He bounds around the corner and narrowly avoids a collision with a dumpling vendor.
Mmmm, dumplings. The smell fills his nostrils and distracts him for just a second.
"Wait! Stay!" his head snaps in response to Bolin's words, just in time to see Bolin bound the corner and rush towards him.
Oh no. The escapee jumps back into action, weaving around, between and under venders and booths to lose his whopping friend. He's narrowly able to sneak back into the building through a partially open side door. He hesitates for just a moment, listening carefully for Bolin's heavy footsteps, but he hears nothing. He takes a breath but continues to move quickly, at any moment the earthbender could find him and all would be over.
He makes his way to the stairs and bounds up them. The door at the top is open so he sneaks in quietly but quickly, only after he gets into the room does he realize that Korra and Mako are sitting on the couch less than five feet away from him. He shuffles sideways out of their view.
Mako darts a glace towards the door, suspicious that someone had invaded their privacy, but he shakes it off and focuses his attention back on the radio in front of him and the avatar. They're listening to a pro-bending match that is particularly close.
The dodger relaxes slightly, only slightly. All he really wants is to find a place to be alone, but that's never something he is granted living with the brothers; he does not have a space to his name, though he never really has.
His moment of relaxation is just that, a moment, for then he hears the rough, heavy footsteps on the stairs that could only be Bolin's. He reacts; if Bolin were to come in the door, he would eye him right away, so instead he darts to the only place he won't be seen, behind the couch that Korra and Mako currently preside on.
"Pabu!?" Bolin calls crouching low to the ground when he enters the apartment. Mako and Korra's gazes flash to the earthbender who looks quite silly walking on all fours.
"Eh, hem" Mako clears his throat loudly and glares at his brother. Bolin realizes their presence.
"Oh, sorry guys, I hope I wasn't, er, interrupting anything," Bolin stands and brushes himself off.
Korra smiles and stands She walks over to great her friend properly, with a big hug, "You're not interrupting, we were just catching the game." She looks back at Mako, who shakes his head and turns his attention back to the radio. Korra rolls her eyes and faces back to Bolin.
He smiles and then furrows his brow as he remembers why he's there, "I'm just trying to find Pabu, have you seen him?"
"No, I haven't seen him all day, is he not with you?" Korra questions worriedly.
"No, well, he was, but when I took out the wash basin because I need to give him a bath he just bolted."
Korra laughs at that, "Well you know he hates baths!"
"Yeah I know, but he really needs on, it's been a while."
"Well where was the last place you saw him?" She crouches and starts to aid in the search for the furry runaway.
Bolin joins her, "Well, he was downstairs with me near the showers when I was about to bathe him, but he got out of my grasp and just zoom." His hand makes the motion. "I chased him all around downstairs, then outside and through the shopping district and I thought he had come in through the side and was maybe hiding out up here… but I don't really know."
"YEAH!" Mako screams and jumps up as the Tiger-Pandas take back the lead in the game. But he quickly falls back over as something scurries between his feet from behind the couch. "Woah!"
"There he is!" Bolin exclaims fumbling to his feet, "Get him!"
The three benders flounder and struggle attempting to catch the small red fire-ferret, but are of little success as they fall over each other and end in a heap on the floor, leaving Pabu to slip away through a door to the attic.
"Bolin! I can't believe you let him get away from you again!" Mako chastises.
Bolin stands up and helps his brother and Korra to their feet.
Korra laughs, "I guess he really doesn't want that bath today."
"Yeah," Bolin chuckles lightly, "I guess he can win; I'll leave him alone for now."
Mako grumpily goes back to sit on the couch, while Korra and Bolin talk about something aimless for a while.
Pabu settles down on an old trunk of clothes. He nestles his head onto the fluffy fur of his tail and lets himself be at peace; for once he has some alone time, in a space no one will distract him.
So short... but I hope you enjoyed it... did you see that coming? :)