000

Cloudy With

A Chance Of Thunder

000

Now that Toph had calmed down, Aang was relieved. They had become friends again. Toph had apologized and so did he. For now, to establish their restored friendship they sat on the floor of her bedroom and watched a cooking show. But he still felt like he owed her. There was only one thing he could to satisfy the urge.

"You want to make it up to me? Twinkles you don't need to-" Toph wasn't entirely opposed to the idea. It gave her an excuse to order Aang around. But that would only leave a bad aftertaste. Gah! He is getting to me!

"No, no. I'll keep feeling like this until I do something for you."

"Alright…how do you want to make it up to me?"

"Umm…we could go out for some…um…" Aang's eyes scanned the room for ordinary items that would have at least given him a hint. Her glasses' case, No that wouldn't help with anything. Cooking show, No I don't have the money to afford a restaurant. Just then, an ice-cream commercial flashed across the TV screen. Bingo!

"Ice-cream! How about we go out for ice-cream?"

"Sure, why not?" Aang immediately beamed and Toph sighed "You don't have to get so excited. Hold on, let me get my wallet." Toph disappeared into her closet. It would take a while for her to find anything in there. So he decided to wait for her outside of her room. Big mistake.

The second Aang poked his head out her door, guns of different shapes and sizes were thrust into his face.

"Intruder in Room 12B!" One of the guards screamed pointing a very large revolver at Aang. Instinctively, Aang raised both hands above his head.

"Who are you? What have you done with Miss Toph?" Aang couldn't see his face, but what he could see was the large M-16 pointed at his chest.

"M-my name is Aang and Toph is in her closet looking for her wallet! Don't shoot me! I don't want to die! I haven't even kissed a girl yet!"

"So you admit to trying to satisfy your sexual urges on Miss Toph!"

"You fiend!"

"Get him!" They dropped their guns and assaulted Aang. Thinking quickly, Aang nimbly avoided all their attempts at grabbing him by jumping onto one of the guard's shoulders and hopping from shoulder to shoulder until he managed to get behind them.

"Ok, Twinkles I'm ready to- What the hell are you guys doing!"

"Thank god! Toph save-" Before Aang could finish his sentence a guard tackled him to the ground.

"Ouch…" That looked rough. Even to her. "Ok boys leave the nerd alone he is with me!" Toph rushed to his side.

"You ok Aang? He tackled you really hard…"

"I'm fine…It could have only given me a concussion at most…" Aang rubbed his short shaggy head. "Wait, I don't remember having hair! I thought I was bald!" Toph glared daggers at her guards. They turned away.

"We were only doing our job…" One answered meekly.

"Ok! I want all of you to burn this boy's face into your minds!" Toph grabbed Aang's head and forced him to face them "He'll be a frequent visitor here. So if one of you even so much as touch one hair on his shaggy head there will be hell to pay!"

"Yes Miss Toph!" They saluted.

"Good. I will be back shortly; I'll call if there are any problems." Toph grabbed Aang's dazed body and dragged him along.

"Ah! At least take one of us with you!"

"That won't be necessary. He is protection enough. Besides I want to be alone with him." Toph said that as if it was the most natural thing in the world. If Aang wasn't heavily dazed and loopy he would have blushed. As the two walked out the door, neither of them heard the weather report coming from the Television in the living room.

'…meaning there will be a 80% chance of thunderstorms later today.'

"This is all your fault, Twinkle Toes!" Toph screamed as the two ran through the pouring rain. On their way back from the ice-cream parlor it began raining.

"How is it my fault it's raining?" Aang retorted shielding his head with his shirt.

"It just is!"

Since Aang's house was closer the two decided to take shelter there. The house was nothing like hers, the house was old but it creaked from time to time but it was a sturdy house. Toph had been here a few times before but they never did much when she was here. She most just watched Aang do his (and her) homework.

"Great now my clothes are all wet…" Toph wrapped her arms around herself. She was soaked.

"I'll get you a towel," Aang ran up the stairs to his room. Toph followed him only to have a towel flung at her. She wiped herself off but she was beginning to get cold. Her wet clothes weren't exactly helping.

"Is it me or is it getting cold in here?" Toph shivered wrapping the towel around herself.

"Well I got some of your extra clothes here from the last time you came and a few blankets in here…" Aang walked to his closet, pulling out a bag with Toph's clothing inside and two large blankets.

