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Being Fire Lord had some perks.
One of those perks was having his friends come to visit him, knowing he was busy but would always make time to see them when they were at the palace. Another perk was getting relatively quick replies when he sent messenger hawks requesting their assistance. When the Fire Lord said he required help people typically took him seriously. That was... both good and bad. Zuko's most recent message to Aang was certainly taken seriously. His friend showed up within the week.
The downside was how he brought Toph with him.
Apparently Aang was visiting the Earth Kingdom and took a detour to see her. She decided to hitch a ride on Appa and travel with him a bit to test how well her students could cope without her. They were about a week into their trip when word came from the Fire Nation and Aang rerouted. Normally Zuko would be happy to see the earthbender, but this was not one of those times. The only blessing was how his two old friend arrived late at night. He made sure they were fed and given bedrooms for proper rest.
Then, he quietly and quickly got to work.
"So what's on today's agenda?"
Aang's mouth was half full as he spoke, and if Zuko wasn't used to such things he might cringe.
"After breakfast is finished I'd like to discuss with you the trade agreement with Shān Island."
"They still haven't reached an agreement? I thought that was sorted months ago!"
Zuko shook his head and leaned back in his chair, casually balancing on the back legs.
"I wish. I thought we came to a mutual agreement, but it fell through. The people there need supplies that the Fire Nation is willing to send but our ships are always attacked or turned away."
"But it's been more than ten years since the war ended!"
"Yes, and a century of war cultivates trust issues. I was hoping you might have some ideas, Aang. Right now, with the refusal of aid from the Navy and the incredible tariffs imposed on—"
"UGH. Why are you so boring in the morning, Zuko?"
As expected, Toph had no patience for trade agreements. She was picking at her breakfast, uninterested in the conversation and not overly enthusiastic about the food.
"I'm not boring. I'm productive."
"You're boring, Sparky! Where's the fun Fire Lord I'm used to?" She rolled her eyes and crossed her arms over her chest. "I demanded to come with because you're usually a sure thing for a good time, but you're acting like an old man."
"I have a job, Toph."
"Yeah? We all do!"
"Then why are you here and not there?"
She shook her head and leaned forward until her arms were on the table and her head rested on them. He could swear he heard a muffled I just wanted to hang out with you but an admission like that wasn't common for her. Ignoring Toph, he straightened in his chair to sit properly and turned back to Aang.
"Some of the sailors are predicting a rough season ahead. They say the weather's turning early and the last time this happened many storms ravaged their fishing season. With that in mind, we want to ensure the people of Shān Island don't starve when—"
"Can we do something fun?"
Zuko sighed.
"I didn't send Aang a request to have fun, Toph."
"Maybe we can turn the trade agreement into a game?"
Both Zuko and Toph turned towards Aang, who shrank into himself a little.
"Okay, bad idea. I'll be quiet."
"Yes. Bad idea." Zuko kept a firm voice, and though he wasn't fully reprimanding he did make sure his friends knew the conversation was under his control and not theirs. "I spoke with the Governor about the upcoming storm season and—"
"Excuse me, Lord Zuko?" His personal assistant managed to slip into the room without anyone seeming to notice. "My apologies for interrupting, but you asked me to inform you immediately once everything was ready. I pulled the documents you requested. They're laid out and ready in your office."
"Thank you, Kenro."
"And I also asked the Palace Minstrels to please keep their volume down as the practice for today's carnival."
Toph's head shot up.
"Carnival?"
The man looked uncomfortable and shifted in place. His eyes darted to Zuko's as if he was asking permission to speak. Only when Zuko nodded did he answer.
"Yes. There's a carnival today to celebrate some... minor historic event. I'm sure the details will bore you."
"There's food and games?"
"Yes, Lady Toph."
She was on her feet fast as lightning.
"Hell yeah! I'm outta here. You two idiots can talk trade," her voice darkened "and I'm gonna scam some people!"
Aang watched her go with sadness and jealousy in his eyes. They weren't kids anymore. Not for a long time. But he still enjoyed playing and didn't get as much as he liked with his duties as the Avatar. The older he got the more people wanted him to be a serious monk. A carnival was a great excuse to let loose.
With hope in his voice, he asked Zuko "Do you think we can join her a little later?"
Golden eyes darted about the room and took in the various palace staff milling about.
"Maybe. But business comes first. Let's go."
