Chapter Text
Today was the day, after three excruciatingly long and lonely years Asami was getting ready to see her best friend in the flesh. To say she was nervous was one spirit of an understatement.
She wasn't sure exactly how she should feel, so the heiress simply thought it better to shove her emotions deep down until after their dinner reservations were over. Whatever the residual effects of the day might be, it was nothing an expensive bottle of wine couldn't fix.
"What to wear? What to wear..." she murmured to herself as she went through the various clothes hung in her large walk-in closet.
"I guess this'll have to do. It's lunch. Just lunch." she sighed to herself as she picked a standard 'day out' outfit.
Deep down she knew it wasn't 'just lunch'. Not when Korra would be there, sitting next to her for the first time in over three years. The last time she saw the young Avatar she was being wheeled onto a large boat and being shipped to the Southern Water Tribe for a two week healing trip. A naive thought, looking back, she should have known it would be much longer.
Now she was here in Republic City doing spirit knows what. The thought of driving over to Air Temple Island to make an early surprise visit had crossed her mind about a dozen times in the past hour. She hesitantly decided against it, they would see each other in about twenty minutes anyways.
"Shit- I'm going to be late!" she yelped, pulling on the outfit, her signature Future Industries jacket, A black pencil-skirt, and some stockings. Then opting to touch up her red lipstick and head downstairs to start her car.
"Off so soon Miss Sato?" Akeno, the older butler of the estate said, holding the door to the garage open for her as she made her way out of the mansion.
"Yes, I have some... business to attend to. I'll be home later tonight." she replied, wincing at the hesitation she had with talking about Korra.
Was it really still that hard to talk about her? The Non-bender pondered to herself. She had hoped whatever feelings she had for Korra had resided over time, it had been made clear to her Korra didn't feel the same. It wasn't worth getting hurt again, was it?
"Okay, have a good time, is there anything you need done around the estate while you're gone?" he inquired.
Asami smiled, Akeno had worked for them for years. Asami grew up being taken care of by the man when her mother and father had a business trip. Even more often after her mom had passed. The heiress thought he was one of the kindest men she knew.
"No, everything is fine around here. Why don't you take the night off."
"Are you sure Miss Sato?" he said, clearly stifling a gasp at the engineer's sudden good mood.
"Yes, I'm sure. Go enjoy your night. And call me Asami, I'd like to think we're that close."
"Thank you so much miss Sa-... Asami. Have a good evening." Akeno exasperated.
"You as well." she replied, hopping into her newly painted car.
Driving through the streets of Republic City city was refreshing, even though she did it every day, something about this seemed new.
Her mind wandered to Korra. Especially since she hadn't seen many of the renovations done over the past three years. Asami quickly found herself hoping Korra liked the changes as much as the rest of the citizens did.
The car ride was short, and much to her disbelief she actually ended up being early. Earlier than Mako or Korra at least, really she should have been expecting that. Time apart didn't change the fact that she was always the most prepared out of their group.
Asami made her way into the restaurant sitting in a chair waiting for one of the two to show up. A few pages into an interesting newspaper she felt a hand on her shoulder, she gasped, half expecting to turn around and see Korra standing beside her.
"Sorry, didn't mean to scare you. Is she here yet?" Mako said, disregarding a traditional greeting.
Asami didn't mind the unorthodox manner, they had gotten closer the past few days as their workloads became lesser. "No, can you go spot check our table, I'll wait for Korra."
Mako nodded, then turned around and rolled his eyes. "Wu, Come on!" Mako grunted.
Asami tried to hide the annoyance in her tone but she could feel it seeping out from her throat. "what is he doing here? You said it'd just be me, you, and Korra."
"I know, I'm sorry I couldn't get rid of him." Mako complained as he pulled the distracted prince by the wrist into the dining area of the restaurant.
Asami decided it was best not to argue, of course she was pissed about the situation but she knew it was way out of Mako's control.
After what seemed like an eternity she heard the door to the waiting area of the building open, she didn't bother to look up as she assumed it was another random person looking to get some food, spirits was she wrong.
Little did she know Korra was standing a little less than ten feet beside her trying to figure out what to say. Korra was a nervous mess, should she have gone for a dress? Maybe something nicer than her everyday wear? Regardless, it was too late now. Asami was right in front of her and she had to say something before she looked like an idiot standing silently waiting for her to notice.
"I hope you haven't been waiting long" she chuckled weakly, a meek attempt at a joke.
She was relieved when Asami leapt out of the chair she was sitting in and wrapped her arms around the young avatar.
