"Well, Korra, she is right. You kissing people is getting out of hand. Did you even think about this for a second? When did you ever kiss someone without hurting somebody? You know what is getting out of hand, too? You thinking people actually like you back."
Korra was lying on her guest bed, to shattered to even cry. She was used to talking to herself, years in isolation at the White Lotus Compound had taught her that. Even though she actually missed Naga, since the polarbeardog always gave her the appearance of not being totally crazy.
"You know where you went wrong? You're the Avatar, you have a responsibility to the world. You're not supposed to love." - "Aang loved Katara." - "Sure, but you're a female. You know what happens to females when they get married? They get pregnant. And then they can't save the world." - "This wouldn't happen with Asami." - "As if you had chosen her for that." - "I didn't chose her at all. She is just so great, I couldn't help myself." - "Yes, she is."
Finally she agreed on something with herself. She closed her eyes for some minutes. The day had drained her: the meeting with the Council mentally, the swimming and bending physically and the fight with Asami emotionally.
When she opened her eyes she did not know if it had been minutes or hours. At least it was still dark. She sat up and stretched her limbs. Suddenly her eyes went wide. The big toe on her left foot had just wiggled. She tried again, but this time nothing happened. She pinched it, and miraculously, she could feel it.
"See that, Korra", she mumbled to herself, still half asleep, "that's karma for you. The one toe you always banged against something when you went to the toilet at night is the one to get its feeling back." She concentrated, trying to get it to move again, but nothing happened. "Or, you could stay positive. Maybe you'll get your legs back one day."
She sighed after a while of failing to wiggle her toe. "Just a dream", she told herself. With a bit of help of bending she moved herself to the headboard of the bed, so she could sit comfortably and stare into the darkness.
Every now and then she would talk to herself, and when she closed her eyes, she could not say if she was sleeping or not.
A sudden "clack" alarmed her, but only so much as that she opened one of of her previously closed eyes. She had always been a morning grouch, and her mood was not getting better from not sleeping at all.
"Are you awake?" Now this voice startled her, since it was not her own: "Asami?" - "Who else would it be?" - "Pabu?"
Asami snickered quietly, then added earnestly: "Korra, I came to say I'm sorry." The Avatar patted the space next to her on the bed. As Asami moved she jokingly promised: "Don't worry, I won't kiss you again."
As she sat, she started rubbing her arm nervously. "Asami, I'm sorry, too", Korra said, trying to hide her embarrassment, but failing. There was a really long pause, and contrary to the comfortable silence between the two usually, now it was thick with embarrassment and anxiety.
"I shouldn't have hit you", Asami finally said, "I was just so confused. And you know how much I like being in charge..." The Avatar nodded, she did not only know, she could totally relate to that, too.
"So, can we go back to being friends", Korra asked, a glimmer of hope in her voice, which soon faded as her friend just stared into the darkness and shrugged.
Another minute went by were neither said a word. It made the Avatar mad, so she decided to do something. "Look, Asami", she said, trying to sound cheery as she lifted her left leg up and put it in her friends lap.
She concentrated hard. Nothing happened. After a while, Asami looked at her questioningly: "What exactly am I supposed to see?" Just as she had the question out, she saw something out of the corner of her eyes. "Did… did your toe just wiggle", she asked, absolutely amazed.
Korra nodded vigorously with a bright smile. The CEO had no control over her own movements at this point - she grabbed her friends arms and pulled her into a big hug. On the brink of crying, she commented: "Do you know what that means? Maybe you will be able to walk again!"
A pained grunt was all she got in return: "Asami? Please? You're hurting my toe…" Indeed she was, the leg (to which the toe was attached) was still in Asami's lap and was bend in an unnatural position due to the hug.
"Sorry, sorry", she quickly apologized as she moved away, "I'm just so happy for you." Korra did not look as happy. "I'd give my legs any day to get our friendship back." The little chuckle escaping from Asami's throat did not help her negative feelings at all.
"Korra, that's not what I was thinking about", she told her, one hand on her friends shoulder, "I was thinking about taking you up on the offer of kissing you again." Korra's face froze in a very silly expression: "Are… are you making fun of me?"
"No, I think you might be right, I do like you", she told her with an unsure smiley, "it's all just so… overwhelming. I don't know what to think anymore. Or what I should feel."
The Avatar blinked: "So kiss me." She tried to think of a good argument, but the best she could come up with was: "Don't worry, it's legal." After some time of nothing happening, she whispered: "So it was a bit hasty to promise not kiss you." - "You're always hasty", Asami said, laughing, "it's like hasty is your middle name."
Korra could not share the laugh, she just waited for something to happen, anything, but her friend was taking her darn time. "So…", she said, looking out of the window, "are you-" This time Asami felt the spark, too, as their lips connected.
"So let me get that straight…" It was Bolin, sitting on Asami's couch talking to his brother to figure out where he had gone wrong. "You couldn't just date women and be done with it, you had to ruin them for the rest of mankind?"
His Brother had his head in his hands and looked at his two female friends with utter frustration. "Really", he asked simply. Korra sat opposite of the table in her wheelchair, Asami stood next to her, having taken her girlfriend's hand for support.
"But we're telling you in confidence", Asami said, always the diplomat, "please don't spread it. We don't know how this will turn out." - "I do", Korra corrected, just to get a frown from the CEO, who countered: "Again with the magical castle and the cloud eating and the moonlight punch?" - "Don't forget the ice cubes made of stars", came the reply, which made Asami laugh.
"Oh, you're so cute", Bolin said, pressing his hands together in a prayer-like motion. Mako almost gagged: "Just stop it! Korra kissing someone isn't really that big a deal. Did you forget she dated everyone in this room?" In an instant, Korra blushed until she looked like a tomato, while the other two exchanged unidentified glances.
"You're just jealous", Bolin told his brother, hitting him lightly, then he faced the women and cheerfully added: "The third time's the charm, isn't it?" He began to wordlessly count: Himself - one, Mako - two, Asami - three. Her and Korra gave each other a smile, both determined to make it work somehow. Pabu and Bolin just squeaked in excitement.
After a last reassuring squeeze to her girlfriends hand, Asami went around the coffee table to plop on the couch next to Bolin, grinning: "You know, that's not even the best news, yet."
Bolin looked at her surprised, as did the other two. "Did you not hear", Asami questioned happily, "as we speak the United Republic Council is talking about standardised Pai Sho rules! You'll finally get your revenge!"
And with Korra and Asami happy with one another, and Bolin psyched about finally winning a fair Pai Sho game, we will leave our group of friends. Yes, they all lived happily ever after. Well, except for Mako; but really, who could blame him?