Bolin glowed with happiness. "She's the coolest, amazing-est girl I know!" he exclaimed, almost shrieking in excitement.
"Tone it down, Bo," Mako chided. "The whole place will hear you."
"Oh! Sorry," Bolin whispered.
"That's great, Bo," Korra said, forcing a smile onto her face. "I'm glad you have ... someone." I wish I did, she thought sadly. She briefly met Mako's gaze before both quickly averted their eyes. They had tried to remain friends, almost as much for Bolin's sake as for their own, but since the breakup, it had been difficult.
"I'm gonna get something to drink," Bolin declared. "Anyone want something?" Without waiting for an answer, he rose and moved toward the bar, his steps so light he seemed to be drifting rather than walking. Korra frowned slightly as he left: a frown that was not unnoticed by her tablemates.
"You're upset," Asami murmured as she laid her hand over Korra's. "What's going on?"
Korra's jaw dropped slightly as a blush rose on her cheeks. "There's not — I don't — I'm not upset!" she spluttered. Asami's brow furrowed in concern, even as she smiled, a bit condescendingly.
"You like him, don't you?" Mako said, a bit accusatorily.
"Why do you ask that?" Korra exclaimed, her voice rising.
"Because you're acting around him the same way you used to act around me," Mako said shortly. He shook his head. "I don't know what you're going to do, but I won't let you hurt my brother, Korra."
"Like you hurt Asami?" Korra blurted. She immediately realized the cruelty of her words, but rather than acknowledge it, she turned away with a pout. Mako's mouth moved up and down, forming the shapes of words he couldn't seem to speak. Asami glanced around the room, eagerly looking for a distraction.
"Oh, look," she murmured. "Bolin's on his way back." Mako and Korra flattened their expressions and stared down at the table.
Bolin half-walked, half-floated back to his place, a bright lime-colored drink in his hand. He sighed with pleasure. "I'm glad after all that you didn't like me, Korra," he said lightly. "I mean, no offense. It's just nice things worked out this way."
"Yeah, Bo," Korra said as she lowered her face into her hands to cover her blush. "It's great."
Asami sighed. "Korra, why don't we go to the restroom?" She grabbed and pulle on the other girl's wrist before Korra had a chance to protest.
"Why'd you bring me in here?" Korra demanded once the restroom door closed. "I don't have to go, and you know I don't know how to do makeup!"
"But I know how," Asami said calmly as she turned toward the mirror and applied a thin layer of lipstick. "But mostly I wanted to talk to you away from Mako — or Bolin." Korra harrumphed and folded her arms across her chest. "Come on, Korra," Asami said, a bit shortly. "I can tell you like Bolin. We all can."
There was a brief silence. "Do you think he can?" Korra asked quietly.
Asami shook her head. "I don't know. I'd say he must, but since you've denied it on several occasions..." She trailed off. "Why do you deny it?" she asked, sounding almost as though she were asking a rhetorical question. "Not that I don't appreciate your staying away from a boy who's seeing someone else" — Korra cringed at the reminder of her thoughtlessness with Mako — "but it's not like you. And you could have told him before he started seeing June Lee."
"I was embarrassed, okay?!" Korra cried. "It was just less awkward to lie."
Asami smiled sympathetically. "Even though you wouldn't get to tell him how you felt?" Korra nodded dumbly. Asami took the younger girl's face in her hands. "That was a pretty brave and selfless thing to do," she said. "I'm really proud of you, Korra." She kissed the top of Korra's head, then hugged her gently.
"Th-thanks," Korra said confusedly. "But what do you think I should do now?"
Asami considered it as she released Korra and backed up a step or two. "I think you wait," she said finally. "You need to wait until the time is right. But until then, you have me to talk to. Or Tenzin, Pema, Lin... or even Mako, I'm sure."
"What if the time is never right?" Korra said, her voice thin from frustration. "And how will I know when it's right? I didn't do a very good job of that with Mako," she admitted.
"You live and learn," Asami suggested.
"That's not very helpful." Korra pouted again.
Asami chuckled in spite of herself. "It's the best I can offer right now. I'll tell you what, if you think it's time, you can ask me what I think. And if I think it is, I'll let you know. Okay?"
Korra let out a noise that could have been a growl or a purr. "All right," she agreed meekly.
"Good girl." Asami patted her shoulder. "Are you ready to go back out?"
