Summary: Korra and Asami head to the Spirit World portal in the ruins of Republic City. Feeling confused about their emotions, but excited for an adventure together. This is just the beginning. *For the utmost enjoyment, watch the final LOK episode before reading :) *

Spirit World Vacation - Through The Portal

Asami stopped and looked up at the spirit portal glowing in front of her. Her lips parted slightly in awe. Somehow, this one seemed different than the one at the North Pole. It seemed more beautiful even with the ruins of Republic City as it's backdrop. Spirits all around them paused to watch them as they passed by, not with malice, but with curiosity. That was a welcome change, to be sure, and Asami eyed them with equal interest. She had never seen so many spirits in one place! A new age of peace between man and spirits had dawned, and it was all thanks to the woman standing at her side. The most amazing person she knew, her friend, Avatar Korra. No, Asami thought to herself, her...something more...

What was Korra to her? This was something she had yet to figure out. What she did know was this: through all the turmoil of the last few months, Korra was the only light she could see in the darkness of the world. Her face hardened, memories of the battle with Kuvira swirled around her mind. The last words of her father rang in her ears. Asami swallowed hard and bit her lip to hold back her tears. He had gotten his goodbye, but she hadn't gotten hers. It was unfair, cruel even, to lose him right after they had reconciled. Just as she felt she couldn't hold back her tears, Asami felt Korra's gaze fall on her and those sparkling blue orbs lifted the weight of the world from her shoulders. One look from Korra made her feel so safe, like nothing in the world could ever bring her down again, even as she was struggling to cope with the loss of her father. Korra's eyes told her she had gained something in spite of everything that had been torn from her. But what? Only time would answer that question, but for now she took the lighter-than-air feeling she got from being at Korra's side as a sign that everything would be okay. Asami's breathing steadied and her lips twitched upward into a slight smile. She met Korra's excited eyes with her own.

Korra looked over at Asami. Her heart thudded wildly against her chest. Maybe it was all the letters they'd exchanged, maybe it was all the time apart, or maybe it was something else entirely that Korra couldn't comprehend, but something had changed between them. She saw the expression on Asami's face soften significantly when their eyes locked. Korra smiled, happy that she had been able to help alleviate her friend's suffering with nothing more than a simple gaze. She figured that it was only a temporary fix, but it was better than nothing. The Avatar knew she would figure out how to help Asami though her pain completely in time, she was sure of it. Asami's smile brightened, her eyes twinkling in the golden glow of the spirit portal. The sight took Korra's breath away. Try as she might, the words on the tip of her tongue refused to budge.

Korra reached for Asami's hand and jumped a bit in surprise when Asami's hand met hers halfway. Korra looked down at their interlocked hands and then back into Asami's eyes. She was suddenly overcome with a strong urge to pull the other girl into her arms and hold her. She didn't get a chance. Before she was able to build up the courage to do so, Asami pulled her lightly toward the portal. Korra fell in step with her best friend, and they passed into the portal together. They stood face to face with eyes locked. Korra reached for Asami's other hand and took it. It seemed to her that Asami had been reaching for her, too, as Korra didn't have to outstretch her arm far before running into the other girl's hand. Korra closed her eyes as she felt the energy changing around them. The cold air of the Republic City night was replaced by the warm glow of the spirit world. Korra knew that this warmth was directly connected to what she was feeling for Asami. As the Avatar, her emotional state affected all aspects of the Spirit World, including the weather. It wasn't like how the sunshine felt in the Physical World, moreover, it was different than the many times she'd been here before. It warmed her skin, like ordinary sunlight, but it was a warmth that reached to her very soul.

Korra suddenly found her hands devoid of Asami's warmth. She didn't have to go long without it. A moment later the other girl wrapped her arms around Korra in a tight embrace. Asami's soft lips meet hers. Korra breathed in sharply, surprised by the unexpected intimacy. Asami held her tightly by the waist and slid her hand up Korra's back until it was tangled in her brown locks. Korra, for her part, was able to wrap her arms around Asami in return, in spite of being caught off guard by the kiss. This was the closest they had ever been, and Korra drank the moment in deeply. She never wanted it to end.

The blinding light of the spirit portal faded. Asami pulled back from the kiss, breathlessly. She couldn't believe that she had let herself get so caught up in the moment that she had actually kissed Korra. At least her unconscious actions answered the question her mind had failed to answer many times over. The question of what Korra was to Asami. Asami wanted Korra to be her best friend, that was still true, but now it was clear to her that she wanted Korra as her lover, too. The feelings denied for so long finally manifested into action, but what would happen now? Asami bit her lip and studied Korra's reaction with bated breath.

