Um so I've officially fallen in love with this little AU that I've created and I'm sorry to say this but it's taking precedence over NSTAS. I WILL finish that story, I promise, but I'm just so stressed out right now and I write SO much for school as it is that I just cannot deal with the angst right now. My own fic is depressing me.
Right now I need fun and this is fun. :)
This quick draw of an update is for my reviewers and all of those who faved this story after only one chapter. I went out on a limb with this fic and you guys have me convinced it was a worthwhile gamble.
Tumbleweeds
"The sheriff's been askin about you."
Jet sauntered up behind the black haired young man, spitting charisma like tobacco. Old Man Iroh's nephew, he called him that because everyone called him that, even the sheriff. No one felt comfortable calling him by his actual name, except maybe Mai and Ty Lee and well, they didn't get paid to be shy, and Old Man Iroh himself.
Old Man Iroh's nephew was washing down his horse out back of the saloon and he barely flinched when he heard Jet's voice. The rogue would never have even seen it if the stranger hadn't been shirtless, pale skin glistening with sweat in the noonday sun. Crimson suspenders hung loosely about his black clad hips, hinting at how dangerously easy it would be to see them bare.
Jet was intrigued, had been since the day the dark stranger had ridden into town. Avatar was small and practically off the grid. Jet had approached him right away, something he rarely did, and he'd invited him into his gang after barely more than a handshake, something he never did. There was just something about him.
He was dark and withdrawn and he clearly didn't belong. Wasn't that how the Freedom Fighters had come together in the first place? Because they were outcasts and they needed each other. Jet could tell that this guy was an outcast of some sort himself. That dead skin on his face was no birthmark and even with it, he was too damn pretty to be wandering into a good for nothing town in the middle of nowhere looking to work in his uncle's saloon.
Jet crossed his arms over his chest and twirled the wheat stalk in his mouth with his tongue, waiting for the stranger to reply. The outlaw refused to feel intimidated. He kicked up his heel and placed the sole of his boot against the wall. Keeping his arms crossed he leaned back into the shadows, trademark smirk on his face even though no one could see it.
"Nice horse."
Old Man Iroh's nephew briefly glanced over his shoulder, giving Jet full view of his good profile, before turning back to the stallion. He bent over, pulling a rag out of a tin of soapy water, not even hesitating when he splashed himself. Jet imagined that the water probably felt good in the heat. He became acutely aware of the sweat dripping down his own face and neck and dampening the collar of his shirt even in the shade.
"Hmm."
Zuko's muscles rippled beneath his skin as he wiped the horse's flank with the rag. In the sun the stallion's coat shone the exact same shade of onyx as his master's hair. Jet had to admit that it was a magnificent sight.
"Break him yourself?"
"He's not broken."
Jet raised an eyebrow in surprise. The horse was standing still and without a bridle, allowing the pale young man to douse his back with water, a sudden shake of his head or the ripple of his thick shoulder muscles the only sign that the equine wasn't a statue.
"That horse isn't broken?"
"No. He's not."
"So if I..."
"It would not be an intelligent thing to do."
Jet's ears pricked up at the formal speech that the stranger used. It was one of the longest sentences he'd heard Old Man Iroh's nephew utter since he'd been in the town and it was so proper. He didn't take his eyes off of the horse, because it was a beautiful horse and he was dumbfounded by the man's claim that it wasn't broken, but he came back to himself enough to think.
This guy was hiding something. He didn't talk like any frontier-man. Jet couldn't really remember how it had been when Old Man Iroh came to town, not that it was so long ago, but the old man had gone out of his way to be a part of their little community and in a town like Avatar, that kind of behavior went a long way with those who had been born and raised in the harsh environment of the frontier. Jet thought about it hard and he guessed that Iroh's speech patterns were maybe even more proper than his nephew's, but until now he'd never noticed.
He smiled darkly. It really paid not to be a stranger.
"Guess I'll stay away from him then."
"That would be wise."
Jet pushed himself off the wall and took a few confident steps toward the glistening stranger.
"Doesn't bother you in the least that the sheriff's interested in you?"
The pale young man glowered over his shoulder, his eyes sparking with impatience.
"I don't have anything to hide."
"You won't. Secrets don't stay secret for long in this town."
Jet smiled to himself when he saw the pale stranger's mouth set into a grim line. He was getting to him.
"Is that supposed to be a threat?"
The rogue raised his arms, displaying his palms to the young man in a show of peace.
"No threat. Jus' a friendly warning."
"Friendly? You're an outlaw."
Jet let a true smile break out across his handsome features at this.
"And what are you?"
"I'm no one." The stranger spat, his careful mask cracking.
"Oh you're someone," Jet said darkly, "and the sheriff wants to know who... but I'm going to find out first."
The rogue laughed when the paler man glowered at him, his golden eyes alight with repressed anger.
"My offer's still good. My gang could use someone like you."
"You don't want me in your gang."
"I think that's up for me to decide."
The stranger refused to look at him, instead focusing on rinsing the soap from the stallion's coat. When Jet was sure he wasn't going to get a response he moved on, jumping to his new favorite scapegoat. He was oblivious to the sheriff's theory that the stranger and the Blue Spirit were one in the same, he just admired the Blue Spirit's work ethic.
"You ain't from here... know anything about the Blue Spirit?"
"No."
"Too bad. Whoever he is we could sure use him. Heard he held up an entire caravan of those rich, East Coast bastards with just a knife and didn't hafta injure a one of 'em."
Jet didn't notice how Old Man Iroh's nephew stiffened.
"I wouldn't know."
"Don't know why he's suddenly pulling shit around Avatar though. Seems like a waste of his skills."
"Maybe there's something here that he wants."
The stranger used the heel of his hand to scrape the excess water from his horse's coat and pulled a palmful of oats from a nearby bucket, holding it up to the graceful beast's snout with a steady hand. Once the horse had licked the pale hand clean, he draped a thick woven blanket over the stallion's back and began walking towards a small, makeshift stable that Jet knew hadn't been there before, the horse followed him without so much as a command.
Jet was a horse thief, among other things, and he couldn't help but inspect the shoddy stable from a distance, calculating just how easy it would be to silently get the stallion out. He knew a healthy breeder like that could make him a lot of money but, the small voice in the back of his head nagged, if he stole the stranger's horse he could rest assured the man would never join the Freedom Fighters. It didn't help at all when the stranger didn't bother to even attempt to lock the beauty up.
Jet was impressed. The stranger sent him one last glowering look before climbing onto the wooden barrier and using his own brute strength and grace to hoist himself up onto the second floor landing that led to Iroh's personal quarters above the saloon.
Jet's smirk returned. He was a pro at breaking horses... he couldn't help but imagine how much fun breaking a person would be.
I know it's short but I was just so happy that people seem to like this that I wanted to post again right away. I've always thought Zuko needed a pet and I totally think he would be the kind of person to have a horse that only responds to him. Horses are a lot like dogs in their ability to bond with humans and respond to their emotions and they're amazing therapy animals, something Zuko totally needs. I ride western and I learned bareback which involves A LOT of trust between the animal and the rider so I'm an avid believer in the bonds between horses and people. If that's not enough think Silver or Tornado, they totally only responded to the Lone Ranger and Zorro.
Sokka's gonna have a mule named Sassy. Mules are generally bigger than riding horses so it totally makes up for it. ;)
