It's been a few weeks since Korra's run in with Amon, and things have been Ok for the young Avatar. She was incredibly shaken up after the encounter, but she's recovered for the most part. With her leave of absence from the Task Force, she found more time for Airbending, Metalbending, and Pro-Bending practice. Alex was relieved that Korra didn't seem to remember the reveal of his Bodybending skill. He didn't want that coming out just yet. He wasn't sure how people like Katara or even his mother would react. Hence why he kept the development of this particular skill a secret. Add to that the fact that it's still incomplete, and leaves considerable strain on his body, he really wanted it to stay hidden for now.

Anyway, we find ourselves in Mako and Bolin's apartment. After a good practice and a motivating team huddle up, as well as getting their new uniforms from Asami, the Fire Ferrets went their separate ways. Of course, not without Bolin trying to ask Korra out. Unfortunately, he was unable to even ask because Korra told him she had to be at the temple for some Airbending training. Which leads to the current situation; Bolin bathing his pet in their apartment while thinking of Korra.

"So Mako, what do you think of Korra?" He asked his brother, who was cooking.

"Well, she's nice." Mako shrugged, putting some seasoning in the pan. "She's a great athlete, a good Avatar and an awesome friend. Why do you ask?"

"Oh no reason." Bolin waved him off dismissively.

Mako stopped cooking for a moment and gave his brother a calculative stare. He saw where this was going. "Surely you're not thinking about asking her out?" he asked hesitantly.

"What's wrong with that?" Bolin asked in defense, making his big brother sigh.

"Nothing, I just don't think she's really girlfriend material." Mako answered.

"Bro, you're nuts! Korra and I are perfect for each other! She's strong, I'm strong. She's fun, I'm fun. She's pretty, I'm gorgeous!" Bolin insisted.

"I wouldn't be too sure Bo." Mako warned, remembering something he's noticed since meeting Korra. "Even if you do ask her out, I don't think she'll say yes."

"Why wouldn't she?" Bolin asked, offended.

"I think she has a thing for Alex." Mako reasoned, going back to his cooking.

"You're kidding?" Bolin gasped with wide eyes.

"I kid you not. And I think he likes her too."

"Come on! What does Alex have that I don't?"

"You really don't want me to answer that…"

"Yes, yes I do."

"Alright then." Mako sighed. "Alex is the best Detective in Republic City, he's known as the most handsome guy in the city, he's known Korra longer than either of us, and he's training Korra in Metalbending." He listed.

"Wait, he's teaching her to Metalbend!?" Bolin asked, hurt by that fact. "He never offered to teach me…" He murmured, unhappy with this development.

"He didn't offer Korra either. She asked him to." Mako pointed out. Bolin frowned at Mako's logic. Sure, that made sense. Still, he stands a chance with Korra, right?

"You know what? I don't care about all that. I'm gonna ask Korra out." He said, making Mako sigh again.

"Fine, whatever." He sighed. "Just keep your head out of the clouds and your priorities straight, Ok?" he asked.

"Yeah yeah, whatever." Bolin waved him off. "You know what I'm talking about, don't you Pabu?" he asked his dripping wet pet. "I'm talking about real love." He whispered, looking into the Ferret's eyes. Pabu could only tilt his head and squeak in response.

On Air Temple Island, where Korra, Ikki, and Jinora were refilling the Leemur feeding stations with fruit, Jinora noticed that the young Avatar had a slightly far out look on her face, and guessed that it had something to do with Alex. Or perhaps the recent episode with Amon, but Korra looked more thoughtful than afraid, so that was unlikely.

"So, how are things going with you and Alex?" She asked Korra in interest, throwing the Avatar off a little.

"Yes! Tell us all about the magical romance!" Ikki squealed in excitement.

"W-what?" Korra blanched in surprise, not expecting the kids to ask such a thing. "Listen to you two…" She chuckled awkwardly. "I'm not interested in Alex or any romantic stuff…" She trailed off, coughing into her fist. "Besides, he's rejected every priss, hussy, and lass in the city. What chance would I have?" She asked, slumping in sadness. "But, let's just pretend for a second, that I AM interested in him... What would I do?" She asked, clearly at her rope's end.

"Ooh! I just read a historical saga where the heroine fell in love with the enemy general's son, who's supposed to marry the princess. You should do what she did!" Jinora said with a wide smile.

