two

A week passed with no word from Tenzin, and Lin began to feel ridiculous for even entertaining the possibility. Ridiculous and angry, because she had worked so hard to exorcise that old attraction, and now it had returned, and she was far too old to play this game again.

She distracted herself with work, abandoning paperwork and politics to work cases. One job brought her to the door of a chemistry lecturer at the University of Republic City. He was charming and easy on the eye, and she thought about taking him to bed. But he wasn't what she wanted.

She was still thinking about that the next day, attempting to review reports and instead staring blankly at her desk, when her phone rang.

"Chief?" Her secretary sounded uncharacteristically surprised. "Master Jinora is here to see you."

"I hope I'm not interrupting," said Jinora.

"Nothing important. What's wrong?"

"Nothing," said Jinora quickly. "Only, I'm leaving tomorrow morning, and there's a farewell party tonight, and I'd really like it if you could be there."

"Of course," said Lin, watching as Jinora sat down. "Was that … all?"

"You'll look after Dad, won't you? While I'm away?"

Jinora's expression was pleading. This, Lin guessed, was the real reason for her visit, when the invitation could as easily have been issued by telephone.

"He's a grown man," said Lin carefully.

"I know, but - he misses Mom so much. And he's a great dad, he always has been, but he really needs a friend. Someone to look out for him." Jinora smiled weakly. "He's probably saying the same thing about me."

Lin said, "I'm not great at the feelings stuff."

"Yeah, but you know him. He trusts you."

"I'll talk to him," Lin promised. "That's it."

Jinora smiled. "Thank you."

Despite her promise, she caught only glimpses of Tenzin through the evening, in conversation with his children or the Air Acolytes. She caught his eye once, but he looked away, blushing. She settled for leaning against a wall, glowering at partygoers.

The party broke up early, Jinora escaping the president's blandishments by citing her early start the next day. A light drizzle drove the last people away, and that was when Tenzin appeared at Lin's side and said, "Can we talk?"

He led her down to the meditation pavilion, using airbending to keep the rain away. When they were under cover, he said, "Lin, I owe you an apology."

And despite all her recent frustration, she found herself laughing.

"For kissing me? Or for stopping?"

"For - it was disrespectful to expect you to want - to even suggest that you could replace-"

"Ohhhh." Lin's amusement dimmed. "I thought you wanted me for sex. I didn't realise you needed a Pema-shaped doll-"

"I don't want you to take Pema's place," Tenzin snapped. "I just wanted-"

"Me," Lin finished.

He looked away.

"So we're back where we started from." Lin moved past him to lean back against the railing. "Here's some news for you, Tenzin, it's possible to sleep with someone without spending the rest of your lives together. Some people even prefer it that way."

"Like you?"

"Well. After you left … I never want to be that dependent on anyone again. Not even you."

"You don't get lonely?"

She shrugged. "I have my work, a few friends. Lovers when I want them. I like my space."

She turned to look out over the ocean. The wind blew the rain into her face, but it was pleasant. After a moment, Tenzin joined her, resting his hands beside hers on the railing. Their fingers barely touched, but it felt like electricity.

"Lin."

She closed her eyes and tilted her head back to meet his kiss. He closed one hand over hers, the other moving to her lip, sliding around her waist and drawing her against him. But when she opened his shirt and ran her hand over his collarbone, she felt him hesitate.

She stepped back.

"You need to make up your mind," she said. "You know where I live."

She walked out into the rain.

The drizzle had become a downpour by the time the streetcar reached her stop, but she walked the last block slowly, wondering what she'd find at home.

The answer was, nothing but an empty house.

Torn between amusement and irritation, Lin shed her armour and bra. Barefoot, in trousers and tank top, she stepped out into the courtyard, into the rain.

There was a rush of air, a whisper of a glider, and Tenzin landed. He gave her a sheepish look, water dripping from his beard and robes.

"If you're here to apologise again," Lin said, "you can turn around and leave right now."

He took two steps forward and kissed her, tangling his fingers in her wet hair.

"I won't be your girlfriend," Lin whispered between kisses. "I won't hang out with your kids. I won't dress up and hang off your arm at parties."

"I don't want that." He was pulling her tank top off. She grabbed it from his hand and threw it away, not caring where it landed, concerned only with the rain and his hands on her bare skin. "I just want you."