4. Whisper it into her hair in the middle of the night, after you've counted the space between her breaths and are certain she's asleep. Shut your eyes quickly when she shifts toward you in askance. Maybe you were just sleep whispering.
….
One…two…He watched her chest rise with an intake of breath, one….two…he watched it fall as she gently exhaled. His counting wasn't perfect, the space in between her breaths was more like two and a half seconds, slightly less if he wanted to be perfectly accurate.
Her rhythmic breathes calmed him and he found his breath slowing. Her face was free from any distress and he was mesmerised by the way the moonlight tangled through her long hair, not tied up as she slept.
Her hair splayed out over her pillow and he stroked a small strand, revelling in the fact that he was here laying with her. It all seemed so surreal, it was like a dream.
Somehow, the Avatar had fallen for him, and he had fallen too. Hard.
He continued counting her breaths, if he stayed still enough he could feel her heartbeat against the arm he had wrapped around her. She clung onto it, the way a small child may cling to a toy. He had no problem with it, he found it rather endearing. It was quite comfortable too, and he was able to sleep in peace knowing she was in his arms.
Every other matter in existence seemed a world away, every problem had found a momentary solution as he held Korra. They had found a small slice of peace during the war, and he wasn't willing to let it go.
He wished they could stay like this forever, but he knew that eventually the sun would rise, and so would they.
He indulged himself for a little longer, memorising every feature of her face. Once her eyebrows creased ever so slightly, but he shifted his arm slightly tighter around her and she relaxed.
He hoped she was having pleasant dreams.
His dreams were about her, mostly. About kisses sneaked while no one was watching and those they had done in front of everyone. Of long forgotten jokes and plans, brushed aside by the threat of war. The passion they had and his love for her.
He knew she was asleep by now, she had drifted off a while ago, lost in a dreamlike state of being. He was pretty certain nothing could wake her up now, spirits he had tried to wake her too many times to know what a heavy sleeper she was. She was thoroughly that the morning was evil.
He assumed that was the part of her that was a native waterbender. He, as a firebender, rose with the sun. Korra liked to stay up late, revelling in the moons glow.
He knew he should try and sleep, Korra would get mad if he was tired tomorrow. He didn't want to risk himself not being at the top of his game.
He pressed his lips against the back of her head, giving her a sweet kiss. 'I love you" he whispered into her hair. This was a habit he had picked up, he was use to whispering this to her when he knew she was asleep. He had not yet found the right time to tell her in waking.
She shifted slightly in her sleep, then started to turn around. He closed his eyes quickly, pretending to be asleep as she shifted toward him.
He could feel her eyes on him, looking at him in askance. He concentrated on keeping his breath even- he had been so sure she was asleep.
She started to move again, laying down in his arms facing him this time. He resisted the urge to hug her to him, not wanting to shatter the illusion of sleep.
She probably thought he was just whispering in his sleep.