A/N: Hello, Zuko here! And... jeez. This is my longest chapter to date thus far. A little over 7K words. I might just be a little obsessed XD. But in all seriousness, we left off on sort of a mini cliffhanger last time, where Zuko was set to go to Aang's house and hang out with his friends. How does that go? Well... let's find out.
Jestalnaker94000: Thanks! And let us find out the answer to that.
MrHoodman2132: Well, you'll get to see exactly that this chapter! And yeah, Zuko has had a bit of a hard life. And along with that... can come behavior very much like that.
Chapter 4: New Friends
The wait seemed to go on forever…
The light breeze that crept across Zuko's body allowed his shaggy hair to blow freely in the wind, with it also acting as his only distraction from the door in front of him.
Upon closer inspection, never having been this close to Aang's house before, Zuko had to admit… the exterior looked really nice. The door was a nice dark red, not unlike his preferred color, which contrasted beautifully to the welcoming yellow color of the rest of the exterior walls.
The breeze began to change course, suddenly blowing in the opposite direction, which was enough to snap Zuko out of his temporary trance. The Firebender sighed, before knocking on the door once more, just in case his initial attempt had gone unnoticed.
Who knows… Maybe Aang was ignoring him now?
Not that Zuko could really blame him for that. He had done the exact same thing to him just earlier. Not out of spite, of course, but because… he didn't see the need for any new friends. He preferred a nice acquaintanceship, and that would be good enough.
Seriously, why couldn't everyone just see that? Was it really unhealthy for him to just stick with what he knew already?
But, he had already promised his uncle that he would try… So taking another step back, Zuko folded his arms and waited patiently to see if a response would come. He allowed his eyes to become concealed by his hood, as he took a deep breath that was followed by a sharp exhale.
This was just so weird… Never had he ever done this in the city. Sure, he had gone to Mai and Ty Lee's houses before, but they had always planned things well in advance. To go and knock on a stranger's door without proper invitation was just strange to him.
After several more seconds went by, Zuko took another step back, before just deciding to give it up. If he wasn't coming, then there was no point in sticking around any longer. With that, the Firebender turned around, intent on heading back the way he came.
'Oh well…' Zuko had thought. 'At least Uncle can't say that I didn't give it an honest attempt.'
However, right at that moment, the sound of a nearby doorknob turning caught the scarred teen's ear, prompting him to freeze in his tracks.
"Zuko?" The soft and familiar voice of Aang spoke from the doorway, sounding a mix of confused and hopeful.
Seeing that Uncle was going to get his way after all, Zuko turned around and looked at the Airbender, whose expression matched the tone of his voice perfectly. Seeing Aang's quizzical stare, Zuko responded with a mild nod of acknowledgement, before stepping closer to his door once again.
"What are you doing here?" Aang wondered, though he appeared to have some ideas as to why. With a sigh, and before Zuko could respond, the Airbender continued. "Look… if this is about me coming up to your room, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to take up your personal space."
Zuko's eyes widened momentarily. Was this Airbender serious? He was apologizing to him? Were Air Nomads always so passive, that they were even willing to take the blame for something so meaningless?
"Uh…" Zuko rubbed the back of his head sheepishly, uncertain of how to respond to that at first. "No, that's… not why I'm here."
Aang cocked a brow, his features softening a bit and his tense posture now disappearing. He had seemed so concerned that this was about something negative, but now he simply had no idea.
"Oh… well then, what is it?" Aang asked. It was obvious that Aang had other theories, but he didn't want to jump to any conclusions.
Which was fair, Zuko thought… He hadn't exactly given Aang any reason to suspect he was here to take him up on his earlier offer, so it was only natural to be hesitant.
"Uhm, well…" Zuko muttered just above a whisper. How was he supposed to phrase this, anyway? Just ask it straight up, or ease his way into it?
'Spirits, Zuko… It's just a stupid question. Just ask it.' The scarred teen scolded himself mentally. There was no reason to make things more awkward.
"Yeah?" Aang questioned again, noticing Zuko's pause. The Firebender sighed, before glancing off to the side with folded arms. It was obvious that this was a new kind of experience for him.
"You still hanging out with your friends?" Zuko finally managed to get out.
Aang perked up, definitely not expecting that.
"Oh… Yeah, I am. They should be here pretty soon. Why?" The Airbender questioned right back, though his usual grin reappeared, getting an idea of where this was going.
Zuko sighed once again. This was so unlike him, but he once again remembered why he was doing this… He had already screwed up earlier today by cutting class and losing his cool against Jet. He would not let his Uncle down again. This was such a small thing he was asking of him too.
"I… was wondering if your offer was still on the table." Zuko eventually spoke, causing Aang's eyes to widen a bit in surprise. "You know… about… hanging out." He managed to get out just above a whisper at the end.
Aang beamed, before he gave an accepting smile.
"Of course it's still on the table. We'd love to hang out with you. It'll be a really fun time!" Aang was now back to his usual positive demeanor, it seemed.
