First things first: I don't own The Legend of Korra.

So this is a new story I think of writing. It's an AU set in the modern times (no bending), although it's not set in an existing city but in Republic City. So it's reality mixed up with the series. It's going to be a bit darker than my other work (at least that's the plan).

Hope you will enjoy the story :)

A Small World

She was hyperventilating. She knew she was. Short powerful gasps of air left her mouth and it went foggy before her eyes. The irony was that she was rushing out of the hospital instead of in. With two hands she pushed open one of the backdoors, found a small bench and dropped down. She bent over, staring at her lap while forcing herself to slowly breath in and out.

"Do you need some water?" Someone asked out of the blue. Korra shot up and looked beside her. Next to her a woman was smoking a cigarette. Her green eyes looked worried as Korra felt her gaze gliding over her.

"T… the… ciga… rette." Korra pointed to the offending thing. She didn't mind smokers, but the stale smell made breathing even harder. With a blank stare the woman looked at her hand and back at Korra.

"Oh, right! Shit. Sorry!" She apologized in sudden realisation as she pushed out the cigarette and threw it in the bin.

"No.. D-don't… apologize…" Korra waved away any sense of guilt. She turned her head back into her lap, continuing her meditative breathing pattern. After a while the small gasps turned into calm breathing and Korra felt she could sit up straight again. When she unfolded her body, the woman was still sitting next to her, still staring at her in worry.

"I'm fine. A small panic attack." Korra explained with an awkward feeling. What would the woman think of her? Stumbling out here, wheezing and demanding of her to put her cigarette out.

"The water offer still stands, if you want to." The woman smiled. Her lips were painted red and they stood out nicely on her pale skin. Long black hair covered her face slightly, but those green eyes kept peering out, strong and sharp as to challenge the world.

"No, thanks. I-I'm okay." Korra mumbled, suddenly very self-conscious.

"I don't like hospitals as well. Smoking sometimes helps me with the stress."

"It's okay, I don't mind."

"It's a nasty habit." The woman replied staring off into the distance. Korra felt guilty for making her feel guilty. Ugh, why do you always have to be so bossy!

"So… do you work here?" Korra decided to change the subject.

"Uhm, no."

"Oh, I hope you're not sick then."

The woman smiled at her, sensing the social uneasiness of Korra. "Someone I know lays in the hospital." She revealed.

"I'm sorry, is it serious?"

"The situation is stable."

"Good. That's good to hear."

"What about you?" Now the woman fully turned towards Korra.

"Oh, I don't work here either." Korra blurted out.

"I can see that." The woman pointed towards her and Korra looked down on herself. Of course, she can! Korra slapped herself mentally as she saw the navy blue police outfit she was wearing.

"I'm just having the worst day of my life." Korra casually stated, but it apparently did not sounded funny to the woman as her frown deepened. "I got my ex-boyfriend shot when we tried to arrest a suspect." Korra continued. Something about that inquisitive gaze made her want to confess everything.

"That does sound bad." The woman answered with an honest gasp. "Is he okay?"

"Yes, he is! Bullet grazed his arm, nothing serious. Well, I did get him shot, so serious enough, but not life threating." Korra felt like a fool.

"Oh, that's a relieve then." The woman slumped back, happy that she didn't have to console a stranger over a fatal accident. Nonchalantly she glanced at her watch. "Oh, two o'clock already. I have to leave. Good luck with your ex." The woman stood, grabbed her bag which she slung over her shoulder.

"Okay, bye. I'm Korra by the way. Korra Kaito." Korra said as she automatically stood up as well and stuck her hand out. The woman was taken aback by this sudden gesture, but grabbed her hand eventually. She stared a little longer at Korra, her green eyes boring into her as if she was puzzling something together. After an intense long second she smiled again, albeit a little forced.

"My name is Asami. Nice to meet you, although it could have been under better circumstances." Asami said more business-like then before.

"Uhm, yeah. You could say that. Well goodbye Asami."

"Goodbye officer Kaito." Korra watched as Asami disappeared behind the doors. With a sigh she let herself sink back down. What a day!

After she had slammed the door shut, Asami took a moment to sit back in the front seat of her car. She ran a hand through her hair and started to chuckle at herself. She flipped out her phone and fast dialled her friend and colleague.