Korra smiled. "But you haven't even helped me with my makeup yet."
#####
Two months later, Asami rushed to her door to stop the insistent banging of the knocker. "I'm coming!" she exclaimed to herself. "There's no need to break the door down." Upon opening it, she was only moderately surprised to find that its attacker was Korra, her hand poised to knock again.
"Asami!" she cried, her hair matted down by the rain that continued to fall outside of the covered stoop. "I need to talk to you!"
"Come in," Asami replied with a resigned sigh as she stood aside.
Korra bustled in, nearly tripping on the area rug as she entered. "I want to tell Bolin," she explained.
Asami closed the door Korra had rather insensibly left open. "Tell him what?" she prompted, though she already had an idea of the answer.
"That I like him!" Korra snapped, as if annoyed at having to explain herself.
Asami eyed her friend. "He's only just broken up with June Lee," she said slowly. "Don't you think you should give him some time?"
Korra flushed in frustration. "Well, that's what I think, but when I see him at the arena, Asami, I just — I don't — I don't feel like I can hold it back any longer! I just have this urge to tell him that I want to be with him more than anything!"
"That's what you thought about Mako, too," Asami said gently, "and you saw how that turned out."
"But this is different!" Korra replied, clutching her arms toward her chest in a gesture of intensity. "Whenever I see a couple, you know, I always think it could be me and him, and I dream about him a lot, and —"
"And I'm willing to bet that happened with Mako, and you've just forgotten it." Asami interrupted. She sighed and lazily ran a hand through her hair. "Look, Korra, I don't want you to hurt Bolin, or yourself. I know you have very intense feelings. You always have. But I think you ought to wait a while longer, to make sure that it's not just temporary again."
"But I can't wait forever to see if it's temporary or not!" Korra protested. "When do I know it's time?"
"I don't know," Asami said calmly. "All I can say is that in your place, I wouldn't tell him just yet. That's my advice, Korra. Take it or leave it."
Korra pouted. "I know you're right," she muttered, sounding very displeased about it. "I just get tired of waiting."
Asami wrapped her arm around her friend's shoulders as she smiled benevolently. "I know. But when you wait, it's worth more in the end. Trust me."
"I do," Korra said, though her tone expressed quite clearly that she wished she didn't.
"That's good," Asami murmured. "I was just heating some water for tea. Would you like a cup for yourself?" Korra hesitated. "It'll help you warm up from the cold rain," Asami needled. "And besides, we haven't gotten to talk much about girly things," she added, then laughed at Korra's scowl. "Or probending. Whatever you'd like," Asami amended magnanimously.
"Probending would be more fun to talk about," Korra admitted.
"Come along, then," Asami instructed as she glided down the hall.
Korra shook her head and smiled in spite of herself. She wanted Bolin, but in the meantime, at least she had a friend in Asami.
#####
Bolin sobbed as he set his glass on the table, making an unpleasant clinking sound. "Why doesn't she like me anymore?" he wailed. "Why doesn't anyone like me?"
"Bo, I think you've had a bit too much to drink," Mako began.
"You didn't even like me, Korra!" Bolin continued, as if he hadn't heard Mako. "You're my friend, and you don't like me. No one I've ever liked has liked me!" He put his face in his hands. "No one will ever like me, will they?"
Korra's heart skipped a beat. "I like you now, Bolin," she admitted softly. Mako raised his eyebrows but said nothing.
"Not the way I liked you!" Bolin cried.
Korra shifted in her seat. "Yes, I do. I didn't last winter, but I think I do now." She looked over to Asami for support, but Asami's only expression was one of surprise at Korra's relatively sudden declaration.
"You're just trying to make me feel better," Bolin moped.
"No, I'm not!" Korra protested. "I didn't like you that way last winter, and I don't know why, but I never know why I feel how I feel! But I do know that I really like you now. And I hope you'll like me too."
Bolin glared at her. "So you can kiss someone else again?" he snapped. "Brother betrayer," he hissed under his breath. He reached for his glass, but Mako caught his hand.
"No," he said simply. "Drinking isn't going to help you, Bo. You're already saying things you don't really mean."
Bolin's eyes shone with frustration. "Fine!" he shrieked. "None of you even care about me." At that, he got up and moved toward the restaurant door as fast as he could — which, considering his inebriated state, wasn't very fast at all. Mako's eyes followed him briefly, then turned back to Korra and Asami.
