Work Text:
She should’ve seen it coming, Katara told herself. They’d all been fighting off the same bug for weeks now. Close quarters, constant travel, and the stress of Sozin’s Comet weren’t great for the immune system.
Still, it was shocking just how fast Zuko went downhill. He was fine when they arrived at Ember Island, when he accepted her hard-earned forgiveness. (And a hug she thought about more than she’d ever admit.) But that evening, as he and Aang finished their training, he looked awfully pale.
“It’s nothing,” he insisted, as he helped Katara with the dinner dishes.
“No, it’s not,” she said. “You’ve been flinching every time you move. And Toph says you feel off to her too.”
“I’m just tired, stressed out, like all of us.”
“Zuko, will you please just admit you’re sick?”
He nearly dropped a bowl into the wash bucket. “No! I can’t get sick, not now! Aang needs to train, he needs to be ready and – ”
He swayed and pitched forward, the bowl shattering on the floor. Though he was bigger than her, nearly a year of training and battles had built up her strength. Katara caught him as everyone else came running.
“What’s happening?”
“We heard something break and – ”
“Holy Tui, what’s wrong with him?”
“Quiet!” Toph barked. “We need to get him to his room, now.”
Sokka slung Zuko’s other arm around his shoulders, helping Katara march him down the hall. Even like this, he was still arguing. “But Aang – his training – ”
“I can practice on my own,” Aang said, trailing anxiously behind them. “Don’t worry about me, Zuko, you need to get some rest.”
Suki opened the door to Zuko’s room. Katara and Sokka lowered him into bed, despite his grumbling. Sweat was already beading on his forehead. The sentence forming in her mind felt strange, even before it reached her tongue. But something he’d said, on the way to Ember Island, nudged her forward.
I’m not good at it either. But my uncle says there’s no shame in letting people who love you help you.
Katara took a deep breath and turned to the others, hovering nearby. “If I’m going to help him, you’ll all need to help me.”
____________
They took it to heart. As soon as Zuko was (grumpily) settled in bed, they divided up her normal jobs. Toph and Suki volunteered for laundry duty, Aang for medicine runs, Sokka for meal planning. Cooking would be rotated between them. That left Katara free to tend to Zuko.
Firebenders ran hot, she’d learned from having him around. But his forehead was so hot, it felt like he’d been sitting in the sun for hours. She lowered her healing water’s temperature before running her hands along his sinuses and throat. He only flinched a little when she got close to his scar.
“Sickness is trickier than wounds,” she said. “But this feels like that flu we’ve all had.”
“Great,” he groaned.
“Welcome to the Team Avatar germ family,” she said, rolling her eyes.
To her surprise, he laughed. Katara gave him a ladle of water, which he slurped down alarmingly fast. He then seized the bucket and chugged it in one gulp.
Just then, Aang came back in, a steaming bowl of soup in his hands. He stopped in his tracks, staring. “Uh…I’ll bring you some more water too.”
Their patient laughed again, a bit wildly. “Yeah. Water’s great. Best damn thing I’ve ever tasted.”
“That’s nice, Zuko. Have some soup.” Katara handed him the bowl, which he also drained in one shot.
Aang looked like he was trying not to laugh, and feeling guilty about it. She smiled. “At least he doesn’t think he’s an Earthbender yet.”
____________
The next morning, when Katara came to check on Zuko, his blankets were drenched in sweat. Momo jumped from her shoulder and pawed at his hair, chirring anxiously. She moved him gently away.
“How are you doing?” she asked.
“Hot.” He sounded like he had a pound of cotton stuck up his nose. “So hot…” He tried to throw the blanket off, and she tugged it back.
“I know. But you need to sweat this out.” She summoned some more healing water, running her hand along his forehead. A trickle of steam rose from it. Spirits, he wasn’t kidding.
“Katara,” he said faintly. “Please. Can I…take these off?” He plucked at his tunic and undershirt.
“Okay. But stay under the blanket.”
Zuko nodded and struggled out of his top layers, throwing them in the corner. Katara’s stomach did a weird flip, and she averted her eyes. Don’t be silly, she scolded herself. It’s nothing you haven’t seen before.
Momo, bless him, distracted her. He leapt lightly onto Zuko’s bed and wriggled under the blankets with him. He pulled him close, squishing his face into the white and black fur. “Fuzzy baby,” he mumbled, grinning.
A soft giggle came from the door. As Suki carried in some ginger and elderberry tea, she whispered, “I didn’t know he could be so cuddly.”
“Me either,” Katara whispered back.
“I am not cuddly,” Zuko protested. “I’m a big, scary Firebender.”
It would’ve been more convincing if he hadn’t squeezed Momo again as he said it. Suki made a quick exit, stifling laughter, and Katara had to purse her lips tight to stop her own. “Yes, of course you are. Now sit up and drink your tea, ‘big scary Firebender.’ ”
After the tea, he drifted in and out of sleep for a while. He only spoke once, near the end of the afternoon. “I remember this,” he groaned. “Ba Sing Se.”
Katara felt his forehead. No change. “You were sick there too?”
“Mmm.” Zuko rolled over. He muttered about Uncle and critical decisions, and someone named Mai, as he fell asleep again.
____________
The full moon's energy buzzed in her blood, keeping her wide awake. Grumbling to herself, Katara threw her blanket off and left her room. Some Waterbending practice would at least tire her out. But she should probably check on Zuko first.
