Summer Solstice Festival
Summary: Korra is excited to spend time in the Southern Water Tribe for the Summer Solstice Festival. While originally wanting rest and relaxation, she soon finds herself caught up in the Civil War brewing between the two Water Tribes. As for Asami, her focus is on saving her company. At least, that's what she's telling herself while trying to force her attraction to Korra out of her head… Takes place in between chapters 25 and 26 of 'Model Behavior'. Gap Filler. Twoshot.
Asami jumped as the door to her room flew open. She reached over and grabbed her electric glove, slipping it on, and climbing to her feet on her bed, moving into a fighting stance. Only, her ankles got caught up in the loose sheets and she ended up toppling over and crashing to the floor.
A wave of embarrassment washed over her when she heard Korra's laughter from across the room. Asami quickly scrambled to her feet before her friend could offer assistance. Fluffing up her hair, she slipped off her electric glove and placed it onto a small table by the bed.
"To what do I owe this lovely heart attack this morning?" she asked, watching irritably as Korra straightened up, wiping a stray tear from the corner of her eye.
"Sorry, I didn't meant to startle you," Korra wheezed.
"No, because every normal person gets woken up by someone breaking into their room," Asami quickly answered. "It's the new alarm clock."
Korra's eyes widened at the harsh tone Asami was using. She carefully took a small step backward. "And I thought I was snippy in the morning," she commented.
Asami sighed, instantly relaxing. She reached up and rubbed her forehead with her knuckles, moving to sit on her bed. "I'm sorry, I just didn't get too much sleep last night," she admitted stifling a yawn. Glancing across the room she caught her reflection in the mirror. While she meant to wash her face last night, she had forgotten so was still wearing yesterday's makeup. Smiling to herself, she was happy to see that it was holding up and hiding the heavy bags that were surely resting underneath her eyes.
"Partying too hard from gaining Varrick as a partner?" Korra teased. She hopped up onto the bed, next to Asami, causing the engineer to bounce along with the mattress' movement.
"I just received some upsetting news last night," Asami muttered, raising a shoulder. Korra's smile instantly frowned. She shifted on the bed to face Asami, bringing her legs up and crossing them. The engineer glanced down at her snow covered boots soaking the comforter. With a wave of her hand, Korra dried out the damp materials.
"Was it your dad?"
"No, something to do with my company, but I've got it under control." Asami turned and faced Korra, leaning back against the pillows and slipping her feet underneath the sheets. Since the door to her room was still wide open, a draft quickly chased the heat away. "Bolin is actually helping me."
"What's wrong?" Korra asked, her eyebrows furrowing as a frown settled on her face.
"Unless it's so confidential you'll have to kill me." Her eyes danced with humor.
"I'd rather kill you for waking me up the way you did," Asami snickered. "No, I just found out through Xu, the secretary of the business, that my Vice President Raiken used to work for Cabbage Corps."
Korra gasped loudly, clasping a hand to her cheek. "So?" she deadpanned, shrugging. Asami laughed through her nose, shaking her head. She reached over and jostled Korra, who brightly smiled back. Asami quickly turned away, taking up interest in a loose thread on her nightgown.
"Cabbage Corps is the biggest rival against Future Industries. I don't remember if I told you that before. Anyway, their machinery isn't that great compared to ours but it's cheaper and they get out their items to the masses faster," she explained. Asami wound the loose thread around her finger before pulling. Normally she would cut the thread with a small pair of scissors, this way not to potentially damage her nightgown, but it helped keep her busy and not staring into her friend's face. "However, my father framed Cabbage Corps for creating weapons to aid the Equalists so their company kind of went under. Varrick believes that he was only working for Future Industries to silently take over." She let out a small cry of triumph when the thread snapped away from the garment. "It certainly explains a lot…"
"What?" Korra pressed.
Asami finally looked back at her and smiled. Korra was leaning forward, her elbows pressing into the sides of her knees, her eyes wide with wonder and amazement. She reminded Asami of a small child listening to adventurous stories from her parents. "It's too complicated for me to explain, and much too long," she answered. "It could take about a day or so, and that's if I leave out all of the technical details." She then shivered violently as a gust of wind brought some snowflakes into the room. "What was so important that you needed to break down my door?"