"Hi you, how was it?" A voice filled the car as Asami put her phone into the hands-free so she could take off.

"It was… sad. As to be expected." Asami sighed as she clicked her safety belt into place.

"I'm sorry."

"How was the meeting? Are the deals coming through?" Asami changed the subject.

"They're still talking, but it looks good. It's almost as if they are desperate to change companies." Her friend took a breath. "How is Future Industries doing?" Asami raised her eyebrows at the sudden question.

"Good I suppose. Why?"

"Well, companies are looking for new developers. There are a lot of contracts in the air."

"Are our clients staying?"

"Yes."

"Then I guess we should just ride the wave." Asami smiled for the first time that day. She took a sharp turn and sped up. There wasn't a lot of traffic and feeling the power humming underneath her made every ticket she might receive worth it.

"I guess we have to. I see you in a minute."

"Zhu, how small do you think the world is?" Asami asked before Zhu Li could hang up.

"Well, the earth has a mean radius of 39588 miles." Zhu Li deadpanned. Asami laughed. Zhu Li was a scientist, not a poet.

"I see you in a minute." Asami said as she hung up, so she could really appreciate the sounds of her engine.

"Korra, there you are!" Korra looked up from the coffee machine, seeing Bolin running towards her.

"Hi Bolin, good to see you." She greeted her friend.

"Yeah, I came as quick as I heard." Korra bit her lip, knowing it was all her fault. "Hey, don't worry. He's okay and he seems pretty happy with the attention from the nurses." Bolin laughed as he saw guilt wash over Korra's face.

"I bet he is." Korra rolled her eyes and took the plastic cup.

"He said you almost fainted when they cut off his sleeve." Bolin informed.

"I don't know. The blood and the rushing…"

"Don't worry about it." Bolin smiled, laying his arm across Korra's shoulders as they walked back to Mako's room. Korra knew that it could have been way worse. She felt bad for Mako and she also knew that Iroh, their team leader, and Chief Beifong wouldn't be happy. What was worse though was the unmentioned fear that was stuck in her bones. It always lingered around her and today she saw it stare back at her again.

"Korra! Bolin!" Mako greeted them as they came into view. Mako sat in a wheelchair, his right arm was wrapped in bandage and he had a sheepish grin on his face. Probably the painkillers. Korra thought as she saw the uncharacteristic smile.

"Hi bro, ready to go home?" Bolin asked as he took place behind the wheelchair.

"Never been more ready." Mako hummed. Korra shared a worried look with Bolin, but he just shrugged his shoulders.

"Did the doctors say anything else? About check-ups, drinking fluids, taking a break from work?" Korra asked as she walked next to the chair.

"Nope or maybe. Iroh said he would do the paper work on this baby." Mako patted his arm.

"Jeez, those painkillers really did a number on you." Korra mumbled.

"What? No! I feel great!" Mako sunk a bit deeper into the chair as they left the hospital. Korra opened the door of Bolin's car and helped Mako in. When he was safely tucked away on the back seat Korra joined him on the other side while Bolin was bringing the wheelchair to the hospital.

"I'm sorry Mako. I should have had you're back." Korra apologized.

"Pffff! Don't worry. With a bit of luck I get a kickass scar out of it." Mako slurred his words a little as he lulled to the side.

"Wow there buddie. I think you need to stay awake, at least until we get home." Korra said, pushing him gently up again.

"Yes, home." Mako gave her another dreamy smile as he snuggled up to Korra's side. This day is out of control… Korra thought as she let Mako lean on her to doze off.

Asami threw her two bags and her coat in the general direction of the coat rack. She strode over to her desk and took her place behind it. Her office was quiet. Things were aligning in her head as she sat there, doing nothing.

With a disappointed grunt she opened the drawer of her desk and took a small bottle out. She poured some of the amber liquid in a coffee mug that looked still pretty clean. She knew she had overstepped a line when she made this her ritual every time she came to work, but she didn't care. It felt as if the universe was turning its back on her, so why shouldn't she do the same?

She threw the bottle back into the drawer and took a sip from the mug. She turned her chair to the side so she could stretch out her legs. You got this Asami. She thought.

