Unexpected
She wasn’t sure why she’d gone to Kwongs. Korra hadn’t returned, despite her promise, and as selfish as it was Asami felt hurt. She hadn’t even contacted her to explain why. Asami knew the fate of the world came before their anniversary but a small, selfish part of her didn’t want to believe that, wanted to be put first. Besides, logic never was that effective at trumping emotion. So Asami went to Kwongs and studied the menu, as if it was an invocation that could somehow summon Korra. She sent the waiter away for the second time, taking a sip of water, looking out the window. Kwongs had been rebuilt on the edge of the spirit wild, meaning she had a perfect view of the portal that Korra and she had journeyed through two years ago today. There was a flock of spirits soaring in lazy patterns across the sky tonight, and it made her miss Korra all the more. She saw the waiter hovering, about to make his third attempt to take her order. And then the flock of spirits scattered as something dark punched its way through their midst. It continued its arc, slamming hard into the ground not far from the restaurant. It wasn’t a spirit. And no airbender used the old gliderstaffs for travel any more. In fact, there was only one person Asami could think of in the world that used a gliderstaff. She ran for the door, nearly bowling over the waiter as she did so.
Asami wasn’t exactly dressed for scrambling down the steep slope and over vines in her heels and dress but she couldn’t have cared less.
The figure managed to push itself upright as Asami approached, giving Asami a crooked grin as she dropped to her knees, wrapping her arms around her.
“Am I late?” Korra asked, a little dazed, and Asami just laughed, pulling her into a kiss that Korra returned with enthusiasm. When they broke apart Asami leant back a little. Korra’s hair was wild, there was a nearly healed cut running from her cheek over the bridge of her nose and another crossing her jawline, and she looked dead on her feet. Or she would have, if she was standing rather than sprawling. But she was here. Asami helped Korra upright, fetching the staff for some extra support.
“C’mon, let’s get a cab...”
“Did I forget the reservation?” Korra asked, alarmed.
“No, but...aren’t you tired?”
“Asami, it’s our anniversary. So come on.” She offered Asami her arm.” I’m going to treat you the way I totally would treat you if I my job had a salary and conveniently go to the bathroom when the bill comes.”
The maître d’ gave Korra a stern glare as she approached, and then recognised that she was arm in arm with no lesser personage than Asami Sato and swiftly put on his most welcoming smile. It didn’t matter. Korra was only looking at Asami, and the new, very flattering red dress she had bought for the occasion. If this had been any other occasion Asami would have had words with Korra for turning up to the city’s most exclusive restaurant in her travel and battle stained clothes rather than the dress they’d spent all day picking out, still hung in the wardrobe at home, but this was not one of those days.
Korra slumped into the chair, still grinning.
“Are you hungry?” Asami asked. Korra nodded emphatically.
“Been flying three days. I could eat a whole hippocow. Do they serve whole hippocows?”
Asami rolled her eyes. “No, but you could get...three days, Korra?!”
“It’s a long way,” Korra shrugged. Asami stared at her. “What?” She asked, self-consciously. “I didn’t want to miss our anniversary.”
“...And my airship?”
“Blown out the sky. Combustion bender.” Korra made an explosion noise, with appropriate hand gestures. “Managed to stop the cabin before we hit the ground though, so they think they can fix it, but it was going to take waaay too long. So I figured, have staff, will travel.”
Asami didn’t know what to say, so she just leaned across the table and kissed her again.
Korra never had gotten the idea of refined dining. She enjoyed her food too much for it. Asami could see the genteel disdain from the other tables, and she couldn’t help but laugh as Korra wiped a little sauce off her chin with the back of her hand, somehow managing to appear interested in Asami’s account of the last few weeks of mundane work. Swollen knuckles made manipulating the chopsticks more difficult than it needed to be. Asami reached out, taking a particularly troublesome piece of hippocow and popping it in Korra’s mouth for her.
They got dessert. By the way Korra shovelled it down and went back for seconds Asami didn’t doubt she’d spent the last three days airborne.
Korra had her arm around Asami’s waist as they exited, making their way slowly towards Harmony Tower. They leant against the rails, looking down at the turtleduck boats below.
“Two years,” Korra said thoughtfully. “Well done us.”
“Well done us,” Asami agreed. “Especially given all the little obstacles.”
“Like the fact you seem to have the internal temperature of a glacier.” Korra teased. “How can one person need so many blankets?”
“And you never clean up Naga’s shedding.”
“And people keep trying to kill us.”
“Oh, I don’t know. Nothing cements a bond like facing down oblivion.”
“You saved me from oblivion.” Korra said frankly, turning to look at Asami. “What you did for me...I can never repay you.”
“It’s not the sort of thing you keep score on, Korra.” Asami told her firmly.
“You saved my life, Asami. Su got the poison out, she stopped me dying, but you, you’re the one who saved my life.”
“Kor...” Asami looked at the Avatar. She looked nervous, awkwardly rubbing the back of her neck. “What brought all this on? You ok?”
“Ask me again in five minutes,” Korra said distractedly.
“I’ve been thinking, Asami. And maybe it’s too soon, and maybe we’re too young, but I’m finding it really hard to care about that right now. I love you. I love you so damn much. I can’t imagine my life without you in it. I don’t even want to try. So, well, what I’m saying is...” She turned fully to face Asami, glowing in the light of the tower and the light of the portal. And went down on one knee. One hand went to a pocket under her waist wrap, pulling out a ring and a watertribe necklace. “Asami Sato. Will you marry me?”
Asami’s hand went to her mouth. She looked from the twin engagement bands to Korra’s face. There was no doubt. No hesitation.
“Oh wow. Korra, yes. Yes!”
Korra’s cheer would have shamed Bolin. She sprang up, wrapping her arms around Asami’s midriff and picking her up right out of her heels, twirling her round without a care as to who was watching.
Bolin bought a copy of the Republic Times. They were lucky to find a copy out here and he wanted to know the pro-bending results. He didn’t even check the front page until he’d fully caught up on the scores. Almost the entire picture was of Korra and Asami, a slice of pure, unrestrained joy. And across the top, in the biggest lettering possible; “Avatar and Asami Sato: Gal Pals for Life?”