An: In which I suck at writing. Forgive me.

Republic City was always the most beautiful around midnight, when the lights from the city clashed and danced with the light from the stars hanging high in the sky. The bay, acting as an excellent mirror for both spectacles, sparkled and shimmered with the soft yellow glow from street lamps coupled with the hot white glare from the globes of fire twinkling behind Yue herself. Tenzin smiled as he looked over at his lover, and caught the light from the stars hanging in her green eyes; his heart pulsing wildly as he reached over and slid their fingers together as they continued to walk through the park.

She smiled, but kept her eyes on the sky; her fingers sliding into the spaces between his own before she squeezed his hand. She could feel his heart racing with every fall of her feet on the cool earth, and she smiled even brighter when she realized their hearts had elevated in sync. She laughed and leaned into his side, bringing the back of his hand up until it touched her lips. "You would think after dating for almost a year my heart wouldn't race from just holding your hand."

He laughed and leaned over, pressing his lips against her temple and smiling as he felt the heat of her skin against his lips. "I would hope that your heart will never stop racing when I'm around."

"Well it hasn't so far," Lin said, looking back up to the sky and kissing his knuckles once again. Her eyes narrowed as she caught sight of the clouds rolling in over the mountains and she huffed as she directed Tenzin's attention towards them. "Those don't look good...is it supposed to rain?"

"I'm not sure," he said, stopping and tugging on her hand to keep her from walking forward. She turned to look at him and smiled when he pulled her into his arms; his finger rising to hook under her chin. She laughed and closed her eyes, rising on her toes to brush their lips together in a soft, tender kiss.

But while their lips were pressed together, and their arms were wrapped around each other, they didn't take notice of the dark clouds that were speeding for Republic City. Soon, the light from Yue and her stars were covered by a thick layer of black while thunder rumbled somewhere off in the distance. Tenzin and Lin parted when they heard the crash, but didn't move quick enough and got caught in the sudden downpour that drenched everything it touched.

They yelped at the sudden sting of the cold water and ran for the shelter of the nearby trees; their hands still locked together. Protected only slightly by upturned leaves, they looked at each other, and burst into laughter as they took in how their darkened clothes clung to their bodies and set trails of water sliding down their exposed skin. Lin turned to watch the on-coming storm, and Tenzin stepped up behind her; wrapping his arms around her waist and pressing a kiss against the side of her face. She smiled and closed her eyes at the feeling of his proximity before opening them again when he spoke.

"We're soaked," he whispered right against her ear. "And it's too dangerous to fly in this. How about we find somewhere to go in town, and wait out the storm there?"

"Like where?" she asked, turning in his arms slightly. "It's past midnight. Everywhere is closed."

"Not everywhere," Tenzin assured, chuckling and releasing his hold around her to lace their fingers together. Tugging her to his side, he brushed his hand through the air and arced air over them that protected them from the rain. Lin smiled as she wrapped her arms around his soaked body, and closed her eyes; letting him lead her out of the park and into town. Within minutes they arrived out in front of a familiar, rundown tea shop and the two slipped through the door even though the shop was marked 'closed'.

"Hooligans! We're closed!" a fearsome voice yelled from the back, and the two laughed as they waited for the bent over, old woman the voice belonged to to appear. As they expected, she hobbled out slowly and peered through the darkness. Her skin was dark, her eyes a vibrant shade of blue and her shriveled lips remained pressed into a thin line until she saw the two young adults who stood soaking in her foyer. "Well it's just you two, why didn't you say so?"

"You know I love to give you trouble, Mother Cho," Lin laughed, stepping forward and accepting the older woman's hug despite her dripping clothes.

"Spirits Beifong! You're soaked," the old woman exclaimed, pulling the young earthbender's clothing away from her lithe frame like a concerned grandmother. "You too arrowhead. What happened? Too busy fooling around to notice the storm?"

Chuckling, Tenzin shook his head and crossed his arms over his chest. "As rash as ever I see," he commented, opening his arms when Cho offered to hug him as well.

"You best believe it," she commented, pushing a long white strand of hair out of her wrinkled face when she pulled away from the embrace. "But I assume you two didn't stop by this late just because you felt like it."

"No," Tenzin assured. "We need a room. The storm is too dangerous to fly home in, and we need somewhere to stay."

Looking up at the two benders from her shriveled height, she smiled and nodded; taking both of their hands in her worn ones and squeezing. For as long as the two could remember, Cho was always there for them, offering them a cool drink during a hot day or a warm cup of tea when they were cold after running about in the snow. She took care of them when they would take to the streets as teenagers, and watched as they grew into the adults that eventually fell into each other's arms. She kept them out of trouble, kept them safe, and always seemed to be there when they needed her the most. "Of course," she hummed, releasing their hands before she walked behind the counter and pulled out a key to one of the few rooms she rented out upstairs. Returning to them, she placed the key into Tenzin's outstretched hand, and smiled at the way her wild, independent little Lin seemed so content to lean into her lover's side and bury her face in his shoulder. "You two best behave yourselves. Momma Cho knows everything."

