Genre: Humor/Romance
Pairings: ZukoxAang
Warnings: Yaoi. Don't like? Don't read.
Time: 100 ASC - Post War
Setting: Upper Ring - Ba Sing Se
Summary: After the war, the Gang stays in Ba Sing Se for a much needed vacation. But what happens when Toph decides that everything is getting much too monotonous and brews up trouble, taking them to a play that portrays Aang and Zuko as a gay couple? And what happens when, during convincing the whole of Ba Sing Se that they aren't gay, Aang and Zuko find that they are convincing themselves as well?

Part XXI
Yet Another Great Plan

"Remind me how we ended up in this hellhole again." Zuko asked, his voice bordering on despair as he slumped against the wall of the boutique.

"You didn't have the guts to stand up to Suki, Katara and Toph." Aang said as he lightly leaned against the fire bender.

"Hey! It's not my fault that one happens to be psychotic, another is supposedly the greatest earth bender in the world and another is a scary warrior goddess with a katana." Zuko said as he quoted all of Toph's labels.

"Yeah, but shouldn't the idea guy, Avatar and Fire Lord be able to stand up to them?" Aang said as he pouted.

"Well, we could have. If they weren't girls, that is." Zuko grumbled.

Aang seemed to consider it for a moment and then, disregarding it completely, whined: "I'm hungry."

"You should have gone with Sokka when he offered." Zuko said with a heavy sigh.

"I wasn't hungry then." Aang pointed out. "Besides, Sokka left almost an hour ago and I don't think he's coming back so we might as well go too." He said with a shrug.

"Maybe you're forgetting that we haven't bought our clothes yet." Zuko said sourly.

"Well, let's go and buy them. We don't have to wait for Katara, Toph and Suki." Aang said hopefully.

"If we don't, we'll end up buying something that looks so hideous that it will start another wave of rumors." Zuko said sarcastically.

"Well, fine then, Mr Doom and Gloom. Do you have any ideas?" Aang said irritably.

"No. I'm just here to shoot down all of the ideas that you come up with." Zuko said with a wry smile.

"Ha. Ha." Aang said as he leaned his head against the wall and let his eyes slide shut.

A long silence followed with only the sounds of the street vendors as company and Aang had almost dozed off when Zuko spoke again. "Agni, I am so bored!"

Not bothering to open his eyes, Aang mumbled. "I know, Zuko."

He was vaguely aware of an exasperated sigh on the fire bender's part and the next he knew, a hand had closed around his wrist and he was being dragged along. "Hey! What's the big idea?" Aang demanded as he struggled to keep up with Zuko's long steps.

"Well, I didn't take you to dinner yesterday. Let's just go now." He said with a shrug.

"Honestly, Zuko. Are you taking me to dinner just because you're bored? And besides, it's the middle of the day. That's not even remotely romantic. In fact, I'm insulted that you would take me out under such circumstances!" Aang protested indignantly.

The air bender was prepared to protest more but then, Zuko came to halt and Aang bumped hard into him. "Fine, you're right." He said tiredly and then, Aang was being directed back towards the boutique.

"Uh, that's it?" Aang wondered in bewilderment.

"For now." Zuko said and as the fire bender's head turned slightly towards him, Aang saw a devious smile flit across his lips.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Aang wondered suspiciously.

"Oh, you'll see." Zuko said.

"Okay, then." Aang said, even though he remained unconvinced. But before he could get a chance to ponder on Zuko's noncommittal words, the door to the boutique swung open and Katara, Suki and Toph exited.

The water bender looked considerably more happier than Aang previously recalled and was busy chatting animatedly with Suki who looked just as appeased. Toph, however, looked ready to murder someone and Aang and Zuko flinched as she turned to them.

"If I had to pick between being trampled by a komodo-rhino and shopping with these two, I'd definitely pick the komodo-rhino. Let's get the hell out of here." Toph said darkly.

"Sure!" Zuko said eagerly as he pushed himself off the wall and made a move to follow Toph who was already walking at a brisk pace towards the end of the street.

"Hey! Wait just a second." Suki called. "We still have to pick out some clothes for Zuko and Aang."

