"I can't wait to tell Mako!" Korra exclaimed in excitement.

She and Tahno were walking hand-in-hand down the steps from City Hall. The vote for the continuation of Pro-bending had just taken place, and the Council had ruled in favor of it.

"I'll take you back over," Tahno offered.

Korra smiled, and allowed him to drop her hand so that he could slide an arm around her waist. They walked in happy, comfortable silence to the docks, where the Air Acolyte ship was, for a change, right on time.

"Where's Tenzin?" one of the Acolytes called from on deck.

Tahno helped Korra up the gangplank—more as an excuse to "accidentally" grab her rear end, for which she smacked him a good one—and followed closely behind.

"He went to talk to Beifong about something," Korra answered with a shrug.

The Acolytes all shared a look.

"Pema isn't going to be happy," one of them sighed.

"How come?" Tahno wondered.

Tahno had yet to be informed on the history of the Air Master, his wife, and Republic City's esteemed chief of police.

"Well, Beifong and Tenzin used to be a couple," Korra answered. "Then they grew apart, and Pema showed up and told Tenzin how she felt about him. So he left Beifong for Pema, and they got married and had four kids. Until recently, Pema hasn't said much about Beifong, but it's been bugging her that Tenzin is spending so much time with the Chief."

Tahno blinked, taking a moment to digest this news.

"That…is stupid," he said finally. "The man is on the Council. He needs to keep steady contact with the person in charge of the police force!"

As one the Acolytes and Korra gave a laugh that was more like one huge sigh.

"Yes, well, tell Pema that," grumbled an older woman.

"Well, Tenzin's going to be a while, so we might as well just head over," Korra said, in an attempt to breech the sudden tension.

~…~

"That's awesome!" Mako exclaimed.

He tackled Korra in a fierce hug, and his brother joined in, nearly crushing her with the strength of their embrace.

"Ready to get back in the ring, Miss Korra?" Bolin said loudly.

"Can't—breathe!" she choked. The boys instantly backed off and let her catch her breath.

"Actually, guys…" she said, glancing down. "I don't think I can."

"Huh?"

"Why?!"

Tahno glanced over at her, but she wouldn't look at him either.

"I'm gonna be really busy with…you know, Avatar stuff. I can't promise that I'd make it to the practices. Then the whole team would suffer."

"But then who…" Mako started, but he trailed off, gold eyes flicking to Tahno.

Bolin, lost as always, finished for him.

"Who's gonna be our new Waterbender?!"

"Well…I kind of gave Tahno the option," she said quietly.

There was just a moment of silence. Tahno swallowed convulsively, sure that the "fabulous bending brothers" were about to reject him. Mako raised a single eyebrow at Korra. Bolin tilted his head to the side like a confused flying lemur. Korra bit her lip, hoping her friends would at least consider it.

"Alright, cool," said Bolin with a shrug. "We can probably make something out of him."

He winked conspiratorially at Korra, who let out a relieved sound somewhere between a sigh and a laugh.

"So long as you understand that we won't cheat, I'm fine with it," Mako said. Then he turned to Korra. "Can I talk to you for a second?"

Korra frowned.

"Ah…Sure, but why? I kinda want to get to bed. I'm really tired."

Mako shook his head and gestured to the door outside.

"I promise it won't take long."

Biting her lower lip, Korra sighed and followed him out. He held the door open for her, and after throwing his brother a glance, they went outside together.

"Korra, why did you really give him your spot on the team?" Mako demanded without preamble. "I know if it was just your Avatar duties, you'd figure out how to make it all work. So what is it, really?"

"Mako, I just don't think I'll have time for—" she began, but he cut her off abruptly.

"Korra. Tell me the truth."

She let out a loud sigh, and tugged on one of her front wolf tails.

"I don't know why you think I'm lying," she mumbled. "I am telling you the truth."

"Then you're not telling us all of it," he insisted stubbornly.

"What do you want from me, Mako?" she snapped. "I'm telling you what you need to know. Just let it g—"

"Korra?"

Korra stiffened and turned around. Her newest friend, General Iroh II, was walking up, arm in arm with Asami. His amber eyes were bright and clear, but slightly concerned.

"Hey Iroh," she greeted him, waving awkwardly and rubbing the back of her neck.

"Is there a problem?" he asked, looking between Korra and Mako, who had unconsciously adopted defensive stances. Instantly they straightened up.

"No, no problem," said Korra, forcing a laugh. "Why would you think that?"

Asami raised her slender black eyebrows.

"Mako looks mad, and you don't look so hot either."

"Mako's always m—"

"Tahno's suggestion to the Council passed today," Mako interrupted.

"That's great!" Asami exclaimed. "Why would you be mad about that?"

