A/N: Thanks for sticking with me. Here is the next chapter. I own nothing. This chapter is the whole thing that started this entire story so please read with care. It was my original concept to be a one shot of just this chapter but I decided to do an entire story out of this one incident. Please treat this chapter kindly. There is real world research behind this, but some of it I grabbed from other cultures than the monks of Tibet.
Katara stood on the ferry with boxes behind her just as it was docking at Air Temple Island. Aang met her with a kiss on the cheek as be bent down to grab multiple boxes. She helped grab the ones that he left.
"Is this the last of it?"
"This is everything. Nothing else remains in the house that I am not willing to sell to the next person." She looked to the setting sun.
"We'll put this stuff in my house for now." He nodded. She had gotten rid of everything in her house that she didn't need and packed the essentials, minus the pelts to be sensitive to Aang. All her artifacts, her clothes, food, bathroom items, books, knickknacks, and junk was now on the island. Aang had ample storage in his house, but her personal care items went with her to the temporary room where she was living inside the girl's dormitory. It was their decision.
They had come to an agreement that living together so close to the wedding would give many opportunities to break their promise of waiting until the wedding night. But that was the furthest thing from Katara's mind that morning.
They placed the boxes where they needed too. Aang started to put away her books and the tribal artifacts on the walls with his nomadic artifacts. It made the place feel much more like home. Katara took off with the last of her personal care items and arranged them in her dormitory. Her face was like stone. So many things were running through her mind it was hard for her to keep up. She fiddled with her combs and ribbons until Aang knocked on the doorframe.
"Sweetie, are you alright?"
"Hmm?" She asked and put the comb back on the shelf. "Yeah, why?"
"You just seem… distracted." He said and came to her, slipping his hand into hers.
"I am, a bit. I'm just over thinking. You know me."
"Yes I do." He kissed her hair. "But it's usually not nothing. Tell me."
"I was just thinking… You know how your house is now filled with two nation's things? And how our wedding is going to be half watertribe, half air nomad?"
"Yes. I thought you wanted it that way? If you want a full water tribe wedding-"
"No! Trust me, I am happy with it this way."
"Okay, then where is the issue Katara?"
She looked down onto his robes and avoided contact with his eyes.
"This is going to sound stupid, but… how do air nomads prepare for a wedding?"
"Oh. You mean outside of the ceremony?"
"Yes. Like an engagement. What am I missing that a normal woman from your nation would have?"
"Well…" He rubbed the back of his neck trying to think. "Really nothing. I mean there's the lack of a tattoo but you can't really get that. Only Airbending masters can have that tattoo. And every person of my culture was an airbender."
"I know I just feel bad because the necklace is part of my heritage, not yours. I just want you to feel like we've done all we could."
He was quiet for a while and he looked down into her eyes.
"Well, we can always do what we do for the kids." He paused and saw that she was intrigued. "There is this paste that we apply with either a thin brush or a very dull needle. We make really extravagant designs on the kids hands and feet as part of one of our festivals. The paste goes on white but after a few days it's dark blue. Darker than our tattoos. It stays on for about a week or until it's scrubbed off. Do… would you want to do that?"
"Aang that sounds perfect! Can we do that? Please? Will it hurt?"
"Yes, we can do that. And no, it's pretty painless. I have the supplies actually. What do you want?"
"Can you do an arrow on my back?"
"An arrow on your back? No one will see it!"
"Don't worry, I have the perfect dress. It will be seen when I walk down the aisle. And if we do it today it should be dark blue by the time of the wedding."
"Alright. If you're sure." He paused and she nodded. He smiled and thought of what needed to get done.
"I need you to take a bath, scrub your body well. Dress in a robe and come see me in the top of the temple. I'll be ready by then."
She smiled and kissed him, leaving to go take her bath.
X
She clutched her robe close to her body as she climbed the stairs. A smell came around her and became stronger the higher she climbed. When she was finally at the top of the stairs, the doorway was shrouded by a thick red curtain. She pushed it aside and entered the room. Though the sun had set, the room was warmly lit by candles on a shelf that seemed to run the entire perimeter of the small circular room. The smell was very strong in the room. She looked and saw Aang fiddling in the corner.
"It looks so romantic."
He looked up to her and smiled. He was just in his pants which made her crook an eyebrow.
"The lighting and the incense is meant to help keep you calm and relaxed." He said as he brought a tray over to the counter, next to a table in the middle of the room.
"And you being shirtless?"
He rolled his eyes.
"It's hard work. I'll get hot." He came up to her and handed her a ribbon he had sneaked form her room.
"Tie your hair up please."
