Rehashing What's not Said

There are times when there is a proper moment to say something important. There are times when said thing is mentioned, the chances of taking it back or dropping the topic were slim, but still existent. Most people had the perfect opportunity presented in front of them to do such gestures. And even if the situation went awry, some would be able to weasel their way out of it. Aang, had neither the former nor the latter. With Toph being the Toph she was, her immediate reaction was to recoil from the Airbending airhead. Before he could say anything the blind bender was up and out of the couch within an instant, pacing around the room.

"Toph, hear me out—"

"What is the one thing, the one thing I wanted!" she shouted.

Aang threw a confused a brow, and swallowed hard. There were a lot of things she wanted, a lot of guidelines. He was about to say himself as one of them, but he didn't want to get kicked out. "To keep this on the—"

"To keep this on the down low, Twinkletoes!" Toph interjected. She turned back at Aang, narrowing her brows as she clenched her fists. "That was my rule. Those were your terms. I agreed to this, but at the exclusion of publicity! I'm not some chick you can broadcast around the world!"

Aang made a disappointed face at Toph. "Toph, c'mon, you know that I wouldn't treat you like that." He stood up and walked over to her. She quickly responded with a little more distance, stumbling herself toward the sofa. "I would never want to make you uncomfortable. That's why I'd like it for you to move in with me. My acolytes can be there to make your living conditions comfortable, I can be around you more often, and there would be no need for you to do anything."

"It's too fast," Toph mumbled. "And… I…" She stopped herself and swallowed hard. She wanted to say, she felt like a replacement. She wanted to say, she felt used. It was so sudden. After talk about Katara, after a few stirs of Zuko and Sokka mentioning her, it seemed like it made sense. Those two were always watching Aang like a messenger Hawk. He might have had another relapse memory of her. Toph was always his escape, and as of recent, that might be what he needed. But she recently started to consider what they were becoming together.

Or rather, what she was becoming to him.

"What?" Aang asked. He knelt down in front of her and grabbed her hand. "What is it?"

"The water," she quickly answered. "I don't want to take a boat to the city every single time I need to leave the island." Toph pulled her hand from Aang's and crossed her arms across her chest. "Why would I subject myself to torture like that?"

"I can fly you on Appa every single day."

Toph sighed. "Twinkletoes…"

"I know, you hate doing anything where you can't see, but I have never let you down whenever I've flown you."

"And days where you can't go to work? Or you're not in the city? Who's gonna take me then?" Toph challenged.

Aang chuckled. "On the rare days I don't decide to leave the temple, I'll just leave Appa for you. He knows the route from the temple to station. He knows a lot of other routes as well." He reached for her hand and pulled it close to him. "And if I'm out of the city, then I'll arrange a personal boat for you and have Shin take you to the city whenever you wish." He beamed a smile at her blind eyes. "He's good. Just like Hisho, you can trust him."

Toph shook her head as her hands retracted slowly. Aang tried to hold on, but she was relentless in her pull. "Twinkletoes, I don't want to subject myself to such an annoying chore everyday. Even if I was okay with the transportation, I don't want to deal with your Air Acolytes. I don't want them thinking we did have an affair. I don't want my reputation to be tainted like this."

Aang's smirk remained annoying as ever.. "You can trust my Acolytes with your life," he said quietly. "They are some of the most amazing people I've ever met. They're loyal and would listen in confidence to everything. I trust them around my home for a reason." Aang smiled proudly as he looked into Toph's eyes. "Toph, I'm asking this of you, because I want try the next step."

Toph scoffed. "More like a leap," she muttered. "We haven't taken the first step yet!"

Aang raised a brow. "Which is?" He was confused. Had they not been going on a dates and spending afternoons together? Whenever he had free time he made sure it was spent with her. What they had going on seemed very gradual, it seemed consistent. Aang didn't understand what more could come out of their first few weeks, which apparently didn't count as the first step.

Then suddenly, a thought sent a rush of blood to his face. "Wait," he said, suddenly mouth run dry, "you don't mean… se—"

"Spirits, no!" Toph immediately exclaimed, brows narrowed. She facepalmed as she groaned. "Believe me Twinkletoes, the only chance you have right now would be if I was drunk again."

Aang smirked as he let out a nervous chuckle. "Well, last I checked, I wasn't the lightweight who initiated—" for a blind woman, she sure knew how to give a death glare. Aang closed his mouth into a thin line as he awkwardly stared Toph's death glare, which was accompanied by a modest blush? His smirk dared to grow a little at the thought. So she has thought about it.

"Twinkletoes, you know that isn't what I meant." He shrugged in response, expectantly waiting for more. Toph added, "I just think…" too many words hung out of her mouth, words she wasn't ready to throw out. She could sense, despite the smile she could hear in his words, how nervous he was. She couldn't tell if he wanted her to know how nervous he was as a scare tactic of clarity, since he wasn't attempting to calm himself at all. He seemed fine with letting his heart beat so rapidly. Toph wanted to talk about it, about everything.

But she knew him well. He would take things to heart, and was sensitive about feelings. He was such a baby about things like these. Toph was not entirely sure what the next step would be, but she knew she didn't want to move forward until she was certain. She wanted to be sure that her heart was on the line for a good reason.

"I think… maybe… we need to slow down," she said quietly.

Aang stared at her in silence. She could feel his gaze strike through her guilt of omission. He knew something was up, but she knew he wouldn't ask. "Okay…" he nodded. "I… okay. There's no convincing you, eh?" he asked lightheartedly. It was a poor attempt at lightening the mood but he was trying. She forced out a chuckle—which was included for both parties—and shook her head. "Alright," he said in a stern voice, "I'm sorry that I brought it up then." His voice was barely wavering, yet it was obviously clear he was a by hurt.

Despite the heroics of saving the entire world countless times and being considered the most powerful being in existence, he was still such a damn child.

Toph's mouth hung open as she tried to search for an apology or any words at all. She could only hang dry. Aang awkwardly cleared his throat as he took a few steps back. Toph realized he was making a move to leave once she sensed he was a distant from the couch. "I…" he spoke up, extremely hesitantly—disappointment and shame were severely evident in his voice. "I think I'll just—"

"Wait!" Toph nearly shouted, extending her hand out to him. She immediately cursed herself for her spontaneous reaction and retracted her hand. Aang stopped in his tracks and looked at Toph in confusion. She paused for moment, sensing his look of hope and anguish. She let out an irritated sigh as she crossed her arms across her chest defiantly. "Please… don't tell me you're mad…" she whispered with the smallest of pouts.

Aang's brows rose in shock and Toph could feel the brief flutter of his heart. Again, she mentally chastised herself for being so impulsive. And she did so once more after realizing how annoyed she was at herself for upsetting Aang. It was ridiculous as to how much this upset her. She kept her gaze to the floor, avoiding Aang's possible look of judgement of her flushed expression. Only then did she realize how long they were stood there in silence. Toph was already embarrassing herself by even talking, but of course the Airhead had to "ogle" her.

"It's not that…" Aang finally said. "I… I dunno, I guess I'm confused?"

Toph groaned. "Why? You asked me if I wanted to move in with you and I said no, because it's so sudden!" she exasperatedly threw her arms in the air as she explained, "I just said I think we should take it slow. I didn't say get out of my face!"

Aang sighed as he rubbed the back of his head. "I know… I'm sorry, I just, I didn't know if you were okay with me being here after… that."

Toph rolled her eyes as she shifted her weight to the right side of her hip. "That" was implying they had an argument. And Toph still being the Toph she was, had no idea what to call it. She was still mad at him for everything he wasn't telling her. She was mad at him for not being clear with her. She was mad that she was being so insecure. "Twinkles, I… can we please just forget this happened and go back to…" she trailed off as she realized what they were doing, was cuddling in each other's presence. Never, had Toph imagined herself longing for something like that—she still attempted to convince herself otherwise.

Aang awkwardly chuckled as he walked over to Toph. "Okay, okay," he replied. "I'm sorry." His words were truthful, and Toph found comfort in that. But she found more comfort in his arms, as he wrapped them around her. "I know I'm an idiot. I'm sorry you have to deal with that."

Toph snorted as she returned the hug slowly. "One of us has to be the smart one here." She knows now, that her word choice could have implied labels, but she was too distracted to notice at the time. This time, she managed to fight off the blush.

"I'm fine with it being you," he quipped. He pulled away and led her over to the couch, where he sat against the armrest and she laid against his chest. He knew not to comment on it, as the moment would have been ripped away. "You know though, speaking of smart," Aang spoke eagerly.

Toph mentally groaned. What more could he have to say to ruin things?

"After Sokka and I picked up Suki, I suggested we all have an outing together!" his voice was so cheerful. "Perhaps next weekend? Sokka wants to make plans."

