Toph's POV
There are a lot of things I hate; people who take pity on me because I'm blind, people who think I'm too fragile to be let out of the house (*cough* mum and dad *cough*) but there is absolutely one thing I hate the most. It comes once a year and falls on February 14th…figured it out yet?
That's right…Valentine's Day.
The most disgusting and stupid day. I mean gross.
It's all about couples spending the day together and showering each other with gifts and love, I should know my parents do it every year. There's an upside to Valentine's Day for me, I'm blind. So I can't see all the lovey dovey things that are going on, cause if I did I know I am bound to be sick. Though, it doesn't help that my other four senses are heightened and I can hear the love in everyone's voices and can detect their heartbeats. That annoys me.
Now there's just one problem, you'll never guess what today is.
It's February 14th, Valentine's Day.
At this current time, Team Avatar; myself, Sugar Queen, Boomerang Boy, Kiyoshi Warrior, Sparky, Uncle Iroh and of course Twinkle Toes along with Appa and Momo, reside at the Fire Nation Palace.
Sparky is the Fire Lord, has been since the war ended 5 years ago and he makes a better fire lord than his father. Over these last 5 years, Sparky has been working hard along with all of us to make peace between the four nations.
Oh yeah, did I mention Sugar Queen fell in love with him? Clearly not, but it's true. I'm not going to tell you the full story but to cut it short they both fell in love and Sugar Queen became Fire Lady of the Fire Nation two years ago when she married Sparky.
As for Boomerang Boy, he married Kiyoshi Warrior a year after the war ended. They recently announced they are expecting which excited everyone, we're getting a new edition to Team Avatar. Make that two editions to Team Avatar, Sugar Queen is also pregnant. She told us last night at dinner causing me to nearly choke on said dinner. I'm happy for both her and Sparky, they have been trying for the last two years and finally Sparky is getting an heir to the throne.
Anyway I'm babbling, so let's get on with this story.
I was sitting at the head table next to Sugar Queen as she and Sparky argued over what gender the baby was, I really wasn't in the mood for baby discussions at the moment. Three seats down from me, next to Twinkle Toes, Boomerang Boy was whispering in Kiyoshi Warrior's ear and making her giggle her head off.
I was going to be sick.
The Fire Lord and Lady ended their quarrel when I heard Sparky muttering into Sweetness' ear and I heard her hissing at him to stop, even though I knew she was enjoying it.
Okay, I'm going to be sick.
I stood up from the table and stomped out of the great hall, feeling all eyes on me. I stomped throughout the palace and could feel people moving out of my way, knowing they were scared of me.
Don't worry this happens every year and they know I despise today.
I made my way outside and to the turtle-duck pond. Living here for five years, I know every inch of the palace.
When I arrived at the pond, I sat down on the edge, sulking. Agni I really hated today. I wish it would be over so we can get on with our lives.
It wasn't long till I felt a familiar presence outside.
It was Twinkle Toes.
He's the only one, aside from myself and uncle, who doesn't have anyone to share today with.
I raised a foot and slammed it into the ground, sending out a vibration to him.
He must of felt it, because I got a reply. I continued slamming my foot on the ground until I felt he was twenty feet from me
"Toph? Hey there you are" I heard him say
"Really? I thought I was making out with a fire nation boy" I replied sarcastically
"Toph, since I know you hate today-'
"No really?"
"I thought we could maybe go off somewhere and earthbend" he suggested.
Hmm, stay here trapped around the palace with everyone going gaga over each other or kicking Twinkle Toes' butt in an earthbending match?
I stood up and smirked at him
"Lead the way, oh mighty Twinkle Toes" I sniggered
"Toph" I heard him whine.
I followed his lead as he led us away from the palace, finally something to do then mope around waiting for the day to end.
We walked in silence, I could hear the birds singing, the bees buzzing and turtle-ducks quacking even though we were kind of far from the palace. I felt the atmosphere change and realized we had entered the forest, just where exactly was he taking me?
"Yo, Twinkle Toes, where exactly are we going?" I asked him
"Not telling" he replied
"Come on" I whined "don't make me earthbend you"
"Trust me, you'll love it" he assured me
"Humph" was my reply.
We continued but then I felt it, his heartbeat quickened.
He was nervous? What the hell was there to be nervous about?
"Hey Toph, what's short, smart and says ouch?" Twinkle Toes asked, oh great a joke
"What?" I asked.
Suddenly I felt something pinch my shoulder
"Ouch" I said and then I got it.
I snorted
"Funny, Twinkle Toes."
Finally I felt him stop and stopped myself before I ran into him
"Here we are" he said, I pushed past him and frowned when I smelt stone.
Putting my hand out, I touched it and felt a large number of it.
It was a wall.
He brought me to a wall?
Oh joy.
I turned to him and narrowed my blind eyes at him, if this was supposed to be a joke it wasn't funny. It was then that I realized something, where was Twinkle Toes?
