Prisoner | An ATLA Fanfic | ZukoxOC

𝙲𝚑𝚊𝚙𝚝𝚎𝚛 𝚃𝚠𝚎𝚕𝚟𝚎

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"I still can't believe you let me sleep on the ship when there were hot springs!" If La'kea had been a firebender, she would have been spitting it as she marched behind Zuko. They were making their way through a thick bamboo forests to the hot springs Iroh been sitting in all day apparently.

When Zuko had woken her up in the middle of the day to go fetch his uncle, he had let it slip and now he was paying the price. She protested all the way up the beach, and now all the way through the forest. The prince finally whipped around, causing the dismayed islander to bump into his chest. "When we get back to the ship, I will personally heat your bath! Now will you stop!"

"Absolutely not!" La'kea scowled up at him, "There is a difference between a man-made bath, and a natural hot spring!"

"We weren't supposed to have stopped this long," The prince groaned, pushing aside some bamboo, "Uncle, it's time to leave. Where are you? Uncle Iroh!"

As they stopped at the edge of a simmering pool, on a tree branch hung the retired general's robes and boots. "Over here," Iroh called, leaning back against the pools natural wall.

"I am never going to let you hear the end of this," La'kea muttered.

Zuko rolled his eyes, "We need to move on. We're closing in on the Avatar's trail, and I don't want to lose him."

Iroh just sank deeper into the water, "You look tired, Prince Zuko. Why don't you join me in these hot springs and soak away your troubles? I'm sure Miss La'kea would enjoy it."

"My troubles cannot be soaked away." The prince's face scrunched up. "It's time to go!"

"La'kea," His uncle drawled, "How many hot springs have you been in?"

The islander eyed the bubbling pools, "I haven't been in a hot spring in seven years." She glared at the back of Zuko's head.

"Then, Prince Zuko," Iroh continued, "You should take your teacher's advice and relax a little. Allow, Miss La'kea to relax. The temperatures just right, I heated it myself." The firebending master breathed heat into the water, causing steam to float through the air.

"Enough." Zuko waved his hand through the air, dismissing the steam, "We need to leave now, get out of the water."

"Very well." His uncle sighed, standing with a stretch.

The world suddenly turned dark as Zuko's hand clamped over her eyes. She struggled briefly before remembering Iroh's robes on the tree branch. Oh. Maybe she should give the prince a break.

"Uncle!" The prince sounded embarrassed, "On second thought, why don't you take another few minutes?" He started moving, pulling La'kea along with him, who stumbled blindly despite the hand on her lower back guiding her, "But be back in half an hour or we're leaving without you!"

La'kea waited until she was sure they were back in the bamboo forest before tapping the hand over her eyes. Zuko sputtered an apology, stepping a good far distance away from her, before continuing his march back to the ship.

She grinned behind his back, it was rare, if ever that she saw the prince flustered, and it was horribly amusing.

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The sun was well into setting when Iroh woke from his nap, and debated falling back into sleep for a split second. It was just so relaxing in the hot springs.