Toph verbally groaned this time. "Ughh, I'm gonna have to socialize?"

"Aww, come on, we can take everyone to Kwong's Cuisine!"

"I'm gonna have to wear a dress and we're taking our friends to where we had…" Toph once again trailed off at the label selection of wording.

Aang rolled his eyes. "Our first date," he finished patiently. Toph made an intelligible noise as she crossed her arms. She was now facing away from Aang but still leaned up against his chest, with her legs laid out on the couch. "C'mon Toph, it's been awhile since you've seen Sokka and Zuko, and I'm willing to bet Suki misses you."

She immediately snorted. "Keep talking Twinkletoes, all I'm hearing are more and more reasons as to why I shouldn't go!" Though it was meant to be an insult/joke, Aang still liked the look of a smile on Toph and some happiness in her voice. "Besides, I went to the gala! They were there."

"I mean have an actual conversation with them," Aang argued. "Sokka told me about how after you said only hello to them, you went straight to the buffet." She effortlessly shrugged. "And I know Suki's got some more stories about the Earth Kingdom and most especially, Iroh!" His tone was childish and patronizing, as if he was coaxing a kid into going outside. Which he technically was, but he wouldn't voice it out now—not in her immediate vicinity.

"There you go again," Toph muttered. "Using cheap tactics to convince me to do what you want." She threw her arms up into the air and let out another groan. "Fine, fine I'll go. But we're not going to Kwong's Cuisine!" she shouted.

Aang nodded as he brought his hand over her hair, playfully thumbing her bun. "Of course, of course, that was a joke."

"And it better be somewhere fun!"

"Of course Toph," Aang smiled, "whatever you want." His other hand found it's way over to Toph's hand, carefully caressing it. Once again, she was hoping that her position would hide the blush on her face from Aang. She scolded herself for how she accepted his hand and held it comfortably. She also hated that she could tell he was smiling. Spirits, he was the only one that could do this to her.

And perhaps, sometimes, she was willing to admit that… mentally, of course.

::::

"So yeah, I shut the little Airhead down and we moved on from that. Just put it behind us," Toph stated nonchalantly, gaze kept to the ground as usual. Everyone threw a skeptical brow at her, to which she chuckled. "I'm kidding! Of course I'm kidding, this is Aang we're talking about here. He was thinking about it all day. Probably kept him up at night too. Once he gets something stuck in his head, it won't leave till he talks about it." She sighed. "But, him being him, and me being me, we didn't talk about it right away."

"Lemme guess," Asami spoke up, wearing a smug smile. "It was one awkward hang out, huh?"

Toph scoffed. "We weren't really good at hiding our emotions. And by 'we', I mean him." She crossed her arms. "When we were at Suki's, hanging out, Zuko obviously noticed something was wrong with him." She smirked as a thought suddenly occurred. "To be honest, I often wondered if he acted like that on purpose just to get everyone's attention."

"Didn't you do the same?" Korea mused.

Toph frowned. "Fine, but I at least did it better than he did. And I could hide my emotions better than he could. I wasn't like a sissy like he was. So yeah, I did a lot of things better than him!" she added defensively.

"We know, we know," Lin groaned. "World's greatest Earthbender!" she said with a monotonous excitement. Everyone chuckled at the proclamation. Toph always made sure remind everyone she could. It was unclear to nearly everyone if Lin shaking her head and rolling her eyes was in poor taste or just out of feigned annoyance.

Her mother sighed at the statement. "Yeah…" she said softly. A frown soon returned, heavier than before. It rivalled the one she had when she first spoke about her and Aang. Finally, she raised her head. Despite the blindness of her eyes, it was clear as day they were full of sadness. "I may have been better than him at a lot of things… but he was still the best on knowing when to talk. He knew how to talk—majority of the time—and he knew how to say sorry. He knew… what it meant to… love." She released another heavy sigh. "Spirits… I made his life a nightmare sometimes." Toph's gaze fell down once again. "But, he just didn't care. I've been with him long enough, friendship and more, to know what his nightmares were like. But, despite the amount of hell I gave him, I felt like I was the one nightmare he could sleep with."

"Aww," Bolin cooed with his hands cupped together. Asami, Korra, and Mako held their sweet smiles and looks of awe. The current Team Avatar along with Jinora and Suyin, found the statement to be endearing. It was obviously poetic, and of course, made Toph faintly blush.

The rest, smiled, but held back any other question or reaction due to Toph's expression. Even after this long hour, seeing her so heartbroken over love, was something else entirely. Suyin seemed more open to such an idea, but Tenzin wagered it was the romance of her mother's story that swayed her. He didn't need sensitive feet to tell Lin was purely angry with the current situation, but he noticed she was slightly settling with the idea. His… "half" siblings, seemed genuinely interested with the story. Bumi and Kya were obviously still skeptical of the whole idea, but were also intrigued at this new side of Toph. Everyone was intrigued with Toph. This was a whole new emotion from everything they experienced, it was out of a feeling they never saw from Toph. No one thought she was capable of love, aside from her daughters. But even then, their sides of the whole story were described as distant and irritating.

At the end of the day, this was still new. This was something that was still hard to swallow, regardless of the taste of the sweet Earl Grey tea. There was still much to process, and worse of all, the night was very much late. Toph was growing tired of this whole story telling situation, and she really needed time to rest. It was a good distraction, from losing Katara. But she still felt bad looking back on the times of her ex-husband and herself, all the while when she should be mourning. Toph knows that Katara wouldn't mind. Katara told her to tell them anyways, so this was obviously expected. But even then, she just wanted a little more space. Just to settle her own mind first.

"I…" Toph spoke up. "I think it's best if we call a night, for now." Everyone looked at her in shock. She immediately sensed it. "I just… it's probably best if you all get some rest."

"Are you serious?" Lin questioned. "You expect us to sleep on this?"

Toph sighed as she rose her head once again. She wore a tired looked on her face, this time her frown faded as a blank expression took place. "I expect you all to let this sink in. In whichever way you can…" she muttered. "Please, just… get some rest, you all need it." Toph rose up from her stump and stretched for a moment. "We'll pick this up in the morning." She then wandered off further into the courtyard, over toward a nearby fountain.

"That'll be an interesting breakfast," Bolin joked, "an important meal with an important message," he whispered to his brother. Mako lightly elbowed his brother. "Ow, what?"

"C'mon," he replied. "Let's hit the hay." The two brothers rose up and began to leave, only shortly after gathering everyone's empty tea cups. Asami made a move to leave but stopped as she noticed Korra's hesitation, drifting off toward Tenzin. Bumi and Kya stood up but walked right toward Tenzin, who was talking to Jinora. Suyin and Lin remained seated for a moment as they talked. Asami walked over to Korra and tapped her on her shoulder.

"Just talk to him," she told her. "I'll see you in bed," Asami smiled.

Korra smiled and nodded back. "I'll be quick," she promised as she backed away. She approached the adults of the group, but stopped as she noticed Jinora walked off. "Hey," she acknowledged. "You're probably losing your mind too, huh?"

Jinora chuckled. "It's crazy. Like, up is down and down is up," she nonchalantly shrugged, causing Korra to laugh. "My dad told me to get some sleep right away. But, I'd rather just stay up all night trying to piece this together with the stories I was told."

Korra nodded with a small smirk. "Glad someone'll be looking out for history."

Jinora shrugged. "I want to make sure the facts lineup."

"We're looking at a whole new story Jinora," Korra suggested. "Not everything will lineup."

"I know," she replied, backing away, "but it'll still keep me occupied!"

"Try not to stay up too much!" Korra shouted at the young Airbending Master. She looked back at the remainder of the group and sighed. This was going to be a stressful night. "Tenzin?" she called out.

Bumi and Kya stepped aside to allow Korra's presence. Tenzin looked at her and slightly smiled. "Yes?"

"Just wanted to check on you," Korra replied. She glanced around them, then added, "Well, all of you, really." Bumi and Kya threw her a small smile. "I can't imagine what this is like for you guys."

"A lie," Bumi scoffed, "everything we practically knew, was a lie."

Kya sighed, placing her hands on her hips. "We don't know that. We just… don't know anything apparently."

Bumi shook his head. "How does this make sense?" he asked. "Why… why does it feel like it could?"

Korra rose a brow. "So you do believe her?" She was wondering throughout the entire time if everyone was fully invested as she thought they were.

"You'll have to," Suyin chimed in, approaching the four. Lin followed up behind her upsettingly. "I can sense it, Korra," she explained, "and even aside from that, our mother, she's neverspoken to us like that before." Suyin frowned. "Only once, actually… it was when she was apologizing for being a bad mom." Everyone aside from Lin expectantly stared at her in silence. "She means it."

