Their small visit was awkward and painful. Asami had never seen Korra so small before. Even when she was pushed upright, it didn't look like her girlfriend felt the need to make her presence known. She couldn't. The brunette would never be able to square her shoulders ever again, so it was near impossible for Korra to give off the vibe like she could snap your neck in half.
Senna did her best to not lose it in front of her daughter. Asami could see she was trying, but she pitied the woman. No one should ever have to go through what they were going through. The raven-haired girl didn't even want to know how Korra felt right now.
One minute she was the star athlete of their high school, probably able to grab at least three scholarships by the end of the year. The next she was stuck in a hospital bed without any luck of ever getting out on herself.
They tried to reassure Korra. To comfort her, to talk to her about other things so they all could get their mind off this tragedy. That was how it would be for every other visit with everyone close to the brunette. It didn't always work and Korra was usually left with some sort of loneliness, but she managed to push through.
Korra wouldn't be Korra if she didn't try.
Somehow she was under the impression that she could still recover. This was going to be cured. Once she was able to start the physical therapy that the doctor had prescribed, she eagerly grasped the opportunity with both hands. Korra was ready to get out of bed and be able to walk around again. She wanted to return to school and her workouts as fast as possible.
Asami had tried to tell several times during her visits that it wasn't very likely for Korra to recover, but her girlfriend was stubborn and told her no one ever had tried the way she was going to try. She was so sure of herself that the raven-haired girl didn't find the strength in her to deny it all, so she eventually stopped and complied.
If it would keep Korra going, then who was she to try and stop the girl?
Unfortunately, once the therapy had started and Korra was underway, the realization slowly started to hit her. It didn't have the desired effects. Day after day, whenever Asami visited her girlfriend, hoping to still find her in high spirits, she could see that the brunette was finally facing the facts.
But that didn't satisfy Asami at all.
Watching Korra sink further and further in her bed each day was depressing, and while her girlfriend didn't blame her, it soon became a bit exhausting to face her. That didn't mean Asami stopped visiting, however. If anything, the girl found herself even more by Korra's bedside, making sure she would only do her utmost best to cheer on the brunette.
Even if Korra herself was starting to give up, Asami was there to comfort her. It only felt natural for her to do.
She wasn't alone. Tonraq and Senna also stopped by every day. While they couldn't cheer up their daughter like her friends could, their support was very much appreciated. Korra didn't show it all the time, but she had told Asami once and the look on Tonraq's face when Asami passed it on was endearing.
Mako and Bolin tried their hardest as well. They couldn't always make it, but when they didn't, they always made up by bringing someone else along. Tenzin with his kids, Opal, sometimes even Varrick and Zhu Li. The man was pretty convincing and somehow managed to inspire Korra every time he visited.
It wasn't enough, however. As time went by, Korra was grumpy more often than not. She learned to adapt quickly, but it was obvious that she hated being so helpless. Asami could tell just by looking at Korra's expression every time she had to help the brunette sit up or give her a drink.
Her mood improved a bit when she was released from the hospital, though that only lasted for a day. Korra could easily go around and about thanks to her new wheelchair, despite having difficulty operating it at first. Once she had adjusted to it, it almost became second nature to her.
Asami tried her best not to act too worried, especially not on the day of Korra's release. She let Korra take her places just to have her girlfriend enjoy the outdoors a bit, but unfortunately for the both of them, it was already autumn and they couldn't stay out for too long. If Korra would fall ill, she would probably have trouble breathing.
Considering she had to operate her wheelchair through inhaling and exhaling into a tube, Asami didn't want to take any chances.
That was the turning point for Korra's mood again.
While Asami only meant well for looking out for her girlfriend, she gave off the vibe that the brunette was helpless and dependent. It didn't sit well with Korra and therefore she withdrew even more than when she laid in her hospital bed the weeks prior.
