Model Behavior
Summary: Modern/AU. Korra thought it was an ordinary day of art class at Republic School for the Gifted. But then, the art model Asami Sato walked into the room... Korrasami
Chapter 7: The Midnight Dragon (I)
"So, you never did answer my first question," Asami said as Korra climbed into her car. She had her elbow resting on the door frame, and watched as the Avatar got comfortable in the front seat. She smiled softly when she noticed a light flush on Korra's cheeks.
"You won't tell anyone?" Korra asked.
"I wouldn't be playing this game if I didn't take it seriously." She grabbed a hold of the gear shift and moved the car into drive before pulling away from the curb.
"Okay," Korra said quietly. Asami constantly looked at the road or at Korra over and over again. She waited patiently as the Avatar clearly struggled to verbally answer the question. "When I was younger, I was kind of chubby. I have a big appetite. Always have. I think it has something to do with being bundled up a lot in the Southern Water Tribe. Aside from retaining a lot of layers, we have to keep our body fat up
"Kind of like blubber?"
"Exactly, but to a healthy weight for our own bodies. I used to be made fun of on the very few chances I was able to leave the compound so I started working out a lot to get rid of the excess weight." Korra sighed hard. "Of course, at the time, I knew I was the Avatar so I used my fire bending to essentially control my body temperature so, I was able to work out more without overheating. So now I'm the fine specimen you see before you," she finished with a grin.
"As long as you're modest," Asami snickered. "But, I hate that you had to go through all of that."
"It was actually helpful, in a way," she admitted quietly. "It made me a stronger person."
I wish I were as strong as you, Asami thought. The two rode along the streets of Republic City in silence until they pulled up to Republic School for the Gifted. Korra instructed Asami to follow the road along campus until they pulled up behind one of the dorm rooms. Korra pulled out her cell phone and texted Opal.
"I think while we're shopping we should pick out a date outfit for Opal," Asami suggested.
"That's not a bad idea," Korra said. "This way she can be more involved. Although, I get the feeling she has a goal of trying to find me a dress."
"You don't like dresses?"
Korra scrunched up her nose. "Not really. I mean, I'll dress up if I have to but it's not my go to look," she explained.
"So, showing off your arms is?" Asami said while poking her in the bicep. Man, she must really be strong.
"You noticed?" Korra asked with a wink. Asami laughed through her nose before nodding to the front doors. Opal had emerged and waved to the two of them before holding up a finger, motioning that she'll be there in a second. She turned towards her mother, Suyin Beifong, with an impatient look.
"My friends are waiting for me, Mom," she snapped. "I have to go."
"Will you be at the family dinner tonight?"
Opal paused. She rubbed her arm and refused to look at her mother. "I was actually going to hang out with a friend."
"Who is he?" Suyin asked.
"Mom!"
"Normally when you're meeting with your friends you say 'Catching up with the guys'," Suyin pointed out with a smile. She crossed her arms over her chest and tilted her head to the side. "So? And don't bother lying, because I can tell."
"His name is Bolin," Opal admitted. "We met at your summer camp."
"Oh, I liked him." Suyin said before winking. "He can come to the dinner as well."
"That's not really what we want to do tonight."
"Have you asked him?"
"No."
"Then I'm sure he won't mind."
"Fine." Opal rolled her eyes. She leaned over and have her mother a light kiss on the cheek before rushing towards the car. "Bye, Mom. I'll text you when we're on our way back," she called over her shoulder. Korra exited the car and tried not to laugh as Opal moved the passenger seat to slip into the back.
"First date with not only the parents, but the family," Korra said. "Do I hear wedding bells?" she teased.
"Shut up, Korra," Opal demanded. She pulled out her cell phone and sent a quick text message to Bolin. As she was placing it into her purse, it lit up and vibrated. "Okay, Bolin actually says he wouldn't mind coming to the dinner," Opal said as she clicked her tongue.
"In that case, why don't we have Mako just meet us at my apartment tonight and we can all go to the club instead of us picking him up," Asami said to Korra. She reached up and adjusted the rear-view mirror before winking at Opal's reflection. "This way Bolin and Opal will have more time to themselves."
"How much time can they have to themselves with her family around?" Korra asked. A few minutes later they arrived in the shopping district of Republic City. Asami took them to a department store that carried clothing from all Four Nations. Korra and Opal looked at each other with panicked looks.
