Disclaimer: I do hereby disclaim all rights and responsibilities for the characters in this collection. Kudos to Bryke, indeed.
Pairing(s): Tahno/Korra, Mako/Korra, one-sided Bolin/Korra
Genre: Romance/Friendship/Drama
Word Count: 3,293
Rating: PG-13/T
Summary: The life and love of running, autumn, and high school cross-country. — Tahno/Korra, Mako/Korra. AU.

Author's Notes:
11/30/12.I feel like this chapter is a lot choppier, which is actually how I wanted all the chapters to be originally. :P I'm sorry if it seems jarring—I think I spoiled us all with the relatively seamless transitions of the last few chapters. Ironically, THAT WAS NOT WHAT I WANTED.

12/14/12. Crap. These chapters are getting a lot longer and longer and the plot keeps writing itself and then I get impatient and post chapters in halves and shit, now I have another full-fledged multi-chapter fic on my hands, don't I? I definitely want to have this done and complete before the new year... Wish me luck?

Musical Inspiration: "Zero" by Varsity Fanclub. I think this is now the official theme song of this fic.

Personal Record Fan Art: Please check out Cheyenne's (Yuki119) gorgeous drawing set from the first chapter! You can find her lovely artwork here:

yuki119 . tumblr . com / post / 37759638653 / it-wasnt-long-before-her-eyes-caught-sight-of

Thank you!

Beta'd by ebonyquill.

3.80

But practice didn't exactly start off on the right foot.

If Korra was being honest with herself—and really, she was trying to be—then she'd have to admit that it probably had something to do with the fact that she was starting to feel a little guilty about her texts to Tahno. It's not like she felt like she was doing anything wrong, per se—of that, she was sure; she just felt like maybe she wasn't doing something right either.

Bolin ran alongside her during the warm-up, chattering all the way, and because they were surrounded by dozens of other people and she didn't—couldn't—do much of the talking, she let it be. Instead, Korra half-listened, and spent most of her time wondering why she honestly hadn't told anybody yet about her runs with Tahno. They were just runs through the park, after all... and okay, maybe a few—questionable—texts here and there—whenever possible—but then again, things were pretty complicated; it's not like she ever expected to make pseudo-peace where there were generations' worth of burning inter-school rivalry that, by the way, most of which she'd been unwittingly thrown into. Technically speaking, Tahno was the enemy—the opposition—not to mention a notorious school player. (And if she was listening to the rumors from her teammates—and really, she was trying not to—then that meant both in school and, well... out.)

Korra was also particularly trying not to think too much into the conversation she'd overheard between Asami and some of her other teammates earlier that week and, well, it's not like she hadn't known before that wolverines were not the kind to forge strong bonds, right?

But that seemed to mean very little to Korra today.

"Hey, Korra," Bolin quickly turned to her, taking advantage of the small break they'd been granted from a red stoplight, and breaking her from her moody thoughts. They ran in place while they wanted for the light to turn, which always made Korra feel foolish, but she wasn't about to let herself rest and make it all the more difficult on herself when it came time catch up... and from the looks of it, the two of them were going to have to book it to make it back to the track on time with the others. Stupid red light. Stupid drivers. Stupid crosswalk. Stupid—

"Yeah?" she rasped, trying to keep her cool as her eyes bore holes into the backs of her team captains, all the way up at the front of the herd; their backs kept flying farther and farther away, almost to the bend.

"Look... there's something I've been meaning to ask you lately," Bolin began, and immediately Korra felt this sinking feeling in her chest. "I don't know how much you've heard about how we celebrate the real start of the athletic season here, but there's this... this thing coming up—"

But it was at that precise moment that Mako chose to look back; Korra wasn't entirely sure what he saw, but she heard his voice—Let's move! What's the hold up back there?—and then the light turned, and they were running, sprinting to catch up, and soon the warm-up was over and there was no more time for talk because, suddenly, she was in the midst of the hardest practice of her life, and Korra didn't have the extra space in her world to breathe, let alone think.

"Tahno and his Wolverines are still the number one to beat, but we can't underestimate the other invites. These Northside brothers mean business."

"Northside brothers?" Korra muttered to Bolin, keeping her eyes trained on Mako's ongoing speech. The sky was a gloomy gray backdrop to his stoic figure, and if Korra were the kind of girl to believe in omens—and maybe she was—then today probably wasn't the kind she'd like to bet on.

"Yeah," Bolin whispered back, obviously perturbed by whatever Mako was talking about. "This family just moved into the area this year, and the two brothers are apparently some force to be reckoned with in the running world. The story is that they moved closer to be with their dad—your Biology teacher, actually—"

"Wait—what?"

"What? It's really not all that uncommon around here. Our teachers' benefits packages are actually really competitive, you know, so of course they try to bring in—"

"You're seriously trying to tell me that these guys—these brothers—are related to Yakone?" she hissed.

"Supposedly, anyway," he whispered back, hunching over to hide behind another player; Mako was not afraid to call out secondhand conversations, after all.

Korra made a face. "Awesome."

