A/N: So! They are finally together. But baby steps might not be what Toph had in mind! O_O; Anyways, here is the next chapter. I really appreciate all of your reviews and all of your love. Please never underestimate how much those reviews mean to me. Here you go, love you all! XOXO

Disclaimer: I own nothing.

Daylight came and went. As the sun set over the trees the group awoke slowly, greeting each other and grabbing food to eat out of the supplies. Aang naturally sat next to Katara and Sokka sat very close to Toph, forming a semi circle between the group as they ate their meal in comfortable silence. Katara noted the closeness between Sokka and Toph, glad that they patched things up. She smiled and looked to Aang, giving him a nudge. He looked up and followed her eyes, smiling when he saw them sitting together.

"Glad to see things are back to normal. So, we're all good?"

"We're great Aang, nothing to worry about." Sokka responded and wiped his mouth, Toph giving a smile as she ate her food. She hoped things would stay great between them, that she didn't ruin this.

Aang finished eating first and dusted himself off, leaning over to give Katara a kiss on the cheek.

"I'll start packing."

"Okay sweetie." She said and smiled at him, turning to Sokka and expecting him to be gagging. He wasn't. She raised an eyebrow at him curiously. "What, no 'oogie' comment?"

"Nope." He said and put his hand on Toph's bare knee. Toph had butterflies go through her stomach but didn't argue, loving the feel of his rough hands but gentle touch. Katara's eyes flew to his hand and she almost did a double take.

"Anything new you'd like to talk about."

"Nope." He replied again and smirked, looking to Toph, knowing that not being told things drove Katara crazy. Katara frowned and folded her arms with a little 'hmmph', getting up from their group and going to help Aang pack. When she was gone Toph chuckled.

"You did that on purpose." She said to him.

"Yeah, I know."

"You know if she asks me what's going on, she'll pry until she's satisfied." Toph said, finishing her dinner and dusting off her hands. He finished eating right after her.

"You can tell her whatever you want. But ultimately, it's none of her business. Just like what she and Aang do is none of my business." He said.

"Wow, what happened to the protective big brother we've gotten used to?"

"I just don't want to be called a hypocrite." He said and kissed her on the cheek. "I'm gonna go help the others pack."

They both had smiles on their faces and Toph was left alone. She thought to herself that maybe this wasn't going to be hard. Now that they had cleared the air between them, maybe things would progress quickly, she hoped. She stood and walked over to her tent and grabbed her little bag of clothes, of which reeked something fierce. She sat on the ground and felt the others trample around the campsite, gathering their things together and packing them atop Appa's saddle. When they were done Katara called to her and she walked over to Appa, getting pulled up into Sokka strong arms again and he let her down, sitting right next to her and putting an arm around her shoulders as they took off. Toph leaned back against the saddle and crossed her legs in front of her, enjoying his close proximity. Katara noticed again but didn't say anything, just climbed out of the saddle and next to Aang. If they could be together like that, then she could be with Aang how she wanted to be, wrapped in his arms.

The flight was quiet, both groups having whispered conversations to their partners.

"Look back there and tell me what you see." Katara whispered to Aang, holding his hand. Aang did indeed look back and saw Toph and Sokka, cuddled together, whispering to each other with smiles.

"When did that happen?"

"I have no idea. I mean Toph and I have had conversations about her feeling before… but I didn't expect this to happen."

"Wait, since when has she had feelings for Sokka?"

"Apparently for a while."

"Why am I the last to know?"

"Because it doesn't really involve you." She said meekly.

"If they've been fighting this whole time and actually liked each other, that's my business because it's been putting our whole group dynamic out of whack." Aang whispered to her, authority ringing in his tone.

