From the moment Korra arrived, Asami found herself in an elevated state of panic. It was difficult to talk, and difficult to socialize with her. However, since Korra nodded off, Asami found time to stop and reflect on the reunion between the two. Seeing Korra again felt incredible, despite the mixture of emotions that came with the meeting. For the entire night, she found it nearly impossible to take her eyes off the Water Tribe girl. She hoped dearly that it wasn't obvious. But she'd only begun to understand her feelings for the Avatar the night before being woken up by the surprise visit. Seeing and interacting with her again proved to be a challenge.
She started in the chair next to the bed, watching Korra sleep peacefully from afar. Whereas Korra was exhausted and wanted to get more rest, Asami felt startlingly awake. She perched in the seat in total silence, observing long enough to lose track of the time. The quiet helped to clear her head. But she focused more heavily on the future. What came next? What would she say, what would she do? What would being around Korra be like now?
She peeled away from the chair, strolling to her bed to settle onto it. She moved with a careful precision, not wanting to disturb Korra's sleep. Her legs drew in close to her body when deciding on a position. At Korra's side she sat, watching the younger woman's slow breathing, wondering what she was dreaming about. Korra looked calm, for which Asami was thankful. Too many stories of nightmares from the blue-eyed girl. She wished she could reach out to Korra and help her through them. She imagined her twitching in her sleep, plagued by bad dreams, and she'd be able to reach out and pull her back to reality. To help her, and save her, and protect her. And be there for her.
She lifted a hand, watching the tranquil image of the woman beside her. Her fingers trembled, hovering just above Korra's face. She wanted to reach down and touch her. To feel the warmth of her skin. The pulse of her heartbeat. To run her fingertips through Korra's hair. To just let Korra know what she meant to her.
Her fingers curled, tightening into a fist. She recoiled after a flare of panic and worry surged through her body. She backed away, pulling her arms and legs in close. Her half-lidded eyes fell on the sleeping Korra. Discord gnawed at her stomach, and she shook from the sensation of her limbs growing cold. She wanted to be closer, to feel an intimate connection with another human being. Yet she struggled to keep herself at a safe distance, for fear of driving Korra away for good.
The earlier conversations were difficult. While she finally saw an opportunity to learn more about Korra, the topics the two touched on found a way to twist out of her control like an angry serpent. Asami was honest with her answers about previous relationships, or lack thereof, but she had to choose her words carefully. She similarly lingered on every word spoken by Korra, trying to glean information from her vocabulary, but she found nothing that gave her hope.
The most difficult question was the one about wanting Korra to be happy, at the expense of their friendship. The entire subject made her terribly uncomfortable. More than Korra could possibly know. That particular seed of doubt was already planted before the Avatar arrived on her doorstep. When she started to understand her feelings, the very first fear that grew inside her was rejection. She quickly asked herself whose well-being she considered more important. Was it better to remain friends for Korra's sake, or try and take it further, despite the risks? And if Korra did push her away, would she be able to accept that if it meant Korra could ultimately be happy?
Asami needed to keep her distance, at least until she fully understood what it was she wanted. There was a dull sting associated with the decision, but it didn't hurt as much as she expected it to. Truthfully, she couldn't quite understand her fondness for Korra. While it felt like more than simple friendship, it also felt entirely different than her prior romance with Mako. Those emotions were straightforward and simple. Korra was not simple. She didn't know if she felt a physical attraction to Korra. She only knew that there was a strong emotional bond between them, and that she wished to explore it further.
Her eyes drifted across the room until they fell on Korra. Asami continued to breathe slowly while considering the girl, asleep in her spot, in her bed. Something about that sight helped to soothe Asami's troubled mind. She couldn't deny her attraction to Korra, whatever the nature of it. She just didn't understand what it meant to be in love with another woman. Or what she could possibly do about it. The notion confused her terribly.
