It was one year, to the date.
One year since the Equalist movement lost their leader and their symbol. One year since Korra had begun to realize her role as the Avatar. One year since high-ranking Equalist officials were rounded up by the dozens and put on trial, Hiroshi Sato included. One year since Councilman Tarrlok's disappearance.
One year since Korra confessed her feelings to Mako, and he to her. But that was such a foolish and petty thing when placed next to the Equalist Rebellion, as they were now calling it.
And yet the heiress to Future Industries had yet to fully shake it from her mind. Losing her trust in Mako had come so suddenly at such the wrong time that Asami Sato still couldn't quite come to terms with it. He had apologized, and they had agreed to go their separate ways. Yet something still felt as if it had been left hanging. A door had not been properly closed. She knew that she simply had to accept that Mako didn't see anything in her. Perhaps he never had. Perhaps she had just been a pretty girl who paid him too much attention for her heart's own good. Maybe-
"It's not me."
And Asami was snapped out of her whirling thoughts by another round of Korra's repeated objections. Oh, of course they were friends! They grew closer with every passing day. And Korra was growing up- had been growing up quite a lot over the past year. She wasn't as rash, wasn't as impulsive, and had come to accept that she and Asami were quite simply never going to be the same. At the moment, though, those differences were causing a bit of a snag.
"You said you wanted me to help you dress up, that's what I'm trying to do!" There was a touch of exasperated humor in Asami's tone. Korra sat at Asami's vanity stool, her best friend behind her. Her hair was curled, her lips were glossed, her eyebrows were plucked, and she sat in an expensive evening gown from Republic City's finest boutique. Faintly glossy blue fabric hugged Korra's stocky yet curvy frame. It matched those bright Water Tribe eyes that Asami was often jealous of. She had thought the garment a perfect find. And the outfit all together? Irresistible.
Korra, as usual, had her own opinion. Some things would never change, no matter how old they got.
"I can't move in this dress... And this makeup makes me look prissy."
"You don't need to move. And nobody is going to think you look prissy." Asami said with another small laugh. "It's a date. All you have to do is look pretty. And just because you look pretty doesn't mean that you look weak." And she looked much more than pretty, in Asami's eyes. Avatar Korra was becoming a fine woman. "You're not going so that you can prove anything. Just enjoy Mako's company. Neither of you get breaks all that often." She watched Korra's eyes in the mirror with a small smile. Korra soon mellowed out some, giving Asami a conceding look and nodding.
Here came the thoughts, again. Asami should have been happy for them. They were her friends. A year was a long time- a good deal longer than any relationship Asami had ever been in. The word "petty" crossed her mind once again, but her awareness of her own jealousy didn't stop the feeling. All of her own relationships ended the same. She tried too hard, every single time. And they lost interest after a short while. For that bit of time, Mako had made her feel special. Safe. But who was special, really, when put next to the Avatar?
Both young women were silent for a moment, Asami poking and picking at the little details of Korra's hair, trying to make it perfect. And Korra sitting in front of the mirror, staring at herself intently. Asami noticed, occasionally breaking from her attempts to glance up at their reflection. This was how Korra always was when she wanted to say something. The difference was, now she actually thought about her words prior to saying them.
Those words didn't come out until several minutes later.
"I'm sorry."
Asami stopped fiddling once again, turning her gaze back to Korra's reflection. She held a bobby pin between her lips.
"Hmm?"
"I'm sorry. I shoulda... respected you. And you and Mako."
The words were sudden. Out of place. But that was Korra. Asami was still for a moment, taking the pin in her hand and not taking her eyes off Korra. She hadn't been expecting that. Not in a lifetime.
"When I met you, I thought you were just... I dunno, I labeled you wrong. And I didn't think about you, or your feelings. Only my own." She was looking at her hands rather than back at Asami. Korra took a breath, her shoulders heaving. She fixed her posture, now making eye contact in the mirror. "I didn't behave like an Avatar. I behaved like a stubborn and jealous little kid. And I'm sorry."
And as it turned out, that was all Asami needed. She smiled, a subtle but genuine gesture of acceptance. She had no idea of how long Korra had been holding in those words. She didn't know how long ago Korra had come to the conclusion that she wasn't without fault in the poorly timed mess that had formed between the three of them. That part didn't really matter. Just that she had said the words. That was enough.
"It's fine Korra. It's been a year."