Chapter Text
Korra wasn’t the best at parties. Growing up homeschooled, apart from most kids her own age, barely did any wonders for her social life. Many found her too brash, too loud—overconfident for an adult that had no idea what an inside voice meant. Apparently, there were things you could only learn during junior high prom, such as the fact that staying next to the snack table all night was not cool at all.
But it was Mako’s surprise birthday, and they were sort of, kind of dating, so she was trying her best to be social and a good almost-girlfriend, whatever that meant.
She even let Jinora put her in a dress, which was now proving to be a huge mistake, as she had to check every five minutes that her ass wasn’t sticking out. She had no idea how all the other girls did this, all of this. What if she suddenly needed to hook kick someone in the face?
Korra grabbed another plastic cup full of beer, sipping on it to ease her nerves. Bolin was too busy making sure everyone had a hiding spot in mind before Mako made it back from his shift, and Opal was trailing right behind him, apologizing for her boyfriend’s madness.
Mako and she… they were close to something; Korra could feel it. Later, when everyone went home, they could talk about it. And maybe it was the three beers she already had, but Korra was confident in that. Tonight, she was going to leave this party with a boyfriend.
She felt a warm buzz spread across her body at the thought. She had never really liked anyone before, wasn’t sure she was even capable of liking someone. And now…
Her thoughts were quickly hushed by the bell ringing and everyone shuffling to their places. Since when did Mako have this many friends?
Bolin opened the door and everyone sprung from their places, yelling “Suprise,” Only to be met with an amused laughter spilling out of cherry wine lips and dark long, luscious hair—clearly not Mako’s.
“Sorry to disappoint,” the girl started. Korra recognized her immediately, a lump forming on her throat. That was Mako’s ex. Fuck. She was even prettier in person.
“Asami! You made it; you’re here!” Bolin ran up to her, wrapping her up in a tight hug. Opal followed behind, smiling politely.
“Asami, you’re back from exchange,”
“I arrived yesterday, Bolin-“
“Ladies! No time for chit-chat. Let’s find you a hiding spot Sami,”
Sami? Did she get a cute nickname before Korra? She felt her stomach turn at that, wondering if Mako ever called her that too. Did she call Mako something back? Was it something saccharine, generic, or… was it something only they knew? Korra took another sip of her beer, setting it down on a table before grabbing another one. Mako needed to hurry up, or she was about to lose her patience or get really drunk, whichever happened first.
She managed to finish half before Bolin was rushing them into hiding again, promising this time it was for realsies and not the pizza delivery man, and please Wu can you shut up for once.
Mako burst into the room with a tired look on his face and a soggy carton of take out in his hand. He was genuinely surprised by the crowd of people yelling at him, dumpling soup spilling on the floor as he jumped back a little. Korra might even say that he was touched by it all, his eyes softening despite the furrow in his brow.
The party started quickly soon after, and Korra found herself back at the snack table, nodding at a few people that stopped by to grab drinks and pizza. She found herself searching for Mako in the crowd, wondering if he had greeted Asami first or if she had already flipped her perfectly-styled curls at him, or if she had her hand on his shoulder—if he liked her long freshly manicured nails better than her short, always chipped ones.
“I’m pretty sure Bolin invited everyone he knows to this party,” Mako said, startling Korra as he placed a hand on her shoulder.
“I wouldn’t doubt it” Korra replied, relief flooding her body now that he was here. “I hope you like your surprise, birthday boy,” Korra jabbed at his chest gently, her hand lingering a few seconds too long. She felt Mako getting closer, their bodies almost touching each other, her eyes about to shut.
“Mako!” Bolin shouted, and Korra couldn’t help but groan in frustration, gaining an amused smile and an eyebrow raise from Mako. “I want to introduce you to my friend from Culinary class!”
“I’m sorry,” Mako said, pulling away. “Can you stay after this is all over?”
Korra nodded, wordless for once. She felt her cheeks flush, the warmth spreading down to her stomach. Her last beer was still buzzing in her head.
At some point during the night Korra felt the need to breathe fresh air. She was nervous. Was Mako about to confess? Were they about to… they hadn’t made it past second-base yet (Another term she sadly got from a movie she watched with Jinora, who promised Tenzin totally let her watch PG-13 things and later confessed her crush on a guy in her grade, Kai), and Korra wasn’t against it. She really liked Mako, despite the nerves.
