Flameheart | Zuko

THIRTY-FOUR

Within a week of staying in Ba Sing Se and working at the pub called 'The Royal Bear' - a not so discreet hint that the owner of the pub was a supporter of the King - Homura had come to know the Xu brothers and their respective group of friends and a few other guys she was certain would be formidable opponents during a battle. Strangely enough, they seemed rather sweet once she got through the tough exterior and she was confident they liked her quite a bit. Zhu had even taken to leaving her some tip in the last few days.

Her boss was as obnoxious as ever - too proud to even thank her for bringing peace to his shop even though it was glaringly obvious everything would have been a disaster had she not come in the shop that day a week ago - and in the last few days, he attempted to pay her half a Yuan an hour but she wouldn't accept anything less than their initial bargain. He didn't fire her. A small part of Homura thought he was afraid his own customers would protest if he were to fire her and the thought was rather amusing, something she liked to think about before she were to go to sleep at night.

With the money she earned, she managed to have a full meal every day and she also bought an apple for Chin. She didn't have a chance to save any money but for now, she was pleased with what she got. Seeing Chin's smile whenever she brought him the apple was enough of a reward for the money she didn't save.

Sometime during that week, Chin had become like a little pest she wasn't willing to lose. When she got back from work, he would always be waiting for her. She would give him an apple and he would talk about his day, and that was how she had come to learn he and his mother, Jianji, had gotten in the house she used to stay at a while after she fled with the Kyoshi warriors. His father had been taken by the Dai Li at some point during Azula's reign and now he lived with his mother. She hadn't met the woman but from the way Chin talked about her, it was clear she was really important to him. A part of her couldn't help but compare her own mother to Chin's but before her thoughts would grow, she forced herself to think of something else.

Chin never stopped attempting to see her sword when they spent time together, and she never allowed him to see it properly. She believed firmly that should his mother learn she had showed him her sword, she wouldn't ever allow the little boy to see her again and Homura had gotten used to his presence, even looked forward to the time she spent with him. He was the only person she could be completely relaxed with and he got her mind off of the people she had left behind. That evening as they sat together, he noticed the ring on her finger.

"That seems expensive," he observed as he reached forward, touching the golden band with wide eyes before he turned to Homura. "It seems like gold!"

"It is gold," she revealed with a small smile as she leaned back against the wall, her smile widening as she noticed his awed expression. "It was my grandmother's. I never take it off."

"It's really pretty."

She nodded, "I know."

"I've told mum many times that when I get rich, I'll have countless of rings with valuable stones and make everyone jealous because my rings will be incredibly nice."

Homura turned to face him slowly. "What else are you going to do when you get rich, Chin?"

"I'll buy a nice house," he grinned as he turned to face her excitedly. "And lots of food. And-And I'll get dressed in different clothes every day! Have you ever seen all these silks the rich people are dressed in?"

Red silk with gold embodiments got to mind at once, worn by a person she held dear, and she nodded, unable to keep herself from smiling. "Yeah, I've seen it. It's fancy, isn't it?"

"Very," he nodded, "and then, since I'll have money, I'll travel the world!"

"Where do you want to go?"