𝓢𝐲𝐝𝐧𝐞𝐲

The main thing I would want, no.. NEED, to see is them being smart. They are both powerhouses, but also they’re smart fighters. I want to see them playing the game to their advantage using everything they have available in their environment to get the upper hand on each other.

They’re both strongest at close range.

Jupiter needs to get close to people to deliver a decisive blow and to properly conduct her electricity to their bodies. She *can* shoot her electricity, but it is very unreliable since once electricity is dispersed in the air, it does not go where you want it to go, it goes towards the path of least resistance. And it’s also extremely dangerous. So 9 times out of 10 Mako does not want to shoot out her electricity, she just keeps it charged on her body to release upon impact or close to impact. She’s incredibly strong and tough, she can easily tank blows others can’t and a good punch from her can end the fight then and there, but the drawback is that she’s slow. Her attacks hit the heaviest but they also have the longest windup when compared to all of the other girls.

Uranus also wants to get close to people. My version of Uranus does not have world shaking, but to compensate she has as many swords as she wants (for visual reference think of it as Sayaka’s powers from pmmm) and she can also detonate them at will (she is immune to her own explosions, yes). She also *can* throw them, but it is not reliable. Even if her swords are scimitars and they’re shorter and curved, they’re awkward to throw from anything further than medium range at best. Throwing them also locks her movements and leaves her temporarily vulnerable for a second since the action of throwing something as heavy as a sword is no small feat, it’s a full body motion. While she’s physically strong, her prowess as a fighter does not come from brute strength like Jupiter, she cannot tank as many hits, even if she can still tank more than the rest of the girls and her attacks don’t hit as heavy, but they don’t need to. She has swords, her goal is to get as close to a person as possible to slice (not stab, important, scimitars are best for slicing. You generally do not want to thrust while using a scimitar). To help her do that, she’s incredibly fast. Not only she runs fast, but she can easily dodge Jupiter’s slow attacks if Jupiter is not smart about how she’s fighting, allowing her to always secure the first hit.

TLDR

Both fight best at close range

Jupiter is slower, but hits hardest and can tank more hits

Uranus is faster, but does not hit as hard and cannot tank as many hits

ALTHOUGH, Jupiter’s tanky-ness becomes a much less important factor keeping in mind that she’s resilient towards blunt blows (her muscle mass and body fat protect important organs and bones by acting as cushions), NOT towards slicing/stabbing attacks. She’s still made of flesh, doesn’t matter how thick her skin and muscles are, a sword is a sword and it will slice through her if she allows it to happen.

So, Jupiter cannot get close to Uranus otherwise Uranus can easily cut her. One or two good placed slices and Jupiter is out of the fight at best, bleeding to death at worst. Uranus cannot get close to Jupiter because one contact is enough to send a shock to her body powerful enough to stun her, giving Jupiter enough time to deal a heavy blow which can easily just kill her or incapacitate her enough to allow Jupiter to hit her multiple times. Uranus IS still getting shocked if she manages to cut Jupiter and Jupiter is ready for it since her sword is metal, an extremely conductive material. So she needs to be smart about how she approaches attacking her and urging a good distance between them so even if she does get shocked, Jupiter still has to catch up with her. Jupiter has residual electricity in her body following attacks, which sends pretty powerful shocks at the touch, but not enough to be anything more than a strong jolt if enough time has passed for the energy to dissipate.

As for the location: Ideally I would want to see them fight in a common area full of stuff surrounding them that they can use to their advantage, something like an indoor mall would be perfect (which has been evacuated following a monster attack). So both Uranus and Jupiter can pick up things like tables and chairs in the food court, take cover/regain grounds behind stands or commercial planters and using stuff like drinks left by guests or even perfume and makeup from stores around them as things to throw to discombobulate the other. Still having it be indoor is a good debuff against Jupiter, since closed common areas are more susceptible to dangerous outages or even explosions caused by her recklessness while handling electricity.

All of this exposition to lay out the most important factor in the whole fight, win conditions: (the objective each party must achieve in order to secure victory. Aka, the question each must ask themselves in order to come out on top “how do I deliver the final blow before she gets the chance to?”)

