82 favorites? 117 follows? 210 REVIEWS?! Thank you all so so so much. ❤ However, I'm switching to weekly updates after this, since my break is ending. (Hurricaneglass- dude it KILLS me that I can't PM you about your reviews! Can we figure something out?)

I've written a tumblr post with my feels on this story up to Chapter 10: Remind me. Check it out [here] if you want to see what I've been thinking about with each chapter. I obviously can't address everything in my author's notes! Now, without further ado... onward!


The Beifongs had arranged to stay for a full seven days after Opal's birthday, with their departure scheduled in the early morning. With his family such a short distance away, Baatar found his free time divided between Air Temple Island and Kuvira's cell. He visited his parents and siblings daily, enjoying the company of Opal and the twins and slowly worming his way back into Huan's good books. Working on his father's design was oddly comforting in its familiarity, and his mother had dropped the subject of Kuvira entirely, to his pleasure. Still, their company felt stifling after months of relative solitude, and Baatar wondered what their opinion would be of him if they knew where he went after he left the island. Lin joined him in his familial visits often enough, but she seemed more quiet of late, spending more time talking to her sister, her brother-in-law, and Tenzin. It meant more time with his brothers, and despite the annoyance and the chaos that came with it, Baatar found that he had in fact missed them. The twins' antics and Huan's pretentiousness reminded him of happier times in the family, and seeing them all assembled and happy assuaged his residual guilt from his departure to some degree.

His father appeared content to work with him for short spans of time, but his mother always wanted to talk. At first it had been easy, as he had much of the case to update her on, but as the fodder for discussion dwindled away, their conversation felt forced and strained. He left the family visits feeling as though they had ended on a sour note, and Baatar was unsure if the fault lay with him or Su. After all, she had managed to avoid the subject of Kuvira, though at times it was all too obvious that she wanted to bring her up. If she knew where he went after each visit, she would have likely disowned him.

Each evening concluded with a warm farewell to his siblings, a look of understanding between his father and himself, and a perfunctory hug goodbye more for his mother's benefit than his own. Working overtime was exhausting enough and proving increasingly unsustainable, but the burden family time placed upon him sent him to seek respite outside the walls of his apartment. Weekly visits to Kuvira's cell became nightly for that span of seven days, and even though it resulted in complete physical and mental exhaustion, it was strangely comforting. They didn't talk about it, but he suspected that she too was reminded of their many late, clandestine meetings back in Zaofu. Sometimes she had been on guard duty, sometimes she had stopped by his lab on a long night, and sometimes they had both been free to wander off together, able to sneak out of the smothering domes thanks to Kuvira's bending prowess.

His visits now reminded him of those days, when each had been too shy to press the other for an answer to the dreaded "what are we?" question that serves as the bane of all budding relationships. Now, with a three years of being togther and an engagement shattered and behind them, Baatar felt as though they had come full circle and were children again, at least in their behavior with each other. What made it worse was his self-imposed physical distance; while there was nothing that he would have liked more than to hold her, he knew that it would only be gateway to a slew of mistakes. They never addressed his reason for visiting her every evening, but Kuvira knew without his needing to say a word. She had always been able to read him like a book, and his every visit began with a little smile on her end. She inquired after his family at last on the night before their departure. "Everyone is doing well," he had said neutrally. "I've enjoyed spending time with them."

"Have you?" She had smirked, indulging him. "I'm glad to hear it."

"I have," he had insisted. "I've missed Wei and Wing, things are infinitely better with my father... Huan and I are talking again now that he's moved out some of his garbage."

"I'm happy for you," Kuvira had said softly. "There's no reason to remain estranged from your family, at this point."

"Mother is still exhausting," Baatar confessed. "But I think things are improving."

"You visit them regularly, and then you come here," she pointed out. "When are you sleeping? Or eating?"

"Immediately afterward," he said dismissively. "You're the last person I need telling me to look after myself."

She had tossed her braid over her shoulder, her eyes narrowed. "I'll have you know that I'm more than myself again-"

"And that's what worries me," Keisai said, entering the room. "Baatar, out. She and I have work to do."

"I'll get back to our weekly routine starting next week," Baatar told her. "I'm seeing my family off tomorrow morning."

She waved. "I look forward to it."

