Headcanon:As she got made up for the wedding by the women in the family, Lin reminisced about her relationship with Tenzin.
I own nothing , Lin's POV
The morning lights came through the small crack in the window. The light was near blinding, if sitting in the right position to catch it - and unfortunately, I was. I had been woken up way too early for my liking by everyone and their mother, literally. Pushed into a chair and attacked with a bunch of girly things was not part of my morning routine, nor will it ever be. I desperately wished that I could go through this day with just simple sandals and one of my less constricting dresses (considering I HAD to wear one), but no one would have it. I saw myself scowling in the mirror as everyone ran around the small room, looking like they had way too much cactus juice.
I had been looking at my freshly cut finger nails before sensing Kya come over with a box of pins. She took one piece to curl in her hand before I swatted it out of her hand.
"Lin! What? Why did you do that?" My soon to be sister in law asked.
"My hair stays down." I ordered in my best work voice.
"Why?" Honora, another soon to be family member, asked.
"Reasons." I answered and saw Kya put her hands on her hips.
"Which would be?" The waterbender asked and I looked into her eyes in the mirror.
"Just leave it down please." I told her, conceding, as I looked away from her confused face.
"I absolutely love your hair. It's so beautiful. Especially when it's down" Tenzin said, running a hand through it. Blushing at his words, I gave him a small smile before leaning into kiss him, his hands never leaving my hair.
I smiled at the memory, finding my cheeks in a similar color. My mother, Katara and Mai had walked into the already crowded room and began their own designated jobs. I blocked out most of the mindless chatter between my second family and the acolytes who has been chosen to help. I saw it on the one who came over to brush out my hair, that orange sash that resembled one I saw before.
He had wrapped it around my wrist. Tying it tight before giving me a kiss and offering a sweet goodbye. He had to go on a training trip with his father for a week or two and gave it to me so I wouldn't forget him while he was gone. I told him he was insane if he ever thought that would happen, but he insisted I take it anyway. I walked back home after seeing him off. Going to my room, I untied the knot and held the sash in my hands. I put it in a little box I had of things that belonged to him, or to us, telling myself that I didn't need to have it on me. But after two days of not having him there, not having him next to me, to harass, to kiss, to push, I started to get sad. For the remaining days of his trip I wore that sash around my left palm where I could grab on it, counting the days until he would come home.
"Can I have that?" I heard myself ask the acolyte, pointing to the sash.
"The sash?" She asked, stopping her work on my hair and I nodded.
"Well...okay I guess." The young woman said before removing the requested item and putting into my hands. Smiling, I tied it around my palm, gripping onto it as I did before.
I ignored the looks of confusion from Kya and Honora.
My makeup had been done and my hair had been brushed before Katara went along with the task of putting on the jewelry. Now, Tenzin had gotten me some very nice things over the many years we've been together but nothing could come close to that emerald. On our 10th anniversary, he made it a collection, I smiled to myself, getting the three pieces out of the drawer in front of me, admiring them in my hands.
I came home earlier than he did that day. An emergency at the Council had forced him to stay later than he wanted to. We were definitely going to miss our anniversary plans, come on couldn't the financial crisis come to a head tomorrow?! I sat on our couch and took out a bottle of my favorite poison and waited for him to come home. When I finished and he still hadn't walked in the door, I decided it was time to change my clothes, I pouted all the way to our bedroom before opening the door and seeing them. Following his usual habits, he had left my gift out in the open, wanting me to stumble upon it and be surprised; but I also knew he liked to be there when I did. After waiting a while, I couldn't fight the temptation anymore. I raced to the bed and picked up the gems along with a note he had written. 'How about every ten years we add to the collection?' it had said. I laughed a little and looked over at my other hand at the earrings. The dazzling emeralds they were, matching my necklace perfectly. I put all three pieces on, making myself presentable. I sat in the loving room and waited until he got home, almost pouncing on him when he did, getting to do at least one thing I had wanted to do that night.
I stopped Katara when she went to grab the earrings she had picked out.
"Here, these are the ones." I told her as I put them in her palm, keeping a tight hold on my necklace.
"And this." I told Honora, who was standing on the other side of me.
They both asked at the same time, "Why?"
"There are some nice ones over here," Katara started, pointing over to the clear stones she had pulled.
"I don't want to wear those. I want these." I said pointing to the jewels in their hands. Thankfully, they both complied.
"You've been asking for weird things today...what's going on Beifong?" Kya asked, looking at me in the mirror.
"Nothing, just want certain things today." I told her, looking down at the floor, trying to hide the blush that crept into my cheeks when I saw the emeralds on me.
Thankfully, the women gave up their questioning. I sat in the chair for a while, waiting for everyone else to get ready and to get my dress on, thinking. I couldn't believe that in only two more hours, I would be married to Tenzin. We have been through so much together, become so close. As most people said, we were a good fit together, completing each other in ways no one else could. Looking back in the mirror, I suddenly smiled. Everything we had done so far in this room reminded me of him, my hair was down, the sash around my hand and the emeralds draped around my neck and ears made him even more prominent as I thought of our best
memories. I caught myself blushing again and laughed a bit. Upon hearing Kya's call for me to change into my dress I got up out of the seat. Taking one last look in the mirror, I flipped my hair over my shoulder and smiled again.
New memories would be made today, but the old ones will always be kept in my heart.