Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Frustration. A sour emotion that Zuko is intimately familiar with. He’s dealt with it enough throughout his life that one would think that he’d know how to handle it by now. One would think.

But one would be wrong. And anyone who blames him for being frustrated has clearly never had to go through the absolute, all-consuming rage that is re-learning basic tasks.

“I,” Zuko hissed through gritted teeth as yet another servant fled his quarters, “am going to kill the next person who asks me if I need anything.” He flopped down on his bed next to Azula. “Seriously. I don’t need or want to be coddled.”

“Mhm.” Azula didn’t even glance up from the scroll that she was reading. “Mom would crawl out of her grave just to beat your ass if you ever hurt anybody for trying to help you.”

Zuko’s subsequent long-suffering sigh reverberated around the room. “I’m gonna go nuts if I stay here, Lala.”

“Poor you,” Azula flipped her scroll over. “Having the entire nation entirely besotted by your bravery and patriotism. Imagine having millions at your beck and call - however will you survive.”

Zuko glared at Azula over his mound of blankets. “I could just leave, you know. I bet I wouldn’t have to deal with this shit in the Earth Kingdom.”

“We both know that’s bull. You would never.”

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Shows how much she knows. Zuko muttered under his breath as he ducked underneath a lifeboat onboard the Sovereign . Zuko held his breath as a crewman stepped by his hiding spot. He doubted that stowaways would receive a warm welcome, crown prince of the Fire NAtion or not. 

This was a bad idea. Zuko knew that it was a bad idea, but he was in far too deep to think of turning back now. Azula was going to murder the palace staff. Uncle was going to murder him.

Zuko curled up and ignored his growling stomach. Hopefully by the time he was discovered, they’d be too far away from Caldera to even consider turning around.

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There was no way in hell that this new so-called ‘cease-fire’ was anything other than another elaborate Fire Nation Hoax. Giving up a siege that’s been going on for three generations just because another tyrant leader died? yeah , right. Chief Hakoda scoffed as he tossed whatever bullshit the new Acting Lord Regent or whoever kept pestering him with ‘reparations’ fliers or official court summons had sent into the sea.

Like he was just going to waltz into the middle of the Fire Nation just because they pretended to ask him nicely.  

Which was why, upon spotting the Sovereign , Hakoda decided to attack first and ask questions after the ashmakers were all dead.

Unfortunately, Hakoda thought a bit guiltily, it had appeared to have been the wrong choice. There were all of six crew members, and upon closer inspection, the ship was clearly a non-combatant merchant vessel - a fact uncovered only after all onboard were cleanly decapitated and dumped into the ocean.

He would probably feel a lot worse if these people hadn’t attempted to wipe his village out. That being said, he and his crew certainly weren’t going to run out of supplies anytime soon.

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Zuko wakes up from his impromptu nap starving. He peeked up from his spot underneath the lifeboat and was relieved when he was greeted by the gleaming moon. If he’s quiet and fast, it’s probably dark enough that the crew won't see him, even if they are awake.

Silent as smoke, Zuko clambered out and looked around. He crept down below deck where the kitchens and pantry was. A loaf of fresh bread sat tantalizingly on the middle of the center table, and Zuko’s mouth watered. 

Zuko absolutely, totally did not try to shove the entire loaf into his mouth. His mother raised him to have decorum and manners, thank you very much. He ate it slowly and politely, and not at all like an armadillo bear eating its first meal after hibernation. 

He was so engrossed in his bread that he didn’t notice another person come down the steps until he was hefted up by the scruff of his neck like an unruly cat and flipped around.

The man who held him was large and smelled like salt. The stranger bore no Fire Nation red, but wore pelts of white and blue. Beads dangled from his braided hair, which hung free around his face. 

“You’re not Fire Nation.” Zuko accused, kicking his feet out.

“You don’t say.” The man’s face ran through about twelve emotions that Zuko couldn’t decipher before landing on constipated. 

Zuko stared up at him with his large, gold eye. “How are you on the Sovereign then? We’re just barely out of Fire Nation Waters, you know.”

It was a perfectly reasonable question, Zuko thought, but the expression on the man’s face switched from constipated to ashy, so he must have said something wrong. “I’m so not doing this right now.” The man muttered before bellowing. “Hakoda! Get your scrawny ass over here and handle this!”

“That’s a naughty word.” Zuko pointed out, squirming uncomfortably in the man’s grip. “Can you please put me down now?” This whole adventure had already managed to go spectacularly sideways. 

The man hesitated, before dropping Zuko to the ground. The fall was only a foot at most, but Zuko, who still hadn’t completely recovered his balance, tumbled over. He shut his eye and braced for impact, but a big pair of hands clasped onto his shoulders before he could hit the ground and hauled him back up.

Turning around to thank whoever had caught him, Zuko was met with yet another not-Fire-Nation person. A weirdly familiar not-Fire-Nation-Person. “I know you!” Zuko beamed. “You’re the guy my uncle has been trying to get a hold of! He’s gonna be so glad I found you - he might even consider not killing me when I get back home!”

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Hakoda looked helplessly over his shoulder to Bato, who did nothing but stick his tongue out and slink out of the kitchens. Zuko blinked owlishly as Hakoda knelt down to his level and put a hand on his shoulder.

