"Yo, Mako, are we still on for this Friday?" Korra called as she ran to catch up with him after practice. She, Kuvira, and Mako had planned on celebrating their three second place finishes at their conference meet. None of them had times (or points in Korra's case) good enough for Nationals, so their indoor track seasons were over.

Mako turned around and looked at her, confused, but then he smacked a hand to his forehead. "Sorry Korra! I forgot we had plans and I asked someone out. We're going to dinner."

Korra groaned. "Maaaakoooo! We had a plan!"

"I know, I know, I know. I said I'm sorry! What about Saturday? We could celebrate then? I'll pay if it keeps you from holding a grudge against me."

Aha! That's what Korra liked to hear. "Deal! Saturday it is! Who are you going out with anyway?"

Mako turned red. He was an interesting case study when it came to blushing. It started at the base of his neck and slowly worked its way upward. "Uh, Asami. I asked her earlier this morning and she agreed."

Korra's nearly stopped. "How—how do you even know her?"

"She's in one of my classes this semester and she's hot. Man is she hot!"

It took all of Korra's strength not to punch him where he stood. Instead, she took a deep breath and growled, "You idiot!"

"What? Me?!" Mako exclaimed in disbelief, coming to a halt outside of the caf. "What did I do now?"

Korra deflated. He was right. How was he supposed to know she was desperately in love with her roommate? It's not exactly like she went around shouting, "Hey! I'm in love with Asami!" And while Bolin and Opal probably knew on some level, Mako wasn't around Asami and Korra at the same time enough for him to have been able to pick up on it. Besides, she couldn't exactly fault him. Asami was really hot. "It's just—forget it." Korra turned and walked away from Mako in defeat.

"Wait! Hang on!" Mako grabbed her by the arm and spun her around. "Oh my God! You like her!"

"It's not—" Korra tried to protest, but quickly gave up in a huff. Mako was waggling his eyebrows at her and grinning like a fool. "Fine, okay. I like her. I like her a lot. And you asked her out!" She punched him on the arm to emphasize her point.

Mako was unfazed by her assault. "Does she like girls? Is everyone on this campus bi?!"

That was the question, wasn't it? It had been months and Korra still didn't know if Asami was attracted to women. She told as much to Mako.

"Wow, that's rough, buddy," he said in commiseration. "I'll cancel with her."

"No!" Korra nearly shouted. "Don't do that. What will you tell her? 'I have to cancel our date because your roommate is in love with you and I don't want to get in the way?' Hell no. You have to go on the date. Just make sure it's only one date."

Mako nodded. "Okay, I can do that. I'll only make out with her a little," he swore solemnly.

"Mako!" Korra shrieked. When he burst out laughing, she punched him in the arm, but quickly gave him a giant hug. "Thank you! I owe you!"

"Yeah, yeah. I'll think of something. A lifetime of servitude or the right to name your firstborn child. I don't know. Something reasonable like that."

With damage control in effect, Korra ran to her dorm to grab Asami for dinner.

…

The next day, Korra raced to her dorm after classes to pick up her textbooks and spend a few hours in the library. The track team required ten study hours a week for all freshmen students and anyone under a certain GPA. Korra's GPA was fine, but because she was a first year, she couldn't get out of them, no matter how much she pleaded that she never got any work done in the library and they were essentially making her waste ten hours a week.

She opened the door and was met with a pair of fists in her face. She yelped in surprise as she leaned back just in time. "Whoa!" she said when she realized it was just Asami.

Except Asami was the least violent person she'd ever met, and come to think of it, her eyes were kind of vacant. By this point Korra was pretty sure Asami had PTSD, but she hadn't really ever had the flashbacks most people think of when they think about PTSD. Sometimes the memories were really strong in her mind, which made her seem kind of spacey, but she was always at least halfway present. So this was new.

Asami blinked heavily a couple of times and looked at her hands like she'd never seen them before. "S-sorry," she stuttered, stumbling back. "I'm sorry. I was heading to my night class and I didn't expect you to come back."

Korra slowly reached out and took her hands; they were freezing. Now that she looked closer, Asami was shaking. She couldn't let her leave in this state. "Hey, do you have to go to class tonight?"

