DISCLAIMER: Korra and the rest of the Avatar franchise are not mine. 'Nuff said.

Written for day 7 of Korrasami week. Prompt: Sunrise/Sunset. (I've taken liberties with this prompt and decided to take a slightly abstract approach to it. Sorry!)

A/N: This one is very bittersweet. I didn't want to write something so hopeful/depressing, but i couldn't let go of the idea once it took root in my head. I hate myself for this one. I almost didn't post it. Seriously. I apologize in advance and i swear that i'll write something more lighthearted next time.

/

A decade was difficult to fathom when she was a little girl. As a teenager, twenty years seemed like a lifetime. At sixty-eight, a year felt like a day. This increasingly fast passage of time never really bothered Korra until the reality of it hit her where she was most vulnerable. It came rushing up out of nowhere and no amount of spiritual training or meditation could have shielded her from it. There was no time to prepare - no time to brace herself against the inevitable.

"Korra?" Jinora touched her shoulder. "Korra, it's time to go."

Korra dragged her gaze away from the window and stood, ignoring the way her right knee almost groaned in protest. She pulled on her coat and hesitated. "Just a moment," she said before walking over to a small chest of drawers on the other side of the room. She opened the top drawer, reached in, and pulled out a small box. Without looking at it, she stuffed the box into her pocket and looked at Jinora. "Alright. Let's go."

/

"Alright," Korra told her reflection. "Let's go."

"Go where?" asked a small voice.

Korra whipped around and saw Rohan standing in the doorway of her room. Noting that he was alone, she breathed a sigh of relief. She wasn't sure her nerves could handle Ikki or Meelo at the moment, but Rohan was more like his oldest sister than his other siblings. Korra always thought he must have been nature's way of apologizing to Pema and Tenzin for their two middle children. "I'm going out," she said. "I'm meeting someone for dinner."

The little boy rocked back on his heels. "Why do you look upset?"

Jinora suddenly appeared behind Rohan. "There you are. I hope you're not bothering Korra," she said.

Korra waved a hand. "He's fine. Besides, I was just about to leave."

"Oh. Alright." Jinora eyed her critically. "Are you okay?" she asked.

"Yep. Definitely," said Korra. "I am one hundred percent a-o-kay."

"Really? Because you look like you're about to pass out."

Korra crossed her arms and slumped against the wall with a groan. "I'm supposed to meet Asami at Narook's in an hour."

Jinora's eyes lit up. "Wait, is this a date?"

"Yeah, but… I don't know. I feel like I'm forgetting something," said Korra. "Maybe I'm just too nervous."

Jinora tapped her chin and pretended not to notice that Rohan mimicked her. She hummed for a moment, then held up one finger. "I've got it! Flowers."

"Flowers?"

"Yup. You can't just show up empty-handed. Besides, everyone likes flowers," Jinora declared.

Korra frowned doubtfully. "Jinora," she said, "It's the middle of winter. There's at least an inch of snow on the ground."

"Well, yeah. That's why you need to go find some snowdrops," said the young airbender.

"Snowdrops?"

Jinora excitedly grabbed her hand and dragged her outside. "Yes. Snowdrops. And I know just where to find them."

/

Snow crunched underfoot as Korra followed Jinora down to the waiting boat. She breathed in the sharp winter air and knew that her inner waterbender should be rejoicing, but her face remained as impassive as the side of a mountain. Nestled in her arms was a small silver urn wrapped in silk. It was simple, yet elegant. She knew Asami would have approved.

/

Korra sat alone at a wobbly wooden table and twirled the snowdrop in her hand. As promised, Jinora had taken her to the one spot on the island where the small, white flower grew. There were several peeking up through the snow, but only one had actually bloomed. There was no time to think of a backup plan, so Korra plucked the flower and raced across the bay to the city. Unfortunately, Korra had dropped it twice and stepped on it once in her haste to reach Narook's on time. She looked at the pathetic, mangled thing and regretfully jammed it into her pocket with a frown.

"Oh, my. I hope the thought of spending an evening with me isn't that horrible."

Korra's head snapped up and her heart almost stopped. "Asami! No, uh, I wasn't thinking about you. I mean, I was thinking about you, which is pretty normal I guess because I think about you a lot. Not in a weird way though…" She registered Asami's amused smile and shrank back into her chair. "I'm babbling, aren't I? I'll shut up now."

"Yes, you're babbling," Asami said with a laugh as she sat down across from her. "But don't worry. It's actually kind of endearing."

Korra looked her up and down, her face split by a goofy grin. "You look great, by the way."

"You don't look so bad yourself."

"Well, uh. Thanks," said Korra. She coughed and looked around. "So, do you know what you're having?"

Asami gave her a sultry smile that would've rendered anyone speechless. "Oh, Korra. Do you really have to ask?"

Korra felt her face turn a burning shade of red. She knew Asami was confident, but she was still caught off guard by her forwardness. Apparently, Asami knew exactly how forward she was being because she merely laughed and winked at Korra. The young Avatar began to recover her own boldness and smirked. Two could play this game.

