I honestly don't know what to say.

I do not own Avatar: The Last Airbender.


Glass Half Empty

IV

Jet was pretty sure that surviving on only three hours of sleep a day wasn't something to be proud of, but he felt he was doing great for someone who stayed up twenty-one hours out of the twenty-four, plus he was someone who always had to be doing something, whether it be scheming or taking a walk, he had to keep himself occupied, more so now than ever as his mind would slip back into those last few days in the forest and try to convince himself that what he had only been doing was what needed to be done . . . right now his favorite pastime was bothering Li at his own place of work, a teashop of all things, and how Jet had laughed the second he found Li dressed in an apron serving tea of all things, especially since the antisocial teen claimed that he absolutely hated the drink and people with a passion.

In the end, Li hadn't been as amused as Jet.

And Jet had the bruise to prove it.

That had been a week ago.

Li sure packed a punch.

"Should you really be wasting your money on tea?" Jet watches Li set down a dinky little cup of said steaming drink on his table, the apron wearing boy adding as an afterthought, "And don't you have anything better to do than bother me?"

Jet takes the cup and grins up at Li, the fact that Li wasn't as hissy as he'd been with him the first few days Jet visited the shop didn't go unnoticed by Jet, "Not a thing." he takes a sip of the scalding drink, the warmth relaxing his body, "And it isn't the tea I'm paying for, I happen to like the service."

Li rolls his eyes like he doesn't believe Jet, "Right."

And it's a shame because Jet rarely legitimately liked anyone.

"I wouldn't mind working here for free if I got to annoy you."

"I'm pretty sure that's illegal."

"Says who?"

"Me."

"The working for free bit, or annoying you?" Li snorts and Jet really does relish in the fact that Li is still sticking around him despite there being other customers, "Come on, Li." Jet simpers, "You can't honestly say that you wouldn't miss me if I stopped paying you these lovely little visits of mine."

Li meets his gaze and says in the most deadened voice Jet's ever heard, "I wouldn't."

Jet knows that's a lie since he'd stopped visiting once and Li had asked in his own special round-about way of what the hell happened to you? Why weren't you here?

But Jet still plays along, "Ouch."

Zuko rolls his eyes at the Earth Kingdom teen's antics and starts handing out the rest of the teas to the rest of the patrons, after handing everything out, he scans the room once more to see if anyone needs him before turning to head into the back of the shop where his uncle is, but not before catching a quick glance of a cheeky grin and wink from Jet . . . in the back, Zuko starts to untie his apron when Pao speaks, the Alpha apparently having been attempting to weasel his uncle's secrets to tea making, Zuko seriously doubted that the so called secret ingredient was love.

"If you weren't a Beta, I would almost think that Alpha boy was trying to court you."

And Zuko frowns, just because people think he's a Beta means that an Alpha wouldn't be interested?

But it also holds another meaning that Zuko can't quite form in that moment, his annoyance at the greedy man's obliviousness chafes at him and muddles his mind with familiar anger, it also whispers to him, teasing his insecurities and the thoughts he's kept locked up to come out and play.

Alphas are meant to be strong, and you would make a terrible Alpha.

I'm sure you'd make an acceptable trophy Omega despite your obvious flaws.

"I'm taking my break."

Jet looks up once more when he sees someone emerge from the back and smirks the instant he spots Li, only for his smirk to fall once he notices that the constant scowl Li sports is different, harsher, meaner. The male watches the pale-skinned adolescent storm out of the shop, leaving murmurs in his wake as soon as he slams the door shut behind him with a deafening bang. Frowning, Jet rises to his feet, forgetting about the tea he'd been nursing and takes off after Li. Outside, he spots Li a good distance away and hurries to catch up with the huffy male.

"You forgot me." Jet says in way of a greeting, "I thought we were friends." Li stutters a moment, but continues his warpath, Jet sighs quietly and then deigns to ask, "What happened?"

"Nothing."

"It isn't just nothingif you're this mad."

Li spits, loud and brazen, "I'm always mad!"

A few people look their way and Jet sees the people shake their heads and hears them mutter Alphas underneath their breath, like it was to be expected of an Alpha to be so angry, but if their noses were any sharper, they would realize that it was Jet's own Alpha scent they smelled rather than Li's, they would realize that Li didn't exactly have a scent of his own.

Jet decides to let the subject drop, no point in pushing Li to talk, "Where do you want to eat?"

Li is now glowering at the ground, "I don't care."

