The Sato estate's yard looked entirely different coated in a layer of white snow. Asami jumped at the opportunity to take a look around, wanting to witness first hand just how the landscape had changed. A leisurely stroll around the mansion showed the dotted trees lining the walkway now covered in soft powder. The paths themselves remained difficult to distinguish from the grass. A mixture of innate memory of their location, and the audio cues of frozen grass crunching underfoot allowed her to approximately mark the way around the buildings. She trudged through ankle-deep snow, humming a quiet tune to herself while enjoying the atmosphere.
Naturally, she stopped to dress the part before braving the frozen outdoors. She actually opted to raid the closet where she kept a selection of Water Tribe clothing for Korra. While the clothes weren't an exact fit, the heavier winter outfits hung loosely enough to make do. Asami wasn't sure of her new blue and white color scheme, but the attire served its purpose. She picked out a warm-looking coat that resembled a dress with long sleeves. White fur lined the wrists, the lower edge of the dress, her waistline, and the entirety of her collar. She also borrowed a pair of furred earmuffs and peculiar matching mittens that left her thumbs and index fingers free with the rest lumped into one. She picked heavier black boots from her own closet to finish the look.
Despite the cold weather, the authentic clothing made the entire experience wholly enjoyable. Asami found herself smiling while making another pass around the mansion, dragging her feet through the snow to intentionally disturb it. While not something she'd want to see year-round, the change in scenery was refreshing. Asami only saw snow every so often, and rarely found the time to appreciate it.
Coming around a corner, Asami caught sight of another figure prancing playfully in the snow. She squinted to get a better look and started to approach. Watching with a smile on her face, she studied the dancing motions. The bouncing form took shape at a closer distance, and Asami came to a stop to admire the child-like behavior of the energetic woman before her. She placed a hand over her mouth to stifle a giggle.
After a rough evening, the Avatar ended up staying the night again. A full night's rest allowed Asami to sleep her troubles away, and she awoke feeling renewed. She snuck out of the mansion early on, leaving behind a snoozing Korra. So it was a surprise to see Korra up and about, and even more surprising to see her manner of dress. Despite the wide selection of South Pole clothing, Korra stood before her in a long beige trenchcoat and a floppy, fuzzy hat. Asami couldn't hold in the laugh anymore; she snickered at the adorable woman.
"You look nice, Korra." Asami found it hard not to stare. She became acutely aware of the way she was pulling on a strand of hair, moving with a quick jump to hide both hands behind her back. She squeezed her fingers together to keep them still. "I don't know if I've ever seen you wear anything that wasn't blue."
Korra returned a wide smirk as she turned to address Asami, placing her hands on her hips with mock indignation. "I don't always wear blue! That's just the default for Water Tribe attire." She gestured toward Asami after taking a close look her from head to toe. "I see you got into my closet. It looks good on you."
Asami laughed. "It's not your closet, it's my closet! It just has clothes I bought for you in it." She started to rock forward and back on the heels of her boots. "But I'm glad you like it. It's keeping me warm. I just can't get used to the mittens." She brought her hands forward, looking down at her palms. She tried to wiggle her fingers.
"Those aren't my favorite either," Korra added with a nod. She turned, walking around Asami and starting down the path she created. The Avatar glanced over her shoulder, apparently expecting Asami to follow. She did.
Asami caught up to Korra, walking beside her while casting a sidelong glance. After a brief silence, she decided to speak up. "So, is the snow everything you hoped it would be?"
"Oh, it's great," Korra replied bouncily. She hopped along the beaten walkway; her pace matched her springy voice. As she moved, she leaned down to scoop a handful of snow off the ground. "It reminds me of home, although there's not near as much of it. But it makes waterbending easy." Korra acted nonchalant while using both hands to pack the powder into the shape of a ball.
