A/N: I stayed up until 4 in the morning writing this, knowing that I wouldn't have time to write it. After entertaining a 4, 3, 2, and 1 year old yesterday (my cousins) I was pretty exhausted. So excuse in spelling/grammar/etc.

Oh, by the way, full-on lemon in this one. You have been warned.

He who does not trust enough, Will not be trusted.
Lao Tzu

.

.

-/ Gateway Part VI /-

After shrugging out of the tight black tea shop uniform, Korra smiled as she put on the tunic. Although it wasn't as comfortable as her Water Tribe clothes, the black, loose outfit was a far cry from uncomfortable. Harithida had given her several pairs of identical robes and pants, and even a canvas pair of shoes that actually fit. Feeling relaxed and content, Korra settled into the kitchen, picking her way through the pantry.

A smile of victory crossed her lips as she set sight on a beautiful looking loaf of bread. The smell tickled her nose, and her stomach growled in approval. Korra laughed as she pat her abdomen. "Nice, yummy bread it is."

Korra sat on the floor, legs crossed as she tore of bits of the bread and shoved them in her mouth relentless. She hadn't realized how hungry she was - maybe it was her appetite that fueled her need for more bread.

Once she finished the first loaf, she shuffled through the pantry once again. She found a tin can filled with what looked like dried sea prunes. Korra's eyes widened as she ravaged the container until their wasn't a crumb left.

Korra still felt a twinge of hunger, though consciously she knew she couldn't possibly need more food. Her stomach stuck out with fullness. Chewing her lip, Korra considered that maybe hunger was an illusion...like everything else.

Heaving a sigh, she picked herself up off the floor and gathered her things in the crooks of her elbows. She needed to leave before she ate the whole kitchen.

She exited the tea shop the way she came: a backdoor in the boudoir lead straight to the alleyway were she had parted with Meng to join Harithida. Outside, the sun was still up - barely. Korra wasn't surprised; it seemed like the sun and the moon were not slaves to time or perception. They came and went when they pleased.

Once Korra reached the end of the alleyway, slightly nervous to walk in the street with the spirits still roaming about, she wondered where Meng was. He hadn't told her that he'd meet her after work, but she had assumed he would. He took her everywhere. Korra had only a vague idea of where his flat was located relative to the tea shop. Her eyebrows pulled together as she tried to recall the path they had taken. Unfortunately, she hadn't been paying much attention since she had been otherwise...distracted.

Korra groaned and kicked the side of the building she leaned on. It was just perfect. She was supposed to be the independent one - the one who could do things her own way without anyone's help. She was the Avatar, for spirits' sakes! She hadn't realized she was at the mercy of Meng to take her everywhere.

Well maybe I'll find it by myself, Korra thought roughly as she raised her chin. She took a left out of the alley, padding footsteps up the paved road. Hoping she might just stumble across that familiar alley where Meng's front door was.

There were many spirits. They all seemed to be looking at her, but Korra couldn't be sure. She sure as hell wasn't looking at them.

.

.

Korra was not certain how long she had been walking before fatigue overcame her. Being in the Spirit World must have disturbed her stamina, which was quite high. She recalled the vague memories of her training sessions, where she single-handedly tired her partners before really undoing them with her superior bending abilities. Longingly, Korra sighed as she brought a hand to her face. Despite the insanity of the fact, she was sweating. Her throat ached and her tongue was dry, feeling like sandpaper against her lips as she licked them.

All the streets looked identical, lined with nearly identical buildings. There were no landmarks that assisted her - Korra couldn't recall passing one building that looked like these when leaving Meng's flat. With a shudder of despair, the realization of helplessness flooded her. Korra was lost.

Water, she thought, letting out a heavy sigh as her eyes fluttered shut. Her feet felt heavy and her thoughts incoherent. Could it be possible she was dehydrated? Korra did not try to rationalize the tiredness that weighed her down. Opening her eyes barely, she saw a slight glitter in the distance. Eyes widening, she realized, in the middle of the street... was a fountain.

Despite the weakness in her muscles, her body propelled forward, the sound of her feet pounding against the stone-paved road meshing with the hallow gushing of the fountain's water. It was simply carved from what looked like marble, and was only lavish in the artistic way the water spurted from the center, crystal drops dripping from all sides. Mesmerized, Korra climbed on to the side of the fountain and kicked off her shoes, sticking her feet in the water as she let the fountain shower her face.

