Effortless Happiness

Pabu sniffled softly as he tried to execute the perfect back-flip-spin Bolin was trying to teach him for the next championship routine, but even Bolin's heart wasn't in it. When the fire ferret fumbled for the fourth time, the earthbender boy gave a soft sigh.

"That's enough for today Pabu. You did your best, buddy." Pabu gave a relieved little squeak and settled in for a nap on Bolin's broad shoulders. The hill they were sitting on in one of Republic City's rare parks was covered with softly rustling green grass, and the sun was settling past the hills in the north amidst an explosion of orange and gold. Bolin sighed, once again his breath taken away entirely at the beauty of the world.

"Hey. Mind if I join you?" the soft voice made Bolin's eyes widen a little but he wasn't really surprised. "Sure." The Avatar flopped over next to him, legs spread without a care in the world, not exactly the picture of a lady. He chuckled softly. She smiled at him but didn't say anything more. She didn't need to. There was something unspoken between them that made the silence seem almost effortless lately.

"Is it strange that I still feel safe here, even knowing Amon is still out there?" Bolin's query was gentle, but curious. His slightly round green eyes came up to meet Korra's turqouise ones, but she didn't seem to have a clear answer. All she could do was put a hand on his shoulder and squeeze gently.

"You're used to feeling safe. It's not strange. Not at all. So was I, until I came here. You had Mako to depend on. I always felt I could depend on myself. But here...now...there's a lot of scary stuff out there we can't handle..."

Bolin reached up and took her slender but calloused fingers in his own, squeezing comfortingly in return. "Well, you have us to depend on now. And we have you. We can depend on each other." Korra gave a small smile and suddenly leaned her head against Bolin's shoulder, disturbing Pabu, who did his best to rearrange himself in Bolin's lap with as little noise as possible.

"I know...and I'm grateful for that. So grateful..."

A gentle breeze blew up the hill and Bolin caught of a wiff of Korra's hair. It smelled like lilies and rose water, a smell he'd come to associate with a newly washed Avatar. During those practice matches, she'd smelled just as badly as they had. They'd even had a contest once, to see whose socks smelled worse. Of course, Mako had rolled his eyes and called them children before marching off to find Asami somewhere, but Bolin hadn't minded. He'd won anyway. Korra had almost keeled over from the stench of his socks. It had been hilarious. The LOOK on her face!

Remembering that seemed to awaken his right arm, which gently snaked it's way around Korra's waist. His open palm found a perfect fit against her hip. He waited pensively for her to wiggle away, to protest they were anything but friends, and yet she didn't. If anything, he felt the subtle shift of her body moving into the arc of his arm and cuddling closer. So close his hand was no longer on her hip, but hovering empty over her slim stomach.

She was so warm...so wonderful. So special. Unlike any other girl he'd ever known. Gulping hollowly, he took the plunge and rested his hand right over where he guessed her belly button would be. He could feel slight gurglings of her dinner digesting and a slight spasm of her ab muscles.

"Sorry..." she mumbled as a particularly triumphant gurgle rippled against his palm. Bolin smiled. "It's okay. You got nothin' on the noises this puppy makes after a lunch special! he patted his own stomach for emphasis. Korra giggled and patted it too, but let her hand linger, Her cheek was nuzzled against his chest. Bolin hoped she couldn't feel his entire body trembling. If only she knew what she did to him...

"heeey Pabu. How are you?" Korra grinned as the little creature looked up at her from Bolin's lap, fur glossy and nose snuffling. He made a series of clicks and whistles. "What did he say?" Korra asked, looking up at the ferret's owner. Bolin shook his head. "You little flatterer, you! He said he's more than fine with the Avatar nearby." Korra giggled and stroked Pabu between the ears. No translation was necessary for the long rumbling purr that followed.

"It's funny, Pabu's usually a little slow to get used to strangers. But he's trusted you from the beginning. Just like me..."

Korra finally pulled away from the comfy embrace they'd been sharing and looked at the sky in a distracted manner. "Really? That's...strange. I guess I've always had a thing for animals."

'What's wrong?" Bolin made to stand up, but Korra stopped him with a firm hand on his shoulder.

"Shh. I thought I heard-"

She never finished her sentence. Chi-blockers surrounded the couple in seconds, but it was obvious this crew were rookies. None carried the fancy lightning generating equipment Amon ahd introduced as standard at his attack of the arena. All the had were their bare hands and masks to shield their identities as well as light armor. Korra lashed out with fire, trying to send them back far enough so Bolin could corral them all with earthbending. The chi-blockers were wily however, and a few snuck behind her, getting jabs ready to strike. Bolin gave a growl like an angry bear and sent two bursts of earth into them, knocking their together and unconscious at the same time. Korra fought the rest with all she had, freezing a few in their places and sending evenmore into recessed pits of earth. her face was twisted into a mask of concentration and rage. Once they'd gotten most of the ones that had attacked and sent the rest running, Korra flopped over, feeling that familiar dizziness come up again. She felt as if she would be sick, as her vision seemed to fail and everything around her turned black.

