Chương 29: Maintaining the Balance: Ch. 29

"You seriously never even tried to leave the island? Not even to take a look around?"

Despite the rules of the island prohibiting it, Korra was currently sitting in Kahn's room, shamelessly straddling his lap with her arms linked around his neck and shoulders. Tenzin had chastised her for it, but now that she and Kahn were in a relationship, Korra felt the room was as much hers as it was his.

While doing his best to 'ignore' Korra's aroma and the disquietingly soft sensations pressing against his chest and lower body, Kahn explained, "A man is only as good as his word. I promised I would wait for you, so that's what I did..."

With the pupils of her blue eyes briefly contracting before subsequently dilating to their full size, Korra tightened her hold around Kahn's neck and shoulders as she leaned in to whisper, "I don't know if I should feel guilty about keeping you waiting or happy because you're so loyal..."

Though he was tempted to explain that his actions had nothing to do with loyalty, Kahn just smiled as Korra leaned forward to press her lips against his. When her tongue invaded his mouth, he promptly retaliated, his hands naturally gravitating to her waist, not to hold her close but to prevent her from moving around...

Understanding what Kahn was doing, Korra loosened her grip after a few minutes, a thread of saliva connecting their lips until she promptly licked it away, adopted a pouty expression, and said, "Come on, Kahn...it's not like we're having sex...didn't you say it would be okay if we did other stuff...?"

Without loosening his hold on Korra's waist, Kahn flatly explained, "We're currently experiencing hormonal changes that make our bodies sexually charged. If we just went with the flow and allowed our bodies to dictate things, it wouldn't be long before something as innocuous as hugging and kissing turned into something much more..."

Exhaling a heated sigh, Korra sat back on Kahn's lap, a far more sincere pout on her face as she grumbled, "That's one of the things I both hate and love about you. You're always so calm and collected...it's honestly a little annoying..."

Returning a wry smile, Kahn shifted his eyes from Korra's brilliant blues to the perky, reddish-brown mammilla below. She had developed the habit of wearing nothing but a pair of pants when they were alone together, so he could freely peruse her rapidly developing breasts and the captivating sight of her faint yet visible muscles...

Though her cheeks felt like they were on fire, Korra made no attempt to conceal her body from view. Instead, she leaned back with her hands on Kahn's knees, further accenting her breasts as she inquired, "Want to try sucking them...?"

Despite shaking his head, Kahn promptly leaned forward to press his face between Korra's warm, soft, and exceptionally smooth breasts. Korra was initially a little disappointed by his refusal. However, upon realizing what he was doing, a helpless smile developed across her face as she wrapped her arms around Kahn's body and cradled his head.

"You like being held, don't you? Or maybe you just like my breasts...?"

Instead of responding to Korra's question, Kahn took a deep breath as his hands crawled up the curvature of her smooth yet muscular back. Korra's body wasn't as defined as his, but that was primarily the result of sexual dimorphism. Her muscles were still well-defined, and while that might be a turnoff to others, Kahn genuinely appreciated the amount of effort she had put into her body...

"You're so beautiful..."

Feeling goosebumps spread across her body, Korra's grip on Kahn's head briefly tightened. She had the distinct impression he was trying to distract her from their previous conversation, but she didn't care. Even she wasn't sure why she got so frustrated at times. Kahn was just looking out for her well-being, so, if anything, she should be thanking him rather than getting angry all the time...

While it wasn't quite an apology, Korra whispered a steamy, "I love you..." before planting a kiss atop Kahn's head. Then, for the better part of half an hour, she just enjoyed Kahn's silent exploration of her body...

...

"You want to visit the city? So soon...?"

Though he wasn't too surprised by Korra's request, Tenzin couldn't help feeling it was too soon for her to visit Republic City. She was already an undisputed Master of the Four Elements. However, he would prefer it if she spent a few years familiarizing herself with the culture and traditions of the Air Nomads and more traditional techniques before venturing into the world abroad.

Having already prepared her counterargument, Korra stated, "Aang was even younger than I was when he ended the Hundred-Year War. Katara and Toph were only twelve, so I see no reason for me to stay put when I've already mastered the four elements. It's time for me to get out and spread my wings."

"Hmmm..."

Shifting his attention to Kahn, Tenzin asked, "Did you help her come up with this?"

Shrugging his shoulders, Kahn replied, "They're valid points. Besides, history has shown that it's never a good idea to try and keep an Avatar confined. It was Aang's attempt to escape the burdens thrust upon him by the Southern Air Temple that set in motion the Hundred-Year War. If Korra believes she is ready, only the world can prove otherwise. It is by overcoming challenges and experiencing setbacks that an Avatar grows into their position."

Unable to refute either of the arguments presented, Tenzin exhaled an exasperated sigh, his hand caressing his bald head as he looked toward Korra and said, "Very well. Just remember, the law may be on your side, but it's public opinion that sustains that privilege. Try to avoid damaging property, and make sure to cooperate with the authorities if your paths intersect."

