[Jeongdao Week Fic] Always Go Too Far
Late. I will just do Day #3 and Day #4 tomorrow, because I'm sure as heck not getting Day #3's entry done in what's left of today. Brains too dead.
Title: Always Go Too Far
Prompt: Poison
Characters: Jeong Jeong/Piandao, assorted random extras
Word Count: 3000+
Rating: NC-17
Summary: Three months after Admiral Jeong Jeong's desertion, Piandao finds him in an Earth Kingdom bar. Things go from there.
Author's Notes: This takes place ten years before canon, so Jeong Jeong is younger and more angry. Fun.
ETA: It occurs to me that I forgot to thank the people who made this fic possible. So, many thanks to xiaron, dark_puck, and invisiblemoose who gave me encouragement and help while I was working on this story.
---
Every impulse that we strive to strangle broods in the mind and poisons us.
~Oscar Wilde
***
Three months after Admiral Jeong Jeong deserted, Piandao found him in an Earth Kingdom bar. He looked like his wanted posters - high cheekbones enhanced by the bite-scars of a double-bladed sword near his right eye, salt-and-pepper hair pulled up in a soldier's topknot, facial hair neatly trimmed. But the wanted posters had not captured that sharp-edged slash that wasn't a smile, or the way his gold eyes seemed to glow in the dim light of the bar.
The bar was closer to the front than he would have liked if he had been the one on the run, Piandao thought.
A smoky haze filled the bar, rolls of Earth Kingdom tobacco in every hand but Jeong Jeong's. This area was hilly and steep, ill-suited to many kinds of crops but well-suited to growing tobacco. Some Fire Nation soldiers smoked it, but Piandao found he agreed with the majority of Firefolk in this - cloves packed in a pipe produced a much better, less foul-smelling smoke.
Thunder rolled in the distance, and Piandao took one last look outside at the dim grey sky before walking across the bar to Jeong Jeong.
"For a wanted man, you're not doing a very good job of staying alive," he said as he pulled out one of the empty barstools next to his friend.
Gold eyes slanted a glance at him. "Why? Did they send you?"
Something in Jeong Jeong's voice made Pianda wonder if he would survive saying yes. "No. I came on my own."
"Hn." Jeong Jeong took a long, slow drink from his glass, and Piandao noted how loose but not relaxed his friend's body was. Not entirely sober, but far from drunk.
"At least take down the topknot," Piandao said quietly and reached for the tie holding it in place.
Jeong Jeong's hand came up fast and sure, wrapping around his wrist, and the touch of the ex-Admiral's skin reminded him of a time many years ago when he'd been goaded into sticking his hand into a fire.
"No," Jeong Jeong said, and flame licked out with the word.
He held Piandao's wrist for a moment longer then released it. Piandao wasn't at all surprised to see his skin reddened and blistered where Jeong Jeong had grabbed him.
The mutter of conversation changed in the bar, and thunder rumbled more closely than before. Piandao felt the hostility directed towards them, could turn his neck ever so slightly to see most of the bar's occupants eyeing them. So could Jeong Jeong from the way his shoulders shifted and his breathing became much more noticeable.
Firebenders, Piandao thought and managed not to roll his eyes.
"We should leave," he said softly.
The slash that wasn't a smile widened on Jeong Jeong's face. "Why not?"
He stood and Piandao stood with him, and sparks spilled from his fingertips onto the ground. Piandao stomped them out and grabbed Jeong Jeong's hand, yanking the other man out of the bar before he got them both lynched.
***
Outside, the sky was dark, and the wind had picked up. The air felt charged and damp, and if Jeong Jeong hadn't felt bakingly hot to the touch, Piandao would have preferred to remain inside the bar until the storm passed. But skin-heat was just another symptom of whatever was making Jeong Jeong flare and burn.
He gave Jeong Jeong's hand a squeeze, and heat spiked in the other man, hot enough that smoke oozed between their fingers. But Jeong Jeong did not let go of him.
If anything he held on harder, blunt nails digging into the back of Piandao's hand.
"We need to find shelter before the storm hits," Piandao said.
Jeong Jeong turned on him abruptly, blocking the way, gold eyes ablaze and fire on his tongue. "Why did you come looking for me, Piandao?"
