Amorra Week 2015- Day 3
Prompt: Star
Rating: T
Summary: Korra is stressed over an argument with Noatak. Nature decides to give them a little help to reconcile.
Note: This happens over a year after the previous prompt. It's not as small I thought it would be.
Words: 6,019
~~~~~~.:oOo:.~~~~~~
"Finally!" Korra exclaimed to no one, stretching lazily and breathing in the balmy seaside air.
She had been going crazy lately with that stupid bedrest rule and was glad to finally be let outside for the first time in two weeks, she didn't even care that it was sunset and the sky was tinted in fiery hues of red, orange and lilac, she didn't give a damn that she was far away from home and in a tiny bucolic jungle island with almost no modern conveniences in the south-most corner of the Fire Nation, all she cared about was that the local healer had finally let her out of the damn medical cabin with a clean bill of health… Well, mostly clean anyway.
The Avatar kicked off her boots and rolled up her pants over the knee so she could bury her feel in the warm sand of the little beach just outside the village limits, the grains tickled as they slid between her toes while she walked leisurely under the last dying rays of sunlight, enjoying the swoosh of waves breaking on the shore, a sound that always managed to relax her.
It was peaceful here, on this beach, it was so calm that she had forgotten it could be this way without the smell of satomobile smoke or the noises of the big city, she could actually see the first stars freckled on the sky, some of which were impossible to view with the light pollution of big cities.
If only Korra felt as peaceful as the landscape around her…
After the period of medical incarceration she had become cabin fevered and was happy to be in the wide outdoors once again but her heart still felt trapped, it was heavy and tight in her chest and seemed to conjure a sigh every few yards she walked.
The reason for such melancholy was not a simple one, after all, if ever there was a complex being in her life it was Noatak.
"Not that I can blame him this time…" The Avatar sighed once more and stopped to look up at the dusting of stars slowly winking into existence above her.
No, she couldn't really blame him this time because she understood how he felt and she was aware that in some way he was right but that only made things harder, it made it almost impossible for her to talk to him because she didn't want to admit she could be the least bit wrong. Not that she actually thought she was wrong, but for once she couldn't bear to argue over the matter.
Korra kept walking, wallowing in her own thoughts and drawing strength from the freedom of having miles and miles of open space around her, she was almost tempted to jump into the sea and bend her way out to deeper waters but instead she sat on a small dune and watched the sun disappear under the horizon. She actually lost all track of time for a while as it grew dark and her mind reeled, trying to find a solution for the worries that plagued her, when something brought her back to reality.
"You're quite far out, aren't you?" The deep intimidating voice called out from behind her but Korra didn't bother to turn.
"Needed a walk, I was tired of being cooped up." The Avatar shrugged and then glanced at the approaching equalist. "How did you find me?"
"I figured you'd come to the beach, once I found your boots I just had to follow the footprints in the sand." Noatak explained as he sat beside her though she noticed that he left a good two feet of space between them. "And being cooped up was your own fault."
"Not this again!" She groaned, already tired of the argument that hadn't even started.
To be fair, he hadn't been trying to fight while she was bedridden, he had been too concerned to do so, but that hadn't stopped him from chiding her often about her actions; now, however, he seemed to have no qualms about finally getting his thoughts out in the open.
"You know it's true, you were reckless. I keep telling you that you take your bending for granted and shouldn't abuse it but you just had to go over the top as usual." Noatak was stern and his face was as hard as Amon's mask used to be.
"I was doing my job. Being Avatar means taking risks, it means sacrificing my safety for the sake of others and if I hadn't gone into Avatar State, if I had pulled any punches, that woman would have obliterated the whole village and captured Iroh in the process!" Korra snapped defensively and angrily.
It had been the strangest of missions, an old enemy of Avatar Aang had resurfaced and Korra had been called to fix the problem only to realize she was stepping into a trap.
