Fifth Time's The Charm by Caelli

I

Fingers drum softly against the cup in her hand as she gives her companion a forced polite smile. Whatever he's saying is lost on her as his voice blurs with the cafe's ambient noise. Turning her wrist slightly, she discreetly checks her watch, not that the gentleman sitting across would have noticed. What, with him talking about himself nonstop— a taxing half hour she's graciously endured while questioning her decision to agree to this in the first place.

She might have mentioned off hand to her assistant that her last real relationship had been years ago, though she's unsure what part of that conversation meant she wanted to be set up on a date. To be fair, it wasn't an idea she was completely opposed to. When her relationship with Mako fell through, she'd hardly had time to pursue another with her being sucked into the whirlpool of drama surrounding her father and the company. Suffice to say, much of her time these last few years was spent on work with no real investments into personal relationships.

But things have been manageable as of late and she figures it's a good time to get back in the game so to speak. Although, she's seriously reconsidering that right now.

She takes a last sip of her coffee, black had been a good choice it turns out, emptying it to the last drop before setting it back down with a not so subtle tap on the table. "Listen, Hyeon," she unapologetically interrupts a long narcissistic spiel about how he's landed his current promotion. "I have to get going. It's been a pleasure. Thank you for the drink."

Ignoring the man's confusion, she gathers her purse and stands to leave. It's safe to say there's nothing about this first impression that could be salvaged and she doesn't care much for whatever else he has to say.

"My pleasure. Should we do this again?"

If this hadn't been such a waste of her time, she might have given a passively vague confirmation. Unfortunately for this man she's past the point of caring and can't be bothered with ambiguity nor excuses. Plus it's far kinder to be direct. "No, I don't think so," she smiles courteously before turning for the exit. "Have a good evening."

She glances at the time again as she steps out of the coffee shop and decides she's got plenty before meeting Korra. The drive home is quick and she takes her time getting into her workout gear and packing her duffel.

While this new routine is a plausible side effect of trying to get back on the market, in truth, it's just something that consistently helps make her feel better. The stress and mental strain of her work, emotional baggage that haunts her from time to time… a good workout has kept it all in check. Or at the very least, exhausts her body enough to force it to sleep.

Not to mention that she loves spending time with her best friend. Korra's been busy herself recently, and between the two of them, coinciding free time has been far in between. Although, the fitness buff that she is, Korra will always have time for the gym and Asami couldn't think of any cons in joining her.

The clock ticks ten minutes before seven when she arrives, just enough time to stow her stuff in the locker before heading to the cardio section, all part of her routine punctuality. She spots a familiar figure on one of the treadmills in the far row, the strong build and short hair unmistakable. The chance to second guess doesn't present itself anyway, with her feet already intent in going that direction.

She claims the machine next to Korra's with a quick drape of her towel and a bottle in the holder, prompting her friend to slow her speed a touch and remove an earphone.

"You're here before me," Asami says, the numbers on the machine reads twenty minutes and counting.

"Work let me leave early."

"How long do you have left?"

"Hmmm, run for like thirty and then we'll hit the racks, yeah?"

She replies with a nod as Korra puts her earphone back in its place and resumes her usual speed.

Discretion is something Asami has mastered over the years. She wouldn't be caught gawking with her face blatantly to the side staring at her friend's athleticism and the way her body responds to her movements. If only because there's already a portrait of it ingrained her brain, painted by years of admiring her, going as far back as their varsity days in university.

Korra is a very attractive woman, an undeniable truth she'd realized early on. She's incredibly fit, yes. In fact, she used to be a personal trainer but her love of helping people has found her a great opportunity working for a non-profit instead; an example that speaks volumes of Asami's admiration for her. Korra's compassionate, self-less, kind, genuine, headstrong, she's freaking amazing really, and—

And she needs to stop, lest she trips and face plants on the floor. Centering her focus and freeing her mind from distraction, she adjusts her speed and incline. She's no slouch herself, having trained in the martial arts growing up, and is more than happy to get the blood pumping and work up a sweat until the warm up comes to an end some half hour later.

They find a good spot on the mats and Korra stretches and rolls her shoulders while the mirror behind her foils Asami's plans to mind her own business as it reflects glorious back muscles.

"How was your date?" Korra asks as she plops to the ground and stretches her leg, pulling her attention.

Asami mimics her movement, but the stretch isn't the cause of the grimace on her face. It probably says it all, but voicing her discontent would simply revisit events she'd rather move past. "It wasn't really a date. Just coffee."

"I'll take that as it didn't go well," Korra chuckles. "Damn, you of all people having trouble in the romance department. What chance do the rest of us have!"

Asami playfully swats at her friend's leg. "Don't undersell yourself. And I don't know. I just don't feel interested in any of them."

"Sounds like you're holding out for someone."

She leans forward, concentration honing in on the taught stretch of her hamstring before paying Korra's words any mind. It's not like she doesn't want to be interested, that's the whole point of trying after all. But deep down she knows it's the truth. There is someone already. Just, tragically, someone she's too afraid of the risks to pursue.

Korra gasps moments later, deriving meaning from her silence. "Wait— you are aren't you!?"

"What?"

"You've got a secret crush on someone and that's why none of these other dates have panned out." Korra waggles her brows and gives her a sly smile.

Asami laughs, giving in to her silliness, and plays along to rile her up knowing how easy it is. "I mean… maybe?"

Korra's face lights up at the juicy revelation before she's even finished and excitedly demands for more. "Who!?"

