Chapter Text
“Gin martini for me, please.” Asami asked the bartender. She looked over at her girlfriend who was casually leaned against the bar. Korra wore a skeptical expression, seeming to really be studying Asami in the moment.
“Are you sure about this? You can always back out if you’d rather,” Korra said with a squint and adorable tilt of her head.
Asami stepped closer to her, adopting an expression of pure fliration. “Asami Sato never backs down from a challenge, my dear.” Her expression quickly shifted from alluring to admiring when she noted again just how beautiful Korra looked in her new outfit. She was showing a bit more of her dark skin and muscles than usual in her white bandeau style top and high waisted jeans. Her hair was up in a ponytail, but her bangs hung loose, framing her face. With little to no forethought, Asami reached out to put a hand on Korra’s waist.
“Ah, ah, ah,” Korra reprimanded with a devilish gleam in her eyes as she gently blocked Asami’s hand. “No touching, remember? Can’t give anyone the idea that we’re together.”
Frowning at the rules of their latest competition, Asami reached instead for the drink that had been placed before her. After taking a sip, she sighed. “Right.”
Last night during an especially long-winded pillow talk, they had gotten on the topic of all the crazy ways they had both been hit on in the past. One tease led to another, and after one laughing boast too many, all of a sudden they had their next friendly competition: who could get the most phone numbers in one night.
Korra shifted until she was leaned back on her elbows against the counter, surveying the rooftop bar they had chosen. Rather than sticking closer to home, they had chosen to drive to Birmingham to avoid running into familiar faces. It was a casual atmosphere with music that was toned down enough to still allow conversation. Strings of warm lights criss-crossed across the ceiling, creating a cozy ambience. The massive doors to the balcony were wide open, letting in the cool breeze of the night. Couches and chairs were strategically placed around the spacious room to still allow room for dancing. Korra and Asami had both agreed that louder, crazier clubs weren’t really their scene.
“Looks like we have plenty of options here,” Korra said as she evaluated the men and women around them before taking a sip of her own drink.
When Korra leaned back like that, it was impossible for Asami’s eyes not to be drawn to her abs. Before she could get caught staring, she joined Korra in looking around the room. “Appears so.”
Turning back towards her, Korra was too bold to hide her lustful gaze on Asami. With the outfit she has chosen for the evening - a blacked out look with a black, long sleeved blouse with a plunging neckline, tucked into her black jeans with black pumps - Asami had to admit, she knew she looked good, and it made her blush for Korra to notice, too.
For a brief moment, Asami allowed her own eyes to turn downwards as she regarded Korra again, a bit more obviously this time. She wasn’t sure which thought enticed her more - thinking about undressing Korra, or having Korra undress her.
Before that thought could run rampant through her mind, she wet her lips with her tongue and held her bottom lip between her teeth as she locked eyes with Korra. Much to her delight, Korra appeared to be thinking along the same lines as she was.
“What are you thinking?” Korra asked her quietly.
“Oh, just about the rules,” Asami lied smoothly. She couldn’t help herself when she winked, just to make Korra wonder what she was really thinking about. “But just so you know, you’re going down.”
Korra flashed her a wicked grin. “Is that a threat or a promise?”
Asami smirked, but didn’t say anything.
“Okay, we better get this night started before I call it off completely,” Korra muttered over the rim of her own glass. Her eyes trailed down Asami’s body again. “I’m having a bit of trouble concentrating already.”
Truthfully, all Asami wanted to do was take her hand, lead her out of this bar, and get a room. The rooftop bar was on the top floor of a nice hotel, so doing so would be all too easy. She banished the thought before she did something irresponsible. “Rule one,” she found herself saying. “Only get numbers, and don’t give out our own.”
Korra nodded and began looking around the room again. “Rule two, flirting is fair game, including innocent touches at our discretion.”
Asami ducked her chin to confirm. “Rule three, make no promises to see them again, only offering vague interest.” Neither of them had any inclination to lead anyone on, especially seeing as how no one would actually be getting a call. “That about covers it, right?”