"Don't worry. I'm paying," Asami said once she noticed the fear in their eyes. "Opal, I'll help you pick something out for your date tonight."
"If it's just a family dinner, then I will stick with something in my closet," Opal said with a sigh. "Let's focus on Korra."
"Trying to change the subject, are we?" Korra asked. She looked at a rack of dresses and stuck her tongue out at them. A nearby shopkeeper glared at her, before continuing her work, straightening up a stack of sweaters.
"So you already ruled out dresses," Asami said as she looked through some racks. Opal was standing opposite of her, looking at the other side of some racks. "How about a skirt?"
"Depends on what it looks like and if it reaches my knees," Korra called out. She had her arms crossed over her chest and was slowly walking up and down the aisles. She peered at the various shades and styles of clothes, making faces at things she didn't like, which looked to be everything.
"Then skirts are out," Asami declaired.
"Why?" Opal asked
"People don't go to clubs dressed like they're going to church," she giggled. "How about these?" she called out and held up a pair of black denim shorts. Korra titled her head to the side as she studied the clothing.
"Too short," she declared.
"These?" Opal held up a pair of electric blue pants that widened at the knee.
"Too baggy." Korra shook her head. "I like showing off my muscles."
"No, really?" she responded sarcastically before placing the pants back on the rack.
"We may be here for a while," Asami sighed.
"Nah. Korra may hate shopping but, when she does have to go it is very easy. She knows what she likes and what she doesn't. This probably won't take long." Opal noticed the somewhat dejected look on her face. "We can go out to lunch after," she suggested. Korra cheered in excitement at the new plan. Asami chuckled and brightened up.
"So," Asami dropped her voice as she and Opal started to browse for items on the other end of the Water section as Korra peered at some shoes. "What would you like to happen tonight?"
"Nothing's going to happen," Opal said glumly. "Not with my family around. They'll probably scare him off. I mean, we've never been easy on Bataar Jr."
"You sound like you're upset at that idea," Asami pointed out. "Is this your first date with Bolin or your first in general?"
"Well, in general, I guess," Opal admitted quietly. "I just like him so much. He's nice, and sweet, and caring, and funny." She hid her face behind her hands and shook her head. "Oh, gosh, I'm gushing. It's too embarrassing to talk about."
"Don't worry." Asami placed a hand on her shoulder. "It's perfectly normal to be embarrassed. Not all of us are as open as the next person."
"There is no way I could talk to my mom about this," Opal muttered. "It took me a while to convince her to let me come to Republic to study airbending and what does she do? She packs up my entire family and now we travel back and forth between here and Zaofu depending on the time of the year."
"You're her only daughter. It makes sense that she would worry," Asami said softly. She picked up a shirt and held it out for Opal to see. Opal tilted her head to the side before smiling and nodding excitedly. Asami draped the shirt over her arm. "Just don't try and rush things. We wouldn't want Bolin to be public enemy number one to your family," Asami joked. "Relationships take time to build and they can be either very easy or very hard. If he likes you as much as you like him, then things will simple fall into place." Korra let out a squeak from across the room. Opal and Asami turned towards her just in time to see her falling to the ground. A loud ripping sound followed a few seconds later. "Just like that."
Opal and Asami quickly rushed over and helped pull Korra to her feet.
"What happened?" Opal asked.
"I found some jeans I liked. I thought I'd try them on because I worried my leg muscles would be too big. I was coming over to show you both and then I tripped over a display." She brushed off the pants before noticing the tears at the knees of the skinny jeans. She looked at her reflection in the nearest mirror before nodding. "Huh. The holes make it look better."
"You do know you're going to have to pay for that?" the shopkeeper asked, glaring at her.
"Then it's a good thing I like it," she snapped. Asami reached into her purse and pulled out a credit card before slapping it into the shopkeepers palm with much more force than needed.
After having lunch and then dropping Opal back off at her dorm, Asami had driven Korra straight over to her apartment. Korra couldn't help but gawk at everything she saw. She was fascinated by the lobby, which had a giant fountain the middle, the elevator taking her up to her floor, which was the penthouse level at the very top, or her apartment in general which was huge.
