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 19: Mako and Kiyoko

Asami waved to Kiyoko's mother before pulling out of the driveway. She smiled over at Kiyoko, who looked the happiest she had been since the beginning of the school year. Not that the girl hadn't ever been happy, but now being out from underneath the watchful eye of Rika, Asami could tell the relatively shy girl is finally opening herself up.

November quickly rolled into December and Asami had missed hanging out with her friends. She hadn't seen them that often ever since they had their in school suspension sentence, aside from Korra of course. Korra hadn't seen Bolin, Opal, and Mako in a week either since they were busy studying well into the night to keep their grades up before their upcoming final exams.

"Are you cold or is the heat high enough?" Asami asked as they made their way to the bowling arena.

"No, I'm fine," Kiyoko said with a smile. She shifted a bit in her seat before crossing her arms over her chest. "So, what are your friends like?"

"Well, Bolin has the biggest heart. While he does have this ability to say something at the wrong time, you can tell he only means the best intentions. He's very funny and always tries to make everyone smile. Opal is kind of like a little sister to me. She's very sweet and caring and will step in to do what she believes in. Mako can be very studious, quiet, and reserved which balances us all out. He is driven to make sure he and his brother don't go back to living on the streets. He really wants to make something of himself. He is also very caring and kind. Then there's Korra." Asami smiled softly. "Korra…she's amazing. She's great. She's fearless and determined and will stand up for what's right. She very funny, and has a great smile, and will make sure to put other's well being before herself. She's just…gosh, I feel like I could go on and on and still not have enough to say about her."

"Asami," Kiyoko said with a small laugh.

"I mean, she is also very complex and challenging which makes her that much more interesting. She's multidimensional. Once you think you got an understanding of her, she shows another side of herself."

"Asami." The girl dug a fingernail into the engineer's arm. Asami jumped before frowning and rubbing the sore area. "We're here," she said. The raven-haired girl blinked before looking up at the bowling arena. She felt the back of her neck grow hot as she turned the car off and opened the door. Asami smiled when she spotted Korra walking over towards them in a light shirt and cargo pants.

"Hey, this isn't your car," Korra commented.

"Yes it is." Asami nodded. "Remember, when we raced to RITA, when you were on Naga? I said that the other one was a rental until this was finished. This is my baby." She lovingly patted the hood of the satomobile. "Everything is custom made."

Korra looked at the car, over to Asami, and then back at the car once more. "I didn't think it was possible," she muttered.

"What?"

"I didn't think it was possible that you could fascinate me any more than you normally do," Korra answered, her blue eyes lighting up as she smiled. She then shifted her gaze to Asami's clothing. "You look good. I like your top."

Asami shifted from foot to foot before thanking her quietly. She was dressed in dark wash jeans and a red off the shoulder knit sweater. Her long hair was naturally wavy that day; she didn't bother to straighten it too much since she had woken up late to pick up Kiyoko.

"So, are you the first one here?" Kiyoko asked. She shivered violently. Her cheeks and the tips of her nose and ears had turned a bright pink.

"No, everyone else is already inside." Korra turned and led the two girls in through the door. "I was just making sure you all got here okay since it started snowing," she explained.

"You're not cold?"

"I'm from the south. This is a day at the beach for me."

Bolin and Opal shouted in excitement when they spotted Asami walk over to their lanes. Kiyoko smiled and stood off to the side as they wrapped their friend in a hug. Her cheeks turned a darker red when Asami introduced her friend to Mako and Bolin.

"Opal, I'm surprised your mom let you come," Asami commented as she shrugged out of her jacket, placing it on the back of a chair. She noticed Kiyoko was struggling with her jacket, her right arm protesting to come out of the sleeve. Before turning to help her, Mako instantly stepped forward and help slide the material over her bindings.

"Well, there's a catch," Opal muttered before pointing over her shoulder. Asami followed her gaze and spotted Kuvira at the snack bar, purchasing a plate of nachos. She gave the younger girl an apologetic look. "My mom and aunt have her watching me like a hawk ever since we got ISS."

"Doesn't she have a job or something better to do?" Korra asked.

"She's a teaching assistant at my school, but it's only part time," Asami answered.

"The way I see it, the more she's around me then the more she's around Baatar Jr," Opal said with a laugh. "It's only a matter of time until they officially get together and she's off my back."

