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Any of the previous trips she had taken to the Spirit World were distant, faded memories that paled in comparison to how vibrant it was with Her in it. Was there ever so much color there before her? Surely the world had always just been black and white and boring until Asami first placed her foot on the hallowed ground and all the wonders came alive from that first step and her smile and her laugh…the way she ran through the shifting fields and startled fireflies into the air, spreading her arms and twirling, then falling backwards into the grass that pillowed her while she looked up at the skies above them and Korra could only watch the non-bender, the reflection of the stars swimming in her emerald eyes as she took in everything with an appreciation that the Avatar had never witnessed in anyone else before. It was breathtaking, lying next to her in a world all to themselves, surrounded by so much wonder and watching her see it all for the first time in the most innocent way. Korra was sure she was seeing it all for the first time all over again too, the Spirit World reborn in Asami Sato's eyes. Right then, on that first day, Korra was sure she wanted to stay there forever. With Her.

It was the first time they had ever really been alone, too. Korra remembered bits and pieces of them having small moments to themselves during the rebuilding of the Air Nation when they had traveled all over in her airship, but that was different. Everyone else had been there, so any time they found themselves alone, someone else would always annoyingly pop up out of nowhere: mainly Bolin. And just when they had started really becoming closer than friends, everything with Zaheer and the Red Lotus threw her off and forced her to close up like a snow-clam and they had been apart for three long years…

But that was in the past. And Korra would never be apart from her again. How could she? It might have been easier when she didn't know what she was missing but now? Chasing after Asami as she weaved around giant, glowing lily pads and dared Korra to catch her, seeing her dark hair trailing behind her on the wind as she jogged and looked back over her shoulder at Korra with those eyes…how could she ever leave again? And miss this…she wouldn't be that crazy again. Never in a million years, she thought as she caught Asami around the waist, wrapping her arms around her hips as they laughed and tumbled off a sudden cliff, not even caring as the terrain shifted beneath them and Korra effortlessly bent the air around them, the wind whipping around as they spun in slow circles and descended gracefully, Korra's arms still wrapped around Asami's waist to keep her in the small vortex as they stared into each other's eyes.

It was like walking in a dream. Flashes of a distant memory, the sight of a frozen cliffside bordering a chilly ocean filling her with a strong desire to plummet to the snows below, of a nomadic wandering of the world that had taken her to the darkest, most dangerous corners where fear and hostility ruled contrasted the neon fields they strolled through. Korra had to rub her eyes and blink, the phenomenon like a messed up mover, flickering between night and day. It was still hard to believe.

But Asami's smile always reminded her that it was all real. Not but a month ago Korra was lost in desolation in deserts, contemplating diving right into the fiery depths of lava pits in the Fire Nation, enduring painful attacks surrounded by lights in an arena just to try to feel something… And now she was surrounded by lights of a different nature. Korra laughed as light blue doves went soaring by her and gathered around Asami, the non-bender nearly covered in the glowing azure dust that fell from the birds' wings. The Avatar watched Asami giggle and bring her shoulders up while the birds nuzzled her hair and fluttered around her.

"Are they normally this friendly?" Asami laughed as she turned to Korra.

"Well…" Korra's cheeks flared as she continued, "I don't think they've ever seen someone so pretty in the Spirit World before. That might be what's got them all excited."

Asami smiled and looked tenderly into the Avatar's eyes. "You've been here many times, so I highly doubt that."

In truth, the Spirit World was a projection of their emotions, which actually explained all the dazzling beauty that filled the world. Korra ruminated on this as she considered Asami interacting with the spirits all excitedly running up to her. They piled up at her feet now, some of them giving her compliments.

"I like your hair," a little tree sprite squeaked out, pointing up to her.

"You're really nice! And beautiful! I bet you're really, really smart too…"

"Of course she's smart, but is she more stunning than brilliant, or more brilliant than she is stunning?"

Asami was crouched down amongst the smaller spirits, petting the tree sprite and laughing at the comments of the larger spirits discussing above her. "You guys really know how to make a girl feel special!"

Korra's blush persisted as she watched the scene. She was thankful that Asami didn't know too much about the inner workings of the dimension because the spirits were blabbing out everything Korra felt, like handing the industrialist a journal of hers on a silver platter. That was what it looked like to have your emotions brought to life, she thought, tilting her head to one side.

