Sorry for spotty craftsmanship, I'll fix it as I catch it. Classes have my attention spread thin, but I do have a surprise for you guys that you will hopefully like (and hopefully rally my motivation). I'll post what it is later this week, for now, enjoy!

Intruders

Asami's eyes popped open. There was nothing but darkness and grey shadows that outlined objects in the bedroom. Looking around, she didn't see anything out of place; just dull light illuminating the bedspread, stippling its wrinkles. The gentle breathing of Korra went on uninterrupted next to her.

Strange, she thought. Maybe footsteps of an air acolyte had woken her?

Sitting up, she strained her ears to listen for another sound. She waited for a moment, propped by a locked elbow. Korra stirred in her sleep at her hip. The wind was hitting the exterior walls of the temple. The wood of the structure settled slightly. Nothing abnormal, only the usual noise of a sleeping temple.

Asami blinked in the darkness: focused her eyes, using her peripherals. Nothing was moving and a quiet fell over her–but not a gentle quiet. It was the kind that made your neck all prickly and your ears perk and she couldn't tell if talking was coming from somewhere in the temple, so she laid her head back down on her pillow. Closing her eyes, she shifted closer to her girlfriend, enough so that her bottom meet snug against the curve of Korra's hips. It only took a few moments for her to began to relax again, Korra was good at that even in sleep. She must have dreamt–

Erka.

Asami lunged upward. That was definitely not the temple flexing on its supports. That sounded like a misplaced footstep.

Muffled by drowse and her pillow, Korra spoke, "'Sami?" and cracked open her eyes.

"I keep hearing things," the engineer mumbled, looking towards the closed doors. She knew how normal footsteps echoed through the halls, she had lived there long enough to; casual footfall was muted clomps with a creak or two from the floorboards, not a creak accompanied by silence.

"It's probably just the wood 'n stuff," Korra suggested and wrapped an arm around Asami's middle. "C'mere."

"Babe, no, I swear I heard talking too." She squinted her eyes at the squares of the door's shades.

The Avatar propped herself up on her forearm and leaned forward. She dragged her lips over Asami's bare shoulder. "It's probably an acolyte," she murmured against her skin, placing a lingering kiss after, "or one of the kids," and another a little lower, "or Bolin going pee," and another.

"It sounds like someone sneaking around." She turned to face Korra. "I'm getting a ba–"

Errt.

Both sets of sapphire and emerald eyes widened. Korra threw away their covers and climbed from the bed, followed closely by Asami. Their bare feet padded quietly to the door, which Korra slipped two steepled fingers in between to crack. She peered through the opening with one eye, turning her head one way, then another, holding up the hand signal for 'freeze'. Two fingers popped up from her fist as another floorboard creaked.

There were people in hall, a pair according to Korra, though Asami found no relief in knowing her assumptions were correct. The Avatar turned to her and swung an open hand and locked wrist downward from her elbow, signaling their point of entry. Asami held up the affirmative and readied herself. She waited on the silent count of three: watched each digit uncurl.

One. Two. Three.

Korra flung open the door and they both lunged out. It was dark in the hall, but Asami could make out two humanoid masses, one of which, was tackled to the ground by Korra. The other received a stiff foot sweep and was about to experience a literal pain in the neck until one of them called out.

"Aah! Wait don't hurt us!"

Korra leaned back and bent a flame into her palm, casting a flickering orange light onto their surroundings. "Bolin? Mako?" she questioned and rolled off the earthbender so he could stand.

"Yeah, It's just us," he said and extended an arm to help up his brother.

Asami relaxed from her stance and rested her hands on her hips. "Sorry, guys. We thought you were intruders."

In the orange light Bolin frowned, sending an aggravated look toward Mako. "I told you they sleep in the same room!" he growled and landed a hard jab into the side of his arm.

"Ouch, hey!"

"Wait. Were you guys spying on us?" Korra challenged, the tone in her voice tightening.

Asami could feel her cheeks begin to burn and was now grateful for the dim light that hid it. She hadn't assumed that anyone else knew about their relationship, let alone Bolin. Not that he wasn't observant enough, just the earthbender had a knack for not putting two and two together.

"Nunununo," he stuttered, holding up two palms in defense, "we just happened to, y'know, be in the neighborhood and… Okay we were spying," he admitted in a slumped posture, "but only because Mako didn't believe me!" This time it was the firebender's turn to throw a strike at his brother.

Asami could feel Korra fuming next to her. They both wanted to tell everybody at once, not like this, not through hearsay. "If I catch you guys doing this again or if you tell anyone I'm gonna challenge you both to an Agni Kai." The Avatar jabbed a finger toward them, chastising, "Got it?" and grabbed Asami's hand to pull her back into their room.

"But Bolin's not even a firebender!" Mako exclaimed.

"Yeah!"

"Too bad!" Korra barked and slammed their door shut behind them.

"Well!" Bolin called back, irked, from behind the door, "Pema knew what you two did in the kitchen last week!"

Asami could feel her face redden once more as their footsteps retreated down the hall. She looked to Korra, who was also sporting a fierce blush, as she smothered the flame in her palm, muttering, "It couldn't have just been intruders?"