(See the end of the chapter for notes .)

Chapter Text

Wedding guests had begun to shamble through the halls of the Air Temple. All searching for open beds and precious sleep as the moon crept low in the sky. Night was already giving way to the dim, early morning. Korra craved sleep.

Sliding her bedroom door closed, she slipped off her dress and laid it out on a chair. It was beautiful, she’d decided, and even more so now that it brought back such happy memories. Her date with Asami had knocked her off balance. Years spent trying to understand their feelings for each other, and in one wonderful evening, they had decided to run away together. Korra didn’t know when, exactly, but soon it would be just the two of them, off to the Spirit World. Off to something new.

But it was late, and Korra longed for something familiar. She tugged on her pajamas in a daze. Cracking her back with a sigh, she threw a shirt over her head. She was beyond sore, but her sleep clothes were baggy and soft. Blissfully comfortable. Through a thick, exhausted haze, every ounce of Korra’s body begged her to lay down.

She battled the heaviness in her muscles as she shuffled towards her bed. Streams of moonlight cast deep shadows across the room and illuminated a patch of hardwood floor ahead. Before she reached her mattress, Korra began sinking to her knees. She stretched out on the cool floor, gazing up at the ceiling with a smile.

Echoes of jazz music still rang through her chest. Asami’s smile etched into the back of her thoughts. The lilt of Asami’s laughter after they risked a spin on the dance floor. Any dreams that Korra managed tonight were going to be lovely. A dull, oddly pleasant ache began to set in as she felt herself drifting into glorious sleep.

“That didn’t take long,” a warm voice chuckled.

Korra shuddered awake.

“You missed,” Asami smirked, nodding at the bed. She was still draped in gorgeous red silks, gently shutting the door behind her.

With a long exhale, Korra let her eyes drift closed again. “No, I didn’t.” She focused on the solid floor under her. Trying to will her pulse to calm down.

Asami’s footsteps inched closer. “May I join you?”

Shifting over to make room, she could feel Asami lower herself to the floor. Warm weight spread out over her arm as Asami laid back against it, hair now draped across Korra’s shoulder.

The flutter in her chest grew stronger, and Korra suddenly felt very awake. The only thing to do was stare up at the ceiling.

“You’re right, this is better,” Asami sighed.

With her arm pinned, Korra slowly flexed a hand, acutely aware of every inch of their touching skin. The nape of Asami’s neck pressed against her, the rise and fall of her breath, the gentle brush of her hair.

It was like trying to ignore the sun.

Tucking in closer, Asami rested her cheek against Korra’s bicep. Her smile was lit by the moonlight. Even lovelier than at the party, because now it was only for Korra to see. Another wave of warmth rippled out as their skin touched, warming each other.

I want to be with her, Korra thought suddenly. I want to keep making her happy like this.

Asami’s smile faded in and out for a while. Korra almost asked what she was turning over in her brain so fiercely, but a soft question cut her off.

“What if we left tonight?”

Korra smirked at that. “Sure. We can tell Tenzin and the others at breakfast, and-”

“No,” Asami said gently, “I mean now.”

That was fast. Very fast. It wasn’t as if Korra didn’t love the idea of running off together for an adventure. It was romantic, and exciting. But Asami hadn’t seemed like the impulsive type since inheriting an entire company.

“Is there a hurry?” Korra asked carefully. She didn’t want to seem uninterested.

“It’s quiet right now,” Asami sighed, “but it never lasts for long.” Korra followed her gaze to the window, and they took in the stillness of early morning. “We always manage to stumble into crisis after crisis. If we wait too long, it’s bound to happen again. In the next week, or the next day…”

Asami pushed up onto her elbow and studied the ornate jewel still banded around Korra’s arm. Focusing on it, tracing it with her fingers. “Every time I think that this is going somewhere, some disaster jumps ahead of us. I don’t want to lose any more time.”

Korra’s arm drifted up the edges of the red dress. Following the smooth fabric up Asami’s spine, across her shoulders, barely grazing the soft skin at her neck.

Glancing up, Asami seemed unsure what to make of the quiet grin she found.

“Can I kiss you?” Korra asked.

The room fell silent, but not still. Korra’s pulse thudded in her chest as she patiently waited. She could feel the gentle thrum of their heartbeats mixing in the air.

Asami bit her lip gently, utterly failing to hide a smile. She nodded.

