"You don't stay here that often," the statement more of an observation rather than a question as her eyes darted around the tiny apartment.

"Well aren't you quite the observationist," he chimed. Korra simply rolled her eyes at his sarcasm while examining further.

It was dead silence except for the intermittent creaks and moans. Black and brown mold dotted the ceiling in clusters, evident of rain seeping through. The walls showed black decay by neglect, and splotches of original paint hinted at the lodging's former prosperity. The furniture seemed to collect dust more than it could provide relaxation and comfort. Except for the small pile of laundry that grew messily in a corner of the room, the sheets that hung lazily off of the straw mattress and the opened jugs of half-drunken Fire Whisky, one could believe the 'home' had been completely abandoned.

While she continued to explore the neglected residence, Tahno took the time to shed of his tainted clothing and cleanse of the evidence. He returned to the avatar, her back toward him as she studied the only two memories he kept in his possession.

One portrayed his proud and boasting character as the leader of the White Falls Wolfbats, his helmet tucked under one arm while the other played with the collar of his uniform jacket, that irritatingly smug expression cast upon his face. The other painted a genuine portrait of him and her at the annual city fair, four years ago when their friendship blossomed as a result of hope so well captured on their faces by the artist.

Her fingers skimmed over the oiled canvas in reminiscence, the tips of them collecting gritty particles of dust. The reminder was too painful and bitter, and her head swarmed with responsibilities failed and unfulfilled.

She could feel his presence looming behind her and she turned slowly toward him while placing the portraits back in their desired place.

He stood across from her with his arms crossed over his chest, his feet planted shoulder width apart. The sleeveless undershirt allowed her to drink in his overwhelming physical appearance. Toned arms flexed involuntarily as sharp planes and grooves became more defined. He was no longer slim and lanky. Instead, his shoulders had broadened considerably. She could see through his shirt that his waist was still slim although his core thickened with muscle and that now he resembled more closely, as she would describe, an upside-down triangle.

Tahno shifted his weight lightly, hoping to avert her gaze back to grey eyes. "Can I offer you a drink, uh-vatar," he rasped, the all too familiar moniker forcing her to cringe.

"Please," she snorted, "don't call me that. And yes that would be nice."

Tahno quirked his brow at her request but continued. "Well, take your pick." He grinned crookedly, gesturing towards the multiple jugs that littered the place.

Her nose crinkled in unbidden disgust as her eyes flickered toward one of the jugs.

He laughed at her honest expression. "I'm joking Korra. There's clean glasses and water in the kitchen, come."

Korra followed closely behind as he led her into the dimly lit cookery. A few broken cabinets aligned the walls along with a small stove and cooling cabinet. Dirty dishes piled high in the sink, over spilling onto the counters.

"So this is how you live now? I would've never guessed," she mumbled under her breath.

"Like you've gathered already, I'm not here that much. Plus, I don't have the time to keep some random place I barely stay out primped and proper."

"Then whose place is it?"

Tahno sighed while searching his cupboards for a glass. "That's irrelevant. I have tea. Would you like some tea instead," he offered while gripping the canister filled with dried leaves.

"Sure."

He looked over his shoulder to find her eyes shifting all over the place once again, scrutinizing everything they landed on.

"Korra."

"Hmm," her eyes immediately found his in question.

"Sit, please. I promise you won't catch anything."

After eyeing a cushioned chair, she primped it before sitting in it uncomfortably. Tahno raised an eyebrow in disbelief before returning his attention back to the cupboard and shaking his head incredulously. He prepared the stove and kettle with quick purpose before leaning against the counter.

She was staring again and when grey orbs pierced into hers, she focused on the thrumming motion his fingers partook in against the counter. She sighed dramatically in the threateningly awkward silence before finding the courage to meet his gaze again.

His hair was still jet black and wavy but that menacing piece no longer shielded the right side of his face; it was all trimmed evenly in the front, the longer pieces stretching to the tops of his ears. The rest tapered in the back to the nape of his neck, the same as before. Grey slanted orbs still had the ability to permanently smolder. His cheek bones failed to protrude as much although his nose was still very sharp. Thin wide lips were now slightly more plump. And Korra smirked at the stubble that adorned his chin below pointed jaw lines.

