Chapter Text
A/N: Hello all! It's been a while! I'm so sorry to announce this after an impromptu hiatus, but unfortunately, I've lost every bit of inspiration I once possessed for this story. I can't say that I won't be updating ever again, but at the moment, it really seems unlikely. I'm so sorry to everyone who was into this story! Thank you for all of your support during my time using this account! You guys are the best!
Because I won't be updating this story in the future (most likely), I will be reposting the chapters that I'd previously deleted. Thank GOD I saved them, haha!
Operation: Zutara - Chapter Two
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"Houston, we have a problem."
― James Lovell
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During her senior year, Toph had been granted a scholarship to study Architecture in college. Of course, she accepted it wholeheartedly - after all, she loved to build, sculpt, and draw, and she did it all flawlessly. Her first year of college had been a rude awakening. She had made friends and adapted well into the environment, but the problem lied with the classes that she took. Apparently, in college there were other courses to take in order to become an architect. The one class that she loathed the most was History.
"Seriously, who cares about the history of Architecture," she asked once. "It's here now, isn't it?"
Nevertheless, Toph endured through the class and passed. Now that she was beginning her second year, the Architecture program had become even more difficult, as expected. Which meant more classes to study for. Toph wasn't very good at studying, no matter how many of those stupid tutors her parents hired for her had trained her. So, Katara always helped her out. In fact, this was part of the reason why Toph moved in with her when she started college. Other than the money factor, which Toph could obviously take care of, living with Katara would be like living with a nanny, tutor, and friend, but without all of the hassle. Katara was an A-plus student and extremely attentive. Except for whenever Zuko was around.
It was embarrassing how her attention span just dropped when he showed up. Which was why she wasn't able to help Toph study for that test she had last week. It really was all his fault. Katara would throw Zuko under the bus to evade Toph's wrath - straight faced and all. For such a small woman, she was extremely intimidating.
Katara trailed behind Toph as if she was a lost puppy. "Toph, I'm so sorry."
Toph didn't look over her shoulder. She didn't need to. The older woman had been following her around their apartment all morning and through the afternoon attempting to apologize. Thank goodness the apartment was a good size - she was beginning to feel a bit claustrophobic. "Shut up, Katara."
Katara shook her head when they entered the kitchen. "I mean it. It'll never happen again."
Katara wasn't a liar, but that was a lie and they both knew it. "You're only saying that because he's not here to cloud your judgement."
The 'he' didn't need to be clarified.
Katara felt her face reddening. Nevertheless, she couldn't help but to feel guilty. Toph was like a baby sister to her - an extremely violent, sarcastic, and sharp tongued baby sister. "No, I mean it."
Toph regarded her. Katara did look guilty. She would let her off this time. "Don't worry. I passed without you."
Katara's eyes lit up. "You passed?"
Toph nodded with a grin. She wasn't angry anymore. Now, she wanted to brag. "By definition, to pass is to be successful in an examination, test, or course. So, yes. I passed the test."
The older woman laughed. Hearing Toph quote dictionaries when she couldn't study for tests had always been ironic to her. Then again, this was probably the doing of the tutors her parents hired for her. "See, you can do it all by yourself."
She snorted. As if. "Aang helped me."
Katara raised a brow. She didn't doubt it. She actually wanted to ask Toph what she used to blackmail him into helping her study, but Aang was always willing and ready to help anyone. Especially if that 'anyone' was his best friend. "Oh, really?"
Toph nodded. "I don't need you," she said as she grabbed an apple. "Your abandonment showed me the light."
Katara's face grew a bit red again when Toph laughed and walked into the living room. "It won't happen again," she seethed as she followed after Toph. "When's your next test? I'll help you study right now!"
Toph's laughter intensified as she sat on a couch. That wouldn't be happening and she knew it. At least, today it wouldn't be happening because Katara had a date. Aang had told her so just last night.