Now with permission, Korra’s hands delved into lush dark hair and gently pulled Asami’s mouth to hers. They both inhaled, breathing each other in. Asami let her weight fall against Korra as they both sank into the kiss. It was lazy, half-awake. Relaxed. No panic behind it. No fear, or rush.

For all the urgency that Asami had insisted on, Korra could only think, for once in their lives, that the world would wait for them.

Air filled Korra’s lungs sharply as a hand traced down her shirt, slipping under the fabric to grab hold of her side. Keeping her close. All the blood rushed to Korra’s head and she grinned into Asami’s mouth, kissing her harder. It was too easy to get lost in this. If the floor was not already solid under her, dizziness would have knocked her back. She held Asami’s face, thumb brushing lightly against her cheek.

Korra could hear nothing but labored breath, the light shuffle of fabric, the blaring silence that came from blood pumping hard in her ears.

When their lips finally surfaced for air, they barely parted, softly moving against one another.

“I’m in love with you,” Asami breathed.

Korra’s lungs were ragged, but she managed a light chuckle. “Huh.”

Asami blinked at her. Her eyes had gone glassy. “What?”

“Nothing,” she shrugged, her smirk growing. “I mean, I knew that I was a good kisser, but-”

Asami squeezed at Korra’s ribs with a laugh, only to have her face held firmly by two warm hands. Korra pulled her close again, framed by the veil of Asami’s hair draping down around them.

“I love you, too,” Korra whispered. Her heart ached at the words. She melted a little at the sight of happy tears in Asami’s eyes, and brushed them away. “I want this,” Korra insisted softly. “I want you.”

Holding onto the hands at her cheeks, Asami nodded. “Me too.”

“If it’s what you want, I’m happy to leave tonight,” Korra said, smiling. Her hand had begun to wander across Asami’s back. She allowed herself a moment to take in the view: this caring, beautiful, and powerful woman draped over her, unsure what to say or do. Asami was actually nervous around her. As though it were possible for Korra to be anything less than head-over-heels.

“Thank you,” Asami said gently. Pressing Korra down by the shoulders, she leaned in to kiss her again.

Everything was so soft, and warm, save for the solid wood floor beneath her. Korra felt herself practically sinking into it. She clung to the kiss, but Asami slipped from her grasp and hustled for the door. “Let me make a few calls. Don’t move. I’ll be right back.”

Korra rested back limply against the floor, and closed her eyes. “Yes, ma’am…”

The door slid shut behind Asami, leaving the room in a hush.

Every inch of Korra’s skin buzzed. Her stomach fluttering. Had she just woken from a dream? A moment earlier, Asami’s hands had been exploring her, clinging to her. It felt as though Korra’s brain had been rewired. She needed to be kissing her again. More than she needed sleep right now. More than she needed air. The veil of self-consciousness and doubt had fallen away. A blinding pressure pulsed at the back of her skull. She couldn’t stop smiling.

I’m in love with you, Asami had said.

The words clung to Korra’s chest, bright and shining. It hadn’t been some mournful goodbye, or parting words before trudging off to war. It was a promise. It was a future.

“Are you going to actually pack?”

With a quick inhale, Korra’s eyes shot open. Had she fallen asleep?

Asami stood over her again, now wearing her driving jacket. Gingerly, she lowered a bag to the floor beside Korra’s head. All packed and ready to leave.

The shock to her nerves subsided after a moment, and Korra managed a sigh. “I distinctly remember being told not to move,” she teased.

Asami tried to hold back a chuckle under her breath as she sat on the bed and waited. “I was encouraged to take however much time off I need,” Asami told her. “They were surprised I hadn’t taken leave before now.”

“You could have, you know," Korra said.

There was a flash of something playful behind Asami's eyes. “But it wouldn’t have been with you.”

Words failed her, yet again. Korra could only stare up at this beautiful woman who made her brain stop working. Who was in love with her. That pressure at the back of her skull throbbed again. As though her subconscious was now shouting at her to stop grinning like a fool.

“How about you?” Asami asked. “Are you going to give an official Avatar leave-of-absence?”

“I’ll leave a note,” Korra shrugged. She reached up vaguely with her hand, flexing it a few times.

