FIC: The Rising Breeze (Legend of Korra | Lin/Tenzin | all-ages)

[lizbee]

Title: The Rising Breeze
Author: LizBee
Fandom: Legend of Korra
Characters and pairings: Lin/Tenzin, Ikki
Rating: all-ages
Notes: Sequel to "The Wind in the Dark", but you don't need to read that to follow this. As with the first fic, title is from a Vienna Teng lyric, but somehow I failed to write down which one. Self. Please.

Summary: Lin and Tenzin try to make it work; Ikki has mixed feelings about her father moving on.



Tenzin woke slowly, conscious of the spring breeze outside and the warm body beside him. Waking up in bed with Lin, he decided, was a luxury he could get used to again. The three years of solitude since Pema's death -- broken only by a rushed, secretive and ultimately unhappy fling with Lin -- had become habitual. He had forgotten what it was like to share a bed with someone. To share a whole night with a lover.

Or most of a night, at least. The sun was beginning to rise when he pulled himself out of Lin's sleepy embrace. She stirred.

"'S early."

"I'm leading morning meditation." He found his shirt and shoes, and, eventually, his pants. "In twenty minutes, Rohan's going to come into my room and start jumping on my bed. I'd like to shower first."

Lin made a noise of distaste, reaching for his discarded pillow.

"Have fun with that," she mumbled. "I'll see you at breakfast."

This time, they had managed to stop and set boundaries before they fell into bed. Mostly about Tenzin's family -- that was, his children -- and what they should be told about their father's new relationship. As little as possible was Lin's preference. Tenzin disagreed, but he didn't particularly want the children to find him in bed with her. It wasn't just out of respect for Pema's memory that they had chosen to make love in the guest quarters reserved for Lin.

Tenzin had agreed to put off telling the children "until it felt right", but from the moment Rohan burst into his room, doubt began to creep in. Not about Lin, who was as loyal and courageous and passionate and --

-- distracting as anyone he had ever known --

-- but deception, even by omission, had never been his style. And while his honesty had impeded his political career, it was, he hoped, one of his strengths as a father.

In Air Nomad fashion, he meditated on the problem. As the morning ritual ended and their follow airbenders dispersed, he called his children to his side.

They strolled towards the cliffs overlooking his father's statue, and Tenzin said, "You know I loved your mother very much. I still miss her."

Jinora gave him a shrewd look.

Ikki sighed and said, "Me too. I wish I could talk to her again. Just once."

"So do I," Tenzin admitted. "But at the same time -- it's complicated, I suppose, but as you know, Chief Beifong and I have been friends for many years, and we were once engaged to be married, before I met your mother, and, well--"

"You're going out with her," Jinora finished. "Good." Sounding an awful lot like her aunt Kya, she added, "About time."

Meelo nodded. "Good choice," he said. "Korra says Chief Beifong stabbed a guy in the face once. We need more of that in our family."

Tenzin sighed, but before he could reiterate -- again -- the Air Nomad principles of pacifism and respect for life, Rohan took his hand. "I like Aunt Lin," he said. "She's scary but kind."

"I think so, too," Tenzin admitted. "Ikki? You've been unusually quiet."

Ikku shrugged. "As long as you're happy, Daddy." She hadn't called him that in years, and he glanced at her just in time to see the effort it cost her to smile. "Will you get married?"

"It's much too soon, Ikki."

"Toph told Korra that Chief Beifong was too stubborn and selfish to get married."

"That … certainly sounds like Toph."

"I think she was proud."

"That would be right."

"I didn't like Toph very much."

"Toph is a complicated person," Tenzin said, as neutrally as he could manage. "So are her daughters -- but Lin isn't much like her mother."

"Yeah," said Meelo. "For one thing, she bathes."

"Gross," said Ikki.

"I can't help that I have an acute sense of smell."

The conversation turned towards body odour, and it was almost an improvement.

How Ikki had figured out that Tenzin was not a wholehearted admirer of Toph -- but then, like her mother, Ikki was perceptive and intuitive.

