Title: While the Lightning Strikes
Chapter Title: Attraction is a Steady Drizzle (1/3)
Author: sangi (honestly-sangi)
Disclaimer: I disclaim any rights to Legend of Korra or the characters contained therein.
Rating: M
Words: 4201
Prompt: originally a prompt at ficbending, but also posted for Tahnorra Week, day 1: AU
Char/Pair: Tahno/Korra
Warnings: Possible OOC, unbeta'd, and explicit content later on.
Summary: After a thank you dinner (or an apology dinner, it's still up in the air), Tahno takes Korra out for a night on the town. Things get a little out of hand once she starts drinking Arctic Sunrises.
Notes: This was originally written for a prompt at ficbending on livejournal, where Tahno takes Korra out dancing. But I finished it all around Tahnorra week, so I decided to post it in conjunction with that. I tried to keep them as IC as possible, considering the prompt, but I'm still unsure of how it turned out. This is an AU where Korra stays in Republic City without the Krew. This first part is SFW, but the last chapter will have some NSFW content. Cross-posted to tumblr and AO3. This is also unbeta'd and I welcome any corrections or concrit.

Happy Tahnorra Week, everyone!

1.

A soft breeze blew through the window, bringing with it indistinct noises from the city outside: muttered talking, honking car horns, the chugging of engines, and thunder booming in the distance. Lightning flashed, illuminating the dark sky framed by the window, and Korra felt the sudden need to go outside and see the storm unfold. Summer had come to Republic City less than a month ago, rainstorms rolling through the city and periodically leaving it drenched. The snow in the high passes had begun to melt, flooding the rivers winding around the republic. Narook's was crowded tonight: some wanted to enjoy the weather before the storm hit, others just wanted a taste of good, home-cooked food. Most of them were obviously Water Tribe or waterbenders, including Korra and the boy across from her. Speaking of him, she glanced back over to see him examining her while she was thinking.

"You can't be serious," he finally said.

Tahno's overly-loud and sarcastic voice, more forceful than necessary, caught the attention of several other patrons in the restaurant, including her. The others all shot him dirty looks; Korra just smiled. Acting as if he hadn't seen them, he smirked and raised a brow. The Avatar had to admit that he looked a lot better than he had several months ago, after Amon had stolen his bending (his soul). Sitting across from her in the booth, the other waterbender was almost back to his normal appearance. Now that he was sleeping and bathing again, there were no more bags underneath his eyes or greasy hair. His pale eyes, set over a long nose, wide mouth, and stubborn chin, only made him look every inch the arrogant aristocratic man. Not to mention that he smelled like expensive aftershave.

Even after dealing with his attitude all night, she was in a pretty good mood. It was a humid summer eve, Korra's hair was sticking to her neck, and it smelled like the rain that she knew was coming - not the light kind, a sprinkle here and there, but a heavy shower that would leave the city disrupted for days and her cleaning up after it. But the noodles were delicious, as always. Her smile faded as she continued to eat. "Yeah," she said between slurps, "I'm not joking. I've never really been into the whole nightlife scene."

Unruffled, he leaned back in his chair and stirred the broth left in his noodle bowl with an absent twirl of his finger. "I just can't imagine it. I mean, Republic City is the city. People come here just for the parties and dance clubs." Tucked into a corner with his arms splayed across the top of the booth, Tahno looked comfortable in his blue, stylish outfit. He gave her a once over. "You'd be a dance club kind of girl. Not too crazy, not too tame." The look on his face said that it clearly wasn't crazy enough for him.

Shrugging, Korra set down her chopsticks as she finished her last bite. "I didn't come here for the parties. I came here for some other reasons, if you don't remember." Her teasing tone wasn't soft enough to take the light sting out of her comment.

His face fell for a moment before he managed to regain control and look nonchalant. "Oh, I remember quite well, Avatar. I'm not as absent-minded as you." His stress on the first syllable and accent that changed the pronunciation of her title annoyed her; it always did, but she had learned to ignore it. It was his way of dealing, usually, and sometimes it was just to annoy or tease her. Now she had the distinct feeling that he was flirting with her, but she dismissed it. "I just can't believe that you never went out, even with that loser boyfriend of yours," Tahno said. His gaze was a bit intense, and Korra quickly looked away when he tried to catch her eyes.

