LOG: SAME CRAP DIFFERENT PERSON
Saturday nights/Sunday mornings always seem to be the time for finishing these things. XD
[Who:] Toph & Zuko
[Where:] the Western Air Temple
[When:] Some time after these posts .
[What:] They use Zuko's random idea of baking cookies as an excuse to talk about things. Basically going along with what canon is already doing, making them all BFF-y. Messing around with each other, making fun of Sokka, the usual. But it's a lot more interesting given that Toph is still suffering from the Disaster and Zuko isn't. 8D AND IT'S REALLY REALLY CUTE~!
[Why:] Hachi and I discovered that we are logwhores and this was really fun. Plus we like the idea of BFFs. I find it funny that he's friends with Toph and Aang, the youngest. LOL PEDO. ... RISSA- SPAM THIS WITH PEDOBEAR XD
[Rating:] G/PG? Nothing bad.
Warning, this bitch is kinda loooong. 8]
The fact that he wanted to make up badly enough to bake spoke volumes to Toph, but that didn’t mean she was happy about it. It wasn’t that she was against them making up; so much as that she still had little to go on with Sokka personally. Sure, he’d asked her out, but most opinions pointed toward the words ‘rebound’ and ‘least likely to actually come to anything’ when she asked or pondered about their sort-of-kind-of relationship. What Zuko had said about blaming someone for liking them wasn’t too far off, she thought a bit sourly as she approached his room, ready to knock, only to trip. She cursed under her breath. That usually didn’t happen to her.
“Sparky?” she knocked and then stared at the wooden door, memorizing the look of wood and metal.
"Hey you," Zuko opened the door for her and beamed.
Despite the fact he always felt some odd turbulent spark between them when Sokka was involved, he rather always liked Toph. She learned not to take things at face value, and had been the first to stick up for him when things were rocky. He would always be grateful to her. If she had been a few years older and less of a fun little-sister type, he might have even considered asking her out. But as she was twelve (usually), and he was considered an adult, there would be more complications than he cared for. Dealing with Sokka was proof enough alone why dating younger was a pain.
"Thanks for not...erm....beating me to a pulp." He smirked sheepishly and rumpled the back of his head, letting her in.
Toph grinned at him, tilting her head slightly as she took him in visually, as she did with everything since the bizarre change, just in case this 'way' of seeing left at the next second. It was odd. No matter how much she tried, she couldn't see the 'atrociousness' or the 'obviousness' of his scar. It seemed a proper part of him, no worse for the wear. Zuko was Zuko...or rather, Sparky. She supposed he was handsome, though she had only textbook definitions of things like beauty.
“Don’t get ahead of yourself, sparky,” she said, but kept smiling, hitting his shoulder as she often did to Sokka or Aang when she approved of something. “…so…” she paused, walking past him and turning, “…cookies, right?”
"Yeah, cookies," Zuko nodded with a small smile, coming up behind her.
It was an odd spur-of-the-moment suggestion. The other day he had been exploring the ruins by himself, trying to find something to take his mind off the constant ache in the pit of his stomach. The room he found and told her about appeared to have had once been a small kitchen of some sort. Apparently the Air Nomads had a taste for sweets. Something that showed clearly in the Avatar through his love for pies. The oven was large and wood-burning. He had recently stocked it with logs and kindling he found about. Nevertheless, the idea of baking cookies sounding unbelievably gay and lame. But if presenting them to the walking stomach that was Sokka would help call a truce, then it would be worth it.
“I bet he likes cookies a lot,” Toph pointed at a picture on the shelf. She’d never seen Iroh of course, but of all the people in his life, Toph couldn’t think of anyone else he would have a picture of…maybe his mom, she supposed. But he’d never mentioned her before and of course, his mom being a woman instead of an old man, well, that cinched who it must be. “Is it far, this room with the oven?” she stared up at him curiously, frowning slightly, blowing the hair out of her face.
She was rather caught off guard when she blew a small flame at the same time, and it caught onto her hair of course.
"He does," Zuko nodded, smiling the direction of the portrait of his uncle. He still wondered what happened to him. Perhaps when they get the chance, he, Toph, and Appa could go out looking for him.
"You have to be careful," he said with a frown, tucking the longer strands of her hair behind her ears. "It takes a lot to control."
"Follow me," he instructed and took the lead out of the room and down the hallway. "Found it the other day."
“You have an adventurous side,” she commented thoughtfully, pursing her lips as she followed him, eyes wandering over the hall, as usual. “And I was being careful,” she replied lately, scowling. “I didn’t do it on purpose, if I had, I would’ve been very careful!” Speeding up a bit, she hurried to fall into step beside him, trying to just enjoy a bit of time that wasn’t loaded with fights or silliness. The Sokka issue was why they were here but at the same time, she didn’t want to think about it too much…not yet.
“…so how do you know how to cook?” she asked, still a little skeptical.
Chuckling, Zuko slowed his pace so the two could walk side by side. He couldn't say he was used to this, because we wasn't, but weird things had been happening to him left and right this past year or so. Every day there was something, and usually what he least expected. It was hard to believe it was only a few months ago he dreamt of nothing more than waking up as Fire Lord, with Mai by his side as his wife. Now he was stuck in some sort of sitcom, surrounded by a bunch of kids several years younger than him, some flamboyant weirdo with a mustache, and an idiot. An idiot that was for some time his idiot and he couldn't for the life of him figure out why that had changed. It was the main reason for his current bad mood.
"You pick up a few things on your own," he explained. "Uncle was good at tea, but not much else. Learned by trial and error, same as anything else. Mai really liked it though."
Arching a brow, Toph muffled a snort, sort of.
“Do you miss her?” she asked, something some people might not consider polite, but something she felt was relevant. Sometimes she wondered if her parents were okay, the only people she’d really left behind, but she never really ‘missed’ them.
“I know you miss him,” she said quickly afterward, but also as a bit of a mutter, not waiting for an answer to either one as she began to play with her singed hair, a disgruntled look on her face. Sparky and snoozles…who would’ve thought?
She still didn’t get it, but she wasn’t ever blind or stupid enough to ignore it…even if a very young part of her wanted to.
"I do a bit," Zuko replied quietly, looking down at the ground for a moment as they walked. "Mai, I mean. Miss her...and the twins. But she's happier now, so I'm fine with that."
"As for him..." His tone grew distant. "...I just...Mm..." He was trying to avoid another awkward conversation, which always seemed to happen whenever Sokka came up. How do you tell a child, who was obviously trying to hide she was pining after him, the he loved him? Sure, she was young, and had the rest of her life to find boys, but still...He didn't want to be the jerk to break her heart.
"I don't like him or anything you know," she said, eyes wandering to her feet as they continued walking. "I mean I said yes because he seemed upset, but I know he doesn't really like me that way and I've never liked him that way, so....so...." she trailed off, doing her best to sound as wry and dry as usual. She pulled it off well enough, she thought as she finished quietly, "So, what I mean is, you can say you miss him you know. I asked." Maybe it was all a lie. Maybe she had liked Sokka from the beginning. But also, maybe sparky was in love with him...however weird that was. And maybe...maybe snoozles felt the same way, as doubly weird as that was.
"He's an idiot, and a brat, and...." Zuko kept spouting off anything he could use to describe him. It was hard to believe he had fallen for his prisoner and then set him free, only to follow some time later. He was a sarcastic jerk, reluctant and full of backtalk. Like Mai only with less empty threats and a much rougher disposition. He wanted nothing more than to knock his head off half the time. Yet nothing compared to the night Sokka had awkwardly presented him the necklace he had made, with the promise he wanted to spend the rest of his life with him. So despite the lies, what was done behind the other's back, and anything else that stood in the way, Zuko was determined to make it work. "I've no idea what the hell I saw in him."
