A/N: Thank you all for your reviews!
IF YOU ARE NOT COMFORTABLE WITH 18+ CONTENT PLEASE AVERT YOUR EYES FOR THIS CHAPTER - you have been warned.
Vatu and Unalaq are massive, a huge dark cloud spreading higher into the sky. By the time they've stopped growing, they're the size of a 20-story building if not more. They wade through the water, their gaze set on Republic City while their legs stir up waves.
We watch the attack in the city unfold from the safety inside the Tree of Time - the UnaVatu hybrid expelling vines from the tips of their fingers. I hear Kya shuffle beside me, her hand resting on my shoulder to stop me from getting any closer to the sight before us, as if I'll walk right through the image itself. The vines burst through the city streets, flinging concrete and asphalt as the emerge to begin wrapping themselves around the buildings, encasing them in foliage.
Lin.
God she better be hiding, she better be as far away from there as possible. UnaVatu ceases their onslaught of the city to engage with Korra once more. I watch their movements kicking up even larger, massive waves and fears of flooded streets and broken skyscrapers come to mind as UnaVatu slams into Korra.
My breathing is shallow, my chest rising and falling in short bursts as the scene continues...No, ground yourself. Five things. Five things? Something you can feel.
The ship's metal railing under my fingers.
Something you can smell.
The fresh air sweeping across the bay, our ship coming into dock.
Something you can hear. I smirk.
Tenzin and Korra bantering back and forth.
Something you can taste.
Weirdly and grossly, salt...salty air maybe? Either way.
Something you can see.
Republic city. Skyscrapers and city lights illuminating the deck of the ship.
I take a deep breath, the fresh air expanding in my lungs. My brief moment of panic subsides after a few more calming breaths and I rejoin the rest of the group celebrating our safe return home.
Thankfully, the truth had finally come out between Korra and Mako, the pair of them deciding to call it quits for sure. And of course, Tonraq reclaimed his Chiefdom over the Southern Water tribe. My family all managed to remain unscathed from the occupation, and with the bulk of the fighting having remained within the boundaries of the Poles and the Spirit World, the South just had to dismantle the ice walls and they'd be back to normal.
I walk up alongside Tenzin as he talks adamantly about seeing Pema and the kids with Kya, the ship pulling against the dock. And meanwhile, Bolin and Korra talk dreamily about sleeping in their own beds finally. I can't help but dream about crawling into bed with a fresh set of pajamas, and spirits I'd love a shower too. I can't help the sigh that escapes me, Korra nudging me with her elbow.
"Whoa is that Master Tien feeling tired?" Korra quips, a smirk plastering her face. I brush her off, eager to get off this ship and back home.
"You know if we didn't just come from a Civil War I'd be challenging you to a spar, one-on-one..." I bluff, knowing full well we'd be equally matched.
"But?" Korra raises an eyebrow, a sly smile turning up at the corners of her mouth.
"But I have somewhere to be." I huff, brushing past her to disembark.
"Where?" She calls after me. I catch Tenzin's eye as I hurry past him. He nods his head at me, the pair of us sharing a knowing smile. "What? What is that?" Korra continues, questioning our exchange.
I throw them all a quick wave goodbye and try to find a working bit of transportation to get me where I need to go in the midst of all the recovery efforts.
Before leaving the South pole I had managed to send word to Lin that I was safe. It was just something quick so she'd know I was safe and when she first answered she sounded exhausted. Even now there's no doubt in my mind that she's busy working overtime after the city was attacked.
Spirits know the city gangs might be making moves while the Police are busy, but I stop at her apartment just in case. I was right though, she's not home. In fact it looks as if she hadn't been here in days.
The Police Headquarters are busy for this time of night when I arrive, but at least there is an air of confidence, a sort of 'it's being handled' kind of mood that's drifting in the air.
I give a nod to the people at the front desk as they recognize me, making my way to Lin's office. The bullpen carries the same air of confidence as the entrance downstairs, but up here there's a few officers asleep on the floor by their desks and some are burning the midnight oil still hard at work.
I avoid drawing attention to myself as best I can, trying not to linger too long as I knock on Lin's office door. There's no answer but I test the knob, feeling the handle give way as it unlatches.
I slide into the dim room, quietly closing the door behind me. She's not asleep at her desk getting a kink in her neck thankfully, but rather she's snoring lightly in the corner on the couch, half her body hanging off the edge. It's a relief to see her and know that she's unharmed.
I silently walk to her side, clicking the lamp on and kneeling on the floor beside her as the light illuminates her face. She doesn't physically stir, but I hear her breathing falter.
She inhales deeply, her chest rising and falling as she turns on her side to face me. Her eyes are still shut though.
I smile at her, marveling at her ability to fall asleep anywhere and in any position. I reach my hand out to gently push her hair out of her face, tracing a line across her cheek to her ear. Her eyes flutter at the contact, her pupils dilating as they adjust to the light of the lamp.
