Chapter Text
This was not how she had expected everything to go today. Korra’s eyes pleaded with those around her to just drop it. The SECRET of how she and Asami had actually met had been well guarded and kept under wraps by a series of well rehearsed half-truths that had now been shattered. Shattered by none other than her wife of three hours and a picture of Korra’s mugshot from that fateful night sneakily placed on the board with the pictures documenting their relationship.
No one knew Asami was Republic City’s favorite graffiti artist who’s work was now respected and many businesses would boast when they would find her work on the side of their store. Korra wasn’t worried about that though. She was worried about the looks she was receiving from her mother and father, and Asami’s father who was quick to join them. The three began to flank Korra and her fight or flight instinct kicked in.
Korra quickly glanced around the room until blue eyes locked with mirth-filled green ones. Asami was conveniently talking with President Reiko and Korra could tell that Asami knew what was happening and the smirk on her face indicated that she was going to let Korra flounder a little before swooping in to save her as always.
When Korra met the artist’s eyes in the small waiting room outside the holding cells it was like the other woman was speaking to her. Just go with it. The next thing Korra knew, gentle hands were cupping her cheeks and the softest lips she had ever felt were pressed to her own, her eyes slipped closed and OH, this is what it’s supposed to feel like. Korra’s hands moved of their own volition and circled around the artist’s waist to pull her closer. Lips moved with what felt like practiced ease and Korra was convinced she could stay like this forever. That was until a very loud and very fake cough snapped her out of it.
As Korra’s eyes fluttered open, the artist rested her forehead against Korra’s as she whispered, “Sorry, I didn’t know what else to do.”
Korra giggled at that before responding with the words she had heard mere hours earlier when she was sure she had made a fool of herself, “I’m not mad at that. So no need to apologize…”
“Asami.”
Korra felt like she had been shot through with electricity when she heard the name.
“Asami.” She breathed out as she pulled the other woman flush with her body and placed a peck on her lips. The two women were about to fall into each other again when the cough made a comeback.
“If you two lovebirds are finished, some of us have actual work to do,” the voice came from an officer standing to the side that Korra hadn’t noticed before.
Before pulling away from Korra, Asami winked at Korra and whispered, “Watch this.” And watch Korra did.
She was amazed when Asami’s look instantly changed from one of worry and was that adoration? To one of supreme confidence. She was impressed and, quite frankly, a little turned on when Asami came close to berating the officer for arresting an innocent person on their way to a date from their place of work especially since Korra would have had to walk through the alley since that is where she exited her place of work every day. As Korra watched the officer sink into himself and call a supervisor to straighten out “this mess of a situation” that Asami was sure her father, “a staunch supporter of RCPD would love to hear about it.”
When they were briefly left alone after being escorted from the waiting room to the bullpen Korra finally found words.
“Wha- I...you just...I can’t bel- HOW?”
Asami shot her a sideways glance while biting her lower lip and considering her answer. “Well, RCPD certainly would not want the wrath of Hiroshi Sato to come down on them for wrongfully arresting his daughter’s girlfriend on the night of their anniversary.”
At this point Korra was so tired that her brain couldn’t register the fact that she had gotten arrested on behalf of and made out with the Asami Sato, Republic City’s most innovative engineer. Instead her sleep-deprived brain managed to be smooth and flirt.
“Oh, we have an anniversary do we?” she asked as she leaned into the artist and Asami let out a series of giggles she tried to hide behind her hand.
“Yes, and maybe next year we can try to celebrate it not in a police precinct.” Asami shot back with a wink and a cheeky wiggle of her eyebrows.
Any smoothness Korra’s brain had latched onto was immediately replaced by what Korra was confident was a full body blush. She was thankfully saved from having to attempt to respond when the chief entered the room and brusquely started talking at them.
“All charges have been dropped and this will not appear on Ms. Kioke’s record in any way. I am so sorry to have inconvenienced you in any way Ms. Sato.”
