Archive of Our Own

Seasons

The red descending leaves seemed to describe the way Asami felt that Fall, and the bright blue that stood contrasting against it.

The school had practically been buzzing for the past 2 weeks about a student who was supposed to start that week. Question was, who? and when? And everyone seemed to have already made their own assumptions, their own judgments for how this person was going to be spending their time in Republic City High School.

For Asami, someone who’d cared less about the excitement of a new student in the past, it was important knowing at least who to steer clear from while showing the new kid around. And she was definitely going to avoid Tahno, because he’ll be the first person to try and ask the new girl out.

You can’t blame Asami for not being ready to meet someone like her. Not when it was kind of a surprise that she would that morning, especially when she was frantically scribbling in her sketchbook that new ceramic water filter she wanted to start on in art 2 later. Why that seemed so important might be a question to her now but either way you can bet that even in her nervous reserve, she played it...cool. Like you might expect her too, because generally that’s who she was.

But somehow that idea, about who she was, was put to question by the excited grin on the stranger's face, and the odd way her bright blue eyes seemed to draw you in.

It was odd indeed, that those eyes seemed to have the same affect on everyone else. All of the whispers, all of the stares, all of the annoying questions Asami was afraid would disturb her usual quiet work, seemed to confirm her suspicions from the second she first saw Korra. She was definitely going to be popular.

In a way, it was relieving to think Korra will soon find her niche in school, probably sooner than expected because she was talkative, extremely self confident, and well it’s a bit awkward to mention but she’s also really cute.

Asami was not the only one to think about how cute Korra was. For the past two minutes of waiting for her outside the girl’s locker room, Bolin couldn’t stop talking about it, and Asami wasn’t even sure he had taken a breathe in that amount of time. Apparently she was his first official crush.

“We’re perfect gym partners, Asami!” He exclaimed. “I lifts, she lifts. She’s strong, I’m strong. She’s funny..I’m hilarious! Annnd she’s really, really, beautiful.”

“Bolin, you know she’s been here for exactly three hours. Don’t you think-”

“I know. I know.” He interrupted, “I don’t mean to be weird about it. I want to take the time to get to know her. It’s just that I’m happy..”

“What are you happy about?” Korra asked, pulling her shoulder strap into a comfortable position. Bolin’s face went positively red, but he didn’t answer. He was probably too distracted by Korra’s damp short hair, and the slightly disheveled way her clothes were hanging off her body, probably from throwing them on too hurriedly.

And the cuff that folded annoyingly at her bicep that bothered Asami as soon as she saw it for her to even realize that she was already flattening it out herself.

“You didn’t fold your clothes, dork.” she mumbled, watching Korra’s face flush in embarrassment

“Is it that noticeable?” Korra laughed, rubbing away the sweat on the back of her neck.

Normally Asami doesn’t act that close with anyone, especially not someone she met flat out three hours ago, but even if she couldn’t explain it very well, she knew it felt right, and welcomed.

There are many sides of Mako she has seen, and there are many, that not a lot of people get to see. But besides the relative seriousness he wears when going around campus, he’s never this..well this clumsy, or entranced, or even shy.

“N-no, I’m fine, really.” He says, picking himself off the floor, with Asami’s help. Somehow though, he doesn’t even realize that Asami is carrying half of his weight, because he’s staring dead at Korra, who’s staring at him back, like he’s a walking curiosity.

“Watch where you’re going next time,” Korra laughs, looking at the open locker Mako had walked straight into. “I know sometimes these things just come out of nowhere.” She’s playing lightly, and Asami can’t help but smile at the innocent tease. But it’s also really weird that she’s seeing Mako blushing so fiercely and she’s kind of curious to see it on full display.

“Y-yeah, I usually am more..careful.” He says, losing himself, but remembers quickly to stand up straighter, more composed. He even does something weird and out of place like nods at her, and says, with literally no context “I’m Mako.”

“Korra.” She says, holding out her hand, which Mako takes with a smile that actually seems normal.

“It’s nice to meet you Korra. Um are you joining us for lunch?” He asks, quickly glancing at Asami and Bolin, who are giving him curious looks, before giving back his full attention to Korra.

“Do you guys usually have lunch together?” She asks, silently agreeing with Mako, just by matching his stride towards the cafeteria.

Asami and Bolin fall behind, feeling a little bit left out. It was weird, because their group has never been split up like this before, or even at all. It has always just been the three of them, the trio, the three amigos, even the three musketeers if you want to go that far.

If Asami was relieved earlier about Korra easily finding her place at this school, she was a little worried that her place was right here, with them, because of the obvious beginnings of sibling rivalry between Bolin and Mako. Evidenced by Bolin’s quiet fumings, and the “He always get’s the girl..” confession.

Asami would have assumed the situation between the two brothers would get worse, or really tense, but, as they sat in her room listening to the soft volume of her phonograph, they were talking it out. Asami being the mediator of the two. Not that they needed it because they always fell back into the, “you’re my bro, so I forgive you,” excuse to not deal with their problems.

“I think both of your feelings for her are valid, both of you should try to win her heart fairly.” Asami suggested, in the small moment she gave to paying attention to the brothers.

Truthfully, she didn’t want to deal with the drama, but it's been awhile since they’ve had any, and well it was little bit more interesting than the history worksheet she was working on currently.

“Alright,” Mako said, “We can both try to win her over, but once she chooses, the other has to stop.”

“Fine,” Bolin said, from where he rested on Asami’s bed, carrying Pabu, his fire ferret, above him. “We’ll seal the deal with a kiss.” He says dramatically, and sits up to hold his hand out, while Pabu crawled to rest on his shoulder.

“Uhhh,” Mako pauses as if he heard that correctly, “right, if she kisses me..or you, then yeah, may the best man win.” He says clearing up any confusion, and walks over to him, to actually seal the deal with a handshake.

Asami was starting to cherish early mornings. There was no awkward tension, no nervousness. Meaning no Mako, and no Bolin to ask her what she thought Korra’s feelings were, as soon as she wasn’t there.

It was just her and Korra, and Korra’s feelings showing in the irises of her eyes, and the arms of her sleeves. It wasn’t distressing, she was easy to read, and always truthful. There was nothing to guess. Nothing to worry over, and really this is the only time she isn’t forced to think about how Korra feels so she doesn’t.

But for some reason, she feels at least a little bit responsible for the boys’ advances towards her in the past few weeks and can’t help but think that this is the perfect time to administer that overdue apology.

“I’m sorry about Mako and Bolin..” she starts as a greeting to Korra. They have a spot on a peculiarly placed bench in the garden that no one ever seems to occupy. It’s a spot just for the two of them to meet in the mornings. An agreement that neither of them talked about but understood.

