After the war

History lessons with Captain Shen

"Zuko you don't have to be so hard on the crew anymore, I think they learned their lesson when one of them fainted" Sokka gently tried to get to the bottom of Zuko being icy towards the soldiers.

The Unagi attack the day before had left an air of tension hanging over the ship and its inhabitants, the sooner they left this awful situation behind the better.

Zuko tapped the end of his knife on the steel table. They were in the ship's dining room having just finished the evening meal and dismissed the crew for the night.

"When a soldier disappoints his commanding officer it's generally regarded as one of the worst feelings one could experience, when this happens it's usually best to let them stew in it for a while, they'll never want to go through it again, it's a learning experience" the Captain spoke up, answering Sokka's question.

"I don't like it, but they need to learn that they have to conduct themselves better under pressure, this is the best way..." Sokka didn't like how resigned Zuko looked to this conversation.

"I still think you could do with lightening up on them Hotshot, just a little bit" Sokka tried to persuade his boyfriend.

"There are no easy decisions in leadership or battle, unfortunately you two know that better than anyone, two young men hurt by a war they should never have had a part in" Captain Shen spoke, leaning his face on his tented hands.

At the sound of his own words Zuko felt a shiver run down his spine. Ra must have sensed his companion's discomfort as he wrapped himself tighter around the Firelord's neck, not in an effort to constrict, but more in an attempt at a comforting hug. Zuko removed the dragon from his neck and sat him in his lap, running a hand down the creature's back.

"We don't have to be so cold towards them though" Sokka pressed at the Captain.

"They need to learn!" Captain Shen shot back.

There was a sudden ringing of metal as Zuko's knife embedded itself in the wall of the ship. The Firelord was over the debate and wanted it to end as swiftly as possible.

"I'm done with being sad and bitter sweet today, you two, follow me" Zuko draped Ra around his neck, stood up and gestured for Shen to follow him while leading Sokka by the hand.

"Where are we going Your Majesty?"

Zuko didn't say anything, he just led his boyfriend and the Captain to the galley.

"When I was banished I was given the courtesy of designing my ship, I knew I'd be injured a lot, and alcohol is used to treat wounds, so I made a hidden compartment in the floor of the galley to store it! You can imagine how sailors are where alcohol is concerned" Zuko explained as he searched the floor for the compartment opening.

"This isn't your banishment ship, Zuko" Sokka noted, leaning against a wall and crossing his arms.

"No, but the new wave of ships were made in its image, and because I know you like to drink, I had a lot of alcohol stored in the hatch" Zuko explained to his clueless boyfriend.

Sokka felt his heart doing little cartwheels inside his chest. He tried to ignore his most vital organ trying to escape his body, and ask the question that had been on his mind since Zuko dragged them out of the dining room.

"And, why are you looking for alcohol?"

"Haha! There it is!" Zuko yelled triumphantly, pulling a part of the floor up. Sokka tried to look inside and counted at least eleven bottles, presumably all filled with Fire Nation rum.

"As I said, I'm fed up of being in a negative mood, so we're playing a drinking game! My cousin Lu Ten taught it to me when he first joined the army" Zuko explained as he pulled four bottles out of the hatch, two had blue lids and the other two had bright red lids.