Roommates
Asami turned up the music and tried to block out the grunting from behind her. Why exactly had she agreed to have a roommate again? Especially one so...so...Asami spun in the desk chair.
“Couldn’t you do that elsewhere?” She snapped. Korra froze, dangling from the top bunk by her knees. “Like a gym or something?”
“Sorry.” Korra reached up and grabbed the beam, returning to her feet in one fluid and incredibly distracting move. At least now her shirt was covering her. “It’s pissing it down out there. I’d be swimming to the gym.”
“It’s what, two minutes to the car park?” Asami shot back irritably. Korra nodded.
“Yeah. And, for those of us without transport, a half hour splash.” There was nothing overly harsh about Korra’s tone. There didn’t need to be. Asami winced all the same.
“Sorry. Look, do you want a lift?”
“Huh?”
“The gym. Do. You. Want. A. Lift? Because I can’t get any work done when you’re doing...that,” Asami waved a hand at the bunk beds. “And I’m kind of getting the feeling you’re like an overgrown Labrador puppy that will start eating the furniture if it doesn’t get to go walkies.”
Korra hesitated. Asami sighed. Maybe she shouldn’t have made the Labrador comparison.
“I’m sorry. I’m just behind on this already and I’m stressed as hell.”
“It’s ok. And you think this is stressed? You just wait til my first deadline!”
Asami paled at the thought.
“She’s the roommate from hell!” Asami complained. “Honestly, I think she used to room with Beelzebub.”
“Can’t help thinking you might be overreacting a little here,” Opal told her. Asami scowled.
“She keeps the room freezing!”
“She’s from the South Pole.”
“She comes in at three in the morning!”
“And you’re still up working anyway.”
“She leaves her shit everywhere!”
“Have you seen your workbench lately?”
“Well...yeah...but...I damn near broke my toe on one of her weights! Who the hell needs a 20kg dumbbell in a dorm room? She does chin-ups on my bed, Opal!”
Opal sighed. Asami wasn’t generally a diva but she had her moments. “Ok. Firstly; what did she do when you hit you toe?”
Asami deflated a little. “Helped me to the chair and got me some ice. But still...”
“And you really don’t know why she needs the weights?”
Asami shrugged. Opal sighed. “Asami, how is it you can keep up with every technical innovation, no matter how mind-numbingly dull, but you miss all the gossip on campus?”
Asami still looked spectacularly blank. Opal decided to give her a hint. “About the swimmer who’s slated for Olympic selection?”
Asami looked sceptical. “Her? Really? I mean she’s not exactly...” Asami paused. There was generally a certain odour of chlorine when Korra came back late. And she was definitely in shape, no doubt about that. Her shoulders, for instance. And her back...
Asami became aware of a clicking noise and registered Opal snapping her fingers in front of her face.
“Fantasize on your own time.”
“Fanta...no. No.” Asami shook her head. “Nope. Not fantasizing. Just considering.”
“Well ‘consider’ her on your own time. Preferably with the door locked.” Opal grinned. Asami scowled. Opal held up her hands defensively. “I’m just saying! You could do a lot, lot worse than land a totally fit, as in the literal definition of fit, Olympian.”
“I’m landing nothing.” Asami told her firmly. “She’s my roommate, I don’t even like her, and it’d just get really awkward.”
“Really?”
“Definitely.”
It was all Opal’s fault. It was. Before it had just been a purely aesthetic appreciation of Korra’s physique when she inevitably started doing exercises in the room. A quick glance to appreciate what even Asami would concede was a body in excellent form. Nothing else. No ulterior motive. And now, when Korra decided that she really, really needed to do press ups right then and there in nothing but her underwear, Asami found herself watching rather too long. It was ridiculous.
“You liiike her!” Opal teased, a little red in the face from the rum. Asami tried to shrink into her chair.
“I do not.”
“You like her!”
“Don’t.”
“Do!”
“Don’t!”
“Do!”
“Don’t, and as we can plainly see by the fact she’s had the jock squad all over her this evening, she’s straight so it doesn’t even matter!” Asami waved a hand behind her in the general direction of the sports teams. Opal leaned sideways.
“Huh.”
“Exactly.” Asami said, folding her arms. “Conversation over, buried, done.”
“It’s just...”
“Oh for fuck’s sake, Opal, what? What? Just spit it out so I can end this sodding conversation once and for all, ok?”
