I did not intend to continue you this story, but having re-read the first part,
I felt that there as still more to be told.
The idea behind the story came from the rise of Korrasami shipping after the end of Book Three, and I have to admit, I count myself in that number.
My take was simple; what if pretty much everyone in the Avatar 'verse had the same idea,
but no one got round to telling Korra and/or Asami?
Well, I told that story in part one, but that seems to have left more than a few questions unanswered, so here we go.
Everybody's Talkin'
Asami wasn't even sure she'd actually accepted Korra's somewhat unusual proposal: the Avatar had placed the choker round her neck, kissed her softly but passionately on the lips, and that was that.
They were officially engaged.
Asami wasn't even sure it was legal, for as cosmopolitanism as Republic City might have been, there were still those who held a more conservative view on the world, and they tended to gravitate towards positions of power and influence. There was nothing in the laws of the United Republic against them having a relationship, but they were both prominent, public figurers, so there was bound to be a few waves for them to ride out. Still, sleeping with Korra, waking up with their arms wrapped around each-other as the dawn sun rose over the distant mountains had been... nice. Better than nice, in fact; it had felt right, as if it was something she had been looking for her entire life without even realising it. And sleep was all they had done, because even if they had been willing to push the envelope of their relationship further so quickly, Korra was still far from fully recovered and was still somewhat physically fragile. Even so, just laying there together in the moonlight, trading soft kisses and gentle caresses as they snuggled together under the blankets had felt better than anything Asami had ever experienced before. If even so little felt so good, then... well, it'd be interesting just to see just what happened.
When the time was right, of cause.
It was with no small sense of trepidation that she went to breakfast that first morning with the betrothal necklace clear for all the world to see, but she never once contemplated hiding it. While she still wasn't sure exactly what was going on between her and Korra, she had no intention of hiding the fact that yes, they were a couple. The communal dining room had fallen silent as Asami wheeled Korra in, the necklace suddenly feeling as heavy as an airship around her neck. Every pair of eyes, save Rohan, who was still too young to care about anything more complex then when his next meal was going to arrive, locked onto the necklace. Asami could see the cogs turning behind those eyes even as Korra reached up and took Asami's hand in her own. For better or for worse, everyone on the island would soon know that the relationship between the Avatar and the Heiress was no longer just an open secret. Pema had broken the silence, inviting them to sit, her words breaking the spell that had overcome the room, and everyone else returned to their normal morning routine, even if Tenzin still looked a little uncomfortable. If anything, the fact that no one had made much of a fuss about it all helped, but Air Temple Island was not a perfect microcosm of Republic City, let alone the wider world. Returning to her room that night, Assam had been surprised to discover that the Air Acolytes had been hard at work taking down the wall separating her room from Korras and finding them a double bed from somewhere. Naga had settled herself down in the hallway outside without the slightest prompting from either of them, which showed surprising insight from an animal that still had to be reminded not to drink out of the toilet.
That night had been different: Korra had been exhausted by a hard day trying to regain the use of her legs, something she was becoming somewhat fixated on as her next big goal. So they had simply changed, stealing only half-hidden glances at each others bodies as they went, then climbed into bed to sleep. And Asami had been happy with that; just being close to Korra, to feeling the warmth of her body next to her own had been enough. But then she had been woken by Korra trashing about, her face contorted as she battled a nightmare. Naga had stirred outside, whining, but made no attempt to enter the room. It was all Asami could do to wrap her arms around Korra and hold her tight, whispering to her that it was okay, that she wasn't alone. It had been hard, given just how strong Korra was, even in her weakened state, but Asami had refused to let go, and eventually the nightmare ended, allowing Korra to return to a peaceful if fitful sleep. She'd felt uncomfortable asking about it the next morning, but felt that, if she was going to share her life with Korra, then she had to know everything. Korra had been reluctant to talk at first, but eventually confessed that she'd been reliving her battle with Zaheer, only he hadn't been alone; Amon, Unalaq and Vaatu had been there too, taunting her that she'd failed as the Avatar and that the world no longer wanted or needed her. She confessed that she'd suffered a similar hallucination as the Red Lotus had attempted to poison her, and that it had almost driven her to the point of giving in to death. It was clear to Asami that, as someone to whom most things had come so easy in life, Korra's greatest fear was failure. And that would be something far harder to overcome than the physical side of her injuries.
