AN: I'm so sorry this has taken so long to get up! I've had some mental health turmoil, and a lot of creative block lately. And my poor beta has been sick! So this chapter has not been beta'd, so please excuse any mistakes. I did my best to find them on my own.

Waking up alone in Suyin and Baatar's bed was not the best experience of Kuvira's life, to say the least. For a moment, she felt abandoned and empty, wondering what she had done wrong to drive them away, before she found the note they had left her. They had gone to see Jr. and Opal off at the train station, but would be back later to talk with Kuvira. Suyin encouraged her to stay in bed as long as she wanted, but it wasn't the same without the two of them there. She had gotten what was possibly the best night of sleep she'd had in over ten years when she was between them. And now the room felt so lonely without them.

She showered in Suyin's bathroom, finding fresh towels laid out. The water was warm and welcoming, and she took her time. She was drying off when she heard the door to the bedroom open.

"Kuvira?" Suyin called.

"Is she gone?" Baatar sounded worried. "I told you one of us should have stayed. She didn't deserve to wake up alone."

"Well, we both needed to see our children before they left." Suyin sounded upset, and Kuvira felt a pang of guilt.

"I'm still here," she said, wrapping herself in a robe and walking back into the bedroom. Suyin turned away quickly, but not before Kuvira caught sight of her red-rimmed eyes. "I take it things didn't go well this morning."

"No," Baatar confirmed. "Jr. wouldn't even speak to us. He wouldn't let us see his wife or our grandchild, and Opal wasn't much better."

"This is my fault," Kuvira said. "I'm so sorry. I never meant to come between you and your children."

"This is in no way your fault," Suyin said. She turned to look at Kuvira, and her entire body seemed diminished. Kuvira realized, then, just how much pain this was causing her.

"You had to choose between me and your son. I should never…" She shook her head.

Suyin walked over to her and grasped her chin. "No. Jr. is the one who made us choose. He made it quite clear what he thinks of me." She looked down, her brows contracting, and Kuvira glanced over her shoulder at Baatar, eyes wide. Normally, Suyin was the one who offered comfort, not the one who needed it. Baatar gave her a small nod, and Kuvira placed her hands on Suyin's cheeks, the way the older woman always did for her.

"He had no right to say that to you. To either of us."

Suyin's face crumpled, and she let out a shuddering breath. "He's not entirely wrong, though, is he? I mean…about me. What else would you call someone who has to have so many sexual partners but a whore?"

The hurt in her voice was raw, and Kuvira quickly pulled Suyin into a tight embrace. "He's wrong."

"He's not, really." Suyin's face was pressed into her neck, and Kuvira did not know how to fix this. "I've put Baatar through so much, and now I'm doing the same to you. It's not being fair to either of you, and all for what? For sex? What kind of person does that make me?"

"Su…" Kuvira turned her face into Suyin's hair, cradling her head. "Baatar and I both love you for who you are. I know I've…that I said you being with other people bothers me, but it's not…It's because of me and my own needs. It doesn't mean there's anything wrong with you."

Baatar came up to hug Suyin from the back, his arms wrapping around her middle as he rested his forehead on the nape of her neck. "Suyin, you are the love of my life, and we have had this conversation many times. You have an incredible capacity to love, and that is why you seek out multiple partners. You know very well it's not for the sex. Did you not tell Kuvira that you would be fine if the two of you never had sex?"

"Yes," Suyin mumbled. Kuvira could feel her shuddering breath. Their chests where flush against each other, and Kuvira thought that this vulnerability was more intimate than sex. Suyin rarely, if ever, shared this side of herself with Kuvira, and it was a testament to how far they had come that it was happening now.

"And did you mean it?" Baatar asked.

"Of course." Suyin pulled back slightly to look over her shoulder at him.

"And do you think people should be judged on the number of sexual partners they've had?"

"No." Suyin frowned. "But, Baatar, this is different."

