A/N: This is the start of my newest project that I'm writing along with SimplyKorra. This fic is set between Book 3 and 4, and will follow along with Book 4 when it gets there. It's our interesting twist on what could have happened in the three year gap...

Two months.

That's how long Korra had been gone, back to the Southern Water Tribe to recover. Asami had written her a letter every day in that time. She'd never received a response, but part of her hoped that Korra found some comfort in the letters. She'd given up hoping for a response after the first month. She knew it took a few days for the letters to arrive, but if she was going to hear from Korra she would have already. Asami didn't hold it against her, Korra needed to focus on recovery. That still didn't take away the suffocating feeling of loneliness Asami experienced.

Mako was constantly working with the police force, and in the two months time she'd rarely seen him. She hadn't seen much of Bolin either, for that matter. The only time she had any real company was if she visited Air Temple Island. But she always felt like she was imposing on Tenzin and his family, as an outsider, so she kept her visits brief whenever she went. Mako and Bolin's family were living in her mansion, though she didn't mind so much. Someone needed to take advantage of all that space. She knew she couldn't. The house was too large and too empty for her by herself, the rooms full of the ghosts of the life she'd had before.

So Asami was alone. She dealt with it as best she could, and keeping herself swamped in work had helped alleviate the loneliness, to an extent. It made her nights long, often she fell asleep exhausted at her desk because if she climbed into her bed her mind would wander and she was unable to silence her thoughts. If she kept herself busy, she could direct her focus away from her problems, away from Korra.

She'd kept her affection, her love for Korra to herself. It was necessary. She'd helped Korra in any way she could while she was recovering on Air Temple Island, and had even been willing to drop everything to join Korra at the South Pole, had Korra just said the word. But Korra had turned down the offer. As much as Asami didn't like it, she couldn't help but understand. Korra needed to get better, and Asami needed to give her the space and support to do just that. She couldn't let herself dwell on it. Korra was in the Southern Water Tribe, and from what Tenzin had told Asami, she wasn't making any improvements. Some days Asami wondered if Korra would recover at all. She hoped, for both their sakes, that she would. But she wouldn't let her thoughts linger on Korra for too long, or she'd be miserable. Work helped.

Work, distracting herself, was how Asami found herself in Zaofu. Suyin and Bataar Sr. had sent her a message, requesting her help improving the domes. Or rather, to increase the speed with which they closed, to make them more efficient city-wide. The old design was fine, as Bataar Sr. insisted, but Suyin wanted to make the job a little easier on the city-guards. Asami had agreed immediately, and had taken her airship the next day to the city. She enjoyed being in Zaofu, Suyin and Bataar Sr. had always treated her like a family member during the time she'd spent there with Korra and the others during the hunt for the airbenders.

The first days there were spent drawing designs with Bataar Sr. and Jr., and she decided later in the day that she was going to get a jumpstart on updating the mechanics herself while they slept. It would keep her busy, and they could help her with whatever was left in the morning.

'Just get the job done,' is what Asami had told herself when she set out after dinner with her tools, 'Keep yourself busy.'

Kuvira took a deep breath, taking in the night air as she tilted her head back and closed her eyes. It was past midnight, if only just, and Kuvira was ready for her shift to end so that she could go home and go to bed. It had been a trying few days, especially working with Su. The two of them were beginning, for the first time in Kuvira's memory, to truly disagree about the state of Zaofu and its policies. Su could help the crumbling Earth Kingdom, but wasn't, and it didn't sit right in Kuvira's gut. She'd almost made up her mind to do something about it.

She opened her eyes and sighed before she set out to do one last lap around the outskirts of the Beifong's estate, her last area for the night before she went back to the center of the city to wait out the rest of her shift. The courtyard was still scarred from the fight with the lavabender Ghazan, and Kuvira hated the sight of it, even in the darkness. It made her remember that she'd almost failed. The Red Lotus had almost taken the avatar, almost injured Zaofu citizens, including the Beifongs themselves. Maybe she even hated herself for the near-failure, but Su and Bataar Sr. had assured her she had done the best she could. She didn't agree.

She was passing behind the meteorite garden when she heard it. It was a faint, metallic clicking sound. She craned her neck to try to locate the source of the sound, eventually deciding that it was coming from near the base of the dome overhead, somewhere off to her right. Kuvira followed the noise as a frown spread across her face.

