Pillow Talk

Chapter 9: Our Story in the Stars

The brisk night air was a soothing reprieve from the stifling heat of the Fire Nation summer, and a much-appreciated indulgence shared by the pair of young lovers who lay against the soft grass nestled in one another's arms. Katara laid comfortably still, her head resting against the crook of Aang's shoulder, curled partially against his body as her fingers toyed with the soft fabric of his robes. In the two years since the end of the war, they were hardly seen apart, and to her credit, the waterbending master had become as much a celebrity as the Avatar, much to the contrite humor of their dear friend Toph, who had become considerably famous herself.

But for everything they had been through, it was Aang and Katara who were inseparable, and deservingly so. Theirs was not quite the enamored storybook romance, but rather a love that built like a slow burning fire that needed proper care. The spark was always there, but given too much effort and attention and the flames were smothered. However, once that fire had started, there was no stopping it and it burned with an intensity that would be felt for generations not yet born.

And so it was their nightly ritual to hold each other in one another's arms and stare with undaunted admiration at the stars that shimmered in the evening canvas as though the display was meant solely for them. It was a guilty pleasure to think of the stars as a metaphor for their love, a display plainly visible to the world, and something witnessed with awe and envy.

Slowly, Aang moved his face to nuzzle his lips against Katara's thick locks of hair, his ministrations earning a gracious sigh of pleasure. After a few moments, the young Avatar pulled back, fixing the beautiful young woman with a poignant stare, the slightest of smiles tugging at one corner of his mouth. "Question," he said simply, and though Katara did not turn to face him but rather tilted her head slightly closer, indicating she was listening, he continued. "Do you remember when we were trapped in the desert?"

"How could I forget?" the waterbender deadpanned as she offered a crooked smile for Aang's efforts. "You had a complete meltdown, Toph was bitter that she was feeling so useless and Sokka was out of his mind with cactus juice…not one of our best moments." Recounting the memories however had brought a slight smile to Katara's beautiful features. Though it had been terrifying to battle through the unknown when they were so out of their element, they had survived it, and they had all become better friends because of it. "What about this moment brought that memory on?"

"Oh, nothing really," Aang hemmed unconvincingly as he kept his eyes fixed on Katara, who now turned to face him. "It's just that when we were trying to work our way out that sand pit, you mentioned some constellations illustrated in Sokka's map. I was curious about them that's all."

"What? Didn't you learn about any of the constellations?" Katara asked, thoroughly confused by the admission.

"Well, the monks never really told us anything about constellations. They used to just tell us that stars were just a way to tell stories."

"That's kind of what constellations are Aang," Katara answered, rather uncertain as to the distinction between the storytelling practices of the Air Nomads and the Southern Water Tribe. "It's a way to map our history with the stars."

"Oh, well, I kind of already knew that," Aang said rather foolishly as he offered a crooked smile to Katara. "I guess what I was wondering about was, what are some of the constellations you use to tell your stories?"

"You want to know about the Southern Water Tribe's traditions on storytelling? You've never been interested before." Katara asked. Regardless, the young man nodded his head in enthusiasm.

"I'd love to hear about some of the stories from your tribe." Aang answered in explanation as though it should be plainly obvious.

Taking a moment to scrutinize the airbender, Katara offered a half smile before turning her attention back to the heavens and scanning for a familiar cluster of stars. "Oh, there's one," she answered, pointing to the sky and tracing the descent of five stars is a slow-arching crescent. "That's Algee the Hunter, the first Water Tribe hunter to ever kill a Walrus-Whale."

Tilting his head sideways to make sense of the single line of stars, Aang wished his imagination was better attuned to pick out the image. When he failed to recognize it for what it was, he replied simply, "I don't see it."

"Well, see, that curved line of stars is his bow. And that star, parallel to the third star down is the crest of the Water Tribe. There are more stars to it than that but I'm not quite sure which ones are part of the constellation and which ones are in the way." Katara replied with a half-shrug as though she couldn't quite remember the tales of her childhood.

"You have a constellation of a hunter?"

"Well, we are a hunting culture Aang, it's kind of to be expected."

Pursing his lips in thought, Aang nodded his head in understanding. "I suppose, but I was just hoping for, I don't know, something that didn't include killing another living creature."

Mentally kicking herself for forgetting Aang's gentle nature and pacifistic principles, Katara scratched her chin in thought as she looked at the sky once more. "Oh, there's one, right there," she said after a few moments of scanning the sky, pointing to another cluster of stars that made a circular pattern. "That's Chirum, the Snow Mouse. Supposedly, it lives somewhere in the snowfields not far from the Southern Water Tribe. They say that if you see one, you'll be granted good luck."

"Huh," the young Avatar said thoughtfully as he studied the cluster of stars. Perhaps he was getting better at interpreting constellations after only two tries, but he felt confident he could make out the image. Regardless, the intentions of the star grouping warranted his input. "Well, I don't think I need to find a Chirum to be lucky," he answered, pressing his lips to Katara's cheek in a soft kiss that explained fully the meaning behind his vague comment.

After several more moments of relative silence, with Aang trying to pick out more groupings that could be constellations of the Southern Water Tribe and Katara unable to locate any more, she thought to ask her own question regarding the stories of Aang's people. "So, do you see any Air Nomad constellations?"

Almost puzzled by the question, Aang simply shook his head in response. "No, we didn't invent constellations to tell our stories. For us, it was the stars themselves."

Brow furrowing in confusion, she turned again to face him, her eyes asking the questions that did not need to be spoken.

