This was the first wedding she'd attended, Asami thought, that had ever turned sour. It was when they'd been there long enough that the guests began to stand and mill about that she took it upon herself to slip the pins from her hair, and remove her veil.

Sat on the altar like it was a stoop, waiting for a miracle, anything. All eyes were on her, everybody she had ever known looking down on her. Her eyes skated to the empty seats kept for those she'd lost. In a way she was glad her parents weren't there to see this. She did wish however, she hadn't invited so many business partners to fill out the bride's side.

The resounding boom of the heavy oak doors shook through her, and through them came Korra. Wearing a gorgeous blue dress, and a morose expression. Her cool blue eyes met the brides', and she shook her head and the Carmaker suddenly felt tiny.

In her heart of hearts Asami knew what was happening, it was obvious for a plethora of reasons - the time for example - still she saw her best friend, her face and the faces of her friends and family, and well, others, and said,

"No."

Her face pinched as she tried to keep the tears at bay, "No." her head fell into her hands as Korra marched towards her.

For a moment she was the loneliest girl in the world, orphaned, abandoned and futureless, and in the next Korra had collided with her and pulled her into her orbit. Wordlessly she held her, she was good like that.

He's not worth it. She told herself. Iroh isn't worth it.

In the cocoon of Korra's arms, she could only think to do one thing, fiercely working the engagement ring from her finger. She felt the weight of it in her palm and she and Korra looked down on it.

"What do I do now?"

Korra's hand covered her palm, free hand tentatively cupping her shoulder.

"You will handle this with all the grace and poise that you can muster right now… and then you and I will get in that limo outside and get shit faced,"

Asami felt the urge to laugh except all her worries came falling out of her mouth in a big wet wad.

"But what about the cake and dress and the honeymoon and the-"

"Hey-hey, we can cut up the cake and feed five thousand, we can burn the dress, or return it, and what's a honeymoon without the prick? A holiday right?" Korra leaned back on her heels, (or flats - she'd be damned if she'd be caught dead in stilettos no matter who's wedding it was) and thumbed the escaping tears over her cheek, "You look like you need one right now."

Rather than imagine the sheer mortifying prospect of spending 3 weeks on Ember Island, the most romantic Honeymoon destination in the world for two, for one, she gripped Korra's wrist.

"Everyone's staring at me." Korra bounced her eyes in response. Looking up to her friends on the brides side and called.

"Boys!"

"Right!" Bolin leapt over the alter into the aisle like a buff, slick flying Bond, followed by his less spectacular brother, who took the more official approach.

"Nothing to see here right now folks, you don't have to go home but you can't stay here."

"Yeah! Family only!" Mako shot his brother a derisive look.

Feeling the cavalry of her friends rally behind her, Asami found her feet. Not many of the grooms family had hung about, but an old man the heres recognised, and really come to love. He hadn't made a move, choosing instead to admire the stained glass above them, and the sun setting, painting the colours around them with a warm, kind palette.

"Zuko," the old man smiled at her, in a sad kind of way. "I'm sorry," she told him, holding the ring to him,

Korra watched as her friend sat beside him, marvelling at her kindness, and the way the dress was painted anew by the light. The old man placed nimble fingers around the blade of it, diamond eeking out that last dimming glint of perfect shine before he told her.

"It would never have worked out between us darling,"

Asami laughed, this time wiping her own tears before hugging him. He patted her back, and whispered something, and Korra swore his golden eyes set on her before the two parted.

She sat beside him, watching her friends usher toxicity out of her life, Bolin and Mako the guests, Opal calling the venue, Korra, just being there.

"I had it all planned out." She muttered, "I lost my family… so I was making my own."

Zuko told her, "Family works it all out in the end,"

"That's easy for you to say! You're 100 years old,"

"And as a 112 year old man, the grand father of the scoundrel of the groom, I'll tell you this - never settle."

Asami was enjoying the free bar, it had very good lumbar support and somehow her trusty friends had procured a funnel and tube so it provided the perfect beer bong stage. The five of them had taken the wedding venue as a refuge. Opal had kept the bar open, being the unofficial non-wedding organiser, and had made all the calls to get Iroh out of her life. For now at least, the end of the night would go out in a blaze of glory. The old friends would party like there was no tomorrow, or rather, not the tomorrow they expected. Her dress was Versace and had been splashed with vodka, and her make up once agonised over was delightfully smudged.

Korra thought she'd never looked so beautiful.

You're always wound so tightly, she would tell her, but you never look better than you do when you cut loose. Instead she took a swig straight from the bottle of champagne she had been nursing.

"So when are you going to tell her?" Opal had plopped down beside her.

"Tell her what?" Korra feigned ignorance, watching the Carmaker sputter and laugh and sponge away tears with strips of silk. "Asami, I know it's the worst day of your life, but let's just jump in this grave and let me tell you - I'm obsessed with you in a stalker-ish way at worst, and love sick pathetic way at best - take your honeymoon with me!"

