(Trigger warning for depression & suicidal tendencies.)

Asami could immediately tell something was different the moment she laid eyes on Korra. It wasn't just her outward appearance but also her inner personality. As they met eyes, the CEO could see a new calmness to her 'friend'. However, she didn't have much time to ponder on it with Kuvira's army on the rise.

The first time she knew something drastic had changed during the Avatar's disappearance was on the day of Hiroshi's funeral. The few people who had showed up slowly left one-by-one. Even Mako and Bolin left their friend to grieve. Asami, too caught up in her own emotions, had thought everyone had left. She carelessly flopped onto the ground and pulled her knees to her chin as she cried at her father's grave. Her hiccup turned into a gasp as someone hugged her and pulled her into their lap. She could barely make out the tan complexion and choppy hair of her 'friend' through her own wavy hair that framed her face. She grasped onto Korra's shirt and hid her face in the Avatar's neck.

All the while, Korra carefully comforted her by tightening her hold. She pressed her cheek to the top of Asami's head and slowly rubbed her back. She didn't say a word. There were no words in the world that would comfort her right now and she knew that. So instead she kept Asami in her arms as long as she needed.

As Asami's tears slowly ebbed away, she glanced up at her friend. She blinked through her tears in surprise when she saw a lone tear slip down Korra's cheek. Maybe it was just the rain that had started falling that made it look like that. Asami reached up to pull Korra into a much needed hug, which the Avatar equally returned.

The next time she realized that Korra had changed was when they were chasing after a thug who stole Asami's purse as they left one of Raiko's meetings. Korra immediately took off after him. Asami, struggling to run in her heels, only caught up to them once the thief locked himself in an abandoned building. Asami was about to pull her hairpin out of her hair to unlock the door. However, Korra beat her to it and swiftly produced a nail file from a hidden pocket and picked the lock open in record time. Asami stood astonished for a few seconds, but then realized that Korra was gone again. She found them in the basement, where Korra was holding the thief up by his collar and holding a rock in the air.

Why would she pick earth to bend? Wouldn't fire be a better choice to intimidate?

Korra emptily stared at the frightened thief before dropping him on his butt and recovering the stolen purse. Asami blinked in surprise as Korra calmly handed her belongings back. That's when she knew more had happened than what Korra told. First off, earth was not Korra's primary element. Secondly, she just released a criminal. The old Korra would have never done that. Third, when had she learned to pick locks???

But Asami didn't voice her questions and they quietly returned home together.

Over the span of their evolving relationship, Asami noticed some peculiar things about Korra. Korra was a much more rational person and just calm altogether compared to when they first met. She took things in stride and didn't anger quite as quick as before. Some nights, Korra would retreat to bed early. Sometimes, Korra would come stomping inside from the courtyard where she trained when back pain spurred. One thing that confused Asami to no end was how Korra would freeze up randomly and stare out into space.

They were walking through the second floor towards the stairs to go downstairs. Asami was talking about complications at work when Korra froze. The pale woman noticed her disappearance from her side and looked back for her. Korra was intently gazing over the banister that overlooked to first floor foyer. Asami warily walked to her side and rested her hand on Korra's hand squeezing the wooden bar.

"Korra?"

After a few aching seconds, Korra removed her gaze from the bottom floor. This wasn't the first time Korra froze up, but it was starting to bother Asami. She worried if Korra was still recovering from her fight with Zaheer. She had decided previously that she would ask Korra some questions the next time she froze up.

Asami took a quiet breath, mentally preparing herself. "Korra, do you know where you are?"

Korra's slow breathing quickened and after a quick glance of her surroundings she answered. "Home."

"Right. Do you remember where we're going?"

Korra let go of the banister and turned her back to it. She wrung her hands together in thought. "Dinner with Bolin and Opal."

Even though Korra answered correctly, it didn't alleviate Asami's worry. Korra was still hesitant with her answers.

"Are – Do you still want to go?" Asami changed her choice of words, knowing Korra hated people asking if she was 'okay'.

