Cautious

"I still don't think it's necessary," Lin argues, though her statement falls for deaf ears.

Korra sits down on the couch behind Lin, whose torso is bare except for the bandage wraps.

Gently, she undoes the makeshift bandage that Lin had tied around her bruised ribs the night before. Lin chooses to ignore the small gasp of shock Korra lets out as she takes in the sight of the bruises left on her back by claws of Hiroshi Sato's platinum mecha tanks. She has sported worse bruises, and they've always disappeared on their own accord. But Korra is bent on healing her.

She had shown up on her doorstep not too long ago, demanding to asses her injuries. At first Lin had thought it to be just been another clever lie to come over, spun for the benefit of Tenzin, but she had quickly realized that Korra was serious.

As soon as she had set foot in the apartment, Korra had dragged her over to the couch and told her to sit down. Having always been the one to deal out the orders, Lin had had to take a moment to swallow her pride before she was able to comply. The girl had looked genuinely worried, and she would have seen the bruises at some point later in the evening anyway.

"Turn around," Korra says, pulling the last strip of bandage away.

Lin does as asked (asked, she thinks, not ordered), turning over so as to face Korra, letting out a grunt of pain in the process that doesn't go unnoticed by the young Avatar.

Korra's eyes zeroes in on Lin's ribcage which bears the evidence of yesterday's fight, and Lin can't help but think that this is the first time Korra has been totally unaffected by her shirtless state.

"Why didn't you get this looked at?" Korra asks, bending a small amount of water from the bowl on the table and willing it to surround her hands.

"It wasn't necessary. It still isn't."

Korra doesn't reply. Instead she puts her palms flat against Lin's ribcage, beginning the healing. Soon a cool sensation soothes the painful ache around her ribs, substituting it for a pleasant warmth. Korra leans to the side in order to reach her back, before proceeding to heal the black bruises.

When she is done, Lin lets out a breath she didn't know she was holding. Thought it might not have been necessary, it sure felt good to get rid of the aching.

Korra says nothing for a couple of seconds, biting down on her lower lip as though she's mulling something over in her mind. Lin has an inkling as to what she is about to say.

"You're going after them?"

"Yes."

"Alone?"

Lin pauses. She hasn't decided on that yet. She is no longer part of the Metalbending Police Force, and even if she could talk some officers into assisting her (it would be a breeze), she doesn't want to put them at risk again.

"Maybe."

Korra sighs, her eyes downcast.

"I understand that you need to do this, Lin. I'm just... worried," Korra trails off, letting her statement hang in the air.

"Korra, I'm perfectly capable of taking care of myself," Lin points out patiently. As long as I'm not up against two or more platinum mecha tanks, she adds silently.

"I know, but it's just..." Korra struggles to find the right words to express her concern, but finds none. "Just be careful, okay?"

"Don't worry, I will," Lin says, and Korra seems to relax a little, her tense shoulders dropping slightly.

Leaning forward, Lin places a soft kiss on the girl's left temple. Korra leans closer, flashing her a devious smirk.

"Now, I believe a thank you is in order for the healing..."

Author's note: I feel like I tried really hard with this fic, but somehow it didn't end up the way I wanted it to. But don't ask me how I wanted it to end up, because I honestly have no idea.

My brain is on autopilot, that's how tired I am. So don't ask me what it's thinking while I'm dozing off...