Jupiter’s win condition is: use objects around her to toss for distraction or to incite aggression where Uranus is forced to commit to an attack, using the object as cover or shield where ideally the sword gets stuck or unable to deliver a second slash for at least a second or two where Jupiter can safely get close enough to shock Uranus. Gaining even more extra second so she can chain the stun long enough to delivery a heavy blow without allowing Uranus to regain her footing. Given Uranus is faster than her, overcommitting to the idea of having Uranus miss a strike is too much of a risk. It’s better if she lets herself be an easy target, just making sure to always have something she can use to protect her body from the blades. At this point in the story she does not Uranus can detonate her swords.

Uranus’ win condition is: use objects around her to distract or discombobulate Jupiter long enough for her to deliver a fast but effective strikes without giving Jupiter the time to react while making sure to step far away from her after the process. Uranus is aware that one or two cuts are not enough to take Jupiter out (unless she gets lucky, but she can’t rely on luck). Ideally she wants to incite Jupiter’s aggression, causing her to commit to a slow attack that she knows she can easily dodge, allowing her to get free strikes while Jupiter is vulnerable, rinse and repeat. Also being extremely mindful of conductive objects and surfaces near her, and using insulating materials like wood to her advantage, which allow her to touch Jupiter without running the risk of getting electrocuted. Lastly, she has the ace up her sleeve of detonating her swords to catch Jupiter off-guard for both offensive or defensive purposes, she knows the explosion is too small to do any significant damage against her, but the strength of this attack lies in the fact that Jupiter does not know Uranus can do this.

Basically, they both want to bait the other’s aggression into over-committing where they can take advantage of the other’s vulnerability to delivery a strike of their own. Uranus can react faster to distractions and baits, but she also needs to employ this strategy at least twice or thrice to surely take out Jupiter. Jupiter needs only one good opening to completely take out Uranus since she can use her electricity to stun Uranus.

So, how would I personally handle this fight?

This is actually one of the few sequences I do have written for my AU!

The circumstances of the how and why it starts are fairly similar to the canon ones. You just really need to know that Jupiter is pissed at Uranus for her immoral actions and behavior as a Sailor Senshi and Uranus was initially only looking to defend herself against Jupiter’s aggression, but she quickly allowed the anger from her repressed self-conviction to spiral into aggression.

They start out only fighting hand to hand, no powers. I see it as a sort of silent mutual agreement, like Jupiter starting it, wordlessly telling her “I don’t need powers to fuck you up and set you straight” and Uranus would accept the challenge. While still being a pretty close back and forth, I actually Uranus beginning to gain the upper hand. She’s playing smarter than Jupiter, using her speed to her advantage while still being relatively of clear mind (Jupiter being the one who’s definitely the angriest of the two, and while anger is good for stamina, it is not good for being patient and smart). Also not being helped by the fact that Jupiter DEFINITELY heavily underestimated how good of a fighter Uranus actually is, she has no respect for her and Uranus is taking advantage of that hard.

All leading to Jupiter being the one to break her own agreement and grab Uranus’ fist while delivering a powerful shock. At this point the agreement is done and the fight is full on, powers and all.

I do want to keep it ambiguous if they are actually looking to seriously harm or even kill the other, because I don’t know. I don’t think even they know, in a situation like this instincts take over and they need to treat it as if their lives could be genuinely in danger. They don’t know each other almost at all: for all Uranus knows Jupiter wants to kill her. Jupiter is not thinking clearly because she is the main aggressor, all she sees is Uranus with swords, it does not matter Uranus’ intentions, a sword WILL kill her if she’s not careful enough. And that’s not to say Jupiter is the only one on the offensive, Uranus is attacking too, she’s in as much as Jupiter is in, but Jupiter has been the first instigator twice already and Uranus is prideful. Uranus wants to win this not only cause her life is on the line, but also because, in her deeply grief ridden and self-hating state of mind, she’s reasoning that beating Jupiter will be proof to herself that she is in the right. That she’s doing the right thing, because she’s the only one strong enough to be this cruel and there’s no other way.