She didn't need her earth bending to sense such a lie but she wasn't certain quite what to do with such a lie at this time. Sometimes she might have ignored it; other times called him on it, and still other times, just marched him right over to Sokka and demanded they make up. But somehow none of those options seemed to be any good and so she shook her head, sighing. "I do," she said under her breath and more loudly said, "But you saw something." That was more the point, no matter how much Zuko said he didn't care and no matter how much she said she didn't care, they both really did, and had for some time now. "Are we close yet?" she asked, wiping her arms across her face quickly, blinking and then looking back at her feet. "We're almost at the edge of the temple." If she dragged her feet a little, she ignored that too, casting uncertain glances at Zuko now and then.
"It's right in here," Zuko replied, stopping in front of a small wooden door. The lock was broken from age so he was able to push it open and step right in. With a few swipes of his hand he lit several torches used for light until the room was bright. The large oven stood in the center surrounded by open crates and large multi-ton bags of flour opened and scattered on the ground. The floor was white and dusty. He tried to ignore what she had just said to him, but the look on his face told that it had sunk in.
Following him carefully, Toph looked around, but her eyes kept traveling back to Zuko, watching him for everything he didn’t say. In the past, she could just feel each truth, but now she had to deal with it with normal vision, and so she observed the boy in front of her, and absently almost, the boy who had asked her out not a few days ago. This part of the temple was extra dusty, so old and unused, so she was surprised to sneeze a small flame, blinking at it in the air. Before anything could be said though, she spotted the oven and dashed for it, taking a sudden deep interest in it. Anything was better than wallowing quite suddenly in her own feelings, or in her lack of confidence, another thing she hated and wasn’t familiar with.
“Wow, old,” she coughed, waving a hand in front of her, kicking the oven a bit. “Is it safe to use?” she leaned near it, opening it to stick her head in experimentally, not her best move, but it was ancient and less than operational…and staying still wasn’t really an option.
"Haven't tried it yet," Zuko replied with a shrug, coming up behind her. "I did restock the woodbox and cleaned it out though. It's very old-fashioned, not much in it that could break with age."
It was hard to believe all of this was practically as it was a hundred years ago. Almost like stepping back in time. The first time he had been there it had been for a thorough search and nothing more. Never really took the chance to explore. Did Aang used to come in this room, all that time ago? Would he even remember it?
"I picked some ginger and got some milk from one of the tagalongs," he said, showing her the sack he had slung over one shoulder. "Bag of sugar in there too that Katara had. She has a lot of random supplies stocked up from the last time you guys were in town. I'm surprised."
Toph just snorted.
“I’m not,” she shook her head. “Sugar queen is always the mom,” she said, but not unkindly and nodded absently as she stood back up, looking down at the stove, and at the room. She wondered about Aang, a ghost of a smile on her lips. Did he have memories of this place? Were they good ones? Or had he always been running away? They seemed to have that in common, whether they liked it or not.
“What kind of cookies?” she asked, poking at the ingredients through the bag over his shoulder. “Does he like these? I’m surprised I didn’t know,” she said in a considering tone but shrugged as if she didn’t care, even if she cared more than made sense.
"Plain old sugar is boring," Zuko replied simply. He had grown accustomed to picking up the pace, spicing things up, when he was with Mai. So he no longer settled for ordinary. "Thinking we could try gingersnaps. I don't know if he'd like them or not, but they're good, and he is the walking stomach...." He had to bite back a laugh. Chances are even if it tasted back Sokka would still eat it. He licked a cave wall for what it counted.
"Try setting up the oven and I'll sort out the ingredients," he instructed, lowering the sack to the floor, a cloud of dust and flour formed in the air from the impact.
Rubbing her hands together, Toph nodded to him, but didn’t say anything at first, sizing up the oven in an almost comical way. It was as if she saw the oven as a live opponent to be faced off with and she squared her shoulders as she wrinkled her nose with a slight frown and tried to focus on her firebending enough to not focus on anything else.
“Here goes nothing,” she mumbled and tried to firebend. What happened was that she got the oven, but her hands continued on in true flaming fashion. Eyes widening even wider, she yelped as she stared, hands in front of her like alien objects. “Zuko!” she demanded his attention, not sure what to do, and not thinking enough as she called him by his actual name. She wasn’t cut out for this weird style of bending, she’d always known, but this confirmed it for everyone else. It occurred to her that Sokka would find this hilarious.
“Do something, how do I make them stop, they’re too warm?!” Toph waved her hands wildly and refrained from jumping up and down, but only barely. Cooking was perilous, she’d always assumed, and now she knew.
"Whoa whoa whoa!" Zuko yelped, nearly dropping the bowl he had pulled out and dashed over to her. "Breathe! Close your fists! Let it go!" Luckily he was able to swat away the fire.
"Can't believe I got to teach you this too..." He grunted. "Remember what I showed the Avatar. Breathe, then..." He punched and a small ball of flame burst out but quickly dissolved into the air. "It's all about control."
She rolled her eyes at him.
“No, really? ‘Cause I thought it was about doing a dance,” she said, all sarcasm until she remembered recent events and groaned and said quickly, “You know what I mean!” At that, she punched the air with both fists, two powerful flames spurting forth and spinning into nothingness. Biting her lip unhappily, she eyed her hands, clenching and unclenching them. The palms were definitely aggravated. They missed the earth. Exhaling roughly, inclined to be sulky, she tapped the oven. “At least it’s working,” she said and then she nodded at the bowl. “Is it easy, you know it by heart?”
Sokka would love the cookies, she knew, especially if he didn’t know who they were from or why. That known, he would still probably accept them regardless, which was Zuko’s goal, she knew. Blinking as she eyed ingredients and did her best to keep busy, Toph shelved her feelings for what may or may not have felt like the millionth time.
Maybe she liked Sokka, not that she’d admit it, but she damn well wouldn’t play second fiddle to sparky. She’d rather them have each other if it came down to that.
“So are you going to throw them at him one by one, or something more romantic?” she meant it as a casual tease, but it was less sincere than she’d hoped. It was weird being older, she didn’t experience any of those ten years, but she felt older, like she ‘got’ more things, and maybe this was one of them, even if she disliked it.
It took a lot of will to keep reminding himself that under all that she was still twelve. And like a younger sibling to him. And twelve. And twelve? And yes, definitely twelve. But Zuko couldn't help but notice the rather nice rear end as well as certain other appendages she most definitely didn't have before. It made him feel like a filthy incestuous pervert. But her body reminded him of Mai, only with more muscle. And there was quite a lot he could say about Mai and her body. Most of them not good for polite company.
"I was thinking of just, you know, giving them to him," he replied with a smirk as he started pouring ingredients into the bowl. "But chucking them at his thick head sounds like an idea."
She laughed and nodded.
“Well, it’s more fun,” she said simply and began to poke around in the ingredients. “Just so we’re clear, I’m not helping with the baking part…well, I’ll stir,” she amended and made a face. “But I could turn anything into a rock I think.” Cooking just didn’t fall under her list of ‘skills I have’, much less ‘things I’m good at’, or the like. Crossing her arms, as she crouched, continuing to peruse the food stuffs, she made thoughtful sounds like ‘hm’ and ‘hm?’ but not much else. How was she supposed to say: so are you going to go after my sort-of-kind-of-not-really-he-probably-still-wants-you-boyfriend?
