The night air in Republic City carried a stillness that felt unnatural. The moon hung low, a silver eye watching from above, and the sounds of the city had quieted to distant murmurs and occasional creaks of the old temple wood.
Korra rolled over in her bed, eyes wide open.
Sleep wouldn't come.
She blamed it on the leftover adrenaline from their fight with the enhanced chi blockers earlier… or maybe the way Kaiqok had looked in that wolf form. But deep down, she knew it wasn't just the action or the power. It was the man himself.
The way he had shielded her even in beast form. The soft glimmer in his eyes when he looked at her. That moment on the bench where he called himself "just a guy… sitting next to the girl he's crazy about."
Korra sighed and sat up, hugging her knees.
What are we even doing? she thought. I'm supposed to be training. Preparing for whatever weird spirit threat is coming. Not crushing on some reincarnated warrior with golden chakra and killer hair.
But her heart didn't care about responsibilities.
It cared about him.
A quiet knock at her door startled her.
She didn't even think before calling softly, "Come in."
The door opened slowly.
It was Kaiqok, shirtless, wearing loose meditation pants. His golden cloak was gone, but a soft hum of his energy lingered in the air around him like a scent—warm and oddly comforting.
"Couldn't sleep," he said.
"Me neither," Korra replied, scooting to the edge of the bed. "Storm still in your head?"
He walked in and sat beside her, their shoulders almost touching. "That, and… well, you."
She raised an eyebrow. "Me?"
He glanced at her, then gave a small smile. "You've been different since the wolf form. Like you're looking at me with questions you haven't asked yet."
Korra looked away, lips twitching into a half-smile. "Maybe I am."
He waited.
So she finally asked. "Does it… hurt? Transforming like that?"
Kaiqok shook his head. "Not pain. More like… pressure. Like I'm unlocking a door inside me, but behind it is a whole lifetime of instincts I've never had before. I have to control them—or I stop being me."
"And if you don't?"
"Then I become something else. Something wild."
She looked at him seriously. "I trust you, you know. Even like that. Especially like that."
He blinked, surprised by her sudden honesty.
"Most people would've been scared," he said.
"I was. For about two seconds." She nudged him with her knee. "Then you melted a baton mid-air and suplexed a chi blocker through a crate. That was kinda hot."
Kaiqok laughed—a deep, real laugh—and for a moment, the tension faded.
Then Korra whispered, "There's something else too."
His laughter faded as she turned toward him, eyes searching his face.
"When you looked at me in that form," she said softly, "it was like… I was the only thing grounding you. I felt it. Like you'd tear the world apart if I asked you to."
He nodded, voice low. "I would."
That single sentence hung in the air like a slow-burning flame.
Korra leaned in, just enough that she could see the shimmer of gold in his eyes.
And she whispered, "What would you do if I kissed you right now?"
His answer was simple. "Melt."
She smiled—and kissed him.
Soft, curious, lingering.
His hand gently cupped her jaw, warm and firm, as he leaned in further, deepening the kiss. His chakra pulsed lightly beneath his skin, not flaring wildly like in battle, but glowing soft and gold like firelight on a snowy night.
They pulled apart, breathless, foreheads touching.
"That was… unexpected," Korra murmured.
"Unexpected," Kaiqok echoed. "But perfect."
She chuckled softly. "Okay, maybe that was hot too."
They sat in silence for a long moment, listening to the faint rustling wind outside, letting the comfort of shared warmth and slow breathing fill the space between them.
Then Kaiqok asked quietly, "Do you ever feel like everything's going too fast?"
"All the time," she admitted. "But for once, I think I like it."
He stood, offering a hand.
"Come on," he said.
Korra tilted her head. "Where?"
"Let's not waste the night. The city's sleeping, the stars are out, and I know a rooftop with the best view in the Four Nations."
She took his hand.
---
Minutes later, they stood atop the tallest tower on Air Temple Island, the stars sprawling above like scattered diamonds. The city lights blinked below them. Korra sat with her legs dangling off the ledge, Kaiqok beside her, his arm around her shoulder.
"You know," she said, resting her head against him, "if anyone finds us up here, we'll get lectured."
"Worth it."
They watched the horizon in silence.
And somewhere, in the spirit world, something stirred.