Toko Week 3

A/N: So, Toko Week 3 is starting, kicking off the summer as we all get ready to see the movie. I am sorry to my readers about my lack of updates, life has been busy and stressful and a great lack of inspiration has hit me. These are definitely not some of my better works, and please feel free to critique me so I can become better. Thanks to everyone for reading and all the artists on DA for joining. So, read, review, and have fun.

Day 1: Gamble

He was at his last straw when she said something he couldn't believe. Of course, he should have known better with her. He had known about her addiction, but he hadn't thought it had gone so far as to control her life. But he had finally seen the signs the night before when he had found her behind a bar, drunk enough that she was barely able to stand, with a heap of gold and several angry guards who had lost their entire paychecks to the petite woman. He had hauled her off, easy since she was inebriated, and had confronted her the next morning, waiting until she was awake and alert with a cup of his uncle's special morning brew.

"What do you mean, 'one last bet'?" he asked, gritting his teeth as he tried to control himself.

She just smirked up towards him and held out her mug to him. He took it, knowing she was still suffering from a hangover and filled it easily, used to it from years of living with his uncle and just frowned at her until she took the mug back and took a sip. "You heard me," she said and he heard a door shut down the hallway and knew she was still suffering as she lifted her feet off the ground and winced. His heart almost went out to her, but he steeled himself. He had to be firm here, a good friend.

"Yes, I heard you," he stated clearly and sternly, but not too loud. "But what exactly do you mean by that? What kind of bet?"

She smirked again, but he saw a moment of hesitation in her milky gaze. Any other time, he would have dismissed it as his imagination, but that moment had lasted for a good two seconds, and he wondered if it was due to her hangover or his question.

"Look," he started again, "you need to stop this. Stop gambling. And if I have to make you…"

He stopped and stared at her, incredulous, as she started laughing, even snorting a few times and his frown returned and he felt himself start scowling down at her.

"You…stop me? Ha!" She said as she kept laughing. He finally lost his patience and grabbed her wrists, pinning them to the chair arms as he leaned in close to her and scowled directly at her. She suddenly stopped laughing and seemed to be studying him as he glared at her, though he knew the look was pointless.

"What. Is. The. Bet?" he growled. "One last bet, that's all you get, and I want you to swear on your honor, whatever honor you have, that this will be the last one."

"Ok, I swear," she said in an offhand manner, but he knew she took it seriously. They both knew that he couldn't really stop her, and he could make her life miserable if he chose to, but they both knew it wouldn't come to that. When it got down to it, she was always there for him and vice versa. He released her and stood again, studying her as she carefully set the tea mug down and folded her hands neatly in her lap, suddenly looking shy and reserved, something he had never seen before. "I want to make a bet with you," she said quietly. "How do you feel about me?"

"That's not what I asked," he stated, though he felt his heart skip a beat as he tried to figure out the woman before him. She had been his best friend for five years, and his guardian for many of those years, but as she grew older, he had taken to protecting her, scowling and grumbling about the young men she went out with. He had often wondered if it was jealousy that made him act that way, or merely the behavior of an older brother, but he dismissed it each time, simply telling himself he was worried about her welfare. His own love life was a wreck and he hadn't spoken to Mai in years. Toph herself had told him there was something not quite right with his girlfriend and then fiancé, but it had taken up to a week before the wedding before Mai had come clean and told him she loved someone else and the wedding was off. And Toph, the petite, fragile looking, hard as a rock woman before him, had helped him get over his anguish at losing someone he cared for and move on with his life. Now he had to help her move on with hers.

"I know," she sighed, replying to his statement. "But I need to know. Please, Zuko?" She looked up at him, and though her eyes never met his right on, he couldn't help but feel as if his heart was melting into those pools of jade. She rarely called him by his name, and those times were either special moments, or extreme anger.

"Fine," he stated, trying to make himself steel against her large, soft eyes, though he knew he was failing at keeping himself stern. "You're my best friend. I'm worried about you."

