Noatak's face betrays no emotion when he eyes Korra and her friend circling him at the opposite end of the Probending gym. The armour that was forced on him earlier is an unwelcome shift in his balance but it is nothing that he cannot adapt to. His head snaps to Bolin when he feels the earthbender begin an assault on him. He smiles inwardly, feigning surprise as the disks fly and him but he quickly slides out of the line of fire, rolling away from the earthbender but not retaliating.
When he feels Korra and her beginning to throw blasts of flame at him, Noatak rolls out of the way and pushes himself off the ground quickly. Still not retaliating, he finds himself trapped between them, Korra eyeing him in irritation and Bolin breathing heavily.
He lets slip a snide remark. "Oh, come on now. Is that your best? Really?"
Korra thinks he's let his guard down, and Bolin follows. They launch a barrage at him simultaneously and he moves directly in-between them, ducking and dodging, feeling flame and rock whiz past his head and arms. He hears Korra groan amidst the cloud of dust and he hears Bolin exhaling rapidly but he doesn't give them any respite.
This time he attacks, bringing a waterwhip and directs it at Korra before she can even begin to blast at him again. At the sound of her hitting the ground, he twists away at another disk that Bolin sends flying at him.
When the dust cloud clears, it is Bolin against himself now. While he can sense Korra pulling off her helmet and watching them intently, he directs his focus back to the earthbender. Bolin purses his lips behind his helmet, his green eyes squinting as to figure out how to approach him next.
Noatak advances before he can even bring an earth disk to defend himself. He brings the still airborne waterwhip hard onto Bolin's left side. Bolin sputters as he collapses, his now-drenched hair covering his eyes and part of his helmet.
Elation is what he feels but he dares not to show it. Not when Tarrlok's words of him to avoid bloodbending echo in his mind. Instead he throws his helmet off and bends away the water from Bolin's uniform. Wordlessly, he holds out his hand for Bolin to stand up with. The earthbender grins and Noatak's chest clenches at how much the guy reminds him of Tarrlok when they were younger.
"Noatak, you sure you haven't heard of Probending before? Because that was just incredible!" Bolin shamelessly gushes and he can't help but blush by the guy's honesty. And it isn't just Bolin's words that shake him, it's also the man's air. It's so honest that it's refreshing. Korra snorts and walks over to them, fixing one of her ponytails. She gives him a playful punch on the arm before taking his helmet.
"He's lying, Bolin!" Korra jests, before holding an arm out to catch the helmet Bolin tosses her. So this is what she busies herself with, Noatak muses. He admits that it is quite enjoyable.
"I am not!" Noatak laughs, bending away the rest of the puddles that remain on the gym floor while Bolin dusts away the debris with a smile. "We don't have intense sports like this in the North Pole. But I have to admit, that was fun. Plus, I don't think my dad was one for sports anyway."
Again, he mentions his father, acid coating his mouth and another false truth based on his past. Yakone would not even think of them of even having any other interests other than being his tools and his outlet of revenge.
"No kidding, man. Not even Korra was that good her first time—" Noatak backs away when the ground cracks open and Bolin sinks in it much quicker than he anticipated. He glances at Korra emerging from the locker room, free of the Probending armour, a scowl on her lips and her stance daring Bolin to speak more than she'd like. "Okay, I meant to say that you were just a little bit better than Korra. I yield, uncle-"
Immediately, Bolin shoots up from the ground and lands on the floor in a crumpled heap. Noatak moves to help him up and Korra dusts her hands off on her pants. "It would have been fairer if Mister Hat-trick was actually here though. Where is Mako anyway, Bolin? Isn't he the one who's real uppity about training and all?"
"He stepped out and went to the powerplant so that he can get paid." Noatak heard the discomfort in Bolin's tone and in Korra's defeated reaction. "We still need to ante up those yuans, remember? It's not like we're gonna get it though. Miracles are hard to come by."
