Avatar Zuko

Chapter 34

"Sorry, Sokka, but that's terrible." Commented Zuko, looking at the several drawings of Appa scattered across the floor. A few looked vaguely like the bison, but most resembled weird blobs more than anything else.

"What? No, this one is even better than the last five!" He protested amusingly, stabbing his finger at the newest drawing and smudging it so that it looked as though Appa had a black eye.

Zuko made an uncommitted noise in response and didn't mention that his own art skills were also completely abysmal. Aang and Katara were currently off getting a professionally drawn picture of Appa (not that they'd told Sokka that) while Toph and the firebender were sat bored at the house waiting for them to get back. The Prince felt as if there was a lot of tension in the air, though he wasn't sure why, but thought it could have to do with his and Sokka's 'bro-day' a week or so ago. It had, unfortunately, deepened what Zuko had been feeling for the non-bender from just light attraction to a full on crush. He was ignoring it, of course, knowing Sokka could never feel the same way.

Thankfully, just then Katara and Aang burst through the door, carrying stacks of paper. Each sheet had a detailed drawing of their missing bison on it along with their address so that people could notify them if he was found.

"Aww, come on! I have plenty of pictures of Appa we could use-" Sokka held up his own drawings and Katara laughed out loud.

"Sorry, Sokka, but I think we need more recognisable pictures of Appa." Tried Aang, letting the non-bender down easy.

"Yeah, ones that don't have his legs coming out if his ears." Muttered the waterbender in between giggles.

"Those are his horns!" Sokka argued, pointing at his paper and smudging it again.

"Sure they are." Replied Katara sarcastically, smiling at her annoyed brother.

"Don't worry, Sokka, I think it looks just like him!" Chipped in Toph, clearly joking since she was blind.

"Aww, thank you, Toph, I tried really hard and- why do you do this to me?" He grunted the last part, crossing his arms moodily.

"Guys? Can we stay focused?" Asked Zuko, really not enjoying how he'd become the responsible one. But, alas, he was the avatar.

"Yes, anyway, we're going to put these posters up all over Ba Sing Se, since searching for Appa hasn't really gotten us anywhere." Explained Aang, scratching the back of his neck.

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They had all split up to put up the posters (Toph going with Sokka since she was unable to tell whether or not the posters were facing the right way or upside down) and Zuko had decided that this was the most boring thing their group had ever done. However, he was back in the outer ring, so he might manage to come across his uncle provided the man was in the city at all.

Zuko was just sticking a poster on the side of a bakery when he got the unsurprising urge to take a break and eat a bakewell tart, since it was past lunch time at this point and he was hungry. But, as he walked around to the front of the bakery to line up for some food, he saw a familiar face: Jet.

Of course it was him, who else would it be? Obviously not someone Zuko actually wanted to bump into. He was just about to go punch/stab him, and then ask why he wasn't still in the Dai Li prison he assumed existed, when Jet caught on to his staring and strolled over, a confident smile on his face.

"Hey there, babe, see something you like?" Asked the freedom fighter flirtatiously, putting one hand on the wall next to Zuko's head and getting a little too close for comfort. "The name's Jet, what about you, handsome?".