"I fail to see how?" He kissed her cheek. "Is it because our son said it?"

Suyin closed her eyes, her brows furrowed tightly. "He thinks so little of me." Her voice was so small, so fragile, and Kuvira wanted to race after the train and give Jr. a piece of her fist. For making Suyin feel this way. "He was disgusted with me."

"He was angry with all of us," Baatar said, and Suyin shook her head.

"No, he was angry with the two of you, but he was disgusted with me. I've never felt so…" She swallowed. "Cheap."

Kuvira could not help the small wine that left her mouth, devastated by how much this had affected Suyin. It was an almost physical pain when Baatar pulled Suyin away from her and pressed her to his chest. The loss was unexpected, but she understood Baatar's actions. He was Suyin's husband, and he knew best how to comfort her. So Kuvira stood there as he held Suyin and whispered assurances to her, almost too quietly for Kuvira to hear.

The way he held her told Kuvira that they had done this before. Of course they had. They had been married for decades, shared everything with each other. It was clear the Suyin was comfortable showing all of her vulnerabilities and insecurities with Baatar. Part of Kuvira feels like an outsider again, like she was a fun distraction, but Baatar was the real partner. The rock, the one she turned to when she needed help.

Baatar looked up at her. "Kuvira, come here. She needs you, too."

Suyin had her face pressed into Baatar's chest, and Kuvira laid a hand on the back of her neck, stepping in to rest her head on Suyin's shoulder.

"I don't deserve either of you," Suyin said softly, and Kuvira closed her eyes, turning her head so that her nose could brush Suyin's neck.

"Su, no," she said. "You deserve the world. You can't listen to what Jr. said. He was upset and angry, and he wanted to hurt you. It must seem seedy from his perspective. We were together for three years and I…I never let him touch me the way you do. I know that he won't be able to understand why, and he's just trying to make sense of it. And the only way he can do that is demonize us both. He can't see why I would love you more than I loved him. And that's not your fault. That's his problem, and it doesn't mean you're doing anything wrong." She kept herself pressed to Suyin, hoping that she was providing the right kind of support.

"Kuvira is right, Su," Baatar continued. "He's upset, and he can't understand. But we understand. Kuvira and I are here and love you for who you are. I have never thought those things about you, and I'm pretty sure Kuvira hasn't either."

"No, of course not," Kuvira hurriedly said.

"Then there you go." Baatar drew Suyin into a slow kiss, and Kuvira was surprised by the complete lack of jealousy she felt. It just felt right and natural, and when Suyin turned her head to kiss Kuvira, she accepted it without hesitation. She supposed that meant that they were…settled into this relationship. This dynamic was working for them. Of course, Kuvira reflected that she was the one only one who had reservations to start with. Suyin had always wanted this, and Baatar had been at peace with it long before Kuvira. Her acceptance had snuck up on her. It had somehow happened slowly and secretly. She could not recall a particular moment where her fear of sharing Suyin had diminished. It just…wasn't there anymore. Perhaps because she had spent more time with Baatar, or perhaps because she had realized life was too short and she had wasted too much of it already to take more time by feeling jealous of Baatar.

Suyin's eyes were still red from the crying she had done earlier, and she wiped her hands across them, trying to gather herself. "I know you two are right," she said. "It just…sometimes it's hard to convince myself of it. I love you both so much, and I would just…I never want to hurt either of you."

"We know," Baatar said. He brushed his thumbs over her cheeks, and the love in his face hit Kuvira in her chest. She felt like being privy to this, to the intimacy of this conversation, truly meant that she was integrated into Suyin's private life. And Baatar's too. "Su, why don't you go shower," Baatar said. "We still have to be at breakfast to meet all the overnight guests."

Suyin nodded, and Kuvira could see that she was rebuilding her façade of strength. She would need it to face the remaining wedding guests. She gave them each another kiss before slipping into the bathroom.

