Title: The Buddy System
Rating: G
Pairing: Korra/Bolin
Spoilers: Through episode 4; sure to be jossed by episode 5
Notes: Thanks to jin_fenghuang for the beta!

Summary: Korra and Bolin have been facing rough times recently. They need a new system.

Korra was coming apart at the seams. She could feel it in the tremble of her muscles, the heaviness of her eyelids, and that constant buzzing of a sick, sleepless headache behind her every waking moment. There were too many of those lately, too many waking moments. Three raids in four days. Pro-bending practice in the morning, airbending practice in the afternoons, and the first of their tournament matches last night. The Fire Ferrets had pulled out a win, but just barely and no thanks to her.

Toza had just barely opened up the practice room when she arrived. Early morning light poured into the huge room, reflecting off the spots on the stone floor where the pivots and sliding feet of benders had worn it smooth with their leather soles. Korra stared at one of the spots, looking for chips and imperfections. There were none. The arena was calm and safe, warming with the sun and the distant echoes of remembered cheers. She hated mornings, always had, but she could admit there was a kind peace here. She knew how to do this right, at least.

In her sleepy trance, Korra didn't notice Toza sneaking up on her. She startled as he laid his hand on her shoulder, giving her a conciliatory pat and a single, sorry shake of his head.

"Boys aren't up yet," he said. "I'll wake 'em."

She watched him go, eyes bleary. Belatedly, it occurred to her that she really wouldn't wish her presence on either Bolin or Mako at the moment.

"That's really not…" she trailed off. Toza was already gone.

Well, that was a wash. Might as well get practicing.

She was walking circles when Bolin walked into the practice room. She could tell because it was Bolin and there was nothing in life he did quietly or unenthusiastically. His gait rolled with a swagger she couldn't quite keep herself from snickering at on most days and she could virtually hear his grin from across the room.

"Hey, Korra!" he called. "What are you doing up so… "

He came to an abrupt halt, staring at her. Korra fought the urge to turn away, to hide how tired she was. It was an easy fight to win because she just didn't have the energy. Bolin shook himself and crossed the room in two long strides to take her by the shoulders. He peered down into her face.

"Korra! What… I mean, did you even… did something happen?"

She smiled weakly at him.

"I'm fine. Just another raid."

The concerned look didn't leave his face. Korra squirmed. What was she supposed to do, not fight Amon? She stepped out of Bolin's grip easily, brushing past him to go find her equipment. She usually left it upstairs with the boys or right here in the practice room. While Tenzin had come around on the whole pro-bending issue, he didn't want her encouraging the kids – meaning Meelo – with any of that stuff. Honestly, Korra didn't think there was any way to discourage Meelo, but hey, he was Tenzin's kid, not hers.

She rifled through the closet in the corner, pushing aside sashes and arm guards and all sorts of other stuff she'd never even seen in the matches. Cleats weren't actually allowed, were they? She took her time suiting up, conscious of the willful silence of Bolin behind her. And man, was it willful. When she finally turned, he was sitting on the floor behind her, cheeks literally puffed out with the force of his restrained words.

Korra crossed her arms, refusing to find it cute.

"What?"

His face scrunched up and, all in a rush, he said, "I don't think you're being realistic."

So they'd been doing this thing for a while, being reality checks for each other. After practice, mostly, when Mako was gone and they didn't have to bear the weight of his much, much more realistic judgment. Bolin had told her not to be so hard on herself about airbending. She didn't have to get it in a day and, hey, relaxing was all part of airbending anyway. Korra had told him to start thinking about his earthbending skills and where they could get him outside the arena. He could get steady work in construction, or maybe even apply to the Metalbending Academy after the tournament. Good, solid advice, she felt, for each of them.

Except, right now, hearing that word just made Korra twitch. She felt her headache throb as she glared back at Bolin.

"Oh? And what is realistic? Getting Pabu to fight Amon?"

Hurt manifested in Bolin's eyes immediately. It was a harsh thing to say, recalling just how he'd gotten himself captured by Amon, but that was the whole point. Bolin of all people had to realize how dangerous Amon was!

"Well, no… but you could do with some more back up. Maybe the other kind of Fire Ferret! I'm you're teammate, aren't I?"

Korra dropped her arms to her side, backing away from him.

"No, no way! Not after what he almost did to you."

He looked up at her beseechingly.

"Korra, I can help."

"Absolutely not," she said, her voice flattened with anger, stern authority she didn't know she had creeping into it. Maybe Tenzin was having an effect on her after all. She swallowed back against the fear that had gripped her at the memory of Bolin kneeling, Amon ready to steal his earthbending. She added softly, "Maybe you can help some other way. Just… be here?"