“God,” she breathed out, a white puff of air forming. Mako’s birthday landed in the middle of the semester, right after Halloween.
“Are you alright?” A warm voice asked, cutting through her thoughts. It was Asami. Korra could tell before her eyes focused properly, the sweet smell of jasmine and expensive perfume filling the air. “Shouldn’t you be wearing a jacket?” Asami asked amusedly, taking out a cigarette from a silver case.
“Southern Water Tribe,” Korra replied, puffing out her chest proudly. “This is just another warm day back home.”
Asami chuckled. Her laugh was melodic, and she looked so put-together even in the cold, the cigarette almost floating between her fingers. “Fair.”
“Uh, you’re Asami, right?”
“Yeah, the dreaded ex. Or as Bolin likes to put it, better off without his brother.”
“Yeah, yeah.” Korra pulled at her dress, wishing she was wearing anything else. “Well, I’m—”
“Korra, I know.” Asami took one last puff of her cigarette before chucking it to the ground. “The girl he cheated on me with.”
That one stung deeply. Korra felt embarrassed, looking at the ground before staring at Asami, who spoke before she could. “We’ve never been introduced properly.”
“We haven’t.”
“Are you guys dating now?”
Korra felt a knot tie in her stomach. There was no hint of anger behind Asami’s voice, mostly just curiosity with something else Korra couldn’t quite place.
“I don’t know, sort of?”
“Sort of? I see,” Asami smirked, her eyebrows raising slightly. Korra felt small, minuscule, her usual confidence nowhere to be found when she really needed it.
“I’m really sorry.”
“About what? He was the one who did it. Plus, we are kinda on okay terms now. It’s all in the past,” Korra nodded bashfully. She had no idea they were still talking.
“Is it weird?” Korra asked, not quite knowing what she meant by that.
“Being friends with Mako? I don’t know. We only recently started talking, and it was mostly due to Bolin wanting us to forgive each other. I was surprised to be invited.”
“Right, right.” Korra pulled at her dress again. Never let a fourteen-year-old dress you, she thought.
“Are you sure you don’t want my jacket? I have an extra one in my car, so don’t worry about it. I’m leaving soon, anyway,” Asami said, taking off her leather jacket. “Here, you can tie it around your waist if you want.”
Korra’s eyes widened at that, taking a few moments before grabbing it from Asami’s extended arm. “Thanks.”
Korra put the jacket on, surprised at how well it fit. It was perfectly tailored, from really good quality leather. She knew nothing about fashion, but she could tell it was expensive from the way it fit. “ Uh , should I give it back to Bolin after?”
“No, don’t worry about it. I’m sure we will see each other around soon. Wait, can you toss me my car keys? They are in the front pocket.”
Korra reached inside the pocket, finding a heart-shaped lighter and the keys. She tossed both to Asami, just in case.
“Goodnight, Korra,” Asami said, unlocking her car from a distance as she walked towards it.
“Goodnight, Asami.”
Korra left the party half an hour later, feeling slightly bad at Mako’s disappointed face when she told him she was too tired to stay longer.
Korra woke up early that morning to stretch. The swimming season was in the middle of its peak, and Coach Kya wasn’t going easy on them. They had to win.
Her mind felt foggy as she changed into her uniform, yawning as she wiggled into her bathing suit. She had spent the night before scrolling through Asami’s Instagram, which she had maybe done once or twice before. And a few other times when she was drunk, but those she wouldn’t admit. It wasn’t creepy now that they had actually met, and she had even considered following her before deciding against a 2 AM follow. But the pit in the bottom of her stomach didn’t seem to settle.
Asami’s life seemed perfect. She didn’t post that frequently but still had over ten thousand followers and a feed full of travels, race cars, and what seemed to be a mansion. Korra scrolled all the way down, finding filtered uniformed boarding school pictures and skiing trips. She could tell Asami had never had a bad hair day before.
Korra shoved her short hair into her swimming cap. She had recently cut it herself after a particularly bad night where the memories and nightmares wouldn’t leave her alone. Mako really liked it, and so did Bolin, but Korra couldn’t help but wonder what Asami, with her shampoo commercial hair, thought of it.
