Chapter One

"Howllllll!"

Korra groaned, crossing her arms and looking up into the guard tower he sat in. The seventeen year old rolled his eyes but hid his smirk in the latest book his nose was buried into. "Come down here!" She begged.

"I'm working." He teased, crossing his arms and putting the book down beside the chair he'd plopped into. The snow reflected over the barren landscape, the cold air brushing against his face. A single strand of hair fell between his eyes, causing him to grump and take off his helmet, shaking his shaggy black hair out. Even though his many layers of uniform kept his body warm, the helmet was designed for protection. The White Lotus apparently would rather die from frostbite than to a head wound.

Suddenly, an icy force hit him in the back of the head, cold snow running down his hair and into the small opening where his helmet connected with his uniform. "Korra!" He shouted, jumping up as the ice rolled down his back and melted from the heat built up in his uniform. The Avatar was laughing, her head thrown back. Two more compacted snow balls rested in her hands, ready to fire if he didn't comply. "I'm not coming down there, you know." He said, shivering as he sat back down. "Not when you've sentenced me to a cold."

"You won't get sick." She shouted back up at him. He rolled his eyes, putting his helmet back on and shaking his head. "Howl, pleaseeeee?"

"No."

He heard her exasperated sigh and smiled. Pleased with himself, he turned over his shoulder to look at her. Her long brown hair was, shockingly, not up in the usual ponytail. It was back in a low bun. She still wore her parka, but instead of the seal skinned pants, she wore a cerulean blue dress. Hanging low on her neck was a simple amulet, the exact color of her eyes. Howl cleared his throat and yet couldn't keep his eyes off of her.

Korra noticed. "You know, it's not nice to stare."

A blush flooded his cheeks and he instantly turned away. "Why are you in that get-up?" He asked, trying to focus on the blinding snow in the distance.

"If you came down here, I would tell you." She retorted. "Otherwise, you'll never find out."

He might as well sentence himself to death either way. With a sigh, he turned and opened the hatch to the ground, sliding down the wooden-rung ladder and plopping onto the snowy ground. His brows raised, he emerged into the sunlight and walked to where she stood with her arms crossed over her chest. "Yes, Lady Avatar?" He asked. "Please go on and tell me why you are in that dress."

"Oh, but of course!" She said. "Come with me," She begged.

"Korra…." He groaned.

"It'll only be for a few minutes, I swear." Her warm hands covered his arm, and he could about feel the silky skin from here. His eyes avoided her face, trying to find some interest in the snow. "Please?"

"Where are we going?" He muttered, giving in instantly. Her voice seemed to be laced with honey, easily conforming him to her every whim. Korra squealed and squeezed his arm tighter, with the grip of a moose-lion. Howl didn't wince, thanks to the armor hidden under the warm cloak wrapped around him.

"Get your helmet. I'll get Naga."

The snow drift looked over everything. The village Korra had been born from, the camp where she had been trained, the hole in the ice that everyone was forbidden to go to. Howl glanced out over the landscape while Korra parked Naga by the edge, making sure the polar bear-dog was relaxed and wasn't going to knock them off of the drift. "Howl?" Korra whispered, touching his arm.

The heat returned to his face and he prayed he could blame it on the wind. However, the air had just decided to still, and his excuse was lacking. "Hi." He said, turning to her. Her soft, plump lips were turned down in a subtle frown, her dark brows pinching inwards. He found himself copying her movements. "What's wrong?"

"The Order. They're making me go to some fancy dance in town for the chief's son's birthday." Her nose crinkled adorably, he noticed, before cringing with the fact that he thought that way. "Will you come?"

"I have guard duty tonight and…" His voice trailed off when he saw her cyan eyes bed. "I—Korra…"

"You'd be protecting me!" She threw her hands into the air, shaking her head. "It's almost as if you want to spend more time at the compound then you want to spend with me." She turned away from him, shaking her head.

Howl felt his stomach boiling in angst. "That is the complete opposite of the truth." He blurted. His hand flew to his mouth as soon as he said it. Korra had heard, and she swiftly turned to all smiles.

"You mean that?" She asked, walking up to him and tilting her head like a lost polar bear-dog. She was so close that all of her scents invaded his head, making him dizzy. Mixtures of perfume and seafood clung to her clothes and her breath smelled like something that he only used to know. It reminded him of the home he had come from, the Fire Nation, and the mint leaves his parents had chewed after every dinner. The memory hit him with force so strong that he felt himself stumbling back. "Howl!" Korra shouted, grabbing his arm as he lingered around the edge of the snow drift. The memory faded and he returned to the present, the white surroundings only giving him a headache. His feet collided with a patch of ice and he slipped, the edge dangerously closer than it had seemed.

Then he felt Korra's warm arms bringing him back to the safety of solid ground. He let out a massive breath, realizing how scared he really had been from the threat. "Oh." He uttered, his breathing still shaky.

Korra pulled him farther away from the edge, her own hands trembling. What if she had lost Howl? That would have been horrible. Not only for herself, because she would deeply miss her only friend, but because she would have been in masses of trouble for taking a guard out to the snow drift.

Howl seemed pretty shaken. She wanted to ask him again to come with her but after that, she wasn't sure how to. Instead, she slid down into the snow and sighed. Howl, fortunately, sat down beside her. He was warm, she noticed, biting her lip. Warmer than the first time she'd brought him here. Maybe if was out of embarrassment of nearly falling and being saved by a girl, but that had never bothered him before.

A sharp wind caught her and she shuddered. This dress was good for nothing but making her cold. She snuggled against him and felt him stiffen. He was her best friend but he acted like a conversation would get him in trouble. She liked him. He was amazingly friendly when they were alone. He may have been from the Fire Nation when he was young, but she found this shy boy intimidating. While everyone else considered her royalty, almost, or like a fragile flower, he acted like she was just another normal girl who could bend all of the elements.

When they were alone.

But when there was a possibility that they could be caught, he was just another guard. Sure, he let her sneak out more than once, because he was amazing like that, but he took his job too seriously. The only people who really cared were the leaders of the White Lotus. Other guards had often spotted their friendly interactions and hadn't given a second thought to it. Maybe, she thought, they think I need a friend.

In more ways than one, they were right. Katara had been her closest friend for years until Howl had come along. A sixteen year old boy who was lanky and shy, who had the shaggiest hair she'd ever seen, who liked swords and took his job very seriously. A sixteen year old who had lost his parents in a strange 'Satomobile' accident. She had no clue what they were, but they sounded horrible by the descriptions he'd given her.

Her attention turned back to him as he slowly loosened up, relaxing ever so slightly. She felt a sly smile growing on her face. "So you'll come, right?"

For a moment, he didn't answer. Then he sighed. "I guess."

"Yay!"

"Korra—"He muttered, turning towards her. Her smile was too much, too contagious, and he felt himself laughing. "Why do you so desperately want me to come?" He questioned.

Korra rubbed her arm subconsciously. Howl frowned. Maybe this was a touchy subject? Maybe she was betrothed to the boy? His stomach turned at the thought. What would it be like to be betrothed to someone, knowing you could never love again? The Southern Water Tribe still had their own customs of marriage. "I just want a friend there." She said softly.

Howl looked at her from up and down. She was absolutely beautiful in the dress and he knew she hated it. But he couldn't help but feel like he did. She may never know how he felt, but he was falling for her as every day went on.

A/N The start to a (hopefully) good story. I love this pairing so much, just because the fandom has created him in the image they think would fit him. I'm a multishipper, but this is too lovable to be helped.

R&R? :D