Chapter Text
Diplomacy and patience had been part of the Fire Lord's life ever since he took the throne of his nation. Zuko was no stranger to having endless conversations with people of all kinds of status; it was expected of him to be able to handle any unexpected situation. It was different when the unexpected situation had been caused by him. It was the early hours of a day, just two days after he had perhaps rejected the union of the year, and at that exact moment he had to face the consequences with honor.
He was sitting in a chair in front of the large ivory table located in his uncle's wing. His uncle should still be sleeping. Certainly, the firebender was beginning to wonder if he was losing his mind. It was impossible that, being seconds away from receiving the legendary scolding from his beloved nanny and lady-in-waiting Jiki, he felt neither fear nor his usual dread. The certainty of a decision could be very overwhelming. While the older woman paced around the room, pondering who knew what, his eyes turned toward the woman sitting beside him.
Toph had just arrived from Republic City on her beloved dragon, Druk, only hours after rejecting the top position of the leadership she herself had created. She looked tired from the hours of travel, but her face was the very image of peace. The kind of peace that only someone who had messed things up all the way could have. Both of them were silent, lost in their thoughts, but at the same time, they were in on it together.
There were moments when she would let out a small laugh that she tried to hide from Jiki's accusing gaze. The Fire Lord wasn't helping keep the seriousness of the moment either, since all he had to do was exchange a few glances with her for his own mouth to betray him.
"Spark, enough... behave, this is a serious matter."
"Me behave? What's wrong with you? Toph, you're the one who can't hide anything with that face of yours," she replied, bringing her head down onto the table in a terrible attempt to pretend she was being responsible.
"My face, you say? My face has the same problem as yours. I'm not the one pounding my fist against the marble," she replied, facing him as she tapped the material with her fingers. "Are you okay? Did the Fire Lord have some magical tea with something in it?"
"I don't need any magical tea, Toph," he shot back, returning to his upright posture.
"Strong words for someone who's still in his underwear."
"This isn't underwear, Toph! It's a robe! Very expensive, by the way," he pointed out, touching the fabric.
The girl grabbed his arm and touched the material. It was undeniable that, in general, the Fire Nation's textile industry was of high quality.
"I'll give you credit, Zuko, I'm seeing that it's good quality," she admitted in an airy tone, the kind that boosted the ego of a certain lord beside her.
"Thank you, of course it is—" His response trailed off as he once again fell into his classic comment. "Hahahaha, very funny," he complained with a deeply exhausted expression.
"It's not my fault you guys always fall for the same joke," she finished, giving him a few pats on the head as a form of consolation.
Zuko glared at her while a smile formed on his face. To her misfortune, she grinned from ear to ear, enjoying his mood swings. She already knew nothing good could come out of this, and before she knew it, Toph made a move to hit him in the ribs. Unlike other times, Zuko caught her fist with his hand before it landed.
"No! So your survival instinct abandoned you, huh..." she remarked as she tried to pull free from his grip and, when she couldn't, tried to hit him with her other arm. Apparently, teenage Zuko's rebellious side had returned because he stopped that hand too. "Look at him, the banished prince apparently wasn't dead after all."
"I could say the same thing, fugitive princess," he whispered, pulling them up from their seats to eliminate the distance between them.
Toph knew this game well and enjoyed it. Zuko wasn't soft with her. It was a classic ritual that men performed minutes before facing each other, where they measured the other's energy and demeanor. Doing that with Katara and Suki would have been impossible for him, since even though the girls were training, they remained faithful to their feminine nature. Toph, on the other hand, radiated energy, and the feminine side took a back seat.
It had been normal for him to tease her and test the waters of that game years ago. Ever since then, whenever one of them wanted to provoke the other, they resorted to that dynamic. Of course, despite her exhaustion, Toph wasn't going to back down.
"I leave for seven months and you become rebellious again. Want me to remind you why that's not a good idea?" she said, pressing her forehead against his. "What happened? Did you like being a bad boy again?"
"It was just a procedure for a plan," he mocked, making fun of how ridiculous they were.
"And on top of that, he says it proudly. Do you have any idea how many lives you ruined today?"
"We ruined, you mean. While we're here, it's not just my announcement that's going to make the papers," he reminded her, pulling them closer simply by raising his arms slightly.
