Disclaimer: The Legend of Korra, all characters and settings, and anything else you would recognize as pertaining to this cartoon does not belong to me. I do not intend to make any money off the writing of this fan fiction; it is merely for entertainment purposes.
Title: The Caress of Water.
Summary: The Avatar battles both the powerful Equalist activists and her own feelings for their mysterious leader—a tale of unbreakable family ties, tolerance, and self-exploration.
Pairings: Amon/Korra, one-sided Tarrlok/Korra, light Mako/Asami, light Mako/Korra, light one-sided Bolin/Korra.
Chapter XXVI: Revelation
The resistance and the Equalists stared each other down only moments before they collided in a flurry of fists and jabs. The resistance struggled to dodge the dangerous weapons they had been warned about, and their greatest assets were their two benders, who forced the chi-blockers back, lest they be cornered against the dock with no room to move and defend.
A few of the resistance were quickly taken out because they were still pinned helplessly against the narrow dock, unable to dodge the onslaught of bolas that wrapped around their bodies and constricted tightly enough to break bones, leaving them defenseless at the feet of the chi-blockers, who took no time to reach down and lay their electrified gloves against them, zapping them into screamingly agonizing unconsciousness.
With the quickly fading light, Mako shot well-aimed arcs of lightning at the devastating electrified gloves, prioritizing it as his personal mission before the sun fully set. He managed to short out a few while he could still see well enough to stay in control of his unpredictable, fatal element. Each destroyed and shed glove increased their chances of holding their own against the well-trained chi-blockers a little bit longer.
Bolin stomped on the ground, sending shockwaves through the earth that jolted a few Equalists from their solid footing and had pushed them back so they could advance, and he didn't hesitate to slam his foot on the ground to call a hunk of rock to hover in front of him. He tore it apart and aimed the pieces. With rapid lunges of his muscular arms, he bombarded the disoriented Equalists with them, knocking them to their backs with the breath stolen from their lungs. The precious moments that they had while the broken ranks of the chi-blockers recovered were not wasted, and the White Lotus and ex-metalbenders forced themselves amongst them, bringing their hands up to protect their centers and engage in hand-to-hand combat.
Meanwhile, Amon met up with his right-hand man.
"Sir, that is a dangerous position for an airbender to have control of," the Lieutenant advised, indicating where Tenzin was currently perched, throwing their soldiers from their feet with air scythes and whirling tornados. "Shall we go up?"
Amon nodded and motioned to the door guards. They obeyed and pulled out two intricate devices, tossing one to both Amon and the Lieutenant. The two of them leaped over the railing of the staircase and found a suitable place in the shadow of Avatar Aang. With the press of a button, the ends of the thick cylinder-shaped device popped out into sharp hooks with high tension wire unwinding from a neatly coiled center. There were numerous tightly woven straps large enough to fit over their wrists.
It was time delayed, and the Equalist leaders aimed the devices carefully. The seconds ticked down, and then suddenly the hooks shot in opposite directions, one side imbedding deeply in the ground beneath their feet to anchor the device and the other flying high through the air and piercing the grand statue through the head.
Hiroshi Sato would be pleased to know his new portable pulley system grappling hook worked very much how it was intended, even if it was only good for one use.
Amon and the Lieutenant nodded at each other, reaching down to each grasp a strap tightly. The flip of a switch had the cable feeding through a reel continuously, and it sent the men sloping upward rapidly.
Lin had been approaching, dodging the dueling groups, air currents, flames, and flying rocks, and she braced her boots against the ground, springing upward to barely grab ahold of the startled Lieutenant. He struggled to shake her hands away from him, but she clung to his ankles firmly and used him to get up to Tenzin. He let out a threatening growl. "Let go of me, you damned pest!"
She wished she could dig her nails into his flesh and hurt him, but his thick boots kept her at bay, so she dismissed the temptation. Before long, they were high above the ground and about to come to the end of the line, and Lin timed her movement so that when she finally released the agitated man, she swung through the air and landed next to Tenzin, who threw out his fists to send balls of air at them.
Amon and the Lieutenant mimicked Lin when they let go of the grappling hook, flipping over the attacks and dropping into crouches opposite them.
Truth be told, they were at a disadvantage both down on the island and up on the statue. Airbending, while wielded by peaceful monks, was a very deadly element and could have devastating effects on their tentative balance this far above the ground. They would be forced to evade more than attack.
Lin and Tenzin stood in defensive stances some distance away from the Equalist leaders, and each waited for the other to make the first move.
Amon darted forward, deciding to take the opportunity to strike first, since there wouldn't be many chances. He ducked under Tenzin's swipe and knew his lieutenant was doing the same behind him when he heard the air crash into the stone behind them. He lashed out, landing a solid punch to the airbending master's sternum, which went him staggering backward with a wheeze.
Lin responded with curled fist flying through the air while Tenzin recovered, which passed several inches in front of Amon's mask, as he had reared his head backward. He had several seconds to react before Lin sent another punch his way, and he threw his forearm up in the way to protect his face.
Blood speckled the flawless porcelain of his mask when the unforgiving metal came into contact with Lin's much more pliable knuckles. With her power behind it, the flesh split open effortlessly. The woman bit down on the inside of her cheek to contain her noise of weakness and flipped backward when a spinning bola whipped past Amon and headed straight for her. She could feel the air it displaced whoosh past her, but it harmlessly bounced off of Aang's clenched fist and dropped out of sight.
The sun dipped below the horizon and threw Republic City into darkness, with only the twinkling stars and bright, hovering moon for light. The warring soldiers strained their eyes to see who was who, to take care not to attack their own, until Mako threw fireballs at the lanterns scattered about the island to solve the problem.
Bolin had taken a high ground position and was ripping chunks of rock away, heaving them in the direction of chi-blockers with as much care as he could manage, for their own were intermingled, and he didn't want to accidentally hit them. His brother was next to him, throwing his fists forward to send tongues of white hot flames at their enemies. The dry grass caught fire and blazed jaggedly through the battlefield.
The two benders worked their elements to their advantage, using earth to create barriers between chi-blocker and their own army when it seemed like an attack would not be blocked, and dazzling bursts of flames to blind the chi-blockers and send them scurrying away on the defensive. They were highly alert and scanning the chaotic battlefield for any places where they could provide an edge against the powerful Equalist army.
Several of their own had managed to swipe a few electrified gloves in the confusion and passed them off to Nini and several ex-metalbenders. The officers were slightly familiar with them, which was infinitely better than not at all. They were very capable weapons in their palms. The electrified glove wielders moved about the island surface, keeping up a simultaneously defensive and offensive wall.