"Korra gave up her spot on the team to Tahno. She won't tell me the real reason why."

"I've already told you!" Korra shouted. "I just don't think I'll have time to practice!"

"That's not all of it!" Mako insisted, raising his own voice as well.

Iroh's eyes flashed over to Korra, who shook her head ever so slightly. His frown deepened, and he stepped forward, away from Asami.

"Iroh, I don't think—"

"Korra, why haven't you told them?" he asked.

Korra looked away without answering. Mako looked between her and the general.

"What…What's going on?" he said slowly.

Iroh stood up straight, and looked the other Firebender in the eye.

"I've asked Korra to come with me when I leave. She has agreed. She gave the spot on your team to Tahno because she will not even be in the city."

Time froze for an instant. Mako turned, as if in slow motion, to look at Korra. Korra was holding her arms behind her back, looking resolutely at her feet as if she had found something absolutely fascinating on the tips of her boots.

"Korra?"

She didn't respond.

"Korra, is this true?"

Korra was biting her lip so hard that it was bleeding. Slowly, she nodded, still refusing to meet her best friend's eyes. He advanced until he was inches from her, and set his hands on her shoulders.

"Korra, why didn't you tell us?"

"She didn't know how to say goodbye," Iroh answered.

At that moment, the doors swung open, and two forms tumbled down the stairs to the ground at the others' feet. Tahno and Bolin looked up at their company. Clearly, they had been eavesdropping, guessing that Mako would breach the subject that was on everyone's mind. At being discovered, Bolin leapt to his feet. Tahno followed suit more slowly, silver eyes fixed on Korra.

"Korra, why wouldn't you tell us about this?" Bolin demanded, throwing his arms around the young girl.

"Like Iroh said," she answered softly. "I didn't know how to say goodbye."

"Why on earth would you have to say goodbye?!" Mako asked. "You're not going anywhere!"

"Mako, you can't tell me what to do," she sighed. "I've made my choice."

"I know," he said. The quality of his voice made Korra glance up. He was smiling softly. His ochre eyes were warm. "What I meant to say was, you're not going anywhere. Not without us."

Korra's head snapped up. Bolin grinned.

"You can't get rid of us that easy, Korra," said the Earthbender. "You're pretty much stuck with us."

Korra gave a watery smile, and the entire group was startled to see the girl's eyes begin to tear up. They shone brightly, and she swiped at them with the back of her hands before throwing her arms around her friends.

"I love you guys," she said thickly.

"We love you too," they laughed, returning her embrace.

Tahno stood back, face impassive. His hands were clasped behind his back; his jaw was set. He had not said a single thing since he had tumbled gracelessly onto the ground.

"So," said Bolin, pulling back. "When are we leaving?"

"Three days," answered Iroh. He was smiling at the exchange. "The ship will be at the docks on Air Temple Island at noon in three days."

"You guys had better start packing," Asami advised.

Bolin and Mako gave Korra one last squeeze, then headed back inside. Asami and Iroh tossed the Avatar a smile each before following the other two inside. That left Korra alone with Tahno.

The girl turned and reached out to the Waterbender. He held out his hand, catching her fingers in his. Without a word, they walked back up the steps and through the doors into the temple. Korra's room was the first door on the left when they turned down the main hallway. Tahno released her hand so that she could tug off her boots and her pelt. Only when she finished did she look up at him, really, really look, and see the expression set on his face.

"Tahno?" she said hesitantly. "What's the matter?"

"Were you ever going to tell me?"

The coolly detached expression didn't falter. Not on his face. Korra looked away, her eyebrows knitting together.

"I—I was going to tell you…" she said quietly. "I just…I didn't know how…"

"With three days to go?" he said incredulously. "Were you just going to vanish? Leave a note on your bed? Or after I looked high and low for you everywhere, would one of the Airbender kids have told me?"

"Tahno…"

"You know, Korra," he said, composure beginning to crack. "Your honesty is probably the thing that I admire most about you. You've always told people the truth, even if it hurt them. But you didn't tell me."

"Tahno, I—"

"I had to find out by listening through a crack in the door!" he exploded. His mask cracked, and the hurt and anger he was feeling was etched in every line of his face. "Do you have any idea how that made me feel, Korra? Any idea at all? I should have known about this when you made the choice. I should have heard about it from you! But you kept this from me."

"I didn't want to have to say goodbye!" Korra shouted back, her own temper flaring. "I didn't want to hurt you—I just didn't know how I was supposed to tell you!"

"The same way you've told me everything else! Up front, with little regard to how it might bother me later. And you wouldn't have had to say goodbye if you had just done that. You wouldn't have hurt me at all, if you had just told me."

Her lips moved, but no sound came out, so Tahno continued.