Korra stopped socializing, avoiding visits from her friends and family whenever she could. What was the point, anyway? They'd come, chat her up a bit and then gave her that sickening pitiful look everyone started giving to her ever since the accident.
She hated it. It was another reminder of how helpless she really was.
Eventually Korra stopped coming out of bed as well. One day Tonraq greeted her and came into her room, wanting to seat her into her wheelchair, but his daughter stopped him when he reached over. She told him she didn't feel like it and that she wanted to be left alone. The man left her in understanding, but he couldn't help being worried about her mental health.
For a while, only her closest friends and family were allowed in her room. As time went on that amount thinned out, until eventually only Mako, Bolin and Asami were left, aside from her parents.
Mako and Bolin were crossed off the list shortly after as well.
Asami wanted to say she understood, but she didn't. This obviously had a negative effect on Korra and the raven-haired girl always wondered why the brunette didn't notice it herself.
She also feared Korra soon wouldn't want to deal with her anymore either, so Asami felt the need to address the problem before any further damage could be done.
Sitting on the edge of her girlfriends bed suddenly sprang forth a different feeling than before that unfaithful day at the beach and Asami didn't like it one bit. She wanted it to change. To get out of this room. But not without Korra.
"Hey," she greeted, a small smile on her face. It melted away when Korra didn't even bat an eyelash at Asami. Instead, the brunette buried her head into her pillow.
Seeing her girlfriend like that really broke her heart. Korra had always been so headstrong, facing all her challenges with as much courage and energy as she could muster. If anyone or anything dared to stand in her way, Korra would let them regret their decision by the end of the day. She had always held her head high before and she never looked down unless she was helping someone up.
Asami shifted ever so slightly, carefully placing her hand on top of Korra's leg. She realized only after doing so that her girlfriend couldn't possibly feel it. The girl swallowed, noticing a small lump had formed in her throat. "Can we talk?"
Initially, there was no response. Asami didn't want to blame Korra for it, because she knew the girl was having a very rough time, but at the same time she thought it wasn't fair. The raven-haired girl did her absolute best to help her girlfriend, so why was she given the silent treatment as well?
She knew better than to speak her mind right now, though. Her feelings were clouding her thoughts, so it was better to remain silent. At least on that matter. It didn't necessarily mean Asami didn't want to talk, because she definitely did.
"Korra…" she urged the brunette.
Blue eyes shifted over to her, brown eyebrows moving down to form an angry frown on Korra's forehead. "Why?" she immediately snapped, catching Asami off-guard with the sudden sneer.
She didn't know how to respond. It felt like she was threading on very thin ice and she didn't want to drown. Truth be told, it had been feeling like this for much longer and Asami couldn't take it anymore.
"Because I'm worried," she cooed, trying to keep her voice soft and caring. It wasn't difficult considering her feelings for Korra, but she didn't understand her girlfriend entirely. She wanted to. She tried. "You've been locking yourself up in here and everyone else out. I want to make sure you're okay."
Korra's frown didn't disappear. It only deepened. Asami bit her lower lip in anticipation, dreading the fight that was bound to happen now.
"Okay?" The girl repeated, voice sharp like a knife. "You're asking me if I'm okay?"
The raven-haired girl dipped her head down. Of course Korra wasn't okay. How could she even ask?
"What the hell am I supposed to respond to that?" Korra continued. "No, by all means Asami, I'm feeling pretty fantastic."
Asami grabbed hold of the fabric of her own pants, desperately trying to ease her emotions by finding something to distract her. It didn't work, especially not since the brunette continued to rant to her. Asami knew that Korra was just frustrated and that she was venting, but it still hurt to see her like that and to hear those words coming out of her mouth.
She only meant to try and fix things. Angering Korra would be the last thing on her wish list.
"I went from star athlete at Republic High to – to this!" her girlfriend continued. "I can't even look at you if you don't help me turn around in bed!"
Asami took a small, shaky breath. She actually meant to inhale deeply, but that seemed neigh impossible right now. "I know, I'm sorry," she quietly said, hoping it would help Korra calm down. It didn't.
