The Spirit of Change- Chapter 7: Made To Be Broken
Description: Lin and Kazuo find themselves back in one another’s orbit following the events of Book One. This is the story of how their ‘arrangement’ evolved into a relationship. (In Progress)
Read it on AO3
Rating: T
Story:
By now, Lin was accustomed to arriving at her office with nothing but an entire pot of black tea keeping her upright. It wasn’t anything new; the frequency with which Amon continued to terrorize her dreams was almost becoming so routine she didn’t think the word ‘nightmare’ any longer applied. However, this particular sleepless night was not Amon’s doing. She laughed bitterly to herself thinking that perhaps she could thank Kazuo for this little reprieve, if she were feeling at all forgiving. She wasn’t, of course- which is why she let her telephone ring itself off the hook three separate times last night. If she were going to be stuck reimagining just what she should have said to him, then he ought to be doing the same.
In my writing folder and I came across a scene from this chapter I cut, but figured I would post it bc its been so long since I've updated lol
just a little moment from Lin's POV after she stormed out of Kazuo's hotel room:
If there was one thing Lin could thank Kazuo for it was that, for once, her sleeplessness was not Amon’s doing. She certainly had not planned to get much rest this evening, but this series of events was far from what she had envisioned. Upon arriving home, among a thousand muttered curses, Lin changed into her nightclothes and prepared for bed.
She was in the midst of metering out her evening vitamins and grumbling something about ‘the audacity’ when she heard the trill of her telephone. She met her own eyes in the bathroom mirror, silently debating her next move. The phone rang again, echoing in her empty house. After a third ring, Lin stomped into her room, coming face to face with the offending device. Having perfected and practiced all that she should have said on her way home, she was duly prepared to really let him have it, but it was too late. The phone fell silent, leaving Lin to return to her evening routine.
By the time she had made it to bed, her anger had only dissipated a marginal amount. She realized there would surely be no sleeping in this state so she decided to wind herself down with a bit of reading, but this simply reminded her that she had left her brand new Judge Dee book at Headquarters and that simply reminded her of how badly this hurt. It was all so infuriatingly close to being a wonderful evening.
Quite suddenly, the ringing of her telephone startled her from her thoughts. Lin eyed the receiver, an alabaster earpiece settled delicately on two gold prongs, and let it ring again. It would be better this way, she decided listening to a third ring. She reached over to her nightstand, bypassing the ringing phone for a well-worn piece of historical fiction that was aptly titled, “Sea of Regret”. Lin opened the novel to the first page, but didn’t read a word as she waited for the telephone to give up. It finally did.
Footsteps approached, she knew what was coming… She looked up at the figure, obscured by the rain and… something else…. ‘Tell me where the Avatar is and I’ll let you keep your bending’ …Lin could feel the echo of her heartbeat reverberate inside her armor. The figure leaned in, inches away but still blurred somehow, a hand reached up to remove its mask…. Lin’s blood ran cold. Amon leaned in again, opening his mouth to say riiiiiiiiiiiiiiiing.
Riiiiiiiiiiiingggggg
Lin shot up with a strangled gasp, pitching the novel that lay open on her chest onto the floor. It was another moment before she got her bearings, waking fully in her bed with the lights still on. The telephone beside her let out one last ring, sending a shiver through her body. The telephone was silent again and Lin regarded it angrily for a beat before picking up the earpiece and asking to be connected to Police Headquarters. After a quick check to be sure she wasn’t needed, Lin yanked the telephone cord from the wall, turned out her lights and fell back into bed, hoping to sleep.
Sleep came to her in fits and starts until finally she gave up just as a soft glow began to emanate from the edges of her curtains. With a defeated sigh she rose, dressing for her morning exercise in the dark of her room- if she must be up early she might as well be doing something productive.
A cold little drift of snow greeted her upon opening her back door and Lin exhaled a defeated sigh. Everything as far as she could see was glistening with a thin layer of ice- not the ideal conditions for her morning trail run and not the forecasted conditions. Somewhere back in the house she heard her alarm clock sound.
Description: "The beautiful spring came, and when nature resumes her loveliness, the human soul is apt to revive also." —Harriet Ann Jacobs
Rating: T
Read it on AO3
Story:
The frigid morning air turned the apples of her cheeks red, stinging her throat with every inhale of breath. Each exhale was visible; the last vestiges of winter barely tangible before her face, disappearing in an instant. The ground beneath her bare feet was beginning to thaw- evidenced by how much easier it was to bend today than it had been the day before. Lin continued up the mountain trail at a steady clip as she did nearly every day at this time, watching as the dawn light spilled slowly over the peaks, spreading its warmth downhill into the city.
At the crest of the trail she paused, taking in the view of the Republic City skyline off in the distance. It was beautiful at this hour, as the bay began to sparkle in the morning light. She oriented herself by picking out Aang’s statue on Avatar Memorial Island, a speck on the horizon. Inland and to the right she spotted the Hangshan Hotel and smiled at the sight of it. Due to an unfortunate misalignment of their schedules it had been three consecutive nights since she visited Kazuo’s suite, but tonight they were set to be back on track- the thought of it did more to warm her than the sun ever could. A tiny voice in the back of her mind admonished her for her lapse in sensibility and she quickly straightened her back as she recalled the list of rules she had set. Admittedly, she’d been doing a terrible job keeping them up- when she did visit him, she slept over every time. Beyond that, their conversations went well into the wee hours most nights.
Lin sighed, one month out of six had already passed and nobody had caught onto them yet, perhaps bending some of her rules wouldn’t lead to the catastrophe she originally imagined. For over a decade, the moments in which she experienced anticipation were almost always of the ‘dread’ variety. Now, as she looked at the sun glinting off the high-rise hotel building her anticipation was a thrill, all excitement for what the day had in store.
Having satisfactorily rationalized her feelings on the matter, Lin turned back to the trail, catching sight of a bundle of small lavender crocus blooms poking out of a melting patch of snow- a sure sign that spring was on its way.
*****
Since Amon’s attempted coup, overnight bags had become a common sight at Police Headquarters. Cops of every rank could be seen toting their essentials into the locker rooms at the start of each shift, the mark of an overworked force. Luckily for Lin, it also meant that the small bag she carried was of no particular note to her officers. That wouldn’t be the case much longer she realized, as the unrest in the city was beginning to subside and the gaps in her staffing were finally being filled.
It was nice to feel as if she were getting the force back in order after all that had transpired. Song had taken to his new post of Captain like a turtleduck to water and while Lin had expected as much, she was relieved to see her faith in him borne out into reality. His precinct was no longer a secondary juggling act between Captain Hong and herself. Beyond that, she was in the final week of re-training all the ‘warm bodies’ Saikhan had brought on in his desperate bid to keep the city from crumbling. In a few days time these latest recruits would finally be ready for patrol.
“Good morning, Chief,” Khen greeted her, popping up from his desk as she passed it.
“Good morning.”
He followed her into her office, notepad in hand. He closed the door carefully, shutting them inside her office, “Board of Fire phoned and asked to move your meeting out to next week.”
“That’s fine,” Lin replied, rounding her desk and dropping her overnight bag into her chair. She lifted a stack of documents that lay waiting before her.
“Those were brought by courrier late last night from Council Chambers,” Khen informed, “amendments to the City charter.”
“Ah,” Lin nodded, scanning the papers in her hand. They looked like drafts, she took notice of Tenzin’s handwritten notes to her in the margins.
“The City Attorney’s Office said they also want to reschedule, they said they found “adequate predication”, but they don’t have anything more to report at this time…”
That caught Lin’s attention and she looked up at Khen finally. He shifted awkwardly, unwilling to acknowledge he understood the message to be directly related to investigating Saikhan. She could wring Raiko’s neck for being so careless to leave such a comment in a message.
“Thank you, Khen,” Lin said after a prolonged moment, “anything else?”
Before he could answer there was a quick knock at her door. Hong poked his head into her office without waiting to be invited, “Got a minute?”
“Can it wait until hand-off?” Lin asked.
But Khen looked visibly relieved by the interruption and took a step back, “I don’t have anything more.”
Lin nodded, waving Hong into her office wordlessly. Hong moved forward dragging a chair before Lin’s desk out to take a seat, he sighed heavily.
“I need a favor. I’ve got a time-on request for you.”
“Time on?” Lin returned, eyebrow raised.
“Yeah,” he laughed, “Blue Dragon Festival is coming up and Binh is already talking about getting the kids to participate this year.”
Lin rolled her eyes. The Blue Dragon Festival was not a holiday marked by big celebrations as far as Lin was aware, but instead by the cleaning out of one's house. It was a marker of spring; a new start.
Hong continued, “if you could schedule me for some back-to-backs I would appreciate it. I don’t mind cleaning out the house if I can do it on my own, but if I have to manage the kids the whole time it’s a different story.”
Lin scoffed, removing her overnight bag from her chair to take a seat, “Why don’t you just tell your wife that instead of asking me to manufacture an excuse for you?”
“Come on, Lin,” Hong pleaded, “you could use the time off, right?” He motioned at the overnight bag as she placed it onto her desk, “sleep at home for once.” She bristled at his comment, snatching the bag and placing it on the floor behind her desk out of sight. He didn’t miss the change in her demeanor, but he didn’t comment on it either. “This is a win-win for you.”
She sighed. Blue Dragon was an official holiday, which meant the Council and Transitional Committees would surely have a three-day recess. It was the closest thing to a guarantee that her schedule would line up with Kazuo’s for once.
“Fine,” she relented.
“Thank you,” he exhaled, sitting back in his chair finally, “you have no idea how much this means to me. Nothing has been done since New Year, Binh thinks it’s bad luck.”
Lin chuckled, “My grandmother had that superstition. Didn’t want to risk sweeping away the good luck of the new year too early… of course, that shouldn’t have been a problem, I don’t think she ever picked up a broom in her life.”
“She must have been really lucky in that case,” Hong joked.
Lin nodded, gathering a few more documents from her desk in preparation for their morning hand-off meeting. She straightened the stack of papers with one curt tap against her desktop, “Shall we?”
“We shall,” he agreed, standing to follow her back out of her office door.
******
Street lamps reflected little pools of light in the snow melt along the street before Hangshan Hotel, its stately visage distorting as satomobile tires rippled through, winding their way through Republic City. Lin hopped over one such puddle at the last minute, remembering suddenly that she wasn’t in her usual metal boots. Her uniform had been like a second skin for as long as she could remember, a physical barrier between her and the outside world, protecting her from harm. Her armor was left behind tonight as it also proved quite effective at staving off sexual advances; something she was not keen on at the moment. A brief twinkle of self-reflection about that was batted away, moved to the back of her mind to be pondered at a later date.
For now, she was focused on the elevator doors that carried her up toward Kazuo’s suite. The doors parted and Lin stepped off into the hallway, suppressing the twinge of anxiety that always preceded their meetings long enough to knock at his door.
The door swung inward in short order, “Well, hello stranger.”
Lin’s attempt to stifle her smile was in vain, her grin so fulsome that the only hope of reigning it in was to bite her lip, “Hello.”
He stepped aside, holding his arm out to welcome her into his suite, “Feels like I haven’t seen you in a whole election cycle.”
Lin rolled her eyes, walking past him to deposit her overnight bag along the low wall that sectioned off his kitchenette. She didn’t dare admit that to her, the past three days had indeed dragged in the most tedious way.
“Really? Seemed like three days to me,” she told him sarcastically as she undid the tie at the waist of her coat.
She felt his lips plant a kiss along her neck, just below her ear and she leaned back into him, tilting her neck to offer as much of it as he liked.
The low timbre of voice against her skin created the loveliest sensation,“Oh, so you were counting the days then?”
Lin scoffed, turning her head finally to meet his eye in feigned annoyance. His response was another chuckle and a kiss to her cheek before he stepped back, helping her out of her coat finally.
She gave him an approving look as he hung her coat on the rack. He turned his attention back to her, slipping his arms around her waist. Lin returned his gesture by settling her hands on his shoulders.
“Now, where were we?” he asked, leaning in before stopping short of a kiss, “Ah- that’s right- you were counting the days…”
Just inches away Lin gave him a withering look, “I can count higher if you’d prefer.”
He laughed, shaking his head, “No, no. You’ve been through enough.”
When their lips finally met they were both smiling, making the act of kissing a difficult task. That didn’t last long, however, as they were interrupted by a knock at the door.
*knock knock knock*
They broke apart, both sighing.
“Okay, three days and one more minute,” Kazuo quipped in a low voice, curling his fist in a show of solidarity, “Stay strong.”
He let go of Lin’s waist, stepping back just in time to catch another roll of her eyes before peeking through the peephole of the suite door.
His expression turned to one of confusion and he motioned Lin forward to look for herself. She hesitated only a moment before squinting through the looking glass to see Governor Jie of the Earth Kingdom Province of Leong standing on the other side of the door.
Jie was a force to be reckoned with both inside and outside of the Earth Kingdom. She had been appointed to the Earth Kingdom’s transitional committee as a political act of self-preservation by Queen Hou-Ting. Jie was a vocal opponent of the monarchy, but her substantial support in the southern provinces had grown powerful enough that the Queen understood leaving them without representation as the United Republic severed its ties would have been an act of suicide, quite possibly in the literal sense.
Lin had only met Jie briefly at the welcoming party the previous month, where she made the grave mistake of leading with, “Chief Beifong, your sister is an invaluable friend and ally of mine.” Outside of that, they had no interaction. Lin only interfaced directly with the Council and the Transitional Committee Leaders in her work.
Kazuo, however, had reason to meet with her several times a week- though late in the evening at his hotel suite wasn’t exactly the usual setting.
*knock knock knock*
Lin and Kazuo exchanged a look and he shrugged, his face the picture of confusion. Lin shrugged back, motioning to the doorknob before stepping to the side into the kitchenette where she wouldn’t be visible once the door was opened.
Lin folded her arms, leaning back against the counter as she watched Kazuo open the door to greet Jie.
“Governor, this is a surprise. What can I do for you?”
From the gap at the hinges Lin could barely make out her elbow, bouncing as she gestured, “Kaz, hi…I, uh, I was just going to head down to the lobby for a drink and I was thinking about what you said about import tax in our meeting with the Council this morning… I was hoping you might be free to join me. You know, give me some further insights.”
Lin was sure Kazuo could see the disgusted face she pulled out of the corner of his eye, but he didn’t react. Instead he continued to look forward.
“Unfortunately, I’m expecting the Palace to telephone me any minute,” he lied,“but I’d be happy to go over all of that sometime tomorrow.”
“Sure,” Jie agreed, “that would be great. If your phone call finishes early, I’ll probably be down there awhile.”
Kazuo nodded, giving her an earnest smile, “Goodnight.”
“Goodnight Kaz.”
As soon as the door closed, Lin lifted an eyebrow, “Did you double book yourself?”
Kazuo shook his head with an amused laugh, “I knew you were going to say that!” He pointed at the closed door, “I have no idea where that came from.”
“I’m sure she could give you some further insights.”
He shrugged, “Too bad because I already had plans to give you some further insights.”
“In regards to…?”
His expression shifted suddenly, dropping any hint of flirtation as if he’d remembered something. “Actually, I did have something I wanted to talk to you about.”
Lin felt her chest tighten, bracing herself for— well, she wasn’t sure. That was the problem. In the thirty seconds it took Kazuo to collect a brochure from the counter and hand it to her, Lin had spiraled into a thousand emotionally devastating scenarios. She looked down at the glossy card stock in her hands depicting two dragon boats side by side on a river.
