Chapter Text
“Hey there, beautiful lady. Do you come here often?” Asami teased as she came from behind and wrapped Korra up in a big hug, resting her chin on the Avatar’s shoulder.
“You know, I have a girlfriend that will kick you into next week if she catches you touching me,” Korra replied back, playing the game.
“It might be worth the fight considering the prize,” Asami spoke as she spun Korra around and kissed her.
As they stood outside on the observation deck of the ship, despite being enveloped in Korra’s arms, Asami couldn’t help but shiver in the chilled, arctic air.
“You’re never going to get used to the cold, Southern weather, are you?” Korra asked smiling.
“Probably not. But as long as I’ve got you to keep me warm, I can manage,” Asami said, leaning in for another kiss.
A few moments later, Asami broke the silence.
“So did you need some time away to think?” she asked, getting as close as she could to trap some more body heat.
“Yeah. It’s been a while since I’ve been back home,” Korra said.
“I kind of figured you’d be a little reflective,” Asami said. “But I hope the memories of your time spent there recovering doesn’t overshadow all the amazing accomplishments you’ve had since you left. You should be proud of the women you’ve become. I certainly know I am.”
“Thanks Asami,” Korra said with a thoughtful smile. “I should be okay. It just helps once in a while to look at your past, to appreciate everything you’ve overcome to get where you are now. I have to say, I’m at a wonderful place right now.”
“You know what? Me too,” Asami said in agreement, smiling.
“Come on Gorgeous. Let’s get you inside and warm you up,” Korra said as she swept her arm under Asami’s legs and picked her up.
Asami squealed then giggled as she put her arms around Korra’s neck, then kissed her again.
“Spirits! You’re so sexy when you take charge,” Asami growled.
“I’m glad you think that, because there are a lot of things I want to do to you tonight,” Korra replied giving her bedroom eyes.
“Oh Avatar...” Asami couldn’t wait for whatever Korra had in mind.
More than three years had passed since Korra had visited her parents at their home in the South Pole. There hadn’t been many positive experiences there the past few years, so she wasn’t in a hurry to return to those surroundings. There were the years she spent recovering following the battle with the Red Lotus. Then Korra and Asami had one very brief visit when they first started dating. But after a misunderstanding with her father, that visit had been cut very short.
For a while, Korra had no desire to go back home. Luckily, Korra’s parents had visited her in Republic City a number of times instead. However, enough time had passed since then. Now it was the Glacier Spirits Festival. Korra thought this was a good reason to bring Asami back to the Southern Water Tribe for a vacation. They both had certainly earned the holiday.
Asami had been tirelessly working to rebuild Republic City after the battle with Kuvira. So much of the city had been destroyed, it took nearly all of her time to manage her company and the rebuilding efforts. At the same time, Korra continued her work to stabilize the Earth Kingdom and help move it gradually toward a democracy.
Korra hated spending weeks at a time away from Asami. But luckily the work was more diplomatic in nature, thus safer than her past Avatar duties entailed. Knowing there wasn’t much risk involved and that it was more of a business trip, the pair managed to cope with their brief separations. However, neither of them enjoyed being apart.
That was part of the reason they decided to live together - in hopes of stealing a few moments of closeness when they could. If asked, both women could never get enough of one another. The love Asami and Korra had for one another was something all of their family and friends admired. Theirs was the purest, most sought after type of bond anyone could hope for.
Korra’s parents, Tonraq and Senna, greeted the pair at the dock when the ship arrived. They had their luggage sent ahead to the palace while the two couples went for dinner to catch up. Now, the two young women settled into Korra’s old bedroom, and began to unpack.
“Do you need any help unpacking all your suitcases?” Korra asked from across the room, hoping the answer was no.
She loved Asami, but the one thing the brilliant engineer had yet to master was what the phrase, “pack light,” meant.
“Just to spite you, I should say ‘yes’,” Asami replied. “I know what you’re thinking.”
Korra chuckled. Of course she did.
“Seriously Korra. Just so I can keep my body temperature up, I needed at least two suitcases for my outdoor clothes,” Asami replied. “You don’t want the love of your life to freeze to death, do you?”
“That’s why you have me. I’m supposed to be the one to keep you warm,” Korra teased, wiggling her eyebrows.
“Okay Avatar. That works for when we are in this room. But your methods of keeping me warm are not appropriate for outside or in mixed company,” Asami replied with a knowing laugh.
“Ha, ha, ha. You have a point,” Korra agreed with a grin.
Asami had just finished putting the last of her things in the dresser, when she sat on the edge of the bed, watching Korra go through some papers on her desk. She smiled at how relaxed they both were already. It wasn’t easy getting this time away together planned, but she knew it was going to be worth it. This was definitely needed for the both of them.
Suddenly, Asami noticed a change in Korra, even though her back was to her.
