ATLA highschool AU

Sand Sea and Sun

Zuko's POV

After the long journey we stepped off the bus one by one and took in the heat of the sun, "it's hot here huh?", I smiled as I closed my eyes feeling the sun rays on my face, hearing Sokka pant behind me. "Extremely hot", Sokka leaned against me and fanned himself, I chuckled and picked up my bags, "Sokka, do you want to share a room?", I asked him. "Of course! I'd love to", I heard him reply, that certainly made him forget about the heat. "Alright, I'm sure Mai won't mind", it's about time those two got better acquainted, she's my best friend and he's my lover, shouldn't be too difficult. "You mean with your ex?", I raised a brow at what he said. I guess that's what makes it difficult. "She's not just my ex she's my closest friend Sokka, get over yourself", I rolled my eyes and walked away.

"Trouble in paradise?", I left Sokka behind and walked on my own for a while but Mai caught up. "Leave me alone", I huffed. "Don't get all grouchy on me, I just want to know what's up", Mai looked at me in disgust to the way I talked back to her and put her umbrella back up. "This'll be the fun trip if you start it off with one of your explosive tantrums", she pushed past and walked ahead of me. I need to keep calm, but everyone was getting on my nerves today from just the little things. I took a deep breath to calm myself down as best I could. We found our rooms at the hotel we were staying at and all got ready to spend the rest of the day at the beach. I walked out with both Mai and Sokka, making our way to the beach. "Did you but sunscreen on?", Mai asked. "No, I'm fine without it", "Zuko you said you were fine around your father and look what he did to your face, the sun could do the same kind of thing". Mai passed me sun screen as we set our towels down on the sand.

"A little sunscreen will be alright Zuko, won't cause you any problems", Sokka shrugged and took off his shirt laying down beside me and closed his eyes putting his hands on the back of his neck as he relaxed. "Alright", I sighed and applied some of it on, I looked around the beach, scanning to see who's here, I could see Yue and Jet walking over, she better not irritate me because I'm not in the mood.

Azula's POV

"That sun feels incredible!", I beamed and put some sunglasses on smirking as I walked on the sand in my red bikini, it felt so good to be on the beach, and with Ty Lee by my side I felt invincible, I'm glad we talked on the bus, I guess I should probably thank Aang for pushing me to do that. Nah. "It's doing wonders for my skin", Ty Lee giggled walking in my footsteps just behind me. I could notice many people on the beach turn to look at her, I knew her white bikini was a bit much. I have no problem with fighting people off though. I smiled back at her then noticed Sokka speaking to Yue and Zuko looking infuriated. "Zuko's heating up", I pulled Ty Lee by her arm as we walked over. "What's happening here?", I raised a brow looking around. "Nothing really President", Yue turned to me with a smile, but it was definitely a fake one, I know a girl who's plotting when I see one. "Right", I returned a fake smile and sat beside Zuko.

"Come on Sokka, let's go for a swim", Yue beamed and grabbed Sokka's hand running into the see with him, he didn't look enthusiastic to go but he didn't have a choice. "Ty Lee, want to go in the sea with me?", Jet smirked and held his hand out for Ty Lee. "Over my festering corpse", I slapped his hand away and glared at him. "I can get that arranged", Jet snarled at me but backed off. He stood up to me. Did he really wanted to play this game, with me of all people? He's in for a treat. "He's a bit creepy that one", Ty Lee frowned and shuffled closer to me. "Thanks for having my back 'Zula", she kissed my cheek and sat up rubbing sunscreen on her legs. I smiled softly and looked at her then at the beach watching Katara and Aang walk on, "there's the expecting parents", I rolled my eyes. "What's your deal with them? I thought you hated them both?", Zuko glanced at them then looked back at Sokka in the water making sure Yue doesn't do anything. "Aang I don't like, but Katara is tolerable, we're both strong women and even though I'm pure evil I wouldn't ruin a pregnant woman's life, it'll be a waste of energy because the baby does that for me", I shrugged and lay down in the sand closing my eyes. "She's growing fast though, her skin looks amazing, I want a baby!", Ty Lee pouted and held her knees close to her chest as she watched the couple sit down.

I took my sunglasses off to look at Ty Lee and chuckled, she's adorable, she'd be a pretty good mum too, brainless but compassionate. "But you'll get fat, She's going to be huge in a couple of months", Mai stayed under her umbrella and watched with us. We all laughed together, this was the first time we've been together for a couple of months. It felt nice to laugh with my old friends again. But I know I can't trust them. Even though I'm harsh on Katara, she's probably the only person I'm close to trusting right now, I'm working on it with Ty Lee, but Mai and Zuko, that's going to take a lot of work.

Sokka's POV

I managed to escape Yue when she wasn't watching, I ran out of the water and over to Katara and Aang, "hey guys!", I grabbed a towel and wrapped it around my head and shoulders so if Yue was looking for me she wouldn't recognise me. "That girl still chasing after you?", Aang smirked and nudged me. "Don't joke, it's getting scary now, she won't leave me alone", I looked around quickly to check she's not there and saw Suki and Toph walk over and sit with us. "How's the water ponytail?", Toph lay down in the sand. "Good actually, really refreshing, I can take you down there if you want Toph?", I smiled over at her, I feel like over the last couple of months Toph and I have gotten closer as friends. "Sure sounds good, I'm going to nap first though". "Alright", I smiled then turned to Aang. "You want to come too?", Aang looked desperate to go but didn't reply and looked at Katara pulling a face. "What?", Katara raised a brow at him. "Can I go?", Aang asked with puppy dog eyes.

"Yeah? You don't need to ask me I'm not your owner", Katara laughed and sat up, "I'll come too", Aang and I looked at each other then at Katara with worried looks on our faces. "Are you sure about that?", I frowned. "Guys come on a little water isn't going to kill me", she stood up and held her back, Aang and I stood up with her and held our arms out in case she would fall over. "I'm pregnant, not disabled", Katara raised a brow and pushed her back forward as she walked. "Why is she in such a bad mood?", I watched her walk away. "She couldn't fit into her other bathing suit, the bump has grown a little more since she tried it on last week", Aang replied with a chuckle. "Bumi's growing strong and healthy", He took off his shirt showing a lot more muscle then I thought he had. "Isn't that worrying, it's growing quickly, might mean somethings wrong?", I started to worry. "Don't panic, he's just going to be big and strong", Aang seemed really laid back about the whole baby situation, he worried about Katara but never about the baby. "Race you down there!", he pushed me and started running to the sea splashing Katara whilst jumping in.

"You coming down?", I watched Aang jump in and turned back to Suki, hearing Katara angrily yelling at Aang in the background. "Nah I'll stay here with Toph, you go ahead", Suki smiled up at me. It's difficult to imagine that I was so in love with her, it's not too difficult really, she's beautiful, smart, caring, unique. But a cheater. And untrustworthy. Friends we will stay as and always will be. I nodded and ran after Aang.