Healed

Chapter 25

They returned to Umber's quiet abode by mid-afternoon. Merry sunbeams passed through the wide open window and a breeze barely stirred the curtains. While his room was nowhere near as chaotic as Flame's, it still wasn't perfectly clean. He had forgotten to make his bed that morning with all the excitement of meeting Flame for the date. It looked even messier next to Sora's tidy nest, with her scrolls stacked meticulously on the night-stand next to it. Luckily he had at least cleaned up the sitting last night before bed.

As soon as they entered Umber offered Flame one of the floor cushions to sit on while he prepared the tea. "Ready for your first tea experience?" Umber asked with a grin as he went over to the shelves where the tea-pot was stored.

"I guess it depends on what you're going to make me drink," Flame answered, eyeing the tea-pot like it was full of poison. Umber rolled his eyes as he took out the pot and set it on the counter. Next he went to get the tea. Standing on his talon tips and stretching his body upward he reached the top cup-board and sifted through bags upon bags of tea. They had labels on them but that didn't help him all that much. Instead he relied on smell. He had come to recognize teas by their unique fragrance and, although he didn't want to brag, could distinguish a caffeinated and decaf chai just by smell.

Quickly he sniffed out the bags he wanted, setting them on the shelving below until he had a selection of five. "I don't understand why you hate tea so much," Umber chatted while shutting the cupboard doors.

As he climbed down he noticed Flame's gaze lingering on his form, grazing along the arch of torso, his eyes burning with unspeakable temptation. The SkyWing's gaze flicked up to meet Umber's and he quickly looked away, blushing furiously at having been caught.

The MudWing had to steady himself on the shelving as a dizzy wave hit him. No one had ever looked at him like that before. It was exhilarating.

"U-um, so why do you think tea is so horrible?" Umber tried calmed the fluttering in his stomach with conversation. He opened one of the bags and took out the little scoop inside used to measure serving sizes. "What traumatic dragonet-hood experience did you have to make you hate it so much?"

Flame shrugged, his blush fading. "I think it was because of this SandWing who was part of the Talons of Peace while I was growing up. He always had a flask with him and every time I asked him what was in it he said it was tea. So one day when he wasn't looking I took a sip." The SkyWing shuddered. "It was awful! It burned going down, like drinking lava or something. And it smelled horrible."

The MudWing paused what he was doing and slowly looked back at Flame, trying to hide his giggles. "Uh...Flame?"

Luckily Umber didn't need to finish the sentence as realization dawned on the SkyWing's face. "That...wasn't tea I drank, was it?"

"No, I don't think it was."

Both of them burst out in laughter, neither stopping until they were clutching their sides in agony at the stitches. After they caught their breath Umber went outside quickly to get some water from the pump and returned in haste. He had already bound the loose tea into thin fabric liners, folding them up into a little tea filled ball which he then plopped into each cup.

Using his fire-breath he boiled the water and poured it into the two waiting mugs. Steam rolled off the edges like a bubbling cauldron, and using a spoon he gently stirred the tea balls around until the water became tinted light green.

"Alright, ready to question everything you know about tea?" Umber passed the handle-less cup to Flame who took several cautionary sniffs of the liquid in front of him. The SkyWing paused and narrowed his eyes before performing a few more quick sniffles.