Azula had disappeared long ago and everyone assumed she had died but as it turned out the former princess had spent years tracking down a certain Spirit that could grant new faces and, by extension, new bodies. She had gained a younger face and somehow manipulated the Spirit to let her retain her memories, as a result the powerful firebender had gained more time to plan out her revenge and she needed more time because she hadn't succeeded in using the Mother Faces further as she originally wanted even though she held the Spirit's wolf hostage.
There was a small rural tribe living on an island in a remote corner of the Fire Nation, such a tribe was isolated and small but they had something special- they supplied the Fire Nation with rare and precious raw ingredients necessary to make medications vital to all those living in the subtropical environment of the Fire Nation.
Azula's grand plan had involved holding this village hostage by galvanizing a certain volcanic Spirit that had been awakened after Harmonic Convergence. Once she had the villagers where she wanted them and mayhem had broken out, she intended to lure the Avatar, Lord Zuko and the current Fire Lord to the island with phony requests for aid so she could dispose of all of them together.
However, in the end only General Iroh showed up to represent the royal family with the Avatar for back up and though she had brought Noatak and Jinora along to help, Iroh could only bring a few men in fear that the presence of more soldiers might escalate the violence and draw too much attention to the situation.
The fight had been violent but not drawn out. Azula actually had several supporters on her side and things escalated very quickly but Iroh's men and Noatak handled them efficiently; Jinora had turned her attention towards pacifying the enraged Spirit before it spewed lava all over the villagers and Korra had joined Iroh in confronting the former princess who's plans, when faced with the loss of her supporters, quickly changed towards defeating the Avatar and holding the general hostage to lure out her brother and niece.
Korra had lost her temper. When she saw that Jinora had gotten hurt trying to back down the Spirit while the others fought and that Azula was deranged and careless of collateral damage, having set part of the jungle and village on fire already, the Avatar had simply lose her temper- she had ignored Noatak's efforts to come up with a strategy and Iroh's attempts to battle his aunt, she had forgotten that there were firebenders present to handle the blaze and she had simply gone into Avatar State and jumped into peril head on.
In the end, Korra had used an overwhelming amount of power to put out the fire, then she had engaged the former princess in battle ruthless and viciously until the latter was on her knees and encased in stone. Finally, the Avatar had turned her attention towards stopping the flow of lava and pushing back the Spirit until it settled down.
They had won, yes, and all should be well and good but after fighting in Avatar State for so long and abusing her bending to try and fix everything on her own Korra had suddenly collapsed, the light of the State had gone out just as she started to bleed and lost consciousness. Normally she should have been able to handle such injuries and exhaustion well enough but not this time, this time she had forgotten that there was more at stake than just herself, she had forgotten that just a week before she had learned that her health was compromised. Herein lied Noatak's anger.
"We could have handled it, you didn't trust the rest of us to help and had to show off your power and thanks to that arrogance we almost lost the…" The equalist argued, interrupting her reminiscing thoughts.
"Shut up!" Korra cut him off sharply and still defensive. "I know, ok?!"
"That is precisely why I'm angry. You knew exactly what you were doing and you didn't care about the consequences, did you think abusing your bending wouldn't come with a price?" He reprimanded furiously, rapidly losing all of his cold composure in the most unusual way.
"Spare me your self-righteous equalist bullshit." The Avatar snarled, just as angry. "I thought you were done being Amon."
"Maybe you thought wrong." Noatak snapped back automatically.
"…Maybe I did." She scowled and crossed her arms. "So what, are you going to try to take my bending, Amon?"
"Why would I do something so pointless?" He glared at her; they both knew blocking her bending was hopeless because she could restore it instantly but that was not at all what he meant, he had long since given up that technique and wouldn't betray her trust in that manner. "Unless it's to protect you from yourself, in which case I'm tempted to try."
"What a brilliant solution! How about you chi-block me for the next six months too? If I can't move then I can't be a danger to the baby, right?" Korra retorted cynically, having finally stood up again to put more space between them.
