"Careful, Li!" Toph cautioned, supervising her students at the refinery. "You're gonna take someone's head off if you keep throwing it around like that." She suddenly became aware of a pounding heart nearby. Had one of her students done something stupid? She searched for the source and her own heart skipped a beat: A familiar form was approaching.

"Toph!" Satoru called happily.

"Well, well, well. Look who it is. I was beginning to think you were never coming back."

"It's good to see you." Why was his heart still thudding like that? It was just like the first time they'd met. "You've really grown up."

"Yes, I am much taller now," Toph joked.

He just laughed. "I can see that."

The air between them felt like it was charged with electricity and a familiar but long-absent ache formed in the pit of her stomach. "It's been a while. We should catch up sometime," she began, testing the waters.

"Um...yeah. We definitely should. I only just got back so I don't have any projects going on yet, but maybe in a few days I'll have something we can work on together."

"Sure." The disappointing answer deflated her. Obviously, he still had some hangups about the two of them spending time with each other outside of the refinery. But why did he seem so nervous? "Just let me know. I'm here three days a week with these lily livers."

"Alright." He gave a little awkward cough. "Well, I need to go talk to your dad, let him know I've arrived. I'll let you get back to your supervising."

For the rest of the afternoon, he was mysteriously absent. When she focused, Toph could detect him in various places throughout the building; he seemed to be avoiding the room she was in. It was very odd, and a little hurtful. But then, just as she was walking out the door to leave for the day, she picked up his steps hurrying towards her.

"You guys get in," she said to her students after flagging down a carriage. "I'll be right there."

"Hey," Satoru panted, coming outside, his heart thudding wildly again. "Glad I caught you."

"What's up?"

"Uh...would you like to get dinner sometime?"

Toph smiled, a faint blush creeping into her cheeks. "Hm. I do love to eat."

"Tomorrow night?"

"I will be eating then, yes. But I'm not going to be in the city tomorrow. You want to come to Yu Dao? Maybe you can come check out the Academy afterward. It's grown a lot."

"That sounds great. Seven-thirty?"

"I'll meet you at the train station."

Much to her surprise, Toph found she was actually nervous as she went to meet Satoru the next day. She'd even put on clean clothes for the occasion. Clearly, his sudden arrival had awakened something in her that had been suppressed by Suki's death and Sokka's absence. More importantly, she would bet her life on Satoru actually being responsive this time. The thought exhilarated her. Her arms swung loosely at her sides as she tramped downhill, feeling lighter than she'd felt in a while. He was waiting for her when she made it to the train station, though she was actually ten minutes early.

"So what do you feel like?" she asked. "We've got Earth Kingdom cuisine, Fire Nation, Earth-Fire Fusion. We've even got Water Tribe, though S- Katara said it's not very authentic." Skatara. Very smooth, Toph.

"Hey, uh, listen," Satoru said, sounding a little awkward. "Since this is all about us catching up, I wanted to get something out of the way so we can have a nice dinner. I heard about...what happened, and I just wanted to express my condolences for your loss."

Toph took a deep breath to dispel the tightness in her chest. "Thanks. I appreciate it."

"To answer your question, I'm a big fan of Earth-Fire Fusion, so how about that?"

"Sounds good to me," she said, relieved that he hadn't lingered on the uncomfortable moment. "I know a really good place."

Their conversation on the way there was a bit stilted, full of too many awkward pauses. They'd been separated so long that their easy friendship had wilted a little, but she found that the more they talked, the easier it got.

"You did not!" she laughed while they ate, wiping a tear from the corner of her eye.

"I swear!" Satoru insisted, also laughing. "If you don't believe me, ask your dad. He was there!"

"Of course I believe you. You know you can't lie to me."

"Heh. Oh, yeah. I guess I'm not used to being around people with your talents."

"But apparently you're used to being around people who think skunk bears make good pets." They both started cracking up again.

"Ah...Spirits," Satoru wheezed. "I haven't laughed this hard in ages."

"Me neither." In fact, she hadn't laughed much at all in the last year. It was good having him back. He wasn't Sokka, but maybe he was the next best thing.

