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Kya has always enjoyed sitting on the kitchen counter; frankly, more than an average adult should. She swung her legs back and forth and watched the chiffon stripes sway with her movement. It was almost hypnotizing to watch the way the pale fabrics swirled and radiated a cold glow in the dark room.
Though not more hypnotizing than watching her wife.
(She got to call her that now, starting from that night.)
“Can I have one glass too?” she called out to Lin, who was busy trying to maintain her balance while reaching out for the glasses. Kya always put the ones the earthbender used the most on the highest shelf because it was the only way to get Lin on her tiptoes where she could witness it (she also did when she kissed her, though then she was not able to see it).
Lin grabbed an extra glass and made her way to the other side of the kitchen where the icebox was located. Her tired and slightly drunk face was illuminated by the blue light as she opened its door. Her pale skin was even paler under the spell of the icebox.
She looked so beautiful that night. Mesmerizing. Kya couldn’t do anything but stare at the woman casually leaning in to get a cold pitcher of water.
Lin always complained about her hair starting to grey (these days their night routine included Lin showing her every strand of newly greyed hair), but in the reflection of the blue light, the perfectly structured bun ─ except for a lock that escaped from the hairclip ─ looked jet black. The thin line of equally black eyeliner complimented her hair in the aspect, as her little hiddenite earrings did to her eyes. She was wearing a modernized version of a traditional Gaoling robe; shades of earth tones stitched together with golden seams wrapped her body elegantly. And the metal ring that shined between her fingers…
Kya was startled by the loud thud from the fridge door and was faced with Lin’s eyes on her.
“Are you hungry?” Lin must have caught the looks Kya was giving to her and the icebox and probably interpreted it inaccurately.
“Yeah.” Kya added, “Not for food though.”
“Smooth.” Lin’s deadpan face made Kya chuckle. She loved it when Lin was annoyed at her.
“I gave up on being smooth a long time ago love, thanks to your thick head.” Lin turned her face to Kya with a who, my head? thick? look which Kya answered with a you did not realize I was flirting with you for the first 25 years of our lives look.
“I can’t believe I’m getting bullied on my wedding day, by my wife.”
“You picked the wrong gal if you’re looking for a polite wife.” Kya said with a smug smile.
Lin handed Kya her glass and she drank the whole glass with one big gulp without her eyes leaving Lin’s.
Lin put her glass aside. “I think I picked just fine.”
Kya started laughing, her eyes followed Lin as the earthbender leaned toward her with a small smile on her face. Their lips gently met and they pulled each other closer and closer. Lin’s hands found their places on Kya’s waist and hips as Kya’s fingers clutched Lin’s face and hair like it was a matter of life or death.
When they parted, Kya didn’t open her eyes. She could feel Lin’s eyes gazing over her face. The earthbender whispered “Bedroom?”
“Carry me?”
Lin smiled at Kya’s request, and the lines around her eyes deepened. “Of course, dear.”
“Are you getting soft because you’re married now, honey?” Kya asked with a soft smile. As much as she’d liked to tease her about it, she loved Lin’s this side which only she had the privilege of seeing.
“Shut up.” was the only thing Lin said, though she hardly contained her laughter.
Kya encircled her arms behind her wife’s neck and Lin easily lifted Kya from the kitchen counter, tightly holding onto her waist and legs so that her hands didn’t slip off from the smooth chiffon. The waterbender’s head found its place between Lin’s shoulder and neck and rested there and her white dress swayed through the air as they moved to their bedroom.
“I still find it kind of unfair that you can lift me easily and I can’t lift you when I am taller and heavier than you.” Kya murmured into Lin’s neck.
“It’s because of all the strength training you skipped to smoke lilyweed when we were young.”
Kya’s quiet laughter was stifled by Lin’s robe. “And I would do it again.”
Lin pushed their bedroom door open with her body and gently placed Kya on their bed, and sat next to her. Both of them didn’t bother with turning on the lights, too much distracted by each other’s beauty to get up and to do so.
Lin reached out with her hand, and traced Kya’s forehead and temple with ghostlike touches before resting it on her cheek. She wasn’t able to take off her eyes from the waterbender the whole day and dreamed of this moment when they were finally alone in their bedroom. Kya got a hold of Lin’s other hand and intertwined their fingers.
Kya was always the most beautiful woman Lin ever laid her eyes on, but fitting for their special day, her beauty today had a special element to it. The white eyeliner in the various South Pole shapes highlighted the light blue colour of her eyes. The beaded earrings and necklace were handmade pieces that originally belonged to her grandmother, Kya. They suited her as perfectly as they did to her grandmother, Katara said when she saw her earlier that day. (Kya shed a tear or two at that comment, and Lin was the only person that saw it. She didn’t say anything other than tightening her grip on the waterbender’s hand.)
Unlike her mother and most women from the South Pole, Kya liked her hair in a simple ponytail most days, but for today her hair was in a very complex updo. Two thin strands of braids encircled her face with a crescent-like shape. The half bun was kept in place by an elegant silver hair clip. Her loose hair fell on her shoulders as thick waves but Lin could see from this distance that there were actually many thinly braided strands mixing in with her dark brown curls. It was complicated in the most beautiful ways, and Lin gently smiled when she remembered how Kya did all of this by herself, as it was tradition to do so.
“I love you,” Lin said so quietly that the sentence would be lost between the rustle of their curtains and the trees outside, if she was not this close to her wife’s face.
Kya looked directly into Lin’s eyes like she was trying to see herself from the earthbender’s eyes. She then reached out to Lin’s face and grabbed her injured cheek with her hand to kiss her. They swung backways, but Lin found her balance by holding onto Kya’s body. Lin’s warm lips tasted like sour cherry liqueur, and Kya sunk deeper to savour the taste.
