not from around here | Zuko X OC

| chapter twelve |

Saki was still in charge of making food for that day so she made her way to the kitchen to start. She got out everything she would need and put some pans on the stove to heat up.

She then put some sort of meat - possibly chicken crossed with something else - into the frying pan. She let it cook as she prepared the sauce, checking the time as she let the chicken heat up so she knew how long she had to leave it to cook for. The last thing she wanted to do with give everyone food poisoning.

The new cook started to hum a lullaby to herself. The song made her think back to when her mom used to sing when they cooked, or whenever they were doing stuff together.

Zuko walked past the kitchen doorway and smelt something amazing.
He poked his head in and watched the back of the girl, walking around the kitchen, still humming to herself.

He recognised the tune, but couldn't put his finger on it. It was strange. How did she know a song from their world? Was music the same?

He walked up behind her and peered over her shoulder as she mixed the bowl of soy sauce and some other stuff.

"What're you making?" Zuko asked, his face very close to her ear as he spoke.

"AHHH!!" She squeaked and dropped the bowl, jumping and swivelling around.

Zuko quickly grabbed the bowl as it fell and put it in the kitchen counter as fast as he could, holding up his hands apologetically.
"Sorry, sorry, sorry!"

Saki had one hand on the counter and one over her heart, breathing heavily.
"Zuko! Don't scare me like that! Idiot!" She snapped at him, hitting him on the head angrily.

"Sorry." He said again, shielding himself from the girl's rage with his hands.

"Phew. You scared the crap out of me. What was your question again?" She asked, calming down enough to have a normal conversation.

"What're you making?" He asked again, looking down at the bowl he had put on the counter.

"Oh, dinner." She said, which Zuko found quite unhelpful.

"But what's dinner?" He asked, peering at the frying pan and lifting the lid off slightly.

She slapped his hand away and the lid fell perfectly back onto the frying pan, covering the meat.

"Ow!" He winced, glaring at her as she went back to mixing the sauce in the bowl.

"Don't touch." She said, reaching over him to grab something. Zuko grumbled as a response and moved out of her way slightly.
"I'm making chicken - well chicken crossed with whatever it is - teriyaki." She shrugged, looking in the frying pan.

"Smells good." He said as Saki turned to reach something in a cupboard. She stood on her tiptoes and reached up as high as she could but was still a good few inches away from what she needed.

"Need some help?" Asked Zuko, looking down at her. "Hey! You're pretty short, aren't you?" He said, just realising the difference between them.

"Shut up. I don't need tall people's help." She grumbled and backed up to the other side of the kitchen, readying herself.

"What are you doing?" Asked Zuko, watching her with annoyance.

"I'd move out of the way, princess." Saki told him, shooing him with a hand.

"Don't call me that." He snapped, but stepped out of the way as Saki ran at the counter.

With a "humph!" she jumped and went to grab the salt, but missed by a few centimetres.
"For shits sake." She muttered to herself in annoyance.