Chapter Text
"Katara?"
"In the kitchen! Come on in!"
Zuko balances the bag of groceries on his arm and lets himself in. The family kitchen is big - the heart of the house, a square space with a traditional oven in one corner (Gran Gran's insistence, Sokka had told him), a more modern stove in the other corner, and cupboards and cabinets along all four walls. A big table, extended fully to fit eight people, stands in the middle of the room. He deposits his bag on it.
"I couldn't get mangoes, they're out of season. I did get you tangerines."
Katara stops stirring in a saucepan to inspect his findings. "These look adequate enough. But tangerines might make it too sour." She peels and tries one. First she smiles, then scrunches up her nose. "Sweet at first, but tangy and a bit bitter."
Zuko shrugs, trying hard not to think about how cute her scrunched up face is. "We could sugar-coat them," he suggests instead.
Katara snickers. "You monster. You want to sugar-coat everything." She grins at him as he feels a blush creep up his neck.
Before he can say anything, a cooking alarm in the shape of a turtle duck beeps. Katara grabs her oven mittens and takes the cakes out of the modern oven one by one and sets them on the counter. Then she motions to the cooking alarm. "This little thing is very cute and useful. I might not give it back..." She smiles coyly.
Zuko grumbles. "Oh no, I'll defend this one with my life. I'll get you another one. Anyone you want." He grins suddenly, an idea popping in his mind. "Tell you what; I'll get you a whole set for your birthday. If," his grin melts into a gentler smile, "you want to tell me when it is." He walks closer to her, and he isn't sure if it's the oven heat or something else that colours her face such a lovely shade of red.
Katara looks up at him - tui and la, he is really close - and slowly takes off the mittens. "Well, you'll have to be quick. My birthday is almost two months from now."
Zuko chuckles. "Dead of winter. Appropriate."
"Hey," Katara smacks his chest - spirits, he is really, really close - with her oven mittens, "in the South pole it's summer!"
"Oh, right," Zuko mumbles, feeling a bit awkward, and he moves away to unpack the rest of the groceries. Katara turns to the stove to save the sauce she was stirring before.
Hakoda walks in as Zuko is mixing dough for biscuits and Katara is preparing a baking sheet. "Spirits, that smells lovely already. You kids want help?"
Katara shakes her head as Zuko says, "No, Sir, thank you." Hakoda shrugs and gets himself a glass of water before he leaves them to their baking.
Katara tries some of the red dough as Zuko spoons it onto the baking sheet. "Isn't this what you were making during the contest?"
Zuko's hand wavers, spreading out the dough unevenly. He's staring at Katara. "You remember that? But that was months ago!"
Katara shrugs, stealing more batter with a spoon she found in the sink. "I just remember the smell, it's not easy to forget."
"Ah," is Zuko's clever retort and he continues scooping pile of dough onto the sheet. Once it's full, Katara slides it into the oven and sets the turtle duck alarm on fifteen minutes.
"Can you get koi fish?" she asks the exact same time when Zuko says, "They're red bean paste biscuits." They look at each other and laugh, and Zuko motions for Katara to speak. He sees a bit of the dough clinging to her cheek, which distracts him immensely.
"Can you get koi fish? For the cooking alarm?" Katara asks again.
Zuko drags his eyes away from her cheek. "I... uh, yeah? Probably. Sorry, you've got something on your cheek, let me just..."
Katara stills as his hand moves towards her cheek. He cups her chin as he wipes the dough away with his thumb. Her eyes are wide open, the blue contrasting with the dark red of her blush. Zuko leans forward unconsciously.
Katara whispers "thanks" and Zuko abruptly lets go of her face. He licks at his thumb - at the dough that sat on her cheek, and Katara's blush deepens. She's staring.
"Heya guys! Whoa, it's hot in here." Behind Sokka, Suki snickers. She shoots Katara a grin and wiggles her eyebrows.
"I- yeah, the heat- oven? Is high?" Zuko stammers and Katara resists the urge to kick him. Sokka raises an eyebrow and Suki - it has to be said - does a valiant effort to not laugh. Instead, she holds up a bag. "We got these at the video rental. Laogai Menace one, two and three, Spirit Vengeance, Heist in Omashu, and a Story of Ice and Fire." She wiggles her eyebrows again at the last title. Katara resists the urge to kick Suki, and promptly wonders when she's gotten this aggressive.
Sokka grabs himself a glass of water and downs it in one go. He pours another one, drinking slowly this time, and worms himself between Katara and Zuko to peek inside the oven. "Smells divine. What am I looking at? Spicy biteys?"
"Ground meat biscuits," Zuko deadpans and Sokka gasps. This time Katara does kick Zuko, who curses.
"No, these are red bean paste biscuits. And you were in charge of the living room decoration. Leave the snacks to us."
"Yeah, Sokka, let's leave them alone," Suki suggests, drawing out the last word while looking at Katara. Katara just glares back until both Suki and Sokka move to the living room.