Toph faltered and Aang wondered if it was the kind of pause that signified impending doom. But it turned out that it wasn't because when she turned around, a devious grin was curving her lips upwards. The likes of which made Aang feel very, very apprehensive.

"Really? Well, you should have told me before." She said with an evil grin.

Zuko and Aang exchanged an uneasy glance but before either could voice their worries, Toph had latched onto each of their arms and was happily dragging them along after Katara and Suki.

"For the last time, NO! I am not going to wear a stupid sleeveless shirt to a ball! This is a FORMAL event, Toph!" Zuko yelled at the earth bender who was staring innocently up at him.

"Yeah! But it'll look hot! And you shouldn't be concerned with impressing anyone but your date!" Toph said flatly.

"Sorry to disappoint you but you're not much of a date. I mean, I should at least have a date that I want to kiss. And your height is going to make it very difficult for us to dance." Zuko said sourly.

"Firstly, Sparky, I take offense to that. Secondly, Aang is the same height as me but you don't have any problem kissing him. Thirdly, height doesn't matter as long as we both know how to dance. And fourthly, you need a date as a cover. You will have to make out with me to make it seem convincing." Toph said bluntly.

"WHAT?" Zuko yelled. "There is no way I'm letting you kiss me!" He said.

"Hey, I already told Aang about it and he says that he doesn't mind. If that's what you're worried about, then don't be." Toph said with a shrug.

"NO! What I'm worried about is that there will be reporters there and if anyone sees me kissing you, they will most definitely put it in the papers since I already have a girlfriend." Zuko said exasperatedly. "And I know you didn't ask Aang."

"Zuko! Calm down." Aang's muffled voice called from inside the changing room.

"But WAIT! That's it!" Toph cried suddenly. "Aang, get out here." She said.

There was a pause and then a grumbling, shirtless Aang stumbled out of the changing room. "At least, give me five minutes to try on something." He said exasperatedly.

"Yeah, yeah. Enough with the whining already." Toph said as she waved her hand. "Anyway, as I was saying.." She continued.

"Oh another great idea!" Zuko said as he rolled his eyes.

"Shut up, Sparky. This is for your own good." Toph said and not waiting for him to reply, pressed on. "I know that you said that we were only your dates but think about it. Aang and Katara already broke up so things are definitely going to be tense between them. And if me and Zuko don't get all lovey dovey, then that bitch will notice." She said hurriedly.

"Which bitch?" Aang asked in bewilderment.

"Miyako Suzuri." Toph said as if it were obvious.

"Who says she's even going to be there?"

"I do. She's obviously an important citizen even though I don't think she was born into nobility." She said matter-of-factly.

"How would you know?"

"Well, one of my servants at home liked to read to me. But there were no story books so she just ranted on and on about Ba Sing Se and all of its higher ranking citizens. She even took out old documents. I didn't think it'd ever come in handy, though." She said with a grin.

"Your point is?"

"If Miyako Suzuri was nobility, I'd know about it. So I'm guessing that she was born a peasant or something similar to it and then bitched her way to the higher society." Toph said.

"Yeah but-"

"That's why she's going to be at the Ball. And that's why..." Toph said as she took a step towards Zuko. "We have to practice kissing." She said bluntly.

A long silence followed and then Zuko blanched. "No way!" He yelled as he backed away. "No way!"

"Just think about it, Zuko. You already have a girlfriend but if you were seen kissing another girl, you'd seem like the perfect player. And that would help in putting an end to the rumors and you could even win the deal!" Toph said brightly.

"But there has to be another way!" Aang said as he frowned.

"Well, there obviously isn't. That's why we have to make it seem believable." She said firmly.

"And what exactly do you mean by believable?" Zuko asked as he and Aang exchanged a glance.

"By believable I mean that you and Aang can't do anything suspicious throughout the entire ball. And me and you are going to have the hottest, sexiest and most sluttiest make out session that this city has ever seen, on the dance floor." Toph said as her lips curved into a devious smirk.

"But that is completely preposterous!" Aang said as he folded his arms and glared at Toph.