Zuko took off towards his office. His stride held purpose and his pace was quick. Aang had to airbend to catch up. Hoping the rush indicated their official business would wrap soon, Aang smiled to himself. Perhaps they really would be able to join Toph at the carnival. He couldn't remember how many years passed since he enjoyed watching Toph cheat at games, but he did recall the times he'd use bending to thwart her efforts and how incised she was. They were good memories.
Upon their arrival at Zuko's office, the Fire Lord opened the doors for Aang, then stayed back to firmly but politely dismiss his guards.
Aang was looking at an old map on the far wall when he heard the doors close. He turned around to see Zuko standing with his back to the double doors, his head tilted to listen for noise outside. Once he seemed satisfied that no one was there, his posture sagged and he slid down to land on the floor. When he pulled up his knees to rest his elbows on them and hold his head, Aang was alarmed.
"Zuko? Are you okay?"
His friend's answer was muffed in his hands.
"No. Of course not."
"Uh, if the trade agreements are that bad then maybe—"
"That was resolved months ago. I just used it as an excuse to get rid of her."
Aang wasn't sure he followed.
"Who? Toph?"
Zuko just nodded, his head still hanging low and his face hidden in his hands. The man looked entirely defeated. Aang couldn't remember the last time he saw Zuko like this. Maybe it was during the war, when his friend was desperate to be accepted into their group and turn his life around, but everyone shunned him? That seemed about right, but didn't ease his anxiety.
"Why do we need to get rid of Toph?"
A miserable groan escaped Zuko. He dropped his hands and shifted until his head was tilted backwards, resting against the door. The expression on his face was definitely similar to the misery from his time trying to convince everyone he was finally good. Aang had a sense of deja vu looking at him. Knowing this was very serious, especially if his friend was willing to leave out Toph, arguably a better and closer friend to the Fire Lord than he was. He quietly walked across the room and took a seat next to Zuko to wait for an explanation.
After what felt like a long while of Zuko staring up at the ceiling and Aang holding his tongue, the Fire Lord finally spoke. His voice started soft, but as he continued it became increasingly distressed.
"I didn't mean for it to happen. I wasn't looking for it to happen but it just did and I don't know what to do. It's stressful and unbearable and just thinking about it makes me queasy but I can't stop thinking about it. It's like the moment I realized what happened it was on my mind all the time and I just don't know what to do, right? I mean, my Uncle's usually good for advice but there's just no way I'm bringing this to him. He'd be all Zuko, sometimes you must allow the current to take you down the river in order to discover the beauty of the ocean or some other nonsense and I'm pretty sure I'm going to die when this comes out. I've avoided assassination plots and coups and survived the war, survived my father, my sister, but this will be the end of me. I'm going to die. I'm a dead man and there's nothing I can do about it but maybe, MAYBE the Avatar can save me!"
He turned a desperate gaze towards Aang.
"What the hell do I do? Just tell me what to do!"
Aang was terrified. If Zuko was this afraid, this convinced he was going to die, then the Fire Nation was in trouble. The entire world was in trouble. Peace, which they worked so hard to achieve, might very well hang in the balance and as much as he'd grown into his role as the Avatar the very last thing Aang wanted was another war. Zuko appeared to think the ends of days was upon them, and it was so important, such a massive secret, that he was keeping Toph in the dark.
"I can see that you're upset. I understand that something terrible has happened. But I can't advise you on what to do, or come up with solutions and ways to move forward, when I don't know what is going on."
Zuko stared at him like he was an idiot.
"I just told you!" He raised both hands to his face and rubbed hard, once again hiding behind them. When he spoke from under his hands his voice was pure agony. "I'm in love with Toph and I need your help not to be."
The words echoed around Aang's head.
Zuko.
In love.
With Toph.
With Toph!
Stunned was an understatement. Sure, the two of them were close. Toph spent more time than probably anyone with Zuko. Now, with a perspective change, it seemed almost odd. She complained loudly about how Zuko's work was boring but she always made time for him and jumped at the chance to visit. She was genuinely concerned when he read Zuko's letter out loud, requesting immediate assistance. It was her idea to push through and arrive late at night instead of resting and arriving in the morning. She said they didn't have time to waste. Were her complaints this morning really her being aggravated by Zuko's attention to work, or was she feeling left out?
At breakfast Zuko was only speaking to him. He wanted advice from The Avatar, or Aang. He never even acknowledged Toph. Didn't bother to include her at all. Was she... jealous? That didn't mean she was in love, but it did indicate a layer to their friendship Aang hadn't considered before.
