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 14: The Midnight Dragon (II)
"Hey," Kuvira said while looking up from her science book. Korra lifted her head from the back of the couch before looking around the room. Asami was helping Kiyoko with…something science-y and advanced (she had lost track a long time ago), and Opal was texting on her phone smiling every time she would receive a response. Korra rolled her eyes and smiled softly before looking over in Kuvira's direction. "Follow me," she instructed.
Korra raised an eyebrow in confusion before getting up from her seat. Asami noticed them moving and picked up her glass before holding it in the air. Korra plucked it out of her hand and looked at the bottom to see what kind of beverage she wanted. "What's up?" Korra asked as they stepped into the kitchen.
"I want to apologize for the comment I made earlier," Kuvira said as Korra rummaged around in the refrigerator, moving items to grab the bottle of Hawaiian punch. "It was a joke."
"Are all girls at RITA bad at telling jokes or is it just you and Asami?" she asked while filling up the glass. Once the liquid was at a reasonable height, she recapped the bottle of punch before slipping it back into the refrigerator.
"I hear the girls around school, making fun of each other with light put downs," Kuvira said with a shrug. "I thought that is how people act these days. I thought it was normal. Apparently, I over-analyzed the situation."
"These days? You're not that much older than me," Korra commented. "And why are you speaking so articulately?" she asked.
"If I want to be a part of the Metal Clan and a well-respected figure, I should act like it," she answered with a blink.
"There's a difference than being respected and being a robot," Korra snickered. She placed a hand on Kuvira's shoulder who looked down at it as if her hand was covered in dirt. "Here's a suggestion, loosen up a bit. No one wants to hang around someone who is very stuffy."
"Baatar Jr does," Opal commented as she entered the kitchen. She placed a bowl filled with small popcorn kernals into the sink. "Of course he's about as stuffy as she is."
"You should not be commenting on something that is none of your business, nor that you understand," Kuvira snapped. Korra rolled
Opal looked in between the two of them before tapping a finger against her chin. "You know, you two are a lot alike," she pointed out.
"What?" Kuvira snapped.
"How?" Korra asked.
"Well, you look about the same. Same height and same build." Korra and Kuvira looked each other up and down before shaking their heads.
"But I'm cuter," Korra added. Kuvira scowled.
"I know Kuvira is very competitive," Opal continued, "and you fight on a pro-bending team. I wonder which of the two of you would win in a fight."
"Me," Korra and Kuvira said at the same time. They turned towards each other with a look of surprise. "Me," the insisted. "Me!"
"Fine, let's fight and see who is better," Kuvira said with a smirk.
"Bring it on," Korra said. She placed the glass down onto the table and cracked her knuckles. Kuvira laughed through her nose before rolling her head from the left to the right. Light popping sounds filled the room. Korra couldn't help but wince.
"Wait, there's going to be a fight?" Asami asked as she entered the kitchen. She grabbed her glass of punch before taking a sip. Korra muttered a soft apology for taking too long. "We should probably keep you two away from each other from now on," she commented.
"How's the studying going?" Opal asked.
"I'm sorry for focusing on Kiyoko, Korra," Asami said as she turned to face her. She tapped her fingernails on the glass in her hand. "I just feel that-"
"Don't worry about it," Korra said, waving her hand in the air. "Did you find out how she's being blackmailed yet?"
"Am I that easy to read?" Asami asked with a laugh. Opal smiled softly as Kuvira snorted and rolled her eyes. "No, she's clamed up about it. I think in time, I can get her to tell me."
"Just like an engineer, always having to fix and tinker something," Korra snickered. "I trust your judgment, besides I still have four days before the exam. I should be heading out anyway. Tenzin asked me to watch his kids as he tends to Pema and the new baby."
"Scared of fighting me?" Kuvira asked.
"No," Korra said before sneering. "I just have plans. Besides, you and Asami are supposed to work later on her super-secret project. I wouldn't be much of a help anyway. Are you coming Opal?"
"Yeah, I'm meeting Mako and Bolin the park soon."
The three girls stepped back into the living room. Kiyoko looked up and smiled as Asami sat back down next to her. She leaned over and showed her the progress she was making on an equation in her notebook.
"Both of them?" Korra asked.
