Yay for more chapters! So I wanted to ask you guys, are you all good with how long these chapters are? Do you mind that they're a bit lengthy or nah not really?
Oh! It was brought to my attention that you FFN readers may not know: Chapter 3 (Breakfast) was a continuation of a snippet I added to the end note of Chapter 2 over on AO3. So if you wanted to see what prompted the breakfast date and shower shenanigans, head over to AO3 and read it at the end of Chapter 2!
That's it! I really enjoyed writing this chapter, so I hope you like it too :)
…..
Asami stared across her bed at Korra, her legs folded beneath her and squinting with concentration, trying not to get distracted by the way Korra looked. They'd gotten dressed after taking a nap… sort of. Asami had put on pajama shorts and a loose t-shirt, but Korra had been satisfied lounging around for the last hour in her underwear and tank top. It was hard for Asami not to let her mind wander and start thinking about how nice Korra's toned and darkly tanned legs were stretched out beside her, or the fact that Korra hadn't even bothered to put on a bra.
The task at hand was what Asami needed to focus on. In order to learn more about each other, they'd decided to play two truths and one lie. Asami was trying to figure out which of the three facts Korra had said about herself was false, but this round was proving difficult. Either Korra hadn't gone to university, had six siblings, or had only started playing soccer seven years ago. It was taking so long for Asami to guess that the edges of Korra's lips were beginning to curl with amusement.
"You close to figuring it out?" Korra asked.
Asami hummed thoughtfully, but she really had no idea which of these was the lie. She needed help, and she knew exactly where to get it. "One sec," she murmured, reaching behind her for the cell phone she'd left on the nightstand.
She opened up the internet browser, managing to type in Korra's name before Korra asked suspiciously, "What are you doing?" Asami ignored the question with a smirk, looking for the link she wanted, and when Korra leaned forward to try and catch a glimpse, she leaned back. "Asami Sato," Korra scolded, "What do you think you're doing?" She gasped when it seemed to click what was going on. "You can't look up my biography!" Asami snorted with laughter, leaning back even more when Korra tried to grab the phone from her. "That's cheating!" Korra exclaimed through a laugh, and Asami leaned so far that she fell onto her back. Korra pounced on her, grabbing the phone out of her hands the moment before she managed to read anything useful. "Oh my god," Korra chuckled when she read what was on the phone. "You are such a cheater! What did you see?"
"Nothing helpful," Asami groaned lightheartedly, sitting back up when Korra got off of her and resumed her sitting position. "This one's hard."
"It's not a big deal if you get it wrong," Korra told her. "Just take a guess."
"Okay," Asami sighed. "Um…" She thought for another moment. Korra hadn't said much about her family yet, and she'd never mentioned university, so Asami couldn't take educated guesses about either of those. However, there was no way Korra had only been playing soccer for seven years with how good she was. "The lie is that you've only been playing soccer for seven years," Asami guessed. Korra beamed, shaking her head victoriously. "What!" Asami exclaimed in disbelief. "No way. Seriously?"
"Yeah," Korra said happily. "I only started playing in high school."
"Did you go to university?" Asami asked curiously, and Korra shook her head. "So… did you get recruited for soccer right out of high school?"
"No," Korra answered. "I moved here after high school to try out for the league, but I didn't make it right away. They saw something in me, though. Let me practice with the team until I was good enough to make it."
That was it then, the lie was that Korra had six siblings. "How many siblings do you have?"
"I'm an only child," Korra said, and then laughed, "I probably traumatized my parents into not having any more."
Asami smiled knowingly. "You were a wild one?"
"You have no idea," Korra confirmed, and then motioned to Asami. "Okay, your turn."
"Alright," Asami murmured, thinking for a minute to come up with some facts. Building off of Korra's university theme, she listed, "I failed a class at university. I dated a professor at university. I blew up a car at university."
Korra snorted with laughter at the last one, asking in disbelief, "Really, those are the options?" Asami simply nodded, unable to contain a smile because she was curious which one Korra would pick as the lie. "Okay, you…" Korra paused, drawing in a thoughtful breath before saying, "Didn't blow up a car."
Asami's smile grew as she shook her head. "Guess again."
Korra's jaw dropped, but she guessed, "You didn't fail a class."
"Korra!" Asami exclaimed with mock offense, grabbing a pillow and playfully throwing it at her. "Why are you so convinced that I dated a professor?"
Korra snickered as she caught the pillow, her cheeks tinting with a light blush. "I don't know." She shrugged. "Because you're so smart. I guess I figured you'd date someone smart before dating, you know," she motioned toward herself, "an athlete or something."
"Okay, one," Asami said amusedly, "being smart and being an athlete aren't mutually exclusive." Korra rolled her eyes, but Asami continued, "And two, I used to date meatheads all the time just to piss my dad off."
"Oh," Korra drawled teasingly, gesturing between them, "is that what this is?"
"Not at all," Asami said with sudden urgency. She knew Korra was only messing with her, but she didn't want there to be a doubt in Korra's mind that she was in this for herself. In it because she liked Korra and being with Korra and the way Korra made her feel. "I haven't even talked to my dad in years, so…"
Korra watched her for a few silent seconds, during which Asami couldn't bring herself to meet Korra's gaze because she shouldn't have even said that in the first place. The dramatic shift in tone had made things uncomfortable, and she shouldn't have said it but she got scared at the idea of Korra thinking she was only part of a pattern, when truly she was breaking a pattern. She was everything Asami thought she'd never find.
"I'm sorry," Korra said. "I shouldn't have joked about it when I knew you didn't want to talk about this."
"No," Asami said sincerely, "No, don't apologize. It's my fault. I brought it up in the first place." She sighed, twisting her hands together for a moment before meeting Korra's gaze. She couldn't leave it like this now, awkward; she had to explain at least a little. "Look, um," she took in a breath so she could say, "My mom died when I was a kid, and I don't have a good relationship with my dad."
"It's okay," Korra said, reaching over to put a hand on Asami's knee. "You don't have to tell me anything if you aren't ready to." Her thumb made a gentle stroke against Asami's skin, and she gave a comforting smile for the information she'd already heard.
