Asami was excited that she'd get to see Bolin. The earthbender had been absent from Republic City for too long, and although Asami considered the option of travelling to Ba Sing Se to visit, she never could bring herself to plan a major trip by herself. Ever since the situation with Kuvira was dissolved and the world returned to stability, Team Avatar drifted apart. Bolin spent his time close to his family, and Mako dove into his work nose-first, leaving Asami with only Korra to lean on. She came to miss the brothers, especially Bolin's sense of humor and upbeat attitude. She liked to think of Bolin as the little brother she never had.

The heiress bounced joyously around her kitchen. Having just finished eating, she relocated the dirtied dishes to be cleaned. She knew her father's servants used to be the ones to pick up after the Sato family, but in the three years since her father was jailed, Asami became more self-reliant. There was a chance, of course, that the cleaning crew found very little to do around the estate, but Asami always kept them employed so that they could continue to make a living. No sense in punishing the staff for her father's mistakes.

Asami circled the kitchen table and came to a complete stop. She leaned down to lift the self-addressed letter she'd held onto. It arrived a week ago, indicating the date that Bolin would be arriving, and that he'd be visiting Air Temple Island to see Korra and the rest of the crew. She kept it, finding Bolin's theatrical style of writing to be amusing.

"To the Lovely and Charming Miss Asami Sato,

It is my greatest honor to cordially invite you to witness my momentous/triumphant return to Republic City, on the attached date, at the attached location. I have mournfully counted the days in which I have been divided from my dearest of colleagues, and though I fervently wish to remain with my kin in Ba Sing Se, I yearn for the opportunity to rekindle the bonds of my youth. I therefore humbly request that you join me in celebration, so that we may stoke the flames of our everlasting friendship.

P.S.: I'll be there by lunch. Dress code is business casual."

Asami flipped the card over and thumbed past the included drawings. Bolin supplied pictures of his own design. Fortunately, the details were labeled, otherwise she would never have been able to tell that the building in the drawing was a part of Air Temple Island. The primary picture included stick figures of herself (presumably), Korra, and Bolin all holding hands with wide, semi-circle smiles. She returned the note and pictures back to the table, chuckling to herself.

It was still early enough that Asami had time to kill, although she wouldn't mind seeing Korra. A slow and casual drive across the city and to the docks might be the best. She first decided to step past a mirror for a final check-up. She wasn't clear on Bolin's idea of "business casual," and didn't know why he issued a dress code for a reunion with friends at Tenzin's house anyway. But she made some attempt to go along with the request, and picked out a modest black dress with a decent length. Not too showy, and not too formal. She also picked out a contrasting necklace, and shoes with enough of a heel to be noticeable, but not to impede movement.

She reached for a jacket and lifted it, but stopped short of actually sliding it on. She elevated the coat in front of herself, holding it with both hands. The conversation of the previous day came back to her — the comment Korra left her with about not being open enough around others. There was truth to it of course. Asami made little attempt to actually reach out and make friends. She tended to blame work, but her duties at Future Industries rarely took up large amounts of her time unless a major project was underway.

But the idea was stupid. Korra hadn't meant that the clothing Asami wore was a literal security blanket. She'd been wearing similar outfits before even meeting Team Avatar. Although, she knew few people then, too. She pushed past the lingering doubts and stretched her arms to ease the coat on, settling it once it rested on her shoulders.

She sighed, and pouted at her reflection. She had to admit, the warmth of the coat around her shoulders did help to ease some of her troubles, and she'd never actually noticed. She felt safer, and less exposed to the world. She tightened her grip on the edge of the coat, likening the touch to that of a hug. The jacket was something of a substitute for actual affection when she had no other alternatives.

Asami couldn't be sure where or how Korra identified her insecurities. She never knew Korra to be much of a psychologist, and the details were eerily accurate to be a wild guess. She eventually admitted her looming feelings of loneliness to the Avatar, though, so maybe she extrapolated from there. Regardless, Asami didn't intend to dwell on it. She shook the coat to settle it on her frame, opting to keep it for now, since the weather report suggested cooler temperatures. That, and the realization came with the understanding that she'd just have to put more effort into forging relationships. She'd start by meeting Korra and Bolin.

She slipped away from the mirror and out into the front yard. She shook off the twinge of cold air that threatened to soak through her clothes. Already, she was confident in her decision to wear a coat. She'd be freezing otherwise. She moved quickly down the walkway and to the parked Satomobile alongside the road.

