Chapter 5 – Changes

A/N: Hello again, I'm back from a sudden and unexpected holiday, I seem to be having a few of those… :P Anyway, once again sorry about update times, however I have bad news on that front… I've now moved back to university and am living with friends. The new term starts late September. Internet access is sporadic, hence the delay in updating. Don't worry, I'm gonna keep writing, even once this fic is finished, but updates are gonna be slow :( Thanks once again to all you readers, those who simply read, those who follow, those who favourite and especially those who review. Makes me happy you think my stories are good ^_^ Without further ado, let chapter 5 begin!

Wait, slightly more ado, actually. In case anyone cares, I have now gone back and altered the first chapter a smidge. All I changed were a few typos and breaking up those huge-ass blocks of text, nothing story-related was changed so you don't have to reread it, but if you wanted to, well now you can, without dealing with big blocks of stuff :P okay, ado over :P Onwards!

For the second time in the past few days, Lin woke up uncharacteristically slowly. Typically her internal clock woke her early in the morning, with no grogginess or bleariness. But then again she didn't typically sleep in the arms of a certain waterbender.

Once again her awakening was slow, as she gradually became aware of her position. Soft arms enveloping her. Legs wrapped up with her own. A hand, woven through her silver hair. Gentle breaths below her ear. The scent of pine.

This time, it was different.

This time, Lin decided to fully enjoy the experience. As the memories of their earlier conversation steadily reassembled themselves in the Chief's mind, she nuzzled into Kya's shoulder, as before, enjoying the calm, contented sensation spreading through her.

=x=

The last rays of evening sunshine were bleeding through the windows of Lin's apartment when Kya finally awoke. Not that Lin was complaining – the older woman was still fun to cuddle even when asleep.

"Mmmm," Kya moaned.

Lin lifted her head to look down at the waterbender as she replied. "Looks like somebody's not used to quite so much exercise," she smirked.

Lifting her hand out of Lin's hair, Kya playfully swatted Lin's shoulder. "Shut up," she whined groggily.

The metalbender leaned in close, wicked grin alighting her features. "Make me…" she whispered huskily.

At this, Kya's eyes seemed to clear, and her focus sharpened. Slowly, she obliged.

Their lips met once again. Slowly, they caressed one another, enjoying the simple feeling of each other's lips. Lin gasped slightly when Kya stroked the scarred side of her face, bringing the kiss to an end.

Immediately, Kya apologised. "Sorry," she said a touch breathlessly, "did that hurt or something? Are they still sensitive?"

Lin shook her head. "No, it's… I guess I just wasn't expecting you to want to touch them," she explained quietly. "I don't mind," she added, blushing slightly. "It's actually kind of nice."

Heartened, Kya resumed her stroking, softly running her fingers up and down Lin's scars, before kissing them top to bottom.

"They're a part of you," Kya whispered, "and I think they're beautiful. They make you look strong, and fierce."

The redness in Lin's cheeks intensified at these words. "You… you really like them?" She asked nervously.

Letting out a soft chuckle, Kya answered, "well if I didn't, I wouldn't have said so, now would I?"

They lay there, in each other's arms, for a little while longer. Eventually, however, Lin's stomach began to rumble.

Grinning, Kya teased Lin gently. "D'aww, guess we're gonna have to get up. Can't have your stomach getting so upset, now can we?"

"Guess we should probably eat, yeah," Lin sighed. He eased herself off of the older woman and stood up, stretching and yawning.

"How long were we even out for?" The younger woman asked.

Gazing out of the window to catch a glimpse of the last fading glow of sunset, Kya responded. "Must've been a few hours. Guess I must be pretty comfortable, huh?" She smirked at that.

"Well… I just feel really… content in your arms, I guess," Lin replied, a shy smile on her burning face as she offered Kya a hand.

Kya pulled herself up with Lin's help, then promptly fell back into the younger woman's arms. "Woah, I think I stood up too fast. Bit of a head rush," she explained, a touch abashed, with her head resting on Lin's shoulder.

Kya could practically hear the smirk forming on Lin's face.

"Daughter of the last Avatar and one of the strongest waterbenders in modern times, and one of the best yourself, able to hold your own with the best of the Red Lotus, and yet you collapse if you stand up too fast?" Lin jested lightly, chuckling as she wrapped her arms around Kya to steady her.

The older woman was grateful that the Chief couldn't see her blushing furiously. After all, she did have a point – the waterbender had performed all sorts of feats of acrobatics and agility in her battles. She couldn't get mad at the younger woman, however – the feeling of being wrapped up in the woman she loved was far too enjoyable. Sadly, her stomach was also singing the song of its people and so she reluctantly broke the embrace.