"Tell me!" Korra urged with an excited grin.

"She rode a dragon into battle and burnt down the entire country." Korra slumped in exasperation at the answer she got. "Then she jumped into a volcano. It was so romantic." Jinora sighed dreamily. She really was a sucker for love stories… Especially ones that end in tragedy. Korra made a mental note to have Tenzin get this girl tested…

"No no no!" Ikki piped up with a frown before Korra could respond to Jinora. "The best way to win a boy's heart is to brew a love potion of rainbows and sunsets that makes true lovers sprout wings and fly into a magical castle in the sky, where they get married and eat clouds with spoons and use stars as ice cubes in their moonlight punch. Forever and ever and ever!" She Airbent herself up in excitement. Maybe getting Ikki tested would help as well. And Meelo while they're at it...

"The volcano thing is starting to make more sense to me now…" Korra deadpanned in response, making the approaching mother of the two little girls laugh in amusement.

"Boy trouble Korra?" Pema asked with an amused smile, making Korra jump slightly.

"Oh! Hey, Pema! How long were you standing there?" The Avatar asked nervously, embarrassment evident in her tone.

"Long enough." Pema giggled. "But trust me, I know what you're going through." She smiled, approaching her two daughters and the Avatar. "Years ago, I was in a similar situation, with Tenzin." She told them.

"What do you mean?" Korra asked in confusion.

"For many years, I thought I'd never have a chance with Tenzin, because he was with another woman at the time." Pema elaborated with her usual radiant smile.

"Daddy was in love with someone else before you?" Ikki asked in surprise.

"That's right." Pema gave her youngest girl a brief wink.

"So, what did you do?" Korra asked curiously, hoping this info could help her.

"Well, for the longest time, I did nothing." Pema told her with a soft smile. "I was so shy, and scared of rejection. But watching my soulmate spend his life with the wrong woman became to painful." She shook her head softly, a nostalgic expression donning her features. "So, I hung my chin out there, and I confessed my love to Tenzin!" She said proudly. "And the rest is history." She smiled brightly, placing a hand on her pregnant belly.

"Wow…" The three younger girls sighed dreamily. Korra's expression then went from dreamy, to contemplative. If she were to hold her head high like that and confess, would Alex feel the same? It worked for Pema, so it would work for her, right? With a determined smile, Korra made up her mind of what she was going to do.

"The new uniforms look great." Alex told Asami as they sat in a VIP room to watch the Fire Ferrets game against their next opponents, the Rabberoos, a team all female Pro-Benders.

"Thanks." Asami grinned widely.

"How well do you think they'll do?" Alex asked, narrowing his eyes as the commenter introduced the teams.

"Well, they've been training hard since Korra took a leave of absence from the Task Force. You've seen how well they've been working together." Asami noted, making the Metalbender nod in agreement. "Still, the Rabberoos are good. They're gonna have their work cut out for them, but I'm sure they'll win." She added.

"I'm not sure." Alex responded, analysing the Rabberoos. "Those girls have been on a winning streak, yes, but you can tell that their skill leaves a lot to be desired by their movements. And they haven't even started Bending yet." He hummed in thought.

"Care to make this interesting?" Asami asked with a smirk.

"Never pegged you for a betting girl Ms Sato." Alex smirked back as Asmai pulled out some cash.

"200 Yuans say the Fire Ferrets will win by a thin margin." She bargained, putting the cash on the table between their two chairs.

"Deal." Alex agreed, putting his 200 on the table. "The Fire Ferrets will take all three rounds." He stated his bet, crossing his arms.

"Bold." Asami noted.

"Hush. It's starting." Alex shushed her as the game began.

Round 1 started with both teams letting out an explosive opening attack that pushed all six Benders back a little. Thankfully, both teams quickly recovered and unleashed a barrage of Bending at each other. The level of improvement by the Fire Ferrets was astonishing to some people. Said improvements allowed the Ferrets to advance into enemy territory, where they hold nothing back. Mako dodged an attack from enemy Earthbender, Bolin moved into strike, taking down an opponent, and then Mako followed up, distracting the enemy long enough for Bolin's attack to knock down the remaining opponents, taking the first Round for the team.