Asami dismissed the uncertainty buzzing about her head. She moved again on the bed, this time swinging her weight to the opposite side. She hopped to the floor, turning to make sure she didn't disturb the sleeping Korra. Careful steps carried her out of the room, closing the door behind to give Korra some privacy. Sunlight threatened to shine through the windows, making her realize just how long she'd been up. Stepping quietly down the hallways of the large mansion, she aimed for the kitchen, hoping to put something together and settle an uneasy stomach.
"Good morning, Miss Sato," a male voice called. Her attention turned to the source, seeing one of the various mansion employees seated nearby. An older, portly man with a bit of a bald spot, but one of the kinder servants she employed. He was enjoying his downtime, drinking from a cup of tea and glancing over a newspaper. His eyes locked on her, however, waiting to see if she'd ask anything of him.
She slowed to a stop, addressing the servant with a polite nod. "Good morning." She realized she looked disheveled, still wearing pajamas and having put no effort into cleaning up. But being seen in a less than pristine state by the staff was a common occurrence. She drifted away, wandering fully into the kitchen to consider what she might be hungry for.
"Would you like me to prepare something to eat, ma'am?" the large man asked. While any servant would offer the same, he did seem to genuinely wish to help in any way possible.
Asami glanced over her shoulder, shrugging dismissively. "No, I can manage, but thank you."
"Of course. Also, a message came for you this morning." When Asami turned around to hear the rest of the story, he hopped from his seat and briskly crossed the kitchen. A detour took him past the designated mail table, lifting a neat envelope and passing it to her.
Asami held out a hand to accept the note. There was nothing special about the paper, and it wasn't addressed from anyone. She tore along the edge and freed the note inside, reading the message quietly to herself. Short and to the point, as expected of Lin Beifong. The letter requested that she pay a visit to police headquarters to make a statement at her earliest convenience. She sighed, folding the letter up and striking it against her forehead out of mild frustration. She looked back to her housekeeper. "Maybe you'd better make me something to eat. I need to get cleaned up to visit the police station."
"Yes, ma'am. What would you like me to prepare?" The attendant moved swiftly around her, already picking out a variety of utensils.
Asami furrowed her brow while putting the letter down. Too many other concerns to worry about what to have for breakfast. "Surprise me. Something I can eat on the way out the door. And please don't make too much noise — Korra is still sleeping." The words slipped freely from her tongue before she could think. Her heart jumped in her chest, suddenly worrying what her servant might say about Korra being asleep in her room.
"Of course, Miss Sato." The man turned away to begin working. Asami lingered a moment longer, waiting for any other comment or reaction. After a few seconds when none came, she began to calm down. Nothing about Korra being asleep implied anything, did it? She exhaled slowly, releasing the momentary nervousness from her system.
Collecting herself, Asami strolled out of the kitchen. She couldn't return to her room, not wanting to disturb Korra's rest. Fortunately, several rooms in the mansion had adequate clothing and supplies to dress with. She relocated to another wing of the estate, selecting clothing, taking a warm shower, and applying simple makeup.
When she reemerged from the spare room, Asami cautiously made her way back to the other side of the mansion. Creeping past her room, she saw no evidence of the Avatar being awake. Maybe Korra would get the sleep she deserved and be able to worry about other things for a change. She smiled to herself and returned to the kitchen.
Upon arrival, she inhaled deeply to catch the scent of baked goods. She walked along the perimeter of the kitchen, watching while the staff set out a tray. Asami identified the smell of strawberry and egg custard, stopping at the table to pick at the food. Taking a small bite, she nodded her approval. "These are good, thank you." She paused long enough to swallow a bite. "I also need you to transcribe a letter for me, please," she continued. Too busy working through a plate of sweet, crumbly pastries to do any writing of her own.
She stood in place, eyes following the servant who moved to retrieve paper, ink, and a brush. Asami continued to eat, waiting for his return, and watched for a signal that he was ready to begin. In a sense it was somewhat odd to be utilizing the services of the employees kept around the mansion. More recently, she rarely bothered the staff. They proved to be a huge help when needed, though.