"Bolin thinks it'd be a good idea if we all got along," Opal said before walking over to Korra. She grabbed her tightly by the arm. "Walk me there. If you don't, Kuvira will," she hissed into her ear.
"I'll walk you," Korra said extra loudly said as she gathered her things. Opal pinched her on her elbow which caused the Avatar to chuckle.
"It was really nice meeting you, Korra," Kiyoko gushed from her seat on the floor. "I hope to see you in a pro-bending match soon. You're really great."
"Oh, thanks," Korra smiled. She turned and smirked at Kuvira who just rolled her eyes. "I'll text you later, Asami, if I need some more help, but I think I'm getting it."
"Yeah, once she used the idea of food," Opal commented.
Korra eyed the younger girl. "Would you rather have Kuvira walk you?"
"No, let's go," she answered quickly. "I'll keep the comments to myself." The two said their goodbyes before leaving the apartment. Upon entering the elevator, Opal let out a huge sigh of relief. "She's only mean to you because we're friends."
"Why?" Korra asked in bewilderment.
"I've known Kuvira for as long as I can remember. She thinks she can be the boss of me because my mom told her to watch over me." She shifted her bag on her shoulder before rolling her eyes. "I refuse to listen to her and she doesn't like the fact that I respond to you more."
"Because I'm nice?"
Opal laughed. "Because you and Asami look out for me without being obvious about it." She shrugged. "But, like I said. You two are a lot alike so…"
"So she sees me as competition?" Korra smiled. "Cool, it can keep me on my toes."
"Asami's right. We should keep you two away from each other."
The sun gleamed down on Korra and made the beads of sweat on her forehead glisten. She wiped her forehead before smirking over at Ikki and Meelo. They were on the opposite side of the air gates; Ikki was bouncing a ball while Meelo tapped his foot impatiently.
Ikki tossed the ball into the air before using her air bending to cause the gates to spin rapidly. She then used her air bending to push the ball into the gates. The ball bounced around in the gates. Meelo created a big gust of wind, causing the gates to move faster. The ball ricocheted off of a gate and flew straight towards Korra's face.
Without hesitating, Korra lifted her hand. Her eyes slowly faded into white before a blue aura began to glow around her body. The ball slowed to a stop but continued to hover above the ground. With a light flick of the wrist, Korra air bent the ball back through the gates at blinding speeds. Before he could react, Meelo was struck in the face with the ball.
"That's a point for me," Korra cheered.
"Time out!" Ikki shouted, the force of her anger sending her sky rocketing into the air.. She crossed her arms over her chest before softly floating to the ground. "You can't use the Avatar State, Korra. We've been through this, it's cheating."
"No, it is strategy." Korra shrugged. She then stuck her tongue out at the two young air benders.
"Look what you did to Meelo." Ikki pointed over to her brother. Meelo moved his hands away from his face. Korra raised her eyebrows in surprise when she noticed how red his face had turned. He rubbed the end of his nose and quickly pulled his hand away when he noticed the blood. Meelo started to regard it curiously. "You call that strategy?"
"I'm sure you two have some secret weapons up your sleeves," Korra responded simply.
"Maybe not the sleeves," Meelo said slyly. He adjusted the waist band of his pants before picking up the ball.
"That's disgusting," Korra muttered. She placed her hands together in the shape of a t as she heard her cell phone ringing. She read the caller i.d before pressing the ANSWER button. "What's up, Asami?"
"Kuvira just left," she explained. "Kiyoko left a while ago so now I'm bored."
"With how smart you are, I'm sure you can find something to do."
"Yeah, but I'll probably be bored of it after I start. You're more entertaining than finishing a book series." A light clicking sound filled Korra's ears. After a few seconds, she concluded that Asami was rapidly typing away on her computer.
"Wow, I'm more exciting than books," Korra said with over exaggerated shock. "That's the best compliment I've ever received in my life."
"Shut up, Korra," Asami cackled.
"Why don't you come back here and hang with me and the air kids?" she suggested.
"I'm not too good with kids."
"Ikki, Meelo, and Jinora are great. They warm up to anyone." Korra turned when she spotted movement out of the corner of her eyes. Jinora was walking along the air temple, holding a book tightly to her chest. Her head was down, looking at her feet as she walked. "Hey, Jinorah," she called out.
