Reconiliation
Three months.
It had been three months since Team Avatar defeated Amon.
Three months since Asami was left to pick up the pieces of her father’s treachery.
Three months since Korra became a fully realized Avatar.
And three months since the two girls had last spoken normally.
Asami sighed as she leaned back against her seat. She was on the evening ferry to Air Temple Island, a binder full of blueprints and failed contracts in her lap. Per her new daily routine, she had short-circuited her brain fending off predatory lawyers and negotiating with board members—who still viewed her as nothing more than a spoiled child. Leaning against the railing, Asami breathed in the smell of Yue Bay. The feeling of the sea breeze tickling her face only slightly eased her nerves over what would inevitably be another tense dinner.
After Asami moved back to Sato Mansion, Tenzin and Pema had insisted she, along with the rest of Team Avatar, join their family for a meal once a week. Pema had gotten used to Asami’s help around the kitchen during her brief stay, and Asami quite enjoyed the older woman’s company as well. Coming from a somewhat different angle, Tenzin had told her such gatherings would help bring balance to herself, especially during such a tumultuous time in her life.
But balanced was the last thing she felt during these dinners.
The tension between her, Korra, and Mako was palpable. The couple would freeze up any time Asami entered the room. Laughter would fade to an awkward silence, and it was nearly impossible to maintain a steady conversation. Despite Asami’s best efforts to be supportive of her friends and their relationship, they simply couldn’t relax around her. For Mako, it was apparently so bad that he’d begun taking extra shifts at the police station just to avoid her.
And then there was Korra.
For the first two months, Asami had intentionally distanced herself from the waterbender. Even if her romance with Mako was short-lived, her feelings had been genuine. Asami recognized she needed time and space to recover from that pain, which meant avoiding his new girlfriend as well. Thankfully, there was plenty of work for Asami to bury herself in. With the Sato name so toxic that even the smallest proprietorships steered clear of Future Industries, Asami had devoted herself fully to reviving her family’s company, which was now clinging to life.
She had pulled countless all-nighters, and exhaustion was beginning to take its toll. During the nights when she lay awake in bed, Asami couldn’t help but think back to that night on Air Temple Island. Whether it was out of her fear of abandonment or some unspoken attraction to the Avatar, Asami missed the way Korra had cared for her that night. The longing she felt was only exacerbated by the fact that for the past month, Korra had basically rejected all of her attempts to re-establish their budding friendship.
Tonight, Asami surmised, would be no different.
“We’re almost there, Miss Sato!” A male air acolyte informed her.
Asami watched solemnly as the island grew larger and larger until eventually they reached the docks, where three more acolytes awaited them. The tireless workers hastily moored the ship before securing a ramp. Once the captain gave her the go-ahead, Asami quickly placed her binder in her satchel, thanked the crew, and made her way down to the pier. There, she was greeted by an enthusiastic Bolin.
“There’s my favorite CEO,” Bolin exclaimed as he threw his arms around her, “So how’s work?”
“Let’s just say every cold call I made this week went cold,” Asami huffed as she returned his embrace.
Bolin frowned at her response, and his eyes filled with concern.
“Aww, well, how about a little Bolin time to cheer you up? I could show you the new tricks I taught Pabu.”
On cue, the fire ferret popped out from underneath his collar. Pabu chirped happily upon seeing Asami and began kissing her face.
“Good to see you too, Pabu,” Asami chuckled as she scratched his chin, “I’d love to see your new moves.”
His owner grinned widely at her response, no doubt because few people ever took him up on that offer. Right as things began to lighten up, Bolin appeared to recall something, and his expression fell slightly.
“Actually, it’ll have to wait until after dinner,” Bolin said as he twiddled his thumbs nervously. “Pema finished earlier than she planned, and I was actually on my way to get Korra and the kids.”
At the mention of the Avatar, Asami’s mood soured slightly, but she tried her best not to show it. Bolin had been in a difficult position these past months, acting as the messenger hawk within the love triangle. He was the rubber band that held their fragile group together, and Asami would be lying if she said she didn’t feel somewhat responsible for his predicament as well.