Korra nodded and grabbed the CEO's hand. Korra sighed in relief at the touch. Asami could feel Korra's tension slowly subside and she guided her girlfriend to the door.

Asami was frantically writing down equations and solutions on her blueprints. She paid no attention to the time and continued putting the ideas in her head to the paper. As she all-too-quickly took a drink of her tea, she instantly spit it back into the cup. It had gone cold. When had that happened? Her brow furrowed in thought. Her tea was usually hot. How had it gone cold? After a minute of contemplation, she realized it in shock. She twisted to look at the clock. It was 3 a.m. and she was still working overtime in her home office, which in reality wasn't that uncommon, but usually Korra came to drag her to bed eventually.

'Where's Korra?' Asami wondered, not to heat up her tea, but in slight panic that she hadn't come pull her to bed as per routine.

The CEO abandoned her office in search of her girlfriend. She immediately went to their bedroom and was surprised to see that Korra was not there. Though, the bed was disheveled, meaning she had been in bed at some point. That didn't help her increasing panic. She thought of other places Korra might go during the middle of the night. The gym, maybe. The kitchen, that was a common occurrence. Asleep on the couch watching a marathon, possible. Asami quickly checked all of those places but the Avatar was not there. She sighed roughly and leaned against the kitchen counter. Thoughts began to run through her mind. 'No. She wouldn't...run away again... Would she?'

As Asami exited the kitchen, she looked through the window. Korra wouldn't be outside. It was too cold out with winter on the way. But something nagging in the back of her mind told her to go check. She cautiously walked towards the backyard. She saw a shadow sitting on the deck when she peered through the glass door. She sighed and disappointedly opened the door.

Korra remained unmoving even after she heard Asami open the door and saw her sit next to her. The Avatar simply stared at her hands as if they were alien to her. Suddenly a pale hand came into her view as it encompassed her palm.

"Do you want to talk?" Asami asked quietly.

Korra slowly shook her head and gently squeezed the pale hand. They sat in silence except for the chilly wind. Korra's behavior was confusing Asami to no end. She carefully tugged the Avatar's hand to get her attention.

"C'mon. Let's go to bed. It's cold out here anyway." Asami urged.

However, Korra seemed to hesitate. Even as a cold chill shook her shoulders, the tan woman stayed put. Asami sighed and kneeled down in front of her.

"You need to talk to me Korra. I can't read your mind." Asami reasoned. "But right now I'm tired and I would really appreciate it if you joined me in bed. It's cold without you." At this, Korra finally looked up and Asami could see the emptiness in her eyes. It almost made her quaver. "J-Just promise me that one day in the near future, when you're ready, you'll talk to me about what you're thinking."

Korra blankly stared back at her, then blinked the emptiness away and nodded. Asami sighed contently and pulled the Avatar to her feet.

As they clambered into bed, Asami pulled Korra close to her and wrapped the blankets around them tightly. Asami was shivering because of the cold. Korra was shivering too, but she's never cold so Asami wondered if she was shivering for a different reason, perhaps a mental reason. She had to get Korra to talk somehow, but for now it was time for rest.

Asami rested her forehead against Korra's. The Avatar nudged her in return, her personality returning some. It didn't take long for either begin to fall asleep. However, Korra spoke up.

"I love you Asami." She spoke calmly.

Asami opened her eyes quickly, looked into Korra's eyes, and was surprised to see longing and love in her eyes. She smiled softly. Korra still loved her, even with whatever she was going through. The CEO placed a cold, pale hand against her girlfriend's heated cheek and pressed their lips together. "And I love you Korra." She breathed out as they separated.

It happened again, except Asami wasn't as quick to notice this time. They were walking through the same hall to the stairs, past the same banister that often staggered Korra. Why did it cause Korra so much trouble? Asami had no idea until now.

She felt the absence of her lover and turned back to find her. She immediately gasped and went wide-eyed. What did Korra think she was doing? She froze in anticipation of Korra's next move. The Avatar was currently paused midway through climbing over the bar, her knee resting on the wood. Seconds ticked by and Korra suddenly began to move. Asami moved in such rush, dropping her papers, and yanked her back.

