The first thing she became aware of was the buzzing.
She hardly noticed it at first, but the longer it went on, the louder and more irksome it became until it bordered right on infuriating. She tried to tell it to stop, but she couldn't move her tongue and her mouth felt so dry that the slightest movement almost made her gag. She was dimly aware of a strange weight against her stomach, and as her thoughts gathered she found that her arms were unbelievably cold.
Finally, she gained consciousness enough to try and open her eyes.
There was light, if only a little, and Asami was able to vaguely make out a pair of blurred silhouettes before her vision cleared. It took several slow, groggy moments before she recognised Tenzin and Pema. She was in a bed, obviously on Air Temple Island – a nearby window was open, letting a cool breeze inside, and her arms were at her sides on top of the blanket.
The weight on her stomach was Korra. She appeared to be asleep, her arms folded against Asami's middle and her cheek resting against them, her back rising and falling with slow, steady breaths.
Tenzin and Pema were standing off to one side, speaking in hushed tones – Asami registered their voices as the 'buzzing' that had woken her. They hadn't noticed that she was awake yet, and she took advantage of the moment to watch Korra sleep. There was a vulnerability in that peaceful expression that Asami had never seen in the southerner before – but as much as she wanted to savour it, she found herself aching to have those eyes on her again.
She tried to move her right arm but was greeted with a sharp pain shooting from her shoulder to her fingertips; she bit back a whimper as she waited for the pain to subside, belatedly noticing the bandages wrapping her shoulder. She tried to remember what had happened, but her memories were fuzzy and distant, like the last lingering threads of a dream – the harder she tried to grasp onto them, the faster they unravelled, until she was left with nothing.
Giving up, Asami tried again, this time with her left hand. It was difficult to move at first, the weight of sleep seeping deep into her bones, but she eventually managed to lift her fingers to Korra's hair, carefully threading them through the soft locks.
Korra's eyes fluttered open and Asami's stomach twisted into an impossible knot at the look on the southerner's face. "Asami," she breathed as she sat up, the overwhelming relief in her voice spilling into her expression as she grasped Asami's left hand in both of hers. "Thank the spirits."
Korra's words drew Tenzin and Pema's attention and suddenly Asami was surrounded by bodies. Try though she might, she couldn't quite bring herself to look away from Korra, even when Pema spoke to her.
"How are you feeling, dear?"
Asami tried to swallow and was reminded of her atrociously dry mouth. She struggled for a moment before she felt the rim of a cup pressed carefully against her lips; Korra's face was serious and gentle as she held the cup for her and for a moment Asami almost forgot how to drink. When she finally managed, the cool water flowing down her throat seemed to shock some sense back into her and she took a moment to consider Pema's question.
"Sore," she responded eventually. Korra's smile was grim.
"That's to be expected," Pema said, laying a cool hand against Asami's forehead.
"How long..." Her voice felt raw and she tried to clear her throat. "How long have I been out?"
"Five days." There was a slight tremble to Korra's voice as she spoke and she squeezed Asami's hand softly. "You had us worried for a while there, Princess."
"What... happened?"
"There was an assassin on the ship." Korra's eyes went flat as she spoke. "Bastard managed to get you –" she nodded toward Asami's bandaged shoulder, "– but I knocked him out while he was distracted. He's in custody."
Asami closed her eyes as the memory floated indistinctly before her.
"You hit your head when you went down." She opened her eyes again in time to see Korra swallow thickly. "Like, hard. We were worried that... that there was a possibility you might not wake up."
Korra's voice was strained as she said this last and Asami's heart ached at the open fear in the other woman's features. "Well I did," she said.
Korra smiled softly, but it didn't quite chase away that lingering fear. "Yeah," she said. "You did."
Despite herself, Asami felt her eyes growing heavy again and she let them fall closed. "Where's Bolin?" she asked, her voice dropping to a weary murmur.
"He insisted on guarding the prisoner," Tenzin said. "He's taken the attack very personally."
"I've never seen him so mad," Korra added. "He seemed right on the verge of killing the kid himself."
"Kid?" Asami's eyes snapped open.
"Your would-be assassin is barely more than a boy," Tenzin clarified. "We aren't sure if he really wanted you dead or if he's just misguided."
