Song 1 - Oh Heart - Tank and The Bangas
Sometime in the night Korra had nestled into Asami's shoulder, a tentative hand splayed on her stomach above the sheets. Asami's heart hurt a little, she knew that Korra spent her days holding back, but that morning she was reminded she had been chosen by her a long time ago.
Korra can do so much better than me, she thought, she deserves someone open and free and just so beautiful… like her.
When she was sure it wouldn't wake her, she pressed soft lips to her forehead, fingers gentle on her nest of ruffled chestnut coloured hair to keep her close. Asami hadn't the urge to rouse her, nor to slip away, something that came as a surprise. She had never thought of herself as an intimate person, nor sentimental, she certainly hadn't been with Iroh. For the first time she hadn't felt trapped, and found herself savouring waking up under a perfect body. Try as she might to stay in the moment, she couldn't help feeling antsy, as the minutes crept past, her mind kept wandering in to dark and unwanted spaces.
At the time she considered it lucky she'd brought the book in from the car, if only to keep it safe and near on the bedside. With one hand she balanced it open, but without the other to turn the pages, she found herself reading her mother's diary at a random passage. Again, Asami was reminded she was doing something she shouldn't, but something in the warmth of Korra pressed beside her, and the sure and certain knowledge her father would hate everything her life had become, there was so much more to be gained by taking what she wanted, consequences be damned. What was one more sin to add to her list?
As she scanned the loops and letters, she could almost hear her mother speaking the words, with her tender cadence and inflections. A warm excited dread bloomed in her chest as Yasuko's presence returned to her in this small way. As though she were waiting in the next room for the pair to wake from a sleepover.
Korra's breath hitched in her sleep, and without thinking Asami's fingernails scratched her scalp soothingly as she read. She settled, and Asami found Korra's name amongst the scribble.
July 30th 1987
Asami has found her match in strong will and tenacity. If only Hiro wouldn't panic so. His intensity worries me. On the drive home they slept on the back seat draped over each other like cats, but I catch my husband glaring at them through the mirror as though he'd gag at the sight. I find wondering if it would be so terrible, but Hiro insists upon the legacy, the dynasty to be passed on, but what does it matter if she is happy?
I'm sure whatever happens, it'll all be fine. I will write it, and it'll be so. It can't be denied, Asami fawns over Korra like no other. More than once I've caught them staring, before giggling and going about their merry way… I hope for the sake of her father I'm wrong, but I would say that this is my little girl's first crush.
The hand that propped the book turned weak and lowered it on her chest. She wasn't aware of tears that had leaked until Korra, disgruntled and sleepy, kissed them away from her temple.
"What is it?" her voice husky, she's turned so their cheeks grazed as she spoke into her ear.
Asami had repressed swathes of her childhood, one of the things she had been certain of remembering was Korra, she was still here after all, proof that some of her childhood had been happy. Clearly she's miscalculated by just how much.
"Nothing I can tell you now," Her lips brushed her hair line as she spoke, and her fingers traced the nape of her neck playing with strands there.
Korra hummed, noncommittal, and Asami felt her body shift atop her own with the weight of the breath and sound reverberating through her. Asami craved more weight and more sound, but said nothing, the quiet here and now a place she wanted to stay, rather than open her mouth and make things worse.
"I'd offer to make you some tea but we didn't bring anything with us."
"We didn't exactly think this through did we?"
"We could go back," Korra whispered this time, as though she didn't want the thought to be shared.
"You promised me three nights,"
Another hum, this time Asami felt it echo in her own chest, low in her belly and back up.
"Better go shopping then." Asami felt a loss as she pressed herself up and turned from the bed. "Ugh," Korra rubbed her face, biting her lip.
"What?"
"Our clothes are still on the deck,"
Korra's outfit had been the only one to survive a night outside. Asami's jeans and shirt had been a drift in mud and lake water, meaning Korra would have to venture in Gao-Ling alone. When Korra opened the door to leave Asami snagged her wrist and guided her mouth over her own.
Korra turned into her and angled for a deeper connection Asami lost her breath. When they parted she struggled with her words at the sight at that smug three-quarter smile.
Asami cleared her throat.
"Hurry back," Asami blushed as her voice broke, squeezing the sheet tighter over her chest as she watched her go.
