'Ever since I was a child
I've turned it over in my mind
I sang by the piano
Tore my yellow dress and
Cried and cried and cried...'
Lin couldn't believe that Tenzin was questioning her. It had been what, ten years? Why all of a sudden question whom she associated with. Plus she didn't really have feelings for Kei. It was more mutual than anything else, even if a romance were to blossom between them it wouldn't happen, Kei was with someone. Lin didn't want to be like that floozy. Lin had more standards then her.
Lin pushed the thought aside. It was a sweet gesture that the princess and her children had sent Kei Jung to see if she was fine. It gave Lin a warm sensation in her body.
Once Lin arrived at her apartment complex, the one thing she wanted to do was bathe and take a quick nap. Lin sighed. Nothing had changed in her home. Asides from the missing pictures and objects that used to be around. Nonetheless everything was adequate, Lin's income and from the family that Lin came from she had enough money to splurge herself in the riches. Lin lived modestly, just like how her mother lived for a good bit. Lin had other purposes to live in life and this little accident wouldn't happen again. Lin stripped herself from her clothing and made her way to the bathroom. Letting the water flow into the tub also slipping herself into the tub turning the tap off. Lin submerged herself in the tub. Lin thought of Tenzin's reaction to be premature. Just like how her behaviour towards him and that thing had been years ago. Moreover, he had no right over her and she made that a valid point to him in several occasions that had happened. It did however, please Lin in a way. He probably still has feelings for her, only in another context, "friends". Lin poked at the water in the tub, creating small ripples of water.
"Why do you even care...? You have that nice young wife of yours." Lin said aloud pouting.
"And then there's me, scarred, used, and... Old..."
Lin sunk deeper in the tub.
"Reckless, oh let's not forget the fact that I do have kids, matter of fact they are yours, Tenzin but too bad you won't meet them any time soon." She said gesturing about whilst splashing water around.
Lin got out of the tub a while later, when she was done rambling about her differences. She went to bed. For once she wanted sleep. She lay in her bed, staring at her ceiling. She tossed and turned a lot. Lin finally got fed up. Scowling at the thought that sleep didn't want to come to her. 'You need to rest, even if it's just for an hour.'
Lin finally fell asleep. She didn't dream, for her to dream it would have to be something that actually filled her with content and she was content with sleep. Lin awoke from her nap. She felt as if she had been pierced through again. The sensation in her body was sharp. Just swinging her legs over gave her pain. Not that she was complaining. She recognized the pain; it was normal to her. She finally had the courage to get up, everything around her spun quickly.
"No more recklessness... Err, I'm the epitome of recklessness. Keeping that title is a hard job." Lin told herself. Making her way towards her kitchen to make tea.
As she waited for the kettle to squeal Lin leaned against her counter, crossing her arms. 'When will Tenzin learn that he can't baby me, it's as if talking to the wall with him. Oh must I remind him that he's married and his wife is pregnant. Humph'
Lin furrowed her eyebrows and pouted. She hadn't removed him from her heart. It touched her that he cared but she'd rather he not. It would upset her more if anything happened between them. She didn't want to stoop as low as his floozy does. Unless, the two split on their own conditions then she could step in, but she doubted that would happen anytime soon.
'Not once seen what I've seen.
To undo what has been done
Turn off all the lights
Let the morning come, come...'
Lin's life revolved on two things only. Her job and her children. She didn't need to fall in love all over again; it would only cause her more pain. A pain she'd rather avoid. She wasn't saying that if she wanted a good time with a man, she could have done it, she chose not to.
Lin was on a mini vacation. Sitting in the private cart with the princess was rather uncomfortable. Not knowing what to ask the girl, or what to do with her. Lin pondered her options only to be disturbed by Rui herself.
"That was who you are in love with, I suppose?" Rui asked.
"No, well, yes," Lin told the girl hesitantly.
Rui only gave her a small devious smile.
"What?"
Lin felt stupid not realizing what she had said to her.
"I don't love him anymore, he and I can't be. Why am I telling this to a ten-year-old?"
"Eleven, actually but that doesn't matter here, you still love him don't you?"
Lin hesitated on a response pouting.
"What a big difference a year. Any who, I don't have any sentiment of love towards him. What makes you think that?" Lin told her, looking at her long and hard.
"I didn't think, I saw what was left of it." Rui said softly.
Lin's face softened. 'Could there have been a slight chance that Tenzin still had feelings for me?'
"You've gotten taller, how about that friend of yours, and that old ostrich horse?" Lin asked changing the subject.
"Pfft, being small is convenient; Takim is fine and Jung well... I don't know. He's been out and about with his... Hmm... I don't know what she is." Rui said to Lin.
Lin bit back a laugh. This girl had quite the personality. Now she saw what Jie saw in her from the start. It was that personality that got her in trouble and most of the time it brought hope for many of the Earth Kingdoms citizens. To others it was an outrage.
"I could give you a few but I'd rather use them. If you know what I mean." Lin said to her playfully.
Rui gave Lin a smile.
"Oh, I know."
Their trip was short. Lin parted ways with the young girl. When Lin arrived to the mansion, she couldn't believe the disarray the place was.
"JIE, YOU'RE GOING TO PAY!" Mo Li yelled only to stop.
Lin stood there speechless. Looking at all the broken things that were around.
"It wasn't my fault..." Jie exclaimed stopping looking at his mother then looking around the mess.
The siblings looked at each other quickly.
"We..." They said in unison only to be cut off by a wave of their mother's hand.
"I want the both of you to clean this up and meet me at our training spot and I'll know if you did a good job or not. Understood?" Lin ordered.
