KOTLC One-shots

Our Hands Linked, Side By Side- Platonic Linh and Tam Bonding

Word count: ~1400 words

Me? Writing something platonic? More likely than you think. (Tbh, I'm surprised I haven't done something platonic sooner, because I crave emphasis on platonic relationships, esp being the aro I am)

Anyways. This was a request on Tumblr (thanks Meg!), which was just some Linh and Tam bonding. This is purely platonic, not even background ships.

I went into writing this expecting to write something short and fluffy, but this is kinda angsty actually, its mostly hurt/comfort with a fluffy ending. I wrote this super fast so it might be a bit rushed and hard to read, but enjoy!

Even as a young child, there was nothing more enjoyable to Linh than just being with her brother. She wasn't sure why, whether it was the fact that them being twins meant that they faced similar situations often, or if it was just a thing.

Their father had ordered for them to pretend that they weren't twins, but neither of them wanted to do it. Whenever she was overwhelmed, he would hold her hand and promise to stay with her. And whenever he was angry, she would do the same, take his hand and promise to stay with him. They chose to be loyal to each other, and Linh wouldn't have it any other way.

•~•~•~•~•~•

She wasn't sure what had happened. She'd been a little nervous, sure, but this was never supposed to happen. She was supposed to go shopping in Atlantis with her family and have a good time but instead she had messed everything up.

"You're so weak," her father told her. "Your ability is hardly useful, and you can barely control it. You lack self-control. If you just listened to me for once in your life, none of this would happen. Whatever consequences you face, you deserve."

She looked to her mother for help, but all she did was keep quiet. She kept quiet while she was being insulted. Normally, Tam would be fighting for her, holding her hand so she could find the strength in her to defend herself. But he wasn't there to hear the conversation, so he wasn't able to do anything.

She couldn't bring herself to open her mouth, let alone talk back, so instead  she cried silently. Tam had eventually found her, using the shadows to whisper consoling words as he walked her over to her Tribunal.

All twelve Councilors stood there intimidatingly. She could hardly focus, not when her parents were going on and on about how she was guilty for everything. When it was her turn to speak, she pictured Tam's hand in hers, and gathered the strength she needed to tell her side of the incident.

But it didn't work. She'd been sentenced to being banished. To be far away from home, to live in an area that nobody lived in.

When it was over, her parents had stood up and were ready to leave.

But then Tam had stepped towards Linh.

"If my sister's going to be banished, banish me too!"

"Tam- you did nothing!" Her mother- Mai protested.

"That doesn't matter. I'm not leaving Linh alone!" He had marched towards her and grabbed her hand, squeezing tightly.

"Tam please," Linh whispered. "I-"

"I promised that I'd stay by your side, did I not?" He murmured, taking her other hand.

The decision had been amended and the next thing the knew, she was back at her home and was packing away the things she owned. The registry pendant felt heavy on her neck, so she took it off, and saw that Tam had done the same.