Mustering a smile, Asami reassured him, “You go on ahead. I’ll help Pema set the table.”
The earthbender smiled at her softly, as if to say, “everything will be alright,” before disappearing off along the trail, leaving Asami alone with her confusing thoughts.
Pema vigorously scrubbed the dirty dishes underneath the running water, both to prevent the grime from sticking onto the porcelain and to focus her mind. Being an air acolyte and housewife, these daily routines had become ritualistic, in fact, meditative to her. They calmed her and sharpened her mind for the next task she faced.
That task stood beside her at the very moment.
From the corner of her eye, Pema watched Asami dry the dishes and organize them methodically. The two worked in sync, as the industrialist’s presence had too become part of Pema’s weekly ritual. However, spending so much time with the teenager also meant that Pema had witnessed firsthand the toll her responsibilities were taking on her.
Asami was noticeably thinner than three months ago. Although her foundation and eyeshadow hid it well, the sleepless nights she’d described left her looking paler and more weary-eyed than before. Pema couldn’t blame the girl. After all, thousands of livelihoods and her family’s honor depended on her every move. Unfortunately, neither she nor Tenzin had very good advice to offer Asami in her particular field. All they could do was cheer her on from the sidelines and support her in her personal life.
Unfortunately, Pema was not off to a good start in that area.
When Korra sought her romantic counsel three months ago, Pema had freely shared her own story. Hearing the Avatar describe her feelings for Mako reminded Pema of her own path to true love. In her nostalgia, Pema had suggested she confess to the firebender, and yes, “steal” him from the girl he was never meant to be with.
What Korra had failed to mention was that that girl, one, was their friend and two, would come to live on Air Temple Island with them.
“That’s a wrap! Cleaning goes a lot faster when we don’t have to deal with Mako’s dishes. He eats a lot more than he’d like to admit,” Asami commented as she shut the cabinets.
At the mention of Mako, a hint of sadness swept across her face, and Pema bit her lower lip in guilt. As resilient as the young CEO was, she was still a nineteen-year-old girl. She was allowed to feel heartbreak over her first love. It was unfortunate timing that it should happen when her entire life was being upheaved. Out of maternal instinct and a sense of personal culpability, Pema couldn’t sit by and watch Asami pine over Mako any longer.
“Listen, Asami, I think it’s time you and I had a girl-to-girl talk,” Pema suggested.
Asami turned to meet her gaze, her emerald eyes full of curiosity.
“I can’t help but notice things between you, Mako, and Korra have been, well, tense of late.”
At first, Asami opened her mouth to protest but then sighed in defeat.
“So we’re not doing a very good job of hiding it, huh?” Asami rubbed her arm nervously.
“Well, I don’t think it’s something you should be trying to hide so much as resolve. Just because you and Mako aren’t together anymore doesn’t mean you all can’t be friends.”
The comment must’ve triggered something in Asami because for the first time, Pema witnessed the normally composed heiress snap back.
“That’s what I’ve been trying to do for the past month! I may’ve been a little distant at first, but it was because I couldn’t handle seeing them together without getting angry or jealous or sad. But lately it feels like I’m always the one reaching out, trying to be friends, and every time, it’s like a door slams in my face.”
Asami slumped back against the counter and grasped the bridge of her nose.
The sight saddened Pema and made her wonder if Lin had felt this dejected after she stole Tenzin. Pema was about to launch into a spiel about how Mako, like Tenzin, may not have ended their relationship in the most gracious manner but still cared for her. It was simply hard keeping an old lover in one’s life while introducing a new one. Mistakes were bound to be made, but it was nothing an open conversation about boundaries and hard work couldn’t fix.
“Asami, I know it’s hard, but try to think about it from—”
“From Korra’s perspective, I know.”
Oh? Pema’s jaw went slightly slack.
“I know it’s weird to be friends with your boyfriend’s ex, and I guess she’s worried about me trying to get back together with Mako. It makes sense logically, but I just thought she’d have a little more faith in me than that.”
Well, this is curious, Pema thought to herself as Asami continued her rant.
