#justcallmehermione

[chiefbeifongcanrailme]

For no reason at all (or for ones I don't quite want to divulge), I am going to list out some of my all time favorite Linzin fics in no particular order:

Legend Of Lin by Laurrayn

Gone, Not Forgotten by @superliz6

Small Bump by @justcallmehermione

Silence of the Sound by Vampiric_Charms

Hunger is Quiet (if you do it right) by @karadenizin

The Eclectic Clan by @jalpari

Blended by @guiltysecretpasttime

What Could Have Been by OnceUponACasket

We are Destined for the Quiet Moments by RMarie124

Slow Motion by Oh Dee

They're both happy and sad and most importantly, make me feel things. Thank you to these authors and everyone I've interacted on and beyond this hellsite. Linzin is why I joined the fandom and everything else is why I stayed💚

[justcallmehermione]

One more chapter closer to the end!

Title: Small Bump  Rating: M for some delicious smut   Pairings: Linzin, Tokka (implied), and Kataang

AO3

FF.net

Chapter 14: Maybe It Wasn’t Meant to Be Author’s Note: Wow, I couldn’t believe all the comments I got on the last chapter! You guys are absolutely wonderful and I’m sorry for that twist. I hope these last few chapters make up for it!

Summary: Lin and Tenzin deal with the aftermath of pregnancy loss and decide to return home to get some schedule and routine back in life.

Lin spends the rest of the week in isolation. Tenzin tries to be there for her as much as possible, but also needs some time to himself. They're both trying to sort through the feelings they have after this very traumatic experience. Luckily, Lin's body was recovering,  but her and Tenzin’s emotions still needed some time. The two spent most of their time together holding hands, not wanting to let the other stray too far. Never in their wildest dreams did they ever think they would find themselves in the situation. They both felt very unprepared for how to continue to move forward. Zuko suggested that Lin share what happened to her in the park in order to help sort out her feelings. Tenzin was reclining on the bed, his back leaned against the headboard while he held Lin in his arms between his legs. Her head was resting on his chest and she could hear his heart beating as she began to share what happened that day.

“After watching Izumi give birth, I was honestly a little traumatized. No one has ever really described what it's like to deliver a baby to me. I know how it all works, but I didn't realize all of the hard work and pain and suffering that went in to bring new life into this world. I got scared and I needed time to myself.”

“You're very right. Nobody really talks about what happens when a woman gives birth,” Tenzin agreed.

“And since we were expecting…” Lin stopped herself from continuing, thinking about all of the things that could have been.

“It's understandable, Lin. You don't have to say it if you don't want to.”

She nodded and continued, “You stopped me in the hallway to talk, but I wasn't ready.  You respected my personal space and let me go sort through my feelings before we talked,  which I appreciated. I really didn't know where I was headed because I was lost in my own world and then I ended up in the park and before I knew it, someone hit me and blocked my chi and I was unable to move and defend myself.” Tears were now flowing freely down her cheeks as she remembered the events in the park.

“I wish we knew why,” Tenzin told her, his own tears falling.

“All the man said was that in order for the Fire Nation to be glorious again, the Airbenders needed to stay extinct,” she said through gritted teeth. Tenzin was shocked by her explanation. He could not fathom why someone would want an entire culture to be wiped off the face of the Earth, especially not the culture that he and his father had been working to restore for the last two decades or more.

“I’m sorry, Tez. But I couldn’t do anything to stop him,” Lin tried to frantically explain, “He paralyzed me with the chi blocking and even though I saw everything, I couldn’t do anything…” She was openly sobbing now, her whole body shaking.

Tenzin looked down at his wife and wiped a tear away. He put his hand under her chin and nudged it so she was looking him in the eye. “Lin, I am not mad at you. I don't blame you for any of this. Absolutely none of this is your fault. That man is absolutely horrible and I hope he gets the justice he deserves in the end.”

“But I couldn't protect the baby or myself. If only I had stayed within the palace walls everything could be different now.”

“Lin, we cannot change the past so it does not do well to dwell on it. What happened happened and wishing we could go back and change things isn't going to help us now.”

She sighed, “You have a point. I still can’t help to blame myself a little bit. I just feel terrible about what happened and I don't know if I could ever face your dad again.”

“I know there was a lot of hope for our baby. A lot of people had expectations for him or her, but none of that matters right now.”

“But your father isn't getting any younger,” she tried to argue.

“None of us are. And people will just need to learn how to be patient,” he rebutted.

“But what if...”  she hesitated, worried about his reaction to her idea.

“What if?” he jostles her in his arms a little, urging her to continue.

She sighs and rests her hand on his chest alongside her head and continues, “What if I don’t want to try to have another baby, like ever? Because honestly, I don’t know if I could go through this again. And I know how important having a family is to you and your dad’s legacy. I don’t want to keep you in a relationship with me if we don’t have the same goals in life. I can’t deny the world the next generation of airbenders.” She closes her eyes bracing herself for his reaction.

Tenzin thought for a moment. He knew his duty to his father was to carry on his legacy of restoring the Air Nation. However, he also said sacred vows in the front of his friends and family, promising to love and cherish his beautiful wife for the rest of his life. He also absolutely loves the woman in his arms and he knew he would until the day he died. Nothing, not duty, not family, not enemies could ever prevent him from loving Lin with his entire spirit. He would do absolutely anything for her and he was willing to sacrifice everything for her.

“Lin, the only people in our relationship are me and you, no one else. We are the only two people who can dictate what we do with each other and with our lives. We also swore a vow to love and cherish each other for our entire lives. I love you and there is absolutely nothing or no one who will ever stop me from loving you and standing by your side.”  He bent forward as she rose up a little bit and the two shared a deep kiss.

“I love you too,” she breathed.

“Good,” he smiled down at his beautiful wife, “I’m glad we’re on the same page.”

“Are you sure, though?” She insisted.

“Yes, my love. You are mine and I am yours for the rest of forever.” For the first time since the incident, Lin was able to smile back at her husband thanks to his words of assurance.

After another week passed, Lin and Tenzin were ready to depart the Fire Nation and return home to Republic City after their long honeymoon. Their bags had been packed and Oogi had been saddled, all that was left was to say goodbye to their friends. Fire Lord Zuko and Daichi were standing with the couple in the courtyard of the palace.

“I’m sure Izumi will be here any minute,” Daichi assured his friends.

“Well, thank you for all your hospitality, Zuko,” Tenzin bowed respectfully to the Fire Lord.

“You are both welcome here any time,” Zuko assured him, bowing back, then grabbing Tenzin in a hug.

“Thank you for everything,” Lin said, hugging Daichi then Zuko.

“Would you like one of us to send word if we find anything new about the man from the park?” Zuko asked hesitantly. Tenzin looked at Lin, signaling he would be fine with whatever she wanted.

Lin replied, “Yes. When I get back to work with Republic City PD, I may even use some of our resources to see if I can find anything as well.”

“Okay, just remember ‘Sometimes life is like this dark tunnel, you can’t always see the light at the end of the tunnel, but if you just keep moving, you will come to a better place,” Zuko offered.

Tenzin smiled, “That was one of your uncle’s lines wasn’t it?”

Zuko smiled back, but there seemed to be a hint of sadness in his, then replied, “Yes it was. Uncle Iroh always knew what to say for every occasion to make me feel better. I just try to continue that for him and for the people I love.” Lin threw her arms around Zuko again and stifled a sob. When they broke apart, Tenzin wrapped an arm around his wife and kissed her forehead. Just then, Izumi appeared, walking as quickly as possible without disturbing the sleeping baby in her arms. She looked a little frazzled and very tired.

“Please, no sudden movements or loud noises,” she begged in a whisper, “Baby Iroh just went back to sleep and I started dozing when one of my maids reminded me you two were leaving.”

“Do you want me to take my grandson?” Zuko offered.

“I can take him back to the room, Izumi,” Daichi offered at the same time. Izumi looked relieved to have such an amazing support system.

“Okay, sure,” she handed the baby off to its father then turned to give her best friend a big hug.

“I’m sorry for everything,” Izumi whispered in her friend’s ear. “I wish you nothing but the best from here on out because you deserve only the best.” Lin squeezed her friend a little tighter in response.

“Thank you,” she whispered back. She turned to Daichi who was holding the still sleeping baby. She leaned forward and Daichi tilted the baby so she could get a better look.

“He is absolutely precious,” Lin told her friend, “I am so happy for you.” She smiled, genuinely at her friend. Izumi’s eyes were starting to tear up, but she wiped them away hastily, not wanting to cause her friends anymore pain.

“Thank you,” Daichi said for his wife while she gathered herself, “We’re very happy to have him and can’t wait to see what kind of person he grows up to be.”

“Well, he’s got some great examples to show him how to be an excellent person,” Tenzin complimented them.

“Thank you again for everything,” Lin said to the trio of Fire Nation royalty.

“I hope we can see each other again, soon,” Izumi told her friends.

“We’ll start planning our next get together once we’re back home,” Lin assured her.

“Goodbye everyone,” Tenzin said, waving at the group while he grabbed his wife bridal style and hopped onto Oogi. The flying bison took off on command and started carrying the couple back home to Republic City.

“Are you ready to be home?” Tenzin asked his wife after some time up in the air.

She shrugged, “I don’t know. I think I’m ready to get back to some sort of routine and normalcy. I think it will help with the recovery.”

“I sense a ‘but’ coming,” Tenzin joked.

Lin rolled her eyes, “Yes, but, I’m nervous about what the media is going to do. I mean, they were all over my pregnancy once word got out. I hope the same doesn’t happen about the incident.”

Tenzin looked thoughtful for a moment then told her, “Well, we could always just say forget it and go on another vacation.”

Lin smiled at her husband, “I guess it does pay to have our own personal flying bison to take us wherever we want whenever we want.”

“Oogi does come in rather handy at times,” Tenzin agreed.

“Anyway, there is something I’ve been looking forward to regarding our homecoming,” she shared.

“Oh really? What’s that?”

“Being married to you,” she said cheesily, leaning close to her husband and kissing him.

Tenzin hummed into the kiss, then replied, “Yes, being married to you is the best part of our homecoming. Will you let me carry you into the threshold of our home when we arrive?”

“Only if you promise to carry me straight to bed, undress me immediately, and spend our first few hours home making love,” she declared.

“Well that could be arranged if we delay seeing our family for dinner when we get back,” he thought aloud.

“I could wait to eat. Besides, another kind of hunger is a little more pressing right now,” she admitted.

“We don’t have to wait to fulfill that,” Tenzin told her, leaning over her, causing her to lie flat in the saddle.

“What happened to not wanting to give Oogi the oogies?” she reminded him.

“If you promise to be quiet, I don’t think he’ll know the difference,” Tenzin whispered. Lin was about to laugh, but it was cut off by a deep, passionate, open mouthed kiss that Tenzin had started. She opened her mouth in return, allowing his tongue to move around her mouth. When Tenzin pulled away, he saw Lin’s eyes had darkened, her pupils going large as she stared at the man she loved.

Tenzin smiled down at her, “You are absolutely beautiful and I love that you are mine.” She smiled back, then pulled him down to continue their kissing. Tenzin moved from her mouth and planted kisses all along her jaw, moving down her neck, pausing at her cleavage. He quickly untied the dress she had been wearing and started to kiss her breasts. His mouth covered one nipple, sucking gently, while his hand moved to the other, rubbing and squeezing it. Lin moaned at his touch and Tenzin grew harder thinking about how turned on his wife was.

