I'm back. I know its been like 84 years but hello! Enjoy this long ass chapter as my apology.
Chapter 9.5- The Phoenix Revolt
Varrick was a very easy man to please. He required nothing more than what he asked for, and expected nothing less. He wasn't complicated or hard to bargain with unlike some people Asami has had the misfortune of doing business with.
Varrick, up until recently, would've done near anything once he got something out of it in return, because that's the way things worked when you lived in the fire nation. Their strength, unity, and care for one another wasn't real. It doesn't take long to realize that everyone operated on a "You do something for me, I do something for you" basis, no one ever does anything 'just because', like how Prince Korren did things for his people simply because they were his responsibility.
It's how the social ladder is climbed, how money is made, and most importantly how allies are formed.
Asami assumed that's how Varrick made his living, how he came to remain such an important figure in Fire Nation customs. He was an inventor, which wasn't all that impressive considering everyone was an inventor in fire nation. Everyone always had some new gimmick they were trying to sell, better yet, some name they were trying to make for themselves. But Varrick had managed to achieve success and keep it, and as a water tribe man. Under normal circumstances, he would've been forgotten, or even replaced by someone deemed more acceptable to be a public figure.
Asami was right to suspect foul play. Her father was his friend when they were children,and it was rumored at some point that the bond between them was a strong one. Asami didn't know how much truth there was in that knowing the type of man her father came to be, but regardless of what was true, she was sure Hiroshi had done nothing to help him along the way.
Varrick reminded her of a snake, slick and cunning, slithering along without anyone noticing him until he was ready to strike.
But that was his best quality, what she loved most about him. He did his true work quietly and with passion. His zest was saved for cover ups and appearances.
For these reasons Asami knew they'd make good friends, or at the very least partners. For a moment, she had even grown to believe herself just like him, an easy pleaser. She never wanted anything more than what she asked for. Nor did she ever want her work half-assed. She worked quietly as he did, though she never needed anything spectacular to cover up her work. She was a Princess. All she had to do was cry, seem saddened for a moment. Perhaps even offer the press words of grief then be on her way. Lying is an easy thing to do when there is power involved.
She considered herself the same as him, and she hoped he had thought the same.
Until the moment her ship went up in flames and smoke that is. Then, she wanted to see him suffer. She loved Tahno as a brother, and hoped one day he and Ginger would've been happy together and she never wanted to see him cry, but her hatred for Varrick had become so salient that if it meant Varrick died by her order, she wouldn't mind watching Tahno sob over his dead body the same way she had to watch her friends cry over Ginger's.
She had people she hated more than him, but at the moment, nothing would bring her greater satisfaction than his suffering.
Asami was tall for her age, but compared to Varrick she had might as well been a child standing next to her father. Still, she had no doubts about her ability to intimidate him. She was high born, and her people would've considered him nothing more than water tribe scum if he hadn't cheated his way to the top. She had the power to take everything away from him and he couldn't do anything about it.
A long time had passed before she spoke, "for a man who knows I want him dead, you look awfully calm," she said. She tried to relax into her seat as well, going over reasons why she might need him in the future to keep from ordering Mako to draw his sword.
Varrick smiled. "Dead is a harsh term. I'd prefer 'disappeared', it sounds nicer, don't you agree?"
"Do I look like I'm here to make jokes with you?"
Varrick laughed at his silly little quip because Asami would not. "You shouldn't look so serious. You'll start to look like your mother and well...one of her is enough." He relaxed backward into his seat and glanced idly around the dimly lit room, until his eyes settled on something behind Asami that had no particular value or importance.
Suddenly he snapped his fingers, as though he had just remembered something important and in a sing-song tone giggled, "he's really giving you to a water tribe boy isn't he?"
Asami stared at him with golden eyes growing less and less patient. "Varrick-"
"I would've never thought he would do something like that! But well- there it is! I've been meaning to ask you if I could meet him again. I want it to be like a water-tribe-to-water-tribe type thing you know. Say, isn't he a Chief? We could talk about expanding Varrick Industries all the way out there, officially you know? I'm sure they could use an upgrade by now. I would've asked for a word with him last time, but he didn't seem like he was in a good mood."
"Varrick!" Asami snapped, "you bombed my ship! Do you have any idea how angry I am with you?" Asami hated crying during their meetings, and usually she was good at keeping it in until they parted ways, but she could feel her resolve fail her as her eyes blurred and a tear wetted her cheek. She swallowed. "My friend died because of you. As for the rest of them...Dammit Varrick. They must be so scarred. If I were you I wouldn't be so calm. I want you to suffer for what you did!"
Varrick paused for a moment, his smile fading into an expression much more serious. He leaned forward onto the table that separated them. "Asami," he started, "did Ginger truly mean that much to you?"
"What are you implying? She was my friend."
Varrick scoffed. "You hate your friends."
"Not all of them."
"So had it been someone else you'd be okay?"
"Asshole! What about Tahno? She was going to marry him! Don't you feel anything? You killed your son's fiancee! Does he know that?"
Varrick chuckled, shrugging his shoulders nonchalantly. "Tahno is grieving now, but he's a boy. You know what he's like. In a week or two he will forget she even existed outside his wet dreams and move on. Anyhow, if it's any consolation to you and your bruises, I hadn't expected you'd be with them that evening."
There were downsides to working with a man who would do anything. Varrick doesn't care who he hurts along the way and Asami had tried not to as well, but the pain of loss cut her deeper than she ever imagined. There was no way she could ignore it like he did. Moments like this made her wonder if she was weak, or if people like him were just truly heartless.
"I never gave you permission-" Asami spoke lowly, to avoid her voice cracking in front of him. It was bad enough she was crying, she didn't want to sound like a child as well.
"You didn't need to. You were gone for over a month. It wasn't clear as to whether you were coming back or not. I'd been planning that one out for too long. You know how short of an attention span your father has. He needed to know that we hadn't given up. What better way to do it than to potentially kill the rich little girls of his court?"
"They never did anything wrong!"
"Their silence was wrong! Come on, Asami, I thought we were on the same page about that."
"That's a bit extreme don't you think? We're children Varrick. I can help you because of my title, because one day it will be my duty to. But at the end of the day, I'm still young and they are still young. You want us to bloody our hands-"
"It's funny," Varrick laughed, "you had no problem with children being involved, or death, or who we were targeting until it was people important to you. Weren't you the one who said we'd lose people along the way? Why is it suddenly an issue when it's your people? Stop crying, you haven't suffered. You have no right to be upset."