"Enough about me, though. Tell me how the Academy's been."

"Really good," Toph said, nodding. "Bigger."

"So you're still getting a lot of new students?"

"Yeah. Not as many coming in as before, but still pretty steady. Enough to keep up a good flow from those that graduate and to keep busy at the refinery."

"Mm, your dad mentioned you've been around a lot these days. Are you two getting along?"

"As well as can be expected," Toph said with a shrug. "The closer I get to eighteen, the more he tries to push an arranged marriage. But after I turned down the last potential match, I don't think he's been able to find another."

"You're not actually considering it are you?"

"Are you crazy? Of course not! But I've learned that the only way to maintain some semblance of peace between us is to moderate myself with an air of dignified reluctance." She said that last bit in a lofty voice, eliciting a laugh from Satoru.

"Sometimes I forget that you're actually a fancy noblewoman. And that you have the ability to turn it on whenever you please."

"Oh, you want to see fancy, do you?" Toph pushed her hair out of her face, straightened her back, and began daintily eating her food the way she had been forced to do as a child. Between each tiny bite, she primly patted her mouth with a napkin while Satoru laughed. "My word!" she drawled, hand on her chest, "What rude dinner company I must suffer. It is customary for one to contain their mirth when in the presence of a lady."

"Okay, stop, stop! I've seen enough! You're going to give me nightmares!"

Toph chuckled and lifted her bowl to shovel the rest of it into her mouth.

"Ah, that's more like it," Satoru continued. "I like you much better this way."

"Good," she replied with her mouth full. "I'd be worried, otherwise."

"You finished, then?"

"Yeah. You still want to come see the Academy?" Asking that question made her suddenly a little nervous, but in an excited sort of way. Judging by the way his heart rate picked up, he was experiencing something similar.

"Sure."

They were quiet as they left the city, Toph content to enjoy the bustle around her while she stewed. As they reached the much quieter path to the Academy, though, the silence became a little more strained. Halfway up the hill, she could stand it no longer. She stopped walking and crossed her arms.

"What?" Satoru said, halting after a few more steps.

"Why did you leave?"

He turned back to face her. "Wait...what?"

"You left and you didn't even say goodbye. I yelled at my father. I thought he sent you away. He didn't like how close we were. But he said it was your idea, and he wasn't lying." Toph wasn't really angry. She wanted an answer, certainly, but more than anything she was hurt. But also...very curious. She had her own theories, to be sure.

"It's...complicated."

"Then explain it to me."

"I guess...I should probably start from the beginning."

"The beginning? Of what?"

"When we met." He cleared his throat softly, heart racing. "I was… I really admired you. I'm sure you knew."

"Obviously," Toph said offhandedly.

"Right… I– I mean, it wasn't anything inappropriate. I was just really impressed and fascinated by you. And I still am. But, um, your father had a...chat...with me."

"Oooof course he did."

"He was very protective of you. He reminded me that you were still a child–"

Toph made a disgusted noise.

"–and that, however much he may respect me and my abilities, I would never be considered as a match for you. It was a terribly uncomfortable conversation, in which I assured him that I meant nothing untoward. He must not have believed me because he watched me very closely after that."

"I kind of figured as much," she said through clenched teeth, beyond irritated that her father thought he had a say in who she involved herself with.

"He wasn't wrong, you know. The age difference was...inappropriate. At the time."

Toph didn't miss that last-second addition. "I don't understand what any of this has to do with you disappearing for a year and a half."

"I was getting to that." He took a deep breath. "Man, I'm really going to embarrass myself here. Um...so, things were okay for a little while. Then, well, you...changed. Physically. Eventually, it just got too hard for me to..."

He trailed off and swallowed audibly. She tried not to smile, that mischievous side of her brain taking his words differently than she knew he'd meant them.

"I- I mean-" he stammered pitifully. "Spirits, I didn't mean-"

Toph finally let slip a little chuckle and decided to put him out of his misery. "Relax. I know what you meant. Like you said yesterday, I've grown up. Thanks for noticing," she added slyly, planting her hands on her hips and puffing her chest out a little. She was pretty sure she could actually hear his heart pounding now. Or was that hers?