"…" Noatak didn't answer, he obviously wanted to but though he got up as well, he chose to grit his teeth and bite back an acerbic reply.
She hadn't noticed but this was the first time she brought up the pregnancy on her own in two weeks, during all that time she had been going out of her way to cut him off whenever he started to mention the topic because she was too scared to talk about it and too well aware that he had every right to be angry because of it.
A little over three weeks before Korra had discovered that she was expecting and had been for at least a month and half, she had spent several days trying to work up the courage to tell Noatak, afraid that he'd reject her or resent her in some way but he figured it out on his own and confronted her on the matter. To her surprise he had taken the news very well, much better than she had actually, the equalist had seemed genuinely happy in way she had never seen and assured her that would never leave her side.
Unfortunately, Korra herself was still too scared to accept the situation as well as he had and therefore ended up avoiding it until the moment she collapsed out of the Avatar State because as soon as she woke up in the medical cabin at the village the first words out of her mouth had automatically been about the baby and only when the healer told her that the child would be fine did she calm down, that was when Korra finally realized how she really felt about the little thing growing inside her… And that scared her even more.
"Do you even want this kid? Or have you finally come to your senses?" The Avatar shot him the scornful questions when it became clear that he wasn't going to reply. She knew she was being unfair but she couldn't help herself, there was too much anger clouding her judgement.
"How can you even ask such a thing?" For a moment Noatak actually looked appalled.
"Easy, with words." The remark dripped sarcasm like a snake spews venom.
"It's a horrible thing to say." He admonished, clearly hurt. Korra realized she'd never seen him act hurt before and nearly winced as the slash of guilt that lanced through her.
"That's not an answer." She retorted, trying not to let his reaction affect her, trying to stay angry and force him to stop evading her questions like he always did.
"Of course I want our child, more than anything. I've told you that from the moment we found out. Why do you think I'm so angry now?" Noatak's hurt was rapidly turning to rage all over again.
"I'm not sure anymore. Is it because I almost lost it or because I didn't?" The words had an almost mocking tone to them but they were mostly just bitter, she was once again fully aware of how petty and unfair she was acting though she didn't care at all and just wanted to attack, to hurt, to fight.
"How dare you imply something so horrid?" There was shock and even disgust stamped in his voice and he moved as if she had just burned him. "Why would you ever think I wanted you to lose it?"
"Maybe because you're starting to remember what you seem to have forgotten in the last few years." Korra shrugged, arms once again crossed and a scowl on her face.
"And what's that?" Noatak dared her to answer, wondering where she was going with all this.
"That I'm a bender, I'm THE bender- the one Amon blamed for all the wrong in the universe, the one he failed to destroy, the one that defeated him." The Avatar stated sharply, daring him to disagree.
"You know I've overcome all that, you know my ideals have evolved but even if they hadn't, what does any of it have to do with our child?" The equalist crossed his arms as well but in his case it was more of a show of obstinacy than a physical attempt at keeping the other away.
"Simple. Having sex with the enemy can be pretty exciting but having the lifelong commitment of parenthood with them might not be so much fun." It was an accusation, no doubt about it, but as soon as the words were out Korra realized that the comment went both ways and they both knew it.
"You think I was only with you because you were a challenge? You think these last three and half years were just a game to me? You doubt my love for you on the grounds that we once despised each other for a few months almost a decade ago?" Noatak's voice had risen but he still wasn't quite shouting and the ice in his tone made her feel as if he had dumped a bucket of snow over her head.
"I… Well, I… When you put it that way…" She stammered and hesitated. When he put it that way it really sounded stupid, her accusations became unfair and irrational.
"Or is it that you think I can't get over our conflicting ideologies enough to raise a child?" He added when it was clear that Korra wasn't going to reply with anything more eloquent. This incensed her all over again.
