Life Is A Highway

Affection

It was cold.

And dark.

Distant beeping could be heard in the background as Korra's chest shook. It smelled sterile and reeked of hand sanitizer. She was so damn cold. It was always like this, though. This time it was no different. Cold, dark and alone.

She regretted it, so much. She regret hurting the people close to her. It was a selfish act, no doubt about it, but what other way was there?

Granted, it wasn't her proudest moment, but she had to do something.

Anything.

The darkness continued as usual then she felt a familiar warmth wrap around her hands.

She knew she should've enjoyed the company —which, she did the first few times she had this same nightmare,— but this was just a pattern. After the hand holding, the worst part of it would come. She wasn't ready for that. She squeezed back as tight as she could, knowing what was coming next. The only comfort she received was warm fuzz, though. It wasn't the same as that day.

Weirdly enough, the hand squeezed back. It still felt fuzzy, but she knew they were trying their best to comfort her.

Just as she predicted, her chest tightened and her spine grew rigid after a few moments. Someone was lightly shaking her, but she knew they were scared. The warmth left her hand in fear, leaving her freezing and alone. She couldn't hear anything, but she could tell that panic was thick in the air. The beeps grew rapidly and louder, becoming more high pitched than ever. Her breathing quickened as she desperately tried to gasp for air.

She couldn't breathe.

She couldn't breathe.

'I can't–'

Korra jerked out of her sleep in a cold sweat, observing her surroundings. The AC immediately hit her, giving her a bit of calmness. It was darker than before, but she was still in the car. Her breathing slowed. She was in the car. She was safe.

Luckily, her abrupt jumping didn't disturb Opal and Bolin, but there were two pairs of eyes glued on her from the front seats.

"Korra," Asami called out gently to her. "you okay?"

Korra wiped her brow and nodded, barely being able to give a verbal response.

"You look like you just saw a ghost." Mako interjected.

The bartender's eyes narrowed at the driver. Nonetheless, she still nodded in reassurance. "I... I'm okay. Just a nightmare."

"Just a nightmare?" Asami questioned.

Korra hesitated. "Yeah... I'll be okay, though..." Lying, she swallowed and laid her back against the seat. "Just need a little more rest..."

Mako glanced at her. "I wouldn't hold your breath on that. We're about five minutes away from the hotel. Can't you wait 'til then?"

Korra growled. "Great..." She grumbled.

Asami smiled apologetically at her. "Just a few more minutes, okay? I'm kinda pooped too."

The bartender smiled, despite her recent scare. Asami always made her feel reassured. "Okay..."

When they broke eye contact, Korra let out a low sigh. It wasn't supposed to have gone like this. She wasn't even supposed to be there. She wondered if she could catch a cab back to the city and just disappear completely. Her nightmares were coming back and if she knew her body, then she knew there wasn't going to be any sleep for her for a long time.