Chapter Text
It had been nearly an hour now. Lin knew he wasn't coming.
She took another sip of her drink and reflected on the last couple of weeks. She should never had let her family talk her into writing into that stupid matchmaking agency. Granted, attending Varrick and Zhu Li's wedding had made her feel a little lonely in the moment, but it soon passed. The only reason Lin even considered entertaining her sister's suggestion was because Opal had pleaded with her to give it a try, and Lin found it hard to dismiss her favourite niece. Especially with how rocky their first meeting had been.
She's a kid in love, of course Opal would think that finding her aunt a partner was a good idea. But life's more complicated than that, especially when you get to my age.
Lin gazed down at the empty bar stool beside her. Through the agency there had been an exchange of letters - Lin used her first name only - and the conversation had started out promising, if a little formal at first. She had hardly been giggling and kicking up her heels at his replies, but it had seemed like a decent basis for the next step: a face-to-face meeting. He asked the question and Lin accepted, arranging to meet in a well lit bar not far from her home.
She hadn't wanted to get her hopes up. Her first relationship had ended in disaster, and she was in no hurry to give up her heart so willingly this time. It had been just as well. She could deal with more disappointment, as she had done so all of her life. Perhaps he saw her through the entrance, recognised her from the papers and immediately left. Maybe this had all been some sick joke and someone out there was having a good laugh at her expense. Lin finished her drink and headed for the ladies' room; there was no point in waiting around any longer.
Lin turned on the hot tap and let the warm water cascade over her fingers. She was alone in the bathroom, which was of some relief to her. There were no witnesses to her embarrassment here, no-one to judge her for having been stood up. Lin let out a deep sigh and splashed her face with the running water. She needed to compose herself. In a moment she was going to walk out that door and face the world as the professional and confident Police Chief Beifong, not some sad old woman snivelling over a man she hadn't even met.
Get a grip Lin, she admonished herself. You know you're better than this, so dry your face, grow yourself a back bone and get out of here!
"Oh, sorry Lin, am I disturbing something?"
Lin stared at the intruder reflected in the bathroom mirror. Kya. No, she couldn't know what had happened here, she didn't want anyone to know about her humiliation, let alone one of Tenzin's relatives. She wiped her face on a clean towel and feigned nonchalance.
"No, I'm done here," she replied firmly, wondering whether Kya would go about her business or try to stop and chat. Sadly, it was the latter.
"I just stopped by to use the facilities, I'm actually looking for a place to eat. Air Temple Island is a lovely place, but sometimes the all-vegetarian diet can get a little much sometimes. Don't tell Tenzin I said that," Kya added conspiratorially.
Lin smiled despite herself. "I won't."
"Great!"
Kya started to walk towards a vacant stall, but paused and wheeled around to face Lin.
"Hey, are you doing anything tonight?"
"No," Lin said honestly. "Why?"
"Do you want to grab a bite to eat?" Asked Kya. "I was thinking of going to this great Water Tribe place not far from here, but anywhere you want to go is fine."
Lin was about to decline, but something stopped her before she could speak. Why not? Your plans have already been ruined, so you can go home and sulk all night or you can try to salvage what's left of a terrible evening by spending it with an old friend.
Lin shrugged.
"Sure," she said. "I've got nothing else planned. Finish up here and I'll wait for you outside."
Now this was what Kya had been missing. A fresh, steaming bowl of seaweed noodles just as delicious as the ones she would eat back at the Southern Water Tribe. Well, almost as delicious. She inhaled another oversized mouthful of noodles as Lin stared down pensively into her bowl on the opposite side of the table.
Lin had been pretty quiet since they got here, but she didn't seem to be in one of her dark moods this time. She looked slightly tired, with a hint of melancholy around the eyes. Kya knew any direct enquries were likely to be met with hostility, so she decided to hold her tongue until she could see an opening.
"Why did you really come into the bar?" Asked Lin, still idly stirring her noodles with a pair of chopsticks.
"Hmm?"
Lin looked up from her bowl and repeated the question. Kya shrugged nonchalantly.
"I told you earlier, I needed to visit the ladies' room."
Lin scoffed and fixed her steely gaze on Kya's face. Looking for tells; she really doesn't stop being the police chief, even in her free time. No wonder she always looks so stern.
"Just to go to the ladies', huh?" Pressed Lin. "But why wouldn't you have just used the ones here?" She waved her hand in the direction of the restaurant's toilets for emphasis. "Couldn't you have waited another five minutes?"
