Hiya! TezTra here!

Ah, nothing better than waking up to a week full of Toko! I know it's meant to 'kick off summer', but where I live, winter's at the door :)

So anyway, my first time ever writing for Toko Week, and I'd like to thank Life is Like a Novel for helping me. Thank you!

Disclaimer: Sadly, I don't own Avatar :)

Enjoy!

Gambling

Zuko's sharp eyes darted around his surroundings, the street. Shaking his head he moved on and walked along the next road, glancing at the stone buildings with green tiled roofs on each side of him. Again, he searched through the small crowds of the endless lane, hoping to find someone. The scarred young man listened to the soft scrape of his leather shoes against the flat paved surface of the stone ground as he continued, before he finally gave up and dumped himself unceremoniously on the sidewalk, catching the attention of some passing strangers as he did. Sighing as he ran his fingers through his hair, he cursed the blind Earthbender for being so difficult to find.

How was it that he went to the trouble travelling all the way from the Fire Nation to the Earth Kingdom just to visit Toph at her parents' estate in Gaoling, only to find out she had stormed out on her parents after another fight with them? Her parents had told him everything, about how wealthy and handsome Lord Kai of a neighbouring town proposed to the sixteen-year-old, and how they were so thrilled they had practically accepted for their daughter. How she had almost tore down the whole manor in anger and disappeared, riding off on an earth wave. Zuko should have known. He had advised Lao and Poppy Bei Fong not to send out a large search party, as he knew it would upset the blind girl even more, and offered to go and find their beloved daughter himself. Of course, Lord Kai had made an oath he would find Toph first, and win her heart then and there. Now the chase was on.

Zuko's mind drifted slowly back into the present. The mere thought of the arrogant Lord Kai having the nerve to propose to the greatest Earthbender in the world made the Firebender want to laugh, and label the younger man unworthy of such a powerful bender. At this, Zuko smirked and got back onto his feet, finding the drive again to search for Toph. He knew he needed to hurry, as Lord Kai had mentioned he would send out his personal guards to strip down Goaling and find the girl he intended to marry. Why he wanted to find Toph first so eagerly, he did not know. Maybe it was because he knew she would prefer to see him, than the one who caused this mess.

The nineteen-year-old came to another street, and started his search afresh. When he reached the end of the path, he heard the loud shout of a familiar rough voice, and made his way to the lone building at the road's end with a hope of finally seeing the Earthbender after a year since the last time they talked face to face.

It was a bar, he realised, as he stood outside the place and watched a man and a woman exit the building, leaving bright light to flood out of the pub before the door closed again and all sounds of cheering and music were muffled. The merry atmosphere beckoned to Zuko. When he entered the bar, it was only after a group of people parted that he saw a yelling Toph just at the back of the bar, where the barkeeper was cleaning the dirty mugs.

"Yeah! That's right! That'd be forty copper pieces," said Toph.

The man sitting on the stool beside the teenager mumbled before he revealed a bag of money from the folds of his vest, and handed it to the short girl. Toph smirked and turned around to face the bench she sat at, emptying the bag to count her winnings. The man left her to herself, and made his way towards then past Zuko, where he ducked out of the bar, cursing the girl as he did. Zuko shook his head before he approached the blind girl, catching her ordering a drink.

"I'll have the same too please," he said, sliding into the stool where Toph's victim had sat earlier.

The barkeeper looked up and nodded, before he left to get his customers two more drinks. Toph, at this, stopped counting her coins and her head jerked up. Shock was written all over her expression, as she turned to face the man beside her, before she replaced it with surprise.

"Oh wow. The Fire Lord himself chooses to come and mingle with us tonight and at a bar too! To what do I owe you this pleasure, Sparky?" Toph greeted, punching her friend on the arm and smiling as she leaned in for a hug.

Zuko shifted his position so he could embrace the Earthbender. When the two pulled back, with Zuko rubbing his now bruising arm, they both laughed. "Just came by to visit an old friend. Mind directing me to the Bei Fongs' estate?"

Toph frowned. "Ha, nice try. So you know?"

"Yeah, how can I not? Your parents were practically begging me to go and find you."

"That's them all right."

"Come on, Toph. Come back and we can talk about this."

"If there's one thing Toph Bei Fong cannot do, that's talk openly to her parents, one on one."

Zuko sighed. "Was it that bad?"

Toph shrugged passively. "So how are you and Mai?"

"Um... not too good actually. We broke up."

"Oh," was all Toph could say. "Sorry."

The barkeeper returned, breaking up the awkwardness just in time, setting down two large glasses of liquor mixed with fruits to spice it up. He left them without a word as another order was thrown at him. Toph turned to take a swig from her glass. She downed the drink within a few gulps, and banged the mug on the bench when she finished. She smacked her lips and started to pick at the fruit leftover in her glass. "Phew, this one's pretty strong."

Zuko offered a stern glance at his friend's words, despite knowing his stares rendered useless against Toph's sightless eyes. "Should you be drinking –?"

"Hey! You!" Toph shouted as she ignored Zuko, addressing a stranger walking past.

The older man approached the girl. "Yes, miss?"

"Wanna play a game?"

"What kind of game, miss?"

"Oh, you know," Toph leaned backward, resting her elbows on the bench behind her. "It involves gambling. You up for it?"

The man smiled, taking a seat on her other side. "I'm game if you are, miss. How much and what on?"

Zuko's brows knotted together even more. He was about to speak out against Toph, but stopped himself, deciding he wanted to see what Toph had planned in mind. He took a sip out of his drink, and almost choked. Toph was right, this drink was really strong. The scarred man coughed several times, before he took another sip, but this time slower. He listened on as Toph and the stranger as they lay bets on many different things. Toph only lost once, and finally, after their umpteenth bet, the man surrendered the rest of his money and left Toph to find more people to gamble with, evidently in hopes of winning some money back.

