Work Text:
Asami Sato is sitting in a restaurant a short Satomobile ride from the Future Industries offices.
She's waiting for Korra to join her for lunch.
It's the first time in a few days that Asami's had any idle time. She's been pushing herself at work and spending every free minute she has with her friends.
Particularly with Korra.
Asami sighs and sips some water. Korra...
Things are changing between Korra and Asami. Not in a bad way. Quite the opposite: they're closer than ever.
But lately...
Asami has always been detail oriented. It's part of what makes her the engineer she is.
She'll admit, to her sorrow, that she isn't always the best at reading people; but some part of her mind steadily accumulates details even when she isn't consciously aware of them.
Or is trying to ignore them, as she did with her father.
Sooner or later, those details push themselves to the forefront of her mind and let Asami suddenly see something in a new light.
Since Harmonic Convergence, Asami's mind has been quite insistent on the subject of Korra.
Given the magnitude of recent events, it's hardly surprising that Asami sees differences in the Avatar.
Korra's saved Republic City from a malevolent Spirit fused with her uncle. She's reopened the connections between the spirit world and this one. In the process, she's left Republic City festooned with giant vines and curious spirits.
Korra's changed the entire world.
Of course she's different, too.
On a personal level, Korra and Mako have recently split up. It was Korra's decision, and from what she tells Asami, it was the right one. But it can't be easy on her.
Especially when Korra has been busy trying to solve the city's many new problems while constantly butting heads with politicians looking to blame all their woes on the Avatar.
No, with everything going on in Korra's life, it isn't surprising that she's changing. And it's only natural that Asami would start to see her differently.
What's heartening is that Korra's becoming more mature. More comfortable with herself. In spite of everything she's faced, and lost, she's stronger.
And in spite of all the changes, she still has a sense of wonder and joy.
These things are obvious to anyone who's known Korra since she's come to Republic City, of course.
But Asami notices other things, too.
Asami notices when Korra changes her perfume.
What happens after Asami mentions it is a little embarrassing.
Asami's attempt at complimenting Korra comes undone when she starts babbling and telling Korra how much nicer her usual scent is.
Asami blushes. She gets flustered.
Asami is hard to fluster.
But it seems to happen more easily around Korra these days.
She used to think it was because Korra's the Avatar. Korra's a really sweet person, but she also controls the most intimidating power in the world.
But when Team Avatar are together these days, Asami knows that's not what causes her to get self-conscious around Korra. After all, the Avatar isn't the one who bursts into giggles and looks into Asami's eyes whenever Bolin says something outrageous. That's just Korra, sharing her laughter with her friend.
Except that shouldn't fluster Asami. It shouldn't make her have to surreptitiously wipe her palms when Korra looks away. It shouldn't make her eagerly wait for the next time Bolin says something hilarious, so that Korra will giggle and look Asami in the eyes again.
Asami's not sure what to think about why that flusters her. She is sure, however, that she doesn't want Korra to change that habit, any more than she wants Korra to change her perfume.
Asami's only able to stop thinking about Korra when she arrives in person. Korra hustles into the restaurant looking anxious and slightly winded. Asami waves and Korra heads towards her, expression brightening.
Korra's smile chases Asami's confusion away. "Hey! I hope I didn't keep you waiting?"
"You're right on time. I'm a few minutes early. I had to get away before I punched someone."
Korra sits across from Asami, her expression becoming thoughtful. "Let me guess...Bou the shareholder again?"
"The largest shareholder." Asami groans. "He doesn't have a controlling interest, but that's what he's angling for. After everything I've been through to salvage the company, Bou and his cronies keep threatening to introduce policies that will bankrupt us inside a year. All so they can feel like they're running things."
"I sense this is not the only reason you want to punch him."
Asami curls her hand into a fist. "If he calls me his 'dear' one more time..."
Korra laughs and reaches across the table. She puts her hand on Asami's fist. Asami immediately relaxes. Korra gives Asami's hand a squeeze.
"I see why you needed to get away early. Tempting as it must be, I don't think you should punch your shareholders."
Asami snorts. "That's...not the advice I'd expect from you, Korra." A smile finds its way onto her lips.
Korra makes a show of being offended. "Hey! I can be diplomatic! If you want, I could even come to your next meeting."
"To impress the board with your diplomacy?"
Korra grins, "No, to airbend Bou out of the window when he calls you 'dear' again."
Asami laughs, her good mood entirely restored.
The rest of their hour together passes in a happy blur. Asami even smiles when she returns to the office and finds Bou waiting for her. Of course, she's smiling because she's imagining what the look on his face would be if Korra ever made good on her threat, but she's diplomatic enough not to mention that to Bou.
It's only when she gets home that night that her thoughts turn back to trying to understand what all the little details she's been noticing mean.
The next evening Asami decides to take her boat and visit Air Temple Island, hoping to catch up with Korra.
Hoping, too, to make sense of her restless thoughts.
Korra's changing. Asami is changing as well.
Korra is...changing Asami.
Asami bites her lip, but that thought swims away when she reaches the dock and has to carefully pilot her boat in.
Asami has barely set foot on the island when she almost gets bowled over by a fuming Lin Beifong.
