Hi, all. So, some of you may know me from my FemShep/Liara and occasional Dragon Age stories. I just finished binging LoK though, and I really felt the need to write a little Korrasami. This story is sort of "slightly-left-of-canon," in that it basically goes with the story as seen, but adds some bits that it might not have been possible to actually put into the show. It's my take on how the Korra/Asami relationship might have gotten started. I hope you enjoy it and please leave feedback if you do, or if you have constructive criticism or the like.

Asami Sato flexed her shoulders, trying to relieve a little of the soreness that had built up over the course of what had already been a very long day. The fatigue didn't bother her though. Fatigue was good. The more hours she put into running Future Industries, the less time she had left over to worrying about anything else. Like the break-up of what had once been dubbed, "Team Avatar." Like the latest in a series of letters from her father that sat on one corner of her desk, waiting to be packed away, unopened, with all the others. And like that kiss. Even now, two years later, Asami could still envision the moment as if she was living it: the strange way it had begun, the heat that ran through her body as it had been happening, and of course, what had come afterwards…

Two Years Earlier

"It's almost time to leave, Korra."

From her wheelchair on the other side of the room, Korra nodded. It was strange for Asami to see her like this. When they'd first met, the engineer had been awed by Korra's power. How could she not be? Korra was the Avatar after all, and even though she'd turned out to be very human, silly, and vivacious, and impulsive all by turns, that sense of strength was always present.

Ever since the battle with Zaheer though, Korra had been different. In the two weeks she'd been staying with Asami, that remarkable energy had been missing. Some of it was just physical weakness, the lingering effects of the Red Lotus poison on her body, but it went deeper than that. She was subdued and sad all the time, as if something indefinable but precious had been taken out of her. Even the ceremony marking Jinora's promotion to the rank of air bending master had brought her no joy. It made Asami's heart ache to see her best friend like that, and all of the support and care she'd offered her hadn't seemed to help.

Stepping up behind Korra, she gripped the handles of her wheelchair, only to be stopped by the Avatar's hand coming up to cover one of hers. "Wait," she said quietly, "Not yet."

Asami let go immediately. "That's fine. Is there something you need before we go?"

Korra shook her head. "No, it's not that. I'm just not ready to see everyone else. Can I stay here a little longer?"

"Of course." Asami took a seat opposite Korra, her eyes drawn to the woman in front of her. Even in her weakened state, the Avatar was still beautiful. It was something Asami had been noticing more and more. She hadn't had much of a chance to think about it, not with the end of one world or another always imminent, but she couldn't deny her attraction either. This wasn't the time to do anything about it, though. Maybe when Korra was feeling more like herself, Asami could say something, but not now.

"So, how's the company doing?", Korra asked, clearly not eager to say more about her own feelings.

Asami did her best to be cheerful. "Not too badly. We're still digging out from the mess that my father made, along with everything that happened with Varric's pirates, but we're making progress. There's still a good market for Sato-mobiles and there are some government contracts in the works to help clean up the damage from Vaatu's rampage and the spirit vines."

"That's good." Korra offered, even though her voice was still subdued. "I know you'll fix everything up here."

She smiled. "I'll do my best. And you just get yourself fixed up. Everyone wants to see you well." Korra nodded, but though she gave the engineer a weak smile of her own, there were hints of tears in her blue eyes. The instinct to comfort her was overpowering, and Asami got up from her chair, closing the distance between them. She knelt in front of her friend, and clasped their hands together, trying to offer what little reassurance she could. Korra's skin, calloused from years of training, felt good beneath her palms, but there was a slack in her grip as well. All throughout the weeks she'd been caring for Korra, that weakness had been there, and it was so strange to feel it in someone who was normally so full of life.

Korra's voice was chocking when she finally spoke again. "I'll miss you, Asami. I'll miss everyone. But I have to do this. I need to get myself right, and there are just too many distractions in Republic City for me to do that here."

Hearing the pain in Korra's voice, it was a struggle for Asami to keep her own from cracking. She wanted so much to be there for Korra, to help her find a way to rid herself of whatever it was that was that was crushing her spirit. But she didn't know how, and so all she could do was try to reassure her. "And everyone understands that," she said. "We're just going to miss you these next few weeks." Though I suspect I'll miss you more than most.

Korra must have sensed some measure of her feelings, because she made an effort at doing some cheering up of her own. "Hey, I won't be gone so long," she told Asami. "I'll be back before you know it."

"I'm sure you will."

A hug felt like the right thing then, and so Asami offered one, rising up far enough that she could put her arms around Korra and press her close. Korra returned the gesture, leaning forward in her chair so that she could get a better hold on Asami. The engineer had expected the embrace to be brief but Korra didn't seem to want to let go. As the seconds went by, she only clung tighter, and Asami leaned in, uncertain of what was happening but unwilling to risk breaking the spell that had enveloped them.

