Summary: Kuvira no longer posed a threat to the world, but Korra still wanted to say so much, but couldn't find the words; later that night she receives a surprise visit from Asami, who also receives a surprise.
She felt her friends surround her and couldn't stop thinking about how her match almost ended in a stalemate with Kuvira, had Kuvira vanished into the wilds in the middle of town, the mecha suits would have found and rescued her, but, fortunately, she found and fired the spirit cannon on the Avatar. Korra was happy with how things ended, she felt like she could take a break.
She couldn't believe the battle was over, and yet, she had seen Lin and Su take the conqueror away before her eyes, and heard the mecha suits power down their guns, and then she felt someone's hand on her shoulder. That was bound to happen, there had been a large explosion and people probably thought she had died in it. She turned to find Asami behind her and remembered that she had lost her father to this war, but the businesswoman was smiling, probably relieved that she hadn't lost anyone else to this waste of time, and then Bolin set his hands on her shoulders and leaned over to look at her face. She thought he was trying to cheer her up with humor, as though he knew that not everything was right, that something was missing, she smiled as the airbender children surrounded her and felt a group hug coming on.
She closed her eyes and tried to enjoy her moment of victory, but she didn't feel as though she had won, rather that she had survived another fight, and was glad to be back, as were her friends.
"So, what do we do now?" Korra asked, not to anyone in general, just everyone present.
"I don't know," Asami began, "rebuild, I guess." Asami felt herself being pulled into depression.
"Hey, I think the best thing we can do is rest," Korra said, trying to divert everyone's gaze at her instead of Asami, "should we just call it a day now?"
Korra didn't hear any disagreement and nodded her head, "Alright, then, I'll be going on ahead, though. Asami, if you want to tag along…I'd enjoy the company."
"Alright, lead the way." Asami said quietly, and followed Korra as she stood by the edge of the wilds.
As she reached the edge and neared the water, she extended her arm, forming a bride across the water; it was wide enough for two people to walk side by side, which she then coated with a fine layer of dirt, "The ice bridge shouldn't be too slippery this way." Korra explained, then turned to Asami, and though the businesswoman was smiling, Korra didn't think she was happy, "Asami, if you want to talk about it, I'm here for you, alright?"
Asami nodded and took the first step onto the bridge, she turned back to Korra and smiled, "Thank you."
Korra was glad that they were over the bridge, every few steps she had melted of the part of the bridge they didn't need anymore, to keep people from falling off the bridge and getting soaked, she was sure that the power would be out for a while, and didn't know how many waterbenders were in town, other than her.
As she melted the last of the bridge she heard Asami let out a long held breath, "I'm going to find a room, alright?"
"That sounds like a good idea."
Korra couldn't get any sleep as she was preoccupied with everything that happened in the past few days, and wondered on the first few days she was her, wondering what would happen next. She had been given expectations, many of which she didn't understand, and she wished she knew what was expected of her now, or if beating Kuvira earned the people's trust.
She sat up as she heard a knock on the door. She silently watched the door, then heard the bed's frame creak as she sat up and threw her legs over the side, and slowly started across the floor.
She felt that the door was taking one step back for every two steps she and sighed, annoyed at the distance between her and the door.
"Korra, it's me, Asami...if you're tired I can just come back tomorrow…that's probably what I should have done, sorry. Good night."
"Wait, I'm up!" she called out, and knew she probably sounded anxious.
"Hey, Korra, are you alright?" Asami asked as the door opened.
"Yeah, I was just," Korra turned and found her bed not so far away, "umm, I didn't know you were there, I mean, I just...been feeling sluggish."
Asami smiled understandingly, "So have I...it's late, I don't even know what I'm doing here, I'll just go back, alright?"
Korra watched Asami turn away and found that her words were outpacing her thoughts, "Actually, please don't go, I...I don't often know what you're thinking, but you never tell me, not like I ask or anything, but…we are friends, and I want to know...I just...don't know, it feels like...I should know you better, I guess I just feel lost."
"I guess three years has taught me to hide my feelings...I did lose my father...twice." Asami looked like she was closing her eyes, but the lids never made it halfway across the distance, as though she was half asleep.
