Asami was on her laptop sitting at her kitchen bar when she heard the ding to her elevator go off and the doors open, not even bothering looking up from her screen as she was nursing a cup of tea. She had just wrapped up a video conference call about an upcoming product line about to roll out and was putting her hair up in a messy bun on top of her head.
"What's up boss lady!" She heard Opal's heels clank against the floors before Asami saw her as she made her way towards the bar. "I brought you some documents that need some reviewing and that contract from last week just needs your final okay before they can start production on everything. No rush though, you have until the weekend." Opal tossed the papers next to Asami's computer before she started rampaging through her fridge and cabinets.
"There's some jasmine tea on the stove if you're thirsty." Asami pushed her glasses up on her nose and started unbuttoning the first three buttons on her blouse before fingering through the documents Opal just gave her. "In terms of food, just order us some take out on my card. You know I don't keep much on hand besides some energy bars." She heard the younger woman open and close all her cabinet doors before she finally settled on a cup of tea for herself.
"The great bachelorette Asami Sato with nothing but energy bars and cobwebs in her high-rise penthouse." Opal gasped and placed a hand over her chest to exaggerate her fake surprise. "I would have never guessed this."
Asami rolled her eyes and watched Opal take a seat across from her. "Please tell me you're just here to drop off these papers and then leaving."
"Oh, come on 'Sami!" Opal whined, "Since you've been working from home this week, I've been miserable without you at the office."
"Well, I told you, you could've stayed home this week. I would've still paid you."
Opal slapped her arm playfully, "and miss the opportunity to bug you at your house? No thank you."
Asami rolled her eyes again, something she's grown quite use to doing with her friend around. "Oh please Op, you would've been banging down my door whether it was work related or not."
Opal looked like she was taking a moment to think of a way she'd rather spend her time. "Yeah, you're probably right, but you love it. That's why you gave me a key to your pad." Asami chose not to say anything more and continued to filter through her paperwork.
"How's the office been without me there?" Opal picked at her fingernails before holding them out in front of her to examine them.
"It's been fine boss." She stopped to study Asami's face. "Cut the shit. You know I did not come over here to talk about work. Did she text you back yet?"
Asami sighed and took her glasses off to rub the bridge of her nose. "No. I feel like she's avoiding me. It's been two weeks since we had coffee and a dozen messages later and nothing." She watched as Opal picked Tui up as the cat was walking by and placed her on the bar counter. "Do you think maybe I came off too strong?"
Opal scratched Tui behind her ears which caused the large cat to start purring. "Well honestly, everything you do you come off too strong." She gave Asami a reassuring smile when she saw the older woman start to frown. "But that's what makes you a Sato right? Are you really going to quit because she stopped texting you? When have I ever known you to give up that easily when you want something?"
Asami tried her best to ignore the beaming smile Opal was sending her way by going back to fiddling with her papers, to no avail when Opal took them out of her hands. "Okay fine but what do you want me to do just show up to her job?" Opal only looked at her with a sly smile and cocked an eyebrow higher than the other. Asami waved her arms vigorously in front of her to dismiss the idea ever coming out of her mouth. "Oh nonononono Opal. Absolutely not. I am not just going to be showing up to her job."
"Oh yesyesyesyesyes Asami. She gave you her card! She told you to come by when you have time for classes!" She gave her a stern voice. "Asami, you have time for classes! I'll make sure you have time for some classes."
Asami rolled her eyes and let out an uncharacteristic whine. "Opal please don't make me do this."
Opal held her index finger up to Asami's face to silence her from saying anymore. "I don't want to hear it Sato. If you're into her as much as I think you are, you're doing this. And as the great assistant I am, I'll even make the appointment for us."
Asami paused bringing her cup up to her face and gave her a puzzled look. "I'm sorry did you say us?"
Opal only drank her tea leisurely, ignoring the blatant glare Asami was giving her before continuing. "You didn't really think I'd let you go alone, did you?
I've been dying to see this Korra person that has Ms. Sato's panties in a bunch." Opal didn't even try to hide that shit eating grin that took up half her face as she finally returned Asami's gaze.
"I don't have a choice anymore, do I?"
"Nope." Opal said with a loud pop to the p.
Asami dropped her head to her computer and groaned. "Please just don't embarrass me Op."
