Work Text:
Korra and Asami sat on one side of the booth while Lin and Kya sat on the other side during their double date at Bao’s Bistro, a small upscale restaurant in the heart of Republic City.
“So…Beifong is your date?” said Korra smugly.
“What of it?” Lin snapped before downing some ice water then half her glass of red wine.
Kya smiled and played with the Chief’s hair. “Surprised?”
Asami took Korra’s hand. “It’s just so incredible! I never would have guessed, and yet you make the perfect couple! How long have you been together?”
Lin snorted. “Do you want to tell it, Kya? Or do I have to?”
Kya took a bite of her seaweed salad then kissed her lover’s cheek. “I can! So it all started after Lin broke up with Tenzin…”
“Hold on!” exclaimed Korra. “You two have been a thing since way back then?! And you never told me, Kya?!”
“It’s not that simple!” Lin snapped.
Kya put her hand atop Lin’s and squeezed it. “Lin, Korra is just excited. It’s okay.” She turned back to face Korra and Asami. “She is right though. Things have never been simple between us. The night soon after her breakup with Tenzin was only the first time we…spent some time together.”
Lin crossed her arms. “Then we had a little disagreement about the way I handled some of my cases…and her living down in the Southern Water Tribe didn’t make things any easier.”
“We spent some time apart…over 15 years,” admitted Kya.
Lin’s eyes softened, and she put her hand on Kya’s back. “But somehow I kept falling for the free-spirited healer from the Southern Water Tribe.”
Asami grinned before stealing one of Korra’s sea prune fritters.
Korra continued to glance back and forth between the two older women. “So…does Tenzin know?”
Lin groaned then took a large bite of seal steak.
Kya chuckled. “My brother actually found out at his wedding…spirits, Lin, do you remember his face after we started making out against the bar that night?”
A blush crept across Lin’s cheeks. “I can’t remember a thing about that, Kya.”
Korra sat enthralled with her hands resting on her chin while Asami continued to steal fritters from her plate. “Man, I’ll bet he lost it! His own sister swooping in and stealing his girlfriend! That’s awesome!”
Lin’s brows furrowed. “That’s not what happened. He and I had already ended things long before I even thought about Kya!”
Kya smiled and ran her fingers through Lin’s grey hair before kissing her scarred cheek. “Technically our first fling was only a week after your breakup…but I was thinking about you long before that.”
A 21 year old Kya was visiting her family on Air Temple Island for the first time since she had left to travel the world three years prior. The Beifong family had joined them for dinner to celebrate Kya’s return, but everything around Kya seemed dull and predictable—everything except Lin. Lin’s jawline was as sharp as her dry witty remarks, and Kya couldn’t take her eyes off of her muscular arms. Though she was no stranger to feelings of love and lust, Kya knew something was different when she looked at Lin Beifong. But she pushed the feelings away. Those feelings were a problem for another time.
“Spirits, that all feels like a lifetime ago,” muttered Lin.
“Hiding my feelings for you for all those years was horrible,” sighed Kya. “So many sleepless nights.”
Asami took Korra’s hand and kissed it. “I know what that feels like.”
An 18 year old Asami sat at the table on the airship while Tenzin and Korra had another loud debate on how best to recruit the new airbenders. The conversation didn’t seem to be going much of anywhere, but Asami wasn’t paying much attention to it anyway. Korra’s hands were far too distracting. When they slammed down on the table, Asami wondered what they’d feel like on her waist. Could hands wielding such power also give a gentle caress on her cheek—inner thigh? Asami was a stranger to feelings of love and lust, and excitement buzzed through her body. But she pushed the feelings away. Those feelings were a problem for another time.
“So when did you two find each other again?” asked Asami.
Lin looked down at her steak and smiled slightly. “We ran into each other back when all the airbenders started popping up around Republic City. But it wasn’t until after the battle with Zaheer that…shit sorry.” She saw Korra cringe at the name.
Asami’s hand gripped her shoulder. “It’s alright. Keep going,” said Korra.
“Well, after that, Kya and I talked a bit more then started writing again. We talked about you, about us, about life. Soon after Kuvira’s arrest, Kya made her way back to Republic City, and we had dinner with Bumi, Tenzin, Pema, Suyin, and Baatar.”
“We all may or may not have placed bets on how soon you two would become romantically involved…” admitted Kya.
Korra flexed then put her arm around her girlfriend. “Yeah, Tenzin told us about that. I’m glad we could help you guys make some easy yuans!”
Lin nodded with a smile. “After you two got back from your trip and did your newspaper interview, I knew it was time to get serious. If you two young kids could be honest, then an old lady like me sure as fuck should be able to do the same.”
Kya leaned her head against Lin’s and brought her lips to the woman’s ear. “I am so glad you did, Chief. I love you.”
“I love you too, Kya,” said Lin tenderly before looking up and seeing Korra and Asami with wide smiles across their faces. “I swear to all the spirits in the spirit world though, don’t you dare try parking your little Satomobile and getting frisky in it in my city. Even if you are Republic City’s power couple, I will not hesitate to give both of you fines for public indecency.”
Kya raised an eyebrow. “Well that’d be awfully hypocritical of you, Lin. Or did you forget what happened the other night after the big fundraiser for the Southern Water Tribe Cultural Center?”
Lin blushed furiously. “That is completely diff…aw shit, who am I kidding?” She raised her glass of wine in the air. “To love,” she toasted, “both young and experienced, may it only grow stronger in the years to come.”
The group clinked their glasses together then sipped their wine.
“Who would have thought you’d give such good toasts?” said Kya with a grin. “I am gonna give it to you so hard later.”
Lin smirked. “I wouldn’t expect anything less.”
“Eww gross. I’m not hungry anymore,” groaned Korra.
Asami gripped Korra’s thigh under the table. “Are you sure about that?” she whispered into her ear. “I think I know something you’re always hungry for.”
Korra’s face grew hot, and she stood. “This has been fun and all, but I think we’ve gotta go! I left something hot on and it’s gonna burn down Asami’s house if we don’t leave now! You got the bill, Beifong, right? Okay great, bye! Let’s do it again sometime!”
Asami stood as well. “It’s a good thing I drove us here,” she said, winking to the older women. “Also, don’t worry about the bill. I own this restaurant, so everything is covered!” She took Korra’s hand, and the two left.
“So…” muttered Lin, “should we get out of here too?”
Kya grinned and jumped out of the booth. “Last one in bed gets tied up!”