Asami nodded gratefully, because she really wasn't ready to talk about it. As much as she already liked Korra, she wasn't ready to trust that much. But she wasn't used to not being forced, either. Maybe it was because of her social circle, but she'd never been with someone who literally had no idea about her family history, or her father. Never been with someone who didn't ask questions or make assumptions that put her in a position where she had to explain herself. Everything about her father and her company and, lately, her life, was in the news or tabloids. Reporters asked her invasive questions, and if they didn't get the information they wanted from her, then they got it elsewhere. People knew things about her that she often wasn't ready to share. She could see, however, by the genuine concern and sympathy in Korra's eyes, that she had no idea. It wasn't an act to earn Asami's trust or affection.
"You really don't keep up with current events," Asami mused, but though she tried to smile playfully, it was unsuccessful.
"Not really unless it has to do with sports," Korra agreed, and though she smiled too, that concern never left her gaze.
"Can I ask you for a favor?" Asami asked timidly, and Korra nodded. "Would you, maybe, not look me up? Not me, or my company, or my family." Korra's eyebrows furrowed with thought, and Asami felt her heart sink because maybe Korra thought she was hiding something. "It's just," she explained hastily, "I've never been with someone who doesn't know my life story, and have expectations based on some preconceived idea of who I am or where I'm from. I've never been able to open up when I'm ready, on my own time. But I get to be myself with you, which…" She huffed with dry laughter. "That's really rare for me."
There wasn't even a moment of thought or hesitation before Korra nodded. "Okay." And Asami's face must've shown the surprise she felt about the lack of pause, because Korra offered a smile, telling her sincerely, "I want you to be comfortable with me, Asami, and if avoiding information about you that hasn't come from you is what I need to do, then okay." She swiped her hands together and threw them up playfully. "I'll avoid current events at all costs."
Asami really didn't expect Korra to ever pressure her for details, but that reply still made her so happy that she vaulted across the small space between them and pinned Korra on the bed beneath her. "Thank you," she said, pressing a grateful peck to Korra's cheek.
"No worries." Korra's hands landed on Asami's hips, working under the fabric of her t-shirt to set against skin, and she loved that Korra was at ease enough now not to be shy about touching her however she wanted. Especially when it meant having Korra's hands against her flesh, because they were always so warm, and though they were rough with callouses, they were still remarkably soft. "Asami," Korra prompted expectantly, and Asami's eyebrows rose curiously. "Did you really blow up a car?"
Asami laughed, having completely forgotten they were even playing the game. "I actually failed a class because I blew up a car."
"How do you even-" Korra faltered over her own disbelief. "What on earth were you doing?"
"I was trying to find a way to make cars more fuel efficient," she answered amusedly. "I was experimenting with batteries and engines, and I had the idea, but I still had a lot to learn." She chuckled, remembering how furious and terrified her professor had been when he saw the car engulfed in flames. "I took the rig out for a test drive and it didn't exactly work the way I wanted it to."
"Oh my god," Korra breathed, eyes wide with awe. "You could have died!"
"Yeah, maybe," Asami chuckled. "But I didn't. Just had to retake the class. The professor wouldn't let me touch anything the second time around, it was so annoying."
"Wow," Korra laughed, still looking like she was in utter disbelief. "So did you figure it out?"
"The fuel efficiency?" Asami asked, to which Korra nodded. "I'm still working on it, actually. I'm so close to a breakthrough, though, I can feel it." Of course it helped that Future Industries had far more resources than the university ever did. At work, she didn't really have to worry about budget or time constraints or, greatest of all, oversight, and she was free to be as creative as she liked. That was one of the few benefits to come out of her taking over the company, and on its own was almost enough to make it worth it. "What?" Asami prompted, because Korra had simply been staring at her since she'd responded.
"You're just," Korra started thoughtfully, "something else." Her hands left Asami's hips, tracing up along her back. "I'm not entirely convinced I'm not still drunk, and this is all a figment of my imagination."
Asami's lips pursed with a flattered smile. "Well, you know," she said, "if I'd known you were hiding in the sports side of media all this time, I'd have started watching soccer a lot sooner."
Korra's face lit up excitedly. "You're going to watch my next game?"
"Absolutely," Asami said, adding playfully, "Can you get me a jersey that says Dribble Dragon on the back to wear while I watch?"
Korra gasped with mock offense, lifting a hand to put it over Asami's mouth. "Every time you say that name, the soccer gods shed a tear."
Asami snickered amusedly, pulling her face away from Korra's palm in order to repeat teasingly, "Dribble Dragon."
"Asami Sato!" Korra exclaimed, holding back a laugh. "You stop it before you make them cry." Asami took in a deep, preparatory breath. "Don't you dare," Korra chuckled, dropping her hands to pose her fingers threateningly over Asami's ribs.
Just the fact that Asami didn't know if Korra was really going to do it already made it tickle, and she couldn't resist letting out a soft snort as she whispered again, "Dribble Dragon."
"Now you've done it!" Korra conceded, fingers attacking her ribs. Asami squealed and rolled off, but Korra followed, rolling on top of her to keep tickling. "You've angered the soccer gods!"
"I'm sorry!" Asami shrieked through her laughter.
"They can't hear you," Korra teased.
Asami gasped, gathering the breath to shout, "I'm sorry!"
Korra stopped tickling, shifting onto one elbow at Asami's side to look at her. "That's nice and all," Korra said, completely serious except for the glitter of laughter in her blue eyes, "but they demand a blood sacrifice." At that, Asami purposefully gasped in feigned terror. "Don't worry," Korra said instantly, lips curling with a smirk, "they also accept goals, and luckily for you, I am the Dribble Dragon."
"My savior," Asami chuckled, pressing a grateful kiss to Korra's cheek.
Korra grinned heroically, letting the entertainment fade for a few moments in order to ask seriously, "Do you actually want to come to my next game?"
"Really?" Asami asked in shock. She knew it had to be relatively easy for Korra to get tickets, but Asami actually going to a game seemed like a big deal. The kind of big deal you reserve for close friends, family, and a significant other…
"Yeah," Korra answered, pushing herself up to sit. "You could sit with my friends if you didn't want to go alone. Or by yourself, if you wanted to wait a while before meeting them." Korra's mouth tugged to one side, and she shrugged self-consciously. "You don't have to go, if you don't want to. I know the games are kind of long. I was just… giving you the option."
