A/N: Alright, here's another one shot. I hope you enjoy it and please remember to review.
Title: Love Sick
Couple: Zuko/Katara
Genres: Just romance
Rating: K- that's it. All these will be K because they are just first-kisses unless I do Sokka with one of his 'girls'. Lol.
Status: Takes place after season finale.
Summary: After coming back from the North Pole, Prince Zuko has caught a terrible illness. And, well, since Katara is the only one who took the healing class for the Water Tribe women, only she knows what to do. (The summary may suck but the story is good- I guarantee. Don't judge the story for the summary because of me, I beg of you.)
Disclaimer: You know I don't own anything or anyone.
Favorite Quote From One Shot: "Great. Now I'll have a girl feeling me."- Prince Zuko
Scroll Two: Love Sick
Prince Zuko woke up with a groan. His eyesight came into focus after a moment or two. A blur of a young woman kneeling beside him showed through brightness after. Zuko tried sitting up with another groan. A wet cloth slipped off his forehead in the process. Prince Zuko groaned again.
"W-where am I?" He said, his throat sore and rough. The young woman placed one hand on his back and the other onto his chest, pushing him gently down back to the ground.
"Shh…you need your rest." The girl said.
"Where am I?" Zuko asked again. "And who are you?" He began to get a bit aggravated.
"I'm Katara." She said tenderly.
"Katara?" Prince Zuko didn't recognize.
"From our battle- in the North Pole, when you were trying to capture Aang?" Katara tried to refresh his memory for him. But Prince Zuko was silent for a while. Finally he shot up quickly.
"Katara!" He repeated angrily. Then he stopped. He began to look faint. "Ugh…I got up too fast." He moaned rubbing his forehead slowly while slinking back down to the grounds level.
"You caught the rarest Water Tribe cold. Only outsiders can catch it, but since no outsiders ever tried to go near it, not many people catch it. But you did. You could die if you don't get the correct care that is needed to tend the illness. Even outsiders don't get it that often. Many of Zhao's warriors could die if they caught this, because they don't know any Water Tribe Women that is willing or caring enough of them to help them." Katara inform him.
"Wait- caring?" Zuko repeated. Katara turned a carnation until Sokka burst in with a gasp.
"It is true! Katara! What are you doing helping him?" Sokka asked angrily. Zuko tried to get up and say something back, but the cold was taking over his body's energy quickly.
"Sokka," Katara stood up and wrapped her arm around his arm and lead him out of the small tent Katara had made to secure Prince Zuko and her. But mostly her- that tent was best possible way besides going into the forest to keep Zuko away from Sokka. But somehow, he found out anyway. "Prince Zuko is on the verge of dying." Katara told him while they were out of the tent. Sokka whipped his arm away.
"You weren't really worried when he was going to die in that blizzard at the North Pole!" Sokka yelled. Katara put her index finger up to her mouth signaling Sokka to keep quieter.
"Why Katara?" Sokka whispered in a mocking tone. "'Fraid Zuko's poor little ears will get hurt if somebody screams?" he mocked harder. Katara punched him in the arm.
"Sokka! Quit acting immature. I don't want to be known for the rest of my life as the girl who killed the Prince of the Fire Nation!" She retorted.
"You wouldn't be! If you did let him die- you'd be known as the girl he contributed a whole lot to the Avatar defeating the Fire Nation and not being captured of killed! But if you don't let him die, you'll be known as the Water Tribe rebel girl who helps the Fire Nation!" Sokka replied.
The two were silent for a while. Crossed arms- lower lip out- pouting. Sokka gave up with a sad sigh. "How'd you learn to help save his life?" Sokka asked trying very hard not to yell and argue with her.
"When Master Pakku said the first time women can only learn Healing, I went to Yagoda's healing class. She said it would be the most rare healing cure I'd ever use, if at all I use it." Katara said.
"So, what do you have to do with the Water?" Sokka asked dumbly referring to her Water Bending skills and practice. Katara sighed as if she were saying 'I cannot believe you don't know. It's obvious, really.'
"Nothing." She replied. Sokka looked strangely at her. "That why it's the rarest, duh." She pointed of a matter-of-factly. "I have to first-" Katara got interrupted by a loud, painful groan coming from inside her little home-made tent. Katara, with a gasp, left Sokka out there as she raced into the tent.
"What's wrong?" She asked Prince Zuko.
Zuko, stubborn to talk to her because he was holding a grudge about finding out what he had, who she was, and where he was, just kept moaning. "You know, I can't help you if you don't tell me what's wrong." Katara said. Zuko saw no threat so just groaning and moaning. "And you'll die." She added fixing her legs into a criss-cross.
