A/N: So first of all, welcome to my fanfic! Thanks for deciding to read! -hands out cookies- This story starts off angsty, but, it shan't always be so. It contains adventure and action, but I will be focusing more on romance than LOK does. It is first and foremost a romance *coughBorracough* fic! With adventure being a close second. The beginning parallels part of episode 105, "Spirit of the Competition" before going off and doing its own thaaaang. Mhm. So it will be AU from there on afterwards. Enjoy!

Written from Korra's first person P.O.V.

Between Two Points

Chapter 1:

"Misperception"

I'm really sorry but I just don't feel the same way about you.

I stared off into the ocean, his words still buzzing around in my head . . . stinging my heart.

I'm really sorry but I just don't feel the same way about you.

-Forget I said anything.

I crossed my arms, attempting to trap warmth to my chest in the chilly winter night.

After the quarter-final match victory at the Pro-bending Arena, Bolin was happily recounting his successful tiebreaker to Mako and I.

"Did you see that? I nearly got thrown off with that toss; luckily I was able to use the momentum to my advantage. I wasn't sure I'd manage it, but-"

Mako clapped a hand on his shoulder. "You did good, bro." He smiled at Bolin. It was one of his rare, real smiles; a smile he usually reserved only for his brother and those close to him.

And that was when I realized that, no matter what antagonism he and I might have between each other, it didn't lessen Mako's bona fide pride for his brother.

Or his desire to act as normal as possible in front of him. The moment he was facing away from Bolin, Mako's mouth dropped into a grimace as he fiddled with his arm brace, pretending to be particularly fascinated by one of the straps.

He didn't look at me.

Bolin beamed at Mako's back. "Thanks," he said, his chest swelling up at his brother's even rarer praise. He flexed a bicep, satisfied. "Your boy Bolin did pretty good out there, huh?" He tossed a wink in my direction.

I crossed over to the lockers, swiftly grabbing my stuff so that I could move to the corner of the room that was farthest away from Mako. I made an effort not to flinch at Bolin's choice of words. Your boy. Composing my expression, I turned around, mustering up a smile for him as best as I could. "You pulled through for us, Bolin. Thank you," I told him sincerely, sitting on the edge of the bench. My voice sounded strained.

His face fell a little despite my words. I must really sound off, I thought to myself, feeling a bit regretful for Bolin's sake. But he quickly recovered, glancing swiftly between me and Mako's still-turned back.

"Hey guys," he said with cheer that appeared a little forced. "Helloooooo? Earth to Korra and Mako: we just won!" He tried to sound enthusiastic, but there was an undercurrent of uncertainty, as if he wasn't sure that we had registered this fact.

Mako now turned to look Bolin straight in the face. "It's not time to celebrate, yet. We can't let our feelings make us too . . ." My shoulders tensed, my hands pausing in the pursuit of my knee brace. "Confident." There was an odd harshness to his tone. I winced, his choice of word like a whip.

An awkward silence nestled between all of us. Unable to help it-I glanced over at Mako, to see that his shoulders had went rigid as well.

"I wasn't being overly confident," Bolin murmured, sounding affronted as he yanked at a strap of his shoulder pad. But he didn't understand. Mako hadn't really been addressing him. He had been addressing me.

And what made me furious is that despite that he still wouldn't look me.

The tense atmosphere seemed to be too much for Bolin. "Look, guys," he blurted out, "I know something is going on that you're not telling me. . ." He faltered, as if he had just boldly poked a sleeping dragon in the eye and was unsure of how best to proceed. But, he plowed on. ". . . And I'm not going to ask. But, whatever it is, get your heads in the game, alright? We have the biggest match of our lives tomorrow."

Suddenly the tension in the room was palpable. It hung like a thick impenetrable cloud, only made worse by Bolin's acknowledgement. It was suffocating; I needed to escape. With a flurry of movement I threw off the last piece of detachable equipment from my body. I stood up abruptly, my padding gripped tightly in hand. "I'm going outside for some fresh air."

My announcement was met with looks of surprise from both bending brothers. Even Mako finally moved to face me, if only to throw me a look of incredulity.

Oh, now you look at me? I thought snidely.

I ignored him.

"In this weather?" Bolin queried, vocalizing the thoughts Mako wouldn't utter. He looked so much like a mother hengoose that, despite my inner turmoil, I wanted to chuckle. But just a little. "Won't you catch a cold?"

"I'm from the Tundra, remember Bolin?"

The last thing I felt as I left for the women's changing room were a pair of ocher eyes boring into my back.

I'm really sorry but I just don't feel the same way about you.

My arms tightened defensively around myself. Was I trying to bottle up the pain inside, or was I trying to protect myself from his words?