"You're my friend." Piandao chose his words carefully, trying to give as much of the truth as possible without hinting at the things he absolutely could not tell Jeong Jeong. "You've been bitter and unhappy, but this is- extreme. Even for you. Desertion is treason, Jeong Jeong, and you will be hunted for the rest of your life."
Fire, actual fire, flared around their clasped hands, and Piandao gritted his teeth. His flesh didn't scorch or sizzle, however, not like it would if this were a wild fire.
"Friendship isn't worth much in the Fire Nation," Jeong Jeong said, and the heat of the fire flared before going out. "Prince Iroh showed me that."
"I'm getting very tired of you doing that," Piandao said in a low voice, looking at his heat-reddened hand.
"Then try your steel against me, swordmaster." The sound of an inferno lurked in Jeong Jeong's voice, and Piandao almost reached back to draw his sword.
"We both know the outcome," he said instead. A pause, and then, "I'd win."
For a brief moment, Jeong Jeong actually smiled. Then thunder rolled and sparks spilled from his fingers, singing the grass under their feet. His smile vanished. "There are a lot of caves in these hills. I know one that will keep us dry."
***
They reached the cave just before the rain began to pour, Jeong Jeong still leading him by the hand. Inside the cave, it was cold enough to make him shiver, and so very dark. He turned to look behind him at the cave-entrance, watching the rain come down in sheets. It was almost as dark as night out there, but at least it was brighter than inside the cave.
He wasn't quite willing to bet it was warmer. Times like this made him wish he had been born a firebender; he knew Jeong Jeong didn't feel the cold.
Light flared, and he turned to see Jeong Jeong cupping a flame in his free hand. His eyes met Piandao's, bright as sin and burning as molten gold, and he looked starved.
Piandao automatically squeezed his hand to reassure him, or perhaps to remind his friend that he was stronger and more deadly than many firebenders. The flame cupped in Jeong Jeong's other hand flared, and heat pushed against him. Firebending without fire, and Jeong Jeong's lips peeled back in a snarl as Piandao refused to flinch.
He thought Jeong Jeong would be so much more upset if he realized he was enjoying the heat.
They stood like that for several long moments. Piandao listened to the pouring rain outside and thought of nothing in particular as he held Jeong Jeong's eyes.
Thunder boomed with a strike of lightning, illuminating the cave in one stark flash.
The fire in Jeong Jeong's hand flashed to lightning for the space of a heartbeat then back to red flame.
"Come," Jeong Jeong ordered, turning to draw Piandao deeper into the cave. The way was smooth under their feet, and in the light from Jeong Jeong's flame, Piandao could see graffiti soot-stains on the ceilings and high sides of hanging stalactites. They walked too fast for Piandao to read more than a character here and there, then Jeong Jeong drew him around a twist in the tunnel out of sight from the cave-mouth and candles flared.
Piandao stopped, dumbfounded. Candles surrounded a single bedroll in expanding rings. All shapes and sizes, many mostly burnt, fat drops of wax oozed down their sides and slowly melting again.
Jeong Jeong dropped his hand and strode in among the candles, whose flames leapt and danced around him.
"Fire loves you," Piandao commented as he dropped his pack near a tunnel wall.
The candle-flames flared incandescent, and Piandao found himself slammed up against the opposite wall. Jeong Jeong's hand pushed hard against his shoulder, fire blazing around it but not burning Piandao's clothes, and his friend stood so close that Piandao could feel each ragged exhale of scalding steam against his face.
Piandao was going to beat him black and blue if this had damaged his sword.
That starved look came over Jeong Jeong's face again, and his hand smoked and fisted in the material of Piandao's tunic. He surged forward in a kiss, body pressed hard against Piandao's, arousal grinding against Piandao's hip. His mouth was burning-hot against Piandao's, candle-flames roaring to the ceiling.
The kiss was more teeth than lips, hungry, and Piandao responded to it, hard hands settling on Jeong Jeong's waist and yanking him closer.
It wasn't enough. Jeong Jeong's fingers scraped through his hair, burned off the tie holding his topknot, then tangled in his loose hair. Piandao felt prickles of sweat run along his hairline, saw heat-distortion when he opened his eyes.
He wondered if this would kill him. It would be annoying if it did - Jeong Jeong didn't need more reasons to hate his own bending.
