"Knock knock, anybody in here?" Korra called, peering around the corner into Asami's workshop.

"Over here," Asami replied from behind a stack of papers. She looked up and smiled, "Oh! Hey Korra, good to see you. Sorry there's not really anywhere to sit." Korra couldn't help staring at her beautiful girlfriend. She had left her usual engineer's jacket hanging on the seatback and was wearing a loose red blouse that left her shoulders bare. Her long, dark hair was tied back where it would usually cascade around her lovely face.

"Good to see you too Asami! Raiko still keeping you buried under a mountain of paperwork I see."

Asami sighed as she pushed some papers aside. "If it's not one thing it's another. Raiko needs three new drain pipes by next week, Lin keeps bugging me to rush the orders for the new police Satomobiles, the shop foreman for Plant B is off for at least a month because his kid caught pentapox, Plant A is at half capacity while we do safety upgrades, and Varrick keeps coming by to talk about his new energy venture." She slumped down and let her head rest on the table.

Korra walked around the table and put her hands on Asami's shoulders. "Need me to punch some of those problems out?"

Asami looked up at Korra and smiled. "That's really sweet of you, but I'm not sure these problems can be solved by punching them hard enough." She reached up to cup Korra's face with one hand, who then leaned to give Asami a kiss.

When their lips parted, Korra said, "If I can't punch your problems for you, at least I can do this." She bent the water out of a nearby vase onto her hands, then warmed it with her firebending. Placing her hands on Asami's shoulders, she let her chi flow in a mild imitation of her healing arts, kneading at the tension in her girlfriend's shoulders.

Asami's eyes closed and Korra could feel her shoulders start to relax into her methodical touch. She let out a soft moan, then opened one eye. "Korra, you know just what to do to help me relax."

Korra leaned in and whispered in her ear, "That's not the only way I can relieve some stress." She bent the water away as her hands started to wander down the front of Asami's blouse.

"Stop that you," her girlfriend said, playfully batting away one of Korra's hands. She breathed heavily as the other hand reached her chest. "Korra… wait… Korra… I have too much work to get done." She reached up and put one hand around Korra's neck, fingernails digging into the soft flesh on the back of her neck.

Korra shushed her, letting her other hand roam down to Asami's chest, "The work can wait. You'll be able to work so much better once you feel refreshed." Responding to the pressure on her neck, she leaned back down for a more intimate kiss. The angle provided an unfamiliar sensation as they kissed, and she could feel a gentle vibration as Asami moaned softly against her lips.

Her hand left Korra's neck and she leaned forward, standing up from her chair. She turned, putting her hands on Korra's upper arms. It always amazed her how muscular Korra was; she loved how it felt to be held in those strong arms, how she felt warm, protected, and safe with Korra. Korra tugged at her hips, closing the tiny distance between them. They kissed once more, growing more urgent with each passing breath. Korra's hands drifted from her hips to her butt, giving it a gentle squeeze. "You. Me. Couch. Now." Asami's voice came out breathy against Korra's mouth. Korra nearly pulled her off her feet dragging her towards the couch.

Later, they lay panting on the couch, Asami cuddled naked into Korra's arms. "Korra, you were right, this was a much better use of time than filling out another twenty forms." She lifted her head a little and noticed the mess they'd left behind, the papers from the couch thrown haphazardly onto the floor and their clothes strewn across the room. "Although, I think we may have made a little extra work cleaning up," Korra's fingers kept drawing gentle circles on Asami's back and she let her head fall back against Korra's shoulder, "but I can deal with that later."

Korra's fingers stopped moving and there was a brief silence before Korra took a deep breath and said, "Hey Asami, don't take this the wrong way, but I can't stand what we're doing." Asami sat up and met Korra's eyes, noticing the faint circles that had formed around them. Noticing Asami's look of concern, she continued, "I'm so happy that we're together now and I don't want that to change, but I'm sick of us having to sneak around, pretend we're not together, and only get to see each other for a few hours when you're not working."

"Korra, I know how you feel. I don't like hiding this from our friends any more than you do, but I think we need to be careful about this," Korra frowned at her words, so she continued, "we just need to find the right time to tell people. With you helping the police look for survivors and me trying to rebuild the city's infrastructure, we've just been so busy. You said it yourself Korra, helping the people of Republic City comes first."

"I know, it's just…" Korra sighed and leaned back, watching the shadows dance on the ceiling from the overhead fan. "We went to the Spirit World together and everything was amazing, and I was so unbelievably happy, but then we came back, and things just haven't been what I imagined."

