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Avatar Korra moved through her stances as easy as the flow of the gentle breeze which murmured through the park which bore her name. She still couldn’t believe Asami had done that, much less commissioned the statue at the center of it--but then again, maybe she could. Asami seemed somewhat attached to her, and Korra was starting to really believe the other woman wasn’t about to come to her senses and realize she was dating a hot mess.
She had the greatest girlfriend in the world. Their hearts beat as one. And with the last crisis that nearly killed them both fading behind them, Korra finally had time to relax in the city that her girlfriend was almost done rebuilding. Again.
Korra pivoted as her high, slow kick returned to the ground, again facing the crowd in the park. Once or twice a month, she liked to come and lead citizens through various bending forms. Informally--the press were not welcome, unless they moved through the forms too. And a lot of the people who came weren’t benders at all, much less, of the discipline she was practicing. But it had become something of a cross-cultural event, and a nice meditative activity that kept her in the public’s eye without requiring any heroics.
It also was an occasion where Korra’s location was predictable.
A moped putted to a stop outside the park, the shabbily-dressed young driver hopping off and removing something from the back. Korra barely noticed it, except for the fact that he was looking right at her as he strolled into the park.
And he was carrying a massive bouquet.
The delivery boy weaved between the citizenry, graceless among the smooth waterbending forms, like a crab-salmon trying to swim back up a waterfall. But finally he got to her, clearing his throat. “Avatar Korra?”
“Uh, yeah,” Korra said, raising an eyebrow at him.
He exhaled gratefully, foisting the crimson mass on her. The rose aroma nearly overwhelmed him, and their color made her think of one person.
“There’s a note,” he said helpfully as Korra took a few steps back, well aware of the hundreds of eyes on her. They were thinking of the same person too, she was sure--Republic City gobbled this stuff up.
She fumbled around, finding the little envelope and flipping it open. Sure enough, though the handwriting was somebody from the florist shop, the message was short and clear:
“Korra,
I love you dearly.
--Asami”
Korra rolled her eyes, but couldn’t keep the smile off her face. Mako had gotten her flowers--heck, Bolin had gotten her flowers--but that had been when they were just… figuring things out. She and Asami were a stable couple at this point, but for Asami to take the time to--
A truck stopped right behind the moped. A few moments later, a woman stepped out, walked to the back, and pulled out a massive arrangement of hydrangeas.
‘Awws’ rippled through the crowd. Korra snickered--her girlfriend WOULD work in a failsafe, wouldn’t she? She’d have to make sure to kiss her extra deep ton--
A bicyclist rang his bell, weaving through the now-milling crowd and passing the hydrangea delivery with his own basket full of lilies. The affectionate sounds turned to chuckles, and soon Korra was holding three bouquets and hadn’t the slightest idea where to put them or what to do with them. She could barely see past them, even, and so was surprised by the next two flower deliveries that arrived at the same time.
“Alright,” she cried weakly through the flowers. “Help?”
Women rushed over from the crowd, gushing effusively at the gesture as the street outside the park ground to a standstill from all the deliveries attempting to park.
And then Korra knew.
Asami had literally ordered flowers from every single florist in Republic City.
Tears rolled down her eyes, which she wasn’t embarrassed by at all. She knew Asami loved her but this was just… what was she going to DO with all these flowers?! She didn’t even know what to do with one bouquet!
She sat on the ground, and bouquet after bouquet piled up around her.
This was so like Asami, though! Surprising her with this ridiculous grand gesture when she couldn’t even hide or thank her back or smother her with kisses in return. Was Asami even here? Or was she watching from some building nearby, smiling through binoculars, the sneak?
One thing was for sure though:
This could not go unanswered.
Korra would get her revenge.
Her sweet, romantic, revenge.
Once she was done crying happy tears.
---
It had been weeks since Asami had spent a scandalous sum on her flower assault--and incurred a few fines for impeding traffic flow--and Asami was getting nervous. Korra had come home that night with a single bouquet, including a flower from each order she’d made, and kissed her deeply, and that night had been well worth the sum she’d spent. But Korra hadn’t mentioned it at all since. She’d given her adoring looks, hidden a tiny smile when she thought Asami wasn’t looking.
