A/N CaFanel I may just love you :) Thanks so much for the reviews! Also, this week is major testing week, so I'm not sure how often I will be able to update. I'm going to try, but things are going crazy and I want to put out the best content I can.
Chapter 15
"Let's go to town tomorrow." She whispered, snuggling close to his ear. Howl pried one eye open and glanced at her, shifting so that he could sit up on his elbows. Korra blinked and gave him a smile, ignoring the confused look on his face.
Finally, his confusion changed to understanding. She noticed a single curl hanging down between his eyes and firmly kept her arms at her sides. "Wanna see your mom?" He moved one hand to stroke her cheek as gently as he could, smiling warmly. It was another one of those nights, where they both couldn't sleep without the other near. Korra had had a nightmare of him being fired and Howl had kept the recurring dream continuing a little longer. He'd woken from the tortured dream to find her there, hovering over him in worry. Immediately his heart had calmed and he'd lain back down.
"No." She whispered, not even meeting his gaze anymore. That one curl was really starting to bother her. Korra knew, though, that if she moved an inch towards it, he would grab her hand. She wasn't sure why that thought bothered her so much, but it did. Maybe it was because her hands still had the dull flaming pain every once in a while. Or maybe she was just overreacting.
"Then what?" He questioned, breaking her concentration momentarily to catch his amber gaze, warm at the sight of them, then return to the black curl plastered against his forehead. "You know, staring at my forehead isn't helping me understand, Korra." He said softly. She crossed her arms and darted out, moving the curl behind his ear. As she went to pull away, Howl closed the distance between them and pressed his mouth to hers. Her body stiffened only the slightest before she started to fight back, nipping his lower lip with her teeth just enough to make him hiss in playful pain.
Another guard snored and Howl pulled away suddenly, as if he remembered where exactly they were. His fingers curled into a fist and he sighed, his eyes full of worry. Korra touched his lips with one finger and dragged him back closer to her. She hated seeing him so worried about getting caught but he knew there was logical reason for it. Instead of starting what they hadn't finished, Korra rested her head on his chest and waited for his quivering breath to return to normal.
When his lungs rose and fell at an even pace, she glanced up to find him asleep. She kissed his nose gently before climbing over him and heading back out into the night.
The next morning, Howl awoke to a cold bed. His fingers weren't tangled around anything but the pelts, his nose pressed against a pillow instead of hair. She was gone once more, like a fleeting lemur. He dressed quickly and rubbed his head. Something about the previous night's visit had left him confused but he couldn't remember what had exactly happened. It was like she had done something to scramble his thoughts. Howl opened the barracks door and spotted Korra and Naga playing in the snow.
He shook his head, intent on passing her. Then, suddenly, Naga barked and bowled him over, licking his face with her massive, slobbery tongue. "Gah—Naga—"He heard Korra's continued laughter as the dog's hot breath that smelled suspiciously like fish jerky. She'd pinned him down and panted in his face. Her big, black eyes bore into him like he was a piece of prey.
It wasn't until Korra touched her dog on the shoulder that the animal moved, trotting over to sit in the snow a few feet away. She extended her hand to Howl and he took it, pulling himself up. "Ready to go?" She asked, a single brow rising with her playful attitude. Howl exhaled, brushing the thousands of little white hairs off of his uniform. "Sorry," She said, helping him with Naga's fur, withholding her laughter. "She's shedding."
"I can tell," He said, rubbing his eyes. Korra glanced at him and smiled as she quit wiping him off, her hands still on his chest. Howl's eyes flickered momentarily as she gazed into his honey absorbed gaze. Her tongue subconsciously ran over her bottom lip, her breathing slowly picking up. His eyes may just have been the prettiest thing on him. Pretty, not handsome. Handsome was everything else about him, while his eyes absorbed her, cradled her, gave her a sense of protection. It was the first thing she looked for when he couldn't speak to her, his open book, their communication. "Where are we going, exactly?"
"To town. Remember?" He must have been extremely tired when she had told him that. "I already got clearance with the Lotus leaders." Howl felt his own grin spreading across his face more than confusion did. Visiting the village twice in three weeks? They must have been really desperate to find a firebender to train Korra that they wanted to get her mind off of it. Or, she had given them her famous pout that easily caused Howl to succumb to her every need and want. Either one would work when Korra was involved.
Korra climbed onto her saddled polar bear-dog and offered her hand for him. Without a second thought, Howl threw himself on to the creature, wrapping his large hands around Korra's stomach and trying not to make it obvious on how much he liked her. No, loved her. Howl loved her. He loved her more than he loved the world, than he loved his job. He loved her so much that he was willing to throw himself into a volcano for her.
