“This isn’t exactly what I had in mind when you invited me for another trip.”

Asami’s words were spoken with no displeasure, possibly because it was delivered through the subtle chattering of teeth and lips she no longer dared to wet due to the overbearing risk of frostbite. This, together with the rising howl of wind made speech more and more difficult as they drew to the west in a trudging speed, which was as fast as Naga could take them in this weather. The snow was building up, way before its season and covered the South Pole in a magnificent patina of fresh, etheric white.

Korra was grinning.

Of course she was. She loved the cold, and by the way the white flakes circled around them in twirling sprays, the weather was perhaps responding to the avatar’s joviality. She turned around to check on Asami, all white teeth and reddened cheeks with snow caught in her eyelashes.

“No, this is so much better.” She said through a cloud of breath. “We are so lucky! The rejk-snow is usually never this early. You would have to wait another month to see snow this soft and powdery, if you get to see it at all. Sometimes, if it’s a bad year, the temperature drops too quickly and there would just be the deep-snow. You know, the big heavy falls that keeps people indoors for days? Still fun, but the frost can be pretty brutal.”

Asami rolled her eyes and tightened her hold around Korra’s midsection, pressing them closer from her seat behind and efficiently shutting the cold off from at least part of her body surface. She loosened the grip from her knees and let the younger woman’s body partly substitute for balance and the lumbering form of Naga.

She felt Korra breath slow, her torso expanding and contracting just a little deeper, adjusting to the weight of Asami’s body against her back.

“Sorry, is it too tight?” Asami asked into the younger girl’s shoulder.

“No. Hold on.” Came the short answer, her voice tender in the wail of the wind.

They continued riding in silence for a while. The light of the city had since long disappeared behind them. Their surroundings consisted of a distance of powdery mounds and black elevated stone occasionally rising to break the tranquility.

It was beautiful in a haunting and imposing way. Asami, who’d grown up amidst the buzz of a large city could appreciate it with a certain sense of foreboding. There was nothing here, no natural shelters, signs of civilization or any kind of help if one stumbled into trouble. Her present company of survivalist duo Avatar and Her Giant Dog was a comfort, but it also left Asami feeling vulnerable. None of the skillsets she had slaved to master during her life made her competent here. She was a dependent and that made her uncomfortable.

The upside was the perils of cold were easily overcome with rather simple machinery. The lack of natural resources made it difficult to produce heat so the design would likely be based on thermic preservation, but that would demand an organic heat source, like Naga. Maybe a foldable tent which could be attached to Naga’s side when one made camp? That way, you could use a big animal as a portable radiator.

Asami frowned and pondered the practicality of the design, calculating probable weight versus the loss of speed in travel. It kept her busy until they stopped on the top of a small hill.

“We need to start making camp. Let’s stop here for the night.” Korra said matter of factly. “Down Naga!”

The engineer looked around in bafflement. They were in the middle of nowhere, protected by nothing.

“Korra, shouldn’t we camp beside a cliff or something that will protect us from the…” Howling arctic demon storm. “… wind?”

“Can’t do. It’s been snowing for too long, so there’s a risk for flash avalanches. I can easily bend us free if we get snowed in, but receiving several tons of snow crashing down on your head? Nope.”

“Oh.” That made sense. Asami rolled off Naga and stood close to the animal, ruffling her fur and drawing comfort from the warmth beneath thick, damp mane. The polar-bear dog grunted, approving of her actions.

“Okay, stay back a little.” Korra walked out to a flat plateau and raised her arms. The snow immediately whirled around her, shaping a large, slowly sinking circle. The bender depressed the ground thigh-deep before jumping out. A second flick of her hand lifted blocks of compressed snow, landing in a neat pile beside her. Korra looked over at Asami while extending a block twice the size of her head.

“So, do you want to build a snow-house?” She asked, perfectly imitating the tune and line from a children’s mover they had seen recently. She was smiling, her face seemingly both dark and flushed in contrast to the world around, causing something in Asami’s belly to flutter hard. The scene was undeniably adorable until a blast of wind threw the older girl’s hood off and tore her hair into a flying mess. She gave Korra a look and reached for a block of her own.