Toph was about to respond with feigned indignation when a sharp sound distracted them from their staring contest. Kiyi dropped a wooden kitchen board onto the table. The woman's furious expression didn't even give them the chance to complain, but there was something in her gaze, exhaustion perhaps, that made her sigh.
"Since you two aren't in your right minds and aren't being rational right now, I don't intend to waste my time trying to understand this or put any effort into this conversation."
"Jiki..."
"No, Zuko... I mean, sir... take Toph to her room, have her shower, and go to sleep," she replied, pointing to her own eyes with her hands and then at them. "You're safe for now, but this conversation is only being rescheduled," she mentioned one last time before leaving them alone in the room.
It was unfortunate for the Fire Lord that Toph took advantage of any distraction from him to free herself and land two good hits on his ribs.
"Ouch! Why are you hitting me?"
"Who told you to get distracted, your Hotness? Well, since you're here, you could make me some tea so I can take it to my room."
"You say please, Toph."
"Details," she replied, showing her teeth. A clear sign that she wasn't going anywhere until Zuko fulfilled her request.
The truth was that Zuko didn't mind making her tea; in fact, he wanted to talk to her in private. His conscience wasn't helping him. Toph did need to rest, even though she looked relaxed. So he prepared the water and, on a metal tray, placed some wood to make a small portable stove. He looked in the pantry for some snacks his uncle had cooked, and they left the wing heading toward Toph's room.
Walking through the palace's extensive hallways first thing in the morning was strange. Darkness still lingered throughout the place, and only a few people could be seen going about their activities. Toph could tell that the place really was still the same; no one had prepared any reception for the future Fire Lady. Her face turned toward Zuko, and she felt genuinely sorry for him. Had it really been that obvious?
"Tell me, Toph..."
"What?" she tensed, feeling caught.
"That thing you're thinking."
"...Me?"
Zuko felt a shiver run down his temple. What a terrible time to have his hands occupied with the tray. His mouth became a straight line as his eyes fixed on her face. Toph had the nerve to act like a refined lady as she placed her hand on her chest. As if it were just the two of them in a five-hundred-meter-long hallway.
"Bahh... it's just that the palace feels... normal. Frozen in time, hopeless..."
"Toph..."
"Without expectations, predictable."
"That's not... predictable?"
"Resigned."
"What?!"
"Disappointing."
"What is disappointing?!"
The girl moved closer so he would pay better attention to her.
"Disappointing is when something happens or doesn't happen and it discourages you or rubs you the wrong way."
Zuko felt his own face contract into an expression bordering on disbelief. He stood still in his place while the woman in front of him continued toward her rooms. It took him a couple of seconds to snap out of his blank state of mind, and he quickened his pace to catch up with her. Before reaching her private wing, they saw a familiar woman coming out of Toph's rooms. Zuko remembered asking Lailai to assist the girl, so, considering the time, he assumed she had left everything prepared for her arrival and gone to rest.
"Do you want me to call her?"
"No, leave her. I can take care of myself. Besides, she must be tired from having worked for nothing. Ah... right, she didn't."
"Can you stop for a moment, please?" Zuko pleaded for mercy. He felt the heat rising up his cheeks. "For your information, I don't regret what I did, even though half the palace saw it coming."
"Oh... that sounds like a good story, Sparky."
"I don't know, but I wanted us to talk about it."
"I knew it, Zuko wants a girls' talk," she commented as she wrapped one arm around his. She closed her eyes as she inhaled his characteristic scent of smoke, ash, and jasmine. She felt a soft laugh coming from him. His breathing was steady alongside his heartbeat, the sense of security was etched into his body.
When they entered the Fire Lord's personal wing, they were greeted by a bow from the guards. Even with Toph hanging from his arm, the only expression on the men's faces was surprise. Much of society was still surprised by public displays of affection. Ever since she had joined Team Avatar, the concept of personal space had been reduced to nothing. Whether it was the cramped space when they flew on Appa, the cold nights out in the open, or the many moments in trenches or shelters in caves. That need for protection and warmth had expanded her sense of adaptation. Hugs during good times, difficult times, or simply as a display of affection had, over the years, become part of her everyday life.
Toph, on the other hand, was different in her acceptance of affection. She did whatever she wanted and left others to draw their own conclusions. She would never admit out loud that she had also grown accustomed to the group's emotional dynamic. When they reached the room, Zuko opened the door and they entered. He closed the door and left the metal tray on the table. A simple snap of his fingers was enough for the candles to increase the intensity of their light.
