“Im a firebender, this seems excessive,” Zuko huffed as Katara held out the parka.
“It’s not. Gran Gran made this for you, with fire bending in mind. Not only is it water proof but flame retardant. Now put it on. We entered the polar circle last night. The minute you open that door is the minute you freeze.” Katara shook the parka.
She knew he didn’t have a hard time the first time he was down there but he was focused on capturing the avatar, and actively using fire bending to do so. Now he was not going to be doing that.
Now they were going down to get her father’s, and all of Wolf Cove’s if she were honest, blessing. He had proposed in the Fire Nation, with Fire Nation traditions. A gold ring made of metal, worn on the left hand. Metal was much to expensive and too cold to make at the poles, which is why they had betrothal necklaces.
They would be there for a month so he could propose with Water Tribe traditions. It had actually been his idea. She had a sneaking suspicion he had a betrothal necklace for her, by the way he had panicked when she offered to grab something out of his bag for him a few nights ago. But maybe he wanted to do it at the South Pole. He was breaking tradition either way.
Zuko didn’t even huff this time as he carefully took the parka. “Your grandmother made this?”
“Yes she… last time you were down here, you had to use a borrowed parka. She didn’t want you to have to do that again.” Katara blushed a bit. She hadn’t given it to Zuko at the time because she wasn’t sure this had been going anywhere. Between her duties as the ambassador and his as the Fire Lord, they had really only had stolen moments after meetings, or on the rare occasion their lunches lined up.
Until the third annual Peace Summit. That one had been held in the South Pole, Katara had stolen Zuko away to look at the southern lights. It was breathtaking, and something she had missed dearly. They’d kissed under the night sky, before returning to their duties. And the rest was history. Mostly. It had been kept under wraps for as long as possible. They officially began courting about a year ago, and now that she was 21, he’d proposed.
“I didn’t know. Thank you. Of course I’ll wear it.” He slipped it on and it fit perfectly.
Katara smiled. “Come on, we should make landfall tonight.”
He grinned and held out his arm. She wrapped hers around his. Already feeling his warmth through the gift.