"That's the problem," the brunette remarked. "You're sorry. You all are. Whenever I look at one of you, all I see is this pitying look in your eyes. I don't want your pity! I don't need it!"
Asami turned her head away and stared at the wall. Had she really been doing that? She was aware that it would frustrate Korra, but not as intense like this. Her anger also felt a bit misplaced. Asami meant well. They all did. It wasn't exactly easy for her loved ones, either…
"We're just trying to look out for you," Asami breathed, glancing over to her girlfriend again. "We're trying to help."
Korra was quick to retaliate. "I don't need your help!" Even without having the ability to move, it stung Asami like she had just been smacked in the face. That struck her deep within her core.
The raven-haired woman felt her own anger stir within her body, but she kept it at a low. Instead, she casted her gaze down, towards her feet, in disappointment. She was about to give up. This couldn't go on any longer.
"What happened to you?" Asami hadn't noticed the lump growing until she heard her own voice. It shook. "You used to be so different. So open. I could talk to you about anything and you wouldn't judge me for one bit." She balled her hands into fists. "Now you won't even look at me anymore," Asami choked out.
"Because I can't!" Korra yelled back. "I can't move, okay!" The brunette took a giant gulp of air before she continued another rant. "Do you know how frustrating it is to not be able to comb your own hair? I can't even get dressed without someone helping me and, shit Asami, that's really embarrassing."
Asami noticed she wasn't the only one close to tears. Korra's tone changed as well and by the end of her little speech, she sounded so broken that the raven-haired girl was afraid this was unfixable.
Maybe, just maybe, that was true. Maybe this was unfixable. Asami was close to giving up at this point, but something stopped her. Despite all the pressure that weighed down on her shoulders, Asami was reluctant to flat out turn her back on Korra. Her girlfriend needed her. Tonraq and Senna needed her. If she gave up here, what good would bring it?
She gulped, trying to swallow the lump in her throat. Asami waited until her breath was even. "I'm really sorry Korra," the raven-haired woman spoke. "If I could, I would switch with you in a heartbeat, but I can't, and I'm sorry."
Light green eyes shifted to look at Korra's face, and to her surprise, the girl was actually listening to her. "… Do you want me to leave you alone?" Asami whispered.
Silence answered her at first. To her that was a clear enough answer and she slowly stood up from the bed, her gaze fixed on the door that led out of Korra's room. Just as she was about to walk over, however, the brunette seemed to have found her voice again.
"Five minutes. Just… Only five minutes."
Asami felt a slight tugging at the corners of her mouth. She knew what Korra meant and even though it wasn't a long period of time, she complied, taking a seat on her girlfriends bed once more. She moved closer this time, unsure if she was allowed to spoon the brunette right now. She eventually accepted this was probably not the right time and when her five minutes were up, she left Korra to her own devices.
That didn't mean she didn't help. When Asami got home, she immediately turned on her laptop to request the help of the internet. While Korra obviously hated to accept help from others, helping Korra was all she really desired. The internet was full of information. Perhaps she could find a different way to help her girlfriend starting tomorrow.
And find it, she did.
Asami was ecstatic when she stumbled upon a certain piece of information and she remained that way until she met up with Korra again the day after.
Before she went up to the brunette's room, however, she took a seat in the living room to talk to Senna and Tonraq. She explained her idea and they immediately brightened at the news. Giving their approval at Asami's idea, they let her go to Korra's room to discuss it with their daughter as well.
Asami knocked on the door three times, signaling Korra it was her since that was her signature knock.
"… Come in," came the reluctant and muffled reply. Asami frowned, forced a smile on her lips and pushed through, striding slowly into Korra's room when she closed the door again.
"Hey," the raven-haired girl greeted. Her girlfriend seemed to be in a better mood than yesterday, because there was an immediate reply this time. "Hi."
