Chapter 10
Heat
Korra had never been this nervous to be out in public. She couldn't help but glance over her shoulder every few minutes with the anticipation that a fist would be flying towards her.
"Korra." A gloved hand rested around the shorter woman's shoulders. "It's okay. You're safe with me." Asami pulled her closer and moved them both further down the line. "Don't forget, you know how to fight, too." Her other hand lifted an empty tray from the stack. "What would you like to eat? You can get whatever you want. It's on me."
Korra eyed the food but looked away. Though the smells were tempting and her stomach was growling, none of it looked appealing to her. She lacked an appetite despite her three days of starvation.
Asami frowned and set the tray on the metal shelf in front of them. She faced the Southerner and placed her covered palms on her bare tan shoulders. She noted the blue eyes darting left and right before falling to the floor. "Do you want to go somewhere with fewer people?"
The Water Tribe girl connected with her green irises and nodded. The engineer pulled her under the line-commanding velvet rope by the forearm. She slowed her pace once they reached the empty corridors outside of the Dining Center.
She led Korra through different paths into a street she had never seen before. The wind wafted aromas of various eateries nearby. The soft humdrum of voices and moving feet drifted into Korra's ears.
I really don't want to go to a restaurant.
As if Asami could feel her dread on cue, she made a turn at the corner, away from the string of food businesses just east of the campus. Before she knew it, the engineer reassumed her position around Korra's shoulders. Her tan cheeks burned as she eased under Asami's touch.
"Where are we going?"
Her red lips smiled to the change in the tone of the Southerner's voice. "My place." She replied, maintaining her grin.
Now that Korra thought about it, she had never been to Asami's housing complex. She knew that she had lived close to campus for the sake of short commuting since her father's home was over an hour away, but they had always studied somewhere else. It started in the Dining Center and the library. As the material intensified and the sessions grew longer, the location changed to Korra's dorm.
Why? She began to ponder. Her building was one of the farthest student residences from the main campus and one of the cheapest. Asami had always managed to get back to her apartment safely after staying at Korra's for most of the night, but with the threats of violence that had come up… She wondered if it was best that the engineer didn't come to her room anymore.
Her attention was pulled from her thoughts when the raven's arm left her body. Korra watched her gloved hand pull a key out of the pocket of somewhat loose, brown pants and slide it in front of the door.
Wait, she's wearing pants? Korra had been too accustomed to the taller woman's usual attire, which consisted of a red skirt and knee-high black boots, with a dark grey overcoat and a series of red-shaded blouses underneath. Upon a second glance, she realized Asami was wearing a different outfit, one that seemed to provide more flexibility when it came to – combat? She took in the darker colors of her clothing. Her boots had similar height to her previous ones, but they weren't as elegant and had more light-brown in them than her other pair. Her coat was a single piece, with a black and red pallet and brown buttons on the right side. There was a patch with half of a dark red gear on each of her upper arms, near her shoulders.
Various emotions fluttered into her. A confused blush covered her cheeks.
Wow, she's so… She eyed her once more.
Was – was she expecting to fight? Did she think I was in danger?
The lock of the engineer's door made a shifting sound that pulled Korra from her thoughts. The area above the handle flashed green. She turned around and outstretched her hand.
"Come on," Asami urged the Water Tribe girl inside. The mechanism clunked again once the door had shut behind them.
This apartment was, without a doubt, fancier than most of the full-sized houses in her village. It opened to a large living room area, decorated with a deep-red couch, a few cozy-looking reclining chairs of the same fabric, and a stylish glass coffee table that rested on a black metal frame in the middle. The furniture faced a brick fireplace against the western wall with a multiple-window backdrop at the northern side. To the right of the entrance was a medium sized kitchen. The cabinets that hung above the light marble countertops were a dark mahogany. The silver sink and appliances sparkled with different variations of Korra's reflection.
"Wow, Asami. Your place is nicer than my home back in the Southern Water Tribe." She muttered as she continued looking around. She caught a glance from the engineer that consisted of a blush and a look of… guilt? Did she feel guilty that her apartment was so pristine when mine is… well, isn't? Korra refocused as her fingers brushed against the smooth wooden top of the small dining room table. "This is like twenty times bigger than my shitty little dorm."
