A/N: Finally, here it is!
ATLA ATLA ATLA
"Sokka…"
"I don't want to talk about it Zuko. I really, really don't. Why can't you and Katara just understand?"
Zuko sighed tiredly, running a hand through his hair and hurrying to catch up with Sokka.
"I do understand!"
Sokka suddenly stopped and turned around, giving him a dry look.
Zuko rolled his eyes, stuffing his hands into the pockets of his expensive black pants. "Okay you're right," he admitted. "I don't understand. But seriously, it's Azula! Azula. It would be weird if I did understand! But can you please just tell me what you are doing?"
Sokka looked at him with narrowed eyes, then turned around and started walking again. Zuko hurried after him.
"I am dating her." Sokka answered, walking at a pace that Zuko struggled to keep up with. "Or at least I hope to. I'm going to ask her soon, I think."
"She's probably just using you." Zuko muttered, jogging up to his friend.
"No she isn't!" Sokka snapped, throwing him a dark glare.
"Whatever, your funeral." The black-haired boy said, putting his hands up defensively.
After that there was no conversation. Zuko couldn't believe that Azula could actually, genuinely like Sokka. He was certain that she was using him or playing with him or something sick like that. Azula just wasn't capable of caring for something. She didn't have the capacity for it.
And then what was with Sokka? How could he be sucked in by Azula's lies so easily? He had heard enough from Zuko to know better than believe anything Azula said.
"Well I gotta go. I'm going to be late for my next class." Sokka said coldly. Zuko could tell that Sokka was still angry with him.
"Alright, I'll see you later."
The two boys parted ways, each a little unhappy with the other.
"What an idiot." Zuko muttered under his breath as he walked to his calculus class.
He watched fellow students travel across the sprawling, picturesque campus. He stopped in his tracks when he spotted two people he recognized.
Katara.
And Jet.
The couple were wrapped up in each other's arms, gazes locked like there was nobody else there. It made Zuko sick. He watched in horror as they kissed each other sweetly, coming even closer together.
Could that have been him and Katara yesterday night? They were so, so close. What did that mean? Could Katara actually have feelings for him?
He seriously doubted it, watching her mack on Jet.
With a sigh of defeat he continued to make his way to his class.
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This was it. This was his shot.
She was curled up on her own on the couch, looking through her neat, colour-coded notes. He watched her play with a chocolate curl that escaped from her ponytail, the hair winding around her elegant finger.
She was so, so gorgeous.
"Katara?" He winced at how squeaky his voice sounded.
She lifted her head at the sound of his voice, her ocean-blue eyes lighting up magnificently.
"Hey Aang! Come sit with me." She swing her legs off of the couch and patted the spot beside her. Aang accepted her invitation gratefully, hurrying to her side.
"What's up." She asked him, smiling that sweet smile that seemed reserved for him.
Aang shrugged, staring at his knees. "I just wanted to talk to you. I've missed you lately, it seems like we don't get to talk as much as we used to."
Katara wrapped her arm around his shoulders. Aang felt his whole body warm up with a tingly, wonderful feeling. "Aww Aang, you're right! I'm so sorry. I feel like I've been a bad friend."
"No!" Aang objected loudly, looking at her with his huge grey eyes. "You're never a bad friend. That's impossible for you. You're just so nice and… loving."
She grinned, hugging him closer. "Thank you so much Aang."
Aang furrowed his dark eyebrows, his face a picture of confusion. "For what?"
Katara ruffled his hair fondly, the smile on her face growing. "For being a part of my life. I just know that you'll forever be one of my best friends."
"I hope so." He answered shyly, not meeting her stunning azure eyes.
Katara removed her arm from around his shoulder and stood up, closing her notebook. "Well I've got to go! I promised Jet that I would study with him today."
He felt the joy in him sinking down into a deep misery. "Oh." He muttered, his lower lip sliding out slightly.
Katara winced, noticing the hurt on his face. "I promise I'll make it up to you! How about when I get back, you and I hang out? Just the two of us. We can watch a movie in your room or something. How does that sound?"
"Good." Was his perfunctory reply.
Happy with his answer, Katara said her goodbyes and hurried off.
Would she never be his?
ATLA ATLA ATLA
Yes, she had been eavesdropping.
But it wasn't even on purpose.
She had been sitting in the dining room, minding her own business when the sounds of a conversation introduced themselves to her ears.