“It’s getting a little chilly up here,” Lin said between heavy breaths, “And it’s no fair that I’m partially nude and you’re still fully dressed.”

“I want to take my time with you, love,” he told her, “Be patient and you’ll be fulfilled.” “I don’t want to be patient right now,” she whined, “I want you in me.”

Tenzin smiled at his wife, “As you wish.” He quickly tugged his pants down, exposing his erect cock. Lin moved the skirt of her dress out of the way and spread her legs a little wider, allowing Tenzin to kneel comfortably between them. Tenzin licked his two fingers on his hand and inserted them into Lin. She was already so wet and he didn’t want to wait any longer either. He knew he could take his time with her, make proper love to her when they got back to Republic City. Out here, flying over the ocean on his sky bison, after the tragedy that had occurred in the Fire Nation, Lin needed him as much as he needed her. She needed Tenzin to express his love in a physical way that he hasn’t been able to in a couple weeks. Tenzin was not going to deny his wife this reassurance and quickly slid his cock inside of her. She immediately started rocking her hips before he was even in all the way. He tried his best to match her erratic rhythm, holding his release until he felt her walls quiver and clench around him.

After they both climaxed, Tenzin lay down next to his wife, the two of them breathing heavily. Tenzin lazily slid his pants back on as Lin wrapped her dress back around herself. Once they were both covered, Tenzin reached for his wife to snuggle closer. Lin obliged and scooted to him, resting her head in the crook of his arm while he draped the other over her waist.

“I love you, Lin. In this life and the next.”

“I love you too, Tenzin, always.”

A/N: I hope after the fluff and smut of this chapter, you can forgive me for breaking your hearts in the previous one. As always, please like/give kudos, comment, share with fellow Linzin shippers. I start work again tomorrow, but I’m so close to finishing this fic and hope to wrap it up within the month!

[cranioclasm]

Let’s play “Never Have I Ever”. Cross out all of the things that you have done. You might just see that there are people just like you out there.

Sexual

Never have I ever kissed a girl.

Never have I ever kissed a boy.

Never have I ever received/given a blowjob, hand job, eating out.

Never have I ever had sex.

Never have I ever fallen in love.

Never have I ever cheated on someone.

Never have I ever been cheated on. 

Life

Never have I ever gotten into a fight.

Never have I ever done something illegal. 

Never have I ever gotten wasted.

Never have I ever used an illegal drug.

Never have I ever snuck out.

Never have I ever stolen something. 

Never have I ever vandalized something.

Never have I ever lost a family member due to death.

Never have I ever been in a life or death situation.

Never have I ever been arrested.

Never have I ever been fired from a job.

Emotions

Never have I ever been kept up at night due to guilt. 

Never have I ever laughed so hard I cried.

Never have I ever been abused physically.

Never have I ever cried myself to sleep.

Never have I ever wished that I was someone else.

Never have I ever wanted to kill myself.

Never have I ever tried to kill myself.

Never have I ever felt like an outcast.

Never have I ever wanted to do something just so I would fit in.

Friendships

Never have I ever ruined my friendship with someone.

Never have I ever had a friend leave me for other people.

Never have I ever been kicked out of a friend group.

Never have I ever wanted to fuck one of my friends. 

Never have I ever been friendless.

School

Never have I ever failed a test.

Never have I ever cut class.

Never have I ever had to eat alone.

Never have I ever failed a course.

Never have I ever been suspended.

Never have I ever received detention.

Never have I ever dropped out of school.

[evorai]

OHMYGOSH!! YES!! This is it! Thank you so much! Just let me know what kind of fan fic you want and I will get on it ASAP! You're amazing *hugs*

Glad I could help ^^ 

Fanfiction. Hmm…let me think for a-JUST KIDDING I DON’T NEED TO THINK- KATAANG!!!! 

:)

[mochimaster]

What was your first ship? What is your favorite ship? What is your favorite video game?

I guess I’d say that my first ship was Kataang.

My favorite ship is Linzin! Linzin is my favorite ship, I will ship it for all of eternity! Lin and Tenzin are meant for each other therefore I will ship this with all of my soul FOREVER! LINZIN OWNS MY SOUL!

Well my favorite video game is more of a favorite video game series, which is Kingdom Hearts! I fell in love with Kingdom Hearts when it first released back in 2002, I was 5 yrs old at the time and that game is basically my childhood. Also I really love the Final Fantasy series as well so it’s really hard to pick favorites.

[xoddxphilosophyx]

justcallmehermione said: 

just got netflix, rewatching Avatar right now. then gonna watch Dr. Who then Supernatural! Yay procrastination!! :D

Fair warning, getting into Doctor Who is a big commitment... you may not want to be in the fandom, but you will be. And you will be mad at the writers for making you sad from time to time. From what I've gathered Supernatural will be even more painful

(alsoyayprocrastination)

[justcallmehermione]

Let me update ya ;)

Story: Small Bump  Rating: M for some delicious smut Pairings: Linzin, Tokka (implied), and Kataang

FF.net

AO3

Chapter 12: The Beifong Estate

“I wish you guys could stay a little longer,” Kya sighed as she gave the couple another big hug.

“I agree,” Sokka adds, throwing his arms around the trio, “I’m going to miss my meat eating buddy!” Everyone laughed at his new nickname for Lin. Now that she was eating for two, Lin sometimes felt like she was always hungry and always had room for more food on her plate. Kya had chided her about overeating not being healthy for her or the baby, but she dismissed her remarks. Tenzin knew Lin had plenty of opportunities to burn off the extra calories in the sparring yard as well as their bed.

“Make sure to tell me when you’re close to your due date, and where you are so I can be there to meet the little one,” Kya reminded Lin.

“I will, don’t worry,” she agreed.

“Don’t worry about letting me know, I’ll be intercepting Kya’s mail so I can make it there first,” Sokka jokes.

“We’ll see you in a couple months,” Tenzin stated. He waved as he mounted Oogi, Lin following him closely.

“Yip yip,” Tenzin commanded. Oogi took to the sky, headed north. The couple waved at their relatives until they were high in the sky.

The newlyweds had decided to head to the Beifong Estate in Gaoling. Lin’s grandparents wanted to spend some time with them before the baby arrived, probably so they can throw some kind of party in her honor. The Beifongs not only enjoyed showing others their wealth, but also their connections and what better connection than their granddaughter having the Avatar’s grandchild? Tenzin was a little apprehensive about going there. He knew that Lin loved her grandparents and had some fond childhood memories with them, but he also knew that sometimes their propriety could get on Lin’s nerves. Lin had been in such high spirits after their make up and he didn’t want her to go down any more dark paths.

“Yuan for your thoughts?” Lin inquired, noticing the look on her husband’s face.

“Nothing important,” he assured her, “Just looking forward to continuing our honeymoon adventure.” He smiled at her. She smiled back and leaned into him to plant a kiss on his lips.

“Yes, I like our little honeymoon adventures. Especially the time we spend in bed together,” she purred, sliding her hand to rest on Tenzin’s inner thigh.

“Please behave,” he said while clearing his throat, “You know I don’t want to give Oogi the oogies while we travel.”

Lin laughed at her husband. “Fine,” she acquiesced, “I’ll behave until we have a little privacy.”

After an entire day of traveling, wrapped in a couple furs to keep the chill, winter air out, the couple finally arrived in Gaoling. They landed in the gardens in the back of the Beifong Estate, where the lanterns were starting to be lit as twilight started. Tenzin and Lin were greeted by a butler and were escorted into the manor house as another servant saw that Oogi was taken care of in the stables. Tenzin and Lin were led to the main parlor where Lao and Poppy were enjoying some after-dinner drinks.

“Master Tenzin and Mistress Lin have arrived,” the butler announced as they entered the room. Lao and Poppy set down their drinks and rose to greet their guests.

“Lin, you look absolutely radiant!” her grandmother proclaimed. She approached the pregnant woman and gave her a kiss on each cheek.

“It’s so good to see you again,” Lin greeted back.

“Tenzin, it’s a pleasure as always,” Lao greeted, bowing to him.

“Likewise,” Tenzin replied, returning the bow.

“Are you hungry? We can have some leftovers brought in here. I requested that they be saved a little later than usual,” Poppy explained.

“Yes, please,” Lin replied politely, resting a hand on her baby bump. Now that she was in her second trimester, her belly seemed to grow a little more everyday. Tenzin thought she looked beautiful and told her as much every chance he could, but he knew she was starting to doubt him since her feet were slowly disappearing from under her.

“Thank you for allowing us to visit,” Tenzin said.

“Oh, please! You’re always welcome here!” Lao told him.

“Yes, we miss Lin visiting us regularly now that she’s a grown, married woman,” Poppy agreed.

“I miss our visits, too,” Lin shared.

“Come sit, let’s catch up while we wait for your food. I’d love to hear about all your latest adventures,” Poppy directed the couple to one of the sofas in the parlor. Lao and Poppy sat on the sofa across from them, picking up their drinks from earlier. Tenzin and Lin shared stories from their recent travels. Lin updated them on how she was feeling during the pregnancy. Tenzin knew that Lao and Poppy did not always approve of Toph and her life choices, but he was glad that they were able to reconcile and that Lin was able to have more people in her life who loved and supported her. The food arrived and the newlyweds were able to refuel after the journey north while Lao and Poppy updated them on the goings-on of the Earth Kingdom nobility and the work Lao’s company had been doing.

After a little anecdote about a recent tea party Poppy had been to she started to explain, “Oh, that reminds me! Lin, I know you’re not fond of high society get-togethers, but I just could not resist…” Tenzin put a hand on the small of Lin’s back, reminding her that he was here for her and hoping she found the gesture relaxing as they waited for Poppy to reveal a surprise.

“What is it, Grandmother?” Lin invited her to continue.

“Well, since this is your first baby and you’ll need some things to help take care of him or her, I thought it might be fun to throw you a tea party. When you announced your pregnancy, you know that the news spread fast and all my friends started asking if there’d be a celebration for you. Then you wrote asking if you could stay here for a bit and I just couldn’t help myself,” Poppy finished explaining.

“Your grandmother will be hosting the party in your honor at the beginning of next week,” Lao added.

“Yes, and I invited your sister, mother, and mother-in-law to it as well!” Poppy exclaimed.

Lin smiled a little uneasily, “That’s great. I’m looking forward to it.” Tenzin started rubbing small circles on Lin’s back trying to reassure her. He prayed to the spirits that Lin would remain calm and on good terms with him and her grandparents, despite another party with her in the spotlight.

Later that evening, Tenzin was lying in bed as Lin was finishing her nightly hygiene routine. He was debating whether or not to bring up how she was feeling about the party. He really didn’t want to upset her anymore, but he also wanted her to know that he was there for her. Lin finished up in the washroom and flopped onto the bed next to him with a deep sigh.

Well, it’s now or never, he thought before he began, “Anything you’d like to discuss?”

Lin sighed and replied, “I’m not sure if I’m ready for another party quite yet.”

“Well, you still have a few days before it. We can always run away in the meantime,” he offered with a cheesy smile on his face.

She turned and smiled up at her husband, “I might take you up on that offer.”