"Asami! Back on the grind I see!" Asami almost threw her mug up in the air when her boss's voice boomed through the room.

"Varrick, hello. I didn't notice you there." She mumbled as she turned forward again.

"Ha! I like my employees lost in their inspirational thoughts." Varrick practically cheered as he took a seat across from Asami. "So these are the new drawings?" He asked, picking up some papers from Asami's desk.

"Yes, rough sketches. I haven't finished anything yet. I thought about spending the rest of the day in the garage to overlook the production of the prototype." Asami said, taking another sip. She didn't care if Varrick noticed the strange liquid in her cup or if he smelled the alcohol. They both had stressful jobs and Asami was sure she wasn't the only one needing some release during working hours.

"Looks nice! Slick!" Varrick tapped the papers with the new design of the sports car they were developing. "Now I know you have plenty of ideas, but what do you think about mixing things up a bit? Leave the cars for what they are and explore new areas?" Asami frowned. She liked cars, but lately it bored her. When she finished her full electric engine which earned her a promotion and some fame, she didn't feel challenged anymore. She was just drawing fancy cars, waiting for a new project to arrive. God knew she needed something to distract her. But if Varrick talked about new areas, you never knew what you were going to get.

"Sure, what have you got for me." Asami said with caution. Varrick held up his index finger, gesturing for Asami to wait, not that she was going anywhere. With his other hand he leaned down and grabbed a pile of files from his bag. With a broad smile he slammed the pile on Asami's desk.

"We have new potential clients. Rich people who want their ideas to become reality." Varrick explained as Asami turned the pile towards herself. She leafed through them, her frown deepening.

"Wait, what? This person wants a helicopter that looks like a hummingbird." Asami said in disbelieve.

"Haha! I know! And there is this dame that wants a robot suit with grabby hands!" Varrick laughed. "The point however is that these are the richest people in Republic City and they can afford these kind of projects."

"I don't know if this is the kind of clientele we want. I mean you're the CEO, but… This looks compiled by fourth graders." Asami complained, looking back at Varrick.

"I just need you to pick out the best ones. Ideas that inspire you. Give you the spark of creation! Who knows what great things are coming from this."

"But…"

"I need a top three on my desk tomorrow morning with elaborated blueprints. Nothing to detailed, just show me how you are going to make it work!" Varrick jumped up from his chair, grabbed his bag and waved at Asami as he left her office.

Asami grunted again. Typically Varrick, pretending that something was just low key and not important and then demanding an impossible task. She wasn't going to be able to leave the office anytime soon. It didn't matter how informal and loose Varrick was around his employees, he would still fire you if you didn't measure up to his expectations and a job change was something Asami couldn't use right now.

With an angry pull she opened the drawer again and poured herself a double drink. If she was working over night she at least could make it more comfortable for herself.

Korra nervously tapped her foot on the ground. She watched as Chief Beifong walked over to the window and stared out of it with her back towards her visitors. Her hands were clasped behind her. Iroh did nothing to interrupt the deafening silence and Korra knew it wasn't her place to do it.

Korra felt a hand on her knee. She looked down and saw it was Iroh's. He didn't look at her, he kept staring at the back of the Chief, but the hand said that Korra needed to stop tapping her foot. With a soft sigh Korra calmed herself down and sat still as Iroh retreated his hand.

"So…" Lin spoke ominous when she turned and walked away from the window. Instead of taking the chair she leaned against her desk, forcing Iroh and Korra to look up at her. Her expression was hard to read, as usual. She could be angry or sad or whatever emotion you could come up with.

"How is officer Yaken?" She asked as she crossed her arms.

"He's doing okay. The bullet graced his arm resulting in a flesh wound. It got stitched up and he needs to rest his arm for a while. Korra took him home yesterday." Iroh informed the chief.

"Good, I will send him a card." Lin said. "We all know that this can't happen again."

"I know. I should have called for back-up and I would have if I knew our suspect was armed. We just went around his house for questioning." Iroh continued. Korra looked away in embarrassment. Iroh was taking the blame for her mistake.

"Do we have proof that he is connected to the Agni Kai?" Lin continued her questioning.

