Maintaining the Balance

After calming down and subsequently psyching herself up for the rest of her date with Kahn, Korra emerged from the bathroom with an awkward yet excited smile on her face. At least, that's the expression she had until she noticed the woman standing next to the booth she had been sharing with Kahn.
Adopting a fierce expression, Korra practically stomped her way across the restaurant until her face was less than a few centimeters away from Suya, asking, "Is there something you needed from my 'boyfriend'?"
Placing extra emphasis on the word boyfriend, Korra was fully prepared to throw down until Suya calmly asked, "You're the Avatar?"
"Yeah? And? You got a problem with that?"
Furrowing her brows, Suya briefly considered arresting Korra for walking up to and threatening an officer. Instead, she asked, "Can you prove it?"
Just as Korra was about to 'prove' her status by sending Suya flying, Kahn interrupted the catty standoff, saying, "She is Toph's granddaughter, and I'm assuming Lin Beifong's daughter. Just demonstrate for her your ability to bend fire and water so she'll leave us alone."
Blinking in surprise, Korra gave Suya a quick once-over, asking, "You're Granny Toph's grandkid? Why do you look like you have a stick up your butt?"
Squinting her eyes, Suya resisted the urge to sweep Korra's feet and force her face to the ground as she said, "Just get on with it. If you can't prove you're the Avatar, I'm going to arrest both of you for disrupting the public order."
Ignoring the fact she was the one that approached Kahn and caused a scene, Suya waited 'patiently' until Korra eventually waved her hand to pull water from a cup while simultaneously creating a tuft of flame using her left index finger.
Realizing she had just accosted the Avatar and her boyfriend, Suya's body tensed as she turned back to Kahn and muttered, "It would appear I owe you an apology..."
Waving his hand in a shooing gesture, Kahn rebutted, "I just want to eat a meal and spend time with my girlfriend. Rather than hearing your apology, I would be happier if you returned to your table or left."
"Yeah, you heard the man. Make like a piece of tempered steel and beat it."
Inhaling a deep breath, Suya looked like she was milliseconds away from bursting. Despite this, she managed to calm herself enough to say, "Sorry for inconveniencing the two of you..." through gritted teeth. Then, without another word, she stormed out of the restaurant, her feet leaving faint but visible imprints in the stone floor.
Tapping her foot against the ground, Korra thoughtfully returned the floor to its original state before sitting across from Kahn and asking, "What was that about?"
Shrugging his shoulders, Kahn speculated, "I think she's just an awkward girl. I get the impression she's eager to prove herself, so her mother must have been too strict with her. Either way, it has nothing to do with us. That is...unless you intend to get involved...?"
Noticing the faint guilt in Korra's expression, Kahn's brows furrowed as he said, "You don't have to help everyone, Korra. Especially when it concerns family and private matters..."
Adopting a wry smile, Korra replied, "I just figured that the children of the previous Avatar's friends should be our allies, you know? We also need an Earthbender to join our team, so..."
"Then we'll find one who doesn't have a prior commitment like working for the Metalbending Police Force. Besides, weren't you the one who said you didn't want another girl on the team? You're free to change your mind; just make sure you have a good reason."
Keying in on the most arbitrary part of what Kahn had said, Korra adopted an ostensibly teasing smile as she rebutted, "What? It's not like you would ever cheat on me...right?"
Rolling his eyes, Kahn wasn't doing himself any favors by remarking, "Who knows? It depends..."
Unamused by Kahn's answer, Korra squinted her eyes, asking, "Depends? On what...?"
Adopting a faint smile, Kahn leaned forward as he answered, "On whether or not you let yourself go after we get married and have kids..."
Expecting Korra to react bashfully, Kahn's body tensed when she adopted an angry expression and asked, "Oh? So you're just going to leave me and our children if I get fat? Is that what you're saying...?"
Though he opened his mouth, Kahn couldn't find the words to respond to Korra's accusation. Fortunately, she was just messing with him, her angry expression turning into an amused smile as she leaned forward and said, "You aren't the only one capable of teasing..."
Before Kahn could respond, Korra planted an uncharacteristically chaste kiss on his lips. She was normally a lot more aggressive, but, despite her relatively sheltered upbringing, she had enough sense not to make out in public. Instead, she sat back in her seat, fixing her posture as she asked, "So you're already thinking about children...?" in a genuinely curious tone.