"Ex-boyfriend," Korra corrected tersely. "And we were generally too busy to party, you know, with all the leftover Equalist Revolution mess we had to mop up."

Silence reigned for a few moments until a small waitress came to take away their bowls. Korra thanked her politely while Tahno watched. He paid no attention to the server, instead focusing his eyes on her face intently, making her uneasy. She turned on him once the nervous girl had gone, leaving the table empty. "What are you staring at?" Tahno didn't answer, but her brows drew close and she placed her palms on the table. "Look, I agreed to an apology dinner from you, but there's no need to be a mule-cat about it."

After a lingering look, he shrugged again. "I believe I specified more than once that this was a thank you dinner." His face twisted, as if it pained him to even say the words 'thank you.' "For healing my bending."

Suspicious, Korra returned his stare for a moment before speaking. "Fine. I wouldn't call it healing, though, it's really more of a restoration. I'm just okay at advanced healing. Master Katara said I didn't have the right disposition for it."

Tahno didn't restrain his laughter, but instead let it out in peals. A couple of his fangirls swooned in the corner. "If you ever need any healing lessons, Avatar, I'm more than willing to help you out." He leered at her.

Korra leaned back in the seat and relaxed again. This was familiar territory.

After her return from the Southern Water Tribe, she had set about restoring the bending of those who had lost it to Amon. Of course, it had to be a huge publicity stunt. Nothing else would do for the hero of the city. General Iroh, still in town with two regiments of soldiers, had helped a fair amount; his handsome face and charismatic charm seemed to be able to sooth even the most irascible city government bureaucrats. Two weeks after she returned, she healed everyone that that they could find. Many ex-benders had simply disappeared, their wills to live disappearing once Amon had taken their bending.

Tahno had been the first one to be healed. He was a perfect candidate, she knew: the famous ex-bender that had led the White Falls Wolfbats to fame. Looking less arrogant than usual in his neatly-pressed clothing, he had kneeled in front of her. The last time she had seen him was before she had left, before her confrontation with Amon, in the police station. He had seemed broken, but as he kneeled he seemed revitalized and anticipatory. She was going to give him his bending back.

The corner of his lips had quirked when she hesitated slightly. "I'm waiting, Avatar," had slipped from his mouth in a teasing voice.

She had let a smile creep onto her face. "You think it's going to come that easy, pretty boy? You're gonna have to beg for it." He had looked up at her, pale silver eyes meeting hers.

"Please, Korra. Please restore my bending." Tahno's tone was overly formal, and less than three seconds later he glowed white. The damn boy always knew how to push her buttons, and now apparently when to retreat. Maybe his time as a non-bender had changed him. Upon standing, he had immediately bent from the fountain of water next to them and she saw the look of exultation on his face. It took her a moment to realize that she was happy for him, a wholly unexpected response considering the way he had treated them. Losing your bending, however, was always an unfair punishment.

A hundred cameras flashed as they captured his triumphant return.

He hadn't said thank you to her then, but he had showed up a few weeks later on her doorstep insisting that he take her out as a thank you gift. She had been dating Mako, though, and her boyfriend had looked less than pleased that "pretty wolfbat boy" had asked her to dinner. Korra had to listen to the bending brothers complain for weeks as his face was plastered all over the newspapers, reporting about his return to fame and the return of his bending. More often than not, they always asked his opinion of the Avatar, and he only ever expressed gratitude for her kindness and bravery. She probably would have gone out to dinner with him, as friends, except for her Mako and Bolin. It was such a contentious topic that Asami, who lived in the city now, refused to comment.

"It isn't a date," Korra had insisted. Mako didn't listen, and Bolin had only warned her that it was probably a bad idea. Leopard-fish never changed their spots, he said in a low voice.

