ZW 2011 Day 5: Awkward

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Attract, Evade, Repeat

Katara can't meet Zuko's eyes, even after she supposedly forgave him. They had about two good days.

For all the work he put into earning Katara's forgiveness, Toph thinks, it didn't do much. Katara's heartbeat still stutters angrily whenever she sees him, her blood rushing to her cheeks just as it did before (although to her credit it's no longer immediately followed by snide comments or sharp tongued shrieking). Toph is pretty sure the entire time they've been at the beach house Katara has been going out of her way to avoid Zuko.

Zuko is baffled, obviously, but he doesn't seem surprised, and it is better than being yelled at (better for the whole group that Katara isn't yelling anymore). And his food isn't oversalted lately. Toph should know; she's always made a point to switch bowls with Zuko when Katara isn't looking to make sure Zuko isn't poisoned. After all, Toph has far better odds of getting healed. Zuko could very easily be allergic to rice, or something, and you can't really heal an allergy (can you?).

Toph decides Katara needs a rock to the head sometimes.

Especially today, when after two days of being reasonably civil to Zuko, she's suddenly ignoring him. He asks her a question, she stutters some stupid short response. He greets her in the morning, she ignores him. He offers to do the dishes, she shakes her head and refuses to look at him.

Stupid.

It gets worse during Firebending training. Aang waves at Katara as she passes the courtyard with a bundle of dirty laundry. "Katara! Look at this new move Zuko taught me!"

Toph can feel Katara's approach; she's less willing than usual. Weird. "That's nice, Aang."

"Sifu Hotman does it better." Aang shoots a grin at his firebending teacher.

"Don't call me that!"

"Can you show me one more time?" Aang bounces on the tips of his toes.

Toph can feel Zuko's skepticism before she hears it in his voice. "You've seen it a hundred times, Aang. You just need to practice it more."

"Pleeeeeeease?"

Toph groans. Sometimes she's embarrassed to be the same age as this kid. "Hey Twinkletoes, how come you never ask me to show you again?"

"Uh-"

Katara steps forward (Toph knew she would). "Aang is just excited about learning to firebend, right Aang?"

"Yeah! Not that I wasn't excited about earthbending, Sifu Toph-"

Toph snorts as he bows hurriedly. "Zuko, just show the kid so I don't have to listen to this."

Zuko, eternally in her debt after burning her feet, complies. Toph feels his lungs expand as he takes a deep breath (and she can almost hear Tea Guy with his gravelly voice reminding him that fire comes from the breath). His muscles tense, and he drops to the ground, landing lightly on his palms and throwing his momentum into his legs. The fire is far enough away that she doesn't feel the heat on her face so much as a gentle, warm breeze that glides through the courtyard. It follows Zuko's feet as he twists his back and pushes off one arm to allow his legs to rotate through.

Must be something to see, Toph muses, because Sugar Queen's heartbeat has sped up almost uncomfortably, and the vibrations reach her cheeks (this, Toph has learned, is what blushing feels like).

Momentarily distracted, Toph has lost track of Zuko, but he finishes the form with a roll, pushing himself back up on the way out. She can smell the sweat mixed with smoke as he comes closer, and if Katara shifting backwards is anything to go by, Toph isn't the only one. At least Toph is self-aware enough to realize that when she was all lovey about Sokka, she was the same way (and Toph does pride herself on her self-awareness). And now there's Katara and Zuko, sitting in a tree-

"Where are you going?" Aang chirps, and Toph notices that Katara has very nearly escaped the courtyard.

"It's just a little hot in here. I'm going to go do the laundry." Much to Toph's newfound satisfaction, Katara drops at least three of Sokka's socks and trips over her own feet on her way out. Toph allows a devious grin to spread across her face, and she doesn't care that Zuko and Aang see it, look at each other, and sneak out the back of the courtyard.

This is going to be good. Awkward as heck, but good.

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A/N: As much as I enjoy writing from Toph's perspective, I'm never quite sure that I've gotten it quite right. Criticism welcomed!

Thanks to all who read, review, and favorite. Y'all are cool.