Alone
Disclaimer~ I am most definitely not Bryke.
Their happiness was ripping him to shreds.
They would give each other pre-game kisses. Nothing too romantic, nothing deep, just a sweet and close-mouthed kiss. Bolin would leave the room first, unable to share the same space. He would fight his hardest in the arena; it was what he excelled at. The roaring crowds helped him ignore that his brother and his best friend had locked lips in celebration.
He saw Asami sometimes. She had more grace than he did, at least she could talk and laugh when she saw Mako with Korra. Sometimes, at her father's parties or at matches, he would catch her eye and she would smile sadly. It was their only connection, save for the uniform he wore. They were united by the love they had lost.
Their love was hurting him.
It was an ache in heart. His brother would wave at him, calling promises to come back with those dumplings that were always fried to perfection. But he made sure to pretend to be asleep when Mako returned to the attic late in the night. He wanted his eyes to be squeezed tightly shut when brother came home with a swagger and a grin, whistling happy tunes after a night in town with Korra.
Bolin would have never imagined that the two of them would actually stay together. Mako and Korra were so different. He had assumed that Korra would tire of Mako's obvious good looks and go for someone with a compatible personality. Someone who could make her laugh until her stomach hurt. Some one like him.
Their commitment was destroying him.
For so many years it had been Mako and Bolin, standing together and protecting each other. But Bolin had been very happy to add Korra to their circle. She was so beautiful. She was so clever. She was so brave. But she had been with his brother for a year. She was supposed to be his.
Girls still flocked to him after each match; ready to hear stories about the time Amon nearly stripped him of his bending, or about his life on the streets, or about pro-bending. He would dive into the stories with as much enthusiasm as he could muster. The girls clustered around him would gasp and grin at the stories that he would exaggerate in his favour. But nothing made him happier than when he would see Korra throw back her head and laugh at something he had said to his fans. She would stick her thumbs up, sure that she was encouraging him in his quest to enchant the ladies of Republic City, unaware that he only spoke so she would listen. Then she would turn and grab Mako by the hand, so they could celebrate their victory together.
And Bolin was alone.