“Hey, it might not be so bad. It’ll be nice to see our moms again. And your sister will be here to help take the edge off. You two could always have a Beifong sparring match and tear some rocks up beforehand,” he suggested.

“That’s not a bad idea, airhead,” Lin told her husband while she snuggled closer to him, closing her eyes. Tenzin held Lin close as they drifted to sleep, looking forward to enjoying his time with his wife in Gaoling.

The week flew by and before they knew it it was time for the Tea Party. Poppy had invited nobles from all across the Earth Kingdom as well as some prominent individuals from the  other nations and the United Republic. Toph, Katara, and Suyin had arrived a few days after Tenzin and Lin, and the newlyweds had enjoyed catching up with them while also preparing for  the big event.

Katara, Toph, Suyin, and Lin were finishing up getting ready when Tenzin knocked on the door.  Katara was helping Lin with her hairstyle while Suyin was doing Toph’s makeup.

“Well, don’t you all look stunning?” Tenzin remarked as he entered the room. All the women were wearing beautiful gowns that seemed to match the colors of their eyes: Katara’s dress a bright, icy blue, Toph’s a pale mint, Su’s and Lin’s an olive color. Their hair was all done  in more formal styles and they were all wearing more makeup than usual.  Katara finished Lin's hair, so Lin got up to greet Tenzin. Tenzin’s mouth hung open slightly when he saw his wife’s figure. Her dress was floor-length with long sleeves and a high waisted belt that seemed to accentuate her now-protruding stomach. Half of her hair had been pulled back into intricate plaits that met in the back of her head  while the rest of her hair was left in loose tendrils that flowed past her shoulders.

“Lin, you’re absolutely gorgeous,” Tenzin whispered as his wife embraced him. He pecked her cheek very carefully, trying not to mess up her make-up.

Lin flushed at the romantic gesture and words and whispered, “Thanks, Tez.” Tenzin could not believe how lucky he was to have such a beautiful wife carrying his future child.

“All right that's enough from the two love birds,” Toph interrupted, “Let's start making our way to the party before my mother has a fit because we are late.”

The group made their way to the grand staircase that led to the main foyer. As they approached the stairs, Tenzin offered his arm to his wife to help her down the stairs. He took advantage of their closeness to whisper in his wife's ear, “Let me know if you need a little break from the party my love. I know a private place where we can spend some time alone.”

Lin elbowed his side gently in response and scolded, “Will you behave? This is not the time to make such suggestions to your pregnant wife.”

“On the contrary, anytime is an appropriate time to show my beautiful wife how much I love and adore her. Not to mention, I do love pleasing you any chance I get.”  He ended his line with a wink and pulled back a little since they were about to enter the room Poppy had set up for the Tea Party.

“Lin! You are absolutely glowing!” Poppy proclaimed when she entered the room. Tenzin  could sense his wife tense a little when most of the heads in the room turned in her direction. It wasn't a very large nor a very crowded room, especially compared to the events the couple had attended in the past, but there were still probably at least 50 or so people at about a dozen tables scattered throughout the room. At the center of each table was a beautiful glass vase with lovely flowers that included peonies in a soft blush color, baby blue carnations, and white daisies, all lined with a rim of baby’s breath. How fitting, Tenzin thought to himself, putting baby's breath in a flower arrangement at a tea party for a pregnant woman.

“Hello everyone,” Lin greeted her guests with an elegant wave, “Tenzin and I are so very glad you could come celebrate such a happy time with us.”  Tenzin gave the crowd a wave as well and smiled at their guests. He glanced over in Poppy's direction and saw her nod of approval at their good hosting manners.

“Come and join us,” Poppy invited the new arrivals and guests of honor. Once they were all seated at the same table, Poppy gave the orders to start the tea ceremony. Tenzin watched as his wife focused on taking small bites of her food and small sips of her tea to appear like the proper lady her grandmother wanted her to be. He knew she would rather have heartier food options since the pregnancy seemed to make her ravenous, but he also knew she wanted to make her grandmother proud and not cause any scenes.

After most of the food and tea had been consumed, Poppy guided her granddaughter   and her husband to a pair of chairs that were in the front of the room, facing the crowd.  Poppy  cleared her throat and waited for everyone to quiet down and face her.

“I wanted to take the opportunity to thank you all for coming again. I hope you enjoyed our hospitality. I would now like to invite anyone who wishes to offer well wishes to the expecting couple to come up and do so at this time,” Poppy announced.  She bowed to the crowd  and returned to her seat at the table. Tenzin glanced at his wife and saw she was smiling, but was positive it was an uneasy smile. He reached over and grabbed her hand in reassurance. Lin glanced at him quickly and she squeezed his hand back in thanks. The two sat with their hands together while the guests came up to offer small gifts for the baby and them, as well as to offer well wishes for the baby and mother to have good health. Not a single person made a reference to airbending the entire time and Tenzin was relieved for himself and his wife.

As the line of guests was nearing the end, a gentleman dressed in Fire Nation robes approached them and bowed. “Masters Tenzin and Beifong, it is an absolute honor to be here celebrating your new bundle of joy. I have been given the privilege of being the official envoy for the Fire Lord and her Royal Highness the Crown Princess. They regret not being able to come, but wish to pass along their love.”

“How very kind of the Fire Nation to send such a wonderful envoy with such kind and moving words,” Tenzin told the man.

“It is sad that Princess Izumi could not be here on this special occasion, but I completely understand given her current circumstances,” Lin added.

“Yes,”  the man agreed, “We are very excited about the birth of the next heir. The princess also wanted me to give you this.”  The man offered Lin a letter with the Royal Seal of the Fire Nation. Lin and Tenzin thanked the man for coming. Lin handed Tenzin the letter which he safely tucked into his breast pocket to read after the party had ended.

After the guests had all left and the family were enjoying some after dinner drinks in the  parlor,  Tenzin took the letter out of his pocket and handed it to Lin. She tore it open eagerly  and scanned the letter quickly.

“What does it say?” Suyin asked her sister.

“Who was it from?” Toph asked her daughter.

Lin smiled at them all and explained, “It is a letter from Izumi. She says that the Royal Physician believes her baby will be here within the next fortnight. She wants me there to be there for her when the baby comes.”

“Oh how exciting!” Katara exclaimed, “It's so funny to think our kids are starting to have babies of their own.”

“You've got that right, Sugar Queen,” Toph added, “I know I sure don't feel old enough to be a grandma quite yet.”

Poppy agreed and added, “Quite right, dear. I don't think I'm old enough to be a great-grandmother!” All of the older women laughed at their comments.

“I wish I could join you guys,” Su sighed, “but I agreed to help a group of students from Ba Sing Se University do some exploring in the Si Wong Desert. They want to study the sandbenders and how their culture has evolved in such an arid place.”

“We promise to send your regrets along,” Tenzin comforted her.

“Well, I suppose this means you all will be leaving us shortly,” Lao stated with a hint of sadness in his voice.

“Yes, but we should all try to get together like this again soon,” Lin offered, trying to make her grandfather feel better.

“That would be lovely, Lin,” he agreed.

By the end of the week Katara, Toph, and Suyin had left Gaoling to return to their duties elsewhere. Lin and Tenzin were now preparing to depart as well so they could join Izumi in the Fire Nation. The young couple bid the Beifongs farewell and promised to return to spend more time with them as soon as they were able.

A/N: I meant it when I said I want to finish this fic before 2020 is over.  I am trying to write as much as I can now because in exactly one week I will be returning to work as a teacher in the middle of a global pandemic. I am not looking forward to going back in person with my students so I'm trying to avoid singing about it by focusing on things that make me happy like this fic and this ship. How lucky for all you lovely readers :)  as always feel free to leave comments and Kudos because they definitely help motivate me!

[eomerr]

Thanx for all the suggestions guys! I'm going to have to listen to a couple of them now, 'cause I'm not really familiar with some of them.

[arnold-shortman]

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[justcallmehermione]

Another chapter is here!

Story: Small Bump Rating: M for some delicious smut

Pairings: Linzin, Tokka, and Kataang

FF.net

AO3

Chapter 11: Boiling Point

Tenzin hopped off his air scooter just as he arrived at the stables. Lin already had Oogi saddled and was leading him to the field so she could mount him and leave the temple.

“Lin!” Tenzin called to his wife, “Wait!” He bounded towards her and the bison. She had stopped, but not turned to look at him.

“You’re lucky. We were just about to leave,” she told him without looking in his direction while making sure the knot on Oogi’s horn was secure.

“Lin, can we talk for a second, please?”

“What’s the point? I’m mad and will just argue with you.”

“The point is I love you and I hate when you’re not happy.”

“Well, Tenzin, we can’t all be happy all the time. That’s not human.” And with that, Lin bent herself a pillar so she could sit at the nape of Oogi’s neck. Not wanting to be left behind, Tenzin quickly jumped up and sat right next to her.

“Can you just leave me be for now,” she implored, still not looking at Tenzin.

“Is that what you really want?”

“Yes. I just want time to feel what I feel right now.”

“Alright. I’ll go and grab some furs for you then sit in the back.”

“I’m fine. Please just go sit in the saddle.”

Tenzin acquiesced and climbed in the saddle, wrapping the furs around him. If he couldn’t share them with her now, he’d at least warm them up for her for when she was ready.

…

Tenzin woke up after taking a nap in the warm furs. He had not much sleep the previous night thanks to Devadas and he felt drained after the confrontation at the Air Temple. He rubbed the sleep from his eyes and looked over to Lin. She was still sitting on Oogi’s neck, her arms crossed with her hands tucked under her arms. Despite the warm coat and gloves she had donned, she was still cold up in the air as they approached the frozen tundra of the Southern Water Tribe.

“Lin, why don’t you come to the furs?”

“I’m fine.”

“I can see that you’re shivering from here.”

Lin spun around and looked back at him with anger still in her eyes and tone and siad, “I don’t need another parent. I’m a grown woman and can take care of myself!”

“I know that. I was just hoping that…”

“That I would magically feel all better and come crawling to your arms? Yeah right, not what after those air heads at the temple were saying.”

“What are you talking about?”

“Those doulas were aggravating me the entire time I was there. Ever since Devadas had separated us, it was a never ending symphony of unsolicited advice and presumptions of this baby being an airbender!”

Tenzin scooted closer to his wife and reached out to her, but Lin leaned away and continued, “Please don’t touch me. I’m still very angry because of their words and actions and I think I just need some time away from air nomads for a little bit.” Tenzin looked defeated at her words.

“I’m very sorry for whatever they said to you, Lin. And I’m sorry if I’ve done anything to make it worse,” he apologized.

“That’s just it, Tenzin. You don’t know what you’re apologizing for and you’re apologizing for other people. Do you know how worthless that makes the apology?”

Tenzin sighed, “Yes. I just want to make things better for you.”

“And I’m telling you that the thing I need right now is some space and time to clear my head.”

“I hear you, but I know how into your head you can get and how what you think and say to yourself is not always true.”

“Then let me try to sort that out for myself,” she huffed and turned to face away from her husband. Tenzin sighed and hoped that she would be ready to talk to him about everything soon. He removed one of the furs from the bundle he had been sleeping in and draped it around Lin’s shoulders. If she didn’t want to talk, that was fine with him, but he was still going to make sure she was comfortable.