“What’s this?”
“The Blue Dragon Regatta,” Kazuo returned plainly, as if that cleared up any confusion.
“What is that?” Lin asked again, glancing back at the brochure in her hands. She looked up to find Kazuo aghast.
“Are you joking?”
“No?”
“The Blue Dragon Regatta,” he repeated with an incredulous laugh, “it’s the most important boat race of the year and it happens to be just outside of Chenbao this year. On the Su Oku River.”
Some of the words he was saying made sense; she knew where Chenbao was- about a three hour train ride northeast of Republic City just over the mountains. She was aware of the Su Oku River- the surrounding villages were popular weekend retreats for the overworked citizens of Republic City. She knew what a boat race was, of course, but what she didn’t know was what any of this had to do with her.
“So?”
“So,” Kazuo led, “I was thinking you might be able to pull some strings with the boss at work and get some time off to join me.”
Of all the catastrophic scenarios Lin had imagined in her brief spiral, this was not one of them. Her chest tightened again, but in a different way. He wanted to go away with her, on a trip, just the two of them– on purpose. Had such an instance ever crossed her mind as a possibility she would have certainly added it to her list of rules: no romantic getaways. Then again, her list of rules had been wholly ignored by them both since the day they were instituted.
Her first instinct was to decline his offer, but she hesitated, opting instead to say simply, “Oh.”
His eyes scanned her face, searching her expression, “Not a fan of boat racing?”
Lin shook her head, “Are you?”
It was a silly thing to ask at the moment, he was clearly a fan, and come to think of it– the oar situated over the mantle in his apartment finally made sense, but she was buying herself time to weigh the pros and cons of spending an uninterrupted weekend together. What if they didn’t travel well together? What if they got sick of each other before they even arrived in Chenbao? What if he actually expected her to be excited about boats floating on a river? What if someone saw them together? What if she hated being stuck with him? Or worse– what if she loved it?
“I used to row in college and still follow it closely,” he explained, “I’ve never managed to get to the Blue Dragon regatta in person, I usually have to listen to it on the wireless.”
Lin looked up, “On the wireless?” He nodded. “How does one announce a boat race?”
“What do you mean?”
“Does the announcer break into a regular program with a bulletin update to report the boats are indeed on the water and roughly beside one another?”
Kazuo sighed heavily, “Oh, Lin. It’s an event. Especially the Blue Dragon- there are heats with every class of vessel you can imagine! Catamarans- all kinds of sails- skiffs and dinghies, yachts, rowing- single sculls, coxed eights, coxed fours- the whole nine yards. And the traditional dragon boat race, obviously.”
“Obviously,” Lin returned dryly.
“I can explain it all when we’re there,” he assured, leaning in to take her hands. He slid his thumb along the inside of the brochure she was holding, pushing two train tickets out the top. “And I hope you will come because otherwise I’ll have to sit next to a stranger on the train.”
Lin smiled, heart warmed by the realization that he had been so eager to take her along that he had gone out of his way to purchase a ticket on her behalf. She wasn’t an afterthought.
“You already bought me a ticket?”
He nodded.
“And you’re sure this wasn’t meant for Governor Jie?” she teased, reflexively compelled to temper her actual emotion with a little sarcasm. He laughed, thankfully.
“I’m sure.”
“Well, if you already went through all the trouble of getting a ticket for me I suppose I have to go.”
He leaned forward still, catching her lips for a kiss, “Great. I can pick you up after your shift on-”
“I’ll meet you at the train station,” Lin asserted firmly. The shift in her tone acted as a pin, deflating their flirtatious banter just as it was taking off. It was somewhat involuntary, this verbal wall she erected between them– a survival tactic she had honed over the years whenever someone got a little too familiar. Still, she regretted the way it came out. She was grateful when Kazuo didn’t seem to make any particular note of all this.
“Alright,” he agreed without missing a beat, “now that it’s decided I’ll give you a crash course in the basics of rowing.”
The ease with which he breezed past some of her more prickly personality traits never failed to amuse her and she couldn’t help but chuckle, “that’s not what I came over here for.”
He shrugged, “I’m a great multitasker.”
************
The hollow sound of her drumming fingernails along the bank of filing cabinets snapped Lin out of her reverie and she clicked her tongue in disapproval. Despite her feelings to the contrary, there was no actual rule in the city charter that Lin must be working at all times. With a sigh, Lin pushed the drawer containing her personnel files closed. She would only be in Chenbao a few days after all, and it was meant to be a social getaway. Still, her eyes next landed on a drawer containing files her precinct detectives had finally determined to be “cold” and guilt gnawed at her.
Mercifully, a quick rapping of knuckles at her office door interrupted, “you ready for hand-off?” Hong asked, poking his head in.
Lin turned her head, hands still resting along the cabinet before her, “In a moment.”
Rather than departing, Hong pushed the door open further, stepping inside, “you looking for something?”
“Take home work,” she replied, turning to face him finally.
Her answer was met with a chuckle from her old friend, “You’re allowed to take time off.”
“Says the Captain who just requested three days worth of back-to-backs,” Lin retorted.
“Fair,” he conceded, “but I don’t take my work home with me…especially when I’m going out of town.”
Lin gave him a critical look, but was betrayed by the flush rising in her cheeks, “who said anything about going out of town?”
“The overnight bag you brought in,” Hong replied, looking satisfied with himself.
Lin turned back to her filing cabinet with a roll of her eyes, opening another drawer as casually as she could to begin thumbing through her files again, “every officer in this precinct has been bringing their overnight bags to work.”
“True,” Hong conceded, “but you brought a different one today.” When Lin didn’t reply he continued, “you want my advice? Don’t bring your work, it’d be rude.” Lin closed the drawer without retrieving a file and turned back to him with a defeated sigh; he had her dead to rights. “I was a detective before this, you know,” he chided.
“Alright, Detective,” she gestured toward the door, “shall we?”
“Yep,” Hong agreed with a clap of his hands and they exited her office for their shift change meeting.
***************************************
It had been years since Lin had cause to find herself on the platforms at Central Station. As an adult her vacations - especially inside the Earth Kingdom- were a rarity. As a child, however, Central Station was the jumping off point for her many visits to Gaoling. In some ways the ornate old train shed hadn’t changed much; the same brass railings she and Suyin used to stage their games of ‘slap-hands’ along were still there, covered in decades of smudged fingerprints that made Lin cringe at the memory of willingly placing her palms upon it. She recalled the mix of excitement and anxiety that preceded those trips; anticipating the adventure that went along with traversing the Earth Kingdom overland while simultaneously dreading the exhausting act of predicting which words and behaviors were appropriate in the presence of her grandparents.
Truth be told, she had the similar feeling now as she made her way toward the boarding platforms. Though she was sure that attending a boat race in Chenbao with Kazuo was likely to be less restrictive than an opera performance of The Heavenly Maids Scatter Blossoms with her grandfather, she was still fretting about how to conduct herself in this unfamiliar setting. She was also reasonably certain that weekend getaways were not a standard earmark of individuals engaging in casual sex, but anything remotely resembling a relationship was strictly out of the question, so where did that leave them? This nebulous space the two of them seemed to occupy as of late did vex her somewhat, but in her lighter moments she almost managed to convince herself that she might enjoy allowing life to happen to her if she simply let it. Unlike her files, her cabinets, her closets- not everything needed a label and a designated space- some things might even be better just existing without too much examination.
Lin sighed, checking her ticket against the platform sign; she didn’t believe that for a second.
She was in the correct place at least, platform number six, and she managed to arrive a little early even. As she approached the steward she took a last look around the bustling crowd for any sign of Kazuo, though she didn’t know why- the whole point of arriving separately was so as not to be seen together. Either way, she didn’t find him and passed her luggage and a couple of yuans off to the rail porter. He had only made it a few steps toward the baggage car when Lin stopped him, beckoning him over so that she could retrieve a book out of her bag. She offered a few extra yuans for the trouble and the porter didn’t seem to mind the delay in the slightest.
Strictly speaking, she had no intention of reading The Gold Murders on the train, but concluded that in her nervous state her hands needed something to do, even if it was only holding a book. Her cold case files would have been good for this too, she thought regretfully as she boarded railcar number two. Another steward stood just inside, offering to help her find the proper compartment, but Lin assured him that she was perfectly capable of following descending numbers down a singular pathway to compartment number eight.
She was surprised to find Kazuo already seated at the table within, obscured behind a broadsheet copy of the Fountain Daily News touting the headline TENSIONS FLARE OVER EARTHBENDING INFLUX and a photograph of two groups of people shouting at one other across a deep fissure in the ground between them.
“You beat me here,” she observed and he folded the paper in his hands so that he could give her an enthusiastic smile.
“And you made it,” he returned, moving to stand, but Lin waved his gesture off and took a seat across the table from him.
“I thought for sure you’d be hung up with work,” she explained, settling in.
He folded the paper in his hands again, setting it aside to reveal several stacks of files and a heap of unopened correspondence covered in Fire Nation postage on the table between them. “No, I brought it along instead,” he chuckled.
“Oh,” Lin replied, doing a poor job of disguising her disappointment in having left her own work back at Headquarters.
He must have misinterpreted her tone because he quickly began to clear the table, “I don’t have to do it now,” he explained, looking almost bashful. Lin didn’t previously think Kazuo was capable of looking bashful.
“No, no,” she interjected, “it’s alright. I brought a book.”
Kazuo shook his head, continuing to stack his files along the seat beside him before remarking, “I’m surprised you haven’t finished it yet.”
“Me too, actually,” she agreed, following his lead and putting her book aside. When the table was cleared they met eyes again, silence stretching.
“Hi,” Kazuo offered, laughing lightly.
“Hello,” Lin returned with a small laugh of her own.
In the years since they had met they shared plenty of awkward moments, but to Lin’s knowledge this may have been their first awkward silence, made even more awkward by the fact that Kazuo, who normally cannot stop talking to save his life, didn’t seem to be capable of breaking it.
“How was work,” Lin blurted finally.
“It was productive,” Kazuo reported, “we finally agreed on an election date so that’s done.”
“Really?”
He nodded, “It’ll be in the papers tomorrow, but I’ll give you the scoop- it's scheduled for Harmony Week. Now, it’ll be down to the Council to codify the election laws, but at least the rest of us can start planning our return trips.”
“Oh. That’s great,” Lin replied, but her conviction was lacking.
Harmony Week was a yearly celebration at the close of each summer to celebrate the founding of the United Republic. It was a logical choice given the historically symbolic nature of the week itself and it aligned with the committee’s rough timeline of six months. Even so, having a tangible timeline for his exit from her life- quite possibly forever- left her with a hollow feeling. “It looks like you’ll have your hands full when you get back,” she continued, referencing the newspaper at his side.
“Oh this?” Kazuo asked, lifting the paper slightly. Lin nodded. “It’s been an ongoing issue. Fire Fountain is built on top of natural gas deposits and a lot of engineering has gone into directing that gas throughout the city safely. We have this sect,” he explained with noted disapproval, “that call themselves the ‘Spirit Warriors.’ They believe the gas should be allowed to seep out wherever they decide so they can have ‘visions’ of spirits or something so they’re always making attempts to sabotage the underground pipelines.”
“Lovely.”
He nodded, “we’ve had some luck curtailing their efforts in the last few years and there were even a few months it looked like they’d left Fire Fountain for good.”
“And?”
“No such luck- they were just on a mission in the southern Earth Kingdom proselytizing to benders so they could recruit them back to do this. Up to now they’ve been protected under religious exceptions, but now that they’re doing some real damage I’m having to draft legislation redefining what it means to be a domestic terrorist.”
Lin gave him a light shrug,“sounds pretty straightforward at least.”
He chuckled, “Ah, spoken like someone who enforces the law instead of legislates it. No,” he pat the stack of files on the seat beside him proudly, “this is going to be the most excessively pedantic set of addendums Fire Nation law has ever seen. I’m talking zero wiggle room.”
“Where in the southern Earth Kingdom?”
“Hm?”
“Do you know where in the southern Earth Kingdom they were picking up benders?”
Kazuo laughed knowingly, “Not Zaofu if that’s what you’re asking.” Lin felt a hint of relief at his answer. It was indeed what she had been asking. “Apparently they were in Yi and Leong.”
“Governor Jie’s province?”
“Leong? Yes,” Kazuo nodded, “I actually have to add her to my calendar next week come to think of it.”
Though Lin did not intend to react, her eyebrows were quicker than her intention and they lifted with significance. Kazuo noted her expression and laughed, “I do need some further insights into this situation, but not the kind she was talking about- don’t worry.”
“I wasn’t worried,” Lin shot back compulsively, though something in her stomach did twist at the idea of Kazuo and Governor Jie meeting.
Kazuo reached into the breast pocket of his jacket then, where he normally kept his cigarettes and pulled out a deck of playing cards instead, “Up for a game?”
“Alright.”
Kaz opened the case, shuffling a crisp deck decorated with scenes of Republic City on the back, “Do you know Big Two?”
“Know it? I played it so much during triad stakeouts I would dream about it later.”
Kazuo cut the deck, dealing out the cards one by one, “Koji and I play this a lot when we’re on the campaign trail.”
Lin gathered up the cards she’d been dealt, shifting them into descending order in her hands, “Hm. I don’t think he likes me.”
Kazuo paused, “Who? Koji?”
She nodded, selecting out the three of diamonds and placing it between them, “Yes.”
“No,” he insisted, finally covering her card with a four of spades, “no, that’s not it at all. If anything he was just nervous about how much I like you.”
It was Lin’s turn to pause then, cheeks coloring. In spite of the fact that they were headed for a weekend away together, statements like this still caught her off guard. In her moment of silence the train engine sighed, signaling their departure, almost as if it was her own response- the train was leaving the station. Lin selected the two of hearts, laying it on top of his card.
Kazuo’s eyes bugged at the site of it, “Spirits. Looks like you have control again.”
Lin swept their pile to the side, starting over with a seven-high straight, “I suppose so.”
Notes:
If you're still invested in this story I am so so grateful to you. An enormous thanks to everyone who has reviewed this story and pinged me on tumblr to ask for an update. I'm sorry this took so long! Believe it or not this was just the first half of the chapter 8 I have planned and the second half is nearly complete, so I hope the next update is a lot sooner than YEARS away. It was running long so I decided to just post this half to get it moving!
Description: I received a question a couple days ago on my other blog about my HC for Lin and Tenzin getting together and realized I hadn't ever gotten around to publishing that part of P&P and then I realized I haven't updated P&P in almost 8 (?) years. So consider this little excerpt my way of starting to make amends for that.
I'll update P&P eventually I swear lol
Excerpt:
Lin’s thumb absently brushed the condensation from the glass in her left hand. She swiped it once, then twice, before she chanced a look at the dance floor. A slow, romantic tune was winding down and she hardly managed to contain the roll of her eyes at some of the couples hanging on one another like idiots.
She took a sip, catching Tenzin’s eye over the edge of her glass as she did. He was looking at her with ill-disguised adoration and just a dose of apprehension. It was a sweet expression, a mix of emotions only Tenzin could wear with some measure of dignity. A smile escaped her when she thought of him, but she gave it to the empty dance floor, reluctant to meet his eyes again. She wasn’t quite sure where her own reluctance stemmed from, only that it was growing old- even to her mind.
The band struck up a new tune- languid and romantic, bowing horns that released infatuated sighs.
Tenzin caught her eye again.
“I like this song,” he commented, looking out toward the floor.
