A/N: oh wow I think this story might surpass my best Taang story in kudos. Check out On The Precipice if you haven't read it yet! Y'all be makin me blush with the sweet comments.


For Toph, 'sleeping like the dead' was not just a phrase but her reality. Things like 'light sleeper' or 'morning person' were not associated with her.

Even so, she found herself very suddenly awake at an absolutely abhorred time. She reached across the sheets, warm but empty. Toph realized belatedly that the door had shut rather loudly and woken her from her deep slumber.

It was an odd thing to wake her up, and an even odder thing to happen. Was Aang going somewhere? Did something happen? Was he upset?

She decided to find out. (It would be payback anywho to secretly follow him.)

Toph quickly shuffled out of the bed and threw a thicker robe on. Soon enough she was briskly walking out of the front door and down the stairs.

She was able to locate him, just on the other side of the inn where the light of the dawning sun hit her skin in the chilly air.

He was sitting down, facing the creek and completely still. Toph slowly approached… was he just sitting there?

"Aang?"

Her husband startled. "Toph? What are you doing awake?"

She raised an eyebrow at him, "Well, someone slammed the door."

"Oh! I'm so sorry!" He scrambled to stand up and she shook her head at him, instead coming to sit next to him in the dewy grass.

"Is everything alright? It's not like you to slam things." She asked him softly. Normally Aang wore his heart on his sleeve, she'd noticed. But even he had things he avoided, and walls he put up. He was only human, after all. She could only hope that he would let her in, like she'd been doing for him.

He didn't answer her at first, picking at the grass. Eventually he started, "Do you know much about air nomad culture?"

She shook her head. Her parents hadn't thought it was important for her to learn much about the other cultures of the world. "Not really."

"Well, do you know anything about air nomads and marriage?"

Toph hesitated, realizing this had something to do with her that she was probably doing wrong. "No… but if there's something I have to do to assimilate into your culture, you can just tell me. I'll do it."

Aang smiled at her. "No, it's nothing like that. It's… air nomads don't usually marry at all."

Toph felt her lungs halt. Aang… shouldn't have married her? Was he regretting getting married? Was she the only one enjoying this time together- enjoying being in his company? Was she the only one falling in love? Doubt gripped her heart tight and silenced the logic of her brain. She tried to get a grip as Aang continued.

"It's not rare per se, just uncommon. A lot of nomads- especially the benders- believe it's a 'worldly set back' or something like that." Aang continued, ripping out the grass a little angrier now. "And that we shouldn't have any worldly attachments."

It seemed his culture was very against marriage. Toph's curiosity piqued at that, an old question nagging at her mind. "Can I ask… why did you want to marry me?"

He answered immediately, "It was your laugh."

Toph blinked, "My laugh?"

Aang rubbed the back of his neck in embarrassment, "Yeah. I was… infatuated with your laugh. I wanted to keep making you laugh. I still do."

She flushed and looked down, her own fingers playing with the blades of grass at her feet. Her heart was racing, and she hoped Aang didn't notice, but she did take solace in the fact that his heart was beating pretty hard too. "That's…"

"A stupid reason to marry someone you don't really know?"

Toph fought a smile. "I was going to say that's the sweetest thing you've ever said to me. But that too."

Aang chuckled and reached over to grip her hand. He traced her fingers softly as he murmured, "Stupid reason or not, I'm still not mad I did it."

"Really?" She asked hopefully. "You don't regret it?"

"Of course not!" He sounded aghast. Relief filled her.

Toph bit her lip. "Well. Just now, you sounded like… you weren't supposed to marry me."

Aang sighed forlornly. "It's… My dad…"

"Gyatso?" She supplied. He squeezed her hand gratefully for remembering.

"Yeah. He and I got into a bit of a fight when I told him I wanted to court you… He said that nomads shouldn't marry and by tying myself to you I was disrespecting our way of life. And since I was the Avatar, I should be focused on other things anyways, and not a silly crush."

Toph covered her mouth in shock.

His father said that to him, and still, he wanted to marry her?

Aang ran his other hand down his face. "Well obviously, I didn't take his advice to heart. Instead, I ditched the Air Temple and I haven't seen him since. He's probably heard through the grapevine that I did in fact get married. And I'm… a little apprehensive to return. That's why I've been putting it off so long and we're still here at this inn."

Toph didn't know what to say… What different worlds they came from. She's been pressured to marry since she turned 16, and yet Aang had been pressured to never marry at all. Their cultures were so different. No, she didn't know how to fix the situation, but she would support him. Obviously this has been bothering him for some time now. And he was opening up to her about it.

"Aang, I understand if you don't want to return but… I think it's better to face problems head-on, even if you aren't sure what to say or do. You shouldn't avoid your father forever, and I'm sure you don't really want to."