…

Oogi touched down in the central plaza of the Southern Water Tribe capital just as the sun was starting to set. Lin crawled into the saddle to grab her bag and hopped off Oogi without so much as a glance in Tenzin’s direction. Tenzin sighed and shook his head. Lin could be stubborn at times and it looked like there wasn’t much he could do about it tonight. Although it pained him to think that they would be going to bed angry tonight, the first time since they’ve been married.

By the time Tenzin dismounted Oogi with the rest of their things he saw that Kya had found Lin and had her locked in a warm embrace. Kya opened her eyes and saw that Tenzin was on the ground and she silently mouthed “Everything okay?” when her blue eyes met his grey ones. Tenzin shook his head and looked at the ground in defeat in response to his sister’s silent question. Kya broke away from Lin then and approached Tenzin with her arms open.

“Hello, little brother. It’s good to see you,” she greeted, wrapping her arms around him and patting him gently on the back.

“It’s nice to see you again, Kya,” he greeted warmly, despite the frigid breeze that had started blowing.

“Come on you two,” Kya directed, “Let’s get inside before the snow gets added to the wind. When we get inside I’ll have someone tend to Oogi to make sure he’s comfortable.” Tenzin nodded and gestured for Kya to lead the way. He tried to look at Lin, but she kept the hood of her jacket up and her head down to avoid his gaze.

As the three of them walked to the Southern Water Tribe palace, Kya began, “Oh, I forgot to say: Congratulations to the both of you! I’m looking forward to meeting my niece or nephew in a few months!” She smiled at the couple, but her smile disappeared when she noticed Tenzin’s uneasiness and the scowl that became more prominent on Lin’s face.

Tenzin cleared his throat and replied, “Thank you, Kya. We’re both looking forward to meeting our baby too.” He forced a smile back and put his hand on the small of Lin’s back, praying to every spirit out there that she doesn’t recoil at his touch.

“There’s my favorite newlyweds!” a voice exclaimed, cutting through the tension. The trio turned to look to see Sokka approaching them.

“Hello, Uncle Sokka,” Tenzin greeted, reaching out to clasp the older man’s arm.

“Hello, Tenzin,” Sokka greeted with a big grin on his face. He turned to Lin with his arms outstretched and continued, “Linny, it’s so good to see you! And you’re absolutely glowing in your condition! I’m so glad you made some time to come visit us down here in the ice.” Sokka wrapped Lin in a bear hug and lifted her slightly off the floor as he greeted her.

"Hello, Uncle Sokka. It's really great to see you too,” Lin replied through gritted teeth.

“How was your trip down here?” he asked her, “The air nomads didn’t give you too much of a hassle, did they?”

Tenzin felt his face flush at Sokka’s question and started rubbing his head. Lin looked down and the small smile that had begun to appear on her face completely disappeared, her lips now pursed in anger at the thoughts of what transpired at the Southern Air Temple.

Kya, sensing the tension that was building, interjected with, “Tenzin, I’m sure you and Lin are exhausted, but also hungry! Uncle, why don’t you take Lin to their room while Tenzin and I grab some food for them? We can all catch up once they’re rested.”

Sokka agreed, “Sure, Kya, sounds like a plan. This way, Linny.” Sokka offered his arm to Lin and she accepted it. Tenzin watched his wife retreat down the hallway then turned to his sister.

Tenzin sighed, “Thanks for your quick thinking, Kya. Lin has not been in a great mood since we left the temple.”

“Yeah, I kind of sensed something when you both landed earlier. Both your auras are much darker than usual. What happened?” Kya asked as she led them towards the kitchen.

“I am not really sure about all the details, however I do know the air acolytes we're getting on Lin's nerves.”

“Oh, I suppose that makes sense, especially when mixed with her pregnancy hormones.  Well, I know the two of you will work things out. You both always make it over these bad bumps and somehow come out stronger after.”

Tenzin smiled at his sister, feeling hopeful for the first time that day, “Thanks, Kya. I really appreciate the reassurance.”

“No problem, little bro. Besides if I know Lin and pregnant women as well as I think, then I'm sure a hearty meal will take some of the edge off.”

Tenzin and Kya made their way to the room that had been prepared for Lin and Tenzin.  When they arrived, they found Lin alone and unpacking her bag.

“Dinner has arrived!” Kya sang out. “I’ll leave you two to eat and relax a little. Let me know if either of you need anything. My room is down the hall and Uncle Sokka’s is across the way.” Kya left the married couple alone in the room to hopefully work out the problem they were facing.

Tenzin set the tray of food down in front of Lin and offered, “Eat as much as you’d like. I’m not very hungry.”

Lin glared at him, but accepted the food. She ate a little of everything, savoring the delicious Southern Water Tribe cuisine that she had enjoyed most of her life thanks to her extended family’s heritage, and especially Katara’s cooking skills.

When she had her fill she turned to Tenzin and said, “I think I’m ready to talk about what happened. That is, if you’re interested in hearing me out still.” She still had her head bent down, not looking him in the eye.

Tenzin reached over and grabbed Lin’s chin, forcing her jade eyes to meet his grey ones. “I am always interested in what you have to say.”

Lin took a deep breath and began, “From the moment we were separated at the temple, I felt like there was this spotlight that was fixed on me and the light was blinding and the heat made me very uncomfortable.”

Tenzin nodded, and she continued, “When we were there, surrounded by the people who have been helping your father rebuild the Air Nation, I felt this enormous pressure weighing on me.”

“I think I might know how you were feeling,” Tenzin explained, “Sometimes when I visit the temples or am talking to my dad, I definitely feel a lot of pressure to be a certain way and act a certain way.”

“Exactly,”  she agreed, “On top of that, I felt like the doulas and other air acolytes were piling all of that pressure on our unborn child. I didn't think it was fair of them to make all of these assumptions about him or her.”

“I know you feel that way, Lin,” Tenzin said, reaching out to stroke his wife’s hair, “But I've already told you: it doesn't matter who this child becomes. I will love him or her with my entire being, just like I love you.” He wrapped his wife in his arms and planted a chaste kiss on her forehead.

“I know we have talked about this before and that you keep reassuring me, but when we  are around other people, especially when they voice their expectations, it makes it very hard for me.”

“I know, sweetheart. I'm not sure what else I can do though,” he shrugged.

Lin’s temper started to flare a little bit. Through gritted teeth she said, “Why are you being so nonchalant about this?”

“I am not being nonchalant,” he retorted.

“Your shoulder shrug says otherwise. Maybe you don't understand how big of a deal this is for me,” she spat back.

“Lin, please don't start this again,”  he pleaded.

“Maybe I never stopped in the first place. Those air acolytes were ridiculous, and if I'm being honest, Uncle Sokka's comments didn't make me feel much better.”

“Why are you being so self-conscious about this pregnancy?  Do you not want to have  this baby?“

Lin hesitated, “Sometimes, I don't know if I do. I don't know if I'd be good enough as a mother.” Tears were welling in both of their eyes now. Lin’s words felt like they were gutting Tenzin and leaving him to bleed out alone.

Tenzin whispered, “I wish you wouldn't say things like that. You’re starting to sound selfish.”

“Well, I'm sorry to hurt you with my words,” Lin began, anger quickly replacing the sadness she felt moments ago. “The pressure and fear of the unknown is really getting to me. I don't know how much more I can take of all this. I didn’t think getting pregnant with you would make things this hard!”

Tenzin let his anger flare as well and yelled back, “I'm so sorry I inconvenienced you in this way! Forgive me for wanting to start a family with you and for trying to pass on my father's legacy to a new generation. I thought you understood this when you agreed to spend the rest of your life with me.”

“Oh, so I'm supposed to set aside my feelings and become some lifeless, baby making machine, am I? I don’t think so, especially if we are going to fight like this every time I'm pregnant. This makes me want to NOT have ANY kids with you, EVER!” she screamed.

“Well it's a little too late for that now isn't it?” he fired back at her. At those words, Lin got up off the floor and stormed out of the room, leaving a very angry Tenzin alone.

Sokka poked his head out of his door after he heard a loud bang. He looked around and saw Lin headed off down the hallway towards Kya’s room, her hands clenched into tight fists. He decided to go check on Tenzin. Sokka crossed the hall and knocked on the door before opening it. He saw Tenzin sitting on the floor in the lotus position, taking deep breaths.

“Mind if I join?” Sokka probed while crossing the room and sitting across from Tenzin. Tenzin nodded in agreement and continued to focus on controlling his breathing.

“So, you and Lin had an argument,” Sokka began. Tenzin nodded in response. “Well, I know those are never fun, but I also know you two love each other very much and will work on fixing this rift.”

Tenzin sighed, “I hope so, Uncle. I just feel like every time I try to do that, I somehow end up making it worse.”

Sokka laughed, “I’m not surprised. You should have seen Toph’s mood swings when she was pregnant with Lin and Suyin. They were legendary.”

A small smile began to form as Tenzin replied, “Yes, I vaguely remember a little outburst at Air Temple Island. Dad had to go into the Avatar state to keep the island from sinking into the bay, if I remember correctly.”

“Exactly,” Sokka replied jovially, “So if you can’t handle it, I’m sure you could call Aang in for reinforcements if things get really rough.” Tenzin sighed at the mention of his dad’s name. In a way, it felt like he was the cause of a lot of this distress.

Sokka, not missing the sigh, asked, “Is everything alright with you and your dad?”

Tenzin shrugged, “I mean, I love him and respect him, but sometimes our situation is not the easiest.”

“You mean single-handedly resurrecting a culture and airbending isn’t the walk in the park Aang makes it out to be?”

Tenzin laughed without emotion, “No. It is not. People keep assuming Lin is carrying an airbender and they keep making somewhat morbid comments that are putting even more pressure on her.”

“Other people just love to meddle in our lives, don’t they? All because we somehow got roped into being related to the Avatar.” Sokka teased.

“Yes, and I do agree with Lin, that people should stop making these assumptions. I don’t want our child to grow up with the pressure we felt, but I’m afraid that I cannot stop that from happening.”

“Well, instead of focusing on all the what ifs and other uncertainties, why don’t you and Lin try to focus on the concrete things you can control in the here and now,” Sokka offered.

Tenzin took another deep breath, “You’re right, Uncle. It doesn’t help worrying about what might be. We should try our best to focus on what we can control.”

“And I know that Lin will agree with you. So, why don’t I go and find her and bring her to talk things out, hopefully more calmly this time,” Sokka suggested.

Sokka found Lin in Kya’s room like he guessed he would. When he knocked on the door he heard a soft “Come in,” and when he opened the door, he saw his two nieces. Kya was sitting up on her bed while Lin lay prone with her head in Kya’s lap. Kya was gently stroking her sister-in-law’s hair. When Lin looked up at Sokka, he noticed the tear streaks on her cheeks. He bent down to place a kiss on her forehead to help console her like he used to do when she was a child.

“Hey, Linny,” he whispered to her.

Lin blinked her eyes rapidly to try to dispel the tears before responding, “Hey, Sokka.”

“Lin, I want you to know how amazing you are. you are so very strong and very beautiful. I am so proud of the woman you've grown into,” Sokka praised, looking her in the eye.  “I'm proud of both of you ladies.” He smiled up at Kya and laid a hand on both their shoulders. “ I feel very lucky to call you both family.”