It hadn't been so bad when it was just Air Temple Island; everyone there had already accepted the idea of their 'relationship' before there was even a relationship to accept. But it was still not something that was widely known to the outside world; the Air Acolytes and the White Lotus would rather die than betray the trust that had been placed in them, Mako and Bolin were still close friends, and Chief Beifong had made it perfectly clear to President Raiko just what she'd do to him if he attempted to make political capital out of what he'd seen during his infrequent visits. But they couldn't hide on the island forever; Asami would eventually have to return to Future Industries, and Korra was the Avatar, and the world needed her, even if it was just as a figurehead for others to rally around. It was, oddly enough, Raiko that presented the opportunity to test the waters. Well, that had been Asami's idea, but Korra, as ever, wanted to charge head-long at any problem put before her and damn the torpedoes. The Presidents fundraising gala was intended to raise much needed money and support for the refugee camps along the boarder, and Kya had returned to give a speech to the great and the good of Republic City. Or at least, the wealthy and well connected. As the Avatar and president of Future Industries respectively, it had been no surprise that Korra and Asami had been invited. The fact that they had received separate invitations, each marked with the option of adding a +1, seemed to imply that Raiko had kept his mouth shut about their relationship. Or it could have been standard procedure for the civil servant tasked with sending out the invites; it was impossible to say. Korra looked forward to attending, even going as far as allowing Asami to pick out an actual dress for her, rather than her normal Water Tribe garb, something that almost made Pema faint.
Word soon got round the small island that the Avatar was going to wear an actual dress, and there were a lot of extra people gathered to see them off on the ferry to the mainland.
The short drive from the docks to City Hall had been pleasant enough, even if Korra wouldn't stop fidgeting and complaining about her dress feeling 'funny'. That had made Asami laugh; Korra was never going to be a girlie-girl, and she wouldn't have her any other way. But soon enough, they arrived, and the Air Acolyte acting as their driver quickly unfolded Korra's wheelchair and opened the door. Taking a deep breath, Asami stepped out first, waving to the crowed of well-wishers and press before turning to help Korra. As she did so, her hair shifted, and the betrothal necklace was clear for all to see. It was obvious that not everyone understood what it was, but some evidently did, and word spread through the crowed like wildfire, the crackling flash of the paparazzi cameras crowing until it was near blinding. Some tried to surge forward, but were held back by the carefully selected Metalbending Police Force Chief Beifong had put on duty. Eager to know more, the reporters started shouting at the tops of their voices, asking just who the lucky young man was. Was she back with Mako? Or was it someone she'd met on her journey to the Earth Kingdom? All the questions ended as she helped Korra out of the Satomobile and into her wheelchair, the Avatar pulling her down for a deep, passionate kiss that sent the crowd wild and almost had them surging over the police. The already excited reporters were now in a frenzy as Asami pushed Korra along the red carpet, the Avatar reaching back over her shoulder to cover one of her hands as she waved to the crowed with the other.
For better or for worse, their relationship was now very public.
The gala itself was relativity easy; the gossip had beaten them through the doors and into the ballroom, and all eyes were on the doors as they made their entrance together. There had been a few nerves questions, but a combination of Korras blunt, straightforward approach to everything and the open bar soon relaxed everyone, and soon they were being pelted with questions bout their wedding plans, something neither of them had actually given much thought to. As a little girl, Asami had dreamed of a huge wedding with a long, fluffy white dress, an ostrich horse drawn carriage and everything, but she had long since grown out of that. Still, if what was being said was anything to go by, it sounded like their wedding would be the social event of the decade... and why did Korra suddenly look so terrified?
Two days later, Asami found out why Korra had been so terrified when Tonraq and Senna arrived at Air Temple island, wanting to know just why their only daughter hadn't thought to tell them that she was getting engage, and they had to hear all about it on the radio. Asami had seen Korra battle crazed blood-benders, dark gods from the dawn of time and an entire terrorist organisation single handed, but she had never seen her look so outright terrified as when she had to face her enraged mother. In many ways, it made her glad that her own father was still in prison. Fortunately, Tonraq and Senna had no issue with Korra and Asami falling in love together, and offered their full and unconditional support to the couple. Which was good, because the conservative elements in Republic City and beyond had started to hit back, very carefully and polity, against the way that they had chosen to go public. The law was till somewhat unclear over whether or not the two of them could legally marry in the United Republic, and the conservatives were tallying around the idea that they couldn't, while the progressives were coming out in support of the two of them.
Asami understood politics, and that she was no doubt going to be summoned before the board of directors of Future Industries. While she was still the director and majority shareholder, they were already angry at her tendency to run off at the drop of a hat to help her friends. The company had been weakened by their loses during the Water Tribe Civil War and their subsistent acquisition of Varrick Global Industries after is was seized by the government after Varrick attempted to kidnap President Raiko and his subsistent escape from prison. While the latter had proven to be a wise investment, with Future Industries no longer reliant on outsiders to ship their products, it had left them dangerously overexposed, allowing Cabbage Corp to underbid them on the contract to supply airships to the Earth Kingdom, costing them millions of Yuans. They'd no doubt want to find a way to spin her new relationship with Korra to their own ends, something Asami was against.
Then there was the fact that Senna and Pema seemed to be spending every waking moment talking about wedding plans, with Ikki jumping up and down with joy over the prospect of being a bridesmaid in a pretty dress and a ever growing list of people to invite... and why was Korra grinning like that?
To Be Continued