“I’m adding one more rule,” Korra said as she wiped her hands on her jeans before turning to Asami fully. “If either of us gets uncomfortable with this competition, one text will call it off immediately. No questions asked and no explanations needed.” Korra looked sincerely into her eyes, as if she was worried about Asami in a way.
“I appreciate that rule, but you don’t have to worry about that,” Asami laughed. “I’m very secure in our relationship, Korra. I trust you, and I know you trust me.”
Korra smiled and tucked her own hair behind her ear before turning back towards the room. “Just wanted to be sure I put that out there.” She glanced back at Asami with a playful gleam in her eye. “You ready?”
“Absolutely,” Asami said slyly. “I might be a little rusty, but my hair flip usually has about a 20 foot radius in getting some attention.”
“I’ll leave you to it, then.” Korra winked and walked towards the balcony.
Asami flipped her dark hair over her shoulder and waited. Sure enough, she watched as two men and one woman moved their eyes towards her. She glanced across the room where Korra had initiated conversation with a young man wearing glasses and holding a beer.
Within a minute, a tall, blond haired man wearing a lavender dress shirt walked up to her. “Hi,” he said with a bright smile.
Asami downed the rest of her martini and looked up at him. This competition was going to be easy.
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Korra had to admit to herself that while she had talked big last night about being able to get phone numbers, she felt a good bit of trepidation about it now. She knew that she had nothing to worry about and neither did Asami, so she decided that she was just being silly and got another drink to loosen up.
Within ten minutes from the start of their competition, Korra had successfully gotten the number of a nice guy who worked for the local newspaper. His name was Devon, and the glasses he wore paired with the stubble on his chin really gave him the look of a reporter. After saying she would be in touch to maybe get coffee sometime, she moved on in search of the next person.
Glancing around the room to Asami, she saw where she was talking to a tall blond man at the bar. She hadn’t even moved, so she must have been right about that hair flip maneuver. She watched as Asami laughed and caught her eye from across the room. If that man was half as dazzled as Korra was by her, Asami was going to have no trouble getting his number at all.
Korra scanned the room quickly and found a woman with a cute pixie cut sitting in an armchair, reading a book while sipping a blue cocktail. Upon further inspection, she was reading Written in the Stars by Alexandria Bellefleur, so she definitely passed the vibe check.
Deciding to shoot her shot, Korra approached with a shy smile. “Excuse me,” Korra said when she got close. “I’m sorry to interrupt your reading, but I just had to talk to a fellow Alexandria Bellefleur appreciator.”
The girl with the pixie cut looked up with a pleasant expression. “You’ve read her books?”
“Only a few times,” Korra laughed. “Mind if I sit?” she said as she gestured to the open armchair across from her.
“Not at all,” the other girl replied as she bookmarked her place. “I’m Lizzie.”
“Well hi, Lizzie,” Korra replied as she sat down. “Korra.”
Since Korra was the one who initiated the conversation, she felt the polite thing to do was to be the one to continue it. “Now that I know what you’re reading, what are you drinking?”
“Blue Hawaiian,” Lizzie said as she reached for her glass at Korra’s mention of it. “And yours?”
“Oh, alcohol?” Korra took an exaggerated drink from her own glass. “Never touched the stuff,” she said with a teasing, crooked grin.
Lizzie giggled. “You’re funny. What else should I know about you, other than your great taste in books?”
Korra sighed and sat her drink down on the table next to her chair. She leaned forward seriously, as if she were sharing a secret. “Well,” she spoke quietly, gesturing for Lizzie to lean in too. Once she did, Korra continued. “That I’m really terrible at flirting.”
Lizzie locked eyes with her and smiled. “Now that, I find quite hard to believe.”
Korra leaned back and grabbed her drink again, shrugging. “It’s true. Cute girls just make me forget how to be smooth. It’s a curse, really.” For good measure, Korra winked.