Everyone had their place in the Fire Nation. Pure born Fire Nation citizens belonged at the top, the very top if they had wealth. Mixed blood could work their way up if they tried hard enough, but over all, their lives they would lead wouldn't be that of suffering. Pure born Water Tribe people who didn't denounce their heritage belonged at the bottom, only slightly above those who traveled over from the Earth Colonies.
Revolutions had been common in the last few years of this system, but none had been as successful as The Phoenix Revolt.
Varrick founded it in protest of the vile way people were treated. The lower class people wanted a new Emperor, one that was not related to Hiroshi and one that would treat them equally and with respect.
Of course, not everyone had agreed with this because the rules of the nation were fairly simple. Proclaim yourself Fire Nation, and you would be. If you were born in the Fire Nation then you had a good start...or at least that's what Hiroshi promised. What's a culture when you could live comfortably?
Asami had seen the truth behind this though, because she knew her father only did it for laughs, just to see how many people actually believed him. He didn't care what happened to people like them so long as his nation continued to flourish. So she joined Varrick. She wanted to be more of a supporter than anything else. But her title made that complicated. She had her bias. She didn't support everything they wanted to do, on account of people uselessly getting hurt, losing her support would mean plans backfiring and therefore she became a sort of leader for the leader. Varrick came to her when he wanted to do something radical and with her approval things moved forward.
She gave him information and funds when he needed it, and he struck. She reported to him when her father took notice and when he didn't, what new laws were going to be set in place and so on and together they acted accordingly.
At the very least, Hiroshi knew there was a spy in his court, but he would never suspect her, because she was a girl. And he would never suspect Mako's loyalty was to her first because Mako has literally killed to be where he's at.
Asami wiped her eyes and frowned at him. "Not everyone can be an activist, Varrick. You do something like this again I will make sure you regret it."
Varrick smirked. "Try it, and I will expose you. What do you think the penalty for treason is these days?"
Mako didn't need to be told to draw his sword and hold it and Varrick's neck. Blood trickled down to his chest, dirtying the white of his shirt.
"Who would believe you? Besides, Mako would kill you before you could get a word out. Exposing me is not one of your options if you wish to live another day or at the very least not insult my father."
Mako smiled, "Could you imagine the look on his face? His naive daughter- a traitor? He would call you an idiot- then kill you. He has a knack for setting things on fire these days. He doesn't like to feel like he's being lied to."
Varrick held his hands up in surrender. "Okay okay. You're just like him. I get it."
"Whatever. Mako," Asami nodded and Mako let the sword fall from Varrick's neck. "I want you to publicly announce your sorrow and condolences to Ginger's family as well as supply your best sato-mobiles to the police. Let everyone know how much you do not support these actions. Understood?"
Varrick sighed, but nodded.
Asami continued, "And about Prince Korren," Mako suppressed a groan. "I'm doing this for him more than I am you. I can get you a private meeting with him, though I can't promise he'll be pleasant. I think he needs something...I'm not sure. Someone he can relate to probably. A man with his heritage in a position of power will be good for him. Come. Wear blue."
Chapter 10- Patience
The excitement of the Fire Nation's sudden appearance and Prince Korren's absence hadn't quite died down yet when Griff presented himself in front of the councilmen as the new Chief of the South. Alongside him was his son, Eiji, who eagerly bounced in his new 'special' seat.
It wasn't an official naming that granted Griff the power to make such a bold move in front of his brothers but with Tonraq's death and Korren's leave, the south needed someone capable of guiding them, someone to tell them what their next move would be against the rising army of the North and the few fire nation men who were left behind to 'watch' them.
The elders had yet to object. Their silence most of all was what convinced Griff he was right to take the lead. Perhaps after everything was settled they'd consider him honorable enough to follow after Tonraq in chiefdom. But for the moment, naming the new family was irrelevant compared to all the things they needed to do first.
In the two months or so Prince Korren had been gone the Northern attacks were becoming more and more frequent, and with that more aggressive every time. Rumors in the South spread as easily as wildfire and within a short week a new one that speculated a surrender buzzed through the tribe.
They would never forgive him as a leader, or as a man for that matter if he let it come to a surrender. Still, there was nothing him or anyone could say to calm their worries. There had never been such a state of panic in the South before, and not even the elders were equipped to properly deal with it.
Griff scratched his beard, and eyed his son idly as he thought about it. At eight, Eiji wasn't old enough to fully grasp what war even was. He was simply happy to have been beside his father in what he knew was a position of power. He sat up straight and proudly, but swung his legs with mindless excitement as they hung off his seat.
The last thing Griff wanted for was it to last yet another generation. He had lost one son to this relentless battle already, he wouldn't risk another. He was convinced without doubt that he could, and in fact would, do what The Great Chief Tonraq and his son could not.
"We could go to them before they come to us." Griff suggested firmly. "Attack them before-"
"That's nonsense. We don't have enough men to enter Northern territory. And definitely not enough benders. We'd be outnumbered- again."
"And what of their allies? It's unlikely they'd put men to guard their borders when they have their monsters." Barse shot him down, earning a glare from the bigger man. "What? Am I wrong for stopping you from leading us to our deaths?"
No one else in the hut had anything to add, or rather to object to. Few were even attentively paying attention. Their faces seems blank, devoid of any hope, as though they had already accepted that they would die.
Griff huffed, "if we can barricade the North, then we can hold their attacks for a little while and then-" he stopped short, realizing he hadn't thought out his plan completely.
"Then what? Hold their attacks while our people sit here and wait till they kill us all and then come after them?" Barse challenged. "Is this a game to you? See how long we can go before we finally die?"
"I don't see you coming up with any bright ideas. The North has always been weak. If we can we can get pass the spirits and force them to send men to fight then we have a chance. Their valor is not as strong as their ability to form allies."
His response caused a few men to grumble in various places of the hut. Some of not wanting to fight spirits anymore, others not wanting to die the way the Chief had.
Fighting was what the South was known for, but it was becoming tiresome. Their days felt more numbered than ever before. Victory was not something they could see for themselves and it was becoming more and more painful to watch their brothers die and know they would never be avenged so long as the North held this victory streak.
"This is getting us nowhere, at this rate we'd have a better chance sending someone North to reason with those fanatics than anything else." Barse said, angrily.
The hut stirred a bit with men looking to one another, considering the very possibility that by the end of the year they'd become a northerner.
"No one is going North," Griff huffed. "Not if to talk to them at least."