While starting the car and pulling out, Asami's mind wandered. To the things Korra said about her needing to be more attentive and trying to make friends, as well as being back together with old friends. She wondered if Bolin's letter to Korra was the same, or if he'd written a unique one to each of them. She thought, briefly, of the last time they'd sent letters amongst themselves. She frowned at the memory, recalling it to be a rough point in time, especially for the rift between herself and Korra.

Asami absolutely hated the idea of Korra leaving. Following the conclusion of Jinora's airbending ceremony, Korra decided that she wanted to leave Republic City and return to her family at the South Pole, at least for a little while. Korra had good reasons, of course, such as needing to be tended to by a healer as talented as Katara. But Asami still didn't want to see Korra leave.

The revelation completely floored Asami. In the two weeks since Korra's return, she'd gotten used to taking care of her and looking after her. Asami was responsible for the majority of Korra's care, and now she would be leaving? She simply couldn't accept that. She nearly lost her friend, and seeing her collapsed and poisoned, on the brink of death, filled Asami with such a feeling of unbearable loss that she genuinely believed she might not recover. She'd grown possessive of Korra in that timespan. And Korra wanting to leave felt less like Korra deciding she needed to move on and more like Korra being taken away from her.

When it became clear she couldn't convince Korra to stay, she tried the next best thing. She'd go with Korra. Asami knew she had other responsibilities. Splitting time between looming projects within the city and Korra became more difficult. And yet, facing the prospect of nearly losing Korra again, she found herself willing to uproot and move with her to the South Pole. But Korra wouldn't allow it. She told Asami she wouldn't be gone long; just enough time to be healed and recover before she returned. Asami didn't like the idea, but she agreed, for Korra's sake.

Then, the day came. The day Korra's parents arrived by boat to take her back. Asami pushed Korra down to the docks to meet them, as well as to say goodbye to the rest of their friends. When the two descended the ramp to traverse the pier, Asami caught sight of the entire party. Mako, Bolin with Pabu on his shoulder, Jinora, and Tenzin had all come. Asami stopped with Korra close to the crowd, smiling to greet everyone.

Korra had a hopeful smile on her face. Asami remembered thinking she'd stand up from the chair and hug everyone if she could. Instead, she was forced to settle for each person approaching her individually to say their goodbyes. Although the atmosphere was tainted gloomy gray from seeing the incapacitated Avatar leaving, each person expressed their desire for Korra to improve and return as soon as possible.

Once the initial pleasantries passed, Korra took a deep breath to ready herself for the journey. She turned her eyes around the crowd, looking at each person gathered. "I guess this is it."

Bolin stepped in first, speaking up on behalf of the group. "Now, don't take this the wrong way, but I can't wait for you to leave."

Asami quirked her brow at the comment, although she came to expect some degree of rhyme and reason in Bolin's methods. Mako spoke next, however. "How else is she supposed to take that but the wrong way?"

She waited and listened as Bolin continued to speak. "I mean because I've never had a penpal before." Before Korra set out on her trip, the four of them agreed to keep in touch via letters. Bolin turned his attention to Korra, growing more excited with each word. "I'm gonna write you so many letters. And just to get the ball rolling — here." He leaned forward to Korra, holding out a note already sealed in an envelope. "Spoiler alert: Pabu and I already miss you."

Korra accepted the letter, offering as strong of a smile as she could muster. "Thanks, that's sweet," she said.

Asami decided to step in. She moved closer, leaning down to rest her hands on both of Korra's shoulders. She tried to reach out to Korra, emotionally. Maybe out of selfishness on her part, but she truly believed Korra was drifting away from the rest of the group and needed to come back. She needed to try and connect with Korra before she walled herself off. Korra had it in her head that she needed to do everything by herself. "Are you sure you don't want some company at the Southern Water Tribe? I'm happy to come with you," she offered one final time.

Korra shook her head. "No, I appreciate it, but I'll only be gone a couple weeks." Asami could manage for a couple weeks, if that was what was necessary. "A little time alone will be good for me."

Asami stood down, defeated, but not wanting to make a scene. She allowed Tenzin to address Korra next. The airbender generally had kind words of wisdom and support, and was one of the few people Korra listened to for advice. "Now, I don't want you to worry about a thing while you're gone. Your recovery should be your number one concern. Jinora, the airbenders, and I have everything under control."

