"You know," Bataar's voice was a low growl, but it wasn't threatening enough to make Kuvira look up from the papers in front of her, "If I had known six months ago when we came to this godforsaken city that I would spend the next six months being ignored, I would have stayed at home."
"You're not being ignored," Kuvira shrugged, barely paying attention to what he was saying, "You just weren't needed. Now that the three rings are calm, you are needed. We need an architect, an engineer. You're both. We need to rebuild the city. Though, if you want to go back to Zaofu…feel free. Leave before it gets dark."
She glanced up in time to see his nostrils flare as he bit his tongue, swallowing down whatever quick retort had been in his throat. He wasn't wrong. At least not in his frustration. He wanted to do more, but Kuvira didn't need him. She hadn't, up until that point. But now they needed to repair countless amounts of damage strewn throughout the city. Damage that had piled up in the months following the Earth Queen's assassination. It wasn't enough to simply stabilize Ba Sing Se. There were other things to do. Kuvira couldn't let herself leave the city in the same physical condition it had been in when they arrived. She had too much pride to do that. The city has to look better. We have to have something to show for it. Ba Sing Se will be a beacon like it once was. I'm tired of looking at the charred and broken husk.
"Are you even listening to me?"
She'd been vaguely aware that he was still talking, and when he asked her she turned to look at him. He was scowling, and clearly he'd said something he'd expected a response to.
"Sorry," Kuvira shook her head, "What?"
"I said," Bataar huffed, "That one of the Future Industries airships is expected to land this afternoon. Do you want us to unload the supplies when it lands, or wait until morning?"
"If it gets here before dinner, unload it." Kuvira shrugged, "Otherwise leave it for morning."
"Yes, Kuvira" Bataar nodded, still seeming irritated. "I'll let the workers know."
He left her in the office alone a moment later, and she took a deep breath before she propped her elbows on the desk and pinched the bridge of her nose. This was the last airship full of supplies she expected to buy from Asami, though she wasn't sure it would be enough. If it wasn't, she knew she'd have to ask for more. Even though she paid for everything Asami and Future Industries sent her, Kuvira still felt guilty for doing so. Like you're fucking taking advantage of her.
Kuvira hoped the airship wouldn't arrive too late, though she knew Asami had a keen interest in making sure they always arrived in a predictable and timely manner. She let her forehead drop onto the desk with a groan, and she stayed like that for several moments before she forced herself to reopen her eyes. I've got work to do. Her gaze went back to the papers in front of her and she sighed. I doubt I'll get anything else done today. Great.
Asami bit her lip and grinned as she peeked through the door to Kuvira's office. She knew Kuvira was inside, the guards had told her as much. She saw Kuvira hunched over the desk reading, her chin resting on one of her gloved hands. She had her head turned from the door, and Asami wondered if she'd be able to sneak up on her. Not that she particularly wanted to, but she did want to surprise her. Asami knew Kuvira wasn't expecting her, but Asami had found an opening in her schedule that allowed her to make another visit to Ba Sing Se as Future Industries delivered another shipment.
She slipped through the open door silently, easing it shut behind her without so much of a click of sound that followed. Quite proud of herself for accomplishing that much, she began slowly tiptoeing across the room. She kept her eyes on Kuvira's still form, realizing how tense Kuvira seemed. Maybe this isn't such a good idea.
"Kuvira?" She was relieved that Kuvira didn't seem startled, though she did shift slightly in her seat.
Before Kuvira could turn around Asami stepped over to where Kuvira was seated, reaching with one hand to gently turn Kuvira's face toward her. Kuvira let out a sigh and leaned into the touch, her eyes closing as she did so.
"Busy?" Asami asked, stroking her thumb against Kuvira's cheek.
"I should be, but no."
Asami smiled and leaned down to brush a kiss against Kuvira's lips. When she pulled away Kuvira was looking at her with a grin playing at the corner of her mouth. Before Asami could ask, Kuvira removed one of her gloves and brought her bare hand up to cover the one Asami still held against her cheek. She never wore the gloves long around Asami, and knowing Kuvira took them off only for her was always a pleasant thought.
"I wasn't expecting you," Kuvira murmured, shifting her head enough to kiss Asami's palm, "Not for a while, at least."
"What can I say?" Asami chuckled, "I've missed you."
