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Asami spent the next few days hanging out with Korra as often as her schedule would allow. She told herself that it was because she just liked being around the other girl, but in reality, she didn’t have very many friends. Most of them were back in California, with her father. Or had gotten into much more ‘prestigious’ Ivy League institutes. Asami easily could’ve gotten into them as well, but she chose not to. Partly because Mako and Bolin lived in Oregon, and she wanted to be close to them. And partly because she simply didn’t want to get into a school purely because of who her father was.
During their time together, Asami did her best to open up. Korra had quickly become a very close friend and didn’t seem to have any problems sharing information about herself. She told Asami all about what it was like growing up in the capital of Nunavut, Iqaluit.
“I don’t remember much about Iqaluit, to be honest,” Korra said, frowning slightly as she spoke. They were sitting on Korra’s bed, watching her favorite movie: Jurassic Park. Though neither of them were really paying attention to it anymore. “I was only eight when my family moved to Ottawa. My dad’s a doctor, and he’d been offered a better job there. My mom worked as a nurse for a few years, before she decided to start her own business.”
“What kind of business does she have?” Asami asked.
“A bakery. It’s called Hot Cakes. She’s always loved baking, so when she discovered that there was a place for sale, she leapt at the chance to buy it.” Korra explained. “It was hard financially for the first year or so, but eventually she started to make some decent profits.”
“That’s cool! My dad runs a business too.” Asami replied. “My grandfather started it originally, but my dad is the one who helped it grow into what it is now. Have you ever heard of Sato Tech?” Korra’s eyes widened slightly.
“That’s your family’s company?”
“I mean, yeah.” Asami shrugged nonchalantly.
“Sami, you can’t just drop that your dad runs one of the biggest technology companies in the world, and NOT expect me to be shocked.”
“You’re right.” Asami agreed. “I’m just so used to it, you know? Until I met you, practically everyone I’ve met already knew who my dad is and what he does. On top of that, I have to be careful because there are people out there who are only interested in me for my family’s money.”
“That must be so hard to deal with,” Korra whispered, reaching over to place a hand on her shoulder. Asami smiled gratefully.
“It has been, which is part of the reason why I stuck with Mako for so long.” She admitted. Korra shot her a look of confusion. “He was the safest option. I don’t have very many friends, Kor, and I have an even smaller group of potential romantic partners. As I said, I have to be careful. So when Mako told me that he had feelings for me…”
“You agreed because you knew and trusted him.” Korra finished. Asami nodded. “I kinda wish I had your tact. Did I ever tell you about how I first met my cousin Kuvira?”
“No.”
“Well, it’s very similar to how I met you,” Korra replied. Asami raised a curious eyebrow. “I kissed her girlfriend. Vira wasn’t as understanding about it as you were. Part of me was convinced that she was going to punch me. But then we found out that we were related by marriage: my Aunt Kya married her Aunt Lin, and we decided to bury the hatchet. We’ve been friends ever since.”
“So you didn’t know her before then?” Asami inquired.
“She lived in the US until she got into some trouble and her mom sent her to live with Lin and Kya in Ottawa.” Korra clarified. “Aunt Lin’s a pretty private person, it would be easier to explain if you had ever met her. She works here at the university like Aunt Kya does.”
“Her name sounds familiar,” Asami replied, frowning thoughtfully. “Is her last name Beifong, and does she teach math?”
“Yep, I believe she teaches statistics.”
“Wow, so you’re related to one of my professors!” She laughed. “Who would’ve thought?”
“I have a big family.” Korra shrugged.
“I wish I did.” Asami sighed. “It’s been just my dad and I ever since my mom died.”
“May I ask how she died?”
“She was mugged when I was six,” Asami answered, her voice barely above a whisper. “I didn’t see it happen, but I saw her in the hospital before she died. It’s easier to talk about now, after many, many years of therapy. Sometimes I can still hear the beeping the machine-made as it tried to keep her alive though, and I haven’t been able to go into a hospital ever since.”