Asami knew Korra’s countermove was coming, but she had no idea what to expect.
And that just made her feel more neurotic than usual.
Finally, coming home one night, covered in grease and sweat from a long day in the workshop, she hesitated at the door. Would the apartment be full of candles? Had Korra bought more exciting lingerie? She knew she’d gone clothes shopping, but her normal sneaky sources--mainly Opal--refused to tell her anything. No, she’d done that before, this would be something new.
She let out a breath, and entered their home.
“Korra?” she asked, waiting for the blow to land. She stepped in, and saw a figure by the window, and--
Oh sweet spirits.
It took Asami a heavy heartbeat to realize it WAS Korra, looking out their window toward the spirit portal. She’d seen her in a dress before, but not like this . This was tailored, fitting to the curves of Korra’s body, cut low to reveal the muscles of her back, a slit in the skirt to show nearly all of one leg. And heels. Never in her life had she seen Korra in heels .
Korra turned, smiling. Gemstones, blue as her eyes, glittered at the end of elaborate braids, while a string of sapphires dangled down into a neckline that managed the perfect balance between modesty and allure. “Oh, hi, Asami. Long day?”
“Ugrrkk,” Asami replied.
Korra put a silk-gloved hand over her lips. Lipstick? She was wearing lipst--and eyeshadow, too! Perfect eyeshadow, as perfect as Asami usually managed, if not better, and…
“Asami?” Korra asked, reaching toward her with a worried look in her beautiful eyes, a brighter blue than they’d ever been. “Are you okay?”
“You. Pretty.”
Korra snickered. “Well. That was the goal.”
Asami closed her eyes a moment, took a breath. Reacquired the ability to use verbs. “Spirits, Korra. You look…” she raised her hands, realized she’d lost the ability to use adjectives, and just let her hands fall, shaking her head.
“I was a bit surprised myself,” Korra said, peering down. “I got some help haggling--we got the price of the dress down incredibly low, considering the Avatar is modelling it after all.”
Asami gulped, staring. “Korra.”
“I’ve booked a private table at the swankiest restaurant. Believe it or not, I’ve been practicing moving in these heels, so if you’d like to get out on the dance floor--”
“Korra, you have to get out of here.”
She blinked. “What?”
“Either you get out of here and let me clean up, or get out of sight and don’t let me touch you because the moment I do… I can’t promise what I’d do but I doubt the dress would survive.”
Korra pressed her lips together, stifling a laugh. “Okay.” She started to walk, her steps measured but fluid, her heels adding a hypnotic sway to her hips and--
Asami fled into the bedroom, hurling the door shut then leaning against it, catching her breath.
Who had done this? Surely Korra had gotten the spirits to help! She was always beautiful but this. This!
She narrowed her eyes. There was no time to do her hair, but she could wash up. But just any old dress wouldn’t do. She had to bring her strongest game imaginable tonight--because she was going to have the most beautiful woman in the world on her arm. If only she’d had time to plan, she could--
But of course, that was Korra’s plan. Keep her off-balance. Unable to fight back. Helpless.
The way that necklace accentuated her neck, the way her shoulder blades were framed by the cloth…
It was working.
---
The hardest part of all this was keeping a straight face.
Well, and walking. Practice as she had and wide as the heels were, it still took concentration to keep everything moving the way she’d learned. And not bite her lip and demolish her lipstick while doing it. How did Asami manage all this makeup and fashion so effortlessly, all the time? Was it just because she did it all the time?
Asami exited their bedroom, and Korra was--a little put off, at first. She’d expected a flowing red gown, hugging Asami’s body in all of Korra’s favorite places, but instead, she was wearing the gray vest over a pink business shirt and red trousers. A decidedly professional look, and something she’d worn on a day Korra wasn’t particularly fond of remembering.
“I…” Asami started, staring at Korra already. “I thought this outfit could use redeeming. And nobody is going to be looking at me tonight anyway.”