And yes, it stung.
Because she knew exactly Aang was thinking and feeling.
And it had everything to do with Katara and nothing, not even a little to do with her.
So when Katara left and Aang sat there, moping on the couch, she knew what she had to do. Not wanted to do.
What she wanted to do was to scream or cry, throw a fit, punch him in the face or do some other kind of damage. But that wasn't going to help anything or anyone. What she needed to do was to help her friend.
So she got up and walked over to where he sat, watching Animal Planet. Just like he always did.
I'm too nice for my own good. "Get up Twinkle Toes, I need to talk to you."
Aang stood slowly. "What do you-"
"Shut up. You don't get to ask questions, I do. Now let's go, follow me."
They walked in silence to the park and Toph scared a couple of little kids away so they could sit on the swings that they always sat on.
Once they were settled, she wasted no time.
"You're going about this all the wrong way."
"Going about what?"
She looked at him, raising her eyebrows sceptically. "Don't play dumb with me you airhead, I know that you know what I'm talking about."
"Alright," he gave in. "Then tell me what I'm doing wrong!"
The desperation in his huge grey eyes touched her heart. Instead of letting him know this, she reached over and punched him in the shoulder. "Be a man twinkle toes!"
"I am!" He whined childishly, rubbing his sore shoulder with a pout.
She rolled his eyes at his immaturity. "No you are not. Katara likes somebody who can hold their own. She wants someone who is strong and independent. That's why you need to be more like your competition."
Aang cocked his head to the side, swaying slightly on the swing. "My competition?"
"Yup." Toph nodded, pulling the sleeves of her slouch grey pullover over her small, cold hands. "Jet and Zuko. See the thing is, Jet and Zuko have something-"
"Wait," Aang interrupted. "Zuko?"
Toph sighed impatiently, shooting him a quick glare from behind her bangs. "Yes Zuko."
"Why?"
Uh oh. Toph had to think quickly.
"Well because besides you," She said calmly, giving no hints and her distress, "Sparky is the only other guy in the house that Katara isn't related to. So that makes him a contestant."
"Well I don't think Zuko should count." Aang said stubbornly.
Toph raised her dark eyebrows at him in a way that told him of her disapproval.
Aang blushed but continued on, wanting to give a good reason. "Zuko knows how I feel about Katara! He's my best friend, he would never betray me."
Toph crossed her legs. "True but there's nothing holding Katara back. She could wake up one morning and decide that she wants to have the hots for Sparky…"
Aang looked at her with wide, naïve eyes. "No!"
Toph automatically felt sorry for him. "Hey relax Twinkle Toes," Her voice softened as she put a comforting hand on his shoulder. "I'm not saying that it will happen, okay? I'm just saying that it could happen."
Aang nodded, but he still couldn't meet her eyes.
So she lightly kicked his nike-covered food with the toe of her new striped high tops affectionately, smirking. "It's up to you to show Katara that you're the only one she needs. So man up and be a bit more assertive. Don't let her treat you like her little brother. Got it?"
He nodded and gave her a sweet, grateful smile that made her heart skip a beat. "Thank you so much Toph. You really are a great friend."
Toph put her head down, trying to hide her blush. "Yeah whatever Twinkle Toes. You'll just owe me."
On the walk back to the house, Aang was a lot happier than before. And that was the moment that Toph realized something important.
As long as he was happy, it would be enough for her. At least for now.
ATLA ATLA ATLA
-NEXT SATURDAY-
"Toph can you meet me at the city-train station?"
When Teo called her, she was really tempted to just ignore the call. But against her better judgement, she answered. He would never get off her brain if she didn't just face him.
"Why..?"
She could hear heavy breathing on his end, like he had been walking or something.
"I was just at the Jasmine Dragon and I was on my way to the station, when I noticed that it was the one not too far from the Upper Ring! So do you think that you could walk down here and meet me? I need to talk to you about something."
Toph blew her bangs out of her eyes, beyond irritated. Why was he doing this? She could either stay home and waste the rest of her day, thinking about him and trying to ignore the brick-wall-thick tension that surrounded the house.
"Fine. I'll be there in ten."
"Thank-you!"
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It took her seven minutes to run all the way there.
"Hey!" From behind his glasses, his chocolately eyes lit up when he saw her. Toph walked up to him, panting. "Hi Four-Eyes."
