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.
Toph decides to make a move!
Very Mature.
Disclaimer: I do not own any rights or titles to the characters of Avatar: The Last Airbender. ]
Chapter 39
TAANGLED
The walk had been over for at least a half an hour and still Katara sat staring at the large double doors of the dining hall that opened to the long hall she had recently traipsed down.
Mai and Suki sat at the same round table watching her in silence, not knowing what to say.
"Why Toph," Suki asked herself. "If this was to get back at Aang, why would you hurt Katara so? She is the innocent party here unless…"
The revelation seemed to explode in the Kyoshi warrior's mind as she turned to the side so that Mai would not address her changed expression.
"You little conniving witch! You haven't given up on Aang at all! You planned this all along didn't you? You're just going to have Katara hand him over to you aren't you!" Suki reasoned as she chewed her bottom lip. "Don't you understand this will absolutely destroy her? Don't you care how she feels Toph? Can't you see that she loves him?" she groaned inwardly.
"Hey Suki," Mai called over to her, spying her downcast look. "Are you okay?"
She tried to put her best smile on, "Yeah Mai... I guess that Walk took more out of me than I thought. Those guys are pretty disciplined... or they're just blind."
"Whew, you telling me," the knife thrower exclaimed shaking her head, "I didn't even do the whole thing and my back is killing me, not to mention embarrassed to no end in this rice paper thin wrap-around. I don't even show this much skin at the beach, not to mention the lack of undergarments."
"But that deep red really looks good on you and you definitely have the bod for it," the Fan Master complimented her unexpectedly. "Who knew you had a chest almost the equal of Katara's here?"
Mai felt her cheeks warm but maintained her ambivalent look. "Your dress suits you as well Suki... a bit high at the thigh and sheer, but the turquoise silk does color match your eyes."
Suki smiled, "I know... Sokka going to love it! He better not tear it! It feels like I'm not wearing anything at all."
"You might as well not be," the waterbender sighed, dropping her chin into her hand. "How by the seas did that troll score so high?"
"C'mon, don't sweat it Katara," the warrior encouraged her. "You heard what they said. She's some kind of prodigy when it comes to this."
"I wouldn't worry Katara," Mai added, "... she just had the right chemistry yesterday. By right, she should have re-walked for an absolutely fair comparison. You should just call off that stupid bet Katara, unless she goes heads up with you. Doesn't mean everyday will be hers. I mean, you two, I think look better than I do."
"But Mai, you did better than me or Katara, and we did complete the entire thing," Suki sighed.
Mai acknowledged with a slight nod, " Yeah, but I had an advantage. I had to learn this stuff when I was younger. It's something you never forget. But you both did pretty good for your first showings. I mean... Katara, a 29 is a great starting score," the gloomy lady said trying to sound peppy.
"Yeah, beats the heck out of my sucky 12," Suki agreed with a nervous laugh.
Katara now gave them her attention. "Thanks Mai, I appreciate your encouragement. But you... wow, you can really put on the moves. A 35 and you only did two-thirds of the course. I'm impressed. No wonder Zuko has an eye for you."
The blade wielder shook her head, "Trust me Katara... the best walk may turn a head, but it can never turn a heart," she expressed with a deep sigh. "The heart knows what... or rather who it wants."
Katara smiled broadly, "You're right Mai. Why am I upset over losing some stupid contest to her? So what she was in disguise and the guards thought her cousin was her yesterday. With only a couple of hours of training, I think I did great as well."
"Good for you Katara," Suki cheered her on. "So what about that silly bet? You are calling it off, right?"
Katara smirked, "Of course not. It's like Mai said Suki, Toph maybe able to turn his head, but I have Aang's heart. This 'date' is the perfect thing to help her realize that fact," the waterbender contended. "And once she does... I'll be the one on top again!"
The two others at the table exchanged worrisome glances at the naïve comment as they mutually sighed.
The meeting seemed to drone on forever in the little general's mind as she impatiently tapped the heel of her foot upon the ground. One speaker after the other delivered colorful soliloquies that spoke of the needs of the country and a strong military presence in this new world. More than one spoke of traditions and maintaining the old ways even through changing times.
She had heard all this type of rhetoric before in the Fire Nation, Northern Water Tribe and among the Colonies.
"Why should this be any different from any other meeting with a bunch of old farts," she thought as she stifled a yawn, trying not to displace her frozen smile. "These guys could have just bored the Fire Nation to death!"
"That's really a talent," the familiar voice that caused her heart to race whispered to her from across the crowded room, airbender style. Toph had no way to reply but the right corner of her mouth did slightly turn up even more.
"Fascinating," the next word came, carried on the slightest of breeze to her sensitive ear. "I was wondering if you were wake or asleep. But I doubt you're paying attention," he challenged.