He pushed his hands up and down Jeong Jeong's sides, then attacked the belt holding his rust-brown tunic in place. It was difficult but well-worth the effort, and he broke the kiss to give a little 'hah!' of triumph.
Jeong Jeong grinned with far too many teeth and burned Piandao's clothes to ash.
"I needed those, you know." Piandao smiled, amused that all he still had on was his sheathed sword across his back. Jeong Jeong had some sense of self-preservation, at least.
"I'll get you new ones," Jeong Jeong promised as he pulled back to stare at Piandao.
Piandao accepted the staring - they had never seen each other naked before, after all. Jeong Jeong hadn't even had a chance to see Piandao shirtless in an Agni Kai. He was scarred, weapons-scars for the most part, though some of the stabs and slashes had come from earthbenders. Even a Fire Nation soldier could not pick out which was which, though.
The candle-flames spun in streams, forking and branching. Some didn't look like they were actually attached to a candle anymore.
Jeong Jeong stared, and Piandao ached to be touched by hands as intense as those gold eyes.
"How can you be so perfect?" Jeong Jeong murmured, and Piandao was once again reminded that his friend had a twisted view on the world.
It was only to be expected from a firebender who hated-loved fire, but Piandao wished it would limit itself to fire.
"You have too many clothes on," he said instead of anything else.
Jeong Jeong bared his teeth, the expression too sharp and mocking for Piandao to call it a grin. He stepped forward, and Piandao allowed himself to be pushed against the cave-wall again. Rough, cool stone dug into his back, and hot hands with flames that did not burn roamed over his body. He pressed into some caresses and ignored others, and when Jeong Jeong wrapped a hand around his cock, he reached down to squeeze his friend's hand tighter.
Jeong Jeong gripped hard enough it hurt more than a little, but then he moved his hand fast and still hard and it felt damn good more than a lot. Piandao panted raggedly and dragged his friend into a kiss. Jeong Jeong's free hand tangled in his hair, and he tore at his friend's clothes, ripping frogs free from the material and wishing he'd been carrying a knife so he could just cut Jeong Jeong out of these too damn complicated clothes.
Eventually, he shoved the shirt down around Jeong Jeong's arms and rubbed his palms over his friend's chest and stomach. He couldn't concentrate enough to do much more while they kissed and Jeong Jeong held his cock. He shifted, pressed his thigh to rub against Jeong Jeong's erection, and the candles exploded.
Piandao broke the kiss. "Sword oil."
"Mm?"
"Sword oil. In my pack." He pressed his thigh up harder. "Do you want me or not?"
"Yes." Jeong Jeong's fingers dug into his scalp, and Piandao pulled him into another kiss. It was several long minutes before they could even begin to reluctantly disentangle themselves, and several more before Piandao could step away and find the sword oil in his pack.
Piandao turned back, jar in hand, and paused.
In the few moments his back had been turned, Jeong Jeong had shed his clothes. His friend stood naked, firelight and fire dancing over his bare skin. He was scarred - burn scars from Agni Kais, weapon and earth scars from soldiering. Piandao had been there at Jagedai when the arrow left the knotted scar in Jeong Jeong's shoulder, had watched the Agni Kai that gave him the net-shaped burn scars on his left side.
"Bedroll?" Piandao suggested.
Jeong Jeong nodded, and the flames filling the cave tunnel roiled back, pressing against the walls to create a clear space.
Even with Jeong Jeong holding back the fire and heat, Piandao was slick with sweat when he stepped on the bedroll. Then Jeong Jeong crashed into him, arms wrapping around him, a fist closing around the scabbard of his sword. His mouth was hot, and surely there was fire when their tongues touched. Sweat-slick bodies ground together, and Piandao grabbed a handful of Jeong Jeong's rear as their cocks slid against each other.
Fire stormed all around them, and Piandao wondered again if this would kill him.
Jeong Jeong took the sword oil away from him, breaking the kiss to rest his forehead against Piandao's shoulder while he fumbled with the screw-cap. Piandao took the opportunity to wrap his hand around both their cocks, shuddering with not-quite pain as sparks spilled from Jeong Jeong's mouth.
He smelled cloves, and one oiled finger slid down the cleft of his ass. Piandao relaxed as Jeong Jeong pushed inside him. It had been years since he had done this with anyone, but his body remembered how better than his mind did.