She joined him on a stone bench, still out of breath and pushing her dark hair off of her face.
He beamed at her, giving her a light punch on the shoulder. "What's up?"
"Nothing. It's been painfully awkward in the house, so most of the time I'm hiding out in my room with my homework and a sketchbook."
He looked sympathetic. "Bummer." Then his face lifted again and a grin made it's way across his features. "Then maybe you'd like to escape it for a while! Will you go on a date with me?" He blurted out.
"What?" Toph shrieked, not even caring at how high-pitched her voice sounded.
He at least had the decency to smile sheepishly. "I just thought that we could go on one date… and if you really hate it, then I'll back off."
Toph gave him a pleading look. "I don't know Teo…" She trailed off softly, using his real name.
"Please Toph," He begged, reaching for her small hands. "It doesn't even have to be tradition, cheesy date. We don't have to do the whole dinner-and-a-movie thing, we can just… I dunno, hang out. Do something fun."
She bit her lip and looked away, thinking. What was the harm? Well there was always the thought that accepting would be leading him one. But if she told him exactly how she felt, then maybe she wouldn't be leading him on? And it was just one date. They would just hang out. They always hung out. It would just be like normal times. And it would get her out of the house…
"Fine." Toph agreed reluctantly. "But this is the ONLY time this will happen. And I don't want you to get any ideas, got that?"
Teo grinned hugely. "Of course! What time should I pick you up? We can go in your car. I don't really want to ride the city-train again today." He joked lightly.
"Four." Toph answered. She didn't want it to be seven or something like that. It would give it more of a date feel.
"Cool." Teo said excitedly, getting up. "I'll call you when I'm on my way, okay?"
She nodded numbly, trying to figure out what exactly she had just agreed to.
"There's my train! See you later!" Teo practically skipped to the train, looking back to wave before getting on.
It seemed like a million years passed before she finally made it back to the house. She walked through the house in a trance, sitting on the dining room table and staring at the wall in a trance.
Four-Eyes… me… date… together. What?
The same sentence ran through her brain at least a million times before Zuko found her. Without thinking, she spilled the entire story out to him, right from when Teo drunkenly kissed her at the club last Saturday. Zuko listened in that perfect, Zuko-like way, nodding. After giving her some Uncle Iroh-esque advice, he left.
When he left he told Suki that Teo asked her out, who told Katara, who dragged Toph into their bedroom to find something to wear.
And at 2:40, Toph emerged, fully dressed. Katara was beaming, proud of her work.
Toph was wearing a tight-fitting blue-green V-neck t-shirt with a pair of pencil-leg brown corduroys. Instead of her standard chucks, she wore a comfy pair of grey booties. (A/N: These are based off of my SUPER COMFORTABLE pair of cotton/suede blowfish ankle booties. Whenever I wear them I feel like I'm wearing stylish slippers hahaha)
Katara had somehow convinced Toph to let her curl her hair. She wore it in a low side-ponytail.
So now Toph was waiting in the living room with Aang and Zuko, watching Oceans 11.
Suki and Katara sat by the window, waiting for Teo to show up.
"Oh my gosh he's here!" Katara exclaimed, clapping her hands.
"Aww what a cutie-pie," Suki cooed. "Toph is so lucky!"
The three sitting on the couch got up to join Suki and Katara at the window.
"It's the sweater." Katara said matter-of-factly. "He looks adorable in it!"
Toph stared at his turquoise and grey striped sweater, trying to figure out what the big deal was.
Suki suddenly spun around, grinning. "You look gorgeous sweetie! Teo won't be able to keep his eyes off of you."
"That's right Shrimp."
Toph made a face. Zuko was about to ruffle her hair when Katara shot up him dark glare, almost as dark as the ones she had been throwing his way since Sunday.
"Teo?" Aang asked, confused.
"Oh that's right," Zuko spoke up. "I forgot to tell you. Toph's going on a date with Teo today."
A funny expression fluttered across Aang's face. "Really? I didn't know you liked him like that." He said in a quiet voice.
Toph looked at the ground and an unpleasant silence took over the room.
They where all saved from further discomfort when the phone rang. Katara left the window and answered it, leaning against the wall and greeting the person in her polite phone-voice.
"Oh you are?" They heard her speak into the phone. "Hmm mm. Alright, thanks! I'll send her out now." Katara hung up ran back to the window. "He's here sweetie! I'll grab your coat for you."