Katara didn't say much the rest of the trip, feeling bad for keeping this from him. She looked back at them occasionally, mostly curious about how her brother was actually feeling. Whether he actually had feelings for Toph, or was just using her to fill the void left. The night air was cooler than they had experienced, despite the fact that they now flew over fire nation waters. Tonight their goal was to get to Shu Jing, a small town known mostly to the group as the place where Sokka learned from Master Swordsman, Piandao. The flight passed by quickly, landing just outside the town, where the waterfalls of the cliffs ran down stream into a cool river. They all climbed off Appa, boys first to get the supplies Katara handed them, then the girls got off with the boys' help. When Sokka grabbed Toph's waist (as she was hanging off the saddle) he held her close, letting her feet touch the ground and resting his chin on her shoulder. Her back was to him so he couldn't see the smile on her face, but it was there. She tried to get out of his grasp, not wanting the others to cause a fuss but he wrapped his arms around her middle, holding her closer.

"You know, I can just earthbend you away if I wanted to."

"Yeah but you don't want to, so I'm safe."

"Lucky for you."

He smiled and kissed her on the cheek, letting go on her and handing her bag to her.

They all set up their respective living quarters, except for Aang who as usual was going to sleep under the stars and had already found a lush grassy spot to lay on. The sky was still midnight blue, morning several hours off. Once everyone was set up and everything unpacked Katara looked around at their group, whole again.

"Okay, I think we all need a little relaxation time. We've been just traveling and sleeping. What do you guys say we go down to the river and have some fun?"

"Like all of us, or just girl time again?" Aang asked, excited for the chance to see her half naked again. Especially now that he knew exactly what she looked like.

"All of us. Together as a family."

"Sounds fun!" Aang said and aribent himself up, leaning his staff against Katara's tent.

"Count me in." Sokka said.

"Sure, why not. My clothes need washing anyways." Toph said and hitched her bag over her shoulder.

"I'll take care of that for you. Guys, grab your stuff, I'll wash those too. Plus we could all use a bath."

They all gathered their sweat soiled clothes while Katara grabbed a few soap blocks and headed down to the river. Everyone got undressed accordingly; the girls and Sokka down to their bindings, Aang down to his trunks. Katara gathered the pile and stepped into the river, starting to wash the clothes while Aang jumped right into the river, making a big splash and laughing. While Katara was occupied with laundry and Aang busy swimming around her, Sokka stole glances at Toph. He had never seen her in under clothes before and they were much more revealing than his sisters. Her top half was barely covered, just around her chest, while for bottoms she had a pair of white, tight fitting, low riding, trunks that looked a lot like a female version of what Aang wore. He guessed it was something Katara must have sewn for Toph herself as he had never seen these on a girl before. Toph's body was usually hidden under those baggy clothes, even sleeveless shirt she wore now was loose on her. But now that he could he her body, every curve that those clothes normally hid, it made his pulse rush. He was torturing himself. Looking from her well endowed chest to the skin on her waist to the roundness of her backside and drinking in how the moonlight danced on her pale skin. It was nearly impossible for him to look away. Toph stood beside him and could feel his heartbeat increase.

"Everything okay?" She asked, wondering what on earth could have set him off.

He cleared his throat and looked away. "Yeah everything's fine. Come on."

He said and slipped in hand into hers, leading her into the water. When it was waist high he let go, floating on his back and enjoying the night sky view. Toph knelt down in the water, keeping her feet plated on the river bed. He turned to her and smirked.

"You don't look very relaxed."

"I don't like not seeing. And I still can't swim." She said and folded her arms.

He stopped floating and stood in the water, wading up to her.

"Stand up."

She did and he came to her side, putting an arm on her back.

"Lean back."

"Why?"

"I'm going to teach you how to float." Sokka said softly.

"Why?"

"Because that's the first lesson in learning how to swim."

"It won't work. I sink like a rock." She said and shook her head.

"Toph, if you're gonna be with me, you need to know how to swim. I'm watertribe. It's in my blood."

"Can't you just swim around with everyone else and just let me sit in the water?"

"No. Now lean back." He said calmly.

She hesitated but finally leaned her weight into his arm, of which started to lower her back into the water. He was very slow and careful. It was easy for him, she didn't weigh much. She on the other hand was having a small panic attack as the water swallowed up her hair, creeping up her back to her shoulders. The water was a nice refreshing temperature, but it was terrifying for her. She placed a hand on his bare chest.

"Don't let me drown." She said, anxiety clear in her voice. He leaned over her as the back of her head and neck touched the water.

