I know I'm like 1500 years late without Starbucks, but here is the next chapter for my Korrasami Week fic. Based on the prompt "Unexpected"

Prompt 7: Unexpected

She awoke to an empty bed. She couldn't tell if it was the light shining through the cracks of the blinds or the fact that the space beside her was void, but it was enough to pull her from the depths of sleep. She sat up, still confused in her half-groggy state. She rubbed her eyes and muttered, "Korra?"

A faint smell wafted to her nose. It was something warm, something fresh.

Asami sat up and stretched out her arms and shoulders in a single move. She yawned and did the same for her legs. She slid the covers off of herself and stepped onto the floor, a creak in the boards almost echoing in the mostly-quiet room.

"Don't get out of bed, Asami," she heard Korra call to her from the other room. "Get back in bed!"

She raised a brow in befuddlement. "Why?"

"It's a surprise!"

She narrowed her eyes.

What is she up to?

Asami decided to play along and crawl back under the sheets; after all, this had been the most animated she had seen Korra in quite some time.

It wasn't easy getting through what had happened just a month and a half prior. While they still weren't the same as before – nor would they ever be – they were better than they had been when it all started, even if it was just a little bit. After Korra had told her sergeant about the incident, the air on their campus carried a thick tension whenever they were around. They ignored the looks they received from passersby and former colleagues alike, but the stares and hushed whispers took their toll on them in private.

It didn't help that the whole college knew about what happened to Asami.

A few days into the week that followed, Korra and Asami went to the counseling center together. They didn't necessarily ask for treatment, but they requested a week long sabbatical; they needed time to themselves, time away from everything and everyone but each other.

Lucky for them, the counselor was empathetic. She agreed and wrote them a notice to get them out of class and Korra out of training, which she was more than thankful for. Asami knew she'd be able to make the work up that she missed. Korra, on the other hand, was just grateful for the break; she didn't give a damn about missing classes or ROTC. In all honesty, this worried Asami.

So they took a week away and set up camp in the mountains near the border of the Earth Kingdom and the United Republic of Nations. The scenery was quiet and peaceful. They had left their phones behind. Korra showed Asami different means of surviving and they even spent a chilly night in a shelter they built themselves from tree branches and ground cover. And Asami enjoyed every minute of it. It took their minds off of things for a while – just enough for them to gather the strength to talk about their thoughts and feelings in the open.

They spent their nights by the campfire, Asami curled up into Korra's side, Naga on the opposing, staring at the stars under the moonlight. They talked about everything; how they felt, what they did wrong, what they did right, and everything in between. Communication never stopped flowing between them; it was one of the things that made them stronger.

Korra held Asami tight when she cried as she told her how used and disgusting she felt from the incident.

Asami wrapped her arms around Korra when the tears fell, her turmoil about losing control of her anger and becoming someone she didn't like coming out in bits and pieces. It was much easier for Asami to pick up on Korra's silent cues than the reverse, but she refused to close the channel; she wanted Korra to talk about it instead of keeping it inside – for she knew this feeling too well, and knew that it didn't help all that much to bottle it up.

Or at all.

They were reluctant to leave the forest. It had been so tranquil. It gave them strength of heart and mind. By the time they got back to the City, they felt like they were suffocating.

The workload picked up. Even Asami was frantic to catch up. Korra was being drilled in ROTC at dusk and dawn. She had weekly meetings with her sergeant to discuss her anger management training – something she was required to do and somewhat thankful for, even if she was stubborn about it at times.

But something was still… different.

A spark inside of Korra had gone out. She wasn't excited about wearing her uniform anymore. She stopped trying to outcompete everyone. In some cases, she barely even tried to finish. She slowly started focusing more in her classes than in her training. She didn't do an extra run before bed anymore.

And there was something else that Asami noticed; Korra wasn't eating the way she used to. More often than not, she had gotten smaller portions and barely touched them.

She knew this wasn't a good sign.

