The Spirit of Change

by satomobile

Lin and Kazuo find themselves back in one another's orbit following the events of Book One. This is the story of how their 'arrangement' evolved into a relationship.

7. Made To Be Broken

By now, Lin was accustomed to arriving at her office with nothing but an entire pot of black tea keeping her upright. It wasn't anything new; the frequency with which Amon continued to terrorize her dreams was almost becoming so routine she didn't think the word 'nightmare' any longer applied. However, this particular sleepless night was not Amon's doing. She laughed bitterly to herself thinking that perhaps she could thank Kazuo for this little reprieve, if she were feeling at all forgiving. She wasn't, of course- which is why she let her telephone ring itself off the hook three separate times last night. If she were going to be stuck reimagining just what she should have said to him, then he ought to be doing the same.

A cursory glance around the room at shift change told her she wasn't alone in her exhaustion, she counted at least six yawns and twice as many drooping heads that snapped back to attention at the last second. Her officers were feeling the pinch, she didn't need a status report to see that, but Captain Hong hung back at the end of their hand-off to give her one anyway, "we need to talk."

It was the last thing she wanted to hear at the moment and her expression told him exactly that, but her arm extended outward to indicate he should follow her into her office. As soon as Hong closed the door behind him he told her, "we need Saikhan back."

Lin rounded her desk, falling back into her chair in the sort of unprofessional and familiar manner she would only allow herself in front of an old friend, "No."

Hong moved forward, body language pleading, "Lin, come on! Look at you! You're slouching for spirits sake, I don't think I've ever seen you slouch," he pulled the chair from in front of her desk and placed himself in it, leaning forward, "we're exhausted. All of us- I got guys putting in eighty hours. Hell, I'm putting in eighty hours!"

Lin sighed, leaning forward to push her new copy of The Gold Murders off the stack of correspondence that awaited her. She bent the blade from the forearm of her uniform to slice the envelopes open, "Hong, I would not ask you to do anything I am not willing to do myself. I am well aware that we are all working far longer hours than we should be, but please keep in mind it is temporary. Bringing Saikhan back from leave is not the answer."

"It's not too late," Hong reasoned, "you can reinstate him before his leave is up."

"Or I could promote someone with better judgment," Lin quipped, unfolding the schedule Tenzin had sent over. She scanned it as Hong continued to plead his case, deflating further at the list of required reports the Council had requested her to present at their upcoming meeting.

"You're not going to find another metalbender with Saikhan's skill, let's face it. The guy is a master-"

"Yes, my mother would agree," Lin interrupted, looking up from the sheet of paper in her hands, "but he's also someone that rounded up and arrested innocent people for being non-benders. I don't know about you, but given the current state of the Republic- I don't think bringing him back onto the force would go over very well."

"My guys don't like it, Lin- the way they see it he was just following orders."

"Well, as Chief of Police I'm ordering you to drop it, how's that?"

Hong raised an eyebrow, frustrated.

"Listen, some of my guys lost their bending, Lin. Even though they've got it back- they're not right, something's off. They don't like that it looks like the department is siding with Amon's supporters. I'm telling you this because it's got legs, it could be something bigger- bringing Saikhan back in would send a good message to these guys."

Suddenly, Lin felt very alert, as if all the black tea had hit her at once, "I understand-"

"I don't think you do-"

"I understand," Lin repeated, a little more forcefully, "he took my bending too."

Hong's eyes went wide and he brought one meaty hand up to rub his forehead, "Shit, Lin. I didn't know."

"Nobody does," Lin confirmed, "and I would prefer it to stay that way. I'm only telling you this because I need you to hear me when I say that I do understand where they are coming from, but they're going to have to find a way to deal with it. End of story."

"Alright, yeah, I got it."

"Good," Lin concluded, turning her attention back to the schedule in her hand, "I need to shift the schedule for Monday by the way," she passed the paper to Hong, "I'll need an all-hands with the Captains before I make my presentation to the Council."

Hong nodded absently, still clearly processing Lin's confession, "Yeah, whatever you need…spirits. I need a drink."

Lin opened her next piece of mail, remarking flippantly, "Good news: you're off for the day."

He chuckled, "Drinking at 8am. Haven't done that since our Academy days." Lin hummed in the affirmative, mostly focused on the letter in her hand. "That reminds me," Hong continued as he stood to leave, "are we on for cards this Friday?"

Lin looked up, rolling her eyes, "Did you not just get through telling me that we are spread too thin?"

"Fair enough," he admitted in a laugh, "feels like you're just trying to weasel out of hosting though."

Lin ticked her head, "Well this is the second month in a row I've postponed, perhaps you guys can pick up without me."

"Nice try, Beifong. You won last time, you know the rules- it's your turn to host."

Lin grimaced, "Fine." Just as he approached the door she stopped him, "Hong- send Khen in on your way out."

"No problem," Hong agreed, exiting finally. Khen appeared in her doorway in short order.

"You wanted to see me Chief?"

"Yes, I need to rearrange my schedule for Monday and I'll need you to help me pull some reports."

Khen nodded, coming further into her office, producing a pen and notepad from his utility belt. He began scribbling down her requests; contact the Captains, pull all arrest records for the past year and note the nation of origin for each perpetrator, summon Officer Song for a private meeting. The last item caught his attention and he looked up, smiling.

"I assume you'd like that meeting before meeting with the Captains?"

Lin nodded, "yes, but please keep that between us for now." He had correctly deduced that Song was being tapped to backfill the Captain position Hong had vacated when he was promoted to headquarters.

