Oh God! I'm so sorry this took so long to update, but VOLTRON! Angela suggested I listen to Wrong Side of Heaven – Five Finger Death Punch for this, for Jet, and wow, I felt so bad for Jet. I do not own Avatar the Last Airbender.

"Are you sure this is a good idea?" Sokka had asked.

"You know how dangerous they are together." Katara said.

The Water Tribe siblings had been in the right to be cautious, anxious, given their past encounters, but both were coming from different prospects. Katara thinking Zuko had been the catalyst for all the bad deeds he'd done, and in a way, he kind of was, and Sokka, the guy never trusted Jet to begin with, he'd masked his disdain with humor and lame one-liners, but with both Jet and Zuko in the same breadth of space, he seemed to think Jet would snap. Toph had been silent, and really, what could she say – she'd never faced both Jet and Zuko when they were doggedly chasing the group down, doing what they could to get Aang. But Aang, no older than thirteen, looked upon both Jet and Zuko like he were centuries older than his appearance suggested, his murky brown eyes boring holes into both teenagers, looking at them with eyes that saw more than anyone on this earth could, and finally said with no lingering hesitation "It'll be okay".

That had been the single longest minute of his life, and maybe it was the finality in Aang's voice that set up the snowballing of anxiety beginning to untangle itself within his gut, twisting his insides, and poisoning his blood. Or those all-seeing eyes. Or maybe it was the simple fact that things were not okay in Jet's little world. And really, what had he to worry about?

The Prince, Zuko, his friend, lover, boyfriend, enemy still loved him, enough to come crawling back on hands and knees, apologizing and forsaking his own country, his own blood. Azula will be coming for him. Was Zuko even a Prince anymore – if he forsook his people, his family, his titles, did that mean he was no longer Fire Nation? But he'd never spilled blood, so he still belonged?

Things were – hard, they were different, Jet's own thoughts were muddled, and he knew anxiety didn't need logical reasoning to start digging it's thorns into one's skin, but he still felt ridiculous getting worked up over something as mundane as identity crisis. Of course Zuko was still Fire Nation, that was where he'd been born and raised, he still had ties to the place. And Jet, he had nothing tying him to the Earth Kingdom, no possessions, his family was dead, his village had been burned to the ground, he'd been taken from the land and brought to another. Like some exotic plant, taken from the earth and relocated in another patch of land. He was practically raised by the Fire Nation. But did that mean he was Fire Nation?

No. It shouldn't. But he'd killed countless Earth Kingdom soldiers enough to deem himself disowned, he killed for the Fire Nation, or rather, for the Fire Nation Prince, who was still Fire Nation, a firebender no less. He'd loved the Fire Nation Prince. He'd given his body, heart, talent, and soul to the very land he'd hated – hates. So does that make him Fire Nation?

No.

He isn't Fire Nation.

And he isn't Earth Kingdom.

If he's from nowhere, does that mean he's nothing?

He felt alone.

"Jet?"

The teen jumps so suddenly that he manages to kick up some sand, twisting his back to look at the intruder, he sees none other than Zuko, the firebender had never left his side, had followed him around like a lost puppy. Something that Jet would do. Things are different and he isn't sure he likes the change – of course, it's natural to despise change.

"Y – yeah?" he hates how his voice chokes off, throat dry, he watches Zuko sit beside him.

Zuko is different, he's twitchy, his eyes are always on Jet, always in close proximity, looks at him with open adoration, Jet knows that when Zuko's fingers twitch, that the other wants to reach out and touch him – and maybe Zuko is the catalyst for everything Jet has done. Had he ever done something for his own sake? His own will? And - ?

"Jet, Jet!" there are familiar eyes in his vision, wide with panic, "Jet, breathe!" he registers hands cupping his face, "In. Out. One. Two. One. Two. In. Out." apparently he's doing something good for those pretty eyes soften, "Okay." Zuko murmurs, "You're okay. It's okay."

"No!" Jet rips himself from Zuko's hold, startling Zuko, Jet jumps to his feet and catches his distorted reflection in the waves lapping at the sand. All he can see is Fire Nation red. "No! It's not okay! I'm not okay!" he turns to Zuko, thoughts whirl past him – Fire Nation. In another life? What could he have been? Could he have done something? Stopped something? "What have you done to me?" he asks in a broken voice, he sees confusion and pain of a breaking heart setting in Zuko's features, "I – I was okay before y – you. What did you do? I can't – it was you, I was going to kill you and your family that night, I – I should have done it! Maybe – maybe things would have been different?!"

"What?"

But Jet doesn't hear Zuko's question, the firebender's voice muted from the hell that is his mindscape, a mind that was never kind, "Maybe – maybe I wouldn't be, have been, so – so Fire Nation. Maybe the war would have ended. Maybe I could have had a home to return to. M – Maybe I would still have a place I belonged!"

"Jet!" Zuko stands, Jet freezes, "What are talking about!? What do you mean you were going to kill me and my family!?" it's Zuko's turn to stop in his tracks, a mix of horror and realization creeping across his face, "Wait – you mean, that night you were in my room - ," he stares at Jet, his eyes becoming a vivid inferno with betrayal and anger, "That was the real reason you were in my room!? To kill me!?"

