Chapter Five – Confessions

Author's Note: I cannot express how happy I am at how well this story has been received by the fandom, you guys and gals are amazing! I do hope that you enjoy the fifth chapter of this story, as I worked for quite a bit to get the mood and wording right. As always, if you have any suggestions for ways that I could improve the story, I am just a message away. Also, I appreciate all the kind and helpful reviews that I have received - they mean a lot! So please, keep them coming! I think that's enough from me, please enjoy this next installment of "Comfort and Nightmares".

After Korra had finished eating her breakfast, with some help from her mother, Pema took the tray and its contents back to the kitchen. She had seen that Asami seemed distracted by something and resolved to make sure that her friend was okay. However, in order to do so, she would have to get the others out of her room first. Thankfully she had some help from Pema in this regard.

"Mom, dad I would appreciate it you left now. I kinda want to talk to Asami in private, if that's okay with you?" Korra questioned her parents.

Unsurprisingly, her parents seemed to know something their daughter did not and quietly left the room. Although not before they both embraced her in a family hug. At this scene, Asami smiled sadly and was, quite inexplicably, overcome by a wave of nostalgia and a deep-rooted sorrow that she would – very likely – never get to experience that sense of "familial wholeness" ever again. She recalled her mother's warmth and kindness during her youth and, as a result, tears began to prick at her eyes. As she semi-blurrily watched Pema usher her husband out of the room and slide the door shut, she turned to face her best friend.

Korra noticed the outline of tears in Asami's eyes and immediately asked, with concern filling her voice, "What's wrong Asami?"

Asami released a watery, somewhat self-deprecating laugh. "You're asking me what's wrong?"

Korra could only offer up a small smile and say, "Just trying to return the favor."

At this, Asami walked over to her friend's side and sat down in the chair that Senna had previously occupied. She looked down at the floorboards in quiet contemplation with her hands clasped in her lap, and Korra noticed that the CEO had a faraway look in her eyes.

Not content to simply sit there while her friend suffered in silence, Korra took her right hand and placed it over Asami's hands. At the sight of her friend's dark hand atop her paler ones, the Future Industries leader glanced up into the Avatar's eyes.

"You've been there for me through everything these past few weeks and I just wanted to tell you again how much I appreciate it." Korra stated softly, her thumb grazing over Asami's knuckles.

Asami smiled softly at Korra's words and said, "You don't have to thank me, it's nothing."

Korra grasped Asami's right hand tightly and stated, "No, it's not nothing. You have no idea how much you've saved me over the course of these past few days or how lonely I feel when you're not with me."

The sincerity and affection of Korra's words warmed Asami's heart, but, she knew, despite the intimacy of their current situation, Korra only meant them platonically.

"What are friends for?" Asami asked, with the barest hint of regret in her voice.

At that, Korra only smiled and, with a blush lightly staining her cheeks said, "Can I ask you something?"

"What is it?" Asami asked, pleasantly surprised when Korra resumed her thumb's movement over her knuckles.

"You were going to tell me something before my dad interrupted us, what was it?" Korra asked.

At this Asami tore her gaze away from her friend and glanced down at her feet. "I don't know if it's the right time to tell you, given your... condition." Asami said cautiously.

Korra laughed gently at this, which surprised Asami and caused her to look back up into her friend's eyes. "Do you really think that there's anything you could tell me that would make me feel worse than I already do?"

Asami bit her lower lip nervously and sighed, then said lightly "...Just promise you won't be mad."

"Asami, there is nothing you could tell me that would make me angry at you." Korra offered up a genuine smile to back up her words.

The Future Industries CEO took a deep breath and exhaled through her nose. "Okay. Before we were interrupted, I was going to tell you that – if you chose to "give up" – I would never get the chance to tell you how I really feel about you."

For what seemed like an eternity an uncomfortable silence seemed to envelop the room. After all but telling Korra "the three words", Asami had quickly glanced back down at her feet. For her part, the young Avatar had expected a confession along these lines from her best friend. Korra did not need to hear an "I love you" from Asami to deduce that her friend's feelings for her were deeper than mere friendship.

Watching Asami looking down at her feet, the Avatar could not help but feel only one emotion. It was an emotion that she had not truly experienced in nearly three weeks – genuine, unconditional happiness.

