With the sun high in the sky, children scattered around all corners of Republic City Park. Rowdy little boys wrestled in the grass while sweet little girls played with their dolls. Mud splattered and grass flew in all directions; tiny plastic brushes combed though synthetic hair. Mothers watched children halfheartedly as they caught up on the latest gossip.
Attentive emeralds took it all in. One child in particular, a rowdy little girl, garnered most of their attention. Adorned in a light blue tank top, the rascal of a tyke seemed like she was on a life-or-death mission to sully her clothes. Mud was splattered across her top and the hems of her pants saw no mercy. Nothing could stop the little monster as she plowed through a flock of turtle ducks, jumping into a shallow pond.
Musing green eyes watched as a small girl ran back and forth across the park.
"Can I go now?" the tiny girl whined, squirming in her seat. Short legs kicked back and forth with impatience as they hung from the bench. A warm giggle filled the air was baby greens pleaded for her mother's permission.
"Sit still, I'm almost done," a gentle voice spoke, light with laughter.
When the wooden comb brushed through raven locks resistance free, luscious locks were pulled back with a small hairclip. With a pat on her shoulder, Yasuko finally relieved five-year old Asami from her torturous ritual.
"Don't go too far, and remember-"
"Be back by five!" Asami carelessly waved off, running into the distance. Tiny feet rushed to the squad of girls sitting in the shade of gingko tree.
"Hi!" a timid voice called out, squeaking with excitement. A bright smile shone on her face. "Can I play with you guys?"
A couple of heads turned to see who was talking to them while the others continued their game of house. Smiles dropped from their faces as judgmental eyes scrutinized the homely girl in front of them. They grimaced.
"We're playing dolls," one spoke condescendingly as the other just nodded with a similar expression her face. Sitting in their matching autumn dresses, they appraised Asami's worth by her lack of finesse. "Where's yours?"
"I-I don't have one," Asami abashedly looked at her feet. Optimism and confidence drained out of her face. Her hands twisted her dress nervously as her feet dug into the ground. "I was hoping that I cou-"
"You can't play dolls without a doll, dummy," the girl dismissed. Light brown curls swung around her head as she turned her face away with such distaste, leaving no room for future discussion.
"Who does she think she is?" Asami heard her whisper.
"Did you even look at her dress? It looks like it hasn't been washed in days."
"I know, and her shoes are falling apart."
"Her family-"
Asami forced herself away, refusing to hear any more of their slandering. Tears pooled at the corners of her eyes as she forced herself to bite down a sob. Going to the park was supposed to be a good thing, a fun thing. Her parents told her playing with kids her age would be more entertaining than reading in her room alone. They had promised her that the kids would be nice, that going out would make her feel less isolated.
They couldn't have been more wrong.
Asami wasn't dumb; on the contrary, she was actually quite brilliant. She understood that her father had to work hours that started before the sun rose and ended well past her bedtime. She understood he didn't have the time to play with her like they used to. The fiddling with old radios and building elaborate cities out of building blocks would just have to wait. She understood that money made the world go round and that they didn't have much of it. It was apparent that luxury of getting the newest toys or pretty new dresses was something that she would not get to experience.
But Asami was five. Just because she understood how things were and how they couldn't afford toys didn't mean she still didn't want them.
Short legs gradually picked up into a jog and before she knew it, she was running as fast as she could. Tiny hands were clenched in a tight fist as they fought the urge to wipe away at the tears forming in her eyes.
The gap between her and her mother seemed an unfathomable distance away. No matter how fast she ran it was never fast enough. It felt as if hundreds of eyes bore into her back, ridiculing her. She stumbled along, resisting the urge to curl up into a ball right then and there. She needed her mom. She needed her warm hands to comb through her long locks. She needed her soothing voice to calm her like it always did when she was upset.
"Watch where you're going, loser!" a brash voice spat at her.
Though her blind running, she collided straight into a wall of a boy. Tears teetered on the edge as she looked up from her position on her butt. Slowly, she inched away from the hefty boy who towered over her. Her feet picked up as she desperately kicked against the ground, trying to squirm away. The tears that could no longer be held back and streamed down her face freely.