"Yes, ma'am." They said in unison lowering their heads.
"Also, I don't ever want to come here seeing this." Lin said pointing all around.
While she left them to be, Jung walked by quickly.
"Ostrich horse, you should slow down."
"Not now, Beifong." Jung said seriously.
Lin raised an eyebrow.
"Something wrong?" Lin asked. As she started to turn on her heel to head to the training spot. Only to hear light muffles.
"It doesn't concern you." Jung responded coldly.
Lin pouted turning her body to face the man.
"Look, I have things to do. Have a nice training session." Jung said returning to the pace that he was at before.
"Hump, what's his problem." Lin said aloud.
When Lin arrived to the training spot, she saw Rui and her friend. They seemed pretty down. They weren't training; they just sat there. Creating circles in the dirt.
"I told him that she was a floozy from the start,"
"RUI, how do you even... Never mind. Forgot,"
"Uh-huh, it's just, he knows too. He knew from the start. She was only interested in him cause... Well, I don't know." Rui exasperatedly said waving her arms in the air.
"So that's why he responded to me in that manner." Lin said crossing her arms.
The two children sat straight.
Rui turned around and looked up at Lin, pouting.
"Now you know. Where's Jie and Mo Li?"
"They're cleaning up the mess they have made of my home." Lin said.
'Figured that the Ostrich horse was going through something but over his love life.'
"How long was he with that woman?" Lin asked.
Lin shouldn't have been asking since it was personal but hey, she couldn't help it.
Rui sat there quietly. Her friend Takim was still drawing circles.
"He was with her for a long time. I'm guessing they've been together since he opened his dojo. I'm not sure." Rui told Lin.
Lin only nodded and looked up to see if her children were on their way. They weren't. 'Of course not, they had the house a wreck.'
"What'd she do?"
"She was with someone else at the same time,"
"Oh..."
"Oh doesn't begin there. She got married and just a while ago told Jung. Doubt her relationship with that new guy will last any longer though, I give it a good five years. Jung on the other hand..."
Lin stood there. Glancing up once in a while.
"It takes time for a heart to heal." Lin told them.
"Mm, it doesn't help when you've lost someone at the same..."
"Someone close to the three of you?"
"Yes. This person was close to the three of us but she lives on within each of us." Rui said very softly biting her lower lip at the end.
Jie and Mo Li were arguing as they arrived. Lin scowled in their direction. They both stopped and looked down.
"Hi Rui, hi Takim." Mo Li and Jie said.
Jie narrowed his eyes at Takim.
Both waved at them.
"We should get going." Rui said as she got up.
Takim looked at Rui. He sighed.
"You know, one of these days, I'm just going to miss all of this." He said while placing his hands over his head.
Rui looked at the boy. "You probably wouldn't want too."
They both laughed.
Leaving the Beifongs in confusion. Except for Lin, she understood.
Lin cleared her throat.
"You two, you know the drill." Lin announced.
Jie and Mo Li groaned. Lin looked at them again. They both gulped and forced smiles.
"We mean... Uh, right on it" said Jie.
"Bye guys." Mo Li said running past Lin and Jie.
"Bye," said Jie following his sister at a steady pace.
"Have fun." Rui yelled and waved goodbye to them. Takim waved goodbye as well.
Lin stood there for a moment. While she watched as her children trained and would join in at times. She knew what Jung was going through.
"Are we done for the day...?" Jie asked panting.
"You are. Now, would you care to explain why my home was in shambles? Or will you tell me later?" Lin asked
"Err, later?" Mo Li said whether or not to say so.
Lin pouted and started to walk behind the two. They had grown up so quickly. They were excelling well with their Earth bending. They had already been trying to metal bend. Little by little they were excelling past what a bender Lin's age could do.
"Err..." Jie began to say.
Lin wasn't the patient type but since it was her children she waited for an answer.
"Jie and I got into an argument and... Things got a little out of hand." Mo Li told her mother in all honesty.
"Little? What I saw wasn't little and what were you two arguing about to literally have the house in shambles,"
"Well, we were arguing about..." Mo Li began to explain only to be cut off by Jie.
"About who was better...? And uh... Yeah." Jie interjected.
Lin pouted. Jie was lying to her.
"Tell me the truth. Never lie to an earth bender who can sense when someone is lying." Lin stated proudly.
Both children sighed. Looking at each and then pouting at each other.
"Jie ruined my chance at being friends with Takim." Mo Li mumbled.
"Did not." Jie grumbled.
"Well, you had to tell him that I had feelings for Rui,"
"PFFT, you make it obvious,"
"I'm not that obvious..."
"Yeah, you are. You get all shy and nervous around the girl,"
"I do not,"
"You two enough." Lin butted in.
She couldn't believe the two. They were arguing over a silly friendship.
"You two destroyed the place just because of a boy and a princess." Lin shook her head.
Both children looked at their mother.
"I'm not upset that you made the place a mess but over silliness that could have been resolved." Lin told them.
"Yes but..." They both began.
"Don't want to hear it. You two know better, plus you two have each other and me as well."
They exchanged looks and smiled at each other.
...
Two days of training, laughter, and wondering. Within those two days, they had not seen the three people that they had gotten accustomed to seeing. On their way back, they saw the princess and her friend.
"Rui, I thought you were going back to Ba Sing Se,"
"I did, it was only for a day. Look what my father gave me." Rui said lifting her arm to show off her wrist.