For a moment she worried after her, Korra had a tendency to lose it a little when she was on her own. She hoped her task would distract her enough, and sought to find one of her own. She found the sodden pile of the jeans and shirt in a clump at her feet and picked them up.
This shouldn't be too hard.
She recalled the feint memory of a laundry room tucked behind the bathroom, of her mother misremembering how to use one of these newfangled washing machines, and her father insisting on making it more efficient. Neither could seem to figure out how to turn it on. Asami had watched with bemusement at her parents, rendered helpless after years of being served, when Korra sidled in awkwardly loaded the washer, plucking the white clothes aside, poured in soaps and started the cycle.
The trio had stared at her, and she grinned, grimacing, pulling at her neck in that adorable nervous tic.
"My mom makes me do chores." she'd explained.
"Perhaps Asami should do chores too," Yasuko had balked, and Asami's smug smile dropped as she glared at her best friend, before her family had devolved into laughter.
In the present, Asami watched the drum begin turning as the machine hummed to life. Tears irritated her cheeks, she swiped at them, feeling loss acute yet existential. She'd spent all this time being numb so she'd never have to miss anything. One of the things she missed the most was a sense of safety that came with having a family. That feeling of togetherness and excitement that made it difficult to imagine what true loneliness actually felt like.
Up until now it had been the other way around.
This is so dumb, she thought, I'm better than this. She covered her eyes and felt the rush of all she was missing, all she wanted, and how far away it seemed given that her marriage was due to implode any day now, and her best friend could have her heart broken and never want to see her again.
Her father was a horrible man, but knowing this didn't make her miss him any less. What it was to be held by him, carried, high on his shoulders, cradled and weightless.
She caught a flash of another sight she'd blocked from her mind, his face downcast, lips twisted, eyes dark, emanating such fury, that Asami remembered looking up at him and begging him to quell her shame.
The only arms she craved then were Korra's. She felt such a fool, getting lost to her despair, alone and on the floor. She had a mad imagining then, as her weeping turned into that pained exasperated laughter, that she and Korra could return here as an honest couple, with an honest family trailing in their wake. It looked awfully similar to the dinner party she'd interrupted at Kya's house on Ember Island. Babies bounced on knees, generations mingling, an assembly line for lunch. That's the blue print, Asami mused, clutching her ribs as she devolved into hysterics. Not two dimensions, or a single moment captured and stared at, but a cacophony of memories surrounding people, sharing food, sharing each other, sharing love.
"Hey I got you some clothes from the store, I warn you, they're pretty awful-hey,"
Asami could only hear the bouncing of groceries on the tile as Korra's arms enveloped her, pressing her face into her chest as she calmed herself in the dark she'd made there.
"Did you put a red sock in with the whites?" Korra cooed, palming circles between her shoulder blades.
"Oh," Asami gasped, panic subsiding, "I don't think so,"
"Good," Korra fed her fingers through her tresses, "Lets get some food in you, you're not so prone to despair once you've eaten."
Korra helped her to her feet by her hands.
"I hate how well you know me,"
"No you don't," Korra smiled.
"No I don't," Asami took the clothes offered to her, "these are very, soft, and yellow." she unfurled the t-shirt, "Gao-Ling Flying Boars?"
"A school running club were bagging groceries for tips, look the shorts match."
"What size are these?"
Korra pursed her lips.
"Boys large."
Asami opened her mouth to say something, but came up empty, rolling her eyes and shuffling past Korra as she blushed.
"It was all they had!"
It wasn't a bad fit, but it didn't make Asami feel any less odd in clothes like this. She was the CEO of a fortune 500 company dammit, dressed as a middle schooler. She was reminded of how she felt in school, lanky and too tall. Still her chest filled out the top, hugging her shoulders, passing her naval and her once bandy legs were now strong and slender. The shorts cut barely made it halfway down her thigh.
"Shut it," she seethed as she entered the kitchen. tying her hair up high. Korra paused her chopping to look at her, lips curling at the corner. "You chose these!"
"I didn't say anything!" Korra bit her lip. "You look cute,"
Asami huffed and lifted herself onto a barstool of the kitchen island.
Korra looked like a dream, the dream, cooking for her, short hair half tied up, errant strands framing her cheeks and ice blue eyes.
