Disclaimer: I do not own Avatar: Legend of Korra at all, no matter how much I wish I did. I also do not own the image for the story, but I wish I owned that too. I own nothing, guys. Nothing.

Prologue

Damn it, Howl thought angrily as he watched the nearby building in the compound, which was lit up with so many colors that they made the moon like the light from a lantern. Of course, he was stuck up in the watch tower while everyone else partied the night away. It's not even their party anyways. Korra probably doesn't even know half of the White Lotus guards. He argued to himself once more with a huff as he sank down to the floor.

A small party was being thrown for Avatar Korra because she'd finally finished her water bending exam and had passed profoundly. Unfortunately, however, one of the White Lotus guards had to be in charge of the tower, and since he was the newest addition to the compound, he got the night shift.

It was frustrating to watch as others happily enjoyed something that the Avatar worked so hard for. What had they done? All they've done was watch over her and maybe be chosen to spar with her, but they weren't the ones with the weight of the world on their shoulders – she was.

So what were they really celebrating: her being that much closer to finishing her mastery of all four elements, or her being closer to leaving the compound?

Perhaps it wasn't even that which angered Howl the most. Maybe it was because he was the one who wanted to be down there, congratulating her because she deserved at least a sincere congratulations from someone who wasn't drunk out of their mind, or maybe it went deeper than that. Maybe it was because he admired her, probably more than any of the White Lotus guards ever did.

Or maybe it was because of the fact that he liked her, more than a White Lotus guard should like the Avatar.

Howl let out a frustrated sound as he heard an eruption of laughter from the building and folded his arms across his chest.

It wasn't as if he was looking to fall for the Avatar, but he also didn't think it would be something he needed to avoid. Of course, he did have some warnings before he got assigned to the compound. His fellow White Lotus guards had a funny way of describing the free-spirited girl.

"Absolutely reckless! She's crazy!"

"You'd better hope you don't spar with her, she'll soak you, then throw boulders at you, and then she'll fry you to a crisp."

"Trust me Howl, she may look young, but she's a whole lot more than you think."

All of them were right, of course. She was tough, and she was reckless, but she was also kind-hearted, when no one was looking, and her determination was amazing if she cared enough about something. He'd concluded that she probably was the best person he'd ever had the pleasure of protecting.

He couldn't place the exact moment he'd fallen for her, but he suspected it must have been when he watched her all those times as she practiced, and her smiles whenever she caught him looking at her. That definitely did it for his heart. He hardly knew her and yet, he felt as if he'd known her since childhood, and although he wanted to get to know her, his faltering and shyness and the possibility of her rejection were painful reminders that prevented him from advancing. And yet, he still couldn't figure out what she saw in him.

He remembered being put on watch while she practiced her water bending, and the sight was almost breath-taking. The way her hands carefully moved the snow and then changed it to water and bent it to any shape she desired was one of the most beautiful things he'd ever seen. It was probably the first time he realized how talented, and how pretty, the Avatar was.

He also remembered when she caught him watching, actually watching and not just mindlessly looking, and she responded with an appreciative smile, which sent a light feeling from Howl's stomach to his chest.

He was almost a bit too eager to accept the offers to watch the Avatar as she practiced.

So, twice a week, Howl would watch the Avatar practice her bending, and twice a week she would smile and greet him kindly, and twice a week, he would fight the butterflies that fluttered happily within him.

Then, one day, as she walked to the training area, she saw her peculiar White Lotus guard at his post, maybe ten feet away from the arena, with his hands behind his back as he waited quiet and still for the Avatar to arrive.

"Do you volunteer?" Korra asked, stopping beside Howl and sort of observing him, with a hand on her hip. Howl's head turned and his eyes widened a bit when he saw the inquirer of the question.

"Pardon?" Howl asked, surprised that the Avatar was talking to him, although it was something he'd been hoping to happen for a while.

"Do you volunteer to watch me every time I practice my forms?"

"Oh, no, miss, I – "

"Korra," She said, and then smiled slightly. "My name is Korra."

"Korra," Howl said softly, but turned away to avoid her very beautiful blue eyes. He'd hoped that maybe he would be able to blame the blushing on the cold. "I've been assigned to watch you twice a week. It's my job."

"I see," Korra answered, looking at the guard with a curious look and a smile. She'd never met such a shy guard before. Was he blushing? "Well, do you at least like what you see?"

