"So, how's your girlfriend?" Bolin asks when Iroh lets him in to his quarters.
"My…what?" Iroh asks, confused.
Bolin laughs and presses a quick kiss to Iroh's lips.
"Your girlfriend," he repeats. He places the take-out bag from Narook's down on the table and begins unpacking it. "What, haven't you heard? Word on the street is - "
"By which you mean word at the noodlery," Iroh interrupts.
"Of course," Bolin smiles. "Anyway, word is that you're dating Asami."
"Really, now? Well, that certainly is amusing." Iroh says.
"Not as amusing as the rumor flying around the pro-bending arena," Bolin says as they sit down and start eating.
"And what rumor what that be?"
"That you're running around with Korra behind my brother's back."
Iroh nearly chokes on the dumpling he's eating, and has to take a gulp of water before he can respond.
"Korra, really?" he asks. Bolin nods in the affirmative.
"Well, I can top that," Iroh says in a tone that is entirely too gleeful for Bolin not to worry.
"Oh no," he says warily. "What did you hear?"
"I saw Pema in the market this morning, and according to her, you've got your eyes on a certain water-bending Wolfbat."
"Ugh, Tahno? She thinks I'm interested in Tahno?"
"I know, it's utterly ridiculous. As if a Wolfbat would ever date a Fire Ferret," Iroh jokes.
"You think it's funny, do you? At least the people you're supposedly dating are nice!"
"You know, we can put a stop to the rumors, if we really want to," Iroh says.
"I know," Bolin says. "I just…don't want Mako to have a reason to go all big brother on you."
"I told you, Bo, I'm not afraid of your brother. But if you don't want to tell him yet, that's okay."
"Thank you," Bolin says.
"But just so you know," Iroh continues, "Tahno heard Pema and I talking in the market and wanted to know if I thought you'd agree to go out on a date with him."
Bolin's face pales considerably.
"So, we'll tell Mako tomorrow, then?"