ANOTHER UPDATE!

The feeling of being pulled close against another body rouses the Fire Prince from his peace filled sleep, his reaction to the sudden movement is sluggish, accepting, knowing full well who it is that holds him tight, holds him safely. Refusing to open his eyes in an attempt to keep the day from beginning, he's content to lay in his fiancé's arms, while a questioning hum leaves his throat, one which prods his companion to speak:

"Sorry."

Silently accepting the groggy apology for waking him, not that Zuko felt that Jet needed to apologize to him for such a thing, Zuko snuggles closer against Jet's torso, acting very much like a cat curling up in someone's lap, more than willing to spend the day productively keeping Jet right where he is and forgetting that the world exists, that his cursed father was going to burn said world to ash, or that he had a bright-eyed and bushy-tailed Avatar to teach. It was just him, and Jet, no kids to bother them – unlike his stomach, which starts growling at that exact moment, demanding food that Zuko was sure it didn't need as he ate plenty last night, despite Jet's encounter with the supposed Spirit.

Jet snickers sleepily, "Guess that's our cue to get up."

A yawn follows immediately after.

"I guess." Zuko mutters, disappointed that their calm was disrupted.

Eventually, the two men manage to pull themselves out of the tangle they're in and start their morning routines, a bit earlier than the others, as being a firebender meant waking up with the sun and therefore waking up before everyone else, and being a firebender's significant other meant waking up with them before everyone else. Not that Jet was complaining, he treasured the moments he spent with Zuko during the early mornings where the world was serene, the morning sunlight warm and comforting, and it was just the two of them.

Fully awake and ready for the day, Zuko is attempting to help Jet smooth his hair down, to corral it into the tie that Katara had given him, when Katara herself emerges from her own tent and moves towards the pot of clean water, their drinking water, it's there the waterbender pauses momentarily, watching them before she smiles and takes a sip of water.

Once finished, she asks, "Have anything in mind for breakfast?"

They manage to get Jet's thick hair into a fluffy, little pony-tail, the firebender rests against his future husband's back, face smooshed against whipcord muscle, while Jet answers the camp's waterbender.

"Fish and rice should be good enough."

Katara nods and leaves to start her own morning routine – Zuko snakes his arms around Jet's midsection, holding him tight and leans back, pulling Jet down with him so that he's lying atop of him. They lay like this, staring at the morning skies, talking quietly amongst each other, unbothered even as the rest of the team starts moving around.

When breakfast is ready and served, the group sits around the small campfire in a circle, Jet and Zuko sitting close together, shoulder-to-shoulder, when Sokka brings up the need for a location closer to the Fire Nation's capital.

"I know of a place." Zuko says, even if he hadn't heard the uneasiness in his fiance's voice, Jet can feel the tension in his body, "It's close, private, and no one ever goes there."

"Perfect!" Sokka is smiling, "After breakfast, we'll pack up camp and move!"

There are voices of dissent at having to leave so soon after they had eaten, but Sokka is resolute in the plans he is already forming within his head to acknowledge their complaints, meanwhile, Jet gives Zuko a little nudge to let him know that he's there for him, the Fire Prince takes to resting his head on Jet's shoulder in response – it's only when they're in the air, surrounded by a waterbender-made cloud, and nearing the shores does Jet realize that he recognizes the place, not from being there personally, but from having learned of it from the maps during his time under Kuo's tutelage: Ember Island.

oOo

When they land near their destination and walk towards the building, Jet notices the somber expression Zuko wears as he directs them to the guest rooms where they're to stay until further notice, it makes his chest ache knowing what this place means to the Prince, so he follows silent through the dusty halls as the smaller of the two takes in his surroundings, drowning in memories of the past. Once they reach his old room, Zuko's shoulders droop, seeming to cave in on himself, from where Jet stands, he can see the look on the firebender's face.

Repentant.

