"To the mind that is still, the whole universe surrenders." - Lao Tzu
"What was that? That was the worst firebending I've ever seen!" Zuko exclaimed.
Why, oh, why do these things happen to him? Of course, he leaves his entire home and country behind just to show the avatar how to firebend, and he can't even fucking do it.
"I thought it was ... nice," Aang comforted, noting the tiny plume of smoke still wafting about in the air.
"Why is this happening?" he asked out loud, more to the dammed universe than to anyone else. Just fuck him, right? Like with everything else?
"Maybe it's the altitude," Aang suggested, knowing damn well it wasn't the altitude.
"Yeah, could be," Zuko sheepishly said.
"Just breathe, and ..."
Still nothing.
"That one kind of felt hot," Aang comforted.
"Don't patronize me! You know what it's supposed to look like!" Zuko shouted.
"Sorry, Sifu Hotman," Aang retorted.
"And stop calling me that!" he spat.
He heard a chuckle from somewhere. A familiar chuckle. Neither his nor Aang's. His brows immediately furrowed as he looked for the sound.
"Up here, pretty boy," Jet said from his leisurely spot, his legs draped around a thick tree branch. He was barely visible and not very high up, surrounded by leaves and thin twigs with Tikka sat happily on his lap. "Or should I say Sifu Hotman."
"What are you doing, Jet?" Zuko scolded.
"Nothing. Just watching you have your – performance issues," Jet said with only a slight hint of suggestiveness.
Zuko's face immediately went beet red. Aang didn't seem to get the joke.
"Oh, and what would you know about it!" Zuko spat.
"I know it's supposed to be bigger than that," Jet said casually. "And not so… limp," he added, just for good measure.
Zuko didn't have to see the smirk. He could fucking hear it.
Sokka cut in before he could. "Hey, jerks! Mind if I watch you two jerks do your jerkbending?"
"Will you two get out of here!" Zuko spat.
"Two?" Sokka asked, confused.
"Hey Sokka," Jet answered, still hidden. If one didn't know he was there, one would think it was the tree speaking.
"Oh, hey Jet," Sokka said. "Didn't see you there."
"Did you hear my performance issue joke?" Jet asked.
Sokka chuckled. "No, but it sounds like a pretty good one!"
"Yeah, I told him his fire should be bigger than that," Jet said. "Oh, and that it was limp," Jet said casually.
Sokka chuckled more. Zuko was sure he was having an aneurysm.
"Get out of here!" he reiterated.
"Okay, take it easy. I was just kiddin' around," Sokka defended. He chuckled a little to himself as he turned to walk away. "Jerkbending, still got it."
"Your turn Jet," Zuko spat.
"You don't tell me what to do," Jet replied. "I'm a free man."
"Jet, I swear to the spirits," Zuko murmured.
"What are you gonna' do? Firebend at me?" Jet prodded. "Even Tikka can firebend better than you."
Zuko's eyebrow perked. "Shut up. No, she can't."
"How do you know?"
"Because she's a baby," Zuko noted.
"Yeah, and she does little baby firebending moves," Jet retorted. "Fire everywhere. It's a real disaster. Have to keep little gloves on her to prevent her from destroying nations."
Zuko couldn't help the smile that pulled his lips. That was the goofiest, and weirdly cutest, thing he'd ever heard. But he wouldn't give Jet the satisfaction. Wouldn't dignify his prodding with a smile.
"Uh, guys," Aang interjected.
Zuko turned to him a little sheepishly. He'd kinda' forgotten he was even there. Too busy being prodded by a bush.
"Why don't we try again later?" Aang asked.
But later never came.
Zuko's chi was moving syrupy slow, almost to a halt now. It didn't make any sense, and it was troublesome. He paced the stone floors in his room; an animal trapped in a cage. If it had been dirt on his floor, there'd be a rut by now.
He was broken from his thought by the rolled door to his room being shuffled back. Jet emerged a moment later, looking as distraught as Zuko felt.
