My Soulmate
As we walked towards the portal, I felt Asami stiffen. Taking her hand in mine, I smiled. "It's okay. Don't worry." Giving a small nod, she squeezed gently. Entering the light, a peaceful warmth surrounded us. This is different. Glancing over, my heart started to throb when I saw the taller woman's profile. The golden tones danced on Asami's pale skin and caused her to glow. Oh wow, her eyes…they're beautiful.
"Korra, this is incredible." Her voice was breathless.
Shaking my head lightly, I agreed. "It is."
"Avatar Korra!" Spirits welcomed us happily.
"Hey everyone." I became nervous when the spirit that had tricked me came near.
"Who's your friend, Avatar Korra?" The spirit floated around Asami and landed on her shoulder.
"Oh, hello there."
Chuckling softly, I allowed one to land on my head. "They're all nice here. Everyone, this is Asami. She's a friend of mine."
"Asami! That's the name you spoke of in your-"
Oh crap! "HEY!" I could feel the blood drain from my face. "Don't you guys have some…spirit stuff…to do? We came here for a vacation. Which means, no talk of the time I was away." Good save. Hopefully. I've not come to terms with dreaming of Asami night after night. I can't very well tell her what I feel when I don't even know what that is yet.
"Sorry, Avatar Korra." Many of the spirits started to disappear.
"Guys, come on. I didn't mean you had to…." Sighing, I ran a hand through my hair.
"They seem nice." Asami's voice was quiet.
She knows I'm keeping something from her. Great. "Yeah, everyone is. Uhm, let me show you around." Bringing my thumb and forefinger to my mouth, I let out a long and high-pitched whistle that caused Asami's face to scrunch in confusion.
"I didn't know you could whistle."
"Yup." Asami's astonishment grew when a golden dragon landed near us. "Let's go." Helping my friend atop the great dragon, I noticed her slight hesitation. "No need to worry. I helped her back to her nest when she was little. She'd never drop us."
Smiling nervously, the raven-haired woman held on tight. "Okay." Her voice shook as I positioned myself behind her.
"I've got you." A squeak-like noise came from the woman's throat as we ascended into the air. It took some time for Asami to loosen up but eventually she did. It was clear that she was amazed by the Spirit World's landscape as I told her about different landmarks.
Landing near the Tree of Time, Asami slid down the dragon's tail with ease. "So, this is where you meditated when you became the giant spirit Korra?"
"Yes. I sat in this tree and reconnected with my past lives." And remembered you. I became nervous again remembering that time. All the anger, sorrow, and guilt I felt came flooding back. She must have been so worried. I can't imagine what she felt when I left for those three years. I feel horrible. At least I wrote to her.
"You're back!" Iroh's voice thundered with happiness. "And you brought a friend this time. Will you be staying longer?"
"Iroh!" Stepping forward, I hugged the man tightly. "Yes, we're on vacation. So many things happened lately in our world that we wanted to get away from it all for a while."
"You brought a non-bender with you this time." There was something knowing in the man's voice.
"This is Asami Sato." Turning towards my friend, I smiled. "Asami, this is retired general Iroh. He is the elder brother of Fire Lord Ozai. Iroh, this is Asami Sato, the daughter of Hiroshi Sato. She's the owner of Future Industries." I tried not to squirm under the man's gaze as I finished the introductions. "She's never been to the Spirit World before."
"Most non-benders don't visit unless they have a companion. To be the companion of The Avetar is a great thing miss Sato." Why is he looking at me like that? Does he know? Oh no. What if he does? What if he tells her? Maybe it was a terrible idea to bring her here.
"Korra, you've got that panicked look in your eyes again. What's wrong?" Green eyes studied me carefully.
Great. Now she's worried about me. Way to go, Korra. "Uh…I'm fine. Just fine." Now she knows I'm keeping something from her.
"Well, I hope you enjoy your time here. Korra, since things are slow back home, relax and have fun. Because once you return, things will change." With that, he left.
"What does he mean?"
"I…I have no idea."
Moving on, Asami changed the subject. "What would you like to do now? Between the two of us, we have enough supplies to last a few weeks."
"Set up camp? There's a beautiful lake a few miles east of here. The water is clear and everything is peaceful."
"Sounds great." To say I was surprised when the dragon came to Asami's whistle was an understatement. "I wasn't sure she'd come."
"The spirits can tell you're a pure and kind soul."
Once camp was set, we decided to swim as the sun went down. Seeing Asami so at ease brought warmth to my heart. She's been through so much lately. I'm glad she's happy. Especially if everything will change once we get home. I wonder what Iroh meant by that.
