Sorry I didn't get this up on Frisay, my computer is being a bitch. I had to this from a friends computer.

Discalimer: I don't own Avatar

Toph laid awake on her back in the large soft bed facing the ceiling. She scowled into the darkness. The whole house was silent, everyone had gone to bed.

Though she had acted tough with Zuko this scared her. She was married and with marriage came a thousand other things. She knew she didn't have to stay here, and that was the one thought that comforted her. That and the fact that Zuko wouldn't force her into anything she didn't want.

It was reassuring, having Zuko there, she thought as she rolled onto her side. It was something she only admitted to herself, but she had been lonely. She missed Aang and Sokka and Katara, missed them so terribly. And she knew it wasn't the same for them.

Not that they didn't miss her, but not in the same way, not as much, as she missed them. Katara and Sokka were still together and Aang, well Aang was Aang. He was the Avatar and he made friends easily. She had no one, she was all alone.

But now she had Zuko, she thought as a slight smile replaced the scowl. She reached out into the darkness beside her until her fingers brushed against something. It was the fabric of Zuko's tunic and she held it between her fingers, gratefully aware of the sleeping form next to her, the sinking and rising of his chest as he breathed. She wasn't alone.

The next morning Toph joined Zuko in the Fire Nation Palace. She didn't much fancy being all alone in the house and to go with Zuko was as good as anything else.

Zuko looked at her, sitting across from him in the carriage, her arms crossed across her chest. She was wearing her green tunic, as always, and her feet were bare and already covered in dirt. She would be quite a sight in the palace. In a way he was already looking forward to it.

The carriage stopped in front of the Palace and they stepped out of it. It would pick them up again later today.

Toph surveyed the building. It was grand and majestic, just like the Earth Kingdom Palace had been. The hallways were long and grand, covered in thick, plush carpet and everywhere there were red hangings. She grinned to herself and followed Zuko into the palace, taking great pleasure in leaving a tread of dusty footprints. The eyes of the other nobles entering the palace were upon her, completely scandalized.

"So Zuko," she caught up with him so that they were walking side by side, "What do you do all day at the palace?"

He shrugged, "Attend meetings, read scrolls, that sort of thing. Talk to the advisors and try to assist my Uncle as best as I can."

"That sounds boring," she noted, grinning to herself, "Just like I expected."

"What's that supposed to mean?" He said staring at her, his eyebrow twitching.

"You have no idea how to have fun," Toph replied and Zuko felt the urge to strangle her. Somehow Toph could always make him angry; her sharp, jabbing comments pushed all the right buttons. And he got the distinct impression that this amused her to no end.

There was a meeting to be held now that all Cabinet members had finally returned to the city. They were the first ones in the room and so settled down on their chairs and watched the others arrive.

As the other members of the cabinet entered they stared at Toph with the utmost surprise, some even with outright disdain. She greeted each one with a cheerful grin that told Zuko she was up to no good. Iroh on the other hand was absolutely delighted to see Toph and immediately arranged for another chair to be brought in to replace the one Toph had taken.

The discussion began and one by one many of the cabinet members rose and spoke. It wasn't very interesting but Zuko tried to pay attention as he felt it was his duty as Crown Prince. One man talked on and on and as Zuko felt his attention drifting he felt Toph tug his sleeve lightly. He turned to face her and she leaned towards him.

"And you sit through stuff like this every day?" she asked in a low voice under the man's rambling.

"Yeah," he breathed back.

She raised an eyebrow, "they're quite a bunch of droners." Zuko bit back a smile and when he returned his attention to the table he felt the disapproving gazes of the other cabinet members but he didn't really care.

After an hour and a half of talking about something boring (rice imports and the like) there was a break. Toph turned to Iroh, "Are the meetings always like this?"

"Oh yes," Iroh nodded happily pouring himself some tea, "Though today was pretty terrible."

"Do you go to all the meetings? And Zuko?"

"No, no." Iroh smiled, "I have my ministers to take care of the little stuff. But today is the first meeting since we came back to our Nation so it is necessary that I was present. Usually all ministers and I have a meeting twice a week to discuss everything but my dear nephew does attend more meetings than it is strictly necessary for him."

"Really?" Toph sounded amused, "That does sound like him. How many meetings does he have to attend?"

Zuko glared at them, his Uncle and his wife amusing themselves at his expense. Yet he couldn't be very angry with them. They didn't mean him any harm.

"Alright," Toph pushed herself up from the table, "Come on Zuko."

"What?" He was confused now, "The meeting is about to continue."

"Duh," Toph said, "so we're getting out of here." And she grabbed his arm firmly and patrolled him out of his chair and out the door. Zuko tried to protest but she wouldn't let go. He could feel Uncle Iroh smiling at him.

"Didn't you think that was boring?" Toph asked him when they were out of the room and walking through the hallways.

"Yes," Zuko admitted.

"Then why do you do it?"

"I have to know what is going on in my nation," he said, then sobered, "besides I have nothing else to do."

"Man Zuko," she declared loudly, "Your Uncle is taking care of everything for now. You don't have to do anything. And besides your nation doesn't gain anything from a Prince that has no idea what fun is. I guess it's a good thing I'm here now."

Zuko showed Toph around the palace and explained what he had been doing these last months. She laughed at everything and told him that he had no life several times. And in her affectionate teasing laid the truth Zuko realized.

All these months he had been doing things that he didn't really like and spending his time with people he really didn't like, all for the good of his nation. But as Toph pointed out, what did his nation really gain from it? Nothing.

Toph's presence, her loud, unpolished comments, her down-to-earth-ness, everything about her, made him realize how utterly lonely he had been. In a palace surrounded by people he had kept to himself, doing what he thought was his duty. The only person he had actually had any real contact with was his Uncle. But his Uncle was often busy and besides him there was no one, no one in the whole palace that he wanted to have anything to do with.

It was quite a miserable existence.

I know you guys are waiting for the romance, but bear with me it'll come.