An Empty Space

The glimmering shines of smiling green eyes were looking back at Korra. A noticeable embarrassing blush crept on Korra's face through the Republic City's autumn sharp weather.

"Korra, are you cold?" Asami didn't bother letting Korra answer, "I'll lend you my coat." She shrugs off her coat and covers it over Korra's shoulders and buttons it all the way up. "I hope it keeps you nice and snug."

"But what about you, Asami?" Korra asks as she places her arms through the sleeves.

"Oh, don't worry about me. I'm already warm enough. Besides, I think it fits you really well and I like it on you. It makes me want to just hug you really tight," and she did just that which made Korra's heart skip a beat.

"Thanks, Asami." Korra's thoughts were swarming her mind like buzzing bees in a hive. Chill, just chill. She took a deep breath, "Asami?" Damn it, never mind!

"Yes, Korra?" She asked as she let go of their hug.

"I . . . um . . . I kind of got to get going. It's getting pretty late, you know?"

"It's only five, Korra."

"Yeah, Tenzin said that we're doing some hardcore training early in the morning and so I kind of need a good rest, you know?" She rubbed the back of her head with a nervous chuckle.

"Korra, come one. What are you talking about? Tell me what's really up."

Korra stuttered and uttered deciding whether or not if she should really tell her. "It's nothing, Asami. No big deal. Don't sweat about it."

Asami frowned, "Korra, you're not a very good liar, you know?"

Korra chuckled again, "What? What are you talking about?"

Asami gave Korra a long stare.

"Fine." Korra sighed and cleared her throat, "There's a person I kind of like . . . and they're awesome . . . and I knew them for a while. I think they're cool- and we do cool stuff too . . . like we talk and we hang out," Korra tries to not describe things that are too obvious as she doesn't make any eye contact. "And we tell each other jokes like inside jokes, and we,"

"Korra, are you sure you like this person?"

"Yes, it's just-" Korra sighs in frustration. "It's difficult to kind of talk about her right now."

"You like a girl?"

Korra realizes she slipped out an obvious hint of who she likes and gets embarrassed. "Asami," Korra starts to grimace as negative thoughts begin to invade her mind. "Well, yeah, I do, I mean, I'm not . . . I just . . . I can't," She mutters the last words, "Why did you make me have to talk about this?"

"Because Korra, I thought that the two of us could talk about anything and you trust me, right? We're best friends like two peas in a pod, besides there's nothing wrong with liking girls." She gave Korra a reassuring smile. "Honestly, I think you're really brave, Avatar." She gave a smirk.

Korra's eyes widened. She never expected to hear those words from Asami. She stared into Asami's eyes. She thought that maybe it was right for them to be with each other. Standing together and being side by side forever. She dismissed her thought but before she had any sense of what she was doing, she edged close to Asami until what Korra did next was unexpected from the two of them. Korra dove in to Asami's lips and planted a firm kiss on them. She pressed her hand atop Asami's cheek softly, but before Korra could engage further, Asami pushed away gently and she was more bewildered than she could ever be. "Korra, I don't . . . No. I don't-I don't feel the same way as you. I'm sorry, but I . . . I only think that friends is what's best, right?"

Korra's throat was clammy and it started to close in, she gave a nod. She refused to cry in front of Asami. She stayed strong instead of what she feared of being, having herself look pathetic.

"I . . . I guess it is getting late then. I'll walk you back." Asami guided Korra back to the air temple by the end of the day in silence.

Two weeks later, a ring echoed through the house. "Hello, Airbender's residence, Ikki speaking."

"Ikki give it here! You're lame! Let them know who rules the world, for it is, I, Meelo their most righteous majesty!"

"Shut up, Meelo. Go get Korra, Asami needs her." She pressed a hand to the phone.

"No, you shut up. Hand it over, I want to speak to my lady."

"You shut up."

"No, you shut up." The two pushed back and for with nudges and shoving.

"Hey, what's going on here?" Korra walked into the kitchen.

"Oh uh . . ." Ikki let go of her hand on the phone. "Okay." She pressed her hand on the phone again, "its President Raiko. He says he wants to speak with you."

"What does he want to speak about?"