"Enough of this," Pema said then, pulling the blankets further up over Asami's chest. "You need to rest."
Asami looked immediately to Korra.
"I'll be here," Korra promised. "Get some sleep, Princess."
She did.
The sound of muffled voices woke her again, but this time it was easier to free herself from the clingy hold of sleep.
"It's obvious to anybody who cares to observe." The voice was Tenzin's, but Asami was struggling to register his words. She forced herself fully awake and immediately saw that she was alone in the room – but night had fallen and a light glowed steadily in the hallway outside, casting two silhouettes against the door, which had been left open a crack.
"It's supposed to be." The second voice was Korra's. "We agreed on it."
"You're deluding yourself if you think it's an act," Tenzin said softly.
There was a moment's silence. "It's... complicated," Korra said.
"And how is that?"
"It just is." Korra's voice was frustrated. "She barely knows me. How could she possibly –"
"These things are never logical, Korra," Tenzin said. "But both Pema and I saw how she looked at you when she woke up. Not only did she have no reason to pretend, she was in no state to."
Asami's pulse was racing deafeningly in her ears, making it difficult to listen. Was she hearing correctly?
"Why do you care so much, anyway?" Korra asked rather sullenly.
"I'm sure you appreciate how delicate this situation is," Tenzin said. "I don't think anybody really expected real feelings to evolve from this. I just want you to be careful."
"Why?"
"When feelings are as strong as yours appear to be, things can go wrong very easily. The slightest misunderstanding can be devastating. This marriage needs to work out – not for you or for Asami, but for the good of your people."
"I'm well aware of that." Korra's tone grew icy. "Don't you think that this helps the situation more than it damages it? Asami and I agreed to pretend because we thought it would be more convincing. What could be more convincing than the truth?"
"Not everybody will believe the truth, even when it's right in front of them. I'm not condemning what's happening, Korra – I just want you to tread carefully."
"Alright then – point taken. Can I go back in now?"
Korra didn't wait for a reply before she stepped inside and closed the door behind her. She froze when she saw Asami was awake.
"Hey," Asami said quietly.
"Hey. Have you been awake long?"
Asami only smiled knowingly. Korra's face burned and she rubbed a hand against the back of her neck. "Well that's embarrassing." Her awkwardness was entirely out of proportion with her usual cockiness, but somehow both suited her perfectly and Asami had no idea how that could even work.
"Asami... look, I... I just want you to know that I don't expect anything from you –"
"Korra."
"– I mean we barely know each other and –"
"Korra."
"– the whole situation is kind of really ridiculous and I just –"
"Korra!" Asami laughed this time and that seemed enough to finally shut Korra up. "Come here."
Wearing a sheepish expression that threatened to melt Asami clear out of existence, Korra slowly approached and sat in the chair positioned beside her bed.
Asami gave Korra a pointed smile and shook her head, tapping the fingers of her right hand against the mattress and ignoring the pain that even that slight movement triggered. Korra awkwardly moved to perch on the edge of the bed instead.
"What happened to having a lot of faith in the ridiculous?" Asami asked pointedly.
Korra blinked at that and then laughed, rubbing the back of her neck again. "I did say that, didn't I?"
"Mhm." Before she really knew what she was doing, Asami found herself reaching up with her left hand, gently grasping Korra's shirt and pulling her down. Though Korra seemed willing enough to follow, she hesitated just shy of Asami's lips, and Asami thoughtlessly tilted her head up to close the distance between them.
Korra's lips were soft and warm and responsive; Asami's heart hammered in her chest and she was convinced it was audible to everyone on the island, but for once she didn't care. She could feel Korra's feather-light breath over her cheek as their noses brushed alongside one another, and when she lifted her hand to gently grasp the side of Korra's neck, the touch was greeted by the other woman's pulse beneath her fingers, pounding just as hard as her own. When Korra's lips briefly caught Asami's lower one between them Asami's breath hitched audibly and she felt Korra's answering smile.
How long they remained entangled Asami couldn't have said, but both were breathless when they finally broke apart. Korra lingered with her forehead against Asami's, her thumb stroking slowly over the line of Asami's jaw. "Spirits," she murmured. "You have no idea how long I've wanted to do that."
