Katara had been feeling off for the past week. Not sick or normal menstrual pains. Nothing the healers could pick up on, that is. Just... off.
Zuko knew it was serious when the full moon arrived. Normally, Katara would be wide awake, energized by Yue's light flowing through her chi paths. She and Zuko would stay up and talk for hours until he eventually fell asleep, then she would train or simply wander the palace grounds until dawn.
This month was different. Katara was not one to rest when sick. She took her ambassador position seriously and pushed herself to the limit even when sick. But this full moon, she actually took a sick day and crawled into bed when he did without uttering a word, long before the moon reached her peak.
That alone made Zuko worry. He decided to fetch the Northern Water Tribe healers in the morning. Whatever was plaguing Katara needed to be seriously looked into, but for now, all he could do was hold her close and provide much needed comfort.
Sleep evaded Zuko that night. He was caught between the uncanny realm between consciousness and dreams when a bright flash lit up the room, jerking him awake. Immediately, he noticed Katara was gone, replaced with a light weight on his chest where she was previous laying.
Zuko stilled. The rebel assassins were getting creative. He had heard rumors of new explosive devices set off by motion. Zuko slowly raised his head, prepared to fling the object across the room as quickly as possible.
Instead of a strange device, he saw a small figure coated in light specks and stardust laying over the scar on his chest. It shifted on its own and let out an all too familiar groan. Zuko gasped, not believing his eyes. He cupped the figure with one hand and used the other to slowly prop himself up.
"K-Katara...?"
She groaned again and rubbed the lingering stardust out of her eyes.
"Zuko... I don't feel too well..."
~*~
Apparently, there is a Micromoon tonight. So naturally, I had to make a G/T AU.
Summary: In which Katara discovers that size does matter. Also, the real one in need of saving might just be her giant, grumpy protector.
FFN, AO3
Ozai Plans a Vacation
"Can't you get out of going to Ember Island?" Katara demands as she watches Zuko pace up and down in front of her.
"I tried."
"Well, try more!"
He runs his hands through his hair, grabbing fistfuls. "You don't understand. My father is not giving me a choice. Even Azula doesn't get a choice."
"What do we do then? What am I supposed to do?"
He releases his hair, leaving it mussed and sticking up everywhere. Their eyes meet and she can see her own worry in his eyes. Though she still stays in her tiny form during the day, she's taken to switching to her normal size the moment the sky turns dark and the moon is up. Staying in the palace without him would be a huge risk. (Not to mention she'd have no way to get food or water.) Joining him on the forced vacation to Ember Island wouldn't be much better.
A groan escapes him and he slumps onto the bed next to her, almost unsettling her tiny body from the motion. "This is a mess."
"Tell me about it."
"Maybe we could—no, that won't work." He collapses onto his back and presses his hands to his face, making frustrated sounds. "Think, think, think …"
There's a knock at the door. "Prince Zuko. Your, uh, training will start soon. We have your clothes prepared."
Zuko leaps off the bed, curses spilling from his tongue. "I've gotta go."
"But—"
"We'll talk later."
She sighs and flops onto her back. Just great.
oOo
Zuko is late.
She's thrown on one of his sleep shirts and sits on his bed, glaring at the door with her arms crossed. Her stomach rumbles. The snack stash is gone, and he's the one who's supposed to bring her dinner.
"We'll talk later," she says in an exaggerated imitation of his voice. "When's later, huh?"
Her grumbling stomach is the only response.
She sighs and sprawls on his bed like an otter-starfish. Gets up and practises waterbending forms. Stomps around a bit before throwing herself back on the bed. There's a restless energy in her that won't be settled. She knows it's not just from boredom. The prickly, twisty thing in her gut niggles whenever he's away from her too long.
What if he's with the floozy?
She groans and slaps her hands to her cheeks. "The floozy is his girlfriend. Let it go."
Except she can't. She can't because sometimes her heart skips and stutters when he looks at her. Because he's her friend and they can laugh and talk so easily, and there's a selfish, petty part of her that doesn't want to share.
She bites her lip and rolls onto her stomach, reaching out to hug the pillow to her chest. What if he really is with the floozy? What if … what if they're kissing and … things.
"No." She smooshes her face into the pillow, eyes squeezed shut. "Don't think about it. Don't think about them. It's none of your business, and he's just a friend anyway, and—"
The door opens.
Katara whirls around and sits up, still clutching the pillow and with her hair falling in her face. She puffs out a breath to blow the strands away from her eyes. "You're back."
Zuko presses the door shut behind him. "Sorry I'm late."
She wants to ask him if he was with the floozy. She really, really wants to. (And even examines his hair and clothes to look for the tell-tale signs of rumples and grabby hands, but everything from his boots to his topknot seems tidy and perfectly in place.) She relaxes her grip on the pillow.
"I hope you brought food," she says.
"I did."
He settles with her on the bed, though he keeps more than an arm's length of space between them. He's been doing that ever since she'd knelt between his legs, face inches from his and laughter dying on her lips. Or at least he does it when she's her normal size. He doesn't seem to care about personal space when she's tiny.
