Disclaimer: I don't own Avatar...still.
Aang awoke to the bright light from the sun's rays seeping in through the window. He didn't know what time it was but he wouldn't be surprised if it was almost already noon. Sitting up slowly, careful not to wake up his still sleeping girlfriend, he looked around the room. Judging by the amount of sunlight coming into it, he knew his suspicions of it being the middle of the day were right.
Ever since the destruction of the Southern Air Temple a little over a month ago, he and his friends hadn't really had much to do which was why sleeping in this late had become a little bit of a norm for them. Despite everything, General Howe seemed reluctant to have their assistance so they were just left to hang out in the city and pass the time until the coronation of the new Earth King, which Aang felt like they needed to be there for. Luckily, Aang reminded himself, the coronation took place today so that meant that they should be able to finally get out of this city in a few days. It wasn't that the city was unpleasant, but Aang eventually grew tired of staying in the same place for so long. The only place he could handle staying in for more than a month was the Southern Watertribe and he suspected that was because it had practically become his new home. Maybe they could head back there once they left the city. It had been several months since they had to leave it behind when they had to chase Tau across the Earth Kingdom.
Making a mental note to talk to his friends about it Aang got up out of bed and quickly got dressed, all the while making sure he was quiet enough to not wake Katara. Getting up earlier then her had become another norm to him over the course of the past month. He knew what the reason for that was though. Once they were both up, they were nearly always together and Aang never got much time to himself and getting up earlier than her was the only way to solve that. Normally, that would not be a problem but this was something that Katara could not know about…not yet at least.
Taking a seat at the desk near the corner of the bedroom, Aang opened one of the drawers and inside sat a nearly complete betrothal necklace. Aang reached down and carefully picked it up as if it was going to shatter if he was to rough with it.
It had become his own personal project during the past month. He found that it distracted him from his guilt of destroying the Southern Air Temple but even more important than that, this was something for Katara…and something that would hopefully lead to them spending the rest of their lives together.
His decision to ask Katara to marry him had happened once he realized that they could very well lose each other. Their near death in the Si Wong Desert had proved that and it had been a wakeup call to him. He was always planning on asking Katara eventually but everything that had gone on during the past few months had encouraged him to do it sooner rather than later. So now, he was planning on asking her during his own sixteenth birthday. He still needed to put the finishing touches on the necklace though and ask her father for permission to marry her; which was the thing he was dreading the most. He knew that nervousness was common though and it was just something he would have to deal with.
Coming out of his thoughts, Aang set the necklace down on the table to inspect it. At first, he was going to make the traditional Watertribe themed necklace with a blue ribbon and a blue stone but that had very quickly changed. Aang had been surprised at the time but not long after he started to work on the betrothal necklace, Katara had had copies of her own air nomad clothes that he had given her during her birthday made. When Aang had question why she had done that, she had simply and smiled while telling him that since her destiny was to help him, which she had learned thanks to a visit from a spiritually form of her mother, it seemed only right to her that she stand alongside him and helped represent his own long lost nation. The gesture had meant a lot to Aang and he had found that she was completely serious about it. The air nomad clothes were pretty much all she wore now.
Once all that had occurred though Aang realized he should be making a necklace with a more air nomad theme to it. So he had started over and now the necklace featured a dark orange ribbon with a smooth yellow stone that had been carved into a perfect circle, courtesy of Aang's earthbending. Carved into the stones were the Air Nomad and the Watertribe symbols intertwined together. It was supposed to represent him and Katara's connection to each other, not only physically, but also in their secret spiritual connection that they had decided to keep hidden from the world.
Aang was happy with it but at the same time he was anxious, and slightly nervous, to finally ask Katara to marry him. He knew in his heart that she would say yes but still…
"Hey, what're you doing?"
Aang jumped at the sound of his girlfriend's voice and quickly tucked the necklace into his robes before turning to face her. She was lying on her side with her arm propping her head up; her deep blue eyes gazing at him curiously.
"N-nothing," Aang stammered, rubbing the back of his neck nervously, "I was just…um…sitting here…thinking about…stuff…"
He couldn't help but mentally face palm himself. He was sure Katara would not even need to have their spiritual connection to tell that he was lying and sure enough, she let out a small laugh and raised an eyebrow at him in amusement.
"You know, if it's a secret you could have just said so."
