Chapter 11: Kiss or Confess (Part 2)

Ty Lee spun the bottle and around and around it went.

Jet wouldn't have minded another kiss from her, but he couldn't help but chuckle as the bottle landed on Ty Lee herself. What could this girl possibly confess? Most of her life was already on social media.

"Aw, I wasn't expecting this," she pouted. "Well… believe it or not, I had a pretty tough time growing up. Did you know that I have six sisters who look exactly like me?"

"Wait, like… you're a septuplet?!" Sokka asked.

"No, but I may as well have been." She sighed. "It was like I didn't even have my own name… I think that's why I joined social media. I've always craved that attention and validation I never got at home. And I… I've been desperate for your attention and validation too." She cast her eyes down. "That's why I never told you all that I'm… I'm gay."

"No way…" Jet was floored. Not that he cared one way or another that Ty Lee was gay, but he had just learned about Mai questioning her sexuality too. Ty Lee suddenly went from a hot girl to possible competition.

"Proud of you, Ty," Katara smiled.

"Why didn't you tell us before?" Sokka asked. "You know we would have supported you. We do support you!"

"It's not like she had to tell us…" Zuko muttered.

Ty Lee looked up at the group again. "I thought you guys wouldn't want to be my friend anymore if you knew you didn't have a chance with me."

"That's ridiculous!" Sokka assured. "We're still your friends. Right guys?"

"Of course," Jet answered. Zuko nodded.

"Yay!" she grinned. "I feel so much better now. I'll always remember this moment. Your turn, Katara!"

Katara spun the bottle, and much to Jet's surprise, it landed on him.

She looked up at him with her big blue eyes, blushing faintly.

Jet had never really looked at Katara in this way before – she seemed far too goody-goody for his taste – but she really was pretty. He remembered Sokka mentioning before that Katara seemed eager to sit next to him in the car when they drove to the mall… did Katara have a thing for him?

"Well?" she asked.

"Yeah, okay," he grinned, getting up to walk closer to her. He kissed her sweetly, unlike the steamy kiss he shared with Ty Lee earlier, not that that meant anything. The kiss was… not bad. Actually quite enjoyable. Oh boy.

Katara's cheeks were bright red when the kiss was over.

Sokka looked horrified and motioned for Zuko to quickly take his turn.

"Alright, here we go." Zuko spun the bottle.

Jet anxiously watched it spin around the group, screaming in his head for it to land on anyone but Mai. Hell, he'd even take one for the team if he had to!

It landed on Mai. And she smiled.

Zuko smiled softly back at her.

Jet felt as if he'd been pushed off a cliff. He couldn't even watch their stupid kiss, which was happening right next to him! The whole thing made him feel sick.

"Wow!" Katara chuckled, "Okay!"

"Seriously," Azula groaned.

Zuko sat up and cleared his throat, suddenly in a better mood. "Mai, I… I think it's your turn."

"I think you're right," she said quietly, reaching for the bottle. She gave it a sharp spin.

Jet closed his eyes. Please let it land on him, please let it land on him… it landed on Zuko. What a punch to the gut. Well, that probably sealed their relationship…

"Oh no, not this again," Azula scoffed.

Mai looked down coyly at first, and then reached up to touch Zuko's cheek, turning his head gently to face her.

Jet looked right past them, across the fire. Katara seemed happy for them, but oddly enough Ty Lee looked displeased with the overt display of affection.

"Geesh, get a room, you two!" Sokka called out.

"Yeah, I'm just gonna take my turn," Jet muttered, grabbing the bottle and spinning it. Fortunately this caused Mai and Zuko to separate. It didn't matter though, the damage was already done. He didn't even care who the bottle landed on at this point. He just wanted the night to be over.

It went around and around and finally it settled on… Azula.

Their eyes met, and for a moment he felt something akin to a jump-start in his chest. Panic maybe? The panic of kissing his friend? No, not just any friend… his best friend. Yes, Azula was his best friend at this point. She was the one in whom he confided. She was the one who understood him best. What if kissing her… changed things between them? He'd be lying to himself if he said he'd never thought about it before. Azula was beautiful, strikingly so, but for some reason, he just couldn't do it. Something was holding him back. It was strange. He had kissed Ty Lee, Sokka, and Katara without a care. But his gut told him that he shouldn't kiss Azula right now… not like this.

