Did someone say turn up the angst? Because I'm pretty sure I heard that 😝, here's book three, be warned, things aren't looking so good this time around. It takes place right after book three, instead of during it because let's be honest book three was really busy.
"Ohhh, honey!" Su gasped as she grinded herself on his dick. Her hands pushed against his chest and she felt herself coming undone. When she did, she collapsed on top of him.
"That felt good," he said, running a hand through her hair.
"Mhmmm." She hummed. After everything that had gone down with Zaheer Suyin had found herself to be particularly busy. There was pressure on her to "assume the throne" of the Earth Kingdom. There was a knock at the door and she sighed, pulling herself from her husband and slipping on a robe to answer it. Kuvira stood on the other side, her eyes dark with fatigue. Su had recognized her own feeling of tiredness in the guard, both of them had been overwhelmed. Su tried her best to block the view of her room, but she knew Kuvira would put it together. She was in a bath robe instead of formal ones for spirits sake.
"Yes?" Su said after a moment of silence.
"Theres someone here, he wants to talk to you."
"Tell him to come back later."
"I'm tried that."
"Kuvira-"
"Suyin, please. My shift ended half an hour ago, I need to get home." Su sighed nodding her head.
"Alright, but I need to talk to you later."
"Talk?" Kuvira asked, a hint of hope in her voice.
"Yes. Talk."
"Fine, I'll be down at the studio after six, come if you want." Su nodded, closing the door as Kuvira left.
"Who was that?" Bataar asked from the bed.
"Kuvira."
"She doing okay? She seems a little... off lately." Su nodded, taking off her bath robe and putting on her formal ones.
"Shes tired. We all are. This whole thing has given Zaofu so much more responsibility than we are capable of."
"I know. We'll get through it." She leaned in as he kissed her cheek, fixing her hair before leaving to see which guests were here to bother her today.
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Kuvira kicked the metal totem she had created, stopping just short of it to prevent injury. She huffed, attacking the totem again, except this time she didn't catch her punch and let her knuckle cause a vibration in the metal.
"Fuck!" She exclaimed, gripping her wrist with her other hand. Blood dripped down from her knuckles and her hand began to swell up. She looked at the pole, wanting to punch it again for hurting her, just so she could deny it was her own fault for a little longer. She sifted through her bag, pulling out wraps to bind her wrist with, and stopping the blood when the jingle of the door chimes rang. As expected, Suyin stepped inside, the sound of her heels clicking on the floor.
"Kuvira?"
"Hey," she said dismissively.
"What are you doing?" Suyin began to run when she saw the blood on her bandages. "What did you do?"
"I miscalculated."
"Does it hurt?" Su asked holding her wrist gently. Of course it fucking hurts!
"Not really. Just annoying is all." Su clicked her tongue, letting go of the younger girls arm, which Kuvira frowned at. They stood there in silence for a moment as they cleaned up the blood. Su insisted Kuvkra douse it in cold water so she went over to the locker room, sitting on the sink counter and holding her arm under the faucet. Shortly after, Su joined her, leaning up against the lockers, watching as the blood was wept away with water.
"So.." Kuvira started, "you.. uh, you're with Bataar again."
"Kuvira-"
"Its fine... Su. I told you that, didn't I? I mean I always suspected you guys were... whatever, but knowing it feels different."
"He is my husband."
"What am I?" Su looked the floor. Kuvira pulled her arm out from under the water and held it to her chest.
"You're..."
"A good fuck? You're... mistress?"
"No!"
"Then what, Su? I have been really patient, and I have given you time and space and I never asked you to do more than spend the night with me. I never asked for you to label us. But... if this is ending, I need to know what we're ending."
"Who said we're over?"
"Come on, Su, open you're eyes. You're riding his dick again, we're busy trying to rebuild the earth kingdom. We work together everyday but we don't actually see each other." Su didn't respond, she just looked to the ground, swallowing her words.
"Kuvira I..." Kuvira waited crossing her arms. "I have to go to an Earth Kingdom settlement tomorrow, locals are making demands, and threats. I want you there with me." Kuvira scoffed, nodding.
"So you're just going to ignore me again? Bring up business like you always do."
"Thats not what this is."