"What's wrong with your bending?" Jet asked pointedly the moment he'd fully made it in.
"Why do you care?" Zuko murmured.
"Why wouldn't I?" Jet retorted. "I want to save the world too, you know. And part of that is you teaching the avatar firebending. So, I have to suck it up and figure this the hell out."
Zuko paused for a moment at that and sighed. "Where's Tikka?" he asked, just trying to avoid.
"Napping," Jet answered. "Now back to you sucking at firebending."
Zuko pawed his face for a moment, pulling the skin down with a frustrated huff.
"I don't know what's wrong with it," he answered, letting his hands fall back to his sides. "It's not gone, just… weaker. For some reason."
"Well, what changed?" Jet asked. "I don't know how bending works, but you had to have changed something for it to just stop."
Zuko thought for a moment, rubbing his chin as he did. His face lit up a moment later.
"I bet it's because I changed sides."
"That sounds stupid, Zuko," Jet retorted.
"I'm serious," Zuko said, throwing his hands out. "It's been getting harder and harder to bend ever since I left the palace. And now it just… won't do anything."
"Well, if that's it, then maybe it's your emotions or something that control it," Jet suggested. "How did you feel before when you bended?"
"Angry," Zuko answered pointedly and honestly.
Jet didn't like that answer, but he didn't really expect anything else. He remembered the look in the eyes of the soldiers that burned down his village. Spiteful. Angry. Their flames viscous with fury as it left their palms.
But he pushed the thought away.
"So, maybe you're just not angry enough," he said. "You relied on rage and you don't have it anymore."
"That's rich coming from you," Zuko noted.
Jet sighed, long and low.
"I'm trying to help you," Jet said. "Not make low blows."
Zuko rubbed the bridge of his nose. "Look, even if you're right, I don't want to rely on hate and anger anymore. There has to be another way."
"What other way?" Jet asked. "Shouldn't there be a manual for this shit? You don't have any way too look into it?"
"Manual? Why would you think there's a man-" Zuko paused. "Wait."
"What, pretty boy? Spit it out!"
"There's – there's some ruins not too far from here. They might tell us something," Zuko answered.
"Ruins? What kinda' ruins?"
"The first people to learn from the dragons. The Sun Warriors."
Jet huffed and let his arms out. "Okay, so – you're just supposed to find the secret to firebending in some old rocks?"
"I don't know, okay?! But I have to try!" Zuko answered. "Either that or I can't teach the avatar firebending. And we risk losing the war."
Jet chewed his blade of grass for a moment, his brow creasing in contemplation. "Okay," he finally agreed. "We can try it."
"We?" Zuko questioned.
"Yes, 'we'!" Jet spat.
"Why do you need to know the secret to firebending?" Zuko asked.
Jet paused at that, trying to think of the best way to answer.
"For Tikka," he finally settled. "If – if she is, a bender I mean, I don't want – I don't want her to be angry. Like me. - If there's another way, I want to know it. I have to face this. For her."
And there was nothing Zuko could say to argue that.
Zuko lifted the cloth of the balloon, shuffling anxiously along, trying to figure it out. The morning sun was just peeking over the horizon as he did. He wouldn't dare ask to use Appa. Aang would definitely not allow him and Jet to use his precious bison. So what we he supposed to do to get to the fucking ruins? Spirits, how does he get himself into situations like these? Going to search for firebending secrets with Jet, of all people.
"Bout time," Jet said out of nowhere.
Zuko jumped in his skin. "Fuck, Jet!" he scolded.
Jet just smirked. "Scare you?"
Zuko wouldn't dignify it with a response. "Where's Tikka?" he questioned.
"With Katara," Jet answered. "Don't question my methods."
Zuko looked at him for a moment, then fumbled with the cloth of the balloon some more.
"We're taking the balloon?" Jet questioned.
"Yeah," Zuko answered.
