Light in the Dark
Asami stood in the wreckage of the day's events, images of the battle flashing through her mind on a continuous loop. Working alongside her father after so many years had been a big step on the path to forgiving him for the things he had done in the past, and while his actions that day had proved that he really did mean what he said, the realisation that they would never be able to speak again or continue to resolve those issues sent a wave of agony through her body, almost causing her to vomit on more than one occasion. Having returned to the scene where it all happened, she had hoped to find something of her father's, even if it was just a piece of clothing. But there was nothing. Kuvira had made sure there was nothing left, crushing him right out of existence with one swipe of the mecha suit hand.
Staring absentmindedly at her surroundings, all she could see were crumbling buildings, overturned cars and even the odd human limb littering the street. Even though she couldn't see it from her current position, she knew a destroyed Future Industries factory was in the distance, the final place where she had gotten to spend some proper time with her father. A sudden pang hit her chest as an icy cold feeling of loneliness gripped her heart, reinforcing the painful reality she now lived in. It was true that her father had been in prison for a while, but at least she knew he had been alive. Now he was gone and her factory was barely recognisable; not to mention she would be expected to take up a major role in rebuilding the city once again. Choking back a sob, she willed herself not to break down as she had been doing for most of the day but it was no good, the tears started flowing and she let herself fall to her knees in defeat.
"I've got you," a familiar voice spoke out of nowhere. Within seconds, a pair of arms found their way around her waist as Korra fell to the floor with her, pulling her into a warm embrace. The Avatar didn't say another word, just let her cry into her chest as she let her head rest on Asami's.
After everyone had gone their separate ways, Korra had begun to worry when she noticed Asami had disappeared. Deciding that she must have wanted to feel closer to her father after the trauma of the day, she knew exactly where to find her. The ordeal with Kuvira had left her battered, bruised and mentally exhausted but it didn't matter, her needs could wait compared to the young woman in her arms who needed her support now more than ever. Korra knew that having the factory destroyed was hard enough on its own, but losing her father in the same day would tip even someone as strong as Asami over the edge which is something she wasn't about to let happen.
"Let's get you out of here." Korra started to get to her feet, pulling Asami up with her. Even between the sobbing and eye rubbing, the Avatar couldn't get over how beautiful the engineer looked. In any other situation she would have jokingly told her how jealous she was of that.
Keeping one arm around Asami's waist, she guided her down the street where her car was parked and settled her into the passenger seat.
"Korra I-" Asami tried to recompose herself when she realised what Korra intended to do.
"No, I'll drive." The Avatar held out a hand for the keys which were given without further argument.
The ride was mostly uneventful as Korra weaved the car through the ruined Republic City. Now and again she would lose focus, letting her feet act on their own accord, causing the car to jerk forward at various intervals. However, instead of taking on her usual role of driving instructor, Asami didn't seem to notice the poor driving skills; her face taking on a pale, stoic expression which was the complete opposite to her normal outlook. At first, Korra had opted to take them to Air Temple island but then realised the boats may not be running that evening so the easiest place to drive to would be Asami's mansion.
Pulling into the driveway, Korra grimaced as the car jolted forward before coming to a stop. Preparing to step out, she felt a hand touch her own and looked up to see Asami wearing a weak smile.
"Korra, thank you but you don't need to come in, I'm sure there are a lot of people waiting to see you."
"They can wait." Making her way to Asami's side of the car, she held out a hand which she didn't retract until it was taken.
Walking hand in hand into the mansion, Korra wanted to make sure Asami went straight to bed, rather than sitting in the living room or her office where she would only mull over everything until she drove herself insane. Leading Asami to her bedroom, she picked out a fresh nightdress for her and insisted she get changed while she waited outside.
Moments later, Korra re-entered the room to find the other woman staring out of the bedroom window, looking directly into the silent city.
"Come on, there'll be plenty of time for that after you've rested." Korra moved behind Asami and placed her hands gently on her shoulders, at least she had changed clothes like she had asked.
Motioning towards the bed, Korra pulled back the covers to allow Asami to climb in before tucking them around her. Sitting on the floor by the side of the bed, Korra reached over and took Asami's outstretched hand without needing to say a word. Images of the time this scenario was the other way around started flooding Korra's memory, the sleepless nights, the anguished screaming, the day long silences that felt like an eternity. It didn't matter what she needed, Asami had been there right by her side the entire time during those first weeks after the final encounter with Zaheer. She remembered one particular night when the nightmares had been bad, so bad that she would often wake up screaming, sweating, in tears, or even all three at once. However, after suffering through a rather in-depth nightmare involving herself being suffocated by Zaheer, she woke ready to burst into tears when she felt an arm wrapped around her and a body pressed up behind hers which gave her a sense of security she had so desperately needed. Asami had slid into the bed when she sensed Korra was experiencing a nightmare worse than usual and even though it must have been the most uncomfortable position to be in due to Korra's wild flailing, she couldn't have been more grateful for the gesture.
Coming out of her memories, Korra smiled when she realised Asami had fallen asleep, her hand still grasping her own. She was about to go and find a spare room to sleep in when she remembered how she had felt during those tough times and how thankful she was to have Asami by her side when she woke each day, to know she had never been completely alone. Being as quiet as she could, Korra made her way around the bed and lifted the covers so she could slip in. Sliding an arm around the sleeping Asami, she nestled her head into the back of her neck and closed her eyes. The days ahead were sure to be trying for both of them but together she knew they would get through it.