"Water is fluid, soft, and yielding. But water will wear away rock, which is rigid and cannot yield. As a rule, whatever is fluid, soft, and yielding will overcome whatever is rigid and hard. This is another paradox: what is soft is strong."

Sokka led Jet and Zuko to their rooms, very much looking like he didn't know what to do with his hands. He looked to the side of him, and Zuko was staring at his feet. He looked to the other side of him to the baby, then to Jet, who raised a brow at him.

"What?" Jet asked, not unkindly.

"Nothing," Sokka said, then whistled a lazy tune. He looked backed to the baby. It was like he couldn't stop. She smiled at him, and he smiled back. No matter how confusing the situation was, when a baby smiles, you smile back.

"So, uh, got a baby now, huh?" Sokka asked.

"Long story," Jet answered.

Sokka nudged him playfully. "I bet it is," he said jokingly, a little suggestively. He immediately realized how fucking weird it probably sounded, especially when Jet didn't laugh. "Yeeeahh, it - sounded different in my head." He fell silent once more.

Jet smirked when Sokka turned to face forwards again. This was gonna' be a lot more fun than he could have hoped for.

Sokka looked to Zuko, who was still looking at the floor as they walked.

"So, Zuko," he said. "Where'd you meet our friend Jet here?"

Zuko paused for a moment. "He's not my friend."

Jet frowned, then smirked a bit. "He's right, you know."

Sokka looked to Jet, very much confused.

"We're best friends," Jet clarified as he looked past Sokka to Zuko. "Isn't that right, Zuko?"

Zuko furrowed his brow and scowled at him. Jet just smiled.

"O- okay," Sokka said, feeling very uncomfortable. He shifted his feet and gestured towards a series of doorframes, all the same. "Well, pick any one. Home sweet home, I guess, you know, for now. Unpack? Lunch, soon? Uhhh ... welcome aboard?"

Jet and Zuko both nodded to him, and he shifted on his feet and turned around.

"Yeah, this is really, really weird," he said to himself, turning away and walking back down the hall.

After Sokka had made it a good distance away, Jet turned to Zuko.

"So, which one you taking?" Jet asked.

"Does it matter?" Zuko asked.

"Uh, yeah," Jet said.

Zuko sighed. "I guess this one," he answered, vaguely wafting his arms towards the door behind him.

Jet turned around and eyed the door right across the hall, pondering. "Okay, so I'll take this one."

"Do you have to be so close to me?" Zuko asked, exhausted.

"Duh," Jet answered. "Have to keep an eye on you. Keep you from doing crafty firebender stuff."

Zuko sighed again. "Whatever," he said as he opened the thatch door and slipped inside.

Jet smiled a little to himself as he went to go to his own room. He was halfway in, when he heard Zuko speak again.

"Hey Jet?"

He turned around and raised an eyebrow.

"You forgot about Rosebud," Zuko said plainly, peering out the doorframe.

Jet's face fell. He did forget about Rosebud. How could he forget about Rosebud?

"Shit," he said, shifting on his feet. He did a little weird movement before starting a sprint down the hall. "Sokka! Wait! I know I just got here, but I need a favor!"

Zuko smiled to himself as Jet rounded the corner. Idiot.

Rosebud laid atop Appa's saddle, toying with a rabbit-mole she'd caught and refused to let go of. They were descending downwards towards the temple, and Jet was still surprised how calm she was while in the air. Perhaps the previous owner, Tikka's father, had flown with her before.

"What is that thing?" Sokka asked curiously from Appa's neck.

"A cat-deer," Jet answered from his spot next to him.

"Oh, okay," Sokka said. "Where'd you find it?"

Jet paused for a moment and let out a long sigh. "It was the kid's father's. He was - a fire nation soldier."

Sokka thought about that for a moment, staying silent as he mulled it over.

"I didn't kill him," Jet said, not unkindly but defensive non the less. "Or her mom. They were already dead when I found her."

Sokka looked to him with what seemed like sympathy. "I didn't say you did," he said reassuringly.

There was a long pause, the wind ruffling their hair being the only sound for a few moments.

"You know, Katara's really happy you're alive," Sokka said, unprompted.

Jet looked to his hands for a few moments. "I know," he said softly.

"Just – just don't hurt her again," Sokka said, not angrily. More of a plea.

"You don't have to worry about that Sokka," Jet reassured.

"I want to believe that," Sokka said. "I do, but - that's my sister, you know?"

"I know," Jet said. "If it makes you feel any better," Jet started, then paused to inhale a breath. Sokka looked to him curiously.

"Women aren't my thing," Jet settled on it.

"Women aren't your th-" Sokka started, confused, then realized. "-Oh."

Jet looked to him for a moment, trying to hide the fact that he was amused. "Yeah – your, uh, your sister helped me realize that," he said, immediately realizing what he said. "Do not tell her about that part."

"Hey, my lips are sealed," Sokka said truthfully. "I don't have to worry about you, do I?"

Jet chuckled a bit. "No, Sokka. You're not quite my thing either."