Hot water produced enough steam to vibrate intensely against the slot, creating the faint sounds of a shrill whistle. Tahno robbed the metal of its heat before it had the opportunity of ringing throughout the entire lodge.

"How do you like your tea," he asked, his back turned to her as he filled one glass mug, the steam rising to his face, burning him.

Korra shrugged. "I don't know. Whichever way it tastes the best I guess."

"Of course," he murmured in the process of preparing her beverage. He managed to add what delicacies he possessed, sugar to sweeten the bitter taste and creamed froth for decoration, before presenting it to her.

She smiled at his generosity. "Are you trying to spoil me, kind sir?"

He smirked as she sipped cautiously, the foam adhering to her upper lip while casting a makeshift mustache. "You're welcome."

Tahno left the room briefly to return with one of the many jugs of alcohol he started on. The smoky liquid slid down his throat with scorching heat delighting his stomach with warmth that soon spread to all five directions of his body. The pungent flavor attacked his taste buds, the aftertaste leaving behind pleasant residues. He took a seat across from her.

"So what metropolitan troubles warrant your lovely presence?" He stretched out his legs in front of him, crossing them at his ankles while interlacing his fingers behind his head.

Korra gulped down the earthy substance quickly before responding. "I just missed my family," she sighed as she watched her fingers play with the brim of her mug. "It's nice to see old friends and family," she paused for a moment before continuing, her voice faintly lower when she spoke. "Even you." Her eyes slowly rose to meet his and he could notice the slight blush that colored her cheeks upon admittance.

"Me," he gasped mockingly as he brought a hand to his chest, his eyes gleaming, "why I'm…gee I'm flattered." He winked, his lips curling up into a playful grin, before gulping down more of his alcoholic beverage.

Korra found some amusement in his dramatics, giggling as she took another slow slip from the fresh tea. She caught her chin in her palm before looking him dead in the eyes, something she kept evading since they reunited, a lazy grin appearing. "I didn't always consider you to be the biggest jerk face to ever walk this planet."

She'd offered him, someone she wasn't even sure felt a tiny fraction of what she felt for him, a piece of herself that even to this day no one else had the chance of experiencing. When they connected physically, when he filled her with himself to the brim, it was enough to force out all of the negativity even if it were only for a few hours.

The gravity of the situation fell upon her the moment it was over and she was extremely embarrassed. She acted immaturely on impulse by making herself vulnerable to him, ruining what only dependable relationship she had left.

Tahno snorted. "Well that means a lot coming from you."

Korra tilted her head to the side in a curious posture. Something on the planes of his skin had caught her eye; marred flesh of which she was sure hadn't been there before. He watched blue orbs trace a white more pale than his own milky skin, the widths and many cross ridges betraying the truth of just how deep and ghastly his wounds had been, and the lack of care they were given.

Her brows furrowed in worry, her tongue slipping between her lips as it gently brushed against her bottom one in thought before sneaking back in. She saw something she was not normally supposed to see; the muscle and rawness of his body which she realized was much stronger than anything else. Even her own skin had not collected the harsh markings she was now admiring.

And that's when realization hit her like a ton of bricks, a force so strong and crushing that her breath rushed out of her with a low whooshing sound. The horrors of those who believed so heavily faithfully in her, what uncompleted duties forced them to yield to. Putting two and two together, the wounds that upset his skin and the blood that stained him when she first ran into him just a few moments earlier, she realized she was too coward to ask what he had gotten himself into since she parted ways knowing his answer would send streams of tears down her cheeks.

As if penetrating into the depths of her minds and reading her thoughts, he broke the terrible silence. "You don't owe me anything, Korra."

Her focus remained on the scars that adorned his body. He saw her jaw flex in acknowledgement and dislike of his statement, and he sighed heavily while running his fingers through his hair.

"I just wanted to be able to make everything better…" Her voice trailed off as she met his apologetic gaze.

Somehow, he could not pinpoint when or where, it had become more than gaining his bending back. And she became more than a pawn who had the ability of doing so.