As the liquid poured down her body, relief washed over Korra as well. Her lips parted, allowing the water to drip into her mouth. She lapped it up, her body immediately regaining strength. Swinging out of the pool, she instinctively sifted her hands through the air, a motion that, in her world, would bend the water from her skin and clothes. Pausing after she realized that the form had done nothing, her hands clenched into fists.

Korra exhaled, frustration filling her as she gazed down in the water. She longed to move it, to feel every molecule in her body shift as she commanded the water around her. Looking down at her hands, she wished that she could create a small flame that's heat would spread through her body, causing the dampness on her to evaporate.

It was an understatement when Korra solemnly admitted to her self that she felt useless. Practically her entire life she had been conditioned to being Avatar Korra. Very few years she spent being anything but the reincarnation of the Avatar before her. She was aware she had large shoes to fill, which was why she trained so rigorously. However, through her dedication, her whole body and soul had been immersed in bending. She relied on it. She needed it. It was a part of her.

Trying to clear her mind, Korra began to wring her hair like a wash cloth, the water dripping back into the glistening pool. As she did this, she noticed the water wasn't a light, translucent blue. It had taken a yellowish tone... and it was glowing.

Korra wasn't overwhelmed by the peculiarity of the glowing, but nonetheless turned her undivided attention toward the fountain. The splashing water created ripples, but part of the pool became unaffected and seemed to freeze over, still maintaining its glowing state. Korra reached a hand toward it, placing a hand on the solidified area. It wasn't cool like ice, but a moderate temperature. Like glass.

"Korra." The sound came from everywhere, and nowhere at the same time. Glancing around, Korra saw no one. The square was empty. She didn't even see any spirits around her; she had just assumed they were roaming about as she refused to acknowledge them. She heard her name again, and then realized that it was being called from inside her mind.

She inhaled slightly as her eyes locked on the pool again, a profile of a man augmenting from a blurry image into a vivid picture. For a slight moment, the name Tenzin screamed through her mind, although she barely recognized the name. She was confronted with the blurry haze that separated her conscious thoughts from her former memories. Then, the name faded just like dust in the wind. The man might be vaguely similar to that ghost of a memory, but it wasn't him. His jaw was square and his brown-grey eyes protruding from the center of his face. The blue arrow dissecting his profile.

This was Aang.

Korra's face contorted into anger as she stared down at the glowing image. "What do you want Jorn?" she spewed, doubling over as she was confronted with the reminder that he took her soul. He probably ruined her chances of ever talking to her past life, the man he was once again impersonating - except he was older now.

"I'm not Jorn." The voice was hallow, but powerful, echoing in her mind. Korra's eyes narrowed as she watched the glowing figure, and then they widened.

Glancing around frantically before looking down in the pool again, Korra hissed. "Aang! Is that really you?"

His two dimensional chin nodded.

"You - you can't be here," she whispered, eyes still watchful. "If I talk to you, Jorn will keep my soul forever..." She started to exclaim, but Aang's resonating voice in her mind broke her thoughts.

"I know, Korra. I know about the deal you forged with the master of this village. And I know the consequences of him hearing of our meeting, so you must listen carefully." Korra nodded, hesitant but attentive, as she gazed down into the pool.

"The spirits in this world do not like to be challenged, so they will treat you as they would any human. Like an animal, cursed to labor and eventually become a meal when it suits them. However, you are first and foremost the Avatar. Your spirit is forged of the mystic forces that compose the spirits of this world. That spirit might have been incarnated into a human body - thousand times over, even - but you are a spiritual being nonetheless.

"You can leave this world, by yourself, if you access the spiritual power within. You can reopen the gate, so that your body may leave."

Korra shuddered. "I came her because..." she trailed off, searching for the words. "Because I'm not spiritual. I need your guidance, Aang. How do I open the gate again?"

"You have the potential unlocked; perhaps in a moment of great emotional peril you can trigger the spiritual energy and escape." Aang's voice, although filled with wisdom, was also tainted by doubt. This made Korra grimace.

