Korra cleared her throat for the third time as she thought about picking up the phone. She would have to call sooner or later. Asami had to know she was back in the city by now. Word traveled too quickly between everyone. She had no idea what to say though, or even where to begin. She had left Asami for three years with hardly any communication. What if all Asami felt had vanished during their time apart? Korra certainly would not blame her for it.

She picked up the phone and glanced back at the scrap of paper Opal had handed her. Asami's number lay scrawled on it. She dialed the numbers and listened to the ring, her heart pounding the entire time. "Hello?" Asami's voice was almost too much.

"Um, hey...Asami."

No one responded for a moment. "Korra?"

"Yeah. It's me. I just landed on Air Temple Island, actually."

"You're here in the city? Can I see you?"

Korra blushed. After all this time, it was nice to know Asami didn't absolutely hate her. "I was actually hoping we could do that. Get the whole team back together, you know?"

"That sounds great! Bolin's not in town, but did you want me to see if Mako was free?"

Korra blushed. She shouldn't have mentioned the others, but it was too late to go back now. "Um, yeah. Did you have a time and a place in mind?"

"Let's just meet for lunch. Say, in an hour? There's a great restaurant on the ground floor of the Future Industries tower. I know Mako is usually nearby. Prince Wu unfortunately likes visiting the tower."

"Uh, Prince Wu?"

Asami sighed over the phone. "I'll explain later. Just...I'm really glad you're back, okay?"

Korra released a breath. "I'm glad, too," she said.

"I'll see you for lunch?"

"All right." Asami hung up the phone and Korra did as well. She sighed and glanced around her old room. It didn't look dusty and forgotten like she thought it would. She expected to come back to a space that had barely been touched. She expected it to be like when she had left it, desolate, haunted with bad memories. Instead, all she could notice were the telltale signs of life. She inhaled and caught the familiar scent of lily-peonies and snapdragons. Like Asami's perfume.

Korra closed her eyes as she remembered laying with Asami the morning she left Republic City. Their hands had been clasped tightly, not necessarily out of affection, but fear. After leaving, Korra realized the depth of Asami's feelings for her. The level of devotion, sacrifice, and patience she had shown overwhelmed her sometimes.

And all through Korra's recovery, Asami had never pushed her for more than she was able to give.

"Hey Korra."

She turned and saw Jinora lingering in the doorway. "Hey there."

"So, what are you up to?"

Korra looked around the room. "Nothing, really. Just lost in thought. I'll be leaving to have lunch with Asami and Mako in a minute."

Jinora nodded and stepped into the room. "Asami stayed over here sometimes. She took care of the room while you were gone. She...she took it pretty hard when you left. Though I don't think she'll ever tell you."

Korra smiled and walked over to Jinora, placing a hand on her shoulder. "Well, thanks for telling me. I'll have to make it up to her somehow." She glanced at her old closet. "Please tell me you guys have some of my old clothes still."

"We should have some the fly-moths didn't destroy." They walked over to the closet and opened it. Korra's old clothes lay inside, mostly intact, just like she had left them.

"This is great. I'm going to get ready, if you don't mind."

Jinora nodded. "Hey Korra." She stopped rifling through the clothes and turned to glance at Jinora. "I think she's already forgiven you, for what it's worth."

Korra nodded and pulled some clothes out, laying them on the bed. "Did she...say anything while I was gone?"

"We talked a bit." Korra stared, waiting for her to say more, but Jinora only shrugged. "I'm not a go-between. Whatever you and Asami want to talk about, it should be with each other."

Korra glared at her and Jinora only stuck out her tongue before leaving, shutting the door behind.

Korra did not plan to bring Asami back with her that night. It simply happened. "Thanks for letting me come back with you," Asami said. They had spent the ride to Air Temple Island in silence. On the dock, walking toward the house, Asami spoke. "I don't think I could handle staying the night with Wu, even in a mansion."

