The Road to Forever
Chapter 10
"Avatar Korra! It's been a week since you returned! Just what is it exactly you plan to do about these vines?!" shouted President Raiko, the vein in his forehead pulsing savagely.
"Look Mr. President, I'm doing everything I can. I WILL find a way to get rid of the vines. Until then, why don't you just try being happy that the city is at least still standing!" shouted Korra back at him before storming out of the President's office.
"Well, that could have gone better…" whispered Asami as she caught up with Asami on her way out.
"No kidding. I knew he didn't like me, but I didn't think it was this bad" Korra sulked.
"Hey, I thought he had invited us to this meeting to actually talk about how to make the city better. Not attack you just because you couldn't give him the answer he wanted. That wasn't right of him. But to be fair, he has the whole city after him as much as they are you to fix this. It can't be easy" Asami told her.
"You're right," Korra agreed. "I just wish he'd listen for a change instead of expecting me to always have the answer to every problem."
"Well you may not have the answer yet, but you will. I know it! Now, come on. Forget about Raiko. Let's get some lunch! Bolin and Mako should be waiting for us by now."
As Korra and Asami entered Narook's, they quickly found Bolin seated at one of the back tables by himself. Well, he did have Pabu with him, but Mako was nowhere to be seen.
"Hey Bolin! Where's Mako?" Korra asked.
"He said he couldn't make it because he had to check out a lead on a case he's working. Super-secret detective stuff apparently" Bolin muttered the last and made quotation marks in the air, clearly displeased with his brother.
"Well I'm sure it was important. He'll probably be able to join us next time." Asami smiled at the Earthbender before sitting at the table on his left while Korra sat to his right.
"Yeah I know. But I've barely seen him since we got back to Republic City. He's still sleeping at the station, taking every shift he can. I'm starting to get worried about him."
"Bolin, you really don't need to worry so much about Mako. I'm not sure what's going on with him but whatever it is, he'll be fine. You both will! He's your brother; he's not going anywhere, ok?" Korra told him smiling. Bolin smiled back and nodded at her.
"Alright then, so what's good here?" Asami asked.
"Wait, you've never been here before?" Bolin's jaw dropped in surprise when Asami shook her head.
"But-but you've lived here all your life! How have you have never been to Narook's Seaweed Noodlery before?!" sputtered Bolin.
"It's not a big deal, Bolin. Republic City is a big place with a lot of different places to eat. And I had heard of Narook's. I just haven't come by before." Asami told him calmly.
"Is that why you suggested we eat here, because you wanted to try it?" Korra asked her, looking curiously at the older girl and wondering why she seemed to be blushing the slightest bit.
"Well…having been to the South Pole now a couple of times, I found that I really enjoyed the food. So I figured why not go to the best place in Republic City for Water Tribe food that there is? It's not a big deal…" muttered Asami as she stared intently at her menu.
"No worries Asami. I'm glad you suggested this place, it's definitely my favorite. Here, you should definitely try this…" Korra smiled at her as she leaned over the table and pointed at something on the menu.
As Korra was discussing different items on the menu with Asami, she vaguely heard the door to the restaurant open but didn't pay any attention to it. At least not until she heard Bolin groan next to her.
"Oh no…not him again…" muttered Bolin.
Korra and Asami both turned to find Tahno walking into the restaurant alone. He spotted the trio and smiled before walking over.
"Avatar, pleasure to see you here" Tahno said smiling before noticing Asami and his smile grew wider as the Engineer glared slightly at him.
"Hello Tahno. No posse today?" Korra asked him, also smiling at the water bender.
"Nah, not today. Sometimes a guy has to be alone with his thoughts, you know? Oh, hey Bolin…" Tahno said the last, finally noticing the Fire Ferret was at the table and looking back and forth between him and Korra worriedly.
"Look, Tahno, we don't want any trouble…" Bolin started.
"Bolin, relax. Tahno and I are good, right Tahno?" Korra said smiling again.
"Are you kidding? After Korra gave me back my bending, she can knock me out any time she wants." Tahno laughed before his face grew serious. "Look, about that. I realized after I got back my bending that I never really thanked you for it in all the excitement. After how much of a jerk I was to you, I would have understood you not giving it back. But you did anyway, despite everything. So…thank you." Tahno held out his hand, surprising Korra before she smiled and stood up, grasping his arm back tightly.
"Apology accepted. For the record, you were a jerk but I'm glad I could help."
Tahno laughed and nodded at the Avatar who shocked him further by inviting him to join them for lunch, not noticing the looks of dismay on her friends' faces.
"Sure, I got nowhere else to be right now."
After the four of them placed their orders with the waiter, Bolin asked Tahno if he and the Wolfbats were ready for the upcoming season.
"Actually, I left the team" Tahno told them casually.
