"I guess you really are a Southerner now."
Kuvira turned and gave Su a sheepish smile. "Yeah…I guess I am. Can't say I'm upset about it though."
Su pulled her into a hug and Kuvira happily returned it. "I'm proud of you," Su said. "You could've easily thrown in the towel and given up at any point in the last few years. I think most people would've, had they been in your shoes. But you never did. The things you've managed to accomplish down there…I think I speak for everyone when I say that we're all so very proud of you."
Kuvira had to fight back yet another round of tears. "Thank you, Su. You have no idea how much it means to me to hear that."
Su squeezed her a little tighter before finally releasing her. "I just hope you and Nayuh are okay with having visitors."
Kuvira glanced over at Nayuh, who was standing right next to her. She hadn't left Kuvira's side since the shackles had come off and Kuvira had a feeling she probably wouldn't for a long time. Which she was perfectly fine with. She didn't want to let Nayuh stray too far from her either.
"You know you're more than welcome, anytime you want to come down Su," Nayuh said. "Everyone is."
The tribunal had ended over thirty minutes ago and Kuvira had spent a solid fifteen minutes of that, making her rounds and expressing her thanks to everyone that had shown up. They were kicked out of the courtroom eventually but had gathered outside in the hall, where everyone seemed content to continue chatting until Korra had announced that everyone was invited back to her and Asami's house to celebrate.
Now, the large group was slowly making their way towards the exit. There was a palpable air of excitement and Kuvira could help but smile as she and Nayuh trailed behind everyone else. It didn't seem real yet, that she was free. Well, not technically free. But she was being allowed to go back home, where she could continue working and living the life she'd built with Nayuh.
Nayuh. Kuvira glanced at her and caught her eye. She'd been so strong through all of this and even though they hadn't been able to speak or see each other, Kuvira had drawn on that strength to help get her through. Without Nayuh, there was no way she would've been able to bear the last month.
And as she gazed into Nayuh's dark blue eyes, Kuvira realized there was really only one way she could think of to express how much she loved and appreciated her.
She tugged Nayuh to a stop and turned to face her, taking both of her hands in hers. "I've said thank you to everyone else but you," Kuvira started. "I know this past month wasn't easy on you and I can't tell you how much I appreciate it that you didn't give up on me. Even though no one would have blamed you if you had."
Nayuh's face softened. "You know I would never do that. I love you too much to ever give up on you."
Kuvira smiled. "I know you do. You've always been there for me, right from the start. You've helped me through some of the darkest and toughest days of my life. The strength you have, the compassion you possess…" She trailed off and shook her head. "I wish I had a fraction of that. You've shown me what true love is and taught me what it means to love someone more deeply than I could've ever imagined."
She let go of one of Nayuh's hands and reached into her pocket as she went on. "I can't imagine my life without you in it, and there is no one else I'd rather walk through this life and whatever comes after it with, than with you."
Out of the corner of her eye, Kuvira could see that most of the group had stopped walking and were now intently watching the two of them. It wasn't exactly how she'd seen this going, but if she'd learned anything over the last month, it was that there was no time like the present.
Ignoring the eyes that were on her as best she could, Kuvira pulled the betrothal necklace out of her pocket and got down on one knee. Nayuh—who up until that point had no idea what was about to happen—let go of Kuvira's other hand as both of hers shot up to her mouth in utter shock.
Nayuh gazed down at her with tears in her eyes and disbelief written all over her face. Kuvira smiled up at her, tears in her own eyes as she held the necklace out to Nayuh in the palm of her hand.
"I promised you once that you were going to be stuck with me, forever and ever. I think it's about time we make it official. So, Nayuh…will you marry me?"
For one very brief moment, Nayuh just stared at her. Then, with tears streaming down her face, she nodded. Kuvira grinned, but she didn't stand up just yet. She needed Nayuh to say the word. Fortunately, it only took Nayuh another moment to compose herself enough to blurt out, "Yes! Yes, yes, yes!"
Loud cheering and clapping erupted from their group of family and friends, who'd unintentionally witnessed the entire thing and Kuvira quickly got to her feet, pulling Nayuh to her and into a fierce kiss. The outside world fell away for a few seconds as Kuvira allowed herself to get caught up in the blissfulness of the moment.