Korra, still wearing her full Equalist gear, jumped into action, launching herself high into the air and falling in the middle of the fray. She spun around, throwing her fists out in the direction of the chi-blockers, who were caught off guard by being attacked by someone who looked like one of their own. They were blown away like leaves from the concentrated air blasts.
"Is… is that Equalist… airbending?" Bolin wondered aloud, dropping the stones he had been about to wield in shock.
Korra used the abandoned rock as a ramp to vault herself up, and she swept her leg out in an arc, sending out a thick wind scythe that cleaved through the ground that a group of chi-blockers had been standing on moments ago. She landed next to Bolin and ripped her face mask off before he could react violently. She grinned wildly at his stupefied expression.
"Keep it up, guys!" she encouraged before disappearing in a gust of wind.
Mako and Bolin exchanged bewildered looks at the realization that Korra was here and had unlocked her airbending. For now, it was pushed to the back of their minds until they weren't in charge of protecting dozens of men and women, who were fighting tirelessly.
The resistance, with the aid of its three benders providing excellent cover, was able to gain small advantages over the seasoned chi-blockers and landed numerous jabs on them, paralyzing limbs and stealing weapons. Many of Korra's own had fallen, though, and the resistance's numbers were dwindling slowly against the Equalists' onslaught from a combination of exhaustion and low-dose electrocution.
High above, Lin and Tenzin were sending a flurry of attacks at the evasive Equalist leaders, growing frustrated with their ability to move so swiftly. Lin had pulled out her knives and was timing her attacks with Tenzin's to have a better chance of catching them off guard.
She glanced at Tenzin from the corner of her eye and saw him nod subtly, indicating that he was ready. She slid two of her last three knives between her fingers and clenched her fist. She knew they had to be fast, to take advantage of the fact that Amon was more likely to dodge than deflect, as they had learned the longer the battle dragged on. There was a tiny window that they could catch him off guard while he was recovering from his dodge.
Lin threw her arm out, sending two of her knives at Amon. She waited a few seconds before sending out her last one.
Amon moved to avoid the knife that would have taken a chunk of his ear, and in doing so, he placed himself in the path of the second Lin had thrown at him. It grazed the cheek of his mask and left a deep slice, tearing through the side of his hood.
The third knife he crouched low to avoid.
Tenzin had sent out a sweeping gust of wind low to the stone below them with his foot moments after the third knife had been thrown.
The Lieutenant fell back, slamming his kali sticks into the stone to brace himself against the torrent of air that passed over him and nearly dislodged him. He held fast.
The currents caught Amon fully once he dropped into his crouch. There was no time for him to leap to avoid it. It forced him back jaggedly, and he tumbled clumsily over his lieutenant's kneeling form. He felt his boots leave the solid stone beneath him.
Amon was suddenly falling from the statue, with only air and a very fatal plummet awaiting him. His heart leaped into his throat, and his eyes widened in horror behind his mask. His hand immediately moved instinctively, as a waterbender naturally calling his element to save his life. Fingers curling inward toward his chest, he then flung his arm outward toward the stone above him.
A tendril of water from the flask in his uniform snuck up his arm, wrapping firmly around his wrist and then impaling through the stone arm of Aang like a dagger. The portion penetrating the stone froze, keeping it solidly in place. He exhaled in pain at the harsh yank upon his wrist and shoulder, dangling helplessly from his makeshift rope. The moonlight bore down on him, illuminating him for all to see.
His body quaked in fear, his pulse drumming deafeningly in his ears. He was in shock, staring up at the faces that peered down at him: Tenzin, Lin, and his lieutenant, all in similar states of astonishment and numb disbelief.
He could hear the clamoring from below on the island's surface. Angry, tearful screams from his once faithful subordinates spoke volumes of their emotional agony. He, a waterbender and their mortal enemy, had fooled them all, and it was almost too much to bear.
"How could you?!" the Lieutenant shrieked, his face contorted in betrayal and murderous rage. He forgot about their opponents, although Lin and Tenzin didn't appear capable of moving; they were staring unblinkingly down at Amon. "You, a waterbender?! The Avatar was right!"
The former Equalist leader didn't know how to respond. He couldn't defend himself against the accusation, for it was painfully obvious that he had lied to them all. He needed to get away from here, and fast. He was on the verge of swinging himself with the makeshift rope he was attached from when he heard the hair-raising chirping of electricity.
The Lieutenant slammed his electrified kali sticks against the ice hook, and artificial lightning and the force behind his attack shattered it.
Amon lost control of the water, and it showered down around him uselessly. He immediately plunged toward the ground rapidly, squeezing his eyes shut in terror. His stomach flipped at the sensation of freefall, and his body curled inward slightly.
Korra, like the others, had become distracted from the heated battle at the sight of the Equalist leader using waterbending to save his own life. She winced at the cacophony of outraged screams around her coming from every betrayed Equalist. She couldn't help but pity them for being too blind to realize in time as she hurried toward the statue, eyes locked on Amon's form. There was a creeping terror worming its way up her spine the longer he remained helplessly suspended from his watery rope. She willed him to find solid ground once again, but he didn't move.
Then, his rope was gone, having dissipated into tiny sparkling droplets from the Lieutenant's attack. She heard herself screaming Amon's name hysterically as he fell to his certain death. No! she cried, whether inwardly or where everyone could hear her, she didn't know or care. No, he can't die! I won't allow it!
Please, please, no! NO! She was too slow when she frantically tried to produce a cushion of air to save his life while running. It was too small, too slow, too clumsy, too late. She felt herself falling forward, having tripped over a stray, cruel rock in her hurry to reach him. She hit the ground, and her mind and throat screamed at the unfairness of it all. Useless! Useless, slow, worthless! Spirits, WHY?!
In response to her distress, there was a sensation, like a breeze dancing over her and empowering her. A murmur of voices erupted all around her and within her. It grew in intensity, easing her hysterical emotions until everything faded away, leaving her tranquil and otherworldly in her control. Through calm, confident eyes, she watched her hands as they whirled and effortlessly manipulated the air currents, molding them into a swirling vortex that caught Amon just before he hit the jagged stones and cradled him in its depths.
The tranquility faded away, having achieved what it was called for and leaving her relatively fatigued. She was still on her knees, and she settled back on her heels. Her eyes drooped wearily, and she watched Amon land harmlessly on his feet before her. His mask had been thrown from his face, leaving him to face her with eyes that couldn't hide the last vestiges of pure terror that had befallen him in his moment of near-death. His face was wide open to her, granting her teasing hints of intimate things she always wanted to know about him: his fear, his desire to live, his bitter regret at losing everything he cared about.
