A/N: Some Quick Facts About This Fic
Chapters: 18.
Pairing: Korra x Asami. [Also: BolinxOpal, KyaxLin and MakoxOC]
Rated: T for suggestive themes, mild coarse language, strong violent references and a serial killer on the loose.
Notes: I'm a Tyzula author, and this is my first major Korrasami, so I hope it turned out okay. The idea has been on my mind for a very long time and I eventually caved in and wrote it. It's a noir-style murder mystery with a heavy focus on romance and takes place several years after the end of canon. It does borrow a lot from the vibes and themes of S2, which I always loved despite its flaws, which is why Boleska has a reprisal and a few other odds and ends. Thank you for clicking on this fic and I hope you enjoy the show.
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"Sacrifice is a choice you make. Loss is a choice made for you."
- Tomb Raider -
Chapter One: A Surprise Dinner Guest
"No matter what happens, no matter how crazy things get, I'll always try to restore balance."
That is the promise Avatar Korra made. She never thought she would have to choose between the world and herself. But she knows she made the right decision ─ she chose the world. It helps that when things get hard or too much, or the odds seem stacked against her, to remember the ones she loves. She fights for them.
Korra fights for them, even if she does not see them that much anymore. It has been four years since Korra fought Kuvira. It has been two years since the next great conflict ended. Then a series of smaller ones. And it has been one year since Korra and Asami broke up, right before Korra was going to propose to her. It was not a bad break up or a particularly painful one; they both admitted it was not working out as well as they had hoped.
New conflicts rise and fall. Relationships mostly end, and rarely begin. Korra is always there, and not where it would make her relationships easy. Her friends helped with Korra's journey and the conflicts and enemies they faced, but it was time for their own journeys.
Upon Bolin sending out his engagement announcements, Korra has spent the past eight months in the Fire Nation, trying to pour herself into her duties as the Avatar and get over her break-up. Now she has been back in Republic City for two months.
The letter is delivered as Korra is snoring into her mattress, which is yellowed, fraying and in utter disarray from her lack of a desire to put the sheets on properly. She imagined she would sleep for weeks after what she dealt with, but Republic City needs her too, and she is already spread thin.
Korra has not checked her mail in about two weeks. There are a variety of reasons for that, but none of them are very good reasons. She supposes that if the news is important, it will reach her eventually. Therefore, in the end, it is by some stroke of luck that she does not miss the engagement party altogether.
The Avatar rubs white gunk out of her vibrant sapphire eyes, trying to calculate how long she managed to sleep. Her back is sore, her legs are aching and she thinks she only got four hours, which, in Korra's opinion, is not enough.
She forces herself to stand up instead of curling up in a ball and drifting off again despite the sun trickling through her apartment window and stretches. With a few waterless waterbending motions and positions, she attempts to stretch out her cramped body.
Naga takes up half of the bedroom, so... a quarter of the apartment, and she is peacefully snoozing. Korra scowls at her roommate in momentary envy, and then just winds up nuzzling her thick white fur, sneezing, and then rubbing her eyes.
Korra glances at herself in the hallway mirror as she walks towards the apartment door, and gives herself a quick look up and down. Her hair is sticking up all over the place, she is in her pajamas and is lacking shoes, but that does not stop her from walking down the hallway of the apartment building and to her mailbox. Yawning, she opens it and letters come pouring out like a waterfall.
This is not her morning, is it?
She quickly analyzes the envelopes and deems the one from Bolin to be the one she opens first. He is the friend she has remained closest to over the years. She sees them all, Mako, Asami, Opal, everyone, every couple of months. She used to spend every waking moment with her friends and Aang's kids and grandkids. But slowly, she became incredibly absorbed in her work, and it became the occasional meetings and going to see movers or maybe a quick walk through the park when Korra had the time.
Asami has even less time. Mako works night shifts too often. Bolin always obliterated his schedule when Korra said she could hang out with him.
"As long as I can convince Pabu to cancel all of his appointments," was Bolin's incredibly, incredibly overused joke.
When she opens it, Korra laughs. And laughs. And then laughs again.
