Chapter Text
Jae breathed heavily in the steamy air of the shower while his back pressed against the wet wall. He was sore and sleepy from all the long shifts he’d been doing lately, but the warmth of the shower really was helping a little. Hot water trickled through his dark bangs and down his face and neck.
Datu shifted his grip, re-settling Jae against his own hips. He leaned forward so his forehead bumped Jae’s collarbone while his lips teased Jae’s right nipple and sucked.
Jae groaned and then whined, “Datu, we’re both tired…”
In answer, Datu pulled back his hips ever so slightly, drawing his cock out from Jae’s tight, wet entrance, before shoving back inside.
Jae moaned as a wave of pleasure went through him, and he squeezed even tighter around his boyfriend.
“We both have shifts later,” Datu said, “and I haven’t seen you in ages. And if I let you go without tiring you out so you sleep, I just know you’re going to sneak out the door and head into the Harshlands, even though we both know it’s a bad idea.” He sucked Jae’s nipple into his mouth.
Jae squeezed his ankles around Datu’s broad back and hugged his arms tighter around Datu’s neck.
This had largely begun when Jae got off shift, showed up at Datu’s door, and said, “I’m going to go searching for Uki and the other benders. We can’t sit around waiting for the other Havens to show up to help.” He’d been sitting on the unrest among the Bending Brigade all day, and didn’t have any other ideas.
Datu had been pulling his armor off and frowned at him. “You know that’s a bad idea. It’s dangerous out in the Harshlands! There are storms and all kinds of unknown animals, and with the Bending Brigade low on warm bodies because of the raids and the Anomaly rocks, you barely have anyone in any condition to help you if you need it!”
“I just hate sitting around doing nothing!” Jae said as he paced near the door. He knew part of this was weariness. But while Kayoko promised she’d reached out to the other Havens and help was coming, people were still missing. Those affected by the Anomaly in the hospital were even more of a mess after the explosion, and Jae knew nothing about energybending or whatever Karthik was excited about in regard to the twins.
Jae’s squad had been assigned mandatory time off, at least for a little, to rest. He didn’t think it was because he’d spoken to Kayoko, but more because he’d emphasized that Lan in particular was exhausted, and demoralized after what happened to Tala. They didn’t need more injuries.
“Who knows what’s happening to Uki out there?” Jae demanded. He already felt horrible staying in Ellora while Uki was going through who knew what. “I’ve been out there before and I came back…” With Pavi’s help…
“So what,” Datu said as he stepped closer, “you’re going to take the Avatars into the Harshlands with you? Two nine-year-olds to face raiders?”
Jae’s face burned. “They’ve fought the Faceless with me before.” Though Jae wasn’t happy about it. For all he would have stepped in too, were he in their shoes, that didn’t change the fact that it was risky and neither of them were trained in that kind of fighting. Though he knew it would change with time, especially if the Faceless kept whittling down Ellora’s defenses.
“You can’t be serious,” Datu said, close now. “Jae, you’re exhausted. You’ve got circles under your eyes.” Datu reached out to gently rub them, making Jae look away in embarrassment.
Jae put a hand to his face. “I’ve been busy…”
“I can tell,” Datu said. “But you’re supposed to be resting before your next shift, not pacing holes in my floor.”
“Do you need to sleep?” Jae asked, worried he was bothering Datu. Maybe Datu actually wanted some space with everything happened, even if they’d talked and were still talking things out. “I can leave you alone—”
“No,” Datu said with a smile as he reached out to hold Jae’s shoulders. “I want you to stay. But maybe we could take a shower together? If you’re still worried you smell?”
“Do I really smell?!” Jae asked in alarm. “You said I didn’t!”
“That was a while ago,” Datu said with a soft smile and a considered and perhaps slightly worried look. “Come on. Let’s go de-stink.” Datu tugged him towards the shower, and started undoing Jae’s uniform.
What had started as Datu carefully removing all of their clothes - with Jae helping a little every now and then so that Datu would stop fussing - had turned into kisses and caresses and Datu pressing him against the wall in the shower while the hot spray poured down on them.
Jae moved his hands along Datu’s muscular back and arms, feeling the delicious lines of his boyfriend. Since they hadn’t seen each other for long in a while, Jae hadn’t gotten to work out with him in a bit, and Jae missed it. And Jae hadn’t been able to do as many check-ins as he wanted about the whole, “Yeah, the Avatar is real,” thing, to see where Datu’s head was.
But Datu seemed happy and was kissing just about every part of Jae that he could reach, whether it was the curve of Jae’s neck or the back of his reddening ears, or the top of his biceps and his fingertips.
Jae had smiled fondly and reached down to cup Datu’s cock, making Datu murmur against him. “Missing me?” Jae asked. This was all better than the worried frustration Jae had seen recently, or the fear, which hadn’t returned as much after their conversation. And Jae wanted it to stay gone and go farther away if it was sticking around.
“You know I am,” Datu said. “I miss getting lunch and seeing you airbend all around the haven.” he leaned against Jae’s neck as Jae stroked him. “Mmm… I miss hearing you hum while you check things off your to-do list.”
“Datu…” Jae murmured. He hadn’t felt like singing much lately. He was too busy with everything.
“Do you want something, Jae?” Datu asked as his hands lowered teasingly by Jae’s hips. “Have you been missing me, too?”
“I always miss you,” Jae said, feeling how hard Datu was now. “And I want…” His face burned. “I want you inside me.”