So Asami spent more time with Korra. They walked to campus together and walked back, going only to attend classes and nothing more. They didn't study in the library anymore; there were too many people, too many stares and glances and "is she the one" whispers as people passed by. And Asami knew that this drove Korra insane. Korra hated the way people looked at her, not just for who she was and who she loved, but who they thought she was, and for the way they shot expressions at Asami. So they looked for other places to work. Mostly, they stayed in Korra's apartment; it was spacious enough. Plus a fluffy Naga was always a pick-me-up. Korra was more comfortable there.

In all honesty, so was Asami.

As time passed, Asami had filled a drawer of Korra's dresser with her clothes and toiletries. They shared a bed together every night, snuggling up in alternating-big spoon positions and comforting the other into sleep. They had sex for the first time since the party just a few days prior, and it had been slow, gentle love making; Asami was hypersensitive to being exposed after everything has happened. It took her nearly a month just to lay in the bed naked with Korra again, and even longer to have passion and feel comfortable enough to be touched in a sexual way.

But Korra didn't mind; she understood these things, and if there was one thing she had learned in her classes, it was patience. So she held Asami close in these times when she wanted to be held, and left her to be when she wanted to be alone.

It seemed the only time Asami was comfortable with being naked was in the shower with Korra. They rarely showered alone after the incident. During the first few weeks, they had taken showers that were hours long, both of them enjoying the heat and the security the other one brought them. They placed soft kisses on the other's lips, the tenderness remaining even after Korra's had healed. Their fingers would always rake through the other's hair, massaging in shampoo under the stream of the water.

Sometimes, they talked during these moments. Other times, they were as quiet as space. These were the most profound. Without realizing it, they had opened themselves up to the other. The emotions flowed, and their energies mixed as they relied on each other for peace.

And it was in the shower that Korra had broken down after weeks of inward decline.

Asami held her close and listened to the sobs. She couldn't read everything that Korra was feeling until she closed her eyes and just felt.

Korra was feeling lackluster. She was unhappy – not with Asami, but with her life. With ROTC. With what she had done. For not stopping things sooner.

She still blamed herself.

Asami spoke tender, encouraging words to her. She urged Korra to let it out, but Korra wasn't good with words. She wasn't good with fears. She wasn't good with self-loathing and self-hate.

She understood the feeling. Asami hadn't quite let go of her self-blame either, despite their weeks of what they believed was recovery.

But it was recovery; they were better than they had been. But it was a slow, agonizing process. This wasn't going to go away in a few days or a few weeks. But they held on, they trudged through it, because they refused to succumb to the pressures outside and within.

Asami started taking Naga on more walks, which enticed Korra to join her. The walks turned to hikes. The hikes turned to runs. And although Asami couldn't quite keep up with Korra, she was happy to see her running again. She would go through the horrible torment of self-induced suffocation and exhaustion from the blasted exercise that was running if it meant seeing Korra improve.

Soon, they started working out together – not in the gym, but in the forest. They wanted to avoid the stares, so Korra taught her what she knew without weights or machines or any equipment of the sort.

It had begun with Asami trying to climb up a branch. She wasn't unfit in any sense of the word (especially after all of that running), but she didn't have the best upper arm strength.

This, of course, gave Korra the opportunity to show off to her girlfriend.

She pulled herself up the branch chin-up style over and over again.

Asami, undeniably, was agape at Korra's muscles and body. She egged her on for many reasons; partly to keep Korra's confidence going and to give her an outlet to blow off some steam, and partly because Spirits, Korra had a nice body.

Korra did this until the branch broke. They laughed when she plummeted to the ground (after they had made sure she was okay).

So began Asami Sato's training regime. They worked on all sorts of muscle groups and Asami found herself sore in places that she didn't even know she could be sore in. But this was okay, because Korra's smile was worth it. Eventually, they moved into combat training after a play-wrestling fight over who would get to pick the takeout place for their weekly movie night resulted in Asami showing impressive skill in dodging Korra's tickling fingers. From this, Korra taught her everything she knew about self-defense.