"You're looking really snazzy, Asami!"

Korra sucked in a breath, her eyes bugging out of her head and shoulders tensing at the sound of the comment. Who said that?! Her hair stood on end as her eyes darted to every spirit that had gathered around the non-bender, who immediately drew her slender brows together curiously with a bemused look in her eye.

"That's funny…" she began, before Korra burst through the crowd.

"ALRIGHT! That's enough! We'd really better get going Asami, you know what they say! So much to see, so little time!" Korra babbled, grabbing the inventor by the arm and pulling her away.

"But I thought you said time doesn't exist here," Asami said, waving to the spirits as Korra practically dragged her.

"Well, w-w-what do I know? Right? I mean, it took me forever to even get in touch with all this again, you know, and you said you wanted to see the springs, remember? For all we know it could move and end up all the way somewhere else, so we should really start heading for it and away from all those big-mouth spirits, huh?"

"Wait, we could probably just ask this little guy right here," Asami dug her heels in and wrenched her arm from Korra's grip to stop at a thin tree where a salamander spirit snaked around the truck and looked up at Asami. "Do you know the way to the healing springs, little spirit?"

Fine, I think he's too small to be able to talk anyway… Korra folded her arms and stood next to Asami with her bottom lip poked out, regarding the salamander spirit cautiously.

The spirit cleared his throat and announced in a clear, deep voice, "Actually, Avatar, I can speak, and very well, at that." Seriously?! Korra bristled and stuck out her tongue. "AND despite your ignorance, I would be more than happy to direct you, Asami. The healing springs can be found just to the north of here. And I believe I would be remiss to neglect to mention how fantastic of a woman you are and how grateful I am to have you here in—"

"Oookaaay! Okay! Thanks! You've been greaaat. Big, big help. We'll be on our way, now!" Korra thrust her hand out to halt the spirit while simultaneously taking Asami's hand and walking briskly away, the industrialist being spun around the action, sporting a startled and confused face.

The salamander spirit glared after the Avatar and tutted before slithering back to the ground.

She was an open book for Asami. It was a little nerve-wracking, having all her feelings just thrown all over, and the spirits weren't making things easier to accept, but they were setting an impressive backdrop. Korra supposed she could never be unhappy there, even if she tried, not by Asami's side. As they floated through the reefs of the springs that were really just a hidden ocean, Korra marveled at everything around them and gripped Asami's hand tighter in hers, leading her through the mystical underwater wilds. Korra was the better swimmer but Asami kept up well enough, and water-bending helped. Thick ropes of liquid wrapped around their bodies and Korra pulled Asami close to her with one arm while she drew large rings above her head with the other, manipulating the waters to carry them swiftly through the depths and to the surface where they broke free, drawing in big gasps of air and smiling.

Korra took a break by the embankment of the spring and watched Asami as she floated on her back, drifting across the surface with her hair spread around her like ink from a painting. It was dark by then, and Korra struggled to see her, she was more of a shadowy figure in the watery expanse. A light popped up in the Avatar's head and she leaned over the edge of the spring with her arm hanging above and suddenly the water was illuminated a bright neon blue, and Korra looked up just in time to see Asami in the middle of it all, grinning from ear to ear. Anything to make her smile just like that, Korra determined that she would do it right at that exact point, seeing the woman floating in the center of the glowing waters, spreading her arms at her sides and turning her head to catch Korra's eye, that was it. That was happiness.

Their first day there did pass by like a dream, and it was only the beginning. That was the thought that Korra repeated silently to herself as she laid in the grass next to Asami, both of them drifting off to sleep after an eventful day. It was only the beginning.

"Shit." Asami continued frantically rummaging through her backpack while Korra effortlessly set up their camp for the day, manipulating the air around their tent with careless flicks of her wrists and tapering the tent down by popping bricks out of the ground and setting them on the edges of the canvas. She then sat down cross-legged and immediately began tearing into the freshly caught fish she snatched up earlier from the lake their camp bordered, pausing only to char the meat with her fire-bending before digging in.

"What's wrong?" Korra asked, the question muffled by her full mouth.

"I think I forgot my makeup." Asami frowned as she continued moving aside the same supplies in her backpack over and over, hoping that it would suddenly appear.