"You live here by yourself?" Korra dropped her shopping bags by the door before taking a few steps into the living room. She slowly spun in a circle, careful not to miss anything.
"I moved out of my dad's place in my freshmen year and he insisted he I live alone," Asami said with a sigh as she dropped her keys in glass bowl by the door. "I agreed as long as I paid for the place he picked out. It's not really my style though."
"What do you mean?" Korra gasped.
"It's too….extravagant." Asami shrugged. "I like simple."
Korra nodded. She then spotted a door at the end of a small nook to her right. "What's in this room?" she walked over and pulled the door open.
"No, don't!"
Asami groaned to herself as Korra quickly stepped inside. She followed slowly behind her and watched as Korra took in its contents. On one side of the room was a large table with a lot of blue prints, schematics, and various sized piles of metallic objects. On the other side of a room, a table was set up with a chair. A sheet was nailed to the wall and two lights were standing at either end of the table, pointing towards the chair, and various cosmetics as sitting on the table.
"What's this room for?" Korra asked.
"I tinker in here." Asami smiled a bit when she noticed the confused look on Korra's face. Korra walked up to the table with the blueprints and other items. She picked up, what looked to be a metallic hockey puck, and started to turn it over in her hands. "When I have ideas for new concepts for Future Industries, I come in here and work on it. Just to keep it out of the way." Korra jumped when Asami appeared next to her and took the item out of her hands before setting it gently back onto the table. "And that," she sighed, "would be my set up for my YouTube videos. I create makeup tutorials and other things and put it on my channel."
"Oh."
"It's really dumb, I know," Asami said apologetically.
"No, I like the idea," Korra said with a smile. "I was thinking of putting up some bending tutorials or something. I liked your idea though. It's really you."
"Well thanks," Asami brightened. She pulled Korra back out of the room before taking note of the clock. "Mako should be here soon, so let's go get changed." She picked up Korra's discarded bags before shoving them into her chest. "My room is over here. You can use my bathroom."
Thirty-five minutes later, Asami finished putting the finishing touches on her nail polish. She waved her hand in the air and walked over to her full length mirror to look at her entire outfit. She carefully plucked a pair of earrings out of her jewelry box sitting on top of a dresser by the mirror. She titled her head to the side and started to push an earring through the piercing hole.
"Come in!" Asami shouted as she heard a knock on the front door. "It's open."
"It's me," Mako called out as he entered the apartment. His voice was a bit muffled since the bedroom door was closed. "I'm ready but you two can take your time."
"We'll be out in a minute," Asami said back. She looked into the mirror as she fastened her hoop earrings. She peered closely at her makeup and frowned. "I need a touch more eyeliner." She reached into her makeup bag and pulled out the pencil before tracing around her eyes lids.
Her bathroom door opened and light spilled into the room as Korra emerged. Asami noticed her in the mirror first before turning around a big smile was on her face. "You look great," she said. "Let me take a closer look at you."
Korra's hair was still up in her signature wolftails. She wasn't wearing any makeup except for eyeliner which took all of an hour and a half to get Asami to convince her to wear it. She was dressed in a blue and white tank with an allover print of lines forming some geometric shapes. It had an open back with crossing straps. Her binding was visible underneath the shirt but Korra like it because it added an "edge" to her clothes. She decided to match it with black skinny jeans, with the holes in the knees that she had accidentally ripped hours earlier, and a pair of black shoes.
"You look amazing!"
"Thanks." Korra looked at herself in the mirror before flushing slightly. "You look great too. I'm ready to go," she announced while slipping on her jacket.
"Don't you carry a purse?" Asami asked as she walked over to her closet. She flicked on the light and gazed at a spin rack of different clutches. She chose a red pocketbook.
"Have you ever seen me carry a purse?" Korra asked.
"Okay, Mako, let's head out," Asami said as she flung her bedroom door open. Mako looked up from a magazine he was reading. She smiled softly as he looked at her outfit. "You look fantastic," he said before walking over and giving her a hug.
Asami had pulled her hair to her right shoulder and had braided the left side for an asymmetrical look. She was dressed in a red and black body conscious lace dress with a sweetheart neckline. The lace was red while the rest of the dress was black. She matched it with black high heeled ankle boots.