"I promise I won't. I'm right here…" He slid his other arms under her thighs and slipped down so he was under her knees. "Now let your legs go up."

"I'm gonna sink!"

"I'm holding you, you won't sink."

She sighed with worry and let him lift her legs to the surface.

"Okay now here where it gets tricky…"

"What are they doing?" Katara asked Aang as he helped her with the laundry. He took his focus off their clothes and looked over to Sokka and Toph down the river, seeing him take her back and start to lower her into the water.

"It looks like… he's floating her?" Aang asked and squinted, trying to get a better view in the moonlight.

"Is he teaching her how to swim?" Katara asked while she swirled the clothes in a soapy whirlpool.

"I guess so. I'm glad they're getting along. Maybe that will leave more time for you and I to be together." He said suggestively with a smirk on his face and he returned to washing their clothes.

"I guess that wouldn't be so bad." She said with a blush on her face.

"You guess? Come on Katara, I know you enjoyed yourself just as much as I did the last time we were alone." He boasted, rinsing the clothes in the cool water and taking half of them to hang on a tree up on the shore. She followed suit and took the other half, helping him hang them up on the lower branches. When the clothes were hung, She bent all the water out of them while he blasted them with air, making them dry instantly.

"Yeah, okay, it was amazing. I just worry about them being alone together now that they are apparently… together. You know?"

"Why? They are allowed to have the same level of happiness we have." Aang asked as he took her hand, going back into the river with her. They got waist deep and started to swim around, staying out of earshot from them.

"Because I know the level of relationship my brother and Suki had. I know how quickly they became physical… and I've talked to Toph and I just don't know if she is ready for that."

"Why not? She's the same age as I am and I was ready." He said, trying to reason with her.

"Look, I just don't want Sokka to take advantage of her. I mean, do we even know if he has feelings for her?" She asked apprehensively.

"Of course he does. Look at the way he has been around her. And honestly, the idea of Toph being taken advantage of is a joke. You are worrying about nothing. Now relax… I thought we were supposed to be having fun?" He said and splashed her. She shrieked a little bit and splashed him back, and the war ensued.

"What do you mean 'tricky'?"

"I need you to arch your back against my arms."

"Why"

"Because once you do that, I am going to slip my arms from under you and you will be floating."

"Sokka, no. Don't let go." She said, panic written all over her face.

"Toph, the water is waist deep. If you start to sink, you can just stand up. Trust me… just arch your back against the surface of the water." He said in a calm voice.

She did as he said and he let go of her slowly, standing up straight when he could let go of her completely.

"I'm doing it!" She said and smiled.

"See? I knew you could." He said and mirrored her smile.

"Don't let me float away." She said and held out her hand.

"I won't." He said and took her hand, lacing his fingers with hers. She floated there for a while in silence until she was tired of it.

"Okay that's enough for today…" She said and let herself relax, taking a deep breath and going under the water, standing in front of him when she resurfaced. her hair was stuck to her face and he took his free hand, moving her hair.

"I think I'm ready for the bath part now." She said as she blew a strand of wet hair out of her face that he had missed.

"Okay, I'll go grab the soap bars from Katara."

She dipped her body back down into the water while he swam towards his sister, taking his time. As he came up to her, she stopped splashing Aang and gave him a glare. He looked up to her and then to Aang, who looked between them and shrugged at Sokka.

"What?" He asked, standing up in the water.

"What are you doing?" Katara asked with her hands on her hips.

"Uh, I'm about to take a bath, give me some soap." Sokka said and held out his hand. She passed him one of the scented bars but her glare didn't drop.

"No, I mean what are you doing with Toph."

"What does it look like?"

"It LOOKS like you're suddenly together… but do you actually have feelings for her?"

"Ouch. Nice to know you think so little of me Katara, real nice."

At that her glare dropped and her hands fell to her sides. She was going about this the wrong way. She didn't want to insult Sokka.

"Sorry, I just don't want Toph to get hurt… she doesn't let people in often…"

"I will never hurt her." He said firmly and gave his sister a look. At that she nodded, satisfied with his answer, and gripped her arm, looking away from him. He turned his back to them, walking back towards Toph.