Toph suddenly stood, "Gen. Surg, you reported that we have at the ready 100,000 active non-bending recruits on the southeast border but they have been given only minimal training? Why is that?" she asked turning in the presenter's direction.
"Well... my general, it was deemed we should put the resources towards training as many benders as possible. One bender is worth..."
The princess' cool foggy eyes narrowed. "Is worth what Gen. Surg? I've seen many a non-bender take down even master benders with a single blow. Trained properly, these troops can be just as strategic as any of our bender brigades. Gen. How, see to it please and make sure Colonel Surg understands the value of all our troops," the petite general pointed out.
How stood and bowed before addressing her, "B-but you majesty... my general, Surg's rank is that of..."
"What I say it is," Toph said bluntly. "I will not have anyone leading until they value those they lead... am I understood General How... or do you also..."
He bowed lower, "No, of course not my general. Colonel Surg will be reassigned to the administrative duties for the time being. Gen. Lao-Te will assume his position. He is said to be a... a progressive thinker. He's also a non-bender, first ever to reach such a rank in the Earth Kingdom."
"Good choice," she commended him. "Have the other proposals written up for my review tomorrow. But I want to see a bigger budget for wounded veterans. We'll discuss it later, because right now I'm getting hungry and I still have guest to attend to," she announced unceremoniously. "So if you could ever so kindly General, wrap up this proceeding... and do so quickly?"
It was the airbender's turn to be amazed with the speed and efficiency that the session was brought to an orderly end. The only ones looking very unhappy were Surg and his underlings. Aang concluded they were probably demoted alongside him.
He cut through the milling crowd to arrive at the princess' side. "Don't you think that was a little harsh Toph," he whispered, lightly bumping into her side.
"He's a pompous, long-winded, douche bag. I should have dropped him three ranks to tell you the truth," she replied so only he could hear. "Father told me, always make a statement... I think I've made one."
He smiled truly impressed, "That you have Sifu... that you really have."
"Fong and Lei... go and see if Lili and Mei Mei need your assistance, Avatar Aang and I will need to discuss a few items before my next meeting," Toph ordered, looping her arm causally through his.
"Yes sire," was their only response, though Fong's worried expression said she had more to say.
As soon as the two ladies had exited the room, Toph began to lead him in the opposite direction.
"Hey, where are we going? I thought you had another meeting" he asked, peering over his shoulder.
She nodded to people as they made their way across the room, "I do and it's with you Twinkle Toes," she finally revealed. "I wanted a to find us a place a bit... well... a place where we can..."
She didn't need to say anymore as he quickened his pace and they were finally in the far exterior hall.
Toph unexpectedly flung him towards the far wall but instead of hitting it, he seemed to pass right through it as she bent it open and into the tunnel behind it.
Instantly he was enveloped in total darkness as he instinctively braced his fall with a cushion of air before landing on the cool paved pathway.
She leaped astride him with a giggle, causing a loud exhale.
"My love... wha... what are you doing," he gasped as she bared his chest from his robes.
"What do you think? I'm moving up the timetable before something else happens," she answered, peppering kisses upon his neck and breast until she locked upon a nipple that caused him to inhale sharply.
"Oh... oh... Toph... why... now... why here?" he asked in a ragged breath, his own hands making short work of her uniform tunic.
"Here... Twinkles... we are equals," she gasped as his nimble fingers rolled the nubs of her tits. "You can't see me in the darkness, the same as I can't see you... anytime. But we can feel each other... smell... and taste," she explained as she started to move down his body, dragging his trousers with her.
If the monk had any objects to her actions, they melted away with the princess' very special administration, that caused his hips rise up and his entire body to tense.
In the darkness, every sound was amplified and echoed down the granite wall. Still it didn't matter as he buried his hands into her thick hair, letting them move in time with the motion of her waggling head.
Her sighs and moans made him recall a cherry flavored icicle Katara had made for each of them on an extremely hot day in the Fire Nation. He and Sokka ate theirs so fast they got frozen brains, (brain freeze) On the other hand, he was totally captivated by the way Toph was slowly working her mouth and tongue about the deep crimson frozen shaft. The redness of her cheeks and the fullness of her lips made his mind spin. He had no idea she was purposely doing it for him at the time.
Unfortunately a certain waterbender also took noticed as she slapped him in the back of the head calling him a pervert as well.
Now in his mind's eye, in the black of the tunnel, he became the ruby-red icicle.
From his core he felt it building, "T-Toph I... I'm gonna... gonna..." he stuttered, trying to speak, but she just seemed to pick up the pace, urging him forward.
"Toph... Toph... please... I'm at my limit," he begged. "If you keep this up... I'm going to..." was all he could get out as his back arched and both hands slapped the ground below him.
