Just Like the Good Old Days

Sorry I haven't updated in a while, I was stumped on what to do for this chapter. Please note, I will be chopping up 'When Extremes Meet' as the change in events means some things are gonna go differently. I don't own Legend of Korra. But if I did then Korra would've ended up with either Tarrlok or Noatak (or both). Oh, the name I got for this chapter was derived from Taylor Swift's song 'Change'.

These Things Will Change

Noatak's POV:

"What do you mean he escaped?!" I heard Asami shout as we all waited at the police station. It was the day after Hiroshi was arrested, and somehow he managed to escape from custody.

"Miss Sato, please calm down." Chief Bei Fong warned her. "We are doing all we can to track him down but it's not easy as the Equalists probably have secret hideouts. He could be anywhere. Just have some patience and we will do what we can."

Everyone was getting worried. I knew perfectly well that Hiroshi Sato would help the Equalists develop more weapons, and that was the last thing we needed right now. We all stood up and headed out of the police department. Asami, Mako, and Bolin asked if they could come and stay on Air Temple Island now that the Sato mansion was pretty much off-limits; naturally we consented. Korra, Tarrlok, and I waited for them to arrive with their belongings at the Air Temple dock. I noticed Korra's concerned look, none of us had said much since the incident and I could tell there were things on her mind.

"Korra, are you alright?" I asked.

"Just…I'm worried. With Hiroshi on the loose the Equalists have a valuable ally. Who knows what he'll invent to help them?" I knew exactly what he would invent to help the Equalists. And it was not good.

I put an arm around her shoulder and she leaned her head against me. I could feel myself starting to blush slightly at the close contact. What's the matter with me? I shouldn't be letting myself get so flustered. But every time she gets this close to me, my heart just beats a little faster and I feel dizzy. Is this what love is supposed to feel like? It's so strange, but not entirely unpleasant. Soon the boat pulled up with the others.

"You're finally here!" I heard Ikki exclaim as she waved to the new arrivals. "Welcome to Air Temple Island. Your new home."

"Yes, welcome to my domain." Meelo added.

"Well, aren't you sweet, little monk child." Bolin replied.

Suddenly, Pabu jumped off of Bolin's shoulder and began scurrying around.

"What's that fuzzy creature?" Meelo asked.

"That is a fire ferret." Jinora explained. "An arboreal mammal common to the bamboo forest of the central Earth Kingdom."

"He's cuuuuute!" Ikki squealed, making the little fire ferret give off a frightened shriek and run from the Airbender child. Meelo then Airbended himself onto Naga's head and began to tug on her ears shouting "Yip-yip" like he would a sky-bison. The rest of us chuckled at the amusing antics of these children.

"Thanks for sending the Air Acolytes to help us with the move." Mako said to us.

"Yes, they've been amazing." Asami agreed. "Such tireless workers."

Korra, Tarrlok, and I glanced behind our friends to see the Air Acolytes struggling to handle the huge quantities of luggage that Asami had brought with her. Korra and I exchanged questioning looks.

"I thought you were only bringing a few things?" I inquired.

"Trust me, it could've been worse." Mako assured us.

"No problem," Korra responded, "everyone here wants you guys to feel welcome."

I noticed how Mako was looking at the way I still had my arm around Korra's shoulder. Perhaps not everyone was deserving of being welcomed. We held a brief glare at each other before moving onwards towards the temple.

"And now for the grand tour!" Ikki declared in her ridiculously fast way. "The flying bison sleep in those caves down there. And that's the temple Grandpa Aang built. And that's the greenhouse where we grow the vegetables we eat."

"I have a couple questions!" Bolin spoke up and then began a stream of questions that were spoken at the same speed that Ikki uses. "Is this an all vegetarian island? Is that where you train Airbending? Do we have to wear Air Acolyte clothes? Do we each get our own sky bison? And final question, how many trees are on this island?"

Ikki thought for a moment and then responded no less quickly.

"Yes. Yes. No. No. Ten thousand five hundred and fifty two."

After a long, awkward pause, I cleared my throat and broke the silence.

"I think Tarro and I will show you two" I said to Mako and Bolin "to the boy's dormitory if Korra will escort Asami to the girl's."

"Sounds like a plan." Korra agreed.

As Tarrlok and I led the other two boys away, with Meelo and Jinora following behind us, I had the strangest feeling that something awkward was going to happen.

"Mako, Bolin," Jinora said, "did you know that Noak likes Korra?"

Inside my head, I was letting out a horrific shriek as lighting flashed and fire blazed behind me and my eyes went white and bugged out of my skull in outrage.

"Uh, no we were not entirely aware of that." Mako replied, I could sense the annoyance in his tone. What is his problem anyway? This is the millionth time that he has given off an attitude of unjustifiable jealousy whenever Korra has expressed interest in someone other than him.

"Well of course he likes Korra!" Bolin exclaimed, his naïve innocence hindering him from realizing the true meaning of what the child had said. "I mean, we all like her! She's a wonderful friend."

"Well, that's not exactly what I-" Jinora started, but I swiftly cut her off.

"Jinora, could you please excuse us? You too, Meelo."

Jinora glowered at being dismissed but she took her little brother by the hand and led him off.

"So…you and Korra are…together?" Mako asked me.

"Uh…not exactly." I replied. I did not like where this conversation was headed. Tarrlok gave a muffled cough to get our attention and we continued on to show our…guests to their room.

