Korra pulled Asami gently along by the hand, batting away the low-hanging branches of the spirit trees surrounding them. As the growth of trees thinned, Korra sped up, causing Asami to increase her pace.
Asami stumbled behind Korra, her legs tired and sore from walking. They'd been doing more walking than usual today and Asami was still worn out from yesterday's trek. Though Korra wouldn't admit it, their daily excursions were starting to take their toll on her, too. Asami noticed that, despite how fast Korra was moving now, she was definitely slower than yesterday.
Asami silently reflected on their vacation as Korra eagerly dragged her to wherever they were headed. Korra had been tight-lipped about their destination, only saying that where they were going was supposed to be "really cool".
This vacation had ranged from calm to eventful and constantly bounced back and forth between the two. Some days, there was nothing to do but laze about and wander aimlessly, admiring the array of colorful sights the Spirit World had to offer. Other times, they were running from things like a rampaging spirit spider who was determined to toss them into the Fog of Lost Souls.
Asami shivered at that particular memory. She could handle the spirit spider chase but the idea that they had been that close to spending an eternity in the Fog of Lost Souls was another story.
Asami had to admit that she had initially been a bit nervous at the start of the trip. The descriptions she'd received of the Spirit World had been intimidating, at the very least. She was a logical person, used to reason and absolutes, so the idea of a world that's state constantly fluctuated in response to things like strong emotions honestly terrified her. In spite of this, Asami wanted to be here. She was adventurous at heart and the thought of going to a place only a handful of people had been to before was exciting.
Any misgivings Asami may have previously had had been quickly swept away by Korra, who was a more than competent guide—well, as much as a guide as she could be. Though Korra was the Avatar and had ventured into the Spirit World before, she wasn't an expert on the place. The Spirit World was almost immeasurable in size. It would take hundreds of years to explore it all and thousands more to even make an attempt at understanding it; even if one did manage to do this, the Spirit World was frequently changing its state. An area that had previously been a calm, cool oasis could be a desolate hell-scape the very next day.
While Asami was enjoying all the amazing and indescribable sights and events she'd experienced, the best part of this vacation, to her, was that for the first time in what felt like three excruciatingly long years, she was able to spend quality alone time with Korra without being interrupted by their friends (namely Tenzin) or some earth shattering crisis.
Things had changed between them upon entering the Spirit World. The air seemed thicker, heavier. Time felt slow and fast at the same time. Every word, every touch somehow seemed more charged, more intimate.
Asami had an inkling of why it was like that now and she was sure Korra did too, but neither one of them had gathered enough courage to bring the subject up, both afraid to disturb what they currently had going for them.
Asami was broken out of her thoughts by a sudden pressure against her foot, the root of a spirit tree causing her to trip and fall forward, her hand slipping out of Korra's in the process. Korra quickly turned towards Asami, catching her in her arms before she could finish falling.
"Whoa! You okay, Asami?" the young Avatar asked, her eyes wide with concern.
Asami nodded and looked up, noticing how close Korra's face was to her own. Heat rose in her cheeks. "Y-yeah." Asami fidgeted in her friend's arms. "Um, thanks for catching me."
Korra flushed, it suddenly dawning on her how close Asami was. She nervously helped Asami to her feet, steadying her with a supportive hand.
"C-c'mon, we're almost there," Korra muttered, slipping her hand back into Asami's.
Eventually, they reached the edge of the forest. Before them was a wide plain with tall grass that swished from side to side; the place seemed endless. The sky was a mix of dark blues and purples, reminding Asami of the night of Varrick and Zhu Li's wedding.
Korra plopped down in the grass and patted the ground next to her. Asami sat down and noted out of the corner of her eye that Korra was slowly scooting closer to her.
Asami watched the grass sway rhythmically. The sight was calming and she was content to just sit there and take everything in. Korra, on the other hand, was fidgeting nervously, eyes searching for something in the distance.
"Is this it...? I could've sworn this where he said it happens..." Korra muttered absentmindedly, disappointment evident in the tone of her voice.
Asami placed a hand on Korra's, leaning in close. "Something the matter?"
Korra's eyes slid to their hands, then Asami's face, then back to the grassy plain before them. "No...well, yes..." Korra's eyes suddenly went wide and she gestured wildly in front of them. "There they are...! Look, Asami!"
Asami switched her attention to where Korra was pointing and was bewildered and entranced by what she saw.