"Tall one to midget," Aang's voice sounded through her phone. "I repeat, tall one to midget."
Toph rolled her eyes as she laid in bed. For someone who was trying so hard to resist the idea of this operation, he sure got into it pretty quickly. They weren't even speaking through walkie-talkies. "I'm not a midget. By definition, a midget is-"
"An extremely or unusually small person," he completed for her. "Yeah, I know."
She grinned to herself. She wasn't surprised that he finished for her. He was always calling her a midget and she was always correcting him. "Bravo."
"Whatever," he snorted. "You've got to admit that it's catchy."
She thought for a moment. It was pretty catchy. "If I'm 'midget', then you have to be 'baldy'."
"T.," he whined.
"You're whining," she whined back.
There was a pause.
"Fine." The annoyance was evident in his voice. "But, only because I've got some useful information for you."
"Spill."
"Zuko asked Katara out. On a date."
Toph sat up. "No, he didn't. We didn't even begin our first mission, yet. How did he do it without our help?"
"Not sure," he sighed. It sounded like a sigh of relief. "I guess this means that they don't need our help after all-"
"When is it?"
She could feel him hesitating. "Tomorrow. At five."
"We need to be there and monitor this."
There was a pause.
"You need a life."
"I'm living, aren't I?"
Aang scoffed. "You don't even know where it's going to be!"
She smirked and she was sure that he would be able to hear it over the phone. "Don't you worry your shiny, little head about that-"
"Hey!"
"-I'll get that information from Sugarqueen myself."
He sighed. Obviously, there really was no turning back. "Your name isn't Cupid, T."
She laughed at this. "You're the one who came up with it, you bald freak."
"I didn't think that you would take it seriously, you inattentive midget!"
"Ooh, aren't you bold today?"
"You're such a nuisance."
"Look who's talking."
"You love me, though."
A pause.
"Ew."
This time, he laughed and she smiled at the sound. No matter how much they insulted each other, they would just end up laughing. " Baldy, out."
"My next test is in two weeks," Toph answered.
Katara nodded determinedly. "Alright, go get your books. We'll start now. What did you get on that last test?"
"100 percent."
Huh, Aang did a good job. But, Katara would do better. She began pacing. She was entering study mode. "You're going to get a 115. Go get your books."
Toph checked her phone. As much as she would have loved to study - note the sarcasm - she needed to get Katara on this date. It was 4:30. Apparently, Toph's dilemma had caused her to completely forget about her date. Toph felt a bit proud of herself. This was Zuko she just managed to distract Katara from. "Thanks, but no thanks. It's almost five."
Katara immediately stopped in her pacing. "What did you just say?"
Toph bit back a smirk. She really had forgotten. "I said that it's almost five. 4:30 to be exact. I feel like taking a nap."
Katara shook her head and hid her face in her hands. "I can't help you study. Not today."
"Oh?" Toph raised a brow and bit into her apple. "Why not?"
"I'm going somewhere."
"Where?"
Katara flushed. That was when she began making her escape near the stairs. "Out. With a friend."
Toph followed her. "Is this friend Zuko?" She already knew that it was. Messing with Katara was just entertaining.
There was a pause.
"Toph-"
"The ever elusive Princess Zuko manages to swipe Katara from me once again."
"Don't call him that."
Toph smirked.
Katara rolled her eyes and made it up one stair. "This is the last time. Promise."
"That's what you said, literally, five minutes ago." Katara looked torn and extremely guilty. So, Toph sighed with a smile. "Is this a date?"
"No," Katara said a bit unconvincingly as she made it up another stair. "Just two friends. Going out. Enjoying each other's company."
Toph just remembered that she didn't answer the question as to where they would be. How else was she going to be able to spy- monitor their date if she didn't have this information? "Where's he taking you?"
"The Northern Lights."