"Your dorm isn't shitty, Korra. I like it."
"Why?"
Asami shrugged. "I just do." Her father insisted on her living in the best housing available from the college – alone – she added. More often than not, the place she called her temporary home felt barren. Being crammed in the small quarters that was Korra's dorm room just didn't feel as lonesome and cold as her big, empty apartment did.
Or maybe it was because Korra was there. The raven turned away to the kitchen, eager for a distraction. "What would you like to eat?" She pulled a pan from one of the cupboards under the counter when a tan hand stopped her.
"Let me cook for you." Korra revealed a smile so soft and happy that it demanded one in return. The engineer couldn't resist. She relinquished the handle and watched the Southerner look through her pantry. It had been some time since the brunette had the opportunity to cook, and although she wasn't the best at it, she picked up a few good recipes and techniques from her mother.
That, of course, only worked when she had Southern Water Tribe ingredients. She bit her lip in a small state of panic and reexamined Asami's wares. Her morale began to slip.
"Everything alright?" The raven questioned, noting Korra's hesitation.
Korra nodded, deep in thought and fueled by stubbornness. She was too determined to back down now. After raiding the refrigerator, she settled for a simple noodle dish with veggies and spices. Shouldn't be too hard to mess up.
Asami observed in fascination and mild amusement as the younger woman continued her attempts. She's not very good at hiding her flustering, is she? She chuckled to the thought and (thank the Spirits) was unnoticed. How does she have so much energy after these past few days?
"Ta-dah!" She exclaimed as she placed a bowl in front of the engineer. Rising steam carried the smell of the food to their noses. She sat across from the paler woman and watched her with a face split between excitement and worry.
"Wow, Korra. This is really good." Asami revealed in between bites.
Korra smiled and ate her portion without hesitation.
I'm glad she's got an appetite again, the engineer thought as she continued eating. She stole glances at the tan girl in front of her. There's something else, she furrowed her brow and grasped for a word. Confidence? Spirit? What was it?
"You alright, Asami?"
Her peridot eyes focused from their dazed concentration. It took a split second lock with those blue irises to force her to avert her gaze down to her dish in embarrassment. Her cheeks had to be red by now.
She reassured Korra before taking in another mouthful of her noodles. The Southerner smiled in return. Neither of them minded the silence and each was oblivious to the glimpses the other kept taking. Never failing to read the emotions of others, the engineer could see Korra begin to relax as the meal finished.
"May I?" A tan hand pulled her empty bowl away before affirmation. She rushed to the sink and started washing the dishes.
Asami watched with a raised brow. Something seems... odd? Her arms crossed. Maybe she's just eager to help. This was plausible, considering Korra always talked about how much she owed her for 'everything you do for me', she mimicked the Water Tribe girl's voice in her head. She honestly didn't mind doing anything for Korra.
Anything?
Her eyes focused more on the younger woman, who was now wiping down all of the counter tops with a bit more force than necessary. Maybe she's just looking for a distraction. Also possible. With all of the threats against her life, it wouldn't surprise her. She wished she could see Korra's face. Then she could know for sure.
Reading ahead this time, Asami returned to an unsuspicious pose. She rose and stepped towards Korra, who had turned a second after she stood.
"Thank-you, Korra. You really didn't have to do any of this."
Korra smiled and scratched the back of her head. "Well, you do a lot for me, so I wanted to do something for you. Plus, I miss cooking." She turned to the stove and ran her fingers across the cooled burner grates. "My mom and I would cook together sometimes, when I wasn't running around the village trying to help with other things. She's much better than I am, though. But I'd like to think I picked up a few things," she turned to Asami and smiled. "I mean, we haven't died yet, have we?"
The engineer cringed inside before she could register the joke.
Korra chuckled, unaware of the other woman's reaction. "Guess that means my cooking isn't all that bad."
Asami smirked in agreement. "It's certainly better than anything I can make." She saw the Southerner perk up from the implied compliment.
"So there is something the great Asami Sato isn't spectacular at." Korra teased and ducked into the living room to avoid retaliation.
Am I going to have to prove her wrong now? All Asami could do was shake her head and smile. Probably.
