Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Lin let out a soft smile as she stepped off the ferry and began walking to the wedding, a fact she would vehemently deny to anyone who asked her. She walked past the dormitories on Air Temple Island when she heard a sigh of frustration. 

Lin paused and walked over to the door the noise came from and knocked on the door. “Is everything okay?” she asked.

She heard footsteps before Mako opened the door looking sheepish. “Yeah, it’s...it’s nothing,” he said dismissively, fiddling with the button on the sleeve of his brown jacket..

Lin looked at his fidgeting, knowing it was more serious than he let on. “Well it made you frustrated so it’s not nothing,” she replied with a knowing gaze.

He sighed, adjusting his arm in the sling. “I just...I feel underdressed. Kya suggested a tie but I-”

“But you can’t get it,” Lin said softly, the man in front of her blushing and ducking his head down. 

“If you want, I can help you,” she offered.

Mako looked at her in surprise. “I...I’d like that, thank you,” he said with surprise, moving aside so she could walk into the room. 

After his arm was hurt from his reckless stunt, he had temporarily moved to Air Temple Island at Kya’s insistence. Lin didn’t realize how terrified she was about Mako dying until she saw him black out. She still remembered the grimace of pain on his face when he collapsed after Kya tried to help heal his burnt arm. She noted the scars running up and down his arms, feeling her heart ache for him, wishing she could just wash away the boy’s pain and hurt. She pushed away the feelings of love and pride that felt distinctively maternal and focused on the present.

She picked up the red tie and walked in front of the firebender, slightly standing on her tiptoes to reach his neck. She quickly adjusted the tie on his shoulders and quickly tied the tie, adjusting the dimple to make sure it was pristine.

“You’re really good at this,” he noted with emotion in his voice that Lin couldn’t quite place.

“Yeah. I had to learn how to tie ties pretty early on. Su went through a phase where she would only wear suits to formal events and someone had to help her,” she admitted with a chuckle, standing with her feet flat on the ground again. “I didn’t tie ties for a while, but Saikhan needed it for his wedding so I picked up those skills again.”

The detective looked at her, emotion shining in his eyes. “Thank you for everything,” he said, eyes watering with tears.

Lin felt her heart ache in pure love for this boy and before she realized what she was doing, she gently wrapped him in a hug, careful to avoid aggravating his injured arm. “I’ll always be here for you kid,” she said. 

He froze at the praise. “That...that means a lot to me. I can’t even tell you,” he admitted, a tear rolling down his face.

She reached up and brushed the tear off his face, resisting the urge to bring him back into her arms and ease all of his pain. Spirits, why am I okay with being so emotional? That’s an issue for future Lin, she thought, pushing it aside for now and just letting herself reply honestly. 

“You may not be able to tell me, but you can show me,” she said, reaching up to adjust his collar before lowering her hands to her side. “You come over for dinner sometimes, but we need to make it a regular thing. I like having you over and I know Kya does too.”

“Sounds good to me,” he said with a smile.

“Come on, let’s go before we miss that wedding,” she said with a chuckle before turning to look at him with a more serious expression. “Mako, please don’t blame yourself for not being able to stop Kuvira sooner. I’m proud of you kid.”

“Thanks Chief.” The two walked over to the wedding area, taking their respective seats. Lin shot him a small grin when she noticed the tension beginning to show in his shoulders, happily noting that some of the tension bled away with a soft, reassuring grin from her. She was so attached to the kid and it would normally scare her, but she couldn’t be bothered to feel any pain when she saw him smile and just enjoy life for once, his happiness settling a weight in her chest she didn’t even realize was there.

Chapter Text

Lin let out a sigh, throwing the folder in her hands onto the table. The Triple Threat Triad had been stirring up trouble again, causing the police chief to have many sleepless nights due to constant work. Just last week, one of her officers died from trying to stop the criminals. Lin wouldn’t admit it, but everyone knew she took these losses personally. Every time an officer died on her watch, she felt the familiar but crushing weight of grief come over her.

She turned at the knock on the door. She frowned, Kya wasn’t supposed to be home yet. After Kuvira destroyed the city, Kya had been a huge help in rebuilding the hospital, rarely taking days off. Normally, it was Lin who was constantly busy with work but the tables had turned. She opened the door to see Mako standing there with hunched shoulders.

“Hey Detective,” she said, stepping aside to let him in. 

“Hey Chief,” he replied, walking inside.

Lin watched him, noting with a frown that he seemed off. “Do you want anything to eat or drink? I was thinking of fixing a snack if you want anything.”

“I’ll have some of whatever you make, don’t feel like you have to do anything for me,” he said. 