Bolin was watching her with those big, stupid green eyes. He bit his lip and, seeming to make a decision, pushed his palms against the floor to stand. He nodded, watery smile flickering at his lips.

For a moment Korra thought he was going to shake on it, but instead he just said, "Okay. I can do that."

Korra let out a long breath. She had a ridiculous number of problems, but at least Bolin wasn't one of them.

"Oh!" Bolin said excitedly. "I've got it! I know how to help!"

He held up his hands, framing his face with his extended index fingers. It was his "I've got a plan" gesture and, okay, Korra was sort of curious. Did he have some sort of really intense, literal earthbending way of being here? She could always do with learning a bit more, mastery or no.

"Korra, you've gotta agree not to take this the wrong way."

She squinted at him. That was never a good opening.

"Okay," she said, nonetheless, elongating the syllable.

He moved in close again, hands gone soft as they brushed against her cheeks. Before she could react, before she could laugh at him for acting like a doofus, he leaned down and brushed his lips against hers. He backed off just as quickly, expression weirdly serious as he waited for her reaction.

Korra listened to her heartbeat through the fuzz of her sleep-deprived brain and very quickly came to a realization. She was pissed off.

"What the hell was that?" she snapped. Her hand curled into a fist as her side. She couldn't decide between blasting him with fire and pummeling him with rocks.

"You promised!" he protested.

"I did not!" she replied heatedly. Except, well, she had. Or maybe she hadn't. "What was the right way to take it?"

"The friendly way."

Korra sputtered.

"How is kissing me friendly?" Actually, no. She didn't want an explanation. She was too angry and too tired to listen to one. Heated tears sprang to the corners of her eyes. She glared up at Bolin through them, accusing him, "You're my only friend. Why would you do this?"

"Hey, no. That's the wrong way. That right there. I kissed you because we're friends. You said you wanted me to be supportive."

And it was Bolin, so he managed to look completely sincere and earnest when he said it. Korra felt herself deflate. She shook her head at him in confusion.

"Is this some weird city thing? Hazing for the new girl?"

"No, no, it's better than that. So, I had an idea. We're already buddies. And I thought, you know what's better than buddies? Kissing buddies."

It did sound better, but Korra really wasn't convinced this was a thing.

"You know there's already a word for that? Two of them. Boyfriend… girlfriend… jump in if you've heard this before."

"But, Korra, you're my only friend!"

This was the problem with earthbenders. They were nice and all, but they made Korra want to scream with frustration.

Bolin seemed to get the picture – particularly that he was very close to being punched with fire – so he rethought his argument. He tried again, "Korra, I really like you. You're funny and smart and the best realism buddy a guy could have. When I see that you're having a rough time, I just want to reach out and fix it. Somehow."

"And that's why you kissed me?" she asked. "That's your idea of helping me?"

He nodded eagerly, happy that she seemed to be getting it. Korra still wasn't sure she did.

"So, it's just us, being buddies," she said slowly. "And sometimes kissing?"

"Yes! Exactly!"

"But when?" she wondered. She eyed him warily. "Now?"

"Eh. Not now. Only when you really feel it."

"How will I know the difference? Or that we're still friends?"

Even Bolin seemed stumped by that one. He cast around, looking all over the practice room like somehow the pipes and paint on the wall would give him answers. His gaze lingered a moment in the upper right corner. Korra turned to look. Maybe there really was an answer there, she thought as she suddenly realized what was located in that direction. Mako and Bolin's apartment. Where Mako apparently was not, since Toza had gone up to wake them both. Korra didn't even want to consider where he'd slept.

The thought of Mako churned up uncomfortable emotions in Korra's stomach: attraction and aggravation, hope and disappointment and confusion she didn't know how to deal with.

She realized that Bolin was looking at her and blushed under his gaze.

"Well, there's that," she mumbled. Her feelings for Mako seemed like pretty definitive proof that she and Bolin were just friends.

"Yeah. Oh, I've got another!" Bolin said. He rocked forward on his heels, grinning. "How many girls do you think I've brought up to the stands?"

Korra remembered her first time to the arena, Toza's accusation that she was one of Bolin's groupies. She shrugged.

"I don't know. A lot?"

Bolin waggled his eyebrows.

"More than you think!"

Korra laughed and punched him in the shoulder. He rolled with it, only wincing a little bit.

"But, you see! That proves my point. We're still just friends, helping each other out."

He grinned and she couldn't help it. She smiled at him, tugging him down into a kiss.