“It’s nice,” Lin agreed, following his line of sight, hoping to avoid any direct eye contact. She could feel her skin flush, a rush of nerves that she could only relate to the feeling of looking over the edge of a cliff before diving into the waters far below. Her ears warmed when they picked up the sound of Tenzin clearing his throat.
“Do you...” he began, motioning toward the dance floor, “I mean, would you like to dance?”
Lin swallowed, looking back at their families just one table away, before turning back to him. The acerbic comment wouldn’t come. She nearly choked on his guileless expression- studying his anxious eyes as they sparkled in the low light, scanning hers for a response.
Without a word she put her hand in his own and after a brief moment of shock, his long fingers closed around hers. They stood together, making their way to the edge of the floor.
They both moved into the leading position, laughing nervously as they readjusted themselves. Tenzin’s hand found the curve of her waist, guiding her sway gently.
Standing together like this, Lin could just barely see over his shoulder. She regretting looking in that direction immediately as she met her mother’s sightless eyes and suddenly felt very self-conscious. They turned again and she breathed out a careful release of breath she hadn’t realized she was holding. Tenzin looked down at her, “You okay?”
She thought he’d never looked more adorable than from this angle, with his narrow nose pointing like an arrow to full lips she desired to kiss. She swallowed, “I’m fine. You?”
As soon as she volleyed his question, she knew he would answer her honestly and she fought the cringe that threatened to overtake her face.
“Actually....” he began, “I, um, I was thinking...” he took a deep breath, “I was thinking we should talk about us, you know? What we’re doing...”
He waited for her to respond, “or not.”
“Tenzin,” Lin sighed, leaning her head against his chest, “we’re together. What is there to talk about?”
And that was it- the words she couldn’t bring herself to say all this time; the vulnerability she’d been running from, the acceptance of the most wonderfully unavoidable feeling she’d been lying to herself about since she was twelve years old- a euphoric bandage, torn right off. Her admission was outside her body, resting on his chest.
“When you say together....?” Tenzin wondered tentatively. She could feel his heart hammering away inside his ribs and she smiled at the sensation before looking up.
“If you want to be,” she led.
“Of course I do. Do you?”
“Yes, I just said so,” Lin insisted quickly.
“Well, okay then,” Tenzin agreed.
“Okay,” Lin confirmed.
They held each other’s gaze for a moment, before Lin’s head found its way to his shoulder once again. They swayed back and forth, moving with the music before she felt him rest his cheek lightly on her head.
They danced in silence as the band continued their sentimental waltz. She felt Tenzin take a breath, “Lin?”
“Hmm?”
“I wish our parents weren’t over there staring at us.”
Hi All!
Awhile ago I had some asks about making a digital copy of my fan Linzin comic available online and I think I’ve finally got it up. You can follow this link to read it. Please let me know if there are any issues loading it!
The Spirit of Change- Chapter 7: Made To Be Broken
Description: Lin and Kazuo find themselves back in one another's orbit following the events of Book One. This is the story of how their 'arrangement' evolved into a relationship. (In Progress)
Read it on AO3
Rating: T
Story:
By now, Lin was accustomed to arriving at her office with nothing but an entire pot of black tea keeping her upright. It wasn’t anything new; the frequency with which Amon continued to terrorize her dreams was almost becoming so routine she didn’t think the word ‘nightmare’ any longer applied. However, this particular sleepless night was not Amon’s doing. She laughed bitterly to herself thinking that perhaps she could thank Kazuo for this little reprieve, if she were feeling at all forgiving. She wasn’t, of course- which is why she let her telephone ring itself off the hook three separate times last night. If she were going to be stuck reimagining just what she should have said to him, then he ought to be doing the same.
A cursory glance around the room at shift change told her she wasn’t alone in her exhaustion, she counted at least six yawns and twice as many drooping heads that snapped back to attention at the last second. Her officers were feeling the pinch, she didn’t need a status report to see that, but Captain Hong hung back at the end of their hand-off to give her one anyway, “we need to talk.”
It was the last thing she wanted to hear at the moment and her expression told him exactly that, but her arm extended outward to indicate he should follow her into her office. As soon as Hong closed the door behind him he told her, “we need Saikhan back.”
Lin rounded her desk, falling back into her chair in the sort of unprofessional and familiar manner she would only allow herself in front of an old friend, “No.”
Hong moved forward, body language pleading, “Lin, come on! Look at you! You’re slouching for spirits sake, I don’t think I’ve ever seen you slouch,” he pulled the chair from in front of her desk and placed himself in it, leaning forward, “we’re exhausted. All of us- I got guys putting in eighty hours. Hell, I’m putting in eighty hours!”
Lin sighed, leaning forward to push her new copy of The Gold Murders off the stack of correspondence that awaited her. She bent the blade from the forearm of her uniform to slice the envelopes open, “Hong, I would not ask you to do anything I am not willing to do myself. I am well aware that we are all working far longer hours than we should be, but please keep in mind it is temporary. Bringing Saikhan back from leave is not the answer.”
“It’s not too late,” Hong reasoned, “you can reinstate him before his leave is up.”
“Or I could promote someone with better judgment,” Lin quipped, unfolding the schedule Tenzin had sent over. She scanned it as Hong continued to plead his case, deflating further at the list of required reports the Council had requested her to present at their upcoming meeting.
“You’re not going to find another metalbender with Saikhan’s skill, let’s face it. The guy is a master-”
“Yes, my mother would agree,” Lin interrupted, looking up from the sheet of paper in her hands, “but he’s also someone that rounded up and arrested innocent people for being non-benders. I don’t know about you, but given the current state of the Republic- I don’t think bringing him back onto the force would go over very well.”
“My guys don’t like it, Lin- the way they see it he was just following orders.”
“Well, as Chief of Police I’m ordering you to drop it, how’s that?”
Hong raised an eyebrow, frustrated.
“Listen, some of my guys lost their bending, Lin. Even though they’ve got it back- they’re not right, something’s off. They don’t like that it looks like the department is siding with Amon’s supporters. I’m telling you this because it’s got legs, it could be something bigger- bringing Saikhan back in would send a good message to these guys.”
Suddenly, Lin felt very alert, as if all the black tea had hit her at once, “I understand-”
“I don’t think you do-”
“I understand,” Lin repeated, a little more forcefully, “he took my bending too.”
Hong’s eyes went wide and he brought one meaty hand up to rub his forehead, “Shit, Lin. I didn’t know.”
“Nobody does,” Lin confirmed, “and I would prefer it to stay that way. I’m only telling you this because I need you to hear me when I say that I do understand where they are coming from, but they’re going to have to find a way to deal with it. End of story.”
“Alright, yeah, I got it.”
“Good,” Lin concluded, turning her attention back to the schedule in her hand, “I need to shift the schedule for Monday by the way,” she passed the paper to Hong, “I’ll need an all-hands with the Captains before I make my presentation to the Council.”
Hong nodded absently, still clearly processing Lin’s confession, “Yeah, whatever you need…spirits. I need a drink.”
Lin opened her next piece of mail, remarking flippantly, “Good news: you’re off for the day.”
He chuckled, “Drinking at 8am. Haven’t done that since our Academy days.” Lin hummed in the affirmative, mostly focused on the letter in her hand. “That reminds me,” Hong continued as he stood to leave, “are we on for cards this Friday?”
Lin looked up, rolling her eyes, “Did you not just get through telling me that we are spread too thin?”
“Fair enough,” he admitted in a laugh, “feels like you’re just trying to weasel out of hosting though.”
Lin ticked her head, “Well this is the second month in a row I’ve postponed, perhaps you guys can pick up without me.”
“Nice try, Beifong. You won last time, you know the rules- it’s your turn to host.”
Lin grimaced, “Fine.” Just as he approached the door she stopped him, “Hong- send Khen in on your way out.”
“No problem,” Hong agreed, exiting finally. Khen appeared in her doorway in short order.
“You wanted to see me Chief?”
“Yes, I need to rearrange my schedule for Monday and I’ll need you to help me pull some reports.”
Khen nodded, coming further into her office, producing a pen and notepad from his utility belt. He began scribbling down her requests; contact the Captains, pull all arrest records for the past year and note the nation of origin for each perpetrator, summon Officer Song for a private meeting. The last item caught his attention and he looked up, smiling.
“I assume you’d like that meeting before meeting with the Captains?”
Lin nodded, “yes, but please keep that between us for now.” He had correctly deduced that Song was being tapped to backfill the Captain position Hong had vacated when he was promoted to headquarters.
“I’d say that’s well deserved,” Khen offered, “And I’ll get going on those reports.”
“Thank you,” Lin followed, catching Khen suppressing a yawn as he turned to leave. She frowned at the sight of it.“Khen?” His head snapped up and he readied his notepad again. “One last thing- when you’re done with those reports head home for the day and get some rest.”
“But-” he began to protest, but Lin cut him off.
“I appreciate how much time you’re putting in here, but like you told me- some mandatory time away from headquarters is probably a good thing.”
He tapped his pen to the notepad once, “Thanks, Chief.”
When she was alone again she went back to her stack of correspondence, but her eyes kept wandering to the book on her desk. The very sight of it was putting her in a bad mood so she pulled open her top desk drawer and threw it inside, shutting it away with finality. Just as she opened her next piece of mail there was a knock at her door.
“Chief?” Khen poked his head in, “Princess Ursa of the Fire Nation is on the line for you.”
Lin sighed audibly- it was almost as if Ursa had a sixth sense for these things, “I’ll take it, thank you.”
Once Khen ducked back out the door Lin lifted the earpiece from its pedestal with a disapproving shake of her head, “You’re up early.”
“Ugh, don’t remind me,” came Ursa’s regal voice on the other end of the line, “Izumi is hosting an end-of-session luncheon for Parliament today and I’m exceptionally peeved at you for stealing away the only guest I care to engage with at these things.”
“Well, you can have him back anytime,” Lin assured her, tearing open another piece of mail.
“Playing coy again as always, I see,” Ursa quipped, taking on a sign-song tone, “but I know what you did last night.”
Lin scoffed, “I highly doubt that.”
“I called your house and got no answer so try again,” Ursa returned.
Lin’s stomach sank, if she thought she couldn’t possibly feel worse about what had transpired between them she was sorely mistaken. Realizing that the phone calls she had ignored had just been Ursa nosing around stung; it was like getting disappointed all over again. She must have been quietly considering this a little too long because Ursa followed up with, “Hello?”
“I was home,” Lin said finally, “I just didn’t answer.”
“Lin, why do you bother with this little-miss-innocent act? We both know that I got Tenzin’s telegram to you at Representative Kazuo’s apartment with pinpoint accuracy. I think I deserve a little gossip in return. So tell me- how did he go about sweeping you off your feet this time?”
Lin scoffed, “Well, he started off by insulting me and I proceeded to tell him this whole arrangement was off and I left. I went home and ignored calls I thought were from him, but you’ve just cleared that up for me so thank you.”
“Wait. Back up. What do you mean?”
Lin could practically hear Ursa sitting forward in her chair, “I mean exactly what I said. It’s over and done with. Sorry to disappoint you.”
“Are you sure what he said was insulting? Or were you just feeling sensitive?” she asked, tone skeptical.
Lin rolled her eyes, this was a typical reaction from everyone in her life whenever Lin asserted her feelings, “Yes, I’m quite certain it was insulting. He accused me of sleeping with Tenzin.” There was a brief pause on the end of the line and then, a sudden and gregarious cackle. “It’s not funny,” Lin insisted hotly.
“Why on earth would he say that?”
In her desk chair, Lin shrugged, “because he’s depraved.”
This assessment somehow made Ursa laugh even harder, “and here I thought that was part of his appeal,” her amusement abated a little then, “really though, why would he even think that?”
Lin pursed her lips, tongue clicking in condemnation, “He said Tenzin was ‘all over me’ at the welcome reception. Really, Tenzin thought he was being helpful by rescuing me from having to talk to Kazuo.”
“Rescue you?”
Lin nodded, “He thinks Kazuo is irritating-”
“He would,” Ursa commented dully.
“Well, I think he believed he was doing me a favor by getting between us all night.”
“What a hero,” Ursa added, “what did his wife think of that?”
“She wasn’t there,” Lin reported.
“Lin!” Ursa yelped, “So you’re telling me that every time Kazuo tried to talk to you Tenzin appeared and stood between you and that his wife wasn’t even there?”
“I see what you’re trying to imply, but what does that have to do with me?”
“Nothing,” Ursa agreed, “but it sounds like he’s got a reason to suspect something might be going on.”
Now, Lin was sitting forward in her chair, “Again, that implies I am the type of person that would engage in something like that.”
“Oh Lin,” Ursa purred patronizingly, “he’s been cheated on before, remember? It was huge society news here at the time- personally I was relieved, I couldn’t stand that girl,” she made an audible gagging noise before continuing, “but he’s probably just feeling a little insecure. I figure you, of all people, can understand that.”
“Well,” Lin ventured, losing a bit of her zeal with that reminder, “it’s not as if we are an item or anything.”
“All the more reason for him to wonder then,” Ursa volleyed without missing a beat, “I don’t know, Lin. I don’t think it’s that crazy to ask given the circumstance.”
Lin let out a sigh. While Ursa may have made a few interesting points, she wasn’t quite ready to let go of her hurt feelings, not after having opened up to him the way she had back in the Fire Nation. Lin didn’t show her vulnerability to hardly anyone and to have it met with such an indignant questioning of her character in return was an affront she wasn’t sure she could overlook. Certainly not without an apology at the very least.
“Well, I do,” Lin said finally, “and I’ve got to get back to work.”
“Oh fine,” Ursa pouted, “but one last thing- I only called you once last night. So if you ignored any other calls then they weren’t from me.”
Lin hated to admit, even to herself, that this revelation stirred a little butterfly of excitement within her. “Alright.”
“Alright,” Ursa echoed, “I’ll talk to you later. Wish me luck today.”
“Good luck,” Lin returned with a roll of her eyes- she would kill to have a boring luncheon be the worst thing on her calendar, “and Goodbye.”
“Goodbye!”
Lin rested the earpiece back onto its prongs with a sigh, reminded that her own calendar did indeed require updating. She pulled open her top drawer to retrieve her datebook and was faced with Kazuo’s gift once again. She regarded the book for a moment, lifting it finally to gain access to her calendar just below- pulling both back out onto her desktop.
She flipped open her calendar first, feeling a little twinge of melancholy as she thumbed past the previous day in which she had double underlined the welcome reception. Lin never double underlined anything. After updating her schedule for Monday her eyes drifted back to the Gold Murders again and she lifted it, opening the cover to reveal Kazuo’s hotel key and something else she hadn’t noticed before; a hand written note.
Lin,
I apologize in advance for contributing to your insomnia.
xo, Kaz
His note coaxed a derisive chuckle from her; when he wrote this he could not have known just how applicable it would be, though the book had nothing to do with it. A second chuckle followed, this one a little more fulsome, when she realized that this note was likely meant as a double entendre as it technically accompanied both the book and the room key.
“Ridiculous,” she grumbled, lifting the key and rolling it between her fingers absently. She supposed she ought to return this to Hangshan Hotel’s front desk, now that she would surely not be needing it. The thought of returning the key to him directly gave her pause. Typically, Lin was expert in holding a grudge- few could outperform her in this- but she hated to admit when it came to Kazuo her resolve felt weakened. Even now as she daydreamed about it, she imagined using the key on his door instead of placing it in his palm.