So she had refused Tahno's offer. Not because of her boyfriend - she didn't let the boys dictate her life - but because it wasn't worth the trouble and arguments, and she was really too busy to take a night off anyway. There was always work for the Avatar to do, always another raid on a group of Equalists, always another crime ring and wouldn't she just love to help them out, just this once?

Tahno had a way of finding her, however, and she into him a couple of times a week. He spent time with her around town whenever they saw each other - he was always bumping into her at the market, catching her attention around the tournament arena, yelling her name near the crowded docks. With his sarcastic comments that sometimes had a bite, he had finally convinced her that maybe he wasn't the same ass who had slipped ice chunks into the water he blasted at her in the probending arena. He was still an ass, one who teased her mercilessly, but one with a bit more kindness and caring in him than before. One who understood what it was like to lose a part of your soul along with your bending, changing you forever. Yet she told him no every time he offered to take her out for a thank you dinner.

Then last month Mako had left for a trip to the Fire Nation. Almost five months had passed since their return, and Korra was fully engrossed in mastering airbending. Even if she could now bend air, it didn't come naturally to her, and she had to work at it like she had rarely done before. Mako had come to her one day after training and explained that he wanted to go to the Fire Nation, to the temples and the universities. He had wanted to find himself - whatever that meant - and to visit some of the sacred firebending sites. It was his heritage, one that he'd never had the chance to learn. He'd begged her to go with him but she still had business here in Republic City, still had to master airbending, still had to protect the people. Groups of Equalists were still out there, another rebellion always seemingly around the corner. And if it wasn't the Equalists, it was one of the triads.

Mako had left and Bolin had gone with him. She and Asami had hardly spoken since she got together with Mako and since the other girl took over her father's company. The Air Temple felt empty without them all, though the children and the baby kept it loud enough; the hallways were devoid of her friend's laughter, the temple now lacked any allure for her, and she missed their morning practices.

So maybe she was feeling lonely when she ran into Tahno at the police station earlier this week, or maybe she was tired and bored, because she usually wouldn't have acceded to his dinner request. But when he had asked with a resigned look on his face, she felt guilty she had deprived him of the chance to thank her properly. That, and if she thought about it, she had spent the majority of the past month training with little reprieve.

The police station had been nearly empty when she saw him about to walk out the front door. "Tahno," she called. His head had snapped around, perfectly styled hair curling over his eye. Tahno saw her and smiled, though his grin had a bit more smirk than necessary. He turned and walked toward her, his stride as arrogant as ever.

"Avatar. Lovely to see you."

Her lip had almost curled at her title, but she forced herself to stay polite. Their past few encounters he had acted civilly, and had even made an effort to be pleasant; she could at least return the favor. "I haven't seen you in a while, either. Found something better to do than following me around town?

The other waterbender's laugh had echoed in the hallway of the station. "You obviously misunderstand, Korra. I had thought it was you following me."

Korra placed her hands on her hips. "Me? Why would I be following you?"

"I thought you might be getting lonely, all by your lonesome here in Republic City. Maybe you were looking for some company, or maybe you finally wanted to accept my offer of private lessons?" His sharp smile only highlighted the handsome lines of his face.

She just snorted. "As if, wolfbat boy."

This was when the resigned look had come into his eye, like a spark that had been snuffed out. His tone lost a bit of its usual conceit and drawl. "So then I won't expect you to take me up on my offer for a thank you dinner?" The worst part was that he probably didn't even realize he was doing it; the signs were subtle, but they struck a chord inside her chest.

"Yes," she had responded quickly, before she even really considered it, and was instantly surprised by her own answer. "I mean, yes, I'll let you take me out for an apology dinner."

Tahno's eyes widened a bit, through he quickly smoothed it over with another dashing smirk. "Thought you'd never give in, but I'm just too handsome, aren't I?" She gave him a flat stare and he continued as if he never saw it. "How about Narook's, tomorrow at eight?"

"Yeah, fine. Meet you there." She was already regretting this.

He saluted her with his usual indolent charm as he left and called out to her over his shoulder, voice back to its usual haughtiness. "And I'll remind you that it's a thank you dinner, Avatar. I don't see any reason for me to apologize."

