Lin's body was warm when she woke up. It took her a moment to figure out where she was: Air Temple Island. The light streamed in from a round window, lighting up the red and gold trimmings of the room. The sheets were silky around her bruised and beaten body. The first sensation Lin registered was warmth.
She turned her head to the left and saw Kya's face. Her eyes were closed, and lips parted slightly. A sliver of gray hair was resting on her cheek. The warmth Lin was feeling was Kya's body pressed tightly to her own. Kya looked so peaceful; as if this was the first sleep she'd had in days. Lin swallowed guiltily when she realized it probably was the first time Kya had truly slept since the attack on the police station.
Tears pricked in the corners of Lin's eyes as she tried to savor the feeling of Kya lying beside her. They had been so close to never sleeping in the same bed again; never touching again; never saying 'I love you' again. The inevitability of death was something Lin had never feared. Her job meant that death could be lurking behind every corner. Kya's free flowing lifestyle meant she didn't dwell much on the thought of death. When they had first become a couple, Lin had tried to explain the dangers of being the police chief and that it meant that she could be ripped from Kya's life unexpectedly. Kya insisted that having Lin in her life was worth the risk of losing her.
Lin's throat was dry, and she took a deep breath to reign in the tears that threatened to overwhelm her. Sliding away from Kya's warm and comfortable body, Lin hesitantly swung her legs off the bed. Her knee looked and felt better. She guessed that Kya and Korra had spent some time on her injuries while she had been unconscious. Lin had passed out again after her rescue team had loaded her onto Oogie.
Tentatively, she lowered her feet to the ground and allowed her knee to take the weight of her body. It was a little sore, but it held her upright. Walking was a bit more challenging; her knee was shaking, and the rest of her body was stiff. But there was a pitcher of water on the small table by the door, so Lin shuffled over and poured herself a glass.
As she raised the glass to her lips she caught a glimpse of someone sitting on the bench just outside the window. Long, white hair was pulled back against the dark red of his robes: Zuko. Lin blinked, suddenly remembering Druk joining the fight. And if her memory served her correctly, Toph Beifong had been on the battlefield as well.
Zuko had always been easier to approach than her mother, so she took her glass of water and slowly walked outside. The sun was brighter than she anticipated, and she stood awkwardly blinking in the doorway for a moment.
"You're awake." Zuko stood as soon as he noticed her, rushing to her side to hold out a hand.
"Thought I'd get some fresh air," croaked Lin and she took a long sip of water to clear her throat. "Mind if I join you?"
"Come, sit," Zuko urged, his hand slipping beneath the elbow of her free hand to help her over to the bench. Lin almost protested that she didn't need any help, but Zuko looked so serious that she found herself unable to pull away. They settled on the bench in silence and Lin took a moment to enjoy the fresh air.
When she was growing up, she could always count on Zuko. She idolized Aang, but sometimes his outgoing and upbeat personality clashed with her own. Lin often found herself gravitating to Katara when Toph's alternative mothering style left her needing something more. In Sokka she found a friend and someone to laugh with. But she had found at a young age that no one understood her better than Zuko. Toph used to say it was because they were both grumpy old souls. Perhaps she was right in a way. Whatever the reason, Zuko and Lin had always gotten along.
Now she could tell he was struggling with something. His face was unreadable, but his hands were clenching and unclenching in his lap. Lin knew that she would have to wait him out. It's what he would do for her; instead of asking her what was wrong, he would simply wait until she found the words. Lin took another drink of water and closed her eyes.
"I'm sorry."
Lin's eyes fluttered back open in surprise. "For what?"
"For nearly getting you killed." Zuko's voice was thick as if he was worried about choking on his words; or perhaps his emotions. Lin turned to look at him. A single tear was sliding down his pale cheek.
"Zuko, I don't-"
"I know you don't blame me." He turned to look at her and reached out a hand to rest upon the hand not holding the glass of water. "Which almost makes it worse. I asked you to keep this dangerous secret and you did it as a favor for me. I know that you think this whole ordeal is just another day on the job, but you would have never been in danger if I had never asked this of you."
"It is part of my job," Lin argued softly. She laced her fingers through his own. "My job is to protect people…or spirits in this case."
"You sacrificed so much for this. Your officers…" Zuko trailed off as Lin flinched. She still didn't know exactly what had happened at the station that night, but she didn't think Zuko was the person to ask.
"My officers signed up for a dangerous job. If the Order had succeeded in their mission, more than just my officers would have died. I know that they would have been willing to lay down their lives so that innocent people wouldn't have to suffer."
"But you suffered and I am sorry for that, my child."
Lin felt the tears coming back again and she shook her head. Zuko had not called her 'my child' in years. No matter than she had passed fifty a few years ago. Probably the last time was when he had come by her apartment after Tenzin and Pema's wedding. When she was small, she and Su used to make up scenarios of who their fathers were. Su found her father in every man in her life, but for Lin she had always wished it was Zuko. Calm, collected, steady Zuko: his child.