Sokka looked a bit offended. "Why not? What's wrong with me?"

"Don't you like women anyway?" Jet asked, a grin wrapping his lips.

"Yeah, but still," Sokka said, trying to make light of it all. "That would be like, the ultimate compliment."

Jet chuckled a bit. "You're very handsome Sokka. There, you happy?"

"Why, yes I am," Sokka said happily.

Appa touched ground on the temple, and the two parted ways.

Jet secured Rosebud as well as he could within the temple grounds. She was a free creature though, and he preferred it to stay that way. They were the Freedom Fighters, after all. She meandered a bit, but no one really seemed to mind it.

There were some other kids there being watched by a guy around his age. Haru, he believed his name was. Teo, and much to Jet's surprise, The Duke were the kids in question.

The Duke, with his always too-large helmet, looked at him for a few moments, but ultimately decided he didn't want to speak to him. It made Jet a little disheartened, but he couldn't really blame him for it. He wanted to say he was sorry. To ask where Pipsqueak was. But he decided perhaps it'd be better to let The Duke come to him on his own. Haru seemed to be a good guy, and Jet trusted him to take good care, which made the situation feel marginally better. The kids played with Rosebud none the less, and Jet went back to his room to lay Tikka down for a much-needed nap.

Her feet were on Jet's feet as they walked down the hallway, her hands in his as he swung her legs forwards for her. She seemed to be having a good time with the activity, smiling at her pretend walk.

His ears perked at a voice up the hallway, Katara's from the sound of it. He waddled with Tikka towards his room and tried to ignore it, but the voice was right across the hall. In Zuko's room. He slipped under the door and waited near the thatch door; after he slid Tikka into the bed, of course. Even if he hadn't been trying to eavesdrop, Katara's venomous voice carried to his room anyway.

"You might have everyone else here buying your ... "transformation", but you and I both know you've struggled with doing the right thing in the past. So, let me tell you something, right now. You make one step backward, one slip-up, give me one reason to think you might hurt Aang, and you won't have to worry about your destiny anymore. Because I'll make sure your destiny ends ... right then and there. Permanently."

Then, her footsteps faded down the hall and around the corner. Jet peeked out the door, making sure she was gone before he exited.

The rolled door to Zuko's room was savagely thrown back, caught on the stone, leaving a triangle of open space for Jet to unintentionally see into. Zuko was sat on his bed, his face in his hands, rolled into himself.

Jet gave a quick knock on the stone, causing Zuko to shoot up from his hands.

"Can I come in?" he asked a little softly, peeling the door back a little more than it already was.

"Sure," Zuko said, more defeated than Jet had probably ever heard.

Jet leaned against the wall near the door, his foot kicked back against the stone and his arms crossed casually on his chest. Zuko looked at him, confused for a moment, but ultimately decided the stone was a better place to settle his eyes.

"She gave you the what for," Jet said after a minute.

"You heard that, huh?" Zuko asked, still looking to the floor.

"Yeah," Jet answered. "Not on purpose, but I did."

Zuko inhaled a breath and let it out. "She hates me," he said, more sigh than words.

"Maybe," Jet said. "She hated me too, though. But - she forgave me, eventually," he said a little sadly. "And what you did couldn't possibly be worse than what I did. So, just give her time. She'll come around."

Zuko thought for a moment. "What – what did you do?" he asked, thinking nothing could be worse than what he did.

"You don't wanna' know," Jet answered, a little quietly. "If you did, well, you wouldn't want me standing in your room. But that isn't me anymore, and you aren't you anymore. So, just give it time."

Zuko couldn't help but to wonder, but perhaps Jet would tell him sooner or later. "Okay," he agreed. "I'll try."

Jet smiled a little and kicked himself from the wall.

"Alright. See ya later Li," he said softly but casually. He gave a little wave before dipping back under the rolled door.

Zuko smiled a little once he'd fully made it out. Jet called him Li. Which in it of itself is better than pretty boy. But Li. Like a joke rather than the stain or the painful lie he knew that it was. Jet didn't have to say that it hurt him that he'd lied to him. He knew it did, for reasons becoming clearer by the day. Jet hadn't scolded him for being a prince. Or being fire nation. Or even a fire bender. He'd scolded him for lying to him, and for the first time Zuko fully understood what that meant. And why he felt so compelled to fix it.

At least I'm not a liar – Jet had spat at him the first night in the cave with such wavering that it sounded more like betrayal than anger.

But now, he called him Li with such air and light heartedness in his voice that it made Zuko's heart skip a little. Because – maybe today - someone had forgiven him. At least a little. And that counted for something.

He rolled his legs onto the bed and stared at the ceiling. She'll come around, he told himself. And maybe – maybe Jet could come around some more too.

Just give it time.

Zuko didn't have the nerve to go have dinner with the group. Not yet, at least. The most he could handle was one person at a time. Slowly inching towards trust, but not quite part of the group yet.