This is a battle of will and morality above all else. Jupiter is fighting for her own sense of justice and personal responsibility as heroes instilled by her black and white morality, while Uranus is fighting to show Jupiter (while in reality she only cares to show herself) that what she’s doing is simply what needs to be done and that Jupiter and the others can’t understand BECAUSE of such black and white morality.

I don’t have the whole fight scripted or anything, but after keeping a fairly steady stalemate where Jupiter has been able to deliver some significant, but not debilitating, blows to Uranus and Uranus managing to cut her pretty bad on the forearm and deliver some hard blows herself using the environment around her, Jupiter is the one who begins gaining an advantage after Uranus makes the mistake of “taunting her” for her own stupidity and child-like morality. The words cut deep for Jupiter, instilling renewed strength and stamina while Uranus’ depleting stamina has been causing her reflexes to get slower, her muscles to start aching and her mind to not be as sharp.

Jupiter really believes in what she’s fighting for, Uranus doesn’t and I would love to see that internal battle getting reflected in their lasting conviction towards the end of the fight. Where both are extremely strained, significantly beaten and exhausted, Jupiter is the one that gets the strength to keep attacking. Uranus has no more strength to attack (her “insulting” Jupiter was perhaps a subconscious action by her desperate mind, which was seeing how this fight was very clearly turning into a stalemate or draw, to NEED to reassure herself that it did not matter if she won this fight, she was still in the right. Not calculating how this action could have possibly spurred new strength from her aggressor), she’s imply forced to do her best to be on the defensive. But she’s fighting a losing battle, she has no strength to run away, no strength to attack, all she can do is evade Jupiter’s attacks long enough for her to get exhausted or get her tired enough to catch her by surprise with her ace up her sleeve, which is what she does.

Jupiter makes the mistake of locking herself in a position too close to Uranus’ sword (which she was using defensively as a lever to push Jupiter off of her) and Uranus detonates it. Sending Jupiter flying off the near-by balcony onto the main floor below them, landing hard on her back against a service desk counter. Uranus manages to slowly get back on her feet, she looks at her opponent several floors below her and goes to leave, taking Jupiter’s incapacitated state as a victory. But stops when she notices Jupiter’s small figure significantly spasming, and against her better judgement uses the escalators to quickly reach her.

Uranus fought all this time with the idea that if Jupiter dies, she dies, this was her mistake for starting and continuing to fuel this fight, but once she’s faced with the reality of this human being suffering with a rapidly fatal condition SHE caused, her first instinct is to go and help her despite her own injuries. Perhaps Uranus did not want to kill her after all, she still won, but she’s not one to punch down.

I love integrating more realistic injuries to the girls’ battles. In anime I’m so used to seeing dudes just being thrown through 15 buildings without a scratch, but to me it’s important emphasizing that these girls are still human and can die or get seriously permanently injured from one wrong step. They have superpowers and they can tank things better than a regular person can, but a blast into fall from a two story balcony onto a hard surface is not going to break the surface, it’s going to break bones.

The spasming that Uranus was seeing is Jupiter desperately gasping for air. The trauma of the fall caused her throat to lock up (I’ve looked all of this up to check the logistics and realism cause I’m a nerd, it’s called Laryngospasm) making her unable to intake any air, while also having a couple broken ribs causing additional pain with every failed attempt at expanding her airways. She knows Jupiter will die in a matter of minutes if she doesn’t at least try to help, even is she’s not sure how. She moves to attempt grabbing the base of her neck and the second her hand touches her, Jupiter sends a powerful jolt of electricity through her body. Sending her to the ground into a semi conscious state. Jupiter painfully slides off the counter and shock of the impact with the ground is enough to allow the air trapped within her lungs to escape and open her throat once again. (I’m not a medical professional, Jupiter had no fucking clue what she was doing and she got VERY lucky this time it helped because of the very specific circumstances going on within her body. Even if the circumstances are exactly this, the smart thing was allowing Uranus to help her, something called a Larson Maneuver is how a person can break a Laryngospasm. Get someone to call 911 dont roll off a counter lol. It could help, but it could also kill you if you have a flail chest, or a punctured or bruised lung)

Without getting into specifics, Neptune shows up and sends Jupiter through the glass display and against another hard surface of a store across the mall after seeing her crawling towards Uranus. Who is now fully unconscious.

