Maintaining the Balance: Ch. 26 (Patreon)

Expecting Korra to come in like a meteor, Kahn was a little surprised when she remained atop Oogi until he landed. Then, instead of jumping down or running over, she helped Pema and Meelo get down while Ikki glided over, exclaiming, "Kahn! We're back~!" as she practically tackled him.

Reciprocating Ikki's hug, Kahn was about to greet her in turn when Korra looked over, confusion and disbelief on her face as she asked, "Kahn? Is that really you?"

Since she had already helped Pema get down, Korra, standing 165cm tall and with a physique comparable to a warrior Goddess, walked over with a bit of trepidation in her stride. She still had a bit of growing to do, but she could easily give professional models a run for their money.

Setting Ikki down, a practiced yet sincere smile developed across Kahn's face as he answered, "I've been waiting for you."

Pausing mid-step, Korra's body seemed to inflate slightly as she inhaled a deep breath. A layer of moisture began to build across her subtly glowing eyes, but before any tears could form, she blinked them away, adopted a serious expression, and asked, "Did you know?"

Though he was tempted to ask what she was talking about, Kahn could easily guess based on her facial and audio cues. Thus, his smile promptly faded into an equally serious expression as he answered, "Yes."

Bobbing her head as though she were nodding and trying to reconcile her thoughts, Korra remained silent for several seconds before asking, "And...? Did it mean something, or were you just going with the flow?"

Catching Korra by surprise, Kahn didn't even hesitate to answer, "A bit of both. I didn't want you to feel even worse about our parting, so I couldn't simply refuse. It suits you, by the way."

"..."

Unsure if she should feel relieved or disappointed by Kahn's candidness, Korra decided to focus on something else, specifically the jacket he was wearing and the chiseled body beneath it. Kahn was a lot taller than she had expected, so much so that, even though he was wearing the fur-lined jacket made for him, Korra hadn't immediately recognized him.

"You've...uh, really grown? Lookin' good, hahaha..."

Unused to the bashful version of Korra, Kahn scratched the back of his head, a wry smile briefly flashing across his face as he countered, "Well, you look amazing. You've kept up with your training the past five years, and it really shows. I'm proud of you."

Adopting a slightly skeptical look, Korra parroted, "Proud of me...?" in a hushed tone. Then, after shaking her head, she forced a smile before punching her fist into her palm and answering, "Yeah, I really busted my tail off. If we were to fight seriously, I'm pretty confident I could wipe the floor with you."

Seeing traces of Korra's true self shining through, Kahn's smile became notably more sincere as he remarked, "We'll see. I haven't exactly been resting on my laurels these past five years."

"Oh? Is that a challenge...?"

Before Kahn could answer, Tenzin stepped in, saying, "Now, now, no need to rush. We just completed a long journey, and I am looking forward to a hearty meal and plenty of rest for one. Speaking of which..."

Though he briefly focused his attention on his daughter, Tenzin's gaze ultimately came to rest on Kahn as he appended, "Please tell me you've prepared something."

Nodding his head in affirmation, Kahn answered, "I'll need to warm it up, but I prepared an entire feast to welcome Korra and celebrate your return. It's waiting back at the Temple."

Enthused by Kahn's response, Tenzin chimed, "Splendid!" before placing his hand on his wife's shoulder and suggesting, "Then let us continue this discussion there. You and Korra will have plenty of time to catch up when you are showing her around the island."

Since he had already anticipated that Tenzin would be loading Korra off onto him, Kahn simply nodded his head, answering, "I'm looking forward to it." before making an 'after you' gesture in the direction of the nearby tunnel, the only passageway connecting the landing platform to the rest of the island-compound.

Readily accepting Kahn's suggestion, Tenzin cheerfully remarked, "Come along, children." before escorting his wife and son towards the passage. A few Air Acolytes took that as an opportunity to greet him, but for the most part, their departure was unobstructed as he attempted to give Kahn and Korra a bit of space.

Fortunately, even Ethuza seemed to understand it probably wasn't the best time to introduce herself. After observing Korra in silence for several seconds, she departed alongside the majority of the Air Acolytes. She had a lot to think about and even more to prepare so introductions could wait until much, much later...

...

..

.

With everyone else spontaneously departing, Kahn and Korra were left relatively alone atop the stone landing. Oogi and his family were lingering around the nearby stables, but, excluding them, Kahn and Korra were the only two people present.

Breaking the silence before things could become too uncomfortable, Kahn remarked, "You really have grown a lot. Even with advanced knowledge of the future, I was genuinely surprised by your growth. You-"

Interrupting before Kahn could finish speaking, Korra blurted out, "Holy crap, thanks for reminding me! How come you never told me you could predict the future!?"

Jabbing Kahn in the chest with her index finger, Korra's expression made it clear she was upset. When she first learned about Kahn's knowledge of the future, she had been depressed and frustrated for months on end. For a while, she even thought that each of her interactions with Kahn was him carefully manipulating her. It had been one of the most stressful moments in her entire life.