Okay, this letter has to be a decade late, right? Or something? This can't actually be serious.
Bolin... and... Korra needs a telephone. Korra needs a telephone now.
"Mako, Mako," she is saying before the phone is even answered. Moments ago she just wanted to go back to sleep, but now she is bouncing from foot to foot.
"Korra? It's five in the morning," is Mako's response. And then he groans. "...you got the invitation didn't you?"
"Is he...? Is this serious?" Korra does not know why she is smiling so hard.
"Yes," Mako says with such severity in his tone that Korra cannot help but burst into laughter again. "They seem pretty happy together. Or... something. I can't really tell. I'm also not sure if the brother is a package deal or not."
"This is... this is priceless," Korra says with another chuckle. It may be strange news, but Republic City has never been anything but strange. "I can't believe neither of them told me."
"You did ruin their last wedding," Mako remarks earnestly and Korra rolls her eyes with a small smile.
"I have... so many questions. I think I actually need to write down a list of questions for this engagement party," Korra says incredulously, slowly shaking her head.
"Or, if you write quickly, you can come out to dinner with us tonight. I would appreciate it if you saved me from spending my evening with Desna," Mako says and Korra hesitates for a moment.
Once upon a time, Korra would probably rather have died than spent the evening with her creepy cousins, but she misses everybody so much that it actually sounds like a treat.
"Sounds great, Mako," she says earnestly. It has been a long time since she went out with her friends, and then she feels her gut clench. There is one friend she severely misses.
It has been almost two years since she and Asami broke up, after which they decided to go back to being friends. And now it has been ten months since Korra last even saw Asami, seeing as they both found ways to skirt out of things they previously would have done together. Going back to being friends was really hard when it took so long for them to finally admit to each other that they wanted to be more than friends.
Korra hates how much she misses her. She hates how she keeps all of the little things from their relationship tucked into her underwear drawer because she cannot let it go. Why was it so easy to just be friends with Mako, but so hard to move on from Asami? She thought maybe her work in the Fire Nation, so removed from Republic City, would help her forget. But instead, everything reminded her of Asami. The yellow roses or the little paper animals for sale ─ paper animals Asami used to be very talented at making.
She made a little polar bear dog for Korra that Korra still has.
"Where's Asami?" Zuko asks, and Korra bites down on her lip. "Oh."
"We broke up. It wasn't bad or anything. Clean break... sorta." Korra rubs her neck. She squirms slightly. "I just... being the Avatar just kind of started taking over."
"Aang had similar problems with Katara and his family." Zuko is silent for a moment. He always liked Korra, and for three years she had been incredibly happy with Asami. It feels strange to him that they could break apart. "You know, I broke up with Izumi's mother about ten times before we finally stuck it out."
Korra smirks faintly. "Really?"
"You never know," Zuko says before knowing he should probably change the subject. "So, about the conflict..."
Korra rubs her face and gets ready for the day, setting aside plans for her dinner out with Bolin, Eska, Mako and Desna. It should be fun, like old times.
She looks forward to it, even with a slight heaviness in her chest that it could be better if Asami were there.
[X]
Later that morning, across town, Asami's tea has gone completely cold. She stares at it for a moment before pushing it to the side and deciding she will make more later. She has been in the Future Industries Office since four in the morning, it is now six, and she has barely made a dent in her work.
The phone rings with a loud trill that startles her to the point of jumping and she answers it halfheartedly.
"Asami."
"Hey, Mako," she says, setting down her pen.
"Do you want to go out to dinner tonight with me and Bolin and the twins?" Mako asks and Asami clears her throat.
"Uh..." Silence.
"Not, not as a date. I didn't mean it that way," Mako replies, nearly having a heart attack. He didn't mean for his words to be misconstrued that way. "I mean because Bolin and I haven't seen you in months and weddings bring people together. Even weddings as weird as this one..."
"I guess I can free up some time," Asami says honestly with a small smile. "It's been forever."
Asami has not seen Bolin and Mako in months because of one person. And it makes her feel silly and ridiculous to not be long over her relationship. But it did last for three years, and it was such a long time coming. The painful falling in love, so slowly, more than friends eventually. And then it all had to fizzle out when Korra thwarted yet another war.
