With difficulty, Asami opened her eyes. The brightness severely bothered her retinas, which made her bring a hand to her face and try to block out the light coming from the room she was in. She didn't know what place that was, nor how she had ended up there; the last things she remembered were being at the company, dealing with her routine paperwork, and the moment she went to take a folder to the archive, she felt weak, powerless, and an absurd discomfort took hold of her. She felt a strong dizziness and then nothing more. She had definitely fainted.
With her vision already adjusting to the light, she decided to scan where she was, perhaps that way she could get a clue about where she had ended up. She didn't need much effort to recognize her own bedroom; fortunately she was at home, though she had no idea how. She decided to get up, after all, she still had work to do and couldn't afford to simply stop and rest before everything was ready.
As soon as she lifted her torso to try to get out of bed, the feeling of dizziness returned very strongly. Even reluctantly, she surrendered to the vertigo and remained lying down, eyes closed, feeling the world spin around her. It made her nauseous, it was the same feeling as that horrible amusement park ride Korra had insisted they go on. She cursed mentally.
After long minutes, she finally felt more up to it and tried to get up once more. To the young woman's joy, she managed to sit up on the bed without feeling the world ending around her: a small victory that counted for a lot. When she decided to gather momentum to stand up and leave, she heard an impatient voice coming from the direction of the armchair in the corner of the room.
– Where do you think you're going? – She turned towards the sound and saw Korra staring at her, arms crossed, impatient.
– Love, you're there... I didn't see you...
– Yes, Asami, I've been here for ages waiting for you to wake up. – It was very noticeable that she was angry.
– What happened?
– You were taking too long to come back from work, I got worried, I went to the company and found you unconscious on the office floor. – She approached her girlfriend. – So I panicked and, in a moment of lucidity, thought to bring you here and ask for help. – She sat on the edge of the bed, next to Asami. – It was hard to see you in that state, not knowing the reason. Fortunately, I managed to rush to your house and call Kya on the phone, in the meantime.
– You called her?
– Yes! I didn't know what to do! Kya is a prodigy in healing waterbending, she would definitely help, as she indeed did. – She held her beloved's hands. – She's still here, taking care of you and helping me not to freak out.
– Calm down, love. It was nothing serious, just low blood pressure; I'm already fine. In fact... – She thought carefully about what to say next. Korra would probably get worked up if she didn't use the right words. – I have to go back there.
– Absolutely not! – She got worked up. – You're going to stay here, nice and quiet, where I can see you. I don't want to have to go through that again, Asami! Do you know how painful it was to find you sprawled on the floor?
– I can imagine... but, Korra, there's still a lot to be done today! I need to finish some balance sheets, review projects, and new reports have arrived! I have to organize everything before tomorrow morning so it doesn't pile up. – She looked deeply into her girlfriend's blue eyes. – It's important.
– More important than your own safety? Than your health?
– It's not that serious... You talking like that makes it seem like a calamity happened...
At that moment, Kya entered the room with a tray full of items that Korra quickly recognized as medicinal. Katara's daughter had been taking care of Asami since they arrived there, with Sato unconscious in the avatar's arms, and it was thanks to her that the businesswoman's health had been restored to its current standards, however precarious they still were. Kya's presence also helped Korra stay centered and not succumb to despair completely. She was important and it was wonderful to be able to count on her, especially in a delicate moment like that.
– Excuse me... – Kya came in and placed the tray on the nightstand next to the bed. – How do you feel, Asami?
– Better. Still a bit dizzy, but already ready to work again. – She replied as someone expecting a confirmation of approval for her intentions. Perhaps with the approval of the daughter from her past life, the avatar would give in.
– Honey, the best you can do right now is rest.
– What? No! I don't have time to rest! There's too much to be done!
– Asami, you need to understand that your fainting was caused by a series of factors, and if you don't take care of yourself, events like this will be more frequent. It's not good for your health to act like this. – The older woman tried to bring some light and sense into the girl's head, but she seemed unyielding.
