Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

“Jay?” Lloyd calls nearly fifteen minutes into trying to track down the man.

“Lloyd?” A thankfully familiar voice responds before Jay is appearing, stepping out from behind a curtain separating what is probably a sort of office from the rest of the storefront.

“Yeah,” Lloyd responds dumbly. “Would, uh… Would you happen to be heading out? Like right now?”

Jay laughs, bright and kind. “For the man of the hour? I can be, give me ten,” He says before turning and walking away.

It’s only once he’s gone that Kai can’t contain himself any longer. “Who is that guy? How do you know him? Why were those soldiers after you? Why did you lie about being a firebender?”

Lloyd chews on his lip, a habit his father has always despised. “I’ll explain everything once we’re out of here, I promise. For now, thank you so much for everything. If you want to go your own way, I won’t hold it against you.”

“No way, kid,” He says instantly, “Whatever this is about, I’m already pretty invested.”

“We’re in it for the long haul, Lloyd,” Nya tells him, earning her a sigh of relief. Her resoluteness when knowing what’s actually happening here eases his building guilt about dragging Kai into a mess far bigger than he asked for. The siblings have plenty of differences, but their values align more frequently than not. If Nya’s sticking around, Lloyd doubts Kai wouldn’t readily do the same.

“Okay,” Lloyd says behind the smallest but most earnest smile he has to offer, “The short version is that Jay is who smuggled me out of the Fire Islands and I severely doubt he’s who outed me. I haven’t known him long, but I trust him to get us somewhere safe.”

“Alright then,” Nya agrees.

It’s then that an elderly woman pokes her head into the room. “Jay’s ready for you on dock four, dears,” She says before disappearing again. The trio exchange a glance before heading out, ready to sail to nowhere in particular other than away from here.

—

“I’m surprised you stuck around Yu Dao, if I’m honest,” Jay admits from behind the ship’s steering wheel, “Thought you would have gotten farther before trying to settle down.”

“Yeah, probably not the smartest move,” Lloyd confesses, “I don’t regret it, though.” Glancing at Kai and Nya may not be subtle, but it’s earnest and Lloyd’s pretty awful at staying under the radar, anyway.

“Where are we going?” Nya asks.

“Merchants’ Pier,” Jay supplies, “We had a shipment ready to head out so I said I’d take it early. We’ll arrive around nightfall and can figure out a plan from there.”

“We?” Kai echoes, “I thought you were just our getaway driver,” He jokes.

“I mean, I can be, but if His Royal Highness is gonna keep needing transport, I’m down to stick around.”

“Wait, what?!” Kai gasps, gaze snapping back to Lloyd.

“Uh… Surprise?”

“Damn, assumed he knew, my bad,” Jay apologizes.

“It’s fine, I wasn’t sure how to tell him, anyway.”

With Kai still visibly reeling, Nya asks, “Does Jay know?”

“Know what?”

Lloyd’s whole face twists as he debates how to go about this. Kai deserves to know, probably Jay too, but Lloyd doesn’t like thinking about it, and he definitely doesn’t want to talk about it. Still, putting it off is what got him in this situation in the first place. Taking a deep breath, he steadies himself. “So I might be the avatar.”

“What?!?!!” Jay nearly shrieks.

“What do you mean ‘Might’?” Nya asks teasingly.

Lloyd sighs, “I’m trying not to think about it too much.”

“Hold on,” Kai starts, “You’re telling me the Crown Prince of the Fire Nation has been crashing on my couch for the past week AND is the avatar??? I need to sit down.”

Nya rolls her eyes. “You are sitting.”

A beat passes before Jay quietly asks, “Is that why you ran?” Lloyd only nods, either unable or unwilling to speak, maybe both. Jay only hums sympathetically before returning his attention to sailing their ship.

The four of them sit in silence neither awkward nor comfortable for several minutes before Kai speaks up. “So what now?”

“I don’t know.” Lloyd admits softly, pulling his knees to his chest.

“Well I do,” Nya starts, gaining the group’s apt attention, “Come on, do none of you guys know the avatar cycle? Water, earth, fire, air – it’s the order the avatar is reincarnated in.”

“I know that much,” Jay says.

“It’s also the order they’re supposed to learn the elements in,” Nya says like it's obvious.

“Okay… So air’s next?” Kai starts picking up what his sister’s putting down.

“It would be,” Lloyd bemoans, “If airbenders weren’t extinct and I wasn’t a lousy excuse for a firebender.”

Kai blinks. “Dude, if you need help with firebending, I can teach you.”

“Me too,” Jay pipes up, earning something approximating a glare from Kai, “Or not.” He surrenders, raising his hands. “I’m also not great with fire. If you want to learn lightning, though, I’m your guy.”

Jay hadn’t mentioned he was a bender their first night together, but Lloyd’s attention is more drawn to the latter half of his comment. “Lightning?” He repeats, not even trying to keep the awe out of his voice.

“Oh yeah.” Jay confirms, raising a hand and creating a jolt of lightning between his thumb and pointer finger, fiddling with it as he continues. “Apparently it's pretty rare but I’m way better with it than I’ve ever been with traditional flames.”

“That’s really impressive,” Nya tells him.

“Thanks.” Jay smiles brightly, and – despite everything – Lloyd doesn’t feel so bad about whatever comes next.

