💛 Pemzin 🧡

Introduction

Welcome to pemzin weekend 2025!

The event is a three-day event running from Friday, Septmeber 12th - Sunday, September 14th

This fandom event is dedicated to Pema x Tenzin shippers. No matter if they're your OTP, or just a pairing you enjoy, come and join in on the fun!

All types of fanworks are allowed and encouraged. The only limitation to your creativity is tumblr's user guidelines, but if you feel limited by this hellsite, there is also an AO3 collection!

[The AO3 collection is live and active, but I will post the link a day or two before the event begins!]

In order to have your fanwork reblogged by this blog,

all posts must tag @alokpemzinweek and #pemzinweekend2025

PROMPT LIST

Friday, September 12th:

·        After the kids are in bed

·        Old school coffee shop au

·        Stargazing

·        What if Pema got to meet Aang?

Saturday, September 13th:

·        Modern day professor au

·        Nightmares

·        first pregnancy fluff

·        There was NO bed

Sunday, September 14th:

·        Soulmate tattoo au

·        Harmonic Convergence Airbender Pema

·        mother-in-law

·        Dementia!Tenzin

Alternate prompts:

·        Modern AU Professor x passed out student

·        Vacation

·        Siblings

·        Recovery

·        Family disapproval

·        Fight where pema is hurt and down and Tenzin needs to fight to get to her

RULES [there aren't that many lol]

All fanworks must be pemzin-centric. All subject matter, and content of all ratings is allowed so long as everything is tagged appropriately!! Check out the frequently asked questions page.

The baby in her arms weighed her down. The boy clinging to her clothes was shaking in fear.

The wind whipped around her, the girls too far away, but holding on to each other.

And in the distance, a grey form stood, turned, and shouted - before vanishing over the edge of the world.

“Excuse me, professor. It’s time for me to lock up.”

Pema jerked awake with a gasp.

Crouched down beside the table was a tall man, bald, but with an impressively long goatee.

He’s no student, she thought, frowning at him.

He wavered, nearly falling backwards onto his butt, clearly worried he had upset her.

“I’m sorry, Dr. Khandro. Your phone alarm went off about half an hour ago. When you didn’t wake up, I switched it off for you.”

The man started to stand up, wavered, and reached out to grab the table to steady himself, but missed, and grabbed her hand instead.

Her shock prevented her from resisting his inertia, and she fell on top of him, flat on the floor. Her free hand hit him at the collarbone before sliding off to the floor, barely enough to keep her face from crashing into his.

They froze in shock, both holding their breath.

His blink broke the spell.

Pema scrambled clumsily, trying to get up without touching him - especially staying away from his physical reaction to their proximity. She stumbled and rolled off of him, falling backwards against the leg of the table, dislodging one of the books - right into his stomach.

His pained exclamation jolted her further, and she tried to grab the book to get it out of the way. But he curled away from her, effectively pulling the book out of her reach.

“I’m so sorry! Are you ok? Let me get that out of your way -” she ventured.

He rolled over onto his hands and knees, coughed, and shook his head, dropping it into his hands.

It took her a moment to realize he was laughing.

He curled into himself, picked up the book, and twisted so that he could sit on the floor, facing her. He fumbled with the book until he could get a good look at the cover.

Rubbing her back where she had run into the table leg, she maneuvered herself to a vertical position, her feet splayed out to one side. It gave her a moment to look over this rather distinguished man, clearly several years her senior.

There was something about him…

He opened the book, his fingers hovering above the pages, less tracing the words than feeling the book. She felt herself studying his face, realizing his eyes didn’t seem like they were really focused on the pages, either. But there was something about his face that felt like he was smiling. Even if she would be hard-pressed to say why.

“My father loved writing this,” he said.

Pema blinked, and furrowed her brow. “Aang Gyatso was your father?”

The man smiled softly, still rubbing his fingertips over the pages, turning them without really reading anything. “I’m glad someone is still reading this. He wrote it when I was a kid. These are the stories he would tell when my siblings and I had nightmares.”

Something shifted, and he brought his bright, grey eyes to hers. Pema startled again, unsure when she had ever seen eyes quite the same shade before.

“I think you were having a nightmare. You were reaching out. It sounded like you were shouting at someone, like you were telling them not to do something.”

Something about his voice clicked in her mind. “You were in my dream. You were behind me. We were running away.” She paused. “But I don’t know why. And I don’t know why there were so many children.”