"No, I… I should face him. I just… I was so angry and I left so quickly and… I don't know if he'll want me back." His voice seemed small, and it didn't fit him at all.

She shuffled closer to him and settled her head on his shoulder. "You're a ball of sunshine. Who wouldn't want you back?" He snorted at her, but she continued anyways, "I'm sure he misses you. Parents… even when they don't like our decisions, they still love us."

Aang kissed the top of her head, making her heart jump into her throat. "Yeah, you're right. Thanks, Shrimp."

Toph groaned and considered catapulting him across the creek for that. "You're welcome, Twinkle Toes."

They sat there for a moment, enjoying the sunshine and the chirping of bird calls. It was serene.

"What were you doing out here anyways? Staring into nature?" She asked him.

He hummed. "Oh, I was trying to meditate. To calm down. I was just remembering what he said and I was getting upset about it."

"Meditate?" Toph questioned, raising her head up from his shoulder to raise an eyebrow at him.

"Yeah. I do it every morning actually. You'd know that if you were ever awake." He teased.

She shrugged. "Mornings are for sleeping. You can't change my mind."

He shook his head in amusement. "Have you ever tried meditation? It's a great way to start your day with a clear head."

"Sounds boring, Fancy Dancer." She yawned. Aang laughed and shoulder checked her.

"Just try it with me!"

His laughter was like music to her ears. She was glad she could pull him out of a mood just like he had done for her. Toph relented, "Alright, fine. Tell me what to do, oh wise Avatar."

Aang shuffled to sit across from her. "Okay so copy how I'm sitting-" He watched as she duplicated his lotus position without further instruction. He was still amazed she could see his body without sight. Toph seemed to smirk at him, as if reading his mind. And she called him the show-off.

"Great, and now close your eyes and clear your mind. You want to focus yourself inward, on your own energy, flowing through your chi pathways." Toph followed his lead, finding it easy enough to feel the power thrumming in her veins. It was… like light.

"Got it." She grunted, trying to focus on the energy. It seemed to slip through her hold the more she tried to grasp it.

"Feel your energy extend outward." Aang continued softly, "Follow the energy as it connects you to the earth, to nature. Just guide it, don't force it."

Taking a deep breath, she focused on the power, just feeling it rather than trying to hold on to it. It was easier to sense that way. Toph directed her energy to seep into her element, as if caressing the rocks as it moved outward until-

She gasped when she felt her energy collide with something so bright and pure it almost hurt to touch.

"Keep your focus. This is just our two energies meeting. It means you're doing it right." Aang's voice sounded far away, but she kept her focus on the energy pouring through her and out of her.

She could feel it merging with his, swirling and mixing and it was so powerful, and so… familiar?

"Ngh!" Toph huffed, feeling her concentration snap and she opened her eyes, surprised to find she was out of breath. Was she sweating?

Aang took a deep breath before opening his eyes. "Wow, you did really well."

"Really? I just dropped it though." Toph furrowed her brow.

He shrugged. "Yeah, but for the first time doing that, it was very impressive. You found your chi easily and were able to manipulate it. That takes a lot of awareness and focus."

Toph groaned, "And a lot of energy, I'm tired now."

Aang laughed as she stretched herself out and rested her head in his lap. "Wake me up when you're done with your spirity stuff."

"Whatever you say, Shrimp."

About a half hour later, Aang feels at peace enough to draw out of his meditation. He glances down at his wife, sound asleep on his lap. He gently wakes her by brushing her hair out. She's not as grouchy as he expected, only sleepily blinking up at him. Her pale eyes looked directly into his, as if she could really see him.

He thought about how it felt when their chis mixed together and then conceded, "Your laugh isn't the only reason I wanted to marry you… I just felt like I knew you."

Toph raised an unimpressed eyebrow. Aang laughed, "Yeah that's kind of an Avatar spiritual thing. I just felt connected to you somehow. I bet we knew each other in a previous life."

That would explain why she felt so drawn to and comfortable with him. Maybe their spirits recognized each other. She hummed and pursed her lips, "Like, you think I was one of your past lovers or something?"

Aang shrugged, "Maybe. Or just a close friend."

"You really think friendships can transcend lifetimes?" She asked in doubt. Aang gripped her hand and kissed the back of it softly.

"I don't see why not."


End Notes:

So have you heard of the Kummi-Taang theory? Basically, Toph is the reincarnation of Ummi, Avatar Kuruk's lover. It's a fan theory based on The Swamp when Aang sees Toph in his vision. "The swamp shows you people that you love, people that you've lost." (Find the tumblr threads they are FANTASTIC analyses)

Anyways this is me subtly hinting at that theory with their spirits being 'familiar' with each other. That's really all the dive I'm going into that theory in this particular work, I know there's plenty of fics out there that really expand on it though! I just currently have no intention to go deeper- this work is headed in a different direction :)

Thank you for reading! Please drop some serotonin in the comment section for me