A/N: This is probably my favorite chapter yet. I may have mentally high-fived myself. I'm not ashamed.
CHAPTER 4
'Stupid Korra with her stupid know-it-all attitude and her stupid hands and face and…'
Asami spent the last 2 hours going through her now usual routine at the garage, though, not without a significant amount of frustration while doing so. She had pulled out all of her belongings and got down to business - set up, stretch, tinker, think, reassemble, clean up - all the while, her mind remaining on the woman who had single handedly rendered her speechless. No one had ever managed to do that. She felt almost ashamed, like a piece of her armor had been stripped away leaving her vulnerable and confused.
The other girl had never returned, leaving only an invitation behind that even Asami's genius mind couldn't decrypt to its specific meaning. 'What does she want from me?' she asked herself. 'Granted, she's obviously attractive, and attracted to me, but I can't figure out where she's going with this.' It had been a long time since she'd been with someone. A very… long… time. But, even so, that wasn't the kind of girl she was. Deep down, Asami wanted nothing more than for someone to accept her for who she was, not just who society painted her to be. She wanted to be cherished, wanted, longed for, even; to be as important to someone else as she knew they would be to her. Unfortunately, those people never came.
Throughout college and law school, there were a few times that she had tested the waters in a freeing sort of fashion. She dated, semi-casually, always finding herself to be left wanting more when others were only using her for her daddy's name and prestigious reputation, or simply because she was hot. One by one, the flies would drop. She dated – it never lasted. So, she slept around, and that just left her feeling used and empty. Eventually, she stopped entirely and put up a wall, keeping people at arms length and beyond in an effort to protect herself.
Growing up, her father had a pretty elegant car collection. It was his pride and joy. The time he spent in the garage was when he was truly happiest, especially after her mother had passed away at such a young age. It was a heart attack – she didn't talk about it. Her father changed afterwards, becoming sheltered and overworked, drowning himself in the need to gain money and influence. Really, she thought, it was because he thought that if he had enough money then maybe, just maybe, he could buy back the love that he was missing so much, but it was impossible, and the strain had driven him in directions that eventually landed him in jail. Even with all that, though, there was one place that he would revert back to the father she knew he really was on the inside, and that was in his garage; so that's where she would go too, eventually giving her the only thing in life that she truly loved – mechanics.
This, unfortunately, contributed to her current predicament. She had come to the Getaway Garage to blow off some steam, by doing what she loved, after a very difficult day spent dealing with the press regarding a turn in her father's investigation. However, now she was frustrated for an entirely different reason. 'At the very least, Korra got my mind off of the crap being spewed in the newspapers,' she considered. She'd put all of her belongings away and was now pacing back and forth in the bay's threshold, the key given to her from the exotically intoxicating woman being twirled in her fingers as she continued digging trenches in the floors with her scuffed walking. If she kept it up any longer, there might actually be a hole in the ground.
Fists clenched in irritation as her mind wondered to the moment those very capable hands had grabbed her attention. She never considered herself to be one to like it rough, her past experiences usually consisting of timid-ness and awkward touches, always feeling like the situation was one-way. Always given, never reciprocated. This was different, though, and exhilarating, if she was being honest with herself. She focused on the moment when they first met, just how beautiful and wholesome the young woman seemed, excited to have a new face in her establishment. Even so, she remembered the possessive glare the girl had given the men that were standing around them, and how she remembered thinking, 'She seemed so innocent just a moment ago, and now she's almost… primal.' It had only flickered for a moment, but it was definitely there, something more aggressive in nature, just underneath the surface. Then there was that kiss. Hot damn, that was good! It was unexpected, unwarranted, and definitely exactly what she didn't know she needed, similar to the one a couple of hours ago.
The invitation lingered in her mind. "When you're ready," Korra had said. Ready? Ready for what, exactly? It was all too much, really. Gears turned rapidly in her mind as she tried to decide what to do. The sun had long since set over the horizon, the city lights twinkling off in the distance as Asami stopped and looked out the bay door and beyond the tree line. It had to be late, there was no doubt about that, and she had, yet again, another early day tomorrow, especially if she wanted more 'tinker time' to herself if she came back again tomorrow. She may as well not even sleep anymore. 'Uggghhh, what do I do?!' This was getting out of hand, and quickly.
Finally, she came to a decision. It wouldn't hurt to at least go talk to the girl, see what she was doing, and find out what she wanted. With the turn of her heel, before she lost her nerve, she walked out the back door and headed towards the first hut where she knew the captor of her thoughts was residing.
As she walked up to the door, she took in a few deep breaths, steadying herself to face whatever it was Korra had in store for her. After a moment, she reached out and grabbed the doorknob to enter. Problem was, it was locked. 'Huh, that's weird. Why would she lock the door if she's inside?' Remebering the key in her other hand, she slid the tiny utensil into to lock, turning and clicking it into a lesser secure position. One more deep breath and she opened the door, only to be surprised by a dark gym lit only by a couple of emergency lights around the edges.
"Korra?" she asked out loud, wondering what was going on. "Are you here?" A moment of silence enticed her to look around, her eyes landing on a set of light switches just to the right of the door. She flicked them on and closed the door, the blubs overhead flickering to life as they slowly lit up the room. There was no one there. 'I'm so confused,' Asami signed to herself.