This softening of her willpower was a direct result of talking to Ursa and she made a mental note to avoid her phone calls until the Council had been properly dissolved and Kazuo was on a ship headed back to the Fire Nation. Lin had plenty of work ahead to distract her in the meantime, surely. At least enough work today to keep her mind from thinking too much about what Ursa had said.
It would only be a further six months….
Lin closed the key inside the book once more, pushing it away in a huff. She plucked her datebook from the desk, gathering six months worth of pages between her fingers, observing how thin this representation appeared. Six months was not such a long time, she thought as she let the pages slip between her fingers until the week at hand presented itself again.
Her eyes fell on Tuesday and she pulled out an ink pen to scribble in the meeting Tenzin had requested at City Hall. A presentation to the Council and the Committee Heads. Lin sighed. It was only six months, but how many times would she have to see him in between?
The amount of reports requested by the Council would have been completely absurd under any other circumstance. In her entire career, Lin had never spent this much time poring over numbers and reports, diagraming charts only to rework them again after an errant paper was found to have drifted off the edge of her desk. It had been quite an undertaking, but she supposed that is exactly what reforming an entire government required. She had help, of course, and it was a good thing because the past two days had been filled end to end with preparation.
Now, the evidence of their hard work burdened Khen in the form of files that threatened to block his line of sight as he followed her up the front steps to City Hall, accompanied by Hong. The three of them entered the large doors and were promptly greeted by the Council Page, who checked his pocket watch with a chirp of pleasure, “Ah! Right on time.”
He led the three of them to the main chamber room, pushing open the doors and announcing their presence. Lin gave him a quick nod and a thank you as she entered, marching up the center aisle to greet the Council, who all sat in their regular spots, but now with the heads of their nation’s transition committees at their side. Lin didn’t miss Kazuo attempting to smile at her from beside Councilwoman Qian, but she pretended to, playing it cool though her heart sped up at the sight of him.
Undaunted, Lin bowed, regarding them all with an even expression she had perfected in this very room- if she could manage to look impassive at her weekly meetings with Tenzin just after he had effectively ripped her beating heart out of her chest and gotten married on top of it, ignoring Kazuo’s presence would be a walk in the park.
As the Page assisted Khen in passing around the files, Lin launched into her presentation with nothing but the stenographer’s clicking keys to accompany her. As she spoke, the Council and Committee Heads followed along, flipping the pages of her presentation and scribbling notations in the margins. She passed the baton to Hong for a few sections, specifically those outlining their budgetary needs for the coming year, which they were keen to lock in before the installment of a President.
Lin kept her eyes trained on Hong throughout his presentation, standing rigid and focused with her hands clasped behind her back. The temptation to look Kazuo’s way was strong, particularly because she could feel his eyes on her, but she managed to resist the urge until Hong passed the presentation back at which point her traitorous eyes flit in Kazuo’s direction for only an instant, but it was long enough to catch him raising his own eyebrows in recognition. This infinitesimal exchange may have escaped everyone else in the room, but Lin understood the look that passed between them conveyed that Lin wasn’t as disengaged as she had previously claimed.
Mercifully, there were very few questions for her to answer at the end and Lin was surprised that none of them came from Kazuo. When the Council seemed satisfied, Tenzin cleared his throat, “I think that will be all,” he looked at Lin and smiled, “thank you, Chief Beifong. And thank you, Captain Hong.”
Both Lin and Hong bowed in acknowledgement, turning to make their exit as Tenzin informed the rest of his group that there would be a fifteen minute recess before their next meeting with the City Attorney. The sound of their chairs scraping against the marble flooring gave Lin reason to pick up her pace- nearly causing her to run directly into the City Attorney, who was waiting just outside the Council Chambers for his meeting.
“Excuse me,” Lin apologized, side-stepping him quickly. He mimicked her move, blocking her progress.
“Chief Beifong,” he greeted, “no need to apologize. I’m actually glad we ran into one another.”
Lin sighed, shooting a sidelong glance at Hong; the feeling was not mutual- any meeting between the Chief of Police and City Attorney was almost certainly bad news for her. She addressed the attorney in her path with a curt nod, “Raiko.”
“My office has just received a formal complaint from former Chief Saikhan. He’s contesting his suspension,” Raiko informed, receiving an audible sigh in return, “I’m wondering if I can’t get on your calendar later today to go over his complaint? Perhaps two o’clock?”
Lin nodded, frustration evident, “Yes, of course.”
Behind her, Khen produced a datebook from his pocket and began scribbling in it, expression skeptical. Noting his anxiety, Raiko added, “unless you’d rather avoid a confutation and reinstate him instead.”
Hong gave her a significant look as Khen looked on, hopeful.
“Two o’clock is fine,” Lin assured.
Raiko nodded, demeanor suddenly shifting into that of a used satomobile salesman, “And as long as I’ve got you here, I should let you know I’ve decided to put my name in the running for President.”
“Oh yeah?” Hong smiled, “That’s great. Good luck to you!”
Lin stayed silent, but Raiko was unbothered, “Thank you. I hope I can count on your vote,” he looked around Lin at Khen, “and yours too!”
“Uh… sure,” Khen agreed with a shrug of his shoulders.
“We should be going,” Lin asserted finally, causing Hong and Khen to fall in line behind her like little ducklings. They moved forward with a nod of acknowledgement for Raiko, making it only a few steps before their caravan was halted again- this time by a voice from behind.
“Chief Beifong!”
A bolt of anxiety shot through her at the sound of Kazuo’s voice, stopping her in her tracks. Hong and Khen paused as well, turning to face him. Decades of friendship made Hong particularly fluent in Lin’s body language and he read her like a newspaper headline declaring war. He took a step forward to intercept Kazuo as he approached.
“Representative,” Hong greeted, “If you have any follow up questions I’m happy to answer them for you.”
Kazuo blinked, not missing a beat, “No, actually your presentation was very thorough, thank you though.”
Before Hong could clarify, Lin was at his side holding Kazuo’s gaze, “It’s alright Hong, I’ll meet you back at headquarters.”
“Lin-”
“Go,” Lin told him, more sternly this time, “I’ll meet you back at headquarters.”
Khen and Hong exchanged a look, finally taking their orders and continuing down the hallway without Lin, whispering amongst one another all the while.
As soon as they were out of earshot Lin whispered, “Do you really think this is an appropriate time?”
Kazuo looked a little incredulous, “you haven’t been answering your phone, should I have sent an apology by messenger hawk?”
Lin clicked her tongue in disapproval, peeking around Kazuo to see Raiko pretending not to notice their interaction as he waited outside the chamber doors, “anything would be better than ambushing me in the middle of work, yes.”
Kazuo shrugged, “Well, then I apologize for that too.” Lin rolled her eyes, but he continued, “We can take this conversation somewhere else if you prefer. We can talk about it over dinner? I can pick you up around seven?”
Lin gaped at him, stunned by his nerve. Clearly, he assumed he could charm his way back into her good graces, which would have made her laugh, except that is exactly what was happening. It was much easier to remain angry at him when he was out of sight. Now that he was standing just inches away her resolve was diminishing. Her inability to stay angry with him was a phenomenon she couldn’t even explain to herself- she supposed this was what people meant when they talked about having chemistry- his mere proximity sparked an unusual reaction within her. Of course, having chemistry with someone like Kazuo was terribly inconvenient, but she couldn’t help but notice the way his eyes kept darting to her mouth as he awaited her reply. She’d read once upon a time, in one of those ridiculous magazines Suyin used to subscribe to that this was a sure sign of attraction. While she had rolled her eyes at the statement when she read it years ago, she understood it now as her eyes darted in the same way. Everything about this should infuriate her and yet the only thing frustrating at this very moment was how inappropriate it would be to step forward and put her lips on his.
The very thought of doing so shook her out of her thoughts and she crossed her arms, glancing over his shoulder at Raiko again, “I don’t want to be seen in public with you.”
Lin cringed, scrambling to clarify herself, “No, I don’t mean it like that. It’s not you. I’m sorry, I just- I’d like to keep this private.”
He nodded slowly, ticking his head back slightly to indicate Raiko over his shoulder, “You know, I’m fairly certain Raiko over there has seen two people in conversation before,” he leaned in then, whispering scandalously, “he may have even seen two people eat dinner together.”
Lin gave him a withering look, “People talk.”
“Ah.”
It was clear he understood her hesitation then and she was grateful for it. Still, he was undeterred, following up with, “then we can have dinner in my room- no prying eyes there.”
Lin sighed, ironically feeling as if she were obligated to make amends to him after her rude comment. She glanced up at him, last bit of defiance crumbling under the weight of his hopeful gaze.
“Alright.”
She couldn’t decide if the grin he gave her in return was annoying or flattering.
“I’ll pick you up-”
“I’ll meet you there,” Lin corrected.
He nodded, “Seven o’clock?”
“Seven,” she agreed. They held each other’s eyes for a beat.
“You really did have a great presentation, by the way.”
Lin gave him a critical look, though the blush in her cheeks was likely evident, “I’m leaving now.”
He chuckled, “Alright. I’ll see you later.”
With a lift of her eyebrows and a turn of her heel she made her exit without another word.
The walk back to headquarters gave her some time to consider her approach- sure, her initial plan had been to avoid him for the next six months, but that was clearly out the window. Her attraction to him wouldn’t allow it and she grappled with the idea that she wasn’t as steadfast as intended when it came to resisting his charm. Still, she had no intention of allowing her emotions to get the better of her going forward- she had a lapse in judgment back in the Fire Nation, but she excused it as a transitory moment of weakness. From now on, Lin decided she would take care to keep their interactions strictly physical. There would be no more talking into the night, no more sleeping over; she was content to maintain an amiable friendship, but at the end of the day they were just two consenting adults engaging in a basic function of biology- nothing more. Dinner this evening would be a great time to clarify her terms and she was certain Kazuo would agree to them. In fact, she was reasonably sure he’d be relieved to find that they were both on the same page.
Lin entered Headquarters feeling far more awake than she had in days, passing Hong as he gathered his coat from the rack beside Khen’s desk. He chuckled at her attempt to pass him without comment.
“Welcome back!”
Lin gave him a curt nod of acknowledgement, continuing to her office. As soon as she closed the door he was knocking on it, “got time for a debrief?”
Lin sighed, pulling the door open and giving him a warning look.
Her look was received accordingly and he put his hands up innocently, coat slipping down his forearm, “I’m not saying anything.” Lin stepped back allowing him entry and he waltzed in, a look of amusement barely contained, “I just wanted to check in with you about Saikhan’s complaint.”
“What about it?”
His expression turned serious then, “Listen, I’m telling you this for your own good- let this one go unchallenged. Pay him out, put him on desk duty- whatever you have to do but don’t push back. We’re gonna lose officers over this.”
“If that’s what it takes…” Lin returned, “Anything else?”
Hong let out a long breath, dejected, “Guess not.”
“Thank you for your help today,” Lin told him with finality.
“Yep,” Hong returned, leaving her office with a shake of his head.
Lin closed the door behind him, feeling a little sting in her eyes- it was no secret the morale was low and the burden of turning that around was squarely on her shoulders. She understood countering Saikhan would damage her relationship with her metalbenders, but sometimes the popular thing to do and the right thing to do were not the same thing. She swiped at her eyes quickly, sniffing once to clear her frustrated tears. She just had to hope that over time they would come to understand her decision or at the very least- respect it.
The rest of the day felt like it was dragging on and Lin couldn’t be sure if it was dread or anticipation that made it feel that way- the only thing she was sure of is that by the time seven o’clock rolled around there was a pit in her stomach.
Lin stood before the door of Kazuo’s suite, fist curled to knock while the room key lay in her pocket. She brought her fist down finally, holding her breath. There was no answer and she deliberated for a moment, deciding he must have not heard her. So, she knocked again, a little louder this time.
And again there was no answer.
She felt the heat of anger rising in her cheeks- there was no way he didn’t hear it that time- and suddenly her anger was overshadowed by embarrassment for bothering to come here in the first place. She was just about to leave when she heard the elevator doors ding just down the hall.
Kazuo stepped out, arms full of what appeared to be groceries.
“Lin! Sorry I’m late- have you ever tried to find a purple scorpion pepper in this town? I thought Republic City was supposed to be a cosmopolitan melting pot but I went to two- two- different markets and nobody had even heard of them!” By now he was standing expectantly beside her in front of the door, “No wonder you said you can’t get good Fire Nation food here!” She blinked up at him, quietly aware he had no idea of the spiral she’d just been about to devolve into. Hands full, he motioned at the door with his elbow, “you have the key I gave you?”
“Uh, yes, I do,” Lin replied, collecting herself quickly and unlocking the door for him with the key from her pocket.
“Thanks.” He passed her, depositing the groceries on the kitchen counter just inside the suite, “I was planning to have this ready by the time you arrived but- big surprise- Tenzin had a speech ready for the close of proceedings- I was expecting him to talk for five minutes, maybe, but he went on for forty-five minutes!” He looked at Lin, flabbergasted, “Forty-five!”
“Is that unusually long?”
“When you don’t say anything, yes,” Kazuo replied, “especially at the end of the day. Anyway- sorry- did you want a drink? It’s going to be a while before this is ready.”
Lin glanced at the groceries, “You’re cooking?”
He smiled, looking rather pleased with himself, “I was planning to, if you don’t mind waiting. Remember when you were staying at my place you said you never found good laksa in Republic City? I thought it might help me get back on your good side to make my mother’s recipe for you. Of course, it won’t be quite right because of the purple scorp-”
“I’ll take a drink,” Lin interjected, smile spreading. He returned it devilishly, making his way over to the drink cart to mix up a concoction. She watched him work, feeling all the anxieties from earlier slipping away. While she had her doubts about his culinary prowess, the mere fact that he went out of his way to attempt making laksa of all things endeared her to him. She did recall mentioning that she had never found laksa as good as the kind sold out of a food stall on his block in the caldera, but she hadn’t expected him to remember that.
He returned, passing her a glass that he clinked with his own, taking a sip. He walked back to the kitchen and began unpacking the vegetables.
“Do you need any help?” Lin wondered, sipping her own drink as she watched Kazuo rinsing the lemongrass.
“You want to be my sous chef?”
Wordlessly, Lin came to stand beside him at the counter, flicking her wrist and bending a knife from the butcher block so that it sailed past him by an inch and snapped straight into her waiting hand.
Kazuo flinched, surprised by the suddenness of it.
“Well,” he said, eyes wide, “I suppose now would be a good time to formally apologize.”
Lin laughed, realizing just how aggressive her action seemed and she made a show of placing the knife carefully down onto the counter with two hands, “Sorry about that.”
“I forgot you could do that,” he chuckled, setting the lemongrass down beside the knife. He turned to her then, taking on a more genuine tone, “I really do want to apologize about what I said. I wasn’t intending to make a statement about you. I think the world of politics has made me a little cynical and I thought maybe I had read you wrong.”
Lin studied his face, reading nothing but sincerity in his eyes. “Thank you.”
“I have to say, though, I wasn’t wrong about how he was acting,” Kazuo qualified as Lin began to shake her head in disagreement, “It was…excessive.”
Lin laughed a little at that, not quite sure how to explain that Tenzin just came off that way because he disliked Kazuo so much, “It’s not what you think. Tenzin and I have just recently gotten back to a place where-”
Kazuo waved his hand dismissively, “You don’t have to explain. I’m not trying to police your relationships.”
“Good.”
“I’m just saying…” he leaned in conspiratorially, “my condolences to his wife.”
There was a time in Lin’s life in which a comment of this nature would have occupied her grieving brain for weeks, analyzing and turning over every word, looking for some hope that she had mattered to Tenzin, that someone else could confirm as much. But now she wanted nothing more than to forget he existed. “I don’t want to talk about Tenzin.”
