The Swing
For the record, I was on the S.S. Korrasami since Book 3. I am now merely taking the opportunity to write all the fluffy things for them. Like, this ship has seized me by the throat and will not let go and I am not complaining one bit. It is not very often that an OTP becomes canon. We should make this a national holiday. Have parades and such.
Korra heard the distinct rattle of Asami's keys behind her. She spun around in her seat at the counter of Asami's kitchen, bleary eyed, her short cropped hair messily sitting on her shoulders. "Please don't tell me we're doing driving lessons again," Korra groaned. "Because with my luck, we'll run into that traffic cop again."
Asami shook her head, idly twirling the keys in her hand. How she was a morning person, Korra could never figure out. She was already dressed and ready to go, those green eyes so bright and perky, much to Korra's mild annoyance."Nope. We're going for a picnic." As she spoke, Korra took note of the handwoven basket that had been resting on the kitchen island; it was already filled with food, a forest green wool blanket folded neatly on top. "You aren't doing anything Avatar-y today and I'm off from work, so I thought it would be nice to go out, enjoy the day. It's beautiful."
"Then why couldn't you let me sleep?" Korra grumbled, the cup of steaming tea warm in her hand. "That's what you do on days off. You sleep. And eat. Then you sleep some more."
"You can sleep in the car if you're that tired."
Korra could only sulk."Hmph."
"Come on, sleepyhead." She turned her back to Korra, fiddling with something in the basket. "It'll be fun, I promise."
Korra eyed the basket curiously, the contents oh so meticulous prepared. "Were you planning this?" she asked.
Asami shrugged. "I wanted to do it for a while, but we were always so busy. . ." she trailed off. "If you want, we can always stay home."
Korra felt a pang of guilt. "No no! Let's do it!"
Asami peered over her shoulder, a smile crossing her face. "Really?"
"Why not? We'll have to figure out what to do for Naga though. . ."
"I think she can be okay by herself for one afternoon, right?"
Korra mulled it over. "If I give her extra food. . .I think she'll be fine."
Asami's smile was so infectious, Korra couldn't help but smile back, her trademark crooked grin spurring Asami's own. As she exited the kitchen, Asami gave Korra a quick peck on the cheek, sending the Avatar's heart aflutter and a blush rushing to her face. "Thank you."
"Heh. . .yeah,. . . no problem," Korra stammered, tugging on an errant strand of hair, the kiss a far better pick me up in the morning than the tea.
"Be ready in ten?"
"Yep."
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Her heart was racing as she shifted the car into the next gear, one foot shakily pressing down on the clutch. Asami couldn't figure out why exactly she was so nervous. It wasn't like their first 'official' date, where the pair of them had to stop a trio of robbers—the conflict in question ruining her pair of brand new red heels—nor was like their second, which was shortly crashed by a pair of bickering spirits.
It was just a normal day out in the countryside, just her and Korra. No reason to be so anxious.
Wrong.
The road wound through the countryside, forests on either side as they headed up through a small pass about thirty minutes beyond the outskirts of town. Not many people traversed through this area, judging by the dirt road. It was secluded and quiet, a far cry from the city behind them. The familiar scent of the evergreen and crisp mountain air brought back a wave of memories and she unknowingly squeezed the steering wheel a little tighter. A subtle gesture yes, but one that Korra somehow managed to pick up on.
"Are you okay?" She asked, her voice cutting through Asami's thoughts. "You seem a little tense." She placed a hand on top of Asami's own on the shift. Korra's touch was comforting and warm and she could feel the tension escape, but only a little.
"It's. . .it's been a while since I've been up here," Asami admitted.
Korra said nothing more, deciding to not press the issue. Asami would talk when she felt ready to; that was how she always was. The crunch of gravel filled their thoughts as the Satomobile turned off the road, down a trail that was hardly wide enough to fit it. Korra watched as the trees flew by in blurs of greens and browns, all while still having a hand on Asami's, her thumb idly caressing Asami's. The scent of the earth reinvigorated her and she wanted nothing more than to step out and bury her toes in the loamy soil. Water was the element she was closest to, but she would always have a connection with the others. It was an unspoken quirk about being the Avatar.
The Satomobile came to a slow, then a stop, the engine dying down. Korra jerked up from the lack of noise.
