asami oneshots✨

xii

It took Asami a long time to be comfortable showing anything more than surface-level emotions, even with you. It took her a long time to want to talk about anything that happened with her father, the stress of Future Industries during the Water Tribes' civil war, and anything even related to the Red Lotus situation.

Even now, after a year of being together, you'd only heard a few comments here and there about her father, and anything she said about the Red Lotus events was about Korra.

You knew there had to be more in her mind that she didn't say aloud. You didn't want to push her, but this couldn't be healthy. You didn't know when she would finally open up to you completely, but you were ready for it whenever she was.

Over the past few months, there had been a couple of nights you'd woken up to her shuffling papers around her desk, but you never gave it much thought and usually went right back to sleep. She was always having ideas and making adjustments to blueprints, and who were you to stop her when inspiration struck at 4am?

--

You weren't oblivious to the fact that the two year anniversary of Korra's near-death experience was tomorrow. Neither of you had said a word about it, but you knew that Asami was aware. You didn't want to push her, so you didn't. You went about your day as normal, went to bed with her by your side, and drifted off, praying to the Spirits for peace.

--

You wake to Asami shuffling papers once more, but this time, there's a sound that knocks you a bit further out of sleep than normal.

She's hyperventilating. Shit.

"Asami? What's going on?"

She doesn't respond.

You get out of bed and quickly go to her, taking her hands and turning her to look at you, "Sweetheart, talk to me, what are you doing?"

She tears herself away from you and moves a few more papers before she grasps one, reading it like her life depends on it. In her shaking hands is a letter from Korra, one of the last ones Asami received before the letters stopped coming. You rub Asami's back, quietly shushing her and reminding her to breathe.

After a moment, she steadies herself. Her breathing slows to a more normal, quiet rhythm and she closes her eyes. There's a small dropping sound as tears leave her eyes and fall onto the paper in her hands.

"Are you okay?" you ask. Again, she doesn't respond.

It's lucky that you're standing there because she nearly collapses into your arms, heaving sobs ripping through the silence of the night. This is something you've never seen from her before, and her loud sobs are absolutely crushing you.

You hold her tightly, lifting her and carrying her onto the bed so you both can sit while she cries. Her face is buried in your chest. It breaks your heart to see her this way, but you thought something like this might happen, though you're not sure of the details.

The mattress shifts under you as you rock her lightly, supporting her in your arms as she slowly but surely makes her way from heaving sobs, to steady tears, to quiet sniffles.

"Can you tell me what happened?" you ask, your voice quiet.

"N-nightmare. Zaheer," she stutters between shaky breaths, "Korra...dead."

"Oh, my love," you hold her tighter and shush her once more, allowing her to get all the tears out she needs to.

"Is that why you were looking for her letters?"

She nods weakly against you and you kiss the top of her head softly.

"Okay, sweetheart, it's alright. Korra is alive, she's with her family, and she's not in any danger, okay? She's alright. You're alright." You know this isn't about her, but you want to make sure she knows that she's safe, too. Asami is so good at caring for others and making sure that everyone else has their needs met, she often forgets herself in the process. You think back to other nights you've woken up to her.

"Does this happen often?"

Her hesitation is all you need to know the answer, but she speaks after a moment, "It's not usually this bad. It's just that...tomorrow..." she pauses to release another sob and you nod, stroking her hair.

"I know. I was kind of hoping you didn't notice."

She doesn't respond, and the silence returns. You continue rocking her in your arms, and after a long while of soft shushing and several whispers of "it's okay," you notice her long blinks and relaxed hands. She's falling asleep, thank the spirits. She needs it.

Moving ever so carefully, you lay her down, pushing her hair out of her face, and lay down behind her. You wrap an arm around her waist and pull her close, and she sighs. Her hand finds yours and holds it tightly, and you wait for her to fully relax and for her breathing to slow before you let your own eyes close, holding her tighter than ever.

Tomorrow might be a hard day, but right now, everything was alright.