Though she was a little annoyed by Tenzin's long-winded advice, Korra managed a smile as she replied, "Right. Just leave it to me."

Nodding his head in approval, Tenzin was about to tell Kahn to make sure Korra didn't get into any trouble, but he elected not to when he found the latter shaking his head with a warning look in his eyes.

Understanding the meaning behind Kahn's actions, Tenzin caressed his beard and pretended not to see the anger forming in Korra's expression as he said, "Well, you two have fun. Just be back before dark, okay?"

As she had expected Tenzin to tell Kahn to look after her, Korra's face brightened when he simply told them to have fun. She quickly gave him a back-popping hug before grabbing Kahn's hand and practically dragging him over to Naga. It was the latter's arrival that aroused Korra's desire to visit the city, so with Kahn holding her waist from behind, the over-excited Avatar prompted the now-massive Polar Bear Dog to race down the stairs of the Temple and leap directly into Yue Bay...

...

Noticing the direction they were headed, Kahn broke the pleasant silence of the trip by remarking, "Why am I not surprised..."

Instead of getting annoyed by Kan's words, Korra issued a soft chuckle as she leaned against him, a happy smile on her face as she said, "I did a lot of thinking after Tenzin revealed I would need to fund 'our' travels. I'm not sure how much you have saved up, but I don't want you spending all your money to fund my selfishness. With that in mind, I thought, "Hey, why not give Professional Bending a try?". It seemed like a pretty straightforward way to increase my reputation and make some money. Feel free to praise me."

With Korra turning her face toward him, Kahn planted a chaste kiss on her lips before raising his hands to rub her belly. The former brought a smile to her face while the latter elicited a ticklish giggle that resulted in Korra attempting to bump him off Naga's back.

Strengthening his hold on the mischievous Avatar's waist, Kahn rested his forehead against Korra's until Naga promptly ruined the mood with a gruff snort. She had been swimming in circles due to Korra's sloppy hold on her reins, so she was starting to get a little annoyed.

Shifting her attention from Kahn, Korra leaned forward to give Nana a firm pat on her neck, saying, "Sorry, girl." in a sincerely apologetic tone. When she sat back up, however, she went out of her way to sit on Kahn's lap, a playful smile on her face as she sent him an equally playful wink.

Exhaling a soft chuckle, Kahn placed one of his hands a bit lower on Korra's abdomen as he pressed his face into the nape of her neck. He knew he should advise her against public displays of affection, but he also didn't really care what others thought. So long as they didn't cross the line, Kahn had no qualms about showering the loveable brunette with affection...

...

Located at the end of a long causeway extending into Yue Bay, the Pro-Bending Arena was one of Republic City's most prominent landmarks. It had a massive dome that resembled a gemstone from afar and had been painted with vibrant red and gold paint that gave it the appearance of a golden palace. With Pro Bending's emergence as the most popular sport in the entire world, it was something of a 'holy land' for those seeking to ascend the social ladder and secure a place for themselves amongst the Upper-Class and Republic City's celebrity elite.

"Wow, I didn't expect it to be so..so massive! Just how many people can this place hold...?"

Though he had never visited the city, Kahn had researched it quite a bit in preparation for his visit. The Pro-Bending Arena, in particular, was a place he assumed Korra would want to visit, so he readily supplied, "At capacity, it can hold 50,000 spectators. However, for safety reasons, the organizers limit crowd sizes to 10,000 during the season and 25,000 during the Final Series. Gathering 50,000 people atop a suspended platform at the end of a single causeway is just asking for a tragedy to occur..."

Having seen the massive pillars supporting the Pro-Bending Arena during their approach, Korra immediately understood the meaning behind Kahn's words. Just as quickly, her face formed into a frown as she asked, "What kind of person would target a place that makes so many people happy...?"

Without a moment's hesitation, Kahn answered, "The kind that prioritizes their agenda and creed over the lives of countless others..."

Moving away from Kahn, Korra's expression soured even further as she threw a few air jabs and said, "Well, they better watch out. The moment I get my hands on them, I'll beat them up so badly not even their mothers would recognize them!"

Ignoring the people gawking at Korra's 'strange' behavior, Kahn walked over to give her a pat on the shoulder, saying, "I don't doubt that in the slightest..." before removing his hand and walking past her.

After a short pause where she wasn't sure if she should be annoyed or gratified by Kahn's words, Korra gestured for Naga to follow along before running to catch up with him. She had noticed the stares of the people crossing the causeway, so she decided not to make a scene. She hadn't even been in Republic City for more than ten minutes, so she didn't want to ruin people's image of her before they even knew she was the Avatar...

It never even crossed Korra's mind that people might be more concerned about the massive Polar Bear Dog following behind her than either her or Kahn...

...