꧁ chapter thirty-two ꧂
WWUD (what would uncle do?)

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"SO, I GUESS what I'm trying to say is, I want to marry your daughter"

Zuko looked up awkwardly, trying to put on a charming smile that ended up making him look like he was in pain more than anything.

"Is that it?" Sokka broke the awkward silence.

"What?" Zuko's shoulders fell as he glared at Sokka, "Of course that's it, I worked on that speech for hours!"

"You know you don't need to say Hello, Zuko here," Sokka pointed out, "Luna's dad already knows who you are"

Zuko groaned in frustration, falling to sit back on the cushioned seat behind him.

"This is harder than I thought it'd be," He huffed before narrowing his eyes at Sokka, "And you're no help!"

"I already told you to cut one part out!" Sokka defended himself, "I've offered some real insight, don't take it for granted"

Zuko sighed, pulling out the piece of paper he kept crumpled in his pocket, tapping his pen against the page before looking at Sokka.

"You think I should keep the part about how I don't care if Chief Arnook gives me permission to marry Luna because women can make decisions for themselves?"

"Oh yeah," Sokka nodded wisely, "It shows him you're super forward thinking"

"That's a great idea," Katara agreed sarcastically as she entered the room, "If you want Luna's dad to hate you forever"

"What?" Zuko turned to her with a worried look in his eyes.

Katara rolled her eyes at his naivety and reached out to take the paper where Zuko had written his speech, scanning over it quickly.

"You know you don't need to say Hello, Zu-"

"I know!" Zuko snatched the paper back quickly.

Katara watched Zuko's nerves take over his expression, clearly nervous on how to go about his proposal.

"All you need to tell him is how much you care about her," She told him softly as she took a seat beside him, calmly placing her hand on his shoulder, "And the rest will follow"

"Gee, that's some great advice Katara," Sokka spoke mockingly, "If you want Zuko to fail!"

Zuko's eyes widened at the thought, nervously glancing between the two siblings.

"What are you talking about?" Katara asked, looking outraged at her brother's claim.

"Zuko needs to talk himself up to impress Luna's dad!" Sokka argued, "He needs to prove he can be a good husband!"

Zuko began to feel a slight warmth in his face at the mention of being a husband.

"He can show he's a good husband by proving his love to Luna!" Katara yelled back.

"You know, I don't remember Zuko inviting you here to go over his speech," Sokka crossed his arms, "I wonder why?"

"Well, after hearing what you had to say, I'm sure he wants to take my advice instead," Katara smiled smugly as she turned to Zuko,

"Right, Zuko?"

Zuko had been staring out the window with a small smile on his face, still lost in his dreams of actually being able to call Meiluna his wife.

"Right, Zuko?"

Zuko snapped out of his thoughts, only to see Katara angrily staring at him. He felt the need to sit up straighter, and nod, deciding that agreeing would diffuse her anger.

"Why even ask? Just marry her already,"

Zuko, Katara and Sokka turned to see Toph standing at the doorway, shaking her head.

"Or are you too much of a baby?"

Zuko stared at the paper in his hands, contemplating how to explain his thoughts.

"I feel like I should have a good relationship with him," Zuko looked up at his friends, "I know I don't really need his permission, but for Luna, I want him to accept me too"

He paused for a moment, placing the paper on the table as everyone listened quietly.

"I know when she came to help the Avatar, her father and her had a rocky relationship, he never wanted her to leave, but-" Zuko felt his heart swell with adoration thinking about her, "I'm so grateful she left, because I got to meet her a-and I got to know her and love her and have her by my side"

Zuko glanced at Toph, feeling slightly embarrassed for how he'd let his feelings spew out of him.

"And I hope her father has no hard feelings because Luna leaving the water tribe that day was the best thing that ever happened for me"

Zuko smiled slightly, standing up, he now felt he realised exactly what he needed to say.