“I’m so sorry, Asami,” Korra replied. She glanced over to see the other woman watching her with sorrow in her eyes. “I’d like to give you a hug if that’s okay?” She nodded and was immediately pulled into a fierce and comforting embrace. “So how is your relationship with your dad? You don’t mention him much.”
“Things between us are good,” Asami said. Korra released her to look her in the eye questioningly. “Okay, so maybe we’re not as close as you and your parents are. But we talk…occasionally. Usually via phone calls or texts. He’s just a very busy man.” She added. Talking about her relationship with her father wasn’t her favorite topic, which Korra seemed to sense.
“So how did you meet Bolin and Mako?” She asked.
“Oh, they went to the same middle school as me,” Asami explained. “They’d been forced to relocate to California after their parents were murdered to live with their grandmother. Bolin was being bullied, and I stepped in to help him. Later on, I met Mako and the three of us became as thick as thieves.”
“Wow, I didn’t realize that they had lost their parents. And I can’t imagine anyone bullying Bolin, he’s such a sweet guy. At least you had them to keep you company, though.” Korra said. “And now you have me, and Oswald!” She added, holding up a stuffed brontosaurus. Asami smirked and shook her head slightly.
“Well, thank you, Kor. I feel much better now.” She replied. The two fell into a comfortable silence, their attention returning to the movie. Once it was over, Korra immediately switched to the second one. “How many times have you watched these?”
“Uhhh, I lost count,” Korra answered, blushing slightly. Asami chuckled. “So, how is Operation: Getting Over Mako going?”
“It’s been going well,” Asami said, leaning her back against the wall. “I told him that I just need some space while I sort out how I feel about him, and he respected that. Hopefully, things can get back to normal soon. Though to be honest, I never should’ve dated him. We worked well as just close friends.”
“Do you think you’re ready to try dating again?” Korra inquired. Asami bit her lip as she considered the question. She hadn’t put much thought into it yet, but now that she was, she realized that she wasn’t as against the idea as she had been before.
“I think so,” Asami said eventually. “It could be fun to put myself out there again.”
“Cool! I know a dating app that you can try if you’d like.”
“I’ve never actually used one of those before,” Asami admitted. “But I’m not against trying it out.”
“I can help set up your profile.” Korra offered. Asami took her phone out of her pocket, unlocked it, and handed it to her friend. Korra’s thumb began tapping the screen almost immediately.
“Should I be worried?”
“Not at all,” Korra replied, smirking. “I used to get a lot of action on this app, so I know how to set it up correctly.”
“Oh really now?” Asami inquired, raising an eyebrow. “And why have I not heard about this before?” Korra flushed slightly, her focus still fixed on the phone.
“I didn’t want you to get the wrong impression of me. I gave up that lifestyle before I moved here. It was fun, sure, but I realized that I want more than just a one-night fling.” Korra explained. “Here you go! It’s all ready for you.” She added, handing over Asami’s phone while explaining how to work the app. It didn’t take long for Asami to get used to it. Swipe left to reject the person, or swipe right if you liked them. If you both match, then you could message each other.
She was surprised, however, when she swiped left on a guy and found herself staring at a woman’s profile. For a moment, Asami merely stared at it in mild shock. Then she cleared her throat and spoke up.
“Korra there’s…women on here too.” She said as she glanced over the profile.
“Oh shit, force of habit!” Korra replied as she adjusted her injured ankle. “Gimme, I’ll fix it.”
“No, no,” Asami replied, as she scrolled through the profile. She had to admit, this woman was kind of cute. “You can leave it.”
“Huh?”
“Well, you said to try something new after Mako.”
“Yeah, but not THAT new, Sami.” Korra retorted.
“I mean statistically it raises my chances of meeting someone.” Asami shrugged, as she looked through the woman’s pictures. She looked to be around Bolin’s age, with short black hair, tan skin, and the most expressive olive green eyes she’d ever seen.
“Uh-huh…sure,” Korra replied.
“What?”
