Over the next few days Asami felt far less stressed over her situation with her father, and her father's situation. She wasn't sure if the change was due in part because her and her father were talking again, or because he would be released from the hospital by week's end. Yet, there was the distinct possibility that her reason for feeling less stress had a lot to do with the fact that she was spending more time with a certain blue-eyed case worker.
She hummed to herself as she pondered this, her foot swaying slightly as she sat in the chair beside her father's bed. They had been talking and watching a program on the television set in his room, but he had fallen asleep a few minutes ago. So, she had taken the silence as a chance to let her mind wander, and reflect.
She made a list in her head of things she needed to do. Since she had picked a nursing home for her father, with his input, and signed the papers for his admittance, she needed to get a few of his things moved. Get an account set up for Brookside Golden Age to pull money from when her father needed it. Once he was moved in and settled down she'd need to see about putting his things in storage, possibly even selling the house. The list went on and on with things that needed her attention. All of it would take some time, but she couldn't be here for everything. At some point she had to leave, head back to the city and back to work.
A sudden flash of Korra's grinning face sprang to her mind. The thought of leaving had a strange tugging sensation emitting in her chest. Suddenly Asami didn't feel as stress free as she had earlier. Matter of fact she felt stressed beyond belief now, and sad. She shook her head and let out a sigh. Rising to her feet she placed a kiss to her father's temple and left.
She needed to look over a few files her assistant had sent her on the meager Varrick wanted. She had papers to sign, emails to answers, calls to make. Yet, when the cab driver pulled up out front, it wasn't the address to the hotel she rattled off. It wasn't until the driver came to a slow rolling stop outside Korra's apartment that she even realized what she had done. Her first thought was to give the driver the address to the hotel, but it was almost as if she had lost control of her body.
Before she knew it, she was standing in front of Korra's door, fist raised to knock. She let her knuckles fall gently against the wooden door, unsure if it was even loud enough for anyone on the other side to hear. Then the door swung open, and that face on the other side was grinning at her, only briefly though, a look of concern taking over. Then strong arms were pulling her into a warm embrace, tugging her inside, and her stress started to ebb.
Asami sat with her eyes closed, the delicate scent of the honeysuckle candles mingled with the lavender scented bubbles of the bath. A steady cloud of steam rose off the water around them. The corner of her mouth twitched upward at the fingers that traced lazily up and down her arm. She leaned further back into Korra's chest, letting her head fall against Korra's shoulder.
"You're still tense." Korra mumbled, her lips pressed against Asami's temple. She brought both hands up to kneaded at the shoulders in front of her. Digging her thumbs into the knot of muscles she found there, working to get it out.
Asami's toes curled at the sensation. God the woman had magical hands. She hummed in pleasure as Korra hit a particularly good spot. "Mmm, right there."
"Here?" Korra pressed her thumb a littler harder into the knot of muscles, a smug smile coming to her face when Asami moaned in answer. She worked at it until she felt it loosen, a grateful sigh coming from Asami when it did. Korra swept aside a few loose tendrils that had escaped the messy bun atop Asami's head and pressed a kiss to her pale neck. "Feel better?"
Asami nodded, a relaxed, easy smile on her lips. "Thank you."
Korra pressed a kiss to Asami's ear. "My pleasure." Her hands slide back under the water, sliding smoothly under Asami's arms, over her ribs, and tickling slightly as they came to rest on her stomach.
She trailed little paths up and down the plane of a quivering abdomen. She watched, a tiny grin on her lips, as Asami's breathing would change the lower her fingers dipped. She delighted in how the water would ripple more when the woman she was tormenting would squirm a little. She set her chin on Asami's shoulder, drawing them impossibly close. Her fingers dipped past the turnaround point, and she felt Asami's legs part in invitation.
"I didn't realize you did full body massages." Asami husked out as Korra's finger circled teasingly at her clit.
Korra chuckled as she pressed a kiss to Asami's jaw. "All part of the relaxation process babe."