Round 2 started with the Raberoos looking for a bit of payback, so they instantly ganged up on Bolin. Korra jumped in to his defense, walloping the Raberoo Earthbender into Zone 2. The Ferrets lived up to their name in this game, as they were on fire as they knocked the remaining Raberoos down, scoring Round 2.

With Round 3 in, the only way for the Raberoos to win would be with a knockout, and that wasn't going to happen with how the Fire Ferrets were playing. They were working together like a well oiled Bending machine, and quickly advanced into Raberoo territory. One by one, the Raberoos were knocked down by the Ferrets. The Waterbender was knocked down by Korra, then came down the Earthbender at Mako's hands, and then the Firebender by Bolin's, scoring the final round and the game for the Ferrets.

"Thank you for your patronage, Citizen." Alex smirked as he pocketed the winnings from his little bet with Asami, making the girl huff.

"Smart ass." She grumbled, making Alex laugh.

"Sore loser." He smirked, making Asami glare at him.

"Shut up." She stood up. "Let's just go congratulate them." She huffed, walking away to meet her boyfriend.

"Sure, sure." Alex shook his head in amusement.

"Congratulations guys!" Asami grinned as she and Alex entered the waiting room, finding the Fire Ferrets grinning themselves and high fiving each other. "You guys were amazing out there." She hugged Mako. "Especially you." She kissed his cheek, whispering something in his ear that made him blush. Alex couldn't help snickering at the sight.

"Nicely done you two." Alex said to Bolin and Korra.

"Thanks bro! Couldn't have done it without those tricks you taught me!" Bolin grinned, slinging an arm around Alex's shoulder.

"Anytime Bolin." Alex responded, ruffling the boy's hair. Bolin pouted at the child-like treatment. "And you, Ms Avatar, have made a teacher very proud of his student. Even if you didn't use any Metalbending." Alex gave a mock bow, making Korra giggle as she returned the mock bow.

"Thanks Alex." She said with a small blush, her eyes shining slightly as she looked into Alex's beautiful green eyes.

"Anyway, I have to get back to the station and hand in a report to my Mom." The Detective said to everyone in the room. "Still, I'll be here for your game tomorrow, I promise." He said, earning an understanding nod from the Team. Bolin was about to speak to Korra, when suddenly, the Avatar spoke.

"Oh! I'll walk you out!" She told the Detective, finding a golden opportunity. Bolin slumped when Alex shrugged and accepted the offer, making Mako sigh. This wasn't going to end well for his little brother.

Bolin shrugged off his slump and held his head high again. He can wait until Alex is gone before making his move on Korra. No biggie.

"Hey, Alex?" Korra spoke up with a blush as she and Alex walked through the halls of the stadium. She found herself looking any direction except Alex's eyes… "OK Korra, now's the perfect time!"

"Yeah?" Alex responded as they exited through the front door, stopping at the steps. Korra was thankful that there wasn't anyone around to see her in her current state of nervousness.

"You… You've done a lot for me since we met…" The Avatar started fidgeting in place, her hand on her arm as she did her best to keep from stuttering. "You taught me Metalbending, you saved me from Amon, and quite a bit of other stuff…" She trailed off, blushing still.

"I just did what any decent person would do." Alex shrugged.

"Maybe, but I've never met a guy like you before." Korra admitted.

"Well, thanks…" Alex trailed off, not knowing where she was going with this.

"So, I figured we could spend some time together?" Korra asked softly, her blush deepening.

"We spend plenty of time together." Alex said in confusion.

"I mean off of Air Temple Island, and not training in Metalbending or looking for lost friends."

"I'm really confused right now…"

Frowning internally, Korra took a deep breath and threw caution to the wind.

"LookIreallylikeyouandIthinkweweremeantforeachother!" She blurted out, getting close to Alex, making the boy's eyes widen.

He… he never expected this. Sure, he knew that he was desirable, given how many women leered at him when he was in public, but he never expected Korra to take an interest in him. He's been approached by random girls in the city before, and he turned them down no problem. Korra, however, is not just a random girl.

"L-listen Korra…" Alex spoke up, a light stutter in his tone, after a minute of quiet. "I… I'm flattered, but… I'm sorry. I'm not interested." he said quietly, turning away. Korra's eyes widened. She could feel her heart breaking at his reply.

"W-what?" She asked softly, not wanting to believe what she heard.