After a second, Asami caught the hint and took her wrist to help haul her up. The blood rushed to Korra’s head too quickly, though, and she wobbled on her knees. Reaching out to the mattress for purchase, she instead found Asami’s hips and held on for dear life, kneeling in front of her. Korra squeezed her eyes shut and waited for the lightheaded fog to pass.

“Careful,” Asami chuckled, bracing her just above the waist. “Are you okay?”

Slowly, her head began to clear and her legs regained control. Korra glanced up and found herself face-to-face with loveliest blush she had ever seen.

Asami’s thumbs had begun to stroke her sides in slow, tentative circles, and a jolt of warmth and excitement filled Korra’s lungs. She gently reached out to brush a strand of hair behind Asami’s ear. That little movement enough to make them both breathe in with a flutter.

Korra’s hand hovered at her cheek, unsure if she hadn’t dreamt that kiss. “Can…can I-”

“You don’t have to ask me again,” Asami breathed. Wrapping her arms around Korra’s back, she gently pulled her forward.

When their lips met, Korra took a long inhale of a world that suddenly felt perfect again.

Her hands delved back into Asami’s hair. Taking gentle grip. Slowly, Korra climbed onto her feet, and stood above her. Resisting the instinct to push forward onto the bed. “Is this okay?” she whispered, struggling for air.

Nodding quickly, no words, Asami tugged her back into the kiss. The momentum drove them back onto the mattress.

As she fell, Korra propped herself up her palms. “We really should go,” she laughed. The bed squeaked as she sank down into a push-up, planting a kiss beside Asami’s mouth. Her laughter grew stronger at the petulant groan she got for an answer.

Asami was fighting back a grin, though. “Really?” she grumbled, mouth trailing along Korra’s jaw. “Right now?”

For a moment, she almost gave into it. Arms locked and shaking on the bed, Asami’s mouth trailing against her skin…

But Korra steeled herself, twisting out of her grasp. Before hopping from the bed to change and pack for their vacation, Korra reached out to hold her love’s face.

“I can’t wait to show you everything.”

Asami held tight to Korra’s hand as they stepped through the spirit portal. Deep vibrant blues and purples filled her vision. The sky stretched out around them in a tapestry of color and light. In her mind, the roar of battles past and the crowds of Republic city dulled to a gloriously soft murmur.

They stood at the center of a great silent impact crater. Their shadows long against the blazing portal behind them. Dark earth and dust rippled out in gentle rings, the remnants of the explosion that had torn open another gateway between the spirit and the physical realms.

She had heard stories from Bolin and Mako about the Spirit World. Tales of vicious monsters and specters, of unbridled wilderness that felt like stepping foot on another planet. They had fought for their lives against Korra’s uncle Unalaq in some barren rocky wasteland that pulsed with dark energy. Danger and death had threatened them with every step.

This was not that desolate place.

At the crater’s edge, tiny flower buds peppered the waves of dirt. First only a scattered few, but as the ground began to smooth out, the ripples faded into a lush field of flowers. She felt her hand pulled as Korra began to lead her into plumes of vivid pink and green.

Surrounding them were sharp peaks of ice that pierced the sky, jutting out of the earth like shards of glass. They loomed higher than any tower in Republic City. Frighteningly massive, uncarved by human hands and yet smooth as the edges of monuments.

Her eyes drifted upwards, and followed massive forms gliding through the still night air. A herd of gargantuan spirit creatures lumbering along like whales in the sea.

Among the waves in this valley of flowers stood thick, bald trees. Their branches twisted upwards like knotted roots, curling and gnarling towards the sky. They were columns that seemed to hold the weight of the Spirit World on their boughs.

Here, the world was serene. Calm.

Asami’s steps soon began to slow, pulling back against the tug of Korra’s hand. She took a long, slow inhale. The air was soft. No temperature to it. As if time itself stood still in this place.

“Is everything okay?” Korra asked.

Without a word, Asami knelt into the flowers and grazed her hand along their edges. Cool to the touch. A glow reflected off her own skin as she passed over them. Her smile grew. Above, there was no moon to be seen. The field itself was shining. Stretching out for miles in every direction. Bright starlight cresting through the valley.

“They’re giving off their own light,” she grinned.

Korra crouched next to her. “The Spirit World’s got a lot of things like this.”

