Author's Note:
Sorry I took so loooooooooooooong to upload a chapter. No one reviewed! I am so sad...Please Review!
Disclaimer: I do not own this Avatar the Last Air Bender or the characters. I own Mushu though.
Chapter 2: Give away
" You know I can charge you with kidnapping or Fire Lord -napping", whispered Zuko to his perky friend next to him. " Okay. I may have agreed to this nonsense because my therapist requ-What?"
Zuko stopped abruptly after hearing smirks when he uttered the word therapist. Were they laughing at him. Boy, where they going to feel heat when this was over Zuko thought. This was despicable and completely embarrassing. Not that it was embarrassing to be with his friends but embarrassing he had to.
Or else he was to be tomato by Toph's earth sandwich spectacular or a model for Katara's ice sculpting marvel. Ice daggers or boulders weren't definitely options.
" Your majesty, I am sorry your kiss-up…therapist Mushu wasn't able to see you. Eh eh.", mocked Sokka who was attempting to pull of Mushu's dignified accent showing signs of "yes I kiss butt". " I just can't believe he ISN'T gay." The trio broke out into laughter. It felt good to be a kid again. Zuko decided why not give it a shot. It can be beneficial and he was still doing his job has Fire lord. That was providing the citizens a helping hand. That was that they didn't deserve a psycho-path on their throne. Their King was too observing the scene in his kingdom…well in disguises. He was wearing the black outfit what he wore with Katara in their field trip to "kill" her mother's murderer and Aang was wearing a traditional Fire Nation's student attire. Sokka was just being...well Sokka.
Aang was well, going with what ever Sokka was attempting to pull off. Maybe it can help him with his stress. He was the Avatar! Who wouldn't have more stress than him? Also it can help form a closer bond with him and Sokka. Not that they had a close relationship but they can have that "manly" experience with him. Wasn't Sokka going to be his brother-in-law if he tries to pull of the "Would you marry me?" question to Katara. If he should go and ask permission for Katara's hand, it would be Sokka. He and Hakoda were on good terms and Hakoda had kept on pestering Aang to pop the question to Katara. He wasn't sure why Hakoda liked him so much and why a father would be willing to give up his daughter. However Aang didn't care for that much. Everyone adored him because he was no other than the Avatar.
Sokka had the effect of being on cactus juice, even when he was clean. He was clearly too happy and too perky for Sokka presently. Okay so Sokka's emotional status can be unpredictable but one thing was for sure. He was irritably self confident. The results of this on people were deep annoyance and "I want Momo" feeling. Everyone who is in complete awkwardness has that strange desire. Anyways back to Sokka, our main man. Sokka always thought he was a genius. Well he was and was a true strategist and a protégé at academics. He was the idea guy for Team Avatar or the Gaang. As you can guess, he came up with those names. Despite being clever, he refers to himself as a ladies' man. Well his first girlfriend was a princess of the Northern Water Tribe. He had several crushes from girls including Toph and that Ty Lee girl. Yet he preferred Suki, the girl that held his crudely made betrothal necklace. So that was why he was here, in the Fire Nation. His engagement party was to be settled here well, because his workaholic best friend resided here as FIRE LORD. Besides that, Suki for some reason thought that the Fire Nation had "exquisite beauty" for a celebration before their marriage. If Sokka wasn't here and didn't have the genius brain he had, he wouldn't be in a lonely pub talking with his friends. Giving free therapy sessions that is.
"What's tickling you my man and my mini man?", asked Sokka displaying self composure. Yet despite his cool attitude he got an unpleasant answer from both of his friends. "Nothing." Something was definitely up.
Sokka inhaled a deep gust of air and surveyed the area around him. It was a small area painted in a dark red with bits of peeling paint. Wooden chairs and tables were constituents in the room with no one to warm them. It was vacant in the pub with only with the three teenagers and the bar tender wiping away debris from the counter where he serve beverages. The setting was late at night in the sad, dreary, part of the Fire Nation. Only the hooting of the lizard-owl sliced the humid night and the breaking of glass from mid-night robberies. Poverty existed there causing a certain fire lord to wince at how much he had to accomplish as Fire Lord.
Sokka noticed the expression on the disguised king who sported his hooded cape draped in black piece of fabric over his mouth. So Sokka took a shot at him first.
"Okay I know the council is bugging you to get a Fire Lady , and Mai doesn't like the idea. But I-"
"I got dumped", retorted Zuko cutting off Sokka leaving him dumbfounded. Aang showed sympathy on his face hearing the news yet he didn't offer any condolences.
"Sorry man. Why did she do it?"
"You know. She thinks I am too engrossed in my duties as Fire Lord. She too feels pressured in becoming Fire Lady, and I don't want to." replied Zuko taking the beverage of cactus juice from the bar tender.
"Don't want to what?" questioned Aang taking a shot at the conversation.
"Don't wanna get married.", said Zuko monotonously as he took a sip of the cup of the drink that consist of Sokka madness.
"Well that's your choice and I respect it but I think your little answer got me thinking. Not your way, my way."
