An Innocent Spark [Zukka]

Chapter 47: Seismic Sense

While the others were out in the water away from the sweet comfort of land, Toph took her chance and snuck away and off towards the wooded area behind Zuko's summer home.

She could feel the slightest indent in the dirt from someone's footsteps and followed the trail. At the end of the trail, she found who she was looking for.

"How did you find me?" Zuko asked and he sighed. He was sitting on a tree stump moping by himself of course.

"Not important," toph said and created a stone seat next to Zuko to sit on. "What is important is you going and talking to Sokka like a grown man."

"Yeah right, he's probably all over Suki right now," Zuko said, the pain and heartbreak evident in his voice despite his attempt at sounding tough.

"Actually, he's all alone in your room crying," she said in her typical matter of fact way.

"I wish I had your seismic sense so I could tell if you are lying or not," Zuko said and sniffled.

"You're just gonna have to trust me on this one," Toph said and punched him in the arm.

"Why did you not tell Suki about Sokka and I?" Zuko asked.

"It isn't my place to go revealing your personal life to other people," Toph said, letting a bit of emotion and empathy bleed into her words.

"I guess I should thank you for that," Zuko said. He sounded like he did when he was beating himself up for doing something stupid, and Toph did not want him to feel that way because of her.

"No you shouldn't," Toph said and sighed, "I made a bigger mess for you two by not telling her, but I'm trying to make it up to you both now by making you go find your boyfriend. I know what it's like to feel like you've lost someone you care about, and it isn't worth letting yourself feel that way."

"You know, I always thought of you as the tough emotionless kind of girl, but you know the right things to say when you want to," Zuko said and rather than blush or laugh she punched him hard in the arm, making him complain that she hit him too hard.

"Are you going to sit around here trying to get me to lower my guard, or are you going to go find your dumb boyfriend?" Toph asked and used earthbending to push Zuko off of the tree stump he was sitting on.

"I'll remember that!" Zuko said and ran off towards the house. Toph took the opportunity to fall back and make stone angles, something she found much more enjoyable than swimming in the ocean with her feet not touching the ground.