"Uncle, I swear, if you try to make me sing one more song, I will jump off this ship."
Katara's eyes snapped open at the sound of Zuko's yelling, his footsteps sounding heavily showing just how irritated he was. Katara hid a smile beneath her hand again as she listened to Iroh complain dramatically of the terrible loss that would come from Zuko retiring for the night, ignoring his nephew's threats. The door to Zuko's room opened, the Fire Nation prince storming inside.
"For the last time, Uncle! I'm tired! I'm going to sleep! Now get back up to your party before you lose all the rest of your guests too!"
"Prince Zuko, honestly. I thought you would have the decency to remember you have a guest who's already gone down for the evening and could be sleeping right now," Iroh chastised, the smile in his voice dripping out.
Katara quickly shut her eyes, deepening her breathing to feign exhaustion as Zuko snapped around.
"Well you shouldn't have followed me and made me so angry!" Zuko hissed at his uncle who simply chuckled before wishing Zuko good night.
The door shut softly and Katara strained her ears to hear Zuko's soft padding make his way to her bed.
"Waterbender," he murmured. "Are you really asleep?"
Katar didn't move, keeping her breathing even despite her heart beginning to pound as she felt his warm breath blow on her face.
"You must've been exhausted to sleep through all that," Zuko whispered.
With a grin, Katara opened one eye, catching Zuko in surprise, making him stumble back from where he'd been crouching in front of her pad. He exclaimed in alarm before finally catching his balance, hissing in shock as he looked at her trying to keep from laughing.
"You were pretending the whole time?"
Katara laughed at Zuko's flushed face.
"Do you honestly think anyone could sleep through all your yelling?" Katara asked, sitting up. "And I didn't know you sing! I would've stayed if I thought I could've heard that!"
With a snort, Zuko straightened, walking back towards her mat and sitting cross legged in front of her. "Be glad you left. I inherited a lot from my family, but my mother's singing voice was not one of the traits I got. Still, Uncle somehow believes that with enough practice I'll somehow magically gain a singing voice good enough to please my ancestors or some other stupid idea like that.
"Oh, come on! It can't be that bad!"
Zuko gave her a flat look before it turned into a scowl.
"What are you doing here?" he asked.
Katara looked at him, eyes scrunched in confusion. "What do you mean?"
"Why are you back on this mat?"
"It's the bed your uncle gave me. Are you seriously about to ask me to go back to those shackles and the tiny piece of padding you gave me before?"
"Of course not! I mean, why are you here, and not there?" Zuko asked, pointing to the bed behind him.
Katara's eyes grew huge. "Wait, what?"
"You're still in recovery. Until you're back to full strength, you're supposed to be resting there."
"Oh. But that's your bed, isn't it?"
"So?"
"And why would you want me fully recovered? As I recall, you didn't do much before to keep me in good spirits and fully functional."
Zuko groaned. "If I apologize for all that, will you stop arguing and go sleep over there so that we can all get some rest?"
Katara resisted an eye roll. "I went to a party and danced and walked around for hours today. I think I'm recovered enough."
"Katara, I could feel how exhausted you were. You were barely keeping up with a very slow dance, and I was supporting you most of the time."
"It's because I didn't know the steps!"
The look of Zuko's disbelief caused Katara to scowl at him which turned Zuko's expression into a smirk.
"Fine," he told her, turning to the small table behind him and reaching for the tea pot. Grabbing a corner of Katara's blanket, he poured tea on the edge of it, soaking it as much as he could. "If you can make this completely dry, I'll let you stay on this pad. Otherwise, you're taking the bed."
Katara stared at him blankly.
"Are you just trying to get me to pass out, so it'll be easier for you to put me over there?" Katara finally asked.
"Well isn't she a smart one," Zuko taunted, standing back up. "I'm going to get out of my armor. You have until then to get that tea out or else you're moving."
"Exactly what kind of a prince are you, anyway?" Katara called as he went to his closet.
He smirked at her before beginning to undo the straps that held in his armor. Katara turned away, concentrating on the fabric, debating on if she had the strength to do it. Eventually she sighed, curling up into her corner as she eyed Zuko approaching her warily. She'd taken his bed long enough. If he thought she'd move, he was completely out of his mind.
Zuko grasped the corner.
"Still wet," he noted.
Katara grumbled, scooting herself down onto her mat before turning to face the wall, stubbornly turning her back on him.
The next second, Katara was flailing wildly as she was lifted into the air by Zuko.
"What the…? Zuko! Put me back down right now!"
She kicked her legs weekly, but she really was exhausted, and Zuko's natural heat as a firebender didn't help her head feel any less tired this time. Katara growled at him as he easily carried her to the bed, setting her down with another smirk as he pulled away, but not far enough. Katara's heartbeat stopped for a moment as she realized how close his face was to hers, gold eyes catching the light of the lantern in his room.
"Now, can I trust you to stay here tonight, or do I have to stay up all night worrying about you trying to sneak back to the pad? I personally don't think you'd have it in you to even roll me off it, let alone push me back here, and I am still hoping to get a few hours of sleep before dawn."
Katara swallowed. "Fine, you win," she muttered.