Neither of them paid much attention to the slipped term of endearment, the haggard breathing that echoed through the bathroom pushed it from their minds. Asami reached a hand back, grasping Korra by the neck, her nails scraping at sensitive skin. Her breath hitched, catching in her chest at the torturous dance Korra's fingers were doing. She pulled her bottom lip between her teeth, her hips jerking at the feather light touches.
"Korra." Her voiced was strained, her body aching and desperate. Needing more than the teasing touches and the feel of her nipple rolled between fingers, Asami moved. She turned around, water splashing over the edge of the tub to the floor. Her hungry eyes pinned Korra to the spot as she maneuvered to straddle her.
Korra arched an eyebrow at her, a slight grin tugging at her lips. "Can I help you with something?"
Asami pressed a dripping rag to Korra's chest, streams of water washing away the line of bubbles. "You like to tease too much." She pressed a kiss to Korra's lips, then her jaw, and neck, finally placing an open-mouthed kiss to her chest.
"You made a mess, you know that right?" Korra smirked as she felt Asami's hot tongue and teeth scrape at her collarbone.
Asami rolled her hips, hard, grinding down onto Korra's lap. She smiled as more water sloshed over the side of the tub. "Oops."
Korra chuckled and shook her head. She raised a hand, brushing a loose hanging strand of hair behind Asami's ear. Her eyes darkened for a moment, heavy with an emotion she couldn't name as she looked upon Asami. Messy bun tied up, loose tendrils framing her face, bubbles clinging to her breasts. "You're beautiful."
Asami smiled softly and leaned forward, her lips skimmed gently over Korra's. Her smile turned into a grin, mischievous, a matching glint in her eye. Her hand darted out, smearing bubbles across Korra's cheek. She giggled as Korra stared dumbfounded at her. She brought another handful forward, smearing bubbles across the other cheek, giving Korra a beard.
"Really? Is that how it is?" Korra grabbed her wrists, and pulled her close. "Come here." She rubbed her cheek against Asami's, and down her neck, Asami's laughter echoing through the bathroom. "Oh, I missed a spot, hang on." Korra took both wrists in a strong one-handed grip, and with the other she scooped up a massive pile of bubbles.
"Korra, no." Asami tried to say it sternly, but a bubble of laughter escaped her.
Korra furrowed her brows and nodded her head. "Korra, yes." She grinned and moved the bubbles closer to Asami's face.
Asami slammed her eyes shut, and waited, feeling a slight tickle at her nose. She cautiously cracked one eye open to peek.
Korra smiled at her, looking at the dollop of bubbles she'd placed on her nose. "I don't think you'd look great with a beard Sami."
Asami rolled her eyes and dipped her head forward, kissing her firmly on the mouth. She delighted in the way Korra's hands found her hips. With a nip of teeth to Korra's bottom lip she pushed herself away and stood. She held a hand down to Korra. "Come on. We're getting pruny." She crinkled her nose and pulled Korra to her feet. Stepping from the tub she placed a hand to Korra's chest, a serious look on her face. "I expect you to finish that full body massage." She waggled her eyebrows suggestively.
"Oh, I plan to." Korra grinned ruefully and tugged a giggling Asami to the shower so they could rinse off.
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Korra loved her friends, and they loved her, which is why as they watched Korra and Asami together, they started to grow a little concerned. Kya and Lin took it upon themselves to address the concerns of the group. They invited Korra over for dinner, ordering Chinese and picking a movie to watch. Korra arrived with a bottle of wine in tow and a smile on her face.
"Hey." She grinned as Lin ushered her into the apartment.
"Food just got here, Kya's in the kitchen." Lin closed the door as Korra made her way through the house.
Kya greeted her with a tight hug and smile, then went back to opening take out containers. "I'm glad you made it, been a while since we've done this."
Korra rummaged through a drawer looking for a corkscrew. "Yeah, everyone's been so busy lately."
