I'm sorry this took so long! I still update after five reviews! This one just took forever! I'm so sorry!

It's sometime late at night that something calls Jet back into the waking world, a world where he lies on his back, curious in a burned out sort of way about what it was that had woken him from his sleep, blinking drowsily and staring into the dark, up at the stone ceiling he knows to be there but can't see. That same something that had dragged him from his slumber urges him to his feet, whispers to him in a discordant chorus as he walks the cold halls barefooted, lulls him when he emerges from the insides of the temple and steps out onto one of the many platforms, the one he stands upon being the one the Avatar's group had taken to sleeping on, as if there weren't perfectly acceptable rooms inside. Strolling towards the group circled around the dying campfire, he hears that whatever it is hiss as him once he stops near the slumbering Avatar, dead to the world around him and lost in dreamland, unaware of Jet absently staring down at him – there's a muffled sound deep within the temple that manages to bring the tawny, young man from his drained musings, blinking, he scans the others to make sure none have woken before he turns on his heel and heads back to his room, unaware of the blind earthbender having woken up upon feeling his footsteps approach.

Tired, Jet rests a hand on the stone doorway, stopping in his tracks when he looks down the quiet hall, to the last door where he knows Zuko to be residing in. Peering in the direction of his empty bed, he feels a sudden pang of loneliness hit him, weighing him down. With little thought, he moves through the dark, approaching the closed door at the end and pushes it open a fraction, the room is rather warm compared to the rest of the place – Jet idly wonders if the firebender bends in his sleep. But that warmth is what soothes his muscles, pulling his consciousness back into the comforting embrace of sleep, it allows him to relax as he slips through, quietly closing the door behind him as he picks his way across the room.

The firebender wakes when he sits, "Who – Jet?"

Something old and forgotten within Jet swells at the sleep-addled rasp in the other man's voice.

Zuko twists his upper body to get a better look, "What're you doing?"

"Isn't it obvious?" Jet murmurs, not daring to raise his voice any higher in fear of breaking – something, "I couldn't sleep, and your room's a lot warmer than mine. So move over, I'm sleeping with you."

Jet hears a yawn from the other, "Fine."

Just barely can he see the other's silhouette shift and move closer to the wall, waiting for the firebender to get comfortable, he ducks under the covers and immediately relishes within the warmth the other had created by just being alive, feeling the dark-haired male so close, he rolls onto his side and reaches out, wrapping an arm around Zuko who tenses momentarily, before he relaxes and melts in Jet's hold, allowing the taller to pull him close. The little interaction was so foreign to him – cuddling, it was something he'd never thought he'd do, for the better part of his life, it seemed like all he's known is war and bloodshed, that the thought of anything but was unthinkable, that the thought of the war ending was rather scary as it left him wondering about what the future after held, yet here he was, traveling with a group who were friends with the one thing that could end the war, and not in the favor of the Fire Nation.

The intimacy he'd experienced earlier that day with the young man in his arms made him – feel, it filled his chest with nameless emotions, and head with thoughts of domesticity of all things, and a lifetime promised to one another. It was such a bizarre thing, making him question his life and all that he's done for the sake of war – but Zuko snuggles closer, inadvertently burying Jet's nose in his hair, he finds it odd how easy it is to fall in line with the sleeping firebender, like they were meant to be, the only thing Jet can think of to sum up what he feels is love.

Waking the next day, Zuko feels at peace, the reason for this sudden calm is immediately known the second he opens his eyes and sees Jet fast asleep, content to lie curled with Zuko whose body runs hotter than most, like all firebenders. Gazing at Jet's sleeping face, the Fire Prince feels warmth envelope him and a small smile tilt the corner of his mouth upwards, the desire to feel closer to Jet overwhelms him, but he stays as he is, satisfied with simply enjoying the warmth coming from the other's body, happy to feel him near, breathing, and very much alive.

"'s going on?" Jet rumbles suddenly, voice laden with sleep.

Zuko murmurs, drowsy in the warmth they create together, "Nothing."

Jet hums wordlessly and stretches his body out before throwing an arm over Zuko, pulling him close, and rests his head upon Zuko's, closing his eyes as his fingers absently trace small circles on the firebender's back. Like this, they're content to lie tangled with one another, uncaring of the world beyond the closed door, until someone knocks on said door and a voice comes through:

"Zuko?"