As the door closed behind him, he thought he heard the lawyer swear.

o0o

The days all ran together. Baatar had been given more authority in the road reconstruction and restoring the damaged generators to full functioning capacity. The tops of the buildings, jagged teeth along the Republic City skyline, were rapidly coming together, and he was hopeful that many of the displaced families would be able to return to a more normal life within the year. Though he still kept to himself to avoid the inevitable run-ins with the media, he made a point of weekends with Opal and stopping by to chat with Lin before visiting Kuvira. After the break in, he kept his work-related papers locked in the desk, along with the folder the men had left behind.

Baatar had recognized it at first glance, knowing it to be his file with the blueprints and mechanics behind the colossus. The implications were exciting, in a chilling way. The loyalists had no way of replicating his works; the majority of his notes were still in Zaofu, and he knew his parents would ensure their safekeeping rather than start an arms race. Still, what the rebels had obtained was more than enough in the way of damning evidence, and if the way the apprehended suspects had spat at him was any indication, they would have no qualms about turning their findings in to the prosecution. Sketches of Kuvira filled the margins of more pages than he remembered, some of them incomplete, and he remembered her laughter the first time she had seen the results of his work. Still, what filled the main area of each page was enough for any prosecutor to see that the weapon was dangerous enough to accomplish the damage he was in the processs of repairing a thousandfold. He intended to ask Keisai what he thought of the whole thing and what it meant to his case, but he had been less available of late, and less inclined to discuss his suspicions overall. He called regularly, making good on his promise to hound Baatar about his personal safety, but beyond that and the weekly briefings, he saw little of the man. His easy over-familiarity had been replaced with a curious, almost thoughtless detachment, and Baatar was unsure if it was to be attributed to overwork or something personal.

His working relationship with Asami Sato had only improved, the turning point being when he offered her his sincere condolences on the loss of her father at Kuvira's hand. His weekly calls home and his father's willingness to compromise with him made him feel all the worse about her loss; had he and Kuvira continued their path for a more prolonged period, he wasn't sure that his own parents would be with him as they were today. Perhaps that was hyperbolic, but he infinitely preferred being able to return to a semblance of normalcy with the family, something he hadn't realized he had missed when it had been just him and Kuvira. The realization did little to boost his spirits; it served as a reminder of the days when he had wanted her to be an official part of his family. Keeping her a part of his life and staying a part of his family's was proving to be mutually exclusive, the way things were going.

Baatar returned to his apartment after a long day of what he classified as productive nothing. He suffered through the incompetencies of the civil engineer, meticulously cross-checking all of the math behind the structural planning for the new bridge and the tops of the main office buildings downtown he had deemed salvageable. To his surprise, he opened the door to behold Lin sitting on the sofa, her arms crossed over her chest. "Aunt Lin," he said, frowning as he dropped his coat on a chair. "What a lovely surprise."

"Sit down, Junior," she snapped. "We need to have a talk."

Baatar sat, a bit unnerved. Lin had always been a refreshing change from his mother with her biting sarcasm and bluntness that bordered on offense, but she had never truly been angry with him. Now, as he sat across from her, he felt like an intruder in his own space. It was easy to see how she had earned her formidable reputation in her role as chief of police. "I'm listening," he said carefully.

"You know, I really thought that you were making an attempt to change," she said. "I saw the way you threw yourself into your work, the way you went out of your way to spend time with Opal, and the way your behavior improved with the lawyer. You seemed like a changed man, Junior. You seemed like you were a hundred percent committed to undoing all the crap you did. "

"What do you mean, 'seemed'?" Baatar demanded. "In case you haven't noticed, the jail is nearly complete in its reconstruction, the roads are growing more and more accessible with each passing day, the buildings surrounding the new portal will be powered through clean energy once I'm through with them, and the first sector of the evacuated families will be able to move back into their homes. Believe me, I'm doing everything within my power-"

"This is exactly what I'm talking about," Lin said, raising her voice. "You just don't get it. You think this about your work? I know that you're a talented engineer, but right now I don't give a damn about that. You're fulfilling your duty to Republic City. If you and Kuvira had succeeded in conquering it by force, you'd be doing the same thing."

Baatar was taken aback. "Well, we never wanted senseless destruction-"

"But everything you did resulted in just that!" Lin burst out. "Besides, that's not what I came here to talk to you about."

"Then please, tell me what you came here to say," Baatar said, his temper rapidly shortening.

"Maybe you can tell me why Su called me today, in tears," Lin said flatly.

He could only stare. "I obviously have no idea..."