"Write it in my yearbook," Asami popped a grape in her mouth, and melted at the taste of it.
"Go easy," Korra teased, Asami shot her a derisive look. "Sorry,"
Korra picked up a strawberry and carved at it with her knife, nimble and skilled, folding the edges out and across, forming petals circling each other before holding it out for her.
"Rose?"
Asami's heart skipped as she took it, and she felt the sting of tears threatening to fall. If felt a crime to bite into it, but Korra's smile only seemed to grow the closer she brought it to her lips. It tasted just as beautiful as it looked.
Korra was her oasis, she could feel it in her throat as she looked at her, her heart was shining in her presence, and the sure and certain knowledge that if she left her it would all evaporate.
The truth hitched in her throat. Standing she pressed a grateful kiss to Korra's cheek, less to give thanks, and more to just feel her skin against hers while she could.
"I better call Opal, let her know we're ok," she said it with her eyes closed, forehead balanced over hers.
"We're still fighting remember?" Korra whispered, voice still husky, quiet and careful, "she can't know about us."
"She knows about you." it wasn't accusatory, she sought only clarity.
"She thinks my feelings are…unrequited…Even then I didn't want her to. Nobody can know, and you have to be careful around her. She's perceptive."
Asami hummed, finally opening her eyes, looking into Korra's sad and even.
"I can handle it," her palm reached for her cheek, thumb brushing her lower lip.
Korra began to pull back but Asami caught her wrist, tugging her back into her orbit.
"Korra I-,"
"Careful," Korra warned, tensing, thumb pressing into the blunt edge of her knife to steel her resolve. Asami craned her neck to kiss her, firm and soft.
"I feel safe when I'm with you," Asami confessed, laying her palm flat on her heart.
"Oh," Korra was stunned as she disengaged from her, walking behind her to reach for the phone.
Asami didn't expect to feel an arm snake about her stomach as Korra stopped her, or lips pressing gently on the back of her neck. She nosed the nape, unable to conjure the words, so she let her go, and the sounds of chopping filled the silence.
"Me too," Korra whispered, and Asami could only smirk as she dialled Opal.
"Bolin's phone," a young unfamiliar voice answered.
"Hey," Asami balked, "Is…Opal there?"
"Who?"
"Bolin's girlfriend?"
"Who is this?"
"I'm her boss, who are you?"
"I'm not allowed to talk to strangers,"
"You sound like a little girl,"
"No you sound like a little girl!" Korra chuckled and Asami swatted at her, before climbing on the kitchen island to sit and watch her face as she worked. As much as she was charmed by her smile, Asami felt her cheeks flush.
"Can you pass the phone to an adult?" Asami huffed.
"You're an adul-!" the girl started to yell as the phone was snatched from her. There was a struggle on the line from a protesting child and whomever had the handset now, and as Korra laughed, Asami silenced her tracing her fingers over the jut of her jaw.
"…Don't be so rude! Hello who is this?" The voice was older now, but one that Asami recognised.
"Grandma Yin,"
"Asami! How are you? Mako told me you got married," the hand on Korra's shoulder turned into a sharp grip for a flash, "I was heart broken to hear it, I told Mako to make an honest woman of you for years! But hey ho, at least Korra is still single," Asami rolled her eyes so hard they almost popped from her sockets, Korra could only find the whole situation more entertaining. "But that doesn't mean you won't be invited to the next reunion! So good of Bolin to host this year…" Yin went onto describe the ins and outs of the party that Asami vaguely recalled being invited to.
At once Asami felt possessive and rubbed the wrong way by Korra's odd glee at Grandma Yin's grilling, having partaken in a fair share herself. Turning the receiver away from her face she placed a hand on the opposite side of Korra's neck and kissed her quiet.
"Did you want me to grab Bolin?"
Asami seemed to remember herself and pull away to say in a rush.
"No, Opal,"
"Right you are dearie,"
Asami listened to the drums and voices of the party they were missing, but all she could concentrate on was the close proximity she found herself in with Korra. Kissing her may have been dangerous, but the need to touch her became all encompassing. She stroked the soft blades of her lips against her cheek as she waited for the next part of the call.
She was quickly forgetting what that was when her mouth fell to her neck, and it only seemed natural to take a taste.
