A:TLA is not mine.
A/N: Written for the Avatar_500 community on LiveJournal, Prompt #29 - Travel.
Title: Differences
Author: Somariel
Rating: K
Words: 213
Genre: General
Char/Pair: Zuko
Warnings: None
Summary: Zuko muses on the differences between traveling with Iroh and traveling with the Gaang.
Differences
Somehow, for Zuko, traveling with the Avatar and his friends was different from traveling during his banishment and as a refugee. It wasn't just that he had had Uncle with him for most of the time during the latter, although that was part of it. There was an entirely different dynamic to traveling with the Avatar's group.
Whereas Uncle had been the responsible one during their travels together, now Zuko found himself taking on the role of the responsible one, being the oldest one present. Given that Katara was the other person filling the role of the responsible one, there had been quite a bit of tension between them before she had forgiven him. Once she had forgiven him, though, they found that they could split the responsibilities between them with little need to talk about it.
Aang was like a little brother, always looking up to him, and Toph was the little sister he should have had. Sokka was the best friend he had never had, someone around his own age who had similar interests and who was willing to talk about things he wasn't comfortable talking with Uncle about. In many, many ways, the Avatar's group was becoming the family he should have had. It was actually fun traveling with them.