Chapter 11: Boiling Point
Tenzin hopped off his air scooter just as he arrived at the stables. Lin already had Oogi saddled and was leading him to the field so she could mount him and leave the temple.
"Lin!" Tenzin called to his wife, "Wait!" He bounded towards her and the bison. She had stopped, but not turned to look at him.
"You're lucky. We were just about to leave," she told him without looking in his direction while making sure the knot on Oogi's horn was secure.
"Lin, can we talk for a second, please?"
"What's the point? I'm mad and will just argue with you."
"The point is I love you and I hate when you're not happy."
"Well, Tenzin, we can't all be happy all the time. That's not human." And with that, Lin bent herself a pillar so she could sit at the nape of Oogi's neck. Not wanting to be left behind, Tenzin quickly jumped up and sat right next to her.
"Can you just leave me be for now," she implored, still not looking at Tenzin.
"Is that what you really want?"
"Yes. I just want time to feel what I feel right now."
"Alright. I'll go and grab some furs for you then sit in the back."
"I'm fine. Please just go sit in the saddle."
Tenzin acquiesced and climbed in the saddle, wrapping the furs around him. If he couldn't share them with her now, he'd at least warm them up for her for when she was ready.
…
Tenzin woke up after taking a nap in the warm furs. He had not much sleep the previous night thanks to Devadas and he felt drained after the confrontation at the Air Temple. He rubbed the sleep from his eyes and looked over to Lin. She was still sitting on Oogi's neck, her arms crossed with her hands tucked under her arms. Despite the warm coat and gloves she had donned, she was still cold up in the air as they approached the frozen tundra of the Southern Water Tribe.
"Lin, why don't you come to the furs?"
"I'm fine."
"I can see that you're shivering from here."
Lin spun around and looked back at him with anger still in her eyes and tone and siad, "I don't need another parent. I'm a grown woman and can take care of myself!"
"I know that. I was just hoping that…"
"That I would magically feel all better and come crawling to your arms? Yeah right, not what after those air heads at the temple were saying."
"What are you talking about?"
"Those doulas were aggravating me the entire time I was there. Ever since Devadas had separated us, it was a never ending symphony of unsolicited advice and presumptions of this baby being an airbender!"
Tenzin scooted closer to his wife and reached out to her, but Lin leaned away and continued, "Please don't touch me. I'm still very angry because of their words and actions and I think I just need some time away from air nomads for a little bit." Tenzin looked defeated at her words.
"I'm very sorry for whatever they said to you, Lin. And I'm sorry if I've done anything to make it worse," he apologized.
"That's just it, Tenzin. You don't know what you're apologizing for and you're apologizing for other people. Do you know how worthless that makes the apology?"
Tenzin sighed, "Yes. I just want to make things better for you."
"And I'm telling you that the thing I need right now is some space and time to clear my head."
"I hear you, but I know how into your head you can get and how what you think and say to yourself is not always true."
"Then let me try to sort that out for myself," she huffed and turned to face away from her husband. Tenzin sighed and hoped that she would be ready to talk to him about everything soon. He removed one of the furs from the bundle he had been sleeping in and draped it around Lin's shoulders. If she didn't want to talk, that was fine with him, but he was still going to make sure she was comfortable.
…
Oogi touched down in the central plaza of the Southern Water Tribe capital just as the sun was starting to set. Lin crawled into the saddle to grab her bag and hopped off Oogi without so much as a glance in Tenzin's direction. Tenzin sighed and shook his head. Lin could be stubborn at times and it looked like there wasn't much he could do about it tonight. Although it pained him to think that they would be going to bed angry tonight, the first time since they've been married.
By the time Tenzin dismounted Oogi with the rest of their things he saw that Kya had found Lin and had her locked in a warm embrace. Kya opened her eyes and saw that Tenzin was on the ground and she silently mouthed "Everything okay?" when her blue eyes met his grey ones. Tenzin shook his head and looked at the ground in defeat in response to his sister's silent question. Kya broke away from Lin then and approached Tenzin with her arms open.
"Hello, little brother. It's good to see you," she greeted, wrapping her arms around him and patting him gently on the back.
