after her defeat in republic city, she had fully succumbed to the nothingness. she lost everything. now, she is more than willing to accept whatever punishment the earth kingdom sees fit.

no one ever comes to visit her. not suyin. not even the avatar, despite sympathizing with how alike the two of them were. not even baatar. and worst of all, not even you.

at this point, she is even willing to accept death.

the heavy platinum door just a few feet away from her cell creaks open. the light shines in, making her wince and retreat further into the corner. she doesn’t bother looking up. it’s probably just some scrawny rookie delivering her lunch for the day.

then the door shuts and locks.

that, at least, is new.

“kuvira?”

a familiar, sweet tone. your voice echoes in the cold cell. kuvira’s eyes go wide at the sound of it. no. it’s just her mind playing tricks on her. it has to be. she refuses to look up, convinced it’s just another cruel trick of her own making.

your footsteps bring you closer with each step, stopping right at her cell. your hand slowly clasps around the platinum bar.

“kuvira, it’s me.”

finally, she looks up.

a shiver runs down your spine the moment you finally meet her dark, emerald eyes. the very eyes that used to look down on you when she worked you like a dog, barking commands at you with impossible expectations to please her.

she stares back at you, her expression completely unreadable. dark, wavy hair falls in strands over her face, making her look imposing despite her circumstances.

“you,” her voice comes out low, with a gravelly, deep rasp that never fails to make you nervous. “what are you doing here?”

you swallow hard. you’re not entirely sure why you came to visit kuvira in the first place. or maybe a part of you does know. it’s like an itch you can’t scratch, a truth you never want to admit out loud: without her presence, you feel lost.

“i just wanted to see how you were doing,” you explain, trying your best to sound indifferent.

a sharp, bitter laugh escapes her throat, her chains rattling against the metal. “is that so? you came all this way just to look down on your pathetic commander?”

as much as she wants to keep looking at you, she forces her head down—a small grievance for her own humiliation. sympathy rolls off your body so loudly that she can feel it, which only makes her feel even more helpless. she does not want your pity.

“n-no,” you mentally curse yourself for stuttering. “i didn’t come down here to belittle you. i just—”

“—just wanted to see your personal monster locked up in chains? don’t be ridiculous, sweetheart,” kuvira spits out bitterly. “you swore your loyalty to me, and now look at us. only one of us is in chains while the other wears the zaofu sigil with pride.”

your face contorts into a sneer. even now, with kuvira locked away for good, you hate the way she still manages to get under your skin. you hate how, even without her titles, she still has so much power over your feelings.

“that’s not true!” you screech, your voice echoing off the walls. “i didn’t come here to look down on you. i truly just wanted to see if you were doing okay!”

kuvira looks up, her eyes widening and her lips parting in shock.

even now, after all this time, your big heart still has space for her. beating for her, even—albeit small.

she studies the look on your face, the look she knows all too well. she recognizes the pinch in your brows, the way your bottom lip trembles with frustration whenever you do something that doesn’t please her. she recognizes the way you grip the platinum bars of her cell tightly, wishing you had all the strength in the world to tear this cage apart and break her free just so you could be with her again.

before she says something that’ll snap the devoted bubble you find yourself in, she forces her lips shut and downturns them into a frown that she knows will get her loyal pet’s heart racing.

“i’m sorry for lashing out at you,” kuvira speaks in a voice so small it nearly breaks you. “it’s just… so lonely in here.”

she huffs a self-deprecating laugh, pulling at your heart even more.

“i’m just used to a large bedroom with a king-size bed right in the middle.” she lowers her voice deliberately to a sultry rasp that you recognize all too well. “and with you lying right there next to me.”

your face goes hot, and your lips part in a soft gasp that echoes throughout the entire room. while you’re flustered, trying to mentally collect yourself, kuvira smiles—knowing she's already won you over.

“this is better, kuvira,” it sounds like you’re trying to convince yourself. “for the people. for the earth kingdom. for everyone.” your eyes are almost pleading. “and for us.”

kuvira sighs softly, letting the silence settle just for a second before she twists the knife buried in your heart.

