Disclaimer: I do not own the Avatar. Just the story and the paper I used to write it down in.

Read on...

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AANG'S POV

"Shut up," I heard Toph mutter in her sleep beside me for the fifth time. Even though she was holed up in her rock tent, I could still hear her. But she wasn't telling me to "shut up"; she was talking to all the critters and creatures in the swamp that were chattering happily away in the midnight air.

I was quite enjoying the sounds, but for Toph's sensitive ears I would imagine that she'd have some aversion to the sounds.

"For the last time SHUT UP!!" she yelled into the dark night so loudly that I could feel the vibrations of her voice in the ground. The crazy thing is though that all the animals shut up and all that was left was an awkward silence.

"Wow," I mumbled. A second later I felt as if I was being punched in the ribs. "Toph!" I whispered harshly as I pushed away the rock she had bended at me.

"Shut up, Twinkle Toes. Not-a-nother-word," she warned.

After I got my heartbeat to slow down from the threat, I finally drifted off to sleep, only to be awakened by the scent of fresh earth, swampy air, and some type of fruit. Toph.

I opened my eyes and I could barely see her shape in the dark but it looked like her back was to me. A shiver ran through her body and I instantly got why she was sleeping right next to me. She was cold.

I focused my energy in heating the ground to just the right temperature. I gasped when Toph turned around and…cuddled up to my chest.

She sighed, "Better."

No need to worry, I told myself. Toph is only cold and since I'm a firebender, I am, by nature, warm. We are just sharing my surplus of body heat.

Yeah, that's it.

Well...if that was it, then why did my body feel like I had just wrestled a Platypus-bear? Tired, yet, strangely exhilarated and happy.

In this position (one arm around Toph's waist; the other under her head as a pillow and her head under my chin) I couldn't help but think about how beautiful she's gotten with age. She's definitely grown a lot AN:(wink, wink). Her toned body, coupled with her curves just accentuated her small pale face and her sharp features perfectly. The only thing that bothered me was that her hair was in her beautiful milky-filmed emerald eyes.

I would move her bangs away from her eyes but I rather like my hand attached to my body.

Wait…hold up. Was I just thinking about Toph in…that way? You know, the-way-every-guy-imagines-their-dream-girl, way? Like the way I used to imagine Katara before she became engaged to Fire Lord Zuko. My heart tightened a bit in my chest but I ignored it. No need to bring on unnecessary pain.

But there was no way that I was thinking of Toph in that way. No. No way. Katara was sweet, caring, and motherly; Toph…was not.

No. Of course not. I was simply making an observation. Yep, just a simple observation.

"Your heart is annoying the dust off of me, so calm down and go to sleep," ordered the World's Greatest Earthbender from under my chin. She snuggled closer and my breath hitched.

Calm down Aang. You're the Avatar for Spirits' sake! Things like this shouldn't make you nervous. You took on the "Phoenix King" by yourself and won! What is wrong with you?

I didn't have an answer to that.

I took deep breaths and tried to meditate while lying down. In; Out; inhale; exhale. In the dark of night, I took notice of my situation: sleeping with the World's Greatest Earthbender, my Sifu, the world's first ever metalbender, and my best friend under the stars, and surprisingly it felt good.

TOPH'S POV

I woke up like hours later from the time I had actually fallen asleep. But I didn't wake up on my own accord, oh no. I woke up because I was sweating like a hog-monkey in a sauna. Someone was on top of me, I could feel it. Their body heat was high and was burning me to a crisp.

Sweat was covering every inch of my body and my hair was plastered to my face like that one time I stuck my finger in sap and had it glued to my palm for three days. I opened my eyes reflexively and well, saw nothing. Or at least I think it was nothing.

This happened every morning.

1. I'd wake up.

2. I'd open my eyes.

3. I'd wonder what I was staring at.

Was it nothing, or was it some sort of color? If only I knew. It was the one thing that really bothered me anymore. It frustrated me that I didn't know what I was staring at, but I mostly just put the thought out of my mind, and that was exactly what I did after I tried to remove a hair from my mouth. Unsuccessfully may I add.

Whoever was on me was pretty light and when I hit the ground with my free hand (the other was behind my body which was currently trapped in a very uncomfortable position) I "saw" that it was Twinkle Toes who was on top of me.

Needless to say, I freaked out. I tried to wiggle out from under him but one arm snaked its way around my back and squeezed me tighter, making escape impossible for a normal girl.

But I was not your regular run-of-the-mill damsel in distress. Heck, I wasn't even a damsel according to General Blowfish.

Before I could do anything, his face nuzzled into the crook of my neck and I panicked. Oh, I panicked badly. Can you blame me? I've never been much of a fan of hugs but this…was way too much for me.

I brought down the earth tent with my free hand (I didn't even care how much noise I was making) and as I flicked my wrist I sent a pillar of earth into Aang's side. An immense weight was being lifted off of me as I heard his screams echo through the swampy air, but at the same time I got a cool shocker from the cold -- morning? -- air. I suddenly wanted Twinkle Toes back but I shook that thought out of my head. The Blind Bandit doesn't need any pansy to warm her up.

