Prompt: The Swamp

Word Count: 2,723

I know in Destiny's time,

"You know Twinkle Toes, when you said you were going to take me on a fun trip, I thought you'd realize my idea of fun isn't riding on a Bison for four days straight."

Appa bellowed at that, causing Aang to wince. "Aww, c'mon Toph! You know it's not that bad." He glanced back and only found the blind girl fiercely gripping onto the saddle with a vice grip, eyes narrowing at his direction. He cringed at the sight. "Alright, hang on," he muttered as he released the reins and hopped into the staddle. He knelt down and scooted close to Toph, gently patting the space next to her to alert his presence.

A warmful look graced her face for a second, but she hastily covered it up with aggression. "If we crash because you're not steering…"

"Toph, it's Appa," Aang dryly stated.

"I know," she deadpanned.

Another roar from their ride and Aang sighed. "She doesn't mean it buddy!" he shouted. He turned back at her and sent a scolding glare.

"If you're giving me a look," she uninterestedly addressed, "you know I can't see it right?"

He chuckled. "But you somehow know I'm looking at you."

Her cheeks flushed. "I always know," she quietly affirmed. That seemed to perk him up even more as he leaned over and pecked her cheek, causing her blush to remain but her face to scowl as she turned away. "You didn't just string me along for a four day trip just to make out in the skies did you?"

He gasped. "Toph, c'mon, I wouldn't do that!"

Toph laughed. She knew he wouldn't. But, she also knew saying stuff like that—getting him a bit riled up and whatnot—was her best defence against his lovey, dovey… ness? Whatever one would call it, Toph just knew it was her defence mechanism to his affections. Which wasn't to say she didn't return Aang's affections. She…

Just did it.

By reflex.

The thought of her instinctive reaction being deadpan and sarcasm made her frown each time after the fact. Her and Aang were… dating. The label itself was still so foreign to her. Just over six months now and they were going strong. So here they were: Aang now retreated to the front to steer with Toph sitting in the saddle holding onto dear life. She couldn't see his face, but she knew he was masking up a polite smile of some sort. Her joke struck a sore spot for him.

It was no secret that Aang wore his heart on his sleeve and in the air that he bended, but the most overwhelming aspect was that such affections were somehow multiplied throughout their… relationship. Toph was well aware of how easily Aang could say his compliments, stare at her like she was a wonder of the world, and praise her like a Goddess. But Toph Beifong didn't do that. And with each and every passing day the two spent together, it became increasingly clear how prominent her lack of reciprocations were.

Aang knew Toph.

Looking back at her in the saddle, concern and frustration plastered all over her face, he knew she felt guilty about what she said. And he knew that she had her own way of expressing her feelings, and it just wasn't the same way as his. The hard part was him having to remind himself that sometimes. As, more often than not, Toph was more foreboding with her teasing rather than romancing.

Which, Aang knew she would laugh at him for even associating the word "romancing" with "Toph Beifong." Because he knew her. So he also knew, gestures had their own way of worming into Toph's heart and even if she didn't say it: they would still mean something to her. So, he decided, what better way to confess his love for her than in the place it all started.

The Swamp.

::::

This was one of the more graceful landings Aang's ever had in the Swamp.

No tornadoes or sentient vines reaching out after them. Just a small clearing in the murky ponds and low hanging trees. Appa and Momo seemed to relish in the change of pace, as the Bison softly bellowed and sat down, while the Winged Lemur excitedly circled the air and flew around Appa's head. Aang chuckled at the sight before turning back to Toph, watching her slowly stand up in the saddle.

"Are you happy? We're here!" he cheerfully announced.

She took a whiff of the air and scrunched her face up. "A swamp?"

He grinned. "No. The Swamp!" he corrected.

She frowned at that. "Is this the swamp you kept talking about with your 'vision' or whatever?" She crossed her arms and narrowed her eyes.

Aang's smile faltered a bit. "Well… yeah… I thought spending some time together where we met would be nice! You know, a little get away?"

"Again, 'we' didn't meet here, Twinkle Toes," she gestured between the two. "You had a weird Avatar mumbo jumbo dream 'bout me. Also," she pointed straight up, "the only 'get away' so far, has been us flying for four days." She scowled at him as she crossed her arms once more. "And you mean to tell me we're also staying here for a full week?" She was at this point, not hiding her annoyance.

Her aggression was obviously notable. But Aang was undeterred. "Aw c'mon Toph! Since when have you ever cared about staying somewhere nice?" Aaaaannnd the second it slipped for his lips he realized his mistake. "W-Wait I—"

"Are you saying I don't have good taste, Twinkle Toes?" she challenged.