And, occasionally, devious. They approached the dining hall just as Lin emerged from the guest quarters, and Ikki threw herself at her, shouting, "Chief Beifong, Daddy said you're his girlfriend now! Are you going to get married! Can I be an attendant? Will your mom come?"

Tenzin was aware of Jinora's huff of irritation, but most of his attention was on Lin. Her lips thinned, her jaw set, and a flush spread over her cheeks, mottling her scars. The look she gave him was one of pure fury.

*

Lin managed to extricate herself from Tenzin's kids, and the congratulatory onlookers attracted by Ikki's loud voice, without insulting anyone or leaving crying children in her wake.

She did it by not looking at Tenzin once, addressing her excuses to a point somewhere over his shoulder. She wasn't hungry, she told the kids, though the truth was, she was too furious to eat.

Jinora gave her a sympathetic look and grabbed Ikki by the arm, dragging her off for what Lin recognised as a bout of big sisterly discipline.

Without looking at Tenzin, Lin said, "Are you coming to President Thuy's meeting this afternoon?"

"I am."

"Come by headquarters at one. We can have lunch first."

"I'd like that."

She turned on her heel and stalked away, torn between pride -- that she had given herself a deadline for dealing with this, instead of letting her rage fester -- and a new source of irritation, that now she was going to have to have one of those unspeakable emotional conversations.

Time for a surprise inspection, she decided. Take her bad mood out on a pampered precinct out in the suburbs, and maybe by lunchtime she'd be able to speak to Tenzin.

It more or less worked. She got back to headquarters at a quarter to one, heading straight for the roof overlooking the training yard. That was where Tenzin found her when he arrived ten minutes later, a basket of dumplings nestled in Oogi's saddle.

"I'm sorry," he said.

Lin swallowed her first response, which was, "Good." Instead, she said, "When you told me you'd talk to your kids when it felt right, were those just typical Air Nomad weasel words?"

Tenzin sighed. "I meant it," he said, "but with the children there, in front of me--"

"It just 'felt right'?"

"Well, yes."

"So what you meant was, you were waiting for the right time for you, and it never occurred to you to consider my feelings?"

"...No. I'm sorry, Lin."

"I don't like being ambushed."

"I know. It won't happen again."

"Good." She exhaled, releasing the last of her rage. "I'm hungry. Let's eat."

When they were down to the last dumpling -- eaten as they leaned against the parapet, looking down over the trainee metalbenders below -- Lin said, "The thing is -- I don't want to be -- you know. Dumped into your kids' lives one day, gone a few months later. That's not fair to them."

"I hadn't thought of it like that."

"You're an optimist." She gave him a little smile. "This -- us -- it's new. It might not work out."

"We managed twenty years, the first time."

"The last few years were pretty bad. Well, the sex was okay. Until it wasn't." She claimed the last dumpling and leaned against him. "I don't want to mess up your kids."

"For a start, don't tell them about our sex life, past or present."

"I'm serious. I hated every single person my mother slept with."

"I remember."

"I like your kids. I know they miss Pema. I … don't want to make it worse for them." Lin closed her eyes, letting Tenzin massage the base of her skull. "Ikki seems pretty mad already."

"I know. I need to speak to her."

"How old is she? Fourteen? That's a difficult age."

"Fifteen."

"Even worse." Lin hesitated. "If you wanted to break it off again -- I wouldn't be happy, but I'd try to understand." She managed a smile. "At the very least, I probably wouldn't try to destroy your island this time."

"No." Tenzin moved to face her, his hands on her shoulders. "We can make this work. I believe that."

"Good. I'd fight anyone for you -- except your kids."

She pulled him away from the parapet, out of sight of her people, and brought him in for a long, deep kiss.

*

When Rohan had been put to bed, Tenzin said to Ikki, "I need a word."

She followed him into his study, jaw set. Tenzin had spent most of the afternoon searching for words, but Ikki was speaking before he had even sat down.