"I know...I wish I could do something for you...argh! I hate this!" Korra cried out to the ceiling, "Why is it that you always know just how to make me feel better," she paused a moment and hoped she didn't sound like she was accusing someone, even though she was, in some ways, "and I just...never see a problem or I don't try to fix it, and it's just so stupid, I'm the Avatar!"
"Korra...you're crying." Asami noted calmly as she reached out to Korra.
Korra unexpectedly stepped away from the businesswoman. Asami would have preferred a slap to the face, versus the pain Korra inflicted.
"I...I can just...catch my breath...I can't be like this anymore, it's time to change now."
"You have a point, if I had never asked to help you...told you it was alright to cry, maybe you'd be better now...you don't need me anymore."
"Wait, Asami!" the businesswoman hated feeling angry at Korra, but the indecision was getting to her, she stood there while Korra cautiously moved her shoulder, motioning her green eyed friend to turn to face her, "I'm wrong, I don't...I don't want...I know what I should be, as the Avatar...but for me...I want to be around you, I...trust you so much, I'm just upset that I can't do anything for you, I feel like this friendship is...it is almost one-sided, and I hate that."
"I don't need you to do anything, I'm happy to be around you, Korra, that's...all that I could ever hope for, not because you're the Avatar, I couldn't care less that my best friend is the Avatar, I care about you, and to be honest, I have never considered you as the Avatar," Asami took a deep breath and continued, "all I see is a girl using her power for the good of an ungrateful world, that was my first opinion of you, a lot has been added as I learned more about you, but that remains."
"I'm not...considered the Avatar." Korra didn't know what to say, or think, was she so bad that there were no possible expectations? "Asami...you don't expect me to be a good Avatar?"
"Korra, you being the Avatar is no different than you being born into the Water Tribe, you can't quit being one thing," Asami said, trying to figure out what she wanted to say before she got too far with no direction, "it's about what you do, I have always tried to think that way, that it's not what someone is, it's who they are as a person. Of course, when I first saw you, I was curious about you, I mean, the Avatar, right? I just wanted to see what you were like, and then my suspicions were confirmed, you were just like me, learning and watching, and trying to not get discouraged. I know that's been hard, though, but you've done a great job so far."
"You know, maybe being poisoned was a good thing...I can finally understand the low approval ratings, and the people's frustration, I get it now, they're afraid I was going to destroy their homes."
"I watched you suffer from that, though, and I'm not saying you're wrong, but I wish they tried to understand you."
"Asami, did I thank you yet, for staying by my side all that time?"
"I think so...whenever you smile...I like to think I should be able to hear you say 'thank you', and whether or not you've ever used those words, I feel like you have."
"I wish I said it sooner and oftener. I wish I asked to help you if you needed it...I guess I'm the most wishful Avatar in history."
"Korra...it's not—you don't need to worry about this, I've never wanted to trade with you, I don't need you to do anything, I'm watching your back, because if I can help I will...you're my friend."
"You're my friend too, Asami," Korra said happily, but she felt like there was something else she wanted to say, "look, I wrote a letter once, just in case I got the nerve...I set it in a hidden compartment in my boot, right foot, innermost side." Korra gulped as she pointed to her boots, standing in a lone corner.
Asami knelt by the footwear and felt the leather compartment's opening. She untied the strings that held the flap to the case, and pulled out the worn letter, tattered and ruffled as it had been taken out, put away, unfolded and read many times.
"Just...read it?" Asami asked the question seemed silly when she thought about it, but she had asked anyways.
"That's all you have to do...I'll just sit here." Korra said, sitting on the side of her bed and trying not to look at the corner. She was terrified as the paper was unfolded, as though she was to be executed upon the reading.
Asami unfolded the paper, and felt as though Korra was speaking behind her, but she knew the Avatar was quiet, almost as though she was holding her breath, "Dear Asami, I don't know what I'm doing, but as I lay on a bench in an empty street of a town whose name I don't, I feel compelled to turn my improvised bed into a desk, and sit on my knees, writing a letter I'm never going to let you read, unless I'm stupid or extremely brave. I don't know what you'll think, reading this, if I tell you to, if you'll feel similar or tell me that you don't, or if you end up not wanting to be my friend anymore...I should tell you in person, but ironically, (flip paper) for someone who fought the Dark Avatar and was later poisoned, who fought anarchists and a dictator, I'm too terrified to tell you that I love you, and risk losing you as a friend, because I love you. I am sorry if you can't face me anymore—Hopefully, Korra."
