The air was tense for a moment. The only sound came from a far away wind, and the crackling of a candle flame. Sokka was smiling, not breaking eye contact with the Firelord. Aang and Katara had on neutral masks, trying their best to hide their mixed surprise and anticipation. Zuko's heart had leaped into his throat. He quickly tried to contain himself.
"Wh-what?" Zuko stammered.
"You heard me." Sokka's smile was dark. "I dare you to kiss Toph."
"No," the Firelord said. His anger bubbled at the surface, and he struggled to keep his emotions in check. He couldn't just kiss her out of the blue like this! He did not want their first kiss to be on a dare, or observed by three of his closest friends. Zuko was truly in shock. Did Sokka really know about his feelings? Was Sokka trying to ruin his chances with Toph? Or was it just a harmless dare amongst friends?
"What, you don't wanna kiss me?" Toph asked angrily. She was staring at the ground, frowning slightly.
"No, it's not that!" Zuko said, his voice betraying his anxiousness.
"So you do want to kiss her!" Sokka yelled triumphantly.
"N-no!" Zuko said. "It's not that either." He knew he was boxed into a corner. His eyes flitted over and locked onto Katara's. A silent plea for help. Eyes wide, she shook her head slightly. There was nothing she could do to contain this situation.
"Zuko are you okay?" Toph asked suddenly, abruptly. "Your heartbeat is real fast."
"Zu-zu," Sokka said, pulling out Azula's nickname to agitate him. "Anything you want to say for yourself?"
"Yes," Zuko said. "Wait, no! I don't know." The room seemed to swirl around him. Their faces blurred together, forming a colorful swirl before his eyes. Zuko got up quickly, swaying a little. Air, he decided. And distance. That's what he needed. If he could get away now, before it was too late..!
"I have to go," he said suddenly. "Fire nation business. Forgot to sign the... form. I have to go."
And he was gone. He walked briskly, barely short of running. The night air blew his hair back, and his scar prickled. His temperature had risen, and he was starting to lose control of his bending. His walk transformed into a jog, and before long he was running. He ran until he found a lake, where he released his frustrations. Zuko yelled at the night, letting a stream of fire flow from his mouth. It felt good, he realized. He threw balls of fire haphazardly toward the lake. Firebending always calmed him, one outlet that he could feel good about. When he had worn himself out, he sat down at the edge of the shore. His reflection was garishly reflected in the light of the moon. The ground around him began to rumble. Zuko's mind briefly envisioned an earthquake: the ground opening and swallowing him whole. Yet he didn't move. He accepted his fate.
But it wasn't an earthquake.
Toph had appeared next to him, sitting on a chair of earth. She didn't say anything for a while. It was almost calming, just sitting at the edge of the lake together. A few minutes passed.
"If you didn't want to kiss me, you could have just said so," Toph said in a flat voice.
"No, it's just, I couldn't," Zuko said, defenseless. He tried to change the subject. "It's a nice night."
"I can't see it." Toph didn't look around. She continued staring into the distance. Zuko felt his face grow hot again. What a stupid thing to say!
"Sorry," he whispered. Suddenly the wind stopped, and the world grew still. "It's dark," he said, "the sky is black and endless. The clouds are thin and grey. The trees are green and veiny, the bark thick and rough. The lake is a pale blue. You can see the moon reflected in the water. It's full, and very close."
Toph turned toward him. She had a peculiar expression on her face. "Your chair looks fit for the Earth Queen," Zuko continued, "and your clothes are simple but nice. And your callused fingers. And your messy hair. Your beautiful eyes."
Toph seemed very close all of a sudden. Her face was so close to his. Zuko leaned forward slightly, pressing his lips against Toph's. She accepted this, and kissed him back. He flicked his tongue against her lips. Zuko noted that her lips were soft and warm, a surprising contrast to the rest of her. It was brief, but enough. When they pulled away, Zuko immediately felt regret.
"I-I'm sorry. I didn't mean to be so sudden."
"It's okay," Toph said. Her face was very red. Her lips parted into a smile that lit up her whole face. Zuko's heart soared for a moment.
"You got the dare over with," Toph said, still smiling. Zuko's heart flopped to the bottom of his stomach. "Wasn't so bad, huh Sparky?"
She thought it was for the dare, Zuko realized. He found himself saying, "Yeah, you know I wouldn't back down from a dare." He cursed silently. How he wished he could suck the words back into his mouth. It wasn't for the dare! he thought angrily. It was for you. It was never about the dare. It was always you.
They got up and started walking back toward the house. Zuko looked up at the sky. "It's getting late," he said. "I should be going."
They slowed their pace, neither one really knowing what to say. "See you on the Third Wednesday?" Toph asked.
"The Third Wednesday," Zuko agreed. Toph hugged him briefly, but this was not special. Just the normal parting process. Neither spoke, and they went their separate ways. The Firelord glanced back only once, watching the small girl return to her home.
I love you, he thought.