Disclaimer: I do not own the following show used, Avatar: The Last Airbender nor do I own it's plot and it's characters. I am merely a fan who writes and authors fan based stories about said subject. This story is in no way profitable and is not rightfully mine to make profit from. So, as a mere fan who does not in anyway own said show or make money from, obviously, I can toy with, tamper, create and/or destroy ANYTHING of the original I please because it in no way effects the actual product. Any thoughts against this, please, do tell.
NOTES: This was a one-shot contest created in Twilight Rose2's forum, Tokka.
Contest Requirements-
Multi-chaptered or One-shot: One-shot, I have to many others to concentrate on.
Tokka: But of course.
Zutara: Added and adored!
Can be AU and must be Post War: No AU but set in a fan-fictual future!
Theme Must Be -Circus, Festival, Fair, Amusement Park and any of the sort.
- - - - - - -
Bets, Drag Queens and Painted Kisses
"Just hurry up Toph! They'll be here any minute." Katara said hurriedly and in frustration. She was currently straightening out her outfit and checking her reflection in a mirror.
She was beautiful, and she knew it. She certainly spent enough time getting ready that she couldn't be anything but! And true that was, as she stood in a pale, ice blue dress, the dress was snug but fitting quite comfortably. The dress ended right at her shins with slits up to her hips and was outlined in a dark, oceanic blue. Leggings covered her legs like a second skin and was the same pale, ice blue. The dress had long tight sleeves that fell to her fingers, the end of the sleeves continued where a silver ring was attached and looped around her middle finger.
Pale ice-blue ballerina flats covered her feet with pale blue ribbons wrapping around her ankles, connected the the dressy flats.
Her hair was in a high styled ponytail where the smooth brown locks were braided into two separate braids. Instead of her hair loops, she had two long tendrils hanging by the sides of her pretty face.
She wore only a soft red rogue on her lips.
"They won't be here until dusk, the sun is still out. I may be blind but I CAN tell and I am ready, Sugar Queen."
It could have been Katara's imagination, but she could have sworn the usual friendly nickname held as much bite as it did the first time Toph called her that. Eye-twitching and her temper rising, she checked the mirror again. "No, your not. You're still wearing that old tunic!"
Toph frowned for a second. "So?"
Katara turned to study Toph and cringed. "What do you mean, so? It's horrible and old and barely even fits you anymore!" Sniffing, Katara covered her nose. "And you just went and bended in the mud swamp a few hours ago..."
"I asked you to water bend my tunic but you refused." Toph said, waving her hand airily and with a smug look that just screamed -the smell could have been avoided if you'd just done it.-
Katara frowned, agitated again. "Waterbending isn't for cleaning! Besides, when you moved in you said you'd take care of your own load."
"But we're roomies now, sweets! That's what favors are for!" Toph smiled and stood. "Alright, I guess I'll let you help me get ready. Nothing frilly and too girlie though and if I find out..."
Katara smirked. "Just trust me, it'll be great!" Heh, can't tell if I'm lying if I just don't say the truth.
Katara set a bath for Toph, insisting she smelled of murky swamp mud.
Toph set to washing herself in the rose tinted water with a frown, knowing she most likely made a mistake by letting Katara dress her after she had just insulted and nagged the girl all day long.
Katara wasted no time in searching through Toph's massive closest. All kinds of fashions, head and hair decorations and shoes filled the closet. Even a few pieces from other nations graced the closet, all courtesy of the BeiFong's.
After searching, she smirked as set out the outfit and waited for Toph.
- - - - - -
"I don't WANT to go to some silly carnival! We've been to the circus ten times this month!" Sokka whined, while slouched his shoulders and pouting.
Zuko frowned, his eye's narrowed and his fists clenched. Just ignore it, just ignore it... "I don't want to go anymore then you do, but apparently the Avatar isn't as fearsome as most believe."
Aang shot him a glare but had the grace to blush.
Sokka just let his head fall back and groaned. "Aang! Just ask Ty Lee out and get over it. Here, pretend I'm Ty Lee."
Zuko smirked. "Now there's something to be fearful of."
Sokka shot him a glare and stood in front of Aang. Clearing his throat, he clasped his hands in front of him and batted his eyelashes. Voice set in a ridiculous high pitch he spoke in a girlie tone, "Oh Aangy, you wanted to speak to me?" He batted his eyelashes a few more times for effect.
Aang's face was scrunched in a terrified and disbelieving face. Zuko eyed them both with a deeply disturbed look.
Sighing, Aang closed his eyes. "I wanted to say... to say..."
All three didn't notice the doors to Toph and Katara's house open.
"I LOVE YOU!" Aang shouted, blushing.
Sokka continued to bat his eyelashes.
Zuko was slowly backing away from the two.
"WHAT are you doing?" Toph asked, eyes wide and confused... and slightly angry. Katara stood behind them, mouth open and in between laughter and a shocked scream.
Aang and Sokka jumped back, even if they were standing four feet apart.
Silence was the only thing heard before Zuko started laughing.
"HEY!" Sokka yelled.
Aang blushed, "It wasn't my idea!"
