AN: I apologize if this makes anyone uncomfortable, but there will be a few brief mentions of Korra and Asami's previous relationships with Mako. This story is about a lesbian relationship, and there will be absolutely no hetero sex, but the characters are bisexual, and I won't pretend their previous experiences never happened. Bi erasure is a thing, and it's not a thing I'm willing to do.
. . .
Chapter Nine:
When Asami opened the door, she wasn't surprised to see Mako standing outside. His usual hard expression was softened slightly by embarrassment, and there was even a hint of a blush on his cheeks. She almost felt sorry for him. Almost. Maybe if he hadn't interrupted us, I actually would.
But as frustrated as her body was at being denied a proper mating, Asami knew none of this was Mako's fault. As a beta, he had no frame of reference for what she and Korra were going through - and it was a lucky thing he didn't. Without him, they probably would have spent the next several days holed up in a small hotel room saturated with the smell of sex instead of saving the world. "Thanks, Mako," she said, deciding to rely on the part of her that appreciated his clear head instead of the part that wanted to strangle him. "I know that couldn't have been easy. And I'm sorry you had to hear..."
"I don't care about that," he said with a wave of his hand, although he wouldn't meet her eyes. "It's instinct. I get it."
Asami sighed. It's far more than instinct. At least, it is for me. She glanced over her shoulder in time to see Korra exit the bathroom, tying up her trousers. Her hands were clean, but she still smelled like sex and sweat, and the bulge at the front of her pants was only slightly less prominent than it had been for the past few days. "Updates?" she barked, aiming a harsh stare at Mako. Asami gave her a small, sympathetic smile. Poor Korra was falling back on her other alpha instincts since her attempts at rutting had been interrupted.
Mako straightened, relieved that the natural order had returned. "I caught Aiwei peeking out of his window about fifteen minutes ago, just after you left. It's in my logbook."
"So why did you interrupt us?" Korra's voice came out tight and strained, more growl than anything else.
"Look." Mako gestured toward the window. "It's sundown, and he hasn't made a move to go anywhere. Something's not right."
Korra's hands clenched into fists and her brow furrowed. Asami indulged herself for a few moments, admiring the taut muscles of Korra's arms and imagining how it would feel to be at the mercy of so much raw power. Unfortunately, the fantasy didn't last. "I'm going over there," Korra snapped, heading for the exit. "This needs to end now."
Mako's worried expression changed abruptly to one of alarm. "Korra, wait. You can't just burst into his room. You're going to ruin the element of surprise!"
"What?" Korra paused at the door, rounding on him with bared teeth. "Since when do you get off on telling me what to do?" Even though Mako was taller, she seemed to tower over him, leaning right into his face. His eyes darkened, and Asami felt a slice of desire in her belly even as she flushed with embarrassment. It was obvious that Mako could smell her scent all over Korra, and thanks to her heat, the possessive thought was actually pleasant.
Mako didn't flinch, but Asami sensed the subtle shift in his scent. He was intimidated by the display of dominance even though he wasn't showing it. "Korra, I understand Asami's heat has been hard on you, but..."
"No, you don't understand," Korra snarled. "I don't care how many of her heats you think you satisfied. You have no idea what I'm going through, and what she's going through is even worse. She's supposed to be mine, and that stupid, stuck-up, lying traitor with his ugly nose-chain and you are the only two things in my way! Stand aside, or I'll make you."
Asami started to intervene, but before she could move, Bolin stepped between them. His posture was submissive, but Asami knew he wasn't afraid. Omegas were natural peacemakers, and they were experts at defusing volatile situations. "Korra," he said, putting a gentle hand on her shoulder, "Mako isn't trying to take Asami away from you. He just wants to get Aiwei so you'll be safe. We all do. We're on the same side here."
Even though the sight of Bolin's palm on Korra's arm made her seethe a little, Asami was relieved when it paid off. Korra relaxed, stepping away and unclenching her fists. To her surprise - a feeling she shared with Mako as they exchanged glances - Korra pulled Bolin into a hug, tucking her chin over his broad shoulder. "I'm sorry," she mumbled into his shirt. "It's just so hard..."
"I know." Bolin cleared his throat, and the soothing circles he had been rubbing on Korra's back turned into awkward pats.
Korra suddenly seemed to realize what he meant. She pulled away, clearing her throat and adjusting her pants. Asami's eyes tracked the motion instinctively, and she willed herself not to be jealous. She knew Korra had no interest in Bolin, or even Mako, but her heat made her possessive. She was relieved that her alpha had moved a fair distance away from both of them.
"Sorry," Korra said again, more clearly this time. Her face set with determination, and Asami's heart fluttered at the sight. "But we're still Team Avatar, right? We're gonna take care of Aiwei, Zaheer, and anyone else who thinks they can mess with us. Asami's heat will stop making me crazy, and then everything will go back to normal."
The flutter faded, and Asami struggled to hide her frown. Logically, she knew everything would return to the way it was, but part of her was sad at the prospect. Back to normal? What if I don't want things to go back to normal yet? I wish I could stay in heat forever, no matter how uncomfortable it is. If I do, it means you'll keep looking at me like... She almost melted under the heat of Korra's gaze as it fixed back on her. Like that. Like you want to devour me. Like you could love me afterwards.
"Right." Bolstered by Korra's confidence, Mako spoke up. "We'll come up with a plan-"
"Nope," Korra said, shaking her head. "I'm still going over there. We don't have time to wait around. Sunset's here, and Aiwei hasn't budged. Let's go check it out." She barreled past Mako and through the door before he could stop her, and Asami hurried to follow, falling into step beside Bolin.
