Tenzin didn't pay anyone any heed as he walked quickly through the dorm on air temple island. He ignored the odd looks from the acolytes around him. He was still agitated after the fight with Lin. He had flown around the city on his glider hoping the flight would clear his head but it hadn't. Thoughts still flew around his head like angry bees stinging his brain at every little mistake and problem between him and Lin. He was mostly angry at himself, they had both thrown some insults at each other that they knew would land. He still didn't know what to do, what the answer was and the buzzing thoughts were going to drive him insane. He needed to try something else. He paused when he reached the door he was looking for, taking a deep breath and collected himself before knocking.

-several months earlier

"Good work these look nice Pema." Leah told her and Tenzin nodded in approval next to her. Pema seemed to have taken to the archive work well then again he wasn't surprised that Leah had picked a good apprentice. Leah was Kya's age and had grown up on the island with her parents also being acolytes. She was one of the few acolytes all of his siblings plus Lin liked because of it and she knew the island and its workings as well as anyone.

He heard the door open and the sound of echoing footsteps and looked up to find Lin walking in towards them. She was still in her armor which wasn't a surprise these days and looked tired and annoyed.

"Lin" Leah greeted her with a smile, Pema looked down back towards the book and Tenzin just stared at her.

Lin forced a smile towards Leah. "Hey," she said. "Ten, can you come with me?" Her voice was low and tired.

Tenzin opened his mouth to speak but couldn't decide what he wanted to say because he needed this finished before tomorrow but it had been a long time since Lin had been here before dinner. Leah was shooting lasers out of her eyes at him that clearly said 'go you idiot'. "Um sure." He said lamely.

Lin nodded and grabbed his hand and dragged him out of the library behind her. He is surprised she's holding his hand, it's not something she particularly likes, well she doesn't really like PDA in general. But he doesn't care so he lets her. She leads him back to the main house, she still hasn't said anything to him and he looks carefully at her face. He can see the exhaustion but there is more, a strain maybe or maybe even pain edged in her brow. He wants to comment on it, asks her if she's okay but they've reached his room. She drops his hand as they step inside, he shuts the door behind them and in the next second her arms had wound around his waist and his arms fall over her as she buries her face in his chest. He's confused now and concerned. "Lin-" he tries

But Lin steps back "just lie with me for a little while." She asks.

There's something in her tone and face and posture that tells him just to nod. She bends off her armor leaving her in just a tank top and pants. He lies down on his bed and she curls into his side. He knows Lin often wants time to just sit with things and process, waiting and listening, the epitome of an earth bender. So they lie there, his hand traveling up and down her back listening to her breathing. He lets his mind wander, part of him is secretly glad she is lying here with him like this because it means she still seeks out confort from him. They had been seeing less and less of each other lately outside of work or the occasional lunch outing. It's put a strain on both of them, it-

There was a knock at the door. "Tenzin?" His mother called.

"Yeah, mom. Come in." Tenzin said tapping Lin shoulder twice in warning. Lin rolled away from him slightly to be able to look over and see Katara as she entered.

"Hi Lin, I didn't know you were here." She said, smiling wider than Tenzin had seen in awhile.

"Hi auntie," Lin said, giving her a small smile. It was less forced this time as it had been with Leah. The rest must have helped, Tenzin thought.

"Dinner's ready guys if you are hungry." Katara said.

"Of course Auntie, thanks." Lin said stretching and getting up.

Tenzin followed her rolling his shoulder to get some blood back into it. He was quiet throughout dinner and his mother and Lin did most of the talking. Sometimes it felt like his mom talked to Lin more than he did these days. Lin's mood had picked up from earlier he could tell he still had no idea what had been bothering her. By the end of dinner they had all been laughing, smiling and conversing normally, more normal than the three of them had in months. Tenzin insisted that he do the dishes and let the woman talk. He had missed this, in both Lin and his mother. The last eight months had been hard Toph had left making Lin chief then his father had died, but dinner felt normal for the first time in months. Lin had been smiling less and less; he knew her mother had been a huge part of that but his dad was also the closest thing she had to dad as well. It hurt it all hurt and it was hard, harder anything had ever been in his life or hers. Normal felt like it was running away from him at full speed and he was grasping at it trying to hold it back from getting away forever. First his relationship when Toph left and Lin wasn't around as much, then his dad's death, then his siblings and him fighting, now he barely had Lin it felt like. She was slowly sliding out of reach and it terrified him. But tonight felt normal and he had never been so grateful for just plain normal. He went back out in the livingroom and chatted with his mom and Lin as Lin leaned against him. When they went to bed Lin pushed him against the door and kissed him looking up at him asking an unspoken question. He nodded and easily picked her up, her legs coming to wrap around his waist as they kissed again.

Later they're lying down exhausted when she leans over studying him and says, "I love you, you know"

He looks over at her and caresses her cheek. "I love you too." but there something off in her face it's back to that look he couldn't quite identify before. Somewhere between exhaustion and pain. She nods and lies back down turning away from him. He wraps his arm around her waist holding her lightly and lets sleep claim him.