"Korra? KORRA!" She heard Bolin's voice, but it morphed into the voice of many other people, of Aang again, and someone who looked like Lin Bei Fong, and what seemed to be a much younger Katara, pregnant like Pema, but with a worried look on her face. For a split second she saw the grizzled visage of an older man, but then darkness took over and even Bolin's voice dissapeared...

She woke up in her room on the island, but the curtains were drawn and everything looked shadowy and strange. A gentle hand eased her back onto the pillow. Tenzin.

"Easy now, Korra. you had a rough time of it, but you're safe now, only a bit of a fever left. Thank goodness that earthbending boy had the strength to bring you here right away."

"Bolin? brought me...but...how?"

"Seems he's done his research in regards to his craft. He made a bridge from the earth far below the water's surface and practically carried you to our shore. Was in quite a state, I can tell you. Had to do all I could to keep him from staying with you all night. The other one came shortly after on a ferryboat. I insisted he go home, since I know you've had some issues with him, but he too refused." Tenzin gave an exasperated sigh. "Are all teenage boys so pigsnakeheaded?

Korra couldn't help but smile. The boys got points in her book for giving Tenzin a little run for his yuan, but now she had to talk some sense into both of them.

After a brief breakfast and time to shower and look less sick and more like everything was okay, she waltzed into the main room where both benders were sitting. Bolin was picking at a scab on his elbow and Mako was staring into space pensively.

"KORRA!" both of them noticed her at once and both ran up, only for both of them to stop before they hugged her, unsure of whether she was up to a tackling. She giggled at their hesitation and hugged both of them, picking them up off the ground.

"I was so worried! You just passed out just like that! I thought maybe youd strained yourself after fighting those chi-blockers, but I don't get how that could make you so sick!" Bolin fretted as he seemed to examine her all over, trying to make his own diagnosis as to why she'd blacked out.

She smiled. "I'm okay, I promise. Thanks to you." she gave him a swift kiss on the cheek. "Tenzin told me what you did. I'm impressed!" Bolin swooned and seemed to melt into a puddle of mush. While he was occupied, she turned to Mako.

"I'm honestly just glad you're okay. But I did tell you it would be best to lay low after the attack on the arena. No jaunts into the city when we don't know what's lurking out there." Korra bit back a retort along the lines of Mako not being her father and sighed.

"You're probably right, but that doesn't fix the fact that something's wrong with me. I never used to pass out like this before. I...see things before I'm completely gone. I see Aang...and Katara and possibly Toph, all a lot younger than they would be today. And some strange old man I've never seen before..."

Mako's eyes narrowed. "Have you told Tenzin any of this?"

"SHE KISSED ME! SHE KISSED ME! IN YOUR FACE MAKO!!" Bolin danced with Pabu in the background.

Korra shook her head. "I don't know how he'd take it. It's possible I'm having flashbacks of Aang's life. Ho would you feel if your father's reincarnation was having visions?"

The firebender shrugged. "It's really too complicated a situation to say. I think it's best if you told him though. He might be able to help."

The Avatar nodded. "Again, you're probably right-"

"Why are you agreeing with me all of a sudden? And seriously, why'd you kiss Bolin? I TOLD you about leading him on-"

Korra gave Mako a devious little smirk.

"Since when did you CARE who I kissed?"

Mako made a nasty face and walked away grumbling, probably to take a ferry back to the city.

"Bolin, you should go with him." Korra said softly. the earthbender boy stopped dancing and looked at her curiously.

"You sure? I can stay if you need me to. No more matches, remember? I'm technically out of a job." he came closer, studying her again as if she was going to keel over at any moment, but also as if he was looking at the most beautiful girl in the world. It made Korra nervous and a little guilty.

"Your job now is to not worry about me, and to not get yourself captured again. Stay with your brother, please?"

Bolin sighed and nodded. "Ok, ok, I get it. Just...don't forget who carried your heavy butt all the way here from the docks! You OWE ME BIGTIME" and with that stinging retort, he was on his way out the door, Pabu doing a jig behind him.

Korra couldn't help but laugh. There was something about Bolin that made her feel happy, even after all the stressful things that had happened.

"Got them to leave I see." Tenzin walked back in, carrying a drooling Meelo over his shoulder. Korra nodded.

"There's...something I need to tell you."
their eyes met and Tenzin understood. "Let me just put him down and I'll be right back."

Korra wandered out into the front yard and slumped onto a stone bench, watching the ferry come up to the queue. She could see the shadowy form of Mako but...

Warm hands cupped themselves around her eyes.

"Guess who?"

"A platypus bear who can speak."

"I am deeply offended."

Bolin flopped onto the bench next to her and before Korra could really think about what she was doing, she grabbed his arm and hugged it. Thick muscles tensed under the coarse cotton sleeve of his tunic, but he didn't move.

"Hey..." gently he eased her chin up from where it was buried against his sleeve. Big blue wounded eyes looked up at him.

"It's gonna be okay. I promise you, Korra. If I have anything to say about it, nothing will happen to you. I can protect you too, as much as you don't believe it." He smiled and hugged her close against him. The feel of his body, warm and solid and familiar and friendly in her arms made Korra want to cry. But she didn't. She just lay in Bolin's arms, and lost herself in better days...