49 New Crushes and Old Relationships

A young woman walked happily down the corridor at her new job. She had only been in Republic city for two months and she had already landed a position at City Hall. Okay, so maybe she was just a page, but a job is a job.

She tapped on the large door in the middle of the hall and stuck her head in "Avatar Aang, I have some files for you."

"No more Pema, have mercy on a poor old man." he said, looking up from the document he was signing.

"Old man, right." she scoffed as she put her armful on the desk.

He leaned across his desk with a serious look on his face "I'll have you know, young lady, that I just turned one hundred sixty four years old."

She folded her arms and pursed her lips at him "I don't think you can count the time in the iceberg. And besides that, I don't believe you're sixty four. I think you lied about your age so you could be with Master Katara." she leaned in "Come on, you can tell me."

Aang laughed "I knew there was a reason I liked you."

Pema smiled "Is there anything you need me to take?"

"No Miss Pema, I think it'll be tomorrow before I dig myself out of this mess."

She chuckled again "Okay Avatar Aang, I'll check back before I leave just to make sure." The young page turned to leave and walked right into someone. She immediately started to apologize before she looked up and saw who it was.

There was Tenzin, so close to her that his body was pressed against hers, cupping her elbows to keep her from falling back.

"Are you okay?" he asked as she stepped away.

She folded into herself like she used to when she was a child "I'm fine Master Tenzin. I have to go now." and she rushed out.

Tenzin watched the befuddled young woman hurry down the hall, the he turned to Aang who was obviously fighting to contain a laugh. He sighed "What's so funny Father?" he asked as he closed the door.

"Oh nothing." the Avatar said "So, what brings you here today?" Tenzin said nothing, just pouted. Aang groaned "Are you and Lin at it again?"

"She is so, so…infuriating. Every time I bring up marriage or children she either changes the subject or talks about the importance of her work or says we have time." he flopped down in the closest chair "When she said that this time I, I think I said something I shouldn't have."

Aang groaned again, this time resting his forehead on his palms "What did you say this time?"

Tenzin held his head down "I said that we aren't in our twenties anymore and if we wait too much longer she'll be past her child bearing years."

Aang groaned louder and rubbed the heels of his hands on his forehead "Ten, you never call a woman out on her age." he looked up "Well, you're clean so I guess she didn't bury you this time."

"We were in public and she was in uniform so she just walked away."

"Well that's a good thing." he shifted in his seat "So, have you thought about taking Mushi's place on the council? All the acolytes seem to think you would be the one for the job."

"I don't know Father. It's an honor that they nominated me, but there are so many others who say it's not right for Uncle and I to both be on the council, and I can understand where they're coming from. Besides, I enjoy teaching. I don't know if I'd want to give that up."

"I understand. They do love you at the university."

"I suppose so." the younger man said. "I'm sure someone will step in when Mushi retires."

"I'm sure they will." Aang said.

~.~.~.~.~.~.~.

It was late in the afternoon when Pema returned to Aang's office as promised "Avatar Aang," she said jovially when she stepped into his office "I'm back. Do you have anything you need me to take?"

He smiled "Pema. You know, I'm actually finished, but it's so much that Tenzin and I will take them."

Pema hadn't noticed the Avatar's son sitting in the armchair in the corner, but when she did she clasped her hand together, held her head down and spoke quietly "Very well Avatar Aang. I'll see you tomorrow." then she scurried out.

Aang held back a chuckle again and Tenzin raised an eyebrow at him "I'm glad you find it funny that the young woman hates me."

Aang's face straitened and he looked at his son "Are you serious?"

"Yes. That's not the first time I've heard her talking regularly to someone and when she sees me she hurries away. I wonder if I did something to offend her that I can't remember."

Aang let out an exasperated huff "Tenzin, you can't really be that thick, can you?" his son looked at him confused "Can't you see the girl has a crush on you?"

"Father, be serious."

