In Hiding

Summary: Korra tried hard not to think about Kuvira living in a jail cell waiting for her trial to start – until she finds her sitting on her bed, looking for a place to hide. Set after series finale.

Chapter 22

"Are you okay?" Asami asked as she stepped out onto the small balcony of the hotel room. Korra looked over her shoulder and smiled softly as Asami closed the door behind them. She returned her attention back to the city's landscape in front of her.

"I'm fine, just thinking," Korra answered, crossing her arms and resting them on the railing. Asami leaned against the railing next to her, their arms touching.

"Uh oh," Asami giggled. "What are you thinking about?"

The wind shifted, blowing Korra's short bob around wildly into her face. Asami reached out and ran her hand through the Avatar's hair, brushing it back out of her face. "You," Korra answered simply. She tucked a lock of hair behind her ear, before glancing out at the skyline once more. "You, and your dad, and…everything." She shrugged.

Asami waited for her to continue but was met with silence. A moment later, she reached into her pocket and pulled out a small pouch. Untying the pouch, she shifted through the cool pieces of metal before pulling out the smallest one. "Copper piece for your thoughts?" she asked.

Korra went cross-eyed as Asami waved the money in her face. The Avatar smiled brightly before gently curling Asami's fingers around the piece of metal in her hand. "Save it for your trip," she suggested. Glancing down at their intertwined hands, Korra placed her other hand on top of Asami's, cupping it gently. "I want to apologize again for lying to you."

"Korra-"

"Please, let me just get this out," she said firmly. Asami's eyebrows rose at her tone of voice but she nodded, pulling her lips into a straight line. Korra took a deep breath before licking her lips.

"I know…that you're giving up a lot to help her. You have every reason to be angry…furious even. She took something important from you among the many other things she did. And yet, I have this drive to help her because I've seen the real Kuvira. You're angry because all you think of when you notice her…is the Great Uniter, your father's murderer. You never got a chance to see the real her." Korra slowly pulled her hands away. She crossed her arms over her chest. "No one has, I guess. Except maybe her ex-fiancé …"

"What happened in the Spirit World?" Asami asked quietly.

Korra exhaled sharply through her nose, her blue eyes narrowing. She bit her bottom lip before slowly shaking her head. Korra turned away, glancing at the sky as the sun rose, chaning the colors from a golden-pink to a light blue. Lit underneath the sun's rays, Asami noticed the look of sadness and compassion swimming in her eyes. "We came to an understanding. We're a lot alike. I can relate to her because we have a lot in common. She's the old me, that's why I can understand her. I can see the real her."

"What do you see when you see her?" Asami asked quietly. Korra looked over at her, her eyes slightly narrowing. "I'm trying my best to understand. Please, tell me…"

"I see…a human who made a mistake. I see the ex-captain of the Metal Clan. I see the first person who tried to find the one responsible for allowing the Red Lotus to infiltrate Zaofu. I see a person who is a fantastic leader. She gained the title as The Great Uniter, because she didn't want to abandon her nation, and helped bring some balance to the Earth Kingdom. "Look around us," she prompted; waving her hand in the air, "this city is almost back to its feet. It is one of many."

Asami followed her command, looking down at the street below. Couples, families, everyone young and old, were out and about eating at small cafes, buying items from food carts, or just taking a stroll around the city. A few people stood on the street corners, begging for food, water, or money. However, they were few and far between, much less than in a well populated location like Republic City.

"Asami," Korra said gently. Roughly running a hand through her hair, she sighed hard, looking directly into Asami's eyes: "I know she killed your father, but she also saved mine," she reminded her.

Asami nodded slowly, biting the inside of her cheek. Korra turned around and leaned up against the metal railing, resting her elbows. She crossed one leg over the other, and watched with a smile as Kuvira sat on the large bed with Ayaka in her lap, reading a book to her. "Will you two be leaving soon?" she asked.

"Yeah, but we're going to have to stop in the city to buy some new clothes to blend in more," Asami answered, pocketing the small coin pouch. She then pulled out the bottom of her shirt, looking down at her outfit. "We kind of stick out with my red clothing and her blue clothing, well yours." Korra made a noise in agreement. "However, if anyone were to take a look at her right now, they'd have to look pretty closely to identify her."

"So for now, I guess we're fine," Korra commented. She looked over at Asami before standing up straight. "Be careful," she advised while straightening up.

"It's just a business trip, Korra."Asami said with a small laugh. "No need to worry."

"Still, get there and back safely."

"I will." Asami answered. She frowned, tapping a finger to her chin. "How long did it take for you to come up with your speech?" she asked, half-smiling.

"Well, there are two times in a day when I can gather my thoughts: when you wake up to wash off your makeup in the middle of the night, and when you wake up early to put some more back on," Korra answered with a shrug. Asami's eyes slowly widened. "I don't know why you hide it, you're beautiful no matter what you look like." The Avatar then smirked. "And, boy, I've seen you at your worst. Remember our run in with the groundhog spirits during our vacation?"

Asami tittered as the wind picked up. Her raven hair blew directly into her face. She winced and closed her eyes, turning her head away. Korra reached out and tucked a bit of Asami's hair back, her fingers lightly tickling the shell of her ear. She moved to pull her hand away, stopping when Asami placed her hand on top of hers.

