There's always a period of curious fear between the first sweet- smelling breeze and the time when the rain comes cracking down.

The sun tells the best joke of a day full of them, setting so spectacular that you can almost smell the tropical paradise lazing somewhere over this rim of endless, gray socialist towers. Miles of square windows explode orange, red, and purple. Clouds unspool, the sky drains of birds. But what of days that are splashed with clouds spilling over rain?

"Aren't the clouds beautiful? They look like big balls of cotton… I could just lie here all day, and watch them drift by… If you use your imagination, you can see lots of things in the clouds… What do you see, Toph?"

She knew what he meant when he said see. After years of war and traveling together they had grown custom to certain things such as this.

Turning her head in the airbender's direction she seemed to stare right at him… They say eyes were the windows to your soul and though she couldn't see, Toph felt the power in his being, the spirits of the past and present, but most of all she felt Twinkle Toes.

"Freedom." It was blunt, simple, and to the point but there was a deeper meaning in her words. It wasn't the clouds, it was the one who belonged to them.

For a second I was almost jealous of the clouds. Why was she looking to them for an escape when I was right here beside her?

The first splashes of rain signaled the leaving for the two benders, or at least it should have… But they continued to lay there face toward the clouds unwavered by the growing storm. They lay calm against the storm raging around them. The thunder screamed across the sky; it slapped the clouds into a heated turmoil running across the sky. But unaffected Toph and Aang were as the rain seemed to evade them, but no gestures were made by either benders as to halt the rain… no it was almost as the world knew the serenity in which the two were placed and let them be.

A smile graced the face of the now teenage airbender as he bended himself up off the ground, lifting up his former Sifu as well. He remembered back in the good ole days when "Team Avatar" was still together how Toph would have kicked him into yesterday for simply making her airborne. Sometimes he missed that, but he knew it was still buried deep down the gi- woman he saw before him today.

Laughing the same childish laugh that would never change, Aang took Toph's hand and began spinning her around in circles.

Dancing in the rain.

But Toph, no matter how matured and how grown, was still Toph... and so not a moment later the dance became a duel. Earthbender against born airbender.

He was focused on - and rather impressed with - the tiny girl standing a few feet away.

He laughed as he dodged another attack. If it was possible, Toph was better now than she had ever been before. Where he believed that once they had been pretty evenly matched - earthbender to earthbender, that is now he had to call on his other bending abilities to be able to withstand the onslaught. And that was despite the fact they were on dirt and not solid earth. Still, he was having a whole lot of fun trying to keep his body intact and injury free.

"Sifu Toph," he began. He sounded a little winded, but she didn't care and didn't let him finish whatever excuse he was about to come up with.

"Shut it, Avatar!" she mocked.

He laughed again and though he didn't counter her sand attack directly, he did send a small wave of water her way in an attempt to cool her down. Then, he sent a larger wave. Toph inhaled sharply when the cold water hit her. For a second she simply stood there, annoyingly soaking wet once more after her clothes had finally begun to dry.

It was well known that Toph hated being wet, but this time even the water Aang drenched her with couldn't dampen her mood. The anger reserved for him for getting her into this mess had dissipated and all because she was fully enjoying the impromptu sparring match. She'd probably remember all about it later and she would make him pay.

More than an hour had passed since Toph first attacked and Aang avoided, but both were having so much fun they didn't notice. Neither had plans on stopping anytime soon either.

"Had enough?" Aang teased, wondering why he hadn't thought of waterbending sooner.

"Ha! You wish! Think a little water's gonna scare me?" she grinned. Steadying herself, she began to send pillar after pillar his way.

Aang smiled as he dodged and flipped and spun out of the way. One of those pillars make contact with half of his body, and though not as hard as rock, it sent him flying back. She'd been waiting for him to make a move in order to find him and the sound of his voice was a dead giveaway. After sending a small sand whirlwind his way, she waited for his next move.

Aang knew she wasn't going to stop and listen to him no matter what he said, the huge smile on her face told him she was having way too much fun. His only other option was to take her by surprise. Knowing she was susceptible to aerial attacks, Aang moved carefully and silently above the tress and waited for the right moment to airbend himself closer to Toph. He would make sure to stand right behind her to make his move.

Toph held her horse stance and waited.

Aang had to be quick, and he was. One minute he was very still and the next, he was standing behind her, his arms going around her small frame to secure her in place and keep her from continuing the fight. That was his plan anyway, but the moment his feet touched down, the sand beneath him opened and swallowed him waistdeep.

"Gotta be faster than that, Twinkletoes," Toph informed him, a smug smile on her face.

Bending himself out of the hole, Aang fell on his back completely exhausted yet stilll found the energy to laugh. And his laughter was infectious because not to long after Toph was on the floor next to him giggling and holding her side.

Looking at the girl next to him, Aang gave a bittersweet smile. They were best friends but he wanted more... he just didn't want to risk losing her.

"If you have something to say, Twinkles, you might as well spit it out."

Chuckling slightly Aang shook his head in distant memory... Twinkle Toes... he hadn't heard that nickname in what felt like forever.

"Truth or dare."

Eyebrows furrowed in slight confusion Toph answered like any earthbender, head first.

"Dare."

"Kiss me."

The breath was sucked right out of her, but she never backed out of anything, or at least thats the excuse she told herself.

Huphing Toph sat up facing Aang, reached out with her hand memorizing his facial features before leaning in...

She could feel his breath on her lips and just as she pushed herself closer...

"I'm a gangster this is a stick up, I like that leather... I'll trade you Momo-

Halting in his surprise visit he along with his sister and new fiance stared at the scenery before them... no it wasn't the scenery it was the people kissing IN the scenery.

THE END