The Avatar signaled the guardsmen in the tower who cocked his eyebrow and frowned. Howl rolled his eyes, spotting Sitch's cruel grin in his usual sentry post in the tower. His gaze was cynical and questioning, even though Howl knew he wasn't exactly smart enough to figure out their relationship. "Thanks!" She shouted up at the guards. Sitch hardly acknowledged her; his black eyes were pursing through Howl's head.
When they were past the intricate blue gate, Naga broke into a full on run. Howl's hands tightened around her, trying not to lose his balance and go slinging in the snow. Korra couldn't help how giddy he made her whenever they were like that; one behind the other, hands touching places that hadn't yet been fully explored by the other. She pulled gently on Naga's reins, hoping to slow down their journey. Then she turned around on the saddle so that she was facing him, her breath catching. She never had tried this, never had thought of trying it. But she was brash, she was daring. She liked new things, new experiences.
Howl, on the other hand, was shocked at her actions. Her hand came to cup his face, her lips landing as softly as possible on his slightly parted ones. Her fingers trailed down his torso as his heartbeat quickened, his ears growing redder with the heat when his face was too busy with Korra's.
Yet, slowly, he overcame the panicky feeling he'd grown accompanied to and closed his eyes, kissing her back with just as gentle intensity that she had been administering on him. He was out of the wandering eyes, out of the contemplating glares, and he was thankful. Because he needed her like he needed the air to breath, needed her comfort and her strength, her daredevil attitude and her loving façade. She made his world stand still, made the snow stop falling, made him warm on the coldest day.
"Howl…." She whispered as she slid off his helmet. Spirits, she loved his hair, and he had no idea why. He loved hers, the scent of it, the different color it was than the rest of the waterbenders. He adored sweeping the silkiest locks in his hands. He fingered the clips that held her hair back and undid them, not breaking their prolonged kiss. His chest burned from lack of air but he couldn't imagine the longing of his lips again, begging to return to that honeyed taste.
She was first to pull away, sadly. It was odd for him to want that kiss back so badly that he hurt, but he felt like he'd been smacked in the chest. Korra turned back around on the saddle but didn't urge Naga onwards. Instead, she rested her head on his torso, her eyes centered on him. He hesitantly moved his fingers to a single strand of hair that obscured her vision and moved it behind her ear. She giggled.
They arrived in town after what seemed like hours later. Howl had been perfectly comfortable, his fingers running through her loose hair, undoing the knots that he may or may not have caused when he was kissing her. When the town came into view, Korra had groaned and sat up straighter. Her warmth immediately faded as she moved away, clicking Naga onwards. The polar bear-dog had started to trot.
Howl wondered what time it was; Naga had barely moved in the time it had taken them to get here, not motivated enough by Korra. He knew that it was well past noon when he'd awoken. Maybe rounding around to five? In the afternoon? His observance of the time was interrupted as Korra climbed off Naga well outside of the city. Howl slid off beside her, watching as she bent to tie the animal to the ground. The curve of her hips was well accented by her snug fitting training pants, just a small piece of her tanned skin showing where her thick shirt rode up on her body. He inhaled sharply through his nose, thankful that she couldn't read his thoughts, or he would be in a heap of trouble.
He'd never even thought about a woman like that until he met Korra. Korra, his best friend, the only person he'd ever wanted to love. He couldn't imagine her like she was one of the corny damsels in distress in his romance novels. But now… now that they were growing much closer with every passing minute, his stomach ached in realization that it could possibly lead to that. Howl wouldn't let himself picture it.
But, when Korra's arm hooked with his, his thoughts grew fuzzy and unclear. He loved the way that she didn't care who saw her with him. He was learning from her lessons he didn't expect to learn when he'd taken the job; that he only lived once, that he had to live life in the moment… while she would live on in the memory of another Avatar, he would die and stay dead. The thought was like a kick to the throat.
With her arm laced in his, they headed into the village. The sun was already setting in the spring sky, the color still it's pitiful, pale blue. Korra had said she didn't want to see her mother—a shock to Howl—but he still didn't quite understand what she did want to do that they couldn't do in the secrecy of the compound. The shops were beginning to close up and Howl noticed once more that the little store he'd bought both of Korra's gifts was still missing. Curiosity filled his mind as Korra dragged him along.
They stopped in front of one of the only wooden buildings in the village. He caught whiff of the terrible, burning scent of alcohol and coughed, disgusted. Korra unraveled her arm and took him by the hand instead, lacing her fingers in between the crevices where his didn't take up. His breath quickened as she dragged him with ease into the bar, the wide spread smile on her face too much to ignore. "Why exactly are we here?" Howl asked, his fingers gripping hers, trying not to panic.
