#pema x lin

[atla-milf-month]

ATLA MILF Month will happen in March 2025! This month will celebrate all the ATLA-verse moms and older women who... well, you know!

Click here to submit prompts! Click here to check the event guidelines! Do you have any questions? Do you want to be a mod? Please send us an ask.

Thank you for participating. We hope you enjoy the event!

[beifong-brainrot]

Thought id tryout this by @orangepanic

[btheleaf]

For PemLin “Please eat.”

TW major character death

Pema stopped at the door only partially remembering the last few minutes... hours... days.

Time wasn’t moving the same way it had before.

Someone had been wailing at the dinner table again. Strange that it wasn’t her this time. Two weeks had gone by, two weeks of constant sobbing. Waking up numb this morning had been a relief from the pain.

She frowned down at the plate in her hands. How this task had fallen to her she didn’t fully understand. She felt nothing, but knew something needed to be done. She knew people needed to eat. Why had no one noticed? Did no one else care? Did she? Two weeks ago, she would have cared. Maybe. Nothing made sense.

She knocked anyway.

“Go away,” the quiet voice sounded through the door.

The words didn’t make sense. Nothing made sense. She was getting too used to the fact that nothing made sense, which made even less sense. She thought about leaving the plate on the floor, but that didn’t seem right.

Pema searched her memory for how she got here and realized it had been Kya who was sobbing. Bumi had pulled her from the table, but the aching wails could still be heard from her room to the dining room. She needed to get away.

There was someone missing from the head count she took at dinner. Well, there would always be someone missing now, but there were two missing. Her husband and the dark cloud of gloom. She moved without thinking to gather a plate of food and ended up at her door. She knocked again and there was no response this time.

She entered.

People needed to eat.

Lin sat facing the door with her back leaning against the bed. A pile of crumpled tissues rested by her leg. Her posture was terrible. She didn’t even look up.

“Get out of here, Bumi.”

Another thing that didn’t make sense. At least she knew she wasn’t Bumi, so the request surely wasn’t for her. Pema stepped inside and closed the door. Lin finally looked up, her eyes were bloodshot, the skin around them puffy and swollen. The anger on her face quickly switched to confusion when she saw who was in her room.

Everyone else in the house was related to him by blood, but Lin and her were the only two people who had loved him by choice.

“What can I do for you, Pema?” Lin asked, her voice worryingly calm and devoid of emotion.

Pema looked down at her blankly, the fog in her mind couldn’t process the question. She didn’t need anything Lin could give her. Did she? She was fairly certain she had came here to give Lin something. The weight in her hand was her reminder. People needed to eat.

“You’ve been skipping meals,” her voice was hollow, emotionless in an entirely different way. Where Lin was masking, she was incapable of sounding like anything else.

Lin looked at the plate and frowned. “I haven’t been hungry.”

Pema moved and sat next to her, putting the plate in Lin's lap.

“People need to eat.” Of that, she was sure.

“I’m not hungry,” Lin whispered.

The tears came so suddenly. The trait wasn’t unique by any means, but everything reminded her of him. He couldn’t eat when he was upset either. Sobbing. She hated sobbing. Where had the numbness gone? The numbness was a relief and now it left her. It was probably gone forever, just like him.

“Please eat,” she huffed out between her cries and shallow, unsteady breaths. The family couldn’t take another loss. “You need to eat.”

A trembling hand held out a tissue in her watery vision and she took it out of instinct. Her arm fell to her lap though, what was the point of wiping away the tears? There would always be more tears. She could drown in the amount she’d cried since she saw his body still strung up to the pole on the stage. Why had he killed him? Wasn’t he just supposed to take his bending?

Lin hadn’t died.

Why did he die?

Nothing made sense.

The tears would never stop.

Weight shifted, ceramic tapped the floor, someone was holding her. They were sobbing too. Was that Lin holding her tightly? It must have been. She couldn’t bring herself to open her eyes. That’s where the tears came from.

Pema pulled the body in closer trying to stop her shaking with the force of pressing someone against her. This certainly didn’t make sense. Lin didn’t cry, and she definitely didn’t give hugs.

