Chapter 4

Korra spent the next few hours doing nothing but upper body exercises. Bolin had come by again, about an hour or so ago. She was starting to get tired. She wasn't able to do as much as she usually would, her shoulders and back were still a bit sore. But she enjoyed the exercise she did get.

But now it was time for a shower, because the smell wafting from her was gross. And she was fairly hungry too. Maybe she'd make a sandwich or something.

Today was rather uneventful. Asami spent most of the day in the factory with the workers, and going over new construction plans. She hadn't gotten a call from Korra, nor Bolin so she hoped everything was alright. She, truthfully, was scared to go home, knowing Korra was there too. Scared wasn't the best way to describe what she was feeling. She felt a weird mix of emotions about seeing Korra, without there being anything to distract them from each other. The two most noticeable emotions were excitement and fear.

She made short work of the road between her, and her house. She pulls into the drive way and sees light shining through her curtains. Korra must be up. She takes a few calming deep breaths and exits her car.

Unlocking and opening the door, she sees Korra in her refrigerator, moving around. She comes into the house fully, closing and locking the door. She sits at the small bar separating the kitchen from the living room and watches Korra.

Korra finishes assembling her gigantic sandwich, with a large bag of chips and a case of soda under her arm. She takes a huge bite of her sandwich before closing the fridge with her crutch. "Mm. That's-" She turns around sees Asami watching her, with an amused look on her face. Her eyes go wide and she swallows the food in her mouth. "...delicious. Hey." She says weakly.

"Hey. You've got something on your face." Asami chuckles.

Korra walks around the bar and sets her food down. She sits next to Asami and wipes her mouth. "Is it gone?" She smiles nervously.

Asami nods smirking. She swivels the bar stool around and stands up, taking off her jacket. She throws it over the couch, and heads into the kitchen, grabbing a water bottle. The top comes off, and she tilts her head back, taking a sip. She turns around and sees Korra watching her. "Yes?"

Korra had just been caught staring, but isn't deterred in the slightest. "What's it like, where you work?" She asks, curiously.

Asami is taken aback. She wasn't expecting that question of all things. "You know, I own the company I work at, right?" Korra nods, inhaling her sandwich. "Well on days like today, I go down to the factory and help the line workers. On busy days I have to read a bunch of papers, sign off on contracts, and have a few meetings."

Korra leans forward on the bar, and puts the side of her face in her palm, thinking. "So… can you just take time off, whenever you want?"

Asami nods. "Yes, but I don't like to, because it's not fair to the other workers, and it's definitely not fair to my assistant. I do take Sundays off. Unless it's a big meeting."

Truthfully, she didn't have to work weekends at all. Her father didn't and he had a harder time managing his schedule than Asami did, but she engrossed herself in her work, whenever she could, because whenever she wasn't working her thoughts were plagued by her father. She only stopped working Sundays, because her assistant insisted she take a break.

"Do you have any meetings scheduled tomorrow?" Korra asked, trying not to sound too hopeful.

She really didn't want to spend another day alone in the house with nothing to do. Plus she'd have time to hang with Asami. Asami was a mystery, that she found herself wanting to solve the more she spent time with her.

Asami smirks. It seems Korra had missed her. "No. I'm completely free tomorrow." She looks at Korra and tilts her head, wondering if she remembered their encounter this morning. "Do you remember me waking you up earlier today?"

Korra shakes her head. "No." She keeps destroying her sandwich. "Should I?"

That explains why Korra hadn't shown up at her job, Asami concludes. "Not really. What did you do while I was gone?" She really was curious.

Korra points at the backdoor. "I used your gym for a few hours. Bolin came by a few times. That's where these chips and soda came from." She gestures to the food on the bar, then blinks. Where were her manners? "Do… do you want some?"

Asami struggles to hold back her laugh, and shakes her head. "No, thank you. What were you doing in the gym? I thought you weren't supposed to put weight on your ankle."

"I didn't. I just did some upper body stuff." She flexes one of her biceps. "My shoulders and back are still a little sore, so I kept it light." She frowns.

Asami's stomach clenches at the sight. She averts her eyes and clears her throat. "Ahem. Well… I need to take a shower." Her eyes are still lowered as she leaves the kitchen.

Korra notices Asami's weird behavior. "Okay… Can we watch some movers when you finish? You have some I've never seen." She says softly. "It's just, I work a lot, so I don't really have time to watch much TV. You don't have to if you don't want to."

Asami considers turning her offer down, until she turns around. Korra had her eyes lowered, locked onto her empty plate, with a faint blush over her cheeks. No matter how scared Asami was of her feelings for Korra, she couldn't treat her coldly. It was her fault Korra was stuck here in the first place. She didn't even want to be here. The least Asami could do was spend time with her. Besides, after this weekend, she wouldn't have to see Korra again, so there was no harm.

