A/N: I apologize for the huge gaping hole in updates here. I have a wandering soul. And I also apologize for the shortness. I'm working on more.

The dull humming of conversation left Zuko as he walked out of the room where countless 'high class socialites' stood, talking over their glasses and trays of food. He needed to get out of there for a couple minutes, to keep himself from snapping at the next person who wanted to ask him another boring question about something he wasn't in charge of. Or answering the ever present question of where the Avatar was.

Zuko didn't even know himself, and he wasn't in the mood to know. He'd suggested trying a supply closet to someone as a joke, and he was still worried that the young girl took him seriously.

He maneuvered through the hallways, avoiding any wandering soul. He eventually came to a hallway he rarely ventured down, and he studied the walls as if they were the most interesting view in the world. He stopped to look at a tapestry that wasn't hung correctly, and he made a mental note to tell one of the staff to fix it.

He continued on his way, trying to figure out how he'd become so lost. He thought about looking through the rooms, as he wasn't sure what floor he was on anymore, but he was afraid of his own joke about supply closets coming true. He wasn't in the mood for that. Not after the Avatar had ditched him.

Turning down a new hallway, Zuko stopped. He heard noises, but he wasn't sure what they were coming from. They were muffled sounds, and they slightly perturbed him. He followed them down the hall, and around more corners. As he came closer, he started to hear the Sokka like tone to them, and he paused mid step.

Did he really want to know?

…yes, yes he did.

He continued to follow the noises, but slowly now. When at last they were loud and clear, he peeked his head around the corner of the hall and frowned a bit.

It seemed Sokka and Suki were fighting.

Or, well… play fighting.

And Suki was winning.

And just as the sparring lovers seems to forget their fight and turn back into just plain lovers, Zuko quickly looked the other way and walked as fast as he could in the other direction.

And he didn't stop walking until he found his way back to the party.