This be me first Avatar Fanfic! 'Tis a oneshot. Sokka's POV. ENJOY!
"I really hope this wasn't a bad idea," I mutter under my breath. The whole winging-it strategy really only seems like a good idea for the first five seconds. "Just take a deep breath. Remember, this is for Suki." Burying my doubt, I confidently stride toward three of the Kyoshi warriors helping each other apply their war makeup.
"Hey Sokka!" Ty Lee waves at me with a hand stained with red eye paint. They are sitting on the ground in a circle, with paint-filled jars, brushes, and a bucket of water to use as a mirror (I assume) surrounding them.
"Hi Ty Lee," I respond. "Rokku, Tadashi." I nod toward the other two Kyoshi girls. "Have you seen Suki anywhere?"
Tadashi giggles, "Sorry, you just missed her. She's already in town, putting some final touches on the decorations. Haven't you heard? Kyoshi Island is celebrating the end of the hundred year war, and the warriors are performing a tribute to Avatar Aang's victory over Firelord Ozai."
"It's gonna be so fun!" Ty Lee adds, swiping a glob of red over her left eye. "Anyway, if you hurry, you might be able to catch her before the celebrations begin."
"Well," I say, scratching the back of my neck. "I actually need to talk to you all without Suki. You see, in the Southern Water Tribe… you, uh… make… necklace…" My voice fades and I swear Zuko must be behind me, firebending my face, because sweat starts dripping down my forehead and sizzling on my red cheeks and nose. Even my ears burn.
"The traditional way to propose in our culture is presenting the girl with a ceremonial marriage fan." Rokku states as she rubs white paint on her cheeks.
"What?!" I shout. "Psh, that…that's crazy." I sputter. My face goes from flaming to extra-crispy fried.
"It's true!" Tadashi squeals. "Look at his face!" Ty Lee and Tadashi immediately start squealing and giggling in sync, so I turn to Rokku.
"Ok, yes. It's true." I say. "She is really important to me and I don't want to screw this up."
Rokku gives an exasperated sigh. "Write both of your names on the first fold of the fan and kneel down when you offer it to her. You have to do it under a full moon, because the moon represents the eye of Avatar Kyoshi in the Avatar State, and a Kyoshi warrior can only make such an important decision with the eye of Avatar Kyoshi looking over them."
"The full moon?" I ask. "But that's-"
"Tonight!" Ty Lee shouts. I gulp. Talk about rushing it. But I've already waited too long, I think. Almost losing her on the war balloon made me realize that I really can't live without her.
"Alright, not a word of any of this conversation to Suki," I say. The girls all nod and I leave them to their makeup. I've got a fan to buy and the most important date of my life to prep.
But first, I need a nap.
Sokka.
Sokka.
Who is it?
You don't remember me? It hasn't been that long.
Yue.
It's not even been a year, but you've already forgotten me, haven't you?
Never!
It's okay, Sokka. You can't marry the moon. Or can you?
What are you talking about?
You'll be proposing to Suki right under my rays. A spirit like me could be easily confused and think that you are proposing to me. Spirits are jealous. And lonely.
Yue, stop. Please.
You said you would protect me.
Yue-
You didn't protect me. You didn't. We could have thought of another way to save the moon spirit. Together. We could have been together. Don't you want that?
I did-
Then why do you love her? Why did you leave me? Do you not remember me every night I shine down on you?
I do remember you! I can't stop thinking about you, Yue! I loved you, and it killed me to watch you die. But, I love Suki. It hurts me every time I look up at you and remember.
Will you still grieve for me?
Yes.
You will not forget?
I promise.
It is enough. If you love her like I love you, it is enough. Awaken.
"Sokka, are you alright?" Aang's voice stirs me from my sleep. Groggily, I open my eyes to Aang's expectant face and the roof of the house Aang, Katara, Toph, and I are sharing for some post-world-saving down time. "You were out. Come on, the celebration is about to start. The Kyoshi warriors are kicking it off with a story about me! Hurry, we can't miss it!"
