Chapter 37

Laying on the living room couch in the apartment, Kara used her X-ray vision to see through Korra's door. The Avatar was still sitting cross legged on the floor, meditating, as she had done for the better part of the hour. With a huff, Kara lay her head back and stared at the ceiling. She had about all she cared for in T.V. today, King was asleep on his bed in her room, and Peter was off on patrol or just having a moment of moody solitude somewhere. That left just her and Korra in the apartment, and the Girl of Steel was getting board.

The same temptation to interrupt that filled Kara every time she saw Korra meditate, came to her once again, and this time she felt like she couldn't resist. Quietly, she floated over to the door. In less than a second, she had turned the doorknob and flung it open hard enough for it to slam into the wall.

Korra flailed backwards, eyes wide in terror. "WHAT?! Wha-what's going on?!"

Kara was doubled over in laughter in the middle of the doorway. "Oh, man...you have no idea how many times I've wanted to do that." she whipped away the tears of her laughter as King rushed in, yipping and licking Korra's face.

"So we're not under attack?" Korra scowled, settling the puppy down.

"No, I just...wow, I should have used a camera." Kara said.

"I'm sorry, do I interrupt you when you're trying to clear your mind?!" Korra stood and composed herself.

"Nooo, but that's probably because I don't sit on the floor like a nut case three times a week."

"I was meditating...clearing my mind of all the distractions of the past few weeks." Korra said, "It helps keep my brain together so I don't go crazy."

Kara cocked her head slightly. "Does that actually work?"

"Well I didn't bring the building down when you startled me, and considering what we've been through...yeah, a little."

"Hmm...would you teach me?"

"You insult my meditations, then ask me to teach you how to do it?" Korra crossed her arms, "Yeah, no. I know a prank when I see one." she forced her way past Kara, but the Girl of Steel kept beside the angered Avatar.

"No, seriously, I didn't know what it was for. Please? Sometimes I feel like my brains going faster than I can fly. Maybe it'd help if I slowed things down a bit."

Korra filled a glass of water, all the while studying Kara's face. "You do realize that if this is some kind of joke, I will spend every waking hour making sure you do not know peace?"

"Sheesh, doesn't seem like this meditation stuff works too well."

"Not when you get interrupted by some jerk bursting into your room."

"Sorry, sorry, I thought it would be funny...and for the record, it was."

Korra took a swig of her glass, then thought as she kept her eyes on Kara.

"Please?"

The Avatar huffed, "Alright, fine." she led them back to her room. Reaching into the drawer of her night stand, she pulled out several candles and a packet of matches. "Usually, it helps to have a relaxing aroma." With the candles lit and set all around them, both girls sat cross legged in the middle of the floor. "I should warn you, I'm not exactly a master at this myself, so teaching you might be difficult."

"Okay. What's the first step?" Kara asked.

"Sit like I am." Korra said. The Girl of Steel mimicked Korra by placing her forearms on her thighs, with hands meeting in the middle of the gap in between her crossed legs. Korra closed her eyes and said, "Then take a deep breath...and control your breathing...steady and constant."

"Man, now I'm going to be breathing manually for the next hour." Kara said. Korra opened one eye to glare at her. "Sorry." she said sheepishly.

Korra closed her eye, "Now just clear your mind...focus on your breathing...just-"

"How long does this normally take?"

"As long as it needs to."

"Can I get, like, the accelerated coarse this time around?" Kara said. Again Korra opened a single eye. "I'm just saying, ease me into it, you know? If I sit hear too long, I might start getting...antsy."

"Start?" Korra said with a chuckle. "Just relax. Don't be concerned about what time it is, clear your mind."

For a few minutes, the girls sat in silence, only disturbed by Kara's eventual sigh.

"Relax." Korra said calmly, "Keep your mind clear. Focus on your breathing."

One again the room fell silent for several minutes. Despite her best efforts, Kara's mind occasionally jumped from thought to thought.

"So, I was thinking..."

Korra huffed and her composure drooped. "Now I know how Tenzin felt when he taught me."