“That’s a relief.”
Seeing her opening she straightened her back, “But maybe this is a good time to clarify things. Set some ground rules.”
“Ground rules?”
Lin nodded, indicating the two of them, “For this, I mean.” He didn’t even bother to disguise his amusement and Lin scowled, “what?”
“You seem like someone that would have rules for this sort of thing. So, go ahead. Let’s hear them.”
Lin fixed him with a stern look, “We’ve never explicitly discussed this, but if you’re going to be here for six months I think now is a good time.”
“I don’t disagree,” Kazuo returned, gesturing for her to continue.
“Alright- first rule is: don’t follow me out of the council chambers like that again. I don’t want people discussing me or my personal life. Especially since we aren’t- since we’re not-”
Kazuo leaned in, clearly entertained by her attempt to categorize their relationship, “Aren’t what?”
“A couple,” Lin supplied finally, surprised to find that saying so out loud felt mildly disappointing. For his part, Kazuo continued to watch her in a most beguiling way, spurring her on in setting some boundaries. Regrettably, she needed them for her own sake, particularly now as they held one another’s gaze. Lin broke it first, eyes darting to his mouth in that familiar way. When the door had closed behind them only ten minutes before, Lin was confident winning her over would be a nearly impossible endeavor. She imagined it would take more than one evening to thaw the ice in her veins, but standing here alone with him- she felt heat instead. It was moving slowly into her cheeks and building between her legs.
“Fair enough,” he agreed, “And what else?” Lin gave him a quizzical look, having gotten carried away with her own thoughts. “I assume you have more than one rule?”
“Oh,” Lin remembered, “right, well, this is a nice gesture,” she began, pointing at the lemongrass on the countertop, “but going out to dinner? It’s too close to a date and I think we should avoid those situations.”
“Really?”
“Yes,” she asserted, hitting her stride, “and in the spirit of keeping things casual- no more sleeping over.”
It was Kazuo’s turn to look skeptical, “what if you’re tired?” He waggled his eyebrows suggestively and she rolled her eyes in response.
“I’ll manage.”
“Alright,” he agreed, “one question, though.”
“Yes?”
“Is kissing allowed?”
Lin smirked, “I suppose so.”
“Even now? Or should I wait until after dinner?”
Lin bit her lip to keep her smile from spreading, “I’m not that hungry.”
“Oh, good.”
He leaned in, catching her mouth with his own and Lin returned his kiss enthusiastically, losing herself in the sensation. It was almost as if his touch softened her in every respect, suddenly her hard edges were docile and yielding- relaxed and electrified all at once- readily assisting him with the buttons of her blouse which slipped off her shoulders along with the burdens she carried. This was just what she needed at the end of a long week, made even longer by denying herself moments like this. They were falling back onto the sofa in the sitting room in no time, agreeing the bedroom felt much too far away. It was a relief to finally be here, doing what they did best when they were together.
Lin rested her head on Kazuo’s chest with a satisfied hum, smiling lightly at the sound of his heart thumping rapidly just under her ear. “Okay, now I’m hungry.”
Kazuo let out a laugh from beneath her that shook her whole body, sweeping her up in his mirth, “Wait, wait, wait- wasn’t there a rule about dinner?”
Lin shifted, sliding her arm across his chest and resting her chin upon it in order to look him in the eye, “going out to dinner.”
He chuckled, pushing a strand of hair back from her face, “got me on a technicality then?”
“You offered!”
“That I did,” he agreed, running his hand along her hip before patting her backside once, “you’ve got to let me up in that case.”
Wordlessly she obliged, climbing off of him and gingerly collecting her discarded clothing to redress. He followed suit, dressing again and making his way back over to the small kitchen of his suite. She sidled up alongside, chopping the base of the lemongrass into a v-shape, peeling back the dry outer layer and sipping her drink.
As it turned out, Kazuo knew which ingredients went into laksa, but the order in which they should be put together appeared to be unknown to him, proving ripe ground for a little teasing from Lin who dutifully supervised his actions- interrupting more than once to correct his technique. He took all her instruction in good humor, writing off his culinary missteps as the pitfalls of working in an unfamiliar kitchen with improvised ingredients, much to Lin’s amusement.
The final result didn’t hold a candle to the laksa Lin had enjoyed at the Capital only weeks ago, but it wasn’t bad either- certainly on par with the Fire Nation fare available in Republic City.
“It’s the pepper- it’s not the same without the purple scorpion pepper,” Kazuo excused after sampling a little from the bowl in his hands.
“It’s not bad,” Lin insisted, twisting noodles around a pair of chopsticks.
In keeping with her theme of staying casual, they sat along the sofa, facing one another with legs crossed, bowls of laksa in their respective laps- foregoing the more formal setting of the dining table. It was a departure from Lin’s normal inclination for formality in all things, but there was something so cozy and comforting about sharing space in this way. The evening had not gone as planned- just this morning she was content to avoid him for months and now here she was in his suite enjoying a meal in their shared afterglow, talking to him about her day.
It was easy to talk to him, even in places where it ought to have been hard- their overlapping professional associations allowed her to bypass a lot of exposition and relay her thoughts and ideas without having to explain the background. There was only one topic she’d come to so far that required a little extra discretion and that was Saikhan’s suspension. She had mentioned her two o’clock meeting with the City Attorney as being “awful” and declined to elaborate when he asked what made it so bad.
“I can’t really get into it,” she told him vaguely.
“Because it’s an active investigation?”
“Yes,” Lin returned, stopping suddenly, “Wait. How do you know about that?”
She hadn’t told a soul about the investigation into Saikhan and what exactly had possessed him to do Tarrlok’s bidding, but the actions he took in her absence were not Council approved and certainly outside the guidelines of the Police Force Code of Conduct. Lin knew that better than anyone, having revised them herself upon taking office. It pained her to keep this information from her officers- almost as much as it pained her to entertain the idea that someone she trusted so deeply could be corrupted like this, but she didn’t dare speak an accusation against him without solid evidence- and that is precisely what the City Attorney’s Office was working to find.
“We met with the City Attorney right after you left, remember?”
Lin was aghast, “Yes, but he’s not supposed to brief the Council with the Transitional Committees present! Investigating a former police chief for bribery is not something he should be shooting off at the mouth about- it’s a very delicate matter that requires discretion but I guess I shouldn’t be surprised that Raiko of all people would be blabbing about it to anyone who will listen! And to think, he wants to run for President. Ha.”
“And he’s going to win,” Kazuo added confidently before taking a sip of his drink.
Lin scowled, “What makes you think that?”
“The climate,” he shrugged, “it’s going to be a nonbender for sure- the national mood guarantees as much. The voters of Republic City are already familiar with him so he’s got visibility on his side, and now he has this bribery case to use as a talking point.”
“It’s not a case,” Lin corrected, “it’s an investigation that has not been completed. We don’t know for sure that Saikhan took a bribe or if it was simply incompetence.”
“It was definitely a bribe,” Kazuo assured her, setting his bowl on the small table at this side, “that’s Tarrlok’s style.”
“How would you know?”
“He tried to bribe Koji in the past,” Kazuo explained nonchalantly, “I guess he didn’t want to push his luck by approaching me directly- maybe he knew about us- who knows.”
Lin’s eyes practically bugged out of her skull and she set aside her bowl to emphasize her shock, “He tried to bribe a member of your staff and you didn’t report it?”
Kazuo chuckled, “Report it to who? Tarrlok? Come on, Lin. The whole Council is corrupted to some degree- except maybe Tenzin. This whole reformation of government isn’t just because of the nonbending revolution. Besides, Tarrlok was smart about how he did it- with the right representation in court everything he said to Koji could have been written off as innocent conversation, but he was testing the waters, no doubt about it.”
Lin dropped her head into her hands, grumbling, “I hate politics.”
“Well, you’d better get used to them, because I promise you that Raiko is determined to find something he can use in this investigation- going hard on the Police Department for colluding with Tarrlok to oppress nonbenders will get him a lot of votes. He’ll be a nonbending hero for being tough on bender supremacy.”
“Not the police department,” Lin snipped, “Saikhan.”
“The people won’t make that distinction,” he replied apologetically.
Lin leaned back against the arm of the sofa with a disheartened sigh, realization dawning on her, “This morning Raiko suggested that I reinstate Saikhan and avoid this whole investigation.”
Kazuo sucked his teeth, “I hope you told him no.”
“Of course I did!”
“Good, then he can’t implicate you in the result. My guess is he was hoping you’d drop the investigation so he could call you complicit when they found evidence of corruption and then have an excuse to appoint a new Chief of Police.”
Lin shook her head, reaching for her drink and lifting it high, “well, here’s to hoping he loses,” she tilted it back, polishing it off in one rather long gulp.
“He won’t,” Kazuo insisted, “but you’ll be fine.”
Lin shot him a skeptical look. Perhaps the sudden infusion of alcohol was taking effect, but she challenged him, “No offense, but you’ve also thought you were going to win elections before…”
He put one hand on his chest, comically dipping his head as if he’d just been speared through the heart, “Wow.”
“I’m sorry,” Lin offered, sitting forward again with an impish grin, “I’m just saying you don’t know what the outcome will be.”
To her relief he was laughing, “You are exceptionally bad at flirting. Has anyone ever told you that?”
“Actually, yes.”
He laughed harder in response. “Well for the record, I only thought I was going to win the first time I ran for the Council- after that I was just trying to make a point. And see you, of course.”
Lin’s eyes narrowed, shaking her head, “And see? You’re exceptionally good at flirting. Where do you come up with these lines?”
“It’s easy when they’re true,” he shrugged.
She scoffed, but couldn’t disguise the blush in her cheeks, “Anyway what point would you be trying to make by running every election cycle and losing?”
“It was a good way to challenge myself,” he returned plainly, “and besides it allowed me to make and maintain connections here that have really helped me in my work back home. I realized pretty quickly that my chances were slim as a nonbender, but if I hadn’t come here to campaign I never would have met Hiroshi Sato and convinced him to open his first international production plant in Fire Fountain City. After one good networking dinner here I brought 4,000 jobs back to the Fire Nation with me.”
He was a little more animated now- clearly energized by telling this story, and though Sato’s name gave her a slight recoil she couldn’t help but smile at Kazuo as she spoke- his enthusiasm was almost tangible.
“That makes sense,” she agreed, “but what do you mean your chances were slim as a nonbender?”
He looked at her blankly for a moment, “Really? Lin, when was the last time a nonbender served on the Council?”
She paused for a moment, tilting her head in thought, “I suppose it would have been one of the Air Acolytes…”
“You’re right, it was-”
“...Batsa!” They said in unison.
Kazuo nodded, “okay and he was succeeded by….”
“Tenzin.”
“Right. So, the only eligible air bender in the world replaced Batsa at the ripe old age of what? 20?”
“About twenty, yes.”
“Okay and there has been exactly one other nonbender to ever serve on the Council, can you guess who it is?”
Lin rolled her eyes, “Sokka. Obviously.”
“Yes, a founding member of the Council. So, in the history of this country there have been two nonbenders that held a position on the Council- one created the Council itself- so that’s a given. The other was essentially a placeholder until an actual bender could age into the position… I think you get where I’m going with this.”
“I do,” she admitted, “I guess that’s never occurred to me.”
He took a sip of his drink, shrugging, “Why would it?”
“It paints a rather stark picture.”
Suddenly this little bit of trivia, which had been available to her all this time, was reframing her view of the dissolution of the Council. In the past month she’d held nothing but resentment for the idea and for the equalists who had forced the issue, but she hadn’t considered how the Republic looked from their perspective. Her internal thoughts must have been externally expressed on her face because Kazuo gave her a smile and said, “Don’t feel bad, we’re used to it.”
“That makes me feel worse actually,” Lin returned, flatly.
“Then that calls for another drink,” Kazuo announced humorously, standing to make his way to the bar cart. Lin glanced at the clock, surprised to see how late it had gotten.
“Actually, I’d better get going,” she said, standing as well. She gathered their laksa bowls and made her way to the sink, “I have to be at work early- I don’t think my officers are feeling very forgiving as of late so I’d better not risk oversleeping.”
Kazuo approached her looking slightly disappointed, collecting the bowls from her hands and placing them in the sink himself, “I’ll take care of these.”
Lin smiled up at him, suppressing the urge to kiss him again, “I’m glad we… talked.”
“Is that what the kids are calling it now?”
She rolled her eyes, “I would be the last person to know.”
“Fair point,” he laughed, “but I’m glad too. Would be a waste of six months in the same city otherwise.”
“Yes, it would be.”
It was hard to tear her eyes away from his now that the time had come, but she reminded herself to stay firm inside the boundaries she had set. The evening had been wonderful; full of great sex, good food, and stimulating conversation - it was a combination she didn’t experience for years at a time and it was enough to fill her head with all kinds of fanciful thoughts if she wasn’t careful. This was a temporary arrangement, they were friends, that was all.
He broke their gaze first, moving to fetch her coat off the back of one of the dining chairs. He held it open and she shrugged it on, “Thank you.”
They walked to the door together stopping just before it to exchange a kiss goodnight. It was a slow, sensual kind of kiss they lingered in, both reluctant for it to end. Kazuo deepened it a little by stepping in closer and sliding one hand along her jawline, giving Lin cause to stretch her arms up over his shoulders, linking her fingers behind his neck to pull him in further. Their simple goodnight kiss intensified then and he used his free hand to draw her hips in to meet his. Lin could feel his excitement plainly against her and she pushed her hips into him signaling that she had indeed changed her mind about leaving- at least for now. Together they crashed up against the door, undressing one another with urgency- this time, though, they made it back to the bedroom.
Sweaty and satisfied, they parted on a string of kisses, attempting to catch their breath in the moments between. Kazuo kissed her neck once more and slid off of her, taking up residence beside her in his bed.
“Whew,” Lin laughed, heart-pounding as she stared up at the ceiling.
“Yeah,” Kazuo agreed, “I think we have some work to do regarding the ‘goodbye kiss’ concept.”
Lin nodded, “I suppose we do.” She caught a light chill, shivering at the sudden loss of his warmth and Kazuo shifted the blankets over to cover her without missing a beat.
And just like that she felt warm again.
She turned to her side, coming nose to nose with him, “I should go.”
In truth, it was the last thing she wanted to do. She realized she could stay here for days just enjoying the sensation of his hand running softly up and down her arm.
He sighed, “You’re right. Get out. You know the rules.” Unamused, Lin glared at him and he laughed, “I’m kidding!” When her expression soured further he pulled her in close, kissing the top of her head, “Aww. I’m joking. Besides, haven’t you ever heard the phrase ‘rules are made to be broken?’”
Against his chest, Lin grumbled, “You kidding? It’ll be inscribed on my mother’s tombstone.”
“She sounds like a wise woman.”
“She’s not,” Lin assured, pushing off him a little so that their eyes met again. She yawned, “but neither am I- you were right. I am tired.”
“Then go to sleep,” he told her with a shrug, “I’ll set the alarm early enough for both of us.”
He twisted at the waist, reaching over for the clock to wind the alarm. Lin watched him from where she lay, tucked in at his side, thinking of the million reasons she had to get up and go home to her own bed. He set the alarm on the nightstand, turning back to pull her in for another kiss- this one short and sweet- and she decided that maybe, just this once, it was okay to break her own rules.
Description: A Push and Pull companion piece: While grieving the loss of Sokka, Lin finds comfort in her best friend.
