thebearcave | A different chance meeting

"I can pick you up wherever you need!" Asami offered as they stopped at a traffic signal. She rested her foot on the pavement for balance. She turned around to face Korra for a moment, well aware of their close proximity.

"All you need to do is be ready."

The closeness made her take in a breath at the same time Asami spoke, and she held her air in while nodding. "I can-" she took a split second to swallow. "be ready."

Now that they were still on the moped while waiting for the traffic light, Korra felt like she was suddenly pinned in place. "Just, at the arena. Since you know where it is, I mean. Well yeah, if you don't miss a match. You'd know where it is. It's where we're going." Why wasn't that green light there to stop her from talking anymore...

Asami's smile widened with Korra's response, if you could even really call it a response.

"Of course. Just promise me you'll dress sharp, okay?" She tipped her head slightly to the side, almost flirtatiously, before the signal turned green and she took off again down the street.

That made her lower lip push up slightly, wondering if Asami knew what that small tilt seemed like.

"Dress up??" Her voice cracked slightly at that and she reaffirmed her grip when the moped was on the move again. "I don't really have any other clothes." she confessed as the wind picked up her pony tail again.

For being hit by a moped, she had no idea why she was the one feeling guilty.

"I can take care of that. All you need to do is be at the arena for 6 o'clock. That gives us plenty of time to get ready. Think you can manage that?" She'd need to freshen up, too. Asami didn't like to be driven places, even to a date, if she could get there herself.

By now, the arena was starting to get closer. Only a minute or so until they were there.

"Now that I can do!" Holding on to one thing she knew was capable of doing, Korra's tone was confident, with a hint of cockiness in there. All over simply being in the right place at the right time.

"Thanks by the way. For giving me a ride."

"It's the least I could do." Seriously. She just ran you over. The fact that that had somehow blown over? Asami wasn't going to push her luck.

Except. You know. Asking the Avatar out on a date.

The moped pulled up in front of the arena, and Asami slowed to a stop. A small favor for what could have easily been a really big disaster. Plus a treat to dinner. That was fair, right?

...Right?

"Does that offer to come in still stand?"

That somehow has amazing green eyes.

When they came to a stop, Korra looked up at the arena and then over to Asami. "Yeah, sure! As long as you're with me, you can walk right in. First thing I learned." All said while she's still holding on.

...which she soon realized and Korra grabbed the sleeves to her small bundle of practice gear. Once she was standing, she threw her thumb over her shoulder at the arena. "The music hour's usually on, so you won't just have to hear us complaining."

Hey, it's amazing what a little hairbending can do.

Asami grinned secretly to herself until Korra finally let go, and she turned the kick stand down and stepped off the moped.

"Perfect!" It was unusual for Asami to be at the arena in broad daylight, lit by the sun rather than by spotlights and elaborate chandeliers.

"I'll just follow your lead, then." She gave Korra another smile as she pulled off her helmet and goggles.

Mimicking Bolin only seemed fitting, and Korra couldn’t stop herself.

"Ooh, right this way, miss." Leading the way into the arena, Korra kept an eye out for Toza and was glad when they got near the gym without hassle. Then she remembered the practice gear in her hands when she stopped at seeing the locker rooms.

"Wait. I need to change first." She was about to walk into the girl’s side when she heard Toza’s grumbling coming down the hallway. Leaving Asami in the hallway alone wasn’t an option, she’d get thrown out.

"Come on!" she grabbed her arm just above the elbow and dragged her into the girl’s room.

Asami grinned as Korra led her through the arena. She'd seen much of it before, but from a fan's perspective. This was the real grand tour. She perked up when she heard the shuffling of someone else around the corner, and gladly followed suit when Korra yanked her into the locker room.

"Who's that?" she asked as she shut the door silently behind her.

Once the door was closed, Korra locked it.

"That’s Toza. He manages the gym, and is a little rough around the edges." Said with a half smirk, implying the retired pro-bender was more than just a a little rough. Downright grouchy if Korra had a say in it.

"If you ever see him, just tell him you’re with me and that should work." It was the best option anyway. Setting her training gear on a bench, Korra reached down to grab the bottom of her shirt and her hands stopped when she looked over at Asami.

She’d changed in front of the female players before, and it wasn’t that Korra was shy about her body; if anything, she was rather proud of it and her physique. But now it almost felt like she had an audience, and for something like this-

Korra realized she was staring at Asami for way longer than she intended and continued lifting up her shirt. This wasn’t any different than usual, at least that’s what she told herself.

Asami shot Korra a smile as she settled on one of the benches, hoping to ease the awkward silence a bit. She wasn't used to changing in front of anyone, but she wasn't awkward about Korra's current state of dress, either.

"I'll be sure to remember that." She only dared to steal glances when she was certain the other young woman couldn't see. Subtle appreciation. It was all that was appropriate when they hadn't even been on a date yet.

And by the way Korra was acting, it was a date, even if she didn't quite realize it. Not just 'I'm sorry I ran you over, I'll buy you dinner,' though part of it was just that.

After setting her clothes on the bench next to Asami, Korra began donning her training gear. It was easier now that Asami was sitting, much like how the other players would do, so she was able to tie her blue strap around her waist easily.

Putting on her helmet, Korra set the strap under her chin while looking over to Asami. "All set!" She tossed her clothes in her locker and held the door open for her guest as they went to the gym. "Let me just clear this up." Before Mako could even tell her she's late, Korra put up her hands and introduced Asami; which got little more than a glance from Mako and an enthusiastic wave from a sweaty Bolin.

