It's been a rough day.
Mostly for Zuko and, much to Katara's surprise, the firebender seems to be actively trying not to spread the misery around.
For one thing, it's been cold and rainy and muggy for nearly a week and the sun being constantly hidden behind the clouds seems to be wearing on him, even if he does insist that the sun's still there every time someone says anything, as if it makes no difference to him whether the clouds are there or not.
Since there's been absolutely no difference in his firebending ability, or his control, they let it drop. Arguing that the rainy weather seems to be making him cranky is going to accomplish absolutely nothing beyond making him even more cranky.
Waking up absolutely drenched was not a good way for anyone to start the morning. Aang nearly sending all their belongings up in flames when he tried to start a fire indoors so they could dry off did nothing to lighten the mood.
The sight of Zuko covered from head to toe in black soot after putting out the impromptu bonfire did help cheer everyone else up in spite of his obvious distaste for the entire situation. Katara felt a little guilty as he stormed off-after all, he had just saved all their stuff-but couldn't help but be relieved that everyone wasn't going to be snapping at each other all day.
At the first pause in the downpour that had been plaguing them since the night before, Zuko was back from wherever he'd disappeared to, dragging Aang along with him for firebending practice, complaining that Aang hadn't practiced in days.
He was right, but then again, the weather this past week had been awful, even by waterbender standards.
Practice lasted until Aang hit him in the face with a blast of fire. It's not the first time this has happened, but it is the first time Zuko's stopped training early because Aang can't focus.
It leaves Aang mopey for the rest of the morning even though Zuko tried really hard not to sound like a complete jerk when he said it. Zuko goes somewhere away from the rest of them to sulk, and Katara tries not to be relieved while she tries to console Aang.
Zuko reappears to help with lunch, eats without uttering so much as a word, helps clean up just as silently, and promptly disappears all over again. Since Aang had started to finally cheer back up only to immediately spend most of the meal apologizing over and over, Katara is content to let the firebender be.
It slows down to a light drizzle about an hour before dinner, and Toph, demonstrating her usual knack for knowing exactly where Zuko is at almost all times, drags him out of whatever corner he's been hiding from and somehow convinces her to spar with him, most likely through a combination of bullying and insisting that the only way Aang was going to figure out that he hadn't actually hurt Zuko and that everything was fine was for him to let her throw boulders at him.
For whatever reason he goes along with it, and by the time dinner's ready the two of them are positively covered in mud. Toph looks pleased with herself, and Zuko looks somehow as if he's been thoroughly trampled, but at least Aang's finally stopped apologizing.
Katara makes them both wash off. When Toph protests she simply dumps water on both of them, since Zuko is standing right beside the earthbender. They both end up clean, if soaking wet.
Zuko's literally steaming as they all sit down to eat; the heat is coming off of him in waves, but everyone's been cold and damp for so long that it's actually kind of nice.
The rain holds off through dinner. Sokka catches the firebender as they're handing off their dirty dishes for Aang and Toph to wash and mentions they haven't sparred in a while. Zuko hesitates, but ultimately gives in, and Katara thinks privately to herself that he might have done so simply because he couldn't stand to see the other boy so disappointed as she follows them over to their usual spot so she can watch.
The match lasts all of twenty minutes, at which point it promptly dissolves into a wrestling matching, which even more rapidly devolves into Sokka trapping the firebender in a headlock only to immediately somehow get dumped on the ground (Zuko is fast even in a pretend fight, and Katara made the mistake of blinking at just the wrong moment).
Sokka lashes out with one leg, hooking it around Zuko's ankle and bringing the other boy down almost on top of him, spurring another wrestling match that abruptly ends with the firebender catching Sokka's shoulder of all things in the face.
He jerks his head back, and the resulting hiss of pain has Sokka checking to see if he's okay. By the time Katara reaches them Zuko's brushed off her brother's concerns away and excused himself, heading back inside.
She can tell Sokka's worried anyway when he catches her eye and nods toward the firebender's retreating back. Katara follows him inside.
"You okay?" she asks. It's just them; Aang and Toph are off somewhere, most likely getting covered in mud.
He startles briefly. "Yeah. I'm-fine."
Katara takes a moment to study the former prince. "You sure?" she asks. "You don't sound fine."
He shrugs. "I'll be all right." The words come out subdued, like he doesn't really have a choice in the matter.
"Did Sokka get your eye? When he hit you with his shoulder?"
Zuko shrugs again. "No. I mean-it wasn't that bad. Just kind of-" He doesn't finish. Katara considers her options.
