Hi, everyone! Just out of the blue I came up with this! This is my lame attempt at a humor fic. Haha! Hope you enjoy!
Wager
"How long do you think they'll keep at it?" Suki whispered to her boyfriend as she, Aang, Katara and Sokka watched on. They were an audience for Zuko and Toph who wanted to get an early morning spar session in before they head out to the market to find a present for Iroh.
It was six years after Ozai had been defeated and every year since then, they have gathered to celebrate the anniversary of their victory and the crowning of Iroh as the new Fire Lord. And they gave him a gift every year. Perhaps a new tea set would make the smile on their uncle's face widen a little more.
"I dunno," Sokka shrugged, leaning back on the tree they were under. They were in an arena of sorts, a clearing in the gardens behind the Fire Nation Palace at around eight in the morning. "They've been 'sparring' since dawn."
The four looked on, grimacing when a particularly big stone winged Zuko's shoulder. Flinching, the Fire Nation Prince drop rolled to avoid a sharp edged slab of stone aimed at his abdomen. Getting up, he charged at the small earthbender with fists aflame, only to be stopped by a column of rock shooting up from his feet, sending him flying backwards.
"What's wrong, Sparky?" Toph mocked, flicking her wrist to send the column careening towards where Zuko landed. "Getting tired?"
"You wish," Zuko sneered as he flipped himself over the column before it trampled him, landing in front of her, his hands bursting in flames. He stopped, realizing how close he was. He felt her breath on his bare chest. Even at eighteen, she was still a foot and a half shorter than he was. He looked down at her, her hands crossed over her chest as a form defense. His nose caught a whiff of sandalwood that seemed to radiate from her hair. He lowered his head, closing his eyes, trying to take in more of the earthy scent.
He was brought back to reality as she pushed him backward by summoning stones to encircle her arms and hands, charging his chest with them. He fell and stumbled across the ring, coughing and trying to gain his breath since the wind was knocked out of him. He stood up, glaring at her.
"That hurt!" he screamed, his ears growing red in anger.
"Well, you were trying to bite me in the head or something!" she reasoned, trying to hide the blush that was starting to rise on her cheeks.
He stomped over to her, and she got into a defensive stance again. "I stopped! Remember our agreement? If one stops we both stop!"
"You should've backed away then!" She yelled back, letting the earth that covered her arms fall to the ground. "How could I make sure you stopped if you were so damn close to me!"
"Shouldn't we stop them?" Aang asked, concerned that the whole backyard of the Palace would be reduced to ash and craters once the two decided to fight each other seriously.
"Nah," Sokka waved a hand. "This could be fun."
But Katara and Suki were whispering to each other. The two older girls had realized the sexual tension between Zuko and Toph since the young Bei Fong turned sixteen two years ago. They all realized then that the little tomboy they traveled with long ago had grown up. Filling out beautifully along with her bending that grew stronger as well. They both have caught the shifting of weight on the feet and meaningful sighs of their youngest member when Zuko was around. They also noticed the way Zuko would find reasons for him and Toph to start arguing.
"Ten says they'll meet halfway." Suki pulled out a few coins from her pocket and laying them on the grass next to Katara.
"Twenty says SHE kisses him first." Katara met Suki's mischievous smile with her own sly smirk, slapping a handful of coins down on the grass.
The two girls stared each other down, trying to get the other to give up. To their surprise, a pale hand with a blue arrow tattoo slapped down next to Katara's in the grass.
"Thirty says HE kisses her first." Aang said innocently. The girls eyed him suspiciously. Too innocently. "What? Zuko told me things."
"That's it!" Toph threw her hands in the air, stomping her feet causing the earth to rise from under her, propelling her towards Zuko in a fit of anger. "I am gonna shove that big foot of yours down your throat!"
"You're welcome to try, squirt." Zuko smirked as he leapt as she sent the earth rolling beneath her feet and steadily heading towards him.
He landed behind her, grabbing her arms before she could command the earth. He spun her around and tripped her feet with his, sending her falling backwards but gently landing her on her back with his hands and legs pinning her own to the ground, preventing her from further bending.
Toph laid still, eyes widening at realization on how suggestive their position was. He didn't put his weight on her, but held her down effectively. She could smell his ashen scent, burning deliciously through her nostrils. She could feel him as he struggled to catch his breath, the earth rippling as his muscles tensed as he tightened his grip on her when she tried to move.
He couldn't take it anymore. For the first time she looked vulnerable to him. As if she let her guard down, she never did in the past. Her sightless eyes blinked as he took a deep breath, bending down. He paused slightly, his face inches from hers, searching for a sign of protest. When she didn't move a hair, he grew bolder, leaning down swiftly to take her lips in his.
She gasped, but the sound was muffled as he took the opportunity to slant his lips on hers, deepening the contact. Then she relaxed, her eyes drifting to close and she responded.
When the kiss was over, they were both breathless. Her mouth opened and closed, as if she wanted to say something but couldn't quite get a hold of her tongue. But the next thing she new, she was hauled to her feet and standing face to face with the man that had beaten her for the first time in a spar.
He stared at her, expecting her to bury him alive for what he had done. But the earth did not swallow him as he thought it would have. Instead he saw her whip her head to the general direction of their friends and he that's when he heard the laughter. He turned to look just in time for Suki and Katara to hand Aang his winnings.
"Told ya!" He heard his friend say from the distance between them.
"They bet on us?" Toph growled under her breath. Zuko then felt the earth shake, and he knew their friends felt it, too. Judging by the fearful expression on their faces and Aang's eyes being as wide as saucers, they did feel it.
The Crown Prince sighed and took a step back. When Toph charged to their friends, he put a hand to his forehead, "I guess I'll be picking out uncle's present alone."
With that, he left, hoping that when he came back, their friends would still be in one piece and above ground.
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