A/N: I kinda disappeared off the planet for a while there I realize, and I know I have two other stories I should be working on rather than starting a whole brand new one but I'm in a bit of a rut and need to break myself out of it currently. What better way to get out of a writing funk than to write a drabble for a completely different series? Well, there are probably better ways actually ha. I do apologize for my sudden absence and I plan on continuing the other stories, life has a bad habit of throwing me completely off track it seems. The good news is that I finally regained some of my muse, the bad news is that it's entirely towards a brand new series. Whoops. Again, though, I'm not giving up on the other two if you happen to be reading this and happened to be a fan; I'm just trying to shake off some rust here by trying something different.

Anyways, I absolutely love the dynamic between the two brothers. I would really love to explore it more, so I dunno, I might potentially continue this somehow or I might just let it be. All depends.

I'm not a fan of this ending to be honest, but I could feel it getting away from me a little. Hopefully it's not too all over the place ahah

I'm rambling here though, so, for those of you who bothered to read that chunk of text, I apologize for the long winded introduction. I hope you enjoy! Please feel free to comment or shoot me a message if you would like!

Bolin was so tired of running.

His whole life had been a series of dodging near death, avoiding dead end situation, slipping right out from under deaths door. He'd never really found himself in a position where there was no trapdoor, no hidey hole or way around. Besides, Mako was the one with the blazing fists. He was the Big Brother, and nobody's shadow had ever been more safe or more secure. Even as a young kid, in the middle of winter and scrounging for food in the streets, there was the ever present confidence that everything would be just fine. Mako would handle it.

As a ten year old with an eight year old baby brother who was too optimistic for his own good, it couldn't have been easy. Mako had needed to grow up too fast, to accept the harsh parts of life long before most adults had grasped the concept. Life had it out for them in some way or another, and Mako had taken that as a challenge. For that, how could Bolin be anything but immensely grateful, and a little heart broken.

He wished he could be the strong one, that he could be the one to save Mako from the impossible, that his endlessly strong big brother could catch a break once in a blue moon. Most of all he wished that they could stop running.

They had found a family, after all these years; they had people who were looking out for the two of them. They had trust, and love, and warmth that could never compare to the frozen nights huddled around dwindling flames from Mako's shaking hands. The shadow under Mako's eyes had faded, his narrow and cold features blurring slightly along the edges. He'd finally begun to shake the echo of heart break and self hatred he'd been carrying since their parents died.

Bolin remembered, in spots, faded, how Mako had idolized and loved their father. He'd been with them when they'd gone down, in the market. Bolin had been at home, with a cold and a neighbour nearby keeping a careful eye on him. He remembered Mako coming home, shaking and sheet white. He'd avoided looking at Bolin, kept his voice low, and spoke to the neighbour in a hurried tone. The lady had gasped, shot Bolin a pitying look, and Bolin never saw her again. He remembered Mako stumbling over to where he was propped up in his bed, and pulling him close to his chest. Bolin knew something was terribly wrong, but Mako just kept whispering nonsensical things to him and running a hand through his hair and there was no more room for questions. There'd been a hitch in his breath and a tremble in his words, but he didn't cry.

Mako never cried.

He knew it had less to do with being unemotional or cold, it had everything to do with his need to protect, his desire to shield his sunshine filled, wide eyed, baby brother from the scary and horrible facts of life.

But Bolin wasn't a kid. He could stand on his own, he could deal with life as it came at them. He'd known for years that the people Mako worked with were not good people, that the way they'd gotten food each day was not exactly legal. Bolin had done everything he could to make up for it, in small acts of kindness, but he never questioned the things Mako did for them.

Bolin wasn't oblivious. Life had given them a short end, but rather than allow it to ruin everything else, Bolin had elected to fight against it in his own little way. With smiles and humor and a refusal to allow life to keep him down. Stubbornness was an earthbender thing, he'd been told. So maybe it was time he truly did stand his ground. What point was there in turning tail and hiding? He was sick of losing.

He wasn't going to give in this time. Not when they had things to fight for outside of themselves, not when they'd both found more than just… Surviving.

