A/N: This is a continuation of the flashback. Also, deciding if I should include any other pairings in this. Let me know if you have any thoughts.

The "men" had gathered in a fancy suite separate from the ladies in order prevent Sokka from seeing his bride before the big moment. A waiter brought in several small glasses filled with a clear liquid and placed them down.

"You're the best man, Aang," Zuko said, "How about a toast?"

Zuko regretted his words as soon as he saw Aang's face fall. Aang looked around at the expectant eyes and opened his mouth to speak a few times.

"Aw come on, don't put him on the spot like that," said one of the groomsmen.

"Sorry" Zuko muttered.

"I -" Aang downed the glass in front of him to the surprise of the group around him.

"Aang, I thought you didn't drink," Sokka said, "you okay?"

Aang winced at the burning in his throat as the liquid slid into his stomach. This was a bad move, probably. But his throat had been so dry and he figured anything was better than shouting 'love sucks' as a wedding toast.

"That's not water," was all he could manage through a cough and a roar of laughter erupted in the room.

"Hey bud, no need to toast right now," Sokka said, reassuring him, "right now is just guy's time." Aang nodded and the chatter continued until it was time to get dressed and take their places.

Sokka looked happy and despite Aang's own love troubles, he couldn't help but feel his heart fill with joy watching as his friend struggled to adjust his formal robes.

He glanced over at Zuko's attire and then down to his own and noted how nice it was to see three of the nations' formal garb, all being donned in the name of love, a year after the nations had been so separate. And pretty soon they'd all be vastly outnumbered by a sea of green and gold.

The warm liquid was settling in Aang's stomach and he felt a slight buzz in his head. The drink had calmed his nerves.

"That juice was actually pretty good," Aang said, "Can I get another?" A glass was shoved into his hands immediately.

Toph had snuck out from the girls' corridor to see if anything more interesting was happening in grand hall. But it was mostly just caterers and decorators rushing to finish their jobs up at the last moment. She could hear the boys laughing and chatting as they got ready to leave.

It was almost time to go when Aang tentatively spoke up again, a third glass of the fiery liquid in hand.

"Wait, I'm … ready to give a toast," Aang said, his eyes already foggy. Toph stopped in her tracks outside the room. She immediately recognized the beginnings of slurred speech that came with drinking. She'd just never heard them cloud her air nomad friend's voice before.

"ohh… this is gonna be good," she whispered, sneaking behind a large plant to listen in to the conversation.

"Love is … challenging," he began, "It-it's something we all depend on, that's all around us. But sometimes it feels like this giant mountain you have to climb and if you get to the top, you're scared," he let out a small hiccup as he took a swig from the cup in his hand, "you're scared you'll get knocked down."

A few of the boys looked at each other, wondering if the speech was about to take a negative turn. But, Aang continued on anyway.

"Aannd you will, you fall right off the top and tumble down, face down in a pile of mud, over and over but you keep getting back up because it's worth it, right? Because nothing else matters but reaching the top of that mountain. What I'm trying to say, Sokka, is that what you have with Suki - It's east to be bitter. It's easy to be angry at the world, to give up, to run away. But love is worth it. I'm happy for you Sokka" Aang stood up, his usual graceful stance slightly wobbly and he raised his cup in the air.

"Hear, hear"

"Cheers"

Toph could hear the sounds of glasses clinking and she found herself curious as to why he choose earth of all elements to wax poetic on. She decided to quickly make her way to the guest area before getting caught sneaking around the building.

The ceremony was long and admittedly kind of boring. It was also much more elaborate than either Sokka's or Suki's family could afford. Bumi had given them the location and the Earth Kingdom's noble families ensured that the group was treated like royalty. After all, Sokka and Suki were both famous for what they'd done in the war. And making sure that their wedding was nice was as much about optics as much as it was generosity.

When the processional finally began, Toph gently lifted her feet a few centimetres off the ground. She was serious about not watching a love sick Aang, or more specifically, listening to his erratic heart beat when Katara walked down the isle.

Aang, for his own part was trying to focus on anything but Katara. He instead concentrated all of his attention on his feet and making sure that they stayed firmly on the ground. Perhaps that third drink had been a mistake after all.

His eyes darted to the second row. He could barely see her behind Katara's Gran-Gran who was wiping tears away as she looked on at her grandson. But he felt the shift. Two tiny feet, the only ones not clad in fancy shoes lift themselves from the ground.

