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She heard a knock at her door. Figuring it couldn’t possibly be Azula, she’d never be so polite, Katara welcomed what was likely an ally without question. “Come in.”
But she was wrong. Spotting the edges of his inky black hair as he leaned through the cracked door, Katara groaned. “Not you…”
Yellow eyes peeked at her. Disturbing. He refused to let himself fully in yet. “Sorry.” Like he was apologizing for existing. As he should.
“Ok….”
“…”
Katara blinked. “What do you want, Zuko?”
“Sorry. Um, Suki said you weren’t feeling well so I- I just wanted to check on you.”
“And what can a firebender do to help me?”
“Um…”
Her patience was even thinner than usual for him, considering the circumstances. “Out with it.”
Resolved, he stepped inside with a tray of steaming tea. “I brought some tea. It’s a berry leaf blend. It helps with the uh-” He gestured vaguely towards her.
Katara squinted. “With what?”
Pale as he is, Zuko blushed profusely. He shuffled his feet. “You know… your cramps.”
She felt a flash of anger at whoever (Suki) told Zuko the details of her very personal, very private, very, um, ladyish situation. Normally, she’d be embarrassed, but the pain was distracting enough that Katara didn’t find room for shame. Before she could let anger consume her, she redirected it – and Zuko was her prey. Katara smirked, “What kind of cramps, exactly?”
Just when she didn’t think Zuko could get redder, it seemed like his blood wanted to seep through his skin. “Are you really gonna make me say it?”
“You’re a big boy Zuko.”
Irritated, he placed the tray on the table beside her bed with a touch more force than necessary. The teacup rattled. Smoke dissipated from his breath.
“From your mooncycle.”
“Uh huh. And what would a Fire Nation Prince know about teas that help with mooncycle cramps?”
“I worked in a tea shop.”
Touché. Reaching over, Katara picked up the cup and sipped. “It’s bitter.”
“People don’t really drink it for its taste.”
She sipped again, considering. “Thanks.” It was as much of a dismissal as an indication of gratitude.
Zuko nodded, but he didn’t move. He just… stood there, looming over her as she drank, not quite looking at her but not not looking.
“You can like…leave now, you know. I won’t combust.” Though it did feel like she might. The ache turned into a stab, and her legs felt like they might fall off. She shifted, as if adjusting could somehow make her feel better. It didn’t.
“The tea takes some time to work. It’s actually best to drink it for a few days beforehand. For future reference.”
Katara grit her teeth. “Okay Dr. Zuko. Thank you.” It was seriously a dismissal this time. She hated Zuko seeing her weak like this, especially from the stupid rebellion of her body, rather than some near fatal wound proudly acquired in the heat of battle or something. Her antagonistic charade was increasingly difficult to maintain, as the stabbing mutated into shooting and her lower back convulsed internally.
“There are some Fire sages that possess healing abilities.”
She wanted to kill him. Did he seriously think she wanted a lecture in this state? “Zuko.”
There was something threatening in her voice, apparently, because he scrambled to make his point. “I mean, I don’t have that ability and like clearly that’s not what you need – you can heal yourself obviously – and your issue isn’t an injury anyways but just I um- I can use it to relieve pain.”
If she could cut her uterus out right NOW she would.
She gave him a raised eyebrow. His eyes really were yellow. Like a tigerseal. In a way it was endearing. Tigerseals were cute when they weren’t about to rip your face off.
“A controlled heat….like for reheating tea, or… soothing sore muscles. Things like that. For um.” He gestured to her abdomen.
She wanted to die.
“If it’s okay, I can help, I mean. I can show you, and if you don’t like it then I’ll go.”
Fuck it. “Yeah. Yeah, okay.”
Yellow eyes blinked in surprise, like he half expected her to waterbend him out the window for offering to touch her. If she wasn’t in debilitating pain she might have. But desperate times… “Okay.”
Zuko brought the chair from the corner of the room over to her bedside. “It’ll work best if there aren’t so many layers…”
She pushed the blanket down to her legs. He blushed again, then closed his eyes and took a deep breath. The torches in the room flickered to his exhale. He reached out slowly and hovered, implicitly asking for her permission, like she could stop him at any moment.
“Zuko please hurry up.”
“Sorry.” Always a sorry.
He placed his hand on her lower stomach, and she tensed instinctively. But the heat radiating from his hand was exquisite. “Oh…” She hadn’t meant to make a sound like that. Eep.
Zuko looked down and away, his straight fringe hiding his cheeks.
