Time for dinner, my friends!
...
"So, Asami," Pema said as she placed down the plates of food on the table and sat down. Everyone else started filling their plates. "we haven't heard much about you from Korra. Would you mind telling us about yourself?"
"Oh, sure." Asami said with a smile. "What do you want to know?"
"Oh, oh, wait!" Ikki said, practically bouncing out of her seat with her arm raised. "I have a question!"
Asami, Korra and Kuvira all shared a look and held back amused smiles. Asami looked back to Ikki. "Go ahead."
"How did you and Korra meet?" Ikki asked.
Korra's eyes widened momentarily and Asami blushed a bit. Kuvira looked on, completely enjoying the displays of embarrassment. Asami cleared her throat.
"Well, I'd left my sketchbook in my class and Korra found it." she said. "She returned it to me when she saw that I'd gone back to look for it."
"Aww, I was hoping for something a bit more romantic." Ikki said, sitting back down.
"Well, if you count how hard Korra was staring Asami down on our first day..." Kuvira mumbled, and Korra turned fifty shades of red. (A/N: Pun intended.)
"Kuvira..." Korra said under her breath and sent a glare her way.
"What? It's true." Kuvira said.
Tenzin cleared his throat. "Anyway, Miss Sato," he said.
"Asami will do just fine." Asami said.
He nodded once and contemplated his question. "What is it like being the CEO of such a vast industry?"
"Oh, it's um," Asami thought for a second. "It's definitely challenging, and it takes up more time than I'd like but to know that I'm continuing my father's work is a reward all in itself."
"Your father?" Pema said.
"Yeah, his name was Hiroshi. He started Future Industries before he died in a factory explosion fourteen years ago." Asami said, her voice softer.
"Ah, yes, I remember hearing about that." Tenzin said. "I'm so sorry."
"It's alright." Asami said. "I didn't take over for him until recently and it's a lot for a sixteen year old to handle, but I'm doing my best."
"I can imagine." Pema said.
"Now, Asami," Tenzin spoke up. "If you don't mind, I do have a few questions for you."
"Leave it to Tenzin to act as the stand-in father..." Kuvira said under her breath, looking down when she saw Tenzin's gaze turned her way. Asami and Korra gave a small smile.
"Ask away." Asami said.
"First, being the CEO of Future Industries, I doubt you have a criminal record." Tenzin said.
"Absolutely not." Asami said.
"What are your goals for the future?" Tenzin said.
"Probably find a way to expand my company while I'm in college. I plan on going to a college in the Fire Nation if I can." Asami said. "While there, I'm going to have Varrick, the man that took over the industry until I was old enough, come back to do it again. Just for a while." She shrugged. "It's a process in the making."
"What are your intentions with Korra?" Tenzin asked, looking to her again after a couple seconds. "Where do you see yourself with her in the future?"
Korra groaned and rolled her eyes, placing her head on the table. "Tenzin, please." she said.
"He's just looking out for your wellbeing, sweetie." Pema said.
"Uh, well, um," Asami stuttered, trying to come up with an answer. "I'm not really sure. I'm not the planning type when it comes to relationships. But, I guess I'd say my intentions are no more than honest and innocent." For the most part. a voice hissed in the back of her mind. She silenced it. "And when it comes to the future, I guess I'd say that I see us being quite happy together, maybe in our own place."
"And kids?" Tenzin asked. Korra groaned even louder.
"Not for a while." Asami said, smiling amusedly at Korra's awkwardness.
"Even if there was a possibility that there lives could be put in jeopardy?" Tenzin said.
"Uh-hum... about that." Kora said, raising a hand before her head came up next. "She.. kind of already knows."
"She knows?" Tenzin said.
"And the shit hits the fan." Kuvira said, grinning at Korra and clapping. Korra shot her a look. "Big round of applause for Korra, everyone!"
"Kuvira, language!" Pema scolded as Meelo started clapping along, Rohan attempting to. "Meelo, stop."
"Korra, I told you not to tell anyone of your true identity!" Tenzin said, growing angrier by the second.