"Can I..." Korra mumbled, eyes shifting down the empty street. "Take others with me?"

"It is within your power."

With those words, his image evaporated and the water dispersed over the plate of glass where the glowing former Avatar had been. Korra punched her fist into the water, closing her eyes as she exhaled.

She had made a mistake by trying to contact Aang so unconventionally - she apparently had the potential all along. She wasn't broken or an incomplete Avatar like her inner-doubts suggested. Her impatience and desperation had got the better of her, and now she was at risk of never leaving. Being in this world was like walking on a thin sheet of ice - once false move could be her demise. The only comfort she seemed to have was Meng, and he was nowhere to be found.

And what the hell did emotional peril mean? Korra grit her teeth; she had been feeling extremely emotional since she arrived. So afraid.

Korra slid to the ground, leaning her back against the wall of the fountain. She wrapped her arms around her legs, propping her chin atop her knees. Staring down the end of the street, she saw something moving towards her. Squinting, Korra felt like she was evaporating. Meng was coming towards her, jogging along the paved road.

Her chest suddenly filled with warmness, embarrassment at this making her cheeks flush. His expression melted when their eyes met, transforming from the stale mask into complete relief.

"You're alright," he breathed as he dropped to his knees, level with Korra. He reached for her hands, gathering them between his own and smiling slightly. "I was concerned."

Korra rolled her eyes. "I was more concerned about you," she muttered. "I thought it was rather odd you weren't hovering over me as soon as the tea shop closed."

His eyes glinted. "That... was not my choice." They both rose from the ground, standing awkwardly before each other. Filling the silence, Meng elaborated. "Jorn called for an impromptu meeting. He wanted me to...brief him on some of the assignments he's given me. And he asked me about you."

This caught Korra's attention. "Really?" She raised an eyebrow playfully.

"He knew you're living in my flat, and wanted to know if I was 'pining' for you." His lips spread into a mischievous grin, making Korra's heart stutter.

Korra took a few steps forward, closing the space between them but not making physical contact. "And are you 'pining' for me?" she breathed, almost embarrassed by the seductive tone her voice took.

Meng brought a hand to her face, delicately swiping the rough pads of his fingers across her cheek. "Despite the outdatedness of the term...yes," he muttered. "But I told him I was just lonely."

Korra's eyebrows pulled together. "What?"

Backtracking, Meng dropped his hand and crossed his arms. "Korra, I... I am older than you."

Eying him incredulously, she shrugged her shoulders and crossed her arms. "So? What does that have to do with anything?"

"What I mean is... spirits. I don't think I have ever been so horrible at verbalizing something in my life," he stammered. Sobering, he relinquished all self-control and embraced Korra in a tight hug, pressing her against his firm chest, chin resting on her head. "You make me feel... alive. Before I found you, I never thought I could feel this way."

Speechless, Korra reciprocated by wrapping her arms around him.

"You are kind, smart, and brave. And beautiful," he added. "I intended to be your friend, because I knew Jorn would take advantage of my feelings just like he's taken advantage of my fear to make me his servant.

"I don't want him to use my feelings for you against me, or to hurt you," he whispered into her hair. "So I told Jorn that... I was keeping you with me to satiate my...loneliness."

Korra swallowed. "Oh," she breathed, understanding. "You mean for sex."

He was silent, so she took that as an affirmation.

"As long as it isn't true," she mumbled, eyes rolling shut as they released each other. His eyes were hard, and they watched her like a eaglehawk.

"Of course it isn't," he said forcefully.

Korra sighed, rolling her eyes at his stiffness. "If you say so." She flashed a smile, hooking her arm into Meng's in that familiar way. "Now, if you don't mind, I'd like to go back to the flat. You'll never believe who I just talked to."

.

.

Once they were back in the safety of Meng's flat, Korra explained her encounter with a liquid version of her past life. Meng listened attentively, shocked that Avatar Aang - knowing the deal Korra had made with Jorn - had risked showing himself to Korra. He must have been desperate - this concerned Meng.

He was not the expert on spiritual matters, but Meng found it strange that Meng knew Korra was in Damen Shi. Perhaps another spirit had informed him, but that wouldn't explain Aang's knowledge of the deal. The only plausible explanation was that Jorn contacted Avatar Aang.

