What a Wonderful Name - Victqria (2024)

Asami.

A-sa-mi.

Oh, what a wonderful name.

As soon as Korra started morning preparations at the beginning of her shift, she would set aside some time to hand-write Asami’s name on her designated coffee cup. She came in every morning at 7:25, to the very minute. She’d never once been late. It was impressive, Korra could only dream of such tardiness. I mean seriously, how do you micromanage your time that efficiently?

They’d started their little mutual exchange 6 months ago. Korra had been minding her business, working her dreaded morning shift, when all of a sudden, this raven haired, 6-foot-tall beauty of a woman started coming in for her morning caffeine fix.

Asami had, quite literally, slithered her way into Korra’s subconscious and taken up a spot rent free in her brain for 6. Damn. Months. It was embarrassing how often Korra thought about her smile, or the way she laughed, or the crinkles in the corners of her eyes, or the— Okay, stop it. It’s only 6:20 in the morning. You can save the awkward pining for later.

She focused on setting up the cash register and ignored the sharp pounding in her head. Staying up late and consuming 4 energy drinks had seemed like an amazing idea at the time. Procrastinating writing up her forensic analysis report had come to kick her in the ass, even if she was certain the paper she’d submitted was at least passable. She’d hound Mako later and read over the report he had submitted to boost her self esteem. Doing the same criminology degree had its benefits.

As the clock ticked closer to 7:25, Korra’s energy gradually increased. The mere thought of seeing Asami set off her dopamine receptors. She finally broke off at 7:15 and retrieved Asami’s cup from its safe spot out back. She didn’t want Jinora accidentally using it for the wrong person. She’d written Asami’s name in cursive, sue her for not wanting the effort to go to waste.

“You should leave your number this time,” Jinora whispered into her ear as she slipped past to heat up a breakfast sandwich for a customer.

Korra wrinkled up her nose as she wiped the counter down for what felt like the hundredth time. “People that hot are generally straight, Jinora. Plus, I’d like to keep the fantasy a fantasy, no matter how delusional it is.” She slung the towel over her shoulder and leaned against the counter.

Jinora held the sandwich press down with a perked eyebrow. “I dunno, Kai got serious gay vibes from her.”

“He saw her one time,” Korra rolled her eyes and crossed her arms over her chest. “I do not trust his judgement.”

Jinora laughed. “C’mon, what’s the worst that can happen?”

Korra pulled the towel off her shoulder to idly wipe the coffee machine, anticipation vibrating her to the very core as she caught the time in the corner of her eye. 7:20, yes! “The world could crash and burn? Uh, I could scare her off and never see her again?” Korra listed off. She paused when she noticed a middle-aged man side-eyeing them and bit her tongue.

Jinora snorted at her antics and handed the breakfast sandwich over to said middle aged man. With a beaming smile in his direction, and a well-placed compliment, he regarded Jinora with a polite nod and bid his farewell. “You’re so doom and gloom. Have you not seen the way she looks at you?”

Korra scoffed, throwing her hands up in the air. “Like a normal person!” She groaned. “Can you go out back and get me another bottle of oat milk?”

Jinora turned to look at the clock and smirked. “You just don’t want me to be here when she comes in.” She winked at Korra as she made her exit.

Korra rubbed the back of her neck and tried not to blush at her own stupidity. In the grand scheme of things, being rejected by a beautiful lady was the least of her worries. Be real with yourself, the voice at the back of her head chirped, you are terrified of rejection. It’s why you’ve been single for… how long? She cringed outwardly.

“Ooof, rough morning?” A dazzling voice startled her out of her spiral.

And oh gosh. f*ck. Asami had her hair up this morning and a dark shade of red on her lips. Oh, and the low-cut blouse… Stop staring, creep. “Ha! Yeah, you could say that.” Korra hated how high her voice went. “Gotcha’ cup right here,” She put on her best lopsided grin. “We keepin’ it the same? Or are you feeling adventurous?” Why on earth are you speaking like that?

“The usual, thanks.” Asami mimicked her grin with a big one of her own and pulled out her card. “Aside from what I assume was a rude customer, how are you today?”

Korra tapped away on the POS system and then busied herself behind the coffee machine once the payment went through. “I stayed up pretty late working on an assignment, so I’m a little faded today.” She explained, stealing small glances as she worked. “What about you? You’re looking pretty snazzy.” She wanted to crawl under a rock and spend the rest of eternity hiding. Snazzy? “Aw, you do have bags under your eyes. I hope you get off early so you can get some rest,” She wrinkled up her nose at the compliment and shrugged her shoulders. “I’m good. I have an important meeting today. I’m a little nervous.”

Korra jutted out her lower lip in concentration as she frothed the milk. “I’m working a double, actually. What do they say? Sleep is for the weak?” She began to pour everything into the cup and carefully sealed the lid on top. “Hey, you’ll do great. Here,” She grabbed a pair of tiny tongs and pulled a marshmallow out of the small jar they had behind the counter. “A good luck marshmallow.” She set it on top of the lid and then slid the cup over.

Asami had the audacity to blush. With a smile so wide her cheeks dimpled, she grabbed the cup and held it over her heart. “You’re the best. Thanks, Korra. I’ll let you know how it goes tomorrow. Get some sleep tonight, yeah?”

It wasn’t often Asami used her name. It was a rare treat. A reward, if you will. Korra hated how hard her heart was pounding in her ears. “I shell eagerly await your return,” She got out and matched Asami’s smile. “Have a good day, Asami.”

Asami blew her a kiss as she walked out the door. She blew a f*cking kiss! Korra choked on her own inhale once Asami was out of sight and face-palmed so hard it made a loud slapping sound.

“Oh, man, I saw that,” Jinora quipped from beside her, having suddenly manifested. “Do you need to take a break?”

Korra groaned. “Don’t patronise me,” She shifted her weight from foot to foot then huffed. “Yeah, actually, I need to slap some cold water over my face. I’ll be back in a couple minutes.”

Jinora snickered at her as she rounded the corner and darted towards the staff bathroom. If only she had the confidence to actually make a move.

***

“Korra!”

Ugh. It was too early for someone to be so cheery. “Morning, Jinora,” She breathed out. “I thought Meelo was on today?”

Jinora wiggled the keys in her hand and unlocked the back door. “I swapped with him for some extra cash,” She pushed the door open and held it open for Korra. “Dad said he wants to talk to you when he comes in this afternoon.”

Korra yawned as she dumped her bag in the staff room. “Ugh, what does he want?”

“I dunno, could be about that raise you’re due for,” She tied her hair back and pulled her apron on. “Did you crash the second you got home?”

Korra rubbed her eyes and tied her apron around her waist. “I did, yeah. Mako called me at, like, 8pm wanting to talk about the assignment we just handed in, though. So, I was up until midnight going over some of the material our professor uploaded to our student portal,” She grabbed a sharpie and a cup from beside the register. “I hope it is a raise and not disciplinary action for that angry customer I served last week.”

Jinora snorted. “He was on your side, I doubt it,” She glanced over Korra’s shoulder and smirked. “You getting Asami’s cup all prettied up?”

“Shh, I’m working,” Korra muttered, carefully writing out Asami’s name. She added a little heart over the ‘i’ and grinned at her own artistry.

“Hey,” Jinora nudged her shoulder. “I dare you to put your number on the cup.”

Korra sent her a half-hearted glare as she capped the sharpie and set the cup down in its usual hiding spot. “That’s not gonna work. I never give in to peer pressure.” I mean, Bolin did manage to convince me to down an entire bottle of gin one time, but I was already half way through a 6 pack of beer.

“Ugh, you’re so boring,” Jinora passed her to go and set the register up. “What if I paid you? I’ll give you my entire check if you do it. I know you’re strapped for cash right now.”

Korra’s eyebrows pulled together as she brought out a tray of baked goods and began to put them in the display case. “Wait, seriously?”

“Uh, yeah! Would you do it?”

Korra regarded Jinora seriously for a moment and bit down on her lower lip. She was strapped for cash. She’d just forked out for a new laptop because her old one died. “Can I get this in writing?”

Jinora let out a small cheer and ripped a piece of paper off of the notepad under the till. “Heck yes!” She quickly wrote a ‘I hereby declare my next pay check is yours, my dearest Korra’ and signed it off. “Boom! Wanna shake on it?”

Korra tucked the piece of paper into her back pocket and begrudgingly shook Jinora’s hand. “If this spooks her and she never comes back—”

“Shut up, dork. I dibs being the flower girl at the wedding!”

Korra rolled her eyes as she focused on getting the storefront ready for the morning rush. Just before they flipped the sigh to ‘open’, she awkwardly wrote her number just under Asami’s name and signed it off with a little smiley face. Despite how awkward she felt, Asami hardly ever checked the cup whilst she was in the shop, so she was confident she wasn’t about to get a rejection in person.

Still, she felt sick to her stomach as she busied herself for the first part of the morning. When the clock started ticking closer towards 7:25, she excused herself to down an entire shot of espresso to calm her nerves. It did nothing, given her caffeine tolerance was so high, but hey, at least she tried.

She was in the middle of making another customer their order when the bell went off and a certain someone moved to wait in line. Korra refused to met her eye until she’d finished her current task. The longer she put it off, the less likely she was to splutter and give herself away.

“Have a great day, ma’am.” She chirped and sent a friendly smile.

The lady flashed her teeth before walking off. When Korra finally caught sight of Asami, she nearly tripped over her own feet. She was behind a counter, for crying out loud. “Asami!” She enthused despite the shake in her hands. “How did that meeting go?”

Asami looked as stunning as ever. Her hair was down this morning and she went for a more natural make-up look that really made her eyes pop. “You remembered,” She said with a little smile. “It was… an experience, to say the least. The guy was super hard to read. I think we made a deal, though. Did you get some rest? You look considerably less tired this morning.”

Korra cleared her throat. “Of course,” Before she could think it through, she blurted out, “You’re the highlight of my morning. Kinda hard to forget our interactions. I, um, crashed the moment I got home.” She ignored the heat rising to her cheeks. “Good luck marshmallow came in clutch!” She nodded towards the coffee machine. “The usual?”

Asami tilted her head curiously before nodding. “Yeah, thanks.” She came closer to the eftpos machine and paid once prompted. “You said you submitted an assignment; do you go to the university here?”

Korra hid the side of the cup that had Asami’s name and her number and began to make Asami’s order. “I do,” She replied, refusing to meet Asami’s gaze. “I’m a year out from finishing my degree.”

Asami nodded along and remained quiet until Korra handed over her cup. Again, she made sure the writing was facing away from Asami’s wondering eyes. “What do you study, if you don’t mind me asking?”

“Oh, um, criminology.” She flashed a grin and wiped her very clammy hands on her apron. “I’ll see ya’ when I’m in next. I have tomorrow off. Enjoy your day, Asami.”

Asami rewarded her with a big, dreamy smile. “You too, Korra. Enjoy your day off.” She lifted her hand and waved as she made her way out the door.

Once she was finally out of sight, Korra blew out a big breath and rubbed her hands over her face. Whelp, at least she was getting a big pay check out of this. She just had to distract herself for the rest of the day and hide her phone so she didn’t impulsively check it every 5 minutes.

Jinora jumped out from behind the wall and shook Korra’s shoulder. “Did you do it?!”

Korra huffed, shoving her hands away. “Yes,” She made a loud grumbling sound. “You’re responsible for any emotional turmoil.”

The rest of the morning went without a hitch. When the afternoon rolled around and Tenzin came in, Korra followed him into the staff break room and took a seat beside him. He pulled out a tablet and then set it on the table. “I’m not going to beat around the bush, Korra. We’re really grateful you’ve come in whenever one of the kids couldn’t make it. Here’s the proposed raise, want to read through it?”

Korra took the tablet and brought it up to her face. There was a lot of cooperate mumbo jumbo that went completely over her heard, but when her eyes settled on the proposed rate increase, she gasped. “Holy sh*t, you want to give me a 5 dollar raise?!”

Tenzin chuckled at her language and nodded. “You’ve earned it, Korra.”

“Wow,” Korra exhaled, blinking back her surprise. “Man, you’re the best. I don’t know what to say. Thank you, Tenzin.”

“The raise comes with a new badge, too.” He pulled a pin out of his pocket and put it on the table.

Korra gaped and set the tablet down to inspect the badge. “Wait,” She felt a lump forming at the back of her throat. “Is this secretly a promotion? This says manager!”

“Sure is. You’re already acting like one, might as well give you the official title.” One of his rare smiles graced his features. “I’ll email you the contract so you can read over it at home. I need it signed by the end of the week.”

Korra nodded eagerly and clipped the pin on her apron, right next to her name badge. “Okay, cool. Anything else?”

“No. You’re free to go back to work. You’re only on for another hour, correct?”

“Yeah. I have a study date with Mako and Bolin on campus and they’ll kill me if I’m late.” She got to her feet when Tenzin got to his. “Thank you, seriously.”

Tenzin dipped his head, a sign of utmost respect. “You’re welcome, Korra. Enjoy your study preparations.”

Despite the fact they where basically family, Korra always felt a tad out of her depth when it came to separating work life with personal life. At the last second, she scooped him up in a hug before releasing and dashing off to go help Jinora behind the counter.

It wasn’t until she’d finished her shift and she went to grab her phone to text the group chat that the world stopped spinning and she got a serious case of the jitters. Asami had texted her. Asami had texted her!

No name [10:34am]:
Hey, Asami here. I’m going to take a wild guess and assume this is Korra, right?

Korra stared at her phone screen and snapped her mouth shut. What do I reply?? Do I try and seem casual? Gosh, how the f*ck am I meant to be casual when I wasn’t even expecting a message?? She typed and deleted several messages before eventually settling on something simple.

Korra [3:07pm]:
You would be correct!:)

Immediately 3 little dots appeared at the bottom of the screen.

Asami [3:08pm]:
How did your shift go?

Korra pulled her jacket on and shrugged her bag over her shoulder, still gawking at her screen. She waved to Jinora as she headed out the back door and leaned up against the side of the building as she fumbled over what to reply.

Korra [3:11pm]:
It was pretty mundane. I got a promotion though!

She cringed at how normal she sounded and quickly sent a follow up.

Korra [3:12pm]:
How long did it take for you to notice my number on the cup? Haha

She quickly messaged the group chat, informing them she was on her way, and tucked her phone into her pocket, remembering she was on a bit of a time crunch. She started off towards campus, figuring it was best not to seem too keen. Okay, but like, do normal rules apply in this situation? When she arrived close to 3:40, she found Mako and Bolin sitting at the back of the library and dropped her bag right on the table.

“I got a promotion!” She loud whispered.

Bolin jumped to his feet and wrapped his arms around her body. “No way!” He loud whispered right back. “That’s amazing!” He let her body go and grinned at her. “Did you get a big raise?”

Korra took a seat beside Mako and nodded. “A whole 5 dollars extra an hour! I wasn’t expecting it.” She pulled out her laptop and set it up on the table. “Wanna go out to celebrate this weekend?”

Mako bumped her shoulder with his own. “Nice one, Korra.” He returned his attention to his laptop. “I think one of Bolin’s friends is hosting a party. We could crash it?”

Bolin nodded his head. “Yup! Opal is meant to be there.”

Korra snorted and quickly covered her mouth when someone glared at their table. “I’m down. It’d be nice to finally put a face to the name.”

The weight of her phone was heavy in her pocket as she tried her best to concentrate on reading through her lecture material. After trying, and failing, to make sense of the group project they’d been assigned for their next block, she pulled it out and tried to hide her grin.

Asami [3:20pm]:
No way! That’s awesome! I’m so happy for you! Did you get a nice raise?

Asami [3:23pm]:
I literally had *just* put my cup down on my desk when I noticed it! I contemplated messaging you earlier but freaked out a little.

Asami [3:30pm]:
I’ll be real with you, Korra. I don’t know what I’m doing. It’s been *so* long since someone gave me their number. Did you want to maybe grab a bite to eat some time?

She wanted to fist pump the air. Mako noticed her leg bouncing up and down and glanced over at her phone.

“Oooh, who’s Asami?”

Korra wrinkled up her nose. “Don’t worry about it,” She tilted her body away from him and typed out her reply.

Korra [3:55pm]:
I did get a raise! I’m really excited.

Korra [3:55pm]:
A bite to eat sounds good. I would suggest coffee but I already make you yours ;) Sorry, that was terrible. I don’t know what I’m doing either. Um, what are you doing this weekend? I know a place that does the best noodles.

Korra was impressed, the second she’d sent it, Asami started typing out a reply. Okay, maybe the ‘don’t seem to keen’ rule didn’t apply here. If Asami was this responsive, Korra had no excuse to play coy.

Asami [3:56pm]:
That was really cute haha. I’m free Friday night. I have a thing on Saturday and need a day to recover on Sunday. If you send me through the details I’ll block it in my calendar.

Korra [3:59pm]:
You’re cute:) Okay. I’ll get back to you later. I have a study date rn. See ya!

She sent it with a wince. She brought her index finger up to her mouth and bit down on her knuckle in embarrassment. Gosh, that was terrible.

Asami [4:02pm]:
Enjoy your study date! x

Okay, well, it could have been worse. She even got a ‘x’ at the end of the message, so she must have done something right.

“Seriously, Korra, who’s Asami?” Mako pestered, nudging her with his elbow.

Korra smirked and locked her phone. “Someone I have a date with on Friday.”

“Oh my gosh, is it the Asami that Jinora told me about?” Bolin chimed in, leaning over the table. “The really pretty tall one?”

Korra wrinkled up her nose. “Yes, that one,” There was no use denying it. “When did Jinora tell you?!”

Bolin wiggled his eyebrows and zipped his fingers over his lips in a ‘her secret is safe with me’ type of way. With a huff, Korra went back to work.

***

Korra [7:34pm]:
Asami and I are going on a date on Friday night!!!

Jinora [7:40pm]:
No f*cking way!!! I told you she was into you!!!!

Korra laughed at her phone. It wasn’t often Jinora swore.

Korra [7:44pm]:
I expect payment next week.

Jinora [7:49pm]:
Lol fair. I’ll send it through on pay day. Congrats on the promo btw!!

Korra flopped down on her bed and blew out a big breath. After silently mulling over her schedule in her head, she brought up Asami’s contact and stared at their messages for several minutes. They’d done a simple ‘here’s the place, here’s the time, see you then’ type exchange but she was craving chaos.

Korra [8:01pm]:
What’s your favourite colour?

She got a reply almost immediately.

Asami [8:08pm]:
Aren’t you meant to save those questions for the first date?

Korra [8:10pm]:
Probably. Don’t know what I’m doing, remember?

Asami [8:13pm]:
It's blue. Not bright blue or baby blue, like… a deep emerald blue. Like a gemstone. What’s yours?

Interesting. Korra let her fingers hover over her keyboard for several minutes before she typed up her reply.

Korra [8:17pm]:
Funny, my favourite is blue too. Blue like the ocean, though. What’s your favourite animal?

Asami [8:20pm]:
Hm, good question. I adore cats. What about you?

Korra [8:22pm]:
Dogs. I have a dog called Naga. I like cats, though! We had one when I was younger. I don’t remember her a lot because she passed away when I was like 3 but my mom and dad have a bunch of photos.

Asami [8:25pm]:
Aww! Naga is a cute name. What breed? I have a kitty that lives in my apartment with me. I got her 2 years ago. She’s a complete goof ball. What’s your go-to movie?

Korra [8:27pm]:
[image attached]
This is Naga! She’s a husky. She lives with my parents right now while I’m studying in Republic City. What did you name your cat? Uh, probably Kyoshi Warriors. The cartoon, not the live action. We don’t talk about the live action.

Asami [8:30pm]:
Oh my gosh! What a sweetheart! This is Suki.
[image attached]
She’s a dumpster cat. I heard crying in an alleyway when I was walking towards my car and took her home. She was 3 weeks old. 3 weeks! I nursed her back to health. She comes into work with me sometimes. I had to hand-feed her in my office for a couple weeks so she’s completely harness trained! I found out that girl ginger cats are really rare. The vets where so surprised she was a girl!

Asami [8:31pm]:
Sorry for rambling. Haha. I love her. Isn’t Kyoshi Warriors that kid’s cartoon? Sorry if that’s insensitive. Not judging! You know those ‘how it was made’ documentaries? I’m obsessed with them.

The picture Asami sent was a selfie with a small orange cat on her shoulder, nuzzling her head. It was adorable.

Korra [8:34pm]:
Don’t apologise! That’s quite the story! She’s one lucky cat! We got Naga when I was 14! She was dumped on the side of the road as a puppy. The rescue said she’d been in the shelter for a month. As soon as I saw her, I knew she was my forever friend. Kyoshi Warrior’s *is* a kids cartoon haha it has a special place in my heart. Oh! I see those videos online all the time! What’s your favourite flavoured candy?

Asami [8:39pm]:
[image attached]
Here's one of when she was a kitten! Poor Naga, it makes my heart hurt knowing people are so cruel. I’m glad she found her forever human! Is it worth watching as an adult? Is it one of those timeless cartoons that our parents tell us about as kids? Haha.
[insert link]
This is one is how an engine is made!

Strawberry or Cherry. What’s your go-to sport?

The photo was of a tiny fluff ball curled into the palm of Asami’s hand. Korra tried not to stare at Asami’s fingers. There was something so inherently gay about a woman’s hands that Korra would never be able to decipher. She spent the next 20 minutes watching the video that Asami sent.

Korra [9:10pm]:
That is one cute lil cat. Does she know how to do tricks? My friend from high school had a cat that could roll over and beg lol and yes!!! It’s so so good. I have all the DVDs so I could totally lend them to you if you wanted!
[image attached] (This photo is of a tiny Korra hugging a baby Naga)
This is naga as a puppy!

Are you into, like, cars and stuff? That was a cool video! I had no idea engines had so many parts. I mean, I knew they had parts but I didn’t think they worked together like that lol I am a swimmer! What’s yours?

Asami [9:15pm]:
Yes! She does! She can sit like a little t-rex and meows on command. My friend helped me train her! Wow, you were a cute kid! You two look like soulmates. I’d be down to borrow those DVDs if you promise to watch them with me? x

I am an engineer so yes I am into cars and stuff haha. Swimming? Wow! I never would have guessed. I played softball when I was in high school. I had no idea it was a gay sport until *after* I stopped playing.

Korra was grinning at her phone like an idiot.

Korra [9:20pm]:
That’s impressive! How do you even train a cat to meow on command? I think I could set aside some time to forcefully make another human obsess over Kyoshi Warriors.

Wow so you’re not just super pretty, you’re also like super smart? ;)

Ugh, that sounded better in my head.

I’ll be honest, I thought you were straight. My co-worker convinced me to leave my number and I totally expected you to tell me you had a boyfriend or something.

Asami [9:23pm]:
Lots of treats and positive reinforcement haha helps that my friend is an animal specialist. Or at least she’s training to be one! Well, if this date of ours goes well, I *suppose* I could subject myself to a marathon.

Hey, that was smooth! x

Oof. Do I really give off that vibe? well, I *have* had boyfriends but I also swing for the same team. Bisexuality for the win!!

Can I tell you a secret?

Korra’s heart was thumping so fast she thought it might burrow out of her chest.

Korra [9:25pm]:
I’m bisexual too!! No way!! Man, my gaydar is super off lol

Yeah, shoot.

Asami [9:26pm]:
I was going to leave you my number a month ago but I chickened out.

Korra’s mouth fell open.

Korra [9:27pm]:
No way. Really?

Asami [9:28pm]:
Yup.

Korra [9:29pm]:
Your secret is safe with me.

Asami [9:30pm]:
Phew. Good. I’m excited for Friday.

Korra [9:32pm]:
Me too. Can I tell you a secret?

Asami [9:33pm]:
Go for it!

Korra [9:35pm]:
I haven’t been on a date in 2 years. I’m a little rusty. Promise not to laugh if I start stuttering?

Asami [9:36pm]:
Darling, I haven’t been on a date in 4 years. You’re good. I won’t laugh. I will, however, judge you heavily if you ghost me.

Korra [9:39pm]:
No ghosting. Got it. Anything else I should be aware of?

Asami [9:40pm]:
If you snob me I will be forced to take legal action.

Korra [9:41pm]:
Damn, alright. No snobbing, no ghosting. Would you kill me if I used a pick-up line on you? They’re kinda my thing.

Asami [9:43pm]:
Hm, are they good pick-up-lines?

Korra [9:45pm]:
Obviously.

Asami [9:46pm]:
I suppose I can spare you. Hey, I gotta go. It’s already past my bedtime. It’s been really nice talking with you, Korra. Have a good day off tomorrow x

Korra [9:47pm]:
Night! Sweet dreams! Thanks for humouring me. Don’t work too hard! X

Asami [9:48pm]:
Ha, I’ll try. Night!

Korra slowly locked her phone and pushed herself up. She dangled her legs over the edge of her bed and tried to wipe the goofy, dumb grin off her face. Go and shower, idiot.She grabbed the towel hanging on the back of her door and wandered through her flat, passing Mako and Bolin in the lounge.

“Hey! Don’t use all the hot water!” Bolin called out. “Where have you been, by the way? We called out to you ages ago.”

Korra coughed and kept walking. “I was studying,” She lied, then ducked into the bathroom.

***

She hoped dressing casual was okay. They hadn’t specified the dress code through text when they organised the date. She’d put in some effort, she wasn’t that bad, but she was still only wearing high-waisted black jeans as a blue plaid button up. She started to doubt herself as she wondered up to the front of Narook’s. Ugh, I should have just worn the dress pants like Bolin suggested. In saying that, taking fashion advice from a boy that exclusively wore black shirts and blue jeans wasn’t high on her priority list.

She ran a hand through her hair and awkwardly kicked a rock on the side of the street as she waited. She was early, comically early. She was never early. She’d panicked and decided that turning up 30 minutes before hand was better than letting public transport tempt fate.

“Hey, Korra, right?”

Korra whipped around at the sound of her name and nearly tripped over a crack in the pavement in the process. “That’s me!” She blurted out, a little taken back by what Asami was wearing. “Wow, you look…” Asami was wearing grey dress pants and a red turtle neck that made her jaw look even sharper, if that were possible. The purple eyeshadow really made the green in her eyes sparkle. “Wow.” She settled on and awkwardly laughed. “Sorry, um, hi?”

Asami grinned at her antics. “Hi,” She offered and nodded at the big neon ‘Narook’s’ sign in the window. “Best noodles, huh?”

“Yeah!” Korra regained some sense of self. “They do the best southern food. I’m from the southern water tribe, you see, so it’s hard to find places that make my favourite childhood dishes. I come here all the time, sometimes several times in one day!” She caught herself rambling and cringed inwardly. “C’mon, I’ll let the food speak for itself.” She moved to the door and held it open. “After you.”

Asami sent her a smile so wide Korra was momentarily dumbstruck as she walked in. She entered right after and walked right up to the front desk. A little old lady came out when she heard the door bell go off and beamed when she saw Korra standing there.

“Korra! Dear!” She waddled around the counter and set a hand on Korra’s arm. “We haven’t seen you in a couple days. Are you ill?”

Korra laughed and shook her head. “I’ve been busy, Ena. School has been kicking my butt,” She covered Ena’s hand and squeezed it. “I called ahead yesterday. A table for two?”

Ena seemed to notice Asami in that moment and flashed her a toothy grin. “I see,” She patted Korra’s arm and then motioned for her to follow. “Come with me, deary.” Both of them followed and stopped at a table tucked away in the very back of the establishment. “I will be back to take your orders shortly. Water?”

Korra pulled out Asami’s seat for her and gestured for her to sit down. “Water would be great, Ena. Thanks.”

Ena nodded and walked off. Asami, with a slight blush on her cheeks, took a seat and shuffled it in. “Do you have any recommendations?”

Korra sat opposite her and grabbed the menu. “How familiar are you with southern food?”

“Not very, but I’ll try anything.”

“Oh! Cool! You’re in for a treat, then. Obviously, the seaweed noodles are the best. They also do sea prune stew and five flavour soup for appetisers that are really close to the stuff my mom makes,” She skimmed the menu and then set it down. “If you want something light, though, I’d probably go for the steamed dumplings. The stew is really filling, even for an appetiser.”

Asami pulled out a set of glasses from her purse and put them on. Korra thought they made her look super cute. “Damn, you really do come here a lot then, huh?” She rose a playful eyebrow and smiled. “What would you usually order?”

“Uh, there’s this blood soup that I’d kill for. It’s an acquired taste, though, so I wouldn’t be offended if you didn’t want to try it,” She leaned back when Ena came over and set a jug of water down in the centre of the table. “Thanks, Ena. Do you guys have any seaweed cookies?”

Ena perked up. “For you, yes. I’ll pack you a container to take with you when you’re ready to leave. I’ll be back in a couple of minutes to take your orders.” She winked at Korra before she walked back off.

Korra preened at the mere idea of seaweed cookies she could eat in bed later. “Sorry, she’s like my gran-gran. I’ve known her for years.”

Asami shook her head. “No, no, don’t be sorry. It’s really sweet. I might go for the sea prune stew for the appetiser. You’ve sold me on it.”

Korra sent a big grin. “You’ll love it. It’s like the perfect mix between sweet and sour.” She filled two glasses of water and lifted one to her lips. “How’s Suki today?”

Asami wrinkled up her nose and pulled her glasses of her frame. “She’s not very happy with me. I told her that I was going on a date, you see, and she threw a fit because I wasn’t going to be able to lounge around on the couch with her,” She put her glasses back in their case and tucked it back into her purse. “What did you get up to on your day off?”

Korra threw her head back and laughed. “Sorry, I brought something for her, hold on,” She grabbed her saddle bag and pulled out a small pouch of catnip. “I hope it’s not weird. I wanted to leave a good impression. I know Naga would be extremely unhappy with me if I ditched her to go on a date,” She passed it over. There was an unreadable expression on Asami’s face as she took the pouch and inspected it. “It’s meant to be the good stuff. The person at the pet shop told me her cats loved it.”

“That’s… so thoughtful,” Asami breathed out, looking up to send Korra a shy smile. “Thank you. Are you trying to get her to associate me going out with you with cat nip?”

Korra shrugged her shoulders haphazardly and grinned. “Positive reinforcement, right?”

Asami laughed and man, it was such a magical sound. “Seriously, though, thank you. She loves cat nip.”

“No worries. I, uh, spent most of my day off going over our next assignment. It’s a dreaded group project. Our professor pre-assigned us groups, too, so I don’t even get to chose who I do it with,” She huffed. “But I got to sleep in. So that was a win.” She felt the awkward flush creeping up her neck and tried to will it away.

“You’re not a morning person then?” Asami asked, playfully wiggling her eyebrows.

“Ugh, no. Mornings are evil,” She shuddered. “Are you?”

“I have to be. I’m up at 5am most mornings.” Asami’s whole face scrunched up. “I had to condition myself to somewhat enjoy them. Perspective, or whatever.”

Before Korra could reply, Ena snuck up with her little note pad. “What are we having, ladies?”

“Can I get a small portion of blood soup with some kelp bread for my appetiser? And the seaweed noodles for the main?”

“Yup. What about you, dear?”

“Sea prune stew for the appetiser and the seaweed noodles for the main.”

With a nod and a wave, Ena went to go rely their order to the chef.

“What time do you start work if you’re up at 5am?” Korra enquired once she was gone.

“I start at 8, typically. I get up early to go for a morning run and gloss over my lecture slides. If I don’t find time for it in the mornings, I forget at night.” Asami explained, taking a sip of water.

“Oh! You work and study? Like, part time?”

“Ha, I wish. No, I study part time and work full time,” Asami shrugged. “It’s not for the faint of heart, that’s for sure.”

“Wow,” Korra whistled. “What do you do for work? Are you studying, um, what was it? Engineering?”

There was a distinctive twinkle in Asami’s eyes. “I finished my engineering stuff ages ago. I study business part time. I, um, work for a big automotive company.” She pursed her lips. “You’re quite perceptive. You study criminology, right?”

Damn, it made sense that Asami worked for a company that specialised in cars. Korra probably could have guessed that. “That’s so cool. Do you enjoy it? I’m assuming you’re an engineer then, right?” She nodded. “I do. Me and my friend Mako are both doing the same degree. I should be finished next year. Not sure what I’ll specialise in, before you ask. I’m sorta letting the universe decide for me.”

“I was an engineer. I got a promotion about… 2 years ago? I work in an office now, unfortunately.” Asami rested both elbows on the table and leaned forward, squinting her eyes. “I could see you as a detective. All you need is a trench coat and a hat and you’d look the part.”

Korra rose an eyebrow. “So… you’re studying business part time… and work in an office? You some sort of… I don’t know, marketing expert?” She wrinkled up her nose. “Mako literally told me the same thing. I dunno, I like the social development stuff. I nailed all of our sociology blocks. I could see myself working with youth. I just… I don’t know.” She sighed, shaking her head. “I get all worked up when I have to be decisive. I don’t want to feel trapped; you know?”

Asami’s expression softened. “Marketing is one part of my job, yes.” She bit down on her lower lip and relaxed back in her seat. “I get that. I really do. You thought about taking a gap year once you’ve finished studying to let loose and see the world?”

Korra brightened and nodded. “I have. I really want to go to the northern air temple. Someone close to me has ancestry there. I’d love to explore the Earth Kingdom as a whole, too. Republic City is such a small part of the bigger picture. Have you travelled?”

“I travel a lot for my job,” Asami admitted. “When I was little, my father took me all around the globe. The western air temple is magical. If you ever get the chance, Serpents Pass is outer-worldly. I really enjoyed my trek over the strip. It’s rough on the legs but totally worth it for the view.”

Well-educated, well-travelled, and pretty. Wow. “Damn,” She blew out a breath. “You ever been to Kyoshi island?”

Asami nodded. “I have. It’s beautiful. I’m gonna assume your curiosity stems from this cartoon of yours?”

“Pft,” Korra tried to look innocent. “No…” She kept up the act for a couple of seconds before breaking and laughing. “You familiar with the Kyoshi mythology?”

Asami took a sip of water. “Nope. I’d love to hear about it, though.”

“Oh! Man, okay, well…” Korra cracked her knuckles. “There’s Kyoshi, Roku, Yangchen… and, um, oh! Kuruk! They’re the four entities. Kyoshi was all about justice, Roku was about… something, Yangchen was spiritual awareness, and Kuruk was all about change. There are annual celebrations in each respective corner of the world. Kyoshi in the Earth Kingdom, Roku in the Fire Nation, Yangchen at the Air Temples, and Kuruk in each Water Tribe. Kuruk’s celebration got migrated into the spirit festival, though. Kyoshi was the only one that got a show. We don’t talk about the live action remake they did, that was offensive,” She gushed, gesturing with her hands as she spoke. “Each legend suggests they were actually all the same people, just reincarnated in a different time period. They all existed before harmonic convergence, I think?”

Asami listened with rapid attention. “Harmonic convergence?”

Korra perked up. “Do you know about the thousand-year war between Vaatu and Raava?”

“Sorta. They’re stories, right?”

“Yeah. Mythology does have its truth if you read between the lines, though.” Korra paused to catch her breath. “Raava is the spirit of light, Vaatu is the spirit of darkness. They fought for a thousand years before a human called Wan intervened. Raava ended up needing to merge with Wan to defeat Vaatu and lock him away for another thousand years. Harmonic convergence allowed Raava to fuse with Wan, and thus, the cycle of the Avatar was born. Kyoshi, Roku, Yangchen, and Kuruk where the last ones before the last harmonic convergence. There are debates about why the cycle ended, and why these entities left the human world, but it all dwindles down to human’s messing things up.”

“Is this a special interest of yours?”

Korra hummed, nodding. “I was really into the mythology as a kid.” She opened her mouth to say more, only Ena interrupted and set their bowls down in front of them. With a small bow, she left without another word. “Sorry, I could ramble on about this stuff for ages.”

“I think it’s really cute,” Asami said, pouting. “You have a really soothing voice. I could listen to you talk for hours.”

Korra blushed hard. “Oh,” She picked up her spoon and tried not to make a face. “Let me know what you think of the stew.”

Asami was polite enough not to comment on Korra’s blush and dug in. They ate in relative silence, making occasional comments about the flavours. Korra hadn’t been on a date in years, sure, but she couldn’t remember ever feeling this at ease. Asami was insanely easy to speak with. Whatever Korra had to say, Asami listened, encouraging further elaboration with small questions to show she was engaged. They talked all they way through the main course, only pausing to take small sips of water.

“You said you played softball. When did you learn it was a gay sport?” Korra asked, wiping her mouth with the back of her hand. “Did you, you know, have a crush on your team mates?”