Then she broke off the kiss and rested her forehead on Nayuh's. "I love you."
Nayuh grinned and kissed her again. "I love you, too."
"Can I put this on you now?" Kuvira asked. "Is that how this works?"
"Yes, that's how this works," Nayuh replied with a laugh. She cocked her head slightly. "Do you even know how to put it on?" she teasingly asked.
Kuvira chuckled. "Yes, I know how to put it on." What she didn't say was that she'd been practicing putting it on ever since Lusa had given it to her. The last thing she wanted to do was make a fool out of herself and now, with everyone she loved watching, she was glad she'd practiced.
It took all of about five seconds and then the necklace was securely fastened around Nayuh's neck. Kuvira couldn't keep the stupid grin off her face as she took a step back to get her first look at her fiance.
"Now we have two things to celebrate!" Korra shouted and there was a mixture of laughter and more cheering.
"My sister's engaged!" Panuk exclaimed as he hurried over to Kuvira and Nayuh and wrapped them up in a hug. Kia joined him moments later, but she waited until Panuk had released them to give them both a quick hug as well.
"Congratulations," she told them. She turned to Kuvira. "Thank you for taking good care of that, even through all of this."
"Of course," Kuvira replied. "I know how much it means to you and your family."
"You mean, your family now," Kia said. Again, she was smiling more genuinely than Kuvira had ever seen before and Kuvira's heart soared when she realized Kia actually meant it.
"We'd better get going before the guards actually kick us out," Kia added, nodding behind Kuvira and Nayuh. Kuvira turned and saw that there were indeed two guards standing by the courtroom doors and eyeing their large and rowdy group warily.
"I'm more than ready to get the hell out of here," Kuvira replied. "I just need to grab my bag. I'm assuming Mako is still holding it."
It took Korra and Asami promising everyone that they could congratulate the happy couple back at their house to finally get the group moving again. Korra accompanied Kuvira to get her bag that Mako had been holding in evidence, which turned out to be a far more complicated process than Kuvira anticipated.
There was a very large and very vocal crowd gathered outside the courthouse as well, likely waiting for Kuvira to emerge, so while the rest of the group slowly disappeared into taxicabs for the ride across town, Kuvira waited just inside the doors with Korra and Nayuh. Asami had gone ahead of everyone, to give the house staff a heads-up of the large group that was en route and expecting a party once they arrived.
As soon as everyone was safely in a cab and on their way to the house, Korra opened the door to the courthouse long enough to blow on the air bison whistle around her neck. Less than a minute later, a massive air bison landed right outside the doors and Korra rushed both Kuvira and Nayuh out, giving them a lift up into the saddle with a burst of air. A second later, Korra was aboard and Tenzin yelled, "Yip, yip!" and they were airborne.
"You were right," Kuvira told Korra as she peered over the side of the saddle at the angry crowd below. "It would've been too dangerous to just walk out of there on my own."
"Word travels around this town fast," Korra said, settling back into the saddle. "There are going to be a lot of people who aren't happy with the outcome of today."
"Too bad for them," Nayuh replied. She tugged on Kuvira's shirt, trying to get her to turn around. Once the crowd faded into the distance, she did. She lifted her arm and Nayuh settled against her, letting out a contented sigh in the process.
"That necklace looks good on you, Nayuh," Korra remarked, a goofy smile on her face. "Congratulations, both of you."
"Thanks," Kuvira and Nayuh replied in unison. Nayuh lifted her head for a kiss, which Kuvira gladly gave her.
"Oh, and uh, if you two need to take some, you know, extra time, once we get back to the house, go for it. Asami and I can keep everyone entertained until you're finally ready." Korra gave them a playful look and Kuvira rolled her eyes while Nayuh laughed.
It took about ten minutes for Tenzin's bison to clear the city proper and land right outside Korra and Asami's front door. Kuvira and Nayuh thanked Tenzin profusely as they climbed down and he promised them he'd see them inside, once he got Oogie settled.