Howl didn't answer for a few seconds, debating whether he should tell her that it was one of the most amazing things he'd ever seen – that she was probably the most amazing person he'd ever seen. Instead, taking his usual way out, he simply said, "Yes, I do," Then, as an afterthought, he added, "Very much." He eyed the Avatar out of the corner of his eye, and saw that she was smiling brightly.

"Well good. Thank you, um," And then, Howl saw something he didn't expect to see from the headstrong girl: embarrassment. Embarrassment over him, because she didn't know his name. She pouted and let out another 'um', and Howl felt a few more butterflies flutter.

"Howl," He blurted out. She blinked at the suddenness and he cleared his throat. "My name, it's Howl." She smiled and crossed her hands over her chest.

"Well, Howl, I'm glad you like what you see," He blushed at her words but did not turn away again. "Maybe I'll see you when I'm not training and then maybe, we can talk?" It was more of an offer than a statement, and although he should have said 'no', he did the exact opposite.

"Yes, I'd like that." He said with a small smile. The Avatar smiled back and began to make her way toward the center of the arena, leaving behind a guardsmen who might as well have been internally screaming.

Howl smiled to himself as he recalled the memory but another roar from the party interrupted his momentary happiness. He sighed and watched his breath coming out in a transparent puff. It's too damn cold out here. He thought as he stood and stretched.

He took a deep breath and let out a breath of fire to help him heat up, and as he did this, he could hardly make out the image of a person emerging from the building. He let out a grumble, thinking it was just some drunken guard who'd stumbled out of the building, but as he focused a bit more, through the light in the building, he saw the outline of a furry coat on a girl's body, and then he recognized the familiar water tribe hairstyle.

Korra! He thought to himself as his heart pounded. He watched as she drifted slowly towards the tower, her arms wrapped around her. Suddenly, she looked up and his heart jumped. He crouched down , hoping that she hadn't seen him. A few seconds passed and he felt sure that he was in the clear, until he felt the earth move beneath him. Soon enough, the Avatar was beside the watch tower on a raised earth platform that she earth bent herself.

Howl stood up from the floor, a bit too quickly and was met with a pair of blue eyes.

"Howl?" Korra said with a confused look as she stepped off the platform. Howl made a quick movement to help her get down, and although they were only slight touches, he still felt his insides heat up.

"Hello, miss Avatar," Howl said politely once she was standing in the tower with him, and he cursed under his breath at how stupid he sounded. Korra rolled her eyes and placed a hand on her hip.

"What are you doing up here? I thought all guards were off duty tonight."

"So did I," Howl said with a sheepish smile. "I got the watch tower shift for tonight, but it's fine, I suppose. Can't really complain, anyways." He said with a shrug and another smile.

"That sucks," Korra said before laughing. "It's freezing out here, too. How can you stand it?"

"Well, I am a fire bender, so it's not too rough." Korra sat on the floor and leaned against the wall of the tower just as Howl had done a few minutes earlier.

"Yeah, I remember now, but still, it doesn't seem fair that you got the shift for tonight. You're probably a lot better than the other guards, anyways." Howl smiled at the compliment and said nothing. A few moments of silence passed before there were words spoken. "So, are you going to join me on the floor or am I supposed to suffer by myself?" Korra said sarcastically, but it was all the invitation Howl needed to join her.

"Sorry," Howl said weakly once more as he relaxed against the wall beside her.

"You're a very shy guy, Howl." Korra said in no particular tone at all. It seemed like an observation.

"Yeah, I know," Howl admitted, with a shrug. More silence passed, but this time, Howl spoke. "Y-Y'know, I'm not always shy. I can be social."

"Really?" Korra responded, unconvinced.

"It's true, I just have to feel comfortable around someone, that's all."

"Well, aren't you comfortable around me?" Korra inquired, and all Howl seemed to focus on were those deep blue orbs. He cleared his throat and looked away, thankful for the night and how it concealed his face.

"Somewhat," He answered honestly, avoiding her gaze.

"Why not fully?" She said as she sat up on her knees with a pout, crossing her arms over her chest.

"Well, I don't know you very well, miss Avatar, but I think you're very, um," Howl searched for a word, a word that wouldn't give him away but didn't make him look like an idiot. "Different. In a good way, of course." He added in defense. Korra smiled at his awkward attempts, and an idea came into her head immediately. She stood from the floor, making Howl's head turn with a confused and almost hurt look.

