Let Your Soul Find Love

Asami followed Korra into her bedroom that night, the two of them bunking together to make more room for the citizens who hadn't made it out of the city before Kuvira's attack. She'd been supplied with plain cotton pajamas so the grit of the day wouldn't wind up all through the bed, and Korra had prepared a small basin of water for them to wash away the worst of the grime. Old fashioned, but neither of them could really be bothered for something as involved as bathing at that point.

True to form, Korra immediately dropped her shirt and pants to the ground the moment Asami slid the door shut. Asami hadn't even seen her place the basin on her dresser, she'd been so quick, but that fluidity quickly dissolved into quiet curses as Korra fumbled with her bindings.

Asami couldn't help but chuckle and moved to help Korra, brushing her hands aside, saying, "Here. Let me."

It was a simple enough matter for Asami to release Korra from her binds, and the two of them passed the bundled wrappings back and forth to quickly unravel them.

Then, Korra's back was bared to her, along with the mark that took up the entire expanse. Delicately, Asami traced it, marveling at the pale blue against Korra's dark skin. "I've always admired this, you know," she confessed, tracing the lines with a delicate fingertip.

Korra, on the other hand, scoffed. "Would you believe I used to think that was my soul mark?"

Her words stung, but Asami merely lifted her gaze to the back of Korra's head, lips pursed. "And now you don't?" she prompted, fingers still resting against Korra's skin.

A half-hearted shrug was her answer, and then Korra shook her head. "It's because of my bond with Raava," she muttered, sounding subdued. "Looks like her and everything. It's even been colored since we fused again." She vaguely gestured her arms wider, "How can I think it has anything to do with my soulmate in the face of all that?"

Asami was quiet for a long time, considering her words carefully. She splayed her hand wide over the markings that apparently reflected Raava's form. "Korra," she said, lightly caressing the skin beneath her thumb. Then, slowly, "I don't doubt that Raava has something to do with this, but don't you doubt—even for a minute—that this is your soul mark." She went back to gently, almost tenderly tracing the edges of the markings with the tips of her fingers. "After all, it symbolizes your connection to another person's spirit, so why wouldn't it be affected by your bond with Raava?"

"You really think so?" Korra asked, and Asami could barely hear the edges of hope in her voice, though she still sounded dispirited.

She made a decision, resolute as she stepped around Korra and pushed her to sit on the bed. She paid no mind to Korra's naked breasts, and instead locked her eyes onto the questioning gaze that burned brightly in the moonlight. "I want to show you something," she explained quietly, turning her back to her friend.

And then, before she could second guess herself, she shed her clothing. One after the other, each article fell softly to the floor—her jacket, her blouse, a severely sweat-stained undershirt, and then her bra. Then finally, she swept her hair over her shoulder, displaying the pale flesh of her naked back to Korra.

She heard a gasp, and felt Korra touching the marks she knew matched the ones she had been admiring moments before. "Mine's been colored since Harmonic Convergence, too," she whispered.

"You never told me," Korra managed to breathe out, tone full of quiet wonder.

Asami's eyes stung, and spirits, did she ever want to cry—though out of happiness or sadness, she wasn't sure. But she refused to let the tears fall, admitting, "I never knew how."

A heavy silence passed between them, and Asami briefly worried at the turn the conversation could take before Korra grasped her waist and drew her backwards. She didn't fight it, and soon found herself sitting between Korra's legs, dark-skinned arms wrapped tightly about her waist. She settled back into the embrace, relishing the feeling of Korra nuzzling her face against the mark on her back and the instant warmth created by the hot press of skin on skin. "Korra," she called as she slid her hands those toned arms, caressing them where they sat firmly against her middle.

Korra held her tighter, and Asami felt the pressure of several kisses pressed across the top of her back. She gasped at the warm, wet sensation of a slightly open-mouthed kiss against the base of her neck, and another slightly lower on her spine.

And then she felt something that was barely-there, an almost tickling sensation as it crawled slowly down her back. The air felt cooler where the feeling had been, and Asami realized with a start that Korra was crying.

"Korra?" she tried again, voice soft. "Are you okay?"

Korra's arms trembled where they held her, and she sniffled a bit before she answered. "Mhmm," she whimpered, the sound high and broken as she nodded against Asami.

"Hey," Asami cooed. She rocked them side to side and said, her voice cracking, "Come on. You're supposed to be happy."

"I am happy," Korra managed to squeak through her tears, and Asami felt her wipe her damp face on her back. "I'm so happy."

The engineer laughed, sounding breathy and watery as she started crying, herself. "Me, too." Carefully, she peeled Korra's arms away from her middle and urged her towards the mattress. "Let's just get some rest for now," she murmured, eyes warm and wet as she watched The Avatar settle against the pillows. Then, she took a moment to kick off her boots and pull off her socks before she eased herself down beside her.

After a few moments, Asami rolled onto her side to find Korra watching her, eyes still slightly damp even though her crying had tapered off. She scooted closer, hand lifting to thread through the short strands of Korra's hair, rough with the grit and dust of the day. Then, she drew Korra to her, both of them shifting together until Asami lay on her back with Korra's head resting just above her breast.

And as her fingertips danced along Korra's back, Asami heard her chuckle. "Is it weird that neither of us is wearing a shirt?"

Asami smiled and tucked her chin against Korra's head. "Actually, I think I like this better," she said. She much preferred being able to touch Korra—being able to touch the mark on her back. "Is that okay?"

"That's okay."

Then, after one final press of Korra's lips to Asami's skin, they both fell asleep.