Before she could respond he had slid out the front doors, leaving her frustrated and in the middle of the police station, where she could do little about it. An officer approached her from the side, chuckling beneath her breath. "I see you've met our resident pretty boy?"

Korra looked over at the other woman, piqued at the officer's use of her nickname. "Resident pretty boy?"

"Yeah, he's been in and out of here for a couple of months now."

Her mouth almost fell open in surprise. "For what? What kind of crimes has he been committing?"

The officer looked shocked for a moment before giggling again. "Crimes? No, he's the perfect citizen, even if he's a conceited punk. He comes in for community service a couple times a week. It started a while after he lost his bending; it didn't stop once he got it back. We can always use an extra hand in training, and if we don't need him he doesn't mind stopping by schools on the way home. Even when he couldn't bend, he could at least teach the katas to beginners. Sometimes he's a bit hard on them, though." The woman sent her a knowing glance. "But he wasn't too hard on you, was he?"

Too busy thinking and frowning, Korra hadn't responded. She didn't realize that Tahno knew the traditional forms, the ones that she had learned as the Avatar (from Katara, the master) but had become near-obsolete in probending. It was actually sort of unusual. She had absently wondered who taught him.

Now she sat across from Tahno, with him mocking her like normal as if he had never taken cheap shots at her during the tournament or egged her on in this exact same restaurant. Toe-to-toe, she had said, as their noses nearly touched. She glanced over at him, but Tahno wasn't paying attention to her at the moment, instead winking at two girls sitting at a table in the opposite corner. They giggled, pointing at him and the posters of his face on the wall, now covered with more newspaper clips about his successful return to the bending world.

Korra almost rolled her eyes. And just yesterday she had been thinking he might have changed. Tahno returned his attention to her, a crooked grin still lingering on his mouth. "It looks like the girls here haven't forgotten me."

Repressing the urge to laugh, she just shook her head. "You're the just same as before, aren't you?"

The grin returned full-force. "What reason do I have to change?"

But when they stood to leave several minutes later, she saw him place a large amount on the booth table. "I'll pay for myself," she insisted. The amount he put down was surely more than dinner cost.

Waving his hand dismissively, he herded her toward the door with his body, saluting his fangirls on their way out. "Don't worry about it, Avatar. I'm sure a poor girl like you can barely afford dinner."

She puffed up before she realized what he was doing. "I'm hardly poor." Anymore. "There was no need for you to pay, or to tip so much, either."

"It's my thank you dinner; it would hardly befit me to let you pay. Even if you're a self-righteous do-gooder, I owe you one. And the food was good." Tahno slung his arm around her shoulder as they walked down the street to the next street corner. "Where's your beast?"

Korra shrugged off his arm. "She isn't a beast, and Naga is back on the island. I walked here."

This time his arm snaked around her waist. "You walked across the water?"

"Swam, then. What does it matter? And get your arm off of me. I can walk on my own."

Her waist felt bereft and chilled when he took his arm away. "Are you going back to the island?" Tahno asked.

"Sure. I don't have anything else to do, and I need to be up early in the morning for airbending training."

Silence hung in the air for a minute before one of them spoke. "I still can't believe that you or your loser Fire Ferrets never went out and sampled the nightlife," he said.

"Not this again, Tahno." She meant it as a warning, but he apparently couldn't heed it.

When he next spoke, his drawl had a tinge of mocking amusement. "It figures a girl like you wouldn't want to party."

Korra stopped walking and looked over at him. He stood next to her, hands tucked casually in his packets. Pale silver eyes regarded her from a handsome face that lay in shadow. The full moon hung low in the sky, she knew; any waterbender could feel it. His wide mouth was a straight line, his brows questioning. He isn't close to her, not as close as he's been before, but she's unusually aware of the heat emanating from his body. "What does that mean, pretty boy?" Korra's voice was low.

His practiced shrug irritated her. "Nothing. I just meant that you're the kind of girl who doesn't know how to let the stress melt away."

Steam almost came out of her nose. "Go on. Please."