“Let’s.” She replied while doing her best to squint to keep the snow from her eyes.

They worked patiently for hours, stacking the snow in a circular construction gradually leaning towards the center. Asami copied Korra’s work, having figured out the basic geometry. They filled gaps and cracks and patiently left a small door for a tunnel. From now and then, she sneaked a glance at the younger woman who worked tirelessly to angle each and every piece and tested them for stability, expert hands wedged the ice tightly together. It was quite fascinating to see Korra focused and flowing through such a menial, non-bending task, yet it made a lot of sense. The avatar provided safety, and amongst the Water Tribe a huge part of safety came with the crafting of shelters to keep the grim climate at bay.

“There, we’re done. Phew.” Korra finished the last of the roof while Asami spread out their luggage. Naga, bless the girl, planted herself right in front of the small tunnel that served as the door, effectively blocking out the draft. “Did we bring enough oil for light?”

“You are asking that now?” Asami chuckled and unpacked the small, foldable kitchen that doubled as heat source and lantern. “And yes, we did. It should last a week.”

“I could firebend for light.” Korra puffed her cheeks as she sat down beside her, checking the floor. It had been packed real tight and as flat as she could, good insulation. “Oil is just much more practical.”

“True, also it’s less prone to react to your moods.”

Korra looked puzzled for a few moments until she connected the dots to a certain water-bending incident. “Now hey, that was an accident. I was watering your soon-to-be-dead plants and it’s not my fault someone left their blueprints lying around.”

“Really? They were on a drafting desk in my study Korra, that’s where they are supposed to be. And that plant was a leafy cactus.” She turned on the kitchen while Korra rattled chunks of frozen soup into a pressure pot and put the bread on the lid to heat. The younger girl glanced up at Asami who was brushing back strands of hair. The snow caught in its length had now melted which gave her a damp, newly-showered look, accentuated by the soft light from the fire. Korra swallowed but didn’t look away.

“Well, you startled me. I’m not used to people sneaking up on me at your house.”

“I was trying to give you a nice surprise.” The older girl tipped her head. “And I remember you enjoying it.”

Korra chortled but blushed to her ears.

“You didn’t?” Asami asked innocently, taking full advantage of her momentum.

They exchanged knowing smiles.

“Um, I’ll go and unpack the bedroll.” Korra mumbled, looking bashful and moved away.

Asami laughed, and then realized what Korra just said. Oh. This was almost too good. She walked over to the other to confirm her observation and indeed. Well, wasn’t the day full of surprises?

“Korra, is this going to be our thing?” She asked between barely stifled laughter. She pointed down to the cot. Korra raised an eyebrow, bracing herself for more teasing. “Just one bedroll, again? I am starting to suspect you’re planning these things.”

She was insinuating to the events of their vacation in the spirit world weeks ago, when Asami had been the only one to bring sleeping gear. Korra, used to enter the spirit world through meditation rather than physically had completely foregone to bring basic necessities aside from food. Of course, there were no real nights in the spirit world and Korra due to her avatar spirit didn’t even really need to sleep there. Asami did however and sleep became a very lovely thing to do when the older girl at some point had offered to share, setting them om a course of very pleasant things. Sleeping beside Asami had been exhaustingly peaceful and they slept like that for the remainder of the trip.

Asami of course, was still endlessly amused and dubious to the avatar’s original intentions for the trip.

“What!? N—no! Its not like that at all!” Korra fumed. “This is a twin, they are supposed to be shared!”

“You keep telling me that.”

“We’re not doing this again. Every time we discuss this I always end up looking like the rear end of a buffalo yak. Stop treating this as if I was the sole instigator, you were just as bad.”

“I suppose, if by bad you mean harboring the secret dirty desire to see you wear my clothes. All the time.”

Korra’s face fell at the memory. None of them had really expected three years of separation would make their physical differences a real thing. Asami was now officially tall, even by Fire Nation standards.