Asami smiled at the Avatar's chipper attitude. "If you miss the South Pole, we could always plan a trip there sometime. It would be a nice vacation." Her expression changed when her eyes fell on Korra working with two handfuls of snow. She perked an eyebrow, leaning her weight away from the younger woman. "I, uh—you aren't going to hit me with a snowball, are you?" she asked timidly.
Korra tossed the snowball into the air, catching it again on its way down. Asami's wide eyes followed it, suddenly feeling very anxious. Korra grinned, coming to a stop. She turned to face Asami. "I guess that depends on how fast you are."
Asami backpedaled, her muscles starting to tense in anticipation. She raised both hands to cross her arms in front of her face. "No, wait, no, no—!" she sputtered between a giggle. She turned to run when Korra drew her arm back for a throw. When Korra released the snowball from her fingertips, Asami jerked quickly to the side in an artful spin. She squealed loudly, watching the projectile sail within a short reach of her stomach.
When Korra kneeled to scoop more snow, Asami took the chance to sprint away. A burst of adrenaline let her bolt from the bender. She reached out with one hand to grab a tree in passing. Momentum allowed her to swing around and back into the body of the trunk, narrowly dodging another snowball. After catching her breath, she bent down, starting to collect a pile of snow in order to return fire.
Scooping snow into a tightly-packed ball, Asami leaned into the tree, waiting for an opening. She took slow breaths, counting the amount of time between throws to make sure she could safely retaliate. As soon as the next snowball splattered on the tree, she jumped free of cover, ready to throw. Instead, she stopped, and pouted. "Korra!" she half-laughed, half-scolded. "You can't use waterbending to cheat at snowball fights!"
"Yes I can!" the Avatar shouted from behind the giant bunker of snow she'd created for herself. "I'm doing it right now, see?" When Asami wasn't looking, Korra raised a wall twice her own height to hide behind. With Asami standing in the open, Korra took another shot. She leaned around the wall of snow, throwing the next missile.
Asami bounced, unprepared for a fresh attack so quickly. She suspected Korra was using her bending to help create ammo as well. Unable to dive fast enough, she took a harmless hit in the shoulder, ending up splashed with cold powder. She crouched back down in her defensive position, snickering uncontrollably. "That's not fair! What am I supposed to do?"
She resumed waiting, again counting how long between each throw. She closed her eyes to listen to Korra's responses and shuffling sounds, easily able to determine that she was holding her position and always leaned around the same side. Korra yelled back to her. "I'm using my abilities, so why don't you use yours?"
"What abilities?" Asami called out. She stuck her tongue out, setting to work creating the perfect snowball. She was formulating a plan to break the stand-off.
"You know, your brain! Invent something!"
Asami swiftly scooped handfuls of snow, packing the collected mass into a compact sphere. "What am I supposed to invent?" she laughed. "I don't have any materials."
"Make it out of snow!"
"You want me to build a snow-launching weapon… out of snow?" Another attack flew past the tree, signaling Korra's return to retrieve another piece of ammunition. Asami pushed with all the strength in her legs, speeding away from the treetrunk to circle around the other side of Korra's fortification. Holding her breath as she ran, she moved in the Avatar's blind spot, stopping quietly once close enough to touch the wall.
Korra leaned around to deliver her next attack. "Seems like a reasonable request to—" Asami bit her lip to silence herself, able to sense the confusion in Korra's voice. "Where'd you go?" When Korra rocked back behind the snow structure, Asami lunged at her and snatched the floppy hat from her head. Predictably, the Water Tribe girl tilted her head back and up, staring at Asami with a dumbfounded expression. A simple release of fingers dropped the prepared snowball onto Korra's forehead, splattering messily into her hair and face. Korra let out an amusing groan, raising both hands to wipe her face while spitting snow.
Asami crossed her arms, leaning her weight onto one leg. She tucked the stolen hat into the inside of her elbow to protect it. "That's what you get for cheating." She tried to sound assertive, but her words only came across as playful.
"Okay, you got me," Korra admitted. She flopped into a sitting position on the ground, shaking her head and running her hands through her hair to dislodge flakes of frozen water. "But I got you first, so I still won."