"No promises!" Opal said in a singsong voice.
"Are you sure you don't want to try that new restaurant around the corner? I hear it's really good Opal!" Asami pleaded as she was being dragged by the arm across the parking lot in front of Korra's gym.
"No way Asami. It took me a whole week to get us scheduled in, there's no way you're backing out. Now are you sure she's here?" Opal stopped them right in front of the gym's large double doors.
Asami sighed and hung her head defeated. "Yes, I saw her truck parked on the side of the building when we pulled in."
"Great!" Opal tugged on her arm again as she went to open the door. "Let's go!"
As they walked through the doors the high ceilings of the gym, the large windows that brought in natural light and state of the art equipment greeted them.
'No wonder this place is always packed, look at it in here.'
Asami took in the large floor plan as Opal dragged her through the lobby, her eyes scanning the upstairs that had four large rooms along the walls, probably for said classes she was currently being dragged to. She didn't even realize when Opal had stopped them at the front desk and Opal was talking to a tall woman who looked oddly familiar. She stood behind the desk, arms folded behind her back formally, her eyes were piercing green and her sharp jaw set in a hard line.
'Where have I seen her before?'
"I know you ladies booked with Korra for this session, but she had a family emergency that has pulled her for a while and left me in charge of her sessions. I can assure you though; I am more than capable of helping you through these classes. But if you feel more comfortable with Korra, I can reschedule you in for when she's back in town." The woman had a deep stern voice but somehow sounded gentle.
"Oh, it's fine we would love for you to lead our session. We will just have to come again when Korra is around." Opal said as she nudged Asami's arm as she signed some paperwork.
"Excellent! My name is Kuvira."
'Kuvira... Where have I heard that name before?'
"You're Korra's roommate, right?" Asami finally asked before she slapped a hand immediately over her mouth.
'She's the one that was at the coffee shop with Korra when I first met her and I remember Korra brought her name up a couple times.'
"Yes? Have we met before?" Kuvira gave her a puzzled look, her hands unmoving from behind her back.
"I'm sorry. I'm Asami, we haven't officially met yet but Korra has mentioned you a few times."
At that, Kuvira's eyes lit up mischievously and grinned wickedly that displayed way too many teeth than Asami was comfortable with, the gentle voice gone the pair was greeted with replaced with a playful tone. "The Asami hm? Well, what do you know; you actually came looking for her yourself?"
Asami could feel Kuvira was sizing her up, trying to intimidate her, those sharp green eyes observing Asami's features waiting for any sign of weakness to show. Asami could barely hold back the smug expression off her face, Kuvira's small act of trying to grab dominance over her was nothing compared to the over bearing business meetings of old men looking down at her, this was something she could handle.
"Look Korra's been avoiding me for 3 weeks now and I felt like we really clicked, but then she got all weird on me. I just came because she told me to come by whenever I had free time." Both women stared each other down for several seconds neither of them willing to give up even a slither of power over the other while Opal looked on between the two, not wanting to get involved in their unspoken tension.
Finally, Kuvira smacked both her hands on the desk and let out a booming laugh, her smile splitting her face, showing off the deep dimples in her cheeks.
"You've got spunk, I'll tell you that much! I like this one." Asami let out a breath she didn't even realize she was holding back and gave a nervous smile to Opal before Kuvira started again.
"Listen I don't know why she's been avoiding you when she's definitely into you. Forgive my friend; sometimes she can be a little dense." Kuvira paused to give them a stern look. "Look, if you're still really interested in your class, I'm about to go host it right now. If you stick around until after, I have some time before my next lesson. I can try to help set you up with her when she gets back in town." The serious expression didn't stay long before the sly grin was back on Kuvira's face when Asami felt Opal elbow her arm.
"I mean we did come to meet her so the next best thing is her roommate." Asami just shrugged her shoulders to Opal.
"I guess at this point what else do I have to lose." She watched Kuvira come around the desk and start to lead them to a small class upstairs with about eight other people in the room before stopping in the doorway.
Kuvira held her arm out and slightly bowed her head in front of Opal to walk pass her. "After you, Ms. Beifong."
Opal walked pass her but not without brushing a hand along the arm Kuvira held out. "Please, call me Opal." Opal threw Kuvira a flirty smile over her shoulder as she walked in the room, adding a little extra sway in her hips.
