Kuvira eased out a distant sigh as she gazed over the railing of the ferry, watching Air Temple Island draw closer. Tonight had been so strange. Not only because they'd had dinner with Sinn and Asami, but the interactions between them. No hostility between herself and Asami. No awkwardness, no dirty looks, no apprehension. Nothing. While they had been on better terms since the end of Kuvira's prison sentence, she never would have imagined anything like tonight. Being so normal around each other. Pleasant, even. Especially during a double date with her and Korra.
A gentle touch called Kuvira out of her thoughts. She blinked, turning to see Korra standing next to her. "Oh, hey."
"Are you alright?" Korra asked, tilting her head with concern. "Ever since we left Kwong's, you've seemed... somewhere else."
"Oh, yeah, I'm fine." Kuvira looked back over the railing, gazing out at the dark water of Yue Bay. "I've just been thinking about earlier. About dinner. Asami referred to me as her friend. All throughout dinner we were talking, and laughing, telling stories..." She tightened her grip on the railing and pushed herself backwards, straightening her arms. "I don't know, I guess I just don't understand. I knew she'd forgiven me and that she had accepted you and I being together, but friends? I never imagined..."
Korra smiled. "Hey, don't worry so much about it. We all know how much you've changed, Asami included. It's been a long time. That kind of time can heal a lot. If she says she thinks of you as a friend, she means it."
"I guess I never realized how much it would mean to me," Kuvira replied, with a subtle chuckle. "I'd always assumed with how much I hurt her, she'd hate me forever. It's just so unexpected, I suppose. Relieving, though."
"So, you're okay?"
Kuvira looked to her girlfriend with a pleasant smile. "More than okay. I'm great."
The ferry arrived at the Air Temple Island dock several minutes later. This late at night, Tenzin and his family had long since turned in for sleep, but he had invited them to stay in one of the guest dormitories while they were in Republic City. They could find their own way from here. As they made their way towards the path leading up to the temple, a white blur bounded towards them with an excited yip.
"Naga!" Korra held her arms out wide and hugged the massive polar bear dog. Naga responded with several firm licks to her face. "Aw, I missed you too, girl. Sorry we had to send you away on the train, but Zaofu was no place for you to stay." Naga sat up straight and held her tongue out of her mouth. She stared at Korra expectantly, waiting. "Yes, I bought some treats for you on the way here. Actually, I think Kuvira has them."
Kuvira's eyes widened as the polar bear dog turned towards her. "Wait, hold on a minute. No, don't—!" Her pleas went ignored, as Naga lunged at her and pinned her against the ground. Kuvira turned her head with a disgusted grimace as Naga's tongue slathered across her face. Korra just had to make her carry the treats, didn't she? "Blech! Naga! That's my mouth! Ugh, here. Take your treats."
She struggled out from beneath the polar bear dog's grip, reaching into her robes to pull out a few strips of jerky. Naga gobbled them down and nuzzled her head against Kuvira's chest. She sighed, giving the dog a few friendly pats. "Yes, I missed you too."
When Naga finished her treats, she turned around and ran back up the path, disappearing around the corner. Several moments later, she returned with a large leather ball held in her jaws. She dropped the ball at Kuvira's feet and nudged it forward, wagging her tail excitedly.
"Looks like she wants to play," Korra said, with a grin.
Kuvira picked up the ball and stared at the drool dripping off the bottom of it. "It's pretty late..."
"Just a little while." Korra wrapped her arms around Naga's head and curled the polar bear dog's jowls into an eager smile. "Come on, can you really say no to this face?"
"Alright, alright," Kuvira said, with a relenting chuckle. "Just for a little while."
She strolled away from the temple path towards the shoreline of the island, with Korra and Naga following close behind. When they made it onto the sand, she tossed the ball as far as she could across the beach. Naga eagerly gave chase.
"So, I've been meaning to ask," Korra said, as she watched the polar bear dog return with the ball, "do you really think you wouldn't be any good with kids?"
"Oh, well... I don't know." Kuvira gave a small shrug and picked up the ball when Naga set it at her feet. Once again, she threw it across the beach, and Naga ran after it. "I don't really know the first thing about them."
