Couples Therapy

Chapter 6.

Korra wrapped an arm over the back of Asami's chair. She leaned over and pressed her lips into the curve of Asami's neck. Then lightly, walked her fingers up her girlfriend's cheek alternating between pinching and massaging, until Asami curled their hands together. The heiress closed the space between them with cuddles, holding Korra's face against her cheek as she smiled into the kiss.

Dr. Lynn could hardly believe what she was seeing, their usual sessions began with Asami being late and Korra skulking until she arrived. "So I take it date night was a hit? She lifted her eyebrow, and grinned smugly. "On a scale of one thru ten Korra, how would you rate your date with Asami?"

Korra gulped, truthfully the date had been the worst part of her week. She bit off a hangnail. "It was... You know," she flipped her hand back and forth, "kinda, eh..."

What do you mean by, Eh?" The doctor asked.

Korra had no desire to explain the word, "eh" so she slouched in her chair and stared at the wall. Dr. Lynn waited patiently for a moment, then turned her attention to Asami. "As we are waiting for Korra to find her words. Why don't you tell me how you thought the date went."

Asami fought the urge to slap Korra's hand from her cuticle eating mouth. It was therapy, she didn't want to seem like the "crazy one" so girlfriend smacking was off the table. She clenched and unclenched her jaw, something Korra accused her of doing a lot in her sleep. Then glared at Korra for picking apart the expensive manicure she had purchased to get Korra to stop chewing her cuticles.

Dr. Lynn attempted to refocus the group, "Ms. Sato any thoughts on the date?"

Asami returned her attention to the tiring woman with the manilla folder sitting across from her. There was something about the soft timbre of Dr. Lynn's voice that really annoyed her. In fact, it sort of grated on her senses, she ground her teeth. She was in no mood to talk about the date. However, she did want to talk about why Dr. Lynn let Korra get away without talking about stuff. Especially, seeing as she had to share every one of her freaking thoughts each damn session. Double standards, that's what Asami really wanted to talk about. She wanted to shotgun the topic. She cleared her throat, and began making little circles on Korra's knee. "The best part about the date was getting to eat eighteen thousand calories of food in one sitting. Each wing was so good and bigger than the next. It was like sex, but in wing form. A real mouth fuck, if you know what I mean?" She stopped her ministrations, and looked at Korra whose interest was suddenly piqued.

Korra fanned herself. "Spirits, honey." She sat up straighter in her chair, "whose wing fucking who?"

Asami smirked, "I think Avatar has found her words. And she's ready to contribute to the conversation aren't you honey?" She smiled through her teeth, as she squeezed the fatty the part of her Korra's thigh.

Korra jumped, but was unable to release herself from Asami's crab-like grip. "Yeah, okay." She said sheepishly, "Last week's date was bad aside from the wings. But since then things have been getting better. We've been trying something new." She hesitated, then looked at Asami who gave her a slight nod. "I think it's really working for us."

"I usually would not encourage my patients to prescribe their own therapy, but I'm curious to know about the positive changes you've been making." Dr. Lynn said making a few notes in their file.

"We call it, The T.I.T.S.S. Method" Asami interjected. "It's an acronym. I find using them very effective when introducing company policy."

"I also find tits very effective." Korra snickered, she pointed between herself and Asami. "We're on the same page with this concept."

Asami could only roll her eyes as she corrected Korra for the millionth time. "Korra likes to leave off the extra "S," it's pronounced more like "Tsk" then "Tits."

"Just to be clear, I love Tits," Korra added. "With or without the extra,"S"

Dr. Lynn folded her hands in her lap and tried keeping a neutral face. "What exactly does T.I.T.S.S stand for." She did her best to pronounce it with the emphasized, "tsk."

"T.I.T.S.S is, The Indoor Temporary Separation Solution." Asami explained. "Basically, when we're indoors, we've agreed to maintain separate spaces. For example Korra has the entire first floor of the estate to herself. That's the entrance hall, the morning room, the drawing room, the sitting room, several guest bedrooms, the small library, the larger library, the dining room, the lanai, and the patio.

Dr. Lynn gazed at Korra whose knee was bouncing furiously up and down. "And how do you feel about this?"

"I think we are onto something, doc. We haven't spoken to each other all week, but just now in the car on the way over it was nice getting caught up."

"I see." Dr. Lynn slid her glasses off the bridge of her nose and rubbed her eyes. "So basically, you have separated."

Asami and Korra paused. Their eyes slowly met each other and they both laughed. They laughed louder and louder, one upping each other until Korra tumbled out of her seat.

"Are you okay, darling?" Asami coddled the Avatar as she aided her back up.

"I don't think you get it," Korra gave the doctor an annoyed chuckle. "Sure, we might be separated but at the same time we live together. Sooo, technically, I could see Asami anytime I want, but I just don't."

"Right," Asami added. "Plus the social rooms of the house like the billiards room, the indoor pool, and the gyms are rooms we can visit anytime."

Dr Lynn, stared at both of them. "Why not just break up?"

"Excuse me?" Asami gasped, she grabbed a lock of her hair and began combing her fingers through it over and over. "Korra and I. We're together. It's a thing and that's not about to change. We're like..."

