Disclaimer: I do not own Avatar: The Last Airbender or any related characters. This was written out of enjoyment of the series, and no profit is being made.

Ships: Jet/Mai and Zuko/Someone romance, if you squint.
Warnings: Uh...none, other than some possibly graphic fishing, maybe? Also, a tiny swear word. K+ just in case.

Inhibitions

"I love it when you express yourself."

Mai's head snapped up, spear in her hand. "What the hell did you just say?"

Jet smirked, watching her from the bank of the little creek. "I love it when you express yourself."

She looked back down into the clear water around her bare feet. Her red pants kept crawling back down her wet legs as she was spear fishing, but she was determined to catch something. She hated having to wait around and watch him do it.

"I didn't express myself," she replied coldly.

"Yes you did," he corrected. "When you lunged with the spear just now. I saw it in your face. I saw all this anger."

"At what? The fish?"

"Maybe. What do you have to be angry at, Mai?"

"Nothing. Geeze, what is this, therapy?"

"Really? Nothing makes you mad? Not even the fact that Firelord Zuko is getting married to someone who isn't you? Not even the fact that you're a laborer in Ba Sing Se? Not even the fact that the only person your age for company is me?"

Mai, turned, glaring and gritting her teeth at him. "Zuko can get married to whoever the hell he wants! I chose to come here to redeem myself! And you-"

She thrust the spear into the creek, impaling a fish successfully. Mai's eyes widened briefly in surprise, but she immediately diminished the little flame of excitement in her. She held the spear up into the air, and watched the silvery little thing wiggle.

Jet strode up, and removed the little morsel, tossing it into her fish bucket. "One down," he said. He looked back into her face, one hand still holding her spear. "And what about me, Mai?"

"You..." She pulled the spear out of his grip and let it rest against her shoulder, point in the air. "You, Jet, are the least-boring person I know."

He raised his eyebrows. "Is that a compliment?"

She paused, then smirked and looked back at the creek bed, poising to lunge again. "Coming from me, it's a huge one."

AN. One day I was bored and I typed up how I imagine the Post-War Avatar World. Here's the little blurb that explains what's going on:

- Jet is alive, damnit! (For my version of how this is possible, see The Traveling Mask under my profile. For a much better version, google Plight of the Freedom Fighters)
- He is sneaking around with the rest of the Freedom Fighters in Ba Sing Se, trying to secretly help the Earth King. (No time to explain what that means)
- Zuko pardons Mai for her misdeeds in association with Azula, but Mai feels the need to redeem herself. She sentences herself to labour in Ba Sing Se.
- She ends up living with foster/work family there: Hope's parents, Yin and Than.
- Mai and Hope become sort of a sister duo. (Hope would be...four-six at this point?)
- Jet tries to steal from their house one night, and Mai catches him. Cue weird romantic tension!

That is far too long an explanation for a tiny drabble, but still. But, anyway, tell me what you think!