She watched as Lizzie blushed and giggled again. Not bad, Korra, she thought to herself. She knew she had quite a few more numbers to get, and she really didn’t want to lead Lizzie on. She seemed really nice.
Korra wiped her lip with her thumb and grinned. “What are the odds that if I ever wanted to call you to talk about great books and terrible pickup lines, that I could have your number? I’d sure hate to interrupt your evening more than I already have.”
Lizzie laughed again as she pulled a pen out of her purse and jotted her number down on the back of an old receipt. “Oh, I don’t mind. I’m just waiting on some friends. But… pretty good odds, I’d say.” She passed the small piece of paper over to Korra.
Standing up, Korra took it and slid it into the back pocket of her jeans. She nodded her head towards Lizzie appreciatively. “It was very nice meeting you, Lizzie. Enjoy your book.”
She watched as Lizzie opened her book back up to resume her place. “Thanks. Nice meeting you too, Korra.”
Two down, Korra thought to herself as her eyes naturally looked towards Asami again. She still hadn’t moved from her place at the bar, but a redheaded woman had taken the place of the blond guy that had been there previously. If Korra had to guess, they were tied.
As she scanned the room again, she noticed a group of three burly men holding beers. If she played her cards right, she bet she could get all of their numbers at once. Steeling herself, she made her way over to them. They immediately stopped their conversation at her approach. She knew her muscular physique had a certain appeal, so she decided to try her hand at relating to these guys about working out.
Within 10 minutes of friendly banter, a tiny bit of flirting, and a politely declined offer for a beer, she had all three of their numbers and a vague offer to join them at the gym sometime. Score.
When she looked at Asami again, unable to keep herself from checking on how her girlfriend was doing, she noticed a falter in Asami’s confident attitude. Since talking to the friendly guys (really, a couple of himbos) she had just walked away from, she noticed how a furrow had formed between Asami’s brow and her features hinted at being distracted. To Korra, it looked as if Asami had stopped giving her full attention to the redheaded woman talking to her. Before she could convince herself to go actually check on her (What if this other woman was making her uncomfortable?), Asami locked eyes with her across the room and smiled, almost looking relieved.
Korra smiled back, and as Asami turned her renewed attention to the woman she was speaking to, Korra looked over to the person approaching her. “Hi there,” a beautiful woman with dark chocolate skin smiled at her.
Korra smiled back with her returned greeting, but she couldn’t get the look of worry on her love’s face out of her head.
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If Asami had a habit of comparing her mind to an engine, she had officially just blown a gasket - and she was losing it.
Gone was the confidence from her and Korra’s earlier conversation at the very bar where she was now talking to a nice woman about… about what again?
“I’m sorry, what did you say?” Asami heard herself ask the other woman - Donna, she thinks, but she can’t bring herself to verify - to repeat the question she just asked. She’d been too lost in her own thoughts for a moment to really have heard her. Even as she asked, she spared another glance in Korra’s direction.
Maybe-Donna took it in stride and repeated her question with a laugh. “I asked, what do you like to do for fun?”
“Oh. Um…” I love to spend time with my girlfriend. “I love to work on cars.” Asami stole another quick glance towards Korra, who was now talking to a lovely black woman.
“Cars, huh? I’ll admit, you don’t really seem like the type that would be into that.”
Asami looked over towards Korra again, and she watched as the other woman touched Korra’s bicep and laughed. Something gripped Asami’s gut like she’d never felt before. This something was strong. Before she could take the time to figure out what was going on within herself, she realized that she’d yet to respond to Maybe-Donna.
“Oh, you know. Looks can be deceiving,” she smiled flirtatiously, trying to snap herself out of whatever she was feeling.
Maybe-Donna leaned closer to her, running her finger around the rim of her drink. “Well, maybe you could show me some of your cars sometime,” she said in a low voice, glancing quickly down at Asami’s lips.
This would have been the perfect opportunity for Asami to get her number, but all she could see was this other woman across the room, leading the love of her life to the dance floor. Every molecule in her body seemed to shout STOP.
