#pemlin

An image of Lin and Jinora herding the assorted children back from the trip to the zoo brought a smile to Pema’s face. She could picture Lin’s harried expression, Jinora’s distraction between keeping track of the acolytes’ children and also being the big sister. Rohan sticking out in his water tribe blues that he insisted on “so Aunty Kya can always find me.”

She took a deep, measured breath, held it, and slowly breathed out, reducing the pressure on her eyes, letting her hands relax and fall back to the dough in front of her. The dumplings would be Lin’s favorite, full of the preserved seal and seaweed Kya had brought up for her last visit.

The delight on Lin’s face the last time Pema had served them had been the highlight of the tenday, even the month. Just over a year now since they had lost Tenzin, and she was always learning something new about what he had been doing with his time while she was taking care of the kids and her own duties.

This breath had to be sharp and bracing. Wallowing in her grief wasn’t going to get the dumplings ready for steaming.

She renewed her focus, changed her song, and bolstered herself with the rhythm of work.

. . .

“Mom! Mom! Mom! Lin took us to see the badgermoles! Did you know she can sing? She sings real pretty! She knows a bunch of old songs from Gaoling and she promised if I was good and ate all of my dinner and got ready for bed and didn’t complain or fight with Meelo and swept in the dining hall that she’d teach me!”

There were times that she was convinced that Rohan was actually an airbender. He had learned from Ikki just how many words he could fit into a single breath.

He crashed into her from behind, forcing her to catch herself on the edge of the counter, barely avoiding the hot stove.

“Rohan!” Lin shouted from the far end of the kitchen.

Pema turned, and caught her breath at the sight of her…

Friend. They were friends now.

She blinked and rubbed her eye with the back of her wrist, trying not to get flour on her face.

When she opened her eyes, Lin had sent Rohan away to give his mother some space.

They looked at each other, and smiled.

Pema glanced down, and said, “I’m sorry dinner isn’t quite ready.” She took a breath, looked out the window, closed her eyes, and released that breath. “It hit me that it really has been a year now.”

The touch on her elbow gave her a start, but it was just Lin.

Lin, who had packed Korra off to the South for her recovery, then thrown herself back in to work. But about three months later, she had turned up on the Island in the middle of the night, a disheveled and distraught Jinora ushering her to Pema’s room, just as the panic attack relinquished its hold on the widow.

Lin, who had held her the rest of the night.

Lin, who had retired a few weeks ago, and taken a room across the hall from where Pema had moved, leaving the family bedroom empty.

“You have something in your hair, umm… Do you want me to get it out?” Lin asked gently.

Pema blinked, not understanding the question.

But Lin’s attention was focused just over Pema’s left eye, so Pema leaned a little closer. Lin reached up and fiddled and tugged at her hair, inadvertently brushing against Pema’s cheek.

Pema’s breath hitched.

“Do it again,” she breathed.

It was Lin’s turn to be confused. “Do what?”

“Touch me.”

Their eyes met, and oh, so slowly, Lin reached out and brushed the backs of her fingers against Pema’s cheek.

Completely oblivious to the mess all over her hands, Pema reached forward and rested her hands on Lin’s hips. She felt it when Lin inhaled, then held that breath, not wanting to do the wrong thing. Lin slowly lifted her hand out of the way, but settled it on Pema’s shoulder at the base of her neck.

And then brushed her thumb against Pema’s skin.

Pema clenched Lin with her hands, and they pressed together at the waist. Lin’s other hand wrapped around to pull her closer.

In the cool breeze of the kitchen, the happy cries of children floating in from the garden, Pema kissed Lin for the first time.

First Kiss | Royalty AU

Pining | Genderswap AU

Harsh | Mirrorverse

Disagreement | Sci-Fi AU

Runaways | Equalist AU

Condemned/Savior | Role Swap AU

Mute | Magical Girl AU

Free Space! | Dealer's Choice AU