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[benevolently.livejournal.com]

Who: Katara and Zuko.
What: Katara takes care of Zuko after his fight with the Menos.
When: After this.
Where: Zuko's room~
Rating: PG. Light kiss, tending to wounds, etc.

Blood. Katara hoped she would never have to see any of her friend's get hurt in this place. But she wasn't invinsible, she couldn't always protect them. And what happened with Suki, and now Zuko reminded her of that. Why didn't he tell her he was hurt?! She was anxious and scared as she bolted down the stairs, hurrying to Zuko's room. She pulled the hood of her sweater over her head, covering her face when she approached his door. Katara was far too worried to care about a proper disguise.

Not wanting to make a lot of noise and alarm anyone before she was seen, though .. she knocked lightly on his door a few times. Impatient, she even tried to see if the door was left unlocked. But Zuko was too careful for that. It looked like she was stuck waiting. She sighed, shifting around rather nervously.

Zuko weakly lifted his head at the knock of the door, but couldn't manage to move much else. That had been stupid. After the tar-and-feathering from WilyKat the other day, he had been lax, and the creature...whatever it was...had gotten an advantage on him, and had rather securely made sure he would be in bed for quite some time. He had tried to get a message out for Katara, but it had been to no avail...although it looked like she was on her way.

He managed to slide out of bed, and hobble over to the door, opening it a fraction before the rest of the way, careful to not let anyone see his face as he opened the door. Not only was it embarrassing, but it could prove disasterous.

Once the door opened, Katara slipped inside and quickly closed the door. Her eyes filled up with tears the moment she saw him. Now she understood why he couldn't get a message to her. But .. but still!! "I thought you were staying in your room!" she cried, reaching out for his arm, remembering to be gentle. She led him back to his bed, and wiped her tears away.

"Zuko, what happened?" she asked, but didn't wait for him to answer. Instead, she made her way to his bathroom and gathered a bunch of supplies .. A bowl of water, bandages and towels. She hurried back to him, sighing as she managed to spill some of the water on herself and his floor.

Zuko blinked awkwardly at her tears and tipped his head. Was she...worried about him? Well...he guessed after they had managed to kiss...well...it had to mean something, right? He sighed, and shook his head weakly. "Appearances," he admitted softly, his breath still haggard and weak. He felt in pain everywhere, but it was all just a bit overwhelming, really. He watched her dash in, and the water spilled, and he managed to smile.

"I...they made it sound like I wouldn't do anything..." he managed weakly. "I-I couldn't help but actually do something...to make it look like I was doing something...but it got out of hand..." he admited.

Before she spilled anymore of the water, Katara placed all of the supplies on the table by his bedside. But she soon turned, and snapped at him. "Appearances? Who cares about that!" She was tired from healing people, and clearly frustrated over everything that happened recently.

"You should've just stayed away. What if you got killed out there?!" She cupped her face in her hands then, and sighed. Katara fell quiet there for a moment, and took in a deep breath. She didn't run over to argue. She was worried and wanted to help. Soaking one of the towels in water, she squeezed out the excess and took one of his hands again.

"Okay, let's .. get this blood cleaned up. And I'll heal you," she said softly, eyes serious and focused on what she was doing. She refused to make eye contact. She was still upset, after all.

Zuko blinked, and shook his head. "I-" he started, a bit too brashly and with annoyance laced in his voice, before he stopped. He didn't want to fight with her. Not when she was the only person who he could talk to about anything pertaining to this.

He sighed, and wanted to run a hand through his hair, but he didn't. Instead he sighed wimply, and coughed a bit, his lungs raking. "I-I'm sorry...I was just...trying to..." what was he trying to do? Trying to prove to Azula that he would be a good ally, at least one for a while while she decided what to do with him. he grimaced, and shook his head weakly.

"I was trying to do what would get her to notice," he admitted weakly.

Katara knew that was the reason why he went after the Menos. But it was too dangerous, especially when you couldn't see the enemy. Hence why she stood on the side line and helped to heal people inside of fight. She sighed though, and finally met his gaze.

"At what price, Zuko? How far do you have to go to get Azula's attention?" she asked quietly, with the constant reminder to watch her tone.