"It's nice to see you again, Kya," he greeted warmly, despite the frigid breeze that had started blowing.
"Come on you two," Kya directed, "Let's get inside before the snow gets added to the wind. When we get inside I'll have someone tend to Oogi to make sure he's comfortable." Tenzin nodded and gestured for Kya to lead the way. He tried to look at Lin, but she kept the hood of her jacket up and her head down to avoid his gaze.
As the three of them walked to the Southern Water Tribe palace, Kya began, "Oh, I forgot to say: Congratulations to the both of you! I'm looking forward to meeting my niece or nephew in a few months!" She smiled at the couple, but her smile disappeared when she noticed Tenzin's uneasiness and the scowl that became more prominent on Lin's face.
Tenzin cleared his throat and replied, "Thank you, Kya. We're both looking forward to meeting our baby too." He forced a smile back and put his hand on the small of Lin's back, praying to every spirit out there that she doesn't recoil at his touch.
"There's my favorite newlyweds!" a voice exclaimed, cutting through the tension. The trio turned to look to see Sokka approaching them.
"Hello, Uncle Sokka," Tenzin greeted, reaching out to clasp the older man's arm.
"Hello, Tenzin," Sokka greeted with a big grin on his face. He turned to Lin with his arms outstretched and continued, "Linny, it's so good to see you! And you're absolutely glowing in your condition! I'm so glad you made some time to come visit us down here in the ice." Sokka wrapped Lin in a bear hug and lifted her slightly off the floor as he greeted her.
"Hello, Uncle Sokka. It's really great to see you too," Lin replied through gritted teeth.
"How was your trip down here?" he asked her, "The air nomads didn't give you too much of a hassle, did they?"
Tenzin felt his face flush at Sokka's question and started rubbing his head. Lin looked down and the small smile that had begun to appear on her face completely disappeared, her lips now pursed in anger at the thoughts of what transpired at the Southern Air Temple.
Kya, sensing the tension that was building, interjected with, "Tenzin, I'm sure you and Lin are exhausted, but also hungry! Uncle, why don't you take Lin to their room while Tenzin and I grab some food for them? We can all catch up once they're rested."
Sokka agreed, "Sure, Kya, sounds like a plan. This way, Linny." Sokka offered his arm to Lin and she accepted it. Tenzin watched his wife retreat down the hallway then turned to his sister.
Tenzin sighed, "Thanks for your quick thinking, Kya. Lin has not been in a great mood since we left the temple."
"Yeah, I kind of sensed something when you both landed earlier. Both your auras are much darker than usual. What happened?" Kya asked as she led them towards the kitchen.
"I am not really sure about all the details, however I do know the air acolytes we're getting on Lin's nerves."
"Oh, I suppose that makes sense, especially when mixed with her pregnancy hormones. Well, I know the two of you will work things out. You both always make it over these bad bumps and somehow come out stronger after."
Tenzin smiled at his sister, feeling hopeful for the first time that day, "Thanks, Kya. I really appreciate the reassurance."
"No problem, little bro. Besides if I know Lin and pregnant women as well as I think, then I'm sure a hearty meal will take some of the edge off."
Tenzin and Kya made their way to the room that had been prepared for Lin and Tenzin. When they arrived, they found Lin alone and unpacking her bag.
"Dinner has arrived!" Kya sang out. "I'll leave you two to eat and relax a little. Let me know if either of you need anything. My room is down the hall and Uncle Sokka's is across the way." Kya left the married couple alone in the room to hopefully work out the problem they were facing.
Tenzin set the tray of food down in front of Lin and offered, "Eat as much as you'd like. I'm not very hungry."
Lin glared at him, but accepted the food. She ate a little of everything, savoring the delicious Southern Water Tribe cuisine that she had enjoyed most of her life thanks to her extended family's heritage, and especially Katara's cooking skills.
When she had her fill she turned to Tenzin and said, "I think I'm ready to talk about what happened. That is, if you're interested in hearing me out still." She still had her head bent down, not looking him in the eye.
Tenzin reached over and grabbed Lin's chin, forcing her jade eyes to meet his grey ones. "I am always interested in what you have to say."
