Of Orchids and Jade

by Sammy-a-Seelie-fey

Orchids represents love, beauty, and strength. Jade symbolizes emotional balancer. A fighter and dancer fall in love.

3. Trials of the Dancer

Summary: Weeks after her injury Kuvira is ready for the dance exam. If she passes she'll be accepted into the higher division courses that gives her an opportunity of a life time. As she desperately holds onto her career the past and present of her and Korra's relationship collide.

Notes:

Before I go on I want to say how thankful I am to two important who made this story come true. First to Hiba (GrandmaMako on Tumblr) who is the best beta ever. She's so kind and helped me through this series so much. Hiba if you're reading this I thank you from the bottom of my heart. The second person is Snailor (Sailorlock on Tumblr). Snailor you helped brain stormed so much during the past couple weeks. This story wouldn't have been this accomplished without your amazing ideas. Thank you so much.

And now for the story. Note that the story begins and ends in a flashback.

"I- I don't think I can handle anymore." Kuvira just smirked.

"Come on. It's not that bad."

"Not that bad?! Kuvira my calves are on fire."

"Have you reached 200 yet?" Korra gritted her teeth and nodded. Kuvira sighed and gave her friend a nod. Korra immediately collapsed onto the floor of the dance studio. Kuvira couldn't help but chuckle at the over dramatic reaction Korra gave.

After a few minutes Korra spoke up.

"Okay. Fine, you win. Ballet is hard."

"Oh, you're not finished yet."

"What?!" Korra squeaked.

"You only did 200 relevés. There's more to dance than just a simple workout."

"This... this is simple?"

"Up to the barre. Let's work on the legs more." Korra groaned and got up. Her legs were a bit wobbly as she made her way to the baare next to the mirror. Her hands gripped the horizontal bar.

"I need a few more moments. This dancing takes a lot out of a person." Kuvira gave her a slight nod.

"Alright. I'll let you off the hook since you never danced ballet before."

"While I'm resting you should totally dance for me." Kuvira raised an eyebrow.

"Am I your personal dancer?" Korra felt her skin warm. She stuttered on.

"N- no. I just wanted to see you dance again." Kuvira just shook her head.

"I'm messing with you. But alright."

Gracefully she moved to the center of the room. She took a small breath before starting. She started off in first position, with her heels touching while both her toes and knees faced away from the center of her body. Korra barely blinked when Kuvira left the position and suddenly did a fouetté. Her right leg went from the ground to en pointe each time she spun while her left leg turned. She spun around four times before landing in the fourth position; one foot in front of the other with her heels lined up.

"Could I do that? Could you teach me to stand on my toes?"

"Unfortunately the student needs to have at least five years experience before moving on to pointe shoes."

"Really? Why such a long wait?"

"Dancers usually start from an early age. A common age is around eight or seven. Their bones are still developing at that point. If they were to wear pointe shoes then their feet would be damaged. Plus the person needs to train for a certain number of years gaining the muscle and learning techniques."

"How old were you when you got your shoes?"

"I got my first pair when I was twelve."

"Wow... I bet you went crazy with them."

"Oh, you don't even know the half of it. I danced all around house. Heck, at one point in time I was called the Dancer of Zaofu. Everywhere I went I danced. Danced along the streets and on the playground at the park and in the hallways of buildings. I couldn't stop."

Korra pictured twelve-year-old Kuvira just randomly dancing throughout the city. The image made her chuckle.

"You must have drove your parents crazy with all that dancing." Kuvira's eyes widened for a split second. Korra still didn't know her situation back at Zaofu. Korra could tell something was off. Hurt was reflected in Kuvira's eyes.

"Kuvira? I'm sorry if I upset you." Kuvira shook her head.

"No, you're fine. Let's just back to the exercise, alright?" Korra wanted to ask more but she knew there was a time and place and this setting was definitely not it.

"Mmmmm." Kuvira laid on her back as felt kisses crawl up and down her skin. Her hands ran through her kisser's hair as they made their journey to her lips. She barely opened an eye when she was greeted with a duo of bright blue eyes and a pair of lips locked with her own. Kuvira sighed gently into their kiss. Korra smiled as she felt Kuvira relax. The two kissed for another minute or two before Korra pulled away and began sucking Kuvira's skin the near the top of her breasts.

"You're a minx, you know that?" The brown girl wore a smug face when she looked up at her girlfriend.

"Of course you know." Korra pulled her lips away and played with some of Kuvira's hair.

"What were you dreaming about?" This time it was Kuvira smirking.

"Back in sophomore year when I taught you a little about dancing." Korra groaned.

"I can still feel the ache in my calves. Spirits, I can't believe you do two hundred of those standing-up things."

"First off, they're called relevés. And secondly, I don't usually do that many of them at one time." Her blue eyes widened.

"You mean- but you freaking told me you that professionals did that all the time!" Kuvira couldn't help but let out a big laugh. She laughed so much she felt tears sting her eyes.

"I did mention that but I never said that I did it. My record is 145. I didn't actually think you'd make it to 200 to be honest."

"Have you not met me? I'm the best athlete around." Kuvira cleared her throat. Korra rolled her eyes and continued.

"One of the best around. But I still can't believe you did that. Do you know how dead I was on the inside after that? I couldn't go into the ring for weeks! I couldn't walk for days!" Kuvira let out another laugh. Korra wore a playful glare and she pulled herself away and rolled off Kuvira. Kuvira wiped a small tear from her eye before pulling Korra back into her embrace.

"I'm sorry, but you didn't want back down from a simple bet. You could have easily agreed that ballet is just as hard as MMA, and maybe even a bit more difficult." She nuzzled her face into Korra's shoulder.

"Yeah, yeah. But you know me. I never back down from a challenge. You're lucky that I love you." Korra brought one of Kuvira's hands and softly kissed it.

"Are you ready for tomorrow?" The green-eyed girl smiled softly.

"As ready as I'll ever be. And are you ready for the retake?" Korra shrugged.

"I studied all this week. But I need to relax for the rest of the night." Kuvira's fingers moved up and down Korra's arms.

"I can help you relax." Korra straddled her girlfriend's waist.

"I'm sure you can. But I think you need to relax more." Her lips traveled down Kuvira's shoulder, taking her time. Kuvira let out a small whimper as she felt Korra's lips suck her skin.

Korra sucked on the skin of her shoulder and the top of her breasts. She wanted to avoid most areas of the upper chest because of the exam Kuvira will be taking tomorrow. The leotard she usually wore showed a portion of her upper chest. If Kuvira went into the exam tomorrow covered in hickies, who knew what the judges would do or say.

Better safe than sorry.

When she pulled away she saw her marks on the olive-skinned woman. Korra nestled in Kuvira's embrace. The dancer wrapped her arms around Korra as she laid her chin between Kuvira's breasts. Korra drew small patterns onto her skin as she listened to her breathing. After what seemed to be awhile, Korra looked at Kuvira.

"Hey, Kuvira."

"Hmm?"

"How do you feel about having a celebration when you'll get into the ballet division?" Kuvira sighed.

"Well, we don't even know if I'll make it."

"Trust me. You'll make it. I'm sure of it. And if not, I can always talk to the judges." Kuvira kissed Korra's forehead.

"If I don't get in, then I don't. There's no use in dwelling on why for too long. I'll accept it. There's nothing more I can do. But back to your original question, how many people would come to this celebration?"

"Oh, just a few..."

"Korra, you realize that you and me have two completely different definitions of the word 'few'."

"It won't be that bad. Just you and me and some friends. I swear you'll know everyone at the party. No strangers allowed." Korra kissed her skin between her breasts.

As Korra waited for an answer, she wore a small pout. It worked on anything. Kuvira took one look at her and groaned.

"Fine, we can have a celebration. But only with people I know! Do not invite the entire MMA club here." Korra cheered in victory. She gave Kuvira another kiss.

Their lips met with playful desires. Their smiles and grins were felt. Pink colored their cheeks. Soon both girls pulled away, and Korra slid off Kuvira.

"Goodnight, Kuvira."

"Goodnight, Korra."

Korra wrapped her arms around Kuvira, and the two fell asleep.

It was dark out with the summer's heat thick in the air as the two girls sat in the meadow on the outskirts of the city.

"Are you sure this star shower is happening tonight?"

"Meteor shower. And I know it's happening tonight. It's been all over the news." Korra sighed.

The soon-to-be junior was dragged by her friend (also a soon-to-be junior) to watch the so-called meteor shower. Korra and Kuvira had known each other since freshman year of college. But the two didn't become close until the middle of the spring semester during their sophomore year.

Whenever they hung out recently, Korra felt stupid, nervous knots in her stomach. She hated them. She hadn't gotten them since freshman year, prior to her dating Mako.

'These stupid butterflies in my stomach are the worst. Why am I nervous? It's just Kuvira for Raava's sake!'

It had been months since she'd been in a relationship. She broke up with Asami near the end of the spring semester. Throughout their entire relationship, Korra kept lying to herself that she was in love with Asami. But as time moved on, the lie became harder to cover up. Following the weeks after Korra's recovery, Korra told the truth to Asami. Their bond was cracked, and it would only take one more downfall to shatter it all. Their relationship was unhealthy. What started off as a casual hook up during the fall semester of Korra's sophomore year turned into more hook ups that evolved into a relationship. Korra was no longer happy with any aspect of their relationship. Every day seemed to drag on and on. Finally, enough was enough. Korra felt horrible that she couldn't return Asami's feelings even after all the time they were together. Fortunately, both girls decided to stay friends, although Korra noticed before the semester ended that Asami hadn't moved on from her yet.

'For some people like me, it's fast. It only takes days to a couple weeks to finally release the feelings you held for someone. But then there's people like Mako and Asami who both became greatly attached to their feelings for the other person, and when it's time to let go, they struggle for a long time.'

The two girls lay in green grass as they waited for the meteors. The scenery was unbelievable here in the outskirts. Korra could count and name all the stars. Back in the South Pole, she fell asleep each night with the stars in the sky. Her parents had taught her a few things about the stars. Wherever she went, there was always that one bright star in the sky that was always visible in the night.

'If you're ever lost, look up to that star and you'll find your way home,' her dad would say to her when she was younger.

"What's the South Pole like at night?"

"Cold. Very cold."

"Ha. Ha. Very funny. I meant the sky. What's it like at night?" Korra shrugged.

"There's the Southern Lights. So many different colors mixed together in the sky. It's like a painting, but only it's not at all. It's hard to explain. You just have to see it for yourself. The sight is breathtaking."

"What about the stars? What are they like there?"

"There's so many stars up in the sky, it makes seem like you're staring at the galaxy."

"Now you're making me want to go to the South Pole. Remind me the next time you go back to the bottom of the world to take me with you." Korra's gaze fell to Kuvira.

"I don't know. Could you handle the cold?" Kuvira rolled her eyes.

"Oh, I definitely could handle the cold."

"Well you could possibly, but you'd have to replace the short shorts, tank top, and flip flops with a wooly jacket, three layers of pants, homemade mittens, and fur boots."

Kuvira laughed gently. Her laugh was a rich sound to Korra. It was hard to describe but Korra loved it. Kuvira didn't laugh much, but when she did, it was like music to Korra's ears.

"Was the sky like this in Zaofu?" Kuvira shook her head.

"There were too many lights and buildings in the city. But sometimes I would sneak off into the wilds. There I could see a lot of stars. Not as many as these though."

"Do you miss Zaofu? You usually go back there for summer break, right?"

"Yeah, it's where my adoptive family lives. But I have the internship at a dance studio downtown now, so I have to stay here for the break. But on a plus side, the internship is paid. Raava knows I need the money."

"Doesn't Suyin send you money though?"

"Not anymore. Back in freshman year and some of sophomore year she did. But I told her to stop. I wanted to make my own money. It's pretty difficult, but I can't be pampered through my entire life just waiting for her to send me another check."

"I know what you mean. Having a job is pretty difficult. During the school year I worked at the local Boys and Girls Club. It didn't pay much, but I still really enjoyed it. But now I'm interning at some hospital practice where all I do is answer phone calls and plan appointments for patients. It's so boring."

"I bet it is. You're not usually the one who likes to sit and do paperwork. What made you take the internship there anyway?" Korra sighed and folded her arms behind her head.

"Well for one reason, it's because of being a physical therapy major I need to intern somewhere before I graduate. And secondly, the pay there is amazing. I'm at RCU on a 200,000 Yuan scholarship. It pays for a lot but not enough. Plus I need the extra money for food and occasionally drinks. And of course my apartment now and the one I'll have for the fall term."

Just as Kuvira was going to mention something, Korra stood up. She looked down at Kuvira and smiled.

"Stand up." Kuvira rolled her eyes but did what her friend asked.

"Korra, what are you doing? We're going to miss-" but she was cut off as Korra touched her forearm.

"Tag. You're. It." With that Korra took off running. Kuvira raised an eyebrow before going after her.

"Korra! We're going to miss the meteors! Korra, get your ass back here now!" Korra just laughed and ran through the tall grass. She heard Kuvira groan as the she tried to catch up to her.

The two continued to run and chase each other. Korra kept laughing while Kuvira was on her tail. As she smiled, Korra suddenly stopped when bursts of long bright lights fell from the sky. Her jaw dropped a tiny bit as she watched the alluring scene before her, but the view was cut short when she felt someone slam into her from behind.

With the amount of force she gave in her push, Kuvira made them both tumble down the grassy hill. They rolled down the hillside until they reached the bottom. Kuvira landed on top of Korra. Puffs of air left their chests as they caught their breaths. Blue eyes traveled down to a pair of pale lips. Kuvira felt a small blush splash onto her cheeks. Korra's eyes went back up, and the last thing she saw was Kuvira leaning downwards before she closed her eyes.

Their lips met. It was simple. Sweet. There weren't any fireworks or lightning shooting up their arms when they touched. It was more like a dream. Kind. Pleasant. Never wanting it to end. But all dreamers must wake up eventually.

Cool jade looked down at vivid turquoise. A hand reached up and tucked the loose strand of ebony hair behind her ear. The sky lit up with marvelous streams of lights falling to the world's surface. Stars shined brightly in dark night. Ladyhoppers rubbed their legs together creating a delicate melody throughout the scenery.

Both of their eyes closed and their lips meet once again. This time it was different. The feeling of a dream was still there, but it was filled with passion. Mouths opened up and tongues danced. The taste of one another sat on the tips of their tongues. Hands shot up and tangled with the braided hair. Her hands pulled gently at the mane until the braid loosened. Reaching down below, Kuvira placed both her hands on Korra's waist. Her hands would rise and fall taking the tank top with them as they continued their pattern.

The two continued to kiss for a while before pulling away. Both of their faces were flushed with a heavy red blush. Kuvira rolled off Korra and landed on the grass. Their heads turned and looked at one another. Korra felt the butterflies swoon in her stomach as she smiled more. Kuvira had never experienced a feeling like that before. It was passionate and comfortable, but the strangest feeling erupted from their kiss. She felt safe. She hadn't felt that way in years.

As the shower continued to pass their hands found one another and intertwined. Both of their eyes left one another and glanced up the sky. There was nothing to be said because they both knew what this feeling was.

This wasn't a mistake.

This was love.

"Korra... Korra. Korra, wake up!" The brown girl groaned and ducked under the sheets. Kuvira crossed her arms and rolled her eyes. Even on an important day like this, Korra would still be the one to sleep in.

"If you don't get up, I'll throw away all the seal jerky." Korra immediately shot up.