He fisted their cocks, pulling down the length of Jeong Jeong's shaft, and his friend's knees buckled. Carefully, Piandao got them both kneeling on the bedroll, and Jeong Jeong slipped another finger inside him.
Piandao clutched hard enough to bruise and left kisses and bites across Jeong Jeong's shoulder. His friend's thrusts into his hand were getting harder, almost vicious. Every roll of his own hips, back against the fingers inside him, forward with his cock sliding against Jeong Jeong's, just goaded his friend all the more.
"Oil," Piandao said, pressing his mouth against Jeong Jeong's neck.
His friend lifted his head slightly, body tensing, and Piandao was so glad he knew how to bottom because Jeong Jeong wasn't in the slightest condition for it.
"Give me the oil," Piandao clarified. When Jeong Jeong did, he unwrapped his hand and spilled oil on it, then reached for his friend again.
Jeong Jeong shifted his head to kiss Piandao's throat, teeth and fire biting skin and leaving marks. He tilted his head up to give better access, closing his eyes at the brilliance of the fire all around them. Jeong Jeong was so hot their skin steamed where they touched, and Piandao couldn't not touch him, not now, and he thought Jeong Jeong might explode if he didn't.
He settled back slowly, letting Jeong Jeong's weight press him down on the bedroll. Jeong Jeong's arm shifted, fingers twisting inside Piandao as he pushed Piandao's leg up. Knee against his chest and with his friend's arm hot as a branding iron against his thigh, Piandao groaned as Jeong Jeong scissored his fingers inside him.
He hooked his ankle over Jeong Jeong's shoulder and tugged very lightly. "Come on. I'm not going to get more ready than this."
Sparks flared around the hand on his hip, and Jeong Jeong withdrew his fingers. He paused, staring down at Piandao as if he stood on the brink. He licked his lips, breath coming in deep pants, and Piandao reached out to touch his side.
Jeong Jeong surged forward against him, cock grinding against his ass. Piandao groaned and grabbed Jeong Jeong's hips bruisingly hard. He forced his friend to slow down, ignoring the sparks and needy little cries coming out of Jeong Jeong's mouth.
Slowly, he guided Jeong Jeong to press against him, then into him. Heat spiked through him, and his hands tightened on Jeong Jeong's hips. Slowly, slowly, his body remembered this, slowly...
His grip relaxed, and Jeong Jeong moved in him, and he shifted his hips to a better angle, and then-
And then.
"Harder," Piandao demanded, pushing back against Jeong Jeong.
Jeong Jeong obliged, and steam rose from their bodies. Piandao moaned, hands digging in hard; even over the roar of fire, he thought he heard Jeong Jeong's bones creak. But there was fire in his friend's mouth, sparks on his fingertips as he wrapped his hand around Piandao's cock.
Nothing burned him.
Yet.
Everything narrowed down, like it did in the bloodiest sorts of battles. One moment to the next, impressions of his nails digging into Jeong Jeong's skin, his friend pounding into him, steam rising from Jeong Jeong's back, thrusting into his friend's hand, him moaning and Jeong Jeong panting, every breath ragged and scalding.
Piandao came viciously hard, nails digging furrows in Jeong Jeong's flesh. His friend gasped as he tensed and shuddered. Fire licked out of Jeong Jeong's mouth, and in his next thrust-
The fires went out.
Jeong Jeong's weight settled heavily against him, and Piandao wrapped his arms around his friend. He held Jeong Jeong until he stopped shuddering, then tried to roll them both onto their sides. Jeong Jeong balked, and Piandao felt much too tired to argue. Besides, his friend was warm as a camp-fire, and the cave was cold.
***
Piandao woke to find himself covered in the bedroll's blankets. He cracked his eyes open, instinctively cuddling closer to the body-warmth next to him. The cave, being dry, had at least one thing up on several places Piandao had slept in the past, but it was still too damn cold.
"You're awake."
"Mm." Maybe. That depended on whether Jeong Jeong wanted another round or to kill him. Judging from the tone of voice, Piandao wasn't sure which.
Warm fingers ran over his loose hair. "I'm sorry."
Piandao lifted his head to look at Jeong Jeong. "For what?"
His friend blinked at him, looking taken aback by his expression. "Burning you. Yesterday."
