tremble
It was something in the way he held himself. With dignity. And confidence. Like he'd never had a worry in his life. Asami wouldn't be surprised if he hadn't.
Son of the Fire Lord. He was first in line to inherit the position from his mother. He was important.
There was a time Asami had fancied herself important. She was, after all, the daughter of the genius and thriving businessman, Hiroshi Sato. She got everything and anything she wanted. Who would deny her, really? She didn't let it go to her head, necessarily, it just seemed to shape the way she saw the world. Like she had everything at her fingertips.
It wasn't until after the disasters with Amon and her father that she began to realize otherwise. She was… Limited. She no longer had her money or her family name to fall back on. And while she was an incredibly strong and kind person she'd had to prove that every day for the rest of her life now to anyone willing to listen.
Iroh had nothing to prove. His position seemed impenetrable. He was security. He was everything she'd lost. He had command (something Asami had never really gotten the hang of). He was disciplined (something Asami hadn't lacked until very recently). He was steady (something Asami wasn't sure she'd ever really been).
Apparently, she had a type.
However, she could dismiss all of this for the most part. People in the midst of battle are very different from people in every day life. This she knew only too well now having witnessed the changes in her friends firsthand.
So she didn't experience that unfamiliar and unbearable tremble in her gut until they all returned to Republic City.
Occupied by the remains of Iroh's fleet, he greeted them at the docks. He greeted Korra first, naturally, with a smile and a bow. A jovial handshake to Bolin. A respectful nod to Tenzin.
When he reached Asami he'd already bowed and kissed Pema's hand as well as that of Jinora and Ikki. He'd even deigned to shaking the hand of a floating Meelo who continued to give him the evil eye as he paused before Asami.
"Miss Sato. A pleasure to see you again." His smile was uncommon. He didn't look anything like the man she'd met a few weeks ago. He lifted her hand and kissed the back of her knuckles, bowing slightly. He paused just a second too long and Asami nearly tore her hand out of his grasp. Then she caught herself, a quick and challenging smile forming on her lips.
"And you, General Iroh." She winked.
She didn't miss the flicker of surprise that passed over his face before Meelo blasted him off the pier.