#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!

[wilcze-kudly]

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.

[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

[rabbits-of-negative-euphoria]

legend of korra had myriad issues but it did one thing exceptionally well and that was animating a lot of gorgeous gorgeous women

[wilcze-kudly]

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.

[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!

[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

[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.

[dont-blame-it-on-the-kids]

These fic titles have got me thinkingggg

What one do yall wanna see? If I were to pick one to work on?

Feel You in My Bones - Lin /x/

Feel You in My Bones - Tenzin - same post as above tw Major character death

Don’t Fall Apart /x/

Small /x/

Flowers Wilt and So Do I - Lin /x/

Flowers Wilt and So Do I - Pema - same post as above tw Miscarriage, Depression, Suicidal Ideation

Sorry shrink /x/ it was fun but I don’t think I could write a full fic / Drabble on the prompt lol.

[soulc-hilde]

The New Gen

pairing: Korra x OFC

synopsis: As Korra breaks from the overbearing walls of the White Lotus, she begins to explore what being the Avatar really entails. Unintentionally thrusting herself in the city's rising turmoil, she tries to balance her job and being a teenager. Thankfully, she has friends to keep her head straight.

divider by @graphicstorage

As the Gaang grew older, they established careers and families. Of course, they believed that their children would also be friends – more like a dream in Katara’s case – but they weren’t quite prepared for the length to which the children were willing to go. While Zuko’s daughter, Izumi, liked her infamous friends, she preferred to stay within the castle by her parents’ side. For Toph, Katara, Sokka, Ikkara, and Aang, well, they would’ve begged for their children to be the same.

Toph’s eldest, Lin, had been dating Katara and Aang’s youngest, Tenzin, for two years. In the beginning, it was puppy love. Tenzin chased after her and she’d pretend that the young Airbender had no effect on her. It was adorable, while it lasted. Things changed, for the worse. They were becoming older, discovering themselves and how they saw their future, and a tension began to rise between them.

Working under her mother, Lin soared through the ranks, burying herself in her work while Tenzin was beginning to set himself out as a political figure. With prominent careers, the topic of marriage and children arises. Despite Lin’s caring and protective nature, her family-based trauma tended to hold her back. She was scared, to say the least. If she was to marry Tenzin, only Spirits knew how bad everything would be.

What ifs ran through her mind, day in and day out. What if Aang and Katara no longer approve of me after we’re engaged? What if I can’t give him children? Much less, Airbenders? Him and Aang would be so disappointed, I don’t want to get their hopes up. What if I’m not the perfect wife? The perfect mother?

It was just a sea of unanswered questions and unfortunately, Tenzin was an airbender – not a mind reader. He didn’t understand Lin’s way of thinking, he couldn’t predict that her upbringing would scare her away from building her own family. He couldn’t even answer all her questions. So, in turn, he began to create distance. Much like his estranged girlfriend, he too began to search for content within his work.

As they continued to avoid the weight on their relationship, Tenzin’s attention was caught by an acolyte of the temple. Continuously working around one another, taking daily walks around the island as they fed the Lemurs, the two became attached. Wherever he went, she was there by his side and if he was to leave for the city, she’d stay on his mind.

Enraptured with the woman, he never noticed how hard things were to become. Pema had taken the initiative and confessed her feelings and without a thought, Tenzin had openly reciprocated the confession. Rushed to end the relationship with Lin, no matter how many times he said that he did… there was no real way to ease the hurt that struck the Beifong’s heart.

Spirits, the look on her face when he told her. She hoped that they could fix things, especially now that Suyin was sent away by their mother, she no longer had to work overtime to make sure the younger woman stayed out of trouble. But no. Just like her mother, her father, and her sister, Tenzin left her. He found someone else, someone better. Someone new. Tenzin left her!

In a blind rage, she tore through Air Temple Island with a strength not even her mother was aware of. She stomped and punched, splitting the island into two. From both sides of the island, Tenzin’s parents along with Sokka, Ikkara, and his cousin Ezra watched as their home became victim of the Beifong wrath. Nearly collapsing from a heart attack, she trudged back to the city without a word.

