#yes I did a rewrite of TLOK starting at the six months between Books 1 and 2 and I will keep on going through book 4 and beyond

[thatonebirdwrites]

Chapter 11 of my Book 2 (Excerpt of the Book)

Notes: This is an excerpt of my TLOK: Shared Moments Book 2. I thought this would be a fun one to share because Asami fretting about having a crush on Korra is cute, and Korra being adorable and not realizing she's flustering Asami is hilarious to me. This scene also exemplifies some of the changes I did to Book 2: Korra breaks up with Mako earlier, they investigate the Southerners that went into hiding, and it's the start of their Spirit Investigations. You can read the whole series here: Shared Moments.

Day after Winter Solstice, Northern edge of Wolf Cove

Asami had to admit that sleeping at Korra’s parent’s home made it easier to prepare for the journey with Katara, mostly because they had the sorts of supplies needed for polar expeditions. Items she would have never considered packing. After Korra had left, Senna had chatted with her about if she felt well enough for this - Asami would never admit she wasn't, far too stubborn for that -- and then they went through supplies. The woman was thorough and highly efficient. Each item Senna put in the packs she explained why, and Asami wished she'd taken notes.

The biggest downside to staying at Korra’s parents’ home was the awkwardness, especially when Korra returned grumpy, only to crash by the fire. Which meant Asami woke up next to Korra. As in, Korra had rolled in her sleep to cuddle by Asami’s side, one arm lazily thrown over her, while Naga curled around them both. The arrangement didn’t bother Asami. She found she rather liked it. It was how much she liked it that had her troubled. It brought back painful memories that she’d tried to put out of her mind for the past few years.

The second issue was her being between Korra and Naga. It didn’t exactly leave room for her to slide out easily, so although she woke quite early, far before the appointed hour, she found herself stuck between a very warm and fluffy polar bear dog and a very warm and cuddly Avatar. At least Korra had remembered to pick up her red bag and drop it within reach. 

Her clothes on the other hand were not within reach, so she hid under the pile of blankets, feeling increasingly self-conscious about Korra’s proximity to her and how she couldn’t even have the dignity of proper clothes for this arrangement. 

So she was left with little choice. 

She pulled her idea journal out of her bag and sketched the ludicrous situation. 

Her brain refused to focus on anything else, so it wasn’t as if she could work on her airship designs or anything productive. Asami was quite certain she’d laugh over this later, but for the moment, she was a trifle mortified that Korra’s parents had witnessed this arrangement and left it as is. Like nothing out of the ordinary. Totally fine for two women to cuddle each other and a polar bear dog. Which then left Asami wondering if there was something wrong with her for simultaneously enjoying this immensely and feeling mortified at the witnesses. 

Sighing, she stretched her legs a bit, glad to feel the pain mostly gone, and attempted to see if she could wiggle free. 

Korra grumbled and only rolled closer. 

So that wouldn’t work. Back to the sketch she supposed. Except now, with Korra nudged up so close that her breath was on Asami’s neck, her focus on drawing had scattered entirely. She set her pen in the journal and turned her head to look at the Avatar. Korra must have pulled out her wolf tails, as her brown hair lay in a halo around her head, and mingled with Asami’s own black hair. The firelight played across Korra’s brown skin, giving it a warm glow, and her thick muscles twitched a bit in her sleep, her arm still splayed across Asami. 

Did Korra realize how breathtakingly beautiful she was? Likely not as her hair needed a proper brushing, Asami counted at least half a dozen snarls. She was tempted to run her fingers through them to try to gently untangle, but would that wake Korra? They still had some time before they had to be up to prepare for the journey, and the past few days had been pretty intense for the Avatar. Asami didn’t want to wake the girl before it was absolutely necessary. 

Gently, she brushed some of Korra’s hair from her face. The touch seemed too intimate. She pulled her hand away and looked up at the ceiling. Painful memories she’d tried so hard to suppress trickled back into her mind. She recalled the one of the big fights she’d had with her father a year prior, when her father had found her lesbian romance book.

Her father entered the library, where she’d been reading by the windows. “Asami, we need to talk.” He held out a book.

Confused, she put down her current book, then paled at the sight of the other one. She snatched it out of his hand. “Why were you in my room?” The book was a romance between two women, a gift from Sana at the dojo where she practiced. Two weeks ago, she’d confessed to Sana how she often felt stronger attractions to women than to men, and it had resulted in the most wholesome conversation she’d ever had with a girl her age. Sana had gifted her the book a few days later. Asami had hoped it was a sign she had finally made a friend.

He pulled up a chair and sighed. “I wished to discuss an upcoming event with you. Why are you reading such books? It’s unbecoming of someone of your status.” 

“Because…” Asami realized she had no defense. She’d never considered her father finding the book. Her fingers trailed over the cover. “It was a gift,” she said finally.

“From who?” His voice was angry.

“Why do you need to know?” Asami shot back, defensive. He’d never cared before what she read. This reaction made no logical sense to her.

“Such a person will sully our reputation. I cannot allow you-” he started to say, but she interrupted him. 

“Father, this is ridiculous.” Asami stood, her tone switching to the socialite that the school had drilled into her. “The book was a gift, and the person who gifted it is inconsequential to your company. I am capable of reading whatever book I wish.” 

Her father’s face darkened. He grabbed her arm. “You are my daughter, Asami. And you must not let these idle fantasies distract you. Eventually, you will need to find a man…”

“No, I don’t.” The words were out of her mouth before she even realized she’d said them. Oh spirits, she hadn't meant to say that, and it wasn't like she didn't have some attraction to men. She just preferred women. Looking at her father, she was about to clarify but then stopped. The look on her father’s face, his shock and confusion, hit her like a block of earth to the chest. She immediately regretted her words.

He sighed heavily, his hand dropping to his side. “Perhaps I’ve been too lenient with you. This cannot continue. What you do reflects on me and my company. If you are to inherit my work, then you must not let this…. this… nonsense taint your mind.” 

“This nonsense taint my mind?” she repeated, flabbergasted. Anger overruled her regret. People like Sana weren't nonsense. “Same sex couples exist. Many get married and are recognized just like any other couple. It’s you who needs to adjust to our changing times.”

His shoulders drooped, and he looked suddenly much older. “I need you to focus, Asami. Future Industries' reputation requires both of us to do our part. We need to work together to continue to hold the spotlight, to continue to build a better world.”

Not that argument again. Last time he’d threatened to fire half the benders at the company claiming it was to build a better world, and that had turned into a yelling match. She was not doing that again. Pivoting, she marched out of the library. Her father called after her, but she ignored him. The walls of the mansion felt suddenly stifling. Tears stung her eyes, and she held the book tightly. Could Sana be wrong? Maybe queer couples weren’t as accepted by society as she had claimed. 