“Lin-” Kya managed to breathe out between kisses, “help me unzip-”, another kiss, “this from behind.” As one of her hands guided Lin’s fingers to her back, her other hand found the earthbender’s robe’s buttons. She fiddled with them blindly before she felt the earthbender’s calloused hand slowing her fingers down.
“Kya.” Lin’s tone was firm and somewhat urgent. The waterbender stopped immediately and pulled away to look her wife in the eyes. “I need to do this before we move on to different things.” Lin continued with utmost seriousness.
Kya confusedly watched the earthbender shift on the bed to a cross-legged position to fully face her.
“What is happening, exactly? I thought we would be naked by now.”
Lin chuckled at her wife’s comment, then patted the space between her legs.
“Turn around and come here.
Kya paused for a second. She was starting to understand but had a hard time believing.
“Lin? Are you…? How?”
“Yes. I learned from Katara.”
Lin had always been interested in Katara and Aang’s different backgrounds and customs, and they would have lots of conversations about their cultures growing up. Katara would braid her in different Southern Water Tribe styles – as much as her short hair allowed – and Aang would take her bison riding to show her the city.
Lin remembered one of these conversations with Katara so much more vividly than the others. She had asked her aunt how women promised their love for their husbands when getting married. Katara was confused at first, thinking Lin already knew what betrothal necklaces are, and started to slowly explain the meaning behind them. But the young earthbender interrupted her, excitedly, and told her that necklaces are a way for husbands to show their love and commitment. They make it and gift to their soon-to-be wives as a promise to them. In Earth Kingdom, both sides gave each other metal rings, so why wasn’t Katara’s hometown like that?
Katara smiled knowingly then, and tucked a loose black lock behind Lin’s ear. “We do that with our hair,” she said.
She went on to explain the tradition of brides doing their own hair, in a very particular way, on their wedding day. For example, the bride had to have braids the number of her age, had to start from left to right, and could only wear pure silver hairclips. It was tradition for the husband to let their wives’ hair down that night, to have this bond of love and companionship tying them just like a knot. Lin remembered listening to all these small details with pure concentration and fascination as a kid.
These conversations gained a new level of significance when Lin realized that she was in love with Kya. Now it meant learning about her lover’s roots, the culture she grew up in, and the things she valued the most.
“I talked to Katara about her culture a lot when I was a kid.” Lin said softly, and blinked a couple of times, realizing that she was lost in her thoughts for a second, remembering her childhood and Katara.
Kya’s shocked gaze shifted from Lin’s face and fidgeting hands.
“I’m sorry. Does that-?” The earthbender said with worry.
“No. No, don’t be. I just… didn’t expect it.”
“I know why you haven’t told me yourself,” Lin sighed. “I know I look dismissive towards my culture from outside, but I really do want to partake in yours because I know that’s something you value a lot.” Lin reached out to hold Kya’s hand. “I thought you decided to not have a traditional wedding because of the special circumstances, which I do get. I am a foreigner and obviously, our partnership is not traditional, so your decision made a lot of sense. But today, when I watched you make your hair, I realized that you made your decision partly because of my wariness about my culture.” Lin lifted her other hand to caress Kya’s long locks. “I know how much this means to you. Let me show you that I care.”
Kya nodded slowly and closed her eyes to the feeling of Lin’s hand.
“But… I know nothing about your customs.”
“Kya, darling, that’s not even true. Who bought me this ring?” Lin lifted her left hand to show to shiny finger resting between her fingers. “And you know that I don’t feel as connected to Gaoling traditions as you are to your culture. I don’t even know all of the customs for weddings. Besides the ones I know are all about virginity, first times and whatnot, and we kind of skipped that stage.”
Kya smiled at that comment and muttered “Oh yes, we definitely did.” under her breath. “I love you, Lin. You know that, right?”
Lin left out a genuine laugh. “Yes, I know that. I love you, too, Kya.” She patted the bedsheet in front of her once again. “Come here.”
Kya’s face lit up, and she pushed her body backwards for Lin to get the best possible angle of her hair. She felt the earthbender’s body temperature radiating behind her and closed her eyes tranquilly when she felt her strong fingers between her locks.
“Damn it, I can’t see without my glasses.” Lin said and Kya felt the earthbender getting up and leaving the room. She came back with her reading glasses on. “If I hear you tell Bumi about this, I will divorce you.”
“Okay, okay. Spirits, you really can’t make fun of your wife these days…”
Lin gently took off the hairclip and put it on the nightstand. She placed a small kiss on her wife’s bare shoulders before starting her task.
All those years ago, Katara told her about the main meaning behind this tradition and the exact same sentence sticked with Lin ever since.
Every single strand you braided for the years I spent without you, every single strand I let loose for the years we’ll face together.
She repeated this sentence over and over again as she quickly went through all of the braids. Kya breathed slowly from tension finally being released from her scalp after a long day.
When Lin was finished, she ran her fingers through her wife’s hair one last time and kissed her way to her right shoulder from her left one. Kya squirmed under her touch and left out a yelp when she found herself between the mattress and Lin in a matter of a few seconds. Lin trapped her body between hers as she deliberately kissed her most ticklish spots over and over again.
“Lin! Stop it!” Kya cried out between her laughter which halted Lin. Her cheeks reddened, she breathed for a moment before continuing. Lin watched her with a smile on her face the whole time.
“We forgot one last thing.” She reached up to Lin’s hair to take out the pins from her bun. Lin’s black strands fell from behind of her head to frame her beautiful face. “Every single strand I let loose for the years we’ll face together.” Kya whispered like it was a secret between the two.
At that moment, Lin could not find the words to express the love she had for her.
Her wife. She got to call her that today, she remembered again.
She kissed her instead. (And did not stop for the whole night.)