"I knew you would be able to tell," he continued with a strained laugh. "And I was ashamed. It felt…wrong."

"So…your solution was to leave?" Toph asked, still a little confused. "Without saying goodbye?"

"I'm sorry," he muttered. "Getting away for a while seemed like my only option. I'm not proud of it, but I was honestly a little afraid of what your dad might have done if he noticed anything. It just wasn't worth risking my livelihood. And I didn't tell you because I didn't trust myself not to say or do something impulsive."

Toph suddenly realized they had drifted closer as they spoke. "You wanna see impulsive?" she said, grabbing handfuls of his shirt. Her head tilted up toward his and she pulled him down, hoping for the best. Their lips met roughly, almost painfully, but neither recoiled from it.

Aside from the unpleasant experience with Luon, Toph had no real way of knowing what to expect. She had often imagined kissing Sokka or Satoru, but it was just that—imagination. As it turned out, she couldn't believe what she had been missing. His arms wrapped around her as if he were worried she'd pull away, and her fingers dug into his chest. Her lips moved rhythmically against his, parting, pouting, exchanging hot breaths, until both were panting. The ache in her stomach had spread out, threatening to engulf her—a deep throb that she could no longer ignore.

"I bet we can sneak into my room," she found herself murmuring.

"Wh– What? Are you serious?" He sounded both scandalized and hopeful.

"Why not? I know what I want. I guess it just comes down to what you want. And...I think I know what you want," she added suggestively, pushing herself against his hips. An odd strangled noise escaped his throat; she chuckled and grabbed his hand. "Come on. There's another trail that loops around the back."

She silently led him up the hill a little further, then diverted to a smaller path that wound around the side of the mountain.

"I call this the 'scenic route'," she joked, absolutely bursting with anticipation. While there was definitely a part of her that would've preferred a more direct path, she had to admit that sneaking around made it more exciting. Besides that, many of her older students would recognize Satoru. The last thing either of them needed was for her father to get wind of this.

This. The very innocuous word made her shiver. She felt like she was walking through a dream. It had all happened so fast. Twenty-four hours ago, she'd been lying awake in bed, unable to sleep. Wondering if Satoru really was finally interested in her.

And now… This. She'd never been more ready for anything in her life.

They were nearing the outer buildings and he'd yet to say a word, though she noticed with some satisfaction that his heart was still pounding away, blood pulsing through their clasped hands. At the treeline she stopped, crouching behind a bush. There were still a few stragglers wandering around.

"Toph, are you–"

She quickly put a finger over his lips and he went quiet. It was hard to resist the urge to caress them with her thumb… Focus, Toph. She marked the steps of those still outside and those in the halls. Wait for it.

"Now!" she whispered, pulling him along. "Don't say anything. And hurry."

Seismic sense allowed her to expertly dodge the five boarders who were still up, though they were nearly discovered when Leda started to come around the corner. Toph opened the door to her room and shoved Satoru inside just in time.

"Oh, hey, Sifu. Was looking for you earlier."

"I was having dinner in Yu Dao with a friend."

"I'm having some trouble with the intermediate–"

"Is this an 'emergency problem'?" Toph interrupted, the heat in her body becoming unbearable. She desperately needed an outlet and the last thing she wanted to do was talk about her students.

"Er, I guess not…" There was a hesitant, questioning note in her voice.

"Okay, well, I'm really tired. Actually, I'm not feeling that great. Talk to me tomorrow. And make sure no one disturbs me."

"Oh, alright. I hope you feel better. Goodnight."

With that, Leda continued on down the hall. Toph breathed a sigh of relief and slipped into her room, locking the door behind her. Turning, she crossed her arms and sauntered over to Satoru with a crooked smile, amused by his stiff posture. It wasn't the only thing that was stiff…

"Toph…"

"Yes?" She tilted her head up and made a conscious effort to point her eyes in the direction of his face.

"Ah…" He exhaled heavily. "How- How did you do that?"