Zuko pulls out the wrapped food from his pockets and leans forward to hand them to her. The fact she also has to lean over just to grab the food only emphasises the skittery distance he's keeping.
This is awkward. And ridiculous. Just because she finds him kind of attractive and doesn't like him with the floozy doesn't mean she's going to do anything.
She uncurls her leg and prods him with her toe. "Oi."
He twitches. "What?"
"Stop being weird."
"What?"
Another prod. "You heard me."
His unscarred cheek dusts with pink and he rubs the base of his neck, looking the other way. "I have no idea what you're talking about."
Except she thinks he does, because he soon shuffles closer and his posture relaxes. Hurrah. The gap between them is no longer lava.
"Hey, Katara?"
"Mm?" she says, too busy chewing on her dinner to give a better response.
"I think you're going to have to come with me to Ember Island."
She chokes and almost spits out her food. "Are you crazy?"
He shakes his head and lists all the reasons for why it's the best option, along with how they can make it work. She knows he's right, but still.
Azula will also be on this trip. So will the floozy.
Summary: In which Katara discovers that size does matter. Also, the real one in need of saving might just be her giant, grumpy protector.
AO3, FFN
Smells like Teen Drama
Arms slip around Zuko's waist and a warm body presses against his back. "I wouldn't recommend it," Mai says, low and amused.
He stiffens and breaks the embrace, quickly spinning around to face her. "Huh?"
"Jumping off the ferry. It's a long way to swim back."
"Oh, I wasn't—"
"I'm just messing with you, idiot." She leans next to him against the railing. "Though you're not exactly being subtle about not wanting to be here."
"It's not that …"
It's the fact Father didn't give him a choice. It's the fact he's never been a good liar, he swore he wouldn't let anything happen to Katara, and they're about to spend a mini vacation at Li and Lo's beach house with Azula, Mai, and Ty Lee. (And the two old ladies, he supposes, since they're acting as chaperones.)
Mai grips his sash and tugs him closer, hips brushing against his. "Relax. I'm sure we can find a way to make this trip enjoyable …"
His breath catches. She's using the bedroom voice on him, the one that always leads to the best kisses.
Wait. She's using the bedroom voice on him and Katara is in his pocket.
He frantically removes her hands from his sash and steps back. Something flickers in her eyes. She stands tall and straight, and her expression blanks like a slate wiped clean.
"Or not," she says flatly.
A sinking in his stomach. "Mai, I … I didn't mean it like that."
"Oh? Like how you haven't been avoiding me either?"
"I haven't. I swear I haven't. I just—"
"Have been busy." She folds her arms. "So you keep saying."
He wants to thunk his head against the pole. This conversation is fast spiralling towards an argument, and he is conscious of the tiny girl in his pocket who is no doubt listening to every word.
"You know, Zuko, sometimes you can be such a jerk."
Mai heads for the other end of the boat without another word. He groans and this time he does thunk his head against the pole. Now his girlfriend is mad at him again. Just great.
oOo
They get settled in at the beach house. It's smaller than he expected and smells like old lady, but he still gets his own room. Perks of being the only guy.
Azula leans against the doorframe as he unpacks. "I think that's a new record for you," she says.
"What are you talking about?"
"The fact you pissed Mai off before we even got here."
He scowls. "Shut up."
"She's right, though. You have been rather secretive of late."
He stiffens and throws her a wary glance. Has his sister been spying on him?
A smile curls her lips. "I know it's difficult for you, Zuzu, but try to be a little smarter. People will get suspicious if you keep hiding away and going off on your own."
"Is it so bad to want some space and time to myself?"
"It is when not so long ago you were a traitor with a bounty on your head."
His fingers curl into his palms.
"Just try not to be such a dum-dum." She pushes away from the door. "Or at least get better at lying."
oOo
Katara emerges from his pocket the moment he's shut and locked the door on the pretext of getting changed. "Finally," she says. "I was dying in there."
"Sorry."
He offers her some water. She gulps it down, using her bending so she won't spill.
"You remember the plan?" he says as he tugs off his shirt.
Her gaze drifts over his chest. "Hm?"
"The plan."
"Oh." She blinks and looks back at his face. "Yeah. I remember."
His brow creases. Had she just … been checking him out?
Katara clears her throat and looks the other way. "But are you sure this is going to work? Sounds like your sister plans to keep a closer eye on you. Might be difficult to slip off on your own."
That's true …
"Plus, you'll just make your floozy grumpier if you don't do something soon to make it up her."
A frustrated huff. "For the last time, Mai is my girlfriend, and she wouldn't even be mad at me if you—"
He clamps his mouth shut. Too late.
Katara lowers her gaze. "If I wasn't here, right?"
He bites his lip. She doesn't sound mad, but somehow the edge of guilt in her voice makes him feel worse. He knows this is rough for her, for all she tries to stay positive. She doesn't need him blaming her for his relationship problems.
"Zuko!" Ty Lee calls from the other side of the door. "C'mon, we're heading to the beach!"
"Give me a sec!"
He sighs and runs a hand over his face. This is already turning into a mess.
