Azula/Toph for payback--I mean, yeah I mean that

[gaisce]

starsofnite drew me wonderful Avatar art that ruined her dignity so I had to make up for it. By writing terrible Azula/Toph that stomps on characterization and my writing dignity. But it was fun and...


This is set five years post-series after my massive headcanon/mostly unwritten story where Toph and Azula have to work on taking out Long Feng and thus ended up not hating each other.




Toph had spent most of the last five years travelling alone. She didn’t need people to protect her, and followed only her own whims when it came to directions. If she had a dream back when she was growing up it was to do whatever she pleased wherever she pleased. So to anyone concerned she was living out her ideal.

But her journey with Aang and the rest of her friends left her missing companionship. Even if they could be aggravating at times, what with Katara’s mothering, Aang and Appa’s insistence on flying, Sokka’s impatience to the point of refusing bathroom breaks. As much as she loved spending time with them, sometimes Toph just needed time to be alone.

But five years later they had all settled down amongst themselves and Toph was the only wanderer left. It made her feel just a little out of place. So when she was thrown together with another solitary person, it wasn’t that surprising to her that she might subconsciously bend to allow someone in again.

The shocking surprise is that the person ended up being Azula.

Of course it wasn’t as if they met idly one day and decided to start hanging out. At the start they were chained together out of necessity, and in Azula’s case it was literal. Only after the trials of being thrown into an international conspiracy and hunted from all ends did they realize they needed to rely on each other if they were going to survive. If they didn’t try to kill each other first, which they begrudgingly resisted doing. Good for them and the sake of the world.

Toph didn’t know when she stopped seeing Azula as an enemy, or even a former enemy. She had enough to worry about with the Dai Li and the Northern Water Tribe mercenaries fighting against them to meticulously plot the moment where having Azula at her back was something almost comforting. But it happened, and in the months that came after when the world was once again settled into something that resembled peace, Toph suspected she should have noticed when Azula walking beside her became an expected habit. Instead of how she was just now realizing that it was what it was and with belated understanding it had come to be that way a long time ago.

That wasn’t to say how Azula didn’t have her own cavalcade of annoyances she could inflict upon Toph. In fact, she was the only one to take aggravating her to the level of skill said of any art form. But lately the firebender had been skirting away from their verbal sparring, and randomly spending time away from her for reasons Toph couldn’t fathom. Even her breathing had become agitated, catching at times when Toph gave her a good-natured elbow to the ribs even though she never hit her hard enough to knock the wind from her.

Azula wasn’t oblivious either, and noticed Toph's patience wearing thin. It wouldn’t allow her to feign nonchalance for much longer. So one morning she sat her down by their campsite, offering what she said would explain everything.

“So what is it?” Toph asked, trying not to sound suspicious now that she finally broached the subject.

But it was Azula. The earthbender may have decided to trust her ever since they were forced to work together, but that didn’t mean she’d trust her blindly as ironic as that may be.

“It’s nothing, there's no trouble. It’s...” Azula’s voice remained steady but Toph could hear her heartbeat flutter. “I like you.”

“Huh?”

“You shouldn't need me to repeat it. I don’t mumble,” Azula responded tersely.

Toph grinned, relaxing at the answer and how it had nothing to do with the words 'I was actually planning a coup behind your back and opted to tell you now.' It may have been in Azula’s past but suspicious behavior was still suspicious, and the Fire Nation princess would never be an altruist. But by then Azula’s heartbeat had evened out to a raced whisper.

Toph tried to keep her grin from appearing smug and tried to make it seem a little friendlier. “Geez, okay. It was just a surprise to hear it. I didn’t know it was like twisting your arm to tell someone you’re friends with them. You’re not so bad yourself, Princess.”

“That’s not it.”

“What? Twisting arms is easier?”

“No, I mean. It’s not merely... I like you.”

Toph scratched her chin. “Merely what? I heard you the first time.”

“But you’re not listening. When I say ‘like’ I mean that I’ve...grown to admire you in ways I wouldn’t have expected.”

“Hey. I am pretty amazing.”

Maybe it was a bad idea to tease Azula when she was attempting to say something that wasn’t a baiting insult. And liable to get her to start a fight anyway, but Toph just couldn’t pass up opportunities like this. Especially at how the older girl’s entire body tensed in an attempt to keep her composure.

Azula didn’t disappoint, small flares escaping through her fingers as she clenched her fists. “Are you that ignorant? What I am saying is I am attracted to you!”

Toph blinked. Then gaped. “You’re...what?”

“Attracted. Drawn to. Surely you know what it means. They do have magnetic ore in the Earth Kingdom.”

