...Hi. Well, if I'm nominated for 's suckiest authour... I will accept the title without complaint. But seriously sorry for making you guys wait so long the delay was a result of life plus athours block.

It wasn't that hard to fall into role once Tenzin finally arrived and the dinner started at last. It wasn't that hard to ignore the uncomfortable dress or endure the never ending pleasantries that she had to receive and give to Bumi and Tenzin's fellow politicians and co workers. There was a surprising amount of both generals and lower ranks from the United Forces present.

Despite being distracted it wasn't unbearable because it meant the sooner it was over the sooner she could explain to Lin and she could stop feeling like an elephant was sitting on her chest.

The dinner finally came to a close. Laughter rang through the large room as Bumi finished anotherridiculous anecdote. Korra only mildly wondered how the older man got himself in the situations that he did. While conversation continued, the water bender sat anxiously tapping her finger on the table, cursing the fact that there were no clocks and that she left her phone in her room. She couldn't help her eyes flickering to Lin every few minutes, despite her best efforts. The metal bender was sitting across the table a few seats to the right of her. But Korra took it as a good sign when her eyes caught green watching her as well before they would turn away.

She was so wrapped up in her thoughts that she was slightly startled when Bumi himself called her name.

"I'm sorry. What?"

He chuckled good naturedly. "I asked if you're excited for your birthday this summer? Finally eighteen. I hear I shouldn't be surprised if I see the White Lotus around here soon."

'Fuck me a million times over.' Korra thought to herself as a whole new set of excited murmurs filled the room.

"This summer?" she heard several people say at once.

Korra shifted uncomfortably under all the new scrutiny. She directed her answer to Bumi. "Not that excited. I'm sure it'll be like any other birthday."

"Really?" he raised a dark eyebrow. "But I hear your bending skills are something that must be seen to be believed."

His words were only adding to the growing excitement around her.

"There really not." Korra said with a shrug. "Even if they were, there just water bending skills. Trust me only water bending."

"Yes, but you're a water bender who's turning eighteen this summer. So of course there's a chance." She heard a council member say eagerly.

Korra barely resisted the urge to roll her eyes. "There are thousands and thousands of water benders turning eighteen this summer." She said defensively.

Before someone could say something else Pema quickly interrupted and suggested that everyone take dessert in a more comfortable part of the temple. Forgetting what she considered a very stupid conversation, Korra got up quickly seeing her opportunity. But before she could try to get to Lin she lost sight of her as council members and other people she didn't quite recognize came up to her.

Under normal circumstance Korra would have at least tried to pay attention to what was being said to her but as people gradually made their way out of the dining room she continued to lose her patients more and more. Why were they even talking politics to her? Why would she care about the acts theirtrying to pass? Oh, right … damn you Bumi.

"Look, I know what you guys think but I'm really not…" she started but didn't have to finish.

"Korra!" the dark skin man bellowed. "I was sure I'd get my birthday present by now." He threw his arm over her small shoulders and steered her away from the growing crowd. The teenager looked back at the irritated politicians before saying to Bumi. "I don't have your gift, Pema does."

He laughed. "I know. You looked like you needed some saving."

Ah, well at least he redeemed himself, Korra thought.

"They really are a bunch of bone heads. The Avatar takes years to master their bending and then worries about the world's problems. Or so I've heard." He said off handily as they walked down the corridor to join the rest of the guest in a larger spacious room.

Korra's expression soured again. She could have sworn they were done with the subject.

"But then again I've also heard that the Avatars training consist..."

"Tell me again how you took down five pirates ships single handily." Korra cut in desperately before he could continue.

Instead of answering he threw his head back and laughed whole heartily. The teen glared at the man who was obviously messing with her.

"Yeah, you're hysterical…" she grumbled to herself, as she left him bent over laughing.