From the grass rose a swarm of small, circular creatures with thin tendrils flowing behind them. They each flickered a different color, leaving behind wispy trails as they drifted through the air. They moved in slow, elegant motions, as if they were dancing. A few of them settled around the two women and inched cautiously towards them.
Korra gently scooped up a flickering purple one. It let out a continuous, startled chattering sound until Korra began petting it. It was soft in a spongy sort of way. Its startled chattering eventually transitioned to a contented purr. Korra carefully placed the spirit into Asami's hands.
Asami ran her hand soothingly across the creature's skin, enamored by the spirit and the pulsing light it and its kind gave off. The spirit's purr increased in intensity and it nudged Asami's hand affectionately.
Some of the jellyfish-like spirits began to give off an impatient whine. The group that was resting around Korra and Asami squeaked in reluctance but made their way back to the main swarm.
The spirit sitting in Asami's palms rose, bopping the engineer playfully on the nose before joining its brethren.
Korra and Asami watched in silence as the spirits drifted slowly yet purposefully across the plain. When they reached the horizon, the pair could no longer see them.
Asami grinned, a buzz of giddiness and excitement running across her skin. She turned to Korra, who was staring at her with that lopsided smile of hers.
"That's what you wanted to show me?"
Korra nodded. "Remember our visit with Iroh?"
"How could I forget? The man gave me a run for my money at Pai Sho."
Korra rolled her eyes. "I introduce you to the original General Iroh, Zuko's uncle, one of the people who aided Aang in the war...and the thing you're impressed with are his Pai Sho skills?"
"He also makes a mean jasmine tea."
Korra chuckled. "Well, anyways, I asked Iroh before we left if there were any sights he recommended. He said this was romantic—I mean, cool! He said this was cool!"
Korra blushed, her face at least ten different shades of red. "Um, yeah, so..."
Asami felt the buzz in her skin increase and she let her hair fall in her face so she could hide the look of surprise and approval on it. Had Korra just said romantic?
Korra took a deep breath then let out a sigh. "So...are you having a good time?"
"Of course," Asami said earnestly. "Why do you ask?"
"I just...I've been having a lot of fun and I just wanted to make sure you were. After everything that happened, especially with your...well, y'know, your dad—" Korra paused for a moment, worried she was crossing a line. Asami stayed silent, so Korra took that as a prompt to continue. "You've been through a lot and I...just want you to be happy, y'know? You deserve a break."
Asami was stunned and touched by the sincerity in which Korra delivered her words. The buzz she had been feeling got to the point that she felt as if she were shaking and she felt butterflies in her stomach.
Asami took a deep breath. "Hey, Korra?"
"Hmm?"
What she was about do was rash beyond belief, a trait that was usually uncharacteristic of her, and she'd probably kick herself in the tail for it later but the giddy buzz on her skin, the butterflies in her stomach, and the atmosphere around them had prompted her to give in.
Asami leaned closer to Korra and gently cupped her face in her hands. Korra looked at her with slight confusion, though her smile didn't waver. "Heh, whatcha doin', Sami?"
Asami responded by lightly pressing her lips to Korra's.
Instead of pushing her away like Asami had expected, Korra eagerly, if somewhat awkwardly, kissed her back, encircling her arms around Asami's waist.
After a while, the two reluctantly pulled away. Korra kept her arms around Asami and Asami rested her forehead on Korra's. They stayed silent, both racking their brains for something to say.
It was Korra who broke the silence. "So...what do we do now?"
Asami bit her lip. "I don't know."
Korra rubbed circles into Asami's back reassuringly while she mulled over what to say. "Well, I mean, what do you want? Do you want this?" she asked, gesturing to herself and then to Asami.
Asami look Korra in the eyes and saw an array of different emotions: worry, fear, happiness, and hope.
She took those emotions into consideration while formulating her response. After a few minutes of tense silence and deep thought, Asami spoke.
"What do I want?" Asami began, slipping her arms around Korra's shoulders. "I want to be there to support you in any way I can. I want to cheer you up, make you laugh and smile, reassure that the world does need you, even when you don't think so." Asami smiled. "I want to be your best friend and if I could be something more...I'd love that. But I want you to decide if that's what you want. You've had a lot of choices taken away from you. I don't want this to be one of them."
Korra gave Asami her trademark smile and gazed appreciatively at her.
"If it's my choice then...whatever this is..." Korra paused and pulled Asami as close as she possibly could.
"I want it. I really do."