Arranged Love Story
A/N: Okay before anyone takes a piss at me, as some people have been apt to do on other fics, I know they aren't in the same timeline. There is no war (in ba sing se lol) and the air nomads weren't massacred and somehow the timeline isn't off 100 years. It's fanfiction. It's an AU. Use your imagination!
That morning, Aang made her drink two glasses of water before breakfast, despite her protest. He grieved the fact that he would have to water her like a plant to keep her alive, since she was about as self-caring as a rock. (Come on, she wasn't that helpless.)
The food was delicious again, and Toph asked him where he'd learned to cook.
"My father- well, he's not actually my father, but he might as well be. His name is Gyatso, you'll meet him at the temple. He's a great cook, and an even better baker."
Toph smiled. "I'm looking forward to meeting him then. My favorite flavor is strawberry, by the way."
Aang laughed, "Noted. I'll pass along the information."
She helped put the dishes away. For some reason, when their hands brushed as they passed a plate, Toph felt her heart stutter at the sudden shock shooting from where his skin touched hers. She stifled her gasp of surprise and shoved the feeling down.
It's not like she liked him. No way. She didn't... she-
Oh...
Oh shit. Did she like her husband?
Aang interrupted her introspection. "If you're up for it, we can go sparring again. Like, for real this time."
Toph shook her sudden realization off as she smirked at him. "Oh, so you wanna get your butt kicked by a little girl huh?"
"Trash talking already?" Aang bumped her shoulder. "What if I beat you?"
She snorted, "Good luck with that, fancy dancer."
He groaned. "I was really hoping that nickname wouldn't stick."
"Oh it has. And I'll think of more, just you wait."
"I'll have to get creative, too. Let's see... how about I start calling you Shrimp?"
Toph put her hands on her hips and playfully glared at him. "I'm short and I'm proud."
"You really shouldn't be."
She mock-gasped, "That's it! We're taking this outside, buddy!"
"You're on, Shrimp!"
They made their way back to the same clearing. Without preamble, he held out his hand again to cross the creek, and Toph took it. It's not like she needed the guidance- she could see the rocks just fine. But his hand was warm, and it swallowed hers in size, and… it felt nice.
(Shit!)
He released her hand all too soon, in her opinion.
"Okay, so we fight for real, because I wanna see those sweet moves you were pulling in that ring."
She grinned at him. "You're asking for it, just remember that."
They circled each other in their fighting stances, and Toph waited for him to make the first move. She felt it when his foot hit the ground, and she easily sidestepped the rock that came up where she had been standing.
Instead of attacking, she watched to see what Aang did on the offensive. She grew peeved when he kept attacking from the ground-literally. He didn't throw a rock at her once.
"Come on, Fancy Dancer. Stop going easy on your wife." She taunted. "This is child's play."
She heard his chuckle, and then she felt it as he bent a small boulder and kicked it directly at her. She smirked as she let it get close, only smashing it in half cleanly when it came into contact with her. Toph could feel it as Aang's heart rate spiked at first- so he was still worried that he would hurt her?
Time to show him what she was really made of.
She went on the offensive then, surprising him with rock after rock, forcing him to block each boulder when they came so fast he couldn't even flee from them. He was the Avatar, he could take it.
After ten minutes of the brutal onslaught, Aang changed tactics. He created a ripple of rock that made Toph jump up. In the few seconds that her feet were off of the ground, Aang disappeared.
Toph stomped on the ground again, but she didn't see him. She grinned. Now it was getting interesting…
She stayed still, focusing her ears and seismic sense to detect any movement. She felt the exact moment that he floated down and barely landed- and in a split second he had bent a boulder and flung it at her.
Toph laughed as she redirected the boulder back at him. "I've never fought an air bender before. So light on your feet…" He had disappeared again. "Aren't you, Twinkle Toes?"
She heard Aang groan, "What kind of nickname is that?"
"Gotcha!" She shouted, taking aim for his voice. He swore loudly. The rock didn't make contact though, so he must have gotten out of the way in time.
The next time he landed, she had him. She created a wall of rock around him, so tight he couldn't escape, and one wall in particular very sharp aimed at his nose. Aang laughed, "Alright, you win. As expected."
She smirked, letting the walls fall. "I told you, I'm the best earthbender around."
Aang walked up next to her, "So tell me how you can see?"
Toph nodded. "Close your eyes. Focus on the earth and listen. If you concentrate, you can sense vibrations. And you can cause a vibration, and see what it bounces off of."
She stomped, feeling the vibrations flow and come back to her. Aang hummed, "I think I get it, let me try."