She found him. When she had that compassionate fire bender and his optimistic earth bending brother in her bezel, she came to him, Tahno. She developed some form of trust toward him, enough to entrust him with her innocence. And while love was not a word he slung around loosely, he was not afraid to admit how much he grew to care for her during the short period of time he had truly gotten to know her. To know that she still existed was enough for him.

Her separation, though he didn't realize until now, forced him to lose himself in a battle so desperate, so dark and ugly. Her presence filled a gape left opened when she disappeared four years ago and now that she was here again, a fire kindled with rage and hatred that he had plenty of himself was now overshadowed by the bright sunshine glow of a daffodil in the spring, the perfect embodiment of optimism. When morning came, he knew she'd be gone again but in the moments she remained her with him, he had the opportunity of acknowledging the tiny beacon of hope that life may go on, that it can be good again.

Because of that, he wanted to show her how much he cared by randomly squeezing her hand and saying thank you, by asking her to share her favorite story with him once again, without having to succumb to a heated core that would completely sheath him. He wanted to share in words how much she had meant to him both in presence and absence in intense conversation, not through heated breaths moaned into umber skin.

He had the urge to shake some sense into her the same way he had done on that night four years ago. To yell at her in outrage and encourage her to keep fighting, not for him or for anyone else, but for herself. She was too strong, too brave, and too beautiful of a person to deserve what she and a world of scrutiny was putting her through.

He wanted to let her know that she was the only one with the support and strength of thousands of past lives to ignore everything her broken spirit had made her to believe she had become. He saw her suffering a loss of identity and purpose. He saw her depraved of what she truly craved; success, self-acceptance, comfort and love. And he saw how she came to accept there was nothing she could do.

Her cerulean blue orbs pierced into his and he recognized that same sharp gloom when he glimpsed into them. She was feigning distraction. But he was blind and misunderstanding to what she really wanted. Release.

But words failed him. He was never too good at putting them together anyways so instead he chose to respond with a weak, "Do what makes you feel happy. No one deserves to suffer."

"Do you really mean that?" She asked in an unsure manner that almost confused him.

He quirked an eyebrow. "No. What I think I really mean is remain depressed and miserable for the rest of your life. Yeah, that sounds about right," he nodded in joking approval.

Korra smiled weakly, her eyes trailing back to one of the ugly scars. She reached out to touch one but he shifted far enough out of reach. Her eyes darted to his instantly in question.

"I'd rather you not," he stated sharply still leaning out of touch.

Blue orbs roamed his face as if in search of explanations he refused to share. He could see how her expression gradually changed from curiosity and concern to detachment; she had become lost somewhere and all he could do was sit patiently and observe.

She licked her plump lips gently, her teeth catching her tongue on its way back in. He watched her eyes drift shut as she absentmindedly brought her nose in to breath in the scent and feel of his warm breath. All of a sudden, she was standing over him and he could feel her warm palms gently cupping his face. She bent down to lightly plant her lips against his but retracted immediately when he pursed them shut, a look of anger and rejection mixed into one spreading over her face as she reopened the space between them.

"What kind of operation are you running here?" He asked her while placing her hands back at her sides. Korra looked straight into him, refusing to come back into her body and back into her senses.

The tent that formed in his trousers forced him to sit uncomfortably rigid. Although that look that adorned her face mere seconds ago was the most arousing he had ever seen, he was warning her. "You're playing games."

"I'm really not," she replied in a mellow tone, all signs of defensiveness clearly lacking. Half lidded eyes pierced into his for any type of permissive response. She would be gone in a few hours. Her conscience figured she had nothing to lose and everything to gain.

When his look softened and grey orbs bore back into hers, she leaned in again to kiss him gently.

Here she was again, standing in front of him so vulnerable and inviting, placing him back to where they had left off four years ago.

He paused for a moment, leaning back to stare into her for any last signs of abortion and hesitancy but unlike the first time, there were none. So he stood to his feet towering above her as she peered up at him through thick eye lashes. He had her cornered as she slowly backed into the nearby wall, her eyes never leaving his. He placed his palms flat against the wall above her head allowing her free reign.