Lin scoffed, rolling her eyes. "Like I've told you, just because it feels like she's telling the truth, doesn't mean she is!" Everyone threw a confused brow over to Lin, all while Suyin irritably sighed at her sister's retort. "Look, it could very well be that she's just…" Lin looked back at her mother, the distance between them and her was definitely out of an earshot. "She may just be old," she whispered.

"Uhh, yeah?" Bumi replied, flicking his wrist and extending his hand outward toward Toph's general direction. "She's in her eighties."

Korra shook her head and sighed. "No Bumi, she means like, she's really old," she repeated more emphatically.

The ex-commander raised a brow as he opened his mouth to question her. But his words soon stopped at his throat as he processed the meaning behind what they were saying. "Oh…" he uttered out softly. A sullen mood suddenly dwelled upon them.

"What does that have to do with anything, Lin?" Tenzin questioned, it wasn't defensive, it was out of curiosity.

"There's been some recent discoveries about a certain illness," she answered. "Something to do with memory problems."

"Dementia," Kya filled in, eyes wide as saucers. It was as if the realization had set in for her. "Dementia…" she uttered again, more so to herself.

Korra furrowed a brow and inquired, "And that is?"

"A disease doctors have been looking into recently, it usually develops in old age," Kya softly explained, "it's only rumours and small facts as of now, but everyone in the medical field is starting to see this as a new discovery and the real deal. The main symptom of dementia, is well, memory loss. People in old age have some sort cognitive function problem and they just… have a harder time remembering their past. It apparently starts out slow, but they usually have a hard time remembering names as well."

"So you think she could be making up this story?" Suyin asked, her tone was was slightly defensive.

"Yes, it might be a possibility," Kya answered carefully. "I'm not sure yet, I'm not well educated in this field and I don't have all that facts. But, anxiety and stress are some of the side effects toward this, losing Katara might've just sent her to her limit." She sheepishly rubbed the back of her head. "She might even be interpreting stories of Kanto and your father with some of her own made up stories," she said to Suyin and Lin. "It's just… it makes sense. Her story might add up just because it's mixed with actual events, or she might just tell a convincing tale. This is still Toph we're talking about. She's never had a problem convincing everyone. She really might just believe she's telling the truth." Kya sighed as frown fell onto her. "It's a possibility…"

"I'm not ready for another one to go…" Bumi whispered hoarsely. A sad silence crowded among the six. It was a new depressing weight they felt on their shoulders. Here they were, still mourning over Katara. The possibility of another leaving—it wasn't a thought they wanted to entertain.

Korra looked over to Tenzin, who seemed to be in deep thought. "Tenzin," she acknowledged. "What's your take on this?"

He glanced around and sighed. "I… have no idea. It may very well be just that," he suggested to Kya. "We, should consider this. But for now," Tenzin mustered up a small smile, "we need some rest. Whatever this story was, or whatever it may lead to, it's still very jarring and we deserve some rest." He stepped forward and placed a hand on Kya's shoulder. "First thing in the morning, try reaching out to any doctors or healers you know in this field, we'll need an expert on this."

Kya nodded. "I will, don't worry."

He looked over to Suyin and Lin. "For now, try to level with her. Stay on her good graces and entertain her. We don't know if she'll be stable." He looked over to Bumi and Korra. "If she does have this… dementia, we need to play it close to the chest." Everyone nodded. "Alright, I'll see you all in the morning."

They all bid their farewells and departed from the courtyard. Suyin offered the idea of talking to their mother to Lin, but Lin took a glance at Toph—who was still sat at the fountain's bench—and shook her head. They left afterward as well, following after Tenzin's siblings. Korra knew it was still a lot to process for the Beifongs, whichever version of "it" they were going to listen to. She looked over to Tenzin, who still lingered and was looking as if he was going to make a move toward Toph.

Korra stepped forward and said, "You can still talk to her."

He looked back at her and offered a half smile. "I know."

They stared at each other for a moment. Korra looked upon her Airbending teacher with a proud and earnest smile. It was then she concluded, "You believe her… don't you?"

Tenzin's smile shrunk a bit, as he took a quick glance back at Toph. "I don't know why… there's just something about this…"

"It's times like these where I wished I still had my connection with my past lives," Korra stated, a small frown appearing. "Just a moment, to learn from Aang if what I was doing was right, or if there was any truth to anything. Because from what I learned, he was very wise."

"He was indeed," Tenzin genuinely smiled.

Korra smirked back. "Tenzin, I know I lost the connection, but there's just something…" She shrugged. "Maybe it's because of Rava, or maybe it might possibly still be there but…" Korra's smile grew a tenfold. "There was something about the way Toph said 'Twinkletoes,' that just made my heart feel warm."

Tenzin cocked his head to the right, raising a brow at the current Avatar. "What do you mean?"

"I mean, like, her words struck some sort of cord in my heart." Korra's smile was burning wide and bright, it was genuine. "It wasn't just the nickname… but hearing her reconcile and tell this story… it made me smile, it made me hurt, and made me feel comforted. Almost as if I was attached to this story." The immediate conclusion ran right through Tenzin's mind. He furrowed his brows as it dawned on him. Was it possible? "Tenzin," Korra said again, "That feeling? It was… the same feeling I get when I'm with Asami."

Tenzin's eyes grew wide open as it set in. He—once again—looked back at Toph, staring at her in shock, then turned back to Korra. "So… it's—"

Korra smiled as she shrugged. "I'm not sure," she admitted, "you're Mister Spiritual, I thought you'd know." Tenzin smiled, letting out a chuckle. "I guess I'll meditate on this then, find out for sure?" she suggested, backing away. "Goodnight, Tenzin."

He nodded back and smiled. "Goodnight, Korra."

He turned back and sighed as he looked at Toph. He was smiling, for some reason. He supposed there was something about this story, this absurd and crazy tale, that was worth hearing. He took a step forward, then hesitated, retracting back and frowning. Whatever the outcome, whatever the possibility was, he wasn't sure if it was his place. He observed Toph's posture, it looked as if she was sleeping. She was sat still and straight, hands folded onto her lap, eyes closed too. She might have actually dozed off. Tenzin pondered, thinking it'd be best to wake her so she didn't fall asleep in the middle of the courtyard. But, there was something about her peaceful state. Toph hadn't looked like that in a long time, and Tenzin didn't dare to take that away from her.

He smirked, finding relief she was able to get some rest. Tenzin looked back upon the campfire they all had say at and sighed. It really was an exhaustive night. Rest was well deserved for everyone, especially for Tenzin.

"Goodnight Tenzin," echoed a soft, frail voice from behind.

He quickly turned around and raised a brow. Toph's posture was still the same, but he still smiled. "Goodnight… Toph," he replied, fading back into the building.

There she was, all by herself. Toph sighed as she opened her eyes, scanning the empty courtyard, feeling for anything—anyone. She tried, but it didn't work. She took deep breaths and relaxed her body. She swore almost had it in her hands, but she just lost it all. It was all so painful, so heart-wrenching, to feel such a backlash. They hated her, they didn't believe her, they didn't trust her. And honestly, Toph couldn't blame them. If she was in their shoes, she would also see it as insane. She basically told them everything they once knew was a lie. Their once simple perception was now changed. She was ruining the beautiful image they had conjured up of her and the original Team Avatar. She was destroying their bond.

There they were again, those darn tears. It hurt so much to feel just a single drop stream down her face. Toph hated weakness. She hated being vulnerable, and being guilty. Suddenly the weight of everything—guilt, sadness, pain—fell on her again. She lowered her head as she let the tears fall. It all came back to now, when everything mattered most. A time when everyone started to realize that they won't all be around forever. And yet, the moment to mourn was ripped out of their grasp. She started it all. She was reckless. It was all her fault.

Toph brought her hands up to wipe her tears off her cheeks, mentally cursing herself for being so frail and weak. Her hands started to shake as she lowered them from her face. She knew what was happening. She's had meltdowns before. Regardless of the quantity, she almost always had something to keep her grounded. But she just couldn't latch onto anything. She wanted him. She needed him.

Suddenly, a warmful touch found itself in Toph's hands, caressing both gently. She looked up right away, but felt nothing, no one was there. The touch soon tightened and Toph smiled. She was not letting go. She choked on her tears as she firmly held on. "Aang…" she whispered ever so softly.

Soon enough, the atmosphere around her felt warmer and she was engulfed in familiar feeling. Toph felt safe, at peace, comforted; she felt at home. "Took you long enough… Twinkletoes."

"I told you… release your thoughts…"

She laughed, shaking her head. "I told you… I still have trouble doing this outside the swamp." Toph raised her head. Spirits, she knew he wasn't really there, and nor was she—but the feeling of reality was on a thread at this point. She'd been here before and she always felt more vulnerable. Aang had warned her she would not be able to bend, to see. She was just a blind woman, sitting in a place far beyond comprehension. Yet that would never stop her, because he was here.