Asami couldn't help a small laugh. "I think I might."
Korra shook her head. "No, you really don't. Asami..." She pulled back a little more and Asami's heart jolted when their eyes met. "There's... something you should probably know."
"What is it?" Despite her elation, Korra's words sparked panic in Asami's chest. She did her best not to let it show.
Korra hesitated for a long moment, lips pressed together anxiously. "You remember Suyin?"
"From the meeting?" Asami's confusion carried into her voice. What did Suyin have to do with anything?
"Yeah. She's always been kind of like a second mother to me. I grew up with her kids – they're my best friends. Like how Mako and Bolin are to you."
Asami said nothing, taking Korra's hand and softly stroking her thumb over the southerner's knuckles.
"She has a lot of kids. But she used to have two more. Twins – Wing and Wei. I was always closest with them."
Asami's stomach hollowed out. "The war?"
Korra nodded. "It wasn't even a real battle. They were out hunting and stumbled upon a northern raiding party. The boy they'd taken with them managed to escape – if not for him, we never would have known.
"They... they were tortured. For information, you know? And when they wouldn't break, they were killed and dumped like... like old garbage."
Korra's voice was trembling and she'd broken away from Asami's gaze. Asami only continued to stroke Korra's hand, waiting for her to continue.
"When we found out, I was... livid. I was too angry to even grieve. I focussed so much on who was responsible and how to get revenge..." Finally she looked up again, her expression pained. "I was thirteen years old and I was dead set on killing you."
Asami stared. "Me?"
"I don't know why," Korra said quickly, her fingers tightening around Asami's. "I somehow got it into my head that you were responsible. Or maybe you were the best way to get at Hiroshi, I don't really remember. Either way, I managed to sneak north. I got into your city – I made it into the palace.
"It was late – a lot of people were sleeping, and I was small enough to hide in spaces most wouldn't really consider checking. It wasn't easy, but I made it as far as your room."
Asami's ears were ringing, but still she said nothing, eager to hear what Korra had to say.
"It was like being punched in the chest, seeing you for the first time." Korra's burning eyes searched Asami's face as if reliving the memory. "It wasn't at all what I'd expected. You weren't. You were so... perfect. Just lying there, fast asleep, peaceful and oblivious..." Korra shook her head, a rather self-mocking grin just briefly touching her lips. "Needless to say, I couldn't do it. I turned around and went home, then and there. But I never could stop thinking about you and I've been fighting to make my father stop the war ever since. I insisted on coming with him to Air Temple Island even though I had no way of knowing that you'd be there. And then you showed up, and you were so much more than I could ever have expected, and it was like being a lovestruck thirteen-year-old all over again."
Asami remembered the intensity with which Korra had watched her that first night on Air Temple Island and her ears burned with the memory. "Are you saying you've been in love with me since you were thirteen?" She couldn't help but grin as she said it. It all seemed so ridiculous, and yet...
Korra laughed ruefully and then gave a helpless shrug. "I think so, yeah." She bit her lip, avoiding Asami's gaze now. "I'm sorry – I know it's pretty weird. I just... I figured you had a right to know."
Asami released Korra's hand, instead reaching up to gently turn the southerner's head back toward her. "I'm glad you told me," she said seriously, her skin prickling as those stunning eyes held her own. "And I'm also glad you didn't kill me. Thanks for that." She couldn't fight her grin and Korra snorted, rolling her eyes.
"You're welcome, Princess."
Asami laughed, and then she was pulling Korra down for another kiss and Korra practically melted against her.
Korra broke away sooner this time, and laughed when Asami gave a small, reproachful whine. "You need to rest," she murmured, lingering close enough that her lips brushed Asami's with each word.
"I've been unconscious for five days," Asami pointed out, unable to resist the temptation; she stole another kiss, slower this time, and delighted in the unsteady sigh that the contact drew from the southerner.
Korra was smiling when she pulled back again. "Six, if you count your last sleep. But you're still weak and Pema doesn't want you overexerting yourself."
Asami slumped back with a pout. "Being stabbed is such an inconvenience."