"Well," Aang started before pausing slightly to consider how much he wanted to say, "Yeah, it's a secret. I'm just making something…for you…"
Katara couldn't help but smile a bit. He was always trying to do something for her and the gestures tugged at her heart every time.
""Wait," she said, eyebrows furrowing in confusion once she got over the fact that Aang had decided to make her something, "You're birthday is like…three days away. Aren't I supposed to get you something?"
"You don't have to get me anything Kat," Aang told her, looking at her admiringly, "I have all that I need right here."
"Still," she argued, "you got something for me on my birthday…it wouldn't be fair to you if I didn't give you something in return…"
"I'll be happy as long as I get to spend the day with you," Aang countered.
Katara felt a small blush rise to her tanned cheeks and she positioned herself to sit up on the bed yawning a little bit as she spoke, "Well I'm still going to figure out something that I could do for you."
Aang just smiled but that quickly turned into a look of concern when he noticed that she seemed tired, despite having just got up. He got up from his seat at the desk and moved to sit beside her, one of his hands reaching out to cup her cheek gently.
"Are you feeling alright?" he asked, feeling her lean her head into his hand as she closed her eyes, "You seem tired."
She opened her eyes again and gave him a small smiled, "I just didn't get much sleep after our talk last night. I couldn't stop thinking about everything that has happened…and what might still happen."
Aang sighed and shook his head, "I'm sorry I brought all that up… I should have known it would just worry you."
"Its fine Aang, really," she assured him, leaning forward so her forehead rested against his, "Like we said last night, let's not dwell on it. I just needed to sort things out in my head."
Aang tilted his head to give her a soft kiss. It wasn't deep. It was just one of those kisses that brought them comfort. They broke away a few moments later and Katara quickly fell into his embrace, resting her head on his shoulder.
"Love you," she whispered.
"Love you to," he murmured back, one of his hands slowly running through her hair.
They sat there for several minutes, just simply enjoying the others company. Besides, Katara found it hard to break away from him. The way he stroked her hair always felt nice to her. Still she knew they had to get on with their day so she eventually forced herself to pull away from him.
"We should probably get dressed," she said, only to pause when she noticed that he had already gotten ready for the day, "Or I should at least. The new Earth King's Coronation is today right?"
Aang nodded as he watched her walk over to the dresser to pull out her own air nomad robes to get dressed in, "Yeah, its starts in a couple hours actually. We should probably leave for the palace soon."
"And then there's the coronation party afterwards," Katara continued for him, tying the robes around her tightly before running her hands along them to smooth them out, "That ought to be fun."
"Well I'm going to have to finally meet the new Earth King during it to," Aang reminded her as she walked back over to him and handed him a comb, "I still don't really know who the guy is. His name is Tetsu and he was one of Kuei's top advisors…that's about as far as my knowledge goes."
Katara let out a small laugh while trying not to move too much so it would be easier for him to comb her hair as per their usual morning routine, "You should probably fix that. It's fine though, I'm sure I'll find something to do while you're talking to him."
"It won't take long, I promise," he assured her as he finished up working out the knots in her hair.
Once he was all done he set the comb down and Katara rewarded him with a kiss on the cheek like she usually did. They spent the next few minutes making the bed up before finally heading out the bedroom door. Once they arrived at the house's main room, they were met with a very impatient looking Sokka.
"It's about time you two got up," Sokka rolled his eyes at them, "You do realize Tetsu's coronation is in half an hour right?"
"Wait what?" Aang and Katara said in unison, heads turning to look at each other in surprise briefly before turning their attention back to Sokka and Katara was the one to continue speaking, "I thought that wasn't in a few more hours."
"Well, you're wrong," Sokka said pointedly, crossing his arms, "I was about to come in there and force you two out of bed."
"Wow, well I guess we slept later then we thought we did," Aang said, glancing at Katara in the corner of his eye.
"Well I can't really blame you there," Sokka conceded, nodding slightly, "Sitting around the house doing nothing has made us pretty lazy."
"Yeah," Suki, who had been lounging on one of the couches in the room, finally spoke up, "This is probably the only time I have been with you guys that we aren't doing something life threatening. It started out as a nice change of pace at least."
"Let's just promise ourselves that we'll leave the city in a few days," Katara said, looking around at her three companions who were nodding in agreement.
"Sounds good," Sokka said a little anxiously, moving a hand up to rub his eyes, trying to get some dust out of them, "but right now we should focus less on that and focus more on getting to the coronation on time. General Howe already doesn't think that highly of us at the moment…arriving late to the meeting would not help change that. We really need to start getting our act together Team Avatar."