"Not proof, but enough reasons. I will send our dossiers over to you. I know how precarious this case is and we want to finish what we started." Lin nodded at Iroh's confident words, but Korra could see a flicker of doubt.

"I need to strengthen your team. This blunder was picked up by the media and I don't need another shooting. So I assigned Opal Beifong to the case as well." Lin said.

"Your niece." Korra spoke without thinking.

"Yes, my niece." Lin threw Korra a devastating glare. Korra cleared her throat, not knowing why she said that. Everybody knew Opal was Lin's niece. Korra had never met her, but heard the stories. She was the best student of her classes in the police academy and now she was rushing towards a shining career as a detective. She had helped catching one of the largest drug dealing gangs in the city. Everyone said that she would become Chief after Lin would retire, just like Lin took the position from her mother. Most were agitated by this. It had an unfair ring to it. The police department shouldn't be a family business, but there was no denying Opal's talents or Lin's or Toph's talents before that.

"I look forward meeting her." Iroh salvaged Korra's outburst.

"Good, keep me updated. Now that this case has the attention of the media, I want to know every small step you take."

"Yes ma'am." Iroh bowed and Korra followed his example, realising this meeting was over. Without another word they left Lin's office.

"Phew, that could have been worse." Korra mumbled as they walked towards their own office.

"Yes, it could have been. Why don't you take the rest of the day off." Iroh said.

"What!? Why?"

"You had quite the day yesterday." Iroh sighed and stopped to look Korra in the eyes. He wasn't angry at her, but he also knew that Korra needed to get her mind sorted out. "Listen, just visit Mako and watch a movie or something. Today I will bring Opal up to speed and then you can come in tomorrow all rested and fresh."

Iroh was a good man, as good as they come. He was polite, calm and professional. Korra trusted his judgement and didn't feel like going against it.

"Alright…" Korra reluctantly agreed.

"Good, see you tomorrow morning and say hi to Mako from me." Iroh said as he continued his way through the hall.

With an heavy feeling, Korra walked towards the exit. There was a time when she was the promising new cadet, she even fulfilled that promise, but at what cost? Now she just felt like damaged goods. She needed to make way for the new promises, like Opal Beifong.

Varrick looked through the thick rapport Asami had produced last night. He nodded now and then and mumbled nothings into the air. Zhu Li was standing behind him, looking over his shoulder.

"Looks fantastic! What's your favourite one?" Varrick yelled out. Asami pinched the bridge of her nose. The raw sketches she had made for these ludicrous ideas were all blending into one and she tried to pick the least terrible idea.

"Hummingbird suit. It's somewhat doable, although totally unnecessary." Asami said, knowing that Varrick wouldn't hear her sarcasm. He had an amazing knack for hearing what he wanted to hear.

"Great!" Varrick took the part of the report that contained the Hummingbird and threw the rest into the bin. The loud thud made Asami want to cry. She could have known that he wouldn't even serious read through her hard labour.

"Zhu Li set up a meeting between Asami and…" Varrick peeked into the papers. "Mister Wu Prince."

"What? I have to meet him? Why?" Asami asked. She thought this little stunt was just a way to peak her interest again, since she had been sulking around the office for a couple of weeks. Now it sounded like Varrick really wanted to invest in a helicopter that looked like a hummingbird.

"You are going to develop this thing and put Varrick's Global Industries back into the eye of the public. I want you to charm this Wu. Show the world how concerned we are about our clients. How much input our clients get. We are a people organization!" Asami threw a panicked look at Zhu Li, begging for a rescue.

"We will set up a meeting." Was all Zhu Li had to offer as she led Asami out of the office.

"What the hell!? We will set up a meeting!? You know how stupid this idea is, right?" Asami threw her hands up in frustration when they were far away enough from Varrick's office to not be heard. Zhu Li laughed. Usually Asami had her emotions in check, but after pulling an all-nighter her filter was off and it was always a delight to hear what was really going on in the engineer's mind.

"I know, but Varrick is looking for a new image. He wants something redundant and stupid to show the world that nothing is crazy enough for him. His new motto is something along the lines of: 'If you can think it, we can make it'." Asami cringed at the words. She was of the opinion that not everything someone came up with should be made. Like a hummingbird helicopter. There was nothing wrong with normal helicopters.