"Thanks for all your help"

Zuko nodded at the three before swiftly exiting the room. He was so focussed on finding Chief Arnook he didn't even have time to think about Katara's voice echoing down the hall.

"Sokka! Are you crying?"

"Hey, you're not looking too dry eyed yourself, okay!"

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Zuko sighed in relief, resting his back against the wall just outside Chief Arnook's home, a tired smile on his face as he had just accomplished what he'd believed was impossible for the longest time.

He felt his heart race with adrenaline as he told the Chief of his wish to marry Meiluna. At the very moment he had agreed and accepted the plan, Zuko couldn't contain his burst of happiness, leaving shortly afterward to relish the elation he felt in his heart.

Looking up at the sky, he noted the dusky hues beginning to take over, realising the night was near.

As he continued on his way along the island, he'd walked past where his helmsmen had been waiting aboard his ship. One of the men noticed his presence, bowing his head quickly in respect before calling out to him.

"Are we set to return, Firelord?"

Zuko halted, turning to the man as he raised his hand.

"Not just yet," He answered, hoping it wouldn't be too much trouble for them to wait a while longer, "There's still one more person I need to speak with"

The man nodded as Zuko walked through the village until he came to the place he'd been searching for. Carefully entering through the passageway, Zuko admired the scene of the Northern Water Tribe's spirit oasis.

Though, he'd remembered what it looked like from the last time he visited, he felt that seeing it in this moment, it was somehow more beautiful. Or maybe he was just more willing to accept its beauty now.

Zuko sat before the koi pond, now noticing the faint twinkles of the stars reflecting on the surface of the water. He took a deep breath to calm himself before looking up at the bright full moon.

Zuko tried to ignore how extremely awkward he felt about what he was going to do.

"Hello, Zuko here," He internally grimaced at his all too embarrassing greeting, "Uh, Princess Yue? Are you still a Princess? Actually don't worry about that, it's not that important-"

Zuko had to physically stopped himself from continuing, wanting nothing more than the ground to open up and swallow him whole.

He hadn't planned this interaction as he did with Chief Arnook, only relying on his instincts to guide him, which he found were quite useless as of now.

In times of worry, he always turned to his uncle, so he thought to himself, what would Iroh tell him now?

He mimicked the voice in his head,

Zuko, you must always express your true feelings to those who truly matter to you, opportunities can be lost in the blink of an eye, but your regret can last a lifetime.

Zuko felt quite impressed with how much better he'd gotten with his impersonations, now bringing his attention back to the moon.

"I don't know if I'm being stupid," Zuko admitted, "But I thought I should tell you, I'm planning on marrying your sister"

He paused as if to wait for a response only to be met with silence.

"So, uh, I guess I want to thank you, for saving the water tribe, you saved her too," Zuko smiled slightly, feeling as though Yue really were listening to his every word.

"I really love her, and I know how important you are to her so I hope you'll accept me and let me marry Luna," Zuko continued, "She just- She's everything to me and I-"

Zuko couldn't help his muddle of thoughts fall from his lips.

"It's so strange, even when I know I'm awake, I feel like I'm dreaming of her," Zuko averted his gaze from the moon, deciding to find interest in the soft blades of grass around him.

"So, thanks, I guess you can't really say anything to me now," He stood up slowly, "But I'll take care of her, I promise"

Just as he was about to leave he noticed the koi fish in the pond glow brightly. Looking back up to Yue, Zuko smiled.

He turned around, exiting the way he came from before stumbling over his own feet in shock at the sight of Meiluna standing on the other side of the door with teary eyes.

"Luna," Zuko's eyes widened, he quickly brought his arms around her to hug her as she did the same, "I thought you were still in the Earth Kingdom"

"I was," Meiluna spoke directly into his robes, trying to hide the fallen tears, "But I came back early, and some people in the village said they saw you come here"

Zuko froze in his spot for a moment, completely sure that Meiluna could hear and feel the way his heart raced.

"Did you-" Zuko pulled away slightly, "How long were you out here?"

