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. First in "Model U.N." series
Chapter 44: A Wolf in Sheep's Clothing
"Will you stop worrying? This plan is fool proof," Rika said she shut her locker door. She grabbed Manami by the arm and roughly pulled her around the corner and down a short flight of stairs, coming to a stop outside of the doors to the practice gymnasium. The sounds of yelling and basketball bouncing on the ground echoed in the small space. "What are you worrying about?"
"I don't know, Rika," Manami whispered. She pulled her arm out of Rika's grip before crossing them over her chest.
A muscle in Rika's cheek twitched. Her eyes narrowed as her features turned cold. "Thinking of backing out?" she demanded.
Manami let out a deep sigh as she leaned up against the painted brick wall behind her. She looked up and watched as a cluster of students rushed past them on the top landing to their next class. "It's just that this plan carries way too big of a risk. What if we get caught?" she whispered.
"We won't," Rika said before shrugging, "and even if we did, none of this matters anymore."
"Then why are you still so dead set on getting Asami back?"
Rika rolled her eyes. "Because-"
"She deserves it for what her family did to yours, I get it!" Manami snapped. "But this?"
Rika stared at Manami, long and hard. She reached up and rubbed her right arm, overtop her uniform's jacket. She closed her eyes for a moment, pressing harder on the spot of her new Red Lotus tattoo. A crooked smile erupted on Rika's face before she snapped her eyes back open. Manami faltered in discomfort when she noticed Rika's pupils slightly growing, a crazed look appearing in the black depths.
"If you want to back out, it's fine," Rika said. A lock of hair fell into her face from behind her ear, covering her right eye. "I just thought you were my friend."
"I am," Manami said quietly. "This could get her into so much trouble though, way more than being punished by the school. She could be arrested."
Rika snickered. "…Good." She then abruptly turned on her foot and made her way back up the stairs. She paused on the last step and brushed her hair back behind her ear before brightly greeting a passing teacher and disappearing around the corner.
Manami let out a loud groan and reached up to clasp a hand to her head. "What do I do now?" she whispered.
"There's a lot you can do," Kiyoko said, causing Manami to jump, letting out a cry of shock. She stepped out of the shadows from underneath the stairs. "I didn't mean to startle you. Hardly anyone uses this entrance to go to the practice gym. I just sit here when I need some quiet and less stimulation."
"You didn't hear anything," Manami warned before making her way up the stairs.
"It's not too late for you, you know," Kiyoko called after her. Manami paused on the last stair. She moved toward the banister, looking down at Kiyoko.
"…She's had my back since the second grade," Manami said with a hint of sadness in her voice. "I can't go against her."
"Because then you'll end up with no friends?" Kiyoko asked. Manami refused to answer. She just shook her head before stepping away from the banister. "We used to be friends," she called out.
"Yeah, we used to be," Manami muttered as she made her way to her next class.
In the few weeks after their trip back from the Earth Kingdom, Korra was constantly on edge. Republic City had been the quietest its ever been, which made her suspicious. Given the fact that she had decided to leave school gave her more time to focus on her worries. Asami tried to convince her to go back to school like Mako, Bolin, and herself but to no avail. Korra would always counter that if she wasn't able to properly sit still and focus when she learned to airbend from Tenzin or learned spiritual projection from Jinorah, then sitting in a classroom all day wouldn't be any better.
In fact, for Asami, going to school didn't calm her nerves either. When she wasn't in class, she was constantly checking on Korra to make sure she didn't have any lasting effects from her head injury, as well as reading up on all symptoms of a concussion. Kiyoko would often have to snatch her phone away from her to be sure she wouldn't be tempted to be on it during class. Not that Asami would be able to concentrate as much as she'd like with Manami and Rika staring her down every moment they could.
"It just unsettles me," Asami admitted as she gathered up all her items. She pushed back her chair and stood up. "Whether or not she really is with the Red Lotus, it's only a matter of time until she actually does something to Korra."
"What about you?" Kiyoko asked as she gathered up her school supplies and stuffed them into her bag. She quickly joined Asami's side as they made their way out of the classroom among the group of other students. She looked around before lowering her head and dropping her voice. "Rika and Manami are planning on doing something to you that could be really bad!"