"Maybe this Wu Prince isn't so bad. I heard that there is real royalty in his bloodline." Zhu Li patted Asami on the shoulder, trying to lighten her mood.

"Not so bad? You know he had sent in two ideas. One was the Hummingbird and the other just said badger mole. I mean badger mole! What is that? Is he steering us towards questionable gene manipulation!?"

"I'm so happy I don't have your job." Zhu Li chuckled, smiling at the despair on Asami's face. "Listen, take the day off. Freshen up a bit, do some yoga, whatever it is you need to do to get yourself together. I will make the arrangements with Wu Prince and keep Varrick off your back. Deal?" Zhu Li asked.

"Okay deal." Asami sighed.

"Just see this as a side-project. A fun way of exploring new horizons." Asami rolled her eyes at Zhu Li's cheesy comment.

"Some horizons were made not to be explored."

A bell rang when Korra entered the diner. She never had been here before, but it was close to Bolin's and Mako's apartment. She needed a cup of coffee and maybe a piece of pie before she would meet the brothers. Something to cheer her up, since the meeting from this morning had left her feeling blue. She knew being sent away for one day wasn't a big deal, but it was the first crack in her career.

"Good morning, take a seat and I will be with you in a moment." The girl behind the counter greeted. Korra nodded and made her way down the aisle between the tables and chairs, until she spotted a familiar face.

"Hi there. Asami right?" Korra greeted the black haired woman who was reading a paper in full concentration. She raised her head when she heard her name. Confusion crossed her face, but after that a light smile tucked at her lips.

"Officer Kaito. What a coincidence." She said.

"Yeah, meeting twice in a row."

"And I was just reading about you." Asami lowered the paper. Korra had to turn her head a little to read the headline. Shooting in Family Neighbourhood, One Cop Down.

"Ugh, I wish you hadn't." Korra hated the sensation hungery media. They were always twisting the story, making it exciting like a crime novel. "Mind if join you?" Korra asked. Asami shook her head, folding up her paper. Korra took place opposite of her. She noticed a big plate in front of the woman with two slices of bread , two eggs sunny side up and some strips of bacon. Only a small corner of one of the toasts was cut off, while the rest laid untouched.

"Not going to eat that?" Korra asked in surprise.

"Nah, I just wanted a taste." If Asami had made a mysterious impression on Korra at the hospital, this situation made it only worse. Somehow Korra still felt drawn in by her, as if Asami was a puzzle she wanted to solve.

"What can I get you?" The waitress asked, smiling at Korra.

"Oh, uhm, a cup of coffee and… what kind of pies do you have?"

"Cherry pie, pecan pie, apple pie.."

"One pecan pie." The waitress nodded.

"Can I get a glass of water and another cup of coffee?" Asami asked.

"Of course." The waitress answered with a smile and disappeared again. Asami crossed her arms, leaning her elbows on the table. She looked at Korra if she was examining in a foreign animal.

"So how are you? How's your friend?" She asked.

"He's fine, I was on my way to visit him, but I needed some caffeine first." Asami nodded and sat back, apparently happy with Korra's answer. "How are you? You look terrible." Korra continued. Before she realised how her statement sounded, the woman across from her started to laugh.

"Are you always this charming to strangers?" She asked. She didn't mind that Korra had said that she looked terrible. She knew it was true.

"I.. uhmm… I'm sorry! I meant to say that you look tired, not terrible! You look nice, just terribly tired." Korra sputtered, trying to make it right.

"I am tired, so you have a keen eye." Asami smirked. "I had to pull an all-nighter at my office. I can't decide whether this was breakfast or diner."

"Wow, all the night? Your job must be important. What do you do?" Korra asked, surprised at how Asami still functioned without sleep. Korra barely kept it together if she didn't get her seven hours of rest.

"I'm an engineer and not a bad one at that."

"And an humble one from the sound of it." Korra laughed when she saw the smug smile on Asami's face.

"I created the first fully electrical motor engine. I'm entitled to some pride." Asami defended herself.

"Wow, humble and good for the environment. You're the full package." Korra joked further. Asami raised a amused eyebrow. The whole package? Was Korra flirting with her? Even when she looked like she was slightly decomposing?