"Oh we know," Lin muttered, turning to look at the older woman and laughing when she landed a light punch against the earthbender's side.

"Trouble makers, the lot of you!" she called, waving her hand through the air and moving to disappear behind the pink curtain that covered the back of her store. Tenzin looked to Lin and the two laughed as she started throwing around pots and pans that loudly rang out from the back. They shrugged, knowing she was most likely making late night tea, and stepped out of the puddle they had created to move towards the rickety wooden staircase that led upstairs.

"I remember falling down these steps when I was little," Lin said, chuckling and shaking her head as they ascended to the second floor. "I cracked one of the pegs in the rail on the way down."

"And scared me half to death," Tenzin muttered, walking backwards down the worn hallway and bringing her wrist to his lips. "You broke your wrist, and as it was healing, you broke it again because you decided to fight a guy from school that insulted your mother."

"And you carried me home," Lin smirked as she followed her lover to their shared room and stepped through the door when he unlocked it for her. "Even though nothing was wrong with my legs. I threatened to encase you in rock for the next four years, but you refused to let me walk."

"I knew it hurt," he said, closing the door behind her and smiling at the memory. "The break was worse the second time, even though you didn't let on that that was the case. I felt like if I had you in my arms you would finally be safe, and you wouldn't hurt any longer. So I carried you home, even though I was slightly terrified of what you were threatening to do..."

Chuckling, Lin snuck up behind him, and slipped her arms around his waist; hugging him from behind and reaching up to press a lingering kiss against his cheek. She settled her chin on his shoulder and let her fingers wrap around the sash around his hips. She tugged, and smiled when his robes loosened around his body without him offering a note in retort. "Well, now it's my time to take care of you. We really need to get you out of these wet clothes. You'll get sick."

"As will you," he said, turning in her arms and pushing away the jacket that hugged her torso. She laughed and complied, letting him undress her as she undressed him; slowly discarding each other of every layer of clothing until they were left in their underwear. Hooking his finger in the bindings that circled around her chest, he lowered his lips to her neck, and kissed at her cool, damp skin. She gripped his shoulders, and he felt, more than heard, the soft sigh that left her lips. He settled one of his hands on her lower back and pulled at the clingy fabric; his body lowering and his tongue catching the streams of water that slid down her stomach as her bindings were pulled away from her. She shivered at the contrast of his hot mouth against her cold skin, and sighed as her fingers traced the light blue tattoo that curved over his head and dived down his back.

He rocked back on his heels, and smiled up at her; taking in the sight of her bared chest and the way her long black hair curled and twisted into a curtain of satin that fell over her right shoulder. Standing to tower over her, her arms rose to slip around his neck and she pushed up to meet his lips; deepening their kiss when his hands slid along the curve of her waist and teased the fabric that rested comfortably on her hips. Smirking against her lips, his hands slipped between the wet cloth and her skin and squeezed teasingly at her ass before sliding down her thighs and getting rid of the last bit of clothing that remained on her.

"Well, well," Lin teased as they pulled away from their kiss, and she backed herself up until she sat poised on the edge of their bed. "Aren't you rather straight-forward tonight? What do you have planned next Tenzin?"

"A few things," he chuckled, following after her and settling his hands on her knees; parting them open so he could rest between her legs. He smiled and leaned forward, flicking his tongue against one of her rosy nipples and sending a shock of electricity surging through her body. She gasped and grasped for the back of his head, keeping his mouth at her breasts and watching as he smiled and complied with her wishes.

His arms locked around her hips and he pulled himself closer, feeling the heat from her core against his chest while his lips sealed around her nipple and sucked softly. He felt her blunt nails dig into his skin, and swirled his tongue around the nub in response; nibbling the sensitive flesh until she shuddered and let her head fall back. Feeling the edges of her hair brush against his forearms, he pushed up from his knees and urged her onto her back. Their lips clashed, and he sighed as their mouths opened and their tongues lazily slid together before his hand settled on her flat stomach and pushed her away from him.

Smiling down at her, he reached out and ran his fingers through the silken strands of her hair before he lowered his lips to claim her neck, sucking and biting at her pulse until her teeth dug into her bottom lip and soft mewls of pleasure escaped into the air. Slowly, he let his kisses descend, and she closed her eyes as she felt the story he was drawing into her skin with his tongue. Heat spread through her like wildfire, and she moaned out loudly when she became coherent enough to realize he had sunk between her legs and was suckling at her inner thigh.

Tenderly, he settled a hand on her lower stomach and kissed up her thigh until his mouth came to hover over her dripping sex. Looking up at her, she smiled at him and teasingly slid her hands against her stomach in the midst of her anticipation; toying with her own breasts while she waited for him to make his move. Accepting the challenge, he used his shoulders to push her legs apart further and brushed his tongue against her in a long, languid stroke. Her hips rose into his mouth at the treatment and her fingers tightened around the globes of flesh she was fondling, the moan she released no where close to as loud as he could make her.