"You. Wouldn't. Dare." Kuvira raised an eyebrow.

"Try me." Korra glared at Kuvira, and then in an instant, Kuvira's back was on the bed, and Korra straddled on top of her.

"Korra! This is no time for games!"

"If I get a kiss, I'll let you go."

"Are you serious?" Korra didn't move an inch.

"Fine." Korra smiled in victory and leaned down to capture her lips.

Their lips met. Korra opened her mouth letting her tongue slide against Kuvira's lips, hoping for an entrance. Kuvira slightly opened her mouth but it was enough for Korra. Their tongues wrestled with each other. Korra didn't know how long they kissed for, but in a blink of an eye her back was on the bed now while Kuvira was on top of her.

"You got your kiss." With that Kuvira slipped off Korra and went to her closet. Korra huffed out a breath before standing up.

"Did I sleep in?" Korra asked.

"Not really. I just wanted to wake you up."

"And you call me the minx." Korra mumbled as she looked for clean clothes in her closet.

The two girls dressed and went into the kitchen. Kuvira wore the scooped leotard that hid Korra's hickies perfectly. She wore ballet tights with her hair neatly in a bun. For the exam she wanted to treat it like a performance, so in her bag she had a new pair of pointe shoes. She sewed the ballet ribbon to them and softened up the shank earlier that morning. She felt ready for the test. For the past few months all that she had been working on was this dance. This was her moment. This was her day to achieve her goal.

Kuvira went to the cabinet and took out a box of tea. The water was already heated up. She grabbed a mug and poured the hot water into it. As she placed the tea bag in the steamy water, Korra grabbed a bagel and placed it into the toaster. While her tea was cooling down, Kuvira went up to Korra and gently took her hand in hers. The two stood in silence enjoying the sounds of the morning.

"Are you ready for your exam?" Kuvira asked Korra.

Korra turned her head to look at Kuvira.

"I am. I'm ready to kick this retake in the ass."

"Good."

"And as soon as I finish it, I'm hiking it to the studio."

"Sounds like a plan."

Korra kissed Kuvira's cheek. Kuvira let go of her and went back to the mug of tea while Korra took out the bagel. The clock read a quarter past nine. Korra's exam was starting at 9:40, so once the two girls were finished with their breakfasts, they left the apartment complex in Kuvira's satomobile.

"You don't look so happy."

Kuvira entered Korra's tiny apartment that she rented over the summer. Korra was slumped on her old leather couch drinking a cold beer, and wearing a frown that would make even the happiest puppy in the world sad. Kuvira went over and sat on the couch next to her.

"Naomi dropped out." Korra said as she took a big swig of the beer. Kuvira widened her eyes.

"But isn't she supposed to be your roommate for the school year?"

"She was. But now she's going to explore the world with her boyfriend. I can't afford that place by myself. 8000 Yuan a month in total is a lot of money to go by." Korra sighed and placed her drink on the coffee table.

Kuvira bit her lip. This really sucked for Korra. If she couldn't come up with an idea by the end of the summer term, it wouldn't look good for her. Some time passed before Kuvira thought of an idea.

"What if I became your new roommate?" Korra threw a shocked look at Kuvira.

"Are you serious?"

"8000 Yuan in total you said right? So we each pay 4000. It'll be fine."

"But don't you already have place to live in the fall?" Kuvira shrugged.

"I can always run by the housing department and tell them I'm switching."

"Kuvira... This is amazing! You're amazing!" Before she could say anything, Korra pulled her into death grip like hug. Kuvira let out a soft chuckle being accustomed to Korra's hugs.

"You're the best girlfriend ever."

The two immediately blushed. The term was fairly new to hear for them both. They hadn't really established if they were dating or not. It had been a week or so since the meteor shower.

"Kuvira... I'm sorry. I, um... just jumped to conclusions."

"Korra-"

"I know you're straight. We both were just a little drunk at the meteor shower."

"Kor-"

"I know I'll get over these feelings fast. No big deal-"

"KORRA. I AM TRYING TO TELL YOU SOMETHING."

Korra looked over at Kuvira who was pink in the face. Her eyes were cast downwards.

"I... I have those feelings for you, too."

This day was just filled with surprises.

"I'm sorry... I didn't quite catch that."

"I'm not repeating myself."

"Hmmm... Are you sure about that?"

"Yes-"

But right in the middle of her sentence, Korra tackled Kuvira to the floor and began to tickle her sides. Kuvira laughed so hard tears stung her eyes. Her sides ached as Korra's fingers danced along them. She tried to fight back, but everything was aching and she was losing her breath as the seconds went by. Korra finally let up and rolled off Kuvira onto the floor. She wore a loose grin as she turned to face her.

"So what did you say before?" Kuvira recovered her breath.

"I said that." A pinkish red blush swirled in her cheeks. "I said that I liked you like that."

"Like what?"

"Korra! You know... like-like." Korra raised an eyebrow.

"Nice word choice, 'Vira."

Kuvira grumbled about something, and Korra rolled her eyes. She pulled the girl into her embrace and kissed her forehead.

"You're too cute." Kuvira puffed out her cheeks and Korra laughed. Their foreheads touched while their hands found one another.

They couldn't wait for the fall term to start.

"Break a leg today!" Kuvira sighed.

"Not the best thing to say."

"Come on, Kuvira. I was just playing around. But in all seriousness, good luck. I know you'll do amazing." She offered her a smile.

"Alright. Well, good luck on the retake." She reached over and squeezed her girlfriend's hand.

The two sat for a second before Korra reached over and unlocked her door. Before she got out, she pulled Kuvira into a kiss. This kiss was gentle. A good luck kiss of sorts for the other. Kuvira pulled away and leaned her forehead against Korra's.

"The waves push and pull."

"Metal shines in the sunlight"

Their hands squeezed each other's. Soft smiles appeared on their faces before they let go. Korra left the car and went into the building, and Kuvira drove to the dance studio.

She didn't talk. She didn't eat. She didn't sleep. She didn't move.

All she did was lie in bed facing the wall.

It was as if she went on autopilot. Her body still functioned, but she didn't do anything.

Asami sat in a chair next to the bed. She stayed up most of the night watching over her. Korra was released the night before last from the hospital after several days of being admitted. Her face was covered in bruises and scars. Her arm was in a sling. She should feel sore and achy, or at least something, but Korra didn't feel anything at all. She was completely numb.

Worrying thoughts flew through Asami's mind. But she reminded herself she should stay positive for Korra. The engineering major was finishing up her complex physics study guide when there was knock on the door. She got up and went to see who was on the other side. When Asami opened the door, she would have been lying if she said the person who was there didn't surprise her.

"Kuvira?"

"Hey, Asami."

"Are you here to see Korra?"

"If that's alright?"

"Oh, yeah. Are those for her?" Asami pointed to gift Kuvira held in her hand.

"Yeah. It's a bit of a long story, but I thought she could use a refresher."
"Ah, gotcha. Well come in. I'll grab a snack. Do you want anything?"

"No, I'm good. But thank you."

Asami nodded and left the room. Kuvira walked inside to the bedroom. She saw Korra lying on the bed with her back facing her. She quietly moved to the window, and placed the flowers with the vase onto the sill. Kuvira then turned her attention to Korra. She approached the bedside.

"Well, you look like shit."

Korra shrugged.

"Can I sit on the bed?"

This time Korra didn't move. Kuvira hopped onto the bed anyway. She sat there for a couple minutes. The silence grew in between them. Finally after some time Kuvira spoke up.

"This is all in your head. You know that, right? Korra- hey, look at me." Korra glanced up at Kuvira. Her eyes were a dull gray blue- as if she were soulless.

"You'll rise up again. It might take awhile, but the longer you stay like this, Korra, the longer you won't get any better."

Again, Korra didn't say anything. Her eyes traveled back to the wall. But on the inside she felt something. It was tiny, but it was coming from within her heart. She didn't know what to label the feeling. Guilt? Sadness? Anger? It had been so long since she'd felt something at all. The fight had shaken her up in the most terrible ways. That day in the ring was the day she almost died. She was beaten badly, and she lay in her own blood.

This entire time, people had been taking care of her - which Korra was thankful for - but it was what Kuvira said that stuck with her. Kuvira was honest. She was on point. She didn't baby her. She didn't offer anything. She just sat next to her and told the truth. Kuvira didn't treat her as a person who was nearly beaten to death in front of thousands of people, but as a person who would ascend from this bottomless pit and would soar high in the sky with grace. All Korra needed to do was take that first step.

Break down the wall.

"The waves push and pull.
Metal shines in the sunlight."

Kuvira looked down at Korra who returned her gaze to the wall. She sighed and slipped off the bed.

'Maybe she doesn't remember it.'

But right as Kuvira began to walk away her arm was pulled to stop her. She turned around, and there was Korra with her back still turned. Then she shifted her body so that she was staring, not at Kuvira, but at the flowers on the windowsill.

"You're... my other half." Korra's voice cracked as she spoke. Her eyes traveled to Kuvira. She stared at the jade-colored eyes. Kuvira gave a small smile.

The wall tumbled down, and the orchids bloomed in the sunlight.

The hallway was packed with people doing all sorts of stretches and warm-ups. Some girls were even preparing their pointe shoes. But it was quiet for a hallway full of dancers. Passing this exam would mean the start of their career. And failing would mean the end of it.

Kuvira shook her head. She couldn't think like that. Even if she didn't make it into the division there were other options somewhere.

I'm Thirty-five. That was her number. It was pinned to her leotard with bolded black coloring. Nervousness ran throughout her body. Deep breath. Inhale… Exhale…

She stretched when she got to the studio. Her legs, shoulders, core, back, and feet were all loosened and ready for the test. The exam itself was unique. In most dance exams, the dancers would perform the said objective the judge asked for. But this exam was completely different. Dancers had to make up their own routine. It was supposed to be a minute and fifteen seconds on the dot. They could use any form of dance they chose-since there were several different programs for the higher division dance classes. The exam was exclusively for juniors only in the dance program.

This was the day Kuvira worked so hard for since she was accepted into the regular dance program at the school. She steadied her heartbeat as she heard numbers being called out. Thirty... Thirty-three... Thirty-four.

Breathe, Kuvira. This is it. You're up next. This is your moment. You've trained so hard, and even with a sprained ankle that happened only a few weeks ago, you made it back to the top.

As she waited to be called, Kuvira looked through her bag to check that she hadn't forgotten anything. As her hand dipped into the bag she felt something smooth to the touch. Raising an eyebrow, the dancer looked downwards into her backpack and picked up the item.

It was an orchid. Of course Korra would do this. She smiled softly as she gazed at the white flower. Kuvira let out a quiet chuckle because this morning she slipped a necklace into Korra's bag. The necklace was the only thing she had that originally belonged to her mother- her birth mother. The necklace did bring back bittersweet memories of her early childhood life, but for some odd reason, whenever she had in her possession it would somehow make her day go better. She kept it as a good luck charm.

The necklace itself was old and covered in rust. The chain was from a cheap material with its coloring already faded out. But whenever she glanced at the pendant, memories of her mother flew through her mind. The pendant was a stone- the same color of both her and mother's eyes. The stone was carved with swirls similar to the wind or waves.

Kuvira twirled the stem in between her fingers. The white petals shimmered in the sunlight peaking through the window. A scent of freshness and sweetness filled the atmosphere. As she stared at the delicate plant, a sudden voice interrupted her gaze.

"Thirty-Five."

She placed the flower carefully in the bag before she walked over to the entrance. She wore a pleasant smile as she entered the room through the double doors and walked to center stage. There were four judges. She easily recognized three of them being professors from the university, but the fourth one who sat at the end of the table- she did not recognize. The judge looked older than her but not by much. The woman's hair was shoulder length, and her eyes were a dark green- similar to Kuvira's. Kuvira mentally shook her head. It didn't matter who this woman was at the moment.

"Good morning." She bowed to show her respect. She lifted her body back up. "I'm Kuvira. I'll be auditioning for the ballet program."

"Alright, Kuvira, whenever you're ready you may begin." Kuvira nodded and placed her bag down. She walked off until she was in upstage left. Again she released a deep breath from her chest as she waited for the cue.

It started off simple. She stood in fifth position with her arms moving gracefully up and down as if they were her wings. Her back was straight with her head held up high. Her eyes traveled up looking at her right arm that was moving fluidly in the air. With her eyes closed, Kuvira stood on her tips of her toes and performed a bourrée with a quick pace as she glided to center stage.

She landed in fifth position. She kept one leg on the ground en pointe while she lifted the other leg upwards until it was directly horizontal to the ground. Her one arm was raised delicately in the air while the other stretched out to the side. The arabesque lasted for a second before she went on.

This piece was incredibly special for Kuvira. The dance reflected her early childhood. She was a child who lived in a very cruel world. Kuvira was only three years old when she started to catch on that her parents didn't treat her like parents should treat their children. They left her by herself a lot. If one were home they would tell her to leave them alone. Still, she thought all of this would go away and that they would be a normal family soon enough.

But she was wrong. As time moved on, her parents grew more distant with her. She stopped hearing them say 'I love you' to her. The only time they would pay attention to her was when she got into trouble at school or with her mother or father. Her father hit her, yet Kuvira accepted the abuse. She was afraid to speak up against him. So she tried over and over again to be the best. Nothing was ever good enough for them. No matter how much she worked on something to show- to prove them that she was a good daughter.

And then came the day she lost all hope.

It started off as a normal summer morning- well, normal for Kuvira. She woke up and got ready for the day. When she walked into the kitchen though, something was off. There were bags placed onto the floor. Her parents were running around grabbing more things they needed.

"Mommy? Where are you and daddy going?" Her mom heard her and knelt down to Kuvira's eye-level.

"Sweetie, your father and I are going away on vacation. But we're going to drop you off at a friend's place. You can stay there, okay?" Kuvira nodded.

"Okay, mommy." Her mother took a deep breath and walked out with Kuvira trailing behind her. Together the two walked out of house and into the car.

Her father came rushing out of the house with the bags. He placed them in the trunk before closing it and getting into the driver's seat.

Throughout the ride, her father seemed generally pleasant. This was the first time in ages that Kuvira had seen him happy. Maybe this vacation was just what they needed. But when she looked at her mother, she was incredibly tensed. She kept playing with her necklace, twirling the pendant around.

Kuvira didn't know how long she was in the car for when it stopped. Her father pulled off to the side of the road. His fingers tapped the steering wheel as he looked at his wife. With a deep breath her mother got out of the car and opened Kuvira's door.

"Come on, baby. My friend's place is this way." Kuvira mumbled an okay, unbuckled her seatbelt, and slipped out of the car. As the two walked, her mother grabbed a hold of Kuvira's hand. Kuvira looked up from the sudden touch, yet her mother was staring straight ahead. She never once looked down.

After a few minutes of walking in the woods, her mother stopped them. Kuvira looked around trying to find a house of sorts. Her mother led her to a nearby tree stump.

"Here, sweetie, go sit up there." Kuvira was frail child. She was very skinny and didn't have a whole lot of muscle attached to her. Her mother had to help her up onto the stump. The child sat there with her feet dangling.

"Mommy, is this where your friend lives?" Kuvira's mother knelt down in front of her child and rubbed her tiny arm.

"My friend will come, baby. They told me to do this. I'm pretty sure they'll be here soon enough."

"Mommy... I- I'm scared… I don't like it here." The tall trees swayed with the breeze and the quiet chirps and clicks of animals were all around her. The sky was gray like it was going to rain.

