The Seasons of Kyoshi
Chapter 2: A Kyoshi Summer
Everyone knew about their engagement. Sokka, beyond thrilled and proud to be marrying Suki, had called the news out to the heavens.
"It was all planned, the proposal, I mean," he would say to friends and family and acquaintances and anyone else who would listen. He accosted shopkeepers and wait staff, the old lady who sold flowers near Iroh's tea shop in Ba Sing Se, the old man who fixed weapons in Capitol City and the cobbler in Omashu.
If Suki was there, she would give her head a little shake but keep any protests to herself. 'Let him have his enjoyment,' she figured. 'No harm.'
A month after the proposal, the young couple visited Mai and Zuko in the Fire Nation. The Fire Lord and his lover were unmarried as yet, still waiting for a lengthy break from the seemingly endless string of meetings and negotiations and trips, all in an attempt to restore honour to the Fire Nation while still maintaining its dignity.
Zuko clapped his friend on the back and offered his sincere congratulations. And he was happy for the couple. But their impending marriage also served to emphasize the sad fact that he and Mai continued to wait.
"Come on, grumpy, it's not that bad; I mean, the two of you are married in all but name, aren't you?" He winked repeatedly and Zuko wondered if perhaps the Water Tribesman had developed some sort of strange tick.
"Well, yeah, but still…I want to have the ceremony that Mai deserves…you know, let the world know that I love her."
Sokka lowered his voice and peered about the room, before putting a hand on Zuko's back. "I'm sure that the servants all know."
Blushing, Zuko decided now was a great time to return to his office. "Paperwork," he mumbled, "mountains and mountains of it."
Sokka chuckled and considered his work finished.
~~~~0000~~~~
"C'mon, Suki, won't you at least try them on. Mai says they're the latest fashion and I thought you would love them. Please! I'd love to see you in them….and out of them." That last part he spoke in a sultry whisper that made his fiancée shiver.
"I've told you at least ten times that I want a simple wedding with a simple dress. You're taking this whole shopping thing too far."
"But I love shopping." He crossed his arms over his chest as if daring her or anyone else to question his manliness. "This wedding could be spectacular, Suki. Mai knows all about that sort of stuff, you know linens and flowers and table settings. She kind of hates it though." He stroked his chin and thought for a moment, trying to reconcile the two aspects of Mai.
"Sokka?"
"Yes, Suki."
"Are we having the wedding in the Fire Nation?"
"Well, no….but we're going to have eating utensils, aren't we? And flowers? We can't have a wedding without flowers."
"Don't worry. There are plenty of perfectly pretty flowers that grow right on Kyoshi Island. And I want a green dress, not a red one. And I want it understated and, well, reasonably priced." The red head watched as Sokka's face fell. His expression tugged at her heart. He only wanted to make things special for her after all. "Look, I know you're trying to help and honestly, I'm glad that you're interested. A lot of guys wouldn't be. And I realize that it's your wedding too. But please, no herds of animals or choirs or palanquins." She moved close to Sokka and cupped his cheek, running a finger over his lips. "I love you."
"All right," he sighed. "I get it. Good food, good drink, pretty dress, local flowers, family and friends only. Don't ever say I didn't try." He grinned then and kissed her full on the lips. "Love you too."
~~~~0000~~~~
"I want to give her the most spectacular wedding ever, Mai. But she won't let me. She wants plain and simple." He sighed and reached for the plate of fruit. "Isn't plain boring?"
"No, not at all; plain can be elegant and lovely, just not over the top. I appreciate simplicity myself. I'm not the circus wedding type." She sighed too wondering when she and Zuko would ever have the chance at that simple wedding.
"Will you help me?" He stared at his ebony haired friend imploringly. "You're kind of elegant and stuff and you can keep me straight. I still want some of my own personality part of the wedding too." He waited a moment and then added a 'please'.
"I'll help." Under her breath she muttered, "Might as well be planning someone's wedding."
