Hi guys! I'm back, this time with something I think will be interesting to write. It's my first yaoi concerning media that isn't anime or a video game, and the plot should be interesting to both writer and reader. The fic takes place in Ba Sing Se after Zuko and Iroh arrive there, when Zuko refuses to join the Freedom Fighters with Jet. Enjoy!~
"We make a great team," Jet said with a smirk that sent shivers up my spine. Uncle was sleeping lazily on the floor, snoring as his chest rose and fell with each breath.
"What are you saying?" I asked suspiciously. I cleared my throat lightly and blinked, wondering if he meant what it sounded like. I looked to my right and my left, seeing no one but Uncle. There was no surprise in that, though; we were in an old storeroom in the back of a shop belonging to a friend of Uncle.
Jet laughed arrogantly. "Don't act so innocent," he chided me. "You know what I mean. I want you to join the Freedom Fighters. You and me... we aren't so different. We both lost everything."
For reasons I'm unsure of, his words angered me. "I didn't lose everything..." I grumbled. "I still have Uncle."
This time Jet scoffed, his tone becoming lower. "Be serious!" he demanded. "You were the first and only prince of the Fire Nation, the very flesh and blood of Fire Lord Ozai! He rejected you, though..." At this point, Jet leaned forward slightly and his right hand traveled up to caress my scar. I winced a little, not in pain exactly, but in discomfort. The scar tissue was so sensitive compared to the rest of my skin.
I gulped and backed away a little, but his hand followed me.
"Instead of loving you like a father, he rejected you and banished you," Jet whispered, his fingertips brushing against my scar gently. "He even punished you with this scar..."
When my mind returned to me in a panicky rush, I swatted his hand away and had to convince myself quickly not to burn him to the ground.
"Get away from me!" I exclaimed, and for a moment I thought I would wake up Uncle. When he didn't stir, I sighed.
Jet looked at me with raised eyebrows. "So?" he asked.
"The answer is no!" I growled, standing up and opening the back door of the storeroom, shoving the other man out forcefully. I slammed the door, and I clenched my fists angrily as I blew out the candle on the table and laid on the floor next to Uncle. It took only a few moments for sleep to reach me, but as usual, I slept very lightly.
The next morning, I awoke to Uncle prodding me in the shoulder with his finger. "Zuko," he said quietly, as not to hurt my ears, I assumed. "I'm going out today. You should take some time to explore the neighborhood. You might even make some friends."
I groaned as I sat up slowly and rubbed at my right eye. Uncle's slow, rough voice faded as he left the storeroom, mumbling something about tea. Go figure.
I sat on one of the many barrels in the storeroom and crossed my legs, my mind wandering to the previous night. Was Jet's offer really serious? Either way, I had no desire to become part of his little group of "Freedom Fighters"... Something about Jet's voice resonated inside me, though. It was almost like his one question was many, but I didn't know what he was asking.
I ran a hand through my shortly cropped hair and I stood up. My head wasn't up to that much thinking. Maybe I'd take Uncle's advice and get some fresh air...
As I exited the storeroom, the warmth of the day surrounded me, and I took in a deep breath and looked around. This whole neighborhood was made up of refugees, but it was quaint; full of people who had come to Ba Sing Se for a new beginning. It was hard to believe that I was a part of it.
I strolled out among the streets. There were wagons and carriages pulled by animals, and peasant families walked on the sidewalks. I'm above them, my mind kept telling me, only to be proven wrong when I came to.
Jet was right... We did have it in common that we'd lost everything. I didn't want to admit it, but that much was true. The only difference was that I had no idea what Jet had lost, yet he knew everything about me. It was a little troubling to think about. I looked down at the clothes I was wearing... Like these people were wearing, it was peasant attire. I missed the armors and robes I adorned as a prince.
"Zu... I mean, Lee!" called a familiar voice from behind me, and I whirled around to see Jet walking toward me. He'd used my disguise-name, though he had almost shouted out my real name to all the people around us. He had a friendly smile on his face as he approached me, and as I was about to ask why he looked so happy, it occurred to me that this time we were in public. He couldn't scowl or yell at me now without attracting attention.
"Jet," I said with a small nod, and he laughed lightly, lighting a flame of anger inside of me. "What do you want?" I demanded quietly.
"Now, now," Jet replied, his voice deflecting my anger. "I just wanted to say a nice hello to my good friend Lee."
"Well, hello," I hissed at him. I could feel my fury rising, and I began to walk away before I could say anything else. Clearly, Jet was intent on something, and he followed me even as my pace quickened.
He laughed after a few moments, and we were heading toward the outskirts of the peasant village now. "Oh, come on, Zuko-baby," he pleaded, and I looked back at him furiously. "Don't be like that."
"Don't call me that!" I commanded, my voice turning out a little louder than I'd hoped. Fortunately, there weren't many people around to hear, and the people that did, didn't seem to pay any mind.
I picked up the pace again, this time stomping down toward the river that ran just outside the village. I stopped on the bank and turned around, taking a quick look. There was nobody else there, miraculously. Maybe I'd have time to do a little damage... Just singe his skin a little.
"Wise choice, young grasshopper," Jet said as he approached me, and I glared at him.