"Gimme," Aang handed her the bag and a blanket and she pointed towards the door "Now get out!"

"Alright, alright"

Aang blushed as he walked out the room. Toph was undressing in there. His teenage boy mind couldn't help but wander off into a fantasy that he quickly dispelled when he shook his head.

What's wrong with me…? Aang sighed. What was he doing? Toph was his friend, he couldn't do that to her no matter how much he wanted to. And boy did he want to.

Aang removed the wet clothes, quickly putting on the large shirt and long baggy pants that he got from his room. There was only one problem. he was still freezing. He pulled the blanket, wrapping it tightly around himself. Unfortunately it only gave him momentary warmth. Soon after, he realized that the blanket was still not enough.

With a bright flash of light all the lights in the house suddenly went out, leaving the two cold and without any warmth.

"W-What happened?" Toph yelled from the other room.

"I think the storm took the power out." Aang yelled back, wrapping the blanket tighter around his body. If he didn't find any warmth soon he wasn't sure he was going to make the night.

"Great, just great." Toph huffed. With four layers of sheets wrapped around her tiny body, she wasn't doing any better than Aang. She was just as cold maybe even colder but she wasn't going to admit it even if it killed her. At this rate it would…

"Hey Toph! It's still cold out here!" Aang cried out in hopes that Toph would have some mercy and spare him a blanket or two.

"D-Deal w-with it Twinkle toes!"

"But you're freezing too!"

"S-So what?" Oh great, now my teeth are chattering!

Aang thought for a moment, the two of them were cold and freezing and the only way to keep warm was to share body heat. "I think we should cuddle up together."

"No way, Twinkle toes! You'll feel me up!" She rejected the idea immediately. She was cold but she didn't want Aang that close to her.

"Come on Toph you know I wouldn't do that!" Aang pleaded lightly banging on the door. "Come on! I'm freezing out my butt off here!"

Toph deliberated for a minute. She knew Aang wasn't the type of guy to cop a feel but to have him so close to her. She blushed as a warm sensation rose from her chest.

"Fine! Just don't touch anything or you're dead."

"Thanks Toph." He smiled when she opened the door. She was wrapped, head to toe in about three of his bed sheets. How was she still cold? Toph rushed back to the bed and rested her back to the head rest of the bed. Aang approached the bed and stopped dead in his tracks as a thought crossed his head.

"What's wrong?" Toph asked.

"Um…I don't know…just the two of us …alone in the dark."

"It's not what it looks like Twinkle Toes! Besides you're the one who brought up the idea!"

"Oh, yeah" Aang laughed as he carefully plopped down next to her. "Mind sharing some of those?" She unwrapped two of the sheets and spread them over the two as they cuddled next to each other. She leaned on his shoulder and snuggled closer like she did back at her house. Aang blushed profusely.

"Warmer?" He asked.

"Maybe." She said and moved even closer and Aang's heart beat sky rocketed. Luckily for him, Toph couldn't hear or feel it. From the angle he was in, he could have smelled the shampoo Toph had been using. It smelt heavenly. It was mixture between mango and apples and Aang had to admit it tickled his nose.

"See this isn't so bad?"After Aang's heart beat finally relaxed, he got use to her.

"Speak for yourself. You're not the girl in this situation." Toph huffed. To be honest, she didn't really hate the situation. She actually enjoyed cuddling up to Aang but she couldn't tell him that now could she? It gave her a sense of security and she could finally let her guard down and relax.

"Toph I'm not going to do anything," Aang spoke softly as he peered into the darkness. Even though he got use to her, he couldn't help but let his mind wander. So to avoid that he occupied it with something else; the embracing darkness gave him an opportunity to enjoy the color black.

"Sure you aren't." The pitter-patter of the rain on the roof was getting louder. It was beginning to get worse and Toph wondered if she was ever going to get home.

"Well I'm not doing anything now am I?"

"Yeah not right now-" Just then, a loud crackling boom roared through the sky "Ahhh!" Toph shrieked.

"Toph, you ok? It's just thunder."

"I-I'm fine!" Again the thunder roared even louder than before "God!" Toph instinctively turned and wrapped her arms around Aang's chest.

