Lin was cleaning her apartment and Tenzin was supposed to be helping. She had told him that if he was going to come over before they went out to the dinner he talked her into tonight he had to help her clean. He had agreed and in his defense he had been helping, vacuuming for her and cleaning up the living room but he was now done with that and she was still finishing up the kitchen and he was just watching her.

Unfortunately for him she caught him at it. "What?" She said, giving him a weird look. He just shrugged, which apparently was the wrong response because she flicked some water from the sink at him. He ducked out of the way the best he could but still got hit with a little of the spray. In a completely mature response he sprayed the can of febreze at her and she actually got him pretty good throwing some more water at him and grinned wildly at him. He moved towards her with the same grins on his face. She tried to get around him to a better position but for once he was faster. Tenzin wrapped his arms around her, grabbing her own arms and forcing her to hug herself. "Tenzin!" Lin half exclaimed and half laughed. Tenzin laughed against her neck with her. "You were the one that made the reservation and wanted to try out the new sushi place." She reminds him managing to twist to half face him.

"Mmh yeah fine." He sighed overly dramatically. "Get ready then" he said, releasing her.

Lin stepped back to him so they were chest to chest. "If you don't think tonight won't end with you tearing my clothes off, there's something wrong with your plan." Lin whispered to him. Tenzin leaned forwards to kiss her at the same moment she pushed off his chest and stepped away from him with an all too sweet smile. He growled as she stepped to the bathroom to get ready. "Can you get my watch from the jewelry chest?" She called to him.

He crossed the bedroom to the dresser with the old jewelry box on top of it. Inside was her watch, a random collection of jewelry, her dog tags, and a ring Tenzin knew very well.

-19 years ago

"Tenzin?" His mother called to him. He had come home from college for the long weekend to see his mother. He hadn't seen her since winter break and it was good to be home for a little while.

"Yeah mom?" He said coming into her room where she was.

"Take this." She said placing her wedding ring in the palm of her hand.

Tenzin was caught so off guard he had no idea what to say. "Um," was the most intelligent thing he could manage.

"I want you to have it by the way Bumi's going he won't propose to anyone anytime soon. But you will one day." Katara said calmly.

"I'm not proposing anytime soon either, I-" Tenzin began to splutter before his mother cut him off.

"I know, but one day in the future you will. And I want you to take it, for me it's part of the healing process, for you it's the future, okay son?" She said her eyes were kind and bright but there was still a bit of sadness that lingered there like anytime his father was brought up directly or indirectly.

"Okay mom." Tenzin agreed, pocketing the ring, it wasn't like he hadn't thought about maybe someday, long in the future.

He snapped out of the memory and grabbed the watch and on a whim pocketed the ring. He walks back over to the bathroom and deposits the watch on the counter. "Thanks," Lin said, straightening her shirt. Tenzin doesn't reply, he cups her chin and kisses her slow and deep. "What was that for?" Lin asked, a peaceful smile on her face.

"I love you" he says and he loves the way her eyes soften when he says that.

"I love you too." She rose up on her toes to give him a quick peck. "We should get going."

"Yeah" He agreed quietly. He had no idea what he was doing with the ring. He sure as hell didn't plan on proposing. He was both surprised and not surprised she still had it after all these years.

-18 years ago - just before deployment

"It's not what you think it is. I promise." Tenzin started, fidgeting slightly. "But I want to give it to you. I don't know what it means but I just want to give it to you." Tenzin took a breath as Lin focused on him, he tried to stamp down the nerves that were gnawing at his stomach. He didn't know exactly what he was doing or if it was logical or practical or anything but he wanted to do it even if it was stupid. He was also terrified of how Lin would react. He opened his clenched fist with the ring sitting in his palm. Lin went still, very still, and he rushed on. "It was my mother's ring and I'm not proposing and I think we're far past promise rings. But I do want you to have this."

Lin is still stunned and a little speechless. "Thank you, I know what it means to your family," she said, not sure what to say.

"I don't want you to think this is something it's not." Tenzin said waving his hand "but I feel stupid holding on to it and it's not like I'd every give it to anyone else. So I want you to have it." he said, she had crossed to just in front of him now and he had to look down at her to make eye contact. "And I know it sounds stupid but take it and now you have to give it back to me after you know…" He rambled.

She's never been as good with words as him so she just hugs him. "I'm going to come back Ten." she whispered into his neck. His arms wrap around her holding her to him and he desperately wants to believe her and he does expect for the tiny voice in his head that says that's what his dad said too. But she's still here with him now so they curl up together for the rest of the night. She doesn't have to tell him she loves him and he doesn't need to give her a ring to prove that either. They both know that but she's okay taking a reminder with her and while he knows she is against marriage to anyone. He isn't and he would ask her in a heartbeat if she wanted him to.

Dinner was great. Tenzin had been right about the new sushi place being good. Lin hangs up her coat when they get home and finds Tenzin sitting on the couch staring at the wall. Lin quickly runs back through the evening and the day and can't figure out why his demeanors now shifted to this pensiveful look on his face.

"What are you thinking about?" She asked, sitting down next to him. He pulls the ring out of his pocket he gave her years ago and she's surprised to say the least. "I'm surprised you still have it." he says evenly.

"You gave that to me." She said as nonchalantly as she can manage. "When did you find this?"

"Today" he answered simply.

"Today?" She echoed. He hadn't taken it with him when they had split. She had left it out on the dresser clearly saying it's yours to take but he hadn't and she didn't have the heart to get rid of it. It had mostly sat in the bottom of the jewelry chest her grandparents had given her for when she finally 'grew up and settled down'.

"I know and at the time I didn't know what it meant but now I do." Tenzin said slowly, twirling the ring in his fingers. "If you still don't want to get married, fine, if you don't want to wear it, fine, but I'm asking for you to move in with me and for this to be permanent." Tenzin said to her.

"Did you decide this today? Was that the reason we went on an actual date to a fancy restaurant?" Lin asked now suspicious if this was actually planned, but the more she studied him the more she knew the answer even before he said it.

"No, I didn't know I was going to ask until 10 minutes ago, it didn't even cross my mind until I saw the ring today."

"How long have you been thinking about it before then?" She asked cautiously.

"Since Christmas, I don't want to be away from you unnecessarily. I want you to come home every day and that'll be my home too." Tenzin said so simply.

"Do you want me to wear it again?" Lin asked. It was her trying to agree without actually saying yes. She had worn it on her ring finger of her right hand when they were together before.

"I don't care about that, but you'll move in with me, we'll live together?" Tenzin asked, pushing her to actually admit it even if his eyes said he already understood her.

"Yes Ten, maybe we should buy a new place if we do that one that has more space than your current townhouse." Lin said, smiling softly. She had thought about his current home being small anytime the kids were over before.

Tenzin practically tackled her in a hug. "I love you." he said into her neck

Lin laughed, wiggling into a more comfortable position underneath him. "I love you too" She said, kissing him.