– What are you talking about, Kya? I'm fine.
– Asami, this whole situation you experienced today is not normal. Not at all. I believe the problem is stress combined with poor nutrition. Please, be honest with us. Have you been eating properly? Is your emotional state regarding work okay?
It was no use lying, it would be unfair to everyone involved, so she decided to be sincere. However, she didn't respond with words, but with timid nods of her head that revealed the obvious: she was on edge because of the excessive workload and also hadn't been eating regularly. Korra's expression hardened.
– You see, Kya? – The avatar raised her tone a little. – She's been sacrificing herself too much, putting her health aside to work in an inhuman way. And she doesn't want to stop! She still wants to go to Future Industries to continue unnecessary work that almost killed her!
– What an exaggeration, Korra! – Asami scolded her. – It takes a lot more than that to kill me. Besides, all my overtime hours are very well justified.
Obviously, Tonraq's daughter would retort. Tempers were flaring; both were defending different points of view and fiercely believed they were right. One thought the other exaggerated too much and that she herself was in the right. Seeing how things could escalate negatively, Kya decided to pour oil on troubled waters before it was too late.
– Girls, please. This argument won't get us anywhere. Korra, you need to understand that Future Industries are very important to your girlfriend. And Asami, Korra is right when she says your health can be seriously compromised if you keep acting recklessly. You've been overworking yourself for a while now; it would be interesting to put on the brakes a little until you stabilize and return to normal standards again.
– Don't worry. – The avatar said, looking at her longtime instructor. – She'll have time to rest and recover now that she's going on vacation.
– Me?! On vacation?! – The green eyes widened in indignation. – No, you're not understanding...
– You're the one who's not understanding, Asami. – Korra spoke calmly, but with a real tone of authority in her voice. – When I say you're going on vacation, it's because you are. Starting tomorrow. A whole month without setting foot in the company, just to relax and take care of your personal life, which has been in shambles since you decided to work like a condemned person.
– But I can't just leave like that, out of nowhere!
– Of course you can! In fact, you must.
– And how can I leave, just like that, without even leaving instructions for my absence?
– Asami, the way you are, I'm sure you've already prepared a contingency plan for this situation. I bet if I rummage through the drawers in your office, I'll find a folder with everything your employees need to know and do; besides the fact that they are competent professionals, fully capable of running the ship without you. – She was right. As president of Future Industries, she had already prepared various memos regarding occasions like the one suggested, which she hadn't even needed to publish. Now would be the perfect time, but she wouldn't give in without a fight, not without resisting as much as she could.
– Love, I appreciate the suggestion and the concern, but it won't work...
– You're not understanding. – She interrupted her. – It's not a suggestion, nor advice, nor guidance. It's the future; exactly what will happen, because if I say you're going on vacation starting tomorrow, then you are.
– I'll excuse myself so you can resolve this in private. – Kya stood up and straightened her dress skirt. – I just ask that you drink the tea over there, Asami. – She pointed to the tray. – It will help with the dizziness.
She gave a slight bow and walked out the door, making sure to close it behind her. As much as she felt the need to stay and mediate a possible conflict, she also knew they needed privacy to have this conversation; it was a very delicate matter that concerned no one but the couple themselves.
The two women left in the room barely paid much attention to what Kya said and did, so great was the indignation they were feeling towards each other. They thought they were completely right and wouldn't give that up for anything.
– Korra, why are you behaving this way? So authoritarian like this?
– I don't like acting like this, but you're sabotaging yourself and I won't allow it. Asami, I will protect you from everything that harms you in this world, including from yourself.
– You talk as if you knew what's best for a company... – She scoffed. – You don't live there, you don't know the needs, the problems, the good things... I need to be present to manage it! Without me, things will crumble!
– Exactly, you need to be there. If you keep going like this, you'll end up killing yourself!
– That's an exaggeration.