Meng shared this concern with Korra, as they sat down at his dining table, and she agreed. "I never thought of that, I just assumed the spirits were all-knowing," she muttered. "But now I'm worried."

Meng nodded solemnly. "At least Aang knows not to come here. Though why would he tell Avatar Aang the terms of the contract if he desired to keep your soul..." He rubbed a hand against his forehead, trying to conjure a plausible explanation. "Jorn couldn't have told Aang. He's too greedy to risk losing such a powerful soul."

"Well, I guess it doesn't matter anyways. If I can't get out of here, he might was well keep my soul." Korra's expression hardened as her bright blue eyes locked with Meng's. He tilted his head sympathetically, wishing he could kiss her full, pouting lips. "I just... don't know what to do," Korra murmured, her facade of calm-and-collected collapsing beneath Meng's fingers as he wrapped his arm around her shoulder. "He acted like being spiritual was so easy. Maybe for him it was, being a monk and all, but not me. I'm abrasive. Rough."

"Perfect," Meng interjected without thinking, making Korra pause.

"Perfect's a pretty strong word, you know." She frowned, looking up at him. His blue eyes deepened, and his face grew closer to hers as he leaned across the table.

"You will find a way to get out of here, because your perceived weaknesses are also your strengths. You aren't passive; you will not go down without a fight."

Korra chuckled emptily. "I guess not."

Without warning, Meng's lips crushed into hers, making Korra whelp and then turn into a puddle of sickly-sweet emotion as she relaxed against him. Their lips moved together at a rate of near-desperation, and Korra broke it to gasp for air.

"You think I'm perfect?" she asked before their lips reunited, her words echoing in the air. Meng nodded, bringing his hands up to grip her cheeks, thumbs resting on the underside of her chin.

"Yes." His tongue brushed against her teeth, and Korra granted him permission to enter her, their mouths dancing in a near-power struggle. Meng swung his legs over the table and lifted them, Korra's legs shaky as a million emotions exploded inside her.

The fight for power ended as they melted together, Korra gripping herself against Meng's chest as she wrapped her legs around his waist. Meng growled against her lips, lowering his arms to grip her backside for support. Fluidly, he carried Korra to his bed and dropped her down on the edge. Korra laid back against a stack of pillows, Meng's knee coming up beside her as he hovered over her body.

"Is this what you want?"

Meng's words hung in the air as Korra stared up at him. His jaw, clenched as if he were holding back, but his eyes glinted with need.

Korra felt the throbbing low in her body, answering his question. She gripped his neck, bringing him down to her. Against his lips, she breathed her response. "Yes."

All of Meng's reservations evaporated and his lips traveled down her neck and he began to suckle against the hallow space bellow her ear. The sensation made Korra shudder, her hands traveling down his chest as she longed to feel his dark skin.

After undoing his tunic, she scratched her nails up the planes of his chest, making him groan against her. His lips shifted down to her chest, hesitating on the base of Korra's neck as he untied her robe. As it was shed, Korra realized that she still hadn't put her breast wrappings back on, and considered that a good thing as the tunic was completely shed.

And then his lips were on Korra's breast, brushing lips making her skin pebble and her hips rise from the mattress. As her pelvis met Meng's, he murmured against her skin as he sucked it, and Korra realized that beneath his loose pants he was quite uncomfortable.

Korra shimmied down, brushing a hand down Meng's abdomen and in between his legs. He shuddered as she touched him through the fabric, making the member beneath to enlarge even more.

Meng rose from her, the ghost of his lips on her breasts making Korra wiggle uncomfortably. He placed a chaste kiss on her lips and smiled deviously. "Someone's anxious," he said breathlessly.

In response, Korra grabbed his hips and brought them down to her, the grinding making Meng's expression shatter and a guttural sound fall from his lips.

"I think you might be a little more anxious than me." Korra grinned and leaned up to kiss him more deeply, while her hands began to undo his pants.

In a moment, his slacks were shed and Korra began to shimmy out of her own. Meng watched as her body wriggled, lust engulfing him as he saw her beautifully sculpted body in its entirety. Her dark skin was darker than his own, creating little contrast, but they still were very different. She was so soft and pure, while he was worn and surely not a pure as he wished he were. Meng wished he were young as Korra, and that Korra could be his first.