"I left him." the fire-wielder murmurs, expression clouded with his head tipped forward, "I betrayed him – then left him to rot in a cell. I didn't – I couldn't make up my mind, I was indecisive, and look what that got him."

"Hey," Jet murmurs, moving forward and wrapping his arms around Zuko, slotting himself against the other and resting his chin on his shoulder, "Don't beat yourself up over that, if anything, I probably had a hand in that too. Besides, Iroh's a tough oldster; he didn't earn the name Dragon of the West for nothing. I'm sure he'd be proud to see you here, fighting alongside the Avatar."

Zuko sighs but doesn't say a thing, and lets his head fall back onto Jet's shoulder.

Once enough time has passed, Jet speaks, "Let's see what the others are doing."

The Fire Prince nods and follows Jet out of the room – that is how he finds himself sitting on the steps with both Katara and Toph, watching Zuko go through several sets with Aang acting as a mirror. Now that he thought of it, he never once flinched when Zuko would practice his sets. As they come to the end of their session, both student and teacher give a quick bow before Zuko heads towards Jet, stretching as he does, while Jet stands with a fresh towel in his hand, when they're close enough, both lean in for a quick peck, one that they smile in to, when Katara speaks:

"Doesn't it seem kind of odd that we're hiding from the Fire Lord in his own house?"

Zuko rubs at his neck with the towel, "I told you, my father hasn't come here since our family was actually happy, and that was a long time ago." he slings the towel around his neck, "This is the last place anyone would think to look for us."

"You guys are not going to believe this ~ !" Sokka says, he and Suki returning from their trip to the town, "There's a play about us ~ ."

"We were just in town," Suki starts, seemingly just as excited as her boyfriend, "And we found this poster ~ ."

Sokka reveals said poster with a flourish.

Katara gets up from her spot, both her and Aang moving in for a closer look.

The waterbender is perplexed, "What? How is that possible?"

Even Jet has to get up to get a closer look at this poster, Zuko following closely after him.

"Listen to this: The Boy in the Iceberg is a new production from acclaimed playwright Puan Tin who scoured the globe, gathering information on the Avatar, from the icy South Pole to the heart of Ba-Sing-Se, his sources include singing nomads, pirates, prisoners of war, and a surprisingly knowledgeable merchant of cabbage."

Suki picks up where Sokka left off, "Brought to you by the critically acclaimed Ember Island Players."

"Ugh." Zuko groans upon hearing the group's name, Jet snorts at the Prince's side, having heard a young Zuko complain vehemently about the Ember Island Players and how lucky Jet was to not see such a wreck, "My mother used to take us to see them, they butchered Love Amongst the Dragons every year."

"Sokka, do you really think it's a good idea for us to attend a play about ourselves?"

"Come on, a day at the theater?!" Sokka shoves the poster forward, as if that would convince his sister, "This is the kind of wacky, time-wasting, nonsense I've been missing!"

Jet holds a hand out for the colorful poster, which Sokka deposits in his hand, with it in his grasp, Jet takes a closer look at the print, "Does it say what time this thing starts?"

Sokka falters, "Umm - ,"

"There." Zuko points at a spot on the poster. "Evening, at seven, tonight."

While his fiancé scans the rest of the column, Jet finally takes in the artwork, at first it hadn't interested him all that much as he was more keen on knowing the time of the thing, but when he does, he can't stop himself from elbowing the firebender in the ribs, earning a confused grunt, Jet points at the poster background.

"Your scar's on the wrong side."

This earns a scowl from the Fire Prince, "I can already tell this is going to be horrible."

"Come on, it could be fun ~ ."

"Let's vote!" Sokka declares, snatching the poster back from the two boys, "All in favor for attending the play, raise your hands!"

Several hands go up, Jet's included, which earns him a huffy pout from Zuko, all Jet can do is grin apologetically at the Prince. As it is, the majority of the group was all for seeing the play – except two.