"Asami," Korra warned, turning her head to her forehead rested on her hair, suddenly weak, and enthralled.
"Asami? You there?"
"Opal! Hi, I just wanted to let you know we're okay,"
"I checked your secret hideout last night, you weren't home, I was about to call the police!"
"We're fine, Korra took me to an old vacation spot in Gao Ling to spread…the ashes, and the storm blocked us from coming home."
"Have you guys kissed and made up yet?" Opal teased, little did she know that was more or less exactly what they'd done.
"Not exactly," Asami lied, squeezing her bicep underhand, taut and hard as a rock. Whatever she'd done to her neck seemed to have broken something in Korra's brain, "She's still tense…I haven't figured out why,"
Asami pulled her so she sidestepped, hips flush between her legs. She pulled her forward and tucked her eyes beneath her jaw.
"Best not to dwell on it… she'll come around. Especially now."
"We have time," she felt Korra's mouth in the crux of her jaw, Asami's eyes widened before they slammed shut, clearly whatever she'd broken was intrinsically linked to Korra's entire sense of self preservation. She suckled and Asami almost whimpered down the phone, she bit her lip and dug her nails into her arm before she reclaimed her wavering voice. "We're not returning til…til tomorrow,"
Korra's fingers skimmed beneath the hem of her t shirt, Asami's core tensing as the sensation.
"I'm sure you guys can work it out," Opal insisted. Korra had reared back, blue eyes burning, fallen to her lips. Asami gulped.
"Can hold the fort for one more day?"
"Sure, look I gotta go the conga line is starting, you know Bolin's family,"
"Conga is serious business," Asami breathed, nosing Korra's cheek, daring her.
"You got it…And Korra…go easy on her okay? She cares but she's stubborn you know?"
"I know my best friend better than you think,"
"Right," she heard the smile in Opal's voice, and took it as goodbye, hanging up and dropping the handset clattering, to cup Korra's neck.
"You're insane," Asami gasped, tasting Korra's breath.
"You started it,"
The kiss was needy and wild, biting, tugging, desperate. For someone who couldn't control the urge for one phone call Korra really knew what she was doing. Her thumb traced the exposed nerves in the apex of her thigh.
The oven rang out for attention and Korra paused for but a moment. Asami tugged her back.
"It's going to burn,"
"Don't you dare stop,"
This would be over tomorrow, it only made Asami need her more. Korra could only oblige, kiss turning bruising, lips spongey, seeking the taste of her tongue and keen of her voice, to feel those nails scratching and tugging the hair at the nape of her neck. Korra had come to learn Asami did this when she wanted her. Korra knew she could only ever do as she asked. At least until the oven began to spew smoke.
Korra dove to fight the small fire that erupted, dashing her fishcakes into the sink and dousing them under the tap. Breath heaving she braced herself on the counter, her cognisant mind returning.
"I wanted to impress you,"
"I'm sorry," Asami wasn't.
"I can make eggs," she lamented, "it'll take five minutes."
Asami's hands braced on her abdomen from behind, kissing where usually Korra's hair hid on the back of her neck.
"What are you thinking?" Korra asked.
"We could be like this all the time" Asami murmured against her skin before she could catch herself, and once again she felt Korra grow tense. This was expected, what wasn't was that Korra seemed to unclench and slip her fingers between Asami's.
"Tomorrow doesn't matter, not right now." Korra squeezed her fingers.
Asami squeezed back.
"Okay,"
"I'll keep the evidence," Korra wrapped Asami's Flying Boar's outfit around her hand. They'd left the car in the garage, and were hidden in the secret tunnel between the book cases. Asami grabbed her wrist to stop her, but couldn't conjure a reason beyond that she didn't want her to leave.
That wasn't good enough she knew.
"Don't think about it," Korra told her, eyes knowing.
Asami couldn't answer, no words were sufficient. They'd shared three nights of passion and now what? Back to their lives, until Asami's life became less insane. Who knew when that would be?
Korra stepped down towards her, the stair case making her taller for once. She tugged her into her chest and Asami's arms flew up to cling back. She bit back a sob, and Korra kissed her cheek, her eyelids, and hovered above her lips as she cradled her jaw.
"Don't follow me okay?" it was more gentle than the last time she'd said this.