"What was that?" Zuko asked, turning his ear towards her mouth.
"I said get lost and let me sleep! I saved your ship and I'm still recovering, so I need sleep!"
Zuko smirked, finally pulling away. Katara turned her head to the side as she had to cough again, hoping the coughing would excuse the redness in her face. Once she finished, Zuko helped her pull the blanket from the pad off and slip beneath the sheets of his bed, tucking her in.
"Anything you need?" he asked.
Katara shook her head, eyes beginning to close as the heat from Zuko enveloped her.
"Goodnight, Katara," he said quietly, standing to walk over to the mat. He wrung out the corner of his blanket as best he could before settling down, lying on his back. Katara coughed again, prompting Zuko to look over at her in concern but she rolled her eyes at him, letting him know she was fine.
"Goodnight, Zuko," she said back as sleep claimed her.
"Good morning, sir! And good morning Miss Katara!"
Katara groaned as the door was thrown open. Cracking open an eye, she watched as Rizen waltzed in, a plate of food in each hand.
Zuko mimicked her groan, only louder, grabbing his pillow and placing it over his head. Katara smiled at that, managing to pull himself up.
"Morning, Rizen," Katara greeted him, warmly, to which Zuko lifted his pillow to stare at her in puzzlement. Katara shrugged at him and mouthed, 'what'.
In answer, Zuko simply grunted, before throwing off his blanket and walking over to the small table Rizen had placed their breakfast on. Rolling her eyes, Katara carefully made her way over, noticing Zuko watching her the entire time, fingers gripping the table until she had safely made it over.
"What was that about?" Katara accused him. "Were you really that scared I would pass out again?"
"You do seem to have a habit of it," he said gruffly before turning to Rizen. "Who's the third plate for? Is my uncle going to eat with us?"
Rizen shrugged, grinning before sitting down with a thump across from Katara.
"I have no idea what your uncle's eating plans this morning are, but I figured Miss Katara must get pretty bored eating alone with only you, sir as company," he stated matter of factly.
Katara turned a laugh into a cough at the expression on Zuko's face. Turning his eye on her, Katara quickly filled her mouth with food, trying to look innocent.
"You seriously don't think you're going to eat with us?" Zuko asked, turning back to Rizen who had followed Katara's example and started eating.
"Looks like I already am, Sir," he replied brightly once he'd swallowed. "But if it makes you uncomfortable, would you rather I eat with Miss Katara after you've left?"
"What?" Zuko asked, voice raising.
"Just leave it, Zuko," Katara said laughing. "He's not wrong that having company while we eat would be nice instead of just guards who only watch me the whole time and you who thinks every movement is me trying to escape."
"I do not!" Zuko practically roared, getting another laugh from Katara. "And even if I did, I wouldn't be wrong, would I?"
Katara ignored his question and turned to Rizen instead.
"I heard Zuko sang at the party after I left. Did you get to hear it?" she asked.
"Katara," Zuko growled threateningly.
"Alas, fair lady Katara," Rizen told her with a sigh. "I was unable to experience that delight with the rest of the crew. I was below decks when it happened, but I could hear the reactions easily enough. I think it was the greatest entertainment this ship has seen in ages. It's all the crew has been talking about this morning. The Prince's singing as well as the two of you dancing."
Zuko was glaring at Rizen.
"Why were you below decks?" Zuko asked. "I didn't think it was your turn for watch duty last night."
"I was trying to find a private place to throw up," Rizen told them, getting Katara to choke on her food. "Turns out if you drink too much of that spiced nectar and are enjoying a party on the ship, your stomach doesn't settle very well."
Zuko quickly began eating as Katara swallowed the rest of her food, washing it down with the tea Rizen had brought to stop her choking.
"I can't believe you like that stuff. Is that a common drink in the fire nation?" Katara asked.
Rizen nodded his head back and forth in so-so gesture while picking up a piece of fruit from his plate and offering it to Katara, getting Zuko to choke this time. Surprised, Katara took it, nodding her thanks.
"A lot of soldiers use it to keep themselves awake on long watches. The spices are a quick way to make you alert again after you've been standing in the same position for hours," Rizen informed her, still eating.
"Then Aika was right that nobody likes it?"
"Eh, she's biased since I made her drink it her first time on watch duty without telling her what it was."
"So basically, you did the same thing you did to her to me? What happens if I become biased?"
"You wouldn't do that to me after all the fun we had together last night!"
Zuko looked over at Katara in complete shock.
"Last night, I was sick enough I shouldn't have even had to go to the party," Katara protested. "Our one dance was good, but I couldn't even make it through all the way without having to stop."
"I guess that's why General Iroh let the both of you sleep so long today, and why you're looking much more refreshed."
"Uncle let us sleep in?" Zuko cut in. "What time is it?"
"Past noon last time I checked," Rizen told him.
Zuko was on his feet the next moment, rushing to his closet and pulling out his armor. Katara and Rizen watched him messily tie up the straps and throw on his shoes before dashing out of his room.
Rizen locked eyes with Katara as the door slammed behind Zuko.
"Guess that leaves me in charge with guarding you for the day," he told her, grinning.
Katara laughed and together they ate the food Zuko had left behind.