Asami groaned and covered her face. “I wasn’t out at the time. I learnt about it being gay when I started uni. Looking back, it should have been obvious. We had this catcher that had this amazing ass. I remember fondly admiring it and daydreaming about her in class. I never evaluated my feelings, like an idiot, and didn’t have a sexuality crisis until my first year of uni. I then went crazy. My friend pushed me towards dating apps and, well, the rest is history.” She laughed for good measure. “You swim, right? How’d you get into that? Is that… gay?”

Korra gave Asami her full attention as she spoke and found herself admiring the little dimples that appeared when her lips tugged at the corners. “How old are you? You finished a degree, you’re working some high-ranking office job, and you’re awfully wise. You don’t seem like you’re around my age… You’ve either got a sh*t ton of trauma that’s aged you beyond your years or you’re an old soul that’s inhabiting a young body. Which is it?”

Asami blinked, studying Korra closely. “I’m 27. How old are you?”

“What?! No way! I’m 26! What’s the tragic backstory?”

Asami bit down on her lower lip and sighed. “Tell me about swimming first.”

“I was born in water, I grew up in water, I swam my way towards a scholarship. Um, it’s not inherently gay, but I know a lot of gay folk turn up to the events on campus to check out us out when we compete.” She leaned forward and flashed a goofy grin. “Who hurt you?”

Asami’s lips pressed into a firm line as she held Korra’s gaze. “Is this a criminology thing? Being able to just… read people?”

Korra shrugged her shoulders. “Sorta. Have to evaluate human behaviour a lot. Linking intent and motive, that kinda stuff. I hope I’m not being insensitive; I promise I’m just being an idiot—”

“No, you’re fine. I just, um, I’m not used to being… seen. I guess.” She glanced down into her lap and furrowed her eyebrows several times. It looked like she was weighing up the pros and cons of saying something. “My mom died when I was little. My dad died 2 years ago. I suppose… dealing with that, and stepping into a position I never envisioned for myself, aged me a lot. I work with a bunch of old men that have rubbed off on me too, so there’s that. Gotta be firm with them so I’m not treated like a little girl. I’m… hm, I’m not… damaged goods, even though it sounds like it. I’m… I’m just a little rough around the edges.”

Korra frowned. This is what you get for trying to be a smart ass, she told herself, you make people uncomfortable. “Hey, I think you’re amazing. I was only kidding. I’m sorry that you’ve had to deal with so much loss. I couldn’t imagine my life without my parents. You’re really strong for pushing through despite the hardship.” She pursed her lips and narrowed her eyes. “I don’t see any grey hairs; you’re going pretty good for someone that’s been through the trenches.”

Asami’s whole face twisted up. “There’s been a few, I just pluck them out and pretend like they don’t exist.” She chuckled, dabbing her mouth. “So… you’re good at swimming then?”

Korra nodded, taking a sip of water. “Oh yeah. I was really competitive when I first started uni. I stopped being such a hard ass about it when I realised it wasn’t something I wanted to do seriously. I still do it, but, um, I do it for me, you know?”

Asami regarded her curiously. “You’re such a free spirit,” The corners of her mouth twitched. “What’s that like? Simply just… floating around without a care in the world?”

Korra actually paused and leaned back in her seat. “Huh,” A series of different expressions crossed over her face. “I… Hm,” That was a fantastic question. “I do care. I really do. I just… I stopped caring about how everyone else perceived me.”

Asami tilted her head. “You’re fascinating,” She clasped her hands in her lap. “I enjoy you, Korra. You’re… different.”

“Um, so… ‘not like other girls’ different or… ‘you’re really dumb and I envy how oblivious you are’ different?”

Asami laughed, shaking her head. “Gosh, you’re funny. You got that pick-up-line for me?”

Korra straightened her posture and grinned. “I have one, but we need to be outside for it to work.”

Asami raised both eyebrows. “Oh?”

“Mhm,” She wiggled her eyebrows. “I’ll go and pay then I can take you outside and blow your mind.”

Asami held out a hand, frowning. “You don’t need to pay for me, seriously, I—”

“I got it, Asami. It’s no bother,” She got up before Asami could stop her and pulled her wallet out of her saddle bag. “I get a discount because I’m here so often.” She rushed up to the counter and dinged the bell. Ena came out from around the corner and grinned at her.

After paying, and Ena shoving a big container of seaweed cookies into her hands, she returned back to the table and tucked her wallet, and the container, into her bag. “Okay, do you need to use the restroom before we head out?”

Asami shook her head and stood up. “I’m paying next time, just so you’re aware.”

“Oh,” Korra found herself smirking. “Next time, huh?”

“Depends how bad this pick-up-line is.”

Korra bobbed her head from side to side and continued smirking as she led them out of the building. She held out her arm and nudged Asami’s elbow when they got outside. “Buckle up, I’m about to take you for a wild ride.”

Asami laughed at her antics and looped their arms together. “Where are you taking me?”

Korra checked the road before tugging Asami along. “For safety reasons, the park. Because I’m trying to be mysterious, pretend you’re shocked when we get there.”

Asami continued to laugh and played along. “Are you always this… I don’t know, goofy?”

Korra shrugged her shoulders as she led them along the street. “Pretty much. I was putting on a façade with you at work so you kept coming in. Didn’t want to spook you.”

Asami patted her arm. “Had I known you’d be this, uh, spontaneous? I probably would have slipped you my number ages ago.”

Korra gasped dramatically and laughed. “Are you saying you’re into spontaneousness?”

“It works with you. I feel like if it was anyone else, I’d be completely put off.”

Korra took that as a win and slowed down as they approached harmony park. “Alright, we’re almost there.” She tugged Asami towards the turtle-duck pond and walked them over the bridge, stopping right in the middle. “Okay,” She dropped Asami’s arm and moved to stand in front of her. “May I have your hands, my lady?”

Asami had a somewhat permanent smile on her face. She held out her hands and squeezed Korra’s hands when she grasped them. “I can’t believe we’re in the park,” She said, winking. “Such a romantic part of the city.”

“I know, I’m a mastermind,” Korra cleared her throat and looked at their joint hands. She amped herself up mentally for several long moments then met Asami’s confused gaze. “Can you see the stars?”

Asami looked up at the sky and slowly nodded her head. “Yeah?”

“I can’t,” Korra waited for Asami to look at her. “I swear someone stole them and put them in your eyes.”

The expression on Asami’s face was priceless. It was a mix of bewilderment and apprehension. She kept staring at Korra for what felt like an eternity. Eventually, she croaked out a quiet, “That was really good.”

Korra let her signature lopsided smile spread over her face. “Want another one? It won’t be as good, I’m afraid, but it might make you smile.”

Asami swallowed hard and nodded.

Wordlessly, Korra drew in a deep breath and preyed to all the spirits this came out the right way. “Want to get out of here and find some fresh air?”

Asami tilted her head and rose an eyebrow. “What?”

Korra stepped in and brought one of Asami’s hands to her lips. “Because you’ve just taken my breath away.”

Asami opened her mouth and gawked at her like a fish out of water. The laugh that came out of her mouth was infectious. “I’m so used to men with their stupid pick-up-lines that I totally expected you to be all sleezy,” Her eyes flickered all over Korra’s face. “I… I don’t know what to say.”

“I’ll take speechlessness as a good thing,” Korra said with a wink. Where the f*ck is this confidence coming from? “One more for the road? Then I’ll let you go? I can make it sleezy?”

Asami, still holding her hands, beamed. “Go on, try me.”

“I’m jealous of your heart, want to know why?” Korra began, swallowing the nerves tickling the back of her throat. When Asami rose an eyebrow in challenge, Korra dropped her voice and said, with as much swagger as possible, “Because it’s pounding inside of you and I’m not.”

Asami’s lips parted as she let that entire sentence sink in. Korra thought she saw… something flash in Asami’s eyes. She didn’t get to dwell on it, fortunately, because Asami pulled her in and wrapped her arms around her neck. “You know…” She hummed, tucking her face into Korra’s shoulder. “I should be extremely put off right now,” She grinned, squeezing Korra’s body. “You’re… something special, that’s for sure. No one I know could have pulled that off.”

Korra hated how shallow her breathing was. Asami smelt so good. Smart, pretty, well-travelled, well-educated, and smells like a freaking florist. Who is this woman? She gave Asami’s waist a firm squeeze and waited for Asami to step back. “So… what’s the verdict? You wanna hang out with me again some time?”

Asami swayed backwards on the balls of her feet and pursed her lips. “Mm, I want to tease you and say no…” She worried her lower lip between her teeth. “But I’d love to see you again. You’re… a breath of fresh air.”

Korra found herself blushing and smiling so wide her cheeks hurt. “f*ck yeah!” She pumped her fist in the air. “I mean— Phew!” She laughed and tucked her hands into her pockets. “Okay, well, I’ll… text you? Wait, I dragged you all the way out here. Do you want me to walk you to your car? You drove, right?”

Asami scrunched up her whole face at Korra’s little outburst and bit back a laugh. “I drove, yes. If you’re offering, I won’t turn it down.”

“Okay, cool,” Korra let Asami lead the way this time and walked beside her. “Think you’ll be a regular at Narook’s now?”

Asami bumped Korra’s shoulder with her own. “For sure. Beside the food, what do you miss most about home?”

“Oh, uh, the weather. Republic City is too warm. I’m sweating bullets right now. I typically wear short sleeved shirts all year round.” Korra awkwardly cleared her throat. “My parents, too. I miss them a lot. My dog… Naga and I were inseparable.”

“Why didn’t she move here with you? Why did you move here?”

“It’s a long story. I was an angry teenager that got sent to live with a family friend. I couldn’t look after Naga and focus on studying at the same time. It wasn’t fair to her.” Korra frowned a little. “I miss the company. Having someone— something to focus all my energy on. When I finish studying and move into my own apartment, she’s gonna come live with me again. That was the compromise I made with my parents.”

Asami sent her a soft smile. “That’s sweet,” She came to a stop beside what looked like brand-spanking-new Sato hatchback. Korra wasn’t all that great with cars, but she knew what the latest SatoMobile looked like. Mako was an enthusiast. He was shoving photos in her face all the time. “This is me.”

“Dude, this is sick. Is this the new model?” Korra quipped, shifting to stand in front of the car head-on to admire the curves. “I literally can’t drive, I don’t even know why this excites me,” She laughed, shifting to stand back beside Asami. “It’s awesome, though!”

Asami chortled, nodding her head. “I helped design this thing, believe it or not.” She looked a bit bashful as she shrugged her shoulders. “Thanks for such a nice night out, Korra.”

Korra held out her hand. “Wanna shake on it?” Asami, for whatever reason, agreed. She took Korra’s hand and gave it a firm squeeze. “Ooh, you’ve got a nice handshake. Isn’t that part of business school? Learning the perfect handshake?”

Asami, for what seemed like the hundredth time that night, regarded Korra with curious eyes. “Funnily enough, it’s one of those unspoken rules. We never explicitly learn about it, but having a good handshake is paramount.” She let her eyes drop down to Korra’s mouth for a split second before she caught herself. “I’ll, uh, message you later?”

Korra stepped out of Asami’s space and rubbed the back of her neck. “Shouldn’t I be asking you to message me when you get home safe?”

Asami pulled her keys out and unlocked her car. “I dunno, haven’t done this in forever, remember?”

Korra grinned as Asami slipped into the driver’s seat. “Well… Message me when you get home, so I know you didn’t die.”

Asami snorted as she pulled her seatbelt on and closed the door. Just before she pulled out, she blew Korra a kiss and winked. Korra caught it dramatically and pretended to topple backwards, earning her a laugh before Asami drove off.

Asami was true to her word. Just as Korra walked in through the front door, her phone went off.

Asami [10:07pm]:
Home. I really did enjoy myself. Thanks for not ghosting me. x

Korra couldn’t stop smiling.

Korra [10:09pm]:
Pleasure was all mine. Glad you didn’t die. Is this the part where we confess our undying love and move in together?

She walked into the living room and flopped onto the couch beside Bolin.

He did a double take when he realised who had just announced their presence and jumped across the couch to get into her space. “How was it?! Did you kiss?!”

Korra shoved him away when he pressed his face into her shoulder and groaned. “We didn’t kiss. I did get a hug, though.”

“Ugh! Give me the details Korra! What was she like? Did you get all swoon-y when you saw her?”

“Ugh, Bo!” Korra whined, kicking off her shoes. “She’s super freaking attractive, of course I swooned a little when I saw her.” She kicked her feet up and rested them in Bolin’s lap. “I used those pick-up-lines I was practising. They worked a treat.”

“Did you do the sexy voice so she was completely blindsided?” Bolin rose his eyebrows and leaned over. “Like we practised?”

Korra laughed and nudged his hip with her foot. “Yeah, I did. She hugged me right after the heart one.” She let out a soft sigh. “She was… so easy to talk to. I don’t know what I was expecting, but… psh, she’s… a dream.”

“So… you gonna ask her out again?” Bolin probed, smirking.

“f*ck yeah I’m going to ask her out again,” She quipped, grinning. “How soon is too soon? Like, do I wait a week or something?”

“I wouldn’t wait,” Bolin said, poking her ankle. “Girls are weird. I’d just go with the flow.”

Go with the flow. Korra was good at that. “Where’s Mako?”

“He’s in bed. You wanna watch TV with me?”

“Sure. Want me to grab you a blanket and make some popcorn?”

“Ooh! Yes please!”

Korra jumped up off of the couch and wondered into the kitchen. Without really thinking about it, she pulled out her phone and cursed herself for getting so giddy when she saw Asami’s name.

Asami [10:11pm]:
I hereby declare my love to thou, mayhaps a hand in marriage, my dearest lady?

Asami [10:12pm]:
I tried lol

Korra [10:25pm]:
That was top notch. I’ll call the uhaul tomorrow x

Asami [10:27pm]:
I’ll make sure my bedsheets aren’t covered in cat hair for you.

Korra [10:29pm]:
We won’t need bedsheets ;)

Asami [10:31pm]:
Ugh, you run hot, don’t you?

Korra [10:33pm]:
I am like a little personal heater. You’ll like it if you run cold.

Asami [10:34pm]:
So you give the best cuddles?

Korra [10:35pm]:
Yup. I’ve been told I’m like a fun sized tiger-bear without the claws.

Asami [10:36pm]:
I will tuck that information away for later. I’m off to bed. Thanks again for such a great date x

Korra [10:37pm]:
No, thank you!! Night, Asami. Sweet dreams :) x

Korra plugged her phone on charge in the kitchen and walked back into the living room with a bowl of popcorn. She grabbed the throw blanket on the other couch and threw it over at Bolin. “Okay, what are we watching?”

Bolin wrapped himself up and moved to cuddle into her side when she sat down next to him. “There’s a cool documentary on polar-bear dogs.”

“f*ck yes!” She shoved a handful of popcorn in her mouth. “They’re my favourite!”

Notes:

back at it again. Can't promise updates will be this speedy but I'm on a bit of a roll!

Chapters will get longer there's just a lot to establish before we get into the knitty gritty.

We get a lil Asami POV this chapter! I'm not great at writing from her perspective but I'll try to do her justice.

As always, all mistakes are my own.

(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)

“Ugh, what is that?” Korra heaved out, covering her mouth.

“Vodka!” Bolin said simply, downing another shot. “The guy at the bottle store said it was meant to be good for the price.”

“We’re students, bro, nothing at that price point is good,” Mako grumbled, begrudgingly doing another shot.

“It’s not about the flavour, it’s about the effect,” Bolin sing-songed, filling Korra’s shot glass. “Got any better ideas?”

Korra took a deep breath before she downed her next shot. She had to violently swallow several times to stop herself from gagging. “I’m done, I’m sticking to my beer.” She set the shot glass down and opened the fridge to retrieve one of her IPAs.

“You guys are such buzz kills,” Bolin whined. “You just need a chaser!”

Mako sighed, shifting to fill a separate glass with some left-over lychee juice. “Okay, fill me up.”

They went back and forth for a good hour before assembling in the back of an Uber. The drive to the other side of the city was filled with horrendous jokes and general banter. Korra did give Bolin a couple pick-up-line’s that they practised in the back seat of the car and by the time they arrived at the party, the effects of the alcohol had fully taken effect. She’d brought 3 cans with her to coax the rest of the night. There wasn’t any real reason to get trashed, no matter how much Bolin tried to convince her otherwise.

Hangovers sucked.

They grouped outside of the house and walked up together. Whoever’s house it was, certainly had it better off than most. It screamed upper class. Not that Korra was judging. She was thankful she was wearing a short-sleeved band t-shirt, it was rather warm out.Well, it's warm by my standards.

She found a group of veterinary students that she’d seen around campus and started up a conversation whilst Bolin went to presumably find this mysterious Opal figure he’d been talking about for the better part of a month.

“Yo, Korra!” Speak of the devil.

She politely excused herself and bounced over to Bolin’s side. “Korra, at your service.”

“This is Opal,” He beamed, gesturing to his side. “I told you she’s real!”

This Opal person was gorgeous. She liked the hair, given it was a similar length to her own. “You know, I was starting to believe you were a figment of his imagination,” She mused as she held out her hand. “Nice to finally meet you.”

“Korra,” Opal sounded the name out and shook her hand. “Do you work at a coffee shop by chance?”

“Oh, have I served you before?”

“No, no…” A slow grin spread over her face. “I’ve heard a lot about you.”

Korra blinked, feeling a tad out of her depth. “Um, are you friends with one of my exes or something?”

“Mm, no. Wanna follow me for a sec?” She nodded towards the back sliding doors.

“Sure?” She offered, sharing a mortified look with Bolin.

Opal led them outside and started glancing around. When she found her target, she darted over and tackled her side. A tall figure patted Opal’s side and laughed. “Asami! Guess who’s here!”

Korra felt all the blood drain from her face. “No way,” She lifted a hand and waved like the awkward little gay she was. “This is what you had on?” Asami looked gorgeous. Well, she always looked gorgeous, but the casual-ware she had on really clung to all the right places. High waisted jeans, a low-cut red blouse, the glitter eyeshadow on her eyelids. How does she manage to look so effortlessly good in everything she wears?

Asami brightened when Korra came into view and returned her wave. “What are the chances?”

Korra laughed and then was promptly cut off by an elbow to the ribs. Bolin clasped his hands over his chest and jumped up and down. “You’re Asami!”

Korra shoved his shoulder and sent him a glare. “Don’t.”

“Oh?” Asami teased, wiggling her eyebrows. “It’s nice to meet you, er…?”

“Bolin!” He chirped, wrapping his arms around her body and squeezing. He jumped back when he realised he’d overstepped and winced. “Sorry, should have asked first. I’m a hugger.”

Asami patted his shoulder affectionately and shook her head. “It’s okay, that was a good hug. You’re the one Opal’s been talking about.”

Bolin’s eyes widened. “She talks about me?!”

Opal groaned. “I’m right here! You’re no better, all I hear is ‘Korra this’ and ‘Korra that’. You’ve been on one date.” She smirked in Korra’s direction. “You never mentioned how hot she was.”

Asami coughed and averted her gaze. “Funny! So, so funny!” She took a sip from the bottle in her hand and glared at her friend. “Do you want another drink? I’m going to get you another drink.” She rushed off without another word.

Korra stood there with a dopey, silly grin on her face. “She talks about me?”

“Babe,” Opal started, coming closer so she didn’t have to raise her voice. “She started talking about this cute barista a good 3 months ago. She’s been blowing up my phone ever since you gave her your number. I tried to tell her, gosh, what? A month ago? To slip you her details but she chickened out like an idiot. Yeah, she’s been talking about you.”

Bolin slung his arm over Opal’s shoulders. “And you’ve been talking about me?”

Opal groaned, pouting out her lower lip. “How can I not?”

Bolin beamed, his eyes nearly slits from how hard he was smiling. “I talk about you too, right, Korra?”

Korra was still stuck on the fact Asami talked about her. “He does. He won’t shut up.” She confirmed, lifting her can to her lips. She took a hearty gulp and indulged in the warmth flowing through her veins. “How long have you been friends with Asami?”

“Oh, we go way back. We went to the same all-girls boarding school.” She replied. “How long have you been friends with Bolin?”

“Much of the same, minus the all-girls boarding school.” She nodded at Bolin. “Do you know where Mako went?”

Bolin shook his head. “He dipped the moment we came inside. I think he’s hiding so we don’t embarrass him.”

“Who are we embarrassing?” Asami interjected as she returned, handing Opal a cup filled with what smelled like spirits.

“My brother,” Bolin quipped. “Hey, you wanna go dance?” He wiggled his shoulders at Opal. “I heard them doing throw-back songs.”

Opal wrinkled up her nose. “Fine.” She gave Asami’s arm a squeeze. “I’ll be back. Don’t sneak off to go make out without telling me, yeah? We’re Ubering back to yours to crash tonight.”

Asami choked on her current swig and brought her hand up to her mouth. “Mhm, sure thing,” She wiped her chin and let out a sigh when Opal disappeared into the crowd.

Korra bit back a laugh and awkwardly shifted her weight from foot to foot. “Did you get dragged to this thing against your will?”

Asami’s face twisted up. “Sort of. We got invited last week. I was brought here to, uh, ‘mingle’ as Opal put it. This was before, um, well, you.”

Korra rose an eyebrow and carefully nodded her head. “I see,” She tucked a hand into her back pocket. “So, you got forced here to get laid?”

Asami coughed and had to pat her chest so she didn’t spit out her mouthful. “Spirits, are you two secretly collaborating to humiliate me?” She caught her breath and laughed. “Why are you here?”

“Celebrating the new promotion. I also wanted to meet this Opal girl Bolin’s been babbling on about. Small world, am I right?”

“Yeah…” Asami glanced around and looked increasingly uncomfortable. “Did you, um, wanna go find a place less crowded to talk? Or something?”

Korra nodded and let Asami lead the way. They traversed the small groups of people until they found a secluded spot by a swing set. Korra took a seat on one of the swings and set her can on the ground. “So…” She idly started to rock forwards. “Favourite food?”

Asami took the swing next to her and brushed her hair over one shoulder. “Anything spicy. I have a whole stack of fire flakes at home. There’s a place that does spicy dumplings close to where I work. What about you?”

Interesting. “I never would have guessed,” She paused, thinking about it. “My mom’s kale cookies. They’re unreal. How is Suki doing?”

Asami started to slowly swing back and forth. “Are they, like, super savoury or something? You looked so happy when Ena offered to give you that container of seaweed cookies.” Like a light, Asami’s eyes lit up. “Suki is good. She enjoyed the catnip. I had to monitor her so she didn’t overdose. Thanks for that, by the way. It was really sweet.”

“Pretty much. I grew up eating them so they’re my guilty pleasure,” Korra hummed, glancing up at the night sky. “You’re welcome. I saw a really fun looking feather toy at the pet shop when I was in there that I contemplated getting but thought it might be weird if I showered you with cat stuff on the first date.”

“You’re really after my heart, aren’t you?”

Korra snorted. “Obviously. Gotta go all out to assert my dominance. Don’t want someone else coming and sweeping you off your feet, you see.”

Asami grinned over at her. “You’ve already set the bar pretty high,” She leaned her face against the chain. “You plan on getting drunk tonight? Should I get my phone camera ready?”

“Nah. I did some shots with Bolin before we came but tapped out after the third one. I have another two cans of beer that I brought hiding away in Mako’s bag. I only planned on getting slightly buzzed,” She reached down to grab her can and finished it off. “What about you?”

“You’re not a heavy drinker then?” Asami asked. “I only brought a couple bottles of cider with me. I’m not overly fond of alcohol. Messes with my sleep.”

“Nope. I’ve had my moments though, to be sure.” Korra racked her brain for something interesting to say. “What’re you doing next week?”

Asami perked up. “Outside of work? Nothing. I’m pretty free all weekend. Why?”

“Would you… I don’t know, want to plan another adventure?”

“Are you trying to ask me out on another date?”

“Is it working?”

Asami grinned. “Totally.”

“Then yes, I’m asking you on another date.” Korra hesitated. “Would you be interested in actually watching some Kyoshi Warriors?”

“I actually looked the series up to see what it was all about. I’m down.” Asami pulled her phone out of her pocket. “Want to grab lunch and then migrate over to mine?”

Stay calm. Play it cool. “Sounds great. Saturday work for you?”

“Yup,” Asami tapped away for a moment or two. “I put it in my calendar.”

“Damn, that easy?”

Asami huffed and pouted. “I like you, is it a crime to be eager?”

Oh. Oh goodness. The smirk that pulled at her lips was totally unnecessary. “I like you, too.” She swung a little more and tried to ignore the butterflies in her stomach. “Opal seems nice. I was going to give her a hard time and play the protective friend but I feel like she’d probably roll with it and turn the tides so I’m the uncomfortable one. She said you went to an all-girls boarding school… Got any interesting stories?”

“She definitely would. She always makes me uncomfortable.” She laughed a little and narrowed an eye in thought. “So many. When I first started going, I was almost certain I was going to hate it. I met Opal in calculous. She saw me hiding away at the back of class trying to make myself as small as possible and came over to sit with me. She brought me out of my shell. It was the beginning of a very interesting friendship. She dragged me off to all the secret parties and made me join a bunch of clubs so I wasn’t hiding away in my dorm.” She spoke fondly. “She convinced me to play softball, believe it or not. I think she knew I was a little fruity before I did.”

“Fruity?” Korra repeated with a snort. “I came out when I was 15. I, um, dated a couple of Mako’s exes in school. It became a running joke. Whenever Mako would drop one of his girlfriends, I’d swing in and mortify him.”

“Gosh, am I in the presence of a serial romancer?”

“No!” Korra defended, quickly shaking her head. “Spirits, no. I was a teenager. I just wanted to make a point. I had a couple serious relationships when I started my degree but they fizzled out because I had too many commitments. Not a serial romancer, promise.”

“I definitely was,” Asami started, cringing. “I was sheltered a lot when I was a kid. I went on a bunch of dates with a lot of different people as a… I don’t know, rebellious sort of thing? When my dad got sick, and I had to look after him, I stopped seeing people. Then the asshole died and I had to prioritise work over my love life.” She chuckled to herself. “He probably would have disowned me if he ever caught wind of my, um, experiences.”

“Huh,” Korra studied Asami for a moment. “You got that promotion 2 years ago, right? And your dad passed away around the same time? Are you working for a family company or something?”

Asami look liked she’d just been caught red handed. “Or something,” She said with a small frown. “You’re really good at piecing things together. Should I start watching what I say so you don’t deconstruct my entire life?”

“Sorry, I’ve had to read between the lines a lot throughout my entire degree,” She wanted to face palm. “So, this crusade of yours… should I start sleeping with one eye open? Some really petty ex of yours isn’t going to murder me in my sleep, right?”

“Ha! No. I never hung around long enough. I’ve been out of the game for too long. What about you? Surely you’ve got some crazy exes?”

“Actually? I’m on really good terms with all my exes. I’m friends with one of them but that’s only because we’re in the same class.” Korra admitted.

“Wait…” Asami stopped swinging and looked at Korra seriously. “What’s his name? Mako? Aren’t you two doing the same degree?”

“And you say I’m the preceptive one,” Korra teased, then nodded. “Everyone pressured us into dating for a short period of time. We had an explosive argument and didn’t talk to each other for almost an entire year. Which was… an experience, to say the least. Given Bolin is one of my best friends and they’re brothers.” Korra sighed. “We made up and agreed not to ever talk about our failed relationship. It was awkward for a period, then uni started and we all moved in together. We’re pretty close. So… no crazy exes.”

“Interesting,” Asami commented and resumed swinging. “So… you live with Mako and Bolin?”

“Yup. It was the cheapest option. I didn’t want to live over on air temple island and have to get up super early to get the ferry every day. I actually work for my family friend’s coffee shop. They offered me hours so I could afford food. I’m really grateful, they… they’re the reason I’m not some bratty kid with anger issues.”

“Oh! You’re family friends with councilmen Tenzin?”

“Yeah! His mom actually brought me into the world. My parents have always been really close with his family. He’s super spiritual and worked with me when I moved to live with him. His children are like my unofficial cousins. Jinora, whom I work with, was the one that insisted I leave you my number.”

“That’s really cool,” Asami smiled at her. “I’m glad you listened to her.”

“She hounded me for ages. Her boyfriend, Kai, made a comment about how he got gay vibes from you when he saw you come in one morning. He’s straight, Asami, and he called it.” Korra groaned. “I feel like I should have my gay card revoked.”

“Opal kept telling me I should wear a pride pin or something,” Asami laughed. “You’re fine. My gaydar has been broken for years. I sorta assumed someone as, um, attractive as you would be spoken for.”

Korra playfully wiggled her eyebrows. “Oh?”

“I didn’t want to feed into my own delusions,” Asami huffed. “A girl can dream, right?”

“Huh, that’s exactly what I told Jinora. I wanted the fantasy to stay a fantasy,” She pursed her lips and scratched her cheek. “Hey, can I ask you something?”

“Yeah, go for it.”

“Did you only come in to see me?”

Asami bit down on her lower lip. “Maybe.” She hesitated, then blew out a breath. “To be fair, your café is actually a distract across from where I work. I stopped by one morning because I had a meeting with some investment company a street over. You, um, made a really good coffee. I kept coming in because the food was killer, too. Then, well, you kept smiling at me like I was someone you’d known your whole life. So… I continued coming in to see you. You also knew my order off by heart, so it was convenient.”

“Damn,” Korra’s stomach did a little flip. Don’t make it weird. “Did you like the different font’s I used on your cup?”

“Yes! I actually have an album on my phone filled with all the different ways you wrote my name. I know it’s stupid, but it really made my day. Whenever I came in and you weren’t on, I sorta moped around all morning.” Asami winced. “Ugh, that’s embarrassing.”

Korra bit back a smirk. “I may or may not have clock-watched each morning shift waiting for you to come in. 7:25, to the minute.” She laughed. “Jinora teased me for it relentlessly.”

“Really?”

“Yup. I made her leave whenever you came in so she couldn’t see how flustered I got.” She wrinkled up her nose and shrugged. “She always found a way to make fun of me, though.”

“That’s so cute,” Asami cooed, reaching over with her foot to nudge Korra’s knee. “I always wrote off your attempts at flirting because I thought you were just being friendly.”

“Oh, man, I stopped trying to flirt after that dumb spilling your order incident. I had to take my break early to go and calm down. I was so flustered.”

“Oh my gosh! I remember that!” Asami threw her head back and let out the sweetest giggle. “I didn’t think twice about it, if it makes you any better.”

“Good. I literally refused to met your eye for 2 weeks.” She watched Asami’s side profile and hummed. “Can I have a shot at redemption?”

“What do you mean?”

“I have a pick-up-line for you.”

“Oh! Alright, any special place we need to go for it to work?”

“Nope,” Korra jumped to her feet and came to stand right in front of Asami. She set her hands on her hips and cleared her throat. “Do you have a pet?”

Asami looked up at her with an amused expression. “Um, yes?”

Korra cleared her throat again and dipped down in a small bow. “Because seeing you has given me a whole new leash on life.”

Asami regarded her seriously for a moment before cracking up and snorting. “That was good. Got any more?”

Korra straightened up and stroked her chin. “Um, yeah! Actually, can I hold your hand for this one?”

Asami grinned and offered her hand. Korra took it and ignored the jolt that went up her spine at the contact. “You look so familiar…” She began, tilting her head. “Did we have a class together? I could’ve sworn we had chemistry.”

Asami gave her hand a small squeeze and shook her head, still grinning. “You’re really good at these. This is how you woo woman?”

Korra returned the squeeze and let Asami’s hand go. “I use them on guys, too. They don’t always land well, though. They’re primarily a bit thick on the flirting end of the stick.” She rubbed the back of her neck and stepped back. “Wanna come with me to find Mako? I want another beer.”

“Is this Mako guy going to stare me down?” Asami carefully got to her feet and picked her bottle up off the ground.

“Ha, no. He does have a resting bitch face, though.” Korra grabbed her empty can and started back towards all the chaos. It took some wondering around and tapping on a few strangers shoulders, but she eventually found him leaning against a wall talking with a guy similar in height. “Have you been here the whole time?” She asked, unzipping the bag on his back. “You ditched us the second we came in.”

Mako eyed Korra for a second before glancing over at Asami. He paused and studied her posture for a moment before shrugging. “You two try and rope me into dancing the second Paramore starts playing over the sound system. I refuse to embarrass myself.”

Korra zipped the bag back up when she found a beer and rolled her eyes. “Not our problem you have a terrible taste in music. Death metal sucks.”

“Death metal?” Asami piped up. “Have you ever heard of a band called Summer Spirit?”

Mako perked up and pushed himself off of the wall. “Yeah, I have their first ever EP. I got it signed when they came to Republic City for a show. You listen to The Red Lotus?”

Asami nodded eagerly. “I play their stuff all the time! I met the lead vocalist when he came to a convention a couple years ago. Wow, it’s not often I find other people into my kind of music.”

“And you’re…?”

“Asami.” She held out her hand.

“Oh!” He took her offered hand and gave it a soft shake. “You’re the Asami. Korra has said so much—” Korra promptly elbowed him in the stomach, making him choke on his words. “Korra! That hurt!”

“I don’t care,” She hissed, sending him a glare. “You deserved it.”

“I was just going to say Korra had said some really nice things about you!” He rubbed his stomach and glared right back. “I mean, seriously, I’ve never seen someone smile at their phone so much.”

Korra rolled her eyes and grabbed Asami’s hand, moving to drag her away. “Thanks, Mako! I’ll come and find you when Paramore starts playing!”

Asami laughed as Korra pulled her along. “He seems nice,” She commented once they’d found a spot at the edge of the dance floor. “I like him. It’s hard to find people into the type of death metal I’m into.”

“You know, this is your first red flag.” Korra cracked her can open and looked around for Bolin.

“What?! Listening to really angry music is therapeutic!” Asami argued. “I like to put it on when I’m working on my project cars. It helps clear my head.”

Korra paused and sent Asami a confused look. “Project cars?”

Asami blushed and tried to look innocent. “I, um, buy really beat up rust buckets and completely strip the internals and rebuild them. It’s a hobby of mine. I take them out for a spin once they’re up to code. We have a race track that we use to test new products at work that I’m allowed to use so I force Opal to jump in with me and make her fear for her life.”

Korra gaped; mouth hung open. “So you’re… like… some sort of girl racer by night and a high ranking business woman by day?”

“When you put it like that…” Asami offered a shy smile. “What, you don’t have a hobby outside of swimming?”

“I don’t deconstruct cars and rebuild them. That means you’re smart smart.” Korra took a sip. “I actually paint when I’m not running around like a headless chicken, or play video games on Bolin’s PS5. He has a really fun game based on the mythology I was telling you about. You create an Avatar that can manipulate a certain element and then run around in an open world and fight bandits and such.”

“Oh, you’re a gamer?” Asami bumped her shoulder. “That’s hot.”

Korra nearly spat out her mouthful. Asami took pity and patted her on the back when she started coughing. “Um, sure,” She spotted Bolin talking to the person controlling the playlist. “Hey, I’ll be back, I’m going to con the DJ to play Paramore. Bolin and I have a running joke with Mako, as you’ve probably already guessed.” She felt a surge of confidence from the alcohol and leaned up on her tippy toes to press a kiss to Asami’s cheek.

She did not hang around for a reaction.

She hurriedly slipped through several dancing bodies and slung an arm over Bolin’s shoulder. After sweet-talking the girl for a good 5 minutes, she added their song to the que and waved them off. Bolin went to go find Mako so Korra wandered back over to where she’d left Asami and spotted Opal talking excitedly beside her.

“You guys are in for a treat,” She announced, chugging the rest of her can. “Bolin and I have a whole choreographed dance that we do to piss Mako off.”

Opal gasped and giggled, clearly tipsy. “Bolin told me about it. He’s been trying to talk to the poor girl controlling the playlist for 30 minutes. How’d you get her to give in?”

“I have my ways,” She said with a smirk. “Anyway, Mako doesn’t know how to dance, so we make him stand in the middle and dance around him. He gets really flustered. It’s fantastic.”

As if on cue, Bolin dragged Mako over to their little group and clung to his arm so he couldn’t run away. “Found him!” He cheered. “You gonna show off for Asami?”

Korra actually paused to consider it. “Mm, probably not. It’s literally us just jumping around and making stupid hand movements. It’s not that impressive.”

Asami nudged Opal with a tiny smirk. Opal and her communicated something entirely with their eyes without saying a single word. Korra tried not to dwell on it, but she was one nosy individual. Before she could speak up, Still Into You by Paramore started blaring through the speakers. With an excited squeal, Bolin clapped his hand over Mako’s shoulder and dragged him into the middle of the dance floor. Korra followed and waited until Bolin was in position, then went for it.

