write to me

"darling, you're my anchor"

Korra,

I have a bit of a confession to make. I kind of knew that I still had your shirt and took it with me anyway. I don't know why. I'm sorry I didn't give it back.

-Asami

Asami-

Don't feel bad. You remember how I sat in your room with you while you packed the night before you left? I watched you forget to pack your hair brush and I didn't say anything. I don't know why, either. I think I was just so sad you were leaving that I wanted something of yours to stay here with me.

-Korra

Korra,

That was one of the best nights I've had in a while. It was hard knowing that in just a few hours time I'd be leaving but something about it just felt neverending. I can't believe we stayed up all night. I never asked, how did the healing session with Katara go the next day? I'm sorry for keeping you up. You must've been exhausted.

What you said about wanting something of mine to stay with you...that's exactly how I felt. I wasn't ready to leave you yet and taking something that I knew would remind me of you made it easier. I'm glad we're in the same boat, I was really nervous to tell you. There's some part of me that feels almost thankful...maybe that's not the right word. Special? I don't know. It just makes me happy to know that you wanted to keep something of mine, too, that you miss me as much as I miss you.

I wish I was still there with you.

-Asami

Asami-

Special is exactly it. It's the word I keep coming back to when it comes to us, it's just special. It's really special that we went from not really liking each other to being so close that we slept in the same bed and now we're taking each other's stuff just so we don't feel like we're completely apart. It's still kinda hard for me to not feel guilty about how close we are, compared to the rest of Team Avatar. But I keep reminding myself of what we talked about that night we both had a nightmare, that it's okay for us to be this close, it doesn't mean we don't love the rest of the team.

Honestly, I slept in that day. After you left I radioed Katara to ask if I could see her later in the afternoon but she was scheduled to help someone else. I wound up seeing Kya instead. It was a pretty good session, we spent a lot of time talking.

-Korra

Korra,

I have to say, it was weird getting used to sleeping alone again. I knew that coming back to the estate would be lonely, but I didn't expect to feel lonely in my bed until my first night back and you weren't there. I hadn't felt that way since Mako and I broke up. I guess when you feel that safe with someone and you fall into a routine with them, it takes some time to adjust to not having that safety anymore.

What was it like having a session with Kya? Did you guys talk about anything interesting?

-Asami

Asami-

I know exactly what you mean. Sleeping here without you is actually kinda difficult. I wake up from a nightmare and you're not there to bring me back down from it. I don't think it's a coincidence that I only had one nightmare of all the nights we spent together. It was almost like I woke up from that nightmare and you were there and from then on I didn't have any because I knew you were right there. I knew you'd be there to shake me out of it, or that if I woke up from a nightmare about something bad happening to you I could just roll over and see you lying there, safe and sound. And snoring.

The weird thing is, I didn't feel that safety with Mako. It's not that I felt like I was in any danger, I just didn't feel any safer with him than I did without him. I just assumed it was because I was the Avatar but I feel that safety when you're here and you're not a bender. Not that being a bender makes you stronger in a fight, I've seen you hold your own. When we were trying to take down Amon and I was kidnapped, I got myself out of that mess. When I disappeared for a while because that spirit took me just before Harmonic Convergence, I found my own way back home and back to myself. But when I went in after Aiwei to Xi Bao's grove, you took me with you to try to get to safety. And even though we were captured by the Earth Kingdom, we got out of it together, and then we got out of the desert together.

The session with Kya was interesting. I was able to walk a little with her help. She was asking how you were and if I was sad that you were gone, and then said something about her girl friend who's coming to visit soon from Kyoshi Island. Apparently she's super close friends with one of the warriors? The more I find out about Kya the cooler I think she is. She said she'd introduce me to her friend when she comes to visit.

-Korra

Korra,

I'm sorry it's been so hard for you to sleep lately. Have you been getting nightmares again? I wish I could help, I feel so helpless being this far away again. It's been difficult for me, too. I haven't been having nightmares but it's been so difficult for me to fall asleep. I need to move out. This house is so echoey and empty and every bump in the night sets me off.

I think for me it boiled down to trust. I didn't trust Mako from a very early point in the relationship, I picked up on him having feelings for you pretty quickly, and I spent most of our time together after that wondering if he was thinking of you. In hindsight I should've left. After everything you and I have been through together, I know I can trust you. If we can fight off bandits and escape the Red Lotus, we can fend off anyone. And I don't lie awake watching you sleep wondering if and when you're going to betray me.

Kya mentioned a girl friend coming to visit when I spoke to her but I didn't know she was a Kyoshi Warrior. How wild would it be if I met her while I was at Kyoshi Island?

-Asami

PS I'm sorry about the snoring, I hope it wasn't too loud.

Asami-

Wait, you spoke to Kya while you were here? When? Where was I?

I'm sorry that your relationship with Mako was that tense. That's definitely a little on me for kissing him and telling him that when he's with you he's thinking of me. I feel like I ruined something that could've been really good for you guys.

As for nightmares, I'm having them again, but not as often as before. I'm getting better at preventing them and recovering from them, but I think I'm gonna be having nightmares for a while. I just have to accept it. It was easier when you were here, though.

-Korra

PS You weren't loud at all, it was a light snore and it was kind of adorable.

Korra,

She came by one day while you were at a healing session. We just talked about how I was doing and she was asking how I was enjoying the South Pole, and she mentioned whoever her Kyoshi Warrior is would be coming to visit in a couple months.

Don't apologize. I think Mako would've hurt me no matter what, the same way he wound up hurting you. I had no idea you told him he was thinking of you any time he was with me. That's...pretty impressive, honestly. I can't even be mad, I respect you for having that kind of nerve. I couldn't even bring myself to ask him about you until it was painfully obvious and too late to fix it.

I wish I could be there with you to help you sleep. I know it's not the same, but I'm sending this letter with a sweater of mine. Sleeping in your shirt has helped me, so maybe this will help you.

-Asami