This is just a silly story that came to my mind this Halloween. Sorry if it's full of flaws because I just wrote it tonight (and it's 4h30 am xD).
Azula was in the passenger seat, with an annoyed face. Her brother was at her side, driving the car. They were both dressed up in Halloween costumes. She was wearing a chic witch costume and her brother was supposed to a zombie or something like that. She didn't really care, since she was too irritated… And scared, she would never admit it, but she was scared.
"I can't believe you're doing this to me…" She muttered at him.
Zuko only chuckled.
"And you say I'm the dramatic one… You know, Sokka knew you would do this. He knew you would get cold feet, and that's why he asked me to drag you there no matter what…"
Azula's eyes widened as she turned to face her brother.
"It's not cold feet! I just don't want to go to this stupid party!"
"Well, Sokka is your boyfriend now, Azula… You are kind of expected to go to his stupid parties…" Zuko replied, rolling his eyes as he turned the street corner.
"I don't mind going to his parties, actually I would love to, the problem is… His annoying sister will also be there, not mentioning his idiotic friends…" She groaned.
"Hey! I'm one of his friends!" Zuko complained.
"My point exactly…" The girl mumbled.
When they arrived there, Zuko opened the car's door for her, looking annoyed at her.
"Come on… Stop being a baby…"
She glared at him, leaving the car.
"Shut up, Zuzu!"
"Hi!" Suki shouted happily, throwing her arms around Zuko and kissing him.
Azula just observed them with disdain. What was Sokka's ex girlfriend even doing here? Okay, now she was dating Zuko, but it didn't mean Azula should like to be around her, mostly in her boyfriend's house. "Oh, hi, Azula…" Suki said, awkwardly.
Azula just nodded, walking into the house. The place was infinitely smaller and simpler than her and Zuko's house. She had to admit though the Halloween decoration was really well done. She was looking things around when Sokka showed up, followed by Toph, Aang and Katara.
"Hey!" He smirked as he walked towards and kissed her. The kiss caught her by surprised and for some reason it made her forget all her worries for a few seconds. "I was afraid you wouldn't come anymore, Princess…" He said caressing her face.
She was used to have people calling her "Princess" all the time. Most of them did it in a sarcastic way, because of her usual superior attitude, but it also fit her well since her family had a very high social status. Azula never really cared about what people would call her, but the truth was she loved when Sokka used this nickname. So she couldn't help but face him with a silly smile.
"Well, I wouldn't miss our first party as a couple, would I?" She could see by the corner of her eye, Zuko rolling his eyes at her obvious lie. And Sokka kissed her again, happily.
"Okay, will you two stop that? I already brought enough horror movies, I don't need to watch you two making out…" Zuko complained and went to the table to get a drink.
Azula heard everyone laughing at his statement. Almost everyone. She could see Sokka's sister, Katara, looking at them unamused. Azula just sighed, she knew this wouldn't be easy…
"So, let's watch the movies?" Sokka asked excited.
"Can we wait a little longer? The food is almost ready." Katara finally spoke.
They all agreed and sat down in the living room. Azula placed herself on the couch next to Sokka.
It was the first time she actually hanged out with him and his friends together, since they started dating. Of course, she used to see them at school all the time, but she just considered them a bunch of losers, she would never hang out with them willingly. In fact, she didn't even know how she ended up falling in love with one of those geeks. She smiled at this thought.
Azula observed with curiosity them all chatting and laughing happily. They looked so relaxed and comfortable around each other. Even her brother, who had simply no social skills, seemed to feel at home around these people. Azula would never admit but she herself wasn't the most sociable person in the world, but since she knew exactly how to use her social status and manipulative ways to control everyone around her, no one really seemed to notice her lack of sociability. Right now though, this seemed to be a problem. Because these people didn't give a damn to her status and they knew about her personality, since her idiotic brother had told them everything about their lives. They were completely different from the rest of the people she knew. Actually, that was probably one of the reason she ended up liking Sokka. He was always a challenge for her.
And apparently so was his friends and family. She was feeling like a complete outsider. She didn't even know what to say and she never found any of their jokes funny. Not mentioning, she could see Katara glaring at her all the time. Of every people in the world, this had to be his sister… Seriously, why?
"Come on, Aang, I love this story, tell us again." The dark skinned girl said. "But wait for me, I will just check some things in the kitchen."
Azula waited a moment and stood up.
"Hey, where are you going?" Sokka asked softly, holding her hand.
"To the restroom… be right back…" She lied and gave him a smile.
When Azula arrived at the kitchen, the other girl looked at her startled.
"Azula? Uh, do you need something?"
"Uh, no… Do you want some help?" She asked awkwardly.
Katara raised her eyebrows, perplexed. If she knew anything about Zuko's sister was that she wasn't a caring person. She was probably just plotting something…
"Actually, yeah." Katara said coldly after a while. "Can you turn off the oven for me while I finished this?" She was placing some spooky cupcakes on a tray.
Azula sighed. "Sure…"
After a moment, Katara noticed Azula looking at the oven unsure, she rolled her eyes.
"Wow, don't you know how to use an oven?" She said annoyed, walking towards the oven and then turning it off herself. "Oh yeah, I forgot Princesses don't do housework."
Azula blushed a little, but then she rolled her eyes and crossed her arms over her chest. "Ha ha. Very funny. Now, seriously, we need to talk."
Katara looked at her surprised again.
"We do?"
"Yeah… we do." Azula sighed. "It's not as if I wanted to talk to you. But… you see, I'm your brother's girlfriend now. So… I guess we can't ignore the elephant in the room…"
"Oh really?" Katara asked sarcastically, as she crossed her arms.
