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Don't Turn Off The Light
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A/N: I know I haven't written in this story much but I feel like it's close to ending. But that may just be me. I don't know whether or not I'll continue this story but this chapter kind of gives the feel that it's the end. So thanks for reading and enjoy.
Also this chapter is fast forwarded by a year.
"I'm sorry young miss your parent's won't be home for another week I'm afraid. May I call them and leave a message?" was the first thing Toph heard when she got home.
"Don't bother." Toph curtly responded.
"But they said that we should keep a vigilant look on you while they were away."
"Is that so?" Toph grinned.
Toph couldn't help but smile as she watched the house keepers scurry about the house looking for her. Sometimes people do things out of curiosity, such as climbing a tree to see how far you can get. Others annoy people because it brings them joy but Toph was special.
She didn't send a picture of her kissing Aang from their party at the bar to see what kind of reaction her parents had nor to annoy them. She sent it as way of telling them, 'I don't care about you anymore. I'm going to do what I want when I want. P.S I hate you'. So to Toph, hiding away was another 'I can do as I please' to her. At least that's what Toph wanted to believe.
In her head she knew she was being a brat to get their attention but what else could she have done? Saying that she wanted them back home wouldn't accomplish anything. They would always pick work over her.
They did it before and they sure as hell can do it again.
Today she needed them (as rare as that was). She actually hoped that her parents were home for once so that she could have talked to them. But as always, whenever she needed them they were never around.
Toph couldn't help but shiver and cradle her legs when the cold breeze whizzed by her. As if the day wasn't bad enough already, she thought it's going to rain again tonight. She closed her eyes and ignored her buzzing cell phone. If they wanted to talk to her they would have come to her in person. It seemed like tonight was going to be a 'fun' night for her.
That night, like Toph predicted it began raining heavily. The thunder roared and Toph cringed with fear beneath her covers. She wished she could've crawl into bed with her parents like she used to but she was too proud to start doing it again. Besides they were never there.
On Christmas, Halloween, Easter and most importantly on her birthday they always had to 'leave for an emergency meeting' or 'something came up'. You'd think that after fourteen years they would have come up with some better excuses.
She got the games and presents she wanted but she would never get what she always wanted; her parents. Though she wouldn't allow herself to tell them that; they were parents they were supposed to know that.
Over the years she noticed that for over-protective parents who didn't want her to leave the house, they weren't exactly setting a good example. They were hardly at home and Toph only saw them twice or thrice a week. That's kind of sad really…
Whenever they were home, it was always the same thing. 'Don't leave the house', 'stay away from that Aang boy', 'you need to Grow up and become a refined woman like your mother'. They still tried to be parents in the limited time they spent home, but nagging at their daughter wasn't the right way to do it.
How can they expect me to behave when they don't even stick around to make sure I do it?
The maids and butlers always did the best they could to cheer her up but there was on so much they could do. For all she cared the housekeepers were better parents than they were.
It's always like that isn't it? No matter what I do I always end up alone.
On her birthday, she blew out her candles alone, on Halloween she treat-or-treated with her butler, on Christmas she opened her presents alone.
Alone…Alone…Alone…
She covered her ears and hoped that it would all just go away. I don't want to feel like this anymore! I've had enough dammit!
Just then, she heard a tapping on her window. Toph looked up towards her window and heard the tapping again. She moved off her bed and grabbed her wooden bat. She crept up to the window and slowly moved the curtains to see…a raincoat. A gaudy raincoat is tapping away at my glass? Wait I know that raincoat.
"Twinkles…what the heck do you think you're doing?"
She opened her window and Aang came crashing in once again. Aang didn't answer. He simply took off his raincoat and threw it into the corner of the room. Aang searched his body carefully made sure he wasn't wet anywhere.
Once that was done, he walked up to Toph and tightly hugged her with all his might. Toph didn't break away but she was still confused as to why he climbed into her room in the middle of the night. Just then the thunder boomed and Toph found herself clinging to his body.
"This is why I'm here." Aang smiled.
He came all the way through the rain to comfort me? What kind of idiot risks his life in a storm to comfort someone like me?
My idiot that's who!
"Aang," she cried out his name. What was I thinking?
"Aang…" Tears began to build in her eyes. This lovable nerd was always here.
"Aang!" Whenever I was alone, whenever I needed someone Aang would always show up with that goofy smile of his. Unable to hold herself back, Toph wrapped her arms around him and the tears came flooding out. Aang simply smiled and loving wrapped his arms around her nuzzling her head into his chest. He had no intention of letting her go.
On her birthday, Aang managed to scrounge up some money to buy her a present after the party (since her parents didn't want to invite him), on Halloween she ditched her butler and joined Aang, on Christmas Aang surprised her with something he made himself mixed in with the presents her parents gave. After she opened them he was waiting in her room.
When Toph calmed down, the two moved to the bed with Toph resting against Aang's chest and Aang stroking her head. They remained quiet as they laid there while the thunder roared outside. It wasn't until the rain started getting worse that Aang thought he should distract her.
"You always get emotional when it rains don't you?" Aang chuckled slightly.
"Shut up."
"I'm kind of glad though."
"You're glad I'm crying?"
"It's just that I get to see sides of you that no one else gets to see."
Toph's entire face reddened. What's with him? Did he sudden turn into Romeo or something? But it's only when he is here I feel like this…
"And you bring out sides of me I never knew I had…"
"Bring 'em all out, I'll love them all." Aang wore his trademark goofy smile. That smile alone reminded Toph of the huge part of her life that Aang played. If it wasn't for him she would be all alone in her own little world. If it wasn't for him she would be hurting everyday because of her loneliness. If it wasn't for him, Toph wouldn't be Toph. She wouldn't be able to express herself as she did.