But Asami is past that. She has gone on dates... sort of. But it was partially because of her job that she slipped away from her relationship and her friends. Her responsibilities are beyond numerous and Asami enjoys the accomplished sensation of being dedicated.
Maybe she does need a break. She writes down the restaurant and time, and looks forward to hanging out with Mako and Bolin again. They are still the best friends she has ever had or could imagine, even after time and adulthood pulled them all apart.
Asami opens the pages of a notebook, blank, clean, white. She tears one out carefully and begins to fold it. She knows very well she should be working on the deal about her new combustion engines, but, the paper animals want her more.
She makes a little Pabu first, and tucks that aside to give to Bolin. Well, now she needs one for Mako, of course, so she folds him a little fox-deer. No good reason other than the fact that he kinds of reminds her of one... if he had horns, perhaps. And then she winds up making one for Eska, a koala-otter, although she debated a feeble turtleduck. She is halfway through a polar bear dog when it hits her that Korra is probably not coming.
Asami wonders for a moment if the Avatar is even back from the Fire Nation after dealing with the Red Masquerade Society and their gang war with the Golden Glove Society. The Fire Nation had never had gangs before, and Korra was completely willing to help out the puzzled police force and Fire Lord Izumi.
The gangs there sound much fancier than the Agni Kai Triad or the Red Monsoons. Perhaps the use of society just makes them classier. Asami's grandmother was always overly fancy. She was born in the colonies, but had a taste for the expensive and authentic to her homeland.
But Asami is a girl of the future, and a girl of blended families and friends of all kinds.
"Miss Sato," chimes in Asami's assistant Kami. "Your client from Sondai is here to meet with you."
"Thank you, Kami," Asami says with a smile and is relieved that she can stop thinking about a relationship that is long, long gone.
It is doubtful to her that Korra still feels the same way. Asami brushes her paper animals into her purse and opens the door for her expensively dressed Earth Kingdom client.
Asami smiles, glad to welcome him, and sits down with her hands clasped on her mahogany desk and her back held high.
[X]
Korra and Asami are out in the hot summer night, eating outside on the patio of a restaurant.
Asami's fingers move faster than Korra can keep track of. The Avatar's wide sapphire eyes are fixated on her manicured girlfriend as she folds the paper. Korra had seen little paper animals around Sato Manor before, but Asami always seemed more into making metal into incredible machines that Korra could barely imagine than paper creatures.
She finishes and holds up a dead on imitation of a polar bear dog.
"But, uh, don't let Naga eat it," Asami whispers and Korra smirks. She hands it to Korra, whom hooks it onto the necklace she is wearing.
Asami's cheeks flush.
"So it's always close to my heart, like you," Korra says awkwardly and Asami snickers. "What? That was some romantic sweet talk. I thought for a really long time about that one..."
"No, no, I like it," Asami says, her grin spreading. But then she coughs, "Cheesier than Bolin's pick-up lines."
Korra rolls her sapphire eyes and then finds herself grinning like an idiot.
"Now I have to make you something," Korra says and she is terrified by the immediate thought to her mind, which is a betrothal necklace. She quickly pushes that thought aside, and decides to make something a bit more crafty and less intimidating.
They have only been dating for a year; Korra does not think she can spring the idea of marriage on Asami at this point. While Korra does, eventually, think she might want to marry Asami, the transition from friends to girlfriends has been strange and awkward.
They walk along the shore after they pay for their food, Korra insisting despite the shopkeeper rambling about the Avatar having no need to do so.
"No worries... I have a rich girlfriend," Korra says as soon as they are out of earshot of the waitress, waving her hand dismissively with a very pointed, affected voice, and Asami slowly shakes her head, a smirk growing on her rose tinted lips. Perfectly kissable red lips.
"Those look so fun," Asami says, seizing Korra's hand.
"What look fun?" Korra asks, glancing around at the water that is hued amber by the night sky and bright lights of the city.
Korra and Asami are on a date, one of their first dates after a long day of working on the reconstruction of Republic City. ("Which we never had to worry much about before we had a resident Avatar..." Asami had teased).
