A/N: I don't own LOK but if I did...you know the rest.

That half empty bottle of brown liquor sat open on her desk. It was a long day on the force and while for the most things had gone back to normal. The Triads were the Triads, The old lady with the wandering platybear was still that. Lin rolled her chair to get up and fetch a glass from her file cabinet.

"May I join you?"

She jumped at the voice, almost smashing her fingers into the file drawer. The stranger smiled mischievously and took a seat on her couch.

"I never knew you drank, Lin.ยด He unbutton his coat and leaned back, legs wide open.

"Well, there is a lot about me you don't know Bumi. I don't appreciate you just barging into my office like that." She miffed. " Now what do you want?" He gestured at her to get another glass. Lin smirked and set up the glasses to pour the intoxicating brown liquid into the half sized drinking glasses.

"I just came by to see how you're doing. Maybe some drinking games." Bumi grinned widely. He was purely joking about the drinking games but he was concerned about her enough to see how she was doing though. "Well I'm fine Bumi." She rolled her eyes and turned back to her seat.

Lin took a small gulp from her glass. The drink was strong, stinging her throat as it washed down.

"Ahh. That hit the spot." She couldn't help but notice that Bumi hadn't even started on his drink let alone move it. It just sat in his calloused hand sweating and he seemed a bit lost in thought.

"Too strong for you?" Lin teased swinging in her chair. Not one to be outdone, Bumi's brow furrowed and he down the contents of the glass.

"WHOOO! Girl don't tempt me like that. Just because you have some experience doesn't mean you can drink me under the table Ms. Beifong." Chuckling to himself he leaned forwards towards the edge of the couch and prepped himself to stand.

Admittedly Lin had grown quite fond of Bumi over the last six months of his being stationed in Republic City. He was no nonsense, hardworking, and down to earth about work but off duty he was fun loving, exciting, funny and his sense of duty that matched her own. Lin was just plain smitten, she liked him but quietly tried to hide it. After Tenzin it grew hard to want another relationship especially "so late in the game" as the chatty dispatchers claim. So she filled her days with work and business, no time to enjoy life and other people. There were people to keep safe and criminals to round up that was her pride and joy; keeping Republic City safe under her watch. No ifs, ands, or buts about it.

"Lin Beifong." He cleared his throat and moved the clinking empty glass back on to her desk. He was a sight to see, a very handsome man, a very lonely man, but she didn't know that. He sometimes yearn for the company of one, let alone many. She wasn't the first woman on his radar but he wanted her, Lin Beifong, to surely be his last and honestly he was going to try anything- everything to make her the one.

"Yes, Bumi?" Lin rested her hands under her chin and leaned slightly across the red oak desk. She was annoyed- peeved was the more correct title of her expression.

"Aww, don't look like that Linny." His eyes beamed as he smirked in her direction. "Spit it out then." The frustration just easily mounted on her face as Bumi continued to stall.

"Okay. Okay." He straighten up his coat and stood taller. " It's been nice being home for the last few months and one thing I never got to do was go out for dinner with a dear old friend." He smiled. Her cheeks began to flush a rosy color as he continued.

"So Madam Chief Beifong...Would you like to escort this old sailor on a night out in old Republic City."

"Hmm" She mused as her brow lifted."I can't see why not. 8:30 at Kuang's and you got yourself a date sir." She floated. Grinning from ear to ear Bumi decided that it was best to leave. "It's a date then. I'm going to head back to the island and I'll see you later. Kuang's. 8:30." Lin nodded and smiled back uncharacteristically as the door closed.

"Tonight is going to be something else." She thought to herself.

It wasn't as if she had never dated after Tenzin, it was just that no one was ever worthy of seeing her past a second date. Her nerves were on an unnatural high as she prepped her self. A night out with the man known as the anti-tenzin, it was bound to be either the worst date ever or the best night of her life no matter how it happened it would be memorable none the less.

I really need to stop comparing the two.

Finding a dress for tonight seemed a lot easier than anything that had happen in her personal and work life. It was a gorgeous green dress and very current. That knack for fashion she had was paying off in every way. As she laid her dress down she saw some lingerie that was sitting out. I'm sure Bumi would love this. She shook her head and mused some more about it. "Maybe.." Smiling mischievously over the form fitting lingerie. "but not tonight. Another time perhaps." And finished getting ready.

