Asami blinked, caught off-guard. Just as she'd run up to greet Korra, who'd just arrived at the estate riding in on Naga, the polar bear dog got to her first. Before she was able to reach Korra, Naga had managed to cover Asami's face with two huge, wet kisses, leaving the woman just a bit stunned.
"N-Naga!" Korra exclaimed, though she tried not to laugh. She grinned at Asami, patting her polar bear dog as she approached the woman. "Sorry about that. I probably should've warned you." Korra's smile turned a bit sheepish.
Asami narrowed her eyes, though a smile did cross her face. She would definitely have to find a towel soon. Was it just her imagination though, or was Naga being more affectionate with her lately? Hmm... perhaps it was flattering. "It's alright," Asami said, regaining her composure. "In any case, it's good to see you too, Naga." Asami reached out a hand and patted Naga's head. "Oh yes, and Korra." She winked at her girlfriend as she continued to pat Naga.
Rubbing the back of her neck, Korra eventually put words to her thoughts. "Well... when I mentioned we were going to see you, Naga got a little too excited. She kinda overwhelmed me too." Korra chuckled. "I almost fell off when she burst down the road!"
"Oh really?" Asami said, her smile spreading just a bit. "I do wonder what might be causing her so much excitement. Is she hoping to race against one of my cars again? Or does she just want to see me do this..." Asami quickly leaned in and planted a kiss on Korra's cheek.
Korra's cheek filled with a light blush at the sudden kiss. At the sight of this, Naga whined happily, her tail wagging in excitement. She nuzzled them both affectionately. "Huh. I don't think she's ever done this before," Korra said.
Asami raised an eyebrow. "Even with Mako?" she said. If Naga hadn't gotten like this with Mako, it wasn't simply a relationship thing. Asami hadn't thought she'd done much to bond with the polar bear dog, but Naga certainly did seem to be more affectionate with Asami since she and Korra had started dating.
Shaking her head, Korra watched as Naga proceeded to hop around, leaning down on her forelegs. She couldn't help but smile, reminded of how Naga had done this as a puppy when she was in a playful mood. "No. Never. Mako didn't get that sort of attention with Naga. She was never this... happy." The Avatar looked perplexed, yet there was a look of adoration in her eyes as her animal companion reflected the excitement and joy she herself felt inside.
"Hmm..." Asami couldn't help but smile a little as she watched Naga. It was really quite adorable, seeing such a large animal acting so child-like. "Um, do you think she wants to play?" she said.
"Maybe. But she doesn't do this to me when she wants to play. Usually she just brings me a toy and sits there patiently. Or sometimes she'll poke at my hand with her nose, if she wants me to use my bending to play with her."
Asami eyed Naga for a moment. There was something about the way she was leaning down on her forelegs. After a minute, it finally clicked in Asami's mind. She stepped forward, moving to Naga's side, and she said, "Do you want to give me a ride, Naga, is that it?"
Naga yipped, trying to tell Asami that was pretty much what she intended. Her gaze went to Korra, waiting to see if her human companion would take the hint. The Avatar laughed. "I think you nailed it." Approaching her Polar Bear Dog, she climbed up once again, then offered her hand to Asami. "What d'you say, Asami? Wanna go for a ride?"
Asami nodded. "I think that sounds like a great idea." She took Korra's hand, gracefully pulling herself up and sitting down behind her girlfriend. "After your aborted attempt to learn to drive three years ago, I think it's about time you show me what you can really do."
"H-hey, no need to remind me," Korra retorted, a blush filling her cheeks as she remembered that incident. Gaining confidence and putting that memory aside, she glanced back to her girlfriend. "You might want to hold on to me, and not just because I enjoy the contact," she said with a smirk. Grabbing the reins, she leaned forward just a bit. "Alright Naga, why don't you show Asami your favorite spot in the city? Go!"
After the driving incident, Asami wasn't going to ask questions about the need to hold on. She wrapped her arms around Korra and prepared herself as Naga shot off. The polar bear dog had apparently been coiled like a spring, and he reached top speed in a matter of moments. Naga wasn't as fast as a Satomobile, but something about her added to the experience. Perhaps it was her gait, or feeling the muscles move beneath Asami's legs, or simply the knowledge that it was a living creature - a friend at that - taking them for this ride. Asami couldn't help but grin widely as Naga took her and Korra on a ride through the city.
Feeling Asami tighten her grip around her waist caused her heart to flutter. Regardless of the reason, Korra did in fact enjoy the contact. She helped guide Naga through the city, avoiding traffic and busy intersections, but mostly let the polar bear dog find her own way. Naga moved almost effortlessly to their destination, sometimes seeming to anticipate Korra's few commands even before she gave them.
As they rode, Korra recalled how excited she'd been to see the streets of Republic City for the first time, and wondered if this was giving Asami that same experience. It would give her a fresh perspective, if anything. When they stopped at a traffic signal, Korra turned back to Asami and said, "So how is it so far?"
Once she'd gotten used to the ride, Asami allowed herself a moment to look around. She'd laid out the plans for half the streets in Republic City, but she didn't often take the time to simply experience the view from them. It really was something to see, particularly as they passed close to the spirit wilds. "Quite lovely," Asami said in response to Korra's question. She gave her girlfriend a quick squeeze within her arms. "I think I can now safely say you've redeemed yourself for the driving incident three years ago."
Korra let out a chuckle. "Good," she said. As the traffic signal changed, she gave Naga the signal to get moving again. It wasn't long until they reached their destination: Avatar Korra Park, formerly Republic City Park. Naga came to a stop near the base of the statue of Korra at the center of the park, looking up at it happily as she lowered her rear legs to let the Avatar and her girlfriend climb off. "I have to admit, it's a bit embarrassing having a statue to myself here, but Naga loves it," Korra said. "And I guess it is flattering."
"I should hope so," Asami said. "It was quite the fight the get President Raiko to approve it, even after you helped clean up the mess with the Red Lotus and I offered to fund it myself. Which, by the way, raises the question: What exactly does a woman need to do get a 'thank you' from the Avatar?" Asami smirked a bit as she looked over at Korra, making sure her expression made clear she wasn't really complaining.
Korra gasped, turning to Asami. "Wait, that was you? Wow, I didn't know! Nobody would tell me who it was." She groaned, feeling embarrassed - and perhaps a little guilty - that she hadn't tried harder to find about the statue. "But… well, thank you. It looks amazing! I… um, well I really don't know what to say when I just found out my girlfriend built a statue of me as tall as Aang's."
Asami let out a light laugh, her eyes meeting Korra's. "Well, you deserve far more than this," she said. "That was true even when I had this commissioned, but even more so now. People truly didn't appreciate how much you'd done for the world, but this monument, and the museum in the base, did seem to help get them to reflect. "
Now that she knew who had it done, a sense of pride filled her chest. "I already have far more than the statue," Korra said softly, in a voice only Asami would hear. One of her hands grasped Asami's and gave it a quick squeeze. "Thank you, Asami." Asami gently squeezed her girlfriend's hand back. Nothing more needed to be said right now.