Korra groaned as her back collided with the floor. Asami had her arms wrapped tight around her in a vice grip. The Avatar could hear the quiet sobs of her girlfriend crying on top of her. Tears quickly pricked her eyes in return as she internally questioned herself. Her lip quivered and her voice trembled. "I-I'm sorry! I don't know what's wrong with me!"

Asami just hugged her tighter as her crying increased.

"I can't make it to any meetings today. Just tell them I have family matters, okay!" Asami argued over the phone. Her secretary wasn't arguing, but Asami's stress was already sky-high and she hadn't stepped a foot out of the house.

The CEO took a breath and calmly returned to the living room with two cups of hot tea. She gently placed one in Korra's hand when she reached through the blanket covering her shoulders. Asami dropped beside her and stared into her cup. The room was eerily quiet as neither knew where to start.

"Is it me...?" Asami whispered.

Emotion appeared on Korra's face for the first time that day. "What? No! It's not you at all."

"Then what is it Korra?" Asami barked. "We've been putting it off but I think it's time you talked a little bit." Korra hung her head in shame. "Do you have any idea what you tried to do this morning? How scared I was?"

Korra gulped and took several deep breaths. She sat her cup on the table and began writhing her hands together. "It just happens."

"What? Trying to jump to your death?" Asami replied sarcastically.

Korra scowled at her. "It wouldn't have killed me. It's only a floor up."

"That's not the point! Korra, you thought about killing yourself?!"

Memories appeared in Korra's mind, making her push further into the couch in discomfort. Asami noticed her discomfort increasing rapidly and quickly intervened. She grabbed her hand and crawled closer to her. "Korra, did something happen after you left?"

Korra squeezed her eyes shut to prevent new tears from falling. "I did some bad things, Asami."

Asami cautiously slid forward and wrapped an arm over her shoulder. "Can we talk about it?"

Korra nodded and slouched into her side. "I was in a bad place. I thought if I just locked it up in the back of my mind that it would go away, but obviously..."

A broken shell of a woman sat in the corner of an underground bar. She was on her third drink and was starting to finally feel the effects that she desired. She hadn't any other plans except to get wasted tonight. That was until she saw a dark-haired beauty waltzing in her direction. She eyed her until the woman took a seat next to her. She glanced back her empty glass. It wasn't her, she reminded herself. Her guest ordered new drinks for the both of them. She took the free drink nonetheless, thankful someone was helping her empty pockets. The rest of the night was a blur until her back hit cushions and strange lips touched her neck. She knew it wasn't her, but it was a way to temporarily block the pain of not knowing if she would ever see her again. A gasp escaped her as their skin made contact. She imagined she was with her former lover. Even if the chances of that ever happening again were slim, she could hope.

She woke up the next morning lying next to a strange woman in a strange room. She didn't know where she was, but since when had that mattered to her? It had been months since she had a destination. She quickly gathered her clothes and snuck out. The village was small and still asleep. She hurriedly grabbed some fruit from a stand, leaving two measly coins, and hightailed it out of there. It wasn't enough to pay for the fruit, but the Avatar never did have a lot of money.

Her clothes were beginning to tether, but she couldn't afford new clothes, let alone a whole meal. She sat tired at the entrance of an alleyway. The villagers casually passed by, going about their normal day. She contemplated getting up, but where would she go? She had only one destination and she couldn't push herself to make it there. She was stuck in the Earth Kingdom and stuck in her terror-filled mind. Suddenly a coin landed in her lap. She looked up, but the lender was out of sight. She looked back down at the coin blankly. What good would one coin do her? What good was she doing here?! She set out to travel in hopes of finding herself again, but instead she continued to lose herself. She thought leaving the confines of the South would open doors. Now she's broke, homeless, starving, and still losing her mind.