Especially not to her.

[yukaro353]

Anatomy is my best enemy, my worst friend.

[ao3statistics]

This is self-made. Date of creation: 17.03.2024

Please note that the fandom "Avatar – The last Airbender" and its ships were NOT included.

I assume no guarantee or liability for the completeness, correctness and accuracy of this chart despite my best efforts.

Includes fanfictions in all languages available, NOT English only.

Percentages were rounded up or rounded down to natural numbers for easier comprehension.

Poly ships were not included.

More charts will follow. :)

Want to have a chart for different pairings, headcanons etc. in your favourite fandom? Send me an ask!

[hotpinkrathian]

Ahhhh so I have to admit I have been working on something, it's a very big project for me.

It's 30 000 words long as of now, and I estimate to be about 1/2 - 2/3 of the way through the story. I'm super excited about it, however I don't want to get to a point where I'm almost done and don't finish, which is why I am writing it so much.

I want everyone in the kyalin Fandom to be right there with me when it's ready. So I'm going to do my best to finish it before I start posting.

How would I describe it???

A Kyalin mystery slowburn

Here's a snippet from Chapter 3 (spoilers ahead)

“Here,” Tenzin said, passing Lin a notice.

“So secretive,” Kya joked, pretending to lean over.

“It's not that secret,” Tenzin said, “two more came forward getting letters, bringing the total to-”

“Forty-nine.” Lin finished. The names added to the list weren't familiar to her. An Earth Republic mayor, and a fire nation general. “Something tells me there's one more out there,” Lin said.

“You think? An even 50?”

“Stopping at forty-nine would be good thinking on their end,” Kya said, “I mean, it would have everyone worried over the 50th letter, which doesn't exist.” She elaborated.

Lin raised an eyebrow, shrugging it off.

“What are the odds they get out anyway?” Kya asked.

“You mean the dirt?” Lin clarified.

“Yeah. Are the threats… real? Do you think they actually know something, or is it… broad enough to make yo- people think they did something.”

“Well we've bounced around that idea for a while,” Lin said, “but I think the general consensus was that… they were a little too close for comfort.” She looked to Tenzin, whose harrowing eyes reflected the anxieties of her own.

Her own letter bounced around in the back of brain, waiting to be unpacked. She had divulged so much into dealing with the case, and worrying about Suyin, she hadn't put much thought into how she would deal with the information revealed by her letter.

What she would do.

What she would say.

She didn't inherently think she had anything to be ashamed of, but there were plenty others who wouldn't see it that way.

It would be career ending, perhaps enough to chase her out of town in search of a fresh start.

If Suyin was still alive, Zaofu could make for a nice retirement place.

“Excuse me for a moment,” she said, getting up. She made for the bathroom down the hall, but instead opened the window at the end of the hall.

Delicately, and with precision, even in her wine-induced stupor, she climbed outside, hanging onto the ledge.

She'd done it a thousand times in her teen years. Scaling the air temple had been a right of passage, and a necessity, when she was with Tenzin.

It was second nature to her as she hauled herself to the upper floor.

Luckily, the window wasn't locked and she got back inside with ease.

She walked quietly down the hall, praying she didn't wake the kids. It was as she remembered. Almost nothing had changed, and a strange wave of deja vu overcame her.

It ended when she entered the left door, and not the right.

Kya's room was one she hadn't been in much, especially as she got older. It looked as she had envisioned. It was tasteful and colorful. Lin envied her ability to pick out pictures and tapestries of varied colors, still managing to make them go together.

First she checked the nightstand, which had a lot of interesting things, but nothing she was looking for.

She checked the duffle bag on the chair, nothing but clothes and towels.

She sighed, looking around.

She noticed the bed was lifted slightly off the floor. Tenzin used to keep… stuff under his bed.

Perhaps these airhead all thought alike.

She got on her knees before laying herself gently onto her stomach.

She outstretched an arm under the bed, feeling around until her palm landed on a box.

She pulled it out, and allowed herself to stand up before setting it on the bed and opening it.

The unmistakable waxy green seal.