“Did you at least bring underwe—?”

“I did! Spirits! I swear I wasn’t thinking like that when we went to the spirit world! I hardly realized we could be like this… like us until we were there, of course I did think maybe at some point but never thought it would actually go through, and then everything was so calm and nice and— and…”

“…and there was only one bedroll?”

Korra chortled and shot her a hopeless, half-hearted glare, as one looks at a fond but unresolvable puzzle. She sat down and began removing her shoes and outer-clothes, starting with the thick jacket and worked her way to the mid layer, eyes never leaving Asami’s face. Come to think of it, Asami suddenly realized they barely seen each other out of the huge polar garbs since they arrived. Korra had been oddly in a hurry to leave for their expedition, only stopping by Tonraq and Senna for hugs and provisions.

“What are you doing?” Asami asked evenly but couldn’t help flushing a little. Korra, now dressed in a long-sleeved version of her usual top with matching calf-long pants stuffed into her socks, answered by flopping down on the cot and pulling the furs over her nose.

“I’m cold.”

“You are cold?” The irony knew no boundaries. As if on cue, a particular powerful gust struck and the ghastly wail following chilled Asami to her bones. It was the sound of a child’s crying mixed with an animal howl, painful and grievous. A brief memory of dark spirits came unbidden and set her into trembles. She suddenly remembered the stories about why the polar people did not believe as much as they feared the wild gods, and Korra’s tales about misfortunes wiping out entire communities.

Survival instincts kicked in, driving her to search for the closest source of safety. She undressed in record time to her base layer, draped her borrowed, blue parka over the covers and climbed into bed after Korra, jokes forgotten.

Korra saw her reaction and didn’t wait to be asked. Her arms caught the older girl under the thick weight of furs, gathering Asami against the length of her body in strength. The younger girl combed a hand through the other’s hair, brushing it back gently while she pressed them together with legs and arms. Asami wrapped herself around Korra, resting their foreheads together.

For the longest moment, they were simply still and listened to Naga’s soft snorting while the winter raged, unrelentingly, dark and beyond control. It filled Asami with a natural sense of dread, sharpening her senses into something more visceral and real. The world became more detailed. She felt the gentle puffs of Korra’s breath, the soft impressions of fingertips along her spine and took in the salty musk of sweat, hair and leather. Dark hues of blue and orange danced along the walls as the fire flickered weakly. The cold was still around them but the congruity of their bodies kept it at bay.

She felt weak.

Asami had not felt this way since her mother passed, reliant and open to admit that she could not make it on her own. She took her own frailty and cradled it, wondrous over how gentle vulnerability became in the glow of affection and... and Korra was there, equally vulnerable and open but completely at peace. The avatar too felt the threat of exposure. She knew the dangers and respected the precautions. A single bedroll had its uses.

How strange Asami thought, that she of all people would find herself being philosophical here, at the edge of the world. None of the technology and convenient luxuries she grew up with existed here, no mantras of splendor and untapped richness. Nothing. All necessities had to be built and produced from scratch. Even base needs such as warmth took hours of meticulous preparation.

It was terrifying. And that was alright.

She noticed Korra studying her silently. Familiar, curious eyes regarded Asami and relayed a message the older girl knew by heart and instinct, a message she knew from the vestiges of battles and sleep.

Be calm.

Asami sighed and shut her eyes briefly, warm fingers trailing her back.

So she was calm.

***

The lay in silence as the worst of the storm raged, so loud it made talking impossible.

Asami was by no means pious about the spiritual nature of the world. She did not revere the avatar legacy like some Kyoshi but like all children she had grown up respecting it. Avatars ended wars and stopped famine. They appeased spirits and restored world balance. She was among the few who had witnessed this being done repeatedly. So when Korra asked for her trust, she gave it freely. It was a puny exchange in comparison to the young woman’s greater destiny, but Korra never seemed to mind and Asami was grateful.

