Cyrano: To Asami, With Love
Summary: -Loosely based off of Cyrano de Bergerac and the novel Seaside Letters by Denise Hunter- Modern/AU College setting - No bending.
The last thing Korra had ever expected to happen in her life is to fall in love with her best friend, Asami Sato – especially since she is connected to one of her biggest past regrets.
Asami has received notes from a mysterious figure; for the past two years. As her senior year of university comes to a close, she is desperate to find the person behind the messages and declare her feelings for them.
Korra knows that if she comes even close to finding out whom the person behind the messages is, it would be a disaster since the person who Asami is trying to find is herself.
Chapter 3
Korra stormed into Kuvira's dorm room, marched up to her friend, and tossed her sports bag to the ground before letting out a loud groan of frustration and collapsing onto a nearby beanbag chair. Kuvira looked up from the historical text she was reading with a raised eyebrow. She peered over at the darker girl before rolling her eyes and returning to the book.
"A little melodramatic, aren't we?" she asked.
Korra sat up and glared. "I'm not being melodramatic. This whole thing, sucks!"
"I get the feeling I won't be finishing this for a while," Kuvira muttered. She marked the page in her text before closing the book with a loud snap. She swung her legs over the side of her bed and jumped down before crossing the room and shutting the door. She then walked back over to the side of her bed, and took a seat at the desk underneath.
Kuvira had converted her bunk bed into a riser so that she was able to use the space underneath to place a desk. This cleared up more floor space in the room, which she in turn used to create a sitting area with various pillows and chairs. Korra often commented, and joked, that she didn't have enough friends to fill up the space in the single room dorm. It worked out for the both of them since Korra quickly made it 'her' area whenever she slept over or needed a venting session about 'Lettergate' – something she came up with – and Kuvira knew that with things covering her floor, its something she wouldn't have to worry about cleaning.
"Thanks for bruising my leg, by the way," Kuvira said over her shoulder as she booted up her laptop. "It wouldn't surprise me if people in my gym class begin to think Baatar did it."
"Would that really be a bad thing?" Korra asked with a half-smile. Kuvira rolled her eyes before turning around in her office chair. She crossed her arms over her chest and one leg over the other. The darker girl mimicked her pose before sticking out her tongue.
"If they think its abuse, then yeah," Kuvira answered.
"Please," Korra scoffed, "college people have some of the dirtiest minds in the world. They'll be thinking of something else." She ran a hand through her hair before turning back to face her laptop. Once she typed in her log-in and password, she picked it up and made her way over to where Korra was sitting before collapsing onto a pile of pillows. "Now, can we get back to my problem, please?"
"There wouldn't be a problem if you just told her like I suggested," Kuvira reminded her. "But go ahead."
"Why did she have to get Bolin involved?" Korra moaned. "He has such a big mouth. Maybe bigger than mine and that's saying something."
Kuvira hummed in response. She pulled a wireless mouse of her pocket, stuck the usb into the port on the side of her computer, and started to move the mouse around on her thigh, rapidly clicking. "So, you and I both know that you're behind these notes," she started.
Korra held up a finger. "If you want to be technical, I'm the brains and you're the scribe, so you're behind the notes."
"If you were the brains you wouldn't need a scribe," she snapped.
"Fair point."
Kuvira smiled in response. Korra rolled her eyes and before slipping off her shoes. She peeled her socks off and bundled them up before throwing them over towards her friend. Kuvira shielded herself with her laptop and let out a cry of disgust as they landed by her feet. She used her big toe to kick them away. It was known that Korra's feet smelled awful, when they did smell, and the darker girl would use it to her advantage whenever she wanted to mess with her friend or get her to do things for her. "She doesn't know that it's you, and has now brought in outside help," Kuvira said. She clicked her mouse one more time before turning her laptop around so that Korra could read the screen. "I created a diagram to help solve this."
Korra sat up, her blue eyes wide with excitement. She pursed her lips as Kuvira bust out laughing. "That's not a diagram, that's a picture of a skull and crossbones."
"Which stands for this whole thing blowing up in our faces if we don't fix it," she chuckled. "Maybe we can just lead her off the trail."