As his own body thrashed about, he could hear her coughing and wheezing in the darkness.
"What by the hair of Agni's ass was that Zuko and where did all those girls come from... hanging all over you and the imbecile here?" Mai asked, her golden eyes glaring at the Fire Lord as Puck's beauties had escorted he and Sokka to the dining hall.
"It was nothing, right Sokka. They only escorted us here as a matter of courtesy and formality is all Mai," he explained with a twitch of his left eye.
Suddenly the knife wielder produced a single, long, thin, hilt-less blade.
"Wow... now Mai... where did that knife come from? I don't see a place in that dress to hide a toothpick let alone a knife that size," the monarch tried to jest, looking about with his good eye for help.
She placed the tip of it right under his chin, "That shouldn't be your concern, now should it Zuko? I asked you a question... the girls, especially that short one with the long hair and big breast, why was she clinging to you like an elbow leech?"
"I-I wouldn't say she was clinging... she was just... uh... guiding me... you know, by the arm."
Mai rolled her eyes, "Come on Zuko, she had your arm wedged so far into her cleavage, you could have worn her boobs like an armband. Did you screw that little whore?" she asked letting the tip of the blade nick his chin.
"Ow... and no Mai. Wh-why would I ever do something like that when I have someone as ravishing as you," Zuko exclaimed as he moved the point away and tried to hug her, but Mai pushed him back.
"You are such a liar… a stinking, two-faced… RHMMMM!" Her words were muted by his mouth on hers in a deep passionate kiss. It literally disarmed her her as the knife clattered to the floor.
As their lips parted she laid her head on his heaving chest, "Be honest with me. Are they the reason you and the walking mental case were late for lunch Zuko? I've heard about these Earth Kingdom courts and how they treat men. Did they give you the 'Royal Treatment'?" Mai asked in a quiet but concerned tone.
"How do they treat men?" Katara asked, overhearing the conversation, "...and what do you mean by this Royal Treatment Mai?"
"Nothing... I promise you, nothing happened Mai," Zuko answered abruptly seizing the conversation, "Sokka, tell them. Tell Mai and your sister nothing happened this morning."
The only reply that sounded was that of the backhand slap that came across the Vice Regent's tightly clenched jaw.
"Damn," Zuko swore to himself. "He cracked. We said we weren't gonna say anything."
"I'm so sorry Suki. We-we got up really late, with these terrible hangovers, and there was this strange little old dude outside the door" Sokka was pleading to Suki, his eyes downcast, "... and before we knew what was happening, these girls were taking our clothes off of us and leading us to the bath. I know that's not an excuse... but... but… we didn't have sex with any of them, I swear it! For the love of La… please Suki believe me!" he cried dropping to his knees.
"But you wanted to!" the Fan master yelled. "I saw the way that girl with the big ones was eyeing you. She had a hungry look in those purple eyes of hers, just like a tigerdillo. Eating is cheating Sokka!"
"I didn't do that either Suki, okay?" the Water Tribesman sighed. "I'm trying to be honest with you... but if we can't be, where are we Suki? Do you think she would be still hungry if I got a hold of her?"
Suki threw up her hands as she closed her eyes, "I dunno Sokka... I just don't know."
Zuko took the opportunity to kneel before the moody woman as well, "See... just what he said! I didn't do it with that other one either... though she begged me! I told her this royal staff was reserved for you and you alone!"
Mai blushed furiously trying to contain a smile that eeked through anyway, "Get up off that floor you idiot!"
"I love it when you talk sexy," he retorted pressing his advantage as he stood hugging her warmly. "Let's skip lunch, and you can show me where you did that knife" he whispered in her ear.
Mai smiled amorously. "I already ate lunch, but I still would like to see your room."
"Then let's go," he exclaimed leading her towards the door with a hand on the small of her back, "I know what I'm having for lunch," he whispered once more.
"Hey Zuko, where are you going?" Katara unexpectedly asked standing up from the table, "I need to talk to you."
The Fire Lord hadn't really noticed the waterbender during the whole episode as she was seated, but as he turned to answer her, his heart catapulted into his throat.
"KKKKKat-Katara… uh… well uhm…"
"If you must know Katara," Mai interjected throwing, her the stink-eye for interrupting the moment, "...we are going to his room at the moment!"
"That can wait," Katara declared focusing on Zuko, "I need to talk with him now, okay," she said in a voice both sharp and sweet. "I promise, it will only take a moment."
Zuko stood entranced at the waterbender's visage, especially the two little lumps at the tips of her breast. They brought back vivid memories of another day.
"Really Katara, really?" Mai gasped in vexation."You do have quite the nerve triber. Why do you have to speak to him right now… and in that dress?"
Katara followed the firebnder's stare and blushed slightly as she folded her arms over her chest, "My eyes are up here Zuko!"