"You know I wasn't trying to... ehhh... right?" he said, giving her his most innocent look.
Asami forced a smile. "I know. After Eska, maybe it's time for you to take a break from rutting alphas for a little while."
"I dunno. Opal's pretty nice. She doesn't seem like the crazy, self-centered type I usually go for. It could work if we're ever in the same place again..."
There wasn't time to continue the conversation. Korra was already outside and half-way across the road, and she and Bolin had to sprint to catch up. They managed to reach her just as she kicked down the door, blasting it with a billow of air for good measure. "It's over, Aiwei! Where's- wait, what?
Asami looked over Korra's shoulder, instantly realizing what had caused the alpha to hesitate. Aiwei was indeed in his room, but he wasn't conscious. Instead, he was sitting cross-legged on his bed, eyes closed and face unmoving. His arms remained relaxed as they rested on top of his thighs, and he didn't even twitch as they entered.
"That's a weird way to nap," Bolin said, peering at Aiwei curiously.
"He's not sleeping," Asami said. "He's meditating."
A thoughtful look crossed Korra's face. "Wait. Asami, those spirits were trying to tell us something earlier. Xai Bau's Grove isn't on the map because it isn't in the physical world. It's in the Spirit World!" She climbed onto the foot of the narrow bed and adopted the same pose as Aiwei. "I'm going in after him."
Asami almost expected Mako to protest, but this time, he seemed inclined to follow Korra's decisions. "We'll watch him in case he wakes up. Be careful."
"I will."
Korra prepared to close her eyes, but Asami approached the bed, reaching out to touch her arm. "You've got to come back safe and finish what you started, okay?" she whispered, leaning down so only Korra could hear her. "I can't get through the rest of this heat by myself. I need you."
They weren't the three words she wanted to say, but they would have to be good enough.
Korra gave her a lopsided smirk. "If you say things like that, I won't be able to meditate."
Asami backed away with a sigh, but not before giving Korra's shoulder one last squeeze. "Be careful," she repeated, trying to sound confident despite the sinking feeling in her stomach. "We'll make sure your body stays safe." It had better. I'm not finished with it yet.
The next several minutes crept by at a painfully slow pace. She, Mako, and Bolin didn't speak, only meeting each other's eyes when the silence became too oppressive. Thankfully, neither of them tried to stand too close to Korra. Bolin propped himself up against Naga's large side while Mako stood guard at the window, peering out into the empty street. Asami was grateful. She was already on edge, and just the thought of letting either of them near the bed made her want to growl.
When she wasn't checking to make sure Aiwei was still unconscious and Mako was keeping his distance, Asami's attention remained fixed on Korra's face. Its planes weren't soft with sleep. Instead, a crease had formed in the middle of her brow, and her eyes darted behind their thin lids. Asami reached out to stroke Korra's cheek, trying to smooth some of the tension away with slow passes of her thumbs. She knew the gesture was too affectionate, but she couldn't help herself. She hated seeing Korra in any kind of distress...
Mako's urgent voice broke the silence. "Uh, Asami?" She drew her hand back and turned, baring her teeth at the interruption, but stopped when she saw the look on his face. "I don't know how, but water-arm-lady and lava-guy found us."
"What? How?"
"I just said I don't know how!"
Asami gave Korra's shoulders a firm shake, but it was no use. Her lover's soft blue eyes remained stubbornly shut. She was still trapped in the Spirit World, oblivious to everything else. "We have to get Korra out of here," she said, sliding an arm around Korra's waist and hauling her up. "I'll take Naga. Bolin, give me a hand." Reluctantly, she allowed Bolin to help lift Korra's body off the bed and onto Naga's back. She hopped up after, ignoring the polar bear dog's whimpers of distress.
"Bolin and I will hold them off," Mako said. "As soon as we go out and engage them, run for it. Get as far away from the city as you can. I promise we'll catch up with you."
Asami nodded. Her stomach churned at the thought of leaving Mako and Bolin behind, but Korra was still slumped helplessly against her chest. Her protective instincts rose to the surface, and she fastened her arm tighter around Korra's abdomen. I'm not going to let anyone hurt you. Not this time.
A split second later, Mako threw the door open, sprinting out into the empty street with Bolin hot on his heels. Asami ignored the rumble of shifting earth and the biting scent of fire. She couldn't afford to look and see if they were all right. Instead, she tugged on the reins, kicking her heels against Naga's sides. To her relief, the polar bear dog obeyed the command. Naga leapt through the swinging door, heading for the edge of the city at a fast lope.
Gradually, the sounds of fighting grew further and further away. Asami finally felt safe enough to look back over her shoulder. They were half way up the hill, heading toward their previous camp. All she could make out in the darkness were a few faint lights from the village below. No one seemed to be following them. Korra remained limp in her arms, swaying each time Naga's giant paws hit the ground. Dust blew around them, whipping past her face and stinging her eyes.
Wait, dust-?
She tugged hard on Naga's reins, but it was too late. A great wall of earth jutted out of the hill, covering them in a shower of dirt. She screamed, veering to the left, but more earth slanted over her, blocking her path. It was closing in over her head, sealing them underground. Just before she tumbled off Naga's thrashing back, she managed to secure Korra in her arms, curling protectively around her body as both of them hit the ground. No one's going to hurt you. Not unless they can get through me.