"I mean, yeah, we've hated each other since… I don't know, 6th grade?" Azula laughed a little. "The truth is my opinion about you hadn't changed… Really it hadn't…" She gave Katara a judgmental look from head to toe. "But I guess I can try to work on that… For Sokka…"
Katara's eyes narrowed with hate now.
"I can't believe you're doing this… You make it sound like it's also my fault."
Azula shrugged.
"Isn't it? I hate you. You hate me. We are both guilty on that…" She said, dismissively.
"But it's a completely different situation. I have reasons to dislike you!"
"Which are?" Azula raised one eyebrow.
Katara's eyes widened with disbelief.
"Oh, I don't know, maybe the fact you make my life a living hell, since I got into that school? Or maybe because you treat my friends and me as inferior people all the time. Seriously, I don't even know why Sokka ended up with you… He must be either out of his mind or a masochist!"
Azula frowned. Well, the girl had a point. Azula used to make fun of her, make pranks and spread evil rumors about her all the time when they were younger, and even these days she still treated the girl as scum in the school corridors. But still, Katara was overreacting a little bit, wasn't she? The truth was Azula had never done anything that serious… Well, at least not too serious.
"Is that why you hate me? Because I'm mean to you and to your friends? I'm mean to everyone, Katara… You shouldn't take it personal." She shrugged.
"That's no excuse, Azula! Actually, it just makes things worse!" Katara yelled, frustrated. "And what you did to Aang last year… That was unforgivable…"
Azula shook her head confused.
"I was just mad because he got a higher grade than mine in History class… It was no big deal, he doesn't even care about that anymore…" She shrugged again.
"That's not the point!" Katara shouted, but before she could go on, she saw the whole group getting in the kitchen.
"Hey, is everything all right in here?" Sokka asked, looking worried at both girls.
"Azula, what did you do this time?" Zuko sighed frustrated.
The girl noticed that everyone except Sokka was looking at her inquisitively. Like she was the one to blame.
"Are you okay, Katara?" Aang got closer and put an arm around Katara's shoulder.
Azula rolled her eyes. "I knew this would happen." She stormed off the kitchen.
"Azula, wait!" Sokka cried, before giving Katara an irritated look.
When he got into the living room, Azula was looking for the car's keys in Zuko's jacket.
He approached her, taking the car's keys off her hand.
"What are you doing? You can't even drive…" Sokka frowned at her.
"Give me that back!" She glared at him.
"Azula, seriously? Are you really leaving without giving me an explanation?"
Suddenly, she felt guilty and then a strange need to apologize took over her.
"No… I mean… I can't stay here, Sokka. I'm sorry…" She whispered the last part.
"Why not?" He asked sadly, tucking a bang of her hair behind her ear.
She hated how he could easily make her melt. It was like she was completely defenseless around him. It was probably karma.
"I want to be here… With you…" She finally admitted. "But everyone here hates me. Everyone but you… I hope." She said the last part as joke, but part of her wondered if he did hold a grudge against her too.
"Of course I don't hate you, silly." Sokka laughed, kissing her. "And neither do they. Well, maybe Katara…" He said with a wince face. "But she takes like forever to let things go… I mean, you had no idea how long it took her to accept your brother in the group." He chuckled. "I pretty sure the same will happen with you, just give her time."
Azula sighed.
"I guess you're right… But, Sokka, it's not like I want to be part of your group of friends."
"Uh, what? But I thought we were…" He looked almost scared to her.
She laughed a little.
"Well, as I said I want to be with you… Still not sure why, but I do…" She smiled at his unamused face. "But it doesn't mean I'm going to hang out with your friends all the time. No offense, Sokka, but they are a bunch of nerds."
He rolled his eyes at her.
"Like you're any better…" He was the one laughing at her face now. "You just cover it better, Princess."
People were getting back to the living room now. They were trying to act naturally, although Katara still looked upset.
"So, are we watching horror movies or what?" Suki asked, trying to break the ice.
"Yes, yes…" Everybody agreed, sitting around the TV.
Sokka and Azula were still in the corner of the room though.
"So, will you stay?" Sokka asked her, pecking her lips.
Azula sighed, trying not to smile.
"I guess so…"
"Will you two come or what?" Zuko groaned from the couch.
Azula couldn't help but laugh at that, walking to the couch, holding hands with Sokka.
"Seriously, Zuko, you need to get used to this." Sokka mocked his friend.
But the other simply rolled his eyes.
"So, what are we watching?" He asked, ignoring his sister and her boyfriend.
"What about a classic? Rosemary's baby?" Suki suggested.
"I don't know if that's a good idea… Last time Zuzu watched it he wet his bed during the night…" Azula commented.
Everyone burst into laughter.
"Shut up, Azula! I was just a kid!" He groaned.
"Zuko, that was two years ago…"
And the room burst into laughter again. Zuko just mumbled some kind of curse.
"I guess it wasn't really a bad idea to bring the bitch princess to the party, Sokka…" Toph commented, still laughing.
That night, things went better than Azula expected. They watched movies, ate and chatted. And even though things were still weird between her and Katara, after a while, she found herself having a decent conversation with the rest of group. She had to admit they weren't as lame as she thought they were. She would even admit she was having more fun than she usually had in regular parties. Of course, she would never be friend with them. She was only doing this for Sokka. But maybe… Well, maybe she could start treating them better at school... Everyone was already judging her for dating one of them after all. And weirdly, she didn't seem to care. Suddenly, she realized everything was about to change now she was with Sokka, but she didn't care, in fact, she was enjoying it. Well, they would face problems, yes, but the warm feeling in her chest was telling her they could simply get through everything if they were together.
Happy Halloween, everyone!