A Kiss in Ba Sing Se
[A/N: This is an A/U story. The Toph character does feel inferior to Katara and so in order to compete for Aang's affections pulls out all the stops. Aang is a boy with near infinite power and is being offered love and comfort from the two girls most dear to him.
Disclaimer: I do not own any rights or titles to the characters of Avatar: The Last Airbender. ]
Chapter 12
Worse Case
The young southern waterbender was wandering through the second floor of the old grand inn they were staying at. As she turned the corner down the marble tiled hallway, she ran into her brother and his painted girlfriend, obviously on their way out.
Her elder sibling observed her furtive actions as she looked down each side corridor.
"Uh, Katara, what are you doing on this floor?" Sokka asked. "Aren't you staying up two floors, in the penthouse or something."
"Ah... yeah, I am," she responded, in a very distracted manner, "hey, you two... going out or something?"
"Yes.. we... are," Suki replied, looking behind herself, hoping to catch a glimpse of whatever the blue eyed girl was searching for.
The waterbender smiled cordially, "Um, that's nice... okay, see you two later," Katara said as she moved past them.
The couple looked at each other for a moment with a shrug.
"Hold up sis," her brother yelled, "... what the ice are ya doing?"
She turned to face him, with a rather innocent look, "Oh... me, why nothing... just looking around."
Sokka lifted an eyebrow as he walked closer, "Sis... I know that look, and I know when you're not being totally honest with me," he chided her. "So why don't you come clean and tell us what, or who you're looking for?"
She sighed as her shoulders slumped and her big eyes rose towards the ceiling, "Okay, but I didn't want to look like some possessive, clingy, jealous, girl..."
"Too late!" her brother laughed. "Should have stopped at possessive!"
Suki moved up punching him in the arm, "Move, Mr. Sensitive."
"Oouch! Why did you have to hit me so hard Suki Poo?"
"It didn't hurt that much, you big baby," she remarked as she walked up to the distressed young girl. "So... Katara, you're looking for Aang aren't you?"
The waterbender frowned deeply and nodded.
"Do you know... where he went?" the Fan Master asked in a gentle voice.
She nodded once more, her cerulean eyes beginning to glisten.
"Then what's the problem?" Sokka asked, still rubbing his arm.
Katara's bottom lip started tremble, "W...well... hhhee, sh-should of... of, been bbbback, by nooow," she began to cry, falling into Suki's arms.
"C'mon sis, I'm sure this is nothing to turn on the waterworks for. Aang is probably just over at the stables with Appa and Momo. I think Zuko took them over this morning, didn't he Suki?"
"That's right Katara, he's probably over there!" The Kyoshi warrior agreed.
"No, no, he isn't," she sniffled, shaking her head, " I already looookeeddd!"
"Awww... sweetie, don't cry," Suki comforted her, patting her on the back, "You said, you know where he went, didn't you?"
She nodded once more, wiping her eyes.
Sokka rolled his, "So, where did he go?" he asked in a curt voice.
"Sokka, be nice," Suki chastised him. "Can't you see she's upset?"
He let out a long sigh, "So... dear sister, where did your sweet boyfriend go?" he asked with a strained smile and a sickening sweet voice.
Both girls leered at him with a cynical glare, "Now you're just be patronizing," Suki informed him. "Let me handle this."
"Fine," he conceded, throwing up his arms and leaning against a white marble pillar. "Maybe you can figure her out... I never could."
The girls turned their backs to him.
"Now, Katara... look at me," she instructed her. "Tell me what happened, and where do you think Aang went."
Katara inhaled deeply, "Well, last night..."
"Last night!" her brother gasped, obviously eavesdropping.
"Shush over there!" the Fan Master commanded. "This is girl's talk. If you want to meet me out front, you can leave now. Or just stand there and be quiet."
Again he threw up his hands, putting a finger to his lips.
"Sorry, honey, you were saying," Suki prompted her.
Katara took another deep breath, "Last night, Aang... and I... well we took a walk, through the park... we stopped... for a... ya know... a talk." Her eyes started shifting towards Sokka.
Suki tapped her arm, "We'll talk about the... talk later," she whispered, "... go on."
Katara nodded, "So after , the talk, (she couldn't help smile a bit), we walked to the inn. There was a letter. He was going to meet..."
"A letter from who," Suki asked.
Katara reached into her pocket and produced the parchment with the broken wax seal.
Suki took it at once, and saw the offical symbol of the Earth King. As she opened and read it, a look of concern crossed her face.
"Sokka," she said, handing it to him.
He read it over, exchanging glances with her.
"So, you haven't seen him since this morning Katara?" Suki asked, looking back at Sokka.
Katara nodded.
"Did Aang happen to tell you where there were going to practice at?" her brother asked, in a caring voice.
She shook her head, "B-but, we have to get ready... for the Announcement Tea... we've all been invited... and he'll be a mess, if he doesn't hurry," she expressed with a tense smile.
Suki nodded, "I understand, we understand... right Sokka?"
"Of course... what do we understand Suki?" he asked.
She rolled her blue-green eyes, "Never mind. Katara, we were just about to go out shopping, to buy me a new outfit for the tea. Would you like to come along? Your brother's treat," the warrior said with a threatening look that curtailed any objections from him.
"Really?" the waterbender asked her sibling.
"Sure sis, whatever you want. Heck, I'm the Vice Regent now, I got the coin... why not get my little sister something nice."
Katara hugged him with all her strength, "You're the best... thank you so much."
"Why don't you go and wash your face and grab anything you might need from your room Katara," Suki suggested, "Sokka and I will meet you in the lobby."