“Korra darling, are you okay?” Asami quietly asked. She thought she heard sniffles coming from her girlfriend.
Korra turned around, her eyes red and brimming with tears. She looked at Asami and held out an unfolded piece of paper. Asami recognized it as some of her stationary she used when she wrote letters to Korra during her recovery here.
“You wrote this? I never saw this...,” Korra said as the tears began to stream down her cheeks.
Asami stood up and walked across the room to Korra. She had written so many letters during that time, it could have been any one of them. But when she looked at it closer, Asami’s expression fell. It was the last letter she wrote.
“My Dear Korra,
No matter what the future has waiting for you, I promise I’m all in. Forever.
Love,
Asami”
“You never read this?” Asami asked, even though the answer was obvious. She now knew that Korra had left the South Pole before this letter arrived.
“Not until right now,” Korra said. “When was this?”
“I wrote this after you told me you were coming home. It was my last letter to you,” Asami said. “You were worried that you were still a mess, but I wanted you to know that none of that mattered to me. I just wanted to be with you. That I loved you.”
“So you sent this to me?” Korra was struggling with the letter for some reason.
“Of course I did. It says ‘Love, Asami,’ doesn’t it? Or do you have another Asami in your life besides me?” the engineer teased, raising one eyebrow.
“Please...Don’t make light of this, Asami,” Korra huffed. “If I had seen this back then, I might have come back to you sooner.”
“Oh Korra. Do you really think knowing this back then would have kept your dark avatar manifestions away and healed your depression?” Asami asked. “I know our love is powerful, but I’m not sure that alone could have banished those demons from you.”
Asami then lifted Korra’s chin so their eyes would meet. “But look, we ended up in the right place, didn’t we? Plus, what’s in this letter...is this really something that you don’t already know?”
“I know it now, but back then...if I had stayed behind here just a bit longer...maybe we would have gotten together sooner,” Korra said.
Asami let out a big sigh. “Korra, you still would have needed to spend time with Toph to learn about the poison remaining in your body. Do you think you would have ended up in the swamp with her if you went directly back to me?”
“Maybe?” Korra said sheepishly. “I don’t know...I just hate that we missed so much time together back then. Even now, look how difficult it is to schedule time to spend with you.”
Asami carefully took the letter from Korra’s hands and set it on the desk. Then she took both of Korra’s hands and looked her in the eyes.
“Korra, you have to stop second-guessing your past actions and the what-ifs. All of that doesn’t matter now,” Asami said with pleading eyes. “Don’t you see it? No matter what path we took, you and I would end up together. WE are meant to be. WE were always meant to be an US. Nothing would change that.”
Korra flashed Asami a look, glancing over to the letter on the desk.
Asami rolled her eyes but then smiled back at Korra. “Okay. Maybe some of the paths would have gotten us here a little faster,” Asami said, giving in somewhat. “But it’s our story and no matter how many chapters there end up being in our book, it’s always going to be about how Korra loves Asami and Asami loves Korra. Always...Forever. Every. Single. Page.”
Asami then moved in so their foreheads touched. Asami closed her eyes and smiled.
“I must say it’s been an amazing love story and I’m happy how it’s read so far. I’m even more excited to read what the future chapters hold for us,” Asami said with a quiet but cheerful confidence.
Korra was awestruck. After all this time, she couldn’t believe how Asami was able to say things like this. Of course she was right. Dwelling on the past and choices made wasn’t going to help them right now. Korra needed to enjoy and appreciate what she and Asami had in this moment. After all, it was a long, difficult road getting here. They deserved to enjoy the blessings they have - because there were so many...
Then Korra thought, “Why am I waiting?”
There would never be anyone else but Asami. She was Korra’s everything...always...forever. Why hadn’t it occurred to her before? Korra wanted to spend the rest of her life with Asami. Right then Korra knew what she needed of the beautiful women standing in front of her.
Korra looked into Asami’s gorgeous eyes as their gaze locked. The eyes that belonged to the one person that made Korra feel complete. Without her, Korra would be unable to breathe...Asami was Korra’s air and more...
Still holding Asami’s hands in hers, looking into her love’s green eyes, Korra fell to her knees.
Surprised, Asami let out a gasp.
“Korra! Are you okay? What’s the matter?”
Korra’s eyes were red from the tears, yet a wide smile spread across her face. Korra spoke.
“Asami...nothing’s wrong. Actually, everything...You...couldn’t be more perfect...for me. Asami...I...I love you so much.”
“I love you too,” Asami said, her expression softening, even though she was confused as to where this was going.
Then Korra shifted her position to where she was kneeling on only one knee. She kissed one of Asami’s hands. Asami let out another light gasp as she looked downward at Korra.
Still looking up into Asami’s eyes, Korra asked the question of all questions.
“Asami Sato....will you marry me?”