Read it on AO3
Rating: M
Author’s Note: I was going to hold onto this until I was ready to publish the next chapter of The Push and Pull, but in light of the mess with the RPG calling Linzin a brief romance- I figured everyone could use a little spicy Linzin today. Anyway, this scene is a companion piece for the next chapter of P&P that I've yet to publish.
Story:
Tenzin sighed, rolling over onto his side to gather his pillow around his ears. The source of his discomfort was coming from across the room in another small bed. His brother, Bumi, snored as if he were in the running to break the world record for most annoying sound.
Not that Tenzin could sleep anyway. Even without Bumi’s guttural wheezing, he was wide-awake; mind oscillating between thoughts of his Uncle and thoughts of Lin. He felt a twinge of guilt for the latter. On a cold evening like this in the South Pole, on such a morose errand, his mind should be focused on more respectful pursuits- grieving for instance.
He was grieving though, he cried less than an hour ago, but his mind always came back to Lin- worried for her burdened conscience initially, but always devolving into the memory of her beside him in bed. It was as if this thought pattern were being worn into his brain by a heavy stepper, determined to follow the pathway until it ran directly into Lin’s hair tickling his cheek, or her leg resting between his.
It was a difficult memory to shake. Though it was devoid of sexuality at the time, Tenzin’s overactive teenage imagination didn’t let it remain that way for long. Every night his mind wandered here, wondering what might have happened if this critical event in his romantic life had not been at the memorial service of her much loved-father figure. And every night he would remind himself that it was beautiful and comforting and entirely platonic.
He let the pillow go, finding that Bumi’s snoring had become intermittent grunts and he sighed again, watching the ceiling until a sliver of light appeared. His eyes followed it back to the doorway to find Lin’s shadowed shape sneaking in, quietly closing the door.
He sat up, alarmed, and she made her way to his bed on feet so light he would have sworn she were an airbender. Without a word she slid in beside him, pulling the blankets over herself.
Tenzin swallowed, slipping back down to be eye level with her. Her eyes were open and they stared at one another a moment in silence. She blinked a few times and Tenzin blinked in return, unable to muster the courage to say anything.
She moved her body closer, sliding her foot along his leg beneath the blankets until their ankles rested atop each other. Her hand moved up his chest, searching for somewhere to rest. She clutched the front of his nightshirt and stopped there as he finally got up the nerve to whisper, “Lin…what are you doing?”
It was a gentle warning disguised as a question, barely audible in the dark room but she heard it and she cut him off by brushing her lips against his. It wasn’t a kiss, but his body stiffened nonetheless. He licked his lips nervously, catching the edge of hers in the process. He paused, attempting to steady his breathing while his mind worked on making sense of what he was experiencing.
Lin had appeared, in his bed, just as he desired. It was too good to be true and he bit the inside of his cheek; if only to be sure he was not having a vivid dream. He felt it, just as he felt his heart pounding as he tried to decide if putting his hand on her exposed arm would be an appropriate gesture. In the end, he placed it there, sliding it down slightly to experience the friction of her soft skin beneath his palm.
Her breaths were just at his mouth, mixing with his own until they seemed to operate as one being, breathing in and out in tandem. She moved her head slightly and brushed his nose with hers as if seeking access to his affection. He gave it readily, moving his mouth back in place against hers and she reached out with anxious lips, tentatively tugging at his bottom lip. He pressed forward, meeting her tongue and their kiss intensified until their breath ran out and their noses ached from pressing against each other too hard.
After collecting a breath, they kissed again. And then again, and again and again until Tenzin thought he might never sleep or eat for the rest of his life- forsaking all other activities for this one. His hand stayed in place on her arm, stroking it affectionately, but never daring to move any place more interesting.
Lin, on the other hand, had creeping fingers, which had made their way beneath his nightshirt. Her palms ran flat over every muscle in his chest, and then his arms as they kissed. He felt her hand slowly making its way along his side until it reached the waistband of his pants and he seized in response.
Her hand continued, outside the fabric, grazing over his erection as if she didn’t realize it was there. He wondered if she felt it and became very concerned about what to do if she acknowledged its presence. His fears were realized when she came back to his crotch, pressing against him firmly enough to feel the shape of it through his thin pants.
He pulled back from their kiss to apologize, “Lin…” he whispered. She met his eyes, “I’m sorry it’s just…I can’t help that,” he explained nervously. She kissed him in response, moving her hand back up to his abdomen, pressing her palm flat against his stomach, before sliding it downward beneath the fabric.
He drew a breath as her hand explored him for the first time. It was clear by the indecision of her movements that she wasn’t quite sure where to go from here. She felt around carefully, twining her fingers in his hair before finding the base of him. She ran her hand up slowly and his reaction told her she was on the right path.
Though he didn’t realize it, his ability to multi-task had been greatly diminished and so Lin moved away from his unresponsive mouth, kissing his chin and then his neck instead as her hand moved up and down. Her grip was loose and her movements alternated in speed, but it hardly mattered to Tenzin who was certain this was the single greatest sensation he’d ever experienced.
Her grip tightened slightly and just as Tenzin was about to warn her about the inevitable result of this, a snore tore across the room.
Bumi rolled over in his bed, gargling and sniffling in his sleep. Lin froze, pulling the covers over her head to disguise her presence. Tenzin’s blood ran cold at both the loss of contact and the fear of being caught. He watched his brother a moment before he pulled the blankets over his own head, joining Lin in their private hideaway.
“He’s asleep,” Tenzin informed her quietly.
Her hand returned to his waistband immediately and he stopped it, gripping her wrist, “it’s okay.”
Their eyes met and the look she wore, even under the blankets in the dark was clear as day. Hurt and embarrassment danced in her eyes before she looked away, moving to leave his bed. Tenzin gripped her tighter then, whispering intensely, “No, that’s not what I mean. Wait.”
It was enough to stop her and she remained beneath the blanket, solemn-faced. “I just mean you don’t have to. I don’t want to pressure you,” he explained in a whisper and Lin’s eyebrows knit together, reminding him that she was the one that snuck into his bed after all.
“I mean, I can ... you know,” he trailed off as his own hand brushed her waistband, “unless you don’t want me to,” he covered quickly, voice raising an octave so that it sounded as if it were in stereo inside their confined space.
Her hand moved its way down his arm, until she thread her fingers through his own and brought his hand up, placing his palm on her breast, “I want you to touch me, Tenzin.”
Tenzin was sure the very last drops of blood in his brain made their exit right then and he only managed to nod before moving in to kiss her again. He brushed his hands over her shirt lightly, lingering there as he wondered how far to push his luck.
He started under her shirt, finding that she wore no bindings to sleep and his hand ran over her chest- brushing hard nipples as he went. He pulled her shirt up slightly until they were pressed against each other, skin to skin, and he thought he might faint when he felt her breasts flatten against his ribcage.
It was a surreal feeling as his hands moved downward to catch the curve of her hip. He had imagined this moment plenty of times, but never really thought he would live it. He took a deep breath as he forged ahead, dipping his hand into her pants.
Panic overtook him almost immediately. His hand moved downward, cupping the space between her legs before he froze, completely lost. She was warm and wet and though Tenzin knew he wanted nothing more than to be as close to this place as possible- he had no clue what to do now that he’d gotten there. His fingers moved slowly, mimicking piano play and he looked at Lin’s face for some kind of indication of his performance. She appeared mildly confused and he sighed, dejectedly. She remedied his mood by reaching down to cover his hand with her own, guiding him up a little, encouraging slow strokes and soft circular motions.
He continued to watch her face as he silently followed her lead until her eyes fluttered closed. Her lips parted and the faintest sound escaped her mouth as her hand moved away from his. His fingers worked quicker, encouraged by the small noises she made- so quiet, he wouldn’t have heard them if he were another inch away.
He leaned in, kissing her softly and he felt her hand at his waistband again. She reached into his pants, gripping him with familiarity now. Her hand worked its way up and down his erection as they kissed.
The tension was mounting quickly and Tenzin began to fear the rustling of the sheets alone might alert his brother to their coupling. It wasn’t long before it occurred to him that thinking about things of this nature would prolong his experience, so he continued to worry with purpose.
His fingers kept a steady pace against her and he felt her leg twitch in response as her hand released him, unable to control her movements. He slid his fingers along her- faster, firmer, until her forehead was pressed against his pleadingly. Her eyes were closed tightly and she gasped once, folding in around his arm.
Lin gripped his forearm, stilling his movements and Tenzin felt a sense of pride in his ability to induce this reaction- as if he had driven her well beyond the edge of her pleasure threshold.
There was no time to celebrate this victory as she regained her awareness and promptly went back to her own task. Her fingers moved up and down teasingly before she grasped him firmly, increasing her speed steadily.
It was then, on the edge of his climax that Tenzin wondered if she had any idea how this would end. He turned his head slightly, muffling a quiet moan in her hair and his hand reached down, blocking his release so that it pooled on his stomach.
He froze, meeting her eyes with an apologetic look, cheeks blushing with embarrassment and exertion. Her fingers moved across him on last time, sliding her thumb along his tip before she withdrew her hand from him completely.
Tenzin fidgeted awkwardly, embarrassed by his predicament. He swallowed once, aware of his only option, “Can you…could you pass me that handkerchief?” he whispered.
Lin eyed him dubiously, finally rolling over to find a cloth on the far side of his nightstand. She lifted it, turning to him for confirmation.
“Yes, that one,” he nodded and she passed it over gingerly.
He wiped his stomach with the cloth, catching Lin’s eye again, “this is embarrassing,” he admitted.
She kissed him, to allay his worry and he returned it, with more enthusiasm than she intended to inspire. She broke away, moving so that her head rested along his chest.
They remained this way for a while, both wide-awake and saying nothing. Tenzin’s mind raced, considering all this meant, unsure if he were getting ahead of himself or not.
“Um, Lin,” he asked, voice hushed by timidity as well as necessity. He had to know what they were, what she intended when she came into his bed. But she sat up instead of replying.
“I should go,” she whispered. She leaned down to plant a soft kiss on his lips; “if I fall asleep in here we’re dead.”
As soon as she said the word, the entire reason they were here in the South Pole came rushing back. The tears in her eyes glistened and she pushed the blankets away to stand, walking back out the door without another glance at Tenzin.
The door closed and he fell face-first into his pillow, letting go of a frustrated sigh, suddenly more confused than ever about their relationship.
Bumi shot up when the wooden frame of the door met the wall, “Wha? Huh?”
He looked around with wild eyes, shaken from his slumber, “Was that you, T?”
Tenzin raised his hand, grumbling an affirmative sound into his pillow that was loud enough for Bumi to hear. Satisfied with this response, Bumi fell instantly back to sleep. The same could not be said for Tenzin, whose mind was not letting his body rest anytime soon.
Description: Lin takes a smoke break. Angsty Oneshot.
Read it on AO3
Rating: All audiences
Story:
Lin looked up from where she sat on the other side of the room from Tenzin. There was no chance their eyes would meet- Tenzin’s were closed and his expression pained, though he was clearly attempting to hide that just now. He shifted the mala beads in his free hand as he prayed, voice barely above a whisper. His other hand rested gently along Aang’s as he lay prostrate in bed.
Aang hadn’t said a word since yesterday and even those had been hoarse and difficult to parse. Katara had shushed him, leaning down close to his ear to tell him to rest. He looked at her then and it was clear even this small action was a strain, but he opened his mouth once more, attempting to speak.
Katara silenced him with a knowing nod, “I love you too.” He smiled, his sentiment understood.
And then he closed his eyes.
Probably for the last time, Lin thought grimly.
They had spent the past three days like this; waiting. Sometimes a wave of emotion came and carried one of their party off in a fit of tears, but mostly they waited for the inevitable end. Aang lay between them all, the center of their attention, looking as if he wanted nothing more than to cheer them up. That is, until yesterday. Today, in the early hours of the evening, Aang looked vacant- his expression slack. If it weren’t for the rising and falling of his chest she would have thought he had already died.
Lin felt her eyes stinging at the thought, looking away from Aang’s face in an effort to compose herself. It wasn’t working. She stood suddenly, startling everyone in the room, including Tenzin who paused his recitation.
“I need some air,” she explained, crossing the room.
“I’ll join you,” Toph agreed, shifting in her own seat to stand, but Lin cut her off.
“No. Thank you- I think I just want to be alone for a minute.”
Toph took her at her word and leaned back in her seat, just as Kya leaned forward- ready to take her place. Lin shook her head once, letting Kya know she truly did not want to be followed. Finally, Lin paused beside Tenzin, placing her hand on his shoulder and bending down to softly ask, “Can I get you anything?”
Tenzin lifted his hand from his fathers', giving Lin’s fingers a grateful squeeze at his shoulder, “No. Thank you.” He turned his head and kissed her hand. Their eyes met for a moment then and Lin couldn’t stop a few tears from slipping out at the fear and anxiety she saw staring up at her. She felt it too. Lin returned his squeeze then and broke away, mercifully exiting the room at last.
The hallway was dark and Lin made her way to the front room of the temple, stepping out into the warm evening air. The glow of the setting sun was below the horizon and the lights in the Republic City skyline were beginning to twinkle like evening stars in the distance. Lin tapped her trouser pocket once, making sure she had everything she needed before selecting a wooden pathway that wound its way to a small tiered gazebo overlooking the Mo Ce Sea.
A light breeze greeted her as she approached the railing, peeking over the edge to make out the waves crashing against the cliffside below. It was a lovely night, but Lin was sure this might be one of the worst of her entire life. She took a breath, trying to shake the memory of Tenzin’s wet, panicked eyes from only moments ago. All that she read in his expression lent some urgency to her movements as she fumbled inside her pocket to withdraw a pack of cigarettes and a lighter. She pulled one from the pack, sparking the end, and felt a little moment of reprieve pass over her upon inhaling.
The moment passed though, and she was right back at the start- thinking about Tenzin and herself and the very real and imminent understanding that he was about to be the last living airbender in existence. Lin looked out at the great black expanse of ocean before her, silently and foolishly willing Aang to recover. It felt selfish to be thinking of herself at a time like this.
Suddenly, she heard a cough.
Lin’s head snapped up, looking around in the dark for whichever family member decided to ignore her request for alone time. She heard the cough again, soft and feminine coming from one of the lower tiers of the gazebo. She squinted a little, finally making out the shape of an acolyte emerging from the shadowed steps. It was then realized that she was the source of this poor girl’s coughing fit and she shifted the cigarette to her other hand, holding it over the railing so that it’s smoke blew away from them.
“Sorry about that,” Lin apologized, managing a small smile that was lost in the dark of the night.
“Smoking isn’t allowed out here,” the acolyte returned, stepping closer still. When they were near enough to see each other properly, the acolyte paled, swallowing, “Oh. I’m sorry.”
Lin waved off her apology, looking pointedly at the cigarette in her hand, “No, you are right. That is one of Aang’s rules.”
A bitter sigh escaped her then and she drew the cigarette back to her lips. She exhaled, training her eyes back out over the ocean, expecting the acolyte to take the hint. But the girl stood there for a beat, watching Lin watch the ocean.
“How is he?” She finally ventured.
Lin swallowed, glancing at this young and eager girl in her red and yellow and prepared to shatter her heart. Lin blinked, eyes stinging as she replied simply, “bad.”
She flinched at this news, blunt as it was, before taking up residence at the railing beside Lin, looking out at the water, “then it’s true, what everyone’s been saying. Avatar Aang is dying.”