Coach Kya called them all to practice, and Korra couldn’t wait to plunge into the pool. She loved it, the thrill of the race, the way it made her lungs burn, her heart beat with adrenaline.
Screw Tenzin and his meditation techniques. This was a million times better at doing the job of clearing her head.
In the pool, none of it mattered. Mako, Bolin, Asami’s pearly white smile. Those thoughts crystallized, and all she could think about was swimming faster, her gasps for air becoming shorter with each stroke.
Through her peripheral vision, she could see Eska trailing right behind her, but at this point, she didn’t care. She knew she was about to win.
“Excellent time, Korra,” Kya said once she finished her final lap. Her furrowed brow revealed a slight hint of worry. “Why don’t you go take five?”
“What? Why! That was really good!”
“Exactly, and I don’t want you to push yourself to injury before the competition.”
“Kya, come on!” Korra started, but Kya was already blowing on her whistle, her attention back to the pool.
Korra hated sitting still. She tried watching her teammates practice before giving up and grabbing her phone from her bag to text Mako.
Korra couldn’t believe she had met Bolin and Mako almost a year ago, as a just-out-of-homeschool freshman, too eager to make friends but with no social skills to actually come across as friendly and not intense.
Bolin was her first friend here and maybe one of her first ever. They had an intro class together, and after a few jokes about their teacher, Bumi, Bolin had decided he needed to show Korra around.
Mako she met later, at Bolin’s place, when they were trying to cram for economics. That day she felt her world shift. Their first kiss would come a few weeks later, at a party after everyone fell asleep, and Korra helped Mako pick up the mess left behind. It was her first kiss, but Mako didn’t know that, doesn’t know it yet.
That same morning, Bolin let it slip that Mako’s gorgeous girlfriend was joining them for breakfast. Korra left before they could see her face growing red, warm, angry tears threatening to spill.
Two weeks later, Mako and Asami were done, and Asami left for her year abroad. Korra didn’t know if that decision was made before or after the breakup. She promised she would ask Bolin one day, when she wasn’t scared of the answer.
A buzz on her phone pulled her from her thoughts. It took Mako just a few minutes to text back, his last message reading: See you tonight. Bolin is excited about it.
Arcade night was a tradition at this point for the four of them. Every two weeks, Bolin, Mako, Korra, and Opal would spend all of their money on extra greasy pizza and games, playing retro games all night until the place had no choice but to kick them out.
“Hey,” Mako said softly once she arrived, his eyes shimmering under the neon light. He hesitated before giving Korra a hug.
“Hey yourself,” she said back, softening in his presence. She was glad there was no awkwardness between them after she left the other night. She wouldn’t be able to explain herself to Mako even if she tried.
Bolin went all in, sweeping her up in his arms. “Korra!”
“Hi, Bolin! Ready to lose at Pac-Man, again ?”
“Hey! That happened once,” Bolin huffed, Opal laughing behind him. “Okay, twice. But the third time won’t be the charm. Plus, Asami is on her way, and she’s really good at Pac-Man.”
“Oh, Asami’s coming?” Korra asked, trying to keep her voice leveled and casual.
“Yeah! Mako didn’t tell you?”
“I think he failed to mention it.”
Mako raised his hands in defeat. “Hey, it wasn’t my idea.”
“Well, duh, but we used to do this all the time. And you guys are back to being friends now, soooo. It only makes sense.”
“You guys used to come here together?” Korra asked, surprised. She could hardly imagine Asami scarfing down a plate of greasy pizza with sticky arcade fingers.
“Uh, sometimes,” Mako replied, his hand finding the back of his neck. “It wasn’t our tradition or anything.”
And Korra knew she had no right to be jealous, but something bubbled inside her as she waited for Asami to arrive. She could hardly focus, losing her winning streak to Bolin and Opal a few times, which was incredibly embarrassing, and she knew she would never hear the end of it. Bolin would rub that in her face for years.
“You don’t mind that Asami’s joining, right?” Mako asked later, noticing that Korra concentrated on hitting the Whac-A-Mole a little too hard.
“A heads-up would’ve been nice,” Korra huffed. “But it’s fine. I know you guys being friends is important for Bolin.”
“Yeah, yeah. You know how he is.”