Kuvira let out a low whistle as they walked inside the massive double front doors. "Damn Korra…you knew exactly what you were doing marrying Asami."
"That is not why I married her," Korra replied with a chuckle. "Nayuh can give you a tour later…I'm sure you're anxious to get out of that prison uniform."
Kuvira made a face and looked down at the drab brown tunic and trousers she'd been wearing for the last month. "You have no idea."
Nayuh led her upstairs to one of several wings of the house. Kuvira knew Asami was well-off—and having grown up in the Beifong Manor, Kuvira was accustomed to wealth—but this was beyond anything she could've imagined.
"It took some getting used to, that's for sure," Nayuh said after Kuvira had remarked for the millionth time how nice the mansion was. "I'm pretty sure the guest room I've been staying in is as big as our entire apartment."
Kuvira had to agree with that statement, the moment she stepped foot inside the guest room. It was entirely open, but there was a separate living space, complete with a few armchairs and couches, that bordered on what Kuvira supposed was the "bedroom." Really, it was just a massive bed that stood against one of the walls, with nightstands on either side of it.
It was obvious that Nayuh had been living here for the last month, too. Despite the room also boasting a large wardrobe, Nayuh's clothes were haphazardly strewn around her bag on one of the couches. It was one of her quirks that Kuvira had to get used to when they first started living together. It drove her a little nuts at first, Nayuh never putting away her clothes, but she'd gotten used to it. The sheer normalcy of seeing it now almost brought tears to her eyes. Again.
Even though they'd only been apart for a month and had just gotten engaged, Kuvira felt a slight nervousness flutter through her as soon as Nayuh shut the door and they were finally alone. It almost felt like the very first time she'd gone home with Nayuh, although she wasn't sure why. Maybe it was because she knew what she wanted, but she wasn't quite sure if Nayuh was on the same page.
"I guess you probably want to shower before we go back down to the party," Nayuh said, and Kuvira knew her well enough to hear the hint of nervousness in her voice. It helped to ease her own anxiety and she turned and smiled.
"I was thinking about it, yeah. Especially since I can take longer than two minutes and no one is staring at me the entire time."
Nayuh frowned and crossed her arms. "I don't think I like the idea of anyone else seeing you naked."
Kuvira dropped her bag and crossed over to where Nayuh was. She gently uncrossed Nayuh's arms and guided them around her waist. "That makes two of us." Then she dipped her head and softly kissed Nayuh.
"I don't mind you watching me, though," Kuvira murmured, a few moments later. She brushed her lips across Nayuh's as she spoke, then let them drift down Nayuh's neck. She lingered for a few moments, pecking soft kisses along the band of the betrothal necklace, before working her way back up to Nayuh's mouth again.
Kuvira kissed her softly, at first, but things quickly grew heated. Any anxiety Kuvira had had instantly melted away and it didn't take long before her hands found their way underneath Nayuh's shirt. Nayuh shuddered at her touch and immediately returned the favor, caressing Kuvira's skin in a way that drove a searing spike of heat straight to her core.
She'd had every intention of taking things slowly but threw that plan right out the window the second one of Nayuh's hands drifted inside her trousers. Kuvira quickly stripped Nayuh's shirt off, then her breastband, and kissed her way down to Nayuh's chest. She grinned as Nayuh let out a soft moan at the contact and only stopped teasing her long enough to allow Nayuh to relieve her of her own shirt and breastband.
Things rapidly devolved from there. Within five minutes, neither one of them had any clothes on, and while the urge to blow the shower off completely was strong, Kuvira managed to resist it. She hadn't showered properly in a month and this way, they could accomplish two things at once. And besides…it'd been a while since they'd had some fun in the shower.
With a self-restraint that she hadn't had to use in a long time, Kuvira finally managed to coax Nayuh away from her chest. Nayuh gave her a confused look but quickly caught on as soon as Kuvira started walking them towards the ensuite bathroom. It was twice the size of the one they had at home, with a stand-up shower that was encased in glass on one side and marble on the other three.