So, who wins? Technically I guess Jupiter this time, but not really. Jupiter betrayed Uranus’ trust twice, she played extremely unfair because losing was not an option for her. Even if they both died, nothing else mattered to her at that moment other than getting Uranus out of the picture or at least “defeated” enough where she would never be able to hurt others again while being alive. Uranus’ mercy meant nothing because she was blindly driven by her own conviction.

Ironically in her quest to establish her “high and mighty” hero morality onto Uranus, Jupiter is the one who acted the least heroic out of the two. They were both acting on selfish means, but when Uranus came faced with the consequences of her actions, she expressed regret and a willingness to do good. The reason Jupiter even came to lay there gasping for air was her own fault, she had the chance to let it go, yet she kept going and going, disregarding her own safety in the process. And even then, she took advantage of Uranus’ mercy towards her and STILL kept going, all driven her selfish means.

In the most blatant way I can describe it, Jupiter acted like a bully. If Uranus won’t learn she’ll make her learn and she won’t stop because she knows she can. Jupiter knows she’s strong and where she should use that strength to help and protect others, this time she used it to beat her ideals onto others. Not saying Uranus is an innocent victim in all of this, but the situation came up to be.. not black and white.

They will both need to learn a lot from this.

The silver training dome was freezing, filled with a heavy morning mist that rolled off the Zaofu peaks and turned the metal floors slick. Kuvira stood at the center of the ring, her breath turning into thick white puffs in the crisp air. She snapped her wrists forward, sending a heavy sheet of silver rippling across the floor and locking it into a perfect defensive shield. Her form was flawless, but her mind was completely somewhere else.

Ever since her world had fallen apart, Kuvira had believed love was a mistake. She had seen how it left people weak, and her past relationship with Baatar Jr. had ended in total ruin. She had built a massive wall around her heart, swearing never to let anyone get close enough to hurt her again.

Except for you.

You were sitting on a bench at the edge of the arena, wrapped tightly in a coat, a clipboard resting on your lap. Every few minutes, you would look up from your logs to give her a warm, encouraging smile. You didn't demand anything from her. You just showed up every day, treating her with a gentle kindness that made her entire defense mechanism crumble. You were the only exception to her rule, and it terrified her.

With a heavy thud, Kuvira slammed her hands down, sending the metal shields back into the floor. She stood panting for a moment, her knuckles raw and red from the cold, before she forced herself to turn toward you.

"Your pacing is ahead of schedule today, Kuvira," you called out, standing up from the bench. You tucked the clipboard under your arm and rubbed your gloved hands together. "But I think we should call it a morning. The temperature is dropping, and you've been at it for hours."

Kuvira watched you step onto the cold metal floor. The familiar, dizzying shyness flared up in her chest, making her throat tighten. She wanted to act like the unshakeable leader she used to be, but the reality of your presence made her insides feel like a melted forge. She forced her shoulders back, stepping directly into your path to stop you before her courage failed.

"I can keep going," Kuvira said, her voice dropping into a low, quiet cadence that still carried a natural weight. But as she stopped just inches away from you, her eyes caught the slight tremor in your shoulders. A sudden, bright prickle of heat rushed up her neck, her stern look instantly cracking. "But... you're shivering. Your lips are literally turning blue. You're supposed to be taking care of me, but you're freezing yourself out here."

You blinked up at her, caught entirely off guard by how close she was standing. "Oh. I'm fine, really. I just forgot my scarf in the main building—"

"Stop," Kuvira murmured. The word was quiet, but it had an absolute, unyielding weight that cut you off instantly.

Before you could speak up again, she reached out. Her frame completely blocked the biting mountain wind from hitting your face. She slid her calloused fingers beneath the high lapels of your coat to pull them tighter. But the moment her knuckles accidentally brushed against the soft, warm skin of your jawline, Kuvira's breath hitched. A deep crimson blush flooded her cheeks, completely betraying her tough expression.

Her hands trembled slightly as she tried to fix your collar, her fingers suddenly feeling incredibly clumsy.