"Well, I don't have to meet her to study for another hour or so," Korra said while glancing at her watch. She looked up to see Kuvira staring at her with an annoyed expression. "Hey, do you know how many times I've had to stay up on my phone hours into the night listening to you complain about your breakups with Baatar just to get back together with him in the next few days?"
Kuvira deflated a bit. "They weren't breakups, just arguments," she insisted quietly. The two sat in silence, just starting at each other. "Which we wouldn't be in if he would just admit that I'm right," she added.
"All the time?" Korra raised an eyebrow.
"Yes, all the time, just like in this situation."
Korra couldn't help but chuckle at her words. Kuvira closed her laptop and moved to sit next to her friend on the giant beanbag chair. She placed her hands behind her head and stared up at the ceiling of her room. "What if you just stopped hanging out with her?" she suggested.
"She's my best friend," Korra immediately answered. "After you, of course," she said sarcastically, adding in an eye roll. Kuvira laughed before nudging the darker girl with her knee.
"What if you stop sending messages? Block her on IM?"
"Out of the blue? Then that'd be weird."
"Well, what do you propose we do Avatar157?" Kuvira demanded. "I'm the only one coming up with ideas, like usual."
"Shhhh, not so loud," Korra hissed. Kuvira shrugged before miming that she was sewing her lips shut. She turned onto her side and faced her friend. Korra continued to look up at the ceiling, her blue eyes dark with sadness. "I started writing the messages and IMs to her after her dad died. I thought it would be a good way to show that someone cared without getting too involved. To show her someone was looking out for her," she admitted with a heavy sigh. "I was too busy at the time with…" her words trailed off as she swallowed hard.
"…With your leave," Kuvira supplied.
"Right, with 'my leave'," Korra repeated, using her fingers to make air quotes, "that I didn't want her to feel like she was alone during those dark times. So I decided to just send her a messages to help."
"Weren't you going to tell her after the first few weeks?"
"Yes, I was, but then I started to see her differently and she was just so happy whenever she would get a new message that I couldn't stop." A light flush rose on the darker girl's cheeks. Korra quickly turned away and rubbed at her face, acting as if she had an itch, before returning to her original position. "The deeper we got in our conversations, the more scared I became. The more I worried about what would happen if she found out." Korra turned on her side to face Kuvira. "That's why I pay you to help me come up with things to say so I don't sound like a dork, at least during out lighter talks." She buried her face in the crook of her arm. "Now, I'm in trouble."
"You think?" Kuvira snorted. When Korra didn't respond, she muttered a quiet apology. Kuvira jumped when Korra quickly sat up. The darker girl turned to look down at her friend, a serious look set upon her face."
"Kuvira, if Baatar Jr took away the one thing that was important in your life, would you forgive him?" she asked.
Kuvira's eyebrows rose as she pondered the question. After a few moments she sat up and planted her feet on the ground. She then rested her elbows on her knees. "…I don't know," she admitted quietly.
"That's why I can't tell her I'm writing these messages," Korra explained. "I would have to tell her the truth, about everything, and she'll never want to speak to me again. I can't lose her friendship." Her blue eyes started to glisten as tears began to form at the edge of her eyelashes. "I can't have her out of my life."
"Korra, when are you coming back?" Asami asked, dabbing a tissue against her cheek. She looked into the mirror and stared at her reflection. Her green eyes had turned a dull shade, her eyes and nose had turned a light red. Her eyelids were swollen and tear trails marked her cheeks.
"I don't know, yet," Korra answered quietly. "But I'll let you know as soon as I find out. Try to hang in there." Asami heard another voice in the background of her phone call. She pressed her cellphone in between her shoulder and her ear as she used a wash cloth to wipe away the makeup from around her eyes. "I'll call you later," Korra said once she returned.
"When?" Asami's grip tightened on the phone. She exited her bathroom and entered her dorm room, slowly pacing. Her breathing started to shake a bit, as she waited for a response. "It's just good to hear from you, and I miss seeing you every day."
"I don't know when I'll be able to call again," Korra admitted quietly. "It might not be for a while. I'll continue to think about you and pray for you though."
Asami forced herself not to roll her eyes at her friend's words. She wasn't a religious our spiritual person, and didn't understand how prayer would help her situation, but she accepted the idea anyway. It meant that her friend would continue to think about her, which is something that helped her through the day. "Okay. Thank you, Korra." Asami pulled her phone from in between her ear and shoulder, and gripped it tightly. "I miss you. Get better soon."
