Wooyoung looked at the colored bottle and shrugged his shoulders as he just put it in the soup. He had begged his parents to make dinner by himself, he had even visited the market downtown to get spices. And finally, after long begging, they had allowed him in the kitchen. The boy was all excited to especially try the new spice in the colored bottle. An old lady on the street had sold it to him by saying it would make every dish unforgettable. Wooyoung wanting to impress his family with his culinary skills had bought it of course.
The earthbender sniffed the soup the last time, then took it from the stove to serve it in the cups.
"Wooyoung? Ah- let me help you with that; don't want to burn your hands, mhm?" Seonghwa smiled and took the heavy pot out of his son's hands. "Ah~ this already smells delicious~," he praised the boy as he served the hot soup in eight cups and put them on a serving plate.
"Of course!" Wooyoung cheered and gave his father his brightest smile. "I did well, didn't I? Right?"
"I'm sure you did," Seonghwa replied and carried the soup to the dining room. the rest of the family was already waiting, all seated on their chairs. The father gave out the soups and took his own seat to enjoy the dinner his son had made. And I tasted just as delicious as it smelled. "Ah~ Wooyoungie, this is really tasty"
"Right?" San said and looked over to his brother, "what did you put in it? It tastes different from Papa's soup"
Wooyoung giggled and pressed his lips closer. "That's a secret! My secret recipe," he chuckled and devoured his soup.
"In the end, he put poison in it," Jongho laughed and watched Mingi choke on his soup. It amused the youngest to cause chaos every now and then. "Oh no, Mingi I think you're growing a third eye!"
"W-What?" Mingi dropped his spoon and felt his forehead with wide, shocked eyes. "Papa! Papa is there a third eye?"
"Mingi please-" Hongjoong took the boy's hands out of his face, "you're not growing a third eye- everything is fine" he sighed and then looked over to the devil in disguise. "Jongho we talked about this. You promised to not terrorize your brothers anymore"
Jongho held his hands up in defense. "I thought I saw him grow a third eye... I'm sorry" he lied and turned back to his soup.
"No but, this tastes suspiciously good," Yeosang pointed out and eyed his brother for a split second. The younger knit his brows at him and pouted, not satisfied with all the suspicion at all. "I'm just saying... I really thought we're getting mud-soup tonight"
"Papa! Everyone is being so mean to me!" Wooyoug whine and turned to Seonghwa with puffed cheeks. It upset him how his brothers tried to find mistakes in his food so eagerly. He crossed his arms and protested to continue his dinner.
"Wooyoung is right," Seonghwa said and scolded his sons with stern looks. "He really put a lot of effort to make us dinner tonight and you're all being mean for no reason" he put his hand on Wooyoung's head and softly ruffled his hair to cheer him up a little. "Wooyoung made a really tasty soup for us and it's not fair that you treat him like that... Looks like you will be cleaning the kitchen later, mhm?"
"That's not fair! I didn't say anything!" Yunho protested and held his hands up.
Hongjoong put his hand on his eldest's shoulder and leaned over a little. "You see big boy, sometimes it just does not matter... We're in this together" he sighed and pursed his lips.
~
Hongjoong hung his robe on the hook attached to the back of the bedroom door. Warm and humid summers were not unusual for the ember islands; they almost made one sweat more than the hot sun at the beach. He had just finished a cold shower and felt like sweating again. Hongjoong may love spending his holidays there, but the heat did get too much for him at times. Maybe the northern water tribe wasn't as bad of a suggestion as he had thought. As he couldn't spot his husband in their bedroom, he proceeded to check the balcony that was attached. Just as expected the elder waterbender was leaning against the railing and had his back turned to him. Hongjoong saw his rare chance and took it; the younger snaked his arms around his husband to tightly hug him.
"Ah Hongjoong- it's already so warm-" Seonghwa whined and tried to shake the other off but Hongjoong clung like a koala. After a while, he stopped trying and let him have his cuddles in the disgustingly humid weather. Seonghwa turned in his husband's arms and held a letter in his face. "My father wrote me," he announced and let his eyes fall over the words written in neat handwriting. "He's asking when his beloved son-in-law is going to visit the tribes again so his husband can finally escape this hot weather," he said and chuckled lightly. "We should go visit him soon. We haven't been to the tribes in a while"
Hongjoong held back an argument. He loved the tribes, he did, but whenever they were on a visit at his father-in-law's the man liked to drench his energy. He was the avatar, it was his destiny to serve peace and justice, but Seonghwa's father treated him more like the unfortunate son-in-law and made him hunt seals or collect the seaweeds. In his eyes not the responsibilities of the avatar but could he say no to his father-in-law? "Of course... would love to see him again"
"Ah, I knew you two would get so close!" Seonghwa marked by and smiled wide. "You two are actually so alike, personality-wise"
"Oh really?"