You would have been opportunistic to blurt out in the moment, but she's not about to confess out here on the mats. The word is left stranded on her tongue, weighed down by the baggage that comes with it. She chooses the coward's way out and deflects instead. "Well, it wouldn't be a secret if I told you now, would it?"

"At least give me some hints," Korra pouts and pleads with her irresistible blue eyes. Asami, powerless against it, rolls her own and wordlessly nods fine just as Korra perks right back up.

"Are they hot?"

"Oh," Asami breathes dreamily, "very." Something about admitting the words, even in jest, as she looks right at Korra makes her heart flutter and she allows herself to swoon over her adorably expressive face.

"Ooh," Korra replies suggestively, drawing more laughter and a warning from Asami. "And why haven't you made a move?"

An answer doesn't come immediately to mind and she pauses to consider her words. "I don't know," she sighs, "For starters I don't know if they'll be into me… I don't know how they'll react and I don't want to make things weird."

"So it's someone you already know…" Korra drawls and her deduction is rewarded by a reluctant nod, but Asami gives her absolutely nothing when she fishes for more. "Is it someone I know?" Answering that wouldn't be a much of a hint at that point.

"Well," Korra waves it off and pats Asami's shoulder, a welcome comfort as the mood is starting to slip away from playful. "You shouldn't think like that," she says encouragingly in that genuine way she usually does. "I mean, what's the worse that can happen? They won't like you back? That's their loss, Asami!" A bright lopsided grin punctuates the pep talk and immediately lifts Asami's spirits.

Grateful for the advice, she nods and gives it some thought. Pride would be the least of her concerns. Rejection would hurt, sure, but she'd get over that eventually. Perhaps it's the unknown that she's dreading. How would it affect their friendship? She'd hate for her feelings to cause a rift between them. She wouldn't want to lose what they have now. There's also, oddly enough— because she's never been one to draw self worth from others—, a part of her that's unsure if she'll even be a good fit or be able to live up to the best that Korra deserves (because Korra deserves nothing less).

Though maybe she's unfairly discrediting their relationship. They are best friends. Surely they'd be able to work it out if the worst comes to worst.

"C'mon, let's go do some squats!" Korra offers a hand to help her up.

High risk, high rewards. Knowing would be worth it, Asami decides, but she wouldn't take the plunge without testing the waters. She would want to at least know if there is even a hint of interest from Korra before she lays it all on the line.

---

II

It's a futile endeavour to second guess a text that she'd already sent, but she couldn't help but reassess what she's done. She maintains that it was on the side of subtlety; an inconspicuous bait for attention.

It's a picture of her backside, which admittedly looks really good after suffering weeks of Korra's brutal big booty routine (as she calls it), but it wasn't lewd.

And it wasn't out of context.

The reply that came certainly agrees with that analysis, and she doesn't quite know how to feel about it. On one hand, there's relief that it is indeed a harmless text that isn't too out of the ordinary between friends. On the other, there's disappointment that it hadn't elicited any other reactions. Even an innocent, friendly Asami your ass looks amazing would have been nice.

It's safe to say that's a point in the 'not interested' column. There is certainly no indication whatsoever of the contrary, though she knows better than to draw conclusions off of one result.

Asami puckers her lips in thought and resolves to give it another try.

---

Korra is sweating. It could be from the fact that they are in a gym filled with warm bodies in motion. Or the fact that the industrial ceiling fan above the power rack they are using doesn't appear to be working. Or the fact that her body continues to burn energy even in between sets.

But she knows, for a fact, that it's most certainly the impressive set of glutes that's been a haunting visual she can't unsee— not since opening the text that brought thoughts and feelings she'd long suppressed out of the depths of her mind and into the forefront. The very same ones currently in front of her now, continuously protruding as Asami performs her reps.

She tells herself to limit her eyes to watching for form and technique, not assets or anything that would compromise her ability as a spotter for that matter.

The hands Korra has hovering under the bar twitches as Asami rises from her last squat with significant effort, though her assistance isn't required. Only when Asami finishes and makes a move to set the bar does her hands touch it to help guide it on the hook.

"Good job," she says as she moves to unload the weights. Asami's been doing great, managing to complete her sets despite the difficulty of increased resistance. The results certainly speaks to the effort she's been putting in.

It's something to be proud of— and that, Korra decides, is exactly what that message was about. Asami's just celebrating her accomplishment. She's been working hard on her body and Korra should be proud and supportive like a good friend, and not ogling her.

"Korra," she flinches at the sound of her name. The expectant look on Asami's face makes it clear she had zoned out. "You're out of it today."

"Yeah, sorry!" she chuckles nervously, "I was just uh… thinking of something that happened at work."

Asami bends over to grab her water bottle from the ground and Korra wills herself to look away from the tantalizing scene before her. But she couldn't. And things turn for the worst as time seemingly slows and she fixates on the droplet of water that spills from the corner of Asami's lips as she drinks. Her eyes follow its trail at the edge of her chin, down her slender neck, and over her collar bone until it disappeared between the valley of her breasts underneath her sports bra.

"I said," Asami's voice breaks the spell, wiping her mouth with the back of her hand, "pistol squats next?"

"Actually," Korra decides she can't take any more. "I think I'm done for tonight— I forgot to do something? Uhm, I'm gonna go. I'll see you tomorrow— Bye!"

She grabs her towel and runs for the locker room, all but runs out the gym all together, skipping the showers, intent on getting the hell out as soon as possible to avoid potentially seeing Asami in there too.

