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 16

Positions

The master airbender never found it so hard to fly his glider before as his passenger nibbled at his large ears and availed herself of the back his neck. This activity was causing him to drop and careen as if he were intoxicated. What really broke his concentration were the whisperings of amorous love speak that made his heart pound.

"Please Sifu... I mean Toph... please don't do that," he begged as he just barely missed a flock of jay-gulls.

"Do what.. you mean this?" she asked innocently, sucking his lobe again, "or did you mean this?" She giggled, now slowly licking the middle of the back of his head along his arrow marking, making his eyes roll up into his head.

"Ei-either," he gasped, "but especially that..."

"Oh... this.. then that or this?" she playfully asked once more... nibbling and licking the hapless pilot again and again, sending deep shivers up and down his spine.

He finally let out a huge moan, "Ohhh... yessss... that and that! You're gonna kill us both!"

"But think about it Twinkle Toes," she whispered lovingly, "what a way to go!"

Suddenly he flipped the glider about.

"Ah, Twinkle Toes... are we going back?"

"We sure are."

"Why?"

"Because we forgot something very important my little love," he said quite seriously.

"Aang you're scaring me now. What would that be?"

"Toph, what would your father say if I brought you back to the palace without your blouse?" he clarified, craning his head over far enough to kiss her arm.

She suddenly realized her state of dress and blushed furiously, "Hurry up you moron!

We don't have much time!"

"Yes ma'am," he replied with a smile.

Katara sat in the commode still shaking. As soon as she sat, both bladder and bowel had let loose.

"Good thing Sokka wasn't here," she laughed to herself, "he'd have a great time seeing me scared shitless."

She had quickly excused herself from the table and headed for the bathroom. This was also giving her time to think. Compose herself and think of a good, convincing story to cover her tracks about what happened between her and Zuko after the fight with Azula.

Katara shook her head trying to clear her thoughts, "If Mai really knew what we did... and I almost told her! What was I thinking? Obviously I wasn't. Zuko would never tell his psychopathic girlfriend something like that! She'd pin us both to the the nearest wall and use our genitals as jewelry! Well, maybe not as jewelry... that's a bit gross," she reconsidered as her mind began to wonder. "But still she'd be doing some cut'n and I'm sure I wouldn't like what she'd be cut'n off of me! So I better come up with something fast. She's probably gonna walk in here in moment to find out what I'm up to. Good thing it smells worse than Appa's stall... don't know if I really should be proud of that?" Katara thought as she waved a hand in front of her face trying to get away from her own funk.

"What would Sokka say? I know! I'll just tell her that I had to thoroughly check Zuko for exit wounds... because of the lightening strike. That's why his shirt was off and my hands were moving over him... yeah... I'm a healer. That makes total sense," she reasoned with a nod. "That fits right in with what I've already said, a simple, 'misunderstanding'... that's all."

Katara stood and cleaned up, bending extra water to make sure the pile moved down the drain. If anything, she and Sokka did have this in common.

As she washed her hands, she rehearsed once more her story in the mirror, convinced that it was believable.

Katara strolled leisurely back to the table only to find it was vacant, except for a large cup of tea.

"Beg your pardon milady," the waiter said tapping her shoulder.

The waterbender turned to look at the man with a smile.

"Your company said she had to leave, but she ordered you a new cup of tea... spice chai... lightly sweetened. She said it appears the ginseng did not sit well with you."

"Huh, thank you," Katara told him as she took the seat he pulled out for her. She was baffled that Mai would leave without her required story.

"Oh, this is a pity," the waiter groaned, "such beautiful woodwork... and some kids carved their names into the table. The umbrella looks fine... but the heart... looks more like a dagger."

Katara looked slowly over where the gloomy girl had been sitting and carving with her nails. She saw the kanji of Zuko name under an umbrella and next to his... her own. The hairs on her neck were standing as she recognized instead of a heart surrounding it, it was Mai's double wide blade throwing knife.

"Ah, waiter... can you please call me a cab... I really must be going," she asked nervously, not taking her eyes off the carving.

"But you haven't even touched your tea milady..."