Asami slammed the door to her room, locked it, and dropped down beside her bed. She dug under it for a battered box and pulled it out. This was where the book should have been, but she’d been reading it last night under the covers. She placed it over all her drawings of women at the dojo. Grabbing her toolkit, she worked a floor board under her bed until it pulled up enough for her to shove the box inside. She carefully readjusted the board back to its original position, then climbed into bed and cried.

The memory incited a wave of anger, and now that she’d seen his journals, she knew he had been far along his path of hatred by the time that conversation happened. And to think it held such influence still! She’d dated Yanchen not long after that conversation, hated it, then tried again with Song, that also barely lasted a few weeks. Mako was the only one she actually felt some attraction, but that hadn’t gone well either. Trying to pretend that side of her didn’t exist certainly hadn’t worked as Korra kept distracting her by being so damn beautiful. Thinking about her father just added a layer of fury and grief as well as shame to the situation, and she hated how he haunted her still.

No, whatever she felt toward Korra, she shouldn’t let it distract. First, they needed to be better friends, then she had to figure out this mess with her company. Besides, it was unlikely Korra would ever like her like that anyway. She sighed and opened her idea journal. The rough sketch of the scene needed some polish, but she shut it instead, and laid her arm over her eyes.

This mode of thinking was not productive. She needed to be useful, which meant she needed to get into proper clothes and check their packs again, verify supplies. Asami shimmied closer to Naga, so that her back was to the polar bear dog’s side. Korra’s arm still lay across her, though she no longer was pressed up as close. Gently, she picked up Korra’s arm but paused at the thickness of her muscles. Asami would never get over them. She swallowed hard and carefully laid Korra’s arm between them. Korra grumbled, but she thankfully didn’t wake. 

Part one completed. Asami pushed herself to her knees, blankets slid off. Her body still felt sore, shaky, and now cold. Likely needed more food and water. She reached and grabbed her clothes then looked around. She had no idea where to go for a bathroom, though she vaguely remembered Senna helping her to a room where she could squat and wash with warm water. A lot of yesterday was a blur, most of it in and out of consciousness and sleep. 

Korra was still asleep at least. Asami pulled on her shirt and jacket. Leveraging herself against Naga, surprised the bear dog tolerated it, she pulled on her inner liner and pants, socks, and boots. It tired her, and she leaned against Naga, breathing heavier than she liked. The dog nuzzled her sleepily. She stroked her fur and wished life wasn’t so frustratingly complicated. Too bad she wasn't a polar bear dog, then she'd just hang out with Korra, and wouldn't have a failing company, a group of Southerners angry with her possible deal with Varrick, and that confusing and worrisome claim that her technology could make problems worse with the dark spirits and Northern troops. Problems that Asami had no idea how to tackle, and that irritated her even more.

Footsteps came from the side rooms. Senna entered wearing her furs. “Awake?” She spoke softly. 

Asami nodded. “May I wash up?” She was still sort of between Korra and Naga, her legs at least, and the blankets were a tangled mess at her feet.

Senna walked over and held out her arm. Asami grasped it and leveraged herself to her feet. She still felt a bit dizzy, her legs still weak, so she leaned against the older woman.

“How do you feel?” Senna led her into the side rooms past a room with a thick curtain and into the bath area. It wasn’t technically a bath per se, but more of a wash area and a place to relieve oneself. Senna pulled out some wash clothes and soap. 

“I feel better.” Asami ducked her head to try to hide her blush and burst of shame. “Was extra warm last night.” 

Senna smiled with a shake with her head. “You were shivering, even with almost all our blankets. Korra ordered Naga to keep you warm, then just went to sleep.”

“Is… she like that with others?” Asami asked, hesitantly. 

Senna shook her head. “No, but then, she’s never had such good friends as all of you. Thank you for being here with her.” Senna squeezed Asami’s shoulder. “Go get washed up. I’ll make breakfast.” Senna left the room and the curtain fell into place.

Asami looked down at the soap and water basin. Korra wasn’t like that with others? She had no idea how to process that information, so she put that out of her head. Turning on the spigot to warm up the water, she cleaned herself up the best she could.

When she left the bathroom, she kept her hand along the wall to steady herself. Being this weak was infuriating. To her surprise, Naga met her at the entrance to the side rooms. The dog waged her tail and nuzzled Asami again. Looking past her, she saw Korra sitting up and stoking the firepit. The girl yawned and blinked sleepily at Asami. 

“You sleep okay?” 

Asami nodded and wondered if Korra had purposely cuddled her or if it had been all done in her sleep. Okay, there goes her trying to put it out of her mind. She felt irritated with herself. Leaning against Naga’s shoulder, she pushed away from the wall. Her legs still felt weak and that prickly-numbness still burned faintly off and on. Naga seemed to understand and walked slowly back to Korra, while Asami kept hold of her to stay upright. 

“Huh.” Korra watched, surprised. “Naga, you’re such a good girl.” She reached out and ruffled the dog’s fur behind Naga’s ears. “Caring for Asami.”

Asami leveraged herself back onto the pillows using Naga’s bulk. “Does she do this a lot?”

Korra shook her head. “Only with me. Well, apparently you now. How you managed to charm my Naga is a mystery.” Korra laughed lightly. “Definitely a polar bear dog whisperer.” 

Asami looked off to the side to hide the blush again. “Did… you sleep okay? I… saw you slept out here?” That was the closest she would come to mentioning anything about this morning.

“Yeah.” Korra shrugged. “You were cold, and Naga's warm. I figured I’d sleep nearby. In case you needed stuff.” 

More than near, Asami thought, but she didn’t say it out loud. “Thanks for grabbing my things. Senna already packed our bags.” Asami gestured to the ones by the door. 

“I saw.” Korra poked the fire again then blurted, “I… I think I might have broken up with Mako.”

“You did?” That was not as surprising as Asami would have thought. 

“Yeah. I mean, I didn’t specifically say it’s over? But I guess I strongly implied.” She sighed. “We had a big fight. And he got all weirdly possessive and protective?” Korra flicked a one of the stones on the side of the firepit. “It’s just...” 

Asami pulled her legs up against her chest and balanced her chin on her knees. She wasn’t sure what to say. So she waited and looked at the Avatar. 

Korra looked up at her. “He got really insistent on coming with us. Demanded it. Said he needed to protect me. I don’t need that. And just… I said he couldn’t come. Why couldn’t he accept that? And, like, I didn’t want Dad with us on that South Pole trip, and Mako goes and tells him? He knew how I felt about Dad trying to dictate my training. Ugh.” Korra waved her hand at the fire in frustration. “I still care about him, you know? But I can’t figure out how to make it work.”

“Sometimes relationships don’t work out,” Asami said, softly. She felt like she ought to say something else, something more supportive, but her mind kept going back to this morning, even despite all attempts to shut that out of her mind. It left her feeling ashamed and off-centered.

“I guess. Makes me sad still.” Korra sighed and stood. “I’ll go wash up. Thanks for listening to me.”