Sokka turned to him, "HEY!"
Zuko shook his head. "No no... Toph!"
Toph growled and blushed, already regretting letting Katara dress her up.
Katara frowned, "There is nothing wrong with how Toph looks!"
After everyone turned their eyes to Toph, Katara sent him a glare and he stopped laughing immediately and gulped.
Aang looked at Toph and tilted his head, confused. "I think she looks pretty."
Toph scowled.
Zuko shook his head, "No I was laughing about a bet-" Katara sent him a glare. He gulped and laughed nervously. "ter... Better... A better, I was thinking about a bet about Toph and the new match she won. I lost it by the way... I was laughing because I was..." Zuko said slowly, obviously trying to think of something. "Horribly sad, yeah, deliriously sad... I lost a whole lot." He frowned, his head dropping as if just realizing it wasn't as funny anymore. Katara smirked.
Sokka just stood there in stunned shock.
Toph's hair was down from her traditional bun and fell around her face to her shoulder blades. Small braids were weaved through her shiny raven locks, and holding her hair out of her face. All the small braids were tied off in small a green colored ribbons.
She wore a Water Tribe styled dress. It fell to her ankles in a deep oceanic blue color, but was outlined in sea green. The dress had slits up to just above her knees and it fit snugly against her fifteen year old curves. The dress had elbow length sleeves, that billowed out slightly around her elbows and was also outlined in sea green.
She wore no leggings and instead had sea green ribbons wrapping around her legs from her ankles to just below her knees.
On her wrists were gold bagels that clinked together and sounded like bells. Her lips were painted a soft pink and her face was dusted with powder that had silvery and blue glitter.
She was indeed very pretty, and Sokka couldn't help but notice.
Toph blushed when she realized Sokka hadn't moved in more then ten minutes and was still staring at her.
Sokka straightened and rubbed the back of his neck, blushing. "You look pretty."
Toph crossed her arms and turned her face in Zuko's direction. "Feh."
She knew he had lied and assumed she did look ridiculous.
Katara glared at him with a, this is your fault look.
Zuko sighed and nodded to Toph. "You do look very pretty."
Toph frowned, finding it odd he was telling the truth and turned to look between him and Katara, suspicious.
"Well let's get going!" Katara shouted cheerfully... a bit too cheerfully Toph noted. "So, what WERE you guys doing?"
Aang shrugged. "Sokka was trying to help me with Ty Lee." With dry look he crossed his arms. "He was pretending to be Ty Lee."
Katara burst out laughing. Trying to speak through her giggles but failing.
Toph chuckled and gave a quick snort. "You were supposed to help him, Snoozles, not mentally damage him."
"Hey! I was helping him. Now he shouldn't be afraid to tell it to Ty Lee. I mean he sorta told her already but that was me but since he sorta did, the real thing should be easier!"
Toph nodded and moved beside Aang and gave his shoulder a firm pat. "Yeah, he's right but... if somehow you can't manage to get over your butterflies. Think of this." Turning to give all three behind her a wicked grin before she smiled sympathetically to Aang. "We could always have you practice on Sokka again, and next time he'll be in a pink dress, the same one Ty Lee wears, ah... and yes, it will be the stomach baring top and skirt." she tapped her chin thoughtfully, "We can't forget the braid and make-up though, now can we..." She murmured all to realistically.
"Aang for my sake I hope you confess and I mean TONIGHT!" Sokka pleaded almost threateningly.
Katara's dying laughter was resurrected and Zuko gave all of them a brief look before crossing his arms. "If that happens, I don't know either of you. I'm an honorable prince."
Toph snorted. "So? Para-Si is the princess of Ba Sing Se... that doesn't stop her from NOT being honorable and ...hanging out... with clowns."
No one could argue that, Princess Para-Si always managed to make the World Scrolls -a new article Aang had created to help in keeping peace... they often had gossip like stories written in them but oddly enough, peace was maintained through peoples dying need for gossip.
"Sokka would make a very ugly and disturbing clown." Zuko said as seriously as he could.
Katara put a hand on his shoulder. "Yes, I agree."
Sokka scowled. "Hey, I'm hot as a guy, I bet I could be just as hot as a girl."
Katara groaned, "No more bets!"
Toph turned and looked at Katara and raised an eyebrow.
Both Zuko and Katara looked away, even if it didn't matter that Toph couldn't seen their nervous expressions.
"Oh look, here we are!" Katara grabbed a hold of Zuko's arm and dragged him away before anyone could say anything.
Aang took a deep breath and smiled. Yeah, I can definitely do this now a mental image of Sokka dressed as Ty Lee and confessing love made him cringe and take off at top speeds. "No worries, I can definitely do this now. Thanks Toph!"
"Heh" Toph smirked, "and I was have hoping to he'd have to make me dress you up as, giddy girl."
Sokka frowned. "I would so make a hot girl."
Toph grinned foxily. "You still want to find out?"
Sokka gulped and shook his head. "Nah, I'm good." He nodded, more to himself then Toph. "Yeah, I'm to manly to make a hot girl anyways."
