Interlude of Love

A/N: Takes place immediately after the end of Turf Wars Part 1 and (theoretically) before the beginning of Turf Wars Part 2. While this chapter is quite PG, there will be future chapters that are not so!

Chapter 1

Korra helped Asami limp to the top of the spirit vine crater surrounding the portal. Oogi had carried the injured airbenders back to Air Temple Island while Mako and Bolin had headed back to the police headquarters to work on the evolving case. Luckily, Asami stored a few extra Satomobiles in a nearby garage to use whenever the need arose, so they made their way the few blocks over.

The Avatar's adrenaline was still pumping from the battle but mostly she was anxious to see what real condition Asami was in. The waterbending gang member had gotten a good hit on the heiress knocking her out cold for a minute, and there were some visible scratches on her chin. Asami had gotten back up with assistance from Korra but she could tell that her girlfriend was not quite okay.

"Let's get you back to the mansion, I can do a healing session! I'm nowhere near Katara's level of expertise but I think I can at least get rid of the bulk of the pain," Korra offered cheerfully, an extra bounce in her step from thinking about taking care of the beautiful woman beside her. She had insisted on being Asami's crutch for the rest of the walk, the CEO easily draping an arm over her girlfriend's toned shoulders.

"Sounds good to me!" Asami replied, attempting to mirror Korra's cheerfulness while gritting her teeth.

Korra ducked her head down as Asami slid her arm off of her shoulders, reaching out to grab onto the side of her Satomobile. "Are you sure you're okay to drive? I could always – "

"Nope, I'm fine!" Asami blurted out quickly, wincing as she felt waves of pain shooting up her side. She slid into the driver's seat while doing her best to ignore the discomfort. Korra grimaced, noticing her girlfriend's facial expression. Pangs of guilt ran through Korra's heart, she should have protected Asami better, she let her get hurt by a couple of thugs, how could she have let that happen?

Letting out a controlled blast of air Korra quickly jumped into the passenger seat, a wary eye focused on the beautiful heiress clearly in pain beside her. Asami went to grip the steering wheel and a shudder ran through her injured side causing her to snap her arm back, alarming Korra. She gently wrapped her fingers around Asami's hand that was curled up against her chest. "Hey, I can drive us back, I know it was a little rough last time but I'm sure I could manage!"

Asami cringed at the memory of Korra attempting to learn to drive before, and the bruise she had received from her seatbelt digging in due to all the sudden acceleration and abrupt stops. More pain was not what she needed right now and the mere thought of the jerking movements gave her an instant headache.

"Spirits, no! I think I've suffered enough today." Asami exclaimed offhandedly. Korra whipped back as if she had been burnt. Asami's eyes widened as she realized how mean her words had come across. "Sorry babe – I meant, I think with just a little more practice you could be a pretty decent driver one day."

Korra grumbled and crossed her arms indignantly as she slouched down in the passenger seat. She had to acknowledge the brief twinge of joy that flared in her chest from hearing Asami call her 'babe', but she was more focused on what was said before that.

"Thanks. Can we just go?" Korra snapped back, she clicked her seatbelt in place with extra emphasis and was flexing her hands into loose fists - diffusing her irritation through more quiet means than a stereotypical firebending blast. Asami's face fell, the last time her and Korra had an argument was the minor misunderstanding in the main refugee tent earlier that week. In the moments following their terse exchange she had channeled her anger into her work as she drew up housing development plans for the city. That time she had a welcome distraction until they had seen each other again, and had resolved the dispute quickly with gentle words. The heiress worried how long this one would take as she had wounded Korra's pride, always a sore spot for her. Korra shifted her weight in the seat, curling her left shoulder to turn further away from Asami in the driver's seat. Asami slowly reached out again for the steering wheel, tenderly moving levers as she drove the vehicle out of the garage and onto the road.

The CEO could feel the distance expand dramatically between her and Korra in the silence, only the hum of the motor and occasional background noise filled the void as she maneuvered through the streets of Republic City. This amazing person who, despite all of her abilities, was still prone to insecurity and self-doubt. She glanced over at her girlfriend's pursed lips. Korra was leaning her head against her fist, elbow propped up on the doorframe, pointedly looking at the buildings and people zooming by instead of acknowledging her girlfriend's presence.

Asami sighed inwardly. She should have known better than to comment so harshly on Korra's skill level, even if it was the truth. Having just been in a fight where they weren't able to catch all the bad guys, dealing with spirits who would not listen, and her getting hurt, of course Korra was sensitive to her critique. After everything she had been through as the Avatar, all the obstacles and hardships, Korra had earned her title and the world's trust time and time again but… seemed to be unable to trust in herself. Asami felt sudden shame at how she had snapped at her partner, how could she not have considered Korra's feelings?

She debated reaching out to lay her hand on Korra's leg or shoulder, a soft touch that could hopefully soothe the unintended hurt. She may not have any abilities with spirit energy but she could feel Korra's anger radiating off of like an aura. She needed to rectify her mistake, and soon. Their relationship was so new, fragile like glass.

An idea sparked in her mind. She would remind Korra how capable she was, and maybe even teach her some new skills. Asami grinned to herself as she floored the gas, zipping through traffic to reach the Sato mansion as quick as possible.

A/N: Thank you for giving this story a chance, please leave any feedback that you can as I work to shake the rust off my writing skills!