"I'm not interested." Alex repeated himself, refusing to look in Korra's direction. "I'd be lying if I said you weren't my type, and you're more than just some friend to me, but I'm just not looking a relationship right now. I'm sorry." Briskly as he could, the Detective walked away from the crestfallen Avatar.

Looking back, Alex saw tears budding in Korra's eyes as he walked.

He also saw Bolin walking up to her with a confident smile on his face.

Wanting to avoid any awkwardness with Korra, Alex chose to spend the night at his condo. He may have been assigned to guard the Airbenders, but that doesn't mean he has to spend every waking moment there. As he took off his coat and armour and fell into his couch, he let out a huge sigh. When did life become so complicated?

"Right, when I made friends with Avatar." He deadpanned to himself in his mind. Before any other cognitive thought could be formed by the Metalbender, one of his windows shot open, allowing a strong gust to flow in along with two small, orange blurs.

"WHY DID YOU SAY NO!?"

"YOU TWO ARE PERFECT FOR EACH OTHER!"

"WHAT THE FUCK!?"

"NO NAUGHTY WORDS!" The two Airbender girls that charged in yelled at Alex in unison, glaring..

"What are you two doing here?" Alex demanded of Ikki and Jinora as they folded their gliders into their staves.

"We want to know why you rejected Korra." Jinora crossed her arms.

"I fail to see how it's your business." Alex crossed his arms, giving her a faint glare.

"You were supposed to say yes, then kiss, then get married and live happily ever after!" Ikki cried with a big pout. Alex couldn't help but facepalm.

"Listen girls, real life doesn't work like that." he shook his head. "Where are you getting the idea that matters of the heart are so simple?" he asked.

"Mom." The girls answered in unison.

"Spirits…" Alex shook his head. He should have known. "What did she say?" He asked with a sigh. Pema always did have an underdeveloped sense of romance, stemming from how simple the story between her and Tenzin was. Couple that with how Tenzin was Pema's first, and only, lover, it's a no brainer.

"She told us, and Korra, the story between her, Daddy, and his ex-girlfriend." Jinora explained, making Alex sweatdrop. He knew exactly which ex-girlfriend Jinora was talking about…

"Figures…" Alex slumped into his couch again. "Listen you two, whatever Pema told you, don't take it too seriously." He told the girls. "Love isn't as simple as 'I love you' 'I love you too' 'Let's get married!' It's a lot more complicated than that." he explained as the girls sat on the couch opposite him.

"But-"

"But nothing." Alex cut Ikki off in a snap, doing his best to ignore the hurt look on the girl's face. "Whatever happens between Korra and I, does NOT. Involve. You." He spoke firmly. The girls sighed and nodded in understanding, clearly unhappy. "Now, I'll call your parents and tell them you're staying the night. I don't want you two flying around at this time of night." he said, standing up and heading over to the phone. He dialed Air Temple Island.

"Hello?" An unknown voice answered.

"Hello. This is Detective Beifong. Could you please get either Councilman Tenzin or his wife? I need to speak with either one." He said.

"Of course. One moment please." the person on the other side of the line responded before it went quiet.

"Hello?" The voice of Pema spoke after a moment.

"Pema." Alex greeted dryly. "Fantastic…"

"Oh! Alex! To what do I owe the pleasure?" She sounded excited. Alex could easily tell why.

"Firstly, I wanted to inform you that I'll be spending the night at my condo, rather than the island." he told the woman. He could practically hear the grin on her face.

"Oh? How come? A lady friend perhaps?" Pema sounded mischievous, and… suggestive. Damn those pregnancy hormones...

"Quite the opposite. I'm trying to avoid a young lady who was pushed into a misguided sense of romance because of your stupid, sappy love story." Alex snarked with an angry frown.

"What?" Pema gasped.

"And now, your two eldest children break into my home to yell at me for rejecting Korra." the Detective added.

"What!?" Pema exclaimed. "Are they ok?" She sounded worried. Well, at least she has her priorities straight...

"Yes, they're fine. I assure you." Alex promised. "But, I think it would be best if they spent the night here with me. It's late, and I don't think it's safe for them to be out." He said coolly.

"Thank the Spirits." Pema sighed in relief.

"I'll bring them by in the morning."

"Thank you Alex." Pema responded. "But, did I hear you right? You rejected Korra?"

"Yes, yes I did."

"Why!?"

"That's really none of your business."

"But, I thought you really liked her!"