"Well." Asami began hesitantly, hands wringing in her lap (Korra belatedly realized that Asami had slipped her grip a little bit ago). "Here we are. It's not much and it's most certainly like the Spirit World but-"
"It's lovely," Korra interrupted. "This place is beautiful." They had pulled up to a small clearing, ringed by thick groves of trees. Asami stepped out first, reaching in the back seat for the blanket and basket. Korra followed suit, leaning against the door, quietly observing their surroundings. At the center was a small lake, pussy willows and cattails lining some sections of it. The water was crystal clear, as if someone had carved out a section of the sky and embedding it in the soil below. A faint breeze wove through the trees, the cool air ruffling her hair and lazily dancing on her skin. The trees stood back from the lake's edge about fifteen or so yards, giving them plenty of space. Unexpectedly, Korra heard a distant creak to her right and she looked over, eyes scanning for the source of the sound. She found it, in a wooden swing. The swing was of simple construction: a wooden board, with knotted ropes running through on either side. The other end was tied to a thick and sturdy branch of an oak, the complicated knots ensuring that it could never be budged in a storm. The oak stood out, beyond the groves, closer to the pond than the others. At the base of the trunk there was an older swing, the wood warped and splintered, the ropes that once held it up frayed and tattered.
Asami set the basket down a few feet away from the swing, a somewhat wistful expression clouding her features. "My parents came across this place by accident. They got lost one night on the way from Ba Sing Se and they pulled over here to stay the night. They kept coming back here when they got married. I remember coming here on weekends. Dad would push me on the swing," Asami's eyes flickered to the remnants at the trunk as she laid out the blanket on the lush grass. "And mom would watch. Sometimes. I would sit on her lap and he would push both of us. One day, we just kind of. . .stopped coming."
Korra said nothing, sitting cross-legged on the blanket. A few moments passed before she could formulate a decent response. "I'm sorry."
"Its alright." She sat down next to her. "It's. . .it's kind of nice to talk about it to somebody. I never told anybody about this place before."
"So it's between you and me?"
Asami nodded. "I came back here last year, when I received your letter. I thought it would help me think. But the old swing fell off, so I built a new one, just in case I came back here again." As she finished, a bubble of giggles escaped Korra's lips. "Is something funny?"
"I just had this picture of you, climbing up the tree, testing all the branches before you built it."
Asami chuckled. It was a rather funny image and not too far off the mark either. That was an interesting day, heading back to her office with twigs and leaves in her hair. Mako had been quite confused at the sight. "You should know by now that I never do anything in halves."
"Clearly." Korra took a peek inside the basket. "You brought enough food to feed the entire Air Temple Island twice over."
"Aw, is the Avatar intimidated by a little bit of food?"
Korra stuck out her tongue in response as she plucked a piece of fruit from the basket, twisting off the stem before tossing it at her. "Very funny."
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Korra laid back on the blanket, the grass tickling her bare toes. She rested her head on Asami's lap, eyes half lidded in pleasure as Asami ran her fingers through her hair. "I told you that you brought a lot of food. We still have a bunch of food left over."
"Hmm. . ."Asami said nothing, content with playing with Korra's hair. "You look sleepy," she remarked quietly.
"Not that sleepy," Korra protested weakly. "It's nice and warm and you're playing with my hair."
Asami chuckled. "You're a dork."
"But I'm your dork."
"That you are."
"I still haven't tried out the swing."
"No one is stopping you, love."
"But I'm comfy," Korra whined as she pouted.
"Then you have two choices then," Asami teased. "And you're so cute when you pout like that."
"Hmph." Eventually the call of the swing was too much and Korra sat up, popping the vertebrae in her back as she stretched. Asami watched as Korra sat down on the board, hands on the rope, reminding the older of the two of a child, testing the swings for the first time. She weakly pushed herself off, swinging forward only a few feet.
"'Sami, come and join me," Korra pleaded, her blue eyes wide and childlike. "It'll be fun."
"I'm not sure if it can hold two people."
"You built it," Korra argued lightly. "You should know."
"And how am I going to fit onto the swing with you?" Asami asked, one eyebrow raised teasingly as she stood up. She already knew how Korra's thought process worked, but it was fun to see her demonstrate.
"Like this."
Korra reached out, tugging Asami by her waist. Asami stumbled and she found herself on Korra's lap. "Told you it could fit two people."
"And the scientific process is successful once again." Asami readjusted herself so that her legs were draped across Korra's, her head tucked in the crook of Korra's neck and shoulder. Korra always made a comfortable pillow. "How are you always so warm?" Asami mused out loud, snuggling in closer. "It's like having my own personal radiator."
"Nice to see that I'm useful for something," Korra grumbled jokingly.
"There's other things too. You make for the best pillow too."
