The steady falling rain against the window causes me to release a sad sigh. My tea, which has gone cold, is perched precariously on the corner of my desk untouched and surrounded by blueprints, sketches, and proposals. I can't remember the last time I slept… and I'm fairly certain it's been over eighteen hours since I've eaten.

What was the last thing I ate..?

I roll back in my chair and unzip my boots, slipping out of them and placing them beside my desk. My back is sore from hours spent hunched over files and my head has started to hurt from staring at page after page of reports from research and development.

What a mess.

Outside the window, it has grown dark and the wind has started to pick up. The storm is fitting, somehow, when I stop to think about it. The day has been one disaster after another, beginning with a fire in the cockpit of a bi-plane prototype and ending with a call from a client who was having second thoughts about funding a project I'm personally invested in. After some rather smooth talking on my part, I was finally able to talk him into backing the production of the new and improved body armor for the police of Republic City.

Beifong and Mako deserve the best...

Sighing yet again, I decide to stand and stretch… which turns into pacing back and forth. My thoughts are scattered and all over the place, but it helps to be on my feet. Being in motion has always helped me think, helped me to focus. Sitting behind a desk and barking orders may have been how my father ran Future Industries, but I have simply never been content to be in one place for very long. My office, more often than not, makes me feel stifled and trapped.

I can feel exhaustion settle deep within as I make my way out of my office and down the hall. Employees have long since abandoned their desks and are surely home with their families, as they should be. Not surprised to find myself alone in the highrise building, I smile and close my eyes.

What would my father say if he saw me right now, sans shoes and wandering the halls late at night, just like I used to when I was a child?

Taking a deep breath, I roll my head from side to side, feeling a small amount of tension leave my body.

"Meditation might help..?" A familiar voice states softly, startling me.

Standing before me is a rather guilty looking Avatar.

"Spirits, Korra! You… you scared me!"

I clutch my chest and can feel my heart racing.

"I didn't mean to… I just… ah, security let me in." The blue eyed girl says, holding up a bag and flashing me a crooked smile. "I come bearing gifts!" She quickly adds, by way of an apology.

"That had better be Narook's…"

Judging from the smell...

"Of course it is… our usual! And dumplings…" She tells me, practically bouncing in excitement.

"I could kiss you right now, you know that?"

The slight blush that creeps up the Water Tribe girl's tan features is not lost on me.

Oh, I really could kiss you right now… and it has nothing to do with noodles.

I smirk as Korra rubs the back of her neck and chuckles nervously.

"Uhh… it's just seaweed noodles and dumplings, nothing too special." Korra says, a bashful smile playing across her lips.

I bet no one else has the master of all the elements delivering food to them this late at night. Perks of being part of Team Avatar, I suppose...

"I haven't eaten in what feels like forever, so that sounds and smells amazing!"

Tea… I have only had tea all day...

"When you missed our lunch meeting, I… I kind of figured you were super busy and… well, I haven't seen you in a few days now, so..." She trails off, and the sudden urge to smack my palm into my forehead is strong.

How could I have forgotten? I made plans with Korra over two weeks ago to have lunch with her today, of course..!

I hide behind my hands, and when I speak, my voice is muffled but remorseful.

"I'm so sorry, Korra. Today was one disaster after another… I barely had time to think, much less eat."

I'm a horrible friend.

"I figured as much, and I was in the area right before they closed… so I took a chance on you being here, and… I mean, you have to eat, so…." Korra rambles, following close behind as I lead us back to my office.

"Don't judge me if you blink and my noodles are gone, okay?"

"You have seen me eat… right? No room for judgment… and I'm starving! I got stuck training with Tenzin and the new Airbenders and because there are so many people on the island, portion sizes are meager at best… well, to me anyway. According to Pema, I eat three times more than anyone she's ever met, including Meelo." She says, shrugging innocently.

I can't help but laugh, and it occurs to me that all I've done is smile and laugh for the past few minutes.

She always has this effect on me…

Once we're in my office, she busies herself with setting up two cups of noodles, an order of fried dumplings, and two bottles of cactus juice on the table across from the small couch in the corner. The spread makes my mouth water instantly and we both settle down on the floor cross-legged. I watch as Korra's eyes light up and she claps happily, pulling the lid off of her noodles and letting the steam rise.

"Let the slurping begin!" She proclaims, triumphantly pumping her fist in the air.

Could she be more adorable..?

We eat in comfortable silence, which is broken on occasion by slurping and intermittent moans from Korra. I happily slurp down an embarrassing amount of seaweed noodles, while Korra smiles at me and does the same.

Around anyone else, I would feel self conscious right now… but something about being with Korra always puts my mind at ease and helps me to relax. It doesn't hurt, of course, that she is currently giving me a run for my yuans when it comes to slurping down noodles faster than should be humanly possible.

"Tell me about your day. You said it was a disaster..? What happened?" She asks, popping a dumpling into her mouth and letting out a moan, then wiping her mouth on the back of her hand.

"Well… I had to literally put out a fire this morning."

Her eyes widen and I can't help but laugh. The expression on her face right now is nothing short of comical.

"Asami! Why didn't you send for me? Are you okay..? I would have helped…" She says around bites of food, a panicked look on her face.

