Disclaimer: Not mine.

A/N: Hey shoutout to my new readers: AConcernedAuthor, SexiSamWinchester and Raine1902! Thanks you guys :D Glad you liked it!

As I was entering the Tea Shop, Jin came running out, her face alit with happiness. It had been a couple of days since we had spoken but now she stopped me, grabbing my hands. "Your advice was perfect," she whispered and glanced back over her shoulder. "I have a date!"

Grinning madly she left the shop, leaving me to approach the counter where Lee couldn't have looked more embarrassed while Mushi couldn't have looked more estatic. "Morning Yunru!" he called.

"Good news?" I asked, smiling.

"Lee here has a date with that kind girl who just left!" Mushi replied.

"Jin?" I grinned at Lee, pretending like I really knew the girl. "She's very lovely. I think you guys will have fun! Where are you going to take her?"

"I don't even want to go," Lee complained. He pointed at his Uncle. "He volunteered me!"

"Nonsense!" Mushi brushed his hands on his apron. "You haven't gotten to know anyone since we moved here."

"I've gotten to know Yunru."

"You need to be out and about with your people your own age."

"You should buy her some flowers," I said, lost in my own thoughts. I had never been on a date but in fairytales and romance novels, the man always brought flowers. I thought maybe that as the thing to do.

"A fantastic idea, Yunru," Mushi exclaimed, grinning at me and then at his nephew. Digging in his pockets he pulled out a handful of copper pieces, handing them over to Lee. "Yunru, take him to buy some flowers please?"

"But what about work?" Lee asked, even as Mushi ripped his apron off of him and pushed him towards the door.

"It'll be fine! Go, go! Buy some pretty flowers."

Grinning, I grabbed Lee's arm, and he stuffed the copper pieces into his pocket as I pulled him out of the door. "This will be fun, won't it?" I asked.

"I don't even want to go on a date," Lee muttered as we walked down the streets. He looked around him. "And where is this flower shop anyway?"

Uh oh.

That was a very good question. Well . . . I don't suppose I had ever actually said I was from the Lower Ring. "Just further down I think. I've never been."

"This is so pointless anyway." Lee crossed his arms and I was reminded of a little child. It made me smile though.

"Aren't you excited?" I asked. "I've never been on a date before. Have you?"

Lee cast his eyes down for a second. "Once."

"Was it someone you knew in the Circus?"

The boy looked at me, seemingly confused but then he muttered, "Yes."

Eventually, we did find a flower shop along the street, a kind old lady standing beside it. "Here to buy flowers for your sweetheart, dear?" she asked, giving the two of us a sly look.

Before Lee could argue, I said, "Indeed he is! We'll just take a look around."

Lee followed behind me as I looked through all the flowers. There were all sorts. I was sure that any girl would be happy to get any sort of flower. I stopped for a moment to admire a green flower, it's petals a luscious, almost emerald color. The tag read: "Daisy Gems".

"What about these?" I turned to see Lee had already picked up a dozen Moon Flowers, pure, white flowers that grew well in the shade.

"Those are beautiful Lee," I told him honestly. "Jin will love them."

Before he could move to take the flowers up to the old woman, I took the flowers from him. "I've got it. My treat."

I turned to the old woman, quickly pulling a gold piece from my pocket. No use in Lee and Mushi spending all of their copper. The woman looked down the coin, surprise evident on her face. "It's all yours," I told her, smiling.

She thanked me profusely, a wide smile on her crinkled face. She turned away and I lifted the flowers to my nose, sniffing. They smelt wonderful. I'm sure Jin wasn't expecting this at all but she would be very excited to get these.

I turned when I felt a tap on my shoulder. Lee was holding out a Daisy Gem, looking everywhere but at me. "It looked like you liked them."

I grinned and took the flower from him.

Jin was a lucky girl.

Upper Ring, Lower Ring . . . I was discovering that things weren't so different between the two. . . . Like the fact that the stars were just incredibly beautiful.

I know the Dai Li and the walls were created because of the riots but there hadn't been a riot or a thought of a riot in years. I didn't understand why we couldn't break the walls down. Then everyone could go and come as they pleased.

"Yunru?"

I looked down from my seat on a brick wall of a courtyard, surprised. "Lee! What are you doing here?"

He looked up at me, confused. "I live just down this street in the apartments. What are you doing here? It's really late."

I shrugged. After we had picked out the flowers for Jin I hadn't felt like going back to the palace so I just wandered. I stopped to admire some street musicians, played kickball with some little kids, got to know people like I never would have in the Palace. It was amazing really, how hopeful these people were. I knew that Kuei was probably wondering where I was at the moment but I couldn't bring myself to care. "I'll probably head home in a moment. How was your date? Did she like the flowers?"

Lee pulled himself up beside me, lacing his fingers as he stared up at the sky. He was silent for a moment, and I looked away, the breeze blowing my long ponytail around. Finally he muttered, "I had a girlfriend before."

Oh.

Oh.

"Was it that girl from the circus?" I asked.

"Um . . . yes." He was obviously feeling very awkward because he didn't say anything else.

"You know," I started, "Ba Sing Se isn't at all bad. There are wonderful people here, people who come to start over . . . like you and Mushi," I added, looking up at him from under my bangs. "You meet new people and you start a new life because . . . I think that's the true meaning of Ba Sing Se. . . ."

Lee looked back at me for a moment before looking up to the stars again. I followed his gaze, letting him think. "I've been moving for years, it feels like," he muttered after a while. "Uncle would like to settle here but . . . I don't think I remember how to be 'settled'."

"Well, I don't know how to move," I told him with a grin. "So we're even."

He shook his head but I could see the small quirk at the corner of his lips. "Why are you so happy all the time?"

I stared at him for a second, not sure how to respond to that question. I don't think anyone had ever asked me why I was happy and now that someone had, I really didn't know the answer and I really couldn't recall ever being sad . . . not even when my mom died. . . . So in answer to Lee's question, I shrugged, saying, "Why not be?"

I smiled at him and, quite surprisingly, he gave me a very tiny smile in return. I wouldn't have noticed it but there it was. So it wasn't impossible for him to smile. "I guess I better go home."

Lee hopped down from the wall, reaching up to me. Smiling down at him I leaned forward, putting my hands on his shoulders and, as I jumped, his hands slipped around my waist.

I had never been this close to a boy before, especially not one as cute as Lee. I found myself getting all flustered and embarrassed. Gently, I pushed away from him, smiling despite my bright red face. "I'll see you tomorrow?"

Lee took a step forward. "I should walk you home."

"No! I mean, I'll be fine," I recovered, even though Lee was looking at me like I was crazy. "It's really, very far and your apartment is right here. I'll be alright."

Should I? No, no, that would be stupid . . . but –

Before I lost my nerve, I darted forward and placed a kiss on Lee's cheek. "Bye!"

I ran past him in the direction of the monorail, not stopping to see if he were watching which way I was going. I couldn't stop giggling; how annoying. I felt like one of my storybook characters, clearly happy, clearly floating on air.

What was I to do with myself?

A/N: Hey everyone! Sorry it took me so long to update! We are almost to the nitty gritty of this story. Just hang in with me :D Thanks for reading and I'll see you next time!