“You just had to say,” Datu said with a grin. He reached out to grasp Jae’s left thigh, pulling it up so that water dripped down Jae’s legs towards his crotch. Datu cupped falling water in his hands before pressing towards Jae’s hole, letting the water soak the tight muscle there.
Jae bit his lip and tried not to fidget with his right leg. More hot water collected in Datu’s palm, flowing around his fingers and even a little inside Jae’s body… “Datu, stop teasing me…”
“But you’re so handsome when I do,” Datu said, seemingly uncaring. He pressed two fingers deeper inside Jae. “It’s addictive.”
Jae pulled Datu’s neck closer, so that Jae could press his face into the curve of Datu’s neck. “Datu, please.”
Datu was relentless, just fucking his fingers in and out of Jae’s hole, even humming quietly against Jae’s cheek, as if he had all the time in the world.
“Datu if you don’t fuck me soon, I swear,” Jae said, with promise, pushing against Datu’s fingers. “I’m going to bend this water in a way you won’t like.”
“You’re an airbender, though,” Datu teased.
“And you’ve seen me airbend water,” Jae retorted.
“Neither of us is getting clean at this rate,” Datu lamented as he withdrew his fingers. Then he obliged Jae’s impatience by slowly pressing forward and holding his cock up.
Jae pressed forward against Datu, shutting his eyes against the shower spray as Datu pressed inside him. Jae raised his right leg to wrap around Datu’s hips, encouraging him forward.
“At least I know you’re still flexible,” Datu said with a clear grin in his voice.
“I need you already,” Jae said in frustration. “Would you move those hips of yours?”
Datu chuckled and said, “Someone’s sure full of demands today.”
“You were trembling in my hands earlier,” Jae said. “You want this more than I do.”
“You’re not wrong,” Datu noted. “You feel good around me. I missed this.” Datu thrust deeper, making Jae sit up a little, and press his back against the wall.
Jae looked down, watching where Datu’s cock disappeared inside him as Datu moved back and forth, thrusting his hips hard to shove deep inside of Jae’s body.
Datu leaned forward to press his lips to Jae’s left nipple, sucking on it in time with his thrusts. His left hand teased Jae’s right nipple.
Jae wasn’t usually one to get into this kind of teasing, but it had been a while since they’d been able to do more than just making out, and he shivered under Datu’s tongue and tugging fingers. He buried his own fingers in Datu’s dark hair, lightly tugging. He didn’t want to stop Datu from what he was doing, he just needed something to hold onto. His heels dug into Datu’s muscular back.
When Datu pulled away, he said, “Your injury from that firebender looks a lot better.” He gently moved his hands over the spot on Jae’s chest where his uniform hadn’t caught the blast from the Faceless firebender. It had hurt a lot, but now was barely a bruise.
“It doesn’t really hurt anymore,” Jae said. It had hurt when he’d gotten it, and a while after. But he’d had other things to focus on.
“I don’t like your working through pain,” Datu said, sounding worried. “Kayoko should have called the other havens for help sooner.”
“I got off light,” Jae said. “It’s okay. Uki’s the one who’s captured.” And I couldn’t save her. “And what’s done is done.”
Datu leaned forward to press his lips to Jae’s, making Jae shut his eyes. His thrusts increased in pace, making Jae moan into Datu’s mouth.
They felt like one being now, connected, sharing breaths, pressed together everywhere they could. Jae could only think of Datu against him: powerful, tall, hungry for everything Jae had to give him.
Datu broke the kiss to pepper Jack’s jaw and neck with kisses, sucking on the wet skin of Jae’s collarbone before moving down to Jae’s right nipple, letting his fingers pluck at Jae’s wet left nipple. He never stopped thrusting.
Jae pulled a hand back to squeeze himself, trying to match Datu’s pace while muttering Datu’s name. He was so close….
Datu spread his fingers, groping Jae’s skin before traveling downward to cup Jae’s ass and then hike Jae’s left thigh up higher, giving him even more room to fuck inside Jae’s body.
Jae yelped as his cock spilled over his fingers, and a wave of pleasure hit him in a rush, splattering come on the ground below them.
Datu murmured, “Jae,” against Jae’s chest, before coming inside, leaking out of Jae’s stuffed ass.
Jae felt wet and full and distant as water spilled over his toes. He pet Datu’s hair and then carded the wet strands, wishing this could last forever. Wishing he didn’t have to go to his next shift, to see more tired benders, more risks of injury. He’d been lucky he hadn’t been targeted by the Faceless. Datu was lucky the Faceless mostly avoided the nonbenders.
One nightmare Jae had was that he’d find Datu’s face under one of those masks, opposing the haven. In the nightmare, he’d failed to protect his whole squad, the twins… He was alone and all his wrong decisions were coming to punish him for good.
But here, now, Datu murmured soothing nothings between them, and the water and air were warm. Jae soaked in the moment.
“We could dry off and continue in the bedroom,” Datu said.
Jae nodded, grateful Datu was pushing for more. Jae wasn’t tired yet.
“You should sleep well tonight,” Datu said. “If I let you sleep.” There was promise there.
Jae knew Datu was doing this to get him to sleep and not put himself in more danger, and Jae appreciated it. Although Jae felt there was more to do, and even with everything coming apart around them, Datu was such a rock. He always had more questions, but in moments like this, they were still them: the two boys who’d fallen in love and clung to each other, tightly, for warmth, in a world that made it difficult to cling to anything.
“We could stay in the shower for a bit, too,” Datu said. “I like being inside you here.”
Jae’s face heated and he nodded. “Just a bit. Then you can twist me all around that bed, okay?”
“Deal,” Datu said before moving in for another kiss.