"Joking aside, that sounds like a cool job! Inventing stuff." Korra continued, showing real interest.

"Yeah it is. Stressful, but nice." Asami felt her guard lower at the genuine smile she received. Whatever she had thought about Korra yesterday melted away. All she saw was a kind and adorable woman.

"You engineer stuff on your own?" Korra asked next. She still wanted to unravel the mystery that was Asami and her job looked like a good start.

"No, I work for a company."

"A big one?"

"Varrick Global Industries." This made Korra's jaw drop.

"Varrick Glabal Industries!? That's like the biggest company in the city, maybe even on the earth! Besides Future Industries of course…" Asami laughed.

"You seem to know a lot about companies."

"Well, I'm not an expert, but a while back I had a lot of time to read magazines and watch television. Varrick was on the panel of Shark Tank, that man is crazy! Did you see him jump from that rooftop with a self-made glider suit?" Korra asked. Asami rubbed her temples at the mention of that incident.

"Yeah, like it was yesterday. I made that suit, just for a commercial. He had to try it though! Everybody tried to talk him out of it. He was this close to falling to his death. My colleague almost had an heart attack." Korra smiled at hearing the behind the scenes information. She couldn't believe that she was talking to someone close to Varrick. That man was her source of amusement when she… Korra's thoughts drifted off.

"A pecan pie, a glass of water and two cups of coffee." The waitress announced as she put the things on the table. Korra mouthed a thank you.

"Oh, can you take my plate please. My stomach started acting up." Asami said with a friendly smile. The waitress nodded and took the plate with the food barely touched.

Korra stuck her fork into the pie and chewed enthusiastically on a piece as Asami cradled her cup of coffee, cautiously taking small sips.

"So how is it to be a police officer?" Asami asked as she enjoyed seeing Korra practically gulp down her pie.

"Hmmm… It's okay." Korra said, swallowing to empty her mouth. "Since I was little I wanted to be a police officer. That or a fire fighter." Asami laughed.

"From the sound of it you were a full-on tomboy." Asami said. Korra shrugged her shoulders at that.

"I just wanted to help people. What did you want to become when you were little?" Korra asked. Asami hummed in thought as she took another sip.

"I don't know. I never really thought about it and when I got to an age to really figure it out, it was already settled that I would follow in my father's footsteps. I did dress up as a princess very often though, but that's not a realistic job prospect." Now it was Korra's turn to snicker. She had just met Asami, but somehow she could totally imagine her in a Disney princess outfit.

"What? Aim high or go home, right?" Asami joined in with the laughter. She knew it was a cliché to dress up as a princess.

"You at least outgrew it." Korra said.

"Police officer doesn't look bad on you." Asami remarked, noting the beginning of a blush covering Korra's cheeks. It looked adorable, something Asami won't mind to witness more often. What are you doing!? Don't go there, that would be more than messed up! Her subconscious reminded her. With one big gulp Asami threw back the last of her coffee. "I'm afraid I have to go." She stated. The change of mood was immediate and made Korra frown in confusion. Had she said something wrong?

"Oh. Okay. Sure. Maybe I see you around." Korra said as Asami slammed some bills on the table to royally cover her bill.

"It's a small world." Asami said as a goodbye and walked away.

"Strange." Korra sighed to herself as she sunk deeper into her chair. Just when she started to enjoy the company.

Her apartment was stuffy. When was the last time I opened a window. Asami thought as she made her way to the dark living room. She opened the curtains, groaning when the sunlight hit her eyes. A small headache pounded softly behind her forehead. She opened the window and heard birds singing and children screaming in the park below. At least the world is happy.

The living room was lighted by the daylight and Asami walked up to the cupboard. She hesitated for a couple of seconds before she grabbed a bottle form one of its shelves. Within the one hand a bottle and in the other a glass she plopped down on the couch. She poured the glass half full with the amber liquid she knew so well and sat back.

She looked around the room. It was mostly empty except from the cupboard, television set, couch, salon table and an hospital bed. Beside the bed were carton boxes, neatly piled up. The sight made her take a big gulp from her glass. She shut her eyes and hoped the new level of alcohol in her blood would take her off to sleep.