Zuko said nothing initially, instead looking at the Air Nomad under his hood. Motioning him forward with his hand, Aang stepped to the side, as if inviting him in.
"Come on in. It'll just be the two of us for a little bit, but Sokka said he and Katara were getting Toph not long ago. They don't live too far." Aang explained.
Glancing between Aang and the inside of his house, there was a bit more silence, before Zuko responded with another hesitant nod, stepping inside.
Well, there was no turning back now… That fact was made even more clear when Zuko heard the door close behind him. This was it… He was at Aang's house. He was actually gonna hang out with these guys.
It was a fact that, quite honestly, left him with an anxious feeling. What would he even talk to them about, anyway? The city? The Fire Nation part of the country? Perhaps about his oh so wonderful family life?
This was already beginning to feel like more of a mistake than it already was…
The Firebender's pessimistic thoughts were interrupted when he heard Aang speak again.
"Well, this is my house." He introduced, stating the obvious. "The living room is just over here, the kitchen is over there… The bathroom is upstairs to the left, and my room is upstairs too, at the end of the hall." He began to point out where each room of significance was to Zuko.
Taking the time to look around, it was clear to Zuko that the beautiful exterior of the house was no fluke, because the inside was just as nice. The house was a bit bigger than the one he and his Uncle Iroh lived in, but only by a little bit.
The décor and design of the house, however, far exceeded theirs in every way. While he and his Uncle's house had a very quaint feel to it and still had little furniture besides the essentials, Aang and Gyatso's house had vibrant colors painted on the walls, personal photographs hung up very meticulously, and was kept very clean.
Again, maybe that was to be expected, though. Zuko and Iroh moved in just yesterday, so there was still a lot of touching up that needed to be done. It was clear by the condition of Aang's house that he and his father had lived here for quite a while already.
"Nice place…" Zuko found himself saying, though not intentionally.
"Thanks!" Aang grinned, before taking the lead. Seeing that he was heading towards the living room, Zuko, not knowing what else to say or do, followed closely behind him.
Picking up what looked like some kind of stick off of the couch, Zuko watched with curiosity as Aang twirled it around, before leaning it against the nearby wall.
"There. Now you have somewhere to sit." Aang declared, before sitting on an adjacent cushioned chair.
Glancing at the object against the wall, Zuko's desire to stay quiet was overwhelmed by his curiosity.
"What's that?" He questioned, pointing at the stick.
"Huh?" Aang began, before realizing what Zuko was pointing to. "Oh… That's my Airbending staff! It's been in my family for generations… Actually, it used to belong to my mom." He grinned in reflection.
"And… she gave it to you?" The Firebender asked as he took a seat on the now empty couch, not giving it much thought. Aang's grin quickly faded, replaced instead by a saddened frown.
Well that wasn't good… Was it something he said?
"My mom is… no longer with us." Aang closed his eyes. "It's kind of the last thing I have of her. She… passed it down to me, so I would always remember her."
Zuko's firm expression, for the first time since he was forced outside to come here, softened immediately. The mention of his dead mother was like an instant slap in the face to Zuko.
He had a similar experience with his own mother… And now here he was, having brought up what was surely a sensitive subject in Aang's life.
"I'm sorry…" Zuko apologized, his raspy voice now speaking above a whisper, now sounding genuine.
Aang seemed surprised to hear that for a split second, but sighed again.
"It's okay… You didn't know…" Aang spoke somberly.
The two sat in momentary silence, none of them certain of how to proceed after that.
"I guess that's something we have in common…" Zuko was the one to finally break the silence. "My mother died too… not very long ago."
Zuko's frown was evident, trying to keep his emotions hidden beneath the hood he still wore over his head.
"It still hurts… thinking about her. Yet… she's one of the only things in my life that still brings me comfort." Zuko declared, his gaze aimed at the floor, surprisingly open about the whole thing.
Perhaps he figured… that Aang wouldn't judge him? Perhaps he felt guilty for bringing up Aang's own mother, so he tried to make it up to him?
Either way, the impact of the words were felt by both parties.
"I'm sorry to hear that…" Aang looked at the scarred teen with a sympathetic frown. "I'll bet your mother was a lovely person."
"Yeah… she was." Zuko sighed, his gaze still downcast. "Yours too…"
He wasn't even sure why he had bothered explaining that detail to Aang… He could have just apologized and left it at that, but… after Mai had to leave so suddenly, that kind of left Zuko with an empty feeling. He ran out of options for people he felt he could vent to in an instant.
Perhaps Aang just felt easy enough to open up to?
Oh well… It didn't matter in any case… It definitely wasn't going to become a regular habit, and that was all the details the Air Nomad was gonna get out of him regarding his personal life.
The sound of tires turning into the outside driveway was heard from both Aang and Zuko, snapping them out of their trance, followed by the sound of an immediate text message.
Picking up his phone, Aang's smile returned as he stood to his feet.
"They're here." The Airbender announced, moving towards the front door.
Unsure of how to respond, Zuko figured it best to stay seated on the couch. After all, they would all be coming inside anyway.