Regaining his wits, Kahn took a moment to comb through his hair before answering, "Kind of? Though I would prefer to wait a couple of years, I'm the type that likes to think far ahead. I mean, we're already engaged, so it's only natural we'll eventually have kids..."
Understanding that Kahn was being serious, Korra's face gained a ruddy hue as she visibly shrank in her seat. She hadn't even thought about the possibility of children, but, considering how 'eager' she was to experience new things, there was a distinct possibility of her getting pregnant.
"I think I understand why you wanted to take things slow...I'm totally not ready to be a mother...at least not any time soon..."
Resisting the temptation to nod his head in affirmation, Kahn adopted a gentle smile as he reached across the table and waited for Korra to grab his hand. When she did, he said, "You'll make an amazing mother...someday..."
Though she rolled her eyes, Korra couldn't keep the smile from her face as she said, "You're such a dork..."
...
..
.
After a relatively uneventful meal, Kahn and Korra continued along their journey to explore the entirety of Little Ba Sing Se. Kahn had to fork over 200,000 Yuan just to pay for their entry, but he had plenty to spare since Tenzin had been paying him a premium rather than the median wage Kahn had originally petitioned.
On average, an in-home tutor could earn around 500,000 Yuan if they had received a teaching certification from a prestigious institution. Tenzin, or, more accurately, the White Lotus had been paying him nearly three times that amount due to Kahn's advanced knowledge of ancient, and, in many cases, completely lost cultures. Thus, rather than the 3,000,000 Yuan he normally would have earned, he had accrued just under 12,000,000 Yuan while teaching Jinora and Ikki.
While 12,000,000 Yuan wasn't considered a fortune, it was more than enough for Kahn to comfortably peruse the Upper Ring and purchase just about anything Korra set her sights on. The only times he outright refused was when she suggested purchasing things like a Satomobile. He wasn't particularly fond of gas or petroleum-based vehicles, so he had absolutely no intention of investing in one.
Fortunately, while Kahn was the one purchasing everything, the journey wasn't without benefits. He could practically see Korra naked whenever he wanted, but seeing her change into various outfits and accompanying her while she purchased lingerie was an enjoyable experience. Some of the female staff and customers gave him curious and even provocative looks, but Kahn just ignored them as he focused most of his attention on Korra.
"What do you think? The colors are a little on the nose, but I kind of like it. Blue really draws out the color of my eyes, you know?"
Though she was a little nervous to be seen by the staff and customers, Korra did her best to model a predominately blue bikini and white bikini for Kahn. It was the same pale blue as her shirt and the majority of her undergarments, but, as she pointed out, it suited her quite a bit.
"At this point, you would need to dress up in a Sky Bison costume for me not to find you attractive..."
Rewarding Kahn's comment with a weak punch to the arm, Korra said, "Be serious. Even if you're one of the only people that gets to see it, I want to pick something suitable. Something you like..."
Massaging his perpetually bruised shoulder, Kahn's expression remained unchanged as he said, "I am being serious. You would literally have to go out of your way to make yourself look unappealing for me not to find you attractive. You've put a substantial amount of effort into your physique so it shows no matter what you wear. There is a reason even the girls back at your school was infatuated with you..."
Unable to find a response to Kahn's words, Korra just adopted a gratified smile before making her way back into the changing room. She honestly would have preferred it if Kahn asked more of her, but she wasn't exactly going to complain. If he couldn't tell her what he wanted, she would just have to try on a bunch of different outfits until something stuck...
Seeing a poster of a fashionable young woman with peculiar white hair posted just outside the changing room, Korra paused to take a look at the woman's outfit. It was a navy blue one piece that highlighted her long and slender legs but also had a diamond-shaped cutout that drew attention to her modest yet well-shaped breasts. Over that, she wore a high-collared vest in the same color as Korra's current outfit, a pale shade of blue that was most commonly seen in clothes worn by the Nothern and Southern Water Tribes.
"Hmmm...she's pretty hot..."
Since the outfit the woman wore was on display next to the poster, Korra decided she would go ahead and give it a try. It was clearly intended to be worn by members of the Water Tribes, so, even though she felt like her swimsuit should be a little more revealing, Korra couldn't help wanting to compare how she looked to the pale-skinned, nearly silver-haired woman. After all, as far as she could tell, they were around the same age...
...
..
.