Korra was sleeping silently, clutching her bag to her chest, as she sat spread eagle on the bench. It did occur to Asami, that Korra has mentioned plenty of times that she hates mornings, but it was always a curious thing when she found this girl here everyday earlier than her.

Asami took a careful seat on the bench, placing her own bag next to her. She was looking at Korra to see if the small gesture would wake her up, but nothing. She was out cold. Asami slid closer to inspect the brown girl’s face. It was no wonder Korra is getting the attention she’s gotten. Her facial features are prominent, strong, a beautiful representation of the southern water tribe. But, imagining her characteristic crooked grin, she really was the dork she came to understand her to be. She looked healthy, innocent, and even child-like in such a vulnerable state.

For some reason, Asami’s glad that she’s the only one here who gets to see her like this.

She raises a hand to swipe the bangs hanging lazily off Korra’s forehead, but even that gesture does nothing to stir her awake. So she whispers, “Kor-ra,” in a sing song voice, that she hopes doesn’t startle her. But it’s when Asami starts tucking the out-of-place bang behind Korra’s ear, that she gets a response out of the girl. Korra leans into the touch with a slight closed smile on her face. The action sends a jolt of..something funny through Asami’s heart, that she doesn’t realize has been beating a little bit faster this entire time. But she’s never felt it before, so she dismisses it, and deems it happening because of the shocked look Korra gives her as her eyes open to see Asami staring back at her. 

“Sorry! I didn’t mean to frighten you,” Asami quickly responds, sitting back a couple of inches, and throwing her hands in the air, to show..she was innocent?

“I-I wasn’t scared,” Korra says, waving off the awkwardness with a laugh. “I was just surprised, sorry.” She says, picking up her bag that she flung away from her off the ground.

“Speaking of apologies,” Asami started, with a tense grab of her other elbow. “I wanted to say sorry...for Bolin and Mako, and the way they’ve been acting toward you.”

She looks slightly confused, as Asami’s confessing this, which stops Asami from saying more because is Korra really not following her?

“I don’t think you need to apologize for them. They’re good guys, and to be honest, I’ve never had that kind of attention before so...it’s kind of nice.” She responds, blushing at that last part, and somehow, it leaves a bad taste in Asami’s mouth.

“You know I’ve been homeschooled my entire life before this, right?” Korra goes on to explain. She starts explaining everything about her school experience in the South Pole, and Asami is listening, really, in fact she enjoys hearing about it, but it doesn’t stop her from also questioning why she feels so fucking bad right now.

Between the casual somewhat platonic dates Korra has been going on with the boys, and the alone time they get in the mornings, there was lunch. That all four of them share.

That was the moment where Asami thinks she finds her answer as to why she’s been so fucking upset and it’s because of the fact that lunch is so terribly shitty now a days and their group...isn’t even a group anymore. It’s a four way triangle with Korra in the middle. It was then that she quietly decides that she hates Korra.

For a couple of days, she thinks her anger is justified. That Korra is the reason her crew is splitting apart. But she thinks it over, because really how can it be Korra’s fault, when she's done nothing but be herself, and try to please every goddam one of them, by actually going on dates with the boys equally, and finding ways to spend alone time with Asami, who didn’t even know she wanted it to begin with.

Asami starts to spend lunch in the pseudo hybrid 3D lab. A club space for the party of one, and not because no one was interested in playing with electronics, or machinery, but nobody in the entire school during this awkward gap in time did.

Asami makes a mental note to advertise the club in the school’s newspaper more often. But for now, this was her space to be in, alone, with her exciting hobbies, that spoke nothing of feelings, or Korra.

It was when Bolin found Asami alone in the hallway walking to the bathroom, while staring at the ground, her hands stained in dark grease from all of the metal she’s been playing with, that everything she’s been upset about in the past few days has been her fault. Not Korra’s. Not feelings, not even Mako and Bolin’s feelings for Korra. But her. It was her fault her friendships were going down the drain because she was the one who hadn’t made any efforts to be around either Bolin or Mako.

But as Bolin is hugging her like they haven’t seen each other in forever, she finally get’s the concept of , “You’re my bro, so I forgive you.” and decides she actually really likes it.

Everything is getting better. There isn’t awkward tension. There aren’t outward worries over who Korra likes better. There is no distinctions between friend and wanting-more-than-friends divisions between the four.

And Asami has been ceremoniously happy about it for the past few weeks. They were all functioning together like a well oiled piece of machinery. Making life stress free, and admittedly easier.

There has been one thing that has been coming to question in her mind though, at least recently. If everything was great with the boys, why haven’t she and Korra shared their secret morning meeting spot with them? Wouldn’t it be great if they could spend that intimate space with the four of them?

But that next morning, Asami dismisses the thought immediately. You might call her selfish, but her whole life, she hasn’t been able to control who and what leaves her life, and this might be one thing. The one thing, that she can hold onto for herself without anyone else's influence. And it’s silly really, but Asami feels strongly about the fact that each day she gets to feel the warmth of Korra’s cheek against her knuckles, and the smooth surface of her temple, and that damn lazy bang that loves to hang carelessly down her forehead.

Asami holds onto this moment, as if the fluttering in her heart will only last until Korra wakes up.

But it’s an entirely different thing when Korra eventually opens her eyes. Really because she can’t stop the way everything just bursts in her chest, and she smiles at Korra in a way that she’s never smiled at anyone.

If you would have asked Asami if she knew what it meant to be in love, half a year ago she would have said,

“Sure, it’s a series of neuro, and nervous system transmissions of hormones, and chemical imbalances.” And she will think about it in a weird hybrid way with science and mechanical engineering, but really she’s talking nonsense. Because she doesn’t know, she doesn’t even have a clue. But she also hasn’t been exposed to that kind of love since she was six.

If you were to ask her now, she would say that there has been something wrong with the way she has missed Korra since winter break started. Because she misses Mako and Bolin too, but it’s not the same. She doesn’t crave seeing their eyes in the morning, doesn’t care to record their laugh, doesn’t imagine their smile when she sees something that reminds her of them.

Then she recalls that something has been wrong for awhile now, she was just too caught up in it to see what was happening.

She’s curled in her bed, her bedsheets providing physical comfort, but doing nothing to protect her from all the anxiety, all of the worry, and all of the stress she thought she let go with Bolin and Mako. And it was all somehow hurting her heart in the process.

For the first time ever, Asami is worried about who she was, and who she was trying to be. There was nothing she’s ever encountered with second thoughts. She was a maker by heart, and an engineer in training. A friend who’s always been reliable, loyal, and caring. A loving daughter.

