I Won't Leave You (Toph Beifong x Male! Reader)

The Desert

As Katara looks through the scrolls, Aang says, "It doesn't matter, you know. None of those will tell us where Appa is."

"No. But we can find out which way Ba Sing Se is. We can use the stars to guide us. That way, we can travel at night when it's cool and rest during the day." You look at the stars sadly, too tired to move any more from where you are, which is unfortunately right next to Toph. she's turned on her side, facing away from you. You hear Katara sigh. "Just try to get some sleep, we'll start again in a few hours." You look up at the stars until you slip into unconsciousness.

You wake up aching from head to toe, Toph is next to you, seemingly awake already and Katara is waking up Sokka who Momo has buried under sand. "Yesterday my mouth tasted like mud. Now it just tastes like sand. I never thought I'd miss the taste of mud so much." Toph grumbles

You get up and take off your sweat-soaked top, tying it around your neck before popping your joints again. "Come on." Katara says, "We need to keep moving if we wanna get out of this sand pit."

Aang spots a familiar shape in the clouds, "Appa!" he cheers, you look up hopefully and sigh, ignoring Sokka's yammering.

"It's a cloud." Katara says solemnly. Then she has an idea, "Wait a cloud!" she hands Aang her bottle, "Here, fly up and bend the water from that cloud into my pouch. Aang gives her a glare before snatching it, snapping out his glider and taking the water in two passes, he comes back down and tosses Katara her bottle. "Wow, there's hardly any in here."

"I'm sorry okay?!" Aang snaps, "It's a desert cloud, I did all I could! What's anyone else doing? What are you doing?!"

He points his bo staff at her and Katara looks down. "Trying to keep everyone together."

You try to calm him down, "Aang, come on. We're doing all we can. It's not the easiest to-"

"Y/N, I don't even want to hear your voice! Who do you think you are?"

"I'm not letting anyone get pushed around here, we're in this together. If you have a problem with that, you can disappear for another hundred years!"

"What did you just say to me?"

"Everyone calm down, okay?! The heat is getting to us. Let's just get moving. We need to head this direction."

After another long time walking, Toph trips, hurting herself. You go to help her up but step back when she starts yelling, "I am so sick of not feeling where I'm going!" she holds her foot in pain, "And what idiot buried a boat in the middle of the desert?!"

"A boat?" you ask, walking forward to check on her, Katara looks at the topic of discussion.

"Believe me, I kicked it hard enough to feel plenty of vibrations." As they uncover it she looks at you, "I'm fine, don't worry about me." You rub her shoulder twice before standing and feeling a blast of wind as Aang blows the sand off of it.

"It's one of the gliders the sandbenders use." Katara says you all walk towards it. "Look! It's got some kind of compass on it, I bet it can point us out of here! Aang, you can bend a breeze so we can sail it, we're gonna make it!" You all look at Sokka who's buried Momo under sand.

"Your friend here's a lightweight." you mutter and laugh to yourself. Toph gives you a look and you help uncover Momo and get the glider prepared.

When the glider is finally on the move, you sit on the same part as Toph, but feel alone. Thinking over your situation, you grab the book and a note falls out. You open the note and read it.

Y/N, I know how hard this'll be for you. It was difficult for me too. But I won't make it out. You are such a brilliant young man and I'm honored to say that I've learned just as much from you as you have from me. You are like a son to me, you're smart, you're kind, you're humble, you're wise, I'm so proud of the young man you're becoming.