Asami chatted about her day at the office. When she ran out of things to say about her day she asked about Korra's. The avatar replied with short answers, as she moved food irritably about her plate without eating it.
"Are you okay?" asked Asami worriedly "Is it my cooking? Pema says it still tastes like burnt garbage but that it's getting better."
Korra looked up from her diner attempting a weak smile at her girlfriend's joke, but when she looked into Asami's loving emerald eyes it made Korra feel like a wicked horrible person.
"No, everything is not ok." Korra took a deep breath and figured she might as well get it over with. "Mako kissed me."
Asami's eyes widened, but she remained calm. "and how did you respond?"
"I kissed him back, but only for a minute, and then I told him about us. Well, not about us, but that I was dating someone."
"How did he take that?"
"He told me he still loved me."
"What did you do then?"
"I ran away."
Asami was silent for a moment. Korra started crying. "I'm sorry Asami. I didn't mean to kiss him back. I love you so much." Korra couldn't look at Asami. Her hands were between her legs, gripping the edge of the chair she sat in. Asami came over to Korra and kneeled in front of her. She lifted Korra's chin so that sapphire and emerald eyes locked.
"Do you still love him?" Asami asked softly "please no secrets between us. We promised each other in the begining that we would be completely open with each other."
"Yes." Korra tried not to say it, but she couldn't lie to Asami. She could lie to herself better than she could her lover.
"and you love me?"
"You know I do Asami."
"like a lover, or like a sister? Do you still love him, because what I give you is not enough? Is it because we are both girls?"
Korra was still crying. If Mako questioned her like this Korra would have gotten mad at him, but when Asami questioned her it made her cry. Were there differences in how she handled her relationships because Mako was male and Asami was a female?
"Both, I love you like both a lover and a sister. I know that sounds crazy, but it's true. I don't love you just because of your sex, no more than I do Mako. I love you both for being the people you are. I would love you the same if you were male and Mako were female. I wish I could stop loving him for you. I really do. Why does it seem like the three of us are always hurting each other?"
"I don't know. It's seems the three of us are always stuck in a neverending love triangle."
Asami stood up. She looked sad, but she didn't cry.
"I think I need to go out for a little retail therapy."
"Do you want me to come? I can help you carry the bags."
"No, thank you, Korra I need some time alone to think things over."
"Does this mean we are done?" sniffled Korra, afraid of Asami's answer.
"Do you want it to be done?
"NO! of course not."
Asami smiled at Korra, "Then it's not. If we are both willing to work this out, then we can get past it. We can get past anything if we work hard and never give up on each other."
Korra stood and gave Asami a hug. Asami returned the gesture with a quick kiss on Korra's lips. "I'll be back tonight, don't wait up for me."