"Kai is not my boyfriend," Jinora shouted as she lifted her head. Ikki and Meelo shared a look with each other before facing their older sister.
"All is said was hi," Korra said slowly, a smile forming on her lips. "But, now that we're on that topic, how are things going? I hear you've been spending a lot of time together," she said in a singing voice. Jinora rolled her eyes and Korra's smile widened as she heard Asami's laugh in her ear.
"Just school work," Jinorah insisted, her cheeks turning a flaming red. "Leave me alone," she ordered before rushing away. Ikki and Meelo laughed before giving each other a high five, signaling to Korra that their older sister's reaction was because of a previous teasing section.
"Figures, the only time I can get an emotion out of her is when we're talking about boys," Korra muttered.
"More like you teasing her," Asami responded with a laugh.
"She deserves it. She wouldn't stop asking about me and Mako when I started to like him. She even gave me this weird idea from a book about burning down a village and throwing myself into a volcano."
"What?"
"Jinora said it was romantic," Korra answered with a shrug. She held up a finger in Ikki and Meelo's direction when she spotted the impatient looks on their faces.
"Is that a book she should be reading?"
"I don't think Tenzin knows about it," she admitted.
"So, if you're watching his kids you should tell him," Asami instructed.
"No way."
"Why not?"
"Because he'll find a way to blame me for it. Trust me."
A few nights later, the Krew talked animatedly as they walked into The Midnight Dragon. Korra was pumped up on the energy of knowing she had finished her final mid-term earlier that afternoon and just wanted to push away her worries of doing well or doing badly. For the past few days, she crashed at Asami's place, being tutored for her science exam which was the only one she really worried about. Asami found it to be a challenge as the day grew closer.
The sooner it was to test taking day, the more distracted Korra became. Eventually, Asami had to convince Opal to join them on their study sessions to keep her in line, which ended up backfiring since it quickly turned into girl's nights. However, it worked out in the long run because Korra seemed to retain more information the more relaxed she was instead of the rigid studying sessions the engineer had suggested.
Asami watched in amusement as she coached Opal and Bolin on how to act when it came time for them to show their i.d.'s to the bouncer at the front of the night club. "Walk with confidence, flash the i.d., and don't bring any unnecessary attention to yourself," she hissed as the line got closer to the front.
Opal and Bolin's jaws dropped in shock as they stepped into The Midnight Dragon. The dance club was packed with people and loud music. 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. Opal bobbed her head to the music as Bolin took her hand and pulled her into the crowd.
"Guys, wait!" Asami called after them. "We should all stay together, and they're gone." She rolled her eyes before holding her hand out for Mako's and Korra's jackets. "I'm surprised the bouncer believed their i.d.'s."
"You never underestimate the power of my contact," Korra said with a smug smile. She smoothed out her blue triangular top free of wrinkles before moving to the music. "Those two will be fine as long as they don't try to drink anything."
"Speaking of drinks, I could sure use one," Mako said as he eyed the bar. A girl with brown hair pulled back into a bun locked eyes with him across the room. She smiled as she picked up a margarita mixer and began to shake the silver container.
"You already passed all of your exams. The only ones letting off steam here is me, Bolin, and Opal for surviving the week," she commented with a shake of her head. It was then she followed his line of sight towards the girl. She smiled knowingly before nudging him forward with her elbow. "But, you can celebrate with us." Korra looked over at Asami and the two shared a smile. "You coming, Asami?"
"No." Asami shook her head. She looked over at the dance floor, people's shoes lighting up from the glow in the dark tiles underneath their feet. "I'm going to dance for a bit."
"You spot a cute guy?" Korra asked, straining to look through the crowd.
"Not yet."
"Okay, well, Bolin just joined Mako at the bar. I'll keep an eye on him if you watch Opal," she instructed. Asami nodded in agreement before they parted ways. She brushed past a few people, smiled and waved at those she recognized, before stepping onto the dance floor. She locked eyes with Opal who was dancing with a small group of other girls.
"Making new friends already?" Asami shouted in her ear. Opal smiled and nodded. "Bolin doesn't mind that you ditched him?"