Lin and Kya exchanged a look. It wasn't that everyone had been busy, it had been that Korra kept cancelling or leaving early to spend time with Asami. Lin placed a stack of plates on the counter. "Korra."
Korra turned, grinning triumphantly, corkscrew in hand. "Mmm?" She hummed in answer as she went to work on the wine bottle.
"How have you been?" Lin shrugged her shoulders as Kya gave her an exasperated look.
Korra paused, she turned, her hands resting on the counter behind her. "I'm great." She smiled, then straightened her glasses. "I'm really great Lin."
Lin smiled softly in turn as she looked at her friend. "You look great kid." Lin spoke the truth, realizing that Korra didn't look as haggard and tired as she normally did. She smiled more, laughed louder. Not that Korra hadn't been a happy person before Asami, but her friends had noticed a change in how she was now. It wasn't that they were worried because of Korra's behavior or anything, on the contrary, they were thrilled Korra was so happy. However, they knew that Asami wasn't going to stay forever, and they worried about what would happen to Korra when that time came.
Kya smiled and clapped her hands together. "Who's ready to eat?"
Korra turned back to the wine bottle, and after wrestling it around for a bit she was able to fill the three glasses in front of her. Glass in hand she turned around, catching Kya and Lin having a silent conversation. "What's going on?" She sipped at her wine as she watched them.
"Korra," Kya started, stepping forward, her hands ringing together nervously. "We're worried about you."
"Okay?" Korra tilted her head in confusion.
Lin drew herself up to her full height and squared her shoulders. "We're afraid you're in too deep with the Sato woman." Lin shrugged when Kya shot her a warning look. "There's no point beating around the bush."
"You can't ease into anything can you?" Kya scowled at her then turned back to Korra. "You've been spending a lot of time with her, and we're just worried Korra. We don't want to see you hurt."
Korra shrugged her shoulders and set her glass aside. She adjusted her glasses as she thought. "Is that what this is all about? Is dinner and a movie just an excuse to get me over here so you could," she waved her hands around as she fought to find the right words, "warn me?"
"Well, yeah." Kya looked at her worriedly. "Korra, we've been trying to get you to go out with all of us for a while."
"Everyone's been busy."
"No." Lin crossed her arms, leaning her hip on the counter. "You keep canceling on us, and when you did show you'd take off shortly after."
"I…" Korra opened her mouth to protest, but then stopped, because it was true. She had blown her friends off to hang with Asami. Instead of inviting her to join she'd just stayed wrapped up with her in their own little world, just the two of them. The only reason she was even standing with Kya and Lin now was because Asami had a meeting to attend via Skype.
"What happens when she leaves Korra?" Kya spoke, voice low and quiet. "She's been here a month; her father goes into the nursing home tomorrow. She's going to leave at some point."
"I know, I just hadn't really thought about it." Korra blinked slowly, dropping her head forward, chin against her chest as she rubbed at her eyes. "Kind of just wanted to enjoy the time I had with her."
"Sweetie I get that." Kya placed a hand on her shoulder and squeezed. "We're just afraid that maybe you've gotten a little too close."
Korra batted her hand away, bristling at the comment. "I know what I'm doing. Pretty sure I learned my lesson about catching feelings for someone that was just going to leave me the first time it happened. Fool me once you know?" She caught hold of the memories that started to surface and quickly shoved them back into the far corners of her mind.
Lin worked her jaw, knowing now was not the time to let her mouth get ahead of her. She loved Korra like family, but she also loved her niece, Kuvira, who had broken Korra's heart once upon a time. She had a hard time not picking sides between the two. Finally, she drew a deep breath. "We just don't want to see you hurt Korra. You know we care for you, and we just worry."
Korra nodded her head. "I get it. I do." She looked up, locking eyes with first Kya, and then Lin. "I know what I'm doing." She drove the words home, ending the conversation with one final look. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I've suddenly lost my appetite." The protests of both women fell upon deaf ears as Korra made her way to the door.