Author's Note: This was requested a while back by someone who wishes not to be named. It took a while for me to write, but hey, in a sea of identical, mainstream pairings with no plot but 'fluff, marriage, fluff' I figure an original pairing would go over mediocre no matter how it was written. (If there's one thing this fandom hates, it's pairings in general.) As you can tell, I expect to be flamed or ignored here. But heck, I thought this was so CUTE once I wrote it that I'm posting it anyway.
This contains yuri, aka a girl falling in love with a girl. If that offends you, either hit the back button or go sob about it on your blog of choice. Just don't flame and whine. Also, does anyone know what the name of this pairing is? I'm leaning towards Tonji, but if anyone has other ideas or knows a more official name, feel free to tell me.
I own nothing and am not making profit. Seriously.
- -- - -- - -- - -- - -- - -- - -- - -- - -- - -- - -- - -- - -- - -- - -- - -- - -- - -- - -- - -- - -- -
It had all started with a simple sigh.
Actually, repeated sighing as On Ji fought herself and lost that internal battle with her heart. Her heart wanted her to get out there and dance with Kuzon. She wanted to be dancing and laughing like everyone else, alongside him. Unfortunately, he had someone else. Someone prettier and more agile, someone would could outdance clumsy On Ji any day of the week. On Ji was forgotten, lost to the background in a second when they danced together. That girl was special, wonderful. All the boys wanted her, wanted her to teach them and dance with them. It burned at On Ji's self esteem. If only she had said something, been a better dancer, maybe, he would still be her partner. But he had no idea she existed now.
Sigh. Try to smile, her brain told her. Try to be happy. Look how beautiful this place is. Sorrow has no place here! Yet her heart ignored her brain and just cringed. Yet another boy who could do better than her. This was why she'd settled for her current boyfriend (who couldn't be bothered to make it). Sigh. Not that she'd blame Kuzon. That other girl had smooth skin and flowing hair that probably never tangled, eyes of vibrant blue and the perfect body. No wonder Kuzon liked her over flat chested, tangly haired girls like On Ji. If she were a boy, she'd never give the time of day to someone like herself, either. No wonder her boyfriend hadn't even answered when she asked him out tonight. He probably was out with some pretty girl...
Maybe she should just leave. A sad person at a happy party made no sense, after all. No boys were falling at her feet for dances, either. Sigh. She was so out of place, standing here like a fish out of water. Everyone else was having fun. This had probably just been a mistake. Si-
"Stop sighing, dammit!" the harsh, feminine voice snapped On Ji out of her reprieve. "Perk up! We got drinks, music and Twinkle Toes prancing around. What more do you want?"
On Ji took in the young woman before her. Moon pale skin, but pitch black hair. A fine coating of dirt of her feet, and a smirk that radiated confidence. On Ji wished she could smirk like that. This girl probably was only sitting out because she was tired of dancing, not because she couldn't get a date like On Ji. She sat slumped, elbows on the table, hair covering her eyes in a way that defied every school and social rule On Ji knew. Her demeanor was so calm next to her semi-rebellious outfit and hair. On Ji absolutely envied that.
"I'm sorry," she mumbled, and the smirking girl gestured for her to sit down. Accepting, she sat across from the girl with a formal, polite bow. "I just feel kinda down today."
"Eh, well, it is kind of a dull party. Nothing's even caught fire yet. My name's Toph." And she scooted a drink towards the other girl. "What's yours? Wallflower?"
"I'm On Ji." Somehow, coming from Toph the nickname 'Wallflower' didn't seem like an insult at all. A smile curved onto On Ji's face as she sipped her juice, then gulped it. "I didn't know anyone else liked strawberry-lemon juice."
"Wussies," Toph snorted, "It's too sweet for them. Everybody's a wuss here, I swear. Even Fire nation soldiers hate it. 'Ohh, battles and death are easy! What, juice? Ahh! I can't take it!' Never had that problem back in the Earth Kingdom. Then again, we did eat dirt on dares."
On Ji laughed, not unkindly, as Toph giggled. Feeling at ease, the Fire Nation girl sipped her drink and for a moment, they sat in companionable silence. The music went on in the background, the lighting was low, and somehow On Ji no longer felt out of place. Toph didn't make a snide remark about her hair, or how she hunched over, or that she was plain looking. Toph just seemed to enjoy listening to the music, sitting here and breathing in the cool night air as if it gave her life. A calm settled over On Ji. This was more of her kind of thing. She'd never been a party person, or even an activity person. Sports, games, and apparently dances - these were things she liked to watch more than do.
"It's nice once you get to step away from it all for a moment," the black haired girl said, quietly. "All that prancing is kinda dumb."
"Then why are you here?" On Ji replied thoughtfully, "It wouldn't be hard to find some other place to go..."
"Eh, Twinkle Toes is my friend. I figure I have to hang around. That way when this blows up in his face, I'll be there." Toph's face made it impossible to tell if she was joking, then.
"That's so nice," On Ji gushed, sighing. "It's almost romantic."
"Pft, like he's gonna notice me through Sugar Queen's poofy hair?" Toph snorted, and though On Ji couldn't see her eyes, she was sure Toph had rolled them. "It's like they've got tunnel vision, or something."
"At least they're a happy couple, though."
"Happy? Ha! He just acts like he doesn't know she likes him and she acts like she's not interested in anyone on the planet," Toph's voice was so nonchalant and confident, On Ji's jaw dropped. How could anyone be so blunt, so honest? Were there no regulations in the colonies? "Unlike them, though, I would just tell someone if I liked them."
"Oh," On Ji said, and sighed. "I see."
So, then, Toph probably had a boyfriend. No wonder. She was so confident and honest and open. There were probably boys swooning at her feet. Yet another girl who had found a boyfriend better than On Ji's. Wonderful. Was there anyone at this party who wasn't better than her? Feeling self aware suddenly, she sunk low in her seat and stared at the floor. Sigh. Just... sigh. And si-
"Shut up," Toph snapped, and then she reached over, grabbed On Ji by her uniformed collar, and kissed her.
Mmm, On Ji's mind shut down and she leaned in. Toph was so unlike any of the boys On Ji had kissed. She was soft and cool to the touch. There was nothing rough about the kiss, though it certainly seemed to come out of nowhere. On Ji was left blinking in surprise, breathing through her nose as Toph showed no sign of breaking it off any time soon. The smell of damp earth reached her, but the brown haired girl found it as enchanting as Toph's beautiful face. The black haired girl's eyes were shut as she tuned out the world for this moment. Oh, lord, was Toph smirking while kissing her? On Ji wasn't sure whether to smile or be offended. The back part of her mind told her to pull away. In fact, it begged her to pull away before anyone saw her kissing a girl. For once, though, she listened to her heart instead, and didn't. She pressed herself forward, gloved, long Firebending fingers closing over Toph's short, dirt stained ones. Warm content spread over her. For a few moments, the world vanished and On Ji was not awkward, or self conscious, or anything but happy. A few seconds later, it was over, and the Fire Nation girl was positively scarlet faced.
Blushing a faint pink, Toph pulled back, a wicked little satisfied smile playing across her face. "Told you I'd tell you."
"But..." On Ji blinked, pressing a hand to her lips. They still tingled. In a daze, she asked, "Why me? I'm not pretty at all. You could have any girl you wanted, and I'm so plain!"
It was then that Toph pushed her black bangs off to the side, relieving unseeing foggy grey green eyes and a winning, knowing smile. "I guess you could say I really don't see the point in going off of 'prettiness'."
And all on Ji could manage was a romance-induced sigh.