And like that she was gone.
"We hiked," Asami explained to Opal, throwing a sprig of rosemary into the pot roast on the stove, "we went swimming," Asami tasted the ghost of Korra's lips then, her bare chest pressing into her own, the urgency of her hands under the water. "We drank wine," she tried to think of the glasses, only the discarded glasses on the floor of the bedroom, and not the two bodies entangled on the sheets, quite exquisitely, and her need to have Korra bucking uncontrollably into her palm, "Reminisced," pillow talk, always pillow talk in the afterglow.
"All that and you're still fighting?"
Asami threw another sprig, she loves me, she loves me not, echoing in her mind.
"It's complicated…she wanted to leave me,"
"Oh,"
"Everyone," Asami corrected, "for good,"
"What?"
"Maybe," Asami pressed, "Sometimes I feel like she's all I have left," she pursed her lips, being honest and keeping the truth from Opal was a delicate balance, dancing on a tight rope, "I can't lose her, but I can't make her stay if she wants to go,"
Opal's nimble hand rubbed her back soothingly.
"She won't," she assured her, "She likes you too much,"
Asami was grateful she couldn't see her face then. The grief that gripped her that she couldn't deny. She'd had a taste of life without Korra this past week or so, and she'd hated every minute of it.
"What is this for anyway?" Opal picked up the recipe Asami was following.
"Iroh's birthday pot roast, his mother insisted I learn."
"He's back?"
"Last night, left early for work this morning, don't know when he'll be back but can't give up on tradition," Asami shrugged.
"Ah, well hopefully he'll want to join in when he gets back,"
"Join in…what," Asami turned, "what do you have planned?"
"I've meddled." Opal grinned, and as if on cue the doorbell rang out.
"What did you do?"
"I thought we could work out together, the crew,"
"You got Korra to come?"
"I told her you'd be out, she's coming over to put the shells in the bathroom,"
"Opal what the hell!"
"It's been over a week since you were away and nothing's changed you two have never been fighting this long and you're miserable."
"I'm an adult, Opal, I'm allowed to be,"
Asami was doing as she asked, and now that Iroh was back the work could begin. She could do as Korra asked, test her feelings. The longer she spent apart from her best friend however, the more unsettled she felt. She was desperate not to lose her, the last thing she needed, (but the first thing she wanted) was Korra, much less Korra being ambushed.
Ding dong.
"If she thinks we're not in then why-"
"I gave her a key that's-" dingdong dingdong dingdong dingdong - OW
"Bo," Asami breathed, closing the lid on the roast.
She opened the door to Bolin and Mako in their work out gear, shorts and vests from their old boxing days, Bolin had opted to add as many sweat bands to his limbs as he could possibly manage.
"Crew fight Crew fight Crew, what?"
Asami's mouth flapped, if she dug in her heels and stopped it from happening, they would ask why. I've been cheating on my husband with my best friend after fucking her in the woods for three days, so it's pretty inconvenient you've invited her here now when I am preparing my husband a birthday pot roast.
"Come in," she conceded. Korra would run a mile when she saw her. They were fighting, it was only natural.
She almost closed the door behind them when she caught sight of Korra in the driveway, balancing a plant in one hand.
"Korra!" Opal grabbed her before she could bolt, pulling her inside. "Group spar yes?"
"No," Korra began desperate not to look Asami in the eye, "I'm here to fix the wall with seashells, and," she lifted the plant, "housewarming,"
"Look Asami, an olive branch,"
"It's a cactus," Korra balked.
"How lovely, see Asami? Now hug your friend,"
Now the eyes clashed and they both tensed, Asami felt Bolin nudging her back and she rolled her eyes, hugging Korra to placate them. Unfortunately her body against hers made her melt just enough, her fingers combing through the hair at the nape of her neck.
Korra's nose bumped her cheek as they parted and she flinched, moreso because of the eyes of their friends, who knew not what they saw.
"Oh look Korra, you even brought work out clothes too!" Opal spotted them in Korra's plastic bag of shells.
"I'm returning-I," Korra stopped herself, heaving a sigh. "I'll go change,"
She hadn't meant to take out her frustration on a human punching bag, but it was almost too easy slipping through Bolin's guard and slamming her hands in the centre of his chest. Wheezing he flew back on the mat, legs folding over his head before he lay flat on his back.