"I never said such a thing."

"But-"

"None. Of. Your. Business!" Alex repeated, growling. "I'm not into Korra. End. Of. Story." he growled harshly. He could hear Pema sighing on the other side of the line.

"Fine." She relented.

"Goodbye Pema."

"Goodbye Alex."

With that, they hung up, and Alex released a huge sigh before looking over at the two children that were in his house. Both of them were doing their best to look as innocent as possible, but they also had an expectant gaze in their eyes.

"Alright you two. Off to bed. It's late." He pointed at the spare bedroom. "There's a big bed in there, so you're going to have to share.

"What!?" Ikki whined. "I don't wanna go to bed!"

"Go." Alex instructed firmly. "You're under my roof. So what I say goes." he narrowed his eyes. The girls pouted, but did as they were told. Alex, in the meantime, released yet another sigh and fell into his couch. "Why me?" He asked himself in a groan.

*Knock knock knock!*

Alex groaned in his bed tossing and turning a little as he heard an intense knocking come from his front door. Looking at his clock, he saw it was only 7am. Who was at his home at this ungodly hour?! With a massive groan, he got up and slipped on a pair of pant over his boxers before heading over to his front door.

Imagine his surprise when he was greeted to the sight of Mako.

"We need to talk." The Firebender crossed his arms.

"Morning Alex. Nice to see you." The Metalbender snarked in an imitation of Mako's voice, stepping aside to allow Mako in. "What do you need?" Alex sked tiredly, heading into the kitchen and turning on his gas stove. He placed his coffee pot over the small flame.

"I heard what happened between you and Korra." Mako stated, making Alex groan.

"Not you too!" He whined. "I've already been harassed by two Airbender children, and I'm probably on my way to getting harassed by their mother. I don't need it from you Mako." he gave his old friend a tired glare.

"I'm not here to harass you." Mako returned. "I do think you like her, but I'm not gonna get involved." he said, making Alex release a sigh. "This concerns Bolin." he added, making Alex look at him. "Korra's using him to get back you. She went out on a date with him last night; got him all up in a tizzy." he explained.

"You're kidding!" Alex said in an incredulous tone. Surely Korra wouldn't be shallow?

"Not in the slightest." Mako narrowed his eyes. "Listen, like I said, I'm not gonna get involved in your relationship with Korra, but I do want you sort things out with her. I do NOT want to see Bolin get hurt." He regarded the Detective with a faint glare.

"What am I supposed to do?" Alex shot back.

"I don't care. Just clear this mess up before something bad happens." Mako replied. "You started this situation, you fix it."

"And how do you suggest I do that?" Alex asked with crossed arms.

"Well, and this just occurred to me, maybe if you tell Korra the truth, that could help." Mako snarked.

"There's nothing to tell." Alex looked away.

"Spirits, you always do this!" Mako groaned in frustration. "Anytime a girl approaches you, you push them away!" He said loudly.

"What's it to you?!" Alex demanded.

"You're my best friend! My brother in everything but blood!" Mako retorted. "You think I enjoy seeing you like this?! Like your mother!?" He asked.

"I am nothing like her!" Alex shot back angrily.

"You live alone, eat alone, spend most of your time alone, and refuse to let anyone into that stone cold heart of yours. Even Bolin and I would be hard pressed to get you to talk about your feelings or problems with us." Mako countered. Alex gritted his teeth in frustration.

After a moment, he spoke again. "Fine, I'll speak with Korra, clear this mess up, but I'm still not dating anyone." He said sternly, glaring at Mako. Mako's glare softened, though it was still there.

"That's all I can ask." he said softly. "See ya Alex." he sighed, leaving the condo and leaving Alex alone in the kitchen. The Metalbender had a hand over his face, releasing a deep sigh.

After dropping Ikki and Jinora off at Air Temple Island, where they got a huge lecture from their mother, Alex made his way to the office, after making sure Pema didn't see him. He promised Mako he'd talk to Korra, and he would. This evening, where he knew she'd be at stadium. So, he spent the day at the office, working on his reports and going through any information the Force had on the Equalists. All in all, not a very productive day.

In the end, he just decided to head to the arena and wait there for Korra. He arrived about an hour before the game started and waited for almost an hour before Korra arrived. When she did, she noticed him sitting on the stairs, clearly waiting for something. Shaking her head, she continued on her way, intent on walking right past him. She really didn't want to speak to him after he rejected her so bluntly.