"Do what?" she asked innocently, coming closer.

"Has anyone ever told you that you have beautiful eyes?" he asked instead of answering.

Toph blushed up to her ears, unaccustomed to compliments regarding her appearance. Things she had no control over, nor any perception of. "Come to think of it, I don't believe anyone has." She couldn't help but be reminded of the time Sokka had brushed her hair out of her face to describe her eyes. That rush of heat. Pleasure, she knew now, though it had made her uncomfortable at the time.

But Sokka had never called any part of her beautiful.

"Well, you do," Satoru said.

"Yeah?" She finally uncrossed her arms and started loosening her belt. "What about the rest of me?"

He cleared his throat and Toph fiercely suppressed the urge to laugh. And yet, her hands were trembling a little. I'm just excited, she told herself. Her belt fell to the ground and she stepped forward to start on his.

"Toph…"

She paused, frowning at the tone in his voice. It sounded a lot like he was about to stop her.

"Are you– Are you sure this is what you want?" he asked. "I feel– I mean, I'm worried that…"

"Worried about what? Taking advantage of me? Please. It was my idea, wasn't it?" She was a little annoyed by his attitude towards her and couldn't resist this prime opportunity to tease him a little. "Or…are you just nervous?" She trailed one finger up the inside of his thigh and grinned when he flinched. "Don't worry, I'll be gentle. Ish."

He grabbed her hand and pressed her palm to his chest. Fast but steady pulse. "You're not like anyone else I've ever met, Toph Beifong."

His other hand brushed the hair away from her face and for just a moment, it was Sokka standing in front of her. She closed her eyes and leaned against him with a wistful sigh. Then his familiar but very different scent filled her nose, and he was Satoru once again. But…that was okay.

He cupped her jaw with both hands and laid the gentlest kiss on her lips. Toph wasn't having any of that, though. She threw her arms around his neck and tried to remember what she'd done earlier. It had been instinctive then, but now she found herself really giving it some thought.

She snaked her tongue between his teeth, eager to taste him, mirroring his movements. He certainly seemed to know what he was doing, which helped. Their lips worked in sync, hungry for more. Toph thought maybe she could do this forever if not for the looming promise of even better things.

Finally, they paused for breath. His hands were still wrapped around her head and she realized that her fingers were now digging into his shoulder blades, pulling at his shirt. She wanted it gone. She wanted to feel his skin.

"Take it off," she murmured against his lips.

Well, that was fun, Toph mused with a languorous stretch. Can't wait to go again. Satoru was still panting a little and she patted his arm where it lay across her stomach. "You alright there, champ?"

"Heh. Yeah. I'm a bit out of shape, I think. And here I was thinking I was the older and wiser one," he added with a self-deprecating laugh. "I should've known better. You're Toph Beifong, after all."

"And what's that supposed to mean?" she asked, pretending to be offended but in fact deeply pleased with his assessment.

"Er- I mean- I just meant, you're an incredibly confident woman. I'm sorry, I- I didn't mean to imply-"

She laughed at his awkward stammering. "I'm just messing with you. And by the way, that was my first time."

"...You're joking."

"No, seriously."

There was a long, heavy pause.

"Oh, Spirits." He sounded completely horrified. "I- I'm so sorry!"

That wasn't at all what she'd been expecting him to say. "Sorry? For what?"

"I- I should've-" I mean, I never would've been so..." He trailed off miserably.

"So what?" she pressed, her good mood beginning to falter.

"Actually. Um. Never mind. It occurs to me that any way I finish that sentence will likely offend you. So I won't. I forgot, for a moment, who I was dealing with. Clearly, you're not damaged in any way. And you seemed to enjoy yourself."

"You're right. I did." Spirits, he's a lot of work. But I guess he got there eventually, so that's something.

"But what I don't understand is... How...? I mean, you seemed to know what you were doing..."

"My all-seeing eyes," Toph said with a grin as she slid her foot along his leg, delighted that she'd impressed him. "They've seen a lot of shit."

