Unbound Affections

I'm alive!

If you see any grammar mistakes or spelling mistakes, or even mismatch words PLEASE tell me. I WILL fix them.

This one-shot is in fragments and memories mainly from Asami's POV, so if the sentences seem choppy that is intended.

Enjoy.

((((0))))

Timeline (AU)

The first moment Asami saw Korra it wasn't the 'love-at-first-sight' type of deal. It was more like a 'friendship-that-started-by-an-awkward-introduction':

"Jesus Christ!"

"Oh god, I'm so sorry!"

A groan, "You better be sorry. . ."

"Well then. . ." Asami's tone turned defensive. "If you're going to be like that then I'm not sorry."

"Ouch," Korra made a faux face of pain. "That hurt more than when you hit me with your scooter."

The heiress furrowed her brow in annoyance, "It's not a scooter, it's a moped."

"The difference?"

Asami snorted. "You know what? I don't have to deal with this!" Turning on her designer heels, the older girl trekked back to her moped. Yet a grip around her elbow stopped her.

"Korra." The other teen said abruptly, eyes softened, and tone apologetic.

"What?" Some residual vexation laced Asami's voice as she replied.

"The name's Korra." Releasing the other girl's arm, the shorter teen extended that hand to the heiress, who glanced at it suspiciously. Jade eyes met aqua a moment later, making a shit-eating, pearly-white smile spread across topaz skin. As though it was contagious, painted lips twitched upwards.

Clasping their hands together, Asami accepted Korra's palm. "Asami. Asami Sato."

. . . . .

The time Asami found out about Korra's sexuality, a few months later after the start of their friendship, it kind of took her by surprise.

"Hey Korra, remember that time you dated that transsexual?" A mutual friend, Bolin, sputtered out one night.

Asami nearly choked on her lychee juice, earning a raised eyebrow from the other girl. Coughing, the heiress dabbed her chin for splatters of the drink. Her eyes were wide and her mouth agape.

"Um. . ." Korra responded, unevenly, darting her eyes back and forth between Bolin and Asami. "Yeah, I do. What about it?"

The boy smiled, "I met her—well him—the other day. He still remembers me from that party . . . anyways, he's having a celebration for his operation and he invited me and you guys. Isn't that great!"

"Yeah, Bolin," Korra sounded pleased by the news, however an underline crack came up in her throat, indicating some anxiety. "What day is it?"

"Friday."

"Cool."

Asami stayed silent, not bothering to give her own two cents in.

The other girl turned her head to the heiress, eyes filled with worry. "Asami?" She started, her voice again cracking. Fear.

The older teen still didn't answer. Mind racing. Hurt seeping in. Why didn't she tell me?

Finally, she spoke, "So you're bisexual?"

Korra stared for a moment, searching for something (Regret? Anger? Disgust?), then she chuckled under her breath. Asami's brow shot up.

"No . . . pansexual."

The ebony brow rose more. "Pan . . . sexual?"

"Yeah," Korra said nonchalantly, scooting back on the pleather couch of Bolin's and his brother's apartment. "It, um, it's similar to being a bisexual, but still different."

"How so?" Asami leaned in on her elbows, eager to learn more about this side of Korra. Why didn't she tell her? Weren't they friends? Why was she feeling so betrayed by the lack of divulgence?

"Well, hmph . . . I never actually had to explain this to someone, since all the people I know are either allies—"Bolin hooted over in the couch corner— "or lgbt themselves." She took a long breath, closing her eyes. Opening them:

"Bisexuality is a sexual orientation, where a person states that he or she is attracted to both genders, yet supposedly not attracted to transsexuals, intersexed, or hermaphrodites. Pansexuality, on the other hand, is a bit more fluid. We consider ourselves 'gender blind', we are attracted to anybody we're attracted to . . . it doesn't matter to us if they are male, female, or any other gender. We like their personality, not their gender. Therefore we're attracted to about anyone, not minding if they are a cross-dresser, transgender, genderqueer, or any other person. The only thing that matters is their traits, their personality."

Asami once more goes silent. Ultimately, she says, "Huh . . . interesting. So . . . you're 'gender blind'."

"Yeah."

"So you could fall for Bolin, Mako, or me at any time?"

Korra giggled, adorably, "I guess you could say that."

The heiress internally perked up. Then immediately deflated. What was that for?

. . . . .

Nearly year later, the first time Asami lied to Korra was because of denial.