---

III

It's not something that Korra hasn't seen her wear before. It's almost a daily occurrence for Korra to encounter her in such an outfit. But admittedly, it's a bit of a bolder picture, the intent and focus of it quite clear with styles that had a bit more push chosen by design to help showcase the girls. She's not blessed like Korra by any means, but hers are just as lovely.

It's bound to get some sort of engagement.

And it does— just not the kind she'd hoped for. She can't even bring herself to be mad about it. Korra had brought up some very solid points, the kind of details she herself would consider, and did so out of good faith. Always so sweet and thoughtful.

The tally grows for zero interest though. Does sending messages under the context of the gym affect the outcome? Why would she mistake a seemingly legitimate question for flirtation when it could very well be just be related to their routine?

Still, that line of thinking feels like an optimistic reach and there are only two real possibilities she could think of. It could be that Korra does recognize the implications and is simply choosing to be polite, which definitely makes her feel bad for imposing like this. Or, Korra is oblivious to it all; immune to her charms because she really doesn't see her in that light.

Regardless of the justification, the end result is the same. It's a small sample size, maybe, but there's a clear pattern already: Korra's not interested. Continuing would be pointless and she may as well stop this little experiment.

---

Korra is convinced that she is being tortured. She doesn't know what she did in her past life to warrant such agony but she is most definitely being tortured.

The last photo Asami had sent is just the kind of fuel her nightmares need. And by nightmares she means enticing dreams about unattainable pleasures featuring her beautiful best friend. And as if she wasn't already thinking about those after the mischievous stray droplet ended its journey there the other day.

She is starting to wonder why she's receiving such provocative pictures.

No, she stops herself. Are they even meant to be provocative? Or is she simply interpreting it as such because she's never really been successful at suppressing her feelings for Asami, even after all this time.

It's a simple consultation for advice, she rationalizes. Perfectly innocent. And normal. And not unlike the other times they've sent each other pictures or wanted the other's opinion.

Guilt is starting to creep up, a very good indication that's she probably doing something wrong. Admittedly, the last couple pictures has got her… looking.

Respectfully, of course, but looking nonetheless in a manner unbecoming of a friend. And she has to remind herself that this is Asami; sweet, kind, considerate Asami and she doesn't deserve to have her innocent messages be misconstrued by her dirty thoughts.

"Stop being a bad friend, Korra," she tells herself as she presses a pillow to her face.

---

IV

A day with less than three meetings has got to be some kind of record, Asami thinks. There's no complaints from her however, not that paperwork is an exciting alternative, but simply because she gets to remain seated in her office for most of the day.

Her assistant comes in, carrying a stack of files to place on her desk but Asami's focus remains on her notes, not bothering to acknowledge the man. Only when she hears an "Oop—" as he places the documents on her desk does she look up to humour him.

"What?"

His brows are raised high, lips tight in a huge smile as he tilts his head to the side; a suggestion that there may be something interestingly scandalous in the air. He motions towards her phone on the desk, left unlocked and openly displaying her conversation with Korra. "Who are we thirst trapping?"

"What are you talking about? This?" She points to the picture of her red bottom heels that she sent Korra. "I was just showing a friend my new shoes."

"Nuh-nuh," he waves a finger and gives her a disbelieving look. "This is a thirst trap if I've ever seen one."

"It is not," she leans back in her chair, crossing her arms in defiance.

He claps his hands together, signaling the acceptance of her challenge and a promise of proving her wrong. And knowing her assistant, probably make a show of it.

He saunters confidently to the door of her office and rallies their colleagues to gather around. He raises her phone for all to see and asks if they thought the picture in question seem flirtatious in nature. The answer of course is a resounding yes and he shoos all of them back to work before triumphantly turning back towards her with a hand on his hip and a face that may as well have been painted with an 'I told you so'.

She rolls her eyes as he makes his way back to return her phone. "I mean boss, your legs?" He brings his fingers together and kisses them before dramatically tossing away from his lips.

A chef's kiss is a gesture she will always gladly accept, but he, and the rest of the office apparently, are gravely mistaken. "Whatever, it's not. And even if it was, she's not interested. Trust me, I've tried."

"Sounds fake, but okay," he all but sings as he exists her office.

---

Divide and conquer is the plan of attack to raid the store of snacks as efficiently as possible. Korra is absentmindedly walking the aisles, clutching copious bags of junk food to her chest, regretting her error of not grabbing a basket.

Acquiring snacks is part of the rituals of movie night, a long standing tradition they like to do from time to time. A chill relaxing night in with Asami is something Korra loves.

At least she used to. At the moment she's kind of dreading it. She's a little nervous about spending the next few hours on Asami's couch in close proximity. Her twisted mind hasn't eased up on filthy thoughts. On the contrary, they've only gotten worse. The last picture she received, a whole three weeks ago at that, still burns in her mind. So much so that Asami's amazing legs had made an appearance in her dreams last night, wrapped around her waist while they—

Can you stop? she pleads with herself. Her rampant imagination has been causing some serious consequences between her legs. The amount of cold showers she's had to take lately has been innumerable, unwilling to violate any unspoken rules of friendship. It feels highly inappropriate to even consider doing that while thinking of her best friend.

She winds up in the pharmacy section and looks around. Groaning, she figures it's time to head back, but not before regarding a package that catches her eye hanging from the corner of the shelf. Dr. Scholl's Fast Flats. She isn't aware they made such products. At the risk of looking foolish with her range of motion limited to just her wrist, she grabs for one, careful to not drop the stuff she's carrying. Asami could probably use this.

She meets Asami at the line to checkout and immediately empties her arms into her cart. Because Asami, with her big beautiful brain, genius that she is, is smart and got a cart.

