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Chapter Text

It had been weeks since the royal tour began and, although Zuko had initially been a bit excited to get out of the already established routine in the capital of the fire nation, without realizing it, he ended up entering a new routine just as or even more stressful than the one he was used to. Between travels, diplomatic meetings, and festivals, he hadn't had a moment to rest. He visited and toured the cities in the morning and traveled overnight to his next destination. For this reason, he thanked the spirits that he finally headed to his last stop: Yu Dao City, for its founding anniversary, and hopefully could relax for a couple of hours.
-Your Majesty, we have arrived at the gates of Yu Dao -
It had been a long time since he last visited the city, and from what he could see through the window of the carriage, not much had changed, except, of course, for the decorations for the holiday and the large number of people who were in the streets, that were not only limited to being from the fire nation or the earth kingdom, there were also few people from the water tribe and some air acolytes who dressed in a particular but very familiar way.
Arriving at what used to be the royal family's residence, now city hall, Zuko could see by the distance a group of young citizens, apparently arguing.
- I'm telling you, Kai, the aquatic badgers will destroy the fire pandas - said one of the boys.
-You could not be more wrong. The name itself says it, those badgers are going to drown in today's match - answered his friend.
Zuko smiled to himself, listening to the boys having a conversation about some local sport, which made him wonder if, in some alternate reality, he would have been one of those boys talking about normal and routine things for his age. It wasn't as if he complained about being the fire lord; after all, he did everything possible to become it, but every action has its reaction, and every year the responsibility of the throne become heavier.
-Your Majesty, we have arrived - said one of the guards, interrupting his thoughts.
- Thank you, mmm... -
- Kanto, your Majesty -
-Thank you, Kanto- he always struggles with names, this was the twentieth time he had asked him.
- Welcome your Majesty - the city representative said, along with a small reverence. - I hope you had a peaceful journey and find the city of Yu Dao a rewarding place to end your tour -
-Thank you very much; I hope I can enjoy the city - Zuko answered.
- And so it will be, Your Majesty! Before taking you to your chamber, I would like to discuss with you about this project you are developing with the avatar; what do you think if... - and here we were again, an unexpected meeting that would take all of his afternoon.

....................................

-Six years have passed, and as I promised on the day of my coronation, I am and will continue fighting for peace. I will dedicate my life to serving my people and the world. Thank you!- The fire lord finished his speech and proceeded to return to his seat, to give rise to the great celebration and artistic presentations that would be held in the main square. After an hour full of songs, dances, and different historical recreations, Zuko already found himself somewhat impatient; he wanted to end the day and go to rest.
-And last but not least, let's welcome the students of Bei Fong’s metalbending academy, who will delight us with an unusual dance. Please let's receive them with a big round of applause- that caught his attention. "Bei Fong’s metalbending academy" Zuko overlooked the small detail that the self-proclaimed best earthbender of all time lived in the city. Although to be fair, they hadn’t been in touch for a while now, she did not attend the last meeting of the group for "important business" related to her school, even though he doubted that this was the real reason for her absence.
"unusual dance" Was he about to watch Toph Bei Fong dancing along with her students? This didn't sound like her, and it wasn’t. After a few seconds, he discarded that possibility, noticing her absence at the beginning of the dance, which managed to captivate more than one, it was a perfect mix between dance, acrobatics, and metal control.
At the end of the presentations, and after a small farewell by the night's presenter, the crowd dispersed, so it was fair to say that the night had ended successfully, as his political tour. So now, he could finally go to sleep and return to the fire nation the next day. He got up from his seat, and together with his guards, he hoped to reach the city hall to spend a quiet night.
-You aren’t thinking of leaving without saying hello- said a not-so-unknown voice behind him.
-Toph! I didn't see you in the crowd. -
-Same- she replied with a mocking smile -I heard you've been on tour, so I hope you have some exciting stories to tell tonight - she continues. If she only knew that this precise moment was the closest thing to exciting he had in the entire tour.
-I was already heading to the city hall to rest, it's been a long trip so far- Zuko replied, which wasn't completely a lie; he was feeling tired, although he had to admit that Toph wasn't his ideal person to hang out with; the last (not to say the only) time that they were alone without the gang was on Ember Island years ago, the day on when he broke any chance of closeness with her. After all, she willingly opened up about her life, seeking support and empathy from him, but he decided to cut the conversation.
- The almighty fire lord can't get past bedtime? -
he analyzed for a moment. Toph is considered by many to be a fun girl, and although it wouldn't be a life-changing trip, they may have a good time together; after all, he owed it to her.
-Okay, but only for a couple of hours- he agreed, not knowing the earthbender's true intentions.
- Great- Toph said satisfyingly, -oh! I forgot, I brought this too; you don't want anyone to recognize you - she said, tossing a hooded cloak to Zuko.
"Are you taking me to commit a crime?" Zuko asked dubiously.
-don't ask stupid questions, and take off that thing you're wearing; it's so heavy, I thought for a moment you gain some weight-
"This will definitely be a long night."