"Hey! Leave the judgment for the court, man. Just because Yakone is a little crazy in the head doesn't mean that his kids are equally as crazy."

"Yeah, okay, man."

"But, you know... there has been a lot of talk that there's some sort of under the table bribery to get them down here, and if you ask me—"

"Bolin, are you always this full of gossip?"

"Korra, this is serious stuff, I'll have you know."

"We have worked too hard this year to lose our focus now!" Mako called out, and the rising murmur of assent brought Korra back to the larger group. "White Falls is always a challenging course... but this year, we're ready. It all comes down to the details now... Remembering to stretch. Drinking plenty of water. In light of this Saturday, our family dinner will be postponed until next week. Instead, Coach Tenzin has prepared recommended eating plans for tomorrow night, so be sure to choose your fuel wisely. Make sure you—"

"Geez," Korra breathed. "This is intense."

"It's White Falls territory," Bolin said quietly, and Korra was surprised not to hear an ounce of a joke in his tone.

"Different ball game?" Korra whispered more quietly, noting the almost reverent air about her teammates as they listened to Mako's pre-meet advice.

"Try a different league."

"Most importantly," Mako announced, pausing to ensure that he had one hundred percent attention. "You have worked hard for weeks, but today you gave it your all. This is it. Now what matters most is that we take care of ourselves; our success depends on our being prepared, and for this, tonight and tomorrow are about two things: focus... and rest."

Korra's ears perked.

"No matter what happens on Saturday, we're still a team," Mako's voice rose, and Korra could feel the group rising with him. She could feel the goosebumps raising, prickling, over her arms. "We train just as hard as any of those private school kids... and this year we're gonna show those mangy wolves just how fast the foxes can be!" he shouted, pumping his fist into the air, and the entire team burst into cheers. Save Korra.

"Wolverines," Korra whispered to herself, stupidly. There was something lumpy and hard between her ribs, and it might have been her heart.

"Stuff that in your wallet, White Falls!" Bolin yelled, offering a long, howling whoop, and it reverberated all the way down her spine.

"The only thing that spreads faster than wildfire is fox fire!" Asami called from atop a mountain of sandbags, and the team rose up in a wave of cheers to meet her broad, dangerous smile.

"In two days," Mako shouted over the team's uproar, sweeping a long arm around Asami's shoulders. "We prove that Tahno of the White Falls Wolverines isn't the only runner out here!"

"It's the year of the fox!" Asami called.

In the space of a single moment, Mako's arms wound tighter around Asami's slender shoulders, Korra and Mako locked gazes, and Korra felt her entire awareness shrink and narrow to a pair of golden eyes.

The team converged around her, pressing inward until she was trapped in the middle of giant, moving, living huddle, and it was all Korra could do to bring her hands together, and clap.

"You're late."

Korra looked up and, at first, she could barely see him. The early evening fog was rolling in, and the muted colors of the soon-to-be rain made it all the easier for Tahno's dark sweatshirt to blend in with the dampness of the trees. The seasons were already shifting and, like her, he was dressed for the weather.

"It's not even five after," Korra countered mildly, honestly a little too surprised to be annoyed. Yet. "I'm only three minutes late."

"Yeah, but something tells me it wasn't fashionably so," he said as he rose from the mossy, overturned log on which he'd been sitting. "And those are the only kind of late excuses I forgive."

"I'll make a note," she huffed, coming to stop just a few feet away from where he stood. Korra crossed her arms, feeling her heels sink into the wet leaves, and wondered why she was trying so hard to fight a smile.

"Don't bother. I'm sure you have plenty from your busy day at school, and it's not like you'll read any of them anyway."

"Hey, man, I didn't come all the way out here to—"

"Although if you're going to be taking notes, you should be taking them from me."

"Right," she cut in dryly. "Like from those private lessons you once so graciously offered?"

"Like from the ones you've been so ungraciously attending week after week."

"Is that what these are?" Korra cocked her head to the side, unable to keep a completely straight face.

"Then I'm going to have to talk to somebody about a refund. I'm not gonna lie, the performance around here has kinda sucked."

"Well," he replied slowly, taking a languid step closer, and Korra's heart picked up. "Perhaps your inadequacy has more to do with your lack of proper motivation?"

"Not a chance. I know a shitty teacher when I see one."

He faltered, but if it was her language that he was surprised by, she wouldn't know; he took another step closer. "Then perhaps you would respond more favorably to... say, a more direct approach to learning?"

Korra instinctively took a step back. "Meaning...?"

Tahno only smiled.

"I'll give you thirty seconds to guess."

"You're still just as crazy as ever," he rasped, and Korra could almost feel the breaths rising in and out of the chest beside her on the wet, mossy ground. The dampness was seeping into her spine, but she didn't mind; on the other hand, Aunt Pema was probably kill her for the grass stains on her hoodie, but that was a problem that would just have to be sorted out later.

"Maybe," she coughed, and she hoped she was just imagining the coppery taste of blood; this couldn't be a very healthy way to go about running, but it wasn't like she wasn't used to pushing herself a little too hard when it came to anything else in life, right? "But at least I'm faster now."

