Background: War is over. Aang and Katara broke up.
"Zuko, hold still!"
"But we've been here for hours and it hurts!"
"Don't be such a baby. You are the Fire Lord, aren't you?"
Zuko was currently lying in his royal bed with his royal trousers down. He had just recently returned from the Northern Water Tribe, where he had acquired a bug. More specifically, a parasitic bug that found its way into Zuko's royal butt. Unfortunately, Zuko was already back in the Fire Nation when he found out. Katara had been summoned immediately to tend to his wounds, as she was the only waterbender nearby and a close friend of Zuko. Katara had mocked him in her letters, but the moment she arrived she took care of him. Zuko groaned in pain, and the temperature in the room flared.
"All done. Want to see your little friend?" Katara asked, holding a little speck between her fingers in front of him. Zuko leaned in and looked at the little fiend. It was white and had many pinchers on its almost microscopic body. How Katara had gotten it out was a mystery to Zuko, but he was just glad it was out. Katara froze it in water and then smashed it. Zuko tried to sit up, but he was met with a sharp pain. Katara shoved him back down and patted his back.
"Hold on. I just got him out, but you're not quite finished, Zuko," she confessed. Zuko moaned in distress as she started working on his butt. Taking the bug out had been a lot of work, which was why a master healer was required. She bent some water onto her hands and started to heal the wound. Zuko relaxed as the pain softened and he felt tired. After all, he had been lying like this for hours. Katara finished healing the wound and stood up, stretching. She had just spent hours staring at half of the Fire Lord's ass. She turned to talk to him, but he was already asleep. She was just happy that he was better. Truthfully, once she heard about it, she couldn't help but laugh. But once she heard that it was the Bloody Ice parasite from the Northern Water Tribe, she shut up. The Bloody Ice parasite drained the energy of the host and then froze their blood. Luckily, she was a master healer. Finding the parasite had been the difficult part, because they were so tiny. She had to focus in on his blood and sense its movement. When she found it, all she had to do was cut it out and kill it. She had seen many cases of it during her time in the Northern Water Tribe under the teachings of her healing master. And know she could cure it. The waterbending, however, was intense and long. Katara had been traveling for too long and got to work on Zuko the second she arrived. She barely reached her bed before she passed out.
Zuko woke up refreshed and rested. He hadn't slept this well in weeks. He did his morning rituals and meditated for an hour, remarking in how wonderful he felt. There was no pain in his butt, and no scar to prove it had ever happened. He needed to thank Katara. By the sun's position, he figured it was about lunch time. He would go and join her for lunch. Fire Lord Zuko walked into the dining hall but only saw his uncle sitting alone.
"Uncle, where is Katara?" Zuko asked. Iroh looked relieved as he sipped his tea.
"Fire Lord Zuko, how happy I am to see that you are well. Lady Katara has not awakened yet today," Iroh informed him. Zuko was a little nervous. Katara was always up by at least lunch. But then again, she had just gotten here after a long travel. He should have let her rest before healing him. Zuko sunk into the chair next to Iroh. Was she okay?
"Go check on her, Fire Lord Zuko," Iroh suggested, but it seemed more like a statement. Iroh knew that Zuko would go see her. After all, Zuko had personally asked Katara to come. Zuko had even woken up to greet her as she arrived.
Zuko was at Katara's door, wondering what to do. Should he knock or would that wake her up? If something was wrong knocking wouldn't do any good. But if nothing was wrong, he would ruin her sleep. Zuko was then aware of the soldier's walking past him staring at him. How foolish did he look, staring at the waterbender's door. Zuko slipped in the room without knocking and shut it behind him. As he approached her bed, he was Katara sleeping soundly, a gentle smile upon her face. Zuko looked at the dark circles under her eyes and felt guilty for making her tend to him when she was unwell. He also saw how she was still wearing her clothing from yesterday and not even under the covers. He brushed aside her hair so he could see her face. Her skin was so soft, so smooth. But he caught himself before he touched her again. He pulled the covers over her and looked at her angelic face. Moving away, Zuko left the room and almost ran to his royal chamber. He slammed the door behind him, breathing heavily against the wood.
"Hello, Zuko," his uncle greeted him. Zuko jumped and spun around to see his uncle drinking tea in his sitting room. Zuko turned a bright red and tried to think of something clever to say.
"How was Katara?" Iroh asked. Zuko sighed and sat down next to his uncle, defeated. Iroh poured him a cup of tea and leaned back.
"Sleeping. I want to thank her for helping me, but I don't know how," Zuko confessed.
"Why don't you take her somewhere nice? I am sure Lady Katara would love to go to a spa. From her letters, it seems-"
"Her letters? You've been talking to her, Uncle?" Zuko interrupted. How long had they been talking? What did they talk about?
"Why yes. Lady Katara and I have been writing since the war ended," Iroh explained. Zuko slammed his tea onto the table with a little too much force.
"For three years? I haven't talked to her in three years. What on earth do you talk about?" Zuko demanded. How had he not known? Iroh remained calm, but a tiny smile appeared on his face. A mischievous smile.
"We talk about everything. Whatever is happening to each of us. Lady Katara has been quite busy since she left the Southern Air Temple," Iroh replied. Zuko was confused?
"What do you mean? I thought Aang was staying there to try to find airbenders. Why would they leave?" Zuko asked. Iroh chuckled at his nephew's ignorance.
"Aang is still there. Katara left him. They decided to part ways, Zuko. For two years she has been traveling around, visiting friends and helping people. She feels bored since the war ended. No more excitement," Iroh explained, making sure Zuko understood. Zuko pondered this. He had not been in contact with many of his past friends since he became Fire Lord. He had no idea that Katara and Aang weren't together anymore. And that she has been traveling alone for two years. Perhaps she needed more than a spa.