Beat Me To It
"Korra? Are you awake?" Bolin asked softly as he opened the door to her room.
There on the bed was the Avatar, fast asleep. She hadn't even changed into her sleepwear.
"She must have been really exhausted from practice today…"Bolin thought to himself. He inched his way slowly towards the sleeping girl. He could see how at peace in mind and body Korra was by the way her mouth was agape and saliva was about to dribble down her face. Bolin smiled; he thought of how beautiful she looked while sleeping despite how unfeminine it was.
"Korra…" Bolin whispered. He reached out to touch her cheek but stopped himself. Korra never knew how badly he had wanted to touch her, to hold her. Every day, even at practice and at matches, Bolin's eyes never trailed far from Korra. They watched out for her, longing for her every second. But he always noticed that Korra's eyes only watched Mako.
Bolin clenched his fist. "Why? Why does it have to be Mako?"He drew back his hand and turned when Korra suddenly grabbed his wrist. Bolin turned to her in surprise.
"Don't go…" Korra mumbled while still asleep. "Mako…" She flopped over on her other side.
Bolin's heart dropped at the sound of his brother's name, but he didn't care right now.
"I'll pretend you didn't say his name…" Bolin said as he sat himself beside her body. He placed his hands on either side of her head, cushioning his hands on her pillow. He was only inches from her face. Bolin swallowed hard; he could hear his heart pumping faster with every beat. "What am I doing?" He thought to himself. "What if Tenzin walks in? Or worse, Mako?"
With his face burning up, he leaned forward and kissed her. Her lips were soft against his, and Bolin's head began to feel strange and light, but he didn't want to pull away just yet. He wanted more. He pulled away for a moment to catch his breath and then leaned forward again to kiss her forehead and then her nose.
Korra sighed and turned her head the other way, Bolin panicking momentarily. But the Avatar did not stir from her sleep. Bolin then kissed her lips again.
Korra giggled. Bolin dug his face into her dark-skinned neck, taking in her scent. She smelled like the oceans and like…home? Memories of his mother and home-cooked meals flooded his head.
Tears began to form in his eyes, and Bolin began to cry. He cried into Korra's neck, but he didn't care if she would wake up from his shaking body or from his tears. He just wanted to stay like this a bit longer.
"Bolin…?" Korra spoke weakly, waking up. Bolin knew that at any moment Korra could fling him backwards and yell at him, asking him what in the world he was doing, but she didn't. Instead, he felt a gentle hand cupping his head and another on his back.
"Hey, Bolin, it's okay. Everything's going to be fine." Korra's soft voice was soothing to hear.
Sniffling, Bolin raised his head from Korra and looked down at her. A single tear drop fell from his eye. Korra smiled, looking at him with those beautiful blue eyes of hers. She reached with her fingers and wiped away Bolin's tears.
"Korra, I–I love you," Bolin stammered. "I've loved you since the first day I met you."
"…I know," Korra said.
"And I know…that you love Mako, but I just want you to know…that I would do so much more for you than Mako ever would. I would do anything for you. I would risk my life to fight Amon for you. I would give up my earthbending if it would guarantee your safety. I would give up everything for you, Korra. Everything…"
"I know that, Bolin," Korra said as she held Bolin's hot face in her hands, looking straight into his forest green eyes. "But I don't want you to. I don't want you to give up anything for me."
"But why? Why Mako? He doesn't even love you. He loves Asami! He doesn't care about you!" Bolin began to cry again, tears falling down his face. He looked away from her; he couldn't face her anymore.
Korra held his face in her hands and looked into his green eyes with such intensity that Bolin wanted to break away from her gaze. But he couldn't. He was too transfixed by her eyes.
"I know. I know that he doesn't love me back. But is that stopping you, Bolin? Will you stop loving me because I don't love you back? You're going to keep trying. You're going to keep fighting to get me to love you back, aren't you? If you want me so badly, beat me to it. Make me love you before I make Mako love me."
Bolin stared at her with wide eyes. The smile on her face seemed to be too cruel, but Bolin knew that those lips formed a smile of hope. He still had a chance, and he sure wasn't going to give it up to Mako. No, this chance was his-and his only.
Bolin quickly pulled himself off of Korra and the bed. He wiped away his wet streaks and his leaking nose.
"I'm not going to lose to you. I'm going to make you mine. I'll definitely master the art of lovebending and make you fall for me!" Bolin shouted.
Korra laughed. Bolin never failed to say something cheesy.
With one swift movement, Bolin thrusted himself into her, pushing her back towards the headboard, where she was trapped by a kiss.
"I'll make you fall for me-hard," Bolin said with a devious smile. Korra only sat there with surprised eyes, unable to move by the sudden kiss.
Then Bolin turned, filled with strength and hope. As he left the room, he passed his older brother, Mako.
"Yo, Bolin. Wait…what are you doing coming out of Korra's room?" Mako asked while pointing towards the room.
"Oh, nothing for you to know, big bro," Bolin said, smiling. "But there's one thing that you should know. Mako."
"What's that?" Mako asked, suspicious.
"Better start planning your marriage with Asami soon," Bolin said as he began to walk away.
"Huh? What's that supposed to mean?"
"You'll find out soon enough, bro." Then with a wave of his hand, Bolin disappeared down the stairs.