"Okay," Sokka starts to roll up the poster, "All in favor of not seeing the play, raise your hands."

Only Katara and Zuko.

"That settles it ~ !" Sokka is beaming, "We've got a play to see ~ !"

Zuko groans, crossing his arms over his bare chest, "This is ridiculous."

Sokka is still all smiles, "Exactly ~ !"

Jet wraps an arm around Zuko's shoulders and pull him close, tucking him under his arm and nosing at his hair, "Come on, Fire-Bird, cheer up ~ besides, this will be my first time seeing a play."

Zuko's shoulders droop, relaxing in Jet's hold, he turns his head so his own nose brushes against Jet, "Fine."

Jet smiles, with Zuko mirroring the love-struck expression, lost in their own little world.

"Seriously?" Sokka puffs, arms crossed over his chest, poster still in hand, "I can practically see the pink, flying hearts surrounding you two, why don't you guys just get married already?"

Zuko rolls his eyes, both men standing straight but not pulling away from the other.

Jet smirks, "That means you guys would have to deal with the honeymoon."

"Gross." Sokka glares, "Never mind then."

"I mean," Aang trails off, "I could officiate the marriage now."

Zuko opens his mouth, but Sokka stomps between everyone, hands waving in the air, "No, no, no, no! No weddings or marriages until after the war when everything is settled and I don't have to be near anyone when they decide to honeymoon!"

Everyone rolls their eyes.

"Let's go, Fire-Bird." Jet gives Zuko a quick squeeze, "Show me around ~ ."

oOo

"Here." Sokka says, holding folded clothes with a straw hat sitting atop, "Your disguise."

Jet stares at the red cloth disdainfully, arms crossed over his chest, "I'm not wearing that."

"You're going to have to," Sokka huffs, lowering the clothing, "How many people wear black here anyway?"

This gets Jet to falter, Zuko steps up beside him and places a hand on his shoulder, "I know how you feel, but it's just for tonight. I promise you won't even know you're wearing the colors."

Eventually Jet sighs, uncrossing his arms, "Alright."

Once dressed, he fights the urge to look down at himself – it isn't as bad as it used to be, or so he likes to think, but it was still a problem if he thought about it for too long, instead he toys with the brim of the straw hat and exits his and Zuko's shared room, he finds the Prince standing right outside the door, the taller almost running into his fiancé, the firebender's sudden appearance is enough to startle Jet back a step or two.

"What are you - ?"

Jet falters when Zuko grabs the straw hat and sets it atop his head, fixing it so it covered his eyes.

"There." the Fire Prince whispers, "No one will recognize you."

Jet smiles weakly, when he notices that someone, most likely Katara, had fixed Zuko's hair so that it was covering the majority of his burn, he didn't know how long that would last as several pieces of his hair was already returning to its previous state, and his clothes covered with a thin, red, hooded cloak.

"Interesting choice."

"Not mine, I assure you."

This gets Jet's smile to come out full force.

They arrive at the theater none the worse for wear, despite the fact that there had been a stumble or two here and there as someone would talk to one of them, claiming they were a weird bunch, only for Sokka to herd them along, claiming that there was a play they had to get to and they couldn't be late. That often dropped the conversation altogether and they were shepherded away safely. Now they find the most inconspicuous spot in the building, each finding their seat, Zuko taking a seat next to Katara, unaware that he had stolen the Avatar's intended spot:

"Hey, uh, I wanted to sit there."

Zuko finally removes his hood, feeling safe in the dark of their box, "And?"

"Nope." Jet says sliding into the seat beside Zuko and forcing Aang to stand back up before his rear can even touch the bench, "Sorry, Kid." Jet then wraps an arm around the Prince, "Why don't you sit next to Sokka?"

"I uh - ," Aang looks between the two, then sighs, head lowered as he moves to sit behind them.