"Don't you need bending to use the balloon?" Jet questioned.
"Yeah, but only a little," Zuko answered.
Jet sighed. "You're an idiot. Did you see your bending yesterday? It sucked ass. And you want me to put my life in the hands of your shitty firebending?"
Zuko's hands smoked a little bit. "Look, how else are we supposed to get there?!" he spat.
Jet smirked a bit and rubbed his chin. "This just might work, Zuko."
"What are you talking about?" Zuko questioned.
"I just have to piss you off right?" Jet questioned. "To make your magic hands work?"
Zuko looked at him, his brow furrowed. "Uh," he said. "I mean, that might work."
"Soo," Jet said, thinking for a moment. "You're telling me, this is a free one?"
"A free wha-" Zuko started, then Jet's fist connected with his cheek; Hard with a follow through too. He doubled back, fuming, a crease of blood forming on his lip. He ran his tongue along his cheek and tasted iron. "What the fuck?!"
"Now fire the damn balloon!" Jet spat.
Jet looked at Zuko from his seat opposite. Zuko was poking at his swollen cheek, and for a moment Jet felt a little bad. Only a little. But hey, it worked, didn't it?
"I'm not sorry," he said.
"I know you're not," Zuko replied.
"At least it only took one," Jet comforted. "Right?"
Zuko smirked a bit. "Yeah, I guess. And I've got plenty of time to get you back for it."
Jet smirked too. "Oh, yeah right. Like you could."
Zuko looked amused for a moment, Jet noticed. It looked good on him.
"Tell that to Ba Sing Se," Zuko retorted. "I haven't forgotten."
"Eh," Jet said. "I was going easy on you."
"That's what they all say," Zuko said.
Jet chuckled a little. "Yeah, Li got me. I'll give you that. But Zuko won't. I know all your dirty firebender tricks now."
"What tricks? I beat you fair and square," Zuko said. "Just admit it."
"No, the Dai Li got me fair and square," Jet said. "I woulda' kept going. - I probably would have killed you," he said a little less amused now.
Zuko fell silent for a moment, not really knowing what to say to that.
"But – I'm glad I didn't," Jet said, plain and simple.
Zuko couldn't help the little smile that pulled his lips. Jet was looking elsewhere, so he didn't really have to hide it.
"It bothers me," Jet said, lower now.
Zuko's smile faded. "What does?"
"What the Dai Li did to me," Jet answered, no more than a murmur from across the balloon. He was looking out into the distance, a look Zuko had grown to know as familiar. He was in his thoughts. The bad kind. And Zuko knew better than to respond. There was nothing he could say, and he knew that.
"I fought for the Earth Kingdom," Jet continued, quiet and thoughtful. "All my life, I fought for them. My heart and soul…" He fell off for a moment, gathering his thoughts. "And they did that to me. My own country. Brainwashed me. Betrayed me. After everything I did to protect it…"
Zuko twiddled a thread on his shirt. He didn't really know what to say to that.
"I'm sorry," he said softly after a moment. "You didn't deserve that."
"Maybe I did," Jet said pointedly, low and soft still.
"I understand how you feel," Zuko said, looking to the hands in his lap.
Jet finally looked to him; his brows creased in confusion. "How?" he asked plainly.
Zuko sighed and rubbed his hands on his pants. Jet waited patiently, for once in his life, for Zuko to gather his thoughts. Zuko reached a hand up to his face, taking two fingers and pulling the skin gently below his scar. Just holding it there for a moment, and letting out a long breath of air. Jet watched him curiously, but held his tongue for Zuko to explain.
"My country did this to me," he said lowly, dropping his hand back to his lap. "I thought – I thought I deserved it too."
Jet snorted, but not in amusement. More baffled than anything.
"You're an idiot if you ever thought you deserved that," Jet said, no drama in it. Just a statement.
"Yeah," Zuko agreed.
