Love is Brightest in the Dark

Chapter 9

Later that afternoon, Lin found herself pacing anxiously back and forth outside the sparring ring. This was the first time she was going to see Kya after their... could she call it a date? Was it a date? Lin certainly considered it a date but now was rethinking every interaction she had with Kya. What if that kiss she gave her at the end of the night was completely platonic? They had been friends since childhood and it really wouldn't be that far of a stretch- especially given how affectionate Kya is. Although she had swapped her shirt from earlier that day for a clean one, Lin already felt her shirt becoming damp with sweat. Su's voice began to echo in her head asking her, "so what are you going to do?" over and over again. Before her mind could run through every possible scenario, she felt a tap on her shoulder. "Ready to do this, Beifong?" Lin whirled around to see Kya, arms crossed looking quite smug. "Let's see what you got," said Lin as she and Kya took their fighting stances. Kya was the first to attack, bending the water from a small gourd that was slung on her hip into a sharp icicle. Lin easily dodged the water bender's assault by forming a strong wall of earth in front of her before sending it careening towards Kya with a swift kick. Kya dodged the rock and managed to make contact with her next blow, sending Lin crashing into the metal wall behind her. "You're in your head too much," Kya critiqued, waiting for Lin to get back to her feet. Lin scowled before metal bending a cable from her hip to wrap itself around Kya's foot, knocking her to the ground. Kya quickly snapped the cord in two with a water wip and got back up. "So that's how it's going to be?" She asked before sending a tidal wave hurtling towards Lin. Lin scrambled to form a dome around her, feeling the power of the water crash against her shelter. She began punching the earth in front of her, propelling rocks towards Kya with all the strength she had. "That's the Beifong I know," Lin heard Kya yell as she evaded Lin's projectiles. "You have to stop thinking!" Kya added after Lin had managed to punch her way through the mound of earth. She held her supply of water above her, staring down Lin, waiting for someone to make the next move. Lin raised her leg, ready to slam her foot down but before she could make contact with the ground, Kya formed a puddle right below where Lin's foot was heading and froze it; causing the metal bender to have her feet slip right out from under her. Kya watched as Lin fell once again and saw her face change from surprise to fury. Fueled by embarrassment and rage, Lin pushed herself full speed towards Kya using her earth bending. Kya's attempt to fend off Lin's attack was futile as Lin knocked her against the barricade, using her metal bending to restrain Kya's hands above her head in two metal cuffs. Lin now had Kya pinned and completely disarmed, the two of them mere centimeters away from each other. Lin felt her blood pounding in her ears and sweat drip down her neck as she and Kya both drew ragged breaths. "See what happens when you stop thinking too much?" Kya panted. She had just managed to get out her last word before she felt Lin press her lips against hers. Kya's eyes widened at first in surprise, but they closed as she felt Lin's kiss deepen. Kya felt her knees go weak and would have needed to grab onto Lin for support if she hadn't already been shackled to the wall. She wished she could wrap herself around the metal bender who began to run her hands through Kya's hair. Suddenly, Kya felt her wrists become free as Lin pushed herself away from Kya, realization of what she had done washing over her. Without a word, she turned and broke out into a sprint, leaving Kya breathless and confused, wondering what had just happened.