Lin nodded, taking another drag with a sideways glance at this interloper. If there was one thing she could be grateful for it was that the boldness of this kid was startling enough to stop her from breaking down into tears.
“I apologize if I interrupted you…” Lin offered after a moment, mindful that she had commandeered this meditation space for her own purpose . Her apology was somewhat genuine, but it was also a second attempt to give this girl whatever she needed in order to walk away.
The girl remained rooted however, making a study of Lin’s face to an almost awkward extent before suddenly supplying her name, “Pema.”
“Excuse me?”
“Pema…my name is Pema- you seemed like you were searching for it.”
“Oh,” Lin replied, neglecting to correct her, “well, Pema I’m—”
“I know who you are,” Pema interrupted abruptly.
Lin blinked, suppressing a sympathetic cringe; there was an overrepresentation of socially awkward people within the acolyte ranks and this girl was clearly no exception. Lin hadn’t, in fact, been about to introduce herself. What she had planned to say was, I’m looking to be left alone, but seeing her now Lin felt a pang of guilt remembering Tenzin’s pleading eyes from earlier. If there was one small thing she could do for him, it was to make an effort with these people. After all, it was only a matter of time before she was in the thick of it with them. The thought of it made her stomach tighten, like the walls of fate were closing in- she couldn’t imagine herself in these clothes, living this life, chasing after a gaggle of kids who would probably turn out to be earthbenders anyway.
“Yes, well, I clearly stick out like a sore thumb around here,” Lin excused with amusement, holding her cigarette up as proof.
“That’s not why I know who you are,” Pema corrected, “but yeah, that too.”
Lin grimaced. This girl was really starting to grate on her nerves. Being socially awkward could excuse a lot, but anyone with manners would know better than to agree with a comment like that, even if it were true. She stopped trying to redirect her cigarette smoke.
Pema shifted awkwardly, brow knit in concern, “How is Master Tenzin doing?”
“His father is dying,” Lin offered plainly, taking another puff.
“How are you doing?” Pema followed.The question was a surprise and Lin let it sit between them without comment for a beat too long for Pema’s liking. “You and Avatar Aang seem pretty close.”
Lin gave her a nod of silent affirmation, willing away the tears that began pooling on her lower lids. It was a risk to blink at this point and Lin reached up, sweeping her thumb and middle finger along her eyelids to collect the tears until her fingers met in the middle, pinching the bridge of her nose. When she was sure she had steeled herself again she pulled her hand away and sniffled, managing to hold onto some of her dignity, though not nearly as much as she’d hoped.
“Look,” Lin began, finding her voice again, “you seem like a nice person, and I realize the culture around here is very open and touchy-feely, but I’m not comfortable discussing this with someone I just met five minutes ago.”
Instead of looking offended, Lin was surprised to find Pema looking almost pleased by her rebuke, “I understand” she said happily, but Lin got the distinct impression they were having two different conversations.
“Good,” Lin returned, going back to her cigarette.
“We’ve met before,” Pema added cheerfully, “by the way.”
Lin studied her for a moment, “I’m sorry. It might have something to do with the fact that you’re all wearing the same outfit.”
Pema shook her head, “multiple times, actually. We’ve met multiple times.”
Lin stubbed out her cigarette on the railing, “Well, I apologize… for not remembering and for interrupting your meditation.”
“No! It’s okay, really,” Pema insisted, “I’ve been struggling with a situation in my life, wondering what I need to do and I came out here to meditate about it and wouldn’t you know- sometimes the answer you’re looking for just walks up and presents itself.”
Lin smiled stiffly, this kind of talk was beginning to veer into Kya territory, “Right.”
Pema leaned in, eyes shining in the moonlight, “Please tell Master Tenzin I am praying for him.”
Lin nodded, taking a step back, “I’m sure he would appreciate that. Thank you.”
Pema leaned back against the railing as Lin departed, “Goodnight!”
Lin gave her a curt wave in response, turning to make her way back into the temple where her fate was still waiting, quietly shifting mala beads in his hand.
Description: The changes to the United Republic are just beginning, the same may not be true for Lin.
Read it on AO3
Rating: T
Story:
Two weeks seemed to pass in the blink of an eye, but perhaps Lin could chalk that up to the hours she was keeping. There was no shortage of work to be done- or more specifically- work to be undone. Untangling Saikhan’s mess was proving to be more than a full-time job. Lin was buried so deep in rookie training she was almost able to forget that tonight was the official welcome reception for the transitional committees at City Hall.
A slew of ambassadors, politicians, and lawyers from every corner of the world had been arriving all week on ships that sailed into Yue Bay, churning sheets of ice from the bitter winter into slush as they approached. Tonight would be the ceremonial start of proceedings; there was sure to be plenty of glad-handing and backroom deal-making at this evening’s gala- the sort of thing Lin despised. But for once, she wasn’t completely dreading this social event.
The radio on Lin’s desk crackled and clicked.
Officer Shan, her most trusted in security, was manning the waterfront as the last ships made their way into Republic City. Shan’s voice broke through the static to report, “Fire Nation ship has docked. All clear.”
Lin couldn’t help but smile to herself as she scribbled her signature on some release paperwork and passed it to her secretary, Khen.
“Looking forward to the reception tonight, Chief?” Khen asked.
Lin’s smile disappeared, “Hm. Not particularly.”
Khen seemed mildly confused by this change in demeanor, but accepted the paperwork from her without a comment.
“Anything else?” she wondered, capping her fountain pen pointedly.
“That should be it,” Khen confirmed, turning to make his exit. And then he paused, turning back to Lin “try to enjoy yourself tonight, Chief. We all see how much you’ve been working- a mandatory evening away from HQ is probably a good thing. We’ll hold down the fort here.”
Lin gave him a tight smile, indicating his sentiment was appreciated, but his comment was not, “Thank you, Khen. If that’s all…”
Khen returned her tight smile, “Right. Sorry. See you tomorrow.”
He made his exit, papers in hand, leaving Lin to her thoughts and radio static.
Shan’s voice broke through again, “Looks like Southern Watertribe is right on schedule. Tying into Pier 48.”
Lin leaned over her desk, depressing the button on her end, “Any issues?”
“Small group of protesters- only about 30 strong. Peaceful.”
“Thank you,” Lin returned, “I’m signing off. Transferring to Hong.”
“Got it. Changing signal to channel 2.”
Lin turned the dial on her radio with a click, leaving her office silent.
She sat back in her desk chair with a sigh, the first moment of quiet she had allowed herself in days. Her mind began to race thinking of the evening ahead- on a normal day these thoughts would revolve around what security measures were needed at City Hall or which officers were best equipped for the task, but today Kazuo was top of mind.
Alone in her office, Lin visibly cringed at the realization- irritated by her own bout of whimsy. It was silly with everything going on- as the city and government quite literally crumbled around her that she would be thinking about a man of all things. Normally after their brief encounters she moved on alarmingly quickly- slipping back into her regularly scheduled life without a second thought. He would cross her mind on occasion at the mention of Fire Nation politics or on a particularly lonely evening, but mostly thoughts of him were neatly tucked away until they happened to run into one another again.
This time, it was different- since her return to Republic City she found herself revisiting the bookshelf in her sitting room just to tip the spine of The Lake Murders back enough to pluck the note he had written out from between the pages. It was a simple note, wouldn't even pass for romantic if it hadn’t been signed with an x at the bottom- a detail she would typically write off as ‘friendly’- but now it quickened her pulse.
She understood this newfound feeling was lingering in a way it normally wouldn’t because she was due to see him again so soon- this evening in fact- and her cheeks flushed at the thought. In some recess of her mind she regretted that their first meeting upon his arrival would be in such a formal setting, but another more prominent part was relieved to have this compulsory roadblock in her path so that she could ease back into the idea of him from the comfort of her uncomfortable uniform. Still, she found herself fussing over her hair quite a bit more than normal and putting extra effort into doing her make-up before she departed for City Hall.
Preparations for the gala were still underway when she arrived and she met with the event planner and one of her lieutenants on the front steps to discuss deployment. They were expecting protesters, but nobody could guess how many. Lin and her lieutenant bent a crash barrier into place around the edge of the City Square, allowing for cars carrying guests to pass through any protests unhindered. Officers were stationed at each entryway just in time to greet Councilman Mafu of the Southern Watertribe.
He quickly exited his vehicle before the front entrance and raced up the steps, taking them two at a time, exchanging a look with Lin as he passed. It was a wise move to arrive before the protesters began trickling in, which began just as soon as he’d made it inside.
They held signs decrying the involvement of the four nations and the further involvement of benders in nation building. Luckily, holding signs seemed to be all they were intending to do this evening and Lin let her shoulders relax as she scanned the crowd of them milling about with no indication of agitators among them.
The Hall began to fill quickly as satomobiles arrived along the square, inching forward to deposit their makers of state. When all seemed to be on the up and up, Lin ventured back inside peeking around for any sign of Kazuo to no avail. She ducked into the restroom at the far end of the Hall to check her hair one last time, but was interrupted by the entrance of Councilwoman Qian. Lin quickly pretended to be checking her spools instead as Qian passed behind her in the mirror. She met her own eyes in the reflection then, rolling them at her idiocy before making an exit.
She hadn’t made it more than a few strides before she was accosted by an anxious looking Councilman Chen of the Earth Kingdom.
“Chief Beifong- so happy you could make it. I’d like to introduce you to our crown representative. Please, come,” he smiled, gesturing her forward toward Gun, the Earth Queen’s most trusted advisor. Lin braced herself, she had a pretty good idea about where this conversation was headed.
“Chief Beifong! Good evening!” Gun gushed, bowing deeply.
“Good evening,” Lin returned evenly.
Gun swallowed, eyes darting about nervously, “I was so pleased to hear of your reinstatement.”
“Mm,” Lin returned curtly, “Do you mind if we just skip ahead.”
Chen and Gun exchanged a look. Gun cleared his throat, “Well, from one Earth Kingdom citizen to another Her Majesty was hoping-”
Lin cut him off, “I was born and raised in the United Republic.”
Another look passed between the men, “Yes, of course, but you are the custodian of the Beifong estate in Gaoling,” Gun reminded her, “and as such one of our most valued taxpaying entities.”
“Oh, I’m well aware.”
“That is to say, from our perspective you do have a home in the Earth Kingdom and it is Her Majesty’s greatest wish that all her subjects feel a sense of belonging- a sense of… ownership, if you will-”
“I won’t,” Lin interrupted, “Look, first of all, it’s not a home, it’s a museum. Secondly, if you are asking me to lobby the Council or the Committees on behalf of the Earth Kingdom you can save your breath. The reconstruction of the United Republic is for them to decide and me to abide by. I’m not a politician and I am certainly not a lobbyist.”
Gun looked positively aghast at her candor, finding himself speechless. For his part, Chen appeared equally dismayed. Lin drew a breath, smiling politely, “but, best of luck to you both.”
Turning to make her exit from this little ambush put her directly in Tenzin’s path. He smiled amiably, approaching her in his most traditional set of robes, “Lin! I wasn’t sure you would attend,” he told her by way of greeting.
Lin gave a light shrug, “I probably shouldn’t have- I haven’t even gotten a drink and the lion-vultures are already circling.”
Tenzin made eyes at the Earth Kingdom contingent she had left behind, “That didn’t take long. Truth be told I’m not looking forward to the coming months myself- this part of politics has never been my cup of tea.”
Lin nodded. The anxiety around restructuring the United Republic was palpable- standing on this uncertain precipice was causing some unusual alliances to form already. Not unlike the one she found herself in presently, seeking a bit of refuge with Tenzin of all people.
Still, she was surprised the Earth Kingdom waited until tonight to start asking for her to push their agenda- it was a common misconception that Lin held any particular allegiance to the Earth Kingdom.
After a moment, it dawned on Lin that Tenzin was unusually detached, “You’re here alone?”
Tenzin gave a tight nod, “Rohan isn’t feeling well, Pema didn’t want to leave him.”
“Sorry to hear that. What about the Avatar?”
“I believe her friend, Mako, has the night off,” Tenzin explained, the slightest hint of disapproval coloring his words.
“Hm. Too bad. One nice thing about having the Avatar standing next to you is being able to slip away from the conversation undetected,” Lin observed.
Tenzin paused as if realizing something, “perhaps we can run interference for one another. Like old times.”
That garnered a small chuckle from Lin, “well, I’ve already had my most dreaded encounter so you’re a little late.”
“Maybe not,” Tenzin told her in a low, conspiratorial voice, looking just past her shoulder as if to insinuate another impending interloper was headed their way.
Before she could turn around, Tenzin piped up, “Representative Kazuo, Welcome!”
Lin’s eyebrows jumped, as the sound of her thudding heartbeat suddenly filled her ears.
She turned to face Kazuo, who still managed to look as handsome as ever after what must have been a very long day of travel- his suit was impeccably cut, not a hair was out of place. Where he got his energy from, she would never understand. Just as she would never understand how she always ended up standing between these two particular men.
Kazuo greeted Tenzin with what might be the shallowest bow Lin had ever seen, “Councilman Tenzin! Thank you, it’s good to be here.”
He turned to address Lin, his bow notably deeper, “And Chief Beifong, it’s a pleasure.”
Lin returned his salutation with a somewhat formal, “Representative.”
It was an incidental game they were always playing in mixed company. They had never specifically outlined the need for this little charade, but the fact that he engaged in it warmed her to him even as she appeared outwardly cool.
“How was your journey- I trust you had calm seas,” Tenzin continued.
Kazuo nodded, “Yes, we just arrived this afternoon. Ready to get to work.”
“Plenty of time for that,” Tenzin assured, “tonight is for breaking bread, as it were.”
Kazuo gave Lin a puzzled look, stifling a derisive laugh he turned back to Tenzin, “You kidding? I think I’ve had four informal meetings just walking from the door to this spot, ” he chuckled realizing Tenzin was not, in fact, kidding, “You’ll have to give me some tips on how to achieve that Air Nation passivity, I suppose.”
The slight was not lost on Tenzin, “Yes, I’m sure it would do you some good.”
Undaunted, Kazuo quickly switched tack, “I was just on my way to get a drink- can I get you anything, Chief Beifong?”
Lin opened her mouth to answer, but was cut off by Kazuo hastily adding, “- or you, Councilman? Lychee juice perhaps?”
At this point, Tenzin didn’t even bother disguising his irritation, “No. Thank you.”
Kazuo turned his attention back to Lin, “I can get my own drink, thank you,” she told him, hoping he would take her at her word and allow her to meet him closer to the bar without Tenzin standing guard.
“Please, I insist. Glass of wine?”
“Sure,” she agreed finally, happy to settle on any answer that would get her out of having to stand between them.
“Great,” Kazuo returned, “I’ll be right back.”
Tenzin shook his head disdainfully as Kazuo departed, “That is exactly what I was talking about.”
“I’m sure he didn’t mean anything by it,” Lin excused, causing the vein in Tenzin’s forehead to make an appearance.
“He didn’t— h- he- that guy?” Tenzin sputtered, pointing one angry digit in the direction of the bar, “He’s insufferable! A lychee juice?!?!”
“So he knows you don’t drink,” Lin shrugged.
“He is on a fool’s errand. These committees have a monumental task before them and insulting one of his collaborators is hardly a wise start to proceedings,” Tenzin huffed. From the corner of her eye, Lin caught sight of Kazuo receiving the drinks he had ordered and Tenzin leaned in to assure her, “He’s coming back. Don’t worry I’ll take this one.”
Kazuo returned, passing a glass of wine to Lin with a smile, “To new beginnings,” he told her, clinking her glass with his own.