"only three years." she chuckled, catching on and reciprocating the joke.
Asami couldn't get over how different she looked, her facial features more mature, her body and muscles less defined; a result of not being able to be as active, and most prominently, her dark brown hair chopped to chin-length. It looked good, framing her face perfectly, making it hard for Asami to imagine her friend ever having looked any different.
Of course, Korra felt mortified by her incessant blushing, caused by the off putting compliment Asami had given about her hair. Some things never changed, and Korra realized the feelings Asami gave her were one of those things.
Asami led the way to their table, where Korra gladly met Mako, only to be interrupted by Prince Wu. Asami felt the bittersweet hinge of annoyance, not simply for the prince's presence. Rather that he was flirting with the Waterbender too.
"It's none of my concern. She's not even interested, not that it would matter if she was." she reminded herself.
But it didn't change the fact she wanted to smack the young boy on the wrist when she saw his hand placed on her shoulder, and how he guided her over to sit by him at the table. She was hoping to sit by Korra, but it seemed that the prince had already stolen that chance from her.
"He promised to be on his best behavior." Mako sighed in response to the sour look the CEO gave him.
A few poorly managed attempts at conversation had left the atmosphere at the table awkward and silent. Asami decided that she would break some news to the group, it was important to her and until now she had no one to talk about it with.
"I have some news." she started nervously, realizing she had yet to admit it out loud to herself or anybody else for that matter.
"I went to visit my father for the first time. He'd been writing me letters and I guess I finally felt ready to try and forgive him."
Asami instantly regretted the decision to tell her when she saw the look on Korra's face. Her fears were only confirmed when Korra opened her mouth.
Korra tried defusing the situation, she felt horrible the second she realized how what she said must have sounded to her friend, who wasn't just talking about a villian, but her father too.
But it was too late, Asami was already seething with anger she'd kept inside for years. The only thing stopping her from causing a scene was the vague memory that they were in a public setting.
Thankfully, princes did have some use, as Wu ended up interrupting Asami from her anger-filled rant. Something Korra was eternally grateful for. Once the prince left the area however, they were back to a painful silence.
"Asami I didn't mean it like that, I'm sorry." Korra tried to reason, realizing just how badly she'd messed up so soon after reuniting with her best friend.
She couldn't lose Asami again. Not after leaving her the way she did the first time, it couldn't be her fault again. She hesitantly placed her hand on the girl's shoulder.
"I don't want to talk about it right now Korra, can we please just talk about anything else." she snapped.
Korra shuttered at the purposeful tone Asami used, she almost never spoke like that. It wasn't that she didn't deserve it. But she was mentally screaming at herself for managing to piss her friend off this quickly.
After a couple of silent moments passed, with Mako trying to start up a conversation only to have it die out soon after the food was finally served. Mako decided to go check on Wu who still hadn't come out from his trip to the bathroom.
"Maybe we should go help him out,he's right it's weird for him to be gone that long. He might be in trouble." Asami sighed, partly because she couldn't be alone with Korra at the moment, the silence was killing her.
"Yeah, sure." Korra mumbled. Following the tall girl's lead.
They made their way to the hall outside the men's restroom. Waiting for the two to rejoin them.
Korra grew more suspicious as time went on, she knew Wu was going to be a public target even more so since her humiliating defeat at Zaofu. The longer he was gone the more possible danger he could have been in.
Just then, she saw a man with a large cart filled with what looked like random shipments being wheeled past the open door near the end of the hallway.
"I'll be right back." she informed.
"Excuse me." she said, catching the attention of the two young men near their truck who were packing bags into the back.
"Did you happen to see if Prince Wu came out this way?" she asked, growing cautious as one man looked increasingly nervous.
The man with the cart in hand quickly denied having seen him, this was quickly proven false when Wu popped up from the back of the truck muttering incohearantly.
Apparently she wasn't cautious enough, because before she could even react the man had earthbent her up and sent her crashing against the ceiling of the building. She hit the ground with a grunt of pain
as they made their escape.
Asami and Mako quickly ran over to her, the engineer quickly forgot about her anger towards the younger girl and rushed to help her. But Korra had other plans and was already shouting game plans for getting the prince back before she could do anything.
Korra loved that she was back, a feeling she was slightly guilty for having when she remembered Wu was kidnapped in broad daylight. Then she remembered once again she was back, she was here, fighting criminals, she was the Avatar again.