“They’re bioluminescent,” Asami explained, her eyes bright. “It’s a biological process, not spirit magic. I’ve heard reports from the Fire Nation that they have coral reefs off the coast that do this. Glow like the Southern Lights, but under the ocean.” She traced flower petals with the tips of her fingers, entranced by the light emanating from inside them. “Maybe it’s a remnant from when the worlds were connected,” she mused. “Some vestigial biology from a shared ancestor…”

She felt Korra scoot closer to her. “So...good vacation?”

Reaching out, Asami pulled her in by the straps of her pack and kissed her. “Great vacation,” she corrected, watching Korra’s smile go a little lazy. She leaned in and kissed her harder. How had she survived for years without getting to do this whenever the impulse struck her?

As they kissed, the air was still around them, but the flowers had begun to gently sway. As though a breeze had cascaded through the valley.

The motion caught Asami’s eye, and her attention drifted back to the glowing plant life. It was mesmerizing.

“You couldn’t turn your brain turn off if you tried,” Korra chuckled.

“What?” Asami glanced back. “No, look. Turning my brain off,” she promised. ” She kissed Korra again, punctuating her words as she sat down among the flowers. “Brain now off. I promise.”

“I’m just teasing,” Korra admitted softly. She sat down with her and resumed her new habit of pushing Asami’s loose hair behind an ear. “You get to set terms for what ‘fun’ is on this trip, okay?”

With a wry smirk, Asami threw an arm around Korra’s neck. “Done.”

They were rarely alone after venturing past the portal. Spirits roamed the landscape, curious about the pair of humans exploring their home. Herds of creatures loomed over like giants, while others scampered at their feet, small enough to fit in a palm. Filling the world with their own color and light. All shapes and sizes, some resembling animals back home, others that seemed to have jumped from the pages of storybooks or dreams.

Asami would regularly find herself compelled to sit down and sketch them, while Korra happily made her own entertainment. Chatting with spirit animals, or racing with them. Once, upon encountering a pair of jackalope with wild colorful mushrooms sprouting from their antlers, the mighty Avatar challenged them to a contest of handstands and somersaults. The bright orb of otherworldly sunlight had dipped beneath the horizon before they could figure out the winner.

Day and night began to lose their meaning. The sun and the moon danced around each other on a whim, never settling into any logical rhythm that Asami could follow. They hiked beside the mountains of glass for a couple days, by her estimation. Eventually, the valley opened out to the massive forest of the Spirit Wilds.

At the base of a mountainside, this one made of stone, Korra planted her feet into the dirt. A few motions of force with her hands, and she had carved out an alcove in the rock. Fire suddenly flashed from her palms, as she twirled them in a quick figure eight. The rock glowed a dull orange.

Asami patiently watched from several steps away. The blast of fire was palpable even from here as she rubbed at the ache in her eyes. Darkness had actually coincided with the need for sleep today.

Stepping lightly on her toes now, Korra gathered the wind around her in a sphere, capturing the chill of the air. She traced the contours of the little makeshift cave and the orange glow of the walls began to fade and cool.

Korra turned back to her with a grin. She was showing off.

“Looks cozy,” Asami smirked.

“That’s the idea,” Korra said, brushing her hands together and admiring her work. “And it faces out so you can still enjoy the view.”

“Right...” Asami crouched at the edge of the alcove, studying it with a hint of hesitation. “About that. I’m having a bit of a problem.”

“What’s wrong?” Korra lowered herself down beside her.

“Everything here is so beautiful, and fascinating...” As Asami spoke, she brushed stray bangs from her Avatar’s eyes. “But all I want to look at right now is you.”

Korra’s face flashed a bright pink. “You’re way better at those than me,” she chuckled, blushing furiously as Asami leaned in and...stopped. Waiting. Less than a heartbeat passed before Korra gave in to that gorgeous smile and closed the rest of the space between them.

They spent another day or so not exploring much at all. At least, as far as the countryside was concerned.

It was still dark when Korra woke up to a cool spot beside her on the bedroll. How long had she been sleeping alone? Hauling herself up with a quiet groan, she found Asami sitting in the grass a few yards away, facing out over the hilltop.

It was barely the crack of early morning, and Asami was engrossed in her journal. She had taken a spot among a circle of luminous spirit flowers, sketching something on the page. Her hair cascaded loose down her shoulders, her legs wrapped in a warm blanket. And apparently she had slipped into Korra’s parka.

“That looks nice on you,” Korra murmured, trying to unknot her tongue.