"That girl seems to be eyeing you." Asami stated, eyeing the shorter girl over a cup of coffee. The café they were in was fairly packed, with few tables empty. Thankfully, they grabbed a place near a window, which the sun helped warm the two from the biting cold outside.

Korra, surprised, glanced over to the right at a petite brunette barista, who smiled fondly at the topaz-colored teen. Even Asami had to admit she was cute. The heiress disdainfully huffed, if you like that sort of child-sized cuteness . . .

A small grin crossed Korra's face, making Asami's mug a victim of strangulation. The other girl's cheeks darken, blushing. Asami's lips twitched downward.

"Nah," the aqua eyed teen started, "I don't think it's me she's looking at."

The heiress took the hint. "Why don't you find out?"

Squinting her eyes, Korra glanced at the girl then back at her best friend. "Okay . . ."

She got up and walked over to the brunette much to Asami's distaste. The barista's smile and eyes brightened as she neared. The ebony-haired teen glared down at her mug. Set her up on a date why don't you? It's not like she noticed her beforehand . . .

Giggles from the counter alerted the heiress to the actuality of the situation. Did she just set Korra up? Son of a . . .

Yet before she could finish that phrase, the other teen returned, smiling like a Cheshire cat. Dismal set into the taller girl.

"Looks like I got a date."

"Okay . . ."

"Okay? Asami, I've been single for far too long." Then Korra's jovial face morphed into a concerned one. Eyebrows knitted together, "Are you alright?"

Was she alright?

Her hesitation continued to worry the younger teen, "Asami?" Her aquamarine eyes filled with something Asami couldn't decipher.

She stayed silent for a moment afterwards, before answering, "I'm fine."

. . . . .

When they were discussing their future, it was then Asami first realized that Korra may not always be there.

"What do you want to be when you grow up?"

It was a simple, juvenile, elemental question. So why did Asami feel like it was more?

She laughed it off, half-heartily, "You already know."

They were at their place. The Republic City Park. Lying on the ground, the girl duo stared up at the twinkling stars, their bodies, or more importantly their hands, mere inches away. The autumn breeze swirls around them—egging her on or mocking her, Asami didn't know.

Korra went mute, most likely wanting her to explain. So the heiress did, "Go to college, get a degree in business and finance, and take over my family's company."

"I said," the other girl started up again, determined. "What do you want to be when you grow up?"

Asami nearly cried right then and there. Someone finally acknowledged her wants and her desires.

She choked out, "I want to race, I want to build the best car that ever was . . . I want . . ." you, ". . . to be free."

There was a silence. A heavy, painful, agonizing, screaming silence.

Suddenly, Korra chirped in, "I want to help people, I want to travel, I want . . ." there was a pause, most likely the other girl formulating her thoughts. She began again, ". . . to also be free."

Asami laughed harshly, "Well, you won't be free if you keep plagiarizing my words."

Korra chuckled under her breath, "Yeah, well, they're damned good ones. They deserve to be passed along."

The older girl ached to reach out and curl their fingers together, yet she withheld her urges. Why was this so hard?

"You should be a poet." Korra interrupted. Asami could feel the sarcasm.

The older girl played along, "To be or not to be . . ."

That earned a hefty laugh from the girl adjacent to her. God, how she loved that laugh. It was healthy and full, yet melodic and smooth. Like the two sides of Korra: the brash, stubborn side, and then the caring, altruistic other.

Sighing, Asami then asked, "Applied for any colleges yet?"

"Yeah."

"Which ones?"

There was another pause, then, "Republic City University, University of Ba Sing Se, and a few others."

Asami's eyebrows flew to her hairline, "Wow . . . ambitious. Any scholarships from any of them?"

"All."

If possible the heiress's brows were to the crown of her head. The only coherent word that came out was, "Damn."

Korra, chuckling, answered, "Yeah."

A depressing thought came into Asami's mind. Shaking her head to get rid of it, she proposed, "Don't go too far, I still need to get you out of trouble."

The older girl could feel the smile on the teen's face.

. . . . .

The first time they fought it was about Mako.

"Why are you acting like this!?"

"I'm not acting like anything!"

"Yes, you are Asami! You're acting like you're actually interested in Mako!"

"Oh, and you're the love expert?"

There was a pause.

"No, I'm not. But at least I'm not pretending. All of these years, you never mentioned a damn thing about liking him in that way."