"The swamp may be powerful… but you are as well…"

Toph sighed as she tightened her grip once again. She didn't care for his spiritual mumbo jumbo right now. She sniffled (she wasn't even embarrassed) and said, "I love you."

She could feel him smile back. Her heart broke at the thought of her never being able to "see" it again. He knelt down before her and brought her right hand to his lips. It wasn't enough, but the gesture in itself made her smile.

"You tell me that, everytime my dear."

She chuckled, shaking her head as she said, "I have to," Toph sighed. "I feel like I didn't say it enough when I had the chance."

He laughed, her heart melted at the sweet noise.

"My Blind Bender… you never had to."

The tears returned as she let his words sink in. Every single time, he always managed to do this. She really hated what this Airhead could do to her. She released his hands and grabbed his chest, bundling up the cloth he wore as she pulled him close. "I–I made a mess of everything," she cried, "I… I ruined it all… I told them… I told…" His arms wrapped around her, embracing her as she wept.

"I know it, I felt it."

"W–What?"

"Korra might have lost the connection… but it doesn't mean she can't find it."

"So you heard me ruin everything?" Toph muttered.

"Nothing broken can't be fixed. It won't be the same…"

Toph shook her head. "But it can heal, I know," she whispered softly. "Aang, I… I can't do this…" she whimpered. "It's too much… I—" she swallowed hard and shook her head again, letting more tears fall. "I just want you back."

He smirked.

"What did I tell you?"

Toph repeatedly shook her head, choking up on her tears. The words struggled to leave her mouth, "You're… you…"

"I'm always with you, always."

The tears stopped flowing as she felt his hands brush up against her face. He caressed each cheek carefully, wiping away the tears with his gentle thumb. This was all she needed, for this to be more. "Can't this just be real?" she said hoarsely.

"My love, you know how much I want it to be…"

She nodded. She didn't need to cry, she couldn't cry, he was holding her.

"But they need you, now. In the present, in reality."

She had no words, deciding it would be best for him to continue, just to hear his voice again.

"Toph, this is our chance, your chance, to reignite the flame we almost sparked. You can show them the truth, you have to. They've been blind for far too long, but you can enlighten them. You can make them see. You know they deserve it."

"Everything was fine before she died. I could have happily stayed away," Toph mumbled. "I'd rather suffer alone in a swamp than watch them—feel them all hurt." Another sigh was released as she felt him squeeze her face slightly. "I know what you want me to do, I know what they will expect from me. I just… I don't think I can give them all the answers they want. I can tell the story, but how can I make them feel it? How can I make them understand us?"

"Our love is something that can't be compared. You know telling them isn't enough. Telling them, making them believe all relies on how you show them. You know it's possible. I know they believe you, they just don't want to. I told you, I felt it. But, my love, you have to make them believe."

Toph sighed as she brought her hands up to Aang's, holding them up against her cheek. "I just… I don't want to lose them, to lose him." She smiled and softly spoke, "He's so much like you."

Another laugh.

"As true as that may be… he got his stubbornness from you."

His hands faded away and Toph's eyes widened in fear. She immediately held on, tightly holding onto them. "Kiss me," she ordered. She felt him stare at her for a moment. He sighed but conceded. They both knew what it felt like. They knew what it wasn't. Although he was just an entity and Toph may have been blind, she could still feel what was real. But once his lips mets hers—the presence in itself was all she needed as reassurance. Just like that, she felt grounded once more. Her surroundings were familiar again, but in a more realistic sense.

"I love you too…" she heard, echoing off into the wind.

Toph let out a deep breath, relief rushing all over her, flooding her body. There were no more tears tonight. She smiled into the wind—peace, was the first thing to enter. She knew it wasn't perfect, that none of anything that had happened was ideal. But she didn't care. She could survive to tell another tale.

She was stubborn after all.

::::

"I don't understand why I let him talk me into this," Toph grumbled, crossing her arms like a child.

Hisho released a hearty laugh in response. He said in sing song, "I think I can think of a few reasons!"

Toph rolled her eyes. "Don't make me regret bringing you," she muttered out. Hisho's chuckled died down, as it did muffle his excitement. It was in vain however, she could still hear him. "Honestly, he makes my life a living nightmare."

"But you still agreed," Hisho chimed in.

"Hisho, I will throw you off of this carriage!" Toph growled out.

He laughed. "Yes, but then you'd have to steer yourself all the way and you hate doing work!"

She scoffed. "Yeah, but it'd be worth it…" she mumbled once again.

"Honestly, Chief, I don't know why you're so overworked over this."

"It's… complicated," Toph replied, "He's being an Airhead."

Hisho chuckled. "According to your word of mouth, when is he not?"

Toph let out an annoyed groaned. "It's just, he can be so impulsive and stupid. He's so infuriating and irritable. I just want to pound his stupid smirk into the ground!"

Hisho raised a brow as he looked back at Toph. "You can tell when he smiles?"

"I have a knack for it," she gritted out, looking toward Hisho. "Like how I can tell you're grinning right now."

Hisho laughed. "Ahh, Chief, I feel like you just described yourself." He let out a content sigh. "Honestly, whatever you call this, it make sense to me."

"Great, there's another one," she muttered.

"Pardon?"

"Are we there yet!" Toph loudly asked.

Hisho nodded as he brought the carriage to a halt. "We are!" he announced. He hopped off the carriage and made his way over to the carriage door, but found it immediately whip open right before his face.

Toph hopped out and onto the ground, letting out a bracing sigh. "Alright, let's get this over with." She pointed toward Hisho and frowned. "Now remember, your presence here is to do nothing unless I say so and speak when spoken to."

Hisho nodded. "And you still won't tell me why I'm being brought along?"

"Because I know you love hanging out Aang and Sokka," Toph answered with a shrug. She walked off toward the building before them.

Hisho followed after her along the stone pebbled path. "As true as that may be, I feel like there's more—"

"Hisho," Toph barked.

He stopped talking.

They arrived before the building and waited before the door. Toph hated neighbourhoods, the entire family setting annoyed her. Of course Snoozles would want to settle in a place like this. Toph scoffed, she could never imagine herself like this—ever. She rose her hand up and banged her fist against the door loudly.

"Uh, I'm sure they have a doorbell," Hisho advised.

Toph shrugged. "Too quiet."

"It's open!" a muffled voice shouted from inside. Toph recognized the source and found the smallest of smiles on her face. Hisho reached for the doorknob and opened the door. The two quickly walked in. Toph walked on as Hisho stopped to close the door behind them. Toph sighed at the familiar surroundings. She couldn't see, but she could definitely "see" the memories they all had here. Every time they visited Sokka and Suki, she recognized it all. The homey feeling of the living room to the right of the entrance. They weren't there, but she just felt the sweet scent of home.

Not her home, no, but a different scent. It was Sokka and Suki's home. It was a family home. A home for two people who loved each and were willing to close the distance to show that. Though Toph couldn't see it, she knew they hung pictures and portraits of themselves. She knew they had sweet, couple-like breakfasts together in the morning. She figured they would sit in their living room together in their freetime, just soaking up each other's presence. They gave each other sweet nicknames and embraced each other without fear. They slept in the same—

"Hey!" Suki's voice appeared, disrupting Toph's thoughts.

She looked off into the kitchen, where the source originated from. She allowed a half smirk to grow as the Kyoshi Warrior approached her with open arms. Toph remained still as Suki hugged her. "Ah, Mrs. Snoozles!" Her hug tightened around Toph's frame, causing her to frown. "Alright, I'm already not missing you anymore!" she grumbled.

Suki laughed as she finally released the blind bender. "Aww, come on, it's been months since we've seen each other!" She faked a pout as she feigned a gasp. "You mean to tell me you didn't miss me!" She brought her hand up to her chest whilst Toph maintained a blank expression. "At all?"

Hisho was busy stifling his laughter at the display of the warrior. "If it's any consolation, I missed you," he chimed in, extended arms out to her.

Suki smiled as she accepted the hug. "Good to hear one of you did," she mused. "How are you Hisho?" Suki asked, "Everything fine with the Missus?"

Hisho nodded happily. "Couldn't be happier!"

Toph snorted. "Which is already saying more for a certain married couple."

Suki's eyes widened at Toph whilst Hisho elbowed Toph's shoulder. "Seriously? He's not even here, Toph," Suki chastised, crossing her arms at her friend.

Toph's brows rose. "What? Why?" she asked. "Did Twinkles have something else better to do? Important enough to back out on a promise?"

Suki and Hisho exchanged a glance at the specifically offhanded comment. "Uhh, he's here Toph," Suki jerked her thumb over her shoulder, "The gang's just outback."