Asami took a seat right next to Korra again. She offered a hesitant smile as she reached over. "Want me to help you sit up?"
Blue eyes subtly hardened at the question, but instead of snapping, the brunette simply nodded.
Asami heaved the girl up and softly placed her against the pillow that was resting against the wall. "I want to tell you something," the raven-haired woman said. Green met blue for a short moment. Korra didn't nudge her to go on, but Asami figured her silence was the best approval she could get.
"Last night I went online," she explained. "I stumbled upon a program."
Korra looked up. Asami took it as encouragement to continue.
"A service dog program. They offer it to people who can't do mundane things any longer. You're… We could sign you up for it."
Asami glanced at Korra uncertainly. She couldn't read the girl's expression, so she was afraid that she had said too much. Surprisingly, though, Korra didn't seem as salty about the opportunity.
"What does that mean?" the brunette asked. "Do I get a dog?"
The raven-haired girl, albeit slightly taken back by the response, nodded with a small smile. "Yes. You get your own dog who will help you go about your daily life," Asami calmly explained. "You won't have to be dependent on us as much anymore. You can go out more."
While the sound of help still didn't appeal much, the idea of being able to go somewhere without her friends and family by her side did.
"Okay…" Korra reacted, sounding slightly unsure. "Say I want to go through with this, which I'm not just yet, what would I have to do for it?"
Asami's smile broadened a little as her eyes lit up. The fact that Korra was considering it was already enough for her. "You sign up and schedule a meeting with the dog that you like. If it's to your liking and the dog is okay with it too, then you're allowed to adopt it."
Granted, there was more to it than that, but Korra didn't have to worry her little head over those necessities. That was really up to her and Korra's parents.
"I can choose?" Korra asked in slight disbelief.
"Yes, you can meet as many as you like before you pick one," Asami answered.
Blue eyes darted up to the ceiling as a thoughtful expression painted Korra's face. The raven-haired girl's heart skipped a beat as she saw this. Was the brunette really going over this?
After several minutes, during which Asami remained silent to give her girlfriend the space that she needed, Korra finally broke it. "I'll think about…" she paused. "No. You know what? Let's do that right now."
Asami leaned back in surprise and blinked in confusion. Did she hear that right? Wasting no time to take Korra up on her offer, she stood from the bed. "Are you sure?" Asami asked, just to be certain.
Her girlfriend nodded. "Yeah. Yesterday… It got me thinking. If what you say is true, then I have to do this," she added.
The raven-haired girl smiled and went to move the brunette from the bed. She helped Korra climb into her wheelchair and kneeled in front of it, squeezing her girlfriends hand slightly. "If you eventually decide that you don't want to do this, that's okay too," she said reassuringly. "I won't hate you for it, alright?"
It was weak and subtle, but Korra definitely flashed Asami a small smile before they headed to the living room.
Senna was busy cooking their dinner and Tonraq lazily sat on the couch as he flipped through several channels. Nothing took his particular interest, until he heard the sound of Korra's wheelchair moving about. The man immediately sat up and stared at the doorframe that led to the hall where Korra's room was positioned, letting his shocked eyes fall upon his daughter.
"… Korra," he spoke in utter disbelief. The girl gave him a look that was both a warning and acknowledgement.
The sound of something clattering on the ground was heard and three pairs of eyes went to the small kitchen that was connected to the living room. Senna stood there looking at Korra, slightly aghast, hands in front of her mouth that was opened in shock.
"Asami told me about something," Korra explained, ignoring the looks that her parents gave her. Asami knew that her girlfriend had locked herself up in her room, but she had really hoped that they would've reacted differently. Luckily the both of them seemed to get over the surprise once the new subject arose.
"We know, dear," Senna responded as she walked towards the living room. "She told us right before she went up to you."
Blue eyes darted to Asami.