"My stomach." Prince Zuko moaned, obviously not enjoying it at all. Because beside the three main reasons he's stubborn, it's the fact also that he's being treated by the girl who travels with the Avatar. And even if he could stand up and get past Katara who kept telling him to lay back down because he needs rest, he was beginning to feel weaker and weaker, the illness draining out his dynamism.
"Ah, yes." Katara said, placing another pillow underneath his head for elevation. "The pains. Especially in the torso area." Katara informed him.
Zuko scoffed. "Great. Now I'll have a girl feeling me."
Katara returned his rude comment with a scoff and comment of her own. She knew neither of them were enjoying this at this point, but she was going to stay positive, anyway. "I'm not going to feel you. I'm going to help and heal you." She replied.
Katara, with water concealing her hand, pressed one finger between his abdomen and gliding her whole finger up and down his torso, making streaks of crystal water pour out into the ridging part of his body that she touched with the water. The water evaporating into his skin, she took her index finger off of his body.
"There." She said playfully motioning the water back into her water skin sack.
"What? That's it? I'm healed?" Prince Zuko asked, still a bit hesitant to fully try and sit up.
"No." She replied simply. "But that'll keep your pain down a bit, while you move into the next and final faze." She primed.
"The next step is…ugh!" Zuko threw the rest of the small wool skin, animal fur blanket of Katara's onto his body, the part she pulled off to stroke the water bending into his system. He tried to cover his whole body, scrunching up with a shiver.
"The subzero stage." She said grimly.
"Why do y-you s-sound s-so-so upset a-b-b-bout this?" He said trying to act nonchalant- it wasn't working. Katara looked at him deeply with concern.
"Well, it's not like I'd want you to die." She said trying not to blush. Zuko looked a bit confused. "I'm not a mean person. It's not like I pray to the Lord that you'll die." She replied to his quizzical expression. "Here." Katara said handing Prince Zuko a cup of tea. "You should drink it, it'll make you feel better, somewhat."
"S-somewhat?" He asked before taking a big gulp. He then set the cup down, pulling his hands up to his mouth, making a Dragon's blow burst out of his mouth. He groaned as his fire breath did not take the fridge and freezing cold away.
Katara refilled hill cup of tea. Zuko took it into his hands, and took her thoughtfulness into consideration. "K-Kout-tara-"
"It's Katara."
"W-whatever- uh…thanks for h-helping m-me. I-I really appr-reciate it-t-t." He said thoughtfully. Katara was now blushing big time and was a little sheepish to show it still, but she wasn't really trying to hide it, either.
"Sure thing." Katara said as she scooted a bit closer towards the Prince, but not much, and she was unseen by him. Prince Zuko shivered even more. His teeth were chattering now. "Here, let me help." Katara said finding an excuse to actually get closer to him. She scooped up the blanket wrapping it tighter around him, but enough for breathing space.
Katara ended up trying him around that her arms were wrapped around his shoulders. "Uhh.." The both hesitantly tried to get closer by acting as if they were scooting farther from each other. "So, have y-you d-d-done this b-before?" Zuko asked, clearing his throat. Katara tried to cough and clear her throat as well, just for the unsettling embarrassment.
"Uh…no." Katara replied sheepishly. The two were close together now, but not touching either one of themselves.
"Oh. S-so, I g-guess you're pretty good at it th-en. B-because I'm feel-ling a bit b-better n-now." Prince Zuko complimented her. Katara blushed at the admirarance. She had never seen this side of Prince Zuko before- she liked it.
"Um, thanks." She said.
"S-so, you won't get s-sick- being t-this c-close to m-me?" Zuko asked her sounding concerned. Katara shook her head 'no'.
"No, this is a cold for only outsiders, remember?" She retorted soothingly.
"Oh, well I hate it. You're lucky you can't get it because it's horrible. I never want to get this ever again." Prince Zuko said.
"Don't worry. It's like one of those colds you can't get ever again. You get it once- and then it's over and done with." Katara answered.
"Well, -that's good-d. B-because I c-can't e-even f-feel any p-part of m-my bod-dy anymore. I f-feel like an- I-icicle. No, scratch-h-h that-t- I am an icicle." He said.
"Shh, it'll be over soon." Katara cooed actually bringing him into her arms. And then she kissed him. She wasn't even sure why…it had just been a strange impulse. She didn't know why she did it. But whatever the reason was, Zuko didn't fight back for one reason or another. But he moved his face closer to hers, cradling her cheek. She could feel the heat returning to his face, and his muscles relaxing. She broke the embrace of the kiss. She lazily and most relaxed, leaned back into her normal position.
"Katara, I really hope you do not treat all of your patients like that."