The next few moments were a blur for Asami. She listened to more dulled goodbyes and watched as Korra was taken and loaded onto the boat. She stood on the dock with Mako and Bolin, waving as Korra drifted out of sight. A couple weeks. That's what she was told, and what she expected before seeing Korra again. Two weeks. And that was over three years ago.

Asami now stood on a similar dock by the water. Having parked her car and hopped out, she made her way to a small boat belonging to Future Industries, preparing it to ferry her across to Air Temple Island. During the process of untying ropes and starting the vessel, she found her patience wearing thin. She continued to focus on the trip. How Korra said she'd be gone for two weeks, and how they barely exchanged letters. She focused on how Korra had been gone so long — three years. During that time, Korra made almost no attempt to contact her. Even when she recovered, she didn't tell anyone. She fled her life and her friends. It hurt Asami greatly. If only Korra listened and allowed Asami to come. If only Korra wasn't so stubborn.

Asami was frustrated, and couldn't help feel a lingering sense of betrayal. Korra did what Asami feared most, which was to try and solve her problems alone. Asami tried to show Korra that she was there for her, but at the time, Korra didn't seem at all interested in accepting her help. Asami angrily removed the bindings on the boat and cast off, pushing away from the dock with her shoe. She slid into the driver's seat and began to speed across the body of water.

When she pulled in on the other side, Asami was already stewing in the annoyance of her memories. She jumped free of the boat and pulled it in to dock, outstretching a rope to tie it off with only a minimal effort. While not a lasting knot, it would do, and Asami didn't want to continue dealing with it. She dusted her hands clean and turned to tromp up the stairs leading to the main area. She cast her eyes over the series of structures, deciding to check the dining area since Bolin mentioned being there for lunch. She stopped in order to take a slow breath and release it with a sigh. She wanted to keep her emotions from getting the better of her and spoiling the happy occasion.

Asami reached for the door, cracking it open and stepping through the archway and into the building. She didn't see any others, at first, so she pushed on through the hallway. When she rounded the corner, two figures came into view: Korra and Bolin. The two were standing near the center of the room, Korra with her arms crossed, apparently chatting among themselves. Bolin's pet fire ferret, Pabu, was also in attendance. The creature quickly climbed over Bolin's back and shoulder, jumping on top of his head to take a look at Asami when she entered. His nose wiggled, and he chittered curiously. Both Korra and Bolin looked up in time to see Asami enter, and the look of the brightened faces did give the heiress momentary pause. She smiled.

"Asami!" yelled Bolin. Asami tensed up, eyes going wide when the earthbender started to bound in her direction. She braced for impact, nearly tackled. He threw his arms around her middle and clenched tight, pinning her arms to her side and lifting her. She felt her feet leave the ground, and by the look on Korra's face, her eyes must have stuck out. "It's so good to see you!"

Asami settled back onto her feet once Bolin let go. She took a moment to breathe, making sure Bolin didn't squeeze all the air out of her lungs. Or broke her spine. But once situated, she moved her eyes from one friend to the next. "Hello Bolin. Korra." She nodded to each of them in turn. She then noticed pressure and movement on top of her head, and looked up with the color draining from her face in concern, before realizing that Pabu had jumped into her hair. "And you, too, Pabu."

Asami took the time to take in the sight of both friends. Pabu looked no different than usual, as expected, but Bolin made good on his offer to dress up. The earthbender wore a sharp suit in a dark green and yellow, outdressing Korra and Asami by a fair margin. Despite the niceness of the outfit, Bolin still had a mild roughness around the edges, evidenced mostly by the disorganized state of his hair. She did appreciate his return to a more "classic Bolin" style after leaving the service of Kuvira. Korra's appearance, by contrast, was the same as ever: one of many Water Tribe outfits, this one including cut-off sleeves and a minute showing of her midriff.

Korra hiccuped. She had a look of mild frustration on her face, even though it was primarily masked by an eagerness to interact with her friends. "You made it."

"Of course I did, I didn't want to miss—" She was interrupted by Korra hiccuping again. Her gaze centered more on the Avatar, and she tilted her head.

"Korra's had the hiccups for, like, an hour. We've been trying to get rid of them," Bolin explained. He looked sheepish, tapping his index fingers together.

