Comfort and Nightmares

Summary: Beaten, broken, and on the brink of losing all hope, Korra must overcome the traumatic aftermath of her capture and torture by the Red Lotus – traveling back home to recover, she is accompanied by a certain CEO of Future Industries.

Author's Note: Even though it has been a few months since Korra's series finale, I have found that I cannot quite get over its amazing and touching ending. This story is a result of the continuous rumblings of those final scenes between Korra and Asami in my mind. I always wondered what would have happened if Asami did accompany Korra to the Southern Water Tribe, and this first fan fic is the product of those musings. I hope you enjoy it!

Chapter One – Tea and Sunsets

In the aftermath of Jinora's ceremony Korra felt hollow, she knew that she should, at the very least, make the effort to appear happy for Tenzin's daughter, but she just… couldn't. If she was being honest, she couldn't bring herself to care about much anymore. Having been wheeled to a gazebo on Air Temple Island by Asami, Korra was currently sitting in her wheelchair watching the sunset over the water. Asami had mentioned that she was going to get some tea for them and had asked Korra what type she would like; Korra had only quietly muttered "Jasmine".

As she watched the sun dip lower and lower beyond the horizon, Korra was consumed by a myriad of thoughts.

None of them understand what it's like, not really. She recalled her dad's comments about how she "looked beautiful" and couldn't help but mentally scoff at his words, she saw how haggard and empty she looked when Asami had put the finishing touches on her appearance earlier that day. Yeah right, some picture of beauty I am, she thought bitterly. I can barely move my arms, let alone any other part of my body, where's the beauty or grace in that? She sighed and looked away from the setting sun to her hands; she flexed them a few times, noticing how much effort it took just to open and close them.

Once again, her mind wandered to Asami, she remembered her concerned gaze as she told Korra those words that were still rattling around inside her mind. When she said "anything"… did she mean it? Of course, why would she not have meant it, I mean she has always been so sincere and kind, even after our messiness with Mako. Korra realized with a sudden clarity that her previous thought was incorrect, at least in part; someone did understand her situation and suffering or, at least, made the most genuine effort to – it was Asami.

How could I have been so blind to the obvious for these past two weeks? Korra thought. Just as this thought was completed, she heard footsteps approaching from behind her. Asami came around on her right side and set the tea she was carrying on a tray on the railing of the gazebo directly in front of Korra. The Avatar allowed her eyes to take in her best friend in the glow of the falling sun; its orange and pink hue gave her friend an almost ethereal glow as she turned around to face her. Oh… Asami you're… with the sunset... Korra thought, for some reason her mind not being able to complete her trail of thoughts.

Korra was brought out of her jumbled thoughts concerning her best friend's beauty by a chime of soft laughter.

"I'm what with the sunset Korra?" Asami asked, with warmth in her voice, as she put a pleasantly hot teacup in Korra's hands.

Korra realized too late that she had thought aloud and glanced down into her tea in embarrassment, a faint blush staining her cheeks. Asami shouldn't have to listen to you tell her how beautiful she is, it's not as if she doesn't know that already. Korra sighed and figured that Asami deserved an honest answer so, she said, "You just looked very pretty is all."

"Oh!" Asami exclaimed, as if surprised by Korra's answer. Korra slowly glanced back at her friend and could have sworn she saw a blush on Asami's cheeks, but she chose to dismiss the thought.

Asami had walked back to the railing in front of Korra to retrieve her tea and was sipping it quietly. Korra brought her tea to her lips as well and, as she did so she muttered into her drink an "I'm sorry."

"You have nothing to be sorry for." Asami said, as she set her half-empty teacup on the tray. Korra drank her tea, not responding to Asami's dismissal of her apology. The jasmine tea was perfect and helped to calm Korra's frayed thoughts. She felt its warmth heat her stomach and the hollowness she had been feeling earlier was abated to a slight degree.

"Hey, Korra…" Asami said, almost timidly.

