Title: Layover
Rating: K+
Word Count: ~1306
Summary: A blizzard brings them together, two strangers stranded in the Detroit airport overnight until they can clear the runways. Korrasami Modern AU. [Be the Peaf Prompt 66 – Before They Sleep]
Author Note: My beta hasn't looked this over yet so if you see a typo please message me about it.
.
.
"They're all cancelled. Every last one of them."
Asami turned her attention away from the departures board. She already knew her flight was cancelled, but somehow she thought that staring at the red "CANCELLED" markings on every outbound flight would make hers, the 8:57 PM from Detroit to New York City, suddenly be "ON TIME."
The blizzard was the worst that the Midwest had seen in ten years. White-out conditions and inches of the white fluffy falling each hour paralyzed air travel in the area, and sent delays rippling across all major hubs across the country.
It was impossible to avoid. No amount of platinum, gold, or business frequent flyer memberships could get her a flight out of the region, so Asami was stuck. The Detroit Metro in-airport hotel was completely booked, and no amount of Westin points was going to get her even a cot, and it was impossible to think about leaving the airport to one of the many surrounding inns. Even the premium Delta lounge was full of stranded travellers. That's what she got for pushing her flight back twice, hoping desperately to get out of the blizzard zone.
"Yeah…" Asami looked over the girl that stepped up beside her.
The girl had tanned skin and a tasteful bob cut and bright blue eyes. She had a faded and worn brown duffle bag slung over her shoulder. Her blue sweatshirt sleeves were rolled pushed up her forearms, and her slim athletic pants hugged her thighs and calves, showing just a bit of her angle above her running shoes.
"Where were you headed?" The girl smiled.
"Back home, to New York." She had a big presentation she was supposed to be giving that evening for investors of her fathers company. "I've got a big event tomorrow. You?"
"Went home to for Christmas up in the Upper Peninsula with my family. You know, the U.P.? Anyway heading back for another semester of grad school." She turned and extended a hand. "My name is Korra by the way."
"Asami." She introduced herself; unable to avoid noticing that Korra had a strong handshake.
"Do you uh…want to get coffee or something?" Korra readjusted her bag on her shoulder.
Asami snuck a peek at her watch. "Coffee? At 9:30 PM?"
"Not like we're going anywhere tonight anyway," she shrugged.
Asami had no better plans. They rode a moving walkway towards the Starbucks on the B Concourse. Small groups of people huddled around the available outlets, desperate to keep their phones and laptops alive through the night.
"So what do you do in New York?" Korra leaned against the moving railing.
She didn't exactly feel comfortable coming out and saying she was the heir to Future Industries, one of the largest privately owned businesses in the US. "I work for an engineering firm."
"Smart then, huh?"
"I got my undergrad degree in electrical engineering and went back for my MBA."
"Wow. Gotta say, I'm impressed."
"You?"
Korra shrugged. "I'm in a grad program for athletic training."
Their conversation broke when they reached the end of the walkway and into the nearly deserted Starbucks. Most people were keener on hunkering down for the night, sleeping early to wake early and be one of the first in line to rebook their flights to their final destination.
"You know, when I suggested coffee I didn't mean that you would buy me coffee," Korra took a cautious sip of the red-eye she ordered.
"My treat," Asami took the lid off her latte as soon as they sat down at a corner table.
"I heard someone as we walked over here say that they are going to put cots out."
"Beats one of those uncomfortable chairs," Korra made an icky face. "They're bad enough just sitting in them."
"Tell me about it. I travel a lot."
Korra took another sip of her drink, "So you must know all the cool places in this airport."
"Not really," she shrugged. "Usually I spend my time in one of the airline clubs."
She downed her espresso concoction quickly. "Let's go then."
"Where?"
Her smile had a daring edge to it that stirred excitement in Asami. Despite only meeting this girl an hour or so ago, there was something so familiar about her that led her to unconsciously relax in her presence. And, it wasn't just because she was gorgeous.
"Anywhere!"
First, they shopped through every still open storefront and kiosk. They rode the tram in the A Terminal back and forth over and over, just enjoying the ride. A few times, especially on the first few go around, the start and stop of the train caught them by surprise and their shoulders would brush. Asami felt her face heat up a bit at the brief moments of contact.
She wasn't supposed to be like this. Asami was a girl from the big city, perfectly comfortable being alone in a crowd. She wasn't the type of person to swoon over strangers or make a decision without careful consideration of the outcomes. Yet, there was this undeniable attraction that she couldn't ignore.
"Looks like they started to put out cots," Korra pointed out the window, as the terminal below them became a blur again as the tram made its way to the far end. "Get off in the middle?"
"Sounds good."
The cots coming out inspired a near frenzy in the crowd. As expected, no one wanted to spend the night on the floor. By the time they raced down the escalator to the main floor, the line stretched so far that Asami could barely see the other end.
"You know," Asami stood by Korra's side in line, "I'm almost glad this blizzard came through."
"Really?" Korra shot her quizzical glance.
"I got to meet you."
It was true. She had only expected the worst out of being stranded overnight states away from where she needed to be. Instead, she had made a friend faster than she ever had in any time of her life.
Eventually, they reached the front of the line for cots.
"Sorry ladies," the airport employee hollowly apologized, clearly fed up with the situation of the evening. "There is only one cot left."
"Well I mean, you should take it," Korra shrugged as they dragged it off to a quiet (or at least quieter) corner of the terminal. "You seem like you're in a real hurry to get to NYC you should get a good night's sleep."
"I mean…" Asami blushed. "We could…share it?"
"That wouldn't…make you feel weird? We just met, I usually don't jump into bed with people that early," Korra joked, trying to break the tension.
"Would it make you feel weird?"
"I um…" she blushed. "No, I guess not."
They dropped their suitcases to the side and shed their jackets and shoes on to the wide window ledge. In awkward silence, they both fit themselves on the fold out cot. It only really worked if they spooned, so Asami rolled on to her side away from Korra. She could feel the woman's warmth up against her as Korra draped the generically blue blanket over both of their bodies.
"I set an alarm on my iPhone for 5AM so we can get in line at the Delta counter," Korra yawned, shifting slightly.
But Asami knew sleep wasn't going to come easy. All she could do was mentally count up her frequent flier miles and figure out how she was going to propose Korra flying out to meet her in NYC for a weekend.
.
.
Author Note: Not super pleased, but hopefully someone liked it.