"Oh fuck you!" Jet shouts, he feels ugly, distorted, his skin burns from where the red cloth touches his body, "You should have known! You should have known!" he's becoming hysterical, "I should have known! Fire Nation - ! Fire Nation are full of liars and murderers! Nothing good comes from the Fire Nation! I – I should know!" he stabs his thumb painfully against his chest while chokes up, his eyes feeling hot and skin 10x too small, "I'm a product of how evil the Fire Nation can get! I - ! I've killed so many for you! For you I've spilled blood of innocents! Of men trying to protect their country! The very same country I came from! I betrayed my family! My kinsmen! For you!" Jet glares at Zuko, whose shoulders begin to lose the tense edge they had earlier, then snarls, "Fire Nation scum. But hey! It's okay! Because I am too!" tears flow freely, he gestures with his arms in a loosely wide arc, "I don't have a home! I have no family! Nothing that ties me to the Earth Kingdom! And God do I hate the Fire Nation – but they raised me! They raised me! Taught me everything I know! Gave me everything I am now!" he chokes, "Gave me you." his shoulders slump and he feels a cold creep over his skin and bury itself just beneath the surface, "It's okay because I'm Fire Nation too – even if I don't want to be."

Heart in his throat, Zuko forces himself to look smaller as he approaches Jet with tentative steps – he'd always assumed that Jet was okay, that Jet was untouchable – cupping Jet's face in his hands, he gingerly brings Jet forward, letting their foreheads rest against each other. Jet was right, his eyes begin to water, he should have known. He could forgive Jet for past misgivings. Jet didn't kill him, he's still here, his family is still alive – more or less. Jet has kept him safe for nine years, almost a decade now, has loved him. Jet stayed strong, even when Zuko couldn't, even when Zuko yelled and went off into one of his moods. Jet stayed.

"I - ," Zuko falters, what does one say, what does one do in a situation like this? It – it was always him on the receiving end – had Jet really been that bad off? And he tried to shoot him down in Ba-Sing-Se? "I'm sorry." he whispers, tears falling down his cheeks, "I'm so sorry." he really was no good, he opens his eyes and stares at Jet's closed ones. It's weird to see him cry. Has he ever cried before? "I didn't know – and I'm so sorry for that, but, I know for certain that you're not Fire Nation." Jet opens his eyes and Zuko's heart both melts and breaks, his eyes are amazing to look at, but they're red rimmed and seeing him so hurts. Zuko trails his thumbs over the trails of tears. "You're – you." he gently wipes Jet's eyes, "You're amazing, smart, and talented. You were even before you got to the Fire Nation. And you're strong, loyal, and Agni I'm so sorry I've never noticed." Zuko brushes Jet's fringe back, exposing his face a little more, and presses a soft kiss to his forehead, "You may not be Earth Kingdom, or Fire Nation, but that shouldn't matter, you're you, you don't need to be anyone else. You're alive and you're unique. You're your own person. And I could go on about how beautiful a person you are," Zuko pulls back and allows Jet to stand to his full height, "But I – we both know I'm not very good with words."

Watching Zuko take a step back, a small, awkward smile playing on his lips, the speech was a little roundabout and both knew it, but Jet caught on to what Zuko was trying to get at:

Own who you are.

Offering a tired smile, Jet registers the fact that he's glad the others aren't around before he pulls Zuko into a tight hug, one that allows him to feel every contour of Zuko's body, to feel his warmth, and the heavy beating of his heart. Holding onto him a second longer, Jet relaxes his arms enough to let Zuko look up – there is someone who cares, who loves him.

No matter what he is.

"Thanks Fire-Bird," the thought of smiling makes him tired, "Guess I needed that, huh?"

Jet leans forward, about to kiss Zuko when the Prince startles him by pulling away, his initial thought is that the Gaang is back and has caught them in such a compromising position, but when he sees no one, he blinks curiously at Zuko who smiles softly, eyes tight and tired:

"Only when you're ready." Zuko gives Jet a gentle pat on the chest where his hands are resting, "I don't want you to feel like you owe me anything, or rushing into things. Not everything will be the same and I want you to feel comfortable."

"I don't feel like I owe - !"

"Jet." Zuko's stern voice cuts him off, "I'm willing to wait for you. It's the least I can do." he toys with Jet's fingers after his hands slid down Jet's arms, a small smile in place, "Spirits know you've done so much more for me." he looks up, "I want to take care of you too."

Jet simply stares at Zuko, watching the firebender toy with his hand, content to just touch him, to be near him, he feels – at home. Better. He leads them to sit down in the sand with nothing but the sounds of lapping water soothing the silence. Looking into the water's rendition of him, he decides that things could be a little better.

"I could go for a change of clothes." Jet doesn't look, but he knows Zuko is looking at him once the other teen stops playing with his fingers, he finally meets Zuko's curious gaze, cracking a smirk, "And maybe you. The entire Fire Nation has been abuzz with how their handsome Prince has returned from his triumphant victory over Ba-Sing-Se."

"I - !" Zuko pauses, most definitely not pouting, "What's wrong with my clothes?"

Jet waves his right hand in an eh manner, "Too pompous."

Zuko is definitely pouting, hands recoiling from Jet's own, completely scandalized, "Is not!"

This chapter was for Jet basically.