Tikka was wide awake this night, her nap having been too far into the day. She was restless, and Jet obliged her. He didn't really want to speak to anyone, but perhaps she could use the socialization. She'd only known him for the past few months. It'd be selfish of him to deny her other interaction because he'd rather draw into himself.

He walked her down the stone hallway and out into the camp area where the others were. Most everyone was asleep already, and the campfire burned by its lonesome. He could see Katara and Aang doing something in the distance, mere silhouettes walking and talking. But he was wary of approaching anyone for conversation, so he just plopped down by the fire and let Tikka crawl around a bit. Carefully and watchfully, of course.

There was a pot sat off to the side of the fire, dinner from earlier he assumed. But he didn't dare touch it, no matter how much his stomach yearned for a hot meal and not scraps from the forest. It wasn't his place yet. Wasn't his meal yet.

Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Katara split off from Aang. His heartbeat quickened when he noticed she was approaching him. Aang flew off into the night sky with his glider to somewhere Jet didn't know.

He kept his eyes of the fire, still not quite able to look Katara in her face. Not fully at least. He shot her a glance when she sat a few feet away from him, and she was looking at him with an expression he couldn't place. Even on her.

"You can have some food, if you want," she said softly.

"I'm okay," he said back.

"Your baby might want some," she said kindly, disregarding him.

He smiled a little at that. "Okay, Katara. You got me."

She smiled a little too, then stood to scoop a bit of the meal, rice and some type of meat he couldn't place, into a bowl from a stack they had sitting by. She handed it to him gingerly, and he noticed it was way too much food for just Tikka. She retook her spot a few feet away. She was always too kind for her own good. Still was.

She sat quiet for a few moments and fiddled with something in her hands, but he didn't dare look long enough to figure out what it was. He scooped Tikka into his lap and fed her in silence. At least he had a distraction too.

When she spoke again, it was soft but confident and not at all unkind. Like she'd practiced it in her head but still didn't want to say it. But he knew it was probably something she felt the need to say. And well, she had every right to tell him. Every right to dig it in him like a knife, but she didn't. He sickly wished she would have. But she kept it just plain and simple. Not all emotionless, but close.

"I don't love you anymore."

But heartbreaking it was to hear, none the less.

But he wouldn't dare show it. This was for her. Not for him. "I know," he said softly. "I'm glad."

She sat quiet for a moment, still twiddling whatever was in her hands. "Sokka told me what you said."

"Which part?" he asked softly. Though for some reason he didn't mind her knowing all of it.

"That your baby is fire nation," she said quietly. "…And that you like men."

He sighed. Hearing it out loud cemented the idea in a way he was unsure of, but he supposed no one here really cared. There were much better things to worry about than who he liked.

"Has it always been that way?" she asked.

"Yeah. Just didn't know it for a while," he answered softly. "Does it help at all? Knowing that?"

She thought for a moment, which was more reassuring than if she'd answered right away. "I guess a little, yeah. Makes a lot more add up, at least."

And what she meant by that; he was unsure. But he wasn't going to ask. He wondered if perhaps others knew before he ever did. That he'd shown some sort of sign – but it didn't really matter anyway.

"I wanna' be friends," she said after a moment. "Mostly so I can hold your baby, not because I like you," she said jokingly.

He smiled at that. "Of course, Katara."

She looked at him a little too expectantly then.

"Oh, you mean right now?" he asked.

She chuckled a little. "Well, sure. Only if you don't mind," she answered.

And mind he didn't. If there was anyone he trusted to give nothing but motherly love, it was Katara. He handed Tikka over and she took her with open arms, smiling like she'd just won the lottery.

"She's so cute," she said happily.

"I know," he answered. "So are you," he said truthfully.

She blushed a little and gave him the look. "Stop it."

"What? You think since I like men, that's gonna' stop me from making you blush?" he asked. "You can't stop me. You make it way too easy. And it's way too much fun."

She smiled a little. "You're ridiculous."

"And you're beautiful, Katara," he said with an amused smile. "Just – unfortunately for you - you don't have a dick."

She chuckled out loud at that, her cheeks bursting, the absurdity too much to bear. "Spirits, Jet."

He smiled unapologetically and waited for her to rub the laughter from her eyes. "I'm glad we talked about this," he said softly and sincerely.

Katara smiled too as Tikka began to reach for Jet once more. He stood and reached over and took her without a word.

"Me too," Katara said after Tikka had left her hands.

"I'll always have a soft spot for you, you know," Jet said with a warm smile as he looked down to her, Tikka on his hip. And he meant it too.

"I know," she answered. "I guess I could say the same for you. You're pretty hard to stay mad at."

"And if Aang ever gives you any trouble, let me know. I'll give him the what for."

She chuckled a little at that too. "Oh, yeah right. Like you could."

He smiled because it was true. He wouldn't touch that one with a ten-foot pole. Not anymore, at least.

"Goodnight, Katara," he said warmly.

"Goodnight, Jet," she returned.

I promise I don't write this fast lol. Most of this story has already been written. Just trying to catch up.