Title: Day 4: "Spirit of Competition - reboot" (T – Borra romance, one shot)
Author: A6
Rating: T – Borra romance
Word count: 2060
Summary/Notes: Suppose that in Episode 105, instead of falling apart at encountering Korra and Mako kissing, Bolin confronted them and acted with conviction about his feelings, and Korra responded, having just come off the 'high' of a wonderful 'date' together, where they discovered the common sense of fun and their easy conversations together were indications to them of something they shared 'more than friendship'.
While I am an avid Makorran, this was fun to see if I could write a Borra fic. Hope you Borrans enjoy! XD
...
Having been scared to the point of needing an underwear change by Naga's roars, and also having been completely embarrassed to the point of screaming like a little girl, Tahno fumed, gathered his fan girls on his arms, and stormed off out of the restaurant. He resolved to not only defeat the Fire Ferrets but to humiliate them was redoubled. Especially the Avatar. He would take her out of the upcoming game on a stretcher.
Bolin praised Korra, "I've never seen anyone harass Tahno like that. You are one of a kind Korra."
Korra smiled shyly back at Bolin, with Naga watching still in the window.
"So, let's celebrate our early victory over that creep, Bolin," suggested Korra. They ordered up some sodas, and the barkeeper served them. They impolitely slurped their sodas, and snickered.
Bolin burped, then blushed and covered his mouth in embarrassment. To his total surprise, Korra laughed and let out a burp too. Bolin smiled in delight. He burped loudly again and crossed his arms and smiled proudly.
"Korra's definitely my kind of woman. I wonder if she scratches her pits?" thought Bolin.
"I can beat that! This is really fun, Bolin is not stiff and serious all the time like Mako," thought Korra.
She smiled, and let her cheeks puff out a moment while she let out a very loud burp that resounded throughout the restaurant. Korra and Bolin held their sides laughing. Neither cared that a couple sitting next to them leaned away and looked at both of them indignant and disgusted.
They paid their bill and left. The restaurateur was never so relieved. He was aghast at learning what a crass country bumpkin the Avatar was.
Korra took his arm and offered, "Y'know, Bolin, that was a lot of fun. Let's go for a walk. Show me around your favorite sights of the City. I'm not done with this 'date' yet."
Bolin was thrilled with her affectionate touch, and thought, "'Date'? Wow!'"
As they walked through the city at night, she continued to think how easy it was to talk and carry on with Bolin compared to his stiff brother Mako, who had all the looks but none of the personality, or even really appeared remotely interested in her. Then she caught herself in mid-thought as she looked up into his green eyes. "No, wait, Bolin is every bit as handsome as Mako."
At the site of the World Exposition of twenty five years ago, they took the elevator to the Zuko observation tower, and looked out over the bustle of the nightlife in this city that never slept. The turmoil over the Equalists hadn't slowed down the city's social life. They were - for a moment - just one more cute couple lost in their time together.
They remained arm-in-arm without embarrassment with the touches. It felt natural to both.
As Korra leaned over the rails and stared in wonder, Bolin smiled and gave her a personally-narrated tour of the city from their high vantage point. Korra smiled back, admiring the young man's easy style, so eager to please her. To encourage him further, she pointed and asked about a lot of things she'd not seen before from ground level and points down as well. Trying to take it all in, Korra raised her hand to cover her brow and scanned the area. It was endearing to Bolin.
As he was chattering enthusiastically, Bolin reflected, "Would someone as amazing as Korra have feelings for someone as simple and common as me? Mako was wrong the other day. This girl and I are good together."
As she looked back at Bolin, she thought, "Do you think that someone as special as Bolin could look past me being the Avatar and think of me as a person who needs his friendship and more?"
They returned to the Arena, and both had thoughts of something special for 'the goodnight' for the other, but seeing a sullen Mako sitting on the steps outside of the pro-bending arena, their private moment was broken, and although they wanted to say goodnight in a special away, they simply parted.
Mako stood up, hands in his pockets, with a look of slight anger toward Korra. She was perturbed by that, and she tried to ignore his advance toward her. She almost passed Mako before he spoke and stopped her. She rolled her eyes in disgust and thought, "How dare he talk to me after ruining Bolin's and my moment together."
Mako interrupted her sternly, "What kind of game are you playing?
Korra, in an annoyed tone, stated flatly, "Uh, Pro Bending. We've got a quarter-final match."
Mako corrected her, "No, I mean with Bolin. You got him all in a tizzy and I know you're only using him to get back at me."
Korra replied with annoyance, "I am not. We're just having fun together. What do you care anyway?"
Mako warned Korra, "I'm looking out for my little brother. I don't want to see his heart get broken."
Korra was shocked, "Wait a second. You're not worried about him, you're jealous. You do have feelings for me."
Mako sputtered, "What? Jealous? Pfft, don't be ridiculous."
Korra wanted to drag an admission out of this brash young man and call him out on it, "Admit it, you like me."
Mako replied indignantly, "No, I'm with Asami."
Korra went for jugular vein, "Yeah, but when you're with her, you're thinking about me aren't you?
Mako scoffed, "Get over yourself!"
Korra teased, knowing she got to him, "I'm just being honest."
Mako half-yelled, "You're crazy!"
Korra shouted, "You're a liar!"
That was it. They glared at each other and stomped off in separate directions. Whatever feelings beyond friendship had for at least the moment evaporated.