Korra reached for the hem of his shirt, rolling it up his tight abdomen, her fingernails raking against him lightly causing him to tense.

He placed one hurried kiss on the tip of her nose before taking over by pulling his shirt over his head revealing a strong and hairless chest and throwing it aside to some random dark corner. She noted more scars along his stomach and ribs and wondered what they were from. However, she knew now was not the time to ask. As if sensing her regards, Tahno touched her cheek gently, caressing it. Her heart was beating so loudly that she was sure he could hear it.

He smoothed her hair back as one of her hands came to rest at the side of his head while the other traced the contour of his lips, her eyes studying the path her fingers were taking. When her touch was close enough, he engulfed one between parted lips, the warmth causing her to giggle as their eyes met. It withdrew with a pop but was soon replaced by her own bottom lip, their noses brushing, and their eyelashes becoming tangled together.

His natural sensuality overwhelmed her as this seductive man stood waiting patiently in front of her. Her hands didn't know where to touch and her lips didn't know where to start. During their first encounter, she had too much going on to realize how her rawness unmatched his skill.

But her labored breathing and fumbling of her hands in inexperience certainly now dawned on him. He was her first and last. The shock of it all caused all sense and respect to come rushing back to him as his eyes drifted shut. His head banged into the wall in front of him in frustration and his arms collapsed lazily to his sides.

"I can't..." His whispered protests were abruptly interrupted when her mouth latched on to his forcing him to swallow his words as he groaned in defeat.

His lips parted under hers, and before she had the chance, he was feeling her with his warm tongue sliding along the roof of her mouth as a muffled groan escaped. He massaged her velvety muscle with his own, desperate to taste her as whiskey and tea united to create the most perfect union. Her kisses let him know that she was eager and excited, a feeling he had elicited solely on his own.

Tahno had to tear his lips from hers in order to clear the wooden kitchen table of its contents with one hard swipe of his arm sending dishes and liquids clashing against the floor. Large palms provided support under her bottom as she interlaced her fingers behind his neck, her mouth refusing to leave his milky skin, while he lifted her onto the table, as it boldly moved from his mouth to his chin, along his jaw and down the side of his neck. She inferred she must've been doing something right because the sound that rumbled in his chest was primal.

As she gently cradled his earlobe between her teeth, she was unable to see the smirk that adorned his face. He found it cute how she tried to mimic each of the moves he had done to her years prior, not to mention that she was doing them successfully at that. And when she ground her core against his, he lost all patience.

His hands drifted up her sides causing cotton that clung to her curves to rise with them, revealing more and more soft umber skin. Stopping short of the base of her breasts, he placed a chaste kiss on her forehead before pulling her shirt completely off and tossing it to the side. Soft tissues that formed feminine mounds danced subtly before him at their sudden unrestraint, chocolate buds hardening at the biting cool air.

Korra watched him pry her boots off her feet one by one before his hands placed themselves at her hips, his long fingers skimming across the lower part of her back. She gripped the table's edge, raising herself to allow him to slide her bottoms off more easily, and then there she was, completely bare in front of him. He could almost count the goose bumps that rose above her skin; in nervousness or in coolness, in the feeling of his touch; he wouldn't know.

Gripping her by the shoulders, he forced her back against the table and rested her arms she had no idea what to do with herself above her head. He paused over her as he licked his lips in appetite. His eyes twinkled at the beautifully sculpted landscape before him as they admired every curve, groove, and dip. Long ago, she was a toned and hardened teenager. Now, she was a woman whose curves became more pronounced over time as her entirety softened.

He parted smooth butter thighs by the kneecaps, finding his place between. His fingers walked up her thighs, brushing against the protruding bone of her pelvis, sending shivers down her spine. Tahno could feel her becoming more relaxed under him upon the sensation. His fingers continued to glide over the grooves of her ribcage and she giggled.

"That tickles."

He grinned down at her as his fingers drew designs on the canvas of her stomach as his head dipped, causing his lips to flutter against her skin stifling more giggles; her laugh was honest and innocent. She made him feel lighter as her sincerity penetrated deep down in his bones to his core being. He could tell she was already shaping up to be more than the countless, meaningless one night stands he had indulged in over the years.