They jumped around him, doing variants of the waltz and the Fox Trot, before joining hands and trapping Mako between them. Mako was bright red as he covered his face with his hands. As the song came to an end, they parted and finally let Mako run off without consequence. Korra had laughed so much her ears had gone red. Bolin was in a similar position, his cheeks and nose a light shade of pink.

Opal and Asami both clapped as they approached. “That was pretty epic,” Opal said, eyeing Bolin. “How’d you learn to dance like that?”

“Korra,” He answered simply. “She was forced into dance classes with Tenzin’s kids. I was there at her dance competition when she took home a trophy. She’s really good.”

Korra groaned. “You’re not meant to tell people that.”

“But it’s true! Remember that party we went two when we where in our first year? You had that poor girl wrapped around your finger.”

“Okay!” Korra grimaced and awkwardly swung her hands at her sides. “I wasn’t ever that good. I just know how to lead. Most of it is about communication through touch.”

Bolin smirked and wrapped an arm around her shoulders. “Oh, yeah, you’re great at communicating through touch.”

Korra could feel steam coming out of her ears. “Shut up,” She shrugged him off and started to back away. “I’m gonna go get my last beer. Want anything?”

“Oh! If there’s any of Mako’s vodka mixes can you bring me one?”

“Oh, the fruity ones?”

“Yeah! Them!”

Korra slithered into the crowd and found Mako sulking in the kitchen, downing a shot. She snuck up behind him and jabbed his sides, making him yelp in surprise. “What the f*ck, Korra?”

Korra lifted a shoulder and acted innocent. After grabbing her last drink of the night, and stealing one of Mako’s bottles, she returned to the group and handed Bolin his prize.

***

Asami was trying, and failing, not to swoon every time Korra came into view. It should have been illegal to look the way Korra did. Between the muscles poking out of her sleeves, and the stupid, crooked grin on her face, it was impossible not to get caught up in the moment. She even kissed your cheek. Her face was burning. She wanted to blame it on the two cider’s she’d consumed, she really did, but simply thinking about Korra made her insides turn to jelly.

“Okay, Asami, I’m ditching you,” Opal announced, sitting in Bolin’s lap. They’d migrated over to the large living room about 10 minutes ago. Korra was leaning against the wall, Asami was awkwardly sitting next to both Opal and Bolin, whom looked increasingly close to making out. “I’ll text you when I’m ready to leave,” She removed herself from Bolin’s embraced and held out her hand for him. He took it, eagerly, and smirked in Korra’s direction as Opal tugged him away.

That left her alone with Korra.

Oh gosh. Don’t be awkward. Don’t be awkward. Don’t be—

“Damn,” Korra breathed, whistling. She plopped herself down on the other end of the couch and laughed. “20 yuan on them going home together tonight.”

“Ugh, don’t jinx it. Opal has been pining after that boy ever since they caught whiff of each other on campus.” She finished off the last of her cider and played with the bottle. “He won’t hurt her, right?”

Korra quickly shook her head. “Bolin’s not even capable of hurting a fly. I could ask the same thing.” She adjusted the collar of her shirt and ran a hand over her thigh. “Tonight’s been fun.”

Asami agreed, wordlessly nodding her head. “I’m glad we ran into each other,” She hated how mushy she sounded. “What’s on your schedule next week?”

“Oh, I have a hot date with this really pretty girl,” Korra said with a playful grin. “I have work on Monday, Tuesday, and Thursday. A lecture or two that I might end up skipping because I should have never signed on for morning lectures. I’m so thankful all of our stuff gets uploaded to the student portal and our professor videos all his lessons. I have swimming practise on Monday… Maybe on Friday, too. I’m not sure. I’ll have to check with my couch. We have a flat movie night on Wednesday! Um, and studying, obviously. What about you?”

Asami could listen to Korra talk for hours. She was so effortlessly charming. “Wow, busy week,” She commented when she realised she’d been staring at Korra for far too long. “I have work, and work, and… work. Oh, did I say work?” She scrunched up her nose. “Funnily enough, I also have a hot date with this really gorgeous girl.”

“Phew,” Korra sent her that damned lopsided grin and her stomach filled with warm. “Crazy. What are the odds?”

Asami tried and failed to hide her blush. “Mhm, apparently we’re watching some kids cartoon that she’s obsessed with. I’m a bit apprehensive, I’ll admit. I’m nervous I’ll get hooked and have to binge the rest of the series with or without her around.”

Korra was glowing. “Well… I’m sure if you asked her really nicely, she’d watch all the seasons with you.”

“Interesting, I’ll keep that in mind.” She took a deep breath and let silence elope them. It wasn’t technically quiet, there was a bunch of noise all around them, from yelling boys to giggling girls, but it was quiet between them for some time.

“So, you come to parties often?”

Oh thank goodness Korra never ran out of things to say. “Not really,” Asami admitted. “I’ll go to the odd one here and there if Opal needs a sober driver, but I typically stay at home with my cat. I enjoy lounging around in sweats and idly watching TV as I go through my emails.”

“So… you’re a home body, then?”

“Yeah, you could say that.” She felt her hands get all clammy and cursed herself for being so awkward. “Hey, you wanna go for a walk? I feel like they’re going to be gone awhile.”

Korra jumped to her feet and offered her hand. “Sure!”

Asami took it and pulled herself to her feet. “It’s getting stuffy in here, anyway.” She stopped off in the kitchen to dispose of her bottle and then slid past a couple of people standing by the front door. Once outside, she sucked in a big gulp of air and rubbed her arms. Korra came up beside her and held out her arm, and without hesitating, Asami linked their arms together.

They walked down the small drive and started off down the street, away from the loud music and rowdy uni students. It was peaceful.

“You always been into cars?” Korra broke the silence.

“Oh, um, pretty much. My dad got me into them really young. I knew how to change a tire and do an oil change before I started high school. It was our thing.” She smiled fondly. “He was so smart. I’m really thankful he let me in on such a big part of his world. We used to pull apart engines and rebuild them whenever I came home during the holidays. Whilst other girls my age where into clothes and boys, I was covered in grease and under a car.”

“What’s your favourite memory?”

“Probably… the year I had my first heartbreak. This boy dumped me during break and I was a complete mess. Dad packed our stuff into the back of his car, shoved me into the back seat, and we went camping for a week. We spent an entire day trying to figure out how to build a fire. We weren’t very out doorsy, so it was a week of pure torture. He cheered me up, though.” She felt a tang of sadness despite the happy memory. “He, um, was my entire world. When my mom died… we got really close. When he got sick… well, it broke me. I… I really miss him. He wasn’t perfect, and we had our differences, but he was the one constant in my life.”

Korra gave her arm a soft squeeze. “I’m sorry, Asami.”

“It’s okay, really. It doesn’t hurt as much anymore.” She swallowed the lump forming in the back of her throat. After a moment, she cleared her throat and bumped Korra’s shoulder. “Tell me about your parents.”

“My dad is a 7 foot tall giant of a man that gives the best hugs,” Korra started, grinning. Asami was glad Korra was able to lighten the mood almost immediately. “My mom is tiny in comparison, but she’s really supportive. My dad is on the council of elders back in the south and works on environmental stuff. He’s in charge of all the conservation efforts. One year, he gifted me this picture of a polar-bear dog and said he’d sponsored one of the cubs and named it Naga! I always said that in another life my spirit guide would be a polar-bear dog.” She swayed their arms. “I was a really angry kid. I was naturally gifted at everything I did, dad even said I was his little prodigy. That only stroked my inflated little ego. So, I used to pick on other kids at school and start fights. My parents tried to make me see reason, but… I don’t know, I was just so angry. We went through a really rocky patch when I turned 16 and after a really big argument, they sent me away.

“It was the best thing they could have ever done. I didn’t see it at the time, but Tenzin straightened me out and made me into the person I am today. My parents and I worked out our differences when I started uni. They, uh, weren’t entirely on board when I first came out. Typically, us water tribe folk keep our personal lives to ourselves, and that really set us back a couple of months, but they came around to it. Tenzin actually spoke to them. I always thought he was against the idea, but he said his dad, Aang, raised them to believe love was love. His sister, my unofficial aunt, is actually a lesbian. I love her. She’s given me so much advice over the years.”

Korra seemed to catch herself rambling. “Sorry, got a bit carried away.”

Asami shook her head. “No, no. Please, continue. I’m loving all this lore.”

Korra chuckled despite the blush on her cheeks. “Okay, well…” Korra sucked in a big breath. “Every year, my dad would take us youngsters out with other able-bodied adults and go hunting. We’d collaborate with the polar rangers so we didn’t cross into polar-bear dog territory and get our heads bitten off. I was… 12? I think? When we made camp and we heard this loud rumbling howl. It was so close. I’d only ever heard polar-bear dogs on TV. We all bunkered down and waited for them to pass and in the morning called it quits and headed back to civilisation. I’ll never forget the way my bones rattled. Didn’t put me off, though. It was super cool.”

Asami found herself smiling. “Another special interest of yours?”

“Ha, yeah. I was made fun of because I told people I transformed into a polar-bear dog every full moon.”

“So you don’t get your period? You transform instead?”

She was rewarded with a bright, beautiful laugh. “For sure,” She came to a stop and glanced behind them. “We’ve been walking a while. Want to head back?”

Asami pursed her lips and decided to take a leap of faith. She dropped Korra’s arm, much to her distaste, and slowly threaded their fingers together instead. “Only if you hold my hand.”

Korra blinked down at their joint hands and visibly swallowed. “I can do that,” She got out, glancing up with a shy smile. “You’ve got really cold hands.”

“Good thing you’ve got really warm hands,” She gave Korra’s hand a squeeze. “Is running warm a water tribe thing?”

They turned around and started walking back at a leisurely pace. “I think so. It’s hard-wired into our DNA. In saying that, I once dated someone from the northern water tribe and she was always cold. It was so weird.”

“Huh,” Asami worried her lower lip between her teeth. “I have fire nation lineage; I should be warm. From what I remember, my mom always ran a little cold and had big fluffy scarfs on all year round. I like to think that part of her is living through me. Dad was warm. I remember being… hm, about 6? And on one fated winter morning, I curled up between both my parents in bed and cuddled right in with my dad. I’ve been chasing that warmth for the entirety of my adult life.”

Korra sent her a cheeky smile and brought her shoulder up to her ear. “I could keep you warm.”

“I’ll send you the cuddle application form I make everyone fill out,” She teased. “If it checks out, I’ll consider taking you up on that offer.”

Korra pumped her other fist in the air. “Woo!” She nudged Asami’s side with her elbow. “Do you want written references? Bolin would be more than willing to put in a good word for me.”

It was so refreshing having someone so full of light and positivity around. Asami felt completely enchanted by Korra’s easy-going nature and ability to make things fun. “I’ll take your word for it,” She laughed. “You’re a ball of energy. Are you always this excitable?”

“There’s always something to be excited about,” Korra hummed. “I’m holding your hand, that’s pretty exciting, is it not?”

How is she so good at saying all the right things? She gave Korra’s hand a squeeze for enthesis and smiled to herself. There was an insecure part of her brain that kept waiting for the ball to drop. There was no way someone was this perfect without at least one fatal flaw. Asami knew withholding information about her status wasn’t exactly fair, but she didn’t want Korra to start treating her differently because she was some big shot CEO with enough money to comfortably live for several lifetimes.

They walked in comfortable silence until they reached the driveway. For a solid minute, they just stood there holding hands.

“Thanks,” Asami breathed out, stroking the back of Korra’s hand with her thumb. “A pleasure, as always.”

Korra beamed at her. “Anytime,” They shared a lingering look of pure admiration before letting each other’s hands go. “I’m going to go rally up the boys. Think Bolin and Opal are done sucking face?”

“Ugh, I hope so.” Asami cringed. “I’m going to tease her relentlessly if she emerges with a hickey.”

“Bolin will wear his like a badge of honour,” Korra lifted her hand and waved. “I’ll text you when I get home. This has been nice. I’ll see you at work next week?”

Asami nodded. “Yup. I’ll be there at 7:25 sharp.”

Korra smiled at her and Asami’s heart fluttered without her permission. “Cool. See ya, Asami.”

Asami dug deep and blew her a kiss. Much like last time, Korra caught it and dramatically thumped her clasped hands to her chest. She walked off laughing and disappeared inside the house. She’s such a dork.

After blowing up Opal’s phone, she eventually met her out front with a pout and wobbled towards the Uber. “You’re no fun,” Opal grumbled at she slipped into her seat. “I was about to get laid.”

Asami grimaced as she reached over to put Opal’s belt on. “I didn’t need to know that.”

“Oh! Where did you and Korra sneak off to?! Did you kiss??” Opal chirped, giving Asami her full attention.

Asami tried not to groan as she put her own seatbelt on and sent the driver a thumbs up. “No. We, um, held hands and went for a walk.”

“You… held hands and went for a walk? What is this? The 1920s?” Opal huffed and folded her arms over her chest.

“What’s wrong with taking things slow? We barely know each other. I don’t want to rush into anything. What if she turns out to be a jerk that’s just using me to get in my pants?”

“She doesn’t give off that vibe,” Opal reached over and patted her knee. “As if you’d complain. She’s f*cking hot, babe. Like, you totally left that part out. Did you see her f*cking biceps?”

Asami rolled her eyes and looked out the window. “I didn’t want to objectify her, she’s not just a walking piece of meat.”

“I’d sleep with her,” Opal hummed, smirking. “You held hands, how long are her fingers?”

Asami’s entire face twisted up. She looked over at Opal and glared. “What’s wrong with you?”

“What?! I’m being serious!”

“I didn’t really look. They felt thick, though.” She refused to linger on that minor detail. “It’s whatever. I just really enjoy her company. We, uh, planned another date. We’re going out for lunch next weekend and then heading back to mine to watch this show of hers.”

Opal’s eyes widened comically as she leaned over and grasped Asami’s arm. “You’re taking her back to your place?”

“Don’t make it weird!” Asami whined.

“You never bring people back to your place.” Opal’s lips pulled into a sh*t-eating grin. “Taking it slow, huh?”

“We’re just going to watch a couple episodes, Opal. I’m not going to jump her bones.”

“Mhm, sure.” Opal relaxed back in her seat and hummed to herself. “Let me know how that goes. I want all the details.”

With a sigh, Asami deflated back and pinched the bridge of her nose. “It’s not going to happen. I haven’t dated since before dad got sick. 4 years, Opal. I think I owe it to myself to actually slow down and not get super invested really early on. I mean, she’s… perfect. No one is that perfect. What if she’s emotionally detached? Or… I don’t know, she’s love bombing me and a couple months from now she turns out to be an asshole?”

“Well… Bolin was ranting about how awesome Korra was when we went off to dance. He seems to think she’s the definition of chaotic good. If it makes you feel any better, if she’s willing to go for a walk and hold your hand over making out behind a tree or something, she’s probably not going to turn out to be an asshole. In saying that, I will hunt her down and make her life a living nightmare if she messes with you. That I can promise.”

Asami tilted her head and sent Opal a thankful smile. “Thanks, Opal.”

“You’re welcome. I’m serious, though, I want all the details when you screw her. I just know she’s gotta be freaky or some sh*t.”

“Ugh, you just have to ruin it, don’t you?”

“What?! I’m nearly always right!”

Asami shook her head and remained quiet for the rest of the ride.

When they got back to Asami’s apartment, she set the couch up and forced Opal to down an entire bottle of water. After supervising to make sure she actually drank the whole thing, she went to go and have a quick shower. She took her time and soaked up the extra alone time. Once she’d done her night-time routine, she ducked under her covers and finally checked her phone.

Korra [11:23pm]:
Home! Bolin might actually have a banger hangover tomorrow. Is Opal okay?

Asami [11:54pm]:
Opal is a lot better off than Bolin, by the sounds of it.

Suki jumped up on the bed, purring her little heart out. With a soft coo, Asami lifted the blankets and let her climb under. “Sorry I was gone for so long,” She murmured, scratching behind her ear. “Did you have a good evening?”

Suki purred harder and cuddled into Asami’s stomach. When she looked back at her phone, Korra had already replied.

Korra [11:57pm]:
Good. I hope she doesn’t have a hangover tomorrow. Bolin is going to be insufferable lol

Asami [11:58pm]:
Fill him up on grease. That always worked with me.

Korra [12:00am]:
Haha will do. Have a good sleep. I had a blast.

Asami [12:01am]:
Me too. I’ll send through the cuddle application tomorrow. I’ll need it filled out by Friday.

Korra [12:03am]:
Yes ma’am. Does this mean we’re gonna cuddle up on your couch and watch Kyoshi Warriors?

Asami [12:05am]:
Depends how well-received your application is ;)

Korra [12:06am]:
Oooo okay. I’ll fill it out extra hard then. Night!

Asami [12:07am]:
Haha, good night. X

With a goofy grin plastered on her face, she put her phone on charge and got comfortable. It didn’t take long to go to drift off.

Notes:

whatdaya' thinkin'?

Notes:

hello again!!

i have been working religiously on this fic for the past week. im up to chapter 7 and may need to update the amount of chapters because im no way near done

im aiming for weekly updated (with a couple double updates sprinkled in)

I hope you enjoy!

(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)

Korra [11:26am]:
Gonna be a bit late. Bus is behind schedule. I hate public transport.

Asami frowned at her phone screen.

Asami [11:28am]:
I could just come and pick you up. Where are you waiting?

Korra [11:30am]:
By the campus. It’s okay. I’m only gonna be like 5 minutes late. See you shortly!

With a sigh, Asami pocketed her phone and adjusted her leather jacket. She’d gone with casual once again. It was funny, she used to go all out when she’d dated around in her early 20s. With Korra, she didn’t feel like she had to put in an unearthly amount of effort just to be seen.

The past week had dragged. She’d seen Korra a couple of times but only whilst she was at work so it wasn’t as if they’d hung out properly. They had texted, though. Korra always had something to say. It made Asami feel better for always replying the moment a message came through. Sue her for showing interest.

They’d agreed to met by the dumpling place Asami frequented near Future Industries. She had a sneaking suspicion Korra was going to succumb to the spice and make a complete fool of herself, but she’d been insistent that she try something Asami enjoyed this time round. She wasn’t all that nervous about the lunch part of the date; it was the after that she’d minorly panicked about. Opal was right, she never invited anyone around to her apartment.

She hadn’t really thought about it all that much at the time. It was innocent enough. Upon further contemplation, there was a possibility Korra might try and take advantage of the situation. She had firm boundaries that she was set on enforcing once they made the journey back to hers. You’re good at setting boundaries in a board room, this will be a piece of cake, she thought to herself. Most the people in a board room aren’t absurdly attractive, a voice warned.

“Asami!”

She didn’t get to finish her spiral.

“Korra, hey!” She turned around and beamed. Korra was as dashing as ever. The band shirt she’d worn clung to her bust. A bomber jacket covered her arms, much to Asami’s disappointment, and the sports leggings outlined all the muscles in her legs. She had her back pack slung over one shoulder, completing the look.

“Can I hug you?” Korra blurted out. “I mean—"

“You can hug me,” Asami reassured and opened up her arms. Korra wrapped her arms around her middle and lifted her off the ground for several long seconds before putting her down. “Wow, that muscle isn’t just for show?”

Korra had the decency to look bashful. “You noticed my muscles, huh?”

Well, that backfired. “I have eyes,” She tried to deflect. “How good are you with spicy food?”

“Um, great?” Korra’s voice rose an octave. “I’ll be real, pepper is too hot for me sometimes. I’m willing to give it a go though!”

Just as Asami had suspected. “It’s okay, they have normal dumplings. You can try some of the spicy ones that I order. Which, I am paying for, by the way.” She motioned for Korra to follow her into the store.

“Ugh, can’t let me be a gentlewoman, can you?” Korra whined, coming to stand beside her. “What do you recommend?”

“Nope,” Asami looked up at the menu above the front counter. “I literally don’t even know why I’m looking at the menu right now, I can’t read a thing,” She laughed. “The veggie dumplings are really good. I can recommend those.”

“Oh, yeah, you wear glasses, right?” Korra shoved her hands into her pockets. “Is it just for reading?”

“Yeah. I don’t need them to drive, thankfully. I blame my dad. He had the worst eye-sight,” She smiled at the little old man as he came over to the register. “Hey, Bumu, how’s your morning been?”

“Asami!” He slapped the counter. “My favourite customer. It’s been slow, I’ll admit. Who’s this?”

Asami wrinkled up her nose and grinned at Korra. “My date. I convinced her to try the spicy dumplings.”

“Hello!” Korra piped up, as joyful as ever. “Asami said the veggie dumplings are good. What do you recommend?”

Bumu stroked his beard thoughtfully. “Can you handle spice?”

“I’m willing to give it a go,” Korra replied. “Asami said I can steal one of hers, though, so I don’t die.”

“Ha!” Bumu belly laughed. “Alright, girl, we have a special on the pork and cabbage dumplings that won’t make your tummy hurt. I’d go for them.”

“Aye aye,” Korra held her hand up to her forehead and saluted. “Some of those, then.”

Asami shook her head at Korra’s antics. “Alright, usual for me, pork and cabbage for her. Can we get two cups of miso soup as well? All to go, if that’s okay.”

Bumu nodded and rung up her order. “Done.” He gestured to the eftpos machine and walked out back to go make their orders.

Asami paid and tucked her wallet back into her purse. “I thought we could go to the park and watch the turtle ducks as we eat for a change of scenery. That sound good?”

Korra rocked back on the balls of her feet and nodded. “Yup. You said this place was close to your work building, am I allowed to know which one it is?”

Damn it. To be fair, she had let slip she’d worked on her Sato hatchback, so it was only a matter of time before Korra used her detective skills to put the pieces together. Which, by the way, were next level. Talk about being perceptive. She didn’t need to know Asami was the CEO, that she could keep under wraps. Hopefully Korra didn’t go looking up her company online, now that would be a problem. “Future Industries,” She replied, shrugging. “Hard to miss from here.”

Korra rushed out the door to look around and then gasped. “No way!” She called out. “That huge ass building?”

Asami couldn’t help it, Korra’s enthusiasm was endearing. “Yup. The big ass building.” She confirmed.

Korra walked back in and blew out long exhale. “Talk about fancy,” She pursed her lips. “So… you’re like… an engineer for them? Chef engineer?”

“I used to be,” Asami played with her hands. “I oversee a lot of the stuff the engineers design.”

“Oh! Right! You got that big promotion!” Korra’s eyes narrowed in deep thought. “Hm, you some sort of director or something?”

“Yeah, something like that.” She smoothed her hands over her hips. Play it cool. “It’s not nearly as exciting as it sounds. I annoy the engineering team daily. They’ve gotten used to me barging in and going over their current projects so I don’t have to talk numbers with clients.”

“That’s awesome,” Korra grinned at her. “Do you wear suits and stuff?”

Asami laughed and nodded. “I have a bunch. They’re sorta mandatory.”

“I bet you look super hot in them,” Korra realised her mistake immediately and covered her face. “Ignore me. I don’t have a filter today.”

Asami took pity and shook her head. “You’re okay. I do look good in a suit. If you play your cards right, I’ll wear one if you wanted to go to dinner sometime.”

“Oh, oh!” Korra looked as if she was about to burst. “I already scored another date?”

Korra’s excitement was so very adorable. “Maybe,” Asami tried to hide her smirk. “If you behave today.”

“Oop, okay, best behaviour, got it.” She stood to her full height and slapped her arms against her sides.

It was so easy to just laugh. Bumu came back out and slid a bag over the counter. “Enjoy, Asami.”

“Thanks, Bumu. Here,” She pulled out a hundred yuan bill and tucked it into his donations jar by the register. “Go and get your daughter something nice.”

Bumu pouted out his lower lip and held his hands over his heart. “Thank you, Asami. See you next week!”

With a smile and a respectful head bow, Asami grabbed their bag and headed out. As soon as they stepped onto the side walk, Korra stuck out her hand. “Wanna hold hands?”

Asami loved the confidence. She shifted the bag over into her other hand and accepted Korra’s offer. She tried not to map out the length and girth of Korra’s fingers as they walked towards the park. Opal was terrible for putting that idea in her head.

“You had swimming practise yesterday, right? You sent me that video of you doing laps.” Asami spoke up as they approached the seats by the pond.

“Ugh, I didn’t send it to you, Bolin did. I tried to play it off like it was purposeful.” Korra dropped her hand as they sat down. “I did, yeah. I made a new record. They’re thinking I might have a shot at first place if I actually sign all the documents my couch sent through. I dunno, competition season is always really stressful. I end up in the pool 4 days a week.”

Asami had watched the video an inappropriate number of times. Seeing Korra fly through the water and then run around to the stands cheering in her one piece was a sight to behold. “You wanted to do it for yourself, not for others, right?” She unpacked their stuff and handed over a pair of chopsticks.

Korra wiggled in her seat as Asami passed her a container and cracked it open. “Yeah. I used to be really competitive. It was draining. I spent so much time obsessing over winning that I lost sight of what really mattered. Having fun, impressing the dudes, that sort of thing.”

Asami snorted as she opened her container and shoved a dumpling in her mouth. “Impressing dudes, huh?” She teased once she’d swallowed. “You ever take someone home after a competition?” She held out a dumpling for Korra to take.

Korra leaned over and engulfed the dumpling entirely. She paused mid-chew and made the funniest face as her nose started turning red. After much effort, she swallowed and stuck her tongue out to fan it. “Spirits, Asami, that’s not spicy, that’s a fire disguised as a dumpling,” She coughed and grabbed the cup of miso soup. She took a small sip to wash her pallet before lightly nodding her head. “I have, yeah. Back when I was a co*cky piece of sh*t that boasted about my conquests,” She took another sip, looking a little less frazzled. “Gosh, how do you eat those without dying?”

Asami had to cover her mouth to stop herself from cackling. “I told you I liked spice,” She bit into one and let out a moan. “It’s good. The burn is the best part!”

Korra gawked at her for a hot minute before she shook herself out of her thoughts. “You’re crazy, this is another red flag.”

Asami did cackle then, bringing her wrist up to stop herself from spitting food everywhere. “You used to be co*cky?”

Korra nodded and shrugged. “I was a menace to society, Asami. I was sprouting a major lady boner for anyone that would look in my direction. I didn’t sleep around, it was more about feeling powerful, but I did break a couple of hearts. I liked feeling like I was the centre of someone’s world. So… I’d sneak a kiss behind the stands, toy with people’s feelings, and then walk out the other end with my dignity intact.” Her eyebrows furrowed. “I’m not like that now! Gosh, that sounds so bad.”

It made sense. It did ring alarm bells, though. “You sure? You’re not just saying that to cover your own ass?”

Korra held up a hand in mock surrender. “I swear I’m genuine. I haven’t dated in 2 years, remember? I took a serious step back to work on myself. I was really self-destructive. I ended up studying part time for 2 years, hence why I’m still not finished with my degree, just so I could party. Mako did the same thing, I actually copied him because I was terrified of studying alone. He had to step back for finance reasons, I had no excuse. I was in a bad space. I’m not like that anymore. I mean, I do still get a major lady boner for people, but like, in a normal way.”

Asami softened. That was a lot to admit to. Taking accountability and owning up to your mistakes was a green flag, in Asami’s books. “Hey,” She reached over and gave Korra’s shoulder a squeeze. “You’re okay. I trust you. I admitted to being a serial romancer. I feel like everyone is a little self-destructive in their early 20s. It’s perfectly normal.”

Korra’s shoulders relaxed. “Okay, cool.” She shoved one her dumplings in her mouth and chewed. “My mouth is still burning, by the way. It feels like someone poured gasoline down my throat and set it on fire.”

Asami’s eyes crinkled as she laughed. “Sorry, I did try and warn you.” She continued eating an turned her attention to the pond. It was a little overcast, unfortunately. Asami hoped the weather held out until they made it to her car.

Just as she finished eating, it started spitting. Ugh, I totally jinxed it.

“f*ck yes!” Korra announced suddenly, standing up with her arms spread out and her face tilted towards the sky. “I love rain. Kyoshi Warriors and rain? Man, that’s the perfect date right there.”

Asami found her eyes dropping to Korra’s ass and quickly averted them when she caught herself staring. “You get to meet Suki,” She said as she got up and walked towards a trash can. She dumped their rubbish and then came over, holding her hand over her forehead to shelter her eyes as the rain picked up. “I tried to tell her I was going to have company today but she was more focused on the cat nip.”

“Oh my gosh! Yeah! Oh, now I’m nervous. What if she hates me? Is there a certain spot on the couch I should avoid? Oh, sh*t, I didn’t bring treats with me! Damn it, I thought about it, too. Can we stop off at the pet store? I’ll buy that feather toy—”

“Hey, wow,” Asami laughed and shook her head. “You’re okay. She loves people. No need to bribe her with toys. She can, and will, sit on you. Come on, I parked close by. I hate getting wet.”

“Aw, but getting wet is so much fun! I used to run around naked in the snow when I was a toddler!” Korra quipped, though picked her bag off the ground and followed Asami’s lead. “I bet you’d enjoy it if I got wet with you— Wait, oh, man, that came out so wrong,” Korra winced, looking very awkward all of a sudden. “Sorry, brain to mouth filter isn’t working. I’m going to shut up.”

Asami bit the inside of her cheek as she made a hasty retreat towards her car. She did not want to think about ‘getting wet’ with Korra. She pulled her keys out of her purse and unlocked it just before they arrived. She jumped into the driver’s seat and shook out her hair with a huff. “Rain makes all this,” She gestured all around her face. “Melt off. No amount of water-proof mascara can survive getting drenched in central city.” She started the car and pulled her seat belt on. As she began to reverse, she mentally hyped herself up.

At the first traffic light, she finally found the confidence to speak her mind. “Okay, so, I have some boundaries.”

“I love boundaries,” Korra replied smartly. “Ugh, okay, look, that came out wrong. I’m just gonna shut up. Seriously. For real this time. Fire away.”

Asami rolled her eyes playfully as she tapped her fingers on the wheel. “I’m, um, well…” She tried and groaned at her own stupidity. Don’t beat around the bush, be direct. “I don’t want you to think I invited you around to get lucky or whatever. Taking things slow has given me time to acclimatise to the whole dating thing. I like you, and I enjoy your company, but I need time before things go down that route.”

Korra nodded along, offering a polite smile. “That’s cool with me,” She said calmly. “I was going to tell you I wasn’t down to get dirty. I was, however, going to present you with an actual cuddle buddy application that I found online.” She dug around in her bag and pulled out a folded piece of paper. “I take cuddling very seriously.”

That was a relief. See, you worked yourself up for nothing. Asami glanced over at the piece of paper and then back at the road. “Are you being serious?”

“Heck yeah I’m being serious,” Korra unfolded the application and cleared her throat for dramatic effect. “Actually? I’m gonna let you read it when we stop. I spent all morning on it. Mako thought it was stupid.”

Asami took a turn and slowly rolled into her apartment complexes underground parking area. She had to wind down the window and flash a tag over the receiver to be let in, but it was smooth sailing once the big roller doors opened. She put the car in park and killed the engine. “I don’t think it’s stupid,” She finally got out and made grabby hands. “Show me.”

Korra handed it over and unbuckled her belt. “It is stupid,” She laughed and shrugged her shoulders. “But like… in a good way, I hope.”

Asami grabbed her purse and pulled out her glasses case. “Hold on,” She put her glasses on and then started reading through the application. It looked super serious for something so… unserious. “Can you please explain why you would make a good cuddle buddy in the field below,” Asami read out, smiling to herself. “I have been told I’m a human cushion and compared to a human sized tiger-bear without claws. I not only shower religiously so I smell good, I also promise to keep my hands to myself so you can thereby use me as a comfortable substitute for a pillow. I’m also really warm. I have several years’ experience in this department and have included a written reference from my roommate confirming I offer the best services. Please flip this page over to see included written reference.” Asami flipped the page over and found her stomach knotting up. This was so unbelievably cute. “I declare that Korra is the best cuddler. Whenever I’ve been sad, she’s offered me her services and promptly cheered me up. You won’t regret choosing her as your designated cuddle buddy.”

“Told you I’d get a written reference,” Korra spoke up. “He’s not wrong. Whenever he’s been sad and I’ve given him a cuddle, he’s felt considerably better afterwards.”

Asami flipped the page back over to read the rest of the application and bit her lip to try and stop herself from grinning like a complete idiot. “Well,” She finished reading the last paragraph on which cuddle speciality she specialised in and put her glasses away. (Apparently Korra specialised in ‘close contact’ cuddling, whatever that meant.) “Want the verdict?”

“Please let me down softly,” One of Korra’s eyes scrunched up in embarrassment. “I know it’s silly. I just thought—“

“Korra, I’d be honoured to hire your services,” Asami cut in before Korra could curl in on herself. “You went above and beyond. No one’s done this with me before. How can I not accept your offer?”

Korra brightened. “Really?”

“Yeah. Just don’t try and cop a feel and we’re good.”

“Pft,” Korra flicked her wrist dismissively. “That stuff is boring. You ever fallen asleep against someone? Had someone play with your hair? Laid your head in someone’s lap as they tell you about their life? Sex is great, but, like, human contact is so much better.”

Asami blinked a couple of times. “How are you so perfect?” She spat out before she could stop herself. “I just— I can’t get a good read on you. You’re the textbook definition of perfection. What are you hiding?”

Korra jutted out her lower lip in mock thought and tapped her chin. “Um, well, I was partly raised by a highly regarded spiritual figure and grew up in a small village on the outskirts of Wolf Cove for the first part of my life—”

“You’re a serial killer, aren’t you?”

“No!” Korra shook her head and frowned. “No. I mean, I get stuck in my own head and overthink stuff a lot. I did my dash, Asami. I was a nightmare for years. I’m not perfect. I’m just trying to impress you.”

“You’re love bombing me then? That’s it?”

“Spirits,” Korra shook her head harder. “No. I’m just… going all out. I want you to think I’m interesting so you’ll keep seeing me.”

Asami blew out a breath, done with her interrogation. “Okay.”

“Okay?” Korra repeated, cautiously flickering her eyes all over Asami’s face.

“Mhm,” Asami finally unclipped her seatbelt and tucked the application into her purse. “I do want a detailed list of all your red flags. All of them. That’s your homework assignment if you want to go on another date with me.”

Korra perked up and got out the car when Asami stepped out of her seat. “I can do that,” She slung her bag over her shoulder and gently closed the door. “What’s my time frame?”

“You have a week. If it all checks out, I’ll let you see me again.” She was only teasing but her tone did come off a bit brash. Korra didn’t seem phased, though, so she didn’t correct herself.

As soon she opened the door to her apartment, Suki came rushing over to greet them. “Hey, honey,” Asami cooed. “Hold on, follow me,” She waited for Korra to hold the door and clicked her fingers as she shuffled out of the entrance way. “There we go. I know, I missed you,” She crouched down and picked Suki up. She immediately started to aggressively rub her face all over Asami’s jaw. “This is Suki,” Asami said with a laugh, standing to her full height. “She’s what you have to contend with.”

Korra quietly shut the door and dropped her bag on the ground. “Those photos you sent me did not do her justice,” She ducked down to Suki’s height and came closer, offering the back of her hand. “Hey, nice to meet you. You’re, like, super orange. I’m Korra.” Suki stopped nuzzling Asami’s jaw and pushed closer to nudge Korra’s hand.

“And you worried she wouldn’t like you,” Asami commented, smirking. “This is like your seal of approval, though. If she didn’t like you I was going to have to cut you off.”

Korra laughed and scratched the underside of Suki’s chin as she started purring. “This is why I was worried!” She let out a small ‘oop’ when Suki wiggled out of Asami’s grasp and jumped down to the floor. “She’s a peachy orange. She’s so cute.”

Asami flicked her fingers to get Suki to follow her into the kitchen and grabbed a handful of treats from the jar on the counter. “Here, I know this is what you really want,” She set the pile on the counter and stroked the length of Suki’s back as she jumped up and started munching. “Okay, we should be good. She might come and harass me for more love later.”

Korra looked all around as she walked further in. “Wow… Are you rich?” She twirled around in a circle. “This place is so nice.”

Asami scratched the back of her neck. “I, um, get paid a lot for my job title. I actually inherited this place from my dad. I sold the estate when he passed away and kept the building.”

“The whole building? An estate?”

Asami brought her shoulders up to her ears. She’d walked right in to that one. “Yup,” She shifted her weight from foot to foot. “I don’t advertise it for obvious reasons.”

Korra snapped her mouth shut and held her hands up. “Oh, gosh, that probably came out the wrong way. I just mean, like, this is awesome! I’d never use you for money, if that’s what you’re thinking, oh, man, now I’m implying it— Listen, this is just really cool. You’re cool! I’m making a complete fool of myself; I promise I’m just really impressed!”