"I know, it was an accident!" Korra said. "Well, not so much as an accident as a 'have to' moment, but-"
"'Have to' moment?" Pema asked. "What do you mean?"
Korra and Asami looked helplessly at each other, completely at a loss. Korra's mouth opened and shut a couple times, while Asami simply expressed the 'deer caught in headlights' look.
"Korra," Tenzin said, now impatient.
"Could we...not do this in front of the kids?" Korra said, looking down. Her hands curled in fists on top of the table.
Tenzin raised his head a bit and looked to his children. "Kids, go to your room."
"Daddy!" Ikki pleaded.
"Come on, Ikki." Jinora said, standing up and closing the book she was reading. She picked up Rohan from his high chair and looked at Meelo. Dismayed, Ikki and Meelo stood and followed their older sister to their room.
"And no eavesdropping either!" Kuvira called, the grin still on her face.
"Kuvira, maybe you'd like to join them?" Tenzin suggested.
Kuvira looked at him and sat back in her chair, crossing her arms but saying nothing more.
Tenzin sighed and took a second before speaking again. "Now, Korra, is there something you'd like to tell us?"
Korra set her jaw and swallowed nervously. "Asami... isn't really my wrestling partner after school." she said first. "But... um... We..."
Asami reached for her closed hand and placed hers over it. She took a deep breath. "What she's trying to say is..." She raked her brain for the proper explanation.
"For the love of Raava, just say it!" Kuvira said through her mouthful of food.
Korra winced visibly. "We're already mated." she said finally and closed her eyes, anticipating Tenzin's speech. "We didn't mean to, but it happened. We both thought she was pregnant-"
"Pregnant!" Tenzin exclaimed and his face turned a light red.
"It was just a scare." Asami said, keeping her cool. "I'm not pregnant, far from it." She looked at Tenzin, a soft but almost fierce look in her eyes. "She thought that it was right for me to know that she was the Avatar, that being with her is life-risking."
"It was a precaution." Korra said. She still didn't bother to look up. "I figured the sooner she knew, the less likely it would be for anything to go wrong."
"Tenzin, honey, you can't be upset with her." Pema said and placed a hand on her husband's shoulder.
He looked at her, his eyes narrowed. "You can't tell me you knew about this!"
"I suspected." Pema said firmly. "As a 'stand-in mother', it's my job to do what Korra and Kuvira's mother's can't. Which is look out for them."
Tenzin started to argue with her, but the look Pema gave him told him that no alpha would win this argument. The color drained from his face and he let out a huffed sigh. "Korra, you know how dangerous it is-"
"Yeah, yeah, you've told me hundreds of times." Korra said exasperatedly. "But I had to tell her. Can we please just leave it at that?"
"Yes, we can." Pema intervened before Tenzin could say anything. "We understand, Korra. You're not in trouble."
Korra's body relaxed and she turned to Pema, smiling a bit. "Thank you, Pema."
Pema returned the smile before looking at Kuvira. "Go get the kids so we can continue on with dinner."
"Will do." Kuvira said, standing up and heading to the children's room.
~some time later~
"So, after Korra ran, I had to go looking for her." Kuvira said, pointing at Korra. "I had already come to terms with my physiology, having discovered it only a couple weeks before she did."
"Oh, please!" Korra said and laughed. She looked at Asami. "As soon as she knew she was an alpha, she ran out of her room and yelled 'You mean I have to have a penis for the rest of my life?!'"
Asami laughed and Kuvira cleared her throat. "Anyway," she said to get the heiress' attention again. "I followed her scent, but completely lost it once I hit the wilds. So I sat there for about three hours waiting for this child to emerge where I last picked up her scent."
"I don't think it was quite three hours." Korra said.
"Long enough!" Kuvira said.
"I think it was probably an hour at most." Korra estimated.
Kuvira waved her off and grinned at Asami. "Want to hear about her first heat experience?"
"You tell it and I kill you." Korra said in a growl.
"Kuvira," Pema said, though it was obvious she was suppressing a smile.
"Oh, come on! It's funny!" Kuvira said.
