Okay guys! So that was a bit of a shock, wasn't it? Nobody even expected Iroh?
Really?
Well, thanks anyways for the kind and encouraging words from the reviews! It helps!
Disclaimer: I don't own A:TLA
Secret Music
Chapter 11
"What?!"
Katara stood up from the couch, grudgingly approached the old man, placed her hands on her hips and narrowed her eyes. She quirked up an eyebrow.
Zuko stalked beside her, cornering his uncle. He crossed his arms over his chest and narrowed his eyes at him as well.
Iroh calmly sipped his tea. He closed his eyes to savor the taste, or was it to avoid the two teenagers' glares?
"Uncle." Zuko said dangerously low.
Katara followed, "You've got some 'splainin' to do." She copied the accent of one actress on a TV show she and Sokka used to watch.
Zuko raised an eyebrow and swiftly glanced at her. She looked deranged. Beautiful, but deranged.
He placed his tea cup down slowly, as if having a dramatic pause. He looked up at them with innocent eyes.
Katara tapped her foot impatiently. "Well?"
Iroh nodded. He motioned for them to take their seats. They hesitantly did so.
After having a deep breath, he calmly explained.
10 minutes later…
"Wait, wait, wait, wait.." Katara said waving her hands in front of her.
"Let me get this straight, you…" she pointed at Iroh
"told the paparazzi" she pointed at the TV
"where Zuko…" she pointed at said singer
"where…" she circled her fingers…
"WE WERE SECRETLY HIDING HIM?!" she exploded, throwing her clenched fists in the air.
Zuko nearly fell off his chair. Iroh blinked innocently.
"ON PURPOSE?!" Katara trailed back.
Iroh nodded with big eyes as Zuko tried to steady himself on the chair.
"Stop shouting before you wake up the neighbors!" Zuko demanded.
Iroh was about to speak when…
"Don't tell me what to do! You shut up!" Katara glared at Zuko.
They stood up, glaring at each other fiercely.
"Could you both just please lower your voices," Iroh paused to lift his tea cup. "sit down, take a tea cup," he smelled the aroma. "and calm down."
Katara's eyes twitched. "Both? I'm COMPLETELY CALM!" she snapped at him.
"I don't need calming tea, uncle!" Zuko snapped.
Iroh leaned back in his seat.
Zuko huffed steam. "This is ridiculous! Uncle, you better have a good reason why you did that."
"Oh I do, nephew." Iroh smiled.
"Good." Katara said. She was subconsciously gripping her water canteen. "Then kindly give us the reason." Who knew such gorgeous ocean blue eyes could look so deadly?
Zuko looked at her and took 2 steps away.
"I would be delighted to." He smiled and raised his hand. "As soon as you gently surrender any liquid you possess."
Katara grunted and handed him the canteen. "Here."
Iroh took it and threw it over his shoulder quickly. He held out his hand again.
Katara sighed and gave him the vile she keeps in the hidden pocket of her tote.
"Hold on a minute. How did you know she was a waterbender?" Zuko asked suddenly.
Katara blinked. "Yeah, how'd you—"
Iroh grinned widely. "It's quite obvious, really. Seeing as though you two get along perfectly."
Katara and Zuko gave each other a disgusted look. "What?"
Iroh chuckled. "Exactly."
Katara rolled her eyes and gave an exasperated sigh. "Agni, take me now."
Zuko gazed heavenwards. "Yes, take her now."
She looked back at him with narrow eyes and glared.
Iroh smiled contently at them. "I am guessing the explanation is not necessary?"
They both shifted to him. "Of course it is!" they shouted in unison.
"It better be a good one." Katara said, more coldness than intended.
"Oh it is." Iroh nodded.
"Do you plan on telling us anytime soon?" his nephew asked, a mixture of curiosity and anger in his deep voice.
"I intend to." He nodded once more.
A few moments passed by. Iroh was sitting calmly in the easy chair, a tea cup in his hands as he switched glances with the two from time to time. Zuko was leaning down on the scarlet chair to his uncle's left, tapping his fingers impatiently on the arm of said chair. Katara was the only one standing up, waiting anxiously for the explanation. She had her hands planted on her hips as she looked around the beautiful apartment once more. Too bad it couldn't distract her all to well.
