AN: *cough cough* here we are again with another one-shot sequel LMAO. I'm trying to reboot this series so here we are :V

2022 In Hallow Spirits #4

The Witch and Wolf #4

When the Hand Strikes Midnight

The moment Opal texted the location of the welcoming party, Asami couldn't believe her eyes. First and foremost, how in the world did she get keys to her room?! She didn't remember giving her a key so how the heck did they get in?! Did they pick the lock? Well whatever the reason was, that didn't matter. They had gotten inside her room! They better not have touched anything either because all of her research papers were organized neatly.

Oh shit.

Her room!

Her room was a fucking mess.

Korra was about to see her mess!

Instantly panicking, Asami snatched Korra's arm. Her friend only turned with a confused face before inquiring. "What's up? Are we heading the wrong way?"

"Oh— no no no…" she was fumbling with her words. "We're going the right way, it's just…" there was no way Asami was getting out of this one. She simply cleared her throat before rubbing her cheek nervously. "It's just that we're actually heading to um… my room."

"Oh." Korra's face widened ever so slightly as her eyes lit up with some interest. "Cool, I'm looking forward to seeing your room then. I've been curious about it for quite some time actually. What does a bookworm's room look like anyways?"

Asami's face heated up as she smacked her face. That's what I was afraid of. "Uh… about that, I just wanna throw a disclaimer. It's quite um… messy."

"Ohhhh? Miss bookworm's room is a mess? What a surprise!" Korra teased before laughing happily. "Don't tell me you left dirty laundry out or something."

"What?!" Her eyes snapped open in shock. "Of course not! I properly put away my clothes thank you very much! Besides, I haven't really been in my room for months!" She defended with much oompfh. "When we came back through the portal for the first time, you were just waiting outside the building while I put my stuff away so how would you know what my room is like!"

Korra took a step back as she raised her hands in surrender. "Woah woah woah, sorry that wasn't what I meant! It's just that all the rooms around the building have such a sooty and ashy smell. It's not exactly the best smell nor the cleanliness and it made my nose tingle. I'm not sure what to expect honestly. I kind of just expect everyone's room to be… earthy."

Asami gave her a pointed serious look before giving in. "Pfft—" she laughed out loud before rubbing away her tears. "I'm just kidding Korra, I've been living in the dorms for most of my life. It's not as bad as it seems. Although… thankfully, the smell has improved over the years but potions that have gone wrong are not the smell you wanna be around. Top that with a dorm of witches, not exactly the place you'd want to be during exam week."

Frowning slightly, Korra still pouted. "Still… it was rude of me to assume so. The smell doesn't always reflect cleanliness."

Ahhhh, how much Asami wanted to see her ears flop down. "Oh Korra, I'm just pulling your leg, really. It's not that bad… I just… you know. It would have been nice to get a heads-up. I could have at least cleaned up a little…"

Finally smiling softly, Korra gave her a small grin. "Don't worry, I promise I won't laugh or judge no matter how messy it is. I promise." She even brought up her pinky to prove a point

Giggling at her gesture, Asami smiled back before bringing up her pinky. "Thanks I guess."

xXx

Staying chill was Asami's intended mood. At least… that was up until they were finally at her dorm room. She got nervous all over again and it didn't help that Opal opened her door and welcomed them in like it was her room.

"There you two finally are! Come on, hurry inside." She stepped aside for them to get it. "Mako and Bolin are grabbing some last-minute snacks and Kuvira is grabbing more drinks."

It irked Asami slightly and her lips flatten before she quickly walked inside, taking in the added details to the decor in her room (namely banners and streamers), before standing next to Opal and pulling her into a head-lock.

Her mad smile never faded as she leaned into her ear. "Why are we doing this in my room?!" Asami angrily whispered to her friend as her internal panic and nervousness doubled.

"Cause you don't have a roomie," Opal whispered back with a smug grin.

"You don't have one either!" She quickly shot back.

Opal just shrugged before nonchalantly responding as if she had a comeback for all of her retorts. "It's bigger."

Asami smacked her face. "Urghhhhh, you're impossible!"

Out of nowhere, the person who made Asami feel more defensive in the first place spoke up. "Hmm, so this is your room? I like it! It smells like you and books and stuff." Korra innocently commented, making them both realize that she had indeed heard their conversation. "The decor is cute by the way, very like y'all and Bolin." She pointed at the banner that screamed Bolin's work.

Asami jerked upright, releasing Opal in the process, as her cheeks turned bright red. Her ears were quickly heating up and she wasn't sure what to react to. The fact that her messy room was exposed to not only her friends but also Korra, or, the fact that Korra liked her room because of (her smell) the book smell.