"Why?" Asami still looked pretty out of it, kind of like she was shocked, but at least she was responding to Korra's questions.

"I think we should ignore all of our responsibilities for tonight and have a Disney movie marathon." It was the first plan that popped into her head, but it seemed to be as good as anything to keep Asami in their room. At this point, she wasn't sure if Asami left that she would be able to find her way to class or back to their dorm.

Asami just nodded, so Korra gathered snacks from their bin and set up the PS3. When it was ready, Asami still hadn't moved from where she stood by the door. Korra wasn't sure exactly what was happening or what to do. She settled on her usual plan with Asami: cuddling. So she led Asami to her haphazardly made bed and pulled a blanket over both of them. Without question, when Korra's arm went around her, Asami leaned into her. It took awhile, but she eventually stopped shaking.

"Do you want any Cheetos?" Korra asked about ten minutes into "The Emperor's New Groove." She'd realized she had been hogging them.

"No," Asami said, tearing her eyes away from the TV. "I feel like I'm going to throw up."

That got Korra's attention. The last thing she wanted was for her comforter to be covered in vomit. She leapt out of bed, ready to pull Asami with her, but her roommate just shook her head and shifted out of Korra's grasp. "C'mon, Asami! At least let me get the trashcan."

"Korra, I haven't thrown up since I was ten. I said I feel like I'm going to throw up, not that I'm going to."

Oh. Well now she just felt foolish. But not foolish enough to not climb back into bed. She settled herself back against Asami's side. "Seriously? You haven't thrown up since you were ten?!"

"No," Asami said softly. "It…the last time I threw up I had the stomach flu. I used to like being sick because it was one of the only times I could guarantee my dad would be nice to me. I'd been feeling better so I didn't think there was any risk, but then I accidentally vomited on the couch. My dad made me clean it up after he smacked me in the face. He told me I was too old to make that kind of mistake, that I had to take care of myself from then on."

Wow. Korra didn't know what to say, so the only thought she had spilled out of her mouth. "You were just a little kid."

Asami shrugged and sighed heavily. It had been some time since Korra had seen her look so helpless. "Sometimes I still feel like that little kid. Every time I think I'm getting better, everything gets so messed up and I fall apart."

"What do you mean?" Korra asked. "You are getting better. You're doing so much better."

Asami shook her head sadly. "I don't think so. What happened tonight…it scared me."

Korra took that opportunity to put her arm back around Asami. "Were you trying to defend yourself or were you going to hit me?"

Asami refused to look at her. "I don't know," she admitted. "It wasn't something I thought about. I was just startled and my fists went up before I could remember where I was. Shit, Korra. It scares me to know how much control he still has over me. What if it never goes away?"

"It will," Korra promised. "I know right now it seems scary because you've had a bad day, but you really have been getting better. You don't hide so much anymore. And you smile now. You never used to smile."

Asami seemed to relax after that. "Thanks, Korra."

"Do you mind if I ask if something triggered this?"

Asami heaved a heavy sigh. "Probably."

"Do you want to tell me?"

"My dad called me today."

Korra's arm tightened around Asami. As far as she knew, Asami hadn't talked to him since that phone call over winter break when she decided she didn't want to be financially tied to him anymore. "Has he called you often?"

Asami shook her head. "No," she said, her voice choked with unshed tears. "I haven't heard from him since he started counseling."

"What did he say?"

"He told me it's time to forgive him. That he's changed. That there's no reason for me to stay away from him anymore. He told me to forgive him."

"Oh, Asami," Korra breathed. She leaned her head against Asami's. "What did you say?"

"That I wasn't ready and needed more time. Then…then h-he told me he'd raised me better than this. He told me he'd raised me to forgive and forget, and that he was disappointed in the person I've become, that I used to be strong and independent. Now I'm weak, afraid, and that I'm just your puppet."

Korra reached out with a tentative hand and brushed away the tears that had carved tracks into the tiny, invisible hairs on Asami's face. "That's not true. You're so strong. If he's disappointed in you, that's his problem. Actually, pretty much all of this is his problem and now he's dealing with the fallout."