"Is she all right?" Kuvira asked quietly as she heard the shower start. "I've never seen her like this."

Baatar sighed. "I tell you this because you need to know. Su sometimes…doubts herself. I know that's hard to believe, but it's true. There are times when she does worry that she's not giving enough. You may have to deal with that at some point. Just remind her that we both love her, and that we aren't leaving her even though she's not monogamous."

"I would never have guessed that she struggled with it so much." Kuvira shook her head. "She seems so confident in herself and what she wants."

"Usually she is." Baatar reached out to touch Kuvira's cheek. She leaned into his hand. "She wanted you, and she went after you with all she had."

"You want me, too, don't you?" She wondered if she was pushing a boundary by asking. It felt risky, almost dangerous.

He frowned. "I didn't think you wanted to talk about that."

"I think at this point, it's going to have to be talked about." Kuvira ran a hand through her wet hair. She was terribly aware now that she was still naked under the robe, though she appreciated that Baatar's eyes did not stray or linger. "I slept in your arms last night."

"There is a big difference between sleeping and…more." His cheeks flushed, and he could not quite look at her. "I don't want you to make any rash decisions while you're…emotional."

"I'm not…" Kuvira looked down. "I'm not saying I'm ready to…to do anything." They were both blushing now, and she knew Suyin would have commented on it if she could see them. "I don't even know if Ido want to do anything. I just…It may not be an impossibility anymore."

He leaned in and kissed her forehead. "We can talk about this later. With Su. After all of this wedding drama is over. All right?"

"Yes. That's fine."

Baatar let his hands rest on her shoulders and looked her in the eyes, his own face soft and open. "I do want you. I don't know if…if you were worried about, I don't know, being undesirable or…or something like that. Because you're not. Undesirable that is. You're very desirable. You're, spirits, Kuvira, you're incredibly beautiful, and I envy Su so much that she's gotten to be with you." His eyes widened. "Oh…I shouldn't have said…I'm sorry! I probably made you uncomfortable." He was biting his lip, his hands now wringing in front of him, and Kuvira realized that instead of feeling uncomfortable, she found it incredibly endearing.

She gave him a smile and kissed his cheek. "I'm not uncomfortable. Not any more than you are at least."

"I know that last night was very trying on you," he said. "That is not how I wanted them to find out. I'm not sure I ever wanted them to know. Not that I am ashamed." He tilted his head to smile at her. "Neither Su nor I could ever be ashamed for our feelings for you, and we've never been ashamed of our marriage. We just…knew that the children wouldn't understand."

Kuvira nodded. "I don't think I would have wanted them to know….maybe ever." It certainly complicated things. Now she had to worry about Baatar Jr. spilling the secret. It could complicate her future, her potential freedom. An emotional entanglement of this kind could convince the Republic City Council that she did not need to stay in Zaofu. The last thing she wanted was a high profile scandal. Which is what was sure to follow should word get out that she was sleeping with Suyin Beifong.

"I know you're very private," Baatar agreed. "We'll do everything we can to protect you in that way. Suyin and I have been through a lot, and we've faced many rumors together. Both of us are more than prepared to weather a storm like this, but we know you're not. We know it's not fair to you that you fell in love with someone who's already married, who is polyamorous, when you never wanted to be part of that. If you never do want to tell anyone about this, then we will both respect that."

"I'm fine with Korra and Kya and Lin knowing. And Huan and Yunru." Kuvira sighed. "And I suppose that it's better to be honest with your children. But I really would rather not have anyone outside of family knowing."

"The staff knows," Baatar said.

"I know. Su told me. She said they would be…discreet."

Baatar nodded. "There have been rumors over the years about Su's…exploits, but those rumors never started in this house. You can be as open as you want here."

"I…I was captain of the security force," Kuvira said, frowning. "But I never…I never knew anything at all about Su having other lovers."

