There was a harsh half-stifled yell in the room and Korra moved her head away. "Ow, ow, ow."
"Hold still." Asami muttered as she pressed further with a cloth in her hand. It was damp with antiseptic and stained a little red.
Korra moved away before the cloth came in contact with her cheek, gripping harder at the writing desk to her right. "You're pressing too hard, do it gently."
"If you stopped moving then maybe it wouldn't hurt as much. You're lucky I'm able to do this in my room, otherwise you'd be in the infirmary with a doctor." Asami sighed and shuffled her knees into a more comfortable position. She was kneeling in order to tend Korra's wound easier.
"Can't you just be gentle like before?" Korra pouted, dodging everytime Asami tried to dab at her cheek.
"You've survived worse wounds than this Korra, stop struggling."
Korra took a breath and closed her eyes, awaiting for the sharp pain to shoot through her again. She was prepared, hands clenched into fists on her lap. When Asami dabs her cheek again, Korra yelled and scooted back in her chair. So much for being prepared. "It didn't hurt this much the last time you did it."
"Maybe it was because you were trembling non-stop the last time, whatever you were doing before you rolled into my room certainly had you shaken up."
"I was being chased by your guards." Korra chuckled.
Asami begun to dab the wound gently and chuckled along. "I don't know how many times I heard their chatters in the halls. They were furious to have lost you so easily."
Korra laughed and cupped Asami's face and softly brushed her thumb over her cheek. "How funny to think that they were chasing me away from the Manor, but I was already with you before they even realised they lost me."
"I'm glad things have changed now." The Sato said leaning into her touch.
"Me too." The Corporal brought Asami forward and their lips met halfway in a sweet kiss. Their heart rates seemed to have synced as their breaths became one rush against eachothers lips. Korra lost herself quickly in the sweet taste, loving the way their lips connected so perfectly together. She had completely forgotten about the hole in her cheek and Asami seemed to notice her distraction. With an eye partially open, she slowly brought up the cloth and pressed it against Korra's wound. The kiss was broken immediately once Korra recoiled and sprung back in her chair. "Ow!"
"Korra..." Asami mumbled with frustration. "I have to clean it before I can stitch it up."
"You've dabbed it about a hundred times, I'm sure it's clean enough." She replied, a hand shielding her wounded cheek.
"That's it." The Sato got to her feet and begun to make her way over to the door.
Korra watched her hips sway with each step. "Where are you going?"
"I'm getting the doctor-"
"No!" The Corporal quickly leapt from the chair and enveloped the woman into an embrace from behind. Asami squealed once her feet left the floor and she was carried towards the writing desk again. She forgot how strong Korra could be sometimes.
"Alright, alright. Put me down." She pleaded through laughter.
"You won't run for a doctor will you?" She heard her Corporal ask through her dark hair.
"What's so scary about a doctor? They'd do a better job than I would."
"Such false words are coming out of your mouth right now." There was more squeals when the Corporal begun to spin around in circles.
"If you laugh too much, your wound will split even more." It was an attempt to stop the spinning but obviously it didn't work. If anything, it seemed to make Korra swizzle faster. "Korra. Stop I'm getting dizzy." She said through laughter, feeling her hair whip around them as they spun. The room around them filtered away and it was just the two of them in their eyes.
"Is that a demand?"
"Yes!" Asami giggled and the spinning gradually slowed down yet her head was still on a carousel.
When her feet touched the ground, Asami didn't hesitate to spin one last time in order to face Korra and plant a kiss onto her lips. "You're infuritating." She mumbled.
"Good to know." Korra replied.
With Korra's face in her gentle hold, Asami's smile gradually faltered. The littered scars on her Corporal's skin and the newest wound will only add to that bunch. Her nail grazed across the small white line above her eyebrow and then they moved to the one on her chin. "Asami?"
She knew there were more that didn't show on the surface. The large brand on her back was the one she found herself lookng at the most once Korra was asleep. Sometimes she would trail a hand down it, not hard enough to wake up Korra but firm enough to feel each and every bump of skin. "Korra." Her voice was a whisper.