The sound of car doors slamming outside were heard just when Aang opened the front door to his house, deciding to meet his friends in the middle.
"Hey, guys!" Aang greeted with his usual smile.
"Sup." Sokka flashed his own trademark grin, twirling his car keys in his hand.
"Hi, Aang…" A Water Tribe girl, with very similar features to Sokka, greeted the Airbender, wrapping him in a friendly embrace. "You still doing okay? I heard what happened at lunch."
Aang's cheeks flushed a warm pink color, as he returned the gesture.
"Y- Yeah… I'm… okay, Katara." Aang seemed lost in the Water Tribe girl's presence.
That was, until she quickly let the hug go, ending that few seconds of bliss. Aang internally groaned, wishing it could have lasted a bit longer, although… he wasn't sure why that was. Perhaps he just really enjoyed her company.
He didn't let that get his spirits down, though. The Airbender knew they had some time to hang out together, all as friends.
"I'm glad. I was really worried when I first heard the commotion." Katara frowned, before her features became more hardened, as she thought of the perpetrator. "How long has Jet acted that way towards you?"
"Oh… uhm…" Aang was taken aback, not prepared to answer that question right now. "Not… too long-"
"Nope, try again." Toph shook her head, quickly cutting Aang off. Folding her arms, the blind Earthbender continued. "Seriously, Twinkletoes, you should know me by now… You know better than to lie."
"Yeah… I know…" Aang sighed, looking down.
"Aang, we just care about you." Katara put a hand on his shoulder, looking sympathetic. "If someone is bothering you like that, you have to let us know…"
"Yeah. So I can bury him in the dirt!" Toph punched her open palm, her expression firm.
"I just didn't want anyone else to get involved!" Aang tried to justify it, before sighing. "I thought… I could handle it."
"Yeah, well… I appreciate the heart, Aang, but we're your friends. If there's a problem, well… we're in it together. Don't feel like you have to do anything alone." Sokka gave a fierce grin, sounding genuine.
"Thanks, guys…" Aang forced a meek smile, though still appeared thoughtful.
Before anything else was said, Toph tilted her head curiously, digging her feet further into the ground to confirm a seismic reading she thought she picked up.
"I thought your dad was off playing Pai Sho?" Toph sounded a bit confused.
"Huh? Oh… he is." Aang confirmed.
"Then… who's that in your house?" Toph wondered, sensing that someone else was inside by picking up their heartbeat.
Zuko, who had been listening to their conversation from on the couch, was a bit surprised to hear himself mentioned already. Weren't all of them outside? You know, where they shouldn't be able to see him?
Weird…
"Come on in. I think you'll recognize him pretty quick." Aang motioned his friends forward, before walking back into the house.
The once empty feeling of the house quickly disappeared when the group of friends walked in, chatting casually with one another. Obviously because they knew each other for years… Something Zuko instantly began to remember.
Those same anxious thoughts returned instantly as they stepped inside. Zuko was going to be the fish out of water here… And quite honestly, he had no idea how this was gonna go.
"Ohh… Now I remember." Toph was the first to speak as the group made it to the living room, getting a clearer reading. "You're the tall and depressing guy from Math class, aren't you?"
Zuko's shoulders instantly slumped, as he glared at Toph's blunt description of him.
"Yes…" Zuko forced a response with a growl, his tone sarcastic. "I'm the 'tall and depressing guy'."
"Yep, I thought so." Toph grinned, either not catching onto the sarcasm, or simply not caring. Probably the latter, he figured…
"Hey, Zuko. Good to see ya again." Sokka nodded his head in greeting. "We always seem to find a way to run into each other, don't we?"
"I would say so." Aang chuckled. "He lives right across the street from me."
"Get out… Seriously!?" Sokka seemed surprised, which Aang confirmed with a nod.
"Well, it's good to finally meet you, Zuko. I'm Katara. Sokka's… my brother." Katara smiled in a friendly manner.
"You say that like it's a bad thing." Sokka teased, elbowing her lightly.
Making sure to respond with a sharper elbow, the Waterbender rolled her eyes.
"Sometimes I wonder…" She fired back in jest.
"It's… good meeting you all." Zuko nodded his head, keeping his response short and formal.
"Why so tense, Sunshine?" Toph teased Zuko, the nickname obviously ironic. "Loosen up your shoulders and relax. We don't bite… most of the time."
Oh great, so the Earth Kingdom girl had caught on to his nervous demeanor… How was she so perceptive anyway? Especially since she was-
Zuko paused, doing a double take. Was she? I mean, she couldn't be, right? But… her eyes. They just looked so… So-
"You gonna be weird and look at me all day? Or are you gonna say something?" Zuko's observation of the girl's cloudy green eyes was interrupted by her words.
Widening his golden eyes, Zuko peered his gaze off to the side, a bit embarrassed. Maybe she could see, after all. He was just so certain of his theory, though, because of how her eyes looked… How she seemed to look at him, but also right past him.
"Sorry…" Zuko spoke just above a whisper. "I just… wondered something. It was nothing."