His smile brightened, but was tilted just a little. He looked down at the book, and without consulting the table of contents, he flipped to the page he wanted, traced the chapter title, and passed the book to her to read.

“You were reading Turning The Tides. It’s the story of people running away from terrorists. Their protector stayed behind to slow the bad guys down. The family got away for a few days, but the protector was injured, and the family was captured after all. Until the new hero rescued them.”

She felt her blood run cold. The mother’s name was… Pema.

The professor skimmed the page without turning it. Rohan, Meelo, Jinora, Ikki…

“Tenzin,” she breathed, looking up.

“Your name is Tenzin.”

He just raised an eyebrow and nodded, once.

She looked back at the book, back up at him.

“Tenzin… I had just put this book on my table. I was doing some research, found it on the shelf, and hadn’t gotten to it yet.”

Her chest nearly seized with the effort to both breath and hold her breath.

“Why do I know these names? I’ve never heard this story in my life.”

His face relaxed, and Pema thought she could drown in that loving - loving?? - expression.

The person at the emergency room desk called Pema over when she was next in line.

"Hi, my water broke and I'm having contractions."

The woman at the desk scowled and flipped through some paperwork. "Labor and delivery is short staffed today. How far apart are your contractions?"

"About ten minutes apart. They last under a minute."

The woman finally looked at her. Pema saw her eyes trail up and down her robes. "Come back up when they're five minutes apart."

Pema was stunned. She wasn't usually one to ask for special treatment, but the future of the Air Nation was depending on this delivery going off without a hitch. She opened her mouth to speak—

"Next!"

The woman at the desk waved the next person over. A man stumbled into Pema's basket and she nearly dropped her groceries. The man and the nurse started talking. Pema frowned and searched for the public phones.

It took a few minutes for the operator to connect her to the island and minute more for someone to pick up the phone.

-Air Temple Island.

"Chelu! Is Tenzin back from his trip yet?"

-Miss Pema? No, he isn't here.

Pema's hand tightened on the phone. It isn't his fault. It isn't his fault. "Is Master Katara there?"

-Uhhhh. I'd have to check.

Another contraction hit. Pema spoke through gritted teeth. "Go check."

-Yes ma'am.

Pema gripped the wall and practiced her breathing exercises until Chelu got back on the phone. She turned away from the occasional passerby who was looking at her funny.

-She either isn't here or no one can find her.

The next breath of her exercises turned into a heavy sigh and she started tapping the phone against her forehead. What was she going to do? They had such a good plan and then she needed to go and mess it up by insisting on "getting out" for a few hours.

Alone.

Nine months pregnant.

She would never hear the end of it.

-What— what's that noise? Miss Pema?

Pema stopped tapping the phone against her skull. "Nothing. Look, I need you to tell Koshe and Liten that I'm at the hospital and I'm in labor—"

-Oooohhhh congratulations, Miss Pema!

"I need you to focus, Chelu. Tell Liten and Koshe where I am and find Master Katara and tell her as well. When Tenzin arrives he needs to be told immediately."

-Yes, ma'am, Misses Pema. Koshe, Liten, Masters Katara and Tenzin. You got it!

"Thank you, Chelu."

-You're welcome, Miss Pema! I can't wait to meet the newest member of the family!

"Me too," Pema said softly. "I'll see you later."

-Byyyeeeeee—

Pema hung up the phone. She wasn't in the mood for Chelu's jovial nature. She wanted to be in a soft bed, she wanted her husband, she did not want to be in Saint Yue's emergency room for the birth of her second child…

She wanted to sit down.

A couple hours passed of Pema sitting, standing, pacing, and breathing around the waiting room. She was getting sweaty now from the pain, and shaking a little bit from hunger. There was nothing outright edible in her basket; tea, spices, a bar of soap she wanted to try out. She wished she had made her way to the fruit stands at least.

The occasional fellow waiting room guest would ask her if she was okay and she would wave them off with a sweet smile, watching them get admitted one by one before her for problems she both could and couldn't see. There was no position sitting or standing that she could get comfortable in. She debated calling the island again to see what was taking Koshe so long, of all people, but she didn't want to seem hysterical. It wasn't like she hadn't done this before They were probably busy… or not on the island… Chelu wouldn't forget to tell people, right?

The contractions were getting closer together and more painful. Finally, when they were five minutes apart. She got back in line.

"My contractions are five minutes apart and lasting about a minute." Pema wondered what she looked like, because she felt sweaty and a little crazed.