“Sure, I miss what I had with Mako, but at this point, I just don’t want to lose anyone. Not Bolin, not Mako, not Korra. I thought Korra and I were becoming friends, but now I just...I just wish I knew what was going on inside her head...”
It seems I’ve miscalculated, Pema mused. The older woman had noticed the shift in the two girls’ dynamic, but she’d always assumed the tension between them had been indirect in nature, that the only thing tying them together was their respective relationship to the firebender. However, it was clear Asami’s frustrations were very directed at the Avatar herself. While Lin and Pema had never gotten along to begin with, Asami and Korra’s pre-existing friendship added an extra layer of complexity to the situation, and untangling this mess would require especially delicate maneuvering.
“Well, in the short time I’ve come to know Korra, I can tell you that she isn’t the best with words. She’s an act first, explain later gal.”
Asami chuckled, a good sign their relationship was salvageable.
“If you want answers from Korra, you’ll have to ask her directly. I’m afraid her tomboyishness applies to feelings as well,” Pema said as she rolled her eyes.
“You don’t think it’ll make things worse, do you? I can barely call Team Avatar a team right now,” Asami asked, insecurity evident in her voice.
“Asami, all that matters is that this has been bothering you, and you deserve closure,” Pema reassured her.
She stepped closer and took the adolescent’s hands in her own, and Asami looked back at Pema in surprise at the motherly gesture.
“You have a big heart, Asami. You’re always taking care of other people, but you need to take care of yourself too. That’s all Tenzin and I want for you. If you can’t relax at dinnertime until you knock some sense into that dense Avatar, then by all means, do it.
A bead of sweat dripped down Korra’s forehead as she struggled to stay balanced atop the ten foot podium. Squinting, Korra could make out Ikki smirking devilishly from across the makeshift airball court, spinning the ball on her index finger.
“I’m not losing this one,” Korra muttered to herself.
With lightning speed, Ikki hurled the airball into the field.
Korra’s eyes darted back and forth, trying to keep up as the sphere ricocheted off the wooden posts in every direction. Realizing it’d hit her goal from an angle, Korra frantically leapt onto an adjacent pole several feet away. With barely a millisecond to spare, Korra intercepted the projectile with an air funnel, pivoted 360 degrees, and blasted it across the field over Ikki’s head and straight into her goalpost.
“One point for Korra! The score is tied!” Jinora announced from the sidelines.
“Heyyy! A little sisterly love here?!” Ikki whined.
“A referee can’t take sides, Ikki!” Her sibling bit back.
Korra watched as the two girls continued to squabble and felt (or rather smelt) Meelo airblast himself onto a neighboring pole.
“Women, am I right?” Meelo scoffed, “That’s why it takes a man to be your coach!”
Meelo then flexed his nonexistent biceps, and Korra struggled to contain her ensuing laughter. “Sure thing, coach,” Korra replied, amused.
Although Pema may have been worn out by the children’s rambunctiousness, Korra doubted she would ever tire of their charades. Despite their age difference, Korra felt right at place with the airbending children. Playing with them, teasing them, watching them bicker made her feel like she was reclaiming her childhood, one that was lost to the duties of being the Avatar.
“Are you ready, Korra?” Jinora shouted, waking the bender from her trance.
“Bring it on!” Korra yelled as she dropped into a fighting stance.
On the other side, Ikki leered at the Avatar like a sabertooth moose lion. Korra took a deep breath, readying herself for her opponent’s next move when she heard Meelo holler at her.
“You have to win, Korra! I can’t look bad in front of the beautiful woman!”
Beautiful woman? Crap! That means —
“Arghh!” Korra exclaimed as the airball rammed into her stomach and sent her flying off the podium!
Korra’s back painfully slammed into a pole, stunning her. However, she retained just enough feeling in her fingertips to create a small air cushion, which broke her fall to the stone floor. After coughing her lungs out, she sat up and recalled what Meelo had uttered before her ungraceful fall. There’s only one person Meelo calls “beautiful woman,” which means —
“Korra, we need to talk.”
Uh oh.
