Zuko's Troops

"So," Rae said, as they gathered around their barrel, "how long do you think before he bones her?"

"What?" Jay blinked at the other fire nation troop. After their last failed attempt to capture the Avatar using some kind of waterbending scroll, they were once again back at sea, and having their nightly wind-down below deck.

"The water tribe girl! Zuko was all over her last night! How long do you think it'll be before he kidnaps her again?" Rae slammed his hand on the top of the barrel in the middle, and laughed. "I thought the boy had no hormones in him, but he proved me wrong!"

"I'll save you from the pirates." Ghan interjected in a dead-on imitation of Zuko's voice. Sound travels far during the night, and all the troops getting off the boat ('creating a division', Zuko had said) had heard the prince's words.

"What I want to know is where did he pick up that around the tree trick?" Tobi spoke up in his rumbling voice. "I know his uncle used to be a playboy, but where did Zuko learn stuff like that?"

"I always though he was after the Avatar myself." Jay shrugged.

"We all know that Jay." Rae said, raising an eyebrow at the younger man. Sometimes he suspected Jay wasn't quite all there.

"No, I meant after him in more than one way." Jay gave a slow, sly smile. "I had to clean his room after the Avatar escaped, and his mattress had been pounded flat. That and the way he was always manhandling him…"

"I would have gone after the warrior myself." Ghan snorted. When he saw the looks on the others' faces he hurried to add, "If I was into that sort of thing. Which I'm not. I have a wife, guys!"

"I dunno, a life at sea can do funny things to a man…" Rae said half-jokingly.

"It's certainly done something to Zuko." Tobi grinned. "His idea of romance is tying a girl to a tree."

"She is pretty hot though." Rae said.

"For a fourteen-year-old." Ghan corrected him conscientiously.

"Yeah, for a fourteen-year old, she's pretty hot." Rae said. "Zuko thinks so anyway." He laughed. "So, how long do you reckon before he tries the 'do you have any royalty in you' line?"

"Three copper pieces on a week!" Ghan said.

"Four on three weeks. It'll take him a while to figure out he actually has a sex drive." Jay sniggered.

"A silver piece on two months." Iroh said from the doorway, and smiled.