It was downright adorable how bashful Korra got about asking, but Asami couldn't really focus on the fact that Korra wanted her at the game. "You want me to meet your friends?"
She and Korra had only met the night before, and the idea of Korra already wanting to introduce her was as exciting as it was terrifying. This was how Korra completely demolished barriers. By being sweet, and silly, and shy, and by putting herself out there like this without making Asami feel pressured to do the same. Only, it made Asami want to do the same. Made it so that she found herself letting go and having fun and feeling things without even consciously trying to, and that just didn't happen to her. Not Asami Sato. Not after everything she'd been through.
She was guarded and careful and she didn't just fall for people, but she hadn't second-guessed anything since last night. Not waking up with Korra. Not going to breakfast with Korra, or having sex with her again even when it was intimate and Asami's heart stuttered in ways it never had. She hadn't second-guessed falling asleep with Korra again, or being ready to spend the rest of the day, and maybe night, with her again. There was the doubt of experience screaming at her to slow down, because she was flawed, and because she had baggage that Korra might not have space for, but everything else in her was eager to fall blindly. Korra already seemed to understand Asami in ways nobody ever had. Her life was assuredly as warm and comfortable and inviting as Korra herself, and Asami wanted to experience as much of it as Korra would share, even if she couldn't do the same.
"Well," Korra answered hesitantly, like she couldn't decipher what the right answer was supposed to be. "Yeah…" After a moment, she laughed and added, "The ones that won't scare you away at least."
Asami laughed too, nodding in agreement. "Okay, yeah. I want to go." And she adored the way simply saying yes to things made Korra's face light up, and couldn't help but admit amusedly, "I'd probably go to the nastiest swamp in the world if it got you to smile like that."
Korra set her teeth together in a wide grin. "Lucky for you," she said, pecking Asami on the lips, "I'm easy to please." She hopped off the bed, adding happily, "You can start with meeting my dog."
Taking that as the cue that Korra was ready to leave, Asami followed off the mattress. They strode around for a few minutes getting fully dressed again, during which Asami wondered if maybe she should bring an extra pair of clothes. She wasn't sure if Korra inviting her over meant to sleep over, or if Korra only wanted her to stay for dinner. Tomorrow was Sunday, so while Asami didn't have to work, she had no idea if Korra would be busy. It took her a conflicted minute, staring into her walk-in closet trying to come up with an answer on her own, before she decided she should just ask.
"Korra," she prompted, turning away from the closet. Korra hummed, plopping down on the side of the bed since she was ready to go. "…Should I bring extra clothes?"
Korra's eyebrows furrowed thoughtfully, and then ascended when she realized exactly what Asami was asking. "Yeah," she answered, the corners of her lips twitching with a smile. "If you want to." Asami grabbed her leather backpack, carrying it over to the bed and setting it beside Korra so it was ready to hold her clothes. As she turned back to choose, Korra began to say, "I can't believe you aren't sick of-" But she stopped short when Asami's cat jumped on the bed, so startled by it that she yelped, flinching bad enough that she nearly fell off.
Asami snorted with laughter, though she couldn't blame Korra, seeing as her timid tan and brown cat hadn't made an appearance yet.
"Where did-" Korra stuttered in shock. "Is that yours? Does it live here?"
"Yeah," Asami chuckled, coming back over to hold out her hand. "This is Tashi." The cat crept up, letting her scratch the side of his neck before he wandered curiously to Korra. "He's a bit shy," Asami explained, watching while Korra recovered from her surprise enough to pet him.
"Hi, Tashi," Korra said, rubbing down his back to scratch above his tail. Tashi stepped onto Korra's lap while she pet him, stretching up to rub the side of his face against hers. "He's so sweet," she giggled, and then looked at Asami. "Why didn't you tell me you had a cat?"
"I didn't think we'd see him at all," Asami answered, striding to the closet to finish gathering her clothing. By the time she turned around again, Korra was holding Tashi in her arms, and Asami couldn't help but grin. He never even came out of hiding when she had visitors… not that she ever really had any… "He really likes you."
"What a cutie," Korra mused. She cuddled him to her chest and said to him, "If you weren't so shy, I'd say you could come over too."
"Does Naga like cats?" Asami asked, folding her spare outfit and pajamas into her backpack and then hurrying to grab her toothbrush from the bathroom.
"Naga likes everything," Korra laughed, letting Tashi climb off of her to explore the rest of the bed.
Having packed everything she needed for a simple night away, Asami flung her backpack over her shoulders. "Maybe next time you come over, you can bring Naga." She started toward the bedroom door, Korra following behind her. "Tashi might hide the whole time, though."
Korra grinned her enthusiasm for the idea as they headed down the stairs. "I'm sure Naga would love that." As they reached the bottom, Korra grabbed a cell phone off the decorative table to check it. "And it's dead."
"Do you get important calls?" Asami asked, and Korra shook her head unconcernedly as she put the phone into her pocket. "I'll be right back," Asami said. "I have to make sure Tashi's food and water are full."
Korra nodded understandingly, and Asami wandered toward the back of her house. She passed the living room and strode down the wide hall, going by the office, kitchen, and dining room on her way. Eventually she reached the laundry room, where she kept Tashi's dishes stored on top of the dryer. The food bowl was half empty, so she filled that up and then grabbed the water bowl, carrying it to the kitchen to rinse it and fill it with fresh water. By the time she was done returning it to its spot, it had been a couple of minutes, and she began heading back down the hall to get Korra. Only, as she passed by the open office door, she caught movement from inside, and backtracked to see that Korra had found her way into it.
"Did you get lost?" Asami asked playfully, leaning against the doorframe.
Korra startled a bit because she'd been busy scanning the titles on a bookshelf, but she turned, smiling guiltily. "I was exploring a bit, I hope that's okay."
"It's fine," Asami said, and added amusedly, "Not much to see though." She never even ventured into half the rooms in her house.