"Oh man, how could I forget?" Noatak gestures for her to elaborate with a raised eyebrow. "Oh, I haven't told you that we need cash to actually be a part of the Championships. Like, a whole ton of cash that we don't have."
"I see." As the air that hangs over them grows tense, Noatak clears his throat and excuses himself to get changed. While he pulls on his shirt, he stays close to the door, enough to hear the two of them conversing in a much easier manner than with Noatak actually around.
"How are you holding up, Korra?" Bolin asks quietly while Noatak fixes his buttons up. He feels Korra tense, and he can vividly imagine what worries her. He recalls of when she's told him about the gathering, about Amon's revelation, about this cheerful earthbender almost losing his bending to that madman.
"Oh, I'm fine," Korra answers poorly. If Bolin's noticed, he doesn't bring it up. "I should be asking you that question, you're the one who almost lost their bending-"
"I'm fine, Korra." Bolin's tone is light-hearted but with Noatak's keen sense, he can tell that the guy is anything but, his emotions hidden better than Korra's distress. "I mean, I still can't sleep well, since he was all 'I will take away your bending forever,' with that creepy mask of his. But hey, I'm doing better. It's all thanks to you, Korra. Thanks for saving my butt back at that rally."
Noatak can actually hear the smile in Bolin's voice, and it was a warm smile, one that guaranteed her to spare him the anxieties. As he pulls on his jacket, Noatak steps out of the locker room, pretending to dust himself off and push the hair from his eyes as though he's heard nothing. And they suspect nothing.
"Whelp, I'm gonna go get changed, we need to hang out and I need to know Noatak's secrets," Bolin jokes, swinging an arm around Noatak's shoulders briefly before heading into the locker room.
"For the record, I don't have any secrets," he coughs.
"Keep telling yourself that, Noatak," Korra baits with a grin.
He ignores the jab and points to the city skyline outside. It is high noon now, the sun beating its rays down on the city in blinding amounts, a contrast from the cold evenings a few days past. "Where are we off to now?"
"Well, there's not much of a point in waiting on Mako so we'll head back to Air Temple Island and just relax for the rest of the day."
He nods and crosses his arms, watching Korra saunter around the gym, her foot tapping in an uneven rhythm, betraying even the smallest bit of her anxiety. Noatak seizes it bluntly.
"Are you all right, Korra?" he asks in a manner different from Bolin's, in a much more cold and calculating tone. One that's bound to make the fear rise inside her. He does not lust for that fear but she needs to get it out somehow and Noatak firmly believes keeping it inside will not do her any good. "And don't lie to me, I know you're not all right. I can tell."
She hesitates and he sees the same fear reminiscent of the one he witnessed that night of Amon's radio broadcast in her eyes. It is odd, that look she gives him. It is something he does not take a liking to, as though she sees him for who he really is. And he realises, he fears that look, he detests it. He does not wish it to be a look that she can readily give him. Before she can sputter out an answer or an excuse, she straightens up and keeps her composure as Bolin barrels into the room.
"ALL RIGHT TEAM, WHERE ARE WE OFF TO?!" Bolin absolutely yells as he pushes both of them out of the gym. Noatak sighs and laughs easily, covertly dispelling that fear that Korra gathers for him away. He'll deal with it later, as he always does. Tarrlok does not have to know nor find out.
The first thing he hears when he returns to Air Temple Island in the afternoon is Ikki shrieking questions at him, 'Are you gonna be staying over for dinner? Are you sleeping over? Did Ponytail Man get sick of you and told you to come back here? Nice clothes, Noatak! Do you want to play Pai Sho? Jinora told me to leave her alone and—' before Korra excuses herself and leads Ikki away from them much to Bolin's confusion.
"I was staying with the Airbenders before my uncle came to get me," he supplies helpfully when they lead Naga back to her stables. Bolin settles down beside him and both of them lean against the polar bear-dog, brushing away any clumps in her fur.