“Always.” Asami watched her go to the side rooms. Korra really had no idea of how she’d woken up, did she? Frustrated with herself, Asami leaned her face into Naga’s soft fur. “Naga,” she whispered. “I can’t have a crush on her. It’s not right.” The dog didn't reply, but then she hadn't expected a reaction. She sighed and did what she’d done for years now. Shoved that side of her tighter into her heart and shut the door.

By the time they finished breakfast with Senna, Master Katara had entered leaning against a walking stick. “Good morning.” She smiled. “And I see Asami convinced you to come, Korra?” 

Korra looked up with a smile. “Good morning. And yeah, Asami’s pretty convincing.” 

Senna gestured to a pillow. “Would you like tea and breakfast, Katara? We have some left.” During the meal, Senna had chatted with them mostly about mundane topics like what Asami’s work was like and about life on the tundra. Asami had learned a lot about dog sleds, how to train the dogs, caring for them, and how they made the sleds. Then she'd learned there was eight clans within the Southern Water tribe, all focused on different styles of hunting and gathering depending on their location. Far more complex than her research had indicated.

“No, I ate already. Thank you, Senna.” Katara looked at Asami. “How do you feel, dear?”

“Better.” Asami put her down her tea cup. She stretched out one of her legs and winced a bit at the prickly feeling in the lower calf. “Still a bit shaky in the legs. Sporadic numbness, but it’s been fading.”

Katara studied her, thoughtfully. “I see. Korra, did Asami explain this journey?”

Korra nodded. “That there’s Southerners that can calm spirits, that the place is secret, and you are taking us?”

“Good. Senna, prepare Asami? I believe she needs better snowpants.” Katara looked pointedly at Asami’s black work pants. Even with its fur lining, the pants hadn't kept her all that warm, so she wasn't too surprised the older woman viewed them inadequate.

Senna nodded. “You’re a little tall.” She tapped her chin. “I have an idea.” She headed into the side rooms. 

Korra grinned and nudged Asami. “Your clothes got vetoed again.” Asami smiled back, sheepishly. She wished she’d gone out and bought better clothes the day before Solstice, but she’d been too frustrated and feeling anti-social to do much more than muck around her lodgings and work on plane and airship designs.

“Korra, load up your bear.” Katara nudged her with her walking stick. “And stop playing around.” 

“Yes, ma’am.” Korra jumped to her feet. She nearly tripped over herself to grab the bags Senna had packed and to tie them onto Naga’s saddle. Her dog shook herself but then sat on her haunches to allow Korra to attach the packs and saddle. The scene was almost comical to Asami.

Senna returned with thick blue snow pants. “Here.” She helped Asami to her feet, though Asami found herself leaning against Senna again to stay upright. Katara walked over to help hold her steady as she slipped into the snowpants. The length fit, but the waist did not, and Asami realized this was likely Tonraq’s. Senna quickly got to work adjusting the fit with her sewing kit, until the waist was snug against Asami’s own. “There.” Senna stood back, hands on her hips, to survey her work. “Not my best, but it’ll do.” 

“Wonderfully warm,” Asami admitted. Much better than her own. 

“Good. No more hypothermia for you.” Katara handed her the coats, and Asami donned them with Senna’s help. By the time she was ready, bundled up like an otter-penguin complete with a face mask, Korra had finished packing up Naga. “Thank you again, Senna," Katara said. "If all goes well, we’ll be back tomorrow at the latest.”

Which meant Asami would miss her appointment with Varrick. Part of her suspected that’d be so. She needed information, and Korra needed to learn more about her people. “Can you let Bolin know that I won’t make my appointment?” She asked Senna. 

The woman nodded. “Safe travels, all of you.” She took Asami’s arm and helped her outside. A dog sled waited, the sled part small with a seat and packs tied to the back of the chair. The artic dogs barked and yipped in excitement. Naga barked back and sniffed a few, who turned skittish. Korra pulled Naga away. Twelve arctic dogs in total, all roped together to the front of the sled. Asami had never seen one up close. 

Both Korra and Senna helped her onto the back of Naga, and Korra took the front. Asami realized she was going to have to hold on tightly to Korra’s waist to stay on. Great, that was not going to help her resolve to keep that part of herself shut off. Behind them, Senna stepped back into the doorway and held up her hand in farewell.

Katara settled into her sled, lashed down down her stick, and signaled her dogs with a few clicks. The sled hurtled forward, surprisingly fast. 

“See you soon, Mom! And please stay safe!” Korra waved at her mother. Asami did the same, then grabbed hold of the girl when Korra urged Naga into a jog to stay abreast Katara’s sled. So they were off into the unknown. Asami hoped desperately that this would help. Yesterday things had seemed so clear, but today she felt scattered, unfocused, and troubled.

Read the full story here!

[thatonebirdwrites]

Chapter 5 - An Excerpt of my Book 3 of Shared Moments

NOTES: Decided this would be a great chapter to use for the excerpt of book 3. It gets steamy at one part since this is the chapter that details their first time. Also the secret workshop is something Korra and Asami discover in accident in my Book 2.5, during the investigation into who broke into Asami's mansion and the ousting of the triads that took it over. They find a secret passage hidden by a bookcase in the study that goes deep underground. After they take back the mansion, Asami, Korra, and the brothers head into this passage that is riddled with booby-traps only to discover it was a secret workshop made by her mother as a test for Asami in the future.

Chapter 5: In which Korra and Asami Experience Things

Summer 171 AG

Sato Mansion - Secret Workshop - Early Evening

The workshop was not only fully stocked with supplies, but it had materials that were quite expensive and hard to find. Asami studied her inventory list, amazed. Most of the items were in relatively good condition. She had expected more wear-and-tear or at least rust, but she’d found very little of that. She drank her cup of willowbark and peppermint tea absently.

Had the broken door somehow been sealed in a way to prevent that degradation? Standing, Asami walked over to the door and studied it. Platinum mostly, though the hinges were metal and the crank mechanism was a mixture of metals.  She pushed the door shut, and sure enough, it did seal well. Pulling it open, she checked the other side. It had been wedged oddly, except…

… there were indents in the walls next to the door where it had been wedged at an angle.

Ah. 

That was how her mother had made it ‘broken’ without actually breaking it. Fascinating. 

Asami walked back to the workshop desk and sifted through the blueprints. Some of them were of buildings she’d never seen and definitely didn’t yet exist. Were these possible future projects that her mother hoped to do? That hurt a bit to think about, how her mother never got a chance to realize them. Most were surprisingly not related to the company - community theater, a library, shelters, train station. 

Huh. A lot of these blueprints were ideas that Asami had already started to do. A community theater? That was Bolin’s nonprofit mover, which construction on it was already starting. Shelters? Asami had devised a modular design, very different from what her mother had sketched, but would serve a similar purpose. Train station? Part of the city bid. 

