Autumn
It's late autumn in Southern California, but you wouldn't know it if you weren't from the area. The trees have all their green leaves, as if they refuse to admit that summer has ended. The occasional rainstorm has made wild flowers bloom and the foothills green as if it were spring. And in fifty degree weather, people dress as if it were the dead of winter, taking advantage of the brief respite from the heat to show off their cute jackets, scarves, and coats. All in all, autumn in Southern California is anything but.
It's one of these confusingly sunny and chilly days that Asami goes to the local coffee shop to meet up with Korra, who is being featured by the cafe's gallery. She dresses in the cutest black coat she can find, adorns herself with a maroon scarf, pulls on a skirt, some leggings, and some boots, and is ready to go. Asami knows that Korra will tease her for dressing so warmly, while she herself wears a tank top and cut off shorts, but she can't help it. After all, she was born and raised in Los Angeles county, not Alaska.
Rather than driving out to the cafe, Asami decides to brave the chilly autumn air and walk the three blocks it takes to get there. She walks slowly, thoughtfully, wishing there were some browned leaves for her to crunch underfoot, and she thinks of Korra. Korra, her first kiss, her first love, her best friend. In spite of everything, Asami's fear of being found out and her father's homophobia, the past year has been perfection, and today is no exception.
She meets Korra in front of the cafe and greets her with a quick kiss on the lips. It's taken her months to work up the courage to kiss her girlfriend in public, and even now her pulse speeds up at the thought of being seen, but Korra is worth the risk.
“Hey,” Korra smiles up at Asami. True to form, Korra wears a blue tank top, torn up jeans, and her ratty converse sneakers.
“Hey,” Asami whispers back, touching her forehead to Korra's. They stay like that for what feels an eternity, smiling at one another, taking in each others eyes, basking in their love, before Korra pulls back.
“Wanna see the gallery?” Korra grins at Asami, “It's pretty great if I do say so myself”. Asami laughs at Korra's bragging, it's so characteristic of her.
“Let's do it!” Asami takes Korra's hand.
They walk into the cafe, hand in hand. The autumn California sun shines through the windows, Bob Dylan plays through the cafe speakers, and Asami is filled with a kind of warmth that she thought only existed in books. She feels completely at peace.
“Where's your art?” she asks Korra.
“Back here!” Korra pulls Asami towards the back of the coffee shop.
Asami laughs and lets Korra drag her to the gallery. Once there, she lets out a gasp.
“Korra,” she whispers, “These are gorgeous”.
“I know,” Korra grins, “Which is your favorite?”
“Hmm,” Asami looks from the charcoal sketch of Naga, to the mixed media collage Korra had used as a cover for one of the Gender and Sexuality Center zines, to a watercolor of the sun shining through a tree, leaving sun dappled shadows, to an oil painting of Korra and Asami's hands clasped together. “This one,” Asami points to the last painting, “I love it”.
“Wanna see my favorite?” Korra hugs Asami from behind.
“Mhmm,” Asami nods.
“This one,” Korra points to one of the first sketches she'd drawn of Asami, the one where Asami is reading under a tree on campus, “You looked so beautiful that day, I thought I'd imagined you at first”.
“Yeah?” Asami turns around and looks down at Korra, smiling
“Mmhm,” Korra nuzzles Asami's nose with hers.
“Korra,” Asami whispers.
“Mm?” Korra kisses Asami's nose.
“I love you”.
“I love you too”.