Korra's cheek brushed along hers, warm and smooth, and before Asami realized what the other woman was doing, the kiss had already begun. Korra's lips caught hers, and the pressure made it immediately clear that this was more than a friendly peck. Asami's lips parted instinctively, and as the kiss deepened, the heat of it made her moan softly. In response to the sound, Korra groaned, and Asami reached out, running her fingers through her long, dark hair. Her hand coaxed them closer together, even while her tongue brushed lightly against Korra's own. Asami's head was spinning. She'd been having idle daydreams of a moment like for some time, but they couldn't hold a candle to the reality of actually kissing Korra.

And then, as suddenly as it had started, it was over. Korra pulled back, a dark blush covering her face. Asami looked up at her, but the Avatar refused to meet her eyes, instead turning towards the floor of the sitting room.

"I'm sorry," Korra mumbled, "I didn't mean to do that. It was… I made a mistake."

"No, you didn't. I wanted it too." Asami reached out for Korra's face. She wanted to reassure her with her touch as well as her words that the kiss had been welcome, but her attempt only made the other woman turn further away.

Korra buried her face in her own shoulder, and Asami could hear the tears that had been forming earlier escaping. "I can't," she muttered in-between sobs, "I really like you Asami, but I can't be with anyone now. Not when I'm like this."

The Present

Asami had told her that it was okay. That Korra should take all the time she needed to look after herself and that they'd talk more about what had happened when she got back. It had been hard to watch her sail away after that, but the engineer had told herself that it would only be a few weeks before they saw each other again. Surely, after all they'd been through already, that wasn't so long to wait?

But then the weeks had turned into months, and the months into years. At first, Asami had let it rest, not wanting to pressure Korra, but eventually, she decided she didn't want the Avatar to feel forgotten and so she'd written her a letter. Even then, though, she'd kept it friendly. In what she wrote, there was no mention of the kiss, of how much it had hurt to have a moment like that and then not see the person she'd shared it with. Korra needed her space. That's what Asami kept telling herself even as the doubts had started to creep in.

Was I wrong? Should I have told her just how much I miss her? Or did I make my mistake two years ago? It was Korra who kissed me, but I knew that she was vulnerable. Should I have stopped her?

She had no idea. Whatever Korra was still wrestling with, she hadn't shared it with Asami, and so the engineer tried to put aside the matter and bury herself in her work. Certainly, there was no shortage of that. Beneath the letter from her father was plenty more correspondence. Purchase orders and contracts, requests for jobs, ideas for new products, and underneath those…

Her heart nearly stopped when she saw the simple envelope sitting near the bottom of the pile. The postmark told her it came from the Southern Water Tribe, and the address… the address was the one Korra had given her before she left, the one she had mailed her own letter to a few months before. Her hands trembled as she opened it. After all this time, she didn't know what she expected Korra to say to her, but just to have gotten a reply was enough to ignite a little spark of hope in Asami's breast.

"Dear Asami," the letter began, "I'm sorry I haven't written to you sooner. Every time I've tried, I never know what to say. The past two years have been the hardest of my life. Even though I can get around fine, I still can't go into the Avatar state. I keep having visions of Zaheer and what happened that day. Katara thinks a lot of this is in my head, so I've been meditating a lot, but sometimes I worry I'll never fully recover."

Asami's heart caught in her chest, and she had to set the letter down on the desk for a moment while she waited for her breathing to slow down. In a way, she couldn't be surprised that Korra was still struggling with what she'd endured; after all, she still hadn't returned to Republic City yet. Despite that, reading the confirmation was still painful. Once more, she wished she could be with Korra, to let her know that no matter what she was feeling, Asami would always be there for her.

That wasn't an option now though, and taking a deep breath, she picked back up the letter. "Please don't tell Mako and Bolin I wrote to you and not them," it continued. "I don't want to hurt their feelings but it's easier to tell you about this stuff. I don't think they'd understand. I'm not sure what else to say. I haven't forgotten what happened between us before I left, but I still don't have any answers for you. Maybe someday, I'll be ready to face everyone again, and if that time comes, there's no one I want to see more, but I just don't know. All I can do for now is wish you good luck with your company, and tell you that I hope you're happy. Love, Korra."

Asami's head was spinning as she finished reading, Korra's voice echoing in her thoughts. She didn't know if she should feel better or worse than she had before she opened the envelope. There was so much to be worried over, and so much hurt behind the words. And yet, a part of her couldn't help but be encouraged. Encouraged that Korra hadn't forgotten about her, that she was still thinking of what they'd shared, that maybe there would still be a chance for them. It was a piece of hope, and sometimes, that was what you had to hold onto, no matter how hard it was.