His heart raced, and a wide smile broke across his face. Zuko was in love! He looked to his friend, still hiding, still distraught, and he simply didn't understand what was so wrong.
"You are in love and want me to help you reverse that feeling? Love is a beautiful thing, Zuko! Why are you so upset over experiencing one of the greatest gifts in the world?"
"Because it's Toph."
"What does that have to do with—"
"It's Toph, Aang. Think about it."
He took a moment to consider Zuko's words but couldn't get past how Toph deserved love, just like anyone else. What was so bad about falling for one of his closest friends? Sure, she was abrasive and not really into the lovey-dovey stuff, and rolled her eyes every time anyone flirted near her, and probably wouldn't be caught dead showing genuine, gentle affection, and...
"Oh."
"Yeah."
"It's Toph."
"Yeah."
With real concern in his voice Aang turned to Zuko.
"What are you going to do?"
Silence hung between them as Zuko processed the question. Then he erupted, his hands gesturing wildly as he yelled.
"What the hell do you mean? If I knew what to do I wouldn't have sent for help!"
Aang visibly deflated.
"Right."
The two sat in silence again, Zuko dejected and Aang trying to think of a solution. Nothing in particular came to mind. All he really knew about Zuko's love life was that he once dated Mai a long time ago, and their relationship fell apart after Zuko became Fire Lord. He recalled a few instances of Zuko being jealous when other men gave her attention, and other instances of him being desperate for her attention and approval and Mai ignoring him. But how much of that was the result of teenage youth and how much was insecurities? He didn't know.
For a long time it seemed Zuko was solely dedicated to his job. He didn't seem unhappy, but he didn't appear to have much of a personal life. The idea of him falling for anyone, let alone Toph, was a bit shocking.
"Can I ask some questions?"
He saw Zuko silently nod.
"Why her? Why not someone else? I mean... you're the Fire Lord. You could have your pick of women, probably."
"I like the way she sees me."
There was a gentleness to Zuko's voice that Aang couldn't recall hearing before. That softness stopped him from pointing out Toph couldn't see at all. The last thing he wanted to do was turn his friend's feelings into a joke. Instead, he tried another angle.
"How does she see you?"
Zuko took a deep, slow breath before answering.
"To her I'm just Zuko, or Sparky, or Sunshine, or Dragon." Aang caught his slight blush when he said Dragon, a nickname he'd yet to hear himself but clearly meant something to Zuko.
"Fire Lord is only ever used as an insult, or to tease me. The title doesn't matter to her. Neither does the power, or the treasury. She laughs at me when I'm all dressed up for some formal event because she can sense I'm a little uncomfortable and knows even though I was raised in this world that's not really me. Maybe it was a long time ago, before I was banished. Maybe not even then. But it's definitely not really who I am now." He hung his head and sighed. "She... enjoys when I'm awkward and understands both versions of me The one who runs a nation, and the one who just wants to run away and quietly practice his bending and his swordsmanship."
Aang let those words hang in the air. He absorbed them before giving his thoughts.
"I can understand that. Katara doesn't idolize me as the Avatar, just like Toph doesn't for you as Fire Lord."
Zuko quietly nodded.
"Can I ask another question?"
"Yeah."
"Is that all there is to it?" When his friend's brow furrowed in confusion, he clarified. "I mean it's freeing, it's nice, to be seen for who we are without the fanfare. But real friends do that, too. How do you know what you feel is romantic and not platonic?"
Zuko raised his head and extended his legs out in front of him. His arms fell to his sides and he rested his knuckles against the floor, tapping them nervously.
"We've been platonic friends for a long time. There was nothing more between us. We hung out a lot and we were close, but I really didn't think of her romantically, even when I heard a few rumors about us. And then last Spring Iroh got very sick when he was visiting me. I mentioned it in a letter to her, just in passing. She showed up by the end of the week and stayed by Iroh's side while I worked to coordinate aid for the flooding in the northern Earth Kingdom. One day I went to check on my uncle and found Toph passed out at his bedside, holding his hand. All I could think, looking at her, was how much I love her."
"Because she took care of Iroh?"
"Because no matter what's happening in my life, she makes time for me, and what's important to me. She makes me happier when I'm feeling only despair and exhaustion. She... feels like home."