"Ohh…" Toph chuckled in sudden realization. "I get it… You're trying to figure out if I'm blind."
Zuko's eyes widened once again. How did this girl always catch on so fast!?
"Uh… Well…" Zuko trailed off, trying to think of a response, to which Toph could only giggle.
"You're so nervous! Stop that… Don't make things weird." She sounded amused. The Firebender honestly had no idea how to respond to that comment. "If you must know, though… yes. I'm blind."
"But… how?" Was the only response Zuko could find that seemed appropriate.
"Oh boy… This conversation." Sokka chuckled in amusement, remembering when he had once thought the same thing when they first met.
"Basically, I sense the vibrations in the earth. I suppose… you could think of it as seeing with your feet." Toph began to explain to him.
"With… your feet?" Zuko couldn't help but let a small chuckle escape him, finding the idea ridiculous. A sharp pain immediately surged through his arm, as Toph punched him directly in the shoulder. Surprisingly, there was more power there than you would expect.
"Ow!" Zuko hissed, rubbing his shoulder.
"Yes." Toph casually answered his previous question, though her tone appeared serious. "Now hush up, and don't interrupt me!" She pointed her finger directly in his face, causing Zuko to jerk back in surprise.
Sure, he could tell by her sarcastic nature from class that she was blunt and brash. But clearly he had still underestimated her entire personality.
Sokka let a laugh escape him, but quickly stifled it again when he saw Zuko glare in his general direction. Aang and Katara did better to keep themselves from laughing, but they did nothing to hide their amused grins. It was obvious that they had gone through similar ordeals with Toph in the past.
"As I was saying… yes, I see with my feet. I can feel the vibrations all around me utilizing my Earthbending." Toph continued.
"You're an Earthbender?" Zuko questioned, a bit surprised. She was an Earthbender despite being blind!? That was a new one…
"What did I say about interrupting?" Toph groaned in annoyance, glaring at Zuko in warning. Zuko quickly held onto his arm, remembering the pain he had felt off of that first punch, quickly getting the hint.
Not that he was scared or anything. Far from it. He would just… rather not get decked in the shoulder full force if he could help it.
"With these vibrations…" Toph continued, not skipping a beat. "I can make out the outlines of specific objects or even people. Trust me, I never forget a voice, footstep patterns… or even a heartbeat, the longer I get to know you." She seemed to be satisfied with her brief explanation.
"Sounds unbelievable…" Zuko risked, simply not getting the logic. "How do vibrations help you know what things are, anyway? Aren't vibrations technically just… sound?"
"Boy… You sure know how to sell things short, don't you?" Toph sighed, rolling her sightless eyes. "You might not understand it, you know… being a Firebender and all, but trust me… that's how I've gotten by for years."
Zuko winced at the mention of him being a Firebender, the memories of his carelessness returning to him. If this girl who was blind knew what he was, then surely everyone else did too…
"Yeah, I was actually gonna ask about that." Sokka spoke up, looking at Zuko curiously, yet also a bit more guarded. "Are you actually a Firebender? You know, because… that would mean that you're Fire Nation, right?"
Silence followed, everyone's attention now turned onto Zuko. The scarred teen looked between everyone, suddenly feeling trapped. He honestly didn't expect to have this conversation right now. And honestly, it was a bad sign…
To be labeled as Fire Nation in this town? Let alone a Firebender? Only trouble could come out of it…
"So what if I am?" Zuko found his response, sounding both defensive and firm. He wanted it to be known that he would defend himself if necessary, but didn't want any trouble at the same time.
"Oh, would you just relax?" Toph sighed. "He just asked a simple question. We're not out to get you."
"That's not what I've been led to believe… I've heard the way your local government speaks of Fire Nation denizens and its people." Zuko's tone was more firm. To his surprise, Toph went silent at that comment. For what purpose? He couldn't really say.
However, not finished, he continued,
"Not to mention that school's principal, Long Feng…" Zuko balled his fists up at the memory. "He holds very clear prejudice against me. I was punished today… when I did absolutely nothing to deserve it. Sure, I did lose my temper… and there is no excuse for that. But… those guys! They just got away scot free! How does that sound fair to any of you-"
A hand felt on his shoulder immediately stopped his rant, with Zuko quickly noticing that it was Katara, who had a sympathetic looking frown.
"Zuko… We know it wasn't fair." Katara explained to him. "And Sokka didn't mean anything bad by what he said."
Zuko forced himself to look over at Sokka, who nodded.
"Have we heard not so good things about the Fire Nation? Yeah, we have. Is it a bit weird knowing that you're a Firebender? Maybe a little… That part is true. But… if you ask me? You don't seem like such a bad guy." Sokka admitted, forcing a grin.
Zuko's expression immediately softened, very surprised to hear such a declaration.
"Really…?" The scarred teen's tone matched his current demeanor.
"Yeah…" Toph soon found a grin, after appearing thoughtful during the entirety of Zuko's earlier rant. "You stuck up for Twinkletoes against that spiky haired loser, Jet… and if you ask me? I'd say that earns you a spot on my good side."
