Pins and Needles
Fandom: The Legend of Korra
Ship: Korra/Asami
Word Count: 574
Warnings: None
"I'm really excited for tonight," Asami called from the other room.
Korra's fingers tangled in her pants legs as the voice floated in from the bathroom. She looked up to watch the other woman brush her hair with long, smooth strokes. Her eyes flicked over to the mirror to watch Asami's face, a little of the nervousness in her stomach subsiding as she focused on her features. Asami caught her eye in the reflection. She could see the tension in the Avatar's frame as she sat on the edge of their bed, hands pressing into her legs. Asami put her brush down and turned, leaning around the door frame with a smile.
"Aren't you?"
"To be honest, I'm a little nervous," Korra admitted.
"Don't worry so much."
Korra turned her eyes back to her hands, shoulders slumping. Asami's smile faded into a worried line. She let her fingers slide off the door frame as she came to Korra's side. She took Korra's clenched fists and eased her fingers between her lover's strong digits. They grew soft and eased into the embrace of Asami's. She squeezed them gently, and Korra's grip tightened again. She stared at Asami's bare feet, trying to focus on the way the red strands of carpet pressed against her toes instead of the thumping in her chest and the twisting of her gut.
"You don't understand, Asami," Korra whispered.
Asami leaned over, hands firmly grasping Korra's, and kissed her on the top of the head gently. Korra had been through so much as the Avatar, but she knew that didn't make this night any less scary for her. Personal demons were always much harder to face than a simple fight. Asami couldn’t begin to imagine how Korra felt, but she knew there were more complications than there ever had been for her.
"I know your culture hasn't always been the best with these things in the past, Korra. But will it ever be a better place for people like you and me if someone doesn't stand up and show them there's nothing wrong with what we have?"
Korra didn't reply. Asami's voice was matter of fact, but still gentle and caring. She leaned forward and buried her face in Asami's shirt. Her fingers slipped away so she could wrap her arms around the other girl's waist, clinging to her weakly. Asami gathered her up in a loving embrace, sighing softly into Korra's ear as she nuzzled her face in close.
"I'm not trying to pressure you, Korra. If it's too soon, we can wait."
"No,” Korra's words were muffled, but stronger now. “You're right. I'm the Avatar. It's my job to bring balance to the world."
Asami ran a hand over Korra's hair with a proud smile. She pulled back enough to move that hand under Korra's chin. She gave it a slight nudge, bringing those pools of cool water up to meet her gaze.
"I'll be right here with you, no matter what happens."
Korra felt much of the tension rushing from her body as Asami's lips brushed against her own. She tightened the grip around her waist and pulled gently. Maybe they would be late for dinner, but as Asami's hair rained down around her, Korra couldn't find it in herself to care. Her fingers slid through freshly brushed strands as they sought out Asami's cheek. Time just seemed to stop in that moment, Asami's eyes were so intense.