Her eyes found his and his tongue glided over a long stretch of skin until he reached her bellybutton slurping at its tiny cavity and placing a soft kiss over it. He smiled when her breath peaked.

His hands unerringly found the under curve of her breasts, his lips drinking from the nourishment between their valley. Her hands suddenly became lost in loose strands and she gasped as warmth and moisture engulfed her now erect nipple. He nibbled softly causing Korra to arch her back forcing more of her womanly mound into his mouth. When he released, a whirl of breath whipped from her mouth and he left her bosom heaving and blotched with red marks from his late evening whisker growth.

He traced a path with his nose along her collarbone and up her neck until he reached the spot of that all too familiar vein. Nudging her head to the side to grant him more access, he sunk his teeth into her flesh feeling her strong pulse. Blood was drawn to the surface and he soothingly kissed the bruise he had caused.

His hands slipped between them searching for the warmth that seethed from between her thighs. Tahno hooked his finger under the waistband of her cotton underwear causing her to jump as his fingers intentionally brushed against sensitive skin, ripping them off roughly in his seduction.

"I l-li-l-liked-ed tho-ose." Her words began to stumble over each other as she felt his fingers push against her sex.

"They were alright," he shrugged teasingly.

Tahno snaked his body down hers until he was leveled with her womanhood. He could see a glint of clear liquid trickling from between the swollen inner lips of her vagina. She snapped her thighs shut, unsure of his position and the proximity of his face invading her most private dwellings. Curiosity got the best of her and she peered down at him.

"What are you doing down there," she whispered, embarrassment staining her cheeks at the repulsing but also intoxicating image.

Placing her calves over his shoulders opened her lips to him and he could feel his own member growing in length at her beauty. "I'm making up for things I didn't do before. I'm gonna taste the best of you and make you scream my name as I'm doing it."

Her face contorted into confusion and misunderstanding. Tahno couldn't help but grin smugly at the pleasurable sensation that was about to overcome her.

He placed a soft kiss behind her knee and heard her moan as his lips travelled higher across the warm flesh of her inner thigh. He stared at her spread sex as he began working the other leg with his lips. Peering up at Korra, Tahno ordered. "Since you're so curious, watch."

Korra propped herself up on her elbows. Tahno's tongue collided with her warmth and Korra's eyes shut instantaneously, her head falling back as it suddenly became hard to breath. Her thighs clamped down on his head. Prying them apart, Tahno slapped her on the outside of her upper leg and scolded her. "You're not watching. I need you to watch."

Korra eagerly nodded her head in response to his command.

He deliberately licked her from her entrance to that tight bundle of nerves, watching as she fought to keep her eyes on him and from rolling to the back of her head. Moving his tongue freely from her inner lips to her outer, he drew them into his mouth and massaged them. Sensing that the other side became jealous, he moved on to provide it with similar treatment.

Finding her entrance, he forced his tongue in, thrusting, twisting, turning the smooth muscle with precise control, taking breaks between in order to explore her insides, shooting signals of joy up her spine and Korra lost all composure. Blue orbs rolled back, causing intense headaches, and limbs thrashed about the wooden table in uncontrollable pleasure. Splaying his hand across her abdomen in an attempt to keep her pinned down, Tahno continued.

Returning his attention to her sensitive spot, Tahno flicked his tongue against it and Korra nearly lost her mind. He gave it continuous little sucks, momentarily enveloping it in his mouth before releasing it just as fast, giving her positive effects over her entire body.

Being the multitalented man that he was, he slid one single finger into her eliciting a loud and continuous murmur of deep satisfaction. Slowly, he thrust in and out of her before twisting and hooking inside to rub the rough-patterned flesh that adorned her anterior walls, allowing him to, in the words of most darling women, scratch her kitty cat.

"No, no, no," she groaned in protest to the build-up that caused every wire within her to stiffen. And with that, he had her gushing all over his mouth, a feeling he recognized as the world's greatest aphrodisiac.

Her body trembled in release and she lazily opened her eyes to Tahno looming over her, a sweet grin plastered on her face.