Jet looked off into the distance for a while, not really saying much else. Zuko didn't either, not really knowing what else to say. He guided the balloon downwards and towards the temple, and the two stayed silent the whole way.
Even up through the temple, Jet's brows were creased in concentration. The silence was almost comforting, Zuko thought. Like they were above meaningless small talk. They had always seemed to be that way, it seemed. Except for when Jet got a bug up his ass and wanted to annoy him. But other than that, Zuko had grown used to the long silences.
A trap door opened before them, and the both of them dodged easily out of the way of the spikes. Like it was an inconvenience rather than a weapon. They walked up the endless stairs towards the temple, stopping to note the carving on it. Two dragons bursting fire from their mouths around a man in the middle.
"They look pretty angry to me," Jet said, running his hand down the stone. "Are dragons even real? I feel like they're a myth."
Zuko looked to him for a moment, a bit confused and a bit amused. "Of course, dragons are real. Why would you think they're not?"
The two started walking again, across a beaten stone bridge to the center of the temple.
"Have you ever seen one?" Jet noted. "I haven't."
"I haven't either, but –" Zuko started, then sighed. "My uncle has."
"Your uncle?" Jet asked, bemused. "Saw a dragon?"
"He killed one," Zuko clarified.
Jet stopped in his tracks for a moment. "Liar," he said.
"I'm serious," Zuko said as he waited on him to move his feet again. Jet did after a second, and the two walked side by side once more. "My grandfather Sozin started the tradition of hunting dragons for glory. There were the ultimate firebenders. And if you could conquer one, your firebending talents would become legendary and you'd earn the honorary title, Dragon. The last great dragon was conquered long before I was born, by my uncle. The Dragon of the West."
Jet furrowed his brows in thought. "You're telling me, your uncle, your fat teashop uncle, is the Dragon of the West?" he challenged. "Your uncle took down the walls of Ba Sing Se?"
"Yep," Zuko said simply.
"So you've been there before?"
"Once. When I was a ... different man."
It made sense now. Jet didn't know how he'd missed it. But everything was starting to pull together. He thought for a moment, thinking about just how badly Zuko and his Uncle both were always so bad at lying. They told him to his face the truth over and over. And he never caught on. Well, until he did, that is.
"Okay," Jet said, nodding his head. It was a little impressive, he had to admit. Not out loud, of course.
They finally made it across the bridge to yet another building. This one looked important, at least. Large impressive stone doors always meant something good was behind them.
"Great. Now how to get in," Jet said, mostly to himself.
"It's a celestial calendar. Just like the Fire Sages have in their temples. I bet that sunstone opens the door, but only when sunlight hits at just the right angle. - On the solstice," Zuko said, a little defeated.
"Oh, yeah. We can just wait here for the fucking solstice," Jet said with a snort. Zuko shot him a look, but Jet ignored him.
"No, we can't. But we might be able to speed time up. Let's see if we can outsmart the sunstone," Zuko retorted, lowering his sword to the ground where the stone's reflection was. Jet watched him as he did. Didn't really have much else to do. After a few moments, it seemed to have worked, and the doors popped open just a tad.
Jet smirked as they did. "You know Zuko, I don't care what everyone else says about you. You're pretty smart sometimes." Then he walked towards the door and peeled it open.
Zuko smiled a little, then realized. "Fuck you," he retorted, and Jet just laughed.
They walked inside and looked around, examining the statues lined in a circle. Jet seemed oddly interested, to Zuko's surprise. But he guessed anybody would be. It was pretty interesting. Not many people got to see the inside of a Sun Warrior Temple.
Zuko stood in front of the first statue, reading the inscription at the bottom.
"It's called the dancing dragon," he said.
"Lame," Jet retorted.
Zuko furrowed his brow, then turned to face the statue again. Just – just out of curiosity, when Jet wasn't looking of course, he lifted his arm and leg and copied the position.
To his surprise, a stone sunk under his foot. He looked down at it, then around to Jet, who was still meandering around the circle.