"Thanks."
"You're welcome," Asami gave her a peck on the cheek, smiling as Korra's blush deepened on her cheek.
They on the swing like this for the rest of the afternoon, their hands entwined on Asami's lap. They rocked back and forth, Korra's feet moving them along. The gentle creak of the knots on the branch above and the rustle of the leaves as the wind danced through them was the only sound of the outside world.
Some things just didn't need to be said.
It was past twilight when Korra saw the first twinkle of light above the pond's surface. At first, she thought it was a Spirit, their inner light blinking in and out as they moved across the water's surface. But it didn't have the same luminescence of life as the Spirits did. The lights on the water blinked in and out at random intervals, their numbers swelling and shrinking sporadically.
Asami caught the glint of the lights on the water. "Glowbugs!" She cooed in delight. "I haven't seen them in years!"
"Glowbugs?" Korra asked, curiosity piquing.
"You've never heard of them?"
"Well, I might have seen them when I was traveling, but it never really crossed my mind."
"They don't show up around Republic City very often," Asami explained. They like to stay towards the mountains and forests. They light up like this only at night."
"That's really," Korra tried to find the proper words for it. "Neat. I wonder why they light up like that."
Asami practically purred in content, the resonance of Korra's voice against her chest was such a lovely sensation. "When I was younger, my mother always said that glowbugs were the stars that fell from the sky but they couldn't go back, so they spark at night, just like their brothers. Then one of my tutors explained that they glowed because they were looking for mates."
"I like your mom's explanation better."
"I do too." The swing creaked in time with their movements. "I think she would like you."
"Your mother?"
"Yeah."
The compliment made Korra smile. There was always some sort of weird nervousness when it came to the approval of your significant other's parents. She remembered how her own parents reacted when Korra introduced Asami as her partner. Much to her relief, they were accepting, scooping Asami in an embrace shortly thereafter. Later that night, Tonraq had pulled Korra aside whispering, 'I like her better than Mako.' Korra spent the rest of the evening with a wide, giddy smile on her face.
"I'm glad you think so. I would like her too."
"Mmm. . ." Asami trailed off in a wordless reply. The glowbugs continued their intricate dance across the water, dipping and turning in a dance that only they knew.
"We should come here more often," Korra began, her voice punctuating the silence. "This place is lovely."
"That is why I brought you here," Asami explained. "I wanted it to be 'our place'."
"It will always be our place, as long as I'm here with you."
It always baffled Asami that for all Korra's brash and extroverted behavior, she could always say the most eloquent and heartfelt things,often by accident. Korra wearing her heart on her sleeve was an understatement.
The first few moonbeams broke through the canopy, the first few stars piercing the velvety night sky. The light of the moon flowing across the grass like water. Everything was cast in that same silvery-white glow, like the world had been dipped in platinum and silver. The world was perfect, if only for a little while. There were no villains, no impeding world disasters at their doorstep.
It was just them.
"I wish we could stay here forever," Korra wished wistfully.
"I do too. It's getting dark though," Asami countered reluctantly. They would have no trouble traversing the dark—the Satomobile had headlights after all—but to leave would mean having to leave behind the slice of paradise they could call their own.
"Maybe. . ." Korra mused, "Maybe we don't have to leave. At least not for the night. I mean, we got plenty of food and we have a blanket. Let's stay here tonight."
"Yeah but. . ." Asami protested weakly. "I do have work.. . .sort of."
"Sort of?"
"Well, I don't have to go in tomorrow, since I got most of my work finished yesterday. . ."
"So we can stay here then?" Her voice was so eager that Asami promptly caved in; not that she really wanted to go into her office the next day. Varrick and Zhu Li loved to ask questions, especially of the more personal nature. Asami wished that they wouldn't team up on her like that.
"Why not?" Asami snuggled closer, feeling the steady beat of Korra's heart in her ears. Calm and relaxing. "I told you that today would be fun," she teased, hoping that Korra would rise to the occasion. If one were to ask Ms. Asami Sato what her favorite pastimes were, bantering with Korra would be towards the top of that list. Much to her own surprise, Korra didn't, thoughtfully watching the last few strains of the glowbugs' dance.
"'Sami?"
"Yes?"
"There's no other place I would rather be right now."
"Same."
And the swing continued to rock gently into the deeper hours of the night, the participants in their own world.
The best things in life are always meant to be shared with those you love.
Congrats, I wrote a thing that has no plot to it whatsoever. This is nice, I should do it more often. Hope you enjoyed!