Chapter Text

They had been walking through the noisy streets of the city for a while; people really enjoyed this type of celebration. Most of the people were either at food stalls, listening to street music, or gambling.

- I really liked you students’ dance- Zuko said. -Although I was a little disappointed, for a second I thought you would dance with them- he joked.

- Ha! You didn't think I'd dance, did you? -

-I didn't think I was that lucky- he replied. -Actually, I never thought you were an artistic person-

-It wasn't my idea! One of the teachers at the academy was the one who prepared it. Personally, I don't really enjoy dancing- she admitted -there was a time when my mom forced me to take classes with an unpleasant teacher- she said, remembering those tortuous days.

-You just need someone to make you feel comfortable- Zuko thought aloud -Besides, I well remember seeing you dance with Sokka at the celebration of the end of the war- he said, but Toph didn't even react to his comment.

After a few minutes, both benders decide to go to one of the food stalls, where, according to his companion, has the best pork buns in the place. For his part of it, Zuko was slightly surprised. He had to admit that he was having a good time with Toph; she was being nice; she didn't make jokes or sarcastic comments, and because of that, he knew something wasn't right.

-Okay, Toph - Zuko started - Will you tell me why you brought me here?-

-What are you talking about?- Toph asked, taking a bite of his bun.

-I mean, you were the one who approached me to hang out with a hood as if you had already planned everything-

-Well, yes! I found out you were in town, and I thought, why not hang out with my dearest friend? -

-dearest friend? We barely talk-

-Did you spend time with your sister before coming here? Or does paranoia just run in the family?-

-Oh, come on! - I exclaimed -You always preferred to spend your time with other people; even momo is above me on your list of friends-

-Hasn't it occurred to you for that very reason, I decided to come? We've known each other for years; we're from the same group of friends, but we barely exchange words- she admitted -But hey, I won't waste your time anymore- she said, turning around to walk in the opposite direction, but a hand on her shoulder stopped her.

-Sorry, I shouldn't have doubted your kindness- he said, feeling embarrassed by his feelings of mistrust of her.

-Don't worry, and having clarified this painful situation, I kind of need your help with something…-

-Will you tell me where the hell we're headed? -Asked the firebender, being ignored by his friend. They had walked to the city's borders, through areas that reminded him of those places where he used to hide to steal: lonely, with little lighting, and far from crowded places.

Suddenly, he began to hear in the distance a din that grew louder as they're getting closer until finally, they came to a place resembling a dilapidated stable, which contained a euphoric crowd of people, and while looking around, he couldn't help but identify certain familiar faces. "The water badgers will destroy the fire pandas" They were the boys of the morning!

-Is this…-

-An underground tournament? Absolutely- Toph replied with a big smile -Welcome to the unofficial Yu Dao pro-bending arena-

-pro-bending?- He was confused.

Chapter Text

- I can't believe you talked me into this- Zuko said, as he bandaged his scar, just a couple hours ago he was sitting as the guest of honor in the main square of the city, and now he was being blindfolded to hide his identity so he could participate in an illegal tournament in the middle of the night.
- You owe me- Toph said cheekily, taking advantage for that time he burned her feet by accident - I couldn't see for days because of you -
-How many times do I have to apologize?-
-After today, it will be forgotten- assured the earthbender
- I see that you finally managed to get a firebender- a girl approached - My name is Naja, and I'm the best waterbender in the place- she said proudly, while Toph made a disgusted face, she definitely didn't like this girl - and you are …-
-My ahm... my name is Kanto- “great, now I know his name"
-Nice to meet you, I'll wait for you guys near the hexagon- she said before leaving
- Kanto? - asked Toph
-It was the first name that came to mind- Zuko explained -I see you don't like her- zuko commented
Toph sighed - we're together for convenience, I wanted to kick ass and she needed an earthbender. But she has this superiority complex that... aghh-
- that complex remind me of someone -
- should I remind you who invented metalbending? -
- I do not think that it's necessary. So tell me, What are the rules of this pro control thing? -
- the same as always. There can be no physical contact and you can only launch attacks to get the members of the other group out of the hexagon- explains Toph. it had been years since zuko had fought anyone, he was still training obviously, but there weren't many individuals who wanted to challenge the fire lord to an agni kai.
- It's our turn now - Toph said, leading him toward the hexagon. He had to admit that having his eye completely covered made it difficult for him to avoid people around, even though after the incident He hadn't been able to fully recover his sight. once located, zuko looked at his opponents, they couldn't be older than 17, possibly looking for a way to earn easy money, painfully. The sound of the bell announced the start of the battle. Naja didn't let a second go by and threw ice claws at one of the benders, an attack that he was able to avoid, levitating a block of earth and throwing it to her direction. On the other Zuko was knocked down by a jet of water, thrown by his opponent, possibly taking advantage of his blindfold, although his small victory did not last long, due to a large rock, which sent him flying out of the hexagon, courtesy of his earthbender friend. Quickly, one of the masters of the rival group launched fireballs directly at Toph, which Zuko was able to easily block with his arms. the battle did not last more than 5 minutes, our protagonists had triumphed.
Perhaps it was the adrenaline of the moment or the public's applause, but our firebender felt instant gratification; He had no idea battles could be this enjoyable without the pressure of just trying to stay alive.
-You enjoyed it, right? Toph asked
before taking some water, knowing the answer to her question in advance.
-I must admit, I had my doubts. but it was fun- he admitted as he removed the bandages from his eye
-I told you you'd have fun, I'm never wrong- she said - shall we come back tomorrow? -
- Tomorrow I return to the nation of fire... but I think that...-
-THE GUARDS ARE ON THE WAY - someone shouted.

