Blind
For Liooness, for all her great drabbles!
"Let me help you," Toph smirked, as she watched her new punching bag struggle through a complicated set of moves. He kept missing the rhythm, which was throwing his balance off center. "You're doing it wrong."
"And how would you know? You're..." Zuko asked haughtily. He was going to pay for that comment, even before he could say it.
"Blind? I think you're the blind one here. You're too blind to notice that you don't shift your weight properly when you are transferring between moves. You're also too blind to notice that you favor moves that expend huge amounts of energy, leaving you vulnerable if you miss. And you're so blind, you don't even know that I could take you with one hand tied behind my back and still not break a sweat." Toph was debating actually making good on her threats. "I hope you're not blind enough to make me demonstrate."
"No," her new punching bag said laconically. He didn't seem annoyed at all. "I wasn't going to say blind."
"You weren't?" Toph asked, putting down the rocks she was gently moving closer to her.
"I was going to say an earth-bender. Your style is different from mine. I'd never call you blind. I've seen what you can do. You're one of the strongest in the group." Now that was something she liked to hear.
"Wow, you're smarter than I thought you were." Toph was beginning to be to be glad she gave this guy a chance.
"Is that supposed to be a compliment?" Zuko asked, sounding a bit confused.
"Yes. So can I help you now? I'm sure even an Earthbender can give you a few points," Toph said, her smile much sweeter now.