Kuvira stepped inside to turn the water on and Nayuh followed her. She came up behind Kuvira and trailed soft kisses along her back, while one of her hands slid around Kuvira's waist and down in between her legs. Kuvira leaned back into Nayuh as her fingers went to work, teasing and testing Kuvira and bringing her dangerously close to the edge already.
"You're close, aren't you?" Nayuh murmured, almost teasingly.
Kuvira nodded. "It's been over a month," she managed to rasp out, "I can't help it."
Nayuh didn't stop what she was doing, however, as Kuvira had assumed she would. Instead, she sped things up, using Kuvira's own wetness to stroke her faster. Try as she might, she couldn't stop the inevitable, and Kuvira crashed over the edge only moments later, moaning and writhing in Nayuh's arms.
It wasn't exactly what she'd been craving, but her body had apparently needed the release. Although, as soon as the waves of pleasure finally subsided, she knew she needed more. Nayuh seemed to sense it too because she didn't pull her hand out right away, even as Kuvira turned around to face her. She continued to lightly tease Kuvira as Kuvira walked both of them under the water.
Kuvira decided it was high time she returned the favor and slipped a hand in between Nayuh's legs. Nayuh's movements faltered slightly as Kuvira started teasing her, but it wasn't long before she took back control. She gently forced Kuvira against the cool marble wall and kissed her fervently. Kuvira gasped as Nayuh finally gave her what she was craving and slid a finger inside her. She kept her thrusts slow, each one causing Kuvira to moan into Nayuh's mouth in between kisses.
"Don't come yet," Nayuh murmured.
"I'll try not to," Kuvira gasped out, "but you're making it very difficult." Nayuh seemed to be finding the perfect spot, every time she thrust in and Kuvira wasn't sure how much longer she was going to last.
Without warning, Nayuh pulled her hand away, granting Kuvira a quick reprieve, which she was both thankful for and upset about at the same time. Thinking that maybe Nayuh was ready for her turn, Kuvira reached down in between their bodies, but Nayuh grabbed her wrist, stopping her.
"Not yet," Nayuh said, kissing her and nipping at her bottom lip. "I'm not done with you yet." Kuvira grumbled into Nayuh's mouth, causing Nayuh to chuckle. "Patience." She kissed Kuvira for a few moments longer; then she pulled her head back, grinned, and dropped to her knees.
Kuvira leaned back against the wall for support as Nayuh grasped the back of her thighs and leaned forward. Spirits, I almost forgot how good that feels, was the only thing she could think as Nayuh's tongue flicked over her again and again. She widened her stance and leaned even farther back, trying to give Nayuh as much access as she could.
Which Nayuh immediately took advantage of. She brought a hand up and slipped inside Kuvira again, causing Kuvira to nearly slip and fall as the competing sensations threatened to overwhelm her. Nayuh didn't seem to be in the mood to take her time any longer, either, and she sped up her thrusts and flicks of her tongue, bringing Kuvira right to the brink.
With a cry so loud she was sure everyone could hear it, Kuvira came completely undone. Her hips bucked wildly into Nayuh's mouth, each wave of pleasure more intense than the last. It seemed to go on forever until finally, it started tapering off. Nayuh continued to help Kuvira ride out her aftershocks until Kuvira finally had to reach down and coax her away.
Nayuh grinned up at her and then allowed Kuvira to pull her to her feet and into a searing kiss. She was thoroughly, utterly, satisfied, but she had a deep need to give Nayuh the same amount of pleasure. She needed to hear her come undone, needed to feel her fall apart around her. She slid a hand in between their bodies again and this time, Nayuh allowed it.
Kuvira smiled, realizing right away how turned on Nayuh was. But she wanted to draw it out, at least for a little while. At the very least, she wanted to see if she could return the favor and make Nayuh come twice, as she had. She teased Nayuh with her fingers for a bit, enjoying the sounds it drew out of her. Then she pulled away and dropped to her knees.
It wasn't Nayuh's favorite position and normally, it would take a bit of work on Kuvira's part to get her to come this way. But as soon as Kuvira leaned forward and let her tongue lightly flick over Nayuh, she knew today was going to be an exception to that. Nayuh let out a long moan and her hips bucked into Kuvira's mouth, seeking more pressure. Which Kuvira was more than happy to give her.