– It's not! Geez, it's been a long time since we went out, did couple things, had fun together. Asami, I can't even remember the last time we kissed! Today was supposed to be the first time in weeks we'd have a nice date, like when we started dating. I had a surprise for you, I prepared everything for our dinner: set the table, got quality food, dismissed the staff for privacy... – She sighed. – But you weren't arriving for anything in the world. It was already past the time and still I waited. I waited a long time. Now imagine my despair when I found you passed out! – She looked directly at her. – And thank the spirits I went!
– I understand all that, love... – Her tone was softer as she finally acknowledged her interlocutor's point. – It's just that Future Industries is very important to me. It's my father's legacy!
– More important than me?
– Don't make me choose between you two... You know how much both are my life and I couldn't live without either of them.
– It doesn't seem like it. For a long time, you've been dedicating yourself solely and exclusively to the company. Everything else in the world seems secondary. Including me. Including yourself! How can't you realize that? That you're overstepping your limits? – The avatar was about to explode. – I would never make you choose between me and your business, I'm fully aware of how important they are to you... but it seems no use... – She stood up. – You've already chosen anyway. – She headed towards the door.
– Korra, stop this. – She kept walking towards the bedroom exit. – Korra, come back here! – It was no use. – Please... – She pleaded.
It was a useless request. The young woman kept walking with long strides, moving further and further away from the other. She was truly furious. How could Asami be so selfish as to not consider the obvious? How could she not listen to a host of reasonable arguments from different people pointing out a harmful and unhealthy behavior? What kind of arrogance was that?
– You say I need to stay calm, but at this very moment you're stressing me out. – She decided to provoke Korra to see if she could get a response. It worked.
– You'll stress yourself out anyway, after all, work starts early tomorrow, doesn't it, Asami? – She jabbed.
– No. – She closed her eyes and threw her head back. The dizziness was returning. – Tomorrow I start my vacation.
– Oh, so you decided to listen to me. – She was still hurt, but her tone revealed she was dramatically calmer.
– Of course. I can be bold sometimes, but I'm not crazy enough to make you angry. – She settled better in bed, now that there was no longer an urgency to return to work. – I just thought it was funny that this time you were the bossy one in the relationship. Usually, I'm the one who has to set limits here.
– Just shows the size of the mistake you were making... – She commented mordantly.
– Sorry.
– It's okay. I'm just... glad things were resolved in the best possible way.
– I'm sorry I ruined your surprise.
– Don't worry about it. I'll make another one later.
Asami was going to ask why not right then and there, after all, she wouldn't want to ruin things that much. She knew about her beloved's effort to make everything amazing and the last thing she wanted was to make it all in vain. However, as soon as she straightened up again, she felt something different. Her hands had passed over the sheets and felt an object that wasn't there before.
She looked to the place where she presumed the item was and found a small dark blue velvet box. She picked it up and brought it close to her face to examine it and see what it was. When Korra saw that, her heart immediately raced and, instinctively, she brought her hands to her pockets, finding them empty. The ring had fallen out and Asami had found it.
Damn! The surprise she had planned with so much care and attention had gone down the drain.
– Asami, love. That's mine, give it back to me, please. – She hurried back towards the ring. She needed to retrieve the object as soon as possible, so she could save the proposal for the not-too-distant future.
– What is this, Korra? – Without even waiting for an answer, she set about opening the box to see its interior. Curiosity was greater than patience, to the sadness and despair of the avatar. Before she could take any minimally effective action, Korra saw her proposal slipping away. – A... ring? – She looked extremely shocked at the woman in front of her. – Korra... – She couldn't formulate any minimally intelligent sentence. She was stuck.
– Darn it! – The feeling was no longer just nervousness, but also frustration for letting everything crumble because of a detail. – Look, it's okay. – She tried to smooth things over. – You had a rough day, things are more complicated today, let's just pretend nothing happened, okay? Give me that little box here and the subject is dead, we never need to talk about it again. – The desperation was palpable, so much so that she tried to take the jewel from Asami's hand, but the businesswoman was very agile and managed to dodge all attempts.
– Korra... You... I... – She tried to formulate something minimally intelligible, but failed miserably.