"Well, that's why you learn," Korra said.
"Maybe." Kuvira hummed a thoughtful breath, bowing her head. "Still, kids are hard. I probably wouldn't be cut out raising one, even as an aunt."
Korra paused, giving her girlfriend an inquisitive stare. "So, you wouldn't want any of your own?"
The question stiffened her with a paralyzing jolt. Naga returned with the ball, but she didn't move to pick it up. "Um... I mean, it's not really something I've thought about." She sucked in a deep breath to calm herself. Deep breaths. A second breath, and she retrieved the ball to throw it. As Naga once again gave chase down the beach, Kuvira's breath stifled in sudden revelation. She snapped her gaze back towards Korra with widened eyes. "Wait, are you trying to say you want kids?"
Korra shrugged, and offered a half-smile. "Someday, yeah."
"And you mean with me?"
"Well, you don't plan on breaking up with me any time soon, do you?"
"What?" Another jolt tore through Kuvira's chest. Panic, this time. Where had that question come from? Had she done something wrong? What did Korra mean? "No, of course not!"
Korra chuckled. "Then yes, I mean with you."
"Oh, right." Kuvira raked her fingers through her hair, swallowing her nerves with a warming rush of relief. Of course Korra had only been teasing. Of course. "I don't know. I'm not really sure if I'm 'mother' material."
"It's not something you need to make a decision on right now," Korra said, rubbing a hand against her shoulder. "Just something to think on. Alright?"
"Okay... I'll think on it." Kuvira took another deep breath, watching as Naga returned with the ball. This time, the polar bear dog dropped the ball in the sand and curled up with a quiet whine.
"Looks like you're getting a little tired, girl." Korra gave the dog a few belly scratches and urged her to return up the path. "Go on, get some rest. We'll still be here tomorrow." Naga licked Korra one more time, and promptly bounded up the path towards the temple.
"I guess we should turn in too," Kuvira said. "We have an early meeting tomorrow."
"Yeah, we probably should." Korra glanced towards the water. She paused, a mischievous grin spreading across her face. "Or we could go for a late night swim?"
"A swim? At this time of night?" Kuvira looked out at the water, watching the night-dark waves gently crash against the shore. "We really shouldn't. Besides, neither of us have a swimsuit."
"Oh that's right, we don't." Korra reached down and lifted her shirt up over her head, already making her way towards the water. Before Kuvira even knew what was happening, the Avatar removed her bra, her pants, and then her underwear, until she was standing stark naked on the beach.
"Korra, what are you doing?" Kuvira hissed, keeping her voice hushed. "There are other people on this island!" Not that she didn't enjoy the view, of course. She very much enjoyed it, in fact. Even so, this was more than a little risky.
"All of whom are asleep and wouldn't be able to see anything on the shore in the dark anyway," Korra replied, smirking back over her shoulder. She waded into the water up to her waist and turned around, waiting. "What's the matter, Kuvy? Embarrassed?"
"I... I am not. I'm just..." Kuvira paused, glancing up at the temple. A vague, shadowy outline stared back at her, completely dormant in the darkness, with not a single light glowing in any of the windows. With a deep huff, she turned back to the water and hurriedly began stripping off her robes. "Stand back, I'm coming in."
Within moments, she threw aside her clothes and stood naked on the beach. A shiver tingled up her spine, fueled by a cold breeze rippling against her bare flesh. No doubt, the water would be worse. Sure enough, as soon as she waded out next to Korra, she puffed out a sharp breath and held her arms around herself. "Oh my spirits, it's cold!"
Korra grinned wider, tilting a glance down at Kuvira's chest. "Certainly looks like it."
Kuvira blinked, following the Avatar's gaze down to her own chest. An immediate blush lifted into her cheeks. Pouting, she looked back up at her girlfriend. "Is that the only reason you wanted to swim?"
"Not the only one." Korra floated behind her, and wrapped her arms around the matriarch's waist. She started along Kuvira's hips, gradually moving her hands lower beneath the water.