As time passed them, Toph continued to challenge some men, always ending up the superior. On one occasion, she even had an arm wrestle with Zuko, and ended up losing a quarter of her winnings. The two were now in a fit of laughter as they choked on their fifth round of drinks, reminding themselves of the 'old days' before the war ended, and exchanging information about the lives they lived the past year, just like how a reunion should have been, and just like how Zuko planned and wanted it to be. Just the two of them, having a good laugh over a drink. Minus the drink part.

"Hey, you know what? I just remembered Katara telling me something about you scamming people back in the Fire Nation years ago. You know, gambling, like this. You haven't grown at all," Zuko commented.

Toph had her forehead pressed against the wood of the bench, and her reply came out muffled: "Yeah. But I have so grown! I used to cheat cheaters back in the day, but now, the guys I gamble with are as honourable as you!"

Zuko laughed. She had not grown one bit. He stared at the motionless Earthbender before him and smiled. She may have not grown in maturity, but she was definitely growing to become a lovely young woman. As pale as ever, and very fit and healthy. Just like him. But she only gained a few inches in height, still not quite reaching past his shoulder, Zuko estimated.

"We should be getting back, you know," Zuko said, after much thinking and gazing. He smirked as Toph shook her head; despite still resting her head facedown.

"Just one more."

"I bet ten copper pieces you can't take one more."

"Bet you I can."

"Game on," he replied. Zuko chuckled as Toph called the barkeeper, who now looked really annoyed with her, and requested for one more Mango Ice Bowl. "That again?"

"What?" Toph finally 'looked' up. She turned to Zuko with wry grin. She combed back the bangs shielding her eyes with her fingers. Zuko stared into her cloudy eyes with a wonder. "It's the best they've got."

The Firebender rolled his eyes. He watched as Toph inhaled deeply and tried to sit straight and properly, to show she was not going to back down on this bet. The barkeeper had gone, and the bar was getting emptier by the moment. Must be really late, Zuko thought. He would probably have to drag Toph back to her house. As the two waited, and a comfortable silence hung in the air, Zuko could feel his head spinning slightly from drinking. He should have lain off on the first drink.

"Forget this. I think we should go."

Toph pouted. "But I said 'one more', and you said 'game on'," she whined.

Zuko chuckled. "You're so cute when you do that."

Both benders froze. Did they both just hear correctly?

"What did you say?" Toph questioned, frowning.

Her companion's eyes widened, clapping a hand over his mouth silently before he could find the words in his throat again. "You've grown," he decided to lie.

"Ha, ha. Very funny Sparky. What was that you said about me having not grown earlier? What's wrong? A bit dizzy? Can't handle all this drinking?"

"I'll have you know that anything you can do I can do way better, drunk or not," Zuko said defiantly.

"Oh, that's a little far, isn't it?" Toph asked, laughing mockingly. "Careful, you might be too humiliated to leave this bar by the time we're done.

Zuko smirked. "I bet you half of the money I've got that I'm gonna beat you at whatever we do next. Be it drinking, an arm wrestle, or whatever. I'm gonna beat you, so bad," he whispered. This reminded Zuko of being a little kid again; way back when he used to argue with his sister, before she turned vicious on him. He pushed away that last thought.

"Better start halving your money, Sparky. Because you're on."

Zuko nodded, and decided in order to get the upper hand, he had to do something first, so he knew what he was doing. After all, this was half his winnings he was putting at stake here. As Zuko strategized, he failed to notice the devilish smile creeping onto Toph's thin lips. She edged closer to him on her stool before she grabbed the collar of his tunic and pulled him down so his face was level to hers, before she pressed her lips against his. Zuko almost fell off his seat from the force, but he was able to steady his stool as he was being kissed.

At first, the kiss was awkward, but soon Zuko found his heart fluttering, like when he used to be with Mai, before they went their separate ways more than eight months ago. He could taste hints of alcohol and he smirked in their kiss. He could feel the barkeeper's eyes on them, before the man muttered something and left the two and Toph's new drink alone. He inhaled deeply and smelt dirt off Toph, just the way he remembered it. He jumped at the sound of the doors of the bar opening, slamming against the wall, but ignored it as the two continued with no interruptions. Finally Toph pulled away and breathed heavily as Zuko chuckled. Toph was always full of surprises.

"Sorry. But I think I'll have to call that a tie," Zuko admitted, hinting he enjoyed kissing the blind girl.

She smirked. "I tried. Anything to win, right?"

"What do you think you're doing?"

The two turned their heads towards the door at the new voice. There stood Lord Kai, hawk-like eyes widened and mouth open, with a few men dressed in uniform behind him.

"Lord Kai?" Zuko asked, astonished. He and Toph were always getting into trouble.

"Get away from her you dog!" screamed the dark-skinned man. "That is my woman you're with!"

Zuko growled and jumped out of his seat. "She is not yours, and she's not just something you can bargain over –"

He was cut off by a hand touching his shoulder. He looked down to find Toph next to him, glaring sightlessly at the tall nobleman. Toph then turned to him and smirked. "I bet all my winnings I'll make him scream first."

Zuko raised a brow before he returned the grin. "I bet twice as much that I'll make him cry."

The two nodded in agreement before they turned back to face the fuming Lord Kai, assuming their own fighting stances as well. The whole bar went silent as all eyes turned to watch the two benders challenging a now shocked Kai and his guards. After all, they were wondering when a fight would start that night.

I hope you liked this. It was hard to write, and not too much gambling going on either, but I tried :)

Review!

Happy Days

TezTra