"Just a short letter to Korra, for when she gets up," she began. He started to write, most likely addressing it to the Avatar in a more proper fashion. "I'm going to be gone for most of the morning, since Lin wants to speak with me across town." She stopped to allow him time to write, taking another bite of strawberry-filled food. "Let her know I said she's welcome to use the house. And ask if she'll meet me for lunch. The same place we went with Mako and Wu when she came back to Republic City. I don't remember the name, but she should know the place. Around noon." She paused, watching him conclude the writing before asking, "Did you get everything?"
"Yes, ma'am. I'll pass it to her when she wakes." He began to clean the brush and put away the supplies. Again, Asami lingered, looking on to find any reaction to her wanting to have lunch with Korra. She felt paranoid, especially considering she spent time with the Avatar often without these thoughts. She dismissed the notion.
"Thank you," Asami returned. She set the last of an unfinished piece of pastry on the tray, pushing it away from the edge of the table. Before leaving, she turned to add, "You can take the rest of the day off once you do that." Even with the minimal amount of work she asked of the mansion staff, she disliked asking them to do much for her.
"Of course, Miss Sato, thank you very much." Asami met the accompanying bow with one of her own, then turned to make her way outside.
Asami halted her steps once outside. She turned to glance up at the dingy sky. As indicated by the weather reports, the days were getting colder. The clouds above looked like rain, or maybe even snow. She tucked her hands into her pockets to walk, rolling her shoulders and trying to keep herself warm.
While she wanted to take her bike again, the weather was set to make the ride a disaster. Instead, she walked further around the front of the estate to her car. She started it, pulling into the street.
Naturally, her mind wandered to Korra. Lately her life seemed more like a series of events punctuated by Korra. But unlike the rest of the week, her daydreaming didn't linger on negatives or worries over why she was obsessed. She knew why, now. And the ideas dancing in her head were more that it would be nice to have lunch with the Water Tribe girl and chat with her again. More that she was happy to have made up after the fight. And that maybe Korra would be ready to make a positive change and work through her insecurities.
Asami pulled into a spot in front of the large police headquarters. She stepped free of her car, standing beside it to look up at the intricate and sprawling facility. She believed it to be reminiscent of Earth Kingdom architecture, especially given the origin and purpose of the building. Walking closer to the entrance, she stopped to dawdle, staring at the large metal statue of Toph Beifong. She hummed appreciatively to herself, then stepped inside.
The temperature changed drastically, allowing Asami to sigh with relief. The biting cold outside fell quickly behind her, and she felt comfortable enough to remove her hands from her pockets. She paced down the hallway and to the front check-in area, approaching an officer seated at a desk. A very old man with a bald and wrinkled forehead. She skidded to a stop, clasping her hands in front of herself, waiting to be addressed. After an awkward silence, she raised a hand to her mouth, clearing her throat to get his attention.
He glanced up, over a desk of paperwork. "Yes?" He looked and sounded short of temper.
Asami smiled sheepishly. "I received a letter from Lin Beifong asking me to come down and speak with her. I assume she's expecting me."
The officer leaned back in his chair, holding up a brush to point at her. "You're Asami Sato, right?" he asked. She nodded in reply. "Let me see if she's available." He pushed away from the chair with a grunt, standing and walking into a back room. Asami leaned to one side, trying to see beyond the doorway. Since she couldn't see anything, she eased back into position and waited.
And waited.
She eventually turned away from the desk, walking a few short paces away to the nearest chair. She sat, slumping forward and sighing. She wondered how long she'd be kept waiting. And wondered if Korra was awake yet. Maybe she read the note, and would be eager to see her. Even though she felt she had plenty of time, Asami looked around for a clock, wondering how close to noon it already was.
"Asami?" a voice came from the nearby doorway.
When she looked up, she saw an older woman wearing the typical metalbending police armor. She had a grumpy expression, short gray hair, and a distinct scar on her right cheek. It was Lin, finally! Asami sat up quickly. "Yes? Are you ready for me?"
