Just thinking about Bryan’s remark about this relationship growing organically, and being obviously seeded since S3.

3x01 to 3x12 Asami recognized that she had a bit of a crush on Korra. She’s really intuitive and a bit more self-reflective (at that point) than Korra, but her flirting was conscious, though maybe confused her on some level. It might have started to get more serious after their capture (HEAVY flirting in that episode), explaining why she offered to watch over Korra’s body in the very safe Zaofu, but in her mind it was in the realm of “infatuation,” not anything deeply romantic.

3x13 Asami, having witnessing Korra’s almost death, then moved to realizing it wasn’t just a crush…she was full-on in love with the Avatar. Hence their tender moment in that finale (at Asami’s initiation), hence the offer to go to the water tribe.

3x01 to 3x12 Korra was (like in S1 and 2), definitely intrigued by Asami, definitely found her attractive (saying so much back in like, 1x05), but over the course of S3, just was appreciative to have a friend she could be more open with than anyone else. Asami’s flirting went over her head, though there were probably times Korra would try and act all impressive without understanding why.

3x13 Korra was in too dark of a place to think about anything romantic. It wasn’t until she was away from Asami that she realized her love, and the emotional significance of her relationship with Asami.

It’s quite clear that by The Reunion, they both want to tell each other, but are still trying to figure each other out. I think Asami read Korra’s signals a bit better, making the tea-thing romantic, but a wild-Tenzin appeared so we’ll never know.

I didn’t mean to imply that Asami’s obvious flirting with Korra in S3 was unintentional, which I think I accidentally did. But there’s a difference between flirting with a crush, and realizing that you’re in love with someone.

So yeah, Korra asking Asami to go on the vacation was clearly her “asking her out” (though with a lot more emotional significance because their relationship had been growing and developing for years), and that was when Asami was like “oh thank god, I wasn’t misreading anything.”

I think this is more on the “character analysis” side of things, than “head-canon,” so hopefully it made sense?