Love is Brightest in the Dark

Chapter 10

After realizing they had been alone for a suspiciously long time, Lin and Kya made their way back to join the others. "Kya, stop!" Lin said in a harsh whisper as Kya tried to land one last kiss before they walked through the door. "Someone could see?" "You worry too much," Kya said with a wink before pushing the wood of the door open. "Is everything okay? You were gone for a while," said Korra arching an eyebrow. "Lin just wanted to go over some last minute details before tomorrow," Kya lied. "I better turn in early tonight. Want to get a good night's sleep before tomorrow," Lin pretended to stifle a yawn as she promptly turned to leave, glancing behind her quickly to see Kya give her one last flirtatious wink. Lin waited until she was in the privacy of her own room before allowing a wide grin to spread across her face. She felt her stomach flutter at the mere thought of Kya and could still feel how her lips felt against her own. This was what it was supposed to feel like- the butterflies, the nervous feeling she got when she was around her, the electricity in her veins. She had never felt that with Tenzin, even at their best. Their relationship always made logical sense to Lin- she and Tenzin both shared high expectations of their parents and Lin thought that dating Tenzin would make her mother happy. Unsurprisingly, it didn't. Although she and Tenzin never had a passionate love affair, their relationship was a great source of comfort for her-especially given her family situation. As Lin reflected on her relationship with Tenzin, she felt a newfound sense of appreciation for their time together instead of the bitterness she was accustomed to. Yes, he had hurt Lin deeply by replacing her with Pema, but he was also there for her when she felt she had no one else. He would listen to her complain about Su and her mother and never once tried to solve her problems. He simply would sit and listen, occasionally nodding in acknowledgement. The love she felt for Tenzin was stable and more like the love one would feel for a trusted friend- and compared to what she felt for Kya? It paled in comparison. Lin began to ready herself for bed, all the while thoughts of Kya swirling around in her head. Try as she might, she was unable to keep herself contained to the present- she was a planner and always needed to plot her next move. What would happen when they eventually left Zaofu? Would their blossoming romance meet its expiration date? Was there an expiration date? Lin felt her newfound excitement begin to morph into anxiety and began to wonder if it were possible for her and Kya to exist out of the shadows. Lin knew she was a private person, but there was a big difference between being private and hiding. Lin laid back on her pillow, trying to relax, taking deep breaths in through her nose, just like Korra had taught her. "Relax, Lin," she mumbled to herself. She closed her eyes, and continued her breathing exercise- her eyelids growing heavier with each breath she took. Before she knew it, Lin was fast asleep.

"Rise and shine, sleepy head, Today is the day!" Lin heard the sound of her curtains being drawn back and sunlight poured into her room, causing her to pull the covers over her eyes. "What the-?" Lin started only to have her blankets ripped off of her. She blinked furiously and much to her surprise, Kya's face came into focus, beaming down at her. "Kya?! What are you doing here?" Kya perched herself at the end of Lin's bed, throwing the blankets that she was holding in a heap next to her. "I thought I would give you a wake up call," she said in a playful tone. Lin rubbed her eyes and quickly glanced down at herself- suddenly very happy she fell asleep in her clothes. As if reading her thoughts, Kya smirked at Lin. "Aren't you lucky you don't sleep naked?" "Kya," Lin began irritated, but was interrupted by Kya scooting closer to her on the bed. "Maybe it would have been a very different kind of wake up call," said Kya as she noticed a blush spread across Lin's face. She leaned close to Lin and whispered, "All good things to those who wait," before giving her a tender kiss. Lin, thoroughly confused but definitely awake, moved her hand to pull Kya closer, but Kya suddenly jumped to her feet. "I'll give you a moment to freshen up. I'm sure Su and Korra are awake by now. Meet us in the dining hall?" Before Lin could answer, Kya was gone, leaving Lin completely bewildered. Had she just dreamt that? She pinched herself but found to her surprise, she was very much conscious. She leapt from bed to get ready, eager to see more of Kya. In a flash, Lin was dressed, teeth brushed, face washed, and was out the door.

Breakfast proved to be less exciting than their last meal they had shared together, with 0 innuendos from Kya. "Are you excited for today, Chief?" Korra asked as she devoured her breakfast. Before she could answer Su interjected, "Oh it's going to be so fun! Lin loves competition." Lin rolled her eyes, ignoring her sister. "It's not that big of a deal," she mumbled before taking a bit of her toast. "What about you, Kya?" Korra asked. "I think it'll be great to go up against the esteemed Chief of Republic City." Lin flushed slightly at the compliment but remained silent. "Ladies, I would love to stay and chat but I have some business to attend to this morning. I'll see you later this evening for the highly anticipated match," Su said as she rose from her seat and gave her guests a wave goodbye. "Good luck to you both," Su smiled at Lin and Kya before darting off down a hallway. "I also hate to dine and dash, but I have a standing appointment with Wei and Wing for a power disc game. I promised I would play them once I got a better hold on metal bending." Korra said as she too got to her feet. "See you tonight!" All of a sudden Lin and Kya found themselves alone and gave each other nervous smiles. "And then there were two," Kya remarked with a small laugh. "So, what are you up to until the match?" Lin asked. "My schedule is clear. I thought maybe we could do something.... Fun?" "What did you have in mind?" Kya gave her a mischievous smile and pulled Lin to her feet. "Come with me."