"I want to hear it." Asami said and gave Korra a smile. Korra blushed heavily and glared at Kuvira, who's grin turned victorious.
"Okay, so this wasn't too long after she found out her physiology." Kuvira began. "Probably a couple months later. We were on our way to school and this omega forgot to cover her heat.
"Korra, having just started her control training and failing horribly at it, immediately picked it up." She waggled an eyebrow at Asami. "Kind of like what happened with you."
"Kuvira..." Korra snarled.
"Down, girl." Kuvira said. "I had to grab her and hold her back. Just as I was about to take Naga's reins and turn her around to take Korra home, she suddenly breaks away from me and takes off towards the girl." Kuvira started laughed harder. "She goes right up to her and says, and I quote, "'You smell good, want to mate with me?'"
She and Asami continued laughing while Korra bared her teeth and growled at Kuvira. "I was thirteen, okay?!"
"You sound adorable." Asami reassured her and kissed her cheek. Korra flustered then of the display of affection, her anger dimming a bit.
"Kuvira managed to get her back here." Pema said, still smiling. "Korra went straight to her room and didn't emerge for a week."
"You wouldn't either if you went through that!" Korra argued, then mumbled, "Worst week of my life."
"Why don't we steer towards more appropriate stories?" Tenzin said, with a sideways look towards the kids.
"We're right here." Jinora said, though the boys were already asleep and Ikki wasn't too far behind.
"Well, I'm kind of curious about how you and Kuvira met." Asami said to Korra.
"Now that's a story." Pema said.
Kuvira opened her mouth, but Korra interrupted. "I'll tell this one." she said. She gave her attention to Asami. "This goes back to the Southern Water Tribe. About ten years ago. My mother used to have a stand where she sold fresh meat and fruit."
"What was Kuvira doing in the Southern Water Tribe?" Asami said. She looked to Kuvira, who had her gaze to her plate.
"I'll get to that." Korra said. "So, one late evening, my mom had just finished for the day and was packing up her stuff when she saw movement from the corner of her eye. She looked up and saw that a few of her fish had fallen from their spot in the stand. There were footprints in the snow, like someone hadn't worn shoes that day.
"My mom heard an office yelling and she looked soon enough to see a small figure turn a corner." Korra continued. "The officer gave chase first, and mom followed soon after. She followed the child and officer until the kid was cornered. The officer grabbed the kid's wrist and my mom stopped him."
"Should've kicked him." Kuvira mumbled.
Korra didn't comment, continuing with the story. "Obviously, it was Kuvira. She had a single fish tucked in her jacket. The officer asked my mom if she knew the kid, and she said no. He asked if she wanted him to take her to the station, and she said no.
"She asked the officer to let her go and return to his post, and that she would handle it." Korra smiled. "The officer left and my mom approached Kuvira. She asked why she took the fish and Kuvira said her parents were gone and she was hungry."
"Are you kidding?" Kuvira said. "They didn't leave, they abandoned me! I wasn't hungry, I was starving!" Pema placed a soothing hand on her shoulder and Kuvira's body slackened.
"Now, my mom wasn't one to turn down a lonely hungry child." Korra went on. "She picked Kuvira up in her arms and went back to the stand. She finished packing up and brought Kuvira home with her. Dad wasn't too happy about my mom bringing a strange kid in the house, but she told him she had no choice and that she believed she was abandoned.
"Dad gave in to mom 'adopting' her. I didn't meet Kuvira until the next day, when I got to visit my parents away from the Compound I was being trained in." Korra stood up and went around to Kuvira's side, throwing an arm around her. She grinned at Kuvira's playful glare. "The rest is history. I've been stuck with this squirt since."
"I'm older and taller than you." Kuvira said and shoved Korra away with little force.
"But, that doesn't make sense." Asami said. "Why did her parents just leave her in the Southern Water Tribe?"
"That's the one thing we never figured out." Korra said. "There were no missing child reports out for her, and no one at the police station could find them. My parents checked everywhere, trust me. When your father is the chief, you get all the information you need."
"She could've died!" Asami said.