Korra's cheeks burned crimson. She looked over at Asami in silence, unsure if that kiss had been real or imagined. Korra's voice failed her, so in place of words she used a cocked eyebrow to ask all of the unspoken questions darting around her brain.

Asami averted her eyes in embarrassment. Korra looked far from pleased. On the contrary, she looked baffled. Asami feared that she had ruined their vacation before it had even started. Her mind raced, trying to come up with some excuse, any excuse, that would explain her actions. It was no use. She wouldn't be able to come up with something fast enough. It would be best to just admit her error in judgment.

"Korra…" Asami hesitated. "I'm really sorry. That was stupid." The words spilled out of her in a flash. "I just thought we were on the same page and-" Korra's lips stopped her apology short.

Korra pulled away almost as quickly as she dove in to steal one more kiss. Her lips turned upward into a cautious smile at the sight of Asami's confused, but happy looking expression. "We are definitely on the same page." She placed her hands into Asami's, assuring the other girl with a gentle squeeze. She chuckled before looking away in nervousness. "Ever since I returned to Republic City I've wanted that...I was just too scared to make the first move myself."

Relief swept over Asami like a tidal wave. Tears streamed from her eyes freely and she pulled one hand from Korra's grasp to wipe them away. She had been right after all, but the fear of rejection had paralyzed them both. Asami smiled through her tears. Finally, Korra was hers and she was the Avatar's in return. This vacation was turning out better than she could have ever imagined, and it had hardly even begun.

Korra's heart burst and she threw her arms around Asami. The last thing she wanted was to see Asami cry again. She held her until all but the last of Asami's tears dried up. Korra removed her arms from around Asami's waist and slid her hands up behind the other girl's neck. She pulled Asami's head forward gently, until their foreheads touched. WIth her thumbs, Korra wiped away the remaining tears streaming down Asami's cheeks. The looked at each other for a long moment and giggled in the rapture of newfound love for one another.

"Let's go." Korra led Asami by the hand into the same field of purple flowers where she and Kuvira had reconciled after the battle for Republic City a few days prior. It amazed Korra that the same place where she had faced her greatest foe was also the same place where she was falling in love. It was fitting. This place was far more suited for love than battle. Korra blushed at her own thoughts. She never considered herself to be the romantic type.

Asami slowly scanned her surroundings. The giant mountains of ice surrounding them made her feel so small. But, with Korra at her side, even in her insecurities, she felt safe.

Was it even ice at all, she wondered. They were in the spirit world, after all; it could all be an illusion for all she knew. She leaned down and picked one of the purple flowers. Upon closer examination, she noticed small, glowing, blue flecks on the petals. Spirit Word or not, something this beautiful had to be real. The scent of the flower floated upward and she breathed in the sweetness of it.

Korra released Asami's hand to allow her to study the flower further. With the way Asami analyzed the flower in such detail, it was no wonder she had been able to create some of the greatest marvels of their age. Korra couldn't take her eyes off the girl kneeling at her feet. The way Asami's eyes lit up in concentration...those eyes were too stunning to look away from.

Asami poked the lighter center of the flower. The petals almost seemed to squeal as they close around her finger. Delighted, pulled the flower from around her index finger and laughed. The petals, previously appearing inanimate, took the form of butterflies and flew off in several different directions.

Although Korra had been here many times before, she smiled in new found joy at the wonders of the Spirit World. There was no doubt that exploring the Spirit World with Asami was going to be very different compared to the other times she had been here. All of a sudden, Korra realized that she had never come here for fun, even once. It was a shame, but at least Asami was giving as good a reason as any to spend some time in the Spirit World without having to worry about her Avatar duties. Korra watched poke and prod the little spirit flower joyfully. No doubt, she would learn more about the Spirit World than she should ever have been able learn on her own, thanks to Asami's analytical nature. It was funny to think that anyone could teach her, the link between worlds, anything new about the Spirit World. It would happen, though. Of this, Korra had no doubt. She just hoped she'd be able to learn quite a bit more about Asami in the process. They'd been separated for so long. A good number of things were bound to have changed. Their feelings for each other for one. Korra's mind spun round and round.

Asami turned away from the stem in her hand to ask Korra what she knew about the flower and why it had morphed into several different spirits, but she stopped short. The Avatar's eyes were fixed on her. Suddenly, she felt very self-conscious. Asami cleared her throat. "Korra?"

"Hmm?"

"You're staring…" Asami tucked a lock of stray hair behind her ear and blushed.

"You got a problem with that?" Korra put her hands on her hips and smirked. Her outer confidence was nothing like her tumbling and tittering insides. She had no idea how she was even pulling off this faux-suaveness right now. Much less, maintaining her composure. Korra reasoned that she must be dreaming. There was no way something like this could be real.