There was no describing how elated Korra felt at her friend's admission of her feelings. She wasn't blind and, before her capture by the Red Lotus, had found herself growing increasingly attracted to the green-eyed beauty. She recalled the incident in the Earth Kingdom desert after the airship they were held prisoner on crashed. As Asami was talking about how to prepare a sand-sailer after the sand shark had destroyed the airship, Korra had found her gaze wandering to her friend's... posterior. She wasn't all that surprised by her attraction to another woman, as she recalled that, during her teenage years, that a few of the girls in the compound had caught her eye as well. Now that she knew that Asami felt the same way, the Avatar resolved to make sure that she told Asami about her feelings too.

With pure joy in her voice Korra said, "I feel the same way."

At this Asami looked up in shock into Korra's eyes and, barely audibly stated, "What?"

"I feel the same way about you Asami." Korra repeated.

Of all the reactions Korra predicted that Asami may have, finding herself enveloped in a bone-crushing hug while her best friend cried into her neck was not one of them. Happily shocked at her Asami's reaction, Korra did her best to return the embrace. As Asami continued to cry into her neck, Korra moved her hands up and down Asami's back in an effort to provide some semblance of comfort. She was surprised to find that her hands and arms didn't burn as she moved them over her friend's back, apparently – as cliché as it was – the strength of loving someone else in a romantic way did make her feel inexplicably better.

Asami released Korra from her grasp had proceeded to sit by the Avatar's side on the bed. Korra saw the tear stains on Asami's cheeks and wiped them away with her thumbs. Similar to when Korra had caressed Asami's facial features just a few hours ago, her friend again sighed on the ministrations. After having her tear streaks removed, the CEO looked at the Avatar and smiled.

"When did you first realize how you felt?" Asami asked.

Intertwining their fingers, Korra told Asami, "I always had some idea that I liked you more than a friend. But it really wasn't until our talk at the gazebo a few days ago. While you went to get our tea, I was turning some things over in my head and I came to the conclusion that you were the only one who really cared for me and didn't act like they were walking on glass shards whenever they spoke to me. Plus, seeing you in the aura of the sunset only further deepened my appreciation for just how beautiful you really are." Korra concluded with a smile.

At these words, Asami moved forward and placed a kiss to the Avatar's forehead. Moving back to her original position she said, "I'm glad I can be there for you when you need me, but I know you'd do the same for me in a heartbeat."

Korra lightly blushed at this and said, "I wouldn't even give it a second thought. Well, how about you, when did you come to your realization?"

Asami gave a sorrowful smile and answered, "When I thought you were going to die from that poison. Seeing you, lying there in your dad's arms, I knew that I couldn't possibly go on if you died. As weak of me as that must sound, it's absolutely true. I don't know what I would have done if you had succumbed to that mercury, but I know my heart would have been completely shattered. I'm so happy that you survived your torture and I fully meant what I told you. Just say the word and I'll do anything if it means seeing you smile again and helps you to recover."

"I can think of one thing you could do for me." Korra responded.

"What?" Asami asked.

"Please don't say that you're weak for being in love with me. I know that I would be completely broken too, if it had been you on that ground. ...Well, more broken than I already am." Korra finished with a small chuckle in her voice.

"Korra-" Asami started.

The Avatar shook her head "no" and said, "It's fine Asami, I know you don't like me belittling myself, but it's true. I have you here to help me and, if I didn't, I'd be in a much darker place right now. Just promise me one thing, please?"

"Anything." Asami answered instantly.

"Don't wear so much makeup. I can't even begin to describe how much prettier you are without it. Which is saying a lot, given you're well... you." Korra finished lightly.

This statement caused the CEO to giggle softly, as she expected something much more serious to come out of the Avatar's mouth. "Okay, I promise not to wear as much makeup if it'll make you feel better."

"Oh it will, trust me." Korra stated somewhat suggestively and with a wink of her left eye.

Asami, once again, laughed, and the sound was like the sweetest wind chimes to Korra's ears. She knew that she still had a long and arduous road ahead of her, but with Asami's continued support and love she had little doubt that her recovery would be a lot easier. Asami loves me, Korra thought, she really does love me. I have no idea why someone as kindhearted as her would fall for someone who took away her boyfriend, but I'm glad she did. As she gazed at her friend's beautiful, makeup-less features, happiness and warmth seemed to spread throughout her body. Whatever the next few months had in store for her, she was more than willing to face them – as long as she had Asami Sato at her side.