Another fierce howl pushed over their shelter, making the both of them pull even closer.

She felt drowsy. The weariness of the long ride and the warmth pressing in all around her was taking its toll. Asami wasn’t ready to give in and tried to find ways to stay awake. Feeling inspired, she tipped the younger girl’s face up, pushing a gentle brush of lips onto Korra’s mouth, only to increase the pressure when she felt her advances being reciprocated.

The kiss was long, gentle brushes of half-opened lips, dry and tender from the chill. Asami could hear her heart quicken as Korra responded quickly with a hand behind her head, tangling her hair. The pulse in her ears pounded and helped her rouse. Good. She broke away, considering her sleepiness solved. Korra however, wild-eyed and flushed to her neck, had other plans.

The younger girl caught her moments after the first kiss. With one smooth movement, Asami was pushed onto her back with Korra sprawled on top of her. She barely had time to register a glimpse of white teeth before she was crushed into a second much more intense kiss. It was warm. It was familiar. And it caused the storm to go completely silent in the young engineer's mind as all her senses focused on Korra’s mouth against hers. She moved the best she could, adjusting to the new weight and the sensation of their bodies trying to fit together. She banged her knee painfully against the younger girl’s thigh, prompting a soft whimper. None of them were experts and it didn't matter. Korra tugged at her hair gently, angling Asami’s head to kiss her even deeper.

Damn, Asami thought, breathless and losing control. Korra was becoming so good at this. If those past weeks were any proof, Asami was in for it deeper than she had ever been before and the idea exhilarated her.

Caught up in the moment, she slipped her hands under Korra’s shirt and let them slide along soft skin, upwards, until she found the angular shapes of her shoulder blades. Korra’s response to the caress was momentaneous. The girl broke the kiss and gasped out loud, as if the touch had burned.

Somewhere in a small corner of Asami’s mind, she remembered a promise of taking things slow. What a silly, idiotic thing to promise really. The woman who did that must never have shared a bedroll or kissed Korra until her lips were numb. She must not have known how impossible beautiful the younger girl would look with messy hair in the firelight and looking down at her as if she was going t—

SSSSHHRRRRREEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!

They jolted at the sound. Both stopped and stared each other, Asami frighteningly out of breath while Korra was red all the way to her collarbones. The older girl groaned and searched for the perpetuator and found it on their right. The pressure pot. Dinner. Of course. The shrill whistle could have woken the dead.

The moment was broken. They looked at each other, both equally embarrassed and flushed and tingly all over. Asami had pretty much locked Korra between her legs. Korra wasn’t sure where her hands was had ended up. It was equally flustering and hilarious and totally alright. The younger girl planted her forehead square on Asami’s chest and dissolved into a heap of trembling giggles. Asami, suddenly stuck under one hundred forty-five pounds of laughing avatar, buried her face in Korra’s hair and followed suit.

“We can never catch a break, can we?” Korra giggled, trying to untangle herself from Asami which proved to be easier said than done when you were rolled in arctic camping gear.

Asami shook her head in pure mirth, busy trying to pull her leg loose. “Can you get the food, please?”

Korra made an affirmative sound. They ended up eating from beneath the covers, keeping most of their bodies warm while their cups of thick, meaty soup stayed in the snow.

“Korra?”

“Hmm?”

“Do you want to tell me why we are here now?”

Korra suddenly looked a little guilty. Seeing her reluctance, the dark-haired woman pushed on.

“I thought you just wanted company while visiting your parents. If you don’t tell me soon, I’ll just have to assume the worst.” She continued matter-of-factly.

Korra raised an eyebrow. “And what might that be, dare I ask?”

“You’ve stolen me away to secluded place with no means of communication or transportation to leave, where it’s cold enough to kill, and upon arrival I discover you’ve conveniently only packed a single bedroll. I’ll leave you to ponder the implications a girl may get.” Asami kept her face as neutral as possible.

The cogs of Korra’s mind turned, one by one, and slowly pushed the younger woman into a rather brutal realization.

