I know, I know

Its been way too long since I've uploaded

You can murder me whenever you'd like, guys. Haha, I'm sorry

Finding myself with a few off days and recently single, I finally had some time to update, so here you go

The underbeat of the tsungi horn continued to play, switching its rhythm as the band seamlessly changed songs for at least the dozenth time. 'Little' mingling activity, my ass, Toph thought. It had been at least half an hour since it began, switching partners with each new song, and herself unable to escape the mess.

She had had to keep from socking about five - by now drunk and horny - Fire Nation 'schoolchildren', whom she barely remembered as they tried to hit on her, hear Sokka slurredly make even worse jokes than usual, listen to Zuko, who hated the activity as much as herself, complain endlessly, and make small talk with guys from every nation and walk of life. Her legs were beginning to grow sore, and her feet were pounding, from both being stomped on multiple times and trying to read the surroundings of a hundred dancing feet, which was accompanied by a forming headache.

Now partners were switching yet again, and she saw no sign of the cycle breaking. If it weren't for trying to keep her friends happy for once, she would either just leave or drop everyone through the floor. But no, she was being a 'good friend' and going along with the torture. Katara might still be alive for now, she thought, but in a week she would be paying for this severely.

The Ba Sing Se flirtatious boy nodded his head goodbye, still grinning like a goon, and finally left her to find another girl to attempt to pick up. Toph remained where she was, unamused, and praying that maybe there were an odd number of dancers and she would be lucky enough to sit out unnoticed. Unfortunately, a man only a few years her senior approached, hand outstretched chivalrously. "May I have this dance?" he prompted. She recognized him as the arrogant boy from the ceremony audience.

Toph sighed. "Whatever, why not," she halfheartedly accepted, taking the hand and allowing him to lead her.

For a minute, he rambled as he swayed, Toph being too tired and disgusted with the activity to make conversation. After a while, she grew tired of hearing about his life. He was the only son of a nobleman, had some huge trust fund, liked stockmarket crap, obsessed with extravagant things, suit he was wearing was designer, yada yada. Self centered rich snob. How much longer was this song?

He was quiet for a few seconds, then asked the first question not entirely related to his finances. "This might sound kind of odd, but you wouldn't happen to be related to the Bei Fong family, would you?"

Toph snorted. "Yeah, what of it?" she laughed. What kind of question was that? It was certainly strange.

He was quiet for a few seconds, staring at her intently. "…Sadako?" he asked, bewildered.

It was then that she tensed up, shocked. "What…?" she asked, confused. "No, my name's Toph. And you would be..?"

"Oh," he said, sounding slightly disappointed. "My name is Adesh. I apologize. I just thought… you strongly resemble her."

Toph thought for a second, searching for a reply. "Yeah… I get that a lot. She's my cousin," she saved.

"I see. Sorry about the mix up."

"Its fine," Toph brushed off. Awkward quiet re instilled itself between the two, until Toph's confusion and curiosity began to eat away at her. "How exactly do you know m-my cousin?" she inquired.

Adesh chuckled softly. "For a time, we were betrothed."

Toph's eyes widened in realization. "Oh," she choked out in awe. "What happened?" she continued, trying to sound curious and keep up the conversation.

He sighed "Unfortunately she must have had second thoughts on the matter or couldn't make up her mind. Eventually I grew tired of waiting."

"I see," Toph said. "I'm sorry to hear that," she faked sympathy, hiding her abhorrence at the thought of what she could have been stuck with.

He smiled. "Actually, I'm thankful for it. If it weren't for her indecision, I would have never met the love of my life." Adesh nodded his head towards a girl on the other side of the room, wearing a long silk gown and wavy hair nearly down to her rear end. "You see her over there?" Toph nodded. He grinned again. "Her name is Meng; lived right down the street my whole life. Never spoke to her once, and probably never would have. Now we're engaged."

Toph nodded again. If she were anyone else with any other viewpoint, she probably would have found the story sweet. "Congratulations," she formalized.

They continued to dance, and Adesh continued to go on about himself. She tuned into the song, and to her dismay recognized not only the tune but that it was only halfway through. She sighed; this was the epitome of torture.

She couldn't even look around the room to keep herself busy; there were too many people moving too many ways at once, and it messed with the vibrations. So sadly she listened to Adesh drone, and thanked the Spirits that she escaped marrying him.

