Obsession
By: Kyatto
Pairing: Jet/Zuko
Note: Different from how I usually write them. A bit sweeter. Please let me know what you think!
-o-o-o-o-o-
Jet was never one to believe in destiny.
He believed in coincidences, sure, but the unwritten rule that everything happened for a reason? There was just not enough undeniable proof for him. Was there really a reason for him to be orphaned? Did the Fire Nation have a real reason for destroying his village, for murdering his parents? Some might tell him yes. If that hadn't happened he wouldn't have found other orphans, and wouldn't have formed the Freedom Fighters. However, Jet was still a young man and prone to selfish thoughts that came with you. Like every one of the kids he was still with, he still mourned his happier life.
Was it destiny that he met the Avatar? The Avatar who happened to only be a kid much like himself. He wouldn't even have met him if he hadn't taken interest in the girl he was traveling with. It was mere coincidence and nothing more. After that skirmish he and his friends had ventured elsewhere, debating a change of lifestyle. That was what brought him to the ferry to Ba Sing Se. They decided being liberators wasn't good enough. There had to be a better way to change things.
That was how he met Li.
-o-o-o-o-o-
He could tell right away that Li wasn't like anyone else on the ferry.
When he overheard the teen complaining to his older companion, there was something to it that Jet liked. Li was honest, and passionate. An admirable quality. There were only three of them, he, Smellerbee, and Longshot, on the boat, and they had been debating a raid of the captain's food. They figured they would need another person. Someone would have to be on the lookout after all. Li's voiced opinions matched theirs, so immediately Jet took interest when he heard him. He was quite pleased when he agreed to the proposition.
The longer they spent in one another's company, the more about the other teen Jet liked. When he got a good look he noticed that save for the scar (obviously caused during a Fire Nation raid, so he was sure they could definitely find something to relate to), Li's skin was practically flawless. He had the most amazing amber eyes Jet had ever seen, and his hair was so dark and shiny. Underneath the simple traveler's garb he wore Jet could tell he was fit, just by observing the broadswords he had strapped to his back. What appealed most to him was Li's aloof nature. The aura of the boy being shrouded in mystery thrilled him.
-o-o-o-o-o-
It wasn't until after they had a talk on the upper deck that Jet became aware of his feelings. There was a different attraction he had to Li. Something in him yearned, desired him in a way he had never felt before. The feeling was even different from how he felt about Katara. She was pretty, and genuinely a good person. He did like her, but not quite like this. The girl had been useful, and she fancied him. He manipulated her to his advantage and it would've worked out if her brother hadn't been so suspicious and tricky. But there had been no tears or heartache when Katara left with her friends, leaving him frozen to a tree.
What he felt for Li on the other hand, was a genuine attraction. Something he wasn't accustomed to. It made his skin tingle, his muscles tense, and his heart race. There was so much he wanted to do, so much he didn't know. Jet had the desire to be all over the other teen, to know him inside and out. It was driving him crazy, how much he wanted it. There was only one way. He had to get him to join the Freedom Fighters.
His heart lurched to his throat when he caught the old man heating his tea.
-o-o-o-o-o-
Despite the revelation, Jet didn't want to leave things be. Even though he made the promise to his friends that he wouldn't hunt people down anymore. For days on end he watched them. He kept his eye on the old man for signs of bending, but on Li for…other reasons.
They had gotten a job at a local tea shop. Li was a very disgruntled employee. Obviously that sort of work wasn't his cup of tea, so to speak. He was brash with the customers, even though he did do his job. Jet felt maybe if things were a little different Li wouldn't have been having such a hard time. The two could've been hanging out together. Getting into mischief much like they had on the ferry. But the old man was a Firebender, and there was no way his conscience would let him get away with allowing such a person into the safe haven for his people that Ba Sing Se was. There were things more important than something as silly as a crush.
-o-o-o-o-o-
Zuko was tired of people.
Most of his life had been comfortable. He was used to people catering to him, not the other way around. Now that every day was spent on his feet, serving poorer people, it was driving him mad. His alias didn't help things either. He was so used to being called "Prince Zuko" that sometimes he nearly slipped and tried to correct someone when they called him "Li". It made him feel lower than low. Like he didn't have his own identity anymore. In a way it was a blessing as well as a curse.
His uncle had allowed him a break to step outside, get some fresh air. He took it without hesitation or objection, glad to be free from the wandering eyes that tended to rest on his scar. Few people he encountered thought nothing of it. One of them was farther down the road, walking in his direction. He recognized him from the ferry. The boy had a weird thing about him Zuko couldn't quite describe. His name…Jet, was it?
-o-o-o-o-o-
Jet couldn't help the smirk that spread across his face when he saw Li standing outside the tea shop. Perhaps he would be pleased to see Jet again. He did look fairly moody that particular day. Casually, Jet quickened his pace until he was only a few feet away from the other boy. He looked at him and grinned. Li glanced at him for a moment before resuming his gaze on the street.
"You on break?" Jet asked. The stalk of grass in his mouth quivered as he spoke.
"Yes."
"You bored?"
"A little."
"How much time you got?"
"About an hour." Li still wasn't looking at him.
"Want to go for a walk?"
Li looked at him then and shrugged, though his expression didn't change. It was still a frown. "Sure."
-o-o-o-o-o-
"-and then the Duke dropped from the sky, and was riding the guy like a wild hogmonkey!"
Jet laughed as he finished telling Li another story about how the Freedom Fighters fought off invading Fire Nation squads that tried to take their forest from them. The walk was pretty much like that. Jet told him story after story. Li nodded, grunted, occasionally smirked if something was particularly amusing. It fascinated Jet. Li was so quiet and aloof. His heart fluttered.
"I should be getting back," Li said finally, when he noticed the sun starting to set.
"Alright," Jet nodded. They were close enough anyway. "…Li?"
"…Yeah?"
"There's something…"
Jet wanted to tell him. He wanted to tell him how intriguing he was. How exotically attractive and alluring. He wanted to tell him that despite being with a Firebender, he should reconsider the offer to join the Freedom Fighters anyway. His desire was making him think crazy thoughts. A lump formed in his throat before he could say anything. He started backing the other boy against a stone wall.
"What?" Li's brow furrowed in frustration.
Instead of answering, Jet lightly cupped his cheek with his hand and leaned in quickly for a kiss. Li gasped and made a sound of protest, his eyes wide, but it was muffled by Jet's lips pressed so forcefully against his own. He pondered what to do for a moment before deciding to give in, his eyes slowly closing as he responded. The kiss was clumsy and awkward. Their lips pushing against each other, working to find the perfect fit. Jet's hand settled on his face, he stroked the smooth skin of his cheek with his thumb. Li brought his hands up to clutch at Jet's arms.
-o-o-o-o-o-
Zuko was confused. This wasn't what he expected. There had been only one kiss in his life. From Mai. And it had been on his cheek, when no one was looking, on his thirteenth birthday. This was a lot different from that. It was warmer, and a little wetter. And it made him feel odd stirrings he wasn't quite accustomed to. It startled him.
When he felt Jet's touching brush against his lips, Zuko gasped and pulled away, his cheeks flushed.
"I…should be going," he said quietly, turning away from him.
"Sure," Jet cleared his throat and nodded, his breaths coming in soft pants.
Zuko started to walk off but then stopped and peered over his shoulder. "Come by the shop…sometime…okay?"
"Yeah," Jet nodded, smirking. "I will."
Jet watched as he walked away and rounded the corner that led to the tea shop. He'd see him again. That he was sure of.
When he turned them in for being Firebenders.
-o-o-o-o-o-
End.