Sokka looked over his invasion plans, a low hum buzzing under his breath. He sighed. Papers rustled as he flipped through the pages. He sighed again. More flipping. And again. And a—
"Would you quit that? Geeze, Snoozles, what is your problem?" Sokka glanced up at Toph. The earthbender sat a ways away, glaring slightly off to the left of his head as she picked earwax out with a pinkie.
"What? Problem? I don't have a problem. What would make you think I have a problem? Maybe you have a problem. I am perfectly peachy! What could there possibly be for me to be upset about? I mean, sure, Aang's in a coma, and the Fire Nation has conquered the world, and Katara's barely speaking to our dad – and possibly mad at me, I'm not entirely sure – and Jet generally exists in my vicinity and on this ship, and I'm pretty sure Zuko's avoiding me now, but how could I possibly have a problem?!" His voice grew louder through his rant, the last sentence ending in what could only be described as a shriek.
Toph continued to pick her ear, that pinkie finger really digging in deep. "Uh-huh," she said. "When was the last time you slept?"
"I have had sleep!" Two days ago, but what did that matter? He'd attempted to sleep last night: that was more than good enough. "I don't need sleep. I need to work on these invasion plans. That's what's important. Oh! Did I tell you my awesome idea? So, a ship, but get this: one that goes underwater! With waterbending! Great, right? I mean, I'm not too sure how we'll breath, but I'm sure Teo and his dad can figure that out. The machinist is a genius. How's it looking?" He picked up his rather elaborate drawing and held it up for Toph. Her pinkie didn't slow down for a second as she yawned.
"The absolute worst thing I've ever seen in my life."
"Hey, it's not that bad—! Oh. Right. Okay, sorry, I deserved that." Every time. He did it every time. One day, Sokka would learn.
"So," Toph continued, pushing herself to sit up straight. "Sparky's avoiding you, is he?"
Sokka slammed the papers back down onto the floor in front of him. "Really? That's what you choose to focus on?" He scowled at her. A wasted scowl since she couldn't see it. Sokka really hoped she could sense his displeasure radiating out towards her with her super earthbending feet senses. "You know we're trying to invade the Fire Nation, right?"
Toph shrugged. "Sure, but that doesn't bother you nearly as much as our favourite cactus prince growing a little more prickly, does it?" She grinned at him, and for a second Sokka was tempted to lob something small at her head. Why'd she have to go and invent metalbending? Now he could never risk anything with her. Ever.
Even though it was really, really cool.
"Okay, fine. You got me. But I know what you're thinking, and, no. This has nothing to do with any feelings I may or may not have for Zuko. This is entirely just friendly concern because Zuko needs a friend right now. Which is what I am. His friend. You need to stop talking to my dad."
Toph's grin only widened, and Sokka really, really hated that look on her face. What did she know about things, anyway? She was literally twelve. "I don't talk to your dad," she said. Sokka chose to ignore that.
He sighed. "Look, it's just…they had a weird confrontation yesterday, and I don't know what Jet said to him, but I don't know why he listens to him at all! I don't know why he even started dating him, he knew it was a bad idea. What is it about Jet that people keep falling for? He is so obviously bad news! And why is Jet even still on this ship? He adds nothing to my invasion plans. Nothing! …Except Pipsqueak and the Due, they're actually pretty helpful to have, I will admit. Though we probably could've gotten them even if he were, I don't know, dead in the middle of an Earth Kingdom lake somewhere! So like I said: he adds nothing."
"And his royal firebenderness does?"
Sokka had the answer for that lined up before the question even finished. "Zuko's already agreed that he's gonna teach Aang firebending, so, yeah. He does."
Toph didn't respond, and the silence stretched out for way too long, growing heavier with each passing moment.
"If he wakes up," she final said quietly. Sokka had never seen the steady earthbender look so unsure before. His own chest twinged with worry, but he shook it away. No. No distractions.
"When he wakes up," the boomerang boy corrected. "Katara says he's doing better now. And, you know, magic spirit oasis water is magic. I mean, hey, she's actually been leaving the room for hours at a time, now, so…"
Besides, Aang had to wake up. There was no other option. Without the Earth Kingdom's forces to rely on, the bulk of the plan hinged on the Avatar's shoulders. Theoretically, they could pull it of without him, but…it was less than ideal. It was, quite frankly, suicidal; Zuko was right about that. Without Aang, the whole world was lost.
And Aang was too…Aang to not wake up. Sokka didn't even want to think about what it would be like if he didn't. Azula was awake, he reminded himself. She was awake without magic water help. It was just a matter of time.
Sokka cleared his throat. Aang, he couldn't do anything about. That was all up to his sister now. The invasion he could do something about. Zuko and Jet, he could do something about. He just…hadn't quite figured out what yet. For either.
"So, yeah, Zuko's gonna teach him firebending," he repeated. "And I'm pretty sure I can convince him to help with the invasion plans, even if he decides not to, y'know…actually invade with us."
Giddiness bubbled up inside him, thinking of Zuko's warning again. He was so very grateful that the prince was on their side now. Mostly on their side. Enough to matter, at any rate. Then again, it wasn't like Zuko had much of anywhere to go.
