Place: Takes place during and after Ember Island Players.

COOL NIGHT

During...

"Agh!" Zuko furiously huffed at the nervy brat and yanked his hood over his head.

"I like your scar. You got it in a fight, that makes it a trophy!" Toph smiled.

"How can you say that?" Zuko asked, looking away from her.

"Think about it. You only got that scar because you cared about those people. So, it's a symbol of the first time you defied your dad and how compassionate you are."

"I guess I never really thought of that." Zuko said, touching his scar. He felt weirdly happy.

Zuko smiled at the little blind girl once more and blushed. He couldn't help but be a little embarrassed. No one had ever actually complemented his scar sincerely, certainly no girl had ever done so. OK, so maybe Toph wasn't really one to be lumped with other girls so easily, but biologically, she was female. "Thanks, that really means a lot to me." He said quietly.

"No problem. From what Aang told me, you could really use a friend. Have you ever had one before?"

"No. After Sozen, it became some sort of unspoken tradition that the crown prince never have friends. It was to 'protect them from being betrayed' like Sozen was."

"Wow, you've done a lot of rebelling." Toph said in a matter-of-fact tone, leaning on him once more. Only this time, she scooted closer, so that their bodies were touching.

Zuko smiled, thinking Toph was cold. It was rather chilly that night. The teenager put his arm around Toph, allowing her to rest against him. Toph felt fire through her veins with Zuko's arm around her.

"Guys, the plays staring up again." Sokka called, coming up to them. "Am I interrupting something...That I hope I'm not?" He asked awkwardly. In the past year that he'd known Zuko, he'd never thought him to be a pedophile.

Zuko blushed awkwardly. Public displays of affection were defiantly not something he was used to. "No, nothing happened." He said. Toph's face fell a little in disappointment.

Katara came in from outside. She seemed to wrapped up in her thoughts to notice anything. The young girl just walked right into the theater without a word to anyone. Sokka and Suki exchanged confused looks, then fallowed. Zuko helped a sleepy Toph to her feet and they also entered the theater.

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After...

The gang had decided to get in a little something to take there minds off the play. Not being to preoccupied with it was the only hope certain people had of getting to sleep that night. Katara had especially had long night. Constantly being taunted by Toph about how 'that was the truth no matter how much it hurts', being portrayed as the complete opposite of who she really was, and especially that thing with Aang. But that bratty little earthbender would get hers, Katara would see to that personally with the most humiliating and revealing game in the history of man kind; Truth Or Dare.

That was all about an hour ago. Everyone, save for Zuko, began grilling Toph about him. So far, all she'd revealed was that she was in love with ether Aang, Sokka, or Zuko. That was all she could take before she ran off. She never wanted it to get out, especially not this way. Now, he was at the islands beach.

Toph had claimed that the play stunk, in truth, because of the same scene that troubled Aang, and for the same reasons. She needed reassurance that Zuko wasn't interested in Katara. More then that, she wanted to get what that actress said about Aang out of her head. That was the truth for her and Zuko as well. Toph knew that if Zuko loved her at all, it was like a sister.

"Hey, troubles?" Zuko asked. Once again, Toph had been caught off guard. Oh, he was good. The boy walked over to Toph and sat down next to her.

"Kinda. I really don't wanna talk about it." Toph said, picking up sand and lazily letting it fall through her fingers.

"Those kind of game always end up like this. Someone's revealed more then they cared to." He sighed.

A chilly breeze made Toph shiver. It wasn't really ice cold, but to cold for a summer night. The warm air only made it seem ice cold to her. Zuko took her in his arms, embracing her from behind. Toph warmed up instantly, but didn't let Zuko know. If he did, he might have let go and she didn't want that. "Hey, you agreed with me and everyone els that that play was a joke, but it seemed like you really liked it."

"The ending stunk." She muttered in a quick lie. She didn't want the truth to get out to Zuko. What if he didn't love her back? She's purposely avoided these topics in her earlier convention with him.

"Can't argue with that. The comet's just a week away." Zuko reflected. He suddenly felt additional warmth on his chest. He looked down to see that Toph had fallen asleep in his arms.

Zuko smiled and just like the night before, carried a soundly sleeping Toph to her to bed.

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Aw, poor Toph! Wah! Review.