There was no easy way around it. Really, Sokka wasn’t exactly ideal for her, and she knew that right away. Maybe someone more like Zuko someday, today if she was older, but since she wasn’t, that was silly, not to mention the very predicament they were in anyway, that being the matter of two given options liking each other.
…not that she cared.
Well, not much.
Now, Zuko was very grateful for the time he had spent with Azula, Mai and Ty Lee. Especially on the beach. When he was surrounded by beautiful girls in their swimwear. Namely Mai, who he felt looked smoking in anything. But then there was Ty Lee in her skimpy bikini and of coursed he noticed the giant things staring him in the face but made a point of ignoring. It was definitely good training at a time like this. Even with Mai, sometimes it was hard to control wandering hands. But now...Nothing.
Breasts are not for staring and butts are not for groping. Ever.
Which may have been what driven him towards Sokka. Sokka didn't have boobs or a butt. Well, he did have a butt. But it was a different kind of butt. Not a round shapely gropable butt. Well, it was gropable but not in that way, but at least he didn't have a huge rack. So that could be a factor in the whole 'okay I really think I like this' deal he had going with Sokka. No embarrassing accidents. It just was.
"I'll handle the baking, but I'm sure you can handle mixing, yeah?" He smirked at her. "...You're eyes are pretty." Without the clouded covering that blinded her he could really see the vibrant color they were.
Toph almost tripped on nothing at that comment from what felt like nowhere, nowhere perhaps because she still couldn’t, maybe for a few years yet, accept compliments. It wasn’t her style and she didn’t believe them anyway, but that was a different kind of blindness.
“They’re green,” is what she said, ignoring a slight blush she felt that was rather transparent due to her pale skin.
In answer to the rest, she took the bowl from him, only to stand there, feeling and looking dumb and quite without a spoon to mix it with. “You do have a spoon somewhere around here right?” She hadn’t seen it while rummaging through the other ingredients and baking things.
“Snoozles is lucky,” she said as almost an afterthought, but it had nothing to do with anything else she’d said, and she found herself looking away in a way much more awkward than she’d felt in years.
"Of course they're green," Zuko snorted, trying not to laugh. Girl acted like she had no idea she was a total babe. "But they look like some gem on a necklace my mom used to wear. Emerald, I think it was. Very pretty."
Then, noticing Toph was rather spoon-less, he reached into the sack and found a small metal one. The only one they had that Katara didn't need to cook supper with. "It's not the best I know but it'll work. That is, if you don't mind getting a bit dirty." He flashed her a grin.
He then pretended he didn't hear the line she said about Sokka, instead letting the content look on his face say it all.
“I am dirty all the time. Some cookie stuff isn’t a problem,” she said and then added, “Well, usually I am.” She continued to stir, bits of batter flying here and there, which she might regret later when trying to get it out of her hair, but for the most part, it stayed in the bowl, or on her fingers since, well, the spoon was a normal spoon and not really cut out for baking things. Every now and then she’d think to mention Sokka again, but, discouraged, she ended up just keeping her mouth shut for once, sneaking glances all around the room, to Zuko, to the batter. It was nice, what he said about her eyes, even if she didn’t know what an emerald looked like to test his comparison.
Done soon, she held the bowl out to him in one hand, rubbing her face with the other, only to scowl when she realized that it just got batter on her face. Usually she didn’t mind being dirty, but this stuff was sticky too…but at least it tasted good.
“Good job, sparky,” she nodded approval, idly licking some stray batter off of her fingers. “I admit, I’m impressed,” she grinned.
Trying his best to ignore the fact she was licking a sticky pale substance off her face, Zuko smirked. "Told you."
He then took the bowl and spoon from her and became scooping tiny balls of batter onto a flat slab of stone. There was enough to make a good three dozen of them. It had a strong yet sweet scent to it already and they weren't even baked yet. After checking the oven, he lifted the slab and slid it in.
"In less than an hour there will be cookies," He told her with a smile. "You've got pretty steady hands there. You know....with the bowl and all..."
“Well, I am pretty good with my hands. I depend on them,” she said, sitting not far from the oven to perch near and stare at it, willing the cookies to be done much more quickly. Waving one hand in front of her eyes, she said, “They’re how I move and fight, and sort of how I see too, sometimes…I hope they’re steady.” Rocking back on her heels slightly, she rested her chin on her knees and stared again at the oven before letting her eyes wander back to Zuko.
“I think you need an apron,” she said and used her right hand to point out various places the batter had splattered, slightly amused.
It was nice, in a sense, ignoring the purpose of the cookies and so on, just to hang out for the first time in quite a while.
"Oh...." Zuko glanced down at his shirt, noticing several spots were covered in pasty blotches. After pondering for a moment, he shrugged and pulled his shirt up and over his head, balled it up, and then tossed it aside. "Better," he commented. "The oven makes it really hot in here."
He stepped over and sat down next to Toph, pulling his legs into the lotus position. She was one of the nicest girls he had ever met. So down to earth, and true to herself, living up to no expectations except her own. Not crazy by any stretch of the imagination. Ever since arriving he just felt drawn to her, and still couldn't forgive himself for burning her feet. He never wanted to hurt anyone, but especially not the people he generally liked.
"Hey, you come from a yuppie family right?" He looked at her. "Did your parents ever try to pawn your off on some lame rich guy just to hook you up?"
Not entirely unaffected by Zuko losing his shirt, but also still completely able to be self-centered enough to not be too distracted, Toph began to pick at the space between her toes. Maybe it was disgusting, but if the others had gotten used to it, sparky would have to as well. That was all good and well of course, but she was still a bit foreign with the older body and older mind that came with this chaos change, so she kept her eyes sort of focused on the floor, near her feet, and so on.
“There were arrangements,” she shrugged. “But it was sort of a ‘when you turn this age’ thing, and I never had to meet any of them…I don’t think they even knew I existed actually, knowing my parents.”
"If I hadn't asked Mai out on my own I bet her parents would've shoved her at me sooner or later," Zuko chuckled. "Hers are kind of nuts when it comes to climbing the social ladder."
"But I guess I'm not a total failure..." He said quietly, referring the relationship with Sokka as well as the one with Mai. "I do technically now have heirs to my name."
His gave drifted down to where she was messing around with her foot. It was unappealing, but then again, all the kids had their weird quirks. Like sneezing ten fit in the air, giggling over flatulence and belching, and other such things. One of the many reasons why he sometimes felt like he didn't fit in. "Bet your parents didn't approve of that either." He nodded towards what she was doing.
Arching a slightly annoyed brow as she looked over at him, she shot him a half smile, and said, “Well, it wasn’t much of a problem, since they didn’t really see me.”
Finished with both rounds of toe picking, she went to dig her hands in the ground out of habit, but found the earth unyielding of course. Disturbed not for the first time about this, she brought her hands back up to hold her arms, unsettled as she set her chin on her knees again.
“They hid me from the world, including themselves,” she said, and then, looking over at the newest addition to the group, continued, “I mean, I don’t care or anything…it’s just the way it was. Toe picking would’ve been fine compared to earth bending I think.”
Biting her lower lip she shrugged yet again and laid back, arms behind her head as she stared up at the temple ceiling.
“Heirs are good though. You might need those when you’re fire lord,” she said, as conversational as if it was talk about the weather or a haircut.