Tarrlok's POV:

After the awkward conversation with Mako and Bolin, Noatak disappeared for a while. I assured the others that he was fine and went to look for him. Surprise, surprise, I found him broodingly looking out over the landscape like he did when we were younger in that other life. I advanced closer and he must have sensed me approach as he suddenly tucked something into his pocket. I didn't see what it was, just a flash of light blue.

"What are you doing out here?" I asked him.

"You wouldn't understand." He sighed.

"Try me." I replied as I sat next to him. He didn't respond. "What are you hiding?"

"I'm not hiding anything." I could detect a bit of defensiveness in his tone and pouted.

"Don't give me that. I saw you put something in your pocket as soon as you realized I was approaching."

When he continued to give me the silent treatment a devious smile crept over my face. Before he even had a chance to react, as his reflexes are not as good since he stopped using Bloodbending, I snatched whatever it was in his pocket and darted away.

"Give it back!" He demanded as he tried to tackle me.

"Nuh-uh."

"Tarrlok, I'm serious." He said, his voice becoming low and threatening, it reminded me of when he spoke as Amon. "Hand it over."

Instead of listening, I looked at the object in my hand. It was a smooth, round, light-blue stone. Funny, the only kind of stones I've seen these used for is betrothal nec-

"Oh my spirits."

"Tarrlok, I'm warning you."

"Oh. My. Spirits!"

"Shhh." He slapped a hand over my mouth. "You want all of Republic City to find out?"

My eyes had gone wide. He couldn't be serious? In the middle of a war? Now?

"If I take my hand way, do you promise to keep your composure?"

I nodded and mumbled "Yes" through his hand. He pulled his hand away.

"You're gonna…you and Korra…what the…how the…when…?"

He pinched the bridge of his nose in vexation.

"I knew you wouldn't react well to this. Yes, I've been thinking about this for a while now. I can't keep hiding how I feel about her. I'm-I'm going to let her know soon and…if things go well…"

"In the middle of a war?"

"With all the changes we've made to how things are going I don't know how everything's going to turn out. If-if something goes wrong, I want to have at least one chance to…"

I could hear the words dying in his throat. I put a hand on his shoulder and returned the stone to him.

"So…what are you gonna carve?"

Korra's POV:

Noak had been acting really dodgy lately. The way he and Mako looked at each other made me think that there had been something of a disagreement between them. I didn't like that there was animosity between my friends, it made me uneasy. I've also been feeling more self-conscious around Noak. Every time he looks at me I feel worried that there's something wrong with me, but when he doesn't look away and instead smiles at me I feel like I am the most perfect person in the world. I just wish I knew how to tell him how I felt. Things are just so weird right now.

At least it's nice to have another girl my age around, and Asami's pretty fun.

"So, Korra," Asami said to me as we hung out after I'd finished practice, "I hear you like Noak."

"What?" Panic raced through me. "Wha-No I-I…we're just…I mean I…" I let out a sigh. "Is it really that obvious?"

"Sweetie, I could see it a mile away." She replied, her red lips curling into a smug smirk. "And for the record, he obviously likes you too."

"R-really?" My heart started to beat a little faster.

"Oh yeah. And I think it's sweet. You two are so perfect for each other. You even look a little similar. Frankly, when I first met you both, I thought you were twins until he asked you to dance at that gala."

The memory of the gala hit me like I had been run over by a satomobile. Tarrlok had been sending me requests that I rejoin his taskforce, but I had refused again. This time I would be ready in case there was any more funny business. Something didn't sit right with me about Tarrlok; he'd been pursuing Equalists a little too aggressively, even taking it out on ordinary Nonbending citizens. I was interrupted from these thoughts when Noak appeared, heading right towards us. I looked frantically at Asami, who just smiled knowingly at me.

"Oh, uh…hey, Noak." I said nervously rubbing the back of my head. "Did you want something?"

"Um, yes, actually." He replied. There was something different in his voice, he sounded unsure of himself for once. "I was wondering…would you do me the pleasure of accompanying me for dinner this evening?"

The way he asked clearly indicated that he was asking me out on a date. I may not have much experience with the real world, but I'm not that naïve. I felt warmth flood my cheeks and I knew I was blushing. Nervously, I nodded. A bright smile broke out across his features. Maybe Asami was right.

Noatak's POV:

The evening had been one of the most wonderful nights of my life. Even more than when Korra and I had gone to that play a few weeks ago. The entire time I was a nervous wreck though. I kept fidgeting nervously with my thumbs under the table. Korra seemed to notice my nervousness and began to look a little shy herself. This was the unexplored territory. For the longest time we had been nothing more than just friends, and we were both anxious. I suddenly realized that my hands were sweaty and a shiver of panic went through me. How could this happen?! I'm a forty-something-year-old in a nineteen-year-old's body, this should not be happening! We chatted casually, I don't even really remember the topics, it was just anything we could think of. It wasn't like I had just asked some random girl I didn't know to go out with me, I knew Korra by heart. I had grown up with her. I cared about her. I…I do believe I love her.

"Korra." She looked up when I spoke. "There's something very important I want to tell you."

"Yes, Noak? What is it?"

"Korra, I…"

Cliff-hanger! Bwahahahaha! I'm so bad. Sorry, folks, but it had to be done. I know, I know, we all hate cliff-hangers. Anyway, what do you think is gonna happen? Will Noatak finally be able to confess his feelings for Korra? Will something happen to interrupt them before they have a chance? You'll have to wait and see.