"Please say you're not alone" whispered Bumi as he slid an arm around his friend's waist and, though she didn't say anything,
he knew what the answer was the moment she leaned her head against his shoulder. She used to do that every time she had
an argument with Suyin, back when they were children. For a reason Bumi never completely understood, Lin was sure she wasn't
loved and that was why she'd always run into his arms. She used to say she found them welcoming and soothing.
Maybe that was why he'd always assumed they would end up together. He remembered those days when she stopped being a
little girl and started turning into a beautiful, intelligent woman, and how much time he had spent wondering if he should ask her
out. Time he realized he shouldn't have wasted when one day he saw her and Tenzin holding hands. Apparently Bumi hadn't been
the only one to notice how beautiful she'd turned, but still he felt it was unfair. Who had always been Lin's friend? Bumi. Who did
she go to when she was feeling down? Bumi. Who did she decide to go out with? Tenzin.
The worst part of it was that his brother hadn't really loved her. Otherwise he would have cared more about being with her than
breeding little airbenders. Hadn't Aang done that after all? He had loved Katara with all his heart and he still had a son with airbending,
so that had been a pathetic excuse coming from his brother. Bumi remembered Tenzin actually telling him how Aang constantly told
him that he should not risk having children with any other bending, and he'd had to use all of his willpower so as not to slap his
youngest sibling. Even if his father hadn't been perfect – just as every human being- he would not believe those words would come
out of his mouth.
"Bumi" whispered Lin, bringing him back to the present. She had slipped her arm around his torso and he hadn't even realized it.
He placed a loose strand of her hair behind her ear gently and held her close, hopping she wouldn't feel uncomfortable.
"What is it, Linny?"
"You're comfortable, you know?" she whispered and he felt her snuggling even closer, if that was possible. Bumi automatically
started caressing the curve of her waist to sooth her, but he stopped abruptly when he realized she wasn't wearing her uniform.
Lin mistook his action for discomfort and pushed away from him, looking at him in the eyes with a frown on her face which instantly
disappeared the moment she noticed how he was staring at her. His grey eyes scanned every inch of her face as a smile adorned his lips.
"What?" she asked and one of her eyebrows immediately shot upwards. The man shrugged, smile still on place, and opened
his arms for her to lean back against him. As soon as she did, he surrounded her with his right arm while taking his left hand up,
to play with her hair.
"You're quite comfortable yourself, you know?" he finally said against her forehead, imitating her tone. He made her laugh, that's what
always happened. She went to him and gave him hopes but left the moment he managed to steal a smile from her. At first it tore his
heart apart to know she didn't know how he felt and didn't even realize he was going head over heels for her. She would make her way
into his arms to take something from him. He still wasn't sure of what. Happiness? Hope? Whatever it was that she wanted, Bumi felt as
if she'd taken yet another part of his heart and he didn't know how much of it was left inside him.
Sometimes he felt tempted to reject her. To yell at her to leave him alone and never bother him again, but who was he fooling? He
wouldn't push her away even if his life depended on it. Lin wasn't aware of it, but he had decided to let her own his heart long ago.
Kya knew. Bumi was amazed by the amount of things Kya knew, but the point was she could hear past his jokes.
If she could see him hugging Lin protectively, she'd surely encourage him to tell her he loved her. However, she was somewhere else
and he didn't dare to lose his friendship with Lin by making things awkward between them. If only he could care a little less about her,
maybe he would find it easier to confess his feelings. But how could he risk not holding her like this again? Without noticing, he sighed,
making her look up at him. Lin's green eyes locked with his grey ones as she moved to be face to face with him.
"I'm guessing I'll have to be the one to do this, then" she said, causing him to frown.
"What is it that you'll have to do, Linny?"
"Give you a good fucking reason to call me that" she said before kissing him. Maybe they'd actually end up together, or so he thought
as he started kissing her back.
Hope you liked it! please R&R