"He said he was hungry. I'll catch up with him later," Opal responded with a shrug. She did a quick spin on her heel before grabbing a hold of Asami's hand, starting to dance with her. The song Yeah by Usher started to play over the speakers.
"You want to dance?" a male voice asked in her ear. Asami turned and eyed the guy, up and down. She took note of his messy hair and mustache, before frowning at the gold covered tooth in his smile. She looked over at Opal and widened her eyes. The younger girl nodded before pulling her a bit closer.
"I already have a partner," she responded with an apologetic smile. Opal quickly dipped her before spinning them away. "Thank you."
"Anytime," she answered with a shrug. "I can't believe he thought he'd have a chance though," she snickered as they continued to dance together, putting in spins and twirls. They were in perfect sync. Asami moved and swayed easily with each new song that the DJ played.
"I'm going to get us something to drink," Opal 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. Asami grunted as someone pushed into her back. She turned and was about to yell at the person but stopped when she spotted Iroh staring down at her, his hands in his pockets and his feet planted firmly on the ground. He didn't flinch as other people danced into him.
"Asami," he said with a nod.
"Why are you here?" she demanded.
"Last I checked, this was public place that anyone could go to," Iroh answered with a slow shrug. "So, here I am."
"Are you stalking me now?"
"I wouldn't have to follow you if you would just talk to me."
Asami clenched her jaw. She tightened her hands into fists before crossing her arms over her chest. "How many times do I have to tell you, there's nothing to talk about?"
Iroh placed both of his hands on her cheeks. He touched the corner of her lips before leaning forward. He pressed his mouth to her ear before saying, "If you would just listen to me, I will leave you alone."
"Do you promise?"
"I promise."
"Okay," she agreed before looking to her right. She frowned when she noticed that Opal had disappeared. "Just let me tell-"
"Come on, it is quieter outside." Iroh placed his hands on his shoulders before forcibly turning her around. Asami felt a lump forming in her throat as he pushed her through the crowd. She pulled herself out of his grasp and stepped to the side as he held the door open for her. She smiled softly, brushing her behind her ear as she stepped outside.
"Okay, just tell me what you need to tell me," Asami instructed. Iroh slipped his hand into hers before heading down the street. His touch was soft and gently, something she was used to feeling back when they were dating.
"I really want you to know how sorry I am," he whispered. He pulled lightly on her hand, taking them into an alleyway. Asami felt her heart begin to race. She started to pull back a bit on his grip, but he continued to move them forward. "It's just better not to talk about this in public," he said once he turned and noticed the worried look on her face.
Asami bit her bottom lip and nodded once. He let go of her wrist before placing his hands on her shoulders, his thumbs brushing against her exposed collarbones. Normally, that action would cause her to be weak at the knees, but not it made her tense.
"I'm sorry about everything." Iroh pressed his forehead against hers and looked straight into her eyes. Up close, she noticed the bags under his eyes and the darker shade his irises were. "I'm sorry about the cheating and the lying. I didn't mean to hurt you."
"But you still did," Asami whispered. She swallowed hard.
"I know, and I was wrong. I've been reflecting on it ever since I left."
"You're still with Rika, the girl who you cheated on me with."
Iroh smiled softly before pulling back. He brushed his hair out of his face before cupping his chin in his hand. "I don't really like her. I just never got the chance to say anything. She's a little intense."
"I know the feeling," Asami joked. She mentally kicked herself when she saw the tiny spark back in his eyes.
"I was kind of hoping we could smooth things over between us." Iroh took her hands and ran his thumbs across the back. She quickly took a step away before running a hand through her hair.
"If that's what you want, then fine," she said, forcing her voice not to shake as much as her body was beginning to do, "but we're not going to get back together.
"Why not?" Iroh demanded. Asami's eyes widened at his harsh tones. "Things would be great between us."
"No, it wouldn't."
"Asami." He reached out and grabbed a hold of her wrist. She looked up at him in confusion before tugging her arm back. His grip tightened with every passing second. Asami glared at him before tugging again.
"Let go, Iroh," she ordered.
"No, you're not listening to me!"