"Yeah…" Korra agreed, glancing around the rest of the office.
She was scanning everything thoughtfully, like there was something she wanted to say but wasn't sure about, so Asami prompted, "What?"
"No, it's just," Korra started hesitantly, and then stopped. She clearly had something she wanted to say or ask, and now Asami was curious, so she nodded encouragingly. "Your house is really nice," Korra continued, "but… you don't have any, um, personal things…" Oh, Asami thought, that. "Like, no keepsakes or pictures of people or anything."
"Right," Asami murmured.
"I'm sorry if that's offensive," Korra blurted worriedly. What Asami didn't entirely expect was the understanding when she said, "I know it's probably because of the family thing, or whatever it is you don't want to talk about. That's why I wasn't going to say anything." She shifted timidly, offering a shrug. "But you said you don't really cook, so you probably don't eat here, your TV wasn't even plugged in, and it doesn't look like you've touched any of these books in a long time… I was just wondering how and where you unwind after a long day at work. You know? None of this seems like your space." She paused, and then said lightheartedly, "Your house kind of looks like a stage home." But Korra froze and drew in a breath, and then suddenly winced as her cheeks colored. "And I'm being so nosy. I'm really sorry."
"No," Asami laughed, "it's okay, really." She paced forward, giving Korra a reassuring kiss before reaching for her hand. "Come on, I'll show you where I unwind."
Folding her fingers with Korra's, she led the way back to the front of the house, grabbing her car keys on the way out the door and then heading around the side to where the disconnected garage was. They passed the sports car Asami always parked outside the garage and reached the side door that led into it, where she flicked on the light. As they stepped past the entranceway, Asami couldn't help taking in a deep breath of the scent that she loved. The stuffy sweet smell of the wood the garage was built from, the mixed bitterness of engine grease and solder, and the ingrained smell of coffee from all the late nights.
"Here," Asami said, motioning to the picture before them.
Korra said nothing for a long few seconds, but then she stepped forward. "See, this," she said, turning so Asami could see her excited smile. "This tells me a lot about you." She strode right to the pulled apart car at the center of the garage. "For example, you like to unwind from work with more work."
"I did say I love my job," Asami chuckled.
"True," Korra agreed amusedly, wandering to the worktable that spanned the entire width at the back of the garage. "You're a coffee drinker," Korra observed, pointing at the coffee maker, "which I already knew because of breakfast. You also like music." She motioned toward the radio, and then reached up to pull an engineering book off the wall-mounted shelf above the long table. "You're a note-taker," she mused, flipping through the pages. She laughed when she reached one in particular, and showed Asami the page. "And a stickler for grammar, would you look at that."
Asami giggled, watching fondly as she replaced the book and continued down the surface. She traced her hand over the various tools and machine and electrical parts that Asami tinkered with when she was feeling creative, and did the same with the one and only framed photo Asami owned. It was a picture of her and her parents when she was a kid, and it seemed Korra knew that, because she hesitated at it and then moved on like she didn't want to press for details. When she reached the end of the table, however, she stopped.
"Hold on," she said in shock, pointing to the TV and gaming console and asking in disbelief, "You play video games?"
"Sometimes," Asami laughed. Korra was simply too stunned to respond, so Asami explained, "They keep my hands and mind busy when I get restless. Or keep me from getting frustrated if I hit a creative block."
"You're full of surprises," Korra said, pacing back across the garage to where Asami was, and when she got there, she threw her arms around Asami's waist. "I think," she began teasingly, pulling Asami close, "I'm going to take you home with me and then never let you leave."
"But do you have video games?" Asami asked with playful skepticism, snaking her arms around Korra's neck in reception. Korra hummed a confirmation. "Okay," she said, "Let me go get Tashi so he can come too."
Korra smiled happily at her playing along, and glanced around the garage for a few final moments, saying more seriously, "Thanks for showing me your happy space."
Asami set her forehead against Korra's, meeting her blue eyes gratefully. "Thanks for noticing the house wasn't it."
Instead of responding in words, Korra kissed her with the characteristic tenderness that constantly made Asami's stomach flutter. With such a gentle depth that Asami was certain Korra poured her soul into every one, and it was so easy to get lost in the honesty of her affection. Asami could kiss for minutes and hours and days because the longer they did, the more she felt, and if she already felt this much then she wanted to know how deep that feeling could go.
After a minute, Korra pulled away from the kiss, her lips curled with a smile. "We should go before we get carried away."
"Good idea," Asami agreed.
She turned the lights off as they headed back out the door, and then led the way to her car. Following Korra's directions, she drove them to Korra's apartment building, parking outside where instructed. It was a three-flight trudge up to the third floor as they took the stairs, which seemed like habit for Korra, seeing as there was an elevator in the lobby of the building. The moment they reached Korra's unit, Asami could tell Naga was waiting. There was a shiny black nose just visible under the door, accompanied by an excited sniffing.
Korra huffed amusedly at it as she stuck the key into the lock, and called to the dog, "Back up, Naga."
The sniffing disappeared, and so Korra pushed open the door and led the way in. The first thing Asami noticed was the massive white dog. It was hard to focus on anything else, what with the way Naga practically tackled Korra to the floor in her excitement, and then immediately crashed into Asami's legs in greeting. Asami almost toppled over with the weight because Naga was huge, and she wasn't entirely convinced that she wasn't being introduced to a bear.
"Naga, calm down," Korra laughed, kneeling to get a handle on the enthusiasm. It really only put her face in licking proximity, though Naga did settle enough that she stopped jumping around and sat. "This is Asami," Korra told the dog.
"Hi, Naga," Asami said happily, reaching out to scratch behind her ears and getting her hand licked instead.
Korra rose, gesturing about the apartment. "So, this is it."
Asami glanced around, feeling a smile on her lips because Korra's apartment was as comfortable as she imagined it to be. It was an open floor studio, humble in furnishing and taste, though large enough in size to display Korra's sports star income and not feel cluttered, and probably also to accommodate Naga. The bedroom area was on the left side of the door, where there was a bed, a few dressers, and a door to the bathroom. Directly in front of them was the living area, which had a large L-shaped couch and TV center, and beyond that was a sliding door to a balcony. Just to the right of the door was the open kitchen. However, where Asami expected there to be a dining table in front of it, there was a billiards table instead.