"Oh," Toph said wordlessly. Her face slightly flushed but she fought back. "Well then I guess I found where the actual party is," she muttered, walking through the kitchen and toward the back door.

Suki smirked, glancing back at Hisho before saying, "Yes, but, he's in the washroom right now."

Toph stopped in her tracks and threw a blind glare over at Suki. There was no way she knew, Suki was just teasing her like a child. Still, she had to give a Toph-like response. "Great! Can whoever this he is, hurry it up so we can get this party started?"

Suki shook her head and rolled her eyes. "You know it's just us right? Hanging out?"

"Ugh, don't remind me," Toph moaned as she pushed open the door and waltzed outside. She had to keep her cool and make sure she didn't let things like Suki's teases get to her. She stepped out and let out a quick sigh. Sokka and Zuko were sat at the picnic bench in silence, almost as if their attention was elsewhere. "You two Dunderheads cloud watching?" she said with a smirk. "And here I thought Twinkletoes was the softie out you three ladies—"

"Hey Toph!" a familiar, elated tone echoed from above her. She instantly froze up. She felt a sudden breeze overwhelm her surroundings. Then soon enough, the faintest of footsteps appeared behind her. Toph whipped her body around and found Aang stood behind her, wearing what she knew was his stupid grin. "Didn't think you'd actually come!"

She doesn't know why she allowed him to catch her off guard. But, he did, so she was a little disoriented. "I—why the heck were you flying around!" she shouted.

Aang was taken aback by the sudden lash, and furrowed a confused brow at Toph. "Uh, sorry? I didn't mean to frighten you or—"

"As if," Toph interjected defensively, arms crossed. "I just wanted to know what type of stupid ballet formation were you doing this time."

Aang's raised brow held for a second, but he decided not to act on anything. "It wasn't stupid and it isn't ballet."

Toph scoffed. "Yeah, yeah." She nonchalantly shrugged. "It's a sacred Air Nomad formation where you create some stupid words in the sky to cement your blah blah's in the world or whatever." She waved her hand repeatedly, as if to dismiss the argument. "Might as well spell out 'I love you' in the sky."

Sokka smirked, bringing a hand up to his chin as he thought. "Huh, that'd be an idea for a proposal."

"Also cliche and moronic," Zuko suggested.

Toph smiled as she turned toward the two and aimlessly gestured toward Zuko. "See? Sparky's on my side!"

"I was until you brought that name back," Zuko muttered. He shook his head and palmed his face. "Honestly, what is it with you and nicknames?"

She smirked. "It's how I show affection."

Sokka laughed. "So I guess what happened with you and Aang was tasteless as ever, eh?" He playfully slapped Zuko's shoulder as he bursted out into laughter. Both Toph and Aang threw an unamused glare toward Sokka, which he immediately sensed, causing his laughter to die off. "Oh.. eheh… ha…" he awkwardly rubbed the back of his head. "Hey, Zuko! What say you and I get started on the barbeque? Huh?"

Zuko sighed but nodded, sensing his friend's desperate need of an escape. "Fine, but as long as I'm not roasting anything," he said as he followed Sokka to the grill. "I swear, it's called a barbeque, not a bonfire roast!"

"It was one time, and we were travelling!" Sokka amended as he dispersed from the small gathering and moved over to the grill at the back.

Zuko stopped and turned, smiling at Aang. "Oh yeah, Aang, that was a beautiful display you made."

Aang nodded at Zuko. "Thanks," he replied. "It was just something I thought up recently."

"Zuko!" Sokka shouted. "Grill time!"

Zuko sighed and turned around. "We'll try to whip up the meal as quickly as possible."

That only left Toph and Aang to awkwardly stand beside each other. Toph mentally groaned at their current situation. He was smiling at her, of course he would be. She immediately regretted leaving the kitchen so soon to avoid Hisho and Suki's comments. That would have been easier to handle than Aang. She was about to make a comment about staring, but she knew he was going to say some awfully cheesy line. He opened his mouth to say said line, but Toph decided to intervene.

"You said it'd be fun," Toph pointedly.

Aang snorted as he cocked his head to the right. "No," he said as if it was obvious. "You asked that we go somewhere fun!" he rephrased. "And well, here we are!" he declared to Toph.

She frowned in response. "Because the Snoozle residence is the exact embodiment of a fun place," Toph said dryly.

"Well, not exactly," Aang amended with a chuckle. "But, you and I are fun!" He received a glare. "Okay fine, you're the Queen of Fun, and I'm like the squire of fun."

"You don't even hold a candle to me, Twinkletoes."

"Okay, you keep telling yourself that," Aang said with a smirk. "I am fun. I have two kids, I have to be fun—ugh, that's besides the point!" he shouted playfully, ignoring Toph's snickering. "Point is, you and I are fun, so wherever we go is fun! See? Makes sense!"

Toph cocked her head to the right as she rose a brow. "So that's your logical process of deduction?" She laughed. "But I'll except, as you did name me the Queen of Fun."

"At least we have some sort of silver lining," Aang conceded. Toph's brows rose in shock. Aang hastily added, "I didn't mean it like that, it was a joke—"

"Why a barbeque," Toph questioned, "what are you going to eat?" She decided to save his skin, or maybe it was to avoid the topic. Aang figured it was the latter. "Unless you decided to do some sort of cheat day, I don't think grilled lettuce is any good."

Aang laughed. "Yeah, no, that's not happening," he smirked. "Suki's bringing out a salad right now." He jerked his thumb over to the kitchen.

Toph was immediately reminded of the Kyoshi Warrior and her minor ploy. She tricked her, and all she did was mislead Toph. Toph realized she had to mask any reaction to Suki's tease. But, making no comment might confirm whatever suspicions Suki had. Toph gritted her teeth and mentally groaned. This didn't have to be anymore difficult. That was the whole point of Hisho. Which was suddenly a great out for Toph.

"Well for a salad, she sure is taking a long time to prep it." Toph crossed her arms as she nodded over to the general direction of the kitchen. "When I left she was busy catching up with Hisho."

Aang's brows raised. "You brought Hisho?"

"Yeah, why, is that a problem Twinkletoes?"

He smirked. "No, not at all," he answered proudly. "I'm glad you did. I was worried I'd have to pick you up or something."

"That would not be necessary," Toph dismissed. "Where is Appa anyways?"

Aang pointed up in the sky. "Flying Momo around." He let out a sigh, but held his smile. "I think Momo's getting a little tired nowadays."

"Oh," Toph frowned. She had no words—yet again. Spirits, she was terrible. She loved Momo just as much as Aang, and she couldn't even find the words to say sorry.

"Anyways," Aang spoke up. "I guess I'll go check up on Suki," he said as he began walking away. "And say hi to Hisho!" He stopped just before the doorway and turned to smirk at Toph. "Which, by the way, I'm glad you brought." With that, he stepped in aside.

Toph frowned at his implication. Of course she'd bring Hisho, he was basically her human Appa. But now he was subtly implying how simple it was to have help around. Now he was gonna rub it in her face. But Hisho was different from an Acolyte or any maid. He wasn't just some person Toph called on a whim, he was someone she trusted. Toph didn't have it in her to just blindly trust a bunch of Twinklytoe worshippers. And using Hisho as a her personal driver was different from literally anyone else. Hisho was loyal to Toph, and she was glad to have one person who she could rely on. He was a friend, simple as that.

Toph shook her head. Maybe she was just overthinking everything. Maybe Aang was just glad she brought someone along and that she didn't walk all the way here. Maybe there was no message behind it all. Toph looked up toward the sky as she pondered on that thought. Perhaps, some things were just like as simple as the messages Aang wrote in the sky. To everyone else, they were probably as clear and obvious as could be, but to Toph, she was looking at something unclear. She was looking at her opposing element.

But that thought made Toph smile a bit, all while simultaneously confusing her. How could her something she was afraid of be attributed to someone she cared about? Maybe that, in its own right, was poetic. How her greatest fear was linked with her greatest—something. He was a crush, whatever he was now was entirely up for him to prove. And for Toph to believe.

"Toph?" She glanced over to Zuko and Sokka's direction. "You okay?" Zuko asked.

She laughed. "Yeah, just trying this whole 'cloud watching' thing," she pointed up to the sky. "I don't see what the hoopla's all about."

Sokka chuckled whilst Zuko rolled his eyes. "Haha, you're hilarious," Zuko said monotonously. "How do you want your steak?" he pointed to the grill which already had two steaks sizzling on it.

"Well done," she answered, walking over to the two. "And better make it snappy! I didn't come all this way to hang out with you guys."

"Of course, of course," Zuko replied, "We wouldn't want a cranky Toph on our hands now." He turned back to the grill and started to prong the steaks. Sokka stepped over to Zuko and whispered something, to which he responded with a nod.