But she’s doubting herself, she’s giving herself questions she can’t answer, and it’s leaving her unsettled for the weekend. The anxiety leaves her quickly as she buries herself in complicated projects. Also it’s been awhile since she’s seen Korra anyways, so who knows, her feelings might be gone by the time school starts.

She really believed that it would work, that waiting it out was definitely the cure for the gay. So she didn’t make the effort to go see her, and she was doing so well. Even with the neat handwritten note Korra gave her with her address sitting on her nightstand every night.

Korra is impatient though, and Asami really should have figured or at least planned out what to do if Korra ever came to her place. So Asami doesn't know what to do when Korra is standing at her doorstep pouting and whining on about how she was the only one who hasn’t come to visit her since break started. And all Asami could think about besides..how adorable she is was how Korra broke the cure, how there might never be a way out again.

“Let me change, and I’ll come outside.” Asami says, stepping with the door, to allow Korra full access into her..humble abode.

“I can see why you didn’t want to go to my place, when you live in a palace.” Korra commented, in awe of the high ceilings, and the intricately detailed gold gilded column capitals that invite you further into the house. Pictures lined the white walls, and the red rug runner on the floor brought her along through a timeline of the past.

She literally wasn’t paying attention to where Asami was going, too distracted by everything around her, that Asami had to drag her to her room by the wrist. Whilst ignoring the bolt of electricity shooting up her arm, and the ones dancing in her chest.

Yup, she thought, time doesn’t heal all things. If she’d known earlier she probably wouldn’t have been so upset at herself for actually wasting all this time avoiding Korra.

“Your room is amazing,” Korra said, leaning against the banister of her bed, and she’s staring at the mattress longingly, but doesn’t ask permission, while she dutifully awaits for Asami to finish changing in her closet.  

Though, Asami sees the look she’s giving her bed, and the challenging way the pristine sheets must look to Korra.

“Go for it.” She says, chuckling to herself, as she’s hopping into her pants from inside the closet she didn’t bother to close. It was just Korra anyways. Also, why would she want to miss seeing Korra lavishing in the comforts of her bed.

Asami’s backtracking, deeper into the closet, berating herself for enjoying Korra’s eyes, her laugh, her smile, in her bed.

You’d think that she’d feel disgusted with herself for letting it go so far, and so..deep, but she doesn’t.  Even if the word ‘gay’ hasn’t always been a positive thing in her life, but it’s as if she remembers the day she first met Korra. She knew just from the sound of her laugh that Korra would welcome her feelings, even if they weren’t accepted.

“I was thinking we should sneak into school.” Korra said, while they walk aimlessly around the Sato estate. The winter sun, warming the cool afternoon chill.

“You don’t even like being there when we have classes, why do you want to go now?” Asami asked, pulling her jacket sleeves over her cold hands.

“Well, there’s a couple of places I want to see for myself that I didn’t get a chance too during school.”

“Yeah like where?”

“Well there’s that place you used to disappear too during lunch.”

She remembers...that Asami also left her alone during that time. That she hasn’t exactly apologized to Korra like she did with Mako and Bolin. Although, it was easier with them, especially because they weren’t the center of her..was it hatred? But this is the second time Asami has left Korra alone for an extended amount of time, and she can’t help but think that’s what Korra was picking up on.

“Korra,” Asami says, stopping in her track, but Korra keeps walking because she hadn’t noticed Asami falling behind. Korra’s usually not this passive aggressive. Then again, she might not even know she’s upset.

Still Korra proves that there wasn’t any malice intention with what she meant by saying,

“I was kidding, sorry. It’s a private place, right?” Korra says, turning around with an apology clear in her eyes. Asami immediately thinks about - their secret morning meeting spot, and how Korra is drawing these conclusions herself in her free time.

Asami nods.

“Being there helped you feel better when no one else could?” Korra asks, and it strikes Asami in surprise that Korra’s been thinking about something that happened so long ago.

Asami nods.

“Good.” She says, and pulls Asami into a hug. Asami can’t help but feel how unwarranted it was, how impulsive it was, and how even if it was because half of Korra was relieved and proud of Asami for being strong by herself, the other half was to settle how torn up she felt about not being there for her..as a friend.

They still snuck into school despite Asami’s probability calculations about the likeliness of them getting caught.

“There still are some places I want to explore.” Korra had said to justify their reason to go.

The school was eerie. Neither of them could have imagined how hauntingly quiet it was going to be when it was literally just the two of them, in such a large amount of square footage.

Asami would rather not wonder why it sounded like there was a pencil dropping in the distance, or why a locker sounded shut somewhere in the hall they were in, but of the curve of Korra’s bicep as she latched on after hearing something particular frightening.

Korra turned to her over her shoulder, asking, “Are you scared?”

“Are you not?”

“No, but if must know,” Korra flexed the bicep Asami was holding “these guns would definitely protect you.”

She was smirking at the embarrassed, slightly impressed blush that forged its way up Asami’s neck. Even if it was a ridiculous thing to say, Asami stayed holding onto Korra as they walked the narrow expanse towards the theater.

“This is scary.” Korra said, taking center stage and looking out into the audience. Occupant of just one, but Korra could imagine.

“Did you want to do theater?”

“No I was just kind of wondering what it would be like.” She said, walking to the edge of the stage to Asami and holding out a hand to help her up. Not that she needed the extra help, but it was a nice gesture, until it wasn’t actually what she expected. Instead of supporting Asami as she got up the stage herself, Korra had literally lifted Asami up off the floor and got her standing on stage in like a second, just by pulling her by the hand.

H-How much did Bolin say she can lift?

“Come on, I’ve always wanted to know what was back here.” Korra said, walking behind the curtains.

There wasn’t actually much to see. Mostly because they couldn’t figure out where the light switches were. There were sand bags, and tall really oddly shaped wooden cut outs of something they couldn't make out in the dark. They were about to leave until Korra stumbled over something left precariously on the ground.

“Ah, it’s a keyboard.” Korra said, feeling around for it in the dark, and pulling it out to see in the light over the stage.

“It doesn’t work.” She said, pressing the keys, before realizing it needs to be turned on. She switched it on and still nothing fluttered to life.

“It probably needs to be plugged in, or we need to change the battery.” Asami says, kneeling over Korra, to check out the keyboard. “I might be able to get it working for you, do you play?”

“Not really, but I know a thing or two.” Korra manages to say, while still distracted by the on and off switch and the keys that don’t seem to want to make a noise.

There are some dual plugs in the hybrid lab that can hook it up to a power outlet, Asami thought.