Toph nodded grimly. He was a whole ten minutes early! He had no business coming early!
As Katara hurried away, Zuko gave her a one-armed hug. "Have fun Shrimp. I'm not going to give him the protective, big-brother speech today, but that doesn't mean that he's safe from it!"
Toph smirked and wiggled out from other his arm. "Oh shut up Sparky." She let Suki hug her quickly then punched Aang and left.
Katara was waiting by the door impatiently, holding Toph's expensive brown pea coat- a gift from her parents.
Her friend helped her into it and hugged her tightly. "Have fun!"
She nodded, stepping into the warm autumn air.
Here we go…
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"Look at this," Teo said cheerfully, grabbing a piece of paper off of his dash and putting it in her lap.
Toph chewed a piece of lemon-lime gun, squinting at the paper.
Underground Kingdom Park Information.
1. THE ROCKSLIDE
2. CAVE OF DOOM
3. AVALANCHE MOUNTAIN
4. THE ROCKET
Toph stopped reading at number four and looked up at Teo with a huge grin. "We're going to Underground Kingdom? Awesome!"
Underground Kingdom was a huge amusment part in the Middle Ring. All of the buildings in the park were made of earth-coloured floors, walls and ceilings, giving it an underground feel. A lot of the rides were covered with domes of the same earthen shade. There was a zoo in the park dedicated to foxes, moles, rabbits and other burrowing animals. Since the moment Toph found out about it, she'd been longing to go. Her and Teo had talked about it several times before.
"Yup." Teo grinned back. "And that's the list of all of the biggest, bad-est rides in the park. They are the ones that go at break-neck speed and cause all the sissies to go crying home to their mama's. It's gonna rock!"
"Sweet!" Toph cheered. "This is going to be great!"
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And it was great. Five hours later, Toph and Teo emerged from the park, looking dishevelled but grinning.
"It's like, I'm full of adrenaline or something."
"I know!" he agreed. "I can't believe we rode The Rockslide six times! That ride was insane. My head hurts so badly."
"Mine too. But it's a good ache."
Teo laughed and took a bite out of his churro.
"I love it there. We should come back with the whole gang, it would be so fun!"
"We definitely should. We have to do it before it starts getting cold."
"Yeah," Toph agreed. "Sometime before Thanksgiving."
They continued to talk about their day on the drive back to the house. When they got out, Teo walked Toph to the door.
Oh crap. This was the awkward goodbye part. Toph never wanted to be in this position with Teo. Before, their goodbye's were simple and easy. I friendly smile, a playful punch or a 'text me!'. But for some reason, Toph didn't feel like she could do that this time around. But what was she supposed to say? Thank you? She was thank full that he took her (she actually did have a great time) but she didn't want to sound like she wanted to go on another date with him. But then, did she really not want to? Maybe it wouldn't hurt to go on another one. It's not like it had been all that weird or awkward. They just… had fun. Teo was easy to be around and to talk to. Still, that didn't change the way she felt about Aang. Going on more dates with Teo would make him think that she was over Aang, which she most definitely was not.
Toph shook her head, tired of over-thinking.
"Thanks for tonight, Four-Eyes. I had a good time." She gave him a small, sincere smile.
He smiled back brightly, his pretty brown eyes sparkling under the lights above. "No problem. I always have fun when I hang out with you."
"Same." Toph mumbled.
"So…" Teo trailed off, sticking his hands into his slim-fit jean pockets and rocking back and forth on his heels.
Before he could get any ideas of kissing her, Toph leaned forward and wrapped her arms around his waist for a quick hug. He was so much taller than her that her head only reached his chest.
"." She blurted out before opening the unlocked door and rushing inside.
When she was running for her room, hoping that she wouldn't be ambushed by her roommates, she looked out the window.
And there he was, grinning on the doorstep like he was the luckiest man alive.
ATLA ATLA ATLA
A/N: DONE DONE AND DONE!
Sorry for ANOTHER long wait. I've had exams and all of that other lame stuff. But now that finals are out of the way, updates should be coming sooner! I hope you guys liked this one.
So what did you think of the Teoph date? What do you think is going to happen with Katara and Zuko? Is Sokka going to ask Azula to be his girlfriend? And if he does, will she say yes?
That's all coming up in the next instalment of How to Deal With Roommates.
So stay tuned! ;)
-Tk.