AN: Thanks for reading this! I'm not planning for this story to be particularly long, probably a few more chapters at most, so bear with me. It ends in some smut. Enjoy!
Asami was glad Korra was back.
Korra was spunky, compassionate, kind...and maybe a little selfish, self-absorbed, and a boyfriend-stealer.
Asami quickly shook her head, immediately guilting herself for accusing Korra of doing something that Asami knew she had not done...yet. The once-heiress sighed heavily and sat down on the rickety bed Tenzin and Pemma had provided her on Air Temple Island. She was very grateful to the couple, but she also missed home; worst of all, she missed her father. She just felt that everything was out of control, and that she had no say in what was happening in her life anymore. Even Mako who she thought she could trust had turned out...differently than she had expected.
She was glad for the sudden intrusion because Asami knew that if she were left to her own devices for 10 more seconds, she would have started crying from desperation and frustration. When she looked up, half-hoping that it was Mako wanting to make up, she was accosted with Bolin instead.
"Hey Bolin," she greeted with a weary smile. "What's up?"
The earth bender was always sunny and ready with a smile. Asami greatly appreciated his presence in the group because he made her laugh and was a genuinely kind man...too bad his elder brother did not take after him much.
"Asami!" he said, bouncing lightly on his toes. "I'm here to tell you it's time for dinner. What do you think Pemma made tonight? I was trying to see what was happening in the kitchen earlier, but would you believe it she wouldn't even let me in because she said I was hazardous. Me? Hazardous? Please, that woman needs to-"
Asami, her mood clearing considerably already due to Bolin's mindless babble, chuckled lightly. "Well let's go see." She sniffed the air delicately. "Yeah it does smell good. Mm... Oh!"
She had not noticed that the fire ferret has also slipped into the room along with Bolin. Pabu had quickly ran along her feet and jumped onto the bed, curling up in her lap. Asami broke out into a full-fledged laugh this time. She scratched behind Pabu's ears, liking the warmth the small animal provided in the slightly chilly room. I should hang out with Bolin more, she thought to herself grimly, at least he acknowledges that I exist.
Bolin was hungry enough to eat Oogie, Tenzin's flying bison, but he noticed that something was wrong with the usually confident and bright young woman. He sat down next to her on the bed, trying to ignore his stomach's rumbling.
"You've been in here all day," he offered, reaching over and playing with Pabu's flicking tail.
"Yeah...I guess so," Asami said non-commitally, looking over at her boyfriend's younger brother. He was handsome in a way Mako wasn't. Mako was all limbs—lanky and brooding. Bolin was stockier, and definitely more muscled. His facial features said he was open and trusting, and Asami liked how simple he was. He was easily pleased and was easy to read...so different from, well...
"Err," Bolin started awkwardly, knowing he might be treading in dangerous territory. "Is everything okay?"
Bolin was friends with Asami. Not good friends, but he liked her, and he liked her cars, and he didn't quite like her father, but she treated Mako well so that was good enough for Bolin. He didn't like knowing that anyone was sad, and even though he didn't know for sure if Asami was upset, he could tell by the way she was playing with the fabric of her silk skirt that she was thinking-thinking hard about something. It was the same way with Mako. Whenever the fire bender began tugging on his scarf, Bolin knew that he was trying to figure something out.
Asami took a deep breath and closed her green eyes. When she opened them again, she knew what she needed to ask. "Bolin...does Mako have feelings for Korra?"
Bolin flinched and flushed a deep red. "Uhh well I mean we all have feelings for each other don't we? I mean I feel a lot of things and Mako does too and I mean he feels really happy when we do well in the arena and-"
"You know what I mean," Asami said quietly, staring down at the bright-red fur that was settled in her lap. She could tell from Bolin's reaction that maybe she was on the right track... She pressed her lips together and hoped she wasn't. Pabu squeaked indignantly, and Asami looked down in surprise, realizing that in her stress she had clenched the little ferret's fur. "Oh, sorry," she breathed. Pabu got up in a huff and settled himself on Bolin's shoulder, waving his tail in her face offendedly.
Bolin quieted down, his hand aimlessly petting Pabu. He let out a long sigh and looked at her with something like empathy and understanding in his green eyes. "Well...I once..."
Asami waited for him to finish, giving him time to collect himself.
"I once saw them kissing," he blurted out finally, curling up in a ball as if expecting Asami to hit him.
She, however, didn't really know how to feel. She just felt numb. Staring down at her pale hands, she really wanted to scream, shout, cry, anything, but...
Bolin slowly uncurled from his defensive stance, peeking at her to gauge her reaction.
"Let's go," Asami said abruptly, standing up quickly and heading for the door. "I'm starving."
Bolin stared at her retreating form in confusion. Girls were weird.