GUYS I've had a couple of ideas for fanfics dancing in my head ALL WEEEEEK LONG, and it's been impossible to write, sorry!

(I'll try to write an outline to see if I get it out of my system lol) I've also been reading books on the art and craft of writing so I can make it less tortuous for you guys to read my scribblings! :D

Also uh, warning for violence and sexual abuse...?

Chapter 10.2 Memories Part 2

It'd been cathartic, to talk about her past with someone who hadn't been there, Korra realized, days later after brooding alone in her room. She still had nightmares, could still fell the cold blade being twisted on her chest, could still see her bright green eyes growing dull and dim until they were not looking into her eyes anymore. That had been worse than dying.

She hadn't had a nightmare since then.

She felt lighter. Perhaps happier. If Korra were a little more introspective she'd realized the reason behind it. But she's not.

Korra glanced out at the darkness that fell like a mantle of safety around her. For once she'd decided to get some air and the roof was the best place for it. Asami's roof to be precise. She didn't know why, but it made her feel calm, especially at this time of the night that the city was dead and she could almost see the stars. Korra liked to think it was because of the strategic position of the building –a part of town that wasn't too hot or too cold. That and the fact that the only other person she liked to talk to lived here helped.

Maybe it was time to check up on her, she'd been pumping herself to do it all night long, might as well do it now.

Korra's lips curled up in a tiny smile as she saw Asami's open window.

She quietly floated to the window. "Hey-" Her smile dropped as she looked inside.

Asami was usually studying at this time, but the desk was empty. Her bed was also vacant, and so was the tiny kitchen table. Korra furrowed her eyebrows in concern, he room was a complete mess. Jeez. Did this girl not know how to take care of herself when she was not around?

Should she come in? Was Asami even here?

"Asami? Your window's open…" No answer. Tentatively, Korra lifted a foot to the windowsill. "I'm gonna come in now, if you don't want me to just say it." Radio silence. By now Korra was worried, why was Asami not in her room at one in the morning? "I'm gonna take your silence as a yes. Coming through." Ah, there. Light was filtering beneath the bathroom door. "Are you… ok?"

Korra carefully tiptoed between empty bottles, energetic drinks and all sorts of, well, garbage. Wow, if Asami drank all of these she was definitely out by now. "Uh, Asami…?" she whispered as she knocked sofly. Please be ok.

She could hear Asami cursing softly on the other side.

"Go away, Princess." Relief flooded through her like a cold drink on a sunny day –yes, she sucked with figures of speech, sue her. She ignored the nick name, focusing more on Asami's tired, and slightly nasal voice.

That was her cue. Korra quietly opened the door, finding Asami in the tub with her arms hugging her legs and her head resting on her knees. Fresh tear tracks marked her cheeks as she looked vacantly at the bubbles gathering by her legs. She looked completely miserable.

Unfortunately, Korra's brain seemed to notice another thing –the silhouette of a couple of things, actually. Her ears burned as she stared at Asami's face pointedly.

She was naked.

Naked.

There was nothing beneath those bubbles.

Nothing, just soft skin and-

Not the time to think about that, Korra. She looked down, noticing a half empty bottle of whisky by the tub.

Said vampire gulped, moving to sit on the toilet. She didn't have much experience comforting girls –or guys, but especially girls, naked girls that a had a relatively nice figure… for a human.

Korra cleared her throat awkwardly.

"Hey, you ok?" It took a couple of seconds for Asami to nod back at her. Yup, she was definitely wasted. Had Asami not looked so miserable and lost she would've laughed at this predicament.

"Peachy." Asami grunted, not bothering to look up. Her cheeks were tinted in a light shade of red as she refused eye contact. Wow, grumpy drunk. "You can go away now." There was a beat of silence "Please." she added for good measure.

Korra furrowed her eyebrows, "Come on, this is not like you, Asami. What's wrong?"

"Not like me? Just because you stalk me doesn't mean you know me, Korra." Asami snapped, making Korra flinch and look down in shame. She must have looked really pathetic, because Asami sighed, raising a hand to scratch at her scalp in frustration. Korra half heartedly wished she hadn't done that... "I'm sorry. It's really none of your business, please leave me alone."

Despite being slightly hurt (it wasn't a lie, after all), Korra shook her head. She knew Asami was embarrassed at being caught drunk and naked -an awful combination. She would've been embarrassed too. "I- no."