Sokka smirked as he walked over to the picnic bench, smiling at Toph. "So, how have you been Toph?" he asked curiously. "We haven't heard from you in a long time."

Toph smiled as she walked over to Sokka, sitting adjacent from him. "I'm still kicking, so that's good." She shrugged. "Finally put those Badger Bandits away, so that was uplifting."

"Heard about that," Zuko responded. "I'm glad to hear it!" he added afterward. "With so much of your workforce taking time off I was worried you'd be stressed out."

"Yeah," Sokka smiled, "Seems like all we hear from you nowadays is just work. Are you doing okay?" He asked, in a softer tone.

She raised a brow. "Yeah, I just said I was."

"It's just…" Sokka trailed off, awkwardly. "Well…"

Right after Zuko lowered the cover on the grill, he turned around and sighed. "You've been outta town a lot," he finished, crossing his arms knowingly at the Earthbender. "We're just concerned is all."

Toph scoffed. "Nothing to worry about Sparky," she replied, "I just need some me time is all."

Zuko and Sokka exchanged a quick glance, then nodded. "Aang still hangs out with you," Zuko said. It didn't sound like a question nor a statement. It was almost a prompt.

Toph raised a brow. "Yeah? So?"

Zuko shrugged in response after skeptically narrowing his brows. "Is he fine?" he asked softly.

She felt their sad gazes fall upon her. Great, now she was their intel on the broken heart Airbender. "He's fine," she answered simply. In truth, he actually did seem fine. He seemed chipper and more excited around Toph. His brave face act didn't seem so fake anymore. Aang seemed genuinely happy. Could it have been possible, Toph really was something more to Aang? She smiled at the thought. Maybe there was more to being a replacement. "Trust me," she nodded, "He's fine guys."

Speaking of, Aang walked out from the house, with Suki and Hisho trailing after him. "Whelp, my salad is ready, but I'll wait on you guys to start eating," he announced as he brought his food over to the table.

"That's kind of you," Suki smiled as she walked over to the table, placing the plates around.

Hisho walked over and began greeting Zuko. "Fire Lord Zuko," he acknowledged, embracing the Firebender with a hug. Sokka rose from his spot and followed after. "Councilman Sokka," he followed up.

Right as they pulled away from their hug, Sokka smiled as something crossed his mind. "Oh, Hisho, Suki, check out the writing Aang made in the sky!" Sokka said a he pointed up.

Hisho looked up, brows raised in curiosity. Just as he saw the words his vision fell back onto Aang and he was wearing a smile. "Wow… Avatar Aang, that, is just beautiful."

"Aww, Aang," Suki cooed.

Right after their moment of awe, Zuko and Sokka immediately engaged into a discussion, catching up with Hisho. Toph sighed as she watched her assistant laugh and talk with the two. Aang, of course, sat himself beside Toph, setting his salad bowl down. "Ugh," Toph faked a gag, "Twinkletoes, could you kindly remove your wimpy food away from my vicinity, it's stinking up my presence."

Aang laughed, lifting the bowl and shoving it closer to Toph. "Aww, is the world's Greatest Earthbender afraid of a little lettuce?"

Toph gave him a shove. "As if!" she shouted.

Suki was stood at the other side of the table, still setting down the utensils. She kept giving the two a skeptical glance as she worked. "C'mon, you've had greens before, they aren't bad." Aang held out the bowl toward her, smiling.

"Sure, but they're sissy food," Toph quipped, prodding the bowl back toward Aang, "which is why you eat it."

"Butchered meat doesn't make you tough," Aang retorted. "I should know, I was your first pupil, nothing I ate ever prepared me for a lesson with you."

Toph snorted. "Please, you're barely tough now."

"Come on, I'm rock-like," Aang whined. "Or if I recall correctly, you told me that I was."

"That was to get you to stop whining," Toph replied. "Which obviously didn't work," she added, lightly punching Aang's shoulder.

He set down his bowl, in fear of spilling his food, and laughed. "Whatever you need to tell yourself Toph," Aang dismissed as he shook his head. "I know what you really think of me." His tone was completely teasing.

Toph narrowed her eyes and said, "Do you?"

"Oh yeah," he nodded confidently.

The two stopped their exchanges and looked over to Suki, who was smiling. "What?" Toph spat out.

"Nothing," she said softly. "I think I forgot to tell Sokka how I wanted my steak." Suki politely excused herself as she joined the other three.

"Well that was subtle," Aang muttered.

"So were you," Toph nearly barked.

He smirked. "Whatever do you mean, Toph?"

"Twinkles, if you don't knock it off I'll knock you out!" she ordered, curling her left hand into a fist.

Aang chuckled as he cupped his hand around Toph's fist, and lowered it down to his lap. "It's okay Toph," he said quietly. "I swear, I'm kidding."

"It's like you want them to know," she muttered, pulling her hand away.

"Sorry," he sheepishly apologized. Aang sighed, giving Toph the signal that what followed after was going to be heavy. Great, another long winded talk. "Hisho told me you asked him to take you last minute," his tone fell to a hush voice.

"Yeah, I just realized I forgot to ask you to pick me up," Toph quickly answered, mimicking his tone.

"So that's why he's here?"

"I thought we established this?"

"So he's not your attempt at a buffer?" Aang inquired, raising a brow at Toph.

Toph threw a blind death glare at Aang, frowning as she did so. The two stared at each other in silence before Toph answered. "Was it that obvious?" she asked, surrendering her glare.

Aang laughed. "Toph, he had no idea why you suddenly brought him along. It was kinda clear that you didn't want to talk, so I figured you brought him to do that for you."

"And I guess Suki filled you in on my little reaction?" Toph sighed. That woman was trouble for her.

The Avatar furrowed a brow. "What? No? What reaction?" Toph made a confused face. So she didn't say anything? For what reason? Maybe that Warrior had some intention of her own.

"Never mind," Toph dismissed. "So, now that's cleared up, are we done?" she hurriedly asked. "'Cause us talking about… this, is really dumb."

"I'm not trying to tell them," Aang argued. "I knew you didn't want to talk, and I also knew you don't have any reason to excuse yourself so might as well do now, huh?"

"Twinkles," Toph gritted out.

"I'm sorry," he whispered, ignoring her opposition. "I know I was being so impulsive and inconsiderate, but I just caught up in everything. I guess, I just took a glance at our situation and… I… something that I thought was a good idea clicked inside me." He sighed as he rubbed the back of his head sheepishly. "It's just, with everything so far… I thought this might've been something we could have tried." Toph blankly stared Aang, waiting for him to get to his point. "I'm… I am so sorry Toph."

Toph could not believe this Airhead. Now he was practically backing out on his words. Which did make sense, since he had no idea how Toph would react. The Beifong's moods were unpredictable, and he preferred to dance around the subject. He was being smart at least. "I'm… I'm not mad, because you asked me to move in with you," Toph explained. Aang raised his brows. "Wait, no, I am mad about that. Because it was sudden." He nodded his head agreeingly. "I'm mad… because—" there was no point in hesitating now, she had to go the full mile. "it… it still feels like you're not over her."

Aang cocked his head to the right as he raised a brow. His heart gave him away, as it began beating rapidly. "What?" he asked softly.

"I feel like…" She took a deep breath. "You're… You're just—"

"Toph, just say it," Aang advised, looking on in curiosity.

She grit her teeth as she clenched her fists. Why was this so hard? She's been blunt and honest before, why was accusing him of something any different? "Let's not do this now," she finally said. "Not with them here."

Aang stared at her questionably, before nodding obediently. "Of course," he whispered. "Later it is then." He reached for her hand and gave it a small squeeze, following up with a wink. It was his left eye, so present company wouldn't see his "flirting." He really wasn't dumb.

Soon enough, everyone's steaks were ready and the gang happily began their meal. For the first few minutes, they worked away at their meals while occasionally throwing an occasional conversation up every once in a while. Toph noticed how it was actually a subtle interrogation against Aang. Things like asking generally if everyone was happy nowadays (that was Sokka), or if anyone ever just missed hanging out one-on-one, or if anyone was willing to visit Katara for a few days. That had gained a collective interest, but everyone—much to Toph's reluctance—agreed it would be a good idea.

"Without hesitation, I would fly over to see my kids," Aang declared. So that was settled, for another day.

The topics ranged into steady going catch up, asking each other about work mainly. Of course the idea of asking what Katara was up to hung at the back of their minds, Toph knew this. She could sense the hesitance with each question. She also didn't understand where this all came from. It was as if he had mentioned her or something. Maybe his sky message had something to do with it. Regardless, it annoyed her how much they were babying Aang. He was a grown adult, he could handle himself and he could handle a direct question. It was practically insulting, and Toph knew he knew. But of course, neither chose to act in fear of annoying the other or starting a whole new issue.