"Yeah, well, I'm a bender, you're a bender. What will you do in the likelihood that our baby is a bender too? Equalize it 'protect it from itself'?" The Avatar tossed him the very remark he had made earlier and twisted it out of proportion. "Or make it feel guilty about something that is an inherent part of it? Heck, maybe you'd just teach it what your father taught you or create another mini Amon to follow in your footsteps and take away bending from the unworthy."
"I would never do any of that and you know it!" This time he did shout, both in outrage and distress, and Korra knew why- despite her sarcastic tone and his hyper-controlled personality, she knew that bringing up his father in any way was a surefire way to upset him.
"Do I?" She shouted back. The answer was yes, she knew he wouldn't do any of that, she trusted him more than she herself understood but she was scared and pissed off enough not to care and his anger only made her want to fight even more.
"You know what I think?" Noatak practically growled in an effort to lower his tone.
"Oh, do tell!" Korra challenged snippily.
"I think you're the one that's afraid of being a mother. I think you're the one that regrets getting involved with a former enemy and much older man. I think you are the one that got into this relationship for the excitement, the taboo and the challenge and now that it's about to become very real and very permanent you're terrified."
She slapped him. Her first impulse was to punch but she curbed it just enough to slap him across the face. Nonetheless, there was so much strength and ire behind the strike that the sound cracked through the air of the beach, his head whipped to the side and the equalist staggered back because he didn't even try to dodge though she was certain he could have.
Korra had no idea why his words had made her mad enough to slap him, for all intents and purposes he had hit the nail right in the head and hadn't accused her of anything that she hadn't accused him of first and worse, but she couldn't stop the rage and resentment from flowing and the response had been instinctive. She was still trying to process her own reactions when he faced her again.
"Did I hit a nerve?" The equalist enquired with cold composure, ignoring the red handprint swelling on his face as he stared her down.
"How… How could you say that to me?" Korra curled her hands into fists to contain her anger and hide her hurt, her palm stung from the slap but she didn't care.
"The same way you said to me." He retorted dryly.
"I didn't…" She began to defend but he cut her off at once.
"Don't deny it. Hypocrisy doesn't suit you." Noatak's dry tone turned almost bitter and he finally broke eye contact and turned away from her, facing the sea and looking weary beyond endurance.
"I didn't mean any of it and you know it! I was just angry…" She still was but now she was starting to feel awful too, the guilt was seeping in like poison soaking her flesh.
"Well, so am I." He retorted coolly. "You're not the only one allowed to have doubts and throw fits."
"I wasn't...!" Her tone started to rise into a shout again as the implied accusation made the rage swell once more but the Avatar was silenced halfway by something that drew their attention away from each other, something equal parts awe inspiring and utterly surreal.
As the tide waned, a sudden large wave had risen and crashed ashore, glowing in the most unearthly fashion as if some supernatural force wanted to end their argument. The blueish light was so shocking in the dark night that Korra was almost sure some gigantic Spirit had been disturbed and was about to burst from the water to devour them… Yet, when the water washed back peacefully the glow remained, fractured along the beach as if stars had rained down from the sky, and it took the Avatar several moments to understand what she was seeing.
"Stars?" Korra blinked, striding towards the waterline to lean over a writhing mass of glowing star-shaped creatures that really did look like they had fallen out of the sky.
"Glowing Starfish to be exact." Noatak corrected, having followed her silently to examine the little creatures that were no bigger than his palm.
"They're beautiful." The Avatar murmured in awe, having instantly forgotten her anger. She picked up one of the delicate slippery creatures and stared at it on her palm.
"Yes, they are." He agreed and added, a little sadly- "A pity."
"Pity?" She looked at him with curious eyes.
"I saw this happen from time to time back in North Pole. The starfish gather to breed but get caught in a riptide and are pulled ashore by a single wave." The equalist explained with a hint of nostalgia.
"So what? Why is that a pity?" Korra was confused as to how something so pretty could be negative.