Asami rolled her eyes as she walked pass the still bowing Kuvira into the room.
'I can't believe I'm being subjected to watching this.'
"Please end me now Spirits." She groaned.
The three of them were sitting at a table at the same coffee shop where Asami had initially met Korra. Kuvira and Opal were busy formulating a plan to try to trick Korra into going on another 'date' with Asami.
"Are you guys sure about this?" Asami questioned them as she fingered the rim of her coffee. "It just feels kind of wrong to force her into this. Maybe I'm just reading into this wrong."
"Oh bullshit." Asami looked up from her coffee cup, taken aback by Kuvira's bluntness. "You two are basically made for each other for how dense you both are being."
"That's true 'Sami. I don't know how you can be so smart and so naïve all at the same time." Asami rolled her eyes at Opals comment.
"I'm not being naïve or dense, guys. I just don't want to overstep my boundaries and push her away even further." Asami stared between Kuvira and Opal as she slowly sipped her drink.
"Listen Korra is into you, I can say that much." Kuvira's intense glare softened as she continued, "she hasn't really lucked out in that whole love department thingy." She rolled her wrist leisurely in front of them. "You just can't let her shut you out, just be patient with her. I'm sure she'll come around."
Asami thought it was unsettling with how fast she was getting used to seeing that vicious smirk on Kuvira's face. "Okay let's just say I go along with your little plan. How do you suppose I do that?"
"Oh, that's easy. Leave that up to Kuvira." Opal nudged Asami from across the table as she shot Kuvira a suspecting smile.
'Watching them together is actually kind of gross. They just feed off each other's energy, it's making me sick.'
"Korra texted me this morning that she's going to be coming home in two days. After I pick her up from the airport, meet me at her house. She won't be expecting you guys at all, it'll throw her off her game and there's no way she can refuse you if you're standing at her doorstep." Kuvira glanced towards
Opal and quirked her eyebrow at her. "Plus, it's a good excuse for a double date."
Asami brought a hand up to cover her mouth to try to hold back a snort as she watched Opal turn into a sputtering mess. "I-is this your way of asking me on a date?" a blush creeped up Opal's cheeks as she averted her eyes from Kuvira and tucked some strands of hair behind her ear.
'Oh, this is rich; I am so going to enjoy getting her back for teasing me about Korra.'
"I may or may not be asking you on a date." Kuvira said in her deep smooth voice as her phone beeped. "Sorry ladies I have to get back to the gym for my next class. I'll send you details later." She stood up, turned her steel gaze back to Opal, and winked. "I'll definitely be seeing you later."
Asami heard Opal giggle and watched Kuvira leave. "Opal close your mouth, you're drooling." Asami said as she lightly slapped Opal's arm.
Opal thumbed the corner of her mouth. "How could I not be drooling? Did you see that hunk of a woman?" She fanned herself with some napkins that were left spread out along the table.
"Yes Op. I had the pleasure of watching you two basically have sex with each other with your eyes since we walked into the gym. It was very stimulating." Asami deadpanned as she rolled her eyes, again.
"Oh, pish posh boss." Opal waved off Asami's comments, it was nothing Opal hadn't heard coming from her boss's mouth anyway. Years at college Asami spent many times questioning Opal's 'dating standards' back then, this was definitely nothing new. "That's nothing."
"Gross. Now come on. If we are going to prepare for this double date, we need to head to the office to get some extra work done." Asami stood and stretched her back out until it popped when she heard Opal groan loudly.
"Curse that sexy lady with her piercing green eyes, sharp jaw line and those dimples oh my go-"
"Spirits! Opal let's go!" Asami pinched the bridge of her nose as she quickly grabbed her purse and hurried for the door.
"Wait Asami! Don't you want to know what my eyes were doing to her?" Opal chased after her.
"Absolutely not Opal! I've seen enough as is, I don't need to hear anymore." Asami called over her shoulder.
Asami tossed her jacket lazily onto her coat rack as she entered her office, besides the cleaning crew, she was the only one in the building. She needed to get an early start making some adjustments on some blueprints that were dropped off in her mailbox late last night before they could be sent off to be made into a prototype later in that afternoon.