"Sorry Bo," Korra called.
"You broke my heart," he whimpered.
"Aw, Korra," Opal admonished.
"Concentrate," Asami snapped her fingers to her sparring partner, eager to distract herself from how amazing Korra still looked in the workout clothes she had leant her.
"You up for another round Mako?" Korra asked the other brother, still recovering from their bout with an icepack on his eyebrow.
"Just sit down," he sneered. "Wait your turn with Asami, I hear she kicked your ass last time anyway,"
Korra flipped him off and concentrated on the mat between her legs, not the women grappling on the other side of the dojo.
"So are you going to introduce us to this girl any time soon?" Mako asked, almost casual. Korra shot him a glare and he pointed, to the fading mouth shaped bruises Korra had on her neck. Asami's bites on their last night together had been hard and desperate, whereas Korra had made a point to refrain.
"It's new…wouldn't want to scare her off with my meddling friends," Korra raised her voice so Opal would hear. Whom protested but was promptly pinned by Asami.
"You broke it off with June?" Bolin asked.
"Ages ago, you find out someone's married it's supposed to be a deal breaker." she chuckled dryly, sipping her water bottle.
"What's she like?" Bolin sat up now, eager for the goss.
Korra couldn't help it, this time Asami seemed to be in the perfect line of sight, and looking back at her, and it was impossible to lie.
"She's perfect actually,"
"Oof!" Opal had twisted wildly, and pinned Asami while she was distracted.
"Ha!"
"Good, you did good," Asami braved a smile, "I let you pin me,"
"Did you hear? She's with someone here, she might stay!" Opal whispered back with glee. It wasn't reassuring.
Asami slipped out from under her to take long ice cold draughts of water.
"You ready for the Thunderdome Asami?" Bolin asked.
"What?"
"Come on, your rivalry is legendary, you can't tell me you didn't see this coming?"
"Not this time Bo," Korra waved her hands.
He'd already started chanting in his best wrestling voice.
"Korra versus Asami, Yin versus Yang, The Engineer Versus the Ice Princess,"
"Why am I a princess?" Korra objected.
When their eyes met, they felt resigned to it, their friends were relentless, but it would taste a lie to say they hadn't wanted to be close again. Fighting meant no funny business, plus an audience, they should be safe, right?
The rounded each other without words, Korra tried not to make eye contact, until Asami spoke quietly, just for them.
"Don't hold back this time okay?"
Ice clashed with jade, Korra looked affronted, frowning.
"Hajime!" Opal clapped.
Korra swept for her feet, which Asami dodged. It felt good there was no denying, as much as they were fighting the tension between them, technique, muscle memory and the will to win was still ever present.
Less rusty, Korra left no room for error, she wished those words didn't spur her on but they did. She turned Asami away with a grip on her wrist and she stumbled, gripping her shirt and hooking her upright with her own knee they paused for an imperceptible amount of time, that stretched for them, but could only have been a second to the onlookers. Asami reclaimed balance twisting, rolling, taking Korra with her, which Korra surprisingly turned to her advantage.
Asami couldn't particularly say what happened, but she was awestruck by lips grazing her throat, and suddenly she was pinned with no escape, breath heaving. She was both relieved and exasperated that her friends didn't seem to notice the slight of mouth.
"You cheated," she accused quietly. Korra had no rebuttal but to scramble off her and storm off.
"I didn't come here for this," she muttered, stomping up the stairs.
"Korra wait!" Opal called.
"Leave her Opal," Asami warned.
Mako found her later when he was about to leave, pumping caulk into seashells and guiding them into place on Asami's bathroom wall. He dropped his bag, his infamous red scarf hanging out of it and leaned on the door jamb.
"You doing okay Kay?"
"I'm fine,"
"People who are fine storm off," Mako nodded, "You know I'm a cop right?"
"You never mention it," Korra muttered, but she was already smiling, "I didn't want to come for a big thing,"
"Yeah Opal has a way of making us have fun when we don't want to,"
"You too?"
"But it's good for us, that's what we forget, we'd be sulking by ourselves without her."
Korra didn't have a response either way, he was right, she wished he wasn't.