The earth bender paused for a second and then tilted her head to the right. "Uh oh. Twinkles is using big words! He's jealous!" She said with a huge grin.

"I am not!" Aang said as he blushed.

"Spirits, why do you people even try to lie to me?" Toph asked exasperatedly.

"I'm not!" Aang insisted as he hastily looked away from Zuko whose lips were curving into an amused grin.

"Yes, you are!" Toph sang teasingly.

However, before she could say anything else, Aang had disappeared back into the changing room and slammed the door shut behind him. "Did you have to do that?" Zuko said as he promptly wiped the grin off his face.

"Jeez, he's just doing it to get your attention. Just go and kiss him or whatever. I'm sure he'll be fine." She said nonchalantly.

"That's not an excuse." Zuko snapped.

"Yeah, but it sure as hell is a solution." Toph retorted as she turned on her heel. "Just make it quick, okay? We need to get Suki and Sugar Queen off our backs and then go practice. Tell Twinkles he can come as well." She said and Zuko didn't have to look at her face to know that she was smirking.

There was a pause and then Toph sauntered out of the changing rooms, leaving Zuko and Aang on either side of a door. With a sigh, the fire bender turned to it and was just about to knock when the door swung open.

"Are you honestly going to do this?" Aang demanded angrily.

"Aang, I have to." Zuko said apologetically.

"You wouldn't kiss Katara!" Aang snapped.

There was pause and then Zuko's eyebrows rose. "What? You want me to kiss Katara?" He wondered in bewilderment.

"I- no!" Aang yelled as he flushed bright red.

"Aang, I need to do this." Zuko said as he backed the air bender into the room and shut the door behind him.

"You don't need to do anything." Aang mumbled as he looked away.

"Yes, I do. Besides, this is Toph we're talking about. She actually makes an effort to repel guys." Zuko said as he looked pleadingly at Aang. He could have sworn he saw a smile flit across the air bender's lips but he couldn't be sure since he suddenly turned his back to him.

"Please, Aang." Zuko said as he lightly wrapped his arms around the air bender's waist and pulled him close. "You know it won't mean anything." He murmured as he pressed his lips to Aang's neck.

The air bender paused and his voice was uncertain when he asked: "Promise?"

"Promise." Zuko said with a smile.

Aang momentarily stiffened in his arms but then, he turned his head to look at Zuko. "Fine, then." He said.

Zuko smiled and then lightly tilted up the air bender's chin. His lips lightly brushed against his and he was just about to turn Aang around to face him completely when someone began to hammer on the door.

"I thought I told you to make it quick!" Toph hollered from the other side of the door.

But for once, both of them ignored her and Zuko felt Aang's lips twitching against his as he pushed him up against the wall of the changing room.

To MYnamesInvisable: Lol, once I read your review, I actually realized that I forgot about the dinner xD So, Zuko finally remembered in this chapter xD But it still didn't happen*sigh* Lol, and ily for understanding that this is not meant to be taken so seriously ^_^
Vithian: Aw, lol, thank you! :D I appreciate the chant xD And lmao, Toph a fag? xP And naw, when someone breaks, it'll be Katara and trust me, it won't be pretty x.x
FablerPheonix: Lol, I must admit that after reading your review, I sat in front of the computer for five straight minutes, grinning like an idiot xD Firstly, because the thought of Toph and Iroh made me want to cackle but I couldn't since then my sister would have gotten nosy. Secondly, because 'a middle ground between sense and nonsense' is such a perfect label for this story that it makes me want to hug you. And thirdly, because I frankly thought the kiss scene turned out horrid xD Thank you so much! :D
Sasuke Uzamaki9999: Lol, but Zuko, a douche bag and his whole honor thing justifies his reluctance... xD
Skyeh: Naw, don't worry...Aang might act like a suggestive & badass uke but in the end, Zuko will always dominate him x]

Thank you so much for all the reviews, you guys! ^^ I hope I can add a hot make out scene in the next chapter in celebration of 200 reviews :P [no, not one between Zuko and Toph xD]

I hope you enjoyed this chapter and don't forget to review! :D

-Jade258