"I go away for a week and you slip back into your old habit of sleeping at work?" I whisper, rubbing my thumb over her cheek as she smirks.
"I was actually staying at your apartment during most of this mess." She huffs, sliding over so she can pull me by the hand to sit beside her. "Just couldn't find the energy to go back tonight."
"You didn't kill any of my plants did you?" I joke, resting my head on her shoulder.
"I actually didn't know you had any." She admits.
I pull back and stare at her with astonishment.
"It's a joke, hon." She laughs, her smile wiping away any indication that she'd been asleep seconds ago.
"Hm, we'll see." I joke. But I know full well she would have handled everything. "I'm glad you're safe lin." I add, loving the feeling of having her beside me again, the feeling of her arms around my waist, her face so close to mine. I can't help but curl into her warmth.
Being here with her is all so worth what we'd gone through. Yet I can't fight recalling what I had seen in the Tree of time - how UnaVatu began ravaging the city, that feeling in the pit of my stomach as I wondered where Lin was and if she was safe.
I shake my head and sigh, refusing to think on that right now, not when I finally get to be with Lin again.
If she notices me tense she doesn't indicate as much, but she draws me into her lap and places a deep kiss on my lips. Soft and slow, as if she's savoring each second. I hold her face in my hands as she runs her hands over my thighs and up my back, sighing from the sensations her touch is stirring in me.
I run my hands through her hair, deepening our kiss and pushing her further back into the couch. I suck on her bottom lip as she sighs, taking her gasp for air as a chance to dip my tongue in her mouth, tasting her a moment before pulling back. She sits up as she follows me, holding me in place on her lap as she watches me with an unnerving amount of hunger plastered in her eyes.
The two of us watch one another, trying to catch our breath.
"Not here." I huff, nodding to her office door. "You've got a half full bullpen." I laugh, breathless.
"I could fix that." She suggests, her eyes narrowing as she thinks a moment. I lift her chin to face me, placing a soft kiss on her lips.
"Or we could just go home?" She bites her lip as she watches me until suddenly she's standing so quickly that my feet almost fail to land flat on the floor. The only thing saving me from falling back is her arms as she holds my waist.
She dips her head to kiss me...Once. Twice. She trails a line over my cheek to my chin before dipping to my collar, making me grip her shoulders to keep her close.
My knees nearly buckle as she nips my skin and then sucking on the spot, soothing the twinge of pain with her warm tongue. Lin only stops her onslaught on my skin once she's satisfied, leaning back to reveal the largest, cocky grin I've ever seen on her face. I swear she'll have too much fun teasing me like this before the night is over.
The ride to her apartment feels like my own personal purgatory as I refrain from touching her too much and causing an accident. I try to watch the activities outside the car as a way to keep myself occupied but lin's arm around my shoulders keeps drawing my focus to her. I put my hand on her knee, moving my hand higher and higher up her thigh as she desperately works to pass slower traffic. I knead the soft inner portion of her thigh with my hand and watch her stare straight ahead as her upper body tenses. I can see her chewing her bottom lip as I creep closer to her center, just mere inches from where a steady heat is radiating from.
Suddenly she clears her throat and adjusts her position in her seat, my hand falling by the wayside.
"You're going to get it." She groans, her voice husky as she holds my hand instead. I smile, successful at having finally gotten under her skin.
Admittedly, Lin and I had never been sexual all these months together, I mean of course things had gotten steamy and heated but we'd never had a chance to go the whole nine yards. There'd been far too many times that we'd gotten interrupted, whether by an incoming call for her or a late night that put us off or even just an exhausting day of work. But tonight? Tonight is a long time coming and we both know it. The idea of finally being able to get my hands on her sends a chill up my spine in anticipation and I adjust her uniform collar as she drives, brushing the skin of her neck as she presses the gas a little more.
We contain ourselves as best we can, but the late hour and an empty apartment lobby makes it so that I can wrap her arms around me as we walk to the elevator with no issue of being seen. I see her restraining herself the entire way though, her face stern as she observes me teasing her.
As soon as the elevator doors close behind us she pushes me flush against the elevator wall, hooking my legs around her waist as she restarts her onslaught on my lips once more. Her hips spread my legs wider the more she presses herself flush against me and I have no issue succumbing to her dominance.
I gasp at the pressure her hips make against my crotch, her pelvis grinding lower to get a better angle while she kisses her way down to my neck.
The sound of the elevator ding might as well be an alarm bell for a pro-bending match. As soon as it dings she lowers me just enough so that I can walk on my toes and leads me to her door, never faltering with her touch. I barely see the slight turn of her hand to unlock the apartment door before she's pulling me after her and locking the door.
As she turns to face me I switch the roles and pin her against the door, desperately trying to find a way to get her uniform off.