"Yeah," he laughed, and it turned into a deep, deep cough. "Maybe."

She lifted her head, just a fraction, to get a better look at his profile. "What on earth was that? I've never heard you so much as even sniffle before."

"Apparently, even I have my limits," he groused, flicking a bent twig off of his elbow, before sending her a pointed glare. "If I catch a cold before Saturday's meet, there will be hell to pay."

"Please," she scoffed. "If that's what you're worried about, then you're worrying over nothing. You may be great at outrunning things, but you suck at catching them."

"Ohh, aren't we clever," he dryly replies, only it's anything but dry because he was covered head to toe with foggy mist and laying supine on a pile of soggy leaves. "And I'm serious. This isn't just another meet."

"I don't get it," Korra shrugs, thinking back to an hour and a half before, in which she was locked together with a pile of raging teenagers. "What's so special about this one? I mean, I know your team is really good—"

"Unbeatable."

"Yeah, right, whatever, really good. I just... I know that teams are really protective of their home territory, but—"

"It's not just about being territorial, although that's part of it," he explained, taking on a more serious tone; the switch never ceased to surprise her. "It's prime recruitment time for Division One teams."

Oh, thought Korra.

"Colleges are doing their shopping, so-to-speak, and there are going to be scouts all over the place," he continued, now talking animatedly, more so than she'd ever heard before. "They've been watching us seniors pretty closely all year, but Saturday is going to be absolutely critical. Our invitational hosts the biggest collection of runners out of any of the schools in the five surrounding counties, and we have a reputation to uphold. We're not just the returning regional champs, new girl; we're the three-years-in-a-row state champions. And I'm not just Tahno of the White Falls Wolverines, star runner of the tri-state area; I'm Tahno, captain of the three-time state championship team, three-time top state finisher, three-time holder of All-Region, All-County, All-Area and All-League cross-country honors, and three-time qualifier for nationals. And our team's and town's finest prospect."

Abruptly, he scoffed. "I'm not just in this to be in it," he explained, with a hint of derision. "While your ferrets are looking to scoop up a few extra medals, I'm looking toward one day being invited into the most elite NCAA Division One final championships in the country."

Korra fidgeted with the stem of a leaf, feeling at a bit of a loss as to what to say and, honestly, a little in awe. "Different ball game?" she whispered.

"Yeah, try a different league. This meet is the most valuable meet of my young running career," he scoffed a derisive laugh, and Korra wondered why, but didn't know how to ask.

"So... you need to win?" Korra tried to clarify his concerns. "But you always win."

Tahno looked at her then, almost as if he were taken aback by the sureness in her voice.

"What?" she asked, a little flustered. "You just said it yourself. Top state finisher, or whatever, three years running."

"I need to do more than just win. I need to win by a mile."

"Uhh, literally? Or just—"

"Its a figure of speech, new girl," he rolled his eyes, but she could see the barest traces of smile cracking, and so hers eventually leaked out, too. Just a little. "On top of everything else, I'm not just racing for admissions; I'm racing for scholarships."

Something about the way it hung in the air felt like he revealed a lot more about himself than he would have liked to. Korra went still, holding tight to the crumbling leaf in her hand, and tried not to feel so awkward. Or naïve. But because she and her family—although arguably nontraditional—were pretty well off, changing those feelings were sort of... difficult; being the daughter of the world's chief wildlife expert of the tundras—with all its perks and privileges—could have that effect, you know.

"Are you ready?" she asked him, because she wanted to know. Korra wasn't sure if she was more annoyed or relived by his smirk.

"They don't stand a chance... provided that some wild girl from the arctic doesn't get me pneumonia."

"It's the antarctic, actually—"

"Shit," he muttered darkly, propelling himself upward at the waist. Korra witnessed a cascade of dead, moldy leaves fall from the fabric at his hood, but he was staring so intently into the space of the clearing beyond the cover of their trees that she didn't bother to mention it. "It's not letting up."

Korra didn't know what he was so antsy about, but then she sat up, and she saw it too. She gasped. Instead of passing through, it was raining harder.

"I thought it wasn't supposed to get bad until later tonight!" she hissed. "The meteorologist said that we could expect a slight afternoon drizzle."

"New girl, this is New England. And who actually says meteorologist in casual conversation? Call him the weather man like everybody else."

"It was a female meteorologist, thank you very much—"

"Whatever, don't care," he stood abruptly.

"Hey!" she exclaimed, hastily rising up herself. She could feel sticks and other such fun items tumbling down her back. "Where are you going?"

"We gotta get out of this," Tahno shook his head, looking grim and irritated as he stared out into the clearing, but she could see his calculating mind at work. "Rain or no rain, the temp is dropping and I'm not gonna stick around until I really do get pneumonia. How far is your house from here?"

"It's still at least three miles or so," she shrugged.

"Well, that makes things simpler. Mine is only two."

"What?"

"Come on. This rain isn't going away anytime soon."

"Um. Where are we going?"

He smirked.

"It's time you checked out your neighbors."

Next Chapter Preview:

"You know, your eyes remind me of glaciers," and wow—way to go, Korra. Way to not sound weird or anything.