Work Text:
“Why are you being so stubborn?” Katara asked, placing a hand on his shoulder to stop him from getting up.
He was not acting in such way. Maybe just a little anxious. Being injured made him feel powerless, paralyzed, like something that needed to be taken care of. And Katara had embraced that task very seriously. Twice a day since the Agni Kai, which had somehow been barely two days ago, she would chase him all over the palace to get him to make time for their healing sessions. It wasn’t that he disliked her attention, not in the slightest, he just wanted to have everything ready for his upcoming coronation.
“I'm not stubborn,” Zuko replied, letting out an exasperated sigh as he sat back on the bed. “You know I have an endless amount of work to do.”
“Zuko, I’m aware of the fact that you haven’t even been crowned yet and you’re already on the verge of becoming a workaholic,” she said as she rolled her eyes. “But you need to be able to walk without feeling constant pain if you want to be a decent Fire Lord.”
“ Fine . Do your thing, but please hurry,” he complied.
Katara raised a brow. “Are you trying to tell me how to do my job?”
“Oh, so now it’s your job to heal me? ” Zuko made a playful smirk, a strain of nervousness detectable in his voice. “I’m not that big of a deal.”
“ Not that big of a deal?” She threw her hands up in the air. “Shut up and let me heal you already. Unless you want to be even later for all that work you seem so desperate to get done.”
The soon to be crowned Fire Lord nodded in response, wondering if she could tell just how on edge he was. Work was getting in his nerves, sure. But Katara caring so much about his injury had put him in an unusual position. After all, he did jump in front of a lightning bolt for her. Almost dying in the process. Saving her, only to have her save him a few minutes later.
After undoing his robe, he laid on his back, heavily breathing. There was an unspoken intimacy to that moment. It wasn’t the first time Katara had seen him shirtless, and Agni knew it wouldn’t be the last one since his injury was taking its sweet time to heal, but with each second the air seemed to become heavier around them.
Session after session, Zuko has found himself feeling more and more lost for words. It was the time of their day to be alone together. During the remaining hours, there was always someone else with them, or they just weren’t together at all, each of them busy with someone else from the team. After all they had gone through, he was somehow the most nervous about that part of their routine. Unbelievable. And somewhat unexpected.
“You know, if you would just listen to me and stopped running around all day, this would heal much faster,” Katara reprimanded him.
“Just get me to be healthy enough in time for the coronation, alright?” he pleaded, crossing his arms under his head.
“For such a whiner, you look pretty comfortable,” she said as she straightened on the bed, sitting next to him. She made sure to be close enough to do her work, but she left a cautious distance between them.
Katara then leaned onto him and placed her hands over his bare torso as her fingers summoned the water from the small bowl she had brought to his room. She held the liquid over his chest, creating a soft, vibrant glow. Her fingertips brushed his skin in the most gentle way possible.
“Auch, careful there,” he groaned, allowing a little frown to take over his face.
“Here?” She caressed the spot right beneath his upper left rib.
He flinched at the added pressure on his wound. “Yeah.”
“Sorry, the damage’s still recent.” A concerned look appeared in her eyes.
“Sorry? Don’t be silly, you saved me.” He made a light smile. “It doesn’t hurt that bad anymore.”
“But you’re still weak, Zuko,” she insisted. “You know, we never really talked about it.”
“Talk about what?” he asked, fearing the direction the conversation was about to take. “There’s not much to say about it if that’s what you’re thinking.”
He tried to sit up, causing Katara to grasp his shoulders and gently push him back down.
“What do you think you’re doing?” she exclaimed, eyes wide open. “I’m not done yet.”
“Nothing - I... I don’t know.” He fought a stutter as he said this. “I’m sorry.”
Their eyes met again, sharing an intense glance. There seemed to be a lot of unsaid things between them. Katara looked like she had something else to state, but remained quiet. Time seemed to slow down. It was only them, in an empty room, vaguely illuminated by the dying light of the afternoon’s sun.
The waterbender continued treating him, allowing her skilled hands to press down the water onto his chest. Zuko felt her fingertips melting into his skin, already used to the contrast of the cold liquid against his body. Softly breathing in and out, he closed his eyes, easing into the moment. He felt safe under her care, even more, he felt loved . Jumping into a lightning bolt for the girl caressing his bare skin in that exact moment had been the easiest decision he’d ever made. Truth was, he felt weak, exhausted just from even sitting straight during the multiple councils he had to attend. But he couldn't complain. In fact, he would do it all over again. For her.
The sound of her voice caused him to open back his eyes. Much to his delight, he found her staring. Her blue eyes were glistening, inviting him to get lost into its ocean. The tenderest of smiles framed her face.
“I was just trying to say…” Katara mumbled. “Thank you. A million times over. What you did was… It meant everything to me. I know you don’t want to talk about it but still, from every bit of my heart, thank you.”
Zuko blinked, words falling through him, failing to react. He had tried to avoid talking about it. It was because he knew there would be no turning back if he allowed his feelings to come to light. Saving her had been like saving a part of himself. In a split second, he had chosen to give it all up for her. It frightened him even, to recognize such intense emotions racing through him. His willingness to do anything because, Agni, he needed to see her happy with every fiber of his being. It scared him in a way he couldn’t quite put into words. Warm yet nerve-racking at the same time.
