I'm sorry this took so long, but there were so many routes I could have taken! That and I kind of became obsessed with this crossover pairing (Loki x Zuko/Frostfire/Loko/IDK) and may or may not have written a few pages about them. I do not own Avatar the Last Airbender ~ !

Watching Jet fuss and be an overall headache for the owner of the clothing shop they'd found and Jet has been browsing for the past fifteen minutes, Zuko rests against the wall beside the door leading into the shop and allows his mind to wander, wondering if it really is as simple as leaving Ba-Sing-Se. There was no one to tell them otherwise. They could leave it all, they could do whatever they wanted and go wherever the wind took them with no worries of the throne, a Nation, or honor. Or even the Avatar. It could just be them and the world around them. They could do it. There really were no worries of whether or not they would be happy as Zuko had come to realize that so long as he had Jet he is content. Truly happy. And there is no doubt in his mind that Jet would be just as happy as there wasn't a second that goes by without the older boy's constant declarations of love.

They could.

"Here!" the woman's scream snaps him out of his reverie, "Just take this and go! Free of charge!"

"But what if I wanted the other one!?" Jet exclaims as the woman continues shoving him towards the entrance.

"I don't care! Out!" the woman shouts, voice laden with frustration. Zuko doesn't blame her for losing it, "Just get out and never come back!"

The shop owner slams the door shut behind Jet and his free clothes, "Geez." the tanned teen mutters, "Rude much?"

"You deserved it."

Jet pouts, "Aren't you supposed to be my loving brother?"

"Loving. Yes." Zuko says as he pushes off the wall and begins walking down the street with Jet trailing after him, "Supporting your bad behavior. No."

"Well then." Jet sniffs haughtily, "I'll remember that next time you pitch a fit."

"Yeah," Zuko rolls his eyes before he catches sight of the missing bison poster, his mind taking a turn, "You do that."

Jet spots the Missing Appa flyer that seemed to catch Zuko's attention, "Are we going to talk about it?"

"What's there to talk about?"

"I don't know." Jet shrugs, "Maybe, how you plan to get inside an underground cave?"

"Chamber."

"Whatever." Jet frowns, "It's still underground."

"It doesn't matter." Zuko sighs, "I'll find a way."

"I don't want you doing this without a plan."

"I'll be fine." Zuko meets Jet's gaze, "I always am."

"Yeah, yeah. We know you're like a fucking cat. Nine lives and shit. But - ," Jet stops, shoulders drooping, " – one day I'm afraid you'll go where I can't follow. And fuck, where will I be then?"

Zuko remembers how he'd felt when he thought Jet had been dragged under icy waters, "I won't."

"Good." Jet murmurs, he doesn't look convinced but he does move on, "That's all I ask."

They could leave – he could give it all up for Jet. The power. The responsibility. The titles. The throne.

"Do you – really think we could make it on our own?" Zuko whispers, "Out there?"

"Of course." Jet casts a glance at his somber companion, "We both can take care of ourselves. If we need something we can always steal it, and if not, I've been taught about everything there is to know about surviving in the wild. I know for a fact that we can make it."

"I – do you; still want to leave with me?"

"Yeah."

They can.

"Okay, we – at the end of the week. We'll leave. Just you and me."

"Are you sure that's what you want?"

"Yes. I'm sure."

"Okay." Jet offers a soft smile, "At the end of the week then."

It'll be okay, he'll have Jet with him and nothing but all the time and freedom in the world with zero responsibilities and no one to disappoint – so why did the thought still frighten him?

"I - ," Zuko feels his knees become weak and hands shake, "I need some time to myself." he turns without Jet getting in a word edgewise, "I'll see you – sometime later."

Stopping again, Jet watches the Prince turn off some random street and disappear into the crowd, "Okay. Later then."

Sighing, Jet runs his good hand through his hair and continues on his way knowing that because things seem to be going well didn't mean everything would be alright – loyalty is what kept him at the Fire Prince's side and love is what strengthened the bond, but despite his clear-cut devotion and adoration for the sovereign, he felt that it was his job as both a friend and a lover to keep any and all nuisances, big or small, from affecting Zuko's overall wellbeing. This is why he currently stood before a fancy looking house dressed in his new clothes. Toying with his awkward sleeve, he raises his fist to knock on the door to the Avatar's house when said door opens and a hand grabs him, pulling him into the building and slamming him up against a wall with the cold bite of a blade being pressed against his neck. Gritting his teeth at the force of the impact, he glares at the person opposite side of the blade, half expecting to see Sokka, but who he sees instead surprises him more than it should.

"Smellerbee?"

"Fan?"

"Jet?!"

"Jet? Who's Jet?"

"Who's Fan?"

"That's Jet!" Sokka exclaims, rudely pointing at Jet, "Who's Fan?!"

Smellerbee frowns, "He's supposed to be Fan."

This was going to go horribly wrong.

Fuck.

Smacking Smellerbee's hands away from him, Jet glares at the girl before fixing his clothing. The Avatar and his friends slowly lowering their guards with Katara being the first to approach him.

"Did you find anything?"

Sokka interrupts, "What?!" he shrieks, "You knew he was here and never told us!?"

Katara seems to legitimately be confused, "I thought I did!"

"No! I – that explains why you were acting so weird the other day!"

"And why your heart was racing." some little girl adds.

"Oh God!" Sokka bemoans, he glares at Jet dramatically, "You better not have done anything to my sister!"