"I, um… I feel bad that I'm one of the only people who hasn't confessed anything tonight. You've all shared your stories with me, and I actually wanted to do the same, so…" He looked at Azula and the look in her eyes broke his heart, the look of betrayal. But as always, she quickly shook it off.

"Good," she grumbled. "Who says I would have kissed you anyway."

He chuckled, but inside he was hurting because she was hurting. He took a deep breath. "Okay so, as you know, I grew up in the foster care system, but… I wasn't always in a foster home. This may come as a surprise, but I did a stint in juvie when I was fifteen."

"That doesn't come as a surprise to me at all!" Sokka blurted. "What? We were all thinking it."

"What did you do?" Katara asked, wide-eyed.

"Robin-hooding mostly. You know, steal from the rich, give to the poor. That sort of thing."

"You still do that," Zuko announced, "You steal my videogames all the time!"

Jet shrugged off his comment. "It's kind of a miracle I got into college at all. I wonder what they saw in me."

"Well, we're all happy you're here," Ty Lee smiled. "And now I know to keep a better eye on my purse around you."

"I-I wouldn't – "

Everyone laughed, but he could tell Azula was forcing hers. Clearly he had hurt her feelings. Maybe he should have just kissed her. What was the big deal anyway?!

Azula took her turn next. Jet hoped for her sake it would land on Sokka. And lo and behold… it didn't. It landed on Zuko. Oof.

"Well, fuck me," she groaned, uncharacteristically crudely.

"Yeah, no thanks," Zuko said under his breath.

"Not you, dum-dum, UGH!" She took a second to regain her composure. "Okay, well I guess I'll have to confess something again. Oh, and if you thought my first confession was deep, get ready for this one. You want to know a secret?" She paused for dramatic effect. "I'm homeless!"

"Wait, WHAT?!" Sokka asked, concerned.

"Yes, you heard me. I'm homeless. I've been homeless since Father went to prison and the government seized our assets. I've just been living in the dorms, you know, the dorms you're supposed to vacate during fall, spring, and summer breaks? I don't vacate them. The school lets me stay there because I have nowhere else to go."

"Spirits, Azula," Ty Lee breathed, "that's awful."

"I had no idea…" Mai looked at her best friend. "Why didn't you tell me?"

"It's embarrassing! I used to have everything. Now I have nothing."

"That's not true, Azula! You have us," Sokka smiled warmly at her.

"Yeah, you can always stay with us in the Southern Water Tribe," Katara offered.

"Or with me and my ragtag team of foster kids," Jet added.

"No." Zuko finally spoke up. "If Azula's going to stay anywhere, it's going to be with Uncle and me. We're right here in Ba Sing Se! Why wouldn't you just ask?"

"I don't know, I guess…" Her voice grew quiet. "I didn't think Uncle would want me around. Or you for that matter."

"You're my sister! Of course we'd want you around. Besides… the tea shop gets pretty busy over the summer – we could really use some help."

"You mean… I can work there? For money?" She perked up.

"Yeah!"

"Thanks, Zuzu," she said quickly. "I'll… consider it."

The fire siblings shared a smile, and then Sokka reached for the bottle.

"Last turn then, eh? Let's make this a good one!" He spun the bottle hard. It went around and around the group until it came to rest. It pointed to… Azula.

A wolfish grin spread across Sokka's face.

"Well, Sokka," Azula said, blushing, "was it a good one?"

"I think so," he breathed, still grinning.

Jet watched as Sokka placed his hand beneath Azula's chin, gently lifting it as he closed his eyes and leaned toward her. Azula closed her eyes and tilted her head slightly as her lips met his. The kiss had started off soft and sweet, but quickly escalated to something more heated. Azula snaked her hand behind Sokka's head and pulled him closer to her.

Jet looked around the group – everyone seemed to be thinking the same thing: Hot damn! The only person who was noticeably disturbed by all this was Zuko, who looked like he wanted to jump into the fire.

Azula and Sokka both had the same goofy, giddy smile on their faces after separating.

"Well then, uhh," Sokka laughed nervously, "shall we call it a night then?"

"Yeah, I'm pretty tired," Zuko answered.

Mai yawned. "Yeah, me too."

"Yeah, I guess it's pretty late," Katara replied.