"Don't worry, sweetheart. Here, have this." She took off her necklace and put it around Kuvira.

"This is a good luck charm. Jade helps balance things out so you won't be scared anymore, alright?"

"Yes, mommy." Her mother kissed her forehead before standing up.

"I love you, baby." Kuvira widened her eyes. It had been so long since she heard her mother say those words. Kuvira felt herself smile.

"I love you, too, mommy."

Kuvira expected her mom to smile back, but instead her mother threw her arms around her. She gave her a tight squeeze. Kuvira could have sworn she felt something wet on her skin. Her mother pulled away and sniffed.

"I'm going to go, baby, okay?"

"M-mommy? C-can't you stay?"

"Baby, your daddy is waiting for me. Don't worry, we'll be back before you know it."

"M-mommy! Please don't go! I- I don't want to be alone!"

"Kuvira! Sit down and stay." Kuvira felt her lips tremble, but she did what her mother asked.

Her mother began walking away. Kuvira couldn't help the tears that slipped off her face. She felt herself tremble and gasp for breath. But still she sat on the tree stump. She had to be a good girl for her mother. It was a special day for her mother anyway.

With a shaky voice, Kuvira looked ahead as her mother's back became smaller and smaller the further she went.

"H-happy m-mother's day Mommy."

The memory flashed through her mind as she finished the brisé. Tears surfaced in her eyes, but she kept them closed. Silent breaths left her body as she moved onto the next steps. Her body twirled and tipped in different ways as the music edged closer to the end.

Her eyes traveled to the window that was engraved into the wall behind the judges. Staring directly at the bottom glass panes, Kuvira's eyes locked onto one spot as she began the triple fouettés. Standing on her right leg for support, Kuvira's left foot went into passé before extending her leg, while her arms curved inward in front of her waist. The spins came next. She twirled as the music grew intense. Her foot returned to passé each time her body faced the judges before repeating the steps again and again.

The music slowed down cueing Kuvira's halt after the third fouetté. She landed with her feet spread apart, in similar stance to the closed fourth position, but with her front heel overlapping with the back foot's toe. Just like at the beginning, Kuvira's arms stretched out wide as though they were wings. For a second she stood still before her back leg quickly dropped to the ground, and the rest of her body followed. As she curled up into a ball, one single tear slipped from her eye and trailed down her cheek. The music stopped. Silence engulfed the room.

Suddenly, echoes of clapping bounced off the mirrored walls. With widened eyes, Kuvira gracefully eased herself off the floor until she was standing up once again. There at the edge of the table was the woman she spotted earlier. She gave the dancer a standing ovation while her colleagues had their jaws dropped.

Kuvira felt like she was a firework that exploded into a thousand tiny sparks as she watched their reactions. She gave a small smile and bowed.

"Thank you."

The ebony haired girl grabbed her bag and left the room. Once she stepped outside the studio a huge smile appeared on her face. She couldn't stop smiling. Everything she's done since she started dancing at eight years old had come to fruition in that test. And by the reactions Kuvira received, she knew deep down that she tried her best and stunned the judges.

Korra still hadn't shown up when Kuvira made it outside, so she sat down on a nearby bench and took out the orchid from her backpack. The pins that held up her thick hair in a bun were taken out as she let her hair loose. The long black hair fell to her mid-back. Naturally her hands weaved into the locks, and began to braid. In seconds the braid was done, and Kuvira placed the orchid behind her ear.

Braiding her hair was always something Kuvira ended up doing in her past time. Back in Zaofu, Suyin had taught Kuvira to braid after a couple of dance lessons. Her hair was always ending up in front of her face distracting her from dancing, causing Kuvira to either miss a step or mess up completely. Suyin mentioned to braid her hair instead of putting it in a ponytail. But Kuvira had never learned how to braid before coming to live with the Beifongs. She remembered being slightly embarrassed telling Su that, but her mentor just smiled and taught her anyway. It took some time before Kuvira could make an actual decent braid. But the more she practiced, the better she got.

Oh, Su. Kuvira sighed gently. She had not spoken to her adoptive mother in a while. Growing up with the Beifongs was nice. They were the family she always wanted, but never had. Even though she was adopted, Kuvira was treated like a family friend instead of a member of the family. Deep down, she wanted to be a part of their family, but there was no use crying over spilt milk. Other than Su, Kuvira was closest to Baatar Jr.

Even after Baatar and her broke up last year in the late winter, they were still close. The breakup was hard on Kuvira. Long distance relationships weren't easy. While she attended school in the United Republic, Baatar was all the way in Ba Sing Se studying engineering at Upper Ring University. They were together for almost three years at the time. But the distance affected them greatly. In her sophomore year Kuvira broke up with Baatar. It was hard to explain but she lost those feelings of love and affection towards Suyin's eldest. The dancer didn't want to be tied down in a relationship any longer, but that didn't mean she was happy with herself when she made the call. The guilt ate her up. At times she thought that maybe she made the wrong decision. But as time moved on, Kuvira had to so as well. She couldn't let the guilt hang over her head for the rest of her life. So as the winter season ended and spring approached, Kuvira's feelings of guilt were replaced with positive emotions. She was no longer tied down to someone, and at the time she was comfortable not being in a relationship. Although that all changed in the summer.

Just as Kuvira went to pick up her phone to see if she had any messages, a pair of hands covered her eyes. She felt herself jump but quickly calmed down when she heard the voice of the person behind her.

"Guess who?"

"Hopefully someone who passed her Kinesiology retake exam."

Korra withdrew her hands and went around the bench to sit next to Kuvira.

"Well he did let me stay as he graded it."

"And?" Korra winced lightly. Kuvira gently laid her hand on top of hers.

"Korra-"

"HA! You fell for it!" Kuvira widened her eyes.

"You mean you passed?!"

"With flying colors!"

Kuvira punched Korra in the shoulder. This time Korra didn't fake the wince.

"Ow! Is that any way to treat a person after they scored a 100% on the test all about human movement?" Kuvira shrugged.

"Maybe."

Kuvira ended up with the punch on her shoulder.

"Hey!" She couldn't help but smile. Korra laughed and kissed her forehead.

"So, how was your exam?" Kuvira trailed her eyes to the setting in front of them. It was close to noon. The clouds drifted in the warm spring air. Voices of students entering and exiting the buildings came from behind them. Kuvira kept her eyes on the scenery in front of her. A small silent breath left her body as she started to talk.

"One of the judges gave me a standing ovation." Korra couldn't help but let out a tiny gasp. She pulled Kuvira into a tight embrace. Kuvira chuckled.

"And the other judges had their jaws dropped"

"Well of course! They were blown away by the most amazing fantastic dancer they have ever seen!"

"I'll find out in a couple days if I made it in." Korra took Kuvira's hand in hers and gently squeezed.

"Even if you don't make it, I'll be here one-hundred percent of the way helping you."

"Thank you."

The couple sat side-by-side for a little bit longer before Korra stood up.

"Let's go celebrate!" Kuvira raised an eyebrow.

"Aren't you throwing a small one later this week?"

"Well, yeah...But we should celebrate together. Just the two of us." Kuvira rolled her eyes playfully.

"And where would you take us on this celebration?" Korra pondered a list of places they could go before she finally thought of somewhere.

"The beach!"

"The beach? Do you know how cold it is down there?"

"Oh, is someone a big baby; scared of the cold?"

"I'm not scared of the cold at all! Let's go!" Kuvira huffed.

Korra wore a winning smile as she and Kuvira climbed into the automobile. The beach wasn't too far from the school driving wise. The drive would only be fifteen to twenty-five minutes. They drove in silence as they sped away from the school and down to the beach. Soft music filled the atmosphere as one of Kuvira's hands left the wheel and found Korra's. Korra felt herself smile like a child does on the morning of their birthday. These small moments throughout their time together were some of the best. Holding hands, tiny pecks on cheeks and tight hugs.

Even after months of being together, Korra still got butterflies in the pit of her stomach. She would always find herself blushing lightly and asking how was it that after two unfortunate relationships, that she finally found the one. Korra swore after Asami that she was done with relationships- that she was done with love. But when Kuvira came to her when she was at her weakest state, she didn't pat Korra on the back and tell her it'll be okay. She sat next to her on the filthy ground and told her to get better or else she would stay where she was forever. Kuvira never left Korra's side. She was real and honest. It hurt but Korra needed the push. She finally stood up with Kuvira by her side.

Soon enough, the girls arrived at the beach. It was noon now. The waves crashed against the sand as the sun set high in the perfect blue sky. Surprisingly the beach was completely empty.

Those people are definitely missing out. Korra thought. But then again it's probably best for the public eye not see to what's going to happen. Korra smirked as she led Kuvira onto warm sand.

Kuvira took the chance to change when she parked the car, slipping into jean shorts and a tank top with the university's mascot on it. As the two walked towards the shore, Kuvira slipped off her shoes so she wouldn't get sand in them. The warm sand sunk in between her toes as she followed Korra closer to the water, but then stopped right as the tide came in.

"I'm staying here." Korra turned around.

"Really? Come on. Beaches are made for people to swim in them."

"It's probably 40 degrees in there."

"Meh, I'd say more like 37." Kuvira rolled her eyes.

"Oh, lovely. The perfect temperature."

"You're right, it is the perfect temperature."

"Yeah for polar bear dogs-"

And then all of sudden it was cold. Freezing cold. Korra had pulled Kuvira into the water. Kuvira gasped as the cold salt water hit her skin. Laughter filled the air as Kuvira tried to talk, but her teeth chattered so much that she couldn't even get a word out. Korra just laughed more as she saw Kuvira struggling with talking. After a second she approached Kuvira to pull her out only to be pulled back into the water. Korra gasped and laughed as she was forced into the bitterly cold water. Kuvira let go of her and her girlfriend surfaced with a big gasp.

"Oh, you are so on, Kuvira!" Kuvira took off but Korra got up and ran after her. The waves hit them as they dashed along the beach. Korra was catching up to her as Kuvira weaved through water. Korra was getting tired of chasing her, so she sped up and clashed against Kuvira. The impact was strong enough that it set them both tumbling into the salty water. Kuvira's chest was rising and falling as she looked up at Korra's eyes. The brown girl smiled softly before leaning down and capturing Kuvira's lips. Their kisses were simple and sweet. Korra's arms were on either side of Kuvira with her hands planted in the wet sand. While Kuvira had her legs spread a bit giving Korra some room. They kissed for a bit longer before Korra pulled away and helped Kuvira up. Kuvira wasn't cold anymore being used to the water, but a sudden breeze blew by making her shiver. Korra took the opportunity and wrapped her arm around the olive-skinned girl as they made their way back to the car.

"I'll drive." Kuvira raised an eyebrow.

"Can you handle my car?"

"Of course I can. Glimmer Shimmer and I are friends."

"Spirits, Korra! I told you to stop calling my car that!" Korra just shrugged.

"She lives up to her name. She's spotless."

"Well not with this sand that's about to get all over the floor and seats."

"And someone will always clean it to perfection." Kuvira let out a loud sigh as she opened the door and sat in the passenger seat while Korra made herself comfortable in the driver's seat.

Korra wasn't a bad driver. She wasn't even a dirty driver (though sometimes that was very questionable). She was a reckless driver. She drove way over the speed limit, took her eyes off the road for more than a second, and went a bit too fast on turns and loops. Compared to Kuvira, who was very much a stickler for all the rules she learned in both driver's ed and the driver's manual.

"Korra, you're going over the speed limit… Again!" Korra looked over at Kuvira.

"And keep your eyes on the road!" Korra sighed and her gazed returned to the view in front of her.

"Honestly, Korra, you could get a ticket!" A small smirk played on Korra's face.

"Unlike you who already got a ticket." Kuvira felt the tips of ear redden along with her cheeks.

"Shut up, Korra! It was one simple mistake!"

"And you still went to court for it." Kuvira rolled her eyes and slumped in the leather seat.

"You're never letting that go, are you?" Korra shook her head.

"Never." She laughed as she heard Kuvira groan.

The drive back didn't take nearly as long with Korra's "driving". They returned in one piece back to the apartment complex. The two girls exited the car and grabbed their things as they made their way home. Their hands found one another and held each other as they walked into the main lobby. They were feeling a bit lazy so they decided to take the elevator up to the fourth floor.

While they stood alone in the elevator, Korra wrapped her arms around Kuvira and mumbled very explicit things into her ear that made Kuvira so red she could feel the heat radiating from her face. The elevator finally stopped on their floor with a ding, and the two left and quickly rushed to their apartment.

Once inside, their bags and books were dropped onto the floor and lips crashed against one another's. Kisses were smacked against mouths and hands curled up in wet clothes when Korra pulled away.

"We still have to celebrate." Kuvira growled as Korra stopped her reign.

"We were just celebrating." Her girlfriend shook her head.

"We always have sex. Let's do something different for once. This is a special day for us, and especially you."

"Well, miss romantic coordinator, what do you suggest we do?"

"A bath." Her hands trailed up and down the sides of Kuvira's shirt.

"With your favorite bath bomb and the bottle of red wine we haven't cracked open yet." Kuvira looked up thinking of Korra's suggestion. Korra pulled her lover in her embrace.

"And after the bath...We can continue what we started here."

"Hmmm... I like that idea. I'll draw the bath." She winked and left Korra's arms then walked into the bathroom closing the door. Korra could hear the water turn on and immediately rushed over to the kitchen. She grabbed the wine bottle and two wine glasses.

Wait, maybe I should change first?

Korra set the glasses and bottle down on the counter and threw off her wet shirt and pants along with her shoes and socks, so she was only standing in her blue bra (which might have a bit a bit too small for her) and her black cheeky boy shorts. Picking up the drink and glasses Korra scurried over to the bathroom.

"Kuvira I got the wine and glasses and holy shit." It took all of her willpower for her jaw not to drop.

There was Kuvira, standing against the sink wearing nothing but a lacey thong.

"You... You wore that for the entire day?" Kuvira couldn't help but smirk at Korra being all flustered.

"Perhaps... But enough talk. You wanted to bathe and drink right?"

"R-right."

Korra gave the bottle and glasses to Kuvira as she undressed. The girls were used to each other's bodies so there weren't any uncomfortable feelings. As Korra finished slipping off her underwear Kuvira had also slipped off hers and poured the wine into the glasses. She took a tiny sip, the wine smeared across her lips and she pulled her drink away.

"Tastes divine." She leaned in and brushed her lips against Korra's. Korra could taste the strong wine from the simple act. The flavor was rich and bold, and left Korra craving for more. Kuvira could see the hunger in her eyes and led her to the bath.

"Later. You said you wanted this to be romantic right?" Korra weakly nodded. She took both her glass and the bottle to the tub. Kuvira got in first. She let out a small moan as her body sank into the hot water. Korra followed after her. She went in so that her back was against Kuvira's chest. Her moans were more vocal as the heated water surrounded her body. The girls took sips of the wine mumbling to each other. It had been a long a day for them both. Hell, it had been a long past couple of months. This bath was what they needed. The heat worked well for Kuvira's muscles and joints. A warm bath could cure anything. The bath water was the color of the night sky. Tiny specks of gold glitter laid on the surface as the scent of cinnamon and fresh flowers filled the air.

One glass came become two, which turned to several more before the entire bottle was completely empty. Both women felt warm on the inside as silent giggles and hiccups escaped them. As they drank they washed each other's hair and bodies, getting soap and shampoo all each other. Korra giggled a lot and turned around so that she was straddling Kuvira's lap. A pinkish blush colored her cheeks.