"Hey Jet?" he said.
Jet turned and raised a brow.
"I think we – I think we have to do the dance," Zuko said sheepishly.
Jet laughed, quick and mocking. "Yeah, fuck you," he said.
"I'm serious," Zuko said.
"What makes you think I'm gonna' do some stupid firebender dance?" Jet asked.
"Well, do you wanna' learn the secret to firebending or not?" Zuko asked.
Jet sighed and rubbed his face in his hands. This was so fucking stupid. How did he end up here?
"I can't believe this," Jet murmured, closing his eyes.
Zuko waited not so patiently for him to come to a conclusion.
"Well?" he asked.
"Okay," Jet relented. "But don't you fucking look at me," he ordered, pointing his finger at Zuko. "And don't you fucking tell anyone about this."
"Fine, I won't," Zuko said back. "Don't look at me either."
"Fine," Jet spat. "Just so you know, I fucking hate this."
"I know you do," Zuko spat back. "Get over it."
Jet grumbled to himself as he went to stand in front of the first statue, a look of absolute disgust on his face. He looked over his shoulder to Zuko and clamped his teeth down on his grass.
"Ready?" Zuko asked.
"Just fucking do it," Jet spat back. "And do it right the first time," he added.
So, they did the thing. And Jet hated every fucking second of it. Especially the dumb little part at the end where they had to put their fists together.
He immediately threw his hands down and turned to Zuko.
"See? It didn't even fucking do anything," he spat.
As if on cue, a podium raised from the middle of the room. Zuko turned to him and smirked.
"Yeah, yeah, yeah," Jet said. "Don't rub it in."
Zuko eyed the egg on the podium, then eyed Jet.
"I know what you're thinking Zuko," Jet said. "Don't fucking touch it."
"Why not?" Zuko questioned.
"I swear to the spirits," Jet murmured. "Do not fucking touch it."
"Well, it has to be there for a reason!" Zuko defended.
"Yeah, just like the spikes outside were 'there for a reason'," Jet mocked. "Zuko, I promise. I will tackle you if you go to touch that egg."
Zuko blinked his eyes at him for a moment, then slid his feet a little bit.
He's gonna' make me fucking do it. Jet thought with a sigh.
Next thing he knew, he was throwing his shoulder into Zuko's side as he ran for it. It knocked the breath clean out of Zuko's chest, and he fell to a knee to gasp for air. Jet slammed him down to the stone and clambered on top of him, pinning Zuko's hands above his head, straddling him.
"Are you fucking stupid?" Jet asked, shoving Zuko's wrists back down. "Did you think I was joking?"
Zuko struggled for a moment, but Jet's grip was tight. "Get off me!"
"No," Jet answered. "Not until you stop being dumb."
Zuko quit most of his writhing, his breath coming to him in frustrated huffs. "At least I made something happen!" he spat.
"Yeah," Jet agreed. "But maybe – it's time to stop making things happen, yeah?"
Zuko flexed his hands, and Jet tried not to notice his muscles moving under his hand. Zuko glared at him, his golden eyes piercing, his feeble attempts at release doing him no good.
"Get off me," he said, lower now.
"Are you done?" Jet asked.
"Get off me," he reiterated. "Now."
The way Zuko looked at him now was different than anything he'd seen, and it took Jet a moment to figure out what it was. Zuko's face was slightly red, but Jet had assumed that was from being tackled. His throat bobbed up and down with a hard swallow, and that is the moment Jet realized exactly what had happened. His mouth went dry, and a flush ran up his cheeks. He made Zuko hard. And now that he noticed it, he couldn't stop. It was pretty difficult not to pressing against his thigh.
So much for performance issues.