The inky handwriting on the back with a clear name designation.

The clear indication that it had been open and removed multiple times.

She held it in her hand, her fingers frozen.

Fifty

[beifong-brainrot]

Honestly, interesting thoughts. I like Pema but I do wish she were more explored. She could be an interesting character

So…Pema

I have a love hate relationship with her.

On one hand we don’t really get the full story of what went down between her and Tenzin and Lin, what we get in cannon is very vague. I dislike her for hurting Lin like that but she’s a great mom and she genuinely looks out for Korra, Asami, Mako, and Bolin. I feel like I can’t really dislike her because she’s so bland in cannon. I wish they gave her more personality and scenes.

I like to imagine that she was young and dumb and that the situation was like the weird love triangle between Asami, Mako and Korra. Maybe she’s matured as she’s aged and now that she has more life experience and has raised four children and been a committed relationship for over a decade she’s gained perspective. Maybe she apologizes to Lin and and invites her to dinner and holidays etc. and they become friends and gossip. Maybe Pema and Lin scheme to set Korra and Asami or Wu and Mako up. Or they go behind Tenzin’s back and help Jinnora get ready for a date with Kai.

or alternatively what if she was just jealous of Lin for ages and thought it was because she wanted Tenzin. After having kids and marrying him she realizes it wasn’t all she thought it would be. What if instead of wanting to BE Lin she wanted to be WITH Lin all along and she was just in denial.

Maybe none of this happens and they just agree to let bygones be bygones because they’re both mature adults that have moved on.

or maybe Pema is a genuinely terrible person and Kya cusses her out at every family event on behalf of Lin and Bumi gives her dirty looks.

…. I just wish we got something… you know ? Are there any fics about Pema, y’all like ? Send me recs please.

[longing-for-rain]

Idk if you've watched tlok but if u have what are your thoughts on pema/pema x tenzin?

I feel like a lot of what ppl say about tlok katara more fits her. Yk the her being reduced down to a only a mother and being a one dimensional chartacter.(obviously she not as big of a character as katara or tenzin but still)

Also how do u think katara/pema relationship would/should be like being mother/daughter-in-law?

I really don't like pemzin, or Tenzin for that matter. It was a doomed premise from the start. The story of pemzin is:

Tenzin dates Lin, a woman who doesn't want children

After realizing Lin isn't going to budge, Tenzin breaks up with her

Tenzin then begins dating Pema, a much younger woman who basically views him as a god

Pema then spends the rest of her pre-menopausal years pregnant

So yeah it's really hard to get behind that for me. I think what makes Katara more of a shame is that she is shown to explicitly want something different from what canon gave her, and her character in TLOK plays into the idea that being gender-nonconforming is something that women are supposed to grow out of rather than embrace, not to mention that she was a main character in ATLA. I think both are worthy of criticism.

As for how I think Pema and Katara's relationship would be, I think Katara is obviously a kind person who would want to know the mother of her grandchildren, but there would always be a disconnect. Despite being Katara's only biological grandchildren, they have no interest at all in her culture and Pema and Tenzin clearly only value their Air Nomad roots. Katara isn't the type to say anything about it, but I think it would be upsetting to her.

[risingsoleil]

Equalist Pema x AU Linzin Idea

If you're wondering why I was MIA again, you guessed it.

I was abroad. I try to be creative even on my trips, but I'm either too exhausted or focused on enjoying my time lol

Anyway, so I've been thinking about Pema becoming an Equalist in AU Linzin's world.