He's woken up first by her shifting against his chest slightly, her hair is in his face and he has to move. Then he feels the sun on his face, and it's way too strong for 5 am when he is supposed to get up and lead mediation. He opens his eyes and looks over at the clock and it reads 6:30. "Oh shit." he groans and shakes Lin. "Lin, we're late."

Lin opens her eyes and looks over at the clock. "Fuck" she says dropping her head back to the pillow before jumping out of bed after him they dress quickly and run to grab Oogi. Neither bother with a saddle over even rein having been riding the sky bison since he was a baby. It's winter and the already cold air is made even worse by the wind, it gives them an excuse to sit shoulder to shoulder on the bison's head. Tenzin drops Lin off on the roof of the police headquarters, she gives him a quick kiss and says, "bye Oogi." giving the bison a quick pat as she falls to the rooftop below.

He didn't see Lin for the next few days outside of a coffee she brought him while she was at city hall. "Works really bad right now." was all she said, giving him a quick kiss and the coffee.

Work was always bad but at least before her mom left she had some time. Now she was the one responsible for everything. Tenzin knew Toph was busy and was well aware of how not around she had been and he also knew that Lin took work much more seriously than ever Toph did. He knew that it was already paying off even after an initial spike in crime after the esteem Toph Beifong's departure from the city and his own father's death had left a perceived power vacuum for the triads to try to fill. Now the crime rate was back down to where it was before and still falling less than a year after Toph and his Dad were gone from the city. It was a major accomplishment one that Lin should be extremely proud of and he was proud of her for it. Still it hurt that he wasn't a priority, that they weren't a priority and he's scared of the problems that it raise because of it. He is back in the library doing the end of year admin work with Pema when Leah enters. They work and chat about the plans for the upcoming new years celebration before Leah asks, "How's Lin doing about Sargent Lee?"

Tenzin's confused over why Leah was asking about Lee because she hadn't mentioned anything to him, not that she had the opportunity. "What?" he asked, stupefied.

Leah gave him a look like he was an idiot. "He died, Tenzin, this morning. He was in the hospital for like four days after a raid went bad." Tenzin just gave her a mistafied look, it was the first he was hearing of this. "It was all over the paper today when Lin put out a statement."

Tenzin thought back four days ago to when Lin had come over early and had been acting strange. "Pema, can you put this back?" Leah said, sending the young woman off. "Tenzin you're an idiot," she hissed at him. "Why didn't you know this, haven't you asked your girlfriend how her week has been or if she's okay?"

"I didn't get the chance," he hissed back letting out a sigh. "I haven't seen her really since she came over a few days ago."

"You mean the day she was definitely upset and now we know it because a guy she went though the academy with was fighting for his life in the hospital. This is why I don't date men, idiots all of them." Leah hissed careful not to raise her voice Tenzin glanced around for fear the few other acolytes in here too would hear. Tenzin knew she was a lesbian and had dated his sister at one point. He also knew it was a secret that he had been sworn to keep although he, his father and his mother wouldn't have had a problem with it if she had decided to come out. None of them care about that with Kya after all.

"I know!" Tenzin groaned. "I gotta go."

"yes you do! and you better try a little harder." Leah said shooing him away.

Tenzin headed into the city, it was still afternoon too early to grab real food. So he picked up some cream puff and coffee before heading to the station. Everyone was more than used to seeing him, they simply told him she was in her office.

"What?" Lin snapped at his knock.

Tenzin opened up the door and held up his bag and coffee. "Hey"

He could see some of the air go out of her as she waved him in and got up to join in on the couch in the corner. The table in front of the couch was covered by a map and some day old takeout. Tenzin handed her the coffee and cream puffs and cleaned off the old take out before having a seat next to her. She let her head drop to his shoulder and he knew this was bothering her alot. Lin hated showing any kind of affection at work when she was in her 'work mode' as Tenzin called it. He kissed her hair. "Do you want to talk?" He asked.

Lin shook her head. "No just stay for a little." Tenzin nodded against her head. He wasn't surprised work would be the last place in the world where she allowed any weakness even with just him. Eventually though she did speak, "He took a turn for the worst yesterday up until then we were optimistic but then…" she trails off. He just nodded again. How she had acted the other day now made since, and he felt like a complete ass for not saying anything. This was their problem, they weren't talking anymore. He never talked to her and she never talked to him, not really talked at least. They knew each other so well that they could get away with maybe three words to each other a day. Completely knowing and understanding what the other would do, their routine became mechanic and now they were using that as a crutch to save them from a much needed conversation about, well, everything.

"Tell me when the funeral is, I want to be there." Tenzin told her as they flew home on Oogi he had stayed the rest of the day as there was only an hour left.

"You don't have to." Lin said half heartedly.

"I want to." Tenzin told her. They need to try to fix this whatever had broken or slipped away between them.