Sokka let a sigh escape his lips as the two teens sat along the bank. He cast a quick glance over at Zuko beside him; the prince muttering something under his breath about the likelihood of catching anything. The Water Tribe warrior had thought it appropriate to take Zuko with him whenever he had planned the morning fishing trip. The prince had been even more aloof since arriving back at the Air Temple after the prison run, and Sokka was beginning to wonder if the bonding had fallen away. He had briefly considered informing his dad of the trip, but he figured that the man would make salvaging the bonding a bit awkward. Plus, Sokka wanted answers, and he knew he'd only get them if he and the prince were alone.

Readjusting the pole in his hand, Sokka glanced down at the water in anger. The waters drifted slowly in the quiet current, and just below the surface he could spot the fish swimming around them, almost deliberately avoiding their hooks. Growing under his breath, Sokka shoved away the impatience before addressing the prince. "So how do you like running with Team Avatar."

Zuko's only response was to shrug his shoulder in a casual manner, and fiddle with his own fishing pole. "It's okay. A lot better than I thought it would have been."

"What did you think would happen?" Sokka couldn't help but smirk. "We'd kill you or something?"

"Actually yes," Zuko only shrugged again. "That thought did cross my mind. Among other things."

Sokka snickered at the response. "And you came anyway? Are you a glutton for punishment or what?"

"I didn't have much of a choice," Zuko answered as he moved the fishing pole a bit about in the water. The fish below continued to avoid the trap. "There really was no going back at that point. I figured if you all killed me, at least I made an attempt at doing the right thing. That's better than what I've done for the past few years. Plus, going back probably would have meant a slow painful death. I decided to take my chances with you people. At least you all would have put me out of my misery quickly."

"That was a good choice." Sokka nodded. "So now that you are with us, and you know we won't kill you, how do you like it?"

"What's with all the questions?" Zuko's remaining eyebrow rose, disappearing into the messy fringe of hair that hung over his forehead. His thin, ember eyes were plagued with concern.

"You're like part of the team, well you are part of the team, and we've never had a moment to talk just the two of us." Sokka answered with a roll of his eyes. "Plus, you did help me break my dad and Suki out of prison. We're like friends now and I'd like to get to know my friends. Just answer my questions."

Zuko snickered, a small smile pulling at the corner of his lips. "Okay. No need to be defensive."

"Just answer the question. What are your thoughts now that you're part of Team Avatar? Are we as awesome as you always figured we were?" Sokka leaned his weight over to nudge the prince in the side.

Zuko cast a smirk towards him. "You're not bad. In all truth, I really do enjoy being here."

"You do?" Sokka looked surprised at the open answer he was given. He had come to accept that the older boy wasn't one to right out open up and tell what was on his mind; other than when he was angry, then the entire temple knew just what he was thinking. But for him to answer so quickly and honestly, it through the warrior off a bit.

"Look." Zuko sighed. His eyes roamed over the river bank as if searching to see that they were indeed alone. He landed his eyes on Sokka, the narrowing of them bringing some urgency to the conversation. "I'm going to tell you something, and if you tell anyone, I will kill you in your sleep."

"My sleep?" Sokka raised an eyebrow, trying to keep down the snicker building in his throat at the clearly hallow threat.

"Yes," Zuko seemed to pick up on the forming laughter, "your sleep. Now promise."

"I promise. Cross my heart, and hope to live." Sokka smirked.

"Hope to live?" Zuko raised an eyebrow. "I thought it was hope to die."

"I'd rather live." Sokka answered with a shrug. "Now tell me this deep dark secret."

Hesitation flashed over Zuko's face and he sat back. His head turned to the side, giving Sokka a clear profile shot of the deep scar that distorted the features of his face. The prince's eyes seemed to shimmer and dull rapidly. He opened his mouth before closing it, repeating the act a set of time as if he were a fish out of water. "Growing up, I wasn't really the most popular guy around."

"Really?" Sokka smiled. "Prince of the Fire Nation, I figured people were lining up to be your friend."

