Standing in the kitchen washing the evening's dishes, Katara ranted to Suki about the events of her and Zuko's trip into a nearby market. The two girls had been forced into tending to all the chores, since the boys (and Toph) were either busy with other things or outright refused to do housework.
"And then this girl comes up to him and just starts, like, flirting with him," Katara said, holding a bowl in one hand and the dishcloth in the other while gesturing wildly. The water in the basin stirred in response.
With a small smirk, Suki sent her a sidelong glance, raising an eyebrow as she stacked clean plates in the drying rack.
"I mean, she was all over him, just like, 'Hey cutie, you should come to the back of the store with me 'cause I'm a total floozy!'" she went on, raising her voice to an obnoxious pitch in mimicry of the market-girl, scrubbing at the bowl more vigorously than necessary. "Seriously. Who does that?"
"Sounds to me like you're jealous."
Katara made a noise caught between a snort and a laugh. "Me? Jealous? Over some girl hitting on Zuko?"Another snort-laugh. "Right, yeah, of course."
"You're the one getting all worked up over it."
"That doesn't mean I like him! I mean, come on – it's Zuko!"
"And?" Suki pressed, crossing her arms and turning so she could fully face Katara, leaning her hip against the washbasin. "What reason do you have not to like him?"
"He chased us around the world, stole my mother's necklace, sent an assassin after us –"
"And helped you track down your mother's killed, helped Sokka free me and Hakoda from prison, and is helping Aang prepare to kill his own father."
"He's arrogant, and stubborn, and short-tempered –"
"And shy, and self-sacrificing, and understanding."
"He . . ." she trailed off, mouth opening and closing as she struggled for more reasons. With a huff, she snapped, "Look, does it matter why? I don't like him and I'm not jealous."
Returning her attention to the dishes, Suki continued smirking and said, in a sing-song voice, "That's not what Toph tells me."
Beside her, Katara became noticeably stiff, the mention of their near-omniscient friend's observations clearing posing a significant threat. In a not-quite-casual, quivering tone, she asked, ""O-oh? What does she say?"
"That when you're around him you get all shaky and your heartbeat picks up, and every time you try to act annoyed or disinterested in him your body is sending out lie-signals."
For a moment, she was completely silent and completely still, staring down at the reflection of her careful blank expression in the dirty dishwater. Studying her, Suki tried to remember what exactly Toph had told her about a liar's mannerisms.
Finally, with a sigh and a scowl, Katara said, "Okay, maybe I like him – a little," she quickly amended, cutting off the other girl's victorious cry about knowing all along. Turning to glare and point threateningly at her, she said, "But don't tell anyone. This stays between you, me, and Toph, alright?"
"Not even Sokka?"
"Especially not Sokka!"
"My lips are sealed," she promised, grinning broadly.
Of course, that didn't mean she and Toph couldn't try to push the two lovebirds together.
Jealousy: Resentment against a rival or competitor.
Disclaimer: "Avatar" and all of its contents are property of Nickelodeon, which I am in no way associated with.