Asami knew that she needed to get a grip. She trusted Korra - that wasn’t the problem. Then what was the problem? While Asami knew herself to be quite the rational person, she was having trouble rationalizing this new feeling and it’s intensity.
“Would you excuse me?” Asami heard herself mutter to the woman in front of her, needing to be alone for a moment. She thought about heading over the balcony, but she didn’t want Korra to see her and worry. She was fine. Instead, she headed to the bathroom and locked the door behind her.
Regarding herself in the mirror, she studied her own features, looking for signs, clues, evidence of what she was feeling. It wasn’t every day she solved the equation of a new emotion.
After a minute or two of pondering, letting her subconscious do most of the work, one word flashed across her mind: jealousy.
She watched herself scoff at the thought. Jealousy? Preposterous. She was Asami Sato, for crying out loud. Jealousy wasn’t an emotion she gave much credence to. She had never wanted for much that she couldn’t have herself at the slightest notion, so she had never given the emotion much thought.
Analyze the situation, Asami, she chided herself. There was a reason she had panicked and run off to the bathroom.
Okay - rationally, she knew that Korra loved her. That was an undeniable truth that she found security in. So what was the problem?
Korra, if she were in the bathroom with Asami right now, would encourage her to take a full inventory of her feelings so that she could see the full picture.
Jealousy is felt when someone else has something you want, right? Well, she already had Korra. These other people weren’t threats to their relationship. Even as she had been interacting with other people, the stolen glances Korra sent her way still shouted that her heart was with Asami still. Asami had the assurance that if Asami had even sent Korra so much as a look, she would have dropped whatever conversation she was a part of and rushed to Asami’s side without hesitation.
So what the hell was going on?
Now that she had some time to calm down (from what, she wasn’t sure), she felt silly for running off like she did. Maybe she could find Maybe-Donna and get her number after all. Asami rolled her eyes at herself, fluffed her hair back up, and made her way back towards the bar. She was being silly. She had a competition to win.
As soon as she stepped back out, she might as well have walked into a brick wall. Asami’s vision went red as she watched as the woman Korra was dancing with reached to put her hands on Korra’s hips.
On her Korra’s hips.
She didn’t have to worry about it for long, because in one smooth motion, Korra danced out of her hands. The other woman didn’t seem offended, and their dancing continued.
This was why she knew she could trust Korra. Korra hadn’t even noticed that Asami was watching, but she still rejected the touch of another woman. Rationally, Asami had nothing to worry about. This other woman didn’t know that Korra was taken - taken by Asami. But for some reason, Asami felt it in her bones that this woman needed to know, just like everyone else at this bar needed to know, too.
Korra was hers. Asami was Korra’s. End of story, competition or no competition.
Asami’s rationality was working overtime as she convinced her feet to go back towards the bar for another drink. The force of what she was feeling wanted to go claim Korra as hers with all eyes on them, so there could be no question to their love for each other - but she knew that to do something like that, to cause a scene, would be both ridiculous and immature. The last thing she wanted was for Korra to think she didn’t trust her.
Finally, the song ended and Korra pulled out her phone - asking for the woman’s number, she assumed. When the other woman walked away, Korra’s eyes immediately sought Asami’s. Warmth replaced the cold feeling that had preceded it as soon as their eyes met, and the beast of a feeling inside Asami was for the moment muzzled. Korra offered Asami a cheesy grin and shot her some finger guns, and Asami did her best to reciprocate her lighthearted gesture.
She drew in a deep breath as she watched Korra walk away, farther away from Asami’s arms, where she was convinced Korra should be. She was too proud to be with Korra than to try to hide it anymore. Just then, a song she and Korra both loved came on, and just as she got up from her seat at the bar to go to Korra, to call this whole silly competition off and dance with her love, a dark-haired man cornered Korra at the balcony. Not wanting to make a scene, Asami decided to wait.
“Hey, you’re back!” Maybe-Donna reclaimed her seat at the bar next to Asami, much to her dismay. She would have much preferred to keep her eyes on Korra.
