An Archive of Our Own, a project of the
Organization for Transformative Works
This story is my first Avatar: TLOK fanfic. A Lin/Asami crack pairing that was written off the top of my head, and wasn't outlined or anything.
Might consider doing some more of these two in a proper story once I'm finished with doing Teen Titans, Justice League/Justice League Unlimited, and Young Justice stuff on AO3.
Story Summary: Two months after Kuvira was defeated, things have finally settled down in Republic City. For better or for worse, Avatar Korra is ready to talk to Asami about the Unspoken Thing between them, however there's something Asami had been hiding from her friends. And that something is Lin Beifong.
Chapter 14: Morning After
“Turn off that damn alarm clock,” Korra grumbled as she hid her head under a pillow to escape the awful beeping. She felt the body in front of her lean up to deal with the alarm clock and let out a sigh of relief at the silence that followed. The relief did not last long however. She could feel the two women that made her heart thump in her chest shift and rise from the bed. Korra whined and lifted the pillow off of the bed to pout at Asami and Lin.
Asami grinned at Korra while Lin rolled her eyes at the Avatar’s antics. “We have work,” Asami explained. She grabbed the covers and pulled them off of Korra’s body. But when the pout persisted, Asami gave in and sat on the edge of the bed. At once, a warm arm wrapped around her hip and Korra nuzzled into her waist with a content sigh.
The younger woman would normally complain about having the covers pulled off her body but the sight of the love bites gave her pause. Korra was impressed that none of them were in areas that would be visible but in the places that would be covered, they were numerous. Lin and Asami certainly didn’t waste any of that space to stake their claim for the Avatar. Korra looked over their bodies and saw that it was the same case for each one. It made her grin wickedly as she felt her lower stomach clench in arousal.
“We need to get ready,” Lin said, knowing full well that Korra was shamelessly looking over the markings that she had gotten that night by her and Asami. It made desire curl in her belly but she didn’t give any outward reaction, preferring to play the coolheaded one of their relationship. With a glance, she saw that Asami allowed her desire to be known in her green eyes and smirk when Korra turned her attention towards the mechanic. “I’m taking a shower. Join me if you want.” Lin walked to the other side of the room where a door led to Asami’s personal bathroom. In truth, Lin would much rather devote the entire day to the two women behind her, more accurately spend the day under the blankets with them, never seeing the light of day, but being the Chief of Police meant that she had to be responsible. And Asami mentioned that she had an important meeting with that ferretweasal Varrick and his wife Zhu Li. Still, Lin kept her eyes trained on the door that led to the bathroom so she wouldn’t see the two naked women and be tempted to say screw it and screw them.
Korra watched Lin cross the room, her eyes greedily taking in the view before they moved up to look at Asami. “Last night was incredible.”
Asami hummed in agreement, reveling in how Korra’s arm wound its way around on her waist like it was done on instinct. Like it belong there. She heard her bathroom door open and smiled as Korra’s eyes went back to Lin.
“Whoah,” Korra murmured. She had a limited view from her spot on the bed. Lin had entered the bathroom and Korra couldn’t see her with the door wide open so that meant that the bathroom was huge. After a few moments the sound of a tiny waterfall reached her ears. Korra tilted her head and looked up at Asami for an explanation.
“Come on,” Asami laughed, pulling Korra out of the bed. The Avatar followed without resistance, most likely too curious to see Asami’s bathroom to stay in the warm bed. The mechanic led Korra into her bathroom and smiled when they went round.
Korra was wrong. Asami’s bathroom wasn’t huge. It was gigantic. It had a wall length mirror with a counter to hold all the makeup and appliances that Korra didn’t care to look at. There was another door to the left and Korra assumed that it held the toilet. In the middle of the room was the bathtub. The floor dipped down to form the tub which would explain why Korra didn’t notice it from the bed. It looked more like a small swimming pool in Korra mind, or a large jacuzzi from the jets that littered the walls and floors of the tub. The three of them could have a lot of fun in there, especially with Korra being a master waterbender.
Her attention was pulled to the right to where the sound of running water came from. There was a shower that was big enough to fit five people comfortably with a overhanging shower head and the usual front one. Both were on and the room was quickly filling with steam. Lin had entered the shower and the two could see her blurry form from the glass. The two women grinned at one another before joining Lin. The older woman was washing out the suds from her hair with her eyes closed. She would have jumped at the feeling of two pair of hands suddenly caressing her body, if she wasn’t using her earthbending to sense Korra and Asami entering the shower.
Korra was the first to show her disappointment at Lin’s lack of a reaction. She frowned and let her hands venture over Lin’s body, determined to get some sort of response. Her fingertips brushed against Lin’s right nipple and teased it until it hardened.
“Didn’t you have enough from last night?” Lin asked, opening her eyes and looking down at Korra.
“I could have you for the rest of all my lives and it still wouldn’t be enough,” Korra said with a cocky grin. She gave the nipple she was playing with a light pinch. “And your body doesn’t seem to be complaining.”
Lin grinned and looked back at Asami. The mechanic had taken it up to herself to grab a washcloth and start washing Lin’s back while Korra was teasing her nipple. The rhythmic circling pattern of the cleaning and the light pressure Asami was applying felt heavenly. Her resolve to get ready for work was diminishing with each swipe of Korra’s fingers and each stroke of Asami’s cleaning massage. “You two are insatiable.”
Neither Korra nor Asami denied the accusation but they didn’t take it any further. They focused on Lin for a while until she was more than clean. Then it was Korra’s turn. Lin paid the Avatar back with interest by kissing and nibbling on her ear as Asami took her time to rub the washcloth over her body. Korra was less successful in hiding her pleasure. Every now and again she would give a shudder or a whimper would escape her lips and Asami would let the hand not holding the washcloth wander down in between Korra’s legs. She never stayed long and each time Korra would give her an accusing look.
When it was finally Asami’s turn to be cleaned, it didn’t last long. The game worked Lin and Korra up too much. When Asami handed Korra the washcloth, the Avatar barely gave it a glance before throwing it over her shoulder. Korra pushed Asami to the wall of the shower and hoisted her up. Her hand went straight to Asami’s sex and found the mechanic slick and ready. Lin smirked at Korra’s eagerness and she knew Asami well enough to know that even though she was doing her best to keep a cool facade, her slightly parted lips and her flushed face gave her away. She joined the two and pulled Asami into a heated kiss, swallowing a moan as Korra’s fingers entered her. Asami reached her orgasm quickly and the two women’s names tumbled out of her mouth as her body tensed and relaxed. Korra and Lin finally cleaned her gently, letting the mechanic shift her weight over, not trusting her legs just yet.
The three women were cleaned and left the bathroom. Lin and Asami grabbed towels and were drying themselves while Korra simply waterbent the droplets off her body. When asked why didn’t she do the same for them, the Avatar gave a crooked grin. “Why would do that? I’m getting a show of two lovely women drying themselves for free.”
Asami swatted her arm but she didn’t put any force into the hit. She opened her walk-in closet and grabbed her business attire. She leisurely put on the outfit, feeling Korra’s and Lin’s hungry eyes on her. She pretended not to notice and went over to start doing her makeup.
Lin tore her eyes off of the mechanic and went to the closet herself. She had to walk to middle of the closet to find what she sought after. She grabbed her police uniform and exited the closet. Lin closed the doors and noted that Asami was watching her through the mirror while Korra sat on the bed, still naked, and blatantly had her eyes on her. Lin rolled her eyes and put on her clothes before using her metalbending to put on the uniform.
Now that the two women were dressed, Korra could put on her own clothes. She was forced to pick up the clothing that she had worn the night before. It wasn’t the first time that Korra worn the same outfit for more than one day in a row but because the two women were wearing clean clothes it made her a little embarrassed. She forced away the emotion with a grin aimed at Lin and Asami. “You guys really are prepared, huh?”
“Of course,” Lin said, making sure her equipment was working well. It was actually the same uniform as the day before. She brought the other outfit when she came over to cook for the two women. Lin would have not bothered to put in that effort if it wasn’t for Asami’s instance that casual clothing might make Korra more comfortable for the night’s activities.
