Onward!


Korra woke up with a splitting headache and an unquenchable thirst, souvenirs of the post-verdict celebrations the previous night. Her head throbbed in time with her pulse, her stomach swam with nausea as she sat up too suddenly, and her eyes protested the light from the window. Everything was too loud, from the rustling of the bedclothes to the sound of Asami's amusement, and Korra gritted her teeth as she squinted around her room, sighing in relief when she saw a tall glass and a pitcher of water on the nightstand. "Ugh, I feel terrible," she complained between sips. "What was I thinking?"

"Apparently you were thinking about going into the avatar state when you were completely smashed," Asami said with a laugh. "Keisai apologized about a hundred times once he'd gotten you home."

Korra winced. "Could you be a bit less loud?" she protested feebly. "I definitely will not be drinking with the Beifong twins again..."

"Yeah," Asami agreed, sitting next to her on the bed and putting an arm around her shoulders. "I think Baatar Junior said that Su was bad about keeping the liquor cabinet inaccessible. Apparently she really likes her wine?"

Korra smiled weakly at the memory of Su's antics. "For sure," she said. "She gave Baatar Senior a lap dance in front of everyone, and that was way before everyone else was much past buzzed."

"Well, are you still feeling bad?" Asami said. "Tenzin invited us to breakfast. I think he wants to talk about something related to the verdict, or maybe Kuvira's trial. He said it was important."

"When did that happen?" Korra said, bending the remaining water from the jug and performing a healing procedure on her head.

"Probably when you were toasting Keisai's victory, but before you started going shot for shot against Wei and Wing?" Asami teased. "So, do you think you can come? If you can't, I'm sure he'll understand. Besides, I don't mind going and getting the information for you."

"No, I'll be fine in a minute," Korra said, carefully working the water over the areas of her skull that throbbed with a dull pain. "So... I tried to go into the avatar state?"

"You didn't go glowy," Asami replied. "Lin and Keisai stopped you... something about not knowing if there was a precedent and not wanting to find out what it's like for themselves," she added, tilting her head to the side in thought. "Hmm... is there a precedent?"

Korra bended the water back into the pitcher, sighing in relief. "Not sure," she said, "but if there is, I'd bet it's Kuruk. Now there's a past life I'd like to talk to... apparently he was a fun, party kind of guy. What time is Tenzin expecting us?"

"Oh, in about half an hour," Asami said, laughing as Korra swore and jumped out of bed, frantically dressing and running a brush through her hair before pausing at the dresser, her hand at her temple as the sudden motion brought on a new wave of pain and nausea.

The boys were already at Air Temple Island, and Korra winced when Mako called out in greeting. "Could you tone it down?" she grumbled. "Kind of dealing with my first hangover here.."

Mako crossed his arms. "Yeah, I bet. You never cease to amaze me, Korra. I think I would've passed out after ten shots on my first time drinking heavily."

"You could have stopped me!" Korra protested.

"I'm not responsible for your bad decisions! What do you think I am, your wife?" They traded smiles as Asami smothered a giggle. "Come on," Mako said, a hand between her shoulder blades as he led her towards the dining room entrance. "Bolin and Opal are already at the table with Tenzin and the others."

"Does he know what I did last night?" Korra asked anxiously.

"I didn't say anything," Mako said, holding up his hands. "The only one that could have told is Opal, because Bolin was as bad as you."

"So Mako was the stick-in-the-mud old person, per usual," Asami said in an undertone as they sat at the table. Korra giggled as Mako scowled good-naturedly.

"Korra," Tenzin said, his eyes crinkling at the corners. "I'm delighted you and Asami were able to join us. How were the festivities last night?"

"Korra!" Meelo and Ikki burst out, peppering her with a maddeningly loud flurry of questions. "How was the party? Where did you go? Was there dancing?"

"Why wasn't I invited?" Meelo pouted. "I'm a party animal!"

"Easy there, kids," Korra said, massaging her temples and screwing her eyes half shut. "You're being louder than usual."

"This is a normal decibel level for Meelo," Tenzin said, his beard bristling. "Korra, how much did you have to drink last night?"

"Oh, you know," Korra said, picking apart a sweet bun and looking at the the water pitcher longingly, "just.. a few."