Toph rolled her sightless eyes and began walking.
Sokka stared after her and blushed, before following obediently.
- - - - - -
Katara sat beside Zuko on a newly created circus ride and smiled at him. They were the only two who dared to try out the attraction.
It was close to being fifty feet tall and was shaped much like a giant wheel. All around the wheel were baskets that people would sit inside and could only fit two people, next to each other. It was named the Ferris Wheel.
As the ride began, Katara watched as the scenery became vast as she could soon see the top most of the park.
"So Toph really does like Sokka then." Zuko said, chuckling slightly.
Katara blushed. "I always knew it, didn't I." Katara added breezily.
Zuko eyed her with sudden realization. "You cheated!"
Katara "Pft, no!" Katara started, "No! Of course not, Pft, noo" Turning, she eyed him from the corner of her bright blue eyes. "Why would you think that?" Her eyes kept shifting from him to everywhere else.
"You realize your a horrible liar, correct?" Zuko added dryly. Nonetheless a smug smirk began to grow on his face. "You know that this means, you lose and I win."
The ride stopped suddenly with a small swish of their basket seat and they turned to view the front of them and gave small breathy gasps.
It was beautiful. They could see everything in the distance, to all the beautiful houses, fields and the many lantern lights of the circus. From the top, the sunset was more profound, as she could see the ocean and where the shore moved melodic again the sandy beaches. The dying sun, only a silver of what it usually is, cast a deep red into the horizon where it blended with the dark midnight blues of the sky and created soft, pale pinks, golds and oranges.
Turning suddenly, her braids whipping behind her as she spotted Zuko watching her and he smirked, while she blushed.
"Time to pay up your part of the bargain." Zuko whispered as he leaned in and covered his lips with hers.
Closing her eyes, and wrapping her arms around his neck, she hummed happily as he deepened the kiss and couldn't help but admit, it wasn't a bad way to lose a bet, and wouldn't mind losing over and over again.
They didn't part until the ride had ended, and all after that, the ride was the most popular in the fair.
- - - - - - -
The moon had finally graced her face with the land, and twinkled brilliantly in the sky as the festivities continued.
Sokka and Toph were sitting by the ends of a forest and listened to the soft, musical melody of the many instruments.
Several feet ahead of them Sokka could see in the lighting of the lanterns, many couples dancing and enjoying themselves.
Toph couldn't see them but she could feel their rhythmic vibrations, could feel their foot steps and see their figures twisting and turning to the melody. She let the music drift to her ears and lull her nerves and worries to ease and comfort. She let the soft, autumn wind caress her face and lay with her hair, relishing in the soft curls of her hand has they gently flew around her face, brushed her cheeks and settled over her shoulders.
Sokka turned to eye Toph and smiled, the scene she creating beautiful and blissful.
A particularly strong gust of wind swept from behind Toph and flung her hair out and about her face, and Toph was trying and failing to moving it from her face.
Above them, the moon seemed to glimmer as if laughing at mischievous prank she had managed.
Sokka's smile widened and he chuckled before the wind died and he brushed the tendrils from Toph's face and tucked them over her shoulder and behind her ear.
Toph's eyes widened and a soft, rosy blush tinted her pale cheeks.
Sokka let out a hearty chuckle and before Toph could question what was so funny, he kissed her.
Toph stilled for just a second before she kissed him back with vigor and together the shared their own dance. Toph's arm's slid from his chest, to his shoulders and wrapped loosely around his neck, and his arms slid over her back and hugged her close. One of his hands combing through her hair while Toph pulled his hair free and played with a soft, chin length locks.
Slowly, moving their hands over each other's cheeks, they parted and Sokka couldn't help but admire Toph's face in the light of the moon and against the backdrop of earth, cherry trees and fireflies.
Toph smiled and instead of taking comfort from the music, the rhythms of dance and the crisp breeze, she took comfort from Sokka's steady heartbeat, and the rhythm of their heartbeats, beating in sync and the fact that his arm protected and warmed her when the breeze would blow just a tad bit too much for her but didn't shield the breeze and instead let her relish in the soft coolness of the night.
After a few moments, few more kisses were shared, along with words, Sokka's laugh and Toph's fist against his shoulder.
- - - - - - - -
After the circus shut down and most had gone home, two silhouettes could be seen in the main tent from the torches still lit inside. Both stood on the high wire, with a bison underneath them and a lemur flying above them.
The two figures, a shirtless monk in a pointed clown hat, and baggy pants and a petite carnival acrobat in a knee length skirt and a billowy, belly showing top kissed before a breeze flew through the room and the silhouettes disappeared behind the orange fabric of the circus tent.
THE END
NOTE Yes, Sokka's hair is slightly longer and is not shaved on the sides anymore. He still wears a pony tail like his old one but the sides aren't shaved. He grew it out in season three so, as a future after war fic, well, that's how I have. Also, Aang had a clown hat on and in my head, his face was painted like a clowns. A smexy clown.
Well? I gotta say I kinda liked that. I hoped my witty banter in here was indeed witty.
Hope ya like! And pray that I win the contest! REVIEW PLEASE!