"Hey, that's no fair ! You can't hog all the grass! Daddy, tell Meelo to give me the grass!"
Korra slowly opened her eyes to the sound of the commotion outside of her window. The dawning sun cast shadows in a straight line toward her shoji doors. She watched it for a moment, as the events of last night swept into her mind. Korra sat up, scooting herself closer to the beds edge. She reached aimlessly for the animal skin boots she always wore, slipping her feet into them. She sighed as she started toward her window, in need of some cheering up.
Shuffle Shuffle. Ka-saaah.
Bolin lazily let his open eyes drift upward toward the wall behind him, realizing she was up. He allowed his hands to flop out beside him on the bed, stretching his arms as best as he could on the narrow bed. As a special request, Tenzin had allowed him to room away from the Boy's side of the island. He made up the excuse that it was too close to the islands edge, and that he was afraid of a freak accident drowning him in his sleep. Bolin made sure to tell Mako this, as he knew he would take care of it. Mako's always been able to take care of things. He also never questions the crazy things that he says, maybe it's just because he's always half listening. If he knew why I really wanted to be on this side of the island, he'd be upset.
Bolin's body rose burdened as he quietly stepped toward his window. At least I get to see her every morning. She's definitely hanging out her window, as she always does when they fight. He reached the window and turned his head left, smiling as his brain registered with his eyes. There she was, her dark brown hair glowing at the edges as it caught the first rays of the morning. She was curled up into the window frame, something he never had even attempted out of the fear of falling. His smile had diminished some as he began to scan her profile. Her shoulders were sunken forward as one hand adjacent to the room cupped her raised knee. Bolin silently leaned closer toward the wood of his windows paneling, trying to close the distance between himself and the girl. His elbows rested on the ledge as peered over at her. The hand cupping her knee had gathered a ball of her pants fabric. He warily looked up at her face as tears began to flow from her puffy eyes. Bolin stepped backward out of the window, attempting to gather himself. He felt his feet unconsciously began to move into a rhythm he'd developed over the past weeks. Bolin's self-taught dance took him from one side of the room to the next, back and forth in a tiring repetition. He thought many things, many things that confused him. He wondered if he could keep forgiving his brother for hurting those around him. Their friends, Asami…and her. Suddenly his gentle hands balled into the tightest fist he could make, eyes adverted toward the open window. He looked beyond the island and out toward the oceans distance, scanning the horizon of the city. A cool breeze blew past him as he felt a liquid running through his hands. He looked down as he slowly opened one palm, blood gushing from indentations his nails left. He chuckled as he ran the other hand through his thick hair, bending a wave at one of the strands edges. "I guess I really am no match for him" he said quietly to himself as he moved away from the empty room and toward the sunlight.
"Korrrrraaaaa" he sang, mustering what willpower he had left to make his voice sound stronger. The girl on the ledge looked knowingly to the right of her and smiled.
He stood up straight, gently leaning back against the outside of her door. This was their morning ritual whenever Mako had made a visit to her the night before. After she cried Bolin would stand outside her door, ready to cheer her up. "Bolin" Korra called, voice muffled through the shoji screen that divided them. Bolin craned his head to listen to her request, saying nothing. "How much" she began, then hesitated and stopped. Bolin felt his face direct itself at the floor, waiting for her response. He could hear her laugh to herself as she quietly said "nothing", suddenly propping the shoji screen doors open with a huge grin. Bolin looked into the water tribe girls eyes, realizing her false façade. Korra's smile suddenly dampened, Bolin thought it was because she realized he could see through it all. He then outstretched one huge arm and pulled her close, hugging her tightly. Korra melted into his arms and after a long while Bolin proposed they go get something to eat. "Yeah" Korra replied quietly into his shoulder.