This seemed to bring a bit of ease to Korra's heart. She got to spend time with Asami, she got to let out her frustration, and she got to teach Asami how to hold her own even moreso than before.

They eventually got protective gear and sparred in a forest clearing every week. Though sometimes, their sessions were more of Asami holding up the pads while Korra beat the shit out of them. But this was exactly what Korra needed, and in all honesty, Asami was getting some good out of this too; it really was a good way of getting your frustrations out.

When Korra started eating more, returning to her normal-sized portions and slurping down the noodles with a satisfied grin, Asami felt a rush of relief. Korra still had reservations about being in her uniform and going to ROTC, but she was trying harder now. She started running again, with Asami by her side. And best of all, she still carried her motivation to do well in her classes, going so far as to apply for several vet tech positions for when she graduated in just a few weeks.

Asami, herself, was weighing several options over when it came to her career. She could go back to school and get her advanced degree. There were a few firms – her father's included – that were interested in hiring her on as their new engineer, from chemical to process to industrial. But she hadn't given any of them a solid answer yet. They didn't mind, though; Asami was hot merchandise, and they were willing to wait.

I wonder if that's why she's so happy. Maybe she got a call about the vet tech position.

Asami's thoughts were interrupted when Korra pushed the door open with her elbow. She stepped inside, carrying a tray of steaming food in her hands. "What's this," she asked through a smile.

"Breakfast in bed! Or – more like lunch… food!" Korra grinned and set the tray on Asami's lap.

"Wow, Korra. You made this all yourself?" Asami eyed the bowl of noodles before her, several vegetable dumplings on the other side of the tray. There was a cup of tea in the corner, and from what she could tell, it was jasmine. Her mouth watered to the aromas. She picked up one of the dumplings and blew on it before popping it into her mouth.

"Well, I had some help from Naga."

Naga barked, wagging her tail behind Korra.

Asami stopped chewing. "Um, how did Naga help," she asked, horror crossing her face.

Korra chuckled. "Moral support, mostly." She grinned and kissed Asami's cheek. "Her paws didn't go anywhere near the food this time, don't worry." She turned away from the bed and made her way to the bathroom.

"Wait," Asami choked out, swallowing a bit too quickly, "where are you going?"

"To get ready."

She raised a brow and opened her mouth to follow up, but Korra was already gone. Asami glanced down at Naga, who sat on the floor, panting and staring at her with big eyes. Her heart softened. "Alright, but don't tell Korra," she whispered before tossing one of her smaller dumplings to the dog.

Naga caught it in her mouth and pranced about as she chewed.

By the time Asami finished her meal, Korra had stepped back into the bedroom, drying her hair with a towel as she did so. "Oh good, you're done," she exclaimed with the same amount of excitement as before. She took the tray from her lap. "Now go get ready!"

Asami ripped the sheets from around her. "Ready for what," she responded, sliding onto the floor as fast as possible.

"To go!"

With that, Korra slipped out of the room.

"Korra, wait!" Asami ran to the doorway. "To go where?" She glanced into the living room to find it empty. "Korra?"

Nothing.

What has she got planned?

Asami half-smiled and half-sighed. Either Korra was going to do something fun and spontaneous to celebrate something, or she was going insane. She hesitated at the frame before deciding to follow her instructions. To the shower she went while Korra bustled around, getting ready for whatever it was that they were going to do today.

At least she's happy.

This made Asami's grin widen.

At least she's happy.

(-)

"You still haven't told me where we're going," Asami pestered, pulling her arms in a bit from an unusually cold breeze.

"That's because it's a surprise," Korra replied, smirking as she did so.

"This isn't a practical joke, is it," she questioned while they made their way through the City.

"Nope," Korra chuckled, sliding her hands under her bag straps.

"What do you have in the bag?"

"It's a surprise, Sato," she teased. "You'll just have to wait and see."

They approached the City line when Korra stopped.

"Alright, Asami," she started. She took the bag from her back and unzipped it. "First, I need you to put this on," she dug around and found a small piece of fabric. She held it up to Asami from her crouched position on the ground.

