Part 1: Street Rats

"Mako, when do you think mom and dad are coming home?"

o-o-o

Sometimes, 6-year-old Bolin whimpers in his sleep and the older boys get mad.

"Hey, eyebrows."

Mako winces. He's only been sleeping under the bridge where the other orphans sleep for a few days now. He's been able to keep under the radar for the time being, but Bolin's still too much of a kid to understand tact and the older boys are itching to take out their anger on the youngest boy in their motley crew.

Mako takes a deep breath to steel his nerves and turns to face Joon, "What?"

Joon is a big, mean-spirited boy with a penchant for bullying those he perceives to be weaker than himself, "Get your brother to shut his trap, will ya? Or we'll shut it for him."

"Mind your own business, Joon."

"Careful kid," Joon warns, "you're new here and you won't last long unless you learn to grovel a little."

In a fit of anger and frustration, Mako aims sparks at the older boy. It's enough to spook the non-bender but he knows that there are other benders with a skill a lot greater than his. Joon has friends and Mako knows he can't keep Bolin here for long.

"Mako."

He looks up, startled. Bolin shifts to face him, "I'm sorry, I was being too loud again, wasn't I?"

"Nah," Mako tries to reassure him, " Joon's just a jerk."

"I'm sorry," he repeats, his voice small.

It's moments like these that make Mako feel sick,

o-o-o

"I don't understand why I have to get a tutor, " Bolin grumbles.

The younger boy is back from the quarry. He is 10 and way too young to be working the dangerous quarry, but the triads run the quarries and they don't really subscribe to child labor laws.

"You need to get some kind of education if you're ever going to amount to more than a quarry boy," Mako retorts, throwing him the loaf of bread he snagged off the rude woman in the market.

Bolin frowns.

It's not like he enjoys being a quarry boy. Sure, he doesn't want to live in the shack they share with 3 other boys forever, but when is he going to find time for a bending tutor? How can Mako even afford a bending tutor?

It's not like he enjoys being a quarry boy.

(But it's not like he has a choice.)

o-o-o

Wei is beautiful.

Bolin's lucky to have such a beautiful tutor. Granted, she is rather mean and not at all friendly, but she's beautiful and for twelve year old Bolin, the only beautiful girl he can remember is the faded-at-the-edges, image of his mother.

Wei teaches him about math and she teaches him how to read and she teaches him how to earthbend well enough to stand up for himself when the bigger boys try to bully the salary out of him.

However, it bothers Bolin that Mako won't tell him where's he getting the money to afford a tutor. He doesn't know where Mako is working or what Mako is doing and it irritates him.

"Hey Wei,"

"Is this a question about the short story by Young Fen?"

"Well…"

"Then I'm not interested."

"This is serious!"

"I'm listening…"

"How is Mako, affording your services? How did he even find you?"

o-o-o

When Mako comes home from work that day, Bolin is waiting up for him, which is strange, all things considered. There is a seriousness on his face that does not suit him, and his green eyes are haunted.

"What's up tiger?" Mako whispers casually. The other boys are sprawled out on the dirt floor. Skoochy is curled up in a corner with his head resting on the corner of the couch while Heero and Nitch take up the spot on the sagging, flea-infested floral couch.

Bolin gets up from the rickety stool and wordlessly drags Mako by his red scarf outside.

"What's the deal?" Mako huffs in irritation. He's tired and ornery and he just wants to collapse on his makeshift cot.

"Your first tutoring session begins tomorrow, during your lunch break," Bolin murmurs matter-a-factly, "You're meeting at the docks, the man's name is Ki Leung and he'll be helping you with your fire-bending and your reading, since you're already such a math genius."

Mako stares at Bolin in something akin to disbelief.

"You're working for the triads aren't you?" Bolin's voice is flat, but not accusing, "you're working for the triads so I can get an education."

Mako flounders, "Bolin…I'm not hurting people or anything…I'm not even doing anything illegal…I'm…."

Bolin turns away, heads for the door of their shack.

"Mako?"

"Yeah Bo?"

"Thank you. I love you."

It's moments like these that make Mako feel like he can take on the world.

o-o-o

A/N:

You just read this.

And this is crazy.

But there's the button.

So review for me, maybe?