—

Pulling into Merchant’s Pier right at sunset, the group swiftly unloads. “I have a contact who runs an inn, they’ll give us a room for the night,” Jay says.

“Contact?” Lloyd questions.

“What exactly is it that you do, anyway?”

Jay cocks his head to the side. “These days mostly sailing and trade, but I’m also an inventor, poet, smuggler,... You name it, really.”

“And you know someone willing to give us a room for free?” Kai asks doubtfully.

That gets a laugh out of Jay. “Not for free, no, but enough of a discount that I got it covered. Now come on.” He waves them toward the largest building this side of the road and walks right in.

Following his lead, Lloyd enters to find a modestly sized lobby, vacant minus a kid lounging in a chair behind the counter. “Gami!!” Jay greets loudly, getting the kid’s attention.

“Jay?” The boy puts down the scrolls he had been reading. “Didn’t expect to see you again so soon!”

“It was a bit spontaneous, I’ll admit,” Jay says, smiling, “Is your dad around?”

Coming around the counter and giving Jay a sideways hug, ‘Gami’ says. “He should be back from the market any minute, need a place to crash?”

“Something like that.” Jay gives the kid an affectionate squeeze before playfully pushing him away. “Unagami, these are my friends Lloyd, Nya, and Kai,” He says, gesturing to each of them in turn. “Gang, this is Unagami.”

“Nice to meet you,” Lloyd waves.

“Well would you look what the tide brought in this time,” An unfamiliar voice sounds from behind Lloyd, but the teasing tone is enough to keep him from falling into a defensive stance as he turns to face the stranger. “And he’s not alone!” The older man notes, passing the trio and heading right towards Jay. “Finally got yourself a crew?” He asks, glancing back at them with a wide smile.

“You could say that,” Jay dodges, returning the man’s earnest grin. “It’s nice to see you, Dyer.”

“You as well, though I imagine this isn’t just a social visit?”

“If you happened to have a spare room or two, my friends and I would be very appreciative.”

Dyer hums, “50% off plus tip appreciative?”

“Make it 60 and I’ll take a look at your latest project,” Jay counters.

“Deal.” The elder agrees, shaking Jay’s hand. Turning to who must be his son, Dyer calls, “Can you get our guests the keys to room 7B?”

“On it!” Unagami says, ducking back behind the counter.

“Just the one night?” Dyer asks.

“We’re not sure yet, I’ll have an answer for you in the morning, you can ring us out then.”

“Sounds good, my boy.” Dyer says, clapping Jay’s shoulder.

“Your keys.” Unagami offers to Lloyd, apparently opting to give his dad and Jay their space.

“Thank you.” The boy smiles before spinning around and walking off again. Weird kid, Lloyd thinks, not that he has much experience, though.

The room Dyer had given them is small for four people, in Lloyd’s opinion, but he’s never exactly stayed in an inn before. There are two beds that could accommodate two people — if they didn’t value personal space — and a couch.

“So what’s the plan?” Jay asks the second Kai closes the door behind them.

“Kai and I can share a bed and you two can arm wrestle for the spare,” Nya suggests.

Jay huffs amusedly, “I don’t mind the couch, but I meant a bit more broadly, like what are our next steps?”

“I teach Lloyd firebending and you’re also there.” Kai says, flopping down on one of the beds.

Jay sighs, “Long term, guys. You know you were declared missing three days ago, right?” He asks Lloyd.

“I didn’t,” He says numbly.

“So what are we doing about it?” Jay prompts, slowly but surely losing his patience, “It only took them a couple days to find you the first time, how long are you needing to stay away?”

Lloyd exhales, collapsing in on himself. “Forever, probably.”

A beat. “I don’t know how realistic that is, Lloyd,” Nya says gently.

“It’s my only option.” Turning back to Jay, he asks frantically, “They don’t know I’m the avatar, do they?”

“Don’t think so, but I’m not sure.”

“I doubt it,” Kai pipes up, “General Assface would’ve brought more than three men if he had that sort of intel.” A sigh of relief escapes Lloyd, his uncle hadn’t told anyone, or at least not the public.

“Okay, we need to keep it secret for as long as possible.”

“Lloyd?” Nya asks, concern evident in the lone syllable.

“The Fire Nation can’t know. I’ll never be safe there if they find out.” At the confusion on his new friends’ faces, Lloyd sighs. “I’ve seen the orders,” He starts, struggling to get his voice to obey him, “‘Should the avatar ever return, they are to be killed on sight.’”

“What?!!?!” All three of them shout.

“But you’re the prince!!”

Lloyd scoffs at that. “If anything, they’d be grateful for a reason to remove me from the line of succession. I’m not exactly well-liked.”

“That doesn’t mean the people would stand for it,” Kai tells him sternly.

Meeting his gaze, Lloyd doesn’t relent. “I’m a shit prince. Shit at politics, shit at strategy, shit at firebending, the list goes on. No one in that palace wants me on that throne, least of all my father.”

No one knows how to respond, Lloyd’s words seeping into the air. “He’d really do that to his own son?” Jay asks quietly, and – remembering all the rumors surrounding his cousin’s death, about how it wasn’t an accident at all – there’s no doubt in Lloyd’s mind. He knows in his heart and in his gut that yes, his father is more than capable of giving the order, of killing his own kin.