Aang hit his bare foot on the earth and gasped as he felt the vibrations spread out around him. It was… indescribable.
"That's… amazing." He looked at his wife with even more awe. She was amazing.
Toph smiled at him. "Maybe that little trick will come in handy one day."
He nodded, "I'm sure it will."
"Can I watch you bend all the elements? I've never seen anything but earth bending." Toph changed the subject, curious about his talents.
"Sure. Water was the first element I learned after air, and it was easy to pick up." Aang started towards the creek.
He didn't see Toph roll her eyes- because of course it was easy for him. Show off!
Toph stood next to the creek as Aang stepped in. She could see him move his limbs in a new way, a more graceful and elegant form.
He moved quickly, and Toph realized he was probably whipping water around himself, she couldn't really tell when the sound of the creek running was all she could hear. Instead she raised an eyebrow at him and crossed her arms. "That's some fancy dance moves, Twinkletoes."
Aang laughed. "I guess you can't really see the water bending huh…"
Toph popped the p in "Nope."
"Maybe… you'll have to feel it." Aang grinned mischievously as Toph widened her eyes.
"Wait-" Toph squealed as cold water hit her chest. Her jaw was dropped for a moment before she laughed. "Oh you are so gonna get it, Twinkletoes!"
"Come and get me then, little miss Shrimp!" He taunted.
Toph had a hell of a time trying to reach him. Every step she was doused with water, and Aang kept freezing her feet to the ground. Her attempts at throwing rocks at him were thwarted. She didn't know what she would do when she got her hands on him, but it would be punishment!
She kicked up mud at him that had been created by his water works. He spluttered, "Ew, that got in my mouth!"
It was the moment of distraction she needed as she finally caught him, giggling too much to do anything but grab on to his tunic.
"Well you got me, what's my punishment?" He chuckled.
"Hmm, I was going to say eat mud, but seems you already did that." She put her finger against her lips in consideration. "Maybe I should make you wash this dress that is now full of creek water."
Aang laughed, "That's easy enough to fix."
Suddenly Toph felt the wetness seep out of her clothes until they were dry again. She blinked in surprise.
"And your hair, too." He stepped closer, pulling at her headband and causing her wet hair to fall down her back. With one sweeping motion, he gathered her long locks up and soon her hair was dry too.
Aang put her hair gently on her shoulder and pushed her headband back on so her bangs were out of her face. "There. Pretty as ever, Shrimp."
She tried not to blush but she's pretty sure she failed.
"Looks like that leaves one punishment left then, I guess."
Aang quirked an eyebrow. "And what's that?"
Toph slammed her foot down, the earth launching Aang into the air far on the other side of the creek.
She harrumphed in triumph and went back into the house.
Toph sank down into the tub. The hot water eased her muscles- she really had gone all out on Aang earlier. He was the Avatar after all, and he put up a good fight.
She thought on Aang some more, trying to get a grasp on those damn pesky feelings that had been popping up.
He was sweet, and kind and considerate. He was a good cook, and a good fighter. He was trustworthy. He was really dorky, a lot awkward, and still a total gentleman. He was fun. He made her laugh. He had really nice muscles-
Whoa. Toph felt her face flush. Where did that thought come from?
She whined and dunked her head under the water, scrubbing furiously at her scalp with soap as if that would make the thought go away. It didn't.
Toph came back up for air and sighed. So maybe she was a little sweet on Aang- that was fine. He was her husband, it was a good thing that she liked his company. And his physique.
Ugh.
"There's a letter for you, Toph. From your parents."
Toph was sitting on the lounge couch and combing out her long, damp hair when she felt the envelope fall into her lap. A smile twitched at her lips.
"Aang, I know that I like to pretend that I have no problem going about the world, but I am actually blind. I literally cannot read."
"Oh spirits." He groaned. "That was really dumb, sorry."
He snatched the letter back off her lap and plopped onto the couch next to her, ripping it open.
Silence.
"Would you care to read it aloud maybe?" She grinned.
Aang groaned again. "I'll get the hang of this, eventually."
"Sure you will." She teased.
"Anyways." He ignored her sassing, "Your parents heard we're still in town and are wanting us to come visit them one last time before we make the rest of our journey to the air temple."
Toph huffed and quipped, "That sounds fun."
He pitted his knee against hers and shoved in jest. "It will be fun! We can make it fun."
"Has anyone ever told you that you're too optimistic?"
"Many people!" He said cheerily. "But I am just the right amount of optimistic, I think."
She rolled her eyes. (But mostly in fond amusement.)