Her ears were completely red at the tips as she turned her head anywhere but at Korra. Korra who was eating up her room like a five-course meal. She was staring awfully so intently that she cursed herself for not cleaning more often. She couldn't help it. Once she began researching something, she'd get lost in it and it usually meant that book after book would crack open, notes being scribbled left and right, which would all remain that way until she was finished.

Asami Sato never went into research half-assed.

It always took her days or even weeks to finish whatever project she was working on. She liked being thorough. She couldn't help it. She had actually finished this research… it's just that she was assigned her spiritual training right after so she hadn't had the time to clean it up. She still should have made time to clean up. Who would have thought she'd have so many visitors? Eventually, she noticed Opal's dumbass grin, who was clearly enjoying her dilemma, before glaring at her and spitting out:

"I hate you."

Opal stuck out her tongue knowing she had won no matter what would be said. "Love you too."

The brothers were finally back and they both gave them all a weird look before Asami cleared her throat and turned to them. "Sorry, my room's messy. I haven't cleaned it since I left for my assignment."

"No worries!" Bolin quickly dismissed while setting down a bag. "You should see Mako and mine, phew, it's a mess."

Mako shot him a look. "You mean your side is a mess."

"Our room is a mess." Bolin shot back with an innocent jab. His brother only groaned again as he began taking out some snacks.

Kuvira came back just in time with some drinks before asking, "What'd I miss?"

Opal turned to face her before looking at her deviously. "A lot."

"Uuu, do tell." Cocking an eyebrow, she set down the drinks before walking closer to her. Right when the two of them were about to strike some gossip, Asami was about to rip them anew.

"Why you two—"

Before Asami could even start, Korra interrupted with an innocent question.

"Ohhh, what's this? I don't remember seeing this last time." Korra asked before leaning down slightly to eye this potion bottle.

As quick as Asami heated up, she plateaued before looking at what Korra was pointing to. "Ah, that's a potion for stomach aches. It's made with some natural ingredients like ginger, peppermint, chamomile, and some other stuff."

"Hmm… then how about this one?" She continued while pointing at another flask.

"That's basically a painkiller rubbing oil." She then chuckled softly with a small smile. "I'm sure you'll like the smell, it's made with some lavender, rosemary, eucalyptus, and other essential oils."

"Uuu," she then picked it up and took a whiff. "Oh, that really is pleasant." She then held it up toward the lighting, observing it under the light, before turning to face Asami. "Did you really make all of this?"

"Yeah, I make them in my free time when I don't have assignments. It's handy to have you know, you never know when it comes in handy."

"Impressive." She finally set down the bottle before trailing her finger across the shelf, laughing quietly at the dust collected on her finger pad. "I don't know much about witchcraft but I assume it's hard to make potions?"

"I wouldn't say that…" Asami bashfully answered while fiddling with the tips of her hair.

Rolling her eyes, Opal scoffed before interrupting their moment. "Sorry to interrupt you lovebirds but can we finally dig into the food now? We can't exactly start without the main star."

Both Korra and Asami looked as if they had been caught in headlights before Korra loudly cleared her throat. "Yeah, of course! What's for dinner?"

That's when Bolin finally shined. "Thought you never ask!" He dramatically whipped out an array of food. "This is our academy's must-have starter combo!"

"And there he goes," Kuvira said while rolling her eyes. "It's gonna be a longgggg night."

"What are you talking about Kuvvy! It's just the start! The night is long, time to pig out!"

Mako only sighed as he mindlessly passed out the plates. "Alright, dig in, there's enough to go around."

Korra shined a bright smile. "Cool, sounds great."

xXx

"Watch it! You better not spill anything on my papers!" Asami exclaimed when she saw Bolin holding some fritters that were hovering over her notes.

"Don't worry don't worry! I won't spill a single drop over your notes!"

On cue, Asami watched as a drop of sauce fell onto her floor, or rather, luckily the cover of her notebook. "Hey watch it!"

"Whoops, my bad."

Mako smacked the back of his brother's head. "This isn't our room so be courteous Bo!"

"Ow— jeez, you don't have to hit me!"

He then shoved a towel into his hands. "Try not to spill anymore."

Letting out a groan, Bolin went down to the floor. "I know I know."

Kuvira smacked Opal with the back of her hand in a friendly manner. "Did you hear about the twins getting suspended?"

"Shut up!" Opal snapped her head toward Kuvira, "No way, for what?"

"For some prank that shattered the fine arts room's windows."

"Ouch— mom is not gonna like that."

Korra cocked an eyebrow before turning their way. "Twins? Mom?"