It was the same woman at the desk as before. She picked up a clipboard and skimmed over the contents of the paper. Flipped a page and skimmed that as well.

"I still don't have a bed or doctor for you. Come back up when the contractions are two minutes apart."

"Two minutes!? Do you want me to have my baby in this waiting room?!"

The woman shrugged. "Wouldn't be the first time."

Pema hated that she was about to do this, but it was hard to care anymore. She needed a bed, now. "You have no idea who I am, do you?"

The woman eyed her robes up and down again. "You're one of those crazy acolytes. I recognize your type. You're all trying to give birth to an airbender even though the tattoo guy says he's only fucking his wife. You people either don't understand genetics, Master Tenzin is shooting proverbial blanks, or you're all insane."

Pema's jaw dropped. "How dare y—"

"Next!"

The next person in line practically shoved Pema out of the way. She stood there in shock for a few seconds before going back to her seat. Fine. If she needed to wait until her contractions were two minutes apart, then she would wait until they were two minutes apart. The hospital was busy and she didn't deserve special treatment if there was someone in greater need. All she had to do was wait.

But that was easier said than done.

Another hour went by and she was starting to get delirious from the pain. The anger she stewed in didn't help either. The acolytes ran so many public programs for the city and this is the thanks they received? Being called crazy by the people they helped and who were supposed to help them? That alone was enough to make her want to up and leave, but without knowing if she would make it home or if there was a healer there, she knew she had better chances of actually getting medical attention while she was here at the hospital. Word was out about where she was. Someone would arrive eventually. Hopefully.

Even if the woman at the desk did behave like something crawled up her ass and died, Pema knew there were doctors and healers within these walls. She wanted to leave, but knew she needed to stay for the sake of her baby. The future was depending on her. Tenzin was depending on her. The baby was depending on her. Bringing an entire element back from the brink of genocide was dependent upon her.

No big deal.

No stress.

All she had to do was wait. Stare at the clock. Count. Breathe.

Where is he?

Pema sat across from the wall with the clock so she could time the contractions, but it was getting hard to think, never mind keep track of time. A surge of pain rippled up from her abdomen and she gripped the thin wooden armrests of her waiting room chair for dear life. She needed to get back in line and talk to that nurse, but she couldn't stand anymore. Her legs were locked in place with cramps of their own and spine felt like it was in a clamp. She was going to have to slide down from the chair and birth her child on the dirty tile floor.

Where is Tenzin?

A soft hand touched her shaking one. Relief flooded her body when she looked up and saw eyes bluer than the depths of the ocean. She tried to speak, but her jaw was clenched shut from biting back pain. Katara's cool hand touched her sweaty face and neck.

"My dear, why aren't you in a room?"

The tears started now that someone was there. "M-master Katara, I—"

"Quiet, dear. I'll be right back."

Hot tears fell down Pema's face when she nodded, but she didn't truly understand why she needed to be left alone again. She didn't want to be alone. She wanted her husband. She wanted her friends. She wanted a bed. She wanted this baby out of her.

Where is Tenzin?

A wheelchair appeared before her.

"Can you get yourself in the seat, Pema?"

Pema did her best to move on her own, but she welcomed the help that came in the form of support under her arms to help her stand and sit. She thought her teeth were going to crack from how hard she was biting down in order not to scream. The chair started moving as soon as she was in it. Pema gripped her belly.

"The groceries."

A hand found hers again. A contraction came. This time she did cry out from the pain. It felt so much better to squeeze someone's hand than it did to squeeze sharp, wooden armrest corners.

"I'll get you a new basket, dear. How far apart are the contractions?"

"I—I don't—" Pema shook her swimming head. She lost track. It was her one job to keep track until it was time to push. "I'm sorry."

"Did one just start?"

"Yes."

They passed through a doorway and entered a room. People circled her and transferred her to a large bed. Towels were laid out, pillows were propped under her in every which direction. She screamed as the most painful contraction yet came over her.

"Is that another one?" Katara asked as she took off her coat and rolled up her sleeves.

Pema nodded and allowed people to maneuver her into whatever position they deemed necessary. Someone pulled her soiled underwear off.

"Remember to breathe and tell me when the contractions end and start."

As if Pema's skin could get hotter or more flush, it did from embarrassment right then and there when Katara posted up at the end of the bed and started pushing up her skirts to get a look at what was going on. Pema hated this part about her first pregnancy and labor. Katara had insisted she be the one to deliver the baby, insisted on all the prenatal care, and Pema hadn't had any good reason to say no. But that embarrassment she felt when she gave birth to Jinora was strong, and it was the reason why she picked out her own healer and midwives for this birth. She didn't want her mother-in-law to have such vivid memories of that part of her body or all the things that came out of her, even if she was the best healer in the world.

