She was starting to wonder if she should have kept Aori with her instead of letting her daughter go with her father, Aang.
"Sokka, are you finished yet?" she finally asked and there was a pause before the reply.
"K-Katara, I can't do this, it's insane!" Sokka exclaimed from the other side of the door and his sister finally got tired of being patient and went into the room, making sure to shut it after her. Sokka was in the dress and his hair was down as well from its restraint. Sokka looked around from the full length mirror that he was looking in, aghast that his sister had come in, "Katara!"
"Oh hush, Sokka," she said and walked over to him, "You look fine, I don't see why you're worrying."
"Because everyone is going to be there!" Sokka said as if it was the most obvious thing in the world, waving his arms wildly "You're going to be there, Aang is there already. I know I heard King Bumi come into the palace. Dad is here and Bato and Gran-Gran. Suki even came and she has a grudge against Zuko! And lots of other important people are going to be there and I'm wearing a dress!" He took a deep breath and added in a high pitched tone, sounding like it was nearly going to crack, "And I have to wear make up!" He jabbed his finger at the obvious dark red lipstick on his lips and the subtle pick eye liner. His whole face color had been lightened by a powder that made him sneeze and he swore after this whole thing was done he was scrubbing every bit of color off his skin. Katara couldn't help but laugh a bit at her brother's expense.
"Well Aang, Suki, and I have all seen you in a dress, so that doesn't make a difference." She said and Sokka's one eye twitched in deep irritation.
"It was not a dress, it was a warrior's uniform." He said slowly, seething every word from between clenched teeth.
"Right." Katara looked smug and Sokka veered off that subject.
"I'm not a girl," Sokka still protested, "I don't care if I can bear kids, I have to play a feminine role out there, and I'm not feminine."
"I'm not so sure about that," Katara said in a-matter-of-fact tone, "There have been a few people who have called you 'Boomerang girl' or 'Pony tailed girl' on the journey." (1) If looks could kill, Katara would have been dead the moment years ago that Katara had originally laughed at those mistakes.
"That one guy was drunk and those other three had metal problems." Sokka snapped, refusing to believe he looked feminine at all.
"I'm sure," Katara said and Sokka sighed, frustrated, still distressed about the whole thing. Katara shook her head, becoming more motherly than mocking, "Sokka, you're getting married, this is your day; you shouldn't be worrying about how everyone thinks."
"Yeah, but really, did they have to go this far?" Sokka asked, looking down at himself, seeing only red and gold, "And I'm fat."
Katara rolled her eyes, looking at Sokka's belly which had a barely noticeable mound, where the baby was slowly growing.
"You're not fat," Katara assured him, "You're carrying a healthy child. I don't think anyone will notice."
"You think." Sokka said a tad bitterly and Katara ignored the comment.
"You can't just cancel the wedding, Sokka, it will happen eventually, and if you delay it any longer, you're going to be even fatter." The child wasn't going to stop growing to wait until Sokka got over his nerves. Sokka sighed and sat down in fine carved chair; he never could win an argument with his sister.
"Fine," and Sokka picked up an elegantly crafted gold hair piece, which he was suppose to wear, "Could you do my hair?" it was embarrassing to ask, but Katara smiled and went to prepare Sokka's long hair for the wedding; he'd been made to grow it out for this very purpose.
"It will be fine." Katara assured him again, remembering her wedding jitters when she'd married Aang. Sokka didn't reply; really, truly hoping that she was right.
---
Zuko looked around the crowd again, eyes darting to the door at least two more times. The throne room had been cleared for the wedding, the walls were decorated with red tapestries and candles and antique torches were ablaze. Many Fire Nation governors and even a few rulers from the other countries had come. There were not many from other elemental lands, trust was not yet solid. King Bumi was all too happy to come; he was a crazy old man, yet a strong and (Though it seemed rare) a wise ruler. Zuko wasn't sure whether or not that it was a good thing that the earth bender was one of his few allies; Bumi was insane, in a strange grandfatherly way.
The Avatar, Aang, was currently talking with Bumi; the earth bender cheerfully talking with all, in his purple robes (Very festive). Zuko's uncle, Iroh, was cheerful as ever, talking with the Avatar and the Earth Kingdom king. Iroh was wearing something more formal for his nephew's wedding; he was very proud that the Fire Lord was marrying someone he was happy with and loved. Aang was even dressed up for the occasion; he remembered what his people had had for formal robes and one of Zuko's seamstresses make formal robes of pale white and blue of flowing fabric. He got the most attention in the room because he stuck out in the crowd of mostly red and earthy colors (and purple), and he was the Avatar; the security that a fight would not break out between elements.