"I said let go," Asami wailed as she pulled at his fingers. "You're hurting me." She grabbed a hold of his wrist and twisted it upside down. He winced and quickly let go of her wrist. She took a step back and went through the motions of performing a roundhouse, but he quickly caught her her foot before it connected to his side.
She gasped in pain as he twisted her ankle around. Asami quickly held her hands out to brace her fall. She wheezed as the wind was knocked out of her. Iroh grabbed her by the collar of her jacket before pushing her up against the brick wall. "Stop!" she shouted while reaching out and pushing against his face. He let out a shout as her nails scratched him down his cheek.
Asami paused and looked at the drop of blood dribbling down. Iroh turned to look back at her. She felt her adrenaline spike when she noticed how dark his eyes had become. She grunted, her head snapping to the side, as his palm connected with her cheek. "Please, stop," she whispered.
"Korra!" Opal shouted. Korra looked down and saw Opal motioning for her to get off the table. She rolled her eyes before jumping down. The liquid in her cup splashed up. With a flick of her wrist, she waterbent it back into her cup.
"What's up?" she asked.
"Where's Asami?"
Korra frowned. She looked around the room over the bobbing heads. She scanned the bar, where she had to pause and roll her eyes when she noticed Bolin munching down on a giant bowl of pineapple chunks, to one of the lounge areas where Mako was talking to a small group of woman, before looking back at her friend. "I thought she was with you."
"No." She shook her head. Her eyes widening with fear. "I haven't seen her since I went to get something to drink."
"I have a bad feeling," Korra muttered "Bolin," she said while walking up to the bar. "You will blow chunks later if you keep this up."
"But these are so good," he whined before shoveling another spoonful into his mouth. "Andthere'snoalcoholinthematall," he slurred.
"Oh great," Korra groaned.
"I'm not cleaning you up," Opal warned him.
"Come on, we have to find Asami." Korra grabbed him by the collar before tugging him off of the stool. She grabbed Opal by the arm before pulling her through the crowd. Upon heading for the exit she tugged Mako along with her, who had roughly four napkins shoved into his pockets. The small group forced their way outside of the Midnight Dragon and searched the streets. "I don't see her."
Mako stepped back into the nightclub for a few seconds before coming back out. "A bouncer said they saw her and some guy leave a few minutes. He didn't know which direction they went in."
"Okay, then," Korra said before placing her hands on her hips. "Let's go this way," she instructed before speed walking. She looked down every alleyway they passed. She heard Mako, Bolin, and Opal panting as they attempted to match her stride.
"What if she's not down this way?" Bolin wheezed; his arms pumping rapidly.
"Then we'll double back and check in the other direction," Korra snapped.
"Stop!"
Korra immediately stopped causing Mako and Bolin to walk right into her back. She let out a soft grunt as she was pushed forward. The two brothers quickly grabbed her by the arms and straightened her back up.
"What's wrong?" Opal asked, panting as she ran up to them. She placed a hand on her chest while breathing deeply. "What happened?"
"I heard something," Korra muttered.
"It could have been anything," Mako pointed out. The four of them tense when they heard a loud smack sound followed by a whimper. "It came from this way," he said before taking off down an alleyway. Korra, Bolin, and Opal were hot on his heels as he rounded a corner.
"Please, stop," a voice whispered.
"Asami!" Bolin shouted. The four slid to a stop when they spotted a guy leaning in close to Asami's face. She sobbed while covering her face with her hands. "Back off, man," he shouted as he and Mako ran up. The two of them ran into Iroh's sides and grabbed him by the arms.
The guy grabbed onto their arms before kicking his feet. Opal and Korra shielded their eyes as fire erupted from the balls of his feet, sending the three of them into the air. Korra quickly bent the air underneath Bolin and Mako to cushion their fall as their fingers slipped from his arms.
"Iroh, stop!" Asami pleaded.
Opal ran over and pulled the engineer out of the way as the flames underneath Iroh's feet spread out wide. Mako and Bolin slowed to a stop from the air underneath them before landing on their feet. Korra pushed past them and stalked over to Iroh. She stomped a foot onto the ground as he sent out a jab straight to her face. She leaned back out of the way as flames erupted near her face. The ground beneath his feet popped up and locked his feet to the ground. A large rock wall popped up in front of him and locked his fist in place.
