Chapter 11 –Soothing

Aang couldn't sleep.

There was dim light from the lamp on the other side of the room. He can't sleep with light.

He slowly lifted his head, looking for Katara, he can't see her well. He turned to Haru, seeing a guy beside him made him uncomfortable so he turned around. He sees Toph, curled up like a cat. He looked at her black velvet hair, her arms, her face, she was facing him.

He tapped her shoulder. "Toph." Then again…

"Uh?" She cracked an eye open.

"I'm sorry if I made you cry. But I also want to thank you." Aang said softly and sincerely.

Toph smiled, a faint smile, " s'kay, Aang." Then she moved closer and kissed Aang on his lips softly.

Aang was stunned, and then she returned to sleep.

"Toph…" He breathed out her name as he brushed his lips with his fingers.

….

"K-tara?" a whisper.

Katara moaned, she was awake, but she didn't want to get up yet anytime soon. She'd always take a few minutes lying on bed before going up. Her eyes were closed and she was comfortable hugging Ty Lee. She felt warm, though her body seemed a bit stiff. Maybe because Katara hugged her all night. But it didn't matter to Katara cause she still wanted to sleep even more.

Toph woke up as well. Her eyes slowly cracking open as she sat up. She sees Suki sitting up, awake as well. And Iroh smiling at her.

Toph smiled and tried saying in a quiet voice "Goo-"

Ssh! Suki put a finger on her own lips, telling Toph not to speak. Then she pointed to a direction she wished Toph to see.

Toph snickered, even trying her best not to laugh. Katara hears her but tries to ignore.

Then a camera flash resonated throughout the room. Then Toph started laughing loudly. This angered Katara, she hugged onto Ty Lee tighter, burying her face on her neck.

"Ugh…" Among the laughing voices of Suki and Toph, Katara heard a male's voice as she tugged herself deeper into Ty Lee.

She can also feel her skin touching her, too much skin; did she not wear anything after the game? Wait, she didn't lose any clothing in the game, right? Why all this…

She opened her eyes, a bare stunning man's chest surprised her. This is not Ty Lee. She pushed the person away for her to see who it was. Her eyes widen in horror when she saw Zuko! He was half naked in front of her. Her hands were on his elbows. He was stiff because he was already awake.

Toph and Suki laughed harder.

Katara quickly jumped away from him. Pressing her foot on his belly as she stood up on the futon away from him.

Zuko moaned from her kick. "That hurt!"

Katara furrowed her eyes, "Why didn't you move away? Why didn't you wake me up?" her voice was loud, waking every body else up.

He answered in a low voice, trying not to break in a fight, "I tried waking you up," it was true, he did so, a few minutes ago, "but you wouldn't wake up." Meaning: you looked so peaceful and I didn't want to ruin your slumber, and get in a fight. But he did anyway.

"Maybe you liked me doing that did you?" Katara said loudly, completely ignoring what he said.

Zuko narrowed his eyes and raised a brow, "Didn't you just hear what I—"

"You- you're crazy, Zuko!" She stammered.

….

They all took a swim for the last day of the trip. They decided to play a game. Toph was the one to suggest playing wrestling. But since the pool was a bit deep for some of them, Azula recommended that the girls have to sit on the guys' shoulders. Azula forced Zuko to be her partner. Sokka had partnered with Suki, of course. Jet had Mai. Ty Lee and Haru teamed up. Katara and Toph didn't have a partner. Toph and Aang. Mai and Jet lost first from Ty Lee's flexibility. Sokka and Suki fell. After that, Ty Lee pushed Toph and Aang and they fell. Then Azula tried pulling off Ty Lee's swim suit. Azula and Zuko won.

Iroh then brought out a large ball for them to play with. Azula suggested playing volleyball. Choosing through rock, paper and scissors, winner gets into team A, and those who lost are in team B.

Team A was composed of Aang, Ty Lee, Mai, Suki and Haru. Team B was composed of Zuko, Katara, Sokka, Azula and Jet. Being the smallest, Toph decided to take pictures and Iroh decided to be referee.

First server, Azula. Mai had hit the ball back. Katara throws it to them. Haru had a shot and it landed on the water. The game went on and on. It was running to a tie. Team B's ball, Zuko served. Aang spiked, Jet threw the ball back, Mai shot the ball back at them, Azula threw it back again, Ty Lee stepped on Haru's back and jumped out of the water to make a spike, it went straight to Katara's face.

"Oops!" Ty Lee bit her lower lip.

"That would be out point. And our win." Mai said stoically.

Azula splashed the water at them for their loss.

Zuko grabbed her arm fast before she could slip and fall down.

Katara blushed, then gave an irritated look as she snatched her hand away from him, "Thanks."

After playing, they had a karaoke sing-along.

Sokka and Suki made a duet, though, it felt like Sokka was the only one who sung his heart out, though not in the most beautiful (voice) way. Mai didn't want to sing. Jet was forced to sing for her, but he didn't have a good voice as well. Toph song a rock song as she forced her lungs for each lyric. Katara sang a love song, her voice was a bit shy and shaking but it was nice. Ty Lee sang two times, Azula sang as well. Aang sang an oldie. Haru sang great, he sounded good. Iroh shared a few hits. Then the old man forced Zuko to song as well. First he was singing in a low voice which obviously meant that he's not into singing, but when he got into the chorus, he got along with the music and sang better.

After eating lunch, they began packing up.

Boys' room:

"Hey, Zuko." Aang walked up to him, his head low.