A few seconds of silence followed before he heard Suki speak up, "Um, Sokka?"
He moved his hand from his eyes to find that Aang and Katara were gone and he was once again alone with Suki, who was trying not to laugh. He raised his eyebrows in confusion.
"Where did Katara and…"
"They just kind of walked out in the middle of your whole mini speech," Suki giggled at him.
Sokka just sighed and hung his head, Those two…
"Well," Sokka told her, reaching out to take her hand, leading her out the door, "Let's go catch up to them then."
Not long after, the group found themselves standing up on a large stage overlooking the courtyard at the front of the palace. Zuko, Mai, Hakoda, and the Council of Five were all present on the stage as well, glancing down at the enormous crowd that had gathered in the courtyard. King Bumi and Chief Arnook had to return to their respective cities and were unable to stay for the coronation. While the stage was filled with the world's most important leaders, all attention was focused on the man standing in front of them all: Tetsu.
One thing that Aang and his friends had quickly noticed was that he seemed a lot more physically capable than Kuei had been and they hadn't been surprised during the last few minutes before the coronation when Zuko had told them that he was a powerful Earthbender. He was fairly muscular, tall, and like most people in the Earth Kingdom, he had green eyes. He also had short black hair, with a very faint beard to go along with it. When he finally spoke to give his coronation speech, his voice was deep and it was full of authority and confidence.
"Earth King Kuei was taken from us suddenly and without warning," he spoke to the crowd gathered in the courtyard, standing straight up at the front of the stage, "Many were questioning what would happen to our great city. Some believe chaos would ensure as politicians fought for power. I am standing before you now as proof that none of that would have been necessary. The Council of Five," he motioned to the group of five Generals with his hand, "did what needed to be done and made sure things stayed calm so that you and the rest of the Earth Kingdom citizens wouldn't have to suffer a government that was unable to fulfill its duty."
Tetsu began to pace back and forth across the front of the stage, holding his hands behind his back. Katara looked at Aang to see that he was watching the man closely, studying him.
"The Council of Five as given me their full support," Tetsu continued, "I helped the late Earth King watch over this magnificent city for years and I assure you, my commitment will not falter and it is stronger than ever. I will not fill your minds with empty promises. I am honest when I say that I will do everything in my power to ensure the prosperity of our great nation and I hope that I will gain your trust as we move forward into our future."
Tetsu stopped his pacing and faced directly at the crowd, holding his hands out in front of him invitingly, "This is no longer a time for mourning. This is a time for celebration as together, we are moving into a new chapter in our nation's long history!"
His voice rose at the end of the speech and the crowd responded with equal enthusiasm as they erupted into cheeps. Aang and everyone else that had gathered watched as Tetsu knelt down on the stage. General Howe stepped up behind him, holding the crown of the Earth King. Slowly, as if to see if anyone objected the new King's rule, he slid the artifact onto Tetsu's head.
No one spoke out against it and the cheers just grew louder as Tetsu stood back up, looking over the crowd and the city that now depended on his leadership. And he promised himself that he would not fail.
"Just one more."
Aang laughed as he gazed at Katara's pleading face. The coronation party had been going on for some time now and Aang had yet to still talk to the new Earth King. He and Katara had been busy on the dance floor and every time a song finished, Katara would ask for one more dance. He could never find it in his heart to refuse her so inevitably they would always dance to the next song. Still, he knew he would have to go meet the King eventually.
"Katara, I really should go speak with Tetsu," Aang told her, sighing a little.
"I know but just one more dance," Katara pleaded, holding his hands tightly in hers, "Then you can go do your thing…I promise."
"That's what you said last time," Aang laughed.
"I know but this time its true," Katara assured him, giving him a smile that she knew he wouldn't be able to refuse.
"Okay fine," Aang conceded, resting one of his hands on her hips, "One more."
Katara's smile grew and she leaned in to place a quick kiss on his cheek before draping a hand over his shoulder as they began to sway back and forth.
The band in the far corner of the room was only playing slow songs, which Katara assumed was probably because the room was far too crowded for any quick, energetic dances. She didn't mind though. It would be a lie if she told herself that she didn't prefer slow dancing with Aang compared to the extravagant performances they would do. Just because they weren't showing off didn't mean they didn't stand out on the dance floor however. She was sure that since they were both the only people wearing the orange and yellow air nomad clothes, people would be able to spot them pretty easily. Thankfully, people were respectful enough to leave them alone but Katara knew that there were people watching them. She ignored it though and focused solely on Aang and the way he moved with her…and they way he looked at her in a way that always made her heart flutter.
