I wrote this for my friend's birthday cuz she is absolutely OBSESSED with Kataang. it's the first fanfiction that i ever wrote, and i never thought i would be posting it on ffnet. it's a one-shot, but I think i might make a story to go alongside this one. oh, there's some toph/zuko as well, but not much and most of it is for comedic relief. hope you enjoy!

Katara walked into Iroh's teashop, hoping to find some peace to settle her thoughts. Looking around the room, she saw Zuko and Iroh making tea in the kitchen, completely content with their lives. Looks like Mr. Firelord got a vacation, she thought, smiling as she made her way towards them. "Nice seeing you two again."

Zuko and Iroh looked up and saw Katara standing in the doorway, smiling at the two. Iroh was the first to respond. "Katara! What brings you to my humble teashop today?"

Zuko stifled a laugh when he saw how quickly Katara's mood switched from happy, to nervous, to anxious, and finally settle to downright depressed. He handed her a cup of tea, motioning for her to sit down. "You look distressed. Something bothering you?"

After their field trip to get revenge on the man that took Kya's life, the two had become good friends. Katara sighed. "Recently, Aang has been avoiding me. And I don't even know why! Did I do something wrong? Is he cheating on me? I'm so confused!" Katara let her heart out, telling her worries to the two wise men sitting in front of her. Zuko looked at Iroh and sighed.

"Katara, you realize that Aang's had the biggest crush on you since you found him in the iceberg right?"

She looked at him, startled. "what are you talking about?"

in return, she heard the biggest laugh that had ever escaped Zuko's lips. She was royally pissed. "What's so funny?!"

He tried his best to stifle his laughter. "N-nothing. I just never realized how oblivious you can be sometimes. I was hunting Aang for a long time, you think I didn't notice how he went out of his way to make you happy?"

Katara blushed. Now that I think about it, he's right. She thought of the time when he made her a necklace after she had lost her mother's. He liked me since the beginning? "Okay, let's say your theory is true. Why is he ignoring me now?"

This time, Iroh started talking. Noticing how hard his nephew was trying not to burst into another fit of laughter. "It may seem like he is avoiding you, but you must keep in mind that Aang is the Avatar. It's been 4 years since the war ended, and he's trying to juggle his private life and his avatar duties at the same time. In order to make sure the world keeps his balance, he might be neglecting your relationship. Rest assured, this will all be over soon enough." Katara looked at him doubtfully.

"How can you be so sure, Iroh?"

He smiled warmly. "I am an old man that has seen much of the world. Trust me, you must bear with it for a little while until it works itself out in the end."

Katara nodded, smiling a little. "thanks you two. That really helped to calm my nerves a bit. I think I should get going, I have to make rounds to the hospital, see if they need my help with healing anyone."

With that Katara made her way out of the teashop. As soon as they were sure she was out of sight, Iroh and Zuko erupted into laughter. "Oh, poor Katara, you have no idea what's coming your way."

Toph was sitting in a cafe, wondering what exactly she was doing with her life. I could be whipping those Lilly-livers into shape at the metalbending academy, but noo, I have to stay her and work with Twinkletoes for his stupid surprise for Sugar Queen. She blew her hair out of her face, scowling. "Why do I have to be the one helping you with this? Why can't Meathead or Sparky do it instead, they're much better at planning." Aang looked at her pleadingly

"Toph please! You have to help me otherwise it wont work! Sokka's a big mouth and Zuko's already helping me with other stuff, you're the only one who could do this!"

"Ugh, fine. But after this is over I want a sparring match. I haven't had the chance to beat you to a pulp since before the war had ended. Better start practicing Twinkletoes."

Aang looked at her with a small frown. "Toph, I'm 17 years old. Don't you think you could drop the nicknames?" Toph smirked. Looks like I still got it, she thought, feeling triumphant. "Come on, what's this plan you have in mind?"

Katara was walking past the little cafe when she saw something that caught her eye. Quickly hiding behind a building, she looked at the cafe where Toph and Aang were sitting, talking as if they were having the time of their lives. Katara frowned. Why am I getting so jealous? This is Toph we're talking about, it's not as if those two would ever go behind my back and do anything. Would they? She sighed, continuing to watch them talk until Iroh's advice popped into her head. " you must bear with it for a little while until it works itself out in the end." taking a deep breath, she tried to shrug off the jealousy and walked into the hospital building only to bump into Suki.

"Hey Suki, how have you been?"

Suki looked around nervously. "Oh hey Katara! I've been just great, peachy, tip-top condition. I really have to get going. See you around!" and she ran off, leaving Katara standing there, confused. What was that?