Any other situation and this kind of thing would have made him grin. Made him look down the lengths of their bodies to study it. Made him jerk his hips forwards to test it. But this was Zuko. The prince of the fire nation. A barrier that was slowly and slowly starting not to matter, and it made him nervous, yes him of all people nervous, to think that. He knew he had a thing for him physically, but the sudden realization of who he was, more so how it didn't disgust him as much as he wanted it to, was jarring. He didn't think it would ever go away, and let alone be reciprocated in some way. And the reciprocation was tangible; a line of stiffness under thin pants.
He released Zuko's wrists a little too quickly, lifting himself on his knees before standing. He looked off at the statues, waiting for Zuko to pick himself off the ground, chewing his grass to distract him from the twitch that had settled between his own legs. Zuko held his ribs for a moment, still trying return the air to his lungs and will the blood from his cheeks. Among other things.
"Is your side okay?" Jet asked over his shoulder, less steady than he would have liked.
"Yeah," Zuko answered. "Probably bruised."
"Sorry," Jet said plainly. "Don't touch the egg," he added, just to make sure.
"I won't," Zuko said and lifted himself to his feet.
"We're gonna' look for something else," Jet said, more of an order than anything. Some type of control over the situation was needed.
The something else they stumbled upon was a large circular courtyard with a very impressive set off stairs. The stairs led to a long platform of sorts, the sun high and centered behind it.
"This looks promising," Jet said, mostly to himself.
Zuko was off doing other things, probably trying to avoid eye contact Jet assumed. He looked over his shoulder to him, and he was circling the courtyard, reading the worn inscriptions on the stone below him.
"Anything good?" Jet asked.
Zuko raised a finger of silence to him, and Jet tried not to take offense to it. He circled the courtyard one more time, his brow creased in concentration as he read it over once more.
"It says the masters, Ran and Shaw, live up here," he said with a point up the stairs. "They'll read our hearts, souls, and ancestry. And if they deem us worthy, they'll teach us. If they don't, we'll be destroyed on the spot."
"Okay, so let's go," Jet said.
Zuko looked at him for a moment, not really expecting that quick of an answer.
"You sure?" he asked, a little surprised.
"You're the Fire Prince and I'm me. I don't think we should worry about it. We can take 'em if we have to," Jet answered confidently with a pat to his swords.
Zuko smiled a cocky grin himself. "Alright," he said.
Halfway up the stairs, Jet turned to Zuko with an amused smile. "Is everything in the Fire Nation this theatrical? They really needed this many stairs?"
"Do you take anything seriously?" Zuko asked.
"Not really," Jet answered. "Except for maybe komodo chicken. I'm very picky."
Zuko shot him the look, but Jet didn't seem to notice.
Once at the top, the two looked down the opposite platforms, seeing nothing but stone and a cave at each end.
"Sure someone lives up here?" Jet asked.
"According to the stone, yeah," Zuko answered, but not confidently.
The two kicked the ground for a few moments, not really knowing what to do with themselves. "Maybe we should just go," Jet said finally.
Then suddenly, the earth rumbled under their feet, birds went scattering from the mountain as dust cascaded down the cave entrances. Jet and Zuko both looked to each other, a growing concern on both their faces.
"What's – what's happening?" Jet asked, the sudden fear evident in his tone.
"I – don't know," Zuko answered honestly.
The two instinctively went shoulder to shoulder for defense, both peering to their respective caves. Then, there was a long, eerie silence. They looked over their shoulders to each other, before the earth shuddered under them again.
Jet whipped his head back around to the cave. Two enormous, monstrous golden eyes pierced through him from the darkness. His mouth went dry, and for one of few times in his life, he was scared to death.
He didn't have time to register the fear before the creature called, a screech amongst the heavens as if whipped at lightning speed from the den. He fell backwards into Zuko, who scrambled with his footing, eyeing the creature as it tore through the air. Without another thought, or time to register the first one, a second creature ripped itself from the other den.
They circled the two, seemingly mindlessly, circling and circling through the sky. Long enough for Jet to actually tell what was going on. He swallowed the lump in his throat, and backed shoulder to shoulder to Zuko once more. "Zuko, there's fucking dragons," he said.