"You're quiet."
"That's what happens when you fly over open water for hours," she replied as she removed layers of her travel clothes. Bringing so much had been a decision; she hadn't been cold, but it had been a considerable burden on her body.
"I thought you were all coming together in a couple of days," he commented as he moved from his spot and went to look for a light change of clothes in the nearest wardrobe.
"Yeah, well, maybe that would've been ideal, but I had to leave Earth Kingdom territory quickly."
"Wait, what are you saying?"
"Sorry, Sparky, but a message from my family might arrive here soon," she commented as she let her hair down with obvious annoyance.
After hearing those words, Zuko couldn't help but let his brain start working. Given Toph's decision, part of her family would be furious and would want to get something in return. Maybe they hadn't participated in the creation of Republic City's leadership, but glory was glory, and nobody liked having it taken away.
"I suppose that's to be expected. Don't worry, we'll think of something."
"Yeah... well... actually, I already did."
The Fire Lord knew that tone, that particular kind of self-assurance coming from Toph Beifong's enormous ego. He was already beginning to feel the pressure easing off him, and that was impossible.
"You just have to nod at everything I say. I already mentioned it to the others, too."
"And they said..."
"That it's crazy, but they ended up agreeing as long as I was comfortable with it."
It was at that precise moment that he knew he had to sit down. He walked over to the bed and leaned against the edge.
"Enlighten me," he said with obvious reproach toward himself for allowing himself to listen to whatever was coming.
Toph didn't take long to let out a victorious laugh before sitting beside him and resting her forearm on his shoulder.
"We'll say that, if the possibility comes up, I'll only commit to someone from the Fire Nation," she announced proudly, placing both hands on her waist. Zuko could have sworn he saw rays of light illuminate her body.
"How?" he asked, feeling like an idiot as he lost all sense of reality.
"Of course, just think about it, Zuko. I just ruined something that was inevitable for many people, and I'll shake things up with something better," the earthbender said as her feet quickly began moving from side to side.
"Toph..."
"Wait, my point is that they'll come for my head. They'll want to marry me off to some noble idiot or someone from the royal family," she said, disgust evident in her voice. "If I've promised to fight for peace and equality among all nations, wouldn't it make the most sense to form an alliance between the two nations that have had the most conflicts with each other?"
"But... are you actually taking this seriously?" he asked, confused as he tried to follow her line of thought.
"Of course. While I don't plan to do it now, it'll give me time to settle down, and when the time comes, everyone will know the requirements and reasons for such a union."
"Toph..."
"It's not just political. I genuinely think the Fire Nation is more open to a woman stepping outside what's expected of her," she said, letting the frustration out from within her over the circumstances surrounding much of her people. "Whether it's because of the context of the war or because of necessity, I've seen women here in the army doing things that in my territory are labeled as illogical or disgusting."
Silence fell over the room, and Zuko could notice Toph's exhaustion, not only physical, from going against the current. He watched her and felt a mixture of emotions. Sadness because she considered her only option to be escape, and happiness at finally hearing something positive about his nation amid so much hatred that had been well received year after year.
"And I know there are close-minded people here too. But at least it's not enough of a factor to make me disgusted by the simple idea of having tea with someone."
Toph moved closer and sat beside him, resting her head on the firebender's shoulder. Zuko let the air out of his chest and rested his chin on her hair.
"I think it would even be beneficial in commercial and diplomatic terms. A true act of peace and unity. Even if it's not a priority right now, but rather an idea floating around on the board."
"I understand. It's just that I'm worried... that..."
"What if it happens and it isn't out of love? Well, maybe I could put on a simple façade and we could each have our own separate lives," she replied as she felt Zuko's entire body tense at the idea.
"You deserve more than a simple façade, Toph," he commented, his voice filled with irritation. If it were up to him, he would sign the marriage papers with her that very night. But Jiki and his uncle were right; he had just publicly rejected an important family. He had to wait a few months for the waters to settle.
"How sentimental, Zuko. Whatever, all of this is just ideas thrown into the air. What isn't an idea is that my family isn't going to sit quietly."
"But can't your father contain them?"
"My father is a main branch, but there are other, smaller branches that will apply pressure."
"I understand... this sucks."