"What if he's right, though? What if forgiving him would make me strong?"

"Forgiving him right now would make you stupid," Korra said bluntly. That was harsh, but it was the truth and Asami needed to hear it. "He's still trying to control you. Keeping your distance right now keeps you safe."

Asami nodded, her face still resting in Korra's hand. "That's what Izumi said last week." She seemed relieved with that reminder.

"You know I don't think of you as a puppet, right?" Korra asked. It seemed like an absurd question, but she had to make sure. By now her face just inches from Asami's. It took all of her strength to not glance down at Asami's lips.

"I know that. That's what made me know he was lying." Asami fell back against Korra's pillows, breaking the intensity of the moment. Korra didn't know whether or not it was intentional, but she couldn't help feeling disappointed.

Korra fell back beside Asami and they watched the rest of the movie. Only when it was over and they'd retreated to their own beds, did Korra say, "You're safe with me. I won't ever hurt you."

As soon as she said it, she regretted it. Of course she'd hurt Asami. That's what happens when you interact with people. Friends hurt each other; lovers hurt each other. It doesn't have to be catastrophic, but it is a part of life. Asami must have understood what she meant—that she'd never abuse her or be cruel to her—because she said, "I know."

Despite the fact that Korra's words seemed to ease Asami's pain, her roommate still had a rough night. Four nightmares, nightmares Asami said were too close to reality for comfort, yanked her from sleep, gasping, pulling Korra along with her.

…

Since the indoor track season was over for Korra and the outdoor meets hadn't yet begun, she had a free Friday night. Normally that would mean hanging with friends, but all of her friends had dates. That included Asami and Mako, the date she was most concerned about. Unable to settle her nerves by watching TV or messing around on her computer, she decided to do laundry for the first time in a month. It wasn't as bad as it sounded, though. The school's laundry service washed all of her track clothes. So it was really just her jeans and the shirts that weren't track related. And her sheets. Okay, that part was kind of gross.

So she spent the next couple of hours doing several loads of laundry and reading for the following week's classes. It wasn't super exciting, but it served to keep her mind off of the fact that the girl she was in love with was currently on a date with her ex boyfriend. When she had lugged all of her laundry back upstairs to her room, it was still only 9 o'clock. That sucked. There was no way Asami would be back before 11, which meant she had to entertain herself. So she showered and then buried herself under her covers to watch "Parks and Rec" on her computer. Sometime during the second episode, she fell asleep. When the door opened, she sat up in bed.

"Hey, how'd it go?" Korra asked sleepily, rubbing her eyes to try to wake up. She was really curious to know, but right now it was hard to escape the lure of sleep.

Asami shrugged and sat down on her bed with a huff. "It was weird. I thought Mako really liked me, but he told me we couldn't go out again."

"Oh," Korra replied. It was hard to try to sound innocent. "Why?"

"That's the weird part. He said it was because James likes me. As in James, the guy I already went out with. Since he and I are about as compatible as peanut butter and mayonnaise, that means Mako's lying. But why would he lie? If he didn't like me, he could have just said so."

Shit! Stupid Mako! What a moron! He lied to Asami and ended up picking the one person in the world who absolutely didn't like Asami! Great, and now that Korra hadn't responded, Asami was looking at her strangely. And then she frowned, realization dawning on her face. "Unless he was protecting someone else…" Asami said slowly. "Korra, do you like me?"

"What?" Korra gasped out; she was suddenly hot all over. Oh no. Oh no. Oh no.

"I don't know!" Asami said, jumping up from her bed and pacing around the room. "You're so touchy feely. You're the only one who ever touches me and I don't know what that means! I can never tell if you're flirting with me or just being friendly. I'm so bad with interpreting these things."

She broke off and stared at Korra, waiting for a response. What was she going to say? What could she say? Asami had asked her directly. Dammit. This could ruin everything. But she couldn't lie to her. As much as she wanted to avert her gaze, she forced herself to meet Asami's eyes. She deserved that much. "I like you."

Asami sat back down on her bed and nodded slowly. "Okay," she said, her voice soft. "Okay."

