Cookies and Kisses
A small present for a the immensely talented @geothewriter . Happy birthday, friend!!
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“Aang!” Azula called as she opened the front door of Gyato's Animal Rescue.
Aang looked up as the bell on the door gave shrill chime. "Hey!" He smiled and checked the wall clock. "You're really early for your volunteer time. Or did you come just to hang out with me?” A goofy grin spread across his face as he walked toward her.
"Neither.” His sagging shoulders didn’t escape her notice. “I have a shift at the gym, but I wanted to drop by and let you taste these." She handed him the foil covered tray she was holding.
"Ooh what are they?" Aang wondered as he lifted the foil to take a peak. "Cookies!" He beamed.
"I wanted to try something new for the shelter bake sale next week. Cinnamon and mint." Azula smiled.
Aang's smile fell slightly. "That ah, sounds great."
"Try one." She urged him.
"Alright, here I go." He gingerly took a cookie from the tray, as if it would attack him if he weren’t careful. Azula didn't miss his pause as he held it in front of his mouth before taking a bite.
"Mmm, honey it's delici-" He covered his mouth and coughed. "I'm sorry, I can't do it." He set the tray on the reception desk before plucking a tissue from the dispenser and spitting out the offending baked good. He gave her a sheepish grin. "Both the cinnamon and mint are so strong, it's very-”
"Aang, I just watched you spit it out.” She deadpanned. “Don't sugarcoat it, you know I hate that.”
"That was like biting into two tubes of toothpaste at the same time. With sugar on top."
Azula groaned and threw her head back. "I really thought I had something with this one."
Appa sniffed at a piece of cookie that fell on the floor. He eagerly gobbled it up, froze, and promptly let it fall out of his mouth.
"Et tu, Appa?" She frowned at the Bearded Collie. He winced and her shoulders fell. Appa wasn't a hard palette to please, so this was an exceptional failure of an experiment.
"You’ve been working really hard trying to develop something new, you know you don’t have to do all that." Aang gave her hand a light squeeze.
"I know." She rested the crown of her head on Aang's chest. "I just want these to be perfect. That's the fifth idea I've tried."
"And they will be." He ran a soothing hand over her hair. "You're so creative and resourceful, you'll think of something."
"You're sugar coating again." She mumbled into his chest.
"I'm not." He laughed and tilted her chin up. "It's the truth and you know it."
"I do." She smiled.
"That's my girl." He kissed her forehead. "And if all else fails, you could always go back to your tried and true honey lemon glazed butter cookies."
"You're just saying that because you want to eat them." She pulled back and looked at him with a raised eyebrow.
Aang put his hands up in surrender. "Guilty as charged." He looked at her with feigned innocence. "Can you blame me for trying?"
"I suppose not. But only because you're so cute." She pinched his cheek.
"My specialty." He grinned.
"Alright, I've gotta go or I'll be late." She turned to walk to the door and felt Aang’s arms wrap around her torso.
"You're leaving already?" He pouted.
"Aang, let go!” Azula chided, worry apparent in her voice. “I don't need Zuko scolding me for another tardy."
"I'm sure he'd understand this." Aang spun her around to face him again and captured her lips in a languid kiss that made her forget the rest of the world.
Azula wrapped her arms around the back of his neck and brought him closer. She could feel him smile against her lips. He pulled away. Oh no, he wasn’t getting away that easy. She put her hands on either side of his face and pulled him back with force for a short, but fervent kiss. She saw his hands flail momentarily then felt them on her hips as he steadied himself.
Satisfied, Azula pulled away and rested her forehead against his. Aang struggled to catch his breath and despite herself, a smile formed on her lips. He was adorable.
"Orange cardamom." Aang breathed with his eyes still closed.
"What?" She furrowed her brow and pulled away as the magic spell of his charm was broken as easily as it was cast.
"The next flavor to try." He looked at her with bright eyes.
"That just might work." She squished his face with one hand. "Sometimes you have great ideas."
"Thank you." He said through squished cheeks.
She pecked his pucker lips and picked up the tray. "Now I've really got to go. I'll take these with me. Maybe I’ll leave them out on a table somewhere so some gym rat can eat toothpaste."
"Alright." Aang chuckled and held the door open for her. She was almost down the street when "Azula!" He shouted.
"What, Aang?" She turned with a start and looked at him with slight annoyance.
"I love you!" He made a heart with arms raised high above his head and wore a grin that stretched ear to ear, which prompted an eye roll from her. She secretly loved it, but he didn't need to know that. Yet.
"I love you too!" She blew him a kiss and turned the corner. Azula didn't have to look back to know Aang still had that dopey smile on his face.