"You leave Asami alone," Korra snarled. "Do you hear me?" She then crouched down and slammed her fist into the ground. The rock surrounding Iroh's fist and feet shot back down before popping up straight underneath his feet. He let out a soft cry as he was hurtled into the air before crashing landing into two metal trashcans.
"We need to call the police," Opal said while looking over her shoulder.
"No, wait," Asami said as she fought to catch her breath. She wiped the tears from her cheeks while walking slowly over to Iroh, who remained laying on the ground. He rolled his head and looked up at her.
"Be careful," Bolin said as he and Mako moved closer.
"Iroh, you need help," she said softly. Iroh quickly sat up. Korra grabbed Asami's arm and pulled her back a few steps. "I don't know what's happened to you, but I know you would never act like this." She knelt down by his side. "I won't press charges."
"What?" Korra exclaimed.
"I think he has PTSD," Asami explained quietly. "It wouldn't be fair for him to be arrested for an illness." She turned back towards Iroh and extended her hand. "Please, if you really loved me then you will get help." He looked at her hand before back up to her face. Iroh slipped his palm into hers and let her pull him to his feet.
"I'm sorry, Asami," he muttered. He reached up and cupped her cheek. She relaxed into his grip before stepping away.
"I know." She let Korra pull her by the arm. The rest of the group followed them out of the alleyway. Once they reached the sidewalk by The Midnight Dragon, Asami let out a loud wail before throwing herself into Korra's arms.
"It's okay," Korra said before wrapping her arms around the engineer's waist. She reached up and ran her fingers through the hair at the base of Asami's scalp. "Everything is fine now."
"I want to get out of here," she whimpered.
"My dorm is the closest," Opal said quietly before rubbing small circles on Asami's back. After a few seconds she stepped away and leaned into Bolin's side, watching the two of them. Mako looked over to where the satomobile was parked and frowned.
"We should probably leave your car here," he suggested. "None of us can drive it."
"Then we're going to have to walk," Korra answered.
"Thank you," Asami whispered into the Avatar's ear. "Thank you so much."
Once they returned to campus, Opal rushed up into the dorm building, and snuck past the dorm monitor, to her room. She silently cheered to herself once she remembered her roommate was gone for the night with her basketball team. She walked over to the windows and threw them open. She looked down and waved to the rest of The Krew members, down below.
Korra was standing off to the side, continuing to console Asami, while Mako and Bolin stood at the base of the side of the building. Bolin was slumped against the wall, struggling to keep his eyes open as Mako constantly looked over his shoulder.
"If Chief Beifong finds us out here, we're dead," he hissed.
"Then we have to make sure she doesn't catch us," Korra answered while rubbing Asami's back. "Ready?" she asked. Asami nodded but remained quiet. The Avatar lifted her head and flashed Opal a thumbs up. Opal nodded once before pulling her head back into her room. A few seconds later, she reappeared by the window, tossing a few pillows to the floor. "Hold on," Korra said before scooping Asami into her arms. She jumped up and bent the air underneath her feet to propel them up towards the window. Asami let out a soft cry as Korra grabbed onto the windowsill with one hand before placing onto the edge.
"Thanks," Asami whispered as Opal pulled her in through the window.
"Here are some clothes you can change into," she said while handing her a bundling of different colored clothing. Asami smiled down at them before reaching over and giving Opal a hug.
"Look out!" Asami and Opal let out a shriek as they quickly stepped away from the window. Bolin flew in through the window before crashing to the floor onto the pillows.
"Shhhhhhh!" Mako hissed.
"This is why I said not to earthbend," Korra said as she appeared in the window. She pulled herself up onto the windowsill before pulling herself into the room. She turned and leaned back out the window. Opal showed Asami to the bathroom as Korra bent the air underneath Mako's feet to propel him up to the window. She grabbed his wrist once he was in reached and pulled him in. She then bent the earth back to its flat state. "That should fix it."
Mako took a seat on the dorm room floor, resting his back up against the side of the other twin bed. He looked up at The Avatar in confusion as she started to pace the room, wringing her hands together. "What's up, Korra?"
