Storm Part 1

Hey guys, I decided to add yet another chapter in here because I thought it needed at least one of every couple. Yes, you know what that means: Irosami! Give it a chance? Pwetty pwease? *pouts, bats eyelashes*. If you've been swayed by my amazing powers of persuasion ;) THANK YOU!

So basic concept is that the Krew goes and watches a Pro-bending match and then are planning to go back to the island. Just putting this first- Bolin is busy with fangirls, so no, he is not AWOL. Korra and Mako ride back on Naga and Asami volunteers to drive Iroh. But on the way there, they're caught in a freak storm and have to stay in Asami's mansion (which she hasn't been in yet) so needless to say, she has a rough night… But Iroh the turtleduck to the rescue!

Disclaimer: Never owned never will.

I arched my back, sighing as the vertebrae popped when I stretched lethargically. Even in the VIP section, the seats weren't all that comfortable, especially when you were sitting right on the edge of them. Not to mention craning your neck to see over Mako and Korra cuddling.

Speaking of which… Mako twirled the strands cupping her face around his finger before brushing it along her nose. She wrinkled it, slapping his hand away with a playful grin. Their wordless banter tugged hard on my still fragile heartstrings, and I cleared my throat loudly.

"I think I'll just drive back to the pier Korra, I haven't gotten to ride my moped in forever." She agreed easily, aquamarine eyes already sparkling with mischief. Mako squinted hard at me before he nodded slowly, waving as Korra dragged him out of the booth.

The weight on my chest lessened slightly and I sighed, shoulders slumping in a less than lady like posture. Korra poked her head back in, making me jump. She grinned sheepishly, rubbing the back of her neck.

"Hey Asami, um, would you mind taking Iroh with you? He took a cab out here and it's too late to get one now. I'm not sure Naga can hold any more people." I resisted the urge to raise a dubious eyebrow at her statement. The polar-bear dog had lunged through the snow in the mountains easily with Bolin, me, and said United Forces General.

I stared at her, taking in her red cheeks and darting gaze. Not at all like Korra. "Sure," I finally agreed, winking at the tribal girl. "No reason to strain Naga." She smiled brightly, disappearing for a moment before shoving Iroh in her place.

The firebender shook his head, a gentle smile playing on his lips as he tugged at his cuffs, straightening his nearly impeccable uniform. He bowed his head respectfully as he caught sight of me. "Miss Sato, always a pleasure to see you again." He wasn't like the other stuffy aristocrats of the city. His tone was genuine, and that surprised me more than it probably should have.

I tucked a stray curl behind my ear, shaking the bulk of the rest behind my shoulder. "The feeling's mutual General," I gripped my hands, returning with a short bow of my own.

He waved towards the door. "Shall we?" He offered me his arm, gold eyes shadowed in the harsh lights of the Arena. I stared at the muscled forearm concealed beneath the scarlet fabric, as if I were to touch him, he would disappear just like everything else.

He cocked his head, the childlike motion contrasting oddly with his defined face. "Is everything okay Miss Sato?"

I started, ducking my head. A blush stained my cheeks and my hair acted as a curtain between us to hide it for the time being. "Oh, yes. Sorry General, all the cheering must have exhausted me more than I predicted."

"Are you all right Miss Sato? Well enough to drive to the bay?" It was nice to see concern in his eyes that wasn't forced or faked.

"Oh," I fumbled slightly as I tucked my hand into the crook of his elbow, foot catching on a leg of a chair. Immediately his arm shot out from beneath my fingertips, coming around to grasp my waist lightly.

I blushed at the contact and my own clumsiness. I could feel his warm calloused palm through the thin charcoal coat I had donned earlier that evening. "Y-yes General Iroh, I think the fresh air will help and it's only a fifteen minute drive. Thirty if we take the scenic route."

"Scenic route?" The firebender raised a dark eyebrow, brushing past me to hold open the door. I smiled my thanks and we continued down the hall.

"Just a quick loop around the city: Fire Lord Zuko's statue, City Hall, Chief Toph Beifong's metalbending academy… The city's always so beautiful at night. I used to ride it almost every day. It's where I first met-" I hesitated over his name, forcing myself to push on. "-Mako."