"What's that?" She asks pointing at the package that did not resemble a snack.

"Oh, that's for you." Asami only gives her a confused look and waits expectantly for her to elaborate.

"For your conference next week? I mean I know they're not as sexy as the Louboutins but I'm sure your feet will appreciate it with those long event days."

"You know I own flats, right?"

"But this is travel friendly! See?" She points emphatically at the word 'foldable' and the picture of the little wristlet carrying pouch it comes with. "It's my duty as your friend to splurge a whole twenty bucks on this questionable product and slip them in your purse so you will at least have them available when you inevitably don't bring the flats you allegedly already own."

She almost lets herself feel embarrassed at the end of her ramble, thinking the gesture may have been too much, even if it's just for shit and giggles.

But Asami only says, "Alright," with a smile full of endearment. "It's very thoughtful, thank you."

---

V

The full length mirror reflects the exact moment when Asami's smile turns into a frown. Her shoulders sag as she sighs, tossing her phone on her bed before stomping off towards her closet to change.

It's difficult not to feel upset, despite urging herself not to, and it's directed mostly at herself. What was she doing sending a picture like that to Korra? After she said she'd stop no less. She probably crossed some line this time. Perhaps it's the false sense of hope she convinced herself of when Korra appeared to have had her picture in mind even well after the fact. Obviously, she's blown that out of proportion as Korra was clearly just being helpful like the caring friend that she is.

And it's the expectation, really, that drives home the disappointment. She only has herself to blame for having any. At the risk of sounding vain, that photo turned out shockingly good— the best she'd ever taken even (as far as mirror selfies go). It's certain to captivate and perhaps it's that over confidence that's mislead her to believe she would render Korra smitten. Evidently she couldn't be more wrong because according the Korra, the most interesting thing about her in a skimpy swim suit is the potential tan lines that she would get from it.

She's never been one to take comments towards her appearance to heart, complimentary or not, but there was something about the exchange that's left her feeling a little undesirable. The reality of the one sided situation, perhaps, or the hopelessness that comes with it. Maybe even both.

In the comforts of a loose shirt and sweatpants, she plops on her bed. Just as she'd initially hypothesized, there isn't anything there. That's four for four, technically three as one wasn't intentional, but nonetheless the math checks out and there's no arguing that.

It's clear as day and she's done looking for hints. Korra is one hundred percent not interested in her in the way she'd hope.

---

Korra hadn't exactly planned to share a hotel room with Asami on this trip. Arrangements simply fell that way. There is no way in hell she'd third wheel Bolin and Opal, neither would she bunk with Mako and his "friend", and a room on her own would have been excessive.

She drags her luggage in the room and claims the bed furthest from the door. "Hey, thanks for agreeing to room with me. I know you like your space," she says, almost timidly.

"Don't even worry about it," Asami simply shrugs off. "You would have been hanging around my room anyway."

"That's true," she huffs in amusement. She opens her suit case and starts to messily toss her stuff all over her bed, the Korra way of unpacking.

"You can go first," she hears Asami offer after a moment, tilting her head towards the bathroom.

The crew had planned to hit the beach first thing after checking in. Nodding, she grabs her things and goes to change. As she slips into her swimsuit, thoughts of Asami's floats in her mind and a blush creeps up her cheeks. She would be lying if she said she hadn't looked forward to seeing it in person. The sneak peek she received almost made her faint. She'd been unable to stop thinking about it, even scrolling back up the thread to see it again on more than one occasion.

Despite the excitement, she still has concerns about the very real possibility of her getting a heart attack if Asami flaunts her magnificence in her presence, intentionally or not. She glares at her reflection in the mirror and slaps herself out of it. Keep it together, Korra.

"All yours," she announces as she exits the bathroom.

Busying herself with organizing her things about, she tries to ignore the building anticipation of the bathroom door clicking and swinging open with Asami walking out. She can't say for certain how long, but the moment comes eventually.

She clears her throat and she turns towards Asami. "So," she starts, only to immediately pause, stunned, with what ever she was going to say forgotten. "Oh."

"Hmm?"

While she still looks stunning (Korra hasn't seen her any other way to be honest), Asami isn't wearing what she'd shown previously. Korra doesn't particularly care what Asami wears, but it does make her wonder the reason behind the change. Ultimately, she decides it's too insignificant to probe but perhaps a little hint would satisfy her curiosity.

"Nothing, I just thought you bought a new one," she throws out casually, halfheartedly gesturing to Asami's person as she returns to emptying her suitcase.

She doesn't think it would actually draw a response, but after a moment, Asami does. "Oh. I returned it. You were right."

Huh? is the first thing that comes to Korra's mind, and apparently out of her mouth. She could only look back at Asami in total confusion, mouth slightly agape.

She sees Asami cast a quick glance at her, probably noticing what she could only guess is a stupid look on her face. Asami sighs and seemingly takes pity on her, keeping her hands busy as she reluctantly explains a topic unworthy of her full attention. "The tan lines? It would have…" she trails off then waves a hand in dismissal, "yeah. Oversight on my part."

Asami's words doesn't serve to ease Korra's confusion, only turns it into distress. Anxiety starts to settle. She cringes as her mind searches through her memory for clues of any wrong doing on her part. Asami had seemed really excited about her original purchase— did she ruin that for her? Should she have been more encouraging? Given more meaningful feedback? Did she say the wrong thing?

It's tempting to ask for clarification, but with Asami's definitive tone on the subject, she decides against it. She sulks in defeat and moves her stuff about without a real purpose. There's an awkwardness in the air that she doesn't know what to make of. Is she missing something? This isn't like them.