"Maybe Peter would feel less down and out if he had a girlfriend." Kara said.

"Good, go for it." Korra stood and walked out of her room.

"Wait, hold on a second." Kara followed.

Korra rounded on her the moment she was out of the room. "Why?! So you can say something I've already heard? I've had enough of this Kara. I don't even know if he likes me like that, and I'm not going to risk ruining our friendship for-"

"He does." Kara said.

"How can you-"

"Because I talked to him." Kara said, "I figured if I couldn't get you to ask him out, I'd try to get him to ask you our."

"You what?!" Korra shouted, "I can't believe that you told him I-"

"No! I swear, I didn't say how you felt." Kara said, "I mean, I implied it, but I could tell he likes you. He said you were pretty and fun to be around."

Korra blushed, but she crossed her arms. "If that's true, then why are you trying to convince me to ask him out?"

"He doesn't want to risk it because he thinks teammates dating isn't a good idea."

"That's basically the same point I've been trying to make!" Korra said, "If things didn't go well, we could end up loosing a valuable friendship instead of gaining a relationship. If you want to ask him, go ahead, you'll have my full support, but I'm not going to risk it."

"Risk being happy?" Kara asked. Korra's gaze dropped for a few seconds. "I know it, don't ask me how, but I just know you two as a couple would work out. He makes you happy, you make him happy. Make each other happier, that's all I'm asking."

"I don't...I mean..." Korra said, "Is now even a good time? His friend just attacked him."

"Peter's been through worse, and he'll pull through this just the same." Kara said, "And he'll get better faster with some pretty lady on his arm." she nudged Korra with her elbow.

"I don't know...maybe." Korra said, "Let me think about it."

"Better think fast because he's on his way back." Kara said.

"What? I'm not gonna-"

Kara took off into her room, coming out a few seconds later in her costume and cape. Spider-man landed on the balcony and came inside the apartment.

"Hey Peter, I hear a purse thief across town." Kara said, "So Ima go stop him. And leave you two alone. For a while. Just you two. Might even stop and get something to eat on the way back."

"Uh, alright." Peter said as he took off his mask. "Try not to take anybody's head off." he sat on the couch and took off his boots. Kara gave Korra two thumbs up as she backed out on to the balcony. Frantically, Korra shook her head, but Kara paid her no mind as she flew down into the city.

Panicked, Korra stood motionless as the color drained from her face.

"So what are you doing for dinner tonight?" Peter asked.

"What? What do you mean? Why are you asking that? I-I..."

"Uh...just curious. Thought I might order pizza." Peter said. He stood and moved around the back of the couch and towards his room.

"Um...so h-how are you?" Korra asked, trying desperately to control her heartbeat.

"I'm good." Peter said. He noticed her staring, so he stopped just outside his room. "Seriously, I'm fine. Harry is in therapy, and he's getting the serum out of his system. Even if he can remember half of what happened since he took the Goblin formula, no one will believe him if he starts claiming I'm Spider-man. He was high out of his mind."

"Right...yeah."

Peter disappeared into his room, then came out a couple minutes later, shirtless and carrying fresh clothes.

"H-hey, Pete, can I talk to you about...something?" Korra took a few steps towards him.

"Sure." Peter said.

"I, um..." she held her hands behind her back and squeezed them so tightly together she felt like she was going to break her fingers. "Uh, actually, it can wait until you're out of the shower."

"Alright, I'll try to hurry up." Peter said, "Got that city council thing Jonah wants me to take pictures of since the normal guy called in sick." he closed the door to the bathroom and could be heard turning the shower faucet on.

Korra half sat, half fell into the chair. She pressed her knuckles against her eyes as she thought back to Mako. What had she done right, what had she done wrong. The first time she expressed her feelings for him, it was like a bunch of words she wanted to say all fell out at once. She needed to stay calm. Closing her eyes, Korra began to focus on her breathing, in a near meditative state. Repeatedly, she told herself this was no big deal. She had faced dozens of lethal enemies, and this was not a matter of life and death like they were. It was much simpler than that. The repercussions of her failure here would not mean the end of anything.

