Chapter Text
Finally, some quiet and peace after an endless series of business meetings. Now that she was alone in her office, which was on the highest accessible floor of the Future Industries Tower, Asami kicked off her heels and sank down in her office chair with a relieved sigh.
She had learned how to appreciate silence once she had taken over her father’s company and started to handle most of the business decisions herself. People talked too much over too little; in the end, all business plans could be summarized into increasing profit and lowering costs. Asami was getting tired of being caught up in a never ending loop of maximizing profit as the next company goal, tired of hearing one more manager tell her that they needed to increase their brand value.
Asami closed her eyes. Absolute quiet. This was nice.
“ASAMI - mpf!”
And that nice moment was over when something heavy crashed against her windows.
Jumping out of her seat, Asami turned around and froze, wondering if she should be laughing or screaming.
Glued to the window like a dead fly on a windshield, Korra’s pained face was squashed against the glass while her limbs were sprawled out. It wasn’t until Korra began to slowly slide down the glass with a squeaky noise that Asami finally reacted and ripped the window open, pulling her girlfriend into the office who dropped on the floor like a sack of potatoes.
“What in the name of…” Asami kneeled down next to Korra’s head, lightly touching her cheeks when blue eyes were still in a daze. “Korra? Korra! Say something!”
Still a bit out of it, Korra flashed her a toothy grin. “I might have severely underestimated the distance of your windows to my face.”
Asami let out a snort in disbelief, her worry fading. “Oh, you think?” She flicked a finger against Korra’s nose, getting a whimper in response. “Don’t ever surprise me like that again, I’m too young to die of a heart attack.”
“And too pretty, that would be such a waste,” Korra mumbled dreamily, staring up at Asami with big, round eyes. “So pretty. Do I ever tell you that?”
“Only every day,” Asami said with a smile, feeling her chest getting warm like it was the first time she had heard it. Some things never changed. “Come on, let’s get you on your feet, you dork.”
Korra let herself be pulled up to a standing position, but her wobbly legs almost caved in and she would have fallen if it weren’t for Asami holding her upright. “Okay, maybe you’re not fine after all.”
“I’m super fine,” Korra protested with a scrunched up expression. “Have you seen my body? Super fine.” She gave a sloppy wink which looked more like a slow blink, then flexed her arms. “Nice.”
On the one hand, this seemed like normal Korra behavior that Asami would roll her eyes at on the outside but find endearing on the inside. On the other hand, Korra usually displayed this behavior only in an ironic way, both knowing that she was just joking by playing the arrogant musclehead.
“Why don’t we get you to a hospital,” Asami suggested, but Korra grunted in displeasure.
“What kind of Avatar gets beaten by window glass? Not me!” And when Korra bent her arm and jutted a thumb out to point at her own face, she accidentally poked herself in the eye. “Ah!”
Again, Asami wondered if it was considered rude to laugh now.
“Totally meant to do that,” Korra winced, holding her right eye. “Come on now, laugh, or I would’ve almost blinded myself for nothing.”
“Oh, Korra,” Asami sighed with an amused grin. “Maybe you should lie down for a while. That crash sounded pretty nasty so I don’t think it felt good either.”
“Pff,” Korra dismissively waved with her hand, “just a slight bump. Needed to test the quality of your windows anyway, don’t want anyone else breaking in.”
“They’re bulletproof,” Asami answered, “and apparently also Avatar-proof.” She crossed her arms. “Korra, you need to lie down. And don’t argue against me, I’ve had enough tiring discussions today and would rather not kick your ass.”
Korra blinked a few times, wordlessly staring at Asami before she said slowly, “I’m conflicted. You threatening to kick my ass is pretty hot but you also sounded just like my mother.”
“Korra,” Asami sighed in exasperation, “please don’t make it weird.”
“Not trying to!” Korra raised her hands defensively. “Alright, I’ll lie down. But only if you cuddle with me.”
Asami bit her lip. “I’m sorry, I can’t leave my work now –“
“Just a short break, a short nap,” Korra carefully interrupted, pointing to the large couch in Asami’s office. “We’re not even leaving your office.”
“No,” Asami firmly said, “not that couch. Remember the last time we just wanted to take a ‘nap’ on it? I missed two business meetings and had to hire a new assistant because the other one was too embarrassed to work for me anymore. Also, one of my favorite panties is still lost somewhere inside the cracks.”