All this time, Asami had been worried she was too much like her father, when she’d completely neglected the fact that she was also her mother’s daughter. How could she have forgotten that? She would need to rectify that mistake. 

Asami gathered them up and walked to a cabinet that held more blueprints in its top drawer. She laid them inside with reverence. Maybe someday she could incorporate bits of her mother’s ideas into a redesign.

Wait.

She could do that now. Lukken said they were pretty much guaranteed to get the rebuilding bid. Asami sifted through the blueprints again. The train station could work and perhaps the library since the downtown one was currently filled with vines. 

As she sifted through the drawer, a leather bound book caught her eye. It was wedged against the left side of the drawer, half hidden by the large amount of blueprints and sketching pads. Lodged thoroughly. It took several tugs to finally free it. 

Asami turned it over in her hands. No markings on it. Just a dark brown leather cover. She opened it. 

Late Summer 154

Our little Asami runs around far faster than I expected. I’ll turn my back for a moment to pick up something, pour a drink, and turn around to find she’s not there. A moment of panic hits, the search commences, and I find her often in the same general location - my workshop. She’ll have gotten a hold of my writing utensils or my colored pens somehow, and my blueprint will be adorned with her ‘additions.’ 

Except, she has an eye for color. Several times I set her in her crib - despite knowing she’ll just find her way out again, nothing can hold back our Asami - and reviewed her ‘additions’ only to realize some of the scribbles would be aesthetically pleasing. Would give the building a bit of flair and color. I dare say she has a talent for it.

This last one she scribbled on was for the upgraded factory, and she gave one of the corners this squiggly line in a variety of colors, and I realized that each of the corners would benefit from a spire like that. Give it a little uniqueness. This new factory design will be a major upgrade to Hiroshi’s automobile lines. It’ll give him far more space than the prior one. It amazes me still how far his company has grown since we first met. To think he worked out of a garage and now he owns several factories and is a crucial market for vehicles? I’m so proud of him. 

This… was one of her mother’s journals. Asami traced her gloved finger over the flourishes in the characters and the details of the prose itself. “I inspired the spires, Mom?” she said to the journal with a tearful chuckle. She pressed the journal to her chest and decided to take this with her. Unlike her father’s journals that she found in the study, which were still hidden in a trunk in her closet, this journal felt safe to read. A glimpse into a mother she could barely remember. 

She picked up the blueprints she’d chosen and carried them and the journal to the work table. Laying them on the workshop table, she studied the blueprints, her gloved finger going over the lines that her mother had drawn. The entire structure was far more ornate than she had expected, which now that she thought about it, the Future Industries tower also had some interesting ornate design choices, especially on the interior.

Yet, there was several buildings in town that held that similar unique aesthetics. Despite her father telling her many a time that part of downtown and the boroughs had been designed by her mother, Asami had failed to make the connection. 

Asami sat down in the chair and shook her head in wonder. Her mother’s mark was everywhere, and all she needed was the formula to solve where those handprints were. Here in this room lay the formula, and here, Asami could start to rebuild the city and leave her handprints on it just like her mother. 

In a way, hadn’t she already? Asami laid her hand on the leather journal and traced its edges. That first entry admitted that some of her two-year-old scribbles had inspired her mother’s designs. 

It reminded her of the Lion Turtle she’d met during the war. The confusing knowledge they had given her, and yet, that knowledge showed an interconnectedness that pervaded both worlds. Nothing ever happened in isolation. Everything had a ripple affect, even the words said, the actions done, the dreams dreamed. Her two year old scribbles influenced architect blueprints and became part of the skyline. 

Who else had been affected by the ripples that spread outward from her existence, words, actions? She’d never truly know, and thinking about it humbled her. It made life feel weightier, not a heavy burden-type of weight, but more of a settling into oneself sort of weight. Or rather, perhaps, a permutation within the equation of her self. 

Her own mother had shared in her recorded message that people were made up of connections. The same message from the Lion Turtle - the interconnectedness of reality and the balance to the various elements that constitute it. Yet, even as much as people were made up of connections, the myriad components that comprised a person held a diverse set of attributes, endless permutations, and thus a uniqueness that couldn’t be fully copied. 

Asami leaned back and looked at the ceiling. Each platinum tile in the ceiling fit together seamlessly, only a slim line between them showed they were tiles. From a distance, things seemed seamless, but up close, the finer details revealed themselves. Wasn’t getting to know a person similar? From a distance, the person was a person who could meld into crowds of other people, like a homogeneous whole, but up close, the details of each person in the crowd distinguished them from one another to reveal humanity as a heterogeneous mixture. Even identical twins like Korra’s cousins could be distinguished if examined close enough. 

Pulling out her Idea Journal, Asami furiously wrote down these ideas. Quickly one page filled and another. The third she added a drawing to give the ideas more depth.

These insights felt important, something to be remembered, and maybe something Korra would enjoy discussing too. A smile twitched Asami’s lips at the thought of Korra, of her beauty, of her empathy, of her ferocity for justice, and that intense desire to touch Korra hit her hard. Maybe later, once she was ready to return to the Island, she could see if Korra would be open to exploring one another more physically or sexually. Asami tapped the pen against her journal, her mind now fully captured by the alluring idea of seeing Korra naked. 

That was not a productive thought, but Asami shut her Idea Journal, tucked it away, and leaned back. Her hands behind her head, she let the thought sweep through her. Why not indulge in a little fantasy about her super fantastic girlfriend? This was her personal secret space. She could do anything she wanted in here. Such as enjoying the thought of Korra without all the pesky clothes.

A thump from the hallway startled her. Light flickered on the other side of the door, except that wasn’t a flashlight. 

More like fire bending. For a brief moment, fear seized her, but she forced herself into a train of logic to calm herself.

Who would know of this place outside of Team Avatar? No one that is, at least no one alive. Maybe her father, but he was in prison. Had someone found the passage by accident? Surely she had remembered to lock the study door. Except, she couldn’t recall. She’d definitely shut the bookcase, hadn’t she?

Confused and now worried, she looked around the room for a potential weapon. She hadn’t thought to bring her boomerang nor the shock glove. Sighting a wrench, she grabbed it and pressed her back against the wall by the door. She’d flip first to identify, then attack fast if an unknown fire bender. No way would fire harm her mother’s legacy again.

The door creaked open. “Hey—”

She moved quickly and caught the person’s arm and leg, and flipped them into the room. The person tumbled forward and caught themselves with air bending. 

Wait. Air bending?

And why were they wearing her clothes?

“Korra?” Asami stared, baffled. That was the disguise she’d crafted for Korra when seeking the truth of the mansion break-in. Why was Korra wearing that?

Korra rolled onto her back and sat upright. “I deserved that." she rubbed her back. "You’d think I’d remember from last time…” She pushed up to her feet. “Anyway, I came to find you because you were taking so long, and I got to tell you about Raiko and…” Korra tilted her head. “Were you going to hit me with a wrench?”

