"Hey you ever wonder if maybe seeing Jinora with all her new tattoos and stuff could, like, trigger some memory in Korra's – Korra's, like, Avatar brain and you know, like, maybe Aang would see and you know-" Bolin rambled on clutching the squeaking Pabu like an old army buddy, tipsy from the celebratory dinner they could still hear going on back in the dining hall. Mako was too busy trying to keep him up and onto the boat, and Asami couldn't help shifting awkwardly and looking back like some sort of twitch, so alas Bolin's theory was wasted as he tumbled into the boat landing face down on Pabu, where he promptly passed out.
"Need a hand?" Mako said and snapped Asami's attention to his outstretched hand, "Um, look, I think I'll just spend one more night, after all that… you know, I'm just kinda tired" she threw him her car keys and started back "Hey, wait Asami. You can't keep staying over here all the time, its already been two weeks and she seems… well, at least better than she was before. It'll take some time and… you need to take care of yourself too" Mako seemed genuinely concerned, but he never saw Korra cry like she did today. It'd be something different if it was one of those desperate, heavy sobs, people usually had for a 'good cry'. But her expression barely changed… the tears were so gentle… it was like watching someone you love and realizing they're fading away, Asami thought to herself as she brushed off Mako's concerns and made her way through the opposite entrance where the laughter and conversation died out to a muffled hum.
She paused for a moment and toke off her shoes to avoid the raised floor boards. Over the past few weeks she had slept over enough to know the right way to soundlessly sneak into Korra's room, checking to hear sobs or whispers in her sleep.
In the beginning it was difficult to tell where this new found compassion came from, of course Korra was a friend. But it hurt to see such a pretty face, a face you've seen live through so much pain without being fazed, suddenly weaken, suddenly so vulnerable. Everything she had learned and liked about Korra and her tomboy-ish ways, seemed to… fade. That was the only word for it.
The first night she checked in on her and heard the cries for help she had rushed in and woke her up. Even when she woke up it was like the dream was just an extension of her living nightmares. She only pulled Asami close enough to bury her sobs in the other girl's chest. Asami held her in her arms for hours until she calmed down, but whenever that happened Korra would suddenly change from desperate contact to none at all, thanking Asami with some remembrance of shame and asking her politely, but gratefully to go back to her bed.
The better method was to gently sit up on the bed leaning back on the headboard next to her and stroke her hair, lightly at first, so as not the wake her. Sometimes the nightmares would continue until she woke herself up and Asami would just have to hold her like before, sharing or at least empathizing with her pain enough to cry herself on a few occasions.
But other times, in the dim moonlit room as Asami stroked her fingers through her hair, Korra's cries would become fainter and fainter. She would nuzzle face to the side of Asami's leg just under her sleeping shorts and throw her arm over her lap. Even if Asami could escape her ironclad grip, she was still lost in her thoughts and the gentle petting that seemed to calm the both of them.
Once, when Asami had forgotten to slip out just before sunrise, she awoke to find Korra fidgeting to sit up in bed next to her, trying not to wake her. Instinctively trying to help she reached down to pull her up by the waist when Korra yelped and knocked the back of her head on Asami's lip.
"Oh dam sorry sorry sorry, I didn't know you were up, sorry, are you bleeding?" Korra whispered pulling herself up and meeting Asami's fingertips with her own at the other girl's bottom lip, leaning in with that dory look she always had when she got caught off guard, and managing another head bump with Asami at the same time. Seeing the blush rise on Korra's cheeks from the repeated mistake (or was it the close contact?) Asami restrained her laugh for a moment of silence and gently knocked their foreheads together again for a third time, letting a lock of hair fall forward and brush against the other girl's cheek.
For the first time in what seemed to be forever, Korra let out a genuine laugh pulling away and looking at Asami who was smiling back at her. Korra reached out and tucked the lock of hair on her face back behind her ear and cupped her cheek, feeling Asami's hand reaching up and covering her own, Korra's laugh died down and she slowly leaned forward. It was supposed to be for a fourth head bump but she was too slow, moving a bit awkwardly, with a faint smile still on her lips she leaned in just far enough to let Asami close the gap… if she wanted.
However before Asami could catch her breath – "Good morning Avatar Korra! What a lovely day" Korra managed to jump back so fast she inadvertently pushed Asami's face (connected to her body) off the side of her bed "Damit are you okay?" she leaned over to watch over the floor where Asami lay on her back, bright eyed and red. The monk they had assigned Korra for aid was one of the preppier kinds, someone apparently thought it would offset her up and coming depression "Lady Asami! You should know better than to rough house with the Avatar this early in the mourning! She hasn't even done her stretches yet!", Asami only ducked her head and slinked out the room, motioning to Korra a "Don't mention it, I'm ok".
I should have stayed, dragged out the moment Asami now thought to herself as she creaked opened Korra's door. Until she heard the whisper, over the sounds of the party on the opposite side of the building, it was almost inaudible.
"Are you there?"
For a moment her heart skipped a beat, but before she could push on.
"Rava?"
Wait, she isn't asleep. This isn't her usual sleep talking, she's awake.
"Can we talk? I mean, I know you aren't usually 'around' around but… I figure if I don't have Aang or… or anyone… maybe we could talk? Like you used to do with Wan?… I know I'm not in trouble or anything now but… ok scratch that, I'm not in any 'obvious' trouble… but I am in trouble" Korra's voice shook and the sound of her crying spiked for moment, only to be muffled by whatever she was crying into. "I-If you're hearing… and you don't know… I'm in trouble Rava… please?"