The way Toph spoke about her parents reminded Zuko of his own in a way. For the longest time his father considered him a disgrace. By banishing him after the failed Agni Kai it slandered his name, making him a laughingstock everywhere where anyone knew who he was. To think he was foolish enough to struggle and connive just to get the love and respect he wanted from his father. The thought of it made his stomach churn. He was different now. A lot different.
"If I get to be," Zuko shrugged. "It wouldn't be smart to assume things like that yet. We still got a war to win."
He looked at her and then lightly brushed some of her hair away from her face. She really did have pretty features. Reminded him of a porcelain doll, even though he knew by now she was nowhere near as delicate. "...What do you want to do? You know, when all this is said and done. The war, I mean."
The sweet gesture both moved her and confused her, and she turned her head slightly, still laying down, to stare up at him curiously as she spoke.
“Well, I don’t know what I want to do, but I do know, I don’t want to go home…it’s not my home,” she said, and she said it slowly, thinking everything out for once. Maybe it was the low key nature of it just being the two of them, no pressure, or maybe it was something else, but it made her pause more before she said anything.
“And you will be fire lord,” she stated firmly, eyes seeing so much as she stared straight at him, unwavering and unabashed, as was her tendency to be. “Aang’s destiny is to take down your father. Your destiny is to fix what he’s done in your own way…you said it before, to restore balance.”
Toph was pretty sure she didn’t have a grandiose destiny like Aang or Zuko, but then, neither did Sokka, nor Katara, and here they were.
It was okay.
This life still held more in it for her than anything at ‘home’ ever had and ever would.
"I don't know..." Zuko muttered softly, eyes darting around the room for a moment. "After my couple 'bouts as 'fire lord' I'm not sure I'm cut out for the job just yet. Maybe if he's....well....I'd rather Uncle take it. At least, until I'm ready."
After everything that just happened, Zuko had never been surer that he wasn't ready. He was still young, his mind to easy to control. His uncle had already reached his prime, and had plenty of wisdom and experience to make the right choices. Even if they did win the war, he felt his uncle should be the one to take the throne. Until he felt he knew enough to be trusted with such a responsibility.
Besides, the whole time, the crown really belonged to Iroh. Not his father, or anyone under his bloodline. So even if Ozai was killed, it would still feel stolen to him. The divine right to rule wasn't his.
“Other people know, even if you don’t,” Toph said, still looking up at him, clear and certain on this point. Even if he felt he wasn’t ready yet, that didn’t mean he wouldn’t take the throne, sooner or later. And he would be a good fire lord, she thought, and she was not the easiest critic when it came to these sorts of things.
“But if you weren’t fire lord….and your uncle was,” she assumed the obvious, “…what would you want to do?” she propped herself up slightly on her elbows, not breaking eye contact. It occurred to her that if Katara would give him the time of day, she might find reason not to hate him or be so paranoid about him so often, and if Sokka would give him a real chance, they might be able to truce…among other things.
Blinking, she shook her head to clear it and asked, “I mean, what would you do instead? Travel…or….other things?”
"I've got a family now," Zuko replied with a sigh. "I mean, one of my own...Mai and I may not be together anymore, but that doesn't mean I'm going to ignore them...I don't want to be a bad father. Was thinking of getting a nice place near Mai, spend time with them. Maybe serve under Uncle as an advisor or something, I don't know...."
When it came as to what would come of he and Sokka, Zuko was at a loss. He knew Aang would want to keep ties; he just looked like the type to never let a friend go, no matter where they lived. He wanted desperately to make up with him, to not be hated. Sokka wanted him dead, and he was more than willing to oblige. But there was no way he'd tell Toph that. Tell her that he'd be willing to let himself get killed if that was what Sokka wanted. She would probably flip out and accuse him of being crazy. Which he probably was, but now he was too desperate and just wanted to make things right again.
"I could see you opening up an earth bending school," he told her. "In a cave with the badgermoles. Teach the kids the true way of doing it."
She snorted in spite of the seriousness in his voice.
“I,” she proclaimed, sitting up quickly, eyeing him directly. “…am a horrible teacher.” She then flopped back on her back and chuckled. “But the badger moles are great teachers.” Smile falling from her face, she turned on her side, so that her face was looking in the direction of the oven, her back to the runaway prince.
“You could do any of that. But don’t think just because you’re in the fire nation you can escape. You’re stuck with us,” she warned but also said for his benefit. He was avoiding Sokka in conversation but that made it all the more obvious he was on his mind. Toph didn’t need her earth bending to be able to sense that. Brow knitting as she considered all the possible outcomes of this mess, she sighed under her breath.
"I'm not sure I like that idea," Zuko said playfully with a grin. "Having to spend the rest of my life with you lot."
Noticing she had turned her back to him, he looked around for a moment. Upon finding a good pile of flour, he picked some up, and planted a by flour handprint on her back. For some reason, he found this amusing, and snickered.
Before she could react, he got to his feet and tiptoed to the oven. "Smells like they're done, I'm going to check." He opened the iron door and peered inside. "Yep. Perfect." Quickly he pulled the slab out and set it aside. "Just need to cool some. Scolding hot things, they are."
Zuko then turned back to her, eyes directly fixated on hers, and smirked.
Rolling her eyes at the smirking prince, she then made a very immature face at him as if to say: well fine! But it wasn’t a mean thing so much as an amused reaction.
“Stuck with us? How flattering,” she remarked, no shortness on the sarcasm as she flexed her toes and stood up, walking over to smell the cookies, and staring at them uncertainly before reaching to get one anyway, regardless of the warning.
She dropped it the moment she picked it up, but luckily it didn’t fall on the other cookies, and she scowled at her burned finger. Served her right, she supposed, but the stupid things took too long to bake, smelling good for forever and then making her wait for them too cool was too much to ask.
“They smell good,” she commented, and looked longingly at the still cooling confectionaries. “I assume even though these are for kiss and make-up, that as the cooks, we can each have one,” she mumbled, frowning at her burnt fingers. There was no mark but she decided she much preferred the neutral jing of earth to the unpredictability that came with heat or fire.
"Of course we can have one," Zuko stated as if it was the most obvious thing on the planet. "We have to make sure if they taste as good as they smell."
The possibility that the oven sent the scent of baking cookies through the whole temple crossed his mind. Sokka noticing it and getting hungry made Zuko feel that it was a suitable punishment. Also, he would have to be sure to set aside a few for Aang and the others. Sure, it was mostly for the 'kiss and make-up' as Toph so kindly stated, but he didn't want the others to feel left out. Plus he had a feeling Aang would really enjoy them. The fact alone that they had been cooked in the temple's oven would be enough to make the boy really feel at home.
After a couple of minutes Zuko held his hand over the cookies. "Should be a bit better. Go ahead and take one. I warned you they were hot." He smirked at her again. It was hard not to play with her. She made it too easy.
She shot him a look that said he could laugh, but at his own cost, but she took a cookie and ate it as happily as a child.
“Very good job, I think,” she smiled, though it didn’t quite reach her eyes as she said, “I think he’ll be in your presence willingly before this smell finishes getting through the temple.”
Tapping her fingers absently on the counter-like thing where the cookie slab rested, she looked around again. The temple was very beautiful. It suited what she understood of the airbender way of life.
“You do know, he would eat all of these himself in so little as half a second, right?” she asked Zuko, smiling despite the fact that the potential for a make-up between them spelled a break-up for her. It wasn’t even real to begin with, she reasoned. He was upset and that was that. Zuko would feed him. Sokka would mellow out…if a bit charred still.
Things would go back to…well, their version of normal.