I bended another earth tent around me and sat meditation style while I took off my most prized possession from my left arm: my meteor bracelet. As much as I hate to admit it, I was ashamed of how I'd acted and I wasn't ready to face Twinkle Toes just now.

I was Toph Bei Fong for Spirits' sake! Why didn't I handle the situation maturely and responsibly? I paused a moment on that thought, then I snickered. Yeah, Toph Bei Fong, responsible. Sure. I hated doing things by the rules but that still didn't excuse my actions.

The usually soft vibrations of Twinkle Toes sounded off beat as he made his way back to camp after landing far away in the swamp with a splash. His footsteps sounded almost like he was limping. My breathing hitched as I felt his heart beat furiously behind me but I didn't stop making random shapes with my bracelet.

He bended down my earth tent but I still didn't move.

"Do you see what you did?" he asked, his voice full of irritation.

I sighed, exasperated. "No, I do not 'see' what I did? Would you mind telling me what you're pointing too?" I surprised myself that I was able to keep such an even voice with my heart pounding as hard as it could that it almost painful.

Recognition filled his voice, "Oh. Yeah. Sorry."

I shrugged as I put my meteor bracelet back on. "Whatever." I fingered the dirt.

Anger was back in Twinkles' voice. "I am pointing to my swollen stomach!"

I stood up to face him as I crossed my arms tightly over my chest.

"Stop being such a winy baby, Twinkle Puff. It can't be that bad," I dismissed offhandedly.

Twinkles grabbed my wrist and I immediately jerked it away but he was persistent and his grip didn't lessen, it tightened. Since when did he have enough muscle to pull me like that? He held my hand firmly to his stomach…his bare stomach.

Since when did he sleep shirtless, and why didn't I notice that last night?

I ran my hand lightly over a swollen bump and he winced but didn't protest. His breathing was scaring me a bit because it was so fast and short. I must have really scared him. I was going to tease him about this but then my pinky accidentally brushed against his lower abdomen.

Since when did Twinkle Toes have abs?

My hands trailed across his six-pack and across his stomach as I felt the delicious muscles. I felt the waist band of his pants and hid my bright red blush under my hair as he asked, "Um…Toph, what are you doing?" his tone didn't even show the slightest hint of embarrassment. He sounded like he was just curious and that ticked me off.

Though I could feel his heart racing, I didn't feel a blush emanating from his body. Nobody makes Toph Bei Fong blush and act nonchalantly about it afterwards.

I pushed his shoulders and he fell.

"Nothing," I answered harshly and hastily. "Now, what do we have to eat? I'm hungry."

IN ANOTHER PLACE AND TIME

"Hey, Toe-Jam? Do you think that cloud looks like a bunny?"

"Mmmhmmm."

"You haven't said anything for the past hour!"

"Mmhmm."

"Sometimes I wonder how I can even understand you!"

I grunted an I-don't-know.

"Nothing exciting ever happens to us! You know that?!"

"Hmm," I responded casually to her spontaneous outburst.

Analese-Victoria was always loud. She always wanted to go exploring or do something and she was always so freaking happy all the time that it got on my nerves.

And I mean, how hard is it to call me by my real name, Todd? It's one syllable. Not that hard, in my opinion.

Of course, I'm being a bit hypocritical since I never call her by her first name either. But can you blame me? It is way too long. I call her Ana for short.

But as much as our personalities and appearances differed, I had to agree with her.

It was the second day of our five-day weekend and we were spending it nonproductively by lying down side-by-side and watching the desert clouds of Arizona pass on by as we looked on from her backyard.

Not really my idea of fun.

Suddenly the clouds started to shift and it seemed like they were moving backwards. Today was a cloudy day, which was unusual for Arizona, and the clouds seemed to darken in color. The air had lost its dry, dusty smell and was replaced with humid and heavy air.

I looked at Ana and she looked at me.

"Storm?" I asked.

"Looks like it. But I've never seen a storm where the clouds move backwards,"--so I wasn't the only one who noticed--"and it came on pretty fast didn't it? Let's go inside, my mom'll be back in an hour or so."

The wind began to pick up and whipped her long, brunette curls around her face as it did to my short black hair.

As I got up I offered her my hand when a blank look crossed her face for a millisecond before it was replaced by her unusually over-animated expression.

"Hey! You finally spoke!" she applauded me and jumped in place as I bowed.

She was laughing all the way into the house and I followed her in. Most parents would be going off the wall if they found out that their daughter's best friend was a guy, but Ana's mom was a really cool person. Way cooler than my mom who still has a problem with Ana coming over.

There was a moment of uneasiness that hit me sort of like vertigo as I passed through the screen door, but I shook it off and hoped with all my heart that a thunderstorm wasn't on its way.

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A/N: Didn't expect that last thing did you? Well, don't worry if you don't get it. It's definitely going somewhere. Just wait till I post tomorrow.

Did you like that little Toph and Aang fluff?

Review if you like and tell me what would make it interesting for you, I want to hear those kind of comments.

Oh and I tried extra hard not to have any typos. I re-read the whole thing like twice so alert me if I have any, please.

Love: Lola of the Peaches =]