“Nothing, nothing. You’re just like the straightest person I know. No offense.”
“Huh? How am I the straightest person you know?!” Asami demanded. “You know Mako.”
“Yeah, and Mako screams repressed bisexual.” Korra countered.
“He does not!”
“Does too.”
“I think I’d know that better than you, I dated him. I slept with him.”
“Yeah and that’s on you.” Korra teased, sticking her tongue out at her.
“Oh fuck you!” Asami scoffed. “What about Kuvira then? She has to be straighter than me.”
“Seriously?” Korra laughed.
“What?”
“You have no gaydar whatsoever!”
“She likes women too?”
“Yeah, like exclusively.”
“Well, shit.” Asami sighed, glancing down at her phone in defeat.
“You okay?” Korra asked, turning her full attention to Asami.
“I’m just…questioning some things,” Asami admitted. She turned her phone so Korra could see the profile that she had been looking at.
“Huh, Opal? That’s a pretty name.”
“Right? And her eyes are really pretty too. Even in a picture, they look so expressive.” Asami replied. Korra smirked at her. “What?”
“Nothing, it just seems like you might like her a little.” She said.
“Maybe I do.”
“So what are you waiting for? Swipe right.”
“What? I can’t do that!”
“And why not?” Korra questioned.
“Because…because well I’m not gay,” Asami answered.
“You don’t have to sleep with her, Asami,” Korra replied. “But who knows? Maybe you might enjoy talking to her.”
“I don’t know.” Asami sighed.
“Okay.” Korra shrugged, turning back to the movie. “I suppose that you could be the token straight of our friend group, then.” Asami glared at her, though Korra didn’t notice. Without a second thought, Asami swiped right on Opal’s profile. She had just set down her phone when it dinged suddenly. Korra glanced over at the noise. “Holy shit, I didn’t think you’d do it!”
“Do what?” Asami asked as she glanced at the screen. A jolt of excitement flashed through her when she read the words on the screen: You and Opal matched! Korra leaned over so she could get a glance at the phone as well. “Korra, what did I do?”
“Looks like you made a match,” Korra replied. “Quick, say hello or something.” Asami opened the app once more and prepared to send a message to Opal.
Me: Hey!
Opal: Hey, back. :P
Me: Sorry, I’m new to this.
Opal: No worries. I don’t use this app much either. I prefer meeting in person.
Me: So do I.
Opal: Eager to see me already? ;)
“Earth to Asami,” Korra said, waving a hand in front of Asami’s face.
“What?” Asami asked.
“What do you mean, what? You’ve been zeroed in on that thing for the last few minutes.” Korra replied, smirking in amusement.
“I was chatting with Opal,” Asami stated. Her phone chimed again and she checked it.
Opal: So, would you like to meet up? Maybe Saturday?
Me: Saturday sounds good!
Opal: Awesome! I’ll send you the details later.
“What did she say now?” Korra asked.
“We’re going to meet up on Saturday.”
“Nice!”
“Yeah.” Asami sighed, setting aside her phone with a soft smile. “Maybe this’ll be a fresh start for me.”
“I hope so,” Korra replied. “Now I just need to ask Bolin out.” She added with a sigh.
—
It took two weeks for Korra’s ankle to heal fully. She did a little celebratory dance on the last day. Being forced to take it easy had been a true test of her patience. She’d never been the type to stay idle for long, she simply had too much energy to do so. Plus, there was one thing that she had been longing to do: Ask Bolin out on a date. She was determined to do it finally, even if she hadn’t figured out how yet. Was she supposed to bring him flowers? Or write a speech? Did he even feel the same way?
With women, she always seemed to know when they were interested in her. But Bolin remained a mystery to her. He’d stopped by her dorm to check in on her a couple of times. They mostly just sat on her bed and played video games, or watched movies. Other times he would simply text her memes, or ask how she was doing.