Feeling a shudder pass through his body, Kahn looked around the store for any sings of danger but the only person that made him feel even a hint of vulnerability was a middle-aged woman eyeing him like a predator. She didn't radiate any bloodlust, however, so Kahn summarily disregarded her as his thoughts wandered to the events that had occured throughout the day.
Though Korra's powerful fate virtually guaranteed that trouble would find them, Kahn couldn't help feeling its presence as they progressed further into their impromptu date. Just encountering Suya, among all people, was tantamount to winning the lottery. After all, there were 6.8 million people living in and around Republic City yet they just so happened to meet one of the only people in the entire city that had even a superficial connection with someone they both knew.
With the way things were proceeding, Kahn fully expected something to happen towards the very end of his date with Korra. Thing couldn't just end peacefully on his and Korra's first outing, so, while the latter was in the changing room, Kahn paid close attention to their surroundings. As a result, he wasn't even remotely surprised when a group of four consisting of two young men and women entered into the store.
As if she could sense Kahn's gaze, one of the young woman, a petite girl with silvery-white hair immediately looked over. When their gazes met, a feeling of moderate agitation assailed both of them as the woman softly growled, "It's you..." in a subtly threatening tone.
Before Kahn could offer a response, Korra promptly emerged from the changing room in her new swimsuit, a massive grin on her face as she asked, "How do I look? Much better than that twiggy girl on the poster, right?"
...
..
.

Seeing the same girl from the poster in real life, Korra's expression and body visibly tensed.
Shifting her attention between Kahn and Korra, various thoughts went through the petite, sporty-looking woman's mind. Her glacial blue eyes formed into a catty squint as a smile that was equal parts mischievous and predatory developed across her face.
"I see what's going on..."
Surprising her three companions, the silvery-white-haired girl made her way forward until she was nearly in line with Kahn, eyes focused on Korra as she said, "I honestly can't blame you. Tanned skinned, blue eyes, and a rockin' body...I'm practically half-mast, and I'm a chick..."
Seeing the woman stand much closer to Kahn than was necessary, Korra recovered from her momentary stupor, asking, "Who are you?" as a smell reminiscent of ionization spread through the clothing store.
"Oh? The envious type, are we? How cute..."
In an attempt to try and rile Korra up, the silvery-white-haired woman moved a little closer to Kahn, her left hand gravitating towards his abs with every intent to give them a feel. Before she could, however, Kahn promptly grabbed her hand, his expression serious as he said, "You're going too far...Akua..."
Raising one of her brows, the comparably petite woman, famously known as Regina Akua, gave Kahn a once-over as she teased, "Damn...and here I was looking forward to having a bit of fun..."
Pulling her hand free from Kahn's grasp, Akua took a moment to shake it out as she stared back at Korra and explained, "Don't get your knickers in a twist, sweetheart. I'm not going to steal your baby beau away from you. If anything, you should be more concerned about yourself..."
Recovering from her secondary stupor, Korra moved forward to 'protect' Kahn, an intense, threatening glower on her face as she repeated, "Who are you? I won't ask a third time..."
Rolling her eyes, Akua slipped her hands into her fashionable, self-made jacket as she replied, "Pay attention, sweet cheeks. Kahn already said my name aloud. Don't tell me you haven't heard about me before now...?"
Directing the question towards Kahn, Akua's face formed into a slight pout when his brows faintly yet noticeably furrowed.
"Seriously? Does she at least know about your status as the Av-"
Remembering they were in a relatively public place, Akua shook her head and said, "Wait, scratch that. We'll talk about it someplace else. For now, why don't the two of you get checked out? As a gesture of friendship, I'll let the clerk know to ring up everything for free. I own most of the higher-end fashion stores in the area, so feel free to pick out as many outfits as you like. Just don't be surprised if I ask you to demo them later."
Punctuating her words with a playful wink directed at Korra, Akua made her way over to the trio Kahn recognized as Asami, Mako, and Bolin. The two boys had been staring somewhat slackjawed since the beginning of the 'altercation' while Asami had an expression that was equal parts cute and terrifying. Kahn even detected a fair amount of bloodlust radiating off of her, the majority of which was directed at him.
Noticing Asami's expression, Akua squinted her eyes as she said, "Don't be jealous, kitten. They're the two I kept telling you about. Be a good girl and try to get along, okay?"
As if Kahn had imagined it, the bloodlust exuding from Asami promptly disappeared as she adopted a naturally alluring smile, her pastel green eyes focusing on Kahn as she remarked, "Oh, I see. If that's the case, I suppose I'll need to be on my best behavior, won't I...?"