"She kept it from you on purpose." Apologetically, Baatar shrugged his shoulders. "You were always different. Something she couldn't quite place. She didn't know if she should treat you like family, like we did the children, or if she should treat you like an employee. Or something else entirely. It wasn't because she didn't trust you."

That had been what Kuvira was worried about. Because she had always been closer to Suyin than anyone else on the security force, and if Suyin hadn't let her know about this…Well, she was glad that the reason had not been a lack of trust.

In the bathroom, the water shut off, and Kuvira looked behind her. "I don't want to go back with Kya and Lin today. I don't want to leave Su."

"We'll see what we can do." Baatar looked very tired, and Kuvira felt even more determined to stay and help him make sure Suyin was all right. "I know there's some….leeway with what is allowed, but I don't want to push anything. The worst thing we can do now is overstep and send the whole process backwards. If you can't stay tonight, Su will be all right. She would rather have you here, I know. We both would, but not at risking violating the terms of your parole."

"I would hate to ask Lin to stay another night," Kuvira said with a sigh. "I know the whole thing makes her…uncomfortable."

"Yes, I would prefer if we didn't have to rely on her this way anymore. But of course, it is a process. We must be patient."

Kuvira snorted. "Tell that to Su. I don't think she knows what patience is."

Baatar raised his brows with a grin. "You may be right about that." He could not say more before Suyin came out of the bathroom, wearing only a towel, her hair wet and slicked back. She looked beautiful, Kuvira thought, with a bare face and her hair undone. She gave them both a tired smile, and Kuvira thought she looked refreshed and calm. They both took a half step toward her, and she held up a hand.

"I'm all right. The shower cleared my head." She held the towel close to her chest, and padded over to give them each a kiss on the cheek. She walked to her dresser and dropped the towel. This must have been a common occurrence because Baatar was not fazed at all. Kuvira, however, immediately turned away. "Kuvira, you have clothes for today, don't you?"

Sneaking a glance to see Suyin looking at her with amusement, she nodded. "Yes. I brought some with me last night."

"Breakfast is soon. I'd like to see Kaori before it, just to avoid any questions she has about why Opal and Jr. are gone." Suyin wouldn't look at her as she said it, and Kuvira could just see her brows furrowing. "So you should get dressed." She pulled on underwear and a bra and turned to face them. "You can use the bathroom to change."

Kuvira gathered her clothes from her bag and slipped into the bathroom. She could still hear Suyin and Baatar talking softly, but she did not try to understand them. She assumed Baatar was checking on Suyin, making sure she was all right. Because Suyin had a habit of downplaying her needs and emotions. As much as it pained her, she was sure that Baatar was better equipped to assess the situation and see what Suyin needed. She assumed, hoped, she would get there one day, but she just did not have the experience to be able to read Suyin as well or as easily as Baatar.

Quickly, she dressed and braided back her hair, pinning down the stray hairs on the side. She did not have time to dry it before breakfast, for it took much longer for her hair to dry than it did Suyin's. Suyin did have a hair dryer, which worked fine for her short hair. But Kuvira's hair, thinned and short as it was on one side still, was just too thick.

Suyin was finished dressing when she stepped back into the bedroom. She was carefully setting her hair in its curls, and Baatar was shirtless by the closet. Kuvira's cheeks burned as she saw him, trying not to stare at his exposed skin. He was broader than she would have expected for someone who spent most of his time behind a desk. But she already knew that. She had hugged him plenty of times, felt his chest and shoulders. But it was somehow different seeing him. Suyin caught her looking and pressed her lips together to suppress a smile.

"I just need to dry my hair really quickly," she said, causing Baatar to look at who she was talking to. His face colored in a blush to match Kuvira's. "Then we can find Kaori." She gave Kuvira a fleeting kiss before brushing past her to the washroom, leaving Kuvira and Baatar alone.