"Thank you. You look very handsome," she complimented him. Mako was wearing a dark red dress shirt with a grey vest on top along with his signature red scarf. He had dark grey skinny jeans and black shoes. His hair was up in his usual disheveled look.
"Okay, I'm ready," Korra said as she flicked off Asami's bedroom light. Mako looked up and his eyes widened when he looked at Korra. He pulled away from Asami and walked a bit closer to the Avatar. "Hey Mako, looking sharp."
"Thanks," he said slowly. He gestured his hands up and down her body. "You look….wow. You look gorgeous."
"Oh, thanks," she said while shifting from foot to foot. "You should thank Asami. She picked it out for me. I'm not good with the whole shopping thing.
The two turned in her direction. Asami quickly straightened up and thinned out her lips she didn't know she had pursed a few seconds ago. She ran her hand through her hair, to hide her questioning look with her palm before smiling brightly.
"Let's go. I'm sure the party is raging by now."
"This is cool," Korra shouted as they entered The Midnight Dragon. The dance club was packed with people and loud music. She winced at first as she felt the bass rocking through her chest. As a guy passed, he whistled at her and Asami. She sent him a sharp glare as Asami just rolled her eyes and shook her head.
The Midnight Dragon was decorated with red, blue, orange, and green silks, emulating the respected colors of the Four Nations. Tables and sitting areas lined the walls of the building by the windows. A giant bar was at the back of the room, filled with numerous colored bottles. Stairs in the back right hand corner of the room lead to a second floor.
"I didn't expect it to be this loud." Korra grunted as someone elbowed her in the back as they walked past towards the bar. "Or this packed." When she was hit in the back again, she made sure she socked the passer-by with her elbow. Twice. Hard.
"It's one of the hottest spots in Republic City," Asami explained.
"You've been here before?" Mako yelled.
"Once or twice," she said while holding her hand out for Korra's and Mako's jackets. She slipped off her purse and her jacket before walking over and hanging them up on hooks in a small nearby coat room. "Are you ready to dance?" she held out her hand towards Mako.
"Anyone want a drink?" Korra asked.
"How will you get us drinks? We're underage?" Mako called over his shoulder as Asami pulled him out to the dance floor.
"I'm the Avatar." Mako rolled his eyes at her response. "And I was going to get a soda." He let Asami pull him onto the dancefloor. The song Shut Up and Dance by Walk the Moon started to play over the music. Asami felt herself happier than ever as she danced with him. They were in perfect sync. Mako didn't move too much at first.
He's either self-concious about dancing or isn't that open of a person, Asami thought as she watched him. Gradually over the course of a few more songs which included Get Busy by Sean Paul, Temperature by Seam Paul, and Fire Burning by Sean Kingston he loosened up and seemed to have more fun. Asami moved and swayed easily with each new song.
"I'm going to get us something to drink," Mako shouted in her ear. She nodded but continued to dance to the beat of the music. She smiled at other dancers as they made eye contact. A loud roar erupted from the corner of the room. Asami looked over and couldn't help but laugh in shock when she noticed Korra standing up on one of the tables, dancing to the music with a red cup in her hand. Every time some of the liquid splashed over the side, she quickly waterbent it back into the cup, making it ripple to the bass of the song.
Asami grunted as someone pushed into her back. She turned and was about to yell at the person but stopped when she spotted Rika grinning at her. "Hey Sato," she said cheerfully.
"Hi, Rika. What are you doing here?" Asami asked. She felt herself instantly tense up and a wave of dread wash over her. "How did you know I was coming?"
"Relax, I'm not stalking you or anything," Rika said with a laugh. She reached out and pushed Asami lightly on the shoulder. "You know how popular this place is. I come every Saturday night."
Did she mean to push me over or is she actually acting nice? "Are you having fun?" Asami asked politely. She felt her body start to relax a bit.
"Yes, I am. My date and I are having a blast."
"I didn't know you were seeing someone."
"We've been on and off for a while. Nothing too serious."
"Asami, how have you been?" a gravelly voice asked. Asami quickly turned around and felt her jaw drop in shock as Iroh II walked by her with two drinks in his hands. He passed it to Rika who graciously thanked him for it before giving him a really big kiss.
She felt her stomach churn. A wave of heat rushed up the back of her neck. "I've been good," she said slowly. He nodded a few times before taking a sip from his cup. "I didn't know you were back in the city."