"I am being serious. When she realized it was you she ran into today her heart rate almost doubled."

Tenzin scowled at Aang "Father, put your boots on and let's go home."

"Why are you trying to get off of the subject? I felt that you know, you were flattered. I would be too if a pretty young lady was interested in me."

"Father, it's nonsense. I'm almost twice her age and I'm with Lin. Why would she be interested in me?"

"The heart wants what the heart wants."

"Well then I think you need to get your feet checked because there is no way Pema wants anything to do with me."

"If you say so."

~.~.~.~.~.~.~.

Although they'd had an argument earlier in the day Lin was ready when Tenzin arrived to take her on their date. She'd been looking forward to going to that play for over a month and nothing Tenzin said or did was going to make her miss it.

They walked quietly to the theater, sat in their seats and waited for the play to begin without exchanging a word.

"How are you enjoying the play so far?" Tenzin finally asked during the intermission.

"It's nice. I'm glad it came out while I was still young enough to enjoy it." she said nonchalantly.

"And here we go." Tenzin said gliding his hand across his face.

"What. I'm just saying I have to live my life before I become an old dried out hag."

"That's not what I meant and you know it" Tenzin exhaled and looked around the box to see if the couple who sat behind them were still there. They weren't so he went on "Look, I need you to tell me this straight out and I need the truth." he took a deep breath "Are you ever going to marry me? Are you ever going to have my children?"

Lin held her head down "Tenzin, I love you…but no, I don't want children."

"Have you always felt like that?"

"Yes. I used to think that I'd change my mind, but I haven't."

"Okay." he said and he looked out at the stage as if the play had begun again.

"Tenzin. Tenzin? Tenzin, don't do this. I'm sorry, but that's how I feel."

"It's fine Lin. The play will be starting again soon."

"Tenzin, don't do this passive-aggressive shit."

"I'm passive-aggressive?" He raised his voice a little more "I'm passive-aggressive? You knew for years exactly what I wanted from this relationship and you're just now telling me that you want the exact opposite and I'm being passive-aggressive. You-" he was cut off by the sound of the couple coming back. He turned back to the stage.

"Tenzin," Lin said softly as she touched her fingertips to his arm. He snatched it away "Tenzin, you're acting like a petulant child."

"And how would you know anything about that?" he snapped as he got up and stormed out of the box.

~.~.~.~.~.~.~.

When Lin caught up to Tenzin he was half way to the stable "Tenzin, won't you talk to me?"

He stopped "Oh. Now you want to talk?"

She folded her arms across her chest. "I don't know why you're so gung ho about this. Would it be the worst thing in the world if we didn't get married and have a litter running around? Bumi's perfectly satisfied with living the single life."

"And since when have I ever been like Bumi? If that's what you want then maybe you're with the wrong brother."

Then, out of anger, completely before she took the time to think she said "Well maybe I am!"

It came out faster than she could clamp her hands over her mouth to catch it. Almost in slow motion a hurt expression drew across his face "Tenzin, I'm sorry. I didn't mean that at all."

"Oh, but I think you did. Is that what you want? My brother? You're just settling for me?"

"Tenzin, I said I didn't mean it."

"You didn't mean it, but it's amazing how easily it just slid out of your mouth." he turned and started walking toward the bay.

"Tenzin. Come back. Where are you going?"

"I'm going to do something I should've done a long time ago."

Lin followed Tenzin out to the end of the biggest, longest dock in Republic City, the one used by only the largest ships. He stopped right on the end of the dock, lifted his sleeve and started untying something from his wrist.

"Tenzin, what are you doing?" Lin asked.

He turned around "Do you remember this?" he asked holding the decade old betrothal necklace between his fingers.

"Yes I remember it. Tenzin, what are you going to do?"

The air bender turned around, reached back and threw the necklace as far out as he could into Yue Bay.

"Tenzin don't!" she yelled out, but it was too late "Why would you do that?" she asked with tears in her eyes.