“Ah, good times,” Korra hummed to herself with a satisfied grin like it was an old, treasured memory.
“That was last week.”
“Aw, come on, Asami, you are already overworking yourself again. Just a short rest won’t hurt?” And Korra batted her eyelashes.
Unimpressed, Asami sat down in her office chair and closed her eyes. “I am resting. Here. In my chair. While you lie down. On that couch. Without me.”
Korra grumbled and trotted to the couch, letting herself plop down on it. “The Avatar is not pleased.”
“The Avatar should stop being a big crybaby and rest.”
“So does the Avatar’s girlfriend.”
“The Avatar’s girlfriend will no longer comment on this or talk in third person about herself.”
Lying on her arms crossed behind her head, Korra stared up at the ceiling. “I really like you, you know?”
Suppressing a giggle, Asami fondly looked at her girlfriend. She loved it when Korra would sometimes randomly and bluntly state her feelings. “I sure hope so. Or that would make this dating thing really awkward.”
Korra rolled on her stomach and peered at Asami with a soft look. “I care about you so much, I wished you’d take better care of yourself.”
Asami felt her heart flutter and she stood up from her chair, strolling over to the couch where Korra was lying on. Her girlfriend immediately scooted to the side, making some space for Asami to lie down next to her, face to face.
“You’re very sweet,” Asami whispered with a smile, placing a soft kiss on Korra’s forehead. “But same goes for you. There’s not one week where I don’t have to tend to new bruises on your body.”
Korra threw an arm around Asami’s waist and pulled her closer, nuzzling her face against her girlfriend’s neck. “Okay. I’ll tell my enemies that my girlfriend would appreciate it if they didn’t fight back.”
“I’m sure they’ll understand,” Asami chuckled, stroking Korra’s hair. “I know blue is your color, but I don’t think bruises really count.”
A puff of hot air tickled Asami’s neck when Korra laughed against her skin, making Asami giggle herself.
“And here I thought they made me look hot,” Korra muttered, her free hand beginning to roam Asami’s side up and down. “So did Bolin lie to me about girls digging the beaten up hero look?”
Shuddering beneath the touch, Asami buried her hand in Korra’s hair. “Well, I can’t speak for all of them. My personal kink is seeing you healthy and unharmed.”
“Now that’s an unrealistic kink,” Korra chuckled, her fingers slipping beneath Asami’s blouse, feeling muscles quiver beneath her feathery light caresses. “Why don’t we stick to the usual?”
Asami let out breathy moan, “And that would be?”
“Having sex on this couch right now even when your door is unlocked and your assistant could walk in any minute.”
Growling, Asami suddenly stopped Korra’s hand from inching any closer to her chest. “That was your plan all along, wasn’t it? Sweet talking me into lying here with you so we can have sex.”
Korra hardly managed to suppress her wide grin. “What are you talking about, I really care about your health! Let me take care of you…”
“I can’t believe I fell for that!” Asami huffed, moving to stand up from the couch.
“Asami,” Korra whined, stretching out a hand after her, “when’s the last time you relaxed-“
“If you mean sex by relaxing, then yesterday night. And this morning too.” Asami fixed her blouse. “Korra, normally I’d agree with your idea of relaxing, but lately you’ve been kind of…insatiable.” Her cheeks flushed. “It almost feels like sex is half of your workout program.”
Korra wiggled with her eyebrows. “How do you know it’s not?”
“Urgh.” Asami turned away and walked back to her desk, knowing that she couldn’t allow herself to be pulled in by Korra’s eyes or she would never get any work done. She had already extended her lunch break without meaning to. “Korra, don’t you have a world to save?”
“What does it matter, it’ll fall into chaos again anyway by the next week,” Korra threw up her hands in frustration. “They really should have included this part in the job description. Also the awful working hours. No perks besides knowing how to kick someone’s ass using four different elements.’”
“No perks?” Asami raised a brow. “You’re a hero, Korra, people admire you. They are throwing gifts and money after you, dedicating art and statues to you.”
Korra hummed noncommittally, not all that impressed with it. “They would admire anyone as long as it’s the Avatar. Not because it’s me.”