"I have a little girl," a voice picked up, straining with desperation. "I don't want to think that she might marry some northern man- you've heard the stories. You know what Unalaq has done to his children. What if he does that to my-"
"Korren could've fought them," another said, mumbling lowly under the voice of the worried father.
"On his own even," someone replied. "For a half-man, he fought well."
"If it came to this while he were still alive, do you think Chief Tonraq would've gone North himself? To reason with them?"
"Probably."
"Then should we consider it?"
Griff snarled, deep and angry. For the first time he agreed with Korren on one thing. To stand in front of his men and speak, as the person in charge, was a frustrating thing. Everyone had opinions and worries and it didn't do any good to stand and listen to them all clash. Worse of all, Griff knew what it was like to sit there and do the same, as though his mumblings would change the Chief's mind somehow.
"Tonraq is dead. Korren may as well be dead. I don't want to hear about either of them in this room until we reach a solid conclusion. Especially not Korren. If he cared as much as he said he did he would be back already."
The men did not completely silence themselves. Instead they turned to look at him as they spoke and continued on, "It would have never come to this if Tonraq had just let us conquer them while they were still weak."
"That was never his goal." Barse responded, "nor will it be our goal. Please, let's not derail."
"With Tonraq now dead, don't you think it's time to change that?"
"Did I not just say not to derail? We still need to fix the problem at hand. After that's done, we'll see where it...takes...us…" he trailed off as the door to hut was forced open, and in stumbled a pudgy looking boy with a red face and a green coat, far too thin for the winter at hand.
"Green boy!" Eiji pointed.
Almost all the men in the hut stood to face the boy, who was clearly unprepared to see the faces he did. He was rather small, compared to the men in hut, his skin was too pale and too polished, his eyes too green and lost.
He rang with unfamiliarity, and so he was a threat- as small he was.
"Who are you?" Griff bellowed, his hand twitching around the hilt of his sword, ready to pull should the boy's answer be wrong.
The boy's eyes went wide quickly as he reacted to the men ready to stand against him. He hardly moved in his spot, frozen, more from fear than from the cold. He was clearly not prepared to be met with the faces he had been.
"Is something wrong with you tongue boy? Where did you come from? What do you want?" Griff unsheathed his sword, which caused the boy to react quickly. He stumbled backwards, his wide eyes set on the sword Griff was marching towards him with.
"I-I..."
A fire nation soldier came in before Griff could grab a hold of the boy and looked upon the men in the hut with disgust. "You would stand defensively against an unarmed child?" He questioned, his tone more disapproving, as though the southern men were savages in need of civility, than it was filled with worry for the boy.
"We know nothing of him. You would not be suspicious of a stranger in your home?" Griff eyed the boy, who's green eyes darted back and forth between the men who stared at him.
"Put away your sword, brute," the soldier commanded. He pushed the Green Boy forward with a force that caused him to stumble and fall right in front of Griff. "This boy comes from the Fire Nation with a message for whoever is in charge here."
"Fire nation?" Someone in the hut laughed. "But he's...Green...isn't he? Why wouldn't they send someone of their own to do their job?"
"Don't you know they Green boys like him do all the dirty work?" The soldier huffed and turned on his heels. "I'm sure his Majesty the Fire Lord just wants you to get the message. Do what you will with him then."
The boy looked up at him with a frown that was ignored as he left. "My name isn't 'Green boy', it's Bolin. And my father is General San of the Fire Nation. I'm only half Earth-" Griff's sword prodded closer to his face. "He won't like it if you-"
"You think I give a shit?" Griff threatened. "What do you want? And you'd do well to speak quickly. My patiences is wearing thin, and I hate being interrupted."
Bolin pouted and then stood, messily picking a folded envelope out of his pocket. "Prince Korren wants you to have that."
The men's ears perked up at the sound of Korrens name. The buzz in the hut started up again as the whispered to themselves.
"He's got Green boys doing his work for him now." Tomare stepped forward, laughing. He snatched the envelope from Bolin's hands and quickly examined it. "Barse, come look at this," he said. "It's got the Fire Nation royal seal on it. Who does he think he is? Someone important enough to use their seal?"
"Korren wouldn't use that," Barse deadpanned. "How can we trust it's from him?"
"I wouldn't come all the way out here to lie to you."
Barse raised an eyebrow. "Oh? And how can we trust even that?"
"It's Korrens." Tomare held up the letter for all to see. "Only he writes like bitch. Look how swirly it is. You ever seen a man write like that?"
"Never seen a half man write at all," Someone joked back.
"Stop it, do you think now is the time for jokes?" Barse grabbed the letter from him, sitting close by a candle to read it.
"Say," Tomare leaned forward, giving Bolin a good look. "Do you always do things for him?"
"Ah- no. I only met him once. And it was in a haste."
Tomare grinned, "bet he gets boys like you to warm his bed for him every night."
Bolin's eyes went wide again when he realized what Tomare meant. "I-I...I wouldn't know anything about that. Like I said I only met him the once and I…" Bolin coughed. "It's really cold here. I can't feel my fingers."
"What does the letter say?" Griff asked. Barse hadn't finished reading it yet when he looked up to the waiting eyes.
"He just...wants us to lay low for a while. There's something about him sending fire nation troops to help until he can return, but it's not very clear on when. I think the rest of it is just instructions…"
Griff loudly scoffed, "Lay low! Lay low? What does that even mean right now? Just sit still while they attack us? And how long are we supposed to stay like that?"
"Calm down…" Barse sighed, "I think he doesn't want us to go picking a fight. Of course we have to defend ourselves when they come again. But he said he's sending troops so-"
"He isn't even here! How dare he tell us how we should handle the situation, when he isn't here to witness whats going on anymore."
"I sure as fuck don't want to fight beside Fire Nation men. Next thing you know those assholes will claim that whatever victory we have was their doing. I don't wanna owe them anything. Since when does Korren want to work alongside them anyways?" Tomare said.
"Since they offered him a woman and she doesn't have a voice to tell him no-"
"I think we should trust him, he is Tonraq's child after all. Besides, him sending whoever he can is the best we've got right now. We aren't in a position to turn away any help we can receive." Barse stood. "I know trusting him doesn't sound favorable, but what choice do we have?"
"Like Griff said, we can barricade the north-"
"That's a stupid choice. We should stay here, and wait for Korren to arrive with men."
"I'm not relying on the Fire Nation, or on Korren. If he insists we wait, then we will do it without him." Griff huffed then turned towards Bolin. "You can go back and tell him that if he's putting trust into the fire nation men, then he may as well head straight for the Northern borders without us."
