[A/N - Thanks to Sy Itha for some sage advice in the face of some writer's block when she suggested going ahead and working on a different story simultaneously. Also gives me something to work on while I'm waiting for my beta reader to finish reviewing the latest chapter of Food Fight... :) This particular story popped into my head after seeing the outrageously awesome artwork by marin-everydaybox on tumblr who very generously granted me usage of her work: image/116844394576 ]
The phone was ringing. The fucking phone was ringing early in the morning on a rare, blessed day off. Somebody was going to pay for this. The lump under the blankets groaned loudly and one dark skinned arm reached and grabbed the offending device off the beside table, then retracted with it back under the covers.
"'lo?"
"KORRA! I'm so glad I caught you! I didn't call too early did I? Fucking timezones, I can never do that kind of math—"
"Bolin, shut up before I reach through the phone and kill you." Korra muttered irritably. "Yes, you called too goddamned early. What do you want?"
Bolin's laughter poured loudly out of the phone's speaker. Korra cursed, holding the receiver away from her ear until it died down.
"You know, for somebody who's the master of all the elements, I'd think you'd be more of a morning person. Also, we haven't talked in ages, you should be thrilled to talk to me!"
"Two words, Bo. 'Fuck' and 'you'. Now if all you wanted to do was piss me off, congratulations, you've succeeded. Now I'm going back to sleep."
"Korra, wait! Seriously, hear me out. I've been trying to find time to call you for days and this was the first time I had two seconds together to do it. I need your help, big time."
Korra sighed deeply and pushed the comforter off so she could sit up in bed. Her short-copped hair was tousled, and the dark circles under her eyes and the gauntness of her cheeks attested to her recent lack of sleep. Also lack of food. Also lack of sex. Not necessarily in priority order.
"Bolin, I just got back from having to pull serious asses out of epic fires on behalf of mostly ungrateful people. I haven't had a good night's sleep or a decent meal in weeks. Unless global war is about to break out or the spirit portals start ejecting ass demons farting fire, I'm really not interested."
"Ass demons? Really?"
"Hanging up now, Bo."
"No, Korra, WAIT!" Bolin shouted desperately. "Look, global war may not be breaking out, but what I need help with could maybe ensure that it never happens again."
Korra leaned back against the headboard and rubbed her face tiredly. She bit back several curses, suspecting this was another insane scheme of Bolin's she was going to regret even hearing, let alone get talked into.
"I'm begging, here, Korra. I swear I'm on my knees while talking to you. Opal is going to ask embarrassing questions about rug burns."
"Oh for fuck's sake, fine!" Korra shouted. "What's going on?"
"Okay, get this," started Bolin eagerly. "Opal and I were hanging with Suyin last week when the ambassador from Lord Izumi shows up. Did you know the Fire Nation used to have some kind of swanky art festival every year on Ember Island?"
Korra yawned and stretched, feeling satisfying pops in her back.
"Vaguely. I care about this why?"
"Well, Lord Izumi decided that they should resurrect this festival, but have it be more than just rich people and have it been more than a Fire Nation thing. She and Suyin agreed to move it to the edge of the Si Wong Desert and have it be open to anybody who wants to go. Have it be sort of a 'let's all have fun so we won't want to kill each other' thing. They even grabbed the representative from Ba Sing Se so Wu will be pitching in also."
"You mean you're inviting the entire world to the Si Wong Desert, where we can all die of hunger and thirst, possibly be swallowed by sand sharks, thus finally bringing about world peace because we're all dead."
"Yes, that's exactly what I mean," said Bolin in exasperation. "NO, you cranky idiot. This is where you and Asami come in. Suyin put Opal and I in charge of making it happen but there's no way we can do this by ourselves. Opal has actually made a lot of progress reaching out to artists in all the kingdoms though she's pretty sure we're going to need your help with the Tribes. But we also have some other serious logistical problems I could really use your help on. In fact, I can't think of anybody better than you two to do it. Or anybody other than you two, to be perfectly frank."
"That's so generous of you," Korra began, then stopped as the door to the bedroom opened and Asami Sato entered the room, holding a tray piled with food, her long ebony hair draped alluringly over her shoulders and her green eyes smoldering. Korra's eyes widened as she took in the fact she was also wearing nothing but a tiny apron. Asami sauntered over to the table next to Korra and carefully set the tray down before twitching the blankets off of Korra and swinging a leg over to straddle the Avatar's bare thighs. Korra closed her eyes as Asami dragged her tongue along the pulse point in her neck, biting back a groan as Asami nipped warm flesh.
"Who are you talking to?" Asami murmured in Korra's ear before taking an earlobe in her teeth, causing Korra to shudder violently.
"Hey!" called Bolin. "You still with me?"
Korra fumbled at the phone, managing to hit the speaker button.
"Tell Asami your brilliant idea," croaked Korra as Asami pressed her palms firmly against Korra's breasts, her lips ghosting along her collarbone.
"Oh hey, Asami! Glad you're there!" cried Bolin cheerfully, his voice made tinny by the phone's little speaker. "So listen, long story but we're putting on this sort of art party festival in the Si Wong Desert and I need you and Korra to help me figure out how to get people there, have them not die once they're there, and have the bender artists from all the various kingdoms work together to make some cool art. I think it will be totally amaz—"
Asami captured a dusky nipple between her teeth and Korra couldn't hold back the loud moan.
The voice on the speaker fell silent, then they heard, "Uhhh, am I interrupting something?"
Asami paused from her ministrations long enough to ask, "Are you asking us for help as Korra and Asami or as the Avatar and the CEO of Future Industries here, Bolin?"
"Um, either? Could be a cool sponsorship opportunity if you wanted, but honestly I don't think anybody is going to think anything other than 'Avatar' if Korra is involved. Either way, I've got a budget like you wouldn't believe to pay for this thing. All expenses paid."
Asami ran her hand languidly down Korra's taut abs before scraping her nails lightly up her inner thighs. Korra hissed and grabbed the phone, intending to hang up. Asami snatched it deftly with her free hand and held it above her head.
"Sounds like you've got a business proposition that needs further discussion, Bo," she agreed, giving Korra a stern look and clenching her nails into Korra's warm flesh in warning. "And I have a vested interested in keeping Korra away from Raiko before he comes up with some other damn stupid idea that's going to take my girlfriend away from me for another month."
Her voice caught as Korra took advantage of Asami's distraction to slide her fingers up Asami's thighs and pull their bodies tightly together, hands massaging Asami's ass eagerly. Asami bit Korra's shoulder to muffle her cry of pleasure, then managed to gasp out, "Give us a couple of days, and we'll come to Zaofu."
"That's fantastic news!" Bolin squealed excitedly. "Opal's going to be thrilled and—"
Korra finally managed to grab the phone as Asami's hips started rolling delectably into her.
"Hanging up, now, Bo!"
The phone sailed across the room, followed by the apron. Korra's wicked growl and Asami's muffled scream assured any additional discussions were postponed until further notice.