Asami dipped forward enough to extend her arm, swatting Korra over the head with the looted hat. "Fine, you won." She smiled, jerking the hat out of Korra's reach when she tried to reclaim it. "But I'm ready to go inside. I'm starting to get cold."
Korra whined. "Aww, really?" She pushed her hands into the snow, forcing herself to sit up and then stand. She stopped long enough to brush herself off. "I wanted to go ice skating next. I haven't done that in forever."
The heiress smiled to herself while walking toward the mansion. The snow did seem to bring out Korra's inner child. Apparently all she wanted to do was play. She flashed her eyes back to the Avatar who was now following her. "It's a bit of a walk to the closest body of water, but all I can offer is to go with you and watch. I don't know how to skate."
"You don't know how to skate?" Korra gasped. "How do you not know how to skate?"
Asami stopped at the door, placing her hand on the knob. She tilted her head to look back at the face of the snow-flecked girl. "It doesn't freeze over here very often. I guess I just never felt the need to learn. Or had the time."
Korra leaned past Asami, tugging the door open for her. Again she was full of energy, already in motion and trying to accomplish things. Asami stopped inside the door, watching Korra dance on one leg while pulling the still-buttoned trenchcoat over her head. Her voice came out muffled from the layer of jacket. "I'll show you how. Go pick out some skates from the Water Tribe closet. I'll be at the pool."
Asami started to object, but stopped herself. She didn't want to curb the Avatar's enthusiasm, and practicing with the pool sounded like the best option. She gave a short nod of her head in agreement before breaking away. Removing the coat, mittens, and earmuffs on her way down the hall, Asami made her way into the aforementioned Water Tribe room and exchanged the clothing for a pair of skates. They were intimidating. Suddenly, she didn't feel very confident about the idea. She stared at the metal blades running along the bottom, worried about the possibility of injury. Still, Korra seemed excited about the idea. Asami sat aside her fears and carried the boots back through the mansion.
She made her way to the pool area to join Korra. On arriving, she stepped inside just in time to see Korra preparing the water for use. The Avatar took two steps toward the edge of the pool, stopping in a wide stance. Her top half twisted to one side, with her right arm raising above her head, elbow bent. The other arm crossed in front of her chest with a horizontal swipe. As the hand moved, the liquid in the pool rapidly solidified into a solid block of ice. The ice crept all the way up the lion turtle fountain next to the pool, freezing it it to the mouth until the flow ceased.
Asami approached, smiling lightly while applauding Korra's show. She stepped to the edge, where the ice began, and looked down. "Very nice, but I'm still not sure I want to learn how to skate."
Korra shrugged in Asami's direction. She turned away, leaping into the air, spinning several times like a top. When she hit the ice, she landed on one foot, the other knee bent to keep the toes of her boot from touching the ice. She gracefully glided backward along the ice with her hands held behind her back. Though she wasn't wearing skates, Korra moved as if she was. Either through sheer practice and exposure to icy surfaces, or a waterbending maneuver, Asami didn't know. She simply watched the other woman slide along the surface, making a lap around the pool. "You sure?"
Asami kept her green eyes on Korra, observing as she skated backward around the area. She made it look so easy. Sighing, Asami decided to give in. She sat by the edge of the pool, pulling her boots off to exchange them for skates. Once laced and pulled snug, she pushed both of her legs out onto the ice, giving Korra a lost look, seeking guidance.
The younger woman whizzed by once more, but made another pass, this time coming to a complete stop in front of Asami. She started to move her feet as if walking in place. She planted a shoe firmly, sliding it forward and back. "First you're going to want to move your legs like this against the ice. You need to get a good idea of where the blade's center of balance is so you can practice standing without falling over."
