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firelord-boomerang · 3 years

Note

jetko but jet knew who zuko rlly was when he first approached him on the ferry. like the story of prince zuko is kind of a widespread propaganda piece, bonus if he finds out about the blue spirit too

A/N: So, I got half your prompt right. I forgot about the whole propaganda thing and did something else... sincerely, my bad. But I did include Jet & Suki & the Kyoshi Warriors bonding so I hope it helps.

read on ao3

The end.

Jet was broken. An orphan who watched his village burn down to the ground. He was a boy who built a family of his own only to lose that too.

There was a time when their hideout up in the trees was filled with laughter and lights. They didn’t have much, but they had each other. Now, they have splintered off and gone their own way.

Smellerbee and Longshot were the last of them to leave. In the almost abandoned hideout, they asked Jet to come with them. They could travel to some other village together and start fresh. They could leave all of it behind and never look back. Jet turned them down.

He looked at the empty bunks and unlit lanterns. He thought if he listened hard enough, he could hear laughter. There might still be a home here. He believed that. Smellerbee and Longshot looked at him then with sad pitying eyes. He watched them walk away and he wondered if he would ever see them again.

It was a month after everyone has gone when Jet saw the tree houses for what they were—relics of a time long passed.

Jet packed his meager belongings, strapped them on his back, and left too.

The middle.

Loneliness suited Jet fine—that was what he told himself anyway. He didn’t have a destination in mind when he started traveling. Every step a bit farther away from everything he has ever known. At every village he went to he worked. Sometimes he got paid in kind and sometimes actual money. He was still surviving even if he was all alone.

He was a stranger wherever he went. No one knew his name, no one cared to. He didn’t make friends; he could have if he really wanted to, but he didn’t want more people to lose, to disappoint, to leave him behind.

Sometimes, in between villages, Jet would be in the middle of endless open space. Nothing but him, the ground on his feet, and the hot sun burning his skin. He wanted to run as fast as he can because maybe then he could outrun his demons.

At a coastal city, Jet thought he finally found something that would let him escape. So, the screams and cheers were nothing but a distant memory instead of a recurring nightmare. He stowed away in the largest ship at the port and prayed he didn’t get caught. It took the crew three days to find him. He would’ve made it the whole week if he hadn’t gotten too hungry to stay hidden.

For the first time in a long time, Jet —to his immense surprise — was met with kindness. The motley crew of four fed him and gave him a small room of his own. They said he reminded him of their sons back home. They told him they were a merchant crew. They told him they weren’t soldiers but they worked for the army. Jet didn’t ask which one. He could tell by the way they moved, the way they talked. If he didn’t ask, then he could lie to himself some more. He could pretend these people were just as lost as he was. Ignorance was bliss and Jet wanted to bask in it.

“Where are you guys headed?” Jet asked one night. They were sitting in front of a fire eating supper. He was in his usual spot quietly watching them at the side.

“After we drop you off at Chin Village we’re heading back home,” Huan, the cook, said.

“Ah.” Jet couldn’t stop himself any longer. They were only a few hours away from the village and if they decided to throw him overboard, he was pretty sure he could swim that far.

“The Fire Nation,” he said.

An uneasy silence fell around them. The crew looked back and forth at each other, and then uncertainly at Jet. He broke their unspoken agreement.

“Yes. We know it’s not—we’ve never fought in the war,” Huan finished lamely. “We left our station when they asked us to. We really do just want to go home to our families.”

“Okay.” Jet continued to stare down at his food as he said, “Your home is a piece of shit.”

“We know. We’ve come to the realization that maybe it’s not as great as we were led to believe.”

“Have you. And how did you figure that out?”

Huan paused. Jet finally met the crew’s gazes. They seemed on edge, unsure if they should share this information with him.

“You know it’s very difficult for us to talk poorly about our—”

“The Fire Nation,” Jet finishes for him. “Because you’re Fire Nation. All of you are.” It came out as an accusation lined with venom.