=x=

The two women meandered towards Lin's kitchen. Rummaging through her cupboards they found a distinct lack of anything edible. Given that Lin would typically have bought food for the weekend on Friday, the absence of edible material was hardly surprising, considering that instead of being a sensible, responsible woman, she had been busy punishing her liver for sheer amusement.

This left them with something of a quandary.

"I didn't realise the almighty Chief of Police had transcended the need for puny mortal indulgences like food," Kya laughed, after searching her fifth empty cupboard.

"Yeah, yeah," the younger woman grumbled, as she leaned against a counter. "Guess we're eating out tonight," she continued, before the implications of that last statement properly hit her with another burst of colour rushing through her face.

The older woman blushed somewhat as well, as some rather indecent thoughts about her sort-of girlfriend sped through her mind before she clamped down on them. There'll be time for that later. Customary smirk on her face, Kya replied. "Mmmm, sounds… delicious," she whispered, edging closer.

Lin's breath caught in her chest as the waterbender approached, slowly, enticingly. Letting her eyes roam up and down Kya's body, Lin shuddered with anticipation as Kya gradually closed the distance between them. When their bodies were pressed together by their proximity and their breath mingled, the Chief closed her eyes and waited for what she thought was coming. Kya's hands rested on the counter around Lin, forming a light embrace.

For several seconds Kya merely stood there, her lips inches from the ones she wanted to capture, revelling in the desire building up within them both. Eventually it simply became too much for Lin, who was tired of waiting. She slid one arm snugly around Kya's waist, holding her closer. Her right hand found its way to the back of the older woman's neck. From there she pulled the older woman in. Once again their lips met.

But Kya wasn't the only tease in this relationship.

Lin's lips lightly brushed against Kya's, once, twice, thrice. The older woman moaned in frustration. "Please…" She begged softly. But Lin wouldn't have it. Her kisses remained soft, and gentle, the slightest touches she could make. The frustration was also driving her mad, but it would be worth it if she could achieve her desired goal.

Eventually, Kya couldn't take it anymore. When Lin came in for another kiss, she responded aggressively, pressing her lips on the younger woman's with great force, arching her back slightly over the counter. Lin responded enthusiastically and let loose, pushing back a little. As they devoured each other's lips, Lin found herself being pushed further and further back onto the counter.

When she was practically lying down on it, she brought up her legs and wrapped them around the older woman, pulling her up. Once they adjusted slightly to be sure they would remain stable, Kya wrapped her legs around one of Lin's, who reciprocated the movement. As they continued envelop themselves in each other's mouths, their hips began to shift against each other slightly. The resulting rush of pleasure, though slightly weakened due to their clothed states, still caused both women to moan, and cling tighter to one another.

They continued to explore each other's mouths with tongues and teeth as their hips moved back and forth into each other, every slight movement of their hips triggering another burst of enjoyment. Kya's hand slid under Lin's shirt and up her side, causing the younger woman to gasp and arch her back into the waterbender.

Unfortunately, it was just at this point, when things were about to become extremely enjoyable, that both women's stomachs decided to loudly voice their objections to their current activities.

Lin growled in frustration, whereas Kya dissolved into a giggling fit. This proved to be contagious, and soon both women were in hysterics.

=x=

It took some time before the women recovered from their laughter, but eventually the pangs from their stomachs and Lin's back motivated them to dismount from the counter. While the experience had certainly been enjoyable, being bent over a counter and then laying on said counter with someone else on top did not do Lin's already temperamental back any favours.

"Okay," groaned Lin, her back twinging slightly, "we really do need to find something to eat. That isn't each other," she added before Kya could make another smart-ass comment.

The waterbender pouted. "Guess you're right," she grumbled, trying desperately to think about local eateries as opposed to where her hand had been moments ago. "I think there's a noodle bar not too far from here, apparently they're pretty good," she mused, adopting an exaggerated expression of contemplation.

"Han's No Fuss Noodles," Lin answered, nodding. "Been there a few times, they do a nice vegetable stir fry, and I think they do a few rice dishes, too."

"I didn't know you were a vegetarian, Lin," Kya said, somewhat surprised.

"Hey, just because I like vegetables doesn't mean that's all I eat. I just ordered that meal once and it was better than anything I've had there before, that's all," Lin retorted, without any real venom in her voice.

Tilting her head slightly, Kya accepted this with equanimity.

The older woman held out a hand, which Lin eyed nervously.

Kya noticed this and moved her hand onto Lin's arm gently. "I think I understand, it's okay if you're not ready for us to be public yet," she murmured gently.