"What part of the word 'no' aren't you getting?" I asked, my voice coming out to sound a little desperate. "I don't want to be a Freedom Fighter!"
Jet laughed. "Maybe not," he said, looking as if he was pondering something, "but can't we be just friends?"
"Ugh," I groaned, wishing a little that he would just disappear in a cloud of smoke. "Why won't you just go away?!"
Jet smiled slyly moved a little closer, and I suddenly felt his hand in the same place as last night; resting right on my scar. His words were soft, simple, and they infuriated me.
"Because you don't want me to."
I could feel my temper flare, and I might have literally growled at Jet. "Get away from me," I warned, "or I'll rip off your head."
In response, Jet laughed and removed his hand from my face, placing it now on my shoulder. "Come on..." he said, his voice soft. I was beginning to get tired of hearing those two words from him. "Are you saying that you never give in to temptation?" He moved even closer, and I made no moves to stop him.
"Temptation?" I asked, my voice sounding harsh. "I don't know what you're talking about." Lies... of course I knew what he was talking about.
"Are you telling me that the great Prince Zuko..." he began, the hand on my shoulder trailing down my chest now, "... is a virgin?"
I was appalled. Why would anybody ask me that? Why did he even care? "That's none of your business!" I told him forcefully, grabbing the hand off my chest and throwing it.
"I see..." Jet said in a more than interested tone. A smirk resided on his face. "So you are a virgin. How interesting."
"I don't see why it matters!" I yelled, the rage inside me indescribable.
Jet just shook his head with a laugh. "Why don't you let me show you how it's done sometime?" he asked as he turned around and began to walk off. He gave a wave and I felt my heart nearly explode in choler.
I let out a loud, exasperated groan and turned toward the water, picking up a rock and throwing it as hard as I could. The rock hit the water's surface with a big splash, and I picked up another and another, sending them at the river with as much force as I could muster.
"Who does he think he is?!" I demanded as I sent yet another small stone flying. I'd lost count of how many I'd actually thrown after about ten, but I didn't stop until long after that anyway.
I was about to throw yet another rock when I felt a hand on my shoulder. I turned around, half expecting to see Jet there again, but instead Uncle looked at me with a careless smile.
"Zuko!" he said as if we were old friends reunited. He was holding a bag in his left hand. "I bought some jasmine tea leaves for tonight!"
I sighed and let my arm fall to my side, dropping the rock I'd been holding. "Where are you going to make tea?" I asked impatiently. "There's no stove in the storeroom."
Uncle shook his head. "There doesn't have to be!" he said happily. "Tonight we're staying in the inn!"
I didn't show it, but I was relieved to hear that. I couldn't handle another night of sleeping on the cold floor next to my snoring Uncle. "How can you afford that?" I asked instead, calming my tone down a little. I'd realized I sounded a little harsh.
"Savings," Uncle replied simply, looking rather excited.
I gave him a small smile. "Well, I can't wait," I said. "Thanks, Uncle."
Uncle eyed me for a moment. "What are you throwing rocks for?" he asked, and I sighed. "Is something troubling you?"
"Not really," I said, looking down, signaling that I didn't want to talk about it. Uncle got the message and nodded solemnly.
"Well," he said, "I'll see you at the inn later, then. Be back before dark."
"Alright, Uncle," I said, and as he left, I turned around and this time sat on the riverbank. I took the rock I'd dropped before and twiddled it between my fingers before tossing it lightly into the water.
My mind wandered to thoughts subconsciously as I repeated the previous action, and I found myself thinking about Jet for a moment. What did he want from me, anyway? Try as I might, I couldn't decide whether I believed his offer from before was real. "Why don't you let me show you how it's done sometime?" I let myself fall backward onto the sandy bank and I closed my eyes. I didn't notice when I fell asleep, and I didn't realize that I'd even been sleeping when I first woke up.
The sun had just begun to set when my eyes opened, and instead of being blinded, there was a warm, reddish light surrounding me. It was somewhat refreshing, and I sat up slowly. I looked around; still nobody there. I wondered if anyone else had been there while I was asleep.
I watched the setting sun for a moment before I remembered that I'd told Uncle I'd be back before dark. I rose from my spot lazily and began to stroll to the inn. How nice it would be to sleep in a bed.
Tori: So, if this is your first time ever reading one of my fanfictions, then you'll find out quickly that I like to chat with my characters after each chapter. It helps clear some things up and you might even find out some things you don't know! I'm happy to say that today I'm here with Zuko, the banished prince of the Fire Nation!
Zuko: ...
Tori: Whoops, sorry! That wasn't nice. How are things, Zuko?
Zuko: Confusing, thanks for asking. What kind of start to a fanfiction is this?
Tori: Hopefully an interesting one! This one isn't going to be as long as some of my ongoing fanfictions, so it needed the first chapter to really pick up.
Zuko: Oh, god. There's more?
Tori: Lots more!~ If you readers are interested, I've got fanfiction written for Tales of Symphonia, Persona 4, and The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya, too. They're all yaoi, I'm proud to say~
Zuko: What's wrong with you? e__e
Tori: Nothing yet, Zuko. Nothing yet... Please tell me what you guys think, in the meantime! I'd love to get some love/feedback~