And just like that the chief was gone and Korra and Asami were told they were free to go. They exited the precinct hand-in-hand ( to sell it, they both thought to themselves). When they reached the parking lot, bathed in the dim light of the rising sun, Asami spoke first.
“Thank you for getting arrested for me,” she said sheepishly. “I don’t know what I would have done if you hadn’t been there, Korra. What can I do to make it up to you?”
Korra gave the hand clasped in hers a gentle squeeze, “I would do it again if it meant getting to meet you, Asami. No thanks needed. Although…”
“Yes?”
“Could you give me a ride to work? I have to open the shop in...30 minutes.” Korra said as she looked at her watch and sighed.
“Of course.” Asami replied with a smile. “But I would still like to actually make it up to you.”
Korra gave Asami a soft smile and tugged Asami toward her until they were a breath away from each other. Korra’s eyes dropped to Asami’s lips before leaning in and whispering. “Pick me up from work and take me out on a real first date,” and then Korra quickly moved away from Asami and headed to the lone car in the visitor’s parking lot.
Asami for her part had been expecting something completely different. When Korra’s eyes had moved to her lips she was ready to relive the best kiss she had ever experienced and was disappointed when it didn’t happen. So she marched to where Korra was standing next to the passenger door of her car and pulled her into a searing kiss. It contained none of the gentleness or tentativeness of their kiss in the precinct but was still everything Asami wanted it to be. When Asami finally pulled away, chest heaving and with a satisfied smirk, and slipped into the drivers seat and started the car, Korra stood rooted to the spot.
Korra fumbled with the door handle until she finally wrenched it open she plopped down and said, “So was that a yes?”
Asami watched from afar as her wife was slowly surrounded by their parents and knew they had seen the mugshot of Korra she had smuggled onto their memory board for the reception. It was an opportune moment for it to happen as she was mid-pleasantries with President Reiko and knew she would be able to swoop in and save Korra after a few minutes of Korra stumbling through some form of disjointed explanation and that is just what was happening when she walked up behind Korra and slid her arms around Korra’s waist while placing a gentle kiss to her cheek.
Asami’s father, sensing he would never get a coherent sentence out of Korra on the matter turned to his daughter. He was clearly amused by the situation as were Korra’s parents and the feeling of Korra’s elevated heartbeat from her being flustered made Asami’s heart overflow with love. She knew she would never grow tired of watching Korra blush when Asami caught her staring or vice versa and she would never get tired of watching Korra squirm when she was nervous about questions being asked of her.
“Korra, do you not remember where that picture came from?” Asami asked with a smirk and a wink toward their parents.
“I, uh, I-I do...I just thought that we had agreed to never speak of it.”
“Why not? It was just Opal’s 25th birthday party backdrop. It’s not my fault that you go so wasted that Mako had to carry you to the car.” She retorted as Korra relaxed into her arms after hearing another expertly crafted on the fly half-truth.
“It was embarrassing. I had to pay Bolin and Opal for the bushes I ruined when I puked. Which is why we don’t speak of it.”
The group of parents seemed satisfied and didn’t care to stay and watch their daughters turn mushy. Once their parents had moved away from them, Korra turned in Asami’s arms tried her best to glare at her.
“I can’t believe I married the woman who got me arrested,” Korra said with feigned indignance.
“I still can’t believe I was able to get you out,” Asami said with a chuckle.
“Hmmm, that parts a little fuzzy. Remind me how that happened again?”
Asami took a step back from Korra and gently placed her hands on Korra’s cheeks before slowly closing the space between their lips and stopping just a breath away.
“I believe it went something like this,” she whispered as she pressed a gentle kiss to Korra’s lips and fire ripped through her body just like it had the first time they had kissed in the waiting room of a police precinct. When they finally broke apart Asami rested her head against Korra’s and sighed. They stayed locked in their little bubble for a moment before Korra broke the spell.
“Yeah, I’m still not mad at it.”