He thought he'd been imagining it. But sure enough he saw the toes wiggle, barely off the ground, sticking out of a nice but plain-for-her-status dress. He looked up and saw her clean, expressionless face and cloudy eyes, aimed pointlessly at the alter. He moved his attention to her long black hair, done up ornately with copper ornaments.

She fit in perfectly, which was out of character for Toph. But he couldn't tear his mind off her wriggling toes, carefully strained off the ground and only noticeable to someone who knew to pay attention.

Before he knew it, a Kyoshi warrior was linking her arm in his and the two off them were heading down the isle as the crowd cheered.

Toph sat at her table, listening to Katara turn down offers to dance as own her resentment grew. Every boy at this damn party wanted to dance with "the Avatar's water-bending teacher." When she made a snide comment about it, Katara tried to smooth things over by claiming that their interest was probably because they hadn't met anyone from the poles before and when that didn't that work, that they didn't ask her because they were afraid of Toph's awesome power.

Toph's eyes nearly hit the back of her head and she finally insisted that she just accept the next offer and Toph would be fine on her own. Katara intended to object to this, saying Toph was more fun than any stuffy Earth Kingdom noble who was only there for publicity. However, the next offer came from Sokka and she was happy to share a dance with her brother on his wedding day.

Nearly the instant Katara left the table, Aang was sliding into the empty chair. "Toph!" he sang cheerily, "why the long face?"

"What does that even mean?"

"It means you look sad."

"How does one look sad?"

He sighed, her deliberate attempts at dodging his question momentarily bringing him out of his buzz.

"What's wrong Toph?"

"What makes you think something is wrong?"

"You didn't watch the ceremony," he said softly. She could feel he was in her personal space. His body was quite warm and his breath smelt like liquor as his words hit her. Had he actually noticed or did she aim her head in the wrong direction?

She'd attempt one more dodge, "You may not know this but I don't watch much of anything Twinkle Toes."

He leaned in even closer and she thought she was going to melt. He paused for a moment, his brain trying to catch up to his mouth but the haze from having had too much to drink stopped him from realizing she didn't want him to keep prying.

"You know what mean. Y-you lifted yer feet, when the girls started walking down the isle."

Her eyes widened at his statement.

"You noticed?"

"I couldn't stop noticing," he said, not realizing the effect he words had on her. Had he been watching her the whole time?

"I can't blink?" She said and started to explain her metaphor but he cut her off.

"You had them up the whole time though."

"How would you know. Were you watching my feet the whole time?" Toph let out a forced laugh.

"Yes."

Her heart stopped for a moment.

"Well then I should ask why you weren't watching the ceremony then."

"I- uh, well y-you distracted me!"

Toph began to say something else on the subject as a waiter brought Aang a fresh glass.

He started to sip on the liquid in his glass.

"Are YOU okay?" It was her turn to ask.

"Just peachy!"

"Really? How many of those have you had?"

"Eh, whose counting? It's Sokka's wedding!" he said between sips.

"Something tells me your a lightweight. You might wanna slow down."

"I'm bigger than you!"

She laughed, "But I'm not downing my weight in pure liquor."

"It's not pure liquor… is it?" he slurred.

"Smells like it."

Just then Sokka and Katara were returning the table slightly out of breath.

"And that's how you do it in the Water Tribe," Sokka said smugly. Katara move to fix her hair when she saw Aang.

"Aang."

"Hi Katara. You look nice."

"Thanks. You too."

"Thanks," he replied. The air grew a bit awkward and tense but bearable.

Sokka looked over at Toph, "Why so glum Toph, it's my wedding!"

Toph started to respond when she felt Aang's hand grab hers.

"Would you like to dance?"

"I-"

"Come on, it's Sokka's wedding!" He said cheerily. Sokka gave him a thumbs up.

"Well, I suppose I'm following etiquette today. And it would be rude to turn you down. You're on airhead," she laughed. She could practically feel Katara's "I-told-you-so-face"

"Heeey. This isn't a fight. We're on the same side," he whined.

"Mhmmm."

Katara sat herself down at the table, alone for the first time all day as Suki whisked her new husband off to dance.

Toph knew he was only dancing with her to avoid Katara but it was the first offer she had of the night and she was not against an excuse to be so close to Aang. And while she didn't enjoy dancing, she was skilled at it, as required by her upbringing.