“You could leave a spare change of clothes here and at Lin’s place,” Asami suggested. Korra nodded at that, making a note to bring several spare outfits for the two homes.
The three women left the bedroom to go into the kitchen. Lin prepared tea and they sipped it as they nibbled on assorted fruit. Asami fed Korra some grapes and the Avatar took them with a silly grin. She was going to offer Lin some herself but the older woman set down her empty cup and wiped her fingers clean.
“I should be leaving now,” Lin said, slipping into her authoritative role as if it were a glove. She kissed Korra softly. Asami kissed Lin and Korra smirked at the smudged lipstick that the mechanic left on Lin’s lips. The Chief of Police left the two with a glance that showed how much she would rather stay.
When the two were alone, they cleaned up the plates and cups. Asami washed the dishes and Korra used her airbending to dry them. “The date was interesting,” she commented as she gave the cup she was holding a little blast of air. “I didn’t think Lin would be so forward. Doing,” a blush creeped along her cheeks at the memory, “that to you while we were eating.”
Asami felt her own blush come about as she finished cleaning the last plate. “It was my idea.” She saw Korra raise an eyebrow as she handed her the plate to be dried. “We, or I, thought that if you were excited, there would be less of a possibility of you being turned of by,” she trailed off, her eyes darting down to her stomach to make it clear what she was referring to.
Korra frowned and set the plate in the actual dish holder. She pulled Asami into a loose hug as she kissed her cheek, a hand resting on the shirt where the scar was hidden. “I would never see you as anything but beautiful,” she murmured, her blush deepening at her sappy comment. The words made Asami smile and she turned her head so that she could share a sweet and lingering kiss.
“I have to go soon,” Asami said when she broke the kiss.
“Fine,” Korra grumbled. “Jobs suck.” Asami laughed at that as the two walked to the front door.
“We didn’t weird you out with the toy though, did we?” Asami asked as they strolled through the hallway. She knew that the servants won’t return for another hour so she could speak freely.
Korra shook her head with a chuckle. “No, that was really, really hot.” She brushed the bangs away from her face, making sure to flex her arm and to flash Asami a smirk as she did so. “We should definitely use it again. On Lin next time.”
Asami nodded, her eyes having followed Korra’s hand and settle on the muscles of her arm. She knew that Korra was trying to show off and it was working. If only she didn’t have the meeting with Varrick and Zhu Li.
By now they reached the front door. Korra opened it for Asami and the mechanic gave her a small peck on the cheek. Korra grabbed her hand and pulled her body flushed against her own. She smirked up at the mechanic with an eyebrow quirked. “You can do better than that,” Korra teased. She claimed the older woman’s lips in a deep kiss, groaning when one of Asami’s hands came up to fist her hair. Korra returned the favor by grabbing Asami’s butt and giving it a squeeze, loving the feel of the skirt riding up to reveal the top of Asami’s stockings.
Korra broke the kiss abruptly, earning a whimper from the older woman. Her blue eyes darted throughout the surroundings. “Did you hear that?”
“It’s probably a spirit or animal,” Asami murmured. “I let them travel the grounds, I like taking pictures of them.” Her eyes lit up with an idea. “Maybe we can have a picnic there soon?”
“That sounds fun.” There was a few spirits sleeping a few feet away from them, soaking in the sun. One of them could have rolled over and snapped a twig. Korra scanned the bushes one more time. “We can get Lin those lilies too.”
Asami laughed and Korra had to press their lips together again. “I really do have to go.” She kissed Korra one more time before walking towards her car.
Korra watched the older woman drive off and began to make her way to the ferries. It was early and she ran into a handful people but a few gave her strange looks, two teenage girls even giggled as the Avatar walked past them. Korra ignored them after making sure that she was wearing her clothes and didn’t put on something of Asami’s by mistake.
Air Temple Island was only starting to wake up as Korra climbed the steps to the main building. Acolytes were preparing the breakfast and going about their normal duties. She turned the corner to head to her room for a nice nap and almost collided with Pema. “Sorry, Pema!” Korra took a step back.
Pema opened her mouth to say something but the sight of the younger woman’s face stopped the words. A light flush spread across the mother’s cheeks. “So you did tell them. I’m glad it worked out.”
Korra tilted her head in confusion. “How did you know I told them and that it worked out?”
The flush became a true blush as Pema pointed on her lips. “I believe you have some lipstick smeared on your lips.”
A hand dashed up to wipe her lips. When she pulled it back, Korra saw that the pads of her fingers were tinged red. Asami. She grinned sheepishly and wiped her hand against her pants. “Uh yeah it went, um, good.”
Pema laid a comforting hand on Korra’s shoulder. “I wish you three the best.”
“Was there something you wanted to tell me before?” Korra knew that even though Pema knew she was seeing Asami, it wasn’t wise to let the older woman know the other woman in their relationship was Lin.
Pema looked as if she remembered something that she had recently forgotten. “Yes! I was actually looking for you. Breakfast is about to be served and you weren’t in your room.” She grinned knowingly and Korra was reminded that the woman in front of her was once in her shoes. “We were wondering where you went of to.”
The two women strolled to the dining room together. Pema was telling Korra how Meelo wanted to create a search party and scour Republic City, focusing on the restaurants and parks. Korra laughed at that. They entered the dining room and Korra spotted Opal and Kai eating among the other airbenders. The boy continually looked over to where Tenzin’s family was seated and Jinora was glancing back just as much. Tenzin was aware of the fleeting looks and he sat with his arms crossed, grimacing at his untouched porridge. Korra and Pema joined the family and they said their prayers before eating. The fruit at Asami’s mansion was delicious but not very filling, especially after exerting so much energy during the night prior.
“You’re much more relaxed than normal, Korra,” Tenzin said. The young woman he had trained for years usually attacked her food with a voracious appetite but she was taking her time, a soft smile playing on the edges of her lips. “Did something good happen recently?”
“More like something great,” Korra said, thinking about Lin and Asami. She wondered what they were doing now. Lin was probably throwing another criminal behind bars, both figuratively and literally. Asami was likely kicking major business ass in her meeting. Korra looked at Tenzin and felt a smidge of guilt in her gut. She was dating his ex but she didn’t feel guilty about that fact, she felt bad that she didn’t feel bad about seeing Lin. Korra was happy that Tenzin and Pema found each other but he let an incredible woman slip from his fingers. She was lucky that Asami and her were able to get Lin before someone else snatched her away. Korra felt everyone at the table staring at her and realized they were expecting her to say what happened. “It’s a long story and complicated but I’m really happy right now.” Pema must have sensed that Korra didn’t want it to be known she was seeing two people in a polygamous relationship because she added nothing on.
Breakfast went by peacefully. None of them pried into whatever made Korra so happy and the Avatar was grateful of their understanding nature. Korra spotted Kai and Opal getting up to leave and quickly excused herself to catch up with the two. Jinora looked a little envious and Korra gave her a reassuring smile. “Wanna feed the airbison with me after you finish eating?” The airbender got the hint and accepted the invitation without too much eagerness, although she still looked like Korra asked if she wanted to be the next Avatar.
Korra waved the two down just as they were exiting the dining room. “Hi Opal, Kai.” She gestured to the dining room, more specifically Jinora. “Jinora is going to be at the airbison stables. You should go now if you don’t want Tenzin to butt in.” Kai didn’t need any other encouragement. He bid the two a quick farewell and all but ran in the direction of the stables. “How are things?” Korra asked now the two women were alone.
“Good,” Opal answered with a grin. “Kai and I have been exploring the Earth Kingdom, visiting the towns that the Earth Empire touched. There’ve been marked improvements since Kuvira fell from power.” Her smile left her face as she played with her fingers. “Sorry, it’s probably a sore subject for you.”
It wasn’t for Korra but it was obvious that it was for Opal. She knew she was stepping on thin ice at the moment with the missing Spirit Vines and she had to censor herself. “I actually spoke with her a few weeks ago,” Korra said gently.
Opal glanced up at the mention of the name. Korra could see the confliction in her eyes and waited patiently for Opal to get her thoughts in order. “How- how is she?” The shock at the question must have shown on Korra’s face because Opal looked a little ashamed as she explained. “Kuvira was taken in by Mom when she was a kid, we grew up together. Kuvira has done terrible, unforgivable things, but I can’t forget that she was like my only sister.”