Amused by Asami's instantaneous shift to her business persona, a soft chuckle emanated from Akua's throat as she mused, "You're cute when you're jealous. For real, though, don't cause any trouble. Kahn and I will probably butt heads in the future, but he's one of the best allies anyone could have. Don't mistake our playful banter as genuine animosity, okay?"
With Akua placing her hand on her waist, Asami's smile became markedly more sincere as she lowered her head and said, "If that's what you want, I have nothing else to say..."
Surprising no one except for Korra, the comparably taller Asami planted a chaste but lasting kiss on Akua's lips. This was a pretty dangerous action for them to be performing in public, but the employees had been paid off long ago. As for the customers, most of the people capable of shopping in the Upper Ring were wealthy and affluent individuals. They were prone to gossip but understood when to keep their mouth shut.
No one in their right mind would go around spreading rumors about the two most famous and affluent heiresses in the city. Such an action would be tantamount to sociopolitical suicide.
When her kiss with Asami was finished, Akua took a moment to observe her surroundings, a mischievous smile on her face as she asked, "What's with the stupefied expressions?"
Though Korra was the only person genuinely surprised by the interaction between Akua and Asami, Mako and Bolin still had awkward expressions on their faces. The only person who didn't was Kahn, who, as usual, had a stoic, borderline deadpan expression as he turned to Korra and said, "You should get changed. We'll have to continue our date another day."
"Uh...right..."
Coming to her senses in response to Kahn's words, Korra wore a distinctly bashful expression as she retreated to the confines of the changing room. Akua's actions had left her feeling discombobulated. She knew there was such a thing as girl-on-girl relationships, but she had never seen two girls kissing in public. For reasons she couldn't quite explain, it made her heart palpitate nearly as much as when she was with Kahn...
Noticing Korra's uncharacteristic behavior, a faintly exasperated sigh escaped Kahn's throat as he turned to find Akua staring at him with a smile reminiscent of a cat.
"Are you always going to be like this...?"
Raising her brows, Akua appeared even more amused as she retorted, "I'm not the one that had my girlfriend dress up like my counterbalance. Tell me, did it make you excited to see her dressed like me...?"
Disregarding Akua's question, Kahn shifted his gaze to Mako and Bolin, repeating, "Is she always like this?"
"Uh..."
Exchanging glances with his older brother, Bolin promptly swallowed his response when he saw Mako shaking his head. Akua might trust him, but Mako got the impression Kahn was dangerous. It didn't help that he was 'secretly' in love with both Akua and Asami. The former had bullied him a lot during their childhood, but Mako couldn't help respecting her strength and everything she had done for the people, particularly the impoverished of Republic City.
Seeing through Mako's thoughts, a helpless expression developed across Akua's face as she remarked, "Choose your battles wisely, pup. Kahn isn't the type of opponent you can take on. Even if I were to go all out from the start, I doubt I would be able to eke out a victory against this asshat. You wouldn't stand a chance."
Rather than being discouraged, Mako was thoroughly provoked by Akua's words. It didn't matter that he had never come close to defeating Akua in a bout; he couldn't just going to back down when she said he didn't stand a chance against another guy.
"You said your name was Kahn, right?"
Furrowing his brows, Kahn shifted his attention from the amused glimmer in Akua's eyes as he flatly replied, "You're mistaken."
Not expecting Kahn to refute his own name, Mako found himself at a brief loss for words until the former clarified, "My name was first mentioned by Akua. I haven't said it once throughout this conversation."
Opening his mouth, Mako tried to rebut Kahn's words but found himself at another loss. It didn't help that Akua had immediately burst into laughter, her voice simultaneously pleasant yet incredibly painful to his ears.
With a faint red hue to his cheeks, Make seemed equal parts embarrassed and incensed as he shouted, "Whatever! If you're a real man, you'll have a match with me! I don't care what Akua says. Unless I see your skill-"
Interrupting Mako's challenge, Akua asked, "You don't care what I have to say? That's a pretty bold choice of words, pup..."
Blinking several times to reboot his mental faculties, Mako's voice became a stammer as he answered, "No...I...that isn't what I meant. You know that isn't what I meant."
Giving Mako a withering, upturned glower, an action made easier by the 22cm difference in their height, Akua asked, "So my hearing is shot? Is that what you're trying to say...?"
Raising both his hands and the bags contained within, Mako appeared to be surrendering as he insisted, "I would never say that!"
