After the war

An unwelcome stranger

!! Trigger warning !! This part doesn't have any plot advancement in it so if the content that's usually in trigger warnings affects you please skip this chapter! If you can stomach it, then, enjoy, and I'm sorry in advance.

"Hey guys"

Zuko and Sokka both turned sharply on their heels and saw a very unwelcome boy. Ra must have sensed his companion's discomfort and arched his back and hissed from his perch on Zuko's shoulder.

"Jet" Sokka sneered at the freedom fighter.

"What are you doing here?" Zuko said giving Jet his trade-mark glare, Ra still hissing and snarling.

"Hey, hey relax! I just came over to say hi" Jet smiled seductively at Zuko, sauntering over to the Firelord. Zuko backed up a few steps looking extremely wary, Ra now gnashing his teeth and hissing and snarling at Jet. The freedom fighter closed the distance between him and the firebender and grabbed Zuko's wrist with his left hand and with his right he uncomfortably caressed Zuko's face.

"Touch Zuko one more time and you'll regret the day you met me" Sokka threatened Jet while Zuko smacked the freedom fighter's hands away.

"Alright, alright, if you see Katara, tell her I said hello" Jet gave the two boys his trademark crooked grin. "I'll see you later" he smiled menacingly at Zuko in particular.

Jet's smile sent a chill up Zuko's spine and he took a step forward to punch the smile off the lanky boy's face. Sokka put his arm in front of the firebender "easy there, Hotshot, you and Katara can murder him later" Sokka soothed his boyfriend.

"Fine!" Zuko snarled, then seeing Sokka's worried face he immediately softened. "Can we just go back to the house now" Zuko asked taking an interest in the floor.

"Of course" Sokka grabbed Zuko's hand and the two walked back to their house. As the boys were walking Ra was still riled up, so Zuko fed him the bits of food he kept for his dragon in his pockets and gave the little dragon the chin scratches he liked. They entered the house and there was a sombre feeling in the air.

"We have good news and bad news. Good news: Zuko didn't kill anyone, bad news: Jet's alive and ready to sexually assault anyone he sees" Sokka stated to everyone in the room, squeezing Zuko's hand, the firebender was still hanging his head. The two boys sat with the others and watched as Katara beckoned Zuko into the other room.

Zuko followed Katara into the girl's bedroom still imploding on himself in shame. Jet crossed a major line and he just froze up until Sokka stepped in, like a damsel in distress! Zuko mentally kicked himself, he didn't even know how that had happened. Ra had moved from Zuko's shoulder and was now sat on the Firelord's head like a lookout, ready to protect his companion.

"I know how you're feeling right now Zuko, and I don't want you to feel bad about yourself. But I also don't want you to feel like you have to tackle this alone. You have a group of good friends and a loving boyfriend to help you through this. Jet has this way of getting in people's heads. You black out and before you know it, he's tricked you into doing something horrible, or he's rendered you helpless and made some weird sort of move on you. He did it to me, and now he's done it to you. But I, and the others want you to know that if he ever does it again, we won't judge you if you kill him" Katara's words felt like knives piercing this depressive mood Zuko found himself in and lifting him up a little.

"Thank you, Katara. I know it doesn't seem like it, but you've really helped me out" Zuko informed his friend and she pulled him in for a hug.

"It's alright Zuko, we're all here for you, and we all love you" Katara informed him as she reached up to her friend's head and gave Ra the chin scratches the little dragon had become so accustomed to from the group.