Korra took some time processing everything Opal told her and longer in answering her. “She’s doing as well as she can.” She wanted to tell the younger woman that Kuvira was openly helping them but that would be too much information. The less the public knew about the missing Spirit Vines, the better. Even if it was Opal.
Opal took the meager answer and accepted it. “Thank you, Korra.”
“No problem.” Korra left Opal to her thoughts and walked to her room. She shut the door with her foot and struggled to get out of her coat and boots. Korra got under her covers but sleep wouldn’t come to her. She was thinking too much about Kuvira. She saved Korra’s father and helped them defeat Zaheer and the Red Lotus but then she went down the wrong path. In her own way, Kuvira was like the other enemies Korra fought over the years. Kuvira wanted to do what Su did but for the entire Earth Kingdom. She might have been able to as well, if she hadn’t taken her ideologies too far. Korra rolled onto her back and stared at her ceiling. Maybe in the beginning Kuvira had the right intentions. What if Korra set out with the right intention but then she ended up taking her own ideas too far and everyone got hurt because of it? The fear was swiftly pushed out of her mind. Asami and Lin would stop her from getting to that point.
Korra’s eyes drifted close and she slept, dreaming of the Spirit World and how much the two women would love it.
Story summary: Two months after Kuvira was defeated, things have finally settled down in Republic City. For better or for worse, Avatar Korra is ready to talk to Asami about the Unspoken Thing between them, however there's something Asami had been hiding from her friends. And that something is Lin Beifong.
Chapter 11: Back to Work
With the fourth cup of coffee since she first entered the building held in her hand, Lin turned the page of her rather big file on the Spirit Vines case. She was able to snuff the press’s flame about the spirit vines connection with the recent explosions. No need to cause a public panic, she had told the quivering reporters. Such spineless fools, Lin thought to herself.
She looked over to the map hanging on her wall. If anyone who was not on the case asked why she had circled certain areas, she would tell them that those were places where she was considering living in when she retired. That way no one would be the wiser when she crossed the circles off, they would just assume she was narrowing her choices. Of course, the word retirement sent the officers outside her office into a frenzy. Each one of them had their own ambitions but no matter what officer, they saw themselves sitting in Lin’s seat as the new Chief of Police once she hung up her metal cables. Greedy little shits, Lin had dubbed them all but greedy little shits got their work done and relatively well.
A page turned and Lin’s coffee mug halted before it touched her lips. Hard and cold eyes stared back at her from a mug shot. Even when beaten and arrested, Kuvira still had a commanding look about her, like she was calculating each move, waiting for the perfect opportunity to strike. She was one of the most difficult criminals Lin ever had the misfortune to work with. Kuvira had been nothing but cooperative since she first starting interrogating the woman, but that just made Lin’s life harder. Lin had a sneaking suspicion that Kuvira was all too aware of the predicament she was causing her.
In most cases, Lin would have offered the young woman a deal to get time off of her sentence or a possible transfer to a less…. strict facility for the amount of information she was giving so freely. It occurred so often that it became an unspoken policy at the Republic City’s Police Department. The public was blind by the standard so there would be no outrage but the scum of Republic City knew about it so when they were interrogated, they were more willing to spill the dirt on their comrades.
Lin wouldn’t allow it in Kuvira’s case however. The bitch deserved to rot in that wooden prison for the rest of her life for what she put everyone through. For what she put Asami through.
The Chief took a gulp of her now cold coffee, wishing she had some whiskey to warm up the drink. She remembered helping Asami pick up the pieces after her father’s sacrifice. They had celebrated Kuvira’s defeat that night but afterwards Asami had stole Lin away from the meek party. Lin had held Asami and whispered soothing words as the younger woman sobbed into her metal uniform. The younger woman actually apologized for her tears and that was what caused something within Lin to snap. She said nothing, she had simply picked Asami up and carried the sniffling woman to her car. It had taken an hour for Lin to navigate to her house due to the destruction of the city but she finally found a safe route and carried Asami to her bed. Asami didn’t offer any complaint, she had pulled Lin down to join her as soon as Lin was free of her uniform. Even though they were both dirty and Lin had dried blood stains on her clothes from the final fight, they didn’t rise from that bed until well into the next day.
And that funeral. Lin drank the last of her coffee and pushed the empty mug away. It was such a small funeral, only Asami and her friends had attended. Lin was there as a formality, making sure no one harassed Ms. Sato as she lowered an empty casket to rest, or at least that was how her presence was explained. She hated it, seeing each tear that leaked from Asami’s eyes and not being able to do a thing about it. Instead she watched as Korra held onto Asami and murmur things that were too soft for Lin to hear. She was grateful for the Avatar that day, especially when she pulled her away from a publicist that somehow slipped through security to take a picture of Hiroshi’s funeral. Lin had smashed the camera to pieces and slapped a pair of handcuffs on the asshole. She couldn’t charge him with anything, it was a public place after all, but it was still satisfying to throw him in her patrol vehicle. Lin had secretly let Asami stay at her place for a week to comfort the grieving woman.
“Uh, Chief?”
Lin was brought violently out of her memories and she stowed away her emotions like she would the sheets of paper in the file that was clenched in her hands. Lin closed it and set it to the side so her desk would be somewhat clear. “Come in,” she barked.
Mako opened the door and went inside her office. He closed it behind him and marched to her desk. He offered a file that was meager compared to the one occupying the desk and Lin took it. She leafed through the report as Mako went to the map and crossed out another circle. “We’ve found none of the spirit vines but there was evidence of recent experimentation.” Mako answered before Lin could ask the question. “My partner is fine, Chief.”
There was something off in his stance and Lin looked at him expectantly. He almost fidgeted and she knew he was trying to hide something. She didn’t even need to use her bending to feel his pounding heart through the earth. “Out with it,” she ordered, her voice brooking no argument.
“When I came back, I, uh, got a call. From President Reiko.”
Lin growled under her breath and pushed back into her chair. “Let me guess. The investigation is going too slow?”
Mako nodded and almost fidgeted again under her intense stare. “He said that if we don’t pick up the pace, he’ll find others who will.”
A fist slamming on the desk made Mako flinch. He had only seen Lin angry once and that was at Su. He hoped he would never do anything to incur Lin’s wrath and he pitied the fool who invoked it. “That fucker has been up my ass on this investigation and now he’s threatening my officers! Disgraceful!” Lin growled. She stabbed a finger in Mako’s direction. “We are doing this safely and if that means being more cautious then so be it. I will not have another member of my force and another civilian killed because some pompous buffoon wants things done fast. The next time he calls, tell him that if he has a problem with how I handle things, he should face me like a man and not go behind my back like a pussy.”
“Really?” Mako’s eyes were wide in shock.
“No, not really!” Mako was truly one of her finest officers, the finest actually, but he could be just as dense as the rest of them. Lin took a deep breath to calm herself and waved impatiently at the map. “Just continue your investigation on another location after you and your partner have rested up.”
Mako nodded and left the Chief to her musings. Lin stared at the map. A little less than half the circles were crossed off now but what Mako said had disturbed her. “Evidence of recent experimentation,” she repeated. She didn’t like the sound of that at all. Lin radioed all the teams that were currently dispatched and warned them of what Mako told her. Once that was done, she slumped against her seat, feeling a headache coming on. Lin glared at the fat folder and the picture of the woman hidden inside the countless papers. “This is all your fault,” she told the photograph.
Lin looked down at her hands and noticed how they were empty. She opened one of her drawers and took out the present Korra had given her. The Avatar could be even denser than Mako but she did very well with choosing what she should give Lin. The Chief looked at the chunk of meteorite, feeling the metal within it, begging to put into use, to be manipulated into something beautiful. She created simple shapes first and then made the meteorite become more complex objects as she pulled the folder back in front of her. Lin opened it up to the page she left off and ignored the picture of Kuvira as she read what the notes of her interrogations with Korra.
She tried to think of new questions, anything that would help her find those spirit vines before they could cause more damage than they already did. But as she stared at the words written by her own hand, they danced off the page. In their place were two faces: the faces of the two officers that were killed in the second explosion. She had sent them to their deaths, they accused Lin. The Chief ground her teeth and banished the faces from her thoughts.