“You’re okay,” Asami reassured, shaking her head. “I promise. Opal had the same reaction when I brought her home for the first time.”

Korra puffed out her cheeks and exhaled through her nose. “How many rooms do you have?”

“2 bedrooms. One is my office; one is my room. Opal always insists on sleeping on the couch when she crashes here even though I have a blow-up bed that I’ve set up in my office before. The kitchen is open plan and leads into the living room, as you can kinda see. There’s two bathrooms, too. Ensuite and a separate one that guests use. I have a lot of stuff in storage from when we sold the estate, so it looks a bit bare. I plan on making it more home-y once I have the mental fortitude to finally go through all of dad’s stuff.” She rounded the kitchen island and waved Korra into the living room. “Here, take your pick.”

Korra grabbed her bag and set it beside one of the red couches. There were two, in a L shaped configuration, facing the TV attached to the wall. It wasn’t a huge screen, but it was on the more expensive side. Asami may have splurged on a smart TV so she could watch all her documentaries in ultra high detail.

“This is so nice,” Korra babbled on, taking a seat on the couch facing the TV directly. “You do have a DVD player, right?”

“Obviously. I have a collection of home videos that got passed on to me when dad died. Kinda had to get one so I could go through them.” Why do you keep bringing up your dead dad? She inwardly cringed. “How many episodes in a season?”

Korra pulled her bag into her lap and pulled out a DVD case. “16. Each episode is 20 minutes long. Easy to get through. We can watch as much or as little as you want. I don’t have anything else planned so whenever you want me to leave, just kick me out.” She set the DVD on the coffee table and then pulled out a container. “I brought some seaweed cookies with me for you to try. They’re an acquired taste, though, so I also brought some blueberry ones.” She pulled out another container and set them both down. “I also brought…” She dug around in her bag, her tongue sticking out the corner of her mouth. “Popcorn!” She held up a microwave popcorn packet triumphantly.

Asami came to sit on the other end of the couch and kicked off her shoes. “You came super prepared,” She grinned, impressed. “Microwave is on the counter. Did you want a drink?”

“I actually thought about liquids,” Korra pulled two cans of soda out of her bag. It seemed like it was a bottomless pit. “Cherry and strawberry. I know you said they were your favourite candy flavours, but I thought it might translate into other sugary goods.”

Asami hated how easily she swooned over something so simple. The fact Korra remembered even the smallest details never failed to turn her insides to mush. “This is what I mean, you’re perfect.”

“I’d hold off on the perfect comment, I might burn the popcorn.” Korra jumped up and set the cans beside the containers. “I’ll be back, you wanna set the DVD up?”

Asami nodded and went to go get everything ready.

***

Korra was freaking out. Her heart was racing so hard she thought it might explode. As much as she wanted to play off the whole cuddling thing, she was literally shaking as she squished the popcorn cornels and put the packet in the microwave.

Just don’t act like you’re a fumbling teenager and you’ll be fine. Easier said than done.

She understood Asami’s concerns. She found herself wondering how someone could be so… well, as Asami had put it, perfect. Asami had her quirks, yeah, but outside of her witty personality, Korra worried this was all too good to be true. In saying that, she refused to acknowledge the nagging voice at the back of her head. They hardly knew each other, give it a month and her perceptive might change. For now, she was going to indulge in the golden glow and soak up all the bright rays.

She was mentally slapping herself for running her mouth so much, though. There was a lot you didn’t say on the second date and Korra had ticked all the wrong boxes. She wasn’t ashamed of her history but she knew it wasn’t exactly something you wanted to hear when scoping someone out. This is what you get for staying up until 3am finding stupid cuddle buddy applications online. Ugh, then she’d just had to make comments about Asami’s living situation.

Beep. Beep. Beep.

She blinked and quickly opened the microwave. Upon further inspection, it didn’t seem burnt. Good. She’d zoned out momentarily.

“Hey, where do you keep your bowls?”

“Bottom cupboard beside the fridge.”

Korra rustled around until she found her target and tipped the contents of the bag into the bowl. “I didn’t burn it,” She announced as she came over to the couch. “I don’t think so, anyway.” She took a seat and peered into the bowl. “Smells good. Want some?”

Asami shuffled closer and grabbed a handful. “Here,” She held out the remote. “You can do the honours.”

Korra’s fingers brushed up against Asami’s hand as she took the remote. “What did you find out when you did your research?” She navigated the menu and pressed play on the first episode. “No spoilers, I hope.”

“Just that it was made to teach kids how to seek justice and went through a series of moral thought experiments to expose them to complex ideologies early on.”

Korra glanced beside her and rose her eyebrow. “You really did your research.” She noticed the space between them and bit the inside of her cheek. Just make a move. “Here,” She lifted her arm and patted her chest. “No groping.”

Asami hesitated for a moment before she shuffled right in and curled into Korra’s side. Her cheek pressed right into the crevice separating shoulder from breast. Korra gently draped her arm around the back of Asami’s shoulder and let it hang off to the side. Oh yeah, her heart was thumping like a freight train. “I was curious. Wanted to make sure I understood what I was getting into.”

“Okay, well, we have several main characters. There’s Kyoshi, she’s the super hot tall one. Her partner in crime, Rangi, and her friend Yun. First season covers Kyoshi’s origin story.”

Asami hummed, reaching into the bowl to grab more popcorn. “You think a cartoon is hot?”

“Look at her!” Korra pointed at the TV. “I was a kid when this came out and even then I thought her character design was attractive!”

“How tall is she?”

“7 foot tall. Well, that’s what the records say. She’s probably closer to 6 foot 6.” She shoved a mouthful of popcorn into her mouth and chewed thoroughly before swallowing. “She was the first bisexual kids show character.”

“No way,” Asami at least seemed interested. “Does she end up with Rangi, then?”

How the f*ck did she call that so early on? We aren’t even half way through the first episode! “I cannot confirm nor deny any of your speculations. It ruins the fun.”

Asami laughed and the sound vibrated against her chest. “This is probably another red flag for you. I have this magical ability to guess plot points waaay before they ever happen. Opal refuses to watch TV shows with me. I spoil everything for her. It’s never intentional, promise.”

Korra began to idly draw patterns over the back of Asami’s shoulder blade. “I don’t mind. Words go in one ear and out the other. I’m oblivious enough to never guess any of the plot twists in modern media. I will, however, be really offended if you don’t ship all the girl characters with other girl characters.”

Asami hummed, tucking her feet up under her butt. “I unironically call all the queer relationships in shows. There was this really corny TV show Opal was into when we where teenagers. I told her, episode one, that the main protagonist, whom was a girl, was going to end up with her arch enemy, also a girl. She didn’t believe me. She owed me a bunch of money.”

Korra laughed, bringing her hand up to scratch her nose. “I’m so used to queer baiting that I simply feed into my delusions and crack-ship all the girls with each other. Bolin and I make up crazy storylines on the spot whenever we get into a TV show. Mako’s a spoil sport, he wants absolute silence when he’s watching TV.”

“I love yapping away when I’m watching something,” Asami replied, reaching into the popcorn bowl at the exact same time Korra did. Their hands bumped together awkwardly before Korra withdrew her hand so Asami had free reign. “I feel bad for Kyoshi. Does she ever… I don’t know, find happiness?”

They’d just gotten to the flash back where Kyoshi was dumped on the streets as a kid and left to fend for herself. “She does,” Korra breathed out, watching the way Asami’s fingers toyed with a piece of popcorn. They were long and elegant, every bit feminine. The longer she studied them, the more she noticed. Asami had calluses covering two of her knuckles and signs of wear and around her nail beds. She wasn’t a nail biter, but she did pick at the skin around her nails.

“You do smell really good,” Asami broke her out of her little bubble.

“Thanks. I put on a bunch of perfume hoping it’d cover up any nervous sweating.”

“Aw, I make you nervous?”

Korra huffed out a laugh and nodded, even though Asami couldn’t see it. “Yup. Make my hands tremble, steal my breath away, knock me off my feet, that sorta thing.”

“Mm,” Asami curled in closer and Korra swore she felt Asami’s hand brush over her thigh. “Good. Means I’m not alone in my pining.”

“Um, hate to break it to you, but I’ve been pining after you for, like, 6 months.” She ran a hand through her hair and grunted. “I should not feed your ego. Ignore I said that.”

“Is that how long I’ve been coming in?” Asami lifted her head and rested her chin on Korra’s shoulder.

When Korra turned, their faces were inches apart. Asami had the smoothest looking skin. Her eyes had flecks of gold throughout the deep green and her mouth… oh, her lips looked so soft. She blinked and quickly turned to face the TV again. “Yeah. I don’t remember the exact date, though. It was in March sometime, I think.”

“I could probably back date in my calendar, hold on,” She detangled herself from Korra side and went to go find her phone. Korra immediately missed the warmth. She returned and settled back into Korra’s shoulder, much to her approval. “Okay, so… March,” She started scrolling through her calendar app and hummed to herself. “Aha! Here, the 12^th.”

Korra tilted her head at Asami’s phone screen as she brought it closer. “Is that going to be our anniversary?” She said without thinking about the implications behind such a comment.

Asami laughed and threw her phone beside her on the couch. “The date we first met each other?”

“Yeah. I feel like we’d be falling right into some sort of stereotype if we did, but like, who doesn’t like a good rom com-esk romance?” She shifted the bowl in her lap and popped a piece into her mouth.

“True,” Asami returned her attention back to the TV. “You’re really good at the romance side of things. Are you naturally that way inclined?”

Korra wiped her hand on her thigh and started drawing patterns over Asami’s shoulder again. “I grew up with a dad that went out of his way to surprise his wife any chance he got. I just mimic his behaviour. He was a really good role-model.”

“Really?”

“Yeah. I remember them cuddling up on the couch and stealing small kisses and touches when I was really young. Dad was always a bit of a charmer. He actually gave me The Talk when I turned 14. We went through consent and courting and all the really corny stuff I should do. I’d call him sometimes whenever I was stuck on the dating side of things. He gave really good advice. Mom was always a bit shy so my dad took on that role and guided me through it all.” She explained, resting her head back against the headrest. “He always asks when I’m going to bring home someone special. Mako was the only one that ever got to meet them.”

“That’s really sweet,” Asami exhaled. “My dad put off The Talk for as long as humanly possible. He was always really awkward about it. Told me mom was always the better of the two. I got to come out to him before he passed, though, and he was supportive, so I’m grateful I got to share that part of myself with him. I think he’d like you.”

Oh. Korra didn’t know how to process that information. “How did he pass, if you don’t mind me asking?”

“A really aggressive form of cancer. He was responding really well to treatment the first year, then it progressively got worse and he declined really quickly. My mom died in a car crash when I was 8. We always joked that she went out with a bang. She was an engineer, too. Always in the workshop with dad. Whilst dad was more of a mechanical engineer, mom was better on the civil side of things. She reworked the entire sewerage system in Republic City. We used to make noodle bridges and test them out in the kitchen. She used to paint model cars in her study and let me help her, too. I actually still do it, whenever I have the mental capacity to sit down and shut my brain off.” Asami took a breath and patted Korra’s stomach. “You said you paint, right? Ever worked on small scale stuff?”

That was so tragic. I would have been a complete mess if I’d lost both my parents, she thought to herself. I don’t know whether I’d be able to carry on if I didn’t have them around. She ignored the butterflies in her stomach from Asami’s pat and nodded, though Asami couldn’t see it. “I do. I’m not great, though. I’d love to see these miniatures. I went to this nerdy dungeons and dragons thing on campus one year. I got to watch a bunch of people paint tiny creatures and bring them to life. It was awesome.”

Asami kept her hand on Korra’s stomach, even as Korra pressed play on the next episode. “I bet you’re secretly some once in a generation artist and you’re just being humble,” She mused. “I have a co-worker that’s into dungeons and dragons. He shows me his miniatures. If we have time, I’ll show you my office.”

Korra tried and failed to stop her heart from thrashing around in her chest. Asami was touching her stomach. Her hand was making contact with her body. It’s friendly, idiot, stop freaking out. “I’ll send you a photo of my recent landscape and you’ll see how bad I am,” She swallowed hard and glanced down, staring at Asami’s hand. Suddenly, she wanted to hold it. Be casual. She shifted the bowl out of her lap and slowly flipped Asami’s hand over. Once her palm was visible, she started tracing all the little grooves and creases. More calluses. Asami, despite her feminine appearance, looked as if she got her hands dirty often.

Asami let out a stuttered little exhale and started to play with Korra’s fingers, encouraging further contact. There was a distinctive pool of warmth flooding her gut at the casual intimacy. She was so enchanted she forgot about the show entirely.

It was Asami’s voice that broke the illusion. “Is Rangi always this cut-throat?”

“It’s kinda her whole personality. Hot-headed, aggressive, fiercely loyal. She’s a big softie on the inside, though.” Korra was still focused on Asami’s hand. Even with the calluses, her skin was smooth. She even had a little freckle on her wrist.

“I like her. I hope she doesn’t die.”

Korra couldn’t help it, she laughed. “Okay, I’ll spoil that, she doesn’t die.”

“Oh, so Yun does then?”

Okay, she wasn’t lying. She is really good and guessing plot points really early on. “No. There’s a bunch of conflict but he doesn’t die.” She lied, lacing her fingers through Asami’s. “Animation is good, right?”

Asami squeezed her hand and faintly nodded her head. “I like how they earth bend. What would you bend if you had the choice?”

“Hm, probably water. If I had the option, I’d totally be the Avatar. How cool would it be to bend all the elements? What about you?”

“Air, maybe. I feel like you’d be able to suck all the oxygen out of someone’s lungs and create mini voids. That would be cool.”

“Geez, Asami. Talk about violent,” Korra huffed a laugh. “To be fair, I’d probably be into lethal techniques too. The body is primarily water, I bet I could blood bend someone and freeze their internal organs.” Hopefully Asami didn’t cling to that information given it was technically a spoiler for the show.

“Oooh, that’s sick.” Asami adjusted her position and leaned further into Korra’s shoulder. “You weren’t lying, you’re really warm.”

A lot of other parts in Korra’s body were unironically very warm. “It’s even better when you’re naked. I radiate little waves of fire.” Why the f*ck did you just say that?“Is that what you meant by close contact cuddling on your form?” Asami didn’t seem phased. Good.

“I mean… yeah, I guess. I was hinting at, um, like… Well, an example is me laying down and then you laying on top of me, or you using my lap as a pillow. Close contact cuddling just sounded fancy. I was trying to seem smart.” She flipped Asami’s hand over and started to ghost her fingertips over the back of her hand, outlining her knuckles.

“Are you little spoon or a big spoon? You didn’t put that on the form.” The hair on Asami’s arm stood on edge.

“I was strategically avoiding answering that question,” She teased, honing in on that reaction. She drew her fingertips along Asami’s wrist and over her forearm. “Gotta keep you on your toes.”

“I see,” Asami whispered, her fingers twitching. “Gosh, you’re going to put me to sleep if you keep doing that.”

Korra didn’t stop, she flipped her hand over and brushed the back of her knuckles along Asami’s arm at an unhurried pace. “Is that a bad thing?”

Asami made a little noise of protest. “You’ll make fun of me. I snore.”

“Hey, I drool in my sleep, you’re fine.”

“Aha! Red flag number ones!”

Korra threw her head back and laughed. “Drooling is a red flag?”

“Yup. I have silk pillowcases on my pillows. You’re not allowed to drool on them.”

Implying that Korra had the opportunity to simply share Asami’s bed made her eyes squeeze shut. Korra shut down all inappropriate thoughts before they could manifest and chuckled, slotting her hand over the top of Asami’s. “So… I should use you as my pillow then? Drool on you instead?” Asami giggled, the sound so majestic Korra felt a surge of confidence. “I like little spoon. Feeling… protected.”

Asami perked up and shifted to sit up fully so she could look at Korra side-on. “Really?”

“Stems from my need for external validation. I like feeling like someone is going to keep me safe when I sleep. Another reason I miss Naga so much. She was my cuddle buddy,” She bit down on the inside of her cheek. “What about you?”

“Big spoon,” Asami tilted her head curiously. “That’s really sweet. Not many people would admit that.”

“Ha, yeah.” Korra had to force her eyes to remain focused on Asami’s upper face. “I just like physical touch as a whole. I think I’ve made that pretty obvious.”

Asami pouted out her lower lip and squeezed Korra’s hand. “Your love language is physical touch then?”

Gosh, Korra wanted to lean in and kiss Asami so bad. “Mhm, also quality time. Acts of service. All the really mushy silly stuff.”

“It’s not silly,” Asami dropped Korra’s hand and reached over to grab both of the containers on the coffee table. “Quality time and gifting are mine. I like showering people with little presents. I buy Opal flowers once a week.” She opened one container and lifted a cookie up to her nose. “Want to break one of these in half and share?”

Korra fixed her posture and nodded. “Sure. Those are the seaweed ones. They’re salty, so you might want a chaser.”

Asami broke a cookie in half and handed Korra’s bit over. Before she took a bite, she grabbed the strawberry soda and cracked the can open. She didn’t even hesitate; this woman shoved the entire half into her mouth and started chewing. A tiny, appreciative little hum came out of her mouth as she swallowed. “Those are good,” She took a sip of her drink. “Wow, I see the appeal. Are these from Narook’s?”

“I stopped by before I got the bus. She put in extra when I said they where for you.” Korra grinned, grabbing another one from the container. “You can keep them. They’re also good filler for the mornings if you struggle to eat breakfast.”

Asami grabbed another one, put the can down, and settled back into her little nook. “I have these smoothies I make in the mornings to help me maintain my weight. Dad put me onto them when I started withering away during puberty. I got moms build.” She took smaller bites. “It’s really hard to keep the weight on. No matter how much I eat it seems to just drop off. Running probably doesn’t help.”

“That sucks. I’m a bottomless pit. If I stopped working out, I’d probably gain a bunch of weight. I’ve always been athletic, though, and I can’t imagine life without the gym and swimming. Bolin and I act as each other’s personal trainer. I’m so thankful swimming is a form of cardio. I hate running, no offence.”

“Another red flag emerges,” Asami quipped, laughing. “I did power lifting for a time before dad died. How often do you work out?”

”Oh, hm, probably three times a week? Depends what I have on. I have to limit lifting when competition season comes around so I don’t injure myself. Swimming with a torn bicep is not fun.” She shifted a little and pulled her jacket off, throwing it beside the couch. “It never fully recovered,” She rolled up her sleeve and flexed her right arm. “You can sorta see how much smaller it is than my other one. I still won that year but the physio was intense. I wasn’t allowed back in the gym for months. There’s a little indent here where it tore,” She pointed.

“Damn,” Asami sucked in a deep breath and ran the tip of her index finger over the little groove. “Still impressive. How long did it take for you to build up your physique?”

The tips of Korra’s ears went red at the contact. She rolled her sleeve back down and tucked her arm back around Asami’s shoulder, encouraging her to get comfortable again. “Years. I was a tiny kid. Bolin likes to tell people I had a major glow up. In reality, I just increased my protein intake and upped the days I worked out. Helped with the acne, too. Chlorine from the pool still makes me breakout, though. It’s why I shower so much. I hate smelling like a walking talking chemical burn.”

Asami grinned and playfully nudged her knee. “You don’t smell like a pool. You’re wearing men’s perfume, though, right? It’s cinnamon-y.”

“Yeah! Mako gifted it to me ages ago. I think it was his way of telling me I smelt really bad. You smell like a florist. Is that jasmine?”

“Is it, yeah. You’ve got a good nose. It’s a designer perfume Opal got me as a birthday present when we were teenagers. I’ve worn it ever since.” She rolled her shoulders and rubbed her face against Korra’s upper pec. “Sorry, I’ll stop talking. We’re meant to be watching your show.”

Korra decided to take the leap of faith and skimmed her fingers over the back of Asami’s neck before casually combing her fingers through her hair. “I don’t mind. We are getting to the bit where Kyoshi shows us the extent of her earth bending though. She’s about to raise a whole sea floor.”

Asami quietly hummed. They watched the rest of the episode in relative silence, only making small comments here and there about the story and Asami’s predictions. Korra had to get up to put in the next disk but when she sat back down, Asami made a move and wrapped her arm over her abdomen and cuddled right in.

Korra hoped Asami couldn’t hear how loud her heart was pounding. She could feel it throbbing in her ears. It was hard to focus on the TV from that point onwards, so she zeroed in on running her fingers through Asami’s hair and scratching her nails lightly against her scalp. Each time she got a soft sigh, she repeated the motion and experimented with different idle patterns.

Before she knew it, hours had flown by. It was still raining outside when she heard a soft little snore. Suki came over and jumped up onto the couch to curl into Asami’s side. A surge of pride ran through her body. Asami felt safe enough to drift off in her presence. That was a sign of utmost respect. She was going to treasure this moment in her mind box later.

She didn’t move in fear of waking her up. After much contemplation, she pulled out her phone with her free hand, slowly so she didn’t jostle Asami, and sent off a quick message to her group chat.

Avatar Korra [5:45pm]:
Hey guys, don’t know what time I’ll be back tonight. We’re almost through season one though! :D

Angry Eyebrows [5:46pm]:
Nice. I’m at work until 9. I pulled out one of your meal prep containers out of the freezer so you had something when you got home.

Sexiest Brother [5:47pm]:
Omg are you getting laid???

Avatar Korra [5:48pm]:
Thanks Mako. You’re the real MVP. And wtf bolin no! she is asleep on me rn tho.

Angry Eyebrows [5:49pm]:
Np. Gotta get back to work. Be safe.

Avatar Korra [5:50pm]:
Always am! Don’t work too hard:) x

Sexiest Brother [5:50pm]:
Have you kissed her yet??????

Avatar Korra [5:51pm]:
omg no. stop it. We’re just cuddling. She liked the cuddle buddy application. Your written reference worked!

Sexiest Brother [5:51pm]:
f*ck yeah Korra !! I hope she kisses you because you’re being a total wuss lol

Avatar Korra [5:52pm]:
ugh you’re the worst. What happened to being SUPPORTIVE??

Sexiest Brother [5:52pm]:
I am being supportive lmaooo I just want you to kiss her and make it official so I can be the best man at your wedding xx

Avatar Korra [5:53pm]:
omg you’re even worse than jinora stoppp. gtg she’s starting to stir. Talk when im home.

A tiny, adorable yawn came out of Asami’s mouth as she lifted her head and stretched her arms above her head. “sh*t, how long have I been asleep?”

Korra reached over and tucked a rouge piece of hair behind Asami’s ear. “A little while. I didn’t want to wake you. Suki came over about 20 minutes ago.”

Asami held her gaze for a hot minute before blinking and looking beside her. “Aw,” She reached over and stroked her hand along Suki’s body. “You have magic hands,” She rubbed her eyes and scrunched up her face as she rested her head back against Korra’s shoulder. “What time is it?”

“Almost 6pm,” Korra gave Asami’s shoulder a soft pat. “Ready to kick me out?”

“f*ck, I was out for ages then,” She made a small grumbling sound and wrapped her arm back around Korra’s middle. Korra decided then and there that she liked hearing Asami swear. She would, undoubtably, deconstruct that thought later. “No. You’re really comfy.”

The stupid grin that spread over Korra’s face was priceless. “You have a really cute snore,” She ran her hand over the arm draped over her stomach. “It’s like a little cheetah-wolf making a little chirp.”

Asami laughed into Korra’s shoulder. “You know, you’re the first person to think so.” She begrudgingly gave Korra’s body a faint squeeze before she moved out of Korra’s space and sat up fully. She rolled out her neck and then scratched Suki’s head. “I gotta feed her. Are you hungry?”

“I’m okay. I ate a bunch of cookies while you slept. Mako also pulled something out the freezer for me.” She took a moment to rotate the shoulder Asami had been curled into and stretched her arm out to regain some feeling in her fingers. “I should get going soon, though. I don’t want to intrude on your nightly routine.”

Asami slowly got to her feet and popped a couple of her joints as she shook her arms out. “You’re okay. I’m pretty boring. I just scroll through my emails and watch TV on the weekends. I typically go to bed around 9pm and watch all the cute cat videos Opal sends me before I sleep.” Suki stretched with a big yawn before she jumped off the couch and trotted into the kitchen. “I’ll show you my office and then you can head off once I’ve fed her, sound good?”

Korra followed Asami’s lead and stood up to get her limbs moving. “Yeah, sounds good. What food does little miss Suki eat?”

“She’s on special urinary wet meat that the vets put her on. She had a bad crystal infection as a baby and had to be put on pain killers whilst the infection cleared,” She opened the fridge and pulled out a sachet. “She loves it, thankfully. She’ll eat anything.” She scooped out a portion and then lowered Suki’s bowl to the ground. With a little meow, Suki dug in. “Okay, follow me.”

Korra rubbed her neck as she followed Asami down the small hall into her office. It was… different. Whilst the kitchen and living room had barely any personality, Asami’s office was filled with little bits and pieces. There were photos all over the place, model cars (and small-scale bridges, engines, and motor bikes) filling shelves all along the walls, there was even a small magnifying glass over a L shaped desk in the corner of the room angled towards a small half-painted miniature. Not only that, there were tiny paint pots cluttered around a craft mat with several different tiny brushes. This is a certified nerd den.

“Wow,” Korra got out, walking over to one of the shelves to inspect the contents. “Did you build all these?”

“Yeah,” Asami said, sounding embarrassed. “A couple of them got handed down to me when dad died. I built the rest. I had to keep busy the first couple of months so I didn’t explode.”

“I’m impressed,” Korra walked along the wall and stopped in front of what looked like a family photo. “Are they your parents?”

“Yup,” Asami crossed her arms over her chest and hung by the centre of the room.

“You were so cute! You really look like your mom. I mean, you’re still cute, but tiny you is literally the embodiment of adorable.” She set her hands on her hips and kept moving down the wall. She stopped when she spotted a photo of Asami in her graduation robes. “Is this when you finished your engineering degree?”

“Yeah. Dad was there for it. It was the happiest I’d ever been. I was already working for him while I was studying but once I had my papers he put me on the leading engineering team. Some of the models on the walls are actually cars I designed and helped produce. I have a whole portfolio filled with my blue prints.” Asami explained, swaying backwards and forwards. “I’ll have to bring you to my workshop sometime. I’m working on a project car right now. You could see me nerd out in real time.”

Korra stepped back and tucked her hands behind her back. She liked the implication that Asami wanted to keep seeing her. “You’re something else, seriously. Does it ever hurt being so smart?” She offered a soft smile. “I’d like that.”

Asami wrinkled up her nose and moved to exit the room. “I’ll be honest, I’m always optimising everything I do in my brain. I never shut off properly, not even when I sleep. I’m either thinking up different schematics or dreaming about a new line of products. I tinker around with electronics in my workshop just to keep my hands busy between project cars. It’s… tiring.” She walked back into the living room and picked Suki up when she started rubbing up against her legs. “Suki is my escape. Right, my love?”

Hearing Asami use pet names really did something to her body. “Well, if you ever need to think out loud, I’m a phone call away.” She picked her jacket off of the ground and slid it on. “Thanks for having me around. I’ll leave the first season here so you can go over the episodes you missed.” She found her shoes and pulled them on. “It was nice meeting you little Suki. I’m gonna have to bring around some treats next time.”

Asami watched as Korra got herself ready and pressed her face into Suki’s fur. “Suki thanks you for your continued generosity. She went through that catnip like a drug addict,” She set Suki down when she started squirming and walked Korra to the door once she had her bag. “Sorry I fell asleep. I, um, really enjoyed your company. I might hire your cuddling services again.” She held the door open and followed Korra out into the lobby.

Korra tugged her bag onto her back and pressed the down button on the elevator. “First three sessions are free. I’m a subscription-based service after that,” She sent Asami a wide grin and sucked in a deep breath. It’s now or never. “Hug goodbye?”

Asami’s cheeks went a brilliant shade of pink as she nodded and held out her arms. Korra crowded in and tucked her face into Asami’s neck. It was a long hug; one she didn’t want to depart from. Asami smelt like light and flowers and warmth and Korra really liked the way Asami’s arms tightened around her shoulders. The ding of the elevator made them both jump back.

With a awkward laugh, Korra scratched the back of her neck. “I’ll text you. Have a good night, Asami.”

“Bye,” Asami’s eyebrows kept pinching and un-pinching as she watched Korra walk into the elevator. As the doors started to close, Korra lifted her hand and waved like a doofus.

Korra was just about to press the ground floor button when a hand stopped the doors from fully closing. Asami looked frantic as her face twisted up. “What are you doing on Wednesday night?”

Korra pressed the hold button and quickly racked her brain for an answer. “Um, nothing, I don’t think. Did you want to do something?”

“Let me take you out for dinner?”

Korra felt her lips tug into a crooked smirk without her permission. “My good behaviour paid off?”

Asami let out a breathless laugh and nodded slowly. “I have a friend that owns a restaurant near city hall. I’ll text you the details.”

“Okay,” Her stomach was flipping around again. “Um, is that all?”

Asami’s eyebrows started furrowing again as she went through a series of different facial expressions. Korra rose an eyebrow in question, trying to decipher what was going on. Before she could ask whether Asami was okay, she stepped back and shook her head. “Text me when you get home safe, yeah?”

Korra let it go. “Will do,” She pressed the ground floor button and waved again as the doors closed, Asami disappearing from view for real this time.

Once she was out of Asami’s apartment complex, she pumped her fist into the air and twirled around with her face tilted towards the sky. She did not care about the heavy rain or the fact she was making a scene. She was happy. For the first time in a long time, she felt like she was on an upwards incline.

She skipped around in the puddles and bypassed public transport in favour of walking home with an idiotic grin plastered on her face.

Bolin jumped up from his spot on the couch when Korra burst in through the door and laughed at her appearance. “Dude, you’re soaked!”

“She hugged me and asked me out on another date!” Korra sing-songed, throwing her hands up in the air. “We cuddled, Bolin, and we played with each other’s hands, and we talked, and— and!” She let out a small ‘ah’ and laughed, dropping her bag on the ground. “I’m so f*cking screwed, Bo. I’m whipped.”

Bolin pulled a towel out of the clean laundry pile and threw it at her. “Did you kiss?!”

“No, no kissing,” Korra started drying her hair and face. “I think I’m going to go for it next time. I’ll see if she wants to go for a walk after dinner and then kiss her under the stars. Make it really cliché and romantic.”

“Yes!” Bolin pumped his fist in the air. “That’s what I like to hear! You’ve got serious game, Korra, use it!”

She adored Bolin’s investment in her love life. “I’m gonna go jump in the shower. Can you put my meal in the microwave for me?”

“Yeah, of course. I’m watching detective on ice, by the way. Think you’ve got some more cuddling left in ya?”

“For you, always.” She grinned as she pulled out her phone.

Korra [7:02pm]:
Home safe. Is it weird that I miss you? Can I say that? Or is there like an unspoken rule?

She plugged her phone on charge and walked into the bathroom to take her shower. Once she’d washed the day away, she emerged from her bedroom with a fresh set of pyjamas on. She retrieved her phone, grabbed her meal, and flopped down on the couch next to Bolin. She patted her lap and with an excited squeal, Bolin moved to lay his head on her thighs.

“What season are you watching?”

“Season 7. They released it yesterday.”

“f*ck yeah! Mako is going to kill us for watching it without him.”

“He can watch it in his own time.”

Korra laughed and unlocked her phone, nervously opening up her messages. She had to bite her lip to stop herself from making a weird noise.

Asami [7:07pm]:
Oh thank f*ck you said it first and not me lol I was *literally* just thinking about sending the same thing. Glad you’re home safe. Did you stay dry? I probably should have offered to drive you home in this weather. X

Korra [7:20pm]:
okay cool. Does this mean I can randomly say that now? Or am I being too gay? Do we get married and adopt another cat together next? Is that the natural progression of things? So many questions. Ah!

I did not stay dry I literally danced around in the rain and got super wet haha. I like the rain. It’s okay. I wouldn’t have let you drive in this weather anyway.

Asami [7:23pm]:
I have no problems with it. Can I say or back or does that come off too keen? No marriage until you send me that red flag list. We could adopt a cat though. Suki would love a sibling.

Kooorraaaa. You’ll get sick!

Korra [7:25pm]:
Alright, cool, in that case: I miss you. You can say it back. Don’t start professing your undying love though that might make Suki jealous. Do you want me to send you it in document format or is over text fine?

Asammmiiiii. I won’t get sick! I haven’t been sick in years haha. Water tribe blood fights off all the germs.

Asami [7:30pm]:
Awwwwww. I miss you too. Good call on the love thing, Suki would probably claw at your ankles if she found out another woman was stealing my affection. Text is fine.

Korra I’m serious you’ve just jinxed it :(

Korra [7:32pm]:
I can confidently say I just giggled and kicked my feet like a little kid. sh*t, should I ask Suki for her blessing? I feel like that’s important.

hate to break it to you but I literally get wet for swimming all the time. A little rain won’t kill me. I’m good, promise. If I end up getting sick you can say I told you so lol x

Asami [7:34pm]:
You’re such a dork. Next time you come around you can ask. You’ll have to bring treats for her to take you seriously, though.

ugh fine. I’m also watching those episodes I missed when I fell asleep. Father glow worm can eat a bag of dicks. I’ve never wanted to strangle something so much before !!!

Korra [7:35pm]:
Okay, deal! I’m so glad I got you hooked haha. Did you like her first Avatar State? She goes nuts! Imagine levelling an entire mountain side because you’re that powerful!

Asami [7:37pm]:
Yes! That was awesome! I feel so sad for her though, she lost her father figure :( I would have lost my sh*t too. Poor yun, I really hope father glow worm hasn’t eaten him.
[image attached]
Suki says hi btw

Korra stopped to fully admire the photo of Suki curled up on Asami’s lap. She really was one sweet little cat.

Korra [7:40pm]:
sh*t gets worse before it gets better I’m afraid.
[image attached]
I have a wild Bolin in my lap! He says hi too!

Asami [7:45pm]:
don’t tell me that noooo. Damn, cuddles aren’t exclusive then huh? X

Korra [7:47pm]:
Did you want them to be exclusive? I can push him onto the ground rn

Asami [7:49pm]:
It's okay. I can share you. For now.

“You’ve got it bad,” Bolin hummed, smirking up at her. “You’ve got that look in your eye.”

“Shut up,” Korra poked his forehead. “Is it really that obvious?”

“I’m just glad you’re happy. You deserve it, Korra.” He sent her a big smile. “You’ll have to invite her over for flat movie night. We can make her dinner and embarrass you.”

That didn’t actually sound that bad. “Yeah…” She smiled to herself. “That would be nice.”

Notes:

thoughts?

Notes:

back at it again

Big progression this chapter :)

Hope you enjoy!

(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)

“Hey, stranger.”

Korra looked up from behind the coffee machine and immediately started grinning. “Asami, hey.” She noticed a bunch of flowers in Asami’s hands and rose an eyebrow. “You’re late. Are you okay?”

“I, um,” Asami came closer to the counter and thrust the flowers out. “I stopped by the florist. They’re for you.”

Korra opened and closed her mouth a couple of times. “Oh,” She carefully took the bouquet of flowers and started to admire them. “That’s really sweet,” She found herself smiling so wide it hurt her cheeks. “That’s why you’re late?”

“Yeah. I got stuck in traffic. I’m only 20 minutes behind schedule,” She tucked her hands behind her back and bit down on her lower lip. “There’s a little note in there but you can’t read it until I’m gone.”

“Oh?” She did spot a little note tucked into the centre of the arrangement. “Okay. I’ll go put these with my stuff, I’ll be back.” She disappeared and neatly set the flowers on the staff room table before returning. Asami busied herself by looking in the display case beside the register. “Usual?”

“Actually…” She pointed to a muffin. “Why don’t you make me what you usually drink? And one of those, if possible.”

“You’d literally start vibrating if I made you what I drink,” Korra grinned before grabbing a pair of tongs. She pulled the muffin out of the display case and set it on the counter. “What do you have on today?”

“Now you’ve just sold me on it. Go on, I dare you.” Asami returned the grin and pulled out her card. “I’ve got a meeting with the head of marketing and a date with a really cute girl later on. What about you?”

“Alright, it’s your deathbed.” Korra rung up the order and started making Asami’s drink, having already set her cup by the machine. She’d written her name in big bold letters today for a change of pace. “Work until lunch and then I have swimming practise. I, too, have a date later. What are the chances?”

Asami paid and picked up her muffin. “Wow, crazy. Small world,” She took a bite of the muffin, which was double chocolate, and groaned. “You guys always have the best baked goods. Is there some sort of secret family recipe?”

Korra finished up making the drink and slid it over the counter. With a laugh, she tapped her own chin. “You’ve got chocolate right here.” She tried to point to the very corner of her chin in hopes Asami would catch her drift.