Zuko glanced once more to the main door, anxious and, uncommonly, nervous. Yes, Sokka was his lover and he was completely comfortable with showing affection, in private. He was not yet used to showing a softer side in public. His own traditional wedding garments were not flashy; he was thankful for that. His long sleeved shirt was cut down the middle, showing his strong and well sculpted muscles. The even trim was dark red while the shirt itself was fire red along with black pants. The male's role in the Fire Nation, traditionally, was strength, and in royalty he had to portray it. The female's role was the beauty and the grace that fire portrayed. Zuko knew his advisors had fretted about Sokka's role; he was after all, playing the femininity for the entire Fire Nation, symbolizing fertility and the beauty of the land.
Zuko very well knew that Sokka was freaking out about the dress and wedding, and he couldn't blame him; Sokka had never really had to worried about his own appearance or reputation to important people unless he respected them. Sokka's honor and pride also were things he liked to keep intact, but he'd never been viewed as anything other than a peasant, he had no social status to really speak of, and almost over night it seemed that the Water Tribe man had become one of the most important people in the Fire Nation. Least to say, Sokka was understandably overwhelmed.
The wedding was not held with an altar and no flowers surrounded the palace. There were no assigned chairs or any one place someone had to be. The wedding would naturally begin once the bride arrived and they were to dance to open the traditional 'bonding' ceremony, as it was called. A sage would make their marriage official and then time to feed and entertain their guests before it would finally be over. It was still morning; they still had a whole day ahead of them.
Zuko was thankfully interrupted from a dull conversation with one of his governors when the door opened. It wasn't a complete disappointment when Katara came into the room and, while obviously trying to contain her excitement, she hurried over to Aang, who looked up at his wife's arrival. Zuko knew that the water bender had gone to help her brother, and by the excited expression on her face, he could tell Sokka wouldn't be too far behind. What Zuko was disappointed by, was that the governor drew him back into the dull conversation. He really hoped Sokka would hurry up.
---
Heisui slipped past the other people, by the wall of the huge room to avoid all of the people. He was annoyed by the fact that the old advisors had given him itchy, scratchy clothes to wear. They were red of course, a black shirt with a red over shirt that hat a thick dark red trimming. He also wore some pants that restricted his running and he hated them and this whole outfit.
He had ditched the hat, which was now on his little cousin's head when he tried to throw it out the window; Aori had wanted to wear it. Aori was following Heisui proudly with the hat on her head, she described it as a cup with a fuzz on top, Heisui described it as ugly. She was wearing red also, but not to the extreme of the Fire Nation people. She wore a yellow sun dress with a red blanket of fabric over her shoulders, it resembled her father's normal attire.
Kaijin thought they both looked great and she was very honored to wear a few clothes from the palace. It was a red dress with a short darker red shirt over it and a servant offered to do her makeup and hair so she did not stand out as a commoner; Heisui had had a hard enough time sneaking her in on a busy night like this as it was.
"This is so exciting." She squealed in a whisper, following Aori and Heisui, who was leading.
"Its boring," Heisui countered, "There's only old stuffy people here."
"I can't wait until Lady Sokka gets here." Kaijin continued, not hearing his words of negativity. Heisui sighed and looked at his little 5 year old cousin.
"What's with girls and weddings?" he asked and Aori shrugged, she was 5, all she wanted was the sweets her father promised her if she was good for the event; she didn't even really know what was going on.
"Do you think we can find a good place to watch your dads dance?" Kaijin asked and Heisui shrugged.
"I didn't even know they were dancing." He said and Kaijin looked at him in a perplexed way.
"You don't have any clue what's going on, do you?" she asked and Heisui shook his head, still moving towards the back of the throne room.
"Not one clue except that my dads are getting married. And I don't see the point, we're already living here." Kaijin sighed, but she couldn't be completely exasperated with him, he still didn't know the strict hierarchy, she couldn't blame him.
"Marriage is important because it shows in ceremony how much people love each other," she explained, "You're suppose to fall in love, get married and have children."
"My dad had me without marrying my other dad," Heisui pointed out, "I don't see why they have to do it when they already have me."
"Yeah, but the royal family is suppose to keep up appearances too," Kaijin said as they came to the less populated back of the room, where the throne was and a few guards were making sure nothing got touched. The long stage in the center of the room also ended back here and Heisui started climbing the back steps since it was almost imposable to find in the beginning of the room because of all the people. It was the very stage Zuko had been scarred and banished on, useful for training and giving formal greeting on, "You know, Lady Sokka isn't really the Fire Lady until they have this ceremony."