The song was upbeat, which she appreciated. Aang lead her the center of the dance floor, his steps as light as ever but quite unsteady. They swayed and clapped and flipped and turned. Before long they had an audience watching and cheering them on.

"Aww they look so cute together."

"Damn, I didn't know the Avatar was taken."

"Wait – is that Toph Beifong? The girl who invented metal bending?! She cleans up NICE"

Toph wasn't sure if Aang was ignoring them or unable to hear them but it seems to have no effect on him. She felt her stomach flip at the words.

"Whoa Twinkles you might wanna slow down there," she said as he spun her around 3 times, releasing her hand. She felt the air move under her and she rapidly spun back to him, her feet literally swept off the ground, bringing her back to his reach.

"Why can't keep up?" He teased.

"No, I'm worried you're gonna-"

But suddenly he stopped in his tracks, tripping ever so slightly over his own feet. She pushed the stone ground up to catch him before falling back into his arms. The song was ending, thankfully, and she could tell by his breathing that somehow he was the dizzy one.

The next song was much slower and she moved to let go of his grasp but he pulled her in tighter.

"Toph, I don't feelsogood," he mumbled.

"Hurl on me and DIE," she hissed in his ear.

"Just dance with me some more. I don't think I can stand without you,"

Her breath hitched. She knew what he meant but she also knew how it could be interpreted. She caved.

"You're lucky I made promises that nothing disastrous would happen tonight."

By now most of the eyes had left them as their slow sway was no longer an impressive spectacle. But she could hear some whispered "aws" telling her they were not completely unwatched.

"We're gonna have to finish this song and then get you some water without making a scene. Think you can manage?"

"You smell nice."

She stepped on his foot.

"Ow!"

"Don't be weird," she quipped.

"Ss-orry. Just like the perfume..."

"Twinkle Toes, you are drunk off your ass."

He just hummed as he held her.

With Toph properly occupied, Katara made her way outside to the balcony. The sun was setting behind a backdrop of homes and businesses. Though the colors and shapes were different, she couldn't help but compare it to the Fire Nation palace, days after the war with Aang's sickening sweet eyes peering back at her.

She let out a heavy sigh.

"You look very pretty tonight," a man said. Great she thought. She turned to face the unwanted company with a strained smile.

"G-general Iroh," she said softly, bowing her head.

He let out a hearty laugh, "I'm not a general of anything anymore."

"Oh. Well, um thank-you for the compliment."

"You are very welcome."

Katara placed her elbows back on the marble balcony, leaning forward to watch the sunset.

"It is a lovely night tonight," Iroh said, "And this is a perfect place for two lovers to meet."

"Uh-" she said somewhat confused.

"Shall I leave before he gets here?" he chuckled.

"That won't be necessary," Katara said, "I am not meeting anyone."

"Ah. The painful sting of young love. With time, it will heal."

"Yeah. Any idea how long until he gets over it?" she words tumbled out more bitterly than she intended, "Sorry. I guess that makes me sound heartless. I shouldn't be the one complaining, right?"

Iroh raised an eyebrow and turned to the girl beside him.

When he said nothing, she continued on, "Do you have any advice? Um, your nephew says you're the smartest man he's ever met."

"Price- Fire Lord Zuko may be overestimating my wisdom in the area of romantic love. It's not often that I am consoling the one who did the leaving," he smiled, rubbing his chin, "but I will say this: it may feel like you've hurt him by leaving him. But it is much kinder to walk away from situations that do not serve you. Not just for yourself but for the other person as well."

"Well, I didn't leave Aang. I- I just told him I didn't feel the same way as he did."

"And was that the truth?"

Katara nodded, "I wish it weren't but I don't want to be his girlfriend. I want to- well I don't know what I want."

Iroh smiled, "It's okay not to know what you want. Much of life's journey is learning what you do not want. You chose not to pursue a path that was not for you instead of following others' expectations. You are already doing much better than I was at your age."

"Everyone keeps telling me not to worry that he'll ask me out eventually. To just look at the way he looks at me. They assume I'm just waiting for him and that's why we aren't together. They can't imagine someone wouldn't want to marry the Avatar. Aang knows what he wants. And if I could just be that girl-"

Iroh waved to stop her, "I've spent some time talking to the young Avatar. He values love and happiness more than power and control. Even if he is disappointed, I am sure that he values your happiness, as much as his own."

"I suppose your right," she sighed, "I just wish I could make him happy."

