DISCLAIMER: LoK and all associated stuff belongs to Nick and blah blah blah, let'sgetonwithit.
SPOILER ALERT: This fic was written shortly after the release of Book 4, Chapter 3. It is safe to assume that you'll run into spoilers if you haven't gotten up to this point. This fic takes place sometime after Korra's return to Republic City (whenever that's going to be), so it's also safe to assume that i'm making up a bunch of stuff. You have been warned.
This fic alludes to something that occurred in Promises, a one-shot i wrote that takes place near the end of Book 3. I don't consider this to be a continuation of that story, so you don't have to read it in order to understand this one.
And last, but not least, i would like to credit splitts with inspiring this little roller coaster with this wonderful piece of fan art: splits.*tumblr*.*c*o*m*/*post/99813387315/little-words-all-spelling-out-longing (you'll have to delete all the * because ffn is being a tool and won't let me insert a hyperlink). It gave me an idea for a cute little one-shot, which ultimately grew into this three-piece, mini soap opera.
/
Kuvira's army was dismantled. Unable to return to Zao Fu, the deposed dictator now lived in self-imposed exile on Kyoshi Island. The cities and provinces that comprised the Earth Kingdom had chosen to form the Earth Federation, a new nation governed by an elected parliament. Prince Wu was given a more or less ceremonial role in Ba Sing Se under the guise of facilitating the transition to a representative government on the condition that none of his heirs would inherit any of his titles or powers - limited as they were. People were finally beginning to accept and even enjoy the presence of sprits. And for the first time in years, Korra felt like there was some semblance of balance in the world.
Korra closed her eyes turned her face upward, soaking in the heat of the summer sun and feeding her inner firebender. A slight tingling sensation danced underneath her skin and she couldn't resist a smile. It was faint, but she could sense the energy radiating out from the vines and spirits in Republic City even from her perch on Air Temple Island. The vines criss-crossed the city in a seemingly random pattern, but the people of Republic City had found ways to adapt to their presence. Spirits were now a part of everyday life throughout most of the city and the vines had long ago ceased to be considered a nuisance. The city's transformation was astounding and Korra still couldn't quite believe it.
A slight pang of nostalgia swept through her. So much had changed in her absence. Thanks to the uprising, there hadn't been time for her to appreciate those changes when she first returned to the city. It took a couple of weeks for things to settle down and this was the first chance she'd had to really sit down and soak it all in. Oddly enough, the growing realization that the world moved on without her was as reassuring as it was bittersweet. A crash echoed across the island and she heard Meelo shouting at Ikki. Korra laughed to herself. The world moved forward, but it was clear that some things would remain the same.
With one last thought for the changes she'd witnessed, Korra stood and brushed the dirt from her pants. She strolled across the courtyard, pausing when she heard the commotion down near the dock. Curiosity took over. Korra changed directions and headed for the steep stairs that led down to the water. The noise grew closer and she picked out Meelo's over-enthusiastic voice and someone's indulgent laughter. A woman's laughter. Asami's laughter.
Korra froze.
Asami was on the island. Korra looked down at herself and winced, suddenly aware of how much she stank. She spent all morning going through bending forms and even though it was already almost noon, she hadn't gotten around to cleaning up. She couldn't see Asami like this! Korra looked around for an escape, but she knew it was too late. It briefly occurred to her that Asami had seen her in far worse conditions, though the thought wasn't as comforting as it should've been. When Asami came into view, Korra resigned herself to her fate and prayed that Asami didn't stand downwind.
"Korra! I'm glad to find you here," said Asami. "I was a little afraid you would be out somewhere on Avatar business."
Korra took a moment to center herself. It wasn't easy. "Ah, nope," she said. "Not today. Tenzin insisted I take a few days off, actually." She noticed that Asami had traded in her business attire for a casual skirt and sandals. "Looks like you're taking the day off, too."
"Yes, well, it is the weekend. Besides, it's way too hot today. I'd probably run everything on a skeleton crew if it were a normal workday. It's not really safe to have people working around a bunch of machinery in this heat," said Asami.
"You're telling me. Did you come all the way out here just to get away from the office for a while?"
Asami shifted her weight from one foot to the other. "Actually, I came by to see you. We've all been pretty busy and I haven't been able to see much of you since you got back into town." A hint of pink appeared on her pale skin. "Not without the boys, I mean. So I thought you might want to go out somewhere."
