He felt it in the way she floated on solid ground. Her head was in the clouds, while her duties bound her to the world. With her running around in circles and seeing the renewed energy that came from Avatar Aang's visit, he sighed—expelling the anxiety that he held for her wellbeing, and inhaling the gratitude, the air—his element, in. Her laughter made the earth tremble beneath him and he inwardly smiled.

Korra had a smirk in her voice, with a hint of needing validation. "So you really love me, huh?" She asked, so close yet so far, or maybe it was the other way around. Their laughter echoed through the valley.

Contemplating the question, Bolin sighed, "Yeah, I guess I really do."

"You really do what?" Asami asked timidly, standing behind the earthbender, not bothered by the snow beneath him.

Bolin gathered his thoughts, shifted his seated body towards her, and forced his signature grin across his face, "Nothing."

Asami stepped closer to the cliff to see what Bolin was staring off into, and in a moment, stepped back, a little nauseated. "Oh."

Bolin turned back to the valley and continued looking down on his brother and his crush, while they chased each other in circles—blurring red and blue and red and blue. "What did you need, Asami?"

Taken aback by the coldness of his voice, but trying not to show the hurt, she replied, "It was getting a little boring back in compound so I went looking for you." She paused, apprehensive to whether or not to continue. The Sato heiress took a breath and carried on, "Bolin, are you planning to run away?"

Bolin lightly scoffed and threw a hand up dismissing her notion. "Psh, Asami… you and your crazy talk."

Asami crossed her arms. "I went to your room; I saw the bags."

It was Bolin's turn to return the knowing "Oh." Silence crept in, like the shadows of the nearby trees. Asami finally regained her courage to start her thought-out speech.

"Were you planning to tell us about this? What do you think you're doing? Why would you just—just—"

The young earthbender stood up to meet his interrogator face-to-face. "They're so happy. And I'm so miserable. I don't know how much longer I can smile through the hurt." He looked back at Mako and Korra, "It's not fair."

"I know it's not fair to you—"

"No. Don't you see? It's not fair to them." Bolin looked at Asami frustratingly, shredding whatever notion she had of him just being a kid having a tantrum. "He's given up everything for me. The least I can do is give up her for him."

"Bo—"

"I need to at least give them a chance to see if this works out, and I can't do that if they see me moping around all the time." He took a breath still unsure whether or not to share his secret, "Korra plans to go on some 'coming of age' boating trip with her cousins tomorrow morning. Mako plans to go, too."

Asami concentrated, a little concerned as to why tears were starting to form. She looked at the boy who saved her just a few days ago, steeling her emotions, "Where do you plan on going?"

"I don't know."

"Do you need money? How will you get there? Will it be safe? How long will you be gone? Can I come with you?"

Bolin recoiled at the last question. He pouted in thought and then smiled as he generated the perfect solution. "Uh, we can go back to Republic City together, and then split up from there!"

Asami deflated at his answer. "You can just tell me if you don't want me to tag along."

Not knowing how else to assure her of his good intentions, he placed a hand on her shoulder. "You have a life in Republic City. You have a family reputation that you need to restore. There's nothing for me there. I need to find myself before I can return home."

Silence struck them again, this time shadows really were creeping in. "Come on. We should head back to the compound before it gets any darker." Bolin lead the way back while Asami followed, in silence, hoping that she wouldn't have to betray his secret to make him stay.