“Do you want to see my secret hide out?” she asks.

Asami realizes that the moment Korra walks into the lab, the space would never be the same for her. It hasn’t seen the light of anyone else besides herself since she’s occupied the lab.

It wasn’t as if Mako or Bolin didn’t know she was a tinkerer, but they also didn’t ask too much about it. “It just wasn’t their thing.” They said.

Neither was it Korra’s but it didn’t stop her from picking things up, inspecting them, and asking questions. She was actually really interested in what Asami was doing with her spare time, even if she couldn’t understand it very well.

And Asami filled her in, even if she felt slightly exposed by it all.

“Do you think it’ll work?” Korra asked, spinning in Asami’s office chair.

“It should.” Asami said, plugging the power cord into the wall. She switched the device on, but nothing seemed to happen. She pressed some keys but only the dull noise of the key hitting the board made a sound.

“I guess it’s broken.” Asami said with a frown.

“Sucks,” Korra said, appearing over her shoulder. “It would’ve been a fun thing you know, just for the two of us?”

Korra was spending nearly everyday with her now. Even joining Asami and her father for friday night workshops.

"Okay, steady." He yelled, holding his hand out, to make sure they were stepping in sync. He would rather not risk the chances that either girl might seriously burn themselves.

He waited for the crucible to level itself out before he gestured for them to keep side stepping forward. They were using blacksmith tongs to hold the crucible in between them over the running sand pit, towards the cart carrying Asami’s mold.

"Alright," he said, with them aiming over the mold. "Pour."

They were sand casting Asami's first engine block.It was her first big project of the break, and she might've finished it before school started if Korra wasn't so distracting.

"That's good." Hiroshi called out, as soon as the mold filled to the top.

Asami pulled off her mask and strode up to her creation in progress.

"Thanks for helping me out." She said, turning to Korra, who was wiping the sweat off her face, and pushing her damp hair over her head. The room was hot to say the least, but Asami decided she quite liked seeing Korra that sweaty, that helpful, and that adorable in her leather coat.

"This is crazy, I can't believe we just did that." Korra laughed, staring at the mold. The iron still blazing red.

"You too work well together." Hiroshi commented before taking a swig of water. "Let's call it a night, and we come back to it on Monday. Good job you two.”

Asami waited, the sound of her shower running in the background as she rested her back against the headboard. She was buried in her sketchbook, using a small ruler to draft the measurements she needed to mill her new engine block.

“You’re still at that?” Korra asked, curling into Asami’s silky sheets, but Asami wasn’t still at it. Not since Korra emerged from the bathroom smelling like her shampoo, and in her pjs that showed more skin than she was used to seeing on Korra. 

“Well, there’s a lot to think about.” Asami said, tapping on her sketchbook with her pencil, but the only thing she was thinking about was the domestic scene in front of her. How she could really get used to seeing Korra like this, with her, casually doing their own thing in the same bed. 

“What’s your favorite flower?” Korra asks suddenly, drawing Asami away from thoughts she’d rather not think too much about anyways.

Asami responds fast because this was an easy question. “Fire lilies.”

“Those are the ones that are left in front of that giant photograph of your mother?” She asks, reminding herself of the blooming red flower that adorned the photograph, and the way Asami’s mother looked in the open sitting room that was dedicated to her.

“Y-yeah. They were, um, her favorite flowers too” Asami stutters, more from having not thought about her mother in a while, than being thrown into the conversation about it.

Korra takes it as discomfort, and stays quiet, creating an awkward silence between them. Asami uses this time to put her sketchbook away on the nightstand next to her bed and repositions herself so she’s laying next to Korra.

Asami, waits attentively staring at Korra’s side profile, but Korra decides to change the subject. Turning to Asami from underneath the arm she put over her eyes. 

“Have you ever kissed anyone?” She asks suddenly.

“Y-yeah.” She stutters for a second time, and Korra’s eyebrows rise in anticipation for a story, but it never comes. She’s kissed Mako, and for obvious reasons she doesn’t want to go into detail. 

“Why? Have you?” Asami asks, because she’s also curious about Korra. 

Korra’s looking at her though, mostly because she really wanted to hear more, but sighing to the fact that she wasn’t. 

“No actually.” She says, “Mako and Bolin have been bringing it up though.”

“Have they’ve been trying to kiss you?” She asks, remembering vaguely the deal they made about kissing Korra, and trying not to frown, or hate them too much.

“No, I’ve just been getting the feeling that they want me too. It’s weird because I don’t really feel like I want to kiss either of them, like I’m not really ready for that, you know?”

Asami nods, her hair going askew underneath her. “You shouldn’t feel like you have too. Do it when it feels right, and do it when you want too.” She says.

Korra’s nodding in thought as she turns on her side to face Asami, and Asami can’t help letting her eyes drift to Korra’s lips because they were just talking about kissing. Asami makes it back to those baby blues eventually, but only this time she notices that Korra’s eyes were on her lips.

There's a slight..charge to the air when Korra looks back at her that stops Asami from breathing, and her heart from beating, and she will swear to this day that time just freezes until Korra is kissing her.

It was soft, slow, and Asami was responding to every slight touch of Korra’s lips on hers.

There was a new feeling that hadn’t occurred to Asami, until the feeling was making itself apparent in her abdomen and downward.

Korra is the first to break away. Even though Asami’s hot all over, she liked being engulfed in Korra’s warmth. Instead, a cold rush of air wafts over her as Korra literally flings herself away, shouting apologies.

“Sorry for kissing you!! I didn’t-I just wanted to try it...I’m sorry.” She says, blushing furiously and waving her hands around.

She just wanted to try it, rings in Asami’s ears. Her heart starts feeling heavy, and her lips feel used. She’s using a palm to rub her eye, hoping it was an inconspicuous way to wipe that stupid tear from coming down her face.

She’s realizing that their entire conversation about kissing, and even the kissing, was because Asami was the confidant. The trusting best friend that helps settle inner turmoils, and anxieties. It just so happens that this time it was about something stupid like kissing.

“For someone who hasn’t kissed anyone, you’re a really good kisser Korra.” Asami says, still not brave enough to look her in the eyes. But she laughs, because she doesn’t want Korra to feel awkward, and she doesn’t want to feel bad, especially if Korra was going to stay the night.

But she also laughs because she won the stupid deal Mako and Bolin made, only, she was never playing the game.

The new semester begins in the middle of Winter, and Asami sits in their secret morning meeting spot, alone. She half expected she would, she deserved it even. She avoided Korra  the rest of the break since the sleepover. She hasn’t answered any phone calls, left Korra standing on her porch by herself, and after the first few days, Korra stopped trying.