She just laughs at my frivolous attempts while my eyebrows narrow in frustration as I realize her top is all one seamless impenetrable design. She takes my eager hands off of her and slides them around her neck, putting all my focus on her soft lips. I pull her closer to deepen the kiss, only for her to sweep my legs out from under me and break us apart.
"I could get used to this." I smile, kissing the corner of her smile. She makes no quick remark but once we reach our room she drops me unceremoniously onto the bed, watching me stare up at her annoyed.
"I could get used to that too." She laughs, kissing away my fake frown as she straddles my thighs.
Her kiss starts tender and soft once more and she moves slower, much more deliberately now that we're home. Her hands roam my chest and my sides, squeezing and massaging my skin through my shirt as she makes her way lower, only slowing once her fingers creep under the hem of my shirt to massage my breasts.
The sensation of her hands on my skin is like fire melting ice and I emit a loud moan from beneath her as she pinches my nipples.
I help her take my shirt off, goosebumps rising on my skin as the chill of her uniform adds to the contrasting heat and cold mixing between us. As she tosses my shirt to the side I flip her onto her back, kicking off my pants before I straddle her in just my underwear and a bra. I run my hand down her chest, admiring the Chief of Police pin on her uniform.
"You know we're currently in two entirely different levels of dress right now." I huff, irritated at the feel of her pants under my legs. "Not that I mind of course." I add, smiling at her as she props herself up by her elbows. Seeing her so relaxed in her uniform isn't new to me, but the idea of having her while she wears her uniform spurs my desire. But that's for another night. "But let's leave the uniform fantasy for another night."
Lin quirks her eyebrows, pondering the idea eagerly and giving me a chaste kiss before she gets off of the bed. "I'll hold you to it."
I watch her hungrily as she strips off the metal and steps out of her boots. Placing each article of clothing off to the side with care. She slides her pants off teasingly slow when see the intense stare I have trained on her until she's finally left in her white tank top and underwear.
I bite my lip painfully, aching at the sight of her toned arms and muscled thighs. She smirks at me and saunters my way, dragging me by the ankle towards her so I'm laying in the middle of the bed. She slides her hands up the length of my body, her hands poised on either side of my head to block me in. I bite my lip, anxiously awaiting her next move as she uses her lips to trail over my jawline. I can feel her hips dropping down to my center once again and I lock my legs around her thighs, exhaling at the intense heat mixing between us. I cradle her to me as her hips slowly and painstakingly start to rotate against me, only just beginning to relieve the desire building up inside me.
With an intentional amount of teasing, I feel Lin smile as she continues to nibble at my neck, increasing the pressure from her pelvis. My hips buck of their accord as she makes a deep stroke, a gasp escaping my lips.
"Eager aren't we?" She mumbles, chuckling at my heavy breathing as she repeats the movement. I moan as I exhale, nodding my head as she fingers the waistband of my underwear.
"Please Lin." I gasp, her fingers sliding under the band just so she can finger the material.
"Very eager." She chuckles, her fingers graze lower but just miss the mark. She makes one final thrust with her hips, earning another moan out of me as she slides a finger against my clit. The action instantly makes my hips roll as she applies the pressure I'd been desperately seeking.
She switches on and off between playing with my entrance and my clit, making my back arch with each change over. I groan as she uses her free hand to massage my breast, sending chills over my skin at the feel of her. She switches sides and dips her head to my chest, sucking on my nipple as I throw my head back, rolling my hips to increase the pace of her fingers.
"Shit, Lin." I gasp, my chest rising and falling fast with each gasp for air.
She adds another finger, increasing the contact and mounting the pressure as she picks up her pace.
She finally sends me over the edge, hitting the right nerve and making me grasp at her hair to cling to while I swim in the sensations rolling over me like waves. Her hands continue to slowly work me, drawing out a few remaining gasps from me until she falls to my side, propping herself up on her elbow as she watches over me.
"Damn it Lin." I huff, regaining functional control of my voice. I hear her laugh as I wipe small beads of sweat from my forehead.
"Glad you enjoyed yourself." She coos, wrapping me in her arms.
"It's your turn next." I huff, breathless but eager.
"Mhm, catch your breath first. I still want a few more rounds with you." She moans, blowing on my neck softly. My core tightens at the sensation, a fire catching once more at her seductive tone.
"Yes ma'am." I breath, feigning a salute.
Of course, it doesn't matter how many times Lin seems to...exert...herself, she's always the first one awake. I manage to spot her tired eyes and the tired hunch to her shoulders, but there's also a faint smile on her lips and a softness to her that she doesn't seem to notice.
I stop linger in the doorway of the kitchen and gratefully accept the outstretched cup of coffee she's handing me, fully prepped with two sugars and milk the way I like it.
"You know I had a thought." She says aloud, brushing my hair behind my ear as she leans on the counter. I raise my eyebrows as I sip my coffee. "You never told me how everything went. You know, with Unalaq."