"Hey, could you?" Asami's voice pulls her out of her thoughts.

Or maybe she's imagining it as the mood returns to normal with the brief tension dissipating as if it hadn't even come in the first place.

She's about to ask, but the tube is already in her hands and Asami proceeds to turn her back, carefully gathering her long black hair over her shoulder. The request takes a moment to register in Korra's brain but it clicks nonetheless. It's just sunscreen, Korra. Don't make it weird.

With the cream on her hands, she starts at the middle of Asami's back, assuming it to be the place she had trouble reaching, and works her way up and outwards. She puts her mind into performing the very standard task of applying the product evenly, and not at all at the way Asami feels against her palms. Eager to end the excruciating task, she rushes to finish quickly. "This good?"

She swiftly turns away as soon as Asami gives a hum of approval.

God, what is happening. Korra lets out a quiet exhale, the odd mix of emotions starting to overwhelm her. She's confused, anxious, and she hates to say it, a little bit aroused.

"Want me to do you?" She hears Asami ask.

"W-what?"

"Sunscreen?" Asami waves the tube in her hand.

"Oh, uh, yeah. Sure. Thanks." She turns her back towards Asami and closes her eyes. It's just sunscreen, Korra. She repeats her earlier words in her head. Don't make it weird.

The click of the tube's top being shut and the feeling of it being placed back in her hand distracts her enough to be unprepared for the sensation of Asami's hands on her body. She shivers upon contact and lets out an audibly shaky breath. You made it weird.

"You okay?"

"Yep— just cold!" she squeaks.

In an attempt keep her sanity, Korra squeezes the contents of the tube in her hands and starts to do her arms. A measly diversion from the agonizingly slow and thorough rubbing against her back. And gosh does she mean thorough— the massaging circles atop her shoulders, quick slips under the thin straps against her shoulder blades, and the firm slide down the expanse of her back—

"YOU LADIES READY?" Bolin's muffled voice follows the loud banging on the door.

It's never occured to Korra that she would be relieved to be interrupted like this in the middle of— well, sunscreen application— but she doesn't have her wits about her to argue with divine intervention.

"Almost!" Asami yells back before asking Korra, "You got the rest?"

Nodding, Korra frantically finishes the task on herself before quickly pulling a tank top and shorts over her swim wear.

Asami, already donning a matching sarong and a beach hat, turns to her and extends her tote in open invitation for loose items. Korra drops the sunscreen in, and after quick consideration, adds her phone, keycard, wallet, towel, and a water bottle.

"All set," Korra says, trying to be nonchalant despite still not having entirely cooled off.

"It's going to be such a fun week" she says, smiling at Korra.

"Mhm."

---

VI

Asami lets herself lean back into her couch as she stares at her phone. The truth is, she did consider showing Korra when she was in the dressing room, as she would normally. Ultimately, it's the recent disappointments that's made her decide against it.

Korra's not to blame, the fault is entirely on her own. She made things weird. Everything she shares now comes with some unreasonable expectation where even a completely normal response will serve as a reminder of unrequited feelings and leave her disappointed.

The rift she had been so wary of is turning out to be quite the self-fulfilling prophecy. Isn't she the one who's deviated from the norm? Purposely sharing less? Talking less? Keeping a bit of a distance?

She wonders if Korra's upset about being kept in the dark. Not that there was ever an assumption between them that they share absolutely everything with the other. Intent is the key difference, and Asami knows that if the reverse were true, she wouldn't feel great about it.

Guilt sets in, realizing how unfair she's acting. She shouldn't stop being Korra's friend just because she felt differently.

A smile forms on her lips. "What, just wow? No practical feedback this time?" she asks out loud. She stares at the message, waiting if there's more to follow.

Nothing does after a couple of minutes, but Asami is curious to see Korra's status indicate she's still online. She stops the presumptive thoughts early in its tracks before it takes a turn for unhealthy conclusions. It's likely Korra's just talking to someone else.

Still, she can't help herself. Biting her lip, she shoots a quick message, "lol thanks". The receipt immediately ticks received and read. Multiple possibilities could explain that but she doubts Korra's just staring at her message. She most likely had put her phone down and left it unlocked.

A moment passes and Asami exhales a deep sigh, "This is stupid."

It most certainly is. Dancing around the topic, reaching to justify assumptions, reading into the tiniest of things… would it really be so bad to be upfront? She remembers Korra's encouraging words from that day on the mats. An idea dawns on her and in a moment of bravery, she composes a quick message, pressing enter before she could change her mind.

The reality of what she's done hits her immediately, and in a panic, shoves her phone face down on the cushion beside her before pulling her knees close to her chest. She eyes her phone nervously from a distance, chewing at her thumb in anticipation.

Minutes pass and the device remains still. No notifications, no vibrations, nothing. There's no response and her nervousness fades into sadness. A heavy sigh escapes her as she buries her face in her hands. She holds still for a moment, hiding her disappointment and calming her emotions with deep steady breaths.

Eventually she sinks further into the couch in utter dejection, keeping her eyes closed as she rests her head back. The day has been exhausting and she figures it's best to simply resign to bed. But as life would have it, her phone rings as soon as she thinks it. The universe isn't done punishing her apparently. She sighs, blindly reaching for her phone. What would work want at this hour?

"Asami speaking," she answers, her exhaustion slipping past the neutral tone.

The voice on the other line sobers her up, forcing her eyes open and shifting her body upright. "Korra?"