Then it struck her again. Korra could've died. She could've died many times in the past. And that was all because of her. Asami's status, her foolishness. How much longer will Korra protect her? Even now that the Red Lotus is gone, Korra is still getting hurt, still guarding her.
"Are you okay?" A thumb wiped at her now damp cheek.
"I just.." Asami croaked. "I don't want to see you hurt anymore."
"Hey, what brought this on?" Her Corporal asked, trying her best to put a stop to Asami's sudden waterworks.
"You're always getting hurt..."
Korra removed the hands from her face and laced their fingers together. "Asami, you don't have to worry about me." She said, lifting up their hands so she could kiss the back of Asami's knuckles. "I promise I won't do anything dangerous anymore, you have my wor-"
"You promise?"
The Corporal's lips twitched into a smile. "I promise."
There was a sudden gasp. Asami ripped her hands free from Korra's. "You promise?" She scoffed. "That word means something to me so stop tossing it around like it's nothing!"
Korra's brows knitted together and she stood stunned. "What..?"
"You promised me so many things. You've broken so many god damn promises! You promised me you'd be okay, then you didn't wake up." She shouted and her throat begun to burn as a sob clawed it's way out. "You promised me you'd come back then you never did! You always get hurt!"
"Asami..."
"When you promise something Korra, I want you to mean it. It's not some god damn word, so mean it!" The room around her was blurry, submerged in water once the tears became too much. When Korra reached out to her, her limbs were already wrapped around her Corporal again and the uniform became her tissue.
"I mean it Asami." Korra mumbled, tracing smooth circles onto her back. "I'll be safe."
<->
There's a soft sound coming from the music room and Korra already knew who it was. Asami said her mother was incredible pianist, but she didn't think she would be this good. As the curiosity got the better of her, Korra found herself peaking into the room, watching the woman press onto the keys delicately. She played like Asami, sat up straight with a small smile on her lips.
After a few minutes, the music stopped and she found herself looking into the eyes of Asami's mother. "Good afternoon Korra."
Korra cleared her throat and stepped in, hearing the clicks of her boots as she strolled over to the piano. It was a very spacious room. "Afternoon. Sorry I didn't mean to intrude."
"Nonsense." Yasuko replied, noticing the stitching on her cheek. "I heard what happened with Kazan, are you alright?"
"I'm more than fine." Korra replied.
Yasuko shifted on the stool and patted the empty space beside her. "Come and sit."
Hesitantly, the Corporal did as she was told and pearched onto the edge of the stool, listening to the notes ring throughout her whole body once Yasuko begun to play again. "Is Asami in her room?" Yasuko questioned.
Korra kept her eyes on Yasuko's hands dancing. "Yes. She'll be here in a few moments."
That's what Asami told her anyway. She needed to calm down after her sudden outburst and Korra understood every word. She needed to be more careful, she wasn't an assassin anymore.
With the melody playing in her head, she chose to listen instead of think. Yet this melody confused her. The start was almost jolly, with quick chords but then the music took a drastic turn into something heart wrenchingly slow. "What's this piece called?" She finally asked.
"There's no name." Yasuko responded.
"You're making it up on the spot?"
"Correct."
Now Korra understood how impressive Yasuko's playing could be. "It's incredible."
Yasuko glanced at the woman next to her, chuckling at the eyes full of wonder. "You're quite fond of music aren't you?"
"I never had music in my past. This is all new to me." Korra explained, listening for a little longer until asking another question. "How do you do it?"
"Do what?"
"Interpret different moods into one like that?"
A soft laugh escaped the older woman's mouth and her melody comes to a stop. "You see Korra, life is like a piano."
Korra rose a brow. "How so?"
A scale is suddenly played. "I see it as the black keys are sadness and the white keys are happiness." She says. "In the end you need both to make a song."
Korra hummed. "I see."
"Anyway.." Yasuko continued. "I assume you're not just here for the music. What's on your mind?"
The smaller woman sucked in a sharp breath. "Asami told me that.. you know."
"If you're talking about your relationship, I knew a long time ago." Yasuko asnwered. "You forgot your boots remember?"