Her mind had been swimming with thoughts non-stop since her conversation with Kuvira and Opal the day before. The mere thought that she would be seeing Korra again had a her cheeks painted a slight pink and made a knot form in her throat.
'Okay I need to relax. I'm 28 years old, the youngest ever CEO of a multi-million-dollar company, the hottest bachelorette on the market right now and here I am getting butterflies like I'm some 14 year ago again on someone who won't even text me back.'
She unrolled the blueprints across her desk and stared down at them for a moment. A pencil twirled in between her thumb and index finger as she tried to focus on the measured white lines on the blue graphed paper. Her eyebrows furrowed together as she brought the pencil to tap on her painted bottom lip. She had looked over thousands of concepts in the past but somehow after seeing this, nothing made any sense to her.
'Maybe it's because I haven't been on a date in so long that I'm just starving for anyone who looks my way.' She scribbled, erased, and scribbled again on the prints, tucking hairs that fell across her frustrated face.
'No that's not it. I've had plenty of people who are basically begging me to just look their way, I'm not desperate. There's just something about Korra that I'm drawn to. She's so simple, easy going and so sweet. It's also nice to meet someone who doesn't know who I am and sees me more than just Hiroshi Sato's daughter.'
Asami threw her pencil down on her desk with a defeated sigh. Work was a way for Asami to distract herself from whenever her mind floated away from her, but yet Korra seemed to plague her mind at every corner. "I can't focus like this." She rubbed her temples before heading towards her office door. 'I need a distraction.'
By the time Asami made it back to her office, workers were starting to arrive for their shifts, everybody greeted her with good mornings and bright smiles. As she walked into her office, she had tossed the rag she had been using to clean the grease off her fingers into the trash.
"Good morning you beautiful creature!" Opal all but screamed as she pushed the doors of her office open, arms high above her head with a cup holder in one hand and a brown paper bag in the other. "Breakfast for the boss lady and some much-needed coffee for us both." She held up the cup in Asami's face until said boss took it out of her assistant's hand and then tossed the paper bag leisurely onto the desk.
Asami placed the cup behind her, crossed her arms and eyed her friend suspiciously as she sat on the edge of her desk. "You seem quite chipper this morning. More so than normal." She paused, her eyebrow slowly raising above the other. "What do you want Opal?"
"Can I just not be happy to be working with my best friend? Why do you always think I'm up to something when I come in bringing breakfast?" Opal whistled a joyful tone as she went around Asami's desk to sit in her chair before she started spinning in it.
'You sly bitch. I know exactly what you did.'
"You got laid, didn't you?" Asami asked over her shoulder, not even bothering looking at Opal as she sipped on the coffee. When she heard the wheels of her chair stop abruptly at her question, she was glad she was able to hide her grin from behind her coffee.
"What makes you think I got laid? I'm just excited because we got a plan played out and you're the one who's going to get laid out here soon enough. I feel it and it's been far too long if you ask me." Opal distracted herself by starting to go through Asami's emails on her laptop she left opened on her desk, announcing emails of importance that stuck out to her from the long threads.
"Don't flip this on my sex life. You slept with Kuvira, didn't you?" Asami faced Opal, eyes harsh but hold no real threat behind them. She closed her laptop on Opal, and stared her down, until the smaller woman was squirming under her gaze.
"Imayhavepossiblyspentthenightwithher." Opal mumbled out so fast Asami barely caught it.
"I'm sorry what was that?" Asami leaned down closer to Opals face with her hand cupped around her ear. "Did you just say you spent the night with her? How did this happen?"
"I know it's been a long time for you 'Sami but usually when two people like each othe-"
"Opal! You know what I mean." Asami sat in one of the chairs across from Opal her hands folded across her lap.
"Well, she called me after she closed up the gym, asked me if I wanted to grab some drinks, talk about this absolute disaster our friends are at hooking up." Asami scoffed disgustingly. "One thing led to another and I ended up back at her place." Opal placed her palm on her cheek and had a dreamy look on her face. "To, may I add, have the best sex I've ever had in my entire life. My Spirits that woman knows exactly what she doing."
"Okay I've heard enough of this." Asami coughed as she choked on the sip of coffee she had been drinking and shooed Opal out of her chair before taking her seat back reopening her laptop.
