a day in the life

He Knows

The next morning, Kya returned to Air Temple Island, wearing the same clothes she wore the day before. She changed quickly in her room and went to find Tenzin. She and Lin had come up with a plan. Kya would tell her brother that she had been seeing someone, and she wanted them to meet her family.

Kya found Tenzin in his study. She knocked lightly on the door before entering. She found herself uncharacteristically nervous, palms sweating and picking at her fingernails.

"Come in."

Kya stepped inside, "Hey, do you mind if I talk to you real quick?"

Tenzin looked up, sensing the anxiety in her voice, "Of course." He folded his hands and rested them on his desk as Kya closed the door. Tenzin gestured for his sister to take a seat, "What is it that you wanted to talk to me about?" He figured he knew what she was about to say. Kya's nerves were rare, and telling him she was dating his ex was certainly something to be nervous about, saying how mad he was.

Kya looked to the ground as she shifted in her seat, "Well... I want you to meet someone."

Tenzin's eyebrows rose in surprise, that wasn't what he expected. Kya's always been straightforward. He thought she would immediately come out and say it, "Who?"

"My girlfriend," Kya looked up at her brother, "I've been with her for a while now, and I think it's time for her to meet my family." She was gaining confidence, the more she spoke of Lin, the better she felt.

Tenzin noted Kya's change in demeanor as she went on about the woman she was seeing.

"-and I've been staying at her place some nights. That's why I haven't been here as much."

Tenzin leaned back in his chair as his sister talked and talked. This was all too much. Kya's exuberance was concerning him. She obviously liked Lin a lot, more than he previously thought. How am I going to convince them to break-

"-and I'm in love with her!"

Tenzin stood abruptly, knocking over his chair and quieting Kya, "You're in love with her?!!" He stated in disbelief. "You're in love with Lin?!!" He was yelling now, "I cannot believe this. I cannot believe you! You're in love with my ex-girlfriend, Kya!"

Kya blinked in surprise. How does he know? Spirits! How does he know?!?!

He continued as Kya processed, "What were you thinking?!?! How could you do this? How could you do this to me?!?!!"

Kya stood now, stepping so close to her brother that he stepped back, "Tenzin, I didn't do anything to you. I fell in love. Honestly, I don't understand why you're so upset about it. You two have been broken up for nearly two decades! And you're married to Pema. Who, might I add, you left Lin for!" Kya jabbed her finger into the center of his chest with the last word. 

Tenzin paused at Kya's argument. She was right, why did he care so much?

Kya took advantage of her brother's silence to ask a burning question, "How did you even know it was Lin?"

"I followed you when you left the island yesterday. I saw you go into Lin's apartment and watched you two together."

Now it was Kya's turn to fill with rage, "You followed me?! What the hell, Tenzin?!!" Kya stepped towards her brother and started hitting him with her bag. "What. The. Hell. Tenzin. You. Had. No. Right." She said between hits. 

"Ow. Ow!" Tenzin yelped as he used his arms to prevent a broken nose from Kya's swinging purse. 

Kya finally calmed down enough to stop hitting Tenzin, but she was still furious, "You know why I wanted to tell you, Tenzin? I wanted to tell you because things are serious between Lin and I. We're in love, and yesterday, when you were SPYING ON US, she asked me to move in with her." Kya stood with her hands on her hips, daring her brother to say something else to piss her off. 

"I- Well..." Tenzin fumbled over his words. He had no idea what to say or how he felt about this. When this conversation began he was angry with Kya, now, he was confused. He took a deep breath to focus his thoughts and asked, "What was your plan when you came here to talk to me?"

Kya rolled her eyes at the question, but softened a bit, "The plan was for me to tell you I was seeing someone and to have dinner to 'introduce' you."

Tenzin rubbed his beard between his fingers, thinking, "I see... Well then, let's have dinner. How's Friday night?" A week should be enough time for me to process this...

Kya beamed, "Friday sounds great." She turned to leave his study, overwhelmed by the array of emotions she experienced in their brief conversation. Kya hesitated at the doorframe, turning back she said, "Oh, and Tenzin?" Her brother looked up, "I'm gonna spend the week with Lin, so I won't be back on the island until Friday." And with that, Kya went back to Lin's apartment, planning on telling her girlfriend everything that had transpired between her and her brother.