Chapter Text
There’s no part of Korra’s day better than lunchtime.
The damn good lunch she’s packed if she’s meal prepped for the week- the myriad of cafeteria options if she hasn’t. The break from the politics and ridiculousness of working in the HR department. The top up of caffeine after her morning coffee begins to wear off.
But the best part of it all? Having forty five minutes to gossip with Kuvira and Opal, everything regarding their love lives and their coworkers and being noisy enough to annoy everyone else in the cafeteria.
Today, Korra’s the one partly responsible for inciting their shenanigans. She just can’t help it, not when her ex Ginger from marketing apparently has a new boyfriend and Korra knows for a fact that he isn’t gonna make her come as many times as Korra had when they were dating.
“I’m telling you, she is never going to have it as good as when she had me.” Korra takes a sip of her coke as she watches Ginger by the vending machine, arm in arm with said new boyfriend.
“You don’t sound jealous at all,” Opal’s smile is all too knowing, and Korra has to stick her tongue out at her.
“I’m not jealous.” She isn’t. “Ginger was a total pillow princess in bed. You think I want that situation again? No, thank you.”
Kuvira snickers. “We were almost convinced for a second there.”
“Please. I feel bad for her, if anything. She probably isn’t gonna get what she needs from him.” Korra tries to picture what the clean cut guy beside Ginger does in bed. Somehow, with the side part and tucked in shirt and loafers, she finds that she can’t.
“And what is it that she needs? Your tongue? Your fingers?” Opal wiggles her eyebrows. “Your strap?”
“You two are hateful.” Korra scowls as Kuvira starts smacking the table from laughing so hard.
“All I’m saying is that Ginger can do better. Though honestly, so can I. And she wasn’t even my last girlfriend. I can get ladies,” Korra scoffs as she says it. She totally can. She’s a ladykiller.
She is.
Ish.
“Is that so, Korra? Tell us, who are the last few girls you got?” Opal cocks her head, wiggles in her seat like she’s excited for Korra’s answer.
Hmph.
“Well. There was Ginger, obviously. Who was all over me when we were dating. There was Ty Lee. Suki. There was Zhu Li for a short time, too.”
Kuvira wrinkles her nose. “Y’know, I always forget you dated Zhu Li. That concept’s fucking weird.”
“It was fucking weird. That’s why we broke up so fast.” Korra shudders. “All I’m saying, though, is that I can get me a lady. I’m a catch, I really am. Hey, stop laughing!”
Opal and Kuvira are too busy guffawing to hear her, and Korra can’t take this attack on her reputation, she really can’t. She’s got game, and she knows she can prove it.
“Fine. Name a girl. Any lady that works here, even if she is straight. I bet I can get her to go out with me,” She wiggles her eyebrows. “It’s the Korra charm.”
“Ooh bitch, you’re asking for it. This is going to be good. We gotta think.” Kuvira drums her fingers on the table, leans back in her chair as Opal takes a sip of her drink.
Korra takes a bite of her sandwich, tries not to be bothered as Kuvira and Opal let out hmmms and wonders. That is, until Kuvira slams her fist on the table.
“Asami motherfucking Sato.”
“What-”
“Not her-”
“I said what I said.” Kuvira gestures to Asami, one of the firm’s top architecture project managers, currently waiting in line for her coffee across the cafeteria.
A specimen so fine that even Korra feels a tingle running down her spine. Or maybe that’s because she needs to pee.
Regardless.
“You land her? I’ll buy your lunch for a month.” Kuvira leans back in her seat, crosses her arms.
“Shit, really?” Korra raises an eyebrow at her. “An entire month?”
“You’re acting like you have a chance of success in the first place.” Kuvira looks a little too amused for Korra’s liking, and she feels herself bristle just a bit.
“I sure as hell do.” Sure, maybe Korra’s talking out of her ass, but she’s not gonna show it. Not to Kuvira and Opal who are regarding her with smug smiles.
So what if Asami, in her six inch stilettos and pencil skirt that hugs her ass perfectly, is sure as fuck out of Korra’s league? So what if Asami’s known for turning down men and women alike that try to ask her out without so much as a second glance?
Asami doesn’t wear a ring, which means that she’s fair game. And Korra’s going to make it happen.
“Just you wait. I’m gonna to make Miss Sato fall head over heels for me.”
Sure, the drama of Korra’s statement is slightly ruined by Kuvira letting out a snort, but the effect is strong enough.
Korra’s not going to have to meal prep for an entire month, if she can play her cards just right.
****
Asami Sato is a creature of habit.