Asami leaned back in her chair when she began to realize that Korra had been avoiding her Avatar duties by focusing all of her energy on their relationship, both emotionally and physically. She wasn’t complaining and she was probably going to miss the attention, but the world needed its hero.
“Even if it’s only the idea of you that they admire, don’t you think that their hope in you is something worth protecting? They believe in the Avatar because they believe in peace.”
“You’re right.” Korra pushed herself off the couch and straightened herself, blue eyes glowing with new found strength. “A world where someone as amazing as you live in is definitely worth saving.”
Korra never failed to remind Asami on why she fell in love with her. And making her feel so loved and wanted was just one of the many reasons. “Now you’re just trying to get into my pants again, you charmer,” Asami said with a laugh.
“Did it work?” Korra said in a hopeful tone.
“Maybe,” Asami winked, “but don’t you think about it until you’ve beaten up a few bad guys.”
Her expression lighting up, Korra beamed at Asami like a child that had been promised candy. “Even if I get bruises?”
Asami smiled, green eyes twinkling in amusement. “I’ll be there to kiss them better.”
Korra’s chest swelled as she flashed a large grin at her girlfriend. “I’m starting to like my job again.” She walked over to Asami, kissed her deeply on the lips before she climbed out of the window.
“Wait, Korra, not the window-” Asami trailed off, watching her girlfriend drop out of the window. For a few terrifying seconds, Asami was frozen in shock, believing that Korra had jumped to her death.
“Sorry, I forgot how high up we are!” Korra appeared before her window again, using airbending to stay in the air. “See you later tonight!” And then she used firebending to propel herself through the skies.
Asami put a hand over her heart. If she was going to die early of a heart attack, then she was going to come back as a spirit and haunt Korra forever.
Asami considered herself as a very rational person, preferring to base her decisions on logic and reason rather than just a gut feeling. She needed every piece of information available before she would make a judgement, always reserving the right for doubt.
But the longer she stared at the morning newspaper that was slowly getting crumpled in her hands, the more did she feel compelled to give in to the impulse of burning that offensive piece of paper.
Releasing a long sigh, she rolled up the newspaper and took it with her as she walked back to her bedroom, smiling when she heard a quiet snore. She crawled back into bed and silently watched the profile of her girlfriend for a few minutes before she gently nudged against her nose with a poke of her finger.
“Hey, sleepyhead…it’s already noon…”
A lazy smile appeared on Korra’s face before she even opened her eyes, humming in a deep, satisfied tone. “Morning, ‘Sami.”
“Slept well?”
Instinctively turning to her lover, Korra rolled over and threw an arm around Asami’s waist, pulling her closer. “You know I always do when you’re with me. Either that or I don’t get any sleep at all.”
Chuckling, Asami brushed Korra’s loose bangs out of her face, tucking them behind her ears. “So I’m both the problem and the solution.”
“As are most things,” Korra said with a yawn, “there’s hardly one perfect thing that won’t cause new problems further down the chain.”
“Getting philosophical before you had your wake-up tea, I’m impressed,” Asami laughed quietly.
Korra opened one eye, grinning in mirth. “What can I say, your intellect has rubbed off on me. Among other things.”
Asami playfully hit Korra on her arm with the newspaper she was still holding.
“Hm, what’s that?” Korra curiously eyed it.
“Oh, just something to get your blood pumping in case you needed help waking up.” Asami handed Korra the paper.
“Hey, this person looks just like me!” she mumbled in wonder, rubbing at her eyes as she tried to analyze the picture. “And that other person looks like President Raiko’s daughter, Yuki. Aw look, Asami, they’re hugging! What a cute couple. What does the press say about them?” Korra frowned, squinting her eyes. “’Cheating Avatar Exposed! Caught With The President’s Daughter!’”
Silence. Korra squinted her eyes a little bit harder, but the headline and the picture didn’t change.
“I’m really not photogenic,” Korra said sullenly after a while.
“Yeah?” Asami snorted in amusement. “I think you look perfectly fine. It’s the context I’m worried about.”