"Well," Aang continued, without pause, "We used single stars for telling stories rather that a group of them. For instance, that star right there," he said, directing his finger to a rather sadly shimmering star that seemed set apart from the others. "That's the star that tells the story of when I was told I was the Avatar. See how it's kind of separated and alone…that's how I felt."

Moving instinctively closer to the young man, Katara wrapped her arm protectively over Aang's chest to hold him closer. "Was it really like that?"

She listened as he inhaled a deep, cleansing breath before letting it out slowly. "Yeah, it was. I was expected to do so many things, before I was ready when all I wanted was to be a kid. But I didn't get the chance."

Falling silent as his mind was left to wander on the memories, Katara pushed herself on her elbows and hovered over him. "I hope you don't still feel that way."

Gracing her with a soft smile he shared only with her, Aang shook his head. "No, I don't. See," he said pointing to another star, inviting Katara to shift her position to look at the heavens once more. Rather than return to her place in the crook of his shoulder, Katara instead rested her head against his chest, her fingers again finding purpose in the soft fabric of his robe. "That great, white star there, that's the star that reminds me of the day you freed me from the iceberg. I woke up in your arms, staring into the most beautiful face I've ever seen, before and after that moment. I never could have hoped that we'd be together, I just knew that I would love you the rest of my life."

"We both did Aang," she commented with a loving smile toying at the corner of her lips. "I may not have known we'd be together that moment, but I knew my life had changed for the better. You gave me hope, you are my hope." She said, correcting herself as an afterthought.

Aang seemed to smile in understanding as he turned his attention back to the sky and pointed at a pair of stars shimmering side by side in close proximity of each other. "And those two stars are us, those are us when we were trapped in the Cave of Two Lovers."

The waterbender offered a wry smile before shaking her head in mock indignation. "So, of all the times we've been together, you pick those two stars to remind you of the Cave of Two Lovers? That wasn't even remotely romantic."

"It was our first kiss…"

"Maybe, but, I don't know, why not the balcony of Iroh's Tea Shop? I'd have thought that was a much more memorable event."

"Oh, it's that too."

"Okay, you lost me," Katara said, her smile turning playful. "How can it be both the Cave of Two Lovers and the balcony?"

"It's all a matter of perspective," Aang answered, as though it was self-explanatory. "See, when I'm standing on the left and you're on the right, that's the Cave of Two Lovers. However, if you're on the left and I'm on the right, that's the balcony."

Mouth drawn tight in an effort to fight back the bubbling laughter that fought to escape, Katara could only shake her head. "Okay, now your just making stuff up."

Shrugging again as though it should be obvious, Aang returned his lovely waterbender's smile. "Well it is our story. We write this as we go."

Deeply touched by the simple yet poignant meaning of Aang's words, Katara reached up to cup his face against the palm of her hand, her fingers, achingly soft and alluring. "I love you," she said, her words carrying as much meaning as his. "I love you so much Aang, I want you to know that."

Nodding only briefly in understanding before Aang again turned his eyes to the sky, he searched out the one star he wanted Katara to see tonight, and when he found it, he pointed at it wordlessly, his voice choosing that moment to fail him. Frowning only slightly in response to Aang's wordless reply, she followed the direction of his finger, her eyes settling upon a slightly blue star that twinkled brightly against the darkness of the night.

Knowing that by Aang's reaction it was a star indicating immense importance, Katara considered all the possible memories that could be attached to such a significantly unique luminary. When she could think of nothing but a few possible memories of single importance, she posed the question to her lover. "So what does that star imply?"

A deep breath followed, and as if by answer, Aang uncurled the remaining fingers of his hand, allowing the blue ribbon to drop from his enclosed fist. For a moment, the flowing cloth startled Katara as her eyes moved to the decoration fluttering in the wind, held suspended between Aang's forefinger and thumb. At the exact center of the ribbon rested a perfectly round gem, its mirror surfaced marred with an intrinsically beautiful design of wavy lines representing the merging of water and air in the symbols of each nation converging into a single sign of union.

For a moment, Katara was too stunned by the sudden appearance of the necklace to know what it was. But her disquieted confusion gave way to dawning realization, and the recognition of what she was seeing crashed against her like the full force of her bending element. Overwhelmed by the emotions tumbling within her, Katara brought her hand to her lips in an effort to maintain the surging sentiments from overtaking her. Her eyes had clouded in unshed tears and her heart leapt fitfully to her throat, forcing her breath from her lungs and the failure of her words.

It was Aang who finally broke the silence, and when he did his voice was raw and overwhelmed by the very emotions strangling the air from Katara's body. "That star," he began simply, "That star is a reminder of the day I asked you to marry me."

The words seemed to awaken the young woman from her trance as she moved her fingers to take hold of the ribbon, pulling it free from Aang's grip as she squeezed the betrothal necklace against her palm as though afraid it wasn't really there. When she uncurled her fingers from around the stone, her eyes brimmed with fresh tears as she stared at what was the most beautiful treasure in the world. She closed her eyes and steadied her breathing, willing herself to maintain control and only partially aware of Aang waiting for whatever response was forthcoming.

Bringing the necklace to her lips and kissing the gemstone with a love she held only for Aang, Katara pulled herself to a sitting position and turned to look at the hopeful Avatar who reclined against the grass. Bringing her free hand to cup the gentle curve of his cheek, Katara shook her head in happy contentment. "That star Aang…it will be a reminder to us of the day I said yes."

-End

A/N: This I thought was a sweet way for Aang to propose to Katara. Hope you all like it as much as I enjoyed writing it. As always, reviews are greatly appreciated.