synergy || zutara

four

Appa was directed home by a general under Zuko's command. In the morning Katara is woken much to early for her liking by a sweet servant named Zhin to attend breakfast. "Firelord Zuko often has more formal breakfasts." The girl advises. But when she sees Katara entirely, she stutters. "But, I'm sure he can make an exception today." The barely awake girl shrugs and puts socks on at the messengers strange mannerisms.

Katara is wearing turtleduck pajamas when she follows Zhin to the eating area.

That morning, she appears in the dining room Zuko is dressed in full firelord attire, but the adjustments he made to his clothing sits him. It's not as bulky as what Ozai wore.

"Good morning Zuko." She smiles. "How are you ready so early? I barely just woke up." Zuko falters for a moment but responds smoothly so his guest doesn't notice. "Don't you remember? I rise with the sun." Zhin pulls a seat back for Katara adjacent from her boss promting her to sit. Zuko nods towards the girl and she signals the servants to leave.

"How could I forget." She comments. Katara remembers him saying those words to her. A time where they hated each other is odd, because now she's so incapable of that level of disdain towards him.

They eat and catch up. Katara puts a strange looking food into her mouth and Zuko tries to stop her "Wait, I don't think—" but he's to late.

"This is so spicy!" She exclaims with wide eyes. She starts blowing on her tongue to get the spice off but feels no relief. Zuko feels bad but can't help chucking that the sight in front of him. Katara glares at but at last, she freezes a cup of tea and lets it sit on her tongue.

Zuko is fully laughing now to the point where his eyes are crinkling and he's gasping for breath. His attempt to hide the hilarity of the situation fails. Katara wants to be angry but she can't, she lets herself laugh with him while admiring how he looks rather adorable at the moment.
——
After breakfast Zuko had meetings until late afternoon. When he got back to the palace, he didn't see Katara anywhere.

"Kai!" He demands. The servant looks over his shoulder to see if Zuko was talking to another person despite that being his name. "Yes, your majesty?" He asks timidly.

The firelord calms himself down, considering the servant seems frightened by his anger. "I need to know where Katara is." He states.

"Oh! She requested to see the gardens. Master Katara is outside now." He answers and does a customary bow afterwards. Zuko nods and thanks the slightly older man for his service.
——
She is staring at the water and taking in the peace when she hears a presence behind her. The two make eye contact and she smiles at him. "I take it you've had a long day, you seem stressed." He shrugs at the suggestion. "In part, yes. But, I was honestly just worried about you." A little air blows out of his nose and he decides to join her on the garden bench. "You don't have to worry about me Zuko." She states. 'Why is everyone always so worried?' She wonders to herself.

"I know." He answers. "But I do anyways, because all this time I thought life was treating as well as it should have. Yet it wasn't." He shakes his head. "You weren't wearing your bandages this morning and I just didn't realize the extent of the situation."

His friend looks down in pain. "What if he- what if it was a mistake? I mean, he might just need time to cool off again." She answers, but deep in her heart she knows that's not the truth.

"Again?" Zuko's mouth parts in disbelief. His eyes follow her arm and she's pulling her sleeve down to reveal a hand-sized slightly pink mark. There's no doubt it would have been far worse if she wasn't a healer. Suddenly world no longer makes sense to him. Aang didn't just hurt Katara which was already bad enough, but he was abusing her. His fists clench at the thought that his friend had him and the whole word fooled that he's the image of good.

He wanted to scream and resume his Avatar hunt instantly— anything to let the anger out. But he notices her unsure tears and refrains.

"Katara, I need you to look at me." She sniffles repositions herself to look at him. "What do you see?" She states all of the obvious things, his eyes, nose, and fair skin. She's avoiding his obvious difference to most people on purpose.

"Katara." He says curtly. Wanting— no needing her to say it. Her blue eyes land on his. "Your scar." He nods. He takes her hand and pulls it closer to his face. "Zuko, I can't." He's telling her it's okay but it still feels wrong.

"Yes you can, I promise." He whispers the word, letting up on the firm tone. Her finger traces it, it's rough. They stay like that for a moment, hearts both beating faster and wounds opening back up aside from the visible ones.

"When I feel my scar, and look at yours. They're the same. They're intentional." She remembers that time Aang discovered his fire-bending and accidentally burned her. He apologized for days and refused to fire bend for weeks with that doe-eyed look.

However, now he didn't apologize or seem sorry. With the looming fear others would find out, he became rude and controlling and she doesn't know how she let it go on that long. He'd make up excuses for her to not see friends or family, especially Toph who can sense lies. Everything is so clear now.

"Thank you Zuko. I needed that." She grabbed his hand and they sat in silence. "We just keep saving each other, don't we?" A small smile adorns his face. "I wouldn't have it any other way."

They sat there in silence letting the breeze do the talking.