"Aren't you going to say sorry?" he demanded, taking a step closer with an menacing grin. With every inch she moved away, he closed it. Corning his prey, he was not going to let little Asami out of his reach.
"I-I'm so-" Asami started but was cut off.
"What is that?" the bully asked as his body shook with laughter. A grin spread across his face, finding pride in his torment. "Guys, guys. Get over here!"
"Isn't your daddy that shoe shiner? Why are your shoes so junky?" a thinner boy walked up and pointed at her feet.
"He's not just a shoe shiner!" Asami cried out defensively.
"Oh, that's right," the apparent leader of the gang recalled with a laugh. "He's planning on building a moving box!"
The other boys joined in his laughter. "My dad said that that he wanted to replace earthbender trains. A box that can move people without any bending."
"Ha! He better not quit his day job," the quietest boy chimed in, earning a laugh. "What is he going to do? Cast magic it on it?"
"Non-benders trying to be as cool as earthbenders, as if. They can't do anything right."
"Gimme this," the skinny boy snatched her shoe off the ground as Asami reached for it. "They look like they're-" he paused and lit a small flame, setting the sandal on fire.
"What are you doing?!" Asami cried out as she watched the leather burn. The novice firebender couldn't maintain the spark for long, only able to create a small hole in the sole.
"Here," the larger bully snatched Asami's other shoe right off her foot where she was frozen in her spot. Terrified eyes watched with horror.
"Give that back!" she cried as outrage surged through her veins. She jumped to her feet and snatched her footwear from the boy. In a burst of courage, whacked him in the head with it.
"Oh, you're going to regret that!" he whined, his voice cracking.
Asami knew that she had not made the wisest decision when she saw red eyes that flickered with anger. With each step the firebender took her heart rate increased. She stood her ground as long as she could, only to curl into a ball and hide behind her arms. The heat from the small puff of fire burned much too closely for Asami's liking.
The lick of fire didn't last long but it was enough to scare her from putting up any more of a fight. The trio laughed at her as she tried to back away and the heftiest boy managed to hover a rock, poised to throw it in her direction. Watery eyes nailed themselves shut as she waited for the impact. But none came.
"You leave her alone!" a small but firm voice demanded.
The little rascal she recognized from earlier stood between her and the three bullies. Asami examined the girl with awe. Her beautiful skin was a shade darker than most of the other kids' that she had ever met and she wore the traditional Water Tribe blue. Her hair was tied into three little sections and jutted out haphazardly. Clenched fists rested on her hips and she jutted her chest out, trying to give the appearance that she was much larger than she actually was. Even though she appeared to be younger than any of them, she guarded Asami with complete conviction.
After a short pause, the trio of boys exchanged glances before bursting out into a loud laughter. "And who do you think you are?"
"I'm the bringer of peas!" she boasted, her voice breaming with pride. She continued to stand unfazed by the boys' teasing outburst. Just as one reached to snatch the shoe away again, she shoved him back with all her strength.
"Oh, yeah? And wha'chu gonna do about it?" the lanky boy taunted as the head bully pulled himself up to his feet. Another puff of fire flew in her direction but brave girl stood unflinchingly.
If only for a brief moment, a small look of conflict passed over the young girl's tenacious face but it fled as quickly as it had appeared.
"I'm not afraid of you," she said as she stood her ground.
The three looked at each other and laughed to themselves. They each took a few steps closer and teary eyes widened in fear.
"Let's go," Asami timid voice called. She tugged and tugged on her savior's arm but got no response.
"No, they can't just do whatever they want," she defiant girl protested, refusing to budge an inch.
"Please," Asami begged. She pulled harder. "Really, it's okay. Let's just go."
Crystal blues peered down at the muddled greens and her defiant pout melted into something softer.
"You better listen to her, you don't know who you're messing with."
Eyes narrowed as her attention snapped back to the boys. Fingers gestured between her eyes and theirs, making sure that they know she's going to keep an eye on them. It took all within her not to punch the older bully in the face but the secure grip on her wrist helped soothe her temper.
"You better leave her alone next time!" she called out at them as she allowed the teary eyed girl to pull her away.