Korra laughed again. Asami decided that she very much enjoyed the sound. "Terribly sorry, your highness," Korra said dryly. "Next time we'll try for a minimally inconvenient stabbing."
"Good. This stabbing is of an unacceptable standard." Asami grinned.
Korra rolled her eyes, unable to keep her own grin from spreading. "It probably goes without saying," she said then, gently cupping Asami's jaw in her hand, "but I'm really glad you're okay, Princess."
Asami closed her eyes, turning her head to press a kiss against the palm of Korra's hand. "Stay with me?" she murmured, cracking an eye open to peer up at the southerner.
She almost felt guilty at the look of utter helplessness on Korra's face. "Of course," she said, gently tucking a stray lock of hair behind Asami's ear.
Asami shifted to make room and Korra carefully climbed over to slide beneath the blankets on Asami's left. Asami tucked herself against Korra's side, nestling her cheek against the southerner's shoulder. She barely heard Korra's murmured goodnight before she was drifting into a deep sleep.
It was two more days before Asami was let out of bed – two days where she couldn't even busy herself with her sketchbook because of the pain in her arm. Two days of sitting in bed doing absolutely nothing, and it was driving her spare. When she was finally given permission to get up, Pema had to strictly forbid dancing for joy.
"I'm not too weak to be happy," Asami pointed out as she rose on trembling legs, holding on to Korra for support.
"No, but your legs haven't been used for a good week," Pema said with a smile. "It probably won't take long for them to adjust again, but until then... just be careful."
Though Asami rolled her eyes, she found it difficult to be put out with Pema. The woman's patience and kindness knew no bounds, and if it weren't for her, Asami may not even be here to complain.
"What's first on the list then, Princess?" Korra asked, her hold steady as Asami experimentally bent her knees a couple of times.
"Bathing," Asami said immediately, carefully straightening her legs. "Definitely bathing." She cast Korra a look, daring her to comment. Korra, most wisely, did not.
"Let's get you to the bathroom, then. Think you can manage?"
Asami scoffed and took a step to prove that she wasn't, in fact, crippled – and promptly stumbled, her weakened legs buckling beneath her. Thankfully, Korra was quick to catch her before she crumpled to the floor.
"I might need a little help," Asami said sheepishly.
Korra laughed as she helped Asami back up. "Imagine that. Come on, then."
It was slow going, but Asami felt her strength slowly returning with each step. By the time they reached the bathroom – which was only a short way down the hall from her room – she only barely needed to hang on to Korra. That's not to say she didn't continue to lean into the southerner, anyway. Any excuse, she thought unapologetically as they entered the bathroom.
Asami perched carefully on the edge of the bath as Korra ran the water for her. "I can do that myself, you know," she pointed out.
Korra only glanced at her with a carefree little smile, selecting a small bottle from a nearby shelf and pouring a capful into the water. The sweet smell of jasmine filled the room almost immediately and Asami very nearly fainted. Spirits, she'd missed that smell. Being bedridden was definitely not something she intended on doing again anytime soon.
When the tub was full, Korra shut off the water and rose. "Think you can manage from here?"
Asami arched an eyebrow at her. "You mean you're not joining me?" she asked rather pointedly.
Korra's face burned so bright she could have combusted on the spot. "Ah – no," she said, clearing her throat. "Sorry, Princess."
"And I thought I was the prude," Asami said, very deliberately reaching to start untying her robe.
Korra whipped around and Asami suddenly understood Korra's amusement when she'd done the exact same thing back home, particularly when she spied the same redness crawling up the back of Korra's neck.
"I'll... be outside," Korra managed, making her awkward way to the door. "Call me if you need anything, okay?"
Asami bit back the obvious response. "Okay," she agreed, and Korra left, closing the door softly behind her.
Asami took her time, and once she was bathed and dressed she felt immensely better. Her shoulder still smarted, but she could at least move her arm now and the pain had been lessening with each passing day.
She was carefully applying her makeup in the mirror when there was a knock at the door. "Yes?"
"It's me." Korra's voice sounded from the other side. "Tenzin wants to see us in the meeting hall, when you're ready."
"I won't be long," Asami called. She swiftly finished her makeup and left the bathroom.