"Oh. Ohhhh." He smacked his forehead and started laughing. "That is...a little disturbing, actually. I mean, you've been able to see with your feet since you were a little kid, right?"

"Hey, it's not like I went out of my way to 'watch'. Kinda hard not to notice those things." It was a lie; she had definitely done some 'research' in the last couple of years. "As for the confidence... Well, that just comes naturally."

"Okay, but seriously, why haven't you ever been with anyone else? You could've had any guy you wanted wrapped around your finger in an instant."

"Not any guy..." she muttered.

"Just about." He was quiet for a couple of seconds. "Oh. Did you mean someone specific?"

Toph clamped her mouth shut, annoyed with herself. Why did I say that?

"Oh, Spirits," Satoru said with a sigh. "Now I'm going to be lying here wondering who."

"I'm sure you can figure it out if you think about it for five seconds," she grumbled. And you're lucky I didn't accidentally say his name in the heat of the moment.

There was another long pause. "Oh… I- I'm sorry. I shouldn't have asked."

She just shrugged, then suddenly he was kissing her again, gently and sweetly. When he started to pull away, she reached up and wrapped her hand around the back of his head to keep him there.

"Careful," he chuckled after a few moments of unbridled passion. "Don't want to cause any more earthquakes. Then that kid will come back and we'll probably have to make room for him in the bed."

They both laughed. "Don't even joke about that!"

"Shh," Satoru said, still laughing. "You'll wake the baby!"

"Oh, stop it!" she complained, hitting him with her pillow.

"Who is he, though? I knew you taught some young kids, but I didn't realize they lived here."

"His name is Riju. He's is an orphan that another one of my students brought in from Yu Dao a few months ago."

"How old is he?"

"Six."

"Huh. And he can already metalbend so young?"

"No," she admitted. "Not yet, anyway."

"Can he earthbend?"

Toph spared a moment to wonder why he cared. This wasn't exactly titillating pillow talk. "Yeah. He's not bad, actually. For a six-year-old, I mean. I've been training him a little."

"You do realize you've basically adopted him, right?" He said, voice dripping with amusement.

She rolled her eyes dramatically. "Everyone here looks after him. Besides, he's very independent."

"Right. So independent that when he was scared, he came right to your door. And you were surprisingly gentle with him."

"Hm, well." Her hand trailed up the side of his head. "He's lucky I was in such a good mood."

"I'll say. You were downright motherly."

"Oh, please," she scoffed, starting to get annoyed. "Look, he's a little crybaby, alright? Yelling does not work. Trust me—I've tried. I said what I needed to say to make him leave. And it's not like I went and tucked him in and told him a bedtime story. Sheesh."

"Okay, okay, sorry. I was only teasing. It was amusing, that's all. I've never seen that side of you before."

"Can we talk about something else?" she grumped, crossing her arms. "It's bad enough having my parents constantly try to marry me off like a piece of property. I don't need you reducing me to the traditional womanly role, too."

"I- I'm sorry," he stammered. "I didn't mean it like that. I'm sorry I upset you. Again."

Toph just shook her head in frustration, wanting to move on from this. "Forget it. I know I have a lot of baggage."

"You want to talk about baggage? Keep in mind, I'm Fire Nation. My family was on the wrong side of a war for a hundred years."

"Pfft. The Beifongs weren't exactly known for their generous war efforts, either. All I knew of the war as a child was that it was happening, somewhere far, far away." That line of thought was dangerous. I would inevitably lead to someone she shouldn't think about right now. "It's weird to think that, if I'd stayed home, I'd probably be dead now, along with everyone else in Gaoling. And maybe most of the Earth Kingdom."

Satoru lightly rubbed his finger across her stomach, tracing little lines and circles. "You've saved a lot of people, and done so many incredible things. I can't believe someone like you would spare a moment's thought for someone like me."

"Go on…" Toph prompted, making him laugh. "I'm kidding. Sort of. You know I like hearing how awesome I am. But you don't give yourself enough credit. I consider you largely responsible for Republic City's industrial growth. The refinery wouldn't be what it is today without you, and it was the seed that grew the city."