"I'd say that's well deserved," Khen offered, "And I'll get going on those reports."

"Thank you," Lin followed, catching Khen suppressing a yawn as he turned to leave. She frowned at the sight of it."Khen?" His head snapped up and he readied his notepad again. "One last thing- when you're done with those reports head home for the day and get some rest."

"But-" he began to protest, but Lin cut him off.

"I appreciate how much time you're putting in here, but like you told me- some mandatory time away from headquarters is probably a good thing."

He tapped his pen to the notepad once, "Thanks, Chief."

When she was alone again she went back to her stack of correspondence, but her eyes kept wandering to the book on her desk. The very sight of it was putting her in a bad mood so she pulled open her top desk drawer and threw it inside, shutting it away with finality. Just as she opened her next piece of mail there was a knock at her door.

"Chief?" Khen poked his head in, "Princess Ursa of the Fire Nation is on the line for you."

Lin sighed audibly- it was almost as if Ursa had a sixth sense for these things, "I'll take it, thank you."

Once Khen ducked back out the door Lin lifted the earpiece from its pedestal with a disapproving shake of her head, "You're up early."

"Ugh, don't remind me," came Ursa's regal voice on the other end of the line, "Izumi is hosting an end-of-session luncheon for Parliament today and I'm exceptionally peeved at you for stealing away the only guest I care to engage with at these things."

"Well, you can have him back anytime," Lin assured her, tearing open another piece of mail.

"Playing coy again as always, I see," Ursa quipped, taking on a sign-song tone, "but I know what you did last night."

Lin scoffed, "I highly doubt that."

"I called your house and got no answer so try again," Ursa returned.

Lin's stomach sank, if she thought she couldn't possibly feel worse about what had transpired between them she was sorely mistaken. Realizing that the phone calls she had ignored had just been Ursa nosing around stung; it was like getting disappointed all over again. She must have been quietly considering this a little too long because Ursa followed up with, "Hello?"

"I was home," Lin said finally, "I just didn't answer."

"Lin, why do you bother with this little-miss-innocent act? We both know that I got Tenzin's telegram to you at Representative Kazuo's apartment with pinpoint accuracy. I think I deserve a little gossip in return. So tell me- how did he go about sweeping you off your feet this time?"

Lin scoffed, "Well, he started off by insulting me and I proceeded to tell him this whole arrangement was off and I left. I went home and ignored calls I thought were from him, but you've just cleared that up for me so thank you."

"Wait. Back up. What do you mean?"

Lin could practically hear Ursa sitting forward in her chair, "I mean exactly what I said. It's over and done with. Sorry to disappoint you."

"Are you sure what he said was insulting? Or were you just feeling sensitive?" she asked, tone skeptical.

Lin rolled her eyes, this was a typical reaction from everyone in her life whenever Lin asserted her feelings, "Yes, I'm quite certain it was insulting. He accused me of sleeping with Tenzin." There was a brief pause on the end of the line and then, a sudden and gregarious cackle. "It's not funny," Lin insisted hotly.

"Why on earth would he say that?"

In her desk chair, Lin shrugged, "because he's depraved."

This assessment somehow made Ursa laugh even harder, "and here I thought that was part of his appeal," her amusement abated a little then, "really though, why would he even think that?"

Lin pursed her lips, tongue clicking in condemnation, "He said Tenzin was 'all over me' at the welcome reception. Really, Tenzin thought he was being helpful by rescuing me from having to talk to Kazuo."

"Rescue you?"

Lin nodded, "He thinks Kazuo is irritating-"

"He would," Ursa commented dully.

"Well, I think he believed he was doing me a favor by getting between us all night."

"What a hero," Ursa added, "what did his wife think of that?"

"She wasn't there," Lin reported.

"Lin!" Ursa yelped, "So you're telling me that everytime Kazuo tried to talk to you Tenzin appeared and stood between you and that his wife wasn't even there?"

"I see what you're trying to imply, but what does that have to do with me?"

"Nothing," Ursa agreed, "but it sounds like he's got a reason to suspect something might be going on."

Now, Lin was sitting forward in her chair, "Again, that implies I am the type of person that would engage in something like that."

"Oh Lin," Ursa purred patronizingly, "he's been cheated on before, remember? It was huge society news here at the time- personally I was relieved, I couldn't stand that girl," she made an audible gagging noise before continuing, "but he's probably just feeling a little insecure. I figure you, of all people, can understand that."

"Well," Lin ventured, losing a bit of her zeal with that reminder, "it's not as if we are an item or anything."

"All the more reason for him to wonder then," Ursa volleyed without missing a beat, "I don't know, Lin. I don't think it's that crazy to ask given the circumstance."

Lin let out a sigh. While Ursa may have made a few interesting points, she wasn't quite ready to let go of her hurt feelings, not after having opened up to him the way she had back in the Fire Nation. Lin didn't show her vulnerability to hardly anyone and to have it met with such an indignant questioning of her character in return was an affront she wasn't sure she could overlook. Certainly not without an apology at the very least.

"Well, I do," Lin said finally, "and I've got to get back to work."

"Oh fine," Ursa pouted, "but one last thing- I only called you once last night. So if you ignored any other calls then they weren't from me."

Lin hated to admit, even to herself, that this revelation stirred a little butterfly of excitement within her. "Alright."

"Alright," Ursa echoed, "I'll talk to you later. Wish me luck today."