I lower my cup of coffee from my lips, surprised at Lin's question first thing in the morning as we get ready for the day.
"What? No, 'Good morning honey'? No, 'that was fun last night'?" I joke, returning to my coffee cup. Lin smirks and shrugs her shoulders, "Well that too but I know for a fact you enjoyed yourself." I narrow my eyes at her as she avoids my glare, trying to feign interest in making breakfast. My cheeks burn as I recall enthusiastically moaning Lin's name a few dozen times while she had her way with me 3 additional times.
"Yea, well...don't get too cocky." I mutter, coming up short on a comeback. Lin just bobs her head to the side as she pulls some leftover rice from the refrigerator.
"But what happened then? There was a giant dark spirit fighting in the bay...must've been something else that goes along with that." She quirks her eyebrow at me as I ponder my memories.
I mean it wasn't all bad. But then again the most mellow thing that happened was the boat ride in the beginning. After that? I guess in hindsight I really was strapped to the wing of a plane let to fight off Unalaq's fighters.
Then we crashed said plane and were taken captive by Unalaq.
Saved by Bumi.
Fought Eksa, Desna, and Unalaq.
Then I had to fight Unalaq on my own after Bolin and Mako were knocked out.
Then of course there was a giant, blue spirit Korra...and the dark spirits we had to fight in the mean time in order to protect her body as she Spirit Projected herself.
"On second thought if it is taking this long for you to come up with an answer then I don't want to know." She mutters, shaking her head.
"Yes I think that'd be best. I came back alive and in one piece, that's all that matters." I beam, standing on my toes to kiss her cheek.
Lin nods in affirmation, rummaging for a pan to begin making breakfast.
"Although my fear of flying is back again." I admit, ducking out of the kitchen. A loud metal bang clatters from the kitchen as Lin hisses in annoyance.
"Screw it - what did you do?!" She yells, her footsteps growing louder as I hurry to the bedroom to escape the stern lecture she's undoubtedly preparing for me in her head.
TWO WEEKS LATER
Korra still can't figure out the spirit vines and Lin is on duty with President Raiko during the next press meeting. The entire city has at least some amount of spirit vines encasing it's buildings, and City hall is no exception. In fact, it almost looks as if the spirit vines grew a tree there knowing that it is where the President's office is located.
So while Korra, Tenzin, and Lin handle the President's ever increasing frustrations with the Spirit vines, I've managed to return to some semblance of normalcy in my daily routine.
Having Bumi and Kya in town is a welcome change of pace. Visits to the Airbender household are more vibrant since Bumi is a goofy kind of eccentric that gives the kids someone to play with. And Kya is always eager to talk and answer any of my questions about Lin. And heck, getting to tell Kya that Lin and I are dating was such a cathartic experience. I mean, she's the first person I got to openly tell about Lin and I, plus its a nice feeling to be able to be open about our relationship.
Truthfully, Kya is the easiest and most laid back person out of all the Airbenders, Katara being a close second. But still, I haven't told Korra and her friends yet so they are still in the dark, and as far as I know only Katara, Kya, Pema, and Tenzin know we're dating. Pema had found out since Tenzin is her husband of course, the two are each other's keeper.
And speaking of keepers, Kya had recently shared with me a rather cute picture of her, Tenzin, Bumi and Lin as children.
I'd been helping her unpack some of her things in her room today when I found a few keepsake photos already on display, among them were photos of her and Katara and Aang. Then there was one of Katara, Aang and the three siblings all together.
"God she looks so angry." Kya laughs, looking at a 10-year old Bumi making Lin pout. I smile at the image, noticing Tenzin standing tiredly beside them as Kya prepares to hit Bumi.
"She's adorable." I coo, staring at the image. Kya doesn't seem to even hesitate as I stare at the photo of days gone by.
"Keep it." She announces, the photo outstretched to me. "That way you can threaten to show it to her officers if she ever gets on your nerves."
I laugh once more as I walk into Lin's apartment, excited to show her the memory. However, the apartment is dark and I table my excitement for the time being. And unfortunately Lin doesn't come home until late and I fall asleep waiting for her as usual.
The sound of the bedroom door opening and closing usually wakes me up when she comes home, but this time it's the feeling of her crawling into bed that makes me stir. I reach for her out of habit, resting my head on her shoulder so that my nose grazes her chin, an offering for her to place a chaste kiss on the tip of my nose.
"How's work?" I mumble, still half asleep. The warmth from her body starts to lull me back to a stupor.
"You won't believe it. But there's been a few reports about more airbenders coming into the world." My thoughts of bringing up the photo Kya gave me fly out the window as I try to process her statement, suddenly feeling wide awake. Lin is here to run a calming hand over my shoulder though, keeping me settled in bed. "Tenzin thinks it might have to do with Harmonic Convergence."