Asami listened carefully and quietly. Like spear fishing, this sounded like an area of expertise in which Korra had intimate knowledge. She nodded along to the directions, then began to look around the room. Her eyes followed the edge of the pool to the lion turtle statue nearby. She could brace herself on that. She stood up, awkwardly making her way to the statue to lean her weight on it. Once confident enough, she reached one leg down, planting the skate's blade on the surface and cutting a line back and forth. "Like this?" she asked, teetering against the statue.
Continuing her instructions, Korra skated across the pool to join Asami. She watched her move one leg after the other, nodding. "That's good. Keep practicing that until you feel ready to stand on both skates. Then you can start by spreading your legs a bit and angling them like this." She moved back to give Asami room to view. She eased into a wider stance, letting Asami see how far apart her legs should be when getting started.
Asami assumed the stance, concentrating closely on replicating the width and pose as much as possible. She kept most of her weight against the statue, but after another minute of testing the balance of the skates, she let go long enough to stand unaided on the ice. She clenched her teeth and wobbled, her arms flailing, but managed to stay up. She sighed with relief, batting her eyes at Korra for the next direction.
"You're pretty good at this," Korra said, encouragement in her voice. She backed away once again and pushed off to demonstrate. "You're going to have to move now, which means letting go of the statue. Until you figure out the balance, move your legs like this." Korra demonstrated, alternating between bringing her feet in close and spreading them out wide. The motion created a simple wave pattern on the ice. "It's to get a good feel for how to move your feet to adjust when they start to wander away from you. So you're able to correct them and stay upright."
Asami observed from her spot, not ready to let go yet. She tried to visualize the motion of the feet in her head. She'd have to push away from the statue and flow, unsurprisingly, like water along the top of the ice. She mimicked the wave pattern while rooted, scooting only a short distance in either direction.
A hop away, Korra skated along the surface of the ice, drifting backward in a show-offy fashion. Sensing the other woman's hesitance, she spoke up. "Give it a shot. Just be careful. If you're going to do any falling, it'll be—" Korra winced. Nearly as soon as Asami pushed herself away from the statue, her ankles wobbled underneath and she crashed into the ice. "—uh, during this part." She did a quick loop to reverse her direction, coming to a stop beside Asami. She bent at the waist, lowering a hand to help lift her.
Asami took the hand. She pulled herself up and stood, now closer to the middle of the pool. Left with only Korra to lean on, she realized just how rooted and solid the Water Tribe girl's stance felt. Possibly another bending trick. She tried again, pushing away from Korra. This time, her feet continued to drift out from underneath her until she toppled backward, landing on her bottom.
Korra swept in to rescue her again. She helped her to stand, then nodded to send her on her way again. Asami tried again and again. Each attempt felt like immeasurable progress, but after two dozen or so tries she managed a consistent three seconds of uptime. She caught a sheepish smile on the Avatar's face. "Yeah, this is the hard part. It'll take a while to get used to this."
"It's okay," Asami said swiftly, trying to skate and talk at the same time. She wobbled, but remained upright. "I think I'm getting the hang of—" Her feet drifted out from underneath her again. She slipped, falling onto her back with a painful smack. She sat up with a groan. A glance down at her hand showed what she thought was blood. Though it made her heart jump, she soon realized it was only smeared lipstick. She sighed with relief as much as exhaustion, looking up at Korra. "This is hard," she pouted. "Can we take a break? My butt hurts, and I'm smudging my makeup."
Korra laughed. "Do you need to reapply?" she teased. She leaned down to take Asami's hands, pulling her to the side of the pool. Asami climbed out and started unlacing the skates. Korra hopped out of the pool and landed neatly beside her. She then turned her attention back to the block of ice, holding out one arm and lowering her palm toward the ground. The thick ice melted all at once, shifting back into a liquid state and settling. The statue resumed spitting water.
"That, or take it off," Asami mused. She tugged both skates off, wiggling her sock-covered toes once free. She stood, stretching to unwind some of the joints she injured by falling repeatedly on the ice.
Korra watched from close by, her arms raised to rest behind her head in a relaxed pose. "I've never been any good at girly stuff like that. How do you do makeup so well?" Korra sounded genuinely interested.