Except if they did. Her eyes flashed open as the shower shut off. Everything she had just told herself went out the window as her brain was consumed of thoughts about the chance that confessing her feelings for Peter, and not having them reciprocated, might mean the end of their team. Where would she go then? What would she do? Outside of a few sparring matches, she didn't know any of the Avengers. And the only other people she had anything to do with where Supergirl and Aunt May, both of which would still be around Peter, making things awkward to the point she'd have to-

"So what did you want to talk about?" Peter asked as he pulled a shirt over his damp head.

Korra bolted upright, "D-uh...I was just thinking." she cleared her throat, "The, uh, the thing...Kara said, and I..." Her mouth dried up. She could hear her heartbeat in her ears, stomach in knots so tight she felt like they would bend her in half. "I just wanted to say that...I've really enjoyed spending time with you. I...I like it here now, and I owe it to you and Kara, and I'm...thankful that you're...you...because if you were someone different, then...maybe I wouldn't lllike...things...as much."

Peter smiled at her. "I'm glad to hear it. I really like having you and Kara here too. You've made my life a while lot more enjoyable...even if you do squabble constantly. Now, I gotta get to City Hall." Korra faked a grin as he walked past. "I don't think I need to be there for the whole thing. Just get pictures of people at the podium, shaking hands, that sort of deal. Should be back in an hour." he pulled on his coat and left the apartment.

Korra became aware of how tight her jaw and shoulders were. She released everything and fell face first onto the couch. King put his front paws near her head and sniffed her hair, but Korra ignored him and lay still. A few seconds later, the balcony door opened and Supergirl walked in.

"Sooo..." she stood over the back of the couch looking down at Korra, "That didn't go as well as it could have."

Korra groaned into the cushions. "I suck..."

"Hey, don't be like that." Supergirl said, "Things are always awkward at first, but they can get better. We just need to-"

"No, we don't." Korra rolled over and sat up. "This is dumb...I don't even...ugh." she stood and walked towards her room.

"Hold on, don't give up yet." Supergirl said, "You just need to focus, like how you were meditating earlier. Focus on what you want, and nothing can stop you from getting it, right?"

"But I don't know if I do even want it..." Korra mumbled.

"What? But..." She followed Korra into her room. The Avatar sat on her bed, back against the wall and clung to a pillow. "I thought you said you liked Peter. And you weren't lying, I would have heard your heartbeat change. Speaking of which, I could hear it change when we talked about you getting romantic with him. You do like him." she sat next to Korra on the bed.

"I...well, I do, but just...not..." Korra avoided eye contact for a while, then stuffed her head into the pillow.

"Hey," Supergirl reached for Korra's hand, but she pulled away, "Whatever it is, you can talk to me about it. We're friends right? Friends talk to each other, help each other. We've been doing this for months, there's nothing you can't talk to me about."

"I think there's one thing." Korra said into the pillow.

"There isn't, now tell me what's wrong."

"I don't...know if...if I'm like that." Korra said, she peeked out from the pillow, "Into...boys."

"Oh." Supergirl said calmly.

"'Oh'?" Korra sat up a little and looked at Supergirl with confusion, "You don't...think that's weird?"

"No, not really." Supergirl said, "Unlike on Earth, on Krypton it's not seen as weird when men and women date the same gender. They're not allowed to get married to each other. As a matter of fact, they have to marry someone of the opposite gender so you can have children. But the point is...I don't think it's weird."

Korra let out a huge sigh and leaned back against the wall. Her shoulder's dropped and her entire composer relaxed.

"So, um, when did you first start feeling that way?" Supergirl asked.

"I'm not really sure." Korra said, "When I was first friends with Asami, we were enemies, then friends, then best friends, then...I just kinda started to feel that way a little, but I don't know, I...maybe didn't recognize it at first, or I just...repressed it or something, but...it kept growing the more time we spent together."

"So...I don't know if this is weird or anything." Supergirl twiddled her thumbs for a few seconds, then looked up into Korra's eyes, "Have you ever felt that way about me?"