Toph nodded and ducked her head, hiding her featured behind her characteristic bangs, though he knew he saw a hint of a smile.

"Ok, then here's my bet. You never have any fun." He opened his mouth to object, but she spoke before he could. "And what you think as fun isn't. You train with your swords and fire whenever you're not in a meeting. You never go out and just, you know, have fun. I bet that you wouldn't know fun if it bit you in the but."

She was staring defiantly at his chest and he let himself relax a little. He could have fun and he would prove it too. She just didn't know as much about him as she claimed to. "And what will we wager?" he asked.

She seemed surprised, probably because his tone didn't hold anger anymore, but she started grinning. "The winner picks."

"All right," he replied, nodding his consent. "And so it's not biased, we should have someone there who knows both of us to decide. And no," he said as he saw her open her mouth, "not Sokka."

She pouted and he almost admitted to himself that it was cute, but kept himself still. When she remained silent for a while, obviously in thought, he gave his suggestion. "How about Katara?"

Toph stuck her tongue out at him. "Yuck, she's about as bad as you. Just…different. How about Suki?"

"Suki means Sokka goes and that means lots of alcohol. No thanks."

"Ah, the big bad firebender afraid of a little fire juice?" Toph asked, acting cute and innocent, which she surprisingly pulled off quite well.

"No," he replied, frowning again. "I just don't like losing control. One spark and the whole bar could go up."

"Hmmm, you have a good point. Ok, how about Aang?"

Zuko thought it over for a second. The Avatar was a good friend, and fair. He was also notorious for being a hit at parties and had brought dance back to the Fire Nation. And he wouldn't let them get drunk. "All right. What's the plan then?"

Toph jumped to her feet and grinned wickedly at him, making him apprehensive about going along with her for this. "I know you have some meetings, so I'll pick you up after. Enjoy and know that I never lose." With that, she sauntered off, leaving him thinking about a way to show her that not only could he have fun, but that gambling with him was going to be the biggest mistake of her life.

Tired after a long day of talking with generals, nobles and ambassadors, he had almost forgotten about the bet until he saw a beautiful woman walking his way. She was gorgeous with long, black hair, pale skin and a red dress that hugged every curve of her body and hinted at other things. He didn't recognize her until he saw bare feet peeking out beneath the hem of her dress.

"Toph?" he asked, startled. "Is that you?"

She smiled and even seemed to blush slightly. "Yep, so discard the robe, Sparky. We're having a night on the town. He was still trying to comprehend Toph in a dress when a gust of wind signaled that the Avatar had arrived, and with a set of clothes, holding them out to the still stunned Fire Lord.

"Come on Zuko, you need to change too," Aang said with his characteristic grin.

The firebender frowned, but grabbed the clothes Aang was holding out and strode off to his room. He found the clothes a nice fit, and they didn't proclaim he was Fire Lord, or even a noble for that matter. Just a young man out on the town in the capitol. They were red and black, obviously, snug in the right spots, but looser around his waist and legs, just the way he liked it. The shirt was also short sleeved and, as he looked in the mirror, showed off his arms quite well. Sure, he was more wiry than most men of the Fire Nation, but he was as strong as any and had even beaten Sokka in a few wrestling matches. As a final touch, he took out his top knot, placing the crest of Fire Lord on his desk, and pulled a few hairs back to create an informal top knot with a simple band, leaving some hair falling over his scar. Now, he knew he would probably be recognized, especially in the company of the Avatar, but he felt a sense of ambiguity. And, he would win the bet with Toph.

With that thought planted firmly in his head, he strode out to find that their group had grown. Katara, Sokka, Suki and even Haru and Ty Lee were there, waiting for him. Ty Lee squealed and hugged him excitedly when she spotted him, alerting everyone else to his presence, and causing him to frown.

"Oh, come on, none of that," Aang said with a grin. "We're going to have fun tonight. It's a night out on the town."

"Whatever," Zuko replied in an offhand manner, earning him a frown from Toph, but the others were used to his mannerisms and started making their way out of the palace and into the city. Toph somehow appeared at his side and wrapped her arm around his. A glance down at her showed her smirking, and he wondered what she was thinking about.