"It was nothing I couldn't handle, honest! I can't go running to the Avatar for every little thing…"

"Uhh, yeah… you can! You can have me whenever you want me… whenever you need me, I mean… when you need or want my help…" She trails off, her noodles suddenly becoming the focus of her attention.

Her words cause warmth to spread throughout my chest.

I can have her when I want her..?

"See my desk?"

She glances over at me then follows my gaze to what is usually a tidy, well organized desk.

"I see… maybe an outline of a desk? It's kind of hard to tell just what's under all that." She says, and her tone is more supportive than judgmental.

No wonder our lunch date slipped my mind.

"Exactly! And that's after I spent three hours going over budget reports, blue prints, and sketches!"

I sigh.

"Yoof need heppp!" She proclaims, still slurping noodles as she jumps to her feet excitedly.

I watch in amazement as she uses her airbending to lift stacks of papers that have been piling up for days. She steps back and her brows furrow slightly, then a radiant smile forms on her lips. Papers fly from my desk to Korra, then back to my desk in three neat piles. Once things calm down, she examines her handywork, her head cocked to the side, one hand on her hip.

"That will have to do for now. The first stack had lots of complicated numbers and figures, so I figured those were budget-y things." She shrugs, then continues. "The second pile was obviously blueprints… and the third stack? Some rather impressive charcoal sketches that I think will really improve the airbender glider suits you've been working on. It's.. I know it's not perfect… but you can at least see parts of your desk now." She concludes, then sits back down across from me.

That's it…

I'm not sure what comes over me, but I lean forward over the table and pull Korra to me, pressing my lips to her cheek and lingering for a few seconds.

"Thank you, Avatar Korra."

As I go to pull away, I am surprised when I feel soft lips brush against mine briefly.

Spirits…

"Asami… I… I am so sorry!" She says, pulling away and standing up abruptly. Her eyes are filled with fear and uncertainty, and she trips over the table and stumbles a little as she takes a few steps back.

I'm on my feet with my fingers wrapped around her wrist in an instant, pulling her back to me slowly.

"Don't be."

Please...

"But I.. I kissed you! Spirits, Asami… I kissed you." She says, her free hand running its fingers through her hair then settling nervously on the back of her neck.

"I noticed."

She doesn't resist when I pull her towards me then take a step closer to her. I release her wrist slowly, bringing my hand down to hers and entwining our fingers. She looks down at our joined hands, then glances up at me questioningly.

"You're okay with that..?" She asks, her blue eyes locking with mine as her thumb lightly strokes the top of my hand. "You… you're okay with that." She concludes, and I watch her eyes fill with hope and her lips turn up into a hint of a smile.

"Korra, I've been wanting you to kiss me for so long..."

The goofy grin on her face causes me to laugh out loud.

"Really..?" She asks quietly, her tone filled with disbelief.

"I like you, Korra. I have for quite some time."

For a moment, she just stares at me, dumbfoundedly.

"I like you too… but… I just never thought I could possibly be your type. I mean, look at me… and look at you. I'm rough around the edges and I'm loud, stubborn, and kind of a mess. I talk with my mouth full and I'm always running late… there's a food stain on my vest, like… right now. And I never know what to do with my hair…" She rambles, and I find it more than a little endearing that she's flustered. "And then there's the whole fact that I'm a girl and… I didn't know if that would be a problem. Oh, and Spirits… I am forgetful and a little dramatic. And now, I'm just rambling and making a complete idiot of myself." She adds, rocking back and forth on her heels.

Oh, Korra...

"I like you, Korra. I think that your rambling is charming, and I find the fact that you're not prim and proper refreshing. You're kind and honest, and you happen to be one of the most selfless people I know. I like that you get excited and loud… and I don't mind the stain on your vest or the fact that your hair is messy. We work so well together, Korra, and over the past few years? I have come to rely on and trust in you like no other. I know I'm not easy to like… I can be aloof and a bit of a know-it-all. I'm a workaholic with a streak of perfectionism that drives most people crazy..."

She huffs her breath and cuts me off.

"You're easy to like, Asami. Anyone who has ever made you feel like you're not… well, they will have to answer to me." She interrupts, then sheepishly adds, "And I like that you're so dedicated to what you do. You've turned this company around… and not just made it successful, but you've turned it into a company that puts the needs of Republic City first above profit, above your own needs. You're kind of a genius, which is a little intimidating… but you never let it go to your head. Oh, and you're gorgeous… so there's that… and I just… I really like you. Is that okay?"

"It's more than okay."

Still holding hands, we stand there quietly, just smiling at each other.

"So, would you like for this to be our first date? I mean… I know it's just noodles and we're kind of in your office. Is that dumb? That's kind of dumb… isn't it?" She mutters, looking down at her boots and sighing.

"It can absolutely be our first date, but only on one condition."

I lead her back over to the table and we sit down next to each other, reluctantly letting go of each other's hands so that we can go back to eating.

"What's that?" She asks, her tone a blend of curiosity and hopefulness.

She uses firebending to reheat our noodles and I grin.

"Only if you're the kind of girl that kisses on the first date."

The laughter that escapes her causes me to laugh as well, and she shakes her head playfully.

"Well, I haven't been in the past… but change is good." She says with a smirk, leaning in and capturing my lips.

This day just got a whole lot better...