“We were taught that our country was the best and conquering the world was our right. But what we were taught and what is right are very different things.”

“So, what finally made you see the light,” Jet’s tone was dripping with derision. They housed him and fed him and kept him warm and they have not done him any harm—but he couldn’t let his hatred go still. These people…

“We learned the truth about to the prince.”

“What? The prince?”

“Yes, he was banished you know.”

“What does that have to do with anything?”

“His name was Prince Zuko,” Huan said. He told the story of the banished prince. A boy who dared speak up against the cruelty against his own people. A boy who knelt before his father and begged for forgiveness but was burnt anyway. A boy banished from his home, hurt and scarred, tasked an impossible mission so he could return home.

“Cruel and unusual punishment,” Jet muttered under his breath.

“I know you must think worse of us but—”

“It’s not your fault you were born in a genocidal fascist monarchy. Yeah, I’m starting to get that.”

They let that settle in the air. The wind ruffles his hair as they sail away.

Jet broke the silence. “What happened to the prince?”

“Last we heard him and his uncle went into hiding.”

“Banished from and now a fugitive of the Fire Nation.” Jet chuckled darkly. “Sucks to be him.”

They reached the port just as dawn broke. The crew gave him clothes, food, and a bit of money that could last him a while if he doesn’t spend too much or get mugged. They bid him farewell and he said his goodbyes. He walked away without a backward glance.

The people in Chin Village were not exactly the nicest people. Not that he was surprised. The Earth Kingdom wasn’t known for valuing strangers from unknown land. He spent a few days in the village just wiling away his time. He went to the markets and caught up with the latest news. Apparently, the Avatar and his friends are still out there doing whatever. Every mention of the Aang, Katara, and Sokka just made him relive the choices that led him to where he was now.

There were rumors about the capital too. In hushed tones, people spoke about civilians being disappeared and brainwashed. They would then laugh nervously and claim it was only just a silly, farfetched rumor. They didn’t want to believe that something like that could happen to a place like Ba Sing Se.

In darker corners of the market, Jet heard the story of the banished prince of the Fire Nation again. The story kept changing depending on the source. Sometimes it was about a boy who spoke out of turn and simply got banished for it. Sometimes it was about a boy who tried to stand for what was right and got burned by his own father in front of the whole palace. Whatever version the moral of the story was clear: The Fire Lord’s cruelty knew no limits.

Either the crew members Jet met weren’t as tight lipped as he thought or the story of Prince Zuko wasn’t constrained to just the Fire Nation. Either way, the tale accomplished its goal. More fear for the Fire Nation.

***

Jet stayed aloft in Chin Village for a week before he decided to get a job again. He couldn’t be alone with his thoughts any more than he already had. Also, if he didn’t get a job soon, he’d just be a starving homeless kid again and people like that don’t survive in the Earth Kingdom.

It took him a day to sweet talk someone into giving him a job. They wanted him to deliver something to Kyoshi Island because they couldn’t go there themselves—not that they weren’t able to but it was about principle or so they said

The trip from Chin Village to Kyoshi Island was short. In only half a day, they reached the port.

A group of girls with golden headgear and full make up greeted him at the docking bay. The girls had matching outfits down to the shoes, the only thing differentiating them from each other were their hair. He didn’t know what he was expecting but it certainly wasn’t that. The girl in the middle with the short brown hair walked up to him to check on the packages.

“Are the lumber and building supplies there?�� she asked.

“If that’s whatever’s in these crates, then yeah.” He picked up the nearest one off the ground and handed it to her.

She took it gracefully into her arms, easy as she pleased. “Thanks.”

Half of the girls went on board and started to pick the rest of the crates out of the ship. Jet didn’t want to watch uselessly at the side, so he helped too. The rest of the crew stayed on the boat still refusing to come down. Him and the brown-haired girl ended up carrying a large log; her at the front and him holding up the end. It was hard a little complicated since he was a good foot taller than her but they made do.