Iroh was silent, allowing me to collect my thoughts as we wound our way out of the arena. "He had just finished his shift at the power plant and was running to catch the last trolley. A car was blocking my view, so I didn't see him until the last second. I ran right into him. I asked him to dinner, and the rest-" I shrugged. "Is history."

We were outside now, the breeze blowing off the bay teasing my hair into knots and cooling my burning cheeks.

"It's going to be quite famous history at that by the looks of it," He commented, and I chuckled cynically. I should've known better than to believe that everyone got a happily ever after. He peered down at me, causing a strand or two of hair to fall from their places to brush his forehead.

"Are you sure you're all right Miss Sato?" I knew he wasn't asking about my driving capabilities.

I hunched over briefly, squeezing my eyes shut tightly and breathing in deeply, trying to keep myself from breaking down in front of a man I had known for less than a month.

"I-I'm fine," I whispered, straightening and shaking my hair back. "Just fine."

We stood there for a moment in silence, looking out at the glowing silhouetted tower of Air Temple Island. He cleared his throat, rubbing his neck as he glanced at me. "I would like to see the city Miss Sato. I'm sure you make an excellent guide. I always seem to be getting lost."

I nearly cried with relief as I smiled at him, tugging him over to the dim streetlamp I was parked beneath. "Well, if you insist," I began, faux reluctantly, "But you have to call me Asami." I bit my lip as I mounted the bike, fiddling with the keys and trying to convince myself that I wasn't just doing it to see what my name would sound like coming from his mouth.

"A fair trade then," he countered, "Please call me Iroh."

I patted the space behind me, motioning for him to get on. He approached it cautiously, as if it were going to attack him. I grinned playfully at his hesitation. "Is the big strong United Forces General afraid to take a little spin on a harmless little scooter?"

As I expected, he swung his leg over the leather seat, but didn't respond to the jab. He sat a respectable distance from me, nearly falling off the back of the bike in order to maintain it.

I smirked, turning over the engine before revving it a few times. "You may want to hold on General," I said in a playful warning before I let go of the brake, sending us squealing into the city streets.

Iroh yelped, causing me to throw back my head and laugh, really laugh for the first time in days. He clutched my hips, bringing his broad chest flush with my back. I felt him draw in a shuddering breath, the heat of his blush. It pleased me more than it should have, lighting one of my own across the arcs of my cheeks.

I cleared my throat, slowing as they passed the metalbending Academy. "Now on your left, you'll see where Lin Beifong learned from the best professors in the city about how to be a hard ass."

Iroh snickered behind me, the sound rumbling in his chest against my spine before it made its way to his vocal cords. By that time, it had already raced up and down the length of me, carrying appreciative shivers with it.

"I've met her you know," he said suddenly, studying one of the many statues the first Chief Beifong had created around the city.

I slowed as I reached a corner, almost skidding onto the sidewalk. "Who, Lin?"

"No, Toph." This time I did go over the curb slightly, causing a couple street vendors to yell indignantly at us as I swerved back into our respectful spot in the lane.

"You met the Toph Beifong?" My eyes were popping out from behind my tinted goggles, and I was grateful that he was unable to see my predictably ridiculous expression.

"Well do you know another?" He replied cheekily, and I took a hand off the handle bars to whack him in the shoulder.

"Hey, keep both hands on the wheel!" His voice's pitch changed drastically as he grew more agitated.

I laughed, and placed it back on with exaggerated slowness, just to annoy him. He scoffed behind me, shaking his head. We were silent for a moment, the hum of the motor eliminating the need for conversation.

"What was it like?" I asked quietly, half-hoping he wouldn't hear.

"What like?" Of course he did because my luck was just so fantastic.

"Knowing Chief Toph Beifong, Avatar Aang, Councilman Sokka, Master Katara, Fire Lord Zuko- Iroh, you were and are practically family with some of the greatest figures in history." My voice sounded dazed, dream like. All of this sure felt like a dream, way too good to be true.

He chuckled behind me, and he drummed his fingers on my waist, tickling me absentmindedly. I bit my lip to stifle a giggle. "All the stories about them make them sound so… legendary. Really though, they were and are simple people. My grandfather once said to me-" He made his voice raspy and deep in a probably horrible impression of the royal. "'Iroh, there are five things that are important in life: Discipline, love, family, friends, and tea.'"