Promising herself to never step foot in that island’s direction ever again, life seemed to have different plans for her. As Tenzin and Pema were engaged, Ezra picked up the pieces from his best friend’s heart. As he sowed her tarnished heart back together, they conquered Republic City. After Toph stepped down, Lin was inaugurated as Chief of Police and Ezra was voted in as Head Councilman and Commander of the Republic City Task Force.

Their faces painted the front pages of the newsletters, busting one crime mob to the next. Eventually, their bond became stronger. It just hit them. Ezra returned home one day and frowned with distaste at the reality he lived in, constantly coming home alone. He no longer liked the silence that surrounded him, outside of his loudmouth father, of course. And Lin felt her gut churning with discomfort as she once again stayed late in the office.

Unlike her officers, she didn’t have a homecooked meal waiting for her or just overall a family waiting the wrap their arms around her, cheering that she returned home to them. Her eyes watered, a sense of finality coming over her as she analyzed the life she lived. Such a lonely life. Until one day, she no longer felt empty. The tall, muscular tribal man marched into her office and with a swift grip, he raised her to his eye level and indulged her with a kiss of passion.

Poor woman could barely step foot in the office that following week. As the two married, Lin discovered her pregnancy amid a crime bust, chasing down the Agni Kai Triad. Her heart nearly stopped as that dark creature returned with its endless pit of ‘what ifs’. Although, this go around was short lived for her husband was a man who understood her from the inside out and from her head to her toes.

And the family was rather excited for them. All except for Tenzin, of course. He couldn’t but to feel that the man he felt was the big brother he should’ve had betrayed him. In his eyes, Lin was a fixture of his past and deserved to stay there. Ezra could’ve fallen for anyone else, married anyone else. He just couldn't find the logic behind it. This elicited a loop of petty arguments and glares from the younger man.

Nothing too catastrophic until Tenzin took Ezra’s admiration for Lin and their relationship as boast to wave in his little cousin’s face. A fight developed, water against air until Aang put his foot and ordered peace. You know, the everyday job of the Avatar.

“I don’t know what has gotten into you two, but the tension in this house is ridiculous,” the aged Avatar grits. Ezra scoffs, “if anything is ridiculous, it’s Tenzin and his attitude toward Lin and I.” He turns his glare at the younger man, “we’ve done nothing to you!”

Tenzin’s eyes widen, wild and untamed, “nothing to me?! You married my ex-girlfriend and she’s now carrying your child. You betrayed me.”

“You want to talk about betrayal?” Ezra’s teeth grind, “then let’s get into how you cheated on Lin and didn’t decide to break things until after you and Pema started dating. Don’t act shocked that fate has decided to give her a second chance at love while you got stuck with a servant for a fiancé.”

Aang sighs, pinching the bridge of his nose, “okay, that’s enough. Both of you!”

Since then, the boys who once considered each other brothers turned into strangers. Ezra became a father to a beautiful little girl who they named Takari as he continued to lead Republic City with Lin while Tenzin and Pema had yet to reach past the engagement stage.

As Aang and Ikkara’s health began to decline, their last moments were spent surrounded by their friends and family. Aang’s dreams of rebuilding the Air Nation started with Tenzin and ended with his two-year-old grandniece, unsure of what his son and Pema were destined for. After his passing, Raava found her way in a waterbender while Takari began to practice her airbending.

Lin found it amusing that her only child was an airbender. As she told Ezra, it was as if the spirits gifted her baby a loophole just to show the woman that she was never the problem. If things were different, if Tenzin was different, she could’ve given him airbending children. But he wasn’t hers to hold and she wasn’t his to love.  

Until a strange incident had occured...

The young girl was playing outside with a couple of classmates when a street rat, Fez, intruded on the fun. 

The orphan was known to run small errands and even do the dirty work for the triads in exchange for money. When he wasn't occupied with that, he'd find enjoyment in torturing the infamous Beifong child and her friends.

Once again, he was hustling the group for the small amounts of money they had. A girl, Lianna, didn't have any to share so instead he ordered for her late grandmother's betrothal necklace. 