"There's this really good game that the other guards have been talking about." She explained, sitting down on the bar stool and ordering a glass of Fire Wine. Howl cocked his brow, glancing at her with false blame. "What? I'm not anywhere near the compound now, and I'm thirsty." When the bartender handed her the small, pink wine, Howl's stomach flipped. He didn't want to bring her home drunker than a seaman on land.
The radio crackled to life and the announcer started speaking quickly. Korra's eyes widened as she sipped on the drink before setting it down. The liquid burned as it went down her throat, warming her up to her boiling point. She'd only had alcohol once before and that was on her birthday. That had been like ice as it went down, so this new drink was relaxing. It left a questioning haze over her as this new game started. "Folks, the Wolfbats are in it to win it once more and I do believe they're going to succeed. Tahno throws a hard water punch at the firebender for the Rabaroos, and—OH—there goes the Wolfbats' earthbender, down into the drain!"
Howl ordered himself water, fearful of the horrible burn invading his mind and body again. He was worried about Korra, wondering how she could stand it. Then again, it was Korra. She threw her hands into the air as the Wolfbats scored, whooping loudly. "Go Tahno!" She shouted before returning to listening to the second round of the match. Howl had heard the other guards eagerly listen to it for the past few weeks; a new radio had come in from one of the men's wife. He knew the basics of the game and hadn't really thought about it until now.
As the match continued, Howl's drink came. He took a sip of it and nearly choked on its tart taste, shivering as it went down. "What is this?" He asked the bartender, swallowing rapidly and trying to get the taste out of his mouth.
"White Fall Water, in honor of the Wolfbats playing tonight." The dark skinned man said from over the counter. "Not as strong as the other drinks, but still as delicious." Howl frowned but put the glass on his lips and tried it once more. The bartender was right; it wasn't as strong as the first drink Howl had ever had. He downed the glass with ease, feeling the slippery taste sink into his stomach.
"The Wolfbats are struggling to hold on to this win, folks, but Tahno is managing on his own. He's blasting the earthbender with multiple water blows to the head and the Rabaroos' can't get a single shot to help the earthbender out. There's a—oh! Hang on a second, folks, Tahno just slammed his best attack of the night into the earthbender and sent all three stumbling back into the final ring and his partners are slamming them with all they have. Oh-OH-It's a knockout! The Wolfbats win and are going to the championship!"
Korra jumped up from her stool and, like the other men in the bar surrounding the radio, screamed in victory. She fell back into his lap and pressed her lips harshly onto his. Howl blinked, surprised, before tasting the heated, spicy drink on her lips. The White Fall Water was making his head spin and Korra wasn't helping by running her tongue along his bottom lip. As she pulled away, she giggled. Her crazy laughter was heightening the longer she continued, and contagious as well. Soon, both of them were ordering more of their individual drinks, their laughter blocking out the radio of the next game.
After three, Korra couldn't feel any of her body. Howl was still sipping his White Fall Water, greedily giving her some every once and a while. She'd found interest in his jaw bone and exploring it with her lips, waiting for him to finish. She wanted to get out and run in the snow, because her body was on fire. Howl's hands rested gently on her back as she trailed her lips further back on his jaw and straight to his ear. Howl hissed softly as she nibbled on his cartilage. He tightened his grip on her body.
She pulled away, finding the only time she wasn't dizzy when she was looking in his eyes. Honey, beautiful eyes. The only part of his that was pretty. Anything else was just….just… sexy. She felt his pectoral muscles when she moved her hands down, hearing him whimper softly. "Let's go, Howl." She whispered, kissing him and feeling her teeth graze against his lower lip. "I wanna go, Howl."
Howl blinked, his head spinning faster and faster. "Where?" He asked. Korra thought about it for a minute before she grinned and wrapped her arms around his throat, placing her lips once against his chin, then on below his lips, then directly on his lips, trailing her tongue along the silky inside of his chapped mouth. "Mmm." He said, the vibrations as he murmured sending shivers through her. "Korra,"
Korra pulled back before she took his hand, the wide smile lacing her cheeks accompanied by a pale blush. Even through his haze, he knew where they were going…or where they weren't going. He was well aware of his surroundings even if he was drunk, feeling the cold night air hit him hard as he struggled to put one foot in front of the other. Korra was leading him back to where they left Naga… Naga was her name, right?
He didn't realize his arm was wrapped around her waist and keeping her close to him until they were beside the big lump of shedding polar bear-dog fur. His eyes struggled to adjust to the light, following Korra's every movement. When he didn't struggle was putting her onto the saddle and then climbing up behind her; the chill of the drink had faded when the temperature matched the flavor. He blinked, seeing spots where the light was and shaking his head.