"Because they're going to die, Korra." Noatak stated bluntly. "It's a pity because they won't live long out of the water and likely didn't have time to breed so two generations are lost in a single wave."
Sure enough, the sand was littered with hundreds, maybe thousands, of little wriggling glowing beings that had been stranded on dry land and left to shrivel up and die outside their natural habitat. It might have been a beautiful sight but it was also heartbreaking and Korra couldn't stand to just sit back and do nothing- wasn't it her job to vie about all living things?
"We have to help them." She decided with determination and crouched down over a pile of starfish.
"Korra…" He shook his head at the lost cause but when he saw her scoop up and armful of the critters and run to the waterline he had to ask- "What are you doing?"
"Throwing them back. If they're in the water until the next high tide they'll live, right?" She walked into the water, splashing it all over her rolled up pants, and then flung the starfishes she had gathered back unto the sea. Korra then ran back and picked up more of the glowing little animals that she began to hurl back onto the waves.
"And you just intend to keep chucking them back in one by one?" Noatak asked skeptically.
"If I have to!" She snapped back, already gathering more starfishes to save.
"Why? Saving a few when so many more will dry up and die won't make that much of a difference." He sounded confused by her actions, he couldn't grasp her logic.
"To this starfish it makes a difference." Korra stated as she threw back a chubby glowing creature, held it up to him and then threw it back into the water. "To that one it makes a difference." She added after throwing one more. "To these as well." She flung an armful of squirming starfish and then turned to him with her eyes burning like blue fire in the darkness of night. "Every life is important, just because we can't save them all doesn't mean we shouldn't even try to save those that we can!"
"Korra…" Noatak trailed off, he was impressed by her noble attitude but still trying to understand her. To add to his confusion he could stop thinking that she looked beautiful with her hands full of glowing stars that lit up her determined face with azure light, with her hair blowing in the warm tropical air and her clothes splattered with sand and sea water.
"I thought you were the one that liked to look out for the weak and helpless. Why won't you help me?" Korra shot at him, almost pouting and a little desperate, her arms now overflowing with little helpless critters that she hastily tossed back into the ocean.
Noatak's head tipped slightly to the side as he watched her, his face was unreadable but softer than it had been all night as he seemed to take in her panting form and unwavering attitude. The light of the starfishes in her arms also eerily reminded him of how her eyes lit up and the outline of Raava's mark blazed on her skin with the Avatar State, for some reason he thought this should make him angry by reminding him of the last time he'd seen her that way but it didn't, it was strangely beautiful and made him feel only awe and affection.
Without another word, he turned silently towards the horizon and raised his hands. Water floated up from the sea to obey his command and when dropped his arms slowly and gracefully, the liquid folded in on itself, scooping up hundreds of little starfish before washing them back onto the ocean. He repeated the process a few times until all the starfish along the bay were back where they belonged, glowing in the distance to form an ethereal blanket of light under the waves.
"Why did you do that?" Korra was staring at him dumbfounded.
"You asked for help. You made a valid point." Noatak shrugged lightly, yet another gesture that she wasn't used to see from him.
"Thank you." The Avatar nodded gratefully but still confused. "But why did you bend?
"The better question is- why didn't you?" He too was now looking at her with curiosity and confusion, his hands folded at the small of his back.
"I should have, I wanted to, it was my first instinct." She stated, almost as confused by her own reaction as he was, her gaze slipping back to the aquatic glow while she toed the sand uneasily.
"Why didn't you?" The equalist insisted.
"I guess I didn't want to upset you when you were already so mad at me." The reply came out murmured and sheepish, as if she was embarrassed to admit it but no longer angry enough to keep up the belligerent façade.
"… You were trying to spare my feelings by resisting the urge to bend?" Noatak looked truly lost and taken aback.
"It's stupid, I know." Korra shrugged, now staring at her own feet.