“Funny story actually,” Korra began, propping herself up on her elbows as she carelessly threw the newspaper on the floor. “Raiko thought he could send Yuki and let her try to convince me to join his side in the latest state council decisions, but that just showed how little he knew his own daughter. Yuki and I were agreeing on the same things in every matter, so we had nothing political to discuss. But then I thought to myself, ‘shit, what if she wants to talk about super sophisticated stuff like fine arts with me, she’s going to think I’m dumb’ and I was so nervous, I broke the cup of tea she gave me.”
Somehow, Asami wasn’t surprised by this at all. She took Korra’s hands and inspected her palms for any cuts. But besides the usual blisters on calloused skin, no other damage could be found.
“I healed the cuts with waterbending,” Korra explained. “Yuki was so impressed by that, we only talked about bending for the rest of the day. Asami, she’s so awesome, you’re going to like her. Well, hopefully not more than you like me of course, because that would suck…But even if you did, I’ll have to let you go and I’ll probably cry like a loser but in the end I’ll support you as long as she makes you happy and-”
Giggling over her girlfriend’s cute rambling, Asami decided to put Korra out of her misery by lightly kissing her on her lips. “I’ll never like anyone as much as I like you.”
Face lighting up with happiness, Korra beamed at Asami with a wide grin. “Don’t you toy with my heart, Sato. How many people have you already charmed with that line?”
“Oh, you know,” Asami winked, “that line was just a prototype and you were my first test subject. Now that it seems to be working, maybe I shall develop it further?”
“You shall,” Korra said, suppressing a laugh, “under the condition that anything you develop is only to be tested on me.”
“I think I can arrange that,” Asami whispered, gaze falling on Korra’s lips.
Swallowing, Korra’s own eyes flickered to Asami’s mouth. She forced herself to stay focused for just a little bit longer. “Before I completely black out, don’t you think we should find a way to deal with the press? I hate it when they stomp all over our relationship, and depicting Yuki as your rival is getting old. Not that it has ever been a good story. But both her and you deserve better.”
Asami intertwined her fingers with Korra’s, heaving a low sigh.
"Asami?" Korra probed when her girlfriend had become quiet.
“I’m sometimes not even sure if I deserve you.”
Korra instantly sat up. “What are you talking about?” She frowned. “Is this about the headline?”
“No,” Asami muttered, but after a pause, she added in hesitation, “yes. Korra, it’s been months and the press still loves to pick on us. They do that for a reason.”
“Because they sell more papers that way?”
“Because they sell more papers if they cater to the public’s opinion and interests. Which means, a lot of people in Republic City like to see us fail. And I noticed the trend of always depicting you as the one to leave me first.”
Korra urgently took both of Asami’s hand and kissed them on the knuckles.
“Asami,” she pressed out in exasperation, “sometimes I wonder if you’re even real because you’re so…I can’t even describe it, but you’re so much. You’re ingenious, you’re kind, you could kick my ass at any time and I don’t even mean to rhyme but that’s just how perfect you are that everything fits. Without the four elements, I would be a nobody, but you never needed bending to become a somebody. You’ve created so much with just your brains.”
It was easy to fall in love all over again with Korra looking this intense and passionate about her feelings. Asami wanted to placate her girlfriend and tell her that she believed her, that her doubts had been wiped away, but Korra wasn’t done yet.
“I never told you this,” Korra lowered her voice in shame, “but I freak out whenever someone attractive and smart hangs around you too much. They can actually hold long conversations with you about intellectual stuff while I’m just good at punching things with different elements.” Korra ducked her head. “Sometimes I think, if I wasn’t the Avatar, you probably would have never noticed me.”
“Oh, Korra,” Asami breathed, feeling her heart constricting within her chest. She slung an arm around Korra’s neck and pulled her down towards her for a slow, deep kiss. With her mouth working against Korra’s, she swiftly switched positions until she lied on top of her girlfriend. “Avatar or not, I would still be lying here with you.”
Blue eyes looked up at her, unusually shy and unsure. “Really?”
“Of course, silly,” Asami breathed, letting her lips brush against Korra’s chapped ones. “You are exactly what I want.” She kissed her on her forehead. “You always know what to say and do to make me laugh. You always know when I need a hug or some space. You know when I’m not feeling well and you know when I’m lying about not feeling well.” She kissed her on her lips again. “That’s the kind of person I’m into.”
Blushing until the tip of her ears turned red too, Korra happily beamed at Asami. “Now look who’s trying to get into my pants before I even got the chance to put some on.”