It's Katara.

"Is Jet with you? He isn't in his room."

The aforementioned teenager grumbles a bit and curls closer against Zuko, head resting underneath Zuko's chin.

"Yeah." Zuko calls back.

"Oh - ," Katara seems to falter a moment, "Sorry!"

Zuko doesn't know what conclusion she seems to have come to on her own, but he isn't going to bother explaining that they weren't doing anything, instead, he wraps around Jet, holding him close, while Jet himself is marveling at how cushy everything seems to be in that exact moment. Having peaceful mornings was something that had never happened to him before, as far as he remembered, he thinks he would remember feeling like he did currently. And being held in someone else's arms sure was something, especially when he knew that said person loved him, and what a wild concept that was to him!

But why did it all feel so natural to him?

Shouldn't there be awkwardness on his part?

For a moment, he considers chasing that train of thought, but lets it slip as it would disrupt the rare calm he was feeling, so he allows his mind to drift back to a state of being between sleep and wakefulness, not caring that he was in the arms of someone he was supposed to be enemies with, and that said enemy was currently rubbing his back in soothing motions – until something pings at the back of his mind. It makes his body tense and joints lock, now wide awake and feeling like he'd been doused in cold water. His dreams back in the Fire Nation – he'd dreamt of an unseen being holding him, treating him tender, the feeling he got from that thing matched the feeling he got around Zuko.

The thoughts that came with that sudden epiphany, as well as the questions, were too much for him, his mind was crowded and that familiar ache in his skull returned with a vengeance.

More than half of him wants to rip himself away from Zuko and run from the feeling of fear knocking the wind from him, a type of fear that threatens to choke him with every shaky breath he takes, but he forces himself to stay where he is, even if the firebender's touch burns him, despite seeing no fire in sight, even if Zuko is now worried about the cause of his sudden tension. Instead, he pulls himself from the warm embrace as calm as he can manage, even meets concerned eyes with a steady gaze, and is proud of himself for when he speaks, there is no sign of a tremble.

"As much as I'd like to lie in bed all day, I'm going to get ready for the day."

"Um - ," Zuko hesitates, "Okay?"

Attempting to keep his pace slow and even seems to take every ounce of his concentration, he's definitely not ignoring the burning of Zuko's stare, but once he's out of sight and hurrying away from the room, and the fluttery feeling of another's love, it means nothing – it's ridiculous, he thinks as he's strapping his sleeve in place, for someone to be afraid of something like feelings, they were harmless. A mess is what he is, and a liar.

Closing his eyes, he takes a deep breath until it feels like his lungs are about to burst, holds it in his chest for a few seconds, then releases the air in a huff. Reopening his eyes, he stares himself down in the reflection, the shades of red he'd worn previously are replaced with shades of black.

Wasn't it odd that he couldn't remember most of what he'd done before he'd woken from his coma? Or was that normal?

Shaking his head at his own thoughts and ridiculousness, he pushes away from the wash basin and heads for the exit, only to come face to face with the person he definitely wasn't running from.

Wasn't it weird that there were such uncanny similarities between Zuko, and Princess Azula?

"Jet?"

"Yeah?"

Zuko peers up at him with familiar eyes, "Are you okay?"

So many similarities, yet Princess Azula would never ask about his wellbeing, "Yeah, I'm fine."

The firebender stares at him a moment longer, searching him, absently, Jet starts to wonder how he got that scar, or how he himself got the scars marring his body. No one had explained a thing to him, just told him that he'd finally awoken from a coma, before throwing him back into the fires of war. Finally, Zuko moves on and passes Jet, Jet releasing a breath he hadn't realized he'd been holding, before he too moves on to meet with the others. But the second he steps out onto the platform, he sees that all eyes are on him, a suspicious glint in their eyes that makes the hairs on the back of his neck stand on end, that doesn't mean he can let his uneasiness stop him from getting along with the group, so he trudges on ahead, and as soon as he sits, Sokka speaks:

"How was your night?"

Jet arches a brow, "Fine?"

"Oh?" the way Sokka says this one word has Jet on high alert, "Not too – strenuous?"

