Chap7
Both Mako and Bolin where now staring at Azula.
"What!?" she said annoyed looking between the two of them.
Both of them looked to anything they could with Mako scratching the back of his neck
"Nothing" he began "Just ah.., did not see that coming."
"Neither. Did. I." Azula responded turning to leave.
Making her way through the crowded street leading to the arena Azula could see Korra ahead of her heading for the ferry. She found herself half hoping that she would hold the boat for her and half not. Part of her mind told her that should have seen this coming and another that there was no "this" to have seen.
'I just got caught up in dam relationship trouble nothing to even think about.' Azula thought dismissively.
As she got closer to the ferry landing she could see that the boat was running but had not left. Pushing through the crowded streets she made her way onto the boat and felt it start to move as soon as she was on. The boat had a large flat deck and across it standing near the bow Azula saw Korra.
"Hello there." Azula said standing right behind Korra making her jump a little.
"Hey, I made sure the boat waited for you." Korra said not looking at her.
"Why thank you I did want to sleep in my own bed tonight." Azula said looking across the water, the light from the city illuminating the islands in the bay.
Korra did not seem to notice what she said as she starred at the waves passing below her.
"You should have stayed at the arena." Azula said trying to break the silence.
Korra looked up to Azula "What do you mean?"
Azula could see confusion in her eyes and she could tell that it was about something bigger then what she had said.
"Well the reaction to your…move, from the boys was highly amusing." Azula said smugly, "I think Bolin's bottom Jaw almost hit the floor."
"Oh" Korra said looking back down. "*chuckle Yeah I can imagine."
"Anything you wana say about that whole thing?" Azula asked.
"No." Korra answered sternly.
The rest of the short ride passed in silence for the two of them. Korra seeming to be lost in her thoughts and Azula not saying anything that may upset the girl. She had learned that sometimes people should be left to their thoughts.
After arriving back on the island Korra made a quick getaway and Azula did not see her for the rest of the evening except for a few glances.
Later that night Azula was woken in her room by a familiar sound of someone trying to open her door quietly. Her small room giving little space for the sound to escape.
'I wonder who this could be.' Azula thought to herself as she set up from her bed still in her grey ship workers shirt. Creating a small blue flame in her hand she saw Korra sitting on the floor leaning on her bed.
"I had a feeling you would be awake." Korra said with a smirk.
"I wasn't." Azula said sternly.
"Another skill you picked up while running around?" Korra asked looking up to her.
"What do you want Korra?" Azula asked staring her in the eye
Korra broke away quickly and looked back down towards her feet.
"The last time I was here you helped me out and you just told me what to do without any fancy speeches or stories like everyone else seems to. It was nice to get a straight answer, and I was hoping to get more." Korra quickly said in one breath.
Azula noticed the uneasiness that Korra seemed to be getting as she let the fire in her hand go out leaving the room to be lit by the light of the city and moon form outside.
'She thought of what to say beforehand.' Azula thought to herself.
'She's planning something.'
"I didn't think you listened to my advice so seriously." Azula said skeptically.
Korra stood up abruptly and looked back at her. "Of course listen to you! Your and strong and skilled, why wouldn't I!"
Azula looked at the vigor that Korra held while she was talking. Her gut twisted in knots as soon as she stopped talking. Not liking the feeling of unease she fell back into instinct in an attempt to make the cause of this trouble to go away.
"I thought we talked about going into situation without all the information. You are as big of damn fool as I thought if you trust me so much without knowing me." Azula said angrily looking at Korra. But, she was overcome with a sense of regret for her harsh tone and had to look away from the hurt in Korra's eyes.
Korra walked over and sat on the bed right next to Azula, without looking at her she began to speak. "As usual it seems, your properly right." She began turning to look at Azula.
"But you now, I never really felt like I did not know you. Even that night at the statue when you were holding me in your arms, I felt like I just knew you."
Azula's mind immediately went racing about all the possibilities that could come from Korra saying that she 'knew her'. Turning away from Korra she got lost in her thoughts.
'Could she have some knowledge of her past life?'
'Does she KNOW me?'
'If she did wouldn't she say something about?'
'Does she care about me regardless?
'Does she care about me?'