“Where are your parents, kid? Were they on board with you?” Tui and La, Hakoda hoped that they weren’t. He really didn’t want to explain to this kid that Surprise buddy, there’s been a sale and you’re parents are half off and also floating in the ocean somewhere-

“Uhm.” Zuko tilted his head. “They’re dead, I think? I don’t know for sure, but I think that my dad killed my mom and then my sister killed my dad because he tried to kill me. I dunno though, because everyone’s been super hush-hush about the whole thing. Whenever I ask Uncle, he says that father tripped and fell on something sharp, but father never trips so I think he’s lying and that Lala stabbed him, because that totally seems like something she would do.”

“Ah.” Hakoda winced. “Let me rephrase. Where is your guardian?”

“Don’t have one!” Zuko chirped, bouncing on the balls of his feet. “I’m here by myself to establish independence. I need to learn how to do things again after father burned my eye and ear off.”

“I… see.”

Zuko did not think that the man saw, because his face was a mask of concern and utter bafflement. Zuko giggled. This adult was funny, not like the stuffy adults back home with their boring flat faces.

The man’s face went through another fun range of emotions before settling on something softer. “Does your guardian know that you’re out here - ah - establishing independence?”

“Yep! I told em that I was gonna go on a trip until I could do my duties without relying on everyone else to help me with them.” Hakoda’s face fell, and Zuko felt the need to reassure the man. “I’m very good at taking care of myself, don’t worry!”

Hakoda took a deep breath before plastering a smile onto his face. “What’s your name, bud?”

“I’m Zuko, and I’m from Caldrea!”

“Well Zuko, it’s very late. Why don’t you finish up your bread and then Bato will show you where the bunks are aboard our ship.”

“Is Bato the bag man who won’t stop laughing at you?”

Hakoda sighed. “Yes, that’s him.”

Chapter Text

As soon as the child was out of earshot, Hakoda smacked his head soundly against the side of the fire nation vessel and promptly cursed as he remembered that the fire nation constructed their navy out of metal instead of nice soft wood.

He heard Bato walk up behind him a few minutes later.

“So,” Bato clasped Hakoda’s shoulder. “What are we gonna do with the ashmaker spawn?”

“I don’t know.” Hakoda sighed. “We can’t exactly take him to his home, but I’m not just  going to toss him into the sea.”

“There’s an Earth Kingdom port a couple of days out that’s neutral. We can drop the kid there if you don’t get attached.” Bato looked at him knowingly, “But we both know that someone on board is gonna want to keep him.”

“Yeah. We can do that. Drop him at a port. Totally reasonable idea.”

“Hakoda,” Bato glared at him and poked him in the chest. “Don’t.” Poke “Get.” Poke “ Attached.” Poke poke poke

Hakoda scoffed. As if he would get attached to some random child they had bumped into, even if said child was injured and even if his caregivers were clearly inadequate…

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Hakoda got attached. Within the first hour of knowing the kid. Bato wanted to scream.

“I gave you one job. One job, Hakoda.” He snarled when he saw the beads braided into the kid’s hair. “Don’t get attached, I said. We’ll drop the kid at the first neutral port, I said. And what, Hakoda, did you go and do?”

“I got attached .” Hakoda mumbled. “In my defence, he’s very adoptable. Look at him.” He picked the kid up under his armpits and held him out like a cat for Bato to inspect. A big, gold eye stared up at Bato, and the kid gave him a shy smile.

“Fine. Fine! But you get to explain who he is to the tribe. I’m not helping you out.”

“You’re a real one, Bato.”

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Azula was about three minutes away from setting the entire palace and everyone in it on fire. There was not a single helpful person employed. Not one. She could tell from the way servants were side eying her that there was something about Zuko’s disappearance that she wasn’t being told.

It had been almost a day since stupid, stupid Zuko snuck on board the Sovereign, and there was no word from him or from anyone onboard that cursed boat. When it got back to port, she was going to chain her him to her wall by his ankles. See if he could think about leaving her then, the dummy. Zuko was lucky that she had enough brain cells for the two of them.

Iroh was hovering far more than usual, a troubled look marring his wrinkled face. After enduring a few hours of his useless worry (it didn’t warm her heart, it didn’t), Azula finally couldn’t take it anymore.

“Tell me what’s going on,” she snapped, storming into the throne room, “Or I will give the next person that you send in to monitor me third-degree burns.”

Iroh heaved a sigh. “I didn’t want to say anything until I know for sure, but it is probably wise to prepare you for the worst-case scenario.”

Azula’s stomach was tying itself into knots. “And that scenario would be?” Her voice did not waiver at all - Father had trained that out of her young - but it was a near thing.

“Pieces of the Sovereign, the ship that Zuko was on, have washed up. Based off the wreckage, and what few bodies we’ve found, it’s very likely that the ship was attacked  by the Water Tribe. As you know, the Water Tribe does not keep prisoners. Zuko is-“ Iroh choked. “Zuko is currently listed as a casualty. We have people looking for his body where we think the ship sank, but chances of recovery are slim.”

Azula’s heart dropped into her shoes. She felt something cold slip down her face, and she lifted  her hands to find her cheeks suspiciously wet. Disgusting. “You’re telling me,” She snarled, pushing away the clump of fearsadnessgrief and reaching for the far more familiar emotion of anger. “That after everything I did to ensure the idiot weakling’s safety, he went and got himself murdered by the Water Tribe.” Azula sniffled, and then tried to hide it with a sneer. “Serves him right, the moron. It’s not like we needed him anyway.” To Azula’s absolute mortification, the last words came out as more of a sob than anything coherent.

Iroh pulled her into a hug, murmuring his stupid platitudes. At least his face was wet too.