Korra uncrossed her legs and took a deep breath, stretching her limbs, "Why do we always have to do this so early in the morning?"
"There is no better time to align yourself than when the world begins anew each morning." Came her teacher's reply.
"Yeah, but can't it just be pushed back like an hour or two?"
"Avatar Korra, if you cannot take this seriously…"
"I do, I was just kidding, relax." Korra crossed her legs again and pressed her fists together as she closed her eyes. "What's on the agenda today?"
"The fog of lost souls..."
Asami heard the shower turn on and she sleepily cracked an eye to glance at the clock. 6:00am. Korra had moved in with her over a month ago and every morning she would get up at 4:30am, leave for an hour, sometimes two and then go directly to the shower when she returned home. She had woken up every morning, but hadn't let the younger woman know. She felt the mattress dip from the weight of her girlfriend's body getting into bed. Korra slowly slipped under the covers and pressed her forehead against Asami's back draping her arm over the taller woman's waist and falling asleep within minutes. The heiress had often wondered where it was that Korra went, but figured it was some kind of Avatar thing. She had never pressed the issue because the younger woman didn't act any different around her or anyone else for that matter. She was the same old Korra. But in the past week or so, Korra had become distant, staring off into the distance and lashing out at Asami. She felt them drifting apart and it scared her to death. She knew that Korra might get upset if she asked about her whereabouts, but she had to. She knew there was no other way.
"Why aren't you hitting me?"
"Because you keep moving around too much!" The Avatar growled and punched fire at her teacher.
"No! It's because you're fighting angry and not concentrating. Center yourself, control the elements, and don't let them control you!"
Korra kicked at the ground, sending pieces of earth flying at her teacher, which were quickly dodged, only angering the Avatar even more. She clenched her jaw as she entered the Avatar state and bombarded her opponent with a barrage of fire, earth, air and water. Her sparring partner evaded every element without blinking an eye, kicking a gust of air that caught her off guard and sent her flying back into a wall. She groaned and released the Avatar state, slumping down against the wall.
"You overuse the Avatar state."
"I do not." Korra groaned and popped her shoulder back into its socket.
"Raava is there to make you stronger. Avatar's of the past would summon her to their aide when they needed her spiritual power the most...you call on her to fix your noodles."
"Hey!' Korra snapped at the mention of her past lives, 'I'm the Avatar, and I can use my Avatar state however I damn well please!"
The young Avatar stood and grabbed her air glider from the corner of the room, storming out and slamming the large metal door.
"I'll see you tomorrow, Avatar Korra."
It had been a week since Korra had snuck out in the early hours of the morning, but Asami noticed that her mood was growing worse. When the CEO had pressed the smaller woman to tell her about the swollen shoulder and the bruises, Korra had gotten frustrated and slept in one of the guest bedrooms. Asami had began working late nights in her office at Future Industries, sometimes even spending the night to not have to go home to her girlfriend's mood swings. Tonight was one those late nights. Asami sighed deep and ran her fingers through her hair. All she wanted was to be at home, in her girlfriend's arms. If Korra was still her girlfriend, that is. They hadn't had sex in more than three weeks, which she was used to if the Avatar had to leave to go take care of things in other nations, but she wasn't used to going 48 hours without the younger woman's head buried between her legs, when she was home. The worse part…they had not kissed in a week. Seven days without even a quick peck. The heiress buried her face in her hands and massaged her temples. She tried to pinpoint the exact moment that Korra quit loving her.
"Sam, can I come in?"
Asami looked up and gave her friend a crooked smile and a nod. "Yeah Bo, come on in."
The earthbender made his way over to the CEO and opened his arms to her. Asami stepped into his embrace and she felt a pang of sadness, realizing it was also the first time she had been hugged in a week. "How's Opal?"
"She's great. She's at home resting; it was a long airship ride back from Zao Fu."
Asami motioned for them to have a seat on the sofa that sat in the corner of her office. "So how did it go? What did Suyin and Baatar Sr. say?"
Bolin smiled big and reached into his pocket to pull out a small velvet box. He opened it, revealing a beautiful diamond ring. "They gave me their blessing. I'm gonna ask Opal to marry me."
"Oh 'Bo!" Asami wrapped her arms around her friend's neck and hugged him tightly. "But wait, what are you doing here? Why aren't you at home?"
"I could ask you the same thing. I went by the mansion to see you both and Korra told me that you were here, she said you have been spending the night here' The earthbender's expression grew serious, 'What's going on Sam?"
Asami felt her resolve break and she cried for the first time into her friend's shoulder. "I don't know Bolin, I really don't. Korra doesn't love me anymore."
"Hey now,' He cooed, 'That's not true. We both know that Korra would rather die than live without you."
Asami sniffled and shrugged. "Yeah, I thought so too, but lately everything I say and do upsets her and she storms off. I started spending the night here to avoid that…avoid her all together."
"She did snap at me when I started asking about what was going on with you two. But she did tell me that she misses you."
"I miss her so much too, but I don't know what to do." Asami wiped her eyes, checking her mascara.
"Go home. Go be with Korra, And this weekend, you both come to the birthday party I'm throwing for Opal because I'm gonna pop the question."