"Isn't that... Ummm... What's it called...? Jennamite? It's really pretty Rui. Err... Jung hasn't been around... Kind of miss seeing him around." Takim said touching the bracelet that his best friend had gotten.
"What? Why?" Rui asked.
Takim shrugged.
Rui gave him a half smile.
"We'll be fine he needs time... Might as well learn on our own for a bit." She told him.
Lin and her children approached them.
Rui looped her arm around Takim's.
Lin looked at Jie. Jie's expression was blank. They greeted the two and they greeted back.
"Where's that mentor of yours?" Lin asked.
They both looked at each other. Not knowing what to say.
"He's... Err, unstable..." Takim said.
Rui looked at him.
"By unstable he means heartbroken still." Rui added.
Takim gave a sheepish smile rubbing the back of his neck with his free hand.
"You should visit him." Lin suggested.
"Not a good idea. When he's in a bad mood. Let's just say it's best to leave him be." Rui told Lin openly.
Lin crossed her arms over her chest. Looking at the two.
"What if I went to speak to him?" Lin asked.
The two looked at each other than back at Lin.
"You could try but..."
"It wouldn't be a..."
Both never finished their sentence.
Lin waited for them to tell her what they wanted to say.
Rui bit her lower lip.
"Go for it." She gave a smile to Lin and waved goodbye to them. Takim on the other hand didn't say a word and gave Lin, Jung's address.
"If he's not there... Then I don't know. See you guys around." Takim said waving and heading off.
Mo Li waved goodbye. Jie on the other hand ignored him.
"Are you going to help them out?" Jie asked.
Lin shrugged. Lin didn't know how to help Jung. Lin hadn't gotten over the fact that Tenzin had gotten into a relationship with someone else quickly. What help could she be? Maybe at least try to convince the man that it's not the end of the world yet.
Later in the evening Lin left her children under the care of her neighbour who gladly accepted to watch over them. Lin didn't understand why she wanted to help Jung at all maybe it was because his problem, it reminded her of her own.
Lin stood in front of his doorstep. 'What am I doing? I can't give him advice, I was an emotional wreck when Tenzin and I split.'
Lin turned around only to bump into Jung.
"What are you doing her, Beifong?" Jung asked coldly.
His voice was smooth and cool as it always was. Lin could smell his scent; it was a mixture of cinnamon, peppermint, and liquorice. It was a lovely scent she hadn't realized what he had asked her.
"I was around the neighbourhood..." Lin replied dazed by his scent.
"Uh-huh, I'm supposed to believe that?" Jung retorted.
"I don't expect you to, Jung." Lin hissed.
Jung only stood there. Trying to figure how to manoeuvre around her.
"That's very smart of you, I should give you an award, now care to really explain why or do I have to pretend you don't exist and walk into my home?" He said to her sarcastically.
"You've got nerve, for speaking that way,"
"Not nerve, more like, not wanting to be bothered,"
"Suck it up, at least let me in." Lin said.
Jung chuckled.
"If I let you in, what do I get in return of it?" He asked playfully. Moving past her, whilst brushing her shoulder with his chest.
Lin looked away; she didn't want him to see the colour that was on her cheeks.
"That depends..."
"Fine. Since I have a feeling that you're doing this for someone." He said opening the door waiting for her to follow.
Lin walked right by him. Not replying to his assumptions. Which were true.
"I'm guessing Rui told you what happened?" He asked making his way to his kitchen only to stop.
"Tea?"
"Yes and no thank you,"
Jung shrugged his shoulders.
"Wasn't planning on making any." He said while going in his kitchen.
Lin pouted crossing her arms over her chest. She was observing his home. It was well furnished. 'Seems like the ostrich horse has the time to be luxurious.'
Lin sat down on his couch. 'Oh. Seems like he likes comfort too.'
Jung walked back in empty handed.
"How much did she tell you?"
Lin looked at him.
"Not much, enough for me to know what's going on..."
Jung nodded and rubbed the back of his neck.
The silence between the two was tense.
Lin bit her lower lip.
"I only came here just to give you advice. It's not the end of the world. You have to suck it up and move on with or without someone in your life." Lin told Jung.
Jung hadn't even taken a seat. He was leaning against the wall. Until he finally moved and sat beside Lin.
"Seems like you've gone through the same thing,"
"Humph."
Jung let out a slight chuckle. He was looking at Lin now.
Lin sighed. "I did and it hurt me more than you could imagine."
"I don't need to imagine, I've experienced it too,"
"Then don't avoid or isolate yourself from everyone, there are other people who care for you." Lin told him softly.
Jung suppressed a smile.
"Don't get all soft on me now, Beifong." He sarcastically said to her.
Lin scowled at Jung.
"Don't plan to." Retorted Lin.
Lin got up. She'd been here longer then she needed to be.
"I think, I've told you what I needed to tell you. There's nothing left for me to tell you,"
"You know the way out; I'm not stopping you, however, thank you." Jung got up and made his way to his door. Opening it and gesturing her to leave.
Lin narrowed her eyes at him.
"Ha, aren't you quite the charmer?" Lin sarcastically told him.
What Jung did next surprised her. He took out the pins from her hair.
"You should leave your hair out. Looks better that way." He whispered in her ear. Slipping the pins in her hand and lightly pushing her out, closing his door.