“i miss you, baby.”

your eyes go wide. it feels like your heart is pounding wildly in your chest, desperate to release itself and reach the woman who destroyed not only your home, but your life.

all those late nights sneaking into her quarters after the rest of the military went to bed, moaning her name while your fingernails clawed into her back. all those stolen glances, the marks she would leave on your neck that you were forced to hide behind an earth empire uniform collar.

all those memories, compressed into a single, hopeless sentence.

baby.

the last time she called you that was when you were tangled in each other’s limbs after sex, where she was stroking your back and whispering sweet nothings in your ear. a promise of a life together once she took over republic city. a promise that never came.

“the things that i would do just to hold you one last time,” kuvira sighs. “to feel your fingers through my hair.”

your heart pounds wildly. suddenly, the cell key hiding in your pocket feels so much heavier.

“if things had been different, if i had just… handled things better, it wouldn’t be like this,” kuvira’s voice trickles into a broken whimper of regret. “we would be living together, right in the heart of zaofu where i was raised. we would have a wedding—just like we talked about during those late nights in the comfort of my bed.”

tears begin to dance at the corners of your eyes, threatening to spill. the woman before you sounds so broken, in a way you have never heard before. the more she speaks, the smaller she looks.

“it’s not too late!” you insist, both hands finding the bars as you try to push your face through the gaps, desperate to reach her. “w—we can fix this! i can try getting suyin to hear you out. or… or—”

“don’t be ridiculous,” kuvira cuts you off, her patience fraying. she tries her best to suppress it to avoid your suspicion. “after everything i’ve done, they won’t allow it. they’ll even punish you for seeing me.”

you swallow down your tears.

“the next time you try to sneak out to see me, i’ll probably already be dead.”

your hand trembles, your shoulders slumping at the realization. “no…”

kuvira eyes the head of the key sticking out of your pocket, then looks back up at you. “but if i get at least one last opportunity to touch you, i can die in peace.”

she senses your hesitation, but she’s so close. you’re dangling right at the tip of her fingers. she just needs to find one last thing to reach in and grab you…

“i love you,” she confesses suddenly. “i felt like you needed to hear that now, otherwise you never will.”

your breath catches in your throat, and your heart stutters. without a single rational thought passing through your brain, you glance at the door. it’s locked. trapped shut. and completely soundproof.

kuvira smiles. good girl.

you fish for the key in your pocket, your hands clammy and clumsy as you try to insert it into the lock. the moment kuvira hears that delicious sound of the latch unclicking, she sits up so fast her chains rattle. you push the heavy cell door open, and she forces herself to rise slowly, lest she startle you.

she doesn’t even get the chance to stand up fully before your body collides right into hers, nearly knocking her backward. your face finds comfort against her chest, your arms wrapping tight around her waist as you pull her close.

“kuvira, i missed you,” you whimper. “i missed you so much.”

kuvira is stunned. it has been so long since she spoke to anyone, much less touched someone like this.

finally, her chin rests in that familiar spot atop your head, both hands coming up to pull you in even closer. the platinum feels heavy on her wrists, rattling with each stroke of your back.

“shh, don’t cry. i’m here,” she coos, pressing a soft kiss to your temple. “kuvira’s here.”

she pulls away slightly to cradle your face in her hands. her thumbs brush over your cheeks, wiping away the tears streaming down your skin. then, she leans down and presses her lips against yours in a hot, searing kiss.

you melt into her immediately, your eyes fluttering shut as if under a spell. you press your chest against hers, your hands tangling in her dark, wavy hair. she lets out a low moan against your mouth, her tongue instantly taking control.

her hands trace your entire body, the cold chains dragging against your skin as she explores every curve she missed. she squeezes your hips, pulling you impossibly closer. one hand rests heavy on your lower back while the other reaches down to cup you, giving a possessive squeeze.

you moan into the kiss, and she moans back, rougher and deeper.

two minutes of her hands groping you, squeezing you, tracing thin touches that tickle your skin. two minutes of her mouth claiming yours. it takes only two minutes to already be soaked for the woman before you.

kuvira’s hand traces down your stomach, moving straight to the heat between your legs. her thumb presses gently against your clit, stroking you through the fabric of your uniform.