The sounds of summer filtered into the room due to the open window. For a second Asami felt at peace. It was almost as if she was a small girl again, sitting underneath a tree in the garden while listening to creatures that were also excited about the sun. The memory didn't last as a sharp beeping disturbed the peaceful atmosphere. With an annoyed groan Asami reached in her pocket, grabbing her phone.

"Asami Qadira speaking."

"Miss Qadira, someone called to your office." Asami heard her assistant say on the other side. "A Korra Kaito. She's a police officer and it sounded urgent." Asami sat up, her brow wrinkling in surprise.

"Yes?"

"She wanted to contact you."

"Give her my private number."

"Alright Miss Qadira. Good day."

"Bye." Asami hung up, staring at her phone. She didn't know how long it would take for Korra to call her back, but if it was urgent it couldn't take long. What could be urgent? I have just spoken to her. Not a lot could have happened in that small period of time. Maybe I said something wrong… Asami's thoughts were broken when her phone started to ring again. An unknown number.

"Asami here."

"Hi Asami, it's Korra." A gleeful voice answered.

"Hello Korra."

"Seems like we can't get rid of each other, huh?" The voice laughed, forcing a small smile on Asami's face.

"Like I said, small world. All though you're the one that called my office, so this looks more like stalking." Asami responded playfully, forgetting her former state of mind.

"I would never!" Korra pretended to sound offended. "It's just that you left your bag in the restaurant and I found your business cards inside." My bag! Shit. Asami had forgotten that she always carried two bags to work. One with her personal items and one with stuff from work. She must have left her work bag in the restaurant when she left in an hurry.

"Lucky a police officer found it." Asami said, knowing that her bag was in good hands.

"Haha, yes an advantage of drinking coffee with the police. Anyway, I thought you wanted it back. I'm heading to my friends now, but after that I can drop it off somewhere."

"That's very sweet of you. Could you drop it off at my place? It's near the city centre."

"Sure! Give me the address and I will be there around… uhm.. three?"

What are you doing!? You don't want visitors here, definitely not Korra Kaito! Abort! Abort! Asami thought as her mouth went on telling Korra her address.

"Spirit Vine 24. It's in the flat."

"Ah, in the nice neighbourhood."

"You know it?"

"Yes, there's a park there. My dog loves it." Asami's heart made a little jump when she was confronted with this piece of random information about Korra. Don't you dare!

"Okay, have fun with your friends. See you." Asami broke off the conversation, before Korra could fully make her goodbyes. After she hung up the phone slipped out of Asami's hand. In realisation of what just happened her eyes bounced around the room in panic. I have to clean up. Make it look normal. With a toss of her hand she threw back her drink, swallowing it in one go. She coughed as the whiskey burnt its way into her system.

"You did it to yourself." She sighed as she started to open more windows.

Korra pushed the button next to tag saying: 'Asami'. An electric buzz sounded through the speaker.

"Asami here."

"Hello 'Asami here', it's Korra." Korra could almost hear the eye roll on the other side.

"Come on up Korra." The locked door clicked and Korra could push it open, making her way up the stairs.

"Hello." When Korra reached the right floor, Asami was already waiting in the hall. Korra couldn't help but smile. Asami's hair seemed damp from a shower and her outfit had a casual look to it. It consisted of a loose red blouse, faded jeans and red sport shoes.

"So this is where all the talented engineers live?" Korra said grinning as she reached Asami.

"I guess." Asami stepped aside so Korra could walk through the open door. When she entered the hall Asami led her to the living room.

"Wow… uhm… spacious." Korra commented. The living room was big and also almost empty. It looked cold and impersonal. "Just moved here?" Korra asked, nodding towards the boxes lining the wall.

"No, I lived here for years. I… I am going through a redecoration, but with work being busy it hasn't moved along yet." Korra could swear Asami was making up an excuse, but she let it go. Her attention was drawn to the window that displayed a beautiful scenery.

"Oh gosh! That's the park where I walk my dog!" Korra yelped in excitement.

"The views are pretty great here. What's the name of your dog?"

"Naga. My dad found her on the streets when she was a pup. She is some sort of husky, but we actually don't really know. But she's big, fluffy and friendly." Asami's heart melted a little, hearing the genuine love in Korra's description.