Korra set her nearly empty cup back into her lap and looked into Asami's gentle eyes. "What is it?" Korra asked, sincerely interested in the CEO's timidity.

Asami grimaced, looked down at her boots and asked, "Why did you cry during Jinora's ceremony?" If that question had been asked by anyone else, Korra would have had one of two responses – silence or caustic sarcasm at the obviousness of the question's answer. However, she just couldn't bring herself to use either on Asami, especially with her revelation about just how special Asami was.

"I cried because I'm broken and beaten and useless. If Tenzin, Jinora, and the other airbenders manage to do even half of what I think they'll be able to do, then what relevance do I have anymore? A whole nation of airbenders will be able to cover more ground than I ever could and probably prevent more problems too. What's my relevance if, in eighteen years, I couldn't bring balance to the nations, and nearly died twice trying to do so and now, a whole nation has vowed to 'bring harmony to the world?'" Korra finished her small rant with an exhausted sigh and looked out again over the water, her thoughts going off to wander again.

Asami approached the wheelchair and knelt down on her knees in front of Korra, taking both her dark hands in her paler ones. Asami gently moved her thumbs back and forth over Korra's knuckles as she began to speak in a quiet, gentle voice.

"Korra, first of all you are not useless, I know you probably don't believe me, but it's true. What you went through would've killed most people, but you didn't die, you survived. You saved a whole nation of people from extinction, that's hardly what I would call 'useless'." Korra's dulled gaze made Asami stand up and take Korra's right cheek in her left hand. Asami continued talking as her fingers soothingly moved over Korra's skin, Asami noticed a faint spark of life in Korra's dead eyes as her brain began to register Asami's words and touch.

"If it weren't for you, there would be no airbenders to 'restore harmony to the world'. You're still relevant to those who care about you and, if the world could somehow speak, I'm sure it would tell you so too. You've done your part, now let us do ours and take care of you and help you get better; the world can wait for a bit, I promise." Korra's eyes, once glazed over with a dull sheen, now seemed a bit livelier as Asami finished talking.

Asami's thumbs were gently caressing Korra's cheekbones as the Avatar was brought out of her melancholic state, if only temporarily. That feels… nice. Korra thought, as Asami's thumbs continued their ministrations.

"Thank you." Korra said tiredly, with a ghost of a smile gracing her lips.

"You're welcome." Asami replied sincerely, as she moved to remove the cup from the Avatar's lap. Korra felt disappointed and, for some reason, colder, without Asami's warm touch moving over her skin. Asami set the teacup on the tray next to her own and came back to kneel in front of Korra.

"So, what do you wanna do now?" Asami asked kindly, pleasantly surprised when Korra took her left hand in her right – enjoying her friend's touch.

"I'd like to watch the rest of the sunset… if you don't mind?" Korra stated.

"Of course I don't mind." Asami smiled and gripped Korra's hand a bit tighter. "By the way, you really did look beautiful today, your father wasn't wrong."

Korra's only reply was silence, but hearing Asami restating her dad's words, the ones she had scoffed at only a few minutes ago, made the chill and darkness that had settled over her body and mind dissipate, if only for a few moments. The Avatar squeezed the CEO's hand in a gesture of gratitude. She closed her eyes as she felt the final rays of sunshine wash over her face. Korra wouldn't exactly classify her current feelings as happiness or contentment, but as she watched the sun dip into the water, she could think of few other people that she would rather have had bring her tea and words of solace than the warm-hearted girl currently clutching her hand.

As Korra watched the last of the sun's rays disappear from sight she thought that, despite her current situation and the long road to recovery that undoubtedly awaited her, as long as she had Asami's care and support, she would willingly walk down that difficult, exhausting path.

The next few months would be some of the most trying of Korra's life and she knew it, but as Asami moved to stand back up and wheel her back inside the island's dormitories, she also knew that she didn't have to face them alone.