Meiluna dropped her gaze to the ground, feeling a blush grow on her face.

"Well, I'm not crying about overhearing nothing" She mumbled quietly.

Zuko honestly thought he'd be be more upset at the fact he hadn't got to surprise Meiluna with his proposal, but for some reason all he could do was smile.

He let out a faint laugh at how his heart burst with love even in at a time like this.

"I had a whole plan, you know?" Zuko told her quietly, "Katara and Suki helped with most of it"

Meiluna looked up and met his eyes, a small smile on her lips.

"I needed their help because they had so many great ideas about all the things you love," He explained, "And anytime I tried to come up with something, all I could think about was being married to you, I couldn't even think straight"

Meiluna brought her hand up to hide her laughter at the thought of a clueless Zuko in the midst of Katara and Suki's intense planning.

"You make me so happy and-"

Zuko was quickly cut off by Meiluna hugging him tightly once more as a quiet string of yes's flew out of her mouth.

"I didn't even get to ask" Zuko frowned slightly, still bringing his hands up to hold her close.

"I don't want to cry and ruin my makeup more," Meiluna told him softly making him smile.

Zuko patted her head lightly,

"You better act surprised for Katara and Suki's plan or they'll kill me"

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"You look beautiful, Luna"

Meiluna turned away from her mirror, rolling her eyes with a small laugh as she turned around.

"Thanks Toph"

Katara quickly entered the room, seemingly in a frenzy with all the wedding planning she'd done leading up to this very moment.

"Luna, let me help you with that"

She gently adjusted the intricate hair ornaments on Meiluna, straightening them up carefully.

Meiluna smiled softly at the feeling of Katara doing her hair, feeling a sense of comfort in the chaos of her wedding.

Suki, who had just finished with her final touches on her own robes, noticed Meiluna's unusual quietness. She walked over, kneeling in front of her chair as she placed a hand over hers.

"What's on your mind?"

Meiluna glanced to the side at her reflection in the mirror, taking in her grand appearance while she felt Katara slow her movements.

"I don't know, It's pretty dumb," Meiluna trailed off.

"It's better to get it off your chest" Katara smiled warmly.

Meiluna decided to listen to Katara, thinking it would help her relax.

"I'm so nervous," She admitted, looking down as she held Suki's hand loosely, "I keep wondering what'll happen if Zuko-"

Meiluna felt the words get stuck in her throat. Suki nodded, letting her know it was okay to continue.

"What if he changes his mind?" Meiluna asked with worry.

"He's done so much for me, he treats me so well, and he buys me things, and he tells me when he's thinking about me," Meiluna frowned as she listed random things of the top of her head, "He even talked to Yue about me"

She felt her hands shake as her eyes started to water slightly.

"What if he deserves more than I can give him?" She heard her voice break at the end of her question, "I want to be enough for him, but what if I'm not?"

Suki carefully used a tissue to stop Meiluna's tears from falling down her cheek while Katara moved around to sit beside Suki.

"Zuko loves you," Katara affirmed, "And I don't think he's ever been happier than when he's with you"

Meiluna sniffled quietly, feeling embarrassed that she'd been so emotional.

"You don't even realise how much you've done for him," Suki added, "You gave him a chance at a life he never thought he'd have, you're more than enough"

Meiluna quickly brought her hands up to cover her face.

"You're right, I'm so sorry!" She apologised, "I didn't want to make you all sad too"

She took a moment to compose herself before looking at her friends with a smile.

"I'm going to the bathroom to freshen up," She told them as she headed towards the door.

As she walked down the hall she failed to notice Sokka and Aang peeking around the corner behind her.

The two shared a look, both having heard parts of Meiluna's distressed outburst and now saw her leaving her room.

They quickly ran back to where Zuko was getting ready, adjusting his golden hair piece, he raised an eyebrow at Aang and Sokka's loud entrance.

"What are you doing?" He asked, looking at them strangely.