The room was as noisy as ever as Korra and Bolin made their way into it. Ikki was at the table in her usual spot, but this time sneaking dumplings off Meelo's plate when he wasn't looking. Jinora had started a new book, and had her eyes glued to it as she simultaneously plopped dumplings daintily into her mouth with her chop sticks. Tenzin looked up at the sound of their entrance and silently nodded to them both, clearly frustrated. Bolin kept his feet moving forward into the grand room until he reached his usual mat, which was the first closest to the door. He glanced back at Korra as her eyes had flickered toward Mako, who was in slight seclusion with Asami. Mako had caught her glance and shot a stern look back, causing the waterbender to recoil with visible pain. Bolin looked toward his brother's emotionless face and then down at the seat before him. He let his eyes close for half a second and then opened them again, facing the waterbender. Korra felt his gaze and jumped a bit, probably just realizing where she was again. He stretched out one chubby arm toward her center and smiled. "Let's sit together" he said gently, to which she silently agreed. Bolin sat down and out of the corner of his eye noticed Korra shot one last fleeting glance at Mako before she joined the earthbender on the ground. Pema swept toward them, her pregnant belly bumping into the side of Bolin's cheek. Korra let out a light hearted laugh beside him as he felt himself growing warm in the cheeks.
"I'm sorry dear" the kind woman said, ruffling his hair a bit before asking if he wanted extra rice with his dumplings. Bolin politely agreed and then suddenly found himself wondering if this is what having a mother was like. He instinctively glanced to his older brother for a sign of internal reassurance. Mako had always been good at reading him; sometimes he felt he developed the art of mind bending. He felt his shoulders sag as he traced his gaze back to Korra's. Mako seemed to become aware of this, as he suddenly sat up straight and smiled at him. Clack. Pema had sat his double rice and dumplings in front of him. She looked at the two brothers and then ruffled Bolin's hair again. It felt nice he thought, being cared for. Bolin began to attack his rice with fervor. Stupid Mako. He already has Asami…Can't he leave me and Korra alone? Maybe it was a bad idea to sit her facing him. He tilted his head up and leaned back as far as gravity allowed him to without toppling backward from the table. "You okay?" a soft voice from the left came winding into his ear. Bolin turned to see Korra's brows furrowed, worry written all over her face. Bolin felt a tinge of embarrassment as he realized that she had been watching him and Mako the entire time.
"Yup-everything's good. Everything's great, if I were any better I'd be flying with Iggy" Bolin replied smoothly, smirking and snapping his fingers. This may have been a bad idea though, as the chopsticks that were firmly in his hands were now strewn feet away from one another on the tatami mats- rice strewn along the way. "Bolin !" Korra began, laughter obscuring her next intended words. Bolin felt his cheeks grow warm again and then his heart beat out of his chest as Korra wrapped her arms around his shoulders. He looked around the room quickly, unsure where to focus his eyes. Tenzin was holding two fingers to his forehead, pinching it. Pema had noticed the spill and was now attempting to rise from a mat and hover over. Asami was still talking to Mako, completely unaware that he was staring over at Korra. Bolin looked down in disappointment.
Why couldn't Mako just leave her alone and be happy for him? He liked hugs. Hugs were a start. Maybe he could make her happy, happier than his brother was.
His shoulders sunk and he looked down at Korra, who after feeling the slight motion from his body looked up at him. Reading his face before he could change it, She shot a cross glance at Mako, sticking her tongue out. Mako looked shocked as he dropped his chopsticks in annoyance over the childish action. Both Bolin and Korra burst out into laughing at his face. Korra pulled herself closer to him. Bolin felt her breath in his ear as she whispered "You'll always be my favorite brother."
He looked into her eyes, feeling a mix of sadness and happiness welling inside of his chest. He felt his head move slightly from side to side as Korra ruffled his hair. He unconsciously smiled and then breaking away from the embrace angled himself back toward what rice he had left. Good thing I got doubles he thought to himself, as he began to shovel rice into his mouth. He felt Korra's gaze leave him and heard the gentle cling of her own chopsticks beside him. After a few moments of listening to Ikki and Meelo fight over an empty bowl, Bolin allowed himself a glance up at his brother. He followed his gaze yet again to see that his eyes were locked with Korra's. Bolin looked down quickly at his bowl, to avoid detection.