"Don't count on it," Kuvira commented as she sat down in their section. She placed her plate of nachos onto the table and sat down in a seat, leaning back and crossing one leg over the other. "I'm a good multi-tasker. If I can handle working at RITA and helping Asami with her senior project, then I can watch you with no problems

"But how can you watch me with your tongue shoved down my brother's throat?" Opal asked with a smile.

Kuvira's eyes narrowed as a light flush raced across her cheeks. She angrily picked up a nacho and shoved it into her mouth, chewing harshly. Asami bit her lip to keep herself from smiling, whereas Korra threw her head back and laughed loudly. The earthbender glared at her out of the corner of her eye. "So, who's playing who?"

"You're not joining us?" Asami asked.

"This is a kid's game," Kuvira scoffed. "Come find me if you're talking about DDR."

"Well then, I guess we could split up in twos." She suggested before scanning their small group. "So how about-" Before she could finish, Bolin grabbed Opal's hand and dragged her over to a lane on the left. Kuvira watched them with intent, her eyes not shifting focus as she continued to eat her food. "Well, then Bopal is a group. So how about Mako and Kiyoko can be a group. Then that leaves me and Korra."

Kiyoko grabbed Asami but the elbow and pulled her a few steps away. "You paired me up with him? I was hoping I could work my way up to talking to him. What do I do?" she hissed.

"Relax," Asami said gently. "You're right handed and your arm is injured. Mako bowls with his left hand. Ask him to teach you how to bowl left handed," she explained slowly. She then placed her hands on Kiyoko's shoulders and pushed her off in Mako's direction at the middle lane. That left the right lane to be used by Asami and Korra.

"I got this, no problem," Korra said confidentially as she stretched.

"I don't think you do," Asami said with a shake of her head.

"Do you see these muscles?" The Avatar lifted both arms before flexing them. She then turned around to show off her toned back. "I will win. It's a fact," she boasted.

"Bowling isn't all about strength," the engineer said gently. "It's about precision, and careful thinking, and-" Korra interrupted her with an over exaggerated snore. Asami punched her on the arm but couldn't help but laugh. "If you're so sure, then let's go."

"I'm always up for a challenge," Korra said with a half-smile. She spotted a janitorial cart nearby. She reached over and plucked a mop from its holder before holding it out to the raven-haired girl. "Here, you're going to need this."

Asami eyed the mop with confusion. "What's this for?"

"To mop up your tears after I win," she answered proudly. Kuvira snorted, trying to fight off a laugh. Asami rolled her eyes before shoving the mop into the Avatar's chest. Korra placed her hands onto the mop handle to brace herself against the impact of it hitting her chest. Her eyes widened in shock at the force she had used. Asami's pinkies brushed against Korra's thumbs.

"That won't be necessary since you can waterbend and it'll be your tears you'll be cleaning," Asami answered with a smirk. She slowly dropped her hands, feeling the warm of Korra's hands still burned into her skin. "That'll be a new bending form for you: tearbending."

Korra laughed before placing the mop back on the janitorial cart. "For someone so smart, that is the corniest thing I have ever heard you say," she commented.

"Enough talking, then. Bring it on, Avatar." Asami turned and picked out a bowling ball to use. After scanning the selection, she chose a bowling ball that was a dark red and weighed about twelve pounds. Korra selected a light blue ball that weighed fifteen pounds. She pulled it off the rack before tossing it into the air and catching it with one hand repeatedly. "Show off," the engineer commented. Korra shrugged before half-smiling.

The group of six bowlers chatted animatedly as they went over to the rental booth and gave them their shoe size; all the while, Korra continued the bowling ball up and down.

Asami took a seat and slipped off her shoes. She looked down at the other lanes to see how her friends were fairing. Bolin was clearly trying to win the game, but wasn't too good of a bowler. More often than not, he would get gutter balls, but when he'd knock down a few pins, even one, he would get really excited. Opal laughed happily at his antics and ended up doing a bit worse than her boyfriend. Asami assumed she was throwing the game on purpose since she comes from a family that has connections to science and most likely knows enough about physics to do well.

Kiyoko wasn't doing too well either, but she was playing at a disadvantage. She would blush brightly every time Mako would look in her direction. With every throw of the ball with her left hand, it would just plop to the ground and roll slowly down the lane. Kiyoko buried her face in her hands and offered up Mako an apology. He simply shook his head and smiled calmly over at her. He took a hold of her wrist and suggested a different way to throw the ball. Kiyoko smiled at him in return before jumping a bit when the loud sound of a ball hitting pins erupted their silence. Mako stood next to her and watched as her ball continued to slowly roll down the lane. Their fingers lightly brushed together. The two looked down at their hands, before facing each other, and quickly turning away.

