A/n: One of you wanted more, so I'm giving you more. Just a little. ;) Enjoy. - Diana
Lin didn't know what to wear, how to leave her hair, she wasn't the type to fit over such things. However, it was a big deal. She wasn't impressing any one. Not anyone in particular that is.
She had settled for a green silk blouse that was sleeveless and which exposed her neck and collar bone, also she went with a pair of regular black pants.
Lin had quickly glanced at the grand clock; she had twenty minutes to spare. She decided to read over some papers that she had laying on the coffee table.
As she read over the papers, resting her cheek in her hand, elbow resting on the edge of the couch. She was slightly comfortable.
'Maybe, I should pass, on this invitation. I still have work to do... Getting cold feet now... It's just dinner, little chitchat then you go home. Not a problem. You can do this.'
Lin sighed.
She placed the papers down. Her hair was loose from its usual style. How much longer is she going to wait? She could've gone by now. No, Tenzin just has to pick her up. His offer about Bumi picking her wasn't sounding as bad as it had now. She snorted.
'That'll be the day.'
There was a knock on her door.
'About time...'
She quickly got up and opened the door.
"Took you long enough airhead." She teased.
"Let's go..."she added quickly.
"Lin, shouldn't you pin your hair? I wouldn't want Meelo asking you for your hair now?" Tenzin said in a pleading tone.
Lin groaned.
"Is it really that necessary for me to pin my hair or not? Honestly, I can't tell." She said over her shoulder as she turned on her heels.
He sighed and walked inside her apartment. Closing the door behind him.
She had returned with one pin in her mouth, watching Tenzin. He seemed to be annoyed as he watched her try to pin the last bit of hair.
"Here, let me do it." He said.
Taking the pin away from her. He perfectly knew where it went. As if he hadn't watched her do it when they were still together.
Lin felt his fingertips on the nape of her neck. As she heard the click of the pin they were both looking at each other. Their eyes never looking away, his hands were slowly residing back to his side. She cleared her throat.
Tenzin started to blush.
"We shouldn't be late now; I wouldn't want to tarnish your perfect timing." She said moving aside only to be stopped by him.
"Lin... Before we go... There's something that I've been meaning to tell you, I wanted to tell you it since we were at the South Pole, but you never let me and so I'll tell you now, since this will probably be the only time you and I will have some sort of privacy." He rambled.
She arched an eyebrow.
"All right, spit it out." She said as she crossed her arms over her chest.
Tenzin inhaled. Lin watched him, watched how his chest went outward and then finally inward.
"I never properly thanked you; we were all so... Caught up in things and well, I actually did say thank you but you fell asleep. So I said what was truly on my mind, that I'd be thankful to you forever, there will never be words or actions that I or my family can express to you..." He said faintly, knowing that she would only disagree but she was silent.
"I won't explain myself to you again, for I already know that you know but I'll accept your expression of thanks. I know, I shouldn't have done it irrationally but I bought you and your family some time to escape... Now let's get going, we shouldn't be late..." She said sincerely.
Tenzin sighed. He stopped her again.
She looked him in the eye; she wanted to know why he was delaying them from getting to the island so much?
"Tenzin, whatever it is on your mind, spit it out or I'll just kick you out of my home and I won't bother going with you." She sternly stated.
He was looking at her with eyes that she had not seen in years. She finally realized what it was that was on his mind. She pursed her lips into a thin line. She shook her head.
'No...No I won't accept it. No, he's a little too late to have such feelings to be resurfacing...'
She looked at him long and hard. The silence that was between them was tense. Until he finally let go. He cleared his throat.
"We should get going... I've delayed us much longer than needed too." He said stepping aside only for Lin to stop him.
"I... I apologize for causing you harm Tenzin. I never meant for it to hurt you... But I didn't do it out of love... I did it because... Well... I did it because the faces on your children... They shouldn't have experienced such exposure to war. No child should... Don't give me that look. I may have not wanted children but I do care. Even if I don't express it." She said crossing her arms in front of her.
He gave her a weak smile.
"Now, let's go I don't have all night."
Again a smile was plastered on his face.
As she turned on her heels, her hair came loose.
She groaned.
While he chuckled.
"Here, let me do it for you again."
She didn't dare look him in the eyes. She let him pin it for her. When she heard the final click from the clip, she quickly tried to get out of his touch.
He had cupped her face, forcing her to look at him.
"I want you to at least try and put an effort to enjoy yourself, and I'll know if you're being sarcastic, Lin."
She pouted, she tried again to get free from him, and it was her turn to blush and blush she did.
"I don't know what you're talking about..." She mumbled, knowing the hue in her cheeks was clearly visible.
He chuckled. Letting his thumb trail her cheek. Which caused her to blush even more.
For some reason, he was enjoying her reactions. The way her chest heaved and the way she was chewing on her bottom lip tempted him to do more. Just to see how she would react, some how she wasn't protesting to his touch.
"We should get going Ten-"
She had been cut off by his lips. Her eyes wide, her arms not touching him but slowly giving in to his kiss. How long had it been since she last experienced such a kiss? The pressure that was being put in the kiss, the way their tongues fought each other but sought each other. His hands were trailing up her sides while hers did the same making their way around his neck. He pulled her legs around his waist. He wanted more of her. Just like how she wanted more too. She felt the rumbling of his body, just like he felt hers.
She broke away when her back slammed against the door. She and him were panting desperately for air. She let go of him, let her legs go as well. Her hand on her chest. Trying to calm herself. She finally looked at him. His eyes were filled with lust, were hers the same or did it fade away? Why had she responded to him?
"That... shouldn't have happened." She said coldly through breaths.