Asami flushed, embarrassed. She placed the wrench on the work table. “Saw fire bending. Left the glove and boomerang at the island… Korra, why are you wearing a disguise?” Asami walked over to her and lifted the hat off Korra’s head. Korra’s hair tumbled down in only one wolf tail, which made her girlfriend look utterly adorable and surprisingly older.

She looked at the hat and shook her head. “This is a bit large for you, isn’t it? There were multiple fedoras in the hat box, you know. I think the black one would have fit you, and to choose brown? Korra, this doesn’t go with your outfit at all!” She put the fedora on the table. 

Korra laughed. “Of course you’d critique the disguise. And why do you have a box full of a million hats when you never wear one?” 

“I…” Asami blushed. “Um. You see.” She had no excuse. Sighing, she decided it was better to just admit it. “I collect them! The work put into making a hat unique? It’s fascinating. And don’t you dare tease me.” She wagged her finger at Korra’s continued laughter. “Maybe I’ll start wearing them then.” 

“You got to wear that flower one then. The one where they look like pinwheels!” Korra bent over laughing. “It’s so bizarre!” 

“I will not! I… bought that one because it was weird.” Asami sat down in the chair. “Now that you’ve had a laugh at my expense, please, explain?” She waved her hand at the disguise. 

“Oh right.” Korra sobered. “So. I might be banished.” 

“WHAT?” Asami jumped to her feet. A surge of anger shot through her. 

Korra grabbed her shoulders. “Hey, let me explain. Sit.” She pushed Asami back into the chair, which Asami allowed since standing angry would have meant her pacing uselessly. Korra stood there a moment, her hands still on Asami’s shoulders, but this time her expression had changed to sadness. “Uh. Okay, not sure how to explain. I…” Her shoulders drooped. 

Now that Asami couldn’t stand. Except, this chair was not comfortable for what she wanted to do. So she slipped free of Korra’s hold, grasped her hands, and walked her to the bed alcove. Except it needed sheets. Right. She held up a finger at Korra’s confused question and dug through the nearby dresser. 

Huh. Clean sheets that smelled faintly of wood lay in the top drawer. Better than nothing. She quickly slid the sheet on and folded another by the pillows in case she got cold. The alcove itself wasn’t quite tall enough for them to sit upright, so she crawled in and pulled on Korra’s arm. “Come on, let me hold you, and you can tell me everything, okay?” 

After taking off the trenchcoat, Korra slipped in with her and pressed her face against Asami’s shoulder. Asami wrapped her tightly in a hug and kissed the top of Korra’s head. It took the Avatar nearly a half an hour to share the full story, including her conversation with Raava-Vaatu. When she finished, she pressed tighter against Asami, to the point that it was making Asami very hot and bothered, which contrasted confusingly with the boiling anger at Raiko. The Raava-Vaatu conversation she needed that to percolate a bit before she could respond, but the Raiko nonsense? That needed a more immediate fix.

“A punch isn’t enough for that man,” she said, darkly. “And no, Korra, you will not be banished. Not if I have anything to say.” The gall of that man! Korra and her were building a future together in Republic City, and Asami refused to let that rat-faced, joy-less husk of a man try to tear that apart. Raiko’s party would of course likely fall into line since they’d been irritating with their endless anti-Avatar rhetoric and baffling twists of facts. But of the opposing parties, at least two of them might be sympathetic, and the one definitely so. 

“You think you can stop him?” Korra sighed. “I don’t really know what to do.” 

“You don’t need to do anything. Let us take care of this for you, okay?” Asami brushed Korra’s hair from her face and kissed her forehead. “We’ll fix this.” 

“Not you though.” When Asami raised her eyebrow, Korra spoke in a torrent of words. “Bo and I talked about… okay, it was about you because well, I default to that sometimes because you’re awesome, and point is, he suggested we do a Team Avatar adventure until things… cooled down here. So then, I thought we could seek out more air benders in other nations to rebuild the Air Nation. So I came here to find you and ask you to come.”

Asami blinked and reran through the flood of words. “Oh.” Korra came to ask her to join her. “Korra, I’m already ahead of you. I figured you’d want to search for air benders elsewhere, so I did some preparation today.” Asami’s anger faded somewhat at the idea of a Team Avatar adventure. “I got the okay for…” she trailed off and wondered if there was a way to share this without giving it away? Unlikely. “I wanted to surprise you, but you’ve seen the models and sketches of it…”

“No way! It’s really the airship?” Korra pushed herself up with one arm. “Bo said you’d have one hidden away somewhere!” 

Asami smiled. “Not hidden. Built. Gave the blueprints to Kyung before we headed South for the final battles. She started up production right away. I toured it… not quite a week ago to advise on interior work. Lukken confirmed it’s completed now and ready to fly.”

“That is fantastic!” Korra’s look of delight warmed Asami all over. 

“I planned to surprise you by showing up in the airship at Air Temple Island. Because I did make it for you.” Asami found Korra’s look of delight mixed with surprise so utterly adorable that she couldn’t resist a quick kiss on the nose. “I will have to keep a record of our travel and any issues we have, then report back for my team to improve the second one. But otherwise, it’s your own personal airship.”

“You are so amazing.” Korra eyes held a sheen to them, and she smiled that adorable lopsided grin. “Always a step ahead I swear.” 

“No, in sync.” With Korra pressed up against her, her body was being far too aroused. Irony considering she’d been indulging in thoughts of Korra naked earlier. “Oh, I should ask, did you lock the study door?” When Korra nodded, Asami decided to focus all her attention on Korra rather than spare one more iota for that Raiko fool. “Good, because you look very hot right now,” she whispered in her best sultry voice.

“I… am hot…” Korra swallowed, her pupils enlarged, and her brown cheeks dusted with a blush. 

Asami snickered. “Yes. You are.” She slid her hand under the red blouse of the disguise and traced her fingers along Korra’s abs. “And getting hotter?” Teasing Korra had become one of her favorite pastimes, and this evening, safe in the workshop, she was curious how far the teasing could go. She kissed along Korra’s cheek and nibbled on her earlobe.

They’d been dancing around sex for awhile now, and with Korra up against her and touching her, Asami really wanted to just try. She’d wanted it for a few weeks now, but they both had been shy. Asami knew her reasons was wanting more research and being anxious for reasons she couldn’t quite remember, but now that they were in the heat of the moment, with Korra right here… 

Korra’s hand traced the back of Asami’s neck, which felt so good. “Do you want to… you know… do… it?”

Asami’s mind went into error mode. Do it?  For a long moment, she pressed her face against Korra’s neck to give herself a moment to process the words said.

Oh!

Korra had asked her for sex. “Yes.” The word came out before she was even aware she’d spoken. 

