"You have to be kidding." Y/N sighed, looking at the tiny prison room in front of her. It had a thin mat on the floor, with solid metal walls and a roof barely tall enough to stand under. "I dig your boat out in 15 seconds and this is what I get?"
"You can understand why I don't trust you." Zuko said defensively.
"General trust? Yes, I do understand, but we both have obvious goals here, and meeting mine doesn't have to mean your downfall." Y/N crossed her arms, refusing to step into the room.
"You threaten me??" Zuko turned on her in an instant, gritting his teeth and raising a fist in the air. Y/N threw up her hands dramatically.
"I question the authenticity of your motives, given you are so uptight about my presence." She said simply, lowering her hands once the prince took a step back.
"I detest your insufferable presence." Zuko spat, still looking as if he might attack. "But I have not lied to you. I need the Avatar to restore my honor, and my throne." Y/N smiled lightly, which somehow made him even more tense. Lighten up, I'm not going to bite your head off.
"Look, ponytail-"
"Do not mock me."
"I'm not. It's an observation. I will say, however, it isn't very becoming of someone like you, but-"
"Get to your point, tribe scum, or I'll burn a hole through your skull."
"So intense. That would take awhile, you know, but I'm impressed you even have the patience to consider-"
"WATERBENDER!"
"Alright, my idiot siblings are going to get themselves killed, so I want quick transportation and a way to stop them from continuing on their little destiny quest of doom. All that is you, so I shouldn't assassinate you or sink the ship. I'll stay up on the main deck most of the time, so you'll know where I am."
Y/N finished her little tangent, crossing her arms and waiting for a response. The banished prince stood there for a few moments, studying her.
"I may be on the other side of the war, but merciful spirits, you can breathe in front of me without letting down your guard. Are you having a heart attack? I hope you aren't, because then the choice of saving you or not would be a logical and moral dilemma." She spoke slowly, cocking her head to one side. Zuko finally moved, one of his eyebrows twitching as he quickly turned away from her.
"Just get on the main deck and out of my sight."
"Yessir."
"Don't test me."
"Forgive me, blowtorch, for being respectful."
—|〰️〰️〰️|—
"Don't feel bad, you're doing amazing for a first-time player. This is only your third game." Retired General Iroh, or just Iroh according to him, was destroying Y/N in Pai Sho.
She had heard of the game once from Father, him describing it as an "old people game". He wasn't wrong, but despite that and her quick and brutal losses, Y/N found her enjoying herself.
"Thanks, but you're still crushing me." She laughed, moving another one of her pieces, only to realize it clashed with one of his, and she moved it back to rethink, biting her lip. "Yikes. And I thought I was so close, too."
"You were, but I would be mean to let you win so easily." Iroh smiled, watching as Y/N puzzled over her turn. "You've learned from every wrong move you've made."
"It's starting to get all jumbled up." Y/N moved her piece, letting go to finalize the play and rubbing her forehead with a sigh.
"Waterbender!" Y/N jumped, almost hitting the table, as none other than the angry fireball himself marched up behind her. In the peaceful and friendly setting, she had almost forgotten about the prick that owned this ship.
When she turned around, she saw Zuko holding some fabric in one arm. She frowned, looking up at him.
"I have a name, you know." Y/N informed. "Can I help you, firebender?"
"I don't care. We will be arriving at a Fire Nation port soon to have my ship fixed. You cannot be wearing water tribe rags, unless you would like to be captured and killed." Zuko threw the fabric in Y/N's face, and after getting it off her head, she realized it was fire nation attire.
"This is clothing has a huge lack of armor, given that I should be dressing as a soldier in your crew." She commented, folding them over her arm.
"We don't have have any armor in your size, and you're too short to be a soldier, anyways. You'll stay with the crew, and if asked, you're a royal chamberlain for my uncle."
"Specifically Iroh? Not you?" Y/N stood up, giving Zuko a confused look as he backed up quick.
"You will not set one foot in my quarters, you little snake." He spat. Y/N rolled her eyes, glancing down at the clothes.
"Your ability to come up with new insulting names for me never ceases to impress. Thank you for your consideration, I'm grateful."
"Do not talk to me like I am a foolish child." Heavens above...
"Is everything an insult to you?" Y/N snapped, irritated at his inability to accept genuine gratitude. She began walking towards the lower decks with a huff.
"Where are you going?" Zuko yelled.
"To a room to change, obviously. Would Your Majesty prefer I strip naked on the main deck?"
"...just use an empty room. Be quick about it."
—|〰️〰️〰️|—
Y/N had to admit, the cheap canvas-like watertribe shirts did feel like rags in comparison to what she was wearing now.
She hadn't realized how nice the clothes were until she put them on. A tighter top and loose pants that tucked into boots, all black and red. All quality silk, and, upon closer inspection, golden filaments woven through the seams. They fit perfectly, which was weird.
Y/N snapped back to reality, quickly undoing her braid and gathering her hair together to put it up.
After a moment, a small smile crept across her face, and she tied up her H/C hair in a high ponytail exactly where Zuko's was, knowing it would tick him off in some way, shape, or form.
Satisfied, she quickly made her way back to the deck as to not have the prince stomping around the halls, looking for her and spewing fire.
He was waiting right where she had left him, tapping his foot and arms crossed, a grumpy look on his face.
"Took long enough." He commented as Y/N came up the stairs, making her way back over to the Pai Sho board. She stopped in front of him for a moment, studying his face.
"You didn't have to wait." Y/N pointed out for a moment. "I thought you would be gone. It's a shame these nice fire nation clothes are wasted on watertribe scum, it's almost hard to watch." She said sassily, plopping down on her cushion and studying the board to see what move Iroh had made.
She had expected something, but not the sudden yank on her hair. Zuko had grabbed her ponytail, forcing her head up to look at him.
"I count the seconds until you leave my ship." He hissed, shaking her head around. Y/N growled in response, her hand shooting up and grabbing his own ponytail.
"Chill out. Punch a wall or something, stop taking out your anger on people. I don't care if you're fire nation, watertribe, earth kingdom, air nomad, royalty or not, you're being an absolute jerk, and attacking people that haven't done anything."
She yanked on his hair, and he let go of hers, grabbing her arm. She let go and pulled her arm away, readjusting her hair and glaring up at him.
"Stop this childish behavior." Iroh commanded. "Compose yourselves. We have arrived."
Y/N whipped her head around to look over the bow of the ship. A large fire nation port was growing nearer, tall, dark, and imposing.
"Prepare to dock." Zuko yelled.