"Oh, that." Piandao dropped his head back down on the bedroll. "Considering the bruises I gave you, I think I'm the one who owes an apology. But you owe me a set of clothes still, so I'll call it even."
-End-
Title: Always Go Too Far
Prompt: Poison
Characters: Jeong Jeong/Piandao, assorted random extras
Word Count: 3000+
Rating: NC-17
Summary: Three months after Admiral Jeong Jeong's desertion, Piandao finds him in an Earth Kingdom bar. Things go from there.
Author's Notes: This takes place ten years before canon, so Jeong Jeong is younger and more angry. Fun.
ETA: It occurs to me that I forgot to thank the people who made this fic possible. So, many thanks to xiaron, dark_puck, and invisiblemoose who gave me encouragement and help while I was working on this story.
---
Every impulse that we strive to strangle broods in the mind and poisons us.
~Oscar Wilde
***
Three months after Admiral Jeong Jeong deserted, Piandao found him in an Earth Kingdom bar. He looked like his wanted posters - high cheekbones enhanced by the bite-scars of a double-bladed sword near his right eye, salt-and-pepper hair pulled up in a soldier's topknot, facial hair neatly trimmed. But the wanted posters had not captured that sharp-edged slash that wasn't a smile, or the way his gold eyes seemed to glow in the dim light of the bar.
The bar was closer to the front than he would have liked if he had been the one on the run, Piandao thought.
A smoky haze filled the bar, rolls of Earth Kingdom tobacco in every hand but Jeong Jeong's. This area was hilly and steep, ill-suited to many kinds of crops but well-suited to growing tobacco. Some Fire Nation soldiers smoked it, but Piandao found he agreed with the majority of Firefolk in this - cloves packed in a pipe produced a much better, less foul-smelling smoke.
Thunder rolled in the distance, and Piandao took one last look outside at the dim grey sky before walking across the bar to Jeong Jeong.
"For a wanted man, you're not doing a very good job of staying alive," he said as he pulled out one of the empty barstools next to his friend.
Gold eyes slanted a glance at him. "Why? Did they send you?"
Something in Jeong Jeong's voice made Pianda wonder if he would survive saying yes. "No. I came on my own."
"Hn." Jeong Jeong took a long, slow drink from his glass, and Piandao noted how loose but not relaxed his friend's body was. Not entirely sober, but far from drunk.
"At least take down the topknot," Piandao said quietly and reached for the tie holding it in place.
Jeong Jeong's hand came up fast and sure, wrapping around his wrist, and the touch of the ex-Admiral's skin reminded him of a time many years ago when he'd been goaded into sticking his hand into a fire.
"No," Jeong Jeong said, and flame licked out with the word.
He held Piandao's wrist for a moment longer then released it. Piandao wasn't at all surprised to see his skin reddened and blistered where Jeong Jeong had grabbed him.
The mutter of conversation changed in the bar, and thunder rumbled more closely than before. Piandao felt the hostility directed towards them, could turn his neck ever so slightly to see most of the bar's occupants eyeing them. So could Jeong Jeong from the way his shoulders shifted and his breathing became much more noticeable.
Firebenders, Piandao thought and managed not to roll his eyes.
"We should leave," he said softly.
The slash that wasn't a smile widened on Jeong Jeong's face. "Why not?"
He stood and Piandao stood with him, and sparks spilled from his fingertips onto the ground. Piandao stomped them out and grabbed Jeong Jeong's hand, yanking the other man out of the bar before he got them both lynched.
***
Outside, the sky was dark, and the wind had picked up. The air felt charged and damp, and if Jeong Jeong hadn't felt bakingly hot to the touch, Piandao would have preferred to remain inside the bar until the storm passed. But skin-heat was just another symptom of whatever was making Jeong Jeong flare and burn.
He gave Jeong Jeong's hand a squeeze, and heat spiked in the other man, hot enough that smoke oozed between their fingers. But Jeong Jeong did not let go of him.
If anything he held on harder, blunt nails digging into the back of Piandao's hand.
"We need to find shelter before the storm hits," Piandao said.
Jeong Jeong turned on him abruptly, blocking the way, gold eyes ablaze and fire on his tongue. "Why did you come looking for me, Piandao?"
"You're my friend." Piandao chose his words carefully, trying to give as much of the truth as possible without hinting at the things he absolutely could not tell Jeong Jeong. "You've been bitter and unhappy, but this is- extreme. Even for you. Desertion is treason, Jeong Jeong, and you will be hunted for the rest of your life."