Lin nodded and headed to the kitchen. She wasn’t planning on making any food or tea, but she always told Mako she was. The kid wouldn’t accept anything otherwise. Thankfully, she had made some egg custard tarts a few days ago so the food was ready. 

“Do you have a tea preference?” she asked, reaching up on her tiptoes with a scowl. Kya had this annoying habit of putting the tea just out of reach, forcing Lin to ask her for her or climb on the counter.

Mako walked over, noticing her struggle with getting the tea. “Uh not really. Do you want me to get the tea down for you?” he asked.

“Yes please. Grab the lion turtle container,” she said, turning to grab a teapot. “That is a blend Uncle Iroh made, it’s still one of my favorites.”

He handed her the container and the pair remained silent as the tea brewed. Usually Mako would make an attempt to fill the silence, but now he was just standing in silence. Lin frowned, knowing something was going on. 

“Here, have an egg custard tart. This was Uncle Aang’s favorite food and one of the first things I learned to cook,” she said, handing him the tart. 

He took it with a smile and bit into the small pastry. “This is really good,” he said with surprise as she bent down to get out the serving tray. “I had one before but it was burnt.”

“If you want, I can teach you how to make them one day,” Lin said as she stood up, pouring the tea into two cups on the tray.

“That would be nice,” he said softly.

Lin finally gave into her concern and asked him the question that had been on her mind ever since he came over. 

“Is everything okay kid?” she asked, looking at him with concern.

“I don’t honestly know,” he admitted with a hollow laugh, sitting on the couch. 

Lin walked over to the couch, setting the tray on the table. “Do you want to talk about it?” she asked softly. 

He let out a heavy sigh, putting his head in his hands. “I was on patrol with Officer Lee last week. I was there when the Triads got him. He died on my watch. I couldn’t protect him,” he said, tears running down his face.

“It’s my fault he’s dead. It’s my fault his daughter won’t know about both of her fathers,” he said with a sob. 

Lin pulled him into a tight hug, gently shushing the boy. “It’s not your fault Mako,” she said softly, running a hand up and down his back. 

His arms quickly swung around her waist and the boy held to her like a lifeline. “You couldn’t have done anything different. In fact, I remember talking to Officer Yaru after I heard about what happened. If you weren’t there, many more people would have died.”

“I was able to save some civilians nearby but I couldn’t save my coworker,” he said, voice cracking.

“It’s a shitty part of the job. Even after all these years, I still feel guilt every time an officer dies on my watch. You aren’t alone,” she said softly, putting her head on top of his. “You have me and Kya in your corner no matter what.”

He just continued crying, Lin holding her kid and gently murmuring reassurances. After he was able to calm down, Lin just reached up and wiped the tears off his face. 

“I’m sorry for...for being like that,” Mako said awkwardly.

Lin handed him his cup of tea. “Don’t apologize Mako. This job is hard as fuck and you’re a good person which makes it even harder. I want to help you in any way I can and if that means you crying on me, then that’s okay. You can always come to me for food, a shoulder to cry on, or someone to vent to, whatever you need I’ll give you.”

He nodded, taking a sip of the tea. “Thank you,” he said tearfully.

She nodded, sipping on her tea as well. The two finished their tea in a comfortable silence, just letting their presence reassure the other. Lin ate one of the egg custard tarts she brought over on the tray, handing the rest to Mako.

“I’m not super hungry and you need to eat,” she said softly, knowing her kid probably hadn’t eaten in a while. Wait...when did he become my kid? Why don’t I mind?

He nodded in thanks and began eating. Her heart stopped when she realized that she was literally acting like his mother. To her surprise, she didn’t mind it at all and actually felt a small swell of pride at the thought. 

“Here, let me get the dishes,” she said, taking the tray and dishes back to the kitchen. She quickly washed them off and walked back to the couch, sitting next to Mako. 

The firebender smiled at her. “Thank you for everything,” he said. 

“Of course,” she replied, bringing a hand up to ruffle his hair. He leaned into her touch and before she realized what she was doing, she brought him into another hug.

He leaned into her touch and Lin’s heart ached when she realized he probably didn’t receive much physical love. He had his friends, but he didn’t have many people in his life. She also knew it was a habit to reject physical affection, a tactic that helped him survive on the streets. 

She leaned back against the pillow, basically using him as a blanket as she relaxed. Thankfully, Mako just held her tightly, silently conveying his appreciation. Before long, the two fell asleep, exhausted from the emotional turmoil of the day.

Kya walked in quietly, knowing Lin was probably asleep. She opened the door to their apartment and placed a hand over her mouth at the soft scene in front of her. Lin was asleep on the couch, Mako laying on top of her. Mako held onto her tightly as if he was afraid she would disappear if he woke up. Kya simply walked past the sleeping pair, knowing they needed their rest. She quickly changed into her pajamas and went to bed.

