[Wan closed the distance between their shoulders, leaning in so he could rest his head against hers as he threaded their fingers together.]
You're doing what you think is right.
[The answer came easily to him. Despite how much it hurt that she'd hidden this from him, from so many, he understood the reasoning. He didn't agree with it, but he understood it.]
Yeah. [She scoffs before she can help herself.] I bet thinking that's real helpful when doing what I think is right just keeps causing problems for other people.
[Finally, she relaxes and leans into his side. Her eyes are dry now, but she can still feel the lingering puffiness from her earlier cry.
She's so tired of hiding things from people. Hadn't she pitched a fit at Tenzin and her dad for doing the exact same thing? And they had just been trying to protect her, too. Somewhere along the way, Korra had started following in both of her father figures' footsteps and kept information to herself. It's a realization that sits uncomfortably under her skin.
Though she's still confused about everything else, Korra does know she doesn't want to keep secrets from Wan anymore. Tiredly, she closes her eyes.]
We have a way of contacting Stefan--it's a phone that used to belong to one of the rebels, but we're not supposed to use it too often. Storage is... probably in the same place as the Yao Corp headquarters. One of my friends saw it during the raid, but her group had to leave before they could really find out anything else.
[There's a pause as she looks away. Well, if she's laying it all out...]
I didn't say anything when I woke up with new memories, but... there's something you probably don't know about Harmonic Convergence. After the fight with Vaatu, I decided to leave the Spirit Portals open.
[The words slipped out before he had the presence of mind to stop them. And even if he'd had that, he was too tired and emotionally exhausted to care about it.]
Mako told me you did when he got here. Actually, he told me about Harmonic Convergence and what happened to you. With the connections to your past lives being severed and Raava having to rebond with you.
[Wan took a deep breath. If he was asking her to spill her secrets, he might as well do the same for her.]
I asked him not to tell you about any of it unless you asked him directly. We had just gotten out of the maze, you were... you weren't in a good place. I thought that if he told you, it would make things worse for you. That it would be better for you to find out later. Sorry.
[She's quiet as she lets that sink in. Maybe she should be upset--that Wan had been keeping things from her, too--but aside from the old flare of irritation that quickly sputters out, she's just too tired to really care. To get upset. She doesn't want to do this anymore.
Korra leans into him even more, sighing.]
Maybe we've been doing this all wrong. We keep trying to protect each other, but we just end up hurting each other when we find out later.
[Another moment of silence.]
What if...we just promised to tell each other things from now on? No more of this...hiding.
[He took a deep breath and let out a heavy sigh, rubbing his thumb over the knuckles of one of hands. He honestly didn't know if that would be better. It kind of felt like Korra was saying they couldn't trust each other unless they told each other everything. And that wasn't the case. Not for Wan.]
I still trust you, you know.
[He said softly, voice heavy with wariness.]
And I wasn't lying when I told you it was okay for you to hide things from me if you aren't comfortable telling me. This is just... it's different than keeping how you died from me. It's different than waiting to tell me about breaking the revival machine. This is something I've been telling people who come here that there's hope. That those they love are safe from Yao Corp's grasp if they disappear. I've been lying to them because I didn't know any better. And you let me do it. You knew I was giving them false hope.
You knew I was giving myself false hope that Raava was free of them in a way we can't be yet.
I didn't mean we should tell each other...everything. Everyone wants to keep some things to themselves. [It's a weird thing to say, perhaps, considering who Wan is, but they are their own people despite sharing a soul.]
Just...you know, we both hide things when we're trying to protect each other. Me with Storage, you with what Mako told you. I think we both know that we can handle things now. That's what I meant.
[She falls quiet again, before saying, tiredly:]
I know...and I'm sorry. You giving them that false hope is my fault, not yours.
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You're doing what you think is right.
[The answer came easily to him. Despite how much it hurt that she'd hidden this from him, from so many, he understood the reasoning. He didn't agree with it, but he understood it.]
Are you hiding anything else from me?
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[Finally, she relaxes and leans into his side. Her eyes are dry now, but she can still feel the lingering puffiness from her earlier cry.
She's so tired of hiding things from people. Hadn't she pitched a fit at Tenzin and her dad for doing the exact same thing? And they had just been trying to protect her, too. Somewhere along the way, Korra had started following in both of her father figures' footsteps and kept information to herself. It's a realization that sits uncomfortably under her skin.
Though she's still confused about everything else, Korra does know she doesn't want to keep secrets from Wan anymore. Tiredly, she closes her eyes.]
We have a way of contacting Stefan--it's a phone that used to belong to one of the rebels, but we're not supposed to use it too often. Storage is... probably in the same place as the Yao Corp headquarters. One of my friends saw it during the raid, but her group had to leave before they could really find out anything else.
[There's a pause as she looks away. Well, if she's laying it all out...]
I didn't say anything when I woke up with new memories, but... there's something you probably don't know about Harmonic Convergence. After the fight with Vaatu, I decided to leave the Spirit Portals open.
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[The words slipped out before he had the presence of mind to stop them. And even if he'd had that, he was too tired and emotionally exhausted to care about it.]
Mako told me you did when he got here. Actually, he told me about Harmonic Convergence and what happened to you. With the connections to your past lives being severed and Raava having to rebond with you.
[Wan took a deep breath. If he was asking her to spill her secrets, he might as well do the same for her.]
I asked him not to tell you about any of it unless you asked him directly. We had just gotten out of the maze, you were... you weren't in a good place. I thought that if he told you, it would make things worse for you. That it would be better for you to find out later. Sorry.
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Korra leans into him even more, sighing.]
Maybe we've been doing this all wrong. We keep trying to protect each other, but we just end up hurting each other when we find out later.
[Another moment of silence.]
What if...we just promised to tell each other things from now on? No more of this...hiding.
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I still trust you, you know.
[He said softly, voice heavy with wariness.]
And I wasn't lying when I told you it was okay for you to hide things from me if you aren't comfortable telling me. This is just... it's different than keeping how you died from me. It's different than waiting to tell me about breaking the revival machine. This is something I've been telling people who come here that there's hope. That those they love are safe from Yao Corp's grasp if they disappear. I've been lying to them because I didn't know any better. And you let me do it. You knew I was giving them false hope.
You knew I was giving myself false hope that Raava was free of them in a way we can't be yet.
That's what hurts.
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Just...you know, we both hide things when we're trying to protect each other. Me with Storage, you with what Mako told you. I think we both know that we can handle things now. That's what I meant.
[She falls quiet again, before saying, tiredly:]
I know...and I'm sorry. You giving them that false hope is my fault, not yours.
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[He turned his head to nuzzle her cheek.]
I forgive you. Will you forgive me?
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You don't even have to ask. [She replies, voice still soft, but relieved this time.] We'll just...have to learn from this.
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[A smile finally cracked his lips and he shut his eyes.]
Can we sleep together tonight? I really need the company.
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[Giving his hand a squeeze, she replies.]
I think we both need it, after all this.
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[This is the slang he's learned in Haven, Korra.]
Do you want to sleep in my bed or yours? Or on the couch?
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Let's just sleep in yours. I've seen some people's friends using the couch when they're visiting.
[But for now, they can just sit here curled up together until they feel ready to move.]