It had been a week.

A week.

He had heard what occurred at the Sato mansion. Knew that the Fire Ferrets and Mako's girlfriend were living on Air Temple Island. Heard rumors of the new technology the equalists had developed. Huge platinum machines that someone could control from the inside.

He heard the Chief of Police had resigned and was frequently visiting the Air Temple. That half the police force was in the hands of Amon. That she, the Airbending Master, and Korra were almost captured too had it not been for the defeat of Mr. Sato at the hands of his own daughter.

But none of that matter. None of it mattered at all.

Because it had been a week since he had seen her.

Despite popular belief, Tahno didn't do drugs. He had the occasional drink (well, more than occasional since the incident) and he would never say he was addicted to anything except glory and fame.

However, his stomach clenched every time he looked towards the direction of the Arena or Narook's or the Police Station. His heart skipped a beat every time his eyes caught the sight of a blue jacket or brown hair put up in a ponytail. He couldn't sleep. He barely ate.

It felt an awful like how one would describe withdrawal.

It doesn't make any sense, Tahno told himself while sitting up in bed, waking up from an all-too-familiar nightmare. She's been in my life for less than a month. I met her three times. I don't even know her.

He didn't like this obsessive need to find her. To tell her he wanted to help take down Amon with her and the rest of her friends. He wanted to try and be her friend.

This had never happened to him before. Emotions bubbled across his chest at the thought of her and her name. His face flushed, his palms ached, and his shoulders tensed.

He was in love and he had no idea what to do.

He couldn't go to Air Temple Island unannounced. She didn't consider him a friend. Neither did the Fire Ferret brothers. He was an acquaintance of Asami's, but he hadn't talked to her, in what? Six months? It would be a poor excuse to show up and offer up his condolences for her rogue father.

Frustrated, he growled and threw his pillow across the room. Once upon what seemed like a lifetime ago, women had flocked to him. He never had to look for a girl to sling his arm around. He never had to pursue. All he had to do was wink and boom! She was his for the night or several. He probably could still do that. There were women who loved a project...

But it sounded so cheap now. He was disgusted with the very thought. It was such a sudden change to the way he was two measly weeks before.

He had his bending then. A veil of ignorance still draped across his eyes. It was both a blessing and curse that it had been removed, that he saw the world for it was. That he saw himself for what he was and what he had been.

That he saw her for what she was.

It was precisely for this reason that the next day he made his way to the ferry dock that went to and from Air Temple Island. His eyes narrowed as they glanced over the water, a surge of anger bristling through his blood. If he had his bending, he could just swim there. If he had his bending, he could actually be of use to her and her fight against Amon.

If he still had his bending, he probably wouldn't be in love with her.

As much.

So absorbed in the possibilities, the what-ifs that he almost missed the loud, familiar bark of polar-bear dog a few docks down and a loud, familiar voice telling said polar-bear dog to calm down.

Almost.

Tahno whipped his head around and spotted the pair racing towards Downtown. Wasting no time, Tahno ran after them, doing his best to remember all the short-cuts that could give him the lead. His breath went ragged and his heartbeat quickened less than a minute within his mad dash towards Korra. He cursed himself for his lack of sleep, appetite, and exercise over the last week. How the hell was he supposed to help her if he could barely help himself.

His legs brought him to the large fountain at the center of the park. He was still so far from where Korra seemed to be headed...but he was so tired and aggravated with himself. All he wanted to do was cry and scream that it wasn't fair. That the Spirits would curse him to fall in love with Avatar right after his entire world went topsy-turvy. It was such a cruel punishment that unfortunately, he couldn't really say he didn't deserve. At least not entirely.

In his lament over the his recent emotional struggles, Tahno didn't notice on the other side of the fountain a certain polar-bear dog lapping water into her mouth and a certain young woman jumping off its back and stretching her legs. Didn't see her stroll to the other side of the fountain and her eyes widening at his deteriorating hands gripping at his scraggly hair. Didn't see her walk up and gently place her hand on his bony shoulder.

"Tahno?" she asked, unsure if this was the same young man she had seen a week ago. "Is that you?"

He froze. It couldn't be...it wasn't...

Lifting his head up, the bright sunlight temporarily blinded him and he couldn't see the face of the woman in front of him. Even as the sunlight decreased, his vision was still blurred by the tears threatening to fall.

But he was still able to make out her dark skin. Her tight clothes. Her sky-blue eyes.

"Korra," he sighed. He was so relieved to see her again. To know she was alright.

So relieved in fact, he fainted, body falling into the fountain.

"Tahno!"

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CI: I would like to thank everyone for the lovely reviews! You are all so kind and amazing. I'm glad we all can relish in this wonderful pairing because I certainly believe it has tons of potential (which stinks for me because I ship Borra as well. I'm not overtly fond of love triangles...)

Hope you enjoyed this chapter and see you guys soon~