Asami arrived an hour later, definitely overdressed for Arcade Night. Her slacks appeared freshly pressed, and her shirt was too white, too bright. “Sorry, I was at dinner with my dad,” she explained, offering them a smile that didn’t quite reach her eyes. Did she even want to be here?
“So, who is ready for Road Burners?” she asked after a few beats.
“Uh, nope. Last time you beat me FIVE times. Opal, we are not doing it.”
Asami smiled, wider this time, before reaching to ruffle Bolin’s hair. The boy pouted, slicking it back with a huff.
“ Mako ?” Asami asked.
Korra saw him consider it, and before he could reply, she stood up, making the stool chair almost stumble. Mako raised his eyebrow but said nothing.
“I’ll play!” Korra said, a little too loudly. “Wait, what’s Road Burners?”
Korra quickly learned that virtual driving isn’t any easier than doing it in real life, and that she’s doomed forever in both situations. Asami was beating her ass, laughing every time she drifted to either side, Korra’s lack of coordination making her turn to the other. Their knees and arms were almost touching, but Asami seemed to pay it no mind. It seemed like Korra was the only one noticing their proximity, how the room suddenly felt too warm.
“Well, that was humiliating .”
“Oh, you should see Bolin. You weren’t that bad,” Asami grinned. “I can teach you, if you want? That way we can team up and beat the guys.”
“Uh, sure?”
“So, obviously this isn’t like driving a real motorcycle but—”
“Wait, do you actually drive a motorcycle?” Korra asked, mouth slightly wide.
“Yeah, I actually do. And you seemed surprised by that.”
“Sorry. Didn’t really peg you as the motorcycle type.”
“Really? That just means I have to take you for a spin and show you someday.”
Korra’s brain short-circuited at that. Why was Asami being so nice? It made her feel stuck in her annoyance for the other girl. If Asami was rude to her, then Korra could be rude back and they could call it a day. That way, she could be jealous in peace without feeling slightly guilty about it. But here they were, stuck in the arcade, a lump forming in her throat as Asami reached from behind her to show her where the brakes and buttons were.
“So, you actually get a boost in these games if you drift. You’re supposed to drift at the curves, not accelerate.”
“Uh-huh,” Korra nodded, feeling Asami's hair trickling over her shoulders.
“Also, you should hold the grips better.”
“Right.”
“And-”
“How many rules does this game have?”
Asami’s laughter echoed closely to her ear, and Korra couldn’t help but grin back.
“You’ll get good at it in no time. I mean, with me as a teacher,” Asami added, flipping her hair jokingly.
And, It felt good to be in on the joke for once, Korra thought. Other than in her swimming competitions, where they were her direct competition, she had spent most of her life apart from most girls her age. And Asami and her weren’t best friends, not even close to it, but this, whatever it was, was nice.
When Mako called them back later for drinks and pizza, Korra felt something ease up inside of her. At least for the reminder of the night, as they scarfed down greasy pizza and enjoyed 2x1 Margaritas, she could relax.
The following weeks were good. She aced her two swim meets, which left her exhausted. And her social life was close to perfect too. They made arcade night a more frequent thing, adding go-karts and all-you-can-eat sushi to the mix. And karaoke, which Mako always pretended to hate until he was a few cocktails in. They even created a group chat, 'The Krew,' because Bolin and Opal were tired of texting everyone individually. She could even tolerate Asami’s presence now, if she ignored the burn in her stomach that flared up every time she saw Mako stare at her when she wasn’t looking.
She felt a happy hum escape her lips as she stretched, Mako still sleeping next to her. She grabbed her tank-top and put it on. They had moved a little quickly since that first arcade night. They still had to have that 'what-are-we' conversation, which made her feel slightly uneasy, but she tried to feel comfortable where they were. She always rushed into things with her impatience, and this felt fragile, like it could break if she just barged into it like she tended to do.
Despite being hot-headed, Mako could be gentle with her, especially when they were intimate together. The fact that she wanted something more made her feel horrible. Things were good but ultimately underwhelming, like there was a missing puzzle piece she couldn’t quite see yet. She wondered if she could talk to Opal about it, or if Asami had experienced something similar when dating Mako.
Her thoughts were interrupted by a text message. Kya wanted her to assist in the next practice, not swim. “Fuck,” Korra groaned, frustrated.
She felt Mako stir beside her, knowing it was her fault he woke up.