Toph's uncontrolled laughter filled the space with a completely different vibe. Zuko felt the heat rising up his neck as he realized he should start being more direct with Toph about his intentions.
"I couldn't have said it better, but hey, at least we're screwed together," she said, turning her face toward him.
"Uncle said something similar, that the burden could be lighter."
"Speaking of burdens... why did you reject that girl, Zuko?"
Zuko felt like his brain died at that moment. How could she ask him that? Hadn't he explained it in his letters?
"Toph, did you read the letters I sent you to Yu Dao? The ones from the end of summer."
Not even getting an answer unsettled him that much. He turned his body slightly so he was more directly in front of her and looked at her face.
"Toph, did you read the letters I sent you? To silence the moralistic speech Katara could give me, I wrote them to you."
Toph suddenly felt that she had missed something important. Could it be possible that the tears she had shed in private over the last three months had been for nothing?
"Oh..."
"You left here seven months ago, you were in Yu Dao, right?" he asked, beginning to panic. Zuko feared the possibility that he had diligently written for nothing.
"At first, yes. It's just that a little over a month passed and I couldn't keep helping Aang from a distance, so I left for Republic City."
"What?!" the poor man shouted abruptly. The surprise was so great that Zuko stood up from his spot, catching her off guard.
"It was necessary and... I prohibited them from opening any correspondence. I knew the pressure would come from different people... oh... I'm sorry."
Zuko put his hands on his head. He didn't know who he was more annoyed with: her, for isolating herself and focusing on her project, or himself, for forgetting that Toph Beifong didn't really follow her own words. The years with his uncle must have taught him a lot, because it only took a couple of deep breaths for the panic to disappear.
"The only thing that's clear to me is that you guys came up with all sorts of ideas, didn't you?" he asked, scratching his head slowly. Aang and Sokka would listen to him calmly; the problem would be Katara. He could feel his neck might be in danger if he didn't give a good explanation. How was he supposed to tell her? I didn't tell you everything because I specifically wanted to avoid your lectures. The waterbender was going to kill him.
"But Zuko, don't complicate things. Just tell them what happened and that's it," Toph commented as she left him alone for a moment to grab her things.
"Where are you going?" the firebender questioned as he watched her walk from one place to another, looking for things.
"Lailai must have left the tub ready. So while I take a bath, go get more food. We have a lot to talk about and I'm hungry," she replied, disappearing through the door to the private bathroom. Zuko stayed where he was, looking everywhere and nowhere at the same time. The weight of the hours and everything that had happened was already tormenting him.
He gathered his strength from the deepest part of his spirit and set about preparing the room while listening to Toph's movements in the bathroom. First, he drew the room's heavy curtains to create a completely dark environment. He put a little more wood in the fireplace, took a low table down from the cupboards, placed it in front of the flames, and filled the space with cushions. He went to the girl's vanity and looked for her comb so he could leave it within her reach when she finished bathing. He arranged the food and teapot from their makeshift refuge.
"I've prepared the fireplace, I'll be back," he said to the air before leaving the room. If he remembered correctly, his uncle had left some good spicy seasoned chicken stew, or perhaps he could bring the cannonballs Kiyi had hidden.
In any case, someone would lose, and it wouldn't be him, except for the fact that he was walking through the palace in his underwear.
The few servants he passed bowed and stepped aside for him, but for the most part, his only company was the echo of his movements. It didn't take him long to reach his destination, enter the wing, and leave his family's happiness to the fate of whatever his eyes happened to focus on first. Unfortunately for his uncle, it would be him giving up his happiness to Kiyi.
Zuko had no idea how long it took him to return, except for the fact that he came back with a small cart full of food and, above all, snacks that Toph would love. As soon as he crossed paths with the guards in the hallways again, he instructed them not to let anyone call them that day except in the event of a health emergency involving his family. When he entered Toph's room, the girl was already dressed in a sleeping outfit. A heavy vermilion robe covered her back while her long hair was being combed.
"Did I take long?" he asked as he entered the room with his entire arsenal of food prepared. He noticed Toph wrinkle her nose as she used her sense of smell, and she quickly showed a satisfied expression on her face.
"Long enough for me to be ready."
A comfortable silence settled over the room as the Fire Lord prepared the low table. Bowls for the stew, some honey buns, orange wine. Not to mention the desserts and cookies that would accompany the tea when the time came. He was pleased with his idea of bringing a small grill to keep the food warm.
