Hello everyone. I just wanted to say thank-you for all of the encouraging and lovely words you have given me in your reviews. It means so much to me that anyone at all has read my story, and to see people comment on it... I am just blown away. Thank-you, thank-you so much.

There will be a special treat in store for you all soon. I can't wait for you to see it, so keep your eyes open! *heart*

In the meantime:

Chapter 31

Surprise

Asami awoke in a bit of a daze. The cold air greeted her nose as she inhaled its frosty bite. Incoherent sounds left her lips while she stretched herself out in her position.

"Hey."

A voice spoke from behind her. She sat up and yawned, not turning around until her mouth was shut again.

Vibrant blue eyes met her sleepy greens.

She rubbed her lids with the back of her hands, the plush polar bear dog beside her. "Did I fall asleep," she asked through another yawn.

Korra chuckled. "You did."

Asami extended her torso and upper body. When she finished, she brought her sight back to the oceans before her. "It wasn't a dream, was it?"

She raised a confused eyebrow. "Was what a dream?"

Her cheeks turned a bit pink, though she couldn't tell if she was more embarrassed about asking or believing that her and Korra kissing wasn't an actuality. She looked away until Korra took her gloved palms in her own. She stared into those curious irises. When she noticed Korra lean forward, she did the same, shutting her lids a split second before their lips made contact. It was just as she remembered, just as she hoped it would be. Her blush was darker when they departed and Korra's tan cheeks were sporting some color of their own.

"It wasn't a dream, Asami." She smiled and squeezed her hands.

"Good." She inched closer and planted another kiss on Korra's lips.

Korra closed the gap by pulling on Asami's shoulders. Their bodies touched again as the intimacy continued. By the time the Asami departed, Korra was left a blushing, flustering, panting mess.

I guess that hasn't changed.

Asami giggled and pecked Korra's cheek. She slid her hands into Korra's and locked their fingers. When she looked up into the woman's eyes, she could see the faint hint of exhaustion on her face. "Did you sleep at all when I was out?"

Korra shook her head.

"Why? Are you okay?"

She nodded. "I'm fine, Asami. I didn't want to fall asleep. I wanted to savor the moment."

A gentle grin spread across her lips.

Oh, Korra…

As much as she wanted to stay on this glacier, she couldn't ignore the chilling winds around them. "We should probably get back to your place. It's starting to get really cold out here and I'm sure Naga is worried about you."

"Yeah, you're right." She pulled away and rose, stretching her legs out in the process. "I'm sure she'll want to meet her new pup."

Asami giggled and picked up her plush. "She's my pup, thank-you very much."

"Not if I snatch her from you!" Korra dove forward, arms out to grab the stuffed animal.

Asami lifted the toy on instinct, forcing Korra to miss and plummet right into the snow with a loud 'oomph'. She couldn't help but laugh at the snow piled onto Korra's hair.

"That's it, Sato, you're going down!" She jumped up to her feet and started chasing her. "Get back here!"

Asami sprinted away, polar bear dog in her grip. She had the advantage of being faster than Korra, despite the snowy terrain.

What she wasn't expecting was the smack of something hard against her back.

The surprise of it forced her to trip on her own feet. She tumbled into the snow and rolled part way down the hill, covering herself in white fluff. When she managed to stop, she glanced to the top of the glacier, disbelief in her eyes.

Korra stood with one hand on her hip while the other tossed a snowball about a foot into the air so she could catch it and repeat. She had a sideways grin on her face that Asami knew too well. Within a second, Korra wound up and threw another snowball her way.

Asami rolled to the right, scooping up some snow in the process. She didn't have that great of an aim and she hadn't made snowballs in years. She was at a complete disadvantage. By the time she stood up and finished one, she looked up and saw two coming her way. She ducked under one but the second hit her chest, forcing her back into a giant snow mound. She sunk several feet under its surface, with only her soles sticking out. When she emerged, Korra was standing over her, snowball in one hand and polar bear dog in the other. A sly smile was on her lips.

"Do you surrender, Miss Sato?"

"I will never surrend –" She responded as she rose to her feet, just to be cut off by Korra tackling her back into the snow. They rolled around for a minute, laughter echoing between them. Asami had managed to get on top of her once the movement stopped. She put a gloved hand on each side of Korra's head, flattening her palms against the ground.