Baatar hurriedly shrugged on a shirt as Kuvira stared. She knew she should have looked away, but she could not. He kept his face and gaze turned away from her, and she could see he was nervous.

"I didn't ask you earlier," he said, trying to sound light. "But how did you sleep last night?"

"Um, I slept rather well, actually."

"Good. That's good. I was worried that the situation would be too much." He straightened his shirt before finally looking up at her. "What with Jr. and all of that, and then sleeping here with both of us. I know it was a very….trying day."

Kuvira nodded. "I don't think I've really processed it yet. I never thought…I was so unprepared for that."

"We all were. Su and I…we never wanted you to be in that position." He sighed, rubbing his temple. "We never wanted to be in that position. I don't know what's going to happen now, but I do want you to know that this doesn't change where you stand with us. Su's not going to pull away from you just to make Jr. happy. He'll never be content until he learns to accept responsibility for his own actions and stops blaming others for what's gone wrong in his life. I wish I knew how to help him be happier, but he doesn't want help." Baatar looked so disheartened that Kuvira impulsively reached out to touch him. Her fingers rested on his arm, and she wanted to hug him.

"I…can't imagine what it feels like for you to be in this position," she said softly. "I know it must be so difficult to have your children react so harshly to your private life. And I know that you're trying to be strong for Su…and for me." She slid her hand down to twine her fingers with his. "I want you to know that I'm here for you, too. I know that…the last few weeks we've been trying to figure out what we are to each other, but I don't want that to stop you from feeling like you can come to me for support."

He squeezed her hand and leaned over to kiss the top of her head. "I will remember that."

She leaned into him just as Suyin returned from the washroom, her hair dry and curled in its usual style. She regarded them for a moment, her face soft and momentarily content.

"Are you two ready to go talk to Kaori?"

"Yes," Kuvira said, pulling away from Baatar. She noticed that it was becoming harder and harder to keep a distance between them, and she was not sure she wanted to keep trying. Every day that went by, she grew more and more comfortable with him, and she thought that soon it was possible that she could consider…attempting what Suyin wanted. Bedding them both. She would not say anything, for her rational mind said these emotions could just be the result of a tumultuous evening the night before, and she did not want to get his (or Suyin's) hopes up only to decide later that she did not actually want it. However, the thought of sex with Baatar and Suyin both no longer made her balk.

"Are you going to be okay doing this?" Suyin asked. "I know how close you and Kaori are."

"I think so. Besides, she'll find out eventually. And like you said, it's better if it comes from us and not Jr. or someone else."

Suyin took her hand and led her into the hall, Baatar following close after them. They walked down to Kaori's room, where the girl was about to leave for breakfast. She seemed surprised to see them all at her door, and cautiously let them in. They sat her down on the bed, and Kuvira and Suyin sat on either side of her, with Baatar taking a chair.

"Can we talk to you Kaori?" Suyin asked.

"Am I in trouble?"

Suyin laughed softly, and reached out to stroke Kaori's hair. "No. You're not in trouble. Baatar, and Kuvira, and I just have something we need to tell you."

"Okay….."

"Kaori, you know how Baatar and I are married because we love each other?"

Kaori nodded, her eyes narrowed in suspicion.

Suyin glanced at Kuvira and cleared her throat. "Well, I love Kuvira the same way."

Kaori's frown deepened, and she cocked her head. "I…I don't understand. I thought…Kuvira is like…like your kid?"

Suyin might have paled a little, the chords in her neck certainly tensed, and Kuvira decided to take over. "Kaori, you remember how we've talked about that. It was different for me than it was for you. I wasn't their child. I was…a friend, I suppose. But it's…it's just different."

"Okay…but…what about Baatar?"

"I still love him, too. I love them both."

"Both?"

Suyin nodded, taking Kaori's hands. "Yes."

Kaori turned her eyes to Kuvira. "I thought…well, I know two women can be together, but….three people?"

