For her twenty-second birthday, Korra spends the week at sea with Commander Bumi. He's an odd old man, eccentric and energetic, but loveable all the same. Though, she admits, he does favor joking that having her around is like having his dad back, only in female form and without the stick up his, well, you know. It tickles him, but Korra finds it less than pleasing. And, the hugs. Never before in her life has she wished someone didn't hug so hard. Her ribs still ache.
She does enjoys him, truly. He's a breath of fresh air considering he is everything Tenzin is not. He lets her take risks and chastises her when she's too careful. It has been a fun ride thus far and her birthday dinner is that evening in the ship's formal dinning hall.
Korra arrives late, lazy smile place. She has spent the better part of the day sparing with the myriad firebenders aboard the ship and she kicked every single one of their butts. She even learned a few new tricks she cannot wait to show Mako.
The dinning hall is in an uproar, Bumi in it's epicenter, fighting with another crew member over something too muddled to hear. Korra chuckles at this, thinking it just like him. That is when she spots him, sitting a few feet away from Bumi, a rare relaxed expression adorning his features.
General Iroh.
Korra stomps over to him. "And when,exactly, were you going to tell me you were on board?"
Iroh blinks at her, gaze slightly unfocused. He seems confused. "Avatar Korra?" he inquires, his tone slowed and slightly slurred. "What are you doing here?"
It takes her moments to realized Iroh smells of whiskey.
Her eye brow twitches. "It's my birthday, moron," she growls, whacking him upside the head.
Iroh rubs the spot she hit absently, scowling. "No," he protests, stumbling to his feet. "That'snextweek!"
Korra glowers and turns her gaze to Bumi. "How many of those has he had?"
Bumi grins, all teeth. "Ten! Can you believe it? He's slacking off!"
The entire dinning hall erupts in a cheering roar.
Iroh, however, looks as if his whole world is crashing down around him. "No, no, no, no!" he mumbles incoherently. He lurches forward abruptly, suddenly way too close for Korra's comfort.
General Iroh is a handsome man, she has always thought so. And up this close, she can't help but let her cheeks flush a light scarlet. He leans forward as if he means to kiss her, but stops just millimeters from her lips.
The dinning hall has fallen silent.
"Avatar Korra," he says throatily, "will you marry me?"
Korra only manages to gape dumbly at the earnest-looking general.
"I believe that's drunk firebender for: Will you go on a date with me?" Bumi quips, downing his own alcoholic drink.
Korra grits her teeth. "No," she snaps before quickly summoning her airbending and whipping Iroh into the nearest wall. "Ask me when you're sober!" she yells over her shoulder and then exits.
Bumi's laughter echoes down the hallway.