He shouldn't have let Korra take him to the bar. He shouldn't have even thought about drinking. He knew he would be fired, but he didn't care. Howl turned her chin up ever so slightly so that he could kiss her gently. Korra didn't seem to take it well when she kissed him back with fervor, running her tongue along the sides of his lips. He was tempted to just give in to her incessant pressuring and let her tongue enter, but something told him not to. It was that stupid voice in the back of his head that had decided not to tell him not to drink. "Let's get home." He breathed, holding back a moan.
Korra nodded and clicked the reins enthusiastically. The animal lunged forwards and Howl had to cling to Korra as not to fall off. His head pounded every time the creature moved forward, hitting the snow roughly.
When they reached the camps, Korra was silent. Howl had no idea why but he knew that she shouldn't be. Her hand was still attached to his as he unsaddled Naga. Then, when the coast was clear, she leaned up to his ear and whispered, "Come with me." Howl noticed how it was almost a beg, a whimper.
"Okay," He said, his voice husky. Korra smiled weakly and pulled him slowly, seductively, to her room. Howl was thankful that they hadn't been spotted; with Korra's grip dragging him to her room. His previous thought about her being in her book returned to his mind and wasn't clouded at all. Korra opened the door to her room and they were both welcomed by a blast of hot air. Howl began to sweat. Korra undid his cloak without him asking and took off his breastplate. Then she pulled his neck closer to her and their lips faintly brushed together.
Howl grew hotter as their kissing did. What had started out gentle quickly grew fast paced and rough. Korra's fingers tangled in his hair as he shed his thicker shirt. She threw off her parka without missing a beat on his frenzying lips. As soon as their upper layers of clothes were gone, Korra fell back on the bed. Howl's amber gaze invaded her mind as he pinned her down gently, not touching her to where it hurt, not being forceful. His lips trailed down to her throat and she gasped as he nibbled gently, shivers surging through her like the drink she'd downed in seconds. His fingers cupped her cheek cautiously.
Korra gently pulled him back up to her lips, before pressing her tongue expectantly poking against his touch. Howl sighed and let her in. Korra was stunned and let him go, shocked at his acceptance. She noticed that his pupils were wide and that his breathing was heavy. She touched his cheek gently, tracing her hand over the wind damaged skin on his face. Though intoxicated, she knew what she wanted and when. And now was not the time. She knew she loved Howl—for real, though—but she didn't want this to continue. Instead, she kissed him on the nose and smiled. "Stay here." She begged, twining her fingers with his.
Howl flinched as he heard her words before confusion and utter loss flooded his mind. Why hadn't the continued? What had happened in her mind? Was she upset with him? Did his breath smell bad? Paranoia that he'd done everything wrong filled his mind and he hung his head, defeated. He hadn't meant to disappoint her; he'd only wanted to help… to please….
Her cold fingers took his chin and raised it, but he didn't want her to see his face. There was nothing worse than looking into her eyes and seeing the shame and disappointment. The only thing he loved was upset with him. "Howl, look at me." She begged. Reluctantly, his eyes met hers and he saw something he'd never expected to see. Instead of hate and anger, he saw warmth and love. He saw a future, he saw her. "I'm tired. But I don't want you to leave."
Without hesitating, he nodded. Korra smiled and tore off her boots, seeing him do the same. When he was finished, she helped him out of his shirt (the thing must have been eighty degrees) and almost regretted her decision to stop. She didn't mean to stare but this was the first time she'd seen his body up close and personal, and without the threat of his death. His muscles were perfectly defined, the smooth pectoral abs catching her breath immediately. A patch of pink skin trailed from his hip to his upper stomach. A thin line of little black hairs led to parts she wanted to explore one day. On his upper arm rested a tattoo of a white lotus tile.
Her throat constricted and she felt for sure that she couldn't breath as she traced her hands around his chest, chewing on the inside of her lip until she tasted the familiar strain of blood. "Well? Go ahead and say it." Howl's voice sounded defeated and crushed. She glanced up at him, raising a brow. "Go ahead and say I'm scrawny." He mumbled. "That I'm nothing to be reckoned with."
"Why would I say that?" She slurred softly, moving over to sit on his lap and hold his head to her chest. "I think you're gorgeous, Howl."
His head shot up, unexpected shock lining his face as he searched for the lies in her words. There was no way… he'd never been called gorgeous. The best compliment he'd received had been smart. With a new found appreciation for the woman of his dreams, he laid her back against her pillows and kissed her. This time, though, he wouldn't let her stop him. He trailed his tongue around her lips before she gasped slowly and let the slightest part. His mouth battled with hers, vying for complete dominance. He wanted to make her feel the way that she made him feel. He wanted to give her that same appreciation for him.
Their tongues battled it out before she was the one to pull away, her lips parted in a soft 'O'. He realized how tired she should be; after all, he was a night owl and used that to his advantage when he was on duty. But he, too, was exhausted, and so he pulled the sheets over them and wrapped his arms around her, too afraid to let her go.