"Where are you going?" Howl asked, also getting up from the floor.

"Don't worry," Korra responded as she made her way back on to the platform. She turned and smiled at him. "I'll be right back." Howl watched as the platform descended back to the ground and as the Avatar raced back into the building.

His mind raced with possible ideas of what to talk about when she got back up here, but he knew that it was no use anyways – His mind turned to jelly whenever he talked to her. He removed his helmet and ran a hand through his dark brown hair to get it to its normal, messy waves. Even though it was freezing right now, it almost felt like he was sweating, and he automatically knew it was because of Korra.

His thoughts were interrupted when he heard the earth move once more. Korra reappeared beside the tower, this time with a container and two little cups. He helped her once more and when she put the stuff down and finally looked up at him, she blushed lightly.

"You're not wearing your helmet," She said softly, getting a good look of Howl's hair for the first time. With that ridiculous helmet he always had on, he always looked somewhat funny to her, but now, with his messy waves of brown hair, he looked . . . Cute. Really cute, actually.

"Oh, well, I thought I should take it off and get a bit more comfortable."

"Well," Korra continued, turning her head from the very attractive guy in front of her to fix the drinks. "I think you look a lot better without that stupid helmet.

"Thank you," Howl said as the butterflies fluttered again.

"Do you have a lantern up here?" She asked as she held the container in her hand and a cup in the other. "I don't want to spill anything."

"O-Of course," He said, picking up a small lantern that was tossed behind a chair. He snapped his fingers and a flame came to his finger tip. He lit the lantern and blew out the flame on his finger. The tower lit up a bit, but the light was still dim since the lantern was so small.

Korra poured into both cups and handed one to Howl. Howl sniffed the contents in the cup and looked back to Korra.

"Um, what's in here?"

"Some drinks from the party." Korra said as she slid to the floor again. Howl joined her once more and moved around the liquid in the cup.

"Is it going to get me drunk?"

"That's the idea," Korra said with a smirk on her face. "You go first." Howl examined the liquid once more, not sure if he should do it. He was only maybe three years older than Korra, and he didn't often drink with his friends, but now here he was with the girl who was slowly driving him crazy, and since he'd gone this far already . . . What was the harm in having a good time with an amazing girl?

So, he closed his eyes and took a few sips. It tasted sweet, but it burned his throat slightly. He coughed and licked his lips, then looked up at the Avatar with a small smile.

"Your turn," He said, putting the cup down. He watched the Avatar hesitate and his smiled widened a bit.

He knew that she didn't like being challenged, especially if she was inexperienced. However, just as quickly as Howl had done it, she sipped from her cup and gulped down the liquid. Unfortunately, she coughed a lot more than Howl, causing him to worry a bit, but when he saw her stick out her tongue in disgust he relaxed and laughed a little.

"Are you alright?" Howl asked, removing the cup from her hand and placing it beside his own. Korra cleared her throat and nodded, smiling and laughing a little.

"I didn't know that it would taste like that."

"I take it that this is your first drink?"

"You catch on quickly, Howl." Korra said, although he could tell that she was a little embarrassed by her lack of experience.

"Well, I'm glad that I could experience you taking your first drink. One less thing you have to experience now." He said with a grin. Korra looked at him with an almost shocked expression.

"You loosened up quite a bit."

"Well, I've never been good with alcohol," Howl said, picking up his cup and taking a few more sips. "But, it could just be because you're here." Korra blushed at the statement, but still argued.

"I was here a few minutes ago and you were more awkward than a turtle duck." Howl laughed and nodded in agreement.

"Yeah, I tend to be like that, a lot, but I did some thinking and I thought that maybe I should try to be a little different tonight, for your sake at least." He said with a smile and for the first time, Korra got a strange sensation in her stomach with the way he looked at her.

"I don't want you to go off and be a different person, Howl." Korra responded with a frown. "I did this so that I could get to know you."

"I'm not a different person, this is just a different side of me. A more outgoing side, I guess. Actually, a side I didn't even know I had." Korra smiled and shrugged.

"I was starting to believe that you didn't have one." She said, picking up her cup and taking another sip. She grimaced and put the cup back down. "How can you drink this? It's horrible!" Howl laughed and picked up his cup to finish the rest of the drink.

