Zuko sat around the campfire with everyone else, feeling fit in for once. He made tea, cracked a really stupid joke that only Ayame laughed at until she cried.
"Leaf me alone, I am bushed."
"That was so stupid, Zuko," she clutched her stomach. "I knew I couldn't expect much from your sense of humor. It totally matches your aura," she giggled. She was wearing the bracelet he had bought her when they'd gone to the market after they'd met Hama. The Fire Nation bracelet. He smiled on the inside.
Om the outisde, Zuko scowled at her, and everyone laughed. And then Sokka pulled Zuko aside.
"I have a question," he said.
"What?"
"Where are prisoners taken? If they were captured, let's say, where would the prison be? And what would it be called?"
"Why?"
"Just saying."
"Well," Zuko thought, "There is a prison called the Boiling Rock. The worst prisoners go there. It's literally a rock surrounded by boiling water," Zuko informed him. "It's a prison with the highest security in the Fire Nation."
"Where is it?"
"Why? You're not planning to go there, are you?"
"Nope," Sokka shook his head and waved his arms around. "No way. Just asking."
"It's better if you don't know."
"I have to know, okay? I have to."
"Fine. It's between here and the Fire Nation in the middle of a volcano," Zuko said. "Tell me you're not planning anything."
Sokka shrugged. "I just wanted to know where my friends would be. I got them stuck there in the first place."
Zuko watched him walk back to camp, and then caught Ayame's eye. She was smirking at him, as if she'd been let on a secret. Zuko pursed his lips and shot her a look that said, Don't you dare try anything.
She gave him the same look she'd given him the day she'd left. Zuko rolled his eyes, and she blew him a kiss.
"Ugh," he said, but he was smiling when he turned his face.
♋♋♋
Zuko laid on Appa the entire night, waiting. Finally, he heard the sound of footsteps and someone climbing over the side of Appa. As soon as Sokka saw him, he yelped, falling backwards and onto his back. Zuko peere over the edge.
"You weren't going anywhere, huh?" Zuko grinned slyly.
"Uh, I wasn't. Going anywhere, I mean," Sokka said, but Zuko raised his eyebrows in a My jokes maybe stupid but I'm not way. "Okay, fine. Look. It's my Dad. I need to know what I put him through. It was my fault, because," Sokka added, "I came up with the infiltration plan. And I'm betting that's where my father is being kept. Are you happy now?" Sokka asked, scowling and fixing his ruffled clothing.
"I'm never happy." Zuko crossed his arms over his chest.
"I'm going. No matter what you say. I have to get my Dad out of there. I have to regain my honor."
The words slammed into Zuko's chest. "Believe me, I know what you mean. I'm going with you."
"No. I have to do this on my own."
"Yeah? And are you going to leave Appa at a bison daycare while you're at it?" Zuko said humorlessly. "We'll do better on the war balloon I stole to escape the day you broke in."
