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“Really? Okay...I’ve always wanted to see what the Spirit World’s like.”
“Sounds perfect.”
There’s some silence, but it’s anything but awkward. It’s comfortable, no words needed to be said, but for Korra, there’s so much more. Yet, she doesn’t know how to say it, but she thinks she knows where to start.
“Asami, there’s something else I need to tell you,” Korra stated, her voice much huskier than it needed to be.
Asami tears her eyes away from the glow of the Spirit Portal and back to Korra, there’s a look of softness and curiosity in her eyes. Korra had to look away because if she stared any longer, she didn’t think she would be able to say what she needed to.
“Yeah?” Asami said.
Korra sighs, “Listen, I’ve never been good at this.”
Asami tilts her head.
“At What?” she asks.
A beat of silence. She’s trying to catch Korra’s eye.
“Korra, what’s wrong? Talk to me.”
A heavy sigh, and finally, Korra meets Asami’s gaze.
“You know, when I met you, I was really jealous of you; with you being together with Mako and all,” she voices.
Asami’s expression turns to one of amusement, “Yeah, I feel like I could tell. I remember wanting you to like me so badly.”
Korra’s eyes widened. “Really?”
“Of course!” Asami exclaims. “You were the Avatar, but turned out to be a really cool person, as well. I wanted us to be best friends immediately! Then things kind of got...complicated.”
They both silently cringe, but fortunately, Korra steers them back to the conversation.
“I didn't want to like you. You just seemed so perfect, things came so naturally to you, you were so sweet, but no matter what, I just couldn’t bring myself to. It seems kind of silly now. You and I weren’t nearly as close as we are now.”
She gives Asami a weak smile and continues on, “Even after Mako and I broke it off for good, I never thought we’d be where we are now. Yet, after I lost all my past lives, you were the one that was there for me. Even after I…”
It takes a few moments for Korra to get the next few words out. Asami notices this and rests her hand on Korra's, giving it a reassuring squeeze.
“...Even after Zaheer infected me with the poison, I felt so useless, like no one could understand how I felt, but your letters, they were what kept me going. Asami, you helped me realise that I am so much more than what I can give to other people. That I’m not the worst Avatar ever, and I’ve done so much more than what I give myself credit for, and...thank you.”
Asami leans in to give Korra a hug
“Korra, you know I would do all those things again in a heartbeat,” she says sincerely.
She almost doesn’t hear Asami’s words. She's too busy focusing on the way her heart is pounding rapidly in her chest because of what she’s about to say right here, right now. Three words, eight letters; if she was able to say it for the first time all those years ago, she can definitely say it now.
“Asami, I-”
“There you guys are!”
Korra and Asami turn around to see Bolin jogging towards them with Opal trailing closely behind.
“You guys missed out on Tenzin stopping Varrick, seconds before he was about to jump off the roof!” he exclaimed. “He pried the glider suit out of Varrick’s hands and then-”
Asami lightly giggled, “Sounds like it was good we did.”
Opal placed her hands gently on Bolin’s shoulder, then looked between her and Korra, “I hope we’re not interrupting anything,” she said.
Korra stood up and put on her best fake smile, “No, not at all,” she sighed.
Asami did the same and listened to Bolin as he told the rest of the story, but her eyes would linger on Korra’s, which was hard to ignore.
So, maybe that didn’t go exactly the way Korra planned it, but if she went three years without saying it, she could go a little bit longer.
After all, there was their vacation...