"Okay, I hear ya," I yawn. "Just give me a minute." That dream still haunting my memory, I rub my eye and a small tear slips out. A tear for Yue. "I will never forget," I whisper. "But my heart isn't mine to give back to you anymore."
"Are you ready yet?" Aang pops in. "I hear the drummers already!"
"Yeah, I'm ready," I say. "Go on without me, though. I've got to stop by a shop in the market anyway."
It is perfect. The fan is golden with little red and green swirls all over the edges. I proudly, instantly recognized the colors as the Kyoshi warrior's colors and bought it without a glance at the others on the cart. Suki will be impressed with my shopping skills, I think. Before I left, the merchant offered me an ink brush and I signed our names on the first flap of the fan, just as Rokku said to. I also added a heart. Cheesy, I know, but I didn't think about that until the ink dried.
I run to the side of the village where the Kyoshi warriors were performing and arrive right before it starts. Aang, Toph, and Katara all wave and motion me to sit by them in the front row. As I sit down, Suki catches my gaze and winks.
The dance is amazing. The Kyoshi warriors aren't benders, but somehow they portray all four elements bending in total synchronized motion beautifully. Each of the warriors represents an element with the others playing firebenders. Suki comes in at the end and masters all of them and balances the forces of the bending.
It is over all too soon and I notice it is twilight now. The fan burns under my shirt and I hope I don't sweat and smudge the ink.
"Suki," I call as they finish taking their bows.
"Sokka!" She runs up to me and gives me a fierce hug. "It thought you wouldn't make it!"
"Are you kidding?" I say. "I wouldn't miss it for anything. This is probably the only time I've seen you fight without worrying about pointy-headed firebenders coming at us."
"Ah, the good old days," Suki laughs. "Thank goodness they're over."
"Hey, do you have to meet up with the other girls after this?" I ask. "Cause, if not, I wanted to know if you might want to go down to the Kyoshi Shrine with me." The nerves in my shomach and throat barely let me force those words out.
"Sure," Suki says with that smile that makes my heart beat a million times faster.
"It's a beautiful night," Suki says. After a silent, awkward stroll the cliff side, Suki has resorted to the topic of weather to try and break the silence. "It's kind of cloudy, though."
"Yeah," I say. "Like the clouds are fighting a war against the stars for domination of the sky." Suki looks at me out of the corner of her eye and I'm sure I said something pretty stupid, but I couldn't really hear myself over the thud of my heartbeat. Then she cracks up and I start laughing too until we're both laughing hysterically over nothing.
"That," Suki hiccups. "Is why I love you, Sokka." She blushes at the word 'love', and I feel myself blushing too. I grab her hand and she moves to lean her head on my shoulder, but I kneel down before she can. I fall too fast and hit my knee against stone, but I couldn't care less right now. With a trembling hand, I reach inside my shirt. I'm afraid, but it's not the kind of fear that can be overcome by facing an enemy. It's the fear of totally revealing your soul to the person that matters to you the most and offering everything you are to them. It's the fear that is also known as love.
"Are you okay, Sokka?"
"I love you," I say, "And I thought I knew that before, but I didn't actually realize it until I almost lost you forever. I realized that I can't lose you." I pull out the fan from my shirt and hold it out, palms flat, over my head. "Suki, will you marry me?"
She doesn't answer. I open my eyes with my heart in my throat. What if she doesn't want to marry me? Is she trying to think of a polite way to say no? I look up at her and see that she is crying.
"Suki, I'm sorry-"
"Don't be," She says through her tears. "Yes, yes." She says. Suki takes the fan and brings it close to her chest, as if it had warmth to share. I stand and embrace her, all nervousness and fear gone. We kiss as the moon breaks through the clouds and shines only on us.
I definitely like the winging-it strategy.
*Heya! Thanks to Elisabeth-elicits for the note about Ty Lee and thanks sooo much for those who review! :D This is dedicated to the most awesome writer I know, FireWolfHeart! She's sooo good at battle scenes and stuff, and I ain't, so I stick with sappy love stories! ^.^ My next Avatar fanfic will be Toko! Or Maiko! IDK, something with Zuko!