“Those two officers knew and understood the risks.”
Lin had tried to take comfort in Korra’s words, and she did for a time, but that night she couldn’t stop seeing their coffins being lowered into the ground. They were a fine man and woman and they had received a hero’s funeral. Lin looked back to the meteorite. Without her knowledge, she had bent it to the symbol of Future Industries. Asami had much the same look on her face as the two officers’ families.
She quickly sent the meteorite into a formless blob. Lin should think of something else, anything else. She allowed her mind to go forth wherever it wished. Her thoughts turned to the events of the night before. Lin had fun on the date, surprisingly. She still didn’t fully understand why she let it happen. She cared for Asami deeply, more deeply than she cared for anyone really, but Korra was another story. The Avatar was attractive, there was no argument there, but she was too full of herself. Lin had to concede that she had gotten a lot better than when the two had first met. She still chuckled when she recalled that Korra had assumed she would have gotten off scot free from wrecking a street and evading the police just because she was the Avatar.
But why did she let the date occur?
Even as she pondered the question, Lin had the answer. She would do anything to make Asami happy. If the duchess would be happy with the snowblower so be it, as long as Lin could have some of that happiness too. When Korra blurted out her feelings and asked for a date, it was Lin that agreed to it. It was a spur of the moment decision but she was also panicking. She didn’t want to end up alone again. Lin still did not know why Asami would entertain her for those three years and had assumed that the duchess would have put an end to it when Korra entered her life again. A dark voice would whisper that she was just a temporary replacement for Korra when she and Asami were panting and sweaty from a round of passionate fucking. Lin would roar at the voice to shut up and leave her be but it would whisper the same words the next time the two fell into bed together. But even after Korra returned, she and Asami would still meet in secret and spend whatever time they could with one another.
If she had to share Asami then she will.
“I’m going soft,” Lin grumbled to herself.
That damn voice was back. It whispered so low that Lin had almost missed it. It murmured how she was intrigued by Korra. After so much tragedy in her life, Korra was still able to hold her head high, like Asami. Lin respected that. And she supposed that the younger woman could be funny when she wasn’t aggravating.
The voice wasn’t satisfied with Lin’s confession. It brought out a memory of the date, more specifically the last bit of it. It showed Asami kissing Korra. The kiss itself was nothing particularly special, it was a peck really, but seeing it ignited something in Lin. The Chief thought that the sight was incredibly arousing.
Lin gulped and tried to take a sip from her mug but forgot that she drank the last of the coffee and hadn't refilled the mug. She set it down and tried to end the thoughts budding in her mind but she couldn’t. It was like a mud slide. Lin was so tempted to pay Asami a visit later on that night, it wouldn’t be the first time either of them made a late night call, but she stopped herself. Barely. So Lin had spent a great portion of that night touching herself, imagining the kiss between the two younger women leading into something more. Her mind didn’t even bother creating a proper scene, the two made love right in front of the restaurant. Lin took a deep breath and could feel her body heat up in arousal.
Maybe she was, what was the word? A cuck? No, that wasn’t right. Lin fought for the word and managed to grab it right as it tried to slip past. Compersion! That was the word. Lin frowned and crossed her arms at her new discovery. But it didn’t make sense. She never had the inclination of sharing her partner with anyone before. Lin knew and accepted that she was a woman that was quick to a temper and jealousy and perhaps she was possessive of Asami but the younger woman never voiced a complaint before. In fact, Lin believed that the duchess liked the knowledge that Lin could become possessive and jealous over her, she suspected that it filled Asami with glee that she had such a hold on Lin.
The Chief decided to do a little test. She looked at the door where Mako had left a little while ago. She tried to imagine him and Asami being intimate with one another. They had dated before so surely they had sex at one point? Lin knew first hand how much of a sexual deviant Asami could be once she was comfortable to let that side be known.
Lin didn’t even get past the image of Mako kissing Asami. She felt intense anger towards Mako, her hand clenched at her arm. So she didn’t like the idea of Asami being intimate with the firebender. Lin rubbed at her temples as she puzzled out her feelings. Why was she okay with Asami kissing Korra?
She tried another test. This time she imagined Korra kissing Mako. The same hot anger reared in Lin and she had another urge of hitting Mako. Lin groaned in annoyance. She never had to deal with these confusing emotions when she dated Tenzin. It was more like a second job than anything else. Go on a date, talk over food, laugh a little at his terrible jokes, maybe share a kiss goodbye. Just a checklist. Neat and tidy and predictable. But with Asami and Korra it was more like a sandstorm tornado. Lin could never predict where it would take her or how fast the winds would blow. But fuck was it exciting.
“I’m too old for this bullshit,” Lin concluded. She looked back down at the neglected folder and turned to the next page. It held much of the same information as the others but maybe there was something hidden there, something that Lin could use to end this mess. “Time to get back to work,” Lin muttered.
Author’s notes: I should probably explain this chapter. I figured I should explore Lin's mind, especially after the date. Out of the three, I think that Lin is the most confused about this new relationship, she didn't have the Unspoken Thing between her and Korra like Asami and Korra do. And I feel like she is more comfortable when she knows what's going on, with labels and such. She is the Chief of Police after all, anything that's messy and questionable is a thorn in Lin's side.
For those of you who don't know, a cuck (usually a derogatory term BTW) is a person who takes sexual gratification from watching their partner having sexual intercourse with another. Compersion is when a person takes joy from the knowledge that their partner is in a romantic (or sexual) relationship with another. I actually didn't know about this until I started writing this story. However to be perfectly clear, this is a polygamous relationship with all partners being involved romantically with one another (if it helps I like to think of a triangle with the sides being the romantic feelings between two points). Lin just doesn't know the actual word for it and she's trying her best to label her feelings for Asami and especially Korra. Sharing doesn't come natural to the Chief so she's gonna have an adjustment period to this thing. Sorry if this is long winded.
Story summary: Two months after Kuvira was defeated, things have finally settled down in Republic City. For better or for worse, Avatar Korra is ready to talk to Asami about the Unspoken Thing between them, however there's something Asami had been hiding from her friends. And that something is Lin Beifong.
This time when Korra walked up to the door of Asami’s mansion, she didn’t hesitate. She pressed the doorbell with a little more force than necessary but she was nervous. It had been a week since Korra had The Talk with Lin and Asami and the duchess had invited the Avatar over to spend some time with her, along with Mako and Bolin. Korra would have much rather be alone with Asami but she would take whatever the duchess gave her. She might acknowledge the fact that the duchess was not available but that didn’t stop her heart from beating faster at the thought of Asami’s smile and sparkling eyes.
Unlike last time, an older man wearing a crisply tailored suit opened the door. Korra recognized the man from being the butler when she first visited Asami’s mansion. She recalled him having to call Bolin ‘Master Bolin.’ “Miss Sato is in the garage. Please follow me.” Korra did as she was told. She was pretty sure that she could have found her way on her own but she was grateful for the help.
However as Korra walked behind the butler, her mind began to wander. She spotted several other servants here and there, many of them tidying up the place. So Asami did give her servants a day off when she had Lin and Korra over. Korra wondered if she did that often to protect her relationship with Lin but the pang in her chest stopped her questioning.
In far less time than she would have liked, the butler opened the door and Korra narrowed her eyes at the sudden sunshine. Her eyes adjusted and she walked outside. The door clicked softly behind her. Korra spotted a car with a hood up and Asami inspecting the engine. The Avatar made her way over to her and saw the grease stains that littered the duchess’s hands and even her forehead where Asami had swept her bangs behind her ear. Korra didn’t see Mako or Bolin and was tempted to stay quiet until the boys showed up. She knew that once Asami started to tinker with her car, the duchess was oblivious to the world.
Despite herself, Korra’s eyes lowered to take in Asami’s form. The duchess had her back to the Avatar and was bent over as she played with something. Korra gulped and shut off her mind before it could fill with images of Asami being bent over something more comfortable like a bed or desk.