A minute passed and he jumped suddenly, looking down behind him. "Excuse me," a voice asked, tapping him on the back and making Toph's heart leap. "Mind if I have this dance?"

Adesh shrugged, scoping the floor for another partner already. "Um… sure… go right ahead, sir."

He walked off to reveal a young man sitting behind him, holding out a hand for Toph. She breathed a sigh of relief. "Where the hell have you been?" she asked.

Teo wheeled closer. "Well, that's quite a hello," he said sarcastically.

Toph shook her head in disbelief, ignoring the comment. "How exactly is this going to…?" she questioned.

He laughed. "Like this," he sated, reaching up to grab her hips and pull her sideways onto his lap.

"Well, that's one way," she grinned, trying not to giggle. She put her hands on his shoulders, hugging him to her through his underarms and resting her head in the crook of his neck. "Took you long enough to get here," she joked.

"Hey," he said in defense, "it's a long flight, thank you very much."

She chuckled. "For a minute there, I thought my dumbass dad killed you."

Teo grinned. "Nope. You're not getting rid of me that easily."

He wrapped his arms around her back, and the tension she realized she'd been holding in all night was relieved. With her feet off of the ground, the tension in her head was relieved as well, and even her headache faded.

Teo let go of her to pop a wheely with his chair, spinning in a circle before touching all four wheels back onto the ground. Toph laughed; this was the most fun she'd had all night.

The song ended and people began mixing again, but Teo's arms refound their location around her midsection and held her down. "Oh, no you don't," he said. "You're staying right here for the rest of the night."

She laughed. "No complaints here," she joked, exhausted. She closed her eyes and curled up slightly on his lap, using his neck as a pillow. She felt a smile cross his lips, and he turned his head to kiss her cheek.

"Hey," he said, brushing a hair out of her face that had escaped from its hold. "I know you probably can't stand that dress, but let me just say that you look amazing."

Toph rolled her eyes, suppressing a blush. "Oh, please." She joked. "Save it for someone who buys it, Shorty."

Teo's hand went to the back of her head, cradling it to him. "Whatever you say, darling."

She chortled. Teo's free hand continued to wheel them in circles as the music played, both of them quiet as Toph kept herself from completely clinging to the boy.

When the song ended, it had finally been the last one. The crowd parted their ways for drinks and relaxation as they announced the garter toss.

"You gonna go up?" Toph teased. Teo thought for a second.

"Hm…" he pondered. "Nah, wouldn't have much of a chance," he said. "Not to mention it would be much more fun sitting with you."

Toph sat up and stretched, bracing her hands against his shoulders. In the background she heard the music playing again, and the hoots and cheering begin. Knowing what this meant, she crept her feet to the ground to see what was going on.

An embarrassed Aang was being blindfolded to find his bride's garter. Toph burst in laughter. "Whoo! Yeah! Go Twinkle Toes!" She hollered.

As the event went on, with much difficulty, Katara had buried her face in her hands out of mortification. Toph chuckled; what did she think this was?

Eventually it was found with his teeth and flung into the crowd of testosterone filled lunatics, to be caught by Adesh. Obviously; the guy was already engaged, wasn't he?

Music began playing again and at once she remembered the standard of this game; whatever man catches the garter has to dance with the woman who caught the bouquet. Oh, heck no; she was not going to be stuck dancing with him again.

"Hey, Teo?" she asked sweetly. "Why don't we sneak outside for a bit? It's driving me crazy in here."

"Whatever you say," he smirked, and slowly wheeled backwards to the bar. He spun the chair around and cracked the door next to the end, creeping out with Toph still in her place.

The cool night air hit her at once and she realized just how hot it had been inside the hall. Teo continued to wheel them a bit down the alleyway until the music from inside became muffled.

Toph turned and ran a hand through his hair. "I missed you…" she said, pulling his lips to hers. He kissed back, placing a hand on the small of her back and holding her closer. After a minute her lips left his, kissing a trail across his cheek and jaw to his ear. "Don't you dare scare me like that again," she threatened, before returning to his mouth more fiercely than before.