"Well, I hope you didn't attempt to enter the avatar state," Tenzin said, frowning. "The only avatar that did that was Avatar Kuruk, and the Fire Nation never forgave him for the Fireball Incident-"

"That's great and all," Mako said, "but didn't you invite us over to talk about the tribunal? Chief Beifong told me she heard something about Kuvira's trial from Saikhan, but she said you'd be able to tell us more about what it all meant."

"Yes," Tenzin said, newly distracted by his recent findings, and Korra squeezed Mako's hand under the table in thanks for the change of subject. "As you doubtless know by now, Baatar Junior's sentence means a significant victory for the defense. When the verdict was read out, I was taken completely by surprise. I expected leniency, but to that extent?" Tenzin shook his head. "Keisai did a commendable job, but the prosecution could have made it a lot more difficult."

"Maybe they underestimated him," Opal supplied. "I doubt the attorney general would expect a young attorney to be much of a threat in court."

"Perhaps," Tenzin said, "but I have reason to doubt that. In a case like this, the prosecution won't take any risks, no matter how guaranteed the victory seems. Zhang is much too experienced to not have anticipated Keisai's rebuttal to their skewed evidence."

"So you think they threw the case on purpose?" Mako frowned. "That's pretty hard to believe.. Meilin Dai seemed pretty pissed about losing."

"Meilin is not the head prosecutor. I think after Keisai's first statement, the prosecution met with Raiko and the tribunal," Tenzin said slowly, "and figured out that they wouldn't be able to fully seal Baatar's case without revealing their strategies for Kuvira's trial. The discontent in the Earth Kingdom doesn't need much to spiral into an international incident and incite another war, and a more lenient sentence seemed a good way to keep the peace while the politics are sorted out."

"That's what Keisai said in his closing statement," Asami said, frowning. "Are you saying they predicted that angle?"

"I can't say," Tenzin mused, "but Lin told me that Saikhan let it slip that in their position, it would be political suicide to condemn both Kuvira and Baatar Junior to the kind of harsh sentencing that this sort of 'victor's justice' practically calls for. I think they listened to Keisai's closing statement because what he proposed for Baatar is more advantageous to the United Republic. I doubt Kuvira will be as fortunate, since she's been in prison for the year rather than rebuilding the city and developing new patents."

"So..." Korra felt a sick sense of dread rising in her chest. "Wait. Since when did you start feeling bad for Kuvira? She fired at you and the Air Nation."

"Yes," Tenzin agreed, "but Airbender teachings dictate nonaggression and compassion. You've become a pretty wise avatar, and I remember you saying you learned how to be more compassionate to others, even to people like Kuvira." He smiled at her softly. "I might be the airbending master, but I learn from you every day, Korra."

Korra returned the smile, touched. "Thank you, Tenzin... but hang on, what sort of sentence do you think she'll get? It can't be that bad."

His expression darkened. "Judging by what Raiko has allegedly said, the death penalty is not out of the question. Saikhan hinted to Lin that as early as a month after Kuvira's surrender, Raiko and his cabinet discussed their punishments for Kuvira and Baatar Junior. Raiko went so far as to advocate a policy of summary execution, not only for them but also for the Earth Empire military personnel at large in the Earth Kingdom directly linked to the war crimes."

"Wow," Bolin said. "Just when you think it isn't, it always is that bad."

"No," Korra said, her face paling. "No, they can't."

"They probably will," Mako said grimly. "Hotah's the head judge on the panel, and he was prepared to sentence your dad to death, remember?"

"What can I do?" Korra said. "I'm the avatar, there's got to be something I can say to convince them it's a bad idea."

"Why don't you give the information to Keisai?" Bolin suggested. "He'll be happy to have it."

"Isn't it too late for new evidence?" Korra fretted.

"It's still worth a shot," Opal said. "What do you have to lose?"

Asami crossed her arms. "Why are we getting so worked up about this? I don't like Raiko any more than you guys, but this won't be the end of the world."

Korra rested her hand on Asami's arm, her eyes understanding. "I'm sorry, Asami. But it's my job to try and keep balance in the world however I can, and killing Kuvira would only bring back chaos. I need to do something."