Jet, on the other hand, needed to go. Except they did need everyone they could get. Why were his Freedom Fighters actually so helpful? There were only two of them, and it'd only been one day, yet Pipsqueak was so far pulling more than his own weight already. And Pipsqueak weighed a hell of a lot. Sokka sighed again.
Maybe Jet was also best put off for later. Which left just the invasion. This, he could do.
"Okay!" he declared. "Enough distractions. If you're not gonna be helpful, you can leave, but it's time for the plan guy to get planning!"
Things hadn't gone nearly as smoothly as he'd hoped last week when he and Aang had left Ba Sing Se, but they weren't unsalvageable. Yet. Sokka was just going to take what they had on hand (Jet included) and make the most of it. Because that's what he did.
Zuko inhaled, taking a slow, steady deep breath as he pulled air into his lungs, held it, and then even more slowly released it, letting the air flow out through his mouth. His eyes closed, he could feel the tiny flames surrounding him moving in rhythm. It had been ages since he'd last properly meditated – ages since he could – but back on a Fire nation ship, it hadn't been hard to scrounge up some candles.
Meditation was supposed to be calming. It'd never really worked for him in the past – although it'd worked better than Uncle's "calming tea", at any rate – but the firebender needed something right now. Something to help clear his mind of the thunderstorm of rolling thoughts inside and to at the very least realign himself. Maybe, if he was lucky, even find that inner peace he'd found before Azula had shown up to wreck it all.
Azula.
Zuko had been doing a great job of not thinking about his sister, what with everything else happening in his life. Azula was not only alive, but awake. It should've filled him with relief, but it didn't. Nothing did lately.
'I didn't kill my sister,' he repeated to himself. But…if he had…if just maybe, he had…would things be better? Would Uncle Iroh have managed to get away with them? Would the Dai Li have turned on the invading soldiers rather than help them? Or, in the farthest reaches of his mind he wondered, would his father have called him home for need of an heir? Zuko didn't even know if he wanted that anymore, but now more than ever, he wanted to go back home. Maybe because sometime between shouting at Jet yesterday and now, it had finally hit him. He'd ruined that chance for himself forever. Especially if Azula was awake. There was no backing out now; he thrown his lot in with the Avatar for good without thinking.
The crazy thing about this whole situation, though? The prince wouldn't even mind so much except that now Iroh was gone, too. Sure, his uncle was proud of him – he'd made that clear, loosening the tight ball of rage that sat inside his chest all the time – but at what cost? Especially with Azula gearing up to go back on the rampage. Zuko breathed out sharply, and the flames flared up. He scowled.
This was not accomplishing what he'd wanted it to accomplish. The purpose of meditating was to clear his head, not to brood on his problems. He had way too many problems right now for that. Like Jet.
'Just ignore him,' he told himself, breathing in once more. Easier said than done. On the list of important problems in his life right now, Jet was near the bottom. Hell, Jet wasn't even on the list because what were boyfriend problems when you'd just exploded your whole life in your face?
Boyfriend.
So, they were still together. Jet hadn't denied that, right? Which meant Zuko had been worrying for nothing. This was probably just one of those relationship rough patches. Everyone had them, didn't they? Zuko could still remember the way his parents used to fight sometimes when they thought they were alone. When Azula had snuck him around the palace to spy on them. Sure, his father wasn't the nicest person in general, but they'd been married. His mother had given just as much as she'd gotten, so she'd clearly been a match for him. Marriage meant something. Relationships meant something. They meant work.
Zuko obviously didn't regret a thing, but that didn't mean that Jet didn't have a right to be mad. Sokka would probably say he was being stupid. Again. That what Jet had said was inexcusable and rude, or that he was just trying to be downright nasty. Zuko, though. Zuko had said many hurtful things in his life – many truly despicable things, looking back on it – to Iroh. Things that, true or not, he didn't really mean. Things he'd never intended to say to his uncle who had only ever just offered him love in a way even his parents hadn't.
Sokka just didn't know what it was like to be that angry. Jet did, and Zuko did.
The water tribesman meant well, but the prince didn't need "well meanings" in his life right now. He needed to get his head on straight. He needed patience.
He probably needed a spot of calming tea. A ginseng, preferably.
Agni, what was wrong with him?
A knock on the door broke Zuko's concentration, snapping his mind away from the fires around his room. They roared up for a split second before settling back down into the small, flickering flames they were meant to be. His scowl deepened. Sokka again? Could Sokka not take the hunt that he wanted to be left alone? They weren't attached together. He could spend five minutes by himself.
Zuko jumped up, bare feet stomping along the metal floor towards the door, and yanked it open.
"What?!" he snapped into…Jet's…face. Well, crap. Not Sokka then.
Not that Jet was really much better. No, he was so much worse.
His boyfriend's eyes flicked to the mass of candles filling the room behind him. Zuko's lips tightened. Jet was just going to have to accept the fact that he was a firebender. It wasn't something that he could change about himself nor would he ever want to.
