A/N: The first in a collection of shippy drabbles, some smutty, some fluffy, this being the latter! (The smutty chaps will be set further in the future.) Consider leaving me a review and letting me know what you think, and what you'd like to see! All fics take place in in separate universes, all multi chapter fics will be titled!
The banished prince glowered out at the horizon, the altercation with the Pirates and the Avatar's continued elusion of his efforts to catch him had him in a foul mood. He hears his uncle's heavy footsteps approaching across the deck, but refuses to acknowledge his arrival. The prince ignores the steaming cup of jasmine tea he is offered, and the old man sighs and lifts the cup to his lips,
"That's fine, I wanted it anyway."
Zuko snorted in distain, squeezing the stone in his fist so hard it's caved indents left their mark in his skin for hours afterwards. How could he be so careless? He'd had the Avatar there, in his grasp, and again he'd managed to fail. He felt his stomach do the twisting thing it always did when he thought about his mission.
There'd been a moment when the realization of just how much of a child his enemy was had struck him, as he watched the boy evade the pirates his body looked small and ill equipped for his fight. Of course, the power within him can control all the raw intensity of nature, but sometimes you could forget when you saw the innocence of childhood on his face. If he allowed himself such musings, that twisting in his gut became a fist clutching at his heart.
He opened his palm and examined the necklace in it, turning it over in his hand, brushing his thumb over the pattern. The water tribe girl had been loyal to the Avatar, and brave. She was young, not as young as the nomad, but enough that war looked strange on her. Her eyes had widened with terror when he'd grabbed her, and he didn't like the sensation that came over him when he remembered that fear.
"He's made friends." The old general said, watching his nephew closely. "Talented friends."
The prince gritted his teeth, his uncle was right. This was only going to make it harder.
"You know, I might know of someone who can help. I've heard of a hunter for hire who operates out of an inn not far from here. It's a steep price, but they say she can find anyone, as long as you have something of theirs."
"We can use his new friends to our advantage." Zuko held the necklace up to his face, still thinking of the girls wide blue eyes.
"That water tribe girl..." His uncle said, watching the boy's face, "her bending showed real promise."
"Hm." The prince said, absently, running the ribbon through his fingers.
"Pretty, too." His tone was off hand, the Dragon of the West resisted the urge to smirk when the boy's cheeks flushed a little,
"I don't what you're talking about!" He turned on the old man, snarling, inexplicably angry. The prince stormed away from the railing and back through the cabin doors, leaving his uncle to sigh as he watched the sun begin its descent below the horizon.