Footsteps sounded behind me. Reflexively, I stiffened. Who could it be? A fan? A stranger? Bolin, here to check on me?

Or worst of all, Mako?

I just wanted to be alone.

Maybe if I don't turn around, I won't be bothered.

I was attempting to send "I'm-not-interested-to-talk" vibes through my body language, my muscles clenched together. So I nearly jumped when I heard his voice. But the dread filling me kept me rooted to the spot.

"We need to talk."

No, we don't. I thought sadly. You've already said everything you needed to say.

"Look, sometimes you can be so infuriating, but I-"

"Save your breath." I cut him off, inclining my head towards him without glancing his way. "You've already made it clear how you feel about me," I continued bitterly. I didn't need to hear anymore. Not from him. I shifted towards the ocean again, attempting to be dismissive of him, squeezing my eyes shut. Tears of despair and shame threatened to moisten my eyes. Maybe now he would leave.

"No, I haven't. What I'm trying to say is, as much as you drive me crazy-"

My hands curled protectively around my arms. I willed myself to block out his next words, shielding my ears, my mind . . . my heart.

"-I also think you're pretty amazing."

My eyes flew open in shock.

What?

Could it mean? It could only mean . . .

I whirled around to face him. "So you do like me?" It was a question filled with uncertainty. I didn't dare to hope. Dammit it I wouldn't hope.

I was facing him now, with bated breath. Fighting to squash the spark of hope wavering in my chest before it became dangerous. I tried to stomp on it.

But it just wouldn't die.

His stare was intense, a fire flickering behind the embers.

Then suddenly Mako's eyes became downcast. "I-"

But anything he would have said was cut off by my mouth abruptly on his.

Stars burst behind my eyes; the sun parted the clouds. Everything radiated warmth, everything felt right. His lips molded perfectly against mine-had they ever belonged anywhere else? In that moment, Asami and Bolin and Tenzin and the Air Acolytes and Pro-bending and the Fireferret's victory and my whole life as the Avatar meant nothing. It was like waking from a dream; I had never felt this alive. Nothing of my former life-the life I had been leading until this very moment-seemed real, a part of this reality that made sparrowkeets burst into song, butterflies dance in my stomach, and a curious warmth travel in between my legs. I was lighter than air, I-

Something rough gripped my shoulders and shoved me backwards. I stumbled, taking backward steps to right myself.

"WHAT THE HELL DO YOU THINK YOU'RE DOING, KORRA?!"

Without thinking, I immediately went into defensive-knees bent and arms contorted into a waterbending pose, poised for attack, dazed.

Then I blinked. Senses returned to me, I observed that Mako's hands were balled into fists. Smoke was puffing out of his nostrils, and he was breathing heavily. His stance was offensive, ready to strike something down. His eyes were wild.

Until they met mine.

He froze. I did too. The whole world stood still, as if time itself had decided to stop in that excruciating moment.

I had never seen him look at me like that. And I found myself eagerly wishing that he never would again. The first reaction, naturally, was shock in those amber gems. But like magma, it churned, shifting into some other emotion I didn't immediately identify, but that sliced me right down to the core all the same. It wasn't fury, exactly, swirling in those pools of fire. Not even anger. He was upset, and hurt, true. But that wasn't what killed me.

He looked mortified.

I longed for the ground to open up and swallow me whole.

Unable to bare his stare any longer, I dropped my head. I wanted nothing more than to vanish into thin air. To run away. To die in that moment. Heat was restored to me-but it was of a different nature. It was not the heat of passion exploding in my chest-but the heat of humiliation flushing my cheeks. But it was a mockery of the warmth I had felt earlier; it left me empty and it faded quickly.

Rudely, the winter air whipped at my cheeks, reminding me of its presence with the numbing chill. But somehow I didn't really feel it.

"I'm s-sorry," I choked out. Maybe it would-

FWOP. "AGHHH!" My head snapped up. A strangled cry ruptured through Mako's throat as he was hurled haphazardly forward into the air. He landed face first, nose grinding into the cobblestone. He skidded to a halt a foot from where I was standing, stunned. Something had hit him in the back, and . . . hard.

The ground where his feet had formerly been was jutting upward in a very unnatural way.

"Wha-" My eyes trailed upwards from where Mako was sprawled on the ground.

And I saw Bolin.

A sharp intake of breath parted my lips. There was he was, breathing deeply, legs bent and arms outstretched in what was unmistakably an earthbending pose. My mind was whirling. How long had he been standing there?

What had he witnessed?

His eyes met mine. There was a fierce resolve in them, but his eyes were darkened with doubt at what he had just chosen to do. His mouth had flattened into a straight line.

A single tear slid down his cheek.

But I didn't have time to dwell on his pained expression, because Mako had just scrambled to his feet.

