You and I [Desami Fanfiction]

Chapter 2: Common Ground

Asami

I sit down in my assigned seat for the trial, looking around for anyone else I know. Korra is at the front of the courtroom, carefully watching her parents. Mako is standing next to her, with a hand placed firmly on her shoulder. I’m glad he’s there to support her, even if I could use his support right now too. He’s Korra’s boyfriend, not mine, I have to remind myself.

After finally managing to find Varrick, he refused to come out of the platypus bear he was hiding in, so we had to push back our deal. This was getting a bit tedious, and my company needed help now.

I look around the room for Bolin, but instead my eyes land on Desna. He’s standing at the front of the room with his sister, apparently looking for someone too. I glance away quickly, but curiosity leads my eyes back to him. His hair is a dark black color with perfectly cut bangs. The ends of it went just down to his shoulders. It was a little long for a guy, but it kind of worked on him. His eyes were a deep grey color and- and they were looking right at mine.

I quickly dart my eyes to the other side of the room, hoping that wasn’t as awkward as it seemed. Why was I thinking of Desna like that? Like a real boy instead of just Korra’s cousin. What did it matter if his hair was perfect and his eyes were undeniably beautiful?

Bolin makes his way over to me, with a smile gleaming on his face. “We’re good to go. I gave all the money to some guys over there and told them to take care of it and then I winked. Pretty sure they got the message,” he explains, motioning to some random men on the other side of the room. He really didn’t understand business.

The trial begins soon after, with Bolin realizing he paid the wrong guys. “Yeah, you think?” I ask.

The testimonies soon begin, and I was told to report everything back to Varrick, who didn’t want to risk coming himself. Not even as a platypus bear.

The trial goes by in a blur. It’s a lot of testimonies from a lot of different people I’ve never met. The final witness is Korra. The judge asks her several hard-hitting questions. A few of them Bolin feels the need to interject by yelling, “I object!” The judge completely ignores him, and I don’t blame him.

“I’ve heard all I need to hear,” the man decides. “I’ll return shortly with my decision.”

Bolin leaves shortly after the judge does, following Eska into one of the buildings main rooms. I decide to give them some privacy and head through a doorway on the other side of the room. Mako and Korra are talking quietly as I pass by them. I can’t image how worried Korra must be. After all, her dad is an innocent man, unlike mine was.

The door I decide to go through ends up leading me into a small hallway filled with benches. It’s completely empty, so I decide to take a seat and just think. Maybe I would get lucky and no one would bother me.

Desna

“I’ll return shorty with my decision,” Judge Hotak announced right after Korra’s testimony. It was challenging to get a read on the old water tribe judge, but it seemed that he was leaning in favor of convicting the men. I approach my father to ask him about it, but he hardly acknowledges my presence.

“Father,” I say finally, as he seems to be in his own world.

“What is it Desna? Can’t you see I’m busy?” he asks, already annoyed with me.

I open my mouth to say something, but immediately shut it. There’s no use with Father. “I’ll be outside,” I say simply. Eska ran out the moment she could to be with Bolin, leaving me behind.

I was unsure on how to get outside, or even which door would lead me into another room, so I try the one closest to me. It takes me out into a narrow hallway filled with benches. It’s empty except for one person.

“Miss Sato?” I ask, at shock for running into her out here.

“It’s Asami,” she corrects me. “You’re like, seventeen. You don’t need to call people miss.”

I’m a bit taken aback by this comment. If Father caught me talking to anyone without respect, especially someone with as much power in her company as this woman, he would have me sent back to obedience training.

“Eighteen,” I correct her simply. “I’m eighteen.” I decide to take a seat on the bench next to her. I can feel her eyes following me, but I don’t look at her.

She nods next to me, and then she sighs.

“Something the matter?” I ask her. I realize that I’m not just asking out of common curtsey, as I was raised to, but also because I’d really like to know if something’s bothering her.

She raises her eyebrows at me. Her face is so expressive, so emotional. “You don’t even want to get me started. Especially since it’s partially your fault,” she tells me.

“Mine, or my father’s?” I ask. “Because we are two different people.”

“Hardly. Anything he wants you to do, you do,” Asami explains. “That’s how they drag you under.”

The last part is quieter, as if she didn’t want me to hear it. But I did. That’s when I remember reading an article about Asami’s father, Hiroshi Sato. He was a world-renowned inventor, who was also secretly making equalist weapons. After being discovered, he was sent to jail, leaving his company to his daughter.

“Are you implying that our fathers are the same people?” I ask hesitantly.

“No,” she says. “My father at least pretended to care. I like to tell myself he really did love me, up until the end. Unalaq only seems to care about the Avatar.”

I rack my brain for any sort of reply, but I can’t think of any. We sit in silence, until Asami sighs. “I’m sorry, that was really uncalled for. But you really can’t deny it.”

“I suppose I cannot.” I look at Asami, who’s looking at me already. Her bright green eyes are studying me, but for what? This girl was nothing like anyone I had met before. She had a manner that was absolutely intriguing in everyway.

Not a moment later, I hear a noise come from the room next to me. It’s Judge Hotak. “Everyone take your seats, court will resume momentarily.”

Asami and I both stand up in unison.  I look at her one last time, and manage to swallow down the lump in my throat.  “Asami?” I ask. She looks at me. “Would you like to…meet up tonight? After dinner or something?”

I swear I see a small smile form on her face. Her perfectly white teeth sparkle under her red lips. “Are you asking me out?”

I hesitate a moment, before admitting, “I suppose I am.”

She takes a moment to think about my offer. “It would have to be in secret. If Mako or Korra were to find out, it wouldn’t be good.”

“My father already objects to Eska and Bolin’s meeting up, so I am in agreement. We don’t speak of it to anyone.”

“Alright. I’ll meet you then,” she decides finally. I let out a breath that I didn’t know I was holding in. “But you’ll have to loosen up by tonight. And remember, it’s Asami.” She heads back to the courtroom, leaving me by myself. I’m stuck daydreaming for a moment that I hardly notice when the judge starts to speak again. I have a date tonight, I think to myself.