A/N:
Just a little back story on Howl and Korra's relationship.
Korra wiped the sweat from her forehead.
The walk back to her house from the house that she babysat at wasn't a long walk by any means, but it was still miserable under the hot sun. Korra would give anything for her car's working air conditioning right now. But gas was too expensive to waste on a drive that could be easily walked.
As she crested the hill that lead to her house, she spotted someone that she did not want to see.
Howl, in her driveway.
She paused in the middle of the road, debating the merits of turning around and heading back to where she had come from.
Instead, she sighed and started forward again. Her shoulders drooped in reluctance. Howl was the last person that she wanted to talk to right now.
When she finally walked onto her driveway, she fixed him with her most heated glare. "What do you want?"
He had the decency to look a little ashamed of himself. "Korra, I think that you and I need to—"
"We don't need to do anything!" Korra turned her back to him and began to walk toward her front door.
Howl grabbed her shoulder and whirled her back around. "Listen to me." She could see the desperation in his cobalt gaze. "I'm trying to apologize—"
"You dumped me!" Korra shrieked out of the blue. "In the Cheesecake Factory! You dumped me in the Cheesecake Factory before we had even ordered cheesecake! Who the hell does that?!"
"I admit that it wasn't—"
"And you didn't even give me a good reason," Korra continued, waving her hands around for emphasis. "You couldn't even be honest with me about why."
Howl let his hand drop from her shoulder. He looked down at the ground, unable to meet her gaze. "I didn't want to hurt you," he admitted softly.
"Yeah, well, you did," Korra snapped. She started to fish into her pocket, determined to find her house key, when long fingers encircled her wrist.
"I was an ass." Korra snorted at this. "But…the truth was…I was scared. I had already been at college for a full semester, and all I could think about was my girlfriend. You," he clarified. "I've never felt that way before and—and it terrified me because I wasn't sure if you felt the same and you were too good for me. Still are."
Korra let out a long breath, allowing Howl to keep her wrist in his gentle grip. "You're an idiot."
"I know."
"I shouldn't even think about forgiving you."
"I know."
She cast him a sad, bitter look. "But, it doesn't matter."
His face fell. "Why?"
Korra tugged her wrist away and cradled it against her chest. "I'm moving."
All the blood drained out of Howl's face. "What? When? Where?"
Korra bit her lip and turned her head away. "At the end of the summer, a couple of hours away."
Howl swallowed thickly before turning his back to her, his fist curled at his sides. All the muscles in his back and shoulders were tense, and Korra would bet anything that if they had been inside then he probably would've punched a hole through a wall.
"Were you not going to tell me?" he finally asked, voice low.
She felt herself bristle a little bit at his accusatory tone. "Um, we haven't exactly been speaking as of late," she pointed out. "You've been working, I've been babysitting, and you dumped me at the Cheesecake Factory, remember?"
Shaking his head, Howl turned back around and faced her. "So, I guess I'm too late, huh?"
Korra crossed her arms over her chest and shrank back a bit, suddenly feeling very small. "I'm sorry, Howl. My dad got a new job and—"
"It's not your fault," he said quickly, stepping up to her. "I was the stupid one here, not you. Okay?"
Korra nodded. A moment later she was enveloped in a hug.
"We'll still be friends though, right?" Howl asked quietly.
Korra nodded, her cheek brushing against his shoulder. "Always."
A/N: #2:
Well, that gave me more feels then I intended it to. I kind of wish more of you had voted for Howl back when he was in the running, not going to lie.
Ah well.
Votes left on this chapter will not count, obviously. I hope you all enjoyed this! Hopefully the next chapter will bring you more clarity about these two. :)