“Ugh, why is this so hard?” Korra complained, flopping down on her bed. She’d tried asking Asami for advice, but she was busy with assignments and had been unable to hang out much. Mako wasn’t an option either. Mostly because as Asami’s bestie, Korra had silently sworn not to speak to him until Asami said she was okay with seeing him again.
“You know what, fuck this! I’m not gonna sit here and debate how to ask him anymore.” Korra said, getting to her feet. “I’m Korra Fucking Kunuk, if anybody can ask a dude on a date, it’s me.”
“I thought you wanted HIM to be fucking Korra Kunuk.” Korra jumped, shouting in surprise. She turned to see Asami leaning against the doorway of Korra’s dorm, a smug grin on her face.
“How much of that did you hear?” Korra asked, rubbing the back of her neck nervously.
“Enough,” Asami replied. “I dropped by to see how you were doing, but it looks like you’re fine.”
“I am,” Korra said, grinning. “The ankle is back to normal. What about you?”
“I’m good,” Asami replied. “Had to cancel my meeting with Opal because of classes, but we rescheduled. Anyway, I won’t keep you any longer. I can see that you’re determined.”
“I am,” Korra confirmed.
“Good luck, Kor,” Asami said, as they moved into the hallway. Korra hugged her, before hurrying off. It was a Tuesday afternoon, which meant that Bolin would most likely be in his dorm playing Call of Duty with his roommates. She considered grabbing her bike but thought better of it. It was a beautiful day, and the walk would help to clear her mind. Bolin’s dormitory wasn’t far from her own anyway.
As she walked, she rehearsed what she wanted to say over and over again in her mind. Before she knew it, she found herself at the front entrance to Bolin’s dorm. She smiled and waved to the few students who she recognized, as she walked inside. Bolin had invited her over to his dorm before, but she always chickened out. Yet she remembered which room was his. Korra took a steadying breath, before knocking on the door. The sound of faint music was coming from inside.
A black-haired man she didn’t recognize answered the door. He was wearing a green University of Oregon sweatshirt and shorts. Though he looked like he had just rolled out of bed, his hair was still perfectly styled.
“Oh, hello,” Korra replied, smiling. “Uh, I was looking for Bolin Lee? I hope I got the right room.”
“You did.” The man replied. “He’s just not here right now. I’m Tahno, one of his roommates.”
“Do you know where he is?”
“I’m sorry, but no,” Tahno answered. “He left while I was asleep. I could try asking our other roommate, but I doubt he knows either. Why are you looking for him?”
“I just need to talk to him,” Korra replied.
“Just text him then.” Tahno shrugged. “Anyway, I’ve got shit to do.” He added, before turning away and shutting the door. Korra sighed in annoyance. She started walking away, reaching into her pocket as she did so. Only to realize that in her anxious haste to leave, she’d forgotten her phone. Shaking her head, Korra went down to the first floor to continue her search. She checked his usual hangouts: the dining area and gym. Yet still didn’t see any sign of him.
Not sure what else to do, she decided to check around outside next. Part of her was tempted to go back to her dorm to get her phone, but she didn’t want to risk losing her nerve. She was determined to get this done. Eventually, however, she realized that her search might be in vain. The campus was huge, and she had already checked all the places she knew he liked to hang out. Not to mention that she was growing hungry and there were plenty of assignments that she needed to work on soon.
“Why can’t this shit ever be easy?” Korra lamented as she made her way back to her dorm. It was getting closer to evening now, so the main area was slightly busier than it had been earlier, as her fellow students came back from classes. She stopped at the dining area to grab a salad, before making her way up to her floor. “Of course, I’d forget my phone today.” She scolded herself as she walked. Korra reached her floor and turned to head down the hall, but stopped.
Sitting near her dorm room door was Bolin. He had his back against the wall, mindlessly scrolling through his phone. A bouquet of flowers sat on his lap. Korra felt a pang of guilt at the sight.
“I hope you haven’t been waiting long.” She said, apologetically. Bolin looked up at the sound of her voice. A large grin spread across his face immediately and got to his feet in a hurry.
