"I love you."

Asami looked up to where Korra was flopped over the sofa, staring down at her while she worked. Engine parts were strewn around the room and Asami herself had been trying to shove a particularly misshapen gear into the prototype she was building. The gear rolled across the floor; the prototype sat forgotten in her hands.

She stared at Korra. "..What?"

"Too soon?" The Avatar looked a little sad, "It's okay, you don't have to say it back." They hadn't been dating long after all.

Asami swallowed. "No- I want to." She gripped the prototype so hard her knuckles turned white. Korra glanced down at her hands and didn't say anything, just raised an eyebrow. Asami deflated and let the mess of wires fall to the floor. "I-I love you too?"

"Why did that sound like a question?" Korra sat up and looked at her.

"What's it supposed to sound like?" She winced internally, that came out wrong.

"Asami you don't-"

"I want to." And she did. But 'I love you' didn't feel like enough; it left too much unsaid. Korra was something more than that phrase; she was crooked smiles and calloused hands, unfiltered joy and a confidence that left Asami breathless. And now, of course, she was overthinking things again. She was scared. Scared because all Korra said was 'I love you' and maybe there were no details left unspoken.

Because they hadn't been dating long. Because she was too scared to do anything Korra didn't do it first. Because if she said all the things she wanted to say maybe Korra would think she was strange for noticing so much. Maybe she would leave.

A lot of people had left Asami. None of them really meant to, but if something happens enough you start to expect it. You start to prepare, close off. Her mother died; Mako cheated, Korra left for years and Bolin went to work for the woman who later killed her father.

Suffice to say, Asami was a profoundly lonely woman. There were always power dynamics built into the interactions with her business partners and coworkers. Everyone wanted something. Everyone was climbing over one another to reach the top of Agni-knew where.

Maybe that was it. She'd lived in hierarchy for so long the idea of an equal seemed foreign. Maybe that was why she sat and worried if Korra thought too little of her, or too much.

She'd build her personality to be admired rather than looked down upon, why wouldn't she? There were so many people whose respect she had to earn.

But Korra wasn't her employee and Asami certainly didn't have anything she could give the Avatar. There was nothing transactional about this relationship; no measure of what she was doing right or wrong.

But Korra had said I love you.

She'd said I love you and nobody had said that since her dad died and Asami was frozen on the floor of her stupid apartment because she'd forgotten how to speak, and-

"Asami?" Korra was on the floor now too. She eased herself down in front of the engineer and cupped her face in both hands. "Are you okay? I'm sorry, I didn't-"

"Do you mean it?" Asami spoke so quietly she was sure Korra couldn't have heard. Do you really..?"

"Oh," Korra softened and leaned forward, pulling her into a gentle embrace. "Asami of course I love you."

"You haven't said it before."

"Neither have you."

Asami bit her lip. She hadn't, had she? Not in a way Korra had heard. All the letters that held her feelings were locked away in her office. All the secret wishes stayed secret even when they came true.

"...I think I'm scared." She played with her hands and didn't look up. "I know it's stupid but I don't want you to leave."

"Asami," -Korra lifted her chin with one hand- "I said 'I love you' and you heard 'I'm going to leave.' Can you tell me what this is really about?"

"I-" She met Korra's gaze and saw nothing but soft concern. "Well, when you put it like that.."

The Avatar didn't say anything, just waited for her to continue.

Asami sighed. "You said it, and now I'm supposed to say it- and I do love you. I do, but I want to say more. My head is full of reasons why and maybe I'm scared you don't feel the same way?" She looked away again, "I'm sorry, I've never felt like this before. I don't know what would be going too far."

"Would it help if I did it first?" Korra's voice was gentle, conceding. "I'll tell you why I love you."

Asami's face went pink but she nodded into Korra's shoulder anyway. The Avatar smelled like wet earth and ash from her morning training. She smelled like home.

"I love the face you make when you're tinkering with things, it's different to the one you make when you're in your office- lighter. I love when you tried to cook and you let the rice overboil; I love the way your eyes light up when you talk about your work and I love how you're never condescending when I need you to explain something." Korra ran her hands through Asami's hair and smiled. "I love how decisive you are. I love the way you never back down when you're right, and how quick you are to change if you're wrong. I love how hard you work, how willing you are to forgive. I love that you stayed with me."

Asami didn't realize she was crying until her sleeve came up to wipe the tears away. It felt strange crying in front of someone else but Korra didn't seem to mind. "I-I wrote letters you know? So many more than I sent, they never came out quite right." She paused, "I think I realized just after your boat left the harbor." The engineer wrapped her arms around Korra's waist and buried her head in her chest. "I loved you so much, I love you so much."

"I love you too."

The next morning they woke up tangled in each other's arms. Asami felt her fingers intertwine with Korra's hand as she fell in love all over again.