"Whatever," Asami said, picking at her food. "I forgot, I'm the only one here that lost my only family that day."

"Hey," Mako said gently. "We count as your family too, remember?"

Tenzin cleared his throat. "My guess is that this cabinet meeting wasn't a passing conversation. There's got to be documentation of it somewhere. Attorney General Zhang built his case on document-based evidence, so if Keisai can find written proof, he can level the playing field. If nothing else, he's proven that he's worth listening to."

Korra nudged her teacher playfully. "Sounds like your attitude towards him has changed."

"Keisai cares about fairness and balance, Korra," Tenzin said steadily. "And so do I."

"Well, it's not going to happen if you can't give him the heads up," Mako said. "So let's get on that as soon as possible."

Korra nodded, and even as they enjoyed their breakfast with Tenzin and his family, she felt a firm resolve come over her as she mentally prepared herself for some important avatar business.

o0o

The Beifongs were in a state of dysfunction thanks to Baatar, but this time it was due to overzealous celebrations after his acquittal rather than his betrayal of four years ago. Baatar leaned against his parents' door, smirking as he pictured the goings -on inside. His father was probably showered and dressed for breakfast with the family -Opal had returned to Air Temple Island after seeing Bolin off to bed- and his mother was probably buried under the covers, nursing a brutal hangover. Su didn't usually feel so uninhibited that she would give a lap dance in public, which spoke volumes about just how much she had had to drink. Baatar almost felt sorry for Keisai's bar tab for the night, but a petty and unfair part of his brain felt vindicated; his own account, once unfrozen, would feel the pinch after paying back his parents for all the expenses his legal battle had accrued.

"Come in, Junior," his father said, opening the door with a low voice. "I hope you don't have anything pressing to get to, your mother and brothers aren't ready for breakfast."

"They won't be for another few hours," Baatar observed drily. "You know the rate of alcohol metabolism." His father nodded, rolling his eyes.

"Junior, lower your voice," Su said from her place beneath the pillows. "Sweetie, close the blinds, would you?"

Baatar Sr. sighed. "They are closed, dear."

"So," he said slowly, "now it's just Kuvira's trial."

"Has she heard the good news yet?" his father asked.

"I don't think so," Baatar said. "I actually was going to go and see her immediately after the verdict, but I got bogged down in work, and then you know what happened last night."

"Last night was aweseome," Wei said, curled up in a chair with a glass of water. "I wish I remembered more of it, though."

Baatar arched a brow. "Where's your shirt?"

"Korra has it," Wing said.

Baatar turned to Wing, and his mouth compressed into a line. "Where are your pants?" he asked, his voice contemptuous.

"Korra has them," Wei said. "What? Don't judge, we all know how your first kiss with Kuvira went down."

Baatar growled in frustration. "Dad, can't you do something?"

"Obviously I can't," his father said, patting his shoulder with an understanding smile. "If I could, you wouldn't have run off and ended up a war criminal."

"I deserved that," Baatar said. "Can we at least have breakfast?"

"It might be a while," Su said, staggering out of bed and making her way to the bathroom. "Why don't we push it to lunch?"

The sound of retching punctuated the morning symphony of chirping birds and music from the square outside. "Sounds like dinner would be a better plan," his father said. "Eager to go break the news to her, son?"

"That's a leading question," Huan said, sitting on the edge of the bed. "So, now that you're basically free, do you want to throw yourself into the flux of human emotion again? Do you want to return to life as a speck of humanity in the current of time, helpless to what fate may—"

"If you're asking me what I intend to do about Kuvira," Baatar said, holding up a hand to stop him, "I don't know yet. But we have a lot of things to talk about that we've been putting off for months, simply because we didn't know what would happen to me. I might not know what her outcome will be, but I can't wait any longer, especially after—" He paused. "Well, you know."

Huan nodded. "So you're choosing to risk a tether."

"Opal's the airbender, not you," he retorted. "Dad, I'd be asking Mom this but she's too busy being sick. I've done enough to the family… if you think it's a bad idea to talk to her about… the thing…"

"You're not Varrick," his father said gently. "Spell it out, Junior."