Asami licked her lips, green eyes lighting up with desire. “Who said you’ll need them today?”
“I don’t know man, I think you should go for roses. It’s a classic choice.”
“Roses? Pah, boring. White Lily is where it’s at.”
“Nah, we’re talking about a high class woman here. A bouquet of all sorts of flowers is the right way to go.”
“Flowers are overrated, if you gave me flowers, I wouldn’t know what to do with ‘em.”
“Yeah, but you also don’t know what to do with people besides strangling them.”
“Guys,” Korra spoke up, looking up from her notebook and impatiently tapping a pencil against it. “Less bickering, more ideas.”
“Sorry, man, I’m stumped. Being handcuffed in a tiny space really hurts my creativity.”
Sitting in the back of a police transporter with four gang members Korra had just arrested, she was trying to take some notes on how to tell Asami that she loved her. Admittedly, her choice of advice givers wasn’t ideal, but she still had a job to do and couldn’t just leave, so she might as well try to multi-task.
“If you love her, just tell her,” the large guy next to her said in his deep, rough voice. “Ain’t much you can do wrong with that.”
His gang members nodded.
“I mean, you’re the Avatar, just take her flying to the moon or something and confess there,” another man suggested, trying to shrug but his bulky arms were handcuffed behind his back, not allowing him much movement.
“You can fly to the moon?” the third gang member with a scar across his face asked.
“No,” Korra sighed. “That would take years. Also, I would die.”
“This sucks, man. That would have been some serious move.”
“I know, right?” Korra said in the same moment the car came to a stop. They had arrived at a local precinct. “Anyway, thanks guys, I feel a bit more confident now. Oh, and I’m sorry I had to catch you smuggling drugs.”
“Nah, you were just doing your job. Good luck with your lady!”
--
It was still beyond her why President Raiko was still, well, President. He had proven to be whimsical on more than one occasion, acting counterproductive to the people who actually tried to help. Asami had never liked him, mostly because he had always taken Korra’s work for granted and even after she had saved Republic City from Kuvira, his gratitude had been forced at best.
The only reason why he still had his job was because of his widely loved daughter, Yuki, who was his complete opposite and seemed to radiate pureness. She actively campaigned for many good causes, wasn’t afraid to lend her soft helping hands even if it was tough physical work and she was a brilliant architect. Alongside with Asami, she had helped to rebuild most of Republic City after Kuvira’s war machine had destroyed a good portion of it.
Yuki was too modest, too earnest, too much like Asami on her good days. And it wasn’t Asami who had a problem with that, it was the press who seemed to get a kick out of comparing them at any occasion. The thinly veiled attempt to incite some sort of competition between them two was what troubled Asami the most. She would have been perfectly happy about co-existing with Yuki as strong individuals, but the city’s media found it more entertaining to pitch these two women against each other.
Which was why she was livid when she came across a tabloid magazine that boldly stated, ‘Yuki Is the New Asami – Is The President's Daughter The Avatar’s Latest Lover?’
There was an infinite amount of things wrong about that headline, but what irked Asami the most was the implication that Korra had a tendency to switch partners every so often, hence ‘latest lover’.
The magazine’s cover photo was of Yuki laughing over something a blushing Korra said. Asami could understand either reaction very well, she knew how funny her girlfriend was and she had experienced Yuki's dazzling beauty firsthand, having gotten a little bit flustered herself the first time they had met.
It was during a charity event where the front cover photo was taken, a rather old picture from months ago that didn’t have any meaning until the press decided to dig it out of the archives just in time for a new headline about their favorite public person to write about, Avatar Korra. They liked to focus on her failures and private life more than about anything she had ever accomplished. Korra could save a hundred people from drowning and the journalists would still rather write about how unkempt she had looked during the rescue mission.
Ridiculous, Asami scoffed and with a swift flick of her wrist, she tossed the magazine into a trash can.
“Hey, what do you think you’re doing!”
For a moment, Asami had forgotten that she was standing in front of a street vendor who was selling newspapers. She had just picked a magazine from his shelf, glanced at the cover and tossed it into the trash without thinking.