Korra quickly scowled. "Nothing. I'm avoiding my Dad and Tenzin," she muttered. Asami nodded in understanding. The night before after the big Welcome Dinner for Unaalaq and his two children Desna and Eska, Korra had a blow up with her father and Tenzin about what type of training she should pursue. It was during the argument that Korra found out she was locked away in a compound by her father and Tenzin for her protection while growing up. Asami had wanted to comfort her friend but didn't feel comfortably interfering with family business. Knowing how hot-headed Korra could be, offering up her opinion on who she should study under would have fallen on deaf ears. "But, now that you're awake, let's go to the festival!"
Korra grabbed a hold of Asami's wrist and tugged her out of the bed and towards the door. Asami quickly grabbed a hold of the doorframe and pulled back, jerking Korra to a stop. "I need to change first," she said through chattering teeth. Korra looked down at her friend's clothing before smiling sheepishly.
"Right. You do that and I'll go wake up Bolin and Mako." Asami laughed as Korra practically skipped across the snowbanks towards the other guest houses.
The Summer Solstice Festival was in full swing by the time the Krew had arrived. Korra's eyes shined brightly and she threw caution to the wind, ignoring her Avatar status and just enjoyed the booth and the games like every other person in attendance. Tenzin and his family had just departed on their vacation to the Northern Air Temple. While Korra did bid him a farewell, it was clear there was still a bit of tension in between them. Upon departure, Bumi had whispered something into her ear, which made her turn a light shade of green. Asami wanted to press the issue but she was too wrapped up in a story Kya had told her about one of Korra's earlier trips to the festival. She had decided to keep the anecdote to herself since she was sure Korra would have been embarrassed by the old story. That was clear to see, judging by how nervous and tense Korra would get when the traveling waterbender would begin a story.
The Krew spent their afternoon stuffing their faces full of food and riding as many rides that Asami deemed safe, which wasn't many. The engineer would hesitate before getting on a ride, voicing her opinion on the crafting of the structure or the way the mechanics were handles. Of course, this brought a damper on the whole group. To make it up to them, Asami paid for everything which resulted in them playing every stall game they had. She didn't mind, judging by their excited expressions. She even felt herself loosening up and having a lot of fun. It was great to feel like a regular person and not a CEO of a company; she didn't feel like she had to put on her business like persona at the festival. Her only responsibility was to have fun.
Asami watched, cheering on Korra as she and Mako raced to be the first one to fill a balloon up with water. Of course, the Avatar wasn't allowed to use her bending skills in the game, so to make things a bit fairer, everyone agree that Mako was allowed a five second head start. Asami really wanted to focus on the competition between the two friends but couldn't help but scope the Korra's profile. Her eyes scanned over her clenched jaw, her eyes which were narrowed in concentration, and her palms tightly gripping the water gun's base, finger on the trigger.
She really can find the joy in anything. I could learn something from her. Even when the world is constantly on edge, she knows how to let go and have fun.
"Thanks," Asami squeaked when Korra pushed a small winged lemur toy into her arms. She hadn't noticed that she game was over or that Mako was already storming to another booth, Bolin running after him trying to offer up words of encouragement. Gosh, Sato, what was that? "It's really cute," she commented as they followed the two bending brothers. "But you won it."
"Yeah, but you need a souvenir from this trip, instead of grey hair from being scared by a dark spirit again," Korra snickered.
During their walk to the Summer Solstice Festival, Asami was startled by the appearance of a Dark Spirit in the middle of the path. It had appeared underneath a piece of trash that she had picked up to throw away. She had screamed so loudly that Mako and Bolin had to cover their ears, while Korra was unfazed. Asami would often scream whenever she spotted a bug no matter how big or small it was. The dark spirit in question was about as small as a puppy and found the ponpoms on Asami's boots a threat that it tried to chew them off. Korra quickly healed the spirit and the group continued on their way to the festival.
Asami felt her cheeks reddening in embarrassment, not because she was spooked by a relatively harmless spirit, but by Korra's teasing. Normally, she was able to shoot back a response, but she remained quiet, turning her head away, but not before noticing the confused look on Korra's face.
Way to go, Asami, you're trying to keep things as normal as possible and now Korra is really noticing how weird you are acting. Although, that is very sweet of her to notice that something is wrong with me.