"What would have happened, if you had made a clean getaway? Would you have just forgotten about me? Tried to find someone else? Did you think I wouldn't care, or that I'd move on within a few days? Do you really think so little of me?"

"No, Tahno, that's not—"

"Who knows how long you'll be gone?" Tahno interrupted. "Time can change a lot of things, Korra."

He turned away from her, his fingers curling into fists. Inside his chest, rage and hurt took pity on him. How could she not have told him? Did she really think that he wouldn't care? That a sudden disappearance wouldn't bother him? If so, she was very wrong. He cared. Oh, yes, he cared. He cared so much, it hurt him.

When he did not seem inclined so say anything more, Korra walked forward slowly, placing a hand on his shoulder. He shrugged it away, so she instead pressed her hand against his back, splaying her fingers across the soft material of his shirt. His shoulders seemed to loosen slightly. These moments of vulnerability from Tahno were rare, and even Korra only saw them on occasion. That was how she knew just how badly she might have messed up.

"Tahno, I swear I didn't want to hurt you," she sighed, leaning her forehead against him. "I would have told you, I promise. I was just trying to think of the best way. I understand now that putting it off was a bad idea, but I just…I don't know…I felt that, as long as you didn't know, I could pretend that you wouldn't hate me for leaving."

His back went ramrod straight, surprising her enough that she stumbled backwards. Agonizingly slowly, Tahno turned, silver eyes locked on Korra. There were tear tracks on his face, she noted with some surprise. He had turned away so that she wouldn't see them.

"Korra, do you really think I could have ever hated you for that?" he wondered quietly.

She bowed her head, watching her bare feet scuff the ground. She heard his muted footsteps a moment before his hands landed on her hips.

"Korra, I'm pissed at you. I would have been slightly less pissed if you had told me about this yourself. But I don't hate you. You're doing what you need to do as the Avatar. How could I hate you for that?"

She looked up at him from beneath dark lashes. His face was sincere, and she risked sliding her arms around his waist. He returned her embrace immediately, pulling her against his broad chest. Her sigh puffed up his shirt front.

"I'm sorry, Tahno," she whispered. "I should have told you sooner."

"Yeah, you should have," he said. "But I forgive you."

Korra leaned up, and pressed a soft, chaste kiss against his cheek. He smiled, and returned the gesture.

"So, where's the first stop on our trip with the United Forces?" asked Tahno offhandedly.

"Does that mean you're coming?" she asked with a small smile.

"It might…"

"I think we were visiting the Swamps first. Iroh said they're the closest, and he wants to see if they've been affected at all by what's been happening."

Korra felt Tahno stiffen beside her, and looked up at him. His eyes were looking over her head at the far wall. His arms around her tightened uncomfortably.

"Tahno?" she said, concernedly. "What's wrong?"

He blinked quickly, as if she had pulled him from a deep thought, and looked down at her. She had never seen such a fake smile as when Tahno's lips twitched up.

"It's nothing."

"That's not even a convincing lie," said Korra. "You're losing your edge, Tahno."

He shook his head, letting the false grin fall.

"I don't want to talk about it."

She frowned at him, but didn't press the subject, and tucked her head back into the crook of his neck. He loosened what he now realized had been a rather punishing grip around her waist. Outside her window, the sun was just beginning to set over Republic City, staining everything shades of orange and pink. The entire world looked different in the light of the sunset. Strange. Almost like it was drowning in fire, but nothing was burning.

The light reflected off of Korra's chocolate hair, throwing shining golden highlights over it. Her mocha skin glowed like flawless amber. Her electric blue eyes were only half-open, but they seemed even brighter in the fiery light. Tahno's own fair skin appeared to almost be the same color as Korra's, and his hair could have been mistaken for brown versus black because of the amber glow filling the room.

Korra caught Tahno staring at her as if transfixed.

"Tahno?" she said uncertainly. "Why are you looking at me like—"

"I don't think," he interrupted. "That you realize how beautiful you are, Korra."

A slow blush crept across her cheeks, hot and brilliant. Tahno smiled and reached up to pull the spools out of her hair.

"You're not so bad either, Pretty Boy," she answered. "Especially without that tacky eyeliner."

"Some girls thought it made me look hot," he purred.

"I think it made you look gay."

Tahno laughed loudly and hugged her even tighter.

"You are the only woman who's ever talked to me like that," he said in amusement.

"Well, someone needs to," she replied, sticking her tongue out.

"I love your attitude," he chuckled.

"One of my many fine qualities."

"Possibly my favorite. Although, you're a pretty good kisser as well." Whispered as he leaned down, lips just brushing hers.

"You're not half bad either, Pretty Boy." Her voice was a hoarse sigh.

"I've had more practice, little Uh-vatar."

"You know, I think I could use some more practice."

"Happy to oblige."