“Can I ask what you’re doing with all that?” He asked as way of conversation. The thing about Jet was he couldn’t really handle silences when he was with people. He wasn’t used to it.

“We need to patch up some houses,” the brown-haired girl explained. “We had a scuffle a while back with some Fire Nation soldiers trying to capture the Avatar.”

“I think he was the prince,” a girl with black hair said walking up beside him.

“Who was?”

“The person who attacked our village. That’s what that old man he was with called him.”

Jet hummed in acknowledgement. So, the Fire Nation prince really did find the Avatar and he almost caught him too. And now Jet was helping the people he attacked. Small world.

“But he didn’t capture the Avatar,” Jet stating the obvious.

“No,” the brown-haired girl said and threw him a proud smile. “We stopped them.”

“Oh?”

“Of course, we did,” she said confidence radiating off her being. “We’re Kyoshi Warriors.”

“Is that the reason for the reason for the—" Jet gestured vaguely to their clothes “—outfits and make up?”

“Yes. It’s our armor,” she answered. “If you have doubts, we can show you a few moves if you’d like.”

“Do I get to wear the outfit too?”

“Only if you want to.”

Jet chuckled and shook his head. “Nah, I’m pretty sure you could kick my ass without even trying.”

The girls laughed and Jet smiled too. It felt like it has been way too long since he actually let himself feel comfortable around people, but these Kyoshi Warrior chicks were alright.

When they arrived at the village, some of the adult were already taking the materials and heading off to their little projects. The brown-haired girl, the leader of the whole warrior girls Jet guessed, thanked him for his help.

They convinced him to stay for dinner at least and he couldn’t exactly say no since the ship he rode in on already left without him. Typical. He’d figure out a way to get out of the island some other way he supposed.

Later he would find out that the girl he has been talking to is named Suki. Her and the rest of the Kyoshi Warriors took him to a house where they ate and talked some more about what else the town needed.

“You guys really want to get everything fixed quickly, huh.” Jet has been watching the group of girls talk and laugh without really contributing much. An old woman, Jet thought was someone’s mom, kept putting heaps of food on his plate so that also kept him busy.

“After we’ve patched up our village, we’re going to look for a way to help more people,” Suki said. “Maybe head to Ba Sing Se.”

“Good for you, I guess.”

“You don’t sound too enthused.”

“I have it on good authority that creepy stuff has been happening in Ba Sing Se.”

“Is that good authority the rumor mills running in the marketplace?”

“Maybe.”

“Those are just rumors,” one of the girls dismissed. One of these days Jet was going to remember all their names but it won’t be today.

Jet shrugged. “Gotta be based in something right?”

“Where are you going?” Another girl asked.

“Don’t know yet.”

The girls exchanged looks that Jet missed because the old woman has once again refilled his plate with rice. He wasn’t going to complain because he has been just on the hair below starving since parting ways with those Fire Nation crewmen.

“Why don’t you come with us?”

Jet looked at them all like they were talking crazy. Just after a day of helping around their little village and they were willing to let him tag along? He was a virtual stranger.

“You’re going to let me join you guys… just like that?” The awe in his voice was tempered with heavy skepticism.

“Why shouldn’t we?”

“You don’t know me.”

“We don’t need to.” Suki grinned, her lined eyes and painted lips making her look intense. It kind of scared Jet but in a good way. “We’re a great judge of character.”

“Alright. I’m not going to go against your gut.” Jet smiled back. “So, when do we leave?”

“The rebuilding of the town center will probably take two days.”

“Great.”

She patted him on the back. “I’ll show you where to sleep.”

***

The Kyoshi Warriors do teach Jet a thing or two. But less about fighting and construction and more about fun things teenagers could get up to. Even though they were fierce warriors and protectors, the Kyoshi Warriors were still teenage girls who loved to pull pranks on each other and play games and a few of the girls tried to braid Jet’s hair. He learned how to do it too just in case it came in handy.