"To be honest, I'm a little regretful of just how fast Republic City grew. It wasn't natural. There's a lot of bad along with the good."

"There always is." An old conversation suddenly popped into her head. "Oh! I gotta ask you something! A while back, I had this idea for my metalbenders in Repub-"

"Aw, c'mon. Shoptalk? Now?"

"Oh, shush. This is important."

Satoru sighed dramatically. "Fiiine. What is it?"

"I had an idea for my metalbenders in Republic City to use metal cables. Kori thought they might be useful for law enforcement—you know, being able to catch people and tie them up. Then I thought about it some more. They could use them...for flying around really fast! Cool, huh?

"Flying around?" he said skeptically. "That does not sound safe. And what does it have to do with me, anyway?"

"I need a containment system. They can't just carry around fifty feet of loose cable."

"Hm..."

"Hm?"

"I'm thinking." He was silent for nearly a minute. "Maybe...some kind of spool attached to a belt or harness so it could be wound up. There'd be a little bit of a learning curve to it, I imagine."

"Sounds doable."

"The biggest issue would be weight. Not only the mechanism itself, but the cable too. We'd have to find something thin and light, but with enough tensile strength to be useful."

"They'd need to be able to hold the weight of a grown man."

"I'll have to do some testing. But yeah, it's something I can look into."

‹¤›‹¤›‹¤›‹¤›‹¤›‹¤›

"Okay," Toph said quietly. "He's gone."

"Do you think he heard us?" Satoru asked.

"I'm not sure," she lied, pretty confident that he had. But Hau was a decent guy and would most likely mind his own business.

"Why don't we move this back to my place? Spirits, what was I thinking?"

"I don't think there was a lot of thinking involved," Toph said, searching for her pants.

"I guess not. It was still stupid and reckless. You are not allowed to help me tinker with machines unsupervised anymore."

"Hehe. Worth it."

"You are so twisted," Satoru said, though was laughing. "But seriously. I don't want to get fired. Or, you know, killed."

Twenty minutes later, they were staggering down the hallway inside his apartment building, having started making out again as soon as they were off the street. Toph tripped over his feet and banged her head into the wall. "Ow," she said, chuckling.

"Sorry. Are you okay?"

"I'm fine." She leaned against him and inhaled deeply, taking in that leather-and-oil scent that she enjoyed so much. And now he was all hers to do whatever she wanted with... "You're taking too long." While he fumbled for his keys, she waved her hand lazily in front of the knob. The lock clicked and the door swung open.

"You would make an excellent burglar," Satoru remarked as they went inside. "Is that something the people of Republic City need to worry about now? How many metalbenders are there, anyway?"

"My spawn number in the hundreds, now."

"Your spawn?" he said with a laugh, shutting the door. But Toph was too busy trying to undress him to bother with conversation. His body was hers for the taking and she couldn't get enough of it.

"Fuck, I'm starving," she complained, her head lying on Satoru's chest, sprawled on the floor of his living room.

"I could run out and get something. It's not that late."

"Don't you have anything here?"

"Not really, sorry."

She sighed and rolled onto her side, twirling her fingers in the hair on his chest. A hand brushed across her forehead, pushing the hair away from her eyes.

"Toph?"

"Hm?"

"This may seem abrupt, but...I think I'm in love with you."

She froze, her mouth going dry.

"Please," Satoru said quickly. "Don't...say anything. I wasn't looking for a response. I know you better than that. I just couldn't help myself. I wanted you to know."

Unsure of what to do, she resumed the idle hair twirling, trying to process his words. He was in love with her? Well, was it so surprising, really? He'd been kind of obsessed with her for years. She enjoyed how much of a pedestal he put her on, amused by his humility regarding his own considerable abilities and achievements. It was one of the things that had made him so attractive to her.

But love? No, she wasn't in love with him. She liked being around him and supremely enjoyed the attention—not to mention his skill in the bedroom—but she didn't lie awake at night thinking about him, planning a future with him. He was simply...there. A means to pleasure. Not that she didn't care about him on some level. Of course she did. He was a good friend and if anyone tried to threaten or hurt him, she would be there for him. But that wasn't love, not in the way he meant.