“Uncle Sokka, always the charmer aren't you?” Kya giggled.

“What can I say? I've been called a real Ladies Man in my prime,” he said while waggling his eyebrows. Both girls giggled at their uncle. Lin sat up, wiping the tears from her face and taking a deep breath.

“I'm really worried,” Lin  explained, “A lot of people are watching me and expecting things from me. I just don't want to let anybody down.”

“ I think I can speak for most of the adults in our family when I say you could never disappoint us. We love you unconditionally and you always somehow manage to amaze us with all of the things you accomplish.”

“He's right, Lin. You just have to ignore everybody and focus on being happy,” Kya added.

Lin sighed, “If I'm being honest oh, I have been focusing a lot on the negative things in my life and worrying about things out of my control. I haven't felt happy because of that.”

“Well, I can confirm that your husband is ready to help you be happy and focus on what you can control,” Sokka assured her.

“Go to him,” Kya ordered, “ you both deserve to be happy and you should be enjoying your honeymoon vacation around the world.”

“Ew, don’t say honeymoon. Thinking about Lin and Tenzin doing that is giving me the oogies,” Sokka freaked out, sticking his tongue out. Both girls laughed at his silliness.

“All right, you convinced me. I'll go. Thank you both so much.” Lin  pulled both of them close and gave them a tight hug.

“Have a good night Linny! We’ll see you in the morning for breakfast,” Sokka called to her retreating form.

Tenzin heard the door open, but he didn’t get up out of bed. He assumed it was Lin coming back from the time she took to collect herself. He heard some rustling, then felt the mattress dip and a tug at the blankets. He lifted his arms slightly to let her slide in bed easily and soon he felt her arm wrapping around him. Tenzin turned to face her. She had a sheepish smile on her face.

“Hey,” she whispered uneasily.

“Hello,” he breathed back.

“So, about earlier,” she started, breaking their eye contact as the uneasiness started to come back.

Tenzin grabbed her chin and forced her to look at him, “I love you, Lin. Did we get married sooner because you were pregnant? Yes. But did I want to marry you before that? Most definitely. I’ve wanted to make you my wife for about as long as I can remember at this point. You make me happy and feel loved. I don’t care what anyone has to say or what they think. You are my priority, always.” He ended his profession of love by crashing his lips against hers, enunciating his monologue by pouring all the passion he could into the kiss.

Once they parted, he looked into her eyes and saw tears swelling again. He went to wipe them with his thumb, but she grabbed his hand, “I love you too, Tenzin. I wouldn’t want to have anyone else’s baby, ever. I’m going to be by your side for the rest of my life. I hope we can move forward and allow our love to grow.”

“Of course we can, my love. I wouldn't want anything else from you.”

“Are you sure you don't want anything else from me?” she purred, nibbling on his ear lobe.

“Well, if you're offering, I would not decline,” he murmured back, then buried his face in her neck, peppering kisses along it. Lin tilted her head slightly to give him better access to the nape of her neck. He quickly rolled on top of her and trailed kisses from her neck to the top of her breasts.

“I think you’re wearing too many layers,” he growled as he began to strip his wife of every last piece of fabric covering her body.

“So are you,” she quipped back, tugging at his robes. He obliged and raised himself up to take off his top. He stood quickly to remove his bottoms as well, then quickly pinned his wife back down to the bed.

“I love you,” Tenzin breathed on her body as he trailed kisses down her body, lingering at her center. Lin moaned in response, the anticipation of what was about to happen driving her wild. Tenzin continued to pleasure his wife with his mouth, sucking and licking her folds. She responded to his movements by arching her back and tilting her hips forward, trying to give him a better angle. Tenzin slipped a finger inside her, feeling for the spot that absolutely drove her wild.

“Let go, love,” he coaxed his wife as he continued to please her with his fingers and mouth. Lin allowed the pleasure to wash over her and Tenzin felt her walls clamp around his fingers in response. He continued his movements until he heard her whimper, signaling she had had enough for the time being. Tenzin took the chance to climb back up and kiss her, sliding his tongue inside her mouth. She moaned at the thought of where that mouth had been and the pleasure it had brought her moments before.

Lin placed a hand on his chest and pushed, causing their lips to part. “Your turn,” she said with a smirk on her lips. She pushed harder, forcing Tenzin to back away from her. She then grabbed him and forced him to lie on his back on the bed. She took her time sucking on his ear lobe as she let her hand wander towards his very stiff member. As she kissed him, she slowly pumped his cock, eliciting soft moans that were drowned in their kisses.

Lin broke away from him and moved down the bed, positioning her head just above his hard cock. She looked him straight in the eyes as she slowly bent down, mouth open. She enveloped him whole, causing him to gasp. She slowly slid up his cock and released it with a loud popping noise.

“More,” he moaned. She smirked at him, loving how she could make him come undone with such a simple move. She bent her head back down and sucked his cock at a steady pace. Tenzin wove his fingers through her hair to help keep it out of her way and to help keep pace. After a little while, Tenzin felt like he was going to burst, but he didn’t want to finish in her mouth.

“Lin, stop,” he managed to croak out. She sat up immediately and looked at him, eyes questioning what he wanted her to do next. He took her hands in his and pulled her on top of him.

“Ride me, please. I want to watch your beautiful body pleasure me,” he requested firmly. Lin followed his directions and seated herself on his member. Her stomach was not very round yet, so she was able to move as quickly and wildly as she wanted, not hesitating to quicken the pace. Tenzin reached a hand between their bodies and played with her nub, causing pressure to build in her again. He sat up slightly so he could suck one of her nipples as she rode his hard member. He could feel her walls start spasming around his cock and he couldn’t hold it in anymore. The two lovers cried out in delight as they both reached their peak. Lin started slowing her movements as the two panted, trying to catch their breath and steady their heart rates now that they were both satisfied.

Tenzin reclined back so he was prone on the bed once more and pulled Lin down with him. She slid off of him and curled her body next to his, resting her head on his chest. Tenzin wrapped his arms around his wife and kissed her forehead. He managed to pull the blankets over them as the two drifted asleep, both exhausted from the emotional journey they’d been on the last couple days.

A/N: Apologies for how long it’s been since the last update. I have set myself a goal to finish this piece by the end of 2020, and so far I feel like I’m on the right track. After this, my original plan/outline has 5 more chapters and that’s it. I’m starting the next one as we speak and hope to update real soon. Feel free to leave comments to help me improve!

[justcallmehermione]

Sad chapter update: Please don’t hate me

Title: Small Bump Rating: M for some delicious smut Pairings: Linzin, Tokka (implied), and Kataang

FF.net

AO3

***Just a reminder that this fic is based off the song "Small Bump" by Ed Sheeran, and if you listen closely to the last couple lines, you'll know where this chapter is headed. Please be advised that this chapter contains a birth scene, including some details people may not like to talk/think about. There is also some violence in this chapter. Viewer discretion is advised.

Chapter 13: When Reality Slaps You in the Face

The couple arrived in the Fire Nation after an easy journey on Oogi’s back. When they arrived, Izumi was looking very pregnant and confided in them that she was ready for her pregnancy to be over.

“I can barely walk. I feel like I go to the bathroom every 5 minutes. And my back is constantly sore,” she complained one evening. “I'm just ready to meet this little guy or girl. I think it has been long enough at this point.” Tenzin and Lin laughed, but still tried to console her.

“I'm sure the baby will be here before you know it and you'll have a whole new set of things to complain about,” Lin chuckled.

“That, or you will be really distracted with figuring out this whole parenthood thing,” Tenzin offered.

“Wow thanks guys. You sure know how to cheer up a pregnant lady,” Izumi  deadpanned.

A few days later, Izumi’s labor had started. Lin, being a steadfast and loyal friend, did not leave her side while she labored and helped in any way she could. The labor had been going on since the night before and Tenzin tried to keep himself occupied but did not stray too far from the delivery room in case his wife needed him for anything. He spent most of the time with Zuko and Izumi’s husband, Daichi. They played some Pai Sho, drank tea, and read books while they waited to hear the news that the baby had arrived. Tenzin was about to leave to go meditate near the turtleduck pond when he saw Lin exit the delivery room.

“Lin!” Tenzin called out to his wife. She did not stop or turn in his direction. He noticed a worried look on her face and that she was clutching her abdomen protectively. He wondered if she felt sick and was going to vomit, so he immediately ran down the hall to catch up with her.

“Lin, please wait for me!” he begged, reaching out to grab her and stop her. He spun her to face him and he studied her face. She was definitely worried.

“Is everything okay? Is Izumi all right?” he questioned.

Lin nodded and said in a quiet, shaky voice, “Yes, she and the baby are safe. I just need a minute to myself is all.”

Tenzin sighed in relief and said, “If you’re sure. Let me know if I can do anything for you.” He let his wife go with a peck on the cheek. He waited in the same spot and watched her retreating form disappear from view.

Lin wandered around for a while not really taking in her surroundings. She was very shaken up after watching her friend give birth to her firstborn son. It had been a very long, painful labor and there were times when she was scared for her friend. Izumi had felt defeated on a few occasions and wanted to give up during the process. Lin had overheard one of the midwives quietly commenting to another that if the labor had continued for much longer it was possible they would have to go in and pull the baby out, putting both mother and baby in grave danger. When Lin let her mind picture that scenario she blanched and almost excused herself from the room. She assured herself it wouldn’t come to that though. She would do everything she could to lend her strength to Izumi and help her deliver the baby safely.

When the Royal Physician announced it was time to deliver the baby, Lin grabbed Izumi’s hand tightly and whispered, “You got this,” to her lifelong friend.

Izumi smiled weakly back and said, “Thank you. Now, let’s get this over with.” Lin watched as her friend mustered every last ounce of strength to bear down and push the baby out without any assistance from any tools.

“It’s a boy!” the doctor exclaimed once the baby was out. He handed him over to one of the midwives to clean and dress before giving the baby to its mother.

“Congratulations! You did it!” Lin cheered her friend on. Izumi squeezed her hand with only a fraction of the force she had used during the delivery. Shortly after the baby arrived, blood started pooling around her friend’s legs, staining the white linens on the bed. Lin looked over at her friend and noticed she was rather pale and very sweaty. She looked over at the doctor who looked a little concerned, which alarmed her.

“We’re not out of the woods just yet,” the doctor announced, beckoning for one of the midwives to come and help. The midwife who was wiping the baby stopped what she was doing and rushed over. She saw the blood and immediately got to work. The midwife started to massage Izumi’s stomach while the doctor tried to absorb some of the blood. Lin stepped back and watched in horror as a very large, bulbous object slid out of Izumi. The doctor caught the sac in a bowl and handed it to the midwife to examine.

After looking at it and flipping it over, the midwife declared, “This isn’t all of it. We have to help her.” Lin watched as the doctor got up and took over rubbing Izumi’s stomach. The midwife rolled up her sleeve, grabbed some oil from a table, and covered her forearm in it.

“This is going to feel uncomfortable, but try to keep relaxed, Your Highness,” the midwife declared. Lin continued to watch from her corner of the room as the midwife slid her arm up inside of Izumi, a look of concentration on her face. Izumi gasped when the woman entered her and scrunched her face up in pain.