Asami accepted the cloth with bafflement. "What is it?"

"A blindfold!" Korra almost cheered, jumping up to her feet. "I need you to put it on so that you can't see anything." She swung her bag back on.

She hesitated. "I – I don't know about this, Korra."

Korra closed the gap between them, going from over-excited to calm and reassuring in one second flat. She held Asami's shoulders as she spoke. "Don't worry, Asami. I'll keep you safe. We aren't going anywhere dangerous, I promise."

Asami exhaled. After a moment of thought, she smiled. "Alright, I trust you. Just don't walk me into any poles, got it?"

Korra nodded. "I won't!" She watched Asami tie the dark fabric over her eyes in anticipation. "Can you see me," she checked, waving her hand in front of Asami as she did so.

"Not at all."

"Good." Her tone was ecstatic again. "Can I have your hand, Miss Sato?"

Asami grinned. "Always," she added as she offered Korra her left hand.

Korra blushed before interlocking their fingers. "We aren't too far away. Hopefully people won't look at us funny."

"I think we're a bit too late for that one."

She paused. "Yeah, I guess we are," Korra half-chuckled as they made their way through the City. She navigated the best she could, using her phone as a guide. After about half an hour and several detours around new construction work, they had made it. "Okay, Asami," Korra whispered, positioning Asami in the center of the area. "Open your eyes."

"They are open."

"I meant take off your blindfold, dork."

"Oh, right." Asami laughed, feeling a bit foolish from her statement; she was definitely not awake yet. She pulled the fabric off and shielded her eyes to the light. Once they adjusted, a grin covered her face. "Korra, The Gardens…" She was speechless.

The Gardens were prettier than she had ever seen them before. They were blooming bright and strong. There were several new plants all around, their flowers fragrant and colorful. Tears almost breached her lids when she saw the rose section; it was full of rose bushes – though they were out of season and not flowering – but there had been almost double the types there were before, including a whole new bush of Kormarters and even some limbo roses.

"Korra?"

"I've been working on this for a while now, every morning before advanced," she circled around until she was looking into Asami's peridots. "I got permission from the City to help maintain the flowers here. I did a bunch of research and found native species of flowers that bloom all different times of the year and made sure they had enough space to grow with the ones that lived here already and made sure they wouldn't compete too much with each other and could survive and – Anyway, I sent a proposal to the City and they said if I funded it, they would allow it, so I did." Korra gave her a soft smile and took her hand. She turned around and walked her slowly through the pathways. "I wanted to do this because this is the first place we came to when we first became friends. I wanted it to serve as a constant reminder of our growth together, and how beautiful we've become, even if the process is slow and still happening – just like how these flowers take a long time to bloom and wait months and months for the cold to go away. Most of all, I wanted to plant them because of you, Asami." Korra stopped and faced her once more. "You've brought beauty into my life. And all of these flowers aren't enough to even get close to comparing to how beautiful you are." She took Asami's other hand in her free one. "I love you, Asami Sato, with all of my heart."

Asami was in tears. She had no idea what to say. This was overwhelming in the most positive way it could be. "Korra," she whispered. "This is beautiful. You're beautiful. And I love you." She closed the gap and kissed her, the motion full of passion but wrapped in tenderness. "This is so unexpected," she muttered as they departed. "And it's just – it's so wonderful, Korra."

"Happy Anniversary, Asami." Korra kissed her cheek and let go of her hands. "If you don't mind, I have to go grab something."

Asami watched in half-amazement, half-guilt as Korra gathered three types of flowers: lilac, mock oranges, and a single pink peony. As much as she didn't want to admit it, she had forgotten that today was the day that Korra had asked her out officially. In her mind, the time they spent together blurred together; she had always remembered the date of when they first became friends. She supposed the hard fall she had for Korra made the rest of their days as just-friends seem like a haze to the point that they had always seemed like they were dating. She hid her remorse as Korra returned, several flowers in hand.

"Ready," she smiled, the soft breeze pushing the loose strands of her hair around.