Jet pulls Zuko closer, the firebender positioning himself so he can rest comfortably against Jet, his head placed on his shoulder, meanwhile, Aang watches the couple in front of him get comfortable, sees Jet press his lips to the firebender's temple – at least he didn't have to worry about either one being a potential rival for Katara's affection, never mind the fact that Jet had been a threat once before. And Zuko, Aang doesn't think the waterbender and firebender got along enough to even consider such a thing about them.

"Why are we sitting in the nosebleed section?" Toph questions loudly, "My feet can't see a thing from up here."

"Don't worry." Katara assures, "I'll tell your feet what's happening."

Just then, the play begins, the lights dim, the people shush, and the red curtains rise to reveal an icy scenery and two familiarly dressed characters in a canoe, Sokka is immediately excited about seeing his play-self and grabs onto his sister, gesturing between them and the actors on the stage. At his side, Jet can feel Zuko huff.

"Sokka, my only brother, we constantly roam these icy South Pole seas, and yet, do we never find anything fulfilling."

"All I want is a full feeling in my stomach, I'm starving!"

Laughter rings out through the theater, effectively snuffing out Jet's choked laughter, but not enough for the Fire Prince to sit up and look at him with an alarmed look, the Earth Kingdom male sees the look thrown at him by the Water Tribe siblings.

Coughing into his fist, he whispers, "Sorry."

That's enough to get the siblings and Zuko to resettle, but Jet can see the smirk on Toph's face.

"Is food the only thing on your mind?" on-stage Katara asks dramatically.

"Well, I'm trying to get it out of my mind, and into my mouth." Sokka says, "I'm starving!"

This time, Jet is able to keep silent, but there is a small smile that refused to leave his face, the smile increasing when Sokka complains rather vehemently about the jokes, Toph then laughs aloud, catching the Water Tribe siblings' attention, as well as the others:

"I think he's got you pegged ~ !"

The play continues with Katara giving a speech about hope, then bawling forcedly, both Sokka and Suki giggle at this while Katara huffs, entirely bemused:

"Why that's just silly, I don't sound like that."

Toph just laughs, "Oh man, this writer's a genius ~ !"

Jet grins from where he's sitting, "Right ~ !"

The blind earthbender leans over Katara, fist held towards Jet, Jet bumps his fist against hers and both sit back in their seats, and neither Katara nor Zuko are amused by their sudden show of friendship. And when Aang's character is revealed, no one can really blame either him or Toph from laughing, even Zuko chuckles.

It's Aang's incredulous, "What, is that a woman playing me?!"

That sends Jet into a full-blown guffaw, shoulders shaking and unaware of Zuko's smile directed towards him.

"My heart is so full of hope, that it's making me tear-bend!"

A loud snort escapes Zuko, earning a glare from Katara, the firebender then proceeds to hide his smile by turning towards Jet, attempting to bury his face in his shirt. The Sokka on-stage joins in on the crying.

"Is that a platter of meaty dumplings?"

"Where? Where?" on-stage Sokka asks, making a show of looking around.

Aang just laughs, "Did I mention that I'm an incurable prankster ~ ?"

The real Aang starts his own rant, "I don't do that! That's not what I'm like! And I'm not a woman!"

Toph laughs, still finding humor in this, "Oh they nailed you, Twinkle-Toes ~ !"

When he and Zuko finally show up, he bursts out in laughter at their caricatures:

"My hair!" he sputters through bouts of laughter, "What is up with my hair?!"

Zuko sounds puzzled, "And the flower?"

Not only was the Jet on-stage wearing clothes similar to the ones he used to wear, his hair was sticking up like a very prickly bush, not to mention the flower that was hanging out of his mouth.

"Prince Zuko," on-stage Iroh starts, he then lifts up a cake that he seemingly got from nowhere, "You must try this cake!"

"I don't have time to stuff my face!" Zuko snaps, "I must capture the Avatar to regain my honor!"

"Lion-Heart?"

On-stage Jet scoffs, turning away from Iroh.