Lin's hair was out and her heart was beating at a pace that she didn't understand. What was Jung trying to do? Sweep her off her feet or just trying to be nice? Men would flirt with Lin but she never responded. There was something in Jung that made Lin act differently. Yes, he was handsome and all. Jung practically knew a lot about Lin. Who didn't? She was the daughter of Toph Beifong, master earth bender and the one who created metal bending. Not just about her infamous mother, Jung knew about Jie and Mo Li. Plus his martial art skills came in handy to teach at the academy. They both had practically seen each other every once in a while. Only thing is that they would only use sarcasm between each other. Lin shook her head. 'Jung's only an acquaintance, there's only a mutual feeling. Well... You could try to move on with him... No, he needs time. You saw it in his eyes. They weren't that lucid colour that they always were. Even in a joking manner, his eyes would always have a mischievous glint in them.'
Lin puffed out air. 'Now that I think about it... I shouldn't even bring it up.'
'There's green light in my eyes
And my lover on my mind
And I sing from the piano
Tear my yellow dress and
Cry and cry and cry
Over the love of you...'
Lin was sitting at her desk, when she heard a knock on her door.
"Come in." She announced.
It was Tenzin. She glanced up at the clock. 'I was supposed to meet him around one. Great, here comes the big. "Blah blah blah" lecture and you should let me know when you aren't going to come.'
"You missed out on lunch Lin,"
"Sorry, I'm kind of busy doing paperwork..."
"I know, I thought I'd come by instead." Tenzin told her.
Lin looked at him now, placing the paper work in front of her to the side.
"Did you eat at least?" She asked him, genuinely.
He nodded and grabbed her hand. Kissing her knuckles
Lin wasn't one for personal display of affection but she allowed it. She actually liked it.
...
Lin snapped back to reality after being nearly hit by a chunk of earth.
"Don't keep your head in the clouds Beifong."
Lin recognized the voice. 'Jung...'
Lin rolled her eyes at him. 'Seems like he's back to his somewhat old self.'
"You okay mom?" Mo Li asked her worried that she might have actually hurt her mother.
"I'm fine." Lin assured her daughter.
Mo Li looked at her mother and returned to her former stance.
"Were you the one who moved that chunk of earth out of the way?" Lin asked Jung.
Jung only gave her a half smile and shrugged walking away from her without responding to her.
Lin stopped him by trapping his feet.
"Persistent aren't we?"
"You could say... Did you move it?"
Jung released himself, turning around to look at Lin
"Does that answer your question? Now, I have to go teach, and make sure that head of yours is firmly on your shoulders then in the clouds." Jung said walking away giving Lin a flick of his hand.
Lin scowled at him. 'Playing the cool guy now.'
Lin snorted, returning to her training session with her kids.
...
"Is that so..." Jung said boringly, yawning and stretching his arms.
Lin walked along side Jung waiting for him to say something else.
"All I can tell you is that, your son has competition,"
"Really now?"
Jung gave Lin a look, as if he was saying are you serious right now.
"No, I'm just making it up just to put the poor kid down." He said sarcastically.
Lin pouted. "Exactly why I'm asking you,"
Jung sighed.
"Not much that I can do for you. Plus, Rui's a princess need I remind you of that?"
"No need to remind me of that, he's a Beifong,"
"And might I add that she's not your average girl next door." He finished.
"That, we all know. I don't expect them to be together, I just don't want him to be eluded in something that won't happen." Lin told Jung.
Jung stopped walking and his lips were pursed in a thin line.
"You're over exaggerating. The boy's ten. She's eleven. Give it a couple a more years and then you can worry." He bleakly told Lin.
"Uh-huh, so you Kei Jung at the age of ten did not have feelings for a girl?" Lin asked him.
He stood there, thinking back if he had or not, and a smile crept on his well-chiselled face.
"I did actually and let's just say she wasn't too friendly at the time. So I gave up on her and moved on." He said seriously trying to hide his own amusement.
It was Lin's turn to give him a strange look. Except Lin laughed.
"Oh, are you saying you had a crush on me when I use to come here?" She asked through laughs.
It was his turn to laugh now.
"Hey, I was, how do you say, a strange boy, rather slinky and hmm, over the top?"
Lin bit her lip, trying to hold back another laugh.
"I actually remember when you tried to ask me out once. Not a good day for you." She said to him. As they continued on route.
Jung shrugged. "If you hadn't done that, I would've been a lost puppy, following you around all the time. Thank the spirits I didn't behave that way."
Lin looked at him. Trying to remember why she rejected him. She remembered now, he was being very cocky. Believing that he could actually go out with her. After that he never asked her. It would only be an exchange of sarcasm. Never had they looked at each other with affection and lust. Since both had already had a significant other. They only saw each other as friend's maybe?
"Kei... Did she go with someone younger then you?"
Jung looked at Lin surprised to hear her call him by his first name and mentioning his ex.
"Does it matter if she went with someone younger?" He proclaimed.
"Nope, just wanted to know." She told him honestly.
He looked straight ahead. "He was a few years younger than I. Not much that he could give her. One things for sure, he splurged her in her sexual desires."
Lin looked at him. He showed no emotion to what he just said. His eyes were opaque. Lin looked ahead as well.
"So did mine, I don't know about the whole sexual thing, more like he wanted kids and I didn't... Now look. I do have." Lin admitted.
Jung seemed to be taken aback. He started to chuckle and placed his hands in his pocket.
"I'm not going to judge the guy. Don't know him. Must have been tough on both of you." Jung said genuinely.
Lin snorted. "Not for him, he moved on quickly."
Jung didn't respond.
"I guess some people are just an exception." Jung responded smoothly.
Lin gave him a questioning look.
"If you're insinuating that you're the exception, then it's a joke,"
"You're hurting me here. You've done it before. Don't do it again." Jung sarcastically said.