"Hah! Yeah, right. She said," Ikki covered Meelo's mouth in an instant before he could say anymore.

"Here's the phone!" She gave the phone to Korra and struggled to drag Meelo out of the kitchen.

"Hello, President Raiko?"

"Korra," Asami was on the other line.
Korra's heart dropped. Crap! How could I have fallen for this trick? "A-Asami?"

"Yes, it's me, Korra."

"Oh . . . uh what's up?"

"Where've you been?"

"What do you mean?" She laughed softly, "It's only been a week, Asami. Besides, we kind of got some work to get to, right? I'm the Avatar and you're the head of Future Industries, right?"

"Korra quit it. That's not what I meant and it's been two weeks." Asami sighed. "You're pushing me away, you know it. Don't deny it." Korra grimaced. "I know a person's feelings harden after a rejection, but that doesn't mean we can't talk." Korra's eyes began to sting and she shut her eyes tight, "We're best friends, Korra."

Korra held the phone and covered her mouth as she bit her lip trying to hold any noise from letting out. Her throat became clammy once again and couldn't think of what to say, "Mm-hmm."

"And so," Asami began to talk, however the anger in Korra rushed to her thoughts and could no longer focus on what Asami was saying. She set the phone on the countertop and gave a punch at the wall.

"Korra?" Asami asked over the phone as she heard the noise.

Korra didn't respond and took another hard punch at the wall. Her mouth opened to scream and cry, but nothing came out. Again and again she punched at the wall soon, there was a dent. Her last hit had her knuckles bleed, "Korra, what's going on?"

Korra took a deep breath and cleared her throat. She sniffed before getting back to the phone, "Asami, still there?"

"Yeah, what was that?"

"Oh, it was just Meelo. Did you hear him yelling about being the 'Overlord of rulers or whatever'?"

Asami chuckled and Korra followed, "No, I didn't. Must've been a hassle."

"Yeah, anyways I'm sorry I've been pushing you away, right? You know what, uh, how about um we go hang out like with the whole gang soon, just like old times? Bolin, Mako, you, and, me."

"Sure, but I was thinking of meeting you soon, like how about tomorrow? I miss you, I know it's just been two weeks, but I really want to catch up."

Korra grimaced, "Just me?"

"Just you," Asami confirmed.

Korra rubbed the top of her head, "Alright, where to?"

"Meet me at Xin's Finest, that new restaurant that opened up."

"Oh, okay."

"Be there at 12. See you later." Asami hung up the phone and Korra slammed the phone back in its place and punched the wall with the frustration and anger at her once again.

"You know, if you keep punching a wall whenever you get all angry like that, your hand is gonna get all messed up. Besides, it's been bleeding for a while now."Jinora said as she slumped by the doorway.

"How long have you been there?" Korra asked as Jinora stood up and look for a kitchen rag to soak up and clean Korra's hand.

"Long enough," Korra sighed in frustration and pulled her arm back to strike the wall for a punch, "Don't you dare."

Korra looked at Jinora with tears in her eyes. "Sorry, I just . . . I get angry . . . things . . . it comes to me and I just feel like punching a wall or something . . . anything really."

"Have you tried meditating?"

"Jinora, it's not . . . that's not," the tears started to stream down her face.

Jinora stopped and tried to think of saying something, but all she thought of was giving Korra a big hug. Korra froze for a second before she embraced the hug and began to cry in Jinora's shoulder. "So do you wanna talk about it?" She spoke softly as Korra finished crying and her breathing steadied.

Korra swallowed the lump that's been lying at her throat. "Maybe later," Her voice cracked. She stood still with her arms around Jinora.

"Okay, that's fine, Korra but . . . could you fix up that wall before mom and dad get back from getting lunch?"

Korra sniffed and cracked out a laugh, "Yeah, of course." She used her earth bending abilities to reshape the wall back together again.

"Korra, over here!" Asami shouted and waved her arm as she spotted Korra enter the small lobby room.

"Hey," Korra said as she arrived to their table. Asami gave Korra a big hug.

"Spirits, I missed you, Korra. Feels like forever since I last saw you."

Korra laughed, "Really it's only been a week, Asami."

"Two weeks," Asami corrected her. "Yeah, and I'm glad you missed me too, oh great Avatar." She said sarcastically.