"Sokka!" Katara shrieks in horror, she slaps her brother's arm then gives Jet an apologizing look, "I'm so sorry about him, I just – I told them where you were when they asked, and Sokka, you know him, he immediately jumped to a conclusion, one that should be private."

"It's fine." Jet says, even if it feels like it isn't, he levels a look at Sokka, "Why? Interested in my fiancé, Water Tribe?"

"N – no!" Sokka splutters.

"Sokka!" Suki admonishes in fake shock, "When were you going to tell me?!"

The others giggle at Sokka's backpedaling, the blind earthbender tilts her head in Jet's direction.

"Seems like there'll be a competition for your hand, Sparky ~ ."

Jet's gut doesn't drop like a bag of rocks, while his heart attempts flight, when he hears Zuko's voice.

"What?"

Suki is still giggling as she says, "Sokka's decided to challenge Jet for his place as your fiancé ~ ."

"I'm flattered," Zuko begins, he's got the beginnings of a smirk forming on his lips, it makes Jet – proud, "I never knew you felt that way about me, Sokka, but I'm sorry, I can't let you do that, for you see, I only like you as a friend."

The others fall into fits of laughter.

"Besides," Zuko says over the laughter, "Jet would kick your ass, no problem."

Jet grins at this, leaning into Zuko's side, "Damn right I would!"

"Hey!" Suki huffs dramatically, "Are you saying that your boyfriend is better than mine?!"

Zuko rests his head on Jet's shoulder, Jet rests his head atop Zuko's, he can hear the grin in Zuko's voice, "I am."

"I demand a duel, Your Highness!"

"To the death?"

Suki looks thoughtful.

"Suki, no!" Sokka warns.

"Definitely."

Zuko hums, still playful, "Jet?"

Jet hums back, "I'm up for it."

"As much as I'm up for watching a good fight," one of the Earth Kingdom boys says, "But I've got a question."

Aang blinks, wide-eyed and innocent, "About what?"

The mustached Earth Kingdom man looks directly at Jet, "Your real name is Jet, and you're Earth Kingdom – in my village, we often heard tales of Lion-Heart from the Fire Nation soldiers, the tales they told seemed fantastical at times, enough so that some of us believed this Lion-Heart was just a story, I was one of them. But then, I met Katara and learned that you were real, that some of the tales told about you were real."

"Haru - ." a small Earth Kingdom boy starts.

"No." this Haru says, "You know about the stories, you even seen what happened, I heard your friend Pipsqueak talking about he and his friends had to patch Sokka up, apparently Lion-Heart had gotten to him – when I learned that you were a real person, I couldn't help but wonder, what made someone do the things you've done, what are you getting in return that makes it all worth it? What was your reasoning?"

And all Jet can do is stare at Haru, the look in the other's eyes, the restrained anger he sees burning bright – it was all too real to be a joke, or some fabricated lie.

Katara speaks, "Jet, you don't have to answer."

A part of Jet feels like laughing, they're mistaking his silence for something else, but as he goes to respond, he's cut off by Zuko, the firebender sitting straight, no longer touching him.

"It was my fault."

All eyes are now on him.

"Jet was my guard." Zuko sets his bowl down, "When I was banished from my home, I was told that capturing the Avatar would be my redemption, my way home, so I scoured the world without stop, Jet was just doing his job."

Now Jet feels like he's drowning.

Haru makes a perplexed frown, "And now – you two are to be wedded? I thought the Fire Nation didn't - ?"

"They don't." Zuko interrupts, "But we had planned on just – traveling the world, some more."

"Okay." the boy in the wheelchair says, "I've just got to hear about you guys, you know, aside from the rumors. If it's okay with you guys, of course."

Zuko looks to Jet, a silent question in his eyes.

Jet shrugs, "Go ahead."

"Okay, um – we met when we were kids, Jet had been brought to the Fire Nation, I think my Uncle kind of adopted him because he wanted Jet to be a guard, and he didn't want to at first, but when we started to get along, he accepted his role. We grew up together, then I got banished, both he and my Uncle stayed by my side – even when I didn't deserve it. And now – here we are, I guess."

"Wow." the blind girl says, "Amazing summary."