However, upon realizing she allowed her grin to linger for a bit too long, Toph quickly added,
"Just barely, though!"
Everyone had to chuckle at that, with Zuko merely allowing a small smirk. It was clear she wasn't one for mushy stuff or gratitude. Which honestly, Zuko could understand. He wasn't a big fan of that kind of stuff either.
Still, it felt great to know that they didn't care if he was a Firebender! In a weird way, it also made him… happy?
No… that wasn't it. Perhaps it was just relief. Relief that he wouldn't be an enemy to absolutely everyone in this place…
Zuko quickly dismissed such thoughts, just as Katara spoke again.
"So…" The Waterbender began with a grin, sounding like she was gonna change topics. "What do you guys wanna do?"
"We could watch a movie…" Aang suggested with a shrug.
"Meh… Been there, done that." Sokka dismissed.
"Oh, so you mean to tell me you've seen every movie out there?" Katara challenged, cocking a brow.
"Not every movie…" Sokka defended. "Just all of Aang's movies."
"Yeah… No offense, Twinkletoes, but you need to get some new things to do." Toph shrugged.
"Yeah, fair point I suppose…" Aang conceded.
"Ooh! We could go out and eat some food!" Sokka excitedly suggested his own idea.
"I'm with Snoozles! I could eat." Toph chuckled, playfully slugging the blue eyed senior in the shoulder.
"Toph siding with Sokka… What a shocker." Katara rolled her eyes knowingly.
"And what is that supposed to mean?" Toph folded her arms, appearing agitated but her cheeks also flushing.
"Oh nothing…" Katara grinned.
Toph knew Katara was lying of course, but she'd never call that one out…
From Zuko's perspective, it was a puzzle he quickly pieced together. So Toph had a crush on Sokka… How fascinating.
Yet from his point of view, it seemed as though the Water Tribe teen was none the wiser.
Typical…
"I don't get it…" Sokka cocked a brow.
"Don't listen to her… She's just being annoying." Toph growled.
"Don't gotta tell me twice." Sokka chuckled, earning yet another dismissive sigh out of Katara.
"What do you think we should do, Katara?" Aang smiled, a similar look in his eye that Toph had for Sokka.
Zuko cocked a brow of realization, immediately picking up on some further cues. Okay, so now Aang had a thing for Katara, it seemed.
Seriously, he had barely even met these people, and their chemistry was clear as day right from the get go for him. Was he just that perceptive? Or were they just that blind?
Okay, well… maybe he shouldn't put it that way. He didn't need another one of those punches from Toph… One time was already enough, in his opinion.
"We could go clothes shopping at the mall." Katara suggested, earning a groan out of pretty much everyone.
"Oh, come now…" Katara rolled her eyes. "It's not that terrible of an idea."
"Uhm, it is if we go with you." Sokka pointed out. "You take forever!"
"I do not!" Katara defended.
"Do too…" Toph plopped down on the couch, putting her feet up. She could tell this might take awhile.
"Aang, do I take forever clothes shopping?" Katara asked the Airbender.
"Uhh…" Aang rubbed the back of his head sheepishly, debating on siding with Katara or telling the truth.
Luckily, Toph would bail him out.
"And besides, Sugar Queen… What fun would that be for me, anyway?" Toph waved her hand over her eyes for emphasis.
"Yeah, yeah…" Katara sighed. "I get the point…"
"Can't feel the vibrations in all those clothes?" Zuko felt brave enough to comment, actually earning some laughter out of everyone, not expecting it.
"Well, well… He speaks." Toph mischievously smirked in amusement. "And he's got some wit. Well played."
Sitting up a bit, the Earthbender made sure to quickly add,
"Of course, not wittier than I am… But you'll get there. Eventually…"
Honestly, the feeling in the room felt good. Everyone was talking, and the tension was all but gone now. Something that honestly surprised Zuko.
He had expected this to be an awkward mess. Okay, maybe it was awkward sometimes, but it wasn't going as bad as he thought it might.
Of course, that's all it really was: Not that bad. It wasn't like he was enjoying himself or anything.
"Hm… What do you think, Zuko?" Aang questioned after some silence.
"What?" Zuko responded with some surprise.
"What do you think we should do?" Aang rephrased the question.
"Yeah, honestly… As long as it isn't clothes shopping with Katara, I don't care what we do." Sokka said, much to Katara's continued annoyance.
"Oh, ha ha…" Katara sarcastically retorted.
They were letting him choose? Seriously? All he planned on doing was just going with wherever the flow took him.
He had absolutely no clue.
"I… don't know." Zuko shrugged, answering honestly. "I'm fine with whatever you guys are, I guess."
"Booo…" Toph teased, still lying down on the couch. "What a cop out."
"Well I'm serious." Zuko defended. "I'm not really sure what we could do. I just sort of came over."
"Well, what did you and all your Fire Nation buddies do for fun?" Sokka pried, trying to get an idea out of the Firebender. "…Was it starting forest fires?"