Asami smiled to herself, mentally patting herself on a job well done before she felt uncomfortable. She could feel someone was watching her. She flipped her hair, before lifting her head to see Korra staring at her with a smile, still tossing the bowling ball up and down. "Why are you looking at me like that?" Asami asked with a small laugh. She reached up and started to toy with her hair. "Is something in my hair? On my face?"

"No," Korra answered simply. "It's just…I like seeing you like this."

"Like what?"

"So sure of yourself. Confident." The Avatar stopped tossing the ball up and down before cradling it against her toned stomach. "That's how you were when we met: knowing what you want and going after it. It's the Asami I like to see, the Asami who enjoys herself and her life, not the Asami who's afraid of it."

Asami smiled brightly. As she sat down to tie on her shoes, her hands began to shake. She grabbed the two laces and began to tie them in a knot, but they slipped out of her sweaty palms. She could hear her heartbeat pulse in her ears. She just complimented you, Asami. Say something.

"Th…thanks," she squeaked. Asami's eyes widened. What the hell was that?

"Are you okay?" Korra smirked. "Nervous that you'll lose?"

"Never. You can go first." Asami finished lacing up her shoes before getting up out of her seat. Korra walked up to the lane and held the bowling ball up close to her face. Her eyes narrowed in concentration as the machine at the back of the lane lowered the pins into their proper placement. Once I had lifted back up into the frame, Korra threw her arm back, muscles flexing, before throwing the ball down the lane.


Asami and Korra were on their last bowl for the tenth frame, and as much as Korra hated to admit it, she was close to losing. Their scores were close, with Asami having 98 points and Korra at 102. The engineer had received a strike with her first bowl for the frame and stepped up for the second. As she moved her arm back to bowl, she felt a tug on her hand. Asami looked over her shoulder and found Korra's hand on top of the ball, holding it in place.

"Korra, stop," Asami giggled. "You're only distracting me because you're worried you're going to lose."

"Obviously," Korra answered. She smiled before placing her other hand onto the ball and plucking it out of Asami's hand. The Avatar laughed before transferring the ball from her right hand to her left. She then held it out of Asami's reached, holding the girl back with her right hand on her shoulder. "Try and get it from me."

Asami laughed harder as she tried to reach around Korra. She ended up leaning into the girl's side, her right arm brushing against her abdomen. She paused when she felt the hard muscles. She drew her arm back and started to poke at each muscle in fascination. Korra let out a slight squeak before jerking away, her grip loosening on the bowling ball.

Kuvira flinched as the ball almost dropped on her leg. She had moved a chair so that she could stretch out her legs. She tore her cell phone away from her ear before placing it on her chest, blocking the speakers. "Watch it," she snapped.

"Sorry, Kuvira," Korra laughed an apology.

While she was distracted, Asami reached out and slipped her hand in between the bowling ball and Korra's palm. "Gotcha." Asami grabbed the ball out of Korra's hands before rushing over to the lane. She squealed in surprise when she felt strong arms wrapped around her waist and lift her off of the floor. Asami could feel her abdomen starting to hurt from how much she was laughing. She struggled against Korra's grip, kicking her feet so that her heels would smack the girl in the shins.

"Ouch," Korra laughed before dropping her arms. Asami quickly rolled her ball down the lane before hunching over, placing her hands on her knees to catch her breath. She cheered excitedly as she watched her ball knock down six pins, bringing her final score to 104 points. "Okay, you win."

Asami reached out and flicked Korra lightly on the end of her nose. Korra blinked in shock before grabbing her wrist and pulling her to her side. She then used her right arm and wrapped it around Asami's neck, putting her in a light headlock.

"Did you let me win at the end?" she laughed and pushed Korra away. "Because with your muscles and your physique you should have been able to withstand my kicking for a while." The engineer picked her ball up out of the return bin and held it in her hands, lightly spinning it in between her palms.

"Have you been checking me out?" Korra asked with a raised eyebrow. Asami stared at her. She jumped as her bowling ball fell to the floor in between her feet. The engineer looked at her hands in confusion. She felt her cheeks grow warm and quickly dropped down, causing her hair to hide her embarrassment. "No, you're right. You are better," the Avatar admitted.