"Is this romantic enough for you, Kor?" Kuvira asked also sharing a similar blush on her face.

"Hmm… It's missing something…" She leaned in and captured Kuvira's lips. Kuvira quietly chuckled and kissed back. Their drunken kisses tasted like the luscious wine. Their tongues came into the kiss and played with one another with moans leaving their mouths. One of Kuvira's hands traveled down Korra's dark body until she reached her womanhood. Ever so slightly her fingers rubbed up against her clit. Korra gasped into the kiss before pulling away.

"You're so wet for me, Korra." Korra threw a fit of giggles.

"That's because we're in the water, silly."

"Oh, really?" Kuvira's finger slipped inside her. Another gasp escaped Korra, and her back arched.

"Because I think you're wet for me because you want me. Do you want me, Korra?" Her finger moved at a slow place as her thumb lightly played with her clit. Juicy moans fell from her lips as she grinded against Kuvira's hand.

"Ah- fuck. 'V-Vira. Fuck me." Kuvira hummed.

"You want it, Korra? How badly?"

"So badly. I want your fingers thrusting into me hard, and rub my clit that I'll cum over and over again."

"Get out of the bath." Kuvira slipped her hand from Korra's pussy. Korra let out a whimper but did what Kuvira asked. She stood on wobbly legs and left the tub dripping. Kuvira leaned over and unplugged the tub before standing up on her own. She got out of the bathtub as the water drained. Kuvira approached Korra with hunger and lust filling her eyes.

"We've done it your way. Now it's my turn."

Before Korra could even say anything Kuvira had her chest against the wall and stood behind her. Her breath was hot against her ear as Kuvira's hand descended back to Korra's vagina. This time she thrust two fingers into Korra who was caught off guard by the action. Her desperate moans were loud as Kuvira kept thrusting her fingers inside her.

"You like it when I thrust my fingers into your tight cunt, don't you?" Korra groaned and tried to grind against Kuvira's hand. Unsatisfied with no answer, Kuvira took her free hand and slapped Korra's ass. A sharp sting hit her as she whimpered.

"You never answered me."

"Y-yes, I love it when you do this. Don't stop, Kuvira! Spirits, don't stop."

Kuvira roughly pushed in adding a third finger. Groans echoed around the small bathroom as Kuvira finger fucked Korra against the tile wall. Her thumb found her clit and roughly rubbed circles upon it. She heard Korra whine as her fingers kept it up.

"Come on, baby, cum for me. Cum all over my hand." Kuvira's free hand again slapped Korra's butt this time harder. Korra cried out as she reached her peak.

"Kuvira- I-I'm cumming-" She was cut off by Kuvira's hand pulling her neck back and kissed Korra full on the lips. The two kissed and moaned as their tongues found each other again. Korra was sweating as she kissed Kuvira back. Kuvira turned her girlfriend around so that her back was against the wall. The dancer pulled away and placed kisses along her skin. Kuvira's lips trailed further downward. The lower Kuvira went the more Korra weakly whined. Korra's body stood limply against the wall, trying to catch her breath from the high. Her brown hands tugged at Kuvira's thick wet ebony hair. A pair of lips found Korra's sensitive nub and everything turned into bliss.

A peak of the late summer afternoon sunlight slipped through the cracks of the blinds. Dark blue sheets covered naked bodies. Birds chirped outside the window.

Kuvira woke up. And she woke up sore. Very sore. She went to sit up, and a low groan fell from her lips as she lay back down. It had been a while since she had sex. It had been even a longer time since she had sex like last night. She pulled the sheet to cover herself and turned on her side. There lying next to her was Korra. Korra who was awake and had a smug look on her face.

"Is someone sore?" Kuvira blushed.

"N-no! I'm not sore. Just... tired." Korra laughed and scooted closer to her girlfriend.

"It's alright to be sore. I was sore my first time-"

"I've had sex before, Korra! It's just that I haven't since..." Her voice dropped.

"Since?" Kuvira buried her face in the pillow to hide her flushed face.

"Since winter break when Baatar and I were still together."

"Wow... that's a rather long time." Kuvira groaned into the pillow.

"But that's not bad. It's just that you've been out of practice." Kuvira lifted her face from the pillow.

"Was I really that bad last night?"

"What? No! You were fantastic last night. It's been a while for me since I had sex, too. And let me tell you that was the best sex I've had in ages."

Kuvira looked down at her hand playing with the comforter.

"You don't believe me?" Kuvira clamped her mouth and kept looking down. She heard Korra lean over the bed. Korra grabbed her phone and unlocked it.

"Look at the text messages from my neighbors."

Kuvira took Korra's phone and began to read the messages.

"Korra plz keep it down I'm trying to sleep!"

"KORRA STOP MOANING SO LOUDLY. PLEASE I DO NOT WANT TO HEAR YOU SCREAM YOUR GIRLFRIEND'S NAME IN THE MIDDLE OF THE NIGHT."

"HOW THE FUCK ARE YOU TWO STILL FUCKING!? The fuck is wrong with you and your girlfriend?"

"Eyy ladies. Looking for a threesum?"

Kuvira felt her face heat up reading all the complaints Korra's neighbors made. Korra just laughed at Kuvira's reaction.

"Korra, they hate me so much. Oh, spirits." Kuvira groaned.

"I think they're just jealous because no one has gone down on them like you did to me last night."

"Korra!" Kuvira hid herself under the blankets. She heard Korra's likable laugh, and felt the blankets pulled off of her. Korra scooted close to Kuvira and kissed her nose.

"You good?"

"Other than the dying embarrassment I'm going to have when I walk out of here?"

"I was actually asking about the soreness. How is it? Do you need anything?"

"Oh, um. I'll be okay." She felt the brown girl snuggle into her arms.

"Aright. But if it's still really sore in a few days tell me, okay?"

"Okay, I will. Let's hope the soreness just goes away by tomorrow. I have work tomorrow." Korra took Kuvira's hand and kissed it.

"You can miss tomorrow."

"Korra, you know I can't. It's important." Kuvira said sternly.

"It's only one day. You'll be fine. Besides you mentioned that most of the kids were on vacation right? Well this is your vacation." Korra kissed her lips before Kuvira could protest anything.

The two continued to kiss for a while. The kisses were soft and inviting, delicate and gentle. The sheets were wrinkled with the two rolling around. When they pulled away, they noticed each other's bruised lips. A small smile lay on their faces as they curled up in the bed again. Their eyes slowly closed, and cuddled, they fell back asleep. The afternoon sun faded away into the evening sky.

Korra was half asleep when she heard a soft rustle from Kuvira's side of the bed. Blue eyes slowly opened up to the early morning sunrays shooting through the window. Kuvira sat up with her back towards Korra. She didn't have any clothes on, so she must have gotten up right before Korra woke up. As she watched Kuvira stand up, Korra couldn't help but reach out for her girlfriend's hand. Alerted by the pull, Kuvira turned around and found Korra's sad pout.

"Can you go to the studio later? Please?" Kuvira sighed gently and nodded. She went back into the bed and scooted close to Korra. Kuvira wrapped her arms around Korra, who happily fell back asleep. She smiled softly Korra's breath slowed down. Her lips kissed her dark brown hair before curling up in the warmth and her own eyes closing.

Three hours later

Kuvira expected to be woken from an alarm on either of their phones or from neighbors or even something happening outside. She did not expect to open her eyes to have Korra under the covers and lying in between her legs. Korra poked her head from the covers.

"I see the dancer is awake. Tell me was it because of this?" One of her hands made gentle patterns into Kuvira's skin on her inner thigh. Kuvira took a deep breath before speaking up.

"Korra, what the heck are doing?"

"Hmm… Getting my revenge."

"Revenge? For what-" Kuvira immediately stopped mid sentence as she felt Korra's hand brush against her clit.

"If I remember last night correctly...You were in full control, and we missed something I always love doing."

"Which is?" Kuvira huffed out.

Korra leaned over so that her mouth was against Kuvira's ear. Kuvira shivered slightly when she felt Korra's hot breath blow into her ear. Quietly Korra whispered to her.

"The satisfaction of being the only person to make you lose all utter control." Her teeth nipped her earlobe before descending under the covers with her face in between Kuvira's legs again.

As Korra's mouth sucked on Kuvira's clit, Kuvira tried her best to restrain her moans. Her hands ran through Korra's cropped hair and pulled her hard against her hot core.

Even though she wasn't expecting to be woken up like this, Kuvira thought this was the best way to wake up.

Her bliss came to an abrupt end when her phone went off. Shocked by the noise, Kuvira let out a low moan. Her arm reached for the phone, but Korra made her stop. She pulled her head away and lightly kissed the skin of her inner thighs.

"Don't answer it, 'Vira."

"Korra, what if it's important?" Korra sighed.

"Fine." She crawled out from the covers and lay next to Kuvira as she answered the phone.

"Hello?"

"Kuvira?"

"Su? Uh, good morning."

"Morning. I was wondering how the test went yesterday."

"It went great. More than great, amazing. I think I really stunned the judges."

"Oh, that's wonderful. I hope I wasn't interrupting anything."

"Oh, no, it's fine, Suyin. Korra and I were... just exercising."

"Ah, lovely. So tell me more about the exam!"

Korra lay on her back completely bummed out. Of course Kuvira had to pick up the phone. As she heard Kuvira continue to chat on the phone a rather wicked idea crossed her mind. She smirked to herself as she crawled back to where she originally was. Kuvira raised an eyebrow as Korra sat in between her legs again with the covers pulled away. She was about to quietly ask what she was doing, but without any warning Korra leaned in and kissed Kuvira's clit. A tiny shiver ran up and down Kuvira's spine, as she knew exactly what Korra was going to do.

Korra gave her girlfriend a small wink before closing her mouth around the sensitive nub. Kuvira opened her mouth to say something, but a breath caught in her throat. She could hear Suyin's voice from the phone talking about how her husband and kids were doing, but Kuvira couldn't comprehend anything to say back. Kuvira dug her teeth into the side of her cheek before continuing to talk to Su.

"Oh tha-that's awesome, S-Su."

"Kuvira? Is something wrong?"

"W-what? Everything is good- ahh- and- and amazing!"

Korra felt like she was on victory road. She lifted Kuvira's legs so they rested upon her shoulders, giving her better access. She added a few fingers, which easily hit the one spot Kuvira goes crazy about. Feeling pressure on her g-spot, Kuvira bit her lip and pulled the phone away as she let out a tiny moan and huffs of breaths. Her hips bucked against Korra knowing she was close to being over the edge. Her free hand dug into the sheets with a tight fist. Kuvira could hear the sound of Suyin's voice, but could not make out a single word she said. After a few seconds she brought the phone back to her ear.

"Y-yeah, Su?"

"I asked what were you doing?"

"I'm exercising with Kor-Korra."

"But I thought you already did that?"

"S-she's helping me stretch."

"Helping you stretch- KUVIRA, ARE YOU HAVING SEX RIGHT NOW!?" Kuvira blushed like crazy, and tried so hard to fight back another moan.

"Su-Suyin, I-"

"I DONT WANT TO HEAR ANOTHER WORD. HANG UP THE PHONE. WHY DID YOU EVEN PICK UP IN THE FIRST PLACE!?"

"I THOUGHT IT WAS IMPORTANT!" Her hand grabbed Korra's hair pulled at the roots. She was too close to her peak. Korra continued to suck and nip and finger fuck as she overheard the conversation.

"I cannot believe you, Kuvira. I'll hang up since you're too caught up in the moment. And tell Korra I said hi. You should listen to your partner next time they say don't answer it."

"Wait, how the hell-" but the phone disconnected at the same time Kuvira reached her end. The phone dropped, and she let out loud moan. Her back arched before she lay back down weakly. Her legs fell from Korra's hold and landed on the bed. Kuvira lay limply, coming down from the high with sweat rolling down her forehead. Korra wore a smug smile as she watched Kuvira close her eyes.

"You really are a minx. There's no doubt now." Korra couldn't help but laugh. She snuggled down next to Kuvira, and pulled her into her arms.

"Payback is a bitch." Kuvira groaned quietly. She knew she needed to go to the studio today, but that could wait. Honestly she was too tired to do anything. Her jade colored eyes closed shut and she drifted off to sleep.

Snow fell gently in the evening sky. Car horns and shouts from people down below were heard above in the apartment on the fourth floor. Kuvira sat on the couch reading a history novel before the lit fireplace. The room was engulfed with the smells of the holidays and the warmth from the fire. These were some of the hardest times for Kuvira growing up. She never got presents from her birth parents. She didn't even get a kiss or hug or anything. They told her to stay in her room for the day. She would just sit and wait like a good girl until dinner was ready.

Korra was in the kitchen cleaning up from dinner. Korra wasn't a five star cook, but she could make a decent water tribe dish. Kuvira liked the food from the south. It was very different from the food she ate in Zaofu. The meat was tougher and the sea prunes had an interesting taste to them.

Winter break was approaching and the two women were to go back to home to celebrate the holidays with their families. The Beifongs loved the holidays, but for the most part Kuvira would stay up in her room. Even though Suyin adopted her, Kuvira never felt as though she was a daughter to Su. Kuvira gave up trying to make Suyin notice her more like a daughter a year after she moved in with them. Su was set on making Kuvira her student.

Kuvira was so sucked into her thoughts that she didn't even hear Korra sit down next to her until she called out her name.

"What?"

"I said what are you plans when you go back to Zaofu?"

"Oh, I'll probably be in the studio most days. I have to start thinking about the dance I want to perform for the test in the spring."

"You're planning this early?"

"Yeah. I have to pick the music and then from there build the dance."

"Wow. Well any other plans? Fun-time with your family? Going to vacation somewhere?" Kuvira bit her lip. The Beifongs sometimes went to visit Suyin's mother Toph, and they would usually leave Kuvira behind. On the outside Kuvira didn't seem to mind, but on the inside Kuvira thought picking glass out from her own foot would be less painful. Truth to be told, Kuvira created a wall to keep her inner feelings about her adoptive family deep inside her. She wanted to be a member of the family. But even after more than ten years of being adopted, she still saw in everyone's eyes that she was a friend or a student.

"I don't know. They might go visit Toph."

"You're not going with them?" Kuvira shrugged.

"Well, probably not. It's a family thing."

"But they're your family. You should go and visit your grandmother-"

"She's not my grandmother." Kuvira snapped at Korra. Hurt and confusion reflected in Korra's eyes. Kuvira took a small breath before apologizing.

"Sorry. Family is just a sensitive topic with me." Korra nodded slowly.

"Do you want to talk about it? Might help." Kuvira shrugged. Her hands found each other, and her fingers and thumbs fidgeted as she spoke.

"I don't know, Korra. It's just me being stupid over these silly feelings."

"You're not being stupid, 'Vira. I'm here. Talk to me. You helped me so much in the past. Let me help you." She sighed before nodding in agreement.

"What... what do you want to know?"

"Anything you feel comfortable about sharing." The dancer stood up feeling her palms already glazed in sweat.