"Good luck," Lin returned with a roll of her eyes- she would kill to have a boring luncheon be the worst thing on her calendar, "and Goodbye."

"Goodbye!"

Lin rested the earpiece back onto its prongs with a sigh, reminded that her own calendar did indeed require updating. She pulled open her top drawer to retrieve her datebook and was faced with Kazuo's gift once again. She regarded the book for a moment, lifting it finally to gain access to her calendar just below- pulling both back out onto her desktop.

She flipped open her calendar first, feeling a little twinge of melancholy as she thumbed past the previous day in which she had double underlined the welcome reception. Lin never double underlined anything. After updating her schedule for Monday her eyes drifted back to the Gold Murders again and she lifted it, opening the cover to reveal Kazuo's hotel key and something else she hadn't noticed before; a hand written note.

Lin,

I apologize in advance for contributing to your insomnia.

xo, Kaz

His note coaxed a derisive chuckle from her; when he wrote this he could not have known just how applicable it would be, though the book had nothing to do with it. A second chuckled followed, this one a little more fulsome, when she realized that this note was likely meant as a double entendre as it technically accompanied both the book and the room key.

"Ridiculous," she grumbled, lifting the key and rolling it between her fingers absently. She supposed she ought to return this to Hangshan Hotel's front desk, now that she would surely not be needing it. The thought of returning the key to him directly gave her pause. Typically, Lin was expert in holding a grudge- few could outperform her in this- but she hated to admit when it came to Kazuo her resolve felt weakened. Even now as she daydreamed about it, she imagined using the key on his door instead of placing it in his palm.

This softening of her willpower was a direct result of talking to Ursa and she made a mental note to avoid her phone calls until the Council had been properly dissolved and Kazuo was on a ship headed back to the Fire Nation. Lin had plenty of work ahead to distract her in the meantime, surely. At least enough work today to keep her mind from thinking too much about what Ursa had said.

It would only be a further six months….

Lin closed the key inside the book once more, pushing it away in a huff. She plucked her datebook from the desk, gathering six months worth of pages between her fingers, observing how thin this representation appeared. Six months was not such a long time, she thought as she let the pages slip between her fingers until the week at hand presented itself again.

Her eyes fell on Tuesday and she pulled out an ink pen to scribble in the meeting Tenzin had requested at City Hall. A presentation to the Council and the Committee Heads. Lin sighed. It was only six months, but how many times would she have to see him in between?

The amount of reports requested by the Council would have been completely absurd under any other circumstance. In her entire career, Lin had never spent this much time poring over numbers and reports, diagraming charts only to rework them again after an errant paper was found to have drifted off the edge of her desk. It had been quite an undertaking, but she supposed that is exactly what reforming an entire government required. She had help, of course, and it was a good thing because the past two days had been filled end to end with preparation.

Now, the evidence of their hard work burdened Khen in the form of files that threatened to block his line of sight as he followed her up the front steps to City Hall, accompanied by Hong. The three of them entered the large doors and were promptly greeted by the Council Page, who checked his pocket watch with a chirp of pleasure, "Ah! Right on time."

He led the three of them to the main chamber room, pushing open the doors and announcing their presence. Lin gave him a quick nod and a thank you as she entered, marching up the center aisle to greet the Council, who all sat in their regular spots, but now with the heads of their nation's transition committees at their side. Lin didn't miss Kazuo attempting to smile at her from beside Councilwoman Qian, but she pretended to, playing it cool though her heart sped up at the sight of him.

Undaunted, Lin bowed, regarding them all with an even expression she had perfected in this very room- if she could manage to look impassive at her weekly meetings with Tenzin just after he had effectively ripped her beating heart out of her chest and gotten married on top of it, ignoring Kazuo's presence would be a walk in the park.

As the Page assisted Khen in passing around the files, Lin launched into her presentation with nothing but the stenographer's clicking keys to accompany her. As she spoke, the Council and Committee Heads followed along, flipping the pages of her presentation and scribbling notations in the margins. She passed the baton to Hong for a few sections, specifically those outlining their budgetary needs for the coming year, which they were keen to lock in before the installment of a President.

Lin kept her eyes trained on Hong throughout his presentation, standing rigid and focused with her hands clasped behind her back. The temptation to look Kazuo's way was strong, particularly because she could feel his eyes on her, but she managed to resist the urge until Hong passed the presentation back at which point her traitorous eyes flit in Kazuo's direction for only an instant, but it was long enough to catch him raising his own eyebrows in recognition. This infinitesimal exchange may have escaped everyone else in the room, but Lin understood the look that passed between them conveyed that Lin wasn't as disengaged as she had previously claimed.

Mercifully, there were very few questions for her to answer at the end and Lin was surprised that none of them came from Kazuo. When the Council seemed satisfied, Tenzin cleared his throat, "I think that will be all," he looked at Lin and smiled, "thank you, Chief Beifong. And thank you, Captain Hong."

Both Lin and Hong bowed in acknowledgement, turning to make their exit as Tenzin informed the rest of his group that there would be a fifteen minute recess before their next meeting with the City Attorney. The sound of their chairs scraping against the marble flooring gave Lin reason to pick up her pace- nearly causing her to run directly into the City Attorney, who was waiting just outside the Council Chambers for his meeting.

"Excuse me," Lin apologized, side-stepping him quickly. He mimicked her move, blocking her progress.

"Chief Beifong," he greeted, "no need to apologize. I'm actually glad we ran into one another."