"Just... just stay still for a second," she stammered slightly, her voice cracking a bit before she forced it back into a low, firm tone. She looked down at your face, her green eyes wide and intensely focused, dark with a raw longing she was desperately trying to hide. "You're too reckless. You'll catch a cold out here..."

"Kuvira, it's just a little wind," you whispered, your own heart suddenly skipping a beat.

Being this close to her was overwhelming. You could feel the intense heat radiating off her skin, and she smelled like jasmine and cedarwood. You didn't realize she was completely infatuated with you; you just felt incredibly small and intensely protected under her magnetic gaze.

"I'm the one talking right now," Kuvira corrected softly, her jaw clenching as she fought down the wave of shyness that made her want to run away. She placed her warm palms flat against your shoulders, holding you firmly in place so you couldn't move away from her. Her thumbs instinctively smoothed over the thick fabric of your coat, a deeply affectionate gesture hidden under a firm hold. "You're going straight to the sitting room. You're going to sit right by the fire, and you're going to stay there while I make you some ginger tea. Understood?"

Her words weren't military commands anymore, but they were still entirely hers, firm, direct, and completely unyielding. She was using her natural dominance to force you to take care of yourself, all while trying to hide how flustered she was by being so close to you.

You swallowed hard, your own face flushing a soft pink as you looked into her intense green eyes. "Yeah. I get it, Kuvira."

A tight, relieved breath escaped Kuvira's nose, turning into a faint cloud of white in the cold air. The corners of her lips twitched upward into a tiny smile before she caught herself and put her serious mask back on. She slowly let her hands slide off your shoulders, though she didn't step back, keeping you enveloped in her space.

"Good," she murmured, her voice vibrating with a low tone that sent a strange flutter straight through your chest. "Go inside. I don't want to have to tell you twice."

She turned on her heel, her stride stiff and formal as she marched toward the equipment racks to clear her training gear. But the exact second her back was turned to you, completely out of your line of sight, Kuvira tightly closed her eyes and buried her burning face in her hands. A soft, completely defeated groan escaped her lips, her heart hammering a frantic, fast rhythm against her ribs. She was entirely, hopelessly slipping, and she had absolutely no idea how she was going to survive making that tea without completely giving herself away.

The kitchen of the Beifong estate was warm, smelling of roasted spices and morning pastries. It was usually a busy place, but at this hour, it was empty..except for Kuvira.

She stood at the heavy marble counter, still in her green earth toned training tunic. Her jaw was clamped tightly, and her green eyes were fixed intensely on a root of ginger.

Thwack! Thwack! Thwack!

The heavy iron cleaver came down with a rhythmic, aggressive force that was way too much for making a simple pot of tea. With every slice, she felt that burning heat flare right back up her neck. Her mind was a total mess, stuck on a loop of how your skin had felt against her knuckles and the way your lips had parted when she stood too close to you back in the dome.

“I’m the one talking right now,” she had said. Kuvira groaned out loud, her face flushing an even deeper shade of red. 'Why did I say that? Why couldn't I just ask her normally? Why did every single interaction turn into me bossing her around like she was a fresh recruit?' Kuvira internally scolded herself in her head again, something she's been doing so frequently.

Thwack!

"You know, the ginger didn't do anything to hurt you," a smooth, relaxed voice called out from the doorway.

Kuvira jumped, her grip slipping on the handle of the cleaver. She snapped her back straight, her eyes widening in panic as she turned around. Suyin was leaning against the doorframe, wrapped in a comfortable silver robe, a cup of morning tea already in her hand. She was looking at Kuvira with pure amusement.

"Su," Kuvira blurted out, her voice slightly higher than usual before she forced it back down. She quickly set the heavy knife on the cutting board and wiped her hands nervously on a towel. "I'm just making some tea to help warm up."

"Right. Tea," Su repeated, stepping into the kitchen with a soft laugh. She walked over, peering over Kuvira’s shoulder at the perfectly thin, identical slices of ginger. "And here I thought you were trying to punish the root for existing. Kuvira, look at you. Your hands are literally shaking."

"They're not shaking," Kuvira muttered defensively. She quickly crossed her arms and tucked her hands away to hide the exact tremor Su was pointing out. She looked away, staring intensely at a copper pot hanging from the ceiling to avoid Su's eyes. "It's freezing today. My hands are just stiff."