"I know it might seem strange," Kuvira said, "but there are people who can love more than one person. Su is like that. And we realized, when I moved back to Zaofu, that we loved each other. Do you understand?"

"I…kind of?" She looked confused, though, and Kuvira blew out a sigh. "So like…are you going to marry Su?"

Kuvira's eyes widened, and she looked over at an equally panicked Suyin. "Um…I…I don't know if…that's legal…."

"What?"

"Uh…" Kuvira struggled for words. "I'm pretty sure that you can only be married to one person at a time." She looked to Suyin and Baatar for confirmation. Baatar nodded, and Kuvira waved her hand at him. "So….no. I won't be marrying Su." Even though she had never thought of it until that moment, Kuvira felt a sudden pang of loss as she realized she would never have it. Not legally anyway.

Suyin reached over to grasp her hand, and when Kuvira met her eyes, she saw the same sadness there. "It would be too soon for that, regardless," she said softly, her fingers tightening around Kuvira's.

Kaori's frown deepened. "That doesn't seem fair. Like…if you love each other, then you should be able to get married, right? Like I hear that used be they wouldn't let two girls get married, or whatever, but now that's just okay and normal."

"It's a little different for more than two people," Baatar said. "The laws were made a long time ago, and there aren't enough people who…who want this to be able to push for it to change."

"Don't you make the laws in Zaofu?" Kaori asked.

"Most of our laws adhere to the old Earth Kingdom laws," Suyin replied. "Things like marriage were decided by the monarch."

"But…there's not an Earth Kingdom anymore…" Kaori tilted her head, scrutinizing them like she thought they were trying to trick her. "So…just…change the law?"

"I…" Suyin blinked, struggling for words. "I never…I hadn't thought of…of that." She looked from Kuvira to Baatar, her eyes hopeful.

"Wait, you want me to decide right now?" Kuvira could feel the anxiety and panic start constricting her chest. It was one thing to talk about marriage in an abstract way that would most likely never lead to anything. It was another to have the woman she had only been dating for a few months basically propose to her. In front of her husband and foster-daughter. For spirits' sake, they had only been intimate a couple of times, all of them within the same weekend, and Kuvira was in no way ready to make such a strong commitment.

"Su," Baatar warned. "Now is not the time."

Suyin seemed to realize her mistake and pressed a hand to her mouth. "I'm sorry, of course."

Kuvira leaned over to whisper in Suyin ear, so Kaori could not hear. "We can talk about this later."

Suyin nodded and shook herself. She looked back at Kaori. "We'll look into the laws," she said. "But, we just wanted to tell you this before…before you heard it from someone else who maybe doesn't understand it. We also wanted you to know that…Well, Opal and Jr. have both gone home already."

Kaori's face fell. "Opal didn't say goodbye." She looked incredibly hurt, and Kuvira could not help but feel guilty that she had contributed to the cause. If not for her, Opal would have stayed several days to visit with the family. Even if Jr. was cruel to Kaori, Opal wasn't. Opal always treated her like a true sister. How she had always wanted to be treated by Kuvira.

"Oh, baby," Suyin said, cupping Kaori's face in her hands. "She wanted to, but it was so early. She didn't want to wake you."

"I thought she was staying longer."

"She was planning on it," Suyin said slowly, clearly trying to decide how much of the truth she should share. "But…she wasn't happy about me and Kuvira."

"Why not?"

Suyin looked helplessly to Baatar, who quickly took over. "Opal and Kuvira have a …complicated relationship. It's just hard for her to see Kuvira in this way. And it's hard for her to understand what's going on. It will just take time."

Kaori contemplated this, her lower lip pulled into her mouth. She looked between the three of them, and Kuvira could see that she was coming to an understanding. "That's why Jr. left, too?"

"Yes," Baatar answered. There wasn't much more to say.

