Lin made her way into the spacious dining hall, somewhat dismayed she was the first to show up for dinner. She'd hoped Kya would have picked her spot already so that she could sit somewhere else. It wasn't that she didn't want to spend time with her wife, it was just the fact that sometimes, she simply wanted to eat her meal in peace without Kya's hands all over her legs beneath the table. She sighed, taking her place in the center of the right section of the table. She'd just have to hope that others would show before her wife.
To her relief, Su was the next to show. Lin waved her over and she made a beeline for the seat next to her sister. She settled herself in and glanced over at her with a lopsided grin.
"What's gotten into you, Lin? You're usually not so eager to sit next to me," she teased.
"I have to keep you out of trouble, don't I?" she retorted with a smirk.
Su scoffed. "Might be overworking yourself there, with your wife and all."
"Nothing I can't handle. I arrested the Avatar once, remember?"
"Then why are you avoiding sitting next to me?" came an amused voice from the doorway. Kya leaned against the doorframe, decked out in Zaofu robes and wearing her standard smirk. Of course she had to be the next to show up. The metal plating and bracelets complimented her silver hair nicely, and the fabric hung rather comfortably around her slender frame. She hadn't noticed she'd been staring until an elbow nudge from her sister snapped her out of it.
Lin cleared her throat, attempting to ignore the warm flush creeping up her neck. "I simply needed a change of pace, that's all. A little flexibility never hurt anyone."
Su snorted. "You and flexibility work about as well together as water and oil."
Kya sauntered over to the opposite end of the table, choosing the seat directly across from Lin. Shit. "Actually, you'd be surprised at how flexible she can be, Su."
"Kya, I really don't need you telling my sister about our love life," she groaned, pinching the bridge of her nose.
"I'm right here, Lin. At least I don't have to worry about having a stick up my ass, unlike some people I know."
Her wife cracked up at Su's remark and Lin shot her a glare. It was bad enough having an irreverent sister, but an irreverent wife in the same room as her was almost too much. Still, she inexplicably found herself enjoying their company despite their teasing, so she kept her temper in check, if only for Kya's sake.
The rest of the family filed in for dinner, with Opal taking her place on Lin's right. Once the main course of noodle soup was served, everyone dug in. She glanced up at Kya and found her engrossed in a conversation with Huan. Relieved, she turned her attention back to her meal. She'd only managed a single bite before a snicker sounded next to her. She glanced quizzically over at Opal, who was attempting to stifle her laughter.
"What's so funny?" she asked, her tone unconvincingly casual.
Her niece smirked. "I think Aunt Kya's trying to get your attention."
Lin glanced over at her wife and her heart leapt into her throat. Her aqua eyes were focused directly on her, a compelling hunger dancing inside them. Her lips, curled into a sly grin, only served to further accentuate the effect. She was supposed to be Republic City's Chief of Police, the epitome of stoicism. In that moment however, Lin would have loved nothing more than to let that smile wash over her and drown her in it.
Realizing she'd been staring again, she rearranged her face into a scowl. This only provoked a naughty wink from her wife. She growled softly in frustration and returned to her food, determined to not look up this time. Su attempted to hide a snicker of her own to no avail, as that earned her another glare from her sister.
"Su, I swear, if you say anything about what just happened, I will break your bones," she hissed.
"Can't break what you can't hit," Su replied with an airy chuckle. "You can leave anytime if you need some air. I won't mind."
"I'll be fine."
Lin returned to her meal once more, quickening her eating pace slightly but not so much as to be impolite. Much to her annoyance, she could somehow sense that Kya was trying to get her attention once more. What she found even more aggravating was that she herself was enjoying it, in the middle of dinner. She desperately wanted to gaze at her again, but she steeled her resolve to finish her food first. If she caught the gaze of that bewitching woman afresh, she would most likely choke.