"Oh. Jet. What do you want?" Straight to the point. He was proud of himself for not faltering any, keeping his voice steady as he faced down his boyfriend. The only thing he could think would be more unnerving right now was facing his father. All of a sudden, he wished it really was Sokka that had been here at the door, harassing him per usual with a friendly grin on his face.
Jet's eyes hadn't peeled from where they perused the inside of his room yet. "What are you doing?" the Freedom Fighter demanded.
"Meditating," he said bluntly. Jet could take of that as he would. Zuko was never going to hide his bending again if he could help it, and he was never going to hide it from Jet again. He wouldn't flaunt it, but…this was his own space. His own personal, private space, and he could firebend to his heart's content within these metal walls no matter what Jet's feelings on the matter. "Do you need something?"
"We didn't finish our conversation yesterday."
"We didn't? Because you're the one who stormed off and left me there. So I think you said enough." Calm. He was maintaining his calm. Finding his inner zen. Channelling Ba Sing Se Zuko. That was a good version of himself. He need more calm. Relaxation. He could do it. He could maintain his calm, even temper for as long as he needed to speak to Jet. The roiling guilt eating away at his stomach didn't mean anything. He was perfectly okay with not finishing this conversation. Jet could come back when he'd gotten over himself.
"Go away," he said bluntly. Jet didn't listen, but Zuko didn't know why he'd ever expected the Freedom Fighter would. Instead, Jet slipped past Zuko into his room. The prince's fist tightened on the door, but he didn't have the energy to turn him away. Instead, he closed the room door.
"Fine!" Zuko announced. "Just do what you want and then leave."
Jet's brow furrowed more even as he nodded. "Okay," he said, and then, for the second time in their history, Zuko found himself completely and utterly shocked when Jet leaned over and kissed him.
Well. He definitely had not seen that one coming.
Again.
This was the zoo all over. There was a tongue in his mouth again. He still wasn't sure how it'd gotten here when Jet was just over there and mad at him, but this time, he didn't feel the urge to bite, and let it play out, even as he was too stunned to react. So…progress?
Jet pulled back, shaking his head. The glower on his face had only grown now, and Zuko wasn't entirely sure how to feel about that. "That was not what I meant to do!" The Freedom Fighter exclaimed, stepping back. "Spirits, why do I like you so much? You're a firebender!" Zuko didn't have an answer to that question. He'd been asking that question about Jet since he met him, aside from the whole "firebender" thing. Clearly.
But this was progress. Jet did still like him. He was here and had just kissed him, and he looked like he was gearing up to try and pick another fight. Zuko didn't want to fight with Jet again. He didn't want to fight with anyone right now, but least of all Jet. Before the taller boy could say anything else, Zuko wrenched his fists into Jet's shirt and leaned up to kiss him again.
This was definitely better. And this was definitely what they needed.
It was early the next morning when Sokka woke up. Way earlier than usual. He tried to go back to sleep, but when that didn't work, he lay in his bed, surrounded by the snores of still-sleeping water tribesman around him before finally jumping up to his feet. Zuko had a whole day to himself to mope or do whatever it was when he wanted to be left alone. He was an early riser. He should, hopefully, be awake. Sokka was going to drag him out to socialise even if he had to use boomerang to do it.
Zuko should fear boomerang. He'd felt it first hand back in the Southern Water Tribe. Ah, the good ol' days of Zuko trying to hunt Aang.
Sokka whistled to himself as he wandered down the empty hall, basking in the stillness of pre-dawn. He had just reached the turn to the hallway Zuko's room was on when he paused. What time was it anyway? Was Zuko actually awake? Was it the middle of the night?
"I really need to think these things through better," he muttered to himself and then yawned. The door down the hall let out a faint screech, metal scraping against metal as it was shoved open, and Sokka jumped back, hiding around the corner. Which was stupid. He had no reason to hide; he had every reason to be wherever he wanted on the ship. He just…he didn't want Zuko to think he was being clingy. Which he definitely wasn't. Except…
Peering around the wall, he saw Jet coming out of Zuko's room. Jet…in Zuko's room…Jet had a glower on his face, glaring down at the floor, and his clothes were messed up like he'd hastily thrown them on. He hadn't even taken the time to properly fasten his shirt back, Sokka noticed. A sinking feeling grew in his stomach.
Oh dear Yue, no.
Zuko wouldn't be that stupid. He couldn't. He made a lot of dumb choices, sure, but…Jet had been treating him like trash. Jet had literally called him filth, although…that hadn't been to his face, had it? Yue, why?
In the hall, the Freedom Fighter closed the door behind him – quieter than he'd opened it – and turned and walked down the hallway, away from Sokka, stomping away even angrier than he'd been yesterday. Or the day before. Whenever.
Sokka pulled his head back around the corner and leaned back against the wall, his heart thumping in his chest. He hadn't seen that. Nope. He was dreaming. He was going to go back to bed, and wake up in the morning, and this would all have been some elaborate dream that he would laugh about in the morning.
Because Zuko could not – absolutely could not – be stupid enough to have slept with Jet again.
TBC…
A/N: Hey, guys; sorry for the long wait. I have a few more chapters written past this, so they should be up timely enough. Hope you enjoyed!