“Breathe slowly, it will help,” the doctor ordered. After what felt like an eternity, the midwife pulled out of Izumi, another dark red blob in her hand.

“That should be it,” the midwife told the doctor, “I think we’re clear.” The doctor nodded and patted Izumi on the shoulder. Lin looked at her friend, tears were welling up in both their eyes. A sob escaped Lin’s throat and she bolted from the room, not wanting to make Izumi feel any worse than she already did.

Lost in the memories of what just took place, Lin blinked away tears that had started welling up again. She looked around as her vision cleared and noticed she was no longer on palace grounds. The gate must have been open, and she had walked right through it because she now found herself in the middle of the high street of the Fire Nation capital. The street was still fairly busy, despite the late hour of the day. Lin guessed they were mostly people returning home from a long day’s work. She saw a sign for a nearby park and decided to go visit it, hoping it would be a little quieter so she could collect herself better before returning to the palace and celebrating with everyone.

She finally came across the park as someone was lighting the lanterns that lined the pathway. It was winter time, but since she was in the Fire Nation, the air was not freezing, but there was still a chill. Lin wrapped her arms around herself as she walked through the park. She wished she had brought a shawl to wrap around herself to keep out the chill. The park was quiet, the only other person she noticed was the firebender who was finishing up lighting all the lanterns. It was quiet and peaceful, the perfect atmosphere for clearing her head after the jarring events from earlier.

Lin never really thought about giving birth. She hadn’t really been close with or known other women who were pregnant. Sure, she remembered her mom having Su, but she was only 6 when that happened. She wasn’t there to witness all the pain and blood involved with bringing new life into the world. And if she thought about it, she realized that no one ever really talked about it either. Well, if they did talk about it, they certainly didn’t talk about all the gory details. Lin battled with the positives and negatives of this situation and was engrossed thinking about what her own impending delivery might be like now that she had seen one up close and personal.

Lin was so lost in her head that she hadn’t heard the figure approach her from behind. He struck so fast that she didn’t even have a chance to defend herself. A series of quick jabs to her pressure points paralyzed her and blocked her bending. Chi blocking she thought immediately, remembering the stories of Ty Lee and the Kyoshi Warriors. Her eyes widened and a scream got stuck in her throat as her body crumpled to the ground. Luckily, she fell on her side and not directly on her stomach.

“How dare you try to undo what Fire Lord Sozin worked so hard for?” a deep, male voice spat at her. Lin raised her eyes as far as she could and saw a dark figure standing in front of her. The person was wearing a cloak with the hood drawn to cover their head and face thanks to the shadows cast by the lanterns. “He eradicated the airbenders for a reason and the only way the Fire Nation can return to its glory is for them to stay gone,” the figure continued as he began to draw lightning from out of nowhere. Lin’s eyes widened realizing what was about to happen. She felt so useless because she couldn’t move to defend herself, defend her baby. All she could do was lay on the ground and wait for the pain. Tears were streaming down her face as she felt the electricity course through her body, the majority of the pain in her abdomen since that’s where the man had directed the lightning.

It felt like an eternity, but really the man had only been in front of her for a few minutes. He disappeared in the bushes just as quickly as he had appeared, leaving Lin on the ground in an excruciating amount of pain. Lin writhed on the ground as electricity still coursed through her body, causing her muscles to spasm all over. The last thing she remembered before the world going dark was feeling a warm, wet sensation between her legs.

Tenzin had been pacing in the royal palace for the last several minutes. Once they had realized Lin was missing, he felt frantic, worrying for her, as well as the baby. Zuko had convinced him to stay at the palace in case she returned while he and a search party went out looking for her. Despite the years of meditation, Tenzin had never felt more impatient than he did now. He could be on his glider, using the aerial view to his advantage to find Lin faster, but instead he was told to wait here.

“Master Tenzin!” a servant shouted, running towards him. Tenzin raced over to the servant, eager to hear the news.

“Come quickly,” the servant managed to say between breaths, “They found her.” Tenzin’s eyes lit up at the great news. They had found Lin and brought her back to the palace. He followed the servant to the room they had been staying in while visiting the Fire Nation. Tenzin had a huge smile on his face when the doors were flung open, excited to see Lin again. The smile quickly disappeared when he saw her laying on the bed, unconscious while the Royal Physician and a midwife he recognized from Izumi’s birth earlier were fluttering around her.

“Lin?” Tenzin called out to them, “What’s going on?”

“Master Tenzin, I think it would be best if you waited outside for a few minutes more,” the doctor ordered.

“But,” Tenzin tried interrupting.

“Leave, now,” the doctor ordered again, glancing at the servant who brought him here, imploring him to shoo Tenzin out. The servant read the expression and pulled Tenzin out of the room, shutting the doors behind them.

“What’s going on? Why was the midwife there?” Tenzin interrogated the servant.

The servant shook his head and responded, “I’m not quite sure. The Fire Lord should be here momentarily to explain.”

Just then, Zuko appeared in the hallway and called out, “Tenzin!”

Tenzin looked over to the aged firebender and saw the grief in his face. Panic had set in then. Zuko was usually a stoic man, rarely showing any emotions unless they were strong ones. He knew something was wrong when he could read the Fire Lord’s expression.

Tenzin gulped, “What happened?”

Zuko drew in a deep breath then explained, “Some of my guards were questioning people on the high street if they had seen Lin. Some woman said that she saw someone who looked like Lin heading towards Lu Ten Park which is tucked away off one of the side streets. When we heard that, the woman’s friend mentioned that the lantern lighter of the park lived on the way there. We checked with the lantern lighter and he confirmed that he saw Lin, walking alone in the park as he was doing his job that evening. He said the park was empty other than her. My guards and I continued to the park, expecting to find Lin wandering the park or sitting on a bench, but when we got there… Tenzin, you may want to sit for this next part…” Zuko hesitated before continuing his story, noticing the horror stricken look on Tenzin’s face.

Tenzin slid to the floor, nodding for the Fire Lord to continue. Zuko slid down to sit next to him and continued, “We found her on the ground along one of the paths, unconscious with blood pooling around her. There were no wounds that we noticed upon immediate inspection, which made us act fast. I grabbed Lin and ran her back to the palace while some of my guards searched the area for anyone suspicious. One of the guards noticed a set of footprints in front of Lin that looked like they belonged to someone fleeing the scene of a crime. I’m so sorry this happened, Tenzin. I promise you that I will do everything in my power to find who did this and serve justice.”

Tenzin didn’t respond. He rubbed his hands over his head, trying to imagine what could have happened to Lin and figure out why there was blood around Lin if she wasn’t wounded. Something clicked in his head and Tenzin gasped, “No!”

“Tenzin?” Zuko asked.

“It’s the baby, isn’t it?” Tenzin looked in Zuko’s eyes, his vision blurring as tears began to pool there.

“I think it might be,” Zuko whispered dejectedly, looking down at the ground not wanting to watch Tenzin cry.

“That’s why there was all that blood. We lost the baby,” Tenzin said the words out loud, making the pain feel more real.

Just then, the doors to the room opened and the Royal Physician appeared, clearing his throat, he approached the two men who were still seated on the floor. “Fire Lord Zuko, Master Tenzin,” he bowed to the two men and then crouched to their level, “I’m afraid I have terrible news.”

Tenzin met the doctor’s eyes and asked, “We lost the baby, didn’t we?”

The doctor nodded dejectedly. “Yes, I’m afraid so,” he confirmed.

“And Lin… is she…?” Tenzin couldn’t bear the thought of asking what he was about to.

“She is stable for now,” the doctor explained, “After closer inspection, it seems like she may have been attacked with lightning. She has some severe burns on her abdomen. I’m afraid all the electricity caused her muscles to spasm, which in turn caused trauma to the uterus, causing the unborn child to become detached, and no longer able to get what it needed to survive.” At this point, Tenzin let out a soft cry as he openly sobbed. Zuko reached over to put an arm around his shoulders in comfort.

Zuko nodded at the doctor, “Thank you. I think that’s enough information for now. May we go see Lin?”

The doctor got up and bowed to the men again, “Yes, you may go in. Things should be cleaned up there. Lin is only resting now. She is going to be very sore all over for a while, so I gave her some calming tea to help keep her relaxed as her body recovers. I’ll be back to check on her in a few hours.” The man backed away, leaving the two men in the hallway.

“I know you might have a lot of questions, but they’ll get answered in time. Go and be there for your wife,” Zuko urged Tenzin.

Tenzin, still crying openly, managed to stand up on his own two feet and head into the bedroom. He crossed to the bed and gently sat on the edge. The tears were making it difficult to see, but he was able to find Lin’s hand and grab it, grazing his thumb over it.

Lin’s eyes opened slowly and squinted over at him. “Tez,” she managed to whisper before a sob escaped her throat.

“Shhh,” he hushed, “Don’t talk right now. I’m here, just relax. Everything is okay now.” He leaned forward and placed a kiss on her temple, squeezing his eyes tighter as another sob rippled through his body.

“Hold me,” she whispered, half asking, half demanding. Tenzin silently acquiesced and molded his body around hers, holding her close. The couple cried together in bed until the tears and sadness felt so heavy, they could do nothing but fall asleep, hoping the morning did not come too quickly.

A/N: So, the lyrics I was referring to in my first note were: " 'Cause you were just a small bump unborn for four months then torn from life Maybe you were needed up there but we're still unaware as why." -Small Bump by Ed SheeranNow that you read this difficult chapter, I hope you don't hate me and will continue to leave comments/kudos and finish the fic! There are only 3 more chapters and I should be posting them sooner rather than later!

[justcallmehermione]

Another update...

Story: Small Bump Rating: M for some delicious smut Pairings: Linzin, Tokka, and Kataang

FF.net

AO3

Chapter 9: Under Pressure

Ring! Ring! Ring! The phone started trilling, waking Tenzin from a sound sleep. He looked to the window and saw the first morning rays starting to peak in through the curtain. He saw his beautiful wife starting to stir in the bed next to him.

“I’ll get it, stay resting,” he whispered to her as he slid out of bed and crept to the kitchenette area of their apartment. He grabbed the phone and without thinking whispered, “I’m sorry, but it is too early in the morning to be speaking on the phone. I’m still trying to sleep. Try calling back later today.” And he hung the phone up without waiting for a reply.

“Who was that?” Lin mumbled sleepily.

“No clue,” he replied while sliding back into bed, “I told them it was too early for phone calls and that they were very rude for calling so early and interrupting my amazing wife’s beauty rest.”

Lin laughed and snuggled close to the now prone Tenzin, “I’m sure you did, tough guy.”

Tenzin pulled Lin close to him and kissed her forehead, “Well I’m not wrong. Now let’s stay in bed a while longer. I can’t leave you two yet.”

Lin nuzzled closer, “I hope you never leave.” They both smiled and continued to rest until the sun was fully up.

…

“Well I’m off to visit Mom for lunch!” Lin called to Tenzin as he was in the bathroom finishing getting ready.

“Enjoy, love!” he replied.

Lin headed the few blocks to the RCPD headquarters where she agreed to meet her mother so they could get a bite to eat and catch up. The apartment wasn’t far from the police headquarters, but the cold breeze wafting through the city air made Lin regret the outdoor exercise. Winter may just be starting, but it was not shy at making its presence known. She tugged her coat tighter around her and dipped her mouth lower in her jacket to help cover more of her face from the cold sting.