At Kuang's Bumi and Lin sat at the candle lit table delightfully talking about the past; the good, the nice and some of the bad times they had. They hadn't notice that time flown by quickly, the candle was half way melted and food half eaten. Bumi took the time to get comfortable as the waiter brought by the dessert plates and a bottle of lychee wine.

"Would you like some more wine sir, madam?" The waiter asked.

"You bet!" Bumi exclaimed holding out his wine glass.

"No thank you." Lin's glass was still half full and she was feeling a bit lightheaded from the drinking she did earlier. "I think I had enough Bumi" She laughed.

Bumi look good in the setting she thought to herself. She didn't know whether it was the wine or the little badgermoles crawling in her heart that made her more loving at this point in the conversation. He was a great story teller, he had her enthralled with his stories of far away places and far away people. It was like listening to the stories Avatar Aang or Sokka used to tell them. "and that's when I hit the man with my right hook!" He bolstered. " Look at that" Glancing down at her watch, she felt a little disappointed. "It's about to be 11:00."

Lin's cheeks were red from all the smiling and laughing,she really didn't want the night to end just yet. "Time isn't what it used to be Lin." He frowned. " No it isn't." She replied as she picked up the check. "What's time between old friends Linny?" He was trying to be smooth and she made note of it but she wasn't going to let him know. "Well how about we go for a walk in the park and continue our conversation there, old friend Bumi?" She teased. He liked the sound of that and took her on the offer. "Sure thing." He smiled and they were off to the park.

Strolling in the park wasn't something both did a lot so after seeing the same old trees the couple decided to sit on a bench. "The moon looks so pretty tonight." Lin said as she gazed out to the nighttime sky line. "I agree. I think Uncle Sokka would approve of that." Bumi scoot closer to Lin and put his arm over her shoulder. He felt at comfort with her and wanted to see this side of her more often. She turned her head and smiled.

"So Bumi tell me, Why hasn't a debonair wildman like yourself not settle down after all these years?" It was an honest question but he couldn't help but feel like there was an underlying reason for her to ask it.

Was this Linny's way of flirting?

He slowly moved his arm back and turned to her so he could look at her better. Lin's eyes were just as beautiful at night as they were in the day and her face was just as inviting. "If you want to know Lin." His face was marked with frustration as he searched for the words to say.

"It's like this. I'm off to sea for a long time and I'm always busy. I only have time for quick flings and short relations. No one I met ever really challenged me or it never blossomed past a date, meeting, or a one night stand." Bumi sighed. "I'm getting older and these playboy days aren't gonna last forever. I know that. I've been feeling that ever since Dad died and Tenzin started a family."

He didn't want Lin to feel awkward about his feelings since he knew about what happened between her and his brother but the past is the past and he wasn't trying to have kids; he just wanted her to maybe be that part of his life that was missing.

"Oh." Was all she could manage to say.

The silence lasted a few seconds but it felt like forever in Bumi's mind and the crickets in the background didn't help. Lin looked down at her hands and then back up to Bumi.

"You and I are in the same boat then." She finally spoke. "All I have is work and my mother's legacy but sometimes I want more. Someone to go home to and while I am content with being alone. I sometimes think what-if?" She smirked and leaned back on the bench, Bumi slide his hand down to hers and grabbed it gently.

"What if you had someone that respected your duty?" He affirmed. "Yes, do you know him?" She chuckled and leaned her head on his shoulder. "Well...I see him coming up the sidewalk" He motioned her to look behind her and while she did not take lightly to his games she looked just for him. " I see no one Bumi" She groaned.

Turning back to him, Bumi crashed his lips in hers, Lin tried to protest but got caught in the feeling. His hands in her hair and her arms wrapped around him tightly.

He was waiting for this for 6 months and he wasn't going to let her go. Moving back Lin marked with perched lips and hazy eyes, felt her heart soar for the man.

"I can't say that the kiss was bad." she squeaked as she straighten up her hair. "But what Ms. Beifong?" He laughed and stroked her side. "But I can say that I want more of it" She chuckled as she pulled Bumi back in for another kiss.