"Korra, you have that look again. What's bothering you?" Paddling in my direction, Asami tenderly tucked wet hair behind my ear. "You can tell me."
Feeling heat creep up my neck, I looked away with a soft smile. Gosh, I love her touch. "It's just something Iroh said." I paused, taking a deep breath. "And a few other things."
"Such as?" Her voice was soft and inviting.
"There's a reason you were the only one I wrote to. I felt ashamed for not coming back because I couldn't be the person I was before the poison. But I couldn't handle not hearing from you."
"I was the newest to the group. Why do you think that is?"
"I don't…"
"Korra," Asami warned, causing me to meet her gaze. "You know that won't work on me. With the boys, they'll let that slide but you know I won't." A nervous laugh escaped my throat. "Look, you don't have to tell me right away. We can't go through all the topics on the first day. However, there is one thing I want to tell you."
"What is it?" Without warning, Asami closed the distance between us and pressed her lips against mine. At first, I froze but quickly kissed back. "Asami…" I was breathless by the time she pulled away.
"I knew those three years would be horrible without you but I didn't realize how treacherous it would be until I no longer got to see your smile or hear your snarky remarks. When I finally saw you, it took every ounce of self-control I had to not kiss you in the lobby."
"R-really?" All she did was nod. Wrapping my arms around the taller woman, I pulled her in for another kiss. This one more passionate.
"I'm turning into a prune. Let's dry off and enjoy the rest of the sunset. Shall we?"
"Sure." Taking Asami's hand, we walked back to the shore to dry off. After changing, I pulled the taller woman into my arms and leaned against a nearby tree. This is perfect. "You were the only one I felt like I could talk to about everything that was happening."
Snuggling into my embrace, the raven-haired woman stared into the distance. "I wish you would have let me be there for you but I understand why you felt you needed to go alone."
"I wanted you to come but I was ashamed of myself. I've always felt I needed to do everything alone because that's the type of person I am but," my voice trailed off remembering my friend. "But, I know I don't have to."
"You have me, Bolin, Mako, Naga, your family, and all of Tenzin's family. Even Lin. You'll never have to do things alone."
"I know and I'm grateful for that."
Xxx
The next morning, I woke feeling something tickling my nose. Opening an eye, all I saw was silky raven hair tussled around. She slept on my shoulder all night. Slender fingers traced my collar bone causing my heartrate to spike. "M-morning…" I tried clearing my throat to keep my voice from shaking but to no avail.
A soft chuckle vibrated from the taller woman's throat. "Good morning, Korra. Sleep well?"
"I did, yeah. You?"
"For a sleeping bag, yes. You make quite the comfortable pillow."
Glad I could help." Carefully, I wrapped my arms around Asami to bring her closer, if that was possible. Do we really have to go back? I'd be perfectly content to stay right here for the rest of my lives.
"You're scared." Before I could argue, she continued. "I know you, Korra. Somewhere inside that mind of yours, you're scared of what will happen to us once we go back to the city and people find out."
"You're right." My voice cracked at the thought of losing her.
"Korra," leaning up, Asami's tender green eyes met mine. "There's no need to worry. I lived without you for three years and I don't plan to do that again." Dipping her head, she captured my lips with hers once more.
My body has never hummed like this before. Gosh, I hope she never stops touching me. "You're going to kill me."
An evil chuckle rumbled in my ear. "Is that so?" A quick gasp escaped my throat when I felt teeth scrap my pulse point. When I tried to turn us over, Asami pressed down on my shoulder. "Oh, I don't think so, Avatar." Mischief was clear as slender fingers danced down my side and under my shirt. "Is this okay?"
"Uh-huh." It was all I could manage.
"Have you ever been with a woman before?"
"No." My voice wavered. These featherlike touches are setting me on fire. Ugh! This isn't fair! She's enjoying torturing me. She knows just how to make me shiver and squirm.
"If you're uncomfortable, I'll stop. Nothing has to happen, Korra."
Just as Asami's hand stilled, I placed mine on top of it before she could move away. "No. I want this. I want you." I paused, squeezing her hand gently. "So please, don't stop."
A breathtaking smile tugged at the woman's lips. "Okay." Once more, she captured my lips with hers. But this time, there was no hesitation. I had never been with a woman before, but being with Asami felt right.
xxx
Two weeks passed quickly and we realized our lives needed to get back to normal. After saying goodbye to everyone, we walked back through the portal. It was odd being back in our world and suddenly the realization that Asami wouldn't be by my side the entire time hit me. "Korra? What's wrong?"