The pathway under the edge of the dome was illuminated, and when she was finally in sight of it, Kuvira saw a woman hunkered down on her knees, working diligently on one set of gears that were used to raise and lower the domes each day. What is she doing?

"Ah," Kuvira was relieved it didn't seem serious, "I thought I heard noise from over here."

The woman jumped slightly, but she lifted her head up and smiled tiredly up at Kuvira. Kuvira was taken aback by how green her eyes were. It was a shade she hadn't seen before, and it was a sight she didn't mind seeing.

"Sorry," She sighed, "I was getting some work done, since I couldn't sleep."

Work? This must be Asami. I wonder why she's working without both Bataars. What's she doing up here anyway?

She remembered Asami, if only in passing, from the time she'd spent in Zaofu with the avatar. She's still looking at me. What did she say? Sorry, she said she was sorry.

"It's fine," Kuvira smiled, "I'm not going to arrest you or anything. It's just late and the sound was…unusual. Out of the routine."

"Well, if you arrest me I might actually get some sleep," Asami sighed, "I'm Asami, by the way."

"Kuvira."

"The guard captain, right?"

"The very same," Kuvira nodded, still smiling.

"Well I definitely don't want to get in trouble with you then," Asami shook her head.

"You won't," Kuvira promised, "What're you doing up here, anyway?"

"Bataar Sr. and Suyin wanted the domes to open and shut easier…faster," Asami explained, "It'll make it easier for the city guard to do their job each day, and make it a little safer, I suppose. I'm getting a head start since I can't sleep. What I'm doing is I'm prepping the gears…"

She continued talking, but Kuvira wasn't listening. She wasn't able to. She nodded along every few words to show interest, but was completely drawn in by how Asami's eyes had brightened, eager to actually discuss what she was doing in-depth. She came back to her senses after a couple of minutes, noticing that Asami had stopped talking, and was looking at Kuvira with one eyebrow raised.

"You didn't understand…any of that, did you?" Asami asked, and Kuvira just blinked at her and shook her head.

"Not a word," Kuvira told her, not admitting she hadn't been listening, "But you were excited about it. That's what matters. You remind me of Bataar."

"Which one?"

"Take your pick," Kuvira smirked.

Asami laughed, and Kuvira felt a tugging in her chest. The sound was intoxicating, almost like a melody. She decided immediately that she wanted to hear it again. Anything to have it paired with that smile.

"That's what brought you to Zaofu, huh?" Kuvira motioned at Asami's work as she spoke, "Well you definitely seem to know your stuff. What is it that you do, exactly?"

"I own my own company," Asami shrugged, "It's mostly manufacturing. Cars, military grade weapons, stuff like that."

"All that on your own?" Kuvira was impressed, and she nodded in approval, "That's really something."

"Thanks." Kuvira thought she saw the hint of a blush on Asami's cheeks, but she didn't have time to dwell on it before Asami continued, "How have things been here in Zaofu since the Red Lotus?"

"Pretty good," Kuvira admitted, "Same old, same old. I'm pretty worried about the rest of the Earth Kingdom, but Zaofu is as fine as ever."

Asami nodded before she began packing her things away, and Kuvira watched her intently, folding her arms behind her back. She's a guest. Su's guest.

"I should probably get back," Asami sighed, "You've got work to do, I'm sure."

"This is work," Kuvira chuckled, swallowing a moment later when she saw Asami smiling at her, "This is the most eventful night I've had in weeks. So don't let me interrupt."

Asami laughed again, and Kuvira grinned to herself knowing she was once again the cause. This is nice.

"You're telling me the guard captain is bored?" Asami's smile was playful, though laced with tiredness, and Kuvira had a brief moment of feeling drunk before she shrugged.

"When you fall into a routine, if it doesn't change, you get bored. It's what happens. I'm just glad I'm here to keep everyone safe if something were to happen. I'm always mentally preparing myself for 'what if' scenarios."

"That's not necessarily bad," Asami admitted, "At least you're prepared. I do that too. I try to predict-."

"Any potential failures," Kuvira finished. She knew too well.

Asami's smile faltered slightly, and she nodded. She held Kuvira's gaze for a moment before looking over in the direction of the guest houses in the distance.

"Here," Kuvira offered, "I'll walk you to your room. How's that sound?"

