New Student (Zukka fic)

Part Six

Sorry I haven't updated in a while! I've been really busy with school and this was kind of a big update. I'll try to be more regular. Enjoy!

Sokka set the electric kettle aside, saving that for when he boiled the water. He opened the pantry, and promptly sorted through the many boxes of teabags Zuko had bought over the last few weeks.

"Hmmm...lemon zest or peppermint?" he wondered aloud. He did a quick smell test, and chose lemon zest. As he began to the boil the water however, he noticed the teabag looked much smaller than he had expected.

"That looks way too small. Maybe I should put two in?" Sokka returned to the pantry, and the peppermint caught his eye. "Ooh, I could mix it up with two different ones!" he exclaimed enthusiastically. He dumped a lemon teabag and a peppermint teabag in the brew and let it sit for about fifteen minutes.

When he lifted the cover, a strange, black bubbling concoction awaited him, smelling like a lemon bar from hell. He poured it into a mug, and took a tentative sip. He gagged almost instantly, and the tea didn't even make it to his throat. It tasted as though you washed a candy cane with battery acid, melted it down, and served it in a cup. The texture was gummy, which was odd, because it was a liquid. It had a distinct aftertaste of charcoal.

"Eh, good enough."

Sokka hurried over to the left bedroom, his mad science experiment in hand. He peered through the door, and saw a sleeping figure twisted up in his sheets. His face was still green, which was concerning, but he had stopped throwing up for a while. He'd put his new jacket in the wash twice already, and the vomit still wasn't coming out.

"Hey buddy, how are you feeling?" Sokka chirped. A irritated groan echoed from underneath the covers.

"I'm feeling like I just want to keep sleeping," Zuko mumbled, pulling the blanket over his head.

"I made some tea for you, if that makes you feel any better!" Sokka rang in, determined to be a good friend.

Zuko paused for a moment, then slowly sat up. "I suppose tea wouldn't hurt. What kind is it?"

"Taste it and find out!" Sokka handed Zuko the mug, and his reaction wasn't exactly what he had hoped.

"Um, why does it smell like a tube of demonic toothpaste?" Zuko asked, squinting at the drink wtih disgust.

"It does not, just try it."

Zuko shot a pleading look at Sokka, begging him to change his mind, but Sokka's mind wouldn't be swayed. Zuko looked down at the mug, and took the tiniest sip he could possibly take. Even that was too much for Zuko apparently. He spat it out all over the sheets, leaving a black stain all over, before hacking up a storm.

"Oh sweet Agni, what is this?"

"Just some lemon zest and peppermint brewed for fifteen minutes. It's not half bad for my first try."

Zuko went dead serious, then said, "We have a lot of work to do." He handed Sokka the mug. "No offense, but I'd like you to burn the kettle you brewed this in."

"It wasn't that bad..." Sokka muttered, though he knew in his heart it was that bad.

"Why did you brew it for so long? I thought everyone knew you weren't supposed to do it for more than a few minutes," Zuko asked, curious.

"I'm more of a coffee guy personally, and my family is too, which is probably why I've never had it before," Sokka mentioned casually.

Zuko went still as a statue, then immediately rose out of bed, forgetting his exhaustion. He threw on a hoodie, slipped on some sneakers, and grabbed his keys. Where did he think he was going right after a hangover?