"I'm not worried about her, I'm worried about Korra!" Asami insisted. She reached into her school bag and pulled out a red waterbottle with a black tip that sported the Future Industries logo on it. She took a quick drink of the liquid inside before replacing it back into her bag. "The Red Lotus is more important than any conflict Rika and I have. Either way, I can't let my guard down around her."
Asami grunted as something hard hit her in the back. She quickly dove to the ground, sliding onto her stomach to lessen her fall. Her school bag slipped off her shoulder and fell to the ground with a quiet thump.
"Watch where you're going," Rika spat as she and Manami stepped around her.
Kiyoko helped Asami back up to her feet and reached for her school bag. Asami brushed her hair out of her face before moving to brush off the dirt on her school uniform. "You bumped into me," she said fiercely.
"Whatever." Rika shrugged. She then half-smiled. "You probably don't really mind it."
"What's that supposed to mean?" Asami asked.
"Pressing up against a woman," she answered lightly. "You probably enjoyed it." A small group of girls stopped to watch the two of them, whispering quietly to each other. The bell in the hallway rang twice, giving a two-minute warning. A few classroom doors in the hall opened as more students began to fill up the hallway. "It wouldn't surprise me, seeing as you're a d-"
Asami grabbed Rika by the collar of her jacket and pushed her up against a row of lockers. All movement in the hallway stopped. Rika winced in pain as a locker door handle dug into her bag. She reached up and grabbed Asami by the wrists, trying to pull her hands away.
"You're lucky I don't have my glove right now," Asami hissed. "Don't you ever-"
"Ms. Sato release her immediately," a loud voice called out. Asami immediately released her grip from the lapel of Rika's jacket. Rika stared right into Asami's eyes and pursed her lips before adopting a look of fear onto her face. Her chest began heaving before tears spilled down her cheeks. Manami pushed Asami away before reaching out and cradling Rika's head against her chest, gently comforting her. Kiyoko moved to the side as a female teacher walked up, her arms crossed tightly over her chest.
"Ms. Higurashi, I was just walking down the hallway and she grabbed me for no reason," Rika cried, her face turning red.
Ms. Higurashi turned her attention to Asami, who looked at Rika in shock. "I did not," she insisted. "She pushed me on purpose and called me a horrible word."
"No, she didn't," Manami said, shaking her head. "Rika didn't call Asami anything."
"She was going to call me a…a…offensive term," Asami muttered. "I personally can't repeat it, but-"
"If she was about to call you something, that doesn't mean she actually did," Ms. Higurashi said harshly. "And that doesn't give you the right to put your hands on her."
"But she deliberately pushed me down," Asami insisted.
"The only thing I saw was you pushing this young lady up against the lockers with your hands around her throat. You know the school's policy on fighting," she answered. Ms. Higurashi sighed before dropping her arms to the side. "I can't believe I'm about to say this to you, but please make your way to the dean's office."
"Yes, ma'am," Asami nodded once. Kiyoko handed her back her school bag before joining her side. "You may as well just hold onto it," she said, pushing the bag away with a sigh.
"Ms. Gan-Lan, are you okay?" Ms. Higurashi asked.
"I will be, thank you," Rika sniffed. Manami reached up and wiped a tear that ran down her cheek. Asami turned to look over her shoulder, glaring harshly. Rika locked eyes with her, smiling menacingly.
"Rika sure is something, isn't she?" Kiyoko asked, as soon as Asami excited the dean's office. She got up from her seat and followed Asami down a side hallway and exiting through the front doors of the school. "Although, name calling is kind of beneath her. After everything else she's put you through…or us."
"I told you, Kiyoko, I'm over that," Asami said. She moved to take a seat on the front steps, brushing her skirt underneath her before stretching her legs out, crossing her ankles. "It's just the word she was about to say. It's so vile. I mean, why is it any of her business?" she asked.
"Why is what her business?"
Asami pulled her lips into a straight line before turning to face Kiyoko. She shrugged her shoulders, before shyly twiddling her thumbs. "I'm not really sure yet, but the word she was going to call me, maybe I am," she said quietly. "But a nicer word," she added.
