Originally published in my deviantART account

I don't own Avatar...wish I did...

Enjoy!

"Toph, where's Katara?" The earthbender frowned at her pupil. The boulder he had been practicing on slammed to the ground.

"Forget her!" Toph barked. With a hard stomp the boulder was thrown back into the air. "Focus, Twinkletoes."

"Didn't she say she was waterbending by the river?"

"So? You'll mess with your puddle-bending later. Come on Airhead, I want to see some more stances."

Aang lowered into a basic form, and Toph ordered off drills. The avatar did them flawlessly, but the earthbender could feel that mentally he was somewhere else.

Off in Lalaland. She thought wryly.

Without warning she flung him in the air with a pillar of rock. "Rockslide!" She screamed. Aang yelped as he slammed down on the ground. With a groan he got to his feet.

"What was that?" Toph was in his face as soon as Aang straightened. "What kind of sissy display was that? I gave you a simple test that was supposed to be mastered weeks ago. Forgotten it have you? Well, I've worked too long and risked too much to teach this sissy airbender how to move a rock and I won't let you start slacking like a fat, lazy hogmonkey!" With two hands she slammed him back on the ground.

"Sorry." Aang sighed and airbended himself to his feet. "I can't focus."

"No, duh. Why not?" Toph folded her arms, ready for his poor, weak excuse.

"I don't know." The airbender rubbed his bald head and grinned sheepishly. "Maybe it's just one of those days."

Toph was silent. Then "Twinkletoes, that was bad. I didn't even have to feel vibrations to see through that fib."

It was Aang's turn to be silent. His heartbeat told her that he was embarrassed. Toph sighed "Come on, what is it?"

"Toph, I've been wanting to ask…" Aang trailed off. "I mean…you feel heartbeats and all that right?" The girl nodded impatiently. "Well, what does Katara feel when she's around me?"

Toph groaned. "You wasted a whole practice thinking about Sugarqueen? That's just sad." She felt his pulse increase in embarrassment. "But natural, I guess."

"Can you tell me?"

"Well, duh. You just asked if I could."

"I mean, will you tell me?" Aang's face fell when the earthbender shook her head. "What? Why not?"

Toph grabbed his collar and pulled him down to her level. "Okay Twinkletoes, here's the deal. Work hard in earthbending and when I think your ready I'll teach you how to read heartbeats and breathing."

Aang brightened considerably. "Really?"

Toph nodded. The airbender grinned wider. "It's a deal."