---

The message renders Korra speechless. So much so that she's only managed to send a dumb "wow". A great match for the equally dumb expression she likely has on her face at the moment but Asami would probably want feedback with a little more substance. She tries her hardest to think of one, but her head is empty.

And it continues to remain empty. She doesn't think anything else could stun her this hard until the next message proves her wrong.

"Listen, I know it's short notice but do you want to be my plus one?"

Frozen in utter disbelief, Korra gawks at her phone. She takes a second to check she's not actually dreaming and Asami had actually asked her to be her date.

It's a sobering thought that melts away her shock with questions in its place. Does she mean like as a date? No, it wouldn't necessarily mean that… or maybe just—

"Whatever," she shakes her head, deciding those thoughts are not worth exploring.

It doesn't matter what it is, the answer is obviously yes regardless. She loves spending time with Asami, and that's surely mutual if she wants her to tag along. Besides, she doesn't like the idea of someone else by her side for the night.

She starts to type a reply, but despite her excitement, takes an embarrassingly long time in an attempt to be cool about it. Eventually, she gives up and calls instead.

"Hey." She hears Asami say her name from the other end, but opts to cut to the chase, not wanting to lose her nerve. "I'd love to come with. It's this Saturday right?"

Her eyes dart around the room, lips in a pout as she waits for a response. "Asami?" she asks when the silence grew too much to bear.

"Y-yeah! It is. The venue's out of town though, so I actually got a hotel for the weekend and was going to head over Friday night after work. Does that still work for you? I mean, that would be the easiest, probably? You could also just meet me there—"

"Yeah. No. That's fine!" She winces upon realizing she's cut Asami off, but doesn't dwell on it nor the fact that Asami is uncharacteristically rambling. "A weekend thing would be fun! And I don't drive so…"

"Awesome," there's an excitement in Asami's voice that fuels her own. "Listen I've got everything covered, ok? You don't have to worry about anything. Pick you up Friday at seven?

"Sounds perfect!"

"Ok, I'll see you then. Goodnight!"

She had barely hung up when she jumps off the couch, unable to contain her joy. "Whoo!" The commotion attracts hurried paws from across the room, her Labrador happy to join in on the excitement with a flurry of tail wags and tippy taps despite having no idea what's going on. "Naga!!!" Korra squeals as she kneels to her level, affectionately ruffling her fur. "I'm going on a date with Asami!"

A clueless Naga just happily stares at her with a huge smile and a hanging tongue. "Well," the energy drops down a notch. "It's not a date date," she clarifies as she pets Naga a little more gently. The technicality doesn't impede her excitement's return nor the grin growing once more on her face, however. She squishes Naga's face before affectionately hugging her, "but it kinda is."

---

VII

A careful hand holds a bun of dark brown hair still as an ornate hair pin slides in to lock it in place. "There," Asami says, looking up to catch Korra's eyes in the reflection of the mirror. "How's that?"

"Thanks, I like it," Korra replies, beaming as she turns her head left and right in inspection.

Asami takes Korra's place on the seat when she vacates it for the closet. "I guess I'll go ahead and get dressed," Korra says, retrieving the covered garment hanging on the rod.

Asami looks to her through the mirror as she gathers her hair up. "I can't wait to see it," she mumbles as clearly as one can whilst holding bobby pins with their lips. Korra flashes her a smile in passing on her way to the bathroom and Asami hadn't realized her eyes had followed her all the way there until the bathroom door shuts and reminds her to give her own hair and make up attention.

Given how late her invitation had been, Asami offered to procure a dress for her, but Korra had reassured her it's unnecessary. True enough Korra carried a black garment bag along with her carry-on when she picked her up last night. She had asked to see it when they arrived at the hotel after a late dinner, curious to know what the cover concealed, but Korra had brushed it off, you'll see tomorrow, and insisted they watch some shows before bed.

Content with the state of her hair, she moves to touch up the make up she had mostly finished before tending to Korra. The joy she feels right now is clear in her reflection and she can't stop herself from smiling. The events of the day and the night prior… it's all been so much fun.

What time they fell asleep last night is beyond her, but it was probably quite late as they both had slept in this morning. An unusual thing for her (not so much for Korra, who's a firm believer that mornings are evil), but waking up feeling well rested is a rarity Asami will always welcome. It put her in such a great mood that she treated Korra to brunch at the hotel's fancy bistro, and even indulged with a mimosa or three at Korra's behest.

This is basically a vacation. Who cares if it's before noon!

Probably her, seeing as she had work-related responsibilities to check in with her organizers hours before the night's events, but she couldn't find it in herself to leave Korra hanging when she raised her glass for a toast.

She takes a last look in the mirror, before turning away. "Are you ok in there?" she asks loud enough for Korra to hear as she takes her dress from where it hung.

"Yeah, I'll be right out," is the muffled reply from behind the closed door.

"No, it's fine, take your time. I'm gonna get in my dress out here," she hangs her head to listen for a confirmation before she proceeds to undress. She slips into the dress, taking care to fix the front proper to mitigate any possibilities of a malfunction and keep things tasteful. It's a daring dress; arguably perhaps a tad risqué for a work related engagement, but she wanted to impress and she's confident she could pull it off.

And Korra seems to really like it, which says a lot in her eyes considering her prior failures of impressing her.

The weekend has definitely lived up to the excitement she felt when Korra accepted her invitation to be her date thus far. Though that's not exactly an established mutual understanding. The intent behind her invitation and the implications of attending the gala together remains vague and undiscussed. Lack of courage, perhaps, but she wonders if there's even a need for it. Korra seems to genuinely be enjoying herself as much as she is. Things have been light, and fun, and going so well… why put a damper on things?