Korra was waiting for her outside. She blinked when she saw Asami emerge and Asami noticed rather smugly the redness that returned to the southerner's neck. "Was there something?" Asami asked mildly when Korra didn't say anything.
Korra seemed to start from a trance; she shook her head briskly and offered a sheepish grin. "No," she said. "You just... you look good. Healthy."
Even now, Asami frequently caught glimpses of overwhelming relief in Korra's expression when she looked at her. It both touched her and made her feel guilty – though getting stabbed was hardly her fault, she hated that she'd caused Korra so much worry.
"Did Tenzin say what he wanted to see us for?" Asami asked, starting down the hall and reaching out to gently grasp Korra's arm for support. Walking was easier now, but she was still weak and didn't trust her knees not to buckle beneath her at any second.
"Something to do with the kid who attacked us, I think." Korra cast Asami a sidelong look. "Think you'll be okay?"
Asami considered it. The thought of facing the person who nearly killed her sent an anxious thrill through her but it didn't come close to overcoming her – it didn't seem as though she was suffering any severe trauma. If she was, she was probably about to find out. "I'll be fine," she said. "I want to talk to him."
A small group had gathered in the meeting hall. It felt strange to be back here with Korra at her side. After everything that had happened, it seemed an eternity since that day when they had begun their journey together – and the knowledge that they still had so far to go both thrilled and terrified Asami. She pointedly ignored Tenzin's knowing gaze as Korra held a chair out for her at the table.
Bolin was already there, seated at Asami's right. He was unusually quiet, and there were dark bags under his eyes. His hands were folded together on the table in front of him, his knuckles white with the force of his grip.
While Korra took up the seat to her left, Asami reached over to lay a hand on his arm. "Are you alright?"
Bolin stared at her for a minute as if struck dumb, and then threw his arms around her. "I should be asking you that!" he wailed. Asami froze briefly, taken aback by the display, but then wrapped her arms around him in turn, wincing at the resulting pain. "I'm so sorry I haven't been to see you, it seemed like such a good idea to give you space and now it just seems stupid and I'm sorry!"
Asami was so struck by the sudden display that she could only laugh. "It's okay, Bo," she said, running a hand through his thick hair. Lowering her voice, she murmured quietly, "I know it's hard for you when things get too serious."
His hold tightened around her and then he quite abruptly recoiled. "Was I hurting you? I'm so sorry I didn't even think – how's your shoulder?"
Asami smiled warmly at him as she idly readjusted her shirt. "It's – better," she said, swiftly changing her answer from 'fine'. "It really was a very minor wound."
"It was the head trauma everyone was worried about," Bolin said. "I hear you went down pretty hard."
Asami nodded, but didn't get a chance to respond. The doors at the other end of the hall opened and in marched Tenzin's brother and sister, both looking grim with a gangling teenager held firmly between them. They stopped in the middle of the room, facing the table.
Tenzin stood at Asami's back and she started when he spoke. She'd hadn't even noticed him approach. "This is our would-be assassin," he said, and Asami had never heard his voice carry so much venom. "Speak your name, boy."
"It's Kai," the boy said. While he glowered at all of them, Asami detected a hint of fear in those wide green eyes, and he deliberately avoided looking at her. She felt a rush of sympathy despite herself. He was so young.
A whimper caught Asami's attention and she glanced to her right. Bolin's eyebrows were drawn together and his lips were pressed into a thin line, but where Asami expected to see anger or at least dislike, there was only distress in his expression.
Her attention was drawn back to Kai as Tenzin spoke again. "Kai, you're charged with the attempted murder of –"
"We all know why he's here, Tenzin," Bumi piped up. "Get to the good part."
Tenzin's glare was palpable in the brief silence that followed and Asami had to cover a small smile with her hand. "You stand today before your intended victims," he continued. "Do you have anything to say in your defence?"
Asami got the distinct feeling that Tenzin's formality stemmed from a certain enjoyment of the situation, like he was a little boy playing courtroom. She had to hurriedly banish that thought before the image of baby Tenzin in an oversized judge's wig fixed itself too firmly in her head.
To his credit, Kai straightened. "No," he said. There was an audible tremble in his voice, but Asami couldn't help but admire his courage. "I was just doing the job."
