The clear blue waters of the river felt nice and cool against Sokka's skin. It wasn't often he got to enjoy a wash that wasn't cold enough to freeze the blood in his veins.
Carelessly he splashed about, diving under the water and popping back up, ripples forming in his wake. A casual sweep of his arm sent a wave of water towards the bank and he sighed.
It would be more enjoyable if there was someone else to share his fun with. It was rare for Aang and Katara to miss an opportunity for some waterbending practice, but the two were currently hunting for berries or something else to sate the Airbender's vegetarian appetite.
Normally, he could at least rely on Momo for company, yet the flying lemur was sat on Appa's back, the two animals contently snoozing in the sun.
Still, it wasn't a big deal. Sokka could handle being on his own for a bit, amusing himself by chasing a shoal of fish or diving down to the riverbed to look for smooth stones.
Twisting onto his back, he paddled around aimlessly for a moment or two when the sound of snapping twigs caught his attention. His head jerked up, staring into the trees on the riverbank.
"Katara? Aang?" He called out.
For a moment there was no reply. And then a figure emerged from the woods, stepping out into the light of day.
At first Sokka just stared at her, the bright pink hue of her clothing clashing with the deep green of the leaves behind her. And then his brain kicked into gear and he instinctively reached to his back for his boomerang.
His fingers impacted against his soaked bare skin, scrabbling fruitlessly for his weapon. A glance to the shoreline showed his beloved boomerang still sheathed next to the pile of his clothes.
Bereft of suitable armament, he resorted to holding his hands in a threatening gesture, baring his teeth and growling at the girl.
"What do you want? If you're here to capture me, then I won't go down easily!" Sokka declared.
Ty Lee blinked at him and then giggled, shaking her head.
"Capture you? Where's the fun in that?" She asked, taking a step forward.
Sokka froze for a moment, then lowered his fists, squinting at her in confusion. He ran his hands through the wet locks of his hair.
"Uh... Well, if that's not it then are you here to capture Aang? 'Cause he doesn't go down easy either." Sokka told her.
Ty Lee hummed for a second, shaking her head again and walking right up to the water's edge.
"Nope! Not here for anyone," she insisted.
Somewhat puzzled, Sokka eventually decided to shrug and leave it at that. He briefly wondered if she was lying (she was, after all, Fire Nation and an enemy - the truth was an alien concept to them,) but something about the girl convinced him she was genuinely not out to get them. Yet.
"Then what do you want?" He chanced.
Ty Lee only flashed him a quick smile in response, before grabbing the hem of her shirt and pulling it over her head, and then shimmying out of her trousers. She neatly folded the clothes before depositing them at her feet, just out of the water's reach.
Sokka's eyes widened in surprise as she waded into the river. Thankfully, the girl was still somewhat covered underneath (it wasn't much different than what Katara tended to wear while swimming, though clearly of different design), but it still shocked him that she was willing to almost bare herself before an enemy.
True, he was essentially wearing less than her himself, but he'd been alone when he'd began so it probably didn't count. He watched her begin to swim, propelling herself forward with powerful strokes.
In a flash she was before him, easily treading water to keep herself afloat. For several long seconds the pair regarded each other, before Ty Lee suddenly poked him on the nose.
"Catch me if you can!" She told him, zooming off with a splash.
Sokka blinked several times, and then the challenge registered in his brain. His eyes narrowed. He was Water Tribe, born on the frozen ice. There was no way she could outswim him - water beats fire. Everybody knew that. Flexing his arms, he shot after her.
The two chased each other for what seemed like forever, playing cat and mouse. For all his generations of Water Tribe blood flowing through him, Ty Lee proved to be the faster of the two. Sokka blamed his upbringing - actual water being rare in the South Pole, and certainly not for swimming in.
They were so caught up in their game that they forgot who they were, all time (past, present and future) losing its meaning as they frolicked in the water. And then their revelry was interrupted.
"Sokka?" Katara's voice was faint and distant.
"Ah hell," Sokka muttered to himself. Then he cupped his hands to his mouth.
"Hey, Katara! I'm at the river," He shouted back.
He glanced at his companion, who was watching him interestedly. Memory returned - they were no longer two teenagers having fun together. They were enemies, each fighting in a war against each other.
Sokka sighed to himself, before nodding at her.
"You've gotta go. If Katara sees you here, she won't be happy with either of us," he told her.
Ty Lee's nose wrinkled but she smiled quickly.
"Azula will be expecting me soon, I guess. But I had fun at least. Thank you, Cutie!" She told him, grasping his sodden body with her own.
Sokka stiffened in confusion as she embraced him, before relaxing and shrugging.
"I guess I did too. Just, ah, don't make it a habit. Would be hard to explain," he said, briefly returning the hug.
The girl swam towards land, shaking the water off herself. Sokka couldn't help but admire her damp form before she clothed herself once more. Ty Lee glanced back at him, waving briefly before melting back into the woods where she came from.
It was a good thing too, because Katara appeared only a minute later. She looked at her brother, still paddling in the water, and then glanced around. Her eyes caught sight of footprints in the sandy earth.
"Was someone else here?" The waterbender asked suspiciously.
Sokka scoffed, beginning to head back to the bank.
"Don't be silly. You were with Aang the whole time, weren't you?" He told her. "Mind drying me off, by the way?"
Katara rolled her eyes at him but complied, easily removing every drop of moisture from her elder sibling. He smiled at her in thanks, pulling his clothes back on.
Equipping his boomerang sheath, he looked back to the trees where the acrobat had come and gone.
Perhaps the Fire Nation weren't bad all the time.