She could have cried at the relief that broke over her. Amon was alive, and she had saved him. Only seconds more, and he would have been nothing more than a broken, lifeless body for her to wail mournfully over. There was so much she realized she needed to still say to him. She had such precious time left with him.
But all too soon, Amon was darting away like his life depended on it. He reached the edge of the island and flung himself off the edge toward the restless water below. It caught him, like an old friend, wrapping him protectively in its depths.
Then he was speeding across the bay and far away from her and everyone else he had left behind without care.
A tingle of panic returned, and she felt the absolute power of the cosmos come back to her, lending her the strength that she had trouble mustering. Her eyes glowed brilliantly, and she called a wave to catch her as she dropped off Memorial Island in pursuit, only vaguely aware of what was happening. Then, with airbending, she was flying forward over the water.
She swept her arms about her rapidly charging form to keep up with the man ahead of her, who was encased in a swirling cocoon of water that propelled him across the Yue Bay toward the outskirts of Republic City. She pumped her legs furiously, barely skimming the surface of the water with her bursts of alternating airbending and waterbending.
Amon shot from the water's embrace when he reached Republic City and dropped into a crouch atop the cobblestones of the street he had landed on, his coat tails dragging behind him. He snapped his head to the side to see Korra, eyes aglow in the grasp of the Avatar State, launching herself from the water's surface in a whirlwind of currents and water and flying toward him like a deadly, tranquil spirit.
He cursed softly under his breath. With the speed of airbending, she would be able to surpass his own pace with ease. The water was the only place he could have a chance of truly outrunning her, but then again, she wasn't a master bloodbender. He could lose her in the maze of back alleys of Republic City, and she would never be able to track his position from his heartbeat. With that thought in mind, he darted forward in a run, crossing the remainder of the street and tossing himself into the pitch-black alleyway between two silent buildings.
Korra touched down where Amon had been seconds before, the previous Avatars fading away and leaving her on her own, and she pursued him without a second thought. She couldn't see him ahead of her, but she could hear the furious drumming of his footfalls. She sent herself shooting forward with a burst of her airbending and could see the dim outline of Amon just in front of her. She reached out to grab ahold of his dangling hood.
The man swiftly turned a corner, leaving Korra to cry out in shock and struggle to skid to a stop. She painfully hit the wall that ended the path and, giving herself mere seconds to recover from the collision, threw herself after him, lest she lose him in the dark.
The moon peeked through the opening above them and illuminated Amon's armor with a few teasing glints. And then he was gone, having disappeared around yet another corner.
The running room ended too abruptly for Korra to take advantage of her speed, for it slowed her down even more to have to try to stop so abruptly at each corner. Her frustration mounted. He was always well ahead of her, turning corners just as she did. She was falling behind. It was a cruel game, but one she was desperate to win. She neared an alleyway she had seen him enter, but when she entered it, she didn't see him at all. She growled. With a spin of her heel, she sailed up into the air and onto the roof of one of the numerous obstacles that kept her from the former Equalist leader. She sprinted, leaping across gaps and peering below her in hopes of spotting the elusive man.
Amon soon couldn't feel the Avatar's heartbeat, which had dissipated from his range. He finally slowed his pace and bent over to place his hands on his knees. He leaned back against the wall behind him and let out a quiet breath. He was slightly winded from the chase. She had been formidable and managed to match his pace for well over ten minutes, but he believed he had finally lost her.
There was an uneasy nausea within him. He hadn't allowed the full weight of his grave mistake to settle in just yet, but he was sickened by both his exposure and his near-death experience. He let his eyes close, and he contemplated his dwindling options.
"It doesn't feel nice to almost fall to your death, does it?" a resentful voice sounded in his ear.
His eyes flew open, and he stumbled away from Korra, who glared fiercely at him. He berated himself; why was he falling apart like this? He should have detected her presence long before she found him. "Touché, Avatar, it does not." He eyed her warily, her tense form bathed in the moonlight above her. "What exactly do you hope to accomplish by following me? Did you save me so you could have the honor of killing me yourself?"
She bared her teeth at him, insulted. "I would never take a life!"
"Then why are you here?"
"You have no right to run from the problem you created. You brought this war upon Republic City, so what are you going to do to solve it?"
"Absolutely nothing," he retorted. Truthfully, it was no longer his to oversee. With those few moments of waterbending, he had become an enemy to his Revolution. "Make no mistake, Avatar. I still do not see it as a problem despite what had happened. The Equalists will continue their mission uninterrupted."
She narrowed her eyes dangerously. "Only you could successfully remove bending. They will crumble into nothingness now that their leader has shown himself to be such a hypocrite, a liar."
He matched her expression, and then some. "So little faith. They will find a way. They will adapt, as nonbenders always do."
She strode forward and grabbed two handfuls of his uniform. She neared his face and whispered menacingly, "I'd like to see them try. They don't stand a chance against me. The power of the Avatars."
Amon immediately raised a hand and pinched at the back of her neck. His other hand hovered threateningly over her forehead. "I don't know how you were able to unlock your airbending, but what's to keep me from taking it from you, like I did for the rest of your bending?"
She merely stared back at him with determination, unconcerned about, but very aware of, his hands on her. "You won't. You told me you regretted it before, and now that you don't have an image to uphold, you won't hurt me."
He shoved her against the wall to immediately prove her partially wrong, his eyes flaring, his lips curled in a snarl. His fingers dug into her arms, which he kept pinned against the unforgiving, uneven stones behind her. He covered her with his body, poised like a venomous snake about to strike. When he spoke, his voice was deadly calm with his anger simmering just beneath the surface. "How utterly presumptuous of you."
"You won't hurt me," she repeated confidently, leaning forward. Her lips were inches from his, and her eyes reflected her want to close the remainder of the distance between them. She wanted him to be the one to do it, though.
He would not close the distance, although his eyes did momentarily linger distractedly upon the tempting bow of her lips. "As proven time and time again in the past, you are often wrong about what I will and won't do. So, tell me, do you still want me now, Avatar?" His glacial eyes dared her to speak the word that was clear in her expression as she gazed reverently at his face, as if committing the details to memory. "The hypocrite, the traitor to his cause? The bloodbender?"
"Yes," she admitted. If anything, she wanted him even more. He didn't need a mask to hide behind, and no longer would he need those morbid scars staining his exceedingly handsome features. His emotion was open, raw, and honest, and she wanted more.
