The Bridegroom [Iroh II]

☼Twelve☼

After the drama from the day before, Sarrin could hardly hold her head up at work. She wasn't able to fall asleep; all night, she had tossed and turned, trying to fall asleep. It didn't work out. On top of that, Iroh walked the floors during the early hours of the morning. The floor creaked with every step he took, and she was about to get up and yell at him when the clock next to her bed rang out to wake her up.

Sarrin didn't want to come into work today, but she wasn't sure how Reng would react if she asked for the day off this soon. He didn't say anything to her when she entered through the door. However, it did look like he noticed that her cheek was slightly bruised and swollen. His eyes widened when he saw her but he said nothing about it. All he said was "good morning" and allowed her to go into the kitchen after she hummed a response. 

The monotony of her work lulled her into a sense of relaxation and peacefulness. It almost felt like she was sleepwalking as she began to prepare the specials of the day. Her mind was empty as she rolled the dough for the dumplings. Nothing echoed in there, nothing went around and around like a broken record. It was finally silent and peaceful. 

Her hands kneaded the dough, knuckles digging into the soft tissue. She wished she could've punched Jizak, but her hands would have been messed up for work. Work was very important to her; she would've been devastated if she couldn't prepare food for other people. So, if she had punched Jizak, she wouldn't have been able to work, and if she hadn't been able to work, she wouldn't fulfil her lifelong dream. In a way, leaving Jizak had given her the push to find happiness for herself.

Sarrin hadn't been happy since her parents died. She thought she was, but she wasn't. She thought Jizak was her happiness, but he wasn't. He wouldn't have been able to give her happiness whether he was a good guy or not. No one would be able to give her any sort of happiness; she was the only one who could do that. And right now, she wanted to be happy. 

The cool metal of the countertop seeped into her bones. It was a surprisingly hot day today. The past few days had been very chilly, but today was unusually warm. The leaves in the trees started to change colors the other day, so she knew it was supposed to be coming up in winter soon. 

A smile made its way onto her face. Her life was slowly turning out the way it was supposed to. She had her dream job; her favorite season was coming up; somehow, she had found the perfect guy. However, the perfect guy didn't know what she thought about him. She didn't know how to tell him that she had gained feelings for him. It seemed like he had feelings for her, but she wasn't sure.

"Sarrin," Reng said with a knock on the door. He entered the kitchen. "Can we talk?"

"About?"

Sarrin continued to split the dough into small sections. A pot sat on the stove, water already boiling. Most of the dough was already split, so she just had to cut a few more before putting them in the boiling water.

"What happened to your face?"

Sarrin's fingers touched her cheek absentmindedly before going back to slicing the dough. "I got into a scuffle last night. It's no big deal, though."

"Did Iroh do that to you?"

Sarrin shook her head quickly. "Of course not. He got hurt, too."

"Who did this to you?"

"My ex-boyfriend."

Sarrin picked up the little sections of dough and plopped them into the boiling water. It hissed at her before bubbling up. She quickly put a lid on the pot before facing Reng. He shook his head and said, "Why did he hit you?"

"I stole his - well, it was mine in the first place - furniture, and he got mad that I was living with another guy."

"And he decided to attack you?"