"N-nothing." Narrowing her eyes, Asami stared me down. "It's just...we've been inseparable the past two weeks and I…"
"Hey," turning me to face her, Asami cupped my face in her hands. "We both knew things would change when we came back. I'll be right here. Our friends and your family will learn about us and no matter what they believe, I'm not leaving you." Pressing a quick kiss to my forehead, she continued. "I love you, Korra. And nothing is going to change that."
"I'm sorry." Heat radiated from my cheeks as I rubbed the back of my neck.
"For what?"
"Constantly needing reassurance. This is so new to me and, well, you know my track record."
Taking my hand in hers, Asami squeezed tightly. "I will assure you as much as you need. Now, let's get cleaned up. I'm sure Naga and everyone else is dying to see us. They all know we're coming back today so they've either camped out at my home or at Tenzin's."
Upon arriving at the Sato house, Mako had left word about having a dinner upon our return. We were to meet them at Tenzin's at dusk. After showering and a change of clothes, Asami and I were set to meet everyone for dinner.
Naga was the first to see us flying towards the temple and started barking. "Naga!" My feet barely touched the ground before I was on my back. "Okay, okay. I get it. You missed me. I missed you too, girl."
"They're here!" Bolin announced our return before wrapping an arm around us. "How was it? Did you have fun? How did Asami deal with the great outdoors?" If looks could kill, the man would be dead.
"Asami was fine in a tent. The trip was great and we had a lot of fun. Very relaxing." A familiar heat crept up my neck remembering certain aspects of our time together. The grin Asami had only made it worse. She knows what I'm thinking about. Oh man! I'm busted. Again.
"What's with the look?" He's clueless.
"Nothing, Bolin. Hello everybody." Nothing was wrong but something felt off. I wasn't sure what it was. Everyone knows something that we don't. Dread filled me when I heard a familiar voice calling a not so flattering nickname.
"Twinkle toes!"
"Toph!" As always, she dodged my hug. "What are you doing here?"
"I'm sure Iroh told you things would change upon your return."
"Yes." My guards skyrocketed.
"Once we eat, it's time to talk. Before you get all defensive, it's nothing bad. It's something I thought I'd never see." Toph glared before continuing. "No jokes, Twinkle Toes." She paused, staring into my soul. "I know."
The blood drained from my face. "H-how?"
"Know what?" Bolin finally chimed in. "What does she know, Mako?" All his brother did was shrug.
Trying to keep the peace, Tenzin spoke. "Dinner is ready. Let us eat before it gets cold."
As we ate, Asami placed a gentle hand on my knee to squeeze it gently. "We have an announcement." Everyone's attention was on us. "Asami and I, we're together. The time away gave us the ability to talk freely and realize a few things." The room was quiet. Everyone was surprised except for Toph and Tenzin. Bolin's and Mako's faces were hysterical.
"What?! But, you dated Mako and then we had so much fun that night…." Bolin didn't mean anything rude he was just confused.
Eventually, Mako smiled. "That doesn't mean anything. As long as the two of you are happy. That's all that matters."
"We are." Taking Asami's hand in mine, I kissed her knuckles.
"So, what does it feel like to have the last two people you dated end up together?" Bolin grinned as he poked his brother's arm. "Hmmmm?"
"I'm fine with it. I know both of them pretty well and I know they'll be happy together." Giving a simple nod, Mako raised his wine. "To Asami and Korra."
Everyone followed suit. "To Asami and Korra."
"Nothing to add Toph? You and Tenzin seem pretty chill about this."
"You forget, you're not the first Avatar I've dealt with." The older woman spoke with her normal snark. "But I've never seen this happen before."
"What Toph is trying to say is, with each Avatar, they have a special connection with the world and people around them. It turns out, with that connection there's a deeper connection they can have with a certain person. The Avatar's soulmate, if you will." Tenzin continued to explain that each Avatar was destined to have a mate that understands them on every level. A person who makes them better than any of their past lives. A destined soulmate. "Only two other Avatars have met their soulmates. When you first saw Asami, what was your first thought?"
Feeling that familiar flutter in my stomach, I smiled. "Well, the first time I met Asami…I wasn't sure what to think really. I felt like I knew her but then we had never met before. Later, we started to hang out and I…" pausing, I felt myself getting lost in impossibly green eyes. "She felt familiar." A soft blush warmed my girlfriend's cheeks.
