Song Name: Start of Something New
Singer/Band: from Highschool Musical
Story Title: Startof Something New
Rating: T (just in case)
Pairings: Tophaang
Disclaimer: I do not own any of the songs from the Highschool Musical (from the Disney Channel) nor do I own any of the characters or themes produced from Nickelodeon team who created Avatar: The Last Airbender.

A/N: My first attempt at a Tophaang. Don't ask me why its a Highschool Musical song. Please. It just so happened to be on my i-Tunes so I was like: 'What the hell, it could be good.' So here it is. Its a little sloppy, I won't dent it. I also don't deny that Toph is out of characterin some places.Anyways, enjoy. Review please? Thanks, Solar Beam

Start of Something New

'Living' in my own world,
Didn't understand
That anything can happen.
When you take a chance
I never believed in
What I couldn't see.
I never opened my heart.'

Toph leaned against the tree, "watching" the boy sitting at the fire, poking the fire in a bored fashion. So they had landed earlier than Aang had hoped, that was no reason for him to throw a hissy-fit. Toph let out a sigh, listening to him roll his head back and forth until it popped; Aang was probably anxious about that little water-bender…Katara. She had noticed way before that day that Aang had had something for Katara; the way his cheeks flushed when she made a certain movement, the way around him the air got so much warmer when he was around her. Toph sighed. She didn't know why that bothered her so much about Twinkle Toes liking that little fluff ball of a girl. It was probably just the thought of the Avatar liking someone. That was all…right?

'To all the possibilities,
I know
That something has changed.
Never felt this way.
And right here tonight,
This could be the...'

"They are taking too long…" she heard Aang say to her. Katara and Sokka had left to go get dinner…but who could trust Sokka with food? And what was up with Katara? She had been spacey all day. Toph sighed and made her way toward the fire, finding a seat beside Aang.

"Don't worry," she said softly, "they are fine. Sugar Princess can take care of herself and Sokka…well…just don't worry about Katara." Aang looked at her curiously…Toph actually sounded sincere. Toph made her head tilted toward him as if she were looking at him. "You really like her, huh?"

Aang shrugged, a deep blush filtering from his neck up into his cheeks. Toph laughed, feeling the change in the air. "It's alright, Twinkle Toes. I won't tell her…trust me." She shook her head and leaned forward, crossing her arms across her chest so that she could lean against her knees. Her eyes reflected the fire, and Aang didn't miss it. He sighed.

"Is it that easy to tell?" he asked softly.

"I'm still surprised that Sokka hasn't noticed it—even if he is a dumby-dumb head. Its kind of hard to miss." She looked over at Aang and flashed one of her large smiled and Aang smiled back. He hadn't seen this side of the girl, and he didn't really want to ruin it with his stupid words. He kind of liked this side of her.

'Start of something' new.'

"…Do you miss your family?" Aang asked quietly, noticing how she had suddenly become quiet. She put her chin on her knees and shrugged slightly. She wasn't going to answer. Why did he think she was going to answer that…it was personal. He heaved a sigh and looked at her now with silent understanding. "I'm sorry…I know how it feels to miss someone."

Toph looked at him now, her eyes narrowed angrily. "I don't miss that place. They treated me like a weak little kid just because I can't see! Well I got news for them I've survived so far, right? I can take care of myself and carry my own weight and I can fight off anything that comes my way!" Her voice had risen into a yell and she surprised herself by feeling a tear fall down her cheeks. Was she really that home-sick? She thought she was just mad at her parents, and that was why she had run away with Aang and the gang. She bit her lip subconsciously…she had ran away. Who knew what her father was doing right now to get her back. She buried her head in her arms and shivered lightly, crying.

Aang saw the tears and was taken aback. For a long time, he sat there looking at the fire and letting her cry. Toph, crying…it didn't add up. Not to him; to him, Toph had always been the tough girl to beat up the guys. He sighed heavily and slowly, hesitantly, he reached out and rubbed her back softly. "Its okay to cry, Toph," he said quietly. Toph shook her head, but stayed quiet as she cried. He rubbed her back, looking up at the moon, watching the sliver of that smile float up into the sky as it got darker.

'It feels so right
To be here with you...
And now, looking in your eyes,
I feel in my heart
The start of something new.'

Finally Toph lifted herself up and looked toward Aang, a sad smile on her face as she looked right past him. Right past him. Aang sighed; she would never be able to look right at him…never. She slowly sat up straighter and set her head on Aang's shoulder in silence, surprising him even more. His mouth gaped open, but he continued to rub her back soothingly as a few tears slipped down her cheeks. Aang blushed slightly, feeling a familiar feeling in his heart in which he had only felt for Katara. He looked down at Toph, her eyes shut and yet she was crying softly in silence. Toph, the tough girl who called people rude nicknames, was crying on his shoulder. Aang knew that she was hiding something, he was wise like that. But he would let her tell him when she thought it best, and instead he just kept rubbing her back until her breathing evened out and then eventually came into a smooth, deep pattern.

'Now who'd of ever thought that...
We'd both be here tonight...
And the world looks so much brighter
With you by my side.
I know...that something has changed,
Never felt this way.
I know it for real.'

Katara and Sokka stepped into the clearing, and Katara stopped Sokka from walking any further. Her eyes followed Aang's figure, carrying something in his arms toward Appa and the spare sleeping bag. He set Toph on the sleeping bag, and slowly tucked her in. Katara smiled at this, watching them. She had always known something like this would happen, and now it had. She looked back at Sokka, but he was watching his fish with a hunger that kind of scared her. Katara took the fish and came toward the fire. "Is everything alright, Aang?" she asked innocently.

Aang looked up from the sleeping bag, back towards the fire where Katara sat. He smiled at her and shook his head, before he returned his gaze to Toph's innocent, sleeping face. He hesitantly swept a thumb on her cheek, catching the spare tears and making them fall to the ground. Slowly he stood, and after taking a long, confused look at Toph, turned and walked back toward the fire. "Everything is fine…"

'The start of something new.'