“Ugh,” Asami went to wipe it off only to smudge it further. “Did I get it?”

“You’re making it worse,” Korra grabbed a napkin and rounded the counter. “I got it, hold on,” She dapped the spot with the corner of the napkin and narrowed her eyes in concentration. It wasn’t until she heard Asami’s soft little exhale that she realised how close they’d gotten. If I just… no, you’re at work, dumbass. “There,” She stepped back and swallowed hard. “All good to go.”

“Thanks,” Asami croaked, lifting her hand in a tiny thumbs up motion. “Is it a secret recipe?”

“Oh, right. Pema does all the baked stuff for us. She comes in extra early to deliver our stock for the day. She’s just really good in the kitchen,” She held up a finger in a ‘wait’ gesture and grabbed the jar of marshmallows. She set one on Asami’s cup, much like the last time she’d done this, and beamed. “Goodluck marshmallow.”

Asami jutted out her lower lip and let out a soft ‘aw’ as she picked up her cup with her free hand. “You’re my favourite person ever. I’ll see you later, yeah?”

Korra was bordering embarrassingly flustered territory. “Can’t ghost you at this point, Asami.” She quipped playfully. She wiped her hands on her apron and willed her voice not to shake. “Thank you for the flowers.”

With a tiny half-wave, Asami walked out the door. Korra stood there staring at the door for several long seconds before she caught herself and rushed to the break room. Jinora, having been on her break and in the bathroom, was inspecting the flowers on the table.

“Are these yours?”

“Asami gave them to me just now, you missed the whole thing,” She carefully plucked the note out from the centre of the bunch and flicked it open.

Korra,

If roses are red, and violets are blue,
I’m excited to spend more time with you.

P.S
I like you. X
- Asami

Korra shook herself out of her mini gay panic and shifted her gaze over to Jinora’s face. “What?”

“What does the note say?!”

“Oh,” She found herself smiling as she held the note to her chest. “Um, a little poem.”

“Ugh!” Jinora reached over and snatched the note out of Korra’s grasp. She dashed around to the other side of the table so Korra couldn’t reach her and gasped as she read it. “This is so cute! What the heck, why doesn’t Kai do stuff like this?!”

Korra darted over and snatched the note back and huffed, tucking it into her back pocket. “Because he's not gay, Jinora.” She picked up the flowers again and brought them up to her nose. “Wait, is he straight? He picked up on Asami being queer, does he secretly have a gaydar or something?”

“I think he was just trying to egg you on. He was right, though. Can I take a photo and send it to him?”

Korra groaned and set the flowers back down. “If you must,” She pulled the note out and put it beside the flowers. “I don’t want this getting sent to anyone else, got it?”

Jinora made a spiritual gesture over her forehead and crossed her arm over her chest. “Swear it on my life,” She wiggled over with a grin and pulled out her phone. After snapping a photo or two, she stepped back and started tapping away on her phone. “You two have a date tonight, right?”

“Yeah. She’s picking me up from my place and we’re going to a restaurant. I’m freaking out a little. I pulled my water tribe dress out but, ugh, I don’t know— How fancy do I dress? Do I do make-up? What about my hair? All the dates we’ve been on have been casual. What do I do?” She backed up to check to store front and then returned her attention back to Jinora when the coast was clear. “Bolin is hopeless and Mako refuses to help me because ‘it breaks bro code’. What does that even mean?”

Jinora laughed and shook her head. “I’ll come around and help you. What time is she picking you up?”

“7:30. I get home from swimming practise at 5 so I have about an hour to get ready and then throw a tantrum because I’m overstimulated.” She sighed, rubbing her neck. “I hate being a woman. Like, honestly, if I was a dude, I wouldn’t even be freaking out.”

“Ha! Trust me, Kai does a bunch of freaking out. They’re just really good at internalising it. Look, I’ll come around at 5:30 and we can get you all prettied up. We’ll just go for something light so you don’t want to claw your skin off. A little eyeshadow, some eyeliner, a tiny bit of highlighter to make your cheekbones pop. Hair wise… hm, could tie it back and frame your face with your bangs? Dress is fine. As long as you’re comfortable wearing it. I know you get all fidgety when you put on formal clothes.” Jinora slid her phone back into her pocket and came over to grab both of Korra’s shoulders. She gave them a firm squeeze and smiled. “You’ll do great. She literally just left you flowers and wrote you a poem. Have you two kissed yet? Or, like, is that what you’re really freaking out about?”

Damn, okay. I just got called out. She averted her gaze and sighed. “I’m honestly just going with the flow. If it feels right, I’ll make a move. If not, I have no problems with taking it slow. I mean, we are taking it slow. As slow as two women can go, that is. We started texting each other small ‘I miss you’ messages.”

Jinora gasped and clapped her hands down on Korra’s shoulders, giving them a hard shake. “Korra! That’s basically a love confession for you!”

“Ew,” Korra wormed her way out of Jinora’s reach. “Don’t even start. Bolin has been relentless. I can’t look at my phone around him without him making kissing noises.” She grimaced at the memory of Bolin blowing her kisses the night before. “Mako’s been bad, too. I’ll be in the middle of making something to eat and he goes ‘How’s your girlfriend?’ or ‘Does Asami know you don’t eat the crusts on your sandwiches?’ as if I haven’t already sent Asami a actual list of all my red flags.”

“Wait, what? You sent her a list of all your red flags?”

“She asked!”

“And you went through with it?!”

“Obviously! She sent me a list too!”

Jinora covered her mouth when a very unladylike noise came out of her mouth. “What the heck, Korra? You two have it bad if you’re willingly telling each other all your flaws.”

“Hey! She was convinced I was perfect! I had to show her I was fundamentally flawed as a human so she didn’t think I was trying to take advantage of her!” She whined, pulling out her phone. She pulled up her notes app and handed her phone over. “Look. This is what I sent. They’re not that bad, are they?”

Jinora eagerly grabbed her phone. “Alright, so… You cannot wear shoes longer than hour at a time. You drool in your sleep. You won’t eat duck because you never know whether it’s duck duck or turtle duck. Wait, why did you put this down?” She came over and pointed at the list. “How is that a red flag?”

“Because arranging my pillows so I can cuddle them like a human is a red flag. Screams touch starved. I thought it was notable.” Korra explained, biting down on her thumb nail.

“Alright, moving on,” Jinora started snickering as she went further down the list. “You won’t eat the crusts on your sandwiches, you are really bad at communicating your needs, you will sometimes say stupid things to get a reaction… All of these are pretty mild, Korra. What are hers?”

Korra poked her head around the corner to check the front of the store again before taking her phone back and pulling up the message Asami had sent her. “I’m going to read these out because there’s some that are personal,” She gnawed on her thumb nail as she brought her phone closer to her face. “She can’t stand confrontation in her personal life, she detaches herself from people so she doesn’t get hurt, she lets things build up because she doesn’t want to start an argument, she sleeps with socks on, she can’t cook,” She curled her thumb under her fingers, forming a fist, to stop herself from ripping her nail off. “Um, she buys a new phone every year because she likes shiny new toys, uh… oh! She has a questionable taste in books. I asked her what she meant by that and she told me I’d find out in due time.”

“You do realise that means she reads smut, right?”

“Really?”

“Yeah. You don’t disclose you read smut when you first start seeing someone. Some people count that as cheating.”

“How is that cheating? It’s… a book.”

“I don’t know, man. Ask the youth.”

Korra snorted and rolled her eyes. “You are the youth.” She pocketed her phone. “I thought it was really healthy listing off a bunch of bad personality quirks so we understood each other better. It’s not that weird, right?”

“It’s not weird, It’s just super gay. Like, I can’t even explain it to you. You’re both so into each other you’re listing off all your red flags because, what? You both think the other person is too perfect?”

Alright, Jinora needed to calm the f*ck down. She was too much like her dad. “Pretty much,” There was no denying it. “I need you to be real with me. Am I perfect?”

“Pft, no.” Jinora scoffed. “You were such a bad influence on me and my siblings. You cut your hair off one day because you got sick of it touching your neck and tried to convince Iki to do the same thing. She almost did, dad caught her in the bathroom with scissors hacking off chunks of hair. In saying that, you’re pretty chill now. Want to know what I really think?”

“Okay, first off—”

“Shut up. Do you want my advice or not?”

“Ugh, yes.”

“You two just happen to have found each other at just the right time. You’re not two people trying to figure yourselves out. You’re… aged, I guess. You’ve experienced things as individuals and fixed all your toxic behaviours outside of a relationship. Some things are just good. There doesn’t need to be a catch.” Jinora offered a reassuring smile and reached out to pat Korra’s head. “Stop digging around for the negatives. They’ll present themselves as you two figure things out. Then you just work on them. You’re not 17 sneaking out to make out with boys. You’re an adult, Korra. Adult relationships aren’t meant to be complicated.”

Korra tried, and failed, to formulate a complete sentence to retaliate but she couldn’t think of anything constructive to say. Instead, she just regarded Jinora with a stunned expression and blinked at her. “f*ck, Jinora, you’re like, what? 19? Where did this come from?”

“Language,” Jinora tisked. “You’ve lived with dad. He’s had some pretty deep talks with me recently. I’m just relaying what he’s told me.”

Before Korra could properly reply, the bell on the counter went off. Right, work. “I’m gonna go get that,” She said, hovering awkwardly, before walking off.

***

“Okay, we’re done.” Jinora announced, leaning back to admire her work.

Korra slowly opened her eyes and got off the edge of her bed to check herself out in the mirror hanging on the back of her door. “Damn, Jinora, how long have you been able to work with make up?” She’d done a basic smoky eye that was only a shade darker than Korra’s actual skin tone so it wasn’t too overbearing. Instead of black eyeliner, she’d used light blue. Again, nothing fancy, just a simple winged cat eye look. Whilst she had used highlighter on her cheeks, the glitter only faintly caught in the light. All in all, she looked… normal, almost. Enhancing your natural beauty, wasn’t that how she put it?

“I spent a lot of time on YouTube,” Jinora admitted, packing all of her stuff into her make up bag. “What do you think?”

“I feel like a girl,” Korra hummed, grabbing her dress hanging over the back of her desk chair. “Close your eyes.” She waited, pointedly, then pulled the tank top she’d been wearing off of her head. She shoved her sweats off and slipped into her dress. It’d been a while since she’d last worn it so it felt a little tight around her chest. It wasn’t uncomfortable, though, and it made her boobs look good. “Okay, hair. You said tie it back?”

Jinora opened her eyes and clapped her hands. “You look so pretty! I love that dress. You wore it for high school graduation, right?”

“And every other formal event I’ve been forced into attending. I should really get my mom to tailor me another one.” She adjusted the shoulder straps and pulled a clump of her hair back. “Focus. Hair up or hair down?”

Jinora jumped to her feet and watched Korra’s reflection as she pulled her hair back down and then pulled it back up. “Up. Show off your jaw.”

Korra slipped over to her dresser to fetch a hair tie and began to organise her hair. Jinora helped, brushing out all the little ridges. Korra appreciated her help exponentially. Once she’d framed her face with her bangs, she took a step back and did a little twirl.

Jinora laughed and held out a little box. “Put this on. It’s from dad.”

Korra took the box and rose an eyebrow. “Did you tell him I was going on a fancy date?”

“I also sent him the note Asami left you.”

“Jinora! I told you not to send it to anyone else!” She whined and pouted out her lower lip. “You swore on your life.” She carefully opened the box and eyed the water tribe pendant sitting neatly inside. “Isn’t this a betrothal necklace?”

“It was gran-grans. He wanted you to have it. For tonight, anyway.”

Korra softened. Katara had left this plane of existence a little over a year ago and crossed over into the spirit world. She’d basically acted as Korra’s gran-gran, so her loss still weighed heavy on Korra’s heart. She willed the tears away and gently handled the necklace. “He’s getting the biggest hug when I see him next,” She set the box down and wrapped the necklace around her neck. “How does it look?”

Jinora’s entire face brightened. “Wow,” She bit down on her lower lip and wrinkled up her nose. “You look so much like gran-gran. Can I take a picture to show him?”

“Ugh, I suppose.” She didn’t know how to pose so awkwardly hung her arms at her sides and forced a cheesy smile.

Jinora snapped a picture and then came over to give her a firm hug. When she stepped back, she beamed. “You look so good. Want to run me through some of your pick-up-lines? I wouldn’t trust Bolin’s judgement.”

“Oh, um,” She pursed her lips and went through a couple in her head. “If you and I were socks, we’d make a great pair.”

“Oof, okay, terrible, but it works with you. What’s your next one?”

Korra huffed and crossed her arms over her chest. “There must be something wrong with my eyes, I can’t seem to take them off of you.”

“Oh! I like that one. Anymore?”

“Um, well, if we end up, you know, kissing. I have this one,” She cleared her throat. “If you let me borrow a kiss, I promise I’ll give it right back.”

“Aw,” Jinora fell backwards on the bed and laughed. “Okay, listen, that’s actually a really good one. Thought about leading into the kiss with it?”

No. She had not. “You think it would work?”

“Totally. If Kai used that on me, I’d kiss him.”

Korra tilted her head from side to side with a downwards smile. “Okay. I’ll try it.” She moved to grab her phone off of her desk and checked the time. 7:15! It’s nearly go time. There was even a message there waiting for her.

Asami [7:08pm]:
Just getting gas and then I’ll head over. Can’t wait to see you. X

Korra [7:16pm]:
Drive safe. Can’t wait to see you too! x

“She’ll be here shortly,” Korra relayed the information and tucked her phone into her saddle bag. “Which shoes did we agree on?”

“I don’t think shoes matter in this situation. Just wear your leather boots.” Jinora got to her feet and dusted off her hands. “My job here is done. I’ll call dad and get him to come pick me up. I’ll annoy Bolin and Mako in your absence.”

“Thanks, they need a reality check.” She pulled on her boots, opened her door, and walked down the hall into the living room.

Bolin whistled the moment she came into view. “I forgot how nice you tidy up,” He sent her the finger guns and winked. “Asami won’t know what hit her.”

“Is that the dress you wore for graduation?” Mako chimed in, perking up from his spot on the couch.

“I also wore it for one of our dates. When we went down to the beach and almost ruined it in the water?” She lifted up the bottom hem of the dress and inspected the ends. “Mom did her best to fix it but the salt really messed with the fur.”

“Oh, yeah! Man, that was so long ago. It still looks great on you.” He sent her one of his rare genuine smiles. “I can’t believe it still fits given how built you are now.”

“It’s tight around the boobs,” Korra laughed and walked into the kitchen to grab a glass of water. “And the waist, if I’m being honest. I’m gonna have to get mom to make me another one.”

“Hey, Bolin, can I play on your PS5 while I wait for my dad to get here?” Jinora bounced onto the couch beside him. “He still won’t let us get one.”

“Yeah, of course. Go for it. Did you want to play a racing game with me?”

“Oh! Yes!”

Just as Korra finished off her glass, there was a knock at the door. Everyone, including Mako, went silent. Silence was never a good thing. She levelled everyone with a glare as she slowly approached the front door. “Don’t say a f*cking word, got it?”

Everyone, including Mako, silently nodded their heads.

They’re going to start cat calling the moment I open the door. She let her hand hover over the door handle as she glared over her shoulder. When Jinora made a shooing motion with her hands, she twisted the handle and opened the door.

And holy f*cking sh*t. Asami was wearing a suit. Asami is wearing a f*cking suit. It was black when you looked at it front on but as soon as the light hit it a certain way it had a purple gleam. Korra wasn’t great with materials, but she was certain it was velvet. The lapels folded out exposing a small part of her bust, and wow, it was perfectly fitted.

(Look up Taylor Swift All Too Well premiere suit besties)

“Done staring?” Asami teased, her lips pulling into a playful smirk.

Korra had to physically shake her head to stop herself from gawking like an idiot. “I just—” She tried to speak but the words dissolved on her tongue.

“Ooooh! Korra has a crush!” Bolin called out. “Korra and Asami, sitting in a tree—”

“Hey!” Korra called back, cutting him off. “I warned you!”

“What are you going to do? Asami’s standing right there!”

Korra groaned and flipped him off as she stepped out of the entrance way. She tugged the door shut behind her with a satisfying click and huffed. “Please ignore him. I didn’t threaten him enough.” She looked Asami up and down again and blew out a breath. “It shouldn’t be legal to look as good as you do right now.”

Asami waved Korra off with a good-natured laugh and made a ‘come here’ motion with her hands. “I could literally say the same thing. Can I have a hug?”

Korra scooped Asami up in her arms without hesitation and firmly squeezed her whole body. “That note was really cute,” She said once they’d parted. “It made my whole morning. Didn’t take you for a poet.”

Asami’s nose scrunched up as she started walking towards her car. “I’m not. I asked Opal for help. She’s the genius. How was swimming practise?” She moved over to the passenger seat and opened the door for Korra with a playful bow.

Korra ignored how hot her face went and slipped into her seat. Once Asami was in the car with her, she replied. “It was tiring. We went over the competition roster and prep for game day. I also broke my cap near the end so I had a bunch of water in my ears for, like, an hour. How did that meeting go with your marketing team?”

Asami started up the car and shoulder checked quickly before pulling out. “How far out is your competition?” She took a left and groaned. “It was dumb. So much talking. I kept zoning out. We’re launching a line of electric cars that have been in the works for 5 years. They were dads last project before he passed. If all goes well, they should be on the market close to the holidays. People start freaking out the closer we get to the finish line so we’re doing a work seminar to discuss stress leave for the people most affected. My assistant is finalising the details. Gives people a chance to book in and speak to me personally.”

Korra had been attempting to piece together just how high-ranking Asami really was in her role for several nights in a row now. She’d almost looked up Future Industries last night but opted out at the last minute because she felt like that was cheating. “2 months. I’ve already talked about leave with Tenzin so I can focus solely on swimming leading up to the big day,” She leaned back in her seat and admired Asami’s side profile. “Are you, like, the big boss? I’ve been trying to figure it out. If you have an assistant that means you’re high up in the rankings, right?”

“I was actually going to bring that up over dinner,” Asami replied, glancing over at her with a shy smile. “Think you’ll get first place?”

Oh, okay. Korra could wait. “I dunno. There’s a lot of fresh blood every year. I’m not in my prime anymore, chances of me winning aren’t as high. I do it for the structure and as an outlet. If I don’t get all my energy out then I turn into a nightmare. Not to be insensitive, but it’s almost like I have manic episodes. Lots of sleepless nights, self-destructive behaviours, attention seeking, lots of highs and lows. Swimming keeps me in check.”

“That’s how I feel about running,” Asami laughed. “What do you mean you’re not in your prime?”

“I’m not 19 and fresh out of high school, Asami. I’m 26 with crippling knee pain and a bad back.” She grinned, turning to watch the world pass by out the window. “Where is this restaurant, by the way? You said by city hall, but, like, is it super fancy?”

“Okay, fair.” Asami came to a slow stop at a traffic light and shrugged her shoulders. “It’s… modern. Someone I went to high school with owns it. She gives me special treatment whenever I call in to make a reservation. I take clients there sometimes if I want to impress them. Tonight, though, I wanted to impress you.”

“Ooooh,” Korra reached over and playfully nudged Asami’s arm. “Are you about to rock my world?”

“That’s the goal,” Asami sent her a quick grin before returning her attention back to the road.

Another 10 minutes flew by before they arrived. Asami handed off her keys to a young-looking man and held out her arm for Korra to take. Korra accepted and stared at the front of the building in awe. It was huge. Golden chandeliers hung from the ceiling, candles were lit all around the entrance way, there was greenery all over the show. Not only that, everything was pristinely white. The Lone Lionturtle was carved into a big stone block at the very top of the entranceway.

“Damn, Asami. This is insane.” Korra commented as Asami led them further into the restaurant. “How often do you come here?”

“Not as often as I used too. Homebody, and all.” She came to a stop at reception and smiled warmly at the woman behind the big desk. “Reservation for Asami Sato?”

Asami Sato? Sato, as in, Satomobile? Korra frowned as the lady brought them over to a table on the upper floor and left them alone with the menus.

“You connected the dots in that fascinating little head of yours?” Asami asked as she put on her glasses.

“Sato… As in, like, the Satomobile? You’re that Sato?” Korra replied, still frowning. “You’re the Sato?”

“Mhm,” Asami let out a tiny sigh and deflated her shoulders. “I own Future Industries. I’m not just any director, I’m the overseer. I inherited the company when my dad died. I’m doing business studies on the side so I have an official piece of paper signifying I’m fit for the role.” She nervously worried her lower lip between her teeth. “Not something you tell people on the first date.”

Korra looked off to the side and let that information sink in. “So… you’re…”

“Extremely well off? The embodiment of capitalism?”

“No!” Korra let out an awkward laugh and shook her head. “No. You’re the CEO? Did your dad train you for this at all? You didn’t get dumped with a massive burden, did you?”

Asami tilted her head curiously. “Those are the questions you have? You sure you don’t want to make a sugar daddy joke?”

“I mean, I could, but that’s… not important. I couldn’t imagine inheriting an entire company. You’re a CEO and a student, whilst also being a really good cat mom. How do you manage work life and your personal life?”

Asami looked a little taken back. “Um, well… I’ll just start from the beginning. Dad always said if I wanted to take over one day, I could, but it wasn’t mandatory. I didn’t expect to take over the way I did. I was meant to be chef engineer and work my way up the ranks so by the time dad retired, I could comfortably continue his work without the added pressures. When he got sick… He asked me if I still wanted to be in charge. I felt like I owed it to him, you know? So… I said yes.

“He started showing me figures, explaining each department, letting me sit in on meetings, allowing me to take over small roles. He gradually desensitised me to everything so I wasn’t overwhelmed. That first year… it was a lot, I’ll admit. When he rapidly started declining, well… I had to figure things out without his guidance. I’d still go to him and ask him questions but he wasn’t always fully present on the meds they put him on. We signed all the paperwork over before he was put on end of life treatment, so I officially took over 6 months before he passed. It’s been… gosh, a wild ride.” She took a pause to gather her thoughts before continuing.

“Short answer? I don’t have good work life balance. Those first 2 years after he died weren’t easy. I was constantly pushed to my limit. I started sleeping in my office, hardly ate, didn’t go out with friends. I was catatonic. It was my way of dealing with the grief. It’s only recently that I’ve stepped back and started delegating my work load so I’m not a zombie. It was never a burden in the convectional sense, but it was like a bomb went off.” She stopped and stared into her lap. “It’s been really hard trying to figure out how relationships fit into the bigger picture. Can’t exactly put you’re a nepo baby into your dating app profile.”

Korra did her very best to digest everything Asami had just said. How on earth did you function with such a massive weight on your shoulders? It was a miracle Asami hadn’t crumbled under the pressure. “I’m so sorry you had to go through the loss of two parents and then continue their legacy all on your own. I… I can’t even begin to understand how you’ve stayed above water all these years. I would have combusted on the spot. You’re something special, Asami. Thank you for letting me in on something so personal. Should I sigh an NDA or something? Like, would that make you feel better about us dating?”

Asami seriously looked like she was about to cry. “You’d sign an NDA? Willingly?”

“Yeah. I know it must be hard—”

“How did I get so lucky?” Asami blurted out, mouth opening and closing several times. “The odds of me finding someone that didn’t try and use me for my wealth, and status, was next to zero. Where have you been my whole life?”

Korra blew out a big breath through her nose. “Um, I was in the south for, like, 16 years. Then I moved to Republic City and was separated from the rest of civilisation and trapped on an island for 2 years. I feel like you would have hated 20-year-old me, though, like, she was a real frat boy. Also 21-year-old me. And 22. And—”

“Okay, alright, I get it,” Asami wiped the corner of her eye with the back of her knuckle and chuckled. “I was so scared you’d freak out when I told you who I was. Most people start looking at me weird.”

“Hate to break it to you, but, um, Tenzin is loaded. He lives on a private island, Asami. He owns a coffee shop. He has several properties all around the world. Wealth isn’t new to me.” She leaned over the table and flashed a grin. “My dad is running for chief of the southern water tribe this election. My uncle is a chief. Status, wealth, I’ve grown up around it. I like you because you’re really funny and let me use my dumb pick-up-lines. Someone close to me said adult relationships don’t need to be complicated. I won’t make it weird if you don’t make it weird.”

Asami closed her eyes for a couple of seconds and regained some of her composure. “Okay,” She exhaled, slowly opening her eyes. “I trust you. I don’t know why, but I do.”

“I would not trust me. I will literally get you into all kinds of trouble. I convinced Mako and Bolin to drive without a license to the other side of town, in a car that we stole, just so I could meet with a boy. I stole a car, Asami. Tenzin had to bail me out of jail. I was grounded for weeks.” She laughed and leaned back, picking up the menu. “Okay, you’ve been here before, what can you recommend?”

Asami studied her closely for a moment before swallowing hard and picking up her own menu. “The Elephant Koi Shui Zhu Yu is my go-to. I think you’d like it.”

***

It was hard to describe the admiration Asami had for Korra. In a world full of leaches and bottom feeders, she was a ray of sunshine in the middle of a cyclone. Whilst most people would have taken her secret for granted, Korra simply did not care. It was just a piece of side information that held no real value. She was more interested in Asami’s silly little stories and minor, insignificant details about her childhood. She’d reacted more to a picture of Suki dressed up in a little dragon costume than to the literal fact Asami was a major figure head in the automotive world.

“Here, try this,” Korra broke her steamed custard bun into a quarter and set it on Asami’s plate. “It’s really good.”

Asami picked the piece up and blew on it for a moment or two before putting it in her mouth. “Oh, wow, that’s amazing.” She wiped her fingers on her napkin and scooped a bit of her lychee pudding onto her spoon. “Try this, they got the consistency perfect.” She held out the spoon for Korra to take.

Instead of retrieving the spoon with her fingers, Korra leaned over and ate the offered bite directly from the source. Asami tried not to blush at how intimate that was and perked an eyebrow as Korra chewed. With a groan, Korra gave her a thumbs up. “That’s just like the stuff Pema makes. I’m gonna have to bring you around to air temple island so you can try her rice pudding. It’s really simple but man, it’s like eating a cloud.”

“I don’t doubt it. The baking she does for the café is out of this world. I find myself craving her muffins really late at night.” Asami continued eating and then suddenly sat up right. “Oh!” She covered her mouth as she chewed and quickly swallowed. “Opal’s mom has a secret family recipe for these breakfast cakes that I think you’d love. I’ll have to get Opal to make some. She’s actually really good in the kitchen. She had a family chief teach her how to cook when she was little.”

“That’s so cool! Did you have a family chef?”

“Not initially. Mom and dad would cook for me all the time when I was little. When mom died, dad hired kitchen staff for us. I think it was too painful for him. I never learnt how to cook. I wish I’d taken lessons from mom when she was still alive. She always tried to encourage me but I was really scared of cutting myself with a knife or messing the food up.” She took a sip of wine (Her only glass, she was driving after all) and set the glass back down. “Can you cook?”

Korra jutted out her lower lip in sympathy. “I can. I could teach you. I was preparing food from the moment I was old enough to hold a hunting knife. Dad thought it was important that I learn about the circle of life and prepare the meat we cooked so I had a deeper appreciation for the food on our table. I’m really good at making southern food. Mom was heavy on the ‘you need to know how to look after yourself’ stuff. I do meal prep at the beginning of each week so I have lunches. I cook the boy’s dinner all the time. They’re pretty hopeless.” She stuffed another bit of bun in her mouth.

“That’s… really sweet. I’d like that. Your parents sound really amazing. You’ve already mentioned you used to go on hunting trips, what age did your dad start taking you out?” She leaned back in her seat and finished off the last tiny bit of wine.

“Oh, hm… I think I was 6? He was going to take me out into the tundra on my 5^th birthday but I got really sick that year.” She ate another mouthful before continuing. “It was really scary. We went out on little boats that I thought would tip at any given moment. We took town a tiger-seal together and hauled it back home. I was 6, Asami, I had a whole ass crisis because I thought that everything, including inanimate objects, had feelings. I refused to sharpen my pencils because I thought I was hurting them. After a really big talk about life as a whole, dad pulled me out of my spiral. It became tradition after that. We’d go out on my birthday each year.”

“What’s it like? Hunting, I mean. The spiritual side of things.”

“That’s a really good question. It’s thrilling. You’re either out on the ice or tracking animals through the snow. You have to be really in tune with your senses and focus on the present. When you take a life, it’s about respecting the creature and the sacrifice it made so you could continue living. You feel… sad, at the time. It’s never an easy thing to do. Then, as you prepare the body, you feel a deep sense of gratitude.

“It makes you appreciate the smaller things in life. When you eat the meat you’ve gathered… you feel… a deep connection to the land and the animal you’ve delicately deconstructed to provide for your family. I always felt connected to my culture, and my ancestors, when I was out with dad. I come from a long line of war chefs. Dad is northern, mom is southern. I’m a mix of both tribes.” She used small hand gestures as she spoke and used a calm, welcoming tone that sucked Asami in.

“How does that make you feel? Knowing you’ve got such rich family history?”

“Proud, for sure. I always felt really grounded knowing I was rooted in both cultures.” Korra took a sip of water. “What about you? You said you have fire nation linage.”

Asami narrowed an eye in thought and leaned an elbow on the table. With her chin in her palm, she breathed out a small, “It’s complicated. Dad was fire nation; mom was earth kingdom. I don’t know much about our family history. Dad came from a poor family. He moved to Republic City and built Future Industries from the ground up. Mom was… secretive. I never knew my grandparents on her side. My dads’ parents died before I was born so I never met them. If I took the time to go through all of dad’s stuff, I’d probably find something.” She sighed, wrinkling up her nose. “I’m not very spiritual, either. I could never sit still long enough to meditate or reflect on life. Silence is too loud.”

Korra softened and sent her a warm smile. “Guess you’ve just got to make your own family history, right? That’s the beauty of it.” She wiped her mouth with her napkin and laughed. “I suck at mediating but I had to do a lot of it when I was living with Tenzin. It’s a skill you have to learn. I could walk you through a guided mediation sometime if you wanted. I talk Mako through them all the time when his mental health dips. Bolin is surprisingly really good at sitting still.”

Asami supposed Korra was right. She’d never thought about her future enough to envision a family of her own. Family was a strange, deluded concept in her brain. Hard to think about digging in roots when you’re on autopilot. “You have a really soothing voice. You sure you aren’t just talking him to sleep?”

Korra laughed and shook her head. “You never know. Sleeping is a form of meditation, though. Well, the state of rest before you fall into a deep sleep. That’s typically what you aim for when you’re meditating. Floating between two different planes of consciousness. It takes a bunch of practice but once you get it, you get it.”

“You explained that really well,” Asami tapped her fingers over her chin. “You ever lucid dreamed?”

Korra perked up. “Once. I had a weird out of body experience. Like… I was looking down on myself and then controlling this giant spirit version of myself that wandered through the spirit world. I tried to do it again but I don’t know how I did it. It was crazy. Have you?”

“No. I’ve heard some cool stories from friends that have. I always thought it was an interesting concept. I do day dream a lot, though. I’ll start drifting off in the middle of a meeting and have to bring myself back down to earth.”

“Oh? What about?”

“Um, things I could build, contraptions I could tinker with, books I’m reading… boring stuff. Nothing interesting.” Korra did not need to know she’d started day dreaming about a certain set of blue eyes. Be real with yourself, it’s not just her eyes. She shoved down that train of thought before it manifested.

“Oh! Oh! Okay, come here,” She leaned over the table and wiggled her finger. When Asami leaned in close with an amused expression, she whispered a soft, “Jinora said you wouldn’t tell me about your books because you might read smut. Was she right?”

Asami’s whole face twisted up as she let out a choked laugh. “I don’t know whether I should admit to that or not. Would you judge me if I did?”

“f*ck no! I want all the juicy details. Is it good smut?”

Asami leaned back in her chair and cringed. “It’s… decent, I guess. It’s hard to find sapphic books with decent smut. I read a lot of si-fi so it gets weird pretty quickly and I’m forced to stop. I started a medieval fantasy romance recently, though, and the build up has been immense. I have high hopes.”

Korra pursed her lips with an eyebrow raise. “Is it gay medieval?”

“It is. Woman pretending to be a man so she’s allowed to train as a knight, falls in love with the princess, both see each other in secret. I just got to the part where the knight was put on the princess’s personal guard and the tension is immaculate.” Asami wiped her clammy hands on her pants. “Do you not read?”

“That sounds sick.” Korra enthused, grinning. “I listen to audiobooks. I know it’s the inferior way of consuming media, but I struggle with words on paper. My brain keeps trying to read ahead and I miss all the context.”

“Aw, your little excitable brain has it’s downsides?” She checked the time on her watch and blinked. 9:25pm. “Oh, shoot. It’s getting really late and it’s a week night. What time do you need to be back home?”

“I, um, was wondering if we could make a small stop before you drop me off. I wanted to show you something.” Korra’s cheeks started going red. “I don’t have class until lunch so I’m good but I know you get up early.”

Ugh, that shouldn’t have given her butterflies. “Yeah, of course. I’ll get—”

“Nope!” Korra held her hand up. “I got it. You paid last time. Jinora, uh, owed me a bunch of money. She, um, said she’d give me her entire pay check if I gave you my number and she made good on that promise last week, so I’ve been hanging onto it.”

Asami couldn’t help it, she had to cover her mouth so she didn’t snort. “She bribed you into giving me your number?”

“Ugh, look, I was desperate. I just had to fork out for a new laptop. It worked, did it not?” Korra rubbed her neck and cringed. “I needed external motivation. In saying that, I feel like it’s only fair I use that money on you considering, you know, she paid me to give you my number.”

In a weird kind of way, it was cute. Asami would have to thank Jinora sometime soon. “You just found out I’m incredibly rich and you still want to pay?” Asami probed playfully.

“Asami,” Korra started, putting on a very serious face. “You cannot put a price on dignity.”

“I asked you to come here with me though,” Asami sighed, pouting out her lower lip. “You can pay for the next one, promise.”

Korra held strong. “Can we split it then?”

“You’re not going to crack, are you?”

“Nope.” Korra did start grinning, her façade breaking. “You paid last time. I literally have a sh*t load of money in my account right now. It won’t be often I can splurge on you. Let me have this?”

With a long, drawn-out sigh, Asami slowly nodded her head. “I get a discount because I’m friends with the owner. It shouldn’t break the bank. I will pay next time, are we clear on that now so we don’t argue about it in the future?”

Korra beamed. “Crystal clear.”

After waving the waitress over, paying for their meal, and retrieving Asami’s car, they ventured off towards an undisclosed location. Korra was terrible with directions, even when she pulled out her phone and used the map app. She was dead set on giving verbal instructions so the map app lady didn’t give the surprise away.

Eventually Asami rolled into a park outside what looked like the shipping docks.

“Have you brought me here to kill me?” Asami asked as she killed the engine and peered out the window. “I knew you were a serial killer.”

“No!” Korra tried to defuse, waving her hands in front of her. “This is where the ferry picks me up to take me over to air temple island. I wanted to show you something from the docks. If you feel unsafe I can just take you to the park—”

“It’s okay, I’m only pulling your leg,” Asami reached over with a laugh and squeezed Korra’s knee. “Aren’t you going to be cold, though?”

“Ha, no. It’s really warm out right now. I’m actually in comfortable temperature range in this dress. No nervous sweating.” She jumped out the car without further warning and ran around the front of the car to open up Asami’s door. She extended her hand and flashed that signature grin of hers.

Asami eagerly accepted Korra’s hand and pulled herself to her feet. “So, like, what is cold for you then? Subzero temperatures?”

Korra smirked, lacing their fingers together as she started pulling her along. “Pretty much. I used to swim in literal ice water. The heated pools are basically boiling to me.” She kept dragging Asami towards the long pier and stopped right before the end of it. After staring out into the distance for a few seconds, she squeezed Asami’s hand and pointed. “Okay, so, over there is air temple island. Can you see without your glasses?”

Asami had to squint but she was able to make out the land mass. “I can see it.”

“If you look a little to your left you’ll see another island with a statue on it.”

Asami ducked her head forward and squinted harder. “Oh, I’ve seen that statue before. What makes it special?”

“It was made in memorial of Tenzin’s dad, Aang. The day Aang died, I was born. Katara, his wife, helped bring me into the world whilst her husband passed away peacefully in his sleep. I’m wearing her necklace tonight, actually. I never got to meet Aang, obviously, but Katara told me I was just like him when I was a kid. She told me, on my 12^th birthday, that she was certain I was his reincarnation. When I lived over on air temple island I would stare out at that statue and try and put myself in his shoes.” Korra took a pause. “He helped form Republic City. I found myself wondering… could I do that?”

