The Dragon and The Ocean // Zutara

Anxious

Katara's POV

It's going to be a long night. I can just tell by the funk that Aang is in. He isn't as happy, or immature as he usually is. He doesn't seem devastated though or at least he isn't showing it. He is pretty much quiet for the whole walk to the dining hall.

When we get to the dining hall, Aang sits next to Sokka and Suki who sit across from Toph, Zuko and I. Aang keeps a smile on his face, but he still doesn't look at me or Zuko. 

A cook comes up to us and gives us a variety of meals to choose from. I choose the same meal that I had for breakfast, because I enjoyed it. Plus, I don't really know what the other meals are, so I just stick to what I know that I'll like.

While we wait for our food, Sokka decides to sum up all of our adventures, starting from when he and I found Aang in that iceberg a little less then a year ago. I can tell that Zuko is listening, probably because he has never heard this story from our point of view.

His excitement levels are still high, and I can tell that he is much more peppy then usual. His left leg is bouncing slightly underneath the table. He is also twinging and re-twinging his fingers. Actually, he looks nervous about something.

I gently place my hand on his leg to settle it. He doesn't look at me, but he stops bouncing his leg. Slowly he brings one of his hands down and grabs mine, bringing it underneath the table cloth. The only people who could possibly see it would be Toph and Aang.

I focus on the warmth of Zuko's hand, while looking at Sokka retell the story about him getting caught in a storm with the old fisherman. I can tell that his hand is twitching. I try to still it, but Zuko's twitch is much stronger then my strength. He definitely seems nervous.

I try to look at Aang again. This time he looks at me. We lock eyes for a second, and he keeps his smile on. I smile at him and keep my eyes soft. Then, Aang holds up his hand, slightly over the table and then slightly points at Zuko. I quickly pick up on the fact that he is asking if we are holding hands.

I nod in response. Aang doesn't physically display any response, but he doesn't look disappointed about it either. Maybe he really isn't as mad about the whole break up as I thought he was.

I focus back on Zuko. His hand is still twitching and his leg is bouncing again. I'm not really sure what is going on with him. The only thing that he could possibly be nervous about is his Uncle arriving tomorrow. But I thought that he would be more grateful for that. 

I look up at Sokka. He seems pretty distracted in telling his story to Suki mainly. I'm not worried if Aang sees or hears anything because he already knows. Toph will just feel it, so can't really stop that. I decide to risk asking Zuko what is bothering him.

"Why are you so nervous?" I whisper very quietly to him. "I'm not. There is this almost painful but mainly tingly feeling in my chest, where the wound is. I'm trying to ignore it, but I can't." he whispers back.

I realize immediately what is going on. It's Zuko's Chi. The longer that Zuko kept the lightning inside him, the more it twisted up his Chi. I haven't really tried to untangle any knots of Chi, because it was too painful for Zuko. But now the waiting is starting to have an affect on him.

The only thing that I can do to put him at ease is to heal him. But we just did that. I don't want everybody to get suspicious. I guess I could heal him here. It wouldn't really be any different then what we normally do, just in front of everybody else. If it puts him at ease then I think it's something I'm willing to do.

I quickly untie the sash keeping his shirt up and open slightly. If I do it through the bandage, which still has a similar healing affect, then it will be less distracting. I bend the water out of my pouch on my back and bend it onto the wound.