Lin took a deep breath and began, "From the moment we were separated at the temple, I felt like there was this spotlight that was fixed on me and the light was blinding and the heat made me very uncomfortable."
Tenzin nodded, and she continued, "When we were there, surrounded by the people who have been helping your father rebuild the Air Nation, I felt this enormous pressure weighing on me."
"I think I might know how you were feeling," Tenzin explained, "Sometimes when I visit the temples or am talking to my dad, I definitely feel a lot of pressure to be a certain way and act a certain way."
"Exactly," she agreed, "On top of that, I felt like the doulas and other air acolytes were piling all of that pressure on our unborn child. I didn't think it was fair of them to make all of these assumptions about him or her."
"I know you feel that way, Lin," Tenzin said, reaching out to stroke his wife's hair, "But I've already told you: it doesn't matter who this child becomes. I will love him or her with my entire being, just like I love you." He wrapped his wife in his arms and planted a chaste kiss on her forehead.
"I know we have talked about this before and that you keep reassuring me, but when we are around other people, especially when they voice their expectations, it makes it very hard for me."
"I know, sweetheart. I'm not sure what else I can do though," he shrugged.
Lin's temper started to flare a little bit. Through gritted teeth she said, "Why are you being so nonchalant about this?"
"I am not being nonchalant," he retorted.
"Your shoulder shrug says otherwise. Maybe you don't understand how big of a deal this is for me," she spat back.
"Lin, please don't start this again," he pleaded.
"Maybe I never stopped in the first place. Those air acolytes were ridiculous, and if I'm being honest, Uncle Sokka's comments didn't make me feel much better."
"Why are you being so self-conscious about this pregnancy? Do you not want to have this baby?"
Lin hesitated, "Sometimes, I don't know if I do. I don't know if I'd be good enough as a mother." Tears were welling in both of their eyes now. Lin's words felt like they were gutting Tenzin and leaving him to bleed out alone.
Tenzin whispered, "I wish you wouldn't say things like that. You're starting to sound selfish."
"Well, I'm sorry to hurt you with my words," Lin began, anger quickly replacing the sadness she felt moments ago. "The pressure and fear of the unknown is really getting to me. I don't know how much more I can take of all this. I didn't think getting pregnant with you would make things this hard!"
Tenzin let his anger flare as well and yelled back, "I'm so sorry I inconvenienced you in this way! Forgive me for wanting to start a family with you and for trying to pass on my father's legacy to a new generation. I thought you understood this when you agreed to spend the rest of your life with me."
"Oh, so I'm supposed to set aside my feelings and become some lifeless, baby making machine, am I? I don't think so, especially if we are going to fight like this every time I'm pregnant. This makes me want to NOT have ANY kids with you, EVER!" she screamed.
"Well it's a little too late for that now isn't it?" he fired back at her. At those words, Lin got up off the floor and stormed out of the room, leaving a very angry Tenzin alone.
Sokka poked his head out of his door after he heard a loud bang. He looked around and saw Lin headed off down the hallway towards Kya's room, her hands clenched into tight fists. He decided to go check on Tenzin. Sokka crossed the hall and knocked on the door before opening it. He saw Tenzin sitting on the floor in the lotus position, taking deep breaths.
"Mind if I join?" Sokka probed while crossing the room and sitting across from Tenzin. Tenzin nodded in agreement and continued to focus on controlling his breathing.
"So, you and Lin had an argument," Sokka began. Tenzin nodded in response. "Well, I know those are never fun, but I also know you two love each other very much and will work on fixing this rift."
Tenzin sighed, "I hope so, Uncle. I just feel like every time I try to do that, I somehow end up making it worse."
Sokka laughed, "I'm not surprised. You should have seen Toph's mood swings when she was pregnant with Lin and Suyin. They were legendary."
A small smile began to form as Tenzin replied, "Yes, I vaguely remember a little outburst at Air Temple Island. Dad had to go into the Avatar state to keep the island from sinking into the bay, if I remember correctly."
"Exactly," Sokka replied jovially, "So if you can't handle it, I'm sure you could call Aang in for reinforcements if things get really rough." Tenzin sighed at the mention of his dad's name. In a way, it felt like he was the cause of a lot of this distress.