I listened for any sound of him but I couldn't, it was like he had vanished. I felt my heartbeat quicken: I'm not going to panic I'm not going to panic I'm not going to panic. Maybe he was in the air, I can't feel him if he's in the air. I listened carefully for any out of the ordinary sounds in the air but heard nothing
"Twinkle Toes…Twinkle Toes…Come on TT this isn't funny" but I got no reply.
I'm not normally one to panic but this was something to panic about
"AANG" I shouted.
Suddenly, something grabbed my leg and pulled me to the ground. I was about to earthbend when I heard his familiar voice
"Toph, calm down I'm right here" he reassured me.
It sounded like his voice had come from some sort of cave
"Where are you?" I asked
"Right in front of you, just crawl" he replied
"Crawl where?" I asked him
"Straight ahead" he replied
"You must have air in your head, it's a wall" I reminded him
"Trust me."
Sighing in frustration, I crawled forward and into somewhere like a hole just big enough to fit the both of us. I continued on my hands and knees through the tunnel, Twinkle Toes right in front of me.
Was it me or was the hole getting smaller?
I tried not to think about it so much and continued to crawl. Then the whistling started, I frowned trying to remember what song Twinkle Toes was whistling.
Where have I heard that song before?
Oh right, it's I Love You No Matter What.
I was starting to get bored from all the crawling and prayed we'd get there soon, though as if my prayers had been answered I felt the tunnel widen.
I sighed in relief but frowned, I couldn't feel Twinkle Toes anymore. I stopped and felt around, where had he gone to now?
Suddenly, someone grabbed my arm and yanked me out of the tunnel out into the open
"We're here" I heard Twinkle Toes say.
Frowning, I felt dirt under my feet. I felt him let go of me and I walked around, all I felt under my feet was dirt, dirt and even more dirt. Then I sensed it, rocks. They were everywhere, rocks, boulders, pebbles. I couldn't help myself, I ran as fast as I could earthbending everywhere.
Where did Aang find a place like this?
I stopped when I sensed a big, flat rock and collapsed onto it letting out a content sigh. I heard the light footsteps a few minutes later and I felt his presence, he was standing over me
"You like it?" he asked me
"Nah, ya think?" I said sarcastically and he laughed "where did you find such a place, Twinkle Toes?" I asked him.
He stopped laughing and I sat up, I could tell he was nervous about something.
Hmm, I wonder, just how long has he been hiding this place from me?
"I… I found this place on Valentine's Day…five years ago" he replied.
WHAT?
"WHAT?" I cried and using my earthbending, I smashed him away from me "YOU MEAN TO TELL ME THAT FOR THE LAST FIVE YEARS YOU'VE BEEN COMING HERE TO EARTHBEND AND YOU LEFT ME SUFFER VALENTINE'S DAY WITH THE OTHERS? HOW COULD YOU KEEP SOMETHING LIKE THIS FROM ME?" I shouted all the while hitting him with everything from rocks to boulders to earth
"I'm…ow so…ow sorry… ow Toph…ouch…I…ouch…didn't mean to not tell you, I was going to. Honest. OW" Twinkle Toes tried to apologize
"That's not good enough, you left me every Valentine's Day to come here and earthbend. I had to suffer mushy lovey dovey crap for the whole day for the last five years. You know I hate Valentine's Day" I cried as I continued to hurt him not really caring
"Happy Valentine's Day" he said.
I froze.
What did he just say? Did he just say what I think he just said?
"What?" I asked him angrily
"H-Happy V-Valentine's Day" he replied stuttering because he was scared of me before he took a deep breath "I didn't come here to earthbend, okay well I did but there's a reason. It was just a wall when I came here five years ago, I knew you didn't have many places to earthbend so I decided to create the perfect place for you to hang out and earthbend. For the last five years, every Valentine's Day, I came back here and worked all day on making this place just for you. That was why I wasn't around every February 14th, it was also why I wasn't around yesterday either. I was putting the finishing touches to this place before I was to "show" it to you. It took me five years to finish it but it's done. So…Happy Valentine's Day Toph Bei Fong" he explained.
Dumbfounded.
That's what I was.
Dumbfounded.
He made this place? Just for me? I opened and closed my mouth several times but no words came out, I was shocked.
Even though I couldn't physically see, I was touched that Aang had spent five years making this huge…arena, I guess, and that it was all mine.
Then it dawned on me, I had attacked Aang for no apparent reason. Well there was because I thought he had left me to suffer Valentine's Day for the last five years when he was making me this arena the whole time.
Mortification then fell over me.
What had I done?
I dropped to my knees in shock. I heard Aang run over and crouch down beside me
"Hey you okay?" he asked me
"I'm sorry" I whispered "I'm so sorry"
"Toph it's okay, I'm okay. You used to do that to me all the time" he reassured me
"That's because I was training you, I lashed out at you for no reason" I argued back
"Really, I'm okay" he said.
I sighed and turned my head to his direction and then did something I never thought I would. I pressed my lips to his, the kiss chaste. I pulled back
"Thank you" I grinned
"You're welcome" he was smiling, I could hear it in his voice.
I smirked at him and earthbended sending him flying and crashing into the ground covered in rocks, but as I did I heard him laughing and I did too.
Maybe Valentine's Day won't be so bad anymore.
The End