Fire, actual fire, flared around their clasped hands, and Piandao gritted his teeth. His flesh didn't scorch or sizzle, however, not like it would if this were a wild fire.
"Friendship isn't worth much in the Fire Nation," Jeong Jeong said, and the heat of the fire flared before going out. "Prince Iroh showed me that."
"I'm getting very tired of you doing that," Piandao said in a low voice, looking at his heat-reddened hand.
"Then try your steel against me, swordmaster." The sound of an inferno lurked in Jeong Jeong's voice, and Piandao almost reached back to draw his sword.
"We both know the outcome," he said instead. A pause, and then, "I'd win."
For a brief moment, Jeong Jeong actually smiled. Then thunder rolled and sparks spilled from his fingers, singing the grass under their feet. His smile vanished. "There are a lot of caves in these hills. I know one that will keep us dry."
***
They reached the cave just before the rain began to pour, Jeong Jeong still leading him by the hand. Inside the cave, it was cold enough to make him shiver, and so very dark. He turned to look behind him at the cave-entrance, watching the rain come down in sheets. It was almost as dark as night out there, but at least it was brighter than inside the cave.
He wasn't quite willing to bet it was warmer. Times like this made him wish he had been born a firebender; he knew Jeong Jeong didn't feel the cold.
Light flared, and he turned to see Jeong Jeong cupping a flame in his free hand. His eyes met Piandao's, bright as sin and burning as molten gold, and he looked starved.
Piandao automatically squeezed his hand to reassure him, or perhaps to remind his friend that he was stronger and more deadly than many firebenders. The flame cupped in Jeong Jeong's other hand flared, and heat pushed against him. Firebending without fire, and Jeong Jeong's lips peeled back in a snarl as Piandao refused to flinch.
He thought Jeong Jeong would be so much more upset if he realized he was enjoying the heat.
They stood like that for several long moments. Piandao listened to the pouring rain outside and thought of nothing in particular as he held Jeong Jeong's eyes.
Thunder boomed with a strike of lightning, illuminating the cave in one stark flash.
The fire in Jeong Jeong's hand flashed to lightning for the space of a heartbeat then back to red flame.
"Come," Jeong Jeong ordered, turning to draw Piandao deeper into the cave. The way was smooth under their feet, and in the light from Jeong Jeong's flame, Piandao could see graffiti soot-stains on the ceilings and high sides of hanging stalactites. They walked too fast for Piandao to read more than a character here and there, then Jeong Jeong drew him around a twist in the tunnel out of sight from the cave-mouth and candles flared.
Piandao stopped, dumbfounded. Candles surrounded a single bedroll in expanding rings. All shapes and sizes, many mostly burnt, fat drops of wax oozed down their sides and slowly melting again.
Jeong Jeong dropped his hand and strode in among the candles, whose flames leapt and danced around him.
"Fire loves you," Piandao commented as he dropped his pack near a tunnel wall.
The candle-flames flared incandescent, and Piandao found himself slammed up against the opposite wall. Jeong Jeong's hand pushed hard against his shoulder, fire blazing around it but not burning Piandao's clothes, and his friend stood so close that Piandao could feel each ragged exhale of scalding steam against his face.
Piandao was going to beat him black and blue if this had damaged his sword.
That starved look came over Jeong Jeong's face again, and his hand smoked and fisted in the material of Piandao's tunic. He surged forward in a kiss, body pressed hard against Piandao's, arousal grinding against Piandao's hip. His mouth was burning-hot against Piandao's, candle-flames roaring to the ceiling.
The kiss was more teeth than lips, hungry, and Piandao responded to it, hard hands settling on Jeong Jeong's waist and yanking him closer.
It wasn't enough. Jeong Jeong's fingers scraped through his hair, burned off the tie holding his topknot, then tangled in his loose hair. Piandao felt prickles of sweat run along his hairline, saw heat-distortion when he opened his eyes.
He wondered if this would kill him. It would be annoying if it did - Jeong Jeong didn't need more reasons to hate his own bending.
He pushed his hands up and down Jeong Jeong's sides, then attacked the belt holding his rust-brown tunic in place. It was difficult but well-worth the effort, and he broke the kiss to give a little 'hah!' of triumph.