Kuvira told Korra everything. She had a right to know what Kuvira had been dealing with for all these years. Her story started back when she still lived with her birth parents. She told of how they lost their love for her, and when she was only eight years old she was abandoned in the woods. Korra felt her fist curl in tightly. How could her parents leave their child alone? It made her sick to her stomach. Kuvira went on telling about when Suyin and Baatar Sr. found her in the same spot her mother told her to sit at. They were apparently venturing into the woods not too far from their city. The two took in Kuvira and brought her into the family. Except she never became a family member. She was always a student. She was always a friend. Always this or that, but never a daughter nor a sister. Eventually as she grew older, Kuvira learned to build a wall that surrounded her deep feelings, and she stashed those emotions and desires away hoping that they would never resurface. She went on talk about the little things like how during the holidays she would stay in her room, and work on dancing or read. Just mundane things. No one really seemed to care where she was besides Baatar Jr. He would always keep her company. Even after the breakup they still greatly cared for one another. In the end, Kuvira wrapped up with her relationship between her and Suyin.

"I got the praise and attention any eight year old would love to receive. But deep down, I wanted be recognized as a daughter. I felt like I was this exotic bird in a cage. Outside the cage was the family I always wanted, but could never have. Even with me being so far from home I can still feel the cage around me."

Korra sat there stunned. All this time Kuvira was hurting, and she didn't even notice. She never asked about her family- she never asked about the Beifongs. And she assumed that Kuvira was adopted at birth like most children are. Guilt swelled in Korra's chest. Why hadn't she seen all this pain sooner?

Kuvira ended up sitting in the armchair far from Korra. She had her arms wrapped around herself, and she didn't even notice the water in her eyes until one careful tear slipped down her cheek.

It was the single teardrop that made Korra spring into action. She immediately rushed over to Kuvira and pulled her into her arms. Kuvira sat there shocked.

"Kuvira, you're not alone. You do have a family. You have me. I'm your family. I'll always be your family."

Kuvira was stunned by Korra's words. She couldn't help but feel her eyes become heavy with tears. Her head lay in the crook of Korra's neck. Her arms wrapped around her.

"I love you, Kuvira. Nothing will change that."

Kuvira's shoulders shook as Korra whispered sweet things softly into her ear. After a few minutes the two pulled away. Korra had her hand holding Kuvira's. She wore a tiny smile.

"Since we're on the topics of family. I wanted to let you know that my mom asked if you could come visit during the break."

"Wait, are you serious?"

"I am. My mom is dying to meet you. And my family is small. It's just my parents and me. Sometimes Katara's family joins us, too. So, do you wanna come to the coldest place in the world with me for the holidays?" Kuvira couldn't help but snort, which only made Korra giggle.

"A trip to the bottom of the world? Sounds perfect."

Korra's smile grew and she kissed Kuvira's cheek. Korra pulled her girlfriend into her embrace once again and rested her chin on her head. As they sat in front of the fire Korra heard her mumble something.

"Thank you."

It had been a couple days since she took the exam. Kuvira knew if she just sat in the apartment and waited for the mail it would only make her go insane. Instead she decided to go out to the studio. Dancing always helped her calm her nerves. And since it was still the morning, the studio should be empty. With their exams done, the majority of the dancers were taking a break from dancing while they waited for the letters to arrive. The letters either said that the performer had qualified into the upper division section, or that they didn't make it into any of the higher programs. Most who didn't get accepted usually left the dancing program to focus on their other majors and minors, or withdrew from the school to be transferred to a different institution or dropped out entirely.

Hopefully everything will turn out okay.

Kuvira finally made it to studio. She saw the lights on from the cracks underneath the door.

Probably someone forgot to shut them off.

But when she opened the door Kuvira stopped short as there was already a woman in the studio. She danced wearing a black, scooped-back tank top with matching dance shorts. There were no socks or special shoes on her feet. On the dancer's bare back was a large tattoo of a lotus with warm colors and small designs surrounding the beautiful flower. The music she danced to was divined yet mournful. The singer's soft voice was almost like a whisper as she sang about loss. The dancer spun around in à la seconde with her left leg in a direct ninety-degree angle. The leg stayed straight as she turned until she let that leg drop, so that her foot rested at her knee. She turned once more in a pirouette before landing in the fourth position. She stood for a second before her arms circled around her as she smoothly lowered herself to the floor, and lay on her side.

Kuvira clapped softly. The woman stood up and looked up at her. Instantly Kuvira recognized the woman as the fourth judge from the exam.

"Oh, hey. I didn't notice you there. Kuvira, right?"

"Yeah, that's me. Sorry, I should probably go."

"Oh, no, you're fine. I was just finishing up anyway."

"Alright." Kuvira moved so that she was off center in the room. She began to stretch as the woman cooled down.

"Your dance was amazing the other day."

"Oh, thanks. I worked really hard for that dance. I even sprained my ankle practicing not too long ago." The woman widened her eyes.

"Really? I would have never guessed that by the way you performed."

"It was a miracle that I recovered so fast. If it wasn't for my girlfriend I'd probably be done with my dancing career."

"Girlfriend? Is she your personal nurse?" The woman wiggled her eyebrows and Kuvira chuckled.

"Sometimes. She's majoring in physical therapy, so she knows a whole lot on the human body."

"I bet. So today is the big day?"

"Yup. I'll get the letter today and I'll see if I made it or not."

"With the way you danced I wouldn't be surprised if you made it into all the higher division classes."

On occasion, dancers would be accepted into more than one division if their skills were admirable enough for different dances. The majority of students picked the one program that they wanted to pursue a career in and dropped the others. The people who chose to stick with all the divisions that they qualified for would have two to three times the workload compared to he average one-division dancer. Being a part of multiple divisions was hard and caused lot of stress on students because of the difficulty of keeping up with the large amounts of work and performances. Very few had been ultimately successful in various sections, but fortunately, being a multi-division dancer meant that the student would have more opportunities to apply to different dance troupes around the city, or around the world.

"Thanks. But I'm just looking to be in the ballet division."

"You really do have a passion for ballet."

"Mhmm. I started when I was eight and haven't stopped since."

"As it should be. I used to dance ballet too."

"Really?"

"Yeah. Ballet was always this box to me. You had to stay in the box at all times and follow all these ridiculous rules. It annoyed me greatly when I was younger. I was seriously thinking about quitting dance because the rules drove me nuts. But when I discovered contemporary dance I realized I can still use the box but I can be in or out. The box has different sizes and shapes. It's a mixture of all things dance."

"I remember taking a few contemporary classes when I was younger. It was weird having all that freedom when I was so used to ballet."

"Contemporary does that to you. That's why I love it so much. I love to express the emotional side of dance."

"What troupe are you with?"

"Western Fireside. I'm in the contemporary crew." Kuvira sat there shocked for a second. Western Fireside was one of the best places for dance in Republic City. It was extremely tough to get into because only the finest would be accepted. The troupe had several different associations, each one focusing on one style of dance. Western Fireside was also a school specially designed for the performing arts. It was opened to the public and ranged of people from all sorts of ages. The casts in the troupes were the teachers of the dance classes.

"Holy spirits. That's amazing. Do you teach all contemporary classes?"

"Actually I teach one regular contemporary class for advanced students, and contemporary ballet to all levels.

"Contemporary ballet? That sounds relaxing to be honest." The woman laughed gently.

"It really is. Do you wanna try it?"

"Right now?"

"If you want to." Kuvira looked over at the clock and shrugged.

"Why not." The woman slapped her forehead and chuckled.

"Where are my manners? I never introduced myself. I'm Padma." Kuvira smiled softly.

"Pleasure to meet you, Padma."

"Alright, let's get started."

"Are we doing a number?"

"Nah, just a few moves. I want you to feel the difference of the little things." Kuvira nodded.

"Okay, first off relax. Classical ballet makes you stiff as a toy soldier. Release the stress out of you. It's alright to have a little slump in your shoulders."

It felt weird to unstraighten her spine, but once Kuvira did it her shoulders slumped and she felt a bit relaxed.

"See. You're a natural already."

"What's next?"

"Hmm… Let's do a pirouette. You go first." Kuvira replied with small mumble okay before getting into the fourth position. She took a deep breath stepping forward with her left leg bringing it to rest at her knee as her hands were stretched in a shape of a semicircle in front of her stomach. She spun around landed with her legs spread apart with one foot in front of the other, and one of her arms raised up high while the other was lowered. The stance was held for a second before Kuvira stood regularly again.

"Good. That was very good. Now put a contemporary twist on it."

Padma stood in the same exact position as Kuvira started off in. Her one foot took off into the air but instead of resting at her knee when she spun, she held it front of her before her hands dropped from the semicircle and picked up her foot. She stretched the leg in air so that it was completely straight next to her head before letting go of her leg and landing with both feet on the ground. A huge smile on her face and her arms spread out like wings.

Kuvira was impressed. Padma followed some of the ballet instructions with the positions of feet and arms, but she brought a modern slide into the mix making the dance seem new and inviting.

"That was amazing. Even though I really like 'box' of ballet I still think contemporary is cool."

"Ready for the next one?" Kuvira crossed her arms over her chest.

"I'm ready when you are."

The two continued their quick contemporary ballet lesson until the clock struck noon. Both women just finished a set of floorwork. Being on the floor gave Kuvira a different feeling. It demonstrated feelings of loss, damage, and weakness. Padma mentioned classical ballet always had a storyline. There always had to be a beginning and an ending. There was always a plotline. But with contemporary there was no plot. Contemporary focused on movement instead of storyline. Kuvira would be lying if she mentioned that she wasn't impressed with contemporary.

"Thanks for everything today." Padma shrugged and smiled softly.

"No problem. How do you think of contemporary now?"

"It's cool. I might work on it a bit more over the summer."

"Perfect time to do it." Padma grabbed her stuff.

"If you ever want to grab tea or you want me to help you with you dance, hit me up." Kuvira blushed.

"Oh, um, thanks." Padma gently laughed.

"Don't worry. I'm asking as a friend." She displayed her left hand and on her ring finger was an engagement ring.

"Wow. It's beautiful." Padma smiled gently.

"Thank you. My fiancé has good taste. I hope everything works out with the letter. And if anything unexpected happens, just go with it. Alright?" Kuvira blinked and nodded.

"Alright." Padma laughed and waved goodbye and walked out the door.

Kuvira wore a small smile. Padma definitely helped open her eyes to other styles of dancing. It felt nice being with Padma. She couldn't put her finger on it, but Padma just brought off this aura that Kuvira never felt before. And even with this new feeling she wasn't that scared of it.

Well back to work now- wait what's that over there?

Kuvira looked over to where Padma laid her stuff was on the ground before she left. There on the floor was a cigarette carton. The dancer instantly recognized the brand as the on her mother smoked. Lotus Girl. Kuvira remembered waking up to smell of fresh cigarette smoke and fell asleep to the cigarettes burning in the ashtray. She walked up to the discarded drugs and picked them up. The box was very old and still had all the tabs in it. She grabbed the carton and went after Padma.

Kuvira followed the path from the studio out to the parking lot. She was looking around all the different cars until she found Padma. Her car was pretty old. It was black, and had scratches all over. Padma was about to enter the driver's seat when she heard her name being called out.

"Padma! Wait, you forgot something!" Kuvira ran over to the car and handed the woman her pack of cigarettes. Padma gasped and took the box.

"Oh, Raava. I left it behind. Thank you so much, Kuvira."

"No problem. But if you don't mind me asking, what's so special about these cigarettes? I mean you could go and buy a new ones."

"I actually don't smoke. This," She gestured to the pack, "is the only thing I have from my mother. She left me on the doorstep at an orphanage. And I guess this was the only thing she had on her. Kind of a sucky birthday present. But I carry it around for good luck."

"Wow. I wasn't expecting that."

"No one ever does. But thank you so much again, Kuvira."

"You're welcome.

The two smiled softly before Padma turned and got into her car and drove away. Kuvira made her way back to the studio. She danced for a little while longer before packing up her own things and headed home.

It was less than fifteen minutes later when Kuvira reached the apartment complex. She grabbed her bag and walked inside the building. The walk up the several flights of stairs took a minute until she reached the fourth floor. Kuvira reached the apartment and went inside.

"Korra, I'm home- Oh, hey, Asami."

Korra and Asami sat at the kitchen table. On top of the table was a large sheet of paper. Both women looked up and Korra quickly rolled up the paper and shoved it into Asami's arms before rising out of her seat.

"Hey, 'Vira." Korra went up to Kuvira and pecked her on the lips. Kuvira wore a small smile when Korra pulled away.

"Here, I'll make tea." Korra walked to the kitchen to brew the tea.

Kuvira made her way to the table. To say things have been great between her and Asami would be a gross exaggeration. Things were good between them, but Kuvira still saw love in Asami's green eyes whenever she looked at Korra. Almost year ago Korra broke things off with Asami, and Asami still hadn't moved on yet. Broken hearts needed time. Kuvira offered a soft smile at the raven-haired beauty.

"Hi, Kuvira. How was dancing?"

"It was good. Relaxing somewhat."

"Oh, nice."

"So what are you and Korra up to?" Kuvira pointed to the scrolled up piece of paper. Asami glanced down and wore a confused look.

"I thought Korra told you? I came over to help plan the party-" CRASH. Both women jumped onto their feet and followed the noise to the kitchen.

"Korra? Is everything okay- oh my spirits."

There on the kitchen floor were several pots and pans. Kuvira blinked.

Why did Korra bring out all these to make tea?

Korra sheepishly wore a smile.

"Whoops. My fingers slipped."

"Korra... The kettle is on stove." Korra looked over at the stove.

"Oh, here it is. Thanks, 'Vira." The fighter picked up all the pots and pans and placed them back in the cabinet.

"Right... So like I was saying, Kuvira. I came over because Korra and I-" Loud coughing erupted from Korra's chest. Both girls turned to look at her. Korra looked over at Asami and coughed again. Something went off in Asami and she smiled softly.

"I actually need to work on my organic chemistry study guide. I'll see you guys later." Asami waved a tiny goodbye and saw herself out the door.

Straining silence engulfed the room. Korra bit her lip while Kuvira stood still as she watched her.

"I guess the polar bear dog is somewhat out the bag now, huh?" Kuvira didn't say anything. Korra let out a small breath.

"Okay, please don't get upset, but I was planning the party with Asami." Kuvira blinked in confusion.

"Why would I care if you did the planning with Asami?"

"Well…" Korra fidgeted with her hands. "I asked to Asami to host the party."

"At her apartment?"

"No… At her mansion."

"The mansion? Why there? It's a small party...Korra?"

"Surprise! It's not going to be a small party." Kuvira sighed.

"Korra-"

"Hear me out! So it's not going to be a few people. But you did say you wanted to know the people going to the party. So Asami and I are inviting all the juniors who made it into the high divisions for the dance program."

"Korra... I don't think it's a bad idea-"

"That's not the only thing. I called Suyin earlier today and asked if she wanted to come down." Kuvira crossed her arms over her chest.

"Kuvira, I knew I should have asked you-"

"Yeah, you should have. I'm assuming she said yes." Korra nodded.

"Kuvira, I'm so sorry. I didn't mean to go behind your back. I just wanted to surprise you." Kuvira could see the worry in Korra's eyes. She shook her head and walked over to her girlfriend. Standing in front of each other, Kuvira was an inch taller than Korra. Her jade colored eyes looked down at Korra's bright blue ones. Softly Kuvira pulled her into her arms.

"I'm not mad at you Korra. Annoyed, yes. But I know what you were trying to do. It's fine. I haven't talked to the Beifongs in a while, so this should be the perfect opportunity to do so." She leaned down and kissed Korra's forehead. "Is this the kind of party we have to dress up for?"

