title: My Favourite

Toph Beifong x Male!Reader
Avatar: The Last Airbender

requested: eccyuk
note: art by Zolaida on DeviantArt

~~~

Unlike the rest of his family, (Y/N) was not a fire bender. Often when he watched his sibling practise their fire bending, a small kernel of jealousy lodged into his heart and he felt scammed by his genes.
It took him a while to get over this misfortune, and in that time he discovered he was very adept in the art of navigation and outdoor survival. Throughout his childhood he would spend the weekends away from his (literally) hot-headed family, exploring the lands of the Fire Nation, and by the time he was 10, he knew every trail like the back of his hand.

When (Y/N) was 13, a weird kid with ancient slang showed up at his school and ended up at the short end of Hide's patience after offering to teach On Ji, Hide's fancied girlfriend, how to dance. Dancing was a completely new concept to (Y/N) and the other kids of the school, so suffice to say when word got out that the strange kid, Kuzon, was going to throw a dance party, his interest was piqued.

"Hey, I think I'm getting the hang of this!" (Y/N) said as he began to groove to the music and Kuzon gave him a thumbs up.

"You're doing great!" He encouraged. By now all of the kids were dancing to the music, and having a good time. They'd forgotten the inhibitions drilled into them by their teachers at school and were letting loose their moves. It felt right.

Suddenly, everyone went quiet and came to a standstill. From the back of the cave, (Y/N) could hear the booming voice of his headmaster threatening Kuzon. He saw Kuzon's friends frantically trying to find an exit through the back of the cave, and since he had explored this cave countless times, he beckoned them over to an obscure way out hidden behind a large stalagmite. Kuzon crept from the back of the crowd over to the hidden exit and smiled at (Y/N), before going through the mouth. As he was about to join the crowd, he saw the headmaster's eyes scanning the back of the cave and he quickly ducked into the exit, right before it was earth-bent shut by some unknown force.

"Nice one, Toph. Now we've got a witness!" A voice snapped in the darkness. Someone struck a match and light illuminated the faces from various places around the cave, all with their eyes fixed on (Y/N), who was wide-eyed in bewilderment.

"You guys are benders!" He managed to say after a moment of them scrutinizing him intensely.

Kuzon chuckled sheepishly and shrugged.

"Hey, would you happen to know the way out of this cave? There's kind of a junction up ahead and we're short on time," Kuzon said.

"Oh, yeah sure. I'll show you the way out." (Y/N) got his bearings and started to walk in the direction of the exit.

Eventually, they had reached the fresh night air and as the four kids were boarding their strange beast (Y/N) stood awkwardly to the side.

As he was taking the reins to Appa, Aang looked to the boy who had led them out of the caves and thought for a moment. He turned to the others, who seemed to have the same idea, and they all nodded.

(Y/N) was just about to walk away when Aang called out to him.

"Did you want to come with us? We could use a guide around the Fire Nation,"

His face lit up and he grinned. He'd been looking for an excuse to get away from his old town and family and this was the perfect reason.

"Sure!" With that, they helped him climb onto the Bison's back and settle in the saddle.

"Welcome to the gang, fire-man!"

~~~

several weeks later

"Ughhhh, my feet are tireddd," Sokka whined, dragging his feet through the dust like a grumpy toddler.

"I swear if he doesn't shut up-" Toph angrily muttered to (Y/N) as she dropped her pack in the clearing. The day was drawing to a close and they needed to set up camp for the night, and a clearing in the forest near the river made the perfect spot. However, Sokka had been complaining about how heavy his burden was for the entire day when he had been given an extra roll to hold that morning. Suffice to say, everyone was on their last nerve. Especially Toph.

"Finally! Rest." He sighed and collapsed onto the grass dramatically, pack tossed to the side with its contents slightly spilling out.