Asami leant in to catch the last word and the door creaked in the obvious way doors creak when they are pushed. There was a rustle, then silence… "Asami?"
It would take way more than Asami had to betray the vulnerability in Korra's voice right now, "Yeah" Asami whispered and stepped forward into the darkness, embarrassed for eavesdropping, embarrassed for Korra, how one sided the conversation actually was. "Are you okay Korra?" It was the first time in a while she actually heard herself say it.
Korra only whispered a near mute "No" and shifted over, making room for her.
Asami took off her gloves and jacket to slide under the covers and face her, from this close she could make out Korra's crystal blue eyes in the dim light; how her undone hair fell over her face, sticking to her tears. She drifted closer to smooth back her hair and dry her tears, on its way back her hand overlapped with Korra's and immediately grasped it, interlocking their fingers and inching closer.
"What's wrong? Is it your legs? With time we might-"
"It's not just that. Asami, the world really doesn't need me anymore, my entire existence… you don't understand… I'm supposed to bring balance to the world, but where ever I go there's just unhappiness and corruption, uprisings. The Earth Kingdom is falling apart at the seams, I don't even know if the riots stopped, the Water Tribes are still struggling, and the Air Nomads… they can't even take a moment to rebuild themselves, did Tenzin tell you he's leaving with them tomorrow? So soon… just to clean up my mess"
She couldn't even fake a smile in the darkness.
"Thank god no one let me in the Fire Nation yet. As soon as I almost get the spirits to harmonize with the humans again, the nations can't keep their balance. No wonder everyone thinks 'the reign of the avatar is over'. I couldn't even keep balance between non-benders and benders, how am I supposed to fix the four nations… I'm not like Aang, I trained my whole life for this, this is supposed to be who I am. But every time I try to fix something… I lose a part of myself in the process… Asami…"
Asami realized she had gotten lost somewhere in Korra's words and somehow started to cry, "But you beat them every time, you fought and you brought back the Ari Nomads, and you protected them. You constantly give yourself over… and it hurts every time" She was thinking out loud, but even she realized the double meaning in that last sentence. "Aang never fought this many benders with these types of skills, bringing back the spirits… bringing back the balance… means you'll have to fight off chaos more and more," She squeezed Korra's hand, "But you won't have to do it alone"
Just finally talking about it Korra found months of angst and shame settle, and begin to fade, heal.
Seeing the other girl's dark pink lips Korra got the urge to kiss her, this time it was Asami who leaned in, but Korra was more than willing to return the sentiment. Asami closed her eyes and felt the return of Korra's soft lips against her own, the excitement spread from her neck to her chest, all the way to her fingertips. She licked her bottom lip and moved her tongue along the line between the other girl's lips, Korra tried to gasp but when she opened her mouth Asami slipped her tongue in to meet Korra's, sliding past it and pulling out to and give a second closed kiss, gently sucking on her bottom lip.
While Asami worked on her lips she let go of Korra's hand and slid it onto the other girl's neck, her fingers brushing past her ear to meet her hairline while her thumb traced her sharp jawline and slid up her cheek. In one swift motion Asami brought her hand behind the girl's head, racking her fingertips along her scalp, gasping into Korra's mouth and feeling the excitement work its way down her chest to right between her legs. Asami unconsciously started to push against Korra, she used her other hand to cup the girl's face and let the other grope its way down the her back, landing just above her ass, pulling them together. The thin cloth of her sleeping clothes let every curve of her body imprint itself into Asami's own, which was still covered in starched work clothes.
Just as Asami was preparing to move Korra onto her back she felt the hand resting on her chest, which the other girl had used only moments ago to pull her neck forward, now gently pushed her away. Asami pulled back, breathless, searching the wide blue eyes and gasping mouth of the girl she had just realized she fell for.
"What's wrong?" Asami said, sliding a thumb across her cheek and letting the hand on the small of her back relax, but not pull away.
"It's just I've never… I've barely ever even… kissed… so going further… I just… I'm not… " a deep blush rose to her cheeks as she broke eye contact and looked at her hand, rubbing the base of Asami's neck nervously. "I'm not even sure if I was French kissing right" Korra blurted out in a whisper.
Asami didn't even attempt to contain her laughter, "Oh my god you're such a virgin"
"Shut up! I told you that in confidence!" Korra said in a higher pitch than usual as she buried her face into Asami's chest. Just her perfume was enough to make her feel safe, like herself again. A smile spread across her lips when she heard Asami laugh and say
"What? Its ok, you're my virgin. Plus we can always take care of that later" as she held her close, like she did for so many nights in the past, only this time she was able to nuzzle into Korra's dark brown hair and fall asleep to the scent of her.
Hey, a bit of an after-note, I was originally planning to write a full on 'adult' scene for them, but I've never done it before soooo, I decided to test the waters a bit first. Was it at the very least 'ok'? I have some trouble writing intimate scenes and connections so if there's any advice or just general comments, that would be great.
And if anyone out there's interested, I want to write the 'adult' scene for the next chapter (still thinking it out) which will would be coming up… sometime in the near future.
PS: Found the cover photo on my internet travels, most likely it comes from the tumblr 'sherbies', who did an amazing job by the way (I'd give the link but I'm not sure if that's allowed in this website)