The Fire Lord blinked in embarrassment, "Oh... sorry... I didn't mean..."
"Oh yes you did," the tall saturnine woman retorted turning her back to him. "But I guess it can't be helped. Does it have to be now... can't you change first?"
"Eh, no… and yes... it needs to be right now, if I could please Mai? You know the matter and I need his assistance with. I would be ever so grateful to you," Katara plead once one.
The knife thrower sighed, "You have 5 minutes, I have to go relieve myself anyways. And Katara, this better not be some water brained jealously scheme you're trying to get this hormonal driven idiot involved in... do you understand?"
The waterbender nodded, "Perfectly, and thank you Mai, I owe you... big time!"
"Sure, sure… Zuko stop leering and go talk to her!" Mai ordered. "Plus triber, I suggest you keep those arms crossed over those fun bags if you want to have even a half way decent conversation with him!"
As Mai made her way out the door she could hear Zuko screaming.
"WHAT THE FUCK? NO WAY POSSIBLE!"
"You two can go, I'll wait for Aang," Katara told Suki and Sokka who had obviously reconciled.
The Fan Master looked at her with deep concern, "Are you sure you're going to be alright Katara? He's running really late. Maybe he stayed over to help Toph with her second meeting?"
"Yeah, maybe... but I'm sure he won't be too much longer, at least I hope not," she replied trying to disguise her disappointment. "You guys go and have some fun, especially after all that yelling and fighting. I know you don't want to waste that dress, right Suki?"
"Thanks Katara," Suki exclaimed, giving her a hug. "That boy is missing a real treat not seeing you... for sure!" the Fan Master exclaimed with a sultry wink.
Katara blushed and giggled, but that all too quickly faded as the couple left the room and she took her lonesome seat back at the table.
More than an hour had passed and servants milled about the huge room preparing for the dinner hour. Still she sat, looking towards the broad doors, startling at each entrance, like a schoolgirl on her first date.
Aang was speeding towards the dining hall now more than two hours late. He had gotten lost in thought about his time the night before with Toph and then again in the tunnel. The lovers had fallen asleep in the cool and darkness of the passage after their tryst. He had just awakened and now was rushing to the dining hall to meet with his friends and Katara... his post-girlfriend. Toph had begged him to wait just one more day to tell her about them... so that the could do it together. His stomach was all in knots at just seeing her again.
As he blew open the door with a control gust of air, he could see a solitary figure sitting at the foremost table. She was beautifully dressed and her hair cried "touch me" to him. His heart double struck to go along with the lightning-moths in his gut. She had arranged her back to the door, as not to be disappointed anymore, and so she did not see his approach..
"I-I am so sorry Katara, I really messed up this time I know," he said softly and as apologetically as he could muster. "I wouldn't blame you if you didn't want to see me anymore. I mean... what kind of guys treats his new girl like this? Only a bad one. I'm a bad man Katara... you can do better."
"Do you really think so Aang," she asked turning to reveal the streaking makeup that gave her the semblance of a raccoon-dog. "Do you really, honestly, think so?"
He almost jumped in shock but was able to contain himself, "Su-sure Katara. You look gorgeous! I mean wow... that dress... the jewelry... the makeup... well what's left of it must have been..."
"I was beautiful... "Katara sniffled, wiping her nose with the back of her hand. "But... I still couldn't beat her... not even come close."
His eyebrow arched, "Beat who?"
The waterbender's head rolled back in a mock laugh, "Why your little Sifu of course... that's who?" she replied with a sneer. "That cheat tricked me... and I fell right into her dirty little paws."
The nomad looked disconcertingly at the vexed auburn lady, "You are talking about Toph... right?"
Katara stood, throwing up her hands, "What other little sneaky, devious, imp that you refer to as sifu around here do you know Aang? I mean... the look-a-likes seem to be popping out of the floor, but there is only one Toph... and that's for certain!" Katara declared pointing a finger at him.
"Uh... yeah... I guess you're right. But you said she... tricked you? How?" he asked, trying to gain some insight.
Her red-rimmed eyes suddenly dropped, "Before I explain... can I at least freshen up a bit, Aang? I really want you to see me at least once in a dress like this... really beautiful," she asked wiping at the tears.
"Okay," he responded softly. "Take all the time you need, I'll be right here."
She smiled broadly, "Oh thank you. It won't take that long... I promise!"
"No worries," Aang laughed, as he spied an egg custard tart, and feeling his stomach rumble once more.
A moment later her lips were upon his and the start caused his jaw to drop. Katara instantly plunged her twirling tongue deep into his mouth as he stood unmoving.
"Mmmm... that's an interesting flavor of orange," she seethed out as she pulled away. "I think I like it."