Little Soldier Boy

Weak point

Jay was forced to sit along the side of the ship lined up with the twenty other soldiers that were aboard, the captain at the end. He couldn't get the image of Zuko out of his head, that look in his eyes he's seen so many times but it was always towards the enemy.

Ever since he met the other soldier he's seen that blank stare when Zuko was on the battle field, almost like he was disassociated when he's in that mindset of a soldier. The way Zuko was ready to throw him over the side of the balcony, it wasn't a far fall but it would've hurt if he did it. But after the fight was over Zuko would always be back to himself.

Except now.

Zuko was farthest from them as the other teenagers were discussing what to do next. But Zuko still had that emotionless expression as he stared at the ground, arms crossed right to his chest.

He hasn't been the same since lee died.

He's seen the kid covered in blood, injured, sleep deprived, hell, he's known the kid since he's had that scar. But something snapped in him that day he came back from the North Pole. Jay saw him collapse in sobs and cried like the child he was. He's never seen that.

"Hey Runt," jay called. The other teenagers looked at the man confused but Zuko didn't move.

"Oi I'm talking to you!" He raised his voice.

"Zuko!" He barked.

The runt finally looked at him, almost looking lost.

His eyes went to the girl in blue as she seemed concerned for him. It almost seemed like they were communicating without a word to be said. Reassurance and guidance.

"So your fighting for the other side? What happened to going back to the fire nation? Betraying your country now? That's not the runt I knew," jay kept talking just to get some sort of reaction from him.

"Why does he keep calling you a runt?" Toph asked confused.

"No one liked my nickname for him back with the troops, Lee just kept calling him runt, it stuck," jay grinned a little. The girl in blue looked at Jay with a warning as she clenched her fists. She knew.

"He's from your old troops? Just him?" Katara asked finally.

"Yea, he wasn't at the North Pole," Zuko gulped a little.

"And runt wasn't an insult," he mumbled.

"What would lee think of you now?" Jay asked.

Zuko didn't know how to react, it hurt to see one of his brothers. Someone he's spent every day and every night with for three years, he's wrapped his wounds and served him meals. Jay was one of the men that were more light hearted, joked and pranked, a lot like Sokka even.

"I don't care, it doesn't matter, lees dead," Zuko snarled back darkly.

"Then why the hell are You helping the water tribe?! The avatar?! The one that kills us!" He yelled.

"Don't know, kind of just happened," Zuko kept his arms crossed to his chest. "When you see so many people die you kind of get lost of what to fight for, does it really matter which side of this war I die on?"

"We never wanted you to be one of those body's we've had to bury," Jay whispered hurt. "We're family, we looked out for you,"

Zuko nodded agreeing with that, he knew they were all looking out for each other. But he had to let that part of his life go, he didn't have anything to fight for anymore. He just wanted peace, he wanted to see the world at peace.

"It doesn't matter," he looked down at him.

A tear ran down Jays face as he swallowed a lump in his throat, he clenched his jaw feeling the pain aching in his chest. The runt. Their littlest soldier, that child that they've seen grown into the soldier he was now. It all seemed so far away now.