The metalbender turned in place. Alongside a nod, she raised her hand to jerk a thumb over her shoulder. "Come on back."
Asami collected herself and stood up. Her small boots carried her swiftly across the room, to follow the older woman through the hall, winding past what looked like office areas, and to a smaller, darker room. Lin held a door open, inviting Asami inside. She walked through, opening into a dim, square, metal room. She took one look around, picking up the repetitive wall pattern and the bolted-down table. She made her way to one of the two chairs to sit underneath the single overhead light.
Lin took the second chair, sighing while setting down a handful of paperwork. She leaned forward onto the table, folding her hands and tenting her fingers on the flat metal surface. "All right, so tell me what happened."
Asami watched the other woman from across the table. She didn't know Lin terribly well. She'd been present several times, being one of the many people to revolve around Korra. But Asami never found much need or reason to have an extended conversation with the chief of police. She was aware of her reputation, however. She took a breath to speak. "Well, I was sitting in the park, and the guy came up behind me. He told me to give him my money, I said no, and he came at me. We fought for about a minute, he tried to use firebending on me, and I knocked him out. Then I contacted the station."
While Asami talked, Lin wrote notes quickly on paper that she'd brought in. She kept her eyes on the work, barely looking up. "Firebending, good to know." She scribbled more details on the pad. When finished with the notes, she turned her attention back to Asami, refolding her hands by interlacing her fingers. "Why were you in the park at that hour?"
Asami analyzed the question, her face taking a more concerned look. From the few times she'd been around Lin, she learned the woman had a way of making every statement or question sound accusatory. From conversations with others, though, she learned that Lin managed to cool down some in the last few years. Still, the tone was rough. Asami couldn't imagine dealing with her at her worst. "I woke up early and couldn't get back to sleep. It's been a difficult week for me."
"I see." Lin returned to the paper, adding more. The two-word dismissal seemed to be as far as the gray-haired woman wanted to go into personal matters. "The assailant said that you electrocuted him with a glove. And that you stole his knife."
Asami scoffed. "I didn't steal his knife. I knocked it away from him when he tried to attack me, and then I took it with me when I left so nobody else would run into it. It's in the glove compartment of my motorcycle."
"Did you bring that with you?" Lin asked, raising an eyebrow.
"Um, no." Asami fidgeted. She probably should have brought everything with her. "It was too cold, so I came in my car. I didn't think to grab the knife. My bike is parked outside the mansion." She tried to be more cooperative to stay on Lin's good side, adding, "You can send someone to pick it up if you want. You're welcome on the property."
"Do you have a key for the glove box?"
"It's unlocked."
"And the glove?"
Asami paused to consider the question. Her face turned slightly red, remembering that Lin was shocked by one of her father's electric gloves on at least one occasion. Probably not a fun topic to tread around. "Same place," she said. "But I use that for self-defense, so I'd like to have it back if you take it."
Lin twitched a lip, looking annoyed. "Those gloves aren't nice to be on the receiving end of."
"I know," said Asami cautiously. "I only use it when I have to."
The older woman sighed loudly. "I'll take your word for it." She looked down at the paperwork, apparently spreading large blobs of black ink through a portion of the notes to erase them. "It's the same kind of glove the Equalists used, right? The ones your father invented?"
"Y-yes," Asami stuttered nervously. "More or less. But when I took the company, we destroyed as many as we could. We don't manufacture them anymore. That one's mine."
"I'll send someone to pick up the knife. We'd like to have it as evidence." She looked up to catch Asami's eyes. "I'll take care of the rest, kid. You can keep the glove. For now."
Asami smiled meekly, nodding her head. She noticed Lin was no longer writing. "Thank you, I appreciate it."
Lin leaned back in her chair, visibly relaxing more. She said nothing for a time, but eventually raised both hands in an expressive manner. "And you're holding up okay? I'm aware you know how to fight, but being jumped can be stressful."