And Jet kind of had to agree, it just opened up so many more questions, instead, he says, "Right. I'm going to take a walk with my lovely, lovely fiancé. Zuko?"

"Sure."

As soon as they're out of sight, he decides that he's going to get some answers to his questions, one way or another, and the best source at the moment was the one currently walking beside him. Someone is lying, and as the day progresses, it seems like it isn't Zuko. These tales the others tell about him, about them, it's all too real, and he's even heard of some of those tales about him from the guards in the Fire Nation palace, he's even heard whispers of a Prince from the servants when they thought no one was around, and then there was that thing Ty-Lee had given him and the emotions the jewelry piece brought on.

If he were to believe these people, then Zuko was the Fire Nation's Prince, and Princess Azula was his sister, Jet was his personal guard by the sounds of it, they were even friends before they decided to move their relationship beyond the realm of friendship, that relationship then developed enough to where they decided they would marry, it sounds like they were planning to elope. Had Zuko decided to give up his title as Prince for him? Who would run the Fire Nation if the current Fire Lord was to be overthrown? Would Princess Azula take that title?

While he had been back and forth on the idea that the Princess had lied to him, he still couldn't quite bring himself to actually believe it, but that Haru guy seemed to dislike him for actions he can't quite remember, that kind of hatred wasn't something born from nothing, especially since he seemed like a well-meaning guy.

"So ~ ," Jet starts, making his tone sound light and flirty, "You think I'd win against Sokka ~ ?"

Zuko doesn't seem to pick up on his tone, just shrugs and says, "Yeah, you've done it before."

Jet feels himself grin, "Is that one of the many things you love about me ~ ?"

This makes Zuko duck his head, shoulders hunching up to his ears, looking shy, "I – I don't know? Yeah? Maybe?"

"Maybe?" hums Jet, "What do you like me ~ ?"

"W – well, Um – you're stubborn."

"That's what you like about me?" Jet deadpans.

Zuko blushes, "So what if it is?!" he lets out a growl, red-faced and continues, "Anyway – you're stubborn, when we argue it gets ridiculous because neither one of us wants to give in first, you care too much and take on too much responsibility that isn't yours to begin with, you made sure I was okay before taking care of yourself, things that were my fault, you took on as your own, you're devoted, loyal, stupidly so, you never left my side even when I deserved it. You're – charming, I'll admit, you know your way around words, you're confident and it shows in the way you move, you're talented, and you're smart. You make me feel so – so soft, so vulnerable that it's scary and makes me want to run, but knowing that it's you makes it easier for me to bear because I trust you, you've seen me at my lowest, you've seen me through my stupidest mistakes, and you were still there, patching me up. You make it so easy to love you, and I know I'm not the only one who finds it easy to love you." Zuko offers up a small smile, "And there was the way you treated me, my life was rough when my mother disappeared, my father and sister could care less about me, Uncle tried, but it wasn't the same. You didn't see any of us as royalty, you treated me like any other person, like a person, but soon I became the person you wanted in your life, for the rest of your life, and – I was, am, someone who doesn't need it, but you treated me so gently that it hurt worse than any physical hit, you treated me like I was something worth more than the world, you looked at me like I was all that mattered. You're strong, able to take a hit, mentally, physically, and emotionally, and keep moving. You're also beautiful, handsome, breathtaking, I look at you and realize just how lucky I am to have someone like you in my life, even if you tease me about being a terrible liar, it – it makes me feel so much more than I'm capable of explaining."

Jet feels lost, small, even as he says, "I – feel the same."

Zuko peers at him from underneath his fringe, "Yeah?"

The taller feels his own face heat up, "I – yeah, it – yeah."

The dark-haired firebender shuffles closer, the two having stopped in the middle of a hallway, Zuko moving slow and giving Jet enough time to move if he so wished, but instead of taking the chance to ditch, he watches, feeling the world fall away – the kiss is gentle, sweet, and heartbreaking, as much as he would like to think it was done without his knowing, he's fully aware of wrapping Zuko up in his arms and holding him close, returning the kiss. When they pull away and Jet gets a chance to see Zuko looking charmed, and the words are out before he can stop himself:

"I love you."

I am ashamed of how long this took, but I was always thinking about it!