Ch 1: It Has to be Perfect
"Agh" Aang let out a frustrated groan as he dropped the carving tool Sokka had let him borrow. Aang had earth-bent the stone to as smooth and shiny as possible, but the carving was something that his bending couldn't quite get right; he knew this because he had tried countless times before. "The most powerful bender in the world and I can't even make a freaking necklace" he said to himself, maybe too loud because a few moments later there was a knock at the door. Sokka's voice came quietly from the other side, "you okay in there buddy?" Annoyed by the interruption, but grateful it wasn't Katara, Aang opened the door.
Sokka was greeted by an obviously very tired Aang and a room that had hundreds of little amulets scattered around. They were currently on Ember Island where Zuko had invited the whole gaang for a getaway to celebrate four years since the end of the hundred year war. "I just can't get it right!" Aang cried to Sokka, finally answering his earlier question. "Can I come in?" Asked Sokka. Aang moved to the side and gestured for him to come in. "You've been busy" Sokka observed, looking at what he could only assume to be failed betrothal amulets. "I just can't get it right, Sokka! I need it to be perfect for her. I mean I don't think anything I make would ever compare to your mother's necklace, and I won't be upset if Katara doesn't want to wear it, but I couldn't bear the thought of proposing to her empty handed" Aang said.
Sokka had known that the avatar and his little sister would end up together since that first day in the South Pole. Katara was totally smitten, and as annoyed as Sokka acted, he actually really enjoyed watching the two of them grow from kids with crushes to adults who were in love. Sokka was the first person Aang came to when he decided to propose, and quite frankly Sokka was shocked it hadn't already happened. Especially because Suki and him had run off to elope a while ago, but that's a story for another time.
"Let me see some of these amulets" Sokka said. In response Aang used air bending to bring what was probably about 50 amulets to a pile in front of Sokka. "They are all horrible Sokka!" Aang said, seeming to be on the verge of tears. "Aang, first of all I know my sister and she'd say yes to you if you proposed with a stick. Secondly, you're exhausted, you need to sleep" Sokka insisted. "But I can't, we are only here for a few days and then life goes back to crazy and I wanted to propose to her on the beach tomorrow!" Aang said. Sokka sighed, "tell you what, I'll help you if you'll promise to get some sleep when we're done." "I'll try" said Aang with a slight smile.
The two boys started with a fresh stone that Aang had bent to smooth and shiny. "What symbol are you going to put on it?" Sokka asked, trying to make out what was on the other amulets. "I don't know" confessed Aang, "I've tried our initials, different symbols, important dates, even smiley faces because she gives me a smiley face whenever I see her, but nothing looks right!" "Ugh oogies!" Came another voice causing both the boys to jump. Toph stood in the doorway and Aang realized he had forgotten to close the door when Sokka came in. "What are you doing here?" Aang asked, clearly irritated. "The two of you are louder than the sound of Ba Sing Se's walls falling" Toph answered. "You're lucky your soon to be fiancé hasn't heard you!" Aang and Sokka looked at each other for a moment. "Also, twinkle toes isn't it obvious? You should draw a combination of the water and air nation symbols on the amulet. That way Katara still has a piece of her mother's necklace, but you're added in there too." Sokka and Aang looked at Toph in disbelief, "since when are you such a romantic?" Sokka asked teasingly. Toph's cheeks got hot and red for a second before she said, "I'm not! It's just not as complicated as you two bozos think it is."
Aang decided he liked Toph's idea, and the three friends sat down and got to work. With a combination of bending and tool work they managed to crank out a necklace that Aang felt good proposing with. After the necklace was complete though, the three of them passed out on the floor of the room Aang was staying in.
Ch 2: Why Weren't we Invited?
