DISCLAIMER: Korra and the rest of the Avatar franchise are not mine. 'Nuff said.
WARNING: This fic contains mature content and depicts an intimate relationship between two women. If that's something you can't quite handle, then I suggest you find something else to read.
Side note: This fic takes place after the events in "A Fresh Start." You don't have to read it in order to understand this one, but it might help fill in some minor gaps.
/
Some young women spent their afternoons talking about clothes or getting ready for dates. The young woman before her, Pema mused, must not have gotten that memo. Of course, Korra never was one for fancy clothes or dates. Pema casually tilted her head as a small rock sailed by and turned to walk away, unfazed by the heavy thuds and swirling dust she left behind. Just another day at Air Temple Island….
She rounded the corner and continued down the stone steps towards the temple. Asami appeared before her, small gym bag in hand. "Hello, Asami," she said.
"Pema. Hi. Is Korra already up in the training yard?" she asked. "I was supposed to be here an half an hour ago, but the ferry was running late."
Rohan squirmed against Pema's chest and she adjusted the sling with a well-practiced tug. "Oh, yes. I think she got a head start, actually. She's been up there for a couple of hours."
Bolin's yelp echoed across the island and Asami chuckled. "Earthbending, I take it."
Pema nodded. "It's a good thing you're here. I think Bolin could use a break," she said with a sympathetic smile. She started back down the stairs, but stopped when Asami spoke up.
"Actually, I was wondering…"
"Yes?"
"Do you guys have any major plans for the Winter Solstice?"
"Nothing beyond a nice dinner. I think we might go into town, but that's all." Pema recognized the false confidence in Asami's face. "Why?" she asked suspiciously.
"No reason. Just thought I'd ask Korra if she felt up to going to Republic City that night. The local Water Tribe community always throws a huge party."
"Hm. Well then, I suppose you should go ask her."
Asami gave a brief nod and a wave. "Right. Well, nice seeing you again."
"You, too. Remember, you're always welcome to join us for dinner!"
"Thanks!"
Pema stood on the stone steps and watched Asami jog up the stairs. She thought about the way Korra seemed to brighten more and more each time Asami came to visit. The two young women certainly had been spending quite a bit of time together. Pema laughed to herself. She was overthinking things. She could imagine Korra getting into that sort of relationship, but Asami she wasn't so sure about. Even so… Well, as long as it brought a smile to Korra's face.
And with that, the overdrawn mother of four shuffled off to find the rest of her brood.
/
Despite the winter air, all three of them were covered in layers of sweat and dirt. Bolin lay down on one of the wooden benches while Korra removed her hand wraps. Asami put the hand pads back in the appropriate storage bin and shook out her arms. Pabu perched on Bolin's chest, chattering away as the earthbender let out a dramatic moan. "Seriously, Korra. It's been, like, three weeks since you started bending again. You should take a day off."
Asami laughed and Korra grinned. "Maybe," Korra said noncommittally, only half teasing. "Are you guys staying for dinner?
"Dinner? Well, I'd better go get cleaned up," Bolin declared. He hopped to his feet with newfound energy and strolled away from the training yard. "I'm hitting the bath house," he called over his shoulder.
Asami rolled her shoulders and rubbed her neck. "A hot bath sounds great right about now. What about you? Care to join me?" she asked Korra. The words left her mouth before she had a chance to think about them. It wasn't unusual for them to visit the bath house together. In fact, it has become quite common during the first few weeks of Korra's recovery. Yet things had changed between them. Asami didn't know when it began, but little things had begun to feel intimate. She enjoyed being alone with Korra, even when neither one of them had anything to say. She often found herself glancing over at the clock during business meetings, counting down until she could leave and rush off to the island. And then there were the dreams…
"Asami? Hello, Earth to Asami."
Korra's voice brought her back to the present and she felt her face turn red. "Yeah?"
"I said sure. Let's hit the bath house," said Korra.
Asami almost groaned inwardly. This was going to be more difficult than she thought.
/
Korra and Asami walked side by side towards the temple's sleeping quarters. The bath - thankfully - had not been nearly as awkward as Asami feared and dinner was similarly uneventful. They paused at the entrance of the wing that housed all the women who lived at the temple. Moonlight illuminated the walkway and reminded Asami that she had a question to ask.
"Korra?"
"Hm?"