That contraction ended and Katara went to go wash her arms and hands at the sink. Pema told her it ended and breathed in the short time she had before the next one started.

Katara looked beyond furious as she came back around the end of the bed.

"I'm sorry," Pema said through tears. The last thing she needed was Katara thinking she was a negligent mother. It was getting harder to breathe. "I know- I should've kept track."

The expression on Katara's face changed immediately when she looked back up at her daughter-in-law, her features softened considerably. The smile on her lips was reassuring. "Pema, you're doing a good job right now. It's time for you to push."

"What?! But Tenzin isn't here!"

"It doesn't matter if he's here. You need to push." Katara got back in position between her legs.

Pema whimpered. She never imagined Tenzin wouldn't be with her during childbirth. Another contraction hit. She shouted in pain.

Katara screamed over her. "Push!"

Pema screamed again as she pushed. Many minutes and many pushes later, Katara informed her the baby was crowning. Pema huffed and puffed and pushed physically and mentally through the worst pain of her life. A deep voice came shouting down the hallway.

"Pema! Pema!"

"Tenzin!" Pema screamed with all her might through the pain.

Red, orange, and yellow billowed through the doorway. Finally, finally he was at her side. She held his hand trying to squeeze all her anger and pain into him. He didn't seem to mind.

"Where were you?!"

"I got back to the island and heard the news." Tenzin brushed sweaty strands of hair off her face with his free hand. "Why weren't you home?"

"I was busy." Pema shrieked again. "Where is Jinora?"

"The acolytes have her."

"Push!"

Pema screamed again as she pushed and she knew it was the last one when the sensations changed. A baby was crying. Pema collapsed back on the bed. Katara's announcement was nearly lost on her she was so tired.

"It's a girl!"

"Let me— let me hold her."

A moment went by where all she could do was breathe and try to focus. Then Tenzin was opening her sweaty dress so Katara could lay the baby on her chest. Pema smiled and held her new daughter. All the pain she went through was quickly dissolving into a thing of the past.

"Look at her." Pema choked on happy tears. She only had eyes for the tiny wailing babe pressed to her chest.

"She's beautiful."

Tenzin's hand cupped the back of her neck and she allowed him to break the spell she was under just long enough for a kiss. He was crying too. Pride filled his eyes.

"Ikki," Pema said weakly.

"Welcome, Ikki." Tenzin put his pinky finger under the baby's hand.

Ikki kept wailing. Her tiny fingers rested atop the tip of her father's pinky.

"Would you like to do the honor?" Katara held up the umbilical cord.

Tenzin shuddered. "You know I don't."

Katara laughed. "Alright."

All three of them cooed over the baby once the placenta was delivered in one piece. Then Katara gave Pema a thorough spot healing, got her cleaned up, gave them instructions on what do to as if this was their first child, and left the room citing business she needed to attend to.

Tenzin watched the hospital staff like a dragon hawk when they came to clean, weigh, and measure Ikki. Pema got in her first round of breastfeeding and given a clean hospital gown to wear. By the time all was said and done, it was late. Tenzin slid into Pema's bed with her and they went to sleep until Ikki woke them up a few hours later, crying loudly from her bassinet, wanting to be fed.

"Your friends are outside chewing on the walls to get at you, but first we need to talk. Tell me what happened yesterday."

Pema looked up from Ikki's peacefully sleeping form cradled in her arms. Tenzin was softly snoring on the nearby chair. Katara had just come in with a tray of food and drink and was now looking at her with an unreadable expression; intense eyes, hint of a smile.

"I went out to the market because I needed to get out of the house. It was poor timing. My water broke."

"You went right to the hospital?"

Pema nodded. "I got a cab."

Katara put the tray down on the side table and sat in the other chair by the bed. "You came right here?"

"Yes."

"How long were you in the waiting room for?"

"I don't know…" Pema looked at the clock on the wall like it was going to jog her memory. "A few hours." She looked back at Katara. "They said there wasn't a room for me and that I had to wait and…" She frowned and looked back down at her baby remembering what else the woman said to her.

"And what?"

"It's nothing. It doesn't matter now." She had her baby, she had her husband, her friends had finally arrived. Everything was they way it was supposed to be.

