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“The first rule for learning how to drive is: don't get distracted. If you take your eyes off the road and you're not experienced handling a car, you're going to crash.”
Korra nodded, already knowing this was a bad idea. It had been three years since she and Asami last had a driving lesson, and that had ended with Korra very nearly crashing into a spirit vine because she was busy smiling at Asami. Add on three more years, a lot of feelings, and a few dreams (and daydreams) where driving lessons took an entirely different direction, and she was screwed.
But Asami had offered her this as a distraction from the whole Kuvira problem, and it wasn't like Korra was about to pass up an opportunity to spend more time with her. Plus, she really did want to learn how to drive one day. If only because it was something Asami loved.
“How do you manage to drive, fight, and keep track of the rest of the team all at the same time, then?” Korra asked.
Asami smirked a little. “I guess I was just born talented.” Her tone of voice made it clear she was teasing, but Korra knew the statement to be true, actually. She was firmly convinced that Asami was the best driver, pilot, and engineer in the entire world. Not to mention one of the best fighters Korra had ever met, non-bender or otherwise.
She shook her head, trying to get rid of the thoughts. It was time to focus on driving, not pine for her best friend.
“The second rule is: always listen to what I tell you.”
“Always?” Korra raised her eyebrows in faux shock.
Asami rolled her eyes. “Always listen to what I tell you when we're driving, Korra.”
“Soooo... if we're driving and you tell me the sky is purple, I'm meant to believe you.”
“Shut up.”
“Or what if you say that the moon is actually a dumpling? Or that ice isn't cold? Or that bending is actually a myth?” Korra added, stalling for time.
Asami sighed as if she was exasperated, but there was a smile in her eyes. “I'm not going to lie to you, Korra. I'm just going to tell you how to drive the car, okay?”
“But–”
Asami leant across the gap between them until her face was just inches from Korra's, and looked directly into her eyes. Korra promptly forgot how to breathe. “Korra. Do you trust me?”
“Uh-huh,” Korra said. It came out more like a squeak. Asami smiled, and then, seeming to realise just how close she'd gotten, sat back into her seat, clearing her throat and looking away.
“Okay. Good. Let's get started.”
Korra fumbled with the keys, trying to get her brain back to the task at hand. It really was unfair how beautiful Asami was. How was Korra supposed to not get distracted from driving when the person teaching her looked like that?
“Here, like this.” Asami reached across and covered Korra's hand with her own, turning the keys in the ignition.
Her touch was gentle and there were calluses on her palms and Korra just stared at their hands for a moment, before pulling her own away hastily.
Asami shot her an unreadable glance, but said nothing. Korra stared resolutely ahead of her and started the car, holding on to the steering wheel for dear life. At least this time she remembered which pedal was the clutch.
They started moving, more or less in a straight line, which Korra counted as an achievement, particularly when her thoughts weren't straight in the slightest.
She shot a glance at Asami. The motion of the car was making a few strands of black hair fly around her face, and she'd shrugged off the black garment she normally wore around her shoulders (Korra had no idea what it was called), leaving her in a close-fitting red shirt. Her green eyes were shining, and a soft smile was hovering about the corners of her mouth as she watched Korra. The look almost made Korra want to check over her shoulder to see if there was someone else behind her, because it didn't make any sense that Asami was looking at her that way.
The car gave a sickening jolt, and Korra snapped her focus back to the road to find that she'd run one wheel up on to the sidewalk.
“Remember what I said about not getting distracted?” Asami asked. “Keeping your eyes forward is pretty key to that whole process.”
“Sorry,” Korra mumbled, flushing.
“Don't worry about it. I'm ready to lunge across the seat and take the wheel at a moment's notice.”
Korra was pretty sure if that happened then her panic alone would be enough to cause the crash Asami would be hypothetically averting. The amount of proximity involved... she swallowed and told her mind to shut up as the car wavered in its course again.
“Yuan for your thoughts,” Asami said, sounding a little curious.
“Um, I was just... just thinking about...” You, Korra's mind supplied unhelpfully. “Thinking about, um, Avatar... stuff.”
“Riiiight,” Asami replied. Korra snuck a glance at her to see her raising one eyebrow, her face full of scepticism. “Okay. Well. Take your mind off 'Avatar stuff' for a moment, and focus on 'driving lesson stuff' instead. There's a corner coming up. Think you can make the turn?”
Korra bit her lip, clutched the steering wheel tightly, and nodded. It was unreasonable to feel this nervous about driving round a corner when she'd stared death in the face and survived, but...
“Hey,” Asami said softly, and Korra felt a gentle touch on her knee. “I've got you, okay?”
Korra was fairly sure her heart had given up. That was it. She was finished. She tried to keep her eyes forward, but Asami's hand was still on her leg, and it felt like her skin was burning in a good way, and those words were playing in a loop in her mind: I've got you, I've got you, I've got you.
Damnit, she was never getting over this girl.
She just about managed to make the turn, focusing all her energy on not crashing. When they were safely on the next street, she breathed a sigh of relief.
“Hey, we're alive.”
Asami laughed. “You're the Avatar, master of all the elements, and I've been driving at an expert level since I was fifteen. I would say it's a safe bet that we're not going to die in a car crash. And hey, even if we do, at least we're together.”
Korra choked on air. That was her explanation for what she said next. Oxygen deprivation. It couldn't have been anything else. “Together. Yeah. Sounds nice.” Her mind caught up to her mouth, and she could feel her eyes widening in horror. “I mean, together like this. With you as my... driving.... coach. That.” She was pretty sure her face was burning hotter than the Si Wong desert at this stage, but when she looked across at Asami, the other girl was smiling, her eyes bright with genuine happiness, and a hint of laughter.
“Driving coach? Is that all I am to you?” She pressed a palm to her heart like she'd suffered a grievous wound. “Betrayed by my own... own best friend.”
Korra didn't think she'd imagined the hesitation. But what was she to Asami, if not her best friend? It wasn't like Asami wanted the same thing she did, right? ...Right?
“No. That's not all you are.” She said it softly, half hoping Asami wouldn't hear her.
“You know why this car is blue?” Asami asked suddenly. Korra's heart sank a little. It was a very obvious subject change. Maybe Asami was uncomfortable with the direction the conversation had been taking. Maybe she didn't want Korra the way Korra wanted her at all.
“No, why?” Korra asked, trying to conceal the disappointment in her tone.
“Because you mean a lot to me. Blue's your colour, Korra. And I missed you.”
Korra couldn't even breathe right, let alone focus on the road. Asami's face was absolutely sincere, and she was smiling like Korra was everything to her, and–
“Korra! Korra, the car!”
Suffice it to say that they did not die in a car crash that day, because that just didn't happen when you had Asami Sato in the passenger seat. But that was the last time Asami let Korra drive for a very, very long time.
Korra didn't care in the slightest, but she thought the day had taught her at least one thing. The first rule of driving should definitely be: don't let the girl you're in love with teach you. Because getting distracted? That's pretty much a guarantee.