Linumi Week Day 1 – Childhood
Fandom: Legend of Korra
Characters: Lin Beifong, Bumi II
Rating: K+
A/N: Unbeta'd. No titled yet because I can't title. Whatever. Enjoy!

"What do you mean you're leaving?!" Lin snarls and Bumi almost instinctively takes a step back. The last time he saw that expression, it was when he was fourteen and he'd been the one sent to get Toph when it had been discovered a radical group had tried to assassinate Sokka. The councilman had been ambushed by a group of ten benders, severely injured, and had been rushed to the hospital with life-threatening injuries. Toph had nearly leveled the eastern wing of Police Headquarters in her fury. Bumi could see the same glint in Lin's eye, and the same way her mouth sets in a scowl, that he had seen in Toph.

Bumi tried to play it cool and pretend that he was not scared of the angry thirteen-year-old before him. "Boat leaves at o'six hundred tomorrow," he drawled, "Woulda told you sooner but you haven't been around to tell. Too busy messin' with badgermoles to come see us."

Lin flushed. She had, indeed, just come back from a month-long trip with her mother to the mountains surrounding Gaoling. Toph had wanted her daughter to meet the original masters or earthbending before she began her metalbending training. She had arrived back in time only two days before; this was her first time on Air Temple Island in a month and a half.

"B-But," she stammered, hating how weak she sounded, "who is going to help me tease Tenzin?"

"Aw, is that you sayin' you're gonna miss me?" Bumi asked, his blue eyes sparkling as he laughed. "Well, I know I'm pretty irresistible!"

"Shut up!" Lin hissed, the weakness vanishing like water in August. She marched up to him and poked him in the gut; she'd poke him in the chest, but she couldn't without looking silly. Bumi was several heads taller than she was, for he was eighteen, she was thirteen, and each had inherited their respective parent's height. "I'm not going to miss a single hair on your crazy head! Good riddance if you ask me!"

Bumi only laughed. "Whatever you say, Little Lin. I'll remind you you said that."

The earthbender snorted. "Whatever. Just don't get killed 'cause I still want to be able to kick your ass in sparring when you get home." She leaned up on her toes and punched him in the chest, hard, then turned on her heel and stomped off, presumably to find Tenzin.

Bumi watched her go, rubbing the spot she had struck. Then he laughed and headed towards the boy's dormitory to make sure his mother had not decide to stuff his duffle bag full of extra underwear or something equally embarrassing.