Lin closed her eyes, feeling electricity flow through her whole body as her fiancé, Tenzin, trailed kisses along her bare neck and shoulders. "You know we're not supposed to see each other, right?" she purred.
Tenzin fixed his steely grey eyes on her. "I know," he replied, running his hand across the small of Lin's back. "But… it's not as if I haven't seen everything before."
She faced him, grinning widely. "True – and we've got twins to prove just how much we've seen each other. But, seeing as we're technically under your parents' roof, on your parents' island, I say we gotta stick to the rules for a while."
"Tease," he exhaled, pulling her closer, relishing the warmth of her alabaster skin flushed red with desire. "Let me stay a little longer, beloved."
Lin playfully pushed him away and wrapped the crisp linen sheets around her slender figure. "Oh, your mother's gonna have a fit when she finds out what you're doing, Ten. For an airbender, you sure have a weak… sense of control."
"You know how I am when you're around, you minx," he laughed. Tenzin's naked form, all lean and muscular and tall, lay sprawled on Lin's bed. Goosebumps prickled his skin as the chill breeze from Yue Bay wafted from the windows which Lin left wide open. "I can't believe we're getting married tomorrow."
"Looks like we're getting a head start on the honeymoon too," Lin giggled. Laying herself flat, she sighed contentedly from her side of the bed. A week after the Spring Festival and their engagement, Lin, together with the twins, moved in to Air Temple Island. As much as she and Tenzin wanted to stay in one room together, Katara insisted that they remain in separate rooms, at least until they got "properly married", as she put it.
A makeshift nursery was immediately set up in Lin's room, but Katara doted on Lei and Lian so much that most nights (and days), the twins stayed in separate cots in their grandparents' bedroom. Two months after moving in, Lin and Tenzin finally decided on a date for their wedding, and both were quite determined to keep it as low-profile as possible.
"I can't believe I'll ever come to this point in my life," she quietly said. "You know – marrying you and all. It's just so surreal."
"I know."
Lin propped herself up on her elbows and pinched Tenzin's nose. "Alright, lover boy – enough sweet talk. It's past midnight and we have a big day ahead of us –" she swatted his hand away as it strayed past her waist, " – let me have some rest."
He kissed her lips once again. "You are beautiful – the most beautiful woman I've ever known. I love you."
She herded hi out of her room, sliding the door as quietly as she could. Since announcing the date of their wedding, Katara and Toph seemed more determined to than ever to keep Lin and Tenzin away from each other, saying it was bad luck for the bride and groom to see each other before the wedding.
But they've been away from each other for what seemed like an eternity, and nothing could stop them from spending every second together. In the dead of the night, when the entire island has gone to sleep, Tenzin would sneak into Lin's room – sometimes through the window, sometimes through the door – and share her bed. They didn't do much except lay in bed together, listening to each other's breaths and heartbeats, catching up for all the time lost between them.
Tenzin held her hand tight as he walked out of the room. "See you tomorrow, wife."
"Yeah, yeah," Lin waved her free hand at him dismissively. "Go to sleep, Tenzin."
As Tenzin's figure slowly retreated in the darkness, Lin closed the door. Smiling, she picked up her discarded night gown from the floor and quietly got dressed in the dim lamplight. She was glad to be in the city again – she missed the noise, the lights, the food – heck, she even missed the all-nighters back at the station. Although Lin spent most of her time growing up at the island, she never thought she would actually end up living in it – Air Temple Island seemed so distant, so serene compared to her apartment right at the heart of Republic City.
The move did not stress her so much as the fact that members of the media were waiting for her and her mother when they returned. For days following their comeback, the perimeter of their Republic City manor was swamped by reporters hoping to get a statement from the police chief and her daughter. Police headquarters wasn't any different – a queue of mediamen, each requesting passes to conduct interviews with the chief, graced the side entrances for days, until Toph Beifong finally acquiesced to the idea of a press conference.
"Chief Beifong, what made you and your daughter take an indefinite leave from the police?"
Lin blinked against the harsh glare of flash bulbs going off all around her. She and her mother were seated behind a long table at the police headquarters' assembly hall, looking over a crowd of eager reporters.
"My mother died," Toph began. "And as the heir to the Beifong fortune I had to make sure the family assets were well taken care of."
"But why take the Captain with you? There have been rumors flying around Republic City regarding –"
She touched the fire opal ring on her finger, as if drawing strength from it. "Whatever rumors you've been hearing," she began, " – that I'm pregnant, that I hosted full moon parties and such other things – yes, they are true."
"Lin – "
"It's okay, Mom." She straightened up. "But, I would like to tell all of you that I did not go on leave to give birth and later deny the existence of a child – I left because I needed a safe place. I do not want my children to be the subject of unscrupulous rumors and I most certainly do not want my situation to be exploited for the advancement of your so-called organizations."
A collective hush spread through the crowd. Lin remained in her seat, looking stoically at the people gathered before them.
"Who is the father?"
"Whoa there, buster – that question is too personal for my own liking," Toph said, her milky eyes narrowing. Like Lin, she was a veteran of press conferences and ambush interviews – she knew how to deal with reporters – but clearly, the question struck a nerve in the usually calm chief. "I think we'll refrain from divulging such information for the time being. I hope your questions have all been answered. Come, Lin."
"Captain Beifong – wait!"
Lin quietly followed her mother as they left the assembly hall, leaving more questions in their wake.
For the first time in a long time, Lin allowed herself to laugh as freely as she could. Talk all they want – I don't care. Things are finally working out for me and I won't let anyone tell me otherwise.