Rated: T

I do not own Avatar: The Last Airbender.

[Comments and reviews are highly appreciated].

"Seriously Katara…just admit it, we're lost," a young warrior pants while chopping loose branches out of his way with his knife. "and I am sick and tired of all these stupid trees!" Sokka continues to slice through as many tree limbs as he can find in his anti-nature rampage.

Turning around from her leading position, his sister stops walking and starts talking as level-headedly as possible, "calm down Sokka, we just have to find the right path."

"Yeah Sokka, lighten up," says a seemingly younger boy, the Avatar, as his pet lemur sits on his shoulder.

"Hmph," the watertribesman huffs while sheathing his knife due to a sudden clearing in the woodland.

Light streams in from the skies above as rays leak onto the forest floor, weaving in between the layers of leaves that cascade above. The entire scene smells of soil and moisture as evidence of a previous rainstorm remains on the barks of the trees and on the ground. Winding alongside the group is a calming river, which bends and turns around the trees ultimately blending in with the surrounding foliage. A strong gust of wind whips through the alley of oak trees, sending shivers and leaves alike across the skin of the three young kids.

"This place is beautiful," states Katara as she looks upward at the seemingly endless treetops. "These trees look like they go on for ever."

A sudden surge of updraft radiates from beside the young waterbender as Aang's entire body flies upward toward the lowest tree limb. Trailing under each of his leaps is a quick and precise gust of air propelling him higher and higher up the tall tree.

"Aang!" yells Katara, who's left rooted to the soil, "be careful!"

"Show off…" mutters Sokka as he kneels on the ground, examining a berry bush as a possible source of much needed food.

Vaulting from limb to limb, the airbender quickly makes his way upward towards the tallest branch, which provides an excellent vantage point of the entire forest. The blazing star hangs highest in the sky, leaving a blanket of heat trapped above the cover of foliage. Focusing his eyes further down the canopies, he spots something peculiar.

"Hey guys," Aang yells below as his voice cascades across the trunks of the trees, "you guys 'gotta come see this!"

Thinking to himself first then making his thoughts public knowledge, Sokka turns to his sister, "how does he expect us to get all the way up there?"

Before he can get a solid answer, Katara's out of view in a surge of water and uplift. Working like an elevator, water gushes from the nearby river upwards towards the young waterbending fueling her ascent towards the treetops.

Great…looks like I'm on my own.

Taking his knife out of his waist holster, he readies it tightly in his right hand. Eyeing up the tree directly in front of him, he quickly jabs the blade into the trunk with a successful slicing sound. Wrapping his legs and free hand around the tree, he attempts to replant the blade higher up. Dislodging the blade proves easy at first, with Sokka moving steadily higher and higher up the oak tree.

Cockiness radiates over his face as a sense of overconfidence takes over his muscles. Attempting to jab the knife a little too far up makes him loose his footing on a smooth patch of bark, sending him spastically trying to gain his balance. No more than twenty feet above the ground, the watertribesman starts falling towards it. Not met with a sudden rush of pain as he previously envisioned, Sokka is instead left suspended in the air. Hovering above the ground in the presence of two strong arms, Sokka's own arms and legs relax with a sense of security.

What the…

"Next time you try and climb a tree," the mysteriously heroic voice starts off, "make sure you bring some rope."

The sun moves from behind a cloud and the wandering rays of light catch on fragments of the young boy's armor; letting the material glisten while showing its battle dents. A sudden smell of timber emerges from the boy's person, leaving Sokka's thoughts distractingly absent. A mess of jet-black hair rests on a smiling face as loose strands fall victim to the wind, they twirl helplessly in the elements.

"Uh…" Sokka's mouth refuses to work and instead of feasible words, produces a long stutter.

"The name's Jet," the young boy says cheerfully again, this time with a wider smile. "It seems like I came right in the knick of time too."

A small laugh escapes the watertribesman's throat as he responds feebly, "yeah."

Silence sweeps over the pair as no more words are spoken, causing the scene to be overtaken by the surrounding noises of nature. Each part of the whole interacting with one another, breathing as one—like multiple parts of the same organism.

"Hey," Jet jolts Sokka, with a twinge of sternness in his voice, "I can't carry you forever ya' know…"

Shaken into reality, Sokka's leg begins to move with energy as Jet props them upright on solid ground. Rubbing the back his neck, Sokka's eyes refuse to meet his makeshift rescuer.

Looking straight at Sokka, Jet plucks a single stem out of the ground and places it in his mouth. "So…" he starts off moving to lean against a nearby tree, "if you don't mind me asking, who might you be?"

Taking a few seconds to conjure his response Sokka's icy blue eyes finally meet the woodman's hazel colored ones, "It's Sokka."

"Sokka, huh, that doesn't sound like a usual name around these parts." Jet's eyebrows lift higher on his forehead as his mind turns.