"Uh-huh," Su murmured, a knowing smile spreading across her face. She reached out, picking up one of the ginger slices and tossing it into a pot of water sitting on the stove. "And I suppose that bright red blush taking over your face is just a symptom of the cold weather too?"

Kuvira closed her eyes tightly, letting out a heavy, defeated breath. It was useless to lie to Su.

"I talked to her badly," Kuvira confessed softly, her serious facade completely crumbling into a quiet whisper. She looked down at the marble counter, her thumb tracing a groove in the stone. "She was shivering, Su. Instead of just telling her to go inside, I... I pinned her to the spot. I grabbed her coat. I told her to stop talking and ordered her to go to the sitting room. I sounded...ridiculous."

Su couldn't help the laugh that escaped her lips, though she quickly softened it when she saw the genuine, awkward shame in Kuvira's eyes. She placed a gentle, comforting hand on the younger woman's shoulder.

"Kuvira, you didn't sound ridiculous. Well.. Maybe just a little bit..." Su said gently. "You've spent years hiding behind rules and armor. Now that you're letting yourself feel something like this, your brain is just defaulting to what it knows. You're trying to look out for her."

"It's not right," Kuvira whispered, her jaw clenching as her usual guilt reared its head. "She's my caretaker. She's here because the court ordered her to help me rehabilitate. It's not fair for me to force my... my clumsy attitude on her. She doesn't see a partner, Su. She sees a patient."

"Is that what you think?" Su asked softly, tilting her head. She squeezed Kuvira's shoulder, nudging her to look up. "Because from what I've seen, she doesn't look at you like a chore at all. She cares about you, Kuvira. You're the one building these walls. Not her." Su gently reminded. No matter how much Su assures her, Kuvira would still default back to that mindset again unfortunately.

Kuvira swallowed hard, looking at the steaming pot of water. "I just don't know how to do this. How to talk to someone normally without giving them a task or a job to do."

"You start by bringing her that tea," Su smiled, sliding a ceramic mug across the counter toward her. "Go sit with her. Don't give her orders. Just sit next to the fire, tell her you're sorry for being bossy, and just talk to her. Can you do that?"

Kuvira stared at the mug, her heart doing a nervous, fluttery flip against her ribs. She gave Su a small nod.

"I can try.."

"Good," Su said, giving her shoulder one last pat before turning toward the door. "Oh, and Kuvira? Leave the heavy knife in here. You've done enough chopping for one day."

With a playful smile, Su stepped out of the kitchen, leaving Kuvira alone with the bubbling water. Kuvira let out a long, shaky breath, carefully pouring the hot ginger tea into the tea cups. Her hands were still trembling, but as she picked up the small tray and turned toward the residential sitting room where you were waiting, she resolved to try and just be herself—even if it meant letting you see how nervous she really was.

Author's Note

I am on FIRE. This little mini scenario series is my all time favourites. As you guys know I'm a sucker for fluff and this is like an outlet for it. My most beloved Kuvira fans I hope you eat well with this one 😣

Don't forget to check out my master list for more content!

The past few months that you and Lin have been going out have been nothing short of wonderful. While briefly keeping it on the low, you and Lin began to go out on weekends, secluded spots, laying in the park (as her duties permitted).

Even though you two had no label, there was a beautiful, mutual understanding that you two were equally as infatuated and loyal. and for now, there was no need to label the growing adoration for eachother.

After a rather lovely date in Republic City's finest restaurant Lin drove you home and walked you to your door as normal. she told herself she needed to head home today, but your enticing eyes and beautiful dress you picked out specifically for Lins eyes only were calling her name.

"don't make me sleep alone Linn," you teased, tugging at her strong forearms. your words shot straight to her heart, and her lower body... which resulted in lin making sweet love to you for hours, she always loved how intimate it felt when you two slept with eachother, driven by pure love rather than just lust.

after a beautiful, not-so quiet night Lin decided to spend the night with her beloved, feeling too warm and fuzzy inside and out to leave your side. as the night went on and you slept quietly in her arms Lin couldn't help the forming knot in her stomach.

i shouldn't be here

the months you have been going out lin always had a lingering ache in her head that told her you're too old for her or that maybe she wasn't ready to commit to anything. and maybe committing wasn't her worse fear, but knowing that if she had you, she could lose you was.

feeling as if she was drowning from these thoughts that made her feel corrupt or like she was ruining you, she abruptly burst out of bed, waking you with a scare. she quickly got dressed, refusing to look at you because she knew if she did, she would stay.