"Korra, what are you—" Kuvira's hips bucked at the sudden touch between her legs. She lost her balance, falling into her girlfriend's embrace. "Oh... Oh my... Korra, stop, we shouldn't..." Her protests immediately ceased as the touch intensified, causing her entire body to twitch. She closed her eyes, letting her mouth fall open with a pleasured groan. "Mmmm. Never mind. Don't you dare stop."
Anraq inhaled a deep, slow breath, setting his head back against the turtle duck boat. They had been floating out here for hours now, drifting lazily through the bay. "Probably time to head back, huh?"
"Mmm, I suppose..." Azula muttered, resting her head against his chest. She breathed in slow, even, her eyes closed. If not for the fact she'd just spoken, he might have mistaken her as fast asleep. "Although, I'd rather lie here for the rest of the night."
"As nice as that sounds, we can't sleep in a turtle duck boat," he replied, with a quiet sigh. "The overtime charges would be through the roof."
"Very well, if we must." Azula exhaled a deep yawn and sat upright, straightening herself in the small seat. She briefly fixed her hair, and crossed one leg over the other. "I am curious, though, where exactly are we staying?"
"Well, I guess we can find a hotel or something," Anraq said, as he took the wheel of the boat to guide it back through the bay. "It's a little late to show up unannounced at someone else's place, and even then I'm not sure if—" He paused, catching his words in his throat. "Um, I mean..."
"You can say it, Annie," she replied, with a distant sigh. "They wouldn't want me there. It's not as though I can blame them. I get it, believe me."
"Right, sorry," he muttered. "So... hotel?"
"I suppose that will have to do." Azula focused her attention on the city, as the boat continued through Yue Bay. The night had already ticked well past midnight, and still the entire place lit up like a beacon. Republic City never truly slept. After a brief pause, she shifted her focus back towards Anraq. She stared at him, softening her gaze. "Annie, can I ask you something?"
He glanced at her, curling his lips into an affectionate smile. "You know you can ask me anything."
Even with that assertion, Azula hesitated. The question she wanted to ask hovered at the edge of her lips, uncertain if she should say it. No doubt the subject would be a touchy one, and it very well might sour the mood. Still, her curiosity won out. With a breath to settle her nerves, she forced out her words with caution in her tone. "Earlier, you said you'd never felt about anyone the way you feel about me, but you were with someone before, weren't you? Kanna's mother?"
"Ah, yeah..." Anraq stared straight ahead, keeping watch on the water. "Megumi. Things were... different with her."
"So, you didn't love her?"
"It's complicated." He huffed out a deep sigh, letting his gaze drift downward. "I was young back then, new to Republic City, barely scraping by on a meager salary. When I met Megumi, we hit it off right away. She was smart, and beautiful, and cool, and everything I wasn't. I was crazy about her. I don't think it was ever really love, though. At least, not that real, deep, forever kind of love. One day, maybe, but I didn't know her long enough for that."
Azula watched him closely. There was a distance in his expression, an almost detached stare of remembrance. "What happened?"
"Heh, well... Kanna happened," he said, with a quiet chuckle. "She was sort of an accident. Like I said, we were young, stupid. Still, we were going to try to make it work, to raise our child the best we could together. Fate didn't work out that way." The distance in Anraq's gaze grew stronger, wistful. "Shortly after she gave birth, Megumi suffered medical complications. The doctors couldn't save her, and I still wasn't that good a healer yet, so I couldn't help her either. She passed away a few hours later. Next thing I know, I'm a single dad at eighteen years old in the middle of Republic City. I tried to make it work as best I could, and I managed for a couple years, but it got to be too much to keep up with. So, I packed up and moved back to the South Pole with Kanna. After that..." He sighed, closing his eyes. "Well, you know the rest."
An involuntary knot bounced into Azula's throat, tightening with regret. Shouldn't have asked, after all. She could hear the pain in Annie's voice. Clear, deep, lingering hurt. "I'm sorry, Annie."
"Don't be," he said, with a gentle shrug. "It was a long time ago."