"Do what without him exactly? We don't have a plan!" Barse gritted his teeth. "Don't lose your life over nothing Griff."
"It isn't over nothing! It is for my people, my family. This is the reason women should not rule. Look at the decisions Korren is making. I can't believe a man like Tonraq would do something so stupid. Korren is who will lead us to our deaths, if not by Northerners then by the Fire Nation. I'm not following his...her orders."
"It has nothing to do with that. You're just being an idiot. Have some faith in him would you?"
"We don't have time for faith," Griff barked. "We have to act, right now."
Barse shook his head at Griff's relentlessness, "Has Korren ever led us into a battle we've lost before? If you go against his commands now, imagine how he will take it when he returns and takes his place a chief. Then you truly will not have a home."
"That was different. The North wasn't as strong an opponent then. What did he truly prove? That if he took strong men into battle against weaker men, he would win? Any idiot could do that."
"I'm with Griff," Tomare agreed solemnly. "I'm not waiting around to be killed by one of the two. Korren can send who he wants. We won't take them. Besides, this isn't a time for patience."
"If you have such a problem with it, take it up with the elders, maybe they'll give you a means to get to the fire nation, where you can continue to kiss his ass." Griff turned away from Barse, who stood frowning, and back to the head of the hut.
"This is the plan, we'll send out best men North. If we can barricade-"
-X-
The war room in the Fire Nation was nothing like the small council hut Korren was used to. It was far too big for the few men that gathered inside, and far more elaborate, with a long map stretching across the table below him. It looked updated, with intricate details about the colonies, and about who had what territory.
The map Korren had used at his meetings was an older version. The Water Tribe had no ties with the outside world, so there was never any need for something so detailed. Not even the maps of solely the Southern Water Tribe were as convoluted as the one laid out before him. Korren could barely take it all in, knowing that he would be expected to learn everything that was on it.
At his meetings he would usually stand while everyone else sat. It was the best way to be heard over the deep voices of men who all wanted to give their opinions as he gave out instructions. It was also the best way to show dominance. If someone disagreed, they would stand as well, almost challenging his authority. But being the way he had, Korren had grown used to that happening, and simply expected it to every time there was a big meeting held.
The Fire Nation's war room had something much different. It was almost like a stage, but Korren knew it was more of a throne, their version of one at the very least. He sat there, to the left of the Fire Lord, as he once did his own father, where he could see over all thirteen of the men who gathered below them.
It was so quiet, he could hardly tell the meeting had begun, something else he wasn't used to. It was almost nice, if not stiflingly uncomfortable. There was no one shouting over each other, they all spoke quietly about what was happening where and what they would need moving forward. It was so well coordinated, the Fire Lord himself hardly had to say anything in objection. The men barely even looked in his direction for instruction.
Perhaps they are used to leading themselves, Korren thought, what sort of leader barely speaks a word at his own meeting? Korren slid him a quick peek and surprisingly enough found him attentively watching the pieces on the map move, silently nodding when they fell into place.
"They are my men," Hiroshi's deep voice managed not to disturb the silence of the room when he spoke to Korren. "I must know where they are. Are you paying close attention too?" It was unnerving how much he managed to sound like Korren's own father in the moment. Korren felt as though he was back at his first war meeting again. Tonraq had been so kind and patient with him. The nights before were spent going over all the information they would be talking about. It seemed impossible that Korren had missed a detail with the way he and his father studied.
This time, his second first time, seemed as though it was going to be done the right way. He was not nearly as nervous, and the men below him were focused on the right things.
He took a deep breath in, feeling the uncomfortable squeeze of his binder against his ribs as he did so, "Yes."
"Yeah, the people there don't act up as much as they used to. Not with the new troops in place. It seems to have done its job just right. The benders are coming to train willingly now as well." Someone below him grunted in satisfaction. "You see how peaceful it can be when you have the right amount of men?"
They laughed. Korren sat silently in his own confusion. The place they were referring to was a little green dot on the map. Surely it couldn't have been anywhere so important whereas they need to bring it up in a meeting and yet they had. Korren still had yet to pick up on why. If things were going well in a certain region of the South, he spoke about it with his father and maybe the elders as well. There was no need to waste anyone else's time with details of how well something was going. That was what celebrations were for.
"When it calms down so more, we ought to take the Prince to the training grounds," someone said. "Let him see what real earthbending looks like."
They laughed again, this time looking up towards Korren to see his expression. "Just earthbending?"
Korren attempted a smile, "You can get women anywhere. Just earthbending will be thrill enough."
The men all grunted out something similar to a 'boo', "Not even bending will be as much thrill as a woman! Let us take you. You'll enjoy it."
"Have you ever met another earthbender?" They went on to ask.
"Not that I know of." Korren took notice to how loudly his voice echoed throughout the room and made a strange effort to quiet it. He ever had to not shout before.
The men all shared the same smile, "It's settled then, the next time we travel, you're invited to come with us."
"Oh." Korren once again looked at Hiroshi, who had no objections. "Will your messenger boy be back before then? I don't want to leave for anywhere until I know how things are. Not knowing how things are going with my own war makes me uneasy."
Hiroshi barely budged, as though he had been waiting for Korren to ask, and used to it for that matter. "How soon Bolin returns depends on your own men, Korren. How soon will the formulate a message for him to carry back? Will they even let him live long enough to return?"
"Well-" Korren thought on it. "I don't know Bolin as a man, but he was brave enough to make the journey. That should be able to bring him back as well."
"There's no need for you to think of it as 'your own' war anyhow Prince." A man said respectfully. "You're engaged to the royal family. This war belongs to all of us now."
"You will no longer need to so much as think about it." Hiroshi added.
Korren groaned. "That's kind, I suppose," he tried to remain pleasant. These men didn't seem to require the same bruteness his own men did. "However, I'd rather handle this myself. I know what my tribe needs. To leave it in the hands of other men seems wrong."
There was a shared laughter throughout the room. "No offense to you, Prince, but you haven't even started training yet. How could you possibly know how to handle a situation like that?" One the councilmen asked.
"We've brought peace to the earth colonies, Prince. I think it's safe for you to trust us to bring peace to your little tribe as well."
"It should be nothing. Look how small they are-" The man pointed to the map, where the south was a small dot compared to the vastness of everywhere else.
Korren twitched, "What I need right now, is a way to win my war. We've been sitting here for nearly two hours and we haven't even touched what you plan to do for me. No offense, but I think it's a waste of time to go over problems you've already solved when there is a much larger one at hand."