“uncuff me, baby,” she rasps against your mouth, barely pulling away from the kiss. “remove these chains, and i’ll take such good care of you.”

you pull back with a regretful look in your eye, holding your breath.

“i… i only have the key to the cell,” you mutter. “i’m sorry.”

kuvira isn’t happy. her face twitches, already settling back into that cold look of disapproval she wore when she was the great uniter. but she forces it down when she sees you tremble.

she knew she wasn’t going to get out of here today, but at least she has you. and that’s a start.

“don’t cry again,” she reassures you, her hands already making quick work of your clothes. “chains or no chains, you’re still mine. and i’m going to make sure your body remembers that.”

she tears your clothes off piece by piece until you’re standing completely naked before her. you watch as her cold, green eyes trace over your body with pure lust—a look you haven’t seen in a long time, yet one that never fails to send your heart racing.

her tongue darts out to wet her lower lip while she traces the smooth expanse of your stomach with the back of her index finger.

“you’ve always been such a perfect girl for me,” kuvira praises, stepping closer to you. “always so good. so pliant.”

then, with a sudden, tight grip, she grabs you by the waist and pushes you up against the cold wall, nearly knocking the breath out of your lungs.

your eyes flutter up at her, displaying a cocktail of fear and desperation that she wants to get drunk on.

she brings her fingers up to her lips, eyes never breaking from yours as her tongue darts out to wet them. she settles her knee between your thighs, forcing you to part for her. her fingers finally make contact with your heat, and you immediately arch your back into her touch.

kuvira chuckles deeply. “so wet,” she coos. “i didn’t even need to prep my fingers when you’re already doing such a fine job for me.”

one of her large hands captures both of your wrists, pinning them above your head while the chains dangle. her other hand fondles you teasingly.

“kuvira, p-please,” you squirm, grinding your hips against her hand. “need you inside.”

she smiles wickedly. “just because i’m in chains, you think you’re in any position to make demands?” her fingertips tease your entrance, feeling your body clench in anticipation. “let me hear you beg for it. just like you used to when i was your commander.”

“please, great uniter!” you beg. “i pledge my entire body, my entire being to you, great uniter.”

a low groan rumbles from her throat. it’s been a long time since she heard those words come out of your mouth, and she feels her self-restraint melting by the second.

“it should be you in these chains,” she hisses, her fingers finally tearing past your entrance and into your warmth. “i should’ve thought of that when i was still the ruler. should’ve built a cage just for you—kept you chained up, always ready to be used at my disposal.”

your body stretches around her fingers, moaning and gasping her name like a breathless prayer as she works inside you. kuvira dips her head down, capturing one of your hardened nipples in her mouth.

“a-ah! k-kuvira!”

you feel her teeth graze against the sensitive skin, as if threatening to bite. you hiss sharply, arching your back. this is your warning, and you know what she wants.

“i’m sorry, great uniter!” you cry out, offering the title she demands. “i’m sorry. i’ll be good!”

she moans against your breast, and as you look down at what she's doing, the sight alone is enough to send you over the edge.

she pulls your sensitive nipple into her mouth, her tongue lapping hungrily over your skin. she switches from one side to the other, leaving one exposed to the cool air while the other gets ravished.

long, thick fingers move in and out of you. every time she pulls out only to drive back in, it leaves an embarrassing, wet squelch. you leave a slick ring at the base of her knuckles, her thumb soaked as she circles your throbbing clit.

“oh god, don’t stop! don’t stop!” you cry out.

you roll your hips in time with her movements, your body tightening up around her fingers. she pulls her mouth away from your chest, looking up at you through heavy lids and long, dark lashes.