Lin lightly punched him on the arm. Jung was rubbing his arm. Lin gave a triumphant look. 'Goes to show you, people don't change...sometimes'
They parted ways. Jung was heading back to his home, while Lin was heading back to the train station. Earlier in the day her children had begged to come with her. Lin didn't want to risk losing them. Plus, Tenzin would have been breathing down her neck trying to figure who they were. She told them no. It wasn't a wise idea to bring them to Republic City. The sky above Lin was darkening. Lights inside homes turned on. In the air you could smell the meals that had been cooked. The gentle breeze that swept by made Lin remember the times with Tenzin.
...
Lin was upset. Sitting at the edge of the cliff, letting her legs dangle. She felt the light footsteps approaching her.
"Go away Tenzin." She said coldly.
"Lin... What's the matter?" Tenzin asked with concern in his voice.
"The matter here is that you haven't gone away." Lin hissed.
Tenzin sighed. He sat down beside her. Lin didn't even bother speaking to him anymore. If she did. She would literally push off of this cliff. They sat there breathing in and out. Lin pursed her lips. She was irritated on how he was still sitting beside her.
"Why aren't you inside, trying to impress Miss Fire-princess with Bumi?" Lin asked.
Tenzin looked at Lin. He shrugged. "Maybe because I don't want to impress her. I want to try an impress someone else." He admitted.
Lin looked away from him. Trying to hide the blush that had crept to her cheeks and the small smile that she had. A gentle breeze swept by the two, Lin's dark hair flew around making her have tuck it behind her ears.
They sat there quietly for a while. When finally Tenzin got up.
"Do you want to go somewhere Lin?" He asked her hoping that she would say yes.
Lin looked up at him. He had gotten taller than her. She agreed to go with him. He gave her a wide grin. All she gave in return was a scowl. He went off to retrieve his glider and came back.
"All right, hold onto me and close your eyes." He instructed.
Lin looked at him as if he was serious. He was. Lin sighed and did what she was told. She held onto him tightly. When they finally landed, he told her to keep her eyes closed.
"For spirit's sake, Tenzin. Let me open my eyes, jeez..." She complained only to be cut off by him kissing her.
Lin didn't open her eyes. She let him kiss her, since she was already kissing him back. He pulled back.
"You can open them now,"
Lin pouted and opened them. They were in a cave with a nice view of Yue bay. She was taken aback. Not just from the scenery.
"What was that kiss for?" She asked him.
"I wanted to ask you to be my girlfriend. Each time I tried you'd either be busy or I'd get all nervous and not say it. So, I thought maybe this would have been a good way to ask you." He told her.
Lin looked at him. She couldn't believe what he was saying to her. She felt extremely happy. She pulled on his robes and kissed him passionately and broke the kiss.
"Of course, I would gladly be your girlfriend, airhead." She said genuinely.
Tenzin had been just as happy as she had. Causing a bit of wind to surround them. For the rest of the day they stayed in that cave. Kissing each other and letting the gentle breeze caress them.
...
'On this champagne-drunken home
Against the current of old
Everybody see I love him
Cause it's the feeling that you get
When the afternoon is set
On the bridge into the city...'
Lin had a small smile on her face. That day had been the happiest day she ever had. Now look, she was sitting on a train back to Republic City. Being alone and acting as the chief of police. Lin started doing math. Ten years since the split. Their children were ten. He had another three children, a five-year-old, a three-year-old, and a just recently born. Just thinking about it made her feel sick. To Tenzin it was only three, to her it was five. Who knows how many more he plans on having with that baby factory?
'Don't want to know.'
Lin looked out the window. What if that night she had gone to Jung's, something might have happened. What if they let out the pain that they both had and splurged in lust rather than a somewhat normal conversation? 'Oh... Spirits... No. That wouldn't happen, over my dead body, more his than mine.'
Lin started to compare Tenzin and Jung. She couldn't do it. Jung was like a brother that Lin never had. One that annoyed her but made her laugh. Tenzin was the one that she had naturally fallen in love with. The one man she had expressed herself to and would have died for. She still would in a heartbeat, he was still very important to her. No matter how hard she tried to push those submerging feelings they always came back. Even if she were to start a relationship with someone else it would be pointless. 'Lin, you need to try to move on... You can't, you poured yourself once and look what happened, and you were distraught and broken... Yes but this could be different... Ha, yeah right, have fun. Don't come to me when you get your heart broken again with illusions and all that bullshit of "you're the only one for me, you're my love, blah blah"...'
"You're pathetic, Lin" she said aloud.
...
Lin was required to go to a meeting as soon as she arrived. She had been notified as soon as she stepped off the train. 'A meeting late at this hour?' She questioned if this was really important or not. It wasn't an important meeting; she felt Tenzin's eyes on her at all times. Lin never spoke or said a word. She was to attend to the meeting more over as a witness and some sort of protection. Near the end of the meeting Tenzin approached her.
"It's good to see you Lin." He said rather too sweetly.
Lin snorted and walked past him.
"Can't say the same." She retorted.
Lin didn't need to turn around to see his expression. She knew him too well and he knew her too well. All Tenzin did was sigh and walked along her side never saying a word to her. Walking in the empty hallway, listening to their footsteps. Lin didn't want him around her. Just seeing him made her want to beat him to a pulp and she also wanted to push him in a corner and kiss him. She'd rather do the first one; it would give her more satisfaction to do that. Lin started to think about Jung, wondering mostly. She never asked him an important question that she had on her mind. 'What was it now...' Tenzin ruined her train of thoughts by clearing his throat.
"How have you been Lin?"