It wasn’t like they didn’t have fun back at the Freedom Fighters hideout, but it was more like a moral boost and to keep the kids from being afraid than fun for the sake of it. This was a nice change of pace.

His second night was a sleepover night, so they all slept in the training room. They kept asking about where Jet’s been and what he’s been doing. He gave them an abridged version. He was living in the forest then he left and now he was here.

One of the girls told him he was boring. Another girl shoved her shoulder. He shrugged. Boring was better than whatever they’d think of him if they knew the truth. Yet another girl decided that they should tell scary stories.

“Do you know any good horror stories, Jet?” Suki asked.

“I mean, it isn’t much of a horror story, but I do know a fucked up thing about the Fire Nation.”

The girls stared at him with morbid curiosity.

“It’s about that prince who torched the village,” Jet continued.

“Tell us more,” Suki urged.

Jet bit his lip as looked around the room. It was his turn to tell the tale of Prince Zuko and so he does.

***

The Kyoshi Warriors and Jet started their journey to Ba Sing Se. The girls convinced him to keep trinkets of the places he has gone when he asked why they said so he could remember them fondly. He never thought of it like that before.

They reached a a far-off village where both Earth Kingdom and Fire Nation officials didn’t really bother with so the people there were mostly outlaws or bounty hunters. That was where he found the wanted poster. Tacked on an old post staring straight at Jet was an angry looking boy with a wicked scar on his face. The poster said: Wanted Dead or Alive: Fugitive of the Fire Nation Prince Zuko. Next to it was another poster of a masked vigilante called the Blue Spirit. Jet didn’t know what possessed him, but he took the posters down and hid them in his rucksack. These as good souvenirs as any.

Their travels led them to all sorts of places some even taking them to the opposite direction of the capital, but they helped so many people which was what mattered. With the Kyoshi Warriors, Jet found something he thought he lost a long time ago—his compassion.

They crossed paths with a group of refugees and so they escorted them all the way to the port. Hearing what happened to the group made a familiar fire burn in Jet’s chest, but he reminded himself that no good has ever come from it. He needed to focus on helping people. It was another thing the Kyoshi Warriors taught him.

The trip to Ba Sing Se, or at least the port to it, was surprisingly pleasant. The Kyoshi Warriors were friendly but also inspiring, especially Suki. She had vision and determination and kindness—all the qualities a leader should have.

She knew from the first night that he was hiding something. She’d look at him sometimes when she thought he wasn’t paying attention—he always was—and she’d get this calculating look in her eyes as she tried to figure him out. Jet thought she did a pretty shit job because if she really understood him, she wouldn’t have vouched for him at the ferry to Ba Sing Se.

“You don’t have to help me,” Jet whispered to her. The Kyoshi Warriors decided to stay at the port to help more refugees and Jet decided that his time with them has run its course. Now, Suki was doing him one last act of kindness.

“I know,” she said. “I want to. Maybe you’ll find what you’re looking for in Ba Sing Se.”

Jet was too overwhelmed with emotion as she handed him his ticket, so he did what came naturally. He hugged her. Suddenly, Jet found himself in the middle of a group hug. He didn’t realize how much he missed the closeness, how long he has been without affection. The girls almost made him cry and the only thing they did was hold him. It was a little pathetic.

The Kyoshi Warriors waved him farewell as the ferry left the port. He waved back and for the first time it didn’t feel like he was leaving anything behind. It just felt like he was saying I’ll see you again instead of goodbye.

***

The ferry to Ba Sing Se was a three-day journey and Jet was ready to either be seasick or bored out of his mind. Thankfully, neither happened because as soon as he stepped on deck, he saw him. From across the ship staring moodily out into the water was a boy with a scar.

Jet’s breath caught in his throat and his heart stutters. He ducked down before the Fire Nation Prince could catch him staring. The boy with the scar looked different from the poster. He would know because he kept staring at it every chance he got. The boy’s hair was different, he had some for one instead of that weird bald ponytail he had going on that poster. He looked a lot thinner now too. But everything else about the boy was the same.