It’s stupid really, that she expected not to lose this. That she lost someone really good in her life, and it was her fault. It was entirely in her control to prevent this. It hits the 5 minute mark where Korra and her usually get up to head inside, but she stays, biting her lip, clutching her bag in her lap, with tears flowing down her face. Something had caught her attention on the garden floor. The morning dew glistened over the garden beds, and the white moon flower petals are casted in a shade of blue in the moon’s light, but It’s not the shade of blue that she liked seeing in the morning.

An ugly whimper escapes her lips and she sniffs in her runny nose. She takes a swipe at the tears on her cheek with her mitten glove, picking up her bag to leave. 

“Asami?” Korra asks, throwing her bag to the ground. Korra’s already sitting next to her, using her warm hands to cup her face and gently thumb away the tears still leaving her eyes.

“What’s wrong?” 

Through a coarse throat, and choked up words, Asami says, “I thought you weren’t going to come.”

“I wouldn’t do that.” Korra says softly, with a tender smile. But she looks away from Asami’s eyes, because maybe she did think about it. “I’m not used to waking up early, sorry.” She says.

And Asami thinks it's stupid the way she feels so relieved, because really it’s her who needs to apologize. She opens her mouth before really formulating the words, but Korra stops her,

“It was the kiss right?” Korra asks, taking her hands away from Asami’s face, to stare at her lap. “I’ve been thinking about it a lot and..I didn’t think about how you would feel when I did it, or that it could mess up our friendship. It was an impulsive thing and I’m sorry if you feel like I took advantage of you. I really didn’t mean it like that. I-I mean, it just felt right...and we were talking about kissing and-

“Korra I forgive you.” she says trying to smile despite the burning sensation of the cold air freezing her damp cheeks.

“Good.” She says finally looking up, “so we’re still friends?” and her eyes are pleading for it, Asami notices and she’s nodding eagerly in response. Fate seems to have given her another chance to keep her early morning Korra’s and she wasn’t about to fuck it up again.

Their days go by easier but everything is different. In the mornings it’s harder to wake Korra up, and she claims that it’s because it’s still really dark outside and she’s also been really tired from soccer practice. So Asami starts napping in the mornings too, while leaning against Korra’s shoulder. The homeroom bell is what wakes them up, and they're always late, but no one says anything against it.

When Asami picks Korra up for lunch, Korra is always followed by a new person out the door. She always seems to have a jolly good time talking, and Asami walks with them quietly until they dismiss themselves, because Korra never invites them to lunch.

And when they leave, she explains to Asami who they were, “Oh that’s just Opal from soccer,” or “he just needed some help on our history homework.” 

Korra’s making new friends, and soccer and homework is taking up most of her afternoon, so they don’t really see each other as much.

Asami starts using her afterschool time staying in the hybrid lab. She decided at the beginning of the semester that she was going to fix that keyboard for Korra. Mako and Bolin even join her in her lab while they do homework and Bolin is always playing his music on the labs speakers. It’s an extremely calming atmosphere, and she decides she enjoys this more than the quiet solitude she used to put herself through.

It’s the beginning of Spring when Mako first mentions prom.

“Are you thinking about going with anyone Asami?”

She hadn’t thought about it. She’s always gone with some random joe in the past three years. People were always asking her anyways so she never had to worry, but this is her senior year, so maybe it's a good idea to think about it a little harder.

She shakes her head immediately though because her first thoughts go to Korra, and..that can’t happen.

“I was wondering how I should ask Korra..” Mako goes on to explain, leaning in his chair, his homework forgotten. Bolin is at the phonograph plugging it in, and choosing a disc from his record case, but is stopped by Mako’s words, and shouts, “Hey! I’m asking her!”

“Well then I guess whoever she says yes too gets to go to prom with her.”

A soft piano melody begins to play on Asami’s speakers, and a sweet voice rings out filling the room. Asami can’t even concentrate on what the boys are saying anymore. The lyrics fill her head,

When I look in your eyes, the cadence of the women’s voice holding the sound breathtakingly, I feel alive.

images of blue eyes flood her mind,

“Bolin what’s this song called?” she asks.

“Oh, it uh, Blue by Beyonce.” 

Blue.

Of course it is. 

Asami decides she knows the first songs she’s going to learn how to play on the keyboard.

She’s going to ask Korra to prom. Friends go to prom together right? It’s not like that’s weird or anything.

Though, Asami can’t stop how excited she feels, so she’s been working hard on reprogramming the keyboard, and generating all the key tones. She’s learning a new software program and buying new hardware, so she’ll be ready soon. Hopefully before Mako and Bolin.

“When are you going to ask Korra to prom?” she asks Mako, who’s focusing on his homework and so is Bolin apparently, even though he’s looking aimlessly at the textbook in front of him.

“I was thinking about doing it when tickets go on sale.” he says. Not taking his eyes off his writing. “I still don’t know what I’m going to do, and I was wondering if you can help me?” 

“No.” She says, somewhat forcefully, and she cringes at how hostile the simple word sounded. It even confused Mako enough that he looks up from the essay he was diligently writing. 

“What’s wrong with you?” He asks, with an eyebrow raised, and a frown on his face.

She’s staring at him, and she really can’t think of anything but the truth so she says, “I’m asking Korra to the prom too.” and she doesn’t even stop to think about the consequences of her words until they are already out in the open.

He narrows his eyes at her, then says, “You should have said so in the first place instead of getting mad.” He goes back to writing his essay, and Bolin is staring at her.

“Wait, you like Korra too?” He asks, and Mako says, “Bo.” To try and stop him, but Bolin is staring at Asami attentively, and she decides if she’s being truthful right now then what else can she say but, “Yes.”

He starts to pout, shifting his eyes back to his textbook. “That’s not fair.” He says, carelessly flipping through the pages.

“We should ask her at the same time.” Mako says, “So it’s fair.” Then looks up at her, “May the best man..or woman, win.” He says with kind eyes, that reassures her that Mako accepts her, and accepts her feelings, and she knows, by default, that Bolin feels the same.

She’s been playing Blue on repeat, as she dances around her lab for the things she needs. The song gives her hope..it’s a sign she thinks, and it’s on point with the way she’s been feeling lately. She doesn’t know who the singer is singing too but for her it’s Korra.

Everything is Korra.

Asami thinks about her mother, and whether or not she approves of..all of this. Her feelings, Korra, her feelings for Korra. Asami’s never felt happier in her life, though, and decides she must approve.