"And that's the problem!" she exploded. "You have no idea what your mother is trying to accomplish, you don't understand how much she loves you and how much all of your crap is breaking her heart, and you don't even care. Because if you did, you damn well wouldn't be acting this way." She paused in her tirade, breathing loudly through her nose. "I don't know what's gotten into you, but I have a damn good suspicion and I don't want to be crude about it."

Baatar's grip on the armrest tightened. "Oh, I see. Go ahead, I know my visits the week of Opal's birthday didn't get past you. Frankly, I can't say I care. She and I have done absolutely nothing that goes against your protocol-"

"This isn't about the rules," Lin spat. "Honestly, I think I'd be more forgiving about a breach in protocol with Kuvira, because that's slightly more understandable. But this? Junior, everyone is trying to help you and you're actively resisting. Your mother has a problem with Kuvira because she was fully prepared to kill people for her bloody empire, and she wouldn't even stop with the man she claimed to love!" She leapt up from her seat, her body turned from him and pointing accusingly with two fingers. "I might not have children of my own, but there are some kids I think of like a mother, one in particular. And let me tell you this much- if some woman were to try to harm a hair on his head, I wouldn't want him going within slapping distance of her."

"You don't understand," he said through gritted teeth. "She's different-"

"When you're young, stupid, and in love, you always think it's different for you," Lin said flatly. "We've all been there, and frankly, I think you're making a huge mistake. Either way, you should be able to see what Su is thinking and feeling, whether you agree or not."

"Aunt Lin," he entreated, "you gave her the linen to bind her feet while she practiced. She told me. Why would you do that if you really thought her heartless?" Lin looked surprised, evidently not having expected Kuvira to have told him. "She told me to not allow her to come between me and the family. She's not trying to pull me away from everyone, stop blaming her for everything-"

"Then that makes it worse," Lin said. "If that's true, that means you're selfish and incapable of forgiving your mother for her understandable biases despite all that she's been through and all that she's doing for you." She put her hands on her hips. "That apology wasn't heartfelt, was it? It was because Kuvira told you to."

"No, I regretted-"

"It's pretty sick," she continued, ignoring his attempt to speak, "that Kuvira of all people recognizes Su's feelings are normal and that you're being unfair, when she's the woman who has right to a quarrel with Su. Congratulations, you're an even bigger bitch for your fiance than my brother-in-law is for Su. But at least your father didn't give his heart to a woman who put power over her own relationship."

Baatar leapt to standing, his hands balled into fists. "I do not need to listen to this," he growled. "If you came to verbally assault me, you've more than done your job. Thank you for an enlightening visit, Aunt Lin... I'll be sure to think on what you've said-"

She slapped him across the face, hard. His head was shoved to the side, his jaw dropping in disbelief as he registered the new sting on his cheek. He turned to her, hand on the newly numb area, his eyes blazing. "We're not done here," Lin said. "Sit down. You've deserved that for more time than I care to count."

Slowly, he returned to his seat. "I can't believe you just-"

"Shut it," she said, metalbending a segment of armor over his mouth in a manner reminiscent of Kuvira. "Junior, do you really regret what you did? Be honest with me."

"I do," he said slowly, removing the strip of metal from his mouth. "I effectively ruined my relationship with my family for something relatively petty. Honestly, after Opal left to train with Tenzin and the other airbenders, I probably could have convinced my dad to let me work independently. It would have been difficult, but he could have been brought around."

Lin nodded. "Good. But is that it?"

His gaze hardened. "Yes, that's it. All I would have done differently would be to convince Kuvira to not go behind Mom's back. The empire needed someone to lead it, and since Mom was content to let our country burn while she hid in Zaofu, Kuvira stepped up. I helped her, and we wouldn't have handled any of the reunification differently."

"Prison camps?" Lin said, arching a brow. "Firing at will on children? Making a spirit weapon of mass destruction?"

Baatar paused, resting his chin in his hand. "We... wouldn't have fired it." Lin brought her hand to her forehead in disgust, and he began to relax, knowing the worst was over. "No, Aunt Lin, listen to me- it was an incredible breakthrough in modern engineering, and if not for that I wouldn't be rewiring the generators downtown to run off the vines!"

He felt a smile of relief break over his face when she looked at him, a helpless smile teasing at the corners of her mouth. "Don't explain the physics behind it," she warned. "I'm not interested."