Asami nestled tighter into the coat and glanced over her shoulder. “It was the easiest thing to throw on,” she lied. They both knew that with the perfect weather they’d been having, the parka had been crammed into the bottom of Korra’s knapsack since they’d arrived.

Kneeling down, Korra tucked her chin in the fur at Asami’s neck. Arms wrapping around hug her from behind. She hummed into the soft velvet fur that welcomed her. Nearly the best feeling in the world. “This is even comfier from this side,” she sighed.

Squeezing back in the hug, Asami turned her head and took a quick inhale of the collar. She smirked from behind the fur lining. “It smells like you, too.”

“What are you working on there?” Korra asked, studying the journal. Long spirit vines now twisted along the base of an old sketch of Avatar Korra Park. Flowers dotting it every few inches.

“I was thinking that maybe next time we’re here, we take some cuttings. Nothing too invasive. I want to try transplanting some of the flowers to Republic City. If they take to the environment, we might be able to use them for nighttime lighting in less populated areas. The ones that are already overrun with spirit vines. Parks, waterways...”

Korra smiled down at the drawing. “Sounds beautiful.”

“It would lower the city’s energy costs, too,” Asami added. “Rather than needing to rebuild that infrastructure, we can work with the spirit flora that’s already there.”

Korra nodded. “It’s a great idea. I’ll back you up with the City Council if you need it.”

“I probably will,” Asami sighed. “People are bound to be skittish about harnessing spirit energy. Probably too much fresh history with Kuvira’s automaton for this just yet. I suspect it’ll need to sit on the shelf for a while.”

Korra watched Asami’s eyes harden a bit. Not at the prospect of holding off on her city planning, though. It was the first time Korra had heard her say Kuvira’s name since the battle downtown. Since her father had been murdered by the self-proclaimed Empress of the Earth Kingdom.

She hugged Asami tighter.

They hadn’t spoken about Kuvira’s fate after the war. Imprisoned under Suyin Beifong’s authority, remorseful for the destruction she’d caused. None of it had seemed to matter to Asami in the wake of her grief. And Korra was not going to bring it up without permission.

“We’ve got a bit of a hike in the morning,” Korra said gently. “Come back to sleep soon?”

Nodding, Asami slowly closed her journal. “How about now?” she offered. Her smile was tired, but genuine.

“Okay,” Korra shrugged. With a swift motion, she heaved Asami up into her arms.

“Korra!” she yelped, clambering up to latch onto her neck. A few shaky steps and a kiss to the cheek later, Asami settled into the warmth of her. Laughing as she was carried back to bed.

Though the weather in the Spirit World had seemed intent on behaving, a week and a half into their trip, it finally rained. A steady downpour blotted out the sun and filled the marshland they were crossing with opaque walls of water. Korra clung to Asami’s waist, ushering her through the storm and deep murky puddles. With an arm raised, she held an arc of bended air over their heads, shielding them from the rain if not the humid heat.

“You don’t have to do that,” Asami chuckled, craning her neck up at the clouds. “It’s just water.”

Korra squeezed Asami’s hip. “What if I just like being all close to you?” she teased, ducking them under a branch.

Their progress halted suddenly as Asami’s dug her heels into the muddy grass and turned to Korra.

A now familiar glint her eyes sent lightning across Korra’s skin. The storm around them dulled to a muffled roar as cold, soft hands took her face and pulled her into a kiss. Korra’s mouth began to move a little and she quickly lost her grip on the air. Rain pierced the shield and spattered against their faces.

Pulling back with a laugh, Asami stared up at the rainstorm, cool water washing down her cheeks. “What if I just want to walk in the rain with you?” she asked gently.

“Okay,” Korra breathed, her head swimming, her skin barely noticing the rain. She leaned in for another kiss, but Asami playfully drifted out of reach. Latching onto Korra’s hand.

Korra grinned back and let herself be pulled along under the storm.

In the echoing silence, Asami couldn’t stop staring.

“That is the sexiest thing I have ever seen,” she murmured.

Stepping up beside her, Korra grinned out at the enormous and seemingly endless stacks of the Great Spirit Library. “I knew you’d like it.”

“Avatar Korra has suffered and survived much for someone so young.” Over his tea, General Iroh scrutinized the Pai Sho board between them. “Not unlike her predecessor in that respect.”

“You knew Avatar Aang well?” Asami asked, delicately lifting her finger off her chosen tile.