His other hand migrated to the base of her neck, and his fingers twirled the loose hair at the base of her updo. "You won't have to worry about that," he breathed. The fingers went from the loose hair to the contained, and they slipped off the band holding her hair up. She felt it fall down over her shoulders, a blanket of warmth concealing her.

Toph pulled back and rested her forehead against his. "What took you so long," she inquired.

"I was talking to your father," he explained.

"About?" she asked, kissing him again.

His hand left her hair and found her left hand, intertwining her fingers in his. "I needed to ask him about a few things."

Her lips left another trail across his cheek. "What would be so intriguing to ask that crazy sonofabitch of all people?"

He resumed their previous position of their heads leaning together and his hand disappeared from her back. His other hand stroked her thumb and tightened his fingers' grip. "Something very important," he whispered, "very important to me."

His other hand returned, fisted, with just a finger and a thumb free, wrapping themselves around her wrist below the other, entwined hand.

"Like?" she breathed.

He kissed her nose. "Permission…" the fingers around her wrist tightened. "Toph…" he started, "I love you… so much. More than you could ever imagine. I lost you once, and it was living hell. I almost lost you a second time, and then a third." The second hand crept from her wrist to squeeze her palm, opening her hand and loosening her fingers. "I don't want to lose you again." He kissed her lips. "I'm not letting him take you from me again."

His hand moved form her palm to the base of her fingers, and the fingers rejoined the fist as the ones on his other hand began to untangle.

"You're my world, my everything, my best friend. I can't live without you." The hand that untangled itself from her fingers reached into the fist, and the hands switched positions. "And I don't want to," the newly freed hand spread her fingers, "and I'm not going to."

His now fisted hand unfolded, and she felt something metallic and warm with body heat slip onto her ring finger.

She could feel his breath on her face, and he kissed her again. Toph choked back tears. "Toph… would you do me the honor… of marrying me?"

A million thoughts ran through her head. She couldn't answer, couldn't speak. When she'd caught the bouquet, she felt this silly nagging hope that it might be a truth. It was the first time when she'd looked at the thought in a positive light. Being with the same person, forever. Being tied down in one place with one routine for the rest of her life; it had always been repulsive. It was the kind of life that she worked so hard to escape and avoid on more than one occasion. To willingly enclose herself to it? It had always seemed unreal.

There was the ingrained instinct to back away, to panic and run and never look back. It scared her and she'd always dreaded the concept. But at the same time… the thought of running broke her heart more than any of it. Leaving him behind, forever; it killed her, ripped her to pieces.

She loved him with all of her heart.

She'd gone to so much effort to avoid marrying Adesh once she'd discovered the plan, and Teo had put everything into helping her with this escape. Dancing with Adesh earlier, it had made her think. She was so glad that she hadn't married him. As they talked, it was like everything she had ever feared about the idea would have been true.

But Teo was not Adesh. He was Teo. He wasn't a nobleman, he was an inventor. He wasn't bore some, he was creative and fun and witty. And nothing with him had ever been routine. For years, nothing had ever fallen into a sequence. Everything was fresh and new and exciting. What would make this any different?

It would be a forever of fun, a forever of mystery and adventure. It would be exactly how it always had been with them, and it began to sound wonderful.

Her heart pounded in her chest. She thought about earlier, and how much it terrified her to think that he wasn't going to come back, hurt by her father's goons. She thought about when they'd been imprisoned, how everything had been more bearable by just his presence.

She'd always thought that if anyone ever proposed to her she would say no, and leave to never see them again. And she couldn't. Because for once… with him… she wanted it.

Toph blinked away tears and smiled softly, finally nodding her head, softly at first, then more and more vigorously.

She grinned and laughed and kissed him. "Yes… Yes!"

Teo clutched her hand again, pulling it to his chest. He let out a breath that she could tell he had been holding for a long time. She laughed and kissed him again, feeling him grin against her mouth.

When she laid her head across his chest, next to her hand, she could feel his heart hammering beyond belief, and she smiled. He buried his face in her hair. "I love you."

She tilted her head up and nuzzled his cheek. "I love you too." After a minute, she had to ask. "You actually asked him?" she wondered in awe.

Teo nodded. "I wouldn't have asked without doing it first."
"And he accepted?"

He nodded his head again.