"So what?" Asami crossed her arms protectively around her.

"I am your best friend, I see it in your eyes. You don't love him. Asami . . . why are you pretending?"

"I'm not pretending!" She turned, so her back was facing Korra. A tear escaped and rolled down her face.

A frustrated breath escaped the other girl as she too folded her arms together, "What're you trying to prove?!"

That I'm not in love with you . . .

"Asami, answer me!"

Don't you dare slip . . .

Asami spins on her heels, startling the shorter teen. Resolve intertwined her voice but not her pleading eyes, "I don't have to answer you."

The next thing heard was the slamming of the door.

. . . . .

Mako and Asami didn't last 7 months.

It took 9 for the girls to talk again.

. . . . .

The first time Asami had suspicion that Korra requited her feelings it was in the most inconvenient way possible.

"Hey Bolin are you done 'cause—ah!"

"Korra! What're—get out!"

"Oh, God sorry! So sorry!"

Korra clamped her hand over her eyes. She nearly ran into the wall trying to scurry out of the bathroom.

Once the door clicked closed and Asami's cheeks turned back into their usual ivory shade, the heiress went back to doing her bathroom routine.

Only, she could have sworn she could still feel the other girl's eyes roam over her naked body.

. . . . .

Nothing, no matter how much Asami fantasized about being more than friends with the other girl, couldn't prepare her for their first kiss. And if disposed, she would have done it better.

It was their movie night and Korra, as per usual, went all out on the snacks—mainly to fill her own sempiternal appetite.

"Spirits, did you rob a candy store?"

"Hey," Korra said, defensive. "Don't knock on my eating habits, Miss No-Carbohydrates."

In retaliation, Asami stuck out her tongue.

They started the picture, a cheesy romance chick-flick that the heiress picked out (much to the other's displeasure), the lights dimmed, and the duo settled in a comfortable silence. Only, despite having her eyes trained on the screen, Asami could feel a pair of eyes fall on her instead.

Without looking at Korra, the jade-eyed girl uttered, "The entertainment is on the screen, you know."

When she didn't receive an answer, she tilted her head to the left and met the aqua gaze of her best friend. The same irises she finds herself lost in for the umpteenth time.

The movie flicker colored light along the grey shadows of the room and it was then that Asami realized just how exotic her friend was. Creamy dark skin, bright eyes, Amazonian strong body. She was utterly ethereal in that moment.

A husky voice entered, "Korra. . ."

That was all the permission the other needed.

Their teeth clashed together, not that it deterred either of them, but it certainly dissipated the tension quite fast. However, as their lips moved as one, as they sucked, nipped, and whole devoured each other, Asami could have sworn this was epitome of bliss. She remembered the warmth, the contentment.

Nothing could have been better as the movie was forgotten and it was just them.

. . . . .

The boys were quite surprised to learn that the girls were dating, in fact Bolin was very supportive ("I knew it! I knew! Couple of the century coming through!"), however the opposition was obviously from the ex, Mako.

"I don't believe it—"

A heated make out session was what shut him up. Not that either girl was complaining. Their girlfriend's lips was pure ambrosia.

. . . . .

The next 7 months was utterly perfect. They kept the relationship slow-burning, neither hoping to ruin what they thought was the best thing to happen to them. Yet, of course heavy make out sessions went so far when a year of burying emotions counterbalanced the marginal relationship progress.

Asami and Korra sat at the manor dining room table, on their weekly dinner dates. Both girls bore cocktail dresses, which enlisted lust filled glances and explicit contrives. Withal, the duo withheld their primal urges with eating the perfectly prepared meal before.

The fetters to their desire laid before them, made out of mahogany and merely five feet long.

Damn table.

When dessert came around, the atmosphere was dripping with pure want. Nearly palpable even.

"The dessert was tasty." It was Korra who broke through.

"Yeah," was the curt response. Not as much as you would be—

Stopping that thought there!

Asami remembered her throat going dry and all other moister going somewhere else. Damn hormones. Damn Korra with her sinful curves and plump lips. Especially, in that dress.

Their gazes locked.

A determined, stale air surrounded them.

Asami gulped. Korra shifted.

The next thing either girl knew, both were flying across the table, plates shattering on the floor, glasses spilling along the wood. Taunt tension was broke and the duo wholly gave into their hunger.

Sure the dresses looked good on each other's figures, but they fitted the floor so much better.