"Korra, really. I don't need to be reminded that I'm turning another year older."

She didn't stop walking but turned toward him, her hands going to the plush collar of the long coat she was wearing. "But I got you a present! I know you'll like it."

"Is that a new coat? You only said you only were going to buy a new dress and shoes. What exactly have I been paying for? I also might have thought that I'd be the one getting something nice, since you know. It is my birthday."

"You'll see! I promise you can see in a minute, but not until we get there."

I sighed and gave up. There was no talking to her when she got like this. She pulled me onward by the hand until we reached our destination. A private room for dinner at one of the most elite restaurants in the city had been my own present to myself. We were immediately escorted to our room and seated, but Korra declined to remove her coat. Even though our server asked several times if she was cold and offered to build up the fire, she waved him off. When our orders were placed and the server had left, I tried to get some answers from her again.

"Korra, I had thought I might get to see the new dress."

"Well you can't yet. Later."

"I might be a little more understanding if I had any idea of when 'later' might be."

She laughed at that. "Don't worry, you'll be fine."

The conversation dragged a bit while we waited for our food. She was animated enough, but I couldn't stop thinking about what she could be planning. I wasn't terribly worried, but she was acting extremely suspicious. After dinner arrived, the server told us to ring again when we required anything else. Korra dug into her food, and I couldn't help a little smile at her enthusiasm. She finished while I was still eating, and drank down her wine in a few gulps. She fidgeted in her chair for a moment and turned to look around the room. She dove down onto the plush rug in front of the fire and rolled around, kicking her legs into the air. I sipped my wine as I watched her and had to laugh at how she was enjoying herself. Finally she lay quietly and tilted her head back to look at me.

"Tarrlok, do you want to see the dress?"

"Alright then, show me."

Her grin made me nervous. "No, you have to do it yourself."

I gave up and knelt down beside her. Her eyes were dancing at some private joke, but I didn't give her the satisfaction of asking about it. I slowly began undoing buttons on the coat, pulling it apart for a first glimpse of the mysterious dress. As I moved further down, I frowned. Just how low-cut was this? It might be the current fashion, but she had certain... ample charms that could be hard to contain.

When I realized, I undid the buttons faster and faster, pulling the coat aside to reveal what knew must be there. She was stark naked. She laughed long and hard at the look on my face, and I confess that I was torn between doing the coat up again and savoring the moment. It was the tentative knock at the door that decided me. We both jumped to our feet, and she turned to admire a picture on the wall while she buttoned her coat. I stepped quickly to the door, doing my best to block the man's view of the room. There had been some strange noises, and he only wanted to make sure that there was nothing else we needed. I was able to send him off again almost immediately. When I turned around, the coat was fully closed again and I felt a surge of regret mixed with the relief.

She walked up and e wrapped her arm around mine. "You like my outfit, then?"

"You wear it well. I haven't seen any other women dressed similarly, though. Perhaps you'll start a new fashion?"

She stretched up on her toes to kiss my cheek, then held my arm as we left the restaurant. I was painfully conscious of the touch of her body against mine. When she leaned in closer to speak, I could feel the curves of her chest pressing against me. I wanted nothing more than to get home quickly and take that coat off her again, but she made every possible excuse to stop and look at the sights. She certainly knew what I wanted, and I could see the laughter in her eyes every time she looked up at me.

When we finally reached the house, she stopped for a moment and made as if to turn around. "I just remembered, I promised to visit Asami-"

"Oh no. No, no, no. You've drawn this out long enough." I picked her up in my arms to carry her up the stairs to our bedroom. The way she showered me with kisses was wonderful, but didn't make walking any easier. When I finally dropped her on her feet and closed the door behind us, her face was flushed and I could already hear her breathing beginning to come faster.

She backed up as I advanced, and when I finally moved in closer for what I thought was a kiss, she grabbed my shirt and pulled me down on top of her on the bed. Her lips captured mine, and her clever hands were already undoing the fastenings on my clothing and slipping inside. I caught her wrists in my hands and pulled them away.

"I think not. Wouldn't you say I deserve to see what you've gotten me?"

I knew what was waiting there now, and took my time carefully undoing each button and parting the cloth to see a sliver more of dark skin revealed. Finally, the last button was gone and she lay there before me. I trailed one finger down her body, from her neck, over the curves of her breast, her stomach, her thigh. She quietly watched my hand as it slowly moved, but I felt her shiver at the touch.

Finally, she was too impatient to wait any longer. She wriggled her arms out of the coat sleeves and sat up. One of her hands was on the back of my neck, pulling me in for a kiss, and the other hand was slipping down the front of my pants. I'd been half hard since we left the restaurant, but I hadn't realized how much I needed to feel her touch me until that moment. When I put my hand between her legs she was already soaking wet and when I rubbed a finger against her clit she moaned against my mouth. I slipped one finger, then two into her, moving them slowly in and out as her breath grew faster.

Her hand left my cock, but I hardly had time to miss it because she was busy with undoing my clothing. First the shirt was opened, and I shrugged that off my shoulders as she untied my pants. I had to let go of her for a moment to kick my shoes and pants off, and when I looked back up at the bed, she'd moved. She was on her knees, with her chest pressed into the sheets and her ass waving in the air. I felt myself harden even further at the wet sheen I could see on her inner thighs.

I couldn't wait a second longer. As soon as I got up behind her, I buried myself and was gripping her hips as I thrust in and out. She gasped as I filled her, and her back arched as she pushed back against me. Her face was buried in the sheets, but I could just make out her saying, "More, more." I reached around to press against her clit again and she pushed up on her hands, throwing her head back and breathing raggedly as she gasped for air. I could feel how close she was. Just that little bit faster, that touch more... She was coming, calling my name over and over as she shook.

That was more than enough. It was the feeling of her tightening around me that send me over the edge, and I moved in and out of her as the orgasm crashed over me. Still inside her, I bent over her back, putting my arms around her and kissing any part of her body I could reach. She finally wriggled free, but it was only to lie down facing me. She wrapped her legs around mine and smoothed back a stray hair from my face as she smiled up at me. I knew I wouldn't find the words I needed, and simply held her close against my chest. We fell asleep that way, savoring every point of contact between us and lost in drowsy contentment. I thought I might have caught a few last words from her as I sank into the blackness.

"Happy birthday, Tarrlok."