"She sounds great."

"She is!" Korra turned, looking at Asami. She then realised what she came for.

"Oh, here. Your bag." Korra said awkwardly as she pulled the bag from her shoulder.

"Thanks. I had a lot on my mind, except for my bag." Asami apologized.

"Don't worry, I forget things all the time. Drives my friends crazy."

"So… do you want something to drink?" Korra looked at how Asami was fidgeting with the handles on her bag. She seemed nervous or tense.

"Hmmm, sure. I'll take a glass of water. It's warm out there." Korra smiled. Asami nodded and disappeared into another room. This gave Korra the chance to walk around a little. The boxes against the wall weren't labelled. There were black skid marks on the floor, as if something was rolled away recently. The only cupboard in the room held glasses and some bottles. It still confused Korra why the room looked like it wasn't being used.

"Here you go!" Asami said as she returned with two glasses of water. Korra almost jumped up, but stopped her urge just in time. She didn't mean to investigate Asami's living room, but the woman was still an enigma and Korra wanted to know about her.

Asami put the glasses on the salon table. Korra followed her to the couch. The television opposite of them was showing a movie. She recognized Arnold Schwarzenegger and Bruce Willis. They were hiding behind a golf cart while fire and explosions were all around them.

"The Expendables. I like to watch dumb action movies when I'm tired." Asami said, seeing Korra's line of sight.

"I haven't seen it." Korra replied with a smile. "I never would have picked you as an action film lover."

"Really? What kind of films did you think I watched?"

"Hmm.. well. After your confession of dressing up like a princess I would have said romance, maybe romantic comedies."

"Ugh, those fairy tales." Asami complained.

"Hey! They make people happy! Like The Proposal, you've got to love that!" Korra protested, before she realised what she was saying. Asami raised an eyebrow at her. "I'm just saying…" Korra mumbled in a soft voice. Then Asami burst out laughing. She had to push her hand to her mouth to lower the volume. Korra pretended to be offended, pouting while she watched Asami carefully. It was wonderful to see. The mysterious woman gasping while giggles rolled out of her mouth. It made Korra want to laugh as well, despite her pout.

"Oh.. sorry. Sorry! It's just… I hadn't picked you for a romantic comedy fan." Asami said, wiping some tears from her eyes.

"I think they are great, making life a little bit more liveable." Asami immediately stopped laughing when Korra said that.

"Yeah, you might be right. Maybe I should watch some." Asami voice sounded distant.

"I could send you a list with good ones. Love Actually, Never Been Kissed, Notting Hill, all classics." Korra said to lighten the mood.

"That would be nice." Asami snickered. After that it was quiet. They both watched the silent images on the big flat screen. It wasn't an awkward silence, strange enough Korra felt relaxed and leaned deeper into the couch.

"I once…" Before Korra could continue, a sharp beeping interrupted her. Asami grabbed her phone and looked at the display.

"I'm sorry, I need to take this. It's work." She excused herself as she walked out of the living room with her phone. Korra sighed. Here she was again, alone in a creepy, empty, impersonal living room. I wonder how she's going to redecorate it. She looks like someone who likes modern, but then again she also watches old action actors.

"I'm so sorry Korra. I need to go. Apparently there is a problem with the new line of cars we're trying to produce." Asami said apologetic as she was already putting on her coat.

"Oh, no problem! I needed to go anyway." Korra lied.

"Maybe we can finish our water another time." Asami said with a smile.

"Hmm, sure. I'm always in the mood for water." Korra laughed as she stood, readying herself to leave.

When Korra walked into a more familiar part of town her mind kept crawling back to Asami. She couldn't let her go. The way she laughed, the way she smiled, how weird her apartment was and how sadness had struck her eyes when Korra mentioned the happiness romantic comedies can give. How they kept bumping into each other.

"Come on Korra, let it go. It's just a small world." She said to herself as she crossed the road.

Thanks for reading my pilot for a new story. Let me know what you liked or what you hated or what you hope for or which characters you want to see more often. I have some ideas with this story, but a lot of plot lines are still open.

I don't know when I will update this, since my other story has priority. So the update could take long or when inspiration strikes, less long :P (That's vague enough).

Still not owning The Legend of Korra!