Zuko couldn't just stay inside and not do anything, however, and the fact that he was just sitting around while he heard the yells, crashes, and roars was maddening. When Yachiru challenged him, he couldn't help but jump at the opportunity, especially since he wouldn't look like a chronic moron in Azula's eyes.

"I-I don't know..." he admitted weakly. "But...it was an opportunity to do something too," he managed, feeling all the more idiotic for jumping into the water without checking the temperature.

Katara nodded a little to his words. She understood, she really did. It just .. upset her to see him hurt so badly! Turning her attention back his care, she gingerly cleaned his wounds. She was relieved to find that the bleeding had eased up, but ... Did all of this really happen during his fight with the Menos? She glanced over to the bowl of water she left on the table, and brought it over to them.. Allowing the water to flow over his cuts and heal him.

"So.. what happened exactly?" she asked curiously as she continued to do her work.

Zuko was feeling a little better when the healing liquid slid over his wounds...but it could only alleviate so much in a short span of time, so the fact that he was hurt so badly would take a while.

"A lot?" he chided, allowing himself a brief moment of humor before moving on. "I was squeezed...mostly," he admitted, the pain in his ribs an apparant testament to that. "But then I think I was thrown...but I don't remember what else..." he said, shaking his head. "I think I hit my head," he admitted. Concussions were hardly good things to deal with, but concussions after a battle with an injured body? Even worse!

.. Was Zuko being sarcastic with her? "I can see that, you know," Katara sighed at that and shook her head. She was being serious! And worried! She frowned when she realized that he could barely recall the events after he was injured. His condition said it all, sadly.

She let the water fall back into the bowl with a small splash when she finished, and looked over him with another sigh. Water could only heal external wounds... He needed a lot of rest before he could do anything. It looked like their training would be pushed back, too.

After he mentioned hitting his head, she gently tipped his head towards her, brushing her fingertips through his hair. She couldn't find where he hit it, but she did lower her lips to place a kiss upon his forehead. "Well.. It looks like you'll have to stay in bed for a few days. I'll visit with your Uncle and let him know we have to pause your training," she mentioned softly.

Zuko blushed lightly at the feel of her fingertips through his hair, it felt...well...good, even if his head was throbbing. Her fingers were cool against a painful heat that seemed to ebb and flow over his mind, leaving him rather drained.

Then she kissed him, and the coolness was pinpointed on his forehead, and he blushed furiously at the light touch.

"T-Thanks," he said weakly, not really knowing what else to say, other than that he enjoyed the touch, and he felt the urge to move his head and try for the same thing he had the other night...but that hadn't gone over so well, had it?

"It's no problem. I'm sorry I yelled at you when I first got here," she apologized sheepishly, moving to sit next to him on the bed. "I just... I was so upset because I didn't hear from you. And to come here seeing you this way, I .." Katara's hand had tightened, clutching at the fabric of her shirt. Why was it so hard for her to say she cared about him, and worried for him? It was certainly harder to say now, after she decided it was best they waited before moving on to a relationship.

"Yeah, I'm sure you get the point," she laughed a little, waving her hand as if to dismiss it.

He blinked nervously, and tipped his head slightly. Was she trying to say something...? He swallowed, and felt something like a pressure in his chest, and he swallowed slowly. He looked at her with something of worry, she looked so sad, and he reached up to lightly touch her cheek. He didn't know what to say...but he felt like he knew what she was trying to say.

"Yeah, I know," he admitted softly. He felt like he really did, but didn't move his hand, as much as it slightly pained him...he liked the contact. Maybe he was delerious.

Katara blinked when she suddenly felt his warm hand touch her cheek. Did he maybe .. understand what she meant to say? A hand was hesistantly raised, covering his own that rested gently on her face. It was so comforting.. And she rather liked the contact against her skin. She turned her body slightly to face him, looking at him with a softened gaze.

"I.. Thanks," she offered him a small smile, tempted to lean forward and give him another kiss. Her eyes fell to her lap, though; she couldn't do it! It would only make things more confusing.

Zuko smiled to her softly, and wondered why she suddenly looked away. Was...was it his scar? No...it couldn't be...if they had kissed before...she knew it existed, afterall. It wasn't like it wasn't there before. He smiled to her softly, and tried to sit up a little bit. Was...had she thought about kissing him? Would she be mad if he tried to kiss her? He decided there wouldn't be much of a reason to not...afterall...they had already kissed once...right?

