Here's To New Beginnings
The sun shined through the windows, shining golden light onto the skin of the sleeping woman. Lin opened her emerald green eyes, squinting as the light shined directly into her eyes. The metal bender yawned and stood up, putting on a simple white tank top. For once, the police chief had a free day, which she was planning on using to finally get some chores done around the apartment.
Lin went into her living room, deciding to turn the radio on while she made breakfast and tea. The earthbender prepared some tea, bringing the water to a soft boil in a teapot. She hummed along to the radio, enjoying the music as she turned on the stove to prepare her breakfast. The earthbender opened the fridge, cursing when she realized that her fridge was emptying. She grabbed a plate from her cabinets, putting the rice and eggs onto the ceramic. Lin then poured the tea into a small mug and grabbed the newspaper in her hallway. The police chief sat down with her breakfast and ate while reading the news.
After finishing up her food, Lin decided to go ahead and do the dishes. She hummed along to the radio as she scrubbed the dishes clean. She then glanced at the mess in her living room. During the week, she never had free time and as a result, her apartment was almost always a mess. She sighed and picked up her dirty clothes off the floor, throwing them in her washing machine.
The police chief spent the rest of the morning cleaning up her apartment, making sure everything was spotless. When she finished, she looked at her clean space, feeling some stress melt away. Lin then changed into simple black pants and a snug white shirt. She threw on a jacket, not knowing how cold it was outside. She grabbed a pair of sunglasses, hoping they would provide her with at least some anonymity.
Lin made her way to one of the largest markets in the city. Children ran past her and adults stood in conversation. Her training wouldn’t let her fully relax, she mentally marked an exit strategy and kept an eye on the crows. She went over to the stands, grabbing some groceries. Lin grabbed some noodles, meat, fruit and vegetables, not knowing when she would be able to shop again. As she paid for her food, she heard a familiar voice cry out, “Lin? Is that you?”
Lin turned around, feeling her heart rate pick up. One of her oldest friends ran towards her and wrapped her in a hug. “It’s so good to see you Lin!” Kya exclaimed.
Lin smiled, ignoring how her heart fluttered slightly. “It’s good to see you too Kya. How have you been?” she asked, handing the stall owners their money.
Kya rolled her eyes. “Same old same old. Come on, let’s go to lunch! We haven’t caught up in ages,” the healer exclaimed.
Lin sighed. “Yeah sure, why not? Let me go home first though, I need to take my groceries with me,” she said, turning to walk towards her apartment.
To Lin’s surprise, Kya slid up right next to her. Kya shrugged at the earthbender’s bewildered expression. “I might as well tag along, we can go eat somewhere near your place. I have nothing to do,” she said.
To her surprise, Lin couldn’t help but feel joy at the thought of having Kya in her home. She blinked, trying to shake away these feelings. She was just excited to see her friend, that’s all. Something in her wilted at the word friend and insisted there could be more, but Lin heavily suppressed it.
The women walked up the stairs to Lin’s apartment. Lin opened the door, gesturing for Kya to come in. “Thankfully, I had cleaned before I went shopping. It was a mess earlier,” she said, dropping her bags on the counter.
Kya whistled. “Your place is nice,” she said in an appreciative tone. Lin squashed the pride that swelled in her at Kya’s praise. Lin simply nodded, putting her groceries away.
“So, what’s good near here?” Kya asked from behind Lin, making her start slightly. The police chief didn’t hear her sneak up behind her, and she definitely wasn’t mad at how close Kya was to her.
“There’s a good Fire Nation place called Ujo’s near here,” Lin said, forcing her heart rate to calm down. “I’m a fan of their roast duck,” she said in what she hoped was a nonchalant tone.
Kya nodded. “Sounds good! I’ve been looking for a good Fire Nation place,” she said.
Lin smiled at her friend. Just a friend, she reminded herself ignoring the sadness that crept up in her at those words. “I finished putting the groceries away, let’s go,” she said, grabbing her keys.
The women left and Lin locked up the apartment behind them. The pair walked down the street towards Ujo’s. Kya opened the door for Lin, and the duo stepped into the restaurant. The place was filled with comfortable furniture and beautiful Fire Nation decor, giving the place a cozy and casual atmosphere. The women sat down at a table and gave the waitress their order.
Kya sipped on her plum wine. “How have you been Lin? You seem stressed out,” she said, voice full of concern.
The police chief waved her hand and took a sip of her sorghum liquor. “I’m fine. I’ve been stressed with the paperwork that’s been swarming me at the office. I’ve heard that Tenzin is heading down to the Southern Water Tribe to train the Avatar, so I’ve been preparing for his absence,” Lin said.
The two slipped into easy conversation and lost track of time. The next thing they knew, their food was being served to them. Kya excitedly grabbed her noodle soup while Lin calmly reached for her roasted duck. They ate in relative silence, just enjoying each other’s company.
Kya broke the silence first. “So, I’ve been thinking,” she said. Lin simply raised her eyebrow at the healer. “I want to move to Republic City. I like being with Mom back home, but I need to leave. I can tell it’s time,” she said quietly, sipping on her wine. “I know this is kind of sudden, but can I become your roommate?” Seeing Lin’s surprised expression, she reassured her quickly. “Don’t worry, I’m used to sleeping on the couch if you don’t have an extra room. I just feel comfortable living with someone I know and trust rather than a stranger,” she explained.
Lin’s heart raced, filling her head with images of Kya in her apartment. Kya on her couch, Kya in the kitchen, Kya in her bed- she cut off those thoughts before they could start. “Yeah of course,” she said with a genuine smile, hoping her thudding heart didn’t give her away. “It’s honestly getting kind of lonely and I could use some company,” she said.
Kya gave the most beautiful smile Lin had ever seen. “I’m so excited,” she said, voice full of joy. “It’s going to be just like when we were kids!”
Lin smiled, remembering sharing rooms together at Ember Island when they were little. “Yeah, those were some fun times,” she sighed, voice full of nostalgia. Inwardly, she was panicking. She was afraid that these feelings that had been creeping up on her would explode. She would be fine though, she’s used to suppressing these feelings. It’s been her norm for years, everything would be fine, right?
The pair finished paying and walked back to Lin’s apartment. “I can pay you rent,” Kya said, voice slightly slurred from the wine. “I know this is an expensive area and you’re used to being on your own. I bet the rent’s high.”
“No, I own my apartment. I bought it from the landlord Zyn a few years back. All I have to do is pay her something small like sixty yuans a month for if she ever needs to make repairs to the apartment. You aren’t going to pay me, you mean too much to me for that,” she said softly.
Kya nodded, the wine not making her realize the weight in Lin’s words. “Okay. Let me buy groceries and stuff for you as payment though. I have to make it up somehow,” she said.
Lin rolled her eyes at her friend, eyes lingering over the waterbender's beautiful frame. “No Kya, it’s okay. Just go to bed, I can tell the wine is hitting you,” she said softly, not wanting to be loud and aggravate the healer’s impending headache.
Kya gave Lin a lopsided smile. “This is going to be so much fun Linny!” she said excitement shining in her eyes.
Lin felt her heartbeat pick up looking at the beautiful woman in front of her. “Yeah, it will be,” she said softly. Lin just had to stop these feelings before the most meaningful relationship she’s ever had with someone gets ruined. Come on Lin, don’t let your emotions ruin your friendship with Kya. You can’t always get what you want, she thought, quietly fuming.
Lin gently placed Kya in the bed in her spare bedroom. “Goodnight Kya, sleep well. We’ll talk in the morning,” the metal bender said tenderly. Lin forced herself to walk away and fell asleep with the beautiful image of the healer on her mind.