Disclaimer: Food is your friend!
AN: I really like the idea of this scene I've created here. I really do. Oh, and while this is the cool Aquaman we're talking about (That is to say, the character design from the later Justice League comics where he's got the hook hand, long hair, beard, and looks more like a grizzled sea captain.) it seems like I've given him a little of the personality of the older (younger?) Aquaman, where he was clean-shaven, slightly awkward and didn't quite fit in with the surface dwellers...
What were they thinking? What was their goal in doing this? Aquaman had no clue as to the thoughts going through his teammates' minds as he looked at the table laden with food. Seafood. Was it a prank? Were his super-powered friends trying to get a rise out of him?
If so, they were going to be sorely disappointed. Their prank (Aquaman was sure it was one now, the rest of the league was watching him too carefully, waiting too eagerly for a reaction, for it to be anything else.) was doomed to failure.
The leaguers tensed almost imperceptibly, but more than enough for an empath to notice, as he stepped forward and took a seat at the table, the first to sit down. The Flash almost gasped out loud as Aquaman broke apart his chopsticks and began loading his plate with all varieties of sushi and sashimi. The surprise radiating from the rest of his teammates was astounding, practically overwhelming, and very rewarding. A perfect prank reversal.
Even though they all followed his lead and sat down to eat, Aquaman could sense his friends' shock hadn't dulled in the least. He doubted it would for several days.
It was silly of them, really.
So what if he could communicate and form a rapport with all the creatures in the sea? So what if they were all his subjects? That didn't mean he would get misty-eyed every time one of them died. If he did that, he would never stop weeping. The ocean is a very harsh place, after all. These little fish, eels, octopi, and other creatures that went into their sushi dinner would have been devoured by someone or something else, if not him. Predator and prey, it's the way of the sea.
Now, if they had served him a dolphin steak or shark fin soup, the remains of his loyal comrades-in-arms, then yes, the rest of the Justice League would have seen a response to their prank. A very, very violent one. One involving a hook hand being embedded in places it shouldn't be and other highly unpleasant things. However, this? This feast they prepared was nothing but appetizing, despite its original malicious intent.
Besides, what did his friends think he had been eating all his life at the bottom of the ocean if not seafood? Did they think he had a secret herd of cows outfitted in diving suits that roamed the sea floor grazing on kelp? So silly. The very thought made Aquaman laugh quietly, earning him an appraising look from the rest of the league.
He knew his friends probably thought he'd gone crazy, eating his subjects gleefully and laughing to himself, but they would figure out what was so funny eventually. In the meantime, Aquaman loaded up his plate with seconds. It was really good sushi.
AN: Honestly, why does everyone think Aquaman wouldn't eat fish? I say he'd eat them and love it. However... The idea of SCUBA cows is very appealing to me for some reason.