Chapter Text
Toph is standing on the balcony, her arms resting on the railing as she ‘stares’ out to the mountains that surround the Air Temple. She's clutching a bottle of Fire Nation whiskey in her hand, something Zuko had brought for her to help her get through this weekend. She can feel everyone in the Great Hall dancing and standing around talking. Everyone is having a grand time, no one knows the hell that she is going through at the moment.
A pair of feet break from the crowd and walk towards her. His steps are sure, never hesitating, and solid on the ground. “Hey kiddo, how are you doing?” Zuko asks.
“You know, I'm 20, you don't have to call me that anymore.”
“Are you going to stop calling me Sparky?” He replies, crossing his arms over his chest.
“Fair point,” she says, taking a swig of the alcohol. He walks over and leans against the balcony with her. She can feel the warmth radiating off of him. “I heard she looks beautiful. His heartbeat spiked when she began walking down the aisle,” Toph says, her voice low and in monotone.
“Who? Katara?”
“Don't play stupid with me, Zuko. I can't handle it tonight,” Toph says, swallowing past the lump forming in her throat.
Calling him by his real name makes Zuko look at her, understanding and pity in his eyes. He couldn't begin to imagine what she is going through, watching the man she loves marry someone else, her best friend nonetheless. He's surprised that Toph has managed to keep her composure throughout the night. He knows that she had been a wreck the rest of the time.
She had been staying with him at the Fire Nation palace when the invitation to the wedding came. Toph didn't say anything for a while, but eventually got up and left. In the distance, he had heard her chunking rocks every which way, her screams could be heard faintly. He had waited until the ground had stopped shaking before he went after her. It didn't take long for Zuko to find her on her knees curled into herself, her arms around her middle, sobbing. He had never seen Toph cry before and it had honestly scared the shit out of him. He had no idea what to do, but he walked over and sat next to her while she cried.
Tonight though, she had not shed a tear, said any sarcastic remarks to anyone, and is almost the perfect proper lady her parents had raised her to be... minus the smell of alcohol on her breath.
“Yeah,” his voice soft, “Yeah, Katara looks beautiful. But, so do you Kiddo,” Zuko says honestly. Through the vibrations, she knows he is telling the truth.
“Please spare me the bullshit. Even if I looked like turtleduck shit, it wouldn't matter,” she pulled another swig from the bottle, its contents almost completely gone. Neither of them say anything, just stand next to each other quietly, staring out into the night.
An hour must have gone by when she feels his footsteps coming towards them. Toph has completely finished off her bottle of whiskey which she hands to Zuko, “Here, I shouldn't be seen with this.”
“Huh-”
“Hey guys, what are you doing out here?” Aang asks, his voice bright and cheerful.
Zuko quickly pockets the empty bottle and turns towards Aang's voice, but Toph doesn't budge. “Oh, uh. We were just talking. Congratulations, man.”
Toph can hear them grip each other's forearms and Zuko pats him on the shoulder. Zuko’s footsteps move back towards the party, disappearing into the crowd.
Aang comes to stand beside her, resting against the railing where Zuko had just been. She feels his shoulder brush against hers and she immediately tenses up, not wanting to feel his touch.
“Can you believe it? I'm finally married. I never thought the day would come,” he says, his hands gripping the rail. Toph doesn't say anything just, listens to him talk, “I mean, I've been in love with her since I was 12! Can you believe that?”
Toph turns her head to the side as a tear escapes and slides down her cheek. She quickly wipes it away before he can see, and out of habit, she sniffs. One of those sniffs that make it oh-so obvious that someone is crying, all thick and full of boogers and mucus. Aang immediately turns his head towards her and narrows his eyes slightly.
“Yeah, listen, I gotta go. Congrats, Aang,” she says quickly. She turns to walk back into the Grand Hall before anything else can be said.
“Toph, wait!” His hand reaches out for her and he just barely touches her fingers before she is out of his reach.
Toph hurriedly walks to the other end of the Hall and slips out of the door into the night air, hoping no one has noticed her escape. She descends the stairs, her feet barely touching the stone before moving again and her tears flowing freely now.
“Toph, wait!” Aang shouts from the top of the staircase. Her ears pick up the whoosh of air and then his feather light footsteps landing a few steps ahead of her, blocking her path. His hands reach out and grips her shoulders, stopping her in her tracks. “T., you're crying. Why are you crying?”
“It's nothing, Aang. Just let me go,” she mumbles trying to move past him.
“No. You called me Aang. You never do that unless something is serious.”
Toph inwardly flinches; she didn't realize she did that. She stops struggling to get past him, knowing now it's too late for excuses and to get out of this. She looks up at him, moving the hair out of her face so he can see her clearly. They stand there together, neither of them moving. Aang, a concerned wrinkle in his brow and hands still on her shoulders. And Toph, her face blank of emotion, tears running down her face, most likely ruining the makeup Suki had worked so hard on.
“Just talk to me,” Aang whispers.
Her resolve completely crumbles at that sentence. She grabs him by the front of his formal Airbender robes and pulls him to her, locking their lips together. Aang immediately responds to her, his mouth slotting perfectly against hers. His mouth working her open and slipping his tongue against hers. His hands come up and cup her tear streaks cheeks.
At the same time, they pull back from each other, Aang staring into Toph’s eyes trying to read some emotion there. “I just had to do that. Just once more. I'm so sorry,” she whispers before breaking from his grip and running away once again.
Aang turns and follows her movements with his eyes as she disappears into the night