Skeletons
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He's showing her how to make a miniature tropical cyclone in the water, heating the atmosphere around them. She smiles proudly at their progress, impressed by his skills at manipulation. She wants to make the storm bigger, but he is wary. Without warning, the cyclone begins to build into a typhoon and lightning crackles dangerously in the sky.
Zuko draws all the heat from the air (something she didn't know he could do), and she drops the water the moment she sees his knees buckle from the pressure. She catches him before he falls and they both tumble into the water. That particular style of bending has drained him, especially considering he was still controlling the air temperature as she shaped the water. She asks him why he did it, but he only tells her that he didn't want the storm to grow out of control; he did not want to see her get hurt.
He stands and rubs tiredly at his face, and she reaches out to touch his scar. His reflexes are swift and he captures her hand in his, holding it to his unmarked cheek. They stare at each other for a moment, fingers locked together, and he looks as though he's about to speak. But then he drops her hand and turns around, silently wading out of the water towards the beach and out of sight.
She lowers her head and sighs, bringing her hands to her bare midriff. The hand he touched still feels warm and tingly, and she reaches up to touch her own face (where his scar would be). A blush blossoms on her cheeks and she slides her fingers through her hair, gathering a thick knot and twisting, wringing the water out.
She makes her way onto the beach, picking up her dress and slipping it on. Glancing up, she sees Toph sitting on a rock overlooking the lake. The Earthbender is holding herself loosely in her seat, relaxed and at home like a badger-mole burrowing underground. But it's those sightless green eyes of hers that give Katara reason for pause—sightless eyes that somehow see everyone's secrets.
"I'd be careful with Zuko if I were you, Sweetness," she warns, and Katara feels her ears heat with the shame of a child being caught with her fingers in the cookie jar.
Being blind, Toph spares Katara the indignity of staring at her and for that Katara isn't sure whether to feel slighted or grateful. The fact that Toph can read her so well without seeing or even needing to hear her speak unnerves Katara and so she leans towards the later.
Toph nimbly jumps off her self-crafted podium and wanders past Katara in the direction of the forest, all interest in the Waterbender's personal life seemingly lost. She's as languid and nonchalant as ever. It's that same detached idiosyncrasy of Toph's, coupled with a thin layer of well-masked elegance and carefully dolled out insouciance, that makes Katara envious. The blind girl's devil-may-care attitude is something to be envious of, and the fact that she keeps her own emotions so well-guarded makes her an ideal observer and judge of others.
"It's just Zuko," Katara says with a forced laugh, knowing that Toph will still be able to read her. "I know what skeletons lurk in his closet. We all do."
Toph stops walking and turns around, shaking her head with a grin that's a borderline grimace. "Sweetness, there's a few skeletons and then there's a whole army of the undead." She raises her foot, picking a pebble out from between her toes, and flicks it towards the beach. "The Sunshine Prince has got deep-seated issues that even he isn't prepared or willing to face. No point in you trying."
Part of Katara is still shrinking from embarrassment that Toph knows her feelings, her intentions, but another small and strong-willed part flares in defiance at being treated like a child. She's older than Toph, dammit!
"I appreciate the concern, Toph," Katara says through clenched teeth, cinching the belt around her waist more tightly than necessary, cutting off air and circulation.
"But?" Toph supplies, looking away from Katara but still holding that annoying, know-it-all grin on her face.
"But I'm a big girl."
Katara holds her head high and makes her way past the Earthbender. Toph turns to face her and there's a sudden hard-edge to her blind eyes and a narrow smile that Katara doesn't quite understand.
"Oh, I didn't say this for your benefit, Sweetness."
And with that puzzling smile, Toph strides away, leaving a confused Katara behind.
Author's notes: So, yeah, this turned out a lot darker and more cryptic than I had intended, but the message is still there (I think). I refuse to have Toph call Zuko "Sparky". I know it's fandom's nickname for him, but I'd just rather not. I'm not trying to be original or a canon-stickler (maybe a fan fiction snob); I just personally don't see Toph giving him such a nickname. A silly title, like the Sunshine Prince? Sure. Sparky? No. (Not that there's anything wrong with that . . .)
Don't forget to check out my Zutara one-shot about requited love (yes, requited!), A Matter of Appearances, which happens to be quite fluffy (it's this new thing I'm trying out).