Korra coughed into her closed fist and Asami looked behind her to see the Avatar standing a few feet away, a light blush on her cheeks. Asami quickly finished with the engine and shut the hood. She set down her wrench and grabbed the washcloth to clean off the grease. Soon the white fibers were stained grey as Asami strolled over to Korra.
“Hey, Asami,” Korra greeted the older woman. “You okay?” When Asami was tinkering with her car it either meant that the duchess was in a very good mood or in a sour one. The look on her face, especially the crease at the corner of lips, hinted that Asami fell into the later category.
Asami opened her mouth to say she was fine but she stopped herself. Korra knew her too well to buy the lie. “Not really,” Asami admitted. She tossed the dirty washcloth near her wrench and rubbed her temples. “I got out of a meeting today. I’m getting pressured by my investors about the Fire Nation Satostation. They want me to tell my research team to cut corners in developing the carts.” At the look on Korra’s face, Asami explained. “I already have heat resistant metal to make the frames but it isn’t as strong as the metal I use for Republic City’s Satostation. I want my trains to be safe as possible which is taking time and they don’t like that.”
“Your investors sound like greedy assholes,” Korra said with a quirked eyebrow. Asami had a lot more patience than her, she would have punched the investors instead of working on her car.
“Yeah,” Asami chuckled. “But I have to make them happy. They do help the company floating after all.”
Korra and Asami hear someone shout and turned their heads to see Bolin and Mako exiting the mansion. They started to walk to the two women and Asami took a step forward to meet the brothers but Korra’s hand on her arm halted her. Asami looked at Korra with a question in her eyes and the Avatar pointed at a spot on her own neck. “You might want to cover that up before they see it.”
Asami looked confused for a moment and took a peek at one of the side mirrors of the car. A blush covered her face and a hand dashed up to cover the hickey. “Lin,” Asami muttered. She quickly undid her ponytail and fussed with her hair until the lovebite was covered.
“If you wanted to keep your relationship a secret, you shouldn’t wear hickies like a necklace.” Korra couldn’t help the laughter at the sight of Asami’s face.
“She never used to leave hickies on my neck,” Asami had gotten over the shock at the fact that Lin had left a hickey on her at a very visible place. She waggled her eyebrows at Korra. “Maybe she wants you to know I’m hers.” Asami realized what she had said and she held her hands up. “Wai-”
Korra spoke up before Asami could apologize. “Don’t worry about it,” Korra chuckled. She smiled kindly at her friend. “I’m glad she makes you happy. I still don’t get how you two became a thing but I’m glad.”
Relief covered Asami’s features. “Thank you,” she whispered. “She’s a bit like you in all honesty.”
“How?” Korra asked. She and Lin were as different as light and day. The Chief was grouchy and as stubborn as the element she bends.
“Both of you are headstrong.” Asami said. Her face sobered as she continued, “I know this is hard for you but I’m happy we’re still friends.”
Those words hurt Korra more than if Asami said she never wanted to see her again. She forced her lips to tilt up in a mock smile and she knew she failed by the way Asami’s eyes widened and then show her concern.
Luckily for both of them, Mako and Bolin had made their way to the two. “Hey guys!” Korra said before Asami could continue their conversation. “Long time no see!” Korra pulled the brothers into a tight hug, squeezing as hard as she could. The Avatar laughed as two hands patted at her back to be released. She let go and took a moment to look over the two. “No uniforms?” Both Bolin and Mako were back in civilian clothes and the image was now strange on the two of them. Korra was used to seeing them in uniforms. “You didn’t get fired, did you?”
Mako shook his head with a grin. “No, don’t worry.” He gestured down to his normal clothes. Even he seemed a little uncomfortable in civilian clothing. “We’re not allowed to wear the uniform when we’re not working. It’s a new policy after we defeated Kuvira.” Mako glanced away. “The Chief thought that the Police Department needed to be seen more as everyday people instead of ruthless figures of authority.”
Korra and Asami shared a look and focused their attention on Bolin. The younger brother squirmed at their scrutinous eyes. “That true, Bolin?” Korra asked her friend.
The younger brother jerked his head up and down. “Yep! It was totally all Chief Beifong’s idea! President Reiko had nothing to do with it!”
The Avatar didn’t miss how Asami’s eyes narrowed in anger at the mentioning of the president. Korra had her own misgivings with President Reiko but she suspected that Asami had to hear several of Lin’s rants about the man. The duchess probably gave the Chief several of her own.
Mako slapped his forehead at Bolin’s lack of wit. He sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose. “President Reiko was worried that the Police Department might have been viewed as more brutal if its officers wore their uniforms as everyday clothing. He wanted to make sure that the image people perceive of us is nothing like Kuvira’s at all.”
That explanation didn’t satisfy Asami. “What if there’s a crime and an off-duty officer is unable to do anything because she doesn’t have her equipment?”
The brothers didn’t understand why the duchess was getting so worked up about them wearing civilian clothing but Korra picked it up right away. Asami was worried that Lin might get hurt if she tried to stop a crime in progress without her equipment. The idea was a bit ridiculous, the Chief still had her earthbending and metalbending, but Korra knew she couldn’t say that now.
Bolin held up his hands like he could physically halt Asami’s words. “We’ll be fine. Mako and I still have our bending.” Korra could have hugged him. He grinned and made a muscle with his arm. “Besides, I can still take down bad guys with just these guns!” His grin grew as a blush spread across his cheeks. “But I still miss those uniforms.”
“Seriously?” It might be because Bolin only joined the Police Department a few months ago but Korra didn’t think he would want to have those stiff uniforms.
Bolin nodded his head vigorously. “Yeah, Opal really likes men in uniforms.” He had a dopey look on his face. “She says that she’s always been attracted to men with authority.” Bolin started babble on an on about Opal but the three ignored him.
Mako rolled his eyes at his brother’s antics and looked at the two women. “He won’t shut up about Opal. I really think he’s in love.”
“Of course I am!” Bolin said, wrapping one arm around his brother’s shoulders and resting his free hand over his heart. “Opal is so perfect, how could I not be in love with her!? She’s so caring and beautiful and smart and strong and-”
“You gotta help me,” Mako pleaded with the two now giggling women. Bolin didn’t seem to hear Mako as he kept listing how Opal was perfect. “She came to visit us and they just won’t stop.”
Korra and Asami were about to ask what Mako meant but the blush on the man’s face made it clear what he was referring to. Korra looked at the still rambling Bolin and almost pitied the man. He was walking on lava and he probably didn’t even know it. The Beifong family were nothing if not protective of their own and she didn’t want to think what Lin would do if she ever found out that Bolin was messing around with her niece. Suyin might be more calm about the situation but Toph, Toph would destroy him. Korra looked at Asami and could see much of the same thoughts were occurring in her mind.
Bolin finally took a breath long enough to notice that the other three weren’t paying attention to him. He looked slightly peeved at being ignored but shrugged it off. “So, what do you want to do?” he asked the group. “Swim? Spar? Have another life-changing and possibly deadly experience in which we learn something new about ourselves and strengthen our relationships with each other?”
“How about racing? Girls versus boys?” Asami suggested. She pointed her thumb at the car Korra had saw her messing with earlier. “I just finished installing a new engine I’ve been working on for my next line of Satomobiles. It’s totally safe.” She smiled at Korra. “It’ll be like old times.”
Korra returned the smile, this one natural instead of forced like before. “That sounds awesome.” Mako and Bolin agreed eagerly. The four split up into two teams, Asami and Korra taking the car that Asami was messing with earlier and Mako and Bolin getting into a car parked in the garage. Now that she was paying attention to the vehicles and not the woman messing with them, they appeared to be upgraded versions of the race cars she and Asami first raced all those years ago. Just like before, Asami took the wheel with Korra sitting in the back. They drove leisurely to the racing track.
Both cars stopped in front of the start line. Asami reached into a glove department to grab some gloves and helmet and goggles. She handed the passenger helmet and goggles to Korra. The Avatar saw the glint in Asami’s eyes and the excited smile. Korra was reminded of the look on Asami’s face when the younger woman caught her with Lin. She looked over to see Mako and Bolin putting on their own safety gear.
“Ready?” Asami asked Mako who was gripping the steering wheel. Mako had a similar look on his face, if less intense, and nodded. He revved the engine once and Asami returned the favor. “Set.” Asami grinned and revved the engine again. The other three might have their elements but here, Asami reigned supreme. “GO!”