Waking up, then going on a thirty minute run. Breakfast of kale and egg whites. Reaching work ten minutes early. Touching base with all the leads on her current project, making sure that it’s going smoothly. Getting the work done that she needs to before lunch rolls around, a lunch that she spends on her phone catching up with even more work emails. Working until precisely 4:30 pm, when she can roll out the door in time to make her spin class at 5:15 up in midtown.
There isn’t much that disrupts the routine if she has anything to say about it. That is, until she’s packing up at 4:32 and slipping her coat on and a woman knocks on her office door, entering before she can say anything.
“Ms.Sato, right?” The woman flashes her a smile bright enough to knock out the power in the city, and Asami’s attention is definitely captured away from her things on her desk.
The woman looks familiar. HR, maybe? Maybe the one who’d come around after Wu had said lewd things to Asami’s secretary. Though Asami’s not sure. “And you are…?”
“Oh! Right.” The woman pauses, sticking out a hand. “Korra.”
Asami shakes the woman’s hand, noting that her grip is firm, something she always likes. “To what do I owe the pleasure?”
“I’m here on…non work related business.” Korra’s smile is sheepish, and Asami pauses, waiting for her to continue, because she has no idea what the business could possibly be.
“So, here’s the thing. I have a bet to win that involves no meal prep for me for an entire month.” Korra drums her fingers on Asami’s desk, almost nervously.
Asami raises an eyebrow. “What does that have to do with me?”
She’s never really interacted with Korra before, so she’s not sure how-
“The bet involves you, too.” Korra’s fidgety now, and it almost makes Asami want to laugh, how nervous she is. “Two coworkers bet that I couldn’t get you to go out with me.”
Really?
Asami snorts, because really, she should have expected it. “Did they, now?”
“Listen, I know it sounds wack-”
“No thanks.” Asami goes back to packing up her things, tucking confidential files into the drawers of her desk, pulling her coat over her shoulders. “Don’t think I can help you out with that.”
Korra, for her part, remains unperturbed. “There’s perks. You can split the free food with me.”
Asami snorts. “While that’s a very generous offer, I’m still going to have to say no.”
“Aw, why not?” Korra comes around the side of her desk, and Asami gets a good look at her. She’s looking up at Asami with a defiant expression in her bright blue eyes, one that doesn’t want to take no for an answer, and Asami almost respects it.
But she also has a spin class to get to, which means that ‘almost’ isn’t really enough to make her want to be late.
“Okay, look.” Korra continues when Asami doesn’t answer, instead focusing on zipping up her coat. “This isn’t all just for my benefit. It could help you too.”
“Oh yeah? How so?” Asami lets her keep talking for the sole fact that she wants to see where Korra’s reasoning will go. Korra’s incredibly entertaining, as much as Asami doesn’t want to admit it.
“Isn’t there lots of people who try getting with you? You’re like The Bachelorette of this office building.”
Asami has to hold back a laugh. “There are people that have tried to ask me out, yes. But I wouldn’t necessarily call myself that.”
“Chris Harrison must be lurking around here somewhere to host a season for you.” Korra’s grinning, and Asami can’t help but notice how cute it is. “I’d wanna be on that season.”
“Would you now?”
“Yeah, but that’s not the point. The point is, you have a lot people bothering you, right? This way you can pretend to date me and just say you’re taken.” Korra’s looking at her like she’s just solved the world’s biggest math problem.
“I don’t know if that would necessarily work. We’d have to convince people that we were actually together, first of all.”
Korra waves a hand. “It doesn’t take an Oscar-worthy acting performance to fool them. We could do it. Plus, don’t you have people who bother you about finding someone? Friends and family?”
Asami thinks back to her last get together with Mai, when they’d gotten drinks and Mai kept waving her engagement ring around like it was a prized possession, like having a ring on her finger had magically solved all of her problems. Which it hadn’t, obviously, because despite the engagement ring Mai still has to deal with her car transmission needing repairs and her boyfriend (fiancé) coming home from work too late. So what’s the point, really?
Though it never stops Mai and Bolin from trying to set Asami up with their friends, from them lamenting on and on that Asami will eventually find the right person, she will, despite the fact that Asami doesn’t really care.
Or wants to find anyone, really.
Asami’s got her job and her vibrator. The only two things she needs in life, really, for fulfillment.
But Korra’s still standing there, an expectant look on her face as she waits for Asami’s answer. Asami can tell that Korra’s already gotten her figured out.
“Maybe.”
