Rated: T

Description: "You can't give up when you're looking for a diamond in the rough" Your Toko present: Diamond In the Rough.

Disclaimer: I do not own Avatar or any of it's contents nor do I own Nickelback's song 'Gotta Be somebody', Kiss Me by The Cranberries(not the original singers), The Letter by Acceptance, and Bounce by The Cab, What Are You Waiting For by My Favorite Highway, and My Life Would Suck Without You by Kelly Clarkson (Gosh, I just keep on adding to this list) which I all give credit for. But you might not recognize the songs secretly hidden in the story.

A/N: AGH! Sorry, sorry, sorry, I've been taking so long to write this story. My original goal was to get this done by New Years and well... I was nowhere near close to finishing until New Years... sorry, everyone. But I hope you enjoy this, the end of the story.

Toph's footsteps felt heavy as she dragged them over to Zuko's room, not exactly knowing what she was to say. She gnawed on her fingernails and a hand, absent minded, rested on her stomach where she swore a hurricane was taking place in. She grunted as the flurries under her hand swooned over and over again, not letting her think for a second. "Will you shut up," she snarls through her teeth to her stomach. But the flips refused to listen to her and continued with their affection actions. She was too preoccupied with it that she didn't notice she was about to run into someone. Toph recoiled to the ground and placed her fingers on her temples. "Ow..." She felt a hand grab her arm and pick her up to her feet.

"I'm sorry...," and off went Zuko to his original destination. Toph stayed in place, eyes harshly closed and creases across her forehead.

"Will you just...wait... for a minute," she boasts, angry at him for not trying harder. Zuko stops in his steps and looks over to her innocently but doesn't respond. "Just let me... speak... for a minute...?" He fully turns to her direction but doesn't close the awful gap between them. He figured she was waiting for him to say something, so he did.

"Toph, you've never had to say a word. I understand... you don't have to explain it to me further." She grunts again.

"Why do you always manage to remember that!?" she throws her hands down. Zuko's brows furrow and he takes a step forward, but then takes one back.

"What?" Finally, she turns to face him.

"That you can't hate me. That you always have to be so gentlemen-y with me," she rolls her eyes "; when really, you're as stubborn as I am!"

"You want me to be stubborn?" She grunts again in failure, deciding she wasn't getting anywhere with this conversation.

"No, Zuko! I want you to be yourself! Be who you are when you're around other people." He looked her over with sweet eyes and sighed.

"You're different."

"Ok, look, let's get to the point!" she walks over to him, shortening the gap, and pokes him roughly in the chest while she speaks. "My life, pretty much, would suck without you," her lips tighten and she searches for words through her mind. "Look, this isn't easy for me, so help me out and say something!"

"Are you apologizing?" He couldn't help but let a chuckle escape while speaking.

"No!" she boasts. "...Yes!" Toph corrects herself.

"... I forgive you. I get that you want to leave, and I'm not mad," he nodded showing that he did understand. Toph raised her arms and dropped them irritatedly while looking over at another direction.

"Oh my God!" Zuko's brows furrow once again.

"What?"

"Do you not get me? I'm trying my hardest here! I'm not one for the whole emotional stuff, ok!? A-...," she calmed herself down. "I was stupid for trying to pick a fight, sorry." Toph took a breath to calm the remainder of irritation at him. She smiled a fake smile to him, trying to mimic one hell of a stupid doll. "I know I've got issues but... you're pretty messed up too, Fire Lord."

"Huh?" Her smile vanishes and she hits him on the arm.

"You're stupid."... "I'm staying," she boasts quickly.

"I'm not- what?" he asks briefly. Toph looks away and repeats her statement.

"I'm staying... whether you like it or not." Zuko gulped and smiled sheepishly.

"Really?" he felt like some nerdy little boy that found a girl to the prom. Toph laughed.

"Yeah... really."

"Thank Agni," he says with a big cheesy grin. Toph shook her head, smiling.

"Wipe that smirk off." His grin got even bigger.

"Never." And he picked her up and kissed her sweetly. She returned the kiss and found herself back on the ground, safe and sound.

Toph and Zuko waved goodbye to Katara, Sokka, and Suki who were riding away in a carriage. "So what now?" Toph asks curiously. Zuko looks down at her and smiles.

"Now you pay for my broken dish." Toph chuckled and hit him on the arm.

"When you talk about 'pay' do you mean money?"

"I could," he shrugged.

"I got loads of that, love." He laughs and hugs her, she hugs him back.

"Thank Agni you stayed. I'm so sick and tired of being tired."

"And somehow I'm going to change that?"

"Let's hope so." And he tightened his grip around her.

"Hm... so do I."

..

THE END