"Explain please.", Sokka said who was a bit irritable that the conversation had been prolonged without him. However he was a bit please that the session was successful in allowing the two highly ranked boys to talk.
" That was what I wanted to do Sokka", replied Aang with obvious tension in his voice. "I am thinking marriage in my future. I want to unlike Zuko. I think it is because he isn't ready yet since his fire lord duties are big now because its just after the war and you know. So Zuko your turn. He he he." Aang was complete nerve wreck and our genius Sokka didn't figure out why or was it because he didn't want to?
"Who's the girl?" said Sokka a bit more seriously and was ordering a jumbo size glass of cactus juice. Zuko eyed him suspiciously with his jaw dropping in complete shock with words echoing through his brain, "This kid has the guts to pull this off?"
"Your sister, Katara the girl I have been dating for three years." replied Aang who was gaining confidence from an invisible source despite the fragile environment he had caused.
"Oh…WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU THINKING?" shouted Sokka in complete rage causing the cactus juice to take over
"Uhh…Sokka I thought we had the talk and everything about your sister which I am still confused about. So I thought we were on good terms with me dating your sister…'
"Well NOT marrying dumbo!"
"What did I tell you about bringing up the ears?"
"Excuse me…How rude of me. But its not my fault it's the size of your ears that is now the main topic which should be MY SISTER!"
"So I can't marry her?"
"What do you think?"
"No…?"
Sokka sat down in complete fury and felt like a raging fire bender right now. If only he had the bending abilities that time. His friend wanted to marry his sister. His baby sister who he protected from all dangers. That also included the opposite sex of a female. Was Aang totally serious? He couldn't be. No. Not ever was he giving his sister, his blood to the baldy. No one to be exact. He knew the reason why his father accepted Aang and actually become the therapist when the couple fought. It was the reason what made Sokka and his father comfortable knowing the fact Aang was dating his sister. The kid didn't know much more than a simple kiss as the only form of intimacy in romantic relationship. It was when did he became more knowledgeable when Sokka had "the talk" with him. However Sokka told him a day before yesterday. La knows what would've happen between those days. Yet Sokka made sure to him that if he committed any of those acts he would creep up to him in his sleep and slit his throat with his space sword. What would his father have to say about this? Sokka knew the answer and despised every letter of it. Yes. Why? He was the Avatar and again, an innocent kid.
Zuko was in a complete state of shock. Aang couldn't have more stripes than him or could he? Zuko couldn't just sit there and act like a dumb Komodo fish. So again he joined the conversation .
"I am just surprise that you Aang actually pulled off that relationship with you and that killer. Well you are the Avatar and any girl would hope to marry you."
"Woahh…You calling my sister a gold digger and a killer? And who says Katara would accept glow-in-the-dark here?"
"No Sokka. Stop getting all angry before you make him glow in the dark right now. All I'm saying Katara seems like a head strong girl and who says I am calling her a gold digger? I am just surprise that their relationship lasted despite the age difference and her smothering Aang in motherly love."
" Katara so does not act as a mother figure to me?"
Zuko smirked. "Says who? Remember when I decided to be part of your group and we were in the Western Air Temple? I saw how she took care of you and the others. She was the one who cooked for us, yell at you for just not washing your hands before dinner and took care of us. Remember the time Sokka wound up eating dinner before the others and she grounded him... I think we all know what grounded means when Toph is in our group. She acted like your mother especially , and I was her little nephew she hated." All of the grinned at how Katara treated Zuko when they had flashbacks of the bickers they had between them.
Sokka looked thoughtful as he listened to the two boys speak. Katara was his sister still but could he give her away? No. But what if she broke Aang's heart? Aang and Katara would be Splits Ville. As enticing as it sound with the fact his sister would be single, he suddenly had an unpleasant sound in his head. Katara would have a LONG line of suitors! He remember hearing Haru calling his sister HOT! Sokka made a mental note to cut off that stupid mustache when Haru would come to his engagement party. Aang was the best choice for Katara in Sokka's head. Well he was just an innocent kid. He wouldn't want Katara have a boyfriend like Jet. No way. He didn't want a boy who could decapitate him any minute and had experience with girls. His sister wasn't for sale. But Aang seemed like the best buyer here. So DING, DING, we have a winner.
"Hey what the heck…Go for it.", said Sokka who couldn't believe what he was saying. Zuko couldn't believe what he was hearing but Aang's heart was soaring.
"You love her right?" said Sokka in a bit more understanding tone.
"Of course."
"I know she loves you...All she talks off is Aang, Aang all day and in her sleep."
"Katara loves me and I love her."
"I love my little sis' too. So it breaks my heart to do this and it makes me happy knowing she is happy. Go or her."
With that Aang was gone with his heart increasing so much with contentment and passion, and Zuko's heart breaking into pieces and pieces as he heard those faithful words.
Oooohhhh...tension! What will Sokka and Zuko talk about whilst Aang is off with Katara? Please REVIEW AND COMMENT!