As Lin rounded the final corner that would bring her to RCPD HQ, a newspaper stall caught her eye. She spotted a photo from her and Tenzin’s wedding on the front page of one of the papers sitting in a pile on the cart. Lin stepped closer and focused on that paper. Bold letters on the latest copy of The United Republic read: NEW AIRBENDER ON THE WAY with a subheading that said: Newlyweds Tenzin, Master Airbender, and Lin Beifong, RCPD detective are expecting their first born, the next member of the extinct Air Nomad race.

Lin snatched a copy of the paper and growled. The young man working the booth chided her and said she needed to pay for that now it was ruined. She tossed some Yuan on the counter and stomped away, seething. She couldn’t believe what she was reading. As far as she knew, only her closest friends and family members knew about the pregnancy, after all she was barely showing yet, despite the end of the first trimester approaching. Lin also could not believe the journalist’s choice of headline.

“New Airbender on the Way…” she murmured to herself, “I can’t believe they would be so bold to put that. I don’t even know if the baby is a boy or girl yet, and they’re already pegging the future of Aang’s race on him or her.” Tears started forming in her eyes again as all the pressure she’s felt on and off throughout the pregnancy started to resurface in her mind.

Lost in her thoughts, Lin didn’t realize that someone had approached her until she heard, “Now, now, little badgermole, I know you’ve been away on your honeymoon for some time now, but there’s no need for tears to show how much you’ve missed me.”

Lin turned to see her mother had left the building and found her standing dumbstruck on the sidewalk. “Mom,” she managed while gesturing to the newspaper in her hands, “Have you seen this?”

Toph took a step closer to her daughter and said, “Jeez, have you been hanging around Sokka more? You know I have no clue what you’re talking about.”

Lin sniffled, a small smile playing on her lips, “I know, I was just trying to joke to make myself feel a little better. It’s a newspaper and its headline is just, absolutely ridiculous!”

“They usually are, that’s why I never bother to peruse the periodicals,” Toph stated dryly.

Lin rolled her eyes, “Very funny, Mother. This one is about me, or rather my baby.” She absentmindedly brought one of her hands to rest on her slightly protruding abdomen. She continued, “They’re already claiming the baby will be an air bender and that Aang’s legacy and by extension the legacy of the Air Nomads rests entirely on me producing an airbender.” The tears started to reach her cheeks again.

Toph reached out and squeezed her daughter’s shoulder and tried to comfort her, “Well now that is completely unfair. The only one who should be planning this baby’s future is her award-winning, master bender of a grandmother, Toph Beifong.”

Lin chuckled a bit and said, “Mom, please. This is a really sore subject for me.”

“Okay, okay,” Toph conceded, “Let’s go get some meat and noodles and talk about this.”

…

“So, what does Tenzin have to say about all this?” Toph asked her daughter. They were now seated in one of their favorite restaurants, enjoying a delicious lunch of grilled meat and spicy noodles, their two favorite foods.

“I don’t know if he’s seen the headlines at all yet…” Lin began.

“Not about the newspaper, I mean about the baby. Has he said anything to make you think he would resent you or even the baby if she isn’t an airbender? Because if he has you know I’ll come over and---”

“Mother, please,” Lin interrupted, “No, on the contrary, Tenzin has shown that he will do nothing but love and cherish both me and the baby no matter what.”

“Bleck,” Toph stuck her tongue out, “Hearing about my daughter and her supportive husband is giving me the oogies.”

“Very funny, Mom. But I’m being serious here. Tenzin and I have already talked about this. We both just want a healthy baby. It’s gender nor it’s bending abilities will affect how much love we will show this baby,” Lin assured her mom, and herself with these words.

“Well then, you know how I feel about other people’s opinions. They can shove it up their--” Toph started to say, but was interrupted by the presence she now felt at the table. She turned her face to the newcomer and said, “Perfect timing, waiter. We would like the check, please.”

“I’m s-sorry, b-but I’m not your w-waiter,” a young man who looked visibly nervous replied to Toph. Lin’s eyes narrowed and stared at him. She couldn’t quite place the face, but she was almost positive she’s seen him somewhere before.

“Unless you’re here to report a crime or ask for an autograph, then I think you best be moving on, kid,” Toph told the young man firmly.

He took a deep breath before he began, “My n-name is Jeong and I’m a reporter for--”

“That’s enough. Like I said before, unless you want to report a crime, you need to leave my daughter and me alone while we’re trying to eat lunch,” Toph interrupted him.

“I’m so sorry,” Jeong cried out while bowing to the women, “It’s just, I’m trying to become a more well known reporter and getting the inside scoop on Ms. Beifong’s pregnancy would really help me.”

Lin stood up, “Sorry, Jeong, but if there’s one thing you should know about me, it’s that I don’t want my life broadcast to anybody and everybody. My pregnancy is my business and no one else’s.”

Jeong persisted, “Yes, but you’re carrying the next Airbending Master! This is huge news and the public would be so pleased.”

Toph slammed Yuans on the table to pay for their lunch and said, “I’ve heard enough. Let’s go Lin!”

Lin stared daggers into Jeong and left him with one final statement, “Why don’t you take this story back to wherever it is you work: My child is going to be whoever he or she wants to be. Only the spirits know what gifts the baby will bring to this world and all you cheap gossips need to stop trying to label him or her too early.” She stalked after her mother and joined her in the car they drove to the restaurant.

“I can’t believe that vile weasel-snake!” Lin exclaimed and punctuated it with slamming the car door.

“Easy on the car door, badgermole. This is technically city property,” Toph chided.

Lin rolled her eyes and continued her lamentation, “He must have some really confident guardian spirit to approach us like that while we’re trying to enjoy a nice lunch.”  

“I’m sorry, Lin.” Toph apologized.

“Oh, please, it’s not your fault he sauntered up to us and felt the need to try to pry into my personal business,” Lin replied.

“Well, isn’t it?” Toph probed, “I mean, you are the daughter of one of the greatest living Earthbenders, who helped save the world when she was just a kid.”

“Mother, please. This isn’t time for your ego to join the conversation.”

“I’m not trying to be my confident self, I’m being serious. If you had any other mother on the planet, then things would be so different for you--” Lin glanced over at her mom. She noticed her head was drooped more than normal. Lin reached over and grabbed her mother’s hand to give it a gentle squeeze.

“Mom, even if you weren’t famous, I’d still be married to one of only two living Airbenders. I’d be all over the media, regardless,” Lin said in comfort.

Toph turned her head slightly towards Lin, “You think even if I weren’t friends with the Avatar you and Tenzin would still be married?”

Lin took a deep breath as she blinked back tears not of stress and worry, but of a deeper, stronger emotion she felt. She replied, “I’m positive that no matter what lifetime we shared or what planet we lived on, his soul and mine would always find each other and never let the other go.”

…

“And now, here’s Zahra with the latest news from the lives of the socialites of Republic City,” the voice on the radio crackled. Lin was lying on the sofa half reading a book while Tenzin stood at the kitchenette in their tiny apartment, making them a delicious dinner.

“Want me to turn it off?” Tenzin inquired.

“No, you’re busy. I can get up to change it,” Lin replied as she started to make her way to the radio.

“Thanks, Li,” the now feminine voice on the radio replied, “In today’s news, we’d like to highlight Republic City’s cutest and most romantic couple, Tenzin, Master Airbender, son of the Avatar and Lin Beifong, daughter of Police Chief and Master of Earthbending, Toph Beifong.” Lin’s hand hesitated as she reached for the dial to change the station. She hated being in the spotlight, but she had some morbid curiosity that made her wait to listen to what they had to report.

“As many of you may know by now, Ms. Beifong and Master Tenzin wasted no time while on their honeymoon and have already announced they’re expecting their very first child after just two months of wedded bliss! One of our reporters, Jeong, was fortunate enough to run into Ms. Beifong and her mother while they were out to lunch, presumably after a lovely day out shopping, preparing for the new bundle of joy headed their way. Jeong was able to get a statement from Ms. Beifong and he’s here now to share what she said. Over to you, Jeong!”

Tenzin had finished cooking and plating their food and now had his full attention on the radio as well. Lin hadn’t mentioned running into any reporters today. His brows furrowed and he waited with baited breath to hear what this Jeong person had to say. “Thanks, Zahra! That’s right, I ran into two thirds of the Beifong family today. They were both enjoying a lunch of assorted meats and spicy noodles, which after speaking with an expert on rearing and raising healthy children, I now know is not the healthiest thing for a pregnant woman to feed her baby. The meat is rather fatty and greasy and the spiciness of the noodles could give her terrible heartburn. The expert recommended she eat more fruits and vegetables going forward to ensure the baby gets all the help he needs!”

Lin rolled her eyes, “Is that really all he has to say? He needs to give me so-called advice on what to eat?”

Tenzin shrugged, “Let’s just ignore him for now. Change the channel and let’s sit and eat.”

Jeong continued on the radio, “I would also like to add that Ms. Beifong seemed to care little about the baby’s Air Nomad heritage. She stated that she would not go out of her way to ensure the child is raised in the ways of the Air Nomads and instructed to become a Master Airbender like his father and grandfather.”

“But that can’t be!” Zahra interrupted.

“Afraid so,” Jeong continued, “Now, I’m no expert on Air Nomad culture, but last time I checked, there were only two airbenders alive today and I think--” zzt. The radio went silent.

Lin spun to look at Tenzin who had silently crossed the room and ended the slander and lies being broadcasted to a couple thousand people in and around the city.

“What did you do that for!” Lin exclaimed.

“I don’t believe what that man had to say was true. At least, I hope it’s not,” Tenzin said, staring at his wife’s face, searching for any hint of how she was feeling.

“Of course it’s not true! I didn’t say anything about ignoring any part of the baby’s heritage!” she countered.

“I figured as much,” Tenzin said as he stepped closer to his wife, reaching out to give her a hug.

“I just told him to mind his P’s & Q’s and to stop making assumptions about our baby!” Lin shouted at him as she began trembling. Tenzin’s arms enveloped Lin’s frame. He held her close for a few moments as she let the anger and stress flow through her body, the tremors a reflection of the power the emotions had over her.

“I believe you, Lin,” Tenzin said slightly pulling away from his wife so he could look down at her, “I love you and I know you love our baby. I’m sure that man is just trying to spice up his story to get more listeners.”

Lin sniffled, “I just can’t believe him! Him and all the other media eel-hounds. Making up all this information about our baby.”

Tenzin started gently rubbing Lin’s back as he continued to comfort her, “I’m not sorry that you’re carrying my child, but I am sorry that this has placed you center stage for everyone to make comments about you and try to give you unwarranted advice.”

Lin nodded, “I know. I’m not sorry we’re bringing new life into this world either. I just wish circumstances were a bit different.”

“Well, why don’t we sit and eat dinner and then plan the next leg of our honeymoon world tour?” Tenzin offered, leading Lin towards the small table that had the food he prepared laid out.

“Let’s get as far from Republic City’s gossipers as possible. Why don’t we go visit Kya at the South Pole?” Lin agreed.

“As you wish, my dear,” Tenzin said before they tucked into their dinner.

[justcallmehermione]

I’m baaaaack!!!!!