"Whatever is going on with you and Asami, I'm here to talk, if you want… I mean I like to think I know you both pretty well,"
"Is this the part where you bring up you dated the two of us?"
"You brought it up, not me," Mako held up his hands and Korra threw a bar of soap at him.
"Fine, if I have any burning questions I'll ask," she lifted the glue gun in her hand and aimed it at him, "now get outta here before I stick my caulk in you,"
He guffawed and swiped at his bag, not pausing to check if anything had fallen out or slipped under Asami's bed as he left.
She met him at the bedroom door.
"She's all yours," he jibed, before going to meet the others out front.
Asami watched her work from the door, and Korra felt her gaze acutely, determined not to look back at her. Silence stretched, until Korra broke it.
"Kya sent me these," Korra placed the last and held it to the wall while the glue dried, "I didn't even ask, I just told her about the mosaic and I got a package the next day."
"You called her?"
"You told me to." Korra smiled wistfully, before remembering herself.
"I'm sorry for…accusing you," Asami swiped her hair behind her ears, "I'm sure you didn't mean to-"
"I did." Korra looked up at her, "I had to stop myself from doing more." she dropped her gaze. "I'm sorry I'll go-"
"I'm pissed at you," Asami told her matter of factly. Korra gazed back at her, eye brows arching, confused, "All these years you've been holding back, letting me win,"
"So?"
"How am I supposed to be the best I can be if you're pandering for me?"
"Are you serious right now?"
"I want a rematch." Asami was petulant, she held onto that as she folded her arms and dug in her heels. She had a point to prove. The total she'd clung to all these years meant nothing. She was justified in this. Super justified.
Korra's eye twitched, and she shook her head, standing marching past her best friend.
"You coming?" she called back.
Asami's heart was pulsing loudly in her ears. Her eyes followed the symphony of muscles on Korra's back, flexing as she retied her tiny pony tail. When they set foot on the dojo mats she rounded on her, and although Asami had been willing, Korra pinned her quicker than ever. Straddling her, hands on her wrists, chest heaving, sweat beading on her neck.
Without a word she adjusted her grip, until her palms met hers and their fingers entangled.
"Korra," Asami breathed, and it was all the invitation she needed to press her mouth over hers.
"Dang it I left my scarf inside," Mako was rifling through his bag for it, in the back seat of Opal's car. "One of us has to go back for it,"
"Not it!" the brothers yelped as though trained to do so with hot pokers.
"Are you serious right now?" Opal glared at them. "There is some crazy angry tension between those two, I'm not going in,"
"But you lost," Bolin explained pouting, "It's the rule of law,"
"Plus the only reason they're in tension is because you threw them together before they were ready," Mako added, "I mean what possessed you,"
"Friendship," Opal snapped, opening the car door, "Sisterhood," she slammed it shut, "Sanity," she muttered to herself as she used her key to get in.
She called Asami's name, then Korra's but received no answer. Her ears piqued at the sound of a grunt, when she realised they must be having a rematch. Without us! How dare they?
As light as a spy she pressed on the door of the dojo, perching on the top step and craning her neck to see them. Korra had pinned Asami again, but her struggling to break the hold looked…strange, like she wasn't trying to escape at all. Korra's vest was gone and was only clad in a sports bra and leggings, and Asami's fingers were twisting in the back of Korra's hair. Korra's face tucked into her throat, and her arm trapped in an awkward position between them.
"No biting," Asami moaned, sucking in a breath, knees clamping over her waist. Korra's response was to rear back and kiss her hard on the mouth. Asami's tongue swiped out and Korra welcomed it with her own.
Opal clapped her hand over her potentially loud scream. They hadn't noticed her, not in the way Asami's throat unlocked with the strokes of Korra's fingers burrowed between her legs beneath the lycra. Keening with pleasure as her fingernails dug hard into Korra's bare shoulder. The assistant scrambled to get out, not even bothering to close the front door, wrenching her car door open and throwing herself inside.
"What happened? Where's my scarf?"
"Are they still fighting?" Bolin asked as Opal shoved her key in the ignition.
"Yep! They are really laying into each other," She hadn't blinked in about a minute, she knew if she did the memory of Asami getting railed by Korra was still burned into her corneas.
Song 2 - Succulent - be steadwell