A/N: Hi!
Here is a translation from my own work, called "Loin, tu m'es plus proche que jamais" in French. It was written during a challenge with the theme "Distance".
Actually, that's an old translation. I don't know why I didn't post it. It seems I was not quite happy with the tenses and the long sentences, but I read it again and it seems… fine? Well, I know you guys will tell me if it's awful and I'll fix it.
Enjoy!
There was something about this sudden distance that Korra imposed on Asami. There was something... but she didn't really know what.
Since Korra had beaten Zaheer, since she had been wounded, Asami had constantly been by her side without complaining. She couldn't let her best friend suffer without doing anything. When Korra had reopened her eyes, her blue eyes—not the bright and white eyes of the Avatar—relief had washed over her.
At that time, Korra was tired but she was happy to see her father again; she was still hopeful. All these feelings had died as if they had taken a long road, then lost their way. And Asami wondered if they would ever come back…
Once Korra had realized the seriousness of her injuries, her world had collapsed, her joy had disappeared. Everything had changed for her. No more bending, no more Avatar state, no more legs... and sadness as a reward. An immense sadness, a broken mind in a broken body. So, Asami had wanted to be part of the constants that wouldn't change. She would be there for Korra no matter what. She would be her best friend as she had been lately.
For several weeks, Asami had stayed at her bedside. Like all her relatives, she had been very worried. All of them were very caring: first Pema and Senna, as protective mothers. Tenzin hadn't really known how to handle the situation and had patiently waited. He had felt that any encouragement he could give would make Korra sadder. And he wasn't completely wrong.
Then, everyone had returned to their activities... More or less. Mako had a job to do. And Bolin had not really been busy. So, in the early days, he had spent long days with Korra, but his overly-enthusiast self would make her way too tired and also very sad and depressed. Therefore, he had become more discreet. But he was really worried.
Asami was the only one who was actually allowed to see Korra. Sometimes she did nothing and she just waited, staying with Korra who had a vague but sad look. She saw fatigue in her features and other things that really worried her.
Her eyes had that dark blue color—extinct, dead—and it was very concerning. Asami remembered that brilliance, that luminosity with a beaming smile, and it hurt her to see Korra in that state. That time seemed so far away, so distant...
Korra wasn't aware of it because Asami didn't show her, but sometimes she also cried thinking about how destroyed she was. She cried to see her friend like that, she who was so strong, she who was so determined; she had completely fallen apart.
She couldn't imagine how Korra really felt inside but she knew it was horrible. Although she didn't really talk about it, she knew it was terrible, abominable, and she couldn't do much. She could just wait and be there for Korra.
Asami thought she perceived gratefulness sometimes. It was that indecipherable feeling she saw in Korra's eyes... And Asami told her in those moments that she would always be there as long as she needed her and beyond. She held her hand and kissed her forehead to prove it. She hugged her and gave her all the comfort she could offer because Korra didn't deserve less than that. She deserved the best. And Asami tried hard to give her the best of herself. Of course, sometimes, she had to leave to take care of her company, but she did her best to stay with the young Avatar.
Then, there was that day when she had taken her to stroll on the island. Korra was facing the sea and was looking at it absently. So, Asami waited beside her, without a word. The other woman then started speaking, after a few moments in silence:
"I'm going back to the South Pole... with my parents. I'm leaving Republic City."
The news smashed Asami's ears despite the little noise that was present. She didn't know what to say and she wasn't sure Korra was waiting for an answer. She was looking away and was quiet. The green eyes fell on the woman in a wheelchair, not knowing what expression to adopt.
"I don't want you to leave," Asami said, before starting over. "But I want you to be happy. If returning to the South Pole makes you happy then I'm happy."
Korra nodded, glancing at Asami before her eyes returned to the sea. Asami did the same. Then, a few seconds later, a twitch which she perceived from the corner of her eye caught her attention, and she realized that a few tears rolled silently over Korra's cheeks. Without hesitation, she stood in front of Korra, one knee down. She caught her inquiring eyes and stepped forward to hug her. Korra didn't fail to bury her head in Asami's neck as those hands squeezed her back. The CEO felt a few warm tears slip down her neck, wetting her ivory skin.
"Korra... what's wrong?"