“I’m so sorry,” Asami quickly said, fumbling for her wallet and frowning when she realized that she had left it on the table in her office. “No…”
“Hey, wait a minute,” the vendor narrowed his eyes in thought, “I know you…saw your face somewhere before…”
“Oh, really?” Asami pressed out without enthusiasm. Now was not the best time to be recognized because she knew that the press was going to have a field trip about this, already picturing the front title ‘Sato Trashes Newspaper Stand In A Fit Of Jealous Rage!’
This was a headline she really didn’t need to read in her lifetime.
“Give me a hint, lady, are you some big shot around here?” The vendor furrowed his brows.
“Me? Oh, I’m a nobody,” Asami coughed, “but I get that a lot. Heard there’s a mover star around with a similar face to mine.”
“Yeah, yeah that must be it. I mean, you do have that sort of celebrity glamor to you.”
“Why thank you, sir, how kind of you.”
“But I’m still going to need you to pay up for what you threw away. It’s already soaked up the stench of the rotting leftover food in there.”
“Uh…” Asami wondered what the point of being rich was when she didn’t have any money on her right now.
“I’ve got it covered,” a light voice spoke up from behind. A slender hand holding money bills reached out, offering the money to the vendor who didn’t have to be asked twice about taking it.
Asami turned around and her ‘thank you’ remained stuck in her throat when she came face to face with the dazzling beauty that was the President’s daughter. Black, long hair that was so impossibly straight and shiny fell past her shoulders and stopped around her waist. The neat parting in her hair was central, showing off her perfectly symmetrical face that stood out with its pouty lips and captivating hazel eyes. Her clear skin looked so soft and tender that Asami had to suppress her urge to reach out and give it a slight squeeze.
Yuki smiled kindly, showing dimples. “I think it’s only fair to try and even things out after you lost your girlfriend to me.” And she winked, making it clear that it was just a joke.
Asami didn’t know what it was about that woman, but she felt herself getting flustered, blushing slightly. Her wits had been charmed off her. “I think she’s worth more than the price of a magazine,” she tried to joke back but her unsteady voice made her sound upset.
Believing that she had actually offended Asami, Yuki’s playful smile quickly vanished and she looked genuinely distressed over the misunderstanding. She carefully touched Asami’s wrist and gently pulled her along so they would walk away from the street vendor who had been listening in on them too eagerly.
“I’m sorry, that was a tasteless joke,” Yuki apologized, looking bashful to the ground as they strolled down the street with no goal. “I thought we would be on the same page about this topic. Aside from literally being on the same page about it...What I mean is, I absolutely respect what you and Korra have and would never-”
“I know,” Asami finally said, unable to hold back a laugh anymore. “I’m not angry at you. I know how the press works and since the past few weeks have been a little bit too peaceful, they decided to recycle what works best for selling papers.”
Breathing out in relief, Yuki let out a low chuckle, giving Asami a warm smile. “I knew you would be too smart to let this get to you.”
If there was something Asami loved more than getting heartfelt compliments, then it was getting heartfelt compliments from other accomplished people. “Thank you. I also knew that you would be above having a love affair with someone already in a relationship.”
“Then you already believe in me more than my own father does,” Yuki said, trying to play it off as a joke but her voice faltered towards the end. “After all Korra has done for the city, he still doesn’t like her very much.”
Asami swallowed. She understood the pain of not holding the same views as your father and almost losing him over it all too well. She put a soothing hand on Yuki’s shoulder. “Let him work it out on his own, you don’t owe him anything. But if he ever comes around and admits his mistakes, do try to forgive him.”
Yuki looked up with a sad smile. “It still hurts.”
“It does,” Asami whispered, her fingers on Yuki’s shoulder twitching. “It won’t stop hurting until you get closure. Until you forgive him. Until you have no other choice but to accept him as he was.”
If Yuki had noticed that Asami was talking about her own father, then she wasn’t letting it on. She touched Asami’s hand on her shoulder. “Thank you, Asami.”
Asami retracted her hand and they both walked in silence for another minute before they had to stop, coming to a halt in front of an intersection.
“I didn’t realize we’ve walked this far,” Yuki said, looking around with a frown. “I was supposed to attend some meeting in the state council building before I saw you.”
“Oh, me too,” Asami suddenly remembered. She had been on her way to a meeting with Republic City’s most important political figures when her eyes had caught the flashy cover of a magazine on a mobile newspaper stand. From there on, she had completely forgotten her primary objective and the reason she had left her office in the middle of the day in the first place. “Are you meeting the council too for infrastructure questions?”