Sokka, not missing the sigh, asked, "Is everything alright with you and your dad?"
Tenzin shrugged, "I mean, I love him and respect him, but sometimes our situation is not the easiest."
"You mean single-handedly resurrecting a culture and airbending isn't the walk in the park Aang makes it out to be?"
Tenzin laughed without emotion, "No. It is not. People keep assuming Lin is carrying an airbender and they keep making somewhat morbid comments that are putting even more pressure on her."
"Other people just love to meddle in our lives, don't they? All because we somehow got roped into being related to the Avatar." Sokka teased.
"Yes, and I do agree with Lin, that people should stop making these assumptions. I don't want our child to grow up with the pressure we felt, but I'm afraid that I cannot stop that from happening."
"Well, instead of focusing on all the what ifs and other uncertainties, why don't you and Lin try to focus on the concrete things you can control in the here and now," Sokka offered.
Tenzin took another deep breath, "You're right, Uncle. It doesn't help worrying about what might be. We should try our best to focus on what we can control."
"And I know that Lin will agree with you. So, why don't I go and find her and bring her to talk things out, hopefully more calmly this time," Sokka suggested.
Sokka found Lin in Kya's room like he guessed he would. When he knocked on the door he heard a soft "Come in," and when he opened the door, he saw his two nieces. Kya was sitting up on her bed while Lin lay prone with her head in Kya's lap. Kya was gently stroking her sister-in-law's hair. When Lin looked up at Sokka, he noticed the tear streaks on her cheeks. He bent down to place a kiss on her forehead to help console her like he used to do when she was a child.
"Hey, Linny," he whispered to her.
Lin blinked her eyes rapidly to try to dispel the tears before responding, "Hey, Sokka."
"Lin, I want you to know how amazing you are. you are so very strong and very beautiful. I am so proud of the woman you've grown into," Sokka praised, looking her in the eye. "I'm proud of both of you ladies." He smiled up at Kya and laid a hand on both their shoulders. " I feel very lucky to call you both family."
"Uncle Sokka, always the charmer aren't you?" Kya giggled.
"What can I say? I've been called a real Ladies Man in my prime," he said while waggling his eyebrows. Both girls giggled at their uncle. Lin sat up, wiping the tears from her face and taking a deep breath.
"I'm really worried," Lin explained, "A lot of people are watching me and expecting things from me. I just don't want to let anybody down."
" I think I can speak for most of the adults in our family when I say you could never disappoint us. We love you unconditionally and you always somehow manage to amaze us with all of the things you accomplish."
"He's right, Lin. You just have to ignore everybody and focus on being happy," Kya added.
Lin sighed, "If I'm being honest oh, I have been focusing a lot on the negative things in my life and worrying about things out of my control. I haven't felt happy because of that."
"Well, I can confirm that your husband is ready to help you be happy and focus on what you can control," Sokka assured her.
"Go to him," Kya ordered, " you both deserve to be happy and you should be enjoying your honeymoon vacation around the world."
"Ew, don't say honeymoon. Thinking about Lin and Tenzin doing that is giving me the oogies," Sokka freaked out, sticking his tongue out. Both girls laughed at his silliness.
"All right, you convinced me. I'll go. Thank you both so much." Lin pulled both of them close and gave them a tight hug.
"Have a good night Linny! We'll see you in the morning for breakfast," Sokka called to her retreating form.
Tenzin heard the door open, but he didn't get up out of bed. He assumed it was Lin coming back from the time she took to collect herself. He heard some rustling, then felt the mattress dip and a tug at the blankets. He lifted his arms slightly to let her slide in bed easily and soon he felt her arm wrapping around him. Tenzin turned to face her. She had a sheepish smile on her face.
"Hey," she whispered uneasily.
"Hello," he breathed back.
"So, about earlier," she started, breaking their eye contact as the uneasiness started to come back.
Tenzin grabbed her chin and forced her to look at him, "I love you, Lin. Did we get married sooner because you were pregnant? Yes. But did I want to marry you before that? Most definitely. I've wanted to make you my wife for about as long as I can remember at this point. You make me happy and feel loved. I don't care what anyone has to say or what they think. You are my priority, always." He ended his profession of love by crashing his lips against hers, enunciating his monologue by pouring all the passion he could into the kiss.