I take a deep breath, excited for him and what this means for the air nation. If the lights were on Lin could probably see my eyes bouncing around in my head as I think of what must be happening across the globe. New airbenders realizing their abilities, all of them part of a nation reborn after years...
"Well he's got to be beyond excited at that." I say breathless. "I mean he thought him and his children would be the last-"
"Yes, honey. Look I adore you and all but if you're going to get excited right now could you please go to the living room? Some of us had a long day." She mumbles sleepily, nuzzling her face in my hair.
I don't move to the living room, too tempted to stay by her side in bed. Instead I'm left to laying beside her, marveling at the idea of new airbenders.
I manage to find the time to see Tenzin, although it hasn't gone well so far. What began as a visit to the island after work turned into a rescue mission for a frightened airbender which has now led to President Raiko deciding to ban korra from Republic City.
But rather than see it as a negative, Korra sees it as an opportunity to find more airbenders instead and in the whirlwind of activity she and her team are regrouping at the Island to prepare for take off. It's actually interesting to see how fast their able to mobilize an expedition.
"Where's your bag?" Korra asks, jogging to my side as everyone loads up their own things.
"I think you can handle this one." I smile, admiring the Future Industries airship Asami polished up for the trip. Korra frowns though, her eyes narrowing in suspicion.
"Well it doesn't matter if I can 'handle this one'." She huffs, nodding to the ship. "You're going."
"Korra, no."
"Yes, and that's that."
"No that's not that. I am staying here-"
"Lies. You're going."
"No I'm not."
"Yes you are."
"No I have plans."
"How dare you." She huffs, feigning hurt. "With who?"
"No one. Don't worry." I laugh, shrugging away from her intrigued stare.
"I think I should know since you're leaving Team Avatar for them."
"I'm not leaving Team Avatar." I whip my head around to look at her. "I didn't even know I was on it." I huff, astonished.
"Well you are. So what's so important that you're passing up finding new airbenders for it?" Korra presses.
I pause, analyzing her sly smirk as she matches my stare. Fine, if she wants to know so badly...
"Lin and I are dating." I admit, staring as she begins to laugh, the realization dawning on her slowly. "And we're planning to have a date night since she's been busy these past couple weeks." I add, cautiously optimistic that she might take this well.
She's suspicious, doing a double take as her curiosity increases. And then... a flash of confusion falls on her until she finally understands that I'm not joking. I can't blame her of course, the last thing she knew was that I only had a crush on Lin.
I hurriedly lead her on a quick walk away from the rest of the gang while they get settled on the ship. They won't take off with her anyways so we can afford the delay.
"I can't believe you and Lin, as in Chief of Police Lin Beifong." Korra mutters, blinking a little too rapidly.
"Korra you're thinking about this too much." I chuckle, watching her come to terms with this new information.
"I mean she's BEIFONG, she's you know-" Korra waves her hands absentmindedly, trying to allude to those stern qualities that make Lin who she is.
"I'm aware. And you're making this such a wonderful experience telling you. If you'd like I could just draw a picture to help you grasp the concept?" She squints at me, trailing her gaze from head to toe over me as if trying to spot a lie. "It'll get real awkward real fast, for you at least." I add, put off at her attitude right now. I didn't expect her to immediately accept the idea but she's dragging this on as if it's the most awkward idea for her.
She seems to sense my annoyance though.
"No, No. Ok fine." She rubs the back of her head. "I mean I'm happy for you. Seriously. And I know I don't understand Beifong most of the time but...I guess she can't be a grump all the time if she's with you." She jokes, relaxing as I smile. "And I'm sorry, I didn't mean to get all -" Korra gestures madly around her head. "-you know, on you."
"Apology accepted, although if Lin was here I have a feeling she'd have taken it a bit differently."
"Yea I'll work on my reaction."
"And try to keep it quiet too." She gives me a surprised look. "We're just enjoying our time together, you know...without everyone knowing."
"No I can understand that. Relationships do better when less people know. I mean Mako and I..." She trails off and I nod. They weren't bad together, but it was awkward when Korra lost her memories after they'd broken up. Having everyone knowing the good and the bad of your relationship means there's too many prying eyes at times.
"But what about Tenzin? I mean they did-"
"Oh no, Tenzin knows."
"Tenzin knows?!" I whack Korra on the arm as she draws the group's attention with her little outburst. She was definitely loud enough since she managed to get Bolin's attention from this distance. He starts to wave at us. "Sorry." She mumbles.
"It's fine but of course Tenzin knows! I can't just date Lin and not tell him."
"Are you coming avatar?!" Asami yells playfully from the ramp, interrupting us. Korra looks dizzy as she tries to process all the information I'd just given her, rubbing her temple as we return to the ship.
She keeps trying to comprehend everything even as I give her a hug and pat her cheek, watching her blink rapidly.