"Um…" Korra muttered when she noticed Asami's eyelids begin to flicker. She forced her eyes closed before stepping forward, and pressing her lips against Asami's for the briefest of seconds. Upon pulling away, she felt her cheeks instantly warm. "Sorry."

Asami reached up and pressed a finger to her lips before smiling shyly. "No need to apologize." She grabbed hold of Korra's other hand, running her thumbs across the Avatar's knuckles. "It was nice." Korra happily squeezed Asami's hands, making a noise of surprise as Asami pressed a kiss to her lips, slowly adding pressure. Korra couldn't help but smile into their embrace, before tilting her head, deepening the kiss. The two quickly pulled away when they heard Ayaka giggling. The child clapped happily, kicking her feet back and forth, curled up in Kuvira's arm.

"Sorry for interrupting," Kuvira said with a raised eyebrow, "but we should head out soon." She shifted Ayaka's position in her arms, lightly bouncing her up and down, before walking over to Korra. "Go with Rora, honey. You'll be fine." She gave Ayaka a tight hug before passing her into Korra's arms. "Here you go." Kuvira held out a children's book and toy as Korra held Ayaka on her hip. Asami stepped to the side before leaning up against the railing of the balcony.

Korra held Ayaka in her right arm, before tucking the book and toy underneath her left arm. The minute Ayaka was placed into Korra's, she squirmed and kicked, turning to face Kuvira with her arms stretched out. Kuvira stepped forward and cried out in surprise when she was enveloped in a tight hug round her neck. She froze when she felt the young girl press a light kiss to her cheek.

Asami watched in silence, her arms folded and one foot propped up against the railing. She raised an eyebrow as Kuvira slowly reached up and touched the same area where Ayaka had kissed her, turning the slightest shade of pink. Asami cleared her throat before straightening up. "I'm just going to pack up my things."

Korra placed her empty hand on Asami's lower back, pulling her into a hug. Asami pressed into their embrace, wrapping her arms around Korra's neck, burying her head into the fold's of her collar, breathing deeply. Ayaka leaned over, looking in between the two of them before squeaking happily. When they pulled apart, Asami directed a smile at Ayaka, reaching a finger out and rubbing her knuckle against the girl's cheek, who in turn, reached out and wrapped her hand around Asami's finger, gasping quietly upon noticing the red polish. Asami stood still, uncomfortable with the interaction. Korra smiled at the two of them before placing a light kiss onto Asami's cheek, who blinked and moved, snapping out of her reverie.

"Give me five minutes," Asami instructed to Kuvira before walking over to the sliding glass door. Kuvira watched as Korra began to make a few silly faces to the child, who emitted more giggles. Crossing her arms over her chest, Kuvira shuffled over to the door of the balcony.

"Kuvira," Korra said, reaching out and catching her by the elbow. Kuira turned and looked at her as Asami stepped into the hotel room, sliding the door to the balcony closed behind her. "…Good luck on your trip."

Kuvira looked down at Korra's hand on the crook of her elbow, feeling a twinge in her chest at the heat radiating from the Avatar's palm. "Of course," Kuvira said with a nod. Korra nodded in response before releasing her grip. Kuvira cleared her throat and looked over her shoulder, watching as Asami gathered up her items and placing them into her pack. "So…" Kuvira couldn't help but half-smile. "First one?" she asked.

Korra's cheeks reddened as she wiped her lips with the back of her hand, groaning lightly when she found a red streak marked her skin. "Yeah," she answered shyly. She rolled her eyes. She tried to frown when Kuvira started to snicker, but couldn't help but smile. "Shut up, Kuvira."

Kuvira held her hands up in mock surrender, before turning on her heel and walking over to the glass door. She slid it open and stepped inside. As she moved to close the door, Korra reached out and put her foot in the way. "Hey," Korra said quietly. Kuvira looked back at her, only to find Korra watching as Asami moved about the room. "Take care of her for me."

"It's just a business trip," Kuvira said with a shrug.

"I know, but it's all the same." Korra slipped the children's book and toy out from underneath her arm, placing it on a nearby table. She then stepped forward and wrapped an arm around Kuvira's back pulling her into a hug. Kuvira tensed at the sudden contact. She lightly placed her hands onto Korra's back before leaning into the hug. "You be careful too."

It had been a long time since she was held in the comforting embrace. To her recollection, the previous time was when she and Baatar Jr. announced their intention to reclaim Republic City as Earth Empire territory. They had plans to get married after the seized the city. It was the last time she felt that someone cared about her and her well being. He followed her ideals and supported her dream, viewing her as a person, not as The Great Uniter, the dictator.

However, since her arrest, he never went to visit her in jail, nor write a letter. Every time she tried to send her engagement ring back to him, the letter would be bounced back, even with proper postage.

Now, while being held in Korra's hug, she felt comforted. Kuvira inhaled deeply before closing her eyes, relaxing into her touch. A moment later she frowned. Her pulse stayed steady, she didn't shake or overheat, and she didn't feel nervous. Pulling away, Kuvira opened the sliding glass door and stepped into the hotel room, Korra entering right behind her.

"Ready?" Asami asked. She placed her pack onto her shoulders, brushing her hair back and pulling it up into a ponytail. Kuvira ran her hand through Ayaka's hair, lightly rubbing the back of her head, before pressing a light kiss to her forehead.

"Yeah," Kuvira sighed. "Let's go."