A/N: Hi. This is an idea I had. I'm not sure if it's been done before, but if it has I hope I managed to make it at least a little different and interesting. Enjoy!
Afternoon light swathed the busy Republic City street in a harsh glow, making Bolin frown as he shielded his eyes and waited for the smattering of satomobiles to amble on by. They were obviously in no hurry. Bolin huffed. His free hand tightened around the packaged treat and stem of the flower he had bought at the nearby gift shop, both meant to be offerings of thanks - and maybe something more - for the young Avatar whom he was eager to go and see. The sound of a snarling engine reminded Bolin of the task at hand. He surveyed the street again, decided that it was (finally) safe to cross, and took a solid step forward.
He didn't get a chance to make another.
A shocked sound sprouted from his lips as he collided with something hard and compact that sent him sprawling onto the ground. Shocks of searing pain radiated from his side. Groaning and blinking confusedly at the flower petals and icing smushed into the pavement beside him, he struggled to sit up and make sure that he still had all of his limbs.
"Ouch." he muttered, eyeing a patch that he was sure would be bruised in the morning. Before he could make another move, a pair of gloved hands dropped onto his shoulders. Bolin realized with a start that it was the driver of the moped that hit him hurrying to apologize, and she was the most beautiful girl he had ever seen.
"Oh my," Her voice was like music. The sunlight framed her face, skittering over her endless black hair and setting her soft emerald eyes aglow. Bolin noticed the blush tinging her translucent skin at about the same time he realized that he was gaping at her like a startled fish. "Are you okay? I'm so sorry, I'm usually much more careful."
"Uh," he drawled, inwardly reminding himself to make like Mako and keep cool. "I'm fine, I think." He looked over himself again, trying to remember what exactly had hurt in the first place, anyway.
The gorgeous girl blinked, then grabbed him by the elbow and slowly helped him to stand.
"I'm really sorry again. I owe you one."
Bolin waved her off with a grin. "Nah, don't worry about it." He had no idea where he was going to get the cash to replace Korra's present, but that wasn't a problem that he felt the need to burden the girl with.
"If you're sure." At his insistent nod, her slight frown morphed into a resigned simper.
"Positive. Oh, and, uh, I'm Bolin, by the way." He stuck out a hand and furiously tried to control the heat dancing around his neck.
All of a sudden, her smile grew and her brows pulled together. "Like the probender?" she asked, her tone edged with excitement. Bolin couldn't help but forget his nerves and nod with a proud smile.
"The one and only. Well, actually, I guess that isn't true, because there's definitely more probenders out there. But I'm the only person I've ever met named Bolin!"
She giggled, toying with her shiny locks again. "I know what you mean. I'm Asami, by the way."
Bolin felt it again: the intense and enthusiastic tingling sensation that contrasted with typical pre-game jitters. He had first felt it on the night he met Korra. It was what led him to insist that there was something different about her, that keeping her around would be worth it somehow. And he was right. The barrage of thoughts coupled with the way Asami was looking at him made his heart beat a little faster. He stuck a hand out for her to shake and angled himself towards her. She was roughly three inches taller than him, but he hoped she either wouldn't mind or wouldn't care.
"Nice to meet 'cha." he declared, the material of her glove rough on his palm before she pulled it away.
Another blush flooded Asami's cheeks, painting them an interesting hue that almost distracted Bolin from what she was saying. "I love probending. I'm a huge fan of the Fire Ferrets, actually. You've been doing really well this season. My father and I already bought our tickets for the Tournament matches."
"Wow." Bolin was surprised that she seemed genuinely excited about the sport. Most girls were only interested in what benefits could be reaped from dating someone who played it, not that it really bothered him. An idea blossomed in his mind, one that had him suppressing a huge smile as he proposed it simply because of how brilliant he thought it was. "You know, if you wanted, I could show you around the arena sometime. Give you a full tour of all the places the average spectator wouldn't get to see." He finished with a wiggle of his brow that made Asami laugh.
"How would be able to get in?"
"Psh," Bolin said with a shrug. "I have an all-access pass to the place."
His nerves resurrected themselves when Asami paused, the look on her face blatantly thoughtful. He was about to start fidgeting on the spot, but she finally had an answer.
"Okay." she agreed easily, then added "How about tonight? I can swing by and meet you there."
Bolin didn't even hesitate. "Yeah, tonight's great!" He nodded vigorously, to which Asami tittered lightly and turned towards her bike.
"Okay then." She slid effortlessly onto the seat, gracing him with a blindingly bright grin. "It's a date." With that, she donned her helmet and sped off.
A cloud of dust was left in her wake, engulfing Bolin in both dirt and the flowery scent of Asami's perfume. He took no notice. Rather, he stood and stared at the spot where his new beautiful friend stood moments ago, blinking slowly as a million thoughts crowded his head.
"...It's a date?" He wondered aloud, receiving only the familiar noises of the city as a response.
A/N: So, what do you think? I'd love it if you left a review, even if it's short. They're what keep me motivated and help me determine if I should continue. There'll probably be some Makorra and appearances by others in here eventually, too.