Disclaimer: I own nothing, only a computer.
Lonely Souls
It's late. The city is asleep, but Korra is still out and by herself. She's headed home, but somehow gets lost and ends up in one of the seedier neighborhoods, with dark alleys and plenty of places that danger could be lurking. It doesn't seem like there's anyone else out, but her guard is still up, eyes scanning the streets around her for any sign of an attack.
She's about to round the corner and head back onto what looks like a main street when she feels someone grab her, pinning her arms behind her back and smothering her mouth with their arm.
"Quiet!" hisses her captor, pulling her back onto the smaller, darker street, "There's a whole force of chi-blockers around the corner there. You'd be walking into an ambush and I will not have you messing my city up while you fail to defend yourself!"
The voice belongs to Lin Bei Fong, who pulls Korra back down the other street, waiting an entire block before releasing the Avatar from her iron grasp.
"Thanks?" Korra says questioningly, rubbing her mouth after Lin lets go of her.
Lin ignores her and keeps walking down the street.
"I should write you a ticket for violating curfew," she tells Korra, who snorts.
"I'm not some little kid. I can take care of myself. Even after dark."
"Just because you can take care of yourself doesn't mean that the rules don't apply to you too. Every underaged citizen has to abide by the curfew. No exceptions," Lin's voice is hard, "But there's no way for us to get to the nearest station without having a run in with the chi-blockers."
Korra feigns disappointment.
"That's too bad," she sighs.
"You'll just have to come with me then. I have all the papers at my apartment. It will only take a few minutes."
Groaning, Korra considers turning back and fleeing, taking her chances with the chi-blockers. Tenzin will kill her if she gets another ticket.
"I thought this area was surrounded by chi-blockers. How are we supposed to get to your apartment?" Korra asks, trying to find a way out of the damn ticket.
"It's really not a problem," Lin smirks, "We're right here."
She stops in front of a tall, dilapidated looking building with dirty glass doors. Korra can't believe that Chief Bei Fong lives in a dump like this, but holds her tongue as she follows her inside. It's dingy and damp in the lobby, and Lin opens the grate to the elevator, which is lit with a flickering bulb hanging from the ceiling. They go all the way to the top floor, and Korra reluctantly follows Lin out into the hallway.
There's only one apartment on this floor, and Lin unlocks the door.
"Hurry up, Avatar," she grunts, "I don't have all night."
Korra enters, and is surprised at the contrast between the building and the apartment's decor. It's sparse and clean, but it's very nice; Korra can tell the furniture cost a lot of Yuans. Everything is very chic, but Korra can't help but notice how un-lived in it looks. The only sign that someone has been there in the last month is a discarded newspaper left open on a glass table in front of the low couch. She wonders how often Lin takes time off of work, if ever. It sure doesn't look like she's home much.
Lin leaves the room, and returns with a sheet of paper, which she fills out and hands to Korra.
"You better show up this time," she warns, "I won't be taking any more of Tenzin's pathetic excuses."
"Yes ma'am," Korra salutes, and Lin glares at her before going over to the window to look out at the city below her.
"Damn," she mutters, and glances at Korra.
"What?"
"The street is filled with chi-blockers, and they don't look like they're leaving," she says bitterly.
"Does that mean I can't leave?" Korra asks.
"For now, no."
"I'll just take a seat then," Korra says, plopping down in a chair.
Lin eyes her suspiciously, and leaves the room.
When she comes back, she isn't wearing her uniform anymore. She has a plain black tunic on, and it makes her look less severe. Pouring herself a glass of some amber colored alcohol, she sits down on the couch Korra reaches forward to help herself to some as well. It looks like Lin is about to protest, but she leans back and takes a large drink from her own glass instead.
After she gulps down some of the alcohol that she pours herself, Korra sits up and leans forward.
"So Chief," she begins, trying to make conversation, "I guess you live by yourself."
"Obviously."
"No boyfriend?"
"I don't see how that's any business of yours, Avatar," she says, taking another drink.
"Just wondering," Korra shrugs.
It's quiet except for the sound of the Equalist's trucks down on the street below, and Korra's mind wanders to Tenzin and what it had been like for Lin to grow up with him.
"Have you ever dated Tenzin?" Korra asks, genuinely curious.
Lin finishes her glass, pours another, and downs half of it in one gulp.
"No. I never had much interest in that particular child of Avatar Aang."
