She

Chapter 36

"How's the date planning going?" Suki asked, walking over to me.

"Horrible, I have no idea how a date works, much less how to plan one." I showed her my paper full of badly written words, and crude drawings.

"Does that say-"

"Outdoor food date? Yeah, I don't know how to write the word picnic, so I got as close as I could." I crumpled the paper up. "That wouldn't work either though, we already did one of those."

"Do you not know how to write? Sorry if that's rude."

"No it's okay. I can't read or write that well. I was learning back in Ba Sing Se with a book I was given, but I left that there. And now it's too late to get it."

"You could use one of Sokka's scrolls," she suggested.

I sat up. "Suki you're a genius! I'll go do that, right after I finish planning the date." I picked the paper back up and flattened it out. Suki walked away in some other direction.

I continued writing down ideas for a date, and walking around the camp. So far, nothing else came to mind, or at least nothing good. I sighed and sat down next to Toph.

"So, come up with any date plans?" She asked me.

"No. I'm sorry, I just can't plan a date apparently. Or write." I looked at the paper and tossed it into the fire in front of us.

"That's okay, I knew." She shrugged.

"You... knew?"

"Yeah remember when Suki came over and asked you about the planning."

"How did you know about that?"

"Well I'm the one who sent her." I stared at Toph, surprised. "Originally it was to figure out what the plan was, and since there really wasn't one, Suki offered to plan one for us."

"She did?"

"Yeah, so it's going to be a surprise for both of us. More for you."

"I mean, okay?" I had a confused smile. "How long is it going to take?"

"Suki said it would be ready after the sun went down."

"That's a while from now."

"I wouldn't know," she said, making me giggle.

Later that day Zuko and Katara finally returned. Zuko told us all that Katara hadn't actually killed the guy they set out to find. Eventually, night time came.

"Are you two ready?" Suki asked, walking over to us.

"We've been ready since like, midday," I said.

"Alright well, follow me." She led us down the island.

"No peeking," she said as we arrived.

"Not a problem on my part," Toph said. I laughed and covered my eyes. Suki brought us over to a beach.

"Okay, open." In front of us, the beach was decorated with shells and flowers, leading towards a stone platform. Candles were strung up above it, looking like stars or fireflies.

"It would be perfect if I actually knew what it looked like."

"I know, and I planned for that."

I pulled Toph over to the stone platform. "There's flowers and shells. And candles strung above us. It looks so-"

"Let me guess, amazing?" Toph sighed as Suki walked away.

"You okay?" I asked her.

"No."

"Oh, what's wrong?"

"This isn't exactly a date that I can enjoy. Everything here is about sight."

"Well then why don't we change it? It's our date after all, we can just change it up if we want."

"Really?" Toph took a stance and changed the area around us. The sand turned into various small buildings and statues. The flowers and shells that littered the beach around sat on top of them.

"Wow..." I poked one of them, it was almost rock hard.

"And for you." She reached up, patted the top of my head, and placed a flower in my hair. I smiled and kissed her.

Eventually I fell asleep sitting against Toph.