That seemed to be what Korra needed. Asami’s eyes widened when Korra brazenly wiggled out of the blouse and then her breast binder. She tossed them onto the floor. Asami caught her breath, stunned by Korra’s beauty. To see what had been hidden by clothing… her imagination didn't do it justice.

Beautiful. Gorgeous. Spectacular. Delicious. Asami needed a thesaurus. None of the words were sufficient. Her hand slid across Korra’s bare skin and over her right breast. Korra tugged at her jacket. 

Right. That was a problem in need of a solution.

Asami slipped out of her jacket and shirt, hesitated briefly only to decide, why not, and chucked her bra too. Perhaps pants should go, but she was too distracted to think beyond that intense desire to explore. She kissed Korra deeply, and each touch sent her into a haze of intense want.

No, trousers needed to go too. Onto the floor both landed.

The pair moved slowly at first, the touch shy. Asami was determined to kiss each patch of bare skin, to focus all her attention on Korra, and Korra’s pleasure. Still she hesitated with anything below the waist, until Korra, herself, pushed Asami’s hand down. Korra moaning her name sent a shiver through Asami, and she chased after Korra's gasps of pleasure when she slid her fingers inside her. Korra moved with her, the intensity building with each thrust and kiss. Korra's hand curled into Asami's hair and pulled slightly, causing Asami to moan at the amazing stimulation.

Her first time with Korra swept her away. Diagrams, discussions, and thinking of sex did not in any way capture the intense emotional connection and release. The shyness turned to a semi-urgency, weeks of dancing around this erupted into their touch and the joining itself. Riding Korra through, holding her as she came felt like the world have been painted in color after nothing but greyscale.

When Korra touched her in turn, Asami pushed Korra’s hand down, the same gesture of consent, and nothing in the universe could prepare her for how amazingly good it felt to have Korra finally touch her there. The intensity rose and rose, her heart beat raced, and finally, her mind fizzled into a wonderful haze of pleasure. When she caught her breath again, Korra was holding her and stroking her hair and face. 

She’d just…

… they’d really just…

Asami blinked back tears and cupped her hands against Korra’s cheeks. Her girlfriend looked down at her, and tears shone in Korra’s eyes too. Asami rubbed one away. 

Korra kissed her softly then laid her head against Asami’s shoulder, her body wrapped around Asami’s, her grip tight but warm. Asami held her close, and slowly her heartbeat began to calm. 

“Was… that okay?” Korra whispered. Her breath tickled Asami’s neck.

“Yes, yes. For you too?” Words were difficult. She felt too full of emotion and her body still fizzled with a glow of warmth everywhere.

Korra nodded into Asami’s neck. “More than… I’d ever thought. Thank you.”

Asami nodded, unable to sort out words for a reply. Instead, she held Korra close. How was it possible to feel this happy? She kissed the side of Korra’s head and ran her fingers through her golden-brown locks. The alcove itself was relatively warm from their activities, and at their lack of motion, the ceiling light dimmed considerably.

How long they laid there in each other’s arms, Asami wasn’t sure, but she’d started to doze off when Korra lifted her head away from Asami’s shoulder. The movement triggered the light, and the room brightened again.

“Did you eat lunch or dinner?” Korra kissed her bare shoulder. 

“Hmmm. I… don’t recall.” Had she forgotten to eat again? Probably. Too many tasks in the day. “We had breakfast I know…”

“’Sami!” Korra attempted a glare, but her lips kept twisting up into a smile. “Eating is important, you weird workaholic.”

“Mmmm.” Asami didn’t want to get up yet. She wanted to hold Korra tightly, to feel her skin against her own. “Too much to do. And now there’s you.” She pulled Korra down for a kiss again, which was what Asami preferred at the moment. Korra’s hands swept up and down her sides, and Asami tightened her hold, losing herself in the taste of Korra. 

Though if she kept this up, she might get them all worked up again. Now that they’d finally had their first time, sex no longer seemed as big of a deal. It was another layer of intimacy and way to reveal her endless gears of love to Korra.

Korra pulled back and brushed Asami’s hair from where it had fallen on her face. “You…you distracting engineer! We ought to eat dinner.” 

“Or I could eat you?” Asami teased.

The blush returned and extended almost to Korra’s ears, and she had that same frozen look of brain overload from earlier. “Uhhh. Sure.” She licked her lips and looked so adorably flustered.

Asami laughed. “I’m teasing you. Though it is one of the techniques I learned from that book. We could try it sometime.” That particular technique had quite a few drawings, and Asami had been glad the door to her room had been locked.

Korra smiled, shyly. “Sure, you’ll have to teach me though.” 

“We’ll teach each other.” Asami cupped Korra’s face in her hands, distracted again. “You’re so beautiful,” she said, softly. Gently, she kissed her forehead. “I love you so much.” She rubbed her thumbs over Korra’s cheeks. The word love felt so woefully inadequate for the depth of her feelings.

“I love you too.” Korra’s expression softened, and she kissed one of Asami’s hands. “Now let’s eat food?” 

Asami pulled her down for one last kiss. “Okay.” Eating before sex might have been a better plan. She’d have to remember that, so that next time - Asami really hoped there was a next time, they could hold each other for as long as they wanted, without their stomachs’ - or rather Korra’s - growling. 

By the time they dressed, Asami realized she was a bit light-headed, so eating probably was a good plan. She rolled up the blueprints she hoped to adjust for the city rebuilding and tucked them into a shoulder bag along with her mother’s journal. Looking around the workshop, she tapped her gloved finger against her chin. What else would she need for a long airship trip?

“What’s taking you so long,” Korra asked, impatient, though a smile was still on her face. She poked Asami’s side.

“Deciding if I want to take supplies. This is a well stocked workshop.” Asami caught Korra’s hand when she tried to poke her again and kissed her knuckles. “I think… I’ll make this my personal workshop.”

“Really? I thought going to the mansion was still painful for you?” Korra wrinkled her brow in concern. 

“Yes and no. This room?” Asami waved her hand at it. “Has only good memories. It’s my mother’s. Then there’s her recorded message for me. The fact you all helped me reach it? And our first time? All here.” She tugged Korra closer and kissed her on the lips. “And it can be our little private spot.” 

“Well, okay. I’m on board with that.” Korra grinned and kissed her. Which if they kept this up, Asami was going to regret putting clothes back on.

“Right. You need food.” Asami reluctantly pulled away. “And let me grab a few tools and materials…” she hurried to the cabinet and materials tub before she could get distracted again by Korra. Now that they’d had sex for the first time, Asami felt a bit more… free? Like she could really let her guard down, and she hadn’t even realized her guard had been partly up this whole time until she’d shared this beautiful evening with Korra. 

Tying the shoulder bag shut, she slid it over her shoulders. These supplies would let her make a few 3D models of blueprints, which could be a nice distraction for the long hours or days between wherever they were going to search for air benders. She turned to Korra, who stood at the workshop desk and looked at the blueprints that were still laying there, ones Asami had decided to not take with her. 