Asami nodded and offered Korra her hand.

They locked fingers and made their way into the mountains, to the same spot Korra took Asami a year ago. They sat down just the same. Korra pulled out sandwiches from her bag and several bottles of water. It was almost a mirror of their first time there.

Except for the phone call.

Instead of Asami's ring going off, it was Korra's.

She jumped up and answered with urgency. "Hello? Yes, this is her," she muttered as she walked away, to the exact spot Asami had.

Her tone was excited, from what Asami could make out of it.

"Yes, yes, thank-you. Thank-you so much!" Korra hung up and sprinted to Asami, who had just gotten to her feet.

The force of her hug brought them both to the ground.

"Asami, Asami," Korra cheered, her body on top of Asami's. "I got the job! I got the vet tech job in Republic City! They just want to see my final exam scores in a few weeks but I got the job, Asami!"

"Korra, that's amazing! I'm so happy for –"

Asami was cut off by a rather passionate kiss – the most zealous one since everything happened several weeks ago. She didn't mind in the slightest, to be honest; she felt safe with Korra and Korra alone.

By the time they separated, they were both out of breath.

"Asami," Korra whispered, her fingers diving into Asami's hair.

"Come here," she beckoned, her hands folding around Korra's neck. They shared another kiss. This one was gentler, like the kind they had been used to during their on-going recovery. "I'm so proud of you. So very proud."

"Me too, Asami." She kissed her a final time before crawling off of her. "I got the job," she whispered in disbelief to herself as Asami sat up. She turned to her bag and pulled the final item out; a small bottle of wine – Asami's favorite wine. "I brought this in case we wanted to celebrate our anniversary, but I wasn't sure –" She glanced over to her girlfriend in hesitation. They had been laying off of alcohol since the last party they went to, having only an occasional glass on their nights in when it would only be the two of them and Naga. This would be the first time they drank out in the public since–

"It's okay, Korra," Asami clasped her hands over the tan ones on the bottle, "it's a small one. We can celebrate here." She slid the wine from Korra's grip and twisted the stopper open – having been a bottle they had already drank from before. "We can have a few swigs here while we watch the sunset," she crawled closer to Korra and whispered in her ear, "then we can go home and keep celebrating."

Korra blushed. Shyness spread through her at the thought of what Asami implied. "Oh – okay," she managed to get out before taking a gulp from the bottle. "I still have to do your hair, Asami," Korra reached for the flowers nearby and placed them in her lap. "May I," she questioned, fingers on Asami's hairband.

She swallowed her mouthful of wine and smiled. "Absolutely." Asami closed her eyes as Korra began her work, her fingers weaving her hair with utmost delicacy. She was almost asleep by the time Korra finished.

"Wanna see," Korra asked after another sip from the bottle.

Asami nodded and squeezed in closer to Korra.

Korra held her phone up and flipped the camera. They took a picture together, similar to the one they had exactly a year ago. "You look just as beautiful, if not moreso," Korra mumbled in amazement as she made the picture her new home screen. Their first was still on her lock screen. She flipped between the two, noting the obvious differences, such as Korra's hair being longer than before, and the not so obvious ones – the hint of exhaustion in their faces from everything they had endured. Her attention was taken away when a hand slid under her jaw.

It was followed by Asami's ruby red lips, tender against her own. The sun started to set around them as they kissed more. Asami crawled into Korra's lap and curled herself into a ball, her side against Korra's front. Korra wrapped her arms around Asami and traced patterns on her back.

"Korra, this is perfect. Thank-you so much."

She smiled. "I'm just happy that I got to meet you and spend time with you and make you happy. And you're my girlfriend. I never would have thought that would happen in a million years. When did I get so lucky?"

"I think we both got a huge chunk of luck when it came to each other." Asami sat up and looked deep into Korra's oceans. "You are the most amazing person I have ever met. I can't imagine my life without you." She kissed Korra once more, sliding her fingers into Korra's hair as she did so. "I love you, Korra. I love you so much."

"I love you, too, Asami." They kissed again. A cool breeze broke them apart.