"I know you still don't like spending much time in the city, but the winter solstice is coming up. I was wondering if you'd like to go to the festival." Asami looked at the younger woman. When Korra didn't respond, she continued: "We wouldn't have to stay long. It's just that you're a long way from home and I thought you might - "
"Sure." Korra hesitated, then looked away and studied her feet. "Thank you. I'd really like that." She caught sight of Asami's smile from the corner of her eye and felt her stomach do a little flip.
"Well then… I should get going," said Asami. She gave Korra what was intended to be a brief hug, but somehow dragged out for a few extra moments.
"I'll see you in a few days?"
"A few days," Asami whispered into her hair.
/
Korra could not stop fidgeting with the hem of her pullover. She had decided to wear her nicest set of furs and even braided the piece of hair that fell next to her right temple. Her mother would've put beads into her hair if she were home in the South Pole, but her mother was thousands of miles away and there were no beads to be found. The braid would have to do. She smoothed imaginary wrinkles out of her clothing and picked a loose piece of silver fur from her dark blue sleeve. Korra sucked in a deep breath to calm herself, calling to mind the breathing exercises she learned from Katara. She closed her eyes and counted slowly. When she opened them again, she saw Asami standing in the doorway.
"Hey, you."
"Hey." Korra took in Asami's appearance and grinned. "You're all dressed up," she said.
"What do you think?" Asami asked.
"Nice. Really nice." Though nice was an understatement, Korra thought. The engineer wore Water Tribe garb that enveloped her in a flattering contrast of light and dark blues. The traditional dress should have looked out of place on someone with such fair skin and angled features, but Asami wore it as if she'd lived with it all her life.
Asami reached for Korra's hand. "Alright, then. Let's go. Mako and Bolin are probably already there."
"Okay."
The following hour passed by in a blur. The ferry dropped them off at the docks and Asami led Korra to her waiting Satomobile. "We'll only be able to drive part of the way. The streets get pretty crowded, so we're going to have to park and then walk," Asami explained. They sped off and Korra took a chance to note the moon's position in the sky. Midnight was still a few hours away. Plenty of time.
By the time Asami found a place to park, Korra knew she hadn't been kidding about the crowd. The sounds and colors were almost overwhelming. Asami sensed Korra's discomfort and reached out to hold her hand.
"We don't have to stay," she said.
Korra shook her head. "I want to." She pushed herself out of the Satomobile and braced herself for the crowd.
Both of them were soon swept up in the current of people that flowed steadily towards the open square in front of the city hall. Vendors hawked their wares, trying to sell trinkets and baubles to anyone with enough money. The smell of roasted seal meat wafted across the street and Korra's mouth began to water. She was about to suggest they buy a few kebabs when she noticed people were beginning to look in her direction.
"Is that the Avatar?"
"No way. I heard she went into retirement."
"Retirement?! She's too young for that. Besides, the Avatar can't retire."
"Look, it's really her!"
"What's she doing here? Doesn't she have a rebellion to stop or something?"
The voices and faces began to swirl around her until Korra could no longer distinguish one from the other. Firm hands gripped her shoulders and led her down a small side street. She was back in Asami's Satomobile within minutes.
"I'm so sorry," said Asami. "I didn't think…"
"It's okay, Asami. Really."
They drove on in silence. As the docks came into view, Asami put the car in park and saw the disappointment written the other woman's face. "We don't have to go back to the island, you know."
Korra looked up at her. "Where do you want to go?" she asked with a hint of hope.
Asami shrugged. "I haven't thought about that, actually. My place?"
"Yeah, sure," said Korra. She tilted her head thoughtfully. "Actually, I didn't realize how much I'd enjoy getting away from the island for a little bit, even if I don't seem to be ready for big crowds."
"Alright. Let's go."
/
The Sato mansion looked like something out of one of Jinora's books. Snow blanketed the roof and grounds, and the small reflecting ponds were undoubtedly frozen over. The dim glow of electric lights bled through the curtains hanging in the mansion's windows, but there was no other sign of life. Only the driveway and front entrance appeared clean and clear. It was both beautiful and lonely. How could something so beautiful be so lonely? Is this what Asami went home to every night? Korra contemplated that as Asami brought her Satomobile to a stop in front of the side entrance that led to a garage and her personal workshop.
"Wait here," the engineer said. She got out of the car and ran over to the broad garage door. It opened with a screech - as if it protested being handled in such a way. Asami jogged back to the Satomobile, started the engine, and rolled inside. Just as she was about to close the door, she felt a hand on her arm.
"Wait."
