Okay...so here's another story, finally. I know's it's been a super long time since I've posted anything but in all honesty I've either had writer's block or have just been too nervous to post it .. I know Zuko and Katara have been the only couple I've written about but they're my favorites haha. I don't know, I just love the thought of them being together and having amazing chemistry. Thank you to my friends for being supportive and thank you to anyone who reads this and/or likes this. It always brightens up my day :)

Disclaimer: I own nothing.

The college campus was bustling with students for the first week of school in late September. The summer weather seemed to linger in this late afternoon, making the returning students dreading the beginning school year even more so. Excited freshman scurried to their classes early, hoping not to get lost, while the returning students only took their time, hoping to get a chance to get out of class early and soak up the Florida sun at the beach a couple miles away. Bending teams could be seen doing simple exercises on the open grass and yoga classes being held in the shade were ignored by all but the freshman.

Katara walked out of the college classroom and saw a patiently waiting Suki leaning against the beige colored stone building. Katara shrugged her leopard printed backpack over her shoulder and smiled when Suki looked up from her phone and asked,

"Hey! How was class?"

"Boring. This is going to be a long year. The professor is starting us on stock market statistics first."

"Well, we only have a few more months. Then we'll be college graduates" Suki smiled.

"Hurray!" Katara smiled half-hardheartedly.

Katara's eyebrows furrowed when she saw Suki's eyes widen and the smile disappear from her face.

"Just who the hell is Sokka talking to?" Suki asked with surprise pointing down the small set of stairs.

Katara followed where Suki was pointing and saw her brother standing in the shade of a palm tree talking to a very recognizable twenty-four year old Graduate Student.

"What the hell?" Katara muttered heading towards her bother, with a giggling Suki following close behind.

"Hey babe!" Suki cheered greeting Sokka with a kiss on the cheek.

Sokka, who was clearly in the middle of a conversation, looked almost startled when he saw the two young women walk up to him. He smiled when he saw Suki in her white burmuda shorts and light green halter top, with her shoulder-length brown hair flowing in the warm breeze.

"Sorry, were we interrupting something?" Katara asked walking up next to Suki and looking between her bother and his new...handsome friend.

"Girls, this is-"

"Zuko Adroushan" Katara smirked cutting off her brother.

Zuko looked at the young woman standing next to Sokka's girlfriend and admired her beautiful blue eyes and her Cafe Au Lait colored skin. She wore Daisy Duke styled denim shorts, a red strapless top and her long brown hair was straightened and left down, but had Zuko wondering what it would feel like between his fingers. For now he only smiled and asked,

"You know my name?"

"Hard not to when I saw you on the cover of a magazine at the grocery store" she answered.

Zuko blushed slightly and nodded his head, making the young woman laugh,

"Forgive me if I'm not exactly starstruck like my friend Suki here. I'm Katara. Sokka's sister"

"This is your sister?" Zuko asked his friend with surprise.

"Yup. Unfortunately she followed me here from Colorado" Sokka sighed.

"Hey, I wanted to come to Florida long before you applied here" Katara argued smiling.

Zuko smiled and realized he liked Katara's smile when he asked,

"What are you majoring in?"

"Business" Katara sighed.

"Business? Sokka told me you're a water bender. Why aren't you a Med student?"

"Why does everyone think I should be at medical school?" Katara asked then realized what Zuko said and added,

"Wait...you were talking about me?"

"All good things" Zuko smiled.

Katara eyed the tall Grad Student and wondered how he could be wearing dark blue jeans and a black shirt when it was so hot and humid outside. Maybe fire benders don't get warm easy, she thought. His black hair seemed pretty shaggy and the left side of his face was covered by a large scar.

"Katara and I are done with classes for today and we were going to go to the beach. You guys want to come?" Suki asked changing the subject before an awkward silence could fall over the group.

"Well, Sokka and I have another class in an hour, but is it alright if we can meet you there?" Zuko asked.

