A/N: Just a little drabble I wrote. It was inspired by some art I found on the Linzin tag on tumblr.
Enjoy.
At seventeen, Lin was, quite literally, a force of nature. A seasoned earth bender, she was as fierce as she was beautiful, with a mind as sharp as her tongue and a volition as strong as her punch. She was elegant and slender, her frame draped with wiry muscle toughened from years of training under her mother's strict tutelage.
She had the lithe, agile body of a dancer that made Tenzin's mouth water in spite of himself, even as she chucked rocks at him across the courtyard.
Tenzin, at eighteen, was equally as formidable. As calm as a summer breeze, Tenzin was every bit as 'twinkled-toed' as his father.
He was long and lean, with broad shoulders and a strong jaw accented by the dark, chinstrap beard he had grown in. His pale skin, decorated with the bright blue air bending tattoos that branded him a master, glistened with sweat under the harsh Republic City sun.
His mouth was drawn into a thin line, his nose scrunched in concentration as he launched himself backwards on a gust of wind, twisting and spinning in mid air in an attempt to avoid the onslaught of flying earth Lin sent his way.
The boulders whizzed past him harmlessly, landing with a thunderous crash that shook the island, but doing quite a bit of harm to a budding patch of azaleas on the opposite side of the courtyard. Tenzin hovered on a breeze, suspending himself above the courtyard on a pocket of air.
Lin rolled her eyes, or at least tried to, it was rather difficult with the cotton blindfold in the way.
"That's not going to work, feather-feet," she jeered. "You're going to have to come down eventually."
"But it's so nice up here." She tilted her head in the direction of his voice, she could practically hear the sly grin on his face and she gritted her teeth in frustration.
A moment later she felt him touch the ground, her bare feet picking up the faint vibrations in the earth, but before she could react a soft whoosh made her dive to the right, avoiding a sharp gust of wind. Spitting out a strand of loose hair from her mouth she jammed her palm into the ground, her fingers digging into the stone like it was made of dough, and twisted, raising a column of stone underneath Tenzin's feet and catapulting him into the air.
He landed with a soft thud in the grass beyond the courtyard with a muffled oomf and Lin tugged off the blind fold, a triumphant grin spreading across her face.
"Looks like I win again, Airhead," she called. Her face was flushed, and her breathing was heavy as she walked towards him, brushing the dirt off her shirt and out of her hair. Her braid had come undone at some point during their spar and her dark hair spilled freely over her shoulders, framing her pale face perfectly. A few fly away strands clung to her forehead, damp with sweat, but she brushed them away with the back of her hand. Her eyes were bright, blazing in the light of the afternoon sun.
Tenzin just watched her with barely concealed admiration, taking her calloused hand when she offered it and hauled him up to his feet. "But next time," she said, aiming an affectionate punch at his shoulder, "at least try to beat me." He flinched, grunting under the force of her jab.
"Why? You'll just punch me either way." He quipped, rubbing his shoulder.
Lin just laughed breathlessly and shook her head, "Come on, Ten. Let's go inside."
She turned to leave but Tenzin stopped her, closing his fingers around her wrist and pulling her back. Caught off guard she collided with his chest and without thinking, without planning, and without worrying about what her reaction may be, he kissed her.
Later she would blame it on the heat or a lack of oxygen after their spar but, whatever the reason, it didn't change the fact that she kissed him back with such force that he staggered backwards. She wrapped her arms around his neck, pulling herself flush against him, clutching at his shoulders, running her hands over his smooth scalp. Tenzin had no problem matching her ferocity, wrapping an arm around her waist, holding her tighter, grabbing the nape of her neck, and tangling his fingers in her hair.
She smelled like an open field, and tasted like apples, crisp and sweet on his tongue as he deepened the kiss. His hands roamed freely, running up and down her sides, taking fistfuls of the fabric at her waist, pressing firmly at the small of her back. Her skin tingled under his fingers, her senses still sensitive from being blindfolded. She could hear his heart beating fast, nearly in time with her own, pumping blood to her blushing face.
When they finally they pulled apart, gasping for air, he smiled, chuckling breathlessly, ducking down to kiss her again, gently, sweetly, savoring the sweet taste of apples on her lips. She shivered, his breath teasing her fly away curls. Her hands slid down his shoulders, coming to rest on his chest and for a moment her mind was completely blank.
"Looks like I win this time, Bei Fong," he whispered, a smug smile playing at his lips. She looked up. His blue eyes were dark and smoldering, filled with a strange confidence and desire she had never seen before. They bore into her making her feel naked and exposed, and for a long time she didn't know what to say. Her mouth just hug open, forming a perfect 'o' shape until she blurted the worst possible thing she could have said at that moment.
"Your breath smells like onions and bananas. Is that an Air bender thing?"
When she left that day, taking the ferry back to the city with her mother, she could still taste him on her lips. She tried to tell herself that it was gross, that she didn't like it one bit, but as it faded from her tongue, she couldn't help but want it back, that strange, bitter sweet mix of onions and bananas