Korra emerges from the bathroom just as Asami finishes securing her earrings by the mirror. "Could you help me?" she asks as she hurriedly walks over, turning around to show the unzipped zipper before Asami could examine her dress.

Asami hastily zips it up, "Here you go. Now let me see this dress."

Korra turns around and takes a step back, looking adorably bashful, making Asami gasp in awe.

"Korra! You look great, I love this…" Asami gushes. It's a simple dress but Korra wears it well with the cut of it complimenting her physique.

"Thanks," she chuckles, a hand at the back of her neck. "It's not my usual digs but I can't be out here lookin' like a bum." Her shyness fades as she diverts the topic, looking more comfortable to be giving compliments than receiving. "Especially not next to this!" she exclaims, outstretched arms excitedly gesturing up and down the length of Asami. "Goodness…"

It's Asami's turn to feel abashed under Korra's admiration. "Thank you," she says with a smile she couldn't suppress. As much as she wanted to relish this, time reminds her their ride is probably already waiting. "We both look good. And we could compliment each other all night, but we should probably get going."

"Oh, right," Korra hurries back to the bathroom to gather her things.

"What took you so long in there anyway?" Asami asks as she finishes up by the vanity.

"Oh I brought three dresses and I couldn't decide what to wear. See?" She unzips the garment bag low enough to reveal another dress before hanging it back in the closet.

Asami quirks a brow at her through the mirror before looking back down to continue packing her evening handbag. "What for?"

"I don't know, I just wanted to make sure I look good with you I guess," she shrugs as she comes up beside her.

They look at their reflections in the mirror and share a smile before Asami turns to her with her clutch open in her hands. "You always look good."

"Pfft, extra good then."

"All set?" She asks after Korra's phone and keycard joins her stuff in the bag.

"Yep, let's go!"

---

"Two, please!" Korra tells the bartender, who nods at her.

She turns around towards where Asami stood mingling with some people she was introduced to earlier but whose name she'd already forgotten. The tail end of the event has more people up and about on the floor, some opting to dance while others have already left.

A dopey smile settles on her face as she watches Asami from a far. It's difficult not to admire this woman. She hadn't mentioned she was getting honoured with some award tonight. It was to Korra's surprise when Asami was called up and graciously rose from her seat to take to the stage. Korra's heart swelled with pride to hear of Asami's accomplishments and see her be celebrated by her peers, incredibly happy that others recognize just how amazing she is.

And then to watch her naturally deliver a speech, mesmerizing and full of charm— how could anyone not fall for her?

"Here you go, ma'am."

She grabs the champagne flutes and heads over to Asami. The night calls for a celebration and Korra vows to give her a great one.

The people Asami had been in conversation with had already left by the time she got to her side. She hands her a glass and lifts hers.

"Cheers!" she says with a huge grin, waiting for Asami to tap her glass before drinking. She keeps her eyes on Asami as they take a long drink. When the other girl moves to stop, a well timed hold over her hand keeps the glass to her lips. Korra's mischievous smile and a shake of her head nope makes Asami's eyes widen, but continues regardless.

Korra finishes her champagne with an exaggerated sigh of delight and waits for Asami to finish hers.

"Ugh!" Despite the discomfort, Asami starts giggling as she daintily dabs the corner of her lip with a finger.

"Come on," Korra grabs her hand and starts leading her back to the bar. "We're celebrating!"

Korra orders them another round— something a little smoother, please as requested, because who the fuck chugs bubblies?—, but not before reassuring Asami that she's aware they're still in the company of her professional circles and she wouldn't let her get too out of hand. Just as well as Asami is already willing to join her on the dance floor after the third.

Time is no object as the night continues along with their fun. It's when Asami almost trips that decides its conclusion for them.

"I'm ok," she giggles against Korra's shoulder. "I'm a bit tipsy." Korra wraps an arm around her waist to support her. "And I'm kinda all danced out," she adds softly by Korra's ear, sounding tired.

"That's ok, we should probably go."

Korra takes her hand and leads them back to their table to grab Asami's belongings and say their goodbyes to the colleagues that remain. She doesn't let go of her hand even as they exit the venue, walk through the driveway, and settle in the limo.

It's a quiet ride with Asami's head resting on Korra's shoulder and their held hands on her lap. Korra lets her have some peace, visibly tired enough to doze off even in the short ride back to the hotel.

Korra exits the vehicle first, holding the door open for Asami with one hand and carrying her clutch in the other. Asami manages to get out without further assistance and they make their way through the lobby.

The feeling of Asami slipping her hand back in hers and interlacing their fingers pulls her attention even as the bell sounds the lift's arrival. Yawning, Asami drags both of them in, keeping their hands linked. Korra pushes the button of their floor with a knuckle before taking her place by her side, allowing Asami, who's quite intent on resting her eyes for the duration of the ride up, to lean against her, happy to stand firm in support while she secures the clutch to her chest until they reach their destination.

They only part when they arrive outside of their room and Korra needs her hands to take the keycard out and open the door. Asami yawns again as she slips her heels off and lets her hair loose.

Korra chuckles and does the same. "You're really tired, huh?"

"Mhm," Asami hums as she sits by the vanity, getting a hold of wipes to remove her make up. It's an amusing sight and Korra tries not to laugh. With her slump posture and eyes closed, Asami looks like she's doing the task in her sleep.

Korra grabs her sleeping clothes and her toiletries and prepares herself for bed in the bathroom, taking care of her own routine. By the time she emerges with a clean face and comfortable clothes, Asami's in the same state; on the opposite end of the spectrum than where she was earlier that night but just as beautiful.