She had been so excited for their vacation she must've forgotten it at home when she was happily tossing her whole dresser into the bag, overcome with joy and anticipation yet also anxious to hurry up and step through the portal with the young Avatar before the next crisis could possibly pull her away again. Whenever she traveled she always, always remembered her makeup. Why now…

"C'mon, Asami!" Korra tore into the last of the flesh and threw aside the bare fish skeleton while she stood up and walked over to where the non-bender sat, still rifling through the bag, her brow cutely furrowed. "You don't even need it! You're beautiful without it."

"Korra, you've never even seen me without my makeup on." Asami remarked, distracted.

"I don't have to, to know that you're stunning no matter what's on your face. Besides, I don't wear makeup."

"Yeah but you're gorgeous and your complexion is perfect," she said, as she nonchalantly lifted her hand. "I, on the other hand, look like a ghost without it."

Asami huffed and gave up, climbing to her feet and stretching her long limbs. She wore a thin cotton tank-top and her signature riding pants and boots, her jacket now a crumpled mess of fabric on the ground after she pulled it out of her backpack while looking through it. Plus, she frequently caught Korra staring when she discarded the jacket and it made Asami smile.

"As a matter of fact, I'd probably fit in just perfectly here," she said, placing her hands on her hips and watching as the spirits drifted languidly overhead.

Korra rolled her eyes and smirked in that adorable way that didn't care about being a pretty smirk or anything. She was always just uniquely her and never apologized for it. That's why she didn't need makeup. She was raw beauty.

"Don't be silly." The Avatar turned and began to saunter away, Asami left to watch her hips move rhythmically with each step, the brown animal skin tied around her waist barely covering the soft swell of her toned rear. She knew Korra meant every word of it, she didn't care whether she wore makeup or not, and would look at her the same way, whether she was freshly powdered and groomed or waking up from a long night of drawing up blueprint schematics with drool on the side of her mouth, Korra would look at her just the same way as she did every other time. She knew it. Then why was she so sensitive? After years and years of men expecting her to look a certain way, galas and cotillions, dates and ballroom dances, she supposed she had just fallen into a routine. High society was all about appearances, it was all she had ever known. But Korra was anything but high society. She was earth and still water, pure fire at her most intense and a breath of fresh air.

Asami smiled after her. She didn't notice the subtle waving of the Avatar's hand before a sudden ball of water splashed onto her head, dousing her from head to waist. Yes. Korra was anything but high society, Asami thought, narrowing her eyes and pursing her lips as the young Avatar turned back to her with a playful grin. "What?"

"Very. Funny." Asami muttered, her fists clenched at her sides.

Korra laughed briefly, then suddenly turned quiet when the young industrialist pulled at the bottom of her tank-top to ring out the water. She found her eyes drawn to the fabric clutching tightly to the curves of Asami's breasts, the water causing her shirt to be almost see-through, and Korra glanced over the faint sight of nipples through the material. "The least you could do is dry me off… Korra. Korra?"

Asami looked up to find Korra staring, again. She could barely contain her grin and found then that she could never really stay mad at her, not when she was so cute when her defenses were down. And Asami was delighted to know that she could disarm the Avatar so easily. When she turned and took a step towards her, she was almost floored by a huge gust of wind that completely evaporated every drop of water on her skin, in her hair and dried her shirt well enough, but also almost ripped it clear off her. Asami was left frazzled, her hair a mess and almost worse off than when she was drenched in water.

"Sorry!" Korra whined, pushing her shoulders up and wincing. Man, she felt like her awkward teens had never left her. Why did she have to be so weird sometimes?

But Asami was patient. "It's okay, Korra. Hey, how about we eat and then you can take me to that place you wanted to show me yesterday?" She smiled as she smoothed down her hair.

