"Happy birthday, Korra."
"Ahh!" Korra jumps up, slipping a bit on the fresh snow. "Oh, Howl. Hey."
He comes to join her on the edge of the lookout. "Thought I'd find you here. You sneaked past me again."
"I'm getting rather good at it," she says wryly.
"Anyway, I think it's about midnight. Happy birthday."
"Thanks. I think no one will notice but you."
"Of course they will. It's the avatar's fifteenth birthday."
"Exactly. There are more important things going on. My present is going to be an extra three hours of firebending training and earth and water review."
"I got you a present."
"Yeah?" Korra's surprised, but she doesn't show it. Howl is a good friend, but would he really go to all that trouble?
"Here." He takes off his helmet and shakes it upside down onto the ground. Out plops a small piece of blue cloth tied with a ribbon.
She tears the ribbon off to reveal a patterned white and blue armband. "Cool! Thanks, Howl." In one fluid movement Korra pulls her thick winter coat over her head, revealing the short-sleeved everyday wear. She pushes the armband up to just above the elbow on her right arm. "I love it."
"It even matches."
"Thanks for remembering, Howl."
"Of course."
"And for coming to find me at midnight."
"The night shift was boring anyway." Then, after a moment, "You should put your coat back on before you catch a cold. Wouldn't want to be sick on your birthday."
"I'm not cold." But she does as he suggests. "It's beautiful here, isn't it?"
As if on cue, it starts to snow lightly, white powder on white moonlight.
Korra opens her mouth to catch a few snowflakes on her tongue.
"What are you doing?"
"Catching snowflakes. What do you think I'm doing?" She slides her eyes to the side to look at Howl, and for a moment she loses her breath.
White snowflakes, dark hair, a goofy smile – what's not to love? And she can't help it. They've been friends for a year and a half now, and she likes him more each day.
And then, just because she has the brash impulses of a firebender, she says, "Do I get a birthday kiss?"
He laughs. "If you like." Howl leans in, planting a soft kiss on her cheek.
"That was a cheap kiss!"
"I'm not going to kiss you, Korra."
"Why not? It's just one kiss. And it's not like you have a girlfriend, or I a boyfriend. I'm not allowed to date, remember?"
"All the more reason not to get too involved."
"You don't like me."
For some reason, he finds that hilarious. "Korra! Of course I like you. You're funny and stubborn and beautiful and talented and creative. It's just..."
"Just what?"
He sighs and stands up. "You won't understand."
"I'm fifteen years old! That's how old you were when we first met."
"You're only barely."
"Please." Korra hates begging, and she's not really begging for a kiss anymore. She just ruined everything, and he can't leave, not now. "Stay."
"Happy birthday." There's a quiet bitterness in his tone.
"Howl, I-"
But then he walks away into the night.
Oh, perfect. So much for that.
Why did she have to say that? Why? Sure, she likes him, but now it's ruined. Now he'll never like her back. Obviously they don't feel the same way about each other.
Except...
Of course I like you.