Asami decides she won't filter her feelings, for the rest of this weekend. With a smile she looks at Korra and replies. "Sure."

"Really? That's great!" Korra beams at Asami.

She was sure Asami was going to blow her off. Ever since they left the hospital, Asami had become, oddly, detached and cold. She wasn't sure if it was her fault or if that's just how Asami was, but she was going to try her best and get Asami to have fun with her.

They spent the next few hours watching movies, laughing and crying together. All in all, Korra was having the time of her life. Asami was like a whole new person and Korra loved it. Asami seemed less tense and more happy. Korra felt weird seeing Asami smile without that cloud of emotion behind her eyes. She didn't know how to describe the feeling, but she knew that she liked it and wanted more of it.

"Do people really do that?" Korra asks, pointing at the huge screen.

"What go on dates? I'm sure they do Korra." Asami snickers.

Korra rolls her eyes. "I mean, do couples really go on dates with other couples like that?"

"Yes. They're called 'double dates'. People usually go on double dates with their best friends."

"Have you ever been on a double date?" Korra turns her attention to Asami.

"No. The closest things I have to best friends, are my ex-boyfriend and his brother. And we don't talk much. Kind of pathetic, huh?" She turns to Korra with a small smile.

"Not to me. My best friend's a dog." She beams. "And my last relationship was a joke. I, uh, sorta dated Mako for a few months after you guys broke up. We decided, we'd be better as friends, since all we did was argue." She snorts. "He was one of my few boyfriends. If I can even call the other few that. We didn't even kiss. Mako was my first kiss."

Asami is shocked by this information. "What? Why haven't you been in any other serious relationships?"

Korra grins a proud smile and that shocks Asami even more. "I was too busy helping my dad stabilize The Southern and Northern Watertribes. There was almost a war between the two but my dad and I managed to smoothly work things out. Now the Watertribes are more connected than ever."

Asami leans back, hugging a throw pillow. "I remember that. Varrick almost convinced me to ship weapons to the south. I'm glad you guys resolved it peacefully, otherwise I would've made a huge mistake."

Korra shrugs. "I just like helping people. That's why I moved out here to get my degree in political science and law. I wanna help everybody."

Asami hugs her pillow tighter. She thinks about all of what Korra had just told her. Korra really was a selfless person. She gave up any chance she had at a normal relationship, so she could help her people. And she did it. And now she was willing to move across the world to help more people.

Asami looks at her family portrait sitting on the end table next to her. Maybe Korra would do something about the street gangs that tore her family apart. She did say she wanted to help everyone. That included Republic City right?

Korra lowers her eyes to her lap and thinks about what Asami had just said. She hadn't had many friends growing up either for whatever reason.

She turns her head toward Asami again. "Maybe we'll end up being best friends." One could only hope.

Asami's eyes focus on her father. "Maybe." There was no chance.

Korra catches Asami's gaze and looks at the portrait. "Oh yeah. I found that sitting on the couch. You guys look like a nice family."

Asami glares at her father and clenches her teeth. "Yeah, we were."

"Huh?" Korra looks back at Asami confused. Did she say something?

"Excuse me." Asami abruptly stands and storms into her room, slamming the door behind her.

Korra sits wondering what just happened. She whips her phone out of her pocket and sends Mako a text.

Korra: Hey Mako?

Mako: Korra! Hru? Bolin told me you were in an accident

Korra: I'm fine, thanks. Can you tell me what happened to Asami's parents?

Mako:… What?

Korra: Can't you read? What happened to her parents?

Mako: Her mother was killed by some gang members when she was younger. Her father made some weapons and sold them to rival gangs to wipe them out. He's in prison

Korra: Thanks Mako

Mako: Np?

Korra sighs, realizing her mistake. How could she be so stupid? Of course, she couldn't have known about Asami's parents, but it was obvious something had happened to them. Asami lived alone for Spirits sake!

Asami paces her room, walking back and forth with hot, angry tears streaming down her face. She wasn't mad at Korra. Korra had done nothing wrong. She couldn't have known about her parents. She usually could control her anger when she thought of her father. But she'd dropped her mental walls earlier that day and her anger just burst like a dam.

She sits on the bed trying to regain her composure. Fifteen minutes later she opens her emotionless eyes with a blank expression on her face. She quietly opens the her bedroom door and pokes her head into the living room.

She sees Korra slap her hand to her forehead, berating herself. "Stupid! Nice going Korra. You really know how to screw things up."

Asami clears her throat and Korra spins around startled. "Oh. Uh, hey Asami." She chuckles nervously, then her shoulders deflate. "Look I'm sorry. I didn't mean to-" She's cut off by Asami's monotonous voice.

"Don't. It's not your fault. I'm going to bed." And with that she spins on her heel and heads into her room.

Korra sits, stunned speechless. She sighs and decides she should turn in too. Turning off all of the electronics in the living room, she heads to the guest bed room and lies in darkness for a thirty whole minutes, before finally dozing off.