She was smiling brightly now, "Okay... but what about Aang?"
"Well, he could already be at the palace with Toph," her brother proposed, "... or you know how the two of them are. They're probably... huh..."
"Beating the shit out of each other," Suki threw in.
"... and having a great time at it," Sokka finished.
Katara looked very thoughtful, nodding her agreement at their concepts, "But either way, he'll need clothes, won't he?"
"How about this sis, if we get back, and he's not here, we'll get the innkeeper to let us into his room and get him a clean set of robes, towels or whatever he wears," he said with a reassuring pat. "Deal?"
"Alright," the waterbender sighed, turning to head for her room, "I'm gonna write him a note to leave at the desk... just in case he comes back when we're gone."
"Good idea, now hurry up!" Suki urged her. "We don't want to be late too."
As soon as Katara disappeared from site, the couple's smiles dropped.
"What do you think happened, according to Katara it's been hours," Suki whispered.
Sokka rubbed his chin, "Well, if he told her that he wanted to break up, she could have crushed him, in that case, we can expect a Water Tribe Avatar..."
"This isn't funny," she growled.
"Sorry," he apologized, "but, the worse case is that they are in a bad fight. I don't think she would ever physically hurt him. They maybe tossing boulders, but nothing either one couldn't handle."
Suki looked down, her voice tentative, "What if... he didn't..."
His eyes widened as he ran his hand through his hair, "Oh man, oh man... that's the worse case... the real worse case!"
"What do mean Sokka?"
"Think about it Suki... him... her... sweating in a hot rock tent? You put it together. Even if he stopped yesterday, do you really think he'll be able to today. Ya know, once a guy gets started... his curiosity is bound to grow."
The warrior shook her head, "I don't think Toph would let him go that..."
Sokka moved behind his lover, so that his lips were just brushing her ear, "A heavy work out, sweat is pouring down your body. Everything is slippery and you feel him, close as he draws you in. You know, you are all alone, no one can see what the two of you are doing. No one can hear you. It's too hot, you want to cool down, so you lose your top... what does it matter, right? You have your wrap... that thin, wet, breast wrap..."
Suki's heart was pounding, her eyes closed, "Okay... I get your point. They could be making out like two munk-mice in a barn right now! That would absolutely break Katara's heart."
"However it ends up, somebody is gonna need a shoulder to cry on," he summarized.
She nodded with a deep sigh as the couple locked arms and started for the exit once more.
"Hey Sokka, when we get back, tell me the rest of that story," she said seductively.
"Happily," he laughed.
He hadn't counted on the break draining him as well. It had taken using his Avatar ability to raise the shelter. She had been miffed at him at first for making her speak properly, a thing she abhorred doing.
"You said, passerby, " he teased, soliciting a roll of her expressive, sightless eyes.
When they used to travel, he and Sokka would pull numerous pranks on her to hear her tough exterior give way to the prim and proper lady inside. Usually that meant a slug to the arm or a rock in some unpleasant place.
This time, it was answered another way entirely.
As soon as Aang turned around, he saw Toph's wrap-around blouse, draped open.
"Ya know, I was gonna take this off, and show you this bra," she said in a rather breathy voice, fingering the gold clasp in the middle, "but after all you put me through... I think, this is good enough... for now."
He swallowed hard, not willing to argue the point. He was going to take whatever he could get right now. In his eyes, she was looking very appetizing, even covered with dust.
Again she surprised him as she charged and leaped upon him. Her arms and legs locking about him. Her first kiss, sucked in his nose. They both laughed as the second, found the target.
He was losing all sense of reason as another inflamed kiss drew him in. His hands moved across her taunt, smooth back, reveling at the smoothness of her skin.
In the park, he felt in more control, but here in the dust and the heat, it was a different story. All the feelings seemed to be so much more intense, as she flexed her hips against him in a growing measure.
"Toph... I-I think... ww-e should sssstop..." he breathed out, his eyes rolling into the top of his head, her tongue snaking unto his neck.
"Why?" she whispered, nipping now.
"I... I mean, we shouldn't... ohhh... that feels so good!" he moaned, his knees growing weak. "If... if, we... do anything, we may end up regretting... itttt"
She started to suck on his earlobe, "I'll be sure to keep that in mind," she commented sweetly.
He had to sit on the ground now, her in his lap. His head was spinning as she kept up her motion.
"Se...riousssly," he hissed, "I can't be held responsible!"
"Ahhh... so what's new?," the princess sighed, not losing her wicked grin, "I'll take responsibility then."
She kissed his chin and then took a delicate bite as he moaned once again. Toph was winning this battle, and he was on the verge of unconditional surrender.
The impassioned young monk laid back, rolling her over to his side. While he began to pant heavily, his hand slid slowly unto her bare abdomen.
"Toph... may I?"
"You better!"
His eyes and arrows suddenly flashed for the briefest of moments, and just as quickly, her back arched as she twisted and writhed under the ensuing waves of ecstasy.
His eyes open wide in amazement, "I didn't even know if this would work again," he gasped, "Katara didn't react at all..."
Toph suddenly rolled away from him, "What the fffu...,"she yelled, finding it difficult to get to her feet. Her head was spinning, and even though she could sense him, it was only as a shadow of what she could normally. She was only able to rise to one shaky knee, panting heavily.
"What's wrong?" he asked, quite bewildered, himself breathing erratically "... are you okay Toph?"
Her foggy emerald eyes narrowed, "By... the netherworld no! I am not okay! You dumbass! What did you... just say!" she demanded in short breaths.