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For Safety

Zuko had dozed off at some point during the meeting. Katara knew this intimately, because they had been sitting next to each other—not out of choice on her part; it had just worked out that way—and now his face was nestled into the nook between her neck and shoulder. She could feel his soft breaths brushing her skin with every exhale; feel the warmth of his body pressed against her side, almost as if they were embracing. It was a far too close, far too cuddly moment, and at any other time she would have had no hesitation in pushing him away. Except she just couldn't seem to do that.

Even if he was getting heavy.

Even if she was intensely, frustratingly hyperaware of him.

Katara bit her lip. Iroh was still talking—about important things that she should really, really be paying attention to—but she was too distracted by the fact that Zuko was right there. Maybe she should just shove him off. It would serve him right for falling asleep on her without her permission; it would also only be fitting since this meeting was about how to keep the newest Fire Lord in power and he, you know, was the Fire Lord.

But when his weight pressed even more into her, she simply shifted to accommodate for him. When he almost dislodged himself from her shoulder, she instinctively wrapped her arm around his waist to hold him steady. It wasn't because she wanted him to sprawl all over her, of course. It was just—it was just, well, he had been so exhausted earlier. He'd almost died yesterday. What kind of healer would she be if she woke him up when he was getting the sleep he obviously needed?

Also, there was absolutely no reason for Suki to be smirking at her so knowingly.

"So, that's how things stand now," Iroh said, making Katara snap back to attention. "Until we know for certain who is targeting my nephew, we must be cautious." He glanced at Toph with a smile. "That means you also can't go around challenging the Imperial Guard. It wouldn't be wise to reveal their weaknesses to the public eye."

Toph made a discontented sound. "I still don't see why Sunshine has to keep those useless guards. Someone wants to kill him; that person isn't going to stop just because they failed to poison him the first time. And what are those so-called elite firebenders gonna do? Wave their little flames around to scare the assassins off? I could snuff them all out with one foot!"

"I understand your frustration," Iroh acknowledged. "However, the Imperial Guard has always been more of a symbol of status than anything. They act as a deterrent and help to guard the Fire Lord as an extra pair of eyes, but in the end Zuko knows—just as the Fire Lords did before him—that he cannot completely rely on them."

"Then what?" Katara found herself asking. "Is he just supposed to take the risk? Whoever is targeting him is already in the palace or at least has contacts in the palace. How do we even know we can trust the Imperial Guard?"

"We don't," Iroh said simply.

She sucked in a breath. That wasn't the answer she had wanted. True, Zuko made her feel flustered and out of sorts, but that didn't mean she liked the idea of him being in constant danger. Without even realising, her arm tightened around his waist.

"What if you just mixed up his personal guards a little?" Suki suggested. "With people we can trust, I mean."

Sokka nodded in agreement. "We could even help with that."

Iroh spread his hands. "It is something that Zuko and I have considered, but he worries that changing or increasing the guard will only bolster those who oppose him. No Fire Lord has ever needed more than the Imperial Guard; to act differently now, no matter how justified, would be like telling the public that he is afraid." The older man shook his head. "I have to agree with Zuko: that is not a good message to be sending in such a tenuous time. Even those who support him would start to have their doubts if they thought he didn't have enough strength on his own to stay on the throne."

Aang hugged his knees to his chest. "I had no idea things were like this. I thought beating Ozai would just, I dunno, fix everything."

"You did well to defeat Ozai before he could do further damage to the world," Iroh said gently, "but war itself is not so easily solved. For Zuko, the real fight has just begun. We're doing our best to weed out those who still support Ozai and what he stood for, but that is not something that can happen overnight. I'm afraid it's also only going to get worse once the people start to really feel the effects of losing the war and all of the reparations that come with that. For the past century the Fire Nation has shifted most of its industry and labour into making war; now that work is no longer going to be worth anything. Many people are going to lose their livelihoods, and they will be angry." Iroh glanced sadly at his nephew. "I would have spared him this burden if I could, but—" he sighed and shook his head "—I'm afraid Zuko is the only one who has any chance of truly uniting the people now."

