Ch. 1

"BOLIN! BOLIN WHERE ARE YOU?" Bolin stretched out across the tan couch of Asami's airship. He rubbed his eyes gently and let out a huge yawn.

"BOLIN?" The voice called again.

"In Here!" He yelled back the the voice. Asami came whipping out from the back area of the ship. "Oh Bolin there you are! Listen, do you have a minute?" Bolin shook his head and blinked rapidly, trying to straighten out his vision.

"Of course Asami. Anything for a friend." Asami paused at the end of the couch. "Oh, were you sleeping?" She asked tentatively. He cracked his neck. "Yah but its ok. There's plenty of time for sleep. What's on your mind?"

"Thank you i-"

"Come have a seat next to ol' Bolin." He moved over and patted next to him.

"ok." Asami said, moving into the seat. "I just really-"

"Take a load off."

"Um, I"

"You can tell me anything." Asami exhaled and pursed her lips. If I could just get a word in… She thought to herself. Bolin was silently looking at her, eagerly awaiting her to speak. She decided he was probably done interrupting and began. "Bolin, I have a question. When you really like someone, what do you do?"

"Like, are we talking like, or liiike?" He questioned.

"Err," Asami shifted, "Like like…so liiiiiike."

Bolin perked up in his seat. "Ooo Asami," he nudged her with his elbow, "Moving on eh?" Asami didn't look pleased, so he continued.

"Well, when I like someone, I tell them straight up. I mean, I hang out with them a few times first, but then I just go for it and tell them. And I try to impress them! I show them things I like and that I'm good at."

"But you just tell them?" Asami asked.

Bolin responded like it was a strange question to ask. "Well, yah. Why not?"

"Even if you aren't sure they feel the same way?"

"Well the way I look at it," He said, smoothing his hair, "is that if when you hang out with them, you have a really good time, and they have a really good time, and you know you really like them, it's worth the risk, cuz there's a good chance they like you back. And if they don't, at least you tried. And yah it hurts, but people move on. I mean me and Korra did."

Asami nodded. "It's funny you mentioned Korra, because,-" Bolin interrupted again. "So who do you think you liiiike?" He wiggled his eyebrows seductively. "Anyone I know?"

Asami shrank into her seat a little and folded her hands tightly together. "Yes, you know them. But Bolin I'm not sure I can tell them how I feel. And if this goes wrong, everything could be destroyed." Before Bolin could speak she answered his question. "And no, it isn't Mako."

"Like I said Asami, you can tell me anything. I'll even tell you who I'm crushing on!"

"Okay." Asami agreed. Just please don't say me Bolin, whatever you do don't say me. There couldn't be anything worse than that right now.

She took a deep breathe and readied herself. "I've realized recently that I really like someone, and I think I have had these feelings for a long time, but I've pushed them away. Either because they weren't the kind of thing I thought I should be feeling or thinking, or because I thought I knew what I wanted, and so much just got in the way. But now that things are smoothing out between everyone, I've realized that I don't think I want to hide these feelings anymore, and they're stronger than ever." She paused, looking to see if Bolin was still listening. He was, and intently so.

"It sounds like you really like this person. So why not tell them?"

Asami looked back out over the airship. She couldn't meet his eyes. "This is a delicate situation Bolin, it's hard to explain."

"Try me?"

Asami closed her eyes tight, and went for it. "It's Korra." When there was no immediate response she turned back to Bolin. He was staring blankly at her. Asami tried desperately to read his emotions, but he was a blank slate. After what felt like an eternity he spoke.

"Oh."

That was it. Oh.

"Oh?" Asami tried to get him to say something else, but he didn't. He just kept staring. "Bolin, say something!" She begged.

"Korra's great." He snapped out of his trance. "Look um, I appreciate you telling me but I have to go do something, so I'm gunna go ok?"

"yah."

Asami watched him go and could feel the tears welling up. I should have known to keep my mouth shut. Shit. What is wrong with me? She buried her face in her hands. She looked up when the door to the lounge opened and Korra came strutting into the room.

"Hey Asami!" She greeted, her vibrant blue eyes shining brightly. "I was thinking," She drifted off when she realized Asami was crying. "Oh, I, I'm sorry. Should I come back later or?"

Asami shook her head and wiped her eyes. "No no it's fine Korra. I'm fine. What were you going to ask?"

"Well I was wondering if you wanted to come with me on a mission."

"Who's going?"