"Sure, Su. Sure. Call me if you want something else." She pushed past the Matriarch, ignoring Suyin's longing look as she left.
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"I don't get it, Bataar. She has the entire Earth Nation at her disposal, she can raise it to be whatever she wants. The people will listen to her, she could make the Earth Kingdom into a powerful Empire."
"I don't get it either, I've tried talking to her, but we both know how my mother won't talk." Kuvira rolled her eyes. Bataar had become her leaning post recently, he understood her ideas, not like Su did.
"It's going to crumble, and it will all come down on Zaofu, she'll see." Kuvira said, taking a swig of her iced tea.
"I don't know if it can crumble anymore."
"It can. Just wait." She said, looking toward the Zaofu domes.
___________________________________________
The peaceful negations at said Earth Kingdom settlement were not going well. Su sighed, for probably the eighth time, in frustration at the locals ridiculous demands. She could feel Kuvira rolling her eyes behind her, and it took all of her will for Su not to roll her own.
"We want provisions, enough for the whole town."
"And I told you, we'd be happy to help with that, but Zaofu can't just provide handouts. Or every village within a ten kilometer radius will make the same demands." The brute at the end of the table looked to the woman next to him and nodded. Su hadn't expected the brief audience with the local yesterday to lead to this.
"That won't work." He said gruffly.
"Why not?"
"Because we can't spare the soldiers."
"So I'll send extra." She argued.
"You won't come yourself?" He asked, standing up and leaning over the table.
"I have more responsibilities, trust me you'll be in good hands." He looked again to the woman, sad they exchanged a gesture.
"We agree to these terms."
"Oh thank the spirits. I'll send a team out in a few days."
"A few days? We need it now!"
"What? I haven't had any time to prepare, if this to be-"
"You altered the deal!"
"We didn't discuss that in the deal!" She growled back, meeting his face over the table. They glared at each other, daring each other to back down.
"Give me two days." Suyin huffed, "and you can feed your village."
"Fine. I expect them at dawn."
"Fine." Theh separated, neither meeting the other in the eye.
"Lets go, Kuvira," Su said, retreating out the small building.
"That could've gone better."
"Its no use arguing with people who have been cast into chaos, its like they don't remember what civility is like."
"They're hungry, and tired," Kuvjra reasoned, "they don't see anything past the promise of a good meal. Give them time." Su side eyed her so Kuvira backed off. The made their way back to the jeep they had arrived in, when Su sensed something behind them.
"Kuvira!" She shouted. But it was too late, her guard had already anticipated the attack, and she dove in front of the Matriarch, landing in the dirt with an oomph. Su bent down, gripping her arm all the while casting back a volley of stones.
"I'm fine," Kuvira groaned, sitting up. "Caught it in the armor."
"We need to get out of here!" Su said, pulling up a Boulder to protect them.
"Get out of here? Su they attacked us."
"So?"
"So, we offered to help them, and they tried to kill you. The Zaofu I know wouldn't allow this. Especially not to the Matriarch. Su looked to the sky where their barrier had broken under another attack. She was plagued with uncertainty, Kuvira had a point, they attacked first, they had every right to defend themselves. But she didn't want Zaofu to come off as hostile. Fuck, Suyin, just make a decision. She found an answer in Kuvira's eyes, the younger girls irises were alight with passion Su hadn't seen in a while. The same sort of hunger and power she would use on Su in supply closets or the dance hall locker room.
"Okay, let's do it. But just try to detain them alright?"
"Huh, you're telling me to to detain them?"
"What are you insinuating?"
"Suyin, I remember P'li"
"That was very different."
"Was it?"
"Can we not argue this now?"
"Right. I'll get the left the three, two on the right are yours."
"Why do you get three?"
"I was hoping to show off a little." Su snorted as Kuvira winked, breaking their cover and casting a metal shard from her armor to their opponents.
"Here goes nothing." She whispered to herself.
Kuvira side stepped, smirking at her opened lousy shot. Clearly, the earthbenders here were poorly trained, if at all. A shame, really, they could learn a thing or two from her. It didn't take long for her to trap a younger lad with a metal brace around his arms to the ground. He fought to break free but she tightened the bindings. The man Su had been arguing with reared up to her, a power player, she derived. He kicked a large Boulder in the air, one large enough even Kyoshi would be impressed. She split it through the center with a motion of her hand and it fell to the ground. He growled and she stuck a tongue out at him.