Toph rested her chin on her palm. "Well, there is one way we can at least ensure Sunshine has some better protection for now. In fact, it works out for both of them."

Iroh raised his eyebrows. "What do you mean?"

"Just have Katara stick with him." Toph waved her hand in an airy manner. "All the important officials and guards already know they're engaged anyway, and as Sweetness pointed out herself, no one would think twice if she and Sunshine were seen to be close or even shared a bed at night."

Katara's cheeks burned. "What?"

Her voice must have come out too shrill, because Zuko made a soft sound and she felt him shift against her hold. She quickly pulled her arm away from him and then put more space between him. He rubbed at his eyes and blinked at them all sleepily. A faint dusting of colour spread on his cheeks when he found they were all gazing back at him.

"What?" he asked, looking quite confused. "Oh, no. Did I fall asleep?"

"Yep," Toph said bluntly. "You were drooling all over Katara. Looks like you still got some on your chin, by the way."

Zuko made a startled sound and wiped at his face, even as he cast an apologetic glance Katara's way. Their eyes barely met before he froze and whipped back around to glare at Toph.

"That wasn't funny," he gritted out.

Toph laughed and slapped her knee, clearly disagreeing. Sokka and Aang were also chortling. Both boys were the victims of her "you forgot I'm blind" trap so often that it was probably a relief to see it happen to someone else.

"Anyway," Suki cut in dryly, "Toph's joking aside, her idea does have some merit."

"Indeed," Iroh agreed. "It was something I actually considered myself and had been intending to broach to the both of you, but, well—" his gaze flickered to Katara "—I wasn't sure if it would be well-received."

Katara stood up from the bed. "Of course not!" She could feel her blush spreading all the way to the tips of her ears. "You want us to share a room like a—like a—"

"Like a married couple?" Sokka supplied. He folded his arms across his chest and leaned against the wall. "In case you've forgotten, sis, that's what the two of you are going to be soon."

She opened and closed her mouth like a fish. Zuko, meanwhile, looked as if he was struggling to make sense of the conversation. He glanced from Katara's flushed face to everyone else—most of whom wore amused or far too knowing expressions for her liking—and then back to Katara. Then he just groaned and rubbed his hands over his face.

"Okay," he said, still hiding behind his palms, "someone tell me what's going on."

Iroh did the honours. Zuko's reaction was as bad as her own. He stood up just as she had done and then blushed and stuttered and shot her alarmed looks, even as he tried to convince them that he had everything under control and absolutely did not need Katara to sleep in his room at night to help protect him. He'd survived plenty of assassination attempts in the past.

"Besides, she's pregnant," he finished a bit awkwardly, rubbing the base of his neck. "I mean, isn't she, uh, not supposed to do too much now or something?"

Katara rolled her eyes. "I'm not an invalid; I'm just pregnant. And saying you survived plenty of assassination attempts in the past is hardly reassuring. Need I remind you that you would have died yesterday had I not been there to get the poison out of your system."

"That was different," he responded, though his cheeks flushed a little. "I wasn't thinking then and—"

"And what happens if you have another lapse of attention?" Katara retorted.

His gaze met hers, and he bit his lip in frustration. "I won't."

"You can't promise that."

"Then what?" he demanded. "You want to do what they're suggesting and sleep in my bed with me? You want to take on that role?"

Her heart pounded. She was barely conscious of the other people in the room in that moment—only the boy in front of her with his intense golden eyes. Both of them were aware of why this wasn't a simple matter of offering protection. Just the faintest brush of skin made her body come alive; she could still remember how it had felt when he'd straddled her last night, thinking her an intruder. Dealing with that every night would be—sweet spirits, it would be torture.

Toph sidled up next to her and nudged her in the ribs. "So, are you saying you'll take up the task of being Sunshine's undercover bodyguard?"

