A/N: Another short but sincere chapter! So I know some key characters might be a little OOC, but I still hope you're enjoying the story as is. Let me know how you're liking it thus far, or maybe some tips on plot or writing style.

Chapter 4: Checking Out

Since that day at the park I haven't gone back to the snow cone shop or the pet boutique even though Opal keeps asking if I've gone back, or how Asami is… like she's some old acquaintance of ours. Maybe she thinks setting me up with Asami will make up for introducing me to Kuvira; I scowl at the thought. I wasn't in the right frame of mind to be anything to anyone; as it was I could barely take care of Naga and myself.

I scroll through my tumblr again and am amazed at some of the fanart on here; some people were beyond gifted. I look back at my old drafting table… it's covered in junk mail and ads. When she was around, there wasn't really any time for me to invest in the hobbies I held dear… she always saw my art as a waste of time unless of course it was directed at her, then it was sweet. Before I can drown in my thoughts, I look away and return to my tumblr and am face to face with the pale, green eyes I've been avoiding. Again one of the people I'm following has reblogged one of her posts… apparently there's some sort of sale at the pet boutique. She's smiling with a bunch of dogs all around her, and I can't help but smile back. She looks so happy that it's infectious. Naga comes up to me and licks my hand with her tail wagging; even she's picking up on the good vibes.

"You do deserve a new toy and some treats," I think aloud; daring to put myself in the light. "Do you wanna go for a run?"

Naga barks excitedly and runs off only to return with her leash. I chuckled and gladly connect it to her collar. With an eagerness that almost felt foreign, I change into my athletic wear and slip on some running shoes. It's been awhile since I've ran full of excitement rather than anger or numbness. The boutique is about 4 miles away, but I'm more than up for it.

With Naga in tow, we begin our steady pace and I take a deep breath in as a breeze rolls by. Usually I'd bring my headphones along and listen to angsty music, but right now I'm more than content with the natural sounds of the atmosphere. It's serene how the leaves rustle ever so often, birds call out to each other and ever so often there's some other person creating a unique sound to add to the collaboration.

I look ahead and find that we're only about a half a mile away from our destination; when I look back down at my watch, I smirk. This is a new record for me and Naga. There's a thin layer of sweat forming on my skin, but I'm not too worried about it. Besides, I was here for Naga… seeing Asami was just part of the deal. When we finally make it to the boutique, my throat feels dry and I bet Naga is also in need of refreshment, so I stop by the snow cone stand. I order two ice waters and the man happily provides me with a disposable bowl for my dog.

I sit under the umbrella-covered picnic table and enjoy the cool water sliding down my throat. Water was the best thing ever after a steady run. I close my eyes for a second and think about what I'd say to Asami if she brought up me not visiting sooner. I could just tell her I was busy… but Opal had mentioned last time that I was off for two weeks.

"Hey!"

I nearly spit out the water I had been slowly drinking as I feel hands on my shoulders.

"Sorry, didn't mean to scare you," she says as I swallow the water and have a coughing fit.

"I'm…" I take a deep breath and regain control, "fine."

"I was just really excited to see you again," she smiles and I can feel that warm feeling spreading to my cheeks again.

"I saw there was a sale today, and Naga definitely deserves some treats and toys." I completely dismiss her strange comment whilst looking at their sale banner, and part of me regrets not asking why.

"Perfect timing then," she takes me by the hand and again I feel a strange rush.

I follow her into the store and am immediately surrounded by more people than I want to be surrounded by. A couple of dogs are walking freely by their owners, but they all stop and make way for Naga who could easily stomp on them. Our hands are still connected and I can't help but feel like everyone notices that.

She's recommending a few of the products and it's happening again. I'm having a hard time understanding her because I'm so focused on the fact that her hand still has mine in custody. I nod every now and then, guessing when it's a proper response.

"I'll take these," I manage to say as I pull my hand from hers and pick a few of the things she had pulled out from the shelves.

"Great, follow me and I'll check you out."

"What?" I can't help but blabber that out as I nearly trip over one of my shoes. Then I realize that she's talking about me paying for the stuff.

"Is your brain heating up again?" I can hear the teasing in her voice so I smile and hope to the Spirits that I'm not blushing.

"Something like that," I confess but say no more.

"Also," she stands in front of me with a playful smile, "do you mind if I take a pic of you and Naga? For the store of course."

I look back at Naga who nudges me forward; seems like she's completely up for her photo shoot. I nod and before I can think of a decent pose, she's already taken the picture.

"Perfect!" She glances at her phone and then tucks it away in her pocket. "You'd both be the perfect models for our store."

I look away from her and scratch the back of my head; how is she so comfortable saying embarrassing things like that? I follow her to the front and try my best at returning to a normal temperature. As I'm waiting for her to ring up the total, I can't help but feel like she's glancing at me every now and then. I try and not catch her eyes… but it happens and we both just smile and then look away. As Asami hands me the bag full of dog goodies, I momentarily think of Kuvira. She would get so pissed at me supposedly flirting with other women; half the time she actually convinced me I was flirting rather than being friendly.

"You ok?" Asami asks and I quickly snap out of my memories.

"Oh yeah, sorry," I apologize even though I know there's nothing to apologize for; it's another habit induced by my time spent with Kuvira.

"No worries, you just looked a little….sad." Asami's expression take me off guard for a moment; she looks genuinely concerned.

"I'm fine," I glance at the receipt and notice it's not as much as I thought it would be, "hey did you ring these up right…. it says here that-" my face turns red as I take in the full contents of the receipt. She gave me her employee discount… as well as her phone number.

"You can call the store if you have any questions about our products… or anything else." She winks at me and prepares to help the next customer before I can reply.

I head out with Naga in tow and haven't stopped looking at the receipt in my hands. There was a time when getting a pretty girl's phone number would have made my day, but looking at it now only stressed me out. She seemed nice… but how long would it take for her to get tired of me like Kuvira did? I start to crumple the receipt as we near a trash can.

Before I can throw it away, Naga whines and touches the paper bag with her nose.

"You want a treat before we run back?" I ask and she replies by wagging her massive tail side to side. I pull out one of Asami's recommendations and give it to my eager dog.

Instead of throwing the receipt in the trash, I put it in the paper bag. It'd probably end up in the trash can at home, but it wouldn't hurt to carry it around for a while longer. I sigh as my logic continues to make no sense, but smile at how happy Naga looks as she finishes up her snack. On the way back home, I'm struggling to keep my focus; my thoughts are turned towards Asami. I feel guilty, for some reason, and it makes me sick. I still feel like I belong to Kuvira even after the fact that she basically threw me away.

I get home, hop in the shower and wish that I could just wash away all of my problems. As the water massages the tension in my back, I throw my head back and let my hair soak. Water always helped ease the ache out of my muscles-heart included. I look down at my body and run my hands along my torso. Firm abs, chiseled muscles, and a full chest… I kept in shape because I loved the feeling and my job required it. Making detective in Republic city was one of my greatest accomplishments, and something I loved doing. I wince in disgust as another wave of self pity rushes towards me. It wasn't enough to keep her with me. Neither my job or my body were lacking, but I never seemed like enough.

Back on my bed with my hair in a towel, I glance at my phone. Opal hasn't called today which I'm partly relieved at. I click on the tumblr app and come across a familiar image. It's me and Naga at the pet boutique; I look shy and awkward, but Naga looks confident and majestic. I read the comment below and feel a smile tugging at my lips.

The perks of working at a pet boutique = meeting the cutest dogs and their even cuter owners.