Frantically, Korra looked up and saw Asami hovering over her. Her arms were crossed and her eyebrows were knitted in a look that Korra could only describe as “you’re dead.”
“H-hey, Asami. Um, sure, I’d love to talk, but maybe I should see a healer first?”
“You’re fine, Korra. I’ve seen you take bigger hits than that.”
Oh for spirits’ sake, why does she have to be so smart? Korra cursed inwardly. She glanced around, hoping the children would provide some escape route for her, but of course, when she needed them the most, they’d vanished.
“So...What can I do for you, Asami?” Korra asked awkwardly.
However, Korra knew exactly what Asami had umbrage with. For the past month, her formal rival had been trying to reach out, offering her olive branch after olive branch of peace, and Korra had set each one on fire.
“Korra, why are you avoiding me?” It sounded more like a demand than a question.
“I-I haven’t been avoiding you,” Korra stammered.
“Really? Because every time I enter the room, you find the quickest way out. We haven’t hung out once outside of groups, and even then, you barely speak to me. What exactly is your problem with me?”
Korra gulped.
It wasn’t that she held a grudge against Asami. In fact, Korra was astonished that Asami didn’t hold a grudge against her. Asami’s mere presence reminded Korra of all she had taken from her: her father, her reputation, and her boyfriend. Despite that, Asami never once showed a sign of turning against them. Despite the darkness that surrounded her, Asami shone light. Call it what one would: mental fortitude or moral superiority. Either way, whenever Korra compared herself to Asami, she became acutely aware of her own shortcomings, both as the Avatar and as a person. Truthfully, it was simply easier to avoid Asami and thus avoid her own nagging insecurities.
Realizing there was no escape in sight, Korra sighed. “Alright, you caught me,” she admitted sheepishly under Asami’s interrogating gaze.
“I can’t believe you finally ‘fessed up,” Asami scoffed, frustration evident in her tone. “Come on, there’s no reason things have to be weird between us because of Mako.”
“I don’t want things to be weird because of him!” Korra wasted no time in responding because that much was true. Korra had wanted to get closer with the heiress, but she just didn’t know how to move past this roadblock.
“But they are, and everyone knows it!” Asami was yelling now. Startled by her unexpected outburst, Korra instinctively jumped back, as if she were a cornered animal choosing flight over fight. Inadvertently, though, eyes locked with those of Asami’s, causing her to stop dead in her tracks.
“Korra...what exactly am I to you?” Asami asked, her voice barely above a whisper.
The question was loaded with confusion and pain. Korra’s heart ached for the girl. In typical Asami fashion, she had penetrated the Avatar’s defenses, confronting her with the question she did not want to answer.
“Y-you’re our friend,” Korra stuttered, praying Asami wouldn’t see through the blatant lie.
“Yeah, a friend you pretend doesn’t exist.” Asami wrapped her arms around her elbows, as if to comfort herself because nobody else would. “You all say I’m a member of ‘Team Avatar,’ but Bolin’s the only one that talks to me. So am I your friend, or am I just some glorified chauffeur?”
What?! After giving up everything she’d ever known to save the city, Asami seriously thought she was nothing more than their designated driver? Reeling from shock, Korra blurt out the first thing that came to mind.
“Asami, please. Of course you’re more than just a free ride!”
Judging by her frown and timbre growl, Korra knew she had chosen the wrong words. Silently, she prayed some calamity would strike in that moment and save her from her own embarrassment.
“Okay, that came out wrong,” Korra thought aloud as she rubbed her neck.
“Or maybe it came out the exact way you meant!” Asami shook her head. “Oh, forget it! I couldn’t stand by and watch the Equalists take over Republic City, but I don’t have to continue to be part of a team that doesn’t appreciate me!” Asami yelled as she began marching away.
Panic overtook Korra as the reality of the situation dawned on her. Asami was going to leave Air Temple Island—and she would not come back. Taking responsibility had never been Korra’s forte, but she couldn’t deny the facts. She had pushed Asami away. She had told herself she needed to keep Asami at a distance for her to heal, but it was nothing more than an excuse for her own immature behavior.