"Perfectly fine, J..." Lin stopped mid-sentence. Realizing that she was going to call him Jung.
Tenzin stopped in his tracks, looking at Lin with a surprised look.
"Continue your sentence. It sounded like you were going to call me by another name,"
"And so what if I was? I was lost in thought, until you spoke to me,"
"I want to know whom you were going to call me." He demanded.
Lin snorted. "I was going to call you Jung. He and I share the same experiences... Why am I telling you this?"
Lin started to walk away. Only to be stopped by Tenzin's grip. Lin was going to punch him when he said something that surprised her.
"Is he better than me?"
Lin stayed quiet; she didn't want to tell him that it wasn't a relationship that revolved lust. It was more of friendship. Lin bit her lower lip. Deciding whether or not to respond to his question. Her silence seemed to have been hurting him.
"I can't compare the both of you; there's nothing to compare." She told him looking away. Feeling the grip that he had had on her was loosening.
Tenzin stood there in front of her. Lin sighed.
"I need to go I'm needed at the station." She said turning around not looking back at him.
'Why am I always telling you the truth about things? I've yet to tell you about a few things...' Lin told herself.
'Not once seen what I've seen.
To undo what has been done
Turn off all the lights
Let the morning come
There's green light in my eyes
And my lover on my mind
And I sing from the piano
Tear my yellow dress and
Cry and cry and cry...'
Lin was sitting in her office looking over the paper work that she had been left to look over. She was sick and tired of doing all this paper work.
She tossed the papers aside, pinching the bridge of her nose. She wasn't one to complain but right now would have been a good time to do so.
Lin leaned back in her chair; she'd kill for a patrol right now. Even if it wasn't necessary for her to do so she would go. She still had a stack of papers to sign. She gingerly went through the papers and signed them. Near the end of her spree of signing papers her writing hand had become numb. She flexed it multiple times to get the blood flowing again.
"I won't die from being on duty, I'll drown in all of this paper work that they make me do and this is that I'm the chief of police." She said aloud relaxing her hand now.
'Might as well go patrol. At least that'll keep me from going home into an empty home.'
It was a while since Lin last did a patrol. Most of her days were either spent on paper work or interrogating a scumbag, once in a while she'd go on the Zeppelins to observe all of the city. Tonight she felt like walking. She didn't want to go through the trouble of patrolling around in a Satomobile. She wanted to know why she was going to call Tenzin, Jung. She understood that she had been spending a good bit with Jung but never had neither of them made such a big impact on one another. Their only connection to each other was his students and her children. Also that they had met each other on a few occasions through their childhood but never had full length conversations like they had had these past few days. What were her feelings for Jung? Was it even considered feelings? Lin didn't know she continued her patrol. There was a cold breeze; it signified that there was a chance of rain. Lin enjoyed watching the pellets of rain land on the earth. She didn't like being in the rain since it ruined her uniform. Not just hers, other officer's uniforms would get rigid. Lin felt a giant pellet fall against her forehead. 'Time to call it a day.'
As much as she tried to avoid the rain it was impossible. Lin's hair was soaking wet; she felt the few bits of water that had gone down her neck into her uniform. Lin's apartment was completely dark. She bent off her uniform. Knowing that she was going to have to look at the damage on her uniform later. Her hair was in tangles. She was searching for the pins in her hair. She found one and little longer later found the second one. As she padded off to the bathroom for a brush the phone in her home began to ring.
"At least let me undo the tangles..." She said annoyed stalking off back to answer the phone.
"Beifong speaking,"
"Hi mom!" Mo Li yelled into the receiver.
Lin pulled her end of the receiver away from her ear, smiling.
"Hi kiddo,"
"I didn't call you at bad time did I?"
Lin ran a hand through her hair, stopping at where the tangles began and gently pulling her hand out.
"No, you were just the person I wanted to hear. Do you miss me that much?"
Mo Li laughed.
"Very much, it's just...hmm..."
Lin waited.
"I'll let Jie explain." Her daughter said.
Lin could hear her daughter giving the receiver to her brother.
"Well, since I have to explain, I'll cut to the chase, we want to go to Ba Sing Se. We'll be in good hands, under the watch full eye of Rui's mentor." Jie told his mother bluntly.
"Absolutely not. Is Jung there? Are any of them there?"
Lin was shaking her head. 'Ba Sing Se, really, come on, I thought they wanted to come here. I would've said no anyways...'
"Yes..." Jie mumbled.
Again Lin heard the passing of the receiver again.
Lin heard a sigh.
"I can't believe it, I'm literally being held captive here Beifong. I'm not entirely enraged as I should be but saying no to your kids is impossible." Jung's smooth voice caused vibrations through the receiver.
Lin snorted.
"They're just kids, who's the one with more authority over them?" She asked.
"Clearly not me. They're yours. Not mine. I'd like my freedom now. Just let them go. I'll watch them. I already have to watch two, how hard could be watching over another two be?" He said playfully.
Lin was silent, finally sighing.
"Fine... But if I find out you lose them or they get hurt, you're the one who's going to pay, got that?" She reluctantly said with a threat.
Jung gave a hardy laugh.
"Good... I told you four it would work." He said hanging up on Lin.
Lin was furious. 'Unbelievable, those little punks. I'm never falling for that one.'
Lin went back to untangling her hair. It was practically dry now. Which made it rather difficult to untangle. After brushing out her hair. She sat on her couch, bringing her knees close to her chest. 'Jung you little punk, when I see you I swear I'm going to earth bend you all way to the northern water tribe. Unbelievable.'
Lin snorted.
