Korra shot out of bed and lunged forward, panting heavily and heaving in order to catch her breath. Sweat dripped down from her face as her fingers curled into the blanket on top of her. It was preposterous! She should have woken herself the moment she knew she was dreaming. But his voice, it didn't sound like his. His face was blurry in the dream. She should have known and now she cursed herself for not realizing who it was sooner. This entire time, that warm feeling she got, surely she thought the man in the dream had been Mako. The dark contrast of hair, the mid light skin tone, the hues of red and black. How berated she felt internally. Of all people! Why was she having such a dream about him? She should have known it, the moment in the dream when he spoke of his brother. She couldn't have helped assuming it was Mako talking about Bolin but oh how wrong she was. The idea of it being someone else did not cross her mind at all. She wondered if for a moment the situation would have been any better if it was maybe Tarlokk instead.
'No, not at all.'
She heard a rustling sound just behind the couch and turned her head to investigate. Speak of the devil.
Noatak sat on the foot locker near the front door, lacing his boots after pulling one on, the other still sitting next to him while he began to tie the first one. Noticing the pair of eyes on him, he looked up to meet her gaze without stopping what he was doing. "Nightmares?" He asked after seeing the perspired look on her face. It did not surprise him to see this from the esteemed Avatar. Even as a former organization Leader, he knew of the responsibilities that could plague ones sleep with worry and keep them awake. He was adapted to getting little to no sleep on most occasions.
Korra nodded and rubbed her forehead. He wasn't being an ass and giving her any sort of glares like he was earlier which was assuring, but after this dream she wished he would have. The more distance the better. The last thing she needed was to be staying here with thoughts of him in improper ways.
"Going out?" She motioned to the second boot now on his foot while he tied it. It was similar to his old boots in his Amon days but did not have the red and black plating on it. "Sorry about…That. Did I wake you up?" She feared being too loud, her voice carrying upstairs waking the two brothers up.
"No." He stood and looked towards the stairs, making sure he heard no noise from Tarlokk to assure him that the man was still sound asleep. Noatak then went to the kitchen, reaching to grab a pitcher and pouring a glass of the liquid into it. Walking over to the Avatar, he handed her the glass of water which she reluctantly took and downed it quickly. Her hair was matted to her face and she felt embarrassed to look so improper to anyone looking like this. Noatak didn't seem to care in the slightest. "I was heading out for a walk." It occurred to him for a moment that she may doubt him. It was potentially possible he could be sneaking out to meet up with some undercover equalists or do something bad of the nature, giving her a bad feeling. To eradicate those thoughts, if she did even have them, he decided to offer. "If you can't sleep perhaps you need to relax your mind. Some fresh air may do you good."
The offer surprised her. The former Amon being nice to her? Or maybe it was just that cool collected side of him calculating her weakness and trying to make himself out to be the good guy only to deceive her. Korra couldn't be for certain and it was weighing down on her to decide what to do. She eventually caved in.
Trudging through the snow, Korra didn't seem bothered by the cold in the slightest. She was bundled in the same coat she had worn when she last visited the North and it sufficed just fine to her needs. She hummed leisurely while climbing up a hill for entertainment, Noatak following suit quietly as if enjoying his surroundings rather than paying any attention to her ahead. He did not see her as some kind of dog who needed to be watched and it was late enough at night that hardly anyone would be awake at this hour to recognize her. Feeling it safe enough to be out in the open, he kept his hands in his pockets and allowed the cold chill of the air to brisk past his face, flapping his slicked back hair softly in the wind. It was quiet out here, just how he liked it. The silence gave him peace and comfort and allowed him to think to himself and dwell on his life. What he had done in the past and what he would do for the future. It was in these moments that he felt he could redeem himself mentally, reconcile what he is and what he lives for.
Passing through town, they pass by multiple closed shops. Korra had not checked what time it was before they lift but could only assume it was AM. As they walked, Noatak stopped outside one of the stores which held a box filled with newspapers. Popping in a coin, it clicked to open and he pulled one out, skimming over the front cover. To his dismay, there was still chaos in the world even without his revolution ongoing anymore. What shocked him was the image displayed on the front.