"Oh, okay," Bolin nods. Pabu jumps away from him and climbs atop Naga's head, nestling himself there. "I thought you were her cousin or whatever, though. I mean, similar hairstyles and all?"
"Yeah, the airbender kids tell me that too. She's just a friend though, really." He finds himself thinking of the truth in those words. Is she really just a friend? She is different from the girls back in his village, but that's not necessarily a bad thing. Noatak swallows down any other uncouth thoughts of her that resurface in his mind. He doesn't notice his hands subconsciously clenching and unclenching themselves so hard that it leaves marks on his skin. He begins to hear Tarrlok's jibes for taking a liking to her and Yakone's abuse for even thinking on it and he shakes his head. Bolin seems intent on smoothing out a knot in Naga's fur that he doesn't notice.
"So what are you going to do now? I mean, what happened exactly? Korra said that you were thrown overboard off a ship-" Noatak laughs at his tactlessness but he knows it is well-meaning.
"It's all up to my uncle, really. Since he's the one taking care of me for the moment, I guess." And he doesn't need to feign his bitterness about it. Tarrlok has changed, there was no denying that but there really is something disheartening about being taken care of by the same little brother that he's left in the storm with Yakone. While he wishes to be surprised that Tarrlok still hasn't thrown him out and left him to starve in the city streets, he knows his brother and his caring nature.
What he doesn't expect is that same care coupled with Tarrlok's severity as an adult and politician. But even Noatak is aware that his brother is trying his hardest not to snap back into what they grew up with, that his brother is trying to be a better parent than Yakone.
"Well, at least he's not forcing you to be a shut-in or worse," Bolin muses as he looks to him with understanding.
"Worse?" Oh, he knows of what is worse. Bolin gladly doesn't bring it up. "What about you? Where are your parents?"
Immediately, he regrets asking when he sees the crestfallen look that graces Bolin's eyes. "We lost them when we were little so Mako's been taking care of me ever since-" Noatak looks away and draws circles in the dirt with his finger. He brings his eyes to the ground, not wanting to meet Bolin's eyes for fear of seeing Tarrlok in them, for fear of vividly hearing Tarrlok as both a child and an adult yell and scream at him for being a failure of an older brother. Bolin continues, "I mean, I turned out all right, didn't I? So he did well."
"Yeah, you did. I may not know you or Korra for very long but you guys seem all right, better than all right actually," and he gives Bolin a reassuring grin that's been lost on Tarrlok in the past. A big brother's grin if it need be named. Though by now, he's established that Korra and her friends are older than him, but not necessarily more mature, and Bolin? He may be sixteen and two years older than Noatak but Noatak treats him like he should have treated Tarrlok in the past. He is just grateful that neither he nor Korra act like he's not worthy of their time simply because he's younger.
"Haha, thanks, man. But seriously though, what are you gonna do now?"
"I don't know-"
"What about Probending?" Bolin asks, hopeful. Oh, he knows that look. Yes, he's seen Tarrlok use that many times when he wanted something, though Bolin seems more curious than actually demanding. "I mean, you're really good at it, Noatak. And I mean, really good. You're definitely sure you haven't done any sport of it before?"
"Well, yeah." If he considers bloodbending a sport then he might as well throw himself off a cliff now. "I'm just a quick learner, is all. It's very exciting though. No wonder Korra enjoys it better than Airbending practice-"
"Are you guys talking about me?" Korra asks, poking her head into the stables with a grin.
"Oh, no, not at all," Bolin begins smoothly and Noatak chuckles, seeing where the conversation was going. "No, we were talking about Noatak's first time Probending compared to your first time Probending-"
"H-hey! I got better! How do you think we got into the Championships?!"
