A/N: I thought some fluff was deserved after some feels punches. Gotta get you all sweetened up before I served some more of those, after all.

Chapter summary: In which takes Li and Jet each take a chance, and both pay off.

21: Chance

The tea was surprisingly good, even if it didn't give him an energy boost. He was going to make Jet pay for jipping him like that. This was probably Jet trying to have an advantage for when they sparred tonight in the warehouse they had taken to borrowing in the evenings recently. If Jet seriously thought something as ridiculous as tea would help him win, Li almost felt sorry for him.

Almost.

Mushi was kind and friendly seemed to go out of his way to engage Li in conversation. It was strange. There wasn't anything special about the old man that Li could identify, but it was easy to talk to him. He was warm and… safe. Yes, that was the word. Mushi was safe. However odd that sounded, even to Li's mental ears.

And that smell, the strong scent of tea leaves, it was vaguely familiar. Maybe Li used to work with tea before he forgot. Speaking of which, didn't Jet mention something about the teahouse looking to hire?

Li hesitated. He hated feeling useless at the potter's complex, but he simply wasn't very adept at manipulating the clay like the other apprentices. Nor did he have the patience for the art. He had essentially become a leech on Than and Ying's limited funds. With little Hope to take care of, Ying was often too busy to meet the typical Potter's Guild quota.

The guildmaster had significantly lessened Ying's required time at the potter's wheel, well aware of her duties as a new mother. But Li knew how badly Ying wanted to work. Not because she enjoyed the work, even if she did, but because their little family needed the money. Li had never made the Potter's Guild quota and was too far behind the apprentices skill-wise. At least the kilns calmed his mind. Although, Li fidgeted, that was probably due to his innate and as yet unaccessed firebending ability.

An ability that the guildmaster's son Cheng suspected. Perhaps the only reason Cheng hadn't reported Li to the authorities yet was likely due to Ying and Than insisting he was related to them, thus granting him the relative safety of an Earth lineage despite the Fire in his blood. Well, that and the fact Li had the uncanny ability to detect when pottery would crack in the kilns. The fewer pots that broke, the more money Cheng could pocket. Keeping Li's secret was a calculated risk that so far was paying off.

...now there was a thought.

"Are you hiring?"

Jet snorted into his cup and even Roulan was giving him a mildly surprised look over the rim of her cup. Mushi recovered from his surprise the quickest, his face brightening into a huge smile that made Li feel warm and proud.

"We are indeed," the old teamaker said in a pleased voice. "We have been in need of a waiter for the past week. The increase in customers caught us off guard, although the business is doing well."

"Due in no small part thanks to you," Roulan muttered just loud enough for the table to hear.

Jet snorted. "No kidding," he said with a sneaky grin. "Never went here before Mushi came, but I've heard the stories." He made a comical, overdramatic look of horror before snickering and taking another sip of his tea.

...was… Was Jet shaking? Was he alright?

"Oh, you are too kind," Mushi said, flashing the healer woman a flirtatious smile that made Li's eyes burn in mortification. "If you would like," Mushi continued, returning his full attention to Li, "I could have a talk with Pao. I'm sure he would welcome the extra pair of hands. The pay may not be the greatest," the elderly man admitted reluctantly, "but it pays for the essentials, which is all a simple man like me truly needs."

Any pay was useful. Li needed to earn his keep. He would never forgive himself if little Hope got sick and his family was forced to choose between paying for a healer or feeding themselves. The Potter's Guild gave them a small apartment to call home and their guild share helped pay for food, but every penny was counted and hoarded for the just-in-case scenario.

"I would," Li said.

In his lap, Zenko lifted her head and rested her nose on the table, deliberately drawing attention to herself. Oh. Agni, Li had completely forgotten and Mushi was getting up to leave-

"Wait!" he called, reaching out and grabbing Mushi's sleeve, startling the old man. Li flushed in embarrassment and quickly dropped his hand. "I- Um, Zenko would have to stay with me. If she wants to," he added quickly, glancing down at the fox spirit.

Zenko made a soft warbling sound in the back of her throat and batted him with one of her tails. Silly boy. She would not be separated from him. Even if she was not allowed to remain within the building, there was always the roof. She could always find some mice to play with.

"Tell Pao she's very good with catching mice," Li said, hoping that would make his chances of getting on Pao's good side somewhat better.