Asami upgraded her smile to a more sincere one. Lin was trying to be sociable. Asami appreciated the small-talk. "It's no big deal. Since I met Korra I've been in lots of dangerous fights. I've kind of gotten used to it." She shrugged away the concern.
"Hmph." Lin continued into a new topic, picking up off something Asami said. "I don't see much of her, so she must be keeping out of trouble. You probably see Korra more than I do; I believe you two are good friends. How is she doing?"
Asami sank in her chair. She realized she must have been showing some red around her cheeks. She wanted to hide her eyes, but thought it suspicious. "A lot better than she was. We had a fight, recently, but we made up. She may still be at the mansion if you want to drop by and talk to her."
The metalbender shuffled in her chair, crossing her arms. She elevated an eyebrow to the last comment. "Really? I thought she was staying with Tenzin."
"She was," Asami said quickly. Telling Lin about everything going on between her and Korra seemed like a bad idea. "But we've both been under stress, and she came by last night to talk. It was late, so she stayed." Asami realized she was tapping her foot out of nervousness and immediately stopped. "It's been nice having someone around to vent to about things," she mused.
The change in expression on Lin's face made Asami regret having elaborated in detail. "I see. Relationship troubles?" she asked bluntly.
Asami's eyes shot wide open, and she retreated back in her chair to hide. She clenched her hands in her lap. "Well, I—how did you—"
Lin shrugged. She rolled her eyes in an exaggerated fashion, sitting up to lecture Asami more seriously. She stretched one hand out onto the table, tapping it with her palm. "Please, it's written all over your face," she explained. Asami wanted to sink under the table. "Is Mako bothering you again? I'll have a word with him."
Asami blinked. "Oh, um. No, Mako's been a gentleman since we broke it off." Her heart skipped a beat and she began to calm down. Maybe Lin didn't know as much as she initially feared.
"Really?" Lin asked, shrugging to herself. She placed a hand under her chin, rubbing it in consideration before resuming her speech. "Listen, I know you may not be looking for advice, but I have been around and learned a few things. Whatever guy is hassling you may not be worth your time. You have a career to worry about, and hard-working women like you and I can't stop and let men hold us back. It's too much of a distraction."
Asami stared for a few seconds, her face twisted into a surreal confusion. On one level, she didn't like being compared to the chief of police. Lin seemed like the kind of person to be married to her job, and honestly always came across as somewhat bitter. She also wasn't sure why the woman decided to lecture her on a topic like this. Maybe she just wanted to unload her own frustrations, or perhaps this was her idea of socializing and trying to be nicer to people. Supposedly she'd been working on that after patching things up with her sister. Asami tilted her head. "Okay, thank you?" she replied quietly, aware of how unsure she sounded.
Lin returned her attention to the metal table and the collection of papers. She gathered them neatly and tapped the entire stack on the table to straighten the edges. "Just give it some thought. Anyway, you're free to go. Thank you for coming in."
Asami nodded quickly. "Sure, anytime." She got to her feet and turned to walk out. She felt herself floating toward the front of the building and back outside in a daze. Eventually, she realized she was standing in the open yard, under the statue of Toph. She blinked, wondering what exactly it was that just transpired. In addition to wondering what to do about her feelings for Korra, the chief of police just helpfully advised her to break up with some guy she wasn't even dating! She smacked an open palm against her forehead, now more confused than ever.
The echoing noise of a loud and repetitive chime brought her out of a daydream. She started to count before simply turning to find the source. Laying eyes on the large clock face pasted on a nearby building, she realized it was already noon. Alarmed, she jumped and began running quickly to her Satomobile. She didn't intend to keep Korra waiting at the restaurant if she could help it.
Asami drove as fast as she could without drawing attention to herself. She began to worry about Korra thinking she'd stood her up. By the time she screeched into a parking space, another ten minutes had passed. She hopped free of the car and entered the restaurant at a brisk pace. Sliding into the front lobby, she turned to check the area, seeing no one waiting for her. She slowed her pace and walked to the entrance of the dining area, leaning around a corner to check each of the tables. Though some were occupied, she didn't see Korra anywhere.