"What's that?" Bolin shouted, interrupting Asami's thoughts. He ran ahead of the group, past the last few stalls of the festival towards a giant sign. It held a picture of a group of polar bear-dogs. "The Polar Bear Dog Plunge," he read. "Oh, is this what you were talking about Korra?"
"Exactly," Korra said. She motioned for the three of them to follow her. Mako was having trouble since he was carrying around an armful of toys and stuffed animals Bolin, Asami, and Korra had won at various booths. They had gifted them to him since the one item he was able to win was a small polar bear dog hat during a game of ring toss. "Naga is the main sponsor every year." Her chest puffed up with pride. "While Naga is the only know trained Polar Bear Dog, it's perfectly safe to swim with the wild ones."
"What do you do at this event?" Mako asked.
"Take a look," Korra said pointed to the top of a cliff overlooking the vast ocean. The Krew watched excitedly as Naga walked towards the tip of the cliff, the other wild polar bear dogs were right behind her, and a large group of people in various states of undress behind them. A loud whistle rang out and Naga leapt off of the cliff and straight into the cold water below, the other wild polar bear dogs jumped after her. "If you can jump off of this cliff into the water below and last 30 seconds, then you are entered into the Polar Bear Club where you get recognition in the paper, discounts in the markets, and special treatment at some restaurants."
"Isn't that dangerous?" Bolin asked.
"Of course, it's very dangerous." Korra answered with a nod. "I don't expect any of you to do it. You have to be tough. Some people train for up to year to get used to the cold temperature."
"Sounds pretty cool," Asami whispered, taking a step closer, watching as many peopled jumped from the cliffs into the icy water. Some people immediately began to swim back to shore, their skin turning various shades of blue and purple, while others swam peacefully with the polar bear dogs. Asami quickly noticed that those withstand the temperatures were from the Southern Water Tribe.
"Oh, please," Korra scoffed. "This coming from the girl who can't handle their makeup being ruined when it rains."
"You don't think I can do it?" Asami asked, placing her hands on her hips. What the hell did I just say? She raised an eyebrow as Korra glanced over at Mako and Bolin, who held their hands up in defense, taking a few steps back. What are you doing, Asami?
"I was just joking. Besides, you wouldn't be able to handle the cold water," Korra said gently. "I mean, I may be the Avatar, but I'm from here. I can deal with cold temperatures," she explained. Korra took the smallest of steps backward when she spotted the frown forming on Asami's face. "Mako and Bolin mainly have Earth Nation blood in them so they can deal with earthly elements, but you're mainly from the fire nation, it's a complete opposite for you."
"We'll see about that." Lifting her chin, Asami turned on her heel before marching up the path towards the top of the cliff.
"No, Asami!" Korra reached out to grab her by the elbow, missing and clutching a handful of air instead.
This will be cold, Asami, but you have to do this. You have to clear your head about these feelings. They're just going to get in the way. This will help you find clarity. Plus, Korra doesn't think you can handle something like the PolarBear Dog need to show that you're still the strong Asami. You've never backed down from a challenge before. Remember when you ate those awful noodles when you first became their friend? You got this, Asami. You can do it!
Asami walked up and peered over the edge of the cliff, down into the choppy water. A slight chill seeped down her spine when she spotted a few other people who had attempted the plunge, surge towards the shore. Naga barked loudly as she paddled herself up towards the side of the cliff, staring up at her. Asami swallowed hard before taking a step backward.
"Asami, stop!" Korra shouted. Asami looked over her shoulder, watching as the Avatar ran up the sharp incline. Asami smiled to herself, remembering that steep inclines and stairs was one of Korra's weaknesses. She knew that she would have to make up her mind about jumping, to perform the act before Korra caught up to her to stop her. Mako and Bolin weren't behind the Avatar, meaning Korra more than likely sent them back down towards the beach.
Placing her foot on a rock, Asami slowly rocked her arms back and forth. A harsh wind picked up, biting at her nose, causing her eyes to water. Naga barked loudly from down below. After taking a deep breath, Asami pushed forward and jumped. The wind howled loudly as she fell, blowing her hair in every direction. She crossed her arms over her chest and closed her eyes, feeling tears dripping down her face.
As she entered the water, everything instantly became muted. Asami's eyes snapped open, and she involuntarily inhaled when the bitter cold water seeped through her clothing and shoes. Her legs and arms moved slowly as she tried to swim back to the surface.
