I Can Tell

Topherbee: TophxSmellerbee

Smellerbee's relationships never lasted more than a few weeks. First, things would go perfectly and she would never take the time to look to the future because everything in the present was so nice. She didn't even have to consider "true love" into the equation because it never really mattered to her anyway. Except when she was alone.

Her relationships were full of mistakes that could have been avoided with a bit of deliberation and time, but she always dove in too soon. For example, Jet had always piqued her interests, infatuated her really, and she was ferociously loyal to him, but he would rather seek revenge on the Fire Nation than spend time with her. Still, she ignored this fact to be his girlfriend. Two weeks after their first kiss they were both single again, but still friends. Then, Lake Laogi took Jet out of the picture entirely.

On the other hand, Longshot had always been a stable force in her life. He was quiet, usually too quiet for her taste, but never hesitated to make her happy. He was wise, and strong, but lacked the sort of personality she was truly drawn to. She dated him anyway, nearly a whole month, before that crumbled too.

Being single wasn't so bad. At first.

But now, when Fire Lord Zuko threw huge celebrations for his friends and allies, Smellerbee wanted a freaking date. Even quiet Longshot had made quick friends with that acrobatic Fire Nation girl.

Standing against her customary wall, she swirled some fruit punch in a cup and tried to ignore the smiling happy couples that surrounded her. Another girl, named Toph if Smellerbee was remembering correctly, came and stood next to her.

"Parties suck without a date, don't they?" she said.

Smellerbee was mildly offended at her comment, "Who's saying I don't have a date?"

"Whoa now. I'm just saying, we should stop holding up the walls of the palace and start cutting a rug. How about it?" she smirked a little bit and extended her hand.

"Are you asking me to dance?" she asked. The girl looked up and it suddenly became clear to Smellerbee that she was blind. How did she forget? She probably thought the Freedom Fighter was a boy because of her voice. "Listen, it's Toph, right?" The girl nodded. "Toph, I'm not a guy, I'm a girl, if you couldn't tell."

Toph laughed, "I can tell. Are we gonna dance or what?" Without waiting for an answer, she grabbed Smellerbee's shoulder and pushed her to the center of the dance floor, which was currently unoccupied.

The Earthbender turned to the band and yelled, "Play something fast and fun for a change!"

With a stern face, the conductor picked up his wand and held his hands aloft before swinging them rapidly through the air. He smiled like a little boy and started to groove to his music. The drums pulsed loudly and were joined by the trumpets and horns. Soon a group of strings chopped the room with a rhythm that made it impossible stand still.

Toph moved with power and speed in a dance that could have also been a fighting form. Smellerbee did her best to match, but was quickly overwhelmed by the urge to just keep moving. They twirled and clapped and laughed until the entire dance floor was filled with everyone jumping to the beat. It was the most fun they had ever had at a party.

By the end of the night, everyone was exhausted. Toph and Smellerbee had spent the whole time together, and even walked out with each other. They promised to come and go together for every royal engagement in the future, at least until they each found a date.

Their dance partner plan worked perfectly because they both wanted to have fun at social events. Their future dinner plans worked perfectly because they both had similar tastes in food. Their opera and orchestra plans worked perfectly because they could both be moved to tears by the music, then pretend to have something in their eyes, and still laugh about it later. In fact, they went on like this for several months, and both girls stopped seeking a boyfriend to keep them busy. Toph appreciated Smellerbee's confidence, spirit, and kind demeanor, even if she did her best to hide it under a tough shell. Smellerbee liked that Toph could be a trustworthy, solid person without sacrificing her outgoing personality like other people she knew.

However, it wasn't until Sokka asked, "So, how long have you two been dating?" that the thought even occurred to them. They backed out of the conversation with uncomfortable excuses.

Smellerbee felt the question sting at the back of her mind for the rest of the day. She was determined to ask Toph about it that night at dinner. She always had a good answer.

It was a rare evening when they both wore dresses. Smellerbee tugged awkwardly at one of her straps when she asked suddenly, "Are we dating?"

Toph took her glass away from her lips and set it on the table. "I've never been on a date before, so I don't really know. Have you?"

Hanging her head, Smellerbee said, "I've dated two guys in my life. Neither lasted more than a month, so I'm not really an expert about this stuff."

Toph smacked her hands on the table, making other patrons of the restaurant stare, "Well that's great! My record's already better than theirs! In that case, we should definitely be dating."

Smellerbee couldn't help but laugh at the smile gracing her friend's lips.

"I guess- well, I guess that means we're officially dating then," said Smellerbee. Curiously, she felt like an unknown weight had been lifted from her shoulders. "I like spending time with you, and you haven't gotten tired of me yet, so this is good, right?"

Toph nodded, "This is great!"

That night they did not kiss, but they held hands until they parted ways. And that was how their relationship continued. Things were slow, but fun; and perfect when they finally happened.

xxxxx

A/N: I was listening to The Anthem (Calabria Remix) by Pitbull ft. Lil John and Enur when I wrote the dance scene. Spazzing out to that song is the best. I figured Toph and Smellerbee needed an awesome tune to party with.