Lin sighed, shooting a sidelong glance at Hong; the feeling was not mutual- any meeting between the Chief of Police and City Attorney was almost certainly bad news for her. She addressed the attorney in her path with a curt nod, "Raiko."

"My office has just received a formal complaint from former Chief Saikhan. He's contesting his suspension," Raiko informed, receiving an audible sigh in return, "I'm wondering if I can't get on your calendar later today to go over his complaint? Perhaps two o'clock?"

Lin nodded, frustration evident, "Yes, of course."

Behind her, Khen produced a datebook from his pocket and began scribbling in it, expression skeptical. Noting his anxiety, Raiko added, "unless you'd rather avoid a confutation and reinstate him instead."

Hong gave her a significant look as Khen looked on, hopeful.

"Two o'clock is fine," Lin assured.

Raiko nodded, demeanor suddenly shifting into that of a used satomobile salesman, "And as long as I've got you here, I should let you know I've decided to put my name in the running for President."

"Oh yeah?" Hong smiled, "That's great. Good luck to you!"

Lin stayed silent, but Raiko was unbothered, "Thank you. I hope I can count on your vote," he looked around Lin at Khen, "and yours too!"

"Uh… sure," Khen agreed with a shrug of his shoulders.

"We should be going," Lin asserted finally, causing Hong and Khen to fall in line behind her like little ducklings. They moved forward with a nod of acknowledgement for Raiko, making it only a few steps before their caravan was halted again- this time by a voice from behind.

"Chief Beifong!"

A bolt of anxiety shot through her at the sound of Kazuo's voice, stopping her in her tracks. Hong and Khen paused as well, turning to face him. Decades of friendship made Hong particularly fluent in Lin's body language and he read her like a newspaper headline declaring war. He took a step forward to intercept Kazuo as he approached.

"Representative," Hong greeted, "If you have any follow up questions I'm happy to answer them for you."

Kazuo blinked, not missing a beat, "No, actually your presentation was very thorough, thank you though."

Before Hong could clarify, Lin was at his side holding Kazuo's gaze, "It's alright Hong, I'll meet you back at headquarters."

"Lin-"

"Go," Lin told him, more sternly this time, "I'll meet you back at headquarters."

Khen and Hong exchanged a look, finally taking their orders and continuing down the hallway without Lin, whispering amongst one another all the while.

As soon as they were out of earshot Lin whispered, "Do you really think this is an appropriate time?"

Kazuo looked a little incredulous, "you haven't been answering your phone, should I have sent an apology by messenger hawk?"

Lin clicked her tongue in disapproval, peeking around Kazuo to see Raiko pretending not to notice their interaction as he waited outside the chamber doors, "anything would be better than ambushing me in the middle of work, yes."

Kazuo shrugged, "Well, then I apologize for that too." Lin rolled her eyes, but he continued, "We can take this conversation somewhere else if you prefer. We can talk about it over dinner? I can pick you up around seven?"

Lin gaped at him, stunned by his nerve. Clearly, he assumed he could charm his way back into her good graces, which would have made her laugh, except that is exactly what was happening. It was much easier to remain angry at him when he was out of sight. Now that he was standing just inches away her resolve was diminishing. Her inability to stay angry with him was a phenomenon she couldn't even explain to herself- she supposed this was what people meant when they talked about having chemistry- his mere proximity sparked an unusual reaction within her. Of course, having chemistry with someone like Kazuo was terribly inconvenient, but she couldn't help but notice the way his eyes kept darting to her mouth as he awaited her reply. She'd read once upon a time, in one of those ridiculous magazines Suyin used to subscribe to that this was a sure sign of attraction. While she had rolled her eyes at the statement when she read it years ago, she understood it now as her eyes darted in the same way. Everything about this should infuriate her and yet the only thing frustrating at this very moment was how inappropriate it would be to step forward and put her lips on his.

The very thought of doing so shook her out of her thoughts and she crossed her arms, glancing over his shoulder at Raiko again, "I don't want to be seen in public with you."

Kazuo's eyebrows jumped, looking genuinely wounded, "Ouch."

Lin cringed, scrambling to clarify herself, "No, I don't mean it like that. It's not you. I'm sorry, I just- I'd like to keep this private."

He nodded slowly, ticking his head back slightly to indicate Raiko over his shoulder, "You know, I'm fairly certain Raiko over there has seen two people in conversation before," he leaned in then, whispering scandalously, "he may have even seen two people eat dinner together."

Lin gave him a withering look, "People talk."

"Ah."

It was clear he understood her hesitation then and she was grateful for it. Still, he was undeterred, following up with, "then we can have dinner in my room- no prying eyes there."

Lin sighed, ironically feeling as if she were obligated to make amends to him after her rude comment. She glanced up at him, last bit of defiance crumbling under the weight of his hopeful gaze.

"Alright."

She couldn't decide if the grin he gave her in return was annoying or flattering.

"I'll pick you up-"

"I'll meet you there," Lin corrected.

He nodded, "Seven o'clock?"

"Seven," she agreed. They held each other's eyes for a beat.

"You really did have a great presentation, by the way."

Lin gave him a critical look, though the blush in her cheeks was likely evident, "I'm leaving now."

He chuckled, "Alright. I'll see you later."

With a lift of her eyebrows and a turn of her heel she made her exit without another word.