Oh no! I can't feel anything!
Panic began to set in as she struggled to fight against the current, trying to reach the surface for some air. Her clothes became heavier, slowly dragging her down. Asami's began to shake, the more she sunk into the murky depths. She grunted when she felt a tug on the back of her coat. Arms wrapped around her midsection, her hand brushed against some fur.
"Are you okay?" Korra asked. Asami blinked rapidly, washing the salt water out of her eyes. She slowly turned her head in Korra's direction, before looking up. A bubble surrounded the two of them. Asami spat water out of her mouth, dribbling it onto Naga's back as she rode the two towards the shore.
"Ss-s-shoot…I-I'm…ssss-o-o-o c-c-cold!" Asami gasped. Korra looked down at her face, worry etched over her features. Asami shifted her gaze up towards the bubble around them, gazing at her distorted reflection. Her green eyes stood out against her much pale skin. Her lips had turned a lightly blue, taking on a purple hue from her red lipstick. The tip of her nose, and her ears, were a bright red. "I…i-I c-c-can't sto-op sh-sh-sh-shaking!"
"What am I going to do with you?" Korra muttered. Naga broke through surface and ran up the beach; Korra clutched Asami to her chest and hopped off. Bolin and Mako ran over, out of breath from their run back down the cliffs. "Go get me some towels," Korra ordered as she slipped off her jacket. Placing it on top of Asami, she laid down on the beach beside her friend, cuddling up close to her. She began to breath warm air across Asami's neck, while grabbing her hands and rubbing them in between her palms.
"W-why c-c-can't I ssssss-top shak-k-ing?" Asami asked.
"Hypothermia." Mako and Bolin returned with arms full of towels that were being given out by the people running the PolarBear Dog Plunge. The three of them quickly covered Asami as much as possible, before Korra scooped her up in her arms. "Don't worry, my mom can help," she added. "Thanks guys. I can take it from here. Why don't you go and find her something hot to drink when we're done."
With that Korra ran all of the way back to her home. Barging into the door, she didn't stop running until she found her mother in her bedroom, folding the laundry. "Hello Korra," her mother greeted her happily. She looked up from the shirt she was folding, her smile instantly fading. "…what happened?"
"Asami did the PolarBear Dog Plunge," Korra panted. "Will you warm her up, please? I think she may go into shock." She readjusted her grip around Asami's middle, tucking her friend's head into the crook of her neck. "…And why…do we have…so many stairs?" she demanded.
"Of course, bring her here," her mother instructed, leading the way out of the room. Korra followed quickly behind her as they exited the house from the back over to a medium sized hut. Stepping through the threshold, Korra walked over to the healing, gently placing Asami onto the ground.
"Asami, you're going to have to take your clothing off," Korra's mother said quietly. She walked over to a cabinet and pulled out a small bottle of crushed up herbs.
Asami nodded, moving her hands out from underneath the towels and Korra's jacket. Her hands tumbled as she tried to unbutton her coat. Korra placed her hands on top of Asami's, warming them. "I…I don't…think I…c-can," she whimpered.
"I can help," Korra suggested. She looked down when she felt Asami's hands become still. Her friend's cheeks were still very pale, but a light pink formed on the tips of her cheek bones. Asami's nose slightly wrinkled as she looked away, her hands beginning to work furiously at the buttons to her jacket. "I won't look," Korra said gently, giving Asami's hands a light squeeze.
"Th-than-ank y-y-y-ou," Asami whispered. She slowly closed her eyes before moving her hands away. Korra's mother sprinkled the crushed herbs onto the surface of the healing pool, humming an old water tribe tune to herself.
Korra swallowed hard before moving her hands to unbutton the damp jacket. She kept her gaze steady on the wall of the hut across from her, moving as quickly as she could. Asami stayed still, staring up at the ceiling, letting out soft cries of discomfort as the cold air hit her damp clothing and skin.
Once fully undressed and shoeless, Korra gently slipped her arms underneath the back of Asami's knees, and underneath her neck, carefully lifting her off of the ground. Asami instantly curled herself up into Korra's arms, trying to press herself as close to her warmth as possible. In any normal situation, she would have begun to turn red and silently scold herself for acting so silly with her crush, but her numb nerve endings made her numb to her emotions as well.