"You pile on the stress but haven't been able to work it off lately. You're the Avatar and you have responsibilities. Your loser friends are gone and who knows when they'll be coming back. Sure, you practice your bending and spar, but that's not enough. I'm surprised that you've lasted this long without exploding. You're impatient and rash and you weren't meant to be cooped up for this long without a real outlet." Tahno appraised her for a moment, letting his eyes drag up her body. "That's never been enough for you. You need more."

She deflated like a hot air balloon with a hole. Before she could blink, Tahno leaned down and pressed his soft lips against her cheek. "Thank you, Korra. Thank you for returning my bending to me. I owe you more than I can ever repay." It was the most honest thing she had ever heard him say, even more than after he lost his bending, completely devoid of any cockiness or arrogance. She was almost stunned by the gentle look in his eyes. But he turned to walk away before she could spoke, lifting one of his hands in a slight wave. "See you around, Avatar."

Rain began to fall in a light drizzle as Korra ran to catch up with his long strides. "Hey, where are you going?" Tahno stood at the edge of the street and glanced at her as she stopped next to him.

"Leaving." With a deft twist of one hand he bent the water to the side, forming an umbrella of a sort, and held the other hand up in the air. A shiny black car down the street that she had thought empty started to life and rolled toward them.

"Going where? Out to a dance club?"

The corners of his lips twitched. "Maybe. What's it to you, Korra?"

The car came to a stop in front of them, and through the shaded window she could see a driver of indiscriminate age and race. Tahno looked at her expectantly. She inhaled deeply and then sighed. "You're right. Dinner tonight is the first time I've been out in ages, and training gets old after a while. Probending won't start up again for a while, not with all the underground Equalist activity still happening. So maybe I need a little entertainment other than sparring."

Opening the door with one hand, he motioned to the inside of the car. "You're welcome to join me. I'll take you for a good ride. Call it a thank you gift." She frowned as he just stood there. She appraised his open gaze and the hopeful look on his face. After a moment, the rain began to fall a bit harder and he tilted his head to the side. "Just a couple of hours in exchange for the best experience of your life. It's a pretty good bargain."

Her incredulous look and the pink flush that spread cross her cheeks made him sneer. "It won't be the dancing that makes it so great: I doubt you'll even want to dance. It'll be because you're with me." His cocky expression grated on her nerves in an almost pleasant way. "I'm great company, or so I've heard."

She bit her lip and stared at the automobile. Getting in meant that she wanted to go on a wild ride with Tahno; it meant that the night might not end with a warm bed and sleep; it meant that she would be subjecting herself to hours more with this semi-reformed man she barely knew and had previously hated.

Then she remembered the hopeful look on his face as he had asked her out to dinner, the kind of expression Pabu had when he watched them eat food, the expression of a man who was dying of thirst and starting at an ocean full of undrinkable water. Somewhat hesitantly, she made up her mind. "I'll go," she said, watching the way his face lit up as he gestured for her to get in the car.

Korra did so, laughing nervously, and slid across the seat to the far side. She might as well take him up on his offer; how many people got to have a first-hand tour of the nightlife with the Tahno? He was infamous: journalists had plastered pictures of him on the front pages, detailing his excursions and conquests. Besides, he was telling the truth. She rarely got out anymore, and she missed the excitement of adventure and new discoveries. Tahno slipped in beside her, smirking again, arm sliding along the top of the seat, just inches away from her skin. Rain fell in a soft patter-patter on the metal roof of the car, the heat from his arm was soothing, and she had to actively resist leaning into it.

"The Golden Lotus," he said to the driver.

She felt butterfireflies flutter in her stomach as the car began to move.

Tahno must have seen something of her nervousness on her face, because he brought his hand down to massage the back of her neck. "Don't worry. I'll take care of you." His pale eyes smoldered in the dark car.

"I can take care of myself." Her retort lacked resolve, but she still extricated his hand from the back of her neck, where his long fingers had been moving in slow circles against the sensitive skin.

Hand retracted, he just chuckled.

"I know you can, Avatar."