Toph's smile grew into a grin. The Northern Lights wasn't just some regular place that Katara was trying to make it out to be. It was a five star, seafood restaurant that opened up two years ago, meaning that it was still fresh. And expensive. This was definitely first date material. Zuko actually did well. After about a year or two, that is. "This is a date. A hot one, isn't it?"
"Oh, look at the time," Katara laughed out as she looked at her wrist. She didn't notice that it was bare. "I'm going to be late!" With that, she made her escape up the stairs and shut a door.
Toph waited a few moments before she heard the sound of a shower running. She threw the apple over her shoulder and it landed with a thud before it rolled off somewhere. Katara would complain about it pretty soon - she was the cleaner of the house - but, she would thank Toph for it. After all, she was working to hook Zuko and Katara up. With that, Toph picked her phone up and dialed a number.
"Midget," he greeted.
"Baldy, you ready for our first mission?"
A sigh. "Did you get the place?"
"Yeah, he's taking her to the Northern Lights."
"Wow," Aang sounded impressed. "I really don't think that they need our help."
Toph shook her head, even though he couldn't see it. "I'm telling you. They need us." The shower stopped and she checked the time. 4:40. She was being quick. "Meet me there in ten minutes."
"We're wearing black, right?"
An eyebrow jumped. She wasn't even thinking of that. "You were born for this. Don't fight the feeling, Aang."
"Shut up." The smile could be heard in his voice. "Baldy, out."
Bring friends with Toph was taxing, both physically and mentally. Not only was she demanding, but she could be extremely manipulative when necessary. Which never really worked in the favor of the other party involved - who was almost always Aang. After all, this was his best friend and he was the only one who knew how to handle her. If he didn't put up with her, he was convinced that things would have been much more dangerous for whoever would have taken his place. The saint in him wouldn't have been able to bear the guilt.
That was still no excuse for him to be sneaking into a five star restaurant in all black to spy - oh, excuse him - "monitor" two of his friends' date. He was even wearing one of those stupid hats with the fake leaves on top of them. He didn't want to know how she managed to get ahold of one of those things - he didn't even think that they actually existed since he had only ever seen them in movies and cartoons.
When he and Toph settled themselves behind a row of bushes, he took out his binoculars. Thank goodness Zuko and Katara were eating outside; that made it easier to spy on their date. Yup, he was admitting that they were spying. She obviously couldn't, so he would do it for her. In his head, that is. "You'd be lost without me. You know that, right?"
Toph's hand immediately found a place over his mouth, smothering his muffled insults. "Do you want to get caught?"
He bit her palm, prompting her to snatch her hand away with a glare. Served her right. "Yes, I do. Maybe then, you'll learn to stay out of people's private affairs."
"It's not private when it interferes with my grades."
"Oh please, I got you a 100."
"Katara says that she can get me a 115."
"You ungrateful, midget brat."
"That big, bald head of yours is filled with nothing but air, I suppose."
"I'll get you a 130 on the next one."
"Doubt it."
"I swear, I'll step on you-"
She punched him square across the jaw before her other hand swiftly made it's way over his mouth to cover his groans. They really were too immature for their age and their own good. She grinned at his glare and removed her hand before he could bite her again. "You're going to get us caught, Cupid number two."
He was about to ask and argue on why he was number two. Then, he shook his head. She would probably relate it to poop or something. "Why couldn't you just reserve us a spot? You've got money."
"Where's the fun in that?"
He looked at her to find her grinning from ear to ear. She was so much trouble, but she already knew that and there was no point in arguing this fact with her. So, he looked back at the crowd through his binoculars and ignored her sniggers. "I see them."
At his words, Toph took out her own pair of binoculars and spotted Zuko and Katara. Her grin widened. "Katara looks hot. No wonder Zuko can't ever function around her."
Aang smiled with a nod when the couple sat. "They look fine. We should leave."
Toph shook her head as she watched them. Something was wrong. Zuko and Katara were fine, the restaurant was fine, and they had a polite waiter. It might have been her woman's intuition - the little inkling of it that she had - but, she couldn't help but feel that something was wrong. Or would be wrong. "We're staying. Something's up."