"Here you go," Korra said as she stepped into the healing pool. She ignored the chilly water soaking her shoes and pant legs. Asami shivered violently when she was placed into the water. "I know its cold, but you can't drastically change your body temperature. Unless you want to get sick," she explained as Asami snuggled deeper into her chest. Korra moved over to the edge of the healing pool and rested her friend's neck in the small groove along the edge of the healing pool that was lined with a soft cushion.
"Honey, I would like to talk to Asami," Korra's mother said. She held out a hand and helped pull her daughter out of the healing pool. "If you're okay with that."
Korra turned around and knelt down next to Asami's head. She reached out and brushed her friend's dark bangs out of her face. "Do you want me to stay?"
"Please, go," Asami muttered. She cleared her throat before adding, "Not that…I d-d-ddidn't appreciate your help. Th-th-th-th-thank you, Korra."
"Anytime." Korra smiled as she got to her feet. "Let me know if you need me."
"Before you go…" her mother trailed off, pointing to the pile of Asami's clothes. She moved her hand in a circle, bending the water out of the clothing, while Korra airbent any excess moisture out of the cotton fibers.
"Everything looks dry but I think this jacket is a goner," Korra commented. She thanked her mother once more before stepping out of the hut.
Asami closed her eyes and took in a deep breath when Senna began to move her arms around in big circles, bending the water of the healing pool, causing the sleek surface to become choppy. Her shaking slowly subsided as she relaxed, breathing in the light scent of the crushed herbs.
"I'm sorry…about the jacket," Asami whispered, her purple lips barely moving.
"It's quite alright."
"But…it was a gift…you gave it to me."
"Your well-being is more important to me than a material possession." Senna offered up a gentile smile as she continued to swirl the water around. The flowery aroma became much stronger. Asami sighed in content as she began to feel a bit of warmth in her toes and fingertips. "Why did you decide to do the Plunge?" she asked.
"I wanted to clear my head," Asami answered. Hearing the words out loud made her realize how stupid her actions actually were. She acted like a young child, wanting to prove her worth and not listening to anyone. She put her health and her life on the line just to show that she could take care of herself. What was worse, is that she let a small crush dictate her emotions and her thoughts.
"Clear your head or shock your senses?" Senna questioned, trying to bring humor into the situation. Asami wanted to laugh, but she continued to stare up at the ceiling. "Korra's right, you can see the gears turning."
Asami tried to smile but her lips constantly twitched. "Both," she admitted. She poked her tongue out, slowly dragging it across her chapped lips before swallowing hard. "Before coming here…I did something that I….s-s-sh-shouldn't have and I'm trying to forget it."
"How bad can it be?"
Asami rolled her eyes. "I let my feelings overtake my good judgment. I'm not even sure if I…"
Senna hummed, nodding while gently smiling. "You're not sure if you like this person. I know the feeling."
"You do?"
"Yes." Senna glanced over her shoulder towards the entry way of the healing hut before lowering her voice. "Don't tell Korra, but I was hesitant when I first started seeing Tonraq," she explained. Asami raised her eyebrows, signaling her shock. "We were from two different tribes. On occasion he would travel to try and do business between the Southern Water Tribe and other smaller tribes. I would sometimes go with him to try and learn new healing techniques. There are different dialects in between the various water tribes, so I would always be confused at the markets. Tonraq was very patient and would help me learn the language." Senna's smile widened at the memory. Asami noticed a light blush forming on the waterbender's cheeks. "I wasn't sure if I liked him for being nice or if I liked him for him."
"What happened?" Asami whispered.
"I think you can figure that one out."
"But, how did you know you liked him?" she pressed. "I mean, when did you find out?"
"Let me ask you something," Senna said gently. "This person you're trying to forget: are you able to picture your life without this person?"
Asami sighed happily as she felt the tips of her feet begin to warm up. "What do you mean?" she asked.
"I mean, think about your life before this person came. Then, think about your life after they arrived. Is there a difference?"
Asami took a deep breath and closed her eyes. She thought about Rika, Manami, and Kiyoko jeering and taunting her in between classes. She reflected on being praised by her father when she finished a new personal engineering project. She focused on talking to Xu, Future Industries secretary, with every girl problem she had growing up. Asami noticed she physically wilted as these memories came and went. The familiar feeling of loneliness seeped through her pores.
