Summary: High School AU (bet you didn't see this coming!), that I wrote to introduce these two for any future HS AUs, trust me…there's at least one more coming up…credit to Maleficent for the inspiration!
Korra heard about the girl to files and a row to her right again…not that she noted where Asami Sato sat in class with her. She certainly hadn't made doodles of the rich girl in the leaves of her notepad, no, never, because she was definitely not interested in going out with Asami! So why did she find herself wondering where Asami sat at lunch?
Maybe if she was close enough, she could just…accidentally sit there, after alerting the brothers she would abandon ship, of course. She swallowed hard and touched the back of a chair, just like Toph told her, she could connect with the world around her…Asami was presently sitting, laughing with a group of other rich kids also laughing.
Korra sighed resignedly, looks like she was eating with the Ferret brothers, not that they were bad, or anything, just one came off as stoic, which displeased her because a lot of the tutors she had growing up were like that, but when he wasn't all stoical he seemed snappy, but maybe he just needed to warm up to people; and then the other was…tough to read.
He seemed like a ringleader in a circus, but talked a lot about whatever situation they were in. Why, just the other day, Korra dropped a piece of cake she hadn't finished when that girl returned her pencil she forgot at class. Bolin commented that he would have eaten it, but Korra shrugged and said she was already full, and that Bolin didn't need that much sugar anyway.
As Korra walked over to where the brothers were, she caught a glimpse of red, the color of her shirt, the one she wore with a black vest. Korra turned fully to the scene while Bolin shouted that they saved her a seat, and what she saw amazed her. Asami stood up and shouted something about just wanting her father's yuans. Korra always heard Bolin and Mako talking about that, but Korra told them that Asami didn't seem like the type to put up with that, or not for long, at least…she wouldn't just leave a group just because of unproven rumors…so maybe she found out for herself.
Her eyes followed Asami, who marched over to Mako and Bolin. Korra realized she was standing still and went to her seat next to Bolin…which Asami was now occupying.
"Hey," Korra greeted, sitting across from Asami, smiling as she introduced herself to their new lunch guest, "my name's Korra."
"Oh, my name is Asami," she held her hand out to Korra, an unexpected gesture, but Korra quickly followed suit, "umm, this is your seat, isn't it?"
"Oh, we just sit wherever, except the table." Korra shrugged, sitting next to Mako and hoping to be stunning in the eyes of Asami Sato.
Asami laughed at the comment, and they passed the rest of the lunch in silence, Korra didn't know what to say, and Asami seemed so much like the rich girl with manners that Korra knew and feared she was.
All that week was strange, their new friend asked if she could sketch them in her notebook, and admitted—no—unabashedly revealed that it wasn't for art class, Korra said she was flattered she considered her a worthy subject and said she wanted to see how the sketches turned out later, while Bolin took it as another favor to his massive fan base, and Mako didn't care, asking only that she didn't draw him in swimming trunks, and she promptly, and correctly, guessed he was on the swim team, much to his chagrin.
Korra later mentioned how she tried to sketch her, but they didn't turn out so well, Asami was surprised, but not offended, and promised to find time to look over them if Korra remembered to bring her notebook over.
Asami spent time with them at the hangout, which was just an old room that resembled an attic, it wasn't terribly dusty, offered a nice view, and had bookshelves and draws.
Asami seemed to be in her own world sometimes, but was the loudest laugher when someone told a joke. Joke telling was usually a significant function handled by either Bolin or Korra, though Mako might find a good one once every…while, but Asami had some of her own.
She still spent time listening to the rest chat while she drew, and after school they visited either Tenzin (Korra's parents were back home, Tenzin's folks were like family), or Mako and Bolin's grandmother, who took them into her household shortly after their parents died, where she was still mostly silent, but not where it would be unpleasant. Korra found it strange, but then, her former "friends" pushed her to hang out with a bunch of nobodies, so Korra wasn't surprised for long before the facts settled in, and she realized Asami might just be like Mako, warming up slowly.
Asami wanted to invite this interesting group to her place, maybe introduce them to some video games or something. It had only four days and already these were the best friends ever, they had a sense of humor, didn't complain if she was silent, but she still knew so little about them, and the silence she felt around them made her feel out of place, so she just drew stuff…and they seemed appreciative of her skills.
She frowned at her work, it wasn't even that good, and this was a Satomobile, something she spent a lot of time around, so at the very least she could have made that one set of tire threads a little more to scale, and the bolts on the tire…then that one little piece of the windshield wiper…she closed the book, resolute to not look at it…then Bolin popped up behind her.
"Tomorrow!?" she caught herself shouting. Oops, her thoughts leaked into her words while she drew, and now it was awkward.
"Huh?" Bolin asked, perplexed, "I only said it looked like a good car."
"Umm, I mean…I was thinking of hanging out at my place," she said, to a very tentative group, "uh, I mean, if you guys…aren't planning or…something."
Bolin seemed to be mentally reviewing schedule, Mako was staring at the floor, and Korra seemed to think the answers were on the roof, all the while insistent on looking up with the corner of her eye, as though in deep contemplation.