"I should really go after him," Mako said apologetically. "I'm sorry, I —"
"Go," Asami told him. "I'll take care of the bill. Pay me back later."
Mako smiled gratefully. "Thanks," he murmured as he rose and hurried after his brother, catching Bolin's arm as the younger brother nearly fell upon reaching the door.
Korra watched the two leave, her mouth set in an unsure line. Then, she felt Asami's eyes on the back of her head and turned to face her. "Do you think I should go after them?" she asked.
Asami bit her lip. "No," she replied slowly, "but I think you think you should." Korra nodded. "Go, then," Asami prompted. "I'll take care of your tea."
"You're the best, Asami!" Korra gushed. She spun out of her chair and quickly kissed Asami's forehead before she rushed after the boys. Asami blushed lightly and smiled to herself as she raised her own teacup to her lips. Bolin's a lucky guy, she thought with a chuckle.
Meanwhile, Korra caught up with the brothers as they reached the end of the block. Mako glanced over his shoulder upon hearing her footsteps, and for an instant, Korra thought he was about to try to dissuade her from following any further. Instead, he simply raised his eyebrows, as if to ask her, Are you sure about this? Korra nodded in response to the unasked question. Mako turned back to Bolin, whom he was by now half-carrying down the sidewalk.
"Looks like we've got someone tagging along," he said lightly. After receiving no response, he specified further: "I think Korra wants to come with us." He was rewarded with a noncommittal grunt. Mako looked back to Korra and shrugged. "If you want to come with us, I guess you're free to," he said.
And so she did.
#####
Later that night, Bolin wandered from the bedroom into the kitchen, where he found Korra and Mako sleepily nursing new cups of tea.
"Did I have a weird dream?" he slurred. "Or did you actually say you loved me?"
"You weren't dreaming," Korra replied. "I said that. And I meant it."
Bolin nodded dreamily. "I'm glad," he said. "I love you, too."
Korra looked at him in surprise. "You do?"
"I don't think I ever stopped," he said. Whatever he was about to say next was cut off by a dull thud behind his forehead. "My head hurts," he whined.
"That's what you get for drinking too much," Mako said, with the air of Pema chiding Ikki or Meelo. "We don't have any medicine, Bo. You'll just have to try to sleep."
"Can you tuck me in?" Bolin wheedled.
Mako scoffed. "You're not six anymore, Bolin. You're not even twelve."
Korra grinned and tilted her head. "I could," she offered.
Bolin returned the smile and got up from his seat. "Good night, Mako," he said as he stifled a yawn.
"Night," Mako replied, watching warily as Bolin nearly walked into the boor jamb.
As Korra followed him into the bedroom, he inserted himself between the sheets of his bed, then looked at her expectantly. Lucky I've put the airbabies to bed, she thought as she tightened the covers around him. "I'll see you tomorrow," she promised. "Sleep tight."
"Korra?" he said as she turned to leave. "I really like you. Let's have fun together."
Korra smiled, then turned on her heel to approach him. She bent over him and kissed his forehead. "We will. Tomorrow," she promised. She gently ran her hand through his hair, then kissed him again: this time, on the lips. The kiss was gentle, not aggressive like the ones she'd always given Mako. And although she was surprised by herself, she realized that she enjoyed that kind of kiss even more — especially when Bolin returned it.
"Good night," she murmured, but if Bolin heard her, he gave no indication. Within a few seconds, she heard his breathing rise and fall. As if by some miracle, he'd already fallen asleep.
She eased the door shut behind her, making only a small squeak. Mako turned to look at her and shook his head, more in amazement than in frustration, it seemed.
"I'm still not sure about this, Korra," he said warningly. "I don't want to see Bo hurt." He drew a deep breath. "But you both seem to want to do this, so I don't suppose I can stop you."
"No, you can't!" Korra replied fervently. She opened her mouth again to continue, but she was barely able to make a sound before Mako raised his hand to stop her.
"It's fine, Korra," he said. "Just be happy, all right?"
Korra was taken aback. "You really approve?" she asked.
Mako nodded uncertainly. "For now, at least," he muttered.
Korra grinned. "That's great! I'll see you around. I'd better get back to the Air Temple and, uh... do stuff!"
Mako smiled as he watched her go. "Yeah, I have a feeling that if you and my brother have anything to say about it, I'll see you around an awful lot."