The inebriated girl whipped her head back at her, raising her eyebrows "Excuse me?" The sudden motion made her dizzy and she had to shut her eyes for a second.

"No. You're drunk, which is weird because you just seem like you don't get drunk very often." She paused, lowering her head and pursing her lips, she hesitated for a moment before opening her mouth again "I may not now you very well, but you're usually the kind of person that scratches and punches her way out of her problems... or at least that's what I think." Korra mumbled looking at her through her fringe. She felt like she was walking on eggshells with this drunken version of Asami. Usually she wouldn't mind if people found her comments rude or out of place, but for some reason this sad, drunk girl made her want to be a little more careful.

She saw a flicker of something in her eyes. It was, perhaps, a bad something because Asami started crying.

Shit. "Hey" Korra raised her arms, reaching for Asami, but still not daring to touch her. "hey, don't cry. What wrong?"

"I don't feel like talking about it." Asami mumbled. For a few seconds Korra watched the tears roll silently down Asami's cheeks, the girl barely aknowledging their presence.

"You don't have to talk. Just shake or nod your head." Korra took a deep breath. She was almost too scared to ask. "Did someone... touch you?" Asami shook her head. Korra sighed, feeling relieved. She didn't she could live through something like that again.

Ok, next question.

"Are you pregnant?" Again, Asami effusively shook her head.

"Ok, good."

"Mid-twenties crisis?"

There was the ghost of a smile on Asami's face as she shook her head. "Makes sense, you're not twenty five yet."

Korra gave a self-deprecating smile at Asami's raised eyebrow. "Stalker vampire, remember?" Asami looked down in shame.

"Ok, if it's not you then… someone else?" She mumbled mostly to herself, Asami took a deep breath and nodded slowly.

There was a beat of silence as Asami regarded her with eyes so big and shiny that it tug at her heartstrings. "Today is my mom's anniversary."

"Oh" Korra looked down as Asami absentmindedly played with the bubbles around her. Death. She was bitterly familiar with that.

Korra wanted to know more, but she didn't want to ask for details while Asami was drunk, already knowing of her death felt like some sort of intrusion.

Asami grabbed the bottle and took a big gulp. "Hey, no more drinking!" Korra deftly snatched the bottle from Asami's hand with a nimble movement.

"Give it back!" Asami frowned, stretching to reach for the bottle.

Yup, that was definitely a nipple. Korra gulped loudly, remembering the problem at hand. She couldn't keep getting side tracked. "Fucking take care of yourself!"

"Why do you care so much?" Asami had the decency to cover herself.

"Because you're alive, god damnit!" For a moment the only thing that could be heard was Korra's unnecessary breathing as she tried fruitlessly to compose herself. "You still have a life, Asami, why would you not… take care of your body?" her voice broke as she looked away.

Her eyes watered as she turned to Korra.

"Oh, Asami…" the girl finally broke as silent tears began a trail down her face. Her bottom lip trembled, trying to choke back sobs. Korra quickly threw her arms around Asami's neck, immediately feeling arms holding her in a death grip. "Hey, it's ok. I didn't mean to yell at you. I'm sorry, please don't cry." She muttered, stroking her back as Asami cried quietly on her shoulder, she felt her shaking as she clung to her. Huh, her skin really was soft. Her hand made small circles on Asami's back, trying to give the girl some sort of comfort. "I'm sorry that I yelled at you, it's just that you need to start taking care of yourself…" she felt the other girl nod against her neck as her shoulder shook. Korra kept tracing circles on her back, rocking her back and forth.

It seemed to work, fifteen minutes later she was hiccuping softly, no longer sobbing on her shoulder. Her hands were still clinging onto Korra, but the grip was softer.

Asami peered shyly back at her. "I'm sorry- for crying and for snapping back at you…"

"It's ok." There was no response as Korra stood, walking quietly out of the bathroom. Only to reappear seconds later with the only cup that was clean –her goblet- and returned to Asami's side, kneeling to hand her the cup. "Here, drink this."

Asami made to grab the cup but Korra lifted it up in the air higher, averting her eyes. "I think it's best if you raise you chin and I just hold the cup closer to you"

"Oh…" Asami nodded, sinking deeper into the tub. Her cheeks were still rosy as she raised her chin as Korra brought the cup to her lips. She took a sip and scrunched her nose –prettily, if anyone asked Korra. "What the heck is this thing?"