/

A murmur of low voices caught her attention and she finally noticed the collection of solemn faces. Mako leaned heavily on his cane while Kai stood nearby, along with Bolin, Opal, and their children and grandchildren. Ikki, Meelo, and Rohan positioned themselves near the stern of the boat, ready to lend a helping hand if the wind wasn't strong enough to move them along. It was a small crowd and that was just fine with Korra. It was better this way. With one last thought for what she was about to do, she used her airbending to board the boat and waited for the city to fade away behind her. It was time to say goodbye.

/

The two women stumbled and giggled their way down the hall to Asami's bedroom. They collapsed on the bed in a tangle of limbs, hurried kisses, and fumbling hands. The engineer's assertiveness wasn't at all surprising, but it left Korra feeling shy and self-assured all at once. It was all she could do to keep from pinching herself to make sure this wasn't a dream. This was real. This was happening. Finally, she thought.

/

Korra removed the lid on the urn. She used her airbending to remove its contents and sent them flying out over the water. As she watched the ashes scatter and settle in the water, she gripped the boat's railing and struggled to remain on her feet. This was really happening.

The boat's other passengers watched in silence for several more minutes while the sun continued to sink on the horizon. Eventually, Bolin moved to turn the boat back towards the city. Jinora joined Korra at the handrail and put an arm around her shoulders. Korra reached into her pocket and withdrew the small box.

"It was our anniversary," Korra said tonelessly. "I never got the chance to give Asami her present."

Jinora gave Korra squeeze and blinked back her own tears. "You were with her that night, weren't you?" asked Jinora.

"Yes."

"She was happy, wasn't she?"

"I suppose so." Korra almost smiled at the memory of Asami's laughter. "Yes," she said with a slight nod.

"And you never stopped loving her?"

Korra gripped the box more tightly. "Not for one second."

"Then you gave her the greatest gift of all," the airbender whispered. Jinora pulled Korra into a hug and held on tightly as the most powerful person in the world collapsed into tears.

/

Korra stretched lazily and smiled. Oh, yes. Asami was very forward. Korra rolled onto her side and looked at the woman next to her.

"What are you smiling for?" asked Asami.

"Because."

Asami traced lazy circles on Korra's collarbone. "Just because?"

"Yep." Korra leaned in to kiss her. "Also, I think you're pretty amazing."

The older woman laughed. "Amazing, huh?" She hooked a leg behind Korra's and scooted closer. "I'll take it."

Korra found herself sinking into another deep kiss. She buried her hands in thick, raven hair and let Asami push her onto her back. A moan slipped out of her mouth when Asami kissed the spot just below her ear and began to move against her. Both women froze when a rude gurgle suddenly interrupted them, sounding comically out of place in that symphony of sighs and moans. Asami propped herself on her elbows and looked down at Korra's stomach.

"Did that just happen?"

Korra grinned sheepishly and shrugged her shoulders. "What can I say? I'm hungry. You made me work up an appetite. Besides, we've been up all night and it's almost sunrise," she said, pointing to the early morning glow trickling in through the window. Her stomach growled again. "I don't suppose we could run downstairs for an early breakfast, could we?"

Asami swatted at her and swung her legs over the edge of the mattress. "I'll go get something. You stay here," she instructed. "I'll be right back."

"Yes, ma'am. I'll stay behind," said Korra. She leaned back and watched Asami cross the room, almost as if parading her nudity. "The view is better from here anyway. Hey!" she sputtered as a pair of pants hit her in the face.

"Smartass," Asami said. She bent down and picked up Korra's coat to reach her own shirt underneath. As she did so, something small and white fell out of one of the coat's pockets. She picked it up. "What's this?" she asked, walking back to the bed.

Korra recognized the snowdrop. "Oh, that. Sorry." She rubbed the back of her neck. "I wanted to bring you flowers, but I could only find the one and it kind of didn't survive the trip over from Air Temple Island."

Asami smiled softly and held it with a newfound reverence. "I think it's sweet," she said. "Thank you, Korra."

Korra raised an eyebrow, trying to detect any potential sarcasm in her voice. "But it's such a plain flower, and it's all crushed up."

"You're right. It is crushed. You're wrong about one thing though. It's not plain. It's simple. Snowdrops are simple and elegant, and that makes them beautiful," said Asami. She bent her head and let her lips brush against Korra's. "They can't be anything but beautiful."

/

Korra calmed down enough to catch her breath. Jinora loosened her hold on her friend but didn't entirely let go. With a sigh, Korra straightened her back and looked out over the water.

"I'm fine," she told Jinora. "Thank you."

Jinora recognized the tone as a polite dismissal. "I'll be with the kids if you need anything," she said. She stepped back and gave Korra some space.

Korra gradually recalled the box. She glanced down and ran a thumb over the carving on the lid, using both the texture of the wood and the bite of the winter wind to ground herself. The ashes had long since been swallowed by the bay and all trace of them was gone. There was just one more thing to do.

Reluctantly, Korra swallowed and opened the box. A snowdrop sat inside, waiting for her. She carefully pinched the stem between her forefinger and thumb, holding up flower against the setting sun. It had been fresh when she put it in the box. That was over a week ago. Now it was wilted, but the white petals still stood out against the backdrop of the bay's dark waters.

Korra tossed the snowdrop into the bay and watched it fade as the current swept it away.

/

A/N: I hate myself so much right now.