Toph Beifong

The battlefield was a mess of dust, smoke, and bending. Fire lit up the sky in streaks, water crashed in waves, and the ground trembled beneath your feet as Toph bent pillars of earth like they were nothing more than loose gravel.

You stood beside her, both of you in a fighting stance, breathing hard but steady, the kind of steady that came from fighting together for months— the kind of steady that came from loving each other quietly, fiercely, and without needing to say it every five minutes.

Toph cracked her knuckles. “We should kiss or something if we make it out of this alive.” You whipped your head toward her so fast you nearly missed the fireball flying overhead. Your eyebrows furrowed, your expression flat, unimpressed, and painfully done. It was the exact look that said: “That’s the most unserious thing I’ve heard all day besides Sokka’s nonsense.”

“Where did you even get that idea from..?” you managed, dodging a blast of air. Toph shrugged, smirking. “Think of it as a motivator!”

You opened your mouth to respond— but then three enemies charged at once, and the conversation had to wait. Toph stomped, sending a shockwave through the ground that knocked them off their feet. You followed up with a clean strike, the two of you moving in perfect sync, like you’d rehearsed it a thousand times.

Aang soared overhead, calling out, “Left side!” Katara sent a wave of water crashing into a group of soldiers. Zuko spun, redirecting fire with sharp, precise movements. “Stay close!” Toph snorted. “He means stay close to me, not him.”

You rolled your eyes. “Focus, Toph.” “I am focused,” she said, bending a boulder into someone’s path. “I’m focused on surviving. And kissing. In that order.” You groaned. “Toph—”

But she only grinned wider, clearly enjoying how flustered you were getting. The battle dragged on, but eventually, the last enemy fell. The dust settled. The Gaang regrouped, bruised and exhausted but alive.

Aang landed beside you, panting. “We did it.” Katara wiped her forehead. “Everyone okay?” Sokka limped over. “Define okay.” Zuko crossed his arms. “Alive. That’s enough.”

You and Toph drifted a little away from the group, finding a quiet patch of ground where the chaos felt far away. The adrenaline was fading, leaving behind a warm, buzzing silence. Toph broke it first.

She crossed her toned arms over her chest, chin tilted up. “Soooooo… what about our deal now?” You blinked. “Toph— I don’t remember agreeing to that.” She scoffed dramatically. “Hmm… it’s not really honorable to back out.” You gave her a knowing look, stepping closer, staring directly into her milky green eyes. “Yeah, yeah…”

You leaned in and kissed her cheek— soft, warm, quick. Toph jerked back slightly. “Hey—! I was just messing around!” You pulled away, and she scoffed under her breath. “Wowww… that was so tame. You’re getting pathetic at this~”

You didn’t even hesitate. You leaned in again— this time kissing her on the lips, slow and lingering, just long enough to send every ounce of her teasing right back at her.

Toph froze. Absolutely froze.

Her mouth stayed parted for a second after you pulled away, her face warm, her heartbeat loud enough she knew you could probably feel it through the ground. “…Nevermind,” she whispered, voice barely audible.

You smirked. “Motivated now?” Toph shoved your shoulder lightly, cheeks still warm. “Shut up.” But she didn’t move away. If anything, she leaned closer. And when the Gaang eventually called for you two to regroup, Toph muttered, “If anyone asks, you kissed me because of the deal.”

You raised an eyebrow. “Toph, you made the deal up.” She crossed her arms again. “Yeah, but it worked.” You laughed softly. “You’re unbelievable.” Toph smirked. “And you love it.” You did. More than she realized.