When she knocked on his door, he didn’t answer right away, but she heard movement from within. Fair enough. She could wait. She just had to try not to stare at the burnt handprint in the wall too much.
‘Am I supposed to pretend that’s normal?’
She decided, idly, that she should really see about fixing that, or at least covering it up.
The door finally opened, and Shealtiel beckoned her inside, dressed in what seemed to pass for his nicer clothing and smiling as broadly as ever. It was like the day before hadn’t happened. For a moment, she was concerned that this must be another dream, but she ignored the thought she stepped into his treehouse.
“Surprise!”
She blinked several times as she stared at the ‘surprise’ in question. He’d set up an entire table of food.
Not just any food. Fire Nation food, by the looks of it. Or at least, close enough to it. She’d found a few reasonable substitutions here, and he’d managed to track down all of them. Meat skewers, dumplings, spicy noodles, roasted duck... and one dish that seemed to have heavily spiced green beans, which drew a small smile from her.
It was more real food than she’d ever actually seen in his house in all the time she’d known him. One bowl in the center of the table even had-
“How?”
“I just got it all in town today. Trust me, you wouldn’t want me to cook.”
“You know what I mean.”
“You mean these?” He pointed to the bowl with an expression that was smug enough to be weaponized.
“I’ve been trying to find fire flakes since I got here, and I’ve never actually found them.”
“You put in all the effort last year, I decided I wanted to do it. Plus, I never have a reason to eat this stuff.”
“Last...?”
“I mean, you were busy on the twenty-first, but we’re only a couple days late.”
Of course. The twenty-first of July, by the local calendar. Two years since they’d met.
One year since she’d nearly-
Her expression must have soured, because the smile started to fade from his face. The urge to flee again was overwhelming, but she repressed it. She wouldn’t turn again. She wouldn’t. And she refused to ruin this.
“That still doesn’t tell me where you got the fire flakes.”
“I had an extra bauble anyway.” He said it as casually as you please- he'd spent his treasures to fetch silly snacks that she missed from home.
You’ll never deserve him. Never.
She frowned down at the bowl.
“You said something was wrong with the terrarium.”
“No, I didn’t.”
She paused. No. No, he hadn’t said it. He’d heavily implied it, but he never said why she needed to look at it. She scowled at him. Had he tricked her?
“...Well, this still has nothing to do with the terrarium.”
“We’ll get to that,” he insisted. “If you’re not gonna try those, I will." Before she could reply, he reached out and grabbed a small fistful of fire flakes.
“You... may not want to-”
But it was too late. He’d already stuffed them into his mouth and started chewing. She stared at him with concern, anticipating his reaction to the heat, but he just... swallowed them and grinned.
“Wow, those are spicy! I see why you like them.”
What- what?
She reached out and grabbed one to taste it herself, and... oh.
Oh.
Well. They were certainly spicy. Not the cheap gimmick flakes that were pawned off on unwary tourists, either, but a rich, properly-layered heat. They were fresh, crisp, high-quality... it was astonishing how much she’d missed something so simple.
“I’m impressed." Her expression slid into her typical smirk, and she added, "Most people cry the first time they eat fire flakes.”
“Do you like them?”
No acknowledgement of the taunting, he just cut in with the question, and she was once again taken aback by the sheer earnestness of it, the eagerness.
“I’ll admit, I was expecting something that a shoddy street vendor would sell.”
It wasn’t an answer. He wanted an answer. Fine, fine.
“They’re as good as I remember,” she continued evenly, and added a more quiet, “Thank you.”
That seemed to satisfy him, because the smile came right back.
“I thought maybe we could watch another movie and have snacks while we watch. And this way you won’t get hungry.”
A movie. The last one... hadn’t gone well, but she was determined not to-
“Don’t worry, it’s not scary this time,” he assured her, “I was gonna show you The Cavendish Eagle, it’s a crime story.”