Stupid Mako. Maybe he's not only a mind bender, but a feelings bender. Bending everyone feelings around him like it were water. Bolin gripped another pile of rice and shoved it into his mouth, now sulking. As Korra's chopsticks beside him finally began to click again, he silently thought that Feeling bending should also be outlawed, along with bloodbending.
"Let's go out tonight !"
Bolin turned his head to see Asami standing in his door way, smiling boldly. Bolin waved his hand in protest, as he wanted to wallow in his dark room alone a little while longer. Asami-never the type of gal to take no for an answer, rushed toward him.
"What's wrong?" she asked, now standing over where his body rested on the bed. She reached a soft hand forward, gently caressing his face. Bolin sat up and pouted, as he began to pour out his heard to the girl. This was a regular thing for he and Asami, she was someone he could confide in without having to worry about sounding silly. She knew how much he cared for Korra.
"Well" the long haired girl said, flipping her hair and extending a slender hand toward him. Bolin looked at it for a moment, and then stood up. "We could all use a good night out on the town" Asami began, as Bolin began to sense something bad in her words to follow. Suddenly, her position changed. Either arm locked into her wrists, crossing them oddly.
"Why do you think Korra was so upset today?" She asked him, eyes sparkling with uncertainty and fear. Bolin immediately looked down, not wanting to lie to her. Also he knew that she would see through him, and he couldn't betray his brother-even if he had betrayed him.
"Oh you know, the usual things. Not being able to airbend yet, missing home, that pesky Amon and his Equalist trying to enslave benders by taking their livelihood away-"
"Bolin. Your voice just cracked."
"Bison babies" Bolin said under his breath, feeling himself growing hotter in the face as his body reacted. Asami strode toward the door, then stopped herself just before parting the screen doors. Back turned, she spoke to him.
"Is anyone going to tell me what's really going on?" she said in a hopeless whisper. Bolin's shoulders sank as he listened to her words. The guilt he felt burrowed a hole in his heard that even a badgermole could not feat. He strode toward her lightly, his feet below making barely a sound over the creaky wooden floorboards of his room. Left hand stretching toward her shoulder, he gently placed it there. Asami slightly turned her head to cut her eyes at him, dark curtain of hair falling back to making visible her swollen face.
"Don't cry Asami" Bolin said to her softly, bowing his head as the words came out.
"You know, don't you Bolin?" he heard her say through the tears now freely flowing from her eyes to the wooden floor beneath them. Bolin sighed, not sure how to answer. Yes, he knew his brother and the only girl he's ever loved were having sex behind everyone's back. Yes, he knew he was standing before one of his best friends-lying to her. Yes, he knew that Korra was crying about Mako at the cliff earlier, not Amon. Yes, he knew he was beginning to resent his brother…
Bolin shook his head once to steady himself. These thoughts in my head are terrible. Mako's my brother, he's always protected me. Always done what needed to be done. Yes, that's right.
"I think…you should believe in Mako" he said in a very low voice. "Bolin" the girl started, vocals being overtaken my emotion. "It'll be okay Asami, its better off you don't know." He looked up and gave her a smile.
I wish I didn't know.
So very sorry for the extremely late update. I've had some serious external factors threatening my family since this New Year has begun, but their slowing up a bit…So I'm able to write again ^^;;
Ethereal: Extremely delicate and light in a way that seems too perfect for this world.
This chapter was written from Bolin's perspective. He loves his brother deeply but is beginning to feel some resentment toward their relationship because of Korra. Well, maybe not just because of her-It's more like it's been little things here and there and Korra creates the snowball effect. He's upset that yet again he's getting the short stick. After a very awkward breakfast Bolin realizes that he feels like a child, and Mako and Korra are the parents. He's getting friend zoned hardcore. Asami is the one person who doesn't treat him like this, but he can't tell her the truth. Then he'd be betraying his brother-whose always protected him. Mako always knows what's best for him, right? We're back in episode 8, "When Extremes Meet". I believe next chapter will remain in Bolin's perspective.
Also, side bar: I think Ikki and Meelo are the biggest trolls. I don't know why but I imagine they just mess with Tenzin all day through various antics and shenanigans.