Wasting no time, Asami slammed the gas pedal down. Korra yelped and held onto her seat belt for dear life. Mako and Bolin were already lagging behind, not as comfortable with the speed as Asami. Korra looked at the rear view mirror of the vehicle and couldn’t help but smile on the look on Asami’s face. She was so beautiful and fearless when she was racing.
“Hold on!”
Korra almost didn’t hear the older woman and let out a small shriek as she was slammed to the right side of the car but once the shock dissipated, she was laughing. This was so much fun! If it was anyone else driving, she would have been petrified. But she trusted Asami and was able to enjoy her pounding heart and adrenaline rampaging in her veins. Once the car was out of the drift, Korra looked behind them. Mako and Bolin were far, far behind. There was no hope for the brothers to catch up even if Asami let up on the gas.
She turned her head to tell Asami that they had won the race but stopped at the smile on Asami’s face. She saw the fire in Asami’s green eyes as she took another hard turn, the finish line now in sight. It’s only when the duchess driving that her competitive nature comes out. It wasn’t enough for Asami to beat their friends, she had to utterly annihilate them. It was just like when Korra fought in the pro bending tournaments. No wonder Korra fell for her. No wonder Lin likes her.
The two sped past the finish line and Asami slammed the brake pedal. The car squealed to a stop and the two jumped out to celebrate. Korra grabbed Asami by the duchess’s waist and spun her around, the air filled with their carefree laughter. Korra looked up at the duchess and Asami was beaming down at her. The Avatar set Asami back to her feet but they didn’t move away from each other. Asami and Korra’s eyes met and both women didn’t know what to do. A light flush crept up Asami’s cheeks as Korra’s heart pound but no longer from the excitement of the race.
Fuck.
It was still there.
The Unspoken Thing.
Korra let go of Asami and took a step back. She rubbed the back of her neck and looked at the car. “Sorry,” she whispered.
Asami let her hand rest on Korra’s shoulder for a moment like she didn’t want the embrace to end before it slid down. “It’s okay.”
Both women were saved from the sound of an approaching car. Mako and Bolin drove past the finishing line and braked near them. The brothers got out but the loss didn’t seem to deter their spirits. They were smiling when they walked over to the two. “That was great!” Bolin yelled out even though the two women were less five feet from him.
“It’s about time you two showed up,” Asami said, taking off her helmet and goggles. “I started to worry that I would have to go back and show you where the finish line was.”
Korra watched the three talk but she couldn’t hear the words. How did it end up like this? It’s like with Mako all over again, except Asami was Mako and Lin was Asami. And Korra was just Korra.
Story Summary: Two months after Kuvira was defeated, things have finally settled down in Republic City. For better or for worse, Avatar Korra is ready to talk to Asami about the Unspoken Thing between them, however there's something Asami had been hiding from her friends. And that something is Lin Beifong.
Chapter 7: A Day in the Park
“Korra! Hey, Korra!” Bolin yelled out, waving at the Avatar from under the statue of said woman.
Korra made a face at the statue but she walked over to meet her friend. She smiled cheerfully and let herself be pulled into a massive bearhug. She returned it with her own strength. “Hi, Bolin.” Korra looked at the empty space next to her friend. “Where’s Mako?”
The Avatar was supposed to meet the brothers on their break at her park. The morning after ‘The Incident’ as Korra began to call it, she washed her sheets and everything. She felt shameful of how easily she gave into her body and vowed not to do it again. But it did happen the next night and the night after that. But Korra was able to restrain herself last night and not give into her body’s urges. Barely. Still, the Avatar was quite proud of herself and wanted to spend the day away from her bed lest she be tempted. So she invited Bolin to spend his hour break with her at Avatar Korra Park. She assumed he would bring along Mako as well.
“Mako’s on a mission,” Bolin whispered, glancing around the two to see if anyone was listening in. “It’s secret.”
So Lin had already dispatched the teams to investigate the locations of the research facilities Kuvira gave them. She sure didn’t waste any time but Korra was glad to hear it. The sooner they round up all the spirit vines and properly dispose of them, the better.
“That’s too bad,” Korra said, pretending that she didn’t know what Mako was doing on his ‘secret mission.’ “I guess it’s just us then.”
“Asami’s not coming?”
Korra shrugged. “No, I didn’t invite her.”
“Seriously?” Bolin tried to hide his shock but even though he mastered lavabending, hiding his emotions would never be his strong suit. He pushed his pointer fingers together and Korra knew he was debating whether to say something or not. His green eyes went up to meet Korra’s and then they went back to his fingers. “Are you two okay?”
Korra narrowed her eyes in confusion. “What do you mean?”
Boin squirmed and his fingers were pushing at each other more. “It's just that, well you two are always together and um,” he began to blush, “you two are always together,” he repeated.
Korra understood what Bolin was saying in his Bolin-y way and it warmed her heart but it caused it give a pang as well. “We’re okay and no, we’re not together.” Now Bolin looked confused and Korra was reminded of a child who didn’t understand something. “We’re just friends.”
“But the way you two looked at each other after the race.”
Her eyes widened. So it wasn’t just them. Bolin and probably Mako saw it too. “That wasn’t,” Korra began, “we weren’t-” She sighed in defeat, her shoulders slumping. “It’s really complicated right now, okay?”
Bolin balled his hands up and pouted. Now he really looked like a child. It made Korra smile. “No, it’s not. You like Asami, right?”
“More than you know,” Korra whispered. It felt good to admit her feelings for the duchess to someone. The only being that she could talk to was Naga but the polerbeardog couldn’t give her advice. She knew she was desperate to turn to Bolin for some solace but Mako was gone and she couldn’t go to Asami for obvious reasons.
“Okay, and Asami likes you.”
“How do you know?” Korra asked, cautious of the hope rising in her chest.
Bolin took his time to think out an answer. He would open his mouth like he had thought of one but closed it again. “The way she looks at you,” he finally said. Bolin gave Korra a small smile. “It’s how I look at Opal.” He gestured to a elderly couple walking together a few yards away from the two. “See how they keep glancing at each other? That’s what Asami does to you.” Bolin looked back at Korra and there was something much more mature in his eyes. “Love is different to each person. Opal makes me happy. She sees my faults like my clinginess and poor impulse control but she loves me anyway.”
“Do you love her faults too?” Korra asked.
“Of course not!” Bolin exclaimed, sounding a little offended at the question. “Opal doesn’t have any faults. She’s perfect in every way.” Bolin began to drone on about how amazing Opal was and Korra tuned him out.
How did she feel about Asami and Lin? Korra tackled the more confusing woman first. She’s always been attracted to Lin, especially those scars, but like liking her was a whole other level. Lin could be stubborn and overbearing. She definitely could hold a grudge that would make her mother proud, as long as it wasn’t against her. But Korra couldn’t deny that she was there for Korra and was dedicated to her work to the point of self-sacrificing to make Republic City as safe as it could be. Korra had no doubt that if Lin wasn’t running the show, the gangs like the Triple Triad would have overrun the city decades ago. Lin was a true ally to Korra and wasn’t afraid to call her out when she was about to do something reckless, even if Korra didn’t listen to the older woman in the end. There’s definitely physical attraction to the older woman and maybe some emotional as well. Korra moved on to Asami. She was a stable in Korra’s life and she couldn’t imagine her life without the beautiful duchess. Asami was always there for Korra, even during the mess with Mako. She never took her anger out on Korra and was willing to put everything on hold to join Team Avatar and make sure Korra was safe, much like Lin. The duchess was the only one Korra wrote back to during her three year absence and when they finally met, they just hit it off again like it was the most natural thing in the world, after their initial spat of course. Korra’s hand reached up to pull at the ends of her hair lightly. She accepted Korra no matter what and always had her back. She was able to make Korra smile and laugh without trying and she held so much of her heart already.
Her eyes refocused on the couple walking. She pictured Asami on her arm like that and it made her want to grin. The image blurred and then it was Korra with her arm thread through Lin’s and that made her want to chuckle. Her vision blurred once again and the three women were strolling the park together and she could have sworn her heart skipped a beat.