It showed a picture of the building he recognized as the Metalbending Police Headquarters in Republic City, police tape lining around the whole place and a crowd of people with signs starting up a riot. The picture beside it showed an image of a woman in a hospital bed beaten badly across the face. A young boy stood beside her holding her hand whilst wiping tears from his eyes. Noatak began to skim through the article, his eyes bewildered by the statement of how the family was attacked in the middle of the night and the father was burned alive and eaten the day before while the next day an entire building of officers were massacred by a single individual who has yet to be confirmed. The face was never seen by anyone for there were no survivors by the time the masked figure escaped. Some woman had speculated she saw two figures escaping the scene rather than one but with lack of evidence it was hard to determine what really happened.
Korra came over once she realized he was not still walking behind her and strolled up; taking a look at the paper over his shoulder until he moved it outward for the both of them to read.
"This happened just yesterday?"
"And earlier today, it seems." Noatak heaved a sigh and folded up the paper, not really interested in reading what else the news had to offer. There was no way this was the work of one of his fellow followers when he was Amon. The first story spoke of a man burned alive, which meant it had to have been the work of a firebender. The second spoke of ice lining the walls and punctured inside the carcasses, possibly freezing their inner organs if the sharp impact of the ice blade hadn't killed them yet. Both stories related to the work of benders and he hoped Korra would not try to make up some ridiculous theory in her mind that he was behind this. Yet she did not say anything about it, simply showed a face of displeasure. He wondered if she felt at fault for this, for not being there to stop whoever had been massacring people in Republic City. Did that mean once she docked the ferry she would head there to investigate?
"Do you plan to get involved?" Noatak tucked the newspaper under his arm and continued their stroll. It was still quiet out even from their lack of conversation. He wondered how it was possible that he could hold a conversation with such a hot head like her. She was not so bad to be around when calm, but once that fire burst through her core in a passion to fight, her motivation was unstoppable. There were many good aspects about the Avatar but there were many flaws that followed. It was hard to outweigh which one held more in the spectrum.
Korra sulked, "I won't be able to get there for a few days. I want to put my trust in the police but it looks like they weren't as lucky." Her stomach churned at the thought of that man being burned to death, only to have his innards scooped out and eaten. What kind of a monster does that? It was unimaginable, almost more terrifying than the idea of Amon taking her bending away. By the report it was obvious the attacks were done by two different people. There was no way it could be a single person when she herself was the Avatar. Unless someone was trying to frame her, but even then it would be a worthless effort for those who knew and met Korra in person. It was uncertain as to what provoked these murders or what they were after. The family targeted didn't seem to have any ties with the police massacre, so it was hard to think that these two killers worked together. It simply dawned on her why these events happened back to back. Did this mean there would be more incidents she couldn't prevent? With Lin Beifong in the Earth Kingdom still, she could only imagine how the woman was feeling. Sure she was strong, but having so many of her men wiped out? It must have taken its toll heavily.
"Death is inevitable, you know." Noatak wasn't really sure if she was listening or if he was just talking to himself. He couldn't help but express his opinion on the matter, whether it be out of trying to comfort her or just being his usual stoic self always having a proper response. "It doesn't matter what we do, we all die eventually. Some people just decide to choose the time and place for others."
Korra looked up at him, rather surprised that he would say that type of analogy. "You think killing people is okay?"
He shook his head. "No, I was simply making a statement. Some people just happen to die sooner than they were meant to. It's just a form of mourning sooner than later. You are always to expect someone to die, whether you want them to or not. That is why it is pointless to fear death."
The rest of the walk back to the house was silent after that.
By the time the two got back to the house the noise of Tarlokk snoring could be faintly heard coming from upstairs. He must have kept his door open so the dim light in the hallway could lead him to the bathroom if he got up in the middle of the night. Noatak removed his shoes while Korra hung her coat on the hanger and wiped her boots on the animal pelt on the floor that made for a door mat. The walk helped ease her mind – more or less. Aside from what they read in the paper and the awkward silence that fell after, it proved to help her forget about her dream. That is until she took one glance at the couch and remembered all over again. 'Shit.'
