A/N: Thanks for the reviews, ya'll! I was a little scared of starting up again after so long, but you give me life. This is for you!
I don't own ATLA.
Enjoy!
"Do you like eggs?"
Katara's lips quirked up into a smile.
She made her way to the Fire Lord, eyes rolling, to pluck the pepper from his mouth and maneuver some of the compiled ingredients from his arms to her own before answering.
"I do. I didn't know you could cook, though. Where was this enthusiasm when we were roughing it?"
He didn't seem to hear her, teeth still set in pepper-holding position and bared in a… sort of odd, sort of creepy way. She waved a hand in his line of vision, "Hello? Anybody in there?"
He seemed to come alive in a rush, an embarrassed hint of red tinging his cheeks with a look of utter mortification, "Sorry, I just sort of… uh. Yeah, food. Is good. And I make it. Sometimes."
"Uh… huh. You all right? Your face is… really red."
The Waterbender's head was tipped to the side, concern marring her features. Zuko shook himself of all the incessant stupidity lurking around in his brain and set back to the goal at hand, forgetting his own stunned and ridiculous reaction to her simple act.
I'll deal with that, later.
"Yeah, sorry. Zoned out for second. Anyway, I actually enjoy cooking. Still, your campfire food was better than anything I've made for myself here, so I can't honestly say that I regret never offering."
She hid a reflex to grin under a mock scowl before depositing her arm load on the steel countertop separating the pair of them. Looking down at Zuko's contribution, though, she couldn't make any type connection between the ingredients.
"What exactly are we making here, Sparky?"
He shot her an odd look with a small upturn of lips.
"Dunno. It isn't done yet."
Something similar to, but not quite fear, sparked up her spine at his flippant tone, but his relaxed movements in shuffling pans on one of the many stoves were enough to convince her to take a seat and to "Start slicing that cheese, unless you plan on ogling me the whole time."
Which, in turn, brought about a true scowl.
"I do not ogle. But, I will slice cheese because I want to. Because cheese is delicious. Wait, slice or dice?"
He turned back to look at her with the blankest stare of all blank stares.
"Slice."
She stuck her tongue out petulantly before gripping the proffered knife and setting to her task, muttering about "…and they call me the bossy one." Between stolen glances.
Out of a perfectly innocent curiosity, of course.
Dearest Toph,
Well, I don't appreciate your written tone, but thanks for the heads up! All is going according to plan and we are set to sail out next week. I know the goal was originally a much faster arrival, but I have a feeling it's going to be a slow burn, anyways, so it may be for the best to take our time. Thoughts? Haven't heard anything but positive reassurance from General Iroh so far, but I'm starting to fear it may be too good to be true (Sokka isn't helping on that front).
Remember what we talked about!
See you soon,
Suki and a begrudging Sokka (He made me write that part)
"It's a… square omelet?"
"Frittata."
"Square omelet."
Zuko simply shook his head and went about spreading bright red peppers and mushrooms, diced courtesy of Katara, on the wiggly egg mixture heating over the stovetop before layering down the sliced not diced cheese over the top.
He took a step back, nodded in content with their work, and stuffed the pan holding the concoction in a heated oven to finish.
"All right, we have–", a glance at the nearest clock, "Ten minutes."
He surveyed the wreckage from their teamwork, and felt the familiar tug of dishwashing before remembering that he was the Fire Lord, but opted to help Katara in clearing the countertops regardless.
"What should we do with the leftovers? Put them back in the cooler?"
She motioned to the remaining pile of vegetables chopped and ready (She got a little excited with the chopping, sue her) and picked up a piece of pepper, musing.
"I guess so. Six minutes to go."
He turned to check on the – come on, it's basically a square omelet – frittata, kneeling down to peer thoughtfully into the glass pane separating them from deliciousness (hopefully) before –
The slightest of pressure grazed the back of his neck before a damn piece of pepper plops to the ground, wasted.
The Firebender raised slowly to stand, turning at an even slower pace to face his counterpart, and glared. Another pepper hit him directly on the nose.
A giggle.
Please understand that Zuko had been trained in the art of combat since birth. Literally. Therefore, it can and would be a subject of debate as to where and how exactly he seized a handful of flour in such a small amount of time (under the counter while she was giggling like a maniac), but it became clear enough when a ridiculous white cloud of powder was hurled at her laughing face.
Between her incoherent sputtering and indignation, the girl managed to haphazardly toss a fistful of mushrooms at the stunned Fire Lord before running to the nearby pantry for ammunition in the form of Lychee nuts and a crate of odd purple berries she couldn't name if she wanted to.
All hell broke loose as he returned fire with anything in arms distance, including heaps of flour, the odd ash banana, and even stooping as low as to toss back the dropped foods the Waterbender had already thrown at him in desperation.
Needless to say, a ceasefire was only agreed upon when he waved an empty flour bag in surrender, breathless with stifled laughter.
The frittata's edges burned, forgotten.
They ate it anyway.
The pair hunched over plates on the floor of the demolished Kitchens, boisterous laughter still hanging in the air.
Sitting across from each other, feet loosely tangled together in a thoughtless manner, Katara argued for the Square Omelet Naming Initiative, "So as not to confuse the poor food!" while Zuko stared on with a peaceful grin, nodding between bites.