But just then, a dark question formed itself in her head. What if Aang suddenly disappeared?
There was something that was bothering Aang for some time now. Aang was quite aware of what he was doing of course; sneaking into his girlfriend's room to comfort her. But it would not appear like this to others. So if someone were to find them like this, it would cause a major misunderstanding. So to avoid anything like that, Aang only had one idea.
"I think we should turn off the lights…before anyone sees us like this." Toph thought about it.
"No."
"But Toph what if your parents-"
"No."
"Toph…"
"Don't turn off the lights. I…don't want to be in the dark tonight."
Aang was surprised to say the least. Was she scared? No, Toph wasn't afraid of the dark. He didn't know what she was thinking.
"It's because…" the thunder boomed and she instinctively cuddled up to him "Do I really have to say it? It's all mushy."
"I love it when you're all mushy."
"Thanks for that Romeo," she became silent once more "Because…"
"Yeah?"
"If you turned off the light…then I'd fall asleep and" Toph's face was burning with embarrassment. Why was this so hard to do? "Then when I wake up you won't be here anymore and I'll be wondering if this was all a dream. I…don't want you to leave. I don't want to be alone anymore…" Toph lowered her gaze.
Did you ever get the feeling that your girlfriend was being so cute you couldn't help but hug the stuffing out of her? Aang felt like that, and then some.
"Sometimes you're just too much you know that."
"Huh?"
"Toph, I promise you. I'm always going to be a part of your life, I'm always going to be around and I am always going to love you no matter what. Those are three things that are never going to change."
"Aang I'm only going to say this once."
"What?"
Toph moved the bangs out of her eyes with her hands for once, leaned on Aang's chest and softly grasped his cheeks between her hands. "I love you." With those simple yet heartfelt words she crushed her lips against his in a tender kiss. Through that kiss, Aang could feel all the emotion behind her words. She really meant what she said and that made his heart melt. He never thought that three words could bring so much joy and happiness. He soon found himself addicted. He had to have more.
"Say it again."
"Nope, it's a once in a life time thing."
"Come on…" he used his trump card; the puppy dog eyes.
"Fine, once a fortnight." Then he used his super combo; the puppy dog eyes plus the quivering lip "Ok, ok! Once a week. No, wait. Before you use the tearing eyes triple threat. I'll save you the shame. Once a day." He immediately beamed.
"Sometimes you're just so pathetic I can't help but say yes." Toph sighed.
"I love you too."
Hours passed and it wasn't long until the two fell asleep like that.
"Miss Toph! It's time to get up for school!" A knocking came at Toph's door.
"Ugh, five more minutes mom…" Toph automatically responded. Still half-asleep Toph groggily got up and scanned her room. She crawled over her sleeping boyfriend and walked over to her vanity mirror and began brushing her hair. After she was done she noticed Aang sleeping peacefully and she smiled.
He's kind of cute when he sleeps.
Toph then made her way to the door when she noticed her window wasn't closed. After she closed it her head turned once more to Aang…wait since when did Aang start sleeping in my bed? Soon the gears in her head began turning, and she began to think more clearly.
Aang is in my bed…Aang is sleeping in my bed…Aang slept in my bed….Toph's eyes slowly began to widen when she finally realized the situation she was in.
"Oh shit! Aang!"
"Whuzzut?" Aang's eyes flew open clearly surprised but Toph's voice.
"Wake up! If my maids find you in here we're both going to be screwed!" She panicked. She grabbed him and stuffed him under her bed. Aang panics and keeps silent.
"Ok Miss Bei Fong your bath has been drawn so if you please?" The maid took Toph to the shower.
Aang waited a few minutes before he confirmed that the coast was clear and it was time to make his move. He rolled out from under the bed and headed for the window but he soon found himself sliding back under the bed because two more maids let themselves into her room and began cleaning.
"Oh crap I left my coat on the floor!" Aang whispered to himself as he tried to reach out for it.
"What's this? A coat? This doesn't belong to the young miss…" Doh! Aang slapped himself lightly. He was so close to nabbing it.
"Whose do you suppose it is?"The other maid asked. Luckily for Aang none of them knew it was his but that didn't explain what it was doing there in the first place.
"You don't suppose..."
"I borrowed it!" Toph literally slid back into her room still sopping wet from her quick shower. It wasn't until she was halfway through showering that she remembered Aang's coat.
"I borrowed it from a friend yesterday ok?" The maids nodded and Toph sigh. Nice save Toph!
"Ah! You're making a mess of the floor! We need to get you dressed! Come, come." The maid pulled Toph in.
"Wait no! I can do it in the bathroom! Stop! Noooo," Aang could feel his cheeks grow warmer, Toph's wet towel fell to the floor. I can't look! Aang blocked his eyes with his hands but his natural teenage boy curiousness was getting the better of him when he continuously lowered and raised his fingers. To look or not to look, that was the question. Aang had to admit that this would be one of the most amazing and one of the most deadly moments in his life. If Toph ever found out, he was as good as dead.
The maids with satisfied looks on their faces left the room as soon as they were done dressing Toph. Aang crawled out from under the bed when Toph made sure that the Maids weren't coming back. But once he got out there was an awkward silence between them.
"You had better not have looked," Toph whispered clearly blushing.
"I didn't!" He raised his arms defensively. It's not like he wanted to, he couldn't help it. He was a growing boy after all. Aang simply stood there and continued to stare at Toph, remembering the bit and pieces of naked flesh that he saw. Toph immediately noticed and her face changed from pink to red.
"YOU SAW!" Toph gathered all the strength she had in her fists and nailed Aang right in the gut before storming off. After that she didn't speak to him for four days.
Was it worth it Aang?