Asami takes the bathroom after her and Korra hangs her dress before laying down on her bed.

"Korra," Asami calls out, voice muffled by her toothbrush.

"Yeah?" She hears a rinse and a spit and Korra braves a look through the door Asami left ajar and catches her in the reflection looking back.

"Thanks for coming, you really made my night."

"Aw, I should thank you for inviting me. That was a great party, I'm sure you would've had fun without me," she humbly replies averting her eyes, fingers idly playing with her blanket.

The faucet shuts and the bathroom lights click off. "Nope. I would have done what I do every year: leave as early as my obligations allow. Even with the award thing," she explains, her voice clearer as she approaches Korra's bed, no longer hampered by the sound of the bathroom's activities.

"Yeah that was pretty cool. I'm so proud of you." She looks up to where Asami stood near her bed. She hasn't been able to stop smiling at her.

And it only gets bigger when Asami asks, "Can I give you a hug?"

"Always!" Her arms extend open to receive without hesitation.

Asami climbs on the bed and snuggles up while Korra glady returns the warm hug and rests her cheek on top of Asami's head, pleased she was able to help give her a good time.

"You're the best date."

Korra lets out a huff of amusement and blurts out without thought, "Well then you should take me out on more dates."

She feels Asami stiffen in her arms as soon as the words leave her mouth and she would have palmed her face if her hands weren't busy holding the woman of her dreams. Her mind panics for something to cover the slip up, but to her surprise, she feels, more than hears, Asami's next words on her chest.

"Would you?" There's a seriousness that contrasts her tone prior but she doesn't move away from their hold. "Like, hypothetically speaking, if I asked you out on a date, would you?"

The question is unexpected, not something at the top of Korra's list of possible things she thought Asami would say. Without anything planned to say in return, she opts for honesty.

"Yes." The way Asami seems to relax at that makes her wish her nerves hadn't egged her mouth to run, "I mean, hypothetically, who wouldn't? You're like, the best."

It's gone in seconds and though unsure what, Korra knows she had said something wrong. Asami moves away from their hug and sits up, rubbing her face with both hands before resting on her lap defeated. "What if I hadn't been the best?"

Confused, Korra sits up in concern. "What are you talking about? Did one of those coffee date jerks say something to you?" Suddenly the need to know who and what is added to her list of priorities.

After a long pause, Asami exhales a deep sigh. "No. I've been a bad friend to you." The resignation in Asami's face is evident, even in contemplation of whether to continue. "Look. I like you. I was too scared to just come out and say it so I thought I'd try to see if you'd even be interested in me that way. It was clear from the beginning you're not but kept I sending you pictures anyway and even asked you to be my date tonight."

Korra's eyes widen in disbelief, unsure if she's hearing Asami's confession correctly. She's frozen as memories flash before her, seeing moments play in a different light with Asami's photos conveying a different message. And this was a date?

"…what?" It's all Korra could manage, her mind a blundering mess.

"I just thought I'd come clean. I feel guilty for imposing on you like that. I hope I haven't made things weird between us…"

Pieces of the puzzle continues to fall into place. The messages were intentional. With the purpose of flirting. Because Asami likes her. And she—

"WHAT!?" She exclaims, horrified at how tragically she's misread the situation the entire time.

"I know! I'm so sorry. You have every right to be upset—"

"I like you too!" Korra blurts out, the lack of eloquence unsurprising. Even the four simple words took considerable effort to form in her shock. She's compelled to say more, especially as Asami stares at her dubiously, but words fail her and force her to take action.

Leaning over, she plants a quick chaste kiss on Asami's lips and stare right in her eyes despite her nerves to gauge for her reaction. Asami licks her lips a moment later and lulls forward, all the signal Korra needs to meet her half way.

Korra feels Asami touch her cheek as they share a deeper kiss and finds her own hand slipping through long black hair to hold her head close. The expression of their affections grow heated by the second as they indulge in the moment both have clearly yearned for. She allows herself to fall backwards as Asami grasps her shoulders and lean into her further in an attempt to get closer, more than happy to be under her amorous treatment.

"Really?" Asami asks, breathless, in between touches. There's an uncertainty in her tone as if their tongues sliding against each other isn't enough for an answer. Korra would have scoffed if not for how hopeless they've proven to be at realizing each other's feelings. How they both completely missed the mark despite being so close is beyond her.

"Yes. I really like like you." Korra replies explicitly, softly biting at her bottom lip for emphasis.

"It didn't seem to affect you," Asami adds, her skepticism lingering.

"Mm—" An indignant noise escapes Korra before pulling away from Asami's lips to look at her incredulously. She swiftly flips their position, firmly pressing her body against Asami's on the bed.

"You have no idea how frustrated I've been!" She takes her breath away with a long deep kiss and proceeds to pepper her face with quick soft ones. Trailing along her jaw and neck, she continues, "Having urges without an outlet…"

"Oh." Asami says, though it resembled more of a moan as Korra nibbles and sucks at her collarbone before soothing it with her tongue. "That's really terrible of me."

"Yeah." Korra looks up to glare at her but her feigned annoyance melts quickly as she absorbs the lovely sight of Asami looking up at her. Laughter bubbles up and out of their chests as amusement settles between them, basking in their ridiculous shared misunderstanding.

Asami raises a hand to tuck strands of Korra's hair behind her ear. "How can I make it up to you?" she asks, caressing Korra's flushed cheek with a thumb as she holds her face.

Korra dips down to capture Asami's lips. "I can think of a few ways."

---