“Are you sad? You look sad.”
Korra jumped at the question and quickly smiled reassuringly at her friend. Bolin looked relieved but there was some concern in his eyes still. “I’m fine,” Korra said. “You helped me a lot.” Korra pulled Bolin into a hug that was returned at once. “Opal is lucky to have you.”
Bolin gave the Avatar a cocky grin but there was some insecurity hidden behind the expression. “Yeah, she is.” He looked at his watch and frowned. “I should head back to work. My break is almost up.”
The two started for the Police Department. They spent the time talking about their adventures during the three years they didn’t see each other. Korra focused on the times that she traveled the world in search of herself, however she omitted her visions of her Avatar state stalking her. She wasn’t sure if even being the Avatar would allow her to see such vivid hallucinations without being labeled as insane. Bolin talked about his time working for Kuvira and many times he would trail off and look down at his feet. Korra knew that he did mean well when he worked for the woman and that everything she did was over Bolin’s head but he still carried around the guilt like he was the one who made the townspeople they ‘saved’ into slave workers.
It was a relief to both of them when they stopped in front of the old building. They said their goodbyes quickly and Korra watched Bolin run up the steps, eager to get back to work. Korra turned to head back to the Air Temple Island but something caught her eye.
Lin Beifong was sitting at one the benches situated in front of the Police Department building, a cigar held protectively in her fingers. She took a long drag from the cigar and held it in her mouth for a few moments before letting the smoke curl out of her mouth. She blew the rest out and repeated the process a few times as Korra debated whether to go to the older woman or not. Seeing the older woman like this made Korra want to ask what was wrong and bring whatever comfort she could to Lin but she was so confused about what she felt for her.
Taking a deep breath and gathering her courage, Korra walked over to Lin and sat down next to her without any invitation. Lin glared at Korra for a second before even that was too much work. She stared out in front of her and Korra noticed the haggard expression on her face. The Avatar never assigned the term old to Lin but looking at her now, Korra could only think of Lin as tired.
Korra opened her mouth to ask what was up but Lin beat her to the punch. “If you’re going to lecture me on how terrible smoking is for me, save it,” Lin growled, taking another drag from her cigar. “I already got an earfull from Tenzin when we were dating and even after.”
“Oh, no it’s not that,” Korra said with a friendly smile. “It’s your body, you do you.” Lin had something almost like gratitude on her face but it was snuffed out before Korra could be sure she saw it. “What’s wrong?” she asked.
Lin sighed and tapped off the bit of ash at the end of her cigar. “Kuvira’s intell was sound,” she said, her eyes void of emotion.
“But isn’t that a good thing?”
A sarcastic bark of laughter erupted from Lin and the Chief stifled it with a drag. She let the smoke curl out of her mouth a bit before blowing the rest out. Lin watched the cloud rise and be carried off by the wind. “The team I sent found the researchers right when they were screwing around with the spirit vine. Rather than be arrested, the basterds intentionally set off an explosion. They’re all dead, along with twelve civilians,” Lin sighed again and took a long drag. “I just got the call and I needed the fresh air.”
Korra was quiet for a minute as she tried to come up with something inspiring to say. She was the Avatar afterall, it was her job to help people. But her mind only came up blank as she watched Lin smoke her cigar. “Do you want to talk about it?” she offered.
“What’s there to talk about?” Lin bit back. “I get intell from Kuvira, I send a team of two of my officers to check it out, it turns out to be true, and they get blown up.” Lin leaned into the bench and looked at the remainder of the cigar. There was only a fourth of the cigar left. “Maybe I’m getting too old for this shit,” she mused, more to herself than to anyone.
“What!?” Korra exclaimed, unable to believe that what she just heard came out of Lin. She could never imagine Republic City without its grouchy but hardworking Chief of Police. “You’re the best chief that ever existed. You can’t leave the force!”
The words did seem to lighten Lin’s spirits because she chuckled, even if it was a bit weak. “The only other chiefs that you can compare me to are my mother and that jelly-spined Saikhan. My mother allowed my sister to escape when she was caught up with the Triple Triads and gave me this.” Lin pointed to the scars on her face and had to bite back another bark of sarcastic laughter at the shock on Korra’s face. “What? Su never told you? Well, I suppose that makes five people in the world that know the truth now.”
“Five?” Korra repeated. Counting herself, Lin, Su, and Toph, four people knew where the scars came from. But who could be-
“Asami,” Lin said before Korra could ask. “I got drunk and began to wallow in my past regrets. I don’t know why I told her, it doesn’t make these scars less hideous.”
“They’re not hideous,” Korra immediately protested. “They’re you.”
Lin shrugged away the compliment and took another drag from her cigar but found that as they were talking, the cigar had gone out. “I don’t know why I’m telling you either,” she said. She patted down her side and took out a box of matches. Lin opened it but found it empty. “Perfect,” she growled.
Korra held up her hand. “Here, let me.” She snapped her fingers and a small flame came out. She could have fire bend without the theatrics but where was the fun in that?
“Thanks,” Lin grunted and grabbed Korra’s wrist. She didn’t exactly trust the Avatar to light her cigar for her without getting burnt. Lin brought the hand closer to the cigar and relit it with a few puffs. Once she let go, the flame Korra was creating sputtered out.
“You shouldn’t resign over this. Those two officers knew and understood the risks,” Korra said gently. Lin didn’t say anything, she only took another drag. Korra took that as a good sign to continue. “They were trying to protect the people they love and stranger alike when they went to investigate the research facility. We should honor them for that.”
Lin glanced at Korra and looked back at the world playing out in front of her. People were walking about, blissfully unaware of the tragedy that occurred less than an hour ago. They don’t even know their way of life was being threatened at that very moment by people who still held Kuvira on a pedestal. They believed they were safe and protected and because of that belief, they were able to lead happy lives. It was her job to keep that belief intact. “Fine, I won’t give up my badge just yet. But once this mess with the spirit vines is cleaned up, I’m retiring.” Lin gave a thoughtful sigh. “Maybe I’ll join my mother at the swamp or find my own little secluded piece of paradise.”
“Asami won’t like that,” Korra joked. Lin said nothing and took another drag, the cigar almost at the end of its life. “Can I ask you something?”
“You just did.”
Korra rolled her eyes but knew they were on thin ice in the middle of a blizzard. “Is it different?” Lin turned her head to look at Korra so the younger woman tried again. “Is you being with Asami different than when you were with Tenzin?”
Lin’s eyes were guarded like she thought Korra was trying to trick her but she answered nonetheless. “It’s as different as a lion turtle is to a koala sheep.” Lin took the last drag from her cigar and dropped it to the ground. She smooshed the remains of her cigar with the bottom of her metal shoe and bent down to grab the ruined remains. “Thinking about it, I only really dated Tenzin because I thought it was expected of me. I mean, Aang and my mother were best friends so they just assumed we would end up together.” Lin’s face twisted with repulsion. “It was like I was following my duty instead of my heart. With Asami though,” a small smile crept on her face like Lin wasn’t aware of it herself. Korra was glad Lin’s feet were covered because she would probably feel her heart pound through the earth. “It’s so easy and fulfilling. She’s full of passion and life. Asami dedicates herself to the thing she loves most and she chose her path, unlike Tenzin who was just doing what his father expected him to do.”
“Yeah,” Korra agreed, “but he ended up loving his job. Kind of like you.” She bumped her shoulders with Lin and was somewhat surprised the older woman responded with a roll of her eyes instead of a threat. “Better?”
The Chief of Police nodded with a grunt. “I should check on the buffoons before one of them breaks something,” she said as she got up. “About a couple days ago, when I left with Asami.” Her cheeks were slightly flushed with embarrassment. “I shouldn’t have done that in front of you.”
Korra couldn’t help it. She laughed so hard she snorted. “No way! Asami” she had to take a moment to catch her breath as her sides began to hurt, “Asami put you in the polarbeardog house!” She wiped away the tears of mirth from her eyes as she grinned cockily at Lin. “Did she make you write an apology note to me?” Korra knew she had absolutely no room to talk. She spent that night masturbating to the two women but Lin didn’t know that.