Asami gave Korra a look that sent a chill right down her spine, though it wasn't a horrifying quiver at all. She abandoned the stuffed pup and slid her fingers up to Asami's shoulders. She closed her eyes as Asami lowered herself and accepted the kiss she had been yearning for. When Asami departed, Korra was out of breath.

She giggled and climbed off of Korra. "Come on; we've got to get back."

She sighed in reluctance and grabbed onto the woman's extended hand. Once she was on her feet, she retrieved the polar bear dog plush and forked it over to Asami. "Here, she's your pup."

Asami smiled and cradled her toy in one arm. "Yeah, but you won her for me." She slipped her free hand into Korra's and laced their fingers. "We can share."

Korra, in response, nudged the nook of her neck with her nose in very much the same way a polar bear dog would. After she emerged, she scanned her surroundings to get her bearings. "This way." They traversed the rest of the Southern Water Tribe hand in hand, though the chills from the wind were starting to get the best of Asami.

I really need to get her some good clothes.

Tomorrow. We'll go to the market.

Good idea, brain. See, I knew you weren't all bad.

Thanks..?

You're welcome! Her grin widened as they continued their journey. She noticed Asami shivering and pulled her closer. "Don't worry, Asami. We'll be back soon and then we can get out of our wet clothes and into dry ones and I'll start a big fire so you'll stay nice and warm!"

She smiled and melted into Korra's side. "Sounds wonderful."

(-)

It didn't take them too long to get back to Korra's home, though by the time they made it there, Asami was in a rapid shake. Her clothes had gotten wet during their tousle and their short trip through the shallow portion of the Aakaga. It was no surprise that she wasn't drying any time soon. If anything, it felt like her clothes were freezing onto her skin. She glanced over at Korra in disbelief.

How is she not cold?

Her skin was a very faint shade of pink, and although she wouldn't admit it, Korra was happy to be back in the warmth again. It didn't matter how hardened her body was to the wintry south; too much exposure would, at some point, reduce her to a state similar to Asami's.

As expected, Naga sprinted up to the pair and tackled them on sight. Lucky for them, it wasn't a strong charge, so they were able to stay on their feet. It took just a few seconds for her to notice the stuffed polar bear dog in Asami's arm. She sniffed it, her tail in a curious wag. She started whining to the engineer, trying to get her to hand the toy over with a nudge of her snout.

"No, Naga. This isn't a chew toy. This is Asami's."

The animal sunk to the floor in disappointment.

"Here, Naga, you can snuggle with her, but you can't chew her or bite anything off or drool on her. Got it?"

Naga perked up to Asami's offer and jumped to her feet. She took the plush as gentle as possible from the woman's gloved hands and trotted to Korra's bedroom in victory.

Korra glanced at Asami, a mixture of emotions in her eyes.

Asami shifted her weight. "We can all share. Besides, I owe Naga a lot of fish and a new ball. The least I can do is let her snuggle with little Naga for the night."

Korra smiled in response. "I suppose that's true." She yawned and stretched her arms. "Guess we better follow her." She spoke between her chuckles as she ushered Asami on. "Here, I've got another pair of pajamas you can wear." She fished the clothes out of her dresser drawer once they walked through the doorway.

"Do I have to sleep in the training room now that there's wood in the mantle?" There was a very subtle hint of pleading in her voice as she accepted the clean clothes.

"Not if you don't want to. You can always stay here with me." There was a small blush on her cheeks, which surprised her; she was expecting an outright burn.

"I would really appreciate that. Thank-you." Asami pulled the parka off and started undressing. Korra did the same. They kept their backs to each other out of respect for the other's privacy. "That floor is really hard. And it's so cold. I don't know how you fell asleep there so many times when you were a kid."

She hesitated, a bit of sadness surfacing in her. "I guess I just tired myself out trying to be a Water Bender."

Guilt spread through Asami as she recalled the stories Korra told her. She frowned and spread her clothes out by the mantle to dry.

Similar thoughts passed Korra's mind as she started a fire with her sparking rocks. The image of her being pulled out of that cold, hard room by her father and to Katara's hut for 'healing' fell into the forefront. "There's someone I want you to meet, Asami." She smiled as the kindling in the mantle came to life. She crouched down and blew on it, spreading the heat to the rest of the twigs and logs.