"Sure," Korra smiled back, thankful for someone who made her think that maybe she wasn't weird, that she was fine just the way she was. Awkwardness and all. Asami accepted it. Accepted her. And she was easy-going. She didn't expect anything from Korra. With her, Korra didn't have to be the Avatar, expected to solve all the problems and not have any of her own. With her, Korra could be vulnerable and reveal her shortcomings, and there was never any judgment from the tall, raven-haired beauty. Asami knew just how far to go, almost knowing that she was unsure about too much physical affection at once. Asami was gentle and patient. She drew her out with soft caresses and smooth hands running down her arms, fingers through thick strands of her hair. At night they would lie down in the same tent and Asami would spend hours just running the knuckles of her fingers against Korra's arm while they talked about everything under the sun and without even realizing it Korra would find that they were in each other's arms, bodies closely pressed together and a warmth spreading through her as she closed her eyes and breathed in the scent of the non-bender's hair. It was as natural as walking or bending even, there was no thought to it, she wasn't too much in her own head, it was just something that Asami Sato did to her that made her forget her own anxieties and think only of her touch.

She just wanted to tell everyone in the human world now. The spirits didn't have enough excitement for her to be satisfied with their reactions, maybe it was the floating around for thousands of years in a literal paradise that made them not so easily impressed. So Korra raced through the snow, going full speed on the snow-mobile through the icy tundra as Asami's arms wrapped tight around her waist, her head resting against the back of Korra's and making her heart soar.

Man, that kiss had been everything! She didn't know why she had been so worried about leaving the Spirit World early and nothing really happening while they were there, maybe it had something to do with a little nagging fear in the back of her mind that the romance of the vacation would be the only time they could really capitalize on the feelings, the intense surge of spiritual energy. Maybe she thought she would have regretted not making a move before, or that Asami might change her mind once they crossed back over, so many crazy wild ideas crossed Korra's mind as they stumbled onto their feet in the dirt after getting tossed by that psycho-killer spirit and almost killed. Her mind instantly began to panic wondering if it was too late, but again, it was Asami who held tight to her hand and pulled her close. Korra's heart was pounding in her chest as she gazed deep into her eyes, getting lost in them and smiling because Asami was so amazing that she knew exactly what to do and when to do it. Asami slightly tilted her head down and Korra's eyes darted to the fullness of her lips before she was closing her eyes and finally, it happened. It was unlike any kiss Korra had ever shared previously. There was a rush of emotion she hadn't ever experienced, she let herself go and pressed her mouth further into it, Asami's lips almost cradling hers. A tender taste lingered on Korra's bottom lip when they parted and the industrialist pressed her forehead into the Avatar's and smiled. It was just pure happiness.

And now the world had to know. She wanted to tell everyone, the penguins curiously watching them cross the tundra from a hill of snow, the spirits racing them against the skies, everyone! Sure, she might have been caught up in her patented Korra-frenzy but she didn't care. She felt better than she felt the first time she learned she was the Avatar, better than the first time she left the Southern Water Tribe gates and rode Naga into Republic City, better than anything. Unbridled, Korra craned her neck back and let out a loud whooping noise that carried on the air and pierced the night, even over the howling winds of the snow. Asami laughed and Korra broke out into an uncontrollable grin. She saw the gates in the distance and leaned forward, against the winds, wanting to get to her parents' house as soon as possible. Two down, millions more to go.

&&&Omnia vincit amor****amor vincit omniA&&&

Mindless Rambling: *Read if you must* I recently revisited the Legend of Korra series because for me, hands down, it was the most intense, most inspiring and most amazingly written animated show I've ever seen (debatable, but not by much). And after the binge, my obsession senses were tingling, so I consumed every other source of life of the series to make me feel better about never having a new episode to watch ever again (the pain still haunts me) and decided to try to really dig into my favorite characters and squeeze whatever else I could get out of them, so I fired up my laptop and typed this up. Whether anyone reads it or not, meh, whether you like it, another meh, but it makes me happy and I wanted to put it out there in case some kindred spirit might enjoy it, too. So, here you go.

Also: I'll try to stay on track with the original story as possible and not throw any variables in there. If I do, it's because I made a mistake in my crazed 2 a.m. stupor. I'll also probably adjust this story often, so expect it to morph regularly and chapters to change out of nowhere until I feel satisfied. They'll always be improvements, though. And initially I wanted to just have them bang, but I figure maybe I shouldn't be so cynical and throw some fluff and substance in there. Keep an eye out for changes, you sad kindred spirit who will never be able to let go of LOK and Korrasami. I feel your pain. And you are loved.

Edit: I made it better. And I don't think I'll be adding anything else to this chapter, it came out pretty close to perfect to me.