Prince Zuko was on a ferry to Ba Sing Se and Jet’s world has turned upside down.

***

His head felt like led. Breathing got harder and harder to do and his chest felt tight. He needed air. He didn’t know how get got there but suddenly he was gripping the railing of the ship trying very hard to just fucking breathe. The wind cools Jet’s sweat soaked faced, he didn’t even realize he was sweating.

“Hey,” a voice said somewhere to his left. “Are you okay?”

“Yeah,” he managed to gasp out. His grip on the railing has loosened and he was hunched over trying to ground himself.

“Don’t fall overboard,” the person said.

Fuck this guy. “Yeah. Wasn’t fucking planning to. Thanks.”

Jet would give him the finger or at the very least glare at him if he weren’t feeling so nauseous. His brain felt too big for his head. He could feel the guy inch closer and if he had his shit together, he’d punch him. The guy was hovering by his elbow.

“I don’t feel comfortable leaving you here alone.”

“How about you go fuck yourself?”

Jet grit his teeth. His heartbeat is coming back down, and breathing was getting easier. A careful intake of breath, and then another and then another. His grip loosened on the railing as he straightened himself. He wiped his brow his with the back of his hand.

“I’m just trying to help, you ingrate,” was the sharp reply.

If he had all his wits about him, Jet would be ready to fight the guy. He finally looked up in annoyance and his heart ramped up again. It was him.

“Uh…” he backed up hitting the railing as he did so.

“You don’t look so good.” Zuko took a cautious step forward.

“I’m—”

Before Jet could stutter out a response, the old man Zuko was with has walked towards them. “Nephew, is everything alright?”

When the old man saw Jet in a state he grew visibly concerned. Jet felt trapped. Like a cornered animal he was stuck there trying to figure out how to escape.

“Young man are you okay?” the old man asked, concern written all over his face.

“I’m fine,” he managed to say.

The old man opened his arms and gently put a hand on his shoulder. He smiled and Jet could recall a distant memory… a weathered face with a kind small… the memory was hazy, fuzzy in the middle but the warmth he remembered clearly like it has always been there, like it never left.

“My name is Mushi and this is my nephew Li. Come sit with us,” the old man said. “We have some food and water. It’s not much but I’m sure it will help.”

“Alright.”

***

The old man, Mushi although Jet knew it wasn’t his real name, weaved him a tale of how him and his nephew ended up on the ferry to Ba Sing Se. Jet believed about half of the things the old man said. Zuko sat silently just watching Mushi talk about their journey.

“How about you?” Mushi asked.

“Oh.” Jet turned the cup in his hands. “I’m just traveling by myself. I’m alone.”

Mushi saw the hesitation plainly in Jet’s fidgety hands and shifting gaze. He knew someone with a secret and he knew not to pry.

“Alone?” that piqued Mushi’s interest. “You must have friends or family waiting for you in Ba Sing Se surely.”

Jet shook his head. “Nah. Just me. I’m actually going to Ba Sing Se for a fresh start, you know?”

“So are we,” muttered Zuko who answered to Li apparently. If the prince wanted to pretend he was someone else, Jet would play along.

“If you haven’t got any plans yet why not join us?” Mushi offered.

Jet’s eyes widened in shock. “I couldn’t—”

Zuko turned sharply to his uncle, it looked like he wanted to say something but couldn’t because Jet was well within hearing range.

“Uncle…”

“I’ve got some friends in the city and we already have an apartment and a job waiting for us. You can stay with us until you’re on your feet,” Mushi explained. “It’s no trouble at all.”

“I don’t know.” Jet looked between Mushi and Zuko. They were having a silent conversation between them. Why is everyone showing him kindness? he thought. It wasn’t like he deserved any of it.

“I don’t want to impose on your good will.”

“See it as new friends helping each other out.”

“I don’t see how I’m helping you in that situation.”

“I’m sure my friend won’t be opposed to an extra hand at the shop.”