Here's the breakdown:

Before Pema confessed, she had heard rumors about Lin murdering people for her job (they were criminals). It only fed her reasoning why Lin was never the right fit for Tenzin and their kids. She would gossip about this with the other acolytes

Pema transfers to another temple, but finds the routine really dull and that she's lost a sense of purpose. This goes on for several years. To reinvorgate her interests in the Air Nation, Pema decides to take on more nomadic activities for the temples. She works on other temples, but pretty much avoids RC

Somehow she does end up back in RC as tensions increasingly rise between nonbenders and benders. Linzin and their children have grown much older now, and Pema tries to keep them both out of her mind

Pema ends up at an Equalist rally and is drawn to the rhetoric that is preached. The triggering and humiliating rejection Tenzin gave her, along with Lin being Lin pushes her further toward the Equalist movement

Amon gets wind about an acolyte showing interest in their movement and has some of the more senior members of his agenda meet with Pema to lock her in. Finding out that she has some hard feelings toward Lin and Tenzin only makes her a gift to Amon

Pema goes MIA with the acolytes and quits. Doesn't say anything, returns to normal clothes and looks like any other person on the street (As she usually does anyway, so not that difficult to begin with)

Knowing taht she's not welcome on the island, Pema makes connections with other acolytes in town. She uses a fake name to talk with them and get information about Tenzin and his airbending children, in a non-creepy way. Amon's already got enough info on Beifong, and Pema only gets triggered when it comes to her.

When she finds out that Amon can take away bending, the gears turn in her head. She could bring Amon the airbending kids and have him equalize them. Then Tenzin would once again be the "last" airbender, and forced to create more airbenders. With her. Or would it just be worse if he lost his bending, too? Decisions, decisions.

Also, taking away bending is such a pacifist strategy to promote equality. Even if she would love to slap Lin

But Jin Beifong and Areum Beifong need to be equalized definitely. Lin too, if they can get her because she's such a bitch

By chance, she meets Kang and Areum and "befriends" them to get even more accurate information about the family. They think she's some nice woman who doesn't like any of the tensions in the city

You can decide the choice for the final outcome:

Pema tries to confront/fight Lin, she falls off a cliff and Lin tries to save her. She doesn't make it

Pema goes to jail

[atla-confessions]

Tenzin and Lin were probably going to break up (they have opposing personalities and different dreams I get it) but Pema should NOT have confessed her feelings! It doesn’t matter if a couple is about to break up or fighting it’s no one’s place to position themselves as the “right person” or “soulmate”. She makes her story sound like a fairytale when it was very wrong! If you have feelings for someone and they’re in a relationship you should back off! If they were soulmates she should have waited until they broke up and then confessed. She encouraged Korra to do the same which is just as wrong.

X

[local-enby]

The Eternal Dance of Push & Pull

O/C Ashe, a non-binary Master Firebender, leaves the Fire Nation Royal Procession and painful reminders of their past to come to Republic City and join the RCPD. Their path crosses with both Chief Lin Beifong, and Master Waterbender, Kya. Both women become interested in Ashe around the same time. Kya & Lin have history. Ashe and Lin work together to take down a major drug ring operating in Republic City. Events all take place after season 4 & Republic City is slightly modernized.

Polyamorous Original NB Character x Lin Beifong x Kya ii

Just posted Chapter 24: Waiting Games

Sneak peek below the break 👀

Ashe waited for time to pass as they sat helplessly in their office. Mai was expecting a call from her contact in Yosor at some point today, and the information they hoped to gain would help them form the next stage of their plan to take down AKA Enterprises. 

An audible growl roared from Ashe’s stomach. Guess I shouldn’t have skipped breakfast. Deciding that a quick lunch break wouldn’t hurt anything, Ashe made their way to the noodle cart across the street from the station. They ordered fire noodles and seaweed noodles, thinking they’d give Lin a choice between the two when they returned. Lin rarely brought food or remembered to do anything for herself while she was working, and this was one way Ashe felt they could support her without it seeming inappropriate.

While Ashe was gone, Opal and Jinora arrived at the station and knocked on Lin’s office door. They’d brought a bag of food Pema prepared on Air Temple Island. 

“Come in,” Lin’s gruff voice responded.

“Hi, Aunt Lin! We brought you some lunch. Can you spare a few minutes to eat with us?” Opal asked sweetly. 

Despite the stack of files on her desk, Lin was in a particularly good mood after her rejuvenating weekend with Kya and Ashe. “Of course, girls. Come have a seat.” Jinora and Opal served lunch and chatted away while Lin listened, asking a question here or there. 