"Oh, Raava, no. I for one do not want to be all dressed. Asami wanted it, but I thought it would be easier on everyone if it was just casual." Kuvira softly chuckled.

"Well as long as you're by my side, I think party will be fine." Korra kissed her cheek.

"See? No stress. The party will be next weekend. Gives time for Asami and I to plan it all out."

"I never pictured you to plan stuff out. Aren't you more of the go with the flow type?"

"Well being suspended from MMA gives you some time to do other things. Plus with your friend wanting to throw an end of the year party I took the chance."

"Well the party should be interesting with you planning it."

"Hmm, it will be."

Their lips brushed against one another when the mail slot opened up, and letters and bills fell to the floor. Kuvira widened her eyes.

"The letter."

The two rushed to the front door and picked up the scattered white envelopes. Most were bills as Kuvira looked through the pile, and then she saw it. The envelope was addressed to her. On the back was the seal of the dancing program with a figure standing in first position. Their heels touched while their arms in a semicircle in front of their torso.

"I found it." Korra took the other mail and threw it onto the small table near them. She jumped up and down as Kuvira broke the letter's seal. She took out the piece of paper. Her eyes drifted down and fell to her name.

Dear Ms. Kuvira,

On behalf of Republic City University's Dancing Program, we welcome you to the higher division dance courses for classical ballet and contemporary dance. If you do not want to be apart of both divisions please call the dance office at (202)-555-0123. We also invite you to join Western Fireside's Dance Company internship during the summer. Congratulations. We look forward for to your performances.

Sincerely,
Song Lee

"Well? What is it? Kuvira!" Kuvira read the letter again and again until Korra shook her.

"Kuvira! What did they say?"

"I got in." Korra widened her eyes.
"What? You... You got in?" Kuvira nodded.
"Holy shit. Kuvira! You did it!" She pulled her girlfriend into a hug. Kuvira couldn't help but let out tears as she felt Korra's strong arms wrap around her.

"I did it. I did it." Korra placed kisses all over Kuvira's face, as she wore a huge smile and felt tears slip down her cheeks.

"Korra, that's not at all." Korra pulled back and raised an eyebrow.

"I got into two dance programs."

"What?! I thought you asked just for ballet?"

"I did. But I guess they thought my skills were great enough for two programs."

"That's awesome though. Can you do both?"

"I can...It's just that I never expected to be invited into the contemporary division. I took contemporary classes when I was young. And today I worked on some today with Padma-"

"Padma?"

"The judge that gave me a standing ovation, she was at the studio today. Taught me a few things."

"Oh, really now?"

"Please don't tell me you're jealous."

"Me? No." Kuvira rolled her eyes.

"She's engaged. Plus I have my hands full with you. And. I. Wouldn't. Have. It. Any. Other. Way." Kuvira placed eight kisses all over Korra's laughing face.

"Uh huh. That's what you say now."

"Nothing could replace you, Korra. You're my waves in the sea."

"And I guess you're my jade in the forest." The two laughed and their lips met in a simple kiss. Finally. Everything paid off.

"Mmmm. You're so bad." Korra mumbled under her breath as she felt Asami's lips linger on the back of her neck. Asami giggled as she continued to kiss the mocha-colored skin.

"Can't I give my girlfriend smooches?"

"The more you do that the more you're making me want to throw you in bed." Asami giggled again.

"Why don't you?"

"Because we're going out. And you've been asking to go out with me for the last week." She turned around after she adjusted her top.

"How many shots have you taken?" Asami looked down on her wrist and counted how many black dots she drew on herself.

"Four-ish."

"Ish?" Asami nuzzled her face in Korra's neck.

"We can always stay in. Have some alone time..." Asami placed soft kisses underneath Korra's jaw. Korra bit her lip, as her girlfriend laid kisses down her neck. Seconds later Korra turned around in her partner's hold so that they were face to face.

"Mako and Haruka are waiting outside. Come on." Korra mentioned.

Asami looked down at Korra.

"Is everything okay?"

"Yes, 'Sami. I'm okay. Now move that butt. You know how much Mako will rant if we're late." The raven-haired girl grabbed her girlfriend's hand and walked out of her apartment.

Asami wore a little tight black dress with matching heels while Korra had on a crop top with jean shorts. Korra kept an eye on Asami. Her tolerance was average, but she was definitely buzzed. Korra had a few shots, but she had a much higher tolerance than Asami. The vodka didn't bother her. They took the elevator down the to the lobby. Throughout the ride Asami leaned against Korra mumbling things into her ear. Korra blushed lightly, which only made Asami giggle.

The elevator opened and the two walked out to the parking lot. In front of the apartment complex was a small old car. In the car sat Mako and Haruka. Haruka was in Mako's and Asami's year. They were taller than Korra, but shorter than Asami. Their skin was a warm brown with black locks. They were majoring in biology and minoring in LGBT studies. They played a few sports here and there, but nothing serious. They were also known to be a smart ass at times. Sometimes it annoyed Mako, but most of the time he just shook his head at them.

Haruka was going through a part in life of not knowing what to identify them self as. So to keep it simple they asked people to use they/their pronouns to make it easier on everyone. Haruka was born a girl, but they never felt comfortable in their skin. Everyone was supportive of Haruka, especially Mako. Mako and Haruka became friends during their freshmen year at RCU. They grew close after Mako and Korra broke up during the early spring of Mako's and Haruka's sophomore year. Haruka felt something for Mako, but they didn't know what the feeling was. They didn't want to act out on it for if they did maybe the friendship they built would collapse.

The two girls entered the car in the back seat. Haruka smiled at them as they buckled up.

"Hello, ladies. How are you two?"

"I am absolutely perfect, Haruka. How are you?" Asami giggled. Mako raised an eyebrow in the rear view mirror. Korra saw and grinned.

"She had four shots of vodka." Mako widened his eyes.

"Is she going to be okay?"

"Of course I'll be okay, Mama Mako." Mako groaned. The name "Mama Mako" came to be about last year when Mako would pick up Korra, Asami, and Bolin (and sometimes their friends of friends too) from parties and drive them back to their dorms and apartments. Bolin originally said it when he was exceedingly wasted up in the front seat with his older brother. Korra and Asami were drunk in the back seat, and thought the name was hilarious.

"Yeah, she'll be fine."

"So where are we going?"

"29 South Dragon Street."

"Alright."

The drive to the party was very entertaining from Asami's point of view. She was happy and wouldn't stop talking. Korra laughed when she started to burp. Even though all four of them were having a great time in the car, Korra couldn't help and turn her head to the window. Troubling thoughts flew through her mind.

'I love Asami. I really do. But if I love her so much, why am I not over the moon when she's with me? I enjoy her company, yet when we are together she feels more like a friend than a girlfriend.'

Korra shook her head. Not the right time to be second-guessing her relationship.

'You went out to have fun. Go on and dance.' Korra gave herself a mental pep talk as the car parked along the side of the road. The four students walked down the sidewalk until making a left and arriving at the apartment. Before long they reached the floor the party was on and went inside.

Music was blaring from the big speakers. Girls and boys were all over each other, acting so dirty not even bleach could remove their filthy stains. The smell of alcohol and spilled vomit coaxed the main room. Heat rolled off everyone making the room unbelievable stuffy.

"Korra, lets dance!" Before she could protest Korra was swept onto the dance floor. Asami laughed and began swinging her hips. Korra quietly snickered at her girlfriend. Even though the raven-haired beauty was perfect in various different fields, dancing was not one of them. She danced offbeat and giggled way too much. Cracks of snorts and grins escaped Korra as Asami continued her drunkenly dance. The brown girl wrapped her arms around Asami and began moving offbeat too. People turned and stared as the couple danced off into their own little world.

Of course their goofy dancing escalated into more sensual ways. With her arms around Korra's neck, Asami's dark ruby colored lips drifted downward until her mouth was right on top of her ear. She spoke unthinkable plans she had in store for Korra as the alcohol rushed through her bloodstream. Crimson coloring flooded Korra's face, but it didn't stop her from capturing Asami's lips. The crowd around them cheered as the kissing continued.

Moments passed before their lips separated. Asami's lipstick was smudged across her mouth while Korra's lips were tinted red by the makeup. Korra rested her forehead against Asami's, as their lips scarcely tasted one another. The beats and melody vanished when the DJ swapped tracks.

"I'll go get us some more drinks."

"Yes, please."

"Stay here. And don't go off with any strangers!" Asami mockingly saluted Korra.

"Aye, captain!" Her blue eyes rolled in the back of her head before wandering to the bar.

Korra expected the bar to be abandoned and a possibility to have no liquor out. She did not expect to see the one person she never imagined would go to a blowout apartment party such as this one.

"Kuvira?" The ebony haired girl twirled in her stool, so that she was facing Korra.

"Can I...Help you?" Korra stood there shocked. Kuvira never went out to parties, or at least from what she told Korra last year in their literature class. And yet here was Kuvira drinking an entire bottle of straight up whiskey by herself.

"Kuvira, what the hell?"

"Hearts are fucking fragile. Who the fuck knew?" Korra cautiously sat down to her old classmate.
"Your boyfriend broke up with you?" Kuvira burped and didn't even excuse herself before she went on talking.

"Worse. I broke up with him. Over the fucking phone." Last time Korra checked, Kuvira and her boyfriend (now ex-boyfriend) were doing great. They've known each other for most of their lives, so it was a solid deal. Even though he went to school east of RCU the two stayed in close contact with one another triumphantly.

"Spirits, Kuvira. How are you?"

"How am I? The fuck does that mean? I feel like I just ran over a puppy. Baatar is probably having an emotional episode, and Suyin might be plotting my death."

"I don't think your mom is planning your death."

"She's not my mom." Korra shook her head and continued.

"How much did you have to drink?" Kuvira gazed at the glass bottle she held in her bare hands. The booze was already halfway gone. Korra sighed and looped her arm through Kuvira's.

"Come on. Alcohol won't cure broken, guilty hearts."

"Got a better idea?"

"Yeah, follow me." Korra pulled Kuvira off the seat, and she had no choice but to tag along. The two made their way through the sweaty, overcrowded dance floor to find Asami sitting on the couch. She was being extremely friendly to her neighbors, who offered her sips of their drinks.

"Asami. Come on." Her green eyes lit up as she spotted Korra. The girl jumped from the furniture and grabbed Korra's free arm.

"Koorra! I found you."

"Yes, you did, now come on. We have to find Haruka and Mako."

Asami hummed as she sluggishly clung to her girlfriend. Kuvira blinked slowly at her surroundings as she was led away from the party. The three girls eventually found their DDs who were holding hands and talking quietly to one another.

"Oh my Raava! You two are so cute!" The pair instantly separated when Asami made the suggestive comment. Mako felt his skin flare as he spotted his friends. Haruka spoke up first.

"Are you guys done already? Are we heading to the next place?" Korra nodded off to Kuvira who looked beyond wasted as her head hung low.

"I found Kuvira drinking. She almost finished a bottle of whiskey. We should take her home." Asami pouted.

"But I don't want to go back. I'm having so much fun!" She yanked on Korra's arm. Mako exhaled a long breath.

"I'll stay with Asami. Korra, you and Kuvira head back to campus with Haruka." The group nodded in agreement. Asami giddily went along with Mako back to the dance floor while Haruka, Korra, and Kuvira left the party. They took the elevator down and arrived at the lobby in minutes.

"Stay here. I'll swing the car by okay?" Korra agreed. She swung Kuvira's arm around the back of her neck, so that way she was leaning against Korra for support. Her head still hung low, but she mumbled words here and there such as, "I'm sorry" and "I'm an ass." It took little to no time for Haruka to bring the car around. Korra opened the door and set Kuvira inside the vehicle. She leaned over and buckled her into the seat before walking around the car and sitting next Kuvira.

"Thank you so much, Haruka."

"No problem. Where does Kuvira live?"

"I... I actually don't know. And she's out of it. You can take her back to my place." Haruka consented to the idea and the car drove off. Throughout the ride, Korra rubbed Kuvira's back softly as more mumbles left her lips. It was past midnight when the girls finally arrived at Korra's apartment.

"Here let me you help you with her." Haruka and Korra both had an arm on the back of their necks as they walked to Korra's apartment. She lived on the second floor, so it was no stressor going on the elevator. Right as they entered the floor, they made a turn to Korra's apartment. Korra opened her apartment and they led Kuvira to Korra's bed. Kuvira was on her side with a trashcan next to her.

"Haruka, I don't know how to say thanks."

"Don't worry about. It's what friends and pretty people do." Korra snorted.

"Oh, well you're both."

"Brownie points for you." Korra smiled and pulled Haruka into a hug.

"I don't care what you call yourself. You have my support all the way. Even though you're a major geek" Haruka grinned and pulled away.

"Says the one who collects training cards of sport teams."

"Hey! It's a small thing. I'm not that crazy about them!"

Haruka laughed and hugged Korra. The two left the warm embrace. Haruka headed back to the car, and Korra went to aid Kuvira. When Korra to check on Kuvira she saw the girl already passed out.

"Well I got nothing better to do." Korra placed a glass of water and two pills on the nightstand for the morning. She pulled an armchair around so she was facing Kuvira.

"To be honest I imagined our first date a little different. But it'll make one hell of a story. Good night Kuvira." Korra joked.

Slowly Korra drifted off to sleep, making sure to check on Kuvira before her eyes closed. The night was short as both girls slept. The flaming sun, starting the new day, lit up the morning sky. Though Korra didn't wake up because of the sun. She heard the sounds of someone heaving: a great way to start off the morning.

'I really hope she did not miss the trashcan.'

"Fuck. Holy shit." Kuvira squinted as she tried looking for something on the nightstand. Korra spoke up.

"You're not at your place." Startled by her, Kuvira jumped out of her skin when she saw Korra.

"Korra? What the fuck? Holy spirits. What did I do last night?"

"Nearly gave yourself alcohol poisoning" Kuvira sighed.

"Did... did we- uh- do anything?" Korra shook her head, and she could have sworn that Kuvira was a tad bit disappointed.

"No. Take the pills and drink the water. You'll feel better." Kuvira reached out and took the pills. She continued drinking the water hoping the killer hangover would be over soon.

"I'm so sorry that I bothered you last night."

"Oh, you didn't. I swear. The only one bothering me was Asami."

"Your girlfriend?"

"Yeah. She got wasted last night and drunk texted me the entire night. I had to turn off my phone because the notifications were bothersome."

"Why are you here then? Shouldn't you go and take care of her?"

"She apparently went to Haruka's. Haruka will take care of her. No need to worry."

"Haruka, she's the one-" Korra coughed cutting off Kuvira.

"They."

"Hmm?"

"Haruka's pronouns are they and their."

"Oh, my bad."

"It's fine. You didn't know. By now you do." Korra smiled softly. "Want any breakfast?"

"I'm good. Thanks though." Korra nodded. She looked down at her hands twirling her thumbs. "You're allowed to ask about the breakup you know."

"Oh okay...how are you then?"

"Horrible. I really broke his heart."

"How long were you two together for?"

"Almost three years." Korra whistled.

"That's a long time. Longer than my record. Did he... did he cheat on you?"

"No. Baatar's loyalty runs deep. But I couldn't pretend anymore."

"Pretend?"

"I love Baatar, but he completely fell head over heels for me. And I wasn't happy with our relationship. Each time we spoke it seemed I lost a little piece of my life. Like this is my life. Once college is over I'm going to marry this man and birth his children. Then we grow old and die together. The exciting life of Kuvira." Korra was stunned. This was nearly the same thoughts and feelings she had with Asami. She was growing tired of their relationship. She wasn't happy. But Korra didn't want to break Asami's heart. The guilt would be too much.