Rubbing the spot where Korra had poked him, Kahn forced a smile as he answered, "To be perfectly honest, it never even crossed my mind. Back-"

"Are you freaking kidding me!?"

Unamused by Kahn's response, Korra was seriously tempted to slug him in the face. As silly as it sounded, the only thing that stopped her was his looks. She felt like it would be a travesty to ruin such a handsome face, so, after a moment of hesitation, she slugged him in the shoulder.

Though he had an inhuman pain tolerance, Kahn still frowned as Korra's punch nearly knocked him off balance. She was almost a full head shorter than him, but she packed a punch whose force was several times his own. He didn't know exactly how strong she had become, but it wasn't difficult to imagine her lifting a few thousand kilos without breaking a sweat.

Rolling his shoulder, Kahn remarked, "I see your temper hasn't improved." in a curt tone.

Snorting defiantly, Korra suppressed the urge to give Kahn another punch by crossing her arms over her breasts and saying, "Seriously though, a bit of a heads up would have been nice. That little tidbit of information really messed me up, you know?"

Revealing some of the hurt she felt back then, Korra averted her eyes as she went from crossing her arms to essentially hugging herself. Thinking that her best friend and the boy she liked had been using her hadn't been pleasant.

Exhaling a sigh, Kahn was tempted to try and explain himself a second time but ultimately decided against it. He knew Korra looking for excuses right now, so, after a moment of hesitation, he tentatively approached her and said, "Sorry, I-"

Before Kahn could finish his apology, Korra covered the remaining distance, her arms wrapping around him like metal bindings as she buried her face into his chest and said, "Just shut up..." in a firm yet paradoxically vulnerable-sounding tone.

Ignoring the second paradox pressing against him, Kahn reciprocated Korra's embrace in silence. He had been planning to hug her the moment he started his approach, so he wasn't too bothered by the fact that Korra had seized the initiative. If anything, it made things a little easier for him as he wasn't all that accustomed to initiating physical contact outside of a spar.

"Your body is so warm..."

Hearing Korra's unexpected remark, Kahn briefly tensed before issuing a dry laugh and remarking, "Well, I am a Firebender..."

Rolling her eyes, Korra loosened her hold on Kahn's body but didn't let him go as she looked up at him and asked, "What are we? I mean, as far as relationships go..."

Shaking his head, Kahn put a bit of strength in his arms as he answered, "I honestly don't have a clue. My head is filled with knowledge, but I'm still figuring things out on the emotional side of things. I'm willing to try, but I don't think either of us is ready for a committed relationship...I just want to watch over and protect you without anything more complicated getting in the way..."

Adopting an 'are you for real' type of expression, Korra could be seen visibly containing a sigh as she offhandedly remarked, "You really are honest to a fault, aren't you? I honestly don't know whether to be angry or relieved..."

Shaking her head, Korra tightened her hold on Kahn as she appended, "Whatever. I've spent the last five years thinking about all sorts of crap. Now that I finally have you in arm's reach, I'm not letting go of you that easily. I don't care if things do become complicated...we'll figure out how to make things work..."

As if the matter was settled, Korra rested her head against Kahn's chest and closed her eyes. She actually agreed with Kahn's words, but, seeing him standing between two girls when she first disembarked Oogi, she felt compelled to take action. She wasn't just going to let someone steal Kahn away from her while she sorted through her feelings.

"..."

Though he had initially planned to take things much slower, Kahn felt like he would be stepping on a landmine if he voiced a complaint. Instead, he decided that he would simply dictate the progress of their relationship. It was very difficult for him to put his foot down when Korra was concerned, but he was confident he could prevent her from taking things too far.

With that in mind, Kahn continued to hold Korra as he whispered, "Hey..." in a soft yet resonating tone. In response, the tall yet comparably petite Water Tribeswoman looked up at him, her eyes turning round as saucers when he suddenly planted a chaste kiss on her lips.

Contrasting Kahn's expectations, Korra used a combination of physical strength and Airbending to send in crashing backward several tens of meters. He managed to right himself after flipping over a few times, but it was still an incredibly unexpected occurrence that left Kahn not knowing whether he should laugh or apologize.

Realizing what she had done, Korra rushed over with a fretful expression on her face, asking, "Are you okay!?" in a concerned, clearly anxious tone.

Forcing a smile, Kahn accepted Korra's support as he remarked, "I guess I've grown a little complacent. On the plus side, you're a lot stronger than when we were children. I'll have to keep my guard up..."

Though it was nearly indiscernibly due to her healthy brown complexion, a faint blush colored Korra's cheeks as she, very weakly, struck Kahn in the arm. He probably wouldn't believe her if she said it, but she usually wasn't this violent around other people. In fact, due to the innumerable warnings she had received before being allowed to interact with other children, she had done her best to avoid physical confrontations outside of training and spars. There was just something about Kahn that made Korra want to hit him...

Fortunately for Korra, Kahn had anticipated this kind of behavior from her ever since their separation. He was actually a little relieved that, despite her rather drastic change in appearance, she was still the same brat that had nagged him incessantly during their childhood. She now had a punch like a Saber-toothed Moose Lion's kick, but she was still the same Korra...