"I miss you too, Asami," Korra answered. "Bye."
Asami slowly hung up the phone before tossing it onto her desk. She threw herself onto her bed and buried her face into her pillow, letting her tears fall freely. After a few moments of sitting in silence she heard the familiar bell chime, emitting from her computer, indicating she had a new chat message.
The engineer forced herself up off of her bed and walked over to the other side of the room where her laptop sat on the floor, charging underneath the window. She had invented a solar powered battery pack and was testing it out. It wasn't going to be released through Future Industries for another few months. She rubbed her burning eyes as she sat down in front of the laptop, moving the mouse to rid the screen of its screensaver.
"Avatar157?" she muttered. Asami had been told many times by many different people that it was dangerous to talk to people online or accept requests from people she didn't know. It was even brought up during orientation in her freshmen year at university. The school drill in the idea that everyone online, hiding behind a computer screen, wasn't something to be trusted.
Asami found this not to be true when she had first searched for an engineering group in the city. She had made some great friends though them, even though they only communicate online. Although, now, she didn't talk to them as much anymore since she became busy with school work, but it was good to know that there were some people to talk to who had similar interests. She didn't have many friends at university who understood her choice to double major in mechanical engineering and physics.
Before doing anything else, Asami quickly opened a new chat window and messaged a few of her past friends. Continuing to dab at the tears on her face, she asked the other members a few questions, just to see what they've been up to and to see how they were doing, before bringing up Avatar157. Their responses came in rapid succession, explaining that they were recently new to the group in the past few days, but seemed to be very nice and knew a lot about engineering and technology. In short, the person, who was quickly discovered to be a she, was someone great to talk to and very informative.
"It wouldn't hurt to read the message," Asami said. She took a deep breath before clicking the READ button.
SatoCEO,
This message may seem weird, and I apologize if I make you uncomfortable. Apparently, I joined this group after the recent passing of your father. I had heard so many great things about you from the other members of the group, that I was looking forward to talking to you, but I understand your position.
A person that departs from this earth never truly leaves, for they are still alive in our hearts and minds, through us, they live on. Please accept my/our condolences, he will not be forgotten.
I know we've never talked until now, with this message, but if you want to talk about anything. I'm here. I'm willing to listen.
Take care,
Avatar157
She dragged her mouse over to the accept button and clicked it without a second though. Her fingers were poised over her keyboard, ready to type out a message, but the words wouldn't come to her. She continued to stare at her blinking cursor, willing words to flow.
A second later, a new chat window message popped up on the screen. Asami clicked on it, and quickly scanned the message:
Avatar157: -2.26pm- Hi, I'm Avatar157. How are you doing today?
She bit her bottom lip as she read the message over and over again. A part of her, a huge part of her, just wanted to unleash everything she's been feeling for the past few days. And yet, she had just met the user, well figuratively. Even though she did say she would be there to listen, how much could she say before scaring her off?
Asami quickly typed out a response and hit ENTER.
SatoCEO: -2:29 pm- Hi, I'm doing fine. Just moving through, one day at a time.
Avatar157: -2:29 pm- How are you really doing?
SatoCEO: -2:30 pm- I feel like I'm empty inside….
With that message, Asami continued to type out her feelings, emotions, and frustrations, well into the night. Like promise, Avatar157 listened and offered advice, after asking for permission. Time flew by, and before she knew it, Asami found that she had spent four hours talking to Avatar157. Her stomach growled loudly, something which she had ignored for the past few days since she didn't have much of an appetite.
SatoCEO: -6:45 pm- I'm getting kind of hungry so I'm going to log off now.
Avatar157: -6:45 pm- I hope I was of some help. I'll be one tomorrow around nine at night if you'd like to talk some more. Take care
Asami got up from her seat on the floor and grabbed her dorm key and her ID before heading towards the door. She paused for the briefest of moments, her hand on the doorknob, shaking. The sound of a door closing indicated that Avatar157 had logged off of her computer. As she turned to look back at her computer screen, Asami felt her face muscles move into a position she hadn't recognized in the past few days.
She smiled.