"That the best you got?" She asked, pulling another steel shard from her sleeve.
His eyes widened in fear as she launched the shard his way, dooming him to the same fate as the younger boy. She admired her handiwork for a moment, casting a look to Su, who had no problem with her opponents, currently hurling harsh words their way. She smirked, turning to face her last opponent, but that was where she messed up. The woman, who had echoed Kuvira's presence at the meeting had taken advantage of her distraction, as she lunged at her, a dagger in her hand. Kuvira stumbled in shock, a searing pain entering her abdomen and she pulled a rock from beside her, smashing the stone into her skull. She laid on the ground as the body before her went limp. The taste of blood filled her mouth and she spat in the dirt, the red liquid plastering itself to her element.
"Kuvira!" Su shouted, dashing over to her. Su stared at the limp body of the woman, bloodied dagger next to her.
"Su, we need to go." Kuvira said, getting up.
"Wha-? What happened?"
"Suyin, we need to leave now."
"Kuvira, is she dead?"
"Fuck! I don't know, Su. We need to go!" Su pulled her attention off the body and made her way to the jeep. The crowded village began to make their way to the defeated, using their hands to pry open their metal restraints.
"Drive!" Kuvira yelled and Su stepped on the pedal.
They drove down a back rode where they wouldn't be easily followed when Kuvira let a painful gasp escape her.
"Whats wrong?" Su asked.
"Its nothing." The Matriarch looked over, immediately noticing the blood stains on Kuvira's uniform and stepping in the brake.
"You're hurt."
"No I'm not, I'm fine!"
"Kuvira-"
"Su! I said I'm fine, its just a scratch." Kuvira gripped her abdomen, placing the tattered piece of her uniform on the wound. It didn't take long for the forest green fabric to soak a deep red with her blood.
"Spirits sake, Kuvira you were stabbed!" Su looked at Kuvira, lightly (but not really) slapping her.
"Ow!"
"Well you should have let me help you."
"Su I can-" she was cut off by her own gasp of pain as Su applied pressure to the wound. Kuvira rolled on her side, trying to stop the other woman from doing anything.
"Damn it, Kuvira, just let me take a look!"
Kuvira reluctantly let her pull aside the fabric. Su frowned, clicking her tongue.
"We need to get you out of the car, so you can lay down."
"This can wait until we get back."
"Kuvira, as your Matriarch and boss I demand you let me move you. I will not have you dying on this trip. It was supposed to be peaceful." Kuvira bit her lip, looking away and nodding. Su hopped around to the other side, helping the younger girl get out of the car and leaning her against a rock next to a small stream.
"I need to patch it with something." Su thought out loud.
"I just need to rest, can we please go back to Zaofu?" Su bent a strip of metal and covered the younger girls mouth with it.
"Stop. I'm doing this. I don't know what you're trying to prove by fighting me, Kuvira. If we don't stop this bleeding you'll die out here, okay?." She stared at her momentary hostage until Kuvira nodded, and Su relented, allowing her to use her mouth again. Suyin frowned as her makeshift cast was already drenched in blood, Kuvira had turned a ghastly pale.
"I'm going to stitch it."
"Stitch it? Do you even-"
"Yes. Well, I did it once. But it went well. Just... trust me, Kuvira, please." Kuvira's eyes darkened and she nodded.
"I trust you." Su sat with her knees on either side of Kuvira's legs, leaning into the wound and pulling away the wet fabric. She tried to keep a plain face and instill Kuvira with hope, but it was hard. She bent one of the metal adornments on her robe into a thin string, pointing it at the end and preparing to puncture the sensitive flesh surrounding Kuvira's stab.
"This is going to hurt." Su warned, and Kuvira nodded, more frantically this time. Su slowly laced the steel thread into her skin, feeling the younger girl tense up beneath her. Su tried to ignore her wincing, and cries of pain as she wove in and out of the skin.
"Su stop, please!" Kuvira was sobbing, and Su wanted to stop, to just hold her and make her feel comfortable but she couldn't. She had already lost so much blood... she couldn't waste anymore time.
