soc_puppet | Fic: After Hours: 1/1

Fandom: Avatar: The Last Airbender
Summary: Zuko is interrupted after work
Notes: So,

lyzzle says to me (or the world at large, really), she says, "I want JetLi pr0n. Or icons. Or just regular fic. Plz to be providing." And I say to her, "Maybe." Which is secret author code for "Poke me and I'll probably do something." So she pokes me, and provides me with a theme - 'tea' - and I eventually wrote this. The system works!
Obligatory New Fandom Disclaimer: I don't own Avatar, nor am I making any money off of this fic.
Fic: After Hours

Zuko had hating wiping down the tables after the tea house closed when he first started the job, but the task had since grown on him. He could focus on the mindless movement of rag over wood and let his mind empty, slipping into a calm that he could never hope to reach normally. His thoughts drifted behind him, uninterrupted. His hand stilled on the wood at the knock on the door; well, mostly uninterrupted, at any rate. Zuko grumbled and opened the door.

"We're closed right now, so if you want tea, you're going to have to - you!" Zuko's grip tightened and he glared as he prepared to slam it shut again.

"Wait!" Jet's hand flew up to catch the door, stalling it. "Let me explain."

Zuko gritted his teeth against the urge to shout. "You have two minutes."

Jet relaxed slightly. "I wanted to apologize for the other day. The authorities explained everything when they took me in: we're safe from the war with Fire Nation, and you and your uncle aren't firebenders. I can see now that I was just causing you trouble, and that's not what I wanted."

Zuko frowned. "What do you mean by that?"

Jet stepped in closer, his hand falling to cover Zuko's. "I wanted you." He leaned in and pressed their lips together.

Zuko stood in the doorway, shocked into stillness. Some part of him wondered how a normal person's hand could feel so hot, how he could feel like he was on fire without air to breathe. Jet's fingers tightened on his hand.

Abruptly, Zuko shoved Jet backward and slammed the door closed. His fingers curled into fists and he leaned back against the wood, blood pounding in his veins. Taking a deep breath, he straightened and began wiping tables again.

His uncle poked his head out from where he was washing dishes. "Who was that?"

Zuko's hands tensed and he scrubbed harder. "Nobody," he replied.

Outside, Jet stared at the hand that had held Li's, then let it fall to his side. He would try again tomorrow.

--Fin--

...Wow, first time back in the writing saddle in a while, and boy am I nervous. Particularly since it's a new fandom for me to be writing in.

Did my best to keep everyone in character (which included some fairly minor re-working of the first half or so when I was typing it up), and I think I did okay. Still not a lot of practice, though, and also not a lot of reading in this fandom (yet) so I know what I do and don't like, so. Input appreciated?

...Miai fic to come soon, possibly.

x-posted to