It was a most auspicious date.
They had spent two weeks with the fortune teller, trying to find the best combination of their birthdays. "This is quite the combination," she had mumbled as she studies the charts and calenders. "A good match, but with the disturbance in the world, a hard match to find a lucky day for."
Katara's stomach felt like an ocean beset by a storm, churning and crashing and unable to settle, keeping her nerves buzzing with energy. The red silk cloth she wore over her face made it impossible to see. As the litter rocked down the cobblestone street, she wondered who all was standing along the roadside, watching their elaborate procession. She tried to peak out the sides of the veil, but only saw more red. The drapes of the little were closed. Frowning, she toyed with the hem of her new dress. I will only ever wear it this once, she thought. And not for very long at that. Am image of the night to come flashed through her mind, causing the heat to rise in her face. She hoped she would not have to wait too long for it.
They halted with a jolt, bucking the distracted young woman forward on the small, soft pillows. Thanks for the warning, guys, she seethed inwardly as she was lowered. She righted herself just as the curtains were yanked aside. A hand found hers and guided her out of her perch carefully.
She knew this hand. She knew the rough, calloused palm. The long, nimble fingers. The familiar warmth that spread through her whole body from this simple touch. As he lifted away the veil, Zuko's face flooded her vision. He was clothed in red and cold, as usual, but he seemed to be... cleaner, she thought. Cleaner and anxious and happy. His sun-gold eyes radiated joy and anticipation. She felt him squeezing her fingers gently, as if asking her, Are you ready? She gave him a tighter squeeze in response. Of course.
As one, they bowed to the ancestors of the royal family, then poured tea over several white lotus seeds. Zuko had no immediate family that was able to attend, so Iroh accepted the tea in their stead. They all shared a grin as he sipped the tea; it had been his idea to use the lotus. He then held out a cup of wine, handing it first to Zuko, and then to Katara, before the couple bowed to each other.
The courtyard of the Fire Nation Palace erupted in cheering and shouting and congratulations. The newlyweds turned to accept the cheers of their people, their fingers intertwined.
The rest of the day passed by in one long blur to Katara. The feast seemed to never end, but when it did, she found she could barely remember it. She now sat on the red silk coverlet of her- their new bed. Next to her was the Fire Lord, and standing in the doorway were older couples, including her brother and sister-in-law. "Be careful!" Sokka advised, leaning against the door frame and grinning like a crescent moon. Suki prodded him in the chest before giving Katara a warm smile. "We'll leave you alone," she whispered as she gave the new wife a quick hug. As soon as the Kyoshi warrior was done ushering everyone out, the water bender fell back on the bed with a sigh of relief.
"Is that any way to behave with your new husband?"
Zuko, the ruler of the Fire Nation, loomed over her, a stern expression on his face. She knew him too well to fall for that.
"Whether you like it or not, you are stuck with me forever," she retorted. "So yes, I will act as I please, because there is nothing you can do to get rid of me."
His face switched from serious to sultry. "Are you sure about that?" His hands locked around her wrists, holding them captive over her head as he settled his hips over her stomach. "I could always kill you." His breath was warm and tickling on her neck.
She rolled her eyes as she felt a fluttering feeling in her lower abdomen. "I'd like to see you try," she challenged.
He liked the sound of that. "It's not like I could do it right now, though," he explained as he raised himself up slightly. "I mean, this is just too much precious material to be soiled by your blood. It would be completely ruined." His hands, which had been tracing a fine line down her tightening stomach, suddenly reached for her hair. "And then there's this crown. It's made of pure gold, you know, and covered in only the finest jewels. A family heirloom. I'd hate to see it dented if you struggle." Deftly, he uncoiled her hair from the large glittering contraption that had been attached to her head early that morning and placed it on the bedside table.
"Finally," she groaned. "That thing's been weighing me down for too long." With a grin, she pushed up, rolling them so she was on top this time. "If you really are going to kill me, then I think we need to do something about this shirt." She shackled his hands to the headboard with ice as she began undoing the sash tied around his middle. "It would be a shame to have this be ripped if I struggle." Her husband had melted her restraints, and held his arms up as she slid the sleeves down his arms. The bare chest beneath her was perfectly, chiseled and hard and marred only by the large oval scar across his stomach.
Her wound. The wound she had given him. The wound that had saved her life.
She bent her head, planting kiss after kiss on the rippled skin. She could feel him arching under her soft touches, and smiled. "I wonder how many more scars I can give you," she teased as his arms wrapped around her.
"We have a lifetime to find out." He rolled them over again, this time laying next to her while being propped up on one arm.
While he worked to remove her gown, she thought about what he had said. She imagined their first holiday together, their first anniversary, their first vacation, their first child. All the days that they would now spend to together.
She liked that idea, that they would be able to share everything now. As the Fire Lord's lips wrecked havoc on her body, she had one final clear thought:
This day was only the beginning, and it was a day that she would never forget.
I had another idea in mind, but I thought that everyone would be doing a "date" for these two, so I tried something different. I hope you liked it!