"I did," Asami sighed. "I wanted a second opinion first…"
Korra's mouth pressed into a thin line, but she didn't backtrack on the idea and wasn't about to snap at her loved ones again. "Whatever, let's just get it over with." Rolling her eyes, she waited until one of them grabbed a laptop to fill in a signup form.
This was Asami's job. Out of all of them, she was the handiest one with mechanics. Even before Korra had her accident, her girlfriend often had to help her due to system issues and the like.
Filling out the form was quite easy when you wanted to join. The rest was a bit more difficult, but they set up a meeting nonetheless. The same day wouldn't be possible, but they decided to pick a date later that week so both Korra and the dogs could prepare.
While most days went by in a haze, the brunette couldn't help but feel impatient as time seemed to slow down. She actually wanted to hang out with a bunch of dogs because she had always loved the creatures. Being around a dog was sure to brighten her day, even if waiting for that day felt like an eternity.
Once it was time, however, Korra was actually eager to see the dogs that she could pick from. Unfortunately she wasn't going to meet a full pack at once, but one at a time was good enough for her. The people that took care of which puppy met with which disabled person had chosen some according to her submission form and while Korra deemed it a bit unfair that she wasn't part of the selection program a hundred percent, she understood that they were professionals and probably knew better.
Korra didn't expect to meet such a big and fluffy dog during her first set up. It surprised her, but she didn't complain, especially not when those soft, round eyes locked with her blue ones.
She couldn't exactly describe it, but something just seemed to click right then and there.
The dog immediately walked up to her and sniffed her fingers gently. Korra forced herself into the reality that she couldn't pet the precious thing, no matter how much she wanted it.
"This is Naga," the trainer of the dog said. "She's very gentle and has a lot of energy."
Blue eyes never left the white creature that fascinated her so much.
"What breed?" Tonraq asked curiously. The man turned to her father for a short moment. "Great Pyrenees. They're not common as service dogs, but Naga is born for it."
He then turned back to Korra. "She's very helpful. You can ask her to do something, go on."
The brunette reluctantly looked away from Naga and stared at the man who had brought the dog over. She cleared her throat and tried to think of a fitting request. She spoke what came to mind first.
"Naga, can you go fetch Asami for me?"
The dog's ears perked when she heard her name and her eyes fell on Korra for a few seconds. She then looked at the three other visitors and looked as if she was weighing her options. Naga, of course, didn't really know who Asami was yet. Senna gave the creature a small hint by subtly pointing towards the raven-haired girl.
Naga happily made her way over to the girl and licked her hand once before she grabbed Asami by the wrist. She then gently dragged her over to Korra.
"Incredible," Tonraq whispered.
Korra's eyes lit up.
"I'll take her," the brunette said. "That's okay, right?"
Tonraq opened his mouth before the man could speak. "Is that wise, Korra? Don't you want to see the others first?"
Korra gave him a stern look, then shook her head in defiance. "I'm sure dad. Naga is the one that I want."
Asami smiled at her girlfriend. It had been love at first sight, really. She had figured Korra would choose the large puppy with the biggest heart.
Unlike her girlfriend, the raven-haired woman had already seen the candidates beforehand. Naga had given off the vibe that she would fit with Korra perfectly.
Tonraq wasn't entirely convinced, but he didn't deny his daughter her happiness, so he complied. He signed the papers to adopt Naga into their little family and chatted with the man some more, learning that if they were ever unhappy with their services, they could always come back to get a new dog.
Fortunately, that wasn't necessary. From the moment they had met, Korra and Naga got along just fine. Their bond only grew more and more each passing day and the brunette finally grew a bit more accustomed to her new life.
With Naga by her side to fetch certain items and people, open doors whenever they were out, and just enjoy life with a fluffy companion by her side, Korra finally opened up again.
Thanks to the energetic and bright character of her dog, the brunette went outside more, much to Tonraq and Senna's bliss. She even started hanging out with her friends again. Bolin loved Naga. Mako needed more time to get used to her, but eventually warmed up to her as well.