~~~~0000~~~~
Summer on Kyoshi was like a perfect dream. The air was warm and smelled like everything sweet that blossomed beneath the sun's live giving rays. The sea was cool, but not too cool, and the dozens of tiny beaches and hidden coves were ideal for swimming. Sokka and Suki snuck away for picnics whenever they could, lying back on a blanket, soaking up the sun and diving into the soothing waves.
The Water Tribesman spent some time at home too, leaving Suki to her work and tending to some of his own. The Southern Water Tribe did not have simply a chief now, one leader to dictate to all, but a council that made decisions based on discussion, meetings that everyone could join and votes. He was a council member and proud, but was an absentee as much as he attended.
Dividing time between two places, Suki's home and his, created its own set of issues and no permanent place of residence had yet been decided on. Now, enjoying their engagement, flushed with ardor and anticipation of their wedding, they tended to avoid the problem all together, each hoping that somehow it would work itself out.
"I've got to get back, Sokka." Suki began to pack up their things. "The girls will be waiting."
Her lover grumbled to himself but heaved himself up from the sand, shaking out the blanket before folding it neatly. "I know. But I don't want to leave." He pouted then, lower lip protruding and Suki laughed.
"Now you just look like a brat."
"Hey, I object to that! I'm a handsome brat at least, right?"
"Yes, dear, you're a handsome brat." She swatted him on the behind, all playfulness and mischief. "Now, get going."
Hips bumping and shoulders brushing, they wandered back to the village. Suki changed into her warrior gear, kissed Sokka and headed to the dojo. He stayed behind to tidy the tiny house Suki occupied. He had nothing else to do really. The wedding, set for the autumn, was coming together with Mai's help. Simple and quiet and lovely; Suki would approve and that was all Sokka really wanted.
He was overjoyed when the weekly boat from the Fire Nation, arriving late in the afternoon, delivered a crate from Mai. Inside were fabric samples and dish samples and even sample menus, all of them in Earth Kingdom colours and with Earth Kingdom flare. Mai had done her research or gotten others to do it for her. Kyoshi Island's distinctive culture was represented well.
"Hmm, yes, oh, I love that; Suki will flip for that colour." Smiling, he sorted through the items, examining each with great care before deciding on some and rejecting others.
He was in the middle of repacking the crate (return postage had kindly been paid by Mai), when Suki wandered into the wood frame house.
"What do you have there?" Curiosity drove her into the tiny living room where Sokka struggled to pack everything as it had been before.
"Why is that once you take things out of a box, you can never get them back in the same way?" Frustrated now, he shoved the final cloth sample back in along with a letter to Mai he had written hurriedly, and slammed the lid back tight. "That will have to do."
"Wedding stuff?" Suki stood behind Sokka, one hand resting on his shoulder. "I don't get to see?"
"Do you really want to? I can open up the crate again."
She shook her head. "I trust you with everything. But the dress, I get final say on that. I am the one wearing it, after all."
"Don't you worry, Suki. It's going to be fabulous...in an understated sort of way." He rubbed his hands together. "I can't wait."
~~~~0000~~~~
While summer days on Kyoshi Island were enjoyable, summer evenings were divine. Hands entwined, the engaged couple strolled along the bay. The sea air was fresh and soft and crept across their bare skin like delicate feathers. Suki rested her head on Sokka's shoulder, closing her eyes occasionally, letting her feet and her lover guide her.
Kyoshi had imprinted itself on her soul the day of her birth and she loved the island with everything in her. It was beautiful and it was home; its hills, its beaches, its villages and its people. When Sokka visited, it became something even more special, a paradise of sorts.
"I wish you could just stay here." She spoke her wish knowing the guilt it would inspire in Sokka. "But, I know you have things to do at home."
"We're going to have to figure that out one day, you know, the whole 'where we're going to live' thing." The warrior shrugged. "It's kind of a mess."
"Yeah; but not tonight, okay?"
The moon made a brief appearance and Sokka silently asked Yue for her guidance. They would work it all out somehow. Suki was worth it, after all, worth any sacrifice or compromise.
"Okay," he agreed before pausing and wrapping his arms about her tight. "Whenever you're ready."