“Oh,” Korra said, dismissing the comment with a wave. “It’s… you do look good in that. Maybe you’re right.” She walked up to Asami and--
They were the same height.
They were the same height.
Korra had dreamed of this.
Asami stared her in the eyes, reaching out hesitantly, resting her hands on Korra’s hips. “You’re absolutely beautiful, Korra.”
“Thank you,” she said, pushing a braid away from her eye, feeling herself blush. She’d been impressed with herself in the mirror, but still felt like she was putting on a show, pretending. Opal had reassured her that Asami would flip and… it looked like maybe she’d been right?
“I…” Asami’s breath came out unevenly, fluttering.
Korra smiled. “We do have a reservation, though. Shouldn’t we head out?”
“Yes! Yes of course. Out. Spirits, the city will be even more jealous of me…” Asami said to herself, then rushed ahead to grab the door and hold it open.
Korra quirked an eyebrow as she walked by, then chuckled as Asami’s eyes crawled all over her.
Oh, yes. This was going to be a fun night.
Asami locked the door behind them, then rushed forward, walking close to her, one arm across Korra’s back, resting against her hip. Usually they held hands, but this felt… different. Not bad, exactly, but… protective. Normally, Korra bristled at anybody protecting her--she was the Avatar , after all--but tonight, dressed as she was, pampered as she felt… tonight, she’d see how it went.
Though if anybody dared start some nonsense the Avatar had to fix tonight, she would not be her normal merciful self. The universe needed to keep that in mind.
Asami led them past the stairs they normally used, straight to the elevator. Korra gave silent thanks--maybe Asami knew how hard stairs were to navigate in heels, or maybe this was part of whatever instinct Korra had awoken in the not-taller-for-the-moment woman. Either way, the ride down was short.
As they waited for the valet, Asami’s arm moved up to Korra’s shoulder, pulling her just a little closer. Korra put a hand on Asami’s hip, looking over at the other woman, those shimmering green eyes, those kissable lips… that neck, so graceful beneath her tousled hair…
She leaned over, kissing Asami beneath the ear. Normally she couldn't get a good angle on it, but now… Asami shuddered at the sudden attention, closing her eyes and making a crooked smile as their car came up.
“Allow me!” Asami said, her words rushing as much as she did on her way to open the passenger door.
“Fashionable gloves don’t mean I can’t use a door handle,” Korra teased, lowering herself onto the seat then pivoting her legs in.
“I… know that,” Asami said, searching for an explanation but finding none. She shook herself, closed the door, then hurried around to the other side. “Where are we headed?”
The drive to the restaurant was short, though Asami’s driving was not as precise as normal as she kept glancing Korra’s way. She was beginning to feel like a hazard, and relishing every minute of it. It was about time Asami knew what it felt like to hang around a woman who looked like she did!
Was she that beautiful? Korra was proud of her body, proud of how strong she kept it, how much she’d been through, but she’d never truly thought of herself in terms of beauty, elegance, or grace. The second two she was working very hard to fake, but the first… maybe she didn’t give herself enough credit? Granted, she’d undergone several hours of professional beauty work to look this way for one night…
Asami swerved back into her lane, hands gripping the wheel. Korra only chuckled.
When they arrived, Asami rushed out of the car, circling to help Korra out--she probably would’ve opened the door if Korra had waited. The valet and several guests walking into the restaurant outright stared at her--but not the way she was used to. Not the simple recognition of celebrity, but assessment. Admiration. Maybe even a little bit of envy?
Korra wrapped her arms around one of Asami’s, smiling at her girlfriend and letting her take the lead. Staff opened the doors for them, and they stepped into the swankiest joint Korra had ever heard of. Crystal chandeliers, a live band playing slow dance music, crimson fire-nation carpets leading up stairs to balconies with tables overlooking the dance floor. They ascended, arm-in-arms, following the maître d' to their table overlooking the dance floor. He was honored, simply honored to have such illustrious guests with them tonight, yadda yadda…
Korra ignored him, but felt all the second-glances she was getting, all the stares following her. She’d thought, trying the dress on, it would make her feel self-conscious. Instead, it made her feel… oddly, more powerful. She always knew she could level whatever building she set foot in if she wanted, but maybe there was something to be said for looking good enough to disarm the room!