A quiet snore came from the grass beside them. Korra shifted against Asami’s thigh, fast asleep for the past hour of their game.

“I counselled him for a time,” Iroh shrugged. “As a boy, he always feared that he would disappoint his legacy. Always afraid that he was too young, too inexperienced to defeat the dangers he faced. It took time for him to learn that he carried much more than the weight of the world.”

Dropping a hand to her lap, Asami began to thread her fingers through Korra’s hair.

Iroh took a deep inhale of his tea. “He carried with him the strength of his friends, his loved ones. The Avatar may have been the bridge between the human and spirit worlds...till recently...but too often history forgets that we all must keep a balance within ourselves. Human connection is just as powerful as spiritual.”

Her hand slowed self-consciously as she looked up and met Iroh’s knowing smile.

A moment later, he casually returned his attention to the board. As if he had noticed nothing. “My nephew, Fire Lord Zuko, commanded entire fleets of soldiers and wasted many of his best years trying to capture the Avatar. But it appears that you have succeeded all on your own. And with no warships or armies to speak of.”

Asami felt the blush rising in her face.

Smiling innocently, he gently lifted the stone kettle beside their table. “More ginseng, my dear?”

“Thank you,” Asami smiled, cradling her cup as Iroh poured.

Korra’s hands were cold beneath the blanket. It would have taken a simple firebending gesture to warm them up, but she seemed content to live in the moment. The cold, damp moment.

The bumps across Asami’s skin, however, seemed to be more from the hand tracing her eyebrow with focus.

“What are you doing?” she asked, smiling into Korra’s palm. Kissing it gently.

“Nothing. Just...memorizing.”

Asami glanced down and caught Korra’s eyes shining in the ambient light from the spirit trees. Bright enough to be read to. If she’d looked at a book all day, that is. “Do you have another one?” Asami sighed.

Korra considered for a long moment, fingers still brushing across skin. “When did you first know?” she asked. “Like, when were you really sure how you felt about me?”

They had been doing this all night. Asking each other questions. Things they were afraid to ask before, things they never thought to. Now they wanted to know everything about each other.

“When I chose you over my father,” Asami said, her voice quiet but firm. She grasped the hand tickling her face and held it still.

Korra perked up at her answer, frowning. “That was a long time ago.”

Nodding, Asami scooted closer against Korra and kissed her forehead. They stretched out together on the open grass. “You don’t have to answer back,” Asami said. “I know it was later for you than that.”

“In the desert,” Korra chimed.

Asami smirking at her. “With the giant sand monster?”

Korra nodded. “You saved me.” She crawled up from under the blanket and kissed Asami. Taking her time. Savoring the wide open quiet around them. “My hero.”

Massive tropical leaves cast green light across the lagoon’s surface. A natural haven from the harsh heat of the noonday sun. The water was deep and blessedly cool, descending so far down that it dipped into shadows. Asami took a few more leisurely kicks before cresting up to the lagoon’s rocky edge.

Korra was drying in the sun, her legs curled up beneath her. She reached down and casually drew a handful of crystal clear water.

Latching onto the rocks nearby, Asami silently watched as Korra bent the water into lazy circles and shapes in her palm. Bending looked so simple and easy with her. Spirit energy thrummed around her hand, at one with the power of the Avatar. Her wrist turned, slowly and deliberately, and soon the water began to forge a path across her skin. Droplets trailed behind the gentle surge Korra formed around her hand, catching up to gather together with the whole. The handful of water rose above her palm next, and with another gesture she swirled it into a sphere. Another flick and it returned to snaking around her fingers.

Hauling herself up onto the rocky shore, Asami wrung her hair out and took a spot beside Korra. Legs hanging off the edge to slip back into the cool lagoon. She reached out and laid her hand flush on top of Korra’s. Careful not to stop her.

“Would you show me?” Asami asked, resting her chin on her Avatar’s shoulder.

Korra met her eyes and smiled tentatively. Chewing her lip as she focused on the precise waterbending motions, sculpting beautiful wave-like shapes with the pure water. “Water is movement,” she said quietly, lowering a knuckle one at a time. The trail of water coiled around each of their paired fingers, over and under, back and forth. “Movement, and change, and life. To bend it, you can't stop moving.”