"Luna's totally freaking out!" Sokka panted out.

Aang nodded, placing a hand on Sokka's back to catch his breath.

"You need to talk to her before she runs away!"

Zuko's heart dropped, instantly pushing the two out of the way as he walked quickly down the hall to search for Meiluna. He managed to catch sight of her entering the bathroom before running after her.

Without much thought, he pushed open the door to the women's restroom, Meiluna and two other ladies who were there stared at him, Meiluna mostly in shock while the other two were looking at him with disgust.

They left promptly, not before giving Zuko a dirty look, shutting the door behind them. Meiluna put down the makeup wipe in her hand as she stared at him.

"Are you-"

"Do you not want to marry me?" Zuko cut her off impulsively, unable to contain his heartache at the mere thought.

Meiluna's eyes widened as she walked over to him, holding both his hands in hers as she shook her head.

"Of course I want to," She assured him, "Why would you ask that?"

Zuko relaxed slightly, his heart still racing.

"Aang and Sokka," He stated awkwardly.

"They said you were nervous and going to run away," Zuko dropped Meiluna's hands bringing them up to hold her face gently to look up at him, "If you don't want to get married we don't have to, but please don't run away"

"I want to," Meiluna insisted, "I want to marry you"

She smiled at how beautiful she thought Zuko looked in his attire, his elegant accessories making him look even better than royalty.

"I want to be yours"

Zuko blushed intensely at her words, still unable to take his eyes away from hers.

A knock on the door snapped them out of their trance.

"Luna, it's time to go!" Suki called out.

Meiluna felt her excitement grow as Zuko took her hand and interlocked his fingers with hers.

"We're coming" Zuko answered for her.

Suki furrowed her eyebrows in confusion.

"Zuko, I know you're the Fire Lord, but you can't just go in the women's bathroom"

Zuko felt his face burn in embarrassment.

"I know that! I'm just-" Zuko couldn't find a way to explain himself instead just mumbling quietly under his breath making Meiluna laugh at his expression.

Hand in hand, Zuko and Meiluna walked together out to the courtyard. Ember Island was now covered in delicate ice decor while the natural light of the fire illuminated the area, giving it a completely different atmosphere from the first time they had visited.

Walking down the aisle between the two sides of their family and friends, they stopped in front of the officiates, a water shaman to represent the Northern Water Tribe and a fire sage for the Fire Nation.

Meiluna and Zuko both faced each other, smiling the entire time, almost completely tuning out the the people around them.

As the ceremony came to an end, Zuko placed a quick kiss on Meiluna's lips, both smiling even wider as everyone had started clapping and cheering loudly.

She couldn't stop the laughter that escaped her as she admired Zuko. He looked down at her, happiness brimming his eyes.

With the way his smile lit up his face, Meiluna was sure that if somewhere out there, angels were singing, they were singing about him.

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"Congratulations!"

Meiluna hugged Katara and Suki tightly, thanking them softly for all they did. As she pulled away, she smiled at Sokka who walked towards her with his arms wide open.

"Get away from my wife"

Sokka froze in his spot for a moment as Zuko approached them with a stern look. As soon as his eyes met Meiluna's, the two laughed lightly at Sokka's fearful expression.

"You were right," Zuko addressed Meiluna with a small grin, "Sokka really did get scared"

"Scared is a bit of an exaggeration" Sokka tried to argue while everyone simply laughed.

Zuko wrapped his arm around Meiluna's shoulders, bringing her closer to him as they listened to Sokka and Katara bicker, Suki and Aang trying to calm them down while Toph tried to instigate the fight further.

He turned to Meiluna, placing a soft kiss to her cheek without anyone noticing causing him to smile.

"I love seeing you happy," Meiluna told him quietly, "Especially when you smile"

Zuko looked back down at her.

"As long as you're with me, I'll have a reason to smile"

☆☆☆

since a lot of people wanted to see the wedding, i decided to add this chapter :) i hope you guys liked it <3