I know I've three stories to update, but I needed a break. So... help. And read this, and review. Thank you.
The night was young; the gaang was excited. It was a wedding day, who wouldn't be? Stars were shining bright, eliminating any possibility that the best man might be caught powerless during the show. After all, the firebending natural law was that they were stronger when the sun was out, and, technically, stars were suns. They were on the gaang's side tonight. The couple would have to have a honeymoon during the day. No one wanted to hear that.
The best man and the maid of honor were standing next to each other, arm through arm—an Earth Kingdom tradition. The gaang was in their nation colors, though every one else was in either Water Tribe colors or Earth Kingdom colors. The best man was in his Fire Nation colors, his crown off his head to humble himself in front of his Earth Kingdom rulers. He looked amazing in the Earth style wedding pants and Earth wedding shirt. They were baggy and rested comfortably on his broad hips.
The maid of honor held tight to the best man's bicep. She was so happy to see her brother marry the love of his life. It was a joyous moment. She, on the other hand, was in Water Tribe maid's dress, though it was green in honor of her sister-in-law. It had only one strap, and it was thick as her three fingers. The strap started above her right breast and hooked over to her left shoulder, then back to the right side of her back. The dress hugged her hips and her chest just right, making her look shapelier than she really was—though not by much, she had grown into an astounding looking woman. The dress fell of like a waterfall, and ended right above her knees.
"I do," Sokka chocked out, too happy to make out anything else.
"And do you, Sukki of the Earth Kingdom, take Sokka of the Southern Water Tribe to be your lovely wedded husband—to love and to hold, till death do you part?" the priest asked, smiling brightly. It was a happy day when the world's saviors married.
"I do." There was no hesitation in Sukki's answer, but her voice was just as low as Sokka's, if not, lower.
"You may now kiss the bride." And so they shared a kiss of love and passion and loyalty.
It was something the new wed's sister could share on her wedding day. In all honesty, the waterbending master was jealous of the two. She sighed dreamily.
"Katara," the man next to her—the best man—said, hearing her wistful sigh. "Eventually, when Aang grows up just a bit more." He knew what his lily wanted. She wanted their wedding. He wanted it, too, but the damned avatar would just about have his head if he did. He didn't want that to happen. With what eyes would her look at his beloved if such a thing happened? With what mouth would he kiss her? With what mouth would he tell her she was beautiful?
The two had been living together for the past few months. That little fact was only known by the Southern Water Tribe and… everyone but Aang.
"I know," she whispered back, tightening her arm around his. "I just… can't help but wonder…." Her blue eyes twinkled a bit at the thought. Kissing her Zuko whenever she wanted; calling Iroh Uncle like he insisted; sleeping in her lover's room with feeling a ping of guilt; cuddling up to the heat that Zuko's nude body radiated like an afterglow of their loving nights—it sounded all too good.
"I get the same feeling," Zuko muttered. He would have buried his nose into the bender's silken chocolate locks, but the avatar was there, in the front seats. He had chosen those because his waterbending teacher and his firebending teacher had grown too close and he didn't like that.
The newly wed couple stepped down from the arc, smiling foolishly. They came to the best man and maid of honor first. Katara's brother frowned at them. He didn't understand why they didn't just tell Aang and let him move on. They loved each other, it was clear in their eyes. They way their eyes glistened when they looked at each other, their arms yearned for each other—you could see the way their arms wanted to wrap around another, they couldn't help it. "Zuko, just propose already! Let Aang be pissed and move on!"
Zuko's face was emotionless, but his gold eyes never met the blue ones of his (hopefully) soon-to-be-brother.
"Oh, Sukki, congratulation!" Katara gushed, her ocean eyes shinning happily.
"Sukki this, Sukki that," the Kyoshi Warrior dismissed. "You and Zuko, here, is what you need to be worrying about." Her gray-green eyes were coated with tears. But right now, it was her new sister that needed a good cry, even if Katara herself didn't know it. Because, if the man you loved wanted to propose, but the person you loved like a son unknowingly didn't let you because he was 'in love' with you, you needed a good cry. Anyone would. "Come on, if you don't do anything about it soon, I'll get Toph to lock him in a boulder and I'll tell him."
"Sukki, it's your wedding day, stop worrying about us and go 'run into a hog-monkey,'" Zuko said, referring to the two infamous excuse for what they were doing at night when the gaang was still fighting Ozai. The Fire Lord smirked at the couples blush.
But that didn't stop Sokka. This was his baby sister they were talking about! Whether Aang knew it or not, he was hurting the people he most loved with his bratty-ness. And that was something the Water Tribesman would not stand for. "I'm behind her one-thousand percent! After I eat, of course…." He mumbled the last part.
Zuko and Katara shrugged, trying to keep their showing embarrassment to a minimum.
"Go. Aang and Toph are coming to you," Katara murmured, reluctantly slipping her arm out of Zuko's.
"You two have the show to do. The reason most of these guests are here is to see the Fire Lord lower himself to public entertainment with a Water Tribeswoman peasant," Sokka grinned. The two women smiled widely; one more so then the other.
Katara loved the show they were about to put on. The way the Fire lighted up the water to a warm orange and called up a storm. It helped calm both benders, not only because it was a calming act, but because of the bender they were bending with.
Guests were crowded around the alter. The wedding arc had been removed and replaced by twenty yards of open space. In the center, water held by a fountain, and around the whole yard, torches of fire were spread out. It was a new moon, and the sun wasn't out, so the two benders had the same amount of power.
