The Warrior's Gambit (Zutara)

XXXIV

"Need help outside?" Aang offered, feeling bad for her.

"No! I have legs still," Toph snapped, and proceeded to walk into her dresser. "That wasn't there before," she said stiffly.

"Sure," Aang agreed, though he was pretty sure it had been there since they arrived.

"What's the big deal anyway?" Toph asked, "I'm pretty much ignored here." It was for the best, lest she teach more swear words to children. With her unreliable sight right now, there wasn't much she could do.

"Zuko's here."

"Zuko! That means..." Toph's whole face lit up. She ran outside, only tripping once, eager like a child on their birthday.

"Sokka! Come on out! Where are ya? I can't see very well, so you gotta come to me," Toph said, grinning, lifting her feet to show the wet squishing sound that was shadowing part of her vision.

"We need to talk about that," Zuko said stiffly.

"I hate that tone," Ty Lee sighed.

"Let us retire inside," Iroh said, "I have some tea on."

Once they were in the main living room of the hut, Toph turned to the wall. "Okay, Zuko-"

"Over here." Zuko interrupted.

"I knew that," Toph said, but her face was flushed scarlet, "Where's my boyfriend?"

"That's...fuck." Zuko winced. "He's not coming."

"Not coming...today?" Toph said somewhat hopefully.

"No. Not anytime soon. Possibly...never." Zuko swallowed. Aang felt something cold grip his bones, a foreboding sense that only grew as Zuko recounted the Agni Kai. Ty Lee gripped Aang's arm tightly, whimpering at the sound of it. Iroh shook his head sorrowfully, handing out teas. Toph's face stayed the same, almost confused, as though she didn't quite believe him.

"...And he's hurt badly now. My father won't let Katara heal him. As it is, he seems...intent on staying. But I'm not sure he'd have the strength to make the trip anyway." Zuko pressed his palms to his tea cup, trying to figure out what to say next. "Spirits, Toph, I'm sorry-"

"You did what?" Toph demanded. Zuko's whole demeanor shifted from apologetic to furious, his back straightening like a whip and his eyes inflamed.

"What I had to!" Zuko snapped back at her, "Spirits, if my father-"

"You nearly killed him! And I'm supposed to thank you?" Toph's fists clenched. "Aang, where is the Fire Idiot? He deserves exactly what he did to Sokka!"

"I'm not helping you punch Zuko," Aang choked.

"Traitor," Toph snarled.

"Toph, Zuko is right," Iroh said, "Ozai would have killed Sokka. This was merciful."

"Merciful! Huh, I'm beginning to wonder if you flame yahoos have ever read a dictionary in your life because me and you have two very different definitions," Toph said. Then, the truth seemed to wash over her. Aang saw tears gather in her eyes. He expected her to cry. Instead, she spun, angry, moving toward her bedroom door.

"Toph!"

"Stop!" Toph shoved Aang hard. "Because none of you get it!" she said, throwing a finger out, yelling to keep herself from crying. "You and Ty Lee get to be all lovey-dovey in your room over there, together," she said, "And Zuko and Katara get to be awkward and shit at the palace, but they're together too if things go bad. But for me? And Sokka? It's not fair."

"Not fair?" Zuko gave a low laugh. "Toph, spirits, wake up and smell the swamp water. All you and he had to do was not get caught! But no!" He threw up his hands. "You could have come to me. We could have gotten you off the competition list. There were two million things we could have done, but you chose to be selfish and do whatever Toph wanted to do, and look where it got you!"