"Oh, well, I've heard water helps," Asami suggested in an attempt to assist. By now, Pabu had jumped free from her head and started climbing down her dress. She clicked her teeth together and squirmed uncomfortably, holding her hands up until the fire ferret made it to the floor and ran back to his owner. She exhaled.

"I tried that, and—hic!—it didn't work." Korra re-crossed her arms and stood firmly in place. She huffed, following the sigh with another hiccup.

Asami hummed in consideration, trying to recall any remedies she may have heard in passing. "When I get them, I hold my breath and try to swallow." Korra hiccuped. "But that method only seems to work for me and no one else. I guess everyone has their own idea of what cures them."

"Like making—hic!—noodles?" Korra asked. She sounded as though she were trying to make casual conversation, but the spasm of her stomach was distractingly obnoxious.

Still, Asami smiled at the parallel. "Yes, like making noodles."

"Oh, you know what you need to do?" Bolin added. "If you stand on your head and try to drink a whole bucket—"

"I'm not standing on my head." Korra snorted in protest.

"You could try gargling salt water?" Asami suggested, shrugging weakly. She never had any significant difficulty getting rid of hiccups.

"I know! You need to pull on your tongue, and then Pabu and I will—"

"Enough!" shouted Korra. She clenched her teeth and sighed heavily. She raised a hand to pinch the bridge of her nose. "They'll go away on their own eventually." She punctuated the statement with another sudden chirp and a frustrated groan.

Asami waved a hand in Korra's direction. "Maybe it's being caused by stress."

"Can we talk about something else? Please? This has been our topic for the last hour." Hiccup!

Asami shrugged gently, redirecting her attention to Bolin. "Well, what about you, Bolin? Is Ba Sing Se treating you well?"

"Oh man, is it!" The earthbender stood up straighter and put his hands on his hips, taking a proud stance. "Not to brag or anything, but I think that my experiences in Republic City and travelling the world in Kuvira's army opened my eyes to the greater truths out there. It's safe to say that, while I had once been a boy, I am now a man." He puffed his chest, rubbing curled fingers against his collar.

Asami giggled. "You know, I believe I've heard you say that before."

"Well, this time I really mean it!" he replied sincerely. "I have a big family to look after now. Aunts and uncles, cousins, grandmas, and a girlfriend. I've graduated to Bolin: Family Man. I'm a provider now. People need me." Pabu bounced in place on Bolin's shoulder, squeaking, as if to agree with his claim.

Asami nodded to the response. She stood more relaxed, though her eyes occasionally shot to Korra, who was still hiccuping at uneven intervals. The noise grew into the background at first, but was starting to grate more on her nerves. "Well, it's great to hear that things are working out for you."

"Oh, yeah, no, things are great." He tensed for a short moment, withdrawing in preparation for a more somber reveal. "But it's for that reason I can't stay for very long. I'm crashing here tonight and heading out in the morning." Korra spasmed again, causing Asami to miss something Bolin said. "I managed to work it out so I could pick up some supplies before heading back. It should be a big help."

"That's a shame," Asami sighed. "Maybe we can get together another—" Hiccup! Asami turned to glare at Korra, an eyelid ticking angrily. "—time."

"Yeah. Yeah, maybe at the end of the winter season I'll have some free time." He paused, adding, "Of course, you and Korra are always welcome to come visit."

Asami nodded slowly. She thought that topic might come up. Though, it could be worth it to get out of Republic City for a change. "That's something I'd—" Hiccup! Asami snapped. She gritted her teeth and turned on Korra, raising her voice. "Would you please stop doing that? I can't concentrate!"

The otherwise silent Korra turned her head, looking at the glaring Asami with disbelief. She took a breath, then stamped a foot on the wooden floor. "It's not like I'm doing it on purpose! Why are you mad at me?"

The nonbender's aggressions swelled up in her body, seeping through her chest and into her arms. She clenched both hands and leaned forward. "Because you're selfish!"

Korra recoiled at the accusation. Her hiccups were gone at this point, from the shock, but now the girls were practically at each other's throats. "I'm—where is this coming from all of the sudden?"

Bolin stood in place, his eyes darting from Korra to Asami. He had a look of disbelief on his face, with both hands raised. "Hey, guys, I'm sure we can work this out."

"No, she's needed to hear this for a long time. You always try to do everything by yourself, Korra. What about us? When you ran away, it was so you could try and resolve all your problems without anyone's help. But that's what we're here for!"