"Like rice and water." Korra said.

"Exactly," Asami decided to go with it. "We're freaking staple food items. You can't live without water and everybody loves rice."

Korra squeezed Asami closer, "I fucking love rice."

"I think this temporary separation is great for you." Dr Lynn said carefully. "You have clearly established boundaries in your living arrangements. How about your social and work lives? Do you have any other parameters you would like to set?"

"Yes, I would like it if Korra didn't airbend through my office window." Asami pinched Korra's cheek, then gave her a quick kiss. "Use the stairs like everybody else."

"In your separation will you be able to see other people?" Dr Lynn asked.

"Ah- Doc. We're not separating. We're applying the, Tit Method." Despite their fights Korra never even considered seeing other people. She was exhausted with just the one. "Absolutely not. Asami and I are in it to win it. Aren't we honey?"

"Right," Asami threw her lock of hair back and grabbed Korra's hand. "We are peanut butter and jelly without the bread."

"Bread was Mako." Korra coughed.

"Okay," Dr. Lynn said. "What about intimacy. Are you allowed to be physical with each other when applying, The Tit Method?"

Korra tilted her head toward Asami, "I guess that's up to her."

Asami was thrown by this statement. She narrowed her eyes at Korra, who just shrugged. "Why is everything always up to me?"

"Because you're the one who never wants to do it."

"That's a lie." She released Korra's palm. "I'll admit things in the bedroom have simmered down, but that's on both of us. I don't appreciate when Korra blames me."

"But between the both of us, you're the one who uses work as an excuse not to do it."

Asami mouth dropped open, no words came out. Korra was right, but she wasn't about to end the day with Korra dredging up her work. "That's because you have no job."

Korra laughed, "uh- I'm kind of the Avatar. It's such a big job that you need four elements to do it. How many elements do you bend? Right. None."

Asami pushed Korra away from her, "honey, nobody pays you to do that. You may be the Avatar but if you worked at Future Industry you'd have a pension. Plus minimum wage is five yuan an hour, which no one is paying elsewhere."

"Yeah, well," Korra crossed her arms over her chest. "Being the Avatar, I get free healing from Katara and she's the best healer in the world."

"What happens when you get your teeth knocked out in a fight? You can't reattach teeth in a healing pool." Asami countered.

Korra re-crossed her arms and huffed. "I would go to the dentist."

"With what money?" Asami snorted. "Avatar credit? Last I checked no was accepting it anywhere."

"Thanks for reminding me Asami. You're a billionaire, oh, my gosh. Maybe you should invest in a heart." Korra snapped.

"Honey, I'm not saying this to offend you. But from a business prospective people expect you to fight, but they don't want to take care of you afterward. That makes you an expendable asset because whether you live or die there will always be another Avatar." Asami smiled, as she watched Korra's mouth open and close.

Korra made a show of pretending to have a knife in her chest and twisting it. "Thank you Asami, for reducing my noble spiritual duty into business transaction. It really makes me warm and fuzzy inside when you talk in these terms. Congratulations, you sound just like… MAKO." Korra didn't really think she sounded like Mako, but Asami still hissed like she needed an exorcism.

"Korra, that's a bitch thing to say. Take it back."

Korra shook her head. "Not until you say, I'm not an expendable asset."

This made Asami soften, "no you're not. Korra- you're my life. But running after you is like trying to drink a cup of water with my hands. Sometimes I just want to drink that water, but I can't because it slips through my fingers too quickly. Do you get what I'm trying to say?"

Dr. Lynn, put her hand up to signal them to stop talking. "This has been very productive. I'm very glad were are finally discussing these harder issues. Now let me remind you not to take any animosity with you out of this room. Is there a way you can positively express what you're feeling?'

"Don't worry, doc I got this." Korra inhaled and slowly exhaled, then turned to address her girlfriend. "When you talk in metaphors, it's romantic and hot. I totally love you. In fact, I'm thirsty for a cup of Asami water right now."

"Aww, babe." Asami gushed. "Korra, I can't tell you how turned on I am to hear you say that. It shows real initiative and that's hot."

Dr. Lynn couldn't believe what she was hearing it was like an Avatar cycle the way they talked in circles. "Right ladies, remember what I told you about physicalizing your relationship. Sex is a bandage for larger issues. Plus, I would like to remind you that regardless of what happens in here. The world needs both it's Avatar and billionaire tycoons so for homework, I want you to explore what it means to walk a mile in each other shoes."

"Can we get an example?" Korra asked.

"No, I want to leave it open for interpretation. Do what you think it means and report back next week." Both women nodded, looking less than confident with their latest homework assignment.

Korra stood up, she normally beat Asami to the door, but since they were walking a mile in each others shoes she slowed and waited for her to exit first. Once they were alone outside in the small waiting room Korra grabbed Asami's wrist and spun her around. "We're going to fix this thing between us, aren't we?"

There was a long pause. She felt cool fingertips on her chin and brought her eyes to meet Asami's.

Asami held her face in her hands. "I will never doubt you, if you never doubt me."

Korra dropped her eyes. "Good, because I need you too."