"Personally escorted by the guard captain?" Asami grinned and arched one eyebrow, "I didn't know I had such a high status in Zaofu society."

"You're Su's guest," Kuvira shrugged, "Of course you do."

"Well I won't turn down the offer," Asami chuckled, "The company is appreciated either way, since it's so dark."

"Good," Kuvira smiled, "Let me take your tools for you, and you lead the way."

Asami nodded once and handed Kuvira the bag of tools, and the pair of the set off together toward the guest houses. Kuvira made sure she was an arm and a half's length away from Asami out of respect for her space, but the short walk was amiable, to say the least.

"Is being on the Zaofu guard always this thrilling?" Asami asked as they approached the guest homes, "Escorting innocent visitors?"

"You could say that," Kuvira laughed, "We don't do much. Zaofu is very safe, low crime rate, if any."

"Sounds like the place to be," Asami smiled, "Better than Republic City, anyway. What made you want to join the guard?"

"You really ready for that long story?" Kuvira smirked.

"I asked, didn't I?"

The next two hours practically flew by as the two of them stood there outside and talked. Kuvira told Asami of how she came to join the Zaofu guard, and in turn, Asami told Kuvira about how she'd become the CEO of Future Industries after her father's arrest. When she sensed Asami's discomfort with the topic, Kuvira let Asami change the subject naturally, transitioning into a discussion about the Satomobile line. Asami seemed particularly passionate about the cars, and Kuvira found herself intrigued. There were no cars in Zaofu, which was Suyin's choice, but Kuvira had always thought they were fascinating. So she listened with rapt attention as Asami went on and on about them, and Kuvira felt comfortable enough asking questions about bits that particularly interested her.

Talking to Asami was easy, that much was for certain, and Kuvira enjoyed it immensely.

"You must have to beat people off with a stick," Kuvira eventually told Asami with a grin, "Brains and beauty? You must have people lined up out the door to fight for your attention."

"You might think that," Asami chuckled, "But I spend most of my nights alone with my blueprints and my bathtub."

"Well," Kuvira shrugged a little, deciding to make an offer, "How about tomorrow you do things a little differently, and have dinner with me instead?"

"Dinner, huh?" Asami raised one eyebrow, "I'm guessing that if it's a date, it doesn't include the bathtub."

"It does if there's an invitation for it," Kuvira smirked. She felt confident in herself. She was interested, there was no denying it. But she didn't want to push it.

"I guess we get to see how dinner goes." Asami's grin could have killed her. Kuvira only nodded.

"Do you have any tips for me about dating the CEO of Future Industries?" Kuvira's smirk still felt prominent, and she watched as Asami bit her lip ever so slightly before shrugging.

"More of this," Asami finally said, smiling before motioning between them.

"That's definitely something I can manage," Kuvira promised. If it came as easily over dinner as it did now, the discussion would undoubtedly flow freely between them.

"Good. I'll see you at seven?"

"I'll be here." Kuvira nodded, extending her hand toward Asami.

When Asami took her hand, Kuvira smiled, bowing slightly before pressing a chaste kiss to the back of Asami's palm.

When she looked at Asami again, Asami was blushing, but she smiled all the same.

"I see they do things a little differently here in Zaofu," Asami said quietly, the blush making her cheeks even more vibrant.

"I know how to handle my manners around beautiful women," Kuvira told her before bowing her head slightly to be polite, "Goodnight, Asami."

"Goodnight, Captain," Asami nodded with a smile, "I'll see you tomorrow."

Kuvira's breath caught ever so slightly at Asami's calling her 'Captain', and she folded her arms behind her back and waited until Asami shut the door behind her before she made her way back through the meteorite garden. She had a shift to finish, but she couldn't help but feel pleased with herself and the prospect of the date that waited on her. I've got some planning to do.

Asami would be lying if she said she wasn't looking forward to having dinner with Kuvira. She was glad to have someone to talk to, and she didn't find the flirting to be off-putting at all. Kuvira was nice, Asami thought. She saw no harm in getting to know her better.

By the time seven rolled around, Asami was just finishing getting ready. She was starting to fasten the zipper on the back of her dress when Kuvira knocked on the door, and she stepped over quickly to open it.

Kuvira was standing with her back to the door, clad in her guard uniform though she had removed the metal armor and had donned a coat on as well. She had one arm folded behind her back, and Asami saw that she was wearing a pair of gray and white gloves. Kuvira turned her head to look over her shoulder when she heard Asami open the door, and when she saw Asami she grinned. She turned around a moment later, a small bouquet of flowers in her hand.

