"Hit me again, barkeep!"
It might have been hard for anyone else to be able to tell that the disheveled mess slumped over the bar was Korra, but not for Bolin. He stood in the doorway of what was reputably known as one of Republic City's crummiest bars with a solemn expression on his face. He was always the one to go after her when she and Mako got into it, but this time it was different. It wasn't just a simple lovers' quarrel. No, this time he knew would be the last argument the two would have when he watched Korra run out of the room in tears.
Bolin ran a hand through his hair, mussing it in the slightest of ways. He walked forward to where Korra sat, her head buried in the arm she had draped across the bar. He cleared his throat loudly in a vain attempt to earn her attention. "I think that's enough for tonight, bartender. This should cover it." He shoved a fist into his pants pocket, pulling out a few crumpled yuans and tossing them on the counter.
"Alright, Korra," he began, rubbing his hands together and rolling his shoulders. "Up ya go." With little to no effort, Bolin gently picked up the snoozing Avatar, draping her across his shoulder.
The two strolled along the darkened streets of the city, the dim light from the street lamps casting shadows along the roads. Bolin hummed quietly to himself as he walked along, Korra's head bobbing with his movements.
"Bolin?" Her sleep coated voice caught him by surprise.
"At your service," he replied cheerily, hoping to lighten the mood a bit in case she was still upset over what happened earlier.
Korra sighed heavily behind him. "Sorry, Bo. I'm an idiot."
"Why would you think that?"
"Why wouldn't I?"
"Korra, you're not an idiot and nothing you say can make me think otherwise."
A few moments of silence spread between the two. Bolin could feel Korra's heart beating against his chest, and he found himself holding his breath until he'd felt Korra fill her own lungs with fresh air.
"Mako never came looking for me. Even before."
Bolin swallowed, unsure of how to respond.
"Put me down, Bolin."
"No, Korra, we're almost there it's fi-"
"Bolin. Put me down."
Bolin stopped in his tracks, hesitantly obeying Korra's command. He eyed her carefully, allowing her to grip his arm for support in case the effects of her previous binging got the better of her ability to stay balanced. Korra's brilliantly blue eyes met his, her face framed by loose locks of dark hair. His hand brushed her cheek slightly as he pushed back a few stray locks, sending an unexpected shiver down her spine. Her breath caught in her throat for a moment as she looked up at the handsome young man before her. She wrapped her slender fingers around his and before either one of them knew what was happening, she had leaned forward and was pressing her lips to his.
The aftertaste of alcohol on her lips was less strong than he'd expected and mixed with her own natural taste became something reminiscent of a sweet pomegranate He drew a hand to the small of her back and pressed the warmth of her body closer to his. Bolin could feel his face growing hotter by the second as their lips meshed together in a strange and wonderful dance, both too caught up in the moment to even begin to question how it had happened at all. Korra's eyes fluttered open. For a moment, she stayed curled up in Bolin's strong arms, replaying the moment in her head a few times. She thought she should have felt bad about it, but what was there to even feel bad about anyway? She and Mako were done; he made that perfectly clear before. The thousands of questions running through her head at a mile a minute and the last remnants of her stint at the bar coursing through her blood made her stomach lurch.
"Well, uh, that was unexpected," Bolin stammered, breaking Korra free from her thoughts, his face a bright hue of pink even in the dim night light. Korra gave a small, easy laugh, her every worry dissipating when she looked at his face.
"Shut up and take me home, Bolin."
"It would be my pleasure."