"I always knew you'd find someone else," she said. "That's not what I'm mad about. It's just … I hoped it would be an Acolyte, like Mom. Or even one of the airbenders. Chief Beifong is nothing like us."

"I didn't realise you disliked her."

Ikki shrugged. "I don't. She's your friend, and Huan and Opal's aunt. I just … don't think she's right for our family." She wrinkled her nose. "I bet she still eats meat."

"She does," Tenzin admitted. "I doubt she'll ever become an Acolyte."

"Don't you want her to?"

"No."

"Why not?"

"I've known Lin for as long as I can remember," said Tenzin. "She fought hard to live life on her own terms. I don't want her to change."

"Suyin says she's selfish."

"Su might be projecting."

"I really don't want to spend too much time with Toph."

"That's something you and Lin have in common."

Ikki huffed.

"Air and earth are spiritual opposites," she said.

"True," said Tenzin, "but that doesn't mean we should exclude each other. You don't seem to have a problem with Huan."

"Huan's different. Huan doesn't believe in labels or categories." Ikki tossed her head and added, "Plus, Huan's a vegetarian."

Despite himself, Tenzin smiled.

"Are you laughing at me, Dad?"

"No," he said. "I didn't realise you took our teachings so seriously."

"Just because I don't float around being all spiritual like Jinora?"

Tenzin squeezed Ikki's hand. "You're like your mother, Ikki. You excel at the practical -- and that's important. The Air Nation needs all kinds of airbenders."

"Even Meelo?"

"I … need to talk to that boy."

Ikki shook her head. "He's all bluff," she said. "This afternoon, I caught him saving a wasp nest from a badger-mouse. I mean, wasps." She lowered her voice. "He made me promise not to tell anyone. Said he had an image to maintain."

"I'll keep it to myself, then."

"Talking to people. That's practical, right?"

"Of course," said Tenzin. "It's a good way to find a solution to one's problems."

"Good." Ikki stood up. "Well," she said, "I'm off to bed."

"But--"

"Good night, Dad!"

She swept away, closing the door behind her with a gentle puff of air.

*

What with a raid on a triad nightclub being moved forward, and a cop injured in a car chase, it was almost midnight before Lin got home. She was tossing up between a dinner of cold noodles or going straight to bed, when she saw the slim figure in her front courtyard.

"Ikki."

Ikki's jaw was set. "I wanted to talk."

Lin suppressed a yawn. "Fine," she said, opening her front door. "But I'm too tired to play nice." She switched on the lights in her kitchen. "You want a drink?"

Ikki raised her eyebrows. "I'm fifteen."

"Suit yourself." Lin poured herself one glass of baiju and retrieved her noodles from the icebox. Two days old, but they didn't smell so bad … she saw Ikki's face as she tasted a piece of soy picken and grinned.

"Whatever you're here for, it's not to judge my diet."

Ikki sighed. "I have some questions," she said.

"Okay."

"And I need you to be completely honest."

"I'm a famously bad liar."

Ikki said nothing.

"Fine." Lin sat down. "You have my word."

"Good." Ikki swallowed. Steeling herself, Lin guessed. "When did you and my dad start having sex?"

She blushed. Lin didn't. She leaned back in her chair and said, "I don't know, I guess we were around your age?"

"I mean--" Ikki waved her hands -- "now."

"About two weeks ago."

"In Ba Sing Se?"

"Yeah."

Lin suppressed the urge to ask if Ikki wanted details. She needed to to maintain some kind of relationship with the kid, and anyway, she'd never had the guts to actually confront one of her mother's lovers. Had to respect that.

She ate her noodles in silence, watching Ikki work up the nerve to ask her next question. When it came, it was barely audible:

"Did you and Dad ever -- while Mom was alive, did you--"

"No," Lin snapped. "He was devoted to your mother." As an afterthought, she added, "And I don't fuck married men."

The profanity seemed to shock Ikki into silence for a few moments.

Long experience in interrogations told Lin she shouldn't volunteer information, but she found herself saying, "Not long after your mom died, we … tried. To be together."

"Oh." Ikki frowned. "How -- no, I don't want to know."