"The masters," Zuko breathed, not calmly but not afraid.
Jet's hand shook with panic. "Zuko, I don't wanna' die. I – I – I gotta' get back to Tikka."
Zuko's brow lowered at that, suddenly realizing how much of a terrifying experience this must be for Jet. To admit he didn't want to die.
Zuko reached a hand backwards and laced his fingers with Jet's trembling ones. "Calm down, okay? We're gonna' figure this out. They haven't attacked yet."
"Zuko," Jet started, then swallowed. "I've never admitted this to anyone, but I'm scared of fire bending," Jet said quickly. "And - and - and now I'm surrounded by dragons!"
Zuko pressed his eyes shut at that, never having felt more helpless in his life. He tried to think. Think. Think. Think. Jet's trembling hand as his motivator.
"We have to do the dragon dance," he said suddenly.
"What?" Jet breathed.
"The dance! Do you remember?"
Jet nodded, not very confidently.
"You have to," Zuko said firmly. "You gotta' get home to Tikka, okay?"
Jet's brows furrowed and he nodded again, tearing himself away from Zuko's shoulders. They stood the opposite, just like before, and he forced himself to go through the motions.
He lifted and shaky arm and leg, and the dragon shot upwards towards the sky right in front of him. Like it was choreographed with him. He laughed a quick, adrenaline fueled laugh at it. He was controlling a dragon.
When he punched the air, the dragon shot forwards and snapped. When he swung his arms down, the dragon curved with him. When he lowered his leg and skirted it across the stone, the dragon lowered with him. Until finally, his fists were against Zuko's, but he didn't dare move yet. Zuko looked to him, then nodded, and they stood shoulder to shoulder once more.
The dragons took pause, flanked on each side, their immeasurable wings sending wafts of wind to ruffle their hair. Their eyes were emotionless, their stare unbreakable. Their teeth stacked as their snout wrinkled to release them. They planted on either side of the pillar which shook under their combined weights, still snarling a foreign guttural noise from their monstrous throats. Then, they opened their ladder of mouth towards the sky.
And opened fire.
Jet didn't even have time to register it; the fire swallowed him whole in an instant.
And he was left in darkness.
And nothingness.
And emptiness.
Then fire behind him amongst the dark.
A scene from his memories. One he tried not to remember.
His village in flames.
A fire nation soldier staring at him as Jet ran as fast as he could away from him.
But he didn't run this time.
His legs strut for him underneath him. Towards it. Almost touching it.
Then it was gone, a flittering ghost amongst the void.
Then ashes under his feet, his boots leaving scuffs in it, swallowing him. It caked in his throat and burnt his eyes. Ashes raining from the sky. Charred wood of the skeletons of buildings and a still feeling of after battle that was haunting.
He walked. Nothing for what felt like miles of ashes and darkness. Ashes. More ashes.
Then a single sprig amongst it. Creeping up through the gray. Green and purple and beautiful and alive amongst so much death.
And it rooted. Growing and rooting and growing and rooting. Absorbing and consuming the ash along the way. Spreading and springing leaves and grass and flowers left and right. The forest regained and the deer ran and the birds flew and the water flowed and the snow fell and the earth repaired and carried the ash away.
Then it was gone.
Nothingness regained.
Then the warmth of the sun on his skin. Not a sight. Not a scene. A familiar feeling for what felt like ages.
Of warmth.
And gone.
Every neuron fired in his brain, electricity running through his veins. Every nerve in his body alight with movement and tension and power and life and light.
Then stillness.
Of a campfire crackling by its lonesome, its creator nearby for its warmth in the night.
A pot was simmering on the flames. The water boiled for cleanliness.
The meal cooked to perfection. An age-old flavor of food prepared over oak.
And a smile. On the creator's face.
His face.
Then his consciousness regained.