"Asami," Kuvira bowed her head slightly before casting an extremely brief glance down the length of Asami's dress, "You look stunning."

"Flattery, Captain," Asami smiled, "You don't look so bad yourself."

"Smart, beautiful, and modest," Kuvira chuckled, and it made heat begin to rise up the back of Asami's neck, "I brought you some flowers."

Asami took them when Kuvira offered them out to her, and her smile got a little brighter.

"Thank you, Kuvira. I'll take them inside and we can go—oh, do you care to zip my dress up? I was in the middle of doing it when you knocked-."

Kuvira's eyebrows rose momentarily, and she clearly hadn't expected to be asked that. But she nodded after a moment, and Asami watched with interest as Kuvira brought one hand up to her mouth and unceremoniously pulled one of the gloves off with her teeth. The gesture was intriguing to say the least, and once Kuvira's hand was exposed Asami turned around, pulling her hair to one side so that Kuvira could fasten the zipper for her.

Kuvira was still a step behind her, and Asami knew Kuvira was respecting her boundaries. She appreciated it, truly, though it wasn't something she was used to. When Kuvira finished, Asami took a step back inside the room to place the flowers on the nightstand. When she returned outside, Kuvira had taken off the other glove as well, and was stuffing them in the pocket of her coat as she waited.

"Ready to go?" Asami asked, closing the door behind her as she stepped outside.

"Only if you are," Kuvira grinned, offering Asami her arm.

They had dinner at a small sushi restaurant, one that Kuvira had heard good things about from other members of the Zaofu guard. By the time they were done eating, Asami was completely invested in the conversation, and found herself eager to learn more about Kuvira. The interest was mutual, as Kuvira listened with full devotion when Asami spoke. It was a pleasant change of pace, after being a shoulder for everyone to cry on, to have someone that willing to listen to her. Asami was having a fantastic time, and she could tell Kuvira was too.

"I think I'm running out of questions," Kuvira chuckled, "And I know you don't want me asking something as silly as what your favorite color is."

"It's red," Asami laughed, motioning at her dress, "Yours?"

"Green."

"Well it's a good thing the guard uniforms are green," Asami teased, "You must be happy about that."

Kuvira looked away for a moment, taking a second to lick her lips before she looked at Asami again and grinned.

"Not the right color green, unfortunately."

"Is that right?" Asami arched one eyebrow.

"Yeah." Kuvira nodded once, not taking her eyes off Asami, "This shade is…newer. Kind of breath-taking, actually."

Heat rose to Asami's cheeks almost instantly, and she bit her lip reflexively as Kuvira stood from the table and smiled down at her.

"Want to go for a walk?"

Asami nodded, letting Kuvira help her out of her seat, putting her arm through Kuvira's again as they left the restaurant. It was getting dark, and the temperature had dropped a surprising amount, and when they stepped outside Asami couldn't help but shiver.

"Here," Kuvira said quietly, stopping and pulling her coat off before offering it to Asami, "I think you need it more than I do."

"Thanks," Asami chuckled, letting Kuvira help her into the coat, "Fire Nation blood. I don't thrive well if the temperature gets lower than what's normal in early summer."

She was only half joking, she always had been prone to getting cold quickly. Kuvira offered Asami her arm again and Asami took it gratefully, smiling to herself as they walked back toward the Beifong estate in the growing dark.

"So what's your family like?" Asami asked, figuring more questions could fill the comfortable silence nicely.

"I don't have one," Kuvira shrugged a little.

"Oh," Asami squeezed Kuvira's arm slightly hoping that would show she didn't want to upset her, "I'm sorry, I didn't-."

"It's alright," Kuvira assured her, "I got a better deal anyway. They abandoned me, and Su took me in. I've been in Zaofu since I was eight. What about you? I know you mentioned your father yesterday."

"We don't speak," Asami sighed, "We haven't in two years now, since he's been in prison. My mother was killed when I was six."

"I'm sorry to hear that," Kuvira told her softly, lifting her other arm from her side to put her hand over Asami's.

"I'm used to it," It was Asami's turn to shrug, "I…I thought I had a second family there for a while, too. But it feels like they're forgetting about me. But we've all got our own lives, you know? Things just get in the way."