Mushi's muddled brown eyes sparkled in excitement. "Is she now?" he said, giving the kitsune an interested once over. He hummed and stroked his long gray beard. "We have had a bit of a problem with mice these past few days."

Zenko's ears flipped up and her tails twitched. She wanted to play and mice made great playmates, until they all left and she was alone and bored again.

Mushi nodded as if answering some unvoiced question. "I'll be right back," he said. He gave Li a reassuring smile before turning and hastening after Pao's retreating back.

Roulan hummed thoughtfully. "He seems quite taken with you," she said, studying Li. "He's not usually this invested in guests."

Really? Huh. Li filed that away for consideration later. He was more interested in the way Jet's eyes had narrowed at Roulan's comment, but he chose not to call his friend on it right now. Was Jet really still shaking? Li blinked, dumbfounded, because yes, there was a definite tremor in Jet's fingertips.

"Jet?" he said slowly. "Are you… shaking?"

Startled, Jet looked up at Li curiously before examining his fingers. "Huh." He grinned. "Nice. It's working."

...Li was scared.

"How's your headache, Li?" Roulan said, cutting through Li's stuttering thoughts. "Has it gotten any better?"

"Not really," Li admitted, choosing his words carefully. "It's just always there. It got worse earlier today but," he glanced at Jet briefly, "that was probably due to something else. Why?" he asked, meeting the healer's gaze.

Sharp green eyes darkened as the healer placed her now empty cup on the table in front of her. "Other than the headache, you haven't been feeling ill at all, have you?" she pressed.

"Not that I know of," Li said, shaking his head. He could feel Zenko perk up in his lap, following the conversation with her flicking ears. "Why do you ask?"

The healer frowned and pursed her lips in frustration. After a moment, she shook her head and looked away. "Nevermind. It was just a theory I was considering."

Li highly doubted that, but he knew when not to press.

"You're the one interested in a job?" a voice said from right behind Li.

Thank Agni Pao couldn't walk quietly to save his life, otherwise Li would have practically fallen out of his chair and had a heart attack. At least he got the job. Zenko was even allowed to stay as the teahouse's unofficial mascot as long as she kept the mouse population at a minimum. As Li walked out of the teahouse holding his brand new work permit, he couldn't help but wonder at Mushi's powers of persuasion.

Jet flung himself to the right, ducking a fist aimed for his nose. Smirking, he lashed out with a well-timed jab at Li's unprotected side, but was greeted by a firm, unforgiving hand held palm out. Faster than Jet could react, Li's hand snapped closed over his fist, yanked, and twisted so Jet landed hard on his back. Rolling into the impact, Jet kicked at Li's body with both feet and made contact. Li took the hit, releasing his hold on Jet's hand and allowing the force to knock him back.

Jet flipped to his feet, adopting a ready stance, and waited for Li to charge him once more. But it never happened. Instead, Jet watched in puzzled amusement as Li shifted from foot to foot, his lone eyebrow pulled low in a deep frown and his eyes clouded as if with memory. It looked like Li was trying to remember a stance, but couldn't quite get it just right.

At one point, Li's stance closely resembled a traditional firebending stance that made Jet's nerves tingle in discomfort. But that stance was quickly abandoned in favor of a low crouch. Li's right leg was bet almost to the point where he was sitting on his ankle while the left leg was extended out towards Jet. His left hand was clenched into a fist and extended over his left leg while his right was held high above and behind him, palm out and fingers pressed together.

It vaguely resembled a firebending stance, except for the low form. Firebenders very rarely went low, preferring to attack their opponents face to face at eye level. Li held the stance, his pale gold sparrowhawk eyes watching Jet closely, gauging how the former Freedom Fighter was going to respond.

"What style is that?" Jet asked, shaking himself to expel some of the excess energy from the yerba mate tea on top of the adrenaline pumping through his veins. "I'm not familiar with it."

"Neither am I," Li answered, holding the pose and waiting, observing.

"What?" Jet gave Li an odd look. "If you're not familiar with it, then why are you using it?"

Li flushed, but held his pose. "I'm testing it out."

"Why?"

"Because you won't kill me if I make a mistake," Li answered promptly.

And if that wasn't a grim outlook, then Jet didn't know what was. Rolling his shoulder and smirking when they made a satisfying pop, he tsked.

"That's gotta be murder on the thighs," Jet teased, grinning and bouncing his eyebrows up to his hairline suggestively.