The walk back to headquarters gave her some time to consider her approach- sure, her initial plan had been to avoid him for the next six months, but that was clearly out the window. Her attraction to him wouldn't allow it and she grappled with the idea that she wasn't as steadfast as intended when it came to resisting his charm. Still, she had no intention of allowing her emotions to get the better of her going forward- she had a lapse in judgment back in the Fire Nation, but she excused it as a transitory moment of weakness. From now on, Lin decided she would take care to keep their interactions strictly physical. There would be no more talking into the night, no more sleeping over; she was content to maintain an amiable friendship, but at the end of the day they were just two consenting adults engaging in a basic function of biology- nothing more. Dinner this evening would be a great time to clarify her terms and she was certain Kazuo would agree to them. In fact, she was reasonably sure he'd be relieved to find that they were both on the same page.

Lin entered Headquarters feeling far more awake than she had in days, passing Hong as he gathered his coat from the rack beside Khen's desk. He chuckled at her attempt to pass him without comment.

"Welcome back!"

Lin gave him a curt nod of acknowledgement, continuing to her office. As soon as she closed the door he was knocking on it, "got time for a debrief?"

Lin sighed, pulling the door open and giving him a warning look.

Her look was received accordingly and he put his hands up innocently, coat slipping down his forearm, "I'm not saying anything." Lin stepped back allowing him entry and he waltzed in, a look of amusement barely contained, "I just wanted to check in with you about Saikhan's complaint."

"What about it?"

His expression turned serious then, "Listen, I'm telling you this for your own good- let this one go unchallenged. Pay him out, put him on desk duty- whatever you have to do but don't push back. We're gonna lose officers over this."

"If that's what it takes…" Lin returned, "Anything else?"

Hong let out a long breath, dejected, "Guess not."

"Thank you for your help today," Lin told him with finality.

"Yep," Hong returned, leaving her office with a shake of his head.

Lin closed the door behind him, feeling a little sting in her eyes- it was no secret the morale was low and the burden of turning that around was squarely on her shoulders. She understood countering Saikhan would damage her relationship with her metalbenders, but sometimes the popular thing to do and the right thing to do were not the same thing. She swiped at her eyes quickly, sniffing once to clear her frustrated tears. She just had to hope that over time they would come to understand her decision or at the very least- respect it.

The rest of the day felt like it was dragging on and Lin couldn't be sure if it was dread or anticipation that made it feel that way- the only thing she was sure of is that by the time seven o'clock rolled around there was a pit in her stomach.

Lin stood before the door of Kazuo's suite, fist curled to knock while the room key lay in her pocket. She brought her fist down finally, holding her breath. There was no answer and she deliberated for a moment, deciding he must have not heard her. So, she knocked again, a little louder this time.

And again there was no answer.

She felt the heat of anger rising in her cheeks- there was no way he didn't hear it that time- and suddenly her anger was overshadowed by embarrassment for bothering to come here in the first place. She was just about to leave when she heard the elevator doors ding just down the hall.

Kazuo stepped out, arms full of what appeared to be groceries.

"Lin! Sorry I'm late- have you ever tried to find a purple scorpion pepper in this town? I thought Republic City was supposed to be a cosmopolitan melting pot but I went to two- two- different markets and nobody had even heard of them!" By now he was standing expectantly beside her in front of the door, "No wonder you said you can't get good Fire Nation food here!" She blinked up at him, quietly aware he had no idea of the spiral she'd just been about to devolve into. Hands full, he motioned at the door with his elbow, "you have the key I gave you?"

"Uh, yes, I do," Lin replied, collecting herself quickly and unlocking the door for him with the key from her pocket.

"Thanks." He passed her, depositing the groceries on the kitchen counter just inside the suite, "I was planning to have this ready by the time you arrived but- big surprise- Tenzin had a speech ready for the close of proceedings- I was expecting him to talk for five minutes, maybe, but he went on for forty-five minutes!" He looked at Lin, flabbergasted, "Forty-five!"

"Is that unusually long?"

"When you don't say anything, yes," Kazuo replied, "especially at the end of the day. Anyway- sorry- did you want a drink? It's going to be a while before this is ready."

Lin glanced at the groceries, "You're cooking?"

He smiled, looking rather pleased with himself, "I was planning to, if you don't mind waiting. Remember when you were staying at my place you said you never found good laksa in Republic City? I thought it might help me get back on your good side to make my mother's recipe for you. Of course, it won't be quite right because of the purple scorp-"

"I'll take a drink," Lin interjected, smile spreading. He returned it devilishly, making his way over to the drink cart to mix up a concoction. She watched him work, feeling all the anxieties from earlier slipping away. While she had her doubts about his culinary prowess, the mere fact that he went out of his way to attempt making laksa of all things endeared her to him. She did recall mentioning that she had never found laksa as good as the kind sold out of a food stall on his block in the caldera, but she hadn't expected him to remember that.

He returned, passing her a glass that he clinked with his own, taking a sip. He walked back to the kitchen and began unpacking the vegetables.

"Do you need any help?" Lin wondered, sipping her own drink as she watched Kazuo rinsing the lemongrass.

"You want to be my sous chef?"

Wordlessly, Lin came to stand beside him at the counter, flicking her wrist and bending a knife from the butcher block so that it sailed past him by an inch and snapped straight into her waiting hand.

Kazuo flinched, surprised by the suddenness of it.

"Well," he said, eyes wide, "I suppose now would be a good time to formally apologize."

Lin laughed, realizing just how aggressive her action seemed and she made a show of placing the knife carefully down onto the counter with two hands, "Sorry about that."