She smirked and took the ribbon from him, doing as he said. He was preparing the tools when he stopped for a moment.
"Katara?"
"Mm?" She looked over her shoulder.
"Do… do you want this to be… permanent?"
She fell silent and her hands stopped braiding her hair. She thought about it for a while before responding and going back to braiding.
"I thought only airbending masters could get a tattoo."
"This is different. This isn't the same mark. It's darker and more detailed. It's a masterpiece. It's not solid like my arrows are. Its filled with shapes and contours."
She tied off the braid and threw it over her shoulder.
"Aang, I don't want you breaking any comfort barriers just to make me happy."
"That's not why I'm asking. I am asking because I can give this to you. As a present."
She sat on the table and let her legs hand towards the ground.
"Then what will I give you as a present in return?" She smirked and bit her lip. He smiled and put down the tools, coming in front of her. He gave her a tender kiss that lasted longer than either would admit.
"You don't have to give me anything. Take it as a thank you present for respecting my culture."
"I appreciate it but just go ahead and give me what you were going to originally do. The one that will wash off after the wedding."
He nodded and let out a breath.
"Good, I didn't know if I was going to be able to do a tattoo." He admitted and smiled.
"Aang!" She swatted his arm. "You shouldn't have offered if you don't want to do it!"
"I want to, I just don't know if I can!" He laughed and held her shoulders. "Anyways, this will be good precision practice for me so either way this is good for both of us."
Katara smiled and closed her eyes.
"Mm, that scent is making my head swim."
"You had better lay down. I'll turn away but I need you to take off your robe and lay on your stomach. You can cover your bottom half with the robe." He said and turned back to the counter, grabbing his tools. Katara did as told and folded her arms under her head, pulling her bread to hang over the edge of the table.
"Okay, I'm good."
"Good." He said and came behind her. "I didn't even peek."
She laughed and he laughed with her.
"Okay, stay steady."
"Okay."
He smiled and took the brush in his hands, starting the point between her shoulder blades and marking the tip sides of the arrow. She let out a quick breath.
"It's cold!" She complained.
"It's not even the paste. I'm outlining it first. I'm using a calligraphy brush and some navy ink. This is the important part so I get it straight so stay still."
"Okay okay." She said and closed her eyes. She felt the brush drag over her shoulders, meet back in the middle of her back and drag down again on both sides. He stopped the arrow just where her hip bone dipped, right before the edge of the robe. He checked the lines from all angles and it was a perfect arrow, straight with faultless angles.
"Okay, important part is done, now I just have to let it dry." He said and put the brush in the sink, rinsing it out. He capped the ink bottle and lay the brush with the rest of the tools.
"How long will the design take?"
"Well, usually doing the hands and feet of a child takes about thirty minutes if you are skilled. You have much more skin to go and I have only done this a few times so we are looking at probably a few hours."
"Oh." She bit her lip and raised herself onto her elbows.
"Rethinking this?"
"Nope. I am in one hundred percent."
He nodded and leaned down to kiss her cheek.
"Alright. Now the real work begins."
X
"Katara, you are one patient woman."
"Oh am I? I don't feel very patient." She murmured and rolled her head to the side.
"Well you are and I am finally done, three hours later." He went over to the sink and washed his utensils and hands. He placed everything back where it was supposed to go and put a cap on the paste. He turned away from her and spoke softly.
"There is a three way mirror passed the other curtain. You can look in there to see how it looks."
She got up slowly with groans and complaints of stiff limbs. As her feet touched the floor she grabbed the robe and took it with her.
The small mirror room adjacent to the main room was lit as well, but brighter. She held the robe in front of her and turned to the side, seeing the amazing image of a white printed arrow down her back. The inside of the arrow was filled with thousands of tiny triangles and squares, some filled, come not. The outline was surrounded by soft curving lines and dots. Each of the design worked as two parts of one masterpiece. The design was tight, very small. It would look similar to lace from a far. She smiled and put her robe back on, coming out of the mirror room.
"Well?" He asked anxiously.
"Aang it's beautiful. And it really will turn color?"
"Yes, every day it will get darker until finally it is a navy blue. Three days. Which leaves us just enough time to continue the planning of this wedding." He smiled and wrapped his arms around her.
"I can't believe in three days I will be your wife."
"I can't believe in three days I will be responsible for all the trouble you make." He smirked and she raised an eyebrow.
"Let's go get you some water and put you to bed. You look tired."
"I am just a little."
Katara helped him put the candles out and he walked her to her dormitory, hand in hand. When they parted, they left each other with sweet whishes of dreams and kisses to last through the night.
She lay in bed on her stomach that night, cautious to not smear the paste though it was already dry.