"Are you sure? It's fascinating-" He held up his hands when she warningly bended a piece of metal towards him. "We would have handled things differently, I don't know. I still would have gone with her. She's always understood me more than Mom and Dad did. With her..." His voice trailed off, making his next words barely audible. "She made me feel like my own person, and I've always been the one she went to when she felt alone." He looked at Lin with a twist to his mouth. "You were estranged from Mom at that time. If you'd visited, you would have seen that we spent a lot of time together."

She sighed. "We'll have to talk about that some other time. I don't like that you're visiting her regularly, kid. You had improved so much, but once you started spending more time with her it's like a different side of you came out, and it's not a good side."

"Aunt Lin, if I didn't believe in what I was doing, I wouldn't have gone with her," he said evenly. "Yes, that was a huge motivating factor, but we both thought we could make a difference. And we did."

"Yes," Lin said, standing to indicate her visit had ended, "you did. But at what cost?"

Baatar stood too, unsure how to answer. "I'll visit you more often," he said at last.

"Good," she said. "It'll neutralize any damage you cause by strolling down memory lane with Kuvira."

He laughed. "I'll try to keep that in mind."

"Call your mother more," Lin said, pausing at the door. "Be nicer to her. Oh, and kid- when was the last time you talked to Keisai?"

Baatar frowned thoughtfully. "At our last briefing?"

"You should check in with him," she said pointedly, turning away. "He's annoying, but he deserves better than what you've given him."

"Aunt Lin, wait." She turned back, crossing her arms. "Thank you," he said, trying to convey his sincerity. "Oh, and I'm curious- who do you regard as a son?"

Lin finally smiled. "Oh, you've met him a few times. Have a good night kid, and try to be less of an asshole... Sometimes I think I see glimpses of a nephew I could actually be proud of in there."

o0o

After a few moments of peace in the vestibule of the restaurant, the silence was broken by an excited cry. Mako looked up from his magazine, giving a little wave.

"Mako!"

"Hey, Wu!" Mako said, mustering up a smile and trying to sound enthusiastic. "It's been months. Good to see you again."

"Man, I've missed you!" Wu said delightedly, forcing a hug on the detective and closing his eyes, a picture of complete happiness. "How is everyone? The city has changed so much in my time away... I heard the lovely Asami Sato played a big role in that?"

"Yeah, Future Industries got a big contract with the state," Mako said. "She's been pretty busy, but she made time for a vacation in the spirit world with Korra," he added in a loaded tone.

"Oh yeah, how is Avatar Korra?" Wu said, his eyebrows practically dancing. "Think she'll be down for a night on the town? I heard there's a new spirit vine attraction that's pretty romantic..." he added, drawing out the word with a wink.

"She's already seen it," Mako snapped. "And yes, it's very nice."

"Mako!" Wu said in shock. "How could you get back together with Korra and not tell me about it? I thought we were best buds!"

"What? No!" Mako pinched the bridge of his nose. "It wasn't with me, okay? Korra and I aren't together."

Wu patted his shoulder sympathetically. "We can take a vacation in the spirit world if it'll make you feel better."

Mako sighed. "No. Shouldn't you be telling me about your time in the Earth Kingdom? Or about the Kuvira loyalists that tried to assassinate you?"

"Allegedly," Wu corrected him, holding up a finger as he linked his free arm through Mako's, following their server to a table. "Well, there's not much to say.. I miss having you as my bodyguard, guarding my body.. I just don't feel as safe anymore, you know?"

Mako's eye twitched. "Did you have to go with that word choice?"

"...and of course now that I'm gone, Raiko's all in a tizzy because it's the perfect setup for a proper revolution," Wu continued. "Man, my advisors are so smart. They predicted that all of this would happen!" The server brought them their menus, scowling when Wu shooed him away.

"Did they?" Mako asked sharply. "What do you mean?"

"Well, for a start they didn't want to jump right back into things when I said I wanted to abdicate the throne," Wu explained, snapping to get the man's attention again. "Can we get some octopus fritters to start things off?"

Mako snatched away the menu, leaning forward intently. "What was their original proposition?"

"Oh, they suggested I start by calling a meeting of the king's small council and drafting the constitution for a new Earth Nation," he said. "I'd have a cabinet of elected officials who oversee the main political junk, and the governors of the states would run things on a small scale. It wouldn't be a real monarchy, it would be like how Earth King Kuei was a cultural figurehead! All of the perks of royalty, but none of the ruling."

"Kuei was a puppet controlled by the Dai Li," Mako snapped. "How is that any better?"