"Will you speak the name of the man who hired you?"
"I would, but I don't know it."
"Tell us what happened."
Kai took in a small breath. "I'm an orphan, and I grew up on the streets. I learned to do pretty much anything it took to survive. Mostly I just stole food, or money for food – but every now and then someone would hire me to steal something for them."
Bolin whimpered again and Asami reached out to take his hand. His hold was crushing, but she didn't flinch or try to pull back.
"I usually managed to get by enough with that," Kai continued, "but for a while there, my luck had been steadily running dry. When the guy approached me I hadn't eaten in a week and I was getting desperate. He asked me what I was willing to do to eat and I told him I'd do anything."
Kai very nearly spat those last words. Clearly, he was regretting his response.
"He didn't tell me that my target was the princess. All he said was that someone wanted to send a message. He gave me a uniform and the details of your departure and described you to me."
"You said you didn't know you were supposed to be attacking Asami," Tenzin pointed out.
"I live on the streets," Kai said rather scathingly. "Of course I had no idea what the princess looked like. To me she was just another dignitary." He paused. "Then again, even if I had known, I probably would've done it, anyway. What's a princess to a homeless orphan?"
"Carry on, Kai," Asami said, cutting off Tenzin's response.
Kai shrugged. "The rest is history. I snuck on board, tailed you for a while, and struck." His nose wrinkled. "Should've realised I was out of my element. Nobody expects to be jumped by a couple making out in a dark hall."
Korra barked out a laugh, but Asami's face flooded with heat as every other pair of eyes turned their way. Bumi and Kya didn't bother to suppress their grins, and she could almost feel the stunned disbelief Bolin aimed at her.
Behind her, Tenzin cleared his throat. "Asami, as the wounded party –" Bumi and Kya both erupted into snickers at his choice of words. He ignored them and pressed on. "– I leave Kai's sentence up to you."
Asami watched Kai thoughtfully for a moment before turning to Korra. "Any ideas?" she murmured.
Korra shrugged. "Personally I'd lock him up and throw away the key, but I'm probably a little biased."
Asami rolled her eyes before catching a glimpse of Tenzin's stormy expression. An idea started to form in her head as she turned back to her assailant.
"Kai," she said, and the boy stiffened noticeably. "It's true that you face charges for a very serious crime. However given the circumstances, I feel some leniency should be in order."
He stared at her.
"That's not to say you're being let off," Asami said. "I want you to stay here on Air Temple Island."
Tenzin immediately started to protest, but Asami held up a hand to silence him. Amazingly, it worked. "You will live here and train with Master Tenzin for the next five years," she said, "and when that time is up it will be up to you whether you stay or leave. Believe me when I say that Tenzin will not make it easy for you," she added.
"The life of a monk isn't always a pleasant one," Tenzin said, "particularly not when it's unfamiliar. This is not a reprieve." He seemed to quickly understand Asami's reasoning and she was glad for it.
Kai glanced between Asami and Tenzin. "Why?" It was a vague question, but Asami understood.
"Because you've been dealt a difficult hand, and you've done what you need to in order to survive," Asami said.
Kai was staring at her and she couldn't quite figure out what his expression was showing.
"Take him to the children's wing," Tenzin said. "Get him settled in."
Bumi and Kya turned to walk Kai from the room, but their hold on him had slackened until it was more reassuring than punishing.
As soon as they were out of the room, Korra turned to her. "Are you sure about this? He could've been lying to guilt you."
Asami and Bolin exchanged a glance. "He wasn't," Bolin said.
"How do you know?"
"For one, he already told me his story while I was keeping an eye on him," Bolin said with a sigh. "It was the same this time, but... different. It wasn't rehearsed, I mean. Besides," he added, "when you go through something like that, you start to recognise the look on other people."
Korra's gaze lingered on him for a moment before she nodded. "Alright."
"Sorry, Tenzin," Asami said. "I kind of sprung that on you."
"It's fine," Tenzin said. "It was surprising, but it's a good decision, I think. The boy needs guidance, not punishment."
Asami smiled. Whether it was being up and about again or the feeling that she'd done something very right, she felt more at peace than she had in a long time.