Kuvira hummed in acknowledgement, winding her arm around Asami's waist and pulling her closer. Asami smiled and settled herself into Kuvira's lap before Kuvira leaned her head against Asami's shoulder.
"Feeling affectionate, Captain?" Asami murmured, pressing a kiss into Kuvira's hair.
"Only for you."
Asami smiled and closed her eyes, her arms wrapping loosely around Kuvira's middle. She took a deep breath, inhaling the warm and slightly metallic scent that was undeniably Kuvira's. Kuvira had missed her too, that much was obvious. Asami found herself hoping that Kuvira and the others were busy rebuilding the city. That was something Asami knew she could help with, and doing so would give her a reason to stay in Ba Sing Se for a few days. Staying meant she got to sleep next to Kuvira every night, and Asami wasn't about to complain about that.
"Did you get the fires put out?" Asami kept her voice low as she absentmindedly traced patterns between Kuvira's shoulder blades with her finger. She knew the last time she'd called, the lower-ring had been in flames.
Kuvira sighed and shifted so that she was looking at Asami, only to nod.
"It took three days," Kuvira admitted, "The houses and shops down in the lower ring are so small and close together…it destroyed a quarter of the buildings down there. If we hadn't stopped it-." She closed her eyes for a moment and turned her face away from Asami and let out a slow breath. "I have no idea how many people died, or how many are homeless now. Because we couldn't stop it fast enough. I don't even know if it could have been prevented."
"Are you going to rebuild down there? Or at least build some sort of shelters for the people who've been left homeless?"
"I would like to, but that means we'll need more material. I refuse to ask you for more, Asami. Then Bataar would have something else on his plate, since he's in charge of designing and building everything-."
Kuvira already felt like she was using her, Asami knew that much. She hated that she felt that way, and she sighed as she reached out and took Kuvira by the chin, turning her to face her once more.
"I'll take care of that," Asami promised, looking at Kuvira in earnest. I want to help you. "Will you take me to the lower-ring? I want to see it."
She needed to get a grasp on the true extent of the damage if she expected to do anything about it. She wanted Kuvira to go with her, but was willing to go alone if necessary. Asami found herself surprised when Kuvira nodded her agreement. Smiling, Asami slid out of Kuvira's lap, taking her by the hand and pulling her to her feet.
"Thank you. Should we bring Bataar? I could use his input."
"I'll get him. Wait here."
Asami nodded and watched as Kuvira walked out of the room. Once she was gone Asami walked over to the window and hummed as she looked out over the city. She could see several thin plumes of smoke scattered closer to the lower-ring and she wondered if they were remnants of the fire, or something else entirely. She hoped, whatever they were, that they weren't serious. It was hard to believe that Kuvira and the others were already ready to begin repairing the damage months had left on Ba Sing Se. It felt like it had only been days since Kuvira had originally arrived in the city.
"Asami?"
Bolin's voice came from behind her, and Asami whipped her head around, grinning when she saw him standing in the doorway. She crossed the distance between them quickly, throwing her arms around him with a laugh before he lifted her off her feet. She'd missed him terribly, and hadn't been able to see him the last few times she'd been to visit Kuvira.
"Bolin, how are you?" Asami laughed when he put her back on her feet and began swaying side to side.
"I'm great!" He beamed at her. "How have you been? I've been busy helping clear debris and stuff out of the lower-ring, and I handed out food this morning…"
Bolin continued recounting what he'd been doing in the city, and Asami was glad to see that he was still excited. He'd wanted to truly help people, and while he was in Ba Sing Se he was doing exactly that. She took him by the arm as he continued, guiding him out into the hall. She was fully set on taking him with her to the lower-ring, knowing that would lighten whatever mood Kuvira and Bataar were both in.
They didn't have to wait long, though Asami was a little upset when Bolin stopped talking the second Bataar and Kuvira arrived. Kuvira was scowling when she first saw them, but when she glanced from Bolin to Asami she smiled. Asami had told her how fond of Bolin she was, and Kuvira had grown to like him since he'd begun helping her.
She looped her arm through Bolin's and smiled when Kuvira stepped past them in the hall, motioning for them to follow her. Once they were outside Asami and Bolin caught up to her, walking next to her as they made their way through the city streets. It took them a while to get from the upper-ring to the lower, but Asami knew they were getting closer by the time she smelled the smoke. It lingered on everything, even though Asami knew most if not all of the fires were out.
