STORY 9 — ZHURRICK WEEK DAY 7 — FOOD

Since Zhu Li has started working for Varrick, he always insisted that they eat together.

A/N: the beginning of this story makes some reference to my other story, "Beggar", so you might want to check that one out before reading further... But if you don't want to, it's okay, you won't have any difficulties understanding this one either way x))

Zhu Li didn't always have to eat, as a child. When her life was more of a fight for survival than actual living on the streets of Ba Sing Se, finding food for the day was one of the ultimate goals of her life. Now that she was working for Varrick, she could afford anything that she wanted. Not that she needed to worry about food, though, because Varrick always made sure of it being prepared for them and properly served by his personal cooks.

"You seem lost in thoughts, Zhu Li," stated Varrick from across the table.

They always ate together, around the same banquet. Sometimes surrounded with others. Often, just the two of them. Both were served by personal cooks, who brought them plates and poured their drinks. Except if tea was on the table. Then, Zhu Li would pour tea, out of habit.

"I was thinking about past, sir," admitted Zhu Li, taking a piece of bread.

"Does it happen often?" asked Varrick.

"Just sometimes."

She cut her meat in parcels and put one piece in her mouth. Varrick tried to busy himself with his plate, but his thoughts travelled back to Zhu Li.

"I was a kid of a poor couple of farmers, you know," said Varrick. "Food was a bit harder to get by in winter, but we've never been hungry... Nothing like what you went through..."

"I'm okay, sir," said Zhu Li, before taking another bite.

Everything that Zhu Li did was methodical and calculated, up to the way in which she ate. Yet, Varrick noticed that she had the tendency to eat her food fast, almost nervously, taking good care not to leave a single bite.

"You like it?" asked Varrick.

Zhu Li raised her head up. "I do, sir. Thank you for caring about me."

Varrick bent over to have his head closer to her, grinning.

"You like these dinners with me!" he said.

"I appreciate them very much indeed."

She was the only employer to have the privilege to have private meals with Varrick. It made her feel a bit uneasy to think that Varrick made her eat with him because he pitied her for what she had lived, and so he wanted to make sure that she had enough now. She wasn't even completely wrong. Varrick genuinely enjoyed watching her eat. It made him feel important, in a different sort of way. And the atmosphere between them was more of a convivial one in those situations, rather than a strict business relationship that they held, despite Zhu Li being there at all times and knowing pretty much everything about him. Well, almost everything...

"Thank you, sir," said Zhu Li after a while.

Varrick's eyes went wide. "Thank you for what?"

"For giving me this job and for taking care of me."

Varrick stood up and walked up to her.

"You're the one who takes care of me on a regular basis," he said, taking her hand in his own and kneeling beside her.

Moments like these were rare and weird. She was the only one in front of whom Varrick would do such a thing. Getting down on his knees... Talking with a softer tone. These moments would only last several seconds at a time before Varrick interrupted them by screaming, jumping, joking or being Varrick altogether, but they meant the world to Zhu Li.

Zhu Li extended her other hand and caressed Varrick's cheek. She was in love with him and in these moments, she could pretend that he felt the same. After all, the shield known as his eccentric personality that he brandished in front of the rest of the world would get lowered only in front of Zhu Li.

Varrick kissed Zhu Li's hand. He had never done it before. It was as if something else had pushed him to do that. As for Zhu Li, she didn't dare moving then, afraid that she will break the spell and destroy this moment frozen in time.

"Hey, they're late with our cake!" Varrick suddenly shouted, jumping up.

And just like that, the moment was gone.

"We... We're here, sir!" muttered the two cooks who were serving them, entering in the room immediately, as if they had been waiting in front of the door all that time.

"Well what were you waiting for?" asked Varrick.

The cooks deeply bowed, lost in apologies, and entered with a tray carrying cakes. Chocolate and strawberry, from what it seemed. Zhu Li loved those. She looked at the bowed head of the man who was pushing the tray. He was trying to listen at the doors, that much was apparent. Varrick realized that too, of course.

"Pal," said Varrick, putting his hand on the shoulder of the man. "If you were expecting something between Zhu Li and I happening, we would go to the bedroom and wouldn't be doing it here for everyone to hear."

Varrick winked and the cooks' faces turned red from embarrassment. One could expect this kind of jokes from Varrick, but it still shocked Zhu Li a bit that he would use her name in one of them. Still, what surprised everyone even more was what she said next, in her usual serious tone.

"And we wouldn't be doing it around food. Not our type."

Her comment was said silently and yet, it would be resonating for days to come. Zhu Li always kept to herself, wanting to be the image of decency. It was not her type to make jokes, let alone to do a follow-up joke, especially one with a corny content. The cooks ran out of the room, waiting to be outside to either scream or laugh. As for Varrick, he went back to his seat, looking at Zhu Li and barely retaining himself from giggling with mirth.

"Zhu Li, I didn't know that you had a sense of humor!" he finally said, overjoyed.

"Quite honestly, sir, neither did I," she answered, before taking her spoon and plunging it into the cake.

A/N: Well here it goes... This was the final fic of the Zhurrick week... This was the first time that I undertook a romance challenge and I'm hapy I went through with it ^^ I hope that you guys had fun too :)

As always, don't hesitate to tell me what you think, every review and PM is appreciated :)