Katara eyed the lines of his hand – pale like a fish belly, like the rest of him, with long elegant fingers – go figure, royalty – but the callouses from years of banishment were rough even through her tunic. She wondered what stories she’d find in them but dismissed the thought before she got overly sentimental, which was an unfortunate habit of hers.
They were silent for a few moments, and Katara could feel her muscles relaxing, the pain reverting back to a dull ache. Not quite gone, but some pleasant release.
“Wow.”
“Is it… okay?”
Truly he didn’t need to ask. “Fantastic. Thank you, Zuko.” This time it felt more sincere.
“Any time.”
“No, don’t say that.”
He was looking at her again, tigerseal eyes questioning.
“I might actually make you sit here with me for three days straight seriously do not offer that.”
He gave her a small smile, his scar crinkling at the movement. “I wouldn’t mind.”
Now it was Katara’s turn to blush. Though she felt the heat in her cheeks, fortunately for her, her coloring usually hid the worst of it. She cleared her throat. “Unfortunately, there’s an Avatar that needs to be trained, so.”
Zuko shrugged. “He can wait.”
Her stomach fluttered, and not from cramps.
They sat in a surprisingly comfortable, companionable silence. Katara was too tired to consider entertaining Zuko with her usual chatter – and she wasn’t used to being cordial with him – but he seemed lost in his own world anyways.
Debilitated by her own cycle, Zuko’s betrayal seemed small in comparison to her own body’s. But Katara was nothing if not stubborn.
“Zuko.”
He blinked over and met her gaze. “Yes?”
“Why did you offer to help me?”
“Because you were in pain.” As if the answer were so obvious.
“I’m not your friend. You don’t have to care.”
“I don’t have to, but I want to. You help people who aren’t your friends, don’t you?”
“I don’t need your help!”
“I didn’t say you did! But I just wanted to, okay?”
“This doesn’t change anything between us.” Deep down, she knew she was latching onto delusion.
“Okay.”
It seemed stupid. What with his hand splayed on her most sensitive part, warmed by the same type of bending that took her mother. He could kill her so easily in this state. But he didn’t- doesn’t. Instead, it soothed her. Perhaps firebending had some positives.
She stared at him, unbidden, though he fixed his gaze on the far side of the wall.
“You have tigerseal eyes.”
“What?”
“Your eyes. They look like tigerseal eyes. Yellow.”
Zuko pursed his lips.
“What?”
“They’re more like… gold.”
Katara rolled her eyes. “They’re yellow. Anyways, tigerseals are very cute-” (She could feel him flushing) “But that’s how they get you. They lure you in, and then suddenly you’re their dinner.”
Zuko contemplated for a moment. “Are you saying I’m cute?”
“NO!” The intensity of her defense seemed suspicious. She scrambled. “Ugh, I mean. You might seem all innocent now. But I know what the tigerseal does next.”
Zuko’s hand cooled, and she whimpered involuntarily. YIKES. Exasperated, Zuko met her eyes, tiredness dulling the gold- ahem, yellow. “Do you really think I’m going to hurt you?”
She bunched the sheets in her hands, the pronounced stab rearing its ugly head. In a way, pain sobered her. “Zuko…”
His jaw clenched.
“You know I can’t trust you. After everything.”
Tigerseal eyes dropped. “But you trust me enough to do this.”
“It doesn’t matter what happens to me. My job is to protect Aang, from you, so he can save the world.”
He looked at her. “You matter just as much as him, Katara.”
Warmth flooded her and it wasn’t from Zuko’s bending. “I could never take down the Fire Lord.”
Zuko gave a small smile, “Actually, if anyone besides the Avatar could, it’d be you.”
Katara huffed, “Yeah, right. Flattery won’t get you anywhere.”
“I don’t know if it’s a compliment actually. You’re terrifying.”
She chuckled, “Oh, that is definitely a compliment.”
His face brightened, eyes shining gold- ahem, yellow, and Katara hated how her stomach flipped again. All she could do is stare, or glare, trying to parse the rare joy worn on his sharp but young features. She supposed, as good-looking as he is now, he’d be a handsome man someday. That infuriated her.
Zuko cleared his throat, jolting her from her involuntary thoughts. Looking at his hand still on her stomach, “Um… do you want... more?”
Her mouth moved before her brain could process, “Yes please.”
Zuko smirked, a light wash of smug on his face, and resumed. Katara nearly voiced her displeasure at his look-
Ah, sweet relief. Maybe not all tigerseals were dangerous.