"Really?" Heisui asked, actually interested by that information, though a little confused as well, "Then why do you call him that?"
"Well he's gonna be," she said as they reached the flat top of the stage and began crossing it to the front of the room again, "And I want him to be happy; your dad is nice, he deserves it." Heisui frowned.
"He deserves to be in a dress?" Heisui asked and Kaijin shook her head.
"He deserves to be happy with someone he loves." She said and Heisui stared at her for a moment, only a moment before setting his eyes back on where he was going. His bearing dad did deserve to be happy, it was true, and he felt a little better with the whole thing, as if this wedding would settle in the fact that he was royalty and not something that was going to change.
---
Finally the huge double doors opened of the throne room were opened simultaneously and Zuko's marriage advisor stepped forward, in neat read robes. The room wend silent, anticipation filling the room as guards cleared a path from the door to the platform in the room. Zuko stood in the middle of the opened path at the end and Honsuko cleared his throat.
"Today we are all here," he said loudly to the quiet room so that all could hear him. He gestured to everyone, Fire Nation and other nationalities included, "For the first time in one hundred and three years, all nations have gathered for the wedding of royal blood in the Fire Nation," he gestured to Zuko with an elegant wave of his hand, "Fire Lord Zuko has chosen his... bride," normally he would not have hesitated in saying the last word, because Sokka was not in his definition of bride. He then gestured to a lone figure behind him, "And now I present to you, Fire Lady Sokka." All attention turned to the person just inside the door way and Sokka's cheeks would have been bright red if not for all the make up on his face and the open fan he held up. They had done this in practice, before the formal wear, so he knew what he was doing, but it didn't stop the pressure of everyone's eyes on him.
Zuko's eyes were fully transfixed on Sokka, stunned by how he looked. The red dress clung to Sokka's skin, wrapping around his shoulders, leaving his shoulders and upper arms exposed. A gold strip of fabric started at his left shoulder, winding down and around his body twice before ending in the back. The dress was not meant for long strides, which made Sokka take even steps, so he couldn't just race to his lover and stop being the center of attention. He also wore long gloves of the same gold that wound around the dress, going a bit past his elbows. His hair was clipped up like many Fire Nation women, with the gold hair clip he'd asked Katara to help him with. The fan had a Fire Nation symbol on the front, a prop for the dress and dance. He swallowed nervously and walked as quick as he could towards Zuko.
"Psst! Sokka!" Sokka glanced to his right into the crowd, seeing Suki and Toph off to the side lines. Suki was waving to him, "You look great." She mouthed it more than said it. She was, on a rare occasion, not in her warrior uniform, but an elegant yet sleek green dress. And instead of warrior paint she only had on a light layer of make up. Toph just watched with unmoving eyes but Sokka was sure she was seeing thinks though her hearing like always. She was not wearing a dress, she refused to and wore pants. They were nice pants, white, and she wore a light green and white shirt. Suki was actually posing as Toph's body guard since Toph was a very important and rich person in the Earth Kingdom; one more person Zuko had on his side in the stubborn Earth Kingdom.
Sokka was embarrassed about the comment, but he smiled a little because he hadn't seen either of them in so long and returned the wave. He was urged along by Honsuko though; stopping and greeting was not part of the tradition. Sokka frowned and kept walking; he really wanted this done and over with.
Zuko almost stepped forward to hurry along the process but he stayed put like he was suppose to. Sokka truly looked stunning and elegant; it was rare that Sokka did anything with his appearance. He wanted to stride over and sweep the other off his feet, but his advisors would throw a fit beyond fits. He wanted to get a closer look but he would have to wait until this ceremony was over to do that. It felt like an eternity before Sokka got close and as soon as he could, Zuko reached out and took hi lover's hand, pulling him close and the music started again, a slow and rhythmic tune.
"You look beautiful." Zuko murmured quietly so that only Sokka would hear. Even the make up couldn't hide Sokka's entire blush; Zuko rarely said anything that to him, not in such an intimate tone.
"You're not bad yourself." Sokka replied softly, unable to not look at Zuko's well toned chest. It wasn't that he hadn't seen it before; Zuko slept shirtless , in fact. But it was nice to admire it in the day light.
Sokka hummed as Zuko placed his other hand on the small of his back, pulling him closer. The advisors had drilled this dance into their heads. It was a 'bonding dance' and it was nothing like their dancing at the Summer Festival. They weren't that fun, nor that intimate. The closed the fan and rested that arm along Zuko's. He wished they were all in masks like they were in the festival; he didn't like to be in the spot light.
