It's become a game of theirs, she tries to steal his helmet and he has to find her to get it back. She's busy and he's busy and they don't see each other often, but the magic word flameo ties them together. She's taken to running around the compound wearing his helmet, sunk low on her face.

And he won't admit it, but it looks really good on her.

One day he catches her hiding in the polar bear dog stables, perched on Naga, helmet in her hands. He sneaks up behind her and pulls it off her head before she sees him.

"Gotcha!"

"Howl! Not fair!"

"Oh, c'mon. I'm surprised you didn't sense me sneaking up on you." He plops the helmet back on his head.

She rolls her eyes. "Yeah, right. It's all ice here, dummy. Not like I could have used my seismic sense."

"C'mon. Your teachers are looking for you."

"They can look a little longer. Firebending training is boring."

"What do you mean? You love firebending!"

"Yeah, but that's just it." She slides off Naga's back and he puts out a hand to steady her. "We're just doing stupid breathing exercises. I'm ready to do more! I just stand for hours in the proper stance, holding a leaf. Boring!"

He laughs. "You sound just like Aang."

"Like you knew him. He was sixty-four when you were born."

"Granted. But I heard from the older Grand Lotuses that he was pretty impatient with firebending too."

"Him? Impatient? Avatar Aang was like the most fabulously peaceful and meditative dude in the world!"

Howl shrugs. "Just what I heard. I mean, seriously, like you could know much about him either. Have you ever met him?"

"No, duh. He's dead."

But they both know that's not what he means. It doesn't matter, she hasn't met him in the spirit world either. Korra's actually rather insecure about that whole side of her avatar duties, because she's really struggled to access it. And Aang had such an easy job of it when he was her age.

"He was a better avatar."

"He had help, Korra. It's just you. He had Master Katara, and..."

"Are you saying I need to fall in love with the girl who rescues me from an iceberg?"

"Maybe. Well, not a girl necessarily. But if you just had someone by your side..."

"I've got you."

"I thought I didn't count."

"I was talking to Naga."

"Oh, sure. Besides, you have Master Tenzin too."

"But I can't even learn from him until I master this stupid leaf firebending!"

Howl rumples her hair – even though she's just as mature as him, she's still a head shorter. "Then go get started."

Korra gives him a glare. "You're a terrible friend."

"But I am a friend."

He really means it. She looks into his eyes, and he matches her gaze evenly. For a moment, it's frozen, and she thinks maybe he does like her after all.

But then the moment breaks, she grabs his helmet again, and darts out the door and back into the compound. "Gotta go practice my leafbending! See you later!"