“Wha— no, spirits Asami! That is not why we are here!” The younger girl’s face alternating between utter embarrassment and outrage. “Get my min— I mean YOUR mind out of the gutter! And you started the kissing! Not me! As for your information, we’re going to the glacier plains, and we’re going because they’re beautiful at this time of the year. I did not bring you all the way out here to… to seduce you.”

“It would’ve been a rather odd choice of place wouldn’t it?” Asami grinned. “Good to know.”

“I swear, being with you seemed so much less rattling from a distance.” Korra mused. “Being close is somewhat like having this diabolic inventor genius poking at my sides. Oh wait, that’s exactly what I have.”

“You still think I’m sweet.”

“I do.” Korra’s face softened. “And a whole lot of other things too.”

Asami smiled beautifully. “So do you want to tell me about the glacier plains?”

Korra beamed up at the question. “It’s a huuuuge floating glacier a little more to the west. It will be the first thing you see tomorrow after the weather’s cleared, can’t miss it really, looks like a wall of ice almost two hundred bu tall. It’s a gathering place for a lot of the local fauna, you wouldn’t believe how big the flocks of otter penguins can get during this season. We might even get to see polar leopards chasing them.”

“That sounds amazing.” She nodded.

“I also thought that it might be time to tell my parents about you.” Korra looked a little sheepish as she gathered her thoughts. “It doesn’t feel right to keep it from them.”

“…and we’re going to do that from the glacier?”

Korra suddenly paused, looked away, and then started to speak very quickly. “Couple’s hunting trip. Water tribe thing. It proves to the tribe and my family that we are compatible, you know, as a thing.”

She didn’t wait for Asami’s reaction before explaining. “There’s an old tradition where a couple had to prove to the tribe that they were a good match by making a hunting trip. You’re supposed to survive and hunt for a few days, basically living off the land before returning home with spoils. The idea was to test a couple’s compatibility as life-partners I guess. Love just wasn’t enough if you couldn’t face the land together. No one actually hunts for real now however. The trip is more like a statement.”

“And why not do this during summer?” Asami asked, rather fascinated by the slowly unfolding preface to their present situation.

Korra grinned broadly. “No otter penguins.”

“You’re joking.”

“Yeah, it’s terrible. You won’t find the whip of a tail until you hit the sea. Can’t have that happening. Also, I did want my parents to know as soon as possible. I wanted to do things right since my father is the chief, and well, I am a Water Tribe avatar. I’d like to set an example in how to respect your elders.”

Asami was suddenly thrown between the younger woman’s rather touching rationale and her own selfish urge to facepalm all over the place. It was sweetthat Korra wanted to do follow water tribe customs for the sake of her parents. On the other hand…

“Korra, you need to tell me these things.” She admonished. “I can’t say I would have been thrilled about it, but telling your parents about us is a serious matter. We could have talked about it first with no need to kidnap me to the world’s biggest block of ice for something this important.”

“You would have come?”

“You might have needed a few nice dates to get me there, but yes.”

“Oh.” Korra looked baffled. “But I did want to show you the glacier. It was just such a smooth coincidence, you know? I get to show you this awesome, gorgeous place and prove to everyone that I’m very into you at the same time. We can go seal-sledding. I’ll spear some big fish to impress you and we will build another snow-hut to prove what a bad-ass survival team we are.”

Korra’s full-grin and enthusiasm was contagious. Living in republic city tended to blur the cultural barriers between people, but here where the neutral stance of the avatar was drowned in the storm, Korra turned into a girl trying to do the right thing in courtship. Asami found it adorable, hilariously loving and so very Water Tribe. She laughed.

“And then what o young hunter-warrior do you plan for us to do?”

“I’ll do the most important thing. I’ll be compatible.”

“Oh, will you now?”

The fire was dying behind them. Asami felt pressure on her shoulder. The pressure materialized to the shape of fingers attached to a palm, running along the length of her arm. Korra’s eyes flickered orange in the fading light. Her last words were simple but made Asami stop.

“I will be with you.”