"As if you had a chance," Kuvira commented, again placing her phone against her chest to blow out the speakers. "She had physics on her side. She probably calculated everything before her first throw."

Korra looked over at Asami with a smile. The raven-haired girl bit her bottom lip before shrugging. "You don't mess with an engineer," she boasted before lifting her right arm and flexing her muscles. The Avatar squeezed her arm and let out a low whistle.

"I'll remember that next time," Korra answered with a laugh. She then turned towards Kuvira and smirked. "Your turn." Kuvira frowned over at her. "You seem to have a lot to say. Let's go. Put your money where your mouth is."

"You do remember that I graduated from RITA right?" the earthbender asked.

"Hey, put up or shut up."

A sly smile formed on her lips. "Baatar, I'll call you later." Kuvira hung up her phone before tossing it onto the table. She stretched her arms and rolled her neck a few times before walking over to the rental table to get a pair of shoes.

Asami slumped down into an empty chair and let out a deep breath. She looked over at Bolin and Opal and found them sharing some french fries and a chocolate milkshake. Kuvira walked up to the two of them and whispered something into Opal's ear before glaring over at Bolin. Opal frowned and nodded once before waving her away.

Kiyoko smiled shyly as Mako patted her lightly on the back as she bowled successfully with her left hand, albeit it she only knocked down two pins. Mako said something to her before heading over towards the snack bar. Kiyoko waved after him before catching Asami's eye. She quickly rushed over and sat down in the chair next to her.

"How's it going?" Asami asked.

"Slow?" Kiyoko answered. "I mean, how else would it go, with this thing on my arm?" she joked while raising her wrapped up wrist. Kiyoko covered her face with her hands. Asami chuckled a bit when she noticed her cheeks turning a light pink. "He also talks to me like I'm smart."

"You are smart," she insisted. "Give yourself some credit."

"May I ask you a question?"

"Shoot."

"…Is he always….awkward?"

Asami let out a loud laugh. She covered her mouth as Kiyoko elbowed her in the arm and insisted that she quiet down. Asami let out a soft apology before scanning the room to make sure she hadn't disturbed anyone. Out of the corner of her eye, she watched as Korra and Kuvira reluctantly shook hands. "Only around girls he likes," she admitted, "but then he goes back to normal. I kind of know from experience."

Kiyoko nodded as she pondered this thought. Asami smiled as Korra prepared herself for her first frame. The Avatar turned and gave Asami a thumbs up. The engineer quickly turned away and focused her attention back Kiyoko. "I have second question: would it be weird if I invited him to our Winter Formal?" she asked quietly. Kiyoko looked over her shoulder to make sure Mako was still at the snack bar. "I mean, this is the first time we've met and everything."

"I say go for it." Asami shrugged. "There's nothing wrong with being confident and going after what you want. The worst thing that can happen is he says no."

"He could laugh," she muttered while looking down at her hands.

"He's too much of a gentleman to do that."

"What kind of a bowl was that?" Korra shouted. She slapped her knee before laughing wildly. Kuvira growled at her before stomping over to the ball return, waiting impatiently for her bowling ball to come back. Korra picked up her bright blue ball and waited for the pins to be set up. She drew her arm back and quickly threw the ball down the lane.

Asami's eyes trailed over Korra's form. She started at her legs, making note of the their general shape underneath the loose clothing, up her back to where her muscles bulged and flexed with each movement, to her arms where muscles were clearly defined, to her blue eyes. Korra pumped an arm into the air and cheered happily as she bowled a strike.

Their eyes locked and Asami felt a twinge in her stomach. She swallowed down the lump that rose in her throat. All of a sudden she felt very jittery and nervous. Her right leg started to rapidly bounce up and down. She slowly clasped her hands together, mentally wincing when she felt how warm, and slightly damp, they felt. Korra's smile widened as she waved over at Asami.

What is wrong with you, Asami?, she thought to herself as she raised a shaking hand to return the gesture.

"Wow, she's incredible," Kiyoko commented.

"Yeah….she is," Asami muttered, wondering if Kiyoko could hear the sound of her heartbeat.


AN: Many thanks to my beta, Rubiks!

I decided to throw out my schedule for updating my fics because it was less stressful to update my stories when I could versus forcing myself to push something out. Also, the chapter titles are more clues/hints as to what I'm going to write about. It doesn't mean that it'll be the only focus of the chapter.

Here is the next chapter's title: Winter Formal