Prisoner | An ATLA Fanfic | ZukoxOC

𝙲𝚑𝚊𝚙𝚝𝚎𝚛 𝙽𝚒𝚗𝚎𝚝𝚎𝚎𝚗

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Sailing on Zhao's flagship was unnerving and down right frightening at some points. La'kea hadn't earned the crew's tolerance like back on Zuko's ship, the soldiers she passed in the hallways always lingered too close for her comfort. At least they didn't make her wear chains.

If it was possible, it was somehow colder in the North than the South pole and she tried staying below deck as much as possible. Even as they begun their siege of the North, she had only poked her head above to see the Avatar laying waste to a dozen ships.

As the sun was setting and the moon rose, Zhao halted his assault and that was when Zuko found her. Pulling her aside to an open room meant to deploy a single kayak. "I'm leaving tonight," He explained, tossing various supplies into the boat. "I'm going to sneak into the Water Tribe. Are you coming?"

"Do you even need to ask?" She huffed, bracing herself as a chilling gust of wind blew through. "What do you need me to do?"

He tossed a set of white clothes at her, "Put these on, we'll need to stay warm."

Grimacing, she ducked behind a folding screen in the corner of the room, quickly stripping off her pants, sash, and boots but leaving the tunic on. The pale clothes Zuko had given her were insulated, which made them warm, but heavy. They were slightly too big on her, but she figured the prince hadn't been worried much about getting the right size.

"Hey," She stepped out from behind the screen, tugging on the thick collar brushing her jaw, "Where did you get these anyway-."

The prince gave her a baleful look over his bare shoulder, exposed torso illuminated by the moonlight, "You couldn't wait to ask if I was done?"

"Sorry," She coughed, painfully aware of the higher octave in her voice, but frozen in her place couldn't bring herself to turn away.

"Just help me finish pulling the boat up," He sighed, pulling the jacket on and slipping a ring of rope over his shoulder. By the time they hauled the boat into position over the edge of the ship, the sun had completely disappeared, leaving the sky a deep purple.

She whipped around at the sound of the door opening behind them, only to relax when she realized it was just Iroh.

"If you are fishing for an octopus, my nephew," The retired general started, "You need a tightly woven net, or he will squeeze through the tiniest hole and escape."

Zuko set another supply in the boat, "I don't need your wisdom right now, Uncle."

"He's right," La'kea spoke up, "The Avatar has slipped away every time, we need to think of anything that could happen."

Iroh nodded, walking towards his nephew, "I'm sorry, I just nag you because... Well, ever since I lost my son..." The islander looked at the old man horrified, she had never once heard of him having a son, let alone losing one.

But it wasn't news to Zuko apparently, the prince just bowed his head, "Uncle, you don't have to say it."

"I think of you as my own," Iroh finished. La'kea turned back to the boat, securing it to give the two some semblance of privacy in this delicate moment.

"I know, Uncle," The prince bowed to the retired general, "We'll meet again." He stumbled back as Iroh pulled him into a tight fatherly embrace. "After I have the Avatar."

She stepped into the boat, followed by the prince who started lowering the kayak into the water. "Don't let him do anything stupid," Iroh called out to her.