“Hey,” Mako said, his eyes squinting at the sun. “Everything okay?”
“Sorry, sorry,” Korra apologized. “Coach Kya is cutting my swimming time again, and it sucks.”
Mako grimaced as her voice got louder. “Korra, don’t you think she’s doing it for a reason?”
“Her reason is being a pain in my ass!”
Mako stood up and put a hand on her shoulder.
“I mean, you’re overworking yourself. Maybe she just wants you to relax.”
“You’re taking her side?” Korra asked, shrugging his hand off.
“What? What are you even talking about?”
“I mean, you could defend me for once.”
“But I think she’s right!”
“So, I’m wrong?” Korra asked, standing up to fish for her clothing.
Mako took a deep breath, shrugging his shoulders.
“You always do this!” Korra shoved all of her things in her backpack, slipping into her shoes— not bothering to wear socks or lace them.
“Want what’s best for you?”
“How do you know what’s best for me?”
“Because I do!”
And that was it for Korra. She shut the door behind her loudly, surely waking Bolin up, wherever he was. She didn’t really care.
Korra’s knuckles were sore as she punched the heavy bag with a little too much force. Despite her desire not to, she remembered Tenzin teaching her all about channeling her anger instead of punching through it.
“I’m sorry, Tenzin,” she muttered before hitting the bag again. She was frustrated with Mako, and with herself, and with everything .
She needed to find a way to let it all out, as she had since she was a child, her parents signing her up for a diverse array of martial arts, gymnastics, and swimming as soon as they noticed how restless she was.
“Shouldn’t you be picking on someone who’s your size?” And there she was, Asami, in a crisp white Taekwondo uniform.
“You do martial arts?” Korra asked, surprised at the black belt resting over Asami's waist. Asami looked put together with her hair pulled back in a ponytail, and Korra assumed she hadn’t practiced yet. It would be too unfair to the rest of humanity if that’s what Asami looked like after a full workout.
Korra ran a hand through her sweaty hair.
“Yeah, I started when I was a kid. My dad signed me up, and I ended up loving it.”
“I used to do Taekwondo too! But now I’m fully committed to my wife , swimming.”
Asami’s eyes narrowed slightly at that before softening as she smiled. “We should spar sometime.”
Big pass. “Yeah, I’m rusty though.”
“Hey, I saw your punch. I think I’m the one that’s in trouble.” Korra felt her cheeks warm before Asami continued, not seeming to notice. “So, why exactly are you pulverizing the poor punching bag?”
Korra considered her options. She could lie to Asami and spare them both from bringing up the still very much present elephant in the room, or she could try opening up to the only person who could possibly understand her.
She hesitated, taking a deep breath. “I… had a fight with Mako.”
“Oh. Um .” And for the first time, she saw Asami falter. “Do you want to talk about it?”
Korra felt her blush deepen. “I mean, do you want to talk about it?”
“I don’t mind, but my advice might be a little biased.”
“Against Mako or against me?” Korra asked, grinning shyly.
“Just tell me what’s up.”
“Sometimes I feel like we can’t see eye to eye. Like, I like him , right?” Asami nodded, uncertain if Korra wanted an answer. “But I don’t like it when he thinks he knows better than I do.”
Asami took a moment to answer, as if she was considering something. “I think that’s just a Mako thing. He practically raised Bolin, so I think he’s always stuck in that big brother mode. I’m sure in his mind he just wants what’s best for you. He’s just the worst at expressing it.”
“Tell me about it,” Korra sighed. “But I don’t want a big brother. I want a…”
“ A ?” Asami raised her eyebrows, urging Korra to continue.
“I don’t know! Boyfriend , I guess.”
“So I take it you guys haven’t made it official yet.”
“No, not yet.” Korra covered her face with her hands, groaning. “We still haven’t had that talk.”
Asami placed her hand sympathetically on Korra's shoulder. Suddenly, Korra felt better, grounded.
“Thanks for hearing me out,” Korra said gratefully.
“I don’t think I was much help,” Asami admitted. “But hey, I’m here for all your boy troubles. Or girl troubles, if needed.”
Huh. Korra furrowed her eyebrows at that, the sentence lingering in her mind as Asami walked away to her class, and Korra gathered her things. Did Asami assume something about her? The thought gnawed at her as she made her way out of the gym.