“Oh, it’s fine!” He replied. “I don’t mind waiting. Although I tried to text you.”
“I, uh, kinda forgot my phone,” Korra explained. “I’m glad that you’re here though, I wanted to talk to you.”
“Okay. Oh, these are for you!” He said, holding out the bouquet. Korra accepted them with a warm smile. They were pink roses, her favorite.
“Thank you!” She whispered. “How’d you know I like these?”
“I asked Asami to ask you what your favorite flowers were, I wanted to make sure that I got the right ones.” He answered, smiling sheepishly. “So what did you want to talk to me about?”
Korra opened her mouth to reply, but nothing came out. After all her planning, she suddenly didn’t know what to say. The lack of response made her panic, so she said the first thing that came to mind.
“Did you know that we don’t really know how dinosaurs had sex?” Bolin shot her a confused look. Korra felt herself blush as she continued to ramble. “I mean, there’s a lot of theories about it. Some people think they do it butt-to-butt like some modern birds, while others think that they must’ve had penises. But we’ll never actually know for certain because genitalia doesn’t fossilize and we’ve never found any fossils of dinosaurs ‘getting it on’ either. I mean we’ve found fossils of eggs and nests, but that just leaves us with more questions.”
“I’m sorry, I don’t know why I said any of that.” Korra continued, blushing furiously, and glancing down at her feet. “I’m just nervous because I wanted to ask if you’d like to go on a date with me.”
Of all the potential responses she had been expecting, the soft chuckle he let out wasn’t among them. Korra looked up to see him grinning in amusement. For a split second, anger flashed in her chest.
“Don’t worry, I’m not laughing at you I promise!” Bolin said, seeming to sense her displeasure. “I’m just laughing at the situation. You see, I’ve been waiting here for you because I was planning to ask you out too.”
“Oh…” Korra replied, shocked into silence.
“So, what do you say?” He asked, looking suddenly nervous. Korra glanced down at the flowers in her hand and smiled fondly. Sure, this hadn’t gone the way she had pictured it, but the result was exactly what she hoped it would be.
“Yes!” She replied with enthusiasm. Bolin smiled hugely.
“Awesome! So, did you have a plan in mind?”
“Not really, I’m open to anything.” Korra shrugged.
“Okay, cool, then I’ll text the details later.” He said. “Don’t worry, it won’t be anything too crazy. I’d like to try and get to know you better.”
“I agree. Anyway, I should probably get going. I have some assignments that need finishing.”
“Right, so do I.” He replied, moving away from her door. “I’ll text you later!” Korra waved goodbye. Her carefully controlled excitement burst forth as soon as she entered her dorm. She clutched the roses to her chest gently as she did a celebratory dance. Once she had settled down, Korra retrieved her phone from where she’d left it on her desk.
There were two missed texts from Bolin.
Hunkasaurus: Hey, are you awake?
Hunkasaurus: I guess you’re busy. I’ll just wait here for you.
To Korra’s surprise and mild concern, she also had over a dozen missed texts and two missed calls from Asami.
Asami: Hey, I know you just left, but Bo’s outside your room. I’d talk to him if I wasn’t busy with assignments.
Asami: Oh god, Kor, he brought flowers! That’s adorable.
Asami: Seriously, where are you? He’s just sitting outside your room now.
Asami: I swear Kunuk if you’re not back in ten minutes I’m gonna tell him about that day you tried going to class with no pants!
The rest of the texts were similar before Asami apparently gave up on messaging her entirely. Korra couldn’t help but laugh as she read them. The other girl could be a handful sometimes.
Me: I’m back! Apparently, Bo had the same idea that I did. We’re going to plan our date soon.
Me: Also, you pinky-promised never to tell anyone that story! And you can’t break a pinky promise. :P
Korra started eating her salad while pulling out the assignments that she needed to work on. Her phone beeped a few minutes later.
Asami: Glad to hear it went well. And I’d never break such an important promise! Don’t worry, your secret is safe with me. ;)