"Mhm!" the elder nodded and wove his hands in the younger's hair. "But enough of my father... mhm... didn't you promise me something tonight?" he asked rather seductively
Hingjoong's brows rose and a small smirk spread over his lips. "Ah did?" he asked, enjoying playing innocent. As expected, Seonghwa's expression fell completely and he was met by an annoyed glance. A giggle rolled over the younger's lips and he let his hands roam over the elder's arms, then grabbed his hands. "I think I remember... " he said and pulled him off the railings, back into the bedroom. "I think I know exactly what~"
~
The day's first sun rays brushed over Seonghwa's cheeks and stirred him out of the deep slumber. Though the weather on the islands was rather humid and hot, in the early mornings it was cool and almost freezing. There had been days where the water in the faucet had frozen. So, the elder held the think blanket closer to his bare body, in hopes to fall asleep again. Unfortunately, he couldn't and was forced to open his eyes. As his lids opened, his eyes immediately caught Hongjoong laying on his stomach next to him. He looked cute with the messed-up hair and puffed face. His eyes slid over his body that was almost completely exposed to the cold. Seonghwa crawled a little closer to his husband and engulfed him in his arms; wrapped him in the blanket.
"Mhm?..." Hongjoong hummed confused and didn't even bother to open his eyes.
"Good morning to you too," Seonghwa replied and rolled his eyes, then plastered kisses all over the younger's neck and back.
"ah- mhm, morning" was all the other came to reply. Hongjoong was still on the border of dreamland and the real world, and dreamland just seemed a little more appetizing for him, though he would never say no to morning kisses from his husband.
"oh wow, what a reaction" Seonghwa spat and turned away, taking the whole blanket with him. "Should have let you freeze to get a cold"
The cold hit Hongjoongs whole body and he got pulled out of the cozy environment violently. "Ah- no, no, Hwa~" he whined and clung to his husband's covered back. "I love you~ more than life itself~ please let me in it's cold-" Hongjoong begged. Seonghwa pursed his lips for a moment and then sighed deeply. He turned around and lifted his arm to let Hongjoong cuddle into his chest. "Seongie~ good morning~" the younger purred and returned kisses along the elder's jaw and neck; tried his best to make his way.
"Mhm... of course, morning-"
"You're so salty"
"And you stink"
Hongjoong tipped his lips and looked up at his husband who has his cheeks puffed. "I love it when you're pouty~" he cooed and snuggled back into the warm chest of Seonghwa. He was just about to fall back asleep when a deafening screech echoed through the house. "no... please it's too early"
Seonghwa sighed and wiggled out of the blanket burrito and Hongjoong's arms. "Ah, what a normal start in the day" The elder took his robe from the hook and tied it around his body tightly so that there was no possibility of anything showing.
Just as he was about to exit the bedroom, Jongho barged in with a terrified face. "Yeosang just lit a fire, Sa splashed Wooyoung with water, and Mingi is stuck in some air bubble and Yunho does not know how to get him out of there-"
~
"Okay nobody moves-" Seonghwa yelled and looked at the destruction and pure chaos. He was horrified by the scene. Just as his youngest had said, everyone was bending their opposite element.
Hongjoong came running from the bathroom with a bucket full of water to take out the fire Yeosang had lit. "what in the world is happening-" he cursed under his breath and tried helping Mingi out of the air bubble he managed to make. "Mingi whatever you're thinking right now, stop it-"
"Bold of you to assume I think, Dad-" the boy replied and opened his crossed arms. He was about to add something else when the bubble popped and he fell on his eldest brother.
Seonghwa turned to Yeosang who was at the edge of crying. "I-I didn't want to- I don't even know how- I-I'm so sorry-" he babbled and clenched his hands to fists. He felt them heat up again but he didn't know how to stop it.
"Baby it's all fine- please just keep calm- Yeosang breath in and out-" he calmly talked and tried to approach his son with thoughtful steps. "Look, as longs as we're all calm and gathered nothing can happen- it's like waterbending-"
"It's nothing like waterbending!"
Hongjoong looked over the chaos around him and tugged his hair in distress. He saw Jongho accidentally throw a rock and tried to hold it but couldn't. For a moment he stopped his tracks, then tried forming a flame in his palm which also didn't succeed. "Seonghwa- I think we have a problem-"
"You think we have a problem?" the elder yelled and turned to his husband with anger all over his face. "You do? You think? I haven't noticed at all!"