Kuvira was brushing her thumb across the back of Asami's palm, and Asami found the gesture immensely comforting.

"The avatar, right? How is-." Asami tensed at the mention of Korra, and it stopped Kuvira, who quickly recovered, "How are the brothers? What have they been up to since they were here last?"

Mako and Bolin were easier to talk about. She wasn't ready to talk about Korra, if she was honest. It would just make her worry more. Asami was thankful Kuvira had been paying close enough attention to notice the change in her demeanor, no matter how rapid or how slight.

"Well Mako went back to working with the police force," Asami sighed, "I see him sometimes, but not often. The other, Bolin, I haven't seen in a while. He's still in the city, I think he was making a new mover the last time I heard from Mako."

"Do you think it'll be as bad as that Nuktuk one?" Kuvira chuckled, and Asami smiled.

"No, that was mostly propaganda. Now that they have actual plot, they might be fairly decent."

"Good. They have a lot of potential, overall. I think people will enjoy them."

"I do too," Asami agreed.

It didn't take them much longer to reach Su's home, and within a few minutes of arriving Kuvira had escorted Asami back to her room. Asami turned her back to the door when they got there, looking at Kuvira in the dim light and smiling.

"This was nice, Kuvira. I had a great time."

"Best night I've had in a long while," Kuvira nodded in agreement.

"Then we'll have to do this again sometime," Asami chuckled.

Kuvira was standing a little closer to Asami than she had all night, and Asami realized a moment later that her hand was still on Kuvira's arm. Kuvira was watching her, her dark green eyes reflecting what little light was there. Asami felt warm, warmer than she had all night, and she pressed her fingers into Kuvira's arm slightly before leaning in for a kiss.

Kuvira's response was immediate, yet gentle. Asami was sucked in by the warmth of Kuvira's lips against her own as she held onto her. She resisted the urge to run her hand into Kuvira's hair, and by the time she pulled away several moments later, she felt like the breath had been sucked out of her.

Kuvira's mouth was slightly open when Asami looked at her, and she thought for a moment that Kuvira would say something. Kiss her again. Before she could move to do so, Kuvira had raised her hands up to grab the collar of the coat around Asami's shoulders, pulling her closer and bringing them together once more.

Asami pressed herself against Kuvira as heat spread through the rest of her body, and she felt Kuvira slip an arm around her waist to keep the pair of them together. Within a few minutes Asami was out of breath, her grip on Kuvira's clothes only tightening when she felt Kuvira's hand running over the dress's fabric at Asami's hip. Asami felt the door against her back a few seconds later, and that seemed to bring both of them back to their senses as Kuvira pulled away.

She recognized the look in Kuvira's eyes immediately as one of desire, and it was a feeling Asami could feel coursing through her veins. I don't want to stop.

"Do you want to-." Asami began breathlessly, jerking her head toward the door.

"Yeah."

"Yeah." Asami echoed a moment later, before her lips found Kuvira's again.

Kuvira fumbled with one hand behind Asami for a moment, neither of them breaking the kiss as she finally found the doorknob and let them into Asami's room. The door all but slammed shut behind them once they were inside, and Asami quickly shrugged Kuvira's coat off her shoulders. She stepped over it blindly once it was on the floor, focusing instead on guiding them both toward the bed.

"You got the big room," Kuvira muttered, breaking the kiss long enough to take a look around, Asami's hands still balled up in her uniform.

"Stop talking, goof," Asami replied hoarsely before dragging both of them onto the bed.

Kuvira complied, and positioned herself over Asami seconds later, leaving a trail of kisses down Asami's neck that seared their way into her skin. Asami's hands found their way to Kuvira's braid, and she undid it in a few seconds, her breath catching in her throat when Kuvira's hair cascaded down around her face.

"Fuck…" Asami muttered, looking up at her.

Kuvira raised one eyebrow in question, but Asami wasn't keen on wasting any more time talking. She grasped part of Kuvira's hair in her hand, only to pull Kuvira down to her again. She grinned and bit her lip at the low growl that escaped Kuvira's throat, and she left a line of kisses along Kuvira's jaw before she felt Kuvira's hand sliding up her thigh. Asami let her eyes flutter closed for a few moments, tugging at Kuvira's clothes as her dress rode up her legs. This isn't a bad way to spend the evening.