"It wasn't because of me?" Kaori's voice was so small and unsure, and Kuvira could see how Suyin flinched and grimaced, looking away to hide the shame that bloomed over her cheeks. The selfish part of Kuvira hoped that this reminder of Jr.'s cruelty would help Suyin feel better about his reaction. She would always love her son, but that did not mean that she had to accept his actions of judgement.

Baatar was the one who answered, his face equally as pained as Suyin's. "No, Kaori. It wasn't because of you. It was because of us."

"Why is he so angry all the time?" Kaori asked.

Kuvira wished she could take away the pain that twisted Suyin's face, but she settled for taking blame. "It's because of what happened between him and me a long time ago. We were engaged and it….it didn't end well."

"But he's married now," Kaori protested. "Why does he still care about that?"

"Sometimes, when someone you love hurts you so deeply…it's very hard to let go of that." But Kuvira reflected that Suyin loved her deeply, and they had both hurt each other, and yet here they were, forgiven and loved once again. She was not sure exactly why Jr. clung so tightly to his bitterness, but she knew it was eating away at him. It was so obvious to everyone, even Kaori, a child.

"This is not your fault," Suyin said fiercely. "You cannot put that on yourself. His actions are not your responsibility."

"But to an extent, they are." Kuvira glanced over at Suyin. "Maybe not my responsibility, but I influenced him, and it's because of my actions that he feels this way. I can't pretend otherwise."

Suyin looked frustrated, but she did not press the matter. Probably because Kaori was there. "Regardless, we wanted to explain this to you without any other opinions getting in the way." Suyin tilted her head. "Do you have any questions?"

Kaori thought about it for a moment. "Is Kuvira going to adopt me like you and Baatar did?"

Suyin grimaced again. They really should have had more time to talk through all the issues before doing this. But of course Jr. had forced their hands. "We haven't talked about that yet. I…she can't adopt you the way we did."

"Why not?"

Kuvira answered, trying not to let the weight of her crimes crush her. "I'm on parole, Kaori. I'm a convicted felon. The laws would never allow me to adopt a child."

"Oh." Kaori dipped her chin, her cheeks burning with embarrassment. She never liked making Kuvira think about the bad things about prison.

"But that doesn't mean I don't love you like Su and Baatar do," Kuvira continued. "I do love you. Very much."

Kaori shrugged, but Kuvira could see she was pleased. "Yeah, I know."

"Good." Kuvira gave her a smile, and felt herself relax. Really, not many people's opinions mattered to her. And everyone who mattered to her had given their approval now. Expect Opal, but that was a broken relationship that she had very little hope of salvaging. It would not do to dwell on it.

"Is that all you wanted to talk about? Because I'm hungry." Kaori looked at them pointedly, and Kuvira had to chuckle.

"Yes. That was all. Let's go eat before you starve." She rolled her eyes as Kaori hopped up and rushed to the door. As she made to follow, Suyin caught her arm.

"Kuvira? Do you want to talk? About the marriage thing?" Suyin looked nervous. Kuvira nodded and followed her down the hall to her study. Baatar did not come with them, though he watched them with knowing eyes. He guided Kaori in the opposite direction, towards the dining hall. Once they were in the office, Kuvira sat next to Suyin on the couch, and the older woman took her hands. "It upset you when we talked about marriage."

"It really took me by surprise. I didn't know what to say or how to react." She still didn't. She loved Suyin, she knew that much, and really, she did want to spend her life with her. But the word marriage…that made her feel trapped in anxiety and a choking sense of obligation. Perhaps that was left over from her relationship with Baatar Jr. where she spent years putting off and putting off and putting off her wedding to him. She had given excuse after excuse, all of which he had accepted, and it had never occurred to her until she was in prison that she had not wanted to get married. Not to him. Maybe not to anyone.

And now, she had entered into a relationship with Suyin with no expectations of marriage. It had not even crossed her mind until today, and now she had so many conflicting emotions about it. On the one hand, the prospect of never being able to commit to Suyin the way Baatar had gave her a deep feeling of loss and anguish in her gut. But on the other hand, the word still made her feel trapped, imprisoned.