"Let's just say I was disgracing everyone from a young age." There sat a hollowness in Zuko's voice that he didn't dwell on. "Before joining you guys, I really didn't have that many friends. Hell, other than Azula and them, I didn't really talk to anyone. You guys are the first, in a long time, to give me a chance and you don't know how much I appreciate that."

"It was nothing." Sokka punched him in the shoulder, the action holding no real strength. "We're just glad you want to help."

A silence sank over them as both boys fiddled with the poles in their hands. The fish below continued to swim around, avoiding capture. Sokka lifted his eyes back onto Zuko, noting the way the other boy's shoulders didn't sag as much as they did whenever he had first showed up. "In all truths," Sokka paused for a second, waiting for Zuko to acknowledge his voice. The prince turned his head to face him. "I didn't have that many friends before either. There weren't many kids that survived all of the raids, and after the last one that took our mother, Katara and I were all that was left as far as kids were concerned. And even when babies started being born, there really was no one my age to hang out with. Aang was the first person I met that was anywhere near my age. But even he's still a kid.

"What I'm trying to say is," Sokka paused for a moment as he attempted to set his words into place. "You're the first guy I've gotten to know, whose my age. I know we haven't really known each other for a long time, well we have, but not all of it were good times, anyways, I know what you mean. About the friends thing. What I'm trying to say is, that I'm glad I got to know you. You're a lot different than what we all imagined."

"Thanks." Zuko nodded. Before he could speak again, there came a tug at the end of his pole. Glancing down, both boys spotted the large fish attempting to pry the pole into the water with him. Hunger sank over them as they noted that the thing was half the size of Toph, and put up just as much of a fight. Zuko pulled hard on his pole, trying desperately to bring the fish from the water.

Sokka picked up his struggle, and after dropping his own pole, he moved over to assist the boy. "You can't even beat a fish."

"It's a strong fish." Zuko countered, moving his hands to allow Sokka to grab hold of the pole as well. As the other boy gripped the pole as well, the fish seemed to sense a second set of hands, and pulled even harder, dragging the two closer to the river's edge. The pair put all of their strength into prying the fish from the river, but it wasn't budging. Anger and frustration sank over them as the fish continued to pull them farther to the water's edge, his large tail flapping about under the surface of the water, creating a large amount of backlash of water.

"Keep ahold of the pole." Sokka commanded. He took his hands off, and reached for the thin blade held tightly in the loop of his belt.

"What are you doing?" Zuko asked, eyeing the blade the other boy held.

Sokka's eyes trailed from the prince to the fish fighting in the water. Zuko nodded in understanding as the Water Tribe Warrior inched his way into the water. The fish showed no signs of noticing the teen in the water due to its focus for pulling the other boy in as well. Sokka was only a foot away from the fish when he lunged, his knife leveled and angled directly towards the center of the fishes forehead.

The animal seemed to sense the danger, and moved quicker than Sokka could. It jerked itself to the side, the blade just missing hitting its gilled head. The sudden movement caught Zuko off guard. The combination of the fish's sudden change in direction and Sokka's weight catching the fishing line was enough to topple Zuko over into the water. He went under for a few seconds. By time he resurfaced, the pole was no longer in his hand. He stood, finding the water reaching just above his hips. Glancing around, the prince caught the pole drifting away quickly. He reached for it, but found it drifting away to quickly in the current.

"Damn it!" Sokka's voice drew the prince around to spot his friend. The Water Tribe boy was spouting out water from his lips, his eyes narrowed at the fish swimming feet away from them, the fishing hock no longer in his mouth. He turned his attention toward Zuko who was glowing at the fish as well. "Where's your pool?"

"Umm…" Zuko turned his head in the direction of where his pole had drifted to, surprised to see it even farther away and nowhere within his reach.

"That's fine." Sokka sighed. "We still have mine." He pointed towards the bank they had previously been standing on. His face dropped when he saw his fishing pole no longer where he put it. Turning back to the prince, he caught the movement of the fish moving at the other side of the bank.

"So much for fish tonight." Zuko said.

Sokka sighed and motioned for him to follow him out of the river. "That's fine. Fish isn't real meat anyway."