Prompt Chosen: supportive Siblings
"You know Kya I really don't think this is the best way to go about it. I haven't even told anyone that..." Kya just stared at her confused mess of a girlfriend.
"Lin," she placed her hands on Lin's shoulders, staring I tot the eyes of the metalbender, "This is the best way to go about it. You kill two rat-birds with one stone." Lin looked at her doubtfully and Kya offered a smile to boost her confidence. "Besides," Kya mentioned, "if they know you then they will already know." Lin rubbed the back of her neck nervously and Kya took it upon herself to kiss her, on the cheek, gently, but Lin stopped her from pulling away and planted a proper kiss on her lips.
"By the time this is taking," Kya said, "I bet they've already guessed by now." Lin laughed and took Kya's hand, doing her best to smile.
"I can do this," the Police Chief said, mostly to herself.
"Yes you can, and I'll be there the whole time." Lin nodded and Kya pushed open the door to the restaurant, ignoring the butterflies in her own gut.
"What took you guys so long? We've been here for half an hour?!" Tenzin scolded, as soon as they sat down. Lin tried to hide her look of disgust at the circular booth, it seemed like the universe was making this as cushy as possible. She slid in next to Su who greeted her with a smile, and Kya slid next to Lin, on the outside, opposite of Bumi.
"Now Tenzin no need to be so stand-offish," Kya said with a glare.
"Sorry, sorry, it's just Pema's alone with the kids and-"
"She's fine Tenzin. She has a legion of airbenders to help her," Bumi said, nudgin his brother with his elbow.
"Lin, don't leave me alone with them ever again, please." Su whispered, getting a chuckle from Lin. Maybe this wouldn't be so bad after all.
"So, why did you summon us here, sister?" Tenzin asked, uncurling his chopsticks from a napkin. Lin felt herself tense up, and if it weren't for Kya's hand on hers, she might have blurted it out.
"Oh my god, relax Tenzin. We're here for an entire meal, so let's enjoy it and take it slow." Tenzin raised an eyebrow in suspicion and Bumi flagged a waiter by flapping his arms. Lin ignored her sister's eyes baring into her, was it really necessary to stare like that? When the waiter Bumi had summoned reluctantly came to the table they placed their drink orders, Bumi telling him to "hurry back," as an attempt at comedy.
"So, Lin," Su asked, "is the force still keeping you satisfied?" Lin gulped nervously, adding to Su's suspicions.
"Uh yeah, mostly..."
"Mostly?" Lin just looked at her sister in panic, unsure of how to fix the situation.
"Well Lin has other factors in her life now," Kya added from behind, "Like her niece living so close." With that Suyin smiled and took her sisters free hand.
"Really? Lin have you and my daughter grown close?" This time Lin was confident in her answer.
"Yeah we have grown close. Opal comes by to make sure my fruit hasn't gone bad." Suyin smiled and sighed in happy relief.
"Awwe, my sister and my daughter, an aunt and her niece. I'll have to talk to her." Lin just nodded, grateful that the drinks had arrived as a distraction. Lin watched as Kya took her paralyzer, turning the straw around in the glass as she ordered food, winking to the poor waiter before he left.
"Okay Kya I think an appropriate amount of time has passed and we can discuss your intentions," Tenzin said, placing his glass of water on the coaster. Kya sighed and leaned back into the booth.
"Alright alright. Lin do you want to or should I?" Kya asked.
"Let's tag team." Lin replied, scratching the back of her neck. Suyin leaned closer and Bumi pulled his attention back to the table, instead of the woman from across the way.
"Well, um... where do I even start. Ahem," Lin stammered. "Okay, well, I met someone." She cringed as her sisters eyebrows raised, and Lin was infinitely grateful Suyin didn't explode with all her questions. "And this... someone, probably isn't what you'd expect." She elaborated, slowly. "For starters, it's a girl." She winced as she said the words, bracing herself for the negative comments and harsh words that had haunted her thoughts for weeks now. But they didn't come. She felt an arm extend to her shoulder and she smiled when she saw her sister rubbing it.
"And," Kya said, "I happen to know who it is," she grinned as she spoke.
"Who?" Bumi asked, this time he got the nudge from his brother.
"It's me." Kya replied. Eyebrows raised and jaws dropped, Lin watched as gazes were exchanged at the table. Bumi pointed to Lin, then to Tenzin, then Kya, but Tenzin waved him off with his hand.