A few more moments…
"Now would be a good time." Zuko spat impatiently.
Iroh nodded. "It would be best if you sit down, Miss Katara." He suggested.
Katara waved her hand dismissively. "I'm fine."
Iroh nodded again. "Very well."
A few more moments…
"Uncle, could you tell us sometime between now and Christmas?" he yelled childishly.
"Now, now, Zuko, patience is a virtue."
"I've been patient long enough!" he argued.
Katara rubbed her temples. She's been thinking too much. "Iroh, could you please just tell us why? I'm getting kinda tired."
Iroh's head shot up. "Ah, my apologies. I remember now."
Zuko's eye twitched. "You forgot? You made us wait for how long just because you forgot? And I thought you just thought it over."
"Oh I have, Nephew. Thoroughly, I might add."
"Then could you please just tell us this well-thought-of reason of yours?" Katara impatiently snapped. All this stress was giving her a headache.
"Maybe you should lie down, here." He pulled out a key from his sleeve and handed it to her.
Katara looked at it like she hadn't seen a key before. "What is that for?"
"For your new apartment, my dear. You see, I know that living in your house down Mint Avenue would be hard as soon as the 'paparazzi' shows up. They were bound to know sooner or later. So I took the liberty of telling them, but not before I have arranged for everything we might need. That includes a new place for you to stay." He nudged to the key.
Katara's eyes were as wide as saucers. She had too many to comprehend right now. "Wait, wait, wait. You lost me. Did you say 'my new apartment'?!"
Zuko was equally surprised, though he couldn't find his voice to speak.
Iroh nodded. "It is yours. I am pretty sure it's new. And I can guarantee you that it's an apartment."
Katara blinked. Her lips parted ever so subtlety. What in Yue's good name was happening here?
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Katara's jaw fell and she pretty much thought it hit the dark red carpet. Her mind suddenly went blank.
Zuko couldn't think as well. What was going on? Why did his uncle buy this peasant an apartment? In the same building as his? How could he afford… well… technically he can… but he just bought 2 apartments on the same day for crying out loud!
Iroh blinked.
Katara finally shook her head and closed her mouth. "What?! A new apartment? Buying me a designer handbag is one thing… but an apartment?!"
Iroh retrieved his sore arm. It was getting sore from holding the key up. He placed the key on the table. "Do not strain yourself, my dear. It was more of a necessity than anything else."
Katara was still in shock. "You can't just go on buying somebody you hardly know an apartment!"
"I can. Do you truly believe I did not do this with the best interest at heart?"
Katara stopped. "But…"
"It is fine." Iroh reassured.
"No it's not." Zuko butt-ed in. "Uncle, you must have spent a fortune on buying two apartments."
"I did not buy them. I simply rented them, well, for the meantime anyway. Don't you think this place is just delightful?" he looked around in happiness.
Katara looked around as well. Wow. "Is my apartment anything like this one?"
"Oh yes. Only everything is not red like here."
She gave him a quirked eyebrow. "What color then?"
Iroh smiled. "Why, blue of course."
Katara's face lit up as a genuine smile crossed her lips. Yes! Blue! "Really?"
He nodded. "I found all these pieces of furniture in a sale. Turns out they had the exact same thing in blue! A great deal, if I do say so myself"
Katara was still smiling. She was in her own world of amazement again. A new apartment. A brand new top class apartment with high-class furniture in BLUE! Oh she definitely would love to live here!
Thunder clap.
Live here… Meaning, she had to move out of her house. Her home. The same home her parents raised her. The same house she and her brother played and grew up in. The same house they spent Christmas, New Year, April Fools and what not. She had to let go of that to live here.
The smile disappeared on Katara's lips. For once, can't reality just stop ruining the moments?
She shook it off for the mean time, urging herself to forget about it for a while. It doesn't necessarily mean she has to move out of there. She would just be temporarily moving… no… staying in a new apartment, which by the way still makes her swoon. It doesn't mean she has to leave that all behind. She smiled to herself and breathed out. Yeah, it's just temporary. She pushed her thoughts at the back of her head.