The turtle duck alarm rings and Zuko busies himself with the oven. "So, uh, koi fish alarm?" Katara tries again. Zuko makes a weird choking sound, coughs once and replies, "Sure, I'm sure my uncle can find them. Pepper and salt shakers too, if you want. My uncle knows a guy, a customer, who does woodcarving; it's all custom-made." Katara is actually impressed, and secretly enamoured with the idea of a white koi fish for salt, and black koi fish for pepper, in the style she saw on a mural in the Northern Water tribe once. "I'd love that, actually. But then the alarm should be an otter-penguin."
Zuko chuckles. "Of course. Any more wishes, Ma'am?"
Katara laughs. "Yeah, close the oven! All the heat is escaping!"
Zuko laughs as well, a hearty laugh that makes Katara's heart stutter.
"Whoa, is that tea boy? I didn't know you can laugh!" Toph bustles in, Aang and Hakoda on her heels, and all at once the warm kitchen is crowded. Sokka appears to grab one of the bags with drinks from Toph.
"You got strawberry-carrot juice? What are we, pre-schoolers?" Sokka snorts.
Toph socks him in the elbow, almost making him drop the bag. "It's for mixing, mud pie. Tastes perfect with some bubbling alcohol."
Behind her, Hakoda shakes his head. "You kids be careful. You're adults, but this is still my house." The youngsters mutter various confirmations. Hakoda points at Zuko. "You're in charge."
Zuko gapes, startled, and Sokka protests immediately. "Dad, what do you mean? Why is the newcomer - no offence, buddy - suddenly in charge?"
"Because he's least likely to betray me," Hakoda deadpans and shrugs on his coat. "I'll be back around two-ish. Don't puke on the carpet, don't maim, and don't bother Gran Gran."
"Yessir!" Aang salutes, and the rest follows his example. Hakoda grins, and leaves.
"Um. Where is he going?" Zuko asks, a bit timidly.
"His biweekly card game night with a few other fellas from the community," Sokka answers as he sneaks an arm around Zuko's shoulders. "Now, about that being in charge thing..." Zuko glares and waves a spoon at him.
"Don't you dare. I won't betray Hakoda that easily."
Toph snorts. "Looks like Chief was right. Your reign has come to an end, Socks, long live the king!"
Everyone bursts out laughing, as Sokka sighs and leans on Zuko. Katara claps in her hands and starts yelling. "All right! Let's get to work. Aang, Toph, you were on drinks. That needs unpacking. Suki, is the living room ready?" Suki nods. "All right, we need voting strips and these snacks need to get into the right bowls. Sokka, did you bring ice cream?" Sokka mumbles it's in the freezer. "Sokka, unstick yourself from Zuko and go see if Gran Gran needs something."
Everyone scrambles to do their chores. Zuko looks at Katara, baffled. "Hold on, wasn't I in charge?"
Katara laughs. "I didn't see you give orders, Your Highness. So, I had to take matters into my own hands."
Zuko's good ear turns red. "Pity, my reign was so short lived. But you might be the better ruler."
"Don't worry, Zuko, we can share rulership. This can be our kingdom," she grins, and turns away to fetch the ingredients for the final round of biscuits.
Gran Gran is settled, the TV is turned on (a documentary about lion turtle myths is playing), Aang is playing Four Elements with Sokka and Suki is braiding Toph's hair while Toph is folding voting strips.
Katara dumps a scoop of vanilla butter biscuit batter on the baking sheet. Zuko is standing next to her, not doing much (distracting her, mostly. He's so close.).
They put the baking sheet in the oven and Katara turns the alarm to fifteen minutes. She turns to Zuko and giggles.
"What?"
"You won't believe me, but you've got something on your face. That's what happens when you steal biscuit batter, mister," Katara gently chides.
Zuko's eyes widen, though he smiles at the irony. "Where?"
Katara reaches up and brushes her fingers along the corner of his mouth. Zuko's breath hitches and his heart stutters.
Katara bites her lip. "Actually..." She inches closer, a question in her eyes. Zuko answers it by closing the distance between them.
The kiss is gentle, soft. They break apart and Katara sighs. "I've been meaning to do that for a while now," she whispers. "Mm, vanilla."
Zuko laughs softly. The sound of it is so lovely it renders Katara breathless. "Took you long enough. I'd like another one, if you don't mind," he mumbles, and Katara is happy to oblige. This time it's deeper, hungrier. They break apart as the turtle duck rings accusingly.
"Blasted thing, I'll set it on fire," Zuko murmurs against Katara's cheek. She mock-gasps, and pushes him away slightly to get to the oven door. When she puts the tray with biscuits on the stove and turns off the oven, she turns to Zuko again.
"Is this... okay? Zuko? Is this," she vaguely waves a hand between them, "okay with you?" Zuko grabs the hand she holds suspended between them, and presses it against his chest. "Yes. I'll be right here, if you'll have me." A happy grin spreads over her face. "Just don't kick me again," he chides.
Katara laughs. "I cannot promise you that, Your Highness!"
They hear ruckus from the living room that sounds suspiciously like an argument between Toph and Sokka, and look at each other. "Well, then, let's bring our kingdom back to order, I suppose," Zuko sighs. Katara grins at him. "Heavy is the burden of the crown."
They scoop the warm biscuits into a bowl and leave, hands joined, to join their friends.