Predictable as always, Li blinked in befuddlement and didn't respond. So Jet charged, and found himself facedown on the dirt floor stunned, winded, and wondering how the fuck he ended up there. A firm weight pressed against his lower back, pinning him to the ground.

"Again," Li said, voice curt and focused.

The weight lifted and Jet shook himself before crawling to his hands and knees. He saw Li's feet step around him until they stood in front and a hand appeared in his field of vision, offering to help him up. Jet took the hand and yanked Li down into the dirt with him.

Stunned, Li was slow to react and Jet took advantage of the lull. He quickly learned that, despite Li's clear knowledge and grasp of the formal martial art forms, he sucked at the down and dirty rough housing. Li fought fair, Jet didn't. And Jet knew Li's weakness.

Li had no chance. He barely managed to get in one good swipe of Jet's face before both of his arms instinctively flew to his vulnerable sides, inadvertently capturing and holding Jet's tickling fingers in place. Li kicked and wriggled, flailing around trying to throw Jet off of him amidst gasping from laughter and loss of breath control.

Jet grinned. Ah sweet victory. He barely had to do anything but keep twitching his fingers just so and prevent Li from flipping their positions. As long as he held on just a little bit longer, Li would be too winded to fight back and would just flop in defeat.

Li's elbows shifted, rubbing Jet's pinned, tickling hands, desperately trying to force them away. Li's own hands were too busy gripping Jet's sleeves at the hem near his collar to aid in the struggle. Jet snickered and swung his leg over Li's flailing legs so he straddled the struggling boy's hips. Li arched and kicked uselessly, gasping and laughing and pleading for mercy!

Not yet. Almost.

It only took a few more long seconds before Li just collapsed into a twitching, laughing, moaning pile of muscle. He could barely move from exhaustion and his breathing was shallow and uneven. Sweat dripped from his forehead and his arms flopped lip and useless onto the dirt on either side of him.

"Victory!" Jet crowed, punching the air with a proud fist.

Li valiantly tried to heave his friend off of him but gave up when he could barely lift his head. He settled for slapping Jet's thigh weakly and focusing on catching his breath. Jet watched and found it incredibly difficult to tear his eyes away from Li's open mouth and dry, chapped lips.

He leaned forward, bracing himself by planting his hands on either side of Li's face, and grinned. "Well hullo there," he said, winking. "How you doin' this fine evening?"

"...ugh fuck you," Li groaned without any heat, a small smile on his face.

"With a daikon radish, yes I heard," Jet said, chuckling.

"Maggoty daikon radish," Li corrected, lifting a hand long enough to hold up a finger to correct his friend.

Jet rolled his eyes. "Right, right. A maggoty daikon radish," he corrected in amusement. "My mistake. And I believe there was something in there about my skinny ass too."

Li huffed a laugh and shrugged. "You do have a skinny ass."

"You noticed," Jet cheered, leering at Li beneath him. "You were looking ."

"I have eyes," Li said, not missing the implication. "They look. That's what they do."

"O-ho, really?" Jet teased, leaning down closer. He was willing to bet the reason Li was still breathless wasn't wholly due to their exercise anymore. "Is that all they do?"

"Wha- Yes?" Li said, trailing his tone up at the end so it was almost a question. "On a fairly reliable basis."

"Okay." Jet ran his eyes up and down Li's body, deliberately taking his time and enjoying watching Li squirm. "I'm looking and I'm liking what I see."

That blush was definitely not from exertion.

"You're ridiculous," Li grumbled, planting his hands on Jet's chest and pushing with what strength he'd been able to recover. "Get off me."

Jet allowed himself to be pushed up to a sitting position and sat heavily on Li's hips, waiting for Li to figure out how to get out of this situation. Li sat up and blinked when he finally realized the compromising position they were in, blushed deeper, and tried to wriggle free.

"Nah-uh," Jet said, grabbing Li's pants and holding him firmly in place. "What's the password?"

Li balked. "What password? There's no password! Get up. You're heavy."

"Rude," Jet sniffed. "I have a skinny ass, remember. You looked. " He waggled his eyebrows and Li groaned, batting Jet's chest in flustered frustration.

"I just looked because you were in front of me," he argued.

"Uh-huh."

"I'm serious."

"Sure."

Honest!"

"Whatever you say."

"Jet!"

"Li."

"Ugh! Ju-mmph!"

Ah, blissful stunned silence. Wide, stunned sparrowhawk eyes stared straight at Jet in shocked awe. Jet grinned.

"I win."