"Your father wasn't ready."

"Oh."

Ikki's hostility was evaporating. Lin let her sit and absorb this new knowledge about her father, while she scraped her bowl and put it in the sink, swallowed her baiju in one gulp and poured herself a glass of water. After a moment, she put a second glass in front of Ikki and returned to her seat.

"It's not that I don't like you," Ikki said at last.

"You just don't know if you want me in your family."

Ikki nodded.

"Sorry," she added.

"I get it," said Lin. "Believe it or not, I've been there."

"Really? How did you deal with it?"

"Sulking, tantrums, taking off for Air Temple Island every time Mom tried to arrange a family dinner -- am I giving you ideas? Your father will kill me."

Finally, Ikki smiled.

"I don't want to take your mom's place," Lin said.

"That's … sort of the problem," said Ikki, her smile fading. "Jinora and I are okay, even Meelo, but Rohan's still little. He needs a mom. And everyone knows you hate kids." She sipped her water. "I'm not saying you'd be mean, or -- or neglectful. Or not on purpose. But you're busy, and sometimes, he just needs someone to be there. Even when he's sick, and you end up covered in puke, and you need to clean everything before you can have a shower and change -- and then he ends up in your bed--"

"Sounds like you've been the one doing all that work."

"Dad and Jinora are busy a lot. I don't mind. I mean, I do, kind of…" Ikki took a deep breath. "I don't really like kids, either. But I'd do anything for my family."

"It's hard," said Lin slowly, "when you find yourself raising your sibling. I did it, too."

"Suyin turned out okay."

Lin snorted.

"Is that why you don't like kids?" Ikki asked.

"Please," said Lin. "Have you ever smelled a baby?"

Ikki giggled.

Lin leaned forward. "Look," she said, "I don't know the first thing about being a good stepmother. But if that's what happens -- well, we can figure it out. I wouldn't just--" she stopped, struggling for words. Finally she said, "For as long as I can remember, I've been part of Aang and Katara's family. Growing up, I was told it was my job to help protect the last airbenders. I tried to walk away from that, but … I'm like you. I'd do anything for my family."

"Okay," Ikki said. "I guess that's enough for now." She smothered a yawn and added, "You jumped right onto an airship for us, once."

"I'd rather do that again than deal with a sick kid," Lin confessed. "But … I'll try."

"Good." This time, Ikki couldn't suppress her yawn.

"It's late," said Lin. "You want to stay the night?"

"It's fine. I can fly, remember?"

"And you're fifteen and invulnerable, I know. Humour me."

Ikki rolled her eyes. "Fine," she said.

*

When Ikki was settled into the spare room, Lin picked up the phone in her hall and told the operator to put her through to Air Temple Island.

"Ikki's at my place," she said when Tenzin picked up the phone.

"I -- what -- Lin? Ikki? No, she's in her bed. Here."

"You wanna double check? I'll wait."

"That girl is in a world of trouble," said Tenzin when he returned.

"Don't be too hard on her," said Lin. "She's a good kid."

"I hope that consoles her as she goes without her wingsuit and glider for a week."

"Maybe I'll teach her to drive."

Tenzin huffed, and Lin laughed.

"But seriously," she said quietly, "I'm not saying it'll be easy, but we're okay. You and me. Me and her."

"She talked to you about it?"

"I think I did most of the talking, actually."

"Really?"

"Your kid's a master interrogator. You should be proud."

"Hmph."

"I'm going to bed," said Lin. "I'll bring her by tomorrow. We can have breakfast together."

"I'd like that. Lin?"

"What?"

"I love you."



end

Comments

[genarti]

Awww. I like this a lot; I really like how everyone cares deeply and is trying hard to do right by both themselves and other people, and all the same there's some tension and missteps.

[nonelvis]

This was lovely, and as always, your command of the character voices is flawless. (Also, thank you, btw, for reblogging the link on Tumblr just now, because I noticed this morning that you'd posted fic but got so distracted with work I forgot to go back and read it!)