Asami shrugged. "It's just practice like anything else." She hopped in place before turning to address the shorter woman. "Just like ice skating, but less painful. I can show you if you want." It would be a nice and soothing way to unwind, Asami thought.
Korra hummed thoughtfully. "I don't know. I'd probably look stupid." She turned her eyes away, sulking.
Asami pushed back a bit, not wanting to stifle a sincere curiosity. "Why don't I put some on you, and if you like it, I can teach you," she offered.
"I guess that's okay," Korra mumbled from the side of her mouth.
Asami beamed energetically, turning to leave the pool area. She cast a glance over her shoulder to make sure Korra followed. Working her way through the hallways and back to her room, she led the charming girl behind her. Upon arrival, she piled her boots and the skates in a corner, then motioned for Korra to do the same. She pulled away, gesturing for Korra to sit on the bed while she moved to retrieve various tools and utensils from a nearby countertop. A simple collection with a nice makeup kit and several brushes.
When she turned back around, Korra had seated herself near the center of the bed. She sat in the lotus position, hands folded in her lap. Her curious blue eyes followed Asami all around the room. "What are you going to try putting on me?" she asked. She sounded almost worried.
Asami crawled over the bed, dropping a collection of small boxes on the sheets between them. She kneeled in front of Korra, sorting over the different options. "A couple things. I think we can start with something simple to smooth out your face, and maybe some shading over your eyes." She picked up several different brushes while talking, checking each one in turn. Her green eyes then flashed upward, examining Korra more closely.
"My face isn't already smooth?" Korra asked, wounded.
Asami chuckled. "It can always be more smooth. I use the same thing. Relax." She leaned in closer, her eyes darting around Korra's cheeks and face. She was now hovering very near the other woman, taking an assessment of her darker skin tone. She used a brush to dab several different colors, applying small strokes to Korra's cheek, one after another, until finding one she liked. "That one looks right," she said mostly to herself. She rubbed the excess off with her thumb. The process made Korra wrinkle her nose and then squint.
When Asami set the brushes aside and picked up a small container, Korra's attention locked on to it. "What's that?" Korra was examining everything Asami touched.
"This is sort of like a base for the actual stuff," Asami replied matter-of-factly. She ran her thumb through the substance, then lifted both hands to cup Korra's face. She pushed firmly with both thumbs, working the first layer across her skin. She worked with a slow massaging motion, her fingers rotating in small circles. Korra made faces, squinting and twisting her lips to one side or the other, but Asami worked cheerfully around her protests. She didn't have to apply much — Korra's face was already smooth and soft. She trickled fingertips along her temples, and traced her jaw line down to her chin. Having spent much of the day around ice and snow, Korra's skin gave off a welcoming warmth.
Asami turned away to reach for a brush to go with the pre-selected shade. She dusted the tip, then leaned into Korra again. She sat very close, watching the slow blinks of the fetching blue eyes in front of her. She held the woman's cheek in one hand while applying short brush strokes, painting on a matching color. She realized she was breathing slower, her concentration starting to drift away from the task and to Korra herself. She was beautiful, a fact which had nothing to do with any makeup. She lowered the brush back into its container, speaking in a low, hushed voice. "What color do you want for your eyes?" she whispered.
"Blue," Korra whispered back.
The edge of Asami's lip curled. She felt the urge to smile, or to giggle and point out how Korra always fell back on blue. But she didn't. She looked down, picking up a separate tool with a soft tip and pairing it with a nice, subtle arctic shade. She lifted her hand to Korra's face, touching her cheekbone with her palm, the hand held close. "Close your eyes," she said softly. When Korra did so, she began to slowly apply the color along her eyelids. Korra's eyes flickered under the mild pressure, but stayed shut. Asami carefully worked over one and then the other before dropping the tool back into the small box.