Korra grinned. "Sure. I'd love to. Just, uh… Can you give me a few minutes to clean up? I'm kinda gross right now," she said, gesturing to her dirty clothes.
"Oh, yeah. By all means." Asami wrinkled her nose. "Yeah. Definitely. Go wash."
"Hey, I'll have you know this is the hard-earned stink of a good workout," Korra said with a playful jab.
"That hard-earned stink is the only reason I haven't hugged you yet."
Korra rubbed the back of her head. "Uh, yeah. That makes sense." She looked over her shoulder at the women's quarters. "I'll make it quick."
She led Asami to her room, grabbed a fresh change of clothes, and rushed off to shower. As promised, she returned after only a few minutes. Asami looked up from the picture frame in her hands, clearly surprised to see her. Korra tossed her dirty clothes in a corner and draped her damp towel around her neck.
"That really was quick," said Asami.
Korra shrugged. "One of the benefits of being a waterbender. It turns out having short hair doesn't hurt, either."
Asami took a step forward and brushed aside a piece of hair that slipped and fell in front of Korra's face. "What made you decide to cut it?" she asked.
"Honestly? I was kind of running away from myself." Korra looked away and hoped Asami couldn't see how much her simple gesture affected her. "I didn't want to be recognized. It was a little cathartic, too, I guess."
"Are you going to keep it short?"
"I'm not sure."
"Well, it looks cute," Asami said. "It's very… you. Very practical."
Korra couldn't fight the bashful smile that took over and mumbled her thanks. Her attention turned to the picture Asami held and she pointed at it. "What's this?"
"Oh, right. Here." Asami handed it to Korra. Now it was her turn to blush. "It's just a little homecoming gift."
Korra looked down and saw herself next to Mako and Bolin. All three were in fighting stances and fully decked out in their probending gear. The Future Industries logo stood out on the front of their uniforms and the stadium glowed in the background. Recognition slowly seeped in and she grinned. It was the promotional photo taken before their match with the Wolfbats. "Wow. Where did you find this?" she asked.
"It was in my office, actually. I used to keep it on my desk, but I thought you might want it," said Asami.
"Thank you." Korra pulled Asami into a hug. "Thank you so much. This is great."
Asami returned the hug and leaned into her arms. Korra felt her breath on her neck and she thought for a moment that her heart might beat right out of her chest. She reluctantly pulled back and moved to set the picture on her nightstand. When she looked up, she caught Asami watching her with an expression she hadn't seen in three years. Korra swallowed hard and nervously wiped her palms on her thighs. She straightened, silently chiding herself. Why was she so nervous? If Asami still wanted her the way she wanted Asami, wasn't that a good thing? Wasn't that what she'd been hoping for? Hadn't she prayed that Asami would forgive her for years of silence and her unexpected disappearance?
Korra cleared her throat. "So, where are you taking me, Miss Sato?"
"Well, Avatar Korra," said Asami, "I thought I might show you my secret hideout."
/
The first thing Korra noticed when they pulled up in front of the Sato mansion was that it looked far more inviting than she remembered. The solid grey of the walls was broken up by clusters of trees and bushes. The imposing stone arch above gate had been removed and the gate itself was replaced by a smaller, simpler wrought iron gate. It was a nice change, Korra decided.
Asami steered her car around to the side entrance, parked, and handed the keys to an attendant who jogged up to greet her. Korra hopped out and followed Asami up the stairs to the front door of the mansion. Her butler, a short man with neat hair, opened the door and stepped aside to let them in. Korra briefly wondered how he could manage to wear a suit and look so composed on such a hot day.
"Welcome back, Miss Sato. Shall I have some tea prepared for you and your guest? Some jasmine tea, perhaps?" he asked.
"Yes, please, Wei," said Asami. "Does jasmine sound good to you, Korra?"
The butler immediately gave her a little bow. "Avatar Korra. My apologies. I did not recognize you."
Korra ran a hand through her hair and glanced down at her cropped pants and sleeveless shirt. It dawned on her that she probably looked more like a country bumpkin than one of the most powerful benders in the world. "It's alright. I wouldn't recognize me, either," she said with a smile. "And jasmine would be great."
Wei bobbed his head and turned back to Asami. "I'll have it brought to the parlor."
"That would be perfect. Thank you," Asami said.
As soon as the butler turned to leave, Asami grabbed Korra's hand and led her deeper into the mansion. Korra tried to focus on the paintings and tapestries that hung on the walls instead of the way Asami's slim fingers interlaced with her own. She recognized the dark wooden paneling and marble floors, remembering how modern and fashionable Asami's home always seemed compared to the more traditional structures of the compound in the South Pole and Air Temple Island. As they passed a room lined with bookshelves, Korra began to grow curious.
