Awwww, hurting Bolin is hard :(
Korra sat on the edge of their bed with her head in her hands. She'd argued with herself for hours and convinced herself into this time after time, but the closer it got the harder it seemed. She'd used a mirror to practice the things she'd have to say, but it never got easier. She could only hope that she wouldn't lose her nerve in the middle of it and ruin everything.
She jumped to her feet when she felt him walking up the stone steps, but she waited until she could feel the key turning in the door before she took action. Quickly, she began shoving her things into her bag, the same bag she'd brought up with her from the South Pole. There wasn't much. Most of the things she owned were things… Things Bolin had given her. She paused for a moment before putting down the carved comb he'd bought her for her birthday. It would be better to leave it. But maybe she could take it? Just one small thing to remember him by— No. No, it needed to stay. He wouldn't be able to miss the fact that she'd left it behind. She sighed as she turned away, and then Bolin was there.
"Korra, what's going on?"
"Do you really need to ask?" She couldn't meet his eyes.
He took a slow step closer. "Were you going to go visit Asami? Or spend the night on Air Temple Island?"
She stared determinedly down at her hands as she folded her winter coat and tucked it into the bag. "I'm going to Air Temple Island, but I'm not coming back."
"Not coming back? What are you talking about?"
"Bolin, you can't really be that slow. What do you think I'm talking about?" There was a thick, uncomfortable silence, and then she had to force herself to look up at him and rolled her eyes. "I'm leaving."
He tried to catch her hands in his, but she pulled away and went back to packing her bag. "Korra— But Korra, why?"
"Really? You can't tell?"
His voice was starting to shake now. "I thought everything was fine."
Everything should have been fine. It would have been better than fine if she'd just been anything but the Avatar. This was the first time she'd ever wished she was only a plain, ordinary Water Tribe girl who came to the big city and caught the eye of a nice pro-bender— She shook herself. "Well, it's not. And if you can't see any of it, that's just another reason for me to go."
She shouldered the bag and tried to head for the door, but he blocked her way. "Wait. Korra, please. Maybe I'm not smart enough to see it, but please. Can't you tell me why?"
This was even harder than she'd thought it would be. Facing him, hearing him pleading with her, it was worse than anything she could have expected. Why couldn't it have been like those early, naive days when she'd thought there wasn't anything out there worse than Amon and the Avatar would always be the one to win. Back then she never would have guessed that something as innocent as loving the Avatar could be so dangerous. She steadied herself and shrugged. "I guess you just weren't good enough for me."
His face crumpled as he turned away. She could feel her own eyes starting to sting. That was too much. Too much. She'd held him close and reassured him as he poured out his worst insecurities, and this was how she'd repaid him. Of all the things she could have said, was there anything worse? She had to hurt him enough that he wouldn't come after her, but she'd pushed it too far. She could hear the breathless, choked sobs of someone trying desperately not to sound like they're crying. Her hands were shaking as she adjusted the straps of her bag. This was it then. No last touch, no look, no words. This was their last memory. She shoved past him and fled out the door, down the steps. She almost made it to the road before she started crying.