They reached their table, and Asami reclaimed her arm, only to pull out Korra’s chair and wait for her. Korra crinkled her nose, snickering. “Why are you acting like this?”
“I… Korra, I’m used to being the most glamorous woman in the room. You put me to shame on your first try. I’m just concentrating so hard on not drooling that I’m falling back on all the ways people usually treat me!”
What could she say to that? She sat, and let Asami help push her in.
Dinner was… surprisingly frustrating. Given this place’s reputation and the price, Korra expected… an actual meal. But instead, she was given plate after plate with three artistically-constructed bites--admittedly delicious, but so drawn out! Still, watching Asami watch her was well worth all the waiting, and her normal Avatar-scarfing probably wouldn’t fit her current getup very well.
“You have a little something…” Asami said, and Korra went rigid. Something out of place? Something on her dress? She really didn’t want to consider a stain on the dress the first night she wore it--
First night? Was she already planning to make this a regular thing?
Asami, staring at her, licked her thumb, then reached across the table, wiping it just under Korra’s lip, then turning the motion to a caress under her chin.
“You’re beautiful,” Asami breathed.
“You make me feel beautiful,” Korra replied. “I figure, it’s only fair you get to see it.”
Asami pulled her napkin from her lap, folding it neatly, then placing it on the table. She stood, reaching a hand down to Korra. “Dance with me.”
“There’s… still more dinner, isn’t there?”
“We can eat whenever we want. Right now, there’s a dance floor below us and I have a whole restaurant to make jealous.”
Korra smiled, putting her hand in Asami’s and allowing herself to be guided to her feet. Murmurs followed them--as well as not-a-few camera flashes, surprising it took that long. She paid them no mind, letting Asami pull them onto the dance floor, which seemed to clear before them. Maybe the restaurant had arranged it, or maybe everybody wanted to watch--or maybe everybody else felt how special this was, too. Whyever it was, they had the whole floor, the whole room, the whole world to themselves. Two hearts beat as one.
She put her hand on Asami’s shoulder, the other one clasping Asami’s waist as the music began.
Asami stepped forward. Miraculously, Korra stepped back with the proper foot, retreating to Asami’s advance. As she’d learned the first time Asami had taught her--at Varrick’s wedding--dance was not actually a dominance game. Dance was a partnership, a relationship of physical trust and unspoken language. The turn of a hip, the shifting of weight, and one body told another what must be done. An adequate follower could dance through a rainstorm and stay dry, if the leader was good.
And Asami, dear Asami, was very good.
But that came as a surprise to no one.
Asami piloted Korra like the expert she was. Their bodies were close enough to feel each other’s heat, hear each other’s breath as Asami sent her into vibrant spins, showy promenades, intimate cuddles--which she assured Korra was the actual name of a legitimate dance step. Cameras continued to flash, but really, each burst of light let her catch a glimpse of herself in her lover’s eyes, and made the night more perfect.
So of course, just as Korra leaned away at the apex of a one-armed throwout, her heel snapped.
The Avatar yelped, tumbling away, but Asami reacted as if she’d seen it coming, hurling herself toward Korra while tightening her grip on Korra’s hand and pulling in. It felt, for a moment, like she was flying, before she came to a rest in Asami’s arms, dipped low over Asami’s knee with her free hand outstretched.
They stared at each other, into each other, panting in sync, trembling. Finally, Korra shifted her legs to be on either side of Asami’s far one, curling herself up against her as she stood. Their breaths were as intermingled as their legs and their hearts, and their eyes only left each other’s to glance toward lips.
“Did you happen to see what was above this restaurant?” Korra murmured, her lips a whisper away from Asami’s.
“I believe it’s a hotel, isn’t it?”
Korra gave the barest of nods, afraid of breaking the spell.
“Avatar Korra, would you like to get a room?” Asami asked.
Korra couldn’t take it any longer. She wrapped her arms around Asami’s neck and gave her a kiss they’d remember forever.
Fanart courtesy of blueskittles-art