"Who?"

"A good friend of mine. Two good friends of mine, actually."

"Are you going to tell me about these friends of yours?"

Korra grinned. "Nope. It's going to be a surprise." She walked over to her bed and plopped onto her wolf pelt.

Asami followed but remained on her feet beside the mattress. "Sounds good to me. I'm always up for some adventure."

"Good. Afterwards, we are going to the market to get you some warmer clothes. Deal?"

She smiled in relief. "Deal."

Korra burrowed under her fur and poked her head out. Her hair was loose around her neck. She sat up and slid back towards the wall, making more room for the engineer. When Asami didn't follow through, she raised an eyebrow in confusion.

Maybe she's waiting for an invitation?

Doesn't she know by now that I don't mind sharing a bed with her?

Just make the offer, Korra.

Asami held her bare elbows, the white tank and blue pants not quite enough to maintain her body heat.

She stared into the peridots for a moment before noticing how cold the woman was.

Cold and hot.

Hush.

"You can – uh – lay with me under the pelt if you want, Asami. I'll keep you warm – I mean, it'll keep you warm, and it's more comfortable than the floor."

"Thank-you, Korra." She crawled under the fur and scooched a bit closer to Korra.

Her tan hand still hesitated, unsure of whether or not to hold Asami's. As before, Asami guided her palm to her abdomen, interlocking her pale fingers with Korra's. She buried her nose into the raven locks before her, admiring their arctic scent once again. "You know Asami," she murmured, starting to drift into her state of lost inhibition, "you're always welcome to share a pelt with me."

"I just wanted to make sure," she muttered back, sleepiness taking over her as it had on the glacier. "You know… because we –"

Korra's cheeks brightened a bit. "Oh. Right."

Asami could feel the change in Korra's body temperature. Her face flushed red to match.

"Well, you're still welcome to stay. I wouldn't want anyone else to be here but you. And besides," Korra nuzzled her nose closer to the nook of Asami's neck, "I like keeping you warm."

"You always do a good job." Asami shortened the gap between them until their bodies touched. The woman was warmer than before, and to be quite honest, Asami was grateful. But she couldn't ignore the effect Korra's breath had on her as it danced across her skin. It drove her wild inside, but she refrained from letting go; it was too early and they were too tired. She stifled a moan and let out a short hum of satisfaction instead to accompany Korra's sigh of content.

It didn't take them long to fall asleep, each one dreaming of the person beside them. They felt more at ease lying together than they ever had before; there was much less awkwardness, much less worry, much less everything except for what they had been holding inside for far too long: love. With this notion in their minds, this warmth in their bodies, and this emotion in their hearts, they drifted into a deep, relaxing slumber.

And Spirits know that they needed it.

(-)

Korra awoke to the wonderful scent of arctic lilies and the comfortable darkness of Asami's luscious locks. It didn't take her nearly as much time to realize she was holding the woman she loved in her arms as it did the last time they had shared her bed and pelt. She stretched her legs and let out a silent yawn, blinking several times afterwards. She buried her nose further into Asami's hair until her nose returned to the tender nook of Asami's neck.

A faint sound of pleasure escaped the slumbering engineer. She shifted a bit, pushing herself closer to the warmth behind her.

Korra tightened her hold on the woman, happy beyond belief to have her so near.

Master Katara was right. This is exactly what I needed.

Her lips spread into a soft smile upon the thought. Some of the turmoil and buzzing that she had felt inside of her died down, as if being around Asami was enough to tame the internal storms. It wasn't until her stomach grumbled and Naga started whining to get out did she even start to consider leaving the bed. While she was willing to hold off on food to spend time with Asami, she couldn't deny her polar bear dog access to the great outdoors to relieve herself. With a sigh, she slipped her fingers from Asami's and slid out of the pelt. She crossed the room on her toes, trying to be as silent as possible.

Naga, on the other hand, was much too full of excitement. She barked, her loud sound reverberating off of the walls.

As Korra expected, she heard mumbling and shuffling from her mattress. "Shhhh, Naga," she whispered, hoping the older woman would fall back asleep. "Asami is sleeping. Here, I'll let you out, but you've got to be quiet."

She licked the Korra's cheek before darting out of the bedroom.