Azula suddenly realized where train of thought was taking her and tried to regain control, but she could still feel the mix of excitement and confusion in her gut. Trying to regain control Azula said the first thing that came to mind.
"What did you want to ask me anyway?" She said quickly.
Korra let out a deep sigh. "Who are you?" Korra asked eyeing her closely.
Azula let out a chuckle "My name is Azu remember?" she said still not looking at Korra.
"Dam it Azu you know that's not what I mean!" Korra said loudly punching Azula's shoulder and forcing to her to look up. Azula tried to keep a look of annoyance on her face but could feel the distraught and confusion seeping in.
"What do you mean Korra?" Azula getting a little more strength back in her voice.
Korra took a deep breath. "What I mean is –and don't start walking away again ok, I just…I just need to know. Azu are you a criminal?"
Azula tensed up as her mind became clear and focused on survival just as it always had. And just as always she had to be very careful about she said.
"What would make you ask that?" She said in an innocent tone.
Korra looked at her with a look of mused disbelief.
"Really? Really now. come on even I can tell that voice was fake. And besides I told you we would talk about this later."
A scowl now adorned Azula's face as she looked back at the Avatar. She prepared herself for anything the Avatar would do.
Korra turned and looked down, a look of sadness on her face.
'What…' Azula thought taken aback by the way that Korra was reacting. She was prepared for a sternness or rejecting even anger, not….disappointment.
"So I'll take that as a yes then." Korra said with saddened disappointment. She stood up slowly to leave. "It must have been something bad, if you had to run all around the world."
It the small time it took for Korra to cross the small room to get the door Azula's mind was racing. Part of her knew that her one possible chance of living a life not on the run and making something out of it was walking out the door. And another part did not like the idea of Korra walking out the door.
Taking note of this…feeling of not wanting to make Korra the person upset rather than the Avatar. Azula found that ignoring this feeling had been getting harder and harder the longer she spent time with the girl.
Azula was roused from her thoughts by the sound of her door opening and she quickly jumped out of her bed.
"Korra wait!" She exclaimed as she grabbed her arm.
Korra turned to look at her a look of uneasiness and skepticism on her face. Azula could also feel the muscles in her arm tighten up and feeling such she let go.
Korra continued to look at Azula as she lowered her hand from her arm, a look of losing patience in her eye that Azula could see clearly.
"Look ok yes I do have a…questionable background." Azula started with a little desperation.
"But I have paid for what they said I did, and I came here hoping for a new start. You where nice enough to give me a bed and somewhere to start, now will you believe me when I say that I am not a criminal."
Azula watched the tension leave Korra slowly, but she had a feeling she had gotten trough.
"Fine, yes I believe you." Korra said quickly. Azula sighed with relief, but noticed that there still seemed to be something else Korra wanted to ask.
"Now that we got that all squared away-" Azula started but was interrupted.
"No it's not 'all squared away' I still want know more about you. It's good that you're not a criminal but I still want to know more about your past." Korra said sternly.
"Why does it matter to you so much?" Azula asked.
Korra looked away then eyes darting around the room and mouth opening and closing as if to speak.
"Well." Azula said staring her down.
Korra looked back at her. "I just wanted to know if there was a ah um hardened criminal in my home."
Azula could tell that Korra was not telling truth but she ignored and saved the information for later.
"Seems like a good enough reason for me." Azula said turning from Korra and walking back to her bed. "Now unless you have any further inquiries I would like to sleep."
Korra looked lost in thought for a moment before turning towards Azula , an odd look in her eye.
"I was curious about something else." Korra said closing the door again and walking over to Azula's bed and sitting down. For a moment she just sat there eye turned away from Azula.
"Yes." Azula said sarcastically her hand gesturing for Korra to keep going.
Korra kept her eyes away as she started to talk. "You remember back at the area after the match with Mako and Bolin and that um event."
Azula's face immediately went on the defensive as she answered
"It was only a few hours ago and I was there for it, so yes I remember what of it?"
"I didn't really plan the whole thing just so you know it just kinda…happened after I heard what Mako said…" Korra stammered out.
"Get to the point." Azula said with a mixture of worry and annoyance.