"I forgot you could do that," he chuckled, setting the lemongrass down beside the knife. He turned to her then, taking on a more genuine tone, "I really do want to apologize about what I said. I wasn't intending to make a statement about you. I think the world of politics has made me a little cynical and I thought maybe I had read you wrong."

Lin studied his face, reading nothing but sincerity in his eyes. "Thank you."

"I have to say, though, I wasn't wrong about how he was acting," Kazuo qualified as Lin began to shake her head in disagreement, "It was…excessive."

Lin laughed a little at that, not quite sure how to explain that Tenzin just came off that way because he disliked Kazuo so much, "It's not what you think. Tenzin and I have just recently gotten back to a place where-"

Kazuo waved his hand dismissively, "You don't have to explain. I'm not trying to police your relationships."

"Good."

"I'm just saying…" he leaned in conspiratorially, "my condolences to his wife."

There was a time in Lin's life in which a comment of this nature would have occupied her grieving brain for weeks, analyzing and turning over every word, looking for some hope that she had mattered to Tenzin, that someone else could confirm as much. But now she wanted nothing more than to forget he existed. "I don't want to talk about Tenzin."

"That's a relief."

Seeing her opening she straightened her back, "But maybe this is a good time to clarify things. Set some ground rules."

"Ground rules?"

Lin nodded, indicating the two of them, "For this, I mean." He didn't even bother to disguise his amusement and Lin scowled, "what?"

"You seem like someone that would have rules for this sort of thing. So, go ahead. Let's hear them."

Lin fixed him with a stern look, "We've never explicitly discussed this, but if you're going to be here for six months I think now is a good time."

"I don't disagree," Kazuo returned, gesturing for her to continue.

"Alright- first rule is: don't follow me out of the council chambers like that again. I don't want people discussing me or my personal life. Especially since we aren't- since we're not-"

Kazuo leaned in, clearly entertained by her attempt to categorize their relationship, "Aren't what?"

"A couple," Lin supplied finally, surprised to find that saying so out loud felt mildly disappointing. For his part, Kazuo continued to watch her in a most beguiling way, spurring her on in setting some boundaries. Regrettably, she needed them for her own sake, particularly now as they held one another's gaze. Lin broke it first, eyes darting to his mouth in that familiar way. When the door had closed behind them only ten minutes before, Lin was confident winning her over would be a nearly impossible endeavor. She imagined it would take more than one evening to thaw the ice in her veins, but standing here alone with him- she felt heat instead. It was moving slowly into her cheeks and building between her legs.

"Fair enough," he agreed, "And what else?" Lin gave him a quizzical look, having gotten carried away with her own thoughts. "I assume you have more than one rule?"

"Oh," Lin remembered, "right, well, this is a nice gesture," she began, pointing at the lemongrass on the countertop, "but going out to dinner? It's too close to a date and I think we should avoid those situations."

"Really?"

"Yes," she asserted, hitting her stride, "and in the spirit of keeping things casual- no more sleeping over."

It was Kazuo's turn to look skeptical, "what if you're tired?" He waggled his eyebrows suggestively and she rolled her eyes in response.

"I'll manage."

"Alright," he agreed, "one question, though."

"Yes?"

"Is kissing allowed?"

Lin smirked, "I suppose so."

"Even now? Or should I wait until after dinner?"

Lin bit her lip to keep her smile from spreading, "I'm not that hungry."

"Oh, good."

He leaned in, catching her mouth with his own and Lin returned his kiss enthusiastically, losing herself in the sensation. It was almost as if his touch softened her in every respect, suddenly her hard edges were docile and yielding- relaxed and electrified all at once- readily assisting him with the buttons of her blouse which slipped off her shoulders along with the burdens she carried. This was just what she needed at the end of a long week, made even longer by denying herself moments like this. They were falling back onto the sofa in the sitting room in no time, agreeing the bedroom felt much too far away. It was a relief to finally be here, doing what they did best when they were together.

Lin rested her head on Kazuo's chest with a satisfied hum, smiling lightly at the sound of his heart thumping rapidly just under her ear. "Okay, now I'm hungry."

Kazuo let out a laugh from beneath her that shook her whole body, sweeping her up in his mirth, "Wait, wait, wait- wasn't there a rule about dinner?"

Lin shifted, sliding her arm across his chest and resting her chin upon it in order to look him in the eye, "going out to dinner."

He chuckled, pushing a strand of hair back from her face, "got me on a technicality then?"

"You offered!"

"That I did," he agreed, running his hand along her hip before patting her backside once, "you've got to let me up in that case."

Wordlessly she obliged, climbing off of him and gingerly collecting her discarded clothing to redress. He followed suit, dressing again and making his way back over to the small kitchen of his suite. She sidled up alongside, chopping the base of the lemongrass into a v-shape, peeling back the dry outer layer and sipping her drink.

As it turned out, Kazuo knew which ingredients went into laksa, but the order in which they should be put together appeared to be unknown to him, proving ripe ground for a little teasing from Lin who dutifully supervised his actions- interrupting more than once to correct his technique. He took all her instruction in good humor, writing off his culinary missteps as the pitfalls of working in an unfamiliar kitchen with improvised ingredients, much to Lin's amusement.

The final result didn't hold a candle to the laksa Lin had enjoyed at the Capital only weeks ago, but it wasn't bad either- certainly on par with the Fire Nation fare available in Republic City.

