She'd never felt so stuck before, underneath a single solid look.

Lin was the only person she knew who understood the power of a look. It could convey feelings, create feelings, intimidate, baffle, control.

And suddenly she was victim of it. Oh, the irony.

Bumi's eyes were intense, unblinking. Lin felt as if she was falling, drowning in the depths of them. They were a passionate, heated abyss...

That look was completely trained on her.

She could feel the thick pad of his thumb graze her cheek. His eyes flickered downward but rose again to meet hers.

"I'm so sorry."

He brought his hand gently to the bandages wrapped around her torso. That wound wasn't the worst the Equalists had inflicted upon her. The bandages did noting to fill the empty void inside of Lin. Bumi was apologizing for her bending. He was sorry she had lost part of herself. She shut her eyes.

"Don't," she whispered."Please don't."

Everybody had been sorry. Everyone had apologized. Her sanity had simply rested on the fact that she didn't care. She didn't care that it was gone. How could she care when it had to be done, to save the Airbenders, to protect Tenzin's family? Lin felt she could just about take every "sorry" except from Bumi. The Commander was her oldest friend, her anchor to the earth. Pity was not something she wanted from him.

"Okay," he replied. A simple statement, Lin thought, but quite enough to communicate. She set her eyes back on Bumi's. They had grown softer, something she found solace in.

"I'm not," she choked a little on tears that she would never let come. "I'm not sorry."

She felt Bumi's arms tighten around her, his beard tickle her forehead. It took a moment for her to realize that he had planted his lips at her hairline, kissing her gently. Suddenly she felt very warm. It quickly blossomed underneath her skin, inside her stomach and chest. Bumi had already pulled back, but the feeling lingered.

"I know," he murmured. "Thank you. Thank you for helping them. They are my family too."

She sighed, settling back into the pillows around her. Bumi brought his face to hers. Their noses touched. Their breath mingled.

"Anything for your family," she replied with a weak smile.

For the first time since Lin lost her bending, she felt tired. Bumi seemed to understand. Without asking, he kicked off his boots, climbing into the bed with her and pulling up the covers. She laid her head on his chest, the rumbling of his voice reminding her of the earth.

"Sleep, Linny," Bumi told her. She obliged, lulled by the rise and fall of his chest.

And she felt safe and warm. Like never before, she felt stuck. In the best way possible.