When Nayuh reached down and grasped Kuvira's head a couple of minutes later, Kuvira nearly grinned, despite herself. Nayuh was close—so close and Kuvira sped up the passes of her tongue trying to tip Nayuh over the edge.
A few moments later, she succeeded. Nayuh went stiff above her, then she ground her hips wildly against Kuvira's mouth, gasping and moaning in sheer ecstasy. It was everything Kuvira had hoped it would be and it drove another spike of need through her. Somewhere, in the irrational part of her mind, she wished Korra hadn't invited everyone over because she could easily stay up here, in this room, making love to Nayuh for the rest of the day and night.
Nayuh's movements finally slowed and she stroked Kuvira's head in appreciation. Kuvira had no idea if Nayuh had another one in her or not, and gave Nayuh a questioning look once Nayuh finally pulled her back up to her feet. They traded soft kisses for a moment, as Nayuh slowly ground her hips into Kuvira's, making it clear that the contact still felt good. Although, if she kept going, the pressure was going to cause Kuvira to come...again.
"I almost forgot how good you are at that," Nayuh murmured, distracting Kuvira from her own need for a moment.
Kuvira chuckled. "I'm glad I could remind you." She gave another slow roll of her hips. "Anything else you need me to remind you of?" The pressure felt so incredibly good and Kuvira bit her lip, trying to focus on anything else. Unfortunately, her distress didn't go unnoticed by Nayuh.
"Again?" she asked, raising an amused eyebrow. "You must've missed me." She continued to roll her hips, this time with a little more purpose as Kuvira's breathing became labored.
"You have no idea," Kuvira managed to get out. Caught up in her own pleasure, it took her a few moments to realize that Nayuh's breathing was just as heavy and fast as hers, signaling that she was close as well. Kuvira managed to raise her head up off of Nayuh's shoulder and she arched her brow. "Or maybe you do."
"I…missed…you…too...okay…" It was all Nayuh was able to get out and any playful banter immediately ceased as both hovered right on the edge.
Kuvira tumbled over it first, but Nayuh followed her only a moment later. It wasn't as intense—at least not for Kuvira—but the fact that they'd done it together was incredibly arousing. But, she was completely and utterly spent now and Kuvira slumped against Nayuh once they were finished.
Nayuh stroked her back and pressed gentle kisses along her shoulder. Kuvira wasn't sure if Nayuh was as utterly fulfilled as she was, but now all she wanted to do was lay down and go to sleep.
"To answer your question," Nayuh finally said, "yes, there is one more thing you can remind me of…if you're up to it."
Kuvira picked her head up off of Nayuh's shoulder, suddenly finding a second wind. "I absolutely am." She leaned in and ran her tongue over Nayuh's ear, causing Nayuh to shiver in her arms as she whispered, "Tell me what you want me to do."
Nayuh took Kuvira's hand and guided it down in between her legs. Kuvira was pretty sure she knew exactly what Nayuh wanted but allowed her fiance to guide two of her fingers inside her. Then Nayuh removed her hand as Kuvira started slowly thrusting in and out. Nayuh all but melted into her arms and it took her a few moments before she finally lifted her head.
She brushed her lips against Kuvira's ear and said, "I want you to make me come so hard they'll hear us downstairs…do you think you can do that?"
It was a shot right to her ego and Kuvira grinned. Her next thrust was deep and she curled her fingers on the withdrawal, hitting the perfect spot and causing Nayuh to cry out.
"Yeah...I think I can do that."
Every once in a while, Nayuh liked it when Kuvira would get a little rough with her. Nothing too crazy, but having Kuvira exert complete control over her was an incredible turn-on for Nayuh, for whatever reason. Kuvira also enjoyed it, if only because of the end result. And to have Nayuh actually ask for it this time…
She used her free hand to pick one of Nayuh's legs up and wrapped it around her waist. Nayuh's heel dug into her backside and her arms tightly gripped Kuvira's back as Kuvira significantly picked up the pace. She thrust deep and hard, knowing that that's exactly what Nayuh wanted her to do. Now wasn't the time to be sweet and gentle. Not if she wanted to give Nayuh what she'd asked for.