"Wait…Toph you aren't afraid of-"

"Don't you dare say it! I'm not afraid! I just really don't like it!" Another thunderous roar boomed "Gah!" Toph tightened her grip on Aang who by now was chuckling under his breath.

"Wow, I've never seen you like this…"

"If you laugh I'll make sure you don't live after-" Again the thunder ripped through the sky "Ahhh!"

"Toph…?" Aang's voice was now filled with concern, especially when he could feel his chest becoming wet. When he looked to Toph, she was silently crying into his shirt. "Toph it's ok. It's going to be ok."

"Oh now you wanna be all sensitive, huh?" Toph raised her head and Aang could see the tears trailing down her face. Aang slowly wrapped his arms around her slim shoulders pulling her face back into his chest pressing his chin down on her silky black hair.

"I'm sorry I didn't know that you were this afraid," Aang had never seen Toph cry before. He imagined it once before but it was nothing like this. She told him once before that she cried (or had something in her eyes at the moment as she put it) when her parents left her alone for the holidays, or when they ignored how she felt about something when they pushed it onto her. Now she was crying out of pure fear, something she rarely ever felt. It was a whole new experience to Aang. It reminded him how fragile Toph truly was.

"I'm not afraid…I just don't like it…"

Hours passed. The two teenagers stayed in that position until the storm was over. Every so often, when the thunder boomed Toph wouldn't shriek but bury her face deeper into Aang's chest. No words were said. No words needed to be said. All the two needed was the warmth of each other. Just to have that person be there for you was enough, and Aang had been there for Toph.

He stood up for her. He did things that no one would ever do for her and he didn't hesitate to help her even when he would suffer. Aang deeply cared about her but how did she feel about him? She cared for him and she would defend him from any danger when he couldn't himself.

She liked being around him to the point that if she didn't see him she would get a little paranoid and worry where he might be. She was even jealous when another girl had a crush on him. She didn't want to think of her life without him. A life like that would be too painful and sad for her to even think of. To her that meant only one thing.

It wasn't long till Aang dozed off, leaving Toph (who was wide awake) to her thoughts. When she was sure Aang was asleep she got up and stared him straight in the face.

"…Aang." She whispered gently as she leaned towards Aang slowly. An inch near his lips, she stopped. She bit her lower lip before slowly whispering "…No I…can't"

"What am I doing? He's my best friend." She asked herself when she tried to put her head back on Aang's chest. She felt bad. She felt guilty, confused, vulnerable and cowardly. All of which she hated, she didn't want to feel weak. She was sure of how she felt about Aang but she didn't know of what he thought of her.

Dozens of different excuses flew into her head. It will ruin our friendship (you won't know unless you try), he likes On Ji (well not really), I'm not as pretty Katara (what's that have to do with anything?), I'm a rich girl (so?) he'll break your heart (Aang wouldn't do that). Shut up brain! Ugh, Toph slammed her face into the pillow glancing over to Aang who was still asleep. She sighed, and tried to fall asleep. Mulling over it wasn't going to help. Toph took her head off the pillow and rested it against Aang's chest, just this once won't hurt.

000

The sun was rising casting a bright light over the horizon. The light shone through the windows bathing the room in its beauty. In the corner of his newly wakened eyes, Aang could see a familiar girl sleeping peacefully on his chest. Her silky long raven black hair no longer in its bun but scattered across the bed danced in the gentle breeze, highlighted by the rising sun. Her porcelain white skin was remarkably flawless, not a blemish in sight. It was the same girl he had known for months but there was something different, something alluring about her. Aang found himself drawn to the girl.

He gently stroke the girl's soft and creamy face for a moment before his eyes fell to the girl's peach colored lips. She looked so defenseless, so peaceful and her lips looked extremely inviting at that moment. It was like they were drawing him in like a magnet with metal. Without hesitation he gently pressed his lips against the sleeping girls'. They were sweet and tasted faintly of strawberry; the ice cream she had the day before. After only a moment, a sweet moan escaped her mouth. Aang pulled away got out of bed and began back stepping slowly.

What did I just do...? Aang ran out of the room into the bathroom splashing water against his face to clear his head.

Toph, who was wide awake, opened her eyes blushing deeply confused and bewildered as she touched her finger to her lip. She got what she wanted along with the answer she had been looking for.

Like 'Winds Of Fate' this chapter is still my favorite. Review and tell me what you guys think!