Seizures (Avatar: The Last Airbender Fanfic)

Dark Place

"If he's able to walk on his own, why doesn't he leave."

So much regarding Jet honestly perplexed Zuko that the young Firebender found himself thoroughly frustrated with his current situation. The fact he'd managed slipping up and setting something on fire in front of Jet didn't help given the fact the older boy now held proof Zuko in the very least was a Firebender. Jet also nagged him about not saying anything regarding that fact Zuko wanted so much to keep secret from the older boy.

"Seriously. What kind of idiot doesn't understand that either way he would have stopped being my friends? Why do I even want to be friends with him so desperately?"

The word friend of course felt foreign on Zuko's tongue when he let slip the fact he'd honestly wanted to be friends with Jet; more importantly, the word which slipped from his tongue remained something he'd never hear himself use in relation to himself. No, in his life Azula remained the one always with the friends while his father cut off all social contact, indicating he felt Zuko an embarrassment even back then.

"Why did I tell Jet what I did? It's not as if telling him will do any good. I mean, he didn't listen to anything else I said, so why did I have to be such an idiot? Why did Uncle have to leave me alone with him when nothing good can come of any of this?"

A curse left his mouth, mentally remembering Jet needed someone at the apartment in case another seizure occurred. Zuko slid down outside of the doorway of their apartment berating himself for thinking of abandoning anyone in need. He lifted a hand, placing the palm against his forehead while his father's voice drummed n his head in a booming manner, outright telling him that Jet was of the Earth Kingdom and the Earth Kingdom was the enemy.

His hand moved up so he covered his eye while the other clutched desperately to the front of his clothing. "Why is being friends with him so important? Why am I making such a big deal about losing out on having Jet as a friend? It's not as if..."

"...you had any friends back in the Fire Nation, did you Zuzu?" The voice of his sister dripped with all her glorious cruelness in the back of his head. "You never wondered why that was?"

"It's because I'm not worth it. I never..."

"Hey."

Jet's voice from the doorway made Zuko flinch, his entire body moving as if he were attempting to jump out of his skin. Taking a deep breath, Zuko uncovered his eyes, his one hand still clutching the front of his clothing. Turning his head ever so slightly, he found himself looking up at the boy, confused regarding why Jet bothered approaching him. Jet obviously had something planned, which likely meant more of the torturous conversation regarding something Zuko couldn't imagine Jet ever understanding.

"I need some fresh air."

"And?"

"Let's head up to the roof, alright?"

Zuko's mouth opened, wanting to tell Jet to take himself up to the roof, yet just as quickly he found himself biting down lightly on the tip of his tongue, preventing himself from saying such a thing. He instead stood, his mind not understanding why someone as stubborn as Jet actually took the time to ask for help. One conclusion sprung into Zuko's mind. "He's planning something. He's likely planning some more mental torture."

Yet, Zuko still stood up, reaching an arm out for Jet to take and lean on. His entire body tensed upon feeling Jet willingly take his arm in order that he might remain steady on his feet, yet he also felt the manner in which the other boy tensed – meaning he really didn't want to be doing what he was doing, which in turn meant Jet felt he had little choice in the matter. Taking a deep breath, he started up the stairs, waiting for Jet to say something, anything which might send him reeling into that bad place – a place he didn't really want to go.

They staggered forward, somehow managing to make their way up to the roof of the rather ramshackle building in the lower slums of Ba Sing Se.

When they arrived, Jet let out a groan. "You can let me down here."

Zuko complied, feeling rather off-put by the fact he found himself doing what the other lad asked without question despite the fact he knew full well he'd find himself dealing with the brunt of the Earth Kingdom youth on his own. After he set Jet down so he leaned against the wall just outside of the door which opened up to the roof, Zuko scurried away, sitting so he might soak up the sun yet keep a wary eye on Jet.

"So..."

"So what?" Zuko replied rather curtly, far more curtly than he would have liked. The glare from Jet made him wither.

"Is being friends with me really that important?"

Zuko felt his jaw clench, the memories of his father and sister's voices still rattling around in the back of his mind. "It isn't as if it was important to you."

"No. A friendship with a Firebender isn't at all important to me." Jet rested up against the wall, looking right at Zuko. From the looks of things, he didn't seem at all wary regarding the situation – a stark contrast from the way Zuko felt, let alone how Jet reacted earlier. He seemed smug, making Zuko wonder yet again why he wanted to be friends with the other boy. "Which to me makes the fact you still want to be my friend even more baffling."

"Then you already had your answer. No need to mock me for it."

"Wonder if that was my intent when I decided to see if you'd not gone far." Jet seemed quite relaxed in the given situation. "I do know I found – no, still find – your behavior baffling."

"You..." Zuko opened his mouth, wanting to call the other boy out for mocking him, trying to find ways to goad him.

"Then I found you outside the door cowering as if you were off in some dark place."

"Don't pretend you did this out of an act of kindness."

"No. I won't." Jet glanced away. "I wanted to talk. That's what I knew for sure when I followed. Seeing you like that made me even more curious."

"Why?" Zuko let out a sigh. He pulled his knees up to his chest, but reached up grabbing his hair with his hands."Am I really that much of a curiosity?"

"Yeah, really, you are." Jet let out a breath of air, one which indicated both humor and disdain at the same time. "It was definitely curious to see someone of the Firenation acting, in the same manner, one of my kids scarred by the Firenation did after we Freedom Fighters rescued them, Zuko."

Zuko felt his blood run cold, his entire body tense up.