“This can get them off your back. All we have to do is show up at social engagements and work events and stuff and, bam. Fake couple. We both get a payout.” Korra grins, really grins, rubbing her hands together like a scheming cartoon villain, and Asami can’t help how entertaining she finds her.
“You’re still offering half of your free lunches?” Asami holds back a snort.
“We can cross that bridge when we get to it.” Korra waves a hand, before reaching across Asami’s desk to grab the stack of post-it notes that sits next to her coffee mug.
Korra scrawls ten digits in messy handwriting, sliding them across the desk towards Asami. “In the meantime? Think about it. Get back to me.”
With that, Korra turns on her heel and leaves, but not before shooting a wink in Asami’s direction. Asami finds herself stuck in place for longer than she wants to admit, replaying the sway in Korra’s hips as she lets the door close behind her.
She snaps out of it when she looks down at the numbers scrawled on the post-it note, followed by a short, almost indecipherable message in messy handwriting.
U know how to reach me :) -Korra
The text comes through a couple of days later when Korra’s going over some policy that her supervisor wants to review again for the millionth time, and she nearly drops her phone in excitement when the unknown number pops up, because finally.
Fine. We can try to do this.
“Yesssss!” Korra can’t help the little fist pump that escapes her, because Asami’s agreed and she gets free food but most importantly, the chance to rub it in the faces of Kuvira and Opal.
Korra saves the number as quickly as she can before replying.
Korra: knew u would see the light sooner or later.
Asami: Awful presumptuous.
Korra: it’s just smart business!
Asami: How is any of this a business deal?
Korra: I dunno but I sure as hell am feeling as smug as the suits in our office building.
Asami: Regardless, we gotta lay down some ground rules. For this to even work.
Korra: I’m snoozing already
Korra: let’s do this over lunch
Asami: Are you food motivated for everything in your life?
Korra: maybe
Korra: narook's at 12:30?
Asami: Unbelievable
Asami: See you then.
Narook's Seaweed Noodlery is a hole in the wall across the street from their office building that, in Korra’s eyes, has the best damn noodles in the city. She rubs her hands together in excitement before digging into her ramen, wanting to make it last as long as possible.
Asami's sitting across the table, and looking at her with a slightly raised eyebrow. “That excited for your noodles?”
Korra scoffs at the sad looking bowl in front of Asami. “Better than coming to a noodle shop and ordering a damn salad. What are you, a rabbit?”
“A rabbit who knows what she likes.” Asami raises her fork towards Korra before taking a bite. “So. Rules.”
“Right, rules.” Korra rummages in her bag before pulling out a notebook and pen. She’s not going to be unprepared, not when she can get free lunch from her friends out of it. “Number one, no dating anyone else while we are faking it. Obviously.”
“You’re acting as if that’s a rule I would break.” Asami has a smile playing on her lips and Korra scoffs.
“Just being thorough. I won’t either, so.”
“Or I’d be so heartbroken if you did.” Asami jokes.
Korra sticks her tongue out at Asami, who seems to be enjoying their situation way too much. “Not even an hour into fake dating and you already pulling on my pigtails.”
“Sorry.” Asami winks and Korra’s breath absolutely does not hitch in her throat at the sight, no ma’am. “Rule two?”
“We gotta show up at some events together. To sell it and all that, otherwise Opal isn’t gonna buy it.” Korra can already see Opal’s piercing gaze.
“Doable.” Asami writes it down in the notebook. “Events like what?”
“Like some group dinners or evenings out, or holiday or New Years parties coming up, things like that.”
“Okay. Rule three?” Asami’s pen is poised to write and Korra kinda likes it, how in sync they are already.
Korra almost doesn’t want to bring up the next one, but since it’ll be a big component of faking a relationship, she grits her teeth and leans forward on the table to ask the question. “PDA. Thoughts?”
Asami wrinkles her nose. “Not too big on overdoing it, but I can take some pecks here and there. Holding hands, being arm in arm.”
Korra nearly awws, because Asami’s description is akin to the time in seventh grade when she'd ‘dated’ a boy in her class for three weeks before he broke up with her by the baseball diamond.
Not her finest moment, dating wise.
“I can do that.” The more she thinks about it, the more Korra is open to the idea. Participating in all of the innocent, early parts of a relationship, the ones viewed by everyone.
A small part of Korra wonders how Asami’s hand will fit in hers, if it’ll be warm or cold. If she’ll fit against Asami’s side like she belongs there. She's excited to find out.
Asami leans forward in her seat. “Not a rule but - how are we going to tell people we started seeing each other? What will the story be?”
Korra pauses and thinks, really thinks. She wants it to be elaborate but not so elaborate that it’s unbelievable, but just enough detail to convince others that their story is authentic.