He leaned forward, and paused, giving her plenty of time to pull back. His bed creaked slightly, and all he could hear was breathing and his blood rushing by his ears.

His breath tickled gently against her face, and she looked up hesistantly when he leaned forward. Did he want to kiss her as well..? Katara sighed inwardly, and almost thought about pulling back. She didn't want to risk anything with their situation. But .. The feelings were there .. How much longer could she deny that?

The truth was.. she couldn't. She paused for a moment, and closed her eyes.. and pressed her lips against his for a kiss.

His breath hitched when she kissed him, and he was almost elated. He used his other hand to reach up and caress the side of her face. He leaned in more confidently when she kissed him back, and he felt like he was going to lose control.

But...around her, would it really be that bad?

Everything about the kiss felt so .. right. She wrapped her arms loosely around Zuko's waist when he leaned in a little more. She didn't want to hurt him, and let him move whichever way he felt the most comfortable.

Katara tilted her head to get a better grasp on his lips; she was still figuring it out after all. She gently broke the kiss after a moment though, taking in a small breath.

Zuko was pliable in her arms, and he reached one of his arms away from her cheek and around her shoulder instead. He enjoyed this far more than he probably should, and the prospect of doing this more than once filled him with a warmth much different than his usual temperature control.

When she broke away, he felt weak in the knees, and inhaled slowly, trying to control his breathing as best he could.

"Are.. you okay?" Katara asked softly, resting the palm of her hand on his back. She took in another breath, cheeks still taking on that rosy color. She remembered his coughing before, and slowly got up, walking into the kitchen.

She returned with a glass of water and passed it to him. "Here," she gave him a warm smile and sat again next to him.

He smiled gratefully, and took the glass before taking a long, deep breath, much clearer than before, thank goodness! He sighed, and tipped his head back. The pain across his ribs was almost unbearable, but he could manage, as long as he didn't breathe too heavily. Training would have to be suspended for the time being.

"Thanks," he managed softly.

"Of course," Katara nodded a little to his thanks, falling quiet again for a moment while she watched him. She was still really concerned about his injuries, and it showed in her eyes. But.. how much more could she do for him? The rest was honestly upto Zuko, and she really hoped he would recover quickly.

"Hey, you should get some rest now. I'll stay with you until you fall asleep," she offered. She didn't want to leave him so soon, but he did need his rest. That seemed to be the best option!

Zuko nodded, already feeling drained and worn out, but he didn't want to just fall asleep with her here...it would be...awkward. He sighed, however, and felt a bit of his breath grate within his chest, and he coughed weakly, trying not to hurt himself too much.

At his nod, Katara got up and walked over to the other side of his bed. She pulled his blankets back and fixed his pillows properly for him to sleep. It was awkward when she thought about it... doing these things for him. But friends were suppose to take care of each other, right? And .. Zuko was a little more than just a friend now..?

"Okay, you can go ahead," she smiled softly and took the glass from his hands. "I'll refill this and leave it by your bed for your coughing." Katara returned to his kitchen and did just that.

Zuko watched her a little bit before his eyes drooped, and then more, and he sighed, realizing that he was most certainly going to fall asleep, and there was little he could do to prevent it. He was still weak from the fight, and Katara's healing had been helpful, but it was still taxing to both breathe and move.

He yawned widely, trying hard not to wince after the action.

Katara blinked when she returned. He looked too sleepy to even move! Placing the glass on his table, she hurried back to his side and laughed lightly. It was endearing to see him that way.

"Come on, I'll help you." She gently brought one of his arms around her shoulders and helped him to the side of the bed.

Zuko leaned into her arms, and gently made his way over to the other side of the bed. He was a warrior, and as much as he disliked trying to be helped, he also knew when he needed to be, and this was one of those sorts of situations.

After they managed to get him into bed, Katara pulled the covers back over him and took one of his hands into her own. She sighed inwardly, wondering if Iroh had any ideas for Zuko's training after he fully healed. They would have to work much faster if the plan were to continue after all. But she didn't want it to continue if that meant more of friends were going to get hurt.

She smiled a little to the Fire Nation Prince though, watching him finally drift off to sleep.