"It's the pepper- it's not the same without the purple scorpion pepper," Kazuo excused after sampling a little from the bowl in his hands.

"It's not bad," Lin insisted, twisting noodles around a pair of chopsticks.

In keeping with her theme of staying casual, they sat along the sofa, facing one another with legs crossed, bowls of laksa in their respective laps- foregoing the more formal setting of the dining table. It was a departure from Lin's normal inclination for formality in all things, but there was something so cozy and comforting about sharing space in this way. The evening had not gone as planned- just this morning she was content to avoid him for months and now here she was in his suite enjoying a meal in their shared afterglow, talking to him about her day.

It was easy to talk to him, even in places where it ought to have been hard- their overlapping professional associations allowed her to bypass a lot of exposition and relay her thoughts and ideas without having to explain the background. There was only one topic she'd come to so far that required a little extra discretion and that was Saikhan's suspension. She had mentioned her two o'clock meeting with the City Attorney as being "awful" and declined to elaborate when he asked what made it so bad.

"I can't really get into it," she told him vaguely.

"Because it's an active investigation?"

"Yes," Lin returned, stopping suddenly, "Wait. How do you know about that?"

She hadn't told a soul about the investigation into Saikhan and what exactly had possessed him to do Tarrlok's bidding, but the actions he took in her absence were not Council approved and certainly outside the guidelines of the Police Force Code of Conduct. Lin knew that better than anyone, having revised them herself upon taking office. It pained her to keep this information from her officers- almost as much as it pained her to entertain the idea that someone she trusted so deeply could be corrupted like this, but she didn't dare speak an accusation against him without solid evidence- and that is precisely what the City Attorney's Office was working to find.

"We met with the City Attorney right after you left, remember?"

Lin was aghast, "Yes, but he's not supposed to brief the Council with the Transitional Committees present! Investigating a former police chief for bribery is not something he should be shooting off at the mouth about- it's a very delicate matter that requires discretion but I guess I shouldn't be surprised that Raiko of all people would be blabbing about it to anyone who will listen! And to think, he wants to run for President. Ha."

"And he's going to win," Kazuo added confidently before taking a sip of his drink.

Lin scowled, "What makes you think that?"

"The climate," he shrugged, "it's going to be a nonbender for sure- the national mood guarantees as much. The voters of Republic City are already familiar with him so he's got visibility on his side, and now he has this bribery case to use as a talking point."

"It's not a case," Lin corrected, "it's an investigation that has not been completed. We don't know for sure that Saikhan took a bribe or if it was simply incompetence."

"It was definitely a bribe," Kazuo assured her, setting his bowl on the small table at this side, "that's Tarrlok's style."

"How would you know?"

"He tried to bribe Koji in the past," Kazuo explained nonchalantly, "I guess he didn't want to push his luck by approaching me directly- maybe he knew about us- who knows."

Lin's eyes practically bugged out of her skull and she set aside her bowl to emphasize her shock, "He tried to bribe a member of your staff and you didn't report it?"

Kazuo chuckled, "Report it to who? Tarrlok? Come on, Lin. The whole Council is corrupted to some degree- except maybe Tenzin. This whole reformation of government isn't just because of the nonbending revolution. Besides, Tarrlok was smart about how he did it- with the right representation in court everything he said to Koji could have been written off as innocent conversation, but he was testing the waters, no doubt about it."

Lin dropped her head into her hands, grumbling, "I hate politics."

"Well, you'd better get used to them, because I promise you that Raiko is determined to find something he can use in this investigation- going hard on the Police Department for colluding with Tarrlok to oppress nonbenders will get him a lot of votes. He'll be a nonbending hero for being tough on bender supremacy."

"Not the police department," Lin snipped, "Saikhan."

"The people won't make that distinction," he replied apologetically.

Lin leaned back against the arm of the sofa with a disheartened sigh, realization dawning on her, "This morning Raiko suggested that I reinstate Saikhan and avoid this whole investigation."

Kazuo sucked his teeth, "I hope you told him no."

"Of course I did!"

"Good, then he can't implicate you in the result. My guess is he was hoping you'd drop the investigation so he could call you complicit when they found evidence of corruption and then have an excuse to appoint a new Chief of Police."

Lin shook her head, reaching for her drink and lifting it high, "well, here's to hoping he loses," she tilted it back, polishing it off in one rather long gulp.

"He won't," Kazuo insisted, "but you'll be fine."

Lin shot him a skeptical look. Perhaps the sudden infusion of alcohol was taking effect, but she challenged him, "No offense, but you've also thought you were going to win elections before…"

He put one hand on his chest, comically dipping his head as if he'd just been speared through the heart, "Wow."

"I'm sorry," Lin offered, sitting forward again with an impish grin, "I'm just saying you don't know what the outcome will be."

To her relief he was laughing, "You are exceptionally bad at flirting. Has anyone ever told you that?"

"Actually, yes."

He laughed harder in response. "Well for the record, I only thought I was going to win the first time I ran for the Council- after that I was just trying to make a point. And see you, of course."

Lin's eyes narrowed, shaking her head, "And see? You're exceptionally good at flirting. Where do you come up with these lines?"

"It's easy when they're true," he shrugged.

She scoffed, but couldn't disguise the blush in her cheeks, "Anyway what point would you be trying to make by running every election cycle and losing?"