The song had come to an end eventually though and it was far too soon in her opinion. From the signals she was getting from her connection with Aang, it seemed like he didn't want it to be over either. He did have a job to do though.
"Second thoughts about meeting Tetsu," she raised an eyebrow at him knowingly.
"Well I wouldn't mind a few more songs…" Aang drew off thoughtfully.
"We can always dance some more later…it's probably time that you met Tetsu though, before he has anything important to do," Katara told him.
"Oh, so now you want me to go?" Aang feigned a look of hurt.
"Don't give me that," Katara laughed, "Just come find me once you're done okay?"
"Alright," Aang sighed. He gave her a quick peck on the lips, which was about as much as they could do in a party like this, before leaving her to find Tetsu in the crowd of people that had gathered in the palaces ballroom.
Katara watched him go, giggling silently to herself when he struggled to push through the crowds. Once he was out of sight, she also made her way off the dance floor trying to think about what to do. It took some time but she finally found Suki sitting in a table in the corner of the room with Sokka and Mai. There were other tables filled with people and that seemed to be the dining area. Zuko wasn't there but Katara figured he was meeting with some important officials in the room.
She saw her brother eye her curiously as she walked over to them.
"Hey sis," he greeted, "Where's Aang?"
"We figured he should meet the new Earth King," Katara explained to the group, sitting down in an empty seat at the table.
"So he ditched you huh?" Sokka raised an eyebrow and a few seconds later he felt Suki's elbow jab into his stomach roughly resulting in him letting out an audible grunt as he turned to his girlfriend in surprise, "What was that for?"
As the couple bickered, Katara just rolled her eyes and turned to Mai who was looking at her reassuringly.
"Don't worry," the Fire Nation women said, pushing the sound of Sokka and Suki's bickering to the back of her head, "Zuko has been running around meeting with officials all night too. You're lucky that Aang is only meeting with one."
"He said it wouldn't take too long," Katara shrugged, "I just need to occupy myself till he's done."
"Well you've come to the right place," Mai jerked a thumb over to Sokka, "He still never shuts up."
Katara let out a laugh, "I'd know that better than anyone. You get used to it...eventually."
"Well that moment couldn't come soon enough," Mai responded, voice dripping with sarcasm.
The two fell into silence after that. Katara just sat there and listen to her brother talk to Suki, their previous bickering having died down. Mai just leaned back in her chair, studying the nails on one of her hands, looking about as bored as she was.
Katara spent the time though trying to think of something to do for Aang's birthday. One thing she knew with Aang was that he didn't put much value on material possessions. Anything physical would be out of the question…at least if she wanted to make him really happy. His previous comment about just spending the whole day with her was probably exactly what she should do for him but then again, they usually spend the whole day together anyway. She felt like she needed to do a little extra for his birthday…something special and it didn't take long for the idea to pop into her head. It was something that she was sure that Aang, and her for that matter, has wanted for a long time. The only thing was making sure she did it right…
"Hey Mai?" Katara returned her attention to the older girl questionably.
"Hmm," Mai hummed, turning her attention to her nails on her other hand.
"You're married to Zuko right?" Katara questioned, twirling her hands together.
"So I hear," Mai responded in amusement at her younger friend's behavior, "We got married last week remember?"
"Well do you think you could…give me some…advice?" Katara asked slowly.
Raising her eyebrows, Mai finally turned her attention away from her nails and looked at Katara in surprise. Katara had never come to her for advice before…this was a little new. After a few seconds, Katara looked away from Mai and she felt a light blush rise to her cheeks.
"I suppose I could," Mai said at last, drawing Katara's attention back to her, "Do you really want to talk about it here though?"
"Well…no, I guess," Katara bit her lip thoughtfully before speaking again, "Would you be okay if we just did something together tomorrow…and we can talk about it then?"
"Sure why not," Mai shrugged, "Zuko and I aren't heading back to the Fire Nation for another two days so I need something to do," she paused and glanced over at Suki, "We could maybe even bring her along to if we can get her away from Sokka."
Suki turned to them when she heard herself mentioned, "Wait, what are you two talking about?"
Katara opened her mouth to speak but Mai beat her to it.
"Katara and I decided to do something together tomorrow," Mai explained, "Want to join?"