Chapter Text

Chapter 4
It only took five words for people to scatter like spider-rats. No one had ever seen a human stampede form and dissipate as quickly as it did rushing out the stable door. Zuko had considered making a hole in the back, but the place was in such poor condition that a small modification might have caused it to collapse. The worst place to hold an underground tournament had been the perfect hideout... until now.

-Let’s get out of here- said Toph, grabbing Zuko's hand and running towards the east side of the city. Once she felt the city guards were far enough away, she slowed down.

-That was close- Zuko said. He knew that even if the guards caught them, the consequences would be minimal. However, the risk of being seen at an underground tournament could start rumors that would greatly trouble the Fire Sages. Calming down, they began their walk toward the town of Yu Dao.

-Now, tell me-Toph started after a long moment of silence, -how was the tour? I heard the Fire Lord has been going from party to party, courting maidens all over the world-

-I wouldn’t exactly call it courting- Zuko replied. In reality, he never thought about courting any girls during his tour. It was more that the nobles wouldn’t stop presenting their daughters to him. -The tour was fine. But as you can imagine, it wasn’t the same as traveling with the group-

-I don’t doubt it-she said, smiling at the memories. -I miss it- she confessed. It wasn’t as if she wasn’t happy with her current situation; her father's refinery and her metalbending school were great successes. But there was a slight discontent within her.

-Me too- Zuko admitted. -We missed you at the last meeting... especially Sokka- he said carefully - It was important to him that we were all there-

-Part of the job. I think you more than anyone can understand- she responded calmly but evasively. He had his suspicions before, but his friend’s face confirmed them.

-You knew he was going to ask her, didn’t you?... Suki- Zuko concluded, feeling a bit regretful after seeing Toph lower her head.

-Sokka told me- she replied. It wasn’t a secret to anyone the feelings the earthbending master used to have for the young Water Tribe warrior, and that they apparently persisted.

-Do you want to talk about it?-

-There’s nothing to talk about- she said firmly.

-Toph...- Zuko started, unsure of what to say. -You can trust me-

After a brief silence between the two, she finally responded -I’m happy for them. I can’t say I didn’t expect it, but... I thought it would be a bit further in the future- she admitted slowly. It was obvious that talking about it was difficult for her. -In a few years, they’ll have kids. Eventually, Twinkle Toes and Princess will do the same... have their own families, and everything will change- She felt a bit childish after expressing her feelings, like an immature girl afraid of eventually being left alone, excluded from her group of friends. After all, she had no blood or romantic ties that permanently bound her to them.

Zuko wasn’t a stranger to these kinds of feelings and could empathize with the earthbending master. He might not have been the best person to advise or console someone, but he could offer his support.

-I understand how you feel. I can’t speak for the others, but you can count on me for anything you need- Zuko said, placing his hand on his companion’s shoulder. -You’re also welcome to stay at the palace anytime you want. I could use some company now and then- Toph gave a small smile, feeling comforted. Although she wanted this moment to end as quickly as possible, she was grateful for her friend’s words. After a while, they arrived at the town.

-I had fun tonight. I hope I’ve moved up in your list of friends after today- Zuko said, referencing the tournament.

-No doubt, but you’re still below Momo- Toph joked -Let’s do it again when I visit- she said. Zuko smiled, knowing that indirectly, she had accepted his invitation.

-Definitely. Rest well, Toph- he said as he approached the doors to enter and finally sleep.

-You rest well too- she replied, giving him a small punch on the arm.

Maybe this wasn’t a life-changing trip, but it was a night that would start something more special, though neither of them was aware of it yet.