So much was wrong, she was aware of it. But she didn't understand why suddenly Korra was crying. Korra was crying after a nightmare, a memory, pain and sorrow, and she had every reason to do so, but why now?
Korra tightened her grip on Asami.
"I'll miss you... I'll miss you a lot, Asami... You've been there for me... Always."
"I'll miss you too, Korra. So much... But…"
She paused to put a little distance between them to look at Korra in the eyes.
"I can come, you know. To the South Pole, with you. If you want, I'll be there for you. I will always be there for you. "
For a moment, Asami thought she saw the shadow of that brilliance from before, that joy that had inhabited Korra, that vitality of the past. Then, no matter what she had seen, it disappeared.
"I... I don't know, Asami. Maybe it's better for you to stay here," Korra declared, looking away.
Asami didn't insist, even if this answer didn't please her, and they remained there caught in a long silence.
"Shall we go back?" she suggested after several minutes.
Korra nodded, and they headed to the Air Temple.
Asami had trouble falling asleep that night. She didn't know what to do. She didn't know if she should insist or let her distance herself, put a distance between them.
Something about that idea was really painful. Yet she had to bow to it and one day Korra left. She renewed her offer but Korra said she needed time alone. Certainly…
Asami still disliked the idea. Although Korra loved her parents, she knew that she didn't talk much with them, that she didn't show them too much in order not to hurt them. Not that she did with Asami, but sometimes she felt like she was opening up a little more, that she was letting her see and letting her help her. It might have been an impression after all.
When the boat weighed anchor, Asami waited on the platform. She waited even after the painful blue eyes disappeared. She waited while each wave from the ship–in which her friend was–gave her a blow to the heart. She waited while her heart was tearing a little more for each meter that the boat crossed, stretching, breaking fiber by fiber, tearing out, exhausted... She waited and just stood there. Even when Bolin and Mako left, she waited. Then, finally, when the boat was out of sight and her heart was taken away, she decided to leave. She left for Future Industries. Korra was no longer there but work remained.
From that day on she worked like never before. She didn't really have anything else, not anymore. Tonraq and Senna sent a letter to Tenzin saying that they had arrived safely. And from that moment, everyone started sending letters to Korra, the distant Avatar.
Many times Asami rewrote the letter, and the only words she wanted to write down were "I miss you, I miss you so much". She didn't understand why she had left. Korra was far away, she had put so much distance between them, and yet she was there, burning, painful, closer to her heart than ever.
Korra had to heal, she repeated to herself endlessly. But that didn't reduce the horrible pain that was compressing her chest.
And because of her absence, she sometimes cried, when work was slow and she was completely alone.
She cried because Korra, broken as she was, was far, far away.
She cried a thousand feelings that asphyxiated her and refused to leave her. These uncontrollable and painful feelings that didn't feel this way when Korra was there.
Yet she knew they were the same. It was the same feelings but they hurt so much.
With each letter, they came out, enveloped her, suffocated her, without her being able to do anything about it. And it was in one of those moments that she wrote three words, the three words that gave a meaning to her feelings: "I love you". And Asami knew that she loved Korra and that it was not as a best friend. She loved her more than that. The more she thought about it, the more she thought it wasn't new. The distance had just shown it to her, imposed it on her.
She didn't know if she should thank Korra for revealing it or curse her for being so far away and hurting her so much. So, she just hoped. She hoped that Korra would come back, that she would close the distance between them and that someday she would be able to tell her. Someday, she would be able to tell her that she was in love with her, and that day, no distance in the world would be able to separate them, because their hearts would be too close. But in the meantime, she would just be Asami for her, her best friend. So, she threw the letter with these three beautiful words in the trash.
A/N: Thanks for reading! If you enjoyed it, consider leaving a review! It makes the fandom live. And I'm serious x)
A few things about what I currently do for people who are waiting for chapters:
- I still have 2 OS to translate in French for Korrasami Week 2022;
- I have one chapter to write for a French story (it's the last one and they've been waiting for months already);
- Then, I'll finish the time traveling story (day 4 of Korrasami Week) and the other one (day 6);
- By the way, I'm looking for a beta to help with the translation of a 30-chapter story (in the middle of all those things). Of course, it's Korrasami. It's a romance, with a bit of drama, and there is a surprise in it ;) I don't know how I'll find time but working with someone helps getting motivated! Don't hesitate to contact me!
See you!
Lion