Korra laughed as they strolled along the outer walkway. "Is he always that bad?"

"I can't tell you how many times I've had to tell him I'm not interested. He must have asked me on a date at least three times the first day I met him."

Korra chuckled again as they stepped inside the house. "So, did you ever come up with an excuse that made him back off? Because I might need one to use."

Asami smiled at her, a small blush rising in her cheeks. They stopped outside the door to Korra's room. "I always tell him there's someone else in my life, but that doesn't seem to work so well."

"Wait, is there a someone else?"

"Only if you want there to be." Asami opened the door and gestured inside. She waited for Korra to walk in before saying, "We can continue this conversation now, or I can wish you goodnight and go to my own room."

Korra glanced back at her, expecting to see some longing gaze, but Asami only stared with patience. She knew that whatever she decided, Asami would meet it with understanding and acceptance. "Come inside," she said.

Asami nodded and walked in. The door slid shut. "I've missed you," she said. Finally, they were alone together. The silence was almost crushing.

"I've missed you, too." They stood in the middle of the room, Korra looking anywhere but Asami. "I meant to write more, I swear. I just..."

Asami stepped forward and took her hand. Even though it had been three years, the touch felt so familiar, so comforting. "I'm glad you wrote at all. It doesn't matter how many times."

"Well, at least you're not pouting like Mako." They both laughed softly and Asami nodded at the bed. They sat down at the edge. Korra stared at her feet, scuffing the floor.

"His job has been wearing down on him. Try not to take it personal." Korra could hear Asami fidgeting with the bed, rocking back and forth. She glanced over to see Asami staring at the ceiling. "I also don't think he realized how close we were."

"It shouldn't be any of his business how close we are," Korra growled.

"Hey." Asami placed a hand on her shoulder. "He's worked really hard to come to a place where he can be friends with us. He's going to need a little time to wrap his head around anything we decide to pursue...if we decide to pursue it."

Korra met her gaze, momentarily losing herself in Asami's jade eyes. "Asami, you know that I had feelings for you. I still do. Before I left, I felt like I couldn't give myself to you. I didn't feel whole."

"Korra, just because you were injured doesn't mean–"

"No, I mean emotionally, Asami. I wasn't able to share myself like that. I was in a dark place." She crossed her arms and looked back down at the floor. "Sometimes I still feel like I am."

"Korra." Asami placed a hand on her back, slowly stroking up and down her spine.

"But I feel like I'm getting closer to being in a place where I can share myself with you...if you still want me."

"Of course I do." Asami's hand traveled lower, settling at her hip. "It's all I could want."

Korra glanced over at her and smiled softly. "I can't tell you how relieved I am. I was so scared, Asami. I was terrified that I'd come back to Republic City and that you'd hate me."

"Never." Asami pulled her into a hug. "I could never hate you."

Korra hugged back, closing her eyes and releasing a shaky breath just to inhale Asami's scent. "I got scared for a minute during dinner," she said.

"Let's not talk about that right now." Asami pulled her down onto the bed. "Right now, I'd just appreciate falling asleep with you, if you don't mind."

Korra kicked off her shoes and watched as Asami unbuttoned her jacket, slinging it on a bedpost. "I – I don't mind." She watched the subtle motion of Asami's arms as she stretched, yawning as she lay back down in bed. The last time they had been together, Korra could hardly move. Electricity shot through her body, now. She ached to reach out and touch Asami, to explore every contour of her body, and nothing stopped her anymore. Nothing held her back.

"Korra?" Asami cupped her face, breaking her trance.

She shook her head. "What is it?"

"Come here." Asami pulled her close so that her head rested on Asami's chest. Korra allowed her arm to wrap around Asami's middle, and she sighed as she lay there and listened to Asami's gentle heartbeat.

A/N: Got a lot of lovely suggestions for where to go next, but this is what I settled on. Anything else you all are dying to see before I move to post-finale content? Let me know in the comments.

-Michelle Magly