Toph was washing clothes in the creek when Aang walked through the forest clearing and spotted her. He smiled deviously before lightly tiptoeing closer, air bending quietly over the creek until he was right behind her-
"If you're trying to sneak up on me you should have gone for the trees like, ten minutes ago." Toph said nonchalantly, throwing a wet cloth in his face.
Aang spluttered, "Ew these are my underwear!" He leaned over her shoulder, "You don't have to wash my clothes, you know."
Toph shrugged, "I need to wash mine so it's no big deal."
"Well let me help you, then." He grabbed a pile of wet clothes laid out on the rocks and stood to hang them on one of the lines between the inn and the trees.
They worked silently, and Toph smiled when Aang began to hum under his breath.
...this was really nice. She didn't mind if this is what the rest of her life would be like with her new husband.
Aang broke the silence, "Why do you have so many dresses? Don't you want to wear something more breathable?"
She huffed a laugh. "Of course I do. But a noble lady wears dresses. I only have one loose outfit for fighting, and my parents only got me that because I kept ruining dresses."
Under his breath, so soft she probably wasn't meant to hear it, he muttered, "Well I'll get you better clothes."
Toph smiled at his sweetness.
Aang coughed suddenly, and Toph felt his pulse spike.
"And did your parents also buy you these?!"
Toph suddenly remembered why she wanted to do laundry alone. Her face flushed as she realized what Aang must be holding.
She scrambled to stand. "That's-! My mother packed some things for our honeymoon but- don't look at them!"
She was in such a hurry to snatch the offending lace items out of his hands that she wasn't paying enough attention to the landscape. Her feet dragged on the pile of wet laundry as she was reaching for Aang.
"Toph, watch-"
"Oof!"
They both crashed to the ground, and Toph felt a sharp pain as her nose connected with Aang's stupid hard chest.
"Ow, ow, ow." She whined, pushing herself up on her elbows as she held her nose.
Aang reached out and cradled her chin. "Let me see."
As his soft fingers gently inspected her injured nose, Toph became acutely aware of their bodies pressed up against one another. Her breasts against his chest, their groins together, even his strong thighs on either side of hers, caging her in.
He swiped his finger under her nose. "No blood. Doesn't seem broken. We should put some ice on it though just in case."
Toph felt at a loss for words as he continued to hold her face just above his. She felt tension fill the air as he finally seemed to realize their position. It felt like they were stuck there for an eternity.
"Uh! Well, I'll- um. I'll go get an ice pack." Aang sat up and easily lifted her to sit on the ground next to him as he stood hurriedly and went inside the house.
Toph sat there stupidly, lifting a hand to her chest as if that would slow down the fast beating of her heart.
It took Aang about ten minutes to grab ice, which meant he was probably also freaking out. Eventually he came back out, completely composed.
"Alright, here's some ice. You just stay there and I'll hang up the rest of the laundry. And then how about we go do some shopping?"
Toph raised one of her eyebrows and pointed down at her robe. "I don't have anything to wear out."
"Oh, you can wear some of my stuff then. It's all really loose fabric so no need to worry about sizes."
She nodded in agreement and he went about hanging the laundry. She still noted his intake of breath whenever he came across another lace or silk item of hers. He was seeing all of her private clothes- knowing that they were for him. Toph wanted to bury herself alive in mortification.
Aang smartly didn't speak about said items again.
It wasn't until later when she stepped out to accompany him to the market that Toph made some conclusions. His heart stuttered as she wore his clothes, and she realized he wanted her in his robes. It dawned on her, quite dumbly, that he probably could wash and dry laundry with his bending in a matter of minutes, but he wanted to see her standing in his clothes- in his colors.
She didn't mind though, the fabric was soft and easy to move in. They smelled like an open field of grass.
He took her hand as they weaved through the market stalls. Even though he knew she could see him just fine. She didn't shake his hand off though.
"So what are we shopping for?" Toph asked.
"New clothes for you." Aang answered as if it was obvious. "You should have comfortable clothes that you can fight in."
She squeezed his hand gratefully. "That would be nice. But I still have to wear a dress to dinner or my parents will have a stroke."
Aang laughed, "We can't have that."
"Then you wouldn't be able to give me back." She teased, elbowing him slightly.
His hand tightened around hers, "Good thing I'm not planning to, then."
Toph pretended that comment didn't make her heart soar.
End Notes:
Am I making myself cry rn? Yes. Those taang feels get me man. Hope y'all are enjoying this story as much as I am! Tell me what you think!
Also: all my stories are crossposted on ao3 if you like that better. You can find me on tumblr too: authorjoydragon
