Disclaimer: I own Nothing.
Lights from street lamps were the only visible things in the dark silhouettes of the mountainside and cabins along the shore behind me. In front, the skies were still a dull greyish blue with clouds and the promises of a nice sun in a few more hours. My arms pumped at my sides while my legs churned under me, eyes set and focused on the long stretch of sand before me. I was a machine. The sounds of the ocean, I could hear clear and loud, as nice cold water also lapped at my legs from time to time. It was only the beach and I, and I was loving every second of it.
A cluster of palm trees came into view next, causing me to break my pace and detour up into them. As I arrived, I came to a full stop and began stretching my arms, then legs, and while I was rolling my neck, I could see that some smart person had set up a bar between two parallel trunks. With a grin I hopped up to wrap my hands around the bar. Looking straight up, I could see the still murky color of the mid sky through the palm leaves and only then did I tighten my muscles.
The first set was a breeze, but as I went on, my entire body began to feel the burn. Twenty. I let out a small groan of effort as I lifted myself up, intent on having my chin touch the bar. Five more. I bared my teeth with a determined hiss and continued until my arms felt like jelly. Twenty-five! Letting go of the bar, I allowed myself a few minutes of breath before lying back down to do sit-ups.
By the time I was running back my room, I was well worked over. The sky had lightened substantially and though it hadn't fully risen yet, it was still stunning a stunning view.
"Waddup wave riders. It's Taco Tuesday, Feburary 4th. Waves are averaging 14 feet in 18 seconds, so there's definitely some size out there in the water and it's moving our way. There's a little bit of morning sickness out right now, but it should clear up as the winds pick up-" That was all I needed to hear as I bent over to spit toothpaste into the sink. After rinsing my brush, I shook my damp hair out and dialed another number.
"It's flat! Now let me sleep." The voice answered after a fourth ring, making me roll my eyes.
"Wake up, Kai." I couldn't help but chuckle at his sleep-drenched voice.
"Korra?" He sounded a bit more awake.
"Good morning sleepy head."
"You wouldn't happen to know if Tenzin's family is coming would you?" Now he sounded much more alive.
"I have no idea, but if they do, you have got to say something to Jinora this time, eh?" I shrugged before lifting my hair out of my eyes. "Anyway, how's it looking out there?"
A grunt sounded and the sound of the waves grew louder in the background as well. "Ah, man! It's beautiful, Kor. At least double overhead, which means that you better get down here." At the tone of his voice, I felt my own mood lift.
"Alright. Thanks, buddy." I grinned and hung up before sliding across the floor in my socks. My destination wasn't far at all as I suddenly knelt beside a snuggled up lump of white. "Naga. Naga, come on. Get up." The puppy whined like one does, but then instantly shot up so she could begin to soil my clean face with her eager morning kisses.
It was a good thing I didn't have to drive to the main beach, otherwise, finding a place to park would have been a feat in itself. Instead, I simply carried my board, along with Naga, down to the happening scene not three blocks from the hotel I was staying at. As I neared, I saw all too familiar faces. "Hey Desna, Eska. How is it out there?" I greeted the pair as they just got off the sand and onto the sidewalk.
Like the twins they were, they wore the same colored clothes, but Eska's attire was a lot more girly than her brother's. She was the more stoic one and her brother had his own way of talking, though, I could never really connect with them. I was sure they thought the same about me."Hello, Cousin." Eska replied flatly before she reached out to poke Naga's nose. "He's cute." The pup squirmed and I had to calm her by flexing my arm a little.
"Actually, he's a she. This is Naga." I corrected as gently as I could. Eska's dark blue eyes blinked, clearly not impresed, but she continued to run a finger along Naga's head. The pup suddenly didn't mind, so long as my cousin kept it at that.
"Oh, it's pretty nuts." Desna finally decided to speak up, looking to the raging waves behind us. "Broke my board." He brought his eyes back to me, emphasizing said board. "It's pretty heavy out there. Sure you can handle it?"
Ignoring the poor sight before me, I confidently stuck out my chest with a lopsided grin. "You bet your bottom I can!" He gave a ghost of a smile before Eska jabbed him in the side.