"Because," Wu said, taking a dainty bite of the hot fritter after the server dropped the plate with little ceremony, "this time, instead of the Dai Li the cabinet will be elected by the people! Each guy will represent a state, and that way each state has a person sticking up for them when we pass national laws!" They placed their orders, with Mako flashing the server an apologetic smile.

"So where do you fit into all of this?" Mako asked, shaking his head when Wu profferred a fritter.

"I'm just a guy with a dream," Wu said happily. "And that dream is to launch my singing career, but it's on hold for now. My small council thinks it's a bad idea to jump straight into electing a president, and that I should stay on at least a bit longer as a cultural figurehead. But the ministers have their orders from Raiko, and he wants me to rule until he's free to help them work with the council on a formal constitution." He popped another fritter into his mouth. "Crazy, right? Just a few months ago, I wouldn't have dreamed I'd be doing this kind of stuff. And here we are!"

"But you aren't, Wu," Mako pointed out. "And no wonder the loyalists are going crazy and calling for blood, Raiko's interfering in internal Earth Kingdom affairs. That's what put Kuvira in power in the first place, and now it's gone and caused a power vacuum, since you're not even safe in the country you're supposed to rule!" Mako brought his fist down on the table. "And now I get to deal with the fringe group in Republic City."

Wu patted his arm. "Aww, don't sound so upset, buddy. What have you been up to?"

"I'm back on the beat," Mako said. "Beifong tasked me with getting to the bottom of this whole Earth Empire loyalist group that's been going after Baatar Junior. She suspects they're going to attempt a break-in on Kuvira's cell-"

"Kuvira's here?" Wu said, perking up. "Can we go visit her?"

Mako's eyes narrowed. "Why? She basically usurped you on your coronation, and crushed the medal you awarded her!"

"I know," Wu said, "but she did have a ton of followers, and most of Ba Sing Se still is loyal to her because she literally saved the city. I feel like she could give me some pointers, you know?"

Mako sighed. "You just think she's pretty."

"That too," Wu admitted, happily tucking into his entree.

"Fine, we can go visit," Mako said, crossing his arms. "We're finishing lunch first, right?" He took Wu's contented sounds of chewing as a yes.

o0o

They were in the middle of a briefing session when Prince Wu stopped by.

"This is what a jail looks like?" The prince looked around, confused. "Why is everything wooden?"

"Only this floor is," Mako explained as they were cleared to enter. "It's because she's a metalbender, so a stone cell with metal bars won't hold her. We use those for firebenders and waterbenders, and most earthbenders. Only one in fifty actually have the ability to bend metal."

They walked in to see the lawyer, Baatar, and Kuvira seated at the table, going over the new findings in the case. "Hey there," the lawyer said easily. "Mako, right? We've met before."

"I remember," Mako said. "Wu, this is Keisai. He's the defense attorney for Kuvira and Baatar's cases."

"Delighted," Keisai said, firmly shaking Wu's hand. "You know, I've been dying to meet you in person. I can always respect a man who recognizes that there's nothing emasculating about a spa day."

Wu grinned. "Maybe when you're done helping my political rival, I can take you up on that offer. The folks over at the Plaza Hotel love me."

"Are we interrupting?" Mako asked. "We can come back at a later time-"

"No, I'm just about finished here," Keisai said. "Kuvira, I'll see you after the kid and I get a chance to go underground."

"Be careful," she warned. "If anything happens, you can kiss your reputation goodbye."

The lawyer patted her hand, his eyes alight and the gears of his brain whirring. "Then I'll just have to be extremely careful."

Mako frowned. "You know, you cut it close with how you handled the break in. You could have left it to the police."

Keisai sighed, resting a hand on his shoulder. "Look, your mom-boss made that clear to me. Yes, I screwed up. But I think you'll all find that we managed to make it work out well for the case, and it wouldn't have been possible with your officers snooping around the apartment." He waved to Baatar. "I'll probably see you around the time I see her, man." With a final farewell, he was gone with his usual bounce to his step.

Mako stood behind Wu's seat, his face apprehensive even though it would be impossible for Kuvira to launch an assault. Kuvira found the young man's expression amusing. The idea of taking out the prince was laughable; good behavior was a indispensable at this point, and she wasn't about to add fodder to the file the prosecution had on her by now. "So, to what do I owe the honor, your eminence?" she asked the prince drily. "Baatar, you don't have to stay any longer."

"No, I want to," he replied.

"No need for the formalities, gumdrop," Wu said as he flashed her a toothy grin. Mako pinched the bridge of his nose.