"It was a good way to challenge myself," he returned plainly, "and besides it allowed me to make and maintain connections here that have really helped me in my work back home. I realized pretty quickly that my chances were slim as a nonbender, but if I hadn't come here to campaign I never would have met Hiroshi Sato and convinced him to open his first international production plant in Fire Fountain City. After one good networking dinner here I brought 4,000 jobs back to the Fire Nation with me."

He was a little more animated now- clearly energized by telling this story, and though Sato's name gave her a slight recoil she couldn't help but smile at Kazuo as she spoke- his enthusiasm was almost tangible.

"That makes sense," she agreed, "but what do you mean your chances were slim as a nonbender?"

He looked at her blankly for a moment, "Really? Lin, when was the last time a nonbender served on the Council?"

She paused for a moment, tilting her head in thought, "I suppose it would have been one of the Air Acolytes…"

"You're right, it was-"

"-Batsa!" They said in unison.

Kazuo nodded, "okay and he was succeeded by…."

"Tenzin."

"Right. So, the only eligible air bender in the world replaced Batsa at the ripe old age of what? 20?"

"About twenty, yes."

"Okay and there has been exactly one other nonbender to ever serve on the Council, can you guess who it is?"

Lin rolled her eyes, "Sokka. Obviously."

"Yes, a founding member of the Council. So, in the history of this country there have been two nonbenders that held a position on the Council- one created the Council itself- so that's a given. The other was essentially a placeholder until an actual bender could age into the position… I think you get where I'm going with this."

"I do," she admitted, "I guess that's never occurred to me."

He took a sip of his drink, shrugging, "Why would it?"

"It paints a rather stark picture."

Suddenly this little bit of trivia, which had been available to her all this time, was reframing her view of the dissolution of the Council. In the past month she'd held nothing but resentment for the idea and for the equalists who had forced the issue, but she hadn't considered how the Republic looked from their perspective. Her internal thoughts must have been externally expressed on her face because Kazuo gave her a smile and said, "Don't feel bad, we're used to it."

"That makes me feel worse actually," Lin returned, flatly.

"Then that calls for another drink," Kazuo announced humorously, standing to make his way to the bar cart. Lin glanced at the clock, surprised to see how late it had gotten.

"Actually, I'd better get going," she said, standing as well. She gathered their laksa bowls and made her way to the sink, "I have to be at work early- I don't think my officers are feeling very forgiving as of late so I'd better not risk oversleeping."

Kazuo approached her looking slightly disappointed, collecting the bowls from her hands and placing them in the sink himself, "I'll take care of these."

Lin smiled up at him, suppressing the urge to kiss him again, "I'm glad we… talked."

"Is that what the kids are calling it now?"

She rolled her eyes, "I would be the last person to know."

"Fair point," he laughed, "but I'm glad too. Would be a waste of six months in the same city otherwise."

"Yes, it would be."

It was hard to tear her eyes away from his now that the time had come, but she reminded herself to stay firm inside the boundaries she had set. The evening had been wonderful; full of great sex, good food, and stimulating conversation - it was a combination she didn't experience for years at a time and it was enough to fill her head with all kinds of fanciful thoughts if she wasn't careful. This was a temporary arrangement, they were friends, that was all.

He broke their gaze first, moving to fetch her coat off the back of one of the dining chairs. He held it open and she shrugged it on, "Thank you."

They walked to the door together stopping just before it to exchange a kiss goodnight. It was a slow, sensual kind of kiss they lingered in, both reluctant for it to end. Kazuo deepened it a little by stepping in closer and sliding one hand along her jawline, giving Lin cause to stretch her arms up over his shoulders, linking her fingers behind his neck to pull him in further. Their simple goodnight kiss intensified then and he used his free hand to draw her hips in to meet his. Lin could feel his excitement plainly against her and she pushed her hips into him signaling that she had indeed changed her mind about leaving- at least for now. Together they crashed up against the door, undressing one another with urgency- this time, though, they made it back to the bedroom.

Sweaty and satisfied, they parted on a string of kisses, attempting to catch their breath in the moments between. Kazuo kissed her neck once more and slid off of her, taking up residence beside her in his bed.

"Whew," Lin laughed, heart-pounding as she stared up at the ceiling.

"Yeah," Kazuo agreed, "I think we have some work to do regarding the 'goodbye kiss' concept."

Lin nodded, "I suppose we do." She caught a light chill, shivering at the sudden loss of his warmth and Kazuo shifted the blankets over to cover her without missing a beat.

And just like that she felt warm again.

She turned to her side, coming nose to nose with him, "I should go."

In truth, it was the last thing she wanted to do. She realized she could stay here for days just enjoying the sensation of his hand running softly up and down her arm.

He sighed, "You're right. Get out. You know the rules." Unamused, Lin glared at him and he laughed, "I'm kidding!" When her expression soured further he pulled her in close, kissing the top of her head, "Aww. I'm joking. Besides, haven't you ever heard the phrase 'rules are made to be broken?'"

Against his chest, Lin grumbled, "You kidding? It'll be inscribed on my mother's tombstone."

"She sounds like a wise woman."

"She's not," Lin assured, pushing off him a little so that their eyes met again. She yawned, "but neither am I- you were right. I am tired."

"Then go to sleep," he told her with a shrug, "I'll set the alarm early enough for both of us."

He twisted at the waist, reaching over for the clock to wind the alarm. Lin watched him from where she lay, tucked in at his side, thinking of the million reasons she had to get up and go home to her own bed. He set the alarm on the nightstand, turning back to pull her in for another kiss- this one short and sweet- and she decided that maybe, just this once, it was okay to break her own rules.