On their return, Ashe jogged up the stairs. They heard voices as they approached their own office, just across the hall from Lin’s. Ashe looked in as they passed by; two young women sat across from Lin. One looked a lot like her, with dark hair and jade eyes, so Ashe assumed it to be Lin’s niece, Opal. Opal said something funny, and the other girl turned to laugh. Ashe noticed the airbender tattoos and realized that she must be Kya’s niece, Jinora. 

Lin was smiling before she caught sight of Ashe in the hallway, suddenly looking surprised. Ashe felt rude for intruding and quickly waved before ducking into their own office and shutting the door.

Opal noticed the shift in Lin’s demeanor and glanced over her shoulder, “Who was that?”

“Detective Ashe,” Lin answered.

“Ohhh, Aunt Kya’s friend?” Jinora chimed in.

Though she meant no harm, the comment felt like a slap to Lin. She nodded anyway, finding that easier than explaining anything else at the moment. Lin scolded herself for not inviting Ashe in to eat with them. She reminded herself of why the relationship was private for now, attempting to dissolve some of her guilt.

After the girls left, Lin shut her office door to grind through the ever-growing pile of reports. She knew Ashe was waiting on the call from Mai’s contact and would let her know as soon as they had an update.

Hours passed, and the phone never rang, so Ashe decided to go check in on Mai. Lin’s office door was shut; Ashe opted not to disturb her since there was no update at this point. They’d also seen the stack of work on her desk this morning and assumed it would keep her busy until well after hours tonight.

Ashe pulled the unmarked police Sato into the parking lot behind Mai’s apartment building. They turned off the engine and let out a breath. They’d been on the edge of their seat all day, anxiety ever-present. They were ruminating on the lunch interaction with Lin, feeling ashamed of lurking outside her office.

Only one streetlamp illuminated the back entrance of the building. Shadows draped around the few other vehicles parked in the lot. As Ashe approached the stairwell, the hairs on the back of their neck stood on end. Ashe looked around, everything in the vicinity seeming still. Hyperaware of their surroundings, they rounded the first set of stairs, clear. They saw motion out of the corner of their eye as they rounded the next set, their militaristic instincts commanding their mind, preparing them for a fight. The figure came into view one flight up. A young man, his black coat hanging baggily off his small frame. He looked down, his hands stuffed in his pockets as he descended the stairs. 

Ashe moved aside to let him pass and continued up to Mai’s floor, disoriented. Everything felt wrong, too eerily silent. Up the final flight of stairs, Ashe saw the door to Mai’s apartment open just a crack, though no lights showed from inside. 

Ashe’s senses felt electric, like danger was imminent, yet they saw nothing. “Mai?” they said, pushing open the door to the empty apartment. There was no sign of a struggle, an altercation, or anything. She was just… gone. At least we’ve got a tracker on her. I’ll call Lin at the station. Walking further into the apartment, Ashe raised the receiver to their ear but heard no dial tone; the line was dead. They crouched and noticed the telephone line was cut beneath the table. Shit, I’ll have to radio from the Sato. 

Ashe was still on high alert as they hurried back down the stairs. Their eyes deceived them; they looked over their shoulders and saw nothing. Out of the darkness, a dart shot, piercing through Ashe’s uniform shirt to their bicep. Ashe whipped around, sending a fire punch into the shadows. Their attacker dodged the flames, side-stepping out into the street lamp's light. It looked like the young man they’d seen before, only now, a dark mask hid his face. 

Horrified, Ashe pulled the dart from their arm, their body beginning to betray them as the poison familiarly ran its course. With the last of their strength, Ashe threw the dart into the stairwell, desperate to leave a clue of their existence here. Ashe fell to their knees, looking up. The man in the mask cocked his head to the side, the black eyes watching ominously as everything faded to black.

Keep reading on ao3 ‼️

[atla-milf-month]

ATLA MILF Month will happen in March 2025! This month will celebrate all the ATLA-verse moms and older women who... well, you know!

Click here to submit prompts! Click here to check the event guidelines! Do you have any questions? Do you want to be a mod? Please send us an ask.

Thank you for participating. We hope you enjoy the event!

