Sokka grimaced. Why had he accepted Katara's invitation to go to the beach? Not that he had anything against them. Beaches were cool. What wasn't cool was being the third wheel to his sister and her boyfriend because Toph had 'last minute business' to attend to. Seriously. Since when did Toph opt out of having fun to do business? And would it have killed her to tell him instead of having Katara inform him just before they set off? If Toph had tagged along, they could have had oogies together. Now he would have to have them by himself.

And so Sokka sat on the sand with his arms and legs crossed, several feet behind the two lovebirds. Who were cuddling and watching the sea like nothing else existed. The sea wasn't that interesting. Must have been a waterbender thing. At least they weren't making out.

Yet.

"Having fun, Sokka?" asked Katara.

"I can barely contain myself," he replied.

Aang turned around. "That's good, I thought you'd be bored sitting there doing nothing."

Sokka opened his mouth only to close it a second later. "Yep, sitting here watching you two give me oogies has been the highlight of my trip." He spread his legs out and placed his hands behind his head, leaning back. "I'm so glad I decided to come here instead of doing something else."

"You're the one choosing to laze around and complain!" Katara lifted her hand, keeping her other arm around Aang. "Why don't you build a sandcastle over there where you can't see us?" She flapped her hand. "If our presence is so... oogiefying!"

"I will!" Sokka jumped to his feet. He wanted to say more but nothing seemed appropriate. Pulling a face, he stomped around the shore to find a good place to build a sandcastle where Katara and Aang would be out of sight. Who needed sappiness to be happy? He sure didn't.

Grumbling, he glanced over his shoulder. Still visible, but they were specks on the sand. Good enough. Sokka knelt down and started scooping up sand with his hands. He didn't feel like making anything but not doing so would be conceding defeat. Somehow. He'd show them he could have fun. More fun than them.

His tongue protruded out of his mouth as he shifted and sculpted the sand, patting it down at various intervals. He tilted his head sideways and used his boomerang to cut off any unsightly bumps. Not being a waterbender like certain other people, Sokka made do with cupping his hands together and rushing back from the sea whenever he wanted to dampen any sand.

"Hm..." Sokka stepped back, dropping a pile of sand onto his masterpiece. He formed a rectangle outline with his hands and peered through the gap. Yes. Good. Better than good, if he said so himself. The slashes made by his boomerang were maybe slightly lopsided, and his creation had collapsed in a dozen or so places... and the seashells were chapped... and the seaweed a funny colour... but the pebbles were a nice touch.

Sokka slapped his hands together. A job well done.

"That's not supposed to be me, is it?"

Sokka stiffened.

That voice.

He whipped around. Grinned. Laughed.

"SUKI!"

She caught him, wrapping her arms around him as he embraced her.

Katara and Aang heard. They smirked.