A shy smile appeared on Lin's face. "Thanks," she replied, "I guess I'm just a bit nervous, you being the first woman I've ever…" Her speech petered off, yet as always, Kya picked up on the fact that there was more to be said. Sometimes Lin did need a little help expressing her feelings.

"The first woman you've ever…?" Kya echoed.

"Do you really need me to say it?" Lin asked quietly, tensing up a little.

Kya felt this and moved closer, placing her other hand on Lin's shoulder. "To be honest, I'm not sure what it is you're trying not to say…" She confessed. "I can think of a few different ways you could end that sentence."

Lin took in a deep breath, and slowly let it out through her mouth. She repeated this a few times, and Kya thought that maybe some of the tension in the younger woman had eased out. She hoped it had, anyway.

Lifting her gaze, the normally fearless Chief looked into Kya's eyes. As always, she saw compassion, and affection. She knew, from that bright, kind gaze that Kya cared. And she knew, or certainly hoped she did, that Lin could say those last few words without ruining what they were just starting to make together.

"The first woman," she began, voice trembling slightly. "The first woman I've ever loved."

Kya's heart forgot to beat for a second or two.

Spirits, she loves me. Holy spirits, she actually loves me! Kya's internal voice crowed in delight.

Externally, however, she displayed only shock on her face. Realising that if she didn't respond soon Lin would assume the worst, Kya decided the simplest course of action would be to simply show Lin exactly what she felt.

Raising her hands so that they cupped the younger woman's face, Kya kissed her, once, on the lips, then quickly laid kisses all over Lin's face. When she was satisfied that every area of that beautiful face had received its fair share of love and affection she pressed her forehead to the Chief's and lost herself in that emerald gaze.

"In case I didn't quite make myself clear just now, I love you too," Kya whispered. "I know that you're afraid, and that's okay. I know it's scary to openly date another woman – you worry about what people will say and think. I've been there, and I know how much it sucks. So I promise, I'll never push you into being open about us. If and when you're ready, I'd be proud to tell the whole damn world how I feel about you, but until then, we can keep it quiet."

Once again Lin showed that shy little smile, barely turning up the corners of her mouth. Yet Kya had always loved that smile more than any other.

"Thanks for saying that," Lin began softly, "but I'm not as afraid now. Honestly, I was more scared that you… you know, that you wouldn't… feel the same way. At least not as intensely, anyway."

Kya let her radiant joy display on her face as she replied. "Well, now you know. If we're being totally honest here, I was worried about the same thing."

Lin chuckled softly. "Look at us, worrying about nothing."

The waterbender joined in with the gentle laughter.

A slightly more sombre expression formed on the Chief's face then. "I hope you don't mind if we keep this," Lin gestured at the two of them with her hand before continuing, "to ourselves for a little bit. It's not that I'm ashamed of being with you, it's just…"

Kya's thumb stroked Lin's face softly as she responded. "I know. It's okay, you don't have to worry about it."

The younger woman squeezed the hand resting again her cheek in gratitude. After sharing a chaste kiss with her partner, she lowered Kya's hand from its position and gestured to the door.

"Shall we?"

=x=

The walk to the restaurant was brief. When they arrived they found it in a state of pleasant bustle, with a lot of the tables occupied by chattering groups.

A waiter approached them. Short and slight, he spoke to them in a voice that, in Lin's opinion, was far too deep for so small a man. "A table for two, is it?" He inquired politely.

When Kya affirmed this, he led them to a small table nestled in a booth, affording the two women a hint of privacy to their dining. This waiter was one who was familiar with Lin's preferred dining spot – somewhere relatively out of sight. And so, she found herself very pleased with their position.

Kya wasn't complaining either. After the waiter bustled off to fetch them a pot of tea she expressed her satisfaction, commenting, "Nice to have a bit of space. We might actually be able to talk about… stuff."

Lin quirked an eyebrow. "Just what kind of stuff did you have in mind?" She asked, a hint of flirtation in her voice.

"Well I thought we could revive another old habit that I've come to miss," Kya answered, her usual cocky, self-assured grin spreading. "Gossip."

The Chief sighed and pinched the bridge of her nose. "Really? It's been decades since I've done anything like that," she groaned, though her rebellious brain was already bringing some rather juicy material to the forefront of her mind.

"Oh come on, you think I don't know you miss it?" Kya teased, infuriating Lin by being so insufferably right, as usual.

Lin let out a wordless growl before she spoke again. "I guess it was kinda fun, even if it isn't the nicest thing to do," she responded, irritated yet also a touch excited.