"Where did you get the money?" Zuko asked suddenly.
That shook Katara back to earth.
He looked at his nephew. "I have a great deal of investments and such. Don't worry, nephew. We are financially secure."
He nodded. "But, how come you spent our money so…"
"I only bought what is necessary, Zuko." He reassured.
Zuko looked over at the table, lifted the ridiculously grinning monkey with red gems for eyes. "You call this necessary?"
Katara looked over at it and stared. She tilted her head slightly, raising an eyebrow. It was, in a disturbing way, mesmerizing.
Iroh copied the grin on the wooden monkey's face. "It came with a great bargain."
Zuko slapped his forehead. "Uncle! We don't have people to care for our stuff anymore! We don't even have servants!" he whined.
Katara looked up at him from the monkey. "Servants? Lazy much?"
Zuko glared at her.
"Ah yes, Zuko was treated like a prince. He had servants who took care of him. They practically raised him before I came into the picture."
"Oh." Katara nodded. So she was right about the prince part. Then once again she was captured by the monkey's eyes.
Zuko was disturbed on how Katara leaned in. So, he quickly placed the monkey back.
Katara raised her eyes to glare at him coldly. "That was rude."
"So is staring." He snapped. "I remember a prickly peasant say that to me earlier this morning."
Katara scrunched up her nose and crossed her arms. She turned to Iroh after she released a huff in Zuko's direction.
"But Iroh, I already have a house to live in." she finally said. She tried hard not to let her thoughts surface.
"Yes, but if you ask me it's a little big for one person. It worries me to think that you live there alone."
A part of her took it as an insult. Was he just saying how empty my home is? She quickly pushed it back in the little box in her mind labeled "immaturity". Katara smiled at his concern. "Oh I'm not always alone. Just recently I have added a pain in the neck." She thumbed over at Zuko. She sounded reassuring when she said, "And besides, my brother Sokka is coming home to visit…"
Katara and Zuko's eyes widened suddenly. They forgot the one reason they left school early in the first place.
She repeated her statement earlier, but this time in panic. "My brother Sokka is coming home to visit in two days!"
"How delightful!" Iroh beamed.
"It won't be when he finds out the whole school thinks we're engaged!" Zuko panicked as well. Wait, why did he care again? Oh right… he has to go there now. He cooled down faster than water in subzero temperature.
"Oh my. Have I been gone that long?" Iroh gasped. "I didn't know you two were that serious. I've only been gone a day and now…"
Zuko and Katara's jaw dropped in disgust. "What?!"
"No!" Katara defended. "It was just a cover up that got way out of hand."
Iroh nodded. "So you see why lying is a bad thing, nephew? It will get you into trouble."
Zuko glared. "And telling the truth won't?"
He blinked. "Point taken."
"Thank you." Katara sighed. "Now what do we do about Sokka?"
Iroh placed a finger on his chin. "Why don't you invite him to your new apartment?"
Katara was taken aback. The lock in the box broke. "And what is wrong with my old house?"
"The fact that it's old." Zuko interjected.
"What!" She gaped. "For your information, that house is my home! I grew up there!"
Iroh sensed that she was hurt. "We didn't mean any insult, Ms. Katara. It was just a suggestion."
"Yeah." Katara snapped. "Just like how you 'suggested' me to hide your hogmonkey of a nephew and how you 'suggested' that I live in the same condominium as him."
Zuko and Iroh were taken aback at her anger.
She swept the key from the table and stomped her way out of their apartment. She slammed the door with more force than necessary.
Iroh blinked. "What did the poor door ever do to her?"
Zuko slapped his forehead.
Uh-oh. How could they forget about that? So now, there's more things on the "Explain to Sokka" list:
1: Who is this snotty stuck up prince like snob?
2: Why is she not wearing their mother's necklace?
3: Why the hell is she engaged to the snotty stuck up prince like snob?
4: Why does she have a new apartment?
5: What on God's green earth did she get herself into?!
Well, tune in for the next chapter, guys! Please review! I'm review deprived, PLEASE!
kalyn19