Asami turned and saw Korra staring out at the night sky. The moon was slowly creeping towards its zenith. It wasn't quite full, but it was still bright enough to create quite the dramatic effect as it rose above the snow-covered peaks to the east. "Have you ever seen a full moon on a winter solstice?" asked Asami.
Korra thought for a moment. "Yeah," she said. "But I barely remember it. It was right around the time the White Lotus found me." She walked out of the garage and into the fresh snow next to the driveway.
"Sounds rare," Asami said as she followed Korra.
"Sometimes. It depends. There was one right before I was born, but there hasn't been one since I was a little kid. It's kinda hard to predict, though Katara says there's supposed to be one next year."
Asami felt the crunch of snow under her feet and grinned as an idea entered her mind. "Oh? I bet it'll look amazing," she said, hoping Korra remained too distracted by the view to notice that she'd scooped up a large handful of snow.
Korra breathed in the crisp air and smiled. "Yeah, I bet it will. Hey, do you think - Ah!" Laughter rang out as something cold and wet dripped down the back of her neck. She whirled around and found Asami kneeling down to prepare another snowball. "Did you just hit me with a snowball?" she asked in disbelief.
"What's the matter, Korra? Snow too cold for you?" Asami stood, second snowball packed and ready to go.
Korra smirked and crossed her arms. "Are you really going to challenge me to a snowball fight?"
"Maybe…"
"You might want to reconsider that. You know, I am a water bender and I - Umph!"
"You might want to spend less time talking and more time working on your defense."
"There's one thing you really should take into consideration, Asami." Korra let her feet slide into a low stance.
"And what's that?"
"I grew up in the South Pole."
/
The yard looked like a war zone. Broken snowballs - some as large as a polar bear dog's head - littered the scene and dirty patches scarred the once-flawless blanket of snow. A tall, slender figure fell back into a snowdrift, panting with exhaustion. "Truce!" she cried.
Korra bent over at the waist and propped herself on her knees as she willed herself to catch her breath. "So you surrender?"
"Hardly!" came the reply. Asami sat up with a groan. "But I'm soaked through and I'm starting to get cold."
Korra laughed and stumbled over to help Asami to her feet. She stopped short when she saw the sad smile on Asami's face. "What's the matter?"
She met Korra's gaze and then looked away. "Nothing. I just didn't realize how much I missed that." She stood and brushed the snow off of her pants.
"Missed what?" Korra stepped forward and flicked a small chunk of snow from Asami's shoulder.
"Hearing you laugh like that. I missed it. I'm glad to hear it again."
Korra looked up at the emerald eyes staring back at her and blushed. "Yeah, well, thanks for being there to help make it happen."
"Any time."
Korra continued to study Asami's face until she noticed the bluish tint in her skin. "Asami, you really are cold. Why didn't you say anything?" She grabbed her hands and frowned. They were like ice. Korra let her firebending warm her body and felt the heat from her hands flow into Asami's. The other woman gasped and Korra immediately began dragging her towards the mansion. "We need to get you warmed up."
Asami did not argue.
The first thing Korra noticed once they were inside was that no one ran to greet them. She was used to seeing a maid or two, or at least the butler. Nighttime at the Sato mansion was very different from the daytime version.
"I give everyone a couple of days off when there's a holiday," Asami said when she saw Korra's puzzled look.
"Do you need me to go heat water for a bath?" Korra asked. "I can do it. Where's your water cistern?"
"Don't worry about it. We don't use firebending to heat our water. In fact, we don't use fire at all. It's all electric."
Korra accepted the explanation and continued down the hall. As they approached the thick wooden door leading to Asami's suite of rooms, it dawned on her that she had never actually been in this part of the mansion. She felt a twinge of shyness and scolded herself for it. She was nearly nineteen years old and Asami was twenty. They were adults. This wasn't like being fourteen and following a crush into their bedroom. This wasn't like the time she cornered that White Lotus sentry in a storage shed, and it certainly was nothing like when she and Mako found themselves alone in his apartment for the first time. This was just her and her friend. Her beautiful, intelligent, caring friend who she happened to have fallen head-over-heels for.
Oh, this was not good.
Asami opened the door and ushered her into her private suite. The room was tastefully decorated in dark, earthy tones with the occasional splash of deep maroon. Heavy, wooden furniture filled the room's corners. A pair of cushioned chairs and a table were set aside to form a sitting area that divided the two halves of the room. A wide desk was on one side of the room, coupled with bookshelves and tall, elegant floor lamps. The other side was dominated by a large bed with tall posts and a canopy that had clearly been designed to keep out drafts on cold nights. And probably for privacy, too, thought Korra.