"Can I take a look?" she asks. She's not prepared for him to hunch in on himself. "Zuko?"
He swallows nervously before nodding. Katara approaches carefully, each movement slow and deliberate, because in spite of the fact that he agreed he still looks more than a little like he's considering making a break for it.
"Just-don't touch it," he manages as she leans in for a closer look.
"Okay," she agrees readily, in spite of the oddness of the request. "Does it hurt?"
"Y-not-it-" he stutters for a moment before managing, "Yes, but it was, it was hurting before Sokka bumped me."
"Your scar?"
"Yeah."
"How long has it been hurting?" She asks, and gets another shrug for her trouble. The area looks slightly inflamed, now that she's looking closely. "All day?"
"Couple of days," he grunts. Katara leans back to look at him instead of his scar.
"A couple of days?" she echoes. "And you didn't say anything? How bad?" He doesn't answer. "Zuko."
"I've been having trouble sleeping," he finally admits. "The ointment isn't really helping."
"Can I try healing it?" Katara asks. "I don't know if it will work, since it's an old scar, but maybe it will help with the pain?"
"Sure." Zuko looks as if he's not only expecting it not to help, but to actually hurt, but when she raises her hand he doesn't draw back, instead simply setting his shoulders and closing his eyes.
He flinches as the water from her flask makes contact. "Does that hurt?" Katara asks. "Does it hurt worse, I mean."
"No."
"Any better?" Katara asks after a moment of not quite uncomfortable silence between the two of them.
"Not really."
"Sorry." Katara lets out a disappointed sigh and lowers her hand.
"It's okay," he attempts a tight smile, then winces. "Thanks anyway."
"Okay, I did not hit him that hard." They both jump. Sokka makes his way over to them, looking from one to the other, confusion clouding his features. "Katara?" He turned to eye Zuko almost warily. "You all right?"
"Fine." This answer is a different sort of fine, almost belligerent. Sokka looks back toward Katara.
"Just making sure you didn't blind him with your roughhousing. Again." Katara raises her eyebrows, hoping he'll take the hint.
"Hey!" Sokka protests, but he also starts walking away from them backwards, hands raised in a gesture of surrender.
"Hey Sokka-" Aang bounces in at precisely the wrong time, sees Katara and Zuko, and turns back to Sokka. "Were you guys roughhousing again?" he asks, sounding more like somebody's weary grandmother than a twelve-year-old kid as he does.
"He's fine," Sokka insists, as if he weren't just worried about the very same thing.
"I'm fine," Zuko snaps.
Aang considers him for a long moment. "I know you said the sun's still there and all, but you've been kind of cranky with this extra rain, Zuko."
"I am not cranky."
"That's exactly what a cranky person would say."
"Or a person accused of being cranky when they aren't." Zuko grumbles before letting out a world-weary sigh.
He disappears again shortly after that, only reappearing as the rest of them are settling down for the night. He slips into his usual spot next to Toph without a sound.
"Katara."
It takes Katara a second to recognize the voice whispering her name in the darkness, but when she does she comes instantly awake.
"What is it?" she asks, though she's pretty sure she already knows.
"Something's wrong with Sparky." Toph sounds worried. "He woke up clutching at his face and now his heart is beating like crazy and he can't get his breathing to even out."
Katara climbs out of bed and follows Toph back to their bedroll. They find Zuko curled up on his side, one hand clutching at his scar.
The waterbender kneels beside him, careful not to startle him. "Zuko?"
She gets a pained grunt in response. The firebender shifts slightly. "What?"
"Toph was worried. She said something was wrong. Is your scar still hurting?"
"Toph?" Zuko's response surprises her.
Beside Katara, Toph lets out a soft sigh. "I will go somewhere else and pretend I can't still hear everything," she agrees, voice uncharacteristically gentle, "if you will let Katara help."
"Fine." The reply is all but growled. Toph stalks across the room and heads outside, possibly to create one of her dirt huts and pretend like she's trying to sleep.
"You know that realistically she can probably still hear us from anywhere in the camp, right?" No response. "Zuko?"
"I'm fine."
"You told Toph-"
"I would let you help. You already tried, and it did nothing. Please leave me alone." In spite of the way the words are practically ground out, he actually sounds like he's trying to be civil.
"I'm sorry," Katara says after a moment. "I wish there were something I could do. You said the ointment wasn't helping either; is there anything that will?"
She remembers, quite abruptly, a conversation several weeks ago about his scar, a quiet confession, and an unopened packet placed in her care.
"I hate it."
"The-" Katara fumbles, trying to find the right words. "The medicine? That stuff you gave me, would that help?"