The man he was speaking to was small compared to who Korren has had to deal with in the past, but Korren doubt he knew that by the way he scrunched up his lip and began to grunt. "We don't do things the way you do-"
"Well maybe you should. The North is relentless. Being weaker than us has never stopped them before in the past, and that stubbornness is what's gotten them so far. If they conquer over my tribe, who's to say they will stop there? You don't know what they're after the way I do. If we let them win this, they won't stop till-"
"Are you going to let him speak out of turn?" The man interrupted, now more annoyed with him than anything else. Hiroshi only laughed, taking the situation much too lightly for Korren's liking. He placed a heavy hand on Korren's shoulder.
"Passionate isn't he? Oh- what? Am I supposed to challenge an untrained man to an agni kai? Let him be. He'll learn to let go soon enough."
Korren huffed, "I need men."
"You haven't even married yet and already you're asking for men?" Hiroshi raised an eyebrow.
"Be patient, you'll get everything you want in due time. For now, focus on your wedding. Have you gotten fitted for your suit yet?"
"You mean when you get what you want?" Korren challenged. "I can't wait around for something like a silly marriage. I can marry any day. I only have now to win this war. It's getting too out of hand. You can trust that I will marry your daughter, but I need to be able to trust you as well. Give me the men I need as a way to prove this won't be one sided." He jumped down from his throne and walked around to the very bottom of the map, pointing to the small white space that was the South.
"Look, This would be the South. And all the way up there is the North. I'm not sure how they're doing it but they're sending these spirit-things to fight their battles for them at an incredible rate. When I left we already down too many men to fight them a third time without a rest period. I can't imagine what it must be like now."
"Spirit-things?" A man echoed. "Aren't you the Avatar? Shouldn't you know what they are and how to stop them?"
Korren glared at him, "don't you know anything about the tribes and what they practice? You sought me out. Surely you must know something."
"It is the North that worships the spirits. Korren and his people don't follow that religion." Hiroshi recited.
"Still, you're the Avatar-" the man insisted.
"Listen, these things are able to inflict amazing damage. So much so, that I wholly believe that if they were to come after even you, they'd win. We need to stop them from moving so quickly. Here's what I suggest, since we're in the middle of the fire nation now, we don't bother sending men to the south only to have them go north. Instead, we go right to the heart of the problem. If we can take out the problem at its core, then we can stop it all together and in one move. If that fails, at least we'll slow them down enough for my own men to recover-"
"Korren," Hiroshi sounded annoyed now, as though Korren was some child insisting on a toy. "Perhaps you really should let us handle that. I cannot put your people before my own, not right now. You saw first hand what I must deal with that night you were on the ship. "
"Our land is much more vast than your own. We have more people to protect." Now they sounded a lot like parents trying to reason with the bothersome child. Korren frowned.
"I think it's best you focus on your training, and your marriage. I know you had a big role in your politics, but here that isn't necessary. We have advisors and people who will handle that for you. You're a young man. Go out into the city, enjoy it. Don't be so eager rush into complicated things like this. Trust us, we'll get to it."
"I won't marry into something where my people will come second." Korren threatened. "I didn't even want this. Send me home so I can handle this myself."
"No one is coming in first or second-"
"I promise you I will treat them the same as my own- you just need to be patient." Hiroshi said sternly. "Do you think we would bring you here just to cast you aside? I know the seriousness of war. We won't let this just sit and fester."
"I think you would do anything to get what you want." Korren said bitterly. "Now that you've gotten me here, you won't keep up on your end of the deal."
"You know, most men would sit back and not complain."
"I've been told…You don't seriously expect me to do nothing?" The silence in the room was more uncomfortable now than it was anything else. And perhaps it was their silence that frustrated Korren most of all. His own men would've shouted out whatever it was they were thinking at him. They would at the very least give him an answer, no matter how vile it might be. These men weren't even able to properly lie to him.
All they could do was sit and stare, hoping Korren would eventually defuse himself without their interference.
Korren grunted, "fine. I'll give you your time to think about making the right decision concerning this. Do not make me upset Hiroshi. I will go after what I want, just like you will."
-X-
Korren slammed his door shut out of frustration. It was perhaps a very childish thing to do, not mention it probably scared whoever might have been in the halls, but it was the only way he could let out his anger without breaking something. Back home, his father would let him spar it out. Especially when he was younger, and the councilmen's comments were fresh and cruel. Here though, he doubted he would find a body of water large enough for the splash he wanted to make.
He knew better than the expect Hiroshi to be a fair man, but Hiroshi would knowingly about to let thousands of people die, when he was more than capable of doing something to help. Korren wanted to scream. He should have made it far more clear to Hiroshi, that if he wanted the Avatar, he would have to take the Southern people with him. It was implied, of course, all those men knew who Korren was most loyal to, but still, Korren felt as though he should have said something. At least then, they would all surely know how he felt.
How did they expect him to marry into an arrangement like this anyways? No matter how willing he was to cooperate with them, did they really think he would be okay with them putting off something so important?
Breathing as heavily as he did was becoming more and more painful as he seethed. He needed to take his binder off, then perhaps he could think more clearly about what to do-
He paused at the first button of his shirt meeting eyes with a pair of wide golden ones in standing in the middle of his room.
Suddenly his entire body felt as though it was on fire and his hands felt strangely heavy and they fell limp at his side.
"Were you going to watch me undress?" He tried painfully to make that sound like a joke, but his voice was strained, and thick with his embarrassment and fright. He wasn't entirely sure what he would've done if she saw. Probably stand there as he was now, struggling for words.
Asami seemed just as embarrassed as he was, as she her usually pale face was red, and her lips parted in her shock. "Ah- no. No. I would've said something…I just...you looked so upset then you started to-"
Korren shook his head, trying to gather his thoughts from that dreadful moment. "Yes, I had a meeting with your father. It didn't go so well. Why are you…" He stared at her for a moment. She was so small and feeble. She stood struggling to find something to do with her hands and maintain eye contact, as she always did when she was nervous.
For whatever reason she was in his room, he was sure she had meant no malice by it. "You're in my room." He said flatly. "Did you need something? Were you waiting long?" He forced his feet to move over to a small seat opposite where he was and sat desperately trying to calm his nerves.
It's not like she saw anything. He's never had a woman not know about him before. Everyone in the south had their rumors surrounding him, any woman he was with always suspected something. And if he really wanted to be with them that night, he would let them know the truth and prayed they weren't disgusted.
