kataang fluff ੈ✩‧₊˚

i, aang, take thee katara (dual povs) part five

katara's pov

      The rest of the night is filled with a surfeit of laughter, good-natured fun and playful debate. These days, it is rare to have so much time to spend with our friends. It seems like Aang always has a meeting to go to, or Zuko and Sokka always have a treaty to sign. At one point, Aang and I relocate to their table to hang out. Suki, Toph, Mai, and Ty Lee are also seated next to them. Everybody clutches a cup of tea from the Jasmine Dragon as we chat about little things here and there. Currently, Sokka and Zuko are discussing their current plans to help sponsor Republic City's military. To my right, Suki leans over to whisper in my ear.
      "It's kinda weird to see him be so serious, huh," she says with a knowing expression. I glance at my brother, who is in deep thought, as Zuko is now explaining how the Fire Nation is planning to enlist the help of metalbenders to manufacture new warships.
      "Ya," I start with a grin, "it's nice to see him when he's interested though." Sokka's index and middle fingers are gently massaging either of his temples, as he does sometimes when he is trying to concentrate. Suki beams at her husband and nods her head in response to my statement.
      "Meh, I guess he's pretty cute," she adds with a shrug. I raise my eyebrows in skepticism and Suki gives me a look as if to say I know he's your brother, weirdo. At this point, Aang and Toph have joined Sokka and Zuko's conversation.
      "Let me get this straight, you want me to give you my lilly livers?" Toph says to Zuko.
      "Well, yes," he begins, "but I wouldn't need them, for long. All they need to do is fine-tune some of the iron sheets." The Blind Bandit raises her eyebrows.
      "You act as if I have metal benders to spare, sparky."
      "Toph, I already told you that it wouldn't take very many of them," Zuko states in a borderline pleading voice.
      "Hey guys," Aang interjects, "it's not a big deal, okay?"
      "Always the peacemaker, twinkletoes," Toph says with a scoff. Out of the corner of my eye, I see Sokka take a sip of tea to avoid being pulled into the conversation.
      "Listen, I just don't want you two arguing on my wedding day," Aang says dramatically with his hands raised in innocence.
      "Yea, yea whatever," Toph responds with a dismissive wave. Suddenly, she raises her finger to point straight at Zuko.
      "You better believe that this conversation isn't over." The Fire Lord gently takes her hand away from his face.
      "Fine," he says cooly. Aang and I look at each other. Did Zuko just respond to rejection...calmly? When Zuko catches us staring, he simply shakes his head and states under his breath, "I can't believe this," causing my husband to giggle.
      To the right of Zuko sits Mai, who is patiently listening to Ty Lee ramble on about her new chi-blocking class. A look of supreme disinterest rests on her face. However, after knowing Mai, the phrase 'still waters run deep' has been proven to be true. She is the type of person who feels her emotions deeply, but does not express them on her face. Of course, this makes her nearly impossible to read. Every couple of sentences, she'll nod to acknowledge that she is paying attention, but that is the only thing that distinguishes her listening face from her blank-stare face. On the contrary, Ty Lee is the exact opposite. She speaks with exaggerated expressions and a lot of movement. Whatever emotion she is feeling almost instantly appears on her face. This is what makes their friendship so interesting, since Mai keeps Ty Lee calm, while Ty Lee can flawlessly tell what Mai is thinking.
      Out of the blue, I feel Aang tapping my shoulder.
      "You ready?"
      "For what?" I question, my eyes scanning the room. He giggles.
      "Took a little trip to lala land, huh?" I raise my eyebrows at him playfully.
      "It's time for our first dance, sweetie," he says as he gets out of his seat and offers me his hand. I grin at him, and suddenly I am overwhelmed with deja vu. Around six years ago, Aang was attempting to convince me to dance with him in a fire nation cave...

      'I dunno Aang, these shoes aren't really right for dancing, and I- I'm not sure that I know how to-'
      'Take my hand.'
      'Ok.'