"So far," Korra moved over and sat in the seat across from Asami. "Me, and you, if you decide you want to come."

"Is it another mission like the tax collection?" Korra leaned forward excitedly.

"Even better. I want to investigate the Queen. I don't trust her or anything she says. I want to go undercover and blow the lid off of whatever operation she has going on."

"Do you have a plan?"

Korra froze. "Notexactly." She blurted out. "But I know I want you with me."

Asami blushed but quickly hid it. It's when she says things like that. I just don't know. but its not a bad idea. "I think it would be best to go back to that little town. The gang we fought are just regular people, so we can talk to the locals and see what they think. I'm sure they'll be open to explain. And as long as there's no suspicious activity there shouldn't be any Dai Lee."

"So you'll come with me?" Korra asked excitedly.

"I'll come." Korra jumped from her seat and raised her fist in the air. "YEAH! This is going to be awesome! Just you and me, kungfooing it out," she punched the air multiple times. "With a bunch of rag-tag bikers! And then BAM BAM! Taking out the Earth Queen!"

Asami giggled at Korra's shenanigans. "One step at a time Korra. And if we are going undercover we probably shouldn't beat up the people we are trying to blend in with."

"Buzzkill."

"I'm just saying.." Korra let out a quick hearty laugh. "I was thinking we should leave soon. Bolin and Mako can keep up the search for Kai, and Tenzin can keep trying to recruit airbenders."

Asami cocked her head to the side and smacked her lips. "I'm not so sure Tenzin is the best person to recruit airbenders. He's good at a lot of things but not at being a salesman."

Korra shuffled her feet and looked off to the side. "It didn't exactly go much better when I tried either."

Asami let out a chuckle. "Heh, what happened?"

Korra sat back down, this time next to Asami on the couch. "Mako, Bolin and I heard about this kid, Ryu I think, who could airbend. So we went to his house and his mom was there. She was actually really cool, but this kid was such a looser. He just hides in his basement and doesn't care about anything or anyone! I asked nicely, and then kid of rudely, and then I tried to beat him up."

Asami nodded wildly. "Yah that doesn't sound too good." The two laughed for a moment.

"So," Korra looked around. "Where are Bolin and Mako anyway? I haven't seen them since they came back from their field trip to the lower ring."

"I'm not sure where Mako is," Asami slouched and tried to disguise the sorrow in her voice. "Bolin was here, but he had to go take care of something. He didn't say what."

"They really are quite a pair."

Asami sighed in relief, silently praising the Gods that Korra didn't notice the catch in her voice. "Are we going to tell them where we are going? Or Tenzin?" Korra's eyes widened. "No! Noooo no no. The boys are gunna want to come and Tenzin isn't going to want us to go."

"But, don't you think they are going to notice that we're missing?"

"We'll come up with something. Always do!" Korra nudged her gently. Asami flipped her hair and straightened in her seat. "Well miss Avatar if we are going undercover we are going to need some disguises!"

Korra shrank into herself. "Oh no."

"You know what that means right Korra?"

"Oh no no no."

"Shopping!" Asami squealed, fists shaking vibrantly. Korra rolled her eyes and groaned loudly. "NOOOO." She rolled her head back and forth along the back of the couch.

"YAAAAAS" Asami clapped her hands a few times. "Shopping day tomorrow!"

"Ugh fine." Korra caved in. Asami was right, they would need disguises. She smirked when a new idea hit her. "Asami, you do realize that we are going into a much poorer part of the city right?"

"Yah, so?"

"Sooo," Korra continued, her devilish smirk intensifying, "That means we're gunna stick out if we are in fancy clothes that look like we got them from an inner ring." Asami's smile faded slowly. "This is stupid."

Korra laughed and patted Asami's back. "Oh it's not so bad. We might not be in high fashion," She cringed as she said those words, "but that doesn't matter. We aren't doing it for the clothes, we're doing this for the adventure."

Asami put her hand onto Korra's shoulder. "You're right. I'll get the outfits, you come up with the story."

"Sounds good." Korra smiled brightly. "So we're leaving tomorrow?"

"I guess so!" Asami nodded. "We better get our sleep then."

"Alrighty. I'll see you tomorrow. Night 'Sami." Korra waved before she rounded the corner to her bedroom.

"Night." Asami whispered quietly. She dragged herself off the couch and shuffled to her room, throwing herself onto her bed. She stared at the ceiling, waiting for sleep to come.

It never did.