"Nothing," she answered with bite. Bolin noticed that every time Korra faced the bathroom door, she would sigh and shake her head, before clenching her jaw and turning on her heel starting another trip around the room. He nudged Mako on the foot and jerked his head in her direction. Mako nodded slowly.
"Korra, you shouldn't blame yourself," he said gently.
"But, I'm the Avatar." She threw her arms into the air before collapsing into the chair at Opal's desk. "It is my job to protect people, and I couldn't even protect my best friend."
"You're putting too much pressure on yourself," Opal added.
"We all found her before anything else happened. She knows you did your best and she's grateful for that," he said.
Korra sighed before shaking her head. She sat up a bit taller as Asami stepped out of the bathroom. She had borrowed one of Opal's tshirts and shorts. She had pulled her hair out of her ponytail and washed all of her makeup but her eye shadow off. Although, Korra could see that her crying had helped a bit in cleaning off the makeup. The raven-haired girl's eyes looked greener against the redness from crying.
"We should be going," Bolin said from his spot on the floor. He didn't even bother trying to move. He blinked rapidly.
"Bolin, we can't," Mako said beside him. He rubbed his burning eyes.
"What are you talking about?" he asked. "In case you've forgotten it is against school rules to have overnight guests during the week. Let alone that two of them are guys."
"I know what the rules are, but we're already here. Then we'll leave early in the morning," Mako answered. "If we get caught by Beifong, she'll smell the alcohol on us and we'd be in even more trouble."
"Good point," Bolin quickly agreed. He flipped over onto his side. "Good night."
"I'll set an alarm," Korra suggested. She pulled her cell phone out of her pocket before switching on the alarm clock function. "Asami and I will have to leave early too. Right now, let's just get some sleep."
Opal offered her roommate's bed to Asami who quickly climbed in. Bolin and Mako were nestled on the floor. Korra took a seat in Opal's chair at her desk. She crossed her arms over the hardwood and put her head down. Asami took a deep breath before sinking into the bed. She closed her eyes and willed herself to fall asleep. A few seconds later the wind picked up and pushed a tree branch into the window. Following closely, as bang so loud it rattled the door in the door frame.
"What was that?" Asami asked, sitting straight up in bed. She looked to her right and found Opal already asleep, curled up with a stuffed badgermole. Bolin and Mako were passed out on the floor, their backs to each other. "Korra," she started.
"Everything will be fine," Korra whispered. "I'll be right here in case something happens. Just try and get some sleep." Asami nodded before snuggling down underneath the blankets. She rested her head on her arm and peeked up at Korra who had moved her chair closer to the door. She slumped down and crossed her arms before lowering her head and closing her eyes.
As she waited for her heart beat to slow down, Asami turned onto her side. She looked over at Korra who seemed to be fighting off sleep. Her head kept tilting down. She would jerk her head back up, but then a few seconds later it would tilt back. Asami suppressed a laugh at the site in front of her. Thank you, Korra. You're amazing.
A few minutes later, Asami fell asleep to the comforting sounds of her friends' snoring a few feet away from her.
AN: So, i know you all are wondering what the "hidden reference" was for how Korrasami would start. In chapter 8 "Multiple Choice", Asami says this line: "Maybe I was blinded by the uniform or his heroic actions, like the idea of him saving people. He kind of saved me in a way." It's the idea of a crush vs super hero worship i was hinting towards that will start Korrasami. But, i mean, of course they will be together at the end so you all will just have to enjoy the ride as we get there. Like i said, this will be a slow burn, which is also evident with my plans for how long this story will be :)
Also, i'm debating on whether or not i should mention the events of Book/Season 2. I know that the Spirits arc is important to Korra's growth as an Avatar, but i didn't really like that season. So i'm still trying to figure out how to mention those events, if i end up doing it or not. I don't know, i may just make an offhand comment in this story about the spirits and then just move on. I haven't decided yet.
If anyone has read some of my other stories and oneshots, i do use a few scenes from them for this chapter. I've been stumped on writing this chapter for a while, aside form the nightclub scene(s) and opening scene, and i just used a few of the scenes from my other stories for this chapter because it fit with the flow and it made getting this chapter out that much easier on me.
I apologize for any grammatical errors. I just really wanted to get this chapter out. I will go back and fix them later.
Here is the next chapter's title: Busted!