Thanks to la cuarentina and life settling down now that I’m in my mid-20s, I started writing fan fiction again. My first goal is to finish all my former WIPs so I can start on new things in all the fandoms I am now part of.  In the mean time, here’s chapter 8 of my Linzin piece!

Story: Small Bump  Rating: M for some delicious smut  Pairings: Linzin, Tokka, and Kataang

FF.net

AO3

Chapter 8: The Announcement “Do you really have to go?” Izumi whined, “I was really looking forward to going through all this pregnancy fun with you.” The pout on her lips grew bigger by the second.

Lin sighed, “Yes, we do. It’s about time we let everyone else in on our secret.”

“Don’t worry Izumi, we can come back before both the babies are born,” Tenzin tried to reassure her.

“I guess I’ll just have to settle for letter writing until then,” Izumi gave up.

“That’s the spirit, turtleduck,” Zuko chimed into the conversation.

“We best be going if we want to be back home before dinner,” Tenzin reminded them.

Lin walked to Izumi and gave her a big hug, and then turned to her uncle and gave one to him, “I’ll miss you both. I look forward to seeing you soon,” she told them. Tenzin did the same, hugging the two and waved goodbye as he ascended to Oogi’s back.

“Let us know you arrive safely!” Zuko called out to the couple.

“We will!” Lin assured her with a shout back. “See you soon!” And with that Tenzin signaled for Oogi to begin the trip back home.

…

Lin was trying to rest on Oogi’s back, but she could not get comfortable. In the past few weeks she had been experiencing some mild back pain, especially as her waist started to expand with the growing baby inside of her. Thoughts were racing through her head about what would happen when she got back home. Lin decided to get up and sit next to Tenzin on Oogi’s neck.

“Hello, love,” Tenzin said as Lin snuggled close to him. She sighed in response. “Would you like to share your thoughts?” he probed.

“Just nervous about telling everyone, I guess. I don’t think I’m ready for the attention we’re going to get,” she confided.

“I understand. I’m sure once the papers hear, we’ll be begged for interviews left and right,” he mentioned. Lin groaned in response. Tenzin sighed and continued, “I know. I’m not looking forward to it either.”

Tears started forming in Lin’s eyes and she managed to get out, “What if she isn’t an air bender? You know that’s what they all want from me! What if I don’t make their hopes and dreams come true?” Tenzin paused for a moment. He hadn’t realized she was putting so much pressure on herself. Sure, he knew that the pressure was there for any and all of their babies to be air benders, but he always pushed that to the back burner. He preferred to focus on the fact that he and Lin, the woman he loved and vowed to spend his entire life with, we’re going to bring their love to fruition in the form of a happy and healthy child.

He tried putting his thoughts to words to comfort his wife, “Lin, stop, please. You’re stressing over something that doesn’t matter as much as you think it does -”

“Doesn’t matter?” she interrupted, “You of all people should know how much it matters! You spent your whole life being the second air bender in the entire world! How are you not stressed?”

He tried to continue, “Because Lin, I love you with every fiber of my being. The only thing that matters to me is that you stay happy and healthy throughout your pregnancy and that when the baby comes he or she is just as happy and healthy. My number one priority is you and it always has been and always will be. Forget about duty and legacy. I love you and want you for you. The fact that you’re carrying our child is all I need to be happy and excited. I will love you and the baby. Forget about what the others think, please!” “Are you sure?” she inquired further, “You’d be happy even if the baby is an earth bender or even a non-bender?”

Tenzin reassured, “As long as that baby is half me and half you, the only thing that matters to me is that you are both happy and healthy and I will love you both until my dying breath.”

Lin started to cry more, “Oh, Tez! I love you. If you of all people can put the pressures aside, I can try to do so as well. Thank you.” She leaned her head on his shoulder while he put an arm around her and kissed her forehead.

“I love you too, Lin. Let’s try to rest, we’ll be landing in Republic City soon enough.”

…

“Lin, we’re home,” he whispered, gently shrugging his shoulder to arouse his snoozing wife. Lin’s eyes blinked open and she lifted her head and looked around. Tenzin had landed Oogi in the park nearby their apartment. He hadn’t taken them to the island like she thought he was going to.

“Why are we here?” she inquired.

“Well, I thought it would be nice to freshen up a bit and spend a little time relaxing before we meet the family at the island,” he explained, “Do you mind?”

She smiled, relieved to have some more time before revealing their secret, “This is perfect,” she assured him.

Tenzin grabbed their things and joined Lin on the ground as the two walked the three blocks to their apartment. The building with the tea shop on the first floor and the two apartments on the second floor wasn’t much, but it was the first place Lin and Tenzin were able to call their own. Well, not entirely, the family who owned and ran the tea shop downstairs and lived in the back part of the second floor were there too, but the studio in the front with the big windows that looked down on the bustling street below was their sanctuary.

Lin smiled as they made their way up the stairs on the side of the building and entered their home. Su Yin had done an excellent job of taking care of the few plants Tenzin had grown from seedlings while they were away. He dropped the bags right in the entryway and flopped down on the mattress that was on the other side of the room.

“I missed this place,” he sighed into the mattress.

Lin walked over and sat down on her side next to him and nodded, “It’s great to be home, with you.”

Tenzin rolled over on his back and pulled Lin’s arm in an effort to get her to join him. She complied and snuggled up next to him, resting her head on his chest. He beamed up at the ceiling. This was his paradise. He was positive that he could be stuck living in a tent for the rest of his life, but the only thing he would need to make it perfect would be for Lin to cuddle up to him just like she was at the moment.

Lin sat up and winced, bringing Tenzin out of his own head and looking her over, trying to assess the problem. “What happened?” he demanded to know.

She waved him off, “It’s nothing, just some back pain. I’ll be fine.”

Tenzin still looked concerned and asked, “Should I phone the island and tell them we can’t make it tonight? I could make something up about having a cold from flying in the winter sky or say that Oogi needs a rest…” Tenzin babbled until Lin put her finger on his lips. She leaned across the bed and kissed him, her lips warm on his.

“I’m fine, Tez. Let’s get cleaned up and head over to the island. I’m starting to get hungry and I’m sure your mom made something tasty for our arrival,” she assured him.

Tenzin nodded, “Okay, but only if I get to watch you bathe and change.” He winked at her and kissed her passionately, tilting her head back so she would open her mouth so he could dart his tongue inside.. Lin allowed it and answered back by nibbling on his bottom  lip.

“We’ve been gone for almost two months now, another hour or two won’t make them miss us anymore, right?” Lin asked. Tenzin nodded in agreement and eagerly watched as Lin straddled him and continued to kiss him.

Tenzin’s member started to grow harder and he involuntarily pushed his hips up to rub against Lin, trying to relieve the mounting pressure growing in him. Lin responded by starting to rock slowly back and forth, pausing at the right spot that helped her pleasure build.  

Clothes started coming undone and were thrown haphazardly around the bed. Tenzin reached up and cupped Lin’s breasts, giving both nipples a gentle squeeze. A moan escaped Lin and she eased herself on his throbbing member, continuing her rocking motions from earlier. Tenzin kept one hand on her breast and slid the other down to rub the spot he knew would push her over the edge. As he was trying to bring his wife all the pleasure and happiness she deserved, he looked up and watched her face. Her eyes were closed and her mouth was slightly open as her breaths started coming out quicker and quicker. Tenzin felt like the luckiest and happiest man in all Four Nations. He had a beautiful wife and a baby on the way. They had a place to call their own and many adventures ahead of them. Once they both reached their peaks and lay on the bed snuggled in each others’ arms, Tenzin squeezed Lin a little tighter than normal, hoping to never let this moment end.

…

“They’re back!” Katara shrieked when she saw Oogi land with a loud thud outside the main house. “Aang, Sokka, Toph, they’re back!” she yelled again, trying to get everyone’s attention. She ran out of the house, arms wide open waiting to embrace the newlyweds.

“Hello, Mother,” Tenzin said after he jumped off Oogi. He accepted her embrace.

“Hi, Mom,” Lin joined their hug.

Katara gushed, “Two of my babies are home! I’m so glad. I can’t wait to hear all about your adventures and --”

“Quit hogging the kids, and let them give the rest of us love, Sugar Queen,” Toph interrupted as she, Sokka, and Aang came out of the house. They took their turns greeting the newlyweds and welcoming them home.

“We missed you all very much and are happy to be back,” Tenzin informed them.

“Yes, let’s go catch up over the copious amounts of food I’m sure Katara and the acolytes have made for us,” Lin stated.

Toph laughed and patted Katara on the back, “She’s got you pegged, Sugar Queen!”

Sokka agreed, “She’s not wrong, the house has smelled delicious and I haven’t been able to taste test anything, despite many attempts! Let’s eat so my taste buds stop hating me.”

…

“That was delicious!” Lin exclaimed, after finishing the last crumb off her third plate.

“I don’t think I’ve seen someone eat that much since Sokka at our wedding feast!” exclaimed Aang.

Lin blushed, “Well I can’t help it, I’m…” she hesitated, looking to Tenzin for affirmation. He smiled and nodded, urging her to finish what she wanted to say. She smiled back at him and continued, “Well, I am eating for two now, so I’ve been eating more lately.”

Katara gasped, “What did you just say?” Sokka’s and Aang’s mouths dropped and they gaped, looking from each other, to Tenzin, to Lin, and back again.

Toph cried, “That’s right! My baby is having a baby of her own! I’d never thought I’d see the day!”

Ignoring Toph’s blind joke, Sokka turned to her and asked, “How did you know?”

“Heartbeat detector over here,” Toph reminded them, “So it was either Lin was pregnant or they got a pet Turtleduck while visiting Firelord Zuzu.”

Aang got up and went around the table to where Lin and Tenzin were sitting. He put his arms around both of them and gushed, “That is wonderful news, kiddos! I’m so excited to meet the little one!”

Katara joined her husband, “Yes! It is wonderful news! Oh there’s so much to talk about and figure out…” Katara rambled on.

Tenzin slid his hand across the table and Lin grabbed it and squeezed it gently. He was so proud of his beautifully courageous wife and was so happy they finally got to share their news with their extended family. Tenzin couldn’t imagine a more perfect life for himself.

A/N: Yeah so, life happened. Adulting started in full swing. And I basically abandoned anything and everything FanFic related for a while. But thanks to quarantine/life settling down a lot more, I am back. Also, wanted to add that Lin is probably around 3 to 4 months pregnant at this point and it’s winter time in Republic City by now, which means they’ve been married for a good month by now.

[justcallmehermione]

Me: (waiting for a new episode of GoT)

[justcallmehermione]

This week is spirit week at the school where I work. Today's dress up theme was 'way back Wednesday' I decided to do 90s grunge, but I couldn't find my Nirvana shirt. I ended up wearing my Weird Sisters shirt because they were popular when grunge was a thing in the muggle world.

[justcallmehermione]

Summer 2019 Plans

With only 43 more work days between me and summer break, I've started compiling a list of things I want to accomplish this summer. So far I have:

1. Moving to my new house

2. Rewatching Avatar: The Last Airbender and reading all the related Dark Horse comics.

3. Rereading Harry Potter because it's honestly become a summer vacation tradition for me.

4. Catching up on all the Sailor Moon Crystal episodes on Crunchy Roll.

That's all I can think of so far. If anyone has any suggestions on other things I can do to pass the time, I'd love to hear them!