Asami smiled genuinely happy for her friend. They hadn't really been that close during 'Team Avatar' days, but in the 5 months that had passed since Kuvira's defeat, they had grown closer. They spent late nights reminiscing on the early days, their first impressions of Korra, talking about what it feels like to lose your parents and their love for their partners. The CEO nodded and held the earthbender's hand in her own. "Thank you Bo."
Bolin gently squeezed the non bender's hand, "Go home, Sam"
Korra sat in the den of Sato Manor, bending small balls of water into the fire, to hear them sizzle and listening to the radio. She had been at this task for an hour and oddly it made her feel better. Everything she did to try to occupy her mind always brought her back to the bottomless pit that currently was her life. She hadn't been to see her teacher in a week and she felt unbalanced at the way she had stormed out. And Asami…well, Asami wouldn't even look her in the eye. She knew both of these things were her fault, but she didn't know how to fix them. The Avatar is the master of all four elements, the bridge between the spirit world and the human world, the most powerful human being in the entire world. And she was an asshole. She could pick up whole mountains if she had wanted to, but she couldn't even fix things with her girlfriend. Korra heard the familiar click of heels coming towards her down the hall and she felt her stomach tighten. Now or never.
"Asami?"
The CEO stopped dead in her tracks when she heard Korra's voice. She had been hoping the younger woman would be asleep by the time she returned home. "Yeah?"
"You wanna come sit with me for a bit?"
Asami took a deep breath and made her way into the den and sat down on the far end of the lounge, slipping her heels off.
Korra hated the distance between them and watched her girlfriend's face as she stared into the fire. Asami had been crying. Her eyes were puffy and a little red, her mascara and eyeliner were smudged, despite the fact that it looked like the CEO had tried to reapply a second layer. Korra's heart broke and she couldn't believe that this beautiful woman as hurting because of her. The young Avatar pulled the quilt from the back of the sofa, offering it to her girlfriend.
"Are you cold?"
Asami took the quilt and gave Korra a small smile as she covered herself. Korra slid closer to her girlfriend and opened her arms to the older woman. Asami hesitantly leaned herself against the smaller woman's side, instantly melting at the feel of her girlfriend's arms around her. Korra hugged the raven haired beauty into her body and held her tightly as she brought their foreheads together.
"I'm sorry. I love you Asami."
In the days since their reunion, Asami and Korra had hardly left the bedroom. Asami cancelled her meetings and Korra told Tenzin she wouldn't be able to make it out to Air Temple Island to speak with the new airbenders, because she had come down with some sickness no one has ever heard of, but it heals itself in 24-48 hours. The CEO had teased her girlfriend for not being able to come up with something other than a mystery illness.
"Hey I had to think on the spot okay?"
"You told him it was life threatening!" Asami laughed
"It is! It would literally kill me to leave this bed right now! He wouldn't understand that." Korra said with a shrug.
"…."
"What?"
"He has 4 kids, Korra. He might understand more than you think." Asami countered with a playful shrug of her own.
Korra's eyes widened in horror as the images of her old airbending teacher and Pema flashed through her mind. "Oh…my…ew! Spirits Asami! Why would you say that?!"
Asami glanced around the room with a smile. It was so great to be with all of their friends again. She tried to contain her laughter when Tenzin had asked if Korra had fully recovered from her illness and questioned why the Avatar wouldn't look him in the eye. Bolin had pulled Asami away to ask how things were between the couple. He received his answer when her face turned red and she bit her lip with a smile.
"Ew." Bolin joked
Asami laughed and nodded towards Opal who was currently talking to Pema and Lin. "So you ready Bo?"
Bolin watched Opal as she laughed and took small sips of her wine, smiling big. "Yeah I am. She's amazing Sam, I don't know how I got so lucky for a girl like her to love me."
"Well then go tell her that." Asami nudged Bolin in the direction he needed to go and gave her friend a wink of encouragement.
"Excuse me! Everyone, can I have your attention?"
The party goers all turned to face Bolin as he stood in front of his girlfriend, holding her hands. "Opal, you are the most amazing person I know…"
Korra had found Asami leaning against a wall and made her way over to the non bender. "Hey, is he about to do what I think he's doing?" She whispered in her girlfriend's ear.
Asami simply nodded and smiled, never taking her eyes off of the couple in the middle of the room.
"I know that I haven't always been perfect, I know that I can be loud and annoying sometimes, and I tend to joke around too much…but you gave me a second chance and I don't ever want to take that for granted. I want to spend the rest of my life with you…."
Korra watched Asami's face glow at the scene before her. As she stood there with her girlfriend, she couldn't help but think that maybe…one day…
"So when are you gonna tell her? And everyone else?"
Korra turned and saw Jinora standing beside her. "What are you talking about? When am I going to tell her what?" She whispered to the young airbender.
Bolin lowered to one knee and held the ring up to his hopeful fiancée, "Will you marry me, Opal Beifong?"
"Yes!" Opal squealed and wrapped her arms around Bolin's neck, crashing her lips into his. The group of friends erupted into cheers and applause simultaneously.
"When are you going to tell them that you have been meeting with Zaheer?" Jinora clapped in unison with the rest of the party goers, never taking her eyes off of Korra.
The Avatar felt her body stiffen and she stared back at Jinora. Her biggest secret, kept hidden for months was threatening to be exposed…