"You drink it, I've had en-enough for one day!"

Aang and his light weight passenger had returned to the quarry in record time. Unfortunately, he had accidentally buried the blouse when he collapsed the shelter. As he unearthed it, he saw the minor damage and a rip along the back that he hoped would not be noticed.

"Here Toph, I found it," he exclaimed handing it over to her.

She snatched it from him, creating another rip, "Ah... look what you made me do.. you idiot!"

Aang's jaw dropped, "I made you do it? How did I make you do anything? You snatched it out of my hand! And you didn't even say thank you for me finding it for you!"

"Hey Twinkle Toes... I wasn't the one who buried it either!" she exclaimed stepping closer to him.

"And your royal stuck Upness.. I wasn't the one who forgot my shirt!" he replied just as loudly, also approaching her.

"And you perverted Avatar, you just were thinking with that bag of gold, throwing me on your back and carrying me away... are you as hot as I am?" she asked, her hand on his shoulder.

"Hotter.." he growled, "but we don't have any time. Monkey Feathers... I hate to say this Toph... but... please put back on your blouse!"

As Katara arrived at the inn, Suki and Sokka met her in the lobby.

"Where have you been sis," he asked, worry written all over his face.

"What's the problem? It's only three, I said I would meet you two at four," she replied staring at the them, "...or has Aang returned... is he here?"

Suki looked down,"No he still isn't. I went by your room and saw that you were gone too. We were just worried about you. Thought maybe you took off looking for him or something."

"Nah," she denied, "I really couldn't settle down so I went over to the Uncle's and had some tea with Mai. Ya know, we're getting to know each other better."

Her brother smiled, "Oh, that sounds like a good use of your time rather than worrying about a wayward boyfriend."

His girlfriend now struck him in the chest, "Sokka... don't you think at all! Too be so smart, you have so little common sense!"

"Ow, what did I say wrong? I was complimenting her! What's wrong with telling her that she should just forget about his careless ass and take care..."

The cold stares from both women made him swallow hard, "Too much?"

Katara rolled her eyes at her brother. "I'm going to talk to the innkeeper and get him a change of clothes now."

"I'll come with you," Suki volunteered, also giving him another punch.

"Women," Sokka sighed.

Before they launched for the palace a second time, he did take the opportunity to steal one more long steamy kiss. She simply sighed as he slung her upon his back and they were airborne once again.

Toph felt as if she were in a dream until she heard him say, "We have to go down to the palace now my love."

"Mmm, I don't wanna go," she groaned lightly, "I'm too happy to go."

"Me too," he confessed, "I-I just didn't have enough Toph..."

"Just like I haven't had enough Aang," she seethed gently rubbing the sides of his chest from above. "My one regret... I wasn't wearing a skirt today."

The Avatar became three shades of red at that surprising broadcast, "T-T-Toph... why would you say such a forward thing?"

She laid close to him again kissing the back of his neck, "Because my love... I can't think of a better place to join heaven and earth together."

"I don't what to say my love," he stammered, trying to see through his tears, "I'm touched."

"I'm just... being real, being the real me," she told him in a soft voice.

"I know," he squeaked out an answer, "and I thank you"

"For what?"

"For loving me enough to be the real you." he replied as his eyes sparkled in the late sun.

"I love the real you... I really, really, do! I wish I could kiss you one more time."

"Later... kisses and more," she promised.

They now started to parachute towards the ground, head first and she hung on firmly, laughing wildly as he sped up.

As they arrived at the palace with only about an hour to spare, Toph was immediately swarmed like a queen bee by so many attendants, she seemed to vanish. Aang strained, hoping to catch one last glimpse, but instead a young woman walked of the swarm and bowed. As she looked up into his face, he could scarcely believe his eyes. She so resembled the younger earthbender, they could almost be twins.

"Thank you for returning the Princess to us Avatar Aang," she said with sideways nod, "though a bit more promptness would have been nice. Also... there is a question of state?"

Aang smiled reaching for the back of his head, "Well, we kind of lost track of time training... what do you mean by state?"

"The condition of her blouse, your Grace," she responded in a deadpan fashion, staring him down, "it is in rather tattered condition... no?"