Going back to a life of barely scraping by, of living day to day and hoping for an 'eventually' that they both knew to some degree would never show up; Bolin couldn't bear the thought of that.

He'd always wanted his chance to save the day, to be the real hero and return the favour to his big bro for looking out for him all these years. He just never expected that it would be so lackluster; so bleak and hopeless.

They had their backs against the wall, literally and figuratively, Tenzin was too weak to airbend anyone let alone himself, and Bolin was beginning to feel desperation clawing up his throat. Heat from the lava was pouring in waves towards them, and Bolin knew there was nothing his earthbending could do to stop it this time.

It was too soon, far too soon, to be facing their goodbyes. Asami deserved so much better than to die in a miserable cave, Tenzin's family needed him, Korra needed all of them. They'd just started getting used to the idea of having friends, Bolin had a girlfriend he would move the world for. Mako had finally begun to smile, the frown lines decreasing little by little; for all of that to end now…

It wasn't fair.

Bolin stepped forward, towards the molten wave they could now see rushing towards them.

He felt like crying.

He glanced at Mako, a split second desire to ask him for guidance filling him, before he noticed the broken, deeply afraid expression on his consistently calm and level headed brother's face. Mako caught his gaze, and something inside of Bolin shifted. Settled.

He ran towards the rush of scalding heat.

"Bo!"

Mako's voice sounded so faint and hollow, Bolin couldn't stand it.

He thought of Asami and how fiercely determined she was, how loyal she was and how kind she'd been to everyone despite everything. He thought of Meelo, and Ikki, and Jinora, and all of Tenzin's loving family. The gaunt and exhausted expression on Tenzin's face flashed in Bolin's mind. He thought of Korra, how scared she must be, but the amount of strength she had to keep pushing on to do what was right anyways. He thought of Opal, and grandma and Mako and Eska and everyone he'd ever loved.

And he pushed back against the lava with everything he had.

The heat was unbearable, suffocating. It wrapped itself around him, swarming into every space and every pore. Bolin felt it in his skin, surging through him. He focused on the feeling, letting it wind through him and away. Just when it got to be overwhelming, when he could no longer tell the heat from his veins, he felt himself ground his feet and a roar pour out of his lips.

Not. Today.

It pulled at him from the very bottom of his toes, the tips of his fingers. Sweat pooled around his neck, and evaporated immediately after. It was like running in a swamp, but he found a foothold, a foot in the door, and he pushed on it with all of his strength.

And suddenly, the heat was gone. He blinked at the wall of rock in front of him.

A wave of shock and relief ran over him, so powerful he stumbled backwards a few steps.

"Incredible," Tenzin muttered.

"Bolin, you're a lava bender!" Mako's voice followed after. There was something a little like surprise and a lot like awe, in his exclamation. Bolin didn't know what to think. The immensity of what Bolin had just done seemed to have swept them all away momentarily. A lava bender.

"I know, I just found out." He wavered a bit in place, knee giving out for a split second, but he felt lighter than air.

Maybe the fates had decided to give them this one break, maybe they'd decided that after everything, they'd earned the chance to fight for happiness. Maybe they could stop running, and start fighting back.

Or maybe, they were just evening out the playing field in time for something even bigger. Knowing their luck, this was only the beginning.

He wanted to cry, or scream, or laugh until he ran out of breath. He felt dizzy, and deeply rooted to the ground all at once. His feet moved of their own accord and he was abruptly staring into deep, awed, golden eyes.

Mako and him had always had a special connection, a way of speaking without words. In one glance, Mako saw enough to fill pages and pages. He saw pride, and fear, and a tangle of confusion. He saw the exact moment when the paradigm Mako had of him broke apart, and a new outline begin to form.

He wanted, desperately to hug his brother. To sweep Asami up in a huge bear hug. He wanted to say that Mako didn't have to be scared anymore for him. Except, there was an emptiness about them all. Except that it didn't really mean anything more to Bolin himself than just another break.

So, maybe he could lava bend now. Maybe that meant they stood as more of a threat than pests. So what. There were more important concerns.

So instead, he just blinked and kept moving.

People still needed them. There was work to do.