Disclaimer: I own nothing.
Chapter Four:
Toph and Zuko were enjoying the pork buns sold by the market man at the stand nearby. Despite the end of his trip coming soon, Zuko seemed much more cheerful than he had been, and Toph was more cheerful too. She sat with her feet firmly planted on the ground, 'seeing' through the vibrations in the earth. Zuko sat beside her, and while he still did not seem entirely relaxed, he was certainly calmer than he had been in a while.
"Our next vacation we can go see Aang and Katara." Toph said, fighting off a blush when she realized she had just assumed they would spend their next vacation together. She pretended not to notice her own comment, however, and sat comfortably, without amending her statement.
"That would be fun." Zuko said comfortably, seeming not to notice.
They were quiet, but it felt like a happy silence.
"Do you like being Fire Lord, Zuko?"
Zuko was surprised by the question, and he had to think about it.
"I would…" He said, thoughtfully, "if I didn't feel like I was living in my father's shadow."
"Hmm?" Toph sat up, listening.
"People see the Fire Nation throne as an evil thing… As if the very throne was cruel, rather than the man who sat on it. I don't want the people to fear me, or to hate me. I want…" He hesitated.
"You want them to trust you."
Zuko nodded, his fist clenched. "They don't trust me. They tried to kill me."
"They didn't try to kill you. Someone tried to kill you. Not your people as a whole."
"You're right, I guess."
"I usually am."
Zuko laughed.
"What about you, Toph?"
"What?"
"I don't know…Talk about you."
She hesitated. "What is there to say? Tough blind girl, helped save the world, teaches kids to earthbend."
"I already know all that."
"I am extremely hungry."
"And?"
"I don't know, don't put me on the spot."
"Sorry."
She paused, "I guess I want… to make my mom proud."
That was the last thing Zuko had expected to hear. Toph could tell because he suddenly sat up straight.
He didn't ask, so she went on. "We're all on okay terms now… But I can tell… She's not proud of me. She never wanted the world to see me, because I was blind. Now, everyone knows who I am, and she isn't proud of me, not because I'm blind. But… Because I'm not pretty, and I don't act—"
"Everyone says your pretty!"
That wasn't the same as him saying it, but she shrugged. "Well, I don't act pretty. I'm dirty, and I fight, and I'm not dainty and she wants a daughter who will sit while she brushes her hair, and dress up in fancy gowns, and get married young to some rich nobleman."
"And you don't want to do those things."
"I just want to be me, Zuko! And I thought she would be proud of me…"
"I'm sorry."
Zuko scooted over so he was sitting just slightly closer to her. Toph wondered if this was how he knew how to show support, without holding her hand.
She might not have minded if he'd held her hand.
"Anyway, I'm not extremely unhappy or anything. Not like you."
"I'm okay."
Toph made a show of relaxing. Placing her arms behind her head. "I'm fine too."
0000
"You don't have to beat around the bush with it. Say what you really think." Toph laughed.
"It is really the worst thing I have ever tasted." Zuko felt his cheeks burning as he finished spitting out the food Toph had offered him.
"Well, it's a delicacy around these parts, Princey."
Zuko felt a smile creeping across his face. "Do you like it?"
Toph wrinkled her nose. "No, it's horrible." She tossed her untouched food to the ground, where an animal got it.
Zuko laughed. He actually laughed. It was a short burst of laughter, but it was hearty and genuine. It felt good.
She was grinning, she looked pleased.
"Why did you get one for yourself if you hate it?" He awaited her answer with eagerness.
"You wouldn't have tried it if I didn't get some for myself!"
He nudged her in the arm. "Jerk."
He noticed for the first time a string around her neck. He assumed there was a pendant hung on it, but he couldn't see it beneath the collar of her tunic.
"What's your necklace?"
Toph's hand flew to her neck. She patted her neck with wide eyes, but relaxed when she felt the pendant safely hidden.
"It's nothing…" She said, her tone more serious than it had been.
Zuko was confused. She was so obviously keeping a secret from him, and he didn't know why.
"If it was nothing, you wouldn't be so eager to hide it." His eyes narrowed, though he knew she couldn't see his expression. He was irritated that she wasn't telling him something.
"I'm not hiding anything!" She snapped.
Zuko knew his only option was to let it go. "Okay." He said, still watching her out of the corner of his eye.
"What now?" She asked, her voice light again.
He hesitated, frowning. "I should pack."
Zuko saw her mood deflate. Her shoulders sagged, her face fell to a frown, her blind eyes cast down.
"It… Went by fast."
Toph straightened up again. He saw her building up the walls she always built to keep her emotions to herself.
"Oh well. Nice while it lasted." Half a smile crossed her face, and she gave him a hard smack on the back.
"You could come back, visit a little longer." He let himself hope, and he knew it showed in his voice. But she shook her head immediately.
"No. I was just there. "
"So?"
"So, I have other things to do!" Her voice turned sour, and Zuko frowned.
There was silence between them, then she spoke again. "I'll see you off tomorrow, though."