insertmeathere | (no subject)

"Ah!" Billy moaned, curling over the desk and clutching at his head. Consider the papers dropped and the headache in full force.

"...trying not to fall too far behind," he answered weakly.

Oh, darn. She hadn't meant to make his headache worse. She was just really REALLY angry that he wasn't making sure he had the rest and recovery needed and was just going to make it worse for himself.

"Look, I'm sorry, but put that stuff down, your work will be waiting for you when you're better again, all right? You can't exhaust yourself like this, you're just going to get worse. Come on, lay on the bed a moment."

She shook her head. Really, this was just getting ridiculous. "What are your symptoms?"

It was already lost with Katara opposing him. Billy shook the tension out of his shoulders and stood, obediently moving toward his bed and sitting on it.

"...headache, chills, coughing." Yeah, he wasn't speaking too much.

And Katara was jostled out of "annoyed mother" to "mother taking care of her sick child" mode immediately. She started to wrap him in a blanket, and brought him a towel so he could cough into that.

"I'm going to make you something to eat. Billy, and I MEAN this, don't be afraid to ask for anything. The headaches I can try and massage for you, but I'm also going to burn some herbs for it after I'm done with the food."

She put her hand to his forehead. "Oh Billy, you;re burning up. I'll get started right now."

Billy nodded mutely. Yes, he'd curl up in the blanket and be a good boy today.

"I'd love to hear about the effects of herbs another time," he mused, looking grateful for all her fussing. She was in charge---he admired that about her.

"Don't wear yourself out too," he whispered as she departed, huddling up in a tiny ball while she worked. There had to be something he could do to help...

Thank goodness. She wasn't sure if he realized it, but behind the bustling mother figure that was Katara at times was the person that cared deeply for her Bonded. The idea that something harmful might happen to him, that he might make it WORSE and she would let it happen scared her. She hadn't forgotten Renne, not ever: taking care of Billy now that he was gone went double for her, and that included even now, with him being sick.

"Its aromatherapy," she said. "At least, that's the earth term for it. In any case, it'll help with your head, provided we choose the right scents and everything."

She laughed. "I've been doing this since the war in my world Billy, and in the Northern water tribe I learned a bit about the human body. I'm at least fairly educated in this subject."

"I'm grateful for the expertise," Billy murmured when she returned. By then the blanket had half fallen-off and his face looked a little worse, but he would live. Especially with her help.

"I'll look it up when I can get to the library."

Katara noticed this, looking worried, but if anything spurred her on to make the food a little faster. She did pause to make sure Billy was adequately covered though.

"You sh9uld, its pretty interesting," Katara said. "When did these symptoms start anyway?"

"This afternoon," Billy said miserably, though he looked grateful for the help. "I felt fine this morning, then the buzzing in my head started and it went downhill from there."

Very downhill. He hoped Katara wouldn't catch whatever this was from being too close to him.

"Well what were you doing this morning? If you were hanging out with a certain someone, they might have given you their sickness. It might help them to know that they need t take care of themselves too."

No Billy. Her exposing herself to MORE than one sick person is going to do that!

"I was with Ronnie," he admitted, cheeks flaming red at the memory. "I made sure she had her medicine and rested, but now I'm paying the price."

Not that that kiss wasn't worth it, Billy suddenly thought.

"But I'll recover," he whispered, not quite feeling optimistic at the moment.

"Ohhhh," Katara said, with a knowing smile on her face. "Now I understand why you got sick. So you were just administering to Ronnae, were you?"

She raised an eyebrow, just to tease Billy, but made sure she had a wet cloth applied to his head as well.

"And why are you blushing?"

"Yeah..." he muttered, looking relieved when the cloth started to cool his forehead. Not that it would help to cool his cheeks, thanks to his evil sister-figure.

Billy wondered if Katara had read his thoughts. Even if she hadn't, she'd likely pieced it together already. He just had to hope she toned down any squeals of delight for the sake of his ears.

"She kissed me," he confessed. "It wasn't the wisest time to do it, but I couldn't pull myself away."

Yes, yes she was evil, but she wouldn't be his sister figure if she wasn't teasing to begin with.