He gulped. "N-No! I—" he palmed at his face and looked back to Momo and Appa for help, but both were still just interested in flying around or napping. "I meant, this place isn't so bad! I-I swear!" He reached for Toph's hands and clasped his hands around hers. "You'll love it here! The second your feet touch the ground you'll know what I mean!"

Her face heated up at his embrace around her hand, causing her to retract her appendage from his loving grip—reluctantly, of course—and click her teeth. "Fine," she conceded.

With that, Aang Airbended off the saddle and onto the ground. The luggage came with him and he stood at the bottom, waiting for her, ready to catch if need be.

Then, she jumped.

The second her feet hit the ground Aang beamed a wide smile. "See?" He blinked. "I—Toph?"

She was gone.

He just… blinked and she wasn't in front of him.

"Toph?"

He spun around and looked all over. There was no way she could've gotten that far without him hearing or sensing her. She just landed in front of him. It was barely a second. Her feet touched the ground and then she just vanished.

"Toph!"

::::

Tears swelled up in Toph's eyes.

This…

It was amazing.

She fell to her knees and grabbed fistfuls of mud, water, and vine as she sobbed.

It… was everything.

Her senses had become overwhelmed with so much detail she just couldn't believe what she was feeling.

She could see.

Her sight hadn't been "fixed" or "healed", no. It was more than that. The mere second her feet touched the Earth—she was connected. It was no longer just what was around her for a few yards. It wasn't just Appa, Momo, and Aang. It wasn't just the dozens of trees, bushes, leaves, vines and twigs surrounding them. It was not just the flowing streams and ponds soothingly rippling around them. It was everything, everywhere, all at once.

She cried as her fists gripped into the Earth with vice. She held onto it. A grip so strong it would have to be ripped from her dead body. This was her element. She wasn't letting it slip from her. Not now, not when it granted her the most perception she'd ever had.

For all her life, she had trained and fought to expand her vision.

Not just of what she could see, but of her future.

A life that existed ahead of her.

A life that reminded her that yesterday was worth something.

A life that made her feel like the next day meant something.

With everyday that passed and every trek home, she returned with bruised hands, dirtied feet, and a wide smile. Her vision grew each day as she worked hard with the Badgermoles. Slowly but surely, her world was expanding and her sculpting of what was considered "sight" was made hers. But this? This was far beyond that.

Toph could see Katara and Sokka at the Southern Water Tribe, laughing with their grandma and Suki in their home. She could see Zuko in the Fire Nation with Mai. She could see her parents back in Gaoling. It didn't just stop there, she could see practically everything. Her senses were so overwhelmed she couldn't help but fall at the simplest touch of seeing it all at once. From the most noticeable things like Ba Sing Se's impenetrable walls, to the littles details like an ant crawling back to its hill in the Western Air Temple. Never had Toph been so overcome with feeling and seeing so much at once. It was a new experience for her.

It was… amazing.

But, for whatever reason, it was like reality jolted her awake and shook her out of her trance.

Her sense of touch had quieted ever so slightly and her hearing was immediately filled with shouting

"—ph!"

It was Aang.

"Toph!"

She blinked in confusion as she staggered a bit, trying to stand up. "A-Aang?" she stammered. "Wh… Why are you shout—"

"Toph!" he was screaming at the top of his lungs, tears swelling in his eyes and darting all around the place.

Could… Could he not see her?

The frantic beating of his heart, the cracks in his voice—her heart broke at his fearful cries. Instinct carried her over to him. With a sprint, she ran at the Airbender with full force and wrapped her arms around him, holding him steady as she whispered against his chest, "I'm right here."

::::

Aang's heart stopped.

She… just, appeared.

Was… it was the Swamp? It took her away and brought her back just like that? He barely even questioned the luck as he returned Toph's hug and embraced her with all his might. "You're here," he softly murmured against her hair, "you're here."

She chuckled. "I'm here."

They held each other for a moment, soaking in each other's warmth. Appa had been concerned enough to wake from his nap and stare at the two, with Momo perched on his saddle above owlishly blinking at them. But soon enough, they pulled away.

Aang's heart swelled at the smile on Toph's face. It was one of the widest smiles he had ever seen on her. But his hands flew to her cheeks as he wiped them. "Were… Were you crying?"

She laughed and nodded.

He confusedly cocked his head. "Are… Are you okay?"

She kept smiling and nodding.

"So… So what'd you see then?" he asked, holding her face.

Toph brought her hands to his and gently brought them down, interlacing their fingers together as she swung them slowly side to side. It was giddy and sweet and it was her doing it. Toph knew Aang must've been scared, confused, and all around lost but she wasn't. She wasn't lost.

"I… can see everything," she said.

