Safe
It's the middle of the night and the normally loud capital of the United Republic of Nations is still and quiet. All over the city, the only sounds you can hear are the rustle of leaves and the occasional small animal scampering over the rooftops of the houses. On Air Temple Island, it is even quieter. No sound can be heard other than the whispers of the wind to the leaves and the splashing of the waves on the sides of the island. All of the inhabitants were quiet too.
Everyone was asleep, except for one.
She was leaning on the balcony, looking out into the garden. The wind was cold but she doesn't feel the chill. The garden was still beautiful despite the darkness but she doesn't seem to see it. Her green eyes are glassy from the tears that she refused to shed. I've cried enough, she thinks to herself. This is their fourth night in Air Temple Island, and this is also the fourth night that she hasn't been able to sleep. Oh, she's tried believe me, she has, but every time she closed her eyes, the horrible scene from four nights ago would replay in her mind.
They were underground, under the Sato mansion and from where she stood, she saw Hiroshi Sato with those horrible gloves that were crackling alive with electricity was walking closer towards Mako and Bolin and raising his arms ready to shock them.
"Dad! Stop!" She yelled from where she stood, having just arrived at the bottom of the long steel staircase.
Hiroshi turns at the sound of his daughter's voice. Shock and horror comes over him at the sight of his daughter's betrayed expression.
"Why?" is the only thing Asami could say to her father
Hiroshi explains to her daughter the reason behind his supporting Amon and the equalists. He tells the story of how his wife, her mother, was killed by a ruthless firebender.
The words and the information crash into her like a tidal wave. Everything that she knew, everything that she thought she knew, especially about her father, was changed.
The next thing Asami knew, Hiroshi took off one of the gloves and was handing it to her "Join me Asami" he said to her. Asami came closer to her father, tears glistening in her eyes. She felt as though she was in a dream, it felt like she was watching this horrible scene unfold in front of her. She was staring at the glove being given to her by her father and the next thing she knew, her hand was reaching out for it, slowly taking it from Hiroshi. The second she took it, Hiroshi let out the breath he had been holding in. What was it? Relief? Asami didn't know.
"No" she heard Mako say as soon as she put the horrible glove on. She had made up her mind. She needed to do this. She closed her eyes for a moment.
"I love you dad" Asami told her father right before she electrocuted him.
The next events always played out in a blur, knocking out the henchmen, getting into the whole that Bolin made, making it into the airship.
Asami blinked and she found herself back on the balcony. She reached up to her face and she found that she'd been crying. She hunched over the banister. The pain she felt still stung as though she was still in that underground factory.
"Asami?" a voice behind her said. Startled, she quickly wiped her eyes and turned around to see Mako, blinking his eyes rapidly as though he weren't sure whether this was a dream or not. "What are you doing out here at this time of night?" He asked her.
"I could ask you the same question" she said, forcing a grin at the same time trying to make her voice sound happy.
"I just came out here to go to the kitchens to get a glass of water" he told her. Mako walked towards where she was standing "How about you?" he asked again.
He was looking at her intently now; the sleep was long gone from his eyes. She couldn't lie to him. He would know. She wasn't that good of a liar anyway.
She looked away from him, and turned her gaze back into the garden. "I couldn't sleep" Asami replied with a soft voice "I thought some fresh air would do the trick."
"How long have you been out here?" Mako asked her, his voice sounding worried
"A while" Asami told him, a gust of wind blew and she wrapped her arms around herself to keep warm. She felt the tears coming back so she closed her eyes. She felt Mako wrap his arm around her and pull her towards him. Instinctively, she leaned into him. For the first time that night, Asami felt calm, safe.
The next thing she knew, Asami was crying. She hugged Mako even tighter and was sobbing into his chest. She'd been hiding her tears from everyone ever since they arrived on the island and in that moment, with Mako, she felt as though she couldn't hide it anymore. Mako held her even tighter, burying his face into her hair and rubbing his hand on her back, wishing to the universe that he could take her pain away.
They stood there for a while, just like that, until Asami finished crying and it felt as though her eyes had no more tears to shed. She pulled away from Mako. "I'm so sorry" she said, wiping her already-puffy eyes. "It's okay" Mako said, he took her face in his hands so that he could look into her eyes "This isn't your fault." Asami faced the garden again.
"When was the last time you slept peacefully?" Mako asked her.
Asami let out a small laugh. Trust Mako to be able to make her laugh in her current emotional state. "Before all of this happened, probably" she answered him, then her voice turned softer and more serious "It's just that. . . " she faltered, Mako put his arm around her once more and she took a breath to calm her down "Every time I close my eyes to go to sleep, it just keeps replaying in my head. Those machines, Amon's henchmen, Councilman Tenzin, Chief Beifong, Korra, and My father" she shuddered and she felt Mako's hold tighten against her. "It won't go away. It won't stop" she continued "What's worse is that I feel so helpless, like I could've stopped it but I don't even know how."
"You can't blame yourself for what happened, Asami. Your father" Mako felt Asami cringe at the mention of her father "Your father lied to everyone, especially to you. Amon probably brainwashed your father into thinking that what they're doing is right. What's important is that they should be stopped. And with Korra, the Council and Chief Beifong's help, we're going to do just that." Mako smiled at her and it filled his heart with joy to see Asami smiling back at him.
"Thanks Mako" Asami told him while pulling him in for a tight hug. She felt lighter after telling Mako about her demons "We should go back to our rooms. I've kept you up and I should try getting some sleep again"
Asami tried to pull away after their hug but Mako kept his arms around her, letting her get a step back. He looked caringly into her eyes and said "You could stay in my room if you want to." Asami must have blushed at this because he hurriedly said "If you think it'll help you sleep better." Mako coughed and looked away, a tinge of red creeping up on to his cheeks.
Asami grinned "I'd like that". "Well then" Mako said, pointing towards the way he came in earlier "This way, my lady." They'd just gotten a few steps when Asami remembered something "Wait a minute," she told him "Weren't you going to get a glass of water?" Asami bit her lower lip to prevent herself from laughing when Mako flashed a sheepish smile. "Right" he said "Then come with me to the kitchens first."
After the kitchens, they went up to the room given to Mako. They both snuggled under the covers, getting themselves comfortable and before he drifted off to sleep, Mako put his arm across Asami's waist and pulled her closer to him. "Goodnight Asami" he whispered into her ear before falling asleep. Asami lay there for a while listening to Mako's even breathing. But soon she found her eyelids closing and she turned so that she was facing Mako. She buried her face into his chest and fell asleep.
For the first time in four days, she slept peacefully through the night.