“It’s better than trying to strike out on your own,” Zuko muttered loud enough for Jet to hear. It was as close as a warm welcome from the prince as he was going to get.

Without any other options, Jet didn’t really have a choice. He could get food, shelter, and a job—all he had to do was say yes to Fire Nation royalty, to fugitives. But they weren’t that bad, were they?

“I can charge you rent if it makes you feel better,” Mushi joked.

Jet nodded and said reluctantly, “Sure.”

***

The apartment Mushi got was actually pretty big by Lower Ring standards. It was a box, but it had two rooms which was plenty for the three of them. One was for Mushi and the other for him and Zuko to share. The first night Jet couldn’t sleep, and neither could Zuko. Jet could hear the prince’s irritated sighs as he tossed and turned trying to find a comfortable position.

“Bet you wish you didn’t try to help me back at the Ferry now,” Jet teased. The whole time they traveled through the Lower Ring, Zuko had been particularly quiet. He didn’t know if it was just the way he was or perhaps something to do with a stranger just tagging along. Maybe he was paranoid about getting found out.

“If I didn’t, you’d probably have gone overboard,” Zuko said. “So, no. As annoying as you are, I don’t regret it.”

“Oh, you care about me.”

“I’d have done it for anyone.”

“I guess you would have.”

***

It felt wrong to know Zuko’s past while he was getting to know Li. He could look at Li and see exactly where Prince Zuko of the Fire Nation started, and lowly refugee Li began. Somewhere in the middle was Zuko. It wasn’t easy to crack Zuko’s hard shell but after a few weeks of working and living together Jet thought that there were on their way to becoming friends.

Most often, it was him and Zuko against the city. They would walk along the streets figuring out where everything was and how it all worked. It felt good to have someone to talk to again. Someone who he thought could understand him.

“I think if you knew what I was capable of you wouldn’t like me as much,” Jet said one night.

“I could say the same thing about me,” was Zuko’s reply.

But Jet did know. And he didn’t care. “I doubt it.”

The comfortable lull in the conversation was the perfect opportunity for Jet to take stock of Zuko. His hair has gotten longer since their first meeting. Jet wanted to run his fingers through it.

“If you knew what I was hiding from, then you’d be the one running away,” Zuko said.

“Everyone’s hiding from something, Li.” Jet smiled as he said it. “You’re not special.”

“Okay, so what am I hiding from?”

“If I could take a guess, I’d say your past.”

“Oh, wow. Did you get that from your crystal ball?” Zuko replied sarcastically.

“You thought you were chasing destiny.” Jet blurted out. He thought he knew Zuko before but now he does know him, truly deep down. The words started to leave his mouth before he could control himself.

“But it only led you to ruin,” he continued.” And now you’re just another lost soul in the City of Ba Sing Se.”

Zuko stared at him dumbly.

“Hit too close to home?” Jet tried to hide his nervousness with a joke.

“Whatever.” Zuko folded his arms against his chest and closed himself off again. “You’re the same.”

“How am I the same?”

“You’re running from your demons,” Zuko said. “But the thing is Jet your demons are too big to run from.”

Bullseye. Hit dead center. “Right back at you, babe.”

***

Jet didn’t expect to fall in love but here he was head over heels for a boy whose name he shouldn’t even know. He didn’t expect to see through the brashness and shouting and find someone who wanted so badly to be loved. And he didn’t expect to be seen in return.

Their first kiss was shared in the darkness of their shared room. Tentative and shy. Zuko kissed him first and as first kisses went this wasn't bad. Nervous energy flitted between the two of them like lighting.

Their second under the pale moonlight was borne out of the need for comfort than anything else. A reminder that they were still there, and they had each other. But their third kiss, that was something special, shared in broad daylight full of youth and carefree affection.

If this was what it felt like to be in love, then he’d spend his life greedy for it.

And it was precisely that reason why he needed to leave. He was getting too close and he couldn’t handle it. He didn’t want to be even more entrenched in the life they were building there together especially since one of them was just playing a part.

