Jet x Reader/OC Avatar the Last Airbender

Wary

I followed Jet back to his room that night and unlike before, we did not fight nor even speak a word but bridged the gap that had been between us and indulged in our selfishness without concern of the consequences. When Jet sat up the next morning he did not panic at seeing his bare chest or me next to him but flopped back down and pulled me closer.

"Tao!" Yun found me at a bench in the Main Hall across from Jet. "Hey- uh" He glanced at Jet. "Can I talk to you... privately?"

"Yeah, yeah." Yun led me to the other side of the hall and lowered his voice. "There's a rumor going around- some of Jet's friends are thinking about turning us in."

"No- that's impossible, we've done so much for them."

"Only you and Jet were seen that night when we got raided. I was thinking- Jet never said that he had confirmed the firebenders, he was just looking into us. What if one of them didn't want to wait and reported me?"

I looked back at Jet across the hall. He was talking to Smellerbee and Longshot who had now joined him. "You might be right. What are we going to do?"

Yun sighed. "I don't know. I told Gram I would take over watching the entrance to make sure they don't leave. You and Jet are friends, try and find out about his friends. Just don't let him know."

"I don't like not telling him... He would be more helpful if we told him."

"No, no. The others that knew were kind of opposed to even telling you."

"What?"

"I know, I know, even though everyone is trying to get into a routine and helping out and training, they're still uneasy after last time. They're just doing everything else to distract themselves from the idea of getting discovered. We're underground. In the earth kingdom. As firebenders. This is the most dangerous place for us."

"I understand. Today is my day off so I'll try and find out."

I returned to the table. "Hey, um." I looked away from the three friends. "Have your other friends gone above ground? Do you know?"

"Not that we know of," Smellerbee said. "They haven't left their rooms since getting here. Why?"

"I was just wondering since I haven't seen them lately. I wasn't sure if they had left or not."

"In all honesty, we don't know them that well. We met those four after moving here." Jet said.

"I see."

Jet watched the few who were sparring on the other side of the Hall. "If you all practice fighting this much, why couldn't you have just fought off the Fire Nation?"

"There was only a small crew that day. We don't fight unless it's defense. If we did fight them and win, then the fire nation would be suspicious and continue to send larger crews and fleets. If we fought them and lost, then every firebender would be taken captive and then they would come back and take the non-benders. We told them that there were very few of us that were actual firebenders but some of us still sacrificed themselves."

After breakfast, I was pulled away to help clean the kitchen. I watched as Jet and his two friends headed toward the upper ground. I assumed Yun let them out because I didn't see them return. I was hyper-aware all afternoon of the other four. I only saw them sneak out for extra food and then crawl back into their rooms. After kitchen duty, I tried to hear what they were talking about behind the doors but I heard nothing. I sat and told Yun what had happened and he sighed and told me to go back and wait until one of them came out so I sat in the Main Hall until my ass was numb. Jet returned a few hours later and gave me a crooked smile and headed down the boys' hallway and to his room. I groaned and rested my head on my arm. I popped up when I saw one of the four boys knock on Jet's down and Jet let him in. The other three followed shortly.

I crept down the hallway and pressed my ear against the wood door. This time they weren't speaking in hushed voices.

"Jet, it would be so easy-" said a voice I did not recognize.

"No, what the hell is wrong with you?" Smellerbee interjected. "These are nice people, they've left you all alone!"

"For now. They all can't have good intentions. I'm sure they're just as uneasy as we are." another one said.

"It doesn't matter if they are. They have reason to be- some of them got taken by the Dai Li." Jet said quietly.

"Well, they shouldn't have come to the earth kingdom. If there's this many that managed to get in, what if the rest of the fire nation is here?"

"They aren't fire nation. They're firebenders. I doubt the actual fire nation could get in here. Besides, they have an earth bender that got them in here and leads them. She wouldn't let anything happen to us."

"What do you think Longshot?" a harsh voice interjected.

There was a long pause before I could hardly make out a small voice saying. "I agree with Jet. We are lucky we are here."

"He's right. You should be grateful." Jet said dimly.

"No, you should be!" another voice I did not know chimed in. "You are the one on the run, we were fine, you dragged us into this snake pit!"

"You're no saint either! The Dai Li would lock you up for looking at them wrong!" Smellerbee snapped back.

"Jet." a voice said darkly. "What's this?"

There was a long silence.

"You're on their side because you've been fucking that firebender huh? Did you drag us and your closest friends into this mess for that huh? Ever think about anyone besides yourself?"

"We could be dead because of you!"

I felt a punch hit my stomach. I had left my ruby hair clip in Jet's room because I had planned to spend the day with Jet above ground and someone could've identified me so I left it in this room.

"No... we aren't anything. I found it in the Main Hall earlier and forgot to give it to her." Jet muttered.

"And so what if he was?" Smellerbee said. "We don't feel at danger at all, this morning she told us they never act unless in self-defense. These are innocent people just like you and I. We knew what we were getting into when we stayed with Jet."

"We didn't sign up for this."

I ran to the women's hall and straight into my room with tears burning my cheeks.