Her eyes returned to Korra's face. Both hands raised, gliding across her cheeks to hold the woman in her palms. She watched Korra for a long time, drinking in the relaxed state of calm. She started to admire her workmanship, but her attention easily wavered, focusing on the Avatar instead.
Their slow rate of breathing was synced, and she felt a strong sensation of closeness with the other woman. Her fingers tingled when a shiver ran through her body. The extended silence prompted Korra to open her gorgeous blue eyes, though only partway, until their gazes met. Asami fixated on them, unable to look away. She blinked slowly, feeling a warm pressure against her stomach accompanied by a sinking sensation. She felt Korra pulling closer, unsure of which of them was actually moving. Her heart pounded hard in her throat while heat swelled around her face. Her breath halted. The smallest of whimpers rose from Asami's parted lips as distance gradually closed until their noses touched. Until she could feel Korra's gentle exhale against her lips.
Then, they kissed.
The touch was experimental at first, almost innocent. She told herself that the subtle, subconscious sway of their close bodies could have brought them together if only for a moment. But the fleeting brush of Asami's lips against Korra's was soon followed by another. Asami drew in a sharp gasp between contact, and she froze when their lips met again. A chill ran down her spine. Her entire body shuddered, eyes closing and breath shaking. It felt incredible.
Both girls were still, other than the faint shaking of their delicate frames. Asami couldn't move and couldn't think. She didn't know how long the contact lasted. Long enough for her head to start spinning. Long enough to realize what she was doing. What they were doing. She focused on Korra; her softness, her femininity, the intense desire she felt for the woman. Every fiber in her body concentrated on this one simple task, this one unbelievable kiss. It made her tremble, igniting a pleasant burning sensation in her chest.
Their lips separated with an audible click. Though only apart for an instant, a powerful surge of emotions flooded through Asami. Days, weeks, and months of hidden feelings for Korra bubbled to the surface. Her fingertips curled, interweaving into short brown hair to hold the other woman. She pulled herself closer, reclaiming Korra's lips with a stronger, more sincere kiss. She could feel the Avatar's tensed muscles easing under her fingers. Her heart racing. Her skin growing goosebumps. The hint of pressure against her lips. A tender moan escaped Asami, excitement and passion driving her onward. Urging her to embrace her feelings and celebrate them.
Asami's eyelids cracked open when she felt a soft nudge. Fingertips against her collar pushed ever so slightly. She withdrew from the kiss, her lungs filling with air as if for the first time. Through ragged breaths, she directed her attention forward, focusing her green eyes on the woman before her. The words drummed heavily in her ears, whispered from those warm, inviting lips. "Asami. Wait."
Asami's teeth clenched as she recoiled from the stinging words. Korra was rejecting her. She jerked her head away from Korra, her eyes tightening shut to hold back the water that began to form. Her hands pulled away, one clutching the center of her chest where the sudden pain was most severe. The tormented feeling of Korra pushing her away drove her straight to panic. She intended to run. Trying to leap from her spot, she collided with the box of makeup, sending it flying from the bed. It clattered loudly across the ground. Powders, brushes, creams, and other cosmetics spilled along the floor in all directions. As she stood, a strong hand caught her wrist, stopping her. Her head snapped to look at the woman squeezing her wrist, on the verge of tears.
Korra's watery blue eyes gazed upwardly at Asami with a heavy sorrow. She loosened her hold, raising the hand to rest upon her face in an attempt to hide herself from the world. She breathed quickly, her words coming out in short, skittish bursts. "Asami, I-I'm sorry. I like you. I really do. I'm just—I'm so nervous. A-and scared. Please. Don't leave."
Asami released the breath choking her. Shivering from the swirl of mixed emotions, she began to relax onto the edge of the bed, sitting back down. She didn't want to run anywhere. She only wanted to be here, with Korra. And offer her comfort. She leaned closer, cupping the Water Tribe girl's face in her palm to console her. "I know you're scared," she said in an unusually steady voice. "So am I. Believe me, I know." Oh, how she knew!