Realizing she might be taking things too far, Akua's pretend glower faded as she exhaled a sigh and said, "Seriously, Mako. I already told you I have very little interest in men. When you ingratiate yourself to me or try to act like a knight in shining armor, it makes me feel like we're not even friends."
"Akua..."
Feeling a mixture of pain and guilt washing over him, Mako attempted to find an excuse for his behavior, but, as was often the case when he was around his two childhood crushes, words failed him. Instead, it was Bolin who stepped in, hands raised in a similarly placating gesture as he said, "Hey, now, no need for such words. How many years have the four of us known one another? Of course we're friends."
Though her expression didn't change, Akua nodded her head in response to Bolin's words, repeating, "Right...friends. That's what we promised all those years ago, wasn't it? You remember, don't you, Mako...?"
Inhaling a deep, steadying breath, Mako's expression turned apologetic as he exhaled a sigh, lowered his head, and said, "Sorry, Akua...but you know how I feel about you. I'm not sure we can just be friends...I don't want to be 'just' friends..."
As if the present situation were somehow Kahn's fault, Akua directed an icy stare in his direction, asking, "See what happens when you take your sweet time to show up? This wouldn't have been an issue if you had made your appearance a few years ago. Now, we won't even be able to banter without it causing some kind of drama."
Without waiting for Kahn's response, Akua just shook her head, muttering, "Teens..." in an exasperated tone before walking off. Asami attempted to follow after her, but Akua stopped her by adding, "I need some space to breathe." in an icy tone that caused the surrounding temperature to drop.
Extending a hand in Akua's direction, Asami wanted to call out to her but ultimately decided against it. Instead, she waited for Akua to depart the store before turning to Mako, a fierce glower marring her beautiful face as she hissed, "This is why men are the worst! And to think, I actually used to think you were cute...!"
With Akua leaving through the entrance, Asami was forced to storm off towards the back room behind the counter. It was an area off-limits to customers, but, as the heiress of Future Industries and Akua's financial backer, there were few places Asami couldn't freely trespass. The Store Manager even rushed over to hold the door open...
...
..
.
Ignorant of the drama occurring outside, Korra was having troubles of her own within the changing booth. In her rush to get changed, she ended up accidentally tearing the extremely expensive swimsuit. It wasn't that big a deal since Akua had implied she could have whatever she wanted for free, but the notion of explaining the situation caused Korra's face and ears to burn bright red...
...
..
.

After a quick tour of the Pro-Bending Arena's interior, Kahn and Korra headed outside to where the latter had moored Naga. A rather sizeable crowd had gathered around to gawk at the enormous creature, but they quickly dispersed upon the duo's arrival.
"Well, what now?"
Raising his brows, Kahn asked, "You're asking me? I'm just going with the flow. You're the one that wanted to explore."
Clicking her tongue, Korra pretended to ignore Kahn as she turned to ask, "What about you, girl? I'll bet you're pretty hungry after that swim, huh...?"
With Naga responding with a massive tongue lick, Korra chuckled before pushing away the giant, puppy-like creature and saying, "Then that's our next stop. Time to see what the food of Republic City is like."
...
..
.
At Korra's behest, the group quickly found themselves outside a cozy, Ma and Pa-style restaurant specializing in hot and cold noodles. They were a couple hailing from the Northern Water Tribe and Fire Nation, so they had blended the cultures to create a unique series of dishes resembling curry and naengmyeon.
Though she wasn't particularly good with spicy foods, Korra went out of her way to order the spiciest thing on the menu. As for Kahn, he ordered something he knew Korra would like, fully anticipating a meal swap once the food turned out to be too spicy for her.
Unsurprisingly, Korra only got a few bites into her deceptively sweet curry before beads of sweat began to form on her brow. Shortly after that, as if it had been her intention from the start, she started proferring her food to Kahn, claiming it was something all couples did.
Though it earned them a considerable amount of attention, specifically from the old couple running the tiny restaurant, Kahn played along with Korra's antics. He actually enjoyed spicy food, and the 20% discount they received from the owners was a pleasant surprise; doubly so when they extended it to the food provided to Naga.
"Now what...?"
Raising his brows, Kahn was tempted to repeat his previous response but ultimately decided against it. He realized Korra was basically treating their outing as a date, so, after a moment of consideration, he suggested, "How about the park? Though I doubt it'll be as scenic as Air Temple Island, Republic City Park is supposed to be one of the most beautiful places in the entire city. Other than that, the only places that come to mind are the Harmony Tower and Little Ba Sing Se. The former provides people with a panoramic view of the city while the latter promotes itself as the largest shopping center in the entire world."