"It matters to me. Tell me what you aren't saying."

A slight pout pushed out Pema's lips. "I don't want to get anyone in trouble. It has to be stressful working in an emergency clinic. No one is perfect."

Katara drew a slow breath in and out through the nose. Her voice sounded strained with thinly concealed anger. "Pema, there were open rooms the whole time. There were doctors that could have been called. Tell me what you're not saying because I need to figure out whose incompetence nearly led to my grandchild being born in a waiting room chair."

Pema's mind went blank, numb, and then all the anger from yesterday was back in a flash. "What?!"

"There were rooms. There were healers." Katara leaned forward in her seat. Her brows furrowed. An apology swam in her eyes. "Why didn't they bring you into a room?"

"I-I'm not sure."

"No one knew where you were or who I was talking about when I arrived. I had to find you myself. Did anyone even get your name or emergency contact information?"

Tears stung Pema's eyes. She needed to blink them away and she held Ikki just a little bit tighter. "No."

"I need to know who you spoke to and what they said that kept you waiting for so long."

Pema chewed on her bottom lip. Why would anyone treat someone like that?

"It was the woman at the desk. She told me to wait until my contractions were five minutes apart… and then two… I uh- I got angry. She—" Pema glanced at Tenzin and waited to hear another snore to confirm that he was still asleep. "She said something about how all acolytes are insane, and she may have insinuated some choice things about Tenzin."

"Like what?"

Pema kept her eyes trained on Ikki. She did not like the anger in Katara's voice. "Like infidelity."

Katara took another slow breath in and out through the nose. She reached up to caress the curve of Ikki's head. Pema chanced a glance at her mother-in-law. It was nice to have a maternal figure in her life, but that didn't always soften the fact that Katara was very intimidating to be around. Pema watched the muscles in Katara's jaw visibly tighten.

"Who said that?"

"The woman at the desk."

"What did she look like?"

"Uhm." Pema frowned. She didn't want to be responsible for someone losing their livelihood, but then again maybe it would be better for everyone if that woman had a different job. "She was maybe your age, looked vaguely Earth Kingdom. Brown hair, green eyes, hair in a bun, pointy fingernails painted pink."

"Alright." Katara's hand left Ikki's head as she rose from her seat and she cupped Pema's cheek. Her eyes were soft again. "I'm going to let your friends in. Eat something."

Pema nodded. "I will."

Katara's fingers gave Pema's cheek a light pat. She smiled, glanced at her son, and was out the door. Pema let out a breath she didn't realize she was holding and wondered if she just ruined someone's life by telling Katara the truth.

The regret was short-lived, though.

A few seconds later nearly a dozen people in orange and yellow robes crammed themselves through the door into the room, flowers and gifts at the ready, cooing their ooo's and aahh's at the small bundle in her arms. Koshe came in holding Jinora and placed the three year old on Pema's bed. Jinora's big brown eyes looked bewildered when she saw her new little sister.

"Baby?" Jinora asked, looking back and forth between Ikki and Pema's stomach.

Pema nodded and lowered the infant so Jinora could get a better look. "Your new sister, Ikki."

Jinora gently poked a finger into Pema's side and then crawled up to get an even better look. Koshe held the girl back when it looked like she was going to start crawling on top of Pema. A look of excitement spread across her little face. "Baby!"

"Yes." Pema beamed. "Baby. Ikki."

"Itchy." Jinora tried to imitate the sound of Ikki's name, but fell flat. They would work on it later.

"Can I hold her?" Koshe asked.

"No, I want to hold her!" Liten fussed.

The group erupted into a spat about who was going to hold her first. Pema laughed as she transferred Ikki to Koshe who was closest. Tenzin's snoring stopped when the noise level in the room rose. He rubbed his eyes.

"Daddy!"

Jinora used her bending to leap off the bed directly at Tenzin's chest. The chair almost tipped backwards from the force of Jinora's tackle, but Tenzin corrected it with a little bending of his own. Jinora giggled madly at the surprised look on her father's face.

"Hello." He looked up and saw a dozen people in the room. No one paid him any attention, everyone was only interested in Ikki and Pema. He got Jinora into a more comfortable position for both of them. "Did you meet your new sister?"

Jinora nodded and started putting her hands all over Tenzin's face, pulling on his beard, smacking little hands on his bald head. "Itchy."

Tenzin belted out a laugh. "Ih-key."

"Ah-shee."