"Chief? Is everything alright?"
"No it is not! The mighty Avatar has been causing more chaos in my city. Again! I thought she was past these childish-" Lin bites off the end of that sentence. She sighs and rubs her eyes. "My apologies, Miss Sato."
"It's alright. What happened?"
Lin rolls her eyes. "She stopped a robbery yesterday."
Asami winces. "How much damage did she cause?"
"Very little. This time. But after she subdued the criminals she earthbent them into the street and just...ran off! The first patrol that found them couldn't get the criminals free. So they had to stand guard while someone fetched me. Traffic was disrupted, patrols were disrupted, I was disrupted. With everything else going on, it makes our Avatar look flighty at a time when she can't afford it. All she needed to do was wait five minutes to turn them over to my people!"
"Why did she run off?"
The older woman glares out over the water. "All she would say on the subject was that she had somewhere more important to be."
Asami's glad that the chief is distracted. Asami's not sure she could explain why she's suddenly blushing. "Oh...I see."
"Talk some sense into her, Miss Sato. She's more likely to listen to you than to me or Tenzin."
"I'll try. Good night, chief."
Lin waves and strides briskly to her waiting boat.
Asami finds Korra sitting in the garden with her chin on her fists and a pout on her lips.
Asami can't help but smile at the sight of the most powerful person in the world sulking like a teenager.
Asami's smile slips. Her chest tightens. It's so easy to forget, sometimes, how young Korra is.
Asami quietly vows never to forget it again. Asami might be confused about some things, but she knows this: Korra doesn't deserve better from Asami. Korra deserves her best.
"Hey."
Korra stirs and looks at her. She smiles, eyes lighting up. "Asami! What are you doing here?"
"Well, I came to see if you wanted to spend the evening together. But if it's a bad time..."
Korra groans. "Who told you? Tenzin or Beifong?"
Asami crosses over to Korra. "Beifong. She's worried."
"She's angry."
"That's how she worries. What happened, Korra?"
Asami thinks she knows, of course, but she can't quite believe it.
Korra looks up at her with huge blue eyes. She looks away, quickly. Asami thinks she might be blushing.
Korra mumbles something unintelligible.
"Korra? I didn't catch-"
Korra fixes her gaze on her feet. "I didn't want to be late for lunch."
"Spirits, Korra! I wouldn't have minded if you'd been a little late!"
Korra's head snaps up. "Well, I would! I barely get to spend time with you as it is! There's been so much going on, so many crazy things! I...need some normal. It's important to me! You're...important to me."
Asami struggles for a moment to think of the right words. Korra looks at her so earnestly. But she's tense, too. Braced for another argument.
Asami slowly smiles. "Wait. You think I'm good at normal?"
Korra laughs. Her body relaxes. "This is my point! We both need more practice!"
"Alright, let's make a deal. Every day, some normal time. Just for us." Asami falters when she sees Korra's smile widen. "Um, no more earthbending criminals into the street, though. Even if that means running late."
Korra purses her lips. "Maybe if I'd gone with the walls, instead..."
"Maybe just let the RCPD take them into custody next time?"
Korra pouts. "Fiiine."
"Alright. Now! What normal things shall we do? Would you like a game of Pai Sho? Or we could go somewhere for dinner?"
Korra stands up and stretches. "I could eat."
It's the stretching that does it.
Asami notices Korra's arms. In the cool evening air, surrounded by the quiet of the garden, and with the happy mood they've built between them warming her, Asami notices the way the muscles move under Korra's skin.
Korra's beauty is not a revelation to Asami. It's the effect Korra's beauty has on her now, an effect that's been building in Asami's mind, detail by detail, which makes Asami briefly dizzy.
It's not just Korra's arms, or her finely muscled frame, or her grin, or the line of her jaw, or her giddy energy, or her hair, or her skin, or the way her eyes narrow when she sets out to do something, or the way she sometimes holds the fate of the world in one hand and Asami's in the other. It's not any particular aspect of her body or spirit.
It's everything. Everything about Korra is beautiful.
Korra gives her a quizzical look. "You okay?"
Asami meets Korra's eyes. She notices that they're warm, gently inquiring, and that they've been her favourite shade of blue for at least three months.
"Asami?"
Asami notices how close Korra is to her. Asami finds herself wishing she was closer still.
But Korra needs normal right now. She needs a friend, not another complication. And Asami needs time to process...all of this.
So Asami just smiles at Korra. "Sorry! I must be...more tired than I thought. But I'm more than ready for dinner!"
Korra grins. "Good! So, tell me about your day. Bou still driving you crazy?"
"Only on an hourly basis."
"Well, let me know when you need me to do my duty."
"Which is?"
"To bring balance to Future Industries' board, of course!"
"You can't airbend them all out the window, Korra."
"Okay, but I can also earthbend and-"
"No! Well, maybe Bou..."
Asami walks alongside Korra down the path to the pier, laughing and chatting about their respective days.
This isn't the time for more than friendship. Korra's friendship is is enough for Asami, anyway. For now.
It's been less than two weeks since Harmonic Convergence. Things will settle down.
And when they do...well. Asami thinks that things are going to continue to change between her and Korra.
She's excited for what those changes will bring.