 The next morning, Kya woke up and smiled at the sight of the two still sleeping on the couch. She began preparing the coffee, knowing the two would be up soon. She reached up and grabbed three mugs for the coffee. She let out a hum as she began making breakfast. 

Lin woke up to Mako laying on top of her, her heart melting at the sight. Mako opened his eyes and blushed, looking away embarrassed. 

“I’m sorry I-”

“It’s okay kid,” she said softly, hugging him yet again. 

He melted in her arms, tucking his head into her shoulder. “Thank you Mom,” he said, stiffening up when he realized he said that outloud. 

Lin’s eyes watered in happiness. “It’s okay son,” she said, pressing a soft kiss to the top of his head. 

His arms squeezed around her tighter, causing the police chief to smile. “Hey, I made breakfast,” Kya called out. 

The two stood up and walked over to the kitchen. “I made your coffee Lin but I wasn’t sure how you took yours Mako.”

“I drink mine with a bit of cream and sugar,” he said, Kya immediately adding it for him. “Thank you.”

“Of course kid,” she said, sipping hers black. People expected Lin to take hers black and Kya to have more milk than coffee. Ironically, it was the other way around. 

Kya dished out the eggs and rice she prepared while the two were slowly waking up. “Here, enjoy,” she said with a smile.

“Thanks Mom,” he said, freezing up when he realized he had slipped up not once, but twice this morning.

Kya immediately ran around the counter to bring him into a tight hug. “Of course sweetie,” she said softly, ruffling his hair. 

Lin’s heart melted even more at the sight. “Thank you for trusting us. I know you haven’t been able to trust people and let them in easily, but you let us in. It...it means the world to me,” she said, eyes watering with emotion.

Mako blushed, still wrapped up in Kya’s arms. “You two make it easy. I...I never thought I would be able to call anyone Mom or Dad again, much less being able to call two people Mom. It’s something I didn’t even realize was missing.”

Kya pressed a kiss to his forehead. “Thank you for trusting us son. Come on sweetie, let’s eat before the food gets cold.”

He grumbled, reluctantly letting go of her. “Listen to your mother,” Lin said, pretending to be irritated at him.

Both people laughed and they all sat down to eat. The new family just ate, talking about anything and everything. 

Mako felt his heart swell with love. After their parents died, he didn’t let anyone in but Bolin. He needed it to survive on the streets. Even just letting Korra and Asami in was difficult. To his surprise, letting in the intimidating police chief and master waterbender was easy. The women tore down his walls and lovingly showed him that he was worthy of love and family. He smiled, softly basking in the love of his newfound family.

Chapter Text

The radio played softly in the background as the two women prepared dinner. Kya stood next to the stove, diligently chopping vegetables while Lin began preparing the fried rice. The two got lost in the motions of cooking but looked up when the door opened.

When Mako first began joining them for dinner, he had always knocked and waited to be let in. Kya and Lin quickly gave him his own key, just saying it was easier for him to let himself in if they were preparing dinner or something. The truth was both women saw him as a son and wanted him to have a key to their home, like a son would. They had internally viewed him as their son long before he ever called them Mom. The apartment had two guest rooms and Mako had claimed one for himself. Whenever he was injured or just needed to stay with them, they always had his room ready for him. He even had some clothes and decor he had picked out in his room, furthering cementing his place in their little family. 

“Hey Mako,” Kya said, looking at him with a smile as he walked into the room.

“Hey,” he replied, voice making Lin scrutinize him with concern. She frowned when she saw the tension in his shoulders and her mind began racing. 

 Lin quickly realized something was wrong, but she didn’t know what it was. The fact that she could immediately tell when he felt off used to make her panic. She would have worried that she was becoming maternal and mother-like to him. Now, she embraced those feelings she used to push down and repress. 

“Is everything okay kid?” she asked, looking at him with concern.

“I don’t honestly know,” he admitted with a hollow laugh, sitting on the couch. 

Kya nudged her in the side. “Go talk with him, I’ve got dinner,” she said softly.

Lin nodded and walked over to Mako. “Do you want to talk about it?” she asked.

“I...yes but not out here I-I can’t it’s-it’s…” His voice trailed off as he struggled to put his thoughts into words.

“Come on, let’s head to your room,” she said, placing a hand on his shoulder. 

He stood up and followed her, sitting on the edge of the bed. Lin sat down next to him, being sure to face him. She kept silent, knowing he would talk when he was ready.