"We got in because of my good looks," Bolin quips seriously, running a hand through his coiffed hair. Korra rolls her eyes before playing along with the banter, cooing and swooning over her teammate like a love struck twit. Noatak feels pain in his jaw as he attempts to keep his face straight. "And the refs loved my face so much that they want to keep seeing it again. Don't worry, I love my face too-"
"Delivery for Avatar Korra," A high-pitched voice calls from outside the stables and three of them stop fooling around at the sight of a large flower-filled basket with a set of legs ushering it. Korra glances at him and Bolin in confusion as a weedy, grey-haired man in large glasses steps from behind the basket. He directs his attention at Korra, ignorant of the low growls coming from Naga behind them. "Tarrlok sends his compliments and urges you to reconsider his offer."
Noatak rolls his eyes and his hands meet his forehead. But Korra coolly sends the council page on his way, telling the man that she hasn't changed her mind. The council page then turns to Noatak, an apologetic look on his face.
"Apologies, Avatar Korra, but Councilman Tarrlok has asked me to escort his nephew back safely to City Hall as well as relaying his gift to you-"
"Who's this Tarrlok guy? Is he bothering you? Noatak, Korra? 'Cause I could have a word with him," Bolin cuts in, his brow furrowed in confusion at Noatak's exasperated face-rubbing.
Noatak politely turns to the council page. "Can you give me a few moments, please? I'll meet you at the docks."
He lets out a sigh worthy of people who are much more teenager-y than he was. Korra smiles sadly and pats him on the back.
"He's just some old guy who works with Tenzin on the council." Noatak laughs internally at Tarrlok's possible reaction to being called 'old' but he focuses instead on more pressing matters, like bringing up the fact that even he thinks that this Task Force he plans for Korra is a terrible idea and will not be taken well by the non-bender population. If anything, it would serve to aggravate them and push the Equalists to further execute any planned attack for them. Here he was, fifteen in the next winter and planning to discuss war tactics with his thirty-seven year old younger brother over dinner in the next few hours.
"And he's my uncle. The one I told you about."
"Oh, OH! Well, it could be much worse, right?" Definitely, he answers in his head but instead both of them eye Korra as she pokes the flowers from the basket experimentally.
"Let me guess, he's going to keep sending me gifts until I say yes, huh?" Her grimace is understandable because Noatak knows how annoying Tarrlok could sometimes be.
"Yep."
"Next thing we know, he'll send you a Satomobile or something-" Bolin jokes but halts at Noatak's scowl.
"Don't tempt it."
Bolin walks over to examine the basket, picking out a tin of Fire Flakes and pointing at it, asking for permission to eat it silently. She laughs and waves him off before turning back to Noatak.
"Let me see you out-"
"Don't worry about it, Korra." He is tired when interrupts her but it comes off as cold, detached, and Korra steps back as if she'd been burned. He rubs his face, already exhausted at the prospect of facing Tarrlok but she does not know that. She thinks him as tired of them, of her and he knows it hurts her. He sighs. "Look, thank you for showing me town and all. Probending was great, really. I enjoyed it, and it was nice seeing you again. I'll see you soon, all right?"
He doesn't realise that he walks over to her to give her a hug. He doesn't even do hugs, yet here he is, feeling Korra freeze up initially before pressing her face into his shoulder. He doesn't linger and pulls away, Korra's breath still warm on his shoulder and his waist warms where her hands were. Bolin stares at them curiously, handing Pabu a Fire Flake before shrugging, deciding it was nothing.
"I'll catch you both later. Nice to meet you, Bolin." Yet even as he heads down to the docks, he can still feel Korra's heart beating in his ears, though it is not erratic but calm. It is not bloodbending that does thing but his actually touch instead. He smiles to himself.
The prospect of talking to Tarrlok however turns that smile into a scowl.
A/N: Here comes the drama. How will Noatak cope with these Korra feels?
Wow, after that last chapter there's been an overwhelming amount of feedback and I just have to say that was a pleasant surprise. Special mention to Katey123 who actually outright took the effort to put feedback on every chapter that's been posted so far. Granted, there were only three but still, it was a lovely surprise. Thank you, everyone. :D