Hearing the word shopping, Korra immediately grabbed Kahn's arm and shouted, "We're going shopping~!" in an excited tone. She had heard a lot of good things about shopping from the girls back at the academy, so she was really looking forward to giving it a try. At the very least, she wanted Kahn to help her pick out a swimsuit...
...
..
.
After a quick stop at the Republic City's International Bank and Currency Exchange, Kahn and Korra arrived at a massive shopping center modeled after the walled city of Ba Sing Se.
Similar to the actual Ba Sing Se, the rings of Little Ba Sing Se catered to people of a specific social or economic class. The outer and middle rings were accessible to everyone, but only affluent individuals could afford to shop in the latter. As for the centermost district, an extravagant complex resembling the Earth Kingdom's Royal Palace, only those with members' cards or those willing to fork over a 100,000 Yuan holding fee could enter.
Fortunately for Kahn, not that he couldn't afford it, Korra didn't insist they immediately check out the Upper Ring. Instead, she dragged him through various stores in the Lower/Outer Ring, a district predominantly utilized by restaurants, small boutiques, and crafts shops.
"Hey, Kahn, check this out! This place sells jewelry from the Northern and Southern Water Tribes!"
Ignoring the stares he was receiving, both as a result of his looks and the ever-growing number of bags in his hands, Kahn joined Korra outside the window of a small jeweler. They had a number of beautiful necklaces and wristlets on display, but, unlike the genuine article resting snuggly around Korra's neck, most of the items were rather apparent knock-offs.
Not wanting to waste money on fraudulent goods, Kahn elicited a bashful smile from Korra as he said, "I'll make you something better later. For now, we should drop these bags off at a courier service before making our way into the Middle Ring. It's pretty expensive, but they should be able to ship everything back to the island before the end of the day."
Directing her gaze to the thirteen bags straining in Kahn's fingers, Korra's blush became marginally more prominent as she replied, "Yeah, sure, let's do that. In hindsight, I'm not sure how they would have fit on Naga, so it's probably for the best."
Having eyed every courier during their three-hour tour of the Outer Ring, Kahn immediately beelined towards the nearest one. Korra, feeling a little guilty, offered to help him out, but he promptly refused. She might be able to carry exponentially more than him, but there were certain things 'men' simply couldn't compromise over.
Fortunately, at least for Kahn's wallet, the service to ship things to Air Temple Island was cheaper than anywhere else in the city. Since it was the home of a Councilman and the only Air Bending Family in the entire world, at least for the time being, the island enjoyed a number of unique privileges. The discounted courier service was simply the most pertinent to the present situation.
With his hands freed up, Kahn and Korra were able to walk hand-in-hand through the noticeably more luxurious Middle Ring. Korra's desire to shop had momentarily waned, so the young couple simply meandered through a large portion of the second ring before stopping at a relatively high-end restaurant located just outside the entrance to the Upper Ring.
While waiting for their food, Korra, still feeling guilty about making Kahn carry her bags, slumped her head and shoulders as she muttered, "Sorry about before. The girls back at the academy told me it's the 'duty' of the boyfriend to carry his girlfriend's bags. I just got a little carried away..."
Leaning forward onto the knuckles of his right hand, elbow atop the table, Kahn adopted a faint smile as he said, "You're cute when you're trying to act conscientiously..."
Though a faint red hue spread through her cheeks, Korra's face formed into an 'angry' pout as she said, "I'm trying to be serious here..."
Without losing his faint smile, Kahn simply replied, "When am I not being serious?"
"..."
Feeling a ticklish sensation in her chest and abdomen, Korra promptly rose to her feet, hands lightly slamming the table as she said, "I need to go to the bathroom!" in a voice that carried much, much further than she intended. Thus, with the tips of her ears turning red, Korra stomped off to the bathroom, more so to cool her head than relieve herself.
Following Korra's departure with his eyes, Kahn's expression softened into a far more sincere smile as he mused, "I could get used to this..." in a soft, nearly inaudible tone.
When they first started dating, Kahn figured that Korra would simply drag him around before ultimately getting tired of his no-nonsense attitude. In his opinion, they were better suited to be friends or allies than something as complex as lovers. It was one of the reasons he refused to cross that final line with her, not because he wasn't curious about sex, but because he didn't want to rob Korra of something she could have given to the man or woman she actually loved.