Kiyoko blinked. "You're attracted to women?"
"Only one," Asami answered.
"…Korra," she deduced.
Asami nodded once before leaning over and whispering into her friend's ear, "I kissed her," she admitted.
"You did?" Kiyoko gasped. "When?"
"New Years Eve."
"What did she say?"
Asami shook her head. "She didn't say anything."
"Why do you sound so ashamed?"
"I mean," Asami started. She then groaned loudly before clasping her hands over her face. "I technically assaulted her," she admitted.
"What?" Kiyoko asked.
Asami threw her hands in the air. "She was asleep when I had this overwhelming urge to kiss her." Her eyes then widened. "I didn't have her consent," she gasped. "How could I do that to someone? I don't know what I was thinking. I mean, I know what I was thinking it's just complicated," she rambled.
"Have you told her?" Kiyoko asked.
"No! Of course not!" Asami leaned back and rested her elbows on the stair behind her. She looked up at the pink sky, the first few of the night stars started to sprinkle against the light backdrop. "I don't know if I ever will," she quietly admitted. "It's just…up until Korra I've only ever liked guys. I still do." She then smiled. "Korra is just Korra. I don't know, it's hard to explain."
Kiyko nodded. "Well, then, maybe you don't like women," she suggested.
"What?"
"Maybe you don't like women," she repeated with a calming smile. "Maybe you just like Korra."
Asami chuckled. "There are times where I keep myself up at night, just thinking about everything. When I imagine being with her, in a relationship, it makes me happy. I just become so overwhelmed with…warmth." She could feel her cheeks growing warm. Asami received her school bag from Kiyoko and fished out her red water bottle, taking a long drink. "I don't feel that way all the time. There are other times when I feel like she's just a friend, a good friend, like you and Mako and Bolin. I don't know. It's just all too confusing." She began to gently toss the bottle back and forth between hands. "I do know that I like her, but its like a constant war in my head. I don't know if I'm making sense."
"You are," Kiyoko reassured her. "I get it."
"But, how am I making sense if this is all too confusing for me?"
Kiyoko giggled. "As smart as you are, it is impossible to know everything. Are you ever going to tell her?"
"I don't think so. Why ruin everything? If she's in my life, I'll be okay," Asami said. Her smile then faded. "I have to be."
"It's getting late, I should head home," Kiyoko commented as she glanced at her phone screen. "My parents may start to worry."
"That's okay, I'm about to head back inside. I want to work on my senior project."
"I love your new idea. I think it's fantastic!"
"Thanks," Asami beamed. "I can't wait for it to come to fruition. Have a good night. Be careful getting home."
"I will." Kiyoko paused for a moment before reaching out and tightly hugging Asami. "Thank you for sharing with me."
"Thank you for listening," Asami said softly. "Text me when you get home," she instructed. She picked up her school bag before making her way back into the building. Passing by the dean's office, she felt anger rise back up, causing her gait to change from a leisurely walk to a harsh strut.
While rounding a corner she let out a cry of surprise as the strap of her school bag got caught onto something, causing her to stumbled backward. Asami glared in annoyance as Manami slipped her red water bottle out of her bag. Rika tittered as she tightened her grip on the strap.
"Get off," Asami demanded. Manami tossed the bottle into the air before catching it in her right hand. She then unplugged the black tip and pressed hard on the body of the bottle, casuing the liquid to spray into Asami's face. "Stop it!" she sputtered, reaching up to cover her face. Manami tossed the water bottle into a nearby trashcan as Rika pulled the school bag off Asami's shoulder and onto the floor.
"Or what?" Rika asked. She reached out and grabbed Asami's hair at the nape of her neck. Asami grabbed her wrist and turned before rushing forward and pushing Rika up against the lockers. Rika let out a cry of pain as Asami kneed her in the abdomen.
Manami took a step to the side before swinging her right leg directly into Asami's side. Before she could pull her her leg back, Asami grabbed her by the ankle, tucking it into her left armpit, and and dragged her nails along Manami's thigh, drawing blood.
