I've probably never walked with this much pep in my step in my whole life.
Well, maybe when I was younger and Mako found that button on the ground that fit on my pants so I didn't have to keep pulling my shirt down over them. That day, I walked the sidewalks of Republic City with my tiny head held high(though Mako still held his down, but that's how its always been.)
The bouquet of pink flowers was held tightly in my hands, I could feel the cheap plastic paper they were wrapped in become damp with condensation from my growing sweaty hands.
I wasn't nervous, the date had gone well last night!(even though she hadn't referred to it as a 'date', what else could us having that much fun in each other's company be called?)
Korra and I ate ramen until we could barely leave the diner stools and made so many hilarious jokes that people from other booths were listening in! Korra is the funniest girl I've ever met, and she's so pretty and cool!
I turned the corner out of the pro bending arena's training room to outside, remembering seeing her pulling Mako outside to talk.
It was gonna be a little awkward for us to get close and cute together with Mako standing there, but if he wanted to third-wheel, I was fine with that.
With my eyes shut contently and humming the song they play during probending intermissions(its been seriously stuck in my head), I made my way into the cool night breeze. "Korra! I brought you these flowers as a thanks for our great dat-" The sight of Mako and Korra's lips pulling apart was the first thing my newly opened eyes were welcomed to.
Huh?
Mako?
..and Korra?
"Bolin-" Korra started, one arm reaching towards me cautiously while Mako brought his scarf to his mouth to stifle a forced cough. I felt wet around the bottom of my eyes, but it didn't register as tears until I felt one roll down my cheek. Korra looked truly saddened, but how could she be, when this is the thing she does behind my back? With my own brother?
Mako continued to stare at the ground, or maybe just anywhere other than my face in-embarressment maybe? Guilt?
"Bolin, I'm so sorry, I had no idea you were out here." she said, mumbling the last few words.
So that was it.
She was sorry that I saw, not that she did it. She liked Mako.
I was tired of her explanations, I wanted something from Mako. My puffy green eyes flickered upwards to him, still avoiding contact with anything except his shoes. "Mako?" My voice sounded hoarse and tired, but I finally forced the name out, needing something.
Maybe it wasn't real, maybe Korra only thought Mako was into the kiss.
He straightened his back with a deep sigh, slumping over slightly once the air left his lungs. He finally looked at me, and I could already see his ember eyes telling me everything he was about to say. Everything I didn't want to be true.
"I'm really sorry. I had no idea you saw us, I know that you have this thing for Korra," he gestured to her, and she shot him a look that read 'you're not helping' but my brother has never been good at conveying anything verbally. "and nothing I can say will erase your feelings for her. But, I have this connection with her that I have tried to bury deep down inside myself. I can't give that up..not even for you, Bo." he finished.
It felt like he was really getting something heavy off of his chest.
I wanted to let it go, let him be happy, but something inside me was screaming that I deserved to be happy too.
"It wasn't a date, was it?" I mumbled, barely audible. It was now my turn to avoid their now seemingly permanent stares. I felt Korra's somewhat heavy hand on my right shoulder, but my head never lifted. I saw a few pink flowers that had fallen from the bunch onto the ground and my shoes, I didn't bother to shift and move them.
"It was a date. It was a friendly date, Bolin, you're my friend. And you're a great one." Her voice barely makes it to my ears.
I'm a great friend.
So does that mean she expects me to drop this? Act like it never happened? Is that what great friends do to their great friends?
"Asami-?" I looked up finally, searching for something on Mako's now suddenly guilty face.
Why wasn't his face guilty when I caught him kissing the girl he knew I liked?
Another sigh escaped him, he looked at Korra, then closed his eyes, straightening his back out. He seemed to be really gathering himself for this answer, even Korra looked suddenly straight faced. "She doesn't know, if that's what you're asking." his fiery eyes suddenly opened and bore into my own.
I don't know if this was a threatening look, or if he was angry with me for finding out his secret, or even angry with himself for the mess he got himself in the literal middle of.
"I was gonna talk to her, sort all of this out. After all, it's not like I'm dating Korra behind her back, all we did was kiss." he shrugged. He actually had the nerve to shrug in this situation, and even Korra seemed to get angry at this.
"All we did was kiss? What happened to that connection you seemed so desperate to not give up?" she snapped, staring daggers at him.
If the situation was just a little bit different, I would have laughed.
My brother's mouth had always gotten him into trouble, especially with women(especially when it's more than one woman involved, like now).
I switched my focus from both of them for what seemed like hours, waiting for someone to say something- anything. Korra still looked very angry, and Mako seemed intimidated(she is the Avatar, ya know), forcing another one of his famous 'I'm-in-trouble' fake coughs.
"I wasn't lying about that Korra, but I don't want to hurt Asami. This whole situation will probably do enough damage without me deliberately shoving our connection in her face." he said with a snide, tugging at his scarf lightly, attempting to wiggle out of her intense gaze. I felt the flowers slip from my fast loosening grip finally, hitting the concrete ground with little to noise except for the crinkling of the plastic keeping the ones left together.
That seemed to get their attention, heads snapping into my direction.
My cheeks were glistening with drying tears, and I could tell that was the feature they were both focused on, now that they were staring at me. Korra let out a loud sigh, and stepped forward, placing her hand back on my shoulder.
I waited for her to say something- a joke about how Asami will take the news, a rude comment(while lighthearted) about my brother and the impossible love shapes he creates, maybe even a comment on the weather.
I waited for words that never came.
She pulled me tight against her chest, wrapping her arms around my neck. Surely she had to feel my body go slack against her embrace for a few seconds, but it didn't cause her to let me go. She tightened her grip, burying her face into the crook of my neck and rubbing small lines up and down my back.
My arms lifted weakly to wrap around her waist, and slowly the grip got stronger. She pushed into my chest, squeezing her eyes shut.
This show of affection reminded me of Korra.
Not the flirtatious, crushing girl I saw on my 'date'.
Not my brother's new arm candy(even if she was only on that arm behind the back of the one of his other arm).
Not the Avatar, even.
Korra.
My team mate. My partner.
My friend.
And if I was to be the great friend she told me I was, I would forgive her.