"Maybe we should just go back to the Spirit World and stay there," Asami said with a soft chuckle.

"You really think so?" Korra's voice perked up as she gazed at Asami, an eager glint in her eye.

Asami leaned in for a kiss, then chuckled, "I'm not sure we should sneak off again when everyone needs us. Besides, I'd miss our friends too much if we moved to the Spirit World."

"Yeah, I don't think Naga would enjoy living in the Spirit World either," Korra said with a laugh. "Can't we at least move in together? The Sato estate is always packed now that Mako and Bolin's family has moved in, so we can never get any privacy there, and you're always working late here anyway."

"You mean you don't want to keep hooking up in my private office?" Asami gave Korra an exaggerated pout and Korra laughed as Asami turned to look around the room. "I never thought this room's soundproofing would come in so handy, even if my father did it so he could plot with the Equalists."

Korra took Asami's hand, rubbing the back with her thumb, as Asami trailed off at the mention of her father. "You still miss him huh?"

"Everyday." Asami put her arms around Korra's neck at pulled her into a tight embrace. "I really don't tell you enough how glad I am that you're always there to support me." She pulled away and stood up to start gathering her clothing. "Okay, what about this: once things have calmed down a little bit we can talk about moving in together. Honestly, right now I wouldn't ever be home anyway."

She bent down to pick up her bra and panties off the floor, giving Korra a very enjoyable view from the couch, eliciting a whistle from the young Avatar. Asami grinned over her shoulder and gave a little wiggle for Korra's enjoyment. "Don't think you can win every argument with your beautiful ass Miss Sato!"

"Wouldn't dream of it."

"I guess that's fair, I still don't like that we haven't told anyone about our relationship," she said, crossing her arms over her chest.

"You know I don't either Korra. I'm just worried since you're the Avatar and I'm the CEO of Future Industries that once our relationship goes public we won't be able to get any peace. You know how things went when you were dating Mako," she said, pulling on her clothing.

"Yeah, I know. Mako did say even those triad bozos were asking about how things were going between us." She groaned and rested her elbows on her knees, leaning forward on the couch. "Fine, I get your point. But I think we should tell our friends, like Mako and Bolin. It's not fair to them to keep them in the dark."

"I'm with you there. As soon as we have a chance to talk to them without a hundred people around, we'll tell them."

"Promise?"

"Promise."

Korra stood up from the couch and grabbed her clothing, getting dressed as Asami slipped her blouse back over her head. "I guess I should help clean up," Korra said, looking around sheepishly.

"Just put them all back on the couch. They're mostly papers I've already filled out; the mailroom can sort them."

"Easy enough." Korra took a breath and circled the office, following the steps of the Hua Lianjie Dao Mu. As she walked, a tiny whirlwind followed her feet, picking up the papers. Her feet felt light as she criss-crossed the room, a growing mess of papers hovering behind her. Reaching the couch, she lifted a foot and spun on her heel, letting momentum carry her into the Jugong Guan form. The papers followed the arc of her spin and fluttered to rest on the couch in the rough approximation of a pile.

"Show off," Korra heard Asami's voice from across the room. She turned to see Asami with an eyebrow raised and her hands firmly planted on her hips. "Most people would just pick the papers up with their hands." Korra just stuck her tongue out in response. "But seriously Korra, I'm glad you came by. It gets pretty lonely here sometimes."

"Don't mention it. I'd never miss a chance to spend some time with you. I should really get going though, I promised Tenzin I'd meet him on Air Temple Island tonight. It sounded like he had something important he wanted to talk to me about."

Despite her words, Korra lingered in the middle of Asami's office and made no move towards the exit. Sensing her hesitation, Asami said, "Don't let me hold you up. I've got to get through this paperwork by morning, and thanks to you, I'm fresh and ready to work."

Korra blew Asami a kiss, then walked towards the door. Stopping at the entranceway, she called back into the office, "You better take care of yourself missy, I don't need one more person collapsing on my watch." Smiling, Asami put her hands up in surrender. "And don't forget your promise, okay?"

Naga had left of her own accord, so Korra decided to fly back to Air Temple Island on her glider. As noisy busy as the streets were at ground level, the city seemed to melt away once she climbed over the rooftops, riding the eddies and updrafts. Soon, the buildings fell away as she soared out over the shimmering blue water of Yue Bay. The breeze whipped at her bangs as she dove, gliding along the surface of the water, alongside the flying dolphin fish that leapt to meet her.