"All right, now I'm definitely staying," Baatar said, crossing his arms as his expression darkened. Kuvira's eyebrows shot up at Wu's familiarity, but she was amused.

"How was Ba Sing Se?" she asked, regarding the prince coolly. "I hear little of the goings on outside my cell, but I've been told that the capital of the empire was moved to Omashu?"

"Someone mixed up your information there, doll," Wu said as her slight flew over his head. "It wasn't moved, but I couldn't stay in the capital. Too many of your supporters are there, and the governor refuses to answer to the crown. That's actually why we're here."

"I thought you abdicated? Either way, I'm afraid I can't help you," Kuvira replied, a cold smile at the corners of her mouth. "In case you couldn't tell, I'm powerless here. My only concern at the moment is ensuring that I receive fair treatment under the just and honorable laws of the United Republic in this clearly..." she paused delicately, "international matter." She glanced at Baatar, and he too was smiling, his eyes glinting with the smug adoration they used to hold when he looked at her. Her gaze softened in spite of herself.

"You have a lot of influence, even in your cell, and you know it," Mako snapped, leaning his weight on the table. Baatar uncrossed his arms, looking as though he too was about to stand, and she placed her hand on his, letting it linger as her thumb stroked along the ridged protrusion of his knuckles in warning. "We know about the phone call, and I know that your supporters here in the republic think you can still help them and make a difference," he added, straightening.

"Tell her, Mako!" Wu said, leaning back in his seat. "No, but seriously, Kuvira- Mako actually pointed this out to me after you ruined my coronation day. The people liked you-"

"And apparently still do," she murmured.

"-for a reason," he said. "And I wanted to ask you as one world leader to another, what did you do to earn their love? You definitely weren't born to it," he said, adjusting the broach.

Kuvira frowned at his choice of words. "You're mistaken. I'm not a world leader anymore."

The detective had crossed his arms and watch watching the prince with an odd glimmer of pride in his face as he continued to speak. "But that's where you're wrong, cupcake. If there's anything I've learned in this past year, it's that people only follow the leader when they recognize him -or her- as a leader. I didn't become king when I put on the broach, and you didn't become the leader of the Earth Kingdom because Raiko gave you a contract."

Kuvira withdrew her hand, interlacing her fingers under her chin. "Yes...that's the most intelligent thing I've ever heard you say. Power can't be inherited or given, it has to be earned through the trust of the people."

"Or fear," Mako added. "You did your share of that as well."

She cocked her head to the side, ignoring the detective and regarding the prince with a newfound grudging respect. "You really want to know how we got them to accept our rule?" she said softly. "We served. We restored order to chaos, and I made difficult decisions that often put my personal life and comfort second to that of the nation." Her words faltered for a moment, and she ran her thumb along the cool metal of her ring. "Yes, I made mistakes... of increasing gravity, but stabilizing one of the most powerful cities in the world when it is spiraling into chaos is not easily forgotten."

Wu nodded. "Gotcha. That did not help me at all-"

"Except it did," Mako said, nudging the prince to standing. "Baatar, I'll let Lin know once I have a new development in your case. Let's go, Wu." He nodded to them both, grimacing when the prince shook hands with Kuvira longer than necessary, and they left the cell.

"He's matured," Kuvira said pensively.

"He called you gumdrop," Baatar said flatly.

She smiled at him, wishing she had an excuse to hug him goodbye. "Don't forget 'doll' and 'cupcake.' Will you be coming with Keisai next week, or on your own?"

"It depends," he said, squeezing her hand as he stood to leave. "I might have to patch things up with him first. I'll see you soon, though."

She watched him leave, her heart quickening when he turned to give her a final look before the door shut. Kuvira leaned against the chair back and took the hand he had just held in her other, enjoying a rare moment of complete contentment.


A/N: Omg I loved writing that scene with Lin. She's the best. Still super proud of this line: "I don't know what's gotten into you, but I have a damn good suspicion and I don't want to be crude about it." BURRRRNNNN. And of course I ship Wuko all the way as a totally platonic broship. Ugh, all the couples in this chapter were a delight! KUVIRA THO. I wrote her listening to "Monster" and couldn't stop thinking the line that goes "You can be the king, but watch the queen conquer." BADASS.

Also, PSA-I also will be switching to weekly updates, since school is back in session. Check my author profile and the tumblr to stay updated if you're into that sort of thing, and until then I can't wait to read the reviews! Y'all are the best!