Aang's gaze on the couple narrowed. Everything looked fine to him. "What are you talking about- Wait, who's that guy?"
"What guy?"
"That guy over there."
Toph looked at him, then at the direction he was looking at. She fixed the focus on her binoculars. "He looks familiar."
Aang nodded. "Yeah, he does. He kind of looks like Sokka."
Toph looked at the man a bit more before she nodded. "It is Sokka. He looks different."
Aang grinned. "I think he's been working out. He looks like his dad."
Toph's eyebrow quirked. Sokka and Katara's father was a handsome man. In other words, Sokka was actually hot. How weird was that? She resisted the urge to shudder at the verity of a hot Sokka. "What's he doing here? Isn't he supposed to be studying abroad or something?"
Soon after she said this, a young woman stepped in and sat at Sokka's table. He was on a date.
"Wait, is that Suki?" Toph asked.
Aang nodded. "Everyone's on a date except for us."
"Don't tell me you're feeling left out."
"Now that you mention it-"
"Oh, brother."
"-This could be our special date."
"You're so annoying-"
"I mean, we've got candlelight, music, and a beautiful view of the sky."
Toph grinned to herself as she shook her head. It wasn't the first time that they spoke about dating each other. It was always a joke between them that if they both weren't married by a certain age, they would marry each other. "Too bad we had to sneak in, right?"
He shrugged. "The food might be an issue, but we could sneak into the kitchen, as well."
There was a pause.
"That fish does look pretty good."
They both grinned before Aang spoke. "Look," he said as he picked a flower from a bush. "I even got you a rose."
"Don't insult me with that lily."
He chuckled and placed the flower behind her ear. "Don't you look pretty?"
She brushed that off. He always complimented her. The compliments started when they were eight and Aang's mother convinced him that giving Toph compliments would solidify their relationship as best friends. Well, his mother was right. The next day, he called her pretty and she beat him up for it, simply because she was too tough to be pretty. In the end, Aang continued to spill out compliments just because he got a kick out of seeing her all red and angry like that - no matter how many bruises he came home with. However, over the years, she grew used to them and it had become a staple in their friendship. "As if I need you to tell me how pretty I am."
He snorted. Toph never was the humble type. Even when her parents tried to force the cockiness out with classes on etiquette, their plans backfired and she seemed to get worse. It was the Beifong pride, she would always use as an excuse.
He looked back into his binoculars. "Look, Sokka and Zuko are reuniting."
Toph nodded to herself. Sokka and Zuko always butted heads when they were younger, but the brotherly love was always present. This reunion was heart warming- "Oh my gosh, did Sokka just push him?"
At that moment, Zuko pushed him back and Toph read his lips as saying, "What's your problem?"
"I told you that something was up," she murmured to herself when Zuko threw a punch. "Bob and weave, Princess. You're on a hot date!"
"It's about to go down," Aang spoke in a deep, announcer's voice.
"In this corner, we've got Princess Zuko."
"And in the other corner, we've got Captain Beefcake." Aang winced when a waiter got in the way of their fight. "Ouch."
Toph's eyes looked to the food being wasted and thrown around, the flipped table, and the fighting men before they flickered to every person involved. It was funny at first, but now she realized that this was putting her whole operation in jeopardy. No, this was ruining everything. Sokka was ruining everything and in turn, ruining Operation: Zutara.
She almost stood to break up the fight. In fact, the only reason that she didn't do this was because she didn't want to expose Aang, herself, and the operation. It was safe to say that Sokka didn't want to see his baby sister dating Zuko How was Toph supposed to be bringing people together if an overbearing older brother was in the way and destroying opportunities?
When Suki stood to pull Sokka away from Zuko and Katara stood to berate her older brother, Aang spoke the words that would ring true for the remainder of their operation.
"Houston, we have a problem."