"It's just for a short time before I'm shipped out again," he answered.
"You look like you're doing well." She wrung her hands before crossing her arms over her chest. He took another sip from his cup. "So, how did you two meet?" she asked.
"Under special circumstances," Rika said with a smile. She looped her arm through his and rested her head on his shoulder. Iroh tried to pull away from him. He rapidly shook his head. "It was during the Frostival Event back in our sophomore year."
Oh, the Frostival. I remember that night. The carnival was fantastic…but I didn't have much fun because I was waiting to get an email response from Iroh. I was glued to my phone all night. Everyone kept making comments about me being anti-social and….wait a second.
They met during Frostival. Iroh had left the day before because we had broken up. He said he would email me to let me know he got back safe, as one last kept promise.
The Frostival. I had invited him to go with me that weekend and he was really hesitant to go, but decided to make the trip anyway. When we broke up, he said that it was because the distance made everything harder. That was after right before our goodbye…night. After I thought the goodbye was just him shipping out again.
Asami must have showed her progression of emotions on her face because the longer it took for the words to sink in, Rika's smile widened. Iroh watched with a pained expression.
"The Frostival?" Asami repeated before turning to look at Iroh. She struggled to keep her voice calm but it cracked a few times. "That was around the time we…and you…and her?" She tried hard to clear her throat, but that painful lump quickly rose. "You lied to me?"
"I didn't mean to hurt you." Iroh took Asami by the shoulders. She placed her hand on his chest and roughly pushed him away. A few people started to gather to watch. Asami glared at them, and they quickly went back to dancing.
"A lot of good that does me," she shouted. "And it's not even an apology," she pointed out. "How could you do this to me? You know how involved I was. If I had known, I wouldn't have…I wouldn't have-"
"Been so loose?" Rika filled in the blank.
Did she just call me a…She called me a…Asami bit her bottom lip. She turned on her heel and marched away, ignoring the other dancers she ran into. Over the music, she thought she heard someone call out her name but she wasn't too sure. A second later a hand clasped her shoulder. Asami turned and looked at Korra, blinking rapidly.
"Are you okay?" Korra shouted over the music. Asami looked up at her and shook her head slowly. She covered her mouth with a hand before bursting into tears. Korra grabbed her other hand before pulling her to her feet. "Do you want to go?" Asami nodded. "Let's go. I'll text Bolin." Asami nodded before being pulling along.
Korra elbowed her way through the crowd. She shot glares to anyone who had shouted out in offense. They took note of the anger on her face before stepping out of the way. Asami muttered quiet apologies over her shoulder.
"What happened?" Mako asked as Korra almost ran into him. He was holding two glasses of drinks in his hands. He put them onto a nearby table before placing his hands on Asami's shoulders. "Are you alright?"
"You need to drive us," Korra said. Asami reached into her pocket and pulled out her keys. "I don't think she'll be able to. I'm going to get out jackets and bags."
"We just got here 45 minutes ago," he said. Korra rolled her eyes and glared at him. "It's no problem," Mako said. He took Asami by the hand and led her out of the club. "Should we text Bolin and Opal and tell them not to come?"
"No, I want to see them," Asami said as she sniffed. "Bolin's energy will help me."
Korra received their jackets and Asami's purse from the holding room before making her way towards the front of the club. She spotted Rika talking to a few people. A second later their eyes locked. Rika smirked and raised an eyebrow. In response, Korra drew her finger across her neck before giving her the finger.
Opal sighed as she and Bolin entered the elevator in Asami's apartment building. "I'm sorry if my family embarrassed you," she mumbled.
"They didn't embarrass me," Bolin said. "It was kind of nice. It felt like a real family moment. Picking on everyone. It was great!" he smiled brightly.
"Well they sure embarrassed me."
Bolin placed an arm around her shoulders and gave her a brief side hug. After a few seconds he quickly pulled away before rubbing the back of his neck. "That's what families do. At least, I think," he admitted. "Apparently I can embarrass Mako from time to time."
"Your parents don't embarrass you?" Opal questioned. She bit her lip and instantly regretted asking the question when she noticed Bolin's eyes had lost some of its shine. She waited patiently as he twisted his lips, thinking of what to say.