Toph decided to throw Aang a bone, and asked, "Out of all the things we could've done, a barbeque was the best idea?"

"I don't know Toph, I like it," Suki compromised, "though I do see why you'd be expecting something like a fancy restaurant." She shrugged simply as she continued to eat.

"Yeah, we were planning on Kwong's Cuisine," Zuko said to Suki. He shoved a piece of steak into his mouth and shrugged. "But Sokka suggested a personal gathering like this would be better."

Suki raised a brow. "Kwong's Cuisine?" she inquired.

"The latest restaurant to hit Republic City," Sokka answered. "Very high class apparently. None of us have been yet."

Toph smirked. "I have," she spoke up. Zuko and Sokka threw a curious look at Toph. "Yeah, I go out sometimes." She shrugged defensively. "Their steak there is nowhere near yours, Zuko." He smiled at the sentiment. "Theirs is better," she added with a proud smirk. "Like, they are just divine," she stated in a proper tone, as is she was an upper class citizen—which she was.

Zuko frowned. "How heartwarming," he said dryly. He glanced back and forth between Aang and Toph. Toph sensed his skepticism, which practically told her something happened. "So, I guess us three have yet to try this place out."

Sokka raised a brow as he pointed his knife toward Aang. "You've been?" he asked before shoving a piece of steak into his mouth.

Aang replied with a smirk and nodded. "Yeah, a few weeks ago." The statement was simple and went unnoticed, but Toph was still mad. She dug her heel into the ground and sent a small spike up Aang's foot. He held in a grunt as he forced out a smile. "For a lunch," he finished, as if that changed the course of the topic.

"With Toph?" Sokka added.

"And me," Hisho spoke up, smiling at the Councilman. "Toph and I went out for lunch and happened across Aang along the way." He shrugged nonchalantly, picking up the conversation with ease. "It was a small lunch, but the place is good for a full meal. My wife and I went a while ago for a dinner, great selection in the evening." Toph and somehow Aang, managed to keep their cool. Neither reacted nor commented on it, in fear of overcompensating for an answer. Spirits, they loved this assistant so much.

Suki smiled as she reached for Sokka's hand, squeezing it. "Good thing I'm here all month. We can go out and try it!"

Sokka smiled at Suki. "Yeah! That sounds like a lovely date."

Zuko scoffed. "Guess I'm chopped liver," he stated with a fake pout.

"You can take Mai," Aang suggested.

Zuko snorted. "She's not one for those type of gestures," he said with a smile, "Heck, it took me so long to propose to her because I had no idea how." He scratched the back of his head and chuckled. "Mai is a special type of woman."

Sokka laughed. "Yeah, I'll say, your on and off again relationship was annoying." He nudged Suki with his elbow, causing her to smile a bit.

"Well, I think I can say the ladies of Team Avatar certainly are a special case like no other," Aang declared with a proud smile.

Hisho nodded, "You sure now how to pick 'em!" The gang laughed at the statement.

"I hope that's a compliment Twinkletoes," Toph warned as she laughed.

Aang scoffed. "You can take it whichever way you'd like to." He smirked as he looked over to the married couple. "I'm glad that you guys are still going strong."

Suki nodded in agreement. "Same. With me working in the Earth Kingdom so much, I was getting worried I would just go insane without you guys." She smiled at everyone, soaking up the moment. It was clear that she missed moments like these, they all did. "But I managed to keep on. And Iroh is a great help in that."

Zuko's smile grew more as Toph's expression perked up at the mention of their favourite old person. "How is my uncle?" the Fire Lord asked curiously.

"He still playing Pai Sho like a champion?" Toph happily questioned.

Suki smiled, "Still undefeated. He's still happy around the shop, he still has lots of customers." Her face perked up. "Oh! Why don't I try and make us some tea?" she offered excitedly.

Zuko happily nodded at the gesture. "Yeah, I think I speak for all of us when I say we'd appreciate it!"

"I could go for some tea," Hisho chirped. He had not met Iroh much, but just enough to try his tea. He too thought it to be something out of this world.

Toph smiled as well. "Get on it Mrs. Snoozles, I need to feel a bit closer to the old loon."

"Sorry if it won't be the same," Suki apologized as she rose from her seat. "I'll get on it right away."

Zuko rose and immediately followed after. "I can help?" he suggested as he trailed behind.

Sokka quickly sprung out of his seat and followed the two. "Now I have to make sure he doesn't burn down our kitchen!" he shouted as he rushed after them.

The remainder of the party laughed at Sokka's concerned haste. His worry was well placed though. Zuko may have been capable of a lot of things, but he couldn't make tea for the life of him. The Fire Lord would often argue his tea wasn't that bad, yet the amount of times the gang found themselves tossing the beverage into the soil seemed to outweigh his argument. But no one really had any right to argue. While they all could make better tea than Zuko, no one could even reach within a centimetre of Iroh's tea. That was until Suki learned, at least.

"Well, they're not being subtle," Aang chuckled softly as he reached for his napkin. He wiped his chin as Toph snorted.

"Could you blame them?" Hisho commented, nodding his head upward. Aang laughed at the gesture.

"You could at least give a straight answer or be more direct," she muttered.

"And why aren't you?" he teased.

Toph threw a glare at the Avatar. "Because it's not my job to baby you either! How are you not annoyed? They're being so condescending and tip toeing around this so much they're almost as twinkly toed as you!" Hisho snickered at the comment, but a mere glance from Toph silenced him—it was more so a stifle, he really was enjoying this.

Aang laughed. "Toph, it's fine, really…" he assured with a small smile. "They're just concerned is all. I've already told them I'm okay, but I can't fault them for still being cautious."

Toph crossed her arms and scoffed. "Still…" she mumbled.

"I'm sensing I need to excuse myself," Hisho announced as he rose up from his seat. "I'll just use the restroom."

"Some buffer you are," Toph muttered under her breath.

"Pardon?"

"Thank you, Hisho," Aang smiled, "But if only Toph wants to dismiss you." He looked to her. She groaned as she nodded her head. Hisho smirked as he walked away from the two. Right as he entered the house, Aang started right away. "It's not easy," he spoke up in a soft tone, "to get over something like this."

Toph's grip on her arms tightened more. "You mean someone like her."

"Toph."

"I'm hearing you Twinkles," she fired back, "but it's like you're not hearing me." She doesn't know why her voice fell flat on silence, or why she cowered behind a soft spoken tone. "I just… I don't feel like, you're actually being as truthful as you think. It just, it doesn't feel like whatever this is… is for the right reasons."

Aang stared at her, befuddled. His eyes were wide, and his heart beating a million per minute. There were many reasons as to why he was nervous, afraid. Toph was vulnerable. He made her vulnerable, and let her down. But in truth, he wasn't even sure if what she said was wrong. Had he been using her? Aang swallowed his words as he thought more on it. He had been so sure it was love, that it was worth it. But, maybe it was not as simple as he thought it once was.

He took a deep breath, closed his eyes, and recalled the past few weeks. The past few months, the past few years. It all felt like a blur at times, but it was also all so slow. The slowest moments were the ones without her, Toph. The times she wasn't around, the times no one was around to call him Twinkletoes, the times where he had no one else to escape with. He thought on their friendship, on how he was purely convinced theirs could last one more lifetime. Aang soaked in the moments they had over the past few weeks, and liked how well it compared to their time together over the past few years. He liked what was happening.

Sure, Katara and him had their moments. They did exist. But not all relationships could compare so easily. Sometimes, a friendship could be more powerful than a sibling bond. Or even, a good friend could mean a lot to someone. He appreciated those small moments with Katara. But those in itself, could only be described as just that, small. Maybe he was over exaggerating with Toph, and under exaggerating with Katara—it was likely it was both. What was certain, was that love was the only thing that could make him so flustered and confused. Love was the only thing Aang had feared most while also cherishing it above all else. He opened his eyes to a vulnerable Toph. The Toph Beifong, afraid. Afraid of something he had feared. Here she was, in front of him. Aang looked at Toph, and he smiled.

"I see… pure beauty…" he uttered wordlessly.

Toph's face flushed as her brows narrowed. "What kinda response is that!" she nearly shouted. "I'm trying to pour my heart and all you can talk about is looks?"

Aang couldn't fight off his smile. "It's… much, much more than that Toph." His hands slowly found themselves placed on Toph's, removing their death grip on her arms. His right hand slowly intertwined with hers, and she let it happen. "I see what we have, and I see beauty. I see our friendship. I see what we have now, I just. I know it's different. I know it. But, different doesn't mean it can change everything I've been through. I… I can't say I haven't thought about Katara at all these past few weeks, or Bumi, or Kya. Because that'd be impossible."

