Zuko sat at the back of the ferry, staring into the night at the wake left by its passage. He wasn't sure why he was so moody; he was full of good food for once, he had just successfully pulled off a raid to get said food, and he had managed to find a place on the crowded boat that would allow him some peace and quiet. But for some reason he felt restless and agitated. He sighed and closed his eyes, letting his head thunk against the wall behind him.

"Nice view."

Zuko jerked to a half crouch and his hands went for where his swords would be at his back before he realized two things: one, he had left his swords with his uncle and two, he knew the person who had startled him. It was Jet, who was now leaning against the wall looking down at him with his arms folded and one of his weird eyebrows cocked in wry amusement.

Zuko huffed and let himself fall back against the wall.

"What do you want?" Zuko rested his elbows on his bent knees and stared straight over his limp hands, keeping Jet in the corner of his eye. Jet snorted.

"Probably the same thing you did when you came over here; a little quiet time." Jet smirked and slid down the wall until he was sitting next to Zuko. He stretched his left leg out straight in front of him and let his arm fall onto his right knee. He took the perpetual stalk of hay out of his mouth and began twirling it in the hand that was resting on his thigh.

Zuko closed his eyes and shifted until he was sitting in a meditative pose. Then he slowed his breathing and tryed to quiet his mind.

"It's nice out here."

Zuko's eyes snapped open. In his peripheral he could tell Jet was looking at him, but he stared resolutely ahead, ignoring him. Jet snorted after a moment and looked out over the water.

"The water I mean. It's peaceful. You can see the stars reflected where it's not disturbed and it makes the sky look like it goes on forever…"

Zuko exhaled sharply out of his nose and deliberately closed his eyes again without responding. He relaxed minutely when Jet was silent for a while, but stiffened again when Jet flicked the hay into his lap. Zuko turned slowly and glared at him.

"Do you mind? I'd like to enjoy the 'nice' water in silence."

Jet's eyes flickered with mischief that for a moment seemed dangerous.

"Well I'd be interested to know how you plan to enjoy the water at all with your eyes closed."

Zuko huffed and crossed his arms across his chest.

"I can get just as much enjoyment out of the water when I listen to it; that is as long as it's quiet enough for me to hear it!" He shot back.

Jet was silent for a moment, then chuckled.

"What's so funny?" Zuko was getting increasingly fed up with Jet's intrusion; he was more aggravated now than when he had sat down. He could feel his agitation boiling just beneath the surface, needing just the smallest excuse to burst free.

"You are." Jet smirked at him in the half-light.

"Do you ever shut up?" Zuko snapped, reaching the end of his rope.

"Only when my mouth has something else to do." Jet twirled his hay stalk and wiggled his eyebrows.

"Then find something to occupy it, quickly." Zuko snarled and resolutely shut his eyes and faced forward. Only to snap them open again when he quite suddenly found Jet straddling his lap and kissing him vigorously.

"Mmph!" Zuko immediately rolled them both over until he was straddling Jet on his knees and had shoved him by the shoulders back against the wall with a thud. He was breathing hard and Jet was shaking with laughter underneath him. Zuko glared down at him and felt something building in his chest. Jet's eyes were staring into his and dancing with a kind of dark glee, mixed with a challenge. Zuko clenched his jaw, then hauled Jet up by the front of his tunic and crushed his mouth to Jet's.

Jet reached up and fisted his hands in Zuko's hair, opening his mouth almost immediately to welcome Zuko's. Zuko bunched Jet's tunic in his fists and deepened the kiss, using his higher position for leverage. He ground his hips down into Jet's lap and felt him respond with a startled upward jerk. Zuko smirked inwardly to himself at this small victory, then shoved Jet against the wall.

Zuko broke the kiss and leaned his forehead against Jets, panting heavily. He fumbled at Jet's belt, jerking his tunic and undershirt out of his pants. At the same time, Jet was loosening Zuko's sash and pulling his tunic apart to get at Zuko's pants.

Both reached their goal at the same time and they stilled for a moment. Zuko lifted his head and met Jet's hooded eyes. The he deliberately raised one palm and spat in it, maintaining eye-contact. Jet grinned fiercely and turned his head to spit in his own palm as Zuko grasped him and began stroking. Zuko grunted softly when Jet took him in his own hand and the two struck up a fierce rhythm.

Zuko was breathing hard and leaned heavily on his forearm resting across the front of Jet's shoulders. He could feel Jet's chest rising and falling at a rate almost equal to his own beneath his arm, and hissed through his teeth as he felt the rising pressure of the end approaching. He felt rather than saw Jet's muscles tense, and when Jet slammed his head back against the wall Zuko bit into his sleeve to stop any noises when he too found release.

They stayed like that for a moment, getting their breaths back. Then Zuko pushed himself up and began putting his clothes back in order. Jet remained slumped against the wall with a lazy grin on his face.

When Zuko made to get up, he said "What, leaving so soon?"

Zuko paused, looking at him. Then he shook his head slightly and rose.

"I think I'll look elsewhere for some peace and quiet." Zuko said, and walked away without looking back.

Zuko didn't regret what had happened that night at the back of the ferry. But he remembered that glint in Jet's eye; and when Jet asked him to join his group at the end of the journey with his customary smirk and stalk of hay, he said no.