Asami gave Korra the time she needed to speak and watched her side profile carefully. With a smile, she ran her thumb over the back of Korra’s hand reassuringly and squeezed.

“Short answer is no, I couldn’t. He offered refuge to thousands of people when the war ended. What I could do, though, was enrich myself with his teachings. I think convincing myself I was someone better in a past life made me… I don’t know, less angry at the world. If I was capable of all this,” Korra turned and gestured out at the city. “I had no excuse to hurt other people. That little comment changed me deeply as a person. I still had my troubles, and I went through a lot of different phases, but I evolved into someone that was capable of understanding there’s going to be a lot of highs and lows. More importantly… None of it defines who I am as a person. What does, though, is the impact my behaviour has on other people.”

Asami found herself gazing hopelessly at Korra as she spoke. Before she could offer a reply, Korra continued.

“I’m not perfect, Asami. I’ve done some real stupid sh*t. Funnily enough, Jinora told me something this morning that really changed my perspective on things. She said… some things are just good. There doesn’t need to be a catch. I outgrew all of my toxic behaviours on my own, without the influence of a relationship. She said… I need to stop digging around for the negatives and just accept that we just found each other at just the right time. It sounds corny, and really cliché, but I think she’s right. I can’t promise I won’t hurt you. I’m going to continue to do some really stupid sh*t. But… I would…” Korra turned then and took Asami’s other hand, facing her fully. “I would like to do that. With you. Figure things out and then work on them, I mean. If you’d like to as well, that is.”

Asami was, quite literally, stunned into silence. Between the sounds of waves hitting the concrete, and the pitter patter of her own heart circling around in her brain, she did not know what to say. Korra had taken her out here, in the middle of a pier, under the f*cking moon, to open up her heart and offer it on a silver platter. She searched Korra’s face, trying to find something that would suggest this was all a fantasy. Because this is what this is, a fantasy, the insecure part of her brain whispered. What if it isn’t? She argued back, eyes dropping to Korra’s mouth. What if this is something good?

The light in Korra’s eyes slowly started fading the longer Asami didn’t speak. “Ugh, I know—”

Asami cupped Korra’s face in both of her hands and leaned down to kiss her. Hard. She hadn’t meant to be so rough but she’d practically tipped forward as a reflex and lost her centre of gravity. Korra instinctively grabbed her waist to stop her from falling forward and melted into the kiss with a soft little exhale through her nose.

And oh.

oh.

Korra tasted like coming home from school on a rainy afternoon, drenched from head to toe. She tasted like the warm cup of tea her mother had offered her as a child before they both curled up by the fire.

Korra tasted just like the warmth she had been chasing her entire adult life. The warmth she had told Korra she’d been searching for ever since that fated winter morning snuggled up in bed with her parents.

All of the gears in her heart clicked into place.

Korra tastes like home.

Asami let one hand curl around the back of Korra’s neck as she carefully pulled back an inch. Slowly, one by one, she let her eyes open. Korra still had hers closed but there was a look of pure bliss spread over her whole face. Asami felt her lips twitch as she tilted her head and went in for another kiss. This time, one of Korra’s hands curled into the fabric of her right lapel and held her in place. The butterflies fluttering around in her stomach did not help the situation. She was completely high on life— No, Korra. So much so, she was having trouble justifying pulling away.

A tiny, breathless hum vibrated against her lips as Korra gripped her waist. Despite the fact her lungs were screaming for oxygen, she didn’t want this to end.

Korra ended up pulling back just enough their foreheads could rest together whilst she caught her breath. “I have a pick-up-line for you,” She murmured, smiling.

Asami was smiling too. Breathlessly, she let out a small, “Yeah?”

The hand gripping her lapel lifted to cup the underside of her jaw. “If you let me borrow a kiss, I promise I’ll give it right back.”

Asami laughed and gently bumped Korra’s nose to the side as she dove back in. There was no heat, no desperation, just… a quiet exploration of lips. She quickly discovered Korra liked it when she ghosted her thumb along the length of her cheek. When they parted for air again, Korra gazed at her like she was the only girl in the world.

“Yes,” She whispered, voice a little husky. She had to swallow a couple of times before her next words floated out of her mouth. “I would like to figure things out with you.”

The bright, ecstatic smile that pulled at Korra’s lips was so so stunning. “Really?”

Asami mimicked her smile and faintly nodded her head. “Mhm. It is a package deal with me, though. You’re also signing on to co-parent with Suki.”

Korra exhaled out a laugh and traced her thumb along Asami’s lower lip. The action immediately made all the blood in Asami’s body travel south. “Goes both ways. You’re also signing on to co-parent with Naga.”

Asami let her eyes flutter shut and rested their foreheads back together. She could feel Korra’s breath fan against her mouth and struggled to justify not kissing her again. Ultimately the sound of her phone going off in her pant pocket broke the illusion. “Sorry,” She swayed backwards and dropped her hands down to Korra’s shoulders. “That’s probably Opal asking if I kissed you.”

Korra wrinkled up her nose and slipped both hands down to Asami’s lapels. “I don’t know, did you?” There was a mischievous glint in her eyes as she smoothed the wrinkles out of the material. “We should probably head back. It’s way past your bedtime.”

Asami could not help herself. “Mm, not sure, want me to do it again?”

Korra pulled her down and kissed her. It was a short kiss, sure, but it held the promise of more. She pulled back with a goofy smirk on her face and patted Asami’s cheek. “I think we’re good. Come on, you’re going to be so tired tomorrow.”

Asami was completely dumbstruck. After blinking several times, she nodded. “Right, yeah, of course,” She willed her body to move and stepped back. Korra was quick to grab her hand and lead the charge back towards the car.

After dropping Korra off, and stealing one more quick kiss in the car, Asami finally made it home. She was correct, Opal had been pestering her.

Opal [9:45pm]:
Asami I need all the details right now did you kiss her??? Did she kiss you??? I have bets placed with Bolin and I need to know whether you did it or she did it!!!

Asami [10:10pm]:
f*cking hell woman. You made bets???

Opal [10:11pm]:
YOU’RE HOME LATE DID YOU KISS HER ????

Asami [10:11pm]:
I don’t want to tell you now.

Opal [10:12pm]:
Asami baby please I am begging

Asami [10:12pm]:
ugh yes I kissed her.

Opal [10:12pm]:
AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH f*ckING YES I TOLD BOLIN YOU WOULD BE THE ONE TO DO IT!!!! HE OWES ME 100 YUAN. Details. Right now. Is she a good kisser????

Asami decided to ignore Opal in favour of sending Korra a text.

Asami [10:14pm]:
Hey I got home safe. X

She quickly went to go change into her night gown and gave Suki a couple of treats on the way. After cleaning off her make up, brushing her hair out, and pulling on a pair of fluffy socks, she flopped onto her bed and unlocked her phone.

Korra [10:15pm]:
Yay! Have a good sleep. Miss you already. X

Asami [10:25pm]:
Miss you too. Good night x

She went back to her messages with Opal and sighed.

Asami [10:27pm]:
She’s a really good kisser

Opal [10:28pm]:
I’m so happy for you I’m literally bouncing off of the walls!!!

Asami [10:29pm]:
I’ll call you tomorrow. goodnight :)

Opal [10:30pm]:
night babe I expect a detailed re-telling of the whole thing just so you’re aware lol

With a smile on her face, she put her phone on her night stand, curled under the blankets, and drifted off dreaming about a certain set of lips pressing against her own.

Notes:

I hope that lived up to your expectations!

Notes:

i need to clarify that mako/asami will never be a thing in this fic but they are going to be best bros (much like bolin/asami are going to act like siblings as things progress)

sexual tension kicks off between our gals this chap and we get a healthy dose of fluff and banter

getting out of the awkward 'can I kiss you?' stage and 'are we girlfriends??' stage is always a fun time (we love gay panic)

l liked writing this one a lot :) A little nervous posting but i hope you enjoy the progression

(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)

It had been a full week since Asami had kissed her for the first time. Korra found herself fantasising religiously. It was hard to concentrate when she could simply make up fake scenarios in her head. In saying that, she did have a group project she had to contribute too. As unsavoury as that was, life had to keep trudging along. That didn’t stop her from drifting off thinking about Asami’s lips. Her sex drive had been non-existent for months and now it was suddenly back with vengeance.

It was only mildly inconvenient. She supposed it was to be expected when she was seeing someone as attractive as Asami.

Asami [7:34pm]:
I finally finished the last couple episodes of Kyoshi Warriors. When are you coming around with the next season?

Korra perked up in her desk chair. Speak of the devil.

Korra [7:36pm]:
I’m free on Sunday. What about you?

Asami [7:38pm]:
Sunday works with me. Lunch and a marathon?

Korra [7:39pm]:
Sounds perfect. Want me to bring some noodles from Narook’s with me?

Asami [7:40pm]:
Oooh yes please. It’s a date. I’ll buy some snacks to tie us over.

Korra [7:41pm]:
Awesome! What did you get up to today? X

Asami [7:45pm]:
Thought about you and occasionally did some work. What about you?

At least Korra wasn’t alone in her yearning.

Korra [7:50pm]:
Same here. I’ve been staring at a screen for the past 30 minutes trying to figure out how to make sense of my groups joint research document. You’re really distracting.

Asami [7:51pm]:
Oh yeah? What exactly have I been doing in your brain that’s so distracting?

She groaned up at her ceiling and messily ran her hand through her hair. Was this an invitation? Probably not.

Korra [7:53pm]:
I could ask you the same thing ;)

Asami [7:54pm]:
I can’t stop thinking about kissing you.

So… that was an invitation? No, idiot. Don’t jump ahead.Korra [8:00pm]:
Really?

Asami [8:02pm]:
Among other things.

That is an invitation. Korra let her thumbs hover over her keyboard as she thought about a reply. Before she could answer, another message came through.

Asami [8:03pm]:
Ugh I really want to see you.

Korra’s stomach started to fill with nervous energy. She stared at her screen for several long minutes debating whether to be forward or disengage.

She went with disengage.

Korra [8:07pm]:
You could come around tomorrow for flat movie night. I could show you my paintings. X

Asami [8:09pm]:
Would the boys behave themselves? Lol

Korra [8:10pm]:
Probably not. It would be fun though haha

Asami [8:12pm]:
Okay. I’ll come bearing gifts so they’re less likely to hound us. First 3 cuddles sessions are free, correct? And this would be my second?

Korra [8:14pm]:
Yup. Sunday would make 3. Subscription based service after that. If you want to win the boys over bring a pack of beer and some gummy worms. I’ll send you the details tomorrow, I’m on movie picking duty this time round so if you have any suggestions fire away :) x

Asami [8:15pm]:
Can I pay you with kisses? Would that work? Just so I know what kinda payment I’m working with. Do you have any special snacks I could bring to win you over?

Have you seen cocaine bear? Opal said its really funny.

Asami was making it really hard not to be a complete smartass. The immature part of her brain really wanted to throw a sex joke in there just to see what her reaction would be.

Korra [8:18pm]:
Kisses work. I need them up front at the beginning of each billing cycle. If you bring me seaweed cookies I’ll literally marry you on the spot.

I haven’t! Bolin actually said he wanted to watch that a couple weeks ago! I’ll download it.

Asami [8:20pm]:
Cool. If I wear flavoured lip gloss do I get a free upgrade to the close contact cuddling service? Haha should have guessed. I’ll get you some. Anything else?

Korra wrote up her message with a tiny smirk. f*ck it.

Korra [8:22pm]:
I’ll literally take my shirt off for you if you wear flavoured lip gloss haha just bring yourself and wear something comfortable. I’ll be in sweats and a tank top.

Asami [8:23pm]:
Don’t tease me like that I know you’re packing under there :(

Korra [8:24pm]:
I don’t have visible abs unless I flex rn because I have been eating my weight in junk food for the past month haha

Asami [8:25pm]:
Nooo now I’m thinking about you flexing for me

Korra [8:26pm]:
Did you want me to send you a photo or something?

Asami [8:27pm]:
Would you actually?

Korra bit down on her lower lip and worked her jaw back and forth. After much contemplation, she rolled backwards in her chair, closed her door, and moved to lay on her bed. She was not in the market to send something completely inappropriate, but she did lift her shirt so it was bunched around her upper waist and flexed her abdomen.

Korra [8:35pm]:
[image attached]
There you go

Asami [8:36pm]:
Oh f*ck you actually did it

Korra [8:37pm]:
Have fun with your new spank bank material ;)

Three little dots kept appearing and disappearing. Korra was about to send a follow up message when Asami finally replied.

Asami [8:42pm]:
So generous. You are like really hot though. Send me one unflexed? For science.

Korra’s eyebrows shot up. Okay, two could play this game.

She let her intrusive thoughts win.

Korra [8:45pm]:
Not unless you send me one first

She immediately regretted it.

Korra [8:45pm]:
Sorry ignore that I let the intrusive thoughts win haha

She really worried that she’d crossed the line when Asami simply did not reply. They’d only just agreed to being exclusive. She wasn’t entirely sure if she could call Asami her girlfriend yet. Heck, they’d only kissed a handful of times. 3, to be exact. Once when Asami had dropped by to hand off something Korra had left in her car the night of their date, once when no one was looking at work, and one time when Korra had just gotten off her shift and Asami was in the area for her lunch break. They’d spent a good hour together that day.

Her phone chime went off.

Asami [8:52pm]:
[image attached]
Fair is fair. Your turn.

Korra’s stomach dropped. Asami had sent a photo. Asami sent you a f*cking photo. She was laying down in bed, her dressing gown partly open exposing a small portion of her abdomen. She had pyjama bottoms on, so it wasn’t as if this was ground breaking. Her skin looked silky smooth. She even had an inny belly button. It wasn’t sexual, really, it wasn’t, but it was doing things for her that made all the blood rush to less ideal places.

Korra [8:55pm]:
f*ck Asami

Asami [8:56pm]:
Too much?

Korra [8:57pm]:
No you’re just really really attractive and I’m very very attracted to you

Asami [8:58pm]:
You literally sent me a photo of you flexing your abs. That was so unfair :(

Korra [9:03pm]:
[image attached]
Here they are unflexed. For science.

Asami [9:04]:
Now I really want to see you

Korra [9:05pm]:
It’s your bedtime. Go to sleep.

Asami [9:06pm]:
How am I meant to go to sleep now??

Well, time to drop that sex joke and see what kind of reaction she got.

Korra [9:07pm]:
You have an hour to work out your frustrations if you want to get 8 hours sleep x

Asami [9:08pm]:
You’re really bad at math. It would be 7 hours.

Korra [9:09pm]:
Okay set aside like 10 mins then so you get 7 and a half.

Asami [9:10pm]:
Ughhhh you’re getting it tomorrow when I see you. Night babe x

Babe? Korra’s eyes lit up.

Korra [9:12pm]:
Goodnight. Sweet dreams x

Tomorrow could not come soon enough. She begrudgingly returned back to her laptop and attempted to get some work done.

***

Asami sat in her car nervously toying with her phone. 6:30, okay, stop fidgeting. She grabbed the bag of goods sitting in the passenger seat and finally got out of the car. She’d been amping herself up for a good 5 minutes. The whole day had dragged. She had, shamefully, pulled up Korra’s little photos from the night before several times throughout the afternoon.

She really shouldn’t have encouraged a string of highly suggestive messages. Two glasses of wine on an empty stomach was a recipe for disaster.

“Have you started having wet dreams about her?” Opal asked on the other end of the phone.

Asami snorted as she took a sip from her wine glass. “No,” She scrolled through her phone and stopped on a picture Opal had sent of a cat. “Ugh, I shouldn’t be talking to you right now. I’m a glass in.”

“Rough day?”

“It was just… draining. I need to take a vacation.”

“I’ve been telling you to take one for 6 months. Get laid, sleep in, get wine drunk and take your cat on an adventure. It would do you good.”

“That does sound really good actually,” Asami mused, finishing off her glass. “I should bring Suki into the office with me to boost everyone’s mood with this product launch.”

“Which part? Getting laid?” Asami could hear Opal smirking through the phone.

“Stooop,” Asami whined, jumping up from the couch to refill her glass. “We’ve only kissed a couple times.”

“Yeah, but, like, you’re thinking about kissing her in other places, aren’t you?”

“I don’t want to confirm anything with you. You always blow this stuff up and make fun of me.” She relaxed back and hummed as she took a big gulp. “I can’t stop thinking about her. Is it normal to be this infatuated?”

“I promise I won’t make fun of you,” Opal chimed. “For you? No, it’s not normal. Bolin told me she hasn’t stopped talking about you. Apparently, she isn’t usually this chatty about the people she sees either. He can’t remember the last time she was this invested in someone.”

A smile tugged at her lips. “I could literally kick my feet right now. I’m so screwed.”

“You should be getting screwed,” Opal laughed. “Sorry, I’ll stop. Are you actually thinking about her in an intimate way though?”

“Argh,” Asami grumbled. “Yes. It’s not… graphic… but I keep drifting off thinking about her hands. I don’t think I could do the whole sex thing right now but my libido decided to rare it’s ugly head.”

“Aw, babe, that’s a good sign. You had such a major dry spell because of all the stress. Maybe your body is finally regulating itself now all the initial grief has passed?”

Asami sighed into her glass and took another sip. “Maybe. I know my therapist would have a field day if I told her I was getting all worked up from simply looking at someone’s forearms.” She pulled up Korra’s contact and bit down on her lower lip. “I finished her cute little show yesterday. Should I ask if she wants to come around with the next season?”

“Oooh! Yes!”

“Okay… sent. Should I be messaging her if I’ve been drinking? I feel like that’s a bad idea.”

“I mean… you aren’t drunk, are you?”

“No. I feel a little funky though. Oh! She asked if Sunday works.” She set her glass down on the coffee table. “I think I might have to go. I can’t talk and text her at the same time.”

“Why? You’re like the multitasking queen.”

“Um…” She focused on what Korra was sending her and then groaned. “I can’t concentrate. I’m going to get ready for bed. I’ll update you tomorrow. Thanks for all the cat content.”

“Hey, Asami?”

“Mm?”

“Listen to your body. If it’s self-regulating again it means you’re out of fight or flight. That’s not something small.”

Asami let the weight of that sentence sink in. “Right…” She frowned a little. “I love you. I’ll text you tomorrow.”

“Night, babe.”

As she climbed the pathway leading up to the front of Korra’s flat, she felt a minor ping of anxiety bubble up. She really had been all bark no bite. She wasn’t even sure what she meant by ‘you’re going to get it tomorrow’. Gosh, she’d even used the term ‘babe’ unironically. She didn’t use pet names. She hated pet names.

She stopped at the door and let out a slow exhale. It was now or never. She lifted her hand and knocked.

There was loud thumping on the other side of the door before it opened with Korra panting. “Hi,” She got out, glaring back over her shoulder. “They’ve already started. I hope you brought patience with you.”

Asami was only partly focused on what Korra was saying. Her arms, and shoulders, were on full display in a tight-fitting white tank top. “I brought peace offerings first and foremost,” She held up the big shopping bag. “I didn’t know what kind of beer to get so I went with two different kinds and got stuck on the gummy worms so I got the sour kind and the normal kind—” She rambled on in one singular breath. “And seaweed cookies, I didn’t forget those. You said in your red flag list you had an addiction to sour patch kids so I also brought some of those. I didn’t know which kind, so I sorta got them all. Um, I also threw in some jolly ranchers and chocolate because I know chocolate goes well with popcorn. Well, I think it does, so—”

“Hey,” Korra found her gaze and smiled. “You didn’t have to go to all that effort. They don’t deserve your generosity. I, however, will literally worship you until the day I die. I have been craving sour patch kids like crazy,” She stepped back and nodded towards the inside of the house. “Come on. You look really pretty, by the way.”

Asami willed the blush to remain below her neckline as she followed Korra in. Before she could reply, or properly greet anyone, especially Korra, Bolin ran around the couch and bounced right in front of her. “Asami!” He threw his arms up. “Hug?”

She handed the bag over to Korra when she made grabby hands and wrapped her arms around Bolin’s body. He made a noise of pure excitement as he lifted her up off the ground and twirled her around. She let out a laugh when he finally put her down and patted his shoulder. “Thanks, Bolin. Opal says hi, by the way. I spoke to her earlier today.”

He looked like he was about to burst. “Is she still talking about me?”

“I know too much about you,” She teased.

“Oh, um, sorry about that?” He had the decency to look bashful as he jumped over the top of the couch and landed right next to his brother.

Mako lifted a hand in greeting and tipped his head down. “Hey, Asami. I think Bolin hugged you enough for everyone.”

“Oh! Shoot, I left something in my car for you. Hold on,” She held up her finger and dashed out to retrieve a small CD case sitting in the backseat. When she returned, she brought it over and held it out. “Signed copy of the Earthen Serpent’s first CD release. If you’re into The Red Lotus, you’ll like these guys.”

Mako looked at the CD and then up at her several times before gently taking the case. “That’s… really thoughtful. I can see why Korra is obsessed with you,” He inspected the front cover. “Thanks. Um, we did not get you anything. Korra made it blatantly clear we weren’t allowed to touch you with a ten-foot pole.”

“Because you two kept being creeps!” Korra called out from the kitchen. “I’m not obsessed, I have a healthy devotion, there’s a difference.” She walked in balancing three bowls on each arm, each filled with a different candy. “Get up and help me. You both wanted to charge the front door two seconds ago.”

Bolin whined as he came over to grab two bowls. “Because it wound you up!” He moved to set the bowls on the coffee table and came back to help with the other two.

“That’s what all that commotion was?” Asami laughed and stepped to the side so she wasn’t in the way.

“Yes,” Korra huffed, shoving the last two bowls into Mako’s lap. “I literally can’t even breathe without them trying to piss me off,” Once her hands were empty, she gestured for Asami to follow her into the kitchen.

Asami bit back another laugh as she followed Korra’s lead. Once out of direct line of sight, Korra walked face first into her chest and wrapped her arms round her middle. Asami softened, circling her arms around Korra’s neck. “Bolin didn’t hug me enough for you?”

Korra let out a muffled ‘no’ into her shirt and hummed. When she pulled back, she had a small smile on her face. She kept her arms secured around Asami’s waist as she whispered a quiet, “I missed you.”

“I missed you too,” She said softly, trying to keep her eyes from dropping down to Korra’s mouth. Tone it down, you’ve only just gotten here. “Did you have a good day?”

Korra shrugged a shoulder. “Better now that I’ve seen you,” She carefully detangled herself and stepped over to the kitchen counter. “I’m stealing a whole bag of sour patch kids and demolishing those cookies. Did you want to secure anything before the rest gets delegated?”

“Aw, you won’t share with me?” Asami teased, shaking her head. “I’ll hog the popcorn. Did you want me to help you delegate?”

“I’ll share with you and you only. We’re getting a whole couch, by the way. I told them I didn’t want either of them near the both of us when we’re watching the movie. Bolin likes to play footsies and gets all up in your personal space if you’re not firm with him.” She said with a cute frown. “I pulled out my big blanket for you so we can curl up together. No groping, promise. If you could take out the beer, I’ll separate the popcorn. What time do you need to be home? Bolin wants you to try one of his video games after the movie.”

That was a lot of information to process all at once. “Oh, um, I may have told everyone I wouldn’t be in until noon tomorrow. So… I can stay until about 10ish.” She grabbed the packs of beer off the counter. “I could be convinced to stay longer if I’m a wanted woman.”

“Wait, did you put off work so you could hang around with me?”

Asami feigned innocence as she backed away without another word. She set the beer down in front of the boys and returned after a healthy round of ‘you’re the best!’ from both brothers. Korra was in the middle of a very serious show-down with the microwave as she supervised the popcorn. “I didn’t want to bail early. I’m also, like, the boss. So… I could technically put off work whenever I want. I just don’t.”

“Man, you must be really into me then, huh?” Korra sent Asami a lopsided smirk as she wiggled her eyebrows. “I’ll show you my room once the popcorn is done. I pulled out my best paintings. ‘best’ is a loose term, they’re just the ones I liked the most.”

Asami playfully rolled her eyes and pulled her phone out of her pocket. “I still think you’re hiding the fact you’re a really good artist and should have gone to art school,” There was a text from Opal waiting on her lock screen.

Opal [6:37pm]:
How is my boy? You’re at Korra’s right now aren’t you?

She unlocked her phone and leaned against the bench as she typed out a reply.

Asami [6:46pm]:
He just gave me the biggest hug. I’m talking picked me up and twirled me around kind of hug. Do I have permission to embarrass you in front of him or would you kill me?

Opal [6:47pm]:
Aww that’s my boy. I’ll only agree if you let me humiliate you in front of Korra x

“Who are you talking to?”

Asami looked up from her phone and turned the screen towards Korra. “Opal. She’s asking about Bolin.”

Korra only gave it a small glance before pulling the second bag of popcorn out of the microwave. “Did I just see my name on your screen?”

“Talk about tunnel vision,” Asami laughed and set her phone on the counter, along with her keys and wallet. “I asked if I could embarrass her and she said she’d only agree if she got to do the same in front of you.” She pulled her jacket off next and set it with her things. “If you scrolled through my conversations with her you’d see your name come up a lot.”

Korra paused pouring the contents of the bag into a bowl and slowly started grinning. “Yeah?”

“She is, unfortunately, my only outlet.”

“I get a ‘how’s Asami?’ Text every day from Jinora. She caught our kiss on the cameras at work and sent me a video asking if it was real.” She brushed past Asami to tuck the empty bags into the rubbish bin. “Oh, speaking of kissing,” She set her arms on either side of Asami’s hips as she moved back over and pushed up on her tippy toes. “Do I get a free one?”

There was not a single universe in which Asami turned Korra down. She was glad Korra had the confidence to just go for it, she felt strangely out of her depth. “Is this advance payment for the cuddle services?” She quipped, smiling. She brought a hand up to Korra’s jaw and gently tipped her chin back just enough she could lean in and lightly peck her lips. The electric current that flowed through her body at the contact was startling. “Or are those separate?”

Korra’s eyes crinkled as she grinned, closing the distance again to peck her lips right back. “Those are separate,” She seemed content with the affection offered and stepped back. “They can wait like 5 minutes. Want to see my stuff?”

Asami slowly nodded and playfully nudged Korra’s foot with her own. “Do you have an open-door policy or are we allowed in your room alone without being torn to shreds?”

Korra started blushing as she rubbed her neck. “We’ll get torn to shreds regardless. They’ll start cat calling the minute we come out of the kitchen,” She made a ‘follow me’ motion with her hand and began the journey through the house.

Bolin whistled as they came out the kitchen, much like Korra had predicted, but didn’t tease further.

“Okay, so,” Korra pushed open her door and kicked a pair of shoes off to the side. It was surprisingly really clean for someone as chaotic as Korra in nature. “Welcome to my little den. I wash my sheets every 2 days because they start smelling like pool water if I don’t. I have some water tribe pieces on the wall, clothes all piled at the foot of the bed because I forgot to fold them and put them away. Uh, my desk, which I sanded, painted, and decorated myself when I went through a DIY phase,” Korra pointed to all the different things in her room. Asami noted she had a queen-sized bed and admired the artwork on the walls. “Over here are the paintings.”

She pushed the door semi-shut once Asami was fully in the room and picked up a very well done landscape of what looked like some place presumably back in the south. Asami came in closer to study it as best she could without her glasses. It was almost like a Bob Ross painting in style though the use of colours was entirely Korra. “This is really good. Like, really good. You can’t sit down and read but you can sit down and paint landscapes?”

Korra groaned and picked up another painting, this one depicting a meadow with little mushroom people running through the grass. “It’s like meditation but fun, okay. I can zone out and do these and practise mindfulness or whatever.”

“Hey, I’m just saying… I’m impressed,” She brought the painting right up close to her face so she could study the mushroom people in detail. “How long do these usually take?”

“You should have brought your glasses, idiot.” Korra bobbed her head from side to side as she thought about it. “Depends. I do a lot of them all in one sitting. The one you’re holding took a couple days because I got really invested in the mushroom people.”

“I have a pair in the car. I didn’t think I would need them,” She handed the canvas back over. “I like it. How much would you sell it to me for?”

Korra’s eyes brightened and a slow, goofy smirk covered her whole face. “Kiss? Or two? Maybe three, actually. Then it’s yours.”

Asami realised, suddenly, that they were very alone in Korra’s room. It was exciting and terrifying at the same time. “You drive a tough bargain…” A big ball of warmth flooded her stomach as Korra started edging closer. “I think I can do that.”

“No bartering?” Korra threw the canvas onto the bed and reached up to wrap her arms around Asami’s neck. “Aren’t you meant to be some big business woman?”

Asami was already struggling to focus on anything other than Korra’s mouth. “If we’re talking business that’s actually a really good deal. Wanna know why?”

“Why?”

“Because I get to do this.” She closed the distance between them and kissed Korra hard. She may have overestimated just how much of a gap there was to breach but it didn’t really matter, Korra responded just as eagerly and droned into the kiss.

None of the kisses they had shared had any degree of heat beyond the initial spark. This one, however, was incredibly charged from the get go. Asami recognised the beginnings of arousal blooming in her core and curled her hands into the fabric covering Korra’s waist. It hadn’t been intentional, but the action did make Korra step in closer and all distance between them vanished.

Once again, the problem was the stopping.

She went to pull back an inch, dead set on actually separating, only to dive right back in at a different angle. Korra was so receptive to it. The little sighs coming out of her nose and the way her hands threaded into her hair drowned all the responsible voices yapping away at the back of Asami’s head. Before she could really stop it, her tongue was running out over Korra’s lower lip and a hand crept up to frame Korra’s face in an attempt to really deepen the kiss.

Then a tiny, barely audible moan came out of Korra’s throat that snapped her back into reality.

With one last peck to Korra’s mouth, she pulled her head back and grinned when Korra tried to chase her lips. “I think that was more than three.”

“Hm?” It took Korra a moment to regain her composure. There was a half-lidded, dopey expression on her face that made Asami question her own sanity. “You’re really good at whatever that was.”

A huff of air jetted out of Asami’s nose as she stroked Korra’s chin with her thumb. “I think that was called kissing.”

“Mm, no, you totally just made out with me,” Korra purred, dragging her hands down to rest on the collar of Asami’s shirt. “Is this payback for those photos I sent you last night?”

“Don’t even mention those photos,” Asami blurted out before she could filter it. f*ck it, you’re already half way there. “I got hardly any work done today because of them.”

“Oh?” The smirk that Korra flashed her was downright predatory. “Is that so?”

“You’re really hot,” She tried to justify, dropping her hands down to Korra’s hips. “Is it a crime to be attracted to someone with a 6 pack?”

“I actually only have 5 abs, one of them likes to hide unless my body fat is really low,” Korra corrected and played with the collar of Asami’s shirt. “Did you want me to show you?”

All of the moisture in Asami’s mouth dried up. “Are you trying to kill me?”

With a laugh, Korra stepped out of Asami’s reach and lifted up her tank top. Asami had to bite the inside of her cheek to stop herself from saying something stupid. “I’m serious. As you can see, no abs right now. Once I start training a couple times a week in the pool, they make their grand appearance,” She tensed up her abdomen and pointed to the spot where her 6^th ab should have been. “See? Hiding. Only have 5. Did you not pick up on that?”

No. Asami was more focused on other activities before she went to sleep. “Um, no,” She admitted, averting her gaze when her cheeks started heating up. “Do you do this with everyone you date? Show them the goods early on?”

Korra pushed her tank top back over her stomach and laughed, shaking her head. “Only the ones I really like.” She wrapped her arms back around Asami’s neck and leaned up to playfully kiss the tip of her nose. “One more? For the road?”

That one small action should not have made her swoon. She tilted her head to the side and went in for one big long kiss. When she pulled back, Korra was pouting, clearly wanting more. “They’re gonna make fun of us the moment we step out of your room, aren’t they?”

“Pretty much,” Korra withdrew and sighed. “They’ll get better the longer you’re around. Mako’s pretty chill, it’s just Bolin that puts on a show.” She opened her door. “Ladies first.”

Asami stepped out into the hall and promptly hid behind Korra as she walked them into the living area.

“Ooooh, you guys were gone for ages,” Bolin chirped, leaning over the back of the couch to smirk at Korra. “Should I open the windows? You two look pretty flustered.”

Korra rolled her eyes and flicked the back of his head as she walked past to fetch the popcorn bowls. When she returned, she placed one in Bolin’s lap and flicked his head again. “Have you got it all out of your system?” She handed Asami the other bowl with a smile.

“Nope,” He shoved a handful of popcorn in his mouth. “s’retty s’unny,” He mumbled as he chewed. “Can you get the lights?”

Korra sighed, leaving one more time to grab her candy and her cookies. Upon her return, she turned off all the lights and flopped down onto the empty couch. She waved Asami over and lifted her arm. Asami took up the spot next to her and curled right into her side with the popcorn rested on Korra’s lap.

“Hold on,” Korra rustled around with the blanket hanging over the back of the couch and brought it down over Asami’s body. “There. Comfy?”

Korra didn’t need to know she was already perfectly content with just the physical contact. “Very. Thank you.”

Korra grinned and offered her the container of seaweed cookies. Asami took one and quietly started to munch away on it as Bolin pressed play and adjusted the volume. Unlike the last time they’d cuddled up, Asami was on the side of Korra’s chest that covered her heart and it was beating very fast. She didn’t know why that made her giddy, but it did. Be real with yourself, you’re just glad you aren’t the only one completely head over heels. In a sense, it was validating. A physical reminder that her affections were, in fact, being returned.

Asami quickly became addicted to Korra’s laugh. She thanked the spirits she’d suggested something funny. Sometime part way through the movie, Korra shifted all the snacks to the ground and encouraged Asami to lay her head down in her lap. It was probably the best thing that could have happened. Korra’s fingers felt magic in her hair. Between being wrapped up in a blanket that smelt entirely of Korra, the softness of her thighs, and the fingers drawing patterns over the back of her neck, it was hard to stay completely conscious and enjoy the movie.

“Do you think a polar-bear dog would be even crazier on cocaine?” Bolin piped up with a laugh.

“I feel like a polar-bear dog would destroy an entire village if it got its hands on cocaine,” Korra replied, pausing her patterns to reach down and grab another cookie. She slipped her hand over Asami’s shoulder and squeezed as she whispered a soft, “Hey, you want some more popcorn?”

Asami lightly shook her head and turned over so she could look up at Korra. “I’m good. Can I steal some of your sour patch kids?”

Korra nodded and leaned over, exposing part of her cleavage. Asami had to close her eyes so she didn’t stare like a creep. “Here,” She held one just above Asami’s mouth. “I’ll feed them to you.”

“Are you two being gay?” Bolin commented, looking past Mako’s head. “Hey, Asami, did you like my recommendation on the back of Korra’s application?”

With a blush Asami was thankful was hidden in the dimness of the room, she pried the candy out of Korra’s fingers and chewed. “I did. It was very formal. How long have you been receiving her services?” She replied once she’d finished chewing.

“Since we were 16!” He nudged Mako’s shoulder. “I used to have to fight for her attention when she was dating Mako.”

Mako cringed and shoved Bolin right back. “We don’t talk about that, Bo.”

Korra offered her another piece and wrinkled up her nose. “Mako used to get really jealous if I hugged Bolin in front of him.”

Asami decided to playfully bite the tip of Korra’s finger when she accepted the next piece. Korra leered down at her with a slight quirk of her lips. It was very cute. When she spoke, Asami added as much playfulness into her tone. “Is that so?”

“Shut up, Korra. I wasn’t jealous.” Mako huffed and plopped a piece of popcorn into his mouth. “It’s not my fault everyone within a 20-foot radius was into you. I had to fight for your attention because you played hard to get.”

Korra smirked down at Asami and brushed a stray piece of hair behind her ear. “See? He was totally jealous,” She glanced up at the TV briefly before she looked back down at Asami and started to idly trace the tip of her finger over her cheek and temple. “I never played hard to get.”

“Korra,” Mako said seriously, huffing. “You used to literally start fights with me when you wanted attention. You did play hard to get. Back me up on this Bolin!”

Asami tried to ignore how hard her heart was pounding. There was something deeply intimate about the way Korra was touching her face and looking at her. It was a stark contrast to the bickering doing down. “I started arguments because you pissed me off,” She answered simply, stopping to draw a line down the length of Asami’s nose. “You played hard to get. I tried to tell you how I felt and you’d shut me down. Not my fault you sucked at the whole relationship thing.”

Bolin snorted and threw a piece of popcorn over at Korra that bounced off of her head and fell to the floor. “You did play hard to get, Korra. I’m with Mako on this one.”

“See!” Mako let out a laugh. “You led me on for weeks before you even asked me out. When we finally got together, all that warmth disappeared. It was hot and cold, hot and cold,” He rambled. “You would be into me one minute, hated me the next. I even tried the whole ‘get the girl flowers’ thing and you ghosted me for 3 days.”

