Uncle had not given him the slip again and abandoned him to such an awkward situation with Toph. He knew the awkwardness was his fault, but what else could he do? She was the proud, sarcastic, beautiful Toph Bei Fong! Why would she deign to be with him when she had the world at her fingertips? Sure he was Firelord, but honestly he still felt like the immature, banished prince that he was when they first met. Like she said, she had Lin now, so was there any logical reason for her to remain any longer? Even so, Zuko could acutely sense the tug on his heartstrings as he saw Toph balance Lin on her left hip and carry her out of the room without another word.
Iroh's disapproving glare singed the hairs on the back of Zuko's head, but he refused to acknowledge this as he turned to Toph to say goodbye. Lin was bouncing on Akashi's hip, leaving Toph alone to face the man she least wanted to say farewell to.
"So this is it," sighed Zuko with finality.
"You make it sound like we're never doing to see each other again," commented Toph with a half-hearted laugh.
"With your errant nature, I don't think my fears are unfounded," replied Zuko uncertainly.
Toph pressed her lips together, not knowing what else to say. Instead of talking, she promptly punched Zuko on the shoulder, which he probably should have seen coming.
"Ow…" moaned Zuko. "Sign of affection?"
Toph blushed slightly. "Yeah."
Much to Toph's surprise, Zuko suddenly pulled her into the all-encompassing embrace of his hard-muscled arms. He breathed her earthen scent and helplessly sunk further into his endearment with the renowned earthbender despite himself. Toph tentatively returned the hug at first, then squeezed him with a fierce strength that nearly suffocated him - not that he minded. The sound of Akashi clearing her throat broke them apart, and their faces reddened with embarrassment. Toph hugged Iroh and Akashi in turn, finally retrieving her baby and snugly folding Lin into a baby sling that crossed Toph's torso; Lin's dimpled hand curled around the edge of the sling as she fell into a deep, peaceful sleep. Toph supported her baby with her right arm while she faced Zuko with the deep-set determination that he had always admired in her.
"Are you gonna let me pass any time soon?" questioned Toph with eyebrows raised.
"Oh, sorry," stammered Zuko as he hastily stepped aside.
Toph was positive her ears were playing tricks on her when she heard him mutter under his breath, "I'll miss you." She shrugged off her suspicions and stepped into the carriage that would take her to the ship that would bear her to Kyoshi Island. Hopefully she would be able to propel any thoughts of Zuko to the farthest reaches of her subconscious as soon as possible.
As soon as Toph and Akashi were gone, Iroh shook his head and said, "Zuko, know that I say this with a heart full of love: you are the dumbest man on the planet."
"Gah, I know!" exclaimed Zuko. "But I can't… I just… Why would… Ugh!""
Iroh was still shaking his head when his nephew stomped away, but he hoped that Zuko would figure things out soon… and preferably before he turned a hundred years old!
Zuko had always found sanctuary in the grove of blooming cherry blossom trees - except for today; he slowly approached the tree that he remembered finding Toph sitting at the base of all those weeks ago. He knocked his head several times on tree and slid down with his back against the tree's rugged trunk. As he reached the bottom, he felt an odd bulge on the side of the tree, turned around, and realized a huge chunk of dirt had been splattered on the tree. Zuko brushed away the earth, revealing a crudely inscribed heart. He stared at it intently as he gently traced the curvature of the heart.
His finger abruptly halted when the thought occurred to him that Toph must have made that heart on the day he found her to talk about the festival. With his heart beating faster than a hummingbird's wings, Zuko drew back to fully view the heart. If she took the effort to etch that symbol of love on a tree, maybe she loved being at the palace… maybe she loved being with him as much as he loved being with her… He had to find out what she meant, what she felt in her heart when she engraved what she did.
Zuko purposefully ignored Iroh's exclamation of victory as he scrambled out the doors of his palace in pursuit of Toph. He jumped onto the first ostrich horse he could find and raced after the love of his life before it was too late.