Not wanting to be rude, Asami responded noncommittally. “I’m back.”
“Should we… pick up where we left off?” the other woman asked her, her voice a shade more seductive than it had been previously.
Being straightforward was the best option here, and Asami wanted to let her down easy. “Actually, I don’t think that’s the best idea. It’s been lovely talking to you, but I don’t see this going anywhere.”
Maybe-Donna didn’t seem fazed. “Hmm, I see,” she said as she trailed a finger across the back of Asami’s hand, which was resting on her own thigh. “Playing hard to get? I love a bit of cat and mouse.”
Asami had no idea what she had done to solicit this type of attention from this woman, but maybe she needed to evaluate just how effective her flirting could be. She stood her ground and removed her hand from the other woman’s touch. Her hands were Korra’s to touch, and no one else’s. “No, thank you. I think you misunderstand me. I’m already with someone.”
Maybe-Donna purred her next words. “I have no problem being the other woman… even if only for a night.”
At this, Asami stood and set her drink on the bar. “Not interested. Have a good night.”
“Well fine,” the woman huffed at her. “Your loss. I’ve had my eyes on that cute muscly girl over there all night, anyway,” she said as she adjusted her skirt and locked eyes on Korra. Her Korra. “Maybe I’ll have a bit more luck with her.”
The beast of raw emotion reared its ugly head within Asami and she spoke without a coherent thought to precede it. “She’s mine. That’s my girlfriend.”
Maybe-Donna scoffed. “Yeah, okay. I don’t see a ring on her finger, so it looks like she’s fair game. Guess we’ll let her decide, hm?”
Asami let her walk away. As she crossed her arms and stared towards Korra, all she could think about was whisking Korra away to a jewelry store and remedying that minor detail right now.
Asami desperately tried to remember to be rational - to remember that no matter what kind of advances any other person in this room acted upon Korra, she was faithful to Asami, and Korra could handle herself.
Shaking her head, Asami laughed at herself at how ridiculous she was being. All she had to do was send one text to Korra, and they could call the whole night off and head home. She pulled out her phone to text Korra, but then her whole world turned sideways.
The man that Korra had been talking to got a bit too confident with his advances as he backed Korra up to the balcony’s ledge, pinning her in with his arms. Korra was about to maneuver herself out of his hold, but something in Asami snapped and Korra never got the chance to.
Before she had even realized her own feet had carried her to where Korra was, Asami grabbed the guy by his collar and pulled him backwards.
“What the hell?” he yelped.
Korra looked concerned. “Asami, it’s okay -”
Asami cut her off and stepped between Korra and this man who looked bewildered at her sudden presence. “Back off,” she said with a calm confidence that betrayed how she really felt. “She’s with me, but if you’re looking to get laid, try the redhead in the mini-skirt.”
She must have nailed his intentions, because his eyes immediately darted around the room looking for her. Straightening his shirt, he walked away, Korra long forgotten. Even so, Asami’s blood continued to boil.
“I wasn’t going to do anything, and I was just getting myself out of that situation. You know that, right?” Korra looked a bit hurt, and Asami could only guess that it was because it seemed like Asami didn’t trust her. “Asami?” Korra reached for her hesitantly, looking for an explanation that Asami knew she deserved.
However, all of Asami’s thoughts had turned into sludge, and all she could feel was her primal instinct to claim Korra as her own, in front of everyone, in front of the whole world. Before her reasoning could kick back into gear, Asami reached for Korra’s face and kissed her hard. When Asami pulled back, breathing heavily, she looked intensely into Korra’s eyes, fingers lingering on her cheeks.
Korra whispered a breathless “Oh.”
Asami felt Korra’s hands at her waist, her own shirt balled into Korra’s fists. “Let’s get out of here.”
Korra nodded in agreement, and a smirk replaced her look of confusion. Before Asami could ask, a man to their left slurred his words at them. “That was hot. Do it again!”
“Fuck off,” they both said in unison as Asami led her by the hand out of the bar.