Toph, for her part, moved closer to the fire so that at least the crown of her head could dry. The last thing she wanted was to catch a cold. The bath had given her battered body a much-needed boost of vitality after the hours of travel. After stretching her limbs, she relaxed completely.
"Okay, who starts, Zuko?" she asked cheerfully as she adjusted a cushion behind her back.
"Maybe you, explaining how you ended up flying in on Druk," he conceded while increasing the heat of the embers with his hand.
"Oh, that. I just went to get him, and the Dark One already had all the luggage ready. I got on, and the rest is history," she said proudly.
"I'm not asking you that, and you know it," he complained, his brow slightly furrowed. It was incredible how capable that woman was of dodging subjects.
"Ah... that... yeah, well... it happened," she commented, downplaying the matter. To emphasize her point, she took one of the buns and brought it to her mouth.
"So one day you woke up and said, what a great idea, today I'll ride Zuko's dragon," he mimicked in a dreamy tone, imagining the great possibilities of life. "Toph! What is wrong with you? Are you even listening to me?"
"Don't say it so lightly, your Hotness. A lot of people might get jealous of me," she replied, bringing her index finger to her lips. Zuko felt the pressure in his soul ease when he noticed the exact resemblance between that pose and the crude jokes Sokka and Aang used to make about his physical attractiveness.
Every inch of his skin bristled as he realized how explicit her sentence had been, and his skin tone went wild. His terrified expression froze into annoyance when he saw that Toph wasn't embarrassed at all, but rather was in the middle of trying to hold back her laughter.
"Your terrible social skills get worse every day, Sparky," she commented as she wiped away the tears threatening to leave her eyes. She could feel Zuko bringing his hands to his face in a terrible attempt to protect himself from himself.
"Come on, man, it's not the end of the world," she said, lifting herself slightly from her seat to reach him and giving him a few good pats on the shoulder to help him relax.
"It's your fault you guys always take everything the wrong way!" he said, revealing a little of his exhausted face. It was so unfair that he was the only embarrassed one in the room that he even felt jealous.
"You have to admit you don't exactly help, riding your dragon. It could even be a good title for those obscene novels they sell in the central bazaar."
"Don't talk about that, will you? I had nightmares for two weeks when I found out they existed," he said before pouring them both a good glass of wine.
"Downsides of living in a free country, I guess. Don't worry, at least they're entertaining," she replied as she accepted the glass. Zuko stared at her after hearing her say that.
"And how do you know that?"
"That's what the rumor mill says, Flameo," she replied, scratching her ear.
"You read them yourself or had them read to you, didn't you?" he asked, resting his elbows on the table. His full attention focused on the girl's microexpressions. Anyone would think otherwise, but given what Toph was like and her complete lack of survival instinct, he had learned to decipher, to a greater extent, when she was hiding something at least.
All the signs were there. Her eyebrows rose a few millimeters higher, the corners of her lips lowered slightly. Her cheeks might have seemed to disappear, and her face turned at an angle.
No one would spend that much time trying to read through his friend's lies, but Zuko preferred that to finding out that the reckless woman had gotten herself into an improvised "excursion" alone.
"Does it matter? I'm protecting your next few hours of sleep."
"I appreciate the intention, but that doesn't answer anything. What did they read to you?" he asked seriously, cornering her. If there was a way to get her to answer, it was by confronting her directly.
"Ugh... you're so dramatic. It was an accident. We didn't know what they were about; we fell for a little prank by some local old ladies," she commented, letting the information slip through her lips.
"So don't blame anyone. I won't tell you who it was, either. You just need to know that... the women of this nation believe that at your peak, in the heat of the chambers... there's steam, smoke... and a lot of intensity with roughness, a lot of roughness and impact."
Toph wanted to pat herself on the chest for the great explanation full of delicacy she had delivered. She didn't count on this causing a mental collapse in her friend to such an extent that it left him speechless for several seconds. When she came back to herself, she noticed how disturbed the poor man was and decided to speak.
"I told you it wasn't that big a deal. Just forget it, Zuko. It was years ago."
"Y-Years?" he asked, trembling, and that made her realize she'd made the moment a little worse.
"She was a tourist. It was normal to get to know the city. But anyway, back to Druk..."