He gritted his teeth. "You think you understand me from a few conversations with my brother? You think you understand what I will do now after losing my life's work? You know nothing about me, Avatar, and I intend to keep it that way. Your silly feelings do not sway me, and if anything, I should blame you for the ruin of my Revolution. You are nothing more than an obstacle to me, a petty distraction."
She glared icily, letting the harsh words fall away like stray water droplets. He was still wearing his mask even if it wasn't firmly situated on his face. Who was he trying to convince? There was nobody left that needed to be convinced. "My silly feelings saved your life."
He laughed shortly, the sound startling her because she had never heard him laugh, even if it held no humor. He looked down his nose at her. "Your entire existence has done nothing but ruin my life since the day I was recognized as a waterbender. The fact that I am still standing here and enduring the regret of my failure says nothing except that you're continuing to prolong my suffering."
The words hit her unexpectedly hard. She felt her glare break under the strength of his apparent loathing. She stared helplessly at him as she mulled over his words.
He had been set on his path as a tool of revenge because of what she was. He lost his childhood, his parents, and his brother because he was led to believe that his sole purpose in life was to avenge his father's loss of bending. He could never go back and have a real relationship with Tarrlok because of her.
She finally succumbed to her crumbling resolve and averted her eyes, feeling them fill with stinging tears at the realization that Amon had every right to hate her, and that she should have never tried to convince herself otherwise. He had called her a petty distraction, and he had once dismissed his kiss as a primal reaction as a man and nothing more.
A whimper escaped her, and she sagged against the wall. If she hadn't been held up only by Amon's unrelenting grip on her arms, she would have dropped, boneless, to the ground. She felt one of her arms fall to her side when he released her, and then a couple fingers hooked under her chin to lift her face back to his.
His face was still hard, guarded, as he regarded the tears that spilled from her lashes. He appeared to be having a mental struggle with deciding what he wanted to say to her. His brow furrowed, and a muscle in his jaw twitched. "Your silly feelings shouldn't sway me," he corrected himself tersely. "You shouldn't mean anything to me, just a petty distraction and nothing more."
His silky baritone washed over her, and it took her moments to register his meaning through the grief that clouded her mind. Her eyes widened, and her heart swelled painfully with hope. She felt his hand drift upward to wipe away her tears.
"There is nothing I could say to make this easier for you, Avatar," he muttered, "and it appears that my body wishes for me to suffer even more when we finally part."
"Part?" she echoed hoarsely. "Where will you go?"
"It defeats the purpose if I tell you," he replied flatly. He finally pulled away from her when he was confident that she could stand on her own, taking his encompassing heat with him. He took a few steps backward to distance himself when she made to grab for his charcoal tunic.
"Amon! Noatak…" She took a few clumsy steps forward when he turned his back on her. "No, please… Don't leave."
He raised a hand to his face and tore at the fake scarring on his face while keeping his back to the distraught Avatar. He said nothing.
"Nobody else knows your face well enough. You don't have to leave Republic City," she reasoned desperately. She took a step to the side so she could see his profile, the way his eyes drifted shut as if in distress. "Tarrlok and I wouldn't say anything. I promise."
"I know," he simply stated, to the latter. "But what would you propose I do here with the remainder of my life? What good could I possibly do in a city that wishes for my destruction?"
"Well, I…" She honestly didn't know how the man would spend his days in Republic City once everything went back to normal. She hadn't considered anything past just keeping him from leaving her and disappearing completely. It was selfish, but she couldn't bear the thought of never seeing him again, of him fading to a mere regretful memory. She bit at her lip and stammered, "I… I just want... Amon, I want you to—"
"—Be your secret…" his eyes flicked to hers, "…lover?"
There was a dark promise in that simple suggestion, in the way he looked at her with his eyelids drifting down slightly into a sensual stare. Her face flushed hotly at the thought, and she staggered back a few steps when her body betrayed her. She went weak at the knees and had to scramble for a hold on the stones to keep herself upright.
The corners of his mouth twitched upward at her powerful reaction. He slid a hand into his uniform to retrieve the small flask that he kept on his person at all times, now containing only a small amount of water. His eyes never left her trembling form when he raised a hand and drew the last of the water to hover in the air for his use. Then he took it into his hands and washed away the paint from his face until the water was pink in color. He returned it to its flask, and it disappeared from sight. "Cater entirely to the desires of the Avatar, and… make her into a woman?"
Korra tensed when Amon turned fully to her once again, and she greedily drank up the sight of his elegant cheek bones, the masculine jaw, the enticing curve of his lips. Her mind failed her and went blank. She let out small, gasping breaths, aroused by the sinful promise laced into his words.
"Hmm?" he prompted throatily, taking another step toward her.
A small noise escaped her, one of both distress and pleasure. "I—what was… the question?"
His smirk widened, reminiscent of his lost mask. His deliberate steps brought him to her, and he grasped her by the arm, tugging at it to close the final distance between them. He spun her around so her back was to him and held her snugly against him in an intimate embrace, with one arm around her waist and the other up and around her arched neck.
Korra's head fell against his shoulder, spilling her locks across his shoulder. She was overwhelmed by his proximity, and every inch of her skin tingled deliciously. She covered the hand on her abdomen with her own, lacing her fingers with his.
The hand around her neck trailed over her skin and left gooseflesh in its wake in a sensual motion, tugging the cloth around her neck downward as it went. A pair of lips caressed her ear, and she felt, rather than heard, the words when they were spoken huskily to her.
"I asked you if you want me to be your lover. Your… little secret during the night," Amon purred. He brought his hand across her clothed collar bone leisurely and parted his lips to briefly flick his tongue over her hypersensitive flesh, just enough for her to feel it, before he lowered his face to delicately nuzzle the straining tendon of her neck with the bridge of his nose. "Would you like for me to introduce you to ecstasy?"
"Amon…" she breathed, startled at the unfamiliar sultry, heady tone that left her throat when she uttered his name. Her answer danced on the tip of her tongue, but her voice escaped her when she tried to speak. She was too timid to admit what they both already knew.
The former Equalist leader swept his tongue over her neck in response before attaching his lips to her skin and peppering kisses possessively. His hand curled over her upper arm, lifting it and guiding it until it hooked around the back of his neck, out of the way.
Korra immediately buried her hand in his dark hair and pushed at his head to try to force him closer. All she could focus on was his lavish attention to the curve of her neck and the long digits that wandered down over the underside of her arm to her ribcage. There was a barely there, tantalizing brush against the sensitive swell of her chest, setting fire to her nerve endings.
