I come back from a vacation abroad, go on tumblr, and discover there is a Borra week.

Woot.

I have never done a challenge like that before, except for NaNoWriMo, which I find quite different.

We'll see about that.

Anyway, first chapter is themed "Day Off." I write it after 47 hours(!) with no sleep, so please forgive me if there is some bad grammer, or the story is bad overall. I promise I'll be better in the next days!

No more blabbering, here we go!

Days off were not something she got very often. Who knew being an avatar was a full-time job?

She didn't like it that much- wearing those dresses or suits and meeting important personalities wasn't like her. She preferred much more the times they took her for the most distant places and she talked to people on the villages and taught whoever asked her firebending or earthbending. One trick she liked was to spin three marbles in her hand. Everyone loved it.

She was more of a people's person- just like Avatar Aang, she preferred much more talking to the people that looked up to her so much, the little kids that told her "You are my hero, Avatar Korra!" or "Thank you for making me and my family happy!"

The important personalities just saw her as a political tool, and although she had some experience with politics, she was only 19. She would never get used to the mess going on with governments and the media, or so she liked to tell herself.

The only thing that made those trips of her easier was when the meeting involved General Iroh II. He was an honest and kind man, and from Aang's stories, he was a lot like his grandfather.

Korra was longing home. And not the South Pole- she visited there quite often, to help her original nation. The population was growing fast and soon enough there would be a problem of space which she wanted to prevent.

She wanted her kids to grow there, for sure, and then go back to Republic City.

Her true home.

Republic City's view, its people, its never-sleeping attidute… It was so much like her. From the moment she arrived it she felt it, and that was why she wanted to protect it so badly.

Not only that, they say home is where the heart is.

Her heart belonged to Republic City.

To a certain earthbender, to be specific.

So when they told her she has the week off to prepare for Avatar Day, she took the first shuttle to Republic City.

When she arrived it was dawn, and the scent of the great city filled her lungs. Oh, how she missed the smell.

She thanked the shuttle captain and took a carriage to the police station. One thing she hated about being the so-great-Avatar was that she had to act so polite, so gently, so politely, so not HER. Though shortly, she told herself, she could be her. Just find him.

She entered the station, only to find Chief Beifong looking at her from the reception desk. Lin couldn't help but smile. "Avatar Korra, always a pleasure." Since Amon was gone, Lin and Korra got along surprisingly well, and Korra blessed it. Working together with someone as amazing as Beifong was quite the adventure.

Korra walked to her and smiled back, hugging her. "Lin, it's been so long. How have you been?"

Lin sighed lightly. "Since your departure seven months ago the crime levels have rose like the waves at night. Quite busy, to be honest."

"I'm sure you're doing a great job, Lin. I am so sorry to interrupt, but you don't happen to know where Bolin is, do you?"

"That young boy you send me?" Was she smirking? "He has been training hard, doing very well. He might be the youngest metalbending officer I ever had."

Korra was so proud of Bolin when he told her he's going to join the academy when she left. She was glad to know he continued with his plans, and her heart sank when she thought about him. She missed him so much, and through her travelling, her feelings for him grew stronger.

"It's great to hear, but do you know where is he now?"

Lin waved her hand at Korra. "Follow me."

Korra's heartbeat started to go faster with each step. The thought about seeing Bolin made her head spin- but she couldn't let herself go out just yet. She kept the self-restraint she had all this time. She knew that around him she could be herself, she could smile and laugh and act as childish as she can, and he would still laugh along and never judge her. That was why she had those feelings- and that was why those feelings only developed during her travels- she only realized how amazing she feels around him while she was away.

She just hoped he felt the same.

"Korra!"

Korra turned her head to Lin, embarrassed. She probably got lost in her thoughts. "A-Ah! Sorry."

"He should be training inside there."

Korra bowed before the Chief. "Thank you, Lin."

Lin just put a comforting hand on Korra's shoulder, reading her like an open book. "Don't worry. He was been talking non-stop about you."

Korra smiled at Lin. "You think he…?"

"I'm sure."

She pulled Lin into another hug, and the elder woman returned it. Without another word, she entered the hall.

The sound of metal hitting the ground echoed, and he was standing there, wearing the same training outfit like he had in their pro-bending days. His undershirt showed how big his muscles developed in such short time. His hair grew longer, and he just seemed older. A chain made of metal was laying to his legs, among other bunch of training tools scattered around him.

They were just staring at each other for a couple of minutes, from two different ends of the hall.

All she needed from him was one smile to confirm what she wanted so much.

He gave it to her.

She ran to him and he ran back and when they met she hugged him strong enough to squeeze him to death if he wasn't so big. His buff arms snaked around her and pulled her impossibly closer to him.

"Oh, Bolin."