never denied

[mix_it_up]

Still air was uncommon between them. Both Asami and her father were clear-eyed, sure-footed, and rarely lacking in conversation. Most of the time, this meant they couldn't stop talking to one another. Now, it meant both were too stubborn to speak first.

Finally, after they've listened to the clock behind her father's desk click to nearly a minute, he concedes.

"You didn't think you should ask me before inviting – guests into this house?"

"I didn't think it'd be a big deal." Asami shrugs, and folds her arms. "We have more than enough room."

"This isn't about the space. It's about showing respect for me and for our home."

This stops her, for a moment. She lowers her arms and takes a breath, but doesn't look away. "I didn't think –"

"No," her father says, his voice rising. "You knew I'd disagree, so you waited until now to tell me. Do you know how I know that, Asami?"

She doesn't answer, but still doesn't look away, even as his voice rises. He sighs, and takes off his glasses, rubbing his forehead.

"Because I would have done the same thing."

There's another stretch of silence. Before she'd been suppressing a line of defenses that would bubble up under her tongue, but now she truly doesn't know what to say.

"I'm sorry –"

"No," he repeats.

Asami looks away, exasperated. "All right, I'm not sorry for helping out my friends. But - Dad, is that what this is about?" She doesn't wait too long for an answer. "Do you want to lock me into my room at night? Because I'll do it, but I thought you trusted me more than -"

Hiroshi shakes his head. "Don't turn this around on me."

"I'm not, but –" A little brazen, she steps forward, putting her hands on his desk and leaning over it. "You never acted like this before."

"Your other boyfriends never wanted to live here."

"My other boyfriends were the son of the Earth Kingdom ambassador and the heir to -"

"And we didn't have this problem, did we?" He smiles at her, and Asami steps away again, this time turning her back to him.

"Dad…"

Finally, Hiroshi rises from his chair. He steps around his desk, walking over to her, reaching to put his arm around her shoulder. "Sweetie, I'm just concerned about you."

"I can take care of myself," she insists. "You made sure I could take care of myself. Come on, it's not like I want to date –" Asami struggles for a moment, trying to come up with someone suitable "- the heir to Cabbage Corp. Or -"

"You could do worse than Hua Gan-Lan."

Asami rolls her eyes. "Oh, Dad -"

"She's supposed to be a very nice girl, won all those dance competitions -"

"You didn't want me to take dance, remember?" Asami puts her hand over his for a moment, but then steps out from under his arm, turning back to face him. "Really, Dad, what's bothering you?"

She has to wait for her answer. He watches her for a long moment, until she starts to feel a rare spike of self-consciousness under his gaze, enough to make her speak first.

"Dad –"

"Nothing." He shakes his head again, walks back toward his desk. "Just ask next time, all right?"

Asami watches him sit again, that spike not entirely dulled yet. But she nods. "All right."

---

She hits the ground, barely able to flip away when sword strikes the earth next to her. Two quick steps can get her up again, but she's forced to move back, again and again, each time just dodging the blows coming at her, with no attempt to strike back. She manages to knock one dao sword out of his hand, but her back hits the wall, and the sword other is at her throat. He holds her there, eyes meeting hers, long enough that she wonders if he's waiting for her to move, before he lowers it.

"You're distracted."

Asami takes a step in from the wall, and Qin turns away, moving to retrieve the other sword. "You're out of rhythm and barely keeping up."

"I know."

Qin doesn't ask what's distracting her. He doesn't wait for her to turn her back. He sets the wooden swords aside, and turns around to face her. She knows what he's going to do, but still slips as he strikes a blow toward her shoulder, stumbling as she dodges beyond his reach.

"You're going to have a lot of reasons to be agitated, Asami." He slams his arm toward her again, she blocks it with her own. "You can't let that distract you."

They continue, back and forth. She never gains any upper hand, but manages not to fall behind him. Her movements are tinged with frustration, she breathes faster, heavier; she doesn't second guess how she anticipates his movements, but thinks so much about keeping up that she never tires to get ahead. His momentum against her continues to build until, too fast, he lands a kick against her ribs.

