Who We Are

Home, part two.

Beifong residence.

Aang.

The tension between Toph and her parents was thick.

He was surprised that any of them could even breathe.

He had to admit, Toph was handling the situation better than he would have.

Sitting next to him with her shoulders back and her head high, Aang thought she was stunning.
Unbendable, unbreakable and unstoppable.

"So, Avatar Aang. Tell us how you defeated the Fire Lord. We'd love to hear it." Tophs father said to him.

Looking the man directly in the eye, Aang knew this was some kind of test.
Everyone knew this story.

"I took his bending away." He told him calmly.

"Hmmm, and you fought him alone?"

"Yes but Toph and a couple other of our family took out an entire fleet of airships. If it wasn't for that, thing's would have turned out differently."
He drew out the family on purpose.
Wanting them to know how important she was to all of them.

"You did?! Toph Beifong! What were you thinking?!" Her mother nearly screamed.

Aang was about to say something on his friends behalf but she beat him to it.

"I was thinking that an evil, sadistic, power happy monster wanted to burn the world and everyone in it and that he had to be stopped." Toph deadpanned.

Her mother's jaw dropped.

Aang felt his heart swell with pride.

"Young lady, I was hoping our last visit had done you some good, yet it is clear to that living on your own has only fed this illusion of yours that you are some kind of hero. You will move back in with your mother and I so we can work on making you a proper lady.
Avatar Aang, I knew from the second I met you that you would be a bad influence on my-"

Before he could finish his rant, Toph stood up so fast she tipped the chair she had been sitting in.

"You have no idea what you're talking about. I am not a fragile porcelain doll. I am a badass earthbender that trained the Avatar and helped stop a hundred year long war. I will not be treated like this. It terrifies you how strong I am. I do not need you. And I will not conform to what you believe I should be. This little visit is over." And with that she stormed out.

Getting up to follow her, Aang turned to her parents.

"You just lost the greatest person in your miserable lives. Goodbye." Aang bowed and went after Toph.

Finding her waiting on the bridge where he first got to see her, Aang walked up behind her and put his hand on her arm.

"I'm sorry Toph."

She sniffed and dragged a hand across her face.

"It's not your fault. They've never seen me, not really. Nobody even knew they had a daughter they were so ashamed of me."

His heart broke for this strong, beautiful girl. No one should feel like this.

Rubbing her arm, he moved closer to where her back touched his chest.
Silently offer her comfort.

"The sad thing is, is that I really don't need them. I've been taking care of myself for years. They would've held me back until there was nothing left. They would have broken me."

"No they wouldn't have. You're too strong for that. Toph you are amazing. You're smart, you're strong, brave, beautiful and unstoppable."

He was shocked when she leaned back against him.

He rested his chin on her head, breathing in her scent of sage and grass.

He loved it. Wrapping his arms around her, he realized he was falling for her. Hard. How could he not?
She balanced him. Met him head on.

"Thanks Twinkle-toes."

"For what?"

"Everything."

******
Toph.

It felt so good being in his arms.

She rarely ever let anyone see this side of her, it made her feel weak.
But not with him.

She knew how he saw her.
And she loved it.
It scared her though. She didn't need people. But she wanted him.

She had never been in a relationship before so this was all strange to her.
How would she even go about it?
How did she know if he even felt the same?

"Toph?" Her mother's voice made her jump.

"What do you want?" Aang snapped, not letting her go.

"We need to talk. There's something you need to know."

"I don't want to hear anything you have to say." Toph said. Angry that her mother even approached her.

"Please, it's important."

"Didn't you hear her?! She said she doesn't want to hear it!" Aang's heart beat was pounding. He was pissed.

"Then will you read this to her?" She said, holding out a letter.

Toph took it, strongly considering throwing it on the ground and stomping on it.

"I'll think about it." She was done with this whole thing. She just wanted to find a place to sleep.

"Toph, I want you to know that you will always have a home here."

That did it. Toph thought she had let it all out earlier. But for her to throw the word home at her, made her furious.

"Home?! Are you kidding me?! This place was never my home! It was a prison! A home, a real home, isn't a place or a building. It's with people who love you! The real you! Not what they just want you to be. Home is with my friends, home is with uncle Iroh, home is with Aang! Not here. This place is a decorated shell! Let's go Aang, I'm done with this place."

Her mother had tears running down her face as she watched them leave.
All she had ever wanted was to be a mother. But she ruined her chance.
She tried to protect her but in doing so, had lost her little girl.

She cried harder.
____________

"Toph? Are you okay?"

She was silent a minute.

"Yea, I am. Can we find some where to sleep? I'm tired."

She leaned on him as they made their way to Appa.

"Yea."

She sighed and let her head rest on his arm, her hand in his.

And even though the visit with her parents had been awful, she never felt better.

She was sure it had to do with the airbender that just kissed the top of her head.....

Oooo what do you think is in the letter?! Stick around to find out!