Katara swallowed as she realised the trap she had walked into. "I never said—I just—" She floundered for words and ended up glaring at Toph.

"This isn't just for Zuko's benefit," Iroh pointed out, though his tone was far more soothing. "You and the unborn child you carry are also likely targets for assassins; if you and Zuko are together, we can focus the guards around you both, and you can also help to protect each other." His lips curved. "After all, two benders are better than one, and there is no denying you are both powerful benders."

Zuko lowered his gaze to the floor. Even Katara had no snappy retort. Her hands went to her stomach, feeling for the child she knew was growing inside. Everything Iroh said made sense; she had even promised just earlier that she would help Zuko to appear strong for his people. It was just—it was just—

"You want to do what they're suggesting and sleep in my bed with me? You want to take on that role?"

A shaky breath escaped her lips. "Alright," she said softly. "I'll do it."

Zuko's eyes darted to hers in shock. She held his gaze, her cheeks frustratingly warm, but neither of them said anything. Instead, it fell to everyone else to declare the matter was settled. Aang still looked a bit uncertain on how he should feel about the situation, but he was at least trying to be supportive and said he would do what he could for them while he was still in the Fire Nation. Sokka, of course, was just being his annoying, logical self and stated that he didn't understand why they'd even made it out to be such a big deal: both Zuko and Katara had shared tents and slept near each other plenty of times while they'd all been travelling together during the war, and it wasn't like they hadn't already—

But here Sokka trailed off, because he still seemed to struggle to say aloud that his sister had had sex with anyone, let alone one of his best friends.

"Thanks, Sokka," Zuko said in his driest voice. "We really needed that reminder."

Understanding dawned in Sokka's eyes. "Oh, right. Katara said something about how it was just a mista—"

"Idiot!" Katara screeched, shoving at her brother's back and pushing him towards the door, which she wrenched open with her bending. "Just shut up and get out!"

"Hey, I just—"

"Out!"

Katara kicked his butt for good measure, making him stumble a few steps out the doorway. Then she slammed the door shut on his face. There was an awkward pause and some very poorly disguised chuckling. Even Suki had to cover her mouth to hide her smile.

"Want me to deal with him?" Suki asked.

Katara pressed her hands to her burning face. "Please do."

She didn't even need to look at Zuko to know he was blushing just as much her. Sokka was such a big-mouthed idiot sometimes.

Suki left the room, but not before pausing to murmur in Katara's ear that she was proud of her for doing the mature thing. That was nice. Katara even started to feel her blush fade until Toph ruined it by suggesting far too slyly that she and Zuko had better not get too cosy with each other at night.

"Can't stop assassins if you're too busy—"

Zuko's hand clamped over Toph's mouth. "You be quiet too," he said firmly.

The earthbender seemed a bit disappointed to have her fun spoiled, but something in Zuko's tone made her not push the issue. Instead, she pulled his hand away and gave a careless shrug.

"Whatever. If you want to use my lie detecting skills to help suss out the bad nuts from the bunch, you know where to find me."

And then Toph trundled out of the room in that no-cares way of hers that only she could pull off. Katara wanted to be mad at the little stirrer, but she also couldn't bring herself to stay irritated for long. She had got to know the younger girl enough to realise that Toph was genuinely concerned about them. That was why Toph had come up with this plan and had even tried to take on the Imperial Guard earlier; she just wanted Zuko and Katara to be safe, and this was the only way Toph knew how to express that.

Katara found herself gazing at Zuko, who had clearly come to the same conclusion. There was another awkward pause—made more so by the fact it was now only Zuko, Katara, Aang and Iroh left in the room. Aang mumbled something about needing to find Momo and quickly made his escape. Even Iroh didn't seem to want to linger; the older man said he would organise the servants to move Katara's things so she could get all set up in her new room and then he smiled at them both before leaving. The door shut with a too-loud click. Katara let out a breath she didn't know she had been holding.

"Well, this is now a thing," she muttered, casting a jerky hand at his room. "Thanks to those stupid assassins, we're going to be roommates."