"I shouldn't have sprung that on you," Suyin said. "I had just…when Kaori mentioned changing the laws, I just saw the possibility so vividly. I assumed you felt the same."

"I don't know what I feel about it." Kuvira kept her eyes down, unsure what she needed to say to keep from hurting Suyin.

She could hear the hurt in Suyin's voice, though. "You don't…want to marry me?"

Sighing, Kuvira closed her eyes. "I don't know. Not yet."

"I don't understand. I thought…I thought that since we…I didn't think that you would ever go this far with me if you weren't sure about this."

"That's not what I said." Kuvira looked up, now that she had prepared herself to see the confusion and pain on Suyin's face. "I said I wasn't sure about marriage, not that I wasn't sure about you."

"I…I'm not sure I follow."

Kuvira swallowed and turned her head away. "I love you. And I'm…very sure about you. You're right. I wouldn't have done all of this with you if I wasn't sure. I wouldn't have risked it. But marriage…that's something I never thought I would have. I just….I've spent so long never even considering it….I …." She took a deep breath and blew it out slowly. "I associate marriage with Baatar Jr. and…I do my best to keep the two of you separate in my mind. I came so close to marrying him, and I…" Kuvira lowered her voice as she prepared to give words to one of her deepest fears. "I think that if it had happened, it would have been even more of a prison than the one I was in for ten years."

Suyin's fingers tightened around hers. "What is it about marriage that scares you so much?"

"Feeling like…like I belong to someone else," Kuvira whispered. "The feeling of…of obligation. I'm with you because I love you, not because I'm obligated to stay. I've already spent months feeling like…like you own me. I know that's not what it is, but that's how it felt until I was able to move in with Lin and Kya. I know it doesn't make sense. I love you and want to be with you, but I'm not sure about marriage. I wish I knew how to stop feeling that way. Marriage was never supposed to be an option with you, so I never worried about it. It's so hard to explain because for a moment, I was sad that I couldn't marry you, but then…as soon as it became a possibility, no matter how distant and unlikely, I got scared."

Gently, Suyin lifted Kuvira's chin. "Hey, I hear you." She leaned forward to kiss Kuvira. "I love you, and I am committed to you with or without marriage. I want you to be comfortable in our relationship, and so…I won't mention marriage again unless you bring it up."

Blinking back tears, Kuvira nodded. She had expected an argument, or at the very least, she had expected she would have to explain herself further, have to really convince Suyin that this was what she wanted. It seemed like she had underestimated the older woman, and she felt a little ashamed of that. Suyin just wanted to make sure she was happy.

"Thank you for understanding," she said.

"Do you want to skip breakfast? I can make excuses."

"No. I'm fine. I'll be fine." Kuvira kissed her, making it slow, savoring it. She wanted to spend the rest of her life doing that, even if the thought of marriage gave her mixed feelings. They would get through this. "We should go to breakfast before people start to talk."

"Normally I would say let them, but today…we should go." Suyin sighed and stood, holding out her hand for Kuvira to take. Together, they made their way to the dining hall, only separating their hands when they were about to walk through the door. Everyone else was already there. Kya and Lin had saved a seat for Kuvira with them, and reluctantly she left Suyin to sit with them. Korra waved at her from across the table, and even Asami gave her a nod.

Suyin and Baatar gave vague excuses about Jr. and Opal's absences, which were quickly accepted by the remaining guests, many of whom seemed to be battling hangovers. Kuvira had to admire Suyin's ability to throw a party, even if she had not been able to enjoy most of it. It had been enough to distract everyone from their own private drama, and that was all she could ask for.

Still, she knew that this most likely marked a turning point. Things were becoming very serious and very real. And she hoped that her bond with Suyin was now solid enough to survive any coming turmoil.