Little Soldier Boy

Hard work

Zuko worked day and night to help hai. The old woman was demanding and didn't allow him to slack, for days he worked her small tea shop, from open to close and slept in the back room. But she gave him hot meals and somewhere to sleep, it was not far off from when he was in the military.

She was quite old where she needed a cane majority of the time, the one thing she never asked the young man for help with was for her, she didn't want his help when she went up the stairs or carrying things. Hai only wanted his help with the shop.

"Lee take out the trash after you close shop," hai called over in a raspy voice as she was gathering cups on a tray from the empty tables.

Zuko didn't reply but cleaned off the tables as well as he made his way to the front before locking the door and turning the close sign around. He put out a few of the candles that lit the shop while walking back to where the trash would be.

Zuko didn't talk much with hai, he was an employee and was just trying to make a living. She was a demanding woman but that is who was paying him. She paid him to work not to be chatty.

When he came back inside he saw hai waiting for him by the door. Not going upstairs.

"Let's go for a walk boy," hai motioned to the door on the side.

"Is something wrong?" Zuko frowned. 

"No, your coming with, it's a beautiful night kid," she grabbed his sleeve and dragged the teenager out of the tea shop before he could stop her.

The two walked down the streets of the lower rink, people were still out but less, it was quieter. Zuko looked around curiously of the city, anything that moved caught his eye. Hai laughed a little thinking he looked like a child at a circus, eyes full of curiosity and wonder.

"Never seen a big city?" She chuckled with her hands behind her back.

"Not like this," Zuko mumbled.

"You stay out of trouble from where your from?" Hai asked for the first time about his life.

Zuko frowned and shook his head.

"Yea I could've guessed that then," she tsked.

"There's a reason I wanted You to come with me on this walk Lee, it's been 12 days since you came to this city, came to me, I didn't know what I was going to get when I was told I had some refugee kid to take in, if he decided too of course," hai kept her eyes ahead walking on the side of the street.

"I'm happy with who walked through that door, I like your hard work lee, I like that your smart and hard working, a respectful young man," she smirked a little looking at the teen who kept his head up.

"Bah, you've earned yourself a bed and a roof of your own," she stopped on the street and looked at a building across the road.

"Ma'am?" Zuko didn't get it.

"You still work for me but you pay for your own decor, your own food, but you get your own life and your own home for now," hai motioned ahead and Zuko saw the apartment complex.

"The store under is ran by my brother in law so don't cause a disturbance and keep your voice down, other wise the second floor is yours to be a home, my brother in laws last residence passed away a few days before I met you so that's the catch," she went to the back door where there was stairs to the upper part of the building.

"He owes me so no rent till you start to be successful but your in the lower rink, you won't be successful, it has a new bed and some stuff left behind from the last resident, take what you want, I'll go get your blanket and pillow from the back room," she nodded opening the door but she didn't go up. Her hips were in to much pain to go up those stairs.

"Oh... thank you very much miss hai, I don't know how I'll repay you," Zuko bowed to her and she grinned a little. She fixed his posture to a different bow.

"Careful where you place your hands where you bow kid, and keep working just as hard, I owe the dragon a favor as well," hai smiled up at the boy.

"Go in and tomorrow you'll have your day off, please just make the place less depressing, get some plants or something," she waved him off to get inside and for her to get his bedding.

Zuko walked up the dark stairs hearing how the wood under his feet creaked till he got to the second door to get inside the apartment.

It was cold and it smelt like a forest in winter, he crossed his arms feeling the chill. Maybe it was from the idea of someone dying in here two weeks ago, maybe it was the idea that he would be alone, why did that bother him more?

He found a used candle and some spark rocks next to it, he lit the candle to create some light, he was in the kitchen, it was so dark, it was haunting. He swallowed a lump and went to the bedroom where he saw dust collecting and a bed that supposedly was new. The room made him feel dizzy and sick.

He set the candle down and dragged the bed out of the room and towards the small living room where the light was. He adjusted it to the corner of the room and sat on top of the bed to see out the window, it only looked at the wall of another building but he could see the moon above perfectly. That was something.

There was a knock at the bottom door below, hai must've came back.

Zuko thanked her again for the apartment and she told him she'll see him in two days so they both could have a day off. He took his bedding from her and went back upstairs.

Unaware of eyes that watched him and his boss from above. Just watching a boy make himself a bed and put out a candle, but to not go to sleep.