Unrequited Love
Republic City held a ball in the Avatar's honor. Korra was dressed in an elegant blue Water Tribe gown, her thick brown hair piled into a bun, little pieces hanging down and hovering around her shoulders. Mako never let her stop moving; she danced and ate food and greeted important, rich families and signed autographs and took pictures and danced more and ate more. It was a never-ending cycle. Korra didn't have any time to remember that she had lost her bending abilities; at times Asami forgot as well.
She watched everyone silently from her seat beside Chief Beifong, who was too distracted to notice her as General Bumi leaned towards Lin, laughing about their childhood. No matter how hard she tried, Asami either found herself eavesdropping and jealous of such pleasant memories, or looking at Mako, his hand always on the small of Korra's back, a bitterness biting her tongue.
Before tears threatened to fall from the corners of her eyes, Asami quickly averted her gaze. She was twiddling her thumbs together mindlessly, trying to empty her mind, when black boots took up the background behind her that it was Mako, yet feeling extremely foolish for expecting him to be here with her, instead of there with Korra, Asami looked up slowly. Tucked into the black boots were black pants, and over the pants a new, red United Forces military tunic. Only one man besides he talking to Chief Beifong wore that jacket; one man with golden eyes. A blush rose to Asami's cheeks and butterflies flew in circles in her stomach as if drunk off cactus juice.
General Iroh's arm was outstretched, beckoning to her. "May I have this dance?" he asked politely. The corner of his mouth lifted in a grin as Asami tentatively took his hand, her slender fingers tiny inside his palm. The music slowed as Iroh closed his hand around hers and placed the other on Asami's hip. She hesitantly rested her hand on his shoulder, and let him guide her across the dance floor...
The air was chilly, the stars barely able to be seen behind the clouds. Only the moon peeked through, its soft light illuminating the courtyard right outside the ball. Asami crossed her arms, pulling a thin shawl tighter around herself in an attempt to keep warm. She tried not to shiver, but with her silk dress it was difficult not to.
General Iroh's hands brushed down her arms, and then the United Forces jacket was draped around her. At his touch, Asami felt her heart skip a beat, and she looked away, blushing uncontrollably. "Thank you," she said feebly, "but aren't you cold?"
He shrugged, shoving his hands in his pockets. He walked forward and sat on a bench beneath a cherry blossom tree. The rays of the moon only faintly streamed through its leaves, little drops of silver causing his hair to sparkle as if he were covered in star dust. "I figure it's colder in the North Pole."
"Thinking like that keeps you warm?"
"Yes."
Asami smiled, shaking her head delicately with laughter. She sat beside him, close enough to feel his warmth and far enough away that they didn't touch. "How long have you been a general?"
Iroh leaned forward, his elbows on his knees. He frowned, trying to remember. "I'm not sure. I've been involved in the United Forces my whole life, even when I was a child. I followed my grandfather everywhere; whenever he had a break between meetings, he told me stories about his life. He traveled the world - he hunted the Avatar." At this, he laughed. "Burned towns, fought pirates, cut off his top knot." Then his eyebrows creased together and he pursed his lips; Asami tried to keep from giggling at the cuteness of it. "There was also a girl he tended to mention a lot. A waterbender; he seemed to care for her, but he never answered any questions I had about her. Especially not when my grandmother was around."
She raised an eyebrow, smirking. "The Fire Lord Zuko, and a mysterious Water Tribe strumpet?" The amusement couldn't be hidden from her voice.
General Iroh picked up on it easily, chuckling to himself. "Actually, not a strumpet. I have my suspicions as to who the mysterious waterbender was."
Asami pulled her feet up onto the bench, tucking it beneath her dress. She leaned towards Iroh, her long hair swaying. Realizing how much closer she was now to him, how if she turned just the slightly bit, her chin would rest on his shoulder, she bit her lip and leaned back again. "Who?"
A devious smile spread across Iroh's face, and he looked around them, playfully checking that no passersby were within earshot. Then he scooted closer to Asami and cupped his hand around his mouth. His lips brushed against her ear as he whispered, "Master Katara, the Chieftess of the Northern Water Tribe."
Despite her surprise at his words and the blood rushing through her ears, an irritating result from her growing crush on the general, Asami didn't move as Iroh pulled away. To her astonishment and, to be honest, her excitement, he didn't sit back completely. Their legs touched and one of Iroh's arm was resting on the back of the bench. His fingertips grazed so lightly on her shoulder that she wasn't sure whether she was imagining it or not. Asami swallowed, trying to act normal, calm. "Korra's waterbending teacher?" she asked, incredulous. Iroh shrugged, but his eyes implied that, yes, he truly believed that Korra's waterbending teacher and his grandfather had an affair. "But she was Avatar Aang's wife!"
Once again, he shrugged. "Maybe they saw each other before either of them got married."
"Or maybe they secretly loved each other but never told one another."
"Perhaps they did know, and everyone else knew, too. Skinny love."
"That sounds like a doomed romance."
He smiled down at her. "I remember Master Katara. My grandparents had plenty of reunions with her family. She did act somewhat differently whenever my grandfather was around..."
Asami nodded. "Skinny loves are doomed romances," she confirmed.
General Iroh paused, frowning. "To love someone and not know if your love is returned, to be unable to ever find out, while you were tied to someone else..." He sighed. "What a curse."
She tilted her head to the side. Asami's voice was calm, level, and didn't give away the fact that her heart had jumped in her chest, as she said, "So don't be like your grandfather. When you find the girl you love, tell her."
Iroh nodded almost absent-mindedly, a small, side grin forming on his face. He took her hand in his and squeezed. His fingers lingered, intertwined between hers, before he almost hastily let go. He stood and offered Asami his arm. "Let's go back inside. The band is playing my favorite song."
As they walked back inside, Asami's arm in Iroh's, her mind whirled and her heart fluttered, beating wildly with a longing she didn't feel when she was with Mako.