"I'm sorry," Korra whimpered. The Avatar was shaking worse than Asami now. She was especially vulnerable, prompting Asami to drift closer again. When she moved near, Korra's arms coiled around her waist and pulled her into an embrace. "I don't know what to do. I've never felt like this before."
"Neither have I," Asami replied, gently. She maintained the hug, though tilted her head back enough to gaze into those wonderful blue eyes. She flashed a reassuring smile, lightly resting her forehead against Korra's. "But I don't want to stop feeling it. I… like this."
Korra bit her lip, unable to respond. She blinked slowly, looking into Asami's eyes. Instead, she spoke through motions. Fingers drifted over Asami's shoulders and twisted into her hair. Both hands wove their way through raven locks, combing through her curls. The simple interaction brought both of them momentary peace. Asami started to close her eyes to enjoy the relaxing touch, though left them open just a slit.
Her lips parted to allow a contented sigh. Another chilling shiver ran through her, this one much more pleasant. She melted into the intimate contact with the other woman. The loving caress through her hair. The slight tug, welcoming Asami into her lap. She obliged, coiling herself against Korra. "You're all I've been able to think about lately," she murmured. "And the three years we were apart, I missed you so much it hurt."
"I'm so sorry." Korra's eyes were fighting back tears. Sadness or happiness, Asami didn't know. But she skimmed her thumbs under Korra's eyes, wiping all of it away. "The thought of coming back and seeing you once I was whole again was the only thing keeping me sane throughout all the nightmares and hopeless nights." She tilted her head, bumping Asami's nose with her own.
Asami spoke again. The words came out sincerely, speaking from the heart. There was one thing she needed to get off her chest. "I wanted to be there for you. Why did you have to leave me?" She felt a lump in her throat as she awaited the answer.
"I thought I needed to figure things out on my own," Korra responded meekly. The Avatar had put a lot of thought into the next few words. "I… thought I couldn't face my friends, or my problems, until I recovered. But I was wrong. I needed support. I needed you, Asami." She stopped to take a slow breath. "You've always been there for me, and taken care of me. It's taken me until very recently to realize it."
Asami stared intently at Korra, her eyes wide as she listened to her answer. She could barely find her voice, but she wanted to know. "When—?"
Korra sighed heavily, her head shaking. She was clearly ashamed of her actions. "After our fight, I—when I saw you again, I just wanted to make up. I liked having you close to me again. And I really… really just wanted you to be there." Korra closed her eyes, placing a hand on her face with a sad expression. "When you came back, and we talked about your dad. I thought maybe you were going to say—" Korra's voice grew quiet, and she stopped.
"I was," Asami squeaked in a tiny voice. She was shaking terribly, realizing the missed connection. How close she was to saying it at that time, and how Korra was apparently hoping she would. If only she knew. "But I was scared. I thought you might push me away. I didn't want to lose you."
Korra withdrew her hand from her face, looking back up at the nonbender before her. "I'm sorry we fought. I know… I hurt you. And I'm sorry for that too. But I won't leave you again. I promise." Korra was apologizing so much, and yet Asami felt she had nothing to be sorry for. Everything was already forgiven, and she only wanted to move forward.
Asami eased her weight into Korra, settling fully into the Avatar's lap. She wrapped both arms around her shoulders to hold her tight. Korra teetered from the movement. Asami offered a hopeful smile, leaning closer. She felt an intense, familiar burning in the middle of her chest. Embracing it, she parted her lips slowly to speak. "Korra — I love you," she managed, her voice shaking.
Korra returned the smile. Her head tilted, raising to again bring their lips together. A swift peck, just enough to suggest more. Asami accepted it. She then moved, her arms loosening to ease her fingertips back onto Korra's shoulders. She gave a gentle push to topple the other girl. Both of them fell onto the bed with an animated flop. Korra landed on her back with Asami in her arms. Asami bent one knee, kicking her toes into the air. She held the Avatar close. And they kissed.
