Imagine That
Toph had been enjoying just lying on the flat rock surface, her almost entirely bare body open and laid out for the sun to tick against her skin. While she couldn't see, or even really imagine what the sun looked like, she enjoyed the heat it brought on her skin all the same.
When she heard a scurried, heavy-stepped runner approach closer to her, she didn't mind covering up as she knew who it was.
"Toph!" Katara yelled from below the rock face, "I really need to talk to you!"
The earthbender realized that she was garbed in her waterbending bindings and such, and her body felt a little cooler; she had obviously been waterbending.
"Take a second to breath and then come up here; I don't want your frenzied attitude to disturb my sunbathing," Toph said, not moving a muscle.
The older teenager groaned before she began to climb the rock face, and soon she was at the top of it, the flat surface hot against her bare feet.
"Now lie down," Toph continued to order, and Katara continued to oblige.
Once the water tribe girl was lying down, holding up a hand to her eyes to shield out the sun, and her heartbeat had lessoned a little bit, Toph asked, "So what's got your underwear in a bind?"
Katara took a shallow breath at the simple question; she had to take another, deeper one, to say, "Aang and I were waterbending just now and I noticed something."
"What? That you two are ridiculous when you're flirting with water?"
"We don't look ridiculous!"
"Or is that you two giggle like you're twelve and fourteen again?"
"Urgh! I'm trying to ask for your help, Toph!" Katara yelled out as she raised her other hand, using the heels to rub at her eyes.
"You could have just gone to your brother," Toph reminded. It was just the four of them traveling on Appa (like the old, golden days) for this certain diplomatic call and Toph knew that, even if Sokka was a total idiot most of the time, he knew how to handle his sister better than the earthbender.
"No, I can't talk to him about this; I need another girl."
Frowning at the identity title, Toph said, "So what is it you're freaking out about? It can't be that bad."
"It is," Katara said in a whisper, "I just noticed that Aang has…he has a happy trail!"
"You mean a treasure trail?" Toph asked in interest. True, she couldn't see hair that well, but she could detect it sometimes. "Cause, you know, his jewels are down there and all that."
"I don't care what it's called and why," Katara wailed; "He has hair down there."
"News flash Katara: he's close to seventeen. Puberty does stuff like that."
"But… but this is Aang we're talking about! Sweet, innocent, adorable Aang!" the waterbender said in slight longing.
"You're kidding me, right?" Toph sighed as she twisted her head to directly face her friend. "You miss that total dork with no muscle or backbone? I don't know if you remember, but he was shorter than you."
"He used to be so cute and now he's all tall and handsome and-"
"Do you hear yourself when you talk?" Toph said with a cackle of partial amusement, but mostly incredulous; "Your boyfriend has finally grown up and is a total stud and you're complaining about it. It's total blasphemy."
"I still like him ("Of course," Toph snorted to herself) and I do appreciate how he's, uh, grown," she stumbled and Toph felt her heart jump (oh great), "But sometimes I just wish we were kids again."
"You two are still kids," Toph groaned, "Being teenagers doesn't mean you're adults just yet. Just one more step towards having to take full responsibility for everything you do. But you're both used to responsibilities, unlike you idiot brother."
When Katara sighed again and sat in silence for a few moments, not even smiling at Toph's condescending joke, the earthbender knew something really was off.
"So, are you really just freaking out about the hair, or is it that deeper problem of feeling old?" Toph asked.
"Well, I'm also worried about another thing," Katara admitted.
Toph groaned for the innumerable time in their short conversation, but said regardless, "Fine, just tell me now."
"Well, if he's getting older and stuff," Katara said quietly, "Does that mean he's going to have more hormones? I mean, if we have to kiss any more I'm going to have no free time."
When Katara looked aside for advice with an imploring face, Toph let out a groan of frustration that had the rock surface trembling. Toph truly believed in instances, like right now, that she should have been born as a guy.
AN: I wanted to do one where Katara and Toph talk, but I don't know about this. It's stupid and crazy XP and for some reason I really like the idea of Katara having more problems with Aang's puberty than him :9