Then she remembered the first day she had met Mako, Bolin, and Korra. She smiled at the memory of how antagonistic Korra seemed at first. Flashes of the past few months crossed her mind: becoming friends with Korra, hanging out with Opal, sponsoring the Fire Ferrets, their first trip to the karaoke bar, meeting baby Rohan, becoming roommates with Korra, going to her school's Winter Formal, and celebrating her first Christmas without her family.
Asami couldn't bring herself to think about the kiss she had planted on Korra. The past few times she thought about her actions, it brought a blush to her face. If it were to happen again, Senna would notice, and Asami would be too embarrassed to talk about a kiss between with her friend's mother. More embarrassed than the fact that she was currently nude in a pool of water in front of her.
"Yes," Asami sighed. "I've become much happier. I feel like I belong somewhere, and not just as a CEO."
"Okay, then, picture your life without them," Senna prompted, "as if they suddenly disappeared." Asami titled her head back, letting her neck rest in the divot along the edge of the healing pool. She exhaled slowly through her nose when the warming sensation made its way up her legs, past her calves.
"…I'd miss them," she whispered. "They have a certain light about them, an aura." Asami thought about the times where she'd be busy all day with school and work, she wouldn't get back to the apartment until very late at night. Korra would already be asleep in her room. Sometimes, Asami would peek into Korra's room, to make sure she wasn't having any nightmares, before fixing herself a very light dinner and heading off to sleep. This would occur a few days in a row. Even if they didn't see each other as often, Korra would text Asami to make sure everything was okay. "However, after becoming friends with them, I feel like I'd still be able to stand on my own," Asami concluded. "I feel like a much stronger person just from knowing them."
"What drew you to this person?" Senna asked. She waved her arms in the air, bending the water around Asami's midsection. Asami forced herself deeper into the water, grateful that foam was now skimming the surface as she felt the warmth slowly seep up her abdomen towards her chest.
"They're so…loyal, and warm, and will do anything to help anyone," Asami muttered. "They're very funny, and has a great smile, and will make sure to put other's well-being before theirs. I can't help but greatly admire them, and-"
"Repeat what you just said," Senna interrupted.
"I greatly admire them?" Asami repeated, her voice indicating that she was asking a question more than making a statement.
"Okay. Has this person done anything big?" she pressed. "Something that went above and beyond-"
"The Midnight Dragon" Asami sat up in the giant pool, accidentally splashing Senna. She gave a quick apology before cupping her chin in her hand, deep in thought. After a second she snapped her fingers. "Oh, it's the Iroh Affect."
"The what?" Senna asked. She bent the water out of her clothing with one hand, before returning to the task in front of her. Slipping back into the water, Asami smiled brightly when she felt the warmth move up into her face, washing over her ears.
"The Iroh Affect. It's something I made up," she said with a shrug. "There's this guy I used to date, initially to rub my father the wrong way. Then, I began to really like him so I continued to date him." Senna hummed in understanding. "He is now a part of the United Forces. I always felt like he was saving me from myself, from my life." Asami curled her hand into a fist, lightly striking the surface. "I think that's it. I think the real reason I like this person is because I admire them."
"Did they do anything to make you feel this way?"
"They got me out of a very bad situation. Something, happened on a night out, once. I'm okay, and everything turned out fine. I think I'm just blinded by how grateful I am to them that I'm mistaking my feelings as real feelings." Asami clicked her tongue. "Pema was right, there is a thin line between admiration and liking someone." She closed her eyes and held her breath before dunking herself underneath the water. After a few moments, she resurfaced, brushing her long hair out of her face. "Thank you, Senna. For everything." She reached over the side of the healing pool and grabbed a towel.
"I told you, if you ever need to talk, I'm here." Senna picked up Asami's clothing as the younger girl wrapped a towel around her upper chest. "And to sound like a mom," she said, her tone turning stern as Asami reached for her clothes, "don't ever do anything that stupid again."
"I won't," Asami answered with a gentle smile. It would be a bad idea to fall for a close friend like Korra. It's a good thing I'll have my company and school to keep my attention. She'll be busy too, working on helping her family and her tribe. Things will now go back to normal…
"You're going straight to bed," Korra ordered as soon as Asami emerged from the healing hut. She walked over and gave her mother a hug and a kiss on the cheek as soon as she exited the building. Naga walked over to Asami and blocked her from the cold wind. Asami wrapped her arms around the polar bear-dog's neck and gave her a light kiss.