Apologizing to Asami, being friends with Asami—it was a challenge Korra didn’t know how to face, one that she had been too scared to face. Instead of apologizing, she kept her mouth shut. Instead of striving to be a better friend, Korra chose the comfort of her old habits. With the possibility of their brief relationship ending on a bitter note, Korra realized how utterly pathetic she had been. Damn it, Korra, you’ve never backed down from a challenge before, and you sure aren’t gonna start now!
“Asami, wait!” Korra grabbed her wrist, causing the engineer to halt. When Asami turned around, Korra saw that her eyes, though still full of uncertainty, now contained a glimmer of hope. This was perhaps Korra’s only chance to make amends, and she would not waste it.
“You’re right. We haven’t appreciated you enough. I haven’t appreciated you enough.” The next two words were lodged in her throat, but she forced them out, “I’m sorry.”
Apologizing was a rather foreign feeling for the Avatar. It made her feel vulnerable, exposed, but Asami was listening, and that was all that mattered.
“The truth is the reason I’ve been avoiding you is—after everything that happened—I can’t help but feel guilty.”
Korra suddenly felt lighter, relieved to finally stop carrying the weight of those words. Asami must’ve noticed it too because her mood shifted in that instant as well.
“Guilty? For what?” She asked, speaking in a softer tone than before.
“For ruining your life I guess? You lost your father and...you know...Mako...because of me. I always thought the Avatar makes the good guys happy, but I feel like I’ve done the opposite for you.” Korra stared at Asami intently, desperately wanting her to understand how much she regretted her actions. “I told myself giving you space would help you heal, but I was just trying to make myself feel better, and I hurt you even more...”
Slipping her slender fingers between Korra’s calloused ones, Asami gave the Avatar’s hand a light squeeze. The gesture made Korra feel warm inside, although she couldn’t pinpoint how or why.
“I had no idea that’s how you felt,” Asami whispered, almost guilty.
Korra blushed, still puzzled as to why Asami had not let go and why she herself did not particularly want the engineer to let go.
“Listen, you have nothing to worry about. Did losing my father and you know who hurt? Of course, but I’ve also had a lot of fun along the way.” Asami stepped closer, causing her stomach to flutter. “Fighting alongside the Avatar is like a dream come true. You’ve given me a life full of adventure, and I wouldn’t trade that for anything.”
Korra’s eyes went wide. That had been the last thing she expected to hear.
“Really? You mean that?” Korra asked animatedly.
Asami chuckled at the puppy dog look plastered across her face. “I do,” Asami said as she flashed a smile, “So let’s put this chapter behind us?”
“Yes, please, before Pema kicks me off the island,” Korra joked.
Asami stared at her curiously for a moment before bursting into laughter, her soothing voice tickling Korra’s ears. It was the first time in months that Korra had seen Asami so cheerful, and it dawned on her just how much she missed these light-hearted moments with the older girl. Soon enough, Korra found herself joining in on her self-depreciation.
When their joint laughter finally subsided, Korra cleared her throat. There was one last thing she needed Asami to understand if they were to move forward.
“Look, Asami, I’m not very good at this friendship thing. I was sent to the Compound when I was little, so aside from Naga, I’ve never had friends in my whole life. I’m gonna screw up, but I promise I’m going to be better.”
The passion with which Korra made her vow took Asami by surprise, and a faint blush dotted her cheeks. Is she actuallyflustered? Korra wondered.
“I can’t say I don’t understand where you’re coming from,” Asami admitted, refocusing Korra’s attention from her peculiar reaction to her words. “My dad sheltered me after my mother passed away. I guess that’s why I was so afraid of losing the few friends I do have. I’m sorry I got so mad just now.”
There was a sting to Asami’s words, one that rubbed acid in an open wound.
She called us friends, but we really aren’t, are we? Korra realized dejectedly.
But Korra didn’t want it to be this way anymore.
Ever since the day the two raced around the track, Korra felt a gravitational pull towards Asami. Her entire life she had been told she was too wild, too emotional, but that day, Korra had finally met her match. Despite outward appearances, Asami was someone who could be as intense as Korra—someone who understood her.