“Easy. We ran into each other in the hall and you spilled coffee on my shirt and helped me clean it up in the bathroom, and the rest is history.” Korra’s proud of her imagination, really, until Asami snorts.
“So we started dating because you took your shirt off?”
Korra huffs. “Got any better ideas?”
“Sticking with the coffee theme, here’s one. We started talking in the line for Starbucks and coincidentally ordered the same drink, then sat and talked about it, before talking about other things. Then you left your number on my cup before you left.” Asami looks entirely too pleased with herself, the smile lighting her features as she takes a bite of her salad.
Korra’s not sold, though. “Why am I the one who writes the number?”
“Why, never had the guts to leave a girl your number before?”
“Hey,” Korra swats at Asami’s arm, ignores the way she’s snickering. She knows that Asami’s trying to bait her, she is, that somehow she’s already figured out the way that Korra ticks.
Doesn’t mean she’s going to try something different this time, though.
“Fine. I write the number. Let’s go with yours.” Korra lets out a huff before grabbing the pen from Asami’s hand, writing their origin story on a corner of the page.
But they need to get back to the task at hand, something that Korra realizes when she puts the lid back on her pen. She uncaps it once more. “Rule number four. Social media. We have to add each other on Instagram and post with each other here and there.”
“All I post on Instagram are my two cats.” Asami’s smile is sheepish and Korra can’t help but let out a snort.
“We’ll sprinkle in some actual humans in between the cats.”
“Fine. Gimme your phone so I can add myself.”
Korra files a note to herself to stalk through Asami’s instagram later after Asami accepts her follow request, to look past the cats and for some more information about her, maybe about her past exes-
Nah. Just to be thorough, make sure she knows just enough.
Asami holds up her own phone, the screen on a boomerang of Korra on vacation with Kuvira, facing away from the camera and pulling her bikini bottoms down for just a second. “Seems like your vacations are fun.”
“Hey-” Korra tries to reach for Asami’s phone but Asami’s arms are longer, easily holding the phone out of Korra’s way.
“I feel like I’m going to have a great time scrolling through your instagram, I really do.” Asami’s looking smug, too smug, and Korra huffs.
“Don’t think I won’t find your weird posts, too.”
Asami’s eyes are sparkling. “I know you will. Though I’m not as defensive as you are."
“Okay, last rule.” Korra shoves the notebook in between them, intent on distracting Asami from her nightmare of an Instagram account. “Five seems like a good place to end. Any ideas?”
“I got one.” Asami leans forward in her seat slightly. “Promise not to fall in love with me by the end of this.”
Korra lets out a laugh, an actual laugh, because Asami is awfully presumptuous. “I’m only in this for free food and bragging rights against Opal. That won’t be a problem at all, don’t you worry,” She pauses, looking back over at Asami, who still has a shit eating grin on her face. “And you can’t fall in love with me, either. I know I’m irresistible and all that, but-”
Asami raises an eyebrow. “Please. I’m just doing this to get my friends off my back. You’ll be just fine.”
Korra wonders what it’ll be like meeting Asami’s friends. What they’re like, what they’ll think of her. Not that it matters, really, since it’s all gonna be fake. But still.
“I think that covers it all.” Korra looks at their list, pleased with how it’s all beginning to come together. “We’ll be able to fool them, easy.”
“You think so?” Asami trails her pen over the list, as if she’s trying to find something that they’ve missed.
“I know so. And hey, if we want to add or take something out, we can always change it. This list is open to edits.”
Asami looks satisfied. “Good. And like any good paper contract, we have to sign on the dotted line.”
Her signature on the bottom of the page is fancy, all loops and flourishes and Korra can’t help but scoff. “What kinda extra-ass signature is that?”
“A nice one. Yours is boring.” Asami points to Korra’s, smaller and definitely one with less loops and Korra crosses her arms.
“You’re boring.”
“Ooh, great comeback.” Asami’s smiling, though, and it keeps Korra from wanting to reach over the table and shove her. “So, are we good to go?”
Korra sticks out a hand and Asami shakes it with a firm grip. “That we are. Time to pull the greatest trick that our office ever did see.”
Rules:
No dating anyone else.
Show up at events together.
Light PDA only.
Interact on social media like a couple.
No falling in love.
Instagram story posted by @korrawaters. Location: @narooksnoodlery. Tagged: @asamisato. Description: A boomerang of Asami Sato sitting at a table, munching on what appears to be a salad. A gif of a rabbit eating a carrot is in the bottom left corner.