Kuvira's features shifted as they entered the lower-ring, along with Bolin's. It was as if the light had been sucked out of both of them. Kuvira's eyes grew dark, while Bolin's entire body seemed to droop. Asami had been about to ask if it really was that severe in the lower-ring, until she saw the first charred street.
Every building, or what remained of them, was ashen and black. The damage had spread because of the close proximity of the buildings, and Asami swallowed when she saw the true extent of what had happened. Her mind was divided between sympathy for those that had lost and the gears that had already begun to turn regarding what she could do to help them. Kuvira had told her it was a quarter of the lower-ring, but Asami was determined. She couldn't bring back the dead or heal the injured, but reconstruction was right up her alley. I can help her fix this. It will be alright again.
"You'd be better off doing it street by street." Asami reached out as she spoke to put her hand on Kuvira's arm. "If you could clear out this street here and rebuild it or salvage what you can, then move up to the next one—it won't exactly be fast work, but it'll get done. The houses here are small and jammed together. Bataar, you'll have to keep that in mind when you start planning. We need to keep this from happening again, right? So there needs to be…space."
"Where are we going to put space?" Bataar huffed, crossing his arms. "The buildings are close together for a reason. The lower-ring is too densely populated. The houses have to be small."
"Build up." Asami shrugged. "Up instead of out. You can go a lot taller, as long as you've got a sturdy base. That'll give you the room to create safe distance between the structures and still accommodate everyone."
Kuvira nodded, taking a few steps further down the street and folding her arms behind her back as she looked around.
"Bataar." Kuvira turned her head to look at him over her shoulder. "If you had the supplies, how soon do you think you could finish the first section of this?"
"If I have enough materials and enough people, probably a month. That's if I get enough manpower to do it."
Kuvira took a deep breath, and Asami knew, or thought she knew, exactly what Kuvira was thinking about. She knew Kuvira hadn't expected instant results, but for one quarter of the lower-ring, a month per street wasn't going to be good. Something had to be done.
"Kuvira," Asami suggested, hoping her guess at Kuvira's thoughts was right, "I know it's not been long since the fires were put out. But have you provided any temporary shelter for the people affected by this?"
"Some. Not enough."
"Well." Asami's mind was churning over where she could get tents that would be suitable for the task, "I might know some business contacts that can help with that. If you pay them, of course, I'm sure they'd be more than able to fulfill the needs of those left homeless until you can rebuild."
The offer was coming from Asami, but Asami wouldn't be losing anything in the process. Just another way to help. Kuvira had to see that, and would hopefully not turn the idea down. Not that she would, considering how upset this makes her.
"That will work." Kuvira finally nodded, her expression softening. "Thank you, Asami. We'll figure the details out when we go back."
She started to say more, but a loud sigh from Bolin cut her off.
"I wish Korra was here," He muttered, looking down at his feet and kicking at a rock. "Korra would have been able to do something sooner, I know she would. Korra would have been able to help us."
"Yeah." Asami nodded, casting a look around at the devastation. "She would have. That's what she'd have wanted, too."
The only difference was that Korra couldn't. At least, Asami didn't think she was well enough to. She was sure that if Korra had been able to, she would have been there in Ba Sing Se with them. Whether Korra would be able to do more or not, she didn't know.
When she glanced at Kuvira again, she saw that Kuvira was scowling, her head tilted up just enough to eye one of the thin trails of smoke wafting up through the sky. Asami couldn't help but wonder if mentioning Korra had bothered Kuvira, though she was sure it did on some level. She heard Bataar ask Bolin a question, though she didn't hear it nor the answer, too focused on watching Kuvira's eyes trace the path of the smoke. When Bolin and Bataar left the pair of them in favor of walking further down the street, Asami sighed and stepped closer to Kuvira.
"You're doing the best you can." Asami promised, in a tone as comforting as she could manage as she pressed a kiss to Kuvira's cheek. "I know you are. And I think you're doing a fantastic job, considering everything you've had to overcome. Don't doubt that."
It didn't wipe the frown off Kuvira's face, but it got her to look at Asami again. She nodded, letting out a sigh before her gaze followed Bataar and Bolin down the street.
"Let's go see the rest of this mess."
