Following Storm and Strangers.
Prompt: #83 - Peace
Word Count:
302
Rating: PG
"What's in there?" Zuko asks cautiously as she rummages through the pack. For a moment he's afraid she's going to ignore him again, or close the pack and leave him alone again, or maybe even pull out a weapon. Instead, she takes out two mugs, a pot, and a small loaf of bread. Without a word, she steps just outside the cave's protection and dips the pot into the two-foot high snowbank, scooping snow into it. Then, to his surprise, she thrusts the pot at him.
"Boil this," she instructs, and he's too shocked to disobey. The fire burns in his hands, heating the metal pot until the snow melts into water, until the water begins to bubble and steam. She smiles when he brings the pot back to her, his expression unsure of what he's supposed to do next. She holds the mugs out in front of him, and he carefully pours the hot water into them, making sure not to spill any on her. She sits down besides the fire and breaks the bread in two, then pats the ground next to her, motioning for him to sit down.
She holds out a mug for him, and he takes it, still taken aback by her behavior. Not knowing what else to do, he sits down beside her. She smiles again, sips the hot water, and hands him a piece of bread. "Eat up, you're probably hungry, right? I think I've got enough food to last us until the storm ends."
He takes the bread wordlessly and bites into it. It's hard and coarse and common, but it tastes delicious after nearly a day without food. And as they sit in the cave together, sipping water and watching the blizzard outside, he wonders if this is what peace feels like.
END.