Feeling Jet's eyes on him finally leave, he sees Jet's legs start to walk away and so he follows silently, stewing in his own rage, but as he walks, he starts to feel a small pang of an oncoming headache wash over him, as well as the tiniest stab of guilt beginning to bloom, but mostly the headache . . . people weren't his strong suit nor was he theirs, and that was just fine by him because if it wasn't the hideous scar that put them off, then it was his ill-tempered tongue that chased them off . . . but Jet is still here and still trying, and that upsets him because why is Jet still here and why is he still trying to befriend him? Was there something he wanted?

"Why?" Zuko finally asks, Jet looks over his shoulder but keeps walking, "Why are you still here?"

And Jet just laughs that easy-going laugh of his, turning back around, "Come on, Li." he says, voice full of mirth, "I know you're not much of a people-person, but you can't be that bad at listening too. The Fire Nation destroyed anywhere else I could have gone, and Ba-Sing-Se is a place for change."

"No." he spits, his agitation beginning to mount, "Why are you still bothering me?"

This catches Jet's attention, the other male falters before he spins around to face him, his brows knit in concentration as his dark eyes dart all around his face, looking for something, and it bothers Zuko enough for him to stop with Jet following suit. Lately it seemed like people were looking for something in him that he wasn't sure he could give or even had in the first place. But whatever it is Jet had been looking for must have been found for he offers this pitiful looking smile, that looks more like a grimace, directed solely at him.

That particular smile eats away at his pride and burns his blood.

"Because we all need someone, Li."

"I have my uncle, and that's more than enough for me."

"If only that were true." Jet seems to hint at something deeper, "We need more than one person, Li."

And how Zuko hates that false name because he isn't Li, he isn't some hapless refugee without a thing to his name, he isn't whatever Jet, or anyone else for that matter, sees in him and he doesn't want to be, his name is Zuko, crown prince of the wealthiest nation and with the ability to control fire, he'd destroyed his fair share of towns and probably uprooted a few people, he was . . . well he wasn't an Alpha, but he was no tramp either!

And what was this about needing more than one person?

What? Like a pack? Like Jet's little Freedom Fighters?

How ridiculous!

Derision sits on his tongue, ready to coat whatever word that comes from his mouth, but he can't bring himself to because . . . he doesn't know why and it upsets him, he would have snapped at whatever fool had dare talk to him, but Jet had . . . become something.

"Come on." Jet gently nudges his shoulder with his own, "Lunch is on me."

Zuko is confused and doesn't like the familiarity, but he follows at Jet's side, "It always is."

Jet grins, lopsided and confident, and perhaps the tiniest bit fond, "I like treating my friends."

That word again.

They find a noodle place that looks vaguely familiar, Jet tells him to find them a table, which he does by the windows where the sun filters through, he watches the people pass on the streets just beyond the window, minding their own business and enjoying themselves. It's almost amazing, watching the poor citizens making the most of what they have, getting the tiniest of glimpses into their lives. A clink on the tabletop and a presence at his side brings him back from his people-watching to see Jet grinning down at him, Zuko looks at the bowl that had been placed before him and sees that it suits his tastes oddly enough . . . he watches Jet take his seat across from him with his own bowl.

And he starts to feel something again.

Something foreign.

"Thanks."

"No problem."

Jet watches Li break apart the chopsticks, annoyed when the upper part sticks to the other but ultimately lets it go and starts eating . . . Li is much like a skittish animal, Jet had learned early on. So he had taken the necessary steps to getting this close: the first step was observing Li and learning to differentiate his usual moody behavior from true anger, the second had been introducing himself into Li's day and letting Li get used to having him around, the third had been treating Li to free meals and sweets, the first time he'd tried this, Li had straight up refused, the second time he'd been hesitant, the third time he'd accepted but stared at the food as if he were looking for anything off about it, the fourth time Li had ate tentatively, the fifth time Li had ate without hesitation, the fourth step would be getting Li to see him as a person he could trust, and finally the fifth step was earning Li's trust . . . he may have jumped the gun on several of them and earned a few jabs, physical and verbal.

Li starts licking his lips of the juices; Jet places his own pair of chopsticks down, "Desert?"

"No thanks." Li eyes him a moment before scoffing, "Are you sure you aren't just stealing the money?"

"They pay good." Jet grins, thirty gold pieces a week . . . gold that goes to the rent which is pretty damn expensive, no wonder there were so many refugees still on the streets, the food, and Li. "And I'm pretty good at what I do ~ the other night I had to break up a fight between two Alphas, some muscled guy and some scrawny noble kid from the upper ring."

Li rolls his eyes, doing that a lot when with Jet, "That kid was probably older than you."

Jet only shrugs, "Probably." he takes a moment to slurp down some noodles from his half empty bowl, he smirks mischievously at Li, "But I was the better looking one."

