Title: Practice

Fandom: Avatar: the Last Airbender

Pairing/Characters: Toph/Zuko

Warning(s): None

Genre: Fluff

"Let's get something straight, Zuko. I think you should be my boyfriend.

"What do you mean no? Don't tell me that you have feelings for Katara. Trust me, she's crazy about Twinkle Toes. I don't even have to see to see that!"

"Toph, what are you doing?" said Suki from around the corner. Toph punched down her Zuko statue the moment she heard that voice. She thought she was far enough away to practice her confession by herself, and somehow she didn't hear Suki coming. Then again, Suki was good at sneaking around, and Toph was a little distracted at the moment.

"I'm busy, can't you see that?"

"Busy building and knocking down monuments to Zuko?" Suki chuckled, and Toph crushed the pile of rubble that was once Zuko-like under her foot.

"Did it really look like Zuko? Must have been a coincidence."

"I think you should tell him how you feel."

"Yeah? Well, I think you should back off!"

Toph plowed her way along the ground, getting away from Suki as quickly as she could. What a know-it-all. She thought she had all the answers just because she had a boyfriend, but Toph would take nobody's advice but her own.

Later that night she couldn't sleep because Zuko was hunched over, poking at the fire with a stick and not really moving. He was always brooding, which was why he needed someone to talk to. Someone like a girlfriend, and Toph wanted to be that someone. After all, everyone else was occupied, and Katara even said that she was beautiful. There was no reason for this to be difficult, and yet she could feel her blood burning through her veins and pulsing through her ears. If only young love were as firm and simple and earth bending. Then there would be no problem.

"Sorry, did I wake you?" said Zuko, looking up to find Toph staring very intently at a twig underneath his foot, which she probably thought was his face. She then seated herself beside him and leaned into his side, making him blush a little.

"Nah, it's just cold," she said. She left it at that, content with the fact that he didn't inch away, or even ask any questions. This must have been a good sign. She would have to work this into her practice.

END