Opal looked slightly hurt by Asami’s tone. Asami sighed. “Sorry Ope. What did you want to say?”
“I was just going to point out a slight flaw in your theory.”
“Which is?”
“That Korra’s been making out with Tula in that corner for the last five minutes.”
Asami turned so fast she was in danger of whiplash. Korra was indeed in the corner with the captain of the women’s fencing team and they certainly weren’t discussing the state of current affairs. Asami turned back to Opal’s broad grin.
“You like her!”
“Oh for fuck’s sake.” Asami put her head in her hands.
Thankfully for Asami’s rapidly dwindling sanity Korra did not add to her list of roommate sins by bringing Tula back with her. Asami decided it would be easiest just to feign sleep when Korra arrived just before breakfast.
The door opened at two in the morning, bringing with it a strong smell of chlorine and an exhausted Korra. She gave Asami a nod as she trudged in, dumping her bag by the bed. Asami held up a hand before she could speak, eyes not leaving her laptop screen.
“I have another two thousand words to write by morning and some bastard swiped my card so I can’t get into the library to work there. Interrupt me at your peril.”
Korra considered this. Then she went to her wardrobe, pulling out a slightly battered cider crate which she set down by Asami’s chair. Asami tried not to look. There was a clink of cans, and that did it.
“Korra, I swear to...!” She swivelled, to see Korra holding a couple of energy drinks.
“In case of procrastination, break box,” Korra grinned, setting the cans down by Asami’s hand. “I’ve got fifteen of these and enough chocolate to choke a camel. When’s it due in?”
“Ten o’clock tomorrow, physical copy hand in only.”
Korra winced in sympathy.
“My stash is your stash. I will now go bother Bolin and keep out of your hair. Just, uh, don’t drink more than like, four of those. They’re not technically legal in Republic City because of the caffeine content and I’m pretty sure your heart would explode if you got into double figures.”
Asami hesitated as Korra went for the door. The cans glared at her.
“Don’t.”
Korra stopped. Asami sighed.
“It’s way too late. Just, please don’t make too much noise?”
“I will be as silent as the grave,” Korra promised.
She wasn’t. Graves don’t tend to snore gently, or crack joints as they roll over in their sleep, but Asami could handle that. She cracked open the first can, fingers clattering across the keys fast enough to be fire hazard.
Asami woke with a start. She was lying down, something she did not remember doing last night. She also didn’t remember sleeping on the bottom bunk, because she was pretty sure...Asami rolled out of bed before the conscious mind caught up to the fact she was in Korra’s bed, landing on the floor in a tangle of blue bedding. Korra however was not in it and, as Asami staggered to her feet, it became apparent she wasn’t in the room at all. Asami looked guiltly at the mountain of debris she’d left on the desk. The desk. The essay. Fuck. Asami checked her watch. 11:19. Fuck, fuck, fuck!
She lunged for the laptop, already rehearsing apologies in her head, only to find the entire machine covered in sticky notes. There was a message scrawled across them in fat red pen. “CALM THE FUCK DOWN!” There was an arrow to a sheet of paper by the side. Asami tried to, but her heart was feeling dangerously like she’d ingested triple digits of Korra’s ghastly energy concoction. She picked up the paper.
Asami. Relax. Woke up and found you conked out on the desk with a printed essay. Figured I’d run it in for you. If you check your phone you’ll find a lovely confirmation photo (assuming you wake up some time after like 9.30 ish). Tried to put you in your bunk but you get clingy in your sleep, it was easier to just put you in mine.
Korra
Asami put the sheet back down, checking her phone to find there were indeed photos of Korra depositing the essay in the box. And one of her hanging off the statue of the university’s founder in the quad. And one of the grass beneath the statue as she dropped the phone. Ok. So maybe Korra wasn’t quite the roommate from hell after all. Opal had been right on that score. But Asami would be damned if she let her be right on the other one.
She never should have gone to the pool. She just hadn’t had a choice. Korra and Bolin were apparently the very best of friends meaning Bolin would of course be there for the championship swimming gala to cheer her on. And where Bolin went Opal went, and where Opal went she dragged Asami. And made unhelpfully accurate comments regarding Korra and her physique in a swimsuit. And didn’t even need to make comments when Korra started swimming because holy hellfire, Korra’s back muscles doing butterfly were proof of some kind of benevolent god. If Asami had entered the swimming pool believing herself to be straight there was a very good chance she would have been disabused of the notion by the third race.
