Chapter 1: Nerves

A cool evening breeze swept its way across Air Temple Island, swaying the tall grass to and fro. A ring-tailed winged lemur, trolling about for a midnight snack, silenced a cricket's incessant chirping. It was, by all accounts, a peaceful night, even by an air nomad's standards. The chi-blockers seemed to be taking advantage of the recent bout of pleasant weather, too. The band of insurgents hadn't staged a single attack for over two weeks. All was peaceful.

So why couldn't the Avatar fall asleep?

Korra rolled over in her bed, huffing in frustration. She had done everything she could think of in an attempt to get some rest. Pillows had been fluffed. Windows had been cracked open. Sheep were counted. For a girl who normally slept like a log, this was a rare occurrence. Even during nights filled with bad dreams, she was able to get some sleep before she was startled awake. Korra had never had a problem like this before. What was different?

Korra sighed in an exasperated huff, forcing cool air from her nose. She knew exactly what was different.

"Mako," she whispered to herself in a defeated tone.

The handsome fire bender boy had shown up in her life so forcefully, so suddenly. And as much as she hated to admit it, Ikki was right. Korra liked him. The teen rolled her eyes and fidgeted around on her bed for the umpteenth time. When had she become such a… girl? When she was younger, she never understood her Water Tribe girlfriends, who would giggle and blush at the sight of their crush of the week. She didn't have anything against her friends, but she could never relate. Up until now, at least. Korra was never one to giggle, but blushing. Oh spirits, did she blush around Mako. And she hated it! In a way, it was almost like being bloodbent by Tarrlok. Korra had no control of her body around the pro-bender.

Korra mashed her cheek into the pillow, trying desperately to get comfortable. She could deal with all of this boy nonsense in a normal situation. But this was not a normal situation. Mako had asked her out on a date, which would occur in two very short days. The very thought of going out with him excited her and made her want to vomit simultaneously. Korra couldn't help but picture all the different ways she'd screw it up. She broke out into a nervous sweat, which did not help to solve her insomnia problem.

The Water Tribe girl violently kicked her sheets down to her ankles, and then splayed her tangled mess of limbs and hair across the bed in an attempt to cool off. She wiped the moisture from her forehead and cross her arms defiantly, even thought there was nobody in the room to defy. She didn't have anything to worry about. Heck, she was the friggin' Avatar! If anyone was nervous, it should've been Mako. After all, he was the one who asked her out.

But what if he didn't like her once he got to know her? She wasn't exciting. She didn't have any cool stories. No interesting family. No amazing childhood. Korra pouted her lip. She was just a spoiled Avatar who was pampered for her entire life. He'd hate that!

Korra flipped onto her stomach and groaned, punching a stray pillow. She recognized her sporadic thoughts as insignificant byproducts of her anxiety. But real or not, they kept her from getting a good night's sleep. She needed some air. Korra rolled to the edge of the bed, her bare feet making contact with the hardwood floor. Naga, ever the light sleeper, raised her head with an inquisitive whine. Korra shuffled over and gave her friend a reassuring scratch behind the ears.

"Don't worry, girl, I'm just taking a walk. I'll be back."

The polar bear-dog gave an impartial snort and lay back on the floor. Korra grabbed her coat and headed for the courtyard.

While the rest of Republic city slept, one building remained active. One structure was still a hub of activity and light, even in this hour. Steam poured from the towering smokestacks jutting from the roof of the large structure, and the faint sound of heavy machinery echoed from the windows. Time was money for the Sato Corporation, and the sentiment was no more apparent than in Hiroshi's main satomobile factory.

Unsurprisingly, the nightshift attracted fewer men and women hunting for wages. This made getting a job much, much easier for Mako, who was currently utilizing his fire bending to weld car parts. The hours were long, and the pay wasn't spectacular. But money was money. And he and his brother needed to scrap together whatever they could get.

Mako sent another line of electricity from his fingertips to the car part he was working on. The concentrated fire hit the vehicle joint, melting it into red-hot slag. Heat assaulted his welder's mask, which was doing a poor job at keeping the fire bender cool. However, tonight, Mako's face was hot for an entirely different reason.

He had a date with Korra in two days.

Mako mentally kicked himself. He couldn't believe that he asked the Avatar out. What was he thinking? Here was this strong, perfect, amazing girl and then there was him- a crappy fire bender barely fit for a shopkeeper's daughter. The conveyer belt moved on, delivering a new piece to be welded. He tried to imagine his anxiety was the electricity, arcing out of his chest, arms, and hands. But it was no use, he still felt like there was some invisible weight pressing down on his body. The factory whistle sounded, signaling the end of his shift. The belt creaked to a stop as Mako took his mask and gloves off, savoring the feel of fresh air across his face. He needed to go for a walk to clear his head.

Korra took slow careful steps, counting in her head. She controlled her breath, kept her posture straight. Every so often, she would interrupt her steady form with a sporadic punch or kick, just to expend some bundled energy. What she really wanted to do was fire bend, but she didn't think the Air Nomads or the White Lotus guards would appreciate jets of flame shooting past their windows. So she practiced her air bending forms. Even if she couldn't physically manipulate the element, she could still get the theory down.

Sill, nothing blew off steam like a good fire bending move. Korra bent back, her palms touching the ground for a brief moment before she sprung up, righting her body whilst preforming a scissor kick in the air, simulating the point where fire would be released. The move was flashy- one of her favorites. Korra landed with confidence, breathing heavily.

She did not expect to see Tenzin staring at her from the doorframe.

"T- Tenzin!" she said awkwardly, caught off guard. "What are you doing up?"

The air bender gave her a deadpan look and stroked his beard. "I was going to ask you the same thing, Korra."

Korra gave a little nervous chuckle, and returned Tenzin's stare with an obnoxious grin. "I was just practicing some air bending forms. Aren't you proud of me?"

Tenzin crossed his arms, forcing a sharp breath out of nose. "It's one in the morning. This is no time for practice," he quipped.

Korra crossed her arms, too, almost as a challenge. "Well, I couldn't sleep," she retorted, pouting her lip.

Tenzin's eyebrows rose, creasing his forehead. His impatient tone was replaced by one of worry. "Korra, are you having more nightmares about… Amon?"

Korra's eyes widened. "No! I'm fine, really. It's not even something important. To you anyway," she mumbled under her breath.

Tenzin thought for a moment. "Perhaps if you meditated on the issue, you'd find some peace. Meditation can be a powerful sleep aid. It's relaxing, quiet, and empties the mind of troubling thoughts. I'm sure Meelo's demonstrated the effect for you more than once," he chuckled to himself.

Korra was about to roll her eyes in protest, but stopped herself. Maybe Tenzin was right. Maybe a good meditation session was exactly what she needed. She uncrossed her arms and nodded in acknowledgment.

"Yeah, I think that's a good idea. I'm going to head up to the gazebo. I'll see you tomorrow."

Tenzin stroked his beard slowly, trying to hide his surprise at the fact that Korra actually took his advice for once. "Yes, but do try to get back to bed. I promised Pema that you'd help her and the children with the island chores tomorrow. I can't have you falling asleep where you stand."

Korra gave Tenzin a thumbs up. "Don't worry, I won't stay up for long. I just need to clear my head." She trotted down the path to the gazebo. A small smile crept across Tenzin's face, and he shook his head. He looked towards the immense silhouette of Avatar Aang's statue, standing out in the bay, staff in hand.

"Maybe you got through to her."