"Ouch!" Manami cried. Rika let go of Asami's hair and collapsed back against the lockers. Asami released Manami's leg before pushing her back into the locker's next to Rika. Asami then reached out and struck Rika across the face. Rika grabbed her cheek, glaring harshly at Asami.
A classroom door opened. "What's going on?" a voice called out.
Asami grunted as Manami and Rika pushed against her shoulders, causing her to take a few steps back. Manami reached into her bag and threw a red water bottle with a blue tip onto the ground. The lid popped off and the liquid spilled along the ground. Asami glared as she stepped over the puddle. Her anger turned into surprise as Manami and Rika both sent her a smirk before running off down a hallway to the right.
"Who's there?"
Asami picked up her bag and slung it over her shoulder before rushing off down another hallway. She sprinted towards an exit, slamming against the lever and pitching herself into the chilly air of Republic City.
Ms. Higurashi and two other teachers then ran into the area by the lockers, looking around. She let out a sound of surprise as her foot slid against the slick floor. One of the teachers, a male, quickly grabbed her by the elbow to steady her.
"Look at this mess," he commented. He then stopped and sniffed the air. "Wait…is this cactus juice?" he asked.
"It looks like it came from this," the other teacher said, picking up the stray red water bottle. Ms. Higurashi took the bottle from him as he went to find the lid. She turned the red bottle in her hand and stopped once she noticed the Future Industries logo etched onto the side.
"Yo, Tinkerbell, are you okay?" Korra's muffled voice called out. "You've been in there ever since you got back from school."
Asami smiled before wincing as she lifted her arm to take a glimpse at her side in the mirror. "I'm fine. I'll be right out," Asami called back. She gently reached out and poked a sore spot underneath her ribs. She hissed quietly before moving to touch her abdomen, which caused her to double over in pain. Asami curled her hand into a fist before slamming it against the countertop. She took a deep breath, slowly letting it out in intervals as the pain subsided.
"Well," she whispered, before standing back up, "at least there are no visible bruises". Asami pulled her shirt from underneath the band of her bra and let if fall back into place. She took a deep breath and rolled her shoulders back before turning off the light and opening the bathroom door, stepping into her bedroom.
Asami almost tripped over her feet when she spotted Korra sitting on her bed, thumbing through a magazine. Her dark legs were crossed, and she was leaned to one side, her left elbow pressed onto her left knee. Her left hand was open, gently cupping her cheek. Korra's abs were on full display as she was wearing a bright blue sports bar and matching knee-high biker shorts. Asami couldn't help but scan the lines of Korra's abdominal muscles. She followed the center line of Korra's abs up to her sports bra, stopping once she spotted the hint of cleavage at the top. She quickly turned away, wincing at the pain that erupted in her side.
"Are you alright?" Korra asked, climbing off the bed.
"Yeah, I'm fine," Asami said, leaning against the door frame of the bathroom. "…i-it's just my time of month. Cramps are my worst symptom."
"I can fix that," Korra offered.
"You don't have to." Asami shook her head. "I have a heating pad around her somewhere. Besides, you shouldn't be doing too much right now," she added. "Although, it seems like you still found your way to the gym."
Korra tried to fight back a smile. "We're not talking about me right now. Being a bender has its perks, I can make your cramps go away."
"Okay, if you're sure." Asami carefully made her way over to her bed and carefully lowered herself onto the mattress. She adjusted so that she laid flat on her back, her arms by her sides.
"I'm going to need you to lift up your shirt," Korra instructed. She blew a small flame from her mouth into her hands, before rubbing them together.
"…okay," Asami said. She quickly cleared her throat after hearing how high pitched her voice was. "Okay," she said again. She closed her eyes for a moment, slowly shaking her head. Asami took a deep breath before reaching her arms down and slowly lifting the fabric up towards the bottom of the cups of her bra. She carefully tucked the gathered fabric behind her back, presenting her pale stomach and rib cage.
Korra pulled up a chair next to the bed, and once again warmed her hands after breathing a small fire. "Ready?" she asked, waiting for Asami's approval. Once she spotted her head nod, Korra gently placed her hands onto Asami's abdomen, and pressed firmly with the palms of her hands, gentling massaging the muscle underneath.