Taking notice of Asami's bouncing around, a nearby server approached cautiously. She was a small, mousy woman with amber eyes, apparently hesitant to interrupt. "Do you need a table, miss?"
Asami regained her composure, turning to answer. "I was actually just looking for someone. I'm supposed to be meeting a friend. I'm sure she'll be along soon." Surely Korra was just running late and would be arriving at any moment.
The server nodded in agreement. "You're welcome to have a seat while you wait, or I can take you to a table if you'd like a drink."
"I think I'll wait up front. Thank you." She turned away, taking a look around the room. She walked leisurely to a familiar red chair next to a potted plant. Tilting her head at it, she spun in place, plopping onto the cushion. A very familiar situation. It didn't feel like long ago that she waited here for Korra to arrive after her three year absence.
The last time she was here, Asami sat in the same chair, legs crossed, reading from a magazine to pass the time. Originally, she paced with a mix of worry and giddiness. She was looking forward to seeing Korra again after three long years. She didn't realize it at the time, but her feelings for the Avatar were already growing back then, and seeing her face-to-face would cause a flood of emotions to well up inside her. Korra arrived late, taking her by surprise. Asami's face lit up when Korra entered, saying—
"I hope you haven't been waiting long."
Asami's attention snapped to the voice. She looked to the doorway, no longer reminiscing about their last time meeting here, and now staring at the actual Korra. She could only return the Avatar's signature crooked grin with a dumbfounded stare. She blinked several times, taking in the spectacle that was Korra. The Water Tribe woman stood before her in a long, dark blue dress. The colors switched to a lighter blue close to her collar, with the top pinned together using a jewel that matched her eyes. Long sleeves ran down her arms, though the fabric was loose and cut to reveal her shoulders. Her hair was also styled, neatly decorated with blue beads and gemstones.
For the first time, she felt upstaged by Korra. She remembered only seeing Korra in a dress on a few special occasions. And never this one. Asami vaguely remembered selecting this outfit and keeping it with the rest of the Water Tribe clothes in the mansion, but she never expected Korra to actually wear it. The dress was long, captivating, and decidedly feminine — an anomaly for the tomboyish Korra. Earlier in the day, Asami stopped to consider whether or not she found Korra physically attractive. Looking at her now, the only word that came to mind was "beautiful." She definitely appreciated Korra's feminine side.
Asami rose to her feet and approached the grinning Korra. She walked with a slow pace, drinking in everything there was to see. When she stopped, she realized she needed to pick her jaw up off the floor. She straightened up, trying to speak. "Korra, wow, you look—" What could she say? Gorgeous? Stunning? Breathtaking?
Korra took the broken sentence and the following silence as disapproval. Her cheeks turned red from embarrassment, and she averted her gaze while visibly shrinking in place. Her voice came out quiet. "I look stupid, don't I?"
Asami stepped closer, elevating both hands to place on Korra's bare shoulders and draw her attention. "No, Korra. I was going to say you looked amazing." She offered Korra a sincere smile, allowing her to quickly rebound and display a smile of her own.
The compliment cheered up the Avatar immensely. Asami giggled when Korra flashed a proud grin, rolling into speech from the middle of a girlish titter. "Thanks."
Asami peeled her hands from Korra's shoulders, as warm and inviting as they were. She realized suddenly that she'd always been fairly hands-on when dealing with the other woman. But she didn't know if Korra ever noticed. She turned her eyes upward, pointing with one hand. "Did you have someone do your hair? I like it."
Korra elevated a hand as well, tugging on a strand of hair holding a string of blue beads. "No, I just did it myself," she replied in a bubbly voice. Asami widened her smile, noticing the charming similarities to their conversation the last time the two were here.
"Come on, let's get a table," said Asami, trying to restrain her excitement.