"I'm sure." Li stands, "I've got to get going."

"Want me to walk you back?"

"Do whatever you want."

"Well then," Jet gives Li a wave, "I'll see you tomorrow~!"

Jet does his best to keep on a straight face when he sees the seconds worth shock bright in Li's eyes before they cloud over with his usual expression of annoyance and general moodiness, he hears Li grunt as he goes his own way. Jet turns back to his bowl. While Zuko walks back, he finally realizes what it is that stayed his tongue and that foreign feeling earlier, he internally curses himself for becoming so accustomed to Jet's presence . . . Jet was someone he couldn't trust, not only did Jet hate everything and everyone to do with the Fire Nation which he just so happened to be crown prince of, but he always deflected and redirected, much like Azula when she didn't want to answer a question. There was so much Jet was hiding and it was upsetting in a way that set Zuko on edge.

Emotions were terrible.

"Nephew~!" Iroh greets cheerily the second he steps foot in the teashop, "How was your break~?"

Zuko slides the door shut with an audible thud, "Fine."

Iroh watches the young prince with shoulders set storm into the back of the teahouse, he follows after his nephew, wiping his hands down on his apron only to pause when he smells the faintest scent of someone familiar. It's as Zuko is grabbing his apron and yanking on the strings does he finally place a name to that smell:

"How is Jet?"

"Okay."

"That's good~." Iroh smiles, "He seems to have taken quite a liking to you."

Zuko's entire body turns rigid, he's silent for a moment before he hisses, "He's stupid."

"Oh?" Iroh watches his nephew stomp around the small room, "Why is that, nephew?"

Zuko whirls on his heel to glare at his uncle, lips pulled back, snarling as he says, "He wants something. I know he does, I just . . . I just haven't figured out what it is yet."

Iroh feels his shoulders sink, his nephew was such a suspicious young man, "Maybe he wants to be your friend." he sees Zuko flinch, "Is that so hard to believe?"

"It is."

The old retired general watches his nephew leave the room and sighs, so much has happened to break his nephew's confidence in others and himself . . . shift ending, Zuko rubs the back of his neck as he leaves the building, his uncle having volunteered to lock up so that he could leave early.

"Li~!"

Zuko startles, stepping backwards to avoid the sudden blockade that was an overly pushy refugee, his back slams into the door because the door is right there and stares wide-eyed at Jet, honestly, where did he come from?

Jet laughs, holding his hands up, "Sorry." he says, but Zuko doesn't think he looks too sorry, "Listen, there's this festival going on and I want you to come with me."

Zuko frowns, "Don't you have friends to go with you?"

"Yeah." Jet grins, "You."

"I'm not your friend."

Jet pouts and Zuko knows it's fake, "Come on, Li. Are you saying that you're just using me for my money?"

"Wha - no!" Zuko bristles, how dare he think or say or even allude to such things about him, "You're the one who insists on paying for everything!"

Jet smirks, but lets it go, "Smellerbee and Longshot are going too, but truthfully, I'd feel like the third wheel since they seem to be getting a little cozy now that we've finally settled in." Jet sees Zuko frown, "Come on. There'll be food and drinks~."

Zuko crosses his arms over his chest, "That's your idea of getting me to tag along."

"Hey, if I was told that there was going to be free food and drinks, I'd go."

"Now they're free?"

"It's on me."

Zuko glares at Jet before sighing because he knows Jet isn't going to let this, or him, go, "Let me ask my uncle." he thinks he hears Jet snort but chooses to ignore the other as he turns and opens the door, not particularly okay with how close Jet was standing to his back, as he takes a step into the teashop, he shuts the door on Jet, he hears the other's muffled laughter on the other side, his uncle looks up with surprise, "Jet wants me to go to some kind of festival with him."

And doesn't his uncle look a little too happy about that, "If you're looking for my permission, then you have it~." he says happily, "Go, go and have fun with Jet, and be back before curfew~."

Honestly, Zuko didn't know what he was expecting from his uncle, of course the man would let him go if it meant that he was going to be hanging out with people his own age, so in the end of it all, asking his uncle had been pointless . . . Jet watches the door slide open once more and Li steps out looking like a raincloud, Jet puts up a valiant effort of not laughing at his dour companion, instead, he nudges Li's arm and tilts his head in the direction they're going in.

"Come on, it's this way."

Jet looks over his shoulder in time to see Li look around before following after him . . . it's nice that Li is learning to trust him, although trust may be too kind a word, Li tolerated him at the very least.