“Zuko?” Katara asked, noticing his silence. “You alright?”
In what could only be described as a sheer impulse, he placed his hand over hers, gently brushing his fingers through the water.
“Katara, it’s not that I don’t want to talk about it. It’s just - It’s done. You saved me, I saved you… I would do it again. We’re even now. We can move forward.”
“Still, I’m not about to just forget about it.” There was a strain of earnestness in her voice.
“Great, because I wouldn’t want you to stop treating this annoying injury. I’m not sure if I would make it without your help.”
She raised a brow, making a soft smirk. “Is the mighty Fire Lord admitting he needs me?”
“Well,” he started to say, his hand still pressing onto hers. “I thought that little secret was out already.”
Katara took a good look at him before tilting her head to stare at his new scar. A mark on his chest he had received to protect her. She seemed surprised at his words, a bit unsure of their meaning. Maybe the implications of the sacrifice they had made for each other frightened her too. After all, neither of them would be there without one another.
Zuko stood still, allowing her to take all the time she needed. The water was still flowing through his bare torso, carefully repairing the damage that had been inflicted on him. Agni, he wanted to say something, anything. He wanted her to know every thought that was running through his mind at that very moment. But, how? How to explain everything she meant to him when he barely understood it himself? Still, he was sure it would kill him if she didn’t know a part of him was complete with pieces of her.
She finally looked back at him, a little misty-eyed. “Zuko, I - I could’ve lost you.”
He frowned, surprised by her sudden statement. “And I could’ve lost you, Katara. But we didn’t.”
“I swear if something happened to you… I don’t think I would’ve been able to get past it.” Her eyes shifted to the window as her voice started to shake.
“Hey, look at me.” He extended his free hand to softly cup her cheek, calling for her attention. “I’m not going anywhere, alright? I’ll even let you add a third daily session to my schedule if that helps you feel better. Who cares about work, I don't ever want to see you sad.”
His fingers caressed her skin, both on her cheek and the back of her hand. Amid the coldness from the water and the heat of their bodies, their eyes found each other. Zuko felt a wave of relief flooding right through him as Katara made a soft yet tender smile.
“I think I’ll take the extra healing session. You need to be in shape for your coronation,” she said, chuckling.
He tugged her hair behind her ear, hesitating about what to say next. He could barely believe what was happening. The familiarity of the situation, the way they had gotten so used to such proximity between them. That closeness took his breath away. She took his breath away. The girl he had jumped in front of a lightning bolt for. The same girl that had risked everything to be able to save him. She was everything.
“Katara, I…” His voice trailed off.
Why was it so hard to confess his feelings?
“Yeah?” she asked, leaning closer and closer to him. “What is it?”
“Um, nothing important,” he mumbled. “Just - Just that it means a lot that you take the time to do this and…”
Without even realizing it, he had been getting closer as well. They were just centimeters away now, their noses almost touching, her hands pressing down on his chest. His fingers still brushing her skin, bringing her warmth.
“And?” A strain of eagerness was detectable in her voice.
Oh, screw it. The time was now. Right there and then. Together.
“And I’m dying to kiss you,” he blurted out, fighting a stutter. “I mean, as long as that’s okay with you.”
Katara’s eyes widened, a welcoming expression taking over. Then, she kissed him. It was a soft kiss, almost timid. But Zuko could feel himself melting on the spot. He had never been so flustered, yet the water resting on his chest offered a refreshing polarity to the rising temperature of the room. Even the air that surrounded them seemed heavier. His lips pressed onto hers as if he was clinging to dear life. But the rest of his body laid flat in the bed, frozen, melted, in complete awe of the situation.
When she finally pulled apart, the brightest of smiles framed her face.
“So what do you say?” she teased. “You think it’s okay with me?”
He let out a soft laugh, still trying to believe his luck. What did he do to deserve her?
“Let me tell you what,” he replied with a playful smirk. “Try again and I’ll get back to you on it.”
“I think I can work with that. But first, let me get this out of the way.” With a simple movement of her wrist, she returned the water to the bowl resting on top of the nightstand. “I think you’ve had enough healing for today.”
“Yes ma’am. Whatever you say.” He laughed as he moved over, leaving extra room for her next to him.
Katara giggled, burying her hands into his hair as she leaned over him even closer than before. “I’m taking note of how relaxed you suddenly seem about all that work you claimed to have.”
Zuko didn’t even have time to respond because she rapidly proceeded to kiss him again, this time with more intensity. He didn’t care though, all that mattered to him was right there . He ran his fingers through her hair, her cheeks, her neck, everything about her made his heart skip a hundred beats.
They had finally allowed their feelings to come to the surface. It had only taken a lightning bolt, multiple healing sessions, and an elliptical conversation. After saving one another, that simple kiss could be translated into a thousand different words. Truths that would be said at the right time. But at that moment, melting away into each other seemed more than enough