"Oh no."
Sokka clutched his stomach and was about ready to hurl last night's dinner to the dirty ground beneath his feet.
"N-not Aunt Miri's homemade spicy soup..."
Katara held the steaming bowl of soup at arm's reach giving a nod. Sokka gave out a gagging sound, holding his head between his weak knees. Everyone else raised an eyebrow at Sokka's strange, really strange behavior toward food.
Aang looked up at Katara, ignoring Sokka's protest and weird moaning.
"What's so bad about it? Looks alright to me."
Sokka shook his head, lifting up his head and raising a demanding finger to make a point. Katara merely groaned, rolled her eyes and stepped forward to place the extremely hot bowl in the middle of the camp.
"Aunt Miri was know for making...weird food back in the South Pole. In fact...she was weird. Like this one time she made a hat out of snow and--"
"The point, Snoozles?"
"Oh right. Anways, that thing Katara just made is something Aunt Miri taught Katara. It's this terrible, bitter, and disgusting soup. I swear. And it's so spicy it will burn your tongue off. Last time I had it, the whole village got sick."
Katara placed her hands defensively on her hips, raising her voice at her complaining brother.
"Don't you mean, sick of you talking?"
"Yeah, that too."
Everyone stared at the bowl, which was a bubbling red gooey substance. It oozed and screamed with spicy, just by one sniff at it.
Suddenly, Katara's face paled.
"Maybe, you're right Sokka...I forgot how horrible it was..."
Toph made sniffed it once and quickly scrunched her nose. Aang, being brave, stepped forward and stuck his finger into the hot soup. Slowly he pulled it out and placed it carefully into his mouth.
Two seconds later he was running and screaming, "HOT! H-HOT!"
Toph snorted at him, as Sokka pointed and laughed hysterically at him. Katara threw her water pouch at him, which he hastily swallowed all the water. Wiping beads of sweat and tears from his red face, he panted for air.
"Let me try."
Every head turned to the quiet Zuko, surprised he was speaking at all. Grabbing the spoon from Katara's hand he dug a large scoop and without hesitation plopped the soup into his mouth.
And. Nothing. Happened.
Shrugging, he scooped another spoonful and began to eat directly from the bowl. Being a fire bender, this was nothing. Sokka muttered something about him being weird, and Aang watched with amazement and insanity. Toph poked Aang in the head, laughing at everyone.
But Katara, was a different story, giving a squeal of delight she ran over to Zuko with happy arms.
Giving him a hug, she gave him a soft peck on the cheek. Squealing a, "Thank you! I knew someone would like it! Yes, thank you!"
Once Zuko realized what she had done, his face turned a bright red and he began to choke on the spicy food.
"Looks like someone can't handle the heat, Prince Charming." Remarked an all too happy smirking Toph.