And she desperately did. The sounds Nayuh was making only spurred her on and she kept up her brutal pace until Nayuh went rigid. She clawed at Kuvira's back and let out a howl so loud Kuvira was pretty sure everyone in Republic City could hear it. Her hips bucked and her entire body shuddered as her orgasm crashed over her.
It was intense and long and by the time Nayuh was finished, they were both breathing hard. Nayuh lazily rolled her hips into Kuvira's hand as Kuvira kept slowly thrusting. She brushed kisses along Nayuh's shoulder and neck, allowing her to take all the time she needed to recover.
"Okay," Nayuh finally mumbled, telling Kuvira she needed to stop. Kuvira did and slowly pulled her hand out. Then she hugged Nayuh to her.
"Well? Did I deliver?"
Nayuh chuckled. "What do you think?" Her words were almost slurred, reflecting her satisfaction and fatigue. Both of which Kuvira could absolutely relate to.
"Mmm...I think we both delivered. That was amazing."
"Agreed," Nayuh said. She finally picked her head up off of Kuvira's shoulder and looked at her. "You think they heard us?"
Kuvira grinned. "For your mother's sake, I really hope not."
"Eww...why did you have to go and ruin the moment?" Nayuh said, rolling her eyes.
"Hey, you asked! I was just answering honestly." She was still grinning and quickly walked them both under the water again. It was starting to get cold and she turned it up.
"I don't care if they heard us or not," Kuvira said. "We needed this. If I could have my way, we wouldn't leave this room for the rest of the day."
"Now that sounds amazing," Nayuh agreed. She sighed. "But, I suppose we should actually shower and then get dressed and head downstairs. Or else my mother might come looking for us." She wrinkled her nose. "Or worse...Korra might."
Kuvira laughed and kissed her. "Fine. But I can't promise I won't be hanging all over you at the party."
Nayuh grinned. "I can't promise you that either."
They finished showering and then went out to the bedroom to get dressed. It felt so incredibly good to put her own clothes on again and she seriously considered asking Korra if she'd use her firebending to burn the prison uniform. She never ever wanted to see or wear that thing, ever again.
She'd gone back into the bathroom to fix her hair and was almost finished when she heard Nayuh calling for her from the bedroom. "Hey Vee, can you come out here please?"
The tone of her voice sounded serious, a complete reversal from how she'd sounded not five minutes ago when they'd been joking and teasing each other. Kuvira frowned. "Yeah, be right there." She quickly finished the simple braid she'd been doing and walked out into the bedroom.
And froze. Despite the seriousness that Kuvira had just heard in her voice, Nayuh was grinning from ear to ear. She was also down on one knee, in a mirror image of what Kuvira had looked like only an hour earlier. Kuvira wasn't ignorant of what was happening, but her mind was having a hard time processing it regardless.
"This is not how I planned on doing this," Nayuh started, "but since you beat me to it, I figured what the hell, might as well."
A million things flew through Kuvira's mind, but she seemed to have suddenly lost the ability to speak and she just stared at Nayuh as her fiance took a deep breath and went on.
"You said earlier that I was the strong one, but I think you're wrong. I don't know anyone who could've gone through what you have, and still come out better on the other side. You don't give yourself enough credit, Vee. You're the strongest person I know…any strength I have, I draw from you."
Nayuh nervously chuckled. "I had this entire grand speech planned out, but I can't seem to remember any of it right now." A short laugh burst from Kuvira's lips, but tears were welling in her eyes.
"Anyway…" Nayuh said. "I know I already said yes to you, but now it's my turn. You're the best thing that's ever happened to me and I also cannot imagine my life without you in it. Now, or in the future. There is nothing in the world I want more than to spend the rest of my life by your side. So, I'll ask you the same thing…"
She raised her hand and Kuvira could see that she was holding up a ring.
"Vee…will you marry me?"
As if she really even needed to think about it. "Yes!" Kuvira exclaimed. "Absolutely, one thousand percent, yes."