Lin kept running until she found herself at her room and slammed the door behind her. She slumped against the door, placing her face in the palm of her hand. She felt an entanglement of excitement and regret in the pit of her stomach as she began to strip off her sweat soaked clothes, flinging them haphazardly across the room. She wandered into the bathroom and turned the she shower knob, allowing the room to fill with steam. She hesitantly stuck a foot into the stream of water before fully stepping in, leaning her head against the stone wall and allowing her eyes to close. She began rubbing her skin vigorously with a small bar of lavender scented soap, trying in vain to distract herself. "Fuck!" She hissed as the soap slipped from her grasp and landed with a soft thud that echoed around her. Frustrated, she slammed her hand against the wall and slid down to the floor, clutching her knees to her chest. She leaned her head back against the wall and began to laugh to herself in disbelief- still trying to believe she had actually summoned the courage to act on her feelings for Kya. Lin had to admit, she felt a slight sense of satisfaction with herself at her bravery, although she could argue that bravery and stupidity went hand in hand. She got back to her feet, rinsing the remaining suds off her before shutting the water off and grabbing a towel. As she made her way back into her bedroom, the long shadows stretched out before her as the sun began to set over Zaofu. She leaned against the window sill, donning only her towel and pushed the window open, letting the cool evening air against her skin. She admired the way Zaofu sparkled in the sun and Lin felt a pang of pride for what her sister had built, although she would probably never admit it to Su. After getting dressed for dinner, Lin swung open her door and found Korra standing in front of her, hand raised prepared to knock. "Can I help you?" Lin asked dryly, arching an eyebrow at the Avatar. "Hey, Chief," Korra began sheepishly, lowering her hand. "How was your practice match with Kya?" Lin frowned as she felt the color rising in her cheeks. "Fine." She averted her eyes, hoping Korra wouldn't suspect she was omitting any juicy details. "Su and I practiced some more metal bending today," Korra continued as Lin breathed a quiet sigh of relief. "You should see the stuff I could do with her meteorites!" The two began to walk together to dinner with Korra continuing to recount her metal bending progress to Lin. When they had finally arrived Lin found Su and Kya already seated and waiting for them. Lin met Kya's eyes first and instantly felt her heart beat faster. She quietly took her seat across from Kya, keeping her eyes averted to her lap. "Lin, Kya told me about your practice match today," Su said casually as her chef began to place large silver plates of food in front of them. Fear flashed in Lin's eyes as her eyes darted between Su and Kya. "What?" She asked sharply. "She told me how you still managed to fall for her oldest trick in the book- getting you to slip on a patch of ice," she said with a chuckle. Lin relaxed a little in her seat before giving her sister a forced smile. "Would you always beat Lin when you were kids with that one?" asked Korra between bites of her dinner. "It worked about 60% of the time, but Lin would usually end up on top in the end," Kya said with a sly smile. Lin nearly spat out her wine she had been sipping on at Kya's comment, trying to play it off as a coughing fit. "Are you alright, Lin?" asked Su. "I'm okay," Lin sputtered between coughs. After regaining her composure she looked over to Kya who gave her a covert wink, causing Lin to turn scarlet. "Lin really impressed me today in the ring, Su. She had more in her than I thought," Kya said. "Trust me, I know what Lin is capable of- she made that very clear the last time she was in Zaofu, isn't that right, Lin?" The two women began to laugh, much to Lin's annoyance. "So, Lin," Korra began, trying to change the subject for Lin's sake. "When do you think we're going to be back in Republic City?" "Probably the day after next. I should probably be getting back to take over for Mako. Spirits knows what state the city is in with him in charge." "I'm sure he's doing fine, Lin. If he can help the Avatar save the world, I'm sure he's more than adept to take care of Republic City for a few days," said Su as her staff began to clear the table of their empty dishes. "I think he's lucky to be working under you, Lin. I know I would be lucky if I was working under you," said Kya, prompting Lin to stand suddenly, knocking her chair to the floor in the process. "Kya, can I please speak with you privately," Lin said as nicely as she could through gritted teeth. Kya gave Lin an innocent look as if she couldn't imagine what she needed to speak with her about, but silently followed her out of the room. Lin stormed out to the veranda, waiting until Kya had closed the door behind her to unleash her tirade. "What the hell was that all about?" She seethed, turning to face Kya who began to smirk at Lin's rage. "Well, Lin the last time we found ourselves in a.... complicated situation together it was impossible for me to talk to you about it let alone have you admit that anything had happened. I figured I just needed to apply some leverage to get what I wanted," Kya said crossing her arms. "Leverage? And you thought that the 'leverage' you needed was to embarrass me and make me so uncomfortable I would have to talk to you?" "Worked, didn't it?" Lin's face contorted into half confusion and irritation, trying to comprehend the trap she had just fallen for. "So you did all of that, for this?" Lin asked, looking for a shred of clarity. Kya nodded with a mischievous smile. "What is it exactly that you want, Kya? You want to talk? Let's talk." "I think you know what I want, Lin," Kya said as she took a step closer to Lin looking deep into Lin's emerald colored eyes. Kya gently tucked a piece of hair behind Lin's ear and whispered in her ear, "you just took me by surprise," before placing a tender kiss on the metal bender's lips. If Lin was surprised, she didn't show it as she grasped Kya by her waist, pulling her closer. "You have no idea long I've been waiting for you to kiss me," Kya breathed as Lin began to kiss her neck. Lin then cupped Kya's face in her hands, giving her a soft smile. "Trust me, I do," she said before closing the gap between them once more.