His eyes widened. "Wait…" He glanced down at her feet. "Do you mean…"

She nodded with that wide smile. "Everything, Aang." She gave his hands a tug as she leaned forward, kissing his lips with a gentle grace. She could tell his face was flushed just by how excited his heartbeat was. "I can see everything and feel practically every living thing but—" she laughed, shaking her head. She then released his hands and hugged him, tightly bringing him close enough to hear him grunt out of a brief moment of pain but she didn't care. "I just wanna feel you…" she softly said, embracing him wholeheartedly.

Aang's tears fell at that.

"I… I know I don't show it, I-I know that I suck at this sometimes… but—"

"T… Toph, you don't have—"

She squeezed him, silencing his sentence. She pulled her head back from his shoulder and frowned. "If you don't let me be try be to sweet this one time, Twinkle Toes, I swear to the Spirits—"

"Okay, okay," he chuckled.

She sighed, retreating back into their hug, resting her chin on his shoulder once more. "I just… I get why you brought me—us, here." She felt like she was shaking. Feeling everything at once was still so much but that wasn't what was making her nervous. She laughed at this absurdity of it all. "Right now, I can feel and see so much but my heartbeat… it's beating for you." She pulled away from their hug and grabbed his right hand, bringing it over her chest for him to sense.

It was the fastest he'd ever felt it go. Under other circumstances, he would've thought she was in danger or something along those lines. "That's pretty fast," he teased.

She scoffed, shaking her head as she brought her hands up around his neck. "I… I know I can be so much sometimes. But… at the center of everything I've worked hard to see… I only want you." She released a breath that she didn't know she was holding. "I love you, Aang."

His eyes widened and his dumb grin grew.

Of course, he laughed. She just had to beat him to it. This entire, overdue six-month-aversary of a love confession went down the swamp drain. He shook his head with his smile as he brought his forehead to hers. "Must you be so competitive you beat me to it?"

She snorted. "Like I can let you do all the romancing."

Aang gasped. "You said the thing!"

She sighed, throwing her head back. "Don't make me regret saying I love you…"

His brow raised. "Oh wow, twice now? And here I thought my speech was going to be cheesy."

"Of course you'd have a speech…"

"Hey I'm not the one saying I can feel the entire world but none of that matters because," his voice dropped to a mockingly soft pitch, "'I just wanna feel you.'"

She reeled a hand back and thumped his chest, earning a grunt from the boy. "Are you gonna say it or am I gonna hop back on Appa and get him to fly me home?"

"Aww, c'mon, you know your home is with me."

"Barf, Twinkles, barf."

"Really? After what you just said?"

"Are you saying it or nooooot?" she childishly whined, stomping her foot against the mud.

Aang laughed as he brought his hands around her neck and leaned his forehead against her once more. "Toph, my Blind Bandit, do you even need to ask?"

"Blind Bandit, really?"

"Ugh," he rolled his eyes. "Of course I love you, Toph."

She grinned. And yes, it was as dumb and smitten as his. "Good."

::::

Aang, after spending a lovely night with his girlfriend and best animal companions, was abruptly startled awake by a rock to the head. He winced as he rocked straight up and rubbed his head, turning toward the general area of what the projectile came from. Toph was standing just a few feet away from their rock tent, which was now demolished apparently, and assumed her horse stance.

The sight of it made him shiver and hesitantly ask, "Uhh, Toph… what're you doing?"

"Putting lovey doveyness aside, Twinkles, as your Sifu I will not stand for it that you can't see as well as I do when you're standing in a place like this." She stomped her foot, summoning a large pillar of Earth beside her. "Forget staying here a full week. We're not leaving until you can also see that annoying hermit crab thumping its claw against that branch all the way in the Northern Air Temple."

He barely had time to dodge the flying slab of Earth.

He could hardly complain though.

After all, it was one of the many reasons why he loved her.

And he knew she did it out of love.

A/N: The Swamp shows visions of past, present, and future. Never had we ever seen it dabble in the present before. I thought LONG and hard about its effects on Toph and even debated it granting her the ability to see. But I didn't want to strip her blindness apart from her. It's always a part of Toph. I thought more on what we know of Toph in LoK and realized—this place is so much more than just visions. It's destiny. It's lessons. It's life.

Aang not being able to see Toph wasn't anything on his part aside from a test of faith and patience, but it was mainly a moment for Toph to sink in clarity. The Swamp's roots run all over the world, granting the ability to see practically everything with ever step, but I wanted to highlight the significance of blocking out all those sensations of the world around you… and just focusing on what's in front of you.

Hope you all enjoyed! More to come, and I'm excited!

Until next time,

- Bleh