It was just days after Zuko had saved Katara's life from Azula's lightning strike, he was still walking around in lots of pain even though he wouldn't admit it. However, it became very apparent, 4 days after he got hit, when he collapsed during a meeting discussing the future of the Fire Nation.
"We need to start by issuing a formal apology to all the nations, and say we'll do anything we can to help the world get back on its feet." Zuko then winced in pain, as his hand instinctively went to his chest as the spot where he got struck flared up in pain once again.
"Are you alright, My Lord?" His head guard asks, with a furrowed brow.
Zuko nodded his head, refusing to admit how much pain he was in. "I'm fine. As I was saying, we'll do what we can to help, but there is still going to be much residual anger at the Fire Nation for what we put the other nations through. For now, we can only-" his word got cut off by a gasp that slipped through his lips. His knees buckled and he fell to the floor.
"My Lord!" His guards quickly rushed to his side as he crippled over in pain. "Someone get the doctor!"
Zuko just shook his head trying to get back up, "N- no, I'm fine."
The head guard pushed him back down. "Sir, you just collapsed, and you've obviously been in pain for days now. My job is to protect you, and I can't let you keep walking around like this. You're going to see a doctor and if I have to strap you down so you will get the medical help you need then you damn well better know that I'll do it."
Zuko glared at his head guard, but relented. "Fine, but I meet with him alone, if word got out that the Firelord has collapsed in the middle of a meeting, my people will see me as weak and unfit to guide the nation back to prosperity. Take me up to my room."
The guards helped him up and basically carried him back up to his room, Zuko was almost too weak to stand up on his own two feet. He was humiliated. They laid him down and Zuko took off his shirt so the doctor could look over his chest.
He closed his eyes and tried to relax as he waited for the doctor to come. About ten minutes later he heard some noise out in the hallway and there was a light knock on his door.
"Come in," Zuko says, turning his head to the door.
Much to his surprise Katara comes in wearing nothing but her white swimsuit and slightly damp hair. Zuko's eyes widened slightly as he looked at he looked at her, she had quite an amazing figure.
Katara blushes as she's handed a Fire Nation robe to cover herself with.
"I was on the beach with Suki and Toph when your guards came and found me. I came as fast as I could so I didn't have time to stop for clothes." She said, her face becoming more red as she quickly wraps herself in the Fire Nation robe.
"I thought I was going to be seen by a real doctor?" Zuko said, with confusion in his voice.
Katara raised an eyebrow. "Everybody knows that waterbenders are the best healers in the world. And since I'm the only one currently in the Fire Nation right now, I'm the best doctor they could find on such short notice." She walks over to him and looks at his scar, pulling water from a pouch on her hip. "The guards told me that you collapsed earlier and that you've been in a noticeable amount of pain for days. How long have you been in pain?"
"Ever since Azula hit me with lightning.." Zuko said with a mumble, feeling embarrassed he had to admit he was even in pain.
"I swear you men are so stubborn. The only thing keeping you upright is that blasted male pride of yours. Why didn't you come talk to me sooner?" She says, with concern in her eyes. She placed her hands on his chest and the water started glowing bright blue.
"I can't be seen as weak, not now, not when my Nation is practically falling apart. I need to be strong, I need to persevere." He says, looking up at the ceiling.
"You don't have to be strong all the time, you know? It's okay to have a break every now and then. You deserve to have a break every now and then with how much stress you're putting yourself under. You're extremely tense." Said Katara, trying to get his muscles to relax.
He turned his head so he was looking at her. She was so beautiful when she focused. The twitch she gets in her eyebrow when she's concentrating. The way her breathing slows as she moves with her element.
"Thank you. For everything you've done for me. I don't know what I ever did to deserve it." He says, sincerely. Katara looked into his eyes and saw something Zuko rarely showed to anyone, raw emotion.
Katara felt her heart skip a beat as she looked at him. She smiled softly talking in a whisper, "I believe in second chances, I believe in redemption. And you've redeemed yourself. You deserve it because of everything you've done for your people, everything you've done for my friends… and everything you did for me." She looks away as her eyes filled with tears.
Zuko's brow furrowed and he places a hand on her wrist. "Hey.. what's wrong?"
Katara shook her head and looked back at him as a tear involuntarily slipped out. "Why did you do it? Why did you risk your life to save mine?"
Zuko took one of her hands and interlocks his fingers with hers. "In that moment, I knew I'd rather die than let anything happen to you... I'd rather die than lose you. I can't live without you in my life. You make it so much richer and brighter. You're laugh is like a thousand bells ringing in the wind, your smile is like a thousand stars shining in the night sky, yours eyes are like the sea after a storm. You're so kind and caring, but you're fierce and loyal. You're an amazing bender and woman and I wasn't about to let my crazy sister take you down. I care about you a lot, Katara, more than I think you even realize."
Katara has tears openly falling down her face now and Zuko reaches up and wipes away her tears with his thumb.
"I care about you a lot, too" she says, holding his hand to her face.
Zuko shook his head and looked away from her sadly. "Not in the way I care about you, you have Aang and you two are probably really happy together, but I needed to tell you this. I'm falling in love with you Katara, I've been falling in love with you since we fought at the Northern Water Tribe. You're incredible and no woman had ever stood up to me like that before. I know that nothing is going to come out of this but I just needed to tell you before I went crazy and-" His words were cut off by Katara placing her lips against his. She cupped his face with her small, soft hands and kisses him with all the pent up love and care she's had for him that's been building up for months. Zuko is shocked by the kiss but quickly returns with all the emotion of kissing your true love for the first time can have.
Katara pulled away and smiled, "You have no idea how long I've been waiting to hear you say that."
Zuko smiled and pressed his lips against hers once again. This time, being more passionate as Katara let her robe slip off and straddled him. She places on hand on his side and one hand on his chest right over his scar, letting the kiss say all the words she's wanted to say to him for months.
"So this is what being in love feels like," Zuko says, pulling away and looking up at her, forgetting all about the pain in his chest.
"I guess so." Katara says, with a wide smile.