Unfortunately the blow-up nearly cost them the next round of the championship. Whatever was lost in friendship still remained in respect for each other's abilities and the dedication to the team no matter what was happening between them outside of the game. That demanded another discussion, simply out of respect.
After the near defeat, a thoughtful and reflective Korra stood under a gazebo outside the arena, leaning against a pillar and looking out across the water. Mako walked up to her.
Unlike the fight before the game, Mako spoke to her apologetically, "We need to talk. Look, sometimes you can be so infuriating."
Korra was still at slow boil and interrupted, "Save your breath. You've already made it clear how you feel about me."
Mako, "No, I haven't. What I'm trying to say is, as much as you drive me crazy, I also think you're pretty amazing.
Korra was shocked at knowing the truth, despite so many signs to the contrary, "So, you do like me?"
Mako mistook Korra's response as interest, "Yes, but…(sigh)…I like Asami too. I dunno…things are complicated. I've been feeling really confused and I-"
Caught in the moment, Korra had to determine what was real in her heart and Mako's, and she remembered Pema's advice to be direct, despite messing up once before. She quickly leaned in and kissed him on the lips. Mako was shocked for a moment before he kissed her back and made Korra blush. That was totally unexpected. They broke the kiss and stare into each other's eyes, neither one knowing what to say next.
"Was I wrong?" Was the only thing either could think.
But then the unthinkable happened. Korra looked past Mako and her eyes and mouth went wide in shock. She turned and looked shamefully as Mako turned around and saw Bolin standing behind them.
Bolin was standing in complete shock at the sight of Mako and Korra kissing, still holding a bouquet of pink roses intended for Korra, with Pabu on his shoulder. A passing breeze blew his hair and some petals off the roses. Pabu chirped and looked at Bolin.
Mako reacted fast, "Bolin, this isn't what you think!"
Bolin's eyes narrowed but he said forthrightly, "No brother, I know that it isn't."
Korra was amazed at his calm reaction, and a wave of respect grew in her heart, "Bolin?"
Bolin confronted them both with his own feelings resolved, "Tell me Korra, when you kissed, what did you feel right then?
She thought very carefully at what to say and how to say it, but was truthful, "Surprise. At me for having the nerve to kiss him, and at him returning it."
"Anything beyond that?"
She looked at Mako, and thought of what she felt inside, "No, nothing. It was a kiss, but there was no 'spark'."
He turned with intensity to Mako, "And brother? What about you?"
Mako knew it would disappoint Korra, but she spoke truth. So should he, "The same. It was a kiss, a very nice kiss, but nothing else."
Bolin had heard enough, and he walked toward Korra, "Tell me, Korra, what you think of THIS?"
He dropped his flowers, rushed and enveloped Korra with his very strong and muscular arms in an intense embrace, and laid his lips full on to hers, with every bit of intensity he could muster.
Mako's eyes went wide with the intensity of Bolin's surprise advance to Korra. The embrace and kiss of his brother with Korra went beyond anything he had yet attempted with Asami, and was nothing like the surprise kiss between Korra and Mako just now.
Korra could only respond with a muffled, "Mmffptf!"
Her arms spread wide for a second, and she considered pushing him away, but Korra could only think of wrapping her arms as intensely around him as his were around her, and pushed hard into the kiss she was receiving. Bolin was delighted and responded further. It was a cascading reaction of strong affection between them.
She felt an electric response from her head to her toes. She had never felt this way before, but had some inkling from her past lives that what Bolin had given her was some kind of very special kiss indeed.
Mako stood by, embarrassed and amazed at his little brother's boldness at making a move. And Korra's truly affectionate response in kind.
Korra and Bolin broke the kiss for a second. She gazed at him, and turned a very deep red. But they didn't break for long, and she smiled, and dived into his lips for another long kiss.
Mako was really beginning to feel uncomfortable with the pair locked in an embrace, but realized this kind of kiss was exactly how he felt in Asami's embrace. Perhaps in this moment, with all of this happening at once with all three of them, things would settle out for them all.
With Korra firmly still in Bolin's arms holding affectionately to him, neither wanting to let go, he managed to say, "Wow…"
Bolin was astonished that Korra's response was not only positive back to him, but truly enthusiastic toward Bolin's bold move. She hadn't slapped him or beat him to a pulp.
"Well Bolin, I have only one thing to say about all this…"
She belched with all her might so loud that it echoed, and they laughed. In response, he belched back at Korra, and they snickered and hugged.
Mako rolled his eyes at their antics, being glad he didn't have to participate in any of this, and with not an ounce of regret about what had just happened to define everyone's true feelings. He felt happy for his brother and for himself about Asami. It no longer was complicated. He knew now that he and Bolin had someone else to care for besides each other. He put his hand on Bolin and Korra and said affectionately, "'Happy for you brother – and you too, Korra. Catch you later upstairs, later bro'. No rush…"
Wrapping his arm around Korra's waist, with her leaning into that embrace with a smile, Bolin replied, "Yeah, brother, I think Korra and I need to head to the workout room for awhile."
Korra tightened her grip on Bolin and beamed at him, as her hands slid down his muscular side to capture Bolin's hand, and off they went happily.
Mako made an urgent walk to the Arena's office and its one telephone. He needed to call Asami and take a midnight walk with her. Right now. There were things he had to say.