The Ties that Bind

- Funny, what invisible strings connect us all -

A/N: I’m so sorry I’m posting up so late…Last week of classes distracted me! But that’s it! No more classes! I am on the road to being a college graduate…a jobless college graduate, but a still a graduate : ) Anyway, here’s the chapter I promised!

Chapter Five: Training

As Toph and Aang walked out of the temple room, they eventually met up with a frustrated Zuko at the water fountain. He had his arms crossed about his chest with a stern expression on his face.

“He looks mad,” Aang whispered as he slowed his pace.

“It’s Zuko…he’s always mad,” Toph answered back with a smirk on her face.

“True,” Aang agreed and they both chuckled before they finally reached the fountain.

Zuko lifted his finger to say something, but Toph beat him to it, “Sorry Zuko,” she emphasized his real name which completely caught him off guard, “I kind of distracted him, plus I thought you said fire bending practice was later this afternoon.”

“Yeah, what’s up?” Aang chimed in.

“I figured because of your ‘condition’ we should get a head start,” Zuko responded in a calm tone that went against his previous demeanor.

“Makes sense,” both Aang and Toph said simultaneously and blushed at their uncanny ability to think the same thing.

Zuko rolled his eyes at the scene before him, “You two seriously have to stop doing that.” The fact that he acknowledged it made them blush even more, “Anyway….Aang, I want you to do 35 fire punches and 35 fire kicks. I’ll be right back,” he finished.

He left them behind and Aang mumbled something under his breath in frustration. Toph smiled at his attitude toward training. He got into his stance and placed their joined hands on his hip. He was about to start his 35 fire punches with his left hand when Toph interrupted him, “Did you ever mumble like that under your breath when you trained with me?” she asked nudging him to the side lightly.

Aang’s eyes grew wider, he knew that if he lied she’d know, Dang her abilities! He thought to himself. He stood up from his stance and scratched the back of his head.

“Umm, well…you see…I—,” he stuttered as he tried to think of a proper response.

“I will take that as a yes, Twinkle Toes,” and lightly punched his shoulder, “I was tough on you, come to think of it.”

“Yeah you kind of were,” he said laughing a bit and in turn she punched him a bit harder, “Ouch,” he said flexing his arm to shake off the pain. Toph stretched her arm out to sit on the fountain edge and dragged Aang with her.

“But when I trained with you it was fun,” Aang admitted as he walked over, “When I train with Zuko, it’s kind of boring.” He got into his stance again and this time managed to get one fire punch out before Toph asked another question.

“What about when you train with Katara?” she asked as her free hand played in the water, swishing back and forth.

She loves Katara, she really does. But sometimes, she got moodier and jealous when he and Katara went to train in a pond or in a river somewhere. Sokka always tried to cheer her up in those situations. She inwardly laughed at the fact that Sokka figured out her crush on Aang, but never had a clue about her past crush on him.

As Aang continued his fire punches his mind sauntered off and thought about Toph’s question. He enjoyed his training time with Katara, but he found training time with Toph more exhilarating. His heart rate sped up not because of his fire bending but because he thought of Toph in training mode…lately she picked up the habit of letting her hair loose, and sometimes he found himself short of breath when she showed up to train with him.

But, what about Katara? A voice echoed inside his mind. I don’t know…I’m so confused! He answered back but continued, Katara is kind-hearted, caring, and understanding. She’s been with me since the beginning…Toph is rash, hard-headed, sarcastic, and…and…beautiful. Lately when I’m with Katara I get the feeling that she just likes me as a friend, but when I’m with Toph…there’s something there between us, he answered himself. He stopped his fire bending and turned to Toph, who wiped her hand on her pants.

He was about to tell her that he enjoyed training with Katara, but had the most fun when he trained with her when Zuko interrupted.

“Why aren’t you doing your exercises?” he asked as he came back.

Aang jumped slightly at his reappearance and opened and close his mouth repeatedly before he finally responded in a defeated tone, “Sorry Zuko, I’ll do 50 of each to make up for it.”

“That’s what I like to hear,” he said and then they heard Katara call out in the distance, “Zuko, please help Sokka wash Appa.”

Zuko rolled his eyes and slapped his forehead, “Alright, I’ll be right there,” he called out. He looked back to the joined duo, “Okay Aang, 50/50 now,” and with that he left them alone again.

Aang waited for him to be out of sight and then he turned back to Toph, “Toph about your question earlier…”

“Don’t worry about it Aang, just go back to doing your exercises,” she said in a motivating tone, “Come on, go, before he comes back and makes it 100 each,” she said and pushed him a bit with her free hand.

He sighed in dissatisfaction and took stance, but before he continued on with his fire punches he said, “Katara’s training is calming and soothing so they help with meditation, but yours are challenging and unexpected and that’s where the fun comes in…and I like that the most,” he admitted, his cheeks turning red.

His heart was racing a mile a minute. What if it’s not Katara that I love...what if I’m wrong...why am I having feelings for Toph...why is this so hard?! All of these questions and more raced through his head.

“Calm down Aang…I can feel your heart beat like crazy,” she said as she pulled his arm to get his attention. Aang actually calmed down at her words, “How about we have another talking session later…finish up your warm up exercises before Hotness comes back to find me distracting you again,” she finished and waited for him to go back to his exercises.

“Okay that sounds like a plan,” he said and yet again took his stance, but as he started his fire punches he heard her whisper something that he managed to catch in the air, “I like training with you too,” she said and for the first time he smiled as he did Zuko’s boring training.

: )

A/N: Ugh, I know…it was a very slow chapter. Forgive me! I hope to make it up in the next chapter. I just wanted to touch on the Katara subject again, just because she is truly like a sister to Toph and she is also the supposed object of Aang’s affection; and since those two realities are now clashing, I wanted to show that effect once more. So we definitely see Aang utterly confused here and he will continue to be confused for the next couple of chapters, I think. I mean, they’re 12! Of course he’s confused! Lol. I know I was when I was 12…the good ol’ days, haha. So yes, Aang is starting to realize his feelings for Toph, but he still has lingering feelings for Katara that need to be sorted out...as you will see in the next few chapters.

Anyway, chapter six will be up by this weekend…I have to get through a couple of essay assignments and Finals first…Wish me luck! : )

Don’t forget to review!