"Coconut water" Asami raised her eyebrows as Korra wiped her mouth with her sleeve. "What? It has more potassium that four bananas, and it's super-hydrating. It also contains electrolytes, it'll make you feel better quicker." Her hand lingered a little as Asami gave her a confused look, cocking her head to the side. She would be the end of Korra.

"I don't remember having coconut water in my kitchen…"

"I had to make a detour."

"You stole it!?" Asami's hand flew up to point at her with wide eyes. Korra rolled her eyes, averting her eyes once more. Asami blinked, looking down at her exposed chest and dived under the security of the bubbles once more. "Sorry", she said meekly.

Korra shook her head, still not looking back at her. "No, I had some back at my place. Coconut water has the same amount of electrolytes than human blood, it's not the same, but it has saved me more than once." She tilted the cup once more as Asami parted her lips.

Korra was a little too transfixed with Asami's throat as she swallowed that she didn't notice the other girl turning to her.

Asami gave her a contemplative look, her eyes drifting to the cup."You know, it's kinda tasty once you get used to it."

"Y- yeah…" she mumbled staring at her hands, the goblet clenched firmy between them.

"How long have you been here?" Asami raised a wrinkly hand with a guilty expression, feeling like a scolded child.

"Ok, time to get out missy. Let me just get a towel." Asami pressed a button and the water started draining from the tub. At the speed of light, Korra grabbed a towel and shut her eyes, as Asami stood. Korra threw the towel on her and opened her eyes slightly to snake an arm around Asami's back and behind her knees so she could carry her brindal style out of the tub and to her bed.

"You're pretty strong." Asami yelped as soon a she was hoisted in the air, her hands quickly locking around Korra's neck and tugging at the short tresses. "And your hair's really soft…"

"Your charm doesn't work when you're drunk." Korra secured the towel before she left the bathroom, turning off the light as she closed the door.

She felt Asami's breath very close to her ear."Has it ever worked?"

"O-OK!" Korra squealed "let's get you dressed, smoothie."

Asami smiled to herself as she puffed her chest. "I am very charming."

"Yes, yes," Korra said offhandedly, looking through her closet for warm clothes, Asami clinging to her like a baby ape."but you're more charming when you're sober."

Asami looked down, her smile slowly melting as she squeezed Korra's shoulder to get her attention. "I'm so sorry Korra… this only happens once a year, I promise."

"It's ok, you don't need to apologize." Korra quietly tucked her into pajamas, making sure not to peak –ok, just once,but it really was an accident. She was not ready when the towel fell-. Carefully, Korra managed to slip a pair of fuzzy pants over her legs. She found a huge woolen sweater and –still with Asami clinging to her neck- she slid the thing over her head, sliding one of Asami's arms at a time. "Wow, you're a clingy drunk. Who would've thought?" the vampire tried unsuccessfully to pry Asami off of her with no luck, as she held onto the darker girl with unbreakable grip. "Aren't you gonna let go?"

Asami snuggled closer to her."No. I'm comfy." She reached to cup Korra's opposite cheek as she leaned to give her a noisy kiss on her cheek. "You're comfy." She tucked a stray lock behind Korra's ear, giving her a dopey grin. "And soft, and hot. So hot."

"Whoah, tone it down, cutie."

Asami ignored her, still transfixed with Korra's cheek as her fingers softly grazed her skin. "How can you be so hot when you're dead?"

Oh. Warm. She meant warm. Temperature. Body heat.

"You're the worst drunk ever." Korra sighed, getting into bed with her. Might as well humor her for a while. She pressed her own arms close to her body tightly, so as not to accidentally touch Asami. She tried to make some distance bewteen Asami and her, but despite her best –lie, she didn't even tried- effort she could still feel the girl's breath on her ear and neck.

She was in the middle of a mental pep talk when Asami's finger trailed her eyebrow tenderly. "You're pretty -when you're not scaring the crap out of me, that is."

Korra was going to die. This drunken girl would really be the end of her.

Her ears burned as Korra chanced a peek down at Asami."I-I don't think I've done that in a while."