Suki ran into Sokka's office, quickly shutting the door behind her. She sighed, relieved that she avoided that confrontation. Sokka looked at his wife funny. "what's got you all jumpy today?" she looked at him and suddenly remembered something. He doesn't know! Shoot, why did I choose here of all places to hide? She smiled at him nervously. "Oh, it's nothing important. I have to go shopping for some groceries. See you at home sweetie!" she kissed him on the cheek and walked out of the room, headed toward the one place she knew she could hide in: Iroh's tea shop.

Quickly heading inside, she went into the kitchen where Iroh had been standing. "Iroh! Did Katara come and talk to you this morning?"

Iroh smiled at her and nodded. "As a matter of fact, she did. She was feeling down that Aang had been avoiding her for the last week or so, but I reassured her that he was taking care of his avatar duties. I don't think she has caught on. Sokka doesn't know about the plan, does he?"

Zuko walked into the room. "Suki? What brings you here?"

Suki looked at Zuko with a small frown. "it was a close call, but I managed to persuade Sokka that nothing interesting is going on. Katara was at the hospital today, and I think she might have seen Aang and Toph planning in the cafe. She looked really distressed."

the two men frowned. Zuko looked at Iroh before speaking. "Katara did come to the shop earlier, but Uncle calmed her down. You don't think she's onto us, do you?"

Suki shook her head nervously. "I really hope not. If she realizes what we were planning then it's all over." Zuko took off his apron and hung it on the rack.

"You said you knew where Toph and Aang were planning, right? Let's go warn them ahead of time."

the two walked out of the teashop, stealthily making their way around the busy streets of Ba Sing Se toward the tiny cafe. Toph and Aang both noticed their friends approaching and looked at them.

"Aang, you are an idiot." Zuko stated. Aang looked at him funny. "What's that supposed to mean?"

Suki sighed. "you knew Katara would be coming to the hospital today, and yet you still chose to talk to Toph in the one cafe that was closest to the hospital? She's onto us! You have to do something, we have to keep her stalled until tomorrow."

Toph looked at the group frantically. She whispered, "Quick, change the subject! Sugar Queen is on her way towards us, like now."

Aang quickly brought up a crazy story about the time Appa ate all the fruit pies he made for Monk Gyatso when Zuko smacked him across the head. "that's not what she meant stupid!"

taking over, he started talking about the political issues of the Fire Nation right before Katara came up to them. "Hey guys! It's funny to see you all gathered here together!"

They laughed nervously, trying their best to act natural. Toph immediately picked up on Katara's lie. Her eyes narrowed. Does she really know or is she jealous that we didn't invite her to this, reunion?

"Well, I still have to go shopping. Sokka wants dried prunes for dinner."

"Yeah, I still have to help Uncle with his teashop"

"I'm pretty sure I had a meeting with General Fong" Suki, Zuko, and Aang ran off, leaving Toph alone with Katara. She felt Katara shift a little tensing up. "So how's it going with you and Twinkletoes?"

Katara frowned a little. "It's okay. What about you? Have you found anyone you want to settle down with yet?"

Toph wiggled her toes just barely. She's lying. She knows something is going on, I have to keep stalling her."well..." Toph inwardly cringed. I can't believe I'm doing this.

Katara smiled knowingly. "oh, so there is a special someone, is there? Mind telling me this lucky guy's name?"

Crap, I didn't think this through! "it's really embarrassing. He might be listening to us right now, even as we speak." Okay, Sokka's off-limits, Aang's her boyfriend, who's left? Toph desperately tried coming up with someone she could use, someone who would be okay with going along with it if they knew why she was doing this. Katara continued to pester her. "Oh come on! Here, if it bothers you so much we can talk about it in Iroh's teashop."

Toph suddenly remembered that the preparations were taking place at Iroh's teashop. She continued cursing Aang for dragging her into his problems. "No! W-we can't go there!" she tried her best not to sound too frantic. Twinkletoes, I swear as soon as this is all over I am going to beat you to a bloody pulp.

Katara gasped. "Y-you have a crush on Zuko?!"

"eh?" Toph was baffled. How in the-Aang, I'm going to kill you after this all blows over. Zuko? Why did it have to be him of all people! Katara kept talking, extremely excited."Oh my goodness Toph why didn't you tell me? I could have helped you out so much sooner! Come on, let's go to my place and talk about this in detail."

Forcibly dragging Toph towards her little house, Katara was excited. Toph's never shown any sort of interest in guys before. This is amazing! She's finally growing up! Katara felt so proud that she completely forgot all about her jealousy towards Toph earlier that day. Toph needs me to help her win his heart! I won't let her down! They walked into the modest little house, fit for 3 people to live in comfortably. They sat around the table, Toph earthbending some glasses over to the table as Katara got the water. They sat in silence for a minute until Katara couldn't hold it in anymore. " So when did you start liking Zuko?"