Korra smiled as she watched her polar bear dog run. The first sight she noticed when she turned around was the plush she had won Asami, which lay on its side in Naga's bed, unharmed. Her smirk widened until her eyes fell upon the pair of peridots staring back at her. Korra didn't know why, but she was at a loss for words. All she could do was stand across the room with a goofy grin and a light blush on her cheeks.

Asami made the first move. "Good morning," she spoke in a hushed tone as she crawled out from under the wolf pelt. She stretched while she made her way to Korra, a bit of sleepiness in her eyes.

"Good morning."

They melted into a brief hug, neither of them wanting to leave the embrace. They departed with reluctance.

"Sorry about Naga waking you up. She gets excited when she sees me in the morning."

"It's not a problem at all, Korra." Asami yawned and extended her arms. "Do you think we can get something to eat?"

"Absolutely. Let's get dressed and then we'll grab some food and then I'll take you to Ma – my good friend's house." Korra beamed, her crooked grin winning Asami over with ease.

"Sounds good to me."

Korra motioned to leave but Asami stopped her with a gentle grip on her wrist. Their eyes locked and Asami smiled. She rubbed Korra's cheek with her thumb. "You have a little makeup on your cheek," she whispered as she wiped it off, "but your lips looks fine."

A deep blush overwhelmed her face. "I – uh – thanks Asami." She threw a sheepish hand behind her head and grinned.

"It's no problem," she winked as she turned away and stretched over to the bed. "Let's get ready to go meet your good friend," Asami teased, twisting her torso to crack it before fixing her own makeup with her small kit in her pants pocket.

Korra couldn't contain her excitement – after a few seconds, or perhaps minutes, of flustered gaping. She rushed around, ripping clothes out of her drawers and almost stripping down in front of her now-bewildered guest. Korra stopped herself in the nick of time, blushed, and scurried out to the bathroom to finish her morning routine.

(-)

Asami was more than grateful that Senna had run out of the old sea prune stew, though she kept her joy hidden for everyone's sake. She watched in amusement as the Water Tribe girl beside her told her parents all about their trip to the Glacier Spirits Festival – minus their kissing on the glacier. It was understandable in her eyes; she hadn't mentioned her own attraction to the same sex to her father yet, despite her knowing for quite some time that she had felt this way – so she didn't assume that Korra had told her parents either. Perhaps it was easier that way, at the moment. In all honesty, Asami didn't really know what they were right now. Were they dating? Were they just best friends who kissed? The word girlfriend hadn't left either of their lips, though she was pretty sure that the term applied to them. Regardless, she was happy with where they were, so why bother with lingo and labels for now?

Korra snapped her attention away by calling her name. She was at the doorway, eager to get moving to the next destination.

She couldn't help but smile to the woman's enthusiasm; it had been quite some time since Korra had been this happy. Who was she to hinder it? She thanked Senna for the leftover steamed fish and scurried along, capturing some of Korra's energy for her own use.

Naga whined to the pair as they made their way to the front entrance, desiring nothing more than to spend the time promised to her by her human companion.

"Don't worry, Naga; you can come, too."

She hopped up and barked to Korra's offer, scampering next to the pair.

Once they were out of sight from both Korra's parents and most of the small section of the village where she lived, Korra slid her hand into Asami's gloved one. They navigated the outskirts, taking their time to enjoy the scenery around them. The trio approached a nicer looking house – compared to the rest of the ones on this side of the Rivers – with the wind at their back. Her heart raced a bit when Korra didn't release her fingers from their intertwined position. It wasn't until Korra heard the footsteps of the younger woman inside did she pull her hand away; while she knew how Master Katara had felt about them, Master Kya was a different story.

"Korra, Naga, good afternoon. Come back for more tea, have you?" Kya grinned to the two before shifting to Asami. "Oh, and who have we here?" She put her knuckles on her hips and leaned forward, as if inspecting the pale woman like a specimen in the lab – though the gesture was exaggerated.

"Oh, right! Master Kya, this is Asami Sato, from Republic City. Asami, this is Master Kya."

"It's a pleasure to meet you," Asami grinned, extending her hand to the older woman before her.

"Likewise," she smiled back, accepting the invitation for a shake. "Come on in. I'm sure my mom will be thrilled to see you."

Korra nodded and ushered Asami inside. She turned to Naga, who had just managed to squeeze herself through the doorway, and chuckled.

