Authors Note.
40+ readers! (I think that's a good thing. It's a good thing, right?)
Also, I just want to make things clear, The Kiss happens WAY after this chapter and The Meeting, and all chapters take place in the Fire Nation, because the Gaang are all staying at the palace to solve political problems. (Except for Katara, who is involved with the politics but also lives there anyway)
Katara seemed to notice a lot of things since On Ji showed up.
She noticed how she always called Aang by his first name, and yet she always had trouble dropping official titles when it came to the others.
She noticed how when Aang entered the room, On Ji got much more nervous than she was before.
Katara noticed On Ji made more of an effort to connect with Toph, who everyone knew was Aang's best friend, than anyone else (although it was probably because Toph was the most welcoming, besides Aang, Katara chose to believe it was because of more sinister motives).
Katara noticed all these things. But most of all, she noticed the flirting.
She noticed how On Ji would get jelly legged when Aang walked in, and would always trip when he was around. Aang would always catch her, because he was the fastest. Katara seemed to be the only one who noticed when she started tripping on purpose.
Katara noticed how, when he caught her, she wouldn't move for an extra while. For barely a second, she would let him hold her for a bit longer than necessary. No one, not even Aang noticed this, but Katara did.
'Why do you even care?' she asked herself. 'You don't like him. He's not yours; she can have him!'
'I'm just looking out for him! She might just like him because he's the Avatar!' She defended herself, to no one in particular.
But, deep down, she knew that wasn't the real reason.
She kept on noticing things.
She noticed that On Ji was very...interested in watching Aang bend, despite being a nonbender herself. Whenever Aang was bending, she was there.
"I just think bending is cool!" She would say if anyone asked. Although, she seemed to have no desire to watch anyone bend if Aang wasn't there (although she would occasionally watch Toph earthbend, which was admittedly a wonder to behold).
Katara also noticed that she and On Ji were polar opposites. Katara was water, and On Ji was fire. But their personalities clashed in a funny way. Katara was hot like fire. She was stubborn, hot-headed, and was ill-tempered, for one thing. On Ji, however, was cool like water. She was kind and patient, and she ebbed flowed with change.
But most of all, Katara noticed that On Ji had replaced her.
Before, when Aang couldn't sleep, he'd always go to Katara.
When they had drifted apart, he'd only go to her when things got really bad.
But now, he'd go to On Ji.
She had seen them talking, sometimes. She would see them as she walked the halls of the fire nation palace, when she, too, couldn't sleep.
And she couldn't help but feel betrayed.