Asami was different. She didn't suspect a thing. He desperately wanted to keep it that way for at least a little longer.
"I thought you were upset with me," he said when Asami took too long to answer, probably still trying to gather her thoughts as well.
"Upset?" She seemed confused.
"Yeah, I punched your guard boy in the face and you yelled at me, remember?" He didn't mean to smile while recalling it, because that only made Asami more upset as she remembered what he was talking about. The incident happened only a few days before, and either she was avoiding him since then or he had just been too busy to have noticed her around.
Either way, they hadn't talked and it wasn't until now Korren realized how much he enjoyed her conversation. She was some relief when the days weren't kind at the very least.
"Oh yes. I remember." She scrunched up her face into a frown Korren couldn't help but laugh at.
"You had forgotten? I suppose he doesn't mean that much to you then."
"I didn't forget! I've had my own problems to deal with. With Ginger's funeral and getting back into schooling and-"
"You go to school?" Korren leaned forward, now more interested. "With your mother's protectiveness, I would've thought you were tutored or something."
"It isn't really a school, more like a place for us noble kids to gather. If we learn something while we're there then that's great. If not, well we have people who know that stuff for us anyways." As soon as Asami began to smile it began to fade again. She settled her hands in front of her, closing her eyes to ward away tears. "Everyone is grieving. I can't tell you how many tears I've wiped away."
"Oh," Korren fell silent, not sure how to deal with her crying properly. Would wrapping her in a hug be too much? Would she even want that? He was sure she hadn't forgiven him for hurting her friend as of yet. There was no way she had, not while she was still mourning the death of Ginger. "I-"
"You punched Mako in the face!" Asami started up again. She opened her eyes and frowned at him. Even with her eyes glassy it managed hit him the way she wanted it to. "Do you know how much he bled?"
"He hit me first," Korren defended weakly.
"I didn't realize you were a child. You live by the 'he started it' rule don't you? What reason would Mako even have for hitting you if you didn't provoke it?"
Korren bit his tongue. She was right about that, but he would never openly admit that he provoked the man. So instead he laughed, thinking back on how silly it all was. "Okay." He shrugged and stood, taking off his shoes so he could climb into bed.
"Just okay?"
"Just okay." He teased.
His whole body was tired, and weak, not to mention the pain of his binder still digging into his ribs.
He still needed to figure out something to do about Hiroshi before things got too bad. He was sure that the south was more than restless at this point. Perhaps even desperate. He didn't want to think about what the men might do on impulse due to desperation. He knew them well enough to know that nothing of much rationality would come out the situation if there was a panic spreading.
The bed sank a bit, when Asami sat beside him. "Do you mind untangling my hair?" he asked gently. She had every reason to say no, but he didn't think she was that cruel. When he peeked at her, her frown had relented a little bit, and her face seemed softer. She was just as beautiful as the women he drooled over back home, if not more so. And she was in his bed, again. He wanted her there for as long as he could have her.
"Is that your way of de-stressing or something?" She was teasing he knew, because a moment later she reached over and started pulling at the locks Korren didn't know how keep in place. "You could always just...comb your hair."
"My hair was always shorter when I was home. It never used to get like this. Besides, it feel nice when you do it."
Asami muttered something he didn't catch, but he supposed it didn't really matter, because she didn't seem as though she was waiting for a response.
Her fingers were so gentle and warm. Something about them weaving their way through the messiness of his hair was strangely relaxing. For a blissful moment he felt at peace.
"You didn't tell me why you're in here," he noted. "I'm convinced you were just here to watch." He laughed at his own joke, causing Asami to roll her eyes.
"Is that a proper way to speak to someone who could cause you pain right now?" Asami joked, wrapping a strand of his hair around her finger, threatening to pull.
"I suppose not, but why were you in here? Did you want something?" He turned around to face her so they could speak properly.
Asami smiled, and he instantly he recognized it as the one she donned when she wanted him to do something, like smile more, or go to dinner with her friends. "You remember Varrick."
Korren made a face at the name. "Unfortunately. Why?"
"Well, he wants to have a private meeting with you…" Korren began to groan. He wasn't sure how many more meetings he could take. Especially not with people who had an expectation of him.
"You couldn't wait till tomorrow to ask me this?"
Asami's smile widened, "I figured you would appreciate it more if I asked you in private."
"I'm pretty sure no means no whether it's in public or in private." Korren began to sit up, only to be pushed back down by Asami. He sighed, feeling whatever calmness Asami had previously brought him start to diminish.
"I'm pretty sure I couldn't convince you in public. Please, just take it into consideration. You shoot things down so quickly."
Korren laughed, "convince me? I thought you were still mad at me."
"Yeah, and I will be until you apologize, but until then I'm not too proud to beg." She pouted cutely, sticking out her lower lip and giving him big puppy eyes until he laughed again.
"I can't believe this is happening. Does this man mean so much?" Asami made a face Korren wasn't sure he could read. It could've have been disgust, could it? Asami wouldn't try to talk him into meeting a man she was disgusted by. Nor would she be so willing to let Korren know that's how she felt about him.
"He's an important figure, and he wants to talk to you. Can't we just leave it there? I need you to meet him. For your sake at least."
Korren raised an eyebrow. "My sake?"
"Well- yeah. He's a water tribe man. You're a water tribe man. You don't seem to be getting along too well with anyone else so I figured-"
"Asami-"
"Don't say no again! Shouldn't husbands listen to their wives about things like this?"
Korren sighed, settling back down into his bed again. The last thing he wanted was one more person to worry about. In fact, he didn't want to worry about anything else, or do anything else, until the matter at hand was dealt with and out of the way. He wasn't sure he could take anymore stress.
Asami laid beside him, staring as though that would make him give her an answer sooner. "Do you know what he wants to talk about? I don't think I could take it if it's something that's going to stress me out."
Asami shook her head, "no, but Varrick isn't a heavy man. He's rather easy to talk to. I think you'll like him."
Korren shrugged. "Just give me some time to think about everything and work through it, then I'll meet him, I guess."
That seemed to be enough to get Asami to smile and nod. She sat upright in a bouncy fashion and grinned. "That's fine. I'm sure he doesn't mind waiting for a proper response." Korren moaned in objection as she began to swing her legs from the bed.
"Mmm- you aren't leaving now are you?" he quickly grabbed a hold of her hand, and pulled her back down with him, locking her in his arms. "Getting what you want and running off? I feel used."