"They died when we were young," he admitted quietly. "It is just me and Mako. Always has been and always will be."
"Oh, I'm sorry."
"It's okay." Bolin shrugged. He then placed a hand on her shoulder and gave it a big squeeze. "My friends make up for it," he said sincerely. "You make up for it."
Opal flushed. She placed her hand on his shoulder and gave it a squeeze. She then slowly dropped her hand down his arm to her shoulder. She pried it off before slipping her hand into his. Bolin looked down at their cupped hands in confusion before blushing himself.
"Hey, we're here," Bolin said when he noticed Asami's apartment building. He pulled Opal up to the doors and punched in the access code that Korra had texted to Opal. They entered the elevator and pressed the "P" button. As they rode in silence, Opal felt Bolin's hand starting to shake and turn a little sweaty.
He pulled his hand away. Opal slouched a little bit, but then brightened back up when she noticed Bolin wiping his hand on his pant leg before taking her hand again. Opal let out a low whistle as the elevator doors opened. The two stepped into the small hallway and walked up to the only door. She knocked twice.
"Who's ready for a party?" Bolin shouted as Mako let him into the apartment. He paused for a second as Mako and Korra exchanged looks. He took Opal's coat and handed it to Mako before walking into the living room. "Whoa," Bolin said slowly. He noticed Asami sitting on the couch dabbing at the corners of her eyes. "Why the long faces?" he whispered.
"Asami had a run in with Rika at the club," Korra explained. She clenched her jaw tightly. "Wait until I see her again." She punched her palm with her fist. Asami jumped at the sound but still didn't get up from the couch. "Anyway," Korra pushed Opal, Bolin, and Mako out of earshot towards the hallway, "we need to cheer her up."
"How?" Bolin asked.
"I," Korra lifted a finger in the air, "have no idea," she concluded.
"Well, what is she interested in?" Opal questioned.
"…Cars and fashion," Korra answered. "That I know of, so far."
"I have an idea!" Bolin shouted happily. "Opal and Korra, come with me!" he grabbed them by the arms and charged into Asami's bedroom. "You go talk to your girlfriend," Bolin said with a smirk.
"We're not…oh, never mind," he mumbled before walking out into the living room. "How are you doing?" Mako asked gently as he sat down next to Asami. He was sitting a cushion away from her. Asami shrugged her shoulders as she picked at the nail polish on her fingers.
"It sucks to know that someone you trusted could easily stab you in the back and hurt you," she muttered. She got up from her seat on the couch before heading to the bathroom. A few seconds later she returned with a bottle of nail polish remover and a few pieces of toilet paper. "Usually, I can spot hidden agendas from a mile away." Asami lifted her head and looked pointedly at Mako. "Or if it's staring me right in the face."
"That girl, Rika is her name, probably just has a lot of pent up aggression and is taking it out on you," Mako said. "She kind of remind me of Korra." He chuckled. "So headstrong and will say what's on their mind. However, she doesn't make it malicious. It does tend to get her into trouble though-"
"Mako, do you like Korra?" she interrupted. As the silence stretched she poured some of the nail polish remover onto the toilet paper before scrubbing at her fingernails.
"What?" he ran a hand through his hair, "What makes you say that?"
"You never answered my question," Asami said with a sad smile. "And, I could tell by the way you looked at her after we got dressed."
"I don't want to ruin our friendship," he said slowly, "but I've liked her for a while. If things hadn't messed up between us then-"
"Wait." She dropped the piece of toilet paper, ignoring the little bit of nail polish remover running down the side of her hand. "Did you two date?"
"For about four months after we first met." Mako nodded. "But, all we did was argue. That's why we're better off as friends. However, it's hard to get over your first love."
"You loved her?" Asami repeated. "She said that she doesn't want you to disappear out of her life since you were friends. I thought it was because of some deeper reason. Something like you tend to focus all of your attention on the girls you're interested in."
"Yeah, I guess that could be possible." He shrugged before slumping more into his seat.
"I think you were using me to get over her, in a way. I mean, we just had our first date tonight, but just a few days ago you were holding my hand, or kissing my cheek like we've been dating for a while," she continued.
"I didn't mean to make you uncomfortable," Mako instantly apologized.