The motion reminded Asami of juggling a coin with the fingers of one hand. She mimicked Korra’s gestures as best she could, grinning whenever the chill of the water grazed her when she didn’t move quick enough. More often than not, though, Korra masterfully weaved the water just over their skin as if gliding on the air.

After a moment, Korra turned her hand palm up, and Asami slipped their fingers together. With the momentum lost, and Korra’s attention dropped, the water lost its shape and poured across their hands, dripping back into the lagoon.

They held onto each other like that for a long time, watching the gentle waves ripple across the water.

Two Weeks Later...

Korra and Asami nearly lost track of how long they had been camping and exploring the Spirit World. But food got harder to come by as they delved deeper into the wilderness, and Asami began stuffing her sketchbook with ink-stained leaves and handkerchiefs after her pages had run out. It was time to head home.

They retraced their steps back to the portal, through the Spirit Wilds, along massive rivers, and across mountain ranges of ice. They made plans for many return visits. Each day reminded of how far they’d come together in this place. Holding hands now felt as comfortable as taking a step.

Emerging from the vine-entangled spirit portal arm-in-arm, they found Republic City solid beneath their feet. All concrete and hard angles, blindingly bright and hot in the afternoon sun.

No one was waiting for them at the crater. Korra and Asami hadn’t given a timeline for how long they would be gone. Having a little time to decompress without a crowd proved to be exactly what they needed, though, as they slowly approached a wall of noise. Republic City was returning to life, bursting with cars and people.

Entire blocks were cut off from traffic and filled with refugee tents. Markets set up at every other intersection to feed the influx of people into the neighborhoods. Finding the closest newspaper stand, Korra checked a paper and confirmed that their vacation had lasted just over two weeks.

Scaffolding had already been already constructed against damaged buildings and bridges. Cranes pierced the city skyline. The streets were crowded with more construction crews than residents, still. Mass evacuating the city had saved so many lives, and had made it possible for Future Industries to do emergency salvage and maintenance without needing to relocate residents or risking injuring any more civilians. Kuvira’s invasion force and their battle downtown may have leveled entire city districts, but most of the collateral damage had been property. It would take years to recover, but that day could have been so tragically worse.

In the end, we were lucky, Asami thought. She watched construction machines dismantling the ruined carcass of a twenty story building across the street. Her people were doing good work.

She slipped a hand into the crook of Korra’s arm as they headed for the bayside districts.

“A real bed is going to be nice,” she sighed.

“Are you sure you don’t want to stay at the Temple tonight?” Korra asked. “Get an early start instead?”

Asami grinned, nudging her gently. “You are determined to get me to sleep over.”

She got a shrug at that. “I haven’t slept alone in a week and a half,” Korra said.

Slowing down a bit, Asami wrapped her arm around Korra’s middle, latching onto her backpack. “You’ll be fine,” she smirked. “We need to learn how to function separately, you know. Can't always be in the same room.”

“Who says,” Korra teased.

A few gawkers had begun to watch them as they walked through crowds. Surprised to see The Avatar and the CEO of Future Industries out and about after their long absence? Or surprised to see them holding hands? Korra offered them a tentative wave.

This was new. All the attention, all the people. She and Asami had just started figuring out their relationship, and by some luck they had managed it all in the quiet solitude of the Spirit World. No prying eyes, no expectations. Just time and space to relax, and talk. To show how they felt about each other. Now, they were back in a city that already had a voracious interest in their personal lives. Together? They were going to be a press magnet.

When they reached the dock, the ferry was already making its journey back towards Republic City. Korra led them further down the boardwalk, away from the crowds. In the distance, the monument to Avatar Aang and the silhouette of the Air Temple loomed over the horizon. A familiar, steady sight to welcome the girls home.

“A little far from the pier,” Asami noted.

Korra shrugged. “Calm before the storm.”

They leaned into each other, shoulder to shoulder, as their fingers threaded together at the railing. Alone, for now. When they got back to the Air Temple, it would be a swarm of friends around them. Asking about their trip, about everything.

“Are you worried about something?” Asami asked, sliding in close.

“When the press finds out about us, it’s gonna be a circus,” Korra sighed.

“We’ll deal with it together.” Asami squeezed their hands and lightly kissed her cheek. “You have nothing to be nervous about. You’ve got your beautiful, intelligent, powerful, fascinating girlfriend beside you all the way.” Korra quirked an eyebrow at her. Asami raised a hand. “I’m just paraphrasing you.”