"lin what's going on?" you whispered, voice still raspy from sleep but shaken from the sudden change.

"i- i can't be here, i can't do this.. I need to go." lin mumbled into the thick atmosphere, more harshly than she had ever spoken to you.

as quickly as you could you got up, still half nude from the prior activities, yet the softness of your shared love nowhere to be seen. "i don't understand, why are you leaving? what's wrong?" you ask following Lins trembling figure to the front door.

as Lin swings the door open letting the cold air of the night into the living room, completely contrasting your warm embrace that she had just been in moments ago

"i can't do this anymore. I shouldn't have." Lin firmly states, finally looking into your now glossy eyes. as she tears away from your gaze she shuts the door and runs to her satomobile. but not before reconsidering her decision, and possibly hurting the one person that had healed the scars and pain she's covered for years.

you on the other hand, stand in silence and stare at the door that had taken away the woman that had made you feel things no one ever did, understood you in a way you didn't want anyone else to. as you slowly drop to your knees and cover your face with your hands to subconsciously muffle the sobs raking through your body, you think about why she would have ran away. were you not pretty anymore? did you bore her? or maybe Lin simply decided you were not enough for her anymore.

while Lin stared at your apartment door, hesitatingly getting into her car she heard your sobs, albeit very muffled, break into the lonely night. and for a second she considered running back into your arms. but as she stepped into her car she thought about how much it would hurt her to lose you, and that maybe ending things now would make it easier to succumb back into the loneliness she's put up with for years

two weeks later...

the past two weeks have been brutal on your heart. you crying yourself to sleep most nights and spends your afternoons alone in your apartments. korra and asami visiting you to bring you food you might forget about. yet, you slowly start to pick yourself up after Lin had just gotten up and torn your heart to pieces that one cold night. while your heart still throbbed, you found it harder and harder to sleep, harder to keep her out your mind. maybe you two weren't official, but the love you felt for her was one you only found evident in the poetry Lin would share with you on the weekends.

one night after a particularly difficult day at work you lay staring at the ceiling, wishing her strong arms would hold you, maybe then everything would feel okay. then you suddenly remembered you and Lin had planned a date months prior due to the selectivity of the restaurant where you two agreed on. you sprung up running to the calendar on your wall, and you see the red heart around the date which was coincidentally coming up tomorrow. you lay back in bed, tears brimming your eyes as you physically feel your heart disagree with your mind.

i shouldn't. she won't be there.

Lin has unexpectedly found it just as difficult to settle back into the walls that she swore protected her for decades. and her officers have definitely noticed a much grumpier lin. she sits awake in her office, working till the painful hours of the night, because maybe it will distract her from the horrible regret she feels everyday since she ran off. but the damage is done and Lin was sure she had finally pushed you away like she does with everyone.

tomorrow rolls around and you can't stomach the idea that maybe you should go to the date. you can hardly get through work, your boss having to rudely snap in ur face to get you out of whatever you were thinking off. as you walk home from work you think i should go.

you shakily check the date once, twice and yes it is today and at six. i shouldn't go. you think as you skim through your closet for the dress you picked out specifically for this date three weeks ago. i shouldn't go. as you brush through your hair and painstakingly decide on a shade of lipstick Lin loved. and with all the courage you have left, you take a taxi to the restaurant because maybe she would go. maybe.

