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She rolls around in the bed, shifting to her side. She looks at the girl beside her, laying silently on her back. Through her tear stained eyes, she can't tell if she's sleeping. She inches closer to the stilled body, her mouth inches from her neck, her lengthy, flowing black hair just barely touching her shoulder. She puts her arms around her, and whispers:
"Can you feel me?"
The girl laying on her back opens her eyes. She is barely able to move her neck, but turns it to see the, now crying, black haired girl holding her body. She turns her head back upwards. She doesn't shed a tear.
"No."
She wishes so desperately that line was a lie. It's been two days since the accident.
~~~
The black haired girl hasn't left her side. Never before, and never will.
"Do you realize the responsibility you're about to take?" The adults kept bombarding her with the same question. She was only seventeen.
"Of course," Was, and is, Asami's reply, never with a sense of hesitance. As Korra slept in the hours since the crash, Asami would sit with her in just as much silence. Looking over her body, she kept her emotions within. There was no time for personal grievances; what mattered was Korra, and if she would even make it through the night.
Korra woke up twelve hours later.
"A-Asami...?" The girl struggled to move her neck, and had turned it to look at her. Asami crawled off her chair and right to Korra's side, cradling her head in her arms. Even then, Korra seemed... blocked. As Asami cried into her neck, Korra only muttered a sentence.
"Stop that."
Asami looked at her, a blank expression on Korra's face. In what may be a profound realization, Korra knew her condition. A single tear ran down her cheek.
"Sorry, Asami," Korra said, ever so silently. "My neck is wet, can you dry it?"
This was when Asami understood the adults' concern. It was one day since the accident.
~~~
Korra's expression has been unwavering. Asami tries tirelessly to change it. It's lunch time.
"Korra," Asami sighs as Korra turns away from the spoon of flavourless porridge. "I know it's disgusting, but you have to eat."
"No I don't," Korra quickly replies. "The feeding tube is enough."
"You know that's only there until we know what exactly you can eat," Asami explains, for the nineteenth time. Korra turns her head away further. Asami sighs again, and puts her hand on Korra's cheek, turning it towards her. She smiles. Korra wishes so badly she could reach up and grab such a warm hand. Instead, she leans into it, but her face remains expressionless.
That doesn't matter to Asami. The silent recognition is enough.
Korra finally accepts the porridge. After a little while, Asami spills some on her chin. Korra prepares for the napkin, but is caught off guard by Asami personally licking it up herself, leading into a kiss. The first kiss they've shared since the accident, or at least the first one where Korra has been conscious. Korra is thankful she has the muscle capacity to kiss her back.
As Asami pulls away, she sees Korra smile. It's been two weeks since the accident.
~~~
Korra has regained minimal movement in her hands. At the very least, she is satisfied that she can move herself.
"It's like playing a video game!" Asami exclaims, her mood always joyful. Korra has shown a bit of happiness since the kiss, but still struggles with depression.
Asami is referring to the joystick on Korra's wheelchair. While Korra is able to move it slightly, enough for it to register, she still requires help to get her hands in the proper position. As well as help getting into the chair, Asami has gained some muscle picking up Korra this entire time. She already sat Korra down, and now moves her arm to the armrest containing the joystick. Asami finally positions Korra's hand on top of it, and Korra's limited movement lets her grasp it.
"There you go!" Asami smiles, lifting off her hands and finally giving Korra some independence. Korra manages to smile softly, nowhere near as enthusiastic as Asami's.
"Thank you," she says. Her voice is still quiet, but the message is as sincere as it was yesterday, the day before, and forever. Asami follows her as Korra rolls around the hospital halls. It has been two months since the accident.
~~~
Korra and Asami worked out a brilliant learning system upon their return to school.
"But can someone just do the thing and name me the year President Aang founded Republic City!?" Mr. Varrick, the history teacher, is a bit... eccentric. Known as much for his academics as he is bouncing around the room causing havoc, he is considered one of the best teachers at Republic City High. Students are lucky to have him. Korra and Asami are two of those students.
Sitting in the back of the classroom, Asami is taking notes with her right hand hand while holding Korra's in her left. Desperately looking through her notes to find the answer, she feels a small squeeze. Instinctively at this point, Asami raises her left hand (while still rummaging through her notes).
"Yes, Korra? Do you know the thing?" Mr. Varrick is a bit up in her face now. He backs off almost instantly, and lets Korra reply.
"171 AG," Korra says. Her voice is still soft, but has gotten louder now. She has been more lively and motivated.
"That is correct! Man, you're good at this..." This has been the fifth question Korra has answered in class. Asami turns to Korra and sees her face is beaming with pride. Asami almost cries. It has been six months since the accident.
~~~
Asami is standing on the back wheels of Korra's wheelchair as she drives them through the park. She has her arms wrapped around Korra's neck the entire time. Korra never wants Asami to let go.
"That looks like a nice one," Asami points out, a massive tree awaiting them at the end of the path. Korra looks up and nods. She decides to be adventurous and picks up the pace. Asami almost falls off. She has been doing that a lot more lately; Korra has started showing signs of her old, reckless self again. The adults are scared, Asami is just happy to see she hasn't changed.
Now at the tree, Korra parks her wheelchair a bit beside it. Asami hops off and starts to stretch. Korra sighs, knowing what's about to happen. She still doesn't enjoy being lifted, but at least its Asami doing it. She still hates when the nurses do it; they just don't hold her neck with the same kind of care.
Asami places Korra down at the base of the tree. With her limited movements still improving, Korra manages to lift her arms slightly and onto her lap. Asami sits beside her, grabbing a hand that can only grasp back so slightly. Korra leans her neck into Asami’s.
“This is nice, thank you.” Korra whispers. Asami simply smiles, but then suddenly throws a sandwich into Korra’s mouth. Korra is surprised and alarmed by the sudden fibre in her system, but then manages to take a bite with a big, goofy grin.
Asami missed that grin so much.
The two girls laugh as Asami keeps throwing food at Korra. They haven’t had this much fun in what seems like forever. As the food fight continues, Asami eventually places the final sandwich bite in her mouth. She leans into Korra, who takes the bite, and goes in for the kiss. Asami chuckles as she’s forced to back away from Korra’s chewing.
“I guess food is more important than me,” She jokes, spitting out some of Korra’s garble. Korra, finishing her food, leans her head on Asami’s shoulder. The two look longingly into the sunset, the view absolutely stunning from their tree.
“Forever,” Korra mutters. “We have to stay like this forever.”
Asami smiles. “Okay,” she simply replies. It has been eight months since the accident.
~~~
Korra and Asami are the last ones at the prom. They waited until the dance floor was clear, asked the band to play covers of Fall Out Boy tunes, and head-banged their night away.
Asami missed how much Korra loved music. It has been ten months since the accident.
~~~
She rolls around in the bed, shifting to her side. She looks at the girl beside her, laying silently on her back. She can’t tell if she’s sleeping. She inches closer to her beautiful, stilled body. Her mouth inches from her neck, her lengthy, flowing black hair just barely touching her shoulder. She puts her arms around her and whispers:
“Can you feel me?”
The girl laying on her back opens her eyes. She is barely able to move her neck, but turns it to see the black haired girl holding her body. She grasps a hand wrapped around her stomach. She smiles like there’s no tomorrow. She nuzzles the black haired girl, holding her hand even tighter.
“Yes.”
Both of them have waited so long for this moment. It has been one year since the accident.