"You promised me breakfast, now let's go. I've had enough of this dirt getting into every crevice of my body." Without another word to either of us, she wondered off, leaving Desna to catch up with her.
"You know she's still a little torn up about Bolin." He said to me. I sighed heavily and placed Naga at my feet.
"What can I say that Bolin hasn't, Dez?" Standing my board up, I faced him once more. "She just wasn't right for him." Seriously. Bo doesn't even know what's right for him.
"Well, she'll get over it eventually. They're both idiots." Desna gave me another half smile with a choked out chuckle and left it at that. "Good luck out there." I waved him off and then started down the sandy grove until the beach came back into view. Yeah, odd cousins.
One look at the water, and Naga went ballistic, easily wiping that awkward scene from my head as she thundered away from me. I had to drop my board and go dive in after her before she caused someone else to crash on their boards. Or run her over. Either way, I could tell I'd have no problem surfing with her if she was so jazzed about the water already.
Of course, we couldn't hit the heavy yet. Not with her and her small body. So instead, we headed further down the line until the sandbar came into view. With another wide grin I placed my board in the water with Naga on the tip as I waded out a bit more. "See? You have to hang on, otherwise you'll have to chill on the beach while I have fun out here." I poked her wet nose, making her whole body waggle along with her tail in excitement. "Now hold still while I get on, cutie." Rubbing her small head, I circled and threw my leg over until I settled behind her.
Naga stayed still for all of two seconds and then I was scooping her back out of the water while snorting out my own laughter. "Patience, young Jedi." Instead of placing her back at the tip, I picked her up and held her out in front of me, looking into her deep brown eyes that were still filled with excitement. Her pink tongue poked out to try to get a lick in, but I only smirked at her soaked self. Glad I got you.
"Well, isn't she cute?" An unfamiliar female voice said from my right. "Oh, the puppy too, I mean." That made me snap my head to the right.
"E-excuse-" My jaw dropped somewhat when the girl shot me a playful smile. A blush instantly crept up my face and I was glad that the sun still hadn't come all the way up yet. "U-uh, I mean-" Clearing my throat, I set Naga back down before turning back to her. Instead of tripping over my words again, I ended up smiling like an idiot.
"Morning." She smiled again. "I'm Micah."
"Korra." I somehow choked out, instinctively reaching out to shake her hand. "Aloha kakahiaka." She was pretty. Very pretty Micah, was it?. Her still dry dark hair was piled on top of her head in a messy bun and while I couldn't see the exact shade of her eyes in this light, I knew they were beautiful. Her bikini top was a hot pink color with matching pink and white shorts and I could see a belly button pierce on her toned stomach. Sheesh.
"What, you don't speak English?" She then smirked, her whole lovely face shifting because of it. "Because Adorable is a language I have yet to master."
My eyes widened before I practially groaned. "Are you kidding me?" Chuckling uncontrollably, I couldn't help but be reminded Asami saying almost the same thing to me once. Asami. I'd done a good job of distracting myself since I'd gotten here, but it seemed this random person brought those green eyes right back into the forefront of my mind in two seconds flat. Great. Just great.
"Calm down, ku'uipo." She giggled too, moving closer on her board until our legs brushed in the gentle waves. I fought off my bush for as long as I could, but with that word and the touch of her leg, I looked away and coughed awkwardly. "What brings you out here so early?" She asked as she looked out over the horizon.
"I'm in training, well, sort of. Today I just figured I'd take Naga out and then get ready for the competition that'll be happening in three days." Forcing my embarrassment away, I languidly pushed my hair out of my eyes and then poked the little beast's stomach, making her jump up and try to get at my face. It was a good thing the weather was nice, otherwise, the sopping puppy would be freezing.
"Wow, you're here for that?" Micah asked before looking back at me in awe. "That's amazing! You know, I've been living here half my life and I've never been to any of the competitions."
"Really? Never?" I asked, trying to contain my shock to no avail.