"You won't beat me," she whispered. "In fact, you're off to a really bad start."

He almost scowled, but made himself smile at her instead. "You haven't seen anything yet," he whispered back to her.

She seemed surprised for a second, but was then grinning again. "Let the games begin."

He simply nodded and walked with Toph as Sokka and Ty Lee took the lead, talking about different places they could go to. Finally they mentioned some place that peaked Toph's interest.

"Let's go there," Toph said and instantly turned to her right, dragging Zuko with her.

"What is this place again?" Katara asked, looking a little hesitant.

Sokka grinned and winked at his sister. "It's the Fire Lotus, the most popular place for dancing, and for our single friends," he said turning back to wink at Zuko, "the best place to hook up."

Aang must have actually picked up on the hint and turned to Zuko and gave a knowing glance towards Toph. "And a great place to settle a wager."

Toph's head turned up towards Zuko's face and her smirk grew. Zuko almost scowled, but turned that into a smirk. He would win this and stop her from gambling. And he would also show her that he could enjoy himself. Zuko knew they were close when he heard music from halfway down the street. Toph seemed to perk up at that and even seemed to get a bounce in her step. When the large guard outside spotted Toph and Aang, he waved the group right in, to a mingled response of the crowd waiting outside. Half were displeased that the group got in so easily, while the half in front that recognized Aang and Toph seemed ecstatic. Was one guy even foaming? Zuko was forced through the door before he could take a second look and was instantly overwhelmed by shouts and music. Sokka had pulled Suki onto the dance floor and Haru had done the same with Ty Lee. Katara was making her way to the bar on the side wall, smiling at the barkeep and Aang was racing around the walls on a ball of air to the screams of fans. Toph smirked once more up at Zuko as people called out her name.

"It begins now," she said to him before a very handsome young man approached her and she let him pull her onto the dance floor.

"And I'll win," he said and knew she heard when she gave an odd look over her shoulder. She shrugged and smiled at her partner and Zuko scowled for a second before spotting a beautiful young lady off on her own. Walking up to her, her eyes met his and she smiled at him.

"Hi," he said to her.

"Hi back," she said, smiling slyly.

"I'm afraid I'm new to dancing," he said, giving the girl his best smile, and still trying to keep the left side of his face turned away from her. "Can you show me?"

"I'd love to," she said and promptly grabbed his hand, pulling him out onto the dance floor. The dance steps were actually quite simple, and he learned them quickly, even adding flair. The girl, Shya, was cute and witty and didn't seem to mind teaching him and she didn't care about his scar. When she had found it and realized who he was, she had been ecstatic, but only enough for him to start frowning before she settled down back to her normal attitude and moved even closer to him, letting him lead through a dance before they grabbed some drinks. While sipping his drink, he saw Aang in the middle of the dance floor, dancing with Katara with elaborate moves and bending thrown in.

"They have water barrels and an earth pit," Shya said, nodding off to the corner where Zuko saw a couple of earthbenders dancing with their elements and each other. "It's made this place the most sought after place in the world. Dancing is fun enough, but add bending to it, and it's almost a work of art." Zuko saw Katara and Aang come to a standstill, their elements almost blending together and was glad the two had stuck together for so long. They were perfect for each other. Glancing around, he saw several dancers out doing their partners, and Toph was no exception. She was still moving as if she had just started and it looked like her current dance partner was about to faint from trying to keep up with her.

Shya must have noticed his gaze. "And while some benders use their elements to make it look beautiful dancing with others, some use it to test their partners. Careful with that one," Shya said, nodding towards Toph. "She's never had anyone successfully dance with her in the pit. Just like she never loses when gambling. And the men always try."

He continued to watch Toph dancing as she moved to be with someone else, but they stopped when he tried to keep up and tripped into another couple. Toph just smirked at the guy before turning to saunter Zuko's way.

"She'll just have to learn that she can't always win," Zuko told Shya, smiling at Toph as she walked over to stand next to him, ordering a drink and leaning against the bar.