'To think he would use the excuse of being held captive, clever way to convince someone.'
In the end, Lin chuckled. 'The innocence of children and you could say from a rather hardy ostrich horse.'
' 'Cause you're a hard soul to save
With an ocean in the way
But I'll get around it
I'll get around it
'Cause you're a hard soul to save
With an ocean in the way
But I'll get around it
I'll get around it...'
It was evident that the trip her children conspired had been a way to get to know Jung. Jung notified her that it was mostly Jie bombarding him with questions. Such as "Are you and my mother dating?" Lin couldn't help but laugh uncontrollably. Jung only looked at her as a mad woman. That is, if he was standing in front of her. They had spoken to each other briefly through the phone. Even now as she thought about it, made the corners of her lips twitch. Since she wasn't paying attention, she had bumped into the people she least expected to bump into. 'Oh no, no! Why? It's as if I need to be reminded that you have a nice happy family. M-hmm, well you can shove it...' Lin stopped herself. These little conversations that she had with herself are starting to get out of hand.
"Sorry..." She grumbled avoiding as much eye contact from Tenzin as possible.
Tenzin face turned a slight pink.
'Why is he turning pink? I should be the one turning that colour. Honestly, you have a family Tenzin... What am I saying? I have kids with this man, which I've yet to mention to him for a long time. Ugh. Is his wife really giving me a look of jealousy right now? She better pray I don't bury her alive...'
"Oh, why if it isn't chief Beifong?" Pema directed towards Lin a little too sweetly.
Lin would have said something rather harsh to her if it weren't for the fact that there was children around and the only thing Lin did was give the damn woman a devious smile.
"As much as I'd like to stay for chit-chat, seemingly you and your family seem to be heading somewhere, so, if you excuse me, I'll be on my way now." Lin's voice was sharp like ice.
Tenzin was wryly looking at Lin. She felt his eyes. Lin didn't want those primitive feelings that she had once to submerge. As if on cue, a familiar figure walked on past. 'Jung?'
"Excuse me, I was told that I would find you around these parts." His smooth voice announced as he halted a foot away.
'No, he didn't mention that he would be coming to republic city or did he? Now that I think about, he did say he had some business to take care of here. Unless I heard wrong.'
Her children had returned to Gaoling safe and sound. They had enjoyed their trip. However, Lin kept laughing about them interrogating poor Jung. Now here he was back against her and Tenzin's family.
"Seems like they told you right." Lin responded calmly.
Her eyes fixed on him; she ignored Tenzin and his family.
"Seemingly, however, if you are busy. I won't disturb your... Hmm..." Jung hesitated to find the right words.
"Oh, you aren't disturbing." Pema said sweetly with a smile.
Lin glared at her. 'Who does she think she is? For the love of... Can't she mind her own business? You took one thing from me and I don't plan on letting her probe herself into my personal life.'
Lin bit her lower lip. She was starting to taste blood. Her anger was at the breaking point and the only one who seemed to notice was Jung. He let out a sigh. Quickly giving a glance around her. He pursed his lips into a thin line.
The silence in the air was tense.
Jung cleared his throat. "Well, I'm not getting any younger Lin. You should know that perfectly." His voice was touching, alluring.
Lin gave him a scowl but walked towards him. Not even caring if Tenzin was staring at her intently. In her mind she wanted him to be enraged with jealousy and perhaps a lot of guilt for leaving her years ago. 'Heh, to think I still have feelings for the idiot.'
Lin cleared her throat. She didn't have the patience or the right mind to deal with Pema's incredulous looks. It probably thrilled the woman and perhaps it brought out fear. Lin saw it in the woman's eyes. She didn't want to look at them anymore. They caused too many emotions to surface.
"Have a nice afternoon." She said, hoping it wasn't cold and ice like.
She pulled on Jung rather hardly.
"Why are you here?" She hissed.
"Personal reasons." He spat back quickly.
"Humph, garbage. Complete garbage." She retorted.
Jung sighed a heavy sigh. His lips pursed into a thin line again. He was avoiding to give her an answer.
"Moreover, that was him wasn't it?"
Lin's eyes widened. She stopped to look at him.
"Can you not bring that up...? That topic shouldn't be brought up in public,"
Jung chuckled. "As you say Beifong." Walking slightly past her.
Lin glared at the back of his head.
"So why are you here?" She asked him again.
He didn't turn around to look at her.
"That's something not to discuss out in the open," He mimicked.
Lin scowled at him again.
"I would tell you, however, I don't find it reasonable to bring the chief of police to my hotel room or am I wrong?"
He turned around to look at her straight in her eyes.
Lin snorted. "Such things never affect me but if it is a problem then I know a perfect place to discuss things in private."
After a rather quiet walk to Lin's apartment and a rather uncomfortable entry. Before she asked for the third time, he gave her answer.
"I came to Republic City to make sure my suspicions on a certain someone to be on the loose were false." Jung's voice hard and steely.
Lin gave him a look that he had seen a few times but never paid mind to them.
"It's a complicated story Lin, the less people who know of it, the less dangerous it is." He added rather coolly.
"Please don't let it be something involved with gangs, I swear Jung, and I'll lock you up." Lin retorted harshly.
He chuckled.
"Never," He said to her.
"More importantly... That was your ex? I couldn't believe it. He did move on but it seems it took him a while to adapt to a new relationship."
Lin looked at him flabbergasted. She knew Jung to be the laid back sarcastic jerk that he normally showed to everyone. Yes, he was intelligent in his own way. Her big guess at how he was able to deduce that quickly was the similarities that Tenzin had with her own children.