"She loves me," he said, his voice sounding odd to his own ears. "You might not believe me, but I know she does. And my feelings… well, I don't really need to say it, do I?"

"And?"

"If you think airing this is a mistake, then I'll hold off," he said, his voice infinitely more decisive than he felt. "When I asked her to marry me, I told myself that it didn't matter that you and Mom didn't approve, but now… I think I see that it wouldn't have been the same as if I had your blessing, or at least something more than an adamant 'no.'" He exhaled slowly. "And if your answer is no, then I'll respect that." The room was silent, save for Su's hacking in the bathroom, and he anxiously worked the fabric of his cuff between his fingers while he waited for an answer.

"I can't make that decision for you," his father said at last. "You're an adult, you're self-sufficient again, and it's your life. Even if I told you no, and you chose to respect that, it would be your own decision to listen to me, not a sense of compulsion a young son gets from his father's orders."

Baatar felt his eyes growing misty and an ache in the back of his throat, and he wordlessly pulled his father into a tight hug. "Thank you, Dad," he said, once he was sure his voice wouldn't break. "I wish I had been the sort of son you deserve—"

"It's fine, Junior," his father said, his voice reverberating through his chest. "Well no, it's not fine, but you're your mother's son after all. You have all the time in the world to make up for this. It won't be easy, but I think you'll manage."

They stood in silence, and his father was the first to pull away. "So, since Mom said lunch," Wei said slowly, his eyebrows suggestive, "what are you going to do now?"

"Tell her we miss her," Wing said, and Baatar stopped mid-farewell, his chest aching. "And tell her we hope she gets a fair trial. The Earth Kingdom hasn't been doing too hot since you both were deposed, bro."

"I will, but you can always tell her yourself," Baatar said, embracing each of them and giving them a clap on the back. "She'd like to hear it from you, I know it."

o0o

"You're here," Lin said, looking up from her paperwork. "Good to see you, kid. Keisai's upstairs already."

"He is?"

"He got a call from Korra about something extremely important for Kuvira's case," Lin said. "You didn't know?"

"No, I didn't," he said. "Is it confidential?"

"You're acquitted on all major counts," Lin snorted. "And you're the last person in the world who'd willfully jeopardize her case. You're probably fine to go on up."

"I will, then," he said. "Aunt Lin, you've always been refreshingly honest with me-"

"Spit it out, kid."

"Dad said whatever happens between Kuvira and myself is my own business," Baatar said slowly. "I told him I wouldn't act on my feelings if he thought it selfish, or bad for the family, or... But then he said it's my decision to make, and it's been established in a military tribunal that my decisions for the bulk of my adult life thus far are complete garbage."

"That's it?" Lin said dismissively. "Listen, it's not like you're proposing to her again. You've been in love with this girl for years, and now you have a chance to talk about it with her properly after she blew up your engagement. Stop ignoring the elephant koi in the room and just tell her, it'll make the both of you feel better. Besides, she pretty much said it in front of you."

"But what if-"

"You asked me what I thought," Lin said. "Check in with me afterward and tell me how it went... unless you're too scared to try?"

"I'm nervous, yes," he said, bristling. "That's normal-"

"You're the same nephew of mine that conquered a nation in three years, reached into a malfunctioning and explosive spirit vine engine /twice/ to disable it without batting an eye, took on trained military intruders despite being a nonbender, and most impressively, stood your ground with me. And you're scared to talk to your ex?" Lin uncrossed her arms, her face softening. "Go talk to Kuvira, Junior. Don't let this stew any longer than it has to."

"Thank you, Aunt Lin." He turned back to look at her a final time, her head bowed over her paperwork as she waved him away. "For everything."

"We've got our work cut out for us," Keisai was saying as Baatar walked into the room. "Your trial isn't far away, so I expect you to keep your bitchface under wraps. If you can't do it for me, do it for yourself."

"I can't help my default expression," Kuvira said, cracking a smile. "I've told you how, back in Su's dance troupe, the girls also said I suffered from resting bitch face, and that was before I became the Great Uniter. It's a serious condition, Keisai."

"Very productive meeting you both are having," Baatar said drily, crossing his arms and standing behind the empty chair next to Kuvira as everything he had planned to say drained from his mind.