Anger began to fill her. All of her enemies were right. She was the worst Avatar ever! She stood up quickly and had to brace herself on a wall until her head stopped spinning. She observed around her surroundings. Evening was started to wear down and the mass of villagers were slowly dissipating. She finally poked her head out when most people had disappeared and glanced around. Her body moved without her mind acknowledging what she was doing until she was looking down off of a three-story building. A jolt through her chest froze her body while her mind remained numb. Could she finally go through with what she had been thinking about for years now?

Her foot inched closer to the ledge. She wanted to do it so bad, but something was stopping her. For a minute she started thinking that it was the tiny bit of hope at seeing her lover again that was stopping her. However, once she glanced around she found what she thought to be the real culprit. She growled and lifted her head. Why was she following her everywhere?! That wasn't her now and it never was her! Why does this image of her dark-self keep appearing?! Every time she made a move to do something big, it stopped her. It stopped her from taking the help from her tribe. It stopped her from returning to Republic City. It stopped her from living, or in this case, dying like she wanted to!

Korra gulped and remained still. She wanted to do it. She didn't care what her dark-self tried to make her do. She was willing to end it all so the world could have its rightful Avatar. No, that was a lie. She knew she was being selfish.

Suddenly an image of Asami appear in her head. Her wavy black hair, her perfect makeup, the way she would soothe the Avatar with her words. It was still that tiny sliver of hope that stopped Korra.

She slowly withdrew her foot and stepped away. She wouldn't end it now; not yet. She had to try to at least fix herself for Asami. If she couldn't... She shook her head of the thought. She couldn't worry about that now. She had to find a solution to her weakened mind and body.

Tears dripped down her face. Her arms shook as she tightened her hold on her girlfriend. She listened to Korra's story and could hardly believe what she heard, though it explained a lot.

Korra was tense in her arms. She finally told her broken story and didn't know what to expect from her girlfriend. It was a serious matter if they were to continue their relationship. Korra's heart froze and her chest tightened. What if Asami didn't accept her problems? She unknowingly got up and began pacing the living room.

Asami faintly acknowledged the absence of presence next to her. So many thoughts were running through her head and she didn't know where to start. She heard indistinct muttering and finally looked up to see what Korra was doing. She warily stood up to approach her. The Avatar was pacing and hugging herself. "Korra," she said, grabbing her shoulders. The waterbender avoided her gaze and remained tense. Asami moved her hands to her neck to tip her chin up. "Korra."

The tan woman hesitantly looked up with misty eyes. "Please don't leave me..."

Asami went wide-eyed and abruptly pulled Korra into her embrace. "I won't leave you, Korra. I love you. We're going to work through this together." They pulled just an inch apart to be able to look into each other's eyes. "I'm glad you finally opened up to me. Please just don't shut me out again. I want to be there for you."

Korra nodded immediately with her own tears dripping down her face. "I was scared of what you would think of me, but I promise I won't hide anything anymore."

Asami hugged her tighter with the resolve to never let her beloved go again.

Asami usually got home from work rather late in the evening, so she found it odd that Korra was not home yet when she arrived. Unless she was called into the city for help she was normally home when Asami came in. The CEO hung her purse next to the front door and went into the kitchen to see if she left a note. She sighed when she found one from Korra saying that she was in a surprise meeting with Raiko. That man was so unprofessional, Asami couldn't wait for him to get booted. She went upstairs to take a shower to calm herself from work so she could be there for her girlfriend to talk to.

Korra dragged herself through the front door. Raiko was officially at the top of the list of things she hated, even before mornings. She sighed as she tore her boots off and walked deeper into the mansion. She blinked when she saw Asami waiting for her on the couch clad in pajamas and had tea on the table. Asami smiled when she saw her girlfriend and sat up. "How was it?"

Korra groaned and plopped beside her on the couch. "I can't wait for the elections."

"Me too, Korra. What did he want anyway?"

Korra sat up as emotion filled her at the thought of Raiko. "He didn't even need me there! He always does this – calling me in to meetings just for appearance."

Asami slid up to her side and hugged her. "I like having you for appearance."

Korra chuckled and leaned back again. "That's different. I'm your girlfriend."

Asami rested her head on her chest, listening to the soothing effect of the woman's