She thinks about her father’s enamored stares at their dinner table as Korra is exclaiming how she really wants to learn how to help out more with Asami’s projects even though she isn’t really smart enough to understand what they are. But how they make it is really fun and interesting. He likes her, Asami knows that, because Korra isn’t like all of the other girls Asami’s brought to their house.

Korra is open-minded, strong, and to be honest extremely talented when she’s handling ceramic earth, or metal. It makes him want to teach her how to do all kinds of things in their shop.

Asami can be the brain of the operation, and Korra can be the strength. That’s what her father means when he says that they work well together.

Why can’t it just be like that though? Forever Asami and Korra, in that way. But eventually, Asami realizes, Korra will find someone that takes her breathe away before she kisses them. That one day, Korra will feel her chest expand when that person’s laughing or she’ll crave seeing their eyes open in the morning, or.. it could even be Mako or Bolin, and maybe she’ll even say yes to one of them when they ask her to prom.

Maybe once her father finds out the exact nature of Asami feelings, he won’t want to teach Korra anything, and he’ll deny the way Asami’s been feeling this entire time..

Maybe she can’t be happy in the end.

“Shit,” Asami winces, at the broken device in her hand. “Great.” she says sarcastically to herself, throwing it on the desk. This fuck up sets her a day back, because she’ll have to buy the part tomorrow after school.

“Practice is canceled, so let’s hang out after school.” Korra says, as they walk into school under Asami’s umbrella. It was thunderstorming all day yesterday, and it was expected to be the same today.

Asami thinks about the unfinished keyboard in her lab, and the broken part she has to go downtown to get.

“I can’t.” She says, and Korra is standing in front of her pouting. They never spend mornings inside school, and the hallways are loud, and the floors are wet, and everyone is grouping together by the lockers as Asami keeps walking deeper into the school with Korra by her side.

“Why not?” She eventually says, “We haven’t hung out this whole semester and the one day I get to spend with you, you can’t.”

“It’s just that I have to go into the city to buy something from Radioshack today.” 

“Great!, then I’ll come!” She exclaims happily.

The entire day, Asami is trying to think of what to say if Korra asks her why she’s buying a pressure sensor. She’s just being paranoid though because Korra wouldn’t be able to make the connections, and she doesn’t the entire time they’re looking for stuff through the drawers in Radioshack.

“It’s this size right?” Korra asks, holding up the sensor. It was hard looking for the exact size Asami needed because apparently “We don’t make them that small.”

“Yeah!” She tells her, grabbing it, and inspecting it, “It’s perfect.”

They’re walking to Asami’s parked car, when Korra drops the bomb.

“Asami,” She starts, and leans against the car, and Asami does the same to give her, her full attention.

“I’m going to ask someone to prom.” 

The bag starts to burn in Asami’s hand, and she turns so Korra won’t see her swallow the lump in her throat. “Who?” she asks in the process of opening the trunk.

Korra doesn’t notice anything, because she’s staring at her own feet, with a blush on her face.

“I’m too embarrassed to say, but I need your help.”

Asami’s trying to slow down her breathing as her eyes are threatening to tear up, but she’s trying really hard not to feel so..goddam hurt. It’s working though, and she turns to Korra fully composed. 

“Sure, what do you need me to do?” 

“Just meet me at the girl’s locker room on Monday, it’ll make more sense then.” 

“Okay.” she says, tight lipped, but still really glad that Korra hasn’t looked at her.

She drops Korra off at her house, and leaves straight back to school. She doesn’t play blue as she works that day. She works diligently, quietly, she’s alone, and..she’s feeling really lonely. Tears are flowing down her face as she’s fixing that one stupid key, but she doesn’t allow herself to cry, because she’s still dead set on asking Korra. She doesn’t give a shit about being fair anymore more with Mako or Bolin so she’ll ask Korra before Korra asks.. whoever the fuck she’s going to ask.

Because how could Korra say no. 

That weekend she learns how to play Blue, and it sounds different in her ears, but she practices the words she’s been wanting to tell Korra, until Monday rolls around.

That morning Korra is surprisingly not sleeping, but since the time change the sun’s been out a lot earlier.

“So you’re still going to help me, right?” Korra asks.

“Yeah.” Asami says and pauses to take a deep breathe, “when do you think you’re going to do it?” 

“After school. You remember we’re meeting at the girls locker room?” 

“Is it a soccer player?” Asami asks, but she says no, and Asami knows it’s probably because Korra is still embarrassed to tell her the truth. She should really trust her with these kinds of things though, but Asami doesn’t ask because she doesn’t actually want to know. 

Though she asks if it’s a girl because why else would Korra be embarrassed, and they were meeting at the girls locker room.

But Korra stutters saying “N-no.” and she knows immediately Korra is lying to her. 

Her eyes are dark as she goes through classes that day. She knows this because she’s looking at herself in the bathroom mirror weighing the outcomes of asking Korra to prom, but she’s telling herself that she’ll still give Korra the keyboard, and she’ll ask her but she’ll dismiss the idea, and let Korra off the hook before she answers because she really doesn’t want to hear a strangled, “yes,” or a sorry “no.”

She decides to do it at lunch.

“Come with me to the lab.” She says, kind of asks Korra who’s standing in front of her. Asami pretends to miss Mako and Bolin’s worried eyes, because she doesn’t care if they figured out she was asking Korra right then and there. 

And Korra starts off saying no, but stops herself as she really looks at Asami and the way her lips are tight, and her eyes are set. “Sure.”

“I’ve been working on something all semester, and I want to show you.” Asami says, evenly, even if her heart is hurting in the process. 

Korra is walking a step slower beside her, and says, “Really? What is it?” 

They step into the lab, and Asami brings her over to the piano which she set on the empty side of the work desk.

Korra stands in front of it, and her eyes are shimming over it in excitement. She dumps her bag carelessly to the ground as she touches the keys and listens to the notes springing to life.

“You fixed it.” 

“Yeah,” Asami says, and takes a seat next to her. “It’s for you. I even scripted a tutorial program, so you can teach yourself how to play.” She says, and Korra sits down as Asami shows her what buttons to press.

“Press this.” She points to a button she added onto the dashboard. 

Certain keys turn red on the board. “You press these as it lights up.” She watches Korra figure out her finger positioning as she presses each lit up key.

“This is fun.” Korra says, as she keeps trying. The song plays in a loop, and soon enough Korra is picking up speed to the point where she listens to what she’s doing and goes, “Oh,” in realization, “I know this song.”

“You do? It’s..one of my favorites.” Asami says.

Asami is counting each cadence, each press of the keys, as she clears her throat. She’s feeling hot suddenly in anticipation, her adrenaline making her skin feel like it’s buzzing, and her hands clammy as she grips the bench underneath her. 