Once they parted, he looked into her eyes and saw tears swelling again. He went to wipe them with his thumb, but she grabbed his hand, "I love you too, Tenzin. I wouldn't want to have anyone else's baby, ever. I'm going to be by your side for the rest of my life. I hope we can move forward and allow our love to grow."
"Of course we can, my love. I wouldn't want anything else from you."
"Are you sure you don't want anything else from me?" she purred, nibbling on his ear lobe.
"Well, if you're offering, I would not decline," he murmured back, then buried his face in her neck, peppering kisses along it. Lin tilted her head slightly to give him better access to the nape of her neck. He quickly rolled on top of her and trailed kisses from her neck to the top of her breasts.
"I think you're wearing too many layers," he growled as he began to strip his wife of every last piece of fabric covering her body.
"So are you," she quipped back, tugging at his robes. He obliged and raised himself up to take off his top. He stood quickly to remove his bottoms as well, then quickly pinned his wife back down to the bed.
"I love you," Tenzin breathed on her body as he trailed kisses down her body, lingering at her center. Lin moaned in response, the anticipation of what was about to happen driving her wild. Tenzin continued to pleasure his wife with his mouth, sucking and licking her folds. She responded to his movements by arching her back and tilting her hips forward, trying to give him a better angle. Tenzin slipped a finger inside her, feeling for the spot that absolutely drove her wild.
"Let go, love," he coaxed his wife as he continued to please her with his fingers and mouth. Lin allowed the pleasure to wash over her and Tenzin felt her walls clamp around his fingers in response. He continued his movements until he heard her whimper, signaling she had had enough for the time being. Tenzin took the chance to climb back up and kiss her, sliding his tongue inside her mouth. She moaned at the thought of where that mouth had been and the pleasure it had brought her moments before.
Lin placed a hand on his chest and pushed, causing their lips to part. "Your turn," she said with a smirk on her lips. She pushed harder, forcing Tenzin to back away from her. She then grabbed him and forced him to lie on his back on the bed. She took her time sucking on his ear lobe as she let her hand wander towards his very stiff member. As she kissed him, she slowly pumped his cock, eliciting soft moans that were drowned in their kisses.
Lin broke away from him and moved down the bed, positioning her head just above his hard cock. She looked him straight in the eyes as she slowly bent down, mouth open. She enveloped him whole, causing him to gasp. She slowly slid up his cock and released it with a loud popping noise.
"More," he moaned. She smirked at him, loving how she could make him come undone with such a simple move. She bent her head back down and sucked his cock at a steady pace. Tenzin wove his fingers through her hair to help keep it out of her way and to help keep pace. After a little while, Tenzin felt like he was going to burst, but he didn't want to finish in her mouth.
"Lin, stop," he managed to croak out. She sat up immediately and looked at him, eyes questioning what he wanted her to do next. He took her hands in his and pulled her on top of him.
"Ride me, please. I want to watch your beautiful body pleasure me," he requested firmly. Lin followed his directions and seated herself on his member. Her stomach was not very round yet, so she was able to move as quickly and wildly as she wanted, not hesitating to quicken the pace. Tenzin reached a hand between their bodies and played with her nub, causing pressure to build in her again. He sat up slightly so he could suck one of her nipples as she rode his hard member. He could feel her walls start spasming around his cock and he couldn't hold it in anymore. The two lovers cried out in delight as they both reached their peak. Lin started slowing her movements as the two panted, trying to catch their breath and steady their heart rates now that they were both satisfied.
Tenzin reclined back so he was prone on the bed once more and pulled Lin down with him. She slid off of him and curled her body next to his, resting her head on his chest. Tenzin wrapped his arms around his wife and kissed her forehead. He managed to pull the blankets over them as the two drifted asleep, both exhausted from the emotional journey they'd been on the last couple days.
A/N: Apologies for how long it's been since the last update. I have set myself a goal to finish this piece by the end of 2020, and so far I feel like I'm on the right track. After this, my original plan/outline has 5 more chapters and that's it. I'm starting the next one as we speak and hope to update real soon. Feel free to leave comments to help me improve!