"Get your mind out of the gutter." Jet snarls, already fed up with this drama, "I found someone and I'm not looking to mess it up with them."

"What?!" both Water Tribe siblings exclaim in unison.

"What?" Jet frowns defensively, he can't help the heating of his face, "What's wrong with that?"

"Nothing!" Katara blurts instantly, "It's just - !"

"You're not exactly the loving type." Sokka finishes before Katara smacks him.

Katara smiles at Jet, "We're happy for you, we really are." the little girl Jet doesn't know snorts causing the waterbender to glare before turning back to Jet, "She must be really pretty."

Jet thinks of Zuko waking beside him in the morning and smiles, "Yeah." he immediately blushes realizing what he'd done, "Look, I know where Appa is, do you guys want my help or not!?"

"Yes!" Aang all but shouts, cutting everyone else off, "Where is he?!"

"He's in an underground chamber." Jet starts, noticing the way everyone seems to falter, "Underneath some lake called Lake Laogai."

"Are you sure?" Katara asks.

"Yeah." because why would Zuko lie? "Why?"

"Because - ,"

Smellerbee rages, "Because that's where those Dai-Li bastards tried brainwashing Longshot!"

Brainwashing?

"What?" Jet frowns, "Why?"

"They were trying to lead us off course." the little girl says, "To some island far away from here."

And Zuko was going to go in there alone?!

Jet steps forward, "I'll help."

"No offence Jet," Sokka starts, "But you're not exactly the trustworthy type."

"Look, I live here now and I'd like to know who's behind all of this."

"Well," Katara looks to the others, "He's helped us before."

"Yeah!" Sokka snorts, "When it benefitted him!"

"Well," the little girl starts, "He hasn't been lying so far."

Smellerbee's brows knit, "How do you know?"

"When someone is lying, their body gives off a noticeable reaction." she then shrugs, "I can just sense these things."

Okay-y-y.

Aang steps before Jet, catching his attention, "Alright Jet, you're in."

oOo

"So this is Lake Laogai?" Jet murmurs.

"You know," Sokka starts up, "It's pretty nice once you get past the whole reason we're here."

Jet glares at Sokka just as the little girl speaks, "There's a secret entrance nearby."

She leads the group a little further along shore and earthbends a strip of earth leading to an ending with a rock porthole, as soon as she removes the earthen lid, an ominous sound reverberates through the dark causing Momo to fly away. As the group descends down the ladder rings, Jet notices the air becoming colder, staler. When his feet finally touch the floor, he looks upward only to see nothing but pure darkness. And to think, they were under an entire lake with a bunch of bastards who brainwashed people for a living.

Gotta find Zuko.

Following after Longshot with Smellerbee at his side, they pass multiple stone doors, one even opened wide enough to show a Dai-Li agent dictating rehearsed lines to a bunch of motionless women. Spirits. This place was messed up. Subtly maneuvering his way to the back of the group, he spots an opening up ahead leading into a dark area. Fixing his grip on his shuang-gou, he follows, waiting patiently until the person before him enters before he slips away, heading off down a nearby hallway.

oOo

Exhausted and still reeling from his decision to cut the bison free, Zuko finds that he wants nothing more than to lie with Jet and sleep for Spirits knows how long – hearing the clang of metal and rumbling of earth, both he and his Uncle press against the wall of the hall. Inching closer towards the corner, the younger firebender peers around the edge only to feel his heart drop and blood run cold. Without thinking twice, or even thinking at all, Zuko runs out to join the fight with his Uncle quietly calling after him and most likely trying to stop him. Running two of the Dai-Li through with his swords, he sees Jet blink owlishly at him before he dodges in time to avoid a rock gauntlet thrown at him.

When the fire of his Uncle joins in the fight, Zuko knows things will be over quick.

Scowling heatedly at his boyfriend as said boyfriend kills the final man, Zuko finally speaks, "What in Agni's name do you think you're doing here?!"

Looking up from the agent he'd just killed, Jet frowns, "I came here looking for your dumb ass! What were you thinking coming here on your own!?"

"Save it!" Zuko snaps, now he just wants to lie in his own bed and sleep for Spirits knows how long, "Uncle already lectured me and I don't need to hear it twice. Let's just go!"

Frown deepening at the harsh attitude coming from Zuko, Jet looks to Iroh who gives him a look that probably meant he should know, but Jet was too annoyed to really try and decipher what it meant, so with an annoyed huff, he follows dutifully after the two firebenders all the way back to the entrance Jet had initially come through with the Avatar's little posse – stretching out underneath the warm sun's rays, Jet turns to watch both Nephew and Uncle.

"It's time to let it go."

The sixteen year old stares at the grinning, blue mask, his teeth clenching momentarily before he drops the creepy thing into the water, watching as it sinks deeper into the lake with Iroh placing a hand upon Zuko's shoulder. Feeling like he'd missed something big during his little quest to find the hot-headed Prince, Jet coughs awkwardly into his fist, successfully capturing the attention of both firebenders and ruining what atmosphere had been built.

"We should uh," Jet falters, feeling out of place, "go, before those Dai-Li bastards stumble across us."

"Right." Zuko murmurs, he pulls sluggishly away from his Uncle, "Let's go – I, I need some rest."

Watching Zuko walk past him, Jet casts another glance Iroh's direction before he follows after his worn-down love.

I seriously thought about it! I could have killed Jet! I even had the chapter with him dying written up!

(Hawkeye Voice) Nobody would know. Nobody.