Korra’s face twisted up as she glanced over and sent Mako a glare. “I had to ask you to buy me flowers,” She pointed a finger over in Mako’s direction. “I asked you if you liked me and you told me you didn’t so I played every card in the book to get you like me and ask me out, which you didn’t, so I had to make the big move. I wasn’t leading you on, I asked you if you wanted to be with me and you told me you didn’t know what you wanted. I kept giving you the cold shoulder because your version of flirting was literally insulting me!” She let out a distasteful grunt and turned her attention back down at Asami. “He said, and I quote, ‘for someone with big ears, you sure are cute’. I was self-conscious for weeks.” She resumed her little game and slid her finger over one of Asami’s eyebrows.

Asami could only laugh at all the back and forth. She wasn’t phased in the slightest. For whatever reason, she held no animosity. The person Korra was now seemed vastly different from the person Mako was depicting. She grabbed Korra’s hand and kissed the back of her hand. “How old where you two?”

“17,” Mako muttered, sulking. “Should have never happened.”

Korra twisted her hand and grinned as she ran the pad of her thumb under Asami’s lower lip. “Funnily enough, it only lasted 2 months. At the time it felt like an eternity.”

A breath got caught in the back of Asami’s throat when Korra very delicately lifted her thumb up and caressed her actual lip. She seemed deadest on this quiet exploration of hers.

“Because it was an eternity,” Mako threw a piece of popcorn at Korra. “I swore off dating girls because of you!”

Korra stopped, sucked in a deep breath, and reached down to grab a whole handful of popcorn. She threw it over in Mako’s direction and laughed. “Didn’t stop you from having a fling with Niylah right after we broke up.”

“How the f*ck did you find out about that?”

“I had my sources,” Korra sent a pointed look over at him when he went to throw a handful of popcorn at her. “You’ll get Asami! Don’t!”

He threw it regardless, showering the both of them. “You were sleeping with her sister, weren’t you?”

Asami had to sit up to shake all the popcorn out of her hair. Korra glared at him as she helped pick out a couple of pieces. “I never slept with her,” She muttered, brushing the rest of the popcorn out of her lap. “She was really into me, though. I had to break things off with her because I felt bad.” She heaved out a big exhale and grabbed the whole bag of sour patch kids off the ground, offering another one to Asami when she finally laid back down in her lap.

Asami accepted and grinned up at her. “Was that the start of your lady boner era?”

Korra awkwardly rubbed her cheek. “I dunno. It didn’t fully start until uni. I was, um, really play-boy-ish though. I was angry and had a point to prove.”

“You should not be admitting that in front of the person you’re seeing,” Mako grumbled. “She was an animal, Asami.”

Asami bit down on her lower lip and rose a keen eyebrow up at Korra, whom was looking increasingly uncomfortable. “In what way?”

“Don’t answer that,” Korra warned.

“Has she told you about how she used to swoop in after I’d finished dating someone?”

“Mhm, was this before or after you two broke up?”

“Before and after. She was even worse about it after the break up. I’m talking trying to intercept my relationships as revenge. It’s why we stopped talking.”

Asami laughed at the expression on Korra’s face. “Aw, you went on a little power trip?”

Korra covered her face and whined. “I was angry, Asami. He broke my tiny little heart. I wanted to tear him apart.” She groaned before dropping her hands. She dug into the bag and then shoved a piece of candy in her mouth with a shrug. “I never did it with anyone else. It was just a him thing.”

“First real heart break?” Asami poked, wiggling her eyebrows.

“Mhm. Tenzin had to have an intervention with my parents because I was really torn up over it.” She cringed at the memory. “I don’t even know why. He was a terrible kisser.”

Mako choked on his current mouthful and covered his mouth. “What the f*ck, Korra?”

“You tried to eat my face!” Korra threw her head back and laughed.

“Ew,” Mako rapidly shook his head. “What happened to never talking about this sh*t?”

Korra snorted, throwing a sour patch kid over at him. “You could have shut this down ages ago.”

“How are you this comfortable around Asami already?” He caught it and popped it into his mouth. “This doesn’t make you feel weird, right, Asami?”

Asami shook her head and grinned up at Korra. “Nope. It’s funny. It does raise another red flag though. Arguments for attention?”

“I don’t do that anymore,” Korra was quick to defend. “If I want attention, I’ll just harass you.” She tauntingly waved a piece of candy above Asami’s mouth. “Once the phone calls start, they don’t stop.”

Asami grabbed Korra’s hand to stop it from moving and wrapped her lips right around Korra’s finger as she grabbed the piece of candy. It was her form of revenge. “Oh?”

Korra blinked down at her for several long seconds, a very noticeable blush dusting her cheeks despite the little light in the room. She seemed slumped for words. “Yeah,” She breathed out eventually.

“Okay, be quiet, we’re meant to be watching the movie,” Mako quipped. “You two can be all gross afterwards.”

“I’m surprised you two haven’t started making out,” Bolin added. “You aren’t doing anything inappropriate under that blanket, right?”

Korra lifted both her hands up in the air. “How can we be inappropriate when my hands aren’t even touching her?”

“I dunno, you woman are weird. You guys sprout a third hand when you want something—” Mako elbowed him, cutting him off. “Ugh, okay, sorry. Movie. Watching.”

Asami laughed to herself and, in a moment of confidence, grabbed one of Korra’s hands. She began to inspect each finger, one by one, for science, before setting it on the top of her head. Korra caught her drift and started to play with her hair again.

For the rest of the movie, they remained silent. Asami only vaguely paid attention to the pictures on the screen. Korra really did know how to put a girl as ease. When the final credits rolled, Korra tensed up her thighs and stretched her arms above her head. It reminded Asami just how muscular Korra really was.

“That was super funny,” Bolin said as he jumped to his feet. “Good recommendation, Asami. You should come to every flat movie night if your taste in movies is this good.”

Asami stopped staring up at Korra’s arms and carefully pushed herself up into a sitting position. “I hate to be a catfish but I only suggested it because Opal said it was good,” She shifted so she was sitting against the couch beside Korra and rolled her shoulders out. “I’m really boring. I almost exclusively watch documentaries.”

Korra let out a small yawn and got to her feet. “Bolin and I watch documentaries all the time. It’s Mako that refuses to watch them with us. He likes action and his mushy-gooey romance movies,” She cooed over at him as she walked past to flick on the lights. “I caught him crying to—”

“Shut it, Korra. You watch those stupid TV shows with raunchy sex scenes.” He fired right back.

Korra gaped at him, rapidly shaking her head. “I do not!”

“You do! I’ve come out several times and had to bleach my eyes because two people are going at it on the TV!” He grimaced.

“f*ck you, Mako. They’re part of the show. I can’t skip them!” She grumbled. “I’m gonna go pee.” And just like that, she was gone.

Mako flipped her off as she left and huffed, crossing his arms over his chest. “Sorry, Asami. Promise I’m not trying to make you uncomfortable. She’s insufferable.”

Asami laughed and shook her head. “You’re okay. It’s hard to make me uncomfortable.”

“Um, actually, whilst she’s gone…” He cleared his throat and tugged at the collar of his shirt. “If you hurt her… Ugh, okay, look. Just know it won’t be nice, yeah?”

“We can, and will, find where you work and—”

“Bolin, what the f*ck?” Mako groaned and shoved his brother. “No, we won’t. We’re not crazy. We’ll just make your life a nightmare, are we clear? I like you, Asami. I don’t want to have to be mean.”

Okay, maybe it wasn’t that hard. Asami rubbed the back of her neck and nodded. “Cystal clear.”

“Cool. Now that’s out of the way, you ever played video games before?” Bolin lightened up the mood and grabbed a controller off of the TV cabinet. “I have a game I think you’d like.”

“Oh, um, I’ve played a couple of games on my laptop before but I’ve never used a controller,” She accepted the offered controller when he shoved it into her hands. “What do I do?”

“Korra said you like cars so I thought you might like this racing game I have,” He sat next to her with a controller of his own and started explaining what each button and stick did.

Korra came back in just as Bolin loaded the game up on the TV and returned to his couch. “Man, you’re fast,” She plopped down in her spot. “You ever played?”

“Um, not with a controller, this will be my first time.” She studied the controller in her hands and rolled the sticks around. “This is going to be super embarrassing.”

“Did Bolin tell you how it worked?”

“He gave me a run down,” She sent Korra a quick smile. “You’re meant to be good with this stuff, right?”

“If you get stuck, I’ll help you,” Korra pulled the container of cookies into her lap and bit into one. “I believe in you.”

Asami did not. Once they’d navigated the menu and picked cars, which took 5 minutes because Asami struggled to press the right buttons, they loaded into a match. It was, to put it nicely, a disaster. Between not holding down the button to make the car go forward and getting stuck on how to use the camera system, it was a miracle Asami hadn’t sunken under a rock to hide.

“Okay, come here,” Korra put the container back on the ground and patted her lap. “It took me ages to figure it out. I wasn’t allowed gaming systems, or even a TV, until I moved out of Tenzin’s place. I used to go around to Mako and Bolin’s to play on their gaming system at the time. I would watch because I couldn’t play at first.”

“This feels like it should be easy,” Asami wrinkled up her nose and shifted to sit in Korra’s lap.

Korra poked her head over her shoulder, wrapped her arms around her waist, and covered her hands with her own. A hot flush crept up Asami’s neck at all the physical contact. “You’ve got your fingers in the right place,” She said as she urged Asami’s thumb to move on one of the sticks, breath tickling Asami’s neck. Stop panicking over nothing, she told herself, attempting to regulate her own circulatory system. “See how that turns the car? You wanna use the other to do this,” She made a tiny adjustment. “So you can move the camera and keep the car in the centre. If you hold down this button…” She applied gentle pressure. “You move forward. If you press this one,” She adjusted her thumb. “It makes the car stop.”

They went back and forth, Korra offering encouragement and little pointers as Asami got the basics down. Once she figured out the mechanics, she felt slightly less stupid. “Huh,” She leaned back against Korra’s frame and rested her head on her shoulder. “They did a really good job with the car model,” She relaxed a little and narrowed her eyes in concentration. “I actually helped on the internals with the one I’m driving. It was my first project once I had my degree. I didn’t realise they had our cars on here.”

Bolin perked up, eyes still on the screen. “You help make cars?”

“You worked on the Jaguar-S?” Mako added in. “Like, the Jaguar-S?”

Asami nodded, not looking away from the screen. “I proposed they shorten it to Jaguar-S instead of Jaguar-Sato because it sounded stupid,” She passed Bolin’s car in the game and made a sharp turn to drift around the corner. “Yeah…” She trailed off, absorbed in the gameplay. She passed the finish line and pumped her fist into the air. “Yes! Okay, I see the appeal.”

Korra laughed behind her and gave her sides a small pat. “You picked up on that really fast.”

“Wait, no, go back,” Mako waved his hands in the air. “What other cars have you worked on?”

Asami jutted out her lower lip in thought. “So many. I worked on the engine in the V8 Sato Mustang they released 3 years ago. Um… There was the S-Lotus… The S-GT…”

“Holy f*ck, Asami. Are you serious?”

Asami laughed and nodded. “Yeah. I grew up under a car. I could probably drive blindfolded.”

Mako stared at her for several long seconds. “Wow,” He got out, shaking himself out of his spiral. “So… you’re… Like… wow,” He deflated back into the couch. “Ignore me.”

“Jealous, Mako?” Korra piped up, securing her arms around Asami’s waist with what Asami assumed was a smirk. It was a small gesture, but it was well received. A little possessiveness never hurt anyone. It also tickled the part of Asami’s brain that enjoyed being metaphorically claimed as someone’s human.

Mako blinked over at the both of them. “She’s into the same music as me, works on some of the coolest cars ever made, and can drive, Korra. Yeah, I’m a little jealous. Wait, do you have any siblings?”

Asami snorted and brought her hand up to her mouth to stop herself from wheezing. She didn’t know whether she should be flattered or mildly offended. “Sorry, only child. I have some friends, though. I could hook you up.”

“Ugh, it won’t be the same!” He whined, throwing his hands up in the air. “If you and Korra don’t work out, you know where I live.”

“Ew, dude, don’t snoop down to Korra’s level,” Bolin let out a laugh. “You want a turn?”

Mako grabbed the controller and huffed. “I’m just saying…”

“I’m right here!” Korra exclaimed, scoffing. “f*ck you, Mako. You too, Bolin.” She pressed her face directly into Asami’s neck and grumbled. “You gonna kick his ass for me?”

Given the fact Korra was speaking directly into her neck, it was a miracle Asami could even speak. “I don’t think I’m good enough for that,” She got out. She shifted so she was sitting lengthways in Korra’s lap and held the controller out, draping one arm over Korra’s shoulders. “You can though.”

Korra sent her a look that suggested this was very personal all of the sudden. She took the controller, rolled her shoulders forward, and scrolled through a selection of cars until she found the one she wanted to use. “You ready to get beat, Mako?”

Mako leaned forward, locking his eyes on the screen. “Jokes on you, you’re about to embarrass yourself in front of your girlfriend.”

Girlfriend.

Girl…friend.

That’s basically what you are, idiot. But they hadn’t explicitly stated that they were girlfriends, she tried to reason. Either way, she liked it.

It was very amusing watching Korra’s face as she played. Not only did her tongue poke out the corner of her mouth, all the muscles in her neck tensed up. There was even an adorable frown gracing her features. I could get used to this, a little voice whispered. There was something distinctively calming about being surrounded by people with good energy. Mako, despite his rough exterior, was incredibly witty. Bolin physically glowed. Then there was Korra. Asami couldn’t remember ever being this comfortable around someone. She makes you feel safe, she mused, admiring the little huffs of air coming out of Korra’s nose as she focused on the race.

“Ha!” Korra cheered as her car crossed the finish line, pumping her fist in the air. “Take that, asshole!”

“You cheated!” Mako fired back, angrily pushing the controller back into Bolin’s lap. “f*ck you.”

“You just suck,” Korra replied with a smirk. When she turned her attention back to Asami, she winked. “Won that for you, my lady.”

“Aw, look at you defending my honour,” She grabbed Korra’s chin with her thumb and forefinger and tilted her face. “I suppose I should reward you, hm?”

Korra blinked at her before realisation washed all over her face. When Korra nodded her head, Asami leaned in for a soft kiss. The moment their lips connected; both of the boys let out a synchronised gagging sound. Korra flipped them both off as she brought her other hand up to the side of Asami’s face, causing all of Asami’s limbs to buzz.

“Ewww,” Bolin whined. “Should we leave? Do you need the room?”

Asami pulled back, slightly out of breath, and laughed, lifting a finger to wipe the corner of Korra’s mouth. “Sorry, got some spit there.”

“You can spit on me all you want,” Korra replied immediately and cringed. “Sorry, intrusive thoughts.”

“Gross,” Mako mumbled, covering one side of his face as he got to his feet and walked out the room.

Bolin snorted, falling backwards on the couch. “You want to go another round, Asami?”

Asami was so momentarily caught up in the way Korra was looking at her that she forgot how to use her words. “Um, actually, what time is it?”

“Uh… just past 10. You gotta head off?”

Asami brushed some of Korra’s hair to one side and ran the tip of her index finger over the bridge of her nose. “I could stay for another round or two,” She found it hard not to lean back in and steal another kiss. “You going to let me win to boost my ego?”

Korra grinned at her and stroked her thumb over Asami’s lower lip. “Do I get another kiss if I let you win?”

Asami hated how that little gesture made her stomach fill with knots. “Maybe,” She kissed the pad of Korra’s thumb and pulled her head out of reach. “You have to work for it. I want a real race.”

“Here,” Bolin came over and passed over his controller. “I want to see this.”

Asami took it and moved out of Korra’s lap. There was a small noise of protest that came out of Korra’s mouth at the action and she pouted when Asami settled beside her. “What? I need to be able to concentrate. You’re going to distract me.”

Korra continued pouting. “Fine,” She moved so their shoulders and legs touched. “Do you want a practise round first?”

“No. I think I got it.”

“Just to be clear, I get a kiss if you win, right?”

“Mm…” Asami turned up her nose and sent a small grin. “Only if it’s a fair win. You have to actually try.”

“Okay,” Korra squared her shoulders. “You ready to eat my dust, babe?”

Oh.

Maybe Asami didn’t hate pet names all that much.

“In your dreams.”

***

Korra was having so much fun she completely lost track of the time. Asami was a fast learner. Not only had she picked up on all the mechanics and managed to kick everyone’s ass at least once, she had quite the competitive side.

Korra nudged her arm to try and throw her off, earning her a grunt as Asami nudged her right back.

“Stop it,” Asami hissed, leaning sideways as she turned her car. “You’re cheating.”

Korra smirked to herself, glancing down at Asami’s lap. “No, I’m not.”

“See! This is what I mean! She does cheat!” Mako chimed in, on the edge of his seat. “Take the short-cut Asami!”

Asami did, putting her several seconds in front of Korra’s car. “Thanks,” She muttered, leaning forward.

Korra glanced down at Asami’s lap again and bit her lower lip. Don’t do it, the responsible part of her brain warned. Do it. You’d win, the competitive part of her brain encouraged. She boosted through the second to last check point and looked at Asami’s icon on the map. There was no way she was winning unless she reverted to dirty tactics.

If I just… She reached over and slid her hand over Asami’s thigh for a solid 2 seconds before she brought her hand back to her controller. She bit back a laugh when Asami went rigid and crashed into a wall just before the finish line.

Korra’s car dashed past the finish line instead and her upper half of the screen burst into a series of congratulations. Mako booed and Bolin gasped at the screen.

“What was that?” Asami coughed, glaring at her. “Seriously, what the f*ck?”

Korra smirked as she shrugged her shoulders haphazardly. “Don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“You played dirty,” She narrowed her eyes and pushed Korra’s arm. “I would never revert to foul play.”

Korra stretched her arms over her head and continued smirking. “What did I do? You’re the one that crashed.”

Asami gaped at her. “I’ll get you back for that,” She huffed. “One more. Winner takes all.”

“I dunno, it’s getting pretty late…”

“Korra,” Asami said in a tone that shouldn’t have been as sexy as it was. “One more. Now.”

“Alright, alright,” Korra held up her hands in mock surrender and sat forward. “You must like losing—”

“Shut it and ready up.”

Korra laughed and hit the ready up button.

“My bets are all on Asami,” Bolin called out.

“Mine too,” Mako added.

“Good,” Asami quipped. “Because Korra is losing.”

“You literally just lost,” Korra pointed out. “You just sound like a sore loser.”

Asami was, once again, in first place. Korra was right behind her, dead set on overtaking her current position. They went back and forth, one of them getting in front only for the other to overpass. It was neck and neck as they approached the finish line.

Just when Korra thought she was about to overtake for the last time, Asami ran her hand over her thigh, dipped it down into inner thigh territory, and squeezed. Korra let out a choked sound and completely dropped the controller to the ground with a loud thump.

Asami crossed over the finish line and let out a big ‘woo’ as she smirked over at a very flustered Korra. “Not so nice, is it?”

Korra opened and closed her mouth a couple of times as Mako and Bolin hooted beside them. “I mean… that was pretty nice…” She tried to put as much confidence into her voice as possible but she ended up sounding completely flat. “How the f*ck did you get so good so fast?”

Asami lifted a shoulder up to her ear with a grin so dazzling Korra forgot there were other people in the room. “I’m gifted, what can I say?”

“Nice one, Asami!” Bolin clapped his hands.

“Thank you, thank you,” Asami bowed her head with a laugh. “It is late though. I need to get home to Suki,” She got up and put the controller onto the coffee table. “I will be back to cause chaos again. You two owe me another race.”

“I’m gonna have to show you all my other games. I have a bunch!” Bolin enthused as he jumped to his feet. “There’s this fighting game that has some sick finishers. If you’re good at racing, you’ll be good at mashing buttons,” He held open his arms. “Hug goodbye?”

Korra watched as Bolin engulfed Asami in another one of his bone-crushing hugs. Knowing Asami could hold her own put her mind at ease. Bolin and Mako could both be a handful, especially given her history with the latter.

“Thanks for the beer and food, Asami,” Mako said as he got to his feet. “Next time you come around we’ll spoil you.” He offered his hand for a shake and Asami accepted it with a soft squeeze.

“You’ll have to tell me what you think of the CD I gave you. They released some new stuff recently that I’ve had on repeat in my workshop.” She sent him a small smile as she stepped around him to retrieve her stuff from the kitchen.

Korra followed, stretching out her arms and shoulders as she walked. “Did you actually want that painting?”

Asami nodded eagerly as she stuffed her wallet and keys into her jacket. “Yes, I’ll come with you.”

Korra beamed as she backtracked into the hall. Just as she crossed the threshold to her room, Asami set both hands on her waist and twirled her around. Before she could question it, Asami captured her lips in a hot, messy kiss and backed her up against the wall. A needy, stringy sound that came out of her throat against her will and she struggled to find her centre of gravity, even with the wall.

“That move you pulled was unfair,” Asami muttered against her lips.

“I literally don’t know what you’re talking about,” Korra whispered back, finally managing to snake her arms around Asami’s neck. “You squeezed my thigh; I should be the one instigating right now.”

Asami let out a breathless laugh and stole another kiss, though this one was less heated. “Sorry, I had to assert my dominance. You can’t pull a move like that and expect no retaliation,” She rested their foreheads together and closed her eyes for a long, drawn-out moment. Korra was thankful for the breather. “That was okay, right?”

Korra faintly nodded her head, a small smile tugging at her lips. “Very okay,” She reassured. Asami’s forwardness splurged her own confidence. “I should do that more if it provokes this sort of reaction.”

A tiny, breathless little noise came out of Asami’s mouth. “You’re going to be the death of me,” She tilted her head back and sent Korra a small smile. “I do need to go. Can I have my painting?”

“You’re, um, the one pinning me against the wall,” Korra breathed out with a laugh.

“Oh,” Asami carefully stepped back and let her hands hang by her sides. “Right. Sorry,” She backed up and moved over to the bed, fetching the painting. “I’m going to put this on my office wall, just so you’re aware.”

Korra willed her body to catch up with her brain and pushed herself off the wall once her legs started working. “It isn’t that good—”

“Korra,” Asami came back over and draped an arm over her shoulder. “It’s going on my wall. It is that good.”

Korra really wished her brain wasn’t stuck on that kiss. “Okay,” She got out, swallowing hard. “I’ll walk you out to your car.”

Bolin didn’t whistle or make a comment when they returned from their little side quest, which was progress. Mako, however, smirked at Korra as she walked past. She ignored him as she held the door open for Asami and walked her towards her car.

“Thanks for coming over,” Korra spoke up as Asami opened her door. “I had fun. Text me when you’re home safe, yeah?”

“Thanks for inviting me. I might have to invest in one of those gaming consoles. They’re a load of fun,” She hovered by her door, worrying her lower lip between her teeth. “Hug goodbye?”

“You just pushed me up against a wall and kissed me, Asami. You don’t need to ask if you want to hug me,” Korra wrinkled up her nose as she wrapped her arms around Asami’s middle and tucked her face into Asami’s neck. “You can just kiss me whenever, too. I’m not going to turn you down.”

Asami huffed a laugh and secured her arms around Korra’s shoulders. “Okay, well… in that case,” She pulled back just enough and found Korra’s lips. And oh, Korra would never tire of the thrill that went through her body whenever Asami kissed her. She was quickly growing very addicted to it. “Goodnight, Korra.” Asami whispered, slowly detangling herself. “See you on Sunday?”

“See you Sunday.” Korra confirmed, stepping off the curb so Asami could slip into her seat. She waved as Asami pulled out and stayed rooted in place as she digested everything that had just happened to her within the span of 5 minutes.

She had it so bad.

She wandered back into the house with a stupid grin on her face.

“Oh, man, you are gross,” Mako grumbled once she’d come into view. “I know that look.”

“f*ck off, Mako.” Korra snorted, coming into the lounge to help clean up. “It’s, um, not that obvious, is it?”

“Korra,” He started, laughing. “You look like you’re floating around on a cloud. Yeah, it’s obvious. I suppose I approve. She’s pretty cool.”

Bolin came out from the kitchen and added his 2 yuan worth. “She’s awesome, Korra. I really like her. I want to be best man at the wedding!”

“Stooop,” Korra groaned. “You’re worse than Jinora.”

“Seriously, though. She’s, like, perfect for you. She didn’t even get jealous when we were talking about you and Mako. Which was a test, by the way. She totally passed.” Bolin said as he flopped back on the couch.

“Wait, seriously?”

“Yeah. Why do you think I brought it up?” Bolin scoffed. “I knew you two would start bickering. She didn’t even care. I watched her. I watched both of you, actually. I liked the whole feeding her candy—”

“Bo,” Mako cut in, rolling his eyes. “We get it.”

“Right. Anyway. If she can laugh about your tragic love life and get along with Mako knowing you two have history, she’s a keeper.” He grabbed a controller and kicked his feet up. “Game, anyone?”

Korra supposed Bolin was right. She had dated people that disliked the fact she was still on good terms with one of her exes and physically lived with them. “Sure,” She picked up the other controller and came to sit next to him. “Best of 3?”

“If you pull that move you used on Asami I will smack you.” Bolin said with a laugh.

“Ugh, you saw that?”

“You used to pull that move on Mako when we played back in high school,” Bolin grinned and bumped her shoulder. “You’re not very sly.”

“Ew, don’t remind me,” She cringed and loaded into the game. “Winner has to vacuum?”

“You’re on.”

They went back and forth for 30 minutes. Bolin, somehow, managed to win 2 of the 3 games.

After vacuuming with a scowl on her face, she retired to her room and grabbed her phone.

Asami [11:35pm]:
Home! Suki says hello!
[video attached]

Korra let out a ‘aw’ as she watched the video of Suki wrapping herself around Asami’s legs and following her into what was presumably Asami’s room.

Korra [12:15am]:
Tell her I will be bringing more catnip with me on Sunday:) Hope you’re having the best sleep x

Surprisingly, her phone went off just as she went to put it down.

Asami [12:16am]:
I can’t sleeeeppp

Korra [12:17am]:
Have you tried closing your eyes?

Asami [12:18am]:
Ha ha very funny. Someone got me all worked up before I drove home smh

Korra [12:19am]:
Sorry not sorry. You also sorta did that to yourself

Asami [12:20am]:
takes two to tango honey

honey? She bit the inside of her cheek to stop herself from grinning. She didn't even hesitate when she sent her next message.

Korra [12:21am]:
Do you need more spank bank material to help you fall asleep?

Asami [12:22am]:
….
Are you offering?

Korra [12:23am]:
Damn that eager?

Asami [12:23am]:
I’ll send you one in return

Korra [12:23am]:
Seriously?

Asami [12:24am]:
Yup

Korra threw her blanket off of her body and lifted up her tank top so it was bunched up around her waist. After adjusting the waistband of her pants so her v-line was somewhat visible, she snapped a photo. Is that too suggestive? She hesitated. She’s literally asking you for a shirtless photo, how is that too suggestive?Korra [12:29am]:
[image attached]
Is that good enough for you?

Asami [12:30am]:
Thank you for your contribution to the cause. Give me a sec. I don’t have abs so you can just have a photo of me in my nightgown.

Korra [12:31am]:
I liked your belly button in that photo you sent me last night

Asami [12:32am]:
That’s weirdly kind of sweet haha okay hold on

Korra [12:32am]:
*holding on*

Asami [12:36am]:
[image attached]
Ignore how awkward this looks I don’t know what I’m doing

Korra nearly dropped her phone. Asami had sent her a f*cking picture of her cleavage. Well, not technically, but she was biting her lip and showing off the dip in her night gown. That was one big leap of faith. Was this too fast? She’s not sending you a full body nude, dumbass, the wolf on her shoulder answered. But we are literally exchanging highly suggestive photos?? She argued back. Her intrusive thoughts once again took centre stage as she typed out her reply.

Korra [12:38am]:
Want to come back over?

Asami [12:39am]:
don’t tempt me

Korra [12:39am]:
Do it I dare you

Asami [12:40am]:
korraaaa

Korra [12:41am]:
yes dear

Asami [12:41am]:
don’t yes dear me you know what you’re doing

Korra [12:42am]:
sorry haha we should talk boundaries tomorrow. Go to sleep.

Asami [12:42am]:
I love boundaries.

Korra [12:43am]:
Are you mocking me?

Asami [12:43am]:
I would never x

Korra [12:44am]:
asshole. I *do* love boundaries thank you very much. I know you’re not going in to work until noon but you should really go to sleep

Asami [12:45am]:
Haha okay we can talk boundaries tomorrow. I’ll try and nod off. Night x

Korra [12:46am]:
Night gorgeous x

Asami [12:46am]:
Stop now you’re making me swoon

Korra [12:47am]:
Okay night… mildly attractive woman that I am obsessed with?

Asami [12:47am]:
I thought it was healthy devotion? Night hot stuff x

Korra [12:48am]:
I was talking out of my ass. Sweet dreams:)

Korra didn’t get a reply. She adjusted her second pillow so she could wrap herself around it and tucked her phone under it. 30 seconds later and she was sound asleep, dreaming of a particular raven haired beauty shoving her up against the wall and ravishing her mouth thoroughly.

Notes:

asami playing video games was such a funny visual

we stan a queen that doesn't know what she's doing

Notes:

hello again

the comments on the last chapter where so sweet y'all are awesome thank you for all the support!

I'm glad you guys are enjoying this so much!!

things heat up a lil this chap

I might do a double update given its nearly the end of pride month :)

(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)

Korra hovered by Asami’s apartment door with their takeout food tucked safely in her backpack. She didn’t even know why she was particularly nervous. Part of it was probably the conversation they’d had a couple days ago about boundaries and expectations moving forward.

“Hello my wonderfully fantastic engineer,” Korra sing-songed from her end of the phone. “Wanna know what I just did?”

“That was quite the greeting,” Asami laughed. “What did you just do?”

“I sent you a link to a cat video.”

“Ooh! Lemme check,” There was silence on the other end of the phone as Asami presumably watched the video she’d sent. “Oh my gosh, that cat looks just like Suki. Acts like it, too.”

“Exactly what I thought!” Korra chewed on the end of the pencil she was holding. “Wanna get down to business?”

“Oh, um, yes, hold on. I wrote a list, let me pull it up.”

“A whole list?”

“I didn’t want to forget what I was talking about whilst talking to you,” Asami whined. “Okay, I’ve got it up. Want me to start?”

“Yup, go for it.”

“I don’t mind a little groping as long as it’s tasteful. Anything above the waist is free game. No Hickeys. Like, at all. I have an image to uphold, as awful as that sounds. If I walked into a meeting with a hickey on my neck I would be criminalised. I’m definitely not ready to go any further than a little making out. Neck kissing is fine. Um… most of the other things are much of the same. What are yours?”

Damn it. There was something tremendously exciting about explicit consent to touch and the implication of future touching that really got her going. “Okay, those are reasonable,” She scratched her neck. “Anything above the waist is free game for me too. I can get a bit, um, worked up if you go anywhere near my chest. I don’t mind hickeys. I typically just flow with it and if you do something I don’t like I’ll bring it up. I’m pretty touch and go. I’m chill if you’re chill.”

“Huh, that was easy,” Asami replied, laughing. “Okay. Cool. Should we have a word we can use to disengage if things get too heated?”

“Hm,” Korra pursed her lips. “We could be really cliché and say banana?”

“Banana does work, though. Can I ask why you’re okay with hickeys? Won’t you get ridiculed?”

“I like the attention,” Korra admitted with a chuckle. “Shows people I’m off the market.”

“Are there people that need to know you’re off the market?”

“I mean more in general, Asami. It’s a possession thing.”

“Oh?”

“Yeah.”

There was a moment of silence before Asami let out a quiet, “I’m so glad you’re a little possessive because I can get really bad.”

Korra’s eyebrows shot up. “…Oh?”

“It’s another red flag of mine. Jealousy. I didn’t put it on the list because I didn’t want to admit it.”

“Aw, that’s okay. I promise I’m just really oblivious and never do things to make you jealous on purpose.“

“I trust you,” Asami hummed on the other end of the phone.

Korra paused. With a small sigh, she got out, “Um, I need to bring up the photos. Those are okay, right?”

“They’re harmless. Are you okay with them?”

“Very okay. I, um, don’t expect any in return, by the way. I’m just being a dick when I send them through.”

“As long as you don’t expect me to strip naked, we’re good.” Asami laughed. “I enjoy them. Again, harmless flirting. How was your day?”

And just like that, they moved on to the next topic of discussion.

A total of 4 seconds passed before the door opened. Asami looked as beautiful as ever. Not only was she in sweatpants and a crop top that showed a portion of her midsection, she had her glasses on too. “Hi,” She greeted with a smile. “Bus didn’t screw you around this time?” She stepped to the side to let Korra in.

“It was on time for once,” Korra replied as she came in, pulling her bag off of her back. “Food should still be hot. Ena wrapped them in a thermal bag to keep them warm when I mentioned I was taking them with me to yours.”

Asami walked her in to the kitchen and leaned against the counter as Korra started unpacking. “I could just come and get you in the future, you know.”

“I should just get my license. Mom and dad have been hounding me for years,” She laughed as she carefully unwrapped each container. “They said they’d even get me a car if I actually sat my driving exam.”

“Why haven’t you?” Asami asked as she walked over to the fridge. “I got a couple of different drinking options. Did you want sparkling water, an energy drink, a cola, or—”

“What kind of energy drink?” Korra set the chopsticks beside each container and perked up.

“You’re going to hate me but I have sugar free red bulls. They’re my guilty pleasure.”

“I typically go for sugar free options whenever possible, you’re okay,” She pulled out the second season of Kyoshi Warriors and a small paper bag. “I haven’t sat my exam because I like walking. I also, um, have an irrational fear of crashing a car. Someone close to our family wrecked their car in an accident and was put in a wheelchair for the rest of their life.” She accepted the can of red bull when Asami offered it to her and held out the paper bag. “Where is Suki hiding?”

“That’s completely understandable. I could teach you how to drive if you wanted. I taught Opal how to drive a couple years ago when she finally sat her exam,” Asami curiously took the paper bag and peaked inside. “Aw, you got her a present?”

More one-on-one time with the woman she was completely smitten with? It was tempting. “Only if you promise not to laugh at me if I mess it up,” She grinned and nodded. “Catnip toys and some treats. I have to get her blessing somehow.”

“I would never. I take driving very seriously. If Opal can do it, so can you.” She peered over the kitchen island into the living room and looked around. “Suki! Korra got you treats!” There was a soft meow that came out of Asami’s bedroom before Suki zoomed into the kitchen. “Where you sleeping on my bed?” Asami crouched down and pulled out a catnip toy. “Look at what I’ve got.” Suki sniffed it, rubbed her face all over it, then gently plucked it from Asami’s fingers and trotted off into the living room to go play with it. “You’re going to turn into her favourite human if you keep bringing her presents.”

“Ugh, guess I have no excuse then, huh? I’ll call the driving school and grab a copy of the road code next week and start studying,” She cracked the can open and took a sip before picking up her container and the DVD. “Good. Positive reinforcement.” She walked off into the living room and set her food on the coffee table. “What did you think of the flying opera company?” She shifted over to the DVD player and put the first disk in before sitting down on the couch.

Asami sat down beside her with her own container and pulled the lid off. “I liked how they ended the season on Kyoshi doing her daofei vows. I don’t know how I feel about each member yet. Kirima gives off interesting vibes.” She bumped Korra’s shoulder. “There’s a lot of foreshadowing hinting towards Kyoshi and Rangi.”

Korra fetched her container and dug in once she pressed play. Suki was unapologetically flopping around on the ground with her catnip toy, thoroughly enjoying herself. “Is there?” She teased, acting aloof.

“Mhm, kinda hard to miss when Kyoshi looks at her like she’s the only girl in the world,” Asami wrinkled up her nose. “I bet they kiss this season.”

Korra shrugged her shoulders as she chewed. “Dunno, maybe.”

Asami playfully rolled her eyes as they ate and watched the TV. Around midway through the first episode they finished eating and paused to take their containers into the kitchen. Asami disappeared into her room for a couple minutes before reappearing. Just as Korra was about to go back into the lounge, Asami stopped her and draped both arms over her shoulders. “Do you remember what we agreed to if I wore flavoured lip gloss?”

Oh? A hot flush crept up Korra’s neck as she set her hands on Asami’s hips. “Which bit? The free upgrade or the taking off the shirt?”

Asami came in a little closer and bit down on her lower lip. “Free upgrade. You can keep your shirt on.”

Korra tried, and failed, to stop that flush from clawing at her cheeks. “What flavour is it?”

“Why don’t you come and find out?”