"Sorry about the mess…" Korra mumbled, pacing forward to pick up a few strewn articles of dirty clothing near the bed.
Asami waved it off amusedly, because it was really just the clothes and some scattered dog toys, and it made the place feel lived in. So did the pictures and art hanging on random spots of the walls, and the mantle near the sliding door that had a couple soccer trophies on it. Needless to say, Korra's place was homier than Asami's, and she liked that a lot.
"Where are we eating dinner?" she asked curiously, pointing toward the billiards table.
"Oh," Korra chuckled, motioning for Asami to follow her to the sliding door. "I always eat outside." She opened it and walked out to show Asami the full table set on the balcony. "I like it out here," she said with a shrug, "and company never seems to mind."
"I can see why," Asami mused. The balcony had a spectacular view of Republic City, and she could only imagine how amazing it looked when everything was lit up at night. Korra wasn't kidding about always eating out here either, because she even had standing heat lamps beside the table and the nearby loveseat for the colder months. "Is that the tree you fell out of?" Asami asked, gesturing to a tall one a few feet from the railing.
"That's the one," Korra confirmed, leaning over the railing to point. "I made it to that branch right there… and then hit every branch on the way down."
Asami laughed, following back inside and then plopping down on the couch because Korra murmured about changing into fresh clothes. While she waited, Naga jumped on the couch next to her, falling into her lap to request petting even though she was way to heavy to be a lap dog. Not that Asami minded; she liked animals, and showering Naga with affection would undoubtedly earn bonus points with Korra.
Even though she was enjoying giving belly scratches to the canine, Korra laughed when she noticed how Asami was being smothered, and came over as she pulled on a clean t-shirt. "You can push her off if you want," Korra said teasingly, "I'm getting a little jealous."
Asami made Naga move so she could stand and meet Korra. "Aw, come here," she cooed, setting her hands Korra's stomach. "I'll rub your belly."
Korra snickered, turning Asami around to hug her waist from behind, just to be close as she shuffled them purposefully toward the kitchen. "My belly is empty and needs food." They got to the fridge, and Korra let go of Asami's waist with one hand to open the door. "You like fish?" she asked, returning her arm to the embrace, and Asami loved the affection so much that she folded her hands over Korra's in hopes that it wouldn't end.
Asami hummed an affirmative, and noticing how Korra's fridge was stocked with healthy things like meats and vegetables and eggs, said, "You really do cook."
"I do," Korra agreed. "My body's the money maker, I got to take good care of it."
Asami shifted to stand out of the way when Korra let her go, asking teasingly, "Is that why you were drinking last night?"
Korra huffed with laughter, reaching into the fridge to pull out ingredients. "Last night was a special occasion." She turned to put the food on the nearest counter, and then closed the fridge. "Mako got promoted to detective, so we were out celebrating."
"Oh, no!" Asami exclaimed amusedly. "And you ditched him to go home with me?"
"I did," Korra said with a smirk. "And I'd do it again." While Asami laughed at that, she put a large pan on the stove and turned it on, and then unwrapped a fish, plopping it onto a cutting board. "I'm glad you like fish, by the way. I wanted to make you a specialty from where I grew up."
"Do you want some help?" Asami asked.
Korra raised a suspicious eyebrow. "I thought you didn't cook."
"I mean, don't let me anywhere near the stove," Asami answered, reaching for a knife from the rack and twirling it skillfully in her hand. "But I know how to use a knife if you want me to cut vegetables or something."
"That's…" Korra glanced from Asami's face to the knife and chuckled, "Terrifying." But instead of answering Asami's question, she asked excitedly, "Have you ever tried the thing where you stab between your fingers really fast?"
"Yeah," Asami said. "You want to see?"
Korra deadpanned. "Of course, because I was thinking what this date really needs is a trip to the hospital."
"You asked!" Asami protested through a laugh. "I'm just kidding anyway, I can't do it."
"I tried once," Korra said as she passed Asami some vegetables to chop, and then held out her hand to present a scar on her middle finger. "It didn't go very well."
"Why am I not surprised?" Asami giggled.
As Korra busied herself with oiling the pan and throwing the fish on with some spices, she asked, "Do you have any interesting scars?"
"Not really," Asami answered, cutting the vegetables Korra had set aside. "The work I do, I get pinched a lot more than I get cut, and burn scars from welding fade really fast."
"That's surprising," Korra said, pacing a few feet away to fill Naga's dog bowl with food. "Considering you do dangerous things like blowing up cars."
"That happened one time!" Asami laughed, admitting guiltily, "Okay, almost twice." Korra snorted amusedly, and as she added some select vegetables Asami had cut to the pan with the fish, Asami remembered an interesting scar. "Oh! Okay, I got one. I went through a bit of a rebellious phase early on in university." She paused, and Korra hummed that she was listening. "And cars are my life, right? So, I maybe… kind of… participated in a drag race."
"You're joking," Korra said in disbelief, and Asami shook her head. "Wow, you really are full of surprises." She paused, adding dreamily, "Hot, adrenaline-fueled surprises." She did something else with spices and the fish while Asami laughed, and then asked, "Did you crash or something?"
"No," Asami said. She was finished with the vegetables, so she leaned back against the counter while she explained. "The guy I raced was talking so much trash before it started, and he said something about my family that really pushed my buttons. So I didn't hold back at all during the race." She paused again, but Korra didn't seem to realize the magnitude of it. "Like, I completely destroyed him and embarrassed him in front of all of his friends." She pointed to a spot above her eyebrow. "He was so mad he sucker punched me in the face."
Korra squinted at where Asami was pointing. "Where?"
"Right there," Asami said. She knew the scar had faded over the years, but surely it was still visible.
"Where?" Korra repeated.
"There," Asami said, gesturing for emphasis.
"I don't see anything," Korra chuckled, planting an apologetic kiss where Asami was pointing. She dumped the rest of the vegetables into a separate pan, letting them cook while she turned to Asami. "Did you ever race him again?"