"What difference does it make? You were never going to accept it. I've been carrying that thing around for more than ten years like a dammed fool. Why would I continue to do that?" he turned back to her and saw the tears on her face shimmer in the moonlight. For a second her felt bad, the he turned and left. As he walked away he thought 'I'll never make another betrothal necklace.'

~.~.~.~.~.~.~.

Pema and her roommate sat out on their balcony and enjoyed the cool night air as they talked about their day.

"And he had the nerve to say that he didn't smell smoke as if we all couldn't see the table smoldering in front of him." Zarra laughed.

"That's hilarious, what did the professor say?" Pema asked.

"She said 'Young man, if you can't control your bending then perhaps we should send you to the daycare down the street." the two young women fell into laughter "Pema, you should really enroll. It would be great. We could hang out all day. And you'll be able to see Professor Hotness on the regular."

"Get off it Zarra." Pema blushed, suddenly focusing on the contents of the cup in her hand.

"I'm just sayin'. I mean he is hot. Oh and have you seen his brother Bumi? He was there as a guest speaker last month and the girls are still talking about it. The Avatar sure knows how to make 'em. I mean they're old and all, but fine is fine."

"I don't know, they're not all that old." Pema shook her head "Why am I talking to you like this? He's with that cop lady anyhow and they've been together forever."

"Whatever." Zarra said unconvinced.

"What do you mean by that?"

"What I mean is they've been together all this time, but they're not married or anything; there's something not right about it. And whenever you see them together they almost always look intense, almost like they're constantly fighti-" she stopped short and looked down the street, "Well lookey what we have here."

Pema turned to see Tenzin coming up the street as if her were on a mission. She blushed brightly and folded down in her chair. Zarra, on the other hand, sat strait up with a mischievous look on her face. "Zarra, don't, please." Pema pleaded.

"Good evening Professor Tenzin." the young woman called out as the man reached their building.

Tenzin stopped in his tracks, plastered a pleasant expression on his face and turned "Good evening ladies. Enjoying the breeze?"

"Yes." Zarra said "Pema and I sit out here almost every evening when it's nice out."

"Stop it Zarra." Pema whispered harshly.

"That's very nice. Well, you ladies have a good night."

"Goodnight Professor Tenzin." Zarra called back as the man turned to leave, then she said quietly "Tell your hot ass brother to come see me when he comes back to town."

"You're shameless." Pema laughed as she sat back up in her seat.

"Did you see the look on his face before I called him? He was pissed."

"I know. I don't think he was in the best of moods when I saw him earlier today either."

"Ah, you've been holding out on me. Spill, what happened?"

"Nothing much. I was dropping some files off to Avatar Aang, joking around with him, you know, and I turned around to leave and walked right into him. I was mortified."

"So what's it like?"

"What's what like?"

"His body. What's it like under all those robes? Is he solid or does he have a gooey center?"

"I don't know."

"Pema tell that to someone who doesn't know any better."

The young woman smiled "Okay, so at first I didn't know it was even him, I just knew that I ran into somebody strong. Then he grabbed my arms to steady me."

"So what did you do when you saw it was him?"

She held her head down in shame and exhaled "The usual."

"Oh Pema," Zarra said with pity in her voice "I thought you outgrew that years ago."

"That's the thing. I only do it around him."

"Well you're going to have to work on that. We can't have you going into a cocoon every time he's around."

Here's another jump, this one was 12 years. Here's grown up Pema and another OC that just popped into my head while I was writing. Her name come from to of my online friends, Mary-Kate-Serafin on DA and Jordanalane . They both have OCs named Zarra and they've both helped me out with this story.

I couldn't find an exact meaning for Zarra, but there are alot of names like it that mean shining or golden.

This is the last of the daily updates for a while, but they will be a little more regular form here on out.

Bryke made ATLA and LOK

*edit* so I made a mistake, Mary Kate's Oc's name is Zana...Hum, maybe my Zarra has a twin sister.