The waterbender waved a hand flippantly. "Oh, you know me, I only talk about the harmless stuff."

"True," Lin acknowledged.

However, before they could get fully underway with the gossiping, the waiter returned with menus and their tea, and so conversation turned to the more immediate matter of food.

The Chief, already knowing what she wanted, barely skimmed the menu.

Kya, on the other hand, took her sweet time. She 'ummm'ed and 'aaah'ed over every single option, torn between many enticing choices.

As Kya frowned over the wide variety of choices, Lin found herself relaxing into the situation. True, the waterbender's indecisiveness was irritating, but that was more than counterbalanced by the fact that they were actually out on a date together.

The Chief found herself admiring the silvery sheen of Kya's hair as it caught the light, her cute expression when she scrunched up her face as she contemplated a potential choice, the sparkle of delight in her eyes when she saw exactly what she wanted to eat, her soft arm, and even softer hands, which had already proven themselves so adept at pushing her buttons… "…Lin? Hello?" Kya asked, snapping the younger woman out of her trance.

Shaking her head slightly, Lin blushed and apologised. "Sorry. I was…" she floundered, trying not to make a fool of herself.

Too late.

The older woman chuckled and grinned cheekily. "I know exactly what you were doing, Lin Beifong," she laughed. "You were undressing me in your head, weren't you?" She continued in a much lower voice, which she knew would drive Lin mad.

As always, she was damn right. Her husky voice had sent a slight shudder through the younger woman, who once again swept her mind for the right words.

"Uhhh, not exactly," she began. "Hadn't quite got to that point yet. Probably would've done if you hadn't said something when you did, though," she added, feeling her cheeks burning.

Kya continued to chuckle, eyes twinkling. "Well then we should probably not think about that just yet, I'd hate for us to get distracted here," she teased, with some rather excessive waggling of the eyebrows.

Lin nodded her acknowledgement, and waved over the waiter.

=x=

The waiter returned and took their orders. Lin, as expected, ordered a vegetable stir fry with noodles, whereas Kya opted for a mushroom dish, served with rice. Complementing the women on their choices, the waiter jotted down their orders on his notepad and left them with their tea.

Kya poured them each a cup of the steaming beverage, as Lin opened the conversation again. "Well if you want gossip, I can give you something pretty interesting," Lin smirked, delighted to be the one in the know.

"Oooooh, for someone who claims not to like gossip you're sure quick to start," Kya quipped, excited.

"Yeah, yeah, you wanna hear it or not?" The younger woman asked, slightly frustrated yet strangely amused. Kya had a habit of provoking that reaction in her.

"Do tell," Kya insisted.

Lin's smirk widened as she began her tale.

"So the morning after the wedding, after I…" she started and then hesitated.

Kya noticed this, and soon realised why Lin was nervous. "Don't worry about that, I get why you left," she reassured her companion.

Clearing her throat, the Chief resumed her narrative. "Thanks. So anyway, just as I left your room, I happened to bump into someone else, who was also leaving someone else's room rather early in the morning…"

"Ooooh, who was it?" the waterbender asked, hooked.

Lin paused to savour her smugness a little longer before spilling the beans. "It was Asami. Leaving the room of none other than our renowned Avatar, Korra!" She revealed, with a hint of melodrama.

Kya gasped in astonishment. "How did you know she came from Korra's room?" She demanded.

"I figured it out, and then I called her as she was trying to come up with an excuse for wandering the halls of the Air Temple at five in the morning," Lin replied.

The older woman snickered. "That poor woman, you must've terrified her out of her wits."

"Well, that was kind of the idea. She couldn't lie, so she had to spill. And she did. Apparently, when you ambushed Korra she was heading out to meet Asami, hence why she bolted so fast."

"That and being around a drunk you," the older woman jested.

Lin scowled before continuing. "Anyway, I told her to treat Korra properly. She said she would, and then she promised not to tell anyone she saw me leaving your room. I mean, it's not like anything was happening at that point, but I'm glad she did."

"You realise she probably told Korra, at least, right?" Kya mused.

"Oh, I don't doubt it, but then she probably expected I'd tell you about those two anyway, so I think it's fair enough," Lin replied.

The waterbender then gasped in realisation. "So their little vacation to the Spirit World…"

The Chief nodded. "Yup. I actually saw them while I was helping shift the debris. They were holding hands. So I think it's safe to say they're together."

"Awww, they'll make an adorable couple, I bet," Kya gushed, delighting not only in the gossip itself but that it was Lin she was doing the gossiping with. It wasn't as though they never did this in their younger years, but it still brought along a sense of nostalgic enjoyment nonetheless.