Zuko was speaking again. "When Izumi told me what had happened, that you were dead, I felt the world stop. It was like losing my Mai again. When your mother found me to tell me that you still lived, I was afraid to believe it for fear of losing you again."
"Don't feel guilty," murmured Lin trying to cover the threat of tears with another drink of water. "I've gotten myself into plenty of close calls on my own. And when I do die, it will be on my terms, not some maniac's."
"I am so glad that you are still with us," replied Zuko and he squeezed her hand once again. "And if it's not too much to ask, I'd like you to make me a promise."
"Anything."
"Promise me you will outlive me."
This time Lin didn't bother holding back the tears as she said, "I'll do my best." Zuko let go of her hand and reached up to pull Lin's head closer so he could press a small kiss to her temple. Lin leaned into the comfort of a man she always considered a father.
Lin looked up though when she felt the earth tell her someone else was approaching their peaceful reunion. A familiar voice caused Lin to groan. "Look at you two blubberheads! This damn temple makes everyone weepy."
"Hello, Mother." Lin wiped her eyes as Zuko rose to his feet. "It's good to see you."
"Well I was trying to enjoy a little vacation after bailing you and your sister out of that last fiasco, but it's just like you to demand my attention once again." Toph punched Zuko in the shoulder and then stood in front of Lin, shading her unseeing eyes with her hand. "Let me look at ya."
Lin rolled her eyes at the terrible joke. "Mom…"
"She looks alive to me," continued Toph, speaking now to Zuko. "You were so convinced you'd gotten her killed. I told you the only person who could get Lin killed was herself."
"Thanks," replied Lin sarcastically. She glanced at Zuko, afraid that her mother's ribbing would make him feel worse than he already did. But Zuko knew Toph better than Lin did, and a small smile had begun to take shape on his face.
"And I don't even get a thank you for saving her!"
"Oh? Were you there?" asked Lin sarcastically as she got to her feet and stretched out. This caused her to groan at the stiffness of her body.
Toph scoffed at her daughter and retorted, "I'm young and spry enough to go into battle any day…you can't even stand up!"
"Thank you, Mom," said Lin sincerely. She couldn't believe that she had let Toph out of her life for that many years. Toph was far from the perfect mother, but few people could say they had perfect parents. Toph always loved her children and for that Lin was grateful. She wouldn't be the woman she was today if it weren't for her mother.
Zuko rested a hand on Toph's shoulder and smiled warmly at Lin. He opened his mouth to say something but was interrupted by Toph responding to her daughter's words with, "Oh, don't make this weird. I brought you into this world and I'll be damned if I let anyone else take you out of it."
Lin rolled her eyes. Before she could start any sort of an argument with her mother, a voice called out from the room she had woken up in. "Lin!?"
"I'm out here, Kya!" Lin called back. Kya appeared in the doorway, her normally bright eyes creased with worry. Lin felt a pang of guilt in her chest. She imagined that Kya had been worried to not find Lin in bed next to her when she woke up. Something fluttered in Lin's heart as she saw the relief flood over Kya's features at the sight of her.
Glancing between Lin, Zuko, and Toph, Kya shifted awkwardly. It was then that Lin realized she had completely forgotten to inform Toph of the change in her and Kya's relationship. Zuko broke the awkward silence. "I didn't mean to drag her away from your care. There were just a few things I needed to say to her."
"I'm glad she's able to walk around." Kya's voice was gentle and she smiled sweetly back at Lin. In that moment, Lin was certain everything would be alright. "I didn't mean to fall asleep."
"You had your work cut out for you," replied Lin as she motioned to her body that just hours ago was in severe shape.
"From the way you're moving, it looks like she's got more work to do," snipped Toph. With a mischievous smile, she added, "So get back into that bed and let Kya check you out some more. Now that you two aren't as tired."
Lin's face flamed red and Kya's eyes widened in surprise. "Mom!"
"I may be blind, but I would have to lose all my senses to not know when my daughter's in love." Toph nudged Zuko who was smiling at Lin. "Let's give them some time alone. Ah, to be young again."
"I don't feel young," grumbled Lin, her cheeks still burning, as Toph and Zuko left the couple alone.
Kya walked over to her and slipped her arms around Lin's waist. "Let me try to fix that."
Long, thin fingers traced the line of Lin's jaw and a chill moved down her spine. Every moment in the hands of captors she had thought of Kya: her voice, her hair, her hands, her lips, her body. Every painful step and every hit she endured, she did for this moment. This moment where Kya's lips came closer to her, the feel of her breath against Lin's face.
Lin couldn't wait any longer. She wrapped one arm around Kya's body and the other entangled into the silver locks to push Kya the final few centimeters. All the soreness and dreariness dropped away from Lin at Kya's kiss. Lin kissed Kya as if this was truly their last moment together; instead it was the beginning of a long time together.
As the kiss finished, Kya whispered, "I love you."
"Oh, my dear, I love you, too." Closing her eyes, Lin leaned into her lover, and finally felt peace.