"Sokka…" Katara facepalmed.
"No…" Zuko rolled his eyes. "We didn't start forest fires for fun…"
"Phew, well that's a relief." Sokka wiped his brow. As the silence continued, the Water Tribe teen pried again. "So… what did you do-"
"I don't know!" Zuko groaned. "Okay? I'm not sure."
"Wait, but how can you not be sure? Did you just forget?" Sokka didn't seem to get the hint right away.
"What I think that's code for, Snoozles, is: 'I don't care'." Toph cut in, much to Zuko's relief.
"Yes…" Zuko sighed, rubbing his temple in relief. "Thank you…"
"Okay, well, one of us has to think of something…" Sokka stated the obvious. "If we don't come up with something soon, I'm probably just gonna go get food anyway. I'm… kinda hungry."
"But you're always hungry, Sokka." Aang reminded.
"Yeah, good point…" The blue eyed senior chuckled.
"Hmm…" Toph seemed to go into thought, still lounging casually on the couch. "I got it!" She soon declared, catching everyone's attention.
"What is it, Toph?" Katara wondered, as the Earthbender stood back up to her feet.
"Zuko. You, me… Outside." Toph pointed towards the back door.
The scarred teen's eyes widened in a bit of shock, obviously finding that to be a very direct request.
"Uh… why?" Zuko questioned.
"You'll see." Toph grinned, as she left without another word.
Looking at everyone else, Zuko could see knowing looks on their faces.
"What is she up to?" Zuko asked them.
"If she's thinking what I think she's thinking…" Sokka sheepishly spoke, sounding rather uncertain about something. "Oh boy…"
Okay… Zuko didn't like the sound of that.
But nevertheless, his curiosity overwhelmed his sense of urgency, and so he stood up and followed where the Earthbender had left. Aang, Katara, and Sokka weren't too far behind him.
As soon as he stepped out into the wide open backyard, Zuko saw Toph standing in the middle of it, her feet dug comfortably into the rich soil. Clearly she was, quite literally, in her element.
"Okay… you have me out here." Zuko crossed his arms. "Now what?"
"Now…" Toph turned around, a look of excited ferocity in her sightless green eyes. "We have a sparring match."
"What?" Zuko cocked a brow, caught off guard by such a request.
"Yep… Saw that one coming." Katara commented, observing from the sidelines with a curious Aang and a nervous Sokka.
"I said… we have a sparring session." Toph repeated, her excitement never fading. "Everyone else I spar with around here either doesn't want to anymore or just can't keep up. I've sparred with 'em all! Water, Air, and even my own element. Many times. There's only one element I can say for a certainty I've never gone up against…"
"Fire…" Zuko instantly put it together, glancing off to the side thoughtfully.
"Bingo." Toph nodded, before punching her open palm. "So… you man enough?"
Zuko stood there in silence for a moment, before he came to a decision,
"I won't fight you…"
"What?" Toph's eyes widened, as if she had been struck in the face. "Why not?" She questioned more firmly, clearly disappointed.
If they weren't wise enough to know she'd catch it, Aang, Katara, and Sokka would have sighed in relief.
"Fire is a dangerous element." Zuko stated flatly. "I won't risk hurting you…"
Toph's response was amused laughter, to both the Firebender's surprise and annoyance.
"What's so funny?" Zuko demanded.
"You aren't gonna hurt me, I assure you…" Toph responded confidently. "Trust me, my defense is impenetrable. Just as my offense is crushing."
"Yes… I'm sure it is." Zuko replied, though it seemed the way he spoke caused Toph's smile to vanish. She now appeared more annoyed than anything.
"You don't believe me…" She observed.
Zuko blinked, wondering just how she picked up on that. But that wasn't his concern… He wouldn't allow himself to abuse his Firebending. Not again…
"Look, it's not that I don't think you have potential…" Zuko began, before firmly adding. "But I'm not sparring with a blind girl. I won't risk hurting anyone who doesn't deserve it-"
A small pebble struck Zuko in the face, having been flung very quickly from quite a distance. So fast that he didn't even see it coming.
"Ow!" Zuko growled, rubbing the affected area.
"Uh oh…" Aang glanced at Sokka and Katara knowingly, knowing that Toph wouldn't have liked that comment.
"Well, apparently this 'blind girl' can still see well enough to hit you!" Toph exclaimed in annoyance, holding her arms out in front of her.
Zuko sent a scowl her way, growling under his breath.
"I said I won't spar you! And I mean that…" The Firebender began to walk back towards the rest of the group.
"What's the matter?" Toph taunted from afar. "Not enough sparks in your fire? It's okay to be scared!"
Zuko's fists trembled, as flames became visible in them. It seemed he was losing a grasp on his anger again.
"I fear no one!" Zuko declared, shooting a glare at the Earthbender upon turning around.
Knowingly smirking, Toph knew that her taunts were succeeding.
"Oh yeah? Then prove it!" Toph challenged.
"Fine… You want a fight? I'll give you a fight!" Zuko exclaimed, never one to back down from a challenge. "Just so I can teach you a lesson!"