If things worked out, anyway.
314/315 better have BFF moments to cap and icon. :|
[Who:] Toph & Zuko
[Where:] the Western Air Temple
[When:] Some time after these posts .
[What:] They use Zuko's random idea of baking cookies as an excuse to talk about things. Basically going along with what canon is already doing, making them all BFF-y. Messing around with each other, making fun of Sokka, the usual. But it's a lot more interesting given that Toph is still suffering from the Disaster and Zuko isn't. 8D AND IT'S REALLY REALLY CUTE~!
[Why:] Hachi and I discovered that we are logwhores and this was really fun. Plus we like the idea of BFFs. I find it funny that he's friends with Toph and Aang, the youngest. LOL PEDO. ... RISSA- SPAM THIS WITH PEDOBEAR XD
[Rating:] G/PG? Nothing bad.
Warning, this bitch is kinda loooong. 8]
The fact that he wanted to make up badly enough to bake spoke volumes to Toph, but that didn’t mean she was happy about it. It wasn’t that she was against them making up; so much as that she still had little to go on with Sokka personally. Sure, he’d asked her out, but most opinions pointed toward the words ‘rebound’ and ‘least likely to actually come to anything’ when she asked or pondered about their sort-of-kind-of relationship. What Zuko had said about blaming someone for liking them wasn’t too far off, she thought a bit sourly as she approached his room, ready to knock, only to trip. She cursed under her breath. That usually didn’t happen to her.
“Sparky?” she knocked and then stared at the wooden door, memorizing the look of wood and metal.
"Hey you," Zuko opened the door for her and beamed.
Despite the fact he always felt some odd turbulent spark between them when Sokka was involved, he rather always liked Toph. She learned not to take things at face value, and had been the first to stick up for him when things were rocky. He would always be grateful to her. If she had been a few years older and less of a fun little-sister type, he might have even considered asking her out. But as she was twelve (usually), and he was considered an adult, there would be more complications than he cared for. Dealing with Sokka was proof enough alone why dating younger was a pain.
"Thanks for not...erm....beating me to a pulp." He smirked sheepishly and rumpled the back of his head, letting her in.
Toph grinned at him, tilting her head slightly as she took him in visually, as she did with everything since the bizarre change, just in case this 'way' of seeing left at the next second. It was odd. No matter how much she tried, she couldn't see the 'atrociousness' or the 'obviousness' of his scar. It seemed a proper part of him, no worse for the wear. Zuko was Zuko...or rather, Sparky. She supposed he was handsome, though she had only textbook definitions of things like beauty.
“Don’t get ahead of yourself, sparky,” she said, but kept smiling, hitting his shoulder as she often did to Sokka or Aang when she approved of something. “…so…” she paused, walking past him and turning, “…cookies, right?”
"Yeah, cookies," Zuko nodded with a small smile, coming up behind her.
It was an odd spur-of-the-moment suggestion. The other day he had been exploring the ruins by himself, trying to find something to take his mind off the constant ache in the pit of his stomach. The room he found and told her about appeared to have had once been a small kitchen of some sort. Apparently the Air Nomads had a taste for sweets. Something that showed clearly in the Avatar through his love for pies. The oven was large and wood-burning. He had recently stocked it with logs and kindling he found about. Nevertheless, the idea of baking cookies sounding unbelievably gay and lame. But if presenting them to the walking stomach that was Sokka would help call a truce, then it would be worth it.
“I bet he likes cookies a lot,” Toph pointed at a picture on the shelf. She’d never seen Iroh of course, but of all the people in his life, Toph couldn’t think of anyone else he would have a picture of…maybe his mom, she supposed. But he’d never mentioned her before and of course, his mom being a woman instead of an old man, well, that cinched who it must be. “Is it far, this room with the oven?” she stared up at him curiously, frowning slightly, blowing the hair out of her face.
She was rather caught off guard when she blew a small flame at the same time, and it caught onto her hair of course.
"He does," Zuko nodded, smiling the direction of the portrait of his uncle. He still wondered what happened to him. Perhaps when they get the chance, he, Toph, and Appa could go out looking for him.
"You have to be careful," he said with a frown, tucking the longer strands of her hair behind her ears. "It takes a lot to control."
"Follow me," he instructed and took the lead out of the room and down the hallway. "Found it the other day."
“You have an adventurous side,” she commented thoughtfully, pursing her lips as she followed him, eyes wandering over the hall, as usual. “And I was being careful,” she replied lately, scowling. “I didn’t do it on purpose, if I had, I would’ve been very careful!” Speeding up a bit, she hurried to fall into step beside him, trying to just enjoy a bit of time that wasn’t loaded with fights or silliness. The Sokka issue was why they were here but at the same time, she didn’t want to think about it too much…not yet.
“…so how do you know how to cook?” she asked, still a little skeptical.
Chuckling, Zuko slowed his pace so the two could walk side by side. He couldn't say he was used to this, because we wasn't, but weird things had been happening to him left and right this past year or so. Every day there was something, and usually what he least expected. It was hard to believe it was only a few months ago he dreamt of nothing more than waking up as Fire Lord, with Mai by his side as his wife. Now he was stuck in some sort of sitcom, surrounded by a bunch of kids several years younger than him, some flamboyant weirdo with a mustache, and an idiot. An idiot that was for some time his idiot and he couldn't for the life of him figure out why that had changed. It was the main reason for his current bad mood.
"You pick up a few things on your own," he explained. "Uncle was good at tea, but not much else. Learned by trial and error, same as anything else. Mai really liked it though."
Arching a brow, Toph muffled a snort, sort of.
“Do you miss her?” she asked, something some people might not consider polite, but something she felt was relevant. Sometimes she wondered if her parents were okay, the only people she’d really left behind, but she never really ‘missed’ them.
“I know you miss him,” she said quickly afterward, but also as a bit of a mutter, not waiting for an answer to either one as she began to play with her singed hair, a disgruntled look on her face. Sparky and snoozles…who would’ve thought?
She still didn’t get it, but she wasn’t ever blind or stupid enough to ignore it…even if a very young part of her wanted to.
"I do a bit," Zuko replied quietly, looking down at the ground for a moment as they walked. "Mai, I mean. Miss her...and the twins. But she's happier now, so I'm fine with that."
"As for him..." His tone grew distant. "...I just...Mm..." He was trying to avoid another awkward conversation, which always seemed to happen whenever Sokka came up. How do you tell a child, who was obviously trying to hide she was pining after him, the he loved him? Sure, she was young, and had the rest of her life to find boys, but still...He didn't want to be the jerk to break her heart.
"I don't like him or anything you know," she said, eyes wandering to her feet as they continued walking. "I mean I said yes because he seemed upset, but I know he doesn't really like me that way and I've never liked him that way, so....so...." she trailed off, doing her best to sound as wry and dry as usual. She pulled it off well enough, she thought as she finished quietly, "So, what I mean is, you can say you miss him you know. I asked." Maybe it was all a lie. Maybe she had liked Sokka from the beginning. But also, maybe sparky was in love with him...however weird that was. And maybe...maybe snoozles felt the same way, as doubly weird as that was.
"He's an idiot, and a brat, and...." Zuko kept spouting off anything he could use to describe him. It was hard to believe he had fallen for his prisoner and then set him free, only to follow some time later. He was a sarcastic jerk, reluctant and full of backtalk. Like Mai only with less empty threats and a much rougher disposition. He wanted nothing more than to knock his head off half the time. Yet nothing compared to the night Sokka had awkwardly presented him the necklace he had made, with the promise he wanted to spend the rest of his life with him. So despite the lies, what was done behind the other's back, and anything else that stood in the way, Zuko was determined to make it work. "I've no idea what the hell I saw in him."