"You didn't, but I just became friends with Korra and we're really getting to know each other. I didn't have any girl friends until she and Opal came around and I don't want this to cause her to take any steps back and out of my life."
"Korra has nothing to do with this," he insisted.
"Korra has everything to do with this," Asami shot back. She cleared her throat and dropped her voice to a hush as Opal stepped back into the room and made her way over to the stereo. Asami noticed that she was wearing one of her nicer dresses, but didn't comment on it. Opal hooked her mp3 player up to the speakers and started to scroll through her music. "I like Korra, and I like you too. I don't want things to be weird between all of us."
"Me neither," Mako said quickly. "It won't. I-"
"Okay, are you two ready?" Opal shouted in excitement. Asami and Mako turned her attention towards the girl. It was then that they noticed Opal was dressed in a long red tunic over a black pleated skirt and knee high white socks with little pink bows on them.
"Ready for what?" Asami asked slowly.
"Our 'Cheer Asami Up, Fashion Show'!" she explained. "Starring me, Bolin, and Korra!"
"Say what?" Mako frowned.
Opal excitedly pressed the play button the stereo remote she was holding. A few seconds later, Do the Catwalk by Girls' Generation, was being played throughout the room. Asami looked over at Mako in surprise before she burst out laughing as Bolin came rushing out of her bedroom, dragging a reluctant Korra by the wrist behind him.
Bolin was dressed in drag by wearing the exact same makeup Asami usually wore along with a red cloche hat, a black and white mini dress, which stopped at his muscular thighs, a pair of fishnet stockings, and red converse sneakers.
Korra was wearing one of Asami's black blazers, a white dress shirt, black pants, a matching tie, and a grey fedora. She had taken down her wolftails so that her hair cascaded down her back.
The three of them paraded around the room to the beat of the song. At first, Korra just did some random poses and rolled her eyes but eventually got into the music and started dancing along.
"Come on, Mako," Opal reached out and grabbed him by the hand before pulling him up to his feet. Korra took the fedora off of her head and placed it on his head. Mako twirled Opal around the room. She laughed when she noticed Bolin dancing with Pabu in his arms.
Korra carefully slipped off her tie before placing it around Asami's neck and tugged gently on the end to pull her to her feet. "Let's go, this is for you to make up for the disastrous night."
"This really did cheer me up." Asami looked over at Mako, Opal, and Bolin. They were standing in a line and attempting to do the can-can to the beat of the music. After a few kicks they fell over in a heap on the ground, laughing hysterically. "Thanks, Korra."
"Don't thank me," Korra said while taking Asami's hand and spinning her. "It was Bolin's idea."
"No, thanks for helping me tonight."
"Those girls need to be put back in their place." Korra pulled Opal to her feet. With her strength she accidentally lifted the girl up off of the floor and into an arc in the air before she landed gracefully on her feet. Opal and Asami shrieked with laughter. "Let me know if they bother you again. I'll handle it."
"Good." Asami caught her breath as she placed a hand on her chest. She fanned at her eyes to stop the tears. "Because I don't think I can. I've been dealing with them for years." She paused when she noticed Korra's eyes narrow a bit. "You have a question," she said knowingly.
"I do, but I'll use it tomorrow." Korra shrugged. The music quickly switched to 2PM's Go Crazy. Bolin immediately started to perform the signature dance. "Right now, just enjoy the party."
"Thanks," Asami shouted over the music. Everyone, including Pabu, got into a big circle and started to perform the group's choreography. Pabu ran in between everyone's legs as they danced.
"What are friends for?" Korra muttered into her ear.
AN: I've been working on this chapter for days. I hope it was worth the wait. Just so everyone knows, I had planned for the characters to go through college for this story, but then when I realized it was going to make this story super long I decided to cut it in half. So, SPOILERS, but this story will take place in high school while the sequel/continuation will be set in college. This means this whole idea will go on for a while. :)
Also, to those asking about Korrasami and when it's going to happen: this story is tagged Korrasami so it will be Korrasmi. I wanted to take the time to develop their friendship because I felt like LOK rushed it in some ways. I want to really show them being friends first. As we all know, the Masami thing did happen in LOK but it wasn't end game. I needed to bring it into this story for a specific reason. Just, please try to be patient. I want to do this relationship justice which is why it's a slow, but hopefully entertaining build.