Korra slightly Flinched at the tone, but turned to look right in Azula's eye's.
Taking a deep breath.
"Why did you start kissing me back?"
'Ah crap.' went through Azula's mind as she quickly broke away for Korra's gaze.
"I don't know what you are talking about." She said flatly.
Korra chuckled a little, a smirk on her face. "Come on now I was there too, I felt it you where starting to kiss me back."
"Yeah and if I remember correctly you hightailed it out of there soon after." Azula said trying to regain control of the situation.
Korra looked like she was blushing from what Azula could tell from the dim light.
"Well it was only like my second time kissing someone and the first time, as you saw did not go so well, and- wait… so you admit it." Korra said with a smirk.
Azula could feel the warmth of her own cheeks as she realized what she had said. She felt that part of her that had now gotten impossible to beat back down coming up again and she found herself….happy that Korra did not seem repulsed by another girl kissing her. 'Certainly a different time.'
"What of it Korra." Said quietly a little defeated.
"It's just… I duno odd, I never thought about kissing a girl before, and it seems that you liked it." Korra said looking at Azula. After a moment of thought Azula relented and gave a slight nod.
"And I just found it odd that I… liked it to." Korra said in a quite tone looking down.
A wave of odd relief hit Azula. She questioned it immediately. She figured it was because that for the first time a girl she liked actually liked her back.
'But do I really… like her.' Azula thought deeply to herself. She decided that before she got her own hopes up of the something that could turn out better than her last experience, so she stated to test the waters.
"Well I would imagine you would, given my grace and beauty." Azula said smugly.
Korra scoffed "A little full off yourself also apparently." Korra said in a mocking tone. Turning back to avoid Azula's gaze she started again in her quite tone.
"Look I am just a little confused right now ok I have never had these feelings for anyone before and I know your smart and beautiful and I just want to know more about you because I wanna be sure-"
"That what you are feeling is real and not a passing curiosity or fancy." Azula Interjected.
Korra looked up to her then a annoyed look on her face.
"Do you know everything?" She asked
Azula Smirked "Almost I'm worken on it."
Korra chuckled. "I do like how confident you are. Seeing as you seem to know ALMOST everything what do you suggest I do about how I feel?"
Azula smirked an idea coming into her head that se could tell had come from that feeling.
"I think…" she said moving right next to Korra.
"That…" she said moving her face close to Korra's face. She could see the apprehension in the Avatar
"There is…" She said putting her hands on either side of Korra's face feeling the strong muscles under her smooth skin.
"Only one way…." She said moving her lips so close to Korra that she could feel the warmth of her breath.
Korra closed the distance, cutting off Azula. Azula pushed back from Korra's initial force and felt that Korra's lips where just as she remembered them. After a moment Azula could tell that Korra was not going anywhere and she felt what must have been Korra's tongue force its way into her mouth. Not to be out done Azula deployed her own. For moment there was a dual with both sides seeming to enjoy the challenge the other presented.
After a time that seemed to pass more slowly for the two of them they broke apart their foreheads still leaning against one another. Both where breathing heavily in the small lightly lit room. Azula recovered first.
"So does that calm your feelings?"
Korra gave her a big smile. "I think it clears some stuff up."
"Good." Azula said leaning back her hand being held by Korra. "Because I believe that you need some sleep before tomorrow's match and I from your constant questions."
A look of disappointment came over Korra's face and she lowered her head and let go of Azula' hand.
Azula leaned forward and lifted Korra's chin in her hand.
"Hey. I will still be here tomorrow."
The sad look left Korra's face she leaned forward to give her a light peck on the lips. "You better." She said turning to leave.
As she came to the door and slowly opened it she turned back. "You know for the record we could probably both fit in my bed." She said in a suggestive tone.
"Good. Night. Korra." Azula said sternly
Korra chuckled "Good night Azula." Korra said sleepily and she left closing the door quietly behind her.
Azula laid her head back on the bed, a sense of contentment and abolishment running over her. Knowing that she would certainly enjoy this new time indeed.
As she laid there she closed her eye's and began to slow her breathing the last thing Korra had said comeing back into her head.
'Good night Azula.'
Her eye's shot open with the realization of what Korra had said.
"Oh Shit."