Anything resembling companionability was wiped from Lin’s face as she gave Korra a forceful, “Have a good day, Avatar.” The Chief marched back to the building, chucking the dead cigar into the trash. She slammed the door shut when she entered the building which caused a poor recruit to cry out in alarm and drop his stack of paperwork.
Korra chuckled to herself but the laughter was quickly dying out. She looked at the door that Lin had marched through and sighed. “Good luck,” she said to the closed door. Korra got up from the bench and made her way to Air Temple Island, wondering if Lin really was better after their impromptu talk. It certainly did wonders to her confusion about what she felt towards Lin.
Summary: Two months after Kuvira was defeated, things have finally settled down in Republic City. For better or for worse, Avatar Korra is ready to talk to Asami about the Unspoken Thing between them, however there’s something Asami had been hiding from her friends. And that something is Lin Beifong.
NOTE: Everything is canon EXCEPT Asami and Korra never got together and never traveled to the Spirit World.
Korra breathed into her hand and took a sniff, smelling the mints that she plopped into her mouth a few minutes ago. Satisfied that her breath didn’t stink, she looked down at herself to inspect her clothes. She wore the usual outfit but there was a small stain on the right side of her collar. Korra really shouldn’t have had that chili dog outside of Future Industries Headquarters. But that chili dog was amazing. Maybe she should get another one. Or two. And this time get extra chili.
Wait. She came here for a reason. Korra swatted her cheeks to clear her mind. She took a deep breath and glared at the door that closed off Asami Sato’s office to the Avatar like it was the newest threat to the world. Okay, she was going to walk into Asami’s office and demand that the two go on a date. Maybe not demand, persuade would be a better word. Or politely ask but definitely not beg. The Avatar never begs. They could even have a casual lunch. As long as they talk about their feelings. There was no doubt in Korra’s mind that the two had a connection between them, it was their Unspoken Thing. And Asami was smart enough to notice it too. She was always the brightest of Team Avatar. Or anyone really.
Korra grabbed the handle and took a deep breath. She pulled the door handle with too much force, it slipped from her hand and slammed into the wall next to her. Korra winced at the harsh bang and glanced at Asami.
Asami was staring at her, eyes wide in alarm. The CEO was gripping her pen like it would prove to be a valuable weapon against the Avatar. Asami relaxed her grip and put the pen down with grace that the duchess exhibited with everything she did. “Is there something I can help you with, Korra?” she asked with cool professionalism.
“Uh,” Korra stammered. She walked into the office and fiddled with her fingers, wishing her hair still had a wolf tail to play with. Ever since Varrick’s and Zhu Li’s wedding, she and Asami had been seeing less and less of each other. Now that Korra was thinking about it, Team Avatar had been going their separate ways in the past two months after the wedding. Bolin and Mako had been hard at work in the Police Department and Asami had gone head first into Future Industries. The CEO had to deal with the mess that Kuvira’s attack had created in Republic City, not to mention arranging a private funeral for her father which sparked a media scandal, some even going so far as declaring Asami was becoming an Equalist sympathizer. The only member that woke up almost every morning with no plan was Korra.
“Are you okay, Korra?”
The question snapped the Avatar from her thoughts. “Yeah, yeah I’m okay. Great actually.” Korra coughed to clear her throat and took one of the two seats situated in front of Asami’s desk. She glanced down and noticed that the entire surface was littered with blueprints of a railway system. Frowning, Korra leaned forward in her desk, eager to grasp any distraction. “I thought you were done with all this.”
Asami tapped at the blueprint that displayed one of the train’s coaches. “I want to introduce the railway system to the Fire Nation. I’ve been working with Varrick to make the frames for the coaches heat resistant. The current trains won’t be able to take the constant high temperatures without having to be replaced every five years or so we calculated.” The way Asami talked, it was obvious that she was having difficulty handling this issue for a long time.
“Well you and Varrick are geniuses,” Korra said, putting in as much confidence as she could in her voice. “You’ll have this figured out in no time.” The Avatar leaned back in her chair, her fingers once again fidgeting. “Maybe if you take a break, it will be easier for you to come up with a solution to the whole heat problem. We could go and get a quick bite.” Korra could feel the heat rising in her cheeks as her heart increased in tempo. She was never this nervous when she dated Mako. What was it about Asami that made her feel like a turtle duck without its protective shell?
“Thanks for the offer but no.” Asami must have read the hurt on Korra’s face because she was quick to add, “I already have plans. With Lin.”
“Lin?” Korra repeated, her confusion overshadowing the hurt feelings caused by the quick rejection. Why would the Chief of Police want to spend time with Asami?
Asami nodded and gave Korra a small smile. “She’s really cool once you get past her walls. We started to hang out after you left.”
The words hung in the room like a cloud and Korra felt the stirrings of guilt of being away for three years with only one letter telling Asami that she was still alive and well. The Avatar looked past Asami’s right shoulder to the sun that was just now touching the horizon. She knew she had wounded her friend. The number of letters she received from Asami alone decreased in frequency as time went on and Korra didn’t receive one from the duchess after she sent her own meager letter.
“Lin wanted to investigate my company in case the metal poison was somehow connected to,” Asami hesitated and her eyes dulled, “to my father.” She looked over to the framed picture of her parents and her. It was the only picture with all three of them together that Asami owned and it was one of her most prized possessions.
Korra reached over and grabbed Asami’s hand. The duchess immediately turned over her hand to grab Korra’s in turn, taking comfort in the physical contact. “I’m sorry to hear that,” Korra whispered. “Did, did Lin find anything?”
Asami shook her head. “No, thank god. If Lin had, she would have contacted you as soon as she did.” She let go of Korra’s hand and brushed away the bangs of her hair. “The poison was created exclusively by the Red Lotus. My father had no connections to the organization.” Asami chuckled weakly. “It seems that there were lines not even my father would cross.”
“How did the investigation make you two friends?” Korra asked. She could read the relief on Asami’s face at the turn of their conversation.
“Honestly, it sort of just happened,” Asami answered after a minute of silence. “Once the investigation turned up nothing and I started to leave Republic City to expand Future Industries, Lin became my personal bodyguard. The police were worried that the Red Lotus would go after the rest of Team Avatar and because I was the only nonbender, I was seen as a prime target.” Asami shrugged like the entire situation was not a big deal. At this time, she got up from her seat and started to roll up the blueprints with great care. “After a few trips, I figured if Lin was going to be my shadow, I might as well be friends with her.”
Korra narrowed her eyes in suspicion. Asami was leaving something out; she could tell by the way the CEO kept her hands busy and wouldn’t glance up from her rolling to meet Korra’s eyes, despite being perfectly capable of doing so just a few moments ago. She wasn’t going to voice it though, something in her stomach told her that they were starting to tread on thin ice.
Asami finished rolling the last of the blue prints and store them in a satchel. “I’m sorry to cut our conversation short but I have to go pick up dinner. It’s from that Water Tribe restaurant. It’s Lin’s birthday today so I got her favorite.”
“Can I join in?” The sound of food made Korra’s stomach rumble. And it wasn’t like she had anything to do for the rest of the day.
A light flush spread across Asami’s cheeks. “No, sorry. Lin would get really upset with me if she found out I told you about her birthday.” When Asami saw the downcast look on Korra’s face, she quickly added, “We should hang out tomorrow though. We can take a walk in your park and have a picnic under your statue”
Korra’s face twisted in discomfort and she shuddered in her seat. “Why did they have to name the park after me?”
Asami laughed at the sight of Korra’s face and shrugged on the satchel. “They did do a good job with the statue at least.” She bent down to hug the Avatar. “They even got your snow boots right.”
“Snow boots? That’s the first thing you noticed about the statue?” Korra chuckled as she let go of Asami, wishing that the embrace didn’t end quite so fast. “You really are a prissy rich girl.”
A friendly swat to Korra’s arm was the only retort. Asami pushed opened the door and frowned at the hole in her wall where the door handle had hit. “And you really are too strong for your own good.” She turned her head to look at Korra who grinned sheepishly, a blush darkening her cheeks. “I’ll see you tomorrow, Korra.” With that, Asami headed out of her office.
Korra watch the door swing shut before she sighed and looked down to the floor in defeat. “See ya.”