After that night, Toph made an effort to forget what he had said. She tried to enjoy just being with him. But...he'd ruined it. It was all serious now. And despite his claim that he wasn't looking for a response from her, she couldn't shake the idea that he was waiting for her to give him something she didn't have.

A couple of weeks passed. Eventually, she began avoiding him, the pressure growing too great, until he sought her out at the Academy one evening while she was doing some solo training in the courtyard.

"Hey, stranger," he said.

"Oh...hey. What's up?"

"I dunno. I guess I just got tired of staring at the wall in my apartment."

"Maybe it needs more decor." It was literally all she could think to say, not in the mood for flirtatious banter.

"You about done out here? Maybe we can go inside and relax? Chat, even?"

"Yeah. Sure." Toph smoothed the ground over and wiped the sweat off her face, wishing she could've kept training a little longer. It was nice to get these moments alone without any students around. "Sorry, I'm probably kinda smelly."

"I'll live," Satoru said with a slightly forced chuckle. He discreetly followed her to her room, where she started changing out of her sweat-soaked clothes. "Oh, yeah, this is more like it," he teased, reclining on her bed. "Much better view."

Toph smirked; she'd been planning on just getting dressed but instead sauntered over to the bed. Maybe just one round won't hurt. "Yeah? I thought you wanted to 'chat'?"

"This works too." He pulled her down on top of him and kissed her, his hands grasping her head tightly. "Toph..." he began, sounding suddenly much more serious, and her stomach sank. "I know I said before that I didn't expect any kind of response from you, but... Just an inkling of what's going on in that head of yours would help me out a lot. I kind of get the feeling you've been avoiding me."

She sat back on her heels, not knowing how to answer. Why couldn't he have just kept his mouth shut? A few uncomfortable seconds passed, then she slid to the floor and started dressing.

Satoru sighed, the soft noise full of defeat. "I messed everything up, didn't I?"

Toph remained silent while she dressed, then sat on the edge of the bed, brows furrowed pensively. It was time for honesty. "I'm not in love with you."

There was a truly painful pause, then he said, "So...what is this, then?"

"What is what?"

"I don't know. What we've been doing for the last couple of months."

"I'm pretty sure it's called 'sex'." She meant to lighten the mood and get a laugh out of him, but was instead greeted with another moment of silence.

"I... I guess I thought there was a little bit more to it than that. We care about each other, don't we?"

"Well, yeah. Sure. I consider you a close friend."

Yet more silence. Why did this have to be so complicated?

"This isn't going anywhere, is it?" he asked finally, his voice despondent.

"Going anywhere..." she murmured, a little bit annoyed by the question, though she couldn't quite articulate why. "Where, exactly?"

"I don't know. Somewhere." Frustration was beginning to show in his voice. "A real relationship. Something we don't have to hide."

"You mean marriage?"

"Well, who knows? I mean, eventually, that is what people do, isn't it?"

There it was. That's just how things are done, young lady. "I'm not 'people'. I thought you knew that. I'm not interested in conforming to cultural norms, just because 'that's what people do'. If I were, I would've let my father marry me off."

"So I'm just the same as all those strangers your parents tried to set you up with?" He was definitely angry now.

"I didn't say that!" she shot back defensively.

"If you loved me, would you see things differently?"

The question threw her. How could she possibly know that? She didn't even know what it felt like to be in love, and doubted she ever would. "I don't know."

There was another long, painful pause. Why couldn't he just take the hint and leave? Why prolong this? But she wasn't at all prepared for what came out of his mouth next, his voice barely above a whisper.

"It's him...isn't it? You're still waiting. I was just...a temporary distraction."

A lump formed in her throat and she couldn't speak. But what could she even say to something so ridiculous? Her feelings for Sokka were no stronger than her feelings for him.

"Well," Satoru continued stiffly when she didn't answer. A moment later he got to his feet. "I should probably go."

Then he was gone and Toph shoved all of her thoughts and feelings away. He was wrong. None of this had anything to do with Sokka.