Korra was not one to miss out on an opportunity being handed to her on a silver platter. She leaned in, tilted her head a little to the side, and went for it. Oh, is that strawberry? She swallowed a groan and ran her tongue over Asami’s lower lip for a better taste. The little sigh she got in return was like a reward. She pulled back before she got carried away and lifted an eyebrow. “Strawberry?”

“Mhm,” Asami hummed, grinning. “Like it?”

“Very,” A tiny smirk tugged at her lips. “You sure you don’t want me to take off my shirt?”

Asami wrinkled up her nose and stole one more quick kiss before withdrawing and shaking her head. “I wouldn’t be able to focus.” She came to a stop just before the couch. “How do you want to go about this?”

Korra jumped over the back of the couch and laid down fully. With an arm tucked behind her head, she patted her stomach and grinned. “Human pillow, at your service.”

“Wait, like, actually? You want me to crush you?” She pulled off her glasses and set them on the table.

Korra rolled her eyes and grabbed the remote. “You won’t crush me. You’re not that heavy. Bolin is a completely different story, though. Man is that boy big,” She hit play and patted her stomach again. “I’ll be okay. I promise you’ll like it.”

“Fine,” Asami let out one big exhale before she carefully nudged one of Korra’s legs open and climbed on top. Once comfortably settled between both legs, she lowered herself down and rested her cheek against Korra’s sternum.

In true Korra fashion, she had not thought about the logistics of this position. It seemed innocent enough in concept. Now that she had Asami pressed right into her pelvis, she was beginning to regret not mentally preparing herself for this in advance. Serves you right for cooking up all those day dreams. She mentally cringed.

“Okay, I see the appeal. You’re, like, a literal pillow,” Asami’s voice was soft and quiet. “I’m not crushing you though, right?”

Being crushed was the least of her worries. “Nope. You’re good,” She circled one arm around Asami’s shoulders and tangled a hand into her hair so she could start her ministrations. “You smell really nice. What shampoo is that?”

“You don’t want to know. It was unnecessarily expensive,” Asami breathed out a soft sigh when Korra’s nails scraped over the back of her neck. “I apologise if I fall asleep in advance.”

Korra smiled to herself as she slowly dropped her hand down and began to draw light, soothing patterns up and down the length of Asami’s back, stopping short of the skin peeking out of the crop top. “You’re okay. Do you want me to pause if you do?”

“Mm, no. Gives you something to do so you don’t die of boredom. I can always catch up again.”

That was fair. Asami didn’t need to know she was perfectly content with just existing within their little bubble. It was hard to be bored when she had someone else’s weight grounding her in the present.

3 episodes later and Asami’s body went limp and her breathing evened out. Korra smirked to herself when a gentle snore came out of the other woman’s mouth. She did end up grabbing the remote and hitting pause so she could focus on mapping out all the little dips and bumps along Asami’s back and shoulders. Much like last time, it was deeply comforting knowing she provided a safe space for Asami to drift off in her presence.

Well, there were greater feelings, but it was definitely in Korra’s top 5.

She hovered a hand near Asami’s rare deltoid and inhaled the sweet scent of her shampoo. It was fruity with a hint of lavender. She could seriously get used to this. The cuddling, the talking, the joking around. Every bone in her body yearned for more of whatever it was they had going on. It should have been terrifying. She hadn’t felt a pull like this in years. It was similar to the burning she’d felt as a teenager.

Unfortunately, her phone buzzed in her jean pocket and promptly woke Asami up. “Ugh,” She grumbled, trying to nuzzle in closer. “Who just disturbed nap time?”

Korra dropped her hand down and tilted her hips to the side so she could slip her phone out. “Um,” She held it up above her head and pursed her lips. “My parents. Mom and dad started pottery classes and have been blowing up my phone.” She unlocked her screen and typed out a quick reply. “Sorry. You can go back to sleep.” She placed her phone on the ground and resumed rubbing circles over Asami’s upper back.

Asami let out a long, drawn-out hum when Korra took the leap of faith and started ghosting her fingers over the bare skin exposed on her lower back. When she spoke, it was more of a groggy mumble. “What have they been making?”

“They made me a mug that they plan on giving me when they visit in a couple weeks and they made Naga a drinking bowl,” She explained, circling her arms around Asami’s middle. “They made a couple of plates and a really cute little pot for one of moms cactuses.”

“Cactuses grow in the south?” Asami tilted her head and rested her chin right between Korra’s breasts. “Isn’t it too cold?”

“Outside, yeah. Inside the house they’re fine,” She brought her hand up and ran the tip of her finger over Asami’s brow line. She hesitated briefly, considering this was quite the jump, then sighed and went for it. “I, um, told them about you.”

Despite the sleepy expression on Asami’s face, her lips twitched as she rose her eyebrow. “Is that so?”

Korra dragged her finger down Asami’s nose and nodded. “Dad asked first. We have a strict no lying policy. I just said I was seeing someone.”

“I see,” Asami smiled a little and leaned into Korra’s touch when she stroked the back of her knuckles along her cheek. “What did he say?”

Korra replayed the conversation in her head.

“A girl?! Korra! This is exciting! When do we get to meet her?”

“Dad!” She whined, holding the phone further away from her face. “We only just starting seeing each other. You’ll freak her out.”

“Korra, honey,” Senna piped up, grabbing the phone from her husband. “We would never embarrass you. How long has this been going on? How did you meet?”

“Um,” She rubbed her nose and shrugged. “A couple weeks. She, um, came into Tenzin’s café every morning for like 6 months. Jinora convinced me to leave my number on her cup.”

“Aw!” Tonraq grabbed the phone back. “Is she nice? What does she look like? What does she do for a job? Does she get along with the boys?”

“Slow down,” Korra laughed. “She’s really pretty. Um, she’s an engineer. Smart is an understatement. Bolin and Mako like her. She came around for movie night and held her own. Bolin is actually seeing her friend.”

“She sounds lovely,” Senna quipped. “Does—”

“Does she treat you well?” Tonraq cut in. “We don’t need to worry, do we?”

“Ugh,” She groaned. “No, dad. She’s amazing. She, um, brought me flowers one morning.”

“Did you have to ask her to buy you flowers?” He poked, rising an eyebrow.

“No, actually. She just did it. Can we talk about something else?”

“One more question,” Tonraq brought the phone very close to his face. “How serious is this?”

Korra paused. That was a good question. “I…” Her eyebrows tugged together. “I’m really into her, dad. I think she feels the same way.”

He shared a look with his wife and then grinned into the camera. “Wanna hear about the latest polar-bear dog numbers?”

“Ooh! Yes!”

Asami lifted her own hand and brushed Korra’s hair back. “That’s really cute,” She dropped her finger down and ran the pad of her forefinger over Korra’s chin. “What are you going to tell her?”

Korra narrowed an eye and tipped her head down to kiss Asami’s finger. “That there’s this girl, and her name’s Asami. She has these really pretty eyes and when she smiles… man, she gets these tiny chin dimples that make me feel all fluttery,” She tapped Asami’s chin for emphasis. “Beautiful, tall, legs for days, somehow puts up with all my dumb jokes and pick-up-lines. Makes me question my sanity. Gives the best hugs, really soft lips. Hm… When she laughs… she gets these crinkles right… here,” She lifted her finger up and ran it under Asami’s right eye. She continued this little game and dragged her finger down, outlining Asami’s jaw. “I’ll probably ramble on about how her sharp jawline and killer cheekbones, too.”

She paused then, admiring all the little details on Asami’s face. She was undeniably striking. She sucked in a big breath before continuing.

“I’ll mention she’s funny, makes cute little miniature cars, played softball for a time… hm, when I’m with her I have to remind myself that breathing is a mandatory bodily function, even though it feels like I can’t a lot of the time.” She gently caressed the side of Asami’s temple. “Above all else… she’s pretty cool. And I like her. I think Naga will agree with me when I tell her this Asami person likes animals and has the cutest cat.”

Asami let out a quiet exhale, her expression softening as Korra spoke. A light pink blush dusted her cheeks when Korra’s finger dropped down to her mouth. With a slight quirk of her lips, she pushed herself forward and closed the distance between them, rewarding Korra with a long, soft kiss.

I really could get used to this, she thought to herself as she cupped the back of Asami’s neck. It was the correct thing to do, because Asami tilted her head and dove right back in. It struck her then, as Asami propped her elbows on either side of her head, just how easy it was to sink into this. No awkward shuffle, no weird teeth bumping. She was also acutely aware of their current position. Asami’s hips were flush with her own and she could feel the warmth radiating from between her own two legs.

She was able to keep her hands to herself for the most part, right up until Asami’s lips dragged down her chin and started travelling down her jaw. One hand dropped down to frame Asami’s waist, her thumb digging into the underside of her breast, the other one threaded into raven hair and encouraged her to continue. And boy, Asami’s lips felt like hot wax on her skin. It was becoming increasingly hard to suppress a moan. What she didn’t suppress, however, were several little sharp exhales and soft sighs.

Then Asami just had to nip down on her lower lip. “f*ck,” She heaved, instinctively trying to squeeze her knees together. This, unfortunately, only brought their lower halves closer together. “Sorry, sh*t—”

Asami dropped her head down and pressed a lingering kiss to Korra’s jaw. “That was my fault,” Asami muttered close to her ear and a shockwave struck her core like a lightning bolt. Asami had such an alluring voice, especially pressed up close. She kissed her way back up to her lips and hummed against her mouth, causing another jolt to stab Korra right in the gut. With one last parting kiss, Asami pressed their foreheads together and caught her breath. “Got carried away, sorry.”

Korra huffed out a small laugh and swallowed hard. “Don’t apologise, I was into it,” She lightly bumped their noses together a couple of times. Before she had time to filter her thoughts, she let out a rushed, “I could do that for hours.” Ugh, can you be any less pathetic?

Asami laughed breathlessly and tucked her face into the crook of Korra’s neck, promptly rendering Korra’s inner monologue short with her next reply. “Me too,” She mumbled, settling her weight back down. “You’re really good at the whole kissing thing.”

“I could literally say the same thing,” Korra ignored the way her heart thumped in her ears. Impulsively, her mouth got the better of her. “You sure you don’t want me to take off my shirt?” Her brain to mouth filter really wasn’t working.

Asami laughed into her neck and slowly propped herself up on both her elbows. “Save that for another time,” She leaned back in and stole a light kiss. “I might actually combust.”

Korra chuckled and gave Asami’s sides a squeeze. “You wanna take a quick break to grab some snacks and refuel?”

Asami nodded and carefully pushed herself back onto her knees, flipping her hair over one shoulder. “Good call. What episode did we get up too before I fell asleep?”

Korra did not linger on the image of Asami kneeling between her legs in fear she might actually melt into a puddle. “4, I pressed pause. What snacks did you get?”

Asami dismounted the couch and stretched her arms above her head. Korra watched as her crop top rose up and exposed the underside of the bra she was wearing. She averted her gaze before she was caught staring and cleared her throat. “You didn’t have to do that,” Asami walked into the kitchen and opened up her pantry. “I got some mochi and some seaweed cookies for you. I also got—”

“Can I just marry you now?” Korra blurted out and scrambled to find a save. Stop embarrassing yourself. “You’re literally the best. What are your win-me-over snacks?”

Asami brushed her comment off and came back over with a container and a couple packets of mochi. “Honestly? Fire gummies. I go feral for them.” She set the container in Korra’s lap and opened a packet of red bean mochi. “I can’t have them in the apartment or I binge eat them.”

Korra tucked that piece of information away for a later date. “Good to know,” She grabbed a cookie and shoved the whole thing in her mouth. After chewing generously, she continued. “We’re almost at a really important episode. Wanna continue?”

“Heck yeah,” Asami grabbed the remote, pushed play, and leaned back with a piece of mochi.

***

It was hard to keep her hands to herself now that she’d had a taste. Even now, curled into Korra’s side with an arm draped over her abdomen, she struggled to contain herself. Asami supposed she should have seen this coming. She already struggled to put an end to a simple kiss.

Korra’s phone started going off on the table, breaking the comfortable bubble that had formed around them. She reached over and grabbed it with a grunt and answered, lifting it to her ear. “Hey, dad. I’m kinda busy right now, can I call you back tonight?” There was muffled talking on the other end of the phone. “Wait, really? That’s so cool. I’m with someone so I can’t—” More muffled talking. “Um, yeah. Bring that with you when you come to visit. I seriously have to— Yeah, yeah,” Korra sighed, mouthing a small ‘sorry’. “Okay. Love you too. Yes. Mhm…” She groaned into the speaker and rubbed her cheek. “Okay. Bye. I’ll call you when I get home. Tell mom I said hi.” Another couple of seconds passed before Korra was actually able to hang up. “He’s just got confirmation that his papers got approved for the election so he wants to show me his campaign flyer.”

Part of Asami was jealous Korra had such a good relationship with her parents. It made her miss her dad dearly. Korra being so open about their little relationship with said parents brought on a sense of finality. She wasn’t being hidden, or shoved to the side, Korra had wholeheartedly embraced their little romance. It was a little scary, given they’d only been seeing each other for a short time, but it also felt… inviting, like Korra wanted to show her off. Not Asami Sato, just Asami.

Speaking of showing off, Korra’s little admission had seriously done a number on her self restraint. Between her soft, fond words, and the way she’d so shamelessly caressed her face, it was a miracle she hadn’t jumped the gun and taken Korra up on her offer. Rationale had kicked in, reminding her to tread with caution. She still needed heavy desensitisation to physical intimacy. The insecure, anxious part of her brain was terrified going too fast would ruin what they had going for them. Not that she hadn’t thought about it, obviously, but thinking and doing where two completely different things.

A little making out and a little touching felt comfortable. Doable. And she liked it. A lot, actually.

“Does he just randomly call you whenever he has news?” She enquired, resting her head back down on Korra’s shoulder.

“Pretty much. We have weekly video calls. Sometimes he just calls me because he’s bored at work and wants to chat,” Korra curled her arm back around Asami’s shoulder and started up her patterns again, much to Asami’s approval. “Mom exclusively sends me photos of Naga. That’s our thing.”

Asami longed for that sort of connection. She was going to have to set aside some time to go and visit her parents’ graves. It’d been a while since she’d last spoken with them. “I think that’s really neat. When was the last time you saw Naga?”

“A couple months. It feels like a lifetime ago.”

Asami let silence engulf them yet again. They got another episode in before Asami’s phone went off this time. With a sigh, she begrudgingly got to her feet and grabbed it off of the kitchen counter. It was her assistant. Ugh, that’s never a good sign. “Hey, Zeki. What’s up?”

“Sorry to bother you on a Sunday, Asami. Can you check your emails?”“That’s not reassuring. What’s wrong?” She put her phone on speaker and walked through the house towards her office, mouthing a ‘just a second’ to Korra on the way.

“Someone leaked our launch online. We’re working to get it taken down. Email outlines the steps we’re taking.”Asami opened up her laptop and sat down in her desk chair. “Okay, could be worse. Was it someone within the company that leaked it or did someone hack into our systems?”

“Someone within the company. We’re conducting interviews tomorrow. Hence why we need your approval.”With a sigh, Asami navigated over to her emails and started reading. They went back and forth for a good 10 minutes before the call ended. Whilst it was frustrating, a leak wasn’t the end of the world. The social media team where pretty good at twisting the situation around. Worst case scenario, they just announced the launch early and started taking pre-orders before the official campaign started near the end of the year. Asami knew her dad would have been flattered; a leak meant people were interested in his work. It was also weirdly validating. Maybe, just maybe, she was doing a good job stepping into his shoes if people felt the need to leak details before the general public got the big press release.

She sent off a couple of emails before shutting everything down and returning to her spot next to Korra. “Sorry, work stuff. What did I miss?”

With a reassuring smile, she pulled Asami into her side and kissed the top of her head. “Everything okay?”

Such a mundane action had no right making her stomach fill with butterflies. “Someone within the company leaked our product launch online. It sounds bad but it’s easily fixed. They just needed my approval on disciplinary action. I’ll probably get an ear full tomorrow,” She rested her hand on Korra’s stomach and cuddled in. “What time do you need to head off?”

“I hope it doesn’t cause a scene,” Korra replied, giving her shoulder a squeeze. “Soon, probably. Bolin is meant to be making something for dinner and wants all of us there to ‘taste his awesomeness’. He’s been brushing up on his cooking skills to impress Opal.”

Asami started to stroke her hand up and down the length of Korra’s abdomen absentmindedly. “Opal did mention he’d been stopping by to drop off food in an attempt to woo her,” She ignored the pang of remorse at the mere idea of Korra leaving. “Is he any good?”

Korra blew out a breath and shrugged lightly. “Depends. He’s really good at baking but sucks at actual cooking.” She rested her head against the top of Asami’s. “I could stay for another episode before he starts blowing up my phone.”

“I’ll take what I can get,” Asami exhaled, settling back into comfortable silence.

As she continued to idly stroke Korra’s abdomen, she started to let her mind wander. Was this too fast? The string of highly suggestive photos didn’t feel fast. It felt natural, a part of their dynamic. Talking about boundaries and expectations didn’t feel fast. It was really nice getting everything out in the open before things escalated. The banter, the flirtations, they didn’t feel fast. Her growing admiration didn’t feel fast. It all felt… easy. Like this was simply how it was meant to be. She used to be just as brash with Opal before her life took a turn and she had to double down on being more calculated for her own sake. Korra unearthed the kindred, childish part of her personality she’d hidden for so long. And gosh, it felt so good to just be completely unhinged and weird for once.

Korra was patient, and kind, and sweet, and said all the right things. The over-analytical part of her brain wondered if Korra was completely make believe. She was literally ripped right out of one of her fantasy books. But nothing they’d done made any alarm bells go off in her brain. Not seriously, anyway.

She felt Korra’s stomach tense up when she accidentally trailed a finger right over her navel. And it was accidental, she’d been so caught up in her own thoughts it’d drifted south on its own accord. If that gets a reaction, what if I just… She circled the dip right above Korra’s lower abdominal muscles and bit down on her lower lip when Korra’s stomach tensed up again. Okay, good to know. She laid her palm flat against Korra’s stomach and splayed her fingers out. Again, it tensed up and Asami swore she heard Korra’s breath hitch.

Okay, maybe she was being unfair. But it was fun figuring out what got a reaction.

“Are you having fun?”

Snapped. “Don’t know what you’re talking about,” She feigned innocence, biting back a grin. She was thankful Korra couldn’t see her face because she may have been fighting off a flush.

“Photos weren’t enough for you?”

Ugh. She did not need a reminder of said photos. “I’m just mapping out the goods,” She wasn’t lying. “It was accidental to begin with, promise.”

Korra laughed and slid her hand over the top of Asami’s. “You can touch me, here,” She guided Asami’s hand under the hem of her shirt and laid it flat on her bare stomach. “Get it out of your system.”

Oh… how the tables had turned. Asami’s brain short circuited. Seeing Korra’s muscles in person, and in photo form, held no real weight in comparison to physically feeling them. It wasn’t like she was jacked; Korra did have a layer of fat that covered up the majority of her physique, but there was something deeply attractive about her build that Asami may have day dreamed about several times over the past several days.

Asami was at a loss for words. She did not move her hand for a solid 15 seconds. Part of her brain was panicking. She literally just told you to get it out of your system, the rational part of her brain encouraged. I don’t think I can get it out of my system, she fired back. Curiosity won out in the end and she started running her hand up and down the length of Korra’s midsection. She couldn’t be certain, but she had a feeling Korra was purposely flexing.

Or maybe not, each time Asami brushed up against her lower abdomen Korra’s thighs also tensed up.

“Enjoying yourself?” Korra breathed out, sounding considerably less put together.

“This isn’t uncomfortable for you, right?” She went to remove her hand but Korra stopped her and held it in place.

“You’re okay. I’m just sensitive, it’s been a while. I like the skin-on-skin contact.” Korra reassured. “You also have really cold hands.”

Asami laughed a little and tipped her head up. “Sorry, I can’t help it. You’re meant to be my heater.”

Korra turned to face her at just the wrong moment. She seemed to realise just how close they were and visibly gulped, eyes dropping down. Asami was not stupid, she could practically read Korra’s mind. “I could make a comment about stuffing your hand between my thighs to warm it up but I feel like that would be completely inappropriate.”

Oh f*ck, Asami did not need that mental image. She had been doing so well, too. “You play so dirty,” She croaked out, trying to weigh up the pros and cons of making a move. Ultimately, Korra did it for her. She surged down and captured her lips in a rushed kiss. Asami was a slave to her own desire, she returned it with equal vigour and dragged her hand out from underneath Korra’s shirt.

Her body seemed to have a mind of its own because she hardly recognised herself moving. Without breaking the kiss, she shifted to straddle Korra’s lap and cupped either side of her face. She pressed in, exhaling a sigh of her own when Korra’s hands gripped onto her hips and held her in place. It was hot, and it was messy, and Korra drank her in like a woman that hadn’t had a drop of water in days.

Korra did not drop her hands down, much to her disappointment, but they did glide up her sides and left a trail of heat in their wake. You just told yourself you need to acclimatise to this, the wolf on her shoulder reminded her. To be completely fair, this was actually fine. She ignored the voices and tilted her head back when Korra’s mouth started dragging down her jaw. It’d been so long since anyone had shown her an ounce of affection that she had trouble justifying putting a stop to their current make out session.

“Spirits, Asami,” Korra panted into her ear and gosh her voice. “Is this okay? Do you need to slow down?”

Great question. Her body did not want to slow down in the slightest. “I’m good, are you good?” She got out, eyes rolling back when Korra’s mouth attached to her neck again.

“So good,” Korra exhaled, ghosting her lips over Asami’s throat before making the slow journey upwards and f*ck that sent a jolt right between her legs. “Can I…?” She stole a hard kiss and ran her hands down the length of Asami’s back, hovering by her tailbone.

Asami nodded with a little smile and covered Korra’s hands with her own, lowering them down to her behind. “Tasteful groping is okay,” She murmured, bringing her hands back up to Korra’s shoulders. “Go wild.”

A groan rumbled at the back of Korra’s throat as she filled her hands and squeezed. Asami should have been embarrassed at the sound that came out of her own mouth when Korra trapped her lower lip between her teeth, but she was not. Pay back was a bitch. Korra seemed to like it because she squeezed her ass again and licked right into her mouth.

She was so thankful Korra knew what she was doing because her brain was starting to short circuit again. She threaded her fingers into Korra’s hair and let out a long ‘mm’ into her mouth when Korra tensed up under her weight. She was rewarded with yet another grumble that made the tips of her ears burn red.

Korra pulled back first, chest heaving as she levelled Asami with a hooded, sultry gaze. Asami could barely see the blue in her eyes, her pupils were blown so wide. “Banana?” She breathed out, eyes shifting down to Asami’s mouth.

Asami brought their foreheads together and closed her eyes, attempting to regain some of her composure. “Banana,” She affirmed, stroking Korra’s cheeks with her thumbs. “You’re going to ruin me,” She added. “I take that back, you already have ruined me.” She nudged Korra’s nose to the side and rubbed her cheek down her jaw.

Korra let out a breathless chuckle and gave her ass one final squeeze before she snaked both arms around her waist, hugging her close to her body. “Whoops,” She grinned into Asami’s temple and left a kiss there. “Can’t say I’m sorry. What kind of girlfriend would I be if I didn’t leave you longing?”

There it was again.

“Girlfriend, huh?” She teased, hiding her face in Korra’s neck.

She felt Korra swallow hard. “I mean, um, only if that’s what you want, I have a tendency to jump ahead—”

“Shh,” She pulled her head back and brought Korra in for a long, sweet kiss. “Of course that’s what I want,” She murmured, separating an inch. “Suppose we got that part figured out, right?”

Korra’s eyes crinkled as that goofy, lopsided grin spread over her face. “Really?”

Asami adored the naïveté in her tone. “Mhm,” She stole another kiss and rested her hands under Korra’s jaw. “You expect me to say no after all that?”

Korra squeezed her body and laughed. “Was this a chemistry test?”

“I dunno, was it?” Asami curled her arms around Korra’s neck and brushed their noses together. “You don’t have some fancy pick-up-line?”

“Oh, actually,” Korra dramatically cleared her throat. “There must be something wrong with my eyes,” She pulled back and squinted her eyes playfully. “Because I can’t take them off of you.”

Asami scrunched up her nose and shook her head. “Do you have an endless supply of these?”

“Pretty much,” Korra leaned back and jutted out her lower lip. “Your lips look lonely; would they like to meet mine?”

Okay, that one had no right being so effective. “One more and then you really have to go before I take you up on that earlier offer,” She pecked Korra’s lips once and shifted out of her lap before she got sucked back in. “Do I have permission to watch the rest of season two without you?”

Korra pushed herself up to her feet and shook out her arms. “Hold off on the final, I want to see your reaction when you watch it,” She pocketed her phone and grabbed her bag. “I’ll let you know how this dinner thing goes. I’m pretty busy next week but you’re more than welcome to come around for flat movie night again if you want. The boys have been honing their racing skills in preparation for your next visit. I think Mako really wants to talk to you about that CD you gave him.”

Being welcomed into Korra’s inner circle filled her with a sense of belonging. Outside of her friendship with Opal, she didn’t have a whole heap of people she would consider close friends. “You can give Mako my number if you want, I could use someone that actually wants to talk about death metal as a whole,” She followed Korra to the door and pulled her into a hug. “We’ll coordinate. Thank you for today,” She let out a tiny squeak when Korra lifted her up off the ground and twirled her around.

“I couldn’t let Bolin steal the spotlight,” Korra quipped with a grin as she set her down. “I’ll text you when I’m home,” She glanced behind Asami’s body. “Bye Suki! Enjoy your goodies!” She pulled the hood of her jacket up and sent Asami the finger guns as she backed out the door.

Asami shook her head with a laugh at her behaviour and with a final wave, shut the door.

She pulled out her phone after appropriately cleaning up their rubbish and started typing out a message to Opal.

Asami [5:23pm]:
You wanted details right?

She got a reply immediately.

Opal [5:24pm]:
Omg you screwed her???

Asami [5:25pm]:
No but we made out twice

Opal [5:26pm]:
No f*cking way what was it like??

Asami [5:27pm]:
shes really good at the whole kissing thing. Like im talking expert level kissing. She also has really firm hands

Opal [5:28pm]:
how far did you two go??

Asami [5:29pm]:
just making out and some neck kissing. She got a little handsy at the end and it made me question my entire existence haha

Opal [5:30pm]:
f*ck yes asami !!! you go girl. How are you feeling afterwards? Where’s your head at?

Fantastic question. She just felt… well, in simple terms, she was high on life. She felt wanted. And boy, it was amazing.

Asami [5:34pm]:
im in a good head space. She listened to all my boundaries and didn’t push. We also may have made it official

Opal [5:36pm]:
I knew I had a good feeling about her. Do you mean you two are like, what, in a relationship? I thought you already where?

Asami [5:38pm]:
we didn’t put a label on it but she said, and I quote, ‘what kind of girlfriend would I be if I didn’t leave you longing’ and I went for it :)

Opal [5:40pm]:
that’s so gay lmao what a power move on her part

Asami [5:43pm]:
I won’t lie it lowkey really turned me on

Opal [5:44pm]:
ooooooo do you have a date with your hand tonight? ;)

Asami [5:47pm]:
shut up asshole

Opal [5:48pm]:
when are you two going to talk about kinks and stuff because I really want to know what she’s into

Asami [5:49pm]:
I don’t know but I will NOT be telling you

Opal [5:50pm]:
Asaaammiiiiii :( pleassseeeee

Asami [5:51pm]:
I’ll think about it. I gotta make dinner and feed Suki. I will keep you updated

Opal [5:52pm]:
tell her I say hello. Im glad you had a good time and you don’t have the ick afterwards. Progress!!!!

Asami laughed and set her phone down. After feeding Suki, refilling her water bowl, and pulling a microwave meal out of the microwave, she settled back down on the couch and kicked up her feet. Whilst she wasn’t particularly looking forward to damage control tomorrow, at least she had new day dream material.

She was midway through another episode of Kyoshi Warriors when her phone went off.

Korra [6:50pm]:
Sorry I got home a little while ago but forgot to text.
[image attached]
Dinner was a success. I’m actually impressed.

Asami [6:51pm]:
Damn that actually looks good. When are you cooking for me? X

When she didn’t get a reply right away, she went to go and have a shower. She spent a good 20 minutes standing directly under the shower head before she got out and went through her nightly routine. With a freshly washed nightgown on and a pair of fluffy socks, she slipped under her covers and finally checked her phone.

Korra [7:10pm]:
oooooohh I could come around and show you how to cook?? And make you something at the same time?? Two birds one stone

Asami [7:48pm]:
I’m game. Next weekend? X

Korra [7:49pm]:
f*ck yeah. I’ll bring around all the stuff for fried fish balls. You keen to try squid soup?

Asami [7:50pm]:
I’ll try anything.

Korra [7:51pm]:
Awesome. You’re in for a treat. Mom’s recipe is legendary. You getting ready for bed?

Asami [7:52pm]:
I’m excited! Yeah, I’m already in bed. I’m waiting for Suki to join me. Do you have school stuff to catch up on?

Korra [7:53pm]:
She’s one lucky cat. I have that group project and some slides to go over. Mako said he would text you tomorrow btw if he starts acting weird let me know and I’ll punch him for you :)

Asami [7:54pm]:
She literally gets under the covers with me and cuddles into my stomach its really cute haha good luck with your school stuff. Should I be extra gay with him to make him uncomfortable?

Korra [8:00pm]:
now im even more jealous :( no fair. And yes. Please send me screenshots.

Asami [8:02pm]:
Did you not get your fix today?

Korra [8:05pm]:
Nope. I can never get enough of you. I’m addicted. I’ve been drifting off thinking about you ever since I left.

Asami [8:06pm]:
Oh? Mind sharing with the class?

Korra [8:08pm]:
Okay weird question but are you a top?

Asami [8:09pm]:
I’m both. Why? Did I give off that vibe today?

Korra [8:12pm]:
ughhhh that’s so hot. Yeah. That’s what has been running through my mind haha

Asami [8:13pm]:
What are you?

Korra [8:15pm]:
I can do both. I lean more towards giving than receiving though

Asami nearly dropped her phone when Suki jumped on the bed with a loud meow. “Took you long enough, where have you been?” Suki climbed right onto her chest and started purring. “Okay, honey, we aren’t doing the chest thing,” She gently nudged her off to the side and huffed when Suki snobbed her and jumped off the bed entirely. “Don’t come and wake me up at 2am because you want attention!” She called out, turning her attention back to her phone.

Asami [8:20pm]:
Really?

Korra [8:21pm]:
Yeah. People pleaser and all that. What about you?

Asami contemplated her next reply, thumbs hovering over her screen. This was a bold move if she went through with it. She was curious, though, and Opal had put the whole kink idea in her head. After chewing on her lower lip and deleting and retyping a message, she finally hit send.

Asami [8:24pm]:
I don’t have a preference. Can I ask what really gets you going?

Three little dots kept appearing and disappearing.

Korra [8:27pm]:
Promise you won’t laugh?

Asami [8:27pm]:
I promise x

Korra [8:28pm]:
I like praise. Can I ask what gets you going?

That… made a lot of sense, actually. Given Korra had just said she was a bit of a people pleaser.

Asami [8:29pm]:
So… ‘you’re a good girl’ kind of stuff? I have a whole auditory thing.

Korra [8:32pm]:
Yeah. Verbal reassurance too. Do you mean dirty talk or just sounds in general?

Asami [8:34pm]:
… Both

For a couple of minutes, those damned three little dots kept popping up and disappearing.

Korra [8:40pm]:
Rough or gentle?

Oh. Well, it was probably good to get this stuff out in the open early on, right? This was harmless. It was just like talking about boundaries. There was no point in lying.

Asami [8:43pm]:
Rough. Gentle has its place. You?

Korra [8:46pm]:
Both. Biting or kissing?

Asami [8:47pm]:
Can I say both?

Korra [8:48pm]:
Me too. Hands or toys?

Asami [8:49pm]:
Both. Wearer or receiver?

Korra [8:51pm]:
Wearer. Mouth or fingers?

The beginnings of arousal started tingling in Asami’s core. You could have guessed that too, idiot.

Asami [8:53pm]:
Mouth. You?

Korra [8:56pm]:
Fingers. Thoughts on hair pulling?

f*ck. Korra was really going for it. As she thought about a reply, another message came through.

Korra [8:59pm]:
Sorry we can stop isn’t it your bedtime?

Asami [9:02pm]:
Noo you’re okay I was just thinking about a decent reply. I like hair pulling. Especially from behind. This one is pretty basic but ass or boob?

Korra [9:05pm]:
boobs but you have a really nice ass so that’s a hard one. You into edging?

Asami had to take a moment to mentally process that whole line of text.

Asami [9:09pm]:
So do you. I haven’t got a whole heap of experience with edging. Are you?

Korra [9:10pm]:
You been checking me out? And yes.

Asami sucked in a big breath, dug deep, and hit send before she could chicken out.

Asami [9:12pm]:
Obviously. This is a big one but are you into semi-public sex?

Korra [9:13pm]:
Never tried it. Are you?

Asami worked her jaw back and forth a couple of times. It was now or never.

Asami [9:16pm]:
Yes.

Korra [9:18pm]:
Like fooling around in public or properly getting off in public?

Asami [9:20pm]:
Both.

Korra [9:21pm]:
Really?

Asami [9:22pm]:
Are you making fun of me? :(

Korra [9:23pm]:
f*ck no. I’d do it. You into roleplay?

Asami [9:24pm]:
Don’t you dare make a hot CEO roleplay joke

Korra [9:25pm]:
Would you do it though?

Asami [9:26pm]:
Maybe.

Korra [9:27pm]:
Sick. Okay you should go to sleep its way past your bedtime. I didn’t mean to go down such a big rabbit hole haha night beautiful x

Asami [9:28pm]:
You’re okay this was fun. One more. What do you prefer? Top or bottom?

Korra [9:30pm]:
My ego wants to say top but I feel like I’d just turn into a puddle on the floor with you so bottom. You?

Asami [9:31pm]:
Interesting. Night x

Korra [9:32pm]:
Asami don’t play games with me top or bottom??

Korra [9:35pm]:
Asamiiii

Korra [9:38pm]:
baby please I know you’re not asleep

Asami [9:39pm]:
Did you just ‘baby’ me?

Korra [9:40pm]:
I KNEW YOU WEREN’T SLEEPING ANSWER MEEEE

Asami [9:41pm]:
that was so sweet though

Korra [9:42pm]:
Do I have to do it again? Asami baby please don’t leave me hanging I’ll bring you fire gummies

Asami [9:43pm]:
I won’t lie this whole begging thing is really getting me going

Korra [9:46pm]:
[image attached]
New spank bank material please answer

Oh for f*ck sake. Asami had to pause and close her eyes for several long seconds to calm herself down. This wasn’t like any of the other photos Korra had sent, she’d fully taken off her shirt. The blue sports bra she had on barely contained her bust. Asami could only assume that was intentional.

Korra [9:50pm]:
Asaaaamiiiiiii

Asami [9:51pm]:
Yes dear?

Korra [9:51pm]:
Top or bottom??

Asami [9:52pm]:
Top.

Korra [9:53pm]:
Oh f*ck yes. I knew it. Okay goodnight x

Asami [9:54pm]:
But I was enjoying all the begging and pet names

Korra [9:55pm]:
you’ve just blown through your weekly reserves.

With a laugh, she pushed her blankets off and tugged the front of her nightgown down so there was notable cleavage showing. After a moment of consideration, she threw her blankets fully off and bunched her gown around her hips so her legs were fully exposed. It was nothing raunchy, but it was more suggestive than their previous exchange. She took a couple of photos and sent the one she liked the most.

Asami [10:03pm]:
[image attached]
Would this change your mind?

Korra [10:04pm]:
suddenly I am on the floor begging

Asami [10:05pm]:
good. Exactly how I want you. Goodnight x

Korra [10:06pm]:
wait what does that mean

Korra [10:10pm]:
Asami what the f*ck you can’t just leave me hanging like that

Korra [10:15pm]:
you are totally getting it next time I see you

Asami [10:17pm]:
Oh?

Korra [10:18pm]:
aren’t you meant to be sleeping??

Asami [10:19pm]:
someone keeps blowing up my phone

Korra [10:20pm]:
sorry lol ill leave you be goodnight

With a small shake of her head, Asami finally tucked her phone away and closed her eyes. 5 minutes later and a healthy dose of replying today’s events in her head, she fell asleep dreaming about 2 very firm hands traversing their way between her legs.

Notes:

we love boundaries and healthy communication (it stays this way dont stress)

just two girls figuring it out one day at a time!