And it was rather unfortunate for Billy, but she really couldn't control her squeals of delight. Sorry Billy.

"But that's great news! You have a girlfriend! Who knew that someone that just happened to be at the Outsider's meeting would be your girlfriend! How did it happen?"

"Tara..." And Billy is just going to clutch at his head and sink into the pillow. Owww.

"Ronnie was really uncomfortable. She wouldn't sleep on her own, so I decided to settle down for a nap with her. Her hands were on my chest, I told her that she was teasing me...that's when she climbed up and kissed my chest, then decided to make herself comfortable on top of me. When she was thanking me for staying, we made lip contact."

His hand rose up to his lips in wonder, re-imagining the tingling he'd felt there. "I don't think we discussed the relationship being official," he mumbled.

"Don't over exhaust yourself!" Katara said, putting her joy on pause to make sure that Billy wasn't feeling worse than he had to. "Now hold still: this might be awkward and a little cold."

She opened his shirt and pulled out some curious smelling balm that she proceeded to rub on his chest and arms. It was a good thing it was Billy and not some other guy, or she might feel potentially awkward doing this.

"Well I'm not going to kiss your chest," she said, laughing a little. "Though I'm a little surprised at Ronnae. She seems lie such a timid thing most of the time. Maybe you just bring that out in her. Remember when she carried you and I on her shoulder from before? She's pretty strong!"

Here, she gave him a look. "Well don't you want to?"

Billy nodded weakly when his shirt came undone. He'd just done something like this to Ronnie, so the procedure was familiar if a little unpleasantly cold. Sorry if he shivers slightly under your hands, Katara.

"She's still timid most of the time, but I think we're becoming more daring around each other. It's really exciting, and I do want to go further, but...I'm not sure how to make that commitment. How did you do it?"

Yes, she was definitely glad that she didn't have to deal with any awkwardness, although hearing that part about "going further" was pretty interesting. She and Matt had definitely not "gone further" in that sense, but it was that unconscious barrier neither of them crossed: they knew better.

"Well, keep in mind that Matt and I knew each other for almost a year before we even decided we would date, and that Aang and I..." Well, that was something else. "Actually, when he was on the ship, we got awfully close." She flushed pretty badly, but Billy had wanted to know. "The time had just been right, and we were so happy to be with each other. I think with you two, you both will know. But with Ronnae, I'd say go slow. There are a few things she's still getting over."

"I meant going further as in committing to date her, Katara, nothing more," Billy quickly clarified, voice pitching up like it always did when he was nervous.

He nodded, starting to calm down. "I'm definitely planning to go slowly."

She flushed. "Oh! Well in that case, ignore what you just heard, strike it out of your memory! To be honest, I don't know all that much about it either."

She smiled. "Good, so I'll believe that despite what you were thinking about with Ronnae that time."

"Only if you stop going back to that!" Billy yelped, sinking further into the pillow a moment later. He'd felt a cough coming on, but he was starting to inhale the salve now. It seemed to work.

She laughed. "But I have to! Honestly, with any other guy I would have probably hit them or something. With you, its funny, but...I could see that as something new for you, that even you didn't expect. It was like I said: those feelings are natural, just don't let them be more important than what you have."

She smiled. "I'm really proud of you, Billy. You're letting someone get to know you like that."

Billy huffed, pulling the covers up to his chest. "As if I would do that. I love talking to her, spending time with her. It's not all about that."

She managed to extract another blush out of him. "I didn't think I would. She just...snuck up on me."

She smiled. "I know. That was why I didn't yell at you. You did try to tell me that you wouldn't do it, that it wasn't right, and then she came, and I saw your eyes. There was no denying it then."

She grinned. "They do that, Billy, the people you like. I've been lucky to have it happen more than once. You never know that it'll happen, and then...then it happens."

Billy's eyes softened a little. "I didn't stand a chance against her. Girls that beautiful, engaging, and affectionate...my fate was probably sealed by our second meeting."

He leaned back, closing his eyes. Three guesses at what he was picturing and the first two don't count. "I was just astounded that she liked me too."