Aang chewed on that for a while. There was certainly merit to those feelings, but was that enough? He wasn't sure, and it took time to figure out why. Only when reflecting on his own relationship with Katara did the missing piece click into place. He could've kicked himself for overlooking the obvious.
"And you're attracted to her?"
Zuko jumped a little at the question, and Aang realized they'd fallen silent for a good several minutes and his question came out of nowhere.
"I mean... She's definitely got her charm. It's maybe not conventional but it's... It's very Toph."
"Is that a yes?"
"Yeah, that's a yes. I think she's pretty. Especially when she looks like trouble. Which is always. So... I'm definitely attracted to her."
"Then what's the problem?"
Aang ignored the way Zuko turned to him with a look of complete confusion.
"You love her. Big deal. Just tell her and get on with your life."
"What if she doesn't feel the same?"
"Then she doesn't feel the same, and you remain friends."
"So your advice is just to ask her on a date?"
"Yes."
Zuko reached up and scratched the back of his head, aggressively messing his hair in the process.
"That's it?"
"That's it."
"Be direct?"
"Be very direct. Toph isn't only blind with her eyes. She willfully ignores signs of affection unless they're incredibly obvious. Katara says it's because she doesn't trust other people will truly care for her and I kind of agree. Make sure she can't deflect or purposefully misinterpret and you'll get a real answer. Trust me on this. Toph will never hate you for having feelings for her."
They spent nearly another hour coming up with ways to ask Toph on a date. Aang was frustrated with Zuko's paranoia that asking the wrong way would result in rejection, but in the end telling him to approach Toph like she was a hostile foreign minister seemed to settle the Fire Lord's anxiety. He was used to dealing with that and the framing calmed him down. When Aang commented offhand that they were lucky the carnival distracted Toph, Zuko actually laughed nervously and stood to take leave, as if fleeing. He bowed to Aang, and thanked him for the advice before heading out to find her.
Though the carnival was tempting, Aang thought it best to hang back a little while and give his friends some space. He'd check on Appa and send a hawk to Katara before going into town.
There was no way he could keep this news to himself.
She was standing in a crowd of people, some waiting for food, others watching a knife throwing game with one particularly skilled young kid putting on a show. Toph smiled brightly and shoved a small bit of food into her mouth, quickly chewing and swallowing as she turned toward Zuko before he even made himself known. He loved that about her. She always knew where he was. For some reason he couldn't help himself and raised a hand in greeting, knowing she wouldn't see it, but also knowing she'd get his reference.
"Hello. Zuko here."
She laughed and coughed a little.
"Sparky! I can't believe you're still using that line."
"It served me well in the past."
"Are you done with the boring work? I've been checking out the vendors here and talking to them. None of them seem to really know what this festival is for."
Toph brought her fingers to her mouth and sucked sugar off of them as she continued to speak, not knowing how Zuko's eyes went right to her lips.
"Your guy was right when he said it was a minor historic event. The food vendors all seem to think it might be for a harvest, but the game stands are a mix of celebrating some out of fashion deity, or a commemoration of a war victory." She lowered her voice and leaned a little towards him, speaking secretively. "Between you and me I hope it's not a war victory. If it is, you better make sure this is the last carnival to mark the occasion."
Zuko reached out and gently guided her away from the middle of the street and towards an area with less heavy foot traffic. He wanted to make sure she would hear him and there would be minimal distractions.
"I can assure you the minor event has nothing to do with the war."
His eyes wandered, and he noticed a few of his guards keeping tabs on him. Silently, he dismissed them with a gesture. Though they faded from sight he knew they were still close. The idea of them watching him was uncomfortable, even in plain robes with his face mostly hidden under a hood.
"Come with me."
There was no time for Toph to argue, he simply grabbed her by the arm and marched her into a small tea shop. The place was empty, aside from someone who appeared to the the owner and one patron.
"I need the room." He lowered his hood to reveal his face and his scar. "Please leave. You'll be well compensated."
Toph was confused as the two civilians recognized their Fire Lord and hastily retreated. The tea shop smelled nice, and she would've liked a cup had anyone remained to serve her.
"What the hell, Zuko?"
"I need to ask you a question, immediately. And I don't want an audience."
Toph's eyes changed from annoyed to concerned.
"What's going on? Is this about the letter you wrote to Aang?"
"Yes."
"What's—?”
“Do you like me?”
She paused, processing his words.
