He didn't know what he was doing. He was the infamous Bolin—hordes of girls were the ones who chased him. It was not the other way around. Never the other way around. Yet there he was, at Rin's Floristry, staring down the most godly bouquet of roses. She saved my life, he thought. And he loved her. Stepping out of the status quo for that reason—reasons—was worth it.

Rin, the harsh old earthbender that grew Republic City's best flowers, stared him down with beady mud-coloured eyes. "That'll be one hundred-forty yuans," she said in a raspy, papery voice.

"Uh..." began Bolin, rummaging around for the money he didn't have.

"No pay, no flowers," Rin interjected coldly. "Too bad for your lady friend."

Bolin was kicked out, literally, before he could say anything.

::

Despite all the muscles earned after years of bending, Bolin's hands ached as he finished tying the ribbon to his gift. It consisted of a measly pink flower, but he made if from the heart. Well, the cupcake was made from the heart. He taken a rose from the outside Rin's shop. But still. Heartfelt. He hoped she could sense all those emotion packaged, too.

Humming a light tune, Bolin's voice parted the chillness that ran down his spine at the notion of displaying affection. The happiness of the song calmed his worries.

As he made out her image on the steps of her house (or some other Air building, he thought) Bolin felt the song leave him. It was now or never. Summoning the strength of a pro-bender, he approached.

"Hello, fellow teammate!" he called.

Korra looked up and replied, "Hey, Bolin" as she rubbed Naga's chest.

Idle conversation.

"Missed you at practice this week."

Casual. Normal.

"Yeah. Sorry about that."

Teammate.

"Nah, that's alright," Bolin continued, feeling bad for bringing it up. "We're probably out of the tournament anyways unless some money miraculously drops out of the sky by tomorrow." He felt himself gulp. Now or never. "Anyways, the reason I came by was to give you this. Ta-da!"

He held out his wrapped cupcake and the rose to Korra, surprised his hands weren't shaking. Not bad, Bolin.

"Wow, thanks." Korra took the gifts, shocked. Bolin figured she was just acting. She couldn't have possibly forgotten. "What's this for?"

Bolin rubbed his chin. He didn't want to bring it up now. "Uh, oh I can't remember now."

No, he sounded stupid. Go with the truth. "Oh yeah, now I remember. You saved me from Amon!"

"Oh, that?" Korra replied. She shrugged, "It was no big deal."

He went with the praise tactic (it would also help justify himself). "No big deal, are you serious? I was totally freaking out when he was coming at me with his creepy mask all, 'I will take away your bending forever.'" He waved his arms around, walking like a zombie as his lowered his voice to imitate Amon. "I mean that is scary stuff; I still can't sleep well."

Korra nodded, looking at him, slightly worried. "Mhmm."

Bolin felt his arms fall to his side lifelessly. Worried. The strength he had summoned earlier left him.

Korra had taken his gifts. But she hadn't laughed at his recollection of what had happened when Amon took this steps closer to him. She had smiled, a trace of that smile still lingering on her mouth. It was her eyes that did it.

Her eyes told him the truth—an idea more terrifying than that of being rendered powerless before a man as evil as the masked Amon. Her eyes, they weren't satisfied. They say his brother, Mako, not him, Bolin.

Mako always overshadowed him, and for once, it actually mattered to Bolin. And as much as it mattered, it hurt, too.

The realisation struck hard.

He could spend as many yuans possible. He could be the strongest bender on earth. But it would never make a difference. She would never see him more as a teammate.