The crowd stood back and the band continued to play. Sokka felt Zuko lean forward slightly and that was the signal to start. Sokka locked his eyes with Zuko's collar bone, trying to ignore the crowd as they slowly danced.
Sokka felt more than heard a chuckle from the Fire Lord and he glanced up, Zuko's eyes meeting his from being somewhere in the room. Zuko noticed the questioning gaze and smiled as he leaned forward, whispering into his ear.
"My old crew is playing the music." He stated and Sokka finally tore his eyes from Zuko, spotting the small group of men on the platform in old sailor uniforms, playing very well for a dusty old crew. Sokka grinned for the first time that night and turned back to Zuko before letting out a laugh. He'd needed that.
Katara smiled as she watched her brother and she tapped Aang's shoulder, gaining her husband's attention.
"Sokka looked so happy." She whispered to him, pointing to the couple and the air bender blinked, noticing the rare smile on his brother in law's face. He grinned.
"I never thought I'd see the day." He replied and Katara nodded in agreement. The water bender then looked to her father, Hakoda, and Bato, who were both there for Sokka's wedding. And they were both undeniably a little teary eyed.
"Bato? Dad?" she asked and both men knew they'd been caught.
"I... well..." Hakoda tried to explain his own crying at a wedding, though Bato burst out, though not above the music.
"It's so beautiful!" he exclaimed and both Katara and Aang were surprised by his outburst. Hakoda patted Bato's shoulder as the man scrubbed at his eyes with the back of his shirt sleeve.
"He always cries at weddings," Hakoda explained, "He cried at your mother's and mine." Bato sobbed beside him.
"Alright, but that doesn't explain why you were crying, dad." Katara said and her father paused.
"Well..." He took a moment to find his own reasons, "It is very inspiring when someone is truly happy with another... I just wasn't expecting your brother to fall for a fire bender..."
"Dad..." Katara warned.
"I know, I know..." Hakoda sighed, Katara had scolded him about this before. "Sokka is happy and that is what matters..." Katara nodded her approval and went back to watching the dance.
Sokka blushed as Zuko brought him closer, touching chests; that was not part of the dance. They were both instructed to stay formal and not 'romp' as they had been told that they did. Sokka held a little tighter and the music became more upbeat.
"Let's do things a little different." Zuko murmured in his ear as he pulled Sokka close. Sokka nodded and Zuko led, spinning Sokka out in a smooth and graceful motion. Sokka only stumbled slightly in the dress, but stabled himself quickly, still being flawless to the crowd. Sokka smiled again, the change of dancing style was a refreshing breath of air. He had no doubt that Honsuko was noting the change and pulling out his hair by now. Zuko pulled him back and the dancing stepped up a beat, gaining a few extra dancers, who couldn't stay away from the music; Katara and Aang being one of them.
"Did you talk to the band?" Sokka accused teasingly and Zuko smirked lightly.
"I may have hinted that the scheduled music was a little stale." Zuko said and Sokka chuckled.
"You'd better watch out or you'll turn into your uncle." Sokka warned.
"If I start obsessively drinking tea, kill me." Zuko said and Sokka laughed, leaning into his lover. This wedding was slowly looking up.
---
"Well," Toph said as Zuko and Sokka approached the group. Finally the formal dance was over with so now they were to mingle with the crowd, "looks like Aang isn't the only pair of twinkle toes." She was looking at Sokka directly with the same blank eyes that she always had. Toph had grown like Aang, she was no longer 12, she was 21 and very powerful. Not many Earth Benders could challenge her, not many would for that matter. She was still blatantly rude and harsh and insulting, but underneath that crap was a decent and caring person. She was taller, taller than Katara by an inch or two, making her eye level with Sokka. Sokka sighed, what he wouldn't give to be wearing her pants instead of this dress.
"Hi to you too, Toph." Sokka replied. When you knew Toph for so long, you knew what she was saying. Sokka had his arm hooked with Zuko's and he leaned into him. Being 3 months pregnant or 6 months, it still made him tired. Suki smiled at the newly wedded couple.
"You two look so cute together." She commented.
"Happy together." Aang input and Sokka blushed, again more attention for them.
"I feel like some dressed up doll." Sokka complained and Zuko's arm went around his waist, pulling him to him.