She had bigger problems than Bumi taking advantage of her well known exasperation with the topic. When Korra walked into the room where everyone conjugated she wasted no time searching for the women who occupied ninety percent of her thoughts. Fear gripped her when her gaze swept over people, all nursing a drink or another and fancy air bender furniture without a sign of the Chief of police. Maybe she left and Korra didn't notice. She was about to give up and head downstairs when she finally spotted her.

She was utterly disheartened to see her surrounded. Korra sighed and rubbed her neck with despair she had endured the conversation, the dinner, and waiting only to have to wait more? Was she going to be stuck in this dress all night? She bit her lip as she contemplated her options. She couldn't think of a good enough excuse to say in front of who ever she was talking with to get her alone. But she didn't want to wait either.

Her decision was made for her when she saw more council members purposely making their way to her. She quickly ducked behind a nearby group of guest and then made a not so mad dash to doors that led outside. Firmly closing them behind her, she welcomed the cool night air and walked to the railings. She frowned as she looked over them at rocky ground thirty feet below. She wasn't going that way. Looking up she saw that the next balcony was just as far away.

"Why is everything so complicated?" she muttered to herself. Just as she was thinking of another escape route she heard the doors open and close behind her. Korra gripped the railings and felt the events of the night get the better of her as she yelled angrily, "For the last damn time I am not the Avatar!" She whirled around to face the annoying council men only to find Lin surprisingly close with her fine eyebrows lifted in question.

"Oh… um. Hey." The teen said quietly, she looked away as she rubbed her neck in embarrassment. "I'm sorry. I thought you were someone else…" she trailed off.

The older woman shrugged. She appeared more amused than offended and didn't say anything; instead she walked till she was leaning against the railing beside Korra. The water bender turned back around. She opened her mouth ready to say every version of an explanation and apology she had thought of in last couple of hours but they stuck in her throat.

"You seem very opposed to being the Avatar." The older woman stated evenly, glancing at the moon.

Korra groaned helplessly and dropped her head onto her arms. "Possibly. Possibly being. And I'm not. Can we please talk about something else?" she pleaded.

"Okay." Lin said simply. Korra turned her head and saw smile tugging at the light pink lips. She straighten and huffed but decided she was okay with Lin finding her position amusing, unlike with Bumi. As they stood side by side with a polite distance between them that Korra detested she also noticed the moons white light played on the older woman's skin.

Korra turned to face the metal bender. "I'm really sorry I didn't tell you about Asami." She blurted."But she's known how I've felt about you since the beginning. She's my best friend and she knows me better than anyone she would have figured it out anyway, eventually. She knows how seriously I am about us and she would never do anything to risk us. Fearing Asami will tell the wrong person is like being scared of the sky falling. I was going to tell…"

"Then why didn't you?" Lin asked meeting Korra's gaze, sounding frustrated.

"Because!" The teen started frustration in her own voice. She looked up to the inky cloudless sky trying to gather her thoughts. Why did she suck so much at these kinds of things?

"I don't think about Asami when I'm around you." She said meeting Lin's gaze with fire in her eyes. "I don't think about anyone or anything except…" she looked away over the railings while blowing out an aggravated breath and running a hand through her hair. It was down for the occasion.

"I think about … how to make you smile or laugh, both preferably I guess. …I think about ways to find out more about you…" She looked at Lin gaze in the green eyes that have softened considerably.

"I think about how beautiful you are…" Korra murmured. The older woman took a step toward the water bender almost as if it was against her will.

"Korra…"

"That's why I forgot to tell you."

Korra watched as yielding green eyes searched her face, there were as open as the water bender as ever seen them. She could see doubt, hesitation, and another emotion Korra couldn't decipher as Lin asked, "Is that the only reason you told her?"

It was the first time Korra heard her sound so uncertain. She closed the remaining distance between them without a second thought; she cupped the older woman's cheek.

"Yes." She said firmly, her thumb stroking a pale scar. Jade eyes flicked over Korra's features a moment longer before Lin nodded, looking down. The metal bender didn't lean into her touch or away from it. Unsure, Korra brought her down over a pale jaw until it rested against her neck where she could feel her strong, almost too fast pulse.