"You're oh so very welcome," he smirked, "but I'm not done yet." She needed him and he would make sure he gave her the very best of him. If there were to be more after him, he wanted to selfishly ruin her for the rest of them.

She stared with intense desire as he untied the drawstrings to his trousers causing them to pool around his knees. A little moan escaped her lips when she saw the tent in his underwear. Slowly Tahno pulled his underwear and trousers down his legs, causing his member to spring out. He chuckled when Korra gasped.

Kneeling over her, Tahno brought his face to hers, caressing her cheeks with gentle touches. Pressing his lips to hers, he noted that this was their first passionate kiss since they reunited. Both became lost to the feel, the sensation, the heat and desire that coursed through them as lips locked with lips and tongue massaged tongue.

As his lips left hers, Korra was left breathless. He left her no chance to catch it as his tongue and mouth skimmed the insides of her arms, the sides of her ribs, enjoying the taste of salt and honey and the long sinewy path they took.

Pushing her hair to the side, once he found her ear he whispered, "The only thing I ask of you is that you never, ever forget me and what little meaningful moments we did share."

Her eyes flew open, frantically searching for his. What he just managed to share answered so many questions and fears that plagued her inner musings for years. He had solidified the bond between them. While love was something neither of them were willing to recognize, her heart murmured at the knowledge of his request to forever be ingrained in her tainted memory. Perhaps one of the brightest pieces she could ever be allowed to collect.

He wrapped her thighs around his waist as he stood in front her. He felt her shudder as his throbbing erection rubbed against her entrance. His free hand guided the swollen head of his member to slick folds.

He kissed her shoulder before pushing himself inside so slowly he wasn't sure of the control that preceded him, grunting at her wetness and readiness for her to take him. When his hands became available, he clasped hers as she inhaled sharply at the oxymoronic mixture of pleasure and pain that came with his gentle thrusts. Her fingers tightened around his as they crushed his own.

Tahno leaned over her more forcing more of himself into her core easing out slightly before thrusting further inside. His grunts became overshadowed by her loud breathing as his hips pushed into her thighs. His fullness massaged her most stiff muscles, coaxing the tension and release out of them. With every moan he probed, not faster, but harder and deeper as she cried out in both pleasure and pain.

His rhythmic thrusting sent her bucking wildly under him as he tried taming her with soothing, instructive words. He was sending her beyond pure bliss, and when he felt her tighten around him, he placed his hand between them, massaging her sensitive bud in harmony to his pounding hips.

Her neck strained, encouraging him to place a wet kiss against her throat where his lips stayed as he murmured sexual things against it. Every sensation was enough to push Korra over the edge. A tight coil down in the heels of her feet forced her toes to curl more intensely than she could ever do on her own as tingles spread straight to her core causing her stomach to tickle and her vagina to burn hotter in exquisite sensation.

Grey orbs narrowed sadistically as he plunged into her depths more furiously, feeling her sex spasm uncontrollably as she came, milking him dry. He promised to Agni his name had never sounded lovelier than the way she sang during her release, and the sound and feel of hers sparked his own as he came undone.

Tahno caught his breath before she could hers as he pulled out, he could tell in which caused her slight discomfort in the way she grunted. Wiping the loose strands of hair that stuck to her sweat sheened forehead, he pressed his lips to it. "Are you okay," he inquired sincerely.

She blinked a few times before realizing he was talking to her. She nodded, unable to speak. He plopped down in a nearby chair as he watched her sit up and move to gather her things.

Korra secretly hoped that he would let her slip away without asking any questions, wondering why she couldn't stay. She made it clear earlier in the night that fate didn't allow her to hang around for long. As she quietly dressed herself, he stood up to grab her by her wrist and chin forcing her to look up at him. "Just don't forget what I said," he whispered desperately.

And with that, she turned her back on him, easing out of the small residence back into the dark night and the company of her pet companion. This time she made a point to part the man with all that she desired, with all the reason and solution to a happier living.

Author's Note: Let me start off by saying I have a lot of love for Mako and Korra. But, I wanted to pick another

partner for her and have their situation portrayed just as strong and deep as if it were canon.

Any who, please read and review. I crave constructive criticism and feedback.