His power and cool confidence washed over her, entrapping her. His fingers stroked her gently but daringly, filling her mind with nothing but him and his imposing presence shadowing her. She wanted him so much that she couldn't think straight, and her answer tingled her lips, a mere whisper away from being voiced.
"What is your answer," he murmured against her saliva-slickened flesh, all too aware of the thumping of her erratic pulse inches from him, "Korra?"
"Yes!" she moaned fervidly, throwing her head back and arching against him. The mere sound of her name coming from his lips like a dark, forbidden caress had ripped her answer from her without a second thought. There was a liquid fire pooling in her lower body, and she was helpless against the faint, pleasurable pulses that emanated from it, zinging through her limbs to the tips of her toes and fingers like electricity. She whimpered deliriously, "Amon… Noatak, please…"
He exhaled hotly against her, squeezing his eyes shut to try to regain his composure. It was futile, a losing battle, as his mind was hazy with his lust. He grabbed her by the jaw and angled her head so he could access her tempting lips that begged for him, murmuring his name like a prayer. He greedily devoured them, silencing her pleas. His lips slid across hers in an erotic, slick dance, possessing her with every caress. He pulled back just enough to speak, his mouth brushing hers with every word. "You once accused me of seducing you…"
Korra cut him off, desperate to lose herself in the sensation of his kisses and caring little about anything else. She finally had time alone with him, and she didn't intend to squander it. She tugged at his bottom lip with her own, capturing it and grazing it with her tongue to coax him into taking it a step further.
He groaned brokenly into her mouth and grasped her hips with an insatiable hunger, squeezing roughly in punishment. He parted from her again, his eyes half-lidded with desire, and continued determinedly, "Before tonight, you didn't even fully comprehend what that word meant."
She spun around in his arms and shoved him against the wall where he previously had her trapped. She reclaimed his lips savagely, swallowing his guttural, pleasured groans. Her tongue darted between his lips and caressed his.
He pulled back slightly to catch his breath, panting. He was burning and aching with arousal, but he enjoyed the build-up too much to rush it. The expressions and noises the Avatar made for him were too addicting to dismiss. He loved teasing her, watching her imagination run wild from his colorful insinuations. "You would do anything to please me, wouldn't you, Korra?"
"Mm, yes. Anything, Noatak," she moaned softly, breathily. Her hands slid down his chest, exploring the muscular physique that lay beneath her. Mind, body, and heart, she couldn't resist him. "…How can I please you?"
Amon's breath hitched as he watched her kiss-swollen lips form the words. He could voice at least ten different ways Korra could please him. They all would bring a furious blush to her cheeks and make her squeeze her thighs together, force her knees to give out from under her without him even touching her. Tempting, very tempting, but perhaps another time. His body could only hold off for so long; he needed her. "Allow me to show you," he purred, leaning in to reconnect their lips.
Both of them marveled at the liquid fire that roared through their blood at the contact between them. They were swept away completely in a wave of carnal and absolute want. Amon couldn't remember the last time he lost control of himself to this degree; all he could think about was immersing himself completely in the Avatar, taking everything her exceptionally curvy body had to offer again and again. Korra could only tremble under the power of her emotions, her adoration for the mysterious man amplified tenfold at the thought of being intimately his.
She broke their fierce kiss and lingered shyly at his clothed abdomen, unable to boldly cross the point of no return. Her heart pounded in her chest, and her eyes were glazed rapturously. She had to tell him, if only to have the chance to be able to change everything between them, to add meaning to the powerful energy that crackled between them. She needed to voice her feelings for him before it was too late, as proven by how she almost lost him forever that night.
Her voice broke when she confessed, "I love you…"
He flinched violently at the words, as if she had slapped him across the face. It was a douse of frigid water, sucking the powerful heat and desire from him and leaving a pathetic, simmering pile of ashes behind. He pulled away from her, eyes alert and guarded. "No," he responded with conviction, "you don't."
She stared at him in hazy bewilderment, feeling a creeping of embarrassment from what she had admitted to him. Regretfully, she realized it was the wrong thing to say to the man. But she couldn't take it back. She had finally accepted her feelings for what they were, him being her first love. "Yes, I do."
Amon panted heavily, staring at the woman before him warily. Knowing the depth of her feelings for him made it impossible for him to continue, much to his regret. He would not remain in Republic City, hiding away like a criminal, always looking over his shoulder and wondering if there was a chance that one of his enemies could recognize his face or voice. He didn't know what he would do, but he certainly wouldn't subject himself to that fate.
The Avatar was in love with him, and she deserved more than hasty romps in alleyways that would never lead to what she wanted in the end—his companionship and reciprocation of her love. He was incredibly attracted to her, but he didn't love her. It was such a foreign concept, that he wasn't even sure what it felt like to feel love for another person. He couldn't do that to her. She was young, beautiful, and powerful. She still had infinite chances to replace him.
With that in mind, he gently pushed her away and continued on his original path through the alleyway, although his body wanted nothing more than to force her against the nearest hard surface and show her exactly what he could do to her, for her. There were small aftershocks of his pleasure still distracting his mind and trying desperately to convince him to be selfish.
"What… w-wait!" she yelped, sprinting to catch up with him. She was still out of breath and burning with curiosity about the sensations Amon had intended to give to her. She laid a firm hand on his arm so he couldn't take another step.
"Go home, Avatar," he commanded wearily. "Your friends are wondering where you disappeared to. After having been imprisoned for so long, I'm sure you must be anxious to see them."
She nodded at that, for it was the truth. She did miss her friends dreadfully, but they would still be there when she returned. Amon didn't seem to have any intention of sticking around. She tried to meet his gaze with her own, but he turned his face away. "…Please don't go."
"I have one last thing to take care of," he responded dispassionately. "After that, I will leave Republic City completely. I can't say for sure where I will end up, but everything will eventually return to normalcy for you when I am gone."
"But—what about… becoming lovers? You said—"
"I was seducing you," he interrupted impatiently, "and yes, I very much intended to…" he paused, unsure of how to word it without being crude, "…become intimate with you, but I can't inflict that kind of damage on your mind. Not when you have convinced yourself that you're in love with me."
"Fine, I'm not in love with you," she retorted defiantly. Indignation flared white hot within her. "Will that convince you to ravish me like a beast?"
He stared, eyes slightly widened, at her unexpected boldness, then tilted his head back and laughed, rich and unrestrained, almost musical in quality.