"Let's get home. I want to keep celebrating with you and give you my present."

Korra smirked and watched Asami stand. Her eyes were on one part in particular. "Is it that sweet ass of yours?"

Asami giggled and put the cork back into the now-empty bottle. "You're the one with the sweet ass, remember?" She walked up to Korra and put her hands on her tan shoulders. "You have a sweet a lot of things."

"But you've got the sweetest taste," Korra replied, licking her lips at the thought of Asami's. "Come on, let's get home before we end up doing it in the forest." She finished picking up their things and shoved them into her backpack. Korra lifted her phone up to get the GPS going for the construction detours. Right when the location services locked on, the battery died.

Asami chuckled. "Don't worry, Korra. I know my way back. Come with me."

They locked fingers and made the long journey back to Korra's apartment. The sun was long gone by the time they got to the door, though they made the trip in almost half the time that their previous when Korra was leading the way. They took a moment to walk Naga together, hand in hand for the entirety. Once they returned, they made their way to the bedroom.

Their clothes came off slow and steady. They took their time, still rediscovering the comfort in being naked in the bed together. The alcohol certainly helped, though. They crawled onto the mattress, tender but passionate, as they kissed. Their fingers danced across the other's body. The lips moved from face to neck, neck to chest, chest further south.

Korra was the first to dive in, moving only to Asami's comfort levels. It had been the first time since her face was down there since the incident. It took some adjustment, but the more she watched Korra do it, the more relaxed she felt. They were alone. It was just her and Korra. She was safe. She closed her eyes and threw her head back, the pressure building inside of her. It didn't take long for her to climax, and even that was gentle, as their love making was.

When Asami finished, she beckoned Korra to her. Asami crawled on top of her and sat near her hips, grinding and touching her breasts as she did so – just the way Korra liked. The more she did, the hotter Korra got. And each thing brought about comfort inside; Asami was in control. She dictated what happened and when, and Korra obliged unless it was outside of her own boundaries. Asami liked this control. She kept a firm grip on it as she made love to Korra several times over, until Korra's legs were shaking; besides, Asami did have to use this as her present to Korra until she got her something better. But for now, she figured this would be more than enough, by how much Korra was calling her name.

She collapsed after the fifth climax, unable to take any more from Asami. Even though the sex had been light, Asami knew all of the spots to hit, all of the things to turn Korra on, how much tongue to use and when and where. It, too, had been the first time Asami ventured south since the incident, and she forgot how much she had missed it. They both did.

"Asami," Korra whispered, calling her to her lips.

Asami crawled up to the head of the bed and kissed Korra. "I'm not done yet," she muttered, hands squeezing Korra's shoulders.

She shook her head. "I – I can't take anymore."

"That's not what I meant," Asami smiled as she got off of Korra. "Roll over."

Korra did as she was told.

Asami sat on Korra's rear and started massaging her shoulders.

"Mmmm, Asami," Korra breathed; she liked massages more than most things in the world. Her back was always full of knots and other tense spots from all of her training, and Asami always had a way of melting them right from her bones.

"Shhhh, relax," Asami whispered before kissing her cheek. "Let me take care of you."

Korra mumbled something incomprehensible and relaxed, Asami's kneading hands putting her to sleep.

She smiled. "I love you, too, Korra."

(-)

A loud pound on the door startled them. They jumped awake at the same time. Light rain was hitting the window.

"Who the hell could that be?" Korra rubbed the side of her head as she crawled out of bed. She glanced over at the small clock on her desk while she threw a robe on. "It's two in the morning for fuck's sake." She meandered over to the door.

Asami followed, adjusting the tie on her cloak.

Naga was alert near the entrance.

Korra twisted the knob.

A man in a grey uniform stood before her as Asami caught up.

"Sergeant?"

"Korra, I've been trying to call you for hours now. Why aren't you answering your phone?"

She blinked several times. "Because it's two in the morning," was her first response. Then the realization came. "Oh, my phone died earlier. I guess I forgot to plug it in."