Was she that easy to read now? She used to be so much better at this. She scowled and tossed more fire flakes in her mouth in protest, and he, unbothered, did the same.
“We probably shouldn’t have too many right now,” he said, once his mouth was empty, “They seem like the best snack for the movie.”
“...very well. I’m still not clear on where the terrarium comes in.”
“Oh, yeah! C’mere!”
He reached out and grabbed her wrist to lead her across the room. He seemed to do it without even thinking, but somehow she couldn't muster any frustration about it. Besides, once they were in front of the tank, she could see exactly what he’d been so excited about.
Of course. Fire lilies bloomed in midsummer. That meant... well, now. And bloom it had. A full, vivid red blossom in the lower globe of the tank, standing out brightly among the smaller blues flowers. It looked healthy, strong.
It looked...
“... I see you managed not to kill it while I was occupied.”
If he was at all put out by the snipe, he didn’t show it. He just beamed at her again.
“You were right, it looks great!”
“You did most of the arrangement,” she pointed out.
“How did you know about the flower, anyway? Is it a Fire Nation thing?”
“They’re called fire lilies. They’re prized for their beauty, obviously, but they’re also popular with poets and artists because of...”
She trailed off, glancing at the wall beside the terrarium.
She doesn't even wholly notice what she's doing when she leans over him slightly and rests her hand on the wall behind him.
She felt her cheeks flush slightly. He peered at her, but didn’t push. He did, however, shift a little closer, his hand slipping from her wrist- she had scarcely even noticed that he was still holding it- and moving down to lace his fingers between hers. It startled her for a moment, but she felt the tension leaving her body almost immediately, and she even found herself leaning lightly into his arm.
Take the risk. He’ll meet you there.
She frowned and glanced up at him. Had he already guessed the significance? Did it matter? Should she explain it? Would he even be comfortable with the revelation if she told him? Ridiculous. She was being ridiculous. She looked back toward the flower and frowned. She should just explain it, she resolved. She wasn’t some sentimental schoolgirl, she could discuss this like an adult-
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
The Thing I Understand
Date: 2026-02-14 05:29 am (UTC)‘Am I supposed to pretend that’s normal?’
She decided, idly, that she should really see about fixing that, or at least covering it up.
The door finally opened, and Shealtiel beckoned her inside, dressed in what seemed to pass for his nicer clothing and smiling as broadly as ever. It was like the day before hadn’t happened. For a moment, she was concerned that this must be another dream, but she ignored the thought she stepped into his treehouse.
“Surprise!”
She blinked several times as she stared at the ‘surprise’ in question. He’d set up an entire table of food.
Not just any food. Fire Nation food, by the looks of it. Or at least, close enough to it. She’d found a few reasonable substitutions here, and he’d managed to track down all of them. Meat skewers, dumplings, spicy noodles, roasted duck... and one dish that seemed to have heavily spiced green beans, which drew a small smile from her.
It was more real food than she’d ever actually seen in his house in all the time she’d known him. One bowl in the center of the table even had-
“How?”
“I just got it all in town today. Trust me, you wouldn’t want me to cook.”
“You know what I mean.”
“You mean these?” He pointed to the bowl with an expression that was smug enough to be weaponized.
“I’ve been trying to find fire flakes since I got here, and I’ve never actually found them.”
“You put in all the effort last year, I decided I wanted to do it. Plus, I never have a reason to eat this stuff.”
“Last...?”
“I mean, you were busy on the twenty-first, but we’re only a couple days late.”
Of course. The twenty-first of July, by the local calendar. Two years since they’d met.
One year since she’d nearly-
Her expression must have soured, because the smile started to fade from his face. The urge to flee again was overwhelming, but she repressed it. She wouldn’t turn again. She wouldn’t. And she refused to ruin this.
“That still doesn’t tell me where you got the fire flakes.”
“I had an extra bauble anyway.” He said it as casually as you please- he'd spent his treasures to fetch silly snacks that she missed from home.