Asami giggled and plucked another flower from the ground. She stood and placed the flower behind Korra's ear. "Not at all." She whispered into the same ear, before planting a kiss on Korra's cheek.

The coolness Korra had displayed just a moment before evaporated in an instant. It was replaced by a big goofy grin plastered on the Avatar's face. She was falling hard.

"So," Asami placed a hand on her hip and looked over her shoulder a the Spirit Portal. "This is what I was missing out on every time you went to the Spirit World."

"Nice, isn't it?" Korra away from Asami and out toward the vastness of the Spirit World.

Asami took a step toward the Avatar and followed her gaze. "It's lovely."

They stood together in silence. The Spirit World stretched out before them. A grand adventure surely awaited them out there.

Asami couldn't tear her eyes away from the beauty all around them, so she blindly reached out for Korra's hand. When she found it, the matter of interlocking their hands together was simple. Korra's hand molded into hers in an instant. The sun beat down on them with an almost unbearable heat. Asami had to remind herself, again, that it wasn't the real sun. Nonetheless, it's radiance easily outshined the one in the Real World. Some gnarled trees in the distance caught her eye. They lacked leaves, but, the shade of the trunk could still shield them from the heat.

"Lets rest a bit before heading further in." Asami pointed toward the trees with her free hand.

"Sounds good."

Asami tugged on Korra's hand. They took off toward the trees at a jog, laughing in carefree bliss. By the time they reached the trees, Asami was taking in deep gulps of air to catch her breath. She let go of Korra's hand and and put both her hands above her head to open up her lungs.

Korra removed her pack, plopped down on the ground in exhaustion. She, too, was breathing heavily, though she didn't know why, they hadn't run very far at all. Korra leaned back into the trunk of the tree. The gnarled parts dug into her back and it took her a moment to adjust and get comfortable. When she was situated, Korra found herself staring at Asami again, but this time with much more intention. Her gaze meandered along the curves of Asami's slim frame until she had surveyed all that there was to see. A hunger gripped her. She wanted to do so much more than just look. The feelings spinning around inside her were more intense than Korra ever recalled feeling for anyone else.

Asami dropped her arms and smiled back at Korra. Upon seeing the look in Korra's eyes, a blushed graced her features. She knew that look very well. Many men throughout Republic City had laid eyes like that upon her. Desirous eyes; eyes that always wanted so much more than she willing to give. A euphoric jolt of excitement shivered up her spine. It had been a very long time since she had wanted to fulfill the desires of another completely. Asami wanted - no, her stomach twisted viciously in yearning - she needed to know all of Korra's deepest desires. She would start by getting to know every inch of the woman in front of her, mentally and physically. Asami walked over to where Korra was sitting and lowered herself down next to her.

"Hey." Korra greeted. Her voice low and husky.

Asami laughed and rolled her eyes. "Hey." She imitated Korra's voice.

Korra blushed. "Sorry. I'm just-"

"Korra." Asami placed a hand on the Avatar's arm.

"Yes?" Korra took Asami by the hand.

Asami leaned into Korra and whispered in her ear. "Stop talking…"

Korra sighed and closed her eyes. A sense of calm washed over her. Just being here with Asami was all she needed at that moment. Knowing that she had Asami's expressed consent for silence made being by her side all the more exhilarating. Nothing she could possibly say would add to the experience.

Asami snuggled closer into the curves of Korra's body until there was no space at all left between them.

Korra adjusted her body so that she could place an arm around Asami's waist. She yawned. Exhaustion from the past few days was finally starting to set in. Korra nuzzled her face into Asami's dark locks. Her breathing steadied and her breathing slowly became more shallow. She couldn't keep her eyes open for a second longer.

"Maybe we should stay here for the night?" Asami stoked Korra's cheek with her hand. "It's not like we're on a schedule."

"Mmm." Korra mumbled in an approving tone.

Asami's eyelids were drooping, too, but roused herself. "I'll just set up the tent and-" She felt Korra fingers wrap around her wrist and with one swift pull from the Avatar, she was back on the ground.

Korra enveloped Asami's waist tightly in arms and squeezed tightly. "Tents are overrated."

Asami giggled. She wriggled around inside Korra's iron grip to face the girl. Their noses were just barely touching. The thought of sleeping without a tent made her a little uncomfortable. She supposed that it would be fine if the weather held up. "Does it rain in the spirit world?"

"Not tonight, it won't." Korra tilted her head to the side and pressed her lips against Asami.

Author's Note:

Hi all! Just in case you are wondering, I am planning on writing more "Spirit World Vacation" Stories, but I didn't want to make them into a full fic, cuz I'm super spastic, and didn't feel like writing them all in one go. I hope you enjoy this collection! I have so many Korrasami feels that I need to get out :)