Asami took a deep breath and settled into the mattress, looking down at Kuvira with a faint smile. Kuvira was laying across the bed with her head resting on Asami's abdomen, watching her with tired and half-lidded eyes. She could feel her sweat cooling on her bare skin, and the chill nearly made her shiver. Asami's body felt heavy with her own tiredness, but watching Kuvira was far more interesting than sleep. She knew when the time came that she'd eventually fall asleep in Kuvira's arms, but Asami was content to stay awake a while longer. The intimacy and passion between them was definitely something Asami missed when she was home, but she loved the quiet moments like this just as much, if not more. She missed Kuvira far too much when she was in Republic City as it was, so she was going to enjoy it while she could. At least for a few more days.
Kuvira's voice finally broke the silence after they'd laid there for nearly half an hour, drawing Asami's attention away from her own thoughts.
"They want to make me the temporary leader of the kingdom," Kuvira said quietly, "At least until the queen's heir is…ready. Her great-nephew, I think."
Asami nodded, and knew she'd heard a little about the prince being in Republic City. Still, she thought Kuvira was doing a fantastic job all things considered, so if they thought she needed to be appointed as a stand-in leader, so be it.
"I just…I don't want to be a disappointment." Kuvira admitted. "I've always felt like that. Since my parents abandoned me in Zaofu, I've always felt like I wasn't good enough. I don't deserve this—this title. That's all it is. The prince isn't capable of dealing with this, so I have to. I'm doing work he should be—I'm sorry. I shouldn't bother you with this." Kuvira's eyes were dark, her brows knitted with her own worry. Asami sighed and ran her finger along Kuvira's jaw as she watched her. "I just…I don't deserve to be in charge of anything. I just want to help the city. It was my first home. I owe that much."
"Considering all the great work you've done, Kuvira, I don't think making you temporary leader is much of a stretch. It's just a title, after all. You're already the one in charge, there's no question about that. You're just getting the recognition you deserve."
"I'm sure the people here hate me enough as it is," Kuvira sighed, still holding Asami's gaze. "At least in the lower-ring they do. And we still have to rebuild all the damage done to the entire city since the queen's death—this title just gives them another reason to despise me."
Asami used the tip of her finger to gently trace the curve of Kuvira's back. "They don't hate you, at least not you specifically. You're doing necessary work here. They would hate it a lot more if no one did anything and the Earth Kingdom completely fell apart." She smiled as she began to stroke her hand through Kuvira's hair. "Though if it helps, I certainly don't hate you."
Kuvira smiled at her and reached up to take Asami by the hand, lacing their fingers together.
"I'm glad someone doesn't. Though I have to be honest, this whole…process...it would have taken much longer without your help. All the supplies you've given-that's the reason we've been able to get this far. Without you, I'm sure I'd have gone crazy by now. I really appreciate it, Asami."
"I told you," Asami gently pulled on Kuvira's hand, drawing her to move up so their faces were closer together, "I believe in the work you're doing, especially here. I believe in you." She kissed the back of Kuvira's hand and let her lips linger there for a moment. All she could think about was how much she enjoyed her time with Kuvira, no matter how short. Being with Kuvira felt like the only time in her life that she wasn't riddled with stress and worn down by loneliness. With Korra gone and her relationships with everyone else becoming so strained, Kuvira was the best thing in her life. "I—I love you, Kuvira. I really do."
Kuvira's eyes widened, if only slightly before she shifted on the bed and put her forehead against Asami's.
"I love you too," She replied without hesitation, "You're the best thing in my life right now, Asami."
Asami found herself smiling brightly once again. "I feel the same way. Everything has been so crazy since…the Red Lotus…" She let her voice trail off for only a moment and shook her head. "It just seemed like nothing would be safe again, you know? Then I met you and…when I'm around you everything just seems to calm down. It's incredible. You make me happy." She leaned up and gave Kuvira a gentle kiss. "Plus, I'm in love with the new, temporary leader of the Earth Kingdom." She grinned, kissing her again. "I'm in love with you."
Kuvira sat up, taking Asami's face in both of her hands before she leaned forward and pressed a series of quick kisses against Asami's mouth.
"I'm so happy," Kuvira murmured between kisses, "Knowing you feel the same way I do, that you always understand—I love you, Asami."
Asami let out a content sigh, one hand wandering into Kuvira's hair as she tugged Kuvira's bottom lip between her teeth.
"I love you too." Asami replied before grinning mischievously, "Now…show me, Captain."