And he stood in front of the dragon, his legs wavering, the dragon's ladder of mouth closing off the smoke that had just bellowed from it.
Jet fell to his knees, the air knocked from his lungs. Awing the gentle beast, his mouth agape. Humbled like no other. Words escaped him, as well as his tears. They ran down the edges of his eyes without his say so. He didn't wipe them away. Didn't fight them.
They flowed down his cheeks one after the other as the dragon whipped itself back into its den, leaving him in the wake of stillness after. He pressed his eyes shut, and for once. Once in his life.
He felt relieved.
And still.
And calm.
All at once.
So earth shatteringly so that his breath came to him in shudders. He kept his eyes closed. The feeling of calm was so foreign to him that it was frightening, but he didn't push it away. He held to it tight.
It was the last straw of anger he was clinging to, the last hint of resentment, the last wavering, faltering excuse finally ripped out of him. By no other than the dragons. The original fire benders. It felt strange. Too strange. To not feel angry. To finally cry. To finally see the truth. To finally let it go. The tears were still wet on his cheeks as he unballed his fists and let his palms brush the stone underneath him. He inhaled deep, held it, and let it out.
Then there was a hand on his shoulder, and he didn't turn to address it. Just let it sit there for a moment. "Jet?" He didn't respond. Couldn't respond. What was he to say? He tried to speak, but nothing would come out. He couldn't open his eyes. He couldn't let this feeling go. Not yet.
Zuko went to his knees in front of him, shaking his shoulders gently. "Jet, say something."
Jet fell to his heals and finally opened his eyes, blurry and burning from the salt of his tears and looked at Zuko. Really looked at him for what he was. Not what he wished he wasn't. Fire Nation. Fire Bender. A Prince. But none of it mattered right now. He wasn't those things alone.
He was the man who, without thinking, offered Tikka help even though Jet had despised him. He was the man who, without thinking, gave him a map to get through the wilderness. Without thinking, carried him across the ocean to the air nomad island. And the man who saved his life from the Dai Li all that time ago, though Jet wasn't sure if he had to think that one over, but he'd like to assume he didn't.
He was the man who fumbled his words, trying to practice what he'd say. The one who blushed at being caught. The man who didn't put up with his shit. Grounded him. Taught him. To be patient. And more open. The man who'd put his life on the line to save the group. The man who felt so visibly guilty for what he'd done that it made his heart shatter. The one who saved him from dragons.
He was Zuko. He was Li. He was a million different men.
And Jet liked every single one of them.
He snatched him forwards and pressed his lips to his.
There was a brief moment of shock. Jet could feel the tension of Zuko's body, but after a moment it released. And he parted his lips and it was clumsy even for him. But he didn't care. Then they were kissing and kissing and kissing and Zuko's hands gripped the fabric on his shoulders and Jet's hand wrapped up around his waist tight. The birds flew out over the horizon and sun was warm on the stone and on their skin. The ocean sloshed waves against the shore as Zuko's tongue entered his mouth.
He melted into him before he had a chance to even realize it. His heart thrummed against his chest; a deep ache finally being quelled. He'd never believed in the heavens, seemed too far out of reach for him. But this was close enough. He never wanted it to stop. He pushed past the fear that he never could stop. He didn't want to. Zuko would be the death of him and he didn't even mind it. As long as he could feel this for the rest of his life.
When they parted, heavy and panting, lips swollen and reddened, the wake of stillness after was nothing but enchanting. Zuko's face was flushed, his hands still knotted, knuckle white, in Jet's tunic. And Jet thought he'd never seen anything more beautiful in his life.
Jet smiled, meaningfully and truthfully, not an act of any sorts.
"Hey," he said.
Zuko's lips lifted in a shy smile too. "Hey," he repeated.
Jet chuckled a little, the absurdity finally catching up with him. "We should probably go," he said, then looked over his shoulder, albeit reluctantly. "Before the dragons come back out."