Sometime in the middle of the night...

Asami tosses and turns in her sleep. She murmurs unintelligible words as sweats starts to form on her pained face.

She looks around confused, not knowing where she is. She tries to stand, only to fall back to the ground. Her wrists and ankles are shackled. She sees movement out of the corner of her eye. She turns her head and sees her father watching her, with disappointment on his face.

"What a shame. You and I could've revolutionized the world. But instead you turn on me, your own flesh and blood. Do you not understand what I was trying to do? I was avenging your mother! If it wasn't for you, those thugs that took her from us wouldn't still be walking around, free to take what they want and do as they please!" Hiroshi spits.

Asami looks at him and glares daggers. "Oh please. Don't drag mom into this. You sold them those weapons, because of your own twisted sense of justice. What about all of the innocent people they used those weapons on, huh? The innocent people caught between the crossfire you started. You're no better than the people who took mom away." She growls at him.

Hiroshi sighs, shaking his head. "Ungrateful child."

The shackles around Asami's wrists and ankles begin to fade away. As they do, Hiroshi walks out of a door, leading outside, into a grassy meadow.

Asami immediately follows after him. "Where do you think-"

She slams the door open and is shocked by what she sees. Where her father was supposed to be standing, was her mother. Asami looks at her with wide, tear welled, eyes. Her mom was right in front of her. Alive and well, smiling at her like she used to.

"Mom?" Asami takes a cautious step forward. She gently walks toward her mother, like she's approaching a frightened animal.

"It's me, honey." Yasuko gives her a small, reassuring smile and opens her arms wide. Asami runs and tackles her mother into a hug.

Asami holds on for dear life, scared her mother would leave her again at any moment. She really was here and in her arms. Everything felt right again. All of her problems immediately lift off of her mind, as she cries, in her mother's arms.

"I missed you so much. Everything's all messed up now." Asami pulls back slightly, to look at Yasuko.

Yasuko sighs. "I know. That's why I'm here. You've been hurting recently haven't you?" Asami lowers her eyes. "When was the last time you were genuinely happy, Asami?"

Asami's mind immediately shoots to her and Korra watching movies together, earlier that day. And then she remembers her father. She looks back at her mother "Mom I can't allow what happened to dad, happen to me. He tried to kill me!"

Yasuko sighs again. She pulls away from Asami and grips her shoulder. "I know your father did some horrible things that have hurt you. You may never forgive him but please try. What your father is, does not define what you will be. And I'll let you in on a little secret. He's got to deal with all of the choices he's made, just as much as you do, if not more so." She winks at Asami.

Asami looks to the ground, taking in all that her mother had said. There was no way she could forgive her father. He'd taken away what little family she had left. But… maybe she could try. She sighs and tries to take her mother's hand, searching for comfort, but finds that it isn't there anymore. She looks up and sees her mother floating away, backwards, with a smile on her face.

"Mom! Please, don't go!" Asami chases after Yasuko, but the distance between them only grows.

"Follow your heart and everything will be fine. I love you, Asami." Yasuko fades from existence.

Asami stops running and spins around looking all over for her mother, sobbing. "Mom? Mom?! MOM!"

Korra shoots upright, still lying in her bed. She'd heard Asami scream from in her room. She jumps out of bed and runs past her crutches, into the hallway. She bursts into Asami's room, and sees her looking around her room rapidly, a crying mess.

She sits in front of her on the bed. "Asami? Asami, calm down. What's wrong?"

Asami is crying so hard, she can barely breath, let alone speak. She throws herself into Korra's arms and clings to her with all of her strength, like her life depended on it. "P-please. Please don't… don't l-leave… me again." She grips the back of Korra's shirt, afraid she'd leave.

Again? Korra looks down at Asami confusedly. She doesn't know what the hell Asami is talking about, but decides to play along, hoping it makes her feel better, because right now, Asami looks utterly miserable. She chalks it all up to a bad dream. It is the only thing that makes since, to Korra at least.

"Hey, hey, hey. I'm not going anywhere, okay? Come on, lets lay down." Korra moves to lie down next to Asami, but Asami's grip on her shirt tightens. She chuckles and maneuvers her and Asami's bodies to the middle of the bed and lies back against the soft pillows. Asami immediately lies her head on Korra's chest and wraps her arms around her torso.

Korra listens for Asami's breathing to even out. She contemplates going back into the guest bedroom, but decides against it, realizing Asami had her and wasn't letting go. She looks down at Asami and strokes the back of her head soothingly, with a small smile. Korra didn't understand the feelings she had toward Asami but she did understand one thing. She'd do everything she possibly could to make sure Asami never cried like that again.

Korra's eventually grasped by sleep, as the soothing scent of vanilla shampoo floods her nostrils. She and Asami sleep peacefully in each other's embrace.