"Finally…" Toph breathed, assuming a horse stance and preparing for a fight. "Some backbone."
"Just don't mess up the backyard! Please…" Aang reminded.
"I'll put it back, Twinkletoes. Stop worrying…" Toph then smirked, deciding to throw in one more jab. "This won't take long, anyway."
"Agh!" Zuko growled, the flames in his hands rising higher.
Sokka gulped, definitely very wary of the fire, before he stepped back a bit.
"Yep… Don't think I can get used to that." The blue eyed senior commented.
Taking the silence as his cue, Zuko lunged forward, punching the air, sending three fireballs in Toph's direction at rapid speed.
Unsure of how she could possibly block that, Zuko's posture relaxed, sure that that would do enough to settle this nonsense.
However, to his absolute shock, a wall of earth shot up instantly out of the ground with a simple motion of Toph's hands, causing his fireballs to fizzle out into nothingness.
"How the-" Zuko muttered, before hearing a yawn from Toph. Bending a boulder from the ground, the Earthbender sat on top of it in a relaxed posture, clearly as a taunt towards the Firebender.
"Is that all you got, Sparky?" Toph leaned back. "I'm getting kinda bored over here."
Zuko gritted his teeth, clearly not a fan of that comment at all!
"I was just getting warmed up!" Zuko exclaimed, before bringing his hands together, sending a wave of fire her way.
As Toph blocked the strike with a similar method she did last time, Sokka couldn't help but chuckle.
"Getting 'warmed up'! I get it! Man, good one, Zuko!" The Water Tribe senior spoke with amusement, earning a facepalm out of his sister.
This time, Toph decided to take the offensive. Kicking her foot up into the air, a large boulder shot up from out of the ground, and in front of her face. With a solid punch, the boulder was flung at high speed in Zuko's direction, the Earthbender using his vibrations to pinpoint where he was standing.
Zuko's eyes widened as he saw the intimidating boulder chucked at him, but utilizing what his uncle taught him and using his instincts well, he shot out a big enough blast of fire to shatter the boulder on impact. The remnants of the shattered boulder fell into his hair and got him a bit dusty, but that was the worst he sustained.
"Wow, not bad! This might be interesting after all…" Toph grinned, before summoning another boulder from the ground, chucking it at Zuko again.
This time, Zuko was forced to leap out of the way, dodging it just in time, using his momentum while in the air to blast some fire at the Earthbender.
Toph's sightless eyes widened as she felt the heat coming, only barely able to bring up a protective wall. The heat from the blast was close enough to feel some real uncomfortable temperatures, though. Which quite honestly… gained a bit of respect.
"Nice move." Toph complimented, much to Zuko's surprise.
Pausing for a moment, the Firebender tilted his head.
"Uh… Thanks-"
The earth beneath Zuko's feet suddenly shifted, causing him to trip to the ground. Glaring at Toph, Zuko saw an amused smirk on her face.
"You can't let yourself get distracted, Sparky! That's rule number one of any sparring session!"
"Will you stop calling me that!?" Zuko growled, rolling back up to a standing position.
"Hmm…" Toph pretended to be thoughtful. "Nah, I think I'll keep doing it."
This girl was gonna be the death of him. Seriously, she had this special way of getting under his skin!
Okay, maybe not as much as someone like Azula. But still! Where did her boldness end?
"Okay, enough games! Time to end this!" Zuko declared, using his Firebending to form a Fire Whip. This would be useful against any oncoming boulders she would fire at him.
If he just got in close, maybe he could subdue her.
Seeing the first boulder fly his way, Zuko flicked his wrist forward, using the lengthy Fire Whip to shatter it on impact.
Okay, that felt good…
Feeling the Earth rumble beneath his feet, Zuko leapt forward just in time to avoid getting flung through the air like a ragdoll, as the spot jolted up.
Shooting a few fireballs as a distraction, the Firebender looked for any opening he could to close the distance between them.
However, what she did next surprised him. Seeing the rock wall of hers break apart, Zuko had to wonder what was happening. That is… until he saw it.
With wide gold eyes, Zuko noticed at that moment that the earth from the wall now completely surrounded Toph, save for a gap where her eyes were ironically.
Zuko lashed his Fire Whip forward, but all that seemed to do was make unnecessary noise. And to make matters worse, Toph's eyes from inside the Rock Suit narrowed in what he assumed to be determination, before sliding forward.
Widening his eyes, Zuko abandoned his Fire Whip, before leaping out of the way just in time to avoid getting struck. However, the time he took to regain his footing wasn't quick enough to intercept Toph turning around.
As soon as Zuko turned his head, his body was met by a full force blow by the Rock Suit, which knocked him a few feet back and onto the ground.
Zuko was visibly stunned for a few seconds, shaking his head to clear his blurred vision. Looking in the direction he was attacked from, he saw the Rock Suit collapse, with Toph allowing it to fall to the ground.
