The Avatar's Master

13. Reunion

The letter was heavy. Asami wrote a lot, and it made Korra nervous. Part of her wanted to tear it open and read it right away, another part wanted to let it sit until she was emotionally ready to face what could be bad news.

She sat facing the veranda at the coffee table in her room and twirled the sealed envelope on the table with her finger balancing the tip, reflecting on the years she spent in recovery in the South Pole after Zaheer had poisoned her. She got plenty of letters from her friends in Republic City, but her heart always fluttered when one came from Asami. That woman had a way with words. In her darkest times, a letter from Asami had made her smile, and she would never forget that.

It was also around the time Korra started coming to terms with her feelings for the other woman. Occasionally she had touched herself to the thought of pleasuring her, but even after all of the letters and comfort in hard times, she still wasn't sure if Asami felt the same way, nor was she emotionally available to date anyone.

Korra teared open the seal and unfolded the letter – several pages front and back of beautiful print. She held it up to her face and deeply inhaled the scent of the stationery. Perfumey and subtle dusty notes reminded her of the home they shared in the woods outside of the city.

She read.

Dear Korra,

I miss you. Life isn't the same without you here in Republic City. By my side. I am at my little secretary in our home, thinking of you, remembering the time we spent a long weekend in bed making love so much the spirit vines entwined around the bedposts, no doubt drawn to the spiritual connection between us. I know we both felt it, though it never needed saying.

I miss the comfortable silences we shared in front of the fireplace on chilly nights, me reading and you staring off into the fire, working out your thoughts in that pretty little head of yours. I miss that head. And I miss giving and receiving it.

I don't know what came over me the night of our argument, and I don't know why I broke up with you during it. It wasn't something I actually wanted, but what you said hurt and insulted me.

Just how I can't know what it's like to be an all-powerful Avatar and bridge between worlds, you don't know what it's like to run an international company and to have hundreds of people depend on you to feed their families. But what we can both relate to is the fact that we're strong women with power and privilege and responsibilities to a lot of people.

You and I can both be stubborn sometimes, and honestly, that's kinda what I love about you – you stand your ground, you stand up for what you believe is right, and you look absolutely adorable doing it. I admit, I get defensive about certain things – my parents, my business, the woman I love. What I mean to say is A) I reacted, and poorly, but you did too! And B) I would defend you to the end of the world, even if you don't take me back, though I'm really hoping you do....

The letter went on like that – declarations of love peppered in with apologies and the occasional regaling of a memory of the two of them in intimate moments that made Korra's heart ache with longing. Of course she wanted Asami back. It frankly didn't take much more than "I miss you" to convince her.

Korra read the letter again and felt a wave of emotion overcome her, and she tilted her head into the paper and cried. Through all her toughness, she never held back when it came to shedding tears.

She heard the door creaking open and felt a figure's presence behind her, and she quickly wiped her tears with the back of her hand in a pathetic attempt to collect herself before turning around. But when she did, she almost fell over.

There at the door with a very expensive, finely crafted knapsack slung over her shoulder was Asami.

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