Unfortunately…

"What are playing at?" Alex asked her before she could pass him, standing up.

"Excuse me?" Korra asked in confusion.

"With Bolin. You're stringing him along, using him to get back at me." The Metalbender crossed his arms with a glare.

"I am not! We're just having fun together!" The Avatar defended.

"Oh, you cannot possibly be that clueless." Alex scoffed. "Anyone can see, plain as day, that Bolin is head over heels for you Korra." He glared at her.

"What do you care?" Korra glared back.

"I'm looking out for my friend. When he falls, he falls hard. I don't wanna see his heart get broken." Alex answered, his glare not dropping.

"Wait a minute…" Korra trailed off before her lips twisted up into a smirk. "You're not worried about him, you're jealous!" She grinned triumphantly. "You do have feelings for me!"

"Oh for love of…" Alex's palm met his face, hard. "Don't be ridiculous Korra." he scoffed.

"Admit it, you like me." Korra leaned forward with a smirk.

"No. I don't need you." Alex growled.

"But when you're all alone in bed, you're thinking of me, aren't you?" Korra asked slyly. Well, never let it be said that the Avatar didn't have any proverbial balls… Still, behind that cocky, sly tone, there was a spark of hope in her voice that Alex did not miss.

"Get over yourself!"

"I'm just being honest!"

"You're nuts!"

"You're a liar!"

With one final glare at each other, the pair stormed into the building through different entrances. Korra stormed right past Mako, who was waiting for them, and had heard the whole thing argument.

"I tried Mako." Alex said and stormed off to the VIP room before the Firebender could say anything. Hey, even if he and Korra aren't talking he'll at least watch the game to support Mako and Bolin.

"Wow, someone's not in a good mood." Asami remarked as she sat beside Alex in the same chair she did for the previous match.

"You don't know the half of it." Alex sighed, rubbing his temples.

"I'm not doing so great myself." Asami sighed, slumping into her seat.

"How come?" Alex asked, hoping to take his mind off of his own problems for a little while.

"Mako." Was Asami's simple answer. "We had a bit of a fight. I think… I think there's something going on between him and Korra." She sighed sadly, making Alex sweatdrop.

So much for getting away from his own problems…

"Believe me, there's nothing between them." The Metalbender deadpanned.

"Really? So you don't see the tension between them?" Asami asked, pointing at the waiting station, where anyone could see Korra and Mako having somewhat of a shouting match.

"No, I see it." Alex responded dryly. "It's just not for the reasons you think." He sighed again.

"Then what?" Asami asked in confusion.

"Korra isn't into Mako… she's into... " he trailed off, letting out yet another sigh. "Me." he said finally.

"What?" Asami gasped.

"She tried to ask me out last night, but I shot her down. Afterwards, Bolin asked her out, and she said yes." Alex rubbed his temples. "Mako's mad at both me and her for that." He groaned. Asami's eyes widened at the explanation.

"So, there's nothing between them?" She asked softly.

"No. Mako's just mad at her for using Bolin." Alex assured her, making her sigh in self-loathing. Looks like she has a bit of apologising to do…

"But wait, why did you reject Korra? I thought you liked her?" She asked in confusion, making the Detective groan.

"Why does everyone think I like Korra!?" He asked in a loud whine.

"Well, it's kinda obvious Alex." Asami pointed out. "You freely taught her Metalbending, ran to her rescue when she was facing Amon, and Mako says he can't even begin to count the number of times he's seen you staring at her." She deadpanned, making Alex flush a little. He couldn't think of a valid response to that.

Yes, he thought Korra was beautiful.

Yes, she was his type.

Yes, her headstrong and sarcastic personality appealed to him.

Yes, he enjoyed spending time with her.

Yes, he enjoyed teaching her Metalbending.

Yes, he thought she had a nice body.

Yes, the thought of a relationship with Korra had crossed his mind once or twice.

Yes, he…

Wait...

"Oh fuck…" Alex groaned, burying his face in his hands as realisation struck him. "I'm falling for the Avatar…" he murmured into his palms.

"Hate to say I told you so." Asami smirked.

"No, no you don't." Alex glared at her.

"True, true." She said smugly, making Alex scowl in annoyance. "So, what are you going to do about all this?" She asked with an eyebrow raised expectantly.