"You aren't in the dark anymore." Lin looked down at her hands.
They were sitting rather close to each other. Lin smelt that intoxicating smell that she had smelt when she had bumped into him. 'Jeez, what's wrong with you, you don't have eyes for him in that way... Or do you?'
Jung pulled out the pins in her hair.
"Leave you hair out. I don't understand why you pin it. Then again, that metal bending uniform seems reasonable to pin it. Right now you're not wearing that contraption. So leave it out." He said gingerly.
She looked up at him.
"You and your personal preferences. Maybe I'll just cut it. Will that stop you from pulling out my pins whenever the hell you please?" She said to him rather harshly.
He didn't respond to her. He only looked at her with those honey brown eyes. That went well with his skin tone and everything else about him.
"Hmm, I don't know. I have my tendencies Lin. Personal preference or not... On another note, I won't say a word of whom your children's father is. That is something that does not belong to me. They were hoping if I knew something about him." He said looking away from Lin while placing his elbow on the side of the couch and resting his cheek against his fist.
Feeling the movement that he made, made Lin want to punch him but the words that he was saying made Lin's heart react.
"Thank you, I appreciate it." She said to him softly.
Jung didn't respond to her.
"I also saw the way you look at his wife. I would too; her cheery personality isn't my cup of tea. I prefer subtler. Not that it matters." He laughed off what he said.
Lin pursed her lips. "You seem to observe a lot of things Jung."
"It still gets me, I call you Lin, yet you call me Jung, I do have a first name. Kei to be exact."
"Ha ha, fine Kei." She enunciated Kei coldly.
"You know what, just go back to Jung; it sounds rather off for you to just call me Kei. Maybe one day, you'll call me that but for now, I have my head in other places." He said quietly.
Lin looked at him.
"Don't tell me, you're thinking about that woman now?"
He looked at her rather coldly.
"No, I don't have the need to reminisce over something that wasn't real to her. There are days where I do reminisce... But for what? And don't tell me it's not the end of the world crap again. Since I do know it isn't. I'd rather die alone."
Lin saw right through him. She snorted.
"Doesn't seem like you're telling the full story..." She grumbled under her breath.
"You've never been this curious about me, why now? Why should I express what is truly going on within me? Spirits sake, Lin, you can barely contain your anger towards the fact that "he" is living a so called "happy life", while here you are... Sitting beside someone who shouldn't be lecturing you in the ways of love and heartbreak." He exclaimed only to regret his words at the near end.
Lin sat there quietly. He was right but she wasn't going to say so.
"Well then, why are you here then?" She said through gritted teeth.
Jung looked at Lin now. Her emerald eye's meeting his honey brown ones. For some strange reason they started to laugh. Whenever they both got out of hand or upset at the other they laughed. Lin's friendship with Jung wasn't the same like her and Tenzin. Tenzin and her would argue until Lin would get upset and push him away. Lin settled down her laughs. Realizing that she was remembering him and those dark times that belonged from both sides of the relationship. Jung too had stopped to look at her.
"I've tried so hard to get him out... It's like he's taunting me..." Lin softly spoke looking into her hands again.
First most Lin wasn't one to express such emotions to anyone. Secondly, she trusted Jung and knew he'd keep his mouth shut about her doing so. Just like how she would do the same. Jung reached out for Lin's hand and gave it a gentle squeeze.
"Someone once told me..." He began only for Lin to cut him off.
"Shut it." She said sharply.
He squeezed her hand; not in a bone crushing way, ever so gently did he squeeze it. Jung sighed. Out of the corner of Lin's eyes she saw that he was having a mental fight with himself. The next thing she knew he had pulled her in for an embrace. Lin breathed in a sharp intake of his scent. For probably the third time in her life. She cried into Jung's chest like an infant crying for their mother.
The only thing he did was try to sooth her. It only caused her to sob harder. While she sobbed he held onto her not saying a word. In Lin's mind she was grateful that he didn't say a word to her. She pushed away lightly from his chest. Rubbing away the tears that were falling out of her eyes with the back of her hand. Jung only looked at her. His face rather expressionless when she looked up at him. Jung pursed his lips and was going to say something but Lin's lips met his. Their lips clashed very fiercely. His hands resided on her arms. While hers on his. The heat that admitted from both was rather intoxicating. When they both finally pulled apart for air. They were panting heavily.
"L-Lin... You shouldn't have... I shouldn't have..."
Lin was still panting from their heated kiss. She looked at him.
"Jung... I'm not upset... I was the one who initiated the kiss... I'm at fault..."
He shook his head in disagreement.
Lin rolled her eyes and leaned in closer to him. Her eyes twinkling with a mischievous glint in them.
"You're a liar Jung."
"And you a pathological liar." He responded to her, only to be shut off again with her lips.
Lin pulled away from the kiss.
"At least just this once... Never again shall we speak of this..." She asked him.
He looked into her eyes. He sighed; he was giving into Lin's wants and not what the consequences may be.
"Never again..." He said looking away but looking back at her.
...
The rest of the afternoon until daybreak did they vent off their emotions through lust and temptations. Through scratching and moans of pleasure. Never letting each other breathe. It was a day that would embark strange emotions but never would they cause harm to one another.
'There's green light in my eyes
And my lover on my mind
And I sing from the piano
Tear my yellow dress and
Cry and cry and cry and
Over the love of you
Cry and cry and cry and
Over the love of you
(I can see the green light
I can see it in your eyes)
Cry and cry and cry and
Over the love of you
I can see the green light
I can see it in your eyes...'