"Listen man," Keisai said, also standing. "I got you off about as easy as it gets. Take your sass somewhere else." He stood, taking Kuvira's hand in his own. "I'll see you soon, sweetheart. Try to work on that persona of yours... it still leaves a lot to be desired."

"Don't make me laugh," Kuvira said, smiling for the lawyer. "Work on your persona if you have any ambitions of winning over the 'beautiful Miss Dai.'" Keisai made a face at her in reply, shook hands with Baatar, and left the room. Baatar sat, his good mood rapidly fading and his expression curdling.

"What?" Kuvira asked, turning to him, her smile fading quickly as she took in the sight of his frown.

"Nothing," Baatar said, his voice harsh to his own ears. "You seem happy. I take it Keisai broke the good news?"

"Do you want me to be depressed about it?" She raised an eyebrow. "What's wrong with you? I thought you'd be excited."

"I just think you could be more professional when consulting the lawyer," Baatar ground out. "I know he's like this with everyone, but you're encouraging him-"

"How am I encouraging him, exactly?" Kuvira stared. "Last I checked, my testimony was incredibly helpful in bailing your ass out... maybe I want to make sure that I don't get the run around in my trial. Maybe I'm taking the man's advice, because taking his advice has always worked… or have you forgotten how well it worked out for you already?"

"Fine," Baatar said, waving away her outburst. "But 'sweetheart'? Really? That's how a lawyer and his client talk to one another? It's been a thing with you two for months now."

"What do you mean, 'one another,' when I've never said-" She stopped, her eyes widening. "Oh. Oh, I almost can't believe it."

Baatar quirked a brow, his scowl fading to a look of confusion. "What can't you believe?"

She smiled, her expression smug even though her eyes were full. "You're... you're jealous."

"I am not." He crossed his arms over his chest, a mild sense of disappointment stealing over him. "So, he already told you...I'll be working for Future Industries-"

"He did," she said, a mischievous sparkle in her eyes that hadn't truly been there in months. "And I couldn't be happier, even though you're jealous of him-"

"I have absolutely no reason to be jealous of Keisai," Baatar snapped. "Why should I—"

"—no, you are! You're jealous of him," Kuvira said, raising her voice until he ceased his protestations, "and you've been jealous of him for some time now, because..."

"Because what, exactly?"

"Because you love me again." She stood up, walking towards him with a blaze of hope in her face, the likes of which Baatar hadn't seen since the morning of their failed invasion. "Well?" she said, stooping once she was near his seat. "Baatar, when I slipped up after your trial-"

"You're wrong," he said, remaining in his chair and looking away from her. He heard her make a tiny sound of protestation and could see her hand reaching for his cheek in his peripheral vision, presumably to turn his face back to hers. He caught her wrist before she could make contact, stopping her hand in its path. "You're wrong," he said again, his voice gentle this time as he scrutinized her face. She looked stricken.

"This was a mistake," she muttered, more to herself than to him. "I should have known better-"

"Kuvira, stop," he said, standing and grappling with her as she tried to free her hand. "Let me finish-"

"I don't want to hear it," she said, avoiding his eyes. Her expression was no longer trusting; though it was closed and drawn, her steely Great Uniter facade couldn't mask the hurt in her eyes. "Let go of me-"

"You never let me finish," Baatar said, going for her other wrist. Without any metal for her to bend, she was outmatched despite her own significant physical strength. He remembered the difficulty he had encountered the first time they had grappled years ago, and reflected on the irony that it was her training had pushed him to his physical peak. It didn't take long for him to overpower her, grabbing both of her wrists and holding them in one hand, his other arm imprisoning her against him by the waist. She didn't look him in the eyes; her hair covered half her face, and what little he could see of it seemed to be working furiously to remain composed. "I do not love you again," he said, tone soft and deliberate. "I don't. Because that implies that I ever stopped."

She froze, no longer struggling; her hands fisted in his shirt and ceased their movements. "What did you say?"