"Korra," the elder exclaimed, excitement in her voice. She opened her arms to the young woman and hugged her. "I can see you've made improvements already." She grinned, sincerity in her eyes. "How do you feel?"

She bobbed her head and grinned. "I feel –" Korra tried not to focus on the gushy, flustered feeling she experienced when Asami's lips were on hers, though it was the first unfortunate thought to pop into her head. She couldn't fathom the right words in time; Naga had nudged her to the side to greet Katara with a simple rub of their cheeks.

"I've missed you, too, Naga. You seem a lot happier now that Korra's back."

She barked and wagged her tail.

"I understand the feeling." Katara stroked her white fur once more before turning her attention to the engineer. "And this must be Asami Sato."

Asami smiled, a faint blush on her cheeks. "You know who I am?"

"Of course I do," she extended her hand to the woman, "Korra has told me so much about you."

It was Korra's turn to redden. She threw an embarrassed hand behind her head and grinned, looking away when her oceans met the peridots beside her. "Well, I – uh – might have mentioned just a few things."

"You were right, Korra. She is quite lovely. I can tell just by looking at her that she has a kind heart."

Both of them flushed even more.

It didn't take long for her to pick up on everything Korra and Asami were attempting to hide. Kya stepped in to rescue the young pair. "Alright, mom; you're embarrassing them. How about we all sit down, relax, and have some tea?"

"Tea would be great," Korra and Asami replied at the same time. They looked at each other and shared a nervous smile before shifting their eyes away.

"Come. Make yourself at home." Katara waved her company on as she took her usual spot in the back right corner of the common room.

Asami took a seat on the mantle, taking in every ounce of heat possible from the fire it held.

Korra sat beside her, of course; why would she sit anywhere else?

Naga laid in the curve the three of them made. She plopped her head onto her human companion's lap, begging for attention.

Korra scratched her cheeks as they waited for the tea. A soft smile was on her face until a distant, unfamiliar sound filled her ears.

"What the hell was that?" She jumped to her feet, her heartbeat speeding up.

Another boom echoed into the home, warranting Korra's burst outside.

Asami and Naga were on her heels. They all stopped a few feet from Master Katara's entrance, scanning the area.

It didn't take long for the Water Bending Masters to join them in a similar state of awareness.

A third pound – the noise more audible now – brought their attention to the north, in the same direction that Korra, Asami, and Naga had come from. A faint billow of smoke was just at the edge of her sight.

Her heart dropped to the horrible feeling in her gut.

No.

"Naga," Korra called to the polar bear dog beside her, complete authority in her voice. She hopped onto the now-kneeled animal and adjusted herself against Naga's bare back.

"Where are you going?"

"I have a feeling something's going on. Something bad."

"I'm coming with you," Asami exclaimed, crawling onto the polar bear dog before Korra could object.

"So are we."

Kya eyed her mother with hesitation.

"Maybe you should stay here, mom –"

Kya's statement was cut off when Katara Bent herself up to Naga's back. She took a spot behind Asami and gripped onto her shoulders.

"Are you coming or not, Kya?"

She paused for a moment, uncomfortable with putting her mother in danger. Another bang sounded in the distance. She knew with all her heart that Katara wasn't going to relent – though her eagerness was a bit odd to her, to be honest; she hadn't seen her this riled up and ready to fight in decades. Perhaps it was good for her. Perhaps it wasn't. With a new wave of determination and an overwhelming need to protect her, Kya nodded and Bent herself into the spot behind her mother.

"Go, Naga, go!" Korra leaned forward, urging the polar bear dog into a sprint. "Hang on everyone!"

Naga took off, her feet pounding against the snowy terrain with an incomparable grace.

Korra continued pushing her torso closer and closer to her animal companion's neck, her heart racing and her eyes glued on the black smoke. A monstrous pound of another explosion shook the ground.

Faster, Naga, faster.

She gritted her teeth, hoping for the best but fearing the worst. The larger and louder the crashes got, the more worried she grew. Each step brought her towards her home.

Please don't let it be them. Please don't let it be them.

She had to help somehow, even if she didn't know what was happening; she just had to do something. Her gut was in command. She flattened herself against Naga, her eyes watering from the whipping wind and her mind oblivious to the people in the space behind her.

I'm coming, mom and dad. I'm coming.

(-)