"Well, more for me ~ !"

Iroh promptly shoves his face into the cake and makes grotesque eating noises.

Jet scoffs once more.

Zuko turns to look at Iroh, then back to his looking glass, "You sicken me!"

Finally, the Fire Prince complains, "They make me look totally stiff and humorless."

"Actually," Katara starts jokingly, "I think that actor's pretty spot-on."

Zuko sits up straight, nearly knocking into Jet's chin, the firebender frowns at Katara, sounding scandalized as he asks, "How could you say that?!"

"Let's forget about the Avatar," Iroh suggest, "And get massages ~ ."

Zuko turns on Iroh immediately, "How could you say that?!"

Zuko makes a little groaning noise as he slumps back down, Jet pulls him back to his side, pressing his lips to his temple, "It's okay, Fire-Bird, I know you can be funny."

This makes Zuko smile up at him, Jet smiles back and presses a kiss to his forehead, Sokka just scoffs somewhere behind them, despite the fact that he's got about the same sense of humor as the firebender in question – Jet is dressed in an outfit that is somewhat similar to the one he wore when he first joined the Gaang under the guise of being someone else, both he and Katara are holding hands, facing one another in some broken village, foreheads pressed together:

"You're so beautiful, it makes me feel like I can stop hurting people ~ ."

What on earth was that voice he was using?

Was that supposed to be seductive?

"Oh Chan ~ what a beautiful thing to say."

Both he and Katara look at one another, mouthing the name, "Chan?"

Jet grabs Katara's chin, "Not as beautiful as you, Baby ~ ."

Katara makes an uncomfortable swooning noise, "I think I'm in love ~ ."

"Me too, Baby, me too."

Jet frowns, fully aware of Zuko's presence, "That isn't how it went."

"Really?" Sokka challenges, "I seem to remember you hitting on Katara quite a bit."

Jet tenses, throwing an arm in the direction of the stage, "Not like that! And it wasn't because I was in love with her or anything like that!"

"Wow," Katara says, from the other side of Zuko, "Way to make a girl feel special."

Jet blusters, but in the end, he sticks his tongue out at the others.

While most of it had been rather humorous, interesting to see from the writer's perspective, the one thing that truly bothered him was the part where Jet returns to Zuko's side, the on-stage version of himself sheds his love-struck façade and turns back to the blood-lusty expression, making it seem as if he had split-personalities, making it look like it was a simple flip of a switch – Jet feels Zuko give his hand a squeeze.

Eventually, thankfully, the intermission arrives.

"Listen," Jet starts, sitting on the steps, head lolled back, eyes shut, and mouth twisted into a frown, "It's been pretty hilarious so far, and I'm all for how they chose to characterize me, but split-personalities? Really? Do I seem like I have split-personalities?"

"It seems like they don't know us at all, these supposed sources are a joke." Zuko joins in moodily, "So far, this intermission is the best part of the play."

Sokka starts in as well, "And apparently the playwright thinks I'm an idiot who tells bad jokes about food all the time."

At his side, his girlfriend smirks, "Yeah, you tell bad jokes about plenty of other things."

"I know!"

Aang voices his own distaste, "At least your characters kind of look like you, the woman playing the Avatar doesn't resemble me at all!"

Toph snickers, "I don't know, you are more in touch with your feminine side than most guys."

Aang grits his teeth, glaring at the earthbender with a low growl in his throat.

Finally, Katara speaks, "Relax Aang, they're not accurate portrayals, it's not like I'm a preachy crybaby who can't resist giving overemotional speeches about hope all the time."

Jet opens his eyes to stare at the waterbender, along with everyone else in their group.

Katara shrinks a little, "What?"

"Yeah," Aang mutters, "That's not like you at all."

"Listen friends," Toph begins, "It's obvious that the playwright did his research, I know it must hurt, but what you're seeing up there on that stage is the truth."

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