A/N: Valentine's Day fic... without Valentine's Day. Kind of an A:TLA twist on the holiday with its own traditions but the same kinda idea. I kind of always wanted to do something about Korra and Asami's very different heritage.
Yellow Roses and Paper Dragons
"Asami... what's happening?" Korra asks in bewilderment, glancing around the streets of Caldera.
The sun has fallen below the horizon, she and Asami have been lost for two hours trying to find their hotel, and now the streets are being disassembled and reassembled into a new formation. Korra is unsure if this is a regular thing or if they are under attack, and she turns to her girlfriend for answers, seeing as she is Fire Nation.
"Some kind of festival." Asami shrugs and Korra narrows her vibrant sapphire eyes.
"... Asami?"
"Well, the signs are for the Love Spirit Festival," Asami replies, now putting double the effort into finding their hotel. "It's pretty stupid. My grandma used to celebrate it and take me to the parade in Republic City, but I always thought it was kind of a dumb tradition."
Korra pauses and wonders why she has never heard of the festival. Given, she was raised on an isolated compound and Republic City has a parade for something every week or so. She just nods and examines the streets being decorated in yellow, gold and red, much brighter than the muted tones of the city.
"So, love spirit...?" Korra cocks an eyebrow, wondering if this poses an excellent opportunity for relationship stuff. All of the shared glances, all of the eventual courage it took to be together, has now resulted in an awkward transitional period between romantically tense friendship and actual romance. Perhaps a Fire Nation love spirit is just what Korra needs to take things to the next level, seeing as she has no clue how else to do it. Spirits have usually been pretty solid for the Avatar.
"It's dumb, like I said." Asami shrugs and Korra purses her lips. "I think I see a sign for our hotel."
Korra follows Asami, entertained by the festival preparations the whole way. But Asami, who had been pleasant despite their consistent lack of direction in the sprawling city of Caldera, now looks somewhat bitter and reserved. The Avatar is determined to figure this out.
Relationship things. Yes. Relationship things.
They finally make it to their lodgings and lie down, both breathing sighs of relief. Tomorrow Asami will meet with her contact and Korra with Fire Lord Izumi, and it will be business. But tonight, Korra thinks she can do something with all the Fire Nation love spirit romance in the air.
Asami curls up and closes her eyes and Korra tries to fight a smile at watching her sleep.
[X]
"Those are cool," Korra says loudly, tugging Asami over to a vendor selling paper dragons.
They both decided to go explore the city after two hours of half sleeping and half murmuring things to each other. Red and yellow lanterns illuminate the streets and Korra is engrossed in the vibrant festivities and the couples kissing in the street.
"I love these," Asami remarks, the first truly positive comment she has made about the festival. Korra is not always perfectly astute, but the glint in Asami's emerald eyes reveals that she does not think this is just some dumb tradition after all.
Korra picks one up and the vendor inhales sharply and holds her breath. Asami gently takes it from Korra's hand, as the Avatar tries to fight the blush in her cheeks when Asami's skin brushes against hers.
"They're kinda fragile," Asami whispers to Korra and the Avatar smiles weakly at the vendor. "I can make a mean paper animal."
"Really?" Korra asks in disbelief. She supposes she should not be surprise, given Asami making incredible feats of technology, but the cute paper dragons Korra cannot equate with her girlfriend.
"Here," the vendor says, surprising them both by handing Asami a few sheets of paper and a little jar of what appears to be glue, but Korra is not sure of.
"Thank you," Asami replies and she slowly starts folding. Korra is amazed by it, setting her chin on the wooden table and staring directly at the paper as it becomes a dragon. She finishes it and Korra blinks several times, stunned. "I'd like to buy one of the necklace chains, please."
The vendor hands her one and Asami rummages in her purse for the silver pieces. Asami hooks the dragon onto the chain and drapes it over Korra's neck.
"I know you're not a jewelry girl, but in this festival, that means you're taken," Asami says with a wink.