Toph shook her head. "That was unbelievably stupid and risky, you know. Who knows what he could have…"

Teo smirked. "Well, what's fun without a little risk?" he asked, quoting her own catch phrase from before her first kidnapping. She chuckled and returned to his neck, smiling.

It must have been nearly an hour that they sat outside, alone in the alley; the only sounds their breath and the faded thump of the music inside and the occasional murmur between kisses, completely content in each others company.

Both would have been fine with staying like that forever, but eventually Toph realized that they would have to go back into the hall. She pulled their intertwined hands to her mouth and kissed his knuckle, then her ring. "They're probably wondering where we are," she admitted sadly.

Teo nodded. "We should probably go in soon," he said, bringing the hands from her lips to his own.

She closed her eyes and breathed deeply, taking in one last gulp of his air to hold her off before standing up. She left a hand on his arm. "Come on," she smiled.

He grinned. "After you," he purred, making her giggle.

"I'm serious," she laughed, "we have to go back in."

"Alright," he said, following her back towards the door. The night felt colder without his arms around her.

She twirled the ring on her finger, and her eyes widened. "Oh!" she cried. "Are we going to tell them already?"

Teo thought about this for a moment. "I'm not sure… well, do you want to?"

Toph shrugged. "I don't know… it's kind of quick, and… it kind of is their day..."

"Alright, how about this. We won't say anything, but if they ask, we won't lie."

Toph laughed. "Sounds like a plan. Now come on already."

She opened the door and they snuck back in, unnoticed. The crowds had diminished severely, and Toph realized that it had gotten late. Only close friends and family remained; Hakoda, Sokka, their three cousins Hau, Fumi, and Isaye, Suki, Zuko, Iroh, Bumi, and Fakih, who was most likely waiting for their return to bring them home.

The music had ended and the tables had begun to be put away, leaving just a few put together in the middle of the room where the remaining guests sat. Katara and Aang had opened gifts, and now the group was talking. It reminded Toph of old times, their times after the war when they would sit like this at the end of every day. Like Teo had mentioned a few months ago, now everyone had grown up, and it was rare to find times like this.

They approached the table, first spotted by Sokka. "Hey!" He shouted. "Where have you been?"

Toph quirked an eyebrow. "Does it matter?" she demanded. She fisted her hand, using her thumb to conceal the ring from sight.

Sokka shrugged. "Well, you missed a lot. That garter guy ended up dancing with his fiancé, then one of those kids from the Fire Nation school tried hitting on Smellerbee and she threatened to stab him, then Longshot got pissed and punched him and they got into this awesome fight!" he grinned. He peered around her. "Hey! Teo! When did you even get here?!"

"During that mingling thing," Teo answered casually.

They took spots at the table and got caught up, laughing and joking with everyone just like they used to. Suki ended up spotting Toph's ring and to her surprise, nobody was surprised; they'd all been expecting it and were more upset that it hadn't happened sooner. Sure, the girls gushed over the – what she was told it was – diamond inlaid jade stone, and Hau mocked her for her disbelief, and the guys all had to pat Teo on the back, and Fakih hugged them both, but other than that it was just casual news.

In the morning the newlyweds would be on their way to the Southern Air Temple for their honeymoon, which Toph preferred not to think about, so the couple eventually left around three in the morning. Once they were gone, Sokka and Suki were the next to go, bringing the cousins with them. With Zuko's help, Iroh finished up cleaning the teahouse and they turned in, the young Firelord staying the night in his spare room upstairs.

In the end it was just them and Fakih.

Fakih smiled and just looked at her. "You know… I always knew it. I always knew that my boy was going to make you my daughter, and now he's done it, and I was right, and he was right," he said. "He's been telling me ever since that war ended that he was gonna marry you and just looky now," he chuckled, "couldn't've been more accurate, that boy was."

Teo tensed and rubbed the back of his neck. Toph turned and rose an eyebrow at him, smirking. "Oh really now," she teased. "And I was just informed of this now? You know my opinion on being kept out of things."

"Well… er… I, uh…" Teo stammered, embarrassed. "I didn't want to risk…"

Toph laughed and took his hand. "I'm just teasing, Shorty. Besides, what's fun without a little risk, anyways?"

Thats it, guys, the end :)

Considering a single chapter epilogue, but only if I get enough feedback on this one... So if the thought interests you, review or let me know

I hope you guys enjoyed!