"I think I would have liked to meet Kanna," she said, rubbing her hand along his arm. "From how you spoke of her before, she seemed like a... tolerable child."
Anraq laughed, growing a pleasant grin across his face. "I actually think she'd have gotten a kick out of meeting you. Even more out of me dating you."
Azula smirked. "Well, I am quite awe inspiring."
His smile grew wider. "You certainly are."
A moment of quiet lingered between them, broken only by the lapping of waves against the side of the boat. As they neared Air Temple island, another noise drifted over the silent night air. Shrill and piercing one moment, deep and droning the next. Azula lifted her head, gazing across the water with a curious stare.
"Do you hear something?" she asked.
Anraq squinted his eyes around the bay, searching for the source of the noise. "It sounds like... yelling?"
The yelling grew louder as they drew closer to the island. Clearer, too. Azula's brow lifted. Not yelling at all. Moaning. She focused on the source, studying an area in the water near the shoreline some distance away. Nothing yet. She squinted, watching the glowing ripples from Republic City reflecting across the surface. Two dark silhouettes appeared in her vision. She leaned closer, focused harder, and soon her vision adjusted to the night, giving a clear view of the two individuals in the water.
"Is that... Kuvira and the Avatar?"
"I think so," Anraq replied, leaning over the edge of the boat for a better look. "But what are they...? Oh... Oh. OH."
Azula's eyes snapped open wide at the sight. "Are you kidding me? They're right out where anyone can see them!"
"Well don't stare!" Anraq threw himself low against the floor of the boat, shielding himself behind the edge. "Just avert your eyes and we'll float right on by."
She ignored him, keeping her attention focused on the couple. Call it morbid curiosity, but she couldn't bring herself to look away. "Oh my, now that is an inventive use of waterbending."
"What?" Anraq peered over the side of the boat for a closer look. When he saw what she was referring to, his eyebrows lifted in surprise. "How in the heck are they...?" Before he could finish his thoughts, he squinted his eyes shut and dropped back against the floor. "Wait, no, stop looking! Those are our friends."
"Hey, they're the ones doing it in the open," Azula insisted.
"Would you sit down?" He tugged her sleeve in desperate attempt to pull her behind the side of the boat. "They'll see you!"
Azula scoffed out a laugh. "Oh, I think they're way too distracted to notice us."
"Ugh..." Anraq remained hidden until the boat floated far enough away from the island that Korra and Kuvira were out of sight. Only then did he crawl back into his seat.
Azula settled into the seat next to him with her arms folded across her chest. "Well, that was amusing."
"You are shameless," he muttered, glaring at her out the corner of his eyes.
"And you're pathetic." She smirked, leaning in close to kiss his cheek. "Try to remember that waterbending trick, though."
"What? Why?" He paused, blinking at her in confusion. Revelation dawned a moment later, lifting his brow. "Oh... Oh. Wait, really?"
"Well, eventually," she said, with a cautious look. "I mean, I might not yet be ready for anything quite like that, but it will happen sometime. Right?"
"Well, yeah, obviously. I mean, of course. Eventually." Anraq cleared his throat and shifted awkwardly in his seat. "Whenever you're ready. I'm not in a hurry or anything. Just... You know, when you want."
A soft chuckle eased out her throat, as she leaned against him for another kiss. "You're adorable when you're flustered, you know that?"
"Heh, well, yeah... I mean, I can be. I guess."
Azula settled against him with a pleasant smirk, arms wrapping around his shoulders. "Do we have to go in just yet?"
Anraq eased out a content sigh and returned the embrace, clutching her close against his chest. "Well, I guess we can stay out a little longer."
"That was a really exciting mover," Sinn said, with an delighted grin. She walked alongside Asami down the streets of Republic City, having left the mover theater long behind. Even well after midnight, the neighborhood bustled with activity around them. "I mean, the end when they leaped over the erupting volcano? Epic! Oh and the romance... It was so touching."
Asami watched the other woman with her own pleasant smile. Sinn had proven to be quite the adventurous, excitable type over the course of their date. Definitely her type. "Well, I'm glad you liked it. I had a really good time tonight."