Tui, La, and Yue, she loved this man, even if he hurt her again and again. She was captivated with the sight of him so unguarded in her presence. His laughter was beautiful and rare, a delicacy, and she savored it. She wished he had more reasons to laugh, but above else, she wished he loved her back. She studied him longingly, committing the details to memory, before she spun on her heel and trudged away from him. She couldn't stop him from leaving, so she was merely torturing herself by continuing to yearn for him to touch her again.
Amon felt Korra walking away from him without saying a word in farewell. His laughter abruptly subsided, and he frowned. He was bothered by cold departure, but he knew he had hurt her with his carelessness, like he hinted that he would. He should have never touched her. It was an unforgiveable moment of weakness.
He let her go.
They disappeared in opposite directions, having departed like complete strangers.
Once the Avatar had taken off after Amon, everyone regained their senses. The Equalists looked to the Lieutenant for guidance, appearing very much like lost children in the wake of the harsh betrayal.
The Lieutenant realized that Amon's abandonment had left a crippling handicap upon his army, and it would be foolish to continue. This battle was best left for later, after they had regrouped, and he had a chance to repair the damage that had been inflicted on the Equalist psyche. This needed to be handled very delicately.
He flung himself toward the grappling line that would take him down to the safety of the island surface. He grabbed at one of the straps attached to the line and flew downward. He curled his legs up against himself and dropped to the ground once he neared a safe distance to freefall.
"Retreat!" he ordered with as much dignity as he could muster in the face of defeat. The airships hovering overhead released various platforms to reclaim their cargo, and the chi-blockers hesitated, a rare show of disobedience, before scrambling to comply, bringing any wounded fellow Equalists with them.
"No!" Lin yelled at her army as they made to follow. She touched down on the ground after letting go of the strap of the helpful portable grappling hook and retrieved a few of her knives from where she saw them land. "Stay where you are!"
The diverse army stopped in their tracks at Lin's order, all too relieved to oblige.
She knew they were exhausted, pushed beyond their limits. They were barely conscious, running on only a few hours of sleep. Their muscles were overworked, and they were on the verge of collapsing. To extend the battle when her army could hardly stand would be a poor, cruel decision on her part, and she wasn't that kind of leader.
Tenzin touched down next to her in a whirl of dissipating currents and immediately took off for the building that housed his family.
"Let's gather the fallen and relocate to Air Temple Island," Lin commanded. "Move out!"
The soldiers worked together to sling comrades who had been knocked unconscious from electricity over their shoulders. They were transported to the waiting ferry at the dock.
Tenzin appeared at the top of the staircase with his trembling, quietly sobbing wife folded in his arms, his children clinging to his legs. He was solemn, although his shoulders shook gently with emotion at being reunited with his family.
The airbending family descended to the dock and rejoined the others, following them onto the ferry.
Only once the ship departed did Tarrlok come out of his hiding spot with Naga treading closely at his heels, previous animosity apparently forgotten. He made his way over to where his brother's discarded mask lay. Staring down at it, he bent over and picked it up, examining it. He pressed it tenderly to his chest and closed his eyes in grief. It was even harder expressing farewell to his brother a second time, having now experienced the indescribable realization that his brother and once best friend was still alive, but he knew there was nothing keeping Noatak in Republic City now. He felt like his eleven-year-old self again when he closed his eyes and murmured, "Good bye… Noatak."
"Korra!"
There was a chorus of shouts of her name when she arrived on Air Temple Island in a swirl of air. She landed on her feet and was immediately tackled by Bolin and Mako, followed closely by Tenzin, Pema, and the airbending children. She mechanically opened her arms and accepted the love of her friends. Their relief was palpable, but it did little to soothe her.
Lin, her ex-metalbenders, and the White Lotus were solemn but nodded at her, pleased to see their Avatar safe. The nonbenders smiled at her warmly, exhausted but unharmed for the most part.
"You're an airbender!" Bolin marveled, his arm flung about her waist. "You have to tell me all about it!"
"Korra, I can't believe you're back," Mako told her, a hand on her shoulder to convince himself that she really was standing there.
"I'm so proud of you," Tenzin murmured. He wrapped a protective arm around the shoulders of Pema, who leaned against him with a hand pressed to her swollen abdomen. "You unlocked your airbending even after losing everything else, and you managed to escape from the Equalists to help rescue my family. Thank you."
"Korra! Korra!" the children cried, forcing their way through the group to cling to her. Their wide eyes regarded her with awe, like they had never seen her before. "You're one of us now!"
The Avatar returned the hugs with as much enthusiasm as she could muster, which truthfully wasn't much. She ached with suppressed tears and wanted nothing more than to disappear in a hole. She felt so detached from them, and it was utterly terrifying. "Hey, guys," she greeted, her voice cracking. "I'm back."
Her friends seemed to recognize something was wrong, be it her loss of bending or something else, and they backed away to give her some space.
She shifted her gaze from person to person and then turned to look out across the bay at the Memorial Island. Where were Tarrlok and Naga? She desperately needed to see him; he was the only one that could understand her now. She told him she would come back for him, and she wouldn't dream of leaving him.
"I need to go back to Memorial Island," she told them. "I forgot something there."
"There is no need," someone interrupted, calling attention to himself. "I'm here, Korra."
The group spun around as one to face the person who spoke, and a thick, suffocating silence descended on them, taken aback by the sight that greeted them.
Korra followed their gazes and locked eyes with a familiar glacial blue. It was Tarrlok, and he was dripping wet, seated atop an equally soaked Naga, who panted happily at the sight of the Avatar, appearing completely unconcerned about the man perched on her back.
"You… you…" Lin ground out, taking a step forward. Her eyes flashed with pure hate. She couldn't even articulate her insults, and she instead whipped out one of her bloodstained blades, which said more than enough. Even if she couldn't metalbend, she could still throw it very accurately. And now she was taking aim at the motionless ex-bloodbender. She reared her arm back and threw it without a second thought.
"Lin—!" Tenzin was already reaching out to deflect her weapon from its path, but another gust of air beat him to it, throwing the metal off course and sending it flying harmlessly.
Korra lowered her arm, and conflicted guilt contorted her features. She withered under the betrayed stare of the former Chief of Police, and the dumbfounded ones of her friends, and she held back the overwhelming urge to vomit. She felt like she was being torn between two different roles, two different sides, and she couldn't bring herself to pick only one. "I'm sorry, Lin. I'm so sorry."
"How could you?" Lin whispered, pale and aghast. "Do you not remember what this man did to us? What he was?"
"I remember," she responded hollowly, "but I also remember how he saved my life. I can't let you hurt him. …I'm sorry."