"It's a good start, but maybe take out the words with negative connotations, and don't refer to graves but instead…doors opening and closing,"

"On top of you - help! Let me out!" Korra beat the air in front of her as though trapped in a coffin, "Maybe if I outfitted it with speakers I could taunt her with my love poems on the way down like in Days of Our Lives…"

"Korra look around, you're in with a chance - you're in the game!"

"Opal - if she didn't love me before she was marrying the general what makes you think she'll turn for me now?"

"She does love you!" Opal nudged her enthusiastically.

"She doesn't…need this…" she snapped before calming herself, "I'll be her friend, I'll see her through. But the new plan is the old plan, to get over her by years end. I can't do this anymore."

Opal looked at her, as sad for her as she was drunk.

"You wont even try?" She asked.

"I won't risk losing her forever because I tried."

"You might want to get ready to try catching her,"

The volume of the music had doubled and Asami was now stood at the head table, singing, kicking vases with roses to the beat and the brass. Sending shattered glass, petals and rose water into the air in elegant arcs.

"Why did I think I could have fun in this!" she declared, tearing at her skirt. Eventually she took a steak knife from the table, "I can't believe I agree'd to a steak main course - I'm a vegan!"

"Oh the veganity!" Bolin crowed, toasting his whiskey in the air.

"Asami! I think you should get down now…" Korra stepped tentatively toward her, arms open, knees bent. Calculating with her whole body which way the woman might land.

Asami sliced the silk ties at the side of her dress and tore it away with one swoop of fabric and lace. Korra about died at the sight of her, hair tousled, eyes glassy, body clad in the sexiest, blackest, skimpiest lingerie known to womana.

"Korra!" she called, "Take me home." like that her eyes rolled back into her head as she began to fall, and like that Korra plucked her out of the air, expertly plucking the knife from her grasp and tossing it back onto its dinner set.

Upon turning she spotted her three friends watching her, Opal fanned herself and winked antagonistically, Korra fought the blaze of heat over her cheeks.

"Bolin - jacket." she muttered, and he dutifully draped it over her. Like a drunken angel, Korra thought as Asami turned into her, sighing gently. "Mako - doors,"

"The limo is waiting outside," Opal informed her. "You've got to get her to make a decision about the-"

"I know," Korra told her, "When she's ready, I'll help her pack."

Korra placed her on the longest couch in the limo, tucking the jacket around her shoulders.

Korra needed distance, she needed to resist the urge to stroke her hair or hold her hand.

"I've not had many weddings turn out the other way." the driver remarked, and Korra remembered him suddenly, "I assume it's not to the hotel?"

"My apartment, South of Kyoshi Park, I'll let you know when we're near."

Asami began to sway onto her back and Korra grabbed her before she fell, keeping her balanced on one side.

The heiress flinched awake, and took in her surroundings. When she looked at Korra relief flooded through her, not thinking how she looked, before she leapt into the lap of her best friend, arms tight around her shoulders.

"Why aren't you hugging me back?"

"Context." Asami looked down and saw she was in her wedding lingerie, cheeks reddening as she reached for Bolin's jacket and wore it this time.

She once again felt the pull of alcohol on her brain and leaned her forehead over Korra's comparably cool shoulder. It was when Korra's hands touched her back however, that she couldn't control her tears from flowing. She'd been abandoned before, and every time it stung.

"Am I a fool?"

"Of course not…"

"How did I not see this coming?"

"He loved you, he might still-"

"You would do this to someone you loved? In front of all your friends? Your family?"

"I truly don't know why I'm defending him."

"Oh Korra," Asami cupped her cheek, "That's who you are."

There was a moment when Asami leaned into her, when Korra's heart stopped, the pale fingers against her cheek fed into her own hair. That moment passed when Asami pressed her eyes against her throat.

"Can you undo my hair please? it hurts,"

Korra gulped thick sand down her throat.

"Sure."

One by one she pulled the bobby pins from silk locks, trying to ignore the arms clinging to her, the tears warming her throat, her own throat pounding out of her chest. She had planned to detox her feelings for her best friend, the wedding marked the end of this, the honeymoon the distance and time she needed to grieve. Iroh had thrown a spanner in the works by not showing up, and for that she could kiss or kill him.

She loved the woman in her arms, there was no getting over it, she was powerless to it. As she contemplated the cliche of the burden she was at the mercy of what Asami asked her next.

"I still have the tickets to Ember Island for tomorrow…"

"Opal asked me to ask you what you wanted to do about that?"

Asami leaned back and held herself steady.

"Come with me."

"Asami," Korra shook her head, it was all she could do in terms of self preservation. "It's your honeymoon trip."

"I can't go back to work - I can't go home, I need this. I can't do this alone."

Korra closed her eyes, and tried to imagine a trip that wouldn't end in the train wreck called KORRA'S FEELINGS.

"We can talk about it in the morning."

"Will you say yes?"

"Maybe."

"Please Korra? I'll be your best friend." Asami snuggled into her neck and seemed to settle there. Korra let her head fall back and watched the sky through the sunroof. She imagined saying no. Sitting in her apartment, Asami a world away, alone, lovelorn, and never knowing the truth of this, her ultimate showdown.

"I'll call work tomorrow. Tell them I'm not coming in."

Asami was already asleep against her.