"What? We're friends. Of course I like you! Is something wrong? Did you hit your head?"
"Sorry." Zuko briefly pinched the bridge of his nose and shut his eyes tightly as he re-centered himself and remembered that Aang told him she would deflect anything not 100% direct. "What I meant to ask is... Do you have feelings for me beyond friendship? Are you romantically inclined towards me? Are you in love with me?"
He studied her expressions closely as he asked his questions. Often when negotiating with diplomats the nuanced expressions on their faces during a quickfire interrogation were as telling as their words. Toph switched from concern, to confusion, to instant stone. Fully guarded, as though he'd attacked her outright and she was waiting for the proper time to strike back. To him, that was an excellent tell. No emotion from Toph meant she was hiding something. When she erased her emotions, it meant they were precious to her and she was protecting herself. She was scared of having her feelings hurt. And there was only one explanation for that.
“Sparky, what kind of—”
He didn't wait for a response. He just stepped forward and kissed her.
The way she stiffened and then relaxed, the way she immediately closed her eyes, lashes fluttering against his skin as she raised her hands into his hair, the way she kissed back, confirmed his answer. She tasted of fried dough and sugar. Of the carnival's best treats. She tasted like victory.
His hands slipped around her waist and pulled her closer.
Her tongue sipped into his mouth.
His presence of mind slipped away.
All he felt, all he smelled and tasted, was her. He wanted to remain like that forever. He wanted to never let her go. To know she'd always have his back. To have the comfort of her presence every day, and to wake up to her and fall asleep to her and just allow her to take over so many parts of his life.
It was painfully difficult to finally pull himself back for air. She didn't allow him to go far and nibbled on his lip, stealing another, shorter, less intense kiss.
“Yeah,” he whispered against her lips once he had the chance, a smile playing on his face. “You're head over heels for me.”
The spell she was under visibly broke at his words.
“Shut up!” she softly admonished, and dropped her hands from his hair to punch his arm with enough force to bruise. The action had him flashing back to the war, when she informed him this was how she showed affection. For a moment he wondered if she'd grow out of it and maybe one day show affection with kisses instead. That would be preferable, but not a dealbreaker.
He laughed at the thought, and brought a hand up to tuck her hair behind her ear. Her face was red, like her swollen lips, when she swatted him away.
"Not cool, Zuko! You can't just go around kissing people!"
"Then you can't go around tempting me."
Her posture straightened as her anger reached new heights.
"What the hell does that mean?"
"Nothing. If I had no self-control and temptation was enough to get me to kiss you, I'd have done that months ago. But I know you. I know your tells. And your consent was written all over your face."
She turned a deep shade of red but said nothing, fully in line with her shutting down to protect herself.
"Am I wrong? If you don't love me romantically, I'm genuinely sorry for my actions. I'd never take advantage of you. But if I'm right, then please let me know."
Toph bit her lower lip and glared somewhere around his shoulder.
"You're an asshole, Zuko!"
"Assholes can be right."
"You didn't even wait for me to answer any of your questions!"
"Your answer was perfectly clear to me."
"When did you get so confident? What the hell happened to the awkward guy I know?"
"You are reason enough to inspire confidence in me. Your answer inspires infinite confidence in me."
Zuko watched closely as she did her very best not to smile. The corners of her lips kept twitching upward in a fight to remain angry. He'd seen her like this before when he bested her in sparring, and when Iroh's teasing hit close to home. No part of him thought her truly angry. This was how she behaved when she was caught, either in a lie or in a grift. He knew part of her loved that. Part of her was thrilled when she was challenged, and he saw a familiar, tentative excitement in her pale eyes.
"I haven't even given any answers, Sparky."
"You haven't denied my accusations, either."
Something shifted in her, and she leaned forward into him, a mix of deadly and playful.
"You're a liar, Zuko!" His eyes narrowed, not understanding, but she continued on, oblivious. "I thought it was strange at breakfast when you leaned back in your chair and disappeared. You did that on purpose so you could lie! You... you said this is about the letter Aang got. You actually sent him a letter for help because you have feelings for me?"
She laughed, and the sound was a bit manic. When she finally calmed enough to speak, her voice was breathy, airy, and accusatory all at once.
"Oh, Dragon. You are an absolute mess of a human being."
His heart skipped a beat at her use of that name. How he loved that name. But now was not the time to let on how much it meant to him, and how sweet it sounded coming from her even when she was all attitude. Now was the time to take control. Like Aang said, he needed to treat her as a hostile diplomat. And if Zuko was confident in anything, it was his skills dealing with hostile diplomats.