"So you weren't happy?"

"Not at all."

"And now?"

"Honestly... relieved."

"Wow. That's good."

"Yeah. It is. I'm pretty sure the Beifongs are betting who broke up with whom."

"Your family?"

"Yeah...you could say that. The twins, Wei and Wing, love to bet on anything and the whole family gets involved. They've been betting Baatar's and I relationship since we started dating."

"Well, whoever wins that bet will be getting a jackpot of money."

"Not like they really need it. Suyin is the leader of Zaofu. They have plenty of money."

"Holy shit. I didn't realize you were related to that Suyin."

"I'm not. I... I'm adopted."

"Well, yeah but they're your family none-the-less." Kuvira curled her fist.

"Yeah. You could say that." Korra could tell she hit a nerve so she backed off.

"Right. You're welcome to take a shower and borrow some clothes. You look like you're my size. I'll be in the kitchen making breakfast."

"I never pictured you as the cooking type."

"Eggs with hot sauce is the easiest thing in the world to make."

Kuvira smiled softly as she watched Korra leave her bedroom. The hangover was still clogged up in her head, but she continued to drink the water and eventually stumbled out of bed and into the shower. She was expecting to feel heartache and to cry her eyes out. Maybe even call Baatar and beg him to come back to her. But she didn't feel or want or did any of those things. It seemed like a lot of stress was suddenly lifted off her shoulders. Today was a new day. A brand new day. And Kuvira couldn't wait for all the new days to come.

"Korra are you ready yet?" Kuvira was at the door of their apartment. She wore an off-white, sleeveless, and collared blouse with black leggings and brown flats. The dancer got ready earlier on in the afternoon so they wouldn't be late. But, of course, Korra decided to sleep into the afternoon and head to the gym for a couple hours. When she arrived back at their home she took a long shower.

"I'm almost done!" Korra yelled from the bedroom. Kuvira sighed and went to check on her.

Korra was running around the room shirtless. She dug through her closet looking for a particular item.

"Kuvira, have you seen my blouse? The navy blue one?" Kuvira fought the urge to sigh. She told Korra multiple times where her blouse was. She walked through the doorway and closed the door. There on the back of the door hanging on the hook was Korra's blouse. Korra grabbed it and slipped it on.

"Thank you so much!"

"Ready?"

"Nope."

"Korra, what on earth could you possibly need now-" Kuvira was cut off by Korra's lips. Kuvira kissed back softly before pulling away. "Now's not the time!" Korra kissed her throat.

"Later then." Korra left Kuvira standing in their bedroom as she put on her shoes. "Alright, I'm good to go."

Kuvira and Korra walked out of their apartment and headed down the stairs. The party started at seven that night, and it was already a quarter past. Kuvira hated running late. It always made her anxious. Korra on the other hand wouldn't care all that much if she was late or not to a party. Both women entered the car and drove off to the mansion. Asami's place wasn't too far from their apartment, but still a good fifteen-minute drive, accounting for traffic on the streets. As they drove, Korra took Kuvira's hand in her own and squeezed it. Kuvira smiled softly at the small gesture. Even though the two were very different from one another, they brought out the best in each other.

"You're nervous about Suyin and the family?"

"I guess. I haven't seen them since spring break, which was months ago. It'll be different seeing them here all together. Though I am kinda happy to see the Beifong children. I babysat the younger ones when I was growing up there. Opal and I are somewhat close. She was the only girl in the manor besides her mother and me, and at times Suyin would leave Zaofu for business, so I'd be the only female figure around. We were a lot closer when she was younger, but when I began to date Baatar she got defensive of him. She cares deeply for her siblings, and when I broke up with Baatar, Opal wouldn't look at me when I visited. But time passed and she let go of her grudge."

"How old is she?"

"She's eighteen. She'll graduate high school next month."

"Oooh. Does she know where she's going yet for college?" Kuvira shrugged.

"She hasn't told me."

"Do you know what she wants to study?"

"Last time I checked she was still undecided."

"Nothing wrong with that. I was too for most of my freshman year. What were her brothers like when they were younger?"

"Huan was asocial. He kept to himself. Still does today. He's an artist so he's always moody. Wei and Wing were troublemakers. And still are today. They'll be seniors next year."

"Where does Huan go for school?"

"Omashu University. He's an art major."

"Wow. I would have never guessed that." Korra said sarcastically.

"Yeah, yeah."

"I bet all of them will be excited to see you."

"Maybe. I don't keep in touch with all them like I used too. Who knows."

Korra brought Kuvira's hand up to her mouth and placed a kiss on her olive-colored skin.

"I'm sure they will be." Kuvira offered Korra a small smile.

The drive ended sooner than expected. When they pulled up to the Sato mansion there were too many cars to count. Kuvira's jaw dropped a smidgen as she came to realize how many people were actually at the party.

"I guess all the people we invited also invited their families." Korra said with a shrug. She looked over to Kuvira.

"You good?"

"Yeah I'm good. Just didn't realize how big this party was going to be." Korra chuckled.

"Come on, the people are waiting." Kuvira rolled her eyes but went out of the car. The two girls walked hand in hand to the entrance and entered.

Bright lights were hung from glass chandeliers on ceiling. There were multiple tables filled with gourmet dishes cooked, grilled, and baked to perfection. The cloths on the tables were beige silk with fancy designs of veins and leaves all over them. The foyer was filled with guests that Kuvira mostly recognized. They were dancers like herself who made it into the higher divisions. She wore a small smile as the familiar faces looked up at her and waved hello.

"I'm glad you two could make it." The women turned to see Asami gracefully walk up to them. She wore a knee length red dress with laced sleeves that stopped above her elbows. With the bold red gown, Asami had chosen black pumps and crystal earrings and a bracelet to accompany the look.

"Asami, you look stunning." Korra commented to her friend. She pulled her into a hug. Asami's arm wrapped around Korra's back. The two stood there for a second too long before Korra pulled away.

"I'm sorry we arrived on the late side." Kuvira apologized and Asami waved off her apology.

"No problem, you're here now."

"The party is amazing. I'm sorry I wasn't too much help with the decorating."

"Oh please you were all the help I needed." Kuvira raised an eyebrow as Asami took a sip from her drink.

"Do you guys want anything to drink?"

"Oh, I'm good." Kuvira mentioned.

"What do you suggest, 'Sami?" Asami bit her lip.

"Well I received a new wine imported from the Fire Nation earlier this evening. Has a lot of spice in it." She winked. A flare of jealousy flashed in Kuvira's eyes. She walked forward and wrapped her arm around Korra's waist.

"I bet it's wonderful, Asami."

"Trust me. It's the best." Asami looked over at Korra before waltzing away into the next room.

Korra raised an eyebrow and turned to Kuvira.

"What was that all about?" Kuvira shrugged.

"I don't know what you're talking about it."

"Someone is a little jealous, huh?" Pink flares burst into Kuvira's cheeks.

"Jealous? What do I have to be jealous about?"

"I can always try out that spicy wine with Asami." Kuvira felt the jealousy flame burn with the added fuel. Korra smirked and turned to face her girlfriend. She wrapped her arms around her neck.

"You have nothing to be jealous over. I'm yours and you're mine. And. Nothing. Will. Change. That." Korra pecked Kuvira's nude-colored lips before pulling her into a slow, loving kiss. Kuvira felt the flame tire down until nothing but ashes were left.

I shouldn't be jealous of Asami. Korra broke up with her last year. I have nothing to worry about.

Their lips met right as they heard Kuvira's name being called.

"Kuvira!" Their lips separated and both girls felt a small blush as they saw who was approaching them.

"Spirits." Kuvira mumbled under her breath as Suyin and her family approached the young couple.

"Oh, it's so good to see you again." Suyin pulled Kuvira into a quick hug. Even though it was short, Kuvira felt a small feeling inside her. She smiled softly as Su pulled away.

"And you must be Korra. Oh, Kuvira, she's even more beautiful face to face. No wonder Kuvira is such a sucker for you." Both Korra and Suyin laughed while Kuvira felt herself blush.

"Well, I love her with all of my heart." Korra kissed Kuvira on the cheek. The Beifongs laughed.

"It's nice to see you, Kuvira." A younger girl emerged from the group. Her hair stopped at the beginning of her neck. She wore a white, sleeveless, collared shirt with a puffy mint green mini skirt. There were pearls on her ears and a pearl on her necklace. She had the same light green eyes as her mother.

"Opal." Kuvira felt herself being pulled into another hug.

"Opal actually has some exciting news, Kuvira." Kuvira withdrew from the friendly embrace with an eyebrow raised. Opal flushed slightly before speaking up.

"I'm attending University of Republic City, just like you." Kuvira widened her eyes.

"Congrats, Opal. I know you'll do great here." She pulled her back into a hug. Opal chuckled gently before pulling back some.

"Wait, so sis gets love, but we don't?" Opal pulled back and rolled her eyes.

"She's all yours." Wei and Wing grinned as Opal moved away. They punched Kuvira on each of her shoulders.

"Good to see you, Kuv."

"What he said." Kuvira chuckled.

"You both haven't changed at all."

"Like you want us to change."

"Your style is simple, Kuvira." Huan called out. He was standing next to his younger brothers. A strand of his hair was dyed green, and a part of his head was styled in an undercut. Kuvira noted his hair was still long, going past his shoulders, and that he wore a lot black clothing.

"Is that a good thing?" Huan sighed and looked over to the window. And he was still a drama queen, too.

"Kuvira?" She looked up when her name was called. A soft smile appeared on her face when she met his eyes.

"Baatar. It's so good to see you again." The two pulled one another into a hug. Korra couldn't help but notice the hug lasted a rather long time. She bit the inside of her cheek as she stared at the floor. The two pulled back and shared a pleasant smile.

"I've missed you."

"Same here." Korra had enough. She coughed and the two broke their trance. Korra wore a fake smile.

"Opal, since you're coming here next year do you want me to meet some of our friends?" Korra asked the younger girl.

"Oh, that'd be great, Korra. Thank you."

"No problem, kiddo. Let's go." Opal followed Korra out of the foyer and into the next room over. The other Beifong children took their chance and stirred away from their parents to explore the party. Baatar smiled softly before walking away letting Suyin and Kuvira have some alone time.

"So Baatar Sr. was busy, I guess?"

"Unfortunately he had several projects still undeveloped and he wanted to work on them. But he did tell me to tell you that he's proud of you." Kuvira felt the same feeling she did when Suyin hugged her. Hearing the words of someone being proud of her always made her feel a kind of soft warmth inside her.

"Did you get into the ballet division?"

"And the contemporary one, too." Suyin's jaw fell.

"Contemporary too? That's amazing Kuvira. It takes a lot of skill to do both of those styles. Are you planning to stick with both?"

"For right now? Yeah, I do. I was offered a summer internship at Western Fireside, so I might work on my contemporary there."

"Unbelievable. You've come so far, Kuvira. I still remember when you begged me to bump you up to pointe shoes. You thought they were the best things in life."

"They still are. I just hurt a lot afterwards."

"Speaking of hurting, how's your ankle?"

"No more aches or pains for a couple weeks now."

"Good. I'm glad to hear that. I've missed you, Kuvira. Truly, I have."

"I know. I've missed you, too." Suyin smiled softly at her.

"Are you coming home during the summer?"

"I'm hoping to go to Zaofu sometime during the break."

"Make sure to bring Korra. I want to show her around."

"Of course you do." Suyin smiled before it dropped a little.

"Kuvira... Do you consider Zaofu your home?" Kuvira was taken back by the question.

"I... It used to be my home. But ever since I met Korra and fell for her, she's my home now. No matter where we are, home is with her." Suyin squeezed Kuvira's hand.

"I'm so happy you found love. I hope all my other children do, too." Kuvira's heart froze. Her eyes felt the sting of tears as she pulled Su into another hug. Suyin was surprised by the hug but wrapped her arms around her.

"I'm sorry that I haven't been the best mother to you. But I changed. I love you, Kuvira. You were one of the best decisions of my life, to take you into our family." Kuvira nodded as she felt a tear slip down her cheek.

Suyin and Kuvira talked for a while longer while Korra was standing with Opal as people socialized and danced.

"I'm excited to come here next year."

"I bet! Do you have a major picked yet?"

"I'm undecided right now. I don't know what I want to do yet."

"The same thing happened to me when I was your age. But during my sophomore year I took a biology class and I started to really like it. Of course I'm an active person so what I really wanted to do was combine science and exercise, and the school offers a physical therapy major. So I decided that will be my major."

"Wow. I wish to be that passionate when I decide what I'm majoring in." Korra chuckled.

"I'm sure you will. All you need to do is get your feet wet and see what pond suits you the most."

"You make her happy you know."

"Who?"

"Kuvira. She seems different when you're around. Almost like a different person. But a good different. I've known her for most of my life, but I think I'm finally starting to understand who she really is. And you definitely help with her becoming the person she truly is." Korra smiled softly. She played with the ends of her blouse before she said anything.

"Thank you. That means a lot to me. I love her a lot." Korra swore she saw stars in Opal's eyes.

"Oh, if only I had a love story like yours." Korra smiled brightly.

"Don't worry, you will. Here, I want to introduce you to some people." Opal followed Korra into the next room where two men stood near the punch bowl. Korra elbowed Opal gently as the brown girl called out to her friends.

"Mako and Haru! I want you to meet someone."

"Hey, Korra. And Korra's friend." The boy had spiked black hair and thick-framed glasses along with a purple bow tie around his neck. He was taller than Korra, but shorter than Mako. Mako stood next to the guy with their hands intertwined.

"Opal, here are two of my best friends. Mako." She pointed to Mako who was wearing a collared shirt with slacks, and his signature red scarf wrapped around his neck. "And Haru." Korra gestured to Haru. He wore a bright smile as Opal met his blue-green eyes.

"It's a pleasure to meet you, Opal."

"The pleasure is all mine. Do you both of you attend the university? Sorry, that was a stupid question." Opal flushed.

"Nonsense. Nothing wrong with a little curiosity. Both Mako and I are seniors so we'll be graduating next month."

"Oh, that's so cool. I'm a senior in high school now. But I'll be attending the university in the fall."

"That's wonderful. You'll love it here. And make the most remarkable memories." Haru slipped a wink at Mako whose skin turned a light pink. Korra and Haru laughed while Opal stood in confusion. Haru patted her shoulder.

"Don't mind my boyfriend. He's a man of few words."

"Unless, of course, you're rocking his world. He never shuts up then." Haru and Korra laughed even harder as Mako's skin heated up.

"Shut up, you two." He grumbled and walked off to grab some punch. Haru sighed.

"I remember before the change I was really into girly drinks. But ever since I've been on hormones for the last several months I've gotten a taste for much heavier alcohol." He chuckled. Opal blinked in confusion.

"Haru, I- um." She felt her cheeks burn with warmth. "What pronouns do you use?" Haru looked down at the petit girl and offered a kind a smile.

"He/Him are great. Thanks for asking."

"No problem. If you don't mind me asking, what was your transition like?"