After the last bite of noodle soup made its way into her mouth, she let out a long relieved exhale, placing her utensils in her bowl and leaning back in her chair. No sooner than she had done so than a sultry chuckle sounded across from her. A wave of heat rushed through Lin and she groaned, forcing herself to look at her. There was that smile again. Each time she saw it, it made her feel giddy, like an impish schoolgirl sneaking out after hours for the first time. Kya gave her a cheeky little wave, fluttering her eyelashes for effect. That was it. She had to get out of here, as she had no desire for her family to know just how aroused she was at that moment. She politely excused herself and strode out of the dining hall.
The flustered chief of police scouted out the nearest bathroom and ducked inside, making sure to lock the door. Try as she might, she just could not get that smile out of her head, the naughty curl of her lips, the knowing desire in her eyes, it was just too much. Her wife was clearly her biggest weakness, and she was well aware of that. Even when she closed her eyes, that expression tormented her. She had to get her alone tonight or she was going to lose her mind.
A soft knock on the door jolted out of her reverie. "Lin, it's me. May I come in?"
Of course it was Kya. She could never truly escape that enchantress of a woman, even if she wanted to. She sighed, resigning herself to more teasing and unlocked the door and opened it. Kya stepped inside gingerly, closing the door and locking it again. Her expression was concerned, somewhat to Lin's simultaneous relief and disappointment.
"I apologize if I went too far in there. I wanted to mess with you since you seemed to think I wouldn't be able to if you weren't sitting next to me," she admitted sheepishly.
"I know. I'm not mad at you, babe. I just... didn't want everybody else to know how excited I'd gotten," Lin replied softly.
"I can stop if you want."
"No!"
Kya jumped a little at her wife's abrupt exclamation. Lin murmured a gentle apology, bringing her thumb to her cheek and stroking it. "I don't want you to stop teasing me, Kya. Ever. But could you perhaps tone it down a little bit, at least in front of my family?"
Kya smiled warmly. "Of course. Come here," she murmured, opening her arms.
Instead of doing as her wife asked, Lin backed away and turned her back on her, smirking. "You're going to have to do better than that," she taunted.
That same wicked smile appeared once more on Kya's face. "I said... come here..." she breathed.
A shudder ran through Lin and she complied eagerly, slipping into her wife's slender arms without a word. Kya's lips ghosted over her neck and a pleased hum sounded from her throat. They stayed that way for a long time, drinking in the other's presence. Kya brought her hand to Lin's chin and lifted it gently.
"Who would have guessed I'd have the Chief of Republic City Police wrapped around my little finger?" she whispered teasingly. Goosebumps erupted on Lin's arms and she shivered again.
"Mom, probably," she muttered, burying her face into Kya's neck. She laughed softly and tightened her arms around her.
"You love it when I look at you like this, don't you Chief?"
"I wouldn't mind you looking at me like that all night," Lin purred, smirking.
A loud banging on the door startled them both, interrupting what would have happened otherwise. "Hey, if you guys are done making out in there, let me in! I gotta pee!" yelled Wei.
Kya looked at Lin, trying to stifle a laugh. Lin attempted her signature scowl but found it much more difficult than usual. "Hold your ostrich-horses kid, we're on our way out."
Kya unlocked the door and opened it. They scooted out into the hallway as Wei shuffled in. He gave the couple a sidelong glance before muttering "Get a room, you two."
They stared as the door shut and locked behind him. Lin snorted and abruptly covered her mouth, eyes wide. Kya guffawed at that and tugged her wife down the hallway towards the guest bedroom. They stopped outside the door and Lin snorted again before dissolving into a gut-wrenching cackle. That set Kya off again and the two women spent the next ten minutes laughing before finally getting themselves together.
Lin pushed the door open and gestured inside. "After you."
Kya grinned, sauntering inside with Lin following after her. She shut the door and locked it and they stared at each other for a long moment before Kya captured Lin in her arms in a long, passionate kiss before breaking apart again momentarily.
"Shall we?" she breathed, ghosting her breath over Lin's ear.
Lin could only nod, wordlessly following her over to the bed. They spent the rest of the night intertwined in a passionate dance, before finally falling asleep in each other's arms. No words could express just how much they meant to one another. Hugs, touches, and smiles, on the other hand, were more than enough for that.