Nayuh grinned and got to her feet and Kuvira quickly pulled her into a fierce kiss. The moment wasn't nearly as emotionally charged as it had been outside the courtroom, and a small part of her felt a little bad for taking that away from Nayuh.
But, she also couldn't keep the goofy grin off her face as she gazed down at the ring Nayuh had in her hand. "Remind me again, which finger does this go on?" Nayuh said, a little sheepishly. Kuvira laughed and held out her left hand, pointing to the correct finger.
"It might be a little big…" Nayuh apologized as she slid the ring over Kuvira's finger. It was, but all Kuvira had to do was twist her right hand slightly, bending the stone into the perfect fit. She held her hand up to get a better look at the ring, which was more beautifully intricate than anything she'd ever seen before.
"Where'd you get this?" Kuvira asked her. "I've never seen anything like it. And on a meteorite stone no less."
"A store downtown," Nayuh answered. "The owner, Davaa, is a metalbender and makes all the rings himself."
Kuvira's eyes widened. To have the fine-tuned kind of bending it would require to make something like this ring…it was certainly beyond her scope of control, that was for sure. She'd only ever used her bending for fighting…it never even dawned on her that she could've been using it for something far less violent this entire time.
"That's incredible…" She trailed off, gazing at the ring.
"And guess what else?" Nayuh asked.
Kuvira cocked an eyebrow at her in question. "What?"
"It's made from this." Nayuh lifted her hand, revealing the meteorite bracelet that Kuvira had given her years ago.
Kuvira beamed and grabbed Nayuh's wrist so she could study the bracelet. "You can't even tell…that's amazing."
"So, do you like it?" Nayuh asked.
"No," Kuvira replied, pulling Nayuh to her and into an embrace. "I love it." She bent her head and kissed her, long and hard. "And I love you. So, so much."
Nayuh grinned. "I love you, too. Guess we're really doing this then, huh?"
Kuvira nodded. "Yep…no backing out now. Like I said in the bending arena: you're stuck with me…officially now. Forever and ever."
Nayuh kissed her again. "And I wouldn't have it any other way." Another kiss and this time there was a little more fire behind it. It sent another round of heat through her and Kuvira seriously considered blowing the party off. The bed was less than a meter away and she was almost certain Korra's little gift was in here somewhere—
"We should probably go down there," Nayuh said, not-so-mercifully interrupting her thoughts and pulling her back into reality. "At least for a little while."
Kuvira whined into Nayuh's mouth, causing her to chuckle. "I know, I know…" Nayuh said. "I'm right there with you."
They traded a few more kisses and Kuvira summoned up every ounce of willpower she had and finally pulled away. "Alright…let's go. Hopefully, there's food, because I'm starving."
"I bet you are," Nayuh teasingly said, as she slid her hand into Kuvira's, "you got quite the workout in the shower."
Kuvira laughed and they headed out into the hall. "I think we both did."
"Mmm, and I'm very much looking forward to a repeat," Nayuh replied. "Maybe we'll be able to sneak away after a little bit."
"Just say the word, and I'm there," Kuvira said.
By the time they got downstairs, they could hear the unmistakable sounds from the party and followed it until they found everyone gathered in a large ballroom. Fortunately, no one seemed to pay them any mind and they were able to slip in relatively unnoticed.
But it wasn't long before people did notice that they'd finally arrived and they were soon surrounded, fielding congratulations and well wishes. They ended up separating at some point, but every once in a while Kuvira would glance around the room, smiling as she caught Nayuh's eye.
She was chatting with Sakku a few hours into the party when Asami politely interrupted them.
"Got a minute?" she asked Kuvira.
"Sure," Kuvira said. Sakku assured her they could continue their conversation later and Kuvira followed Asami into a quiet corner. "What's up?"
Asami smiled. "There's something I'd like to show you. If you don't mind getting away from the party for a while."
Her cryptic tone piqued Kuvira's curiosity and she nodded. "Lead the way."
She had a feeling she knew what Asami wanted to show her, but she also didn't want to get her hopes up. Still, she couldn't hold back the smile as she followed her boss out of the ballroom and down the hall.
