The first time he asked her on a 'date', he knew she didn't think of it as a date. He knew it wasn't a date, either, but since he wished so badly it was, he decided to pretend.
It had started as an attempt to cheer her up; he saw how she looked at Mako and Asami, with jealousy, heartbreak, sadness, and longing in her eyes. He could relate to that heartbreak and sadness, and, well, he wanted to imagine that the longing in her eyes was for something, the relationship that Mako and Asami had, and not for Mako. Though deep down, Bolin knew the truth.
"Hey, Korra," he'd said one day after practice. "What do you say me and you go get dinner tonight? I know this great place downtown, cheap and awesome, with huge noodle bowls!"
She'd smiled, then, probably at his enthusiasm concerning food. The first real smile he'd seen on her face for longer than he cared to remember; not the fake, wavering smiles that usually were accompanied by her affirmative answer when being asked how she was and was she okay after what happened with Amon.
"Alright," she said, and Bolin felt his heart soar, despite the fact that it wasn't a date. He repeated this to himself continuously as some sort of mantra, but some part of him was very loath to believe this. That part was the one filled with jealousy, heartbreak, and sadness. And that horrible, unfading longing. For her.
Now, she's smiling slightly as he chatters on and on about food, Pro Bending, the city nightlife; anything except his brother and said brother's new girlfriend. He's hoping to infect her with some of his never-fading enthusiasm; he can't stand the dull, lifeless, unenthusiastic Korra that's replaced the boisterous, larger-than-life person she was. Before Amon. Before Asami. Bolin isn't sure who the main antagonist here is.
"Here it is!" he exclaims, gesturing at the small, cozy restaurant in front of them. "Come on!" Acting on a whim, Bolin grasps her hand and leads her inside. The restaurant, as per usual, is packed, buzzing with the sound of conversation and laughter. They choose a small, cozy booth in a corner, and he can't help but smile at Korra.
She looks beautiful; she always does. And he wishes he could tell her, along with everything else he wants to tell her. But that would drive a wedge between them, and that can't happen. So Bolin tells himself that at least they're friends, good friends. And he keeps pretending he's on a date with her.
He slurps down his noodles happily, watching as Korra attacks her food; it's the first time she's done more than pick at her dinner for quite a while, now, and a sense of accomplishment overcomes him.
"You were right," she grins happily, and he feels his heart pounding in his chest. "This was great. Thanks for asking me out to dinner."
He imagines she's said "Thanks for asking me out on a date."
The second time he asked her on a 'date' was also the last time.
Like the first time, he'd caught her face fall as she spotted Mako and Asami, wrapped in a tight embrace, lips locked together; he'd hurriedly caught up to her as she began walking away and quickly racked his mind for an idea.
"Hey, what do you say we go for a walk in the park tonight?" he asked. "I bet you haven't seen how it's lit up at night; it's really beautiful." So are you, he wanted to add. "Why don't you come by later tonight when you're done with your training? I'm always home."
And she'd smiled slightly, and Spirits, he'd do anything to have her smile at him like that all the time, and why did it hurt so much?
"You were right," Korra says softly, a trace of sadness in her voice. "It is beautiful."
They're strolling around in the park, surrounded by, Bolin notices, nobody but other couples. And he hastens to remind himself that he and Korra aren't a couple. Not yet, a foolish, stupid part of his mind whispers; and Bolin keeps pretending that Korra isn't head over heels for Mako, whilst trying to forget that he himself is head over heels for her.
Korra stops on a bridge over a small pond, staring down at her reflection in the rippling water. He joins her, and they stand in silence. He's the one to break that silence, turning to her with a worried expression on his face.
"Korra, are you alright?" he asks. "I don't mean concerning Amon, I mean with Mako and-"
"Don't!" she exclaims, and to his horror, he sees that her eyes are watering, her mouth trembling ever so slightly. And, because he has no idea what else to do, because the sight of her with tears in her eyes is breaking his heart, because he's wanted to do this for so long, he leans forward and kisses her.
Her lips feel wonderful against his, soft yet supple, and he closes his eyes, imagining that he could do this whenever he pleased, that she would be the one to kiss him, that she'd love him the way he loves her. Instead, she steps away, the tears now running down her face.
"I can't do this, Bolin," she whispers, and her voice is so sad that his throat constricts, and he wills himself not to start bawling like a child in front of her. "I'm sorry."
And then she turns, and she runs away, away from him. And he's left there to pick up the pieces of his broken heart, alone.