"Wait, weekend, sorry," Asami felt so stupid now, of course everyone had made plans; Bolin likely had autographs, Mako probably wanted to swim a bit, and Korra's parents were probably boarding a cruise ship tonight to visit their daughter in the morning, "you guys are probably so busy then, I'm so sorry for that…umm, next time, though."
"Well, autographs and stuff." Bolin scratched the back of his neck sadly.
"And I clock in my swim practice in on weekends, sorry." Mako said turning away slowly.
"And I need to make sure he doesn't drown." Bolin said, pointing at Mako.
"Bolin, how many excuses do you have?" Mako asked disbelievingly.
"There not excuses, it's my schedule!" Bolin shot back, "Remember that one time you were in there alone, and when I found you your eyes were all…"
Asami zoned out as Korra, likely not trying to be stunning, but doing so anyway, turned to her…and spoke.
"Well, my parents are probably showing up, but I'll definitely try to make it." Korra promised.
"Umm, its fine," Asami assured her, "being so far away, you probably don't get to see them often."
"What about your folks, Asami?" Korra asked.
"Umm, weekends are pretty busy…not that we don't have family time during the evening, dinner and stuff."
"Hey, I've got a stupid idea, how about you show up at Air Temple Island, if they find themselves unexpectedly swamped with work, then we can go back to your place and I'll bring my notebook, so you can tell me what I'm doing wrong." Asami smiled, Korra obviously didn't think it was a stupid idea.
Asami had thought it was a good idea too, and, sure enough, Tonraq had councilman duties, Senna had a mile long shopping list and plans to take the food back to their hotel room, leaving Korra with no choice but visit Asami, though both parents promised to be less busy that night and spend time with her when she came back.
Which is how they found themselves here, in front of Sato Manor, Asami turning the key and then turning the knob, maybe it was the way she did it, or the fact it was her doing it, but the very act of opening doors was an art when in the hands of Miss Sato.
"This place is huge!" Korra shouted as she spun in place, taking in the room, the stairs and furniture.
"It is…so, do you," Asami asked, somewhat embarrassed, "like video games…or something?"
"Yeah," Korra confirmed, "hey…do you remember a year ago at that Satomobile exhibition?"
"Yes, were you," Asami staggered back as it hit her, "you…you're that girl who I sped around that racetrack with!"
"Yeah, I was wondering if you'd remember," Korra grinned, "is that racetrack still there?"
"Yeah, but it's cloudy out." Asami said, pointing her thumb at the door.
"Really?" Korra waited for Asami to open the door looked out across the road and saw clouds that she hadn't seen on the way her because of the trees and low seat in the car, but here there was a bit of a hill, and she could see the dark clouds, in addition to the bright flash of lightning followed by thunder.
Korra saw something in the corner of her eyes shiver before the door shut.
"Are you alright?"
"Y-yeah…it's just…you know…hard to explain." Asami trailed off.
"That was pretty bright huh?" Korra asked, wondering if Asami was afraid of electrical storms.
"Yeah, I'll just blast the volume; we can play something with loud sound effects or something." Asami said, trying to sound lighthearted.
Asami lay on the couch, looking at the doodles of herself in Korra's notebook…Korra seemed very embarrassed about handing it over, telling her she had always admired Asami, which was why the first one was two cones on rectangle legs, rectangular arms ended in huge baseball mitts that were over each other. There was certainly a theme going on here.
She would turn every so often to watch Korra play "The Force Unleashed", her guest commenting how Starkiller was like a firebender that could blast lightning all the time, and then she found the Maelstrom power.
"Look, Asami, lightning, bloodbending, surrounding himself in a tornado pulling in stuff, pulling earth and metal towards himself, its Avatar Starkiller, and it's like he can only use subskills!"
"Ha, ha, you're right about-ah!" Korra heard a thud as the power cut for a second, flickered, and then died. In that brief instant, Asami was at her side.
"Asami?" Korra called out, then found Asami laying on her stomach, hands over her head.
"Sorry, I just really…don't like that," Asami searched for a way to explain it, and found a few ways, "sudden, explosive…sharp sound, it unnerves me."
"That's alright, everyone's afraid of something."
"Except you."
"Not true, in fact, I'd be horrified if I didn't know the game autosaved a while back." Korra stood up and held one hand over the other to contain the fire she lit, "Let's find some candles."
"Y-yeah, I like that plan." Asami said, following the orange glow ahead of her. After finding candles, some juice, nuts and dried fruit, they went back to the game room…or at least Korra thought they were, but it was a big house, so getting a little lost wasn't a stupid mistake.
Until she glanced at the millionaire girl's wristwatch.
"Asami, I think we're thoroughly lost now." Korra heard a long breath drag out behind her and cringed, "Hey, this is like in that bright tunnel in that game, and the fuzzy blue elves were there, and if I cut the plants they hurt me, remember that?"
"Yeah, it's just like that." Asami said, grimacing.
"I still can't believe we killed that Jedi Master woman though…that was a awesome battle and all, but she'd have made a great ally."
"Uh-huh."
"Look, I'm not trying to ignore you or belittle your fears or anything," Korra said, setting a candle in a holder on the desk, "just…trying to push the darkness back."