[mesapies]

I kinda enjoy reading the theories on why ppl will believe a character from tlok is the child/grandchild of a character from atla.

Obviously there's the basics that most ppl have heard of like izumi being mai's daughter and suyin being sokka's but I also like the more obscure theories as well. Like lin being zukos, bataar sr/senna being sukkas child, izumi being sukis, etc. I'll even read about the cheating ones like bumi, kya, izumi being zutaras, suyin being aangs, zhu li being aang x on-ji daughter even tho I don't think katara, zuko, or aang would ever actually cheat on their partner/be involved with someone who is already in a relationship.

Do I believe any of these are true? No, except maybe mai being izumis mother but for the most part I just think it's fun to read about just cause. Yk like why ppl think what they think. I've also seen iroh ii being bumi ii son, Varrick being sokka/sukka son, pema being ty lee (grand)daughter, etc. Each time I see something new it just surprises me how ppl thought of that. Sometimes, ppl see one similarity and run with it.

[btheleaf]

Pemlin arguing that turns into making out … 👀?

Pema marched over to Lin's room and threw the door open without knocking. "What's this?"

Lin looked up over her reading glasses at Pema and her eyes trailed down her body to the kendo stick she was holding out in her hand. Lin sighed and sat up from where she was laying down on her bed. "Do you not actually know what it is or are you just mad about something?" Lin asked flatly.

"I know what it is." The bamboo sword clattered on the floor when Pema threw it down. "Why does my six year old have one?"

"He's old enough to hold it, isn't he?"

"He's six!"

Lin put her book aside and stood to get the sword. Pema found herself staring at Lin's flexing arm muscles as she tested the weight of the weapon in her hand.

"I was using one of these when I was old enough to hold one. Your kids should be well versed in all kinds of fighting techniques." 

She switched the sword to her other hand and Pema found herself focusing on Lin's bicep for too long of a pause before turning her aggravated expression back on Lin’s face.

"He's not a child soldier!" Pema jutted her finger out at Lin in accusation. "Just because Toph taught you how to kill a man when you were old enough to walk doesn't mean I want the same for my children. They will remain children."

Lin grabbed Pema's wrist. She twisted her arm behind her back and moved forward to force Pema into a backstep. The pair came to a halt against the wall by the door. The bamboo sword was at Pema’s throat in an instant.

Pema's eyes alighted with fear for only a moment before the ire came back full force. "Get off me," she warned.

Lin stepped closer, pinning her to the wall with her body. "You'd be dead if this was a real weapon. Don't you want your kids to have a fighting chance?"

Pema's hand came up to swat the sword away and Lin dropped the kendo stick to grab Pema’s other wrist and pin it to the wall by her head. Pema didn't even struggle, she just continued to give Lin a death glare.

"My kids have an element. I don’t fight. What are you trying to prove?"

“I’m trying to show you that the world is dangerous.” Lin’s eyes darted over Pema’s features; the soft lines of her face that contrasted her sharp chin, her wide and challenging eyes, her full lips. “Your kids need more than just airbending to keep them alive.”

“Is that your opinion?” Pema jutted her chin out, conveying to Lin that she wasn’t afraid.

Lin leaned in even closer so that their noses were practically touching. “It’s a fact.”

The change happened slowly at first, and then it came all at once. Their faces slid closer and closer until suddenly Lin was kissing Pema so hard that her head pressed back into the wall. Pema pushed against her, determined to not be held down so easily, she slid her open mouth over Lin’s and pulled at her lips with her teeth to leave a mark. Lin smirked and put her knee between Pema’s legs.

Pema pulled back to look at her. Lin could feel the rapid heartbeat pulsing through her wrists into her palms.

“Let go of me.”

“Why?”

Pema smirked. “You’ll like it if you do.”

Lin released Pema’s wrists and dove in to kiss her again, this time putting one hand up through her hair and the other around her waist. Pema’s hands found their way under Lin’s tank top and splayed out over her stomach before her arms snaked around and pulled her in close by the hips.

With two moves of her arm, Lin slid the door closed and locked the latch.