She didn't need her earth bending to sense such a lie but she wasn't certain quite what to do with such a lie at this time. Sometimes she might have ignored it; other times called him on it, and still other times, just marched him right over to Sokka and demanded they make up. But somehow none of those options seemed to be any good and so she shook her head, sighing. "I do," she said under her breath and more loudly said, "But you saw something." That was more the point, no matter how much Zuko said he didn't care and no matter how much she said she didn't care, they both really did, and had for some time now. "Are we close yet?" she asked, wiping her arms across her face quickly, blinking and then looking back at her feet. "We're almost at the edge of the temple." If she dragged her feet a little, she ignored that too, casting uncertain glances at Zuko now and then.
"It's right in here," Zuko replied, stopping in front of a small wooden door. The lock was broken from age so he was able to push it open and step right in. With a few swipes of his hand he lit several torches used for light until the room was bright. The large oven stood in the center surrounded by open crates and large multi-ton bags of flour opened and scattered on the ground. The floor was white and dusty. He tried to ignore what she had just said to him, but the look on his face told that it had sunk in.
Following him carefully, Toph looked around, but her eyes kept traveling back to Zuko, watching him for everything he didn’t say. In the past, she could just feel each truth, but now she had to deal with it with normal vision, and so she observed the boy in front of her, and absently almost, the boy who had asked her out not a few days ago. This part of the temple was extra dusty, so old and unused, so she was surprised to sneeze a small flame, blinking at it in the air. Before anything could be said though, she spotted the oven and dashed for it, taking a sudden deep interest in it. Anything was better than wallowing quite suddenly in her own feelings, or in her lack of confidence, another thing she hated and wasn’t familiar with.
“Wow, old,” she coughed, waving a hand in front of her, kicking the oven a bit. “Is it safe to use?” she leaned near it, opening it to stick her head in experimentally, not her best move, but it was ancient and less than operational…and staying still wasn’t really an option.
"Haven't tried it yet," Zuko replied with a shrug, coming up behind her. "I did restock the woodbox and cleaned it out though. It's very old-fashioned, not much in it that could break with age."
It was hard to believe all of this was practically as it was a hundred years ago. Almost like stepping back in time. The first time he had been there it had been for a thorough search and nothing more. Never really took the chance to explore. Did Aang used to come in this room, all that time ago? Would he even remember it?
"I picked some ginger and got some milk from one of the tagalongs," he said, showing her the sack he had slung over one shoulder. "Bag of sugar in there too that Katara had. She has a lot of random supplies stocked up from the last time you guys were in town. I'm surprised."
Toph just snorted.
“I’m not,” she shook her head. “Sugar queen is always the mom,” she said, but not unkindly and nodded absently as she stood back up, looking down at the stove, and at the room. She wondered about Aang, a ghost of a smile on her lips. Did he have memories of this place? Were they good ones? Or had he always been running away? They seemed to have that in common, whether they liked it or not.
“What kind of cookies?” she asked, poking at the ingredients through the bag over his shoulder. “Does he like these? I’m surprised I didn’t know,” she said in a considering tone but shrugged as if she didn’t care, even if she cared more than made sense.
"Plain old sugar is boring," Zuko replied simply. He had grown accustomed to picking up the pace, spicing things up, when he was with Mai. So he no longer settled for ordinary. "Thinking we could try gingersnaps. I don't know if he'd like them or not, but they're good, and he is the walking stomach...." He had to bite back a laugh. Chances are even if it tasted back Sokka would still eat it. He licked a cave wall for what it counted.
"Try setting up the oven and I'll sort out the ingredients," he instructed, lowering the sack to the floor, a cloud of dust and flour formed in the air from the impact.
Rubbing her hands together, Toph nodded to him, but didn’t say anything at first, sizing up the oven in an almost comical way. It was as if she saw the oven as a live opponent to be faced off with and she squared her shoulders as she wrinkled her nose with a slight frown and tried to focus on her firebending enough to not focus on anything else.
“Here goes nothing,” she mumbled and tried to firebend. What happened was that she got the oven, but her hands continued on in true flaming fashion. Eyes widening even wider, she yelped as she stared, hands in front of her like alien objects. “Zuko!” she demanded his attention, not sure what to do, and not thinking enough as she called him by his actual name. She wasn’t cut out for this weird style of bending, she’d always known, but this confirmed it for everyone else. It occurred to her that Sokka would find this hilarious.
“Do something, how do I make them stop, they’re too warm?!” Toph waved her hands wildly and refrained from jumping up and down, but only barely. Cooking was perilous, she’d always assumed, and now she knew.
"Whoa whoa whoa!" Zuko yelped, nearly dropping the bowl he had pulled out and dashed over to her. "Breathe! Close your fists! Let it go!" Luckily he was able to swat away the fire.
"Can't believe I got to teach you this too..." He grunted. "Remember what I showed the Avatar. Breathe, then..." He punched and a small ball of flame burst out but quickly dissolved into the air. "It's all about control."
She rolled her eyes at him.
“No, really? ‘Cause I thought it was about doing a dance,” she said, all sarcasm until she remembered recent events and groaned and said quickly, “You know what I mean!” At that, she punched the air with both fists, two powerful flames spurting forth and spinning into nothingness. Biting her lip unhappily, she eyed her hands, clenching and unclenching them. The palms were definitely aggravated. They missed the earth. Exhaling roughly, inclined to be sulky, she tapped the oven. “At least it’s working,” she said and then she nodded at the bowl. “Is it easy, you know it by heart?”
Sokka would love the cookies, she knew, especially if he didn’t know who they were from or why. That known, he would still probably accept them regardless, which was Zuko’s goal, she knew. Blinking as she eyed ingredients and did her best to keep busy, Toph shelved her feelings for what may or may not have felt like the millionth time.
Maybe she liked Sokka, not that she’d admit it, but she damn well wouldn’t play second fiddle to sparky. She’d rather them have each other if it came down to that.
“So are you going to throw them at him one by one, or something more romantic?” she meant it as a casual tease, but it was less sincere than she’d hoped. It was weird being older, she didn’t experience any of those ten years, but she felt older, like she ‘got’ more things, and maybe this was one of them, even if she disliked it.
It took a lot of will to keep reminding himself that under all that she was still twelve. And like a younger sibling to him. And twelve. And twelve? And yes, definitely twelve. But Zuko couldn't help but notice the rather nice rear end as well as certain other appendages she most definitely didn't have before. It made him feel like a filthy incestuous pervert. But her body reminded him of Mai, only with more muscle. And there was quite a lot he could say about Mai and her body. Most of them not good for polite company.
"I was thinking of just, you know, giving them to him," he replied with a smirk as he started pouring ingredients into the bowl. "But chucking them at his thick head sounds like an idea."
She laughed and nodded.
“Well, it’s more fun,” she said simply and began to poke around in the ingredients. “Just so we’re clear, I’m not helping with the baking part…well, I’ll stir,” she amended and made a face. “But I could turn anything into a rock I think.” Cooking just didn’t fall under her list of ‘skills I have’, much less ‘things I’m good at’, or the like. Crossing her arms, as she crouched, continuing to peruse the food stuffs, she made thoughtful sounds like ‘hm’ and ‘hm?’ but not much else. How was she supposed to say: so are you going to go after my sort-of-kind-of-not-really-he-probably-still-wants-you-boyfriend?