She refused, again and again, causing the young firebender to kick an arc of flames her way. Desperately, she dived into the middle of the street, watching as cars weaved around and honked at her. Fez continued chasing her in the road, unbothered, throwing non-stop punches fueled with flames.

Every once in a while, Lianna would block the balls of fire with small whips of water until he trips her feet with a rope of fire, he watches in amusement as she falls in front of an oncoming car. Enraged, Takari ran forward, hands reaching out for the girl, expecting air to leave from her palms.

Instead, the bit of earth Lianna was stuck to turned into a pillar, launching the young girl in the air. Watching her screaming form soar across the intersection, Takari created a vortex of air to catch her body and slow down her fall. 

Confused and horrified, Fez watched the girl bend two elements to her will before running down the nearest alleyway. Quickly, she gallops in his direction, feet planting firm to the ground as her clenched fists hover just above the road. Feeling the pull of the earth underneath her, she pulls chunks of it over the orphan's feet.

As her arms continue to raise, the wall of rock rises with her motions, surrounding the boy's body. He jostles himself around, fighting for his body to find release to no avail. Her friends cheer happily as the police arrive, Lin steps from the vehicle with worry at the thought of her daughter in danger until her eyes fall upon the young boy.

"And what happened here?" She asks the children. Fez quickly answers, "that... that freak doesn't know what element she wants to bend. First, she's bending the road and the next she's airbending. Get me away from her!" 

Taglist: Open to anyone who wishes to join, just comment down below or inbox me!

Series Masterlist

[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

[nyamadermont]

Crystallized

#FFF181

@flashfictionfridayofficial

Avatar: Legend of Korra

554 words

[Image ID: a dark blue background with three lighter blue, cubic shapes. The text “#FFF181 Crystallized” is centered, in white. /End ID]

Was it the night he brought her tea before he went to bed, or when she brought him tea for breakfast?

Was it the day she did the dishes, or the one when she put away the laundry?

Was it the afternoon she met the trade delegation’s tour, or the morning when she made sure the boys had washed behind their ears?

Was it the morning he saw them cuddled in bed, fresh from lovemaking, or the deep night when they comforted him from his nightmares?

Was it the afternoon he set his shoes beside hers, or the morning she accidentally put his on?

Was it the weekend she kissed them goodbye before their trip, or the one when he kissed them as they departed?

Was it the night they stayed up, waiting for her, anxious for her safety, or the afternoon parade in recognition of her contributions?

Was it the time Rohan came running with tears only she could wipe away, or the time Kai sought out her advice?

Was it the first night he spent alone with her, or the first night they spent alone without him?

Was it the cuddles, or the kisses, or the sex, or the soup, or the tea, or the bandages, or the books?

Was it the first anniversary or the second?

Was it their sunset moment by the water, or the family dinner?

When had it crystalized for him, truly, deeply crystalized, that his old love for Lin and his long love for Pema had blended into this new thing? That he could love each of them and both of them, and create a life of beauty?

But then, he knew.

It was when his mother had woken, deep in the night, and made four cups of tea.

It had been when Kai and Jinora waited until they were all together before announcing their own plans.

It was when Ikki had curled up in Lin’s lap and fallen asleep.

It was when Meelo had lain across the foot of the bed so he could see all of them.

It was when Rohan had reached out so that he could hug both of them.

It was when Lin had carded her fingers through Pema’s hair for hours to comfort her sick wife.

It was when they had surprised him from opposite sides of the door when he came home.

It was when they made his favorite meal for his birthday.

It was when he saw them, dozing in each other’s arms by his hospital bed.

It was when Kya sat with them after the doctor left, and explained everything to them.

It was when Pema helped him catch Lin when she stumbled.

It was when Lin whispered that she saw blood on Pema’s kerchief.

It was when they sat together in peace to watch the moon rise.

It was when they sat together in silence to watch the sun rise.

It was when she kissed him.

It was when she kissed her.

It was every night.

It was every day.

Tenzin opened his eyes and drew in a gentle, slow breath. He stretched out his hands to touch the ground, but did not feel it below him.

He looked down, and saw himself floating gently a handspan above the sun-warmed marble.

And he smiled.