"Then why don't you?" Toph questioned. "Why haven't you?"

"I didn't think Toph Beifong would be prone to discussing feelings," Aang mused.

"She's not," she replied, "only when it starts to concern… her own feelings." Again, soft spoken but for a good reason. Aang knew what she was implying. She knew she meant him, them, all of it.

"Toph, I… I want to talk about it. But, I just…" he trailed off, frowning.

"You can't," she finished. She squeezed his hand out of reassurance. "I know." She nodded. Patience was annoying, but she could manage.

He smiled at the gesture and sighed. "I will. I know I can, I just… I need to sort out everything in my head first."

"And living together can help with that?" Toph retorted.

"Yes, because I'm at my best with you," Aang confidently answered. "I know that I can give you all the answers, but only because they come with you." The blind bender raised a confused brow at his words. "Okay, I mean, it's just, when we are together my questions just feel answered. I can look at you right now and tell you, I feel just as afraid as you. But, I also know I'm not as confused." He raised their hands slightly, as if to show her blind eyes more clearly. "Without a doubt, something about this feels right." As he lowered their hands he added, "And tell me, with what you feel, can you honestly tell me I'm lying?"

Toph took a deep breath and shook her head. "I believe you. I believed you weeks ago, when I trusted my senses before. And it led us here."

"And what happened along the way was good, right?"

She scoffed. "It was okay…" Aang chuckled. "Aang," Toph said softly, "I've already heard it before. I don't need to hear another poem about our…" She gulped. "Love… and how you see it can transcend all relationships in existence." She let out another sigh, tightening his hand again. "I know what you want to say, I get it already. I just want to know if you really understand what this," she shook their hands, "is."

He smiled at her, grinning like the twelve year old who had learned how to Earthbend for the first time. Toph just, knew that smile. She couldn't see it, but she just… knew. It was that same dumb kid who smiled when he stepped in the ring to greet his future Earthbending teacher (also the same one to cheat a win, but she wasn't bitter). Toph could only smile back. She started to think—no, she knew what this was leading to. It was then Toph knew that what she wanted to say, was going to be worth it.

He brought Toph's hand to his lips and kissed them. "It's love." Again, Toph cursed her stupid heart for actually feeling so weird and fluttering at Aang's words. "I truly believe, what we have is something that can, as you said, 'transcend all relationships—"

"I was making fun of—"

"I believed it," he continued, "right after our lips met for the first time." Another silence, another moment to sink it all in. Spirits, she really needed a comeback for when he was like this otherwise he'd be walking all over her. "Sure, we were drunk and everything, but the morning after, I just… I felt different." He happily chuckled as he thumbed Toph's knuckle. "So yes, I do understand what this is. I also understand you, just as much as you understand me."

Toph smiled. "It's kinda hard not to pick up a few things with your annoying face everywhere."

Aang shook his head, grinning. "What I was leading to, is that I also understand a lot about you. I am hearing you. I get what you're feeling and I don't fault you at all for it. I understand why you'd have doubts and everything." He nodded his head repeatedly. "So I understand why you're afraid to say it. But no, I'm not trying to replace Katara with you. And I am sorry I ever made you feel that way. In a lot of ways, yes, I guess I am doing that, but I just saw—see, it as moving on."

Toph held back a smile, biting down on her lower lip. "I get it. I'm just glad you could tell me that." She quietly coughed. "Because… it felt good to hear." Her heart was soaring at this point. Every single word, honest as could be. She knew he meant it from the first day, but, hearing him again made a bigger difference. Reassurance really was one of her doubts. "So prove it to me," she said, also demanded. Before he could ask for any clarification, Toph added, "Prove to me that you are ready for the next step."

"I–I am. I'm willing to prove it," Aang replied, surprised she was actually making a declaration. It had caught him off guard, but he nodded his head rapidly. His eyes were wide as he gave his full attention—as if he didn't before.

"Then move in with me."

Aang's eyes somehow widened again. "Wh-What?"

Toph swallowed hard as she closed her eyes. She mentally prepared herself. She was not backing out now. "If you really want to prove this, relationship," it rolled off the tongue easily this time, "then move in with me. Because that would really—"

"Yes," he interjected.

Toph's brows rose in shock. "Really? No hesitation?"

"Yes," Aang nodded. Toph smiled at his answer but remained silent, leaving the Avatar to wait. "Wait, is this a trick? I-I mean, are you sure you want this—I do! I mean, I'm all for it! I just want to make sure you are too!" Toph began laughing, leaving Aang to sigh. "Oh thank the Spirits, I thought you were baiting me there."

She shook her head, not caring about her blush or her smile. "So you'll do it?"

He chuckled. "Sure! I mean, who else is expected to clean your filth of a house?"

"Ah great, a servant I can't fire," Toph mused, "looks like I didn't think this through." Her tone was dryly sarcastic.

Aang smiled. "I have a feeling you did. Because as I recall, you like having someone to boss around." He started to lean in, just to sneak in a kiss. This time, it felt right. Toph was ready for it this time, no fear. No more backing down, from either of them.

But, Aang backed away near the edge of the table's bench whilst Toph aggressively cleared her throat. The two immediately recovered from their recent interaction, hiding and blushes and such, as they turned toward the kitchen door. Suki stepped out with a tray of tea, Hisho followed after her, offering to serve them out. Zuko had trailed along with a frown, muttering something about Sokka not trusting him with a simple kettle. Everyone gathered around the table and happily sipped their tea. No one looked like they suspected Toph and Aang of anything. Almost as if nothing happened.

"Ahh," Aang said after sipping his drink, "Suki, I feel like everyday you're closer and closer to mastering Iroh's tea."

She smiled, slightly blushing at the compliment. "Really?" Everyone at the table nodded. "Well don't tell Iroh that, he'd probably just be heartbroken at that."

Zuko laughed. "Nonsense. He'd be excited that he finally managed to pass his secret onto someone."

With that, the gang soon dissolved into more conversations. People noticed the change in Toph and Aang's mood. Sure, they could have done a lot better at hiding it, but they were smitten. No one could blame them for being so perky. Aang's attitude had grown a tenfold, which wasn't different, but he was more engaging and excited. Toph too, was just smiling more. At the moment, everyone chalked it up as them just being good friends who had a nice talk. Only later on would it make sense to them, how it all fell into place.

As time passed and the so-called party droned on, Toph managed to catch Hisho's attention for a moment to quietly ask him something. "Hey, Hisho?" she smiled.

"Yes Chief?" he replied, turning his head to her, all the while matching her tone.

"What did he write in the sky?"

Hisho smiled, holding back his chuckles. "Love—to be so free, yet so grounded."

Toph's smile grew as she felt Aang's heartbeat, imagining his smile whilst she "gazed" upon his general direction.

"That Airhead."

A/N: I AM NOT DEAD.

Ahhh, it feels good to finally update something. No, I am not dead, nor will I ever give up on this fic. Quick summary: stress, anxiety, school, meltdowns, writer's block, but then FINALLY a breather. I had like, a week's time, and I managed to get so much done for my writing.

NOW FOR THIS CHAPTER: This chapter was originally going to stop around Toph's courtyard scene, but I felt like I owed you guys more. But, I honestly hope you guys liked Toph's talk with Aang, as I may or may not plan to do more in the future. I enjoyed writing it, but it was hard. Please, if you guys felt like me burying concepts/metaphors and all that was a bit much and certain things were unclear, let me know.

I often worry I assume too much or too little of my readers. I can make a message, but some people can't read between the lines and it may needed to be stated more clearly. While for others, it might get slow and condescending with how clear I'm being.

Writing aside, I hope you all start to see the general direction this is going in. Because while at first our gang seems to swallow this new fangled story out of nowhere, it's just not as simple as that. Later chapters will shift heavily on present and heavily on past. Time skips will grow. All that jazz! Don't worry though, I will get in some Taang fluff scenes.

Hope I'm not OOC for anyone, please let me know for that as well.

Some responses:

Azgarth - Things are gonna pick up, I just wanted to lay in some more ground work and such. I'm really nervous about making Toph OOC. As for rating, I was tempted to make it rated M and try out a whole new style, but I don't think I could write it as immersive or as well as you think other than. But, who know's maybe later on? I leave it at T just to refer to said actions and such, maybe hint at it and all that. But yeah, can't hide that the two did something. They had kids as well! :P

TakatoMakino - Thanks for the kind words! Please keep reviewing, I love 'em!

Wolfboulder - Does this answer your question? o.0 (I kid, I kid).

Review, follow, favourite! Love you guys for sticking around! I would love to respond to your reviews in next chapters, maybe answer questions there too? Oh, if you want to keep updated, I tend to post on Tumblr. Username is blehblahblargh.

Until next time,

— Bleh