(-)
The room was lit by the flickering of a gentle flame. Shadows danced across the curtains that kept the campus nightlife out of their sight. Asami stared at the fire Korra had made and played with a piece of her hair, absentminded. Of course she knew how to start one herself, but the Water Tribe girl had insisted on doing it instead. The engineer was convinced that she was just looking for things to divert her from her thoughts, considering that the shorter woman was now restacking the remaining logs next to the fireplace for the third time. After she ran out of things to straighten and clean, she slumped against the mantel and fidgeted with her fingers.
Asami called to her. Even across the dark room, the blue in her eyes was potent. "Why don't you come sit on the couch?" She patted the spot beside her. "It's got to be more comfortable than the floor."
Korra pulled herself up and drug her legs over. The exhaustion was clear throughout her body.
Is that why it's so hard for her to not think about those threats?
Their eyes never separated, even after the Southerner plopped beside her. Asami placed a hand on Korra's clasped palms. Without disconnecting, a few of the tan fingers slipped out and around the pale ones. The Water Tribe girl was the first to close her eyes. Instead of leaning forward, though, she drooped back into the couch.
The engineer tried to decipher the mixture of feelings that struck her. At first, she felt disappointment.
But why? Why am I disappointed? Did I want Korra to come closer? She drew a blank. Did I – did I want to… She shook her head. Machines were easy for her to understand. They ran by the laws of physics, mathematics, and sometimes, chemistry. It could all be mapped out on pen and paper, summed up in elaborate formulas and basic concepts. Emotions, on the other hand, were never that simple. It was a completely different form of chemistry that couldn't be learned from a textbook. They changed too fast with and without stimulus. Unlike matter, they could be created or destroyed. One second, elation. The next: complete sorrow. They could also transform, like energy to work. Work creates motion, drive, friction. Like desire, friction always lead to the same thing; that undeniable heat.
The second feeling was one of happiness and relief. Korra looked tranquil; Asami could sense it in her hands and on her face.
She finally feels secure.
"Korra?"
She peeked through a bloodshot eye at the peridots. The other one followed suit.
"If it makes you feel better…" she struggled for words. Why was she having issues? She had the offer planned out in her head for hours now, waiting for the right time to unveil it. That premeditated effort had vanished. She took a breath.
Korra looked at her with attentiveness and squeezed her palm. "Yes?"
"The reason I wanted to bring you here is because I wanted you to feel relaxed and safe. I know things are hectic right now, so if you want to stay at my place for a while, please know that you absolutely can."
There. It was out. Why was her heart pounding?
A gentle smile came to the Southerner's face. "I would like that, actually." She slid closer to Asami just in time to see her purple-shadowed eyes light up. She closed her lids and laid her head against the couch once more.
The engineer tossed the red blanket she had been curled in around the both of them. She watched Korra slip into sleep, the flame-light illuminating her features. The frame around her face made from her two hair tails seemed softer than before. The tension from her body had dissipated. The circles under her eyes, however, remained dark.
That would take more than sleep to heal.
(-)
Asami stared into the fireplace, her chin resting on her knees. She had been still for quite some time, trying not to disturb the slumbering girl beside her. Her thoughts were running at a mellow pace through not-so-mellow topics. Everything seemed to come back to Korra, no matter what she tried to focus on.
She pondered. Why can't I get her out of my head?
She questioned. Does she think about me like this, too?
She doubted. Probably not. We are just friends.
She paused. Are we?
She denied. I'm thinking too much about this. I've only known her for a few weeks. That's not nearly enough time.
She contemplated. Is it?
She caved. It can't be. It must just be me.
She withdrew. There's nothing between us.
She brought her attention to the source of the faded light. The wood was glowing, a visible flame no longer present. The embers were being consumed by the ashes around them, like a boat succumbing to a slow death in its surrounding waters.
Korra stirred. Without opening her eyes, she pulled herself closer to the engineer. The Southerner melted into Asami, who shifted her body to accommodate the Water Tribe girl's movements. Her tan hands wrapped around the raven's abdomen and her face nuzzled into her shoulder. Korra was still fast asleep, but before she had simmered from her unconscious motions, she whispered a single word:
"Asami."
Asami heard a crack and looked away from the woman in her arms. The flame had returned, burning on some sort of wood that had to be hidden behind the debris. Without thought, she tightened her grip around Korra's back.
Heat had struck again, and it was undeniable.