Seeing her standing still, Zuko's pride convinced him that he could still come back and win this! Rushing forward with all his determination and all his rage, Zuko allowed Fire Daggers to form in his hands for some close up combat.
He would not get that far, however, as Toph rose the earth with one motion of her hand, tripping the Firebender to the ground once more.
Just before he could recover, Zuko suddenly felt a tightness around both of his wrists and his ankles, lying stomach down on the grass.
Upon closer inspection, Zuko saw that Toph had formed rock cuffs, which kept him fully restrained!
The match was over…
"Well… what do ya know." Sokka sighed, completely out of breath from watching that. "Earth beats Firebender."
"More like Toph being Toph." Katara offered her own opinion.
"Can't argue with that one…" Sokka agreed.
Still struggling in the rock cuffs, Zuko grunted in anger, trying to find any way out of them. Noticing a shadow looming over him, Zuko glared in their direction, already knowing it was Toph.
"Come to rub it in?" Zuko growled, all but embarrassed.
"Meh, thought about it… But actually no." Toph grinned, laying down on the grass beside him. "You gave me the most exciting match I've had in quite awhile."
Feeling something running down her face, the Earthbender brought up her hand, using it to wipe something off of her forehead.
"You even made me break a sweat." Toph acknowledged, taking a few breaths. "I'm impressed."
"Will you just get me out of here?" Zuko demanded, wanting out of the awkward position he was in.
"Hm… I don't know." Toph smirked. "Still think I'm a defenseless blind girl?"
"I never said you were defenseless!" Zuko groaned truthfully.
"But you were thinking it." She pointed out, earning another growl from the Firebender.
"Just release me!" He demanded once more, causing Toph to laugh with genuine amusement.
"Oh, man… You are too fun to tease!" Toph began to calm down, blowing some of the bangs out of her face, before deciding he had learned his lesson. "Fine… I guess you can go."
With the slam of her fist on the ground, the rock cuffs immediately came off, Zuko shooting up to his feet.
"Hey, where are you going?" Toph called out upon hearing Zuko's heavy retreating footsteps, standing to her feet.
"I think I've had enough excitement for one day…" Zuko spoke, clearly agitated by his defeat. "I'm outta here."
"Wait, Zuko-" Aang tried to call out, but Zuko had already aggressively entered back inside through the backdoor.
As Toph began to fix the backyard with her Earthbending back to the way it was, the three of them stepped forward.
"Well, that was fun!" Toph called out again, her grin all but confirming her statement.
"Probably a little too fun for Zuko, though." Sokka acknowledged.
"I just hope he isn't too upset…" Aang sighed.
"Pft…" Toph seemed unphased by the thought. "He'll get over it. I know his type well. Very prideful, always up for a challenge, and gets pissed off when they lose."
"So… like you?" Katara observed.
"Heh…" Toph smirked. "Actually yeah, exactly like me. It'll be tough, but he'll come back around."
"Well, I don't know about you guys… but I'm going out to get some food. Anyone wanna come with?" Sokka asked.
"Duh…" Katara spoke up. "You're kinda my ride back home."
"Me too." Toph chuckled. "But I'm kinda hungry, myself, either way."
"You coming too, Aang?" Sokka asked.
"You guys go ahead." Aang grinned. "I should probably get ready for the school day tomorrow, anyway."
"Tsk tsk. Ever the perfect student…" Sokka shook his head. "What a shame…"
Earning a flick to his ear by Katara, Sokka finally began to leave, Toph walking beside him. Katara turned back to the Airbender, giving him one last smile.
"I… guess I'll see you at school tomorrow, Aang." Katara said.
"Y- Yeah… See ya." Aang waved her off, and just like that… she walked off to catch up with her brother and friend.
A longing feeling was suddenly felt in Aang's chest, as he watched her go. Though what exactly that was… he couldn't exactly pinpoint.
Maybe he just wished they could have hung out longer. But either way, he still had a good time, and he even got Zuko to hang with them too!
He just hoped that he would be okay. Zuko seemed like he went through a lot of troubles… like he has.
Not wanting to distract himself any longer, Aang went in through the backdoor, heading into his house for the night.
Hearing the front door slam shut, Iroh looked up from his cup of tea, having put Pai Sho away after Gyatso left. He and Zuko very likely ran into each other on their respective way home.
"How was your visit, Zuko?"
No response came straight away, with Zuko marching straight up to his room up the stairs, and closing the door.
Noticing his angered demeanor, Iroh could only sigh, assuming it didn't go as well as he had hoped.
To his surprise, he heard Zuko's door open again, with his nephew walking just far enough down the stairs to look at his uncle.
"It was nice…" Zuko softly declared, before he turned around to return to his room.
A content smile formed on Iroh's lips, as this time he heard Zuko's door shut a lot more calmly.
Zuko had indeed given it a try, and who knew? Maybe before long, his feelings would shift entirely about this place.
Finishing off his cup of tea, Iroh stood to his feet, before preparing for bed. It had definitely been a very eventful day for everyone, with its fair share of bumps in the road.
He just hoped that the next day would go more smoothly.