In no mood to waste time torturing her...much, he traced her with his tongue once more while his finger closely followed; diving into her as soon as his lips encircled her swollen clit. She bucked, but his hand was quick to press her back into the mattress. Instead, she squirmed, and played with her hardened nipples as his finger thrust in and out of her in tandem with the stroking of his tongue. Underneath her the bed creaked, and her moans echoed off the dangerously thin walls, forcing Tenzin to travel up her body to seal their lips together and leave his fingers to do the work.

She moaned when she tasted herself on his tongue, and pushed her hips against his hand when he slid another finger inside of her. She scratched down the length of his chest and groaned; continuing to play with herself as his fingers slid in and out of her at a pace that was too fast for her to simply enjoy, but too slow to quickly drive her over the edge. Groaning, she softly sunk her teeth into his bottom lip, and tugged just enough for him to pull away and consider her pleas.

"Please," she whimpered, when he smirked at her and slowed the thrusting of his digits so his thumb could gently circle her clit. "Please Tenzin, don't torture me."

"Then come get what you want," Tenzin challenged, laughing when a fire sparked in her eye. "It's never stopped you before."

With a laugh, he disengaged his fingers from her and she hiked one of her legs over his hip; knocking him onto his back and buckling the bed under them. The metal frame creaked loudly, but Lin didn't seem to notice as her attention was completely devoted on tearing away Tenzin's underwear, and dragging her teeth down the column of his neck. He smiled and slid his fingers into her hair, holding her against him as the last of his clothing was thrown across the room and her hand encircled his hardening erection. His fingers tightened and tugged at the soft strands, as his head tilted back as a quiet groan left his lips.

Lin smiled, and tightened her hold on him, sliding her hand along his shaft and trailing her tongue against his neck until his groans started growing throaty, and his hold in her hair vice-like. Pulling away from him, she settled her hands against his stomach and rose on her knees to poise the head of him at her entrance. Her teeth dug into her lip, and she slyly smiled at him before she sunk down and tossed her head back in ecstasy. Immediately, he sat up and buried his face in her neck, sinking his teeth into her shoulder as she rose and fell on him of her own volition.

His hands settled on her hips, and he thrust up into her in time with her own movements. She clenched him dangerously, sweat clung to their bodies, and they both fought to keep themselves as quiet as possible. Though, no matter how hard they tried, the bed underneath them continued to scratch against the wooden floors and slammed back against the wall with increasing volume. Growling, he gathered Lin in his arms and lifted them from the bed; propelling them towards the nearby wall. Roughly, his hand slammed against the peeling wallpaper, and held them up as his arm encircled her lower back and kept her still as his hips started to move. Her hand locked around the back of his neck and her mouth slanted across his as he swallowed her fierce moan and he felt the shivers start rolling up her spine.

She arched into him as he held onto her and wildly slammed his hips against hers, their lips breaking apart for throaty moans and breathy gasps to escape. Her walls quivered deliciously as their skin slid together, and he knew she was close when her head fell against the wall and she scratched her trimmed nails down the panes of his back. Slipping one of his hands between them, he circled her clit with the tip of his finger while his hips continued to move, causing her hands to shake and her entire body to quiver. She tightened her arms around him and buried her face in his neck; mewling, panting, and whimpering as she fought the waves of pleasure that threatened to consume her.

But a final flick of her clit was all she needed to soar over the edge, and he held her as she tensed in his arms and screamed into his skin. She clenched him and shook as he continued to thrust into her to prolong her orgasm. Her teeth dug into his skin and sweat slid down her porcelain skin; matting her hair to her face and back. He held her, kissing her shoulder and groaning as the last contractions of her walls milked his own orgasm out of him and sent his seed shooting up inside of her.

Exhausted, he pushed off the wall and fell back onto the rickety bed, groaning as their combined weight threatened to break the metal frame underneath the mattress. With a smile, he looked up and brushed his fingers through her hair, cradling her face, and leaning forward to press a soft kiss against her dampened forehead. She sighed happily, but let her head fall to his chest the moment he pulled away from her; her eyes heavy and her body weak.

Tenzin laughed, sliding his hands down her back and looking over her shoulder to the window that looked out to the city. His fingers brushed along her spine and he smirked, whispering "It stopped raining," when she settled comfortably against him.

"Too tired," she muttered, letting her eyes fall shut. "Bad storm...couldn't leave...stayed here."

"If you say so," he laughed, situating them so he was rested back against the pillows and she was still curled against his chest. "Sleep, my dear," he coaxed, brushing his fingers through her hair and turning off the light on their night stand when her back fell into a steady rise and fall. With a smile, he leaned forward and kissed her forehead again; wrapping her in his arms and muttering a final good night before he joined her in sleep.

Little did either of them know, Cho was downstairs laughing over her drink; contemplating exactly how long she could use what she just heard against the young lovers. "All's fair in love and war," she muttered to nothingness, with a final mischievous chuckle and a last sip of her tea.