"Tea," I repeated skeptically, my eyebrows skyrocketing. We were passing City Hall now, and I shivered at the memory of dodging the chi blockers vicious attacks upon the now immaculate steps.

"Like my great uncle, Grandfather now takes his tea very seriously. He made sure that in every tea shop the first Iroh opened, to have a plaque with a quote that read: 'Sick of tea?! Being sick of tea is like being sick of breathing!' He loved him very much."

Both of us fell silent as we passed under the imposing statue of the past Fire Lord. His scar glinted dully in the flickering light of the ever present flames shooting from his upraised fist. It had an unexplainably harsh kind of beauty about it. Just like your own father's betrayal, a little voice whispered in the back of my mind, but he hasn't created visible scars.

A muffled ping echoed through the huge expanse of space. Something had obviously hit the statue. I slowed, coming to a rest near the base. We craned our necks to squint against the brightness, searching for the source of the sound. It came again, and then another- ping, ping!

They came in rapid succession, one after the other. Ping, ping, ping, ping, ping! Drops of water bounced off of the metal, splattering onto my clothes. They rested on the fabric for a moment before they soaked through, changing the shade of deep magenta to burgundy.

Suddenly, lightening cracked, and the sky split open. I bit back a curse as the thunder rolled, hunching over the controls for a moment before I flicked the headlight on. I revved the engine, tires slipping slightly on the slick pavement. There was no where we could stop- every shop in the city would be close be closed by now. There is one place… the voice was back.

I raced down the streets that were soon going to be canals, struggling to see against the sheets of rain that beat down on the both of us.

Somehow, I had managed to drive us to what was going to have to be our shelter for tonight without getting into an accident, although we'd come close too many times for comfort. My hands fumbled as I dug the key out of my pocket, missing a few times before I managed to stuff it into the keyhole. I struggled to push open the tall, imposing gate. Not a moment later, I heard the soft squelch of boots behind me, just barely audible over the wailing wind.

Iroh's firm chest pressed into the curve of my back, helping me shoulder the door open just wide enough to for me to steer the bike through. He managed to slip through just before the door shut with a boom, nearly as loud as the thunder rolling over the deserted city.

I tugged on his wrist, gesturing to the workshop behind the house. I climbed back onto the moped, cranking the engine. As soon as I felt his comforting presence behind me, I tore through the property. I didn't care if the gardeners were going to have a stroke when they saw the state of the lawn when they got up the next morning. I squinted at the flickering beam the headlight cast in the downpour. I hopped off the seat, killing the puttering engine as I wrenched the door open to wheel it in, flicking on the light as I did so. Iroh followed, ducking his head to avoid bumping it against the door frame. I pushed wet stringy locks out of my face to look up at him. Agni's teeth, he was really tall.

I leaned weakly against a wall, closing my eyes. I breathed in the familiar scent of motor oil and the pungent cigars that Father always- My eyes flew open, but the sight that greeted me was no better: The gaping hole in the floor that Lin Beifong had created to expose the tunnels leading to his secret workshop-

The sound that escaped me went unnoticed as the power died; draping us in darkness, save when the lightning flashed again. I blamed the stinging in my eyes on the rainwater running into them. If I could get dry than I would be fine. I would be just fine.

"We can't stay in here."

Another lightning strike lit up the darkened workspace. In its weak and short life, I saw Iroh's surprised expression, the tools that Father had used to build those horrible machines- another squeaking sound slipped out. "If we get to the house, at least we'll be more comfortable there… And drier."

I didn't look back at him as I opened the door, sucking in a sharp breath as the wind nipped at my cheeks, freezing the air in my lungs. Don't look back, I warned myself sternly. Don't look back.

Okay guys, I know I haven't updated in forever, and I also know that this isn't even a complete chapter, but don't worry, part two is going to be on here soon. I'm speaking futuristically here. I really want to thank you guys for being so patient with me and my stupid busy schedule. Mwah! I love all of you!

Reviews are loved, the people who write them even more so.

SNO.