“I’m going to sing okay?” Asami says, watching the concentrated look on Korra’s face.

“You sing?” she asks.

“No. I’m mean I’m not that good, I’m decent, just...don’t laugh at me.”

“I won’t.” She says, still playing, “It’ll be cool, like a duet.”

Asami sucks in a breath, her heart is pounding in her chest, as she listens to the keys she needs in order to start. 

She starts on the second verse of the song, “Each day” she extends, “I feel so blessed to be lookin at you,

because when you open your eyes,

I feel alive,

My heart,” her voice cracks a little because she really has to hold that note, but she keeps going, not missing the next word, “beats so damn quick when you say my name.” 

“When I’m holding you tight, 

I’m so alive.”

Her face feels hot, damn her whole body feels hot, and she’s getting to a part in the song that’s making her anxious enough to consider stopping, but she doesn’t, 

“You and I together, come on baby

wontcha go to prom with me?

go to prom with me?”

Asami watches Korra’s shaking hands keep playing, even though it doesn’t sound right anymore, and when she stops Asami watches Korra’s hand going up to wipe her eye. 

She’s crying, and Asami starts to say her name, because she’s fucking worried that she just messed everything up.

She’s starting to formulate her I was just kidding speech, but Korra stops her by saying, “Shit,” and looks up to the ceiling as if that will stop the tears from flowing down her face.

Korra’s hands are still shaking as she sets them back down on the table, and she looks at Asami, “I was not expecting that,” She chokes, and wraps a hand around Asami’s that’s still gripping the bench. Asami lets Korra take her hand.

“I-” Korra starts, but then her shoulders drop and so does Asami’s gut, “Come with me,” Korra says instead. “I want to ask the person I like to prom.”

She want to asks the person she likes.

Asami isn’t even functioning anymore. Her heart is shattering in her chest, and her throat is closing up. She doesn’t realize that Korra is bringing her down the hall and out the doors, with Mako and Bolin following behind. She stops Korra, because the girls locker room is right there, and she doesn’t want to help, and she doesn’t want to see Korra ask the person she likes. She wants to crawl back to her lab, and cry. 

“Korra stop, I can’t.” She says, tears already falling out of her eyes shamefully. Korra’s grip is strong though and she isn’t going to let Asami escape. She turns to Asami, and the way her eyes are brighter than anything else around her, calms her down enough to listen to Korra’s next words.  

“Asami, you can.” she says softly, “You have to.”

Asami thinks about the way Korra is making her stay. She thinks about all the times Korra has stayed by Mako and Bolin’s side despite their feelings and realizes, this is Korra welcoming her feelings, and not accepting them. She wants Asami to understand that even though she can’t return her feelings, Korra wants her in her life. She doesn’t want to lose this friendship over something stupid like feelings.

So she nods, and sucks back in her broken heart and follows Korra. She really truly wants Korra to be happy even if it means it’s not with her.

They don’t go into the locker room though, and instead they walk through the football field’s entrance gates.

“Look at me.” Korra says, pulling Asami from the ground she was digging holes in, and takes her other hand. Korra’s walking backwards to their destination and Asami is drawn in by the blue eyes, so she doesn’t really think about anything else, because everything else around her is engulfed in darkness. 

“The weather is really nice today.” Korra says, and Asami takes the chance to look up into the sky. Spring is a really great season for her, and even though lately it’s been raining, the skies were clear that day. The clouds in the sky floating gently with the breeze, and the trees are regrowing their leav-

“Look at me.” Korra says suddenly, and she does, letting Korra drag her up to the top of the bleachers, where she drops their hands and turns to the field. Korra runs a hand through her short hair, and smiles as she’s looking in the distance. 

She laughs, “I can’t believe-” She shakes her head, still smiling, “I heard fire lilies were your favorite flower Asami.” She says, and Asami turns her head towards the football field, and spanning across the field were hundreds of fire lilies planted in the words PROM?

“Mako, Bolin, and I planted them all this weekend. It took forever.” She says.

“The person you like also likes fire lilies?”

“Well, yeah.” Korra says blushing.

She’s impressed that they did this much work in such a short amount of time. She looks around to see if there's a name that was supposed to accompany the invitation but nothing, and there wasn’t anyone else around besides Mako and Bolin at the bottom of the bleachers who were also looking out into the field. Asami doesn’t know what Korra was planning, but she imagines some girl walking out of the girls locker room, and being surprised with the whole soccer team, and Korra standing up here in all her glory.

“It’s beautiful.” She says.

“They’re for you.”

“Me?”

“I’ll be your date to prom if you’ll be mine?” Korra asks, hopefully.

Asami’s trying to put her heart back together and trying to run through the thought that ..this was all for her.., all the while trying to breathe but it’s all blending in with each other making it all so overwhelming that she starts crying and nodding her head fiercely.

Korra admits that asking her during lunch was perfect, because even though she wanted her soccer team there to cheer her on, she didn’t want to face Coach Lin’s wrath. By the end of that day though, Coach Lin figures out it was her because of all the rumours going around and instead of practice she makes Korra clean it up by herself. Mako, Bolin, and Asami don’t let that happen though, and it’s a good call because Coach Lin doesn't know them so she doesn’t say anything when she sees them helping her.

They bring the flowers to the garden and surround them around the girls’ secret morning meeting bench, and Asami couldn’t think of a better place. Though she takes a handful and brings them home with her.

“She’s really great mom.” She says, placing the flowers in the vase stand next to her mom’s frame. “I really like her, and I think..I think she might like me too.”

“I’m sorry if that's not something you exactly imagined for me, but I’m really happy.” She says, looking up to the photograph. 

“I wish you were here to meet her.” 

Asami picks a flower up, and holding it up to nose, feeling the soft petals brush her face. “But it somehow feels like you already did.”

Korra shows up at Asami’s house the day of prom, in a beautiful blue dress, with her hair in a bun.

Asami opens the door to greet her, and pulls her into a hug. They’re immediately attacked by a barrage of flashing lights from a photographer her dad hired, who loves the way their dresses just “contrast each other so much.”

Hiroshi watches on the steps of their front porch, while they get in ridiculous poses on their front lawn and exchange their fire lily corsages. 

“You two look beautiful.” He says, when they finish and walk over to him. He’s looking between the two adoringly, because he’s never seen Asami happier. But he narrows his eyes at Korra, and drops a pair of keys into her hand, saying “Bring her home promptly at 12 and not a second longer.” 

