One-shot XXI: Time together [pt. I]
Aang & Izumi.
Today was gardening day, Aang and Izumi were ready to take care of their garden, they had a little bit of everything: flowers from all over the world along with fruit trees. Since the girl was six years old, Aang had taught her about gardening.
"Are we going to harvest?" the little girl asked that even wore a straw hat and a basket.
"Yes, autumn is already beginning and it's time to harvest."
"Fruits and flowers."
"Yes, now come on, dear."
They started with small fruits like blueberries, pomegranates, or hawthorn, then the girl with Aang's help began to climb some trees to reach the tallest apples and pears.
"Will you make jelly this year?" the girl asked when she could no longer hold her basket for all the fruit that was inside.
"Of course, so we can have some of this fruit for a longer time" Aang answered helping the girl "let's go for the flowers, we will fill the palace with flowerpots"
"It would be very nice to see everything in red, orange and yellow. They're the best colors."
"And do you know what autumn flowers are called?"
"Of course, I do" she said, full of confidence but she stopped to think about it for a moment "we started clearly with the sunflowers... helenium, zinnia, tulips... and that is spider chrysanthemum" she pointed to each of the flowers in the garden, Aang looked at her with a big smile as if telling him that she got everything right.
"I think that one was missing" Aang pointed to a red and purple flower that it was hanging.
"Of course... I said it looked like a fairy dress, but it's called… Queen earrings?"
"Yes, that's the name of a very showy flower" Aang paused for a moment "I think we can also take some of those, maybe some flowerpots can be settled with them"
"It would be great."
Tenzin & Zuko.
They liked board games, especially strategical ones, although they could be somewhat competitive, they had a lot of fun.
"Don't let me win. If I win, it will be for real, not out of fatherly compassion or something like that."
"Okay, it will be fair game" Zuko extended his hand and Tenzin shook it before starting. That day they were playing their own version of Pai Sho, as it did not have universal rules, they adapted some to make the game faster and it was based more on strategy.
"What if we make a bet?"
"I'm not going to make a bet with my son."
"Are you afraid?"
"Last week your 'pops' didn't let me have your dessert" Zuko joked, and Tenzin was silent. Although Zuko thought that the game would be fast, that day Tenzin was making it difficult for him but the inevitable happened and the adult won.
"Two out of three. We have to do it again; I was distracted for a moment, and it won't happen again" Tenzin defended himself before starting to rearrange his tokens.
"Okay, but this time I won't make it so easy for you."
"Same here" they played again and after a long time, Tenzin finally won. For a moment he thought that he would let him win again but when he saw the surprised face of his father who continued to examine the board, he knew that it was a fair game "I… I won, I won!" he shouted excitedly.
"It was just luck, how about another game? you said two out of three."
"Surely I can win you again."
"Don't be so sure."
They did not know how long it was until Izumi arrived with a bouquet of flowers.
"Look at the flowers we got, we were harvesting all morning and… are you listening to me?" Izumi asked when she saw that neither of them had even raised their faces.
"We're a bit busy" Tenzin said without looking up.
"You have been there all day; can't you move it aside for a few minutes?"
"I almost won, almost."
"Your sister's right, it's time to stop" Zuko got up and stretched "maybe it had been too much for a day. You have the satisfaction of having won fairly, at least once" he extended his hand, Tenzin shook it and got up too.
"It was fun. Well, I'm going now, I was sitting for a long time" Tenzin left the library with his sister who was talking to him about what she had done that day.
It had been a good morning.