"Lin..." Su breathed, "this is amazing! Oh my god!" She lunged forward and hugged her sister, and Lin let her. Su extended her arm to Kya, taking the waterbenders hand and grinning. "Kya, you're welcome to Zaofu anytime. I do hope you two will visit often."
"Absolutely," Kya replied, and she could feel Lin groan internally. Kya took her eyes off the Beifong's and turned to her brothers. Bumi looked at her and nodded approvingly, using his hands to tell her: good job, or something a little less appropriate, but along those lines. Then there was Tenzin who looked at her, a confused grin on her face. "Tenzin?" She asked.
"Kya this... this is delightful! You and Lin... who knew that even after all these years our family and the Beifong's would still wind up connected. Father would be rolling over with joy." Kya smiled and reached over the table to hug him and his dumb little bald head. When they sat back down, and brushed themselves off, Kya took Lin's hand, but this time they rested their arms on top of the table.
"How long have you been seeing each other?" Suyin asked as her salmon was placed before her on an oblong dish. Kya looked at Lin, who clearly had it all matched out.
"3 months, ten days," Lin replied with a grin. "I'm determined to beat my record."
"Lin your record is with me and it's like, 15 years." Tenzin scoffed from the other side of the table.
"Watch me," she smirked. They dug into their food, and Kya was pleasantly surprised they were actually able to talk about things outside of her newfound relationship, but she also wasn't mad that the attention was on her and Lin for a while. Lin took a bite of her food, chatting animatedly with her sister, and Kya watched as she did so. Lin was unaware of the impact of what she just said, or so it seemed, but Kya knew. And she couldn't wait to tease Lin about it later. "Kya? Kya?"
"Hmm?"
"What are you looking at?" Lin asked, chopsticks in hand.
My future wife. "Nothing, just saw a pretty girl, that's all." Lin blushed and Tenzin coughed on his water.
"I love you," Lin mumbled.
"What was that?" Kya asked, knowing all well what she said.
"I love you," Lin reiterated, loud enough for the table to hear.
"I love you too." Kya smiled back. The only thing keeping her from pushing her mouth against Lin's was the small piece of decency her mother had raised in her. Su looked around the table, eyes wide and ecstatic, looking for someone to match her excitement.
"I can't wait to tell Opal," Su said, leaning back.
"About that," Lin said, taking a sip of her water. "She knows." Su sat up and placed her hands in the table.
"What? You told her before me?"
"Hey I didn't tell her anything, she came over at a bad time and found out for herself." Kya watched as Lin's statement went way over her sister head, she also watched two minutes later when Su finally understood it.
"Lin!"
"What?"
"You let her walk in on-that?"
"It's fine, we called it even." Kya cringed as she realized what Lin had just done, no wonder Lin didn't talk much she was quite good at talking too much once she had a little wine in her.
"Even? What does that mean?"
"Well you know how it is. It's late and you're looking for the nearest room in the air temple and apparently Opal and Bolin had the same idea." Kya nudged Lin and shook her.
"Lin it's time for you to stop talking."
"Wait Opal and who?"
"This has been a great night," Tenzin concluded, for once his interruptions welcome, "but I have a wife to get home to."
"Agreed," Kya said, getting up, pulling Lin along with her.
"Lin! Lin. Don't ignore me!"
"I think I said too much," Lin whispered to Kya when she stood up, and Kya just laughed.
"We'll get the bill," Kya told the others and Tenzin and Bumi nodded farewell.
"We are not done discussing this," Su said as Lin waved her goodbye. Lin sighed when her sister was finally out of earshot and she rested her arms on Kya's shoulders, leaning into the water bender.
"This is why I don't do social interaction." Lin whispered in her ear.
"I'll remember that for next time," Kya grinned as she held Lin's waist and moved the metalbender so they could kiss. "Let's get the bill," Kya said, and Lin nodded. They paid the waiter and left the restaurant in the cool night air. "Lin?" Kya asked on the stroll back to Lin's apartment. "Do you really think we'll break your record with Tenzin?" Lin took Kya's hand and swung it in the air.
"I hope we break it twice over."
"That's ambitious. I mean I'm already almost 60 and-"
"Kya, I'm an earthbender. We can live forever if you want." Kya laughed at Lin's half-jest.
"That sounds good." She replied, as the night breeze urged them along their way.
Ngl I have been waiting to post this ever.since I wrote it a little over a month ago this one is probably my favorite so far....