"Okay, 'itchy' was better." Tenzin kissed Jinora's cheek and she giggled from his ticklish beard. "Did you have a nice sleepover with the acolytes?"

Jinora nodded enthusiastically. "We had candy!"

Tenzin scanned the acolytes who all seemed to pointedly turn away. "I hope you had dinner, too."

Jinora stuck out her tongue. "Spinch. Yucky."

Tenzin chuckled and faced Jinora out so she could see everyone. She sat wide-eyed watching acolytes pass the baby around while Tenzin braided her hair to keep her still. Pema had her food and drink that Katara brought in earlier, and eventually Ikki was back in her mother's arms pressed against her chest when it was time for her to eat again. Jinora floated over, with her father's assistance, wanting to know more about the mechanics of what was going on there. Once it was explained to a point that she understood, Jinora promptly told everyone in the room she never did what "Itchy" was doing. The group shared their laughs, congratulations, and gifts, and began to filter out. Koshe and Liten remained behind in order to assist the family in getting home.

The two remaining acolytes took Jinora for a walk so Pema could get changed and ready to leave. There was a knock on the door and Pema bid the newcomer entrance. Katara came in and frowned at Pema and Tenzin.

"Where do you think you're going?"

Pema adjusted her sash. "We're going home."

"I did want to bring you to a healing pool for a final check, you know."

"I feel fine, Master Katara." Pema turned to take Ikki from Tenzin, but he pouted so severely she let him keep her for the time being.

Katara looked like she was trying to suppress her frown now. "I would like it if you called me 'mom' sometimes."

"Uhm." Pema's mouth pressed closed. She couldn't do it. "Okay… sorry."

There was an awkward pause between the women that Tenzin was oblivious to. He was busy smiling down at the baby.

"Okay," Katara broke the silence. "I have someone here who would like to apologize to you."

Pema's mouth slowly fell open and she needed to stop Katara from opening the door. "Wait."

Taking her hand off the door handle, Katara turned back around.

"Is it the woman from yesterday?"

"It is." Katara nodded. "I spoke with her and told her she owes you an apology."

Pema chewed on her lip again, glancing at the door. In that hallway was someone who hated her for just existing, and if Katara didn't have the power she had, this woman likely would have never felt the need to apologize. She looked over her should at her distracted, yet doting husband cooing over their baby and then back at her intimidating mother-in-law. She thought of her friends who loved her, and her eldest daughter who was, up until yesterday, her one pride a joy. Those were the only people she needed in her life. People who wanted her around. People who loved her.

"I don't want to speak to her. I don't want to see her."

There was a confused tilt of Katara's head. "You're sure?"

"I'm sure," Pema said resolutely. She never wanted to see that woman again.

Katara gave a very slight bow signaling to Pema that her wishes would be respected. "Alright. Oogi's on the roof. Wait for me before you leave."

Pema let out a breath once Katara was gone again.

"What was mother talking about?" Tenzin asked absently. "I missed it."

When he slipped under the covers and shifted to face his wife, something cold and hard touched his thigh. Pulling back the covers revealed not only the wonderful image of his wife's naked body, but also the strap-on dildo they hardly ever got to use since Meelo was born. Tenzin's eyebrows shot up into the arrow point on his forehead.

"Pema," he said softly, not willing to put in effort to fully wake her, but he did hope she might open her eyes so they could have some fun. He wouldn't be opposed to what she had in mind in the slightest.

No luck. The soft snoring and light drooling continued.

Tenzin pouted his disappointment and sat up on his knees so he could remove the thing from her hips. If the kids did run into their room in the middle of the night, it would be a lot simpler to explain why mommy was naked than it would be to explain why mommy had a large, black, phallic object between her legs. He undid the ties and slipped the straps out from between her legs. Pema moaned as the strings made friction between her thighs. Tenzin stilled in all areas except the growing problem in the seat of his shorts. He waited a moment to see if she would wake up, but it seemed she was content to remain sleeping.

Holding the strap in his hands only made the situation in his shorts worse. The length and weight excited him. It had been too long now since he and Pema had time to do anything more than perpetually interrupted quickies in random places around the island…

Another time, he told himself as he went to put the toy away in a place no one would find it.

This time he crawled back in bed, shut the light off, rested his head on the pillow, and—

"What the—"

There was something hard under his pillow. Turning the light back on revealed it to be a bottle of lubricant. He laughed as he put it away in the nightstand. Pema had been so prepared to make this night special, and then she couldn't even stay awake long enough to follow through.