"I know it's selfish to want you." Korra started.

Lin looked met her gaze. "… Making you risk so much. But I thought … maybe… I could make you …happy." She wanted to make sure she had Lin's attention as she said, "If anyone deserves to be happy Lin it's you."

Korra bit her lip and dropped her hand completely so they were standing close but not touching. She didn't want to say the words, everything in her was begging her not to. She was sure if she gave Lin an out she would take it and run but she forced them out anyway.

"But I get it if I don't or you don't want…"

The older woman stopped the teens mumbling by grabbing a tan hand and putting it back on her neck and holding it there.

"You do make me happy, Korra." She sighed and wrapped her free arm around the younger woman's waist, drawing her against her. And it was like finally getting ice on a persistent burn. The relief was so strong Lin felt absurd for her doubts. She buried her nose in Korra's dark locks and sighed.

"You do. Maybe too much." She paused and shook her head slightly. "Even if I was worried about the risks…" She sighed again and sounded oddly agitated when she finished, "I have no restraint when it comes to you." She felt the water bender's lips smile against her neck.

Korra pulled back. "Really?" she asked with a poorly suppressed grin. Lin felt her own lips smile in response.

"Really. But…" she leaned back so she could look into deep azure eyes. "I'm the selfish one here."

Korra's eyebrows rose. "How do you figure that?"

Lin sighed and rubbed Korra's hip through the soft dress with her thumb. "Korra, I'm over thirty years older than you. You should be with someone who makes you happy for has long as you live. Someone who…"

"Lin." The water bender cut her off. She was going to tell her how much she didn't care but Lin continued.

"You're wasting your time with me." The metal bender said earnestly.

Korra shook her head adamantly. "No I am not. The exact opposite, actually. Lin, if I cared about how old you are I wouldn't have …"

"Maybe you don't care now, but you will." The older woman sounded very sure.

Korra huffed angrily. "Can I be the one to decide who and what I care about? Seriously Lin," She pulled back. "Can't you at least give me a chance to prove you wrong?"

The older woman eyes searched Korra's. She didn't want to take the teens choice away from her but at the same time Lin knew that she was young and chances were she would care sooner rather than later. If the metal bender was smart and had any sense of self preservation she would call this off as soon as possible. But something in her completely balked at the mere thought. No, Lin was sure that when… if this relationship ended it would be on Korra's terms.

She relaxed, decision made and instead of answering she moved closer and shifted her hand from her neck down to Korra's hip and leaned down until their noses were touching.

She paused for a moment before pushing her lips firmly against Korra's. The gentle sweetness of the kiss only lasted a few moments before Lin tightened her grip on Korra's hips and pulled her closer while flicking her tongue across the teen's lip, asking for entrance. Korra's own tongue met Lin's half way as she moved her hand to the nape of the older woman's neck, her fingers pushed into the soft, dark silver hair.

What Lin initially intended to be just a kiss turned into a full desperate make out session unintentionally proving her earlier point. A feeling Korra can only describe as elation filled her chest and entire body as she relished in the taste and feel of Lin. Minutes later she was smiling when she pulled back even though she felt like she was close to passing out from lack of air.

Before the thought even registered she breathed, "I love you." Just as Lin asked while starting to press open mouth kisses along Korra's neck,

"Do you see what I mean?" She pulled back "I'm sorry. What?" she murmured with slightly heavy eye lids.

The teen felt both relieved and disappointed that the Chief didn't hear her accidental proclamation. But she really should tell her. Korra took a step back. "…I…" but then again does it have to be tonight? The idea of telling Lin now about how she felt suddenly felt like over kill. The night was dramatic enough as it was. Before she could say something else the doors opened and Pema popped her head out.

"Finally." The air benders wife groaned, walking on to the balcony. Pema missed Lin's rigidness and sigh of irritation as well as Korra's quite mutter, "Twice. Twice in one night."