He was panting as well. Their bodies were still inches away. His eyes were opaque. Her scent was so... Potent to him. He backed away. His eyes glanced at the grand clock. They weren't that late. He returned his gaze to Lin, who wasn't looking at him. Her cheeks were flushed and her hair yet again came loose. It looked as though if it was a sign for it to be left out. They hadn't shared a word. It was as if they spoke it would spark an argument. He had ruined it.
"We, should get going. They must be wondering why we haven't arrived yet..." She opened the door, still not looking at him.
He obliged, he completely agreed, they would be wondering what was taking them so long. As he walked silently by her out the door, he waited to hear the door close and click. Once he heard it, he continued to go up some steps to reach the roof.
She followed him. She should've been angry. Angry to the point where she shouldn't even be going. She wouldn't be able to look at his children or even better, his wife. The word echoed in her thoughts. She had silently gotten on Oogi's saddle. Her back facing Tenzin. If she looked at him, it would make the pit in her stomach lurch with wanting more than that kiss. How her mind and body were betraying her emotions. She had bottled up those feelings long ago. They died the day she saw him and her. She took a deep breath. Closing her eyes in the process, allowing herself to drift off. Was it this that had been on his mind for so long? How she wished he expressed this long ago, before he had a family but his children are something she wouldn't want him to regret. He has the family that he always wanted. She would have never been able to give him such a wonderful family.
The breeze that swept by was pleasant to the touch, almost as pleasant as their kiss. She snapped open her eyes.
'Stop it, Lin. He's married. You can't be thinking about things that can't even happen. Maybe I'll ask Bumi for some fire whiskey. He smuggles in a stash of it whenever he's on the island... Actually, I'll pass but if he does have a bottle, don't mind if I do.'
They had finally landed on the island. When they both got off everyone greeted them.
Tenzin's children had run up to her.
"Ooo, you look really pretty, how come you don't wear your hair like that everyday? And why don't you wear clothes like those too? Oh-oh, can we play games?" Ikki asked excitedly.
"Oh, most beautiful woman... May I have a piece of your hair?" Meelo asked as he settled himself in Lin's arms.
'I wouldn't have been able to handle this.'
"Thank you, I don't wear it like this and the clothes because I'm always working, Ikki and Meelo, I'm not sure your father would like that. You should really stop that." She replied calmly.
"But I only do it to those who are beautiful." Meelo said as he jumped out of her arms and started to scoot along on his air scooter chasing his sister.
Finally, Jinora had calmly approached her.
"Hello, Auntie Lin, I may call you that right? I really don't know..." Jinora said as she gave Lin a hug.
"I don't mind at all..." Said Lin to the young airbender, hesitant with her reply.
Jinora gave her a smile and scooted off inside.
Korra and her friends had greeted her much differently than the children had. More maturely. The last person to greet her was Bumi.
"WELL, if it isn't Linny?"
Lin scowled.
"Well, if it isn't Bumi..." She mimicked sarcastically.
Bumi had given her a big bear hug. Lifting her off the solid ground.
"What took you and Ten-Ten, so long? If I didn't know better, you must have been a hard time to convince." He laughed. As he placed her back down.
"Very hard to convince..." She said in a hard steely tone.
She felt Tenzin's eyes on her.
'Stupid promises, fine, I'll keep my end of the bargain while you keep yours.'
As the night went on and listened to the children that asked her questions and the questions from Korra and her friends. She had done her best not to sound like her sarcastic self. She had much restraint. Not once did she look at Pema. For she had been rather busy with Rohan and other things to rather keep tabs on Lin, mind you, Lin had felt her eyes more than once that night.
How the guilt gnawed at her. It was probably worst on Tenzin. They had barely shared what was on their minds and they had barely spoken a few words to each other. When it was time for her to leave, Bumi had said that she was such a bore. She could stay as long as she wants. She only managed to stifle out why that was wrong to him alone. The children had wanted her to stay on the island but as stubborn as she was she would have preferred to go to her own home. Sleep in her bed, if she slept, and just be surrounded by her things. Not theirs.
It was slightly awkward for the both, for they had not shared anything on their way back. He was serious as can be and she as distant as possible. They both knew very well, that most of them had suspected something had happened between the two before they arrived.
The tormenting silence between them ached even more. Upon landing on the rooftop of her apartment complex, She immediately jumped off of Oogi. Not wanting his assistance at all.
"Thank you, tonight was..."
She didn't want to say pleasant, hesitant on trying to find the right word.
"Lovely," She added.
'Lovely, Lin, really, you couldn't come up with something better?'
"I'm glad you enjoyed it."
She hadn't realized that he was standing in front of her.
"Well, goodnight Tenzin, oh, you should really have a talk with your son, he shouldn't be asking for a piece of hair to any girl or woman. Plus, we wouldn't want anyone to get jealous if I gave my hair to him." She told him in a teasing tone, as she turned to walk only to be stopped by him.
"I-I apologize for what happened earlier..."
'Oh no...'
"I should speak with Meelo about that. Who'd get jealous? You have the right to do whatever it is you please to do." He stated defiantly.
Lin sighed in relief.
Tenzin gave a quizzical look but didn't question it for he already knew why.
She crossed her arms in front of her chest, listening to Oogi's breathing and the light breathing that the two were producing.
"You should get going and I should get going inside. I would invite you for tea but you're here with Oogi, I wouldn't want Oogi to get tried from waiting now."
Lin pursed her lips into a thin line. This used to happen a lot when they were still together. The deadly silence that killed them both. It would tear them into great lengths of not speaking to each other, until one or the other did something to engage the other. If it were through a gentle kiss, a light tug of the hand, or a sweet embrace. She never told him how it felt to be left alone. He would probably correct her on that. Her eyes were fixed on Tenzin and his on her.
They stood there silently, never really figuring out how to express their minds to one another.