"Saved your life?" the stern woman echoed. "He was the reason you lost your bending, why you were captured by the Equalists. How did he possibly save your life?"
The Avatar felt self-conscious under the attention. Every single person on the island had their questioning eyes trained on her form. She was dirty, grief-stricken, and struggling under the weight of her stress, and she knew it would only take a small nudge to send her into hysterics. Her situation was so very precarious, and she dangled helplessly over the edge, saved only by the threads of her fragile self-control. Tarrlok's nearness was anchoring her because, in a very perverse way, he was her last link to Amon. She sank to her knees and buried her hands in the grass beside her knees. "I wanted to die after I lost my bending, and… Tarrlok convinced me that I still had a life worth living. So instead of hating him for what he was, you should realize that everyone makes mistakes. Everyone can change, and everyone deserves forgiveness."
They strained to hear her whisper, and when the words registered, nobody spoke. Nobody moved, struck frozen by the meaning of the young woman's words. They were thunderstruck by the sight of their Avatar, the most powerful being on the face of the planet, admitting to wanting to end her own life.
Tarrlok slid down from Naga and cautiously stepped toward her. "Korra…"
"You stay right there!" Lin ordered, like deafening clap of thunder. She was grinding her teeth in anger and glaring murderously at him, daring him to disobey her. She already had another blade in her hand.
The ex-councilman hesitated at the threat behind the woman's words, but he kept his eyes on Korra, who was peering back, appearing lost, at him through her messy bangs. He knew she needed comfort, knew that something had happened when she followed his brother, and it frustrated him that he couldn't approach her. He clenched his fists and did as commanded, though it made him sick to have to back down when Korra obviously needed him, her hollow gaze begging weakly.
Mako and Bolin knelt next to their distraught friend and watched her shoulders shake at various intervals. They didn't know what was wrong with her and didn't know what to say to make her troubles vanish. They were helpless.
"Did… Amon do something?" Mako finally spoke up tentatively. "Korra, what happened?"
The dam broke at the sound of his name. A shuddering breath escaped her, a last futile effort at containing her emotions. But it was useless. She let out a heart-wrenching sob. She squeezed her eyes shut and dug her finger nails into her palms until she drew blood, collapsing. She was a mess of limbs and tangled hair, tears streaming down her dark cheeks. She sobbed hysterically, pitifully, into the grass as the pain in her heart flared hotly in her chest.
Tarrlok ignored Lin's repeated command and rushed to Korra, followed by Naga, dropping to his knees in front of her. He lifted her from the ground and tugged her into his arms, wrapping them around her just tight enough to lend her his support. She buried her face in his neck and accepted it, gripping fistfuls of his Equalist uniform. He sensed that she wanted to say something, but she couldn't bring herself to say it in front of her friends.
"I will start dinner. Children, please give me a hand," Pema murmured distractedly, retreating into the Air Temple. The airbending children followed dutifully, too astounded to protest.
The White Lotus and ex-metalbenders dispersed to attend to their own devices, thoroughly uncomfortable, and the nonbenders trickled after Pema after throwing pitying glances at the pair that was wrapped up in a world of their own.
Lin was fuming. The sight of Tarrlok embracing Korra and her returning it sickened her to the core, and she turned away. She desperately needed a target to take her rage out on, as well as needed to be alone to contemplate her lingering betrayal and inner turmoil. Korra's words, of Tarrlok having changed and deserving of forgiveness, were still bouncing around in her skull.
"I don't know the full story," Tenzin began calmly, though he was visibly unsettled, "so I will do my best to keep my judgment to myself for now. You… may join us for dinner, provided you enlighten us." It clearly was difficult for him to offer hospitality to the man who once did so much damage to Korra and Lin, but he couldn't ignore the way Korra allowed herself to be wrapped up in his arms like a child. He knew Tarrlok was no longer a bloodbender, so it obviously wasn't against her will.
Tarrlok lifted his head and glanced back at the airbending master guardedly. "Very well. Thank you, Tenzin."
Mako and Bolin were the last to remain once Tenzin disappeared into the temple. They didn't quite know what to say and instead remained where they were awkwardly.
"I'm sorry, guys," Korra whispered from the vicinity of Tarrlok's collar bone. Her sobs had subsided, and her tears dried stickily against her face. How could she admit to her friends that the ex-councilman was the only one who would be able to understand her plight? That she had done something unforgivable? She couldn't stand to lose them, too, so she would have to keep her burden from them. She could already feel their friendship straining the longer she remained wrapped up in Tarrlok's comfort.
Bolin, poor Bolin, had to endure the sight of her wrapped up in another man's arms once again. But faithfully, he remained at her side because their friendship meant more to him than his jealousy. He swallowed thickly against his emotions. "It's okay, Korra. You don't have anything to apologize about. We're just glad you're back."
Mako was harder to read, although it was obvious that he didn't think Tarrlok belonged among them, that he was intruding on a Team Avatar moment. He nodded once in agreement of his brother's words, but it was barely visible under the dim lamplight.
She had everything to apologize for, but they didn't need to know that. She turned her head and smiled tightly at them. There was a chill in the air, but she hadn't noticed. Night had befallen them, and the faint scent of Pema's cooking drifted tantalizingly toward them. "I'm okay," she assured them. "You guys go inside and get comfortable. I'll be there soon."
"Are you sure?" Mako turned his golden eyes subtly toward Tarrlok. He was hesitant to leave her with him. "I'm all right out here. I can stay with you."
"You should be with Asami," she replied thoughtlessly and then realized that she hadn't seen Asami, even during the chaos of the battle on Memorial Island. "Where is she, anyway?"
"Gone." Mako averted his eyes, and his features clouded with grief. "She was abducted by her father."
Korra swiveled around to face him and felt horrible at the expression on the firebender's face and her own tactlessness. She took his hand in hers. "Mako… We'll get her back. Don't worry."
He nodded again, but he didn't appear comforted. He pulled away and climbed to his feet distractedly. "I'll go help Pema in the kitchen. By the way, she thinks that the baby will come any day now. Hopefully before the Equalists attack again."
"That's really great," Korra responded sincerely. Maybe the birth of a possible airbender was what they all needed to lift their spirits. There was an oppressive cloud lingering over the temple, suffocating them even after their small victory against the Equalists.
Bolin's hand found hers and squeezed gently. "We're here if you want to talk to us." A meaningful, reproachful look was directed at the frowning Tarrlok before the earthbender was copying his brother, also climbing to his feet. Before he and Mako disappeared, he shook his head in stupefaction. "Amon… a waterbender. Who would have guessed?"
Tarrlok tensed.