"Huh... well... yes... but earthbending is huh... ah... tough and the stones... cut. We did a lot of hard training... see my clothes are torn too!" he exclaimed showing her a small tear.

"I see," she responded, her cold, bright, green eyes seemed to cut right through him, "but at least yours are on the right side... your Grace," she commented as she bowed once more and turned to leave.

He stood dumbfounded, watching the mysterious Toph-like girl now direct the swarm back into the palace.

"There you are!" he suddenly heard an excited voice say from behind him. "I've been looking for you all day," Katara exclaimed as she hugged him tightly, and then withdrew quickly. "Yuck... you're a mess! You guys must have really mixed it up out there!"

His cheeks flushed, "Yeah... she didn't go easy on me today at all."

Katara smiled, "Well, that's good. I didn't think you would have enough time to make it back to the Inn, so... being the thoughtful girlfriend, I took the liberty of picking this robe out for you," she remarked in a sweet voice, "now hurry go and change. Can't have my Avatar looking like he crawled out of a rock pit!" She looked him over again, spying some bruises, "Oh my, I'm surprised she really put it to you that tough Aang. When you've changed, let me take care of those marks on your face! Looks like you've been in a street brawl or something."

"Well you know Sifu Toph," he muttered, "always doing the unexpected."

"Looks more like you really pissed her off or something," Katara countered, scrutinizing the marks closer. "The more I look, you even have some cuts that need healing. I'll wait for you here after you wash and change."

"Thanks Katara," he replied taking the fresh robe and shaving kit. "I'll meet you outside the changing room... huh... where is it exactly?"

Katara shook her head, "C'mon, I'll take you there," she replied, taking his arm.

As soon as he was in the changing room, he bent away the surface dust, seeing all the marks and cuts from his day. "You deserved it all," he told his reflection.

The water in the basin was warm as he washed thoroughly. As he shaved off the light stubble on his head and face, he began to feel like himself. "Thanks Katara," he sighed, thinking how she was always watching over him and everyone else for that matter.

He had just finished dressing when a voice spoke from behind him. He froze, continuing to look into the mirror.

"Well, did you do it... did you break it off with her?"

His face fell flat as he saw the reflection of the Fan Master was standing behind him.

She reached around and adjusted his ornamental neck piece.

"I felt... like I killed a friend Suki, my heart …" he closed his eyes tightly, biting his lip.

"You almost did by not breaking it off Aang," she commented while brushing off his back, "but you did the right thing... and I am proud of you. Trust me, she'll be okay, she's a tough girl. She's young and rich... from a noble house and they'll find her the right guy... eventually."

"She already has the right guy,", he thought as he was about to leave.

"Aang, you still have some dirt on the back of your head... I'll get it." she offered as she took a towel off the counter, "quite a few lumps too, wasn't easy huh? I guess, she did take it hard. Not easy for you either was it?"

He sighed deeply, "No... actually, it was horrible. The worse experience of my life. I hope I never have to do that again."

Suki gently wiped his head with the damp towel, "Sorry... but remember hearts Aang, like everything else, have to be protected. They are so fragile, your included."

He now saw the warrior in a different light. Evidently, Katara wasn't the only mother in the group he surmised. Suki wiped off a few more spots he missed. She then rubbed his head feeling for the stubble, shaving it clean with her own short sword, hidden somewhere in the folds of her evening gown. After she gave him a once over, she stared at him for a very long uncomfortable moment.

"Suki are you okay?"

The Kyoshi Warrior shook her head slightly, "I'm fine Aang," she replied as she kissed him on the cheek. "Now, hurry out there... and remember, I am proud of you. It takes a man to do the right thing Aang."

She left the restroom passing a man coming in who was startled to see the beautifully dressed woman leaving. Suki looked him up and down and gave him a quick wink.

"D-did you see that," he asked Aang, quite flabbergasted. "A woman... a woman... in here... did you see her!"

The airbender turned causally around, "Yeah, she's in here all the time," he stated plainly. "She says it's less busy than the lady's room, plus the attractions are better."