Title: Guilt
Author: AishiteSubete
Rating: T
Summary: And for the first time in his life, Tarrlok felt a true pang of guilt deep in his chest at the sound of her tears. Korrlok.
A/N: Yep, writing Korrlok because YOLO. No, not really. Just because now that I realized I like Masami, I have no clue who to truly ship Korra with. Mneh, it's best to try ALL the Korra ships!
[GUILT]
"I was so scared!"
Tarrlok's breath caught in his throat as he listened to Tenzin try to soothe the worries of the young avatar. Her sobs echoed off the island as she described in detail what happened. Amon had ambushed her with countless numbers of chi blockers; he had almost taken her bending. She had tried to escape, but to no avail. I felt so vulnerable, she cried, her voice muffled by the fabric of Tenzin's cloak.
And Tarrlok knew it was his own fault.
The very next day, Tarrlok sent a letter to Korra, inviting her to his home for dinner; she declined.
The second day after the ambush, Tarrlok made a personal visit to Air Temple Island. Korra was training with Jinora and Ikki, the two younger benders swirling tendrils of air through the wooden panels of Korra's training tool. The avatar stepped into the spinning myriad of turning boards, and Tarrlok knew for a fact that she would get hit. But only second later, she appeared on the other side, untouched an unscathed.
Ikki was the first to notice his arrival. "Ew, it's that weird man again!"
Korra whirled around to face him, her eyes widened; the emotion was soon crushed by a hard mask of indifference. "Hello, Councilman Tarrlok."
"Korra." She didn't flinch, though she was surprised he had called her by her given name and not by her title. "Would you like to come to my home for dinner tonight? I'm sure Tenzin wouldn't mind. We have a lot to talk about."
Korra pursed her lips and spat out a quick agreement before asking Jinora to notify Tenzin of her location. "We can go now," Korra said, walking with him to the docks. He followed behind her, watching the way her tight bending shirt hugged the muscles and contours of her back. He held back a blush as he paid closer attention to the way the fur pelt around her hips swayed with each step she took; he was embarrassed at how fixated he was on her.
"So, I'm sure there's a reason you wanted me to eat with you." Korra stabbed the white rice with her chopsticks, mixing it around in the bowl and staring it down uninterestedly. "There's been a reason for everything you do; what do you want from me now?"
The words hit Tarrlok harder than they should; had he really taken that much out of her. He hid the look of guilt and surprise that threatened to cross his features and said, "I wanted to inform you that the task force has been disbanded."
Korra dropped her chopsticks and looked at Tarrlok with wide, astounded eyes. "W-wha—"
"I miscalculated; I underestimated Amon," Tarrlok explained, taking a few seconds between phrases to sip on chai tea. "I thought he was brave enough to face you one on one, but he's simply a coward. His forces are overwhelming, and we need more numbers. Plus, you should focus on your airbending training; that's why you came to Republic City anyway." Tarrlok nudged Korra on the shoulder, and she couldn't help but smile; that miniscule twitch of muscles caused the Northern Watertribesman's heart to flutter in a way that he hadn't assumed possible.
His lips parted, and Korra looked at him expectantly. "I…heard your conversation with Tenzin on the island."
The young avatar didn't speak at first, only blinking at the muscular man that sat beside her. "You…"
Tarrlok hugged her, wrapping her in a strong embrace. "If I would have known, I wouldn't have pressured you into heading the task force." He let one calloused hand stroke her ponytail while the other pulled her closer to his chest. She put up no struggle or resistance, instead melting into his arms.
"I supposed I should have told you," she mumbled. "My fear compromised my strength."
"It doesn't make you weak," Tarrlok mused. "For once you overcome the fear, you'll be stronger than ever."
"Will you help me?"
Tarrlok looked down at Korra, astounded by the raw look of trust that was evident in her eyes. She was close—close enough, in fact, that he could lean down and kiss her with no problems.
And so he did. After a single, light touch, Korra pressed her mouth to Tarrlok's with more fervor, throwing her hands around his neck and pulling him in for more. The councilman pulled her closer to his body, vowing to himself that he would keep her safe—safe from those who would hurt her, and safe from Amon.
"I love you." He mumbled against her kiss-bruised lips.
"And I you."