They both looked at her before releasing something. "Ah— right, you don't know do you?"

"Know what?"

Opal pointed at Kuvira with her thumb. "Twins as in my brothers and she's my sister."

Korra's jaw dropped. "What?" She blinked a few times, processing the news. "But… you look nothing alike."

Kuvira just shrugged. "Adopted sister."

"Huh." She blinked again. "Well, what do you know?"

Asami accidentally let out a yawn. "Sorry, my bad. It's getting late and I guess I'm a bit tired."

Korra cracked her neck before stretching out. "It is getting late huh? Man, I could use some fresh air."

Opal turned to look at Kuvira before smirking slightly. "Why don't you two go on a walk? We'll clean up your room for you in the meantime so you can sleep Asami."

"What?!"

"What?"

Asami exclaimed at the same time as Kuvira.

"I don't wanna clean her room."

Opal only smacked her arm before turning to Asami. "Don't worry about it! We'll have it cleaned in a jiffy, right Mako!"

Mako turned at the sound of his name. "Yeah, don't sweat it, Asami. Least we can do for barging in."

"But—"

One second, Asami was fighting, trying to get her friends to not clean her room, the next, she was flustered from being alone with Korra on a night walk. Just the two of them and spirits did Korra's eyes glow ever so brightly under the moonlight. It was truly captivating.

"-sa…Asa…mi…Asami!"

Asami jumped slightly when Korra touched her arm.

"Y-Yes?!"

"You okay? You look a little red…" Korra's face was slightly scrunched, frowning at her friend's reaction before promptly bringing up her hand to touch Asami's forehead. "You're a little warm too…"

Her face imploded. "I-I'm okay!" She quickly brushed off Korra's hand. "Just a little warm from the party that's all! I really needed this fresh air!" She turned away and started whistling awkwardly before pointing out the obvious. "The moon sure is nice!"

Thankfully, Korra didn't pursue her awkward behavior. "It sure is… I wasn't expecting to be so bright in the city."

"Yeah?"

"Yeah."

They ended up walking across campus for a hot moment in a peaceful silence before Korra finally turned to Asami and asked.

"Say, where are we going?"

Asami came to a halt and so did Korra. She turned to look at her before responding, "That's…" she scrunched her face in thought, "A good question…" she then broke out into a soft chuckle which Korra smiled at.

"If that's the case… hmm…" Korra scrunched her face in thought before asking, "Is there anywhere we can get up high to? I'd love to look at the night sky and moon closer."

Luckily for Asami, her knowledge of the campus was superior so she quickly thought of a place. "Sure of course! I know the best spot!" She beamed with a bright smile before pointing ahead. "It's a little challenging to get there since we can't access it easily at night but…" she turned to face Korra with a soft smile. "Its view is to die for. You have to see it at least once before graduating."

Korra's smile only lit up more. "Lead the way then!"

By the time they were at the base of the clock tower, Asami frowned when she remembered a vital fact. She sighed before grasping her face.

"Shoot, I can't believe I forgot my broomstick."

Raising an eyebrow in amusement, Korra chuckled out loud. "So you do have a broomstick?"

"Of course I do! We all do in fact, it's just that I don't use it that often you see…"

Korra tilted her head slightly in curiosity. "Why's that?"

"Well… it's because I um… actually get sort of air sick when riding for too long."

"Really?" She asked in disbelief.

The witch only nodded her head. "Yes really."

Humming in amusement, Korra chuckled softly. "I didn't see that coming."

"What?" Asami said before pouting. "We got portals and vehicles so I don't have to ride a broom."

She just shrugged back. "Nothing, I just found it kinda cute that's all." Asami's face grew bright red which Korra didn't notice since she was standing in the front. "But hey, who am I to judge? If I'm being honest, I only like traveling as a wolf in the forest, cities are another story." Raising her hand, she wiggled her fingers. "Not as soft on the paws you know?"

Blinking at the comment, Asami's face cracked and she broke out into a laughing fit. "Now that's adorable."

Korra let out a playful scoff. "What? Is not."

Asami gave her a squared look. "You're kidding me? 'Not as soft on the paws?' Now that is cute."

"Oh shut it!" Korra playfully shoved Asami's shoulder. "Enough about me, how are we gonna get up there?"

Turning to look up at the clock tower, Asami let out a long hum. She thought about a couple of ideas before facing her friend to ask. "How good are wolves at climbing?"

Korra only pursed her lips slightly before answering. "Normally… not good or bad…" she then gave Asami a shit-eating grin "Me, however, is another story. I'm stronger than most so I can easily get us up there, there's plenty of ledges for me to hump around on."

Humming, Asami gave Korra this look hoping she'd get the hint.