Of all the questions she could have possibly asked she asks that one?! Toph had planned out an entire story on their way to Katara's house. She was ready, but if Katara actually did something to get the two of them together she was in deep trouble. Why didn't she just think it was some random guy off the streets? She had to go and pick Sparky for the guy I like?

"I never said I liked him, Sugar Queen. You just went off into your own fantasies—"

She was cut off by Katara's persistant prodding. She sighed. How the hell am I supposed to come up with some random story on the spot? Well, if she wants something girly I'll give her something girly.

Putting on her best girl-in-love face, Toph began telling her tale. "It was back when we were searching for Appa in Ba Sing Se. I got separated from Sokka who saw some meat stand or something and left without me. I figured it was my chance to wander around the city and look around at some shops. I walked into a nice teashop and coincidentally saw Uncle there. He recognized me from the time we met when Azula was chasing us. He offered me some tea in the back, and we started talking. Zuko came in and, although at first he was a little rude to me, talked with us as well. The shop was almost closing, so we had a lot of time to talk. That's when I realized he wasn't such a bad guy after all. But back then I had no idea that he was the same cold-blooded stalker that had chased you guys all over the world."

Toph just barely choked out those words without puking. Ugh, I'm never this girly. Let's hope she falls for it, I'm not in the mood for elaborating. Lucky for Toph, Katara looked at her as if all the puzzle pieces fit together somehow. "so that's why you stood up for him at the Air Temple, and why you visited him that one night when your feet got burned. Oh, let's not forget how you basically jumped at the opportunity to go with him to look for Aang before the comet!"

Huh. I guess it does make sense how that would work out. Toph was both relieved and completely grossed out from Katara's back-up statements. As long as Sparky doesn't find out, I'm good, she thought, hoping that Katara wouldn't do anything rash.

"Okay Toph, we have to doll you up for tomorrow! Come on, let's go to a spa!" Katara yet again dragged Toph out of the house, walking toward the nearest salon. The two sat in the sauna first, Toph moving the rocks and Katara bringing the water.

"You know," Katara started, "I saw you talking to Aang today in that cafe and I got kinda jealous. But who would've thought that you already had a special someone, right?"

"yeah, who would've guessed," Toph muttered, plotting ways to murder the avatar after his big plan was exposed. "you know, Sugar Queen, I can tell when a person's lying right? How is your relationship going with Twinkletoes? Don't lie to me, I can tell if you're lying."

Katara sighed. "I dunno, it just seems like he's been avoiding me for the past week or so. I'm just worried about him, maybe I did something wrong and that's why he's ignoring me, or maybe he found someone better to be with, or-"

"Katara, stop right there." she was shocked into silence. Toph never calls me by my first name. "Listen to me: Twinkletoes loves you. He has for a long time. Even though I wasn't there to see it personally, the stories I've heard from Meathead, Sparky, and Iroh are enough to show that everything he's done is for you. Don't go thinking he's found someone better to be with just because he hasn't talked to you in a while. He is the avatar, he might really be busy with work and stuff."

Katara smiled. "Thanks, Toph. You're really good at cheering someone up." Toph smirked. "looks like Iroh's starting to rub off on me."

they both laughed, completely forgetting all their worries in the moment.

"Zuko, you have to help me! We have to get the decorations up before tomorrow morning!" Aang was literally hanging off of Zuko's foot, trying to get the cranky firelord to help him. "Aang, you can fly. Why in the world do you need my help for putting up decorations?"

"what if I put them on wrong! Come on, you took a vacation for this reason, didn't you? Please please PLEASE help me, I'm desperate!"

Zuko sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose. The world's fate is in the hands of an idiot. "Fine. What do you want me to do?"

Aang looked at him with tears in his eyes, giving him a big hug. "thanks Zuko! I con't care what the others say, you're really nice!"

"okay okay. Wait, what?" Zuko was mildly offended, but then quickly brushed it off. He said the same thing when we were visiting the sun warriors. "Okay, I need you to put up these on that wall an hang these streamers everywhere else. Oh, do you think you and toph could do a little confetti-explosion thing when she walks into the room?" Zuko looked at him like he was crazy.

"you're kidding right? If I'm doing all of this stuff, then what are you doing?"

"Bracing myself for rejection." Zuko looked at the ceiling, sighing exasperatingly to the spirits. Why? Why did you pick a complete imbecile to be the avatar? "I will do the explosion things if you put up the letters and streamers. I can also make tea and possibly some snacks with Uncle's help." Aang nodded, quickly taking the letters and sticking them to the wall. He smiled. I really hope everything goes as planned.