It was only when a few weeks had passed, and Asami came over directly from school, that Korra dared to take the next step in recovering mentally.
"Hey," Korra was the first to greet this time.
Asami closed the door behind her and smiled. "Hey," she responded, giving Naga a swift pat on the head as she passed the dog. She dropped her schoolbag on the ground next to Korra's bed, causing blue eyes to follow its trail, and sat down on the blanket.
"I want to talk to you," Korra began, her tone slightly serious. Asami frowned.
"About what?" she asked, trying to sound as chipper as ever.
The brunette nodded to Asami's school bag. Her girlfriend looked at it in confusion, not really connecting the dots yet. "My bag?" she asked. "I know it's not the most desirable one, but what's that got to do with anything?"
A small laugh escaped Korra's lips. Despite hearing it now and again ever since Naga came into the brunette's life, Asami's heart still skipped a beat. It felt so foreign to hear it again, but only in a good way. Like a drug.
"No, silly. About school," Korra spoke up. "I… I think I want to try again."
Asami had to process that news for a moment. She remained silent, her eyes looking Korra up and down. "Did… Did I hear that right?"
A scowl, but only slightly present. "What, you going deaf?" Korra jabbed.
Jokes, and school, and laughter. Asami couldn't believe her ears even though she had heard it all firsthand. "Not that I'm aware of, but I might need to get that checked later," the raven-haired girl joked back. "Are you absolutely sure you want to go back to school?"
Korra thought it over again, but she firmly nodded. "Naga's my companion. She can go wherever I go, including school grounds. If you and Mako and Bo are there too, I think I can do this."
Hearing that brought a warm and fuzzy feeling into the pit of her stomach. Asami felt tears prickle her eyes, but they weren't the same tears that she had shed in the past couple of months. They were the complete opposite.
"Words can't describe how happy I am to hear that, Korra," the raven-haired girl responded. "We'll do anything we can to help you, okay?"
While accepting help had been very difficult to Korra before, she slowly but steadily got used to it during the weeks that Naga accompanied her. The dog truly had helped her a lot, despite only living with her for such a short amount of time.
"I'll hold you to that," Korra said, flashing her a small smile. Asami mirrored it.
And then Korra did something that the girl would've never expected. She offered to cuddle.
Even though Asami had hugged her now and again after the accident, they had stopped cuddling ever since. It made her feel lonely once in a while, but on hindsight, it had all been worth it. Especially now that Korra offered to start doing it again.
The raven-haired girl didn't respond with words, preferring to let her actions do the talking for once. That usually had been Korra's way of doing things, but now it was her turn. Asami crawled further onto the bed and took her girlfriend in her arms as they both laid down on the mattress.
A satisfied sigh escaped her lips as she laid there in bliss, finding the silence between them comfortable for once.
Seconds turned into minutes without anything being said between the two, but Asami knew that this wasn't a bad sign. It felt good for a change.
Korra moved her head finally, signaling Asami that she wanted to say something.
"Yes?" the raven-haired girl started.
"I was thinking," Korra began. "If you're up for it, and you can say no if you don't want to – but if you do, would you mind going to the movies with me tomorrow?"
That was the last broken thing that needed to be fixed: their relationship. Something Korra now tried to do.
Asami held her closer, a wide smile present on her face as her heartbeat quickened after what seemed like an eternity. "I would love to," she answered. "Because it's with you."
A/N: And as promised, here's the second and last chapter of this fic! If you liked it and you would love to have me write something for you, you can message me on here or on Tumblr and we'll go about the details c:
Other than that, I hope you liked it! I really had fun writing this because it was something I had never tried before and exploring outside of my comfort zone was pretty nice. I'm planning to upload more Korrasami in the near future (as of now I have planned a oneshot and am currently trying to figure out my other Korrasami prompt) so stay tuned! If you can't wait until then, consider becoming a patron. You'll have access to any of my written work the moment I'm done writing and checking them.