"Not talking about me, are you, Sparky?" Toph asked after she finished her drink and ordered a new one.

"Off course, but all of it is informative," he replied, earning a smirk from the small earthbender. She finished her second drink and leaned towards him, her smirk growing.

"Having fun?" Toph asked.

"Yes, Shya's been a wonderful teacher."

He noticed Shya blushing slightly next to him, but Toph was scowling for a second. It changed to a smirk instantly. "Well, why don't you show me what you've learned? Then we can see if are capable of having fun."

"All right," he replied, smirking back at Toph. He turned to Shya and smiled at her. "Perhaps another dance later," he said, picking her hand up to kiss the back of it. Shya blushed even more deeply, turning a lovely shade of pink and Toph's smirk faltered for a second until he turned back to the small earthbender and took her hand in his. "My lady, I would love a dance with you."

Toph seemed confused, but nodded mutely and let him lead her onto the dance floor as Aang and Katara exited, Aang with a wink towards Zuko. The firebender didn't understand the look, but when he glanced back at Shya, saw her talking with the Katara and grinning at Zuko.

"Ah, liking the look of that little floozy, huh?" Toph asked and when Zuko turned back to the earthbender, saw her looking both angry and curious.

He smiled at her. "She was fun and a good teacher, but I think this will be even more entertaining." The music picked up again and he started leading Toph through the simple routine.

"Entertaining, huh?" Toph asked with a wry grin. "That's still not having fun."

"Maybe this will be," Zuko replied, moving Toph into a turn before pulling her close. The music picked up and Toph moved away from him and to a pit where Zuko had seen Haru and several earthbenders dancing with their bending. Zuko followed, wondering what the petite earthbender had in mind, but she moved to the center of the pit and that in itself seemed to grab the attention of all the men in the room. She started dancing by herself, the earth in the pit rising and spiraling around her as she moved. Zuko stood back, watching as she moved with the music. It was hypnotic and beautiful, and several men approached her, trying to meld into her pattern and dance with her with water and earth, and even a few with fire, but they never matched her pattern and were quickly pushed out of the pit.

"What about you," Toph said with a smirk towards Zuko. "Care to try and enter? I don't think you can."

Zuko just smirked and watched her some more and the few more that tried. He thought he saw a way to her pattern and stepped up to the pit. "This isn't another bet, is it?" he asked her.

"No," she said as she continued to dance with her element. "Just pushing buttons."

"Good," was all he said as he stepped into the pit, dodging and weaving through the earth and even calling upon his fire to protect him and flow around him. Toph grinned at him when she turned around and soon they were dancing again, but in an even more intricate pattern with their elements moving around them, flowing and fighting at the same time. It felt like she was testing him, seeing if he would try and gain control and the music intensified. All he could see was fire and earth and the beautiful woman in front of him as he made his way towards her, dancing with her. He grabbed her had as she swayed towards him as the music hit it's peak and pulled her to him, both their elements stopping as the music did and he dipped her.

"Told you I could have fun," he told her as he leaned over her. All she did was smile and tilt her head to the right.

"He won, Toph," Aang said.

"All right," Toph replied, sighing slightly as Zuko still held her. "What do you want Sparky?"

Zuko leaned close to her, and noticed her breathing accelerating. "I want you to stop gambling."

"Ok, but on one condition," she replied.

"No conditions."

"I think this might change your mind," Toph said with a smile and reached up, grabbing his head and pulling him towards her, kissing him.

When she finally pulled away, Zuko haphazardly pulled her upright and stood there, mouth open in astonishment. A corner of his mouth started rising in a smile. "All right, I guess I could give you that. And one more condition."

"And what would that be?" Toph asked, trying to move away and place her hands on her hips.

"More of this," he said, pulling her into another kiss. "And maybe," he whispered in her ear after the kiss, "some more dancing and you can only gamble with me."

Toph just laughed and kissed him again. "Ok, you're going to lose next time. But I think it's worth it, gambling with you."