“Ha ha, good joke, Azula.” But the earthbender’s smile had vanished and she didn’t look like she found it funny. “You almost had me for a second there. Is this your way of getting me to admit that I don’t hate having you around? Or testing me? Because asking me straight out is easiest. And the least painful for both of us.” She cracked her knuckles for emphasis.

“No,” Azula said, her voice growing strained. “Although you can find the situation funny, I really have been telling you the truth. You said I should be more honest with you...”

“Okay, so you’re not kidding, but—come on, Azula. You can’t mean it that way. Maybe...maybe you’re just confused. This is your first time trying to be friends with someone without trying to scare them into following you around. You're lost about it and end up comparing how you feel to some sappy deal you hear about.”

“Yes, and I thought it might be that case. I know I’m not the most understanding person when it comes to this. I'm not sappy. But I did suspect I might be subconsciously comparing my...affinity with you to what I once saw in opposition, such as Mai’s feelings for my brother or what Sokka and Suki have.”

“See? There you go.”

“But I’m fairly sure the times I’ve wanted to pin you against a wall and kiss you breathless mean my first diagnosis is correct.”

Toph didn’t know how but she managed to choke on the air she had currently been breathing. “A-Azula!”

“What? I haven’t yet, have I?”

“Yet?!”

“I’d want your permission first.”

“But I’m a girl!”

“I know that already. I've seen you bathe. And I’m acquainted with the female body, considering I have one myself.”

Toph flushed, willing herself to keep from even thinking about what that meant now. “But I like boys!”

“Yes, so?” Azula asked blithely.

“Girl. Girl liking boys. Is this a completely foreign concept to you?”

“I like boys well enough but that’s different. You’re different. And, besides, I’m much better than any boy.”

“You can’t be serious—”

“I am. I’m very powerful, who better to match the world’s greatest earthbender than the world’s greatest firebender. And if I’m not the greatest right now I will be soon enough, whether or not Uncle teaches me the advanced forms. I’m beautiful. I’m smart. And I’m royalty, higher ranked than even the Bei Fong family.”

“...and so humble too.”

“I don’t see the point in false modesty. Especially when you don’t use it yourself.”

Toph exhaled, bringing her hand up to her forehead as if she could rub out the oncoming headache this would bring. “Look, it’s not that. You can’t just pick who you want to like. It’s not as if you collect enough points or do enough good deeds so somebody suddenly turns around and has feelings for you!”

“I don’t expect you to.”

“Then all your talk about being better for me?”

“If you gave me a chance at this, I wouldn’t fail you. That’s what I meant to say.” The firebender kept her gaze low, staring at the ground under Toph’s feet. “You believed in me before and I didn’t betray your trust then.”

“This is different. This is...a whole other animal. It’s a completely different circus!”

“Funny you should mention the circus—”

“No, no. I don’t want to know! If Ty Lee told you anything or gave you any advice I’m going to put my fingers in my ears and keep them there until you stop.”

“Hmm. That would leave you unaware and vulnerable,” Azula said in a smooth voice that made the hairs on the back of Toph’s neck raise. Somehow it seemed far more sinister than when she thought it was only used to allude to torture.

“Azula!”

“I won’t!” the firebender snapped petulantly. “I may want to make you scream my name later, but not if it's because you don't want me to. I would prefer it if you asked me.” She cleared her throat. “...I wouldn’t, unless you asked me.”

Toph groaned, wondering how this could possibly be worse than what she originally worried about. And whether or not Azula having a crush on her compared to Azula wanting to crush other people in terms of a disastrous reaction.

“You’re my friend, okay? That doesn’t change, I meant it when I said it wouldn’t change, but you can’t just say things like that and...”

“I didn’t expect you to confess your undying love for me in return, if that’s what you mean.” Azula interjected. And Toph had never heard her sound so uncertain. Until she followed up with, “But I did expect you to blush, so that part is satisfying about this whole conversation at least...”

“Augh! If I didn’t think this left you wide open I’d think you were doing it just to annoy me.”

“Tempting, but I prefer the alternative.”

“That you can still annoy me and do everything else?”

“That part wouldn’t annoy you. I’d make certain of it.”

“Please stop talking,” Toph groaned, trying to keep her cheeks from heating up from the blushing Azula was causing.

“You told me to be honest.” Azula said airily. “I’m only trying to do what you asked of me.”

“...this really is some horrible elaborate scheme to get me to say it's okay if you lie to me sometimes. I just know it.”

Azula leaned forward. “I’ll let you find that out if you let me kiss you. Either way, you get me to stop talking long enough to stop being embarrassed.”

“Quit while you're behind. You are so bad at this flirting thing.”

“Is that a yes?”

“So bad at it!”