"Its almost done, I promise just a few more." Kuvira's knees threatend to push her off but Su remained sturdy, fighting her own tears at the younger girls cries.
Su pushed her makeshift stitch through the last patch of skin and Kuvira's cries went quiet. She tied a knot, not daring to look up, terrified of the lack of crying. When the not was tied and the stitch was cured she pressed a palm to Kuvira's jaw, slowly looking at her. The younger woman's eyes were closed and her head was tilted back, supported only by the rock behind her. Su wrapped her arms around her, pulling her into a hug simultaneously listening to her breathing. When she confirmed she was indeed breathing, she leaned back with a sigh, holding onto Kuvira's hand. After a while, when the sun began to go down she repositioned herself so Kuvira's head was on her lap and her back was against the rock. She stroked her hair, her eyes filled with concern.
"Kuvira you need to get up." No response. "Kuvira its getting dark out." Still nothing. She leaned down, kissing her softly on the cheek.
"I love you," she whispered.
___________________________________________
Kuvira awoke with revolting pain in her head and abdomen. She attempted to stand, only to feel immediately nauseous. She resisted the urge to throw up on the floor, instead sitting back down.
"I know, please, can we discuss this later?" She turned to see Suyin pushing open the door, greeting her with a smile.
"How are you feeling?" Su asked, sitting next to her.
"Not good." She replied, clutching her stomach. Su reached over, picking up a small waste basket which Kuvira took hastily. She cringed as Su rubbed her back, throwing up seven times before collapsing back on the bed.
"That feel good?"
"Suprisingly, yes." Su scoffed, her fingers tugging at the bottom of Kuvira's tank top.
"What are you doing?" Kuvira asked, eyeing her.
"Relax, I'm just checking the wound." Kuvira watched as Su looked at her abdomen, frowning as her cold fingers traced over her wound.
"Am I... in your house?" Kuvira asked, looking to the high ceiling.
"My room, actually." Kuvira widened her eyes, looking to Su with a grin.
"You know, under different circumstances this would be kind of a turn on." She remarked.
"Shhh, someone might hear you." Su said evidently unaware of the grin she held on her own face. Su pulled her shirt back down and Kuvira sat up.
"Can I get you anything?" Su asked, standing up.
"Food and a warm shower?" Kuvira teased.
"The chef is on it, as for the shower... bathrooms through there." Su gestured to a door a few feet away.
"Oh. Uh, thanks." Kuvira stood up, taking a painful step and gasping.
"Fuck." She exhaled. Su ran up to her, catching her as she stumbled.
"You okay?"
"Yeah I'm f-"
"If you say fine I will slap you again." Kuvira scoffed, nodding.
"No, It hurts like hell, Su."
"Let me help you then."
"You don't have help to do this? I don't mind."
"Relax, Kuvira. Besided, I'd rather be able to watch you."
"Creepy, but alright." Thdh closed the door to the bathroom, and Su closed the toilet seat so Kuvira could sit while she stripped off her clothes. Su looked away modestly, her eyes wandering the bathroom.
"Its not like you haven't seen me naked before," Kuvira said.
"Hmm? Oh I know I just-" she paused when Kuvira stood up, a pink flush appearing on her cheeks.
"Su?"
"Yeah?"
"Can you, uh... help me get in?"
"Uh, yeah." Su wrapped one arm around her waist, placing the other under her elbow as she helped Kuvira up the ledge to the shower. The water sprayed her robes, but she ignored it, making sure the younger girl was stable before closing the shower door.
"Su?" Kuvira called.
"Yeah?"
"Can you stay close by? Just in case?"
"I'll be right outside."
"Thank you."
___________________________________________
3 Weeks Later
"Suyin, please, the Earth Kingdom has been in shambles for weeks, it needs someone to guide it. You have the proper abilities, education."
"Tenzin, I appreciate the offer, but I'm not looking to run an entire nation, I have my hands full with Zaofu."
"It doesn't have to be permanent, as soon as the Prince is of age you will be relieved."
"We all know that's not going to happen, The Earth Nation won't go back to a monarchy once its gotten a taste of freedom." Tenzin scowled, and Su leaned back in her chair. Lin and Raiko stood behind him, she half expected her sister to say something, to urge her to take the offer, prove she was responsible, but the words didn't come from her.