"Well, I'm just glad I got to you. This is important."

"What do you mean?"

He paused and lowered his head to gather himself. "Korra, there's been an attack." His strong eyes met the shock in hers.

"An attack? Where?"

"On the United Republic of Nations. Kuvira attacked."

Her heart dropped. "She attacked the United Republic of Nations? Why?"

"She wants to wage war on the world, take what she thinks is rightfully hers as part of her Earth Empire."

"But why are you telling us," Asami asked, her heart racing. "Surely this is something we could have heard from the news."

"This next part isn't." He brought is attention to Korra. "I'm – I'm sorry to say this, Korra, but you're being shipped out to active duty."

Both Korra and Asami's heart were out of their bodies. Their stomachs turned.

"Wh – what? How am I being shipped out? I'm not even a soldier –"

"That's the same thing I told them. But this is above my head. They need you in the United Forces, as well as a bunch of their recruits in Academies across the world."

"But why? The United Republic of Nations has plenty of soldiers." Asami stepped in, having read up on the military after learning about Korra's enrollment in ROTC.

"Not anymore," he spoke sternly. "Kuvira didn't just attack any part of the Republic; she attacked the main military base. She had some sort of new stealth technology that was completely off our radars."

Horror was on Korra's face. She tried to form words but found she couldn't.

"Were – were there any –" Asami couldn't finish her sentence.

He shook his head, already knowing what she was going to say. "They're all dead. There were no survivors. Just the signal alarms sent out to the other bases once the power started failing. We got some visual before the cameras cut out. When responders got to the base, it was blown to smithereens. There are no more soldiers there; just rubble and blood and body counts…"

"And they just expect to send us out as if we can fight Kuvira off when they couldn't? Commander Bumi wouldn't allow this!" Korra spoke up, fear filling her.

"Commander Bumi is dead, Korra. There is no more Commander Bumi. There is no more United Forces presence at the border. If we don't get soldiers there, Kuvira will walk right in and destroy everything."

She looked away; this was more than she could handle. Her hands started shaking.

This can't be happening. It can't.

The sergeant put his hands on her shoulders. "I tried, Korra. I really did."

Their eyes met.

"I fought tooth and nail to keep you and the others here in Republic City. But I've done all that I can do. You're one of the few who the United Forces has been funding for four years. You have an obligation to the military that is out of my jurisdiction; it was in the contract you signed freshman year. Even though I told them that it was ridiculous to just send students out when they haven't finished the program… they deemed you and a few others trained enough for deployment. It's – it's above my head now. I'm sorry, Korra." He released her when she looked away and took a step back. "Your plane leaves tomorrow afternoon, Gate 2B. You'll be going to the Fire Nation for assignment."

Korra stared at the ground. Her ears rang. Everything felt very distant. She was outside of herself. Empty in shock.

"The Fire Nation," Asami asked, confused on the manner.

He nodded. "That's where they want to send all of the soldiers while the ones who are currently there get sent out to the frontlines in the Republic. Korra," he addressed her though this didn't get her attention. He continued on, "you'll most likely be taking their spots and posts patrolling the Fire Nation instead of being in combat."

There was no response.

He clasped her shoulders again, trying to get her to look at him. "I'm sorry, Korra. I'm sorry."

Tears rolled down her cheeks.

"I'll be at the airport to see you off. Get some rest, soldier." He stepped away and saluted her.

There was no response.

He turned away and walked down the steps into the rain. His heart was heavy. He was out of earshot by the time the door shut.

"Korra?" Asami took her pale hand off of the handle and faced her girlfriend. "They – this can't be true. They can't just take you away, can they?"

There was no response.

"Korra?"

More tears fell. She balled her trembling hands.

"It's true, isn't it? You're obligated to go."

There was no response.

Korra's knees shook. She collapsed into Asami's arms, bawling.

Asami lowered her to the floor and held her to her chest. She shed her own silent tears.

This would be the last night they would be together for Spirits know how long. Korra was leaving tomorrow, and there was nothing she could do but sob.