"Don't worry, it won't take too much longer!" She said before she went to pick up a weighted ball for them to practice with.

Asami managed to contain her excitement to a girlish grin, glancing between the Fabulous Bending Brothers and giving a polite wave. Mako and Bolin! They were actually right here!

"Sure!" She settled off to the side to watch, perfectly content to watch them practice for whatever remainder of time they had.

Korra was ready to put them through the paces, and not only because she was fresh while they've been wearing down; but because she wanted to show to her new friend that she had the make up of a great player.

The training was only twenty minutes long, just enough to last the music hour, and was happily tossing the weighted ball way too hard to Mako to bowl him over. Grabbing her water bottle, Korra took off her helmet and made her way to Asami while drinking down the ice cold water.

Well, it was ice cold now that she touched it.

"Yeah, it's pretty much like this every day. Except, I'm usually on time." But she was rather thankful she wasn't today, she wouldn't be having this much. Sore hip or not.

And not getting run over by a girl on a moped. Asami tactfully kept that thought to herself. She pushed away from the wall as Korra approached.

"You looked great out there!" Unsurprisingly, Korra really knew how to handle herself. Asami had already seen her prowess in the stadium, and even if the Avatar hadn't been so sure of the rules, she was an amazing bender.

"Are you guys wrapping up soon?"

Beaming at the praise, Korra worked on catching her breath and offered Asami a sip.

"Yeah, the last few minutes is just us cooling down before putting everything away. Not that it matters, the next team’s just going to take it all out again." Grabbing a towel, she wiped off the sweat on her face and brushed aside some stray hairs that clung to her cheeks.

"You said outside the arena at six, right?" That detail had been on her mind all throughout practice and was an additional motivator to churning out a productive practice session.

Asami shrugged subtly to herself and accepted the water bottle, squirting some into her mouth before offering it back to Korra.

"Yup! And don't be late." She smiled and gave a quick wink as she leaned down to pick up her purse. Asami, for a rare occasion, had something to look forward to. Something that didn't run on petrol.

Korra gave an awkward, yet pleased smile at the wink. "I won’t. Looking forward to it!" She only got to wave Asami until she was out of sight before having to help put the equipment back, but she was a little distracted as she did so. A little being a lot.

--

Keeping to her word, Korra made it back to the arena in the evening. The coming night was cool, but not enough to warrant bringing her jacket, and Korra leaned against the wall in between the entrances of the semi-lit building with her hands behind her head. Without anything going on, Korra was the only person there and her thoughts kept falling back to Asami.

There was something about the other girl that made her feel different, and that feeling rose from the flip her stomach made when the headlights flashed on her. Pulling her back from the wall, Korra put her hand above her blue eyes to block out the light and see if that was the person she was waiting for or a false alarm.

It indeed was Asami, at 6 pm sharp just as she had said. She was glad to see Korra there; some nervous part of her had thought the other girl might not show. It had only half-hit her, how weird the circumstances of tonight's get together were.

"Hop in! I promise it's more roomy in here than on the moped." Asami grinned as she addressed Korra, a giddy feeling of her own building in her chest.

A smile broke out on Korra’s face when she heard Asami’s voice. Leaping from the top of the steps down onto the pavement, Korra quickly made her way over to the satomobile. There wasn’t a doubt in her mind whether or not Asami would show up.

Naïve, maybe. Trusting, definitely.

"Wow, this is nice." While she didn’t know a lot about cars, Korra could appreciate the sleek looking vehicle. Taking it literally, she put her hand on the door so she jump into the passenger seat and buckled up afterwards.

A part of her almost made her pipe up to admit that she would have been fine with the smaller moped and its seating arrangements, but she managed to keep it in.

"I would have been fine with the moped." Well, she managed to keep it in for all of five seconds. Instantly, she added "So Kwong’s."

Not awkward, not at all.

"It's a personal favorite of mine," Asami conceded, running a hand briefly over the dashboard. Maroon paint job, obviously, and a top of the line engine. And, of course, the retractable roof, which was currently down. It was a beautiful night.

She smiled secretively to herself with Korra's comment about the moped and started driving.

"I'll remember that next time." Kwong's, though. Asami hardly minded the awkwardness. It was endearing, in a way. Funny, she wouldn't have pictured the Avatar to be so... normal. Then again, people misconceived the heiress of Future Industries all the time. This wasn't much different. "Our reservation is for seven, so we might be a little cramped for getting-ready time." Yes, an hour to get ready was cramped. And although it wasn't exactly conventional to get ready with your date, Korra looked like a girl who could stand a little making over, and Asami didn't trust anyone but herself with that task.

The fact that she had enough to have a ‘favorite boggled Korra’s mind, but she only thought of functionality. That and comparing it to having more than one polar bear dog, which wasn’t really fair. Even she had to admit that to herself.

Thinking of being on the moped again did make Korra force a smile down. Being that close did make her feel something she didn’t want to put a name to just yet.

But-

"Cramped?" That caught her by surprised as they took off through the city, the cool wind lifting her tails. Normally, Korra could be up and out the door in minutes; an hour just made brain halt.

"T-that’s not enough time?" Not one make over session in her life, and it just became all the more obvious as the street lamps passed overhead and illuminated her face on each pass.

"Oh, I'm sure we can make it work! We'll just have to be quick about it!" The possible misunderstanding flew right over Asami's head. The arena wasn't far from Kwong's; both buildings were located toward the center of the city.

"Don't worry. You'll be in good hands."

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That icon is so adorable

I had way too much fun making it!

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