Oh, this was so not good.
Korra turned her attention to Asami, who was starting to look a little less frozen. "Where do you keep your bathrobes and towels? I'll grab one while you hop in the bath."
Asami pointed to the wardrobe that was nearly hidden from view by the bed. "I have stuff in there," she said. Then she pointed to the closed door nearby. "The bathroom is through there."
"Okay."
Asami toed off her boots and began shedding clothes on her way to the bathroom. Korra looked away before Asami reached her undergarments and instead busied herself with taking off her own boots. She took a moment to enjoy the carpet - the area rugs on the island weren't anywhere near as soft! - and quickly grabbed a bathrobe and towel from the wardrobe.
"You should join me," Asami said over the sound of the running faucet.
Korra froze. She stuck her head through the bathroom door and stammered, "D-do what?"
"Join me," repeated Asami.
She eyeballed the tub. This was nothing like the bath house at the island. The bath house was large and casual. Everyone used it. This tub was big, but still much smaller than the bath house. This tub was… intimate. Korra glanced over at Asami and saw the other woman was looking at her in a way that made the butterflies in her stomach go crazy. Was she imagining things?
"Sure," Korra said, surprising herself. But why should she be surprised? There was no reason for her to be so shy and modest. Asami had helped dress her more than once after Zaheer's poison left her too weak to walk. She had seen Korra naked and broken. She'd seen her at her worst. What more was there for her to see?
Asami tested the water before shedding the last of her clothing and sliding into the deep porcelain tub. Korra removed her own furs and set them aside. She avoided looking at Asami as she hastily stripped off her wrappings and stepped into the opposite end of the tub. There was enough room for both of them to stretch out, though not without their legs touching. Korra sank low, letting the water swallow everything below her neck. Asami pretended not to notice.
"You know," she began, "I have to say that you seem like you've been doing much better over the past month."
"Yeah?"
Asami nodded and leaned back against the tub. "Definitely. You seem so much brighter. Stronger." She playful nudged Korra's leg with her own. "You're even starting to put a little meat back on those bones."
A hot red blush took over Korra's face. "Thanks."
"I mean it, Korra. You're one of the most amazing people I've ever met, and not because you're the Avatar. You're stronger on the inside than you give yourself credit for, and you never cease to amaze."
Blue eyes rose to meet green and Korra was a little taken aback at the seriousness she found in them. "You know, I have a confession to make. I don't think I would've made it this far without all the support I've gotten," said Korra.
Asami smiled. "I'm just glad you've come back to us," she said before softly adding, "I'm glad you've come back to me."
Silence settled between them. Korra struggled to think of a response, but her mind refused to cooperate. She searched the engineer's face for a sign - any sign at all - and gave up. Asami's shoulders sagged almost imperceptibly and she sat up.
"The water's getting cold. I should go find you something to wear," said Asami as she stood and stepped out of the tub. She reached for the towel next to her bathrobe, quickly wrapped her hair in it, and pulled the robe around her. She was nearly to the door when she heard a loud splash and felt a strong hand grab her arm.
Korra stood before her, mindless of the water streaming down her body and dripping onto the floor. Before either one of them could think of anything to say, Korra pulled Asami in to a hug, holding back only enough to capture the older woman's lips with her own. Korra felt fingers running through her shoulder-length hair, pulling her closer. Inwardly, she sighed in relief.
"I have another confession," she said when she broke the kiss.
Asami's voice was little more than a whisper. "What's that?"
"I've wanted to do that for months."
Asami leaned in to kiss her and Korra felt her smile on her lips. Sweet kisses soon gave way to greedy clashes of tongue and teeth, moans and sighs. Korra's mouth left a warm trail down Asami's slender neck and across her collarbone. The non-bender trembled slightly in her arms and gently pulled away so she could lead Korra to her bed. The wooden frame bumped against the back of her legs and Korra allowed herself to fall back onto the mattress. She pushed herself up towards the headboard and Asami followed without hesitation. The long-haired woman straddled her and leaned forward to finish what they started in the bathroom.
Korra's hands slid up Asami's pale thighs and came to rest on her bottom. She squeezed and held Asami against her, encouraging her to meet her hips with her own. Korra sat up and her hands continued to travel over Asami's body. She leaned forward to kiss a shoulder exposed by the slipping bathrobe. Yeah, that thing definitely had to go.