"I haven't even had dinner, and-" Asami stopped mid-sentence when Korra raised a hand.
"I don't want to hear it." Korra patted her thigh twice, motioning for Naga to lower herself down onto her knees. "We only have a few days left here and it's not a good idea to be out while you're still healing. The Avatar has spoken." She crossed her arms over her chest, and mock glared at Asami. "Now, do I have to dump you onto Naga's back? Because I will."
Asami quickly climbed onto Naga's back, not because she was worried about Korra's threat, but because she started to feel her warmth slowly fading away. At least, that's what she told herself. She didn't want to remember that one of her close friends saw her nude or even held her in that state of undressed. While Korra still insisted that she didn't look, and Asami was sure she was telling the truth, the idea of being so vulnerable in front of her past crush still sent waves of embarrassment coursing through her body.
As soon as they arrived at Asami's housing, Korra helped the engineer off of Naga's back and walked her pet into the house. Naga quickly walked over to the side of the bed and curled up into a ball on the floor.
"I'll bring you dinner when it's ready," Korra said as Asami slipped underneath the bedding. She pulled a thick blanket made of polar bear fur from a nearby closet and draped it on top.
"You just make yourself comfortable," she said, smoothing out any wrinkles she spotted with her hands.
"Is it too much to ask for hot chocolate?" Asami asked as she snuggled further down into the bedding.
"No, not all. Be right back." With a wave of her hand, she ordered Naga to stay put. She had lifted her head when she noticed her owner walking towards the door. Stretching and yawning, Naga walked over to the door and pushed it shut with the tip of her nose. She then walked back over toward the bed, laying down next to it. Naga propped her head up near Asami's hand, licking her wrist. Asami smiled and scratched the polar bear dog behind her ears.
A few moments later, Korra returned with a mug in her hands. A white folded up piece of paper was tucked underneath her arm. "Bolin drew you a get well soon picture," she said as Asami received her beverage. Korra carefully unfolded it and passed it to the engineer. "Don't tell him that art isn't his thing."
"Mum's the word," Asami laughed, smiling at the drawing. "But it is very sweet of him." A silence filled the room as she placed the mug and the picture onto the small table by her bed. Part of her wanted to ask Korra to stay, to give her someone to talk to as she continued to warm up, and yet another part of her wanted the Avatar as far away from her as possible so as to not bring back any of her old feelings.
"Pillow?" Asami asked. Korra raised an eyebrow before motioning to the small pile of pillows behind the engineer's back. "I need…a fluffier one," she muttered. "Something to cushion my neck."
"Do you really want a pillow or are you going around asking me to stay here?" Korra demanded. Asami bit her bottom lip, silently scolding herself for being too obvious. She titled her head to the side, peering closely at the Avatar. It was then she noticed how on edge she looked.
"I just get the feeling you need to talk about something." Asami reached over and pulled back the sheets next to her and patted the bed. Korra regarded her for a few moments before reaching down to pull her shoes off.
See, Asami, there's nothing wrong with this. You've shared a bed with her before. You're friends and friends can share beds. You aren't jittery or nervous anymore. This is how things are supposed to be. You have your best friend back…
Korra shed her blue jacket before walking around the bed and sliding in next to Asami. She punched the pillow a few times before lying down. Folding her arms over her stomach, she sighed hard, gazing up at the ceiling. A moment later, she began to shift, finding the most comfortable spot on the bed.
"What's wrong?" Asami asked. "You're normally not this restless."
"A war is brewing," Korra admitted. "When we get back to Republic City I'm going to try and find some people to help."
Asami listened carefully as Korra related the story about her father's banishment and how her uncle had used to her to open the Southern Spirit Portal a few nights ago after the Welcome dinner. She also relayed the tension she now had between herself and Tenzin. "I'm sorry all of this is happening," Asami said quietly.
"Me too, but it's my duty as the Avatar to bring peace to the world." Korra shrugged.
"It must be harder because your family is involved."