Noatak stepped forward and took one glance at her face to see her face smeared with disdain. "If it's that uncomfortable down here, you can use my room." The courtesy to the Avatar was almost revolting to him. This was the woman he was meant to destroy and yet here he is offering her a place to stay and now offering up his room too just so she'd be more comfortable. Perhaps it was the old Noatak, the child side of him that was surfacing, the child that used to be kind and loving to Tarlokk back in their younger days. It was his morals that kicked in, not his past ideals. That was the side of Amon he needed to let go off. It was not him, it was just a mask. The reminder of moving forward encouraged him that the offer would help appeal to his change.
"Since when are you being nice?"
"I'm being practical. You can't sleep down here and are probably already homesick. If sleeping in a bed will help ease your nerves and you refuse to use the third bedroom, then I insist."
Korra waited, trying to find any small screw up or lie in his words that she could use against him. Except there were none and he spoke with honesty and sincerity. The prospect of sleeping on a bed was much more alluring to her aching back but she also felt it rude that he was much older than her and this is his home, he shouldn't have to be kicked out of his own room. It was just proper manors.
"You are a guest after all; it would be rude of me not to consider your comfort, regardless of who you are."
"Are we ever going to get past the whole stereotyping me because I'm the Avatar?"
"That is what you are, is it not?"
"I have a first name you know."
"Ah but using that would put us on first name basis. Not once since you have been here have you addressed me by my first name. Does this mean in your mind you still call me Amon?"
That question caught her off guard. Did what he say was true? Surely she said his name in front of Tarlokk before, but maybe he was right, maybe she hadn't addressed him by Noatak before. Was she ready to even take that leap? That meant both of them would have stepped into the boundaries of what, friends? Acquaintances? She wasn't sure what to make of it.
"No. I can call you by your first name if you want."
"It would seem the most appropriate considering I have abandoned that label."
Sighing, she ran a hand over her tangled hair in an attempt to fix it but gave up knowing she was going back to bed anyways. He was right. Noatak was not Amon anymore and he hopefully never would be again. It was time to put her grudges aside and move on. If constructing a type of friendship would lead to his salvation and helping a recovering man from his crimes, so be it.
Turning on her heel, Korra made for the stairs. When she looked back Noatak was already sitting on the couch and beginning to remove his shirt in order to sleep, causing her to blush in embarrassment. She then noticed his bare back was broad and muscular, yes, but it bore violent burn marks that stretched around reaching to his ribs. This must have been what he sufferered in the boat explosion just as Tarlokk had injured his arm. Sorrow filled her core at how these two really had suffered in more ways than one. Not just from their past but from their scars, always being there as a reminder of their crimes and faults. A burn was not something that could easily be healed either. She could only be reminded of the paper and how the man was burned to death and then eaten. Korra was not close to Noatak, true, but the idea of that happening to him was gut wrenching and not something she wished upon anyone.
"Goodnight, Noatak. And thank you for the walk, I needed it." She forced a smile despite her emotions kicking in that made her want to apologize for bringing them to fleeing. If only she hadn't pushed Tarlokk past his breaking point, this may have never happened to the two of them. They may have been safer in jail, unharmed but rotting. It was hard to figure which was worse in their perspective. Loss of freedom with lack of harm brought, or karma burning them in that boat explosion for the sake of their freedom.
Noatak watched her go up the stairs from the corner of his eye, his lips curling into a genuine smile. "Goodnight, Korra."
And just like the dream, her name coming from his lips sounded like pure bliss to her ears.
AN:
Song is The Pitch by Oh, Sleeper. It seems to fit pretty well lyric wise, I'd think.
Also note that in the last chapter the dream Korra had was just a dream, it's not one of those future scenarios. We all know how scenarios come up in our heads sometimes unintentionally. So, just clarifying that. When you think about something before you go to bed it more or less on most occasions pops up in your dreams. And with the whole missing Mako, it was inevitable that the dating and Noatak merged into one full dream.