Okay? What was Korra supposed to make of that? At least it didn't seem like Asami hated her. Except she also wasn't making eye contact with her or saying anything. So that wasn't great. "Do—do you like me?" Korra asked tentatively.

"I still don't think I know what that means," Asami said sadly.

Well, at least it wasn't a no? She could work with this. "Do you care about me?"

"Of course I do."

"Do you like when I touch you?" This was a hard conversation to have without touching her, actually. But for now they had to stay on their respective beds.

Asami's face turned red. "Yes," she admitted sheepishly. "A lot."

"Do you get butterflies when you think about me?"

"I—"Asami broke off and glanced at Korra before looking away again. "I don't know. It's more that I feel like me when I'm around you, that I feel safe to be me when I'm with you."

Korra couldn't hold back a grin. Not to put too fine a point on it, but that actually sounded like more than a crush. "I can't speak for you, but it seems like you like me, too."

Asami shrugged helplessly. "Maybe. It's just—I've never really felt this way before and I don't know what it means. With everything that's happened with my dad—" She broke off and shook her head. "I can't understand why you like me. I don't even like me!"

Those words hurt Korra in a way no others ever had. "How could I not like you?" she retorted. "You're the bravest, smartest, wittiest, most beautiful person I know. Everything you do is so unbelievably amazing."

"No…I know I'm—I didn't mean…I didn't mean that how it sounded."

Well, that was confusing. "So what did you mean?"

"I, um, I guess it's that…I didn't really expect to live to be eighteen." Asami sent a panicked look in Korra's direction and hurriedly continued. "I don't mean I was going to kill myself or anything. Although…never mind. I just mean that I didn't really want to live anymore. It was too hard. And I thought that for some reason that would be taken into consideration and I'd die before I was eighteen. I know that sounds crazy, but that's how I felt. And now I'm eighteen and I don't know what to do because I never planned to live this long. I never planned on having feelings for someone. And I feel so confused."

"That's okay, you know," Korra said softly. It was hard to hear, but not altogether surprising based on other conversations they'd had. "I still think you're the most amazing person I've ever met."

Asami gaped at her, astonished that Korra could feel the same after hearing what was probably one of her darkest secrets. "But…that's you."

Korra had heard the word "lighthearted" many times in her life. Until now, though, it hadn't had a literal significance. Now she understood what it meant to feel like your heart could take flight at any moment, carrying your body along with you. "I don't see why it can't be both of us!"

Asami laughed, but quickly grew serious again. "Can you be patient with me while I figure this out?"

Korra grinned. This was so much more than she could have hoped for. "Asami, as long as you don't shut me out, I'd pretty much wait forever for you to be ready."

"Yeah?" Asami asked bashfully.

"Definitely."

Asami's eyes shifted around the room in a nervous fashion. "We can still do stuff, though."

Well, that was bizarrely cryptic, but hopefully she meant what Korra hoped she meant. "Like what?"

"You're going to make me say it?" she asked, blushing so hard.

"Yup." Because Korra did not know what she meant and now seemed like a really bad time to start assuming.

Asami sighed, her face still red, but she met Korra's eyes. "I like hugging you and being close to you. And…and I'd really like to kiss you again."

Damn. Asami had so much more guts than Korra. But she would start slow. "Can I hug you?"

"Of course."

It was a hug filled with so many emotions, the mix of emotion that normally only Asami was capable of, despite her inability to sometimes articulate it. Asami brought desperation and relief that someone she trusted cared for her, that she might not have to spend her life alone. And Korra brought love and joy and more than a little relief that she didn't have to hide her feelings from Asami anymore. Thus, their night ended with a long embrace and smiles on their faces.

A/N: Hi friends. There are a couple of issues with the reviews. I don't mean with what you all have said, which is very much appreciated. It's more with . For starters I only get emails for about half of the reviews that are posted, so I just saw a bunch of them today. Also, has a weird system with replying to reviews. So, while I will read and appreciate all of your reviews, if you want a response, you should comment over on AO3, where it is easier (and possible for guest reviews) to reply.