The actual proposal
Chapter 2: The actual proposal
It's a beautiful night, we're looking for something dumb to do
Hey baby, I think I wanna marry you
Is it the look in your eyes or is it this dancing juice?
Who cares, baby, I think I wanna marry you
Aang followed Sokka’s plan to the letter. He lied to Katara and was now hiding in the Southern Air Temple as planned. He surely made a unique betrothal necklace: he dyed the fabric green, as it is the union of blue and yellow, respectively their traditional colors, and carved in the bone Sokka gave him (he refused to get his hands dirty with the blood of an innocent creature – his words –) the symbols of their elements inside a heart.
The day of the celebrations came. He arrived at the South Pole and reunited with his girlfriend and her family. Hakoda and Bato got together after the war, their kids kind of already suspected something was going on between them, but preferred to leave it alone and wait for them to confirm it. Still, after years they were a loving couple admired by the whole tribe, which was now gathered around a giant table drinking and eating, talking and laughing.
Sokka had decided to invite all of his friends, but for one reason or another (one being the Fire Lord, the other leading a group of warriors), out of the original Team Avatar, only Toph could make it… And Sokka was grateful for having her there because he really needed someone to keep him distracted from thinking about what would happen later that night… And by needing her to ‘distract him’, he meant giving him a nudge every time he glanced at the two lovebirds with a knowing look.
“Well, it’s getting late: do you want to get some air? Maybe go for a little walk?” Aang finally asked Katara.
“I was thinking the same thing! And I happen to know the perfect spot…”
Aang looked over to Sokka who winked at him and Toph gave him a little thumbs up, although facing the wrong direction and being turned by Sokka on the right one. The airbender followed the waterbender outside the enormous igloo where everybody was drunk and starting to sing old songs and tell old stories.
“Where are we going, Katara?”
“This way… Look! Somebody left a boat here! You up for a little midnight boat ride?”
Aang couldn’t resist her smile, and was actually happy that for once everything was going according to Sokka’s plan. Katara moved the water around the boat and they started to move away from the village. It was going great: the sky was perfect, Yue was perfect, Katara was perfect in her beautiful blue and silver dress, made specifically for the celebration… He couldn’t wait any longer.
“Do you remember the weird conversation I had all those years ago with that giant lionturtle?”
“The one who taught you about energy bending?”
“That’s the one! Anyway… The monks used to tell me that above all energies, love was the most powerful of all, and that nobody could bend it. Besides, the monks also said that souls don’t find each other by simple accident, and that day, when you freed me from the iceberg, you were the very first person I saw after I woke up and I knew you were going to be very important for me… If only you could see yourself the way I do… Master Katara of the Southern Water Tribe, will you marry me?” he finally asked pulling out of his pocket the betrothal necklace.
He had to admit, out of all the reactions he had imagined while making the necklace, seeing his girlfriend, who, for the record, had listened to him the whole time with dreamy eyes, bursting into an unstoppable laugh was definetly the most unexpected one.
“What? Did I say something funny? I was trying to propose, not telling a joke!”
“Come here, you silly avatar…”
Katara leaned and kissed him and when they parted, he found a similar necklace on himself.
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“Sokka! Sokka, wake up!”
“What the fuck is wrong with you people? Can’t you let me rest for a whole night just once!”
“You told us that you never lock your bedroom door because you know Zuko or someone always comes to you for something,” explained Katara while sitting on his bed: “and you don’t expect me to come?”
“Fair point… Go ahead” he said while reluctantly sitting up on the bed next to his sister
“I wanted to tell you something… You’re the very first to know…”
“…I’m not ready to become Uncle Sokka…”
“What? No! I want to propose to Aang!”
Sokka’s eyes widened: “WHAAAAAT? Is this really happening? Am I still dreaming?”
“I can slap you if you want!”
“No, thanks…”
They shared a look.
“TUIANDLAI’MSOHAPPYFORYOU” he screamed hugging her tigther than ever.
“Thank you” she tried to say grasping for air.
“So what are planning to do? Something simple or something big and romantic… I got it! A nice boat trip under the stars and Yue! That would be so perfect for you cheesy lovebirds!”
“That’s… Actually a great idea, Sokka!”
“Well, you know I’m kinda the smartest sibling, so…”
“Oh, shut up! Anyway, I was thinking I should make a betrothal necklace mixing our two cultures, you know, maybe mixing the two symbols?”
“Aahhh, that would be so beautiful, Kat! You could use a penguin bone! Your first date was technically that one time you went penguin-sledding, you remember?”
“Spirits, the story really comes full circle! Will you get one for me?”
“Anything for the future mrs Avatar!”
“That’s not… Whatever: I have to go, don’t say anything, okay? It’s going to be a surprise!”
“I’ll keep my mouth shut, like I’ve never done before: trust me, sis!”
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“Is this… Does this mean… What’s going on, Kat?”
“Avatar Aang, from the Southern Air Temple, will you marry me?”
“Of course I’ll marry you!”
It was Aang’s turn to burst laughing.
“Why do I have the feeling that Sokka was behind all of this?”
“Probably was… Your design is so similar to mine! He gave you the idea, didn’t he?”
“Uhmm… Yes? I guess we should thank him…”
“Maybe tomorrow… Aren’t you forgetting something?”
“Oh, yeah, sorry!” he said, right before he put the necklace on her. Then he hugged her from behind: “I guess now I get to actually say: ‘Baby, you’re my forever girl’!”
She laughed: “Aang, I love you so much, but if you dare say that to our wedding, I swear I’m going to say ‘no’ at the last minute!”
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“How long does it take? All they have to say is literally ‘yes’. See? It took me a second!”
“You know how they are, Toph, all cheesy and romantic… I bet Aang did a whole speech about love and what the monks used to say…”
“… You’re just envious ‘cause you and Zuko could never!”
“Listen here, you little shit!” Toph responded with a malicious grin: “… You’re probably right, but still…”
“…No progress?”
“No progress…”
They were laying on Toph’s bed because the earthbender didn’t feel safe surrounded by ice and wanted some company before drifting to sleep; luckily for her, Sokka couldn’t sleep either, so there they were, ending up talking about Sokka’s complicated love life… The usual.
“I don’t understand him, what can I do more than calling him names, and making jokes: I started waking up at sunrise just to drink tea with him… At sunrise, Toph! Because fucking firebenders wake up with the fucking sun!”
“So, you’re that desperate?”
“Yeah Toph, I’m hopeless!”
“Are you sure he doesn’t act weird around you?”
“I mean… We’re talking about Zuko, he’s always kinda weird around people…”
“You know what I’m talking about”
“… Well, he started to take his shirt off every time before we even start the sparring sessions: I’m not complaining about that, it’s just… A normal person would take their shirt off once you start to feel hot and sweat, not before starting to exercise, right? Also, I could’ve swore he saw my reaction the first t-”
“Shhhh”
“Hey! Don’t shush me! I’m monologuing!”
“Seems like the lovebirds are coming back, you idiot!”
They immediatly pretended to be asleep as they heard Katara and Aang laughing in the corridor heading back to their room.
“Sounds like the proposals went greeaaaat!” Sokka sang happily.
“Shut up, they’ll hear you, moron!”
“They’re not gonna hea-”
“Thanks for your help, Sokka!” chimed Aang from outside the room.
“Always said you’re the best big brother in the world!” added Katara.
“You were saying, Snoozles?”