There's a slight pause, followed by "I don't want to. I hate not feeling in control of myself."
He forgot to mention that part.
"But it would help?" Katara presses, trying to still sound gentle. "It's obvious you're in a lot of pain. And unless you think it's going to stop before morning, the others are going to notice-and probably worry."
"They'll notice anyway," he snaps before dragging himself upright. He hasn't removed his hand from his face, though, leading Katara to wonder if he's been rubbing at it even though he probably knows better.
"You know picking at it's just going to make it worse," she says. The one-eyed glare she receives in return is almost venomous; even a few weeks ago she would have considered it proof that he was still, in spite of everything, still very dangerous, and very much a threat.
Now-
He catches himself; the glare dissipates, leaving a pained grimace in its wake.
"Sorry."
Given the circumstance, Katara decides to let it slide. "Probably not helping anything. I'm pretty sure you already know that."
"The pressure helps. A little," he admits. "I hate taking that stuff, but-" he doesn't exactly shrug so much as hunch in on himself.
"I'll go get it."
By the time she gets back Zuko's somehow made it on his feet; he and Toph are having a muted conversation near the entrance, one that they finish as she approaches.
"I'm going to bed," Toph grumbles at them both before making her way over to her usual spot, brushing Katara's elbow as she passes the older girl in a silent "thank you," that the earthbender would never say out loud.
Katara and Zuko head outside; the packet contains a fine powder that has to be measured out and mixed with boiling water. Katara's more than a little impressed when the firebender brings their cooking fire back to life with an almost absent wave of his free hand-as much pain as he's in, his fire is still as controlled as ever.
It doesn't take long to get the water boiling. Katara checks, double-checks, and then has Zuko check that she's measured out the right amount before mixing it up and handing the still steaming cup over.
She's left staring when he immediately raises the cup to his lips and drains it as if it weren't still scalding hot.
"What?" he growls. Katara shakes her head and tries to figure out how to answer him without sounding stupid.
"Wasn't-wasn't that hot?" she finally asks. "I mean, I know it was hot, but there was still steam coming off it? It was just boiling."
Zuko shrugs. "It's supposed to be hot?" He scowls. "Uncle says-said that I never let my tea cool properly."
He doesn't offer anything else by way of explanation, but now Katara has questions. They're questions for another time, though, so Katara grudgingly shoves them aside in favor of reclaiming the cup and using the rest of the hot water to rinse it out while Zuko banks the fire.
His hand finally lowers as they head back toward their sleeping area, but his expression is still pained, leading Katara to wonder how long it will take for the pain to fade.
He stumbles as they cross the threshold; Katara reaches out to steady him without thinking. A second later she remembers that it's Zuko, and that he doesn't really like being touched, but when she goes to pull her hand away he reaches out, his open palm coming to rest almost delicately on her forearm right above her elbow.
"Vision's a little blurry," he admits. Before she can ask, he adds. "Would be fine, but my balance is off."
Katara nods, even though based on what he's just said he probably can't see her. "Am I dropping you off with Toph?" she asks, voice little more than a whisper.
"Rather not."
"Are you going to be okay by yourself?"
"Don't need a nursemaid. I'm not a child."
She settles him down next to her own bedding anyway. He doesn't complain. "Do you even have your own blankets?" she asks, keeping her voice low in the hope that the other will remain asleep.
"Don't need any," he mutters, sinking to the ground. A second later he rolls over, the scarred side of his face just barely visible in dim light.
She crawls back into bed, checking to make sure he's resting comfortably as she settles on her side as well so she can keep an eye on him.
A soft yet pointed jab in the shoulder from behind tells her that Sokka's awake.
"Everything's fine," she murmurs softly. A moment later she hears the soft rustle of cloth as her brother lays back down. By the time Sokka's stopped moving around, Zuko's eyes are closed, and he's breathing slowly and deeply enough that Katara's fairly certain he's asleep.
She watches him for a while, just to be sure that everything is all right, but eventually her own eyes grow heavy, and she gives in to warm, welcoming embrace of slumber.
Author's Note: So there may be more of this and there may not. I'm not really sure. But it does feel like it needs a little something more, just to wrap everything up. We'll see.
It's been longer than intended since my last post, but spring allergies decided to gang up on me, and then this weekend was Memorial day and we had plans with my spouse's family, which were nice, but between the two-and trying to get my book ready for publishing-I sort of forgot to post anything.
Anyway, thanks for reading, and I hope you enjoyed it. Leave a review if you feel like it, even a "Nice" is appreciated.
Disclaimer: ATLA does not belong to me.