She walked around the gym, giving herself the chance to more closely inspect the equipment and contents of the hut. Each piece showed sign of use, but was obviously well taken care of. A room in the back was set up like an office, papers tossed all over a desk, chair and cabinet, even a few on the floor. 'Organization obviously isn't her strong suit.' There was a cot off to the side with a blanket and pillow folded up and placed on top, making her wonder if the owner of this massive oasis either just slept there on occasion or actually lived there.
Wondering back towards the door, heading to leave since apparently the invitation didn't stand, something suddenly caught her eye. The boxing ring that was in the middle of the room had a medium-sized cardboard box sitting in the middle, a white envelope on the floor leaning against its side. Upon approaching the ring out of curiosity, she was stunned to see a word written on the envelope. Just one, simple word – her name.
Thoroughly confused at this point, she figured it was left there for a reason, alluring her to further her inspection of the objects. Placing her hands on the edge of the ring, she lifted herself up and climbed through the ropes, treading lightly towards the center, as if something might jump out at her at any moment if she weren't careful. Curious hands lifted the letter from the ground, opening it to reveal somewhat sloppy handwriting meant only for her.
Asami,
If you found this, obviously you know I'm no longer here. I'm sure you're probably pretty confused right now. I told you I wanted to help you and then I disappear. That's a shit move on my part, right? Well, you're wrong. I DO want to help you, but you need to learn to help yourself a little bit first.
The box has a few contents for you. Don't be shy – open it up! First things first, you need to eat something. I can tell you don't take proper care of yourself physically. Obviously you stay in shape – I admit it, I looked. But, I assume you probably skip most meals because you're too busy and forget, which isn't healthy. So, I made a nice big sandwich for you! There's also some fruit and juice, even one of those baby bottles of vodka (incase you want to take off the edge). There's a blanket, too, along with a radio, so set yourself up a little picnic and relax while you eat.
Sometimes when frustration builds up, all we want to do is hit something. You know what a great cure for that is? Actually hitting something. There's a pair of wraps and gloves in the box for you. I took a guess at the sizes you need. You'll be pleasantly surprised at how accurate I am. Along the gym wall there's a speed bag and a heavy bag. I have a feeling you want something a little more… full body. In the corner of the ring is a body bag; the same one you just happened to catch me throwing down on the other day. Get your frustrations out. Luckily, it doesn't hit back. And don't hold back, either. Kick, punch, grab, slam – whatever it is you need to do to work out all that tension. Have at it.
There's one last little gift in the box for you. There's really no reason for it except that you're pretty and I want you to smile. So, enjoy.
You're welcome.
-Korra
Asami was astonished. No one had ever done something like this for her before. She didn't even know what the right reaction to have would be. Instead, she blinked several times, reading the letter over again; just to be sure she comprehended it correctly. After a few minutes, she folded the letter up and knelt to the ground, laying the paper on the floor before lifting the box's lid to reveal its contents.
A gasp left her, as her eyes grew wide at the scene. A huge bouquet of roses rested just under the lid. Her hand clasped over her mouth as she stared. Pale fingers eventually reached out, gently wrapping around the stems, gathering the gorgeous flowers and lifting them to her chest. Her heart was pounding as she breathed in the sweet scent of the most romantic gesture anyone has ever made. Closing her eyes, her mind swirled and raved and screamed for her to release the air that she was holding in. If lungs could cherish, that's exactly what they were doing, never wanting that feeling to escape.
Mechanics are simple. Nuts and bolts come in specific sizes, fitting perfectly into the screw holes they were meant for, holding everything together. Hoses carry air or liquids where they needed to go, keeping systems running, as they should. Wires connect the parts that need to talk to each other, feeding information as commands are made and the whole thing follows. People… people are not simple. People are confusing, emotional, selfish and unyielding. Asami knows that not all of them are that way, but the ones she's come across always have been. This was new and uncharted territory for her.
She set the flowers down to the side and inspected the rest of the items. Everything that was mentioned in the letter was there. Taking them out one at a time, she put her thoughts about analyzing what it all meant aside and did as she was told and decided to enjoy it. She unraveled the blanket and lay down, turning the radio that she placed next to her on and listening to smooth jazz tunes fill the air. The baby vodka bottle was emptied into her juice cup as she nibbled on the most delicious apple she'd ever tasted. Her muscles relaxed and her eyes closed, enjoying the peace she was given. Her stomach rumbled, reminding her of the dinner the missing romantic made for her. Sitting up, she opened the container and ate her meal, all the while scrolling through additional stations on the musical box. As she finished, she landed on a rock station; intense drum-lines and guitar melodies filled her ears, making her senses aware of the frustrations she was still holding inside.
Asami pulled out the wraps and gloves before refilling the box with her leftover trash and blanket. She set the box aside, but left the flowers on top so that she could see them. One at a time, she slid her slender fingers into the wraps, wiggling them to get the finger holds to settle comfortably between each appendix. The gloves came next, gliding over top and firmly encasing her hands, though she struggled a bit to get the Velcro closed to hole them in place. 'Hmm, they do fit. Good guess.'
In the corner of the ring was the body bag, enticing her to take hold of it and let loose. She grabbed it, wrapping her arms around it as it was dragged to the center of the ring. A couple of quick punches and a kick helped her get a feel for its give. She lifted it for a moment, memorizing its weight. Stepping back, she shook out her arms, bouncing on the balls of her feet and she breathed in and out, gaining a sense of focus and resolve. Then, her brows furrows and a look of determination came over her face. Her legs widened and heels planted themselves in the ground, her body lowering and fists rising in a stance ready take on the world. One more breathe and she was READY.
'So this is what she meant…'