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

The Library

"I'm telling you, we're gonna find it this time!" Zei exclaims. You stare out of the window as he goes on about how his life has been leading up to this moment. His words would be encouraging, if this weren't his umpteenth time making the same boring speech on the same boring topic. The train speeds out of Ba Sing Se and you pay half a mind to him, ignoring his speech. You're his best student, always working to learn the history of the world and understand how people feel. Zei is a close friend, your best, and always makes sure to take you along on his numerous expeditions, you get to frequently travel around the globe and make your own analysis on several topics. You were an intellectual prodigy, and he brought you into the university to better yourself. "Are you excited?"

"For what?" You ask, nonchalantly.

"Us to make history, Y/N. I just know it."

"If you say so." You reply as the train slows to a halt and you both step off. "It's the dry season." you grumble, covering your face with your hat and moving forwards. You hand your passports to the angry lady to get out of Ba Sing Se after a long period of waiting in line. Zei is much more patient than you are, and babbles on about the possibilities of the knowledge that lies within the library to keep your impatience at bay. You waited for three tedious hours to get out and onto a ferry. "It feels like there should be a better way to do this." You say, watching the water roll by slowly, "So why are we going to Misty Palms?"

"Just a gut feeling."

"So we're risking a mugging because of a feeling in your stomach?"

"Yes. You'll come to learn to trust a gut feeling eventually."

"I'll never understand you, old man."

"One day you might." He says, smiling. "So Squirt, you finally participated in poetry night, I hear."

"Yeah. Unfortunately I like actual poetry and they were all over haikus."

"Well, haikus are poetry."

"Bah." You grumble, "How's the girlfriend?"

"Oh we... broke up. She wanted kids, I wasn't ready to make that commitment."

"Oh. Sorry, man."

"No, you're fine. Besides, I needed to focus more on my work anyway." The rest of the ride is in awkward silence as they slowly arrive at a dock and rent ostrich-horses to ride their way to Misty Palms Oasis. At one point, it was a gorgeous paradise now it sits as a reminder of the temporary nature of the world on which you live. "The ice has melted another three meters since our last visit." Zei notes, writing it down in his little book. "Wait in the bar for me." Zei says, "I'll be right with you." He pulls out a Pai Sho piece and walks in a different direction. You walk awkwardly into the bar, feeling several pairs of eyes prying into you.

You sit, "Uh... mango?" You ask the bartender, who hurries up and makes your drink after you pay him. A sip makes you feel more clear, and soon, you've finished.

"Well, you finished that quick, huh?" The professor asks, now walking in, looking better himself. "I'll have what he's having." The tender makes another mango juice and he pays, right before a kid bumps into him, getting Zei's drink spilled all over his outfit. "Sorry son, I didn't-"

"No worries, I clean up easily." The boy says, pushing his fists together and unleashing a gust of wind that dries him off.

"You're a living relic!" Zei exclaims, holding his hat to his head.

"Thanks, I try." The boy says. As they continue to converse, you look over the kid's group, they don't look like bandits. There are two Water Tribe people, a boy and a girl of around the same age as you and a short blind girl, with a dress that looks distinctively like it's from Gaoling due to the stitch work, who is in the back. An odd bunch for sure, but you've seen weirder. Soon, they've laid out a map and Zei's rattling his life's story like it's small talk. With a groan you stand beside Zei.