"But I didn't, thanks to her mother." Kuvira said, and smiled. "I don't even think about my mom and dad that often anymore. I mean, I'm still dad and confused about it, but I have a family." She hooked her arm around Korra's neck and held her down, rubbing her knuckles against her head. "Even if it is this brat."
"Hey!" Korra exclaimed. She freed herself from Kuvira's grasp and bent the water from her glass, splashing some of it in her face.
"Oh, you're asking for it now!" Kuvira said. She ran her dampened bangs back onto her head and ran after Korra, who was already halfway out the door.
"And that's dinner." Tenzin said. He smiled welcoming to Asami. "It was wonderful to have you, Asami."
"Thank you for letting me stay." Asami said, returning his smile. "The food was amazing."
"Thank you, dear." Pema said as she stood and picked Meelo and Rohan up in her arms. "Say goodnight, girls."
"Goodnight." Ikki and Jinora said together.
"Night, guys." Asami said.
The family disappeared down the hall towards the rooms and Asami found her way outside, hearing the sounds of Kuvira and Korra still fooling around. She grinned and looked to the west toward the sunset, watching the purple/pink/navy hues of the changing sky blend together in the oncoming night.
"Asami!" she heard Korra's voice approaching her. When she looked at her, she noticed that her clothes were covered in dirt. Not to far behind her, Kuvira was wringing out her hair. "Ready to go home?"
"I guess so." Asami said.
Korra nodded and looked back at Kuvira. "You coming, Kuv?!"
"Nah, enjoy your last moments of the night!" Kuvira said and waved her hand dismissively. "I'll see you tomorrow, Asami!"
"See you tomorrow!" Asami said back as Korra took her hand and led her to Naga.
~In front of the Sato estate~
"So what did you think?" Korra asked as she led Naga up Asami's driveway. She gave her girlfriend a sideways grin.
"I had a lot of fun." Asami admitted.
"I knew you would. I told you they'd like you." Korra said.
Naga came to a stop in front of Asami's door and Asami got down, smiling up at Korra. "I'll see you tomorrow."
"For sure." Korra said. She leaned down to give Asami a kiss, just coming up short. Asami giggled and stepped forward so their lips could meet. Korra smiled and sat up straight, turning Naga around and heading back up the driveway.
~A little later~
"So," Kuvira said as she leaned against the bathroom doorway while Korra brushed her teeth. "Did she have fun?"
Korra nodded before spitting out the toothpaste in her mouth. "Yeah, she did."
"That's good." Kuvira said. "Because that brings me to another question."
"What?" Korra said, shutting out the light in the bathroom.
Kuvira followed Korra into her bedroom and sat in the chair in front of the window, Korra sitting on her bed. "When are you going to tell her?"
"Tell her what?" Korra asked. She started taking out her wolf tails.
Kuvira gave her a 'really' look. "You know what I'm talking about."
"Do I?" Korra said.
"Korra-"
"Look, I can't. Alright?" Korra said. "Now's not the time. It's not safe."
"Let me get this straight. Asami can know about you being the Avatar, but you can't tell her about this?" Kuvira said.
"You're learning so fast." Korra said sarcastically.
"That doesn't make any sense." Kuvira said.
"This is different." Korra said.
"How?" Kuvira questioned.
"Because she has enough on her mind as it is. Literally." Korra said. She placed the bands she used to hold her hair together on her dresser. "I don't need her worrying about me when she needs to focus on recovering."
"It's gonna be all over the radio if it isn't already." Kuvira said. She raised an eyebrow. "And you've been going a half-assed job covering up our involvement in the missions."
"Until those Equalizers, or whatever the fuck they're known as, are taken care of, I'm not telling Asami anything." Korra said. "And neither are you. Are we clear?"
Kuvira rolled her eyes and stood up, walking out the room. "Whatever you say, oh mighty Avatar."
...
Weee! Thank you all for your idea! So sorry it took so long. My schedule is killing me and I've been sleeping a lot because of it. I bought a Howlite gem to help with the creativity flow and this happened! So yay!
Thanks for reading!