"Which is why you're the best person to talk to. With your dad and all." Asami's breath caught. Her father was still a sore subject for her. While she wanted to keep her feelings about her disdain for him hidden, it gradually became much harder every time she thought about him attempting to kill his own daughter. Korra must have noticed her discomfort since she quickly began to apologize. "Not just that-"
"I know what you meant," Asami said quietly. Her response quickly ended their conversation. The two sat in silence, staring up at the ceiling, listening to Naga's quiet snoring from beside them.
"Asami, don't do anything like that again," Korra said. "I don't know how I'd feel if I lost you. You're my best friend, and while I love the guys, you just get me."
"I won't." Asami couldn't help but smile with pride at Korra's words. It was only a few months ago when they had first met, Korra being antagonistic towards her. Now, they had a connection that Asami didn't think she wanted to jeopardize. While the idea that they would be split up in the next few days with their various duties did kind of give her a twinge of sadness, she was happy to know that she finally began to feel things shifting back to what to what they originally were.
"It never stops does it?" Korra asked with a bitter laugh. She leaned forward, resting her forearms against the railing around the boat. Korra, Asami, Mako, Bolin, Varrick, and Zhu Li had just departed from the Southern Water Tribe and were heading back towards Republic City. The last few days were fun but had an underlying feel of tension. Korra wanted to make sure the rest of the trip was memorable and enjoyable for Asami. She took up great pleasure in teasing Bolin about his past relationship with Eska, whom Asami had finally met. She now understood why Bolin would flinch at the mere mention of her name.
Asami turned to face Korra, pulling her arms tight over her chest. Senna had gone out and purchased her a new jacket, but it wasn't as warm as the first one. Of course, Asami offered to pay her back for it, but the older woman refused.
"No, it doesn't," Asami answered with a sigh. "Although I have found myself much busier since meeting you," she said teasingly. This drew a real smile from the Avatar. "Although, things are pretty quiet right now," she pointed out. At that point, she heard a loud shout from Varrick by the stairs leading to the lower level of the boat. She bit back a groan as Bolin appeared, frantically waving his arms. She was grateful that Bolin had agreed to continue with his position as her assistant. If he weren't around, then she wasn't sure how long she'd be able to handle Varrick and his constant need to "do the thing". It amazed her that his assistant Zhu Li put up with it. "I take that back."
"I'll see you later when we're have a bit more free time," Korra suggested, raising a shoulder.
Asami nodded once, brushing her hair out of her face as the wind picked up. She momentarily had a flash of jealousy that Korra was accustomed to the cool weather as she readjusted the scarf around her neck, silently kicking herself for destroying her new coat within minutes of receiving it, just to prove a point.
"I'm sorry about everything that's happening in your family," she said quietly, "…and your tribe, of course."
"I guess that's something we have in common," Korra sighed. Asami frowned in confusion, titling her head to the side. "We both have families caught up in a war."
"Then, if history is repeating itself, I'm sure something positive will come out of this." Asami fought the urge to roll her eyes when Varrick clapped his hands loudly behind her. "Your dad will be okay."
"I know he will." Korra tried to smile, but it ended up looking like a grimace instead.
Asami gave her a soft smile before following Varrick down below the deck. Pausing at the top of the stairs, she turned back and watched as Korra jumped up onto the railing of the boat, slightly hunched over, staring out at the horizon.
You don't like her, Asami, you just have deep admiration for your friend. This is a different feeling than when you dated Iroh or Mako. Besides, you have a company to save. Now isn't the time to get caught up with distractions. Now isn't the time to distract Korra from saving her tribe and helping her father. We'll both be busier than before, so it will be much easier to stay her friend. Out of sight, out of mind…
"Korra," Asami called out. She had to repeat her friends' name a few times over the harsh wind, before catching her attention. "If you ever need help, with anything…"
"I know," Korra shouted back. "Thanks, but don't worry about me. Focus on yourself for once," she instructed.
Asami gave Korra small wave before she walked down the stairs below deck. She passed Bolin, and thanked him with a nod as he pulled out a chair for her at a nearby table. Pulling out a pen and a decent sized stack of paper, she began to browse the forms with him, forcing herself to focus on the task at hand.
As the boat continued across the ocean towards Republic City, it became enveloped in fog, camouflaging Asami's feelings; as those aboard the ship ventured toward the unknown, leaving a brewing war in its wake.