The freezing cold gale chafed Toph's skin and whipped around the loose strands of hair that had escaped from her bun. Toph shivered and hugged Lin closer to herself for body warmth, though she secretly wished someone else was by her side as well. The blasted wood of the dock rendered her seismic sense useless, so she had to wait for the metal boat to dock before she could "see" again. The wait seemed endless; the universe wanted to torture her by keeping her stranded in the middle of a wooden dock, with the burning desire to turn back and run to Zuko, her home, her love.
"Toph?" called a voice that Toph recognized, but was sure that it was an illusion.
"Curse this wood!" growled Toph as she spun around to face whoever it was.
"Relax, it's me," said the voice soothingly.
"Wh-what are you doing here?" stuttered Toph.
"I came to take you back home."
Toph laughed mockingly. "You mean the Earth Kingdom? I'm already headed there, doofus!"
"No, I'm not talking about the Earth Kingdom."
"Well then where? What can I consider my home at this point? I don't belong with my parents, I don't belong with the Fire Nation - "
"No, but you belong with me."
"What do you mean that I 'belong with you,' Sparky?"
"Ugh, you don't get it!" complained Zuko. "How could you be so bl-"
Zuko abruptly halted in his tracks, and Toph became red with anger.
"So what? Blind?" guessed Toph. "Yeah, in case you haven't noticed I am blind!"
Apology was written all over Zuko's face; this was not at all how he intended for this to go. "I'm sorry Toph, I didn't mean it like that - "
"Save it," interrupted Toph. "No one gets what it's like to be different from everyone else, to have this abnormal trait that people think makes you weak or incompetent."
"Are you sure about that?" asked Zuko slowly. "Have you forgotten about the little present my father gave me?"
Toph was stunned, but only for a second. "That's different."
"Not really, if you think about it," disagreed Zuko. "My scar was intended as a sign of shame, weakness, and worthlessness. People look at me differently just like they look at you differently. Ours is a lonely destiny if we allow it. You're blind, and I have a scar. You think no one gets it? I get it."
For the first time in her life, Toph was speechless; Zuko had finally outdone her, torn down the stone walls, and laid her heart bare. She had finally gotten back on her feet, only to be knocked off of them again by the infuriating, hardheaded, and ardent Firelord. Why did he have to be so frustratingly tempting to her?
"That's why we are perfect for each other," continued Zuko passionately. "On the outside, our worlds are very different. But in reality, they are the same because our division is an illusion."
"So what?" spat Toph, sounding more harsh than she had intended. "You think we are the 'ideal match' like Yuan said about me and him?"
Zuko shook his head. "Yuan is different from me in one vital aspect: he didn't fall in love with you."
That last statement did her in; Toph had no more protests, no more rebuttals, and no more counters to throw at him. He had confessed, clearly and irrefutably, the love in his heart that matched her own, and she could not find away to step around it any longer.
"Say something," pleaded Zuko fervently.
Toph stood still for an agonizingly long minute, which added more thumps per second to his heart rate. Finally, she grinned wholeheartedly and promptly socked Zuko on the arm with her brute strength. Caught off guard, Zuko cried out in pain and rubbed his injured arm.
"What was that for?" demanded Zuko.
"That's how I show affection, remember?" reminded Toph plainly. "You're an idiot."
Zuko puffed out his cheeks and bowed his head. "I know."
Toph lifted his chin with her slender finger and immediately pressed her lips to his, causing Zuko's eyes to widen in surprise.
When she pulled away, she said cheekily, "But you're my idiot."
Zuko sighed in relief, laughed good-naturedly, and swept the love of his life into his arms. When he nuzzled her nose with his, Toph felt his hot breath on her face and the love that emanated from his heart. He claimed possession of her tauntingly alluring mouth at last as he cradled her face in his calloused hands and relished the smoothness of her lips. His arms shifted to loosely encircle her waist, and she wrapped her arms around his neck as she deepened the kiss. A cry from Lin, who was squished between them, finally interrupted their kiss, and Zuko's forehead leaned against Toph's.
"I love you," he whispered.
"I love you too," she whispered back, softly but emphatically at the same time.
Anyone in the mood for an epilogue?