"It's not." Noatak sounded moved and reached out to cup her cheek in his hand to make her look at him; when she did she noticed that his face held and swollen red mark but his expression was much gentler. "But I understand bending for the sake of saving lives, Korra. I just don't want you take it for granted or abuse it, I don't want you to feel like just because you have power that means you have to use it and take on everything alone."
"I know that, I just…" She started but then trailed off and let out a sigh. "I'm sorry I was reckless. I'm not used to having to worry about more than just myself… Well, I am, that's all I ever do, but I mean when it comes to self-sacrifice."
"I know." He nodded, still caressing her cheek. Despite the fact that she was often called self-centered, Noatak was well aware that Korra put everyone ahead of herself and having to do otherwise for the sake of the life inside her was a new concept to her- something that he had been forgetting. "And I'm aware that I've been harsh and unfair for the past couple of weeks, I was just worried and letting out my frustration in the wrong ways."
"I understand." It was Korra's turn to nod before she leaned closer to him.
Noatak's arms wrapped around her obligingly and the Avatar embraced him back tightly enough to make his ribs creak, yet he didn't complain and simply let her cling to him for as long as she needed because it was clear that the tension between them in those past few weeks had taken a toll on her and she was desperate for reassurance and affection, then again, so was he.
They didn't quite pull away from the hug but eventually they sat down on the cool sand with Korra on his lap, her back to his front and his arms around her waist as they watched the glow of the starfishes shimmering in the distance under the inky waves, mirroring the flicker of the stars above and the shine of the half-moon.
"… I don't regret it." Korra spoke suddenly, out of the blue. "What you were saying about us."
"Which part?" Noatak wondered noncommittally, trying not to get his hopes up.
"All of it. The relationship, the pregnancy, everything. I don't regret it." She stated sincerely and let out a resigned sigh. "You're right, we once hated each other but the fact that we got over it makes what we have stronger and while it's true that I started to fall for you precisely because it was forbidden and challenging, that doesn't mean I love you any less now. In fact, I've loved you so much and for so long that it makes what happened during the revolution seem like a drop of water in the ocean."
"I feel the same way, Korra. I have for a long time." The equalist leaned over to brush a kiss to her cheek but then his hands landed gently on her stomach and his honest tone became more stoic. "But what about the baby? You are old enough to start a family but you're still young and I'm… not. Are you sure you want this? Are you sure you want to give up your freedom?"
"…You know, when I first found out about the kid, that was exactly what worried me. Not the part about your age, I don't think you're that old, but the part about freedom." Korra mused thoughtfully.
"And?" He coached her into continuing.
"And now I realize that having a child with the right person is a beautiful thing, not a prison sentence. I might lose some free time, I might have to change a lot of things in my life, but what I gain in return will be more than worth it." Korra's head tipped back over his shoulder so she could look at him and he could see the truth in her words reflected on her face. "I can still be who I want despite the added responsibility, I'm no stranger to responsibility in the first place, and though it might be harder I can still be the Avatar the world needs. A baby won't hinder me, it will just give me more reason to fight for what I care about, it will just bring more love into my life."
"You seem to have thought more about this than I gave you credit for." Noatak was impressed again, she had argued so irrationally earlier that he never imagined she had given the matter this much consideration.
"That happens when you're stuck in bed for two weeks with nothing to do." The Avatar rolled her eyes, trying to be annoyed by his remark, but truthfully although she had thought a lot about the situation, she hadn't really come to any conclusions until this night- until she started to say out loud everything that she had been holding back.
"I'm glad you're willing to have my baby, Korra." The equalist smiled, not his usual smirk or that ghost of smile that hid more than it showed but a real genuine smile that Korra always thought was as rare as an eclipse and just as lovely and blinding to watch.
"It's too late to say that now, isn't it?" She snickered playfully. "You know, you can still run for the hills if you want. I wouldn't blame you." Korra stated but then paused and frowned a little. "Ok, I would blame you and kick your ass but you know what I mean."