Asami set down the letter and turned to Korra, "I really would have preferred you tell me in person-"
"I'm sorry." Korra whispered, regretting her choice and inaction, she let Asami read it, and now it was over. Korra turned to Asami, "You don't have to stay...just...do whatever, I can let you go."
Asami sat in silence for a moment, and then stood, she knew Korra was waiting for an answer, but didn't know where to start.
"You got the jump on me with a written confession; I don't know what to say."
"Then tell me...what do feel?" Korra was fighting the tears as best she could, but was tired of fighting, she was giving up, and it hurt her worse than the recently received bruises Kuvira gave her during their final battle, the pain made her cry, she lost all sense of place and time, as though the world had vanished.
"Korra, I feel loved...I haven't felt like that since Father...said goodbye." her voice cracked, and she ran to Korra.
She took the multibender's hands and Korra looked up, "I love you, Korra, I've wanted to that a lot, back then, I wanted to tell you, but when I got there…you was falling, but when I saw you were alright, I made it my mission to see you get better, I waited all that time until you wouldn't have anything else to worry about before telling you, but I felt physical pain when you were gone, like my chest would explode, and when you got back, I almost said it several times, but I just...didn't want to lose you again, I was so scared...so you're really brave, letting me read your feelings."
Korra hadn't realized that Asami was sitting next to her, until the nonbender stopped crying on her shoulder, "That paper was only the beginning." Korra whispered, leaning against Asami's shoulder. Korra felt Asami drape an arm over her shoulder.
"Korra, I'm so much happier than you can imagine, I'm glad you let me read your letter, I just…I guess at first it seemed strange, but I think it's nice, I wish I had appreciated it sooner."
"It's alright, I thought it was weird too, but I had to let you know! I know I've exhausted these words...but I love you."
"What do we do now?" Asami asked, leaning her head against Korra's.
"I don't know, reconnect? It's been a while since we've talked just you and me."
"What do you want to talk about?"
"How happy I am, I'm so happy, I don't care what the people think of me."
"Well, I'm even happier."
"That may be true, I've heard a lot about you, how you were invited to a lot of important things, and did a lot of important reconstruction work, and you didn't even have whispers on me."
"Not because of that, Korra, because you're here now, because after everything that's happened, you're right next to me."
"I always will be, if you ever need a friend, you'll always have me to talk to, even if I'm blind to whatever it is, you can tell me."
"I'll be sure to do that, but you have to too."
"Alright, I'll be sure to."
Asami relaxed a moment and took everything in, then turned to Korra, "I love you." she said, and found that Korra had fallen asleep. She smiled to herself and lowered Korra onto the bed, "Korra?" she shook Korra lightly and the Avatar opened her eyes.
"Sorry, I must have fallen asleep."
"You should get some sleep." Asami said, standing up.
"Hang on, Asami," she said sitting up and getting out of bed, "umm, I…I'm glad you dropped by, tonight." Korra said, hugging Asami, "I really like talking to you"
"Me too, the funny thing is that I missed you, even though we had seen each other earlier, even though I'm just down the hall from here."
"I guess I'll see you to the door." Korra said, and followed Asami to the doorway, and watched as Asami stepped into her room.
"Good night, Korra." Asami said, blowing a kiss.
"Good night, Asami." Korra said, returning the gesture.
She shut the door and turned to the bed, on the floor next to it lay the message. She picked up the tattered letter and folded it up, walked back to the corner and tucked the note away, into the compartment that became its home. She sat on the edge of the bed for a long time before laying her head on the pillow. She thought for a moment about how things had ended well, and closed her eyes and fell asleep, glad now that she had written her confession.
Author's Notes: This was written because, even though the pairing's canon, there was never a confession, this is one of my many takes on what would happen, enjoy!