"Ha! Yes." Korra chuckled nervously, scratching the back of her neck. "You won't.. tell anyone will you?"
"of course I won't." Yasuko said.
"But what's stopping you?" Korra's breath hitched and she proceeded to look at the piano. She heard Yasuko sigh. "My apologies."
"No, it's alright." Korra replied. "It's-"
The music room door opened and Korra looked over her shoulder, eyes meeting with Corporal Faustino. "Mako?"
"Korra. Could I borrow you a moment?"
With a nod from Yasuko, Korra got to her feet. "Sure." She'll have to pay another visit later.
"Should I be concerned?" Korra asked whilst closing the door. It was just the two of them, walking side by side in a thick aura that Korra didn't quick understand. What was so tense between them?
"No, it's just something about Kazan." He replied. "How is your cheek by the way?"
"Asami patched it up, I'm better than ever."
Of course Asami stitched it up. What need for a doctor when you've got a woman that's capable to do it herself? Mako suppressed a frustrated grunt. Though he pushed his jealousy to the side and thought about how Kazan acted a few hours earlier. The fact that the man he was fighting looked more unharmed than Korra was a little concerning. It wasn't like the man at the bar was more skillful, it was something about Kazan that was suspicious. The way he lunged at Korra, throwing without hesitation certainly made the Corporal raise a brow.
"So, what's happening with Kazan?" Korra asked after a few moments of silence.
"It's about the bar incident. Captain Beifong wants to touch base with you and see how you're doing." Mako responded and after a long breath in, he lowered his volume and carried on. "Do you think something odd is going on here?"
"What are you saying?"
"I'm not so sure myself, but I feel like we're missing something." Mako said. "More of Kai's things are missing, my map of the Manor went missing this morning an-"
"You have a map of the Manor?" Korra chuckled.
"You don't?"
"I don't need one Corporal, I can navigate around this place just fine." Korra said with a smug smile on her face. "But on all seriousness, my old coat went missing too."
"A thief perhaps?"
"It's a possibilty but why would anyone steal any of those things? what good would an old coat be?" Korra questioned.
"I don't know, but whatever it is, they know the layout of the Manor." Mako replied. "We'll have to keep a close eye."
"Agreed." they remain in silence for a few more steps until her blue eyes move on their own and gaze out of the window to her right. "This is probably a foolish question."
"Ask away." Mako replied, keeping his hands behind his back as he walked.
"Do you think there's a chance that someone might've survived?"
As the words trailed out of her mouth, Mako glanced at her from the corner of his eye and she's looking out the window. He does the same, trying to find the meaning behind her words and once he does, he hesitates for a little longer. "Well, it was burning for days...the fire." He said. "We all thought you were dead never mind anyone else."
She sighed and dropped her head to the floor, watching how the rug creased under her boots. "It was me against the whole guild and I survived. Surely someone else made it too."
"There's a possibility... I guess." Mako cleared his throat. "We should go back there, that's if you want to of course. To check the place out if that would help you."
Korra remained silent for two strides. "It'll be dark."
"That's what candles are for."
The woman hummed in thought. "I suppose I could pay a visit."
When the Corporal next to her stopped, she did too, glancing over to him with confusion. Mako stepped closer and placed a hesitant hand onto her shoulder, heightening her confusion even more. "You don't have to do it alone Korra. I can come with you." He said. "And if would make you more comfortable, you can take Kai and Kuvira too." As much as he'd love to keep a hundred yards away from Kuvira, he'll do this. He owed Korra a lot.
"Thank you Mako, that's kind of you. I'll ask them." She said and the two continued their journey again. "Why not take the rookies too?"
"Is that really a good idea?"
"In the Red Lotus we were trained to see in mininal light, to rely on our hearing and sense of smell more than our sight. It makes you more alert when you're surrounded in darkness." She explained. "I think it would be a good exercise, don't you agree?"
"If you say so." Mako shrugged. "But you'll have to speak to Captain Beifong and Mr Sato about this before we leave."
"I was already planning on it."
Mako gave her a smile. "What do you say, Tomorrow?"
She smiled back. "Perfect."