"If it makes you feel better, I at least know where Korra lives. She's got the cutest dog Asami."
"Splendid Op." Asami deadpanned as she started scrolling through her emails, starting from the top where Opal had started from.
They fell into a comfortable silent as they both were scrolling through their emails, Asami at her desk and Opal on her work phone as she sat in the chair across from Asami's desk. Asami occasionally sipping her coffee or nibbling on the loaf Opal had provided for her.
"So I saw you were in the shop this morning." Opal stated softly, not lifting her gaze from her phone. "Nervous?"
Asami didn't say anything for several minutes, staring blankly at the screen as she wrapped up an email she had been typing. When she was finally done, she leaned back in her chair and crossed a leg over the other as she looked at Opal from beyond the laptop.
"Maybe I don't know." Asami paused as she chewed on her bottom lip. "It's been so long since I've felt like this for anyone, I've almost forgotten what it was like." She looked down at her hands intertwined in her lap. "Am I being foolish? I hardly know this person and I've only seen her literally twice and one of those times I spilled my drink on her. Not to mention she's been actively avoiding me and yet here I am pinning after her like some 14-year-old and this is my first high school crush or something because I just can't ever get those blue eyes and crooked grin out of my head." She pulled her long hair free from the messy bun she had it in and flipped it back over her shoulder.
"What are you so nervous about? Yes, you apparently have a serious crush on her, so what? Just take the plunge; she's probably just as nervous as you are. Be that 14-year-old again, it's not like you were able to act like a teenage growing up with your father anyway. You owe it to yourself to at least try to take the risk." Opal gave her a reassuring smile that seemed to brighten up the room more than the floor to ceiling windows in Asami's office.
"It's been years since I've had a 'crush' on someone, probably going way back to college with Mako, if I'm being honest. And don't get me started on the last time I hooked up with someone. How can I not be nervous?"
"Look I'm going to be real with you, boss." Asami looked up at Opal, lifting an eyebrow at her stern voice she was now giving her. "When we had drinks last night, Kuvira told me some not-so-great things about Korra's past. I'm not going to tell you what they were, but you should know she's just as nervous as you. Kuvira has high hopes that you'll be the one to be able to break down her walls. Just stick with it and be patient with her."
Asami closed her eyes and took a deep breath. Opal knew exactly what to say to her to get her through virtually anything, that's probably why Asami kept her as her right-hand man. There really wasn't anyone else who was able to pull Asami Sato out of her own ass better than Opal. "Okay Opal." She opened her eyes again meeting Opal beaming towards her. "How are we doing this again?"
"Yes! There's the Asami I know! I knew you weren't going to give up on me." Asami crossed her arms over her chest and rolled her eyes, a playful smirk on her face at Opal's infectious enthusiasm. "Kuvira texted me this morning that she's picking up Korra from the airport tomorrow night. She wants us to come over the next day after she's gotten settled or whatever and we'll probably go for lunch or something. She said we'll figure it out once Wednesday comes around."
Asami tapped her index finger to her chin. "That should be fine. Reschedule all my meetings after tomorrow for next week." She paused for a second to give Opal a knowing look. "So what's going on with you and Kuvira anyway?"
"O-OH!" Asami laughed as she watched Opal turned bright red and fumble her phone out of her hand. "You know, nothing. NOTHING." Opal avoided eye contact with Asami's shit eating grin. "I'm supposed to see her tonight after work, but we're just hanging out." She tucked her short hair behind her ear.
"Yeah, I guess fucking around is really just nothing and hanging out with you. You know Op, you sure do fluster easy for someone who talks a lot of shit." The grin threatening to split Asami's face in half never leaving.
Opal puffed out her cheeks as they started to turn red as she stood up and made her way for the door. "Can it Salami! At least I'm out here actually getting laid and not reevaluating my whole life over a little so-called crush." She yelled across her office pointing her index finger towards Asami.
"Hey!" Asami jumped up from her chair and slapped her palms firmly on the desk. "I told you to stop calling me that by in college! Don't make me dock your pay, Beifong!"
"You can try, Sato! But that's the exactly reason why I'm best friends with HR downstairs, you spoiled brat." She stuck her tongue out at Asami as she slid through the door of her office closing it shut before Asami could retaliate.