"Why would I leave? I told you already, I want this more than anything. I never dreamt I'd be a father, I never even knew I wanted it, but now that it's about to happen I can't imagine anything that would make me happier." Noatak held her more tightly, once again placing kisses on her skin, along her neck this time.
Now that they had finally vented all the stress, doubts and anger, now that they had reached a compromise, he missed their closeness and wanted to reassure her of his feelings. Not to mention that they were both secretly thanking the starfishes for dampening their anger before their fight got truly out of hand and they said things that couldn't be taken back.
"Even if the mother is the Avatar you were always taught to hate?" Korra enquired a little uncertainly.
"Especially because the mother is you, the woman I love, the first person I've felt can be a match for me on any level." He corrected firmly and shifted just enough so they look each other in the eye. "I don't care that you're the Avatar or twenty years younger or a former enemy that defeated me and pushed me out a window."
"I did, didn't I?" She chuckled at the memory. Once upon a time the mere thought of that battle still struck terror in her but now it no longer felt so horrible, now it was just part of their tale. "To be fair, you were asking for it and you did worse to me."
"That I did." Noatak agreed neutrally, he disliked remembering those days more than she did. "Which is why I'm even more grateful for this baby, for all intents and purposes I don't deserve such a gift from you."
"It's not a gift, it's a mutual project." Korra smirked, feeling flattered and approving of his choice of words. However, she then cleared her throat and looked strictly at him. "Still, I don't want you to have any illusions- this baby will probably be a bender and I will be proud of that."
"Just because I don't always agree with your beliefs doesn't mean I can't compromise for the sake of our child, and just because I used to blame bending for all that was wrong in the world doesn't mean I will reject my own child for it. I'll simply teach it to be responsible with its skills and never take them for granted or use them unfairly." The equalist explained with such certainty that she suspected he had been practicing this answer for a while.
"Good because I'll kick you out a higher window if you do otherwise." The Avatar warned, only half joking, before she took notice of something else. "…You said 'used to blame bending'?"
"Yes." Noatak nodded.
"You don't anymore?" She wondered with abundant curiosity, for the last couple of years she suspected how he had come to feel about this but it was different when the suspicions got put into words.
"I still think nonbenders are treated unfairly and need every edge they can get, I'm still on their side, but that doesn't mean I'm still against benders. The two are not mutually exclusive." The equalist stated diplomatically. "I realized that it's not the power we have that makes us right or wrong, good or evil, it's what we chose to do with it. I have become biased but you and your adventures taught me that."
"You grew up." Korra teased, smiling with approval.
"So did you." Noatak pointed out perceptively, referring to more than just her physical age.
The Avatar agreed but she chose to shrug noncommittally and cuddled into his embrace with her feet buried in the cool sand and the starfish glow still casting pale blue light around them. However, a moment later there was something she couldn't hold in any longer so she blurted out- "…I'm sorry for how I talked earlier."
"I apologize too." He didn't even have to nod or accept her words, he merely agreed that they were both at fault.
"You know I love you, right?" Korra grinned and turned just enough to kiss him.
"As much as I love you." Noatak responded and kissed back in slow tender way that was rare for them as opposed their usual passionate kisses but that remained equally delicious and more comforting than amount of soft words.
~~~~~.:oOo:.~~~~~~
(A/N: While tried to think of how to work around the 'Star' prompt, I once again turned to a childhood memory for inspiration- once, when I was around 10 years old, I was at the beach with other kids from a summer activities group and there was a wave of spindly starfishes that washed ashore and all the kids ran out to catch them. I figured it was a great way to combine 'star' with waterbenders and reproduction.
On a less related note, when I was 5 or 6 I went to a beach near that one and there was a black wave that scared everyone at first but then it turned out to be harmless, it just washed ashore thousands of sardines. That was another memorable day. Ah, the weirdness of living by the ocean.)