"That's the only time I ever did anything that illegal," Asami said, folding her arms across her chest self-consciously. "I went to university to try and escape stuff… and then I realized doing things like that wasn't the right way do it. That's not the life I wanted, you know? So I just focused on school afterward."
Korra nodded understandingly, and then asked, "Do you know where the guy lives these days? We can go toilet paper his house if you want."
"Unfortunately, no," Asami laughed.
"Bummer," Korra said, exaggerating a pout. "You still want to help with dinner?" she asked, stirring around the pans distractedly.
"Yeah," Asami answered. "What do you need?"
Korra nodded upward. "There are cups in that cupboard. Food will be done in a few minutes if you want to take drinks and silverware outside."
"Okay," Asami agreed, reaching into the cabinet for two glasses. "What do you want to drink?" When Korra answered with water, Asami filled both cups from a cold vase in the fridge, and then collected some silverware from a drawer. "You want me to wait out there for you, or…?"
Korra nodded, and leaned back to kiss Asami on the cheek. "I'll be right out."
Asami carried the items onto the balcony and set them up on the table, taking a seat at one side to wait for Korra. She'd left the patio door open, so a few moments later, Naga wandered out, setting her head in Asami's lap to blink up at her with big brown eyes. She just couldn't resist scrunching up to hug Naga's massive head.
"You're so cute!" she mused, letting go to rub her fingers into Naga's long fur, enjoying the adorable way Naga pressed into her hands to encourage the petting. She showered the dog with affection for a handful of minutes before Korra came outside, grinning at the sight.
"Naga approves of my choice in women," Korra said happily, setting a plate of food in front of Asami and placing the second on the opposite side of the table. "Sorry, Naga," she said to the dog as she sat down, motioning toward the apartment, "You know the drill." It was with clear reluctance that Naga obeyed the command and plodded back inside, and in response to the curious look on Asami's face, Korra explained, "She'll beg relentlessly if I let her stay out here while we eat."
"Oh," Asami laughed. She leaned over the plate Korra had put in front of her, inhaling a deep whiff of the dish. It smelled amazing, and she was hungry enough that she couldn't resist waiting to take a first testing bite. "Korra," she said through a hum of pleasure, "That's delicious."
"Thanks!" Korra grinned. "I'm glad you like it." Asami nodded her eager consent, and Korra took her own bite as they settled into eating. "So," she prompted curiously after a minute, "Have you ever been in a fight besides getting punched by that guy?"
Asami shook her head, slowing down from scarfing forkfuls in order to answer, "Not unless you count sparring in self-defense classes. You?"
Korra winced. "I have a bit of a temper on the field…"
"That's actually really surprising," Asami admitted.
Korra lifted a cup to her lips, eyebrows furrowing behind it as she washed down her bite of food with a gulp of water. "Why is it really surprising?"
"You've just been so gentle and patient with me," Asami answered. "It's hard to imagine you angry."
"I've been working on it," Korra said honestly. "It's not good for anyone if I start fights during games, so I've gotten better." There was a moment of silence while Asami took another hungry bite, and then Korra added urgently, "It's only on the field though… I don't lose my temper like that normally, like with friends or someone I'm dating."
Asami nodded, offering a reassuring smile. "I know." That spurred another thought, something Asami had considered earlier but hadn't found a good time to bring up yet. Now seemed as good a time as any. "Korra, you know how last night wasn't something that either of us ever did before?" Korra nodded. "Well, now we're going to start dating… and I really like you a lot, and sex with you is just… amazing… but we're still getting to know each other." She paused, earning a hum of curiosity. "I was just wondering if you think maybe we should try not to have sex again until we know each other better."
"Try to date like normal people," Korra said playfully, to which Asami nodded amusedly. "So you want to wait a certain number of dates or something?"
"I guess so."
Korra nodded in consideration as she lifted another bite to her mouth. "Like how many?"
Asami hadn't really thought about it in terms of date numbers, so she said the first number that came to mind. "Twenty?"
Korra choked on the fish she was chewing, asking through a cough, "Twenty?"
"Is that a lot?" Asami asked with an entertained smile.
Korra swallowed hard to stop the fit, in such disbelief that she actually looked amused. "If we go on one date a week, that's like five months. And I'm gone a lot for games and you're busy, and for all we know twenty dates could take a year." She gave an exaggerated sigh. "A year! And I already know what I'm missing."
Asami couldn't keep her shoulders from shaking with laughter, but as cute as Korra's reaction was, she did have a point. Asami wouldn't last that long either, especially if they kept having sleepovers like this. "What about half that? Ten dates? That's only a couple of months, and I'm sure we'll see each other more than once a week, even if it's not always for dates."
Korra nodded side to side, as if thinking heavily about it before saying with an exaggerated smile, "Okay." And as she raised another scoop to her mouth she muttered teasingly, "I'll get to know the shit out of you." She swallowed down the bite while Asami laughed, and then said, "Starting now. What's your favorite food?"
"Fire gummies," Asami answered.
"Spicy!" Korra blew a breath through puckered lips, and then chuckled, "But candy's not really food."
"It is when you can't cook," Asami pointed out.
"Oh, Asami," Korra mumbled disappointedly, burying her face in her hands. Asami couldn't help but laugh, as Korra clearly took food seriously. "Will you come over a lot if I cook for you?"
"If everything you make is this good," she said, motioning to her nearly finished meal, "absolutely." Truly, Korra didn't have to cook to get Asami to come over; she already loved this apartment… and was falling in love with its inhabitants a lot quicker than she might be comfortable to admit. She took the time to eat another bite, and then asked, "What's your favorite food?"
"Seaweed noodles," Korra answered without hesitation. "After a hard game or practice I'm always starving, and there's nothing better than a big huge bowl of them." Korra glanced down at her plate, looking disappointed that there wasn't more food on it, and then peeked over at Asami's. It was empty too. "I think we were hungry."
"I guess that's what happens when all I feed you is breakfast." Asami stood, grabbing her plate and then reaching across the table for Korra's.
