foxysquidalso | Fic: The Cure for Sleeplessness [Jet/Zuko]

It would be remiss of me--remiss, I say!--to let Jetko Week pass without participating! So here is my first fic, which combines the first two prompts, "Insomnia" and "Whiskey".

This is another story set in my "Old Man AU". Other stories set in that universe are The One Exception and Tomorrow, in case you are curious.

Title: The Cure for Sleeplessness
Fandom: Avatar: The Last Airbender (AU)
Pairing: Jet/Zuko
Word count: 1300
Spoilers: N/A
Rating: PG13
Summary: Zuko can't sleep, but Jet knows a perfect cure for insomnia.
Notes: In this universe, Jet doesn't see Iroh Firebend his tea, so he survives and teams up with Zuko (aka "Li") when Ba Sing Se is invaded. Years later, he and Zuko are still together. At the time of this story, they are in their forties.

The Cure for Sleeplessness.

Zi You was a quiet village. There had been difficult times in the early years, but now the settlement was well-established and bandits had learned the price of threatening its residents. There were few disturbances after sunset, aside from the natural world's own disorder: storms and the fires that were uncommon, yet inevitable in the forest.

That was why Jet was unused to being awakened in the middle of the night. He sat up and blinked, still tired but already fully alert. He took in the entire situation at once. The other side of the bed was empty, the blankets cool. So it was easy to guess the cause of the noise that had awakened him. He also knew its point of origin. It was coming from the next room.

It wasn't a noise that would have awakened most people, closer in tone to a whisper than a shout. But it was a noise that spoke to his old instincts, and he felt compelled to answer it. He blinked again, clearing his eyes, and was at the bedroom door in a moment, sliding it open. He was in time to see two blades transcribe perfect arcs. "Li," he said.

The other man froze in place: knees bent, swords in hand.

"What have I told you about practicing in the house?" Jet asked dryly.

At this, Li straightened. His eyebrows rose. "I thought I was the one who was always telling you that."

That was true, but Jet pretended to disagree. "Oh, I don't know about that. You're the one who can't stop causing trouble."

Li grunted. He had set his double sheath down on the wooden chest in the corner, and he took it up quickly and slid the swords back inside.

Jet would have regretted his teasing, but Li most likely would have put his swords away regardless. "Oh no, don't stop on my account. I didn't mean it. I like to watch you work."

"No. I was finished anyway." Li set his sheath on the chest again, then sat down beside it.

"What's wrong?" There wasn't enough room for both of them--and the swords--to sit on the chest, so instead, Jet came to stand before Li, reaching out to ruffle his long hair, which was hanging loose for once. There were white streaks through Li's black hair. Jet found the sight difficult to resist. "Can't sleep?"

"I guess not."

Done with ruffling Li's hair, Jet began to stroke it. He could tell by the way Li didn't push his hand away that whatever was wrong, it was nothing too dire. "Anything you'd like to talk about?"

Li shook his head. "I just--can't sleep." Jet wasn't entirely sure if he believed that. It could be true, but there might be a secret reason behind the sleeplessness that Li wasn't telling him. The other man was slow to voice his worries, especially if he thought they weren't urgent. "I didn't want to wake you, so I came out here to read. But then I felt restless."

"So you had to take your swords out. I can respect that."

Li's answering smile was ironic but not unkind. "I'm sure you can."

Jet considered the matter at hand. He wanted to help, even if it was only a little problem. Everyone had nights when they couldn't sleep, and everyone had a favorite remedy for the condition. He had a few ideas of his own. "Maybe if you tire yourself out, you'll be able to sleep. We should spar."

Li's answer was immediate and firm. "I'm not sparring in the house."

"Then let's go outside."

Li thought about it. He hesitated. He was tempted, Jet could tell. Jet had to admit, it would have been fun, not to mention a little nostalgic, to spar in the dark again. Unfortunately, it wasn't to be. Not tonight. "No," Li decided finally. "I don't think that would be a good idea unless we told someone what we were doing first. And it's too late."

"When did you get to be so sensible?"

Jet was teasing again, but Li frowned. "I don't know," he said.

He hadn't meant to make Li frown. "Don't be so serious. I was only joking."

"But you're right. I am. Sensible, I mean."

Jet sat down at Li's feet and rested his head against the other man's knees. He felt Li touch his hair. His own hair was never bound, and it looked much the same now, after he'd just woken up, as it did at any point during the day.

"I guess we grew up," Jet laughed.

Li was quiet, so quiet that Jet almost said something else, but as he opened his mouth, Li spoke again. "When I was little," he said, "sometimes I had trouble sleeping."

Li rarely spoke about his childhood. Jet knew why. He had guessed long ago that Li had been born in the Fire Nation. Yet Li hadn't found it necessary to tell him this truth yet, or else he simply didn't want to. It was a bit strange and a bit funny and a bit sad, and it certainly added an extra layer of interest to their relationship. That wasn't all bad. Jet liked things to be interesting, and the greater part of his anger had been abandoned long ago. But sometimes he wondered what things Li would have said if he'd felt free to, what stories he would have told. Maybe someday he would find out. "And what did you do back then? How did you finally get to sleep?"

"My mother would tell me a story," said Li. He sounded distant and also a little melancholic. Jet hated to hear him sound like that.

"Do you want me to tell you a story?" he offered.

"No, that's fine," said Li softly, fingers moving through Jet's hair. "I don't think a story would work anymore."

"Hm." Jet tilted his head up so he could see Li's face, flashing a smile. "We have to do something. This is a very serious problem."

"You don't have to do anything, Jet."

"I do, though. That's just the way I am. When I see a problem, I have to do something about it."

"Yes, I know." Li sighed wearily, but Jet could tell he didn't mean it. He took it as another good sign. Cheering up Li in this instance was not beyond his ability. He was sure of it.

Cheering Li up was an important job. Jet took it seriously. He would use every weapon in his arsenal to accomplish the mission. Yes--that gave him an idea. "I think I have an idea," he said slowly.

"You do?"

Li's suspicious narrowing of his eyes was completely unwarranted, Jet felt. "Yes, I do. As a matter of fact, I just now remembered that I happen to know the ultimate cure for sleeplessness."

"And what's that?"

Jet got to his feet. "Wait here for a minute, and I'll show you."

#

"This was--a really--good idea, Jet," Li breathed into his ear. Poorly stifled laughter separated his words.

Jet had to agree. When he'd first introduced Li to his very special, very expensive jug of imported Kyoshi Whiskey, Li had been skeptical, but Jet had convinced him in the end. Now they were lying in bed together. Li's sweat tasted like whiskey. Or maybe everything tasted like whiskey. "Sometimes even I have good ideas." He stroked the side of Li's face. He barely noticed the scar tissue these days, and Li didn't tense when Jet touched him there. Not anymore.

"But--I'm not sleeping yet."

"That's true," Jet admitted. They hadn't done much sleeping at all. "But now you don't mind so much, do you?"

"You're right," said Li, laughing again. This time he didn't bother to stifle the sound. "I don't mind at all."