His fingertips rested on her cheekbone, just above the two angry gashes running vertically up her jaw. The healers had said she would probably scar. His heart pumped hard, furiously hammering as thoughts of what might have happened if she hadn't tucked her head during the fight. The shards of ice might have slit her carotid artery.

She might have bled to death on the streets of Republic City tonight.

"Tenzin, I'm fine," she said firmly, lifting her green eyes to meet his. Her mouth tightened a little, as if she knew his thoughts.

"You could have died," he said softly, his hand curling into her dark hair. Her brow furrowed and she glanced at the floor, at his other tattooed hand as it snaked into hers.

She squeezed his fingers and said in a husky voice, "I don't want to talk about it. I just want..."

But he already knew. He could feel her need as it surged through the both of them, hot and blind and desperate.

Their lips met in a hard clench, more forceful than passionate. He needed to touch her, to make sure she was there, alive, whole and healthy and his. Her other arm encircled his shoulders, fingers spreading on the back of his neck. The hand in her hair dropped to her slender waist and he pulled her against him, hard, bone against bone.

She could have died.

Lin's hands slid down his chest and spread on the front of his loose pants. He always admired her forthrightness. She was never shy about what she wanted, not out of life, or in the bedroom. He breathed out against her mouth as his cock twitched at her nearness.

He took her mouth again, grasping her by the waist and moving her over to the table in the middle of the room. Her clothing seemed to melt away with a clink of metal, and his hands replaced it, cupping her, caressing her, loving her. She shoved his pants down his thighs.

Urgency ruled them. He had to have her, to know that she was truly okay, and he knew she needed him to.

When he lifted her up off of the ground her legs wrapped eagerly around his waist. He set her down on the edge of the table as she reached between them, positioned him at her opening and gasped against his mouth as he entered her with one sure thrust.

Her nails dug into his neck as she kissed him, her tongue sliding against his with a mad urgency. He clutched her hip, thrusting into her with a pace he knew he couldn't keep up for long.

They were all grasping fingers, hungry mouths, wet flesh and hot, hard pleasure. She was warm and grasping around him, her hips rocking forward to meet his. Her hands clenched into the hard muscle of his buttocks as he leaned forward, pushing her back. But she wouldn't have it.

She pushed him away, disengaging their bodies.

"Lin…?" he started, but she slipped off of the end of the table, grasped the pin in her hair and shook her wavy hair down. It was like the air had been punched out of him. He loved it when she did that. Loved the sweet, earthy scent of her hair…

Her eyes were blazing, the angry cuts on her face lending her a wild air as she stepped forward, her hands sliding along his bare chest, breasts pushing into him. She kissed him slowly, sensually, her war body licking against his like a cat in heat. Then she slowly sank to her knees, her hot, wet mouth grazing along his chest and stomach.

He trembled when she took him into her mouth, his hand sinking into her hair. His head tipped back, eyes closing as white-hot warmth enveloped him. Her hand encircled him, stroking him from root to tip as her mouth followed with a deep suction that had him groaning her name. When she looked up at him, her eyes were still wild.

He tugged her back to her feet and kissed her, turning the back toward the table again. She turned in his arms again, putting her back against him. He nipped her shoulder, pushing her forward onto the table, her hair all a tumble.

He entered again, with a shallow stroke that had her gasping and pushing back against him. Her hand went between her legs and she rubbed at herself, desperate to orgasm when he did. It didn't take long; they were both so close already. Her body tightened around his as she gasped his name and released, and he joined her with a crash, pulling out and coming onto her lower back with a groan.

He let out a breath and collapsed forward against her, his knees shaking as Lin stilled, her cheek pressed against the table, fingers clenching the corners.

"Don't you ever do that again," he said against her shoulder, breathing hard, the world filtering back to him with every gasp to regain his breath.

"You know I will," she replied softly, with a bit of impatience in her voice.

"I know," he said, wrapping his arms around her waist. She pushed off of the table and turned around his arms as they both stood up straight. His hand brushed her marred cheek again as their gazes met. "I love you."

Lin didn't say anything. She didn't need to. Tenzin buried his face in her hair as she sank against his bare chest. Her fingers dug into him, holding tightly, as if afraid he might leave her.

Never, he thought to himself. Never.

(end)