"Good luck Avatar and be good." I lead her to the airship with my arm draped over her shoulder so I can keep her close enough to whisper. "Lin also said don't do anything stupid." I breath, sending her off with an annoyed pout.
"We'll call Pema to check in." Tenzin says as we watch Korra and her friends load up. "Any big plans in the mean time?" I smirk at Tenzin's question.
"Well if you really want to know, Lin and I are going to see-"
Tenzin shakes his head, "Yes yes, have fun." I chuckle as he rolls his eyes.
"Come on Tenzin-" I pull him into a hug, "Don't do anything I wouldn't do." I let the tower of a man go and watch the airship take off alongside Kya, Pema, and Rohan. The youngest little airbender smiling happily as Kya helps him stand on his pudgy little legs.
"You know Riya, if you and Lin don't have any plans we'd love to have you for dinner sometime." Pema offers, tired from waving at the airship. I pause to think on the idea of dinner. "I think it'd be nice to have a little girls' night." She smiles.
"We'll have to plan something ahead of time, I'm afraid Lin's schedule is usually a bit wonky."
"Well don't be a stranger, you can always come over if you're by yourself." Kya adds.
"I appreciate it." I smile, booping Rohan's nose with my index finger as he laughs. "In the meantime, keep me in the loop."
If Pema had forgotten to alert me of any updates from Tenzin I'd have no trouble finding out what they were up to thanks to the local news. Word of Korra and Tenzin's search for new airbenders gets around fast and alerts of more keep coming in according to Lin. Usually I don't have to worry about anything, but she looks almost shaken as she walks through the door and I immediately I fear that something may have happened to the group on their search.
"What's wrong?" I coo, turning anxiously to watch her march through the living room.
"Fire Lord Zuko sent word that the Red Lotus members have escaped." I frown at the name, my stomach dropping.
I start to speak again but she marches straight into the bedroom, forgoing her usual good evening kiss hello. I scurry off the couch and follow after her, the sounds of drawers opening and closing sounding from the room.
"Is this the same Red Lotus that was after Korra?" I ask, pausing to stare at the little duffle bag on the bed. I narrow my eyebrows, frowning.
"Where are you going?" I huff, staring as she packs the bag with a few basic items.
"They're going after her again." She announces, zipping her bag shut and swinging it over her shoulder.
I block the door as she tries to leave, defiant as I continue to stare at her until she explains herself.
She sighs as she watches me frown. "I'm going to find her."
"Then I'm going too." I argue, stepping away from the door to find my own duffle to ready. I hear a soft thud behind me as I reach for spare clothes and toss them in into the canvas bag.
"No you're not." Lin argues, grabbing my bag to stop me from leaving.
"Yes I am." I quip, trying to reach for it as she continues to hold it out of reach. "Lin, Korra is my friend and you are my girlfriend, you're not just going to waltz in here-" I make a hasty reach for the bag and miss, "-tell me some malevolent gang is after Korra-" I grip lin's arm to stop her from turning and reach again, grabbing hold of the strap, "-and tell me I'm not going to go with you."
My face is flushed with heat from anger as she frowns, looking down on me with an annoyed shake of her head.
"Riya it's just a-"
"-What? You don't want me to go? Do you think I can't do this? I'm serious Lin, I'm going whether you let me come with you or not. I'll get to her however I need to."
"Riya, look I know what you can do, I know you could turn into a detective if you'd need to-" She raises her hands in surrender, "-but I'm just going to get her and bring her back to Republic City. That's it. It'll be a week, at most." She pleads, holding her hand out expectantly to me. I eye it suspiciously, tightening my grip on my bag.
"If it's that simple then why can't I go? We'll be back in a week, right?" I coo sarcastically, reciting her words back. I tie my bag shut as she wipes all emotion from her face. An action I had long since learned is an attempt to hide the reality that she'd lost the argument.
"Fine." She barks, whipping her bag onto her back as she leads me up to her airship parked over the building. She stews in silent anger as we climb the stairs to the roof. Even as she wraps her arm around my waist so we can ascend to the airship she's overly curt and distant. Now I know she's put off by our little spat.
She slams the airship door shut and takes the helm, tossing her duffle onto a bench.
I set my own bag beside her's and watch her stand stoic at the wheel, the buildings below passing us by. I bite my lip as I watch her, retreating to the rear of the ship to think about what to say.
It's just a quick trip to get Korra. Just go and get her and come back.
So why is she so mad that I'm with her? I bite my lip anxiously, staring at the water shimmering under the light of the setting sun. God she's got to be the most infuriating person on the planet sometimes. Can't she just say what's wrong? No. The same thing over and over. She can't say what's on her mind. She's got to bottle it up and just refuse to talk.
If it's just a quick trip then what's the issue?
I continue to stew in my thoughts, growing so upset a headache starts to form. In an attempt to alleviate the pain I rub my temples but the sound of Lin's feet shuffling heavily at the helm makes me stop. She clears her throat.
