UNFORESEEN RELATIONS (Toph x Zuko ATLA Fanfiction)

CHAPTER TWO || The Tea

First stop on the Earth Kingdom tour was Ba Sing Se.

After the Hundred Year War, Toph had regularly visited the capitol city to scout for earthbenders whom she found to have potential in metalbending

Quite oppositely, Zuko hadn't set foot on that side of the hemisphere since his last failed attempt to reconcile with the nation, and that had been at least four years ago. Even so, he suppressed his nerves and was the first person to board the ship, ensuring that he'd be present to welcome Toph aboard.

Accompanied by two of her most trustworthy metalbending comrades, Toph arrived on sight with distinct purpose and a limited amount of personal belongings. Zuko insisted on carrying her luggage before leading Toph to her chamber.

"The voyage to Ba Sing Se should take only a few days," he assured her. "There have been excellent technological improvements on the royal sloop, so it shouldn't take long to reach the shores of the Earth Kingdom. In the meantime, if you need anything, we've installed two radios in your cabin. One reaches the crew, the other is a direct line to my suite. I'm aware you've brought your own operatives, but I don't want you to hesitate reaching out to anyone on board, including myself..."

Speeding up his speech, Zuko babbled on about the accommodations of the cruiser, and Toph tuned into his elevated heart rate. The man was spiraling. Toph grabbed tightly onto his shoulders and shook him.

"Hey, will you relax? What's gotten into you?"

Zuko groaned. "You're sacrificing your time and energy for the Fire Nation. I want to make sure you're taken care of while you're with us."

"Zuko, I'm not doing this for the Fire Nation. Do I want our people to make peace? Of course I do. But if you weren't the Fire Lord, I wouldn't waste my time." Toph detected the ridiculous grin creeping on her face but didn't refuse it. "I have faith in you."

Immediately, Zuko's heartbeat slowed down, his shoulders unwinding from their perked up posture.

"Thanks, Toph," he said, lightly grasping her petite hands and briefly holding them to his chest before releasing them. "I'm going to let you settle in. Will you join me for tea on the deck afterwards?"

"Is it Uncle Iroh's recipe?" she asked

"The one and only," he confirmed.

Not long after the ship departed from the harbor, Toph found the Fire Lord on the top tier of the sloop, patiently waiting at a neat stand with a pot of tea and two cups, his nose buried into documented plans and maps. As soon as he spotted her, he promptly set aside the papers and stood to greet her.

"It's been a long time since we've indulged in a tranquil moment together," he said as he pulled out the chair for her.

"I don't think we've ever shared a tranquil moment with each other, Zuko," said Toph, and they laughed.

"Can't argue with that."

Zuko poured them tea, and they sipped in silence. The quiet was strange. Neither of them were accustomed to a slow paced lifestyle, but for the next few days as they would travel across the ocean, they'd have a lot of inactive downtime. That seemed unsettling for the both of them.

"Wanna duel?" Toph suddenly suggested.

Zuko eyed her like she was absurd.

"Are you serious? In the middle of the ocean? What would you even use to bend?"

"I can feel the abundant mass of metal under my feet." Her thrill multiplied at his faint consideration.

"I'm not letting you destroy my ship," he said.

Slumping her shoulders, she sank into her seat and huffed. "Chicken."

Zuko couldn't help the small smile on his lips. Even as an adult, Toph remained playful and energetic. As a once downcast teenage boy and now a serious grown man, he admired her youthful spirit. Being lively wasn't something he excelled at. In fact, he believed he had to be the mature and constantly-prepared-for-anything person, which didn't allow him space for fun and games. Still at this moment, his reasoning about keeping the boat intact triumphed over his yearning of excitement, even though he secretly speculated they could spare a couple pieces of metal. But would that be a logical choice? Not according to his sensible nature.

"Tell me more about your life after the war," he said. "Have you met anyone interesting? Any suiters maybe?"

Unexpectedly, Toph blushed. She didn't feel awkward about the question, but she felt ambushed by its source. Frankly, she couldn't explain why she appeared uneasy with Zuko being the one asking about her romantic life; it confused her, because she never shied away from this type of conversation before. But for some reason, having it with him made her stomach flutter.

"Uh... Honestly, there've been a few pursuers but no one important," she said. "What about you? How's Mai?"

Uncontrollably cringing at the mention of her name, Zuko cleared his throat before replying.

"Things with Mai didn't work out." Toph could hear the bitterness in his tone. "I wasn't attentive with her. I was constantly preoccupied with restoring the Fire Nation's honor, and I neglected her. She left."

After an uncomfortable pause, Toph said, "I'm sorry to hear that." And then asked with ambiguous curiosity, "Has there been anyone else ever since?"

This seemed to lighten his mood, and she could sense his restored smile.

"A few innocent romances here and there but nothing serious," he said.

A peculiar twist in her ribs cultivated at the notion of additional women in Zuko's life. Toph ignored it.

"Well, who needs romance when you've got adventure?" she said in a desperate attempt to change the subject.

"Romance can be an adventure of its own," Zuko continued. "A remarkable adventure."

"How can you say that after your heartbreak with Mai?" Toph couldn't believe she dared to ask him that.

"Sure, heartbreak is painful, but falling in love is surreal, you know?"

Toph squirmed.

"No, I don't actually," she hesitantly admitted. "I've never been in love."

"Oh," said Zuko, perplexed about how to respond.

"You're making it seem like a bad thing," she pounced, growing defensive.

"What? No! It's not a bad thing," he quickly recovered. "I just assumed someone would've swept a woman like you off her feet by now, even if it were for a little while."

"A woman like me?" she asked, ready to attack him for implying that she's easily swayed.

"Well, yeah. You're one of the most talented benders in existence, and a captivating woman with the strongest will I've come across. There must've been someone trying to pick you up."

Chewing out her earlier thoughts, Toph reveled in Zuko's flatteries. Presuming this was friendly praise, she disregarded the warm sensation in her chest and proceeded with the conversation.

"There were," she boasted vaguely. "But they failed."

Intrigued by her confidence, Zuko granted the point some time to linger and marveled at her radiance. Conjuring memories of twelve year-old Toph, he was astounded to observe her as an evolved woman. He distinguished the numerous ways she looked different. Her long hair was the most obvious change, but the minor characteristics such as a sharper jawline and leaner cheeks were also notable. Contrarily, her glazed sea foam green eyes were as bewitching as ever, and he found himself wondering if he could compliment them without offending her. It was becoming clear to him that Toph was no longer a brawny kid. Instead, she had grown into a voluptuous young woman.

And somehow that terrified him.