She did before brightening up slightly. "Ahh, gotcha. The only problem is that um… well… my clothes don't transform with me…" she hinted, hoping Asami would understand her.

It took a second to process before Asami's face turned bright red. "Oh! Uh…" she fiddled with the hem of her jacket before turning away. "I'll um, keep watch!"

It wasn't that Korra minded being seen since she was used to it but she wasn't going to mention it. She simply let out a small chuckle with a child-like grin. "Thanks."

All of the sudden, Asami felt very self-conscious. She could hear Korra shifting around in the background, undressing her clothes. One layer of fabric after another. It also didn't help that it was late at night meaning that there were no other distracting noises so her hearing was hyperfocused on her movements. When Asami heard a whoosh moving downward, the tip of her ears grew warm. Her heart was pounding terribly loud and she was starting to get dizzy. She squeezed her eyes shut in an attempt to shut out the noise.

It didn't work.

Thump. Thump. Thump.

That can't be normal. Asami told herself. I seriously need to get a check-up later… every time I look at Korra my chest feels tight. What's wrong with me?

"Alright! I'm done," Korra proclaimed before a soft plop sounded out.

Asami tensed up before covering her eyes and slowly turning around. Once she turned 180 degrees, her eyebrows scrunched before she slowly peeped through her fingers. She blinked looking straight ahead. Korra wasn't there meaning… A subtle tail wag in her peripheral vision made her glance down. The moment she laid eyes on that fluffy face, Asami bit down to suppress her squeal.

Korra, who was now a wolf, simply panted happily with her tongue sticking out partway. To make matters worse for Asami, her tail was wagging back and forth but this time, for some reason she was shaking it with her butt. Her ears ended up flooping forward before straightening up as she cocked her head to the side. She started panting again before stepping forward and nudging Asami's leg.

"Aw, what's wrong Korra?"

Barking once, Korra nodded toward her clothes.

"Oh, right." She quickly walked over and picked up Korra's clothes, neatly putting them together before facing her fluffy friend. "Now what?"

Panting lightly again, Korra licked her lips before walking over and sitting down. She then swiped her tail up and down, signaling for Asami to hop on.

"Oh— I um…"

She barked again, indicating that it was okay.

"O-Okay…" Asami tippy-toed over before excusing herself. "Pardon the intrusion…" she then hopped onto Korra's back, relishing her fur, while standing on her feet since she wasn't willing to rest all of her weight on her back. A yelp left her mouth the moment Korra stood up, causing her to fall forward and grab onto her shoulders. "Oh—" she tensed up as she bit her lower lip. "I um…"

Korra barked again before turning around to look her in the eyes. She huffed before walking forward slowly. Once they were by the nearest ledge, nudged her head hoping that Asami would get her.

"..."

Holding her breath, Asami hugged Korra's clothes, reaching down to hold onto her neck. As she stared at Korra's backside, her intrusive thoughts took over. Without further hesitation, she patted her fluffy head, relishing in bliss. After a moment, she ended her patting session by feeling up her ears. Korra ended up sneezing before catching Asami's attention.

"Oh— sorry! I just um…" she couldn't think of an excuse. Clearing her throat, she shook it off before holding onto her again. "Shall we?"

Korra woofed again. Then, without further notice, she lowered herself before jumping up high. Asami squealed in surprise and one leap after another, they made their way up the clock tower. In due time, they were at the top, and Korra sat down for Asami to stand up. Asami quickly got off and tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. Her cheeks were warm and she fanned herself with the collar of her shirt before clearing her throat.

"H-Here!" She then handed Korra her clothes. Korra barked, seemingly saying thanks, before Asami quickly whipped her head around when she leaned down to bite her clothes.

In a matter of seconds, she heard Korra's human voice huff before hearing clothes being put on. As Korra quickly dressed, Asami found her face heating up again. Her heart began to beat loudly again and she ended up cupping her face, trying to keep calm. In due time, Korra finally dusted off her clothes before speaking up.

"Phew, that was fun." She then grinned before saying, "Shall we?"

Asami bashfully turned to face Korra but quickly smiled at those clear blue eyes. "Let's."

The two of them ended up sitting down and the ledge of the tower with their feet dangling off the side. Once they were settled, Korra was the first to look up at the starry night.

"Wow… it sure is beautiful…"

Asami had yet to look away from Korra's beautiful eyes when she agreed. "It sure is…"

Korra smiled before closing her eyes and taking in a deep breath. She relished the cool breeze before speaking up. "You know… not going to lie, I'm somewhat nervous about going to school."

"Yeah?" Asami asked in a soft voice as her eyes narrowed slightly, looking at her friend with affection and admiration.

