Word Count: 381
Rating: PG-13
Warnings: None to speak of.
He finds her curled up against a tree, her tiny body shaking from the cold. He can see that she is absolutely drenched, her hair matted to her head and dipping down her face in rivulets. It occurs to him belatedly that it might not be just water running from her eyes—who can tell in this rain?
The approach is slow, painfully so. He wants to march up to her, hoist her up into his strong arms, and carry her back to camp. But he knows she is awake, and manhandling her is probably not the best way to handle this situation. Instead, he takes his time, carefully setting each foot down just loud enough to make a sound in the crinkling leaves, but without sounding threatening.
She does not look up, and he begins to wonder if she is really awake or not. Then he sees a small sob wrack her body, and looks away; he can't stand seeing her weak like this.
He stops, a mere foot in front of her. She still does not acknowledge him. Sighing, he resigns himself to sitting down next to her, his back against the tree and his body just barely touching hers. Still, she does not look at him.
"Katara."
Her head jerks up, as if she has just noticed his presence. Her eyes, wide in surprise and puffy from crying, meet his. Her sad cerulean eyes are still wet, and he is unsure if it is rain or tears. He reaches out a tentative finger to wipe the water off her face, and though she does not flinch or move, her eyes drop.
"I'm sorry."
"I know," she whispers, her voice just barely audible. "I know."
He wraps an arm around her, pulling her closer, and she makes no effort to stop him. After a few minutes of the silence, he is relieved to feel her stop shaking. Her head falls onto his shoulder, and he glances down affectionately at the top of her head.
It does not take long for her breathing to become steady, a predictable pattern of inhales and exhales. She is asleep, and he smiles softly at the realization. Letting his cheek rest gently on her head, he closes his eyes and succumbs to the night.
END.