“Yes. I figured I’d see you there.”
“Then it seems like we two are going to be fashionably late.”
Both began walking back the path they had come from.
“So,” Asami slowly drawled, for lack of better topics, “you never denied you’re into Korra, huh?”
Asami watched in fascination as Yuki’s cheeks went from dainty white to scarlet red in a matter of seconds. If Asami were to press a finger against her skin, would she burn herself?
“I prefer not to lie,” Yuki coughed out, holding a hand to her flushed face that had betrayed her. “She is a very remarkable person, not just because she is the Avatar. Her mind is able to think around corners that most people would never be able to reach.”
Humming in agreement, Asami smiled fondly when thinking about her lover.
“And of course, there’s also her physique…”
When Asami turned to stare at her, Yuki thought she had gone too far, her voice trailing off in a stutter. “Not that I looked much…”
“I knew it,” Asami suddenly said, using her hands to gesture a V-figure, “it’s because her abs do that thing right?”
A bit dumbstruck, Yuki nodded.
Asami sighed. “I totally get that. Hang in there, girl.”
--
“You are all under arrest for the possession of –”
“Hey, you’re the Avatar, aren’t ya?”
Korra sighed and continued to metalbend handcuffs onto a group of criminals who had been caught with illegal weapons at the docks.
“Guys, it’s the Avatar who busted us!”
“That’s so cool, man,” one of the men said over his shoulder when Korra handcuffed him as well. “Big fan, Avatar, big fan.”
“If you really were, you probably wouldn’t be here right now,” Korra said, raising a brow. “You know, since I’m all for peace and balance and other non-illegal stuff.”
“Someone’s gotta feed the kids,” he shrugged, unperturbed. “Anyway, really love how you kicked that metal titan’s ass. And congrats on the hot babe! Heard you’re about to take it to the next level?”
“What!” Korra accidentally bent the metal too tight around the guy’s wrists, who winced in pain. “Oh, sorry.” She fixed the dent. “But seriously, what are you talking about?”
“Words travel fast on the streets,” another man answered, already cuffed and kneeing on the ground. “If you’re trying to lay low, don’t go asking around criminals for advice.”
“I’m a busy person, okay, I don’t really have the time to meet up some dating expert,” Korra mumbled, tying all the men together with a rope so the police could collect them later. “And sometimes they have really good ideas. Besides how to smuggle drugs into prison undetected.”
“Why don’t you ask Skullcrusher over there, he’s the hopeless romantic among us,” said one of the arrested men and nodded to a fellow gang member.
Korra warily eyed the man they called ‘Skullcrusher’. He was what a huge boulder would look like in human form but with small eyes and a large mouth and scars all over his face. Even when sitting on the ground, he was almost as tall as Korra and three times as broad. He cracked a terrifying smile.
“Uhm, I think I’m going to pass,” Korra nervously said, taking a cautious step back. “I like my girlfriend the way she is, with skull and all…”
“Sit,” the Skullcrusher said, and his deep and frightening voice shook Korra’s core like a thumping bass sound. Korra instantly plopped down on her behind, sitting with her legs crossed in front of him. “Listen.”
And Korra just nodded, eyes wide in fear.
“Here’s a few suggestions…”
--
“I want that financial report finished by next week, is that feasible? Excellent. Does anyone have any questions? Good, this concludes our meeting.”
Asami shuffled her documents together into one pile and stood up to leave when suddenly the door to the meeting room burst open, and Varrick stormed in with a triumphant smirk. And where Varrick was, there was also Zhu Li not too far behind him and she came in wheeling a flip chart. The managers in the room shot an insecure glance at Asami, but their boss looked just as wary as them at the arrival of the unexpected guests.
Zhu Li shortly bowed to Asami. “I’m very sorry about what’s going to happen in the next few minutes. And every day after.”
“Good afternoon, ladies and gentlemen,” Varrick announced, brushing over the lapels of his shiny green suit, “I’m very sorry to interrupt-”
“No, you’re not,” Asami grumbled.