"Sure," Suki smiled and turned her seat to face them, "What're we doing?"
Katara and Mai exchanged glances before Katara spoke up a little sheepishly, "We haven't actually got that far into it yet but we could toss some ideas around."
Before Suki could say anything, Sokka swiftly got up from the table.
"Well if that is what the topic is going to turn into here then I'm out," he explained as he walked away to find something else to do at the party, "You three have fun planning your girl's day out."
Mai watched him walk away for a few seconds before regarding the other two girls questionably, "Did I miss something?"
"Don't worry," Suki waved one hand nonchalantly, "He's just mad that he doesn't have anyone's attention anymore."
"Well that's my brother for you," Katara said exasperated, earning small laughs from her friends. She laughed with them for a few seconds before once again putting her focus back to where it had been, "So anyways, about tomorrow…"
It must have taken him ten minutes to find Tetsu in the crowd of people but finally, the new Earth King came into Aang's sight. He was sitting at what appeared to be a bar at a less crowded side of the room, talking with a few Earth Kingdom nobles. As Aang made his way over to him, he noticed that the new King appeared to have recognized him, and he was greeted with a welcoming wave to come over and talk.
"Gentlemen, would you please give me a moment," Aang heard Tetsu say as he got closer. The nobles bowed respectfully and walked off and the next thing the young Avatar knew, Tetsu was gesturing for him to sit down.
Aang took the invitation hesitantly, suddenly very nervous, and sat down on the empty stool next to Tetsu.
"I was wondering when I would be finally able to meet you Avatar," Tetsu bowed his head to him, "I've heard much about you."
"Well I hope what you heard has been good," Aang rubbed the back of his neck a little nervously, knowing full well that his image could already be damaged in Tetsu's eyes, courtesy of General Howe. The Earth King quickly caught what Aang was thinking however.
"You have nothing to worry about," Testu assured him, turning to take a sip from the drink that he had sitting on the bar table, "I am well aware of the Council of Five's opinion of you. I have spoken with them extensively about it," he paused as he took another sip, "However, I was an advisor for Kuei and he spoke very highly of you and I must value his judgment. Whatever problems you have with the Generals is not a concern to me. In my eyes, you are just as capable as any other Avatar has been…maybe even more so given how much you have accomplished at such a young age."
"Thanks, that means a lot," Aang let out a sigh of relief. Maybe this would be so bad after all…
Tetsu spent the next few seconds finishing his drink before setting the glass down and putting his full attention on Aang, "To tell you the truth Avatar, I feel that the Generals are being too tough on you. You are human after all, just like the rest of us. Expecting you to simply allow the love of your live to die…that's simply isn't right in my opinion."
Aang's eyes widened in surprise, he really wasn't expecting Tetsu to be this…friendly. He expected to be treated like General Howe had been treating him, "Well…I could never do that to her and I made that clear to the Five Generals."
"I'll deal with them," Tetsu assured, "Things will change."
"Thank you your majesty," Aang bowed his head once again.
"Please," the Earth King waved his hand dismissively, "No need to be so formal. The one thing that I have always hated about politics and nobility is that everyone is so serious and uptight all the time. I have found that a looser and friendlier environment better benefits all of those involved. So really, just call me Tetsu, Avatar."
Aang smiled and nodded agreeably, "I go by similar ideas. I'd prefer Aang as well; I'm not too fond of people treating me differently just because I am the Avatar."
"Understandable," Tetsu smiled back while motioning for the bartender to come over, "Would you like anything to drink Aang?"
"Actually, I'm fine," Aang held his hands up in front of him apologetically, "I promised Katara that I wouldn't take any longer than necessary."
"Very well," Tetsu nodded, taking another glass that the bartender handed to him, "I have some things to catch up on anyway and a lot of work to do. Enjoy the rest of the party."
"I will," Aang responded.
Tetsu tilted his head towards him in a way of farewell before turning away. Aang just sat there for a few moments and watched him go, still shocked at how the meeting had gone. One thing was certain; he was relieved that Tetsu was one his side.
A few moments later, he got up and began his search for Katara. However, unlike Tetsu, it didn't take him long to find her. Their spiritual connection made sure of that. He just followed what his heart told him and sure enough, she quickly came into his site, and she appeared to be talking to Suki and Mai. Looking off to the side, he also saw that Hakoda was walking over to the group of girl's and he was quickly reminded that he needed to talk with the Watertribe Chief. Looking back at Katara and seeing that she seemed to be enjoying herself, Aang decided that now would be as good of a time as any. Before Hakoda could reach Katara and the other two girls, Aang intercepted him and Hakoda greeted him with a smile.