Korra simply stated, "You did, pretty much. That's some impressive intuition."
He laughed lightly, recalling the assembly they crashed what seemed like so long ago. "I guess you're right. I'll keep that in mind in the future."
With that, the brothers finally left Tarrlok and Korra alone.
She settled back against the comfort he offered, sighing wistfully as he welcomed her back into his arms. However, she suddenly realized that something hard between them was digging unrelentingly into her abdomen, and she reared backward as if she had been burned, completely scandalized. "Tarrlok!"
"What?! It's not me!" he yelped, jumping slightly and holding up his hands defensively. Something tumbled from his lap to the grass below them.
It was Amon's mask: pale, smirking, and staring up at Korra. The power of its mocking lingered even after parted from its owner.
She quieted immediately and picked it up. Turning it over in her hands, she stared blankly. She noticed a deep slice in the cheek and wondered idly where it had come from. There were also smeared bloodstains—were they his? "Why do you have this?"
"Call me sentimental, but last time he left, I had nothing to remind me of him."
The Avatar lifted herself up onto her legs and brushed the grass from her uniform. She offered her free hand to Tarrlok, who accepted it and stood next to her. She released him and instead found Naga's ear, scratching behind it.
Wordlessly, the three of them wandered down a stone path under the lamplight and away from the warmth of the Air Temple. "Are you cold?"
"Yes," he replied. He was very cold, but he pushed his discomfort aside. "But let's talk. You look like you need it."
"I do, very much."
The pair found a comfortable spot on the edge of the cliff they had jumped from with Naga during their escape attempt. The polar bear dog shook the water from her fur and then settled down comfortably at their backs, providing a solid body to lean back against.
Korra could see the statue of Aang glinting brilliantly under the moonlight in the distance. "I followed Amon through the city after he fled the battle. I almost lost him a few times, but I managed to surprise him in an alleyway."
Tarrlok remained quiet and unimposing, allowing the Avatar to narrate her story at her own pace. He listened intently to her quiet words and pictured it in his mind.
"He was still pretending like he was my enemy," she continued. She shook her head. "As if he still had to prove that I meant nothing to him other than a conquest of war, even though everyone knew he was a waterbender. He threatened to take my airbending from me and tried to push me away with insults."
"It's a coping mechanism of his," Tarrlok supplied lightly. "Noatak seems strong and immovable, but he runs from things he can't deal with. He was distant when we were children, so it wouldn't surprise me that he hasn't changed."
"Mm. But then…" she hesitated, cheeks tinted pink and thankful for the cover of the night, "…he hinted that he had feelings for me, and he… asked me if I wanted him to be my lover."
The ex-councilman let out a harsh exhale and turned to look at Korra.
"He touched me… kissed me," she narrated haltingly, thoroughly embarrassed from the way Tarrlok was looking at her. "He… seduced me, and… he—we almost… He wanted me. That way."
Tarrlok bit down on his lip hard. Jealousy curled like a restless snake within him, and he dreaded to hear what happened next. He understood what she was trying to say, even if she didn't know how to properly articulate it. He didn't want to picture it.
"I wanted him, too. I wanted him to be my lover," she finally spoke up after moments had passed, "and I told him that I love him."
Tarrlok's heart nearly stopped. The snake of jealousy burst into flames within him, searing and unforgiving. "You… you love him?" he inquired hoarsely, then cleared his throat.
"Yes." She turned her hollow gaze to him. "But he doesn't love me. He left, though he said he had one more thing to take care of before he disappeared from Republic City completely. He didn't say what it was."
The ex-bloodbender digested that, slightly mollified, although sympathetic to what he knew Korra was going through every time someone mentioned his brother's name and reminded her that she wasn't wanted in return. He knew it well.
"Do you think we'll ever see him again?" Her voice was as light as air, cautiously hopeful.
Tarrlok shook his head, hating himself because he couldn't give her an answer that would satisfy her. To pretend that Noatak would linger and confront his problems would be a cruel thing to subject the love-stricken young woman to. "Noatak has a way of detaching himself from his emotions. It means nothing to him to leave everything behind in a moment's notice."
The Avatar sagged in depression at the blunt response. Her heart ached. "I see."
"Could you ever love me the way you love him?" Tarrlok inquired softly, hesitantly. If only she could feel that way about him. He had so much to give her, if only she would accept it. He would never leave the Avatar sobbing her heart out in a sea of broken-heartedness like his brother did. How was he the weak one when he was faithfully at her side through her lowest points?
Korra glanced at the infatuated man and was suddenly struck with the similarities between his moonlit features and Amon's. There was no question that they were brothers. Tarrlok certainly held his own attraction; he was fiercely loyal to her, incredibly handsome, had a dry sense of humor that often had her rolling on the ground in laughter, and he was—had been—a powerful bender. He was confident, charming, if not overly arrogant at times, but above all, he loved her and wouldn't hesitate to declare it.
She tried to imagine loving Tarrlok, but her heart gave a nasty pang that resonated into a hollow, aching pulse. It was too soon. She was still tormented over the loss of Amon.
His eyes were downcast, expecting rejection but having been unable to resist uttering the question. He was a man who had grown accustomed to loneliness and regret, to unfulfilled, simple desires of knowing what a real family is like. Grown accustomed to having nobody there to simply unwind with after a long day.
She was attuned to him after having spent so long with him, and she knew the pain that slowly ate away at his insides—that of unrequited love. She couldn't help herself when she leaned over and pressed a sweet, lingering kiss against the corner of his mouth. His scent, while no longer being the overpowering vanilla he had been fond of as a councilman, was uniquely him, and it teased at her senses.
Tarrlok stared wondrously at her when she pulled away. His eyes were wide and hopeful. "Please tell me that was a 'yes.'"
"That was a… maybe. But it's too soon to tell. All I can think about is him," she responded, a defeated hunch to her shoulders. "Tarrlok, you have earned my respect and my affection for what you have done for me. You are very handsome, and your feelings for me are incredibly flattering. But my heart is stubborn and still clings to the hope that Amon—Noatak will return and sweep me off my feet."
Visibly pleased, Tarrlok nodded. "The mighty Avatar Korra is a hopeless romantic. Understood."
She sent a rueful smile his way, appreciating him attempting to lighten the mood.
They sat side by side companionably on the edge of the cliff, their feet dangling over the inky black rippling waves far below them. They stayed that way until their stomachs rumbled in protest and could hear someone faintly calling for Korra.
They turned and headed toward the Air Temple together, inseparable in their shared pain.
Amon's mask dangled weakly from Korra's grasp.