"Hey, wait a second…" Ty Lee looked at her roommate suspiciously. "You're the only one here who hasn't confessed anything."

"So?" Katara asked. "I never had to."

"Yeah, but that's not fair!"

"That's not part of the game!"

"I don't know, Katara," Sokka butted in, "We all had to confess something…"

"Yeah, but – " Katara scanned the group who was clearly waiting for her confess something. "Alright, fine." She sighed. "So… as it turns out… I do have a secret. I guess it's more like a… secret personality."

Everyone looked around at each other, puzzled.

"You see…" she continued, "sometimes I have violent and graphic fantasies about killing the man who killed my mother."

Jet felt chills run through his entire body. Everyone seemed to be in the same state of shock. Sweet, good-girl Katara had a dark side after all. Why did that news suddenly make her more attractive to him? It didn't change how he felt about Mai, of course, but… it seemed that Mai wasn't interested in him after all, and maybe… maybe it was time to move on.

"Damn Katara," Sokka finally spoke, "I mean, I want him dead too, but I've never thought about…"

"Yeah, I know. I probably should have kept this to myself." Katara giggled nervously. "So on that note… shall we head to bed?"

Azula had had a rollercoaster of a night. Most of it had been shit, with her first spin landing on Mai and her second landing on Zuko, and then watching Jet kiss just about everyone except her… why was that? He really wanted to confess something that badly? No, that was a weak excuse. He just didn't want to kiss her for whatever reason. After that huge blow to her ego, she had just about thrown in the towel, but thankfully she stuck around until the end, the end when she finally got to kiss Sokka.

Sokka. She could still taste him on her lips… he mostly tasted like the meat from his dinner, but it was still quite pleasant. Now she could go to bed a happy woman. If only Sokka could join her in her bed…

Jet pulled Azula away from her tantalizing thoughts with a sharp tug on her arm.

"Hey, what the hell?"

"I need to talk to you." He looked around surreptitiously. "Alone."

"I don't want to talk to you right now."

"See, I knew you were mad at me. This is why I wanted to talk."

"Just make it quick," she snipped as she followed Jet out to the balcony.

He closed the glass double doors behind him. "Look… I just wanted to explain."

"Explain what exactly?"

"You know…"

"Why you were fine kissing everyone else but me?" She glared at him. "I mean, am I that repulsive to you?"

"N-No! That's not it at all – "

"I mean, we've already been to second base… unless you've already forgotten about that – "

"I could never forget that," he grinned.

"So what was it then, hm?"

"It's not that I didn't want to kiss you…" His brown eyes softened.

"So you do want to kiss me?" What was he trying to tell her?!

"I – I – do you want me to kiss you?"

"I never said that – "

"Because I will," he interrupted. "I'll kiss you right now if that's what you want."

"Is that what you want?!" Was he serious, or was he just messing with her?

He grabbed her arm and pulled her close to him, chest to chest, and looked her in the eye. "Let's stop with these mind games, alright?"

She nodded, staring intently into his eyes.

"Now do you want to kiss me or not?" He smirked.

"I…" Slowly, she crept up onto her tiptoes and started leaning in toward him.

He closed his eyes and slightly parted his lips, and then…

"PSYCH!"

He abruptly opened his eyes, clearly aggravated. "Why would you do that to me?!"

"Now you know how it feels," Azula taunted. "We're good now, by the way. I'm not mad at you anymore."

"Yeah, well now I'm mad."

"You really wanted to kiss me, didn't you?" She gave him a playful smile.

"No! I-I mean – " He met her playful smile with a mischievous grin. "– Why would I want to kiss you when I've already gotten to feel your boobs?"

"I could smack you right now – "

"Sokka was pretty jealous about that, by the way."

"Wait, what?" she asked, caught off guard. "He was? What did he say?"

"Oh, nothing really. He just said I was a lucky man, that's all. I mean… he's not wrong."

Her cheeks flushed. "Y-You're damn right he's not."

"You're cute when you panic," he teased.

"Hey. Watch who you're calling cute."

He smirked. "Hey… if we're good, you wanna go to bed?"

"Not with you."

"Sure…"

Spirits, why was her heart beating so quickly? How would she ever be able to sleep after all this? First she got to kiss Sokka, and then this just happened with Jet, whatever it was. What the fuck was going on?!