"Hey Katara have you seen my shoes?" Sokka walked into his sisters room and saw Zuko laying on the bed on his stomach as he was playing on his phone.

"Blue ones?" Zuko asked.

"...yes?"

"Behind the door in the kitchen," he nodded going back on his phone.

Sokka nodded slowly as he backed out of the room and went down the stairs seeing if he was right. He saw his sister making popcorn as she sat on the counter. Sokka looked behind the door and saw his shoes.

"Zukos in your room," Sokka told her as Katara looked over her shoulder at him.

"I know? We're studying for the test tomorrow," Katara raised a brow confused.

"So you and Zuko are going to be in your room.. alone? Studying?" He crossed his arms wide eyes.

"You don't have the class otherwise you could study too," Katara jumped off the counter as the microwave beeped and grabbed the bag of popcorn.

"Aren't you fine with Zuko now? I thought we were over the whole bad influence thing," Katara groaned a little pouring the popcorn in the bowl as Sokka stole a piece.

"I am. But he's a boy. In your room." Sokka urged as he whined like a child.

"Yes Sokka we will be doing all the sex with the door closed, it's exactly the kind of person I am obviously," she said sarcastically and Sokka covered his eyes screaming.

"I didn't mean it like that! Never say that again!" He cried out and she looked unamused.

"Have i convinced you to knock it off then? Zukos a straight A student and I don't really get the unit so he's helping me out," Katara walked up the stairs with her popcorn.

"I swear to god if I see that door closed-"

The door to Kataras room slammed closed.

Sokka groaned loud and obnoxiously as he put his shoes on.

"Fucking teenagers," he huffed.

—

"What was that?" Zuko looked at her confused as he sat up and took the bowl from her as Katara went to her computer to pull up some websites she was going to use for the essay.

"Sokka," Katara said flatly.

"Ah,"

"It's just annoying cause I always looked after him when our dad was gone and suddenly he wants to play parent? You know he wouldn't be like this if you were a girl," Katara spun with her head back in her chair.

"Take it up with the father lord," Zuko rolled his eyes.

"Oh I'm going to be missing school next week also," Zuko snapped his fingers and Katara frowned pouting.

"And why's that?" She cocked her head to the side.

"My uncles going to be out of town, I gotta look after the shop," Zuko told her simply and she leaned forward staring at him.

"I can come help after school!" She beamed brightly.

"I think I can handle a little tea shop," he said flatly.

"I'll be dropping off the school work you miss anyways so I'll help a little too," Katara shrugged him off and he pursed his lips.

"Besides you'll be all weird and lonely again," she snorted.

"I'm not weird and lonely," Zukos face dropped.

"Your definitely weird and lonely," she laughed at his pouty fade.

Zuko felt his phone ring and saw it was Jin, he bit his lip and looked at Katara apologetically.

"Go ahead, I'm going to see what else I can find for the essay," Katara waved him off and he answered.

"Hey, what's up?" Zuko held the phone up.

"Hey sorry I'm on my way to work, I thought I'd give you a call," Jin laughed a little as Zuko smiled gently hearing her voice.

"I'm honored you'd spare time for me," Zuko chuckled.

"What are you doing? What time is it by you?" Jin asked curiously.

"It's 8 at night, so it's probably morning for you," Zuko did the math in his head.

"Yep, whatcha doing? I'm so bored walking," Jin groaned.

"I'm with kat, she decided to procrastinate to the last minute on our class and asked for my help, we have a test tomorrow too," Zuko told her and Katara looked at him a little giddy that he talked about her. He put it on speaker.

"Kat? Ohhh that Katrina chick!" Jin gasped and Katara looked at him no longer happy.

"Yep that's the one," he smirked.

"Your on speaker, be nice," Zuko told both of them as Katara flipped him off.

"Aw Lee you know I'm always nice," Jin cooed.

"That's a lie and you know it," Zuko hissed.

"Obviously I'm the nice one," Katara smiled.

"Do we need to talk about the other day?" Zuko scoffed at her and she laughed.

"Yea sure," Jin snorted from her side.

"Hey so how's your uncle? Is he still making the Jin special?" She giggled as Zuko rolled his eyes at her.

"Your sugar shit? Fuck no that was the first to go," Zuko shook his head.

"I got you hooked and you know it! Remember you finished like three cups one time?" She teased and he shrugged.

"I think I was just dehydrated again," he defended.

Katara crossed her ankles in the chair as she listened to them, she wasn't upset Zuko was talking to his only friend back home, not at all. But she knows people, she knows how other girls can be, she can tell jin either doesn't like her already or was trying to show her that she meant more to him.  It was a easy thing to figure out with people when they brought up inside jokes only.

"Hey kat," Zuko pulled her out of her thoughts.

"There's this restaurant I know you'd love back in Tokyo, I'm definitely showing you it when I go back, Jin hates it though," he smiled sweetly at her and Katara blushed surprised.

"I do not," the other girl whined.

"You always say you hate how they make their soba," Zuko said.

"They have soba and a bunch of other little neat things I'd think you'd like," he smiled at her and Katara smiled back nodding.

"You'd let me come with you to Japan?" She felt excitement bubble up in her chest.

"Course?" He rolled his eyes like it was obvious.

She knew he wasn't great with social skills, he was definitely an oblivious person. But it showed he had a good heart. She liked seeing him like this, comfortable to lay on his back with his hair on the edge of the back as he looked at her and the three of them engaged the conversation as Katara told them the things shes thought about trying in Japan and the two let her know if it was worth it or not.

Katara couldn't help but feel her stomach flutter as Zuko laughed, an actual laugh that made his eyes close from how much, her face burned as he looked at her again. She giggled as her legs tingled at the feeling.

She liked seeing him like this a lot.