Zuko, Mai, Katara, Ty Lee, and Suki sat downstairs eating breakfast, "where's Sokka?" Katara asked Suki. "I figured he was in the bathroom, he takes FOREVER in there" she replied. "Though, now that you mention it I think he got up in the middle of the night and I don't remember if he ever came back" Suki said as worry spread over her face, her voice sounding more concerned with each word. "I was just so tired last night from traveling..." she trailed off. "I'm sure he's in the house somewhere" Zuko assured her, "the guards would have notified us if anyone left." This was true, even four years later there were still Ozai supporters who attempted attacks. This prompted Zuko to typically travel with guards who always knew the exact comings and goings of everyone Zuko travelled with.
The stairs creeked and the four of them turned their heads to see Iroh coming down the stairs, "what's wrong?" He immediately asked. "I don't know where Sokka is" Suki answered. "Him, Toph, and Aang are asleep on the floor of Aang's room" Iroh answered. "I passed the room on the way down here and the door was open. "How come we weren't invited to the sleep over?" Ty Lee asked, only partially joking. Katara shrugged, trying to hide the fact that she was also a little hurt by not receiving an invitation.
--
Toph was the first one to wake up, feeling footsteps that belonged to Katara and Suki coming up the stairs. "Aang! Katara is coming!" Toph said as she shook him awake. Aang smiled at first, happy at the thought of his girlfriend coming in for a wake up call, but then remembered the amulets scattered about the room and the finished betrothal necklace sitting on the nightstand. "Oh shoot!" Aang said, springing from his sleep with a burst of air that woke up Sokka. "Aang!" Sokka groaned, but Aang was already rushing around the room cleaning up the evidence of the previous night.
Katara and Suki approached the door just as Aang put the necklace in his pocket. "What's going on up here?" Suki asked with a laugh, "you know Ty Lee was really bummed that she wasn't invited to your sleepover." Aang looked at Katara who was unusually quiet as Sokka sprang up to greet Suki. "We were helping Aang with..." Sokka trailed off remembering his sister standing next to his wife. "With what?!" Katara asked, visibly frustrated and hurt. "We were helping Aang... make his bed" Toph said as she accidentally dropped a pillow out of its pillow case. "Fine, don't tell me!" Katara said angrily, storming off down the hallway." "Ugh!" Aang groaned, "this was not how it was supposed to happen," and he ran off after her. Sokka and Suki exchanged a knowing glance as Aang rushed after his angry girlfriend. If only Katara knew.
Ch 3: Are You Gonna Ask The Question?
Uncle Iroh tried to call to Katara before she slammed the front door, but she either didn't listen or ignored him. Aang came running by following her out of the house. Sokka, Suki, and Toph came down the stairs right behind them. "What's all that about?" Asked Zuko, mildly frustrated that this was the first day's events. Sokka and Toph explained what happened which lead to Iroh's big goofy smile and a romantic glance shared between Mai and Zuko who had just recently gotten back together, along with Ty Lee saying, "oh I love love!"
--
Outside Katara had made her way to the beach where the water always seemed to calm her. Maybe she was being a little irrational, but after four years if Aang needed help with something why didn't he come to her? A voice came from behind her pulling her from her thoughts, "Katara" said an out of breath Aang. "What?" Katara said coldly before she could stop herself. There was no response for a few seconds, but Katara could still feel Aang standing there looking at her. Though, maybe he wasn't standing...
Aang raced down the beach after Katara trying to figure out what he would do, what he would say. He finally found her looking out at the ocean."Katara" he said, out of breath from running. She snapped with a cold "what?" And Aang knew he had hurt her. He almost responded coldly back before feeling the necklace in his pocket. He mulled over his options quickly and took a knee pulling the necklace out.
Katara turned around to see her boyfriend on his knee with a necklace that looked very similar to the one she wore everyday. Her hand flew to her neck...had the necklace fallen off as she ran to the beach? She sighed with relief realizing her necklace was very much still there, but then new emotions washed over her as the reality of what was happening kicked in. Was he really...? She staggered back her feet going into the chilly water as she let out a gasp, her hand coming up to her mouth.
