Al and Bolin raced back to his apartment to get his swimming trunks. Al had her suit in one hand, and Bolin's strong grip in the other. She waited outside as he grabbed his trunks and then they ran to the edge of the city, panting when they reached the gate. "Sir, we're going to go to the river," Bolin said to the guard.

The gate was opened and they were let outside, into a large view of Yue Bay, some huge fields, and a forest in the distance. Bolin pointed far away to the forest. "That's where we're going," he said. They looked at each other, nodded once, and took off running. Laughing the whole way, the two raced to the dark trees and tried to beat the other. Bolin powered through at the last minute, using his pro-bending stamina and leaving Al behind. He ran back to her, though, and walked the rest of the way with her. When they reached their destination- a rushing river in the middle of the quiet forest- they realized their situation.

"Um, I have to change?" Al said, shifting her weight under her heavy boots with her swimsuit in her little hands. Bolin's brows rose when he realized that he too had to change, and they would have to do it in the woods. "I guess I'll go over there," Al motioned, and Bolin nodded and walked the opposite way. He lifted his shirt and threw it on the ground, not caring if it got dirty. He quickly pulled down his pants and stepped into his green swim trunks. Pulling them up, he didn't want to turn around in case Al was in his field of vision. As if reading his mind, Al called out: "Bolin? I'm almost done, just give me a minute!" he okayed and waited. He felt a tap on his shoulder, and met her smiling face when he turned around.

"How do you do that?!" he asked.

"What?" the brunette cocked her head, her hair falling on her shoulder.

"You walk so…quiet," Bolin laughed. Al smiled and nodded her head.

"I used to share a room with my twin brother, and I woke up a lot at night. I didn't want to wake him so I had to learn to walk really quietly, I guess that's it," she said. "Well, are we going to swim or not? We have about six hours before the sun sets, and I don't want to walk back all cold and wet at night…" before she finished, Bolin smirked and grabbed her arm in his and jumped in the water. Al gasped at the shock of cold, but as they both bobbed together she laughed. They swam together and tried to swim against the current, and then letting go and flying downstream.

Bolin ducked underwater and swam around her legs, looking at them kick and move. Her flat stomach rose and fell quickly with her heavy breathing. Bolin watched as her long, curved thighs kicked back and forth in place to keep her afloat and her strong, slim calves flexed in the current. He reached out his fingers to touch Al's hip bone that was slightly protruding right above her black swimsuit bottom, but he remembered that he was not breathing and that he needed to be breathing fairly quickly. He kicked his way back to the surface, taking a deep breath in and relieving his lungs. Al gave him a dirty look as she paddled in place, her wet hair sticking to her face. "I know I look different than all the girls in Republic City." She stated plainly. "But I don't mind." Her eyes rose up to meet Bo's and explore his expression. Bolin could stand on the sandy bottom, so he stepped forward and placed his hands on her waist, keeping her up.

"I love everything about you, Al. don't worry. I'm glad you're different from all of them." He laughed, feeling his face turn red. Al tilted her head back and laughed hard. She splashed him in the face and he sputtered water everywhere.

"I never asked for your opinion," she joked as he splashed her back. Bolin squinted his eyes at her and in an instant let her drop under the water. She came up sputtering and they played in the currents until their lungs gasped for air.

"This is really fun," Al said when they were drying off on the bank.

"Yeah," Bolin agreed.

"When I was a kid, there was a river like this near our house. And my father put a tire swing over it so we could swing into the water, and this reminds me of that." Her eyes were lit up talking about her past, Bo noticed.

"Can you tell me more about your childhood?" he asked. Al looked over at him and smiled.

"Sure, if you tell me about yours."

"It's a deal," Bolin smiled. "You first."