"You guys have a class together?" Suki asked in slight disbelief pointing to the two guys.

"Politcal Science 406" Zuko nodded.

"You're an engineering major" Katara stated looking at her brother who merely shrugged,

"Yeah, but I have credits to burn this semester"

"So, you thought Political Science 406 was the way to go? That's a hard class" Suki asked a little worried.

"Just how do you know?" Sokka asked.

"Because I took it last year and barely passed" Katara answered.

Zuko looked at the sexy water bender and could only wonder why a business major would need such a difficult class. Shaking his head, Zuko answered,

"Don't worry Katara. I'll make sure he passes. You two head to the beach, we'll meet you there in a couple hours."

Waving, the two girls turned and headed towards the house they shared a couple blocks from the college. As the girls walked on, Katara smiled at the vibrant colors of the flowers growing all over the open campus. The concrete walkways between the large buildings were surrounded by green grass, palm trees, and naturally growing fruit trees. The humidity made the air thick with the smell of the abundant plant life.

"Are you insane?!" Katara asked when she was sure they were away from Sokka and Zuko.

"What?" Suki asked trying to sound innocent.

"Why did you invite Zuko?"

"Why not? He was into you"

"I can't get mixed up with him! His dad is Ozai Adroushan! The man who basically holds my future dream in his hands!" Katara exclaimed.

"I know. I already texted Toph about it. She says to use Zuko to get to Mr. Adroushan."

"Right, because that won't go wrong at all" Katara said sarcastically before adding,

"No, no, no. I'm doing this on my own."

Inside the small two story bungalow, Suki sat on Katara's full sized bed and shook her head as she watched her friend put her sunscreen and beach towel in the bright blue tote bag. Katara had repeatedly said she wasn't interested in Zuko and yet, there she was, wearing her navy blue bikini that just happened to be the sexiest one she had.

The french doors in Katara's bedroom were wide open, letting the summer breeze blow past her dark brown black out curtains and cool the small bedroom. The room had light beige wallpaper bordered with palm trees at the top, giving the room an almost vacation-like feel. Katara had a few posters from famous casinos around the world and her tiny closet was filled to the brim with her clothes, shoes, purses, swim suits, and a few light jackets. The house she shared with Sokka and Suki had two bedrooms, two bathrooms, and was crazy expensive; but was worth it because they had a gorgeous ocean view from the balcony both bedrooms shared.

Just when the girls were ready to leave, Suki heard the familiar ringing of Katara's cell phone. Looking at the name, she exclaimed,

"It's Toph!"

Answering the phone and putting the call on speaker, the girls heard their blind friend's voice. While Suki and Katara had met in their first year of college as dorm mates, the group met Toph during a pro bending match between their school and a university in Arizona. She had been on the team and won against their school's earth bender 8-0. It was brutal, but when the girls met Toph after the match, they couldn't help but build a friendship. They loved her brutal honesty and sometimes depended on it when they felt unsure of themselves.

"So...about this Zuko..." Toph began.

Usually having an easy time returning to classes, Zuko found himself itching to get out of the class to head to the beach. His friend Sokka sat at the desk next to him and typed frantically on his small laptop while the professor paced the crowded lecture hall pointing to the chalk board a few times. Zuko just sat there in a daze, stealing glances at the clock every few seconds. Katara was on his mind and although he wasn't sure why, he wanted to get to know her. Why did she chose Florida? Why is she a business major? Does she work? Is she going to go to grad school like me? Dammit, this class is slow, Zuko thought to himself. Things he usually didn't care about were racking his brain, and he didn't like it. He shook his head and pinched the bridge of his nose to try and wake himself up, focusing on the few notes he had typed on his computer.

"Any unexcused missed classes will have an automatic ten percent drop on your grade. And I will be taking attendance each and every day. With each incomplete assignment, thirty percent will be dropped" the professor announced sternly.

"Son of a bitch. I guess no ditching this class at all" Sokka whispered to Zuko.