It was dark, thunder crashed in the sky, loud and angry with violent flashes of lightning following soon after.

Kuvira sat, curled up beneath a tattered blanket, her breathing ragged and her small hands clenched into tight fists.

Another crash of thunder caused her to whimper, clamping her hands over her ears. She got to her feet slowly, heart pounding in her chest and throat dry as fear overwhelmed her.

She padded across the rotting wooden floor, silently and began making her way down the dark hallway of the dingy house.

"M-mummy?" she called, peering into her parents bedroom. "Mummy, I'm scared" she said, shuddering as another roll of thunder echoed in the stormy, grey sky.

She yelped as an object whirled past her head, a hair away from her ear. "Piss off, brat" her mothers voice was slurred and angry.

Kuvira raced away, not wanting to get beaten. She hid in the wardrobe, shaking with her head between her knees as she struggled to suppress the fear washing over her.

Kuvira opened her eyes slowly, wincing at the light that flooded her vision. She blinked slowly, sighing as she took in her surroundings. She was in the hospital. Her attempt had failed.

She scratched at the bandage wrapped tightly around her wrist, feeling pleasantly numb. A heavy silence settled around her, away from the drone of the hospital.

That silence was shattered as Korra burst into the room, eyes rimmed red and tears streaking down her face.

Korra looked as though she wanted to throw herself onto Kuvira but stopped herself just in time, instead standing at her bedside, sniffing and hastily wiping away stray tears with the back of her hand.

"You're okay" the distraught girl whispered as she sank down onto the chair behind her. Her hands were clenched into fists on her lap as she fought the urge to reach out and hold the other girls hand.

"I-I'm sorry you had to see that" Kuvira whispered, her voice hoarse as she turned her gaze to her fingers picking at the edge of the bandage.

"No, Kuvira. I'm sorry, I shouldn't have left you alone last night. If I had come just a minute earlier...I could have stopped you" Korra told her hastily, regret shining in her brilliant blue eyes.

Kuvira looked at her in confusion "this isnt your fault, I'm not your responsibility"

Korra shook her head, "I'm your friend, friends are supposed to look out for each other...and I didn't" she argued, voice rising with emotion.

Kuvira flinched, the flashback still clear in her mind though she tried to force the memory down as she had for years.

"Shit, I'm sorry" Korra whispered, instantly noticing the other womans reaction.

"Kuvira?" Korra spoke softly, causing Kuvira look up. "Would you...would you consider coming to live with me for a while, you don't have to of course!...its just I dont want to leave you alone. I want to help you, Kuvira" Korra rambled, looking hopefully into Kuviras green eyes.

"I don't want to be a burden to you" she tried to decline. "You wouldn't be!" Korra quickly objected.

"What about your roommate?"

"Asami won't mind, she'll understand" Korra assured her. "Okay" Kuvira agreed quietly.

She didn't know what she was doing, why she was doing it. She couldn't get close to people, that's how she got hurt. She should have declined, she should have told Korra that she was fine by herself. But she didn't.

Korra opened her mouth to say more but was interrupted by a nurse clad in light-blue scrubs who came striding into the room, a bored expression on her face.

"Okay, miss. Beifong, you can go home now" she said, her tone just as devoid of enthusiasm as her expression, most likely from working the past twelve hours.

Kuvira stood up, grimacing as her feet touched the floor and a dull pain shot through her injured leg. Korra moved to steady her before freezing. "Can I touch you?" she asked hesitantly.

Kuvira swallowed nervously before slowly nodding her consent. The older woman grew tense as Korra grabbed her arm but forced herself to drop her shoulders and draw a shaky breath.

She was aware of Korras hand in their way out of the hospital, the warmth from the girls palm made her anxious as she tried to instead focus on putting one foot in front of the other.

When they stepped outside the hospital they sank down onto the wooden bench by the door. Kuvira shivered in the cold air, wrapping her arms around herself and exhaling slowly, watching her breath as it rose upwards in a light plume of white.

"I'll get Asami to pick us up" Korra told her, already searching for her roommates name in her list of contacts.

Kuvira kept her gaze on the nights sky as Korra talked to Asami. The sky was inky black and clear though the stars couldn't be seen over the light pollution of the hospital.

She shivered again as an icy breeze swept passed her, her teeth chattering as goosebumps covered the skin of her arms.

"You okay?" Korra questioned as she flopped down beside her. "I've called Asami, she should be here soon" she informed her. Kuvira gave her a small smile, her nose and cheeks flushed red with the cold which Korra would have found adorable if she hadn't been so worried about the other woman catching a cold.

"I'm fine" she answered, sighing softly. Korra gave her small smile which Kuvira returned. Both women waited in silence for Asami to arrive, happy in each others company.

When Asami pulled up in Korras car she hurried out of the vehicle, wrapped in a red coat in an attempt to fight off the bitter cold.

"Hey" she whispered in greeting, arms folded loosely across her chest. "Thanks for coming 'Sami" Korra said, standing up and wrapping her arms around the other woman in a quick embrace.

Kuvira stood up slowly, holding onto the railing behind her to steady herself. "You okay?" Asami asked softly to which Kuvira nodded in reply.

Asami couldn't help wincing as her eyes drifted to the bandage encasing Kuviras forearm, causing the other woman to turn her gaze to her shoe, ashamed.

"Lets get you home" Asami said quickly, opening the car door for Kuvira to climb into the back, which she did with assistance from Korra.

The drive back to Korras apartment was a relatively short one which Kuvira spent staring out the window, looking at the colourful city lights.

"So...Kuvira agreed to stay at our place for a bit" Korra began, eyes fixed on Asami to see her reaction. The other woman nodded in acknowledgement, green eyes fixed on the road ahead of her.

"Is that okay...?" Korra questioned after a brief moment of silence. "I wish you would have told me sooner Korra, where will she sleep?"

"She can take my bed and I'll take the couch" Korra answered quickly. "I dont want to be a bother, I'll sleep on your couch" Kuvira interrupted quickly, having been listening to their conversation.

"You sure?" Asami questioned, throwing a glance back at her as Kuvira nodded her approval. "Okay then" the other woman murmured, eyes once again fixed on the road ahead of her.

Kuvira sighed and turned her head to stare out the window again. What was she doing? Why was she abandoning all the 'rules' she had lived by for so long? And why now?