"good afternoon, for beifong?" you timidly say to the hostess that has a smile you wish would spread to you to conceal the nerves eating you from the inside out. as she walks you to the table, you can't help but get excited at the thought that maybe lin remembered and this was the day she would explain it all to you. you accept a wine offered to you in hopes it would do anything to ease your anxiety. maybe she'll show up, you think.

until 30 minutes turns to an hour. and an hour turns to two.

it's until you physically cannot blink away your tears that you decide to go home. i'm so stupid. you think slamming money on the table that would cover the glasses of wine you had and a tip large enough the waiter would forget about this embarrassment. you run out the restaurant tears now freely running down your face, ruining the makeup you wish lin would have just spared one glance at.

you find yourself at one of republic city's bays, one that was quiet and that you had often spent time at to clear your head. perhaps you had lost lin forever, and you would never understand why.

back at the precinct, where lin had learned to hid in every friday night, or every night. Lin couldn't quite pin it but she felt an unbearable feeling that today mattered, more than yesterday did and more than tomorrow would. yet she had finished all her paperwork and even decided to work on tomorrows work.

then it clicks. Lin frantically rummaged through her office drawers to find a small note with the date and time written on it, with a small kiss mark from you with that lipstick she adored. shit. her heart drops as she gets her keys and coat and runs out her office. she can't get past the immense amount of guilt she feels, but she also expected you to forget. she did break your heart.

when she slams through the restaurant doors the hostess already knows, giving her only a sympathetic smile and shake of her head. letting lin know all she needed to. you showed up. you showed up and lin left you looking like a fool when she should've been here cherishing you and apologizing for her reckless decision. Lin leaves defeated and but refusing to give up on you. she thinks of one place where you might be by now.

as lin pulls in to the familiar spot you had willingly shared with her she struggles to step out the car. she should just leave you alone. you probably wouldn't take her back. she probably had ruined everything you two had by now. yet, motivated by the idea of giving you the apology you deserve. she steps into the quiet night, merely lit by street lights and fireflies.

it isn't until she walks a little ways down the shore that she spots you in your breath taking dress, heels in hand to avoid getting stuck in the sand, only illuminated by the moonlight. you were so beautiful, easily outshining the moon and any of her stars

"y/n!" lin desperately yells out running towards you, as if you might run away, would you? you can hardly look at her once you turn around, making eye contact with her and immediately looking back into the sand, destroyed by finally seeing her after weeks. you missed her dearly.

"i'm so sorry y/n i never meant for this to-" you cut her off from her rambling with a sniffle and uselessly wiping at the tears now streaming down your face.

" s' embarrassing lin..." you whisper, she's hardly able to hear you over the soft ocean waves. with a gentleness only reserved for you, Lin steadies you with strong hands on your shoulders because it looks as if you might run away at any moment. "i'm sorry.." she says voice breaking at the sight of you falling apart in front of her.

"lin i understand that you will probably never love me the way i love you," you confess, emotions raw in front of the women that would destroy the world for you. "and.. and i don't know why i even showed up but i wish you would care enough to tell me you don't feel the same" Lins heart shatters as your true thoughts come pouring out as she continues to move your quivering body to face her. "if you just wanted a warm body to sleep next to i wish you would've told me maybe i would've been okay, but i can't do this Lin. i wish you would just talk to me.." your voice breaks as you begin to sob into your hands. Lins tears had began to flow freely as you uncovered layer by layer how her absence had slowly destroyed you. you thought she didn't love you. but lin yearned for your voice every night. she would close her eyes and imagine you gorgeous face as she clutched her chest to cover the pain she felt from leaving the dreaded night.

"no... i-" lin began as she placed a hand on your face and truly looked you for the first time in weeks. you were helplessly in love with her and she treated you like you meant nothing to her. but you had become her whole world. she opened her mouth to speak yet nothing came out. you slowly grabbed her wrist in one hand, and pressed her palm closer to your face with the other, closing your eyes and feeling the affection of your lover for would could have been the last time. as your tears landed on her thumb you slowly shook your head.

"it's okay Lin." you said voice barely above a whisper. you pushed her hand back to her side. you slowly grabbed her face with your palm, and on your tiptoes you leaned to grace one small kiss on her scarred cheek. "goodnight lin, please take care of yourself " you whispered as you slowly pulled back. taking in final look at lin, you began to walk away. and as much as she wanted to reach for you and kiss away all your trouble she stood there. hand still in the shape it was in when you held it. stuck in the sand as she watched your stunning dress and hair flow in the small ocean breeze, knowing it was meant for her.

she would do anything to make this right