A shadow fell over the water. Korra looked up to see a sizeable wave looming overhead. She grinned at the challenge and started to spin, the air around her forming into a drill as the wave approached. Her chi calm, she felt the weight of the wave falling, the push of the crest, and the pull of the undertow. The water gave way as she barreled through the face, froth crashing down around her. She rose, giving a whoop of delight and settling in for her descent towards the island.

As she approached, she saw a robed figure sitting in the lotus pose, overlooking the cliff. Korra leaned, letting the wind carry her down. The ground rushed to meet her, and she stepped lightly onto the meditation platform, glider folding into a staff. The bald Air Nomad stood to meet her, extending his hands in a welcoming gesture. "Korra, it's good to see you back. I heard from Lin that you ran into Earth Empire soldiers, are you alright?"

"I'm fine Tenzin. It was easy to get the drop on them and there were only five. No big deal."

Tenzin walked to the edge of the viewing platform and looked out over the bay, gazing wistfully out at the statue on Avatar Aang Memorial Island. "All the same, I hope this nonsense ends soon. Even after Kuvira told them to stand down, they continue fighting."

"I know! I said the same thing to one of the soldiers, but he wouldn't even listen to me. He kept acting like she wanted to keep fighting, kept saying how he'd never betray the Great Uniter. It made no sense." She joined Tenzin at the railing and leaned out, feeling the cool evening breeze as the sun began to set.

"For all her crimes, and all the pain she put people through, she was a symbol of hope to many in the Earth Kingdom. The people suffered through a hundred years of war with the Fire Nation and many more years oppressed by the Earth Kings and Queens."

"I thought Kuei was a good ruler once he reclaimed his throne after the war."

Tenzin sighed. "Dad always had a soft spot for him because Kuei was a kind man, but he was never a good king. Kuvira promised a future different from everything they had ever known."

"I wish I could ask Aang for advice. He dealt with trying to rebuild the world after the Hundred Year War."

"So do I Korra, so do I."

They stood in silence, waves crashing against the cliffside. In the distance, Aang's statue stood, resolutely unwilling to divulge its secrets. The last rays of dusk sparkled over the water as the sun disappeared behind the eastern mountains.

Tenzin broke the silence, "Korra, I almost forgot. I want you to join me at the negotiations next week about the future of the Earth Kingdom. You're the Avatar, you should be there."

"I wasn't there after Zaheer tore apart Ba Sing Se. I'm not going to make the same mistake this time. I'll be there."

"I'm glad to hear that Korra. I have a meeting with President Raiko tomorrow to talk about a peace treaty with the Earth Empire forces and about the constitution that Prince Wu wants to create for the Earth Kingdom. If you're joining for the negotiations, it's important that you're there tomorrow as well."

Korra groaned and covered her face with her hands, her voice muffled by her fingers as she replied, "Not that insufferable president. Can't I just clip the toenails of a hippo shark instead?"

"Now now Korra, I know you and Raiko don't get along, but it's important we plan what we want to present to the Earth Empire generals before we meet with them. Plus, Lin and Suyin will be there as well and I know you like them better than Raiko."

His words seemed to cheer Korra up and she gave him a somewhat lopsided smile, "Well I'm still not sure if Chief Grumpypants actually likes me or not, but it will be nice to see Su. She's been gone from the city since Varrick's wedding, right?"

"Yes, once Kuvira was imprisoned, some of Su's metalbenders switched sides and helped her retake Zaofu. But since she'd be the natural leader of an independent Zaofu and an example of what Prince Wu wants to create, it's important to have her back for the negotiations." He paused, and his face grew troubled. "To tell you the truth though Korra, I'm concerned about having her in the peace talks. I fear her personal enmity towards Kuvira will cloud her judgement."

"Yeah, you might be right. By the way, whatever happened to Baatar?"

"Even though Kuvira turned on him and he helped us stop the Colossus, he still had to face justice for what he did at Kuvira's side. Since he's Lin's nephew, she helped him avoid prison. He's been released on a conditional discharge: he can't leave the city and must report to the police station weekly under his probation order, but it means he can set right what he did through community service, rather than in a jail cell. With his engineering expertise, it's been a great help in the rebuilding effort to have him."

"At least that will give him a chance to reconcile with his family."

"Indeed. I think a lot of people will need time to heal over these next few years." As he turned from the water, his eyes were heavy with the work ahead. Korra could see his painful reluctance to drop that burden on her, and the sad resignation that her position would inevitably give her that burden.

Korra picked up her staff and turned to start walking towards the house. "I'll be there tomorrow. But if you'll excuse me, I'm going to see if Pema has any food left from dinner."

Tenzin put a hand on the young Avatar's shoulder and smiled warmly, "If you don't mind, I think I'll join you."