"Aang, I was wondering where you were since you're not over there by Katara," he nodded at the group of girls.
"I went to meet with the new Earth King," Aang explained, "But there is something I need to talk to you about as well."
"Of course, you know you can talk to me about anything," the older man told him.
Aang bit his lip and looked around the room, "Privately."
Hakoda raised his eyebrow curiously and rested a hand on the airbender's shoulder, "Let's find our way out of here then shall we."
Aang smiled gratefully as Hakoda held his shoulder gently as he led them to the ballroom's exit. Aang didn't mind the contact. It reminded him of a way that a father would treat his son.
Fitting, I'll be his son-in-law if he allows me to marry Katara, Aang thought to himself. That thought brought a smile to him though as he allowed Hakoda to lead the way. Aang had never really been part of a true family and becoming part of one would mean a lot to him. He just had to hope that Hakoda gave permission for him to marry Katara.
Aang shook the thoughts from his mind and focused on the task at hand as he noticed that Hakoda stopped on a patio overlooking the palace garden.
"So what is it that you need to talk to me about Aang?" Hakoda asked him gently.
"I just…" for the second time that night, Aang found himself nervous but he knew how important this conversation was and he needed to do it right. Aang walked over and leaned on the railing of the patio and looked out at the various plants that the garden held. It was dark so he couldn't see any of them that well but it was enough to let him focus on something else for a few seconds to get his head straight.
Hakoda walked up and stood beside him, waiting patiently and knowing that whatever his daughter's boyfriend had to say was important. His nervousness also clued him in on what the upcoming discussion would be about and Hakoda smiled to himself knowingly. He had been in a similar position after all. Once he figured it all out, he knew why Aang was having trouble finding the words to say. The Watertribe Chief just simply looked out to the garden with the younger man beside him, letting him have all the time he needed. It turned out that he didn't need that much longer.
"I love your daughter more than anything," he finally said shakily, turning his head to meet Hakoda's gaze, "She was the first thing I saw when I awoke from the iceberg and she is one of the only people that really understands everything that I have had to go through. I owe her everything…and all I want is for her to be happy. I can't even imagine living without her anymore…"
He drew off thoughtfully, looking off into the distance; remembering everything he and Katara had been through together. Hakoda nodded at him to continue and Aang did, feeling much more confident than before.
"What happened to her and I in the desert a month ago got me thinking. We almost lost each other and I never want either of us to go through that kind of pain again. So with you permission," Aang paused, reaching into his robes to pull out and reveal to Hakoda the betrothal necklace he had made, "I'd like to ask her to marry me."
Hakoda gazed at the necklace that had been made for his daughter and he could tell that Aang had put a lot of effort into it. He noticed the Avatar's gaze shift down to the floor as his nervousness returned.
Knowing that Aang was expecting an answer of some kind, Hakoda reached out and closed Aang's hand around the betrothal necklace, causing the airbender to look back up at him in surprise.
"It would be an honor to have you as my son-in-law Aang," Hakoda told him, "And I know that Katara will be very happy with this."
"Really?" Aang said hopefully, a wide smile forming on his face.
"I'm sure of it."
Aang let out a long breath, letting all of the tension escape his body which drew a quick laugh from Hakoda.
"Though I've got to say Aang," Hakoda said, nudging the younger man gently, "I expected that question much sooner."
"Oh well, I've thought about it before," Aang tucked the necklace back into his robes before explaining hastily, "But Watertribe customs say that you have to be sixteen so I was waiting until I reached that age which is in a few days actually so I was planning on asking her then…"
"I figured as much," Hakoda nodded understandingly, "I am happy that you are willing to respect our tradition but it is Katara's and your relationship. We have as much of a need to respect your traditions as well. Remember that."
"Really the only thing the Air Nomads went by was that when it came to love; do what you heart tells you," Aang shrugged, "That meant for any aspect of the relationship."
"Sounds good to me, you two have control over what you do in your relationship," Hakoda told him, "Sokka and I don't dictate it. Katara is old enough to make her own decisions now."