"I don't like putting anyone else in danger!" Korra growled. "The only way I can keep my friends from getting hurt is to not get them involved."

"It doesn't work that way!" yelled Asami. She stood her ground now, her eyes fiercely intent on the Avatar in front of her. She poured all her pent-up emotions into the fight. She could feel her hands and body shaking. "You can't just act cold and dismissive and hope to push us away! We worry about you, Korra. When you drift, we chase you. We don't worry less, we worry more!"

Bolin cleared his throat to try and step in again. "Relax, Korra, Asami. I think we should start over here."

"There are certain things I have to handle by myself," Korra scowled.

"No! There aren't!" Asami thrust a hand forward, pointing aggressively at Korra. Despite the tone of the conversation, the flow of adrenaline felt good. She was glad to finally get so many things off her chest at once. "There's nothing that we can't help you with. You have to stop trying to carry the weight of the entire world by yourself!"

"You don't understand."

Uncomfortably, Bolin adjusted his feet and tried one more time to break up the argument. Asami could see from the corner of her eyes that he was worried and stressed, but she couldn't stop now. "Listen, girls. I think what we need—"

Asami tore through Bolin's narrative. "The only thing I need is to understand what goes on in her head! You can't seriously be this dense. All I've ever wanted was to help you." She clutched a hand tightly, brandishing it like a weapon.

"Asami—"

She shook her head, shutting her eyes. Her emotions were bubbling higher inside her, and she felt tears beginning to form at the edges of her eyes. She couldn't keep this up for much longer. She needed to get everything out before she collapsed. She opened her eyes again, glaring harshly. Her voice picked up in her throat, and she choked. "Why didn't you take me with you?"

Korra's eyes softened, and she started to back down. Her mouth opened and closed again. She began to look away when she spoke. "I had to be—You had responsibilities here, and—"

"I know damn well what my responsibilities were!" Asami screamed, working hard to hold in the tears that were trying to flow freely.

"I just needed to be alone for a while, okay?" Korra shouted back. She shied away when she said it, not putting near as much force behind the rebuttal this time.

"At some point you have to open up, Korra. I know you sometimes feel like you aren't making the right decisions, and that people won't approve of what you do. That's why you need us even more. Even though you're amazing, you have a self-esteem problem. You need to stop this."

Korra's eyes narrowed as she looked up. She was visibly shaking, and the last comments made her push back against the words more severely than ever before. She leaned in as she spoke, extending a hand to motion to herself, then slash at the air as if to say she was through with this fight. "I have a self-esteem problem? Me? What about you, Asami? You're the one who can't even make any friends!"

Asami was knocked completely off her feet. All the weight and force in her stance weakened, and she snapped her eyes closed to keep from sobbing. She turned away, sliding her feet underneath herself. She hid her face quickly, so that neither of the benders could see. "I guess I can't," she whimpered quietly. She swung in place and began to move out of the room as fast as she could. A series of quick steps sent her toward the door, and in a flash she was outside, fleeing the building.

Behind her, she could only hear Bolin's voice for an instant. He became faint very quickly, and all she managed to make out was, "What was that about? Did I say something?"

Asami quickly ran down the stairs, moving as fast as her legs could carry her. She couldn't turn back and face either of her friends now. It was a terrible reunion, and did nothing to repair the pain she had been feeling in her chest. She heard a yelling in the distance, but she didn't look back. She knew it was Korra calling out to her, telling her to stop and to come back. She didn't.

She rapidly descended onto the dock, sliding across the wooden supports to her boat. She reached down, now actually thankful for the haphazard job she'd done tying it up. Unwinding the rope, she jumped into the boat and started it. She heard footsteps rapidly approaching, thumping loudly down the wooden pier, but she was committed to her escape. She pushed away from the dock, losing her breath when she used all her strength at once in a single shove. The boat peeled away from the shore, setting out into the open water within seconds.

Asami jetted away from Air Temple Island at full speed, barely managing to contain the sobs that were choking her. She brushed tears away from her cheeks with one hand before glancing into the rearview mirror. She saw Korra standing on the end of the dock, holding a hand into the air to hail her. In that moment, she knew Korra could use any one of the four elements to chase her. She could skate across the water on ice, or simply fly. But she stayed on the dock, watching Asami go. She lowered her hand, defeatedly, allowing Asami to disappear over the horizon.

Korra clearly understood, better than anyone, that Asami needed to be alone.