Asami instantly relaxed as she felt the warmth spread across her body. Her breath did catch when one of Korra's hands moved closer to her lower abdomen, one of her fingers brushing against the top of her pants, and the other hand moved higher towards her ribcage. She forced herself to calm her breathing and to keep her hands to her sides. Asami sneaked a peak over at Korra and found herself mesmerized with the look of concentration on her face.
Asami, you're fully into her, she thought to herself, and you want this to be normal. You want to be with her. Why do you care what Rika or anyone else thinks? ...Because the world may not be ready for it…
"How's that?" Korra asked, removing her hands from Asami's stomach.
"Good," Asami whispered. She slowly set up, the tension in her body melting away when she noticed the pain was gone. "Better. Thank you," she said looking over at Korra. Korra looked at her intensely before reaching up and placing a hand on the back of Asami's neck and leaning forward pressing their foreheads together. Asami froze, the feeling of Korra's breath tickling her skin. "W-what are you doing?" she whispered.
"I was just checking to see if you were getting sick," Korra answered, leaning away. "My mom says the eyes are the first to show signs of sickness." She then half-smiled. "Sorry, but your eyes looked a bit watery for a second. Now they look normal, the usual beautiful green." She leaned back in her chair, clearing her throat. "Anyway, you're all fixed up."
"That feels so much better," Asami sighed.
"I'm sure your bruising won't be too bad," Korra added. "In fact, they may not even appear tomorrow."
Asami pulled her lips into a thin line before looking over at Korra, who raised an eyebrow in response. "Rika and Manami jumped me at school today," she admitted.
Korra erupted from the chair, the force causing it to fall backwards to the floor, clattering loudly. "Do you know where they live? Because I'm ready to bust some heads," she said, smashing a fist into her open palm.
"No, it's fine," Asami insisted, waving a hand in the air. "I took care of them."
"You took on both?!" Korra asked in surprise. "What happened?"
"Well, I scratched Manami and I slapped Rika and-"
"Was she stunned?" Korra asked. She quickly climbed onto Asami's bed, sitting next to Asami's feet. She crossed her legs and leaned forward; her eyes bright with excitement. "I mean, you have a mean right hook," she added.
"No, Korra." Asami smiled. "A teacher overheard us, and we just ran. It's not the first fight I got into today, though."
"You were in two fights?!" she said. Asami couldn't help but laugh as Korra's excitement reminded her of when little children are read bedtime stories and they're excited to get to the end.
"I'm glad you're enjoying the visual Korra, but this isn't a good thing," she said, her smile fading. "I got sent to the dean's office."
Korra's smile quickly faded. "Well, what happened?"
"Rika was about to call me a vulgar term, and I just go so angry, I pushed her against some lockers," Asami answered. She shivered when she felt the a/c kick on, which reminded her that her shirt was still pulled off her stomach. Asami made quick work of covering herself. "A teacher thought I was trying to choke her. Part of me wishes I did."
"What was she going to call you?" Korra's eyebrows furrowed with worry.
"It's not important," Asami said quietly.
Korra nodded once and quickly changed the subject, "Well, how is school aside from that? And your project?" she pulled her legs up to her chest and wrapped her arms around them as she watched Asami's excitement grow.
"Being in the Earth Kingdom and seeing their way of life gave me the perfect idea for my final project," Asami said brightly. "I want to modernize Central City Station. This way, we can connect with the Earth Kingdom to provide faster travel." The more she spoke, the more excited she became, and the faster she talked. "I have some plans drawn up and everything! It's going to be great, and I'm thinking we can have a ribbon cutting ceremony if plans go into effect. We're going to need a lot of supplies and products, and metal, so I may have to make another trip to Zaofu soon. Maybe I can bring Kuvira in to assist me with this project. She did offer to help with my first idea, and Baatar Jr is a fantastic engineer." As she paused to catch her breath, Asami noticed Korra watching her warmly. "You don't really get it, do you?"
"Not really," Korra said with a shrug, "but it's important to you, so I care. It sounds like you have everything working out for you." She then reached out and gently patted Asami on the knee, letting her hand linger for a moment before removing it.
Asami looked down at her knee, feeling the warmth from Korra's hand slowly fade. Not everything.