"Don't change the subject, Toph."
"I'm just saying people have imaginations, and they're not always real," she replied in an attempt to change the mood, but Zuko's silence didn't help her. "Right? No... don't tell me that... seriously, you actually steam when...?!"
"Toph, please!" he shouted, flushed, as he grabbed the woman's wrists in an attempt to cover her mouth after her discovery.
"Now I know why you could tame Druk. You're really a dragon, Sparky!" she laughed excitedly, reaching the peak of her amusement. She was so surprised that she didn't even notice how Zuko's hands trembling around her skin. The firebender wanted a hole to open in the floor and swallow him whole.
"Hey, at least I found out who they were talking about by the end of the reading. And judging by the excitement of the customers, they always make you look good, huh..."
"That comment doesn't help, Toph. Knowing they read you something..."
"Fictional, genius. It's not you. Don't overthink it, look on the bright side."
"And what would that be?" he asked incredulously. His soul simply couldn't take it.
"That your people feel safe enough to express themselves even in fantasy, unlike in previous years. It means they don't feel controlled or repressed," she concluded calmly.
At those words, the Fire Lord couldn't help but let the embarrassment fade away, replaced by something resembling pride settling in his chest. Perhaps freedom came hand in hand with different angles of perception. Perhaps he had to adapt to the results he had been trying to build for so many years.
"If you put it that way, it doesn't sound so bad," he replied more calmly.
"See? It's all about perspective, Sparky," she said, putting a few candies into her mouth.
Zuko smiled in denial and began preparing the bowls; the stew should already be ready. Carefully, he grabbed a wooden spoon and filled the ceramic bowl with food, the aroma of spices filling the room.
"Don't tell me, it's Uncle Iroh's, isn't it?"
"It was this or put up with Kiyi's tantrums for the rest of the week," he said as he handed her the bowl. Seeing the look of delight on Toph's face whenever she had food in her hands was always an experience. "But anyway, you still haven't told me about Druk."
"What do you want me to tell you? It just happened."
"Yeah, sure."
"Okay, it started shortly after you began taming him," she recalled fondly those days when Zuko had called them over for the birth of the scaly one. They had witnessed the exact moment when he came out of the egg.
"I thought it would be interesting to have a bond with a dragon, even though the rules said it wasn't natural to have multiple riders," she explained after savoring the food in her mouth. "I approached him while you were sleeping. I mean, you two spent all day together, or with Uncle."
The firebender had to travel six years back in time. He was about to turn twenty-four at the time, and Druk's birth had been quite an event for his culture. His friends had done everything possible to spend more time in the Fire Nation so they could be integrated as part of the dragon's inner circle. Even though the results of his leadership were only beginning to show, Zuko had done everything he could to make Druk take him as his primary bond.
He was aware that the second person would be his uncle, but he had never imagined the earthbender's hidden plans, although many things were beginning to make sense.
"So... that's why you had dark circles under your eyes and slept so much," he concluded, remembering even a medical report his healers had given him. Katara had been the first to notice certain changes in Toph, and she had been the first one to drag her in to be examined. In front of everyone, they had only said that she was healthy, that her chakras were intact, and that she simply needed rest.
"A sacrifice for the greater good, I'd say."
"You could have told me," he replied angrily. He couldn't believe she had put her body through so much. In reality, he'd be an idiot if he thought she wouldn't.
"You were like a mom glued to him all the time. I needed some space, okay? After insisting so much, Druk began to trust me," she recalled happily, remembering how, in the darkness of his sanctuary, a small dragon had begun to sniff her scent. Toph, almost twenty years old at the time, had tried with all her strength to make the creature feel her positive energy.
"Then, little by little, he climbed onto my shoulder, onto my head, wrapped his tail around my neck. He used me as a pillow many nights," she proudly narrated her great achievement. "He's a difficult boy, but he knew I wasn't going to give up."
"That's borderline stalking, Toph," he pointed out, given the woman's complete lack of personal-space awareness.
"And it worked! Shortly afterward, when he had grown and I had to return to Yu Dao, you can't imagine the scream I let out when I felt him circling my school in the air," she said excitedly, bringing her hands to her head. She still remembered the terrified cries of her students when they saw the majestic creature landing in the middle of the training field. "He had grown so much in just a few months. I don't understand how he even found his way to me."