"You get used to it," He said, taking a few more sips and emptying the cup.

The night dragged on with stories of laughter and interest. Howl had drank about three cups, and he felt himself become very woozy. At one point, he'd decided to lean his head against the wall as he continued telling his share of stories, and for some reason, Korra found the drunk Howl extremely cute, although, now that she thought of it, she also found the shy, faltering Howl just as cute, too. And then she wondered at what point did she start liking Howl as more than a friend? Had it been there the entire time?

Korra, unlike the boy in front of her, had refused to take anymore sips from her cup. Instead, she listened and laughed with Howl about his experiences. He'd even gotten as far as to tell her about how his family figured out that he was a fire bender. He'd accidentally sneezed while his grandmother held him and fire came shooting out. Unfortunately, he'd burned off her eyebrows, and although they grew back, she was never one hundred percent happy with her grandson.

Through his laughter, Howl watched Korra's face full of happiness and his laughter subsided as he stared at the beautiful young girl in front of him. Her laughter soon dissipated and when she caught Howl's gaze, she blushed lightly.

"What?"

"Nothing," He said with a smile as he turned away. "I was just thinking about what I would be doing if you hadn't come up here with me. I'm actually really glad you saw me up here, Korra."

"I'm glad, too, Howl." Korra said smiling back at him. Suddenly, he started laughing and she couldn't help but smile at that, too. "What is it now?"

"Well, while we're being completely honest here and since I may not remember this tomorrow, I might as well tell you this now."

"Tell me what?"

"That I've got the biggest crush on you," He said with a smile and the butterflies returned to Korra. Her heart beat quickened slightly and she gulped.

"Seriously?" She asked, wondering if it was just the alcohol talking.

"Oh yeah, definitely," He said, nodding. "I couldn't wait to see you practice your forms when you were doing your water bending training. You were just so beautiful when you did them, you looked so amazing. And don't even get me started on those smiles you would give me," He continued with a laugh. "Those cute little smiles made my day. I just loved being around you. You know, maybe if I'd talked to you more, maybe if I wasn't such a shy idiot, we could have had all these conversations a lot sooner. Maybe I could've even kissed you." He said with another laugh as Korra watched him, shocked and relieved at the same time.

The word 'kiss' spun around her head and it seemed to be the only thing that she was thinking about. She'd never kissed a boy before and never did she ever think the boy she'd want to kiss would be someone like Howl, but she couldn't seem to get him off her mind, and now his lips were stuck in there too. If it's true what they say about drunk people, then maybe he really won't remember it. Korra gulped as she watched the drunk boy in front of her smile at her as he rested his read once more against the wall.

"What are you thinking about?" He asked drowsily, still smiling like a fool. Korra's heart pounded quickly against her chest. She bit her lip and began to lean in. Howl watched her get closer and his eyes widened. He had no idea what to do, and before he knew it, their lips were practically touching. Howl, although surprised, decided to close his eyes and lean back into her.

When Korra felt her lips touch his, she hadn't expected his lips to be so soft. She didn't know what she expected exactly, but the reality of it seemed a lot better. Her hands found his face as she kissed him, and soon they were around his neck.

Howl let his hands fall to her hips and pulled her closer. Drunk or not, he'd waited for this moment for what seemed like forever, and he didn't want to screw it up for Korra. He kissed the best that he could, but as he felt her body press up against him, the feeling sent a shock through him and he responded by pulling her into his lap.

Neither had realized how out of hand the kiss had gotten until they broken apart for breath, and even then, Howl was still giving her little pecks on the lips and wherever else he could reach, earning a laugh from Korra.

And as Howl spread kisses across her cheek to her neck, a feeling of disappointment came to Korra when she realized the possibility of Howl not remembering anything that happened tonight.

She looked down at the boy who made her heart jump and smiled when he grinned up at her and kissed him once more. She might as well enjoy their time together while it lasted.

A/N: I tried, lol. My first try at something different because I know Legend of Korra like the back of my hand. Oh, and I also ship Howrra with a burning passion of a thousand suns.

If the idea looks like it was copied or taken, I'm sorry but I haven't read all the Howrra fics on FF.N so I don't know if something like this has been done already, but I hope not!

I hope you like it!

Again, I tried.