The avatar who could send a punch to the earth below her that could slow down a car ten times her weight. She was powerful again, and she had a purpose. This, saving people, was her purpose and if she could start small she could work her way up to defeating bigger people again. Like Kuvira.
"Get in!" Asami yelled frantically. Slamming the breaks and speeding back up, once the Avatar was inside the vehicle.
They quickly speed off, passing slower cars and more than likely going much past the speed limit. After listening to Mako and Asami bicker about road ways, they finally caught up to Wu's captors. They were on the lower level of the street overlooking the overpass Asami was currently driving on.
"What are you doing?! Sit down!" Mako shouted angrily at Korra, who Asami realized was standing up.
She didn't have time to stop or even be scared for her friend who jumped and air bent her way down to the roof of the car, metalbent the top off, and stopped the truck. Nearly crashing into some spirit vines in the process.
Korra decided Mako would be better at getting information out of the driver, not that she really had a choice. The Firebender practically ripped the man out of her hands. Yelling and interrogating him as he was slammed against the side of the car, held only by the collar of his shirt.
While Asami and Mako tried deciding where to take the next logical steps in the search, Korra decided it might be time to test out her new skills. She sighed, placing her hand on a thick branch of spirit vines and tried to clear her mind of all the distractions of the past hour. Soon the image of Wu in the back of the truck came to her and she knew where to look.
"The train station!" Korra shouted, confused as the others were they obeyed and Asami sped off in that direction, she was sure she'd get an explanation later.
That explanation came rather soon from an overtly curious Mako whose police tactics and questioning got the best of him. Korra explained how she learned from Toph how to connect to people's energy. And finally, a moment happened, just when they learned who taught her. A small yet noticeable joke that brought a smile to her face. Although she couldn't see from the back seat Asami was smiling just as much.
"Maybe not all that much has changed." Asami thought to herself for the first time since she saw the young Avatar.
The trio ran frantically into the train station. Korra wanted to sense where Wu was once more but she quickly realized there wasn't enough time, they had to pick a train and it had to be soon. It was a lapse of judgement and she knew it. Nonetheless she picked a train. The one that made the most logical sense due to the layout of the rig and ran after it.
Mako wasn't happy when he found out the status of his job laid in the hands of his friend's so called 'Avatar feelings' which led to a series of bickering between the two. As they entered the storage area of the train Asami could've sworn she heard pounding.
"Guys! Shh, listen." she warned. Sure enough, a rattling chest laid on the floor feet away from them.
Mako opened it, unleashing a delirious prince who was lashing his arms wildly in what they assumed was a sad attempt at self-defense. Before they had the chance to leave, Korra was bending long sheaths of metal from hitting any of her friends and sending the two Kuvira recruits slamming into a wall. A momentary panic set in when she noticed more coming in from both directions.
Korra metalbent both doors shut and bent the roof of the train. Ordering everyone to get out, they began to run, hoping to set some distance from the criminals surely chasing them. The young prince managed to slow them down, leaving Korra and Asami to fight against recruits on both sides of the cart they were standing on as Mako had been taken out momentarily.
They soon found themselves caught with one way out. Asami suddenly felt Korra grab her waist, a feeling she was very unprepared for, as she airbent them safely down the bridge and into the small ditch. Away from any further harm.
Wu was finally okay and saying endless 'thank you's' to Korra and the rest of the group as well as horrible attempts at flirting directed at the Avatar, herself. It gave Asami an odd sense of satisfaction seeing how weirded out and blatantly disinterested she was in the prince, she decided simply to shrug it off for now.
The three finally made their apologies, passing the awkwardness off as normal for being apart for so long and part of it was likely true. Asami offered to let Wu stay at the estate since it would be safer and she had the room. He happily obliged and the group made their way back to the mansion.
"Korra can we talk?" Asami asked, pulling Korra into her office while Mako helped Wu set up his guest room.
"Yeah, what's up? Oh-" Korra yelped, as Asami pulled her in for a hug, it was longer, needier than the one they shared earlier. Both girls lingering close even as they pulled away.
"I'm sorry about earlier. You had a right to be concerned. I just didn't want to hear it." she sighed as she sat down on the long couch she had set up weeks prior.
Korra sat close beside her, putting her hand on her shoulder once again, fearful of another rejection. This time, the gentle touch was accepted, Asami wrapped her hand around Korra's finger tips. Not wanting to let her go.
"No, Asami. I'm sorry, it wasn't fair of me to say that. He's your dad. I've only had one experience with the guy of course I would feel that way but you had your whole childhood."
