escapism // 𝑘𝑜𝑟𝑟𝑎𝑠𝑎𝑚𝑖 𝑥 𝑓𝑒𝑚! 𝑟𝑒𝑎𝑑𝑒𝑟

chapter twelve

"ೃ are you gonna apologize?"

"why? for being right?"

korra sighed. we were flying across the land back to republic city and were halfway there.

asami was talking to jinora and opal about something on the other side of the saddle and ikki was reading a book while meelo was taking a nap next to me.

korra settled behind me, facing me, while i refused to look at her. i just stared at the clouds that passed by.

"i didn't mean to say that. losing zaofu wasn't your fault." she started.

i continued to ignore her.

"but, for the kuvira thing, you told me yourself she's better. you could have died throwing yourself in there."

i turned gently to not wake up meelo.

"does that mean i should have let her hurt you instead?" i asked.

she sighed and rubbed her forehead stressfully.

"or worse? korra, you couldn't have possibly thought i would have let her do that." i said.

"she wasn't going to kill me." she said.

"you don't know that. to me, kuvira seems like she'll do whatever it takes to get her way." i said.

she stayed quiet.

"you know i can handle myself." i grumbled.

"i thought i could too. but obviously i couldn't when i broke my spine twenty times back there." she chuckled.

i rolled my eyes at the dumb joke. i looked down at my lap while replaying the moment i ran into the fight over and over again.

"do you remember when we were on the airship three years ago, ready to fight the red lotus? you wanted to sacrifice yourself and we all told you that the world needed you more then?"

she shuffled uncomfortably in her spot but nodded.

"okay well, i lied. i didn't tell you not to sacrifice yourself because the world needed you. i needed you." i confessed.

her expression saddened. "i didn't care about the world, i cared about whether i'd be able to see you again or not. it's the same thing now." i continued.

"it's selfish, i know. but i don't care about zaofu. i don't care about the earth kingdom, i care about you. i'm not letting you risk your life again just to prove to yourself you're a good avatar."

she raised her brows in surprise. i then realized what had just left my mouth and quickly thought of an apology.

or an explanation. or something.

"oh.. i'm sorry, i didn't mean it like that-"

"no. you're right. you're absolutely right." she said softly, looking away from me and at the clouds behind us.

my heart dropped. i didn't want her to be even more mad at me.

"i want to prove myself. not just to me, but to everyone. i've let everyone down in the last three years. i've done nothing for anyone." she started.

i looked up at her. "one of my only thoughts while being passed out was that if i was going to die then, at least i was dying for zaofu." she said.

i sighed. i suddenly felt so glad i stepped in. because we both knew that kuvira was probably going to kill her to take zaofu.

"but even if i make a decision like giving myself up, i can't have you making that choice as well. you and asami are the people i care most about before my family."