Korrasami Jamboree

Workouts

Asami was moving faster than usual today. Korra was keeping up, but it was becoming increasingly more difficult to ward off her attacks as the other girl seemed intent on beating her into the ground. There was something in her eyes that had not been there before, and Korra could tell that the anger behind Asami's movements didn't have anything to do with her. Still, she was bothered by it. As Asami's fist swung in again towards her face, Korra swiftly closed her own over it and forcefully lowered it.

"Look, Asami," she breathed, pushing back the damp hair sticking to her forehead, "I love that you're getting so into this, but you seem…kinda off today. What's up?"

The taller girl let out a heavy breath, taking a few steps back. "Am I that transparent?"

"Well, you're trying to beat the shit out of me. You fight hard, but not that hard."

Asami laughed a bit. "Sorry. I wasn't trying to beat the shit out of you. I guess I'm just…preoccupied."

Korra walked over to the bench where their bags and water were, and bent to pick up hers and Asami's Nalgene bottles. "Preoccupied by what?"

Asami took the water from her, pausing to take a huge gulp before she answered. Her expression was closed-off, which was about as typical as the overly aggressive fighting style she had just exhibited. Asami internalized her feelings more than Korra did, but both of them wore their hearts on their sleeves the majority of the time. "It's…kind of hard to talk about."

"Even with me?" Korra sat down on the bench, blue eyes turned upwards. They were open and honest, and Asami couldn't help caving in. She sat down too, legs straddling the bench so that she could face Korra in much the same way Korra was facing her.

"We haven't known each other long, you know," she said softly.

"Maybe not," Korra agreed. "But does it matter?"

"I just mean…you made it sound like you're the only person I tell everything to."

Korra's lower lip poked out slightly. "Aren't I?"

Asami opened her mouth to say 'no', then paused. Who else did she talk to, really, aside from Korra? No one, except her father, and now it looked like even he was out of the picture. She lowered her head, her eyes falling on Korra's dark hand, which was pressed flat against the wood as she leaned in slightly. Asami reached out and touched the tips of Korra's fingers with her own, the touch so light that it could barely be called contact at all. The younger girl placed one of her fingers over Asami's in response, rubbing softly. It was soothing, but Asami felt a shiver run its way down her spine. Despite the abundance of physical contact she had shared with Korra since meeting her, it never failed to evoke this kind of response from her.

"I guess you are," she finally confessed, meeting the blue eyes again.

"If it's bothering you this much, I want to know. Maybe I can help."

Asami shook her head. "I don't really want to talk about it now. Is that okay?"

"Well, sure, I suppose. But –"

"Fighting helps."

Korra blinked. "Are you sure?"

"Yeah. Let's go another round," said Asami firmly.

The two of them circled each other for a moment out on the floor, but soon Asami was lunging and Korra wasn't quite prepared for it. Asami's arms caught her around the stomach, bowling them both over. They didn't usually spar like this. Korra landed hard on her back, which almost knocked the wind out of her. Asami was quick, pinning the younger girl's lower body with her legs, but Korra quickly reversed their positions; her legs had always been the strongest parts of her body. She started to count, but then Asami threw her off with a strangled yell, using all the force she had. Korra skidded off the mat and landed on the hard ground. She was definitely going to have a few bruises after today.

She got to her feet just in time to ward off Asami's next attack. They were a flurry of limbs and hair, their breathing coming fast, sweat starting to break out again over their bodies. The gloves that covered Asami's hands weren't enough to really cushion the blows today. What hits she got in, Korra felt acutely. It was the punch to her gut that did it. Wheezing, Korra stumbled back and gripped her stomach, gasping for air. She lowered herself onto the mat as carefully as possible.

"Okay, I think that's enough," she managed to get out.

"No. I shouldn't have – you can hit me, too. Go on." Asami didn't move, her fists still held up in a defensive stance. Korra stared up at her like she had lost her mind.

"What? No, I'm not going to – Asami, what's wrong? You're kinda freaking me out now."

"Just hit me!" Asami lunged, clearly aiming to provoke Korra into an attack. Rather than meeting her head on, Korra grabbed her around the waist and toppled her to the ground, holding onto her tightly when she tried to fight free.

"My dad's a criminal," she said, and her voice was broken and thick with tears. Korra gently moved so that she could see the other girl's face; her cheeks were wet and her lips were trembling. She stared up at Korra with an expression almost like shame. "He's – he's been lying to me, for years! The m-money from his business…he gets it from…he's got connections to…this underworld slime, I can't believe he –"

She broke off, too choked by her emotions to get any more words out. Instead, she reached up and caught Korra's face between her mitted hands, tugging it down so that their lips met. Her kiss was harsh and desperate, but somehow sweet at the same time. Korra's body stiffened, both at the sudden contact and the things she could feel behind it. But it didn't stop her from returning it, nor the one that followed, nor the one after that. Minutes passed and their mouths never separated. Korra's body became soft against Asami's, and the older girl struggled for a moment to free her hands of her mitts so she could run her hands freely down the expanse of Korra's back.

"I can't stand it," she breathed, after long moments of this. "I can't forgive him."

"I know," Korra whispered, because it was all she could think of to say. She had never been good with words, never been good at saying just the right thing to cheer someone up or help them through a tough situation. She had always been best at the physical side of things. So she did what she did best, and returned every single one of Asami's desperate kisses and demanding touches with ones of her own.