Before too long, he broke the silence after collecting his thoughts. “I don’t know where to start,” he admitted sheepishly. “This shouldn’t be a big deal but it feels like it is. I feel so fucking stupid for feeling scared.”

He took a deep breath. “Recently, I was hanging out with Korra and Asami at a gay bar. Being there made me feel safe and I couldn’t realize why. I…I met this one person at the club who made me reevaluate everything. I’ve always thought women were beautiful but when I saw them...it was different,” he said, tears rolling down his face.

He let out a sharp, irritated sigh. “I never felt like I belonged in that club until that moment. I could see myself going out with him, a whole stranger for fucks sake. I just…never thought I could be into men.  I’ve never felt like this before and especially not for a guy. I don’t know what I am, but it’s not straight.”

Lin wrapped him in a tight hug, letting her own tears spill over. “I’m so proud of you for trusting me,” she said softly, running a hand through his hair. It was slightly crunchy from the pomade he put in to tame it, but she didn’t care. Her kid needed love and she was going to give him as much as she wanted to, consequences be damned. If giving Mako the love and support he needed meant she would have a residue gel film on her fingers for hours, so be it. 

“It takes a lot to realize feelings. Sometimes it’s worse when it’s just a casual thought that comes out of nowhere and blindsides you. One day, I saw Kya and went ‘wow she looks so hot, I wish I could take her on a date’ and I was scared shitless. I never thought I would be into women, but here I am just casually having a queer thought. It’s hard to come to terms with sexuality, even more so when you aren’t straight. Don’t feel pressured to label yourself,” she said, putting her head on top of his, knowing her kid needed comfort right now.

His arms tightened around her. “I knew you would be so accepting but it’s just...it was so hard. I feel like an idiot for being scared,” he said with a small sob.

She hushed him, softly preventing him from further degrading himself. “It’s normal to feel scared, especially when you’re queer like we are. People aren’t always kind, but so many are. No matter what, you always have me and Kya in your corner.”

He squeezed her one last time before pulling away. “I think I want to tell her,” he said.

“Don’t feel pressured to come out,” she said with understanding.

“I don’t. I want to, I’m just scared.” She nodded and followed him out to the main room where Kya was taking the fried rice off the stove.

Kya looked up, noticing how both had red faces and tear stains. “Shit, is everything okay?” she asked with concern, immediately setting the food down and walking over to the two.

Mako stepped closer to her. “I’m….I realized recently that I’m into men. I don’t know what I am but I’m not straight,” he said, looking down. He knew realistically she would accept him, but that familiar fear made its way up his throat and suffocated him.

Kya wrapped him in a tight hug. “Thank you so much for telling me. I know how hard it is,” she said, running a hand up and down his back.

Lin watched as Mako tucked his head into her, just getting closer to her for comfort. Lin’s heart melted at the sight of the two of the most (if not the most) important people in her life holding each other. 

After a while, the trio finally sat down and started eating. Dinner quickly passed by in a blur of conversation and before she knew it, Lin was cleaning up dishes. Mako let out a yawn and started heading to the door.

“Kid, if you want to stay tonight feel free. You’re always welcome here,” Kya said from her spot on the couch, curled up with a book.

“I don’t get it. Why do you two put up with me so much? I’m just...not that great,” Mako said sadly.

“You’re family Mako,” Lin said softly. “You’re always welcome here with us, no matter what. We’re always here for you, whenever and wherever you need us.”

“You’re our son kiddo, we won’t leave you,” Kya said, walking over to him and pulling him into her arms. 

He looked at her with soft eyes. “Thank you. I’m so used to being on my own, I just…” His voice trailed off, eyebrows furrowing together as he tried to remember what he was saying. 

“You don’t know how to cope,” Lin said with a sad smile, guessing what he was going tos say next. “I’ve been in your shoes before kid. It’s hard and painful, but once you learn to let people in again it’s worth it.”

Lin walked over and wrapped her arms around her people. Kya ran a hand through his hair, smiling when her son leaned into her touch. 

The family stood together in a tight hug, just softly soaking in the pure love they felt. Before long, Kya and Lin pulled away, ruffling Mako’s hair before saying goodnight. He walked to his room, smiling at the fact that he was finally family now. He had lost both parents, fought like hell to protect Bolin, and even after finding family in Ba Sing Se, never felt close to them. Kya and Lin provided comfort and love he didn’t even realize he missed, even when he felt like he didn’t deserve it. They see him not just as family, but as their own son.

He thought that they would cast him aside once they realized how messed up he was. Despite all of his insecurities screaming otherwise, Kya and Lin had shown him nothing but unconditional love and support. He held onto them tightly, knowing that he was never going to let this feeling of family go.