He was yelling, punching fire instinctively at his opponent, reacting in a way that only a guy who had toughed out a rough life on the streets could. "TAKE THIS YOU-"

Words suddenly failed him as his brain registered the scene in front of him. Registered the fact that it was Bolin in front of him. Bolin, who notably tensed when Mako had whirled to face him. Bolin, who had just dodged fire that Mako had unthinkingly thrown. Bolin, his little brother.

His brows creased together, forming a sharp V of confusion. "Huh?" He mumbled, stupefied, as if he was struggling to grasp what he was viewing. Bewilderment briefly clouded his rage. He looked from Bolin, to the raised earth where he had earlier been standing, back to Bolin, finally resting on the sizable chunks of earth lying on the ground next to where he had fallen. The fire in his eyes went out, leaving behind an eerie chill, like a flame snuffed out in the winter's night.

Bolin lowered his arms, warily, gauging Mako's reaction.

I shuffled from one foot to the other, wondering if I should even say anything.

When he spoke, his hurt and confusion were masked by coldness. "Are you really so jealous of your own brother that you would go to any lengths just to have-her?" The way his upper lip curled around the noun he had used to avoid saying my name made me recoil like a baby polar bear dog that had been kicked. He made a sweeping gesture with his arm in my direction. "Here. Take her. Have the damn whore. If she is so much more important to you than your own flesh and blood, Bolin," he spat in disgust, fists curling once more. Smoke curled upwards from them.

Bolin flinched. Automatically his body formed into a defensive position; eyes flickered to me before he opened his mouth to respond. His eyes were unreadable. "You hurt her."

Mako was speechless. I was surprised. Somehow it wasn't what I had expected him to say. But before Mako could retort, I jumped in. "He . . . didn't hurt me, Bolin." My voice was almost alarmingly dull. Bolin's eyes flicked towards me, before his gaze slid off my face, as if I wasn't even there. Mako glared. It didn't really matter if he hated me now. All I knew was that I wouldn't be the one to come between them. He wouldn't hate me for tearing them apart. I would make sure of that much.

I didn't like the way Bolin was assessing me. He pursed his lips, gaze searching my face as if he was seeing something there. "Yes, Korra," he said finally. "He did." The soft way he said it made my insides turn icy.

Mako interjected hotly. "Bolin, I would never hurt Korra. Maybe I was unnecessarily rough, but . . . but what would you have me do?" He was pleading now, voice saturated with frustration. "To keep making-to-" he stuttered, and it was obvious that he was as unsure of what Bolin had seen as I was. "You like her, for spirits sakes!" Angry desperation. His brother's face remained stoic, while his intonation climbed in loudness. "I have a girlfriend, Bo, I can't just . . . she was standing too close-"

Roll of the eyes. "I'm not stupid, Mako." There was uncharacteristic testiness in his tone. He hesitated, swallowing a lump in his throat. "I . . . saw, y'know." His eyes were downcast.

My stomach dropped sickeningly. "Then why would you step in? You knew I deserved it."

I knew I had said the wrong thing by the way his features hardened. "I'm not like you, Korra, alright? I don't like seeing the people I luh-care about, getting hurt!" The hurt in his face was no longer hidden now. It was carved in the lines between his eyebrows, near his frown, at the corners of his eyes. The anguish was clear.

There was really nothing to say anymore. He was right. They were both right. I'd messed up. I'd messed up bad. "I-I'm sorry!" Like a broken dam, tears started cascading down my cheeks, hot and fast. I didn't suppose I could have ever uttered that sentence enough. I glanced between the two of them. Friends. Brothers. Two people I cared about. Loved, even, if only as my friends, whether that was my choice or not. And I was driving a wedge between them. Me. Who was I, to just barge in their lives anyway, and do whatever the hell I wanted? The only family they had left was each other.

I couldn't bear it anymore. "I'm sorry!" I bawled. The feeling of claustrophobia was sinking in again, even though we were out in the open winter air. My fingernails began to dig into my face, clawing at it. Something warmer and thicker than salt water dripped down my face. My vision blurred.

"Korra, what are you doing?"

"Korra. Stop it."

I covered my ears, shaking my head violently. My instincts screamed at me. Run. Escape.

I spun around on my heels, darting for the edge.

"Korra, what are you doing?"

"Korra!"

I heard their cries meshing behind me, but I paid no heed.

Then I flung myself over into the ice waters below.

Screams of my name ripped through the frosty night.

A/N: And thus dramatically ends Chapter 1! I apologize if the ending seems ambiguous, I just wanted it to be striking. But not to worry, if you remember when Korra snuck into the Pro-Bending Arena in episode 102, it was only about as high as a pier.

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