“Your Mom did all of these?” Korra looked at her.

“Yes.” Asami grasped Korra’s hand. “I think I’m going to adapt her train station one for the city rebuilding projects. You know, to meld her and my styles in honor of her?” 

“That’s beautiful, ‘Sami.” Korra squeezed her hand and smiled. Then she put the ridiculous fedora on her head again. It was far too big. Asami sighed but decided to not protest it. If Korra was determined to look ridiculous, then okay. She’d live with it she supposed, at least until they got back to the temple. Then she’d fix it.

Asami made sure to shut the door to the workshop as they left, and once back in the study, she had Korra help her set the books in a neater arrangement on the bookcase that contained the lever. She planned to keep this room locked, but at the same time, it was better to be on the safe side. 

She paused by the phone and tapped her gloved fingers against her trousers. “Tempted to make a call to start the process to fix…” 

“Food, ‘Sami. You can fix the universe after.” Korra tugged on her hand. 

“All right. Have it your way.” Asami didn’t mind. Korra’s insistence was endearing, and food would help Asami feel a lot less lightheaded. After locking the study, she lead the way toward the main floor. They were stopped only once by the new butler, who relayed Korra’s message, only to be startled when Korra herself interrupted with a laugh to tell him she was here already. 

Hmmm. She should install a phone in the workshop to avoid this in the future. Asami hadn’t heard the phone ring in the study. Too far away. 

“Do you think we can get the food to go and eat someplace… quiet?” Korra looked uneasy when they left the mansion and got into Asami’s satomobile. 

Asami raised her eyebrows. “Are you worried about Raiko’s words?” 

“A little.” Korra tipped the fedora forward as if to shield her face. 

“Let the jerk try. He’d have to get through me first.” Asami drove toward the gates, where several Future Industries guards stood in the guard house that had sat empty for almost a year. They waved at her after they opened the gate, and she waved back, self consciously. Before she’d turned on her father, she wouldn’t have noticed the guards and gone about her day taking them for granted. Now, it felt strange to not wave back and acknowledge their work.

“’Sami, I don’t want you arrested for my sake. Tenzin might not be able to get you out this time.” Korra clenched her hands together. 

Asami glanced at Korra. “They’d have to catch us first. Korra, Raiko lost his temper. I don’t think he can pull off this banishment, not without more support, and right now he’s only got his own party supporting him. The articles about you can’t make up their minds on whether to blame you for the vines or celebrate you as a war hero, so unlikely public would fully back it. There’s at least two parties that are pro-Avatar in parliament. We can leverage those and maybe push them to do a vote of no confidence in Raiko. Give him a good scare, and he’ll backtrack to save face.” 

Korra wrinkled her nose. “That… sounds needlessly complicated.” 

Asami shrugged and shifted to increase her speed. “Typical politics. Gotten more complex since the parliament was added to the government.”

“What’s the difference between President and parliament? I never quite got that.” Korra leaned her arm against the door. “Tenzin had me sit in on some of the meetings to establish the new government, but I didn’t see the point of my being there.”

That surprised her. She hadn’t known Korra had been present for those early meetings after Amon’s defeat. Asami hadn’t paid much attention until after her father’s trial, when she had to research how the voting system would work and what role did what. “President commands the troops, oversees government departments, and enacts laws. Parliament writes and passes laws mostly, though they can issue commands to have departments created I think. Their roles might get adjusted over time. This set-up is pretty new compared to the old Bender Council.” 

“Huh. Why didn’t they explain it like that in the meetings.” Korra looked around the street at the buildings, most of them upper scale homes, apartments, and stores. “Where are we going to eat?”

Asami realized she had been heading toward the docks out of habit. “How about we got to Fan’s Dumplings? Since we never did have our first date, we could make tonight that?” They’d been together now for about a month and a half, and it surprised her they’d yet to do a typical date. But then, going from friendship to romance had blurred the lines of what was a date and what was a hangout at least for Asami.

“Yeah! Let’s do it! Oh… wait, do you think my disguise works?” Korra looked at her and adjusted the fedora again. 

No, Asami did not think it worked. Not with that over-sized hat, but she didn’t want to hurt Korra’s ego, so she said instead, “I’ll get it to go.”

Fan’s Dumpling was located near the edge of the northwest part of town, where much of the upper class citizens lived. Tucked in the corner of two streets, the restaurant shone brightly with a neon sign in its window and ornately painted sign above its door, the paint one that glowed when light shone on it. Since they were getting it to go, Asami kept to the front, where the hostess and her podium was. 

The staff there knew Asami fairly well, since she’d gone here a lot before her father betrayed her and the city, but it had been months since then she’d been here. As she waited for the food, the hostess chatted with her, but to Asami's dismay, despite knowing her before the war, the hostess spent more time in awe of Asami. Was this a thing now? People treating her like she was… different and unreachable?

If so, Asami did not like it. She was relieved when the food came, and she could return to the satomobile.

Except, Korra wasn’t in it. Confused, she looked around only to sight Korra atop the restaurant. She put her hands on her hips and glared at her. “Okay, you can come down now.” 

“How did you see me?” Korra flew down on a gust of air bending. “I was hiding!” 

“Korra, you stood there. If you want to hide, you need to lay on your stomach, flat as possible or be behind something.” Asami gave her the bag of food and settled into the driver’s seat. “I know you’ve had stealth missions before.”

“Well, those we just blended with the crowd,” Korra hopped into the passenger seat with a wry smile. “Being all secretive like this is a bit new.” 

Huh. She supposed she’d have to teach Korra a bit more on stealth then. Because that was the worst stealth job she’d ever seen. “How about you tell me where we’re going next? For that place you mentioned?” She started up the vehicle and looked over at Korra. That fedora really was the worst fashion accessory. It was shadowing Korra’s beautiful face all right, but the clash against her clothes was an abomination. 

Best to focus on driving and not the horrendous color clash. 

Korra directed her poorly with her terrible directions, so Asami had her describe the location instead. From her gestures and rather… confusing description, Asami came to the conclusion the place was a cliff that overlooked the bay. There was quite a few of those on the edges of the west and east boroughs, so Asami headed southeast toward a cliff she knew would have a spectacular view. 

Pulling up to the area did require her to drive on a narrow, one-lane dirt road up to the top of the cliff. The satomobile handled it decently, but not as well as Asami hoped. The grip of the tires on the dirt was imperfect, likely needed to adjust the tread, and the engine struggled up the steeper incline, which meant she needed to adjust that too. The shocks were a mess, for the bumpier terrain, and that gave Asami an idea on a variation of the satomobile that allowed for more off-road travel. The chasis would need adjusted for the improved shocks and thicker tires, since more surface area and deeper tread would grip the land easier. 

“Okay, what’s going on in that pretty head of yours?” Korra laughed. “You got that Sato look going.” 