Toph sighed exasperatedly towards (Y/N) at Sokka's antics. Over the time that (Y/N) had been guiding the Gaang (so fittingly dubbed by Sokka), he and Toph had grown to be close friends, often talking to each other about idle thoughts or deep musings, plus complaints about other members (mainly Sokka, sometimes Katara). Actually, it was mainly Toph that complained while (Y/N) listened as he didn't feel he had the right to complain.

Aang, Toph and Katara busied themselves with setting up the tents while (Y/N) created the campfire. Sokka was tasked with collecting some branches for the fire overnight, and boy did he whine about it.

"But I always get the firewood, why can't Katara pull her weight and do it for once?" Toph threw a pebble at the back of his head once he had finished talking.

"Can it!" She seethed. Sokka was very close to facing her wrath if he opened his mouth up one more time, but he didn't and left without further complaint.

(Y/N) grinned as the spark caught and a small flame danced on the kindling grass, lighting up his features in the waning twilight. Before long, everyone had finished their tasks and gathered around the campfire to begin cooking the rations.

"I thought we topped up at our last stop!" Katara exclaimed, holding up a near-empty food sack. Momo burped obnoxiously from his seat on Appa with a chubbier belly than usual and everyone groaned.

"Who left the food sack open?" Aang asked and Sokka shrunk into his seat.

"Sokka was the one carrying the sack today," (Y/N) suggested to the group.

Katara spun to her brother and pointed a finger in his face with a furious scowl on her face.

"And you were the one complaining all day! I vote that you miss out tonight, and the four of us split what's left." She said.

"It's fine, I'll just catch some fish from the river." Aang sighed, standing up. Just as he disappeared into the tree line Sokka grumbled. Toph twitched and gripped her fists when he began to speak.

"Well it's not my fault that Momo was hungry." He said with much indignation, which was the last straw for Toph.

"WOULD YOU JUST SHUT UP!" Sokka was then swallowed up by the earth until it was just his eyes peering out of the hole. (Y/N) cackled at this uncontrollably and Toph felt very cathartic after earth-bending Sokka into the dirt, as if a burden was lifted off her shoulders and she smiled smugly.

"Now that wasn't very nice." He rolled his eyes. At seeing her brother buried up to his nose in the ground, Katara glared at Toph and (Y/N) (who was still laughing).

"Toph! Let Sokka out now, even though he thoroughly deserves it!" She tried to sound angry but broke out in giggles before she had finished speaking.

"No, I don't think I will." Toph grinned at Sokka, then at (Y/N) who was still laughing.

"You really are the worst, you know that Toph?"

"Nah, she's the best! Definitely my favourite," (Y/N) said, recovering from the prolonged laughing fit. Everyone froze and looked at him before he realised what he said, eyes widening. A blush dusted Toph's cheeks and Katara opened her mouth to speak but was interrupted by Aang cheerily dumping six fish on the rocks around the fire.

"One for Katara, one for Sokka, one for (Y/N), one for Toph, and two for Appa!" Appa gave a groan and took one of the fish (including the stone beneath it) between his teeth, swallowing it whole. At the smell of fish, Momo jumped down from Appa's back only to have his hand slapped away by Katara as it was reaching out for a fish.

"No dinner for you tonight, Momo. You've already eaten most of our rations!" Aang said, covering his own dinner of foragings, and they started to cook their fish on the fire.

Aang rambled on about a strange frog he saw downstream and midway through his tangent Toph moved to sit next to (Y/N). They both sat in awkward silence for a moment before she spoke.

"Am I really your favourite?" An uncharacteristic blush dusted her cheeks as she asked this, and the glow of the fire ignited her pale skin in the small light.

He shyly nodded in affirmative as he couldn't trust his voice to be steady at such a moment, due to the hormones of a 13-year-old wreaking havoc on his vocal cords.

"Good, because you're my favourite too."

Once everyone had finished eating, they all bid goodnight and went into their respective tents. That is, until Sokka called out;

"Guys, a little help?"