"Pretending to like him might make him happy now but eventually the truth would come out. If you do not want to be with the Avatar, then you both can do better."

"H-hey!" she said playfully as the two shared a laugh.

"Aang?!" Zuko called out, his feet sliding across the ground, grabbing both Katara's and his uncle's attention. He was quickly flanked by two young Water Tribe men who echoed his calls.

"You know this works better if we split up?" Zuko added.

"Oh."

"Right."

Zuko planted his bare palm on his face and the two other groomsmen turned to head in opposite directions only to run smack into each other.

"Zuko?" Iroh said.

"I need to find the Avatar." He winced as soon as the words left his mouth. "S-so he can give the best man speech."

"Wait!" Katara said, pointing across the courtyard, "Isn't that him down there?"

The group gathered at the balcony to watch from above as Toph's small frame struggled to support a wobbling Avatar.

"I-is he drunk?" Katara asked disapprovingly. Zuko sighed.

"Fire Lord Zuko, I don't think Aang's going to be able to do it," one of the groomsmen said.

"He has to. He's the best man!"

"Why don't you give a speech instead Fire Lor-"

"Please just call me Zuko!"

"Okay, well why don't you give the speech Fir- Zuko? Be ready in a half hour. I'll get everyone's attention." And with that the two Water Tribesmen were off before Zuko could give his complaints.

"That's it, I'm going down there and dragging that drunk monk back up here," Zuko said angrily. Katara, Iroh and Zuko all winced as Toph let out a yell from below. They watched as Aang managed to knock her down while mumbling incoherently.

"Zuko, I think you are going to have to give that speech," Iroh sad.

"But I don't know what to say at a wedding." The muffled sounds of Toph and Aang bickering grew louder

Katara sighed. "Your uncle is right. I don't think Aang's ready to speak to anyone. Just speak from the heart. I'm sure you've got one somewhere in there," Katara said, pointing a finger at his chest as she teased.

Zuko gulped nervously.

"Twinkle Toes! That's it no more mister nice guy. Get your ass off of me!"

"This was you bein- *hiccup* nice?"

Toph growled.

"Okay oh-kaay," Aang said as he rolled to the side, still sprawled in the grass.

"GET. UP!" She bending the earth beneath him, jolting him in the air, "We can't stay here. People are watching. Let's hope nobody says anything. You're a mess Twinkle Toes!"

Aang sauntered back over to Toph, slinging an arm around her shoulder as the two moved to a more secluded space.

Finally out of eye and ear shot, Aang flopped on the ground.

"Stop it," he muttered

"Stop what?"

"You're spinning the ground."

"That's not me. You're drunk. Just focusing on your breathing and drink this," she said, shoving a capped jar in his hands.

"No more drinking."

"It's water. Trust me – you want to drink that."

Aang promptly sat up, shoving the jar back into Toph's hands before turning to the bushes and hurling.

"You are SO lucky," Toph said before barely whispering, "that I like you so much."

Aang, missing the last part simply said, "I don't feel very lucky right now."

Aang's head pounded as the light hit his eyes. He sat up in bed, clutching his stomach. "Ugh. Everything hurts"

"Yeah, well that's what you get for acting like an idiot." Aang jumped when he heard her voice.

"T-oph? What are you doing in my room?"

"Morning to you too barf breath." Some of the memories from the previous night came rolling back to him. He remembered puking on his robes. Hie eyes shot down to his shirt but there were no stains.

"You know, you are heavier than you sound Twinkle Toes."

"I- uh…. Did you change my clothes?"

"Well, yeah. I wasn't going to sit in here with the smell all night. Don't worry, I didn't see anything," she scoffed.

Aang's mind started reeling as more memories from the night hit him. "Wait Sokka's wedding. My speech."

"Apparently Zuko did great in a pinch. You owe him. But, I guess the two of us are even now."

"Even?"

"Yeah, from the South Pole. But next time, you better find somebody else to clean up your vomit. There's water on your night stand. I'm going to bed."

She was gone before he could respond. Aang grabbed the water from his nightstand. He gulped the liquid down greedily trying to piece together the bits from the previous night. Toph, of all people, had ensured that he didn't ruin his reputation. She stayed with him even after he vomited and then dragged him up what he was sure was several flights of stairs and then, somehow managed to change his clothes and put him to bed without him so much as noticing.

Sure enough, when he looked down, his shirt was inside out.