For Korra and Steph

[sayshazam]

Alex was gone. One minute she was there and the next... not. They were talking and she had ducked into the kitchen to get something and there was just silence. When he looked in to check on her she just... wasn't there. There wasn't any time for her to even duck out the window or anything. One second she was there and the next... no Alex.

Billy had been in Darrow long enough to know that weird stuff happened. Which is why the first the he had done was turn into Shazam and check out the immediate area. Then he used every spell he could think of (which mostly consisted of shouting nonsense words followed by "bring back Alex") to find out what happened to her.

School had been completely forgotten as was hanging out with Steph after classes and his training with Korra later in the evening. All Billy had been able to think about was finding Alex. She couldn't be gone, she couldn't because Billy needed her. Alex was the one that had convinced him to be her roommate. She was the one that kept reaching out to him and befriending him. She was the one that had made him care about her.

And now she was gone and it wasn't fair! It wasn't fair because she made Billy think it was okay to get close to people and now she had left him just like everyone always did. He had been right, he couldn't count on people to stay because they just left you. They left you and they didn't take their dog and now he had two dogs and an apartment he couldn't afford on his own and-

"And I wish I had never met her!" he shouted into the empty apartment. Maybe if he screamed it loud enough he would actually believe it. Then maybe it wouldn't hurt so much.

Comments

[unrestraint]

"Wow, I... really didn't follow any of that," Korra admits after Steph's long, winding answer about the different universes that any of them could be in, and the impact that it could have had on their personalities. She kind of gets it, in theory. Maybe. Simplistically. But when Korra stops to think too much about all the different ways she could have turned out, it just feels like kind of a headache. Maybe a little scary, too. (The first thing that pops to her mind is, admittedly, a world in which Amon won.)

"But terrible or not, you're right. We're trying as hard as we can," Korra confirms with a grin. "Because that's all you can really do, right? That's all I've got for you, buddy. The fact that I will fight tooth and nail to make sure we get as much time with each other as we can. And hey, no need to apologize to me for bringing up something familiar. Actually, it's... I mean, the real terrible thing is that it helps. Knowing that I'm not the only one in this position. I hate that it was you, Billy, but it's also nice knowing that I'm not alone."

Atka stares up at Billy, lips parted, nose twitching at the brush of fingers through his hair.

[thefourthone]

"Yeah, sorry, I'm the worst," Steph apologizes, nose wrinkling in embarrassment, but Billy is at least trying to smile so maybe it helped a little bit.

She nods decisively when Korra does. Probably smarter to go along with what she's saying than rick rambling again. "Yup. We're here for you. We're going to have so much quality time together you'll get sick of us."

[sayshazam]

"You're the best girlfriend I've ever had," Billy said, trying to give Steph a reassuring smile. He thought he did a pretty good job of it, especially considering that Steph absolutely was the best girlfriend he'd ever had. Even if she was his only one.

"And you won't ever be alone as long as we're here," he reassured her Korra as he reached out and squeezed Steph's hand. "And I'm pretty sure that you two will get sick of me before I get sick of you."

[unrestraint]

Is Korra able to completely ignore her sense of jealousy? No, of course not. She's only human. Watching Billy and Steph talk to one another brings back sharp memories of the way Korra was able to rely on Naruto before he vanished, and between this and talks she's had with Sam, Korra can't help but wonder if she'll never be able to experience anything quite as close or strong again. It's possible.

But it's not a reason to dampen those who still have that blessing in their lives. So she grins, holding Atka closer to herself and rocking him just enough that the baby starts to be lulled back into sleep.

"Hey, I won't promise not to get sick of either of you. But I can promise that I'll want you guys to stick around even during the worst of it. Avatar's honor," she says with a laugh, raising her hand in salute.