"I think you pull the dressed-up look off." Zuko said
"Yes, well if they would just get rid of the 'dress' part I wouldn't have as much of a problem with it." Sokka said, flicking a non-existent dust particle off his dress with the fan.
"Well its not the first time you've been in a dress." Aang said and got said fan thrown at him like a dagger, but Aang caught it with his air bending.
"Can't you ever let that drop?" Sokka growled, irritated.
"Nope." Suki said and smiled, changing the subject, "So, I hear you're carrying again." Sokka sighed.
"Yes, yes, by all means, go goo-goo over the baby." Sokka said and Suki indulged, going over to Sokka and poking at his tummy. Sokka leaned more against Zuko and Zuko steadied him on his feet. He hadn't taken his hands off Sokka since they'd started dancing. Sokka mused that it felt like Zuko was showing him off and being possessive at the same time.
Katara returned to their little group in that time, looking a little frazzled.
"Bato's still crying." She said to Aang and Sokka gave his sister a bewildered look. It was one of the most bizarre things he'd ever heard from his sister's mouth, "Bato cries at weddings, dad's keeping him company." Katara explained quickly and Sokka decided to leave it alone. An emotional Bato was a little out of his comfort zone. That comfort zone had grown since he was younger, but still there was the oddest occurrences that he just didn't want to get into.
"I'll take your word for it." He said and Suki stood, looking to Katara.
"So, do you think it's a boy or girl?" she asked, pointing to Sokka's belly. Sokka rolled his eyes. Women always discussed the baby. Katara thought a moment and looked about to answer when Toph spoke up from her quiet spell.
"A girl." She said with all confidence and Katara raised an eyebrow.
"Why do you say that?" the water bender asked and Toph smirked.
"Easy, the more dolled up Sokka gets, the more likely it will be a girl." She said.
"Aang, I want my fan back now." Sokka growled and Aang hid the fan behind his back. There was to be no violence at the wedding. Well, Aang was going to keep as much peace as he could. Zuko rolled his eyes; this group would never change, even children or marriages, it would always be the same.
---
The party continued into the night before the guests were released to go to their home lands and homes. People were fed and everyone had their chance to talk to the Fire Lord and Lady. Family and friends were staying in spare rooms, but political leaders and country leaders left. Three young children that were found napping in a pile in the corner of the throne room and carried to bed. Maids and servants cleaned and organized while guards kept people in line. Then the newly wed couple finally made it to their bed room after a long day.
"I never thought it would be over." Sokka groaned as the door was closed behind them and he immediately took the hair clip out of his hair and kicked off his shoes. No sooner had he done this that Zuko turned him back towards him and gave him a hot and lingering kiss. Sokka blinked, not prepared for that, but it was not unwelcome. He sunk into the kiss and let himself be engulfed by the heat of it. Drawing back for air was like being plunged into a cold lake.
"Wow, what's the occasion?" Sokka asked breathlessly. He'd realized Zuko hadn't let go of him since the initial touch, but he still wasn't sure on the cause of it.
"I did mention that you look beautiful, right?" Zuko asked, running a hand through his soft brown hair, wavy from being in the clip all day. Sokka nodded and Zuko led him to the bed with little resistance, "Well I meant you look stunning and irresistible as well." Their lips met again in passion and Sokka moaned softly, sitting on the bed and Zuko leaned into him, and in between every long and mind rolling kiss he spoke with the same intimacy as when he'd first said he was beautiful, "As soon as you walked through the doors I just wanted to carry you off and make love to you." Sokka rolled onto his back and Zuko was over him, hands roaming his body like a new canvas, and everything was slow and hot as they sunk into each other for the night.
(1) this never actually happened to the best of my knowledge, but the Avatar day episode, season 2, Sokka liked to be boomerang guy, and Sokka has said a couple things that have made me question his sexuality. Like the same Ep, he said, "The torch! That's a nice prop. It's bright, dangerous, smells manly. But I'm not sure I could carry it off." I, can, not, get over that! So uke he is!
Before you ask, no, Zuko does not have a dress fetish. But he was raised a prince, there for, he has some expensive tastes. And while yes he fell for Sokka and loves him to death, it gets his blood flowing when Sokka dresses nicely. Sokka's not all that concerned with looking fancy all the time so its rare for Sokka to really put looks before anything. Face it, you'd want your significant other to look nice at least once in a while. If you're high maintenance all the time it kind of looses its effect, but dress up every once in a while and dadda-bing, ya get laid, like Sokka did.
Anyway, that's the end of the wedding, hope you liked it. The sequel to this is 'Half Blood Prince', which is up now. Leave a review please.