I straighten up as I watch her head turn ever so slightly, listening for me.
"Why did you get so upset?" I cross my arms, glaring unabashedly at the back of her head.
"Why are you upset right now?" She mutters, staring out the window ahead of her.
"Because you got mad when I said I was coming with you." I huff, shaking my head.
Silence. I roll my eyes, and return to her side.
"And because here we are now arguing about that and you can't even tell me why." I huff, crossing my arms while I stand beside her. She makes no move to look at me. I shake my head and she shuffles her feet with a little more purpose to them. I realize what she's doing in this metal airship of her's, catching the whisper quiet sound of the sole of her boot sliding into place.
"Enough with the seismic sense will you? Just talk to me instead of trying to read me." I groan, rubbing my temple. I tilt my head, giving her a tired side eye. "Why did you get upset when I said I was coming?"
Lin still refuses to answer.
I shake my head, throwing my hands in the air.
"Fine. Fine then. I'm going to go find something to do." I announce, retreating to find the ladder that leads to the upper portion of her airship. There's got to be something in the mechanical room I could fake interest in or something to rummage through in the storage alcove that'll distract me long enough to take a break from her for now.
I don't come back until my headache is gone, and after finding some provisions in storage I climb down with something for Lin to eat. Night has fallen outside and the stars are out, the sky so clear that the stars shine like diamonds.
Lin is standing stock still before the controls as I shuffle up quietly beside her. I set a bowl of broth on the edge of the controls, cautiously glancing at her out of the corner of my eye.
"Thank you." She mutters. I catch her eye as she frowns. I bite the inside of my cheek, nodding to her once. As I turn to go sit she stops me by holding out her arm.
I watch her as she averts her eyes, her face downcast as she pauses to think.
"I'm...sorry." She whispers. "I should have explained why I don't want you here."
I suppress the urge to exclaim 'I knew it!' but the look on her face says she already knows what I'm thinking.
"If I made you feel like I don't trust you or believe in you or..." She purses her lips, embarrassed. "I'm sorry. But you are very important to me and I already know what Zaheer and his Red Lotus gang are capable of. They're not some ragtag group." Lin drops her hand as she sees I'm not about to walk away. "We're just going to get Korra and bring her back, but I don't want to risk any possibility of you having to face off with them. No matter how experienced you are. It's just not something I want to leave to chance."
I can't help but nod, taken aback at the desperation written on her face. She chews on her bottom lip, staring out the window while I process her words.
Of course I see it all from her perspective as well as I can. The Red Lotus isn't a group I'd ever studied, but Katara had briefly divulged who they were once, maybe twice. Even then, it was only in passing and it was just enough to warn me that they were not a good group. If the roles were reversed, I'd probably have wanted to avoid bringing Lin as well, especially if it's just a matter of retrieving Korra. Although I'm not quite sure of the specifics of who they are, yet, it's not hard to imagine how vile a person has to be to shake up Lin.
"I'm sorry I didn't consider your view completely in all this." I mutter cautiously. Lin merely makes the tiniest of nods of affirmation as she continues to stare out the window. "I have to admit that I might have reacted the same if I was in your place." Lin finally meets my eye, taking me off guard a bit. "But isn't it better that we're together? What if you'd run into trouble?" My hand reaches for her of it's own accord as scenarios gone wrong flash in my head. She holds my hand to her chest, her thumb massaging the palm of my hand.
"Well then I suppose it is good that you're here. As much as I hate to think about it, if something goes wrong it's nice to have backup, and I know where you are." She admits, absentmindedly. "Last time there was a giant red monster in the city and you were halfway across the globe in the spirit world!" Lin shakes her head, her tone growing remorseful.
She takes a deep breath as she recalls the events.
"Seems like we both run in some very...interesting work and social circles." I try, not feeling secure in using the term 'dangerous' at the moment.
"So it seems." Lin adds, still holding my hand. The conversation feels like it's still hanging on the edge, teetering close to the cliff's edge as if waiting for one final shove before we go flying towards the truth.
"You should get some rest Riya." Lin suggests, kissing my hand.
I lean closer to her, looking at her expectedly. The corners of her lips turn up slightly and she kisses me softly. Her lips are warm and inviting for the brief second I have them for.
With a soft smile I leave her at the helm so I can dig through some of the supplies on board to find a blanket. I rest on one of the benches in the ship, settling in to rest for a bit as I watch Lin steering.
"You're not going to go all night are you?"
"I'll stop soon, there's a basin not far from here that I can set down in. We'll rest a few hours there before moving on."
I nod more to myself than her. I try to shut my brain off from thinking but all my thoughts seem to rustle in my head as I toss and turn.
So as tired as I am I can't fall asleep at the moment. Not while our conversation seems unfinished. I sit up and wrap the blanket around me like a shawl, walking back to Lin's side.
"Lin?"