"I appreciate it, Korra," Asami whispered, settling against the wall nearest the candle, "you're very nice."
"But why are you do you sound so sad if I'm so nice?" Korra inquired.
"Because, I've got a lot to lose now, but so much to say, there just…I don't know."
"You can say," Korra sat next to Asami, which the nonbender really liked because she felt safe between the multibender and table, "whatever you need to, I don't know what you're afraid my response will be, but whatever it will be, I want you to know I respect you."
As thunder crashed again Asami hugged her knees against herself, "There were firebenders…they killed my mother, lightning struck and missed her, but it blinded us when it struck the wall, the next thing I saw," Korra winced as Asami tried to talk through her tears, she felt like she would cry too, "fire…she burned to death—right in front of me!"
"Asami…I'm so sorry." Korra hugged Asami from the side and felt her shake as tears fell on her cheeks when they ran down Asami's. Thunder crashed again, as though Asami's fury could possibly be mirrored by astronomical phenomena.
Asami cried loudly, more of a scream than a sob, as though she was raging against the storm itself, and eventually, she didn't know how many hours it was, the rain on window panes was the only sound in the room.
"Asami…are you alright?" she glanced down at the nonbender, who was staring blankly at the Avatar's shoulder, "Asami, are you feeling a little better?"
"I'm grateful to you, you know?" Asami said, looking up at the multibender with half closed eyes, as though she was in a daze.
"I'm glad you can trust me with this." Korra whispered.
"M-me too." Asami held Korra to her like she was being pulled by undercurrents, and Korra was a lifeline, and in many ways she was, "Korra…I love you."
"Huh?" Korra pulled back to meet her gaze, but saw two hurt and scared green moons, shimmering as they reflected candlelight, "Asami, it's alright, I just…it's pretty sudden."
"I know, I'm sorry, I just…don't know why it took me this long to tell you, I've crushed on you sense Professor Tarrlok was taken into custody." She loosened her grip on Korra by a lot, barely even holding her hands over the Avatar's shoulder.
"I've had a crush on you for a while too…ever since I met you that day at the racetrack…I love you so much." Korra seemed contemplative about something, and Asami was curious about what it was.
"Korra, what's wrong?"
"If you…had a crush on me," Korra began, barely above a whisper as she pulled herself away from Asami, "and I—I had a crush on you…then maybe we…I mean…uh, the thought just goes on and on."
"I—I see." Asami watched as Korra held a finger in front of her lip.
"Well, I can't just say it's nothing, because it's a really important something, but I can't say it because…well," Korra crossed her arms as she sat on her knees, before gesturing to Asami, "you're like this, it's wrong."
"I don't understand…the thought's conclusion?"
"Well, it is a kind of romantic one."
"Is it alright for me to…confirm a romance?"
"Well, that depends…are you feeling better now?"
"A lot, thank you for asking." Asami held her hands out to Korra, who joined her hands with her own.
"Then I guess it's alright." Korra watched as Asami tentatively neared her. This was more startling than when Darth Vader ran Starkiller through with a lightsaber because Darth Sidious caught them working together as master and apprentice. Korra felt Asami's hands on her shoulder, and followed suit.
Asami backed away slowly; her eyes downcast as she smiled wordlessly, her whole expression just screamed that there were no words for this moment…and then the lights were on, like they had never left.
"Do you want to play the arena mode?" Korra asked, removing the candles' lights with a gesture.
"Sure, maybe after that we can doodle together."
"Y-yeah, that'll be great." Korra opened one of the cans of juice and realized it was her second can, and that she left an empty can somewhere in this house.
"After a tour, maybe?" Asami laughed, noticing Korra look around.
"Yeah…I think I hear keys at the door."
"Dad's probably back...you're still staying for dinner, right?"
"Of course, why wouldn't I?"
"That little display back there…would have earned me a lot of jeering with that group of friends I left."
"You still stayed with them anyways?"
"They always said they were laughing at a conveniently timed text from someone, and that I was so good at stifling my crying that they didn't notice." She sighed sadly, "Sometimes I wanted to be noticed."
"Should I talk to them?" Korra asked.
"No, they aren't worth our time." Asami set a hand on Korra's shoulder, and two sparkling blue eyes were suddenly nearing her at an alarming pace, until…Hiroshi coughed.
"Ah—excuse me…sir…umm, ah, Asami's dad…sir—Mr. Sato!" Korra shook her head while the Hiroshi chuckled in a friendly manner, "So, um, Asami, how about those drawing lessons?"
"Uh—yeah, after I get dinner go-"
"I'll get that," Hiroshi laughed, "you two can go and draw or…whatever."
Author's Notes: tell me you didn't see this one coming! I kind of had the whole "use firebending to light candles" idea for a while after the power got knocked out, it always smacked of a High School AU, I hadn't planned on writing it, but due to an upcoming story inspired by Maleficent-darkgoodwitch2416, I tossed it together real quick, because I felt it had more of a sense of continuity if this came first…yes, you guessed it, the next is an AU as well! Maleficent-darkgoodwitch2416 and I both saw that the next one, currently not even close to being started, would work better as High School AU…and that's all I'm saying about that one!