"So did I. It was really great. You're great." Sinn abruptly paused with an embarrassed frown, smacking herself in the forehead. "And... I've actually said that way too many times tonight, haven't I?"
"Honestly? It doesn't get old," Asami said, with a quiet chuckle. "I mean, I am pretty great."
Sinn smiled again, maintaining careful focus on the president. As they neared a large department store, her gaze shifted at the reflection of a clock in the window, lifting her expression with a surprised gasp. "Oh wow, it's late... I didn't realize so much time had gone by."
Asami glanced at the clock. Her eyes widened at the time—nearly one in the morning. "Wow, me neither. I guess that's what happens when you're having fun, huh?"
"So... I guess that's it?" Sinn said, with a disappointed sigh. "Probably time to call it a night, I suppose."
"Maybe." Asami pressed a hand to her chin, growing a thoughtful smirk. "Or maybe not."
"Oh? Do you have something else in mind, or...?"
"Actually, I think I do. You're new to Republic City, so I doubt you've seen everything it has to offer. You want to see something really cool?"
Sinn gave an eager nod. "Yes, absolutely!"
Asami led the other woman along by the hand, changing directions down the street towards downtown. The glowing beacon of the spirit portal filled the sky, stretching into the darkness above. Within several minutes, large green vines appeared along the sides of nearby buildings, growing thicker the farther they went. When they rounded the final corner, a thick wall of vines greeted them, concealing the rest of the city beyond.
"Here we are," Asami said, guiding the way towards the front of the vines. She reached out to part them as she would a curtain, and ushered Sinn inside. The vines grew like a forest here, completely entangling the buildings within, while the soft glow of numerous spirits illuminated what would have otherwise been suffocating darkness.
"Wow..." Sinn stared around with wide eyes, wonder stricken upon her face. Her attention focused on a flock of fluttering butterfly spirits. "What is this place?"
"These are the Spirit Wilds, Republic City's biggest attraction," Asami explained. "It was created when Vaatu attacked the city during Harmonic Convergence, and expanded when the new spirit portal formed."
"It's beautiful." Sinn wandered around the wilds, captivated at the many spirits that made it their home. A delighted smile curled its way across her face, and her eyes gleamed. "I've never seen so many spirits in one place before. Zaofu has a few, but they're pretty rare."
"It is pretty amazing, right?"
"Totally." Sinn shifted her gaze back towards Asami, maintaining a pleasant smile. "Thanks for bringing me here. This is wonderful."
"I'm glad you like it." Asami found herself smiling in return, looking deep into the other woman's eyes. "Has anyone ever told you that you have a really pretty smile?"
"Oh! Um, no, actually." Sinn's lips twitched slightly, as she shrank back with a quiet chuckle. A deep red blushed into her cheeks. "I do?"
"Yeah, you do."
"Heh, wow, thanks."
Asami took a step closer, and reached out to gently take one of Sinn's hands in her own. "This might sound strange, but I'm really glad that assassin attacked me. Otherwise, I might not have met you."
"Oh, me too!" Sinn replied. "I mean, not that the assassin attacked you, that was horrible, but that I met you. You're pretty too. I mean, you have a pretty smile too. I mean..." She swallowed, stuttering with a nervous laugh. "Uh, wow, I'm rambling, aren't I?"
Asami merely smiled, and leaned close to give her a quick kiss at the corner of her lips. "Thanks, Sinn."
The red in Sinn's cheeks deepened. A bashful grin spread across her face, followed by an embarrassed giggle. "Oh my..."
"Come on," Asami said, leading Sinn along by the hand. "We should probably get going. It's getting pretty late."
"Oh, right, of course, yeah."
"I'd love if we could do this again sometime, though." Asami glanced back over her shoulder, offering another smile. "I had a lot of fun tonight."
"Oh, yes, definitely! Me too, I had a lot... a lot of fun." Sinn attempted to hide her blushing, but she would have had better luck trying to bend all four elements. All she could do now was follow the president out of the Spirit Wilds back into the open night of Republic City, with her face the color of an overripe tomato.
And what a night it had been.
