Chapter 16 Unahu

"Just tell us everything from the beginning. You can trust us, can't you?" Suki said.

The girls sat on the bed in Katara's room. Her radio sat facing the door blasting music to avoid any unnecessary listeners. Sokka still wasn't home but it wasn't like he had a bell tied around his neck to alert them when he was.

"I promised him I wouldn't." Katara responded, looking down at Yue's nails.

Suki whipped her head away. "Well you told us that you'd spill! Why did you keep hanging out with Zuko a secret? Why do you think I'd care that you were with him? Did you think I'd be bothered by it?"

Katara kept her lips tight.

Suki stared at her with a fiery intensity. "Why did you invite us over if this was how you'd be?"

"Suki…" Yue tried calming her new friend.

Katara hid her face in her hands. "I wasn't hiding it from you. I'm meeting with him now in secret because if Jet finds out I'll be in a lot of trouble."

"But aren't you all friends?" Yue asked.

Katara nodded. "It's because Zuko is the son of that entrepreneur everyone's worried about." She explained in her language.

"…He is?"

Suki threw a hand up over her shoulder. "Alright, I'm done. You really don't trust me. And I don't want to be here anymore."

"Wait! Ok! I'll tell you. But please, please, PLEASE don't tell anyone."

Suki glared at her, but waited.

She gulped and hesitated for a second, but revealed everything, minus his crush. From the day she and Zuko made the deal to the secondary reason why, being for the driving lessons. She described the mansion on the beach and the feeling of excitement she gets when she sees him improving.

"…but Jet doesn't want me being with him alone like that. Which is stupid because we aren't doing anything wrong! So…that's all."

The girls looked at her with awe. The way she spoke about him was clear to them that there had to be more to the story.

"You like him, don't you?" Suki asked, smirking.

"I think she does." Yue responded.

Katara's eyes grew and her body betrayed her by leaving her blushing. "What? No! I mean, I like being with him but we're just friends."

"Honey, you don't have to be shy. It's no big deal." Suki teased.

"I've never seen her this way. She's in love!" Yue folded her hands under her chin. "Wonderful!"

"I am not!" Her protests were in vain as no one listened to her.

"No wonder why Jet's so paranoid."

"Katara, I wouldn't have imaged you in a forbidden love. How romantic!"

"Why is it forbidden?" Suki asked.

"Because union out of our culture is looked down on. He's an outsider. There would be consequences for loving him."

"I would be banished from the islands."

"That's not right." Suki said defensively.

The princess shrugged. "It's tradition and the law of our people."

Suki rolled her eyes. "So what are you going to do Katara? Let this stupid law stop you from dating Zuko?"

"We aren't dating! You guys aren't listening to me!"

"But you do like him. Katara, it's no big deal. If you do, you can tell us. Well, me at least. I don't know if you can trust the princess who has to follow these 'traditions'." Suki said, trying not to sound too harsh.

All eyes went on Yue. "Katara, you know I love you as a sister. If you like Zuko…" Katara rolled her eyes. "I won't tell anyone. If you decide to date him then I'll respect it and help keep the secret. But marriage is something I cannot turn a blind eye to."

"No one's talking about marriage."

"How about my feelings about all this?!" Katara said. The other two turned their attention to her. "I don't know how I feel about him."

"Do you know how he feels about you?"

"..I think he might like someone else."

"How do you know?" Yue asked.

Katara shrugged and kept quiet. Something inside felt kind of down thinking how she didn't have Zuko's attention in that way.

"Do you wear that ridiculous wetsuit when you're teaching him?" Suki asked, accusingly.

"It's all I have."

Both girls covered their faces, mumbling to themselves.

"What?" Katara didn't see anything wrong with her usual wear.

"That's why!" Suki pulled Katara off the bed and pushed her in front of a mirror. "How can he see you as a woman if you're hiding that body?"

"I'm not hiding anything."

"Trust me, honey, you need to lose the wetsuit. The waters here are warm, you really don't need it. Let's go shopping tomorrow for a nice two-piece you can show off in."

"Yeah, I think it's time to get rid of it." Yue agreed.

"Tomorrow he's taking me driving."

"Look at this girl. Don't worry, you'll be on time for your date. We'll go in the morning before you head over."

"But I don't want to get a guy's attention by using my looks. I want to be with a guy who likes me for who I am." She protested. "Sorry, I noticed that sounded really lame after I said it."

The girls laughed. "The point is to make him aware of you. The rest is up to your personality to keep his interest."

"I heard you had another surfing lesson today." Ursa leaned on the doorway of Zuko's room.

He laid on his bed with his arms behind his head and a book tossed aside. He stretched.

"Yeah. I didn't have a good day though."

"Hmm. Why didn't you invite her to stay for dinner?"

He sat up. "She needed to run some errands. Maybe I'll invite her over tomorrow."

"You're seeing her again?" Iroh passed Ursa and entered the room with a tray of 3 cups and a teapot. "Come, Ursa. Let's sit and enjoy a cup of tea as we listen. So, you've been seeing this friend a lot lately." Iroh poured Ursa and himself tea.

"What are you implying?"

Iroh stroked his beard. "Implying? Nothing. Just observations."

"What are you two doing tomorrow?" Ursa asked as she sipped her drink.

"I'm teaching her how to drive. In exchange for the surf lessons." He said truthfully.

"Hmm." said Iroh and Ursa at the same time.

"Hmm? Hmm, what?"

"Oh nothing. It's a fair exchange, I think." Iroh answered.

"I'm just happy to see you happy." Ursa said, gazing lovingly at her son. "I didn't think you liked the move and for a while the adjustments were a bit hard, but now, you found a purpose."

Zuko laughed. "Purpose? Mom, I don't think anyone would call it that."

"You used to sit around the house all day reading or complaining about missing the big cities. But now, you have color in your skin. You're allowing yourself to try new things all while having fun. Having a reason to pull you out of bed in the morning, something that excites you for the day that makes you put in the effort, that, nephew, is purpose."

"Well said." Ursa complimented.

"You two are too loud." Zuko got off from his bed. "I'm going to the living room. You two, enjoy your tea." He said as he headed out. "That was awkward." He thought to himself.

Zuko plopped himself on one of the large couches and laid with his hands folded on his chest.

"Katara gives me purpose?" He let out a small chuckle. "Alright."

Sorry for a lame chapter. I just wanted to release another one before the week started because who knows when I'll get a chance. Soon, I hope. Please leave a review. I love reading your opinions and thoughts.

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Unahu - Heart