Under the Night Sky
Chapter 2
They must have been flying for at least two hours when Toph speaks up from behind him, "Hey Twinkletoes, can I come sit up there with you?"
Aang twists around, surprised to hear her ask that, "Yeah! Yeah. Here, let me help you." He stands up, balancing on ohhh i head and reaches out for Toph's arm. They grip each other's forearms as Toph slowly stands up and slips a leg over the saddle, reaching out with her other arm for Aang. Grabbing her extended arm, he carefully pulls her to him and lowers her into a sitting position on Appa's head.
When he sits next to her, her arms encircle his and she leans in. He knows she only does this because she can't see and the only thing she can sense is him, but the act still makes him blush.
They ride in silence for a little bit before he asks, "So, why'd you want to come sit up here? You've always preferred the saddle," he asks, looking down at her. Her hair is whipping everywhere around them and the cool air biting at her cheeks give them a slight pink tint.
"Starting feeling a little fifth-wheel-ish," Toph says, shrugging.
Aang turns his head and sits up a little straighter, trying to see over the lip of the saddle. Not being able to see anything, he slumps down and turns forward. She laughs and says, "Don't worry, everyone's clothes are on. Sparky and Sugar Queen are cuddling and Fangirl and Snoozles are doing that annoying thing where they whisper quietly."
"Oh, yeah. I hate when they do that."
They're silent for a few moments when Aang feels her perk up a little, "Hey! Can I steer?" Toph asks, a little excited.
"Uhh, I hate to break this to you, Toph, but you can't see," Aang says awkwardly.
"No shit, Twinkletoes. But, it's not like there are things for him to dodge! Come on!" Seeing no real problem with her steering, he shrugs and shifts, throwing a leg behind her and moving until she is sitting in front of him. Aang takes her hands and guides them onto the rope, placing them in the right spots.
"Okay. So, when you want to go left, you pull the reins the opposite way, like this. And it's the same if you want to go right. If you want to go downwards, you pull the reins up slightly like this," his hands cover hers as he guides her through the motions.
"Cool! Look at me doing seeing-people things!" Toph laughs out. They ride like that for a while, Aang sometimes telling her which way to go so they can avoid the bigger clouds and flocks of ratbirds. "Alright, I'm getting bored with this," she says, handing the reins back to Aang and then leaning back against him. She crosses her arms and rests her head back against his collarbone.
Aang tenses slightly, but eventually relaxes when he feels her small snores vibrating against his chest. A large smile comes to his face when she turns her head slightly, tucking herself under his chin.
Ever since the other night when he had gotten up to share his blankets with her, Toph hadn't been able to leave his mind. He noticed her more. Noticed the little things she would do like how she would tuck her bangs behind her ears just for them to fall back in her face, the way she twitched her fingers when she was thinking.
A few hours later, they arrive in Ba Sing Se. Aang leans down slightly to say in her ear, "Hey, Toph, wake up. We're at the hotel." She stirs slightly but just snuggles in tighter against his chest. Aang looks up and sees the rest of the group walking into the hotel to get some rooms.
Looking back down at Toph, he heaves a sigh before moving out from behind her to get into a crouching position and picks her up bridal style. He's a little surprised at how light she is. She is pretty petite in stature, but her big personality makes her seem larger than she really is.
He gently jumps down from Appa and makes his way to the entrance of the hotel. Looking around, he attempts to find the others when a short middle aged man appears beside him, and judging from his uniform and name tag, he is the desk clerk.
"Oh, oh! The Avatar! Oh, it is my honor. Your friends told me you were coming. Here is your key Mr. Avatar, sir. You're in room 203- the second floor, second door on the left," the desk clerk says. Aang sticks out his little finger that is holding up Toph's top half and the clerk slides the keyring onto it.
"Oh, err, thanks, sir. But, uh, my bison-"
"Yes, sir. Yes, sir. We have a stable out back with plenty of hay. I will make sure he is comfortable."
"Oh, okay. Great, thanks!" Aang says, and begins walking towards the stairs. Although Toph is light, her weight is still more than he is used to and his breaths come out a little harder than normal.
Finally up the stairs and through the door of the room, he stands at the foot of the bed. The foot of the only bed in the room. Sighing, he moves and awkwardly pulls back the covers before laying her down in the bed.
Aang thinks for a moment if he should remove some of her clothes to get her more comfortable, but immediately pushes that thought away. Although they are close, they aren't close enough for that.
Looking at her once more, he removes her headband and the pins holding her bun in place, letting her hair fall over her shoulder. Aang never realized, but her hair is a lot longer and softer than he ever realized. He has to fight back the urge to pet her hair more than what is appropriate. He also removes her wrist and ankle cuffs in an attempt to at least make her a little comfortable.
Finally finished, he steps back and surveys the room, taking note of the small bed that Toph has taken up most of. There is a couch, but it is literally too small to even be considered a loveseat, it's more like an extra wide armchair. There is the floor, but it is stone and he can feel the chill of it through his shoes.
He briefly considers going to get another room, but his lack of money is a real issue and doesn't want to seem ungrateful to Zuko since he si the one who paid for this room.
Taking a deep breath, he takes his shoes off and sits on the edge of the small bed, opposite of Toph. He lays down, his body completely stiff as she sleeps next to him. He doesn't know why he is so uptight about sleeping in the same bed as her. They had slept in the same bed before and the other night when he shared his blankets with her.
He keeps telling himself there's no difference between those times and right now. But, in the back of his mind, he knows there is a difference: he had begun to develop feelings for her.
It was after they shared the blankets at the campsite. he had awoken before everyone else and Toph was still curled up against him, her head on his chest and one of her hands was fisting the fabric of his shirt that was over his heart. Laying there with her, he felt so secure and safe, something he didn't realize he needed to feel until he had it.
Aang eventually convinces himself that what they are doing, something they have been doing since they were kids, is not as big of a deal as he is making it out to be. He slips underneath the covers and lays as still and as straight as possible, trying not to touch her. Sleep begins to pull at his eyelids, and slowly, his body grows less tense as he drifts off to sleep.
In the morning, he slowly comes out of the grips of sleep by the sunlight streaming in through the window. Not opening his eyes, he snuggles deeper into the blankets and pulls the pillow he is cuddling closer to his chest. Burying his face in it and inhaling deeply, he smiles a little at the smell of Earth and mint, finding it comforting for some reason.
A groan vibrates through his pillow and it begins to stir slightly. Frowning, Aang lifts his head from the pillow and squints his eyes open.
Instead of cuddling a pillow, he is cuddling Toph, which explains the groan. He has an arm wrapped around her waist and their feet are tangled together underneath the blankets.
Toph squirms in his grip before turning around in his arms and pressing her face into his chest, throwing one of her arms over his waist. Aang hears her smack her lips a few times and then nuzzles her face against him, her deep breathing returning.
A small content smile appears on Aang's lips. He squeezes her tight against him before releasing his grip and taking a deep breath, the smell of Earth and mint invading his senses again.
Slowly, he succumbs to sleep with Toph securely pressed against him.
