Chapter Text
Asami knew deep down that her plan was crazy. She was fully aware that there was a significant chance that this could all backfire, blow up in her face so spectacularly that she would spend months trying to pick up the pieces. But Asami Sato always had a contingency plan, and this was no different. It was simple, she decided; she would ask Korra to be her date to Varrick and Zhu Li’s upcoming wedding. If Korra was appalled at the proposition, then Asami would play it off as purely platonic, just two friends enjoying a night on the town. She tried to convince herself that it was foolproof, but the knot in her stomach was saying otherwise.
She was all set to meet Korra for lunch at Kwong’s, and in her nervous state, she arrived a half hour early, which meant it would be at least 45 minutes until she saw Korra, as the Avatar was not known for punctuality. Hoping it would slow her fluttering heart, she ordered a glass of sake and downed it in a matter of seconds. She felt her face flush and her head became a little woozy, but she still felt nervous as ever. With a sigh, she motioned to the waiter for another drink.
Asami had been pining for Korra for years now. She first felt the tug on her heartstrings when she joined the Avatar in searching for airbenders, a crush she assumed would be wholly unrequited and would dissipate soon. However, by the time Korra was recovering from her battle with Zaheer, the engineer’s little crush had grown into full-blown adoration. In the moments that Asami believed Korra to be dead, she genuinely felt her heart shatter into a million pieces; she could simply not imagine a life without Korra. Their time separated only managed to harden her resolve; she was in love with the Avatar, and there was no denying it.
When Korra returned from her three-year hiatus, there was something about her that set the gears turning in Asami’s mind. A simple complement from Asami left the all-powerful master of the elements blushing and bumbling. Korra seemed to be making physical contact whenever it was appropriate, not that Asami minded in the slightest. The signs were there that Korra might have had a tiny crush on Asami, and Asami could only hope that she was reading them clearly; her mind was clouded by her love, after all.
That’s why Asami concocted her expert plan. If Korra did indeed reciprocate Asami’s feelings even in the slightest, then she should receive an enthusiastic yes to her proposal. If Korra was left completely aghast at the mere suggestion, then Asami at least knew that her love was unrequited and that she would just have to deal with the consequences.
Asami was sipping casually on her third sake when a cough interrupted her train of thought. Standing before her in all of her muscled glory was the object of her desires, the mighty Avatar herself. Her body was still bruised from the battle with Kuvira’s colossus, but Kya’s healing work ensured that there were no apparent cuts left on her chestnut skin.
“Asami, hey!” Korra chirped excitedly, sliding into the booth. “I am starving. Pema is an incredible cook, but one can only stay so full on vegetables and rice alone. I need a good hippo-cow steak… have you been drinking, ‘Sams?”
“Rough morning at work?” Asami suggested with a sheepish smile and shrug, hoping it would be enough to placate Korra’s curiosity. Korra pouted in response but seemed to accept Asami’s answer.
“Want to talk about it?” Korra offered, to which Asami sharply shook her head no, putting an end to that particular conversation, for which Asami was certainly grateful. Korra needn’t know that Asami was drinking because of how much of a nervous wreck she was at the mere thought of asking Korra out on a date. Thankfully, the waiter chose that moment to come and take their orders, leaving Korra no room to prod further.
With orders in (and Asami switching her beverage of choice to lychee juice), the two began casually conversing, mainly about the initial plans to begin reconstruction of the city. Korra took great care not to mention Asami’s father as to keep the mood lighthearted, and Asami greatly appreciated that effort. However, throughout the conversation, Asami could not help but ruminate over her plan, wondering how to best breach the topic. Korra, ever observant, obviously noticed Asami’s distracted demeanor, and she felt the need to question her friend.
“This morning must have been really bad. You seem really worked up about something,” Korra stated, reaching out and grabbing Asami’s hand on the table, giving a reassuring squeeze. Asami’s heart skipped a beat; there it was again – the physical contact. It was driving Asami absolutely and undyingly insane. Surely, there had to be something there if Korra was always so insistent on staying in close contact. All of this was making Asami incredibly worked up, and if she didn’t talk soon, she might possibly explode.
“Um, no, that’s not it,” Asami said, shaking her head, rubbing her temples, and scrunching her face. To any onlookers, she probably looked as if she had a splitting headache. Her insides were absolutely twisted. Dammit Asami, you own the largest company in the world, and you can’t ask out your best friend on a date, she thought to herself, internally kicking herself for the mental gymnastics she was putting herself through.
Korra looked at her expectantly, obviously concerned for her wellbeing. Her mouth was pulled into a slight frown and her brows furrowed. She was so patient in waiting for her friend’s answer: so kind and gentle and caring and beautiful; Asami thought she was going to be sick. Finally, her reply came out as complete word vomit.
“DoyouwanttocomewithmetoVarrickandZhuLi’swedding?”
Her mouth snapped shut in embarrassment and her eyes widened in horror. She stared at Korra like a cat-deer caught in the headlights of a Satomobile, trying to read her face. She couldn’t decipher any emotion, and in that moment, Asami fully believed that she absolutely botched it all. She wanted to crawl under the table and hide there until the next Harmonic Convergence.
“Huh?” Korra asked, finally breaking the silence.
“What?”
“Asami, I didn’t understand a single word you said… Why are you making that face?”
Asami almost laughed aloud. Korra didn’t hear her, and Asami had a second chance. She could phrase it more eloquently, more suavely. She was not out of this yet. She took a deep breath to steady her voice, trying to think of something smooth to say. Uncharacteristically, she could not come up with anything smart right off the top of her head, and the longer she kept Korra waiting, the more concerned her friend would become. Just say it, you absolute idiot.
“I wanted to know if you wanted to come with me to Varrick’s and Zhu Li’s wedding,” Asami finally sputtered out, feeling significantly less confident than a woman of her status should have.
Korra’s face blushed bright red and she fiddled with a short lock of hair, tucking it behind her ear. “Oh, that’s all? Um, I would really like that.”
With a relieved sigh, Asami relaxed her tense shoulders and offered a warm smile. “Okay, awesome, great, cool… I, uh, can’t wait.” Certainly, in that moment, she did not sound even remotely like the genius CEO of the world’s most successful technology company, but Asami could absolutely not care less. Her plan didn’t backfire, and the two were on their way to very possibly becoming a couple. Her heart sped up at the very thought.
The two girls grinned at each other stupidly, each with slightly flushed cheeks. An awkward (but also rather giddy) silence filled the air between them. Neither knew what to say, so it was a relief when the waiter returned with two plates of food.
“Um, so I’m still super hungry, so I hope you don’t mind if I start eating this right now,” Korra asked tentatively, gesturing to her plate with a pair of chopsticks. Asami laughed and picked up her own, ready to enjoy the rest of their meal in peace.