Korra smiled gratefully, following Asami inside to the kitchen, where she rinsed off the dishes so Korra wouldn't have to do it. While she did, Korra wandered to the bathroom, and when she came out again, Asami glanced that direction to smile at her, catching sight of something she hadn't noticed when she first walked into the apartment. It was a motorcycle helmet, and she hadn't noticed it because it was on the floor beside the bed. But she noticed it now, and drew in an excited breath.
"Korra," she prompted, "What. Is. That?"
Korra stopped her journey back to the kitchen to look around in confusion, asking, "What?" Asami practically skipped over to scoop the helmet off the floor, and Korra said amusedly, "You look like you know exactly what that is."
"You have a bike?" Asami asked gleefully. "What kind is it? Is it fast? Can we ride sometime?"
Korra laughed, striding to where Asami was ogling the helmet. "You should know if it's fast," she said. "Your company built it." Asami's eyes widened with expectation, waiting to hear exactly which motorcycle it was. "The FI 1000."
"Two stroke?" Asami whispered, and when Korra nodded, she gasped. She practically dropped the helmet to fling her arms around Korra's neck. "Can we ride it? Can we?"
"Now?" Korra chuckled, setting her hands on Asami's hips.
"Or later," Asami said, realizing she was probably going a little overboard with her excitement. But she couldn't help it that Korra was perfect.
"How about this," Korra suggested, grinning widely, "We can take it out for the day tomorrow. I'll even let you drive." Asami squealed, so elated with the idea that she whipped them around onto the bed, and Korra snorted with laughter at how accurately Asami landed under her. "If I'd known you were going to be this cute geeking out over a motorcycle – one you probably designed, by the way – I would've told you I had it sooner."
"I might've designed some of it…" Asami admitted, feigning accomplished tears, "I'm so proud." Korra rolled her eyes, and Asami added flirtatiously, "And if I knew you had one, I would've had sex with you again before we agreed on ten dates."
Korra whined at that, sticking her bottom lip out. "We can start tomorrow?"
Asami giggled, lifting up enough to peck her on the lips. "You know there's a problem if we're already trying to find loopholes."
"Okay, okay," Korra conceded, narrowing her eyes in a mock glare. "No more teasing then."
"Alright," Asami snickered. "Do you have a car too?"
Korra shook her head. "In the Southern Water Tribe, it's mostly snowmobiles. So when I moved here, I figured I'd get a motorcycle instead of a car, since that's the next closest thing."
Asami nodded, and after they settled into more comfortable positions on the bed, they spent the rest of the night talking. Korra let her go on and on about engines and why the FI 1000 was the best choice, smiling the whole time she looked down at Asami and never interrupting even when she clearly had no idea what Asami was talking about. Asami listened while Korra told her all about her family back home, and how she got Naga, and what it was like growing up and leaving to pursue soccer. And they were getting to know each other.
Asami told Korra as many details about herself as she could. More than she ever had because she'd never felt this comfortable, and Korra never asked questions that she knew would be hard to answer, never pressed on in a topic if it was obvious Asami didn't want to share yet, and she never took that lack of willingness personally. Between topics they flirted and kissed and laughed and Asami's cheeks had never been so sore from smiling so much, but she couldn't stop. She fell asleep grinning and nestled in against Korra's chest.
It was early in the morning when she woke, and considering how late they'd been up together, she wouldn't have woken on her own for a while. But the door of Korra's apartment had opened and shut noisily, and Asami bolted into a sitting position when she realized they were no longer alone. The movement caught the eye of the person who'd just walked in – a female, about their age, with green eyes and black hair that was pulled into a braid and a big paper bag in her hands – and she stopped in her tracks when she saw Asami. They locked gazes, and at first, all Asami felt was panic.
This woman clearly had a key, but what kind of person has a key? A relative, maybe, but she didn't look at all related to Korra, and the next frightened thought Asami had was significant other. But Korra had said she was single, and Asami believed her, and there was no way this woman was a significant other. Not with the smug smile on her lips when she realized what Asami was doing here.
"Hi there," the woman said amusedly.
Asami cleared her throat uncomfortably, offering an awkward smile. Korra hadn't so much as stirred beside her, so she whispered, "Korra." But all Korra did was give a sleepy hum.
"I'm Kuvira." The woman was downright beaming.
Asami brushed her hand back through her hair because this was awkward and, without knowing how to act, she needed to fidget. "Asami," she replied quietly, and then nudged the sleeping girl beside her. "Korra."
Korra slipped an arm over her middle and scooted in closer, mumbling, "I want to hold you."
Kuvira laughed and called loudly, "Hey, Double D!"
Korra shot upright, eyes wide with fright for a moment before her gaze fell on Kuvira. "What the?" Korra blurted, frantically climbing off the bed to pace over. "You can't call first?"
"I did call, and texted," Kuvira said, leaning to glance past Korra at Asami. "But I see now that you've been busy."
"My phone's dead," Korra offered, pushing Kuvira back toward the door.
"That's what chargers are for," Kuvira remarked sarcastically. But then she looked at Asami again, and actually appeared a little disappointed as she asked, "Have you been dating her and not told me?"
"No," Korra said, pulling the door open. "We just met Friday."
Kuvira's eyebrows rose as she asked quietly, "And you already got her in bed?" Korra's mouth fell open uncomfortably as they both glanced back at Asami, who could hear the entire conversation even though they'd lowered their voices. When Korra failed to answer, Kuvira laughed teasingly, "Bullshit, she's way too hot. How much are you paying her?"
"Oh my god!" Korra protested, shoving Kuvira through the exit. "Get out!"
"Wait!" Kuvira pleaded as Korra slammed the door closed, her voice coming through muffled, "I brought breakfast."
Korra whipped around to face Asami, saying with a wince, "I am so sorry about that."
All unexpectedness aside, it was actually kind of funny now that Asami had had a moment to get over the awkwardness of it. Besides, this seemed worse for Korra than it was for her. "It's okay," Asami laughed, getting off the bed to stride toward the kitchen and start making coffee, petting Naga good morning on her way there. "I'm just trying to figure out if you actually hire hookers."
Asami was joking, but Korra's face still flushed red, made even worse when Kuvira called through the door, "She does!"