It was on the second month in the city that Jet decided to leave Mushi and Li. Mushi let him go easily with a hearty pat on the back and a wish to take care of himself and visit sometime. But Zuko reacted the way he expected and feared and hoped he would. His face hardened and he refused to meet Jet’s eyes.

It was for the best.

"I'll see you around,” he told Li with no intention of ever following through.

"Maybe." Zuko faced away from him but his voice carried his feelings loud and clear. The bitterness of betrayal fills the air between them. "I doubt it though."

***

The night after he left Zuko was also the same night he met the Blue Spirit. Jet didn’t expect an encounter with him, but he saw a flyer looking for Appa and he knew what Zuko was going to do.

Jet ran through the streets of the Lower Ring in the middle of the night with his swords at his sides, he didn’t care about getting caught by the Dai Li. All he cared about was getting to Zuko before he could do something stupid. As he ran, he saw a figure in his peripheral. A black blur with a distinct blue mask.

He surprised Zuko on the roof. Jet caught him by the waist with his sword and dragged him back before he could attack the Dai Li agent.

Zuko drew his dual dao blades and started his attack. Jet kept him on his toes with every swing pushing him back further.

“I know it’s you under there,” Jet said with a swipe of his sword.

The Blue Spirit stayed silent continuing his attack.

“I know you’re the Blue Spirit, Zuko.” That did it.

Zuko stopped his assault and almost dropped his weapons. Jet took it as an opportunity to continue on.

“Don’t do this.” He wasn’t above begging. Not anymore. Not when everything was on the line.

“What do you think I’m going to do?” Zuko finally spoke his voice coming out in a low hiss.

“You’re going to try and capture the Avatar again.” Jet put his weapons down. “Please, don’t.”

Zuko stayed silent and Jet wished he would take off the damn mask. He wanted to see his face, wanted to know what was going on in his eyes.

“You’ve had your chance,” Jet pressed on. “I’ve heard stories about you. That’s how I knew. You had all the chances in the world, and you let him go each and every time.”

“You don’t know a thing about me.”

“What’s the point in all of this, Zuko? Why are you doing this?”

“So, I can go home!” Zuko threw the mask to the ground and slashed at Jet with his sword. Jet countered. He backed away a few steps to give them some distance.

“Home to what?!” Jet said careful to keep his voice low lest he woke up the whole block. “The Fire Nation? To your genocidal family?!”

Zuko tried to push past him but Jet wasn’t having it. He will get through to Zuko. He has to.

“You got your scar because you didn’t want your people to be killed and now you just want to go back and be part of the slaughter?” Jet wanted to grab Zuko by the shoulder and shake him. Instead, he raised his swords higher.

“You want more death and destruction,” he said. “You want the world to burn.”

“No!” Zuko looked horrified by what Jet was saying but it was also true. Jet needed Zuko to see that this was what he was going back to.

“Your father hurt you. Humiliated you. Banished you.” The words hurt but Jet knew they needed to be said and Zuko needed to hear them. “And still, you want to come running back.”

Zuko charged forward but Jet saw the attack coming from a mile away and planned his counter immediately.

“You have a problem no one there in the Fire Nation can fix.”

“You don’t understand—”

“I don’t have to know the nuances of your angst to know that you’re a selfish little prick who’s ready to let the world fall apart just so he could go back to his comfy little space standing next to the world’s shittiest dad.”

“It’s about honor!” Zuko growled out. “It’s about getting back what’s mine.”

“You’re going to capture the avatar and what?” Jet asked, desperate to get through. “Offer his head on a silver platter because you’re still hoping that maybe then your father is going to love you?”

It was a low blow, Jet didn’t care. He couldn’t see it clearly in the dark. but he could see Zuko’s eyes glisten with unshed tears. He wanted nothing more than to wipe them away but instead he threw another verbal blow.

“People who love you don’t burn your fucking face off!” Jet all but shouted. “Your honor means the end of everything. Is that what you want?”