"We're…" Sokka's right arm starts rubbing over his left one in a sense of anxiety, "travelers."

"Where 'ya headed?" the charismatic young boy says with cheeriness and curiosity. A little too much if you ask Sokka.

Wind gusts up scattered leaves over the forest floor and they flutter upwards in a semi-vortex of air.

"North." Hoping his short answers wouldn't tick off his helpful—and somewhat attractive—savior.

A sound of accordance leaves Jet's mouth as he straightens his posture and steps closer to Sokka. The air between them suddenly turns stagnant, due to Sokka's lungs requiring more oxygen to keep from going light headed.

"I actually should be getting back to my friends…" the watertribesman manages to squeak out due to the presence of Jet—no more than a few feet away.

Looking one way towards the river and then the other way towards the rows upon rows of trees, Jet says plainly, "I don't see anyone…"

"They actually went up," he pauses, his face turning a light shade of rose, "to the top of the tree, they said they saw something weird—hence why I was climbing the tree…"

Taking a minute to process this, Jet's eyes form into something filled with tactic and charm. Taking his gaze upward toward the tree Katara and Aang flew up no more than ten minutes prior—his eyes try focusing on something in particular. With his head weaving and bobbing like some sort of owl, his expression turns into discovery.

Crouching down, he suddenly flies upward with a powerful force of dexterity and muscle onto the lowest branch.

"Where are you going!" Sokka literally cries out putting his hand over his eyes successfully blocking out the blazing sun.

Answering the watertribesman's answer with action, Jet soon return with a long rope tied with a loop on the end. Landing with a soft thud of dirt, he settles his footing before extending his arm towards Sokka.

At first, Sokka's face returns an expression of puzzlement and interest—but not sure what the woodsman is exactly asking plagues his thoughts.

"You want to find your friends?" Jet asks with a small smirk, his mouth curving up on one side.

A quick nod settles that question, but still leaves Jet's hand floating midair.

Can I really trust this guy…this, this kid? I'll admit he did partially save my ass from a major bruising, but is he all that he claims he is?

Throwing imaginary caution of the wind, Sokka's muscles force him closer and closer to the inviting boy—to a sense of insecurity he's not familiar to.

"But there's only one handle…" Sokka says examining the contraption more strictly.

The smirk Jet's sporting changes to accommodate a new emotion, something forcing even Sokka to be charmed by. Sweat pools on the watertribesman's skin, dampening his cheeks with moisture. Unwilling to wipe it away, his eyes stay captivated at the boy in front of him.

"You'll just have to hold on to me than," he practically whispers as his voice is stained with lust, "if that's okay with you…"

Since their initial departure up the tree his sister and the Avatar went up, the sun has begun to set behind the tallest spruce. Absence of light begins to set an eerie tone beyond the second row of foliage. The once dazzling array of leaves now lack their luster and sheen, falling victim to the approaching darkness. Danger moves into his head as something deep within his thoughts is screaming at him to move.

"Plus, this place starts getting creepy after dusk…" the boys words collide with Sokka's thoughts, assuring his next decision.

Steeping closer to Jet, Sokka's arm wraps around the woodman's waist while the other loops loosely under his arm—hand resting on Jet's shoulder. Breathing in the strong aroma of nature off the boy's exposed clothing Sokka's head rushes with pheromones.

"Hold on." Jet says lowly in Sokka's ear, sending shiver's down the latter's back.

Above the pair, the whir of mechanical machinery kicks into life and the rope tugs Jet's arm slightly. Gentle wind encircles the two, with Sokka's chest churning with something he's never felt before. Closing his eyes for the entire ride of up, Sokka's hands press deeper into the skin of Jet, making sure his grip doesn't fail him.

Moving his head on top of Sokka's, the woodsman whispers, "don't worry…I gotcha," His other hand wraps underneath the dangling legs of Sokka, bringing them up higher to his own body.

Heat radiates from the pair as the watertribesman's face is burning with intensity. New feelings emerge in the deepest corner's of Sokka's mind—ones that are both intriguing, inviting and uncertainly dangerous.

Jet. Is this guy for real? Well…of course he's real…but what does he really want—what does he…

Cutting off his thoughts sentence, Sokka feet make contact with boards of timber—laid down in the form of a makeshift platform. Straining his eyes to see the mess of houses and lanterns strewn about above the trees. Rope bridges, circling staircases, and zip lines crisscross between the seemingly rickety houses.

"What is this place?" Sokka asks still holding tightly to Jet, unwilling to let go off his body even though they've been on solid ground for quite some time.

"This?" Jet half-smiles while motioning towards the main bridge connecting this stray platform to the biggest hut, "this is home."

A/N:

If I get enough positive reviews, I'll continue the story!