There was no easy way around it. Really, Sokka wasn’t exactly ideal for her, and she knew that right away. Maybe someone more like Zuko someday, today if she was older, but since she wasn’t, that was silly, not to mention the very predicament they were in anyway, that being the matter of two given options liking each other.
…not that she cared.
Well, not much.
Now, Zuko was very grateful for the time he had spent with Azula, Mai and Ty Lee. Especially on the beach. When he was surrounded by beautiful girls in their swimwear. Namely Mai, who he felt looked smoking in anything. But then there was Ty Lee in her skimpy bikini and of coursed he noticed the giant things staring him in the face but made a point of ignoring. It was definitely good training at a time like this. Even with Mai, sometimes it was hard to control wandering hands. But now...Nothing.
Breasts are not for staring and butts are not for groping. Ever.
Which may have been what driven him towards Sokka. Sokka didn't have boobs or a butt. Well, he did have a butt. But it was a different kind of butt. Not a round shapely gropable butt. Well, it was gropable but not in that way, but at least he didn't have a huge rack. So that could be a factor in the whole 'okay I really think I like this' deal he had going with Sokka. No embarrassing accidents. It just was.
"I'll handle the baking, but I'm sure you can handle mixing, yeah?" He smirked at her. "...You're eyes are pretty." Without the clouded covering that blinded her he could really see the vibrant color they were.
Toph almost tripped on nothing at that comment from what felt like nowhere, nowhere perhaps because she still couldn’t, maybe for a few years yet, accept compliments. It wasn’t her style and she didn’t believe them anyway, but that was a different kind of blindness.
“They’re green,” is what she said, ignoring a slight blush she felt that was rather transparent due to her pale skin.
In answer to the rest, she took the bowl from him, only to stand there, feeling and looking dumb and quite without a spoon to mix it with. “You do have a spoon somewhere around here right?” She hadn’t seen it while rummaging through the other ingredients and baking things.
“Snoozles is lucky,” she said as almost an afterthought, but it had nothing to do with anything else she’d said, and she found herself looking away in a way much more awkward than she’d felt in years.
"Of course they're green," Zuko snorted, trying not to laugh. Girl acted like she had no idea she was a total babe. "But they look like some gem on a necklace my mom used to wear. Emerald, I think it was. Very pretty."
Then, noticing Toph was rather spoon-less, he reached into the sack and found a small metal one. The only one they had that Katara didn't need to cook supper with. "It's not the best I know but it'll work. That is, if you don't mind getting a bit dirty." He flashed her a grin.
He then pretended he didn't hear the line she said about Sokka, instead letting the content look on his face say it all.
“I am dirty all the time. Some cookie stuff isn’t a problem,” she said and then added, “Well, usually I am.” She continued to stir, bits of batter flying here and there, which she might regret later when trying to get it out of her hair, but for the most part, it stayed in the bowl, or on her fingers since, well, the spoon was a normal spoon and not really cut out for baking things. Every now and then she’d think to mention Sokka again, but, discouraged, she ended up just keeping her mouth shut for once, sneaking glances all around the room, to Zuko, to the batter. It was nice, what he said about her eyes, even if she didn’t know what an emerald looked like to test his comparison.
Done soon, she held the bowl out to him in one hand, rubbing her face with the other, only to scowl when she realized that it just got batter on her face. Usually she didn’t mind being dirty, but this stuff was sticky too…but at least it tasted good.
“Good job, sparky,” she nodded approval, idly licking some stray batter off of her fingers. “I admit, I’m impressed,” she grinned.
Trying his best to ignore the fact she was licking a sticky pale substance off her face, Zuko smirked. "Told you."
He then took the bowl and spoon from her and became scooping tiny balls of batter onto a flat slab of stone. There was enough to make a good three dozen of them. It had a strong yet sweet scent to it already and they weren't even baked yet. After checking the oven, he lifted the slab and slid it in.
"In less than an hour there will be cookies," He told her with a smile. "You've got pretty steady hands there. You know....with the bowl and all..."
“Well, I am pretty good with my hands. I depend on them,” she said, sitting not far from the oven to perch near and stare at it, willing the cookies to be done much more quickly. Waving one hand in front of her eyes, she said, “They’re how I move and fight, and sort of how I see too, sometimes…I hope they’re steady.” Rocking back on her heels slightly, she rested her chin on her knees and stared again at the oven before letting her eyes wander back to Zuko.
“I think you need an apron,” she said and used her right hand to point out various places the batter had splattered, slightly amused.
It was nice, in a sense, ignoring the purpose of the cookies and so on, just to hang out for the first time in quite a while.
"Oh...." Zuko glanced down at his shirt, noticing several spots were covered in pasty blotches. After pondering for a moment, he shrugged and pulled his shirt up and over his head, balled it up, and then tossed it aside. "Better," he commented. "The oven makes it really hot in here."
He stepped over and sat down next to Toph, pulling his legs into the lotus position. She was one of the nicest girls he had ever met. So down to earth, and true to herself, living up to no expectations except her own. Not crazy by any stretch of the imagination. Ever since arriving he just felt drawn to her, and still couldn't forgive himself for burning her feet. He never wanted to hurt anyone, but especially not the people he generally liked.
"Hey, you come from a yuppie family right?" He looked at her. "Did your parents ever try to pawn your off on some lame rich guy just to hook you up?"
Not entirely unaffected by Zuko losing his shirt, but also still completely able to be self-centered enough to not be too distracted, Toph began to pick at the space between her toes. Maybe it was disgusting, but if the others had gotten used to it, sparky would have to as well. That was all good and well of course, but she was still a bit foreign with the older body and older mind that came with this chaos change, so she kept her eyes sort of focused on the floor, near her feet, and so on.
“There were arrangements,” she shrugged. “But it was sort of a ‘when you turn this age’ thing, and I never had to meet any of them…I don’t think they even knew I existed actually, knowing my parents.”
"If I hadn't asked Mai out on my own I bet her parents would've shoved her at me sooner or later," Zuko chuckled. "Hers are kind of nuts when it comes to climbing the social ladder."
"But I guess I'm not a total failure..." He said quietly, referring the relationship with Sokka as well as the one with Mai. "I do technically now have heirs to my name."
His gave drifted down to where she was messing around with her foot. It was unappealing, but then again, all the kids had their weird quirks. Like sneezing ten fit in the air, giggling over flatulence and belching, and other such things. One of the many reasons why he sometimes felt like he didn't fit in. "Bet your parents didn't approve of that either." He nodded towards what she was doing.
Arching a slightly annoyed brow as she looked over at him, she shot him a half smile, and said, “Well, it wasn’t much of a problem, since they didn’t really see me.”
Finished with both rounds of toe picking, she went to dig her hands in the ground out of habit, but found the earth unyielding of course. Disturbed not for the first time about this, she brought her hands back up to hold her arms, unsettled as she set her chin on her knees again.
“They hid me from the world, including themselves,” she said, and then, looking over at the newest addition to the group, continued, “I mean, I don’t care or anything…it’s just the way it was. Toe picking would’ve been fine compared to earth bending I think.”
Biting her lower lip she shrugged yet again and laid back, arms behind her head as she stared up at the temple ceiling.
“Heirs are good though. You might need those when you’re fire lord,” she said, as conversational as if it was talk about the weather or a haircut.