"Those little paddleboats," Asami says, pointing.
They are nice, the boats with the cute couples in them, all cuddling as they gently tread the water under metal turtleduck shapes. The tower shines so brightly over it all, lingering like a beacon of the future that is to come, almost as bright as a spirit portal, but made by the hands of humans.
Clever, intuitive hands like Asami's, which Korra quickly takes in hers.
"Have you ever drive one?" Korra inquires eagerly, quite a fan of Asami's wild tales of racing in things that probably are not meant to be raced in. She likes to sit as Asami repairs satomobiles and pretend to know what the different wrenches are called as Asami regales her with tales that are probably unbefitting of the classy, well dressed CEO of Future Industries.
Asami squirms and Korra can completely tell she is about to try to lie. "I never rode one because, uh..."
"You did ride one once, didn't you?" Korra asks, cocking an eyebrow.
"I might have gone a little too fast and gotten kicked out..." Asami admits under her breath and Korra laughs.
"Well, as the Avatar, I feel like I can help with this predicament," Korra says, grabbing Asami's hand as they start to slip away from sweat, and tugging her towards the covered dock for the boats with the small line of cute couples.
"Yes, with your waterbending and airbending, we can go much faster," Asami whispers into Korra's ear as a turtleduck paddleboat comes into view.
[X]
Asami goes home to a giant house, and understands that she appreciates her solitude. Korra never did move in, and Mako's family has since been set up with some high quality real estate with the Avatar, the CEO of Future Industries, a police force hero and a mover star cajoling for what they wanted.
We are a weird mix, aren't we? Asami thinks as she contemplates her family.
Family. And she is finally seeing her family tonight, which is extremely exciting.
Glancing at herself in the mirror, she does see that she might possibly need a break. The dark circles under her eyes are more pronounced than ever before, and she is pale as pale gets. Still gazing at her reflection, Asami combs her hair with her fingers before heading to go do something to busy her hands and keep her from losing her mind over an overdue reunion with Team Avatar.
She finds herself working on a pet project. It is not exactly working yet, no matter how much she tinkers with the combustion manifold. Her with a wrench, her making paper animals, her having jitters every time she hosts a social event or charity fundraiser.
"I love that you can face off with crazy people and shock guys with an electric glove but wring your hands and your-your eyebrows get kinda twitchy too, I only just noticed," Korra snickers with a stupid grin and when Asami turns to Mako he shrugs and looks away, not wanting to confirm that Korra is being honest.
"I'm a people person," Asami protests.
"You're an up close with people person. Not a... I don't even know what this is," Mako says and Korra nods reassuringly, planting a damp kiss on Asami's cheek. "Bolin is doing a great job for you."
Mako gestures at Bolin and his exaggerated interactions with the guests of the party. And Asami shrugs as Korra wraps her arm around Asami's waist.
When she is finished, she is soaked through with oil, and takes a long, heated shower before readying herself for her night with Bolin and Mako.
And Desna and Eska. Which is not Asami's idea of a good time, necessarily, but she did make them paper animals and hopefully... uh... something.
[X]
In the late evening, just like Asami, Korra makes herself presentable enough to be seen in public while not throwing elements at bad guys, and finds herself in a cute new restaurant she has never seen before. Mako, Bolin and Korra's cousins are already at a table. Mako is sweating and looks like he would chew off his own ankle to escape, and Bolin and Eska look... strangely enamored with each other.
Korra has known her cousin for a long time, and she actually thinks there might be something genuine between them. Given, Korra has never been the best reader of social situations, in all honesty.
"A lovable dork," Bolin remarks as Korra is in the midst of her hero's welcome when the battle is over with and the city is regaining its composure after Kuvira's attack, putting up both thumbs as Korra tries to take it as a compliment.
"I like lovable dorks," Asami mutters in her ear.
"You would," Korra replies sharply with a flip of her dark hair.
Korra waves, grins, and sits down beside Desna.
"Hello, Korra," Desna says dryly and she murmurs a greeting to him. He looks about as happy to see her as usual.