"The two of you were together in a past life. When I trained you, you called out for a woman in your dreams. When I saw you and Asami interact, I knew it must have been her." Toph never sugar coated anything and now it was my turn to be red. "It's nothing to be embarrassed over. Geez."
"So, it would never have worked out with us?" Realization started to set in for Mako.
"No. You both were just road blocks."
"Toph!"
"What? Asami hit him with her scooter when they first met." My brow creased. "You talk a lot in your sleep when you're stressed." I could feel my face grow redder by the second. Knowing what I dreamt, I can't imagine what I said in my sleep. "I know far more than I ever wanted to know about an Avatar."
A soft chuckle escaped Asami's throat. "What else did you find out? Understandably, Korra doesn't talk much about those three years."
"Far, far too much. But a jealous Avatar is not a fun Avatar."
"OKAY! That's enough about me. Uhm...let's change the subject." Wanting to crawl in a hole and die, I tried to think of anything else we could possibly talk about.
"If you wish to leave the island, that's fine. I don't want to keep you and Asami apart. But, there will always be a room for you here as well. That goes for you and Asami."
"Tenzin!" Can I just hide now? Please. "We've not even talked about that yet. Ugh!" Covering my face with my hands, I wanted to just die as everyone laughed at my expense.
"Thank you, Tenzin. Korra and I haven't spoken about that yet. I wouldn't want to keep her away from family."
"Is there going to be a wed-" Ikki stopped when I sent water her way.
"Okay! I think it's time for the kids to go to bed. Anyone under the age of eighteen needs to go to bed." I'm going to kill them one day. First with Mako and now with Asami. These kids don't know when to be quiet.
"Oh, come on!" Meelo grumbled. "I didn't say anything."
"It is late. Go get ready for bed. We have an early morning training scheduled." Tenzin shooed away his children. "They mean well."
"I know they do."
Hours passed and it was time for even the adults to turn in. Walking Asami to the front, I kicked around a rock. I don't want her to leave but I know she probably misses her bed. How do I bring this up? "Hey-"
"Come home with me."
"What?" Can she read my mind?
Hoisting herself up to sit on Naga, she repeated. "Come home with me. I know that I won't sleep well tonight without my human pillow. I can only assume the same will happen to you. And a grumpy Avatar is not a good Avatar. You need your rest."
Folding my arms, I stared up at the raven-haired woman. "You just want to see if I talk in my sleep."
"Maybe." She winked. "Only way to find out is to join me. We can let the boys bring the plane back tomorrow." Holding out her hand, Asami helped pull me up. "Stop snickering. I know you helped me pull you up."
"Me? Snicker? Naaaahh."
"Let's go home, Naga." Asami clicked her tongue causing our ride to jolt forward nearly tossing me off the back. "Serves you right."
"So mean." The ride was quiet and comfortable. I wasn't use to being the passenger while riding Naga but Asami did great. I think she likes Asami better than me. Traitor. Leaning forward, I let my cheek rest on my girlfriend's back. Relaxing, I inhaled her perfume, sighing contently. This is perfect.
"We're here." I slid off first to help Asami. "Naga can stay under the shelter until we get her an area. I know we've not discussed it but, I'd like you to at least have a room here. You don't need to make this a permanent residence but-ummph."
I know it's rude to interrupt your girlfriend but I can't keep myself from kissing this woman any longer. "I would love to stay here with you. We can talk things over in the morning. But tonight, I just want to sleep in a real bed with the woman I was destined to be with."
"Such a romantic." Taking my hand in hers, Asami led us inside. "I do want to show you something." I followed her through the mansion and into her room. "What Tenzin and Toph said earlier made me remember something that I've not told you."
I took a seat on Asami's bed. "What is it?"
"I have a birthmark." My brow furrowed at the woman's statement. "In the shape of a water tribe symbol." Pulling up her pant leg, Asami reviled a mark on the inside of her left ankle. "I have always been drawn to water. Now I know why."
"Oh," gently, I traced the mark with a finger. "I…I don't know what to say."
"I guess what they said was true." Asami's voice was soft as she tilted my chin upwards. Meeting her gaze, she smiled. "I really was meant to be with you. Before you left for those three years when we were at the South Pole, Katara always smiled when she saw us together."
A soft chuckle escaped my throat. "Yeah, she told me we reminded her of her and Aang."
"I really am your forever girl." Red lips captured mine in a passionate kiss. Pushing me to lay on my back, Asami made herself comfortable as I tangled my hands in long silky locks. That night was filled with soft moans and exploration before falling asleep in one another's arms.