By the look on her face as his member hovered at her entrance, it seemed he would be Korra's first.

Korra's eyes widened as she realized that the hard organ she had felt beneath the fabric of Meng's pants was going to be inside her. She watched Meng, who brought a hand to her cheek, a thumb brushing the bridge of her nose.

"You are so beautiful," he murmured. "You are the most beautiful being I've ever laid eyes on." The sincerity and emotion in his voice soaked Korra's tongue, making her speechless. She simply nodded, closing her eyes as she waited for the intrusion.

As he slipped inside her, Korra gasped and dug her nails into his shoulders. Once he was fully sheathed, he was still, watching Korra tentatively as she adjusted. To his displeasure, he watched a few pain-filled tears rush down her cheeks.

He leaned down and kissed her forehead, lips lingering as scowled. "I love you," he whispered.

Korra's eyes widened, eyes blurry from her tears, but she could see Meng.

His azure eyes glazed over as watched Korra longingly; they were void of the other emotions that were usually present. No anger, no strife, just something so pure and indescribable...

Somehow Korra felt as though she looked at him the same way. Although the declaration had shocked her, she wasn't surprised. She was afraid. Her emotions got away from her, and developed without her complete consent. Perhaps from the moment they met, his arms cradling her as she tried to adjust to the new world, she had began to develop this connection.

They barely knew each other, yet she felt as though she'd known him a lifetime. She let her mind wander into a territory she once feared, but let the thoughts engulf her.

Soulmates. She wondered if the Avatar did have a soulmate, if they even existed. And if there were one soul in the universe that Korra felt bound to - it was the one before her. Invisible strings tied them together before they ever met. An invisible entity pulled these strings for their fated encounter.

Of all people, she should believe in destiny, but the thought of fate seemed ridiculous before. She was the Avatar - her destiny was the most defined of them all.

But was love defined by destiny?

A few moments had passed as Meng watched her. His expression had began to crack, as he feared that he had spoken too soon. He had scared her. He had lost her. Just as he was about to pull himself from her, Korra's cracked lips opened.

"I...I love you too," she stammered. Meng relaxed, bringing a hand to her face to brush some hair from her forehead. "I don't even know how, but I do," she confessed.

"There are stranger things... than falling in love." Meng smiled, almost wincing at the corniness of his words as he kissed Korra again. Slowly, his hips rose, and then fell into her again.

She grunted, adjusting to the movement, and nodded for him to go on. Meng kissed her neck, teeth brushing against her throat as his thrusts became faster. Adjusting to the rhythm and feeling an amazing sensation as he buried himself in her harder, Korra began to meet his thrusts by elevating her own hips.

Meng whispered to her affectionately, as he continued, his words becoming almost incoherent as his grunts filled the air. Korra gripped the sheets beneath her, face contorting as she became overwhelmed withe pleasure. Meng continued to hit the sensitive area within her, her stomach beginning to clench and a warmness filling her. Breathes heavy, she pleaded for Meng not to stop, biting his shoulder as she reached an indescribable peak of pleasure, her vision whitening as she let out a shuddering moan.

Hearing her pleasure-filled noises sent Meng over the edge, his body twitching as he barely pulled out in time before he collapsed onto the bed next to Korra. Their tired panting filled the air as they came down from their high, and Korra rolled onto her side.

For a few moments, she watched him. When his eyes were closed, he was quite peaceful, she noticed. She reached for his cheek and brushed her thumb across his full lips. They parted for her, and he began to suck on her thumb, making Korra gasp.

Meng rolled over and and wrapped his arms around Korra's body, bringing her to his chest as he pulled a blanket over them. She happily snuggled against his warm, naked body and sighed.

"Korra," he whispered into her hair.

"Mhmm?"

He dragged a finger delicately down her spine, making her shiver. "I meant what I said. I've never meant anything more in my life."

"I know," she replied softly. "I meant it too," she admitted, jaw clenching as the truthfulness of her words consumed her.

Even though it was impossible to sleep, Korra felt oddly peaceful and rested as she relaxed against Meng's sturdy chest, the scent of his sweat making her bury her face into him more.

.

.