[avatarshippingshowdown]

ROUND 1, MATCH 30

[chiefbeifongcanrailme]

14 & 29 for lin x zekou maybe 🥺👉🏾👈🏾

i miss my babies 👶

Aw, I miss them too! I have incorporated both the prompts.

Thank you for thinking about Zekou!

This occurs somewhere between book 2 and book 3.

Lin threw a couple of ice cubes on, and wrangled the piece cloth together before rushing out of the kitchen.

This was the last time, she swore- just as she had sworn the previous countless times.

She entered the living room to see those two hooligans laughing their stupid United Forces coats away. She rolled her eyes and walked up to them.

"Here," she whispered, handing the makeshift ice pack to the touch more sensible of the two clowns.

"Thanks, Lin," he replied, taking it from her.

Despite being in her own house, Lin felt ill at ease. The two of them, on the other hand, were right at home. At least her and Bumi had known each other their whole life. Zekou, injured and vulnerable feeling comfortable, in her- a stranger's home was wild. But to think, this was Bumi's first time in Lin's home. And, thankfully, he wasn't making a fuss about it. They had known each other their whole lives after all, and Bumi being Bumi would be comfortable in a dragon's nostril on the south pole. Zekou was probably just trying to fit in- that Bumi being comfortable meant that he too could be comfortable too. Zekou wasn't cocky- she knew him enough to draw that conclusion.

"Lin, have a seat. Consider it your own home."

But Bumi sure was cocky.

Lin scoffed and took a seat on the chaise beside Bumi.

"Ow!" Zek winced.

Instantaneously, Bumi placed his palms on her knees. "Should we call a healer?" he asked, those bloodshot eyes piercing into hers.

"I'm fine, Bumi. I just bumped it. It's just a swelling," Zekou interjected.

She looked over Bumi at her injured guest and asked, "Are you sure?"

"Yeah, don't worry. It doesn't hurt all that much."

"That's because you're drunk. It's going to hurt a lot more tomorrow," Lin offered.

"Then I'll see a healer tomorrow," he replied with a smile.

She had done her part, but she still worried. Head injuries had a way of appearing benign only to turn out serious. She decided she would follow up with him the next day. The swelling on his temple seemed to be easing up with the ice.

Nevertheless, this was the last time she went out drinking with the two of them. Their shenanigans were but a foot step away from landing them in jail- and to think she would probably arrested as an accessory by one of her rookies.

At that point, she'd rather listen to Pema talk about her kids.

"Anyway, I got to take a fat piss now. Lin, bathroom?"

Lin shook herself back to the present and replied, "Yeah, down the hall."

Within seconds Bumi had vanished, leaving an empty seat between Lin and Zek; alone for the second time in all their friendship. Bumi had this way of being omnipresent so when he wasn't physically around, there was a lull- although, in their case, it was still comfortable.

"Is the pain any better?" she asked, moving to the cushion next to his.

"Who knows," he replied with a chuckle. "My head is cold, my hands are cold- everything is numb... And cold."

"Do I have to remind you that you're a firebender?"

Zek snorted. "Won't that melt the ice and make a mess on your expensive couch?"

Lin rolled her eyes. She reached for the ice pack and Zek allowed her to relieve his chilled hands. He winced when the cloth pressed against his forehead and Lin promptly adjusted her grip to rest the ice pack lightly against him.

"No need to be gentle."

"I'm not being gentle," she retorted.

"You are gentle. You like to come across all rough and tumble but you're really just soft, gentle and caring."

Lin scoffed, pressing the ice against him with just enough pressure to make him wince again. "You clearly don't know me."

"I don't," he confessed. "We've been drinking together for weeks on end and I still only know of you what Bumi told has me."

"That's good enough."

"Oh, come on, Lin," he said, clasping her wrists and bringing the her arm down to the couch. Lin placed the ice pack on the coffee table and folded her arms in front of her chest. He continued, "Tell me something about you that I don't know."

"I don't know what you don't know."

"Okay, fair."

He stroked his beard in thought as he studied her sitting in front of him. "Have you and Bumi ever—"

"Nope. Never happened, never will."