The streets started getting louder and louder the closer they got, more paper lanterns were strung up, the smell of food and people getting stronger. People became more of an occurrence. The second they made it to the festival, they stopped for a group of children than ran in front of them, giggling without a care in the world, there were groups of people, laughing, talking. There were food vendors, game booths, and various other entertainment. It was a mess of scents that flattered one another or just didn't fit well.

"It smells."

Jet huffs, "Not as bad as the brothel."

"Speaking of which." Li starts, "Shouldn't you be there soon?"

"Nope." Jet starts walking with Li following him, "I've got two days off."

"Still." Li spits, he's starting to bristle for some reason, "Alphas smell sour and Omegas smell sickening."

That was an interesting way to put it, "Are you saying that you prefer the smell of Betas?"

"I hate betas."

Li is jostled, bumped into hard enough that he stumbles clumsily into him; Jet manages to hold Li up long enough for him to get his feet back underneath him. Li is . . . warm. The Freedom Fighter doesn't realize he's clinging on to Li's arms until a hand rips Li away from him, spinning the other around to face whoever it was. An Alpha. He's snarling at Li, face twisted in rage and demanding an apology, but everything sounds muffled, like he were under water . . . Li snarls, not backing down. In fact, he goes as far as to shove the man away, the man stumbling ungracefully, crashing into several people before falling flat on his ass.

Several gasps and rounds of laughter bring him back, Li is fully on edge and that won't do.

"Come on." Jet starts, "Let's find Smellerbee and Longshot. They should be around here somewhere." he reaches out, grabbing a hold of Li's sleeve and tugs him along, keeps him close, "You're either pretty strong for an O . . . y'know, or that guy was extremely drunk."

"I didn't push him that hard." Li ends up saying, "He was drunk."

They look around for Jet's friends but end up buying some food and finding a nice building perch to sit on and watch out for them . . . Jet is debating on whether the odd flavored spice sprinkled atop his food is ruining the food or not when Li speaks up.

"Is strength . . . okay for an O . . . for an Omega?"

Jet looks over at his companion and notices that he hadn't taken a bite out of the spiced meat, he soon realizes that something is bothering Li and sets his own food down, "Are you asking me what I think, or what other people think?"

Li lets out an aggravated sigh, "It's just," he starts like he hadn't heard Jet, "I was taught that Alphas were meant to be strong and Omegas were weak . . . no one takes them seriously, so would it be so bad if an Omega wanted to be on the same playing field as an Alpha?"

The Earth Kingdom boy feels like he missed something and would rather not speak without having all the information, especially when it comes to Li, but Li is looking to him for his answer, "I appreciate strength." he says as an icebreaker, "But you're talking from experience, aren't you."

Li looks away, "What if I am?"

"Can I ask what brought this on?"

"Just . . . that Alpha from earlier."

Jet watches then says, "Would it be so bad to be an Omega?"

"Of course it would be!" Li snaps, turning to look at him in indignant anger, "Did you not hear what I said!?"

"Of course I did." Jet says, "But I also heard what you didn't say, so let me rephrase my question, would it be so bad to let yourself be an Omega?"

"Yes."

"What if I helped?"

Li immediately tenses, "What?"

"I . . . know what it's like to hate yourself." he grimaces at his own confession, but Li's expression softens in thought, there's still a frown but it's softer, "Sometimes you just need someone there."

Li's hackles rise once more, "I don't understand."

"Here." Jet opens his arms, Li only stares at him, "I'm going to hold you, is that okay?"

Li continues staring at him like he's crazy, and maybe he is because nudging Li like this isn't the way to go about taking care of deep rooted insecurities, but he's only human and selfish, not like wide-eyed Aang and all his monk teachings. Eventually Li scoots closer, like a skittish animal skirting around a trap, and just stops all together so Jet takes the helm and maneuvers himself behind Li, the latter tensing immensely, and wraps his arms gingerly around the other teen . . . it's no joke how tense Li is.

"Relax." Jet murmurs, Li only tenses even more, Jet's surprised he hasn't hurt himself or gotten a cramp from how tight his muscles must be, "I'm not going to hurt you."

Slowly, inch by inch, Li starts to let himself relax and it's amazing how tense he really is because Jet can literally feel each muscle start to give, his shoulders seem to be the only part of him that won't relax, but the Freedom Fighter will let him have that and starts to hum a tune . . . Zuko listens to the mindless humming coming from Jet, he can feel the vibrations from his chest, and against his better judgment, he allows himself to relax fully against the other teen. It feels weird, but at the same time it's galvanizing. And Zuko doesn't know what this has to do with him being an Omega, but Jet must know what he's doing.


The ending was hard for me to write for some reason.