"Well, there you have it." Aang said and walked over to Katara, putting his hands on her shoulders. "Everything will be okay."

She nodded and watched her brother walk away.

When Sokka reached Toph he took the bar and block and broke it in half.

"Here." He said and she opened her palm, him placing half into her hand. She gripped it and stood up in the water.

"Interesting conversation…." She said and started to scrub herself, wanting some kind of reaction from him.

"How could you have possibly heard any of that?" He said and turned his back to her, giving her some privacy while starting to clean himself.

"I'm blind, not deaf. Water carries sound like you wouldn't believe." She said and bent down, getting her hair wet again and washing it sideways in the water. "You just have to pay attention."

"What part was interesting to you?" He asked, washing his chest and rising himself, listening to her splashing quietly behind him.

She decided to dodge the obvious. "Oh, how Katara will always be mother hen, no matter how old we are."

He chuckled and went underwater, taking out his wolf tail and scrubbing his head when he resurfaced. They bathed silently in the moonlight until Toph spoke again.

"And how you'll never hurt me…" She said softly, rinsing her hair and body and kneeling down in the water. He turned to her and she had a very serious look on her face. He swam over to her and looped his hand into hers, leaning down to her.

"I won't…" He said and kissed her lips softly, pulling back before she had the chance to turn it into something else like last time. Her pulse quickly rose. She was disappointed that he pulled away so fast, but loved the feel of the droplets of water he left behind on her lips.

"Come on, let's get dressed." He said and stood, intertwining their fingers together and tugging on her. She stood and followed him to the shore where he grabbed his clothes, and then he passed her own clothes to her.

"Hey Katara, I could use some waterbending over here." He called to his sister, who was in the process of making goo-goo eyes with Aang. He grumbled internally at the sight but didn't make any comment, determined not to be a hypocrite. She looked to him and nodded, walking over to the pair on the shore.

"Need a quick dry?"

"No point in putting on dry clothes over wet ones." He said with a shrug.

"Hold your arms out and keep still."

Both did as told and the remaining water was bent out of their bindings.

"There you go, dry as can be."

"Thanks, hey are you guys done yet?" Sokka asked as they started to get dressed.

"Almost. We'll meet you back at camp." She said and waded back into the water. Sokka didn't like the sound of that but let it drop, pulling his pants up and folding up the legs to his knees.

"Alright. Ready Toph?" he asked as she was tying her shorts on.

"Yeah, I'll just carry my shirt, the air feels good. Let's go."

And off they went, Sokka getting one more glance at Katara and Aang, of whom were still splashing each other, before he was out of sight. When he was out of sight, Aang smiled and stopped splashing her, closing the distance between them and leaning down to give her a kiss on the lips. She smiled and giggled against his lips, wrapping her arms around his neck.

"You waste no time, do you."

"I take what I can, when I can." He said and wrapped his arms around her, his hands resting on the small of her back.

"He's gonna find out eventually you know."

"Yes, but I would like later rather than sooner." He said and gave her a hungry kiss, of which she was hesitant to return.

"Aang, camp is like, right over there. Just around the corner."

"Then be quiet." He said and kissed her neck tenderly.

"You are so aggressive tonight…" She whispered softly as his lips made a trail down her neck, making her head spin. he stopped at her words and pulled back, holding his forehead to hers.

"I'm sorry, just seeing you in the water and the moonlight reminds me so much of the other night…" He closed his eyes and held her body close to him.

"I didn't say I didn't like it." She smiled and kissed his lips, hungry for more. He returned her kiss eagerly, slipping his tongue passed her lips quickly, enjoying her taste. She moaned softly as their tongues danced together, her breath mingling with his. Her hand cupped the base of his head, pulling him closer. He broke their kiss and tried to catch his breath, pressing his forehead against hers. Her chest was heaving slightly, all ready worked up from just a little bit of kissing. He opened his eyes and met her beautiful sapphire gaze, melting his insides.

"Katara, I love you so much... you are everything to me. Beginning to end, you're the only reason I do anything I do. I would do anything to keep you safe, anything it took…"

Katara was humbled and awestruck. It always took her by surprise how genuine and deep he could be on a moment's notice.