After nearly a week of dating, Kahn's views regarding Korra had changed quite a bit. She was as headstrong as a Three-Toed Ox Lion, but she was also very considerate. When she realized she had done something wrong, she was quick to apologize, and, unlike most people, she truly meant it.
Envisioning the end to their first date, Kahn's smile became progressively more prominent. For one of the first times in his life, he altogether ceased paying attention to his surroundings. As a result, he didn't notice the many hungry gazes directed at him by many of the restaurant's female staff and occupants. He already garnered a lot of attention due to his cool features and visibly toned body, but his appeal was on a completely different level when he smiled.
Fortunately, more so for themselves than Kahn, most of the girls within the restaurant felt he was way out of their league. The singular exception was a young woman wearing the characteristic black and gold armor of Republic City's Metalbending Police Force.
Unlike the rest of the restaurant's female patrons, the woman in question, an unconventional, ponytailed beauty with stoic features, grey-blue eyes, and brown hair neatly framing her face, was practically glaring in Kahn's direction. She couldn't understand the reason why, but she felt a degree of familiarity towards him. Since the only people she associated with were her fellow officers and criminals, she couldn't help associating Kahn with the latter. He certainly wasn't one of her colleagues.
With Korra taking her time returning from the bathroom, Kahn eventually noticed the odd-eyed woman staring at him. His face also formed into a frown, not because the woman was glaring at him but because he had a pretty good idea who she was.
"Troublesome..."
Spurred by Kahn's reciprocative glare, the dark-haired Metalbender rose to her feet, confidently strolling over until she was essentially staring him down before coldly inquiring, "Have I arrested you before?"
Resisting the urge to roll his eyes, Kahn caught the proud-looking woman off guard by saying, "No, you're just confused because my aura is similar to your grandfather's. Either that or one of his direct descendants? I can't be certain without knowing how old you are."
Squinting her eyes, the as of yet to introduce herself, Metalbender briefly considered arresting Kahn on suspicions of being a member of the Triple Threat Triad. Even if he wasn't, she was confident she could convince the Chief to pin charges of indecent exposure on him. He might be eye candy to most, but that didn't give him a license to walk around in clothing that would invariably disrupt the public order.
Noticing the woman's eyes shift to his abs, Kahn's expression soured as he asked, "Are all of Toph's grandchildren like this...?"
Tensing at the casual mention of her grandmother's name, the previously arrogant-looking Metalbender became borderline hostile as she inquired, "How do you know my grandmother? You're clearly not an Earth or Metal Bender. And what did you mean when you said you had the same aura as my grandfather? My grandfather died long before I was born."
Earning no favors from the hairpin woman, Kahn replied with a lazy, "I'm one of the former mentors and current boyfriend of the Avatar. I lived with your grandmother during her stay in the South Pole. If you don't believe me, ask my girlfriend to bend two different elements when she gets back from the bathroom. Regardless of what you decide, I would advise you to stop tensing the metal cables in your armguards. I'm not fond of being on the receiving end of threats, even unspoken ones..."
Though he couldn't help wondering if fate had conspired to have him meet one of Toph's granddaughters when he and Korra were in the middle of searching for an Earthbending team member, Kahn wouldn't hesitate to teach the ostensibly hotheaded officer a lesson. He would probably have to apologize to her mother, but he wasn't going to sit idly if she suddenly tried to arrest him.
Fortunately for the young Metalbender, she only hesitated for a brief moment before retracing the cables threatening to erupt from the hidden compartments of her armguards. Other than a dubious indecent exposure charge, she didn't have anything substantive to pin on Kahn. Thus, for the time being, she decided to wait and confirm his identity. If he was who he claimed to be, trying to arrest him might actually get her suspended from the force. She was already toeing the line of suspension due to her efforts to capture the White Demon, so she couldn't afford the hassle of arresting the Avatar's ally, much less her boyfriend...
Realizing she may have overstepped her bounds, the considerably calmer Metalbender declared, "My name's Suya. Suya Beifong. Identify yourself."
Though he wasn't particularly fond of being told what to do, Kahn didn't feel like making unnecessary trouble for himself. Thus, after a moderately exasperated sigh, he met Suya's steely gaze and answered, "Kahn. Aldr Kahn."

Chapter 32: Chapter 32