“I love you,” Korra said. It had been a little too long since she’d told Asami. It felt so true, and easy, and natural to say.

It was a reminder that they had found each other through the fog. That they had each other to fight and care for. Asami’s snark melted away, and her lips quirked into a warm smile.

“I love you too, Korra.”

Sighing, they turned back to the water and watched the ferry sail closer. “We didn’t really talk about how to tell everyone about us,” Korra said. “Do we make it an announcement? Do we just act normal?” Focusing on their entwined fingers, a wrinkle formed between Korra’s eyes. “I mean, we don’t really know what ‘normal’ is for us yet.”

Asami turned to her at the railing, trailing her free hand up Korra’s wrist. “How about we take the time to figure that out, and the rest of the world can play catch-up.”

“What does that mean?”

With a firm, smooth confidence, Asami reached for her face and pulled her into a kiss. The move was sudden, and Korra couldn’t think of anything to do but let her head swim in it. Savoring. Taking their time. The sounds of the bay filled the lovely silence between them.

When Asami pulled away, only a breath apart, she wore a sly smile. “It means you’ll be getting kissed in public a lot.”

Korra slowly found her voice. “Guess I better keep my guard up, then.”

“Don’t you dare,” Asami murmured, staring at her mouth as she leaned back in.

Korra’s smile grew wide as she eagerly closed the distance for another kiss. The air between them warm and distracting.

A long moment passed slow and leisurely as the world drifted away. At least until a high-pitched squeal pierced the quiet.

They broke away from their kiss, a little dizzy and drunk on each other, and turned to the sound. A few yards away Bolin was grinning wildly, hands clasped over his mouth.

“Smooth, honey.” Stunned and amused at what they’d interrupted, Opal stepped beside her boyfriend to plant a kiss on his head. Bolin was a little busy biting on his knuckles to hide his smile.

Mako strolled up behind them, hands in his pockets as he admired the coastline. “We heard that you’d been sighted downtown,” he said cheerfully, “so we rolled out the welcome wagon.”

“Welcome back!” Opal, trailed by a gleeful Jinora, scurried over. The four girls shared long hugs with each other.

Asami took a small, steadying breath. So many of their friends - their family - had shown up to see them. Two weeks had been blissful with just the two of them, but she’d missed all their faces.

“Welcome home, ladies.”

“Tenzin!” Korra practically squeaked. Her face went hot pink. “Hi. Um. Yeah.”

The airbending master stepped through to greet them, little Rohan squirming in his arms.

“Seems like your trip went well,” Pema chimed, her arms free enough for once to embrace the two girls.

Tenzin nodded. “Yes, you both look happy and rested.”

“Half right,” Mako smirked under her breath. Opal and Jinora stifled giggles. Bolin was quiet, still staring at them with moon eyes.

“Thanks, everybody,” Korra breathed, suddenly noticing a familiar pressure at her hand. Asami had gently taken it in her own.

Tenzin glanced down and smiled softly. “Welcome home.” He reached out to rest a firm hand on Korra’s shoulder, but then remembered his son in his arms. He quietly nodded to them instead. “Are you hungry?” he asked. “We can have dinner ready early if you are.”

“We’ll be at the pier,” Mako said, politely shepherding everyone back towards the dock. “You two just come over when you’re ready.”

After a few waves and promises for stories, the group began to wander back.

Suddenly, Bolin rushed up at them. Before Korra or Asami could react, they were both gathered into a bear sized hug that lasted for a solid half a minute. They squeezed back as best they could. “You guys are awesome,” he mumbled into their shoulders.

Asami chuckled out the rest of her air. “Love you, too, Bo,” she wheezed.

“Yeah,” Korra said, clenching her arms around his to give him an energetic bear hug back. Bolin laughed and finally released them, shuffling off after Opal and the rest of the group.

In the sudden quiet, Korra’s head fell into Asami’s chest. Hiding her furiously blushing face.

“How are you liking the circus so far?” Asami chuckled, resting her head on Korra’s shoulder.

A laugh somehow managed to bubble up from Korra’s mortified groan.

“Come here, love,” Asami whispered, gathering her close.

They settled into each other’s arms and watched the ferryboat trudging into dock. Sounds of the city filled their ears again, rippling with energy and possibility. There was so much still left to do, but they would be together for it all.

THE END