"You did look upset. I figured I shouldn't bother you anymore…"
"Just stay a bit longer, then I'll let you go." Korren watched her expression go from shocked to calm quickly. They hadn't had any moments alone since they arrived, and much as Korren didn't want to get too close to her, she made him feel at peace whenever they were together. Something about her brought about a calmness- so different from the headaches her father brought him. He wanted her near him, just for a little while longer.
"Do you want to talk about what happened? I promise, I'll try to keep up." She smiled innocently, almost bashful, and he swore he felt his heart melt for her.
"It isn't anything complicated to understand. Your father won't give me the men I need to gain the upper hand in my war again. He says he 'has more important use for them'." Korren rolled his eyes at the thought.
"There was no major war in the Fire Nation. What could he possibly need them for? I'm convinced he just doesn't want to give me any men for the hell of it."
Asami abruptly snorted out laughter. She laughed so hard she shook in Korren's hands, and vibrated nicely against him. "Oh!" She managed to call out in between her giggles. "I see…"
"That's funny to you?"
"Oh, please don't misunderstand. That is by no means funny at all. It's just-" She giggled again. "You don't know-"
"I don't know…" Korren echoed.
"If you ever need something like that, it isn't my father you ask." She giggled again. "I can't believe you asked him for men. Was he sober?"
Korren frowned his confusion, and held Asami still against him. "I don't understand what you mean. Why's that so funny?"
"Because, most people here know. If you need something like men- or military power, you don't ask my father. He doesn't put the men to good use. He puts too much trust into his councilmen, and his councilmen don't really care too much for what they do. They get the men, go to earth kingdom, and pretty much just act like...well...men. You know? Get drunk, push around the earthbenders...get..women...
"My father likes to push serious things aside and then blame the lower classes for when things get out of control. Its his way of making propaganda. So my mother handles all the important things. Like your war for example. If you need men to send, shes the one you go to. Not my father. Never my father." She said the last part more sternly than all the rest, to make sure he got the point. "Oh, yeah, I suppose you're right. He isn't giving you men because he doesn't want to. I suppose he wants you to be desperate. That way you'll have to rely on him."
Korren gritted his teeth. Hiroshi was such a fool he would willingly let thousands of people die for his own self satisfaction. Korren wasn't sure what Hiroshi would gain from putting him in an impossible situation, but he wasn't exactly willing to find out either. The last thing he wanted was he give him the pleasure.
What sort of a man would do something as idiotic as leaving important matters till they spiraled out of control? As he was coming to know Hiroshi, and the Fire Nation, better he supposed it wasn't that unimaginable of him. The man had no morals, in fact, Korren doubted he had anything redeeming about him whatsoever. He was coming to think of them as worse than the Northerners, the spirit-worshippers. At least they had a specific goal in mind that was for something greater than themselves. Hiroshi's destructiveness seemed simply because he wanted to, and had the means to go about it. There was nothing deeper to it than selfishness.
What Korren couldn't imagine was that it was Yasuko who fixed everything that Hiroshi screwed with. Yasuko seemed strong willed enough, and now that he truly had a moment to think about her- outside her hatred for him- he supposed her inability to bend wouldn't have set her back as much as it should've. Not when she was Azula's grandchild. Still, a woman, a non-bending one at that, setting a place as complex and vast as the Fire Nation in order was a hard thought for him to wrap his head around. In his home, a woman wanting so much as wanting to fight next to a man was considered insane.
And yet here a woman, a non-bending one, was doing so much more...
"Then why isn't she on the throne? She might as well... Hiroshi may as well runoff and do as he pleases. Why doesn't she-"
"My father isn't a reasonable man. And besides, it's not as though people want to be up front about a non-bender leading them. They'd rather pretend my father is great at what he does than openly thank my mother for her work."
"I suppose I understand that. Still, nothing like that could ever happen in my home. The men would probably skin her alive."
Korren felt Asami tense in his arms and the thought crossed his mind that maybe he shouldn't have said that. "Yeah, I know," she said lowly. "You're taking this so well. Usually men aren't too happy about-" She stopped when Korren shook his head, "oh."
"It goes against what I was taught, but I suppose I have to admire her strength. Hiroshi doesn't get anything useful done. I can't say I'm happy to have to go to for this though, she doesn't like me."
"I can do it for it you!" Asami suggested, she knew how her mother was most of all.
"No, I should do it." Korren sighed, thinking about how he wanted less stress and was instead given this. "It won't look good on my part if I send you."
"I guess not." Asami nodded. "How come you want this so badly anyways? I thought your plan was to try and relax while you're here..."
"I'll relax when I know everything is okay. It's weird but I can't let go. Not yet. Its not as easy as I thought it would be."
Asami seemed to understand as she relaxed back into him. "Okay," she agreed simply, "relax when it's over."
It took a long time for the air to feel light again. Korren tried hard to focus on Asami laying beside him for the rest of the night. It was almost as though he needed it. He rarely had the luxury of breaks, or of moments he could spend not thinking about what doom may lay around the corner for him and his people. But never had that weighed so heavily on him. He couldn't remember a time where that bothered him as much as it did now.
He just wanted desperately to breathe for a moment.
Asami seemed to do the trick as always felt nice against him. So warm, and soft. He liked the moments they had alone. She felt like what winter nights locked safely in his home felt like, with his his binder tossed somewhere in the corner, and his mother's cooking still warm on the stove, and no one around to chide him for anything.
Asami was always more relaxed than she usually was when they were alone and that meant he could enjoy her in her truth. Tonight, everything about her was calm compared to him. The way her breathing didn't match his heavy, ragged one. Or how her arm idly rested over his, and how her fingers traced over his skin in the same fashion his brushed over hers- just to feel that she was there-, but hers were so much softer, and lighter.
It took a while, but finally, he felt calm again, like he could sleep without a worry for the night. He pulled her as close to him as she could get, and gently whisper, "are you still mad at me?"
Asami let out a heavy breath as she looked up at him. "Are you going to apologize?"
"I'm sorry!" he blurted out quickly. It seemed to take Asami by surprise as she held her mouth open as though she wanted to say something, then quickly shut it again. "I'm sorry…" He repeated, softer this time. "I won't punch him again- unless he really deserves it."
Asami shook her head. "Are you apologizing only because-"
"I want you to stay," he admitted. "Just a for another few hours. But I don't want you to feel forced. I don't want you to be upset with me-" He awkwardly stopped in the middle of his sentence, looking down to see Asami's expression. She wasn't exactly frowning, but she wasn't smiling into him either. Korren hated how clueless he could be when it came to reading things like this at times. He didn't know what her expression meant until she pulled him down into a kiss. Then he understood.