=x=

At that point, the waiter returned once again, bearing two steaming bowls. He set the appropriate bowls in front of the women and expressed his hope that they enjoy the meal.

As soon as he walked away, both women eagerly dug into their meals. Lin's vegetable dish came served with a lovely soy sauce, and she quickly went through it.

Kya's meal was equally enjoyable, though she seemed determined not to be confined only to one meal. Every so often, to Lin's growing frustration, Kya would reach out with her chopsticks and pluck a single piece of vegetable matter from her bowl.

Of course, Lin knew better than to play into Kya's trap and show her irritation, so she kept it under control.

Whenever the older woman's gaze shifted away from her plate, such as when one of the waiters tripped and dropped several bowls, which promptly shattered, Lin would quickly pluck a single mushroom or grain of rice from Kya's bowl, waiting until the waterbender's gaze returned to her before eating it.

Mock outrage exploded on Kya's face, and the two women spent most of the remainder of their meal stealing each other's food, giggling.

Eventually, their bowls were empty and their bellies were full. Having finally sated their hunger, the women were now free to enjoy their time together without the fear of rowdy organs. They asked for the bill, which they split, Lin paying slightly less but making up for it with a generous tip. Financial matters attended to, they sidled out of the restaurant and, by unspoken agreement, headed back to Lin's apartment.

=x=

On the walk back, Kya continued the chain of gossip with something she observed at the wedding itself. "So you remember Mako came up to us while we were drinking?" She asked.

Lin snorted. "Yeah. Good kid, bit of an idiot. What was he thinking, trying to work security at a party, while he was a guest, with his damn arm in a sling?"

Laughing, Kya replied. "Not the sharpest tool in the shed, I'll give you. But I noticed after he left, he tried to start moving people out, separating them from their drinks. Ten minutes later he's on the dancefloor. And you'll never guess with who."

"Go on, then. Who was he with?"

Kya pouted. "Come on, Lin, at least try and guess!"

The Chief sighed. "Fine. It's not gonna be Korra or Asami, and I can't think of anyone else he's likely to be dancing with." She then checked herself, realising she may have made too many assumptions. "When you say dancing…"

"I mean hands-on-waist, barely-any-space-between-each-other kind of dancing."

Lin frowned. "Can't think of anyone. Come on. Spill."

"Sure thing, Chief," the older woman joked. "None other than our mighty Prince Wu."

This answer was so unexpected even the Chief was shocked, as her jaw dropped when she heard the name of the officer's dance partner.

"Is it just me," Lin began, still rather bemused, "or is the closet just throwing everyone out at once? I had no idea Mako bent that way."

"I know what you mean. From the look on his face, I'd say he didn't either," Kya responded. "But he was definitely into it. After that song stopped, he left, and Wu was hot on his tail. Who knows how that ended?"

Shaking her head, Lin let out a noise halfway between a sigh and a chuckle.

Meanwhile, the waterbender continued her musings about the recent emptying of the closet. "Still can't believe it. Five people in the space of one weekend. And here I was thinking I was the only one who was like that."

"Wait, who's the fifth? I know there's Korra and Asami, and Mako and Wu, who else is there?" Lin inquired, confused.

Kya giggled. "You, genius," she laughed, a laugh that only grew into more at Lin's embarrassed expression.

Oh, right. Forgot she had no idea. Nice one, Chief.

The older woman grew a touch more subdued with her next comment. "I always assumed you were like the others," she confessed. "That's why I never said anything. I'm glad I was wrong," she finished warmly.

Slight spots of scarlet bloomed on the younger woman's cheeks. "Yeah, I can understand that. But to be honest, I never thought about it, aside from when I had those feelings for you. I don't really have a name for it, and as far as I'm concerned I love you and that's all that matters," she said, feeling rather self-conscious towards the end of her little speech.

Kya's smile widened, even as she blushed at hearing those three words. "You're right, and I don't generally have a word for it either. I'm just happy," she took Lin's hand and squeezed, "that you feel the same as me."

To Kya's surprise, Lin tightened her grip on the waterbender's hand when she tried to withdraw it. The waterbender smiled again, and they continued on their journey, hand in hand.

It wasn't exactly a happy announcement, but it was a start.

A/N: I recently started shipping Wuko, hence why I slipped a little in there :P don't worry, non-shippers, it won't be a big thing. Anyway, thanks for reading, if you wanted to be an absolute star you could leave a review :) there's still more I want to do, though, so although this might seem like an end, it isn't. I'll tell you when it ends :P

See you next time!