"I've been looking all over the temple for you. Guests are leaving and I need you to put Meelo to bed." Then she added curiously. "What are you two doing out here?"

When the metal bender didn't say anything like she had earlier an awkward silence surrounded them. Korra glanced at the older woman only to see, much to her own amusement, her scowling at the ground below them.

"We're just… enjoying the weather." The teen gestured with a smile to the clear sky and the general air around them.

Pema simply hummed seemingly unsatisfied with the answer. "Well come put the children to bed while I…" she was cut off by the sound of her own name coming through the open door behind her.

"Yeah, sure. I'll be there in a minute." Korra said coolly. Pema opened her mouth to say something but Korra cut her off, "Go before gossip spreads about you being a bad hostess." The teen joked.

"Well… don't take too long it's already past their bedtime." Pema finally made her exist closing the doors behind her.

"I think Pema's timing is starting to finally get to you." The water bender grinned. Lin leveled a look at her without giving anything away. Korra stepped back into the older woman's personal space.

"Let's get out of here."

A fine eyebrow rose. "Before or after you put the gassy monster to bed?" she asked.

There was a long moment of silence before Korra said very seriously. "I'm telling Tenzin you said that."

Amusement pulled at the metal bender's lips. "Tell him." She said with a hint of a challenge in her voice.

Korra chuckled whole heartily. "I will. And afterwards."

"So we can get caught alone for a third time tonight by Pema?" Lin tucked a stray lock of hair behind the teen's ear. "I love your hair down like this." She murmured letting her finger tips blaze a trail down a coffee and cream neck.

"Um…." She tried to remember her thoughts. "No, not here. Somewhere else." Korra huffed. She just wanted to be alone with the older woman, actually alone was that too much to ask?

Light green eyes met hers and seemed to read her mind. "Remember the emotional blackmail? I have a lot of days off now." She huffed at that part before continuing. "Starting tomorrow."

Korra hummed and then asked. "So the only way for you to take a day off is if you get emotionally black mailed into it?"

Lin rolled her eyes. "I do take days off. Now I have several."

"So you were emotionally blackmailed into taking a vacation." The teen clarified.

"Korra…"

The teen smiled broadly and leaned toward the other woman. "Expect me bright and early." She said lowly then crossed her arms. "You know, I am really curious about this blackmail. What did you do?"

"And I'm really curious about your aversion for the Avatar."

Korra rolled her eyes irritably. "I don't. I just wish people would stop bothering me about it. I would know if I was the Avatar."

Lin hummed and then said thoughtfully more to herself than the teen. "I don't know. Tenzin seemed pretty quiet on the topic." Before Korra could question the relevance Lin added. "Well, if anything you'd make a really pretty Avatar."

The water bender knew the older woman was teasing her but she was not amused as she said, "You're lucky you're too pretty to hurt."

Lin pushed off the railings with a small smile, mirth playing in pale green eyes. "That's cute. You thinkyou can hurt me. She kissed the teen's forehead before making for the doors. "We should go before Pema has an epiphany about us.

"What?" Korra sputtered. "I could totally hurt you. Didn't you hear Bumi?"

Lin turned around with a retort on the tip of her tongue when the doors opened again.

"Korra!" Pema hissed.

Said girl frowned and started for the doors to the impatient woman as if she was doing that all along and grumbled, "I said I was coming."

"This isn't a good way to get ungrounded." She looked like she was going to say more before she looked back inside as if her name was called. She turned back around giving Korra the 'you're two steps away from being in trouble' look before disappearing again.

"Geez, what's her problem?"

"What did you do to get grounded? Lin asked curiously, holding the door open. "I thought you were walking the straight and narrow?"

Korra threw her a coy smile. "I am. Apparently coming home in the morning, after losing your virginity during the best night of your life is frowned upon in this air temple."

Thank you for the reviews and alerts :) if you guys lost interest I probably would have too.

Once again a big thank you to GTFOMyLand for taking the time to beta this.

Aaaaaaaand happy new year!