"I did, I did." Korra pleaded friendly. "Oh here, I brought your coat from last time."

"Oh, thanks Korra." Asami put it aside on top of her chair.

"So what do you plan on having?" Korra asked.

"Oh, I already ordered for us." At that moment, a waitress with a round tray on her arm filled with large plates of their meals arrived at their table and placed their food around them.

"Alright, enjoy ladies. If you need anything just call me," and she went back to the kitchen.

They began to eat, "Korra, I've been thinking," Asami started.

"Yeah?"

"It's that kiss."

Korra grimaced once again but she brushed it away to a cheery smile however it didn't go unnoticed by Asami, "Hey, I know. I'm sorry I shouldn't-I shouldn't have. That was . . ." She mutter, "It was stupid."

"Korra, stop. Enough with putting yourself down. You've got to pull yourself together. I mean, is that why you're punching a wall?"

Korra's face hardens and shoves her bruised hand under the table, "I didn't punch a wall."

"Korra," Asami sighs. "It's okay. Come on, we got to talk about this."

"I'm fine; I don't really feel like talking about it."

"Korra."

"Last time I talked about how I felt about something with you, I did something stupid. It's not gonna happen again." She took a deep breath, "Listen, I got caught up in things and I just wasn't thinking."

"Korra, I don't think it's that."

"Asami, enough." Korra sighed. "Just," Korra gave Asami a look for her to try and understand, "okay? Let's forget about it. You know, the more we talk about it, the more I choose to regret it honestly."

Asami's face hardened and she looked away. "Korra, you don't mean that."

"I do, Asami."

Asami sniffed and tried to clear her throat. "Why would you . . . uh . . . why would you regret it?"

"Because I feel so stupid, okay? I like you! I like you, but you don't like me! On that day I went and confessed, I didn't want it to go like that but it did cause you made me. You said that we should talk things through. Right now, that is what I am doing, alright? How I feel right now, Asami is that you think that everything is okay, right? That this- we, are just friends- you know, that's what I wanted to think," She tapped her head. "But in here," She tapped the center of her chest, "I didn't feel the same way, but that day that I confessed to you, you let me know that that was all we were to each other and that's fine." Korra took one long sigh and frowned. "That's fine."

Asami sniffed and wiped her eyes, "You know, Korra you might think that it's okay for me to just push them aside, but that's not how I feel. Didn't I tell you that I want us to speak to each other for these things because I wanted for us to understand each other better, that it's okay?"

"Yeah but the thing is, I get worried that I might get shot down and look stupid."

"But I'm here for you. I'm never going to shoot you down."

"What-Wait, what are you talking about? What happened back there that day? That was . . . You just shot me down that day." Korra baffled.

"And that was my mistake," Asami reached for Korra's hand across the table. "I intend to never shoot you down like that again, I promise." Asami sighed, "Korra, I have to get something off my chest. After a week of thinking it through, that kiss . . . it made me realize that I do like you. I . . . I like you more than just a friend. I waited for a call from you, Korra, but you never really called so I guess you must've still been embarrassed, yeah? . . . I want to be more than friends with you, Korra."

Korra looked in Asami's eyes. Korra saw no signs of dishonesty and that should give her hope however the way that she feels has an emptiness inside of her. Korra shoved the feeling away then she sniffed and rubbed her face from her watered eyes of relief. "Yeah?"

"Yeah."

Korra gave a big grin as she chuckled, "I want to be more than friends with you too."

"Alright, then," She smiled and cupped Korra's cheek and closed in for a kiss.

Korra's heart clenched and her eyes began to swell with tears once again. Korra let go of the kiss and rested her forehead against Asami's as she took a breath and furrowed her brows.

"Is everything alright?" Asami asked worriedly.

"Yeah . . . yeah, it's just; you know . . . I'm happy." Korra gave a soft laugh. "I'm happy and I've liked you for a while now so I guess I'm just relieved. All the frustration is suddenly all gone," The tears streamed down her face, "and I can't believe that you like me too. I'm really- I'm really happy, Asami." She sniffed and whispered, "I love you," as there was an emptiness that she felt of pity striking from Asami as it grows deep in the center of her chest.