"I... uh..." Korra picks up the remnants of Asami's paper and tries to replicate the opening movements. She cringes and grimaces, setting the paper down before she massacres it again.
"It takes a bit of practice," Asami says and Korra nods.
"I'll just take one of the nice pre-made ones," Korra says, shrugging.
She hands it to Asami and now they have mostly matching necklaces.
"Good. Now nobody is going to kiss you without warning you first," Asami says with a sparkle in her eyes and Korra recoils slightly.
Korra hesitantly asks, "Uh... anything else I should know about this holiday?" She looks around at the boys and girls whom she has just learned might kiss her out of nowhere as she sets the dragon more prominently on her chest.
"It's not that interesting, I'm telling you. It's just about old traditions and fake love. Let's find someplace to eat," Asami says and the glow in her cheeks that rose when she saw the paper dragons fades instantly. She takes Korra's hand and they scout for a restaurant.
[X]
"Oh, a happy couple?" is the first thing the waiter asks, and it seems to be the thousandth time he has said it all day.
"Yeah," Korra answers belatedly, still not quite used to calling she and Asami a couple. Asami smiles faintly, then looks at the flowers decorating the restaurant and looks slightly deflated again. "Just get us some tea and fire flakes for now, please."
The waiter nods sharply and disappears into the crowded, smoky restaurant. Love songs are playing on the radio, ones Korra has never heard before, and some she has known for years. And Asami looks incredibly unhappy.
Korra frowns for a moment. "Do you want to go back to the hotel? Or, we could crash Zuko's place and sleep like royalty? I think he owes my past life some favors..."
Asami tries to laugh but it comes out as a strange, forced sound. "No. It's good to be doing this with you. I mean, it's a love festival and I... uh, well, you know. It's just kind of... hard."
It hits Korra like a bag of rocks and she does not know why she was too oblivious to notice it.
"Is it about your mom?" Korra whispers and Asami stares at the table.
Asami blinks for a little too long. She knows she can be honest with Korra, but it is difficult. Particularly surrounded by all of these things and memories.
"Yeah. This was her favorite holiday, even when it was outlawed for a while. That's how I know how to make the paper dragons." Asami hesitates. She looks at the flowers. "And the yellow roses were always her favorite for some reason. I mean, I was a little girl. I don't remember very well. But she did really like yellow roses and this stuffy dumb tradition."
Korra pauses. "We can go home, if you want. I shouldn't have..."
Asami holds up a hand. "It's not bad at all. I pretty much avoided this sort of thing for a long time, and maybe confronting it isn't so painful. She would've liked you."
"Really?" Korra asks.
"Yeah. She was fierce and headstrong and didn't like being told no. And she would do anything for the people she cares about. So I think you two would've gotten along just fine," Asami says, her eyes leaving the yellow roses for the first time. "Thank you for bringing me here, Korra."
"It was an accident," Korra says before rubbing her neck and feeling like an idiot.
"I am very proud to call you my ember."
"Your what?" Korra asks.
"It's like a... it's really ridiculous, but it's part of the traditions. Your date is your, uh, ember. They're kind of dumb. A little heavy handed and nationalist." Asami blushes with a small smile.
"I'll take ember over feeble turtleduck, I guess," Korra says, shrugging and grinning.
This is kind of fun. For the first time, Korra and Asami genuinely feel like a couple. And it just takes some vague Fire Nation love holiday to make it work.
After dinner, Asami returns from the bathroom with her make-up fresh and her heart a little less heavy with memories of her mother, and Korra puts something into her hands.
Asami looks at it for a moment.
A bouquet of yellow roses.
"I don't know if it's too much or anything. I'm not really, uh, this isn't my strong suit. I just thought you might like them..." Korra looks at Asami's frozen posture and nearly hurls all over her date's expensive shoes.
But Asami touches her lips to Korra's.
Korra closes her eyes, and even though there are ten other couples making out, it feels special.
end