Asami falls back to the ground. It hurts, but she breathes easily. She feels his shadow creeping over her, and finally, she stops thinking of defending herself. Pushing through the pain, she forces herself up. She jumps forward, and doesn't think.

She lifts her hands in fists, and strikes at his arm, in quick, repeated motions.

Qin stops. Asami slips back again, her chest still sore, the lull draining her so that her steps back stumble slightly. For a moment, they watch each other, Asami not entirely realizing that Qin still hasn't moved.

"You've been practicing Chi-blocking?"

Suddenly, she feels cold. Asami turns her head away, and slowly falls to her knees, her breathing growing heavier again. Qin stands above her, looking down at his hand. He turns it over slowly, stiffly. He can barely seem to move his fingers.

"Asami –"

"I remembered the Chi paths from school." She sounds defensive. Why does she sound defensive?

It doesn't seem to help when she adds, "It works against non-benders, too."

Qin nods. He turns his hand again, as more movement seems to return to it. His fingers curl inward, and out again. Then, he offers his hand down to her.

"Come on. I'll show you how to do it."

---

"Where's that boyfriend of yours?"

Asami lifts her head from the metal bar she'd been resting on, trying to glance over at Hyesoon. Enough to acknowledge her without lingering. Hyesoon was approaching from farther down the platform – Asami had felt her footsteps, but had waited, unsure of her company, or if she wanted any.

"He must have some free time," Hyesoon says. "Now that probending's suspended and he's living with his rich girlfriend."

"I haven't brought him here." She's never brought anyone here. Hyesoon comes to a stop next to her, leaning on the platform railing. Below them, Republic City police officers are peeling apart the welding stations, inspecting steel frames and blow torches. The welders who showed up for work are watching at a distance, occasionally answering questions the officers call out to them.

"And why are you here?"

Asami leans her head back against the bar. Her legs hang over the edge of the platform, crossed and still.

"Just watching."

Resentment bites in her voice. It takes hearing it for Asami to realize just how much has welled up inside her. Feeling childish, she turns her face away from Hyesoon. Beneath them, the police continue to search the welding stations, the clinging of steel becoming more and more frequent as they still turn up nothing.

"You were at the Final, right?"

Asami doesn't expect this question. She looks back to Hyesoon.

"Yeah, I was –"

"Did you get a look at those gloves?"

Something about this makes Asami's stomach twist. She turns her answer over in her mind, hesitating, as she wonders why she's hesitating.

"I did," she says. "I saw an officer knocked out by one."

Hyesoon looks away from her, down the floor below them. The police are dispersing, the welders cleaning up.

"It's a pretty big advancement." Hyesoon's still watching the floor. She doesn't usually avoid Asami's eyes when she speaks. "You'd need high quality materials, precise engineering. There's so much that could go wrong. And there's nothing else like it."

And then, Asami knows. Her skin feels hot, she grips the railing hard.

Her voice stays steady. "What are you saying?"

"Well…" She's never heard Hyesoon hesitate, either. "… have you ever known Lau Gan-Lan to spend a yuan he didn't have to?"

Asami doesn't speak. She pulls up her legs, slowly lifting herself to stand on the platform. Hyesoon keeps watching. Different as they are in build, Asami now stands only a little shorter than her.

"So what," Asami says, "My Dad made them?"

"No, I didn't say that."

"Because there's nothing –"

"Asami –" Her voice drops into a loud whisper. Below them, a few of the welders have paused. "I'm saying – Cabbage Corp is a discount corp. They knock off their competitors on the cheap. Think about it, Asami. Does this make sense to you?"

At her sides, her hands are relaxed. Her stance is a little stiff. Her skin still feels hot. Asami looks away, then turns.

"I need to go."

Hyesoon doesn't try to stop her. Asami walks slowly at first, but by the time she reaches the stairs, she's racing down them, her footsteps clanging throughout the factory.