The Confession

That evening Mako left, hugging Korra and Asami goodbye. The two girls strolled about the island as dusk fell over the city. Making their way along the west path, they came to a stop by the ocean-side cliffs. Korra sat, her legs hanging casually over the ledge, and Asami crossed her legs next to her. She bumped her knee against Korra's leg and apologized, shifting over a couple of inches.

The moon hung low over the ocean. The tide was high, waves crashing against the rocks below them. Stars flickered in the navy sky above. A cool sea breeze wafted in from the ocean.

"Did you get my letter?" Korra asked after a long silence.

"Yeah, I did." Asami replied. She let her words hang in the air a moment. "I couldn't stop worrying about you."

Korra smiled softly, looking at Asami. "I can handle my own, you know." She gave Asami a wink.

Asami's laughter fluttered over the breeze. "Yeah, I know you can." She met Korra's eyes and her countenance shifted slightly. "But you've never battled that kind of stress before. I just kept thinking about how terrified you might have been. Every time you had a flashback when you were here at the island, you'd shake. I couldn't stand the thought of you being alone through that."

Korra remembered. She'd wake up in the middle of the night, sweating and gasping. Asami would be at her side in an instant, crouching next to her bed, holding her until she could fall back to sleep. Some nights it happened so often, Asami had to sleep next to her in the small bed.

Korra shivered as she recalled the fear she'd felt, but she turned a reassuring smile to her friend. "Toph really helped me work through it. I haven't seen Zaheer in months. I haven't even seen–" She stopped. She hadn't told anyone about her ghost.

"Seen what?"

Korra sighed. "There's a reason I never came back to Republic City. Six months ago, I came into the harbour. I was almost at the docks on the island when I saw – I saw myself." She screwed her eyebrows together, realizing how ridiculous she probably sounded. With a glance at Asami she realized her friend didn't think the same. "I would see myself in the Avatar state. Just, standing there, staring with this menacing look in its eyes. And when I saw it for the first time on the rocks of the island, I froze. It's like it was telling me to stay away. Like if I got any closer – I don't know. Seeing it brought me straight back to everything Zaheer had done to me – the poison, the chains, the air being sucked from my lungs.

"So I turned around and left. I wasn't ready to go home. I wasn't ready to face whatever it was I'd have to face as the Avatar."

Asami reached for her hand and squeezed. She watched as tears filled her friend's eyes.

"I'm sorry, Asami," Korra breathed. "I wanted to come back."

Asami brought her hand to Korra's cheek and tenderly traced a finger over the tear that had escaped her eyes. She fought the lump growing in her throat.

"I forgive you," she whispered.

Korra slowly looked up to her, her eyes still shining, and smiled. "Thanks."

Asami's hand returned to Korra's and she laced their fingers together. She met Korra's eyes with a smile and squeezed her hand. "I'm still here for you, for anything."

Korra laughed and blushed. "I wanted to thank you for that, by the way. For helping me when you didn't have to."

"Korra, I didn't do it because I had to. You aren't a project I have to take care of."

"I know, but still. Thank you."

Asami smiled. "I'd do anything for you."

Korra looked down at their interlocked hands and traced her thumb over Asami's. She recalled the rush she'd always felt when she was with Asami, before they learned about Zaheer, before she had nearly been killed, before her life turned upside down.

"Korra?"

She looked back up at Asami with shining eyes.

"Can I kiss you?"

Korra nodded slowly as Asami closed the gap and pressed their lips together. Korra's heart pounded and she opened her mouth, deepening the kiss. She traced her tongue along Asami's lips, and she let her tongue explore. They fell closer into their embrace, Asami shifting onto her side and leaning into Korra, supporting her weight on one hand and running her other hand through Korra's short hair. They parted briefly, taking a breath and gazing at each other. A smile played on Asami's face as she leaned in and nipped Korra's bottom lip. Korra responded with another deep kiss and a soft moan escaped. Asami leaned back onto her elbow and Korra followed without breaking the kiss.

Finally she released Asami and rubbed their noses together.

"Wow," she murmured.

Asami laughed. "I agree."

"That was, that was," she numbly searched for her words. "Wow."

Asami laughed again, pushing Korra back up and gazing at her.

"You have no idea how long I've wanted to do that."

"Really?" Korra asked, surprised, and Asami blushed sheepishly. She played with her hair.

"I kind of had a thing for you, pretty much since we met."

Korra grinned. "That was like, four years ago! And what about Mako?"

Asami shrugged. "I really liked Mako. I mean, I had this ridiculous crush on him since the Fire Ferrets came into the scene. But, well, when I met you I just started feeling really confused. And I probably behaved really poorly because of it."

"Hadn't noticed." Korra shrugged sarcastically. "I guess I just assumed you were mad about me moving in on Mako."

"I was. And I was jealous of him, too. It was all just really confusing. Plus, everything with my dad was going on, it was just all a really bad time."

"So, when me and Mako were together..."

"I may have tried to avoid contact as much as I could without being obvious."

"You always said you were busy with work."

"It wasn't a lie, I was busy. But, yeah, there were times you or Mako would ask to hang out that I kind of made up the odd story about a conference or a business trip here or there."

"And then after Harmonic Convergence, you and I finally started hanging out," Korra smiled, leaning into Asami's shoulder.

"Yeah. I guess after everything in the south pole I kind of accepted how I felt. And I just couldn't stop thinking about you. I mean, watching you fight was so incredible, and seeing how proud you were bringing the two worlds together again. You're just an amazing person, Korra." Asami was blushing, her eyes glued on their entwined hands.

Korra shrugged smugly. "Well, I'd love to argue that point, but it's kind of true."

Asami laughed and shoved Korra playfully. "Such modesty!"

"I kind of liked you too. I mean, maybe not the whole time I knew you, not the way I do now." She traced a finger along Asami's hand. "But I remember when we were taken hostage by the Earth queen's men, and you got us out of the cell in their airship, and fixed the ship after I wrecked it, and then built a sand ship from scratch, and well, you just amazed me that day. And it kind of hit me out of no where how gorgeous you looked, all sweaty and tired and dirty."

"Easy there, Korra," Asami blushed with a chuckle and Korra realized the innuendo.

"I just mean – you know, you looked great. You always look great. And then I just started getting really stupid around you, I was always scared I'd say something dumb and I just started caring what you thought of me all the time. I guess I just didn't think about it much until I left for home and hadn't seen you for so long." The light in Korra's face faded slightly and she looked up at Asami. "I really missed you. I realized that feeling I'd had for you wasn't too different than what I'd felt when I met Mako. And it sucked, a lot, not being able to see you. I just had such a hard time writing anything to you. Every letter I tried to write came out either as a pathetic confession, or a mindless drabble of how horrible and hopeless I'd always felt."

Asami moved her hand along Korra's shoulder reassuringly. She leaned in and kissed her again, sliding her hand over Korra's cheek. When she pulled away her eyes bore into Korra's.

"We're together now. That's all in the past. And I'm not letting you leave me like that again."

Korra wrapped an arm around Asami and held her.