z + t

"I'm sorry for what I did to you. Fire can be dangerous and wild."

I was inspired by all of the gorgeous ATLA mood boards I've been seeing lately, particularly from @praetorqueenreyna and @aangorithms, and decided to try making one of my own.

Toph: You’re a Father Lord.

Zuko: You mean Fire Lord

Alright, @lone-star-ranger, @icegoddessrukia, my lovely Toko Anon, and @definitelynotaclod​, I get the idea! I’m very outspoken about my favorite ATLA pairing, and now I need to back it up. Does this mean I need to come up with 20 headcanons? Let’s see what I can do! 

1) Toph’s the one who proposes. (There’s actually no universe I can really imagine Zuko actually properly proposing to anyone, but that’s another story.) But she does it in a very matter-of-fact, typical Toph manner– she just kind of throws it out there one day, saying something along the lines of, “so when are we getting married?” Zuko’s kind of thrown for a loop at first, but it does make sense once she puts it like that. 

2) Their friends aren’t really surprised– most of them saw this coming long before Zuko did. (Sokka or Aang might be taken a little aback, but that’s because Sokka can be a little clueless, while marriage isn’t really on Aang’s radar (more on that when I do the Kataang one).) 

3) Contrary to any concerns either of them may have had, they face little to no opposition from Zuko’s council, who view the match as a wise move– marrying an Earthen noblewoman will go a long way towards restoring goodwill with the Earth Kingdom. 

4) Zuko gets Toph a very old-fashioned betrothal gift– an elaborately detailed metal hairpin. (Hairpins haven’t been used as a sign of engagement in decades-- Aang is probably the only one who remembers when such things were common in the Fire Nation.) Toph loves it.

5) Royal weddings are complex rites take forever to plan and arrange, especially when the royal getting married is the Fire Lord– there’s over a year between the engagement announcement and the actual final stage of the wedding. 

6) Zuko has so many arguments with the wedding planners over the color of his robes. (Toph thinks the whole thing is is ridiculous, it’s not like she’ll be able to tell whether he’s wearing white, red, or chartreuse. Zuko, however, insists that it’s the principal of the matter, and refuses to budge until he gets his way.) 

☆7/4/2021☆

Today is mah birthday yeyyyyyyyy  ☆☆☆

Zuko and Toph’s life changing field trip for mah birthday yeyyyyy  ☆☆☆

Zuko: Why didn’t you?

day 1235

screeches and flies into toko tag surprising shippers everywhere as their tag updates with things related to the ship for the first time in days

17. “Are you jealous?”

She could feel his eyes boring into her. He was trying to be subtle, but she could tell his annoyance had been steadily rising all night. And she was done with it. “Hey,” she said, walking over to him, “I could use a little air. Come with me.” “I’m a little busy righ-” “I wasn’t asking,” she interrupted, grabbing his arm and pulling him out to the balcony. “Now, what is your problem?” “I don’t know what you’re talking about,” the Fire Lord said, crossing his arms. “I don’t have a problem. I was having a perfectly nice time until you insisted on dragging me out here.” “You’ve known me for nearly a decade,” Toph said, hands on her hips. “Haven’t you figured out by now that I always know when you’re lying?” “I’m not-” “Save it,” she said. “This is a party. We’re supposed to be enjoying ourselves. So explain why you’ve spent the whole evening standing in the corner and acting like a grump.” “It’s really noth-” “Zuko.” Toph tapped her foot in exasperation. “Tell me the truth.” “Alright, fine, I don’t know!” He threw his hands in the air. “Is that what you wanted to hear? I don’t know what it is about that guy you were dancing with-” “Lord Hunan,” Toph interjected. “-what it is about Lord Hunan that rubbed me the wrong way, okay?” Zuko said, sighing. “I don’t buy it,” she said. “Don’t buy.... what?” Zuko replied, clearly confused. “This isn’t about Lord Hunan. You didn’t start stewing then,” she explained.  “You ‘ve been standing in that corner since my dance with Lord Jiangxi, and were about ready to kill something by the time I took to the floor with the Guangdong heir.” “What are you suggesting?” The Fire Lord’s pitch rose. “Zuko, are you jealous?” Toph asked. “You know you could’ve just asked me to dance?” Honestly, she’d have much rather dance with him. The Earth Kingdom nobles she’d been dancing in had all been much more interested in the Beifong name than in Toph. “J-jealous?” Zuko spluttered. “Why would I be jealous?” Toph sighed. They’d been playing this game since she was sixteen years old and the first suitors had come sniffing around. She wasn’t interested in them, had never really been interested in anyone who wasn’t him, and had tried to show him that every way she knew how-- but he’d never seemed to notice. Now here they were, five years later, and she was done. “Alright, that’s it,” she said. “I give up.” “Give up what?” Zuko asked. “Wondering when you’re finally going to get a clue,” she replied. “I should have figured out a long time ago that you don’t understand anything that isn’t directly slammed into that thick head of yours.” “Huh?” Her old friend was clearly completely bewildered at this point. “Is this too subtle for you?” Toph reached up, gripped his clothing, and pulled until their faces were nose to nose. Then she pressed her lips to his. His lips were frozen and unmoving beneath hers. She inhaled, moving away slowly. She didn’t know why she was so surprised. He’d all but told her he wasn’t interested. She sighed again, then turned around and walked back inside. It’s better this way. At least now I know, right?

Zuko looked around, confused. What just happened? Slowly, he replayed the sequence of events. He’d been staring at Toph and her dance partner (Lord Hunan), frustrated for reasons he still didn’t understand, and then she’d dragged him out here, interrogated him, accused him of being jealous, and- She kissed me. Toph had kissed him. And he’d stood there like an idiot and let her walk away. I must be some special kind of fool. He headed back inside, eyes scanning the room as he looked for the girl who’d just flipped his world upside down. There. She was headed for the door, clearly trying to leave. Before he could think too hard about what he was doing, he’d dashed over and grabbed her wrist. She turned to face him. “What do you want, Zuko?” Her face reflected her tone-- sad, resigned, and more than a little annoyed. What do you want? The words rang in his mind. He didn’t know what he wanted. He wanted her to go, and take the confusing feelings chasing each other around his chest with her. He wanted her to stay, to come back out to the balcony and kiss him again until neither of them could breathe. He wanted her to leave, and he wanted to leave with her. He wanted- “Dance with me?” “What?” Toph asked. “You asked me what what I want,” he explained. “I want you to dance with me. Would you?” Slowly, a smile crept onto her face. “Okay.”

A first by natsumi33