"Hwa please stay calm-"
"Calm? I am calm in person!" Seongwha yelled and lifted his hands in the air. All he saw was red; the whole situation brought him to overload as he didn't know how to solve it. "My kids are bending the wrong element out of nowhere and I don't know why or how to reverse it- Are you really telling me to stay calm?"
"Hwa you're on flames-"
"Hell I am! Can you-" then Seongwha stopped for a moment as he felt his body warm up pretty fast. He looked down at himself and let go of a high scream; his robe was burning. San's instinct snapped and the boy grabbed the half-full bucket of water and threw the rest over his burning father. A long silence came over the family as everyone just needed a moment to process what had happened in a matter of minutes. Then Seonghwa took a long breath and tried to gather himself. "Wooyoung, baby, what did you mix in that soup-" he asked and slowly turned to his son.
Wooyoung stuck his head out from behind the partly burned couch. The boy looked at his stressed and already exhausted family. "Uhm... pretty colored spice an old lady sold me... It smelled funny"
Another moment of silence fell over them, then Seonghwa looked Hongjoong dead in the face. "To not accidentally commit arson, I will be leaving this to you-" he announced and wrung the water out of his drenched robe, walked away to the kitchen.
"You can't-"
"And I can"
Hongjoong looked around in the destroyed living room and let his head hang low. "Okay, we're going to play a game now. The one who does not move wins-"
~
"Yunho tell him to stop throwing rocks at me!" Wooyoung whined and tried to hide from Jongho.
"This is pretty much all your fault!" Jongho gave back and threw another minor rock at his older brother. "If you hadn't made that devil soup everything would be fine-"
"Jongho you may be right, but don't be mean," Yunho said and tried to block the rocks. He had had a hard tie figuring out how earthbending worked but by the time being he had it pretty much figured. "This isn't even that bad..."
"You talk for yourself-" Mingi complained and crossed his arms. Somehow he got himself stuck in bubbled constantly, but the way out was a secret to him. As his element was earth, he hated flying around in the air, it made him anxious and nervous.
"Not everyone gets it figured out-" Yeosang commented as he took his hands out of a bucket with ice. "Some have a hard time-"
"Woah, I'm really not complaining- This is actually pretty fun," San laughed as he played with a blob of water in his hands. "Did you know you could extract water from nearly everything?"
Yeosang felt his hands burn again, so he stuck them back in the ice. "oh really? I didn't know-"
"We should do this more often!"
"NO!"
~
Hongjoong tipped his lips and debated if he should even make a sound but he had to talk to him somehow. "And? Do you know how to reverse it back to normal?" he asked carefully and stepped closer to Seonghwa.
The evening had begun by now and the day had passed with only minor complications. Now and then Jongho threw rocks at Wooyoung and Mingi who couldn't respond with their temporary new element. It was fascinating to watch how his kids tried to figure out how to use them. Jongho got around pretty fast, just like San. On the other hand, Mingi had a way harder time adjusting to the air's personality and behavior.
Seonghwa turned around and held a colored bottle in his hand. "If I'm not mistaken, this nightmare will be over tomorrow morning," he said with a rather composed voice. "and until then... I guess I will be testing out how bending fire feels like"
"Why are you looking at me like that-"
"How convenient of you to volunteer as my target"
"I did not consent-"
-
No, give me a minute I'm really crying-
Today, 17th February this au reached 100k right in front of my eyes😳😭
I know I say this often, but I'll said it another 100k times-
Thank you.
Seeing that this whole thing is being read gives me not only joy, but also confidence.
I use writing as coping with daily stress and pressure and to see that people like what's coming out of my imagination is a feeling that I can't even describe right. But it gives me so much peace.
Thank you for giving me this peace with every comment, every vote.
This book and your comments have given me the opportunity to escape so many things and I will never be able to express myself the right way, it's actually sad.
Thank you for making this my little comfort place.
I've thought long about what I could do for this special. And as I'll probably never do a face reveal, I've decided to test my digital art skills and well, yes, this above is pretty accurate 'photage' of me every time I open the app to notifications-
(I'm no artist please don't ask me why it looks so crusty)
I quote this song why too much but yall it's my go-to song for comfort and I need it rn so-
Thank you for being on my side.
You and me, it’s always us.
I love you.
And I stand by you to give you the comfort you've given me.
Thank you for being here with me.
And if someone hasn't told you today,
you are special to me.
Stay healthy and safe
-gulkurusubb