"I still shouldn't have lashed out, you were trying to give me advice. Good advice at that. I shouldn't get my hopes up. The last time I saw him outside of prison he tried to kill me."
She sighed angrily at the memory of her father, his wrinkled features contorted and twisted in a stomach lurching way. How she would have been crushed by a mecha machine had Bolin not been there to save her.
Korra pulled her in for another hug. One that almost caused her to break down right then and there. If she was going to survive the emotional whiplash that was this day she was determined that she would do it without crying.
"People can change. If you believe he has, I have your back and I support you. No matter what."
Asami couldn't help the weak smile that formed from her lips, as frustrating as Korra could be sometimes she had such a way with words. One that could either have been the wisdom of thousands of Avatars before her, or quite practically have been just a reflection of who she was as a person.
"Thank you. Spirits, I missed you so much." Asami sighed trying to hold it together at least until everyone was gone.
"I missed you too. I'll see you later?" Korra asked, heading towards the door.
"Wait." Asami gasped. She wanted to tell Korra to stay, say anything that would make her stay at the mansion even just a little longer.
"You jumped off the car today."
"Hm? Oh, yeah I guess I did. I didn't leave a dent in the side or anything did I? I can fix it if I damage-"
"Shut up." Asami snapped.
"You jumped off a car, Korra, you can't do that, you just got back."
The tone of her friend's voice caught her off guard. It was small and vulnerable, she was shocked when she turned around to find a tear sliding down her face.
"Asami, I'm still the same avatar as before. I'm just as capable as I was before."
Exactly that was the problem. Korra was the same as she was before, in some respects that was amazing. After all she had been through she was still kind, caring, and compassionate, among other things. Unfortunately she still always put other people first, even if it meant putting herself in harm's way.
"I know you're capable. I've never doubted that. I don't want to watch and see how capable you are of hurting yourself again. You're not just the Avatar to me."
'Not just the Avatar' Korra thought to herself. No one ever thought that about her, if they did they never had the gall to say it. She was just a prize to be won when things were good, and a sacrificial piece in political mayhem when things got messy.
That wasn't true anymore. Not with Asami here. Before she could say anything further, or tell Asami what she felt, she interrupted.
"Sorry. I- just be careful please. Avatar or not, I don't want to lose you."
Korra nodded, unsure of what to make of the conversation. "See you later" she replied. "Oh, Asami? I know I can't promise a lot but I'm not going anywhere."
"Have a nice night." Asami said, opting to walk Korra and Mako out of the house herself, secretly not wanting to leave her friend's presence after going without her for so long.
After a moment of simply sitting by the door, replaying the events of the day. The moment in her office with Korra, the hug, the gentle touches, their soft spoken conversation. She decided to go check up on Wu.
Asami knocked on the door and upon hearing the prince yell "Come in" opened the door and let herself in.
"How are you doing?" Asami asked. "Do you need anything?" Mako asked her to take good care of Wu while he was here, and she was nothing if not a good friend.
"I'm doing good considering I was almost kidnapped by Kuvira's gang. Can you believe that? I think Korra's into me, that whole showdown finally proved to her how brave I am don't you think?"
Asami just sighed, too tired and beat down to deal with the prince's weirdness "Sure... if you need anything I gave the butler the night off but there's a few maids wandering the premise and my room's down the hall" she said, closing the door before he could respond.
By the time she entered her room it dawned on her just how exhausting the day had really been, she went into the bathroom connected to her bedroom. Spending a couple of minutes wiping off her makeup, brushing her teeth, and generally just freshening up before bed.
She stripped down to just her panties and a bra before sliding into her bed, melting into the cool comforter until she thought she might become a part of it. Sleep didn't come easy that night, part of her knew it wouldn't, despite how exhausted she was.
"I need to get past this." she groaned.
"Good night Tenzin." Korra replied to the Airbender who had just told her she should head to bed.
He was right, it was a long day, and there would be more days even longer than this one to come. Going to sleep was a feat on it's own for her lately, memories of Zaheer still fueled her nightmares. The fear of falling asleep to witness the worst day of her life all over again wasn't something she wanted to go through, not after today.
The Waterbender still couldn't decide if today had been a victory or not. On one hand they fought almost the whole time and almost lost the future king of the Earth Kingdom. On the other; Asami and her had a moment, the three eventually made up, and Wu was safe for now.
So when she sulked tiredly into her room she wondered if she should have stayed the night with Asami, if Asami would have even wanted her there.
"Just take it easy Korra, things aren't going to go back to normal right away." she reminded herself.
"One day at a time."