By the time they got to the elevator, Asami’s emotions had calmed down significantly. The warm feeling of Korra’s hand in her own spread across her entire body, balming the new emotion that she had yet to put a name to.
Korra broke the silence as the elevator dinged and opened. “I learned something about you tonight,” she nodded to herself as they stepped inside the elevator. “You have a possessive streak, don’t you?”
Possessive? Absurd. “I have no idea what you’re talking about, Korra.” She watched as the elevator doors slid shut. Absentmindedly, she looked around for cameras.
Korra choked back a laugh. “Think about it for a second, dear.”
Now that she had Korra all to herself, where she should be, rationality hit her like a flood. She froze. That would explain why jealousy hadn’t quite fit the bill for what she was feeling. She covered her face with her free hand. “Oh god.”
Korra snickered and squeezed her hand. “It’s okay.”
“No it’s not,” Asami lamented. The last thing she wanted was for Korra to feel like Asami believed she owned her. “Korra, I trust you. I have no ownership over you. You are still your own person, even if you’re in a relationship with me.”
“I know that,” Korra spoke softly. Her thumb rubbed soothing motions across the back of Asami’s hand.
“I… I don’t know what came over me,” Asami sighed, feeling a blush of shame flood her cheeks. “Korra, I’m so sorry if I embarrassed you.”
In a flash, Korra grabbed her and backed them against the wall, pressing their bodies together. The feeling of weightlessness that rushed through Asami had nothing to do with the descending elevator. Korra’s expression teetered between amused and aroused, and Asami found herself not being able to distinguish which one was more evident - but when Korra looped her fingers through Asami’s belt loops and tugged her impossibly closer, Asami found that she didn’t quite care about anything in that moment other than what Korra’s body was telling her.
A devilish, crooked grin graced Korra’s face. “I learned a little something about me tonight, too.”
With Korra so close, looking at her like that, feeling the heat between their bodies - Asami couldn’t find any words. So instead, she hummed her interest in what Korra had to say.
“You may not own me,” Korra said as she leaned in to brush her lips across Asami’s throat. Asami felt her eyes flutter. “But I loved being claimed by you.”
“Oh- oh yeah?” Asami managed to get out, her mind becoming quickly enraptured by all the ways Asami’s own body was begging her to claim Korra, right here and right now.
Far too soon, Korra pulled away, but kept a hold on her hand as the door opened to the lobby. On legs that felt too wobbly for their own good, she let Korra lead her out of the elevator. She took a deep breath to calm her racing heart, but when Asami’s eyes drifted to Korra’s muscled back, her heart beat in double time. Etching her name onto Korra’s back with her fingernails while Korra moved over her wasn’t a picture she wanted to push from her mind.
As they passed the reception desk, headed towards the door, Korra stopped them suddenly. “Hey,” she said like she’d just had the most brilliant idea. She leaned in to whisper into Asami’s ear. “You’re rich, right?”
Feeling Korra’s warm breath against her sent tingles down her body. “Ridiculously so,” she breathed.
Korra pulled back to look into Asami’s eyes, and the desire behind her gaze made Asami lose all coherent thought entirely. “So, us being a little crazy and getting a hotel room won’t break your monthly budget, right?”
Words tumbled out of Asami’s mouth as if of their own volition. “Keep looking at me like that and I’ll buy you the damn hotel.”
Korra’s grin widened as her eyes flicked downwards to Asami’s lips while licking her own. “It might be more responsible, anyway,” she murmured as she ran a finger up Asami’s arm. “I wouldn’t be able to keep my hands off of you while you drove us home, and distracted driving is a bad thing, isn’t it?”
Asami gulped when Korra removed her touch, the tension between them growing by the second. “Very bad.”
Korra bit down on her own lip in a cocky smile. “Then how about you go claim us a room, and then you can do what we both really want,” she said as she leaned back into Asami, cruelly whispering into her ear once more, the wisp of Korra’s bangs brushing her cheek. “You can claim me.”
Asami had never pulled out her wallet so fast in her life.