“True, but that sentence was part of my introduction, so if you allow me,” Varrick snapped with his fingers and Zhu Li flipped to the first page of the chart. Printed in bold, black letters, the title stated ‘Monthly Report on the Dating Life of the Avatar and the CEO of Future Industries’.
Asami blanched. “Varrick, don’t you dare-”
“Darling, you know I do, so just sit back and relax. You will thank me and Zhu Li later.” Varrick turned to the rest of the executive board, confidently smiling despite the confused looks he was receiving. “This meeting is of utmost importance and believe me, there are not many things I would consider important except for proper foot care, but this!” He pointed to the flip chart. “This needs our full attention right now.”
Hiding her face behind her hands, Asami’s muffled voice hollowly rang out, “Do the rest of my managers need to be here for it?”
Varrick laughed out loud. “Of course they do not! But! We’re going to need a few different opinions for our surveys, so we might as well use them.”
He cleared his throat.
“Word on the street is, the Avatar is planning to confess her undying love for our dear Miss Sato. And by ‘word on the street’, I literally mean the streets. The unsafe ones.” He cheerfully whipped on his feet. “According to a few inside men, we have mob bosses betting against each other on locations where the Avatar might make the magic happen. I, of course, got in on the action too, which is why I need to improve my chances.”
The executive board gasped in unison and turned to Asami. “Miss Sato, can we just say that we are profoundly happy for you?”
Asami’s jaw went slack before she stuttered out, “Wait, wait, can we go back to the part where you said that Korra plans to confess?”
“Why would I repeat it if you have obviously gotten it the first time,” Varrick said with a frown. “Anyway, Zhu Li, do the thing!”
And Zhu Li unceremoniously flipped to the next page. It was a pie diagram, titled with ‘Places where Korra and Asami have gone on dates so far’, and ‘The Avatar Park’ made up a quarter of the diagram. Other places included ‘Fancy Restaurant I still don’t know how to spell so please research that for me Zhu Li’, ‘The Spirit World’, ‘That Seaweed Noodle Place’ and ‘Asami’s Office’.
“Now, as you can see, we have compiled a list of the most frequent places they’ve gone on dates to so we can predict where the Avatar will confess.”
“Varrick,” Zhu Li muttered out of the corner of her mouth, “I think Asami stopped breathing.”
Gripping the table tightly until her knuckles turned white, Asami inhaled shakily. “Aside from the fact that it’s almost disturbing how much you know about my private life…we never had any dates in my office.”
“Well, I expanded the criteria of dates,” Varrick replied, “which means, any place where you share romantic moments and spend a significant amount of time copulating counts as a date.”
“Please kill me,” Asami groaned, covering her eyes and sinking in her chair. If she had her eyes open, she would feel even more mortified at the sight of her unsurprised looking co-workers.
“Anyway,” Varrick said with enthusiasm, “this is where your opinions, for once, might become relevant.” He gestured to the executive board. “Where do you think will the Avatar confess after casually asking Miss Sato out under the pretense that it is a usual date like any other?”
Several hands shot up in the air.
“Yes, you over there, the guy who looks like he would embezzle millions,” Varrick pointed with his finger, “your suggestion please.”
“Uh…” Thrown by the comment, the man stuttered, “I – I personally don’t think that the Avatar will choose any of these places. If I wanted to take my relationship to the next level, I would choose a new and more exciting location.”
His co-workers retracted their arms, becoming insecure about their own ideas after they had heard an answer that made so much more sense.
“That’s actually…realistic,” Zhu Li said, furrowing her brows and looking at the now useless flip chart.
“No!” Varrick exclaimed, holding his head. “I already placed my money on Asami’s office! Urgh, alright, thank goodness I’m so rich it won’t even hurt.”
Asami abruptly stood up, knocking her chair over in the process. “I’m done for today. If there’s anything else, you’ll find me in my office. Except for you, Varrick, please don’t come near me for the next few…years. Zhu Li, you are still welcome of course.”
“Really sorry about that,” Zhu Li apologized, “I tried to talk him out of it, but he promised me he would take me to the moon as soon as he figures out a way where we won’t die the moment we leave the earth’s atmosphere.”
“Space suit,” Asami supplied shortly before she proceeded to storm out of the room.
Zhu Li turned to Varrick with a glare, who raised his hands in defense.
“Come on, Zhu Li, you know I don’t look good in space suits!”