"Shut up, Kuv!" Korra yelled desperately, and then to Asami, "I swear I don't."
Asami couldn't help but giggle as she hit the start button on the brewer. "I thought you wanted me to meet your friends?"
"Not that one," Korra answered instantly.
"Hey!" Kuvira complained from outside. "Rude!"
Korra rolled her eyes, and Asami said with a shrug, "She brought breakfast."
"Enough for three!" Kuvira's voice confirmed.
Korra simply blinked at her a few times, like she really couldn't believe Asami was okay with this. Then she sighed in defeat, turning back to the door and saying as she opened it, "Tell her I don't hire hooker-" She stopped short, saying uncomfortably, "…Good morning, Mrs. Hong..."
Asami leaned just in time to see an elderly woman shake her head as she trudged down the hall, and snorted with laughter at the sheer mortification on Korra's face.
"That woman hates you," Kuvira snickered as she dodged into the apartment. She bounced right to where Asami was standing at the kitchen counter, dropped the bag of food onto it, and stuck out her hand. "Nice to meet you. She doesn't hire hookers."
"Nice to meet you too," Asami said, shaking with Kuvira and saying playfully, "And I am not a hooker."
Kuvira laughed, passing a pleased smile in Korra's direction as she pointed at Asami. "Hey, look, she's funnier than you."
"I want my key back," Korra mumbled good-naturedly, wandering over and pecking Asami on the cheek before hopping up to sit on the counter.
"Naga would starve to death if I didn't have a key," Kuvira quipped, pulling wrapped breakfast rolls out of the paper bag she'd brought.
"Why does that neighbor hate you?" Asami asked Korra, but when all Korra did was bow her head in shame, she looked at Kuvira.
Kuvira answered with a wicked grin, "I bet Korra ten bucks she couldn't hit that stupid stock art at the end of the hall with a soccer ball."
"Another bet?" Asami asked amusedly. The end of the hall was a long ways away, though she didn't doubt Korra's skill. "What happened?"
"She kicked it!" Kuvira answered. "As hard as she could."
Asami glanced over at Korra. "Did you hit the art?"
"I would've…" Korra sighed.
And Kuvira finished, "If Mrs. Hong didn't come off the elevator at that exact moment."
"Oh my god," Asami snorted, covering her mouth with her hand because she shouldn't be laughing at this. "You hit her?"
"In the face," Kuvira chortled.
Korra shook her head while Asami and Kuvira laughed about it. It took half a minute, but eventually they stopped, and Asami asked Korra curiously, "Does Kuvira know how you got that scar on your thigh?"
"Yeah, Double D," Kuvira said teasingly, "How'd you get that scar on your thigh?"
"Go ahead," Korra groaned. "You love telling this story."
Asami remembered that Korra wasn't too eager for her to hear this, and worried that she maybe shouldn't have brought it up and Korra was upset, she leaned back against the counter between Korra's legs to see if the affection would be received. It was a comfort when Korra's arms settled over her shoulders, and a tired weight leaned forward against her. Even more, Korra angled enough to kiss Asami's jaw, as if somehow she knew exactly why Asami had put herself here.
Kuvira watched the exchange, asking in disbelief, "Seriously? Friday?" Asami gave a bashful nod, after which Kuvira told her, "Don't let Korra play it cool, she's crushing on you hard."
"Just tell the story," Korra protested amusedly.
"Okay," Kuvira consented. "It was one night we snuck into the city pool with some of the team to drink."
"Of course there was alcohol involved," Asami chuckled. It seemed bets and drinking were a surefire way to get Korra in trouble. She also made note of the fact that Kuvira said 'team,' which meant she and Korra played together.
"Yeah," Kuvira smiled in agreement. "So we're all there, drinking, having a great time until the cops show up." Kuvira motioned like she was running. "We all bolt, make it outside and, we all run for a living, you know, so we could have made it and got away clean." She paused, and Asami nodded eagerly. "Only this idiot," Kuvira continued, pointing at Korra, "Decides that instead of running around the cop car like a normal person, she's going to jump over it."
"Korra," Asami laughed scoldingly.
"The dumbass vaults over the roof of the car head first," Kuvira said, shooting her hand through the air in demonstration.
"I almost made it," Korra added.
"Almost," Kuvira reminded. "But she clips her thigh on the corner of the police lights and hits the ground rolling." She tumbled her hands through the air in animation. "Since I'm such a good friend, I stop to make sure she's okay, and we both get tackled and cuffed and thrown into the back of the squad car."
"You've been arrested!?" Asami exclaimed in shock.
"Allegedly," Korra chuckled.
"The cops were pissed because she cut her leg on the lights and was bleeding all over their back seat as they drove us to the hospital." Kuvira rolled her eyes, laughing at the memory. "We're both lucky she was dating Mako at the time and he was able to convince them that the paperwork wasn't worth taking us in."
There was a soft groan from behind Asami, and it took her a moment to realize that Kuvira was talking about the same Mako who'd been calling Korra non-stop the day before, and Korra clearly hadn't wanted Kuvira to reveal that information.
"You and Mako dated?" Asami asked, turning enough in Korra's arms to look at her.
"Yeah…" Korra answered, setting her teeth in an apologetic smile.
"Oh," Asami said, and though Korra clearly looked like she was expecting Asami to react poorly, she shrugged. "Okay."
"You're not mad?" Korra asked in surprise.
"Um," Asami began sarcastically, "You did ditch him to go home with me on Friday night." But then she glanced back and forth between Korra and Kuvira. "Why? Should I be jealous?"
"No," Kuvira snorted. "She never looked at him like…" Her eyes went from Korra to Asami, and she motioned indicatively. "Well, like that." And then she repeated in that same tone of disbelief, "Seriously, Friday… Just how good are you in bed?"
Asami smirked amusedly, hearing Korra release another embarrassed groan, and to shift topic, asked, "You guys got any more stories?"
"Yes," Kuvira confirmed readily, turning toward the coffee maker. "Let's grab coffee and food and go outside and I'll tell you all of them."
Asami nodded eagerly, and she could tell even through the slight blush on Korra's cheeks that Korra was glad she and Kuvira were getting along. This was definitely going to be fun.