“Get out of my way Jet.”

Jet knew it was a losing battle and so, he let him go.

***

Jet was captured by the Dai Li moments after the fight with Zuko. He didn’t remember much of it. All he knew was that one moment he was watching Zuko make the biggest mistake of his life and the next Jet was fighting for his.

His hands were bound at his back and he was taken to Lake Logai. He remembered shouting and fighting and crying and pleading for them to stop. He screamed for his parents, for his Freedom Fighters, for Zuko begging for help. Then, nothing. The rest of what happened refused to come to him now.

When he came to, he was in an underground chamber fighting Aang. Long Feng gave him command after command and his body could do nothing but obey. His mind was splitting in two.

“Do it!” Long Feng snarled. “Kill him!”

“Jet,” a familiar voice shouted above the noise. “What are you doing?!”

The thrashing in Jet’s brain finally stopped and he knew what he needed to do. He fired his sword at Long Feng but he missed. Long Feng retaliated by striking him down with his bending. His body hit the ground with a thud, he heard a distant no echo. Everything felt so far away. He was losing consciousness, but he thought he saw flames burst through the room.

Katara knelt over him bringing her healing water over Jet’s injuries.

“Stay back,” she snapped at Zuko who tried to get closer.

“It’s fine,” he told her. “Thank you, Katara.”

“Jet, you don’t know him.”

“Zuko.” He reached his hand out.

“I’m here.” Zuko took it and placed it between his own. He turned to Katara. “Can you heal him?”

Katara rubbed the glowing water over his chest. When the water turned dull and lost its shine, Katara knew she did all she could.

“This isn’t good,” she whispered.

Zuko held Jet’s hand tighter in his. “You can go and find your bison. I’ll take care of Jet.”

“We’re not going to leave you.”

“Don’t worry, Katara.” Jet forced a smile through the pain. “I’ll be fine.”

***

It was the first time in a long time that Zuko truly felt fear. Just the two of them in this underground passage, he has never felt more afraid. He didn’t believe much in miracles but for the first time in his life he prayed to the spirits, to whoever would listen. Save Jet. Please, save him.

“I’m cold,” Jet whispered, the light in his eyes dimming.

“I’ve got you.” Zuko pressed his lips to Jet’s fingers before putting both hands on his chest. He could warm Jet up. He could do that at least. From his fingertips, he let the warm of his inner fire spread gently, slowly.

With his eyes closed, Zuko didn’t see the golden glow of the flames enveloping Jet slowly with its light. He didn’t see how it slowly knit the broken pieces of Jet together. He didn’t see how he could heal. Lost in his trance, his pleas for help, his silent prayers, Zuko didn’t realize that Jet has been calling his name.

“Zuko,” Jet called his name once more.

Zuko opened his eyes to see Jet, eyes bright and smiling weakly. “Jet.”

“We’re going to be okay.” A promise Jet intended to keep.

Their fourth kiss is shared in Lake Laogai. It felt like coming home.

The beginning.

They managed to escape Lake Laogai without trouble. Zuko half-carried Jet out holding him close. Appa flew overhead soaring through the sky. They watched in silence as the Avatar and his friends disappear into the horizon.

“You knew all this time,” Zuko asked in an uncharacteristically small voice.

“Yes,” he said.

“And you love me anyway.”

“I do.”

***

“So, we really doing this?” Jet looked at Zuko just to make sure he wouldn’t just disappear.

“Yeah.” Zuko held out his hand for Jet to grab so he does. “I think this is what we’re supposed to do.”

“Okay, then.” Jet nodded. “Let’s find the Avatar.”

#jetko #jetko fic #myfic #thesteroidsandthedalliances #okay so #yeah #yup #the cheezy moment of zuko can apparently heal too #bc u know what #i needed that #personally as a person i needed cheesiness #ill post this on ao3 when ive proofread it #bc right now i havent #and it's 2am #and im gonna go to bed

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