"Ow! What was that for?"

"It's how I show affection."

Toph was still blushing a little even after they had left the theatre. That moment was still floating around in her mind as the group settled in for the night. It was nice being alone with Zuko in that hallway. She had never had a chance to talk to him alone before; actually, she had never talked to anyone in the Fire Nation like that, except for Iroh, but he was more of a father figure. Talking with Zuko had felt like something different entirely. Even though she couldn't see him, she did find the boy cute, in a slightly awkward sort of way. She couldn't quite describe it, but somehow, Zuko seemed very confident and powerful, she could tell from the vibrations of his footsteps. He took long strides, dominant, aggressive ones, but then again, all the firebenders she had ever met walked like that. But there was something different about Zuko's, something that was strong, yet humble, fierce, but not out of control. Another attractive thing that Toph noticed about him was his voice, so soft, smooth, musical almost. Not the squeaky crack of Sokka's voice or Aang's light tone. That night when she talked with the prince, she realized how sensitive he was, but that hadn't been the only time he had been nice to her.

On the day before he left with Katara to find the Southern Raiders, Zuko had made everyone some jasmine tea. He knew Toph couldn't see where to reach out for a cup, so instead, he took her hand in his, leading hers to the tiny porcelain. "Careful, I don't want you to get burned again," he had said, his hand still covering hers, "its a special blend I got from the Earth Kingdom. My uncle showed me how to make it; I hope you like it." Toph still remembered the warm feeling of his hand; the warmness seemed to have somehow spread to her face. The small girl had told herself that it was just the effect of drinking hot tea on a breezy night.

Most of the time Zuko was shouting at Aang when practicing bending exercises, but deep down, he really was a compassionate and gentle soul. Not to mention angsty and kinda cool. Yawning, Toph rolled over to her stomach, hugging her pillow. It was one of the few times in her life that she hated being blind. She was really curious to know what Prince Zuko really looked out; by the way she had heard Fire Nation girls giggle over his posters, he must have been terribly handsome.