The wind howled across the temple roof, pulling at the hanging lanterns as Korra stepped softly along the moonlit tiles. Her hair was still damp from the sea spray, and her hands trembled—not from cold, but from everything she had seen.
The battle.
The dragon.
The fall.
Kaiqok had almost died.
She found him sitting on the edge of the upper terrace, his golden cloak dimmed to a faint shimmer, barely noticeable in the silver glow of the moonlight. He was wrapped in a loose robe now, his chest bandaged, his right arm limp at his side.
"Kaiqok," she whispered, approaching.
He didn't turn around. "You came."
"Of course I did."
Silence stretched between them like the quiet between thunderclaps. The ocean's waves rolled far below, distant and indifferent.
"You scared me," she finally said.
"I scared myself," he admitted. "He was stronger than anything I've fought. Not because of his power, but because… it felt like he knew me. Like he was designed to counter me."
Korra sat beside him, knees pulled to her chest. "You almost died. Again."
"Yeah." He laughed faintly. "That's becoming a pattern."
Korra's voice was low. "What would I do if I lost you?"
He turned toward her. "You're the Avatar. You'd survive."
She shook her head. "That's not what I meant."
The wind caught her words, but she didn't take them back.
He looked into her eyes—really looked this time. No joking, no teasing, no clever sidesteps.
"You're not just the Avatar to me," he said softly.
Korra's breath hitched. "I know."
"I didn't expect this, you know," he continued. "I died. I made wishes. I thought I'd just… fix some things and move on. Maybe help a world I admired from afar."
"But you didn't plan on feeling so much," Korra finished for him.
He smiled. "Exactly."
She reached out, fingers brushing his. His hand was warm despite the cool air, rough with calluses but gentle as it curled around hers.
"You always act like you're above everything," she murmured. "Like you're so smart, so confident. But you bleed like the rest of us."
"I hurt more than most," he replied. "Because I remember too much."
Korra tilted her head. "Do you miss it? Your old world?"
"Sometimes," he said. "But less now. Because… I've found something here I didn't have before."
She looked at him, heart pounding. "What?"
He hesitated. Then:
"You."
The word hung in the air like a sacred truth.
Korra blinked. Her voice came out small. "Why me?"
Kaiqok gave a short laugh. "You're stubborn, reckless, emotional, brash, unpredictable—"
"Gee, thanks."
"—and the most honest, brave, and passionate person I've ever met."
Korra blinked fast, trying to stop the burn behind her eyes.
"Even when I'm a mess?" she asked.
"Especially when you're a mess."
She leaned her head on his shoulder. Carefully, gently—so he wouldn't wince.
"You're not alone anymore," she whispered.
"I don't want to be," he whispered back.
Their lips met again—softer this time, with less urgency and more meaning. No storm overhead. No danger in the shadows. Just two people, holding onto each other in a world constantly on the edge of chaos.
When they pulled away, Korra exhaled slowly. "This doesn't make us a couple, you know."
Kaiqok raised a brow. "No?"
"No. I have rules."
"Oh? Enlighten me."
"Rule one: don't flirt with other girls."
"I wasn't flirting with Asami."
"You were totally flirting with Asami."
"Then I'll stop."
Korra grinned. "Good. Rule two: no more jumping into near-death fights without telling me."
"That… might be harder."
"Kaiqok."
"Okay, okay. I'll do my best."
"And rule three…" She hesitated. "If we do this—really do this—then you let me in. No more hiding. No more mysterious answers or running off on your own."
He looked down at their intertwined hands.
"I can promise that," he said.
She smiled softly. "Then you're mine."
The temple bells rang in the distance, signaling midnight. The moon crept higher, casting silver shadows on the rooftop, illuminating two figures sitting closer than friends, but not quite lovers.
Not yet.
But something had changed.
Something important.
---
Meanwhile… deep within the mountains of the Fire Nation…
A cave glowed with strange, pulsing light.
The masked assassin knelt before a hooded figure wreathed in burning mist.
"You were defeated," the figure rasped.
"Temporarily," the assassin growled. "But I confirmed the truth. He's real. The boy with the godlike flame."
"And the Avatar?"
"She's more connected to him than I thought."
The hooded figure turned toward a swirling pool of molten glass, visions flashing within. "Then she must be broken. His tether must be severed."
The assassin bowed. "As you command."