Korra’s eyes widen in confusion, because she doesn’t know how to drive, and she doesn’t know if he’s trying to intimidate her but really he’s just teasing. Asami knows and, laughs while plucking the keys out of Korra’s hands. “Don’t worry about that dad,” she says, kissing him on the cheek, “We’ll be home tonight.”

Somehow everything worked out in the end. Korra’s really good friend on the soccer team, Opal, asked Bolin to the prom and plenty of girls had asked Mako, that were kindly declined. He still went to prom though and got his dances from both Korra and Asami, until he was unwanted.

All of his fangirls didn’t give him enough time to sulk though, so he was pulled onto the dance floor any chance he got some time to sit. 

“I hope you know,” Asami says, in Korra’s ear as their holding each other in a particularly slow dance, “that I didn’t ask you to be my date platonically.”

“Good,” Korra said, sliding a hand down past Asami’s waist, but Asami slaps her hand away.

“You’re worse than any guy I’ve gone to prom with.” 

Korra chuckles beside her, “Really?”

“Yeah, but you’re the cutest.”

“Okay everyone! We’re going to announce the winners for this years Prom Queen and Prom King! Now will the nominees for Prom King and Queen step onto the dance floor, and anyone else dancing, please leave.” A high-pitched voice rang out throughout the ballroom. 

Asami and Korra stand together on the dance floor, apparently they were both nominated for the stupid thing.

“Due to some...uh, technical difficulties...we’ll have to announce the Prom King first. Alright, so this years Prom King is...MAKO!! Awww what a cutie. Yeah, come up to the stage Mako.” 

“Now let’s see who the lucky lady is!! For this years Prom Queen,” The girl turns as an envelope is placed in her hand. “Uh, I have no idea who this person is. Is there a Prince Wu in the crowd?”

A groan reverberated throughout the room, and Asami doesn’t really pay attention much to her peers, especially in the last year, so she doesn’t know exactly what’s going on until a skinny brown boy makes his way to the stage.

“That’s right ladies!!” he says, “This piece of man meat is all mine!” He says taking the mic from the really offended host. “You better warm up your dancing feet Mako, because you’ve just met the best dancer in the house.”

The mic drops and the dude starts dancing then and there. 

There are a barrage of boos in the crowd, but a lot more cheers, and Mako isn’t that much of a dickhead to decline the dance, so he dances with him in this really awkward way, but it makes everyone laugh and enjoy the rest of the night.

The girls leave and make it back to Asami’s house albeit at 1 in the morning and the butler answers the door when they get there.

“I’ll inform Mr. Sato of your arrival, Ms. Sato, and Master Korra.” 

“That won’t be necessary, I’ll do it myself.”

“Of course Ms. Sato, he’s in his study.”

Asami lets Korra know that she’ll meet her in her room, and that she can change and shower and do whatever she needs to before bed, before heading to her dad’s office.

He was already in his pjs, snoring as he sits in his office chair when she finds him. He was apparently working on some paperwork before passing out, and she shook his shoulder, to jostle him awake. 

“Da-ad.” She called out, nudging him even harder. “I’m home.” 

He moans, thinking he’s telling her to stop, but gathers his voice when he says, “That’s great sweetie, did Korra get you home on time?” 

“She did,” she lies, putting a hand on his back, “She’s actually staying the night, is that okay?”

He moans his response again and says, “Just dont be too loud.” 

“Alright, let’s get you to bed,” She says pushing him a little out of his chair. He obliges by pushing the chair out from under his desk and standing up. 

With her hand in his, she walks him to his room, right around the corner, but as she’s getting there, she’s getting the courage to tell her dad the exact nature of her feelings for Korra. Better to do in now when he’s too sleepy to remember it in the morning. 

“Dad, theres something I wanted to let you know,” She starts, as he’s pulling the door to his room open, “I’m going to ask Korra to be my girlfriend.” 

“What?” He says turning to her, and Asami is regretting doing it now because all of a sudden he seems wider awake than he was a minute ago.

“You mean she wasn’t this entire time?” He asks, a little bewildered, but not as bewildered as Asami.

She stays quiet because really, her father thought they were together this entire time, so she shakes her head because its the most efficient way to answer.

And he chuckles at the look on her face, and moves to kiss her on the forehead, saying, “Alright, good luck with that sweetie.” Before he retires to bed. 

“I think Mako and Wu would look really good together.” Korra says randomly. It’s already 2 by the time both of them are in bed.

“But Mako’s not gay.” Asami says, with her eyes closed hugging her comforter closer. 

“Neither was I. I mean I don’t know if that means I am now but uh..Do you remember the day I met you and you were really bothered by my cuff so you folded it down? Did you notice that everyday after that, I would always leave P.E. with my cuffs messed up just so you’d have an excuse to touch me? Or that after, that one day you woke me up and scared me, 

“Hey, you said you weren’t scared.” 

“I mean you surprised me, and everyday after, I got to school early, just to fall asleep, so you can wake me up?”

Asami felt for Korra underneath the sheets, and pulled her by the waist closer. She was trying to calm the energy bursting out of Korra, for the sake of getting some sleep, but also because what she was saying was really sweet and she wanted her closer.

“Do you remember when I kissed you and said it was accident?!” She says riling herself up even more.

“Yes, when really you should have just asked me to be your girlfriend, because I would have said yes.” Asami says, into Korra neck. 

And it really does calm Korra down, because she can feel the tension leaving Korra’s shoulders, and she actually goes quiet before asking,

“Do you want to be my girlfriend Asami?”

She’s nodding yes, bursting into a smile and Korra turns to lean over her. And she does that thing, where she can stop time just by staring into her eyes, before she kisses her.

The next  morning there is no sign of Korra in her bed, or in her room, or anywhere in the close vicinity. Not the kitchen, and not the living room, or the pool and Asami is panicking because why would Korra leave?

She runs to to the door, to see if there’s any sign of Korra having left, but she stops because Korra’s shoes are still sitting next to the front door where she left them last night. Asami runs back into the house to see if anyone has seen her when she stops just past her mom’s room.

Korra’s in there, in front of the photograph, and clasping her hands together in a prayer. She hears Asami walk up next to her.

“Did I wake you up?” She asks, dropping her hand to take Asami’s in hers.

Asami shakes her head.

“What are you saying to my mom?” Asami asks, gazing up to the photograph

“Nothing just..thank you I guess.” She says, squeezing Asami’s hand a little. “I was thinking when school gets out we should go on a summer road trip or something. Just the two of us.”

“Yeah, that sounds perfect.” Asami says, tearing her eyes away from her mother’s to gaze into Korra’s blue ones.

A bright color in the sea of red that’s contrasting against it.