You only know you love her when you let her go...
"I was about your age when love smacked me in the face…"
Mako turned his head to where the voice came and saw Tenzin gazing over the horizon by the Mo Ce Sea. "Never thought I'd lose her," Tenzin continued.
The younger man narrowed his eyes, curious about what the airbender just said. "Who was she?" he asked. He felt he needed to ask, at least to keep the conversation going. Tenzin licked his lip and his mouth curved into a shy smile that almost went unnoticed if he did not let out a soft 'Ha.'
The firebender is now lost in thoughts, silently observing some kingfisher-terns feeding from a distance. With a slow walk towards Mako, he shook his head and with a final decision whether or not to spill some beans.
"I thought Korra might have told you about Lin and I."
The small confession turned Mako's attention from the few estuarine birds to Tenzin. "You and the Chief?" Mako waited for him to respond, and Tenzin did with a nod.
"We grew up together, Lin and I," Tenzin said. For a moment, he paused again, reminding himself when and how it all started. He pictured himself, thirty-four years ago,-awkward and lanky and shy—sitting next to a younger lady—refined, confident but tough—trying to hand over something to the latter.
"I never really considered her as much of a someone worth dating back then," he continued. He ran a hand on his bald head and leaned back to have a clearer view on something he pictures from afar. "She was just…Lin to me, Beifong to Bumi and Linny to both my parents and Kya."
Mako nodded as if in affirmation to what Tenzin just said, his mind trying hard to picture a much younger version of both middle-aged adults. He scratched his head and turned to Tenzin. "When did you actually notice her? You know, as someone worth…" Mako stopped and searched for the word to describe that one person you truly care about. "…someone worth your every damn second?" Mako chuckled and let out a big breath.
This isn't what he pictured after kissing Korra, this isn't what he expected to feel after ending things up with her and being with Asami. "I…I love her, Asami," Mako supplied. "Don't get me wrong…but," another pause. He cringed and dropped to the ground, as if in defeat. "I…"
His insides were twisting and his head dropped to his waiting hands. Silence engulfed them again and moments later, he felt Tenzin's heavy hand on his shoulder. He noticed Tenzin was already sitting in a lotus position next to him. "You love her," the airbender stated plainly. It was a plain statement, yet in its truest form. Three words to describe his feelings for the Avatar, yet it is one of the very few statements considered nearest to the absolute truth the world has been hiding.
"It isn't wrong," Tenzin continued. "Love is never wrong, some of the actions made for it are."
Mako looked at him straight in the eyes and understood what Tenzin meant. There was something in his eyes that looked a little like grieving. "You still love her?"
"She was wearing that green dress, her hair braided and rounded at the back just above her neck," Tenzin answered absentmindedly, this time his smile was obvious, genuine.
"Petunias…" he went on, "she smelled of petunias that night."
He never answered Mako's question but the detail of how much he remembers her answered the hanging question. Staring back at the sea he pictured his younger self again with his best friend, his rock; his left hand clutching the bouquet of flower behind his back so hard he heard a few stems break, his throat dry and Lin…Lin with her curious eyes, her green dress and her intoxicating smell in the air.
"It's the best," Mako's voice emanates from the back of his head. Tenzin closed his eyes and inhaled, disappointed to smell dry leaves and the saltiness of the sea. He is back on the cliff with Mako.
"I love my wife," Tenzin stated. "I love her and my children but—
"—you can't help but wonder on the 'what if?'"
Nodding, Tenzin stood and turned to leave. "You can't help but wonder on the 'what if.'"
With a small stride he walked slowly away from the firebender. "Do you regret it? Are you…lonely?" he heard Mako ask. He stopped and turned to face the firebender. His face was evidence of his deep thought. Does he regret it? Is he lonely?
"I am not unhappy."
Mako stood in his position unmoving. Not unhappy?
"I don't understand."
"My father once told me, if you love someone, you let her go." Turning away for the final time, Tenzin continued walking further away but enough to catch Mako's parting words.
"…and you let her go."
A/N: Okay, I haven't posted in a really long time and I am supposed to write my thesis paper but Passenger came on the radio and bam! this happened. I know it's short and I know it's...it's angsty-ish? You decide.
I have been glancing for a bit on my 'Manage Stories' tab and my other fics are sooo outdated. Sorry for that.
Crawling back to my cave now. Hope you enjoyed.