Aang watched Katara's eyes as she slowly realized what was happening, then much to his dismay, an emotion he didn't expect flashed in her eyes: anger. "Aang, did you really think you could just get away with keeping secrets from me by proposing?" She said, her voice heavy and hot. Aang could tell she was about to cry. Aang quickly sprang to his feet, "no, no, no, not at all! This was the secret!" Aang stumbled through the words frantically as he made his way closer to Katara. Katara's face softened. "Sokka and Toph were helping me make you this" Aang said holding the necklace in his right hand while she grabbed his left hand.
Katara's eyes squinted as the biggest smile Aang had ever seen appeared on her face. They stared at each other for a minute both smiling so hard their cheeks hurt. "Well?" Katara said after a moment. "Well what?" Asked Aang. "Well aren't you gonna ask the question?" Katara asked, excitement and hope glimmering in her eyes. "Oh, right!" Aang said. He had been so caught up in the moment his words seemed to not work.
Slowly the speech he had been practicing for weeks came to mind, "Katara, I've always known you were special and that I wanted to be around you all the time since the moment I opened my eyes and saw you. You saved my life, you've kept me going, you've prevented me from doing things I'd regret, you went penguin sledding with me!" Katara laughed lovingly at that. "I was so overjoyed when we finally kissed and decided to be together. The past four years have been some of the best of my entire life thanks to you. Because I'm the avatar I have to travel a lot, and sometimes that means being away from you. it's made me realize though, more than ever, that no matter where I go I always want to come home to you. Katara, will you marry me?"
Katara couldn't seem to form the word "yes" and she just kept noding aggressively until finally the words came from her lips as a whisper, "yes, I will marry you." Before either one of them could move they heard a collective "awee" come from the bushes behind them. "What are you guys doing?! This was a private moment between Aang and I and you had no right to eavesdrop!" Katara almost yelled as she marched toward her brother in specific.
"Oh, please don't be mad" Iroh said before being interrupted by Toph, "I could hear you all the way from the house! Of course we came out to see what was going on." "Congratulations! Welcome to the family buddy!" Sokka basically screamed. "It's about time" said Zuko and Mai at the same time. Suki and Ty Lee stood smiling at the couple. The whole group erupted into chatter, and in the bustle of it all Aang grabbed Katara's hand and pulled her to the side and handed her the necklace.
"Aang it's beautiful" Katara said studying the necklace in her hands. Aang blushed and then watched as Katara's hand went to her mother's necklace. "If you would rather wear your mother's necklace I totally understand, I just didn't want to propose without a necklace for you" Aang said. "Aang, I would love to wear it, I was just going to take off my mother's necklace, so I can wear yours" Aang smiled at that, "Will you put it on for me?" Katara asked. Aang nodded and blushed as Katara handed him the necklace and turned around, holding her hair up for him. He carefully put the necklace on her and clasped it, putting his arms around her waist after it was on. Both of them smiled and watched the waves of the ocean lap near their feet.
Ch 4: When's The Wedding?
That afternoon was filled with exiting chatter and laughter as the gaang teased and celebrated Katara and Aang. "I never thought the avatar would be my brother, but I'm so glad he is!" Sokka said grabbing Aang by the shoulders. "Brother in law!" Katara corrected as she sat with Suki and Ty Lee discussing what she wanted her wedding dress to look like. Iroh brought out a very delicious tea that he said he was saving for special occasions like this one, and the gaang went out to a fancy meal that night.
Everyone came back to the house that night tired and full from the day and their dinner. Everyone gave their congratulations to the newly engaged couple, and slowly made their way back upstairs. This left just Aang, Katara, and Sokka. "Just like old times, huh?" Aang said smiling at the Water Tribe siblings who had been with him through it all. Katara smiled at that, remembering the memories of their year of adventures leading up to fighting the fire lord. "Almost" said Sokka, "back then I always knew you two would get married, but now I can actually ask, when's the wedding?!"
The End: For Now ;)