Korra is intrigued.
"So were you into Bumi?"
Lin laughs sharply.
"Not exactly."
"Kya?"
From the look that briefly crosses over Chief Bei Fong's face, Korra knows that she's right, and that she's said the wrong thing.
"I'm sorry," she amends immediately.
Lin exhales loudly, and knocks back the rest of her drink. She looks sad, and Korra sips quietly from her own glass until the older woman speaks.
"It's ancient history, Avatar," she says, her voice thick.
"Doesn't mean it doesn't matter, though."
She gets up from the chair and moves over to the couch to sit next to Lin. The woman tenses up as Korra puts a hand on her shoulder.
"I have a name, you know," Korra tells her.
Maybe the alcohol is a little too strong for her, or maybe she's just seeing things a little differently now that she's seen Lin outside of the interrogation room, but some part of the Chief of Police's metallic exterior seems to soften as Korra's hand remains on her shoulder, firm and unmoving.
Her body relaxes, and she looks over at Korra, a strange and sad expression on her face. She looks so lonely, now that she wasn't busy arresting people, or yelling at the delinquents of Republic City. Korra can relate to that; loneliness is an emotion that she knows all too well.
It's the alcohol, and the closeness of her body, and the loneliness in Lin Bei Fong's eyes that convince Korra it's a good idea. She takes a breath and leans in, pressing a light kiss to Lin's jaw. The older woman looks at her in surprise, but doesn't immediately move away. Korra moves again, this time kissing her on the lips, softly at first, waiting for a response. It's a moment before there's a real reaction, but the wait is worth it. Lin kisses her back, and Korra can feel the need in her lips.
She moves to climb on top of Lin, but the Chief pushes her back onto the couch, and when their lips break contact, Korra is mildly disappointed. Sticking her bottom lip out slightly in a pout, she tries to sit up, but Lin pins her to the couch, and Korra can't complain, because before she knows it, Lin is on top of her, straddling her hips.
There's a far off look in her eyes, and Korra wonders if she's seeing Kya instead of Korra, which for some reason makes her a little jealous, so she yanks Lin's head down, pulling her into a kiss to remind her exactly who she is on top of.
Lin's hands move over Korra's body, confident and experienced, every movement full of intent. She knows exactly what she's doing, despite the alcohol that Korra knows is fueling her fervor.
Korra likes how strong she is, how she can not only feel the hard muscles of her body, but the soft curves of her hips and breasts as well.
It's strange; Korra had never really though of the Chief as attractive before, but now that she takes the time to really look, she sees an unsung beauty in her hard face, a determined passion beneath her eyes, which aren't as cold as Korra once thought them. She brushes her fingers across Lin's face, lightly stroking the scars that mar it.
Lin freezes and Korra wonders for a moment if she has done the wrong thing. Maybe she doesn't like people touching her scars, a reminder of an old and painful defeat, one that she would rather forget. She meets Korra's eyes for a moment, and the young Avatar can see a myriad of memories flashing before them, and feels like she's intruding. The chief of police shakes her head slightly, and the cold exterior that had momentarily melted away is back.
She pulls away from Korra, legs still on either side of her, but her face has hardened, her expression unreadable.
"I'm sorry," Korra breathes, reaching up to bring Lin back down, "I really am."
She means it. In all the time that she has been in Republic City, she and Chief Bei Fong have never gotten along particularly well. And now that they seem to be getting somewhere (where exactly, Korra doesn't know), Korra goes and messes everything up. As usual.
It happened with Mako. It happened with Bolin. Every time she gets close to someone, or someone tries to get close to her, she screws it up and pushes them away. And now she's done it again.
It should make everything easier, with no one to hold on to, no earthly attachments. She should feel free and light, closer to the spirits, but she doesn't. All she feels is loneliness. Frustrated tears well up in her eyes, but she blinks them away rapidly. It doesn't escape Chief Bei Fong's notice.
"You're so young," she mutters, her gruff voice softening almost imperceptibly, but it's softer none the less, "Too damn young to think like me."
Korra wants to ask what that means, but before she gets a chance to, Lin leans down and kisses her again. Her lips are warm, and their touch is far softer than Korra would ever expect it to be. There is something understanding in her touch, a knowledge of what it feels like to want someone, need someone, but have no one, that comforts Korra.
They may be alone, but at least for tonight, they are together.