"I guess… I have to talk with Korra again." He sighed, feeling an immense amount of guilt. Mako was right. He really is a lot like Lin. He's shut people out for too long… Never letting people into his heart… Never letting his feelings out… It needs to stop.

Otherwise, he really would turn into his mother, completely.

"Well, it's going to have to wait." Asami pointed out as the match started. Alex couldn't help but flinch as he saw Korra's less than stellar performance. And it was all his fault…

After the match, which the Fire Ferrets were just barely able to win, thanks to Bolin scoring the final tiebreaker, Alex made his way to the Fire Ferrets locker room, finding Mako and Bolin, but no Korra. He guessed that she must have made a hasty exit as soon as the match was over, considering he and Asami always come by when a match finishes.

"You seen Korra?" Alex asked Mako as he entered the room, being sure to Bolin away from the conversation.

"She's outside, why?" Mako asked with narrowed eyes. Alex sighed and turned away, walking towards the door.

"Time for the truth." He answered before exiting, leaving a wide eyed Mako behind while Bolin was still cheering for their victory.

As Alex left the building, he found himself grateful for the jacket he wore underneath his coat. He was also glad that he wasn't wearing his armour, for fear of frostbite from the cold. Looking around, he found who he was looking for under the gazebo just outside of the arena, leaning against one of the pillars. Anyone who saw her could feel the aura of depression around her.

"We need to talk." Alex spoke firmly as he approached the young Avatar.

"What's there to talk about?" Korra asked in a snap, refusing to look at him. "You've already made it clear how you feel about me." She hung her head with a hand on her arm.

"No, no I haven't." Alex replied, sighing. "Listen Korra, the truth is, as infuriating as you can be sometimes, you're also one of the most amazing women a guy like me can hope to meet." He admitted, looking at the ground.

"So, you do like me?" Korra asked, finally turning around, her eyes shining in hope.

"Yes." Alex confessed. "But, with my complicated relationship with my mother, and the fallout I had with Mako and Bolin, I'm scared I'll mess things up, and I just feel really confused and-"

Alex was cut off by Korra stepping forward and pressing her lips to his. A part of him wanted to push her away, to say that he can't do this. But, another part, a bigger, more powerful part of him found himself intoxicated by the taste of her lips. His heart beating faster than he knew it could, Alex melted into the kiss, wrapping his arms around Korra's waist, prompting a faint moan as she wrapped her arms around his neck, pulling him closer.

There wasn't any tongue in the kiss, but it was far from chaste. The feelings of desire between the two teenagers were strong, that much was obvious. As they revelled in the feeling of each other's lips, they failed to notice the young Earthbender approaching. After they separated, their eyes shining as they stared at each other, Korra's eyes suddenly widened before she looked away, an ashamed look donning her lovely features. A little confused, Alex turned around, his own eyes widening at what he saw; a devastated Bolin holding a bouquet of flowers, tears in his eyes.

"Bolin, I…" Alex took a step forward.

"You… you bastards!" Bolin cried, tossing the flowers away and running off. Alex couldn't help but slump in place.

"Great, I try to fix things, and it backfires." he sighed.

"You should go after him." Korra spoke up after a moment of silence. "I'm probably the last person he wants to see right now." she sighed.

"You sure?" Alex asked, getting a nod in response. He returned the nod. "We…" he stopped for a second, turning to face Korra. "We can talk about… 'us' after this whole thing blows over." He told her, continuing on his path.

Despite the situation, Korra couldn't stop the delighted smile that split her face as she watched Alex walk off. The boy she liked liked her back! Who wouldn't be ecstatic? Then, she remembered all that happened up until this point and she couldn't help looking at the ground in shame. True, she'd gotten Alex to admit his feelings, but in the process, she'd possibly ruined the friendship between him and Bolin. Was it worth it? Was she really that shallow?

She sighed. "Well played Korra." She looked at the sea sadly.

Well, admittedly, this chapter didn't take much effort. I've been looking forward to this part of the story since I started, so… It practically wrote itself. Anyways, more fluff in the next chapter, which should also(probably) write itself.

Oh, and just in case I didn't make this clear in the past, I'm totally open to suggestions and requests in this story. If there's something you want to see here, go ahead and tell me in the reviews! I might just do it.