“You ok, Asami?” Bolin called over the cheering of the crowd as Korra pushed herself out of the pool, another race won. “You look a little red.”
“I’m fine,” Asami assured him, as Opal snickered. “It’s just warm in here.”
Asami had been intending to slink away afterwards, only to run headlong into exactly who she’d been trying to avoid.
“You came!” Korra said excitedly. “I’m so glad, I knew you were busy work and stuff but...thanks. Means a lot.”
“You’re welcome,” Asami said awkwardly.
“Do you have to rush off or you coming to the party?” Korra asked.
“I really should...” Asami began, and saw Korra’s face fall. It was kicking a puppy. She couldn’t do it. “I can stay for one.”
“Yes!” Korra cheered, practically lifting her off the ground with a hug.
Several drinks later Opal was all but hanging off Bolin’s arm.
“Hey Korrrrra.” She said, in a tone Asami had learned to dread. “you wanna know something? Asami Salami,” she pointed one wobbly finger in Asami’s direction. “Wants to fuck your brains out.”
There was silence. Bolin coughed awkwardly.
“I keep telling her she can’t go drinking on a stomach of nothing but kale, but what can you do? I’m going get her some water...” he led Opal away. Asami finally risked a glance at Korra who, thankfully, did not look too offended. If anything she looked amused.
“you wanna fuck my brains out?” She repeated. Asami could feel herself going redder by the second.
“It’s not...I never said...Opal’s just latched onto the idea that...I mean...” Asami had to force herself to stop babbling.
“I’m sorry.” She said at last. “This is now awkward as hell. Which is exactly how I thought it would go, so yay, points to me.” She finished a little bitterly, taking another drink.
“You thought it would go like this?” Korra still had that strange smile on her face. “So you’ve thought about this? And not just thought but talked about wanting to fuck...”
“Please stop saying that.” Asami groaned. “I mentioned, hypothetically, what the likely outcomes would be of hooking up...of...whatever, with a roommate.”
“Is it just the roommate thing?” Korra asked, in a tone a sober Asami would have noticed was a little too innocent.
“Well it’s not like I’m repulsed by you or anything.” Asami said, in a ‘duh’ kind of voice.
“Not repulsed.” Korra repeated flatly. “Well, gee, Miss Sato, you do know how to charm a lady.”
“Oh, shuddup,” Asami shot back, the master of the witty comeback. Korra grinned. “It’s not...I mean...” Asami was very aware that Korra was listening rather intently. She swallowed, trying to think of a way to get out of the hole she was digging for herself. “Look, just, please forget I said anything, ok? I like you, I don’t want to make things weird.”
“What if I don’t want to forget?”
Asami was about to make some comment about not wanting to hear about this debacle every week for the rest of her life when she stopped. Korra was smiling, but it wasn’t mocking. A gentle tease at best. “You know,” Korra said conversationally. “While we’re being truthful and all,” she leaned in close. “You don’t repulse me either.”
Asami tried for a witty response. She really did. But Korra’s face was just entirely too close, and her smile was just entirely too bright. She kissed her. And Korra kissed her right back.
After they broke apart Asami had to laugh.
“Opal is going to be unbearable when she finds out.”
“Bolin too,” Korra agreed. She leant away a little reluctantly, scanning the bar for their friends. “We could, uh, well.” She rubbed the back of her neck. “We could get out of here. Delay that moment.”
Asami snorted. “Riiight. Because they won’t see through that.”
Korra smiled. “See through what?” She said, in her most innocent voice. “I’m tired. I swam a lot of races today; I need to get some rest. And if my lovely roommate wants to make sure I get back to the dorms ok, well, that’s just being a good friend.” She finished piously.
“Is that what you told Tula?” Asami asked, before she could stop herself, but Korra took it in stride.
“Nope. We both knew exactly what that was going to be. This...this I’m hoping is something different.”
“Something that lasts past sunrise?”
“Yeah.” There was no hint of jest on Korra’s face. She looked a little nervous it was true, but she radiated honesty, excitement. Asami smiled, and linked her arm with hers.
“What are we waiting for then? Let’s get out of here before the gruesome twosome get back.”