"I kinda, sorta barely learned how to surf too." She admitted sheepishly and then playfully glared at me when I cleared my throat to cover a chuckle. "Don't you dare laugh at me."
"Water got in my nose." I shrugged it off, not noticing how easy it was to talk to her.
"Uh-huh." Grunted Micah skeptically. "Okay, show off. How long have you been surfing?"
"I-it's just a hobby. No big deal." I distracted myself by scratching behind Naga's ears, which she loved.
"Ah, she's modest too." Micah stretched her arms over her head semi-arrogantly.
"Since I was six." I answered with a roll of my eyes. "Besides, this whole thing was a challenge. I wouldn't be here if my friend hadn't set me up without my consent." Infact, I'd be home trying to get a striaght answer from Asami.
"You say it like it's a bad thing."
"It could be, but hey, I got to meet you." I decided to leave it at that, but realized all too late what I'd said. "Well, I- I mean- not that I'm trying to- not that you aren't- you know what, I came here to surf, so that's what I'm gonna do." Again, I stuffed my foot in my mouth, but instead of embarrassing myself further, I placed Naga at the tip of the board again and postioned myself behind her so I could paddle out.
I heard Micah's laughter echo across the waves.
'Hiya stranger :)'
Asami's text had me grinning right off the bat. Of course, I didn't know what to say as a response. Stranger? What could- should I say? Groaning inwardly, I tossed my phone down and glanced up at the ceiling. "What's a girl to do, Naga?" My lip stuck out in a pout just as said pup jumped on me, only to lick my neck and then disappearing again. "I mean, why couldn't she just tell me no right then and there? Why drag out the inevitable? And why am I invite Micah over for dinner when I'm still clearly hung up on Asami?!"
As if to spite me, I heard a sweet voice somewhere in the room. "Hey, I was wondering when you were going to call. Actually, I was just about to call you." My eyes wided in panic and I snapped back up to see that my phone had somehow called the last person I'd had up on my screen. Asami?! Before I could reach for it, Naga blew past me again with my favorite surfing top. "Hey! Give that back!" I jumped for her, but ended up landing myself on the floor instead. "You better not put holes in that you little furball! If you do, I'm not taking you out tomorrow!"
I was about to scramble after her when Asami's voice reminded me that she was on the other line. "Korra?" Quickly, I snatched the phone back up.
"Hey. Hi. Asami, darli- I mean- I- How are you?" I smacked myself on the forehead, but didn't stop myself from crawling after that darn mischievious pup. Around the couch corner, her big chocolate colored eyes focused on me as her tail wavered in the air, just begging for me to chase her.
"Are you okay?" Asami's smooth voice asked. I was a little too focused on getting my shirt back.
You want some of this? "Yeah. Fine. Your puppy is going bananas though." I bared my teeth and lunged again, only to slide right past her as she scambled away from me with my shirt still firmly between her grinning teeth. "C'mon, give it! You gotta get ready too, you know. For spirit's sake, you still have ocean water all up in your fur!" I'd been about to wash her when Asami's text stopped me.
"Sounds like you two are having fun." Her voice was filled with mirth, but I read the undertone as her possibly wishing she was here. Like she was missing me. Heh. Don't kid yourself, Korra. Even as I thought that, I couldn't stop the next words from coming out of my mouth.
"It would be more fun if you were here, though." I cleared my throat awkwardly when I was greeted with silence. Whoops. "I- I- you know, I could use your help with catching Naga so she doesn't rip my clothes up."
"Naga. Is that what you named her? I like it." Asami said sweetly before turning a little more serious. "And, Korra. About that-"
Crap! Fix it, you idiot! "No! No, i-it's okay. I shouldn't have brought that up. I know you're crazy busy right now and you don't really have time to- for my shenanigans- but you and I both know I can't really control what comes out of my mouth sometimes." Chuckling awkwardly at my sudden word-vomit, I pretended to be nonchalant until I felt it was right and then hurled at the unsuspecting puppy, dropping my phone in the process. "Surrender, Fiend!" I bellowed and she yelped. Instead of running off, she came back to start licking me again, taking me by surprise too. "Ugh! Naga, that's my mouth. Leave me alone and go answer the door."