"You heard me," he said, helpless laughter stealing into his voice as it broke. "I love you, Kuvira. I've been in love with you since we were teenagers. I loved you when you asked me to reunite the empire with you, and when we took back Ba Sing Se, and when we spent that night under the stars in the Northern Desert, and when we nearly lost Haven City to that warlord's forces-"

He was rambling now and he knew it, but the words kept pouring out of him. He hardly knew what he was saying, but the sight of her face, first shocked and then incandescently happy, kept the steady flow of endearments coming. "Kuvira, you know that I've always loved you," he said. "How could I stop? The day I proposed to you, I felt like the luckiest man alive when you said yes. I haven't gone a single moment since the day of the colossus without thinking of you and wishing you were with me again."

"You're lying," she breathed, her voice laced with disbelief and her arms around his neck. "No, you're lying-"

"I'm not," Baatar insisted, pressing a kiss to her hair as she leaned her head against his chest, momentarily overwhelmed. "Every word is true."

"No," she said, pulling back and tipping her face up to his, "it's not." Confusion flickered over his expression, and Kuvira took his face in both her hands. "It's not mentally possible to think of the same topic for every moment of every day for a week, leave alone a calendar year. You know hyperbole is unnecessary and quite frankly detrimental to romance." He laughed aloud, delighted to see her smile, even if her cheeks were wet and her lashes sticking together. Suddenly she removed his glasses, wiping under his own eyes with a deft thumb. He hadn't realized he was crying too, but he closed his eyes under her ministrations. "You look ridiculous," she murmured, a quiver in her voice. "A man your age, crying about something so silly-"

"You're the ridiculous one," Baatar retorted. "You thought I ever stopped, when you'd have to be blind and deaf to not know how I've always felt about you." They regarded one another silently, the only sound in the cell the little gasps of her breathing. It could have been him, or it just as well could have been Kuvira, but somehow the gap of space between their faces was lost as they kissed for the first time in a year.

They began tentatively, their movements slow and lingering. His free hand cupped her cheek, his thumb tracing the protrusion of her cheekbone and the contour of her jaw, while her arms hooked around his neck. She was gentler than he'd remembered, feeling him out as if they were new to one other again. His first kiss with Kuvira had been his first-ever kiss; it had been awkward but sweet, her touch hesitant and her taste foreign. Now, everything tasted of familiarity and nostalgia. He heard a small clatter as she dropped his glasses on the table, her hand next brushing through his hair and caressing his cheek. She pulled back, resting her forehead against his. "I love you too," she said quietly. "And I always have and always will, regardless of what happens—"

Baatar cut off her words, swallowing her doubt along with her breath. She nipped at his bottom lip, her usual demand for entry, and deepened the kiss as her hands wandered over his back and shoulders. He responded aggressively, knotting his fingers in her hair and ruining what was left of her braid from their earlier struggle, breaking away after a few moments and trailing his attentions down her jaw and neck. Kuvira stumbled back, her legs hitting the table, and he lifted her up and onto it, stepping between her parted legs and pulling her body flush against his own once more. "Nothing will happen," he insisted as he worked his way up to her ear. "Everything will be fine…"

"I'm being realistic, Baatar," she said, hooking a finger on his collar and undoing the first few buttons, her hand slipping under. Her free hand cupping his cheek, she traced her fingers over his scar, sprinkling light kisses along its length when he reflexively froze under her touch. "I'm so sorry for everything..."

"You should be," he said. "But don't let that be the reason-"

"The reason for what? A reason for me to give up?" Kuvira rested her face in the hollow of his neck, her breath hot. "Do you have zero self respect? Can you imagine what everyone will say about you? They've said enough as it is.. and think about your family. Do you really want to put them through this again? You've just made up-"

"How many times do I have to tell you, I don't care anymore?" he said, stroking her hair. "It's like Keisai said, it'll just make for awkward family dinners later down the line."

"You've waited long enough for acquittal…" she said, pulling back and drinking in the sight of his smile. "Don't you think you deserve a fresh start?"

"I do," he admitted. "It might be a bit of a wait, but I'm grateful for my second chance and I don't intend to waste it." He pulled her against him. "It might be a few years, though.."

She smiled, her eyes wary. Kuvira had never found it easy to elucidate her softer emotions, but after a pregnant pause she hooked a leg around him, pulling him in for another sharp kiss. "You're saying that now... what if I'm sentenced to ten years? Or twenty?"