"I love you too Aang. More so today than I thought I ever could love someone. You are the only person on this earth that makes me feel complete." She said and gave him a small peck on the lips.

"Come on, let's head back to camp." He said and gave her another kiss as she agreed, taking her hand and leaving her up onto the shore. Upon arriving to the campsite, they found Toph's tent closed and no light from Sokka's tent.

"They must have turned in early." Katara whispered as she went to her own tent. Aang stopped her.

"Can I sleep with you tonight?" He asked shyly.

"Aang, in camp? Really?" She asked, a look of shock on her face.

"No, I mean sleep. I just want to hold you for a while." He whispered back, rubbing the back of his neck. She smiled and nodded and they entered her tent, tossing their clothes in a pile in the corner and laying down. He moved her hair and kissed her shoulder, wrapping his arms around her and pulling her to his body, relaxing and listening to the night crickets. He fell asleep like that, cuddled against Katara's back. Sokka and Toph, however, were not asleep. Sokka was in Toph's earth tent and they were deep in conversation.

"What did you mean when you said you would never hurt me?" She asked as she sat in the darkness of her tent. She heard him sigh and fidget with his legs, sitting on the ground opposite her.

"Just that I know how it feels to be hurt by the one person you thought would never hurt you… and I don't want to do that to you. I want our relationship to be open. I want to talk about things, even if it's hard or uncomfortable to talk about. I know that's not going to be easy with us being who we are, but if we're not open with each other, someone is going to get burned."

She was quiet for a while before deciding to come clean about her own feelings.

"Alright, you want open communication, here goes. I have had feelings for you since I've been part of the group. And I never knew how these feelings were going to manifest so I just kept getting angry at you, not used to the feelings I was having coursing through me."

"Feelings like what?" He asked, feeling secure in the darkness.

"I was thinking about you constantly, I've been dreaming about us together, and I just want any part of you that I can get. My hormones are going crazy and so are my thoughts. I just feel like I can't contain myself anymore…like I'm an explosion just waiting to happen."

He was quiet now, knowing what she wanted more than she knew herself. Knowing what she needed. It was the same thing he needed. He was unsure of the timing, but he couldn't just sit here in the dark with her, surrounded by a cloud of lust as thick as fog.

He gripped her shoulders firmly and leaned forward on his knees, one hand coming up to cup her cheek and try to find her lips blindly. He didn't have to try hard, as she leaned forward to meet him, her lips mingling with his. Once their lips met his arms wrapped around her, holding her body to him. Her arms camp up around his neck, pulling his head down and making their kiss deeper. He didn't stop her. He actually went with it, one of his hands at the back of her head through her hair. She slipped her tongue achingly slowly along his lower lip and he felt a need growing in his veins, forcing his other hand to slowly move down her back. Her breathing hitched and she was lightheaded, feeling his rough hands on her bare back, slipping along her skin. She pressed her bound chest against his, and his heart took flight, wrapping his tongue around hers for the first time. The sensation sent shockwaves though both of them and she could feel his pulse at his fingertips, still sinking lower down her body. She certainly wasn't going to stop him. She pulled his tongue into her mouth and suck on it softly, making him moan very quietly. She was egging him on, pushing him to see how far he would go. He would not disappoint. His hand reached over her shorts and gripped her backside roughly, enjoying the feel of her in his hands. She let out a soft sigh, releasing his tongue and biting his bottom lip, begging for more.

He pulled back, hearing just his own heart beat in his ears.

"Not tonight."

"What? Why?"

"It's just too soon. Just not tonight." He said and released her body, giving her one last kiss on the lips.

She signed and opened the door, letting go of him.

"Alright…"

"Good night, Toph."

"Night Sokka." She said and sat back down, bending the door up after he left.

He went to his own tent and tried to examine just what made him stop, thankful that something did. he wanted his relationship to progress with her, just not like this. he wanted an emotional AND physical relationship with her. And both needed to be built slowly. She wasn't mad, or even confused. She was happy she got as far as she did. Sleep, however, was going to be hell. She would dream of him. And the way his skin sang against hers.