Jeong Jeong grinned with far too many teeth and burned Piandao's clothes to ash.
"I needed those, you know." Piandao smiled, amused that all he still had on was his sheathed sword across his back. Jeong Jeong had some sense of self-preservation, at least.
"I'll get you new ones," Jeong Jeong promised as he pulled back to stare at Piandao.
Piandao accepted the staring - they had never seen each other naked before, after all. Jeong Jeong hadn't even had a chance to see Piandao shirtless in an Agni Kai. He was scarred, weapons-scars for the most part, though some of the stabs and slashes had come from earthbenders. Even a Fire Nation soldier could not pick out which was which, though.
The candle-flames spun in streams, forking and branching. Some didn't look like they were actually attached to a candle anymore.
Jeong Jeong stared, and Piandao ached to be touched by hands as intense as those gold eyes.
"How can you be so perfect?" Jeong Jeong murmured, and Piandao was once again reminded that his friend had a twisted view on the world.
It was only to be expected from a firebender who hated-loved fire, but Piandao wished it would limit itself to fire.
"You have too many clothes on," he said instead of anything else.
Jeong Jeong bared his teeth, the expression too sharp and mocking for Piandao to call it a grin. He stepped forward, and Piandao allowed himself to be pushed against the cave-wall again. Rough, cool stone dug into his back, and hot hands with flames that did not burn roamed over his body. He pressed into some caresses and ignored others, and when Jeong Jeong wrapped a hand around his cock, he reached down to squeeze his friend's hand tighter.
Jeong Jeong gripped hard enough it hurt more than a little, but then he moved his hand fast and still hard and it felt damn good more than a lot. Piandao panted raggedly and dragged his friend into a kiss. Jeong Jeong's free hand tangled in his hair, and he tore at his friend's clothes, ripping frogs free from the material and wishing he'd been carrying a knife so he could just cut Jeong Jeong out of these too damn complicated clothes.
Eventually, he shoved the shirt down around Jeong Jeong's arms and rubbed his palms over his friend's chest and stomach. He couldn't concentrate enough to do much more while they kissed and Jeong Jeong held his cock. He shifted, pressed his thigh to rub against Jeong Jeong's erection, and the candles exploded.
Piandao broke the kiss. "Sword oil."
"Mm?"
"Sword oil. In my pack." He pressed his thigh up harder. "Do you want me or not?"
"Yes." Jeong Jeong's fingers dug into his scalp, and Piandao pulled him into another kiss. It was several long minutes before they could even begin to reluctantly disentangle themselves, and several more before Piandao could step away and find the sword oil in his pack.
Piandao turned back, jar in hand, and paused.
In the few moments his back had been turned, Jeong Jeong had shed his clothes. His friend stood naked, firelight and fire dancing over his bare skin. He was scarred - burn scars from Agni Kais, weapon and earth scars from soldiering. Piandao had been there at Jagedai when the arrow left the knotted scar in Jeong Jeong's shoulder, had watched the Agni Kai that gave him the net-shaped burn scars on his left side.
"Bedroll?" Piandao suggested.
Jeong Jeong nodded, and the flames filling the cave tunnel roiled back, pressing against the walls to create a clear space.
Even with Jeong Jeong holding back the fire and heat, Piandao was slick with sweat when he stepped on the bedroll. Then Jeong Jeong crashed into him, arms wrapping around him, a fist closing around the scabbard of his sword. His mouth was hot, and surely there was fire when their tongues touched. Sweat-slick bodies ground together, and Piandao grabbed a handful of Jeong Jeong's rear as their cocks slid against each other.
Fire stormed all around them, and Piandao wondered again if this would kill him.
Jeong Jeong took the sword oil away from him, breaking the kiss to rest his forehead against Piandao's shoulder while he fumbled with the screw-cap. Piandao took the opportunity to wrap his hand around both their cocks, shuddering with not-quite pain as sparks spilled from Jeong Jeong's mouth.
He smelled cloves, and one oiled finger slid down the cleft of his ass. Piandao relaxed as Jeong Jeong pushed inside him. It had been years since he had done this with anyone, but his body remembered how better than his mind did.
He fisted their cocks, pulling down the length of Jeong Jeong's shaft, and his friend's knees buckled. Carefully, Piandao got them both kneeling on the bedroll, and Jeong Jeong slipped another finger inside him.