"I'll wait all the same," he insisted, stroking her cheek. "Stop worrying so much-"

"What if I end up with life imprisonment?"

"Then I'll visit every day," he said, brushing it aside. "Can't we just-"

"What if I'm sentenced to death?" Her words were sobering, and her eyes were heavy with knowledge that made his mouth go dry and his hands go cold.

"Don't say that," he pleaded. "Please, can't we..." His voice trailed off as she kissed him again, and he tugged insistently at her waist when she pulled back, resting her forehead against his once more.

"Well," she said, her eyes filling his field of vision, the details softened even at close range by his myopia, "I'm prepared to wait even longer if you're still willing."

Baatar laughed in disbelief, the tremor in her voice making his chest ache. "How is that still a question? Of course I'll wait." Her eyes finally glinted with her old confidence and she kissed him the way he remembered, nipping a bit harder than necessary and following with quick, teasing, darting motions as her nails left red, crescent-shaped indentations on whatever exposed skin she could reach. He growled at the sensation, his fingers probing the unexplored planes of her stomach and back as she arched against him, delicately feeling over the scar she'd earned when the colossus imploded. There was so much time lost, and they became progressively lost in one another; she seemed as eager as he was to make up for all of it.

"Kuvira, I almost forgot," Keisai said, walking in unannounced. "I need you to sign—oh." The lawyer made a show of shielding his eyes with the document he held, but not before they caught a glimpse of his amused smile. "Well, at least this rules out conflict of interest on Baatar's side. You both know conjugal visits aren't allowed, right?"

"Shit."

Baatar half expected Kuvira to push him away, but to his pleasant surprise she only reddened a bit as she rearranged her attire and crossed her legs at the knee, her lips swollen and her light skin already brushed with little islands of discoloration. She looked disheveled, and he wondered about his own appearance—unlike her, he'd have to leave the cell later. "Of course," she said after a brief pause, taking a moment to catch her breath. "Here, I'll sign it now…"

Keisai walked over, handing her the paper and a pen. Baatar's hands never left her hips the whole while, and he managed to steal another quick kiss before she scribbled her name where the lawyer indicated. Keisai clapped him on the shoulder. "Get it, man," he said, the mirth in his eyes all too evident. "Kuvira, I'll see you tomorrow, but Baatar isn't invited to our sessions anymore. I need her to be professional as sin when we're preparing for the prosecution, and with you… well, let's just say it'll be all sin, man."

Kuvira laughed and he found himself smiling. "Keisai, I appreciate you immensely for all that you've done, and I mean no disrespect when I say this, but will you please get out?"

The lawyer smirked. "Remember what I said about conjugal visits. Have fun, you two… just not too much fun." He left with the signed document in his hand, chuckling. Baatar winced as the door swung shut.

Kuvira kissed his cheek the moment they were alone again. "Conflict of interest, indeed." She trailed her fingers down his arms, returning them to his chest and pulling him closer by the front of his shirt. "How bad do I look right now?" she asked in a low rasp, her breath from the words tickling his ear. "How badly have you marked me up? I was a bit more careful with you…"

"Luckily your uniform has a high neckline," he said evasively, eyes still on the door even as she set about being as distracting as possible. "Maybe we shouldn't—"

Kuvira turned his face back to hers with a finger under his chin, and he felt his stomach clench in anticipation as her pupils dilated. "I find this lack of enthusiasm disturbing," she murmured before she kissed him again, this time as aggressively as he remembered, pressing against him as he eagerly returned her attentions.


A/N: 98,155 WORDS LATER, IT FINALLY HAPPENS. I WROTE IT AND I STILL CAN'T BELIEVE IT. HOW MANY OF YOU WERE EXPECTING THIS? Also, jeez baavira if you have sex you will get pregnant and die, easy there. I was gonna make y'all wait but I was eager to get this chapter out. Consider it a Baavira Week present.

Also, fun fact- this also marks the first time I ever wrote a scene well in advance in my history of writing… most of this chapter was written on 1/7/15 in one go. Loyal reviewers or silent lurkers alike… LEMME HEAR IT, GUYS.

Song: '03 Bonnie and Clyde, by Bey and Jay.