The Warmth of Tea
disclaimer;; I don't own Avatar: The Last Airbender
Curled up under a thin blanket, she feels her body begin to shiver. She's sick, and it has kept her bedridden for days. The thought of being so helpless scares her, and Katara can't stand another day in the same position. I just need to get up, she thought. Slowly, she sits herself up, beginning to bring herself to her feet, when she loses her balance and is forced to lay back down. It was obvious that she wasn't well enough to be up and about just yet.
Standing outside of her tent, Zuko guards it as he is seemingly using fire to boil a teapot. As she coughs, once, twice, three times, Zuko begins to worry even more. He can barely hear her coughing from within her tent, but knowing that Katara is ill is more than he can handle.
The thought of keeping her waiting strikes Zuko and makes him nervous. "Gotta hurry up," he anxiously tells himself. The water from the teapot begins to boil uncontrollably as he rushes the heating process.
"C'mon, hurry up," his frustration is building up. The tea won't boil at a fast enough pace, he thought. Impatiently, he shakes the pot from the handle rapidly and the hot water flies out. Several drops manage to find the skin on his hand. "Ow!" Zuko drops the pot on the grass in front of him and examines his burnt skin. Angered, he lets out a sudden enraged flame from the palm of his hand which seemed to engulf the teapot for a second.
Hearing this chaos, Katara scrunches her eyebrows and glances at the entrance of her tent in curiousity. Just seconds later, Zuko enters and her eyes soften. She then notices the teapot and teacup he is holding in his hands. Then, she notices the redness from the burning skin on his hands. Before she can ask about the matter of the situation, he explains.
"I made you some tea." Zuko comfortably sits down in front of her, legs criss-crossed. He places the teacup beside her in a reachable distance and slowly pours her a cup. "I hope you like it, my uncle taught me the recipe," he says with a genuine grin on his face.
"Oh, um," she awkwardly responds. After all, this was unexpected. A hothead like Zuko making tea for me like he actually cared, Katara raised her eyebrows at the thought.
Sitting up, she brought the hot cup towards her lips. The steam from the tea covered her face, implying the amount of heat Zuko must have used on the tea. Unfortunately, she had already taken a sip before she came to this realization. Suddenly, the unsuspecting girl was overwhelmed. The tea boiled her tongue, and on top of that, it was incredibly bitter. She couldn't hold the liquid in her mouth any longer, and right as she was going to spit it out-
"How is it?" Zuko stares at her with genuine and hopeful eyes, waiting for the verdict.
Katara stopped in her tracks, and forced herself to swallow. In a large gulp, the tea was gone, and she was relieved. Although the tea didn't taste so great, it didn't affect the taste buds on her burnt tongue anymore. She then brought herself to smile at Zuko, reassuring him.
"It's great!" She continues to smile and nod, which seemed to please him.
Zuko sighs, "Good, I hope it makes you feel better."
Knowing that Katara really appreciates it brings him so much relief and joy, for he just wants her to accept him. He truly cared about her and wanted her to be cured of her illness, even if he can't tell she's faking a grin. However, the fact is that while the tea was terribly made, Katara really did appreciate the small gesture, and suddenly, her grin was fake any longer.
"Thank you, Zuko," Katara leans in and gently brings her lips to his cheek, showing her gratitude.
As she pulls back she notices how rosy Zuko's cheeks now are. And at this point, he can't help but smile and blush like a little kid. This was more than he could ask for from her.
Feeling accomplished, he turns around, preparing to leave when Katara clings onto one of his wrists.
"Zuko, would you stay here? Just for a little?"
Smiling, he accepts and sits back down beside the delicate girl.
Katara then moved back into her previous position as she lied down and curled back underneath the blanket, facing him. When she finally settled in, she closed her eyes, returning to her slumber. Witnessing this, he reached out to brush one of her hair loops out of her face and behind her ears. With a gentle motion he also manages to simultaneously stroke her cheeks.
He then saw her smile, and he knew that she wanted him to keep doing this just as much as he wanted to. And so he continued comforting her until she fell asleep.