"You haven't." Asami shook her head, still smiling softly at her. "Can you turn into a puppy later?"Ok, back to safe territory.

"No." Asami laughed, for once unrestrained and jovial. Such a foreign sound to Korra, it warmed her chest as the –clingy!- human girl nuzzled into her neck, her cold nose rubbing against her.

This was nice. Her smiled widened with a barely contained snigger, Asami was so gonna regret this in the morning.

"Korra?" Korra hummed, staring at the ceiling with a content smile. "May I cash in my third question?"

Korra nodded, after thinking about it for a few moments. There was no doubt where this was going."Ok" She turned her head slightly, giving her a sidelong glance."You won't even remember anyway."

She felt Asami's fingers playing idly with the hairs at the nape of her neck as she formulated her question. Distracting. Very distracting. She jumped an inch when her hands found a particularly sensitive spot by her ear. Wow, not only was Asami clingy, she was so handsy! "What happened to you? I mean, how did you…?"

"Died?" Asami nodded shyly.

Korra licked her lips, should she sugar coat it? Nah. "My uncle killed me. He wasn't the one to twist the dagger," Korra undid the top buttons of her shirt, the long and ugly scar coming into view. For once Asami sombered long enough to inspect it closer, her trembling fingers reached of it with a feather touch. "but he killed me. Tarlok… that was the Northern Water Tribe guy I was supposed to marry for a truce." She scowled, shaking her head. "He was such an asshole."

"…You really are a princess." Asami mused to herself, watching as Korra buttoned her shirt slowly. "What happened?"

"It was awful. I hated him, I hated him for so long…" she unconsciously clenched her jaw tightly. Asami placed a tentative hand on Korra's bicep, raising her eyebrows to urge her to continue. "He somehow knew I had a tiny crush on one of the servant girls… she was a pretty Earth Kingdom girl a couple of years older than me." Her eyes filled with tears at the memory, but she blinked them away. "She was the kindest person I've ever met."

"That doesn't sound like a tiny crush."

Korra gave her a sideways glance. "Do you want to know or not?" She was not looking forward to this walk down memory lane. Last time it'd been cathartic, now, this subject was a bit more delicate. She knew this would fuck her up for a while, but Asami had opened up to her a little bit today and that was a huge step.

"Sorry, go on."

She'd just keep it simple. Minimum details. "It happened just a month before I'd get married. That day I'd received a note from her asking me to meet her in her room. I'd decided… I'd decided to finally tell her how I felt, it was a foolish need, actually. I was brimming with happiness, if Nanami reciprocated my feelings I'd ask her to elope with me, if not… well, I'd just make an ass out of myself, no big deal." Korra gave her a half-hearted shrug, her eyes were fixed on the ceiling, brimming with unshed tears.

"She was screaming when I got there… Tarlok was- he was- I don't think I'll ever forgive him. I tried to get him off of her, but he was so much bigger and had a hidden knife." Korra remained silent for a long while. There was more to it, of course, but right now the memories were drowning her."The last thing I remember was Kuvira kneeling in front of me, while I begged her to help Nanami first." There was another pause, there was almost no need for the next sentence. "Nanami didn't make it."

It had been her fault.

Korra blinked out of her stupor, subtly glancing down at Asami. She nearly jumped when she found her face so close, green eyes looking at her softly. "I'm sorry for what happened to you." She stopped breathing, afraid to do any sudden movement as Asami rested her head on her shoulder, one of her hands resting by the crook of Korra's neck. "I thought that my mom dying on my birthday was awful, but this... I'm sorry" A single tear rolled out of Korra's eye. In nearly four centuries of undead life no one had ever apologized to her. Asked for forgiveness, yes. Begged for their lives, that too. But this tiny gesture?

Korra blinked, her eyes widened as the girl cuddled even closer to the vampire's rigid body.

Today was Asami's birthday, and she was an awful fr –vampire stalker. She mentally facepalmed, she knew the date of her birth, but she'd stopped assigning a date to a day long ago.

Prepare yourselves. A trial of thirst will begin soon (... wait, what do you mean, Korra's been thirsty since chapter one?)

Random non-specific question: Are you guys comfortable with smut? Just asking.

PS- I'm in the mood for some Lin/Tenzin, Kya/Lin angsty love triangle fanfic, is that even a thing, have you guys ever seen one of those rare unicorns?