"No way! He formed a bond with you too!" Zuko shouted as he realized how desperate Druk had been during the first few months of his friends' absence.
"While he could still fit into my room, he slept with me!" she replied with equal intensity, remembering the feeling of his scorching breath concentrating against the walls of her house. Back then, she didn't even bother opening the windows to let the temperature drop.
"This is impossible..." he whispered, breathless.
"Well, believe it. After that, he came and went. I guess he stayed here, until eventually I had a saddle made for him, and Sokka helped me."
"Wait, Sokka knew?" he asked angrily.
"Yeah, actually, everyone did. Even Uncle Iroh. The first trips we took with Druk were to Ba Sing Se on foot," she said excitedly, remembering those uncertain days of traveling through the nights. "In fact, he and I looked for all the material for his saddles."
Zuko let the expression of displeasure spread across his face in every sense of the word. It seemed completely unfair to him that everyone knew about something that he was the one who should have known. Had his uncle never considered telling him? Why?
"Because you were going to make that face," she replied simply to the confusion in his mind. Zuko was startled by how clearly she could read him. "Besides, it's natural that you don't remember, but the primary bond is very possessive."
"What are you talking about? What do you mean?"
"Zuko, whenever we tried to get close to you two, smoke would come out of your mouth and your body would tense up. We looked it up in the writings, and the guys found out that it was a natural trance."
"That doesn't... that... is... I don't know..."
"Exactly. It was as if your body entered a limbo whenever you had him close. It gradually went away over time, but it lasted several weeks," she laughed at the crazy looks he had given them whenever they even slightly suggested getting close to his baby dragon. "You don't remember it now, but I think your instincts did sense that I was getting close to Druk."
"I don't understand... why do you say that?"
"Because once I fell asleep during visits to his crib, and when I woke up, you were right beside me. I could feel Druk between us, completely relaxed," she said with a mischievous voice as she felt the man's body tense at the revelation. "My intention was only to tame one dragon, not two. Although, I can't complain about the result."
"And I don't remember any of that!" he complained, both because he didn't know anything about how the bond worked and because he couldn't remember such an intimate moment with Toph. "I can't believe you didn't tell me anything for almost five years!"
"Aw, it wasn't on purpose. Besides, look at the results today," she commented, thumping her chest proudly. "Officially, I'm the first recognized third person to form a bond with a dragon in centuries."
She felt the silence envelop Zuko again and couldn't help asking, somewhat sadly, a question that had been lingering in her mind as a possibility.
"Does it bother you, Sparky? That I have a bond with Druk? I mean, I wouldn't change it either."
Zuko immediately shook his head, denying her doubts. "It's just that I would've liked to be there for the process. Don't do that again, don't hide it from me. If we get another egg, let's raise it together this time."
Toph's body vibrated with joy once the surprise wore off. Without wasting any time, she left her food on the table, causing a movement that Zuko had to stop so nothing would fall. He barely had time to think before she quickly reached his side and wrapped him in a tight hug.
"Of course, Flameo! Let's go find a new dragon! And it has to be a girl so she can be Druk's girlfriend!" she exclaimed enthusiastically at the thought of a new and epic journey.
"I don't know if we could control that, but we'd have to try, right?" he replied, putting everything back in its place before wrapping his arms around her. He rested his chin in the crook of Toph's shoulder and sighed peacefully. He wasn't going to admit that he was swallowing his embarrassment over the very possible ridiculous faces he had made at his friends during those days.
Toph pulled away for a moment, putting a little distance between their bodies. She could feel Zuko's breath close to their faces now that they were at a similar height. Instinctively, to fix his messy hair, she brought her fingers to the man's forehead without being aware of what that closeness was doing to his poor nerves.
The woman's feet weren't touching the marble or stone floor, which made it nearly impossible to know everything that was happening in the firebender's body and mind at that moment.
"I want to tell you what those letters said so nobody gets the wrong idea," she said confidently, despite the obvious tremble in her voice that caught the woman's attention in his arms. "Will you listen to me?"
"Didn't they belong to me? To keep Katara from giving me a lecture?"
"Yes, that's partly true, but there are other reasons why I wanted them to be just for you," he clarified immediately, trying to convey something he had been keeping inside for a very long time. He didn't know if Toph would understand him, but at least the fact that her smile disappeared from her face told him she understood that it was something serious.
"I'm listening."