"How's the Northern Water Tribe?" Korra asks brightly and Desna and Eska shrug simultaneously.
"Boring as usual," Eska says and Korra sees a betrothal necklace on her neck. It is actually pretty impressive, one of the nicest Korra has seen. She did not predict that from Bolin. Then again, she did not ever predict Bolin to get back together with Eska in a million years.
"So, you made the betrothal necklace this time, Bolin?" Korra clarifies.
"Yes," Bolin says, gesturing to it on Eska's neck proudly with a small, smug smile.
"I found it appropriate," is Eska's clinical reply. Korra just nods.
"It's pretty nice," Korra admits with a shrug.
Korra is immensely grateful for the plum wine she is offered, and she leans back with a slow breath filling her lungs. She can feel the coolness of her air brushing through her and she decides to keep the most level head she possibly can in this scenario.
"How did you two even run into each other again?" Korra asks, glancing between Bolin and Eska with a stunned expression.
"I was in Republic City on business," Eska says coolly and Korra could almost swear her cousin's cheeks flush slightly with the memory of running into Bolin, but that might just be Korra's imagination.
Bolin finishes, "And we ran into each other and next thing you know, we're dating again!"
"And now we will at last live our life of icy bliss," Eska says and Korra transforms her polite laugh into a polite cough. Maybe that wasn't a joke... hmm.
Korra rubs her nose as Bolin and Mako direct conversation, although she knows she will have to jump in at some point.
"So, so, the first time Bolin saw you, he says, who are those lovely ladies," Korra says with a dead on impression of Bolin that makes Mako laugh. "I, of course, informed him that Desna was a guy. His face was priceless."
Desna's face, however, does not move. Eska makes a sound that Korra thinks is laughing, and Bolin chortles awkwardly in time with her. Korra and Mako exchange a glance with cocked eyebrows. There is no way this is for real, is the look that they share.
"Bolin, you can't eat that," Eska says as Bolin reaches for some of Korra's komodo-chicken wings. "My feeble turtleduck also has a very feeble stomach."
Korra snickers as Bolin awkwardly blushes.
[X]
"Onto the turtleduck, my feeble turtleduck," Korra says dramatically, bowing gracefully and taking Asami's hand.
"Yes, my feeble turtleduck," Asami replies with gusto and equal drama, as Korra steps onto the paddleboat after her.
"He's never going to live that down," Korra remarks with a small laugh. Poor Bolin.
"You know, I think it's a great nickname," Asami admits, shrugging. She leans back and a small smile flickers across her face. "
She turns and Korra realizes Asami has just noticed her staring, and Korra looks away as fast as she possibly can.
"I'm not feeble," Korra grumbles to herself as she settles into the turtleduck.
"Oh, we'll see..." Asami says with a growing smirk.
Korra narrows her eyes. "We're going to die in a boat crash now, aren't we?"
"I am a street racer, Korra. I can handle a paddleboat. Now start waterbending and prove you're not my feeble turtleduck."
"I am your... badass tiger-monkey. Or something," Korra says, sitting up on her knees and taking a grip on the amber water.
"There we go," Asami says, her emerald eyes sparkling.
[X]
The conversation continues, reaching new levels of awkward. Now, Korra has never been socially adept... ever. Being raised in isolation tends to do that. But she does not think she has ever been so uncomfortable in a social situation in her entire life.
Mako looks even worse for wear. Bolin is his brother after all, Korra supposes. Pabu looks equally concerned, somehow, as Korra scratches his chin and murmurs that it will all be over soon as she slips him bits of fish.
And then, as if things could not get any more awkward, Korra nearly chokes on her cucumber drink when someone else walks inside. She can tell who it is because it feels like the entire rotation of the world just shifted.
"Hi, Korra." Asami somehow manages to speak and Korra suddenly thinks she is the only one not over their relationship. It has been nearly two years. Asami probably did move on.
"Hey, uh, it's been so long." Korra jerks upwards awkwardly to her feet, nearly trips over Desna, who does not move his body or face, and pulls Asami into her arms. She still smells like the same sharp, powerful perfume. The perfume Korra would secretly spray on her clothes when she slept over at Asami's house so she could smell them all day, but she never let Asami find out because it was kind of creepy and embarrassing.
