Katara was usually pretty good at predicting the unexpected.
Like that time Sokka had run off to hunt hunt kola-seals when he was twelve?
She knew it would be disastrous.
Though the seaweed had been a surprise.
Honestly, only her weirdo of a brother could end up wrapped in half a ton of seaweed in the south pole. She didn't even think it grew there!
Then there was when they found Aang.
In truth even she didn't think that goofy kid could be the avatar at first. But come on! The boy was inside a freaking iceberg! Normal had basically flown out the window the second she lay eyes on him.
So yes, all things considered, Katara had a pretty good track record when it came to prediction.
Except when it came to a certain Fire Nation Prince.
Especially after what he pulled in Ba Sing Se.
Even through she was starting to fear for his life.
Because to put it simply whatever was going on between him and Toph was, quite frankly, horrifying.
She had been shocked when the petite Earthbender stood up for him, of course.
Even more so when she let him off for burning her feet.
Seriously, Toph had practically invented the art of holding a grudge, the jerk should have been buried in rubble by this point. Or at least a little bruised.
Instead, Katara was faced with . . . this. Whatever it was.
The first hint Katara had had that something was wrong came when she had been watching Zuko guide Aang through the basic firebending forms.
The jerk was having Aang repeat the same move again and again, constantly nitpicking and growing increasingly frustrated because he was 'doing it wrong'.
Through from what Katara could tell Aang was copying perfectly the move Zuko had demonstrated earlier.
Aang had obediently fallen once again into the opening stance and Katara had barely had time to resister the look of frustration that settled on Zuko's face when it happened.
A pebble had flown through the air and boinked Aang upside his bald head in reprimand.
Aang had been just as shocked as Katara who hadn't even noticed the earth bender arrive.
Zuko hadn't even batted an eye, continuing on as before.
Katara soon put a stop to it though after the prince had started trying to physically force Aang into the 'proper form'.
She pretty much put it out of her mind by that point.
After all, it didn't mean anything.
Spirits knew Toph got bored easily.
Then other things started happening.
Some were obvious.
Like Toph joining Zuko in his moody little corner for dinner every now and then.
Others were more subtle. So subtle in fact Katara would wonder if Sokka's legendary paranoia had finally rubbed off on her.
Like when Haru had tripped over his own feet after tearing into Zuko over something or other. She was sure the little earthbending master had actually winked at the prince.
Or when Sokka had gotten all show-off crazy after Suki had joined up and tried to pull off several hare-brained stunts. She could have sworn she saw the two exchanging coins more then a few times.
Or when Sokka and Suki had somehow both ended up covered in fire beetle bites. She thought she saw the two share a smug look while her brother and his girlfriend sat by the fire miserably scratching at the spots.
Even after the war she would sometimes catch Toph and Zuko out of the corner of her eye sharing a devilish smirk or a look. It wasn't until a decade later when she finally caught them red handed sneaking a slimy badger-newt into a lord something or others bedchamber that she finally got her answers.
And no. it was not something she could ever have predicted.