"Wait," Aang said, thoughts popping into his head as to what Hakoda could be implying, and he rose a questioning eyebrow "Are you saying it's okay if we…"
"If you're that comfortable with each other then yes," Hakoda interrupted gently, "I've noticed how close you two have gotten to each other. I can see it whenever you look at her and when she looks at you."
Aang blushed and shifted on his feet a little, "Well thanks for the blessing…not really what I was expecting but still."
Hakoda just laughed for a few good seconds before speaking calmly, "Well I think I have said all that I need to. Let's head back?"
Aang nodded, still a little embarrassed that Hakoda knew how far he and Katara had gone and how far they wanted to go. Still, it was nice that he was accepting of it.
Once they got back to the party, Aang parted ways from Hakoda and found Katara over by the same table the she had been at before. Except this time, Suki and Mai were both gone. Katara instantly perked up from her bored posture when she saw him however.
"Well that took a little longer than I expected," she told him once her reached her.
"Yeah, sorry about that," Aang reached a hand out to help her up from her seat, "I saw that you were talking with Suki and Mai so I decided to have a talk with your dad."
Katara's face suddenly turned into a look of confusion and Aang quickly explained.
"It's nothing bad," Aang said, squeezing her hand assumingly, "Just some things that a guy needs to talk to his girlfriend's father about."
"Well I hope everything went okay…," Katara drew off, her eyes gazing right into his as if looking for more answers.
"It's part of the secret we were talking about earlier," he explained.
"Hmm," Katara hummed, "I'll leave it alone then, as long there is nothing wrong between you and my dad."
"Things are great actually," Aang assured her before deciding to change the subject and he gave her a playful smile, "Anyway, I seem to remember owing you a few more dances?"
Katara gave him a teasing smile back and reached a hand up to tap a finger on his nose, "And it's a good thing you didn't forget."
Aang just laughed, batting her hand away gently before leading her back to the dance floor; eager to spend some time with her again.
Tau sat with his back against the wall in his cell, feeling better than what he had been during the last month. Mostly, prisoners here got food once per day. However, around midday, the same, golden eyed guard had returned and given him some more to eat.
Tau didn't know how the guard, or imposter rather, was doing this without the other guards noticing but he was sure there was some "behind the scenes" thing going on that Tau didn't know about. Typically, he didn't like being unsure of things but this mysterious man was on his side. He was certain that everything would be explained eventually, he just had to be patient. Besides, anyone that was willing to help him out of this place could be trusted at least to some degree.
Did that guard want to help him escape though? Tau had yet to really talk to him to understand his true motive. At the same time, what else would this guy want? Tau would be willing to bet anything that this man's goal was to help him escape prison, the real question was; why?
Before Tau could contemplate it any further, he once again heard the familiar footsteps come down the hall. He simply just turned his head to the door and waited and sure enough, a tray of food slid into the cell a few moments later. One side of Tau's lip quirked into a small smile and his eyes darted up to meet the golden ones of the imposter. The man gave Tau a respectful nod before turning away.
"I hope the food is to your liking," Tau heard him say as the guard walked further from his cell, "I hear the rice is especially good."
Tau couldn't help but to raise his eyebrows at the oddity of the whole situation before picking up the tray and placing it on his lap. He didn't eat it quite yet and instead he spent several seconds regarding it curiously.
The rice…why did the guard point that out? Rice wasn't exactly something that someone would call a highlight of their meal. Tau took the fork that had been placed on one side of the tray and prodded the top of the rice that was sitting in a small cup. He wasn't really sure why he did it but he knew there was something that he hadn't fully realized yet. Eventually, he dug the fork into the cup, deciding to just simply eat it and see what happens. The fork didn't go too far into the cup before it hit some solid and Tau's eyes widened briefly in surprise.
Wanting to see what the fork hit, he used the utensil to scoop the rice out of the cup until a small circular object appeared. Curiously, Tau set the fork off to the side and reached down to pick the object up and studied it.
He didn't really know what the meaning of it was supposed to be and he had no idea why the guard would give it to him. He knew what it was from though. It came from that Pai Sho game that was rather popular among people. Tau didn't really care for it, he had never been good at that game, but he understood it well enough to know that the piece he was holding was very rare.
It was a White Lotus tile.
Okay, not really much else to say this time for the author's note. I know I usually respond to peoples reviews and all that and I realized yesterday...I did really respond to nearly any of the reviews I had gotten last week. Thing is, I am a lot busier now then I was when I was posting Reawakening. If you don't get a review reply, its nothing personal...really.
Anyways, as always, let me know what you think.:)