The parents of the newly weds had been working on this for months in advance. They had calculated when the next new moon would be. This little act was the idea of the gaang, minus the two in the act. Zuko and Katara knew that when every they were doing something like this—or just sparring—they ended up in passions… undesirable to the avatar, yet very desirable to the firebending and waterbending masters.
In front of the fountain, the scarred Fire Lord and the tribeswoman stood. They were at a safe distance, but their hands were entwined. Katara had stripped herself of the dress, coming up only in her wrapping—something most of everyone had seen at one time or another. Only one man had seen what was under the wrappings. Zuko, on the other hand, had changed into his lose firebending pants. His pants were green in honor of the Kingdom he was in.
Gracefully, Katara lifted the water from stone spring. It followed her in a long, thin strip and wrapped around her and Zuko. It played around their waists and ankles and came back up to layer the sky.
That's when Zuko came in to play.
Flame exited his free hand fast as lighting, which would come later in the show. The flames came out and circled the two, and then followed the water up above them. It darted up above the water and stayed, giving the sky a layer of bright fire.
The audience sat wide-eyed. The sight was truly beautiful. The night sky was bright as day, and the water underneath it gave the fire a gleam of life. And the two benders… opposites in every way possible, yet one all the same. They way their entwining hands mimicked each other, moving up and down, and the fingers fluttering around each other, controlling the other element by telling the bender what to do. It was a once in a lifetime beauty.
Zuko's hand shot up to the air, as did Katara's. They moved in perfect time, fast and slow, working together. Lightning shot through the air, braking the layers of fire and water. Then sounded the thunder. Katara's eyes closed and the water above them fell. It drenched both her and Zuko. Another pang of thunder and lightning struck. Zuko released Katara's hand and jumped out to the side. The lightning ran through his body, heating him more then the warm water that fell. He held it in of seconds, know that if he did it any longer, it would burst inside him, and then sent it bolting up to the say.
Katara, who had jumped to the other side as soon as Zuko let go, pulled down the moisture in the clouds. She had made it rain. And Zuko had made it a thunderstorm.
Thunder struck again. It flowed in through Zuko, and came out in shapes of firelilies. Katara took control of the exploded cloud water. Taking a step forward—as Zuko did the same—she pushed the water up and down, like the tides of the ocean. Her water-blue eyes followed her element; her neck was turned upward to help.
It was at this moment that the elements were one. Not opposites working together, but one. One element, one people, one.
Zuko watched as his element become on with his lover's element. Another bolt of lightning ran through him. He took one step and shot it out in a kick. Katara took every step he took.
And then, after minutes of kicking and punching and exquisitely twirling in water, to two met. Their fingers gripped each other again. The water, of its own mind, splashed around their legs.
And the rain stopped. The thunder ceased. The fireworks the two had caused were slowing. Everything was calming down. Everything was heating up. This was the moment they never wanted to experience before anyone. Their lips twitched. Their legs stopped and they stood strait—and close. Their chests up to each other.
Their passion was dangerous, but Aang thought nothing of it. It had happened before. Many a times.
And then Katara and Zuko thought. Why hide it anymore? Why? Let Aang be pissed.
Zuko's free hand found Katara's chin and lifted it up to his lips. Their lips moved together—lovingly, carefully, passionately. And as they reacted—as they always did—their elements did as well.
Fire ran around them of its own accord, as did water. They swirled, and then dropped to the floor. Because they pulled away.
"Zuko!" the voice of a thirteen year old yelled. It was little more then a growl. The bold monk jumped out into the puddle of arc. "You little—" he stopped himself. Being a monk, he didn't want to curse. "You took ad vantage of her! I thought you valued your honor!"
That was the last straw; that was the last straw for them both. "Okay, Aang. That's enough!" Katara yelled before Zuko could open his mouth. Her blue eyes held the temper of a firebender. "Its Sokka's wedding! And, everyone here but you knows what happened. Stop being so damn blind! I swear Toph can see more than you!" Her arm war still tacked to Zuko's broad waist, the one she had so lovingly ridden. Anyone else would have shrunk away from the small-tempered woman, but Zuko knew Katara, he knew she wouldn't do anything too drastic. "And guess what? I don't care whatever the hell you think of it! Zuko gave me this. And I happily accepted it. So stop trying! I love you, Aang, I do; but not like that. Leave him alone." Her voice had gotten softer, kinder. She had remembered it was a thirteen-year-old boy. "And don't bother him about his honor. Because we both value that."
Aang shrunk away. His gray eyes had dimmed a bit. If it weren't for the fact that she had caused his sadness, Katara would have gone to comfort him.
Katara sat at her table. Her temper had flared down and she was feeling guilty. That was all washed away when Zuko came back. He had been talking to Aang. The avatar was still mad at the Lord, but he had taken the time to talk to him.
"Zuko!" she yelled, happily swinging her arms around his strong neck.
Zuko responded by wrapping his arms around her waist, then he lead her to her seat. "So," he sighed, taking the seat next to her, "Aang's still mad. He said he would've been a bit happier if we'd told him. And that he thinks we're moving too fast." Ironic, they had been moving too fast the day before Sozion's Comet, and no one had noticed that—not even Toph.
"Oh, well," Katara muttered into his neck—which she was zealously nibbling on—then pulled away, "at least he's calm. How's about we go celebrate Sokka and Sukki's wedding? Alone…," her words were seductive and zealous.
They shared on kiss before Katara wrapped her legs around Zuko's waist and went to the Earth Kingdom Palace.
It was nice being so carefree, not having to hide who they loved. It was as if a huge weight had been lifting off their shoulders.