AN: First thing, I'm sorry this chapter took so long but I got really stuck getting started and then when I did I had trouble trying to keep it from just dragging on and on.
"No." The answer came to me quicker than I thought it would, sure, huge surprise at first but then came an odd sense of clarity, too bad that didn't extend to how to handle this mess I was in.
"W-w-why?" Mako looked pathetic, his expression of full pain, but I couldn't let my pity overtake me. "I mean, I got a ring and everything."
"Mako, " Here comes the brutal part, "I don't love you." I let out a sigh and looked at the now standing Mako "I'm sorry Mako, but I think that this is it for us." My ,now ex, boyfriend continued to stare at me, confused, eventually looking away apparently finding something
"Korra, sweetie..." My mother's hand was on my shoulder, warm and loving, her eyes wide with shock, just like my dad's and Mako's. "Are you okay?" It seemed like a dumb thing to ask but what else could someone ask in this situation?
"Yeah Mom, I'm fine." I had no idea what to do, what does a person usually do after rejecting a marriage proposal? Walk away, I suppose. "I think I just need some time to myself." and with that I departed the group, the three left unsure how to proceed with any conversation.
I really didn't know what to do, I started to just kind of wonder until...
"Yuan for your thoughts."
"Gah!" I squealed in shock, but only a little; Lin had managed to sneak up on me somehow, and in heavy armour, somehow. "Are you trying to catch me off guard?"
"What would ever give that idea Korra?" Lin finished her little comment taking a sip of her drink. "I saw what happened." I wasn't exactly in the mood to talk about this right now and was about to say so when Lin cut me off "I'd offer to talk about it but I don't really think I'd be the best person for that, Ms. Sato perhaps."
That was unexpected, welcome, but unexpected; Lin offering advice for relationship problems, weird. "Thanks for the suggestion, where is Asami anyway?" I looked around the room and couldn't seem to spot her.
"Not sure, I was talking to her a short while ago and she just vanished on me." I might've noticed Lin's slight smirk if I hadn't focused so much on finding Asami.
"Talk to you later Lin." I waved to Lin as I set off the find Asami, didn't take too long after I realised that this place had a balcony I hadn't checked, I kept checking the same spots. She seemed to staring out over the city, probably enjoying the night air. "Asami, there you are, I've been looking all over for you." I wish I'd known about this spot sooner, it was quite a view, "I didn't even see you walk out."
"I just needed some air." I couldn't blame her, it was a cool night and a bit stuffy inside with all the people. I walked up beside her and leaned on the stone railing, taking in the sight, nothing like this back in the south pole.
"You're not going to believe what just happened." I shook my head a little at the weird way things had played out tonight; feeling strangely happy to just be talking with Asami. "Mako proposed to me." I chuckled a bit, I was all torn up about it not long ago, but now I was chuckling? Wierd.
"Really? So..." Asami seemed kind of lost at what to say for a second, "... what did you say?" I guess that's the only thing you could ask in this situation.
"I said..." I suddenly had a thought and decided to play a little trick on my best friend, ", Yes." Asami's reaction was priceless.
"What?!" I actually managed to make her squeal, I snorted at that before telling her the truth.
"I'm kidding," I turned, smug grin on my face, to see her look of shock, "I said no; your face is so priceless right now!" I just continued to laugh for a bit before I heard Asami join in, slapping me on the shoulder.
"Good one Korra!" as the both of us stopped laughing and calmed down a bit our a eyes met and for a moment I was just lost in those green eyes, till Asami cleared her, "So any particular reason that you turned down such an illustrious suitor?" I loved it when Asami busted out her smooth sarcastic tone.
"To be honest, " I turned back to look out across the city again "I don't love him, I haven't for a long time I think; plus you saw us argue tonight we just don't work together." I guessed I was broken up about my parent's expectations earlier, was not looking forward to that when I got back to the air temple.
"So I guess you and Mako are finished then, right?" Asami leaned against the stone just as I did, taking up a spot next to me.
"Yeah, we're done." saying it out loud weirdly uplifting as if something that was a long time coming was finally passed. "So how about we talk about something other than my mess of a love life?" feeling uplifted or not, I really wanted to move onto another subject.
"I'd hardly call it a mess Korra, " I pointed my eyes up towards her with a confused expression, "I mean, one rejected proposal isn't altogether that bad." She placed a warm caring hand on my shoulder in the same comforting way as always. I looked away with an embarrassed smile, not sure why.
"Thanks Asami, but I did just brake up with the guy I'd been dating for a year, who my parents really liked, right in front of said parents and then just walked away, I think that's a pretty bad mess." I just sighed and shook my head, getting myself down again, "but don't you have to get back to the party?" I really wanted to talk about something else.
"Not really, I could do without the stuffed shirts and veiled insults, besides I can't just abandon my best friend in her time of need." Once again I got lost in Asami's green eyes as she gave a warm smile, I really liked green nowadays, they were so full of sympathy and... I shook my head again to snap myself out of whatever that was.
"Thanks, but let's not talk about the Mako mess." I could use something to take my mind off the coming confrontation back at the air temple.
"Okay then, so have you heard about Bolin yet?" Asami's head tilted back a little as she cocked and eyebrow with a sly smile.
"No, what about Bolin?" I leaned in, matching Asami's smile, as I listened eagerly.
"Well..." Asami chuckled before me telling the story of why Bolin wasn't here tonight and why he and Mako hadn't talked in the last few weeks.
"... No way. Good for Bolin!" It really was a good thing for him, dumb Mako; being so narrow minded.
"I know, he deserves a little happiness." Asami was right, Bolin had gone through some pretty bad stuff and now was getting some good. I looked out at the city again as I breathed in the night air.
"Korra, I have something I want to say..." I turned to Asami who was also looking out at the city as well. She seemed tense for some reason. "I want to take you home." What?
"Huh?" What does that mean? I probably looked as confused as I was.
"I-I mean, b-back to my place, y-you know in case you don't want to deal with Mako and everything tonight." Had she been reading my mind; I just blinked a few times at first. "Because I've got plenty of room and it'd be nice to have some company." I did that thing when I didn't think and just grabbed her by the arms at first, if I did think I probably would've noticed that slight stutter she had.
"Asami you're a genius!" She really was, and then I went from holding her by the arms to hugging her off the ground again. "Thanks so much, you're such a good friend." If I wasn't so glad for the gesture I might've noticed how I was holding on for a bit longer than necessary for a hug.
AN2: So I finally got over this hill (I hope) and the next chapters should come a little faster. All in all, I'm not too happy with how this chapter turned out; whilst writing it it seemed just seemed to meander about a drag on, hopefully it's not as bad I imagine. As always please review, they fuel the writing process and try and guess Bolin's good news.