"What?! But-but that team was your whole life!" Bolin gasped.
"Exactly, it was my whole life. And then Amon took my bending away and I had nothing left. I realized that without my bending, without the ability to play in the pro-bending league, there was nothing left for me. Even when I was playing, I couldn't win without cheating. For those weeks after Amon took away what I thought was the best thing about myself, I hit bottom." Tahno grew quiet and stared into space for a moment, his eyes unfocused.
"Do you have any idea what it is like to realize that everything you have and do is based around something that's gone and may never come back? Where does something like that leave a person? I was so lost one day, I ended up picking up my old trombone and playing it for the first time in years. And you know what? It felt really, really good. Best I had felt in a long time. I don't want to lose that feeling again." Tahno told them before taking a drink and looking at them with a big smile.
"So I've decided to quite the league and start up a band. It's just me so far but something tells me I'll be able to find some other bandmates before long."
"That's really great, Tahno. We're happy for you." Asami told him Tahno who looked at her grinned.
"Thanks Asami. You know, now that I won't be so busy preparing for the tournament, maybe you and I could try another date some time. What do you say?" asked Tahno, his trademark grin back in place.
"You guys used to date?" muttered Korra, looking between the two of them as she felt like something heavy had settled in the pit of her stomach.
"Not exactly" "Yes!" Asami and Tahno both said at the same time.
"Tahno, we went on one date two years ago and have barely spoken since" Asami glared at him.
"Well yeah, but it was a very memorable date!" Tahno told her.
"I dumped a bowl a noodles in your lap and shoved a piece of cake in your face. So yeah, I'd say it was pretty memorable" Asami told him drily.
"Ok ok, so I was being a jerk, I admit that! But I've changed, I'm a new man! I'm-I'm in a band now, or at least I will be. Surely you could give a guy another chance?" Tahno pleaded with her while Korra and Bolin just stared at the two of them.
Asami was quiet a moment before glancing quickly at Korra and then back to Tahno. "Look, I'm sorry Tahno. I'm just…I'm not interested in a relationship right now. What with everything going on with the company, rebuilding the city…I just can't. But, I'd be happy to be your friend, if that's ok?" Asami held her hand out to the dejected musician who shrugged and then took her hand.
"Well, you can't blame a guy for trying. Guess I should take this as a lesson to be more grateful about what I have right in front of me when it's there. Thanks Asami, and just so you know, any guy would be lucky to have you" Tahno told her seriously.
Asami smiled and thanked him as their food arrived. Talk around the table lightened considerably from then on as the group focused on their meal. But Korra found herself sneaking curious glances at Asami the rest of their stay.
As Korra and Asami walked back to where Asami had parked her Satomobile, Korra continued to sneak glances at Asami.
"Korra, you've been staring at me for a while now. What's up?" Asami laughed.
"Huh? Oh…uh sorry. It's nothing." Korra told her, trying to ignore the heat rushing to her cheeks.
"C'mon Korra, tell me. What is it?" asked the older girl as they stopped at the car.
"Well, I guess I'm just having a hard time picturing you out on a date with Tahno. Why would you go out with him of all people?" Korra asked her.
Asami raised an eyebrow at the younger girl before shrugging softly. "It was two years ago and we met at one of my father's parties. He was very charming and polite though I wasn't really that interested in him. But when he asked me out, I figured why not give it a shot. We ended up going to a restaurant on the pier but the Tahno who showed up for our date wasn't the Tahno I had met at the party. He was arrogant and kept calling me 'babe'. Then he had the nerve to ask if I was too much of a daddy's girl to risk stopping by his place after dinner."
"You're kidding...!" Korra whispered.
"Nope. That was when I decided dinner was over and poured the bowl of noodles in his lap and grabbed a dessert off the plate of a waiter walking by and shoved it in his face. I told him to never contact me again and walked out. Honestly, today was the first time he and I have spoken since then. Not for lack of trying on his part though. He sent me flowers for weeks afterwards and kept reaching out but I ignored him until he finally gave up." Asami explained as she leaned again the hood of her car.
"Wow. Well, good for you. He really was a jerk and I had such a hard time picturing you with him, or anyone like that really" Korra chuckled.
Asami laughed, "Yeah I like to think I have slightly better taste than that. "
Korra grinned as she hopped into the passenger seat, Asami sliding into the driver's.
"He was right about one thing though you know," Korra told her.
"What's that?" Asami asked as she pulled out into traffic.
"Any one would be lucky to have you" Korra told her, smiling widely at the older girl who blushed and smiled back, trying to focus on the road.
"Anyone would be lucky to have you too Korra."
Oh come on, like Tahno and Asami HAVEN'T crossed paths at some point. I can see Tahno eyeing Asami as a rich prize and Asami figuring it out pretty quickly. So I thought I'd write this scene about it. Hope you like it.