I rolled away and put my shirt out of the puppy's reach while she went on barking at said door. Wait, someone's at the door? Micah! I shot all the way up before snapping back down to pick my abandoned phone back up. "A-Asami? You still there?" My hair seemed to suddenly be on my bad side as it slid back into my face.
"I'm here, Korra. But are you sure you don't want me to call back? You sound a bit overwhelmed." That was true, it was the first time I wasn't giving her my full attention and why not? I actually was busy. And now you sound conceited. No need to shut her out because she shut you down.
"I am." I grit my teeth, trying to shut off my internal battle. "But not too busy for you."
"You're so sweet." There was a pause. "So sweet, you don't make this any easier for me."
"Baby, I'm all about that complicated stuff." I couldn't help but grin as I checked the peek hole, seeing none other than Micah patiently waiting for me to open the door. I did and allowed her in, but motioned that I was on the phone. She gave me a winning smile and busied herself by playing with Naga.
"Oh are you? Well, my darling, you'd better spend a little more time preparing."
"Why? Are you going to blow my socks off, Miss Sato?" I chuckled, feeling my heart flutter at her calling me darling.
"Depends, Miss Nutaaq. Are you wearing socks right now?" Her voice dipped and caused a ripple to mess around with my spine.
"Um, no? Who wears socks when you aren't outdoors?" Me! But only when I wanted to slide around on the floor like that one movie.
"My, you are something else." She managed to chuckle and I swear my knees went weak at the sound.
"Sweetness, you knew that the night we met." I grinned like an idiot. Suddenly, I wanted to see her reaction. I wasn'a smooth talker, but whenever I was around her, I felt it was my mission to get her to laugh or smile. I didn't which it was or if I had to risk my own embarrassement for it. "By the way I read that your body is 65% water and, honey, I'm thirsty."
I got my desired effect. Though, I wasn't expecting Micah to join in on the laughter too.
"Korra, Korra. You're too much. What am I going to do with you?" Asami managed to gasp out and I imagined her wiping a tear from her gorgeous eyes. My face was on fire, considering that I'd forgotten all about my company, but I figured it was worth it.
What can you do? Go out with me! "Well you can thank me for making you laugh? That's the best I can think of right now." I admitted sheepishly. Glancing at Micah, I saw her roll her eyes dramatically at me. I stuck my tongue out at her.
"What if I said I miss you and Republic City isn't the same without you?"
"Well, your legs are probably tired, because you've been running through my mind all night." I chuckled. "But seriously, Asami. You're so sweet you put Hershey's out of business and I miss you too." And I did. Like crazy. I had to turn away from my guest, lest she do something to embarrass me.
"If I could reach out and hold a star for every time you've made me smile, Korra, I'd hold the sky in the palm of my hand." Asami sighed heavily, sounding like she was running a hand through her luscious hair. All the while my heart was melting, though I couldn't help but think: should I smile because we're friends, or cry because that's all we'll ever be?
I sucked it up. "Asami, you remind me of a magnet because you sure are attracting me over here."
"We're going to be at this all night aren't we?" Asami chuckled.
I held in another sigh and decided to let Micah order something instead, seeing as I never got to do any food shopping, so I handed her the take out menu. She waved it off and pulled out her phone, mouthing pizza. I nodded and then headed away from her again.
"I am the Boss and I say when I work or not." She sassed, making me laugh at the uncharacteristic way she said it. So cute!
"Oh. Oh. Okay, I get it Miss CEO." I hopped up on the counter, still smiling like an idiot. It was amazing how head over heels I was about her and while she wouldn't admit it right away, I had an inkling of a feeling that she at least liked me too.
She might not have agreed to date me right away, but I figured that I'd have to tie her shoes myself so she wouldn't fall for anyone else.
A/N: Wow! it's been forever since I've written anything so sorry if it's kinda...messed/chopped up.
Still a sucker for those pick up lines though! ^^
Aloha kakahiaka= Good morning.
ku'uipo= sweetheart.