"Yeah… I didn't exactly have a normal upbringing being the chief's daughter and all."

She hummed in curiosity. "Are you worried then?"

"Mmh…" Korra opened her eyes again and looked at the moon. "I wouldn't say that… maybe just a little… Nervous? Excited?"

Asami let out a breath before smiling sweetly. "Don't worry, it'll be fun. I promise." She blinked before observing the rest of Korra's features. This time, she observed Korra's bone structure, specifically her jawline, trying to piece together how her bone structure worked when she change from human to wolf. "There are tons of fun classes, you're bound to like a few, if not, one of them at least."

"You think so?"

"Yeah, I know so…"

Korra finally turned to face Asami before smiling softly at her. Asami did the same and they basked in comfortable silence before the night breeze blew at them. Korra barely closed an eye while Asami shivered terribly as her hair swayed along the gentle breeze.

"Brrr… it's cold…"

Humming in recognition, Korra ended up scooching closer to Asami for warmth. Their legs touched and they were side by side as they continued to soak up the moonlight. Not many words were said after that. They simply enjoyed the serenity of the peaceful night before Asami leaned back, resting her hands along the edge and closing her eyes, taking in a deep breath. She breathed in through her nose before exhaling from her mouth. She then started to kick her legs playfully up and down.

"This is nice… a little chilly but still nice."

Korra only hummed in agreement before closing her eyes and joining Asami. "It sure is…" she then leaned back and set her hands on the ledge. She ended up touching Asami's fingertips on accident which sent a jolt through her hand.

Opening her eyes upon contact, Asami turned to face Korra. To her slight surprise, Korra had done the same, meaning they were both looking at each other in the eyes. Their once peaceful silence abruptly changed into this weird tension and Asami gulped. Then… before she knew what she was doing, Asami began leaning forward. Her eyes fluttered and she couldn't take her eyes off Korra's. As their faces grew closer to one another, she noted a change in Korra's eyes.

They were no longer bright and shining brightly as they had been a moment ago. They had become… somewhat dark, filled with hunger even. Asami didn't know how to describe it and she wasn't sure what happened but before she knew it, Korra's face was just an inch away from hers. She felt her hot breath on her skin. It was warm, tingling even. Her eyes then fell down to Korra's lips. She then glanced back up to look at Korra's eyes, only to notice that Korra had been reflecting her actions as well. They made eye contact and they started to lean into each other, closing the gap.

However, right when their lips were about to touch, the bell from the clock tower rang.

They both jumped back in shock, repelling away from each other as if they had been broken free from a spell. Korra snapped away her hand and Asami's face instantly burned as she cupped her cheeks, trying to piece together what happened. They turned away from each other and Korra was practically in the same situation. Her cheeks were lightly dusted pink and she rubbed her cheek with her finger, feeling shy yet confused as to what she almost did.

Asami was the first to break their awkward tension, clearing her throat loudly. "Wow, I didn't think it was this late…" she then pointed backward with her thumb. "It's midnight already."

"Oh dang, really?" Korra coughed to clear her throat before rubbing the back of her neck. "We should probably head back before they start worrying about us."

"Y-Yeah, let's!" They hadn't looked at each other yet and Asami quickly fanned herself with her hand before tensing when she heard Korra stand up. She finally had the nerve to turn and look at her before quickly looking away again when she realized Korra started taking off her clothes to transform again. "Right! S-Sorry!"

Letting out a soft chuckle, Korra finally cracked a warm smile. "You're good. Hang tight, I'll get us down ASAP."

"O-Okay! Sounds good." Her voice cracked and Asami punched herself in her mind. Smooth Asami, smoothhhh.

Everything that happened after that was a blur.

Asami just knew that Korra got them down like how they had gone up. They walked back to the dorms. She ignored Opal's bombardment of questions and kicked out her friends from her room. After that, she got ready for bed and plopped down onto her mattress. As she blankly stared at her ceiling, she thought back to what happened at the clock tower. She then brought her fingers up to her lips before replaying what had happened. She had leaned forward, trying to kiss those pleasant lips.

And Korra had done the same.

Her eyes widened and a rush of heat washed over her body. Asami immediately flipped over and buried her face into her pillow, muffling her screaming of distress. She began flailing around in bed, kicking her legs up and down, not knowing what to do with her restless energy and body. When it was sort of out of her system, she snapped her head up before grasping her face.

"Holy spirits. That did not just happen."

Her lips thinned out as she held in her shriek before slamming her face back into the pillow and squealing into it helplessly. She didn't know what had come over her but she did have this gut feeling that this semester was going to be one she would never forever.