During the tight embrace, Korra wonders if she lingers to long, but Asami's fingers dig into her back for a moment, making sure she will not slip away. They pull apart and Korra tries to fight the flush on her cheeks. No, no, no broken up, they are broken up.
"How was the Fire Nation?" Asami asks warmly, and the social situation is suddenly far less uneasy, despite a broken up couple suddenly being thrust into each other's faces, sitting down beside Bolin. Korra awkwardly returns to her seat and is slightly relieved so see Asami looking mildly panicked.
"Very Fire Nation." Korra rubs her neck and internally curses at herself. "Hot, expensive. And I mean expensive. I saw some of the price tags and just pretended I forgot somewhere I really had to be."
Asami laughs, and the night plays on.
Korra thinks she might be falling in love again.
And Mako hopes that is how it will turn out. There is a reason he invited them both out to dinner. Because they miss each other, and even a blind man could see that. Even someone as blind to their love as Mako was for so long.
The flush of Korra's cheeks, the curve of Asami's lip at Korra's terrible jokes.
Mako thinks this was very wise of him to set up.
"I brought you all gifts," Asami says, rummaging in her designer purse. She withdraws the paper animals and Desna makes half of an expression of distaste. Eska regards hers with hesitance before nodding once in approval and tucking it into Bolin's pocket as he grins like a kid in a candy store over the ornate Pabu.
Korra does not expect to get a gift. And Asami knits her brow when she realizes that she does not have one.
"I'll make you one," Asami says and Korra is speechless. No one ever taught her what to do in this sticky social situation. Asami picks up the paper menu and cuts it neatly with the dinner knife, and then begins to fold with her nimble fingers.
Asami does not have an animal in mind as she creates it. Just a blank page.
And then it becomes a turtleduck. Asami feels her gut clench as she hands it to Korra, trying not to be reminded of that perfect day amongst the amber water, the lights of the city and the warmth of each other's arms.
"It's beautiful," Korra says, realizing she is still wearing the Naga paper animal around her neck, and as Asami draws herself into conversation with Mako, Korra slides the turtleduck onto the same chain.
This is difficult, she has to admit.
Much more difficult than resolving peace issues in the Fire Nation.
[X]
"Okay, Mako, what was that?" Asami asks fiercely, crossing her arms over her chest. "You could've warned me and Korra that you were inviting us both."
"It's not like you're bitter teenagers who had a bad break-up. You two were really good friends way before you were more than that, and I thought it would be fine for you to have dinner with each other," Mako tries to explain, Asami's bright green eyes still stony and frustrated.
"I love Korra and I was really happy to see her. We had fun. But don't pretend you weren't trying to set something up. I don't like being lied to and tricked, especially by my friend," Asami says and Mako feels his heart pounding.
He hesitates, wondering what the right words to say are. "Korra is still really in love with you." Pause. "And, if I'm reading things right, I think you're still really in love with her. Maybe you guys should give each other a chance again. If Bolin and Eska can give each other a second chance, I mean..."
Asami is silent. She does not want to say aloud how much she agrees with him. It would, somehow, be admitting defeat, and Asami has never liked being defeated.
Her only excuse for not trying again with Korra is that it would be too complicated and too messy for her overburdened life. It is not practical, nor wise, and Asami just wants to do what is best. But it is kind of hard to tell if she should trust her heart or her head at this point.
She looks at Korra playing with Pabu on the side of the street, gathering a crowd of people watching. Korra is showing off his tricks, as Pabu gleefully shows off like a koala otter. It brings a small smile to Asami's rouge lips and Mako cocks an eyebrow.
"Hmph. Alright, Mako... maybe you're right," Asami sighs, peeling her eyes from Korra. "I'll see what happens."
Mako grins, quite pleased with his work.
Asami looks over at Korra again, and the memories feel warm instead of painful for the first time.
Maybe a second chance would not be terrible, if she can navigate it properly.
She tries not to smile as she gazes at Korra, but her lips do not obey her brain.