Even if in its infancy, that connection was worth fighting for.
“You know, it kinda sucks how we could’ve been spending these past three months getting to know each other instead of me being a jerk,” Korra thought aloud.
“Yeah, if only there were a way to make up for lost time,” Asami echoed.
And then it hit her.
Katara’s old stories suddenly came to mind. The master had told her that her relationship with Toph started off rather well, rocky, but through a couple near death experiences and one-on-one “girl time,” the two became genuine friends. Although scamming an entire village was not an option, unless they wanted to end up in an interrogation room with Lin, a girls’ day out may’ve been what the two needed.
Overly enthusiastic about her brilliant idea, Korra could not stop the words from rolling off her tongue.
“Asami, let me take you out!”
Asami’s face turned beet red as she stammered “w-what?” Realizing the double meaning of her words, Korra made a mental note to slap herself in the face once she was alone. Let’s try this again, Korra gathered her thoughts as she crystallized the sweat on her neck to cool down her rising temperature.
“Let’s have a girls’ night out. Just you and me having fun,” Korra clarified. Upon seeing Asami’s blank reaction, Korra nervously added, “Please tell me that’s something they do here in the city.”
“It is, and I’d love to...It’s just that I’ve got a lot of work to do. Future Industries is in deep water, and I’m barely keeping it afloat.” Judging by the sadness in her voice, Korra knew her reply had been genuine. Neither Asami’s weary appearance nor personality change had gone unnoticed by everyone. Her emerald eyes, once bright and full of energy, appeared duller and lacked the original spark that once captivated Korra.
“I know you’ve got a lot on your plate, and it’s amazing how well you’ve been holding up.” Korra placed a hand on Asami’s shoulder, determined to get through to her. “But everyone needs a break, and if there’s anyone who deserves one, it’s you.”
Biting her lip, Asami struggled to come up with an adequate rebuttal. Korra could see the gears turning inside her brain and took pride in defeating her normally flawless logic.
“Come on, take one night off. It’ll help you relax, and you can go back to work the next day, all refreshed and ready to mechanize—or whatever you call it.”
Covering her mouth, Asami began to giggle at Korra’s bumbling. Korra was never one to tolerate teasing well, but if it lifted Asami’s spirits, she would make an exception this one time.
“Alright, you win. So what’s the plan? I assume it doesn’t involve makeovers and spas.” Asami quipped.
“Not a chance, princess!” Korra guffawed. Although they weren’t close, Korra had a good enough of an idea of what the two had in common. “Meet me here at six tomorrow, and don’t you worry about a thing! I've got this one.”
A stream of ideas rushed through her head. This was the most exhilarated she had felt in the months since she first entered the Avatar state. How a simple task like planning an evening out with Asami had such an effect on her, Korra had no idea.
Asami grinned, but right when she opened her mouth to reply, there was a call.
“Miss Sato, it’s getting dark, and the ferry is prepared. Are you ready to board?” A female air acolyte called out.
Way to ruin the moment, pal. Korra felt the vein above her eye pulse in irritation, but she was soon pulled out by Asami’s gentle voice.
“Yes! I’ll be there in a second,” Asami called out before returning her gaze to Korra, causing her heartrate to pick up pace.
Why? Korra asked herself.
“Thank you, Korra. I’m looking forward to tomorrow!”
Then, Asami tepidly pulled Korra into a hug. The unexpected contact sent a shiver up Korra’s spine before the warmth of Asami’s body flooded that of her own. After overcoming her initial shock, Korra wrapped her arms around Asami’s shoulder blades and gently squeezed back.
“See you later then!” Asami said as she released herself from Korra’s grip.
Korra nodded, then watched as the engineer rushed to the air acolyte’s side. As soon as Asami disappeared from her line of sight, Korra felt...colder. Maybe it was because the sun was setting and giving way to the chilly spring night. Or maybe it was something else, something about the girl that Korra could not put her finger on, but one thing was for sure.
She desperately wanted to find out.