– Look, I can explain... – She searched for the best words to express herself, but they didn't come. – I know looking at it like this, after everything that happened today, it seems like a stupid idea... Actually, it is a stupid idea... You're there, feeling sick, but I swear I didn't know things would end up this way, if I had known, I would never have thought of bombarding you with something this big. – She paused. – The dinner was supposed to be a moment for us, prepared with a lot of affection and care in every detail... I just wanted to enjoy some alone time with you and try my luck in a different way...
– Is that why you hadn't said anything yet?
– Yes, that's why. And I intended not to say anything more on the subject, at least for now. – Asami's face was perplexed, so she decided to add more to see if it helped. – I wouldn't want to turn a complicated situation for you, delicate because of health issues, into something about me, you understand? – Her interlocutor's dumbfounded expression persisted. – You know what, forget it. Just pretend this conversation never existed...
The mood was too strange and Korra didn't even want to wait to see Sato's response to what she had just heard. She simply turned her back and walked away. She was ashamed and, at the same time, sad; all she wanted at that moment was to go as far away as possible and bury her head in a hole. The night had already been a fiasco without this, now it was a public calamity.
– You know, Korra... – She said upon seeing the embarrassment and noting the brunette's withdrawal. – You always surprise me. For better or for worse. – The young woman quickened her pace. – Impatient, as always. – She finally stopped mid-path, turning around to say something.
– Look, just forget this nonsense, okay? No need to keep beating a dead horse. – Her heart was torn apart.
As she turned, however, she saw something very peculiar. Asami was leaning to the side, searching for something inside the drawer of the nightstand next to the bed. After a few seconds of silence, she finally found what she was looking for.
– I'm glad you gave up on proposing to me. – She stood up, still with difficulty, and walked towards the other. Korra, in turn, was now staring at the floor, absolutely devastated by what she had just heard. – I feared this possibility, after all you can be a spoilsport when you want, but I didn't think it would come to this.
– Asami, I get it. Enough, please.
– You got nothing. – She held one of Korra's hands. – What I mean is that I'm glad my work wasn't in vain. – She showed the object she held in her other hand, previously completely ignored by the avatar. – Do you know how hard it is to make this thing?
The item was promptly recognized. The shock was undeniable on the face of Senna's daughter, so much so that her heart raced at that very moment. It was a necklace in the style of the Water Tribe, offered to young women as a marriage proposal; her own father had given one to her mother when they got engaged.
– It took a long time, I hurt my hands several times while making it, I basically had to learn crafts to manage it, I studied more of the tribe's culture to make something decent and correct... Still, it's not ready, some details are missing. But you couldn't wait until I finished everything, so I'll have to ask anyway... Korra, I know I don't have much to offer to someone who is the Avatar, master of the elements, mediator of peoples and worlds, but I feel entitled to try my luck. Having said that, would you give me the honor, the pleasure and the privilege of being my wife? All I can offer in return is my love, companionship, respect and unquestionable loyalty.
– All that? – Her voice was emotional. – Isn't that too much?
– Not at all. You don't deserve less than that.
– That's not fair! You stole my proposal! – Asami hugged her.
– I needed to do that before you stole mine. So, what do you say? – She pulled away just enough to look into her eyes. – Will you accept me as your companion and family for the rest of our days?
– That's a long time, isn't it? I think you'll get tired of me before that. – She joked.
– Never. And, to be quite honest, I think it's actually too short a time, but I'll try to be content with that.
– Yes! I accept!
– And that makes me the happiest woman in the world.
It was the beginning of a new era in their lives, they knew that. Soon they would need to organize a new routine, make changes, arrange a wedding with all possible, necessary and desirable protocols... In short, everything would change from then on, for the better.
Although it didn't go as planned, what both wanted happened. It was just a pity that Asami wasn't in better condition; she was still debilitated, but it was temporary, soon Sato would be back on her feet again. They wouldn't celebrate the engagement as they wished because of that, but they didn't mind. The most important thing was that they were engaged; they would make up for lost time later.