"Hm?" She's unsurprised by my presence beside her.
"Is it going to be an issue?"
"What?"
"Well the fact that I went to help Korra fight Unalaq and Vatu, and that you were prepared to go off on your own to save Korra from the Red Lotus. It seems neither of us can avoid ...helping. I just want to know if it's going to be an issue." I take a deep breath, scared to hear her answer. Lin seems frozen though.
"I don't want it to be an issue. I mean, you are Chief of Police. You might be in danger at any point of time during the day, I understand it. That's one of the things I love most about you is your willingness to fight for what's right. To defend people." I ramble. "I don't want us to be in situations where we have to worry excessively about one another and I know you don't either but our recent track record hasn't been very good and I'm just worried that it might be too much-"
"Is it too much for you?" Lin interrupts, her eyes frozen and fearful.
"No." I rush to hold her side. "No it's not Lin. But I'm worried it's too much for you." I admit. "I mean, you understood that I had to help Korra and my family against Unalaq and you let me go but if it's not as if I want to throw myself into harms way at every turn. It was the situation, I had to do something. Each of us wants to do the right thing as best we can and I just don't want either of us to sacrifice anything by helping anyone if we need to." Lin wraps her arm around my shoulders.
"It's not too much." She says finally. "We can't always avoid a fight, I know that. But I want a promise from you." I nod affirmatively. "If I'm with you in any fight, you do as I say. No questions, no sass, and no doubts about it. And if I'm not, you don't do anything stupid? Deal?"
I nod eagerly, kissing her fiercely as I mutter a yes.
My chest feels lighter as relief settles in its place. I'd been worried this might have led us to a breaking point. She'd just been upset that I came along to help and then going to help Korra fight the south...At least we're both on the same page about everything. We'll each continue helping our friends and Lin will keep doing her Chief of Police duties and we'll both come back to one another. And that's all I need to help me soothe me.
Lin begins our descent as we reach the basin, locking down the airship for the night. As I settle back on the bench to fall asleep, I feel the metal sliding beneath me as Lin extends it into a slightly wider bench.
I throw the blanket over her, pulling her close as she tucks my head into her neck, one arm under my head as her other arm rests on my hip.
"Riala." Lin whispers in the dark.
"Hm?"
"You know I'm not good at sharing feelings all the time-" I stifle a chuckle, only letting out a puff of air through my nose as Lin continues, "-but I do really care about you. To the point where it annoys me sometimes-"
"-a fantastic thing to say to your girlfriend-" I mutter, failing to hide the smile in my voice.
Lin shakes her head, "I like you Riya, more than I care to admit."
I untuck my head from her and try to discern her face in the dark. She seems to feel my questioning look. "I've been on my own for years Riya I'll get there." I chuckle lightly, pausing to think a moment at the two of us lying here together.
"What?" Lin marvels, sensing my silence. I bite my lip softly, carefully weighing my words. Hopefully Lin doesn't get uncomfortable, but it feels right.
"I'm going to tell you something and all I need you to do is listen. You don't have to understand it and you don't have to respond. Actually, I'd rather you didn't respond because I just want to tell you and then we can get some rest-"
"Riya." Lin urges, trying to see me in the dark as she grows serious. She rests on her elbow beside me, silent while I weigh my words. Lin seems to shift worriedly. I bite my lip, feeling the material of Lin's uniform under my fingertips. I'd grown so familiar with it that the material is now ingrained in my memory.
"Lin I think, well I don't think, but I know I love you. That's all I want you to know. You don't need to say it. I just wanted you to know that."
I can't see through the dark shadows as Lin blinks, stunned. She says nothing, but her hands caress my face before softly pressing our lips into a kiss. I cradle her close, my heart nearly full to burst as she pours out all the emotions she can hardly convey most of the time. She doesn't have to say it back, the fact that she kissed me shows me where her heart is at.
Lin is smiling against my lips and it's contagious.
"Mmmm Chief Beifong I think I might need a night of community service with you once we're off duty." Lin chuckles, nudging my nose with her's as she steals another kiss.
"Go to sleep." Lin whispers to me, spooning me to her chest protectively and lovingly.
"After that kiss? That's just mean." I mutter, nuzzling against her chest once more.
How was that? Cheesy? So sappy? Did it give you the feels? Lol This was so long but you all deserved it! I kept getting tripped up on the steamy scene (this is my first time writing one too so please be gentle XD) and that's why this took so long.
To try and answer one of the questions, I truthfully have no specific age in mind for Riya. She is older than Korra though by a few years. Maybe late 20s? But yes, Lin is a bit of a cougar here - Haha. I really left it open to the reader because sometimes the specifics get too tangled throughout the story. I did, of course, add a little bit of *spice* - I did have plans for some sauciness but I had no idea where I could work it in naturally.
ALSO ~~
*Insert Jaws theme song*
cause the drama is coming...