Disclaimer: I do not own ATLA or its characters.
72
Katara tensed as soon as she heard a knock at the door. No one in this fucking apartment knocked except for Sokka, and she could hear him bustling around the kitchen, starting the dishes. That left only one person. Toph.
As much as Katara wanted to be the kind of girl who could forgive easily, the simmering ember that lay in the pit of her stomach reminded her that she wasn't.
"Hold on," she called when another knock came, more insistent, this time. She strode to the door and pulled it open, jumping in surprise at how close Toph stood to her.
"Katara," Toph greeted her. "Can I come in?"
Katara moved out of the way of Toph's cane as the blind girl swung it gently back and forth to map out her new surroundings. "If you're here to apologize, it's not necessary," Katara said, forcing the note of anger down. "We don't have to talk about it."
"Who says I'm here for an apology?" Toph flared, her hands twisting around the handle of the cane.
"Why else would you be here?"
Toph shrugged. "Okay, maybe I am. But I didn't like your tone."
"There's the pot calling the kettle black." Katara resisted an insane urge to laugh. "This whole evening has been a monument to your abrasiveness."
"With the exception of your boyfriend yelling at me a few minutes ago, I'd say the evening has actually been pretty nice," Toph replied, buffing her nails on her rumpled shirt.
"The feeling is not mutual."
"So I've been told. That's why I'm here to apologize."
Katara huffed out an exasperated breath. "I already told you, it's not necessary."
"Aang says otherwise," Toph said wryly. "Look, here's the deal: before you came along, Aang and I were best friends. He came to me with his problems, I made fun of him for them, he took it like a champ, and then we'd deal with them. Together. It was a perfect relationship."
"It sounds terribly one-sided to me, but okay. The subtext I'm getting here is that you're mad at me for stealing Aang from you." Katara sank down onto her bed. "Well, I hate to break it to you, but all that time before I 'came along' would have been the perfect time for you to make a move on him." She arched one brow. "I'm not going to fight you for him. I don't need to."
"I don't want a fight. The last time we met, I told you that I'm not interested in Aang," Toph said firmly. "I wasn't lying. I don't have romantic feelings for Aang. He is my best friend, though. And ever since you came into the picture, I don't see him anymore."
That much was partially true, Katara conceded mentally. "Have you considered accepting a little personal responsibility?" she asked. "Or is that too tall an order for you?"
"I know I fucked tonight up." Toph reached out for something to lean on, her open palm meeting Katara's desk. She sat down on top of it. "You don't like me."
Heat rose to Katara's cheeks immediately, and she fumbled over a lie. "I- it's not that I don't like you- I-"
"It's okay, Katara. I'm pretty used to that- and, for the record, I don't really like you, either." Toph let out a wry little chuckle. "I'm mature enough to admit that the reason I don't like you is because you're one of the reasons that Aang and I don't spend time together anymore. I'm also mature enough to realize that you probably dislike me for more legitimate reasons." She leaned back on one arm. "I don't care what other people think of me. The only reason I'm even having this conversation with you is because you're important to Aang, and he's important to me."
"Wow, thanks for taking the time to explain that to me," Katara retorted dryly.
Toph laughed again, more sincerely this time. "I think that maybe I could like you, though. Given time. And I'm willing to try. For Aang's sake, if not yours."
Katara chewed thoughtfully on her lower lip. Toph was right. She didn't like the blind girl. She found her offensive. But, she did agree with her. It was a relationship she could learn to respect, if she was patient. Standing from the bed, she reached down for Toph's hand to take in hers, giving it an abrupt, firm shake. "Deal," she said.
"Thanks," Toph replied. She toyed with her cane for a moment before speaking again. "This might be a bad time to bring this up, but... did you just shake my hand? What are you, forty?"
Katara scowled, rolling her eyes. "You're not going to make this easy, are you?"
"I don't make anything easy. It's kind of my thing."
Mai stared at him. And stared... and stared.
It was a protracted amount of staring. Zuko started to sweat. "I didn't- I mean, you don't have to answer that."
"How exactly was I supposed to answer it?" she asked darkly. "'Why am I always watching at you'? I'm not."
He blinked. "I mean, you kind of are. Earlier tonight, that woman had to repeat herself twice because you were looking at me."
"You were making the cappucino wrong. That's why I was staring." Her tone was so blasé that he almost believed her. Almost.
"And what about every other time?"
She glared at him. "There are no other times."
"It's okay, if you stare at me," he said. The sweat was definitely getting out of hand. He discreetly wiped his palms on the tops of his pants. "I mean... I stare at you, sometimes."
Mai turned her face away, so he couldn't see her expression. "I know," she murmured, but he couldn't tel if that was pleasure or disappointment in her voice.
"So... we're not going to talk about it?"
"No."
Frustration hit him like a freight train. He ground his teeth together. "So, you're the only one that gets to make direct and disorienting comments? You get to comment on my scar and ask me personal questions about my life, but I don't get to ask why your eyes are on me all the time?" He pushed his hair out of his eyes. "If I'm wrong, you can tell me, and I'll drop it. And we can never speak of it again. Spirits know I'm not going to want to, anyway, if that's the case."
"Maybe we could talk about it if you didn't get so insanely weird and defensive," she retorted.
"'Insanely weird and defensive'?" he repeated in disbelief. He took a step toward her. "I don't do that."
She didn't back down, her shoulders squaring and her brows furrowing. Her chin raised defiantly at him. "Oh, yes you do, and it's so fucking frustrating. People want to get to know you, Zuko, and you don't let them. I can't tell if you think you're edgy, or if you're just socially inept."
He crossed his arms. That smell of jasmine and spices- the one that lingered in the air when she walked by- it was fucking with his head. He was irritated, even angry. So why did he want to pull her into his arms? "If I'm so socially inept, then why do you keep staring at me?"
The air crackled. Or maybe sizzled. His eyes dropped to her lips when she parted them slightly.
And then she turned away, ripping the apron from around her waist and tossing it onto the counter. He nearly fell against a nearby espresso machine as she strode from the room, his shoulders slumping with embarrassment, with shame, with defeat. He had been so sure...
"Because I like you," her voice floated from the break room door, her bag slung over her shoulder and her eyes boring into him almost aggressively. "Against my better judgement." With that, she turned and flounced out. As the door to the café swing open, he heard her call out to him. "Good luck with clean up tonight."
A/N: i wrote Katara and toph becoming wary friends and then I was like... nahhh these girls are too outspoken to change for someone else. Even if that someone is as sweet as Aang.
This chapter is dedicated to unoriginal poet, samtheguy, leonebrione, and all those people who reviewed throughout this story. Thank you to all of you!!