The way Toph spoke about her parents reminded Zuko of his own in a way. For the longest time his father considered him a disgrace. By banishing him after the failed Agni Kai it slandered his name, making him a laughingstock everywhere where anyone knew who he was. To think he was foolish enough to struggle and connive just to get the love and respect he wanted from his father. The thought of it made his stomach churn. He was different now. A lot different.
"If I get to be," Zuko shrugged. "It wouldn't be smart to assume things like that yet. We still got a war to win."
He looked at her and then lightly brushed some of her hair away from her face. She really did have pretty features. Reminded him of a porcelain doll, even though he knew by now she was nowhere near as delicate. "...What do you want to do? You know, when all this is said and done. The war, I mean."
The sweet gesture both moved her and confused her, and she turned her head slightly, still laying down, to stare up at him curiously as she spoke.
“Well, I don’t know what I want to do, but I do know, I don’t want to go home…it’s not my home,” she said, and she said it slowly, thinking everything out for once. Maybe it was the low key nature of it just being the two of them, no pressure, or maybe it was something else, but it made her pause more before she said anything.
“And you will be fire lord,” she stated firmly, eyes seeing so much as she stared straight at him, unwavering and unabashed, as was her tendency to be. “Aang’s destiny is to take down your father. Your destiny is to fix what he’s done in your own way…you said it before, to restore balance.”
Toph was pretty sure she didn’t have a grandiose destiny like Aang or Zuko, but then, neither did Sokka, nor Katara, and here they were.
It was okay.
This life still held more in it for her than anything at ‘home’ ever had and ever would.
"I don't know..." Zuko muttered softly, eyes darting around the room for a moment. "After my couple 'bouts as 'fire lord' I'm not sure I'm cut out for the job just yet. Maybe if he's....well....I'd rather Uncle take it. At least, until I'm ready."
After everything that just happened, Zuko had never been surer that he wasn't ready. He was still young, his mind to easy to control. His uncle had already reached his prime, and had plenty of wisdom and experience to make the right choices. Even if they did win the war, he felt his uncle should be the one to take the throne. Until he felt he knew enough to be trusted with such a responsibility.
Besides, the whole time, the crown really belonged to Iroh. Not his father, or anyone under his bloodline. So even if Ozai was killed, it would still feel stolen to him. The divine right to rule wasn't his.
“Other people know, even if you don’t,” Toph said, still looking up at him, clear and certain on this point. Even if he felt he wasn’t ready yet, that didn’t mean he wouldn’t take the throne, sooner or later. And he would be a good fire lord, she thought, and she was not the easiest critic when it came to these sorts of things.
“But if you weren’t fire lord….and your uncle was,” she assumed the obvious, “…what would you want to do?” she propped herself up slightly on her elbows, not breaking eye contact. It occurred to her that if Katara would give him the time of day, she might find reason not to hate him or be so paranoid about him so often, and if Sokka would give him a real chance, they might be able to truce…among other things.
Blinking, she shook her head to clear it and asked, “I mean, what would you do instead? Travel…or….other things?”
"I've got a family now," Zuko replied with a sigh. "I mean, one of my own...Mai and I may not be together anymore, but that doesn't mean I'm going to ignore them...I don't want to be a bad father. Was thinking of getting a nice place near Mai, spend time with them. Maybe serve under Uncle as an advisor or something, I don't know...."
When it came as to what would come of he and Sokka, Zuko was at a loss. He knew Aang would want to keep ties; he just looked like the type to never let a friend go, no matter where they lived. He wanted desperately to make up with him, to not be hated. Sokka wanted him dead, and he was more than willing to oblige. But there was no way he'd tell Toph that. Tell her that he'd be willing to let himself get killed if that was what Sokka wanted. She would probably flip out and accuse him of being crazy. Which he probably was, but now he was too desperate and just wanted to make things right again.
"I could see you opening up an earth bending school," he told her. "In a cave with the badgermoles. Teach the kids the true way of doing it."
She snorted in spite of the seriousness in his voice.
“I,” she proclaimed, sitting up quickly, eyeing him directly. “…am a horrible teacher.” She then flopped back on her back and chuckled. “But the badger moles are great teachers.” Smile falling from her face, she turned on her side, so that her face was looking in the direction of the oven, her back to the runaway prince.
“You could do any of that. But don’t think just because you’re in the fire nation you can escape. You’re stuck with us,” she warned but also said for his benefit. He was avoiding Sokka in conversation but that made it all the more obvious he was on his mind. Toph didn’t need her earth bending to be able to sense that. Brow knitting as she considered all the possible outcomes of this mess, she sighed under her breath.
"I'm not sure I like that idea," Zuko said playfully with a grin. "Having to spend the rest of my life with you lot."
Noticing she had turned her back to him, he looked around for a moment. Upon finding a good pile of flour, he picked some up, and planted a by flour handprint on her back. For some reason, he found this amusing, and snickered.
Before she could react, he got to his feet and tiptoed to the oven. "Smells like they're done, I'm going to check." He opened the iron door and peered inside. "Yep. Perfect." Quickly he pulled the slab out and set it aside. "Just need to cool some. Scolding hot things, they are."
Zuko then turned back to her, eyes directly fixated on hers, and smirked.
Rolling her eyes at the smirking prince, she then made a very immature face at him as if to say: well fine! But it wasn’t a mean thing so much as an amused reaction.
“Stuck with us? How flattering,” she remarked, no shortness on the sarcasm as she flexed her toes and stood up, walking over to smell the cookies, and staring at them uncertainly before reaching to get one anyway, regardless of the warning.
She dropped it the moment she picked it up, but luckily it didn’t fall on the other cookies, and she scowled at her burned finger. Served her right, she supposed, but the stupid things took too long to bake, smelling good for forever and then making her wait for them too cool was too much to ask.
“They smell good,” she commented, and looked longingly at the still cooling confectionaries. “I assume even though these are for kiss and make-up, that as the cooks, we can each have one,” she mumbled, frowning at her burnt fingers. There was no mark but she decided she much preferred the neutral jing of earth to the unpredictability that came with heat or fire.
"Of course we can have one," Zuko stated as if it was the most obvious thing on the planet. "We have to make sure if they taste as good as they smell."
The possibility that the oven sent the scent of baking cookies through the whole temple crossed his mind. Sokka noticing it and getting hungry made Zuko feel that it was a suitable punishment. Also, he would have to be sure to set aside a few for Aang and the others. Sure, it was mostly for the 'kiss and make-up' as Toph so kindly stated, but he didn't want the others to feel left out. Plus he had a feeling Aang would really enjoy them. The fact alone that they had been cooked in the temple's oven would be enough to make the boy really feel at home.
After a couple of minutes Zuko held his hand over the cookies. "Should be a bit better. Go ahead and take one. I warned you they were hot." He smirked at her again. It was hard not to play with her. She made it too easy.
She shot him a look that said he could laugh, but at his own cost, but she took a cookie and ate it as happily as a child.
“Very good job, I think,” she smiled, though it didn’t quite reach her eyes as she said, “I think he’ll be in your presence willingly before this smell finishes getting through the temple.”
Tapping her fingers absently on the counter-like thing where the cookie slab rested, she looked around again. The temple was very beautiful. It suited what she understood of the airbender way of life.
“You do know, he would eat all of these himself in so little as half a second, right?” she asked Zuko, smiling despite the fact that the potential for a make-up between them spelled a break-up for her. It wasn’t even real to begin with, she reasoned. He was upset and that was that. Zuko would feed him. Sokka would mellow out…if a bit charred still.
Things would go back to…well, their version of normal.
If things worked out, anyway.
314/315 better have BFF moments to cap and icon. :|