"Thank you," Asami whispered. Tiny legs slowed from their quickened gallop to a small trot. Heavy emeralds refused to look up as she treaded carefully along the sidewalk. Pale feet were caked in dirt from running through the mud and she knew she'd have to explain to her parents what happened. "I hate those boys," Asami spat almost bitterly.
Korra's former grumpy pout washed off her face as she caught sight of the silent tears that fell from the girl's face.
"Hey! Don't worry!" Korra exclaimed as she threw her arms in the air in desperate attempts to distract her. She gave a goofy grin, showing off her missing front tooth, "They can't bother you as long as I'm around."
Teary eyes glanced up and her eyebrows furrowed instantly at the sight in front of her. "You're hurt!" her voice cracked as she cried out. She rummaged through her pockets, searching for her handkerchief. Asami pressed the corner of the cloth up to the small cut running through Korra's left eyebrow. She had no doubt that it came from when the bully rockbent pebbles at her. "I'm sorry..."
Bright blues crisscrossed as they tried to watch as her new friend fussed about her. "I'm fine, really," Korra said with a goofy grin. Small dark hands took hold of paler wrists, moving them away.
Surrounded by waterbenders growing up, there was never a time where a healer wasn't more than a few feet away from young avatar. On top of that, her newest teacher, Master Katara, was the best healer in the whole tribe. Despite being completely rambunctious, someone was always there to take care of any injuries she sustained through her adventures. That's why when she felt small lips pressing on her forehead she was in complete disarray.
"What was that for?" Korra asked, cocking an eyebrow at the older girl, causing the injury to smart.
On the other hand, there was Asami who hadn't thought much of her actions because to her, kisses were the best medicine. Whenever she would fall or hurt herself, even in the slightest, her mother would was quickly clean and dress it, then, a kiss was placed on the booboo to insure that it would feel better. It was a trick that had always worked for her.
"Doesn't it feel better?" she asked, confused by Korra's reaction.
"Hmm..." Korra thought out loud. The sharp stinging was still there but she didn't want to shatter the expectant look on Asami's face. "Maybe. Try again?"
A blush warmed Asami's cheeks as she tiptoed to place another kiss near the cut. Just to be sure, she added an extra peck. "How about now?"
"Much," Korra said as she gave a toothy, or rather toothless, grin. The genuine concern radiated off of her being. Hope was apparent in her voice and Korra didn't have the heart to tell her otherwise. "Thank you."
And just as she had hoped, Asami's eyes lit up.
"What are you doing?" the raven-haired girl squeaked out as she felt herself being lifted onto the girls back. "Put me down!"
Tiny fists pounded against Korra's back in protest but after a few moments of struggle, Asami had finally given in. She allowed herself to be piggybacked around by the zealous girl, secretly loving every second of it. Accepting defeat, long arms wrapped around the girls neck and she rested her chin on her shoulder.
Despite her external confidence, Korra grunted as she struggled to hold the girl up. The young avatar wanted to show off to her new friend so she did everything she could to not show that she really wasn't strong enough to carry her far. With a quickened pace, she walked them toward the edge of the pond. "Those hoodlums ruined your shoes."
Asami's cheeks puffed out as she stifled a laugh at Korra's lexicon. It was apparent that she had picked up her vocabulary from someone much older than her.
"I'm used to it," she spoke without any hint of malice. Her voice's softness gave away her emotions; all of her feelings of dread were slowly melting away by the stranger's unsuspecting warmth.
Korra froze, bewildered by small girl's statement. She shuffled a bit to situate her passenger better. "How could anyone hit someone as snazzy as you?"
Lanky arms and legs tightened around the body holding her up and a teary face buried into the soft fabric of the baby blue shirt.
Ugly. Stupid. Fat. Poor. Lame. Asami had been called them all. Her parents told her over and over again to just ignore anything anyone had to say about her. She had learned to stop letting others' words affect her.
But this stranger's words sunk through to her heart. For the first time, it wasn't words that tried to tear her down into nothing, but words that cared. They were words that she could build skyscrapers with. A small fluttering feeling arose in her stomach and the warmth from her chest spread to her face. She was speechless.