Or bedfellows. There was only one bed, after all, and the whole ploy would be ruined if they didn't share it.

Zuko looked like he didn't know whether to facepalm or just follow his uncle out the door. Then again, he'd never been a coward. Maybe that was why he ended up meeting her gaze.

"Are you sure about this?" he asked.

"You didn't argue against it either in the end," she pointed out.

Better to deflect the question than answer.

He sighed and flopped against the bed so that he was lying on his back. "Maybe—maybe it is better this way. For you and the baby's safety, I mean."

"Aren't you forgetting someone on that list? I am supposed to be your undercover bodyguard now."

He raised his head to give her a flat look. Katara almost smiled. Almost.

She stepped away from the wall. "Look, we both know this is going to be … awkward, to say the least. But we're also both agreed that it's necessary for now, right?"

"I guess."

"So, let's just be professional about this. I mean, Sokka's right that it's not like we haven't shared tents before, so we can just—"

Zuko propped himself up on his elbows to meet her gaze. Judging by his furrowed brow, he seemed to be silently asking her if she was kidding. Katara trailed off and was annoyed that her heart raced a bit. Something about her body's reaction must have got tipped off to him through her expression, because he made a sound that might have been a groan—or a half-suppressed, half-hysterical laugh—and then flopped back against the bed and placed his arm over his eyes.

"This sucks," he mumbled more to himself.

Katara swallowed. She wasn't sure why his obvious frustration made butterflies stir in her stomach or her heart beat even faster, but the fact that it did at all made her feel embarrassed and like she was standing on the wrong foot. In true Katara fashion, it also made her decide she couldn't handle being in the same room with him anymore. Unfortunately, according to her new duties, she couldn't just leave him on his own either. Ugh, he was right. This sucked.

She folded her arms across her chest and looked the other way. "How are you feeling now, anyway?" she asked, desperate to change the subject.

If they just talked about healing things and such, maybe this would be okay. She could be professional if she focused on her duties as a healer.

"Fine, I guess," he said without enthusiasm.

"You don't have any lingering dizziness or headaches? Nothing like that?"

Zuko lowered his arm from his eyes and once more sat up to face her properly. He opened his mouth as if to speak, paused, and then just shook his head. She wasn't sure what that was about, but a second later he got to his feet.

"I'm fine," he said more firmly. "I was just tired earlier."

She watched him cross to the mirror so he could fix up his robes and the five-pronged headpiece secured to his topknot, which had got a little skewed after he'd fallen asleep on her. It was an oddly domestic moment, and she wasn't sure she liked the way it made her feel. Such moments were probably going to become common for them now. Just the thought made her cheeks warm. As if she hadn't blushed enough today.

"Are you almost done?" she snapped. "If you're as fine as you say you are, then there's no further reason for us to linger. It's not like I want to stay in this bedroom with you all day."

The look he gave her was almost as irritated as her own. She had to admit it took her off-guard. He'd been rather nice to her of late, but it seemed the fact they were going to be stuck in closer proximity had made his grumpier side come out. Or maybe it was just her bad temper getting on his nerves.

"Trust me," he gritted out, "the less we're stuck in this bedroom together, the happier I'll be."

Katara ignored the odd, confusing flutter that once again stirred in her stomach. Instead, she opened the door and stomped out of his bedroom. It was only later—as her own edginess increased while the sky changed from light to dark and signalled what was to come—that she realised why her body kept having such strange reactions to him. His voice had sounded frustrated, but his eyes had been heated and intense whenever they'd glanced her way.

Just as intense as they'd been that night when he'd lured her in like a moth to a flame, and she had found herself kissing him with all she had.

Katara swallowed and tore her gaze away from the boy with whom she was now expected to share a bed. Yes, Zuko had definitely been right earlier: this was really, really going to suck.

I wasn't actually going to include the "forced bed-sharing" cliché in this story, but hey, it became a cliché for a reason, right? Next chapter should be fun. *giant, unsubtle wink*