Asami raised an eyebrow. “Which Sato look is it this time?” Why Korra insisted on calling her ‘looks’ only ‘Sato look’ when they seemed to be wildly different from each other was beyond her. 

“The ‘I’m calculating how to fix the universe’ Sato look.” 

She smiled and shook her head. “Contemplated how to alter the satomobile for better off-road travel.” She parked at the top of the cliff. Turning, she brushed Korra’s hair from her face. “This might not be your spot, but I thought you’d like the view.”

Korra gazed at her with a soft, affectionate expression, one that always melted Asami’s heart. “View looks spectacular to me,” she said, her gaze still on Asami. 

“Flattery will get you everywhere,” Asami murmured. She leaned over and kissed Korra, gently, her fingers trailing down her girlfriend’s face. “But we should eat, so you don’t die of hunger on me.” She poked Korra’s growling stomach. 

“Got me.” Korra smiled and hopped over the side of the satomobile. 

Asami got out like a regular, sensible person. “One of these days I’ll get you to exit a vehicle correctly.” 

“Nah, too boring.” Korra plopped down on the hood of the satomobile and patted the spot next to her. Asami sat down gingerly, and took the bowl of dumplings Korra handed her. 

The cliff overlooked Yue bay and Air Temple Island but with the curve of the shore, the city skyline was framed by the several mountain peaks. The sky was a deep umber tinged with violet and orange from the sun setting to the west. Birds dived to the surf below and other creatures called to each other, mixing with the tumult of the bay against the cliffs. Asami sighed contently as she ate. 

“How’d you know of this place?” Korra asked between mouthfuls. 

“I used to come here to think… before I met all of you.” Asami waved her chopsticks at the expansive scenery. “Seeing it all laid out before me? Inspiring. A great way to let ideas percolate and bubble forth.”

Korra looked out over the view. “It is pretty fantastic. When I first came here, Naga and I would explore the edges of the city, mostly because Naga wasn’t fond of running through the city. Too much tumult I think. So we’d go along the cliff trails. More room for her to run. I haven’t taken her out here lately. Don’t know why.” 

Asami chewed on a dumpling and thought through the last month, of how busy all of them had been with recovering from the war and acclimation back into everyday life. “Rebuilding after war isn’t easy. There’s always more to do. Can be easy to get caught up in it.” 

“True. I need to take Naga out on the paths more. She deserves a good run like that.” Korra scooted closer so that their legs and arms were touching. “When I was still at that compound, I had to get special permission each time I wanted to take Naga out on a run. It was freeing to ride her across the tundra. Sometimes I’d urge her into a trot to see how fast she could go. She loved that.” 

“Korra, why did you have to have special permission?” Each story of this compound gave Asami more and more bad vibes.

Korra shrugged. “Claimed it was for my safety.” 

“But safety from what?” Asami pinched her nose. “Honestly, it sounds more like a prison than a training compound.” 

Looking down at her mostly empty cup, Korra sighed. “I guess so. Remember how Mom said there was a kidnapping attempt when I was still pretty young? I don’t know exactly who did it or why, but the security after that got increased a lot I'm told.” 

“So that was their justification of locking you up? What about your parents? Were you able to be with them at all?”

“Every month, I’d get a few days with them. They’d come and visit me at the compound a lot though.” Korra smiled sadly. “I never questioned any of it. The only reason I left… was because I wanted to learn airbending and Tenzin wouldn’t stay to train me at the compound. Master Katara found me loading up Naga, and when she gave me her blessing, that convinced me I was doing the right thing.”

“I’m glad you ran away. Locking you up like that? That wasn’t okay.” Asami once again found herself furious at the White Lotus. To lock away this beautiful woman? Even if it was for safety, surely more time could have been spent with her people? Asami recalled their time investigating spirits in the South, when Korra kept admitting to not seeing this or that place, how she'd never been able to go. Like the courtroom at the ice palace in Wolf's Cove. 

“Yeah, at the time, I didn’t know anything else.” Korra finished her cup and dug out a soup container. “I really hated that compound at times. All my days were filled with training. Whenever the city had a festival, I’d beg to go. Most of the time I was told no.” A hint of sadness mixed with despondence threaded through her voice.

Korra drank some of the soup, her gaze unfocused. “I think I was around nine when I sneaked out to go to the summer solstice festival. I so badly wanted to be around people. To play with kids my age. I found a few playing an arcade game. One where you throw the ball toward a hoop? I got in a fight with them with my boasting. One of the kids pushed me around with his water bending, so I water bended back at him. That’s when the others asked me to prove I was the avatar. So I fire bent and accidentally set the entire game on fire. I nearly panicked and almost flooded the area.” 

“Really?” Asami looked at her, amused at the image of one of the festival games on fire.

“Yeah. Dad and Mom ran up then and put out the fire. I got a good scolding for it, but those kids sure believed my story then!” Korra rubbed the back of her neck, embarrassed. “I got taken back to the compound and locked in my room by my fire bending instructor. The next day, Dad came back with the kids who I’d tried to befriend. They apologized, and Dad convinced my teacher to let me play with them for the day. They came every month with my Dad for a year or so. But I guess the novelty of playing with the Avatar wore off? I didn’t see them as often, until they stopped coming at all.” 

They locked Korra in her room. Asami was still stuck on that part of the story. “Is that why you’re so eager to befriend everyone?”

“Partly? I also really like people.” Korra finished her soup and leaned against Asami’s side. “It’s fun! There’s so many people in the world, and so many stories to hear.” 

Asami curled her arm around Korra and pulled her closer. She set her empty food container aside. “Avatar Korra, glad to make your acquaintance over a cup of tea.”

Korra wrapped her arms around Asami’s chest and kissed her earlobe. “You know me too well.” Her kisses trailed down Asami’s neck, a wonderful tingle that spread through her body. 

She turned her head and kissed Korra, her arms tight around her. Making out with Korra already felt fantastic, but now that they’d had their first time, it left Asami wanting more. Except the hood of her vehicle was not comfortable. “Maybe the ground or back seat?” Asami whispered. 

Nodding, Korra slipped off and pulled her into the grass and flowers that adorned the cliff. They laid down, kissing, and sliding their hands under their clothes. Asami slipped out of her jacket, as did Korra, to make it easier to slip their hands under each other's shirts. Each kiss and touch made her more and more aroused, until she found her courage to ask, “Do you want to… again?”

“Yes please.” Korra pushed Asami’s hand toward her trousers.

She didn’t need any further coaxing, and the pair made love for the second time that day. The glow of the sunset washed over the bay and the city, and the cloudless sky darkened toward a starlit twilight. Asami decided this was perhaps the best evening she'd had in a long, long time, and she snuggled tighter around Korra, only partly clothed, her jacket over them like a blanket. Tomorrow they'd worry about planning the Team Avatar mission and loading up the airship. Tonight though, Asami only wanted Korra.

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