She probably wasn't too upset anymore. Or maybe she was, korren couldn't be sure. But she probably wanted this moment just as much as he did. She was still so young, and fragile, he couldn't imagine what Ginger's death must've done to her. Seeing her cry over the lifeless body of her friend reminded him of the first time he had to watch someone die. How helpless he felt and how quickly he was forced to let it go and move on. Asami had her own problems. Her own people she wanted to protect, and her own reasons she needed to be strong. Korren came to realize that she probably needed a moment to breathe, to forget, more than he did.
He probably should've asked how she felt. How she was dealing with it. He wished he had someone ask him the same, but for the moment all he could focus on was her. How her hands tangled in his hair, and her legs wrapped around his waist. How her own figure so much more slender than his own, and how the curve of her waist and her breasts fit in his hand. How soft the skin at her pulse was, how easily it became red under his lips. She gasped when he did it right, and moaned when he took her into his mouth.
He didn't want to stop. He wanted to lay back and enjoy how she wasn't quite sure what she was doing, but somehow that made everything so much better. How her hands stayed so firmly over his own, guiding him to where she wanted to be touched. She mimicked whatever he did with his mouth, leaving warm trails over his neck and jaw.
And soon she was under him, her dress bundled around her stomach which was ridden with small marks Korren left behind. Her moans became louder, and quickly filled the room. Her fingers tightened in hair and the way she tasted left him near intoxication.
He wanted more of her, but it was all cut short when her hands began to roam a little too far and instinct took over, causing him to grab her wrist tightly and yank her eager hands away from his chest, where the tightness of his binder was becoming evident once more.
She looked up at him with wide eyes full of shock, and maybe even pain, before she wriggled out of his grip. Korren untangled himself from her and sat up quickly, settling on the edge of the bed. "Don't do that." He said, his voice still raspy with his arousal.
"Why? It was getting good." Asami sat up too, wrapping her half naked form around his back. She kissed his jaw, moaning when she felt his skin against her tongue. "I want to touch you too."
Her hands reached for the buttons of his shirt once again, and this time he was more careful with how he handled her. "I have scars…" He mumbled.
Asami chuckled deeply in his ears, "I didn't expect a man like you to have skin like mine. Let me see."
Korren cringed at the thought of letting her undress him. Something about even thinking about about being naked in front of her made him feel sick. He shook his head. "I don't want to share them yet. I'd rather we just stop for tonight."
Asami went slump on his back. He could just hear the pout in the way she spoke, "you don't have to be embarrassed. There's nothing wrong with having scars, it means you fought a good-"
"No!" He shook himself free from her and stood from the bed altogether. "There's nothing good about these kinds of scars. They're nothing but a reminder. I don't want to talk about it anymore okay?"
Asami sat in the middle of his bed, one hand covering her breasts, the other pulling her dress down to cover the rest. "I just want to see- we don't have to-" Her voice trailed off as she realized how serious Korren was. There was something pitiful about the way she looked. Korren couldn't help but feel he had done her wrong somehow.
She deserved a night like this. One where she was with a lover, and they could kiss and touch and do whatever it is they pleased without fear of anything standing in the way. But Korren wasn't sure if he could give that to her. Not yet, if ever. He could barely stand the way his own arousal pooled between his legs.
He remembered the way women looked at it, when they knew. When he chose to show them. How they would comment about how well he had fooled them until that moment. They would comply with his wants, and needs, some of them, but others weren't so kind. Korren couldn't help but think about how Asami looked nothing like those girls in this moment.
How she was only eager to go as far as she could in one night. That's when Korren realized his mistake. He probably shouldn't have apologized to her. Not while he was like this. Because now she wasn't mad anymore, and she had no reason to want to stay away from him, no reason to resent him. And he was beginning to like her a little too much for the circumstances they were under.
Things were bound to go wrong if they kept up the way they had.
"Maybe another time…" Korren said. "Besides, we shouldn't be doing this anyways. We're not married, and your father might change his mind. We never know. I wouldn't want to soil you or anything."
The silence that followed made the room stiff once more, but Korren chose to ignore it, figuring it was much better than what might've come. "How about I walk you to your room? You can have a long kiss goodnight if you want…" He tried to smile, but Asami didn't react to his offer at all.
Instead she looked like she might cry. Korren prayed she wouldn't. He already had enough difficulty dealing with emotions in general. He didn't know how to comfort her if she did start crying about this.
"It's me," she wondered aloud, "isn't it?" Korren shut his eyes as he cursed how unlucky he was. He wanted to shout out at her, it could never be you. "If we had met under different conditions, would you still take an interest in me?"
Korren sighed, "It's hard to say…"
She frowned, "cause I'm not Water Tribe like you are? You don't have to tell some stupid lie. Scars? Really? I almost believed you. But that doesn't make any sense. What man would pass up the opportunity because he has a scar?"
Korren cringed, "Asami-"
"If you were going to lie, you could've at least done it well. Does every man here think I'm stupid? You haven't invited me into your room since we've been here. There are water tribe women here too. I see how you stare at them. Especially at your welcoming. Now, suddenly you have scars and you don't want to be with me?"
"Asami-"
"I can't believe I actually kind of like you! You're the only one who treated me like I'm-" She stopped short and began to climb from the bed. "Nevermind just-"
It wasn't the right thing to do, but Korren quickly caught her in his arms and held her tightly against the bed. "I wouldn't lie to you about this. It's a scar. I promise. Not cause you aren't water tribe, not cause I don't want to. A scar I'm not proud of. Okay? Don't doubt that I want this." He was very much aware of how strained his voice sounded, like he wanted to cry himself.
Asami frowned as she stared at him, but eventually that relented some and she nodded, "fine," she said simply. "I'm not sure why it upset me so much anyways. I guess I just...nevermind. You have to marry me either way, right?"
Korren managed a smile, "right."
"Okay," She pulled him down into another kiss, this one harder, and more watery than the ones they shared in his bed. "Goodnight then."
Okay Phew! That was a lot. Lol.
I love it when Asami gets conversational, so I figured you guys might like it too.
HUGE, HUGE thanks to my beta, Cookie. She helped me out a great deal with this chapter! As well as Kitty, who helped me some as well.
Please, PLEASE, leave a comment, or a thought just letting me know what you think about this chapter. (I live for those)
Hope you enjoyed it :)
Till next time
*Flies away*