Korra fought through the distraction of Asami's hands running up and down her back. She fumbled briefly with knotted sash that held the robe closed and nearly growled in frustration. The robe and its damn sash were soon flying through the air and Asami laughed at Korra's triumphant grin. Her laughter faded into gasps as Korra took advantage of her position. Her mouth and hands wandered over Asami's breasts - so pale compared to her own. Asami's nails scraped against her scalp, sending shudders down her spine.
With a quick lift of her hips and a twist of her spine, Korra rolled them over and pinned Asami with the weight of her own body. She paused to soak in the view below her. The perfectly put-together Miss Sato was now perfectly disheveled. Her hair spread out across the pillows and her heavy-lidded eyes looked up at her while she sucked in shallow breaths through swollen lips. Korra leaned down to nip at those lips and her earlobe. She slowly trailed kisses down Asami's pale, toned body, using her hands to continue exploring as she went along. When Korra reached the apex of her thighs, she skipped down to Asami's knees and began moving up and inward. A new scent assaulted Korra as she neared the engineer's core and she let instinct take over.
Asami gasped at the feel of Korra's tongue on her and her hands searched desperately for something to hold on to. Korra hooked her arms under Asami's thighs and laced their fingers together. This is for you, she wanted to tell Asami. This is how you make me feel.
Fingers tightened their grip and Korra half expected Asami to break the small bones in her hand, but she did not stop. Delicious moans, gasps, and pants poured out of Asami's mouth, and Korra continued until she felt her body grow tense and then become relaxed. Korra sat up and wiped the corners of her mouth before Asami pulled her down into a sloppy, exhausted kiss. The younger woman rolled onto her side and let her fingers dance up and down Asami pale skin.
"Well, don't you just look like the bear cat that caught the canary," said Asami.
Korra became aware of the dumb grin on her face and shrugged. "Maybe I did catch a canary." Her grin grew wider. "Did you hear yourself?"
Asami blushed. "Oh yeah? Save your words until you hear yourself," she warned as she pulled Korra close.
"Is that a challenge, Miss Sato? Because I'll have you know I - Oh! Oooh…" Korra let her head fall against Asami's shoulder and continued to mumble nonsense while the engineer's nimble fingers did their work.
"Less talking," Asami murmured into Korra's ear. "More doing."
/
Morning sunlight poured over Air Temple Island and the sleepy acolytes - some of whom had only just made it back from the festival - staggered about to get their daily chores out of the way before breakfast. Katara watched them hustle to and fro, smiling kindly when one of them nearly ran into her on his way to kitchens. She shuffled into the room where the family often ate meals when they chose not to eat in the common room. The only other person present was Pema, who had obviously already been up for a few hours.
"Good morning, dear," said Katara. She took a seat near the mother of her grandchildren and held her hands out for Rohan. "Here, let me hold him for a bit. Give yourself a break."
Pema let out a grateful sigh and handed the sleeping bundle over to her. "Thank you."
Katara adjusted the baby in her arms. "Have you seen Korra this morning?" she asked casually.
"No. I haven't seen her since she left to go to the festival."
A hint of a smile graced the corners of Katara's eyes. "I don't think she came home last night. Must still be with that Asami girl, I suppose."
Pema leaned forward. "Oh. So do you think they finally…?"
"Sprits, I hope so. I was getting tired of all that sexual tension. It was so thick you could cut it with a knife!"
Tenzin walked into the room. "What was that, mother?" he asked. "Who did what with a knife?"
Pema waved a dismissive hand. "Nothing, dear. Your mother and I are just discussing women's troubles."
"Oh." Tenzin looked away in embarrassment. "Well then, I'll leave you to it. I'm going to go find Ikki and Meelo, and maybe see if Bumi and Kya will be joining us for breakfast." And with that the master airbender disappeared back into the hallway.
Kya suddenly entered through the kitchen door and plopped down on the other side of Pema. "Seriously, mom. I can't believe you raised such a prude." She popped a small piece of fruit into her mouth and chewed. "Anyway, did you say something about Korra and Asami finally getting together? That's awesome. Bumi and I made a bet on that months ago. Can't wait to tell him to pay up!"
A/N: Alrighty. This fic was pretty much written on the go and I don't really have time to proofread it (the day I finally have time to do extra proofreading is the day I go back and fix some of my old fics!). If anyone spots a glaring typo or something, let me know and I'll fix it.