Green

Asami has been dragged along on one of Korra's Avatar missions, and she is not complaining. While this Earth Kingdom town may be lacking in certain amenities, it certainly has a rustic charm that Asami can appreciate. And Korra's hand, sweaty and interlinked with Asami's, is tugging Asami along across the dirt roads to a sunbathed field just outside of the town.

"Picnic date?" Korra suggests, grinning. Asami smiles at her.

"Did you bring food?" Asami asks and Korra looks at her empty hands as if the basket will materialize.

The Avatar scratches her head, clears her throat and says, "Uhhh... picnic date without any food?"

"That sounds nice," Asami says earnestly and Korra flashes a grin.

Korra gestures to the field and Asami walks past her.

The afternoon scrapes by as the sun bakes the ground and Asami and Korra gradually curl into each other's arms. They are intertwined, able to feel each other's heartbeats as they lie comfortably in the soft grass.

Korra is looking at Asami, sneaking little peeks while she is supposed to be napping with her. Asami's eyes flicker open and Korra suddenly realizes something about them. They are... unusual. Korra knows she is drawn to them, wants to look at them as much as anything else of Asami's. But against the grass in the shining sun, they burn like green fire or a freshly shined emerald.

"Why are you staring at me like that?" Asami asks, cocking an eyebrow.

Korra blushes and clears her throat. She is starting to get used to this kind of thing happening. Her dates with Asami have never been anything but awkward. "I'm not, was I? I was, wasn't I?"

Asami smiles faintly, rose hued lips twisted in amusement. Korra just shrugs and tries to play it off as being stupid in love. And, whether Asami believes it or not, she enjoys the silly comments and weird moments. It feels real. What started out as friendship has grown much stronger, but that sure does not strip away the awkwardness of turning friendship into romance.

And if Korra wants to play dumb, Asami will let her. Even if Korra is a lot smarter than she plays herself off as. She is clever, powerful and, most of all, determined. Incredibly determined.

So determined that she managed to get Asami to lie down in a park, on her back, in the grass. Korra's hair is entangled in hers, light, limp and coarse against smooth, curly and dark. The sun is shining far too brightly, and this quaint Earth Kingdom town is growing on Asami, who has to admit she feels much more comfortable in cities.

"So... did you notice my new eye shadow or are you trying to read my mind?" Asami asks with her smile creeping wider.

"You just have really weird eyes," Korra blurts out and Asami laughs, the motion of her body displacing Korra's body, their ribs hitting against each other. The Avatar is just relieved that Asami does not look offended.

"Your eyes glow on a regular basis," Asami retorts teasingly with a grin and Korra feels ridiculous. "And mine are so weird?"

Korra scratches her head and tries to reclaim the situation. Romance, romance. Avatar Korra is excellent at kicking ass and saving the world but she is less awesome at romantic picnics. Romantic picnics without food, that is. Asami is enjoying herself all the same. Food or not, awkward moments or not, it's nice just to be like this, together.

Not preoccupied with her work, which she pours herself into with great fervor. And Korra is not out continuing to restore balance no matter how crazy things get. Right now, they are just lying in a field, unsure what to say without their complicated lives to discuss. That kind of slowness and calm Asami has not felt since the Spirit World.

"Maybe it's the new eye shadow," Korra finally decides on and Asami nods once. Asami has shifted to a darker, more adult shade as she becomes a more powerful innovator. But then Korra's lips twist as she is deep in thought. "They're just so... green. Like really, really green."

Asami laughs carelessly again and Korra readjusts their limbs so they will not break apart each time Korra says something horribly pathetic and Asami cannot help but shake with half silent giggles. It will certainly keep Korra from getting thrown onto the rocky ground to their left.

Korra continues speaking before Asami can interject with anything, deciding if she is going to do it, she is going to go all out, "And they're a really nice shape. I mean, just perfect. And really, really green."

"I once had a boyfriend who tried to compare my eyes to a meadow on a summer's day," Asami remarks as Korra tries to fight the blush in her dark cheeks. "I like really, really green much better. It's not poetic, but it's you."

"I never noticed. I mean, I noticed. They were the first things about you I noticed... except for you and Mako... but, uh, old news," Korra says before gritting her teeth. Mentioning their mutual ex-boyfriend was probably not the next move in romancing Asami today. Someone other than Bolin needs to offer lessons in this. "But I never noticed how beautiful they were until I started looking at them so much."

"You look at my eyes a lot, huh?" Asami asks with a suggestive glint in her bright, vibrant green eyes. Korra shrugs cavalierly.

"I look at more than your eyes a lot," Korra replies smoothly with a lopsided grin.

"You're horrible," Asami laughs, shaking her head slowly and trying to silence her shaking shoulders. "But you're pretty cute, so I'll let the cringeworthy comments slide."

Korra very much likes that look Asami has in her stunning eyes right now. It is absolute contentment, and that is hard to find for she or Asami in their tumultuous and stressful lives. Maybe it is nice to slow down for a moment, take a deep breath and foolishly state that you've just noticed how bright green your girlfriend's eyes are.

Asami turns to face Korra, their limbs brushing against each other.

And Korra presses her lips against Asami's, savoring the kiss.

As the kiss breaks and their warm lips are apart, Asami's eyes flicker open, and Korra is momentarily lost in the bright green.

end