Zuko was packing his… undies in his bag, not actually a good time to be talking to someone. He looked at him from his shoulder.

"Yeah, Aang?"

"I'm sorry."

Sokka and Haru were in the same room with them, they silently watched them.

He sighed, this is the second time he apologized. Zuko stopped packing and turned to him completely.

"It's nothing, Aang. It's alright." Zuko smirked.

Aang grinned back.

Girls' room:

"Okay, okay, we're riding Iroh's car, alright?" Ty Lee told Mai and Jet.

Mai was done packing. She was just blow drying her hair after a bath. "Sure, Ty Lee."

"I'm taking a ride on Zuko's car." Toph said as she closed Katara's luggage for her.

Katara opened the luggage again, "You seem to be very close to him, Toph. I wonder why." She recalled last night as they made fun of each other.

Toph shrugged, "It's because you slept early. Last night we discussed whose boarding where. Zuko is passing Sokka to his apartment. And I live two blocks away from him. So Zuko's taking me as well."

Katara nodded. Ignoring the fact that he can pass by her house as well.

"You heard Ty Lee. They're taking Iroh's car. Haru's car seemed to be on the other direction with Aang and Azula. Maybe Suki's with them, I dunno. So whose car are you riding?"

Boys' room:

"I don't know." Zuko shrugged.

Haru had been asking questions towards the handsome young man.

"You know, if you take Katara with you, you can talk to her in deleting your picture." Sokka suggested.

"He's right." Haru nodded. Then he remembered that he was the one holding his arm down as Zuko struggled that night, he chuckled.

"Maybe…"

Girls room:

"…I could. He's passing mine anyway." Katara continued packing.

"Oh… So you're no angry with him anymore?" Toph asked with a smirk.

"I'm not really that angry, he just… frustrates me." Katara frowned.

"Can I ask you something?" Mai put the blow dryer down, she looked around. Suki and Azula were not there,

Katara looked at her.

"Do you like Zuko?" Mai crossed her arms and leaned back on the mirror on the wall.

Katara's eyes were wide. What? It took a moment for her to reply. "Why do you ask me that?"

"Katara, I don't know if you've noticed, but a lot of things happened around you when you're with Zuko." Mai scanned the room as she spoke.

"It's not like I like them." Katara defended. "Besides, they were accidents. Coincidences!"

"But do you like him?" Ty Lee jumped on the bed in front of Katara.

"No!" Katara blushed. "He's too old for me!"

"Okay, if you say so, then I believe you." Mai shrugged and began to walk out of the room.

Ty Lee giggled as soon as Mai was out. "Let's keep this between you and me." She tells Toph and Katara.

"We think Azula likes Zuko." Ty Lee's lips were cute to watch as she spoke as if her lips sexily curved.

This surprised them.

Oh. Katara slumped her shoulders.

Then Ty Lee stood up, "You know how she is when she wants something." She shrugged as she walked outside as well.

Toph looked at Katara. She felt guilt. She's been that close to him… would Azula be jealous?

"Katara?" Toph said.

Katara turned to her.

"Aang said he loves you." Toph's face was serious. Katara never saw her like that. "But do you love him?"

Her blue eyes were trembling as she looked at Toph's serious emerald eyes.

"No, Toph… You know…uh…" she sighed. "Why do you ask me things like that?

"Cuz I'm in love with him." Toph said clearly and sincerely.

"What? I… I thought you… I even thought you liked Zuko."

"Zuko's a nice guy. But he ain't for me. Aang's different, that's why I love him. But I don't want to force myself to him because we all know that he loves you."

Katara's eyes shimmered with the light even more. This was very perplexing.

….

Aang was sitting in a small corner of the room as he watched the ball floating in the pool. Then he noticed the old man standing next to him.

Without turning his head, he asked, "Iroh, have you been kissed by mistake?"

"Heavens! No! Hahaha! Why do you ask?"

"It's nothing." He breathed for a while. He couldn't think of anything to ask. What should you do when you were kissed by mistake? What's the reason why she kissed you?

"How can you tell if that was a mistake?" Iroh asked the boy.

"What?" he looked up to him.

"How do you think it was a mistake?"

"Oh.." he turned his head to the pool again, "because I didn't think she was aware. I think she was half-asleep when she did that. I dunno."

"See here, boy. You wouldn't kiss someone you like or at least, in the simplest words, you have a crush on."

Aang's eyes widen in curiosity. What if… then he tilted his head to Iroh, "What about Katara and Zuko? Jet said he accidentally pushed Katara down on Zuko, making them kiss."

"What?" Apparently, Iroh's not aware of the search thing that happened yesterday. "Really? They did?"

"Yeah.. but don't tell them I told you that."

"Okay. I won't" Iroh suddenly crossed his fingers behind. Then he sat near Aang. "Let's forget about that. Just bear in mind that the one who kissed you, didn't seem to think of it as a mistake. You say she was half-asleep. Maybe she dreamt of kissing you, and was able to kiss you in reality."

Aang nodded in understanding.

"A kiss shouldn't burden your heart; it should be easing your soul. A kiss is a wonderful gift. It does wonders for the heart." With that he left him.

When Aang's out of Iroh's ear sight …"He's right. It did do me wonders. Right now, I can't stop thinking about her…"

Katara kissed Aang, but it was just work. They kissed numerous times, but they get paid to do so. But Toph's was different. It wasn't scripted, or paid. It was sweet and very..very… Aang couldn't think of the right word to say.

But we all know it felt very soothing. Very True.

To be continued.