Linzin-ish. Nothing too overwhelming. Mostly just friendship.
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She was sitting on the cliffs, staring at Avatar Aang’s statue as though not really seeing it.
The wind tugged at her hair, and the stars shone in her eyes.
In the end, it was Pema who ironically told Tenzin that he needed to talk to her.
Naturally, Tenzin had been hesitant. After everything that had happened between them …
Yet, Pema was persistent. For she was genuinely concerned about the woman who had once caused her so much pain.
“She needs someone to talk to,” Pema urged, “She needs someone to listen. She needs you.”
So, Tenzin hugged his shawl close to him, and set off towards the cliffs.
He wasn’t quite sure what to say, and decided to simply whisper, “Lin?”
The former Chief of Police looked up and Tenzin knew that he had caught her in a vulnerable place. It didn’t last, however, as her face quickly hardened.
“I told you that you should have gotten the Avatar out of my city!” Lin snapped.
Tenzin’s temper flared, “Lin, this is not Korra’s fault!”
To his horror, Lin seemed to simply crumple, “I know it’s not. It’s mine.”
“No,” Tenzin said, sharply. He sat down next to her, and hesitantly put a hand on her arm. He half-expected her to punch him. When she didn’t, he continued, “Lin, we would never have gotten this far without you. You’re smart and courageous and resourceful and…”
He stopped there, realizing that this was getting fairly awkward.
Lin, however, looked touched. A shadow of a smile passed across her face, before she sighed once more.
“I just wish things could go back to the simpler times,” Lin admitted, “Do you remember when our parents took us to the 平和と調和 Mountain Range?”
Tenzin did remember. They had spent two full weeks using earthbending and airbending to scale the peaks and valleys. It was one of the best memories he had of him and Lin.
He told this to Lin, who chuckled, “Maybe we should just go back there. We can forget about Amon and this whole mess, and just spend the rest of our lives having fun and…living. Just like old times.”
Tenzin smiled, in spite of himself. He then hesitated, “It’s not as though it’s not tempting. But my family needs me. Republic City needs you. Korra needs us.”
Lin sighed, nodding, “Korra needs us.”
Her drowsiness finally became overwhelming, and she laid her head on Tenzin’s shoulder, giving him the sharp look, which he knew meant that he could never tell anyone.
Tenzin hesitated once more, before whispering, “Otherwise, I’d go with you.”
Lin looked up, purely shocked. Tenzin said nothing else, however. In fact, Lin wasn’t quite sure that he had said anything at all. Perhaps it was just a whisper in the wind.
