A/N: Please let me reiterate that they're OoC, and that this is AU, and yaoi/slash.
Disclaimer: I don't own them.
Day Two
Jet enjoyed the nightlife. He enjoyed the anonymous faces, and he enjoyed the glances he got. Jet smirked—it really was nice knowing that he was wanted. And, if none of these people worked out, there was always Zuko… who, Jet thought, might die from ecstasy if Jet were to acknowledge his presence. That thought caused Jet's smirk to linger, and he made his way to the bar, looking for the next ambiguous bedmate.
--
Zuko wished that he wasn't awake at four in the morning. Four was about when Jet would get in, the next body in tow. And they would be up for the next hour, at least, making noises that Zuko wished he couldn't remember. With a depressed sigh, he turned over and wedged his head between the pillow and the mattress, hoping that tonight, perhaps, he wouldn't have to hear anything.
Ten minutes later, however, his hopes were dashed, as his ears faintly picked up on the apartment door opening and two pairs of feet sloppily making their way to Jet's room. With a groan, Zuko realized that he wouldn't be falling back asleep anytime soon, as his thoughts felt the need to torture him with the memories of when he had been on the receiving end of Jet's insatiable need for contact…
--
Sokka grumbled as he made his way back to that accursed bridge at an ungodly hour. Staring at maps and plans for hours hadn't helped to solve the problem, and he was afraid they would either have to scrap the project altogether, or build yet another suspension bridge. As he surveyed the meager progress in front of him, Sokka sighed, and went to tell the foreman that they would be building a suspension bridge.
--
As Zuko brewed the first batch of tea, his mind began an internal argument about his relationship with Jet. Zuko frowned as the debate began to preoccupy his thoughts. He knew that, technically speaking; they (well, Zuko amended, Jet mostly) had decided that they should stop dating exclusively. And, Zuko, always eager to please those closest to him, had agreed with the decision, if only because it made Jet happy. Therefore, since Jet was enjoying the lack of monogamy, shouldn't Zuko also be able to find companionship with other people? Then, the nagging loyalty thought reasserted itself among the internal bickering, and reminded Zuko that he was still in a relationship with Jet, and one doesn't merely toss that aside for the first thing on two legs with a heartbeat (Although, Zuko mirthlessly thought, that's what Jet was doing). With a depressed sigh, Zuko immersed himself in nothing but tea, hoping to quiet his relentless thoughts.
--
Jet barely registered when his guest left that morning, noting only that it was early, and they had left citing work. Neither of these concepts was new, and the lack of variation annoyed Jet for once. Couldn't just one of his anonymous partners not work and not mind sleeping in hours past noon? Jet sighed, and then resituated himself into a more comfortable sleeping position. Perhaps, tonight, he would try and find a bedmate in a place besides an over crowded club. For now, however, he was content to sleep for at least the rest of the morning and into the afternoon…
--
Once Sokka was content with the progress of the bridge, he left its construction in the very capable hands of the foreman, and headed for the same tea shop as the day before, hoping that the same man would be there…
--
Zuko couldn't quite tell if he should be thrilled or wary when the stranger from the day before came in later that morning. He knew that, on some level, he was very glad that the dark-skinned stranger had returned. However, his mind, unfortunately, would not relinquish the thought of Jet, Jet and Jet. Hence, the wariness that came with the stranger's arrival—if anything were to transpire with this man, then Zuko couldn't still be with Jet. The serial monogamist in him wouldn't allow it. With a jolt, Zuko remembered that he still needed to talk to Jet about their relationship. Sighing, Zuko forced his thoughts away from Jet, and solely on the tea, and the rather attractive man who had walked in for the second day in a row…
--
Sokka, feeling slightly bold with the resolution of that accursed bridge problem, decided that he needed a date for tomorrow night. Of course, he dolefully thought, one didn't necessarily need a date to a wrestling match. However, it would be nice… and so, with a voice sounding calmer than he felt, Sokka asked the golden-eyed man from the tea shop if he would like to come to a wrestling match tomorrow evening, seeing as Sokka had gotten two tickets instead of one. And, much to Sokka's delight, the man had agreed to come along. So, after arranging where and when to meet, Sokka left the tea shop, much happier than when he had entered (even with that stupid bridge problem being solved).
--
Now there was no way that Zuko could keep avoiding talking to Jet about their relationship. He kind of, sort of, had a date, that wasn't quite a date, with someone else. With a giddy smile that he didn't remember possessing, Zuko began to prepare the afternoon batch of tea, Jet's existence be damned.
--
Jet hated being awake this early in the evening. And, with an angry glare at the clock, he was severely annoyed with the fact that his consciousness would correspond to some swatch of Zuko's. Although, Jet thought as a twisted smile crossed his countenance, that did mean he would be able to employ one of his favorite activities—ignoring Zuko when it was obvious the other so badly wanted his attention.
--
Zuko was, at the very least, shocked to see Jet sitting at the kitchen table when he got home. And then, he was rather annoyed that Jet was up—that meant he would have to talk to the other man, or else suffer from a constant nagging in the back of his head. Part of Zuko had hoped that he would never have to try and actually converse with Jet. It always turned out so… awkward.
--
Jet wasn't surprised when Zuko started talking to him. He wasn't even surprised when Zuko said that he felt that they needed to talk about their relationship. He was, however, slightly surprised when Zuko tiptoed around asking for permission to go on a date with someone else. Jet just grunted a response, nothing remotely coherent, and turned his attention to a magazine that had been sitting on the edge of the table. He was waiting for Zuko to angrily yell at him, or to throw something in his general direction. But, he was very nearly shocked when all Zuko did was harden his facial features, mutter something about how incorrigible Jet was, and then leave. Once Zuko was safely out of the room, Jet went searching for a dictionary to figure out what the insult had meant.