Once they reached their destination, Korra attempted to set the girl down but the needy arms around her only tightened as she lowered herself to the ground. Asami hadn't said a word since she received the compliment and Korra was starting to worry that she had said something that upset her.
The young waterbender picked at her mind, trying to pinpoint exactly when the conversation had turned sour. She had called the boys hoodlums and then she called the girl snazzy. She wasn't entirely sure what either of the words meant, but she didn't think that she had used them incorrectly. When she had said it, she was almost positive that hoodlums were bad people and snazzy meant pretty.
Korra sat down on the grass and slumped over and Asami slid down her back until she was seated behind her. Pale cheeks rested against the heroine's steady form as arms continued to stay encircled around her waist. Asami refused to let go.
"I'm sorry. I said something dumb, didn't I?" Korra tried to turn around to face Asami but adamant arms wouldn't let her. She could feel Asami fervently shaking her head in opposition and confusion set on her face. "What did I do then?"
"Nothing. You didn't-" Asami hiccupped. "It's- nothing."
Silence returned, neither knowing what to say. Even after arms had released Korra from the grip, she was too afraid she would say something wrong and mess things up again. She knew something was bothering the girl and she refused to make it worse.
"Asami!" a light voice called from across the pond, pulling both of the children's attention to it. "Asami, where are you?"
Green eyes peaked from over the taller girl's shoulder, trying to stay hidden behind her new friend. She hadn't noticed how the sun was starting to set. Turning to the clock towering in the center of the park, she realized that she was supposed to have been back over 15 minutes ago.
"I-I gotta go!" Asami murmured as she scrambled to her feet.
"You better be careful," Korra laughed as steady arms caught the little girl before she fell flat on her face. A silly grin spread across Korra's features.
Asami could see how worried her mother looked as she scanned the vast area of the park but she didn't want to leave. "Will you be here tomorrow?" she asked, her voice was rushed and panicked yet ringing with hope.
An eyebrow arched as Korra thought about it. She wasn't sure when she would be back but she knew she'd do whatever it took to see this girl again. "Of course. Will you?"
Long raven locks bounced as Asami nodded her head excitedly with an eager smile. She stood up, preparing herself to run into her mother's arms "Mommy and I will be here every day. I gotta go now." Worried eyes darted back and forth between the girl and her mother. Her heart ached as she was forced to make a decision. "I'll see you tomorrow, right?"
"Count on it!" Korra leaned back onto her palms gave a broad smile and waved the girl off.
Asami stilled momentarily, eyes focusing on the small cut on the girl's face. Without saying another word, she placed her lips upon her eyebrow once again before dashing away. A stunned Korra sat dumbly until a warm blush started to spread across her face.
Days passed peacefully. The two girls got along unbelievably well as they found themselves enjoying each other's company for hours on end. Asami had felt genuinely happy for the first time since she could remember.
Focusing all of her attention, Asami sculpted a miniature scaled Republic City in the sandbox. The sun was already starting to fall below the horizon as time went unnoticed. Completely absorbed in her work, she wasn't even aware of the fact that her playmate was missing.
"Korra! Come look at this," she beckoned out in excitement after putting the finishing touch on her masterpiece. Green eyes focused on the playground as searched for the other girl.
"Korra?" she called. A feeling of uncertainty and fear started to arise again. Without her protector, she was vulnerable. She set out to find her best friend only to dash behind a small pagoda when she heard familiar voices.
"Why do you hang out with that loser?" a rough voice asks with a laugh. "You're too cool for her. Just hang with us."
Asami's heart dropped as she clenched onto solid rock. A frown took over her expression and she felt tears building up again. 'Be strong' she told herself. 'What would Korra think of you if she saw you crying again?'
"I'm too cool for you!" Korra yelled back. Asami could see her pushing the significantly bigger boy without hesitation. "She's too cool for you."
"Please, like she can do anything," the firebender bully chuckled.
"She doesn't have to do anything to be better than you! She's my friend! You gotta deal with it!" she growled back at them. Rage filled the tiny body and her nails dug into her palms. "Just leave us alone!"
Worn leather boots stomped away from the gang. Her whole body tensed when sorry sapphire eyes met sorrowful jades. Her fist balled up as her fury burned hotter.