"Su, please." She turned slowly at Kuvira who stood behind her.
"Kuvira?"
"I know this isn't what you want. But you saw what it was like out there, this people need to be brought back to order. They need food, water and I have no doubt they will jump at the opportunity to get it. Su, I know its a lot, but Zaofu continues to be threatened by those.. thugs. Criminals." Suyin stated at her, unsure whether she should be angry, or concerned. Kuvira placed a hand over that spot on her abdomen, a silent reminder of what happened.
"The people are willing to kill to get what they want, is that really something you can ignore?"
"Yes, in fact, I have elected to ignore it over again, because I don't own those people. Justice is their responsibility."
"Mom, you can be serious-"
"I am, serious, Bataar."
"Is that all?" Su asked, glaring at Kuvira.
"Yes." She turned back to Tenzin, resting her elbows on the table.
"I can't do it, I'm sorry, find someone else." She stood up, brushing past Kuvira, shouldering her on the way out. She felt the glare of her associates on her back as she left. She closed the door behind her, whopping around to yell at Kuvira for not recognizing her place, only to find that she wasn't there.
___________________________________________
"Is Bataar here?" Kuvira asked.
"Kuvira. Why should I tell you?" Su asked bitterly.
"Look, Su, I know we have had our transgressions in the past, but please, I'm trying to accomplish something here. Now get out of my way, or help me." Su glared at her angerly. How dare she show up on her doorstep, as for her son and then hurl backhanded insults her way.
"You made your choice, Kuvira. If Zaofu isn't enough for you then you don't belong here." Kuvira scoffed, her eyes wandering around the Beifong estate.
"You might be right, Su. I planned on staying in Zaofu forever, not because I wanted too, but because I had a reason. Since you've removed yourself from the equation... I have the freedom to do as I please." Suyin took Kuvira by the collar, holding her there as the younger metalbender remained firm.
"You can still stay," she pleaded, "its not to late to back down."
"So tell me, then. Tell me we aren't over. I know you felt the same way about me as I did you. Say it, and I'll stay." Su bit her lip, looking to Kuvira, and then past her to the Twins who were walking up the driveway.
"Say it, Su. And I'll drop this. I'll stay in Zaofu and we can fuck till we're dead. I can hold you, like I did on my birthday. We can go back to the supply closet rendezvous and after practice shower sex. Just admit it. I need to know I'm not crazy."
"Kuvira..."
"You said it once, didn't you? I was passed out in the woods, you stitched me up and I heard it. You told me you loved me! Or was that only because you thought I wasn't listening?" Su bit her lip, tears forming in the corners of her eyes.
"Kuvira let's talk somewhere else please!"
"I'm done talking! All you do is talk, but you never listen! Fuck, it's like I've been telling you from the beginning, things are dangerous out there, Su. But you wouldn't listen, and I paid for it. So I'm done talking, until you have the guts to come and apologize to me." Kuvira pushed past her, wiping a sole tear with the back of her hand as she marched down the hallway.
"Bataar!" She yelled, and the man she was looking for appeared from a corridor.
"Kuvira? What are you doing here?"
"I came to get you. I wanted to ask if you would come with me."
"Come with you?"
"Yes, help me rebuild the Earth Nation, make it into something worth fighting for. Just the two of us." She looked back at Suyin, who cried on her knees in the doorway.
"Kuvira... yes. I.. I would love nothing more."
"Great, let's go."
"Hold on, I have some plans we should take with us." She waited as he sprinted down the stairs, returning with worn blue paper, the familiar word dud written on the side of it, in her writing.
"I though we scrapped that one a year ago?" She asked.
"We did, but seeing as Harmonic convergence has brought a new era of spiritual energy I figured it was worth reopening." Kuvjra grinned, offering a nod of approval.
"This is why we are friends," she said, "let's go, there's an airship waiting to take us to Ba Sing Se."
Okay, first of all, I know it escalates quickly, but I plan to do some fill in the blanks for the finale. It will have a fair share of flashbacks as well as post-empire Suvira. Thanks again for reading, and I hope you like it