She was glad she did. He was awake too, sitting up in bed and…giggling. “Yeah, you’re right,” he said, seemingly to no one.
Katara hesitated, until he waved her over. “Um, Zuko? Who are you talking to?”
“Momo,” he said matter-of-factly. “He gives the best advice.”
“Oh, uh…good?” She looked at the lemur, sitting in Zuko’s lap. His cocked head and wide green eyes said it all: Yep, he’s lost it. Shaking her head, she sat on the edge of the bed and felt his head again. She yelped and yanked her hand back. “Ow, Spirits!”
“Sorry…”
“No, it’s just – you really are burning up.” Immediately she healed the tiny burn on her palm, then pulled fresh water over and ran her hand over his blazing forehead. The water sizzled and released a cloud of steam, making her hair curl.
“I’m sorry,” he groaned again.
“Zuko,” she said firmly, “it’s not your fault.”
He lay back, shivering violently as chills seized him, and closed his eyes. Momo chirped, and he laughed. “Yeah, water’s way better than fire. Doesn’t hurt…”
Katara tried not to look at his scar. Momo chittered again, grooming his hair, and he said, “Okay, okay, fine, I’ll…tell her…”
“Tell me what?”
His head rolled limply over to face her again. “He says you think Firebending’s pretty. When…I do it.” He smirked at her. “Says you think I’m pretty.”
“Does he now?” she said, her hands shaking.
“Uh-huh.” To her utter disbelief, he batted his eyes at her. “So? Am I pretty, Katara?”
There was almost no chance he’d remember any of this later. Still, this had to be one of her more mortifying conversations. Not looking at him directly, she said, “Yes, Zuko, you’re very pretty.”
Satisfied, he smiled and closed his eyes again. As she cooled his head, she said, trying to keep it casual, “So…what else does ‘Momo’ have to say about me?”
“You’re incredible,” Zuko said vaguely. “Scary. Smart. Kind. Beautiful.”
She nearly dropped her water. But then he added, his voice suddenly sad, “Not like Mai.”
There it was again, that name. She froze, staring at him as he coughed. “I loved her…was good, before…” He awkwardly patted Momo’s head. “But he said I’ve changed. Too much. Need…something more. Balance…”
His eyes, an odd mix of flame-bright and dull with fever, found hers. “Touch me...” he breathed.
“Uh – how, exactly?” Katara gulped.
She couldn’t tell if it was the fever, or if he was blushing. “My neck. Scalp…still hot…”
She ran the cool water along his cheeks and neck, through his hair. He didn’t flinch this time, when her fingertips brushed his scar. In fact, his head drooped into her hands, letting her hold and support him. The peace, the sheer trust, on his face made her heart thump. Momo curled up on his pillow and closed his eyes.
“Katara…” Zuko sighed.
“Try and get some more sleep,” she said softly. She discarded the water and stood up to go.
He took her arm, stopping her. “Wait…stay?” He pulled the blanket back and moved over. “You're…cool…feel nice…”
Her cheeks burned again. But it was innocent enough, what he was asking. And his eyes, hazy with tiredness and pain, pleading. If it would help…
She nodded. “Okay.”
Heart hammering, Katara squeezed into the bed next to him. She tried to keep the distance at least a bit proper. But Zuko pulled her tight against his side, her head landing on his shoulder. After a second, she draped her arm over his chest.
To keep him cool. Of course.
He gave another deep, happy sigh. “Feels good,” he murmured.
He was asleep again in moments. She felt his forehead one more time and smiled: his temperature was finally dropping. Katara closed her eyes at last, feeling Zuko’s heart beating under her palm.
“Yeah,” she whispered. “It does.”
____________
Katara fled before sunrise. She did not look any of the others in the eye when they all started to wake up. And she definitely didn’t look Zuko in the eye, when he hauled himself into the kitchen halfway through breakfast.
“You’re up!” Aang said brightly. “How are you feeling?”
“Better. I think the fever’s gone.” A wet cough racked his chest, but when it passed, he smiled at them. At her. Katara looked away, nearly missing the bowl as she ladled him some jook.
“Wait.” Suki stared curiously at her. “Katara, where’s your necklace?”
Her hand flew to her bare throat. “I…don’t know,” she said, fighting panic. “But it’s got to be here. I haven’t left the house.”
“We’ll help look,” Sokka offered, and the others nodded.
They didn’t have to search for long. Just after breakfast, Zuko waved her into his room. His cheeks were bright red as he opened his palm. Her necklace was curled inside it.
“It – ” He coughed again and said hoarsely, “It was in my bed.”
“Oh.” She snatched it up, turning away to tie it, so he wouldn’t see her face. “It must’ve fallen off last night. I came to check up on you and – ”
Finding her courage, Katara faced him. Though he was outwardly calm, Zuko was still blushing furiously. Tui’s fins, how much did he remember? They stood there for what felt like ages, unsure what to say or do.
“It…fell off,” she repeated, her mouth dry.
Zuko looked thoughtfully at her for a second. Then, he smiled at her. Coming close, he wrapped her in a warm, cozy hug, his nose brushing the top of her head. “Thank you, Katara,” he said.
Her face hidden in his shoulder, she smiled too. “You’re welcome, Zuko.”