Zekou laughed. "I was going to ask if you and Bumi ever had a heart-to-heart. But, it's funny how your mind went there."

"You obviously meant to ask me that."

"You think if you two had ever kissed- let alone had sex, Bumi wouldn't have told me? Or brought it up every time we hung out?"

Knowing Bumi, that would probably be part of the introductory package.

"Fine. Yes."

"Yes?"

"Yes, we've had one heart-to-heart conversation. But something tells me you already knew this."

"I did. I asked Bumi if you'd ever opened up to him and he told me you did once."

"And you wanted to waste your question on something you already knew," she deadpanned.

"You know, you tell me that Bumi and I are basically the same person. I think, you and Bumi are extremely alike- different sides to the same coin."

"You don't actually believe that!" she said rather defensively.

"He's just as avoidant as you when it comes to sharing personal things or talking about your feelings and dreams, trauma—"

"Oh come on, don't tell me you've been psychoanalyzing—"

Ignoring that, Zek continued. "So, my question to you is: what was that conversation about?"

"Mmmm," she hummed in thought. "I guess I'm just liquored up enough to answer that."

"Enlighten me." He crossed his legs and turned towards her, smile flashing across his face.

"Well, I'm sure you know I was involved with Bumi's brother."

"Yes, the last airbender."

"Right," she swallowed. "It was the night of his wedding. I had a moment of weakness, and Bumi was there. I realized I was going to be all alone- that his wedding meant there was no going back- and I began spiraling. My mother was gone, my sister was pretty much exiled and I had nobody and nothing but my badge left. That's when Bumi arrived with a bottle of champagne. He tried making me feel better by telling me how miserable Tenzin was," Lin let out a grim laugh, "but I knew he was just saying that to make me feel better. We ended up talking all night. About our lives, our jobs, parents and found that we really had a lot more in common than we thought,"

"I was right!" Zek interrupted.

She gave him a slight nod.

"And we realized we weren't actually alone. That him and I will always have our broken legacies tying us together and that's something that would never change. And then acceptance came around. Bumi is never going to be an airbender and the person I once truly loved is never going to be by my side. It was okay to be ourselves and bring enrichment to our lives the way we liked. We didn't need to fit into some mold of expectations. Whatever we're looking for will come find us when the time's right."

"Wow," Zekou said, touched. He placed one hand on hers, knowing she would likely reject the gesture. But her hand stayed under his, especially once he brought some heat to it since it was also cold from the ice pack. "That's- that is sweet. Profound."

"Didn't think I'd spill that much, did you?" she smirked.

"Well, you did outdrink me tonight," he quipped back.

"Do you know me enough now?"

His hand continued to loiter over hers. She was easing up in a way he had never seen before. So when she asked him that, he felt something warm in his chest. So much so that his thumb slowly meandered into her palm and he squeezed her hand softly.

"No," he said with a laugh. "There's still so much I want to learn about you."

Lin rolled her eyes, but before she could say anything, Bumi appeared in front of them. Zekou noticed how quickly she pulled her hand away from his- he was certain Bumi couldn't have seen it.

"I actually passed out in there! How long has it been?"

Lin stood up, hands on her hips. "Long enough. I think it's time to call it a night."

"Aw, really?" Bumi said. "What'd I miss here?"

"Nothing—"

"-seeing if Lin was interested in meeting a swarthy man the next time we go out drinking," Zekou spoke over Lin while giving her a mischievous look.

"No—"

"I think that's a great idea!" Bumi exclaimed. "Lin, pick out your best panties, we're going to get you laid next week!"

"Nope, not happening," the Earthbender called. She grabbed Zekou by the ear and led him over to Bumi, whom she yanked by the collar, and then dragged them both to her main door.

"I'm done with both you of now. Leave," she said.

Both the men laughed. After Bumi's failed attempt at giving her a hug of sorts, she opened the door for him, and Zek followed him out wordlessly.

"Good night, Chief!" they both said together.

"Good night, Commander and a good night to you too, Captain."

Zek decided to leave her with a little wink in return.

Five word prompts from here