Toph barged into the teashop, looking tired and pissed. She pointed at Aang, "when this all blows over, I will personally kidnap and murder you for all the trouble I've been through to make sure this plan of yours works." Aang looked at Zuko, slightly terrified that Toph was being serious. "W-Why, Toph?"

"Because you all abandoned me with Sugar Queen, she thinks I have a crush on Sparky over here! I got dragged to a spa, where the entire time she told me ways to seduce him!"

Zuko blushed in the corner. "Wait a sec, how in the world did she jump to that conclusion?"

"I asked about how her relationship was going with Twinkletoes, she turned the question on me, I tried stalling so that she wouldn't follow you by hinting there was someone, she suggested we talk about it here, I said no, she thinks I like you." Zuko and Toph looked at Aang who was sheepishly smiling. "well, congratulations on your new relation-" he didn't even finish his sentence when Toph lifted the earth beneath his feet, making him collide with the roof. "Don't you dare finish that sentence."

"Ugh," Aang stood up slowly, rubbing his head. Looks like this might be harder than I thought.

Katara paced back and forth in her little house. Toph said my advice was helpful before running off somewhere. Oh, what if she went to Iroh's teashop to confess? Continuing with her fantasies, she fell asleep, wondering what the day would bring.

"Katara, wake up!" Toph stood at the foot of Katara's bed, trying to wake up the older woman. Twinkletoes, I cannot believe you are making me go through hell twice. Just you wait, we'll see what lies in store for you. "Come on, I have to get ready! We're going to the teashop and I need your help on what to wear." Ugh, I hate this soo much. I'm Toph, the greatest earthbender ever, not some weak girly-girl that only cares about boys. Katara woke up groggily, looking at Toph. "What?" she was still half asleep, unable to process what was going on. Toph smirked. Well, I guess we're going to have to change that. Stomping her foot twice, she made the earth give way until Katara was almost fully underground, save her arms and head. "Toph, what are you doing?!"

"waking you up, that's what I'm doing." she laughed maniacally, finally letting Katara go when she saw that the girl had woken up. "Okay, you want to go to the spa again?"

"NO. I am not going back to that horrid place. They touched my feet. We can just get ready here, I'm sure you have some stuff we could use."

"I do, actually. Come on, let's get ready." they started digging through some of Katara's clothes, majority of which were water tribe but there were still a few earth kingdom dresses hanging as well. They both got ready, Toph putting her hair in her signature bun and Katara left it down. They made their way to the teashop where Katara opened the door to-

"Surprise! Happy birthday Katara!" everyone was gathered, sitting in the teashop wishing her a happy birthday. She gasped, completely caught by surprise. She looked at Toph who just smirked. "Go, Twinkletoes is waiting for you."

Katara made her way inside, headed towards Aang who was sitting in the middle of the room. "How did you-I didn't even remember that it was my birthday!" Aang smiled lovingly.

"Katara, of course I would remember your birthday. Actually, there's something I wanted to say to you." he stood up and got on his knees, holding out a crystal ring made from the earth gems underground. "Katara, I love you. I can't imagine what I would do if you weren't by my side. Would you do me the honor of marrying me?"

She put her hand in front of her mouth, eyes brimming with tears. "yes, of course!" The confetti went off just as planned, Aang stood up and pulled her in for a kiss. When they broke apart, he put his forehead on hers. "I'm sorry for making you so sad this past week. It broke my heart to hear that you thought I was avoiding you." She shook her head. "No, Aang, it was all worth it. I can't believe you did all of this, for me. I couldn't have asked for a better boyfriend." they smiled, caught up in the moment until an uncomfortable cough brought them back to reality. It was Toph. "Yeah, Sugar Queen, I wanna clear up any misunderstandings: I do not have a crush on Sparky over here." she pointed to Zuko who was standing next to her, blushing slightly. "nor do I want to seduce him in any way." the entire gang erupted into laughter, having the time of their lives. Katara made her way towards Toph. "So, everything you said was all just for the sake of stalling me?"

"Yup. Speaking of which, I think I have to go murder your fiance right about now." Toph looked at Aang evilly, watching as he quickly ran out the door. "oh no you don't!" she chased after him, using her earthbending to move faster. The spectators watched, laughing at the scene in front of them. Katara looked at the two fondly. Today has got to be the best birthday ever.

you like? don't like? well step right up and leave a review! come on, you know you want to~

It's not exactly very romantic, but I was aiming for a little more humor than romance.

sorry if some of the characters (especially toph) seemed OOC. I had to do it in order to make it work.