“Yes,” Tenzin agreed enthusiastically, turning toward Lin with purpose, “speaking of- we should probably get seated for dinner.”
“Already?” Kazuo questioned, eyebrow raised. Any casual observation of the room would note that not a single other person had taken a seat just yet.
“Yes,” Tenzin answered, “Lin has agreed to give my speech one last proofreading before it’s time to present.”
“No kidding,” Kazuo mused, looking directly at Lin who sipped her drink in lieu of replying.
“Well, we had better get to it,” Tenzin stated, resolutely, “enjoy your dinner, Representative.”
Kazuo nodded with one more glance at Lin, who returned his gesture with a nearly imperceptible shrug before following Tenzin over to their designated table.
The round, linen-clad tables were set for eight a piece and situated along a low dias typically used for press-conferences when the weather outside was disagreeable. Lin’s place card was indeed just two seats away from Tenzin’s, but he swapped hers with the head of the Fire Department, Shinji, just before they took their seats.
As head and singular citizen of the Air Nation, Tenzin didn’t have the proliferation of citizenry to sit with at this event, so his table had been shored up by Union Heads and various public figures of Republic City, like Lin.
“You’ll have to take the next one,” Tenzin told her, a glint of mischief in his eye.
For a brief instant she didn’t realize what Tenzin was referring to, “the next one?”
“Unwanted small talk,” he reminded.
Lin laughed lightly with a nod, “Right.” She settled into her seat, catching sight of Kazuo, who had already moved on to conversation with Councilwoman Qian. She felt a pang of regret- while Tenzin thought he was on a rescue mission, in reality he had just deprived Lin of the one interaction she’d been looking forward to for weeks.
Tenzin followed her line of sight, “He must want something from you.”
If Lin had been sipping her drink, she might have spit it out at his comment, “Excuse me?”
“Maybe he thinks you’ll help him gain favor with the unions,” Tenzin replied, “it’s just strange to pick us out and offer to bring us drinks, don’t you think? Surely, he knows that isn’t a way into my good graces….he must be after you about something.”
Lin could feel a blush creeping up so she changed the subject, “Did you actually want me to read your speech?”
The question shook Tenzin from his thoughts and he reached into the breast pocket of his robes, “Actually, I wouldn’t mind hearing your thoughts.”
He passed the scroll of paper to Lin, who unfurled it and set to the task. As she scanned his words, her heart sank. She sat back in her seat.
“That doesn’t look good,” Tenzin ventured.
Lin sighed, “It makes me sad.”
Her words were honest and plain and her eyes reflected the feeling, clouding over just slightly. She didn’t have to explain herself to Tenzin- he understood just what sentiment those words stirred inside her. The vision his father had for this country had always been such a guiding influence in their lives- it was a version of utopia only Aang could have imagined and more practically, a version of utopia only Aang could have guided. The reality was clear, somewhere along the way they had let him down- this reformation was dramatic proof.
“The United Republic isn’t over,” Tenzin told her, “it’s just changing.”
“That’s putting it lightly.”
Any further discussion was interrupted by the other guests taking their seats at the table. Dinner was served with musical accompaniment from a string quartet. Before dessert was served, Tenzin slipped away- taking to the stage to read his speech, welcoming the committees to Republic City and reminding them of the sacred task that lay before them. His words were profound, at least to Lin’s mind, but she couldn’t help but notice Kazuo a few tables away chatting in a low voice with the person on his right. The murmur coming from the Fire Nation table wasn’t lost on Tenzin either, who took a few more dramatic pauses than necessary in an effort to regain their attention in vain.
While Tenzin was the first to speak, he certainly wasn’t the last- each Councilmember had their turn at the podium. When the speeches were done the last bit of ceremony began- the presentation of official gifts from the committee heads to the outgoing Council to thank them for their service.
It was all quite boring, but Lin’s attention was piqued when Kazuo took to the stage to present each member with a little token of appreciation on behalf of the Fire Lord. He was in his element here, looking very natural and genuine, even as he made his presentation to Tenzin. Outside of Kazuo’s time on stage the only bit of excitement came in the form of a gaffe in which both the Northern and Southern Water Tribe Committee Heads presented Tenzin with the same gift. Tenzin played it off graciously, but it was clear the Water Tribes were not as forgiving of one another.
When the formalities were finally out of the way, Lin was relieved- not only because she didn’t have to endure another second of boredom, but because that meant this evening had gone off without a hitch. The quartet took up their instruments again and began playing a jaunty little exit tune.
As the tables in the room cleared, Lin stood from her seat offering a polite word of farewell to Shinji as she did. The room was coming to life again, the sound of chairs scooting out and the rustling of coats filled the room. The attendees shuffled about saying their farewells and engaging in some last minute conversations. Lin pulled on her coat, just as she heard a voice behind her;
“Chief Beifong.”
Lin turned to face Kazuo, who fixed her with a knowing smile. She returned it a little more fulsomly than she intended, but decided it was alright- nobody was looking. In a room full of people they were finally alone.
“I have one more gift to present,” he told her, producing a leather bound book from behind his back. He held it out and Lin accepted it after cinching the waist of her coat, reading the title emblazoned across the top aloud;
“The Gold Murders: The Celebrated Cases of Judge Dee.” She smiled up at him, fighting back a warm wave of giddiness that threatened to bubble out of her unbidden.
“It’s a series,” he informed, “that one was just released last week. I don’t think it’ll be available outside of the Fire Nation for awhile.”
“A series?”
Kazuo nodded, “Mm-hmm. Apparently there is a third one in the works.”
Lin shook her head, amused, “Well, thank you. I loved the first one.”
“I noticed,” Kazuo returned. He glanced around them mischievously before leaning in to tell her, “there’s a little something extra in there too.”
Lin followed his example, checking her surroundings before opening the cover which caused a skeleton key to slide out without warning. She caught it quickly and slammed the book shut, suddenly serious.
“My, you are bold,” she sighed, almost impressed.
He shrugged, chuckling lightly, “I thought about dropping by your office unannounced and just flat out asking for sex, but it’s been done, you know?”
He caught a scowl for that joke, but her irritation only seemed to amuse him further as per usual, “I’m at the Hangshan Hotel. The Ambassador suite. Maybe I’ll see you tonight?”
“Maybe.”
In her periphery, Lin could see Tenzin making his way over to them from the stage and she instinctively took a step back, distancing herself from Kazuo.
Tenzin filled the vacated space in short order, putting himself between the two of them, “Well, Representative- I’d like to say thank you again for your thoughtful gift- please extend my thanks to the Firelord as well.”
“I certainly will,” Kazuo assured.
“I’m only sorry we couldn’t return the favor.”
Kazuo shook his head, waving away the unnecessary apology, “Understandable- that’s the Air Nation’s whole thing isn’t it? No material possessions.”
Tenzin nodded.
“Except that private island of yours, right?” Kazuo finished with a laugh, reaching out to clap Tenzin’s shoulder, “Alright, well I’d better get going. I’ll see you bright and early Monday morning, Councilman.”
He turned to Lin, “I hope to see you around as well, Chief Beifong.” Lin gave him a nod of acknowledgement, “enjoy the book.”
Tenzin shook his head disparagingly as Kazuo departed before looking down to the book in Lin’s hands with curiosity.
“Uh, Izumi asked him to get this to me,” Lin fibbed, lifting the book to herself carefully so as not let the key slip out again, “I forgot it at the Palace.”
Tenzin seemed to accept her explanation at face value, still distracted by processing the insult Kazuo had just dropped as a farewell.
“Private island,” Tenzin grumbled, “as if I’m sunning myself on the beach or something.”
Lin looked up at him, feeling a little sorry she couldn’t offer a word of encouragement because technically, Kazuo was right.
“I had better get back to headquarters,” Lin told him, switching the subject.
Tenzin nodded, perking up as if remembering something important, “Did you get a copy of the Council Schedule for next week, by the way? I had it sent ahead by courrier.”
“No, I did not.”
“We just finalized it this afternoon, it may have just missed you as you made your way here. We scheduled time with you on Tuesday and I must stress that you be the one to attend, please do not send Saikhan in your place.”
Lin rolled her eyes, “The only place I’m sending Saikhan is to the unemployment office. I’ll be there.”
Tenzin’s lips thinned in response, “I can’t say I blame you.”
Lin gave him a nod, “Goodnight Tenzin.”
“Goodnight Lin,” he returned, voice catching on her name as if there was more to say and Lin blinked at him expectantly and he obliged, “this was nice. Spending time together, I mean.”
For the most part, she agreed, it was nice. Seductively familiar even.
“Goodnight, Tenzin.”
Lin turned then, making her exit resolutely. The protesters outside had dwindled to a pathetic handful of people, none of them holding signs. It was a welcome sight. After a quick check-in with her lieutenant Lin made the short walk back to headquarters.
Strictly speaking she didn’t have to be here, there was no need for a hand off at the end of this gala- the particulars of shift changing had happened much earlier in the day. The truth was she intended to shower, but didn’t want to make the trek all the way back to her house. She ardently hoped nobody would notice this incongruity as she made her way into the station, but was quickly disabused of this notion when Khen snapped to attention as she approached her office.
“Chief! I’m sorry- I didn’t realize you were still on shift.”
Lin slowed, stopping briefly before his desk, “I’m not,” she floundered around, fishing for an excuse and caught one just in time, “I understand a courier delivered a message for me here?”
At that, Khen perked up, visibly relieved, “Yes! I left it on your desk.”
“Great. Thank you.”
Lin continued into her office where the schedule lay sealed among a pile of other papers on her desk. Placing the book in her hands on top of the envelope, she untied the waist of her coat and made her way into the private bathroom attached to her office.
After a quick shower she retrieved a pair of trousers and a silk button up from her locker, a smart looking outfit that wasn’t so fancy as to make it seem like she put in an inordinate amount of effort or thought into what she was wearing to her clandestine meeting with Kazuo. In truth, she had picked this outfit after quite a lot of consideration and placed it in her locker days ago. At any rate, he didn’t have to know.
With a final check of her hair and reapplication of lipstick she made her way back out of her office, shrugging on her coat only to be stopped dead in her tracks by the sound of a wolf-whistle.
It was Captain Hong, her second-in-command, now that Saikhan had stepped down, and mercifully for his sake- one of Lin’s oldest friends.
“Looking sharp, Lin,” he commented with a smirk, “where’s the fire?”
“I’m sorry, you say you want to know about a firing?” Lin returned blithely, “Yours perhaps?”
There was an audible “ooooohhh” from the officers at their desk and Lin rolled her eyes, “Get back to work.” She cinched her coat as she continued through the office, “Goodnight.”
“Goodnight, Chief!” one of the officers returned cheerfully.
Hong laughed, watching her go, “What did I say? It was a compliment!”
The air outside was bitingly cold, but Lin was brimming with enough nervous energy to keep her feeling perfectly toasty as she hailed a taxi to the Hangshan Hotel. She hadn’t bothered bringing the key along- a knock on the door of Kazuo’s suite would be far less presumptuous and more than enough to gain entry.
She was right.
Kazuo swung the door open, greeting her with a smile that didn’t quite reach his eyes. It was a little unusual for Kazuo to do anything half-way and Lin swallowed a lump in her throat, attempting to write it off before she started to spiral- he had been traveling all day, after all.
“Hello.”
“Come on in,” he returned, opening his arm to the suite.
Lin entered a spacious apartment- the sitting room had already been properly moved into by the looks of it; files were stacked three-high along every open table surface. The small kitchen looked pristine, as did the dining table- completely untouched for now. There was a hallway to the right that Lin assumed must lead to the bedroom, but she supposed she would get a look at that soon enough.
“Can I take your coat?” Lin gave him a nod, undoing the tie at her waist. He helped ease it off her shoulders and suddenly his smile was full again, “You look great.”
Lin blushed, heart beat filling her ears again, “Thank you.”
He placed her coat on a gold rack by the door, moving deeper into the suite to reveal a bar cart, “Would you like a drink?”
“Whatever you’re having is fine,” Lin agreed.
She watched him work, admiring his forearms as he mixed her drink and poured it into a highball glass. He held it up with a light laugh, his other hand beckoning her with an encouraging wave, “you can come in further than that, you know.”
Lin took a sharp breath to indicate her embarrassment at being caught staring so blatantly, but another laugh from Kazuo put her at ease again. She moved forward to collect her drink, deciding she could probably use it just now.
When he finished his own concoction he turned, clinking his glass with hers before taking a sip. They met eyes and Lin smiled, “Thank you again… for the b–”
“I have to ask,” Kazuo interrupted, stunning the smile right off of Lin’s face. The thudding of her heartbeat sounded louder now as she waited for him to continue, his own smile almost apologetic, “is there something going on with you and Councilman Tenzin?”
Lin’s jaw quite literally dropped, leaving her gaping at his question, “Excuse me?”
Kazuo tilted his head sympathetically, “I mean, if you are sleeping with him I think that’s something you should disclose-” her features darkened and he responded to the change in her expression by earnestly putting his hand on his own chest, “I would tell you!”
Lin set her drink down on the cart, eyes alight with fury, “Are you serious?”
Kazuo hiked his shoulders a little, the picture of innocence, “So that’s a no?”
“He’s married,” Lin returned coldly.
“Okay….” Kazuo replied, as if her statement didn’t change a thing, “I’m just saying the guy was all over you tonight, I know you used to date and if there is something going on there… I have a job to do, I don’t want to get involved in…you know- whatever is going on with that.”
Lin could not believe her ears; of all the ways she had imagined this evening going awry this particular scenario had never entered her mind. It was infuriating and so profoundly disappointing. Her stomach twisted, feeling sick and foolish, but mostly angry- both at his question and at herself for getting her hopes up. She had been silent for a beat, pursing her lips so that a string of expletives didn’t fly out in Kazuo’s direction. When she finally found it within herself to speak again, her quaking rage was barely contained.
Her words came out deliberate and full of venom, “that is the most insulting question I have ever been asked in my life.”
Kazuo blinked in surprise, he clearly didn’t expect this reaction, “I’m not trying to insult you, I’m just asking a simple question based on some very basic observations.”
“Not trying to insult me?” Lin scoffed, “No? You’re just suggesting that I’m having an affair with a married man and then what? Coming over here afterward? Nothing insulting about that.”
Kazuo turned that statement over in his mind a moment, “Okay, I see what you mean, but that’s not what I-”
“Save it,” Lin cut across him, turning on her heel to snap her coat off the coat rack. She could feel her eyes stinging and knew she only stood to embarrass herself further if she stayed here one more minute. She pulled on her coat hastily, wrenching the door open.
“Lin wait, come on,” Kazuo sighed, stepping toward her,“don’t - just calm down and let’s talk-”
“This conversation is over,” Lin assured him. From the doorway, she gestured between them, “and so is this. Goodbye.”
She pulled the door closed more forcefully than was necessary, cutting off Kazuo’s attempt to sway her back inside with a slam. Lin made her way to the elevator bay in no time, each step more acrimonious than the last. With a flick of her wrist, the gilded metal doors parted and she entered the empty lift just in time to miss Kazuo coming out of his suite in pursuit. She bent the doors closed, turning the dial for the ground floor, unwilling to chance a look back- it was for the best because a couple of tears slipped out just then and Lin wiped at them with a grunt of frustration. She had no intention of looking back- not now, not ever.
Are you planning on writing a chapter where they first say the "l" word to eachother? Who do you think is going to say it first? (I'm 95% sure it's kaz)
I am (keep reading spirit of change) and you are correct ;)