Kya listened in dismay as her alibi was torn to shreds right in front of her. It wasn't a big deal, but she did prefer to keep certain aspects of her life private, even from her own family. Kya knew that she would understand if she did mention the visit was a personal matter, but on the other hand it could be an opportunity to get Lin to open up about her own situation. Kya finished off her remaining noodles and leaned in closer.
"Well, if I'm being honest, it was more of a... personal visit really."
Lin said nothing, but was clearly giving Kya her full attention. Kya rested her chin on her palm and continued.
"You see, one of my exes had started waitressing there. You know the one, the cute woman with the white streaks and the gold butterfly pin in her hair? No? Oh, I guess you were too busy at the bar to notice."
Lin bristled slightly at the comment, but whatever objections she had she kept to herself.
"I hadn't seen her in years, not since Dad passed away. She's doing well; settled nicely into her new job, has a couple of nephews that she dotes on. She got married three years ago to a nice lady from the Earth Kingdom. Life's been good to her."
"Were you disappointed?" Asked Lin, not unkindly.
"Disappointed...?"
"That she'd moved on after all that time?"
Kya paused, and took a moment to really consider her answer. "Well, it's not like we broke up for no reason. Plus I needed to take care of Mom and that meant moving back south and putting any other plans on hold... you know how it was. But I suppose I'd be lying if I wasn't a teensy bit jealous."
"Do you ever regret leaving Republic City?"
"No." Kya insisted. "I couldn't have left Mom on her own, not with Dad gone, and my brothers were too busy with their own lives to upend everything like that. It's just one of those things, there's no point dwelling on it."
"I see."
"It's not like I stayed long in one place anyway. I'm sure I would've gotten restless at one point and felt the call of adventure; it wouldn't have been right to ask her to wait for me."
"Uh-huh."
Kya felt suddenly very exposed, as aspects of her past that even she did not wish to scrutinise had been laid bare. This was all getting a bit too real, time to change the subject.
"And what about you Lin? C'mon, I told you my story, it's only fair that you share yours."
Lin looked like she was about to say something, but changed her mind at the last minute. Still refusing to look up from her half-eaten bowl of noodles, she closed her eyes and let out a deep sigh.
"Okay. But I don't want you breathing a word to anyone, you understand."
Kya nodded enthusiastically. This sounded like it was going to be juicy.
"Su and Opal persuaded me to try out one of those ridiculous matchmaking services - don't laugh - because they wanted to see me happy or something," said Lin, eyes darting upwards to judge Kya's reaction.
"Oh, I definitely wasn't expecting that," exclaimed Kya. "How did your family-?"
"Talk me into this? I know, I've been asking myself the same thing. They're all so... earnest."
"So, did you write to anyone?"
Lin rubbed her temples and frowned, as though suddenly plagued with a particularly aggressive migraine.
"Yes. One."
"Oh? Have you seen them in person yet?"
A pained expression crept over Lin's features; barely concealed embarrassment mixed with regret.
"I was supposed to..." Lin admitted reluctantly, her eyes lowering back onto her bowl. She didn't need to say anything else, Kya now knew exactly why Lin had been so glum all evening.
"I'm sorry Lin, you deserve better than that."
Lin grunted and fidgeted with her chopsticks.
"Just forget it. This whole idea was stupid, and I was stupid for thinking anything would come of it," she muttered, eating another mouthful of her noodles. Kya shook her head - she wasn't going to take Lin's defeatist attitude lying down.
"No, that's not true," Kya protested.
Lin smiled ruefully. "Face it Kya, I know what the newspapers have said about me over the years: that I'm difficult, that I'm a hardass; the chief of police that gave up everything for a job that makes her miserable. Who's going to want someone like that in their lives?"
Kya wasn't having any of it. "Someone who wants to date an intelligent, dedicated woman who selflessly puts the needs of others against her own," she argued. "Someone who appreciates everything you have done for your friends, family and the whole of Republic City. You have saved so many lives and sacrificed so much throughout your whole career, and you should be proud of it!"
Lin looked quite startled as Kya finally ended her impassioned speech.
"I am proud," Lin said with conviction. "And I am perfectly aware of my achievements, it's just-"
"Just nothing! Whoever stood you up was a fool, plain and simple!"
Lin went quiet again, letting every word sink in. She finished the last of her seaweed noodles as Kya observed, wondering if the silent treatment was because she had said too much or too little. Lin wiped her lips with a clean napkin and began to speak.
"Thank you Kya, I appreciate that."
With all awkwardness out the way, the rest of the evening passed quite pleasantly. The two of them stayed for one final drink before parting ways; a memorable chance encounter between old yet distant friends. What an interesting day, Kya thought to herself, as she settled down and slowly drifted off to sleep.