Piandao clutched hard enough to bruise and left kisses and bites across Jeong Jeong's shoulder. His friend's thrusts into his hand were getting harder, almost vicious. Every roll of his own hips, back against the fingers inside him, forward with his cock sliding against Jeong Jeong's, just goaded his friend all the more.
"Oil," Piandao said, pressing his mouth against Jeong Jeong's neck.
His friend lifted his head slightly, body tensing, and Piandao was so glad he knew how to bottom because Jeong Jeong wasn't in the slightest condition for it.
"Give me the oil," Piandao clarified. When Jeong Jeong did, he unwrapped his hand and spilled oil on it, then reached for his friend again.
Jeong Jeong shifted his head to kiss Piandao's throat, teeth and fire biting skin and leaving marks. He tilted his head up to give better access, closing his eyes at the brilliance of the fire all around them. Jeong Jeong was so hot their skin steamed where they touched, and Piandao couldn't not touch him, not now, and he thought Jeong Jeong might explode if he didn't.
He settled back slowly, letting Jeong Jeong's weight press him down on the bedroll. Jeong Jeong's arm shifted, fingers twisting inside Piandao as he pushed Piandao's leg up. Knee against his chest and with his friend's arm hot as a branding iron against his thigh, Piandao groaned as Jeong Jeong scissored his fingers inside him.
He hooked his ankle over Jeong Jeong's shoulder and tugged very lightly. "Come on. I'm not going to get more ready than this."
Sparks flared around the hand on his hip, and Jeong Jeong withdrew his fingers. He paused, staring down at Piandao as if he stood on the brink. He licked his lips, breath coming in deep pants, and Piandao reached out to touch his side.
Jeong Jeong surged forward against him, cock grinding against his ass. Piandao groaned and grabbed Jeong Jeong's hips bruisingly hard. He forced his friend to slow down, ignoring the sparks and needy little cries coming out of Jeong Jeong's mouth.
Slowly, he guided Jeong Jeong to press against him, then into him. Heat spiked through him, and his hands tightened on Jeong Jeong's hips. Slowly, slowly, his body remembered this, slowly...
His grip relaxed, and Jeong Jeong moved in him, and he shifted his hips to a better angle, and then-
And then.
"Harder," Piandao demanded, pushing back against Jeong Jeong.
Jeong Jeong obliged, and steam rose from their bodies. Piandao moaned, hands digging in hard; even over the roar of fire, he thought he heard Jeong Jeong's bones creak. But there was fire in his friend's mouth, sparks on his fingertips as he wrapped his hand around Piandao's cock.
Nothing burned him.
Yet.
Everything narrowed down, like it did in the bloodiest sorts of battles. One moment to the next, impressions of his nails digging into Jeong Jeong's skin, his friend pounding into him, steam rising from Jeong Jeong's back, thrusting into his friend's hand, him moaning and Jeong Jeong panting, every breath ragged and scalding.
Piandao came viciously hard, nails digging furrows in Jeong Jeong's flesh. His friend gasped as he tensed and shuddered. Fire licked out of Jeong Jeong's mouth, and in his next thrust-
The fires went out.
Jeong Jeong's weight settled heavily against him, and Piandao wrapped his arms around his friend. He held Jeong Jeong until he stopped shuddering, then tried to roll them both onto their sides. Jeong Jeong balked, and Piandao felt much too tired to argue. Besides, his friend was warm as a camp-fire, and the cave was cold.
***
Piandao woke to find himself covered in the bedroll's blankets. He cracked his eyes open, instinctively cuddling closer to the body-warmth next to him. The cave, being dry, had at least one thing up on several places Piandao had slept in the past, but it was still too damn cold.
"You're awake."
"Mm." Maybe. That depended on whether Jeong Jeong wanted another round or to kill him. Judging from the tone of voice, Piandao wasn't sure which.
Warm fingers ran over his loose hair. "I'm sorry."
Piandao lifted his head to look at Jeong Jeong. "For what?"
His friend blinked at him, looking taken aback by his expression. "Burning you. Yesterday."
"Oh, that." Piandao dropped his head back down on the bedroll. "Considering the bruises I gave you, I think I'm the one who owes an apology. But you owe me a set of clothes still, so I'll call it even."
-End-