"And what does that say about you, who favors me even when I'm a complete mess?"
The playfulness in her face drained. Once again, she didn't have a comeback, which pleased him. Toph usually had some snippy thing to say, no matter the situation. To make her tongue-tied was an accomplishment. When she stormed off, never denying him, it was equivalent to shouting her feelings. They'd have to work on her communication skills if they wanted a less turbulent future, but he had a feeling they would manage. Zuko was incredibly satisfied that not even Toph Beifong, contrarian extraordinaire, could hide her happiness at his feelings through a veil of anger.
In his opinion, everything went wonderfully.
When he left to head back to the palace, he spotted the shopkeeper and thanked him, asking when would be a convenient time to send the promised compensation.
With Appa fed and content, Aang made his way through the palace. He soon spotted Zuko's personal assistant and flagged him down.
"Kenro! You knew, right?"
The man fidgeted, a bit uncomfortable.
"I don't know to what you're referring, Avatar Aang."
"You said you'd laid out documents for Zuko in his office, but the only thing on his desk were random maps. He told you, didn't he?" When no response came, Aang added "You can trust me. I'm the Avatar! I can keep a secret, and I'd never do anything to get you in trouble. Besides, Zuko trusts me. Shouldn't you?"
The man sighed as he considered what to do.
"I... was instructed not to lie in front of Lady Beifong. He asked for the maps."
"How long have you known?"
"Since your arrival. Lord Zuko had no choice but to tell me. There was no other way to justify organizing a carnival so quickly." The man's eyes widened with a bit of panic. "Not that Lord Zuko needs to justify himself to me! But he is a fair man, and would never ask anyone to work all night without expressing his good cause."
"Wait..." Aang was putting the pieces together, stunned. "The carnival was a distraction?"
"Yes."
"But... didn't you say it was for a minor historic event?"
"Sir, that was no lie. The minor historic event, in my personal opinion, just happens to be very specific to my Lord."
The two exchanged knowing smiles, and Kenro excused himself. Aang's spirits were lifted knowing just how much effort went into the day. Would Toph ever figure out the carnival was meant to keep her busy while Zuko had a near panic attack over his feelings? Part of him wished he'd run into Kenro earlier so that his letter to Katara could include the bit about Zuko's overnight carnival plans, but then he realized it was better to have extra details to reveal when he saw her.
On his way out to attend Toph's carnival, he saw Zuko. The Fire Lord was across a courtyard, hurrying inside, a smile on his face the likes of which Aang had never seen. A quick gust of wind sent the Avatar to the Fire Lord's side.
“So?” he asked. “How'd it go?”
Excitement laced his voice as he examined Zuko for any hints of an answer although it was obvious to him that there was reason to celebrate. There was no mistaking Zuko's uncontained exhilaration. Aang couldn't help returning that goofy grin with one of his own.
“Well. It went very well.”
“That's great! So she accepted? You're dating!”
“No, we're not.”
By now they were standing outside Zuko's private quarters. The Fire Lord's hands tightly grasped the long metal handles of the double doors, pausing in his motion to open them only when he heard Aang's plea for him to wait.
“If she rejected you why do you look like you're basking in the summer solstice?"
"She didn't reject me" he said, finally turning to his friend. "I didn't even ask. But you know what she did?"
Any other time he would guess the Earth bender did something sarcastic or violent, but the smile, the unbreakable smile that was still on his friend's features told Aang now was not the time. He shook his head and waited. Curiosity was killing him. What could Toph do to make this moody firebender so unquestionably happy?
Zuko took in a deep breath.
His smile broadened.
His eyes were wide and very much alive, and his words burst forth with the force of lightning.
"She told me she loves me.”
Without another word he hurled open the doors and rushed through. Aang tilted his head as he watched his friend's form disappear behind heavy doors. That was it? The whole thing felt anti-climactic. What was Zuko doing here and not with Toph? If she declared her reciprocal love, why weren't they together? Why didn't he ask her on a date? Why didn't they turn the carnival into a first date? What actually went down? What was wrong with his two, stupid, stubborn friends?
He didn't know.
But if this was all it took to get Zuko in such a mood, he'd have to extend his trip to the Fire Nation.
He definitely wanted to be there when Toph agreed to date the man.