“you going to cum? already?” she taunts, withdrawing her fingers completely.

you whine, left completely on edge. “it’s just… been so long.”

“no one’s touched you?”

you bite your lip, shaking your head no.

“even locked away, i still have power.” she smirks, wearing the exact look that makes your knees weak. “no one is foolish enough to touch what’s mine.”

slowly, she sinks to her knees before you. roughly grabbing one of your thighs, she hikes it over her shoulder and presses her nose up against your wet core, breathing you in. she lets out a sigh of approval before flicking her tongue out, dragging it along your folds and straight over your clit.

you gasp. “oh, kuvira!”

her hand grabs your ankle, forcing you to keep your leg pinned over her shoulder. she squeezes hard, making you whimper.

“call me kuvira again, and so help us both, i’ll find a way to break out of these godforsaken chains and give you the punishment you seem to be pining for, you dirty slut.”

she buries her face against you again, lapping at your warmth and flicking her tongue against the bud of your clit. her left hand remains tight around your ankle while her other hand trails up to the curve of your ass, gripping you tight so you can’t escape her ruthless tongue.

you moan and cry out, getting closer and closer to the edge.

she presses her face completely flush against you, letting her tongue do all the work. she flicks up and down hungrily, a wet sheen coating her chin. your eyes roll back, your hands tangling into her dark curls as you cry out.

“great uniter, ah—fuck. i’m cumming!”

her tongue gives you no remorse. she chuckles darkly against your clit, the vibrations making your eyes roll back.

“fuck, fuck, oh my god—” you cry out. “kuvira!”

her name breaks out in a pathetic whine, spilling from your lips. you no longer care about her title. you don’t even care if she punishes you for ignoring it. all you care about is coming undone all over your lover’s face.

kuvira’s palm squeezes your ass tight, forcing your hips against her face while her tongue works you through your climax. rolling your hips against her, you finally break with a screech of her name.

“kuvira, i’m cumming!”

your body convulses and your leg shakes over her shoulder. she forces you to ride out your orgasm, her tongue flicking feverishly over your sensitive bud. finally giving you respite, she drags her tongue up and down your wet folds, savoring your taste.

“mmm,” she pulls back, licking her lips. “tastes exactly as i remembered. just as sweet, and still mine.”

you’re panting above her, your back sweaty as you slump against the cold cell wall. kuvira slowly rises, watching as your energy drains away. your eyes flutter shut as you continue to catch your breath.

she knows you all too well. she knows that sooner or later, you’ll slump right into her arms—and that is exactly what you do.

kuvira catches you before you can hit the ground, her chains rattling as she uses her strength to hold your weight up.

“there, there,” she coos, slowly guiding you toward her cot.

it’s so easy for you to fall asleep in her arms. her scent, her breathing, the weight of her embrace—all of it feels so familiar.

“rest now, baby. i’m here.”

the two of you lie like that for a moment. despite the cold and unwelcoming cell, you find solace against her chest. her hand rests heavy on your back, monitoring your breathing. with you sound asleep, she slowly pulls the thin blanket up and over your body.

kuvira sighs. it’s a shame, really. a shame that she was given an opportunity to escape, but was instead left with this.

not that she minds it, though. deep down, despite her cruel words, she really does love you.

careful not to wake you, she slowly reaches over to gather your discarded uniform from the floor. as she lifts the fabric, the key to her cell slips out of a pocket and clanks to the floor. she glances over her shoulder at you. you’re still asleep.

she slowly picks it up, stopping to examine the ridges. squinting, she brings it closer to her face to get a better look.

kuvira glances at you one last time for good measure. then, out of sheer curiosity, she brings the key to the lock binding her wrists. she holds her breath. she knows you told her this was only the key to the cell—nothing more.

but it doesn’t hurt to try. at least this way, she’ll know if you were telling her the truth. it’ll give her peace of mind to know where your loyalty truly lies.

she inserts the key into the slot and twists.

click!