You’ll never deserve him. Never.
She frowned down at the bowl.
“You said something was wrong with the terrarium.”
“No, I didn’t.”
She paused. No. No, he hadn’t said it. He’d heavily implied it, but he never said why she needed to look at it. She scowled at him. Had he tricked her?
“...Well, this still has nothing to do with the terrarium.”
“We’ll get to that,” he insisted. “If you’re not gonna try those, I will." Before she could reply, he reached out and grabbed a small fistful of fire flakes.
“You... may not want to-”
But it was too late. He’d already stuffed them into his mouth and started chewing. She stared at him with concern, anticipating his reaction to the heat, but he just... swallowed them and grinned.
“Wow, those are spicy! I see why you like them.”
What- what?
She reached out and grabbed one to taste it herself, and... oh.
Oh.
Well. They were certainly spicy. Not the cheap gimmick flakes that were pawned off on unwary tourists, either, but a rich, properly-layered heat. They were fresh, crisp, high-quality... it was astonishing how much she’d missed something so simple.
“I’m impressed." Her expression slid into her typical smirk, and she added, "Most people cry the first time they eat fire flakes.”
“Do you like them?”
No acknowledgement of the taunting, he just cut in with the question, and she was once again taken aback by the sheer earnestness of it, the eagerness.
“I’ll admit, I was expecting something that a shoddy street vendor would sell.”
It wasn’t an answer. He wanted an answer. Fine, fine.
“They’re as good as I remember,” she continued evenly, and added a more quiet, “Thank you.”
That seemed to satisfy him, because the smile came right back.
“I thought maybe we could watch another movie and have snacks while we watch. And this way you won’t get hungry.”
A movie. The last one... hadn’t gone well, but she was determined not to-
“Don’t worry, it’s not scary this time,” he assured her, “I was gonna show you The Cavendish Eagle, it’s a crime story.”
Was she that easy to read now? She used to be so much better at this. She scowled and tossed more fire flakes in her mouth in protest, and he, unbothered, did the same.
“We probably shouldn’t have too many right now,” he said, once his mouth was empty, “They seem like the best snack for the movie.”
“...very well. I’m still not clear on where the terrarium comes in.”
“Oh, yeah! C’mere!”
He reached out and grabbed her wrist to lead her across the room. He seemed to do it without even thinking, but somehow she couldn't muster any frustration about it. Besides, once they were in front of the tank, she could see exactly what he’d been so excited about.
Of course. Fire lilies bloomed in midsummer. That meant... well, now. And bloom it had. A full, vivid red blossom in the lower globe of the tank, standing out brightly among the smaller blues flowers. It looked healthy, strong.
It looked...
“... I see you managed not to kill it while I was occupied.”
If he was at all put out by the snipe, he didn’t show it. He just beamed at her again.
“You were right, it looks great!”
“You did most of the arrangement,” she pointed out.
“How did you know about the flower, anyway? Is it a Fire Nation thing?”
“They’re called fire lilies. They’re prized for their beauty, obviously, but they’re also popular with poets and artists because of...”
She trailed off, glancing at the wall beside the terrarium.
She doesn't even wholly notice what she's doing when she leans over him slightly and rests her hand on the wall behind him.
She felt her cheeks flush slightly. He peered at her, but didn’t push. He did, however, shift a little closer, his hand slipping from her wrist- she had scarcely even noticed that he was still holding it- and moving down to lace his fingers between hers. It startled her for a moment, but she felt the tension leaving her body almost immediately, and she even found herself leaning lightly into his arm.
Take the risk. He’ll meet you there.
She frowned and glanced up at him. Had he already guessed the significance? Did it matter? Should she explain it? Would he even be comfortable with the revelation if she told him? Ridiculous. She was being ridiculous. She looked back toward the flower and frowned. She should just explain it, she resolved. She wasn’t some sentimental schoolgirl, she could discuss this like an adult-