"The truth?" Opal nodded. "I've never felt more like myself. When I started to think about being transgender, I had a difficult time loving myself. Before any significant changes, my name was Haruka back then. What I saw in the mirror everyday wasn't a person who was me. I always saw Haruka, but I never saw Haru until much later. I was born a female, but I never felt like I was a girl. I was always uncomfortable with my body growing up. When I began college I started going by they/their pronouns. For the most part, it was better than portraying myself as a girl. But I still didn't feel like I was myself. I didn't even know what it meant to love myself. So I stopped thinking about it for a while; burying it in the back of my mind. I spent most of time worrying about school and relationships.

"Mako and I started dating late in the winter when were juniors. It was casual at first. I've been friends him since freshmen year, so I was comfortable at first. But then I started hiding my body; I wouldn't let him touch me. I didn't know what came over me, nor did I seem care. But Mako cared. He cared about so much that he asked if we should see a counselor. At first I was offended. I wasn't crazy; I didn't need help. But I knew deep down I did, so I agreed to go. It was weird at first, having a stranger listen to my darkest thoughts. Then I started to relax more as I went to more sessions. And one day the counselor talked about transgender. I had never thought about it. I never knew that was an option. They explained to me that they're people who are born in the wrong bodies, but once they come to terms of accepting themselves for who they really are and truly love themselves, the depression and anxiety downgrade. So I began thinking if it was an option for me, and I when I saw myself not as a girl, not as a they, but as a boy, that's when I felt it. I felt the love for myself finally. I accepted myself as a beautiful boy. I decided to cut my name off and just stick with Haru. A beautiful boy needs a handsome name. The hardest part though was, what were people going to think of me? Would my family accept me? Would Mako still love me?"

"Did they? What did your family do? What did Mako think?" Opal curiously wondered.

"I talked to my family first. They were confused. I couldn't blame them. But even though they were confused, they still accepted me. And they loved me for who I was, and they could tell I was finally happy in my own skin. Mako was next and at the time I was so nervous. I felt like he would look at me in disgust. I should've trusted him better. He sat there after I told him. And the first thing he did was pull me into a great hug and tell me how much happier I looked. How much healthier I looked. I finally was myself. He must have said 'I love you' at least twenty times, and I never felt more love for him until that moment. Both my family and him have marvelously supported of me. After coming out, I decided to ask my doctor for injected testosterone. It hurt at first, I'm not going to lie, but afterwards I got used to it. And now I take it like it's no big deal. I don't know if I'll go further and get surgeries done or not though. They're very expensive, and I don't mind binding my chest and sitting down on the toilet to pee. I'm happy where I am now, and most importantly, I love myself."

Opal had tears surfacing in her eyes. She never met someone so courageous before. Haru was an inspiration for her. He noticed and pulled her into hug.

"Those better be happy tears, doll." She nodded and he smiled.

"Good, because I want you to meet someone. He'll make you laugh until you can't breath anymore."

"Bolin!" Haru called out to Mako's brother. He looked good in his green polo shirt and shorts. He noticed Haru and Korra, and walked up to them.

"Hey, guys, I didn't see you- Oh, hi." Bolin looked directly at Opal. He felt his face light up.

"I'm Opal Beifong. It's a pleasure to meet you, Bolin."

"Please, the pleasure is all mine." He took her hand and kissed it softly. Opal was red as Mako's scarf. Korra laughed.

"Well you sure do know how to surprise them, Bo."

"I'm amazing like that." Korra rolled her eyes.

"Alright, well I hear a certain southern water tribe dish calling me name, so I better answer that." The three laughed.

"It was nice meeting you, Korra."

"Same here, Opal."

Korra walked away, and right as she turned the corner she bumped into someone.

"Oh, spirits. I'm so sorry."

"Oh, no, it's my fault." Korra looked up. She'd never seen the woman before. She was too old to be an undergraduate student, so either a graduate or a family member of one of the dancers.

"I'm sorry but have you seen a girl named Kuvira?"

"Kuvira?"

"Do you know her?"

"I sure do. I'm her girlfriend."

"Oh, you're the girlfriend she mentioned the other day."

"Other day?"

"Yeah we danced together. Oh, I'm so stupid- I never introduced myself. I'm Padma. I was one of the judges at Kuvira's test. I work at a dance company not too far from here." Korra couldn't help but feel a tad bit jealous. Padma was beautiful. She was taller than both girls and had so much grace she could walk on a path covered by glass and not get cut at all.

"Awesome. Well, I'll take you to Kuvira."

"Thank you."

As the two walked to living room Korra couldn't help but ask Padma a few questions.

"Did you graduate from RCU?"

"Yeah. Double majored in dance and economics."

"Holy spirits, that must have been a lot of work."

"Oh, you have no idea. I was in contemporary dance all the way through till the end."

"That's modern dance, right?"

"It has modern in it. But it's a mixture of all sorts of styles of dance coming together."

"Hmm, interesting."

"Do you have activities you do outside the classroom?"

"I do. I'm interning at a local hospital. Doing simple stuff such as measuring blood pressure and checking temperatures. I'm a physical therapy major so I'm in the right department for now. As for fun activities though, I'm apart of the MMA club at school. I did get suspended for losing my cool one day. I was having a rough day that day."

"Don't we all."

"True." The more the two talked, the more Korra's jealously died off.

I shouldn't be this anxious about Kuvira liking another girl. I'm just overthinking everything.

The girls walked into the humongous living room. Dark brown wood accompanied with dark reds and greens that decorated the room. People of all sorts of ages stood, sat, and walked as they talked with another. Korra spotted Kuvira by the style of her braid.

"Kuvira! Hey!" The dancer looked as her name was called and saw Korra. A small smile appeared on her face before making her way towards the Korra. The two reached each other and just as their hands intertwined Padma spoke up.

"Kuvira, hey." Surprise was evident on Kuvira's face.

"Padma. I didn't realize you got an invite."

"Well, a couple of your classmates go to Fireside and mentioned going to a party for all the dancers."

"Well, it's cool you're here."

"Congratulations on making it, I assume."

"Thank you. And not only did I get accepted into the classical ballet division but also the contemporary one, too."

"Spirits, that's amazing. I told you you're talented!"

"And I also got offered an internship at Western Fireside. You wouldn't have anything to do with it, would you?" Padma shrugged her shoulders sheepishly.

"Guilty as charged. But I only put in the word. I didn't know if the higher ups would grant it or not. And they did! Oh, I'm excited to work with you and others who made it."

"Same here. Thanks for everything."

"Of course. No problem."

Right as Kuvira was going to say something a man in the background waved at Padma.

"Oh, that's my fiancé. I better go check on him."

"Alright. I'll see you later."

Padma smiled before pulling Kuvira into a hug. Kuvira stood there shocked for a second before patting Padma on the shoulder.

"Bye, Kuvira. It was nice to meet you, Korra." Korra waved as she ate a sea prune.

Kuvira turned to Korra.

"So, you're not jealous anymore?" Korra mocked her.

"Me? Jealous. You were jealous, too." Kuvira sighed.

"Fine, I was jealous. I'm usually fine with Asami around, but she's drunk and-"

"She can get a little daft when she's under the influence I know. I did date her for eight months."

"I know that you know. But I was afraid...I was afraid if she made a move on you, you might take the chance."

"You know that's not true. And even if she did, even if she tries again, I'll remind her. I'm not interested in her anymore. I don't love Asami romantically. Platonically, as friends, she's one of the best I've ever had. But nothing will change how I feel about you."

"I'd say the same to Baatar. Though he's not as bold as Asami. I don't know if he's moved on yet, though I'm sure he will. One day both of them will find awesome to fall in love with again. What about Padma though? Please tell me you're not jealous of her?"

"She's a dancer. She's beautiful. And that lotus tattoo on her back is hot." Kuvira raised an eyebrow.

"Oh so if I got a lotus tattoo, would I be just as hot?"

"Possibly."

"You're such a bitch." Korra snickered.

"I know." She kissed Kuvira on the cheek.

"Don't worry about Padma. She's older. I'm not into older women. And she's engaged."

"Then what women are you into?"

"Just a woman. Beautiful brown skin and the prettiest blue eyes, the ocean would be envious. Her muscles are so well defined you can name all of them on her body. She's got a knack for trouble and a powerful fist. And even with all that beauty and talent she still drools on her pillow and she snores at night." Korra's cheeks turned rosy in embarrassment.

"Shut up. You snore so loud you keep our neighbors up!"

"Do not!"

"Do, too!"

"Do not!"

"Do, too!"

"Do not-" Korra placed a finger on Kuvira's glossy lips.

"Do, too. And don't even try to cover that up." Korra moved her finger and kissed Kuvira lovingly. Kuvira couldn't help but smile softly as she felt Korra's lips upon hers. The two shared their slow yet passionate kiss until music started to play. Korra broke away first.

"Come on. Let's show everyone my derrière attitude." Kuvira laughed.

"It's attitude derrière." But Korra already pulled her onto the dance floor as people surrounded them. Both were living the dream that night.

As music flooded the colossal house, Baatar Jr. found himself upstairs alone. He split up from his siblings long after they talked to Kuvira. It was wonderful to see her again. She seemed to be doing well. He sighed. He messed their relationship. Even more so, he missed her. Maybe if he decided to go to RCU with her instead of URU, he would still have her.

Who am I kidding? Kuvira would want me to live my dream as an architect and engineer. RCU doesn't even have the best engineering program in the Earth Nation.

As he walked through the corridors, his eyes couldn't help but wander upon the Yue Bay bridge relic that stood in a glass class upon the shelves on the wall. The detail in the relic was unbelievable. It was as if someone had shrunk the bridge itself and placed in it in the case. All the narrow cracks in the common beams were painted perfectly. Even the anchorages were on display.

"I made that when I was in grade school." A voice smooth as ice came behind him. Baatar turned and saw a woman with gorgeous raven black hair and the reddest dress he's ever seen. She carried a glass of wine in her hand.

"Did you now? Well, the detail and structure are fantastic." He fidgeted with his glasses.

"Thank you. I would stare at my window and sketch everyday to make sure I got the all the measurements right."

"Mess up one and the whole thing could've been done for."

"You got that right. You're an engineer?" Baatar nodded.

"I study at Upper Ring University in Ba Sing Se."

"Very nice. I'm graduating from RCU next month."

"Engineering major?"

"With a minor in chemistry."

"I was always more into physics."

"To be honest, I wanted to see how difficult organic chemistry was since it was requirement for the minor."

"And?"

"Absolutely the worst. I never want to work with that material ever again. I love science, but that was horrifying." Baatar chuckled.

"Final grade?"

"B+. I wasn't even mad at the point. I was happy to be done."

"Well looks like I beat you. A-." The woman gave an icy glare.

"Are you trying to say that I'm bad at chemistry?"

"You said it, not me." She scoffed and poured the remaining wine down her throat.

"I'm Baatar, by the way. Baatar Beifong." The woman smacked her luscious red lips.

"Asami. Asami Sato."

"Quite strange for the host of her own party to be on her own."

"The guests don't care. I wanted an excuse to get drunk. And well." She held up her empty wine glass. "Who's your family member that made into the dance program?"

"She's not really my family member, in a sense. Kuvira. You probably don't know her."

"Oh, I know her. She's dating my ex."

"Korra?"

"Mhmm."

"Your ex is dating my ex." Asami put down her glass, her green eyes widened.

"And of course we're both hurt still after they broke up with us so long ago."

"Tell me about it."

"I can't believe I flirted with Korra tonight. Kuvira is going to kick my ass."

"Kuvira can be protective. But Korra looks smart enough to talk sense to her. Besides, how could anyone hurt a beautiful person like you?" Baatar immediately placed his hand over his mouth.

What the hell did I just say? Oh, spirits.

Instead of a low sigh from the girl, a giggle erupted from her. The giggling turned into laughing. Soon she was snorting. Baatar couldn't help but laugh along with her. She hiccupped as her laughs died down.

"That's the first time I've laughed in ages."

"Yeah, it felt good." He smiled looking out the window. Asami walked over so that she was standing side by side with Baatar. They looked upon the full moon, bright and white and shining down on them. Asami's hand gradually found Baatar's. He looked down as he felt something inside him warm up. Their bodies turned so that they were face to face.

"Asami?"

"Yes?"

"Is it alright if I kiss you?"

"You don't have to ask." Asami closed the distance in between them with their lips meeting. The kiss was new to both of them. Something new and wild was inside them. It wasn't safe. They were strangers. All they had in common was their love for science and their old lovers. But it didn't stop them from pouring out passion into the kiss. Tongues met and played with one another. Baatar's one arm looped around Asami's tiny waist. She couldn't help but moan a little as he brought her hips closer to his. He could taste the rich wine in her mouth, but he didn't mind it. They kissed for what seemed like hours until the need for oxygen was far greater than the kiss. They huffed out long breaths as they stared at one another.

Without another word, Asami's hand that still was in Baatar's grasp led the man up another flight of stairs and into her bedroom.

The clock struck midnight. Guests continued to party. Haru and Mako were dancing alongside with Kuvira and Korra. Kuvira couldn't help but show off a little. Bolin and Opal, who seemed to be very fond of the Mako's younger brother, found them. Opal was happy she made new friends for the upcoming year. The six danced to the nine's as all different kinds of emotions surrounded them.

From the balcony Padma stood looking up at the stars.

"She's the one, Leo."

"Padma, are you sure?"

"The letter said so. She's my sister."

"Half-sister right?"

"That's what she wrote. I gave up trying to find her for years, and then fate brought us together last week."

Padma felt her future husband wrap an arm around her.

"Kuvira's the one. She's my sister."

Even though it's been a few weeks into the semester, Kuvira still didn't know anyone in her literature class. There were about fifty to sixty people in her class. She usually kept to herself. She smiled softly as she read Baatar's latest text.

B: I got an A on my physics test. I miss you. Love you.

She looked up from her phone as she heard the door open. A girl about her age and height stood in the doorway as a boy, possibly her boyfriend, kissed her quickly. Kuvira had seen him around campus. Scruffy hair and a red scarf. The boyfriend disappeared and the girl walked into the classroom like she was on cloud nine. But as she went further into the class she noticed her seat was taken. Instead of trying to cause trouble, the girl simply walked up the steps and sat next to Kuvira.

"Hey, I'm Korra." She waved and offered a hand.

"Kuvira." She shook Korra's hand firmly.

"Firm handshake. I like it. So, I don't mean to intrude in your space, but do you have the book? I forgot to read the poem." Kuvira nodded.

"Here you go. Page three hundred and twenty."

"You're a lifesaver, 'Vira."

"Kuvira."

"Hmm?"

"It's Kuvira." Korra nodded.

"Alright, Kuvira."

Kuvira rolled her eyes as Korra silently read the poem to herself. She read it again and again and yet was still stuck.

"What the hell is going on in this poem?" Kuvira turned to her.

"Well orchids represent beauty and love, while jade represents balance."

"But the poem talks about metal and the ocean."

"Both are opposites, but they're drawn together. The orchids represent their love for each other, and the jade symbolizes that the water and metal are equal. No one is higher than the other. Here say the poem out loud, but don't think about it too much." Korra huffed but agreed.

"The waves push and pull.
Metal shines in the sunlight.
You're my other half"

"Do you see it? The push and pull of the balance. The orchids in the metal vase as the sun hits the can. It's a love poem."

"I was not expecting that. Maybe it's a sign we're meant to be." Kuvira threw her a weird look.

"I'm happily in love with my boyfriend, thank you very much. And don't you have one, too?"

"You can't stop true love." Kuvira groaned as she heard Korra laugh. If Korra were to continue sitting next to her, it would be a long semester.

Fin