"I seem to recall you saying something about a secret hideout," she said.
"We're almost there." Asami came to a stop before a set of glass doors that led to a large courtyard. She stepped through the doors and motioned for Korra to follow. "This is it," she said.
Korra walked out into the courtyard and nearly stumbled. The scent of exotic flowers and plants washed over her and her eyes were assaulted with a cacophony of greens and browns. Slender trees arched over a footpath lit by sunlight that filtered through gaps in the leafy canopy. Korra could hear the faint trickle of a stream that was hidden from view by sprawling ferns and some wide-leafed plant she couldn't name. As her eyes followed the tree line, she realized that a spirit vine was growing out of what must've been the middle of the courtyard.
It took Korra a moment to find her voice again. "Wow. This is amazing," she said.
"I'm glad you like it." Asami gestured toward the vine. "When it became clear the vines were here to stay, I decided to have the courtyard turned into a garden."
Korra took a few steps down the footpath and felt Asami walk behind her. She grinned and looked around with unconcealed joy, forgetting all about the sweltering heat. "This is so cool, Asami."
Asami laughed. "This where I go when I need to think or just want to be alone. None of the household staff comes out here. It's my little slice of the Spirit Wilds. My own secret hideout."
A gentle breeze wound its way through the trees and Korra followed it deeper into the garden. She came to a halt in front of the vine and placed her hand on its cool surface. Spirit energy buzzed and tickled the palm of her hand. Her eyes drifted shut and she sensed the connection to the network of vines that ran throughout the city. She hadn't developed the same affinity for visualizing as Toph had, but she could still pick up certain distinct vibrations caused by the spirit energy. A touch on her shoulder startled her and pulled her out of her reverie.
"Korra?"
Korra blinked hard and saw Asami's concern. "I'm alright."
"Sorry," Asami said. "You just kind of slipped away and I wasn't sure what happened."
"It's okay. I should be the one apologizing. I've developed a bad habit of drifting off like that." Korra shook her head. "I finally got in touch with my spiritual side and now I have trouble tuning it out. I blame Raava," she said with a laugh.
It was Asami's turn to be amused. "I can't imagine what that's like. I suppose there's a lot more to being the Avatar than I'll ever really understand."
Korra frowned and stepped closer to Asami, placing a hand on her shoulder. "I doubt that," she said. "I think you understand me better than anyone else."
Asami looked away. "Even though we haven't seen each other in years?" she asked.
Guilt ripped through Korra. She struggled to think of an appropriate response and came up with nothing. The silence that hung between them seemed to stretch on forever. Eventually, Asami began to pull back, but Korra tightened her grip on her shoulder. Korra slid an arm around her waist and slanted her mouth over Asami's. Full, red lips moved against hers and Korra nearly sighed with relief. She wrapped a possessive arm around Asami's waist and buried the other in her hair. A moan slipped out of Asami's mouth and Korra felt a familiar warmth coil up inside her. She tightened her grip as Asami sank into the embrace. The taller woman somehow felt small in her arms and it made Korra want to hold on and never let go. She finally did when Asami's hands slid down to brace herself against Korra's chest as she gently pushed her away. Reluctantly, Korra stepped back and struggled to catch her breath.
Asami opened her mouth to say something, then seemed to think better of it. She ran her hands through her hair to smooth it out and looked everywhere except at Korra. After a moment, she pointed back down the footpath. "The tea is probably ready by now," she said.
A heavy weight settled in Korra's stomach and she nodded dumbly. She hesitated before following Asami, fighting a growing sense of dread and confusion. This wasn't exactly the homecoming she'd expected.
/
A/N: So sorry, not sorry. But i promise this story will have a happy ending, so don't worry. The point of this whole thing is i think there's got to be more to Korra's return to Republic City than, "Oh, yay! Korra's here to save the day! Now we can all kick back, relax, and goof off." We don't yet know how everyone will react when Korra rolls back into their lives, but it would be unrealistic not to expect her to have to deal with the consequences of years of silence. It's clear that her friends and family are all very supportive people, but you can't tell me some folks aren't a little hurt by her lack of communication and sudden disappearance. Anywho, you'd best sit down and buckle your seat belts, 'cause the next chapter's a doozy (it was for me, anyway).