Korra snatched Asami's arm and yanked her away. The little Republic City native struggled to keep up, occasionally tripping on her own feet. She had upset Korra and she didn't know what she had done.
"I'm sorry," both voiced called out at the same time.
Bushy eyebrows knitted in confusion. "Why are you sorry?" Korra asked. Her voice was harsher than she intended to be, but she was still seething from the previous encounter.
"You shouldn't have to hang out with me-" Asami was cut off when she was pushed onto the ground. Harsh eyes bored down at her and the look of distress spread across her face.
"Don't do that! Stop saying you're nothing! I know I don't have to hang out with you." Korra started off on a rant, finally able to vent. Korra had to bite her tongue so she wouldn't lash out anymore.
"I'm sorry," she started again, knowing how she had hurt the other girl. Her voice calmed and she plopped down on the ground next to her. Dirty hands tried their best to wipe the tears from Asami's fair cheeks. "I just don't understand. Why they're so horrible to you?!"
"It's okay," Asami gave a faint smile as her cheeks tinted pink. Tiny hands gripped at the girl's clothes tightly. "I don't need them, I have you."
"I'm going protect you from everyone!" Korra declared loudly and proudly, pounding a sound fist to her chest. "I swear it!"
The girls shared a laugh and Asami was finally able show off her hard work. The sparkle in Korra's eye was well worth all the hours that she had invested into her project. The girl admired the intricate detail of each of the buildings as Asami admired the joy on Korra's face.
Asami felt a swell in her chest as she realized what it was like to finally have a friend.
It was only moments later that Korra was covered in sand as she demolished the town. Proclaiming to be a giant canyon crawler, she destroyed buildings with much gusto. It had taken some convincing and pleading on Korra's end, but Asami didn't have the heart to deny her the happiness. Bright orbs watched from the sidelines with a smile that was glaringly bright.
Korra was gasping for breath once the laughter finally died down and there was no trace of a city left. Asami placed her hands on the girl's slightly taller shoulders and stood on her tiptoes.
"I'll see you tomorrow, right?" she asked, already knowing the answer. As usual, the day ended with her ritual of kissing the small scar that cut through the brunette's eyebrow.
"Of course," Korra said with a silly grin. Her heart swelled as she felt the feathery touch.
Despite being scolded for not taking care of the cut earlier, she was glad that Master Katara couldn't heal the abrasion completely. Without the small remaining mark, she couldn't have convinced the girl that she still needed kisses for it. It was her little secret.
Well, one of her little secrets.
"Wait," Korra reached out before Asami pulled away. "Can I tell you something?"
Bright green eyes lit up at the question. "Of course. You can tell me anything."
"You can't tell anyone. You gotta promise me." Korra's brows furrowed in seriousness. A tiny pinky was presented to the non-bender to engage in the sacred ritual of a pinky promise. Without hesitation, Asami took it in her own and shook on it.
"Asami!" Yasuko called out, looking for her daughter.
Asami frowned at being cut off before she got any of the top-secret information and squeezed their interlocked pinkies tighter. "Can you tell me tomorrow?" she asked as she heard her mother calling for her again.
"I-" Korra started. She wanted to get it off of her chest now. She wanted her to know more than anything and she had been building up her courage for days to get it off her chest. It was important to her, but she also knew how important being on time was to the other girl.
She dropped her hand and let her go. "Yeah, tomorrow then."
Her face burned when she felt lips touch her skin once more. Only this time, she felt Asami's soft, warm lips on her cheek.
A/N: Okay. There are no excuses for this being so late, but I'm going to give you some anyway. I wasn't particularly motived to write this section because I was honestly scared how you guys would react to it. I haven't written anything so out of canon before and it was stressful trying to keep it in sync with the actual storyline as well. Also, I have just been feeling like poop lately.
I promised myself I'd update a chapter for every 100 followers I get on tumblr, but this is way over due. I'll try to get the next two out on time though! I'm pretty excited for the angst.
I know I always ask for feedback and some of you very kind and give it to me, but this chapter in particular I'm very wary about. I'm terribly curious about your thoughts on this, so please, please let me know!