"you're gonna miss me when i'm gone" [K] for @jimena-garse
Title: you're gonna miss me when i'm gone
Author: ebonyquill (ahlistenalison)
Rating: K
Recipient: jimena-garse
Disclaimer: Bryke owns everything and Rami Malek owns that voice.
Warning(s): Strong language.
Author's Notes: I had that stupid song stuck in my head when I was writing this and it's the cheesiest song of all time, so please, prepare for yourself for a cheese-filled entree.
Summary: Korra and Tahno have to be apart for a week for the first time in their relationship. Childish bets, bouts of paranoia, and hints of insanity ensue.
Word Count: 1648
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"Are you sure you'll be alright?"
"Yes, Avatar. I was a perfectly capable human being before you moved in."
Tahno doesn't duck when Korra smacks the back of his head. It begins to sting almost immediately. He groans loudly and massages the sore spot.
She rolls her eyes. "I know that."
"You're only going to be in the Fire Nation for a week. That's hardly enough time for the world to end." This time, he ducks for a blow that never comes.
Crossing her arms over her chest, she raises a brow."You'd be surprised."
Tahno carefully observes her. "Will you be okay, Avatar?"
"No," she smirks. "How am I ever going to survive without your incessant whining for an entire week?"
His eyes narrow. "Personally, I am going to thoroughly enjoy my week of peace and quiet."
"Ha! Oh, please. You'll be dying of boredom within three days."
"Wanna bet?"
"Yeah. Actually, I do," Korra replies without missing a beat.
Before Tahno can take it back, he sees that flash of determination in Korra's expression β the same glint of competitiveness that drew him to her when she was a snotty new girl and he was a mean jerk.
"The first one to admit β ."
"Now, wait a second," Tahno tries to interrupt.
" β that they miss the other peson β ."
"Avatar."
"β has to clean the dishes for an entire week."
Tahno looks at her smug expression and something burns deep inside him β the nagging, can't-be-ignored urge to win. "It's on."
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Day One
Republic City
Tahno quickly decides that he's never been this cold in his entire life. He is cocooned in a large blanket, wearing his traditional sleeping attire (black shorts and a basic white shirt). He curves his body into a fetal position in an attempt to conserve his body heat.
The weather is just starting to change β leaves are just starting to crisp, greens are blotched with maroon and gold β but the wind is angrily whistling outside and cold air creeps underneath the cracks in his doorframe and sneaks through the crevices of his window.
Morning light starts to seep and refract through the apartment and Tahno knows he should start his day, but the cold weather weighs down his motivation.
He doesn't understand why it's so cold.
But then he remembers that here's usually more body heat underneath his blanket β nestled in the crook of his arm and breathing against his chest.
But she's gone.
She'd only just left yesterday for a week-long visit to the Fire Nation and he assured her β and himself β that he would be fine without her, but within twenty-four hours, the weather crudely reminded him that no, you won't be fine.
Goddamnit, he thinks. After a minute, he decides that he's not going to warm up in his present state so he makes a deal with himself. Get up in five seconds. Run to the closet. Put on all the clothes you have. One... two... three... four...
He jolts out of bed quickly. Fuck. Fuck. Fuck. It's so fucking cold. Every piece of fabric in his wardrobe is chilly. But eventually, he finds a warm coat β made out of a tougher material, unlike his Republic City clothes β and throws it over his head.
See? You can survive a week without her, he thinks to himself. He catches a glimpse of himself in the closest mirror.
The coat is a few sizes too small and it's too tight at the waist. And, upon closer inspection, he realizes that it's a shade of Water Tribe blue.
He sighs defeatedly. Okay, maybe you can't.
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Day Three
Fire Nation
Korra quickly determines that she's never been this bored in her entire life. She's been through a barrage of meetings with nobles and politicians, dignitaries and officials. And they're all so dull.
Even their humor is boring. (Every joke begins with a knock-knock and ends with an exhausted groan as a response.)
But it's a necessary part of her job as the Avatar and she has to socialize and negotiate and delegate and β she just wants to go home.
More specifically, she just wants to talk to him. She wants to call him an idiot and make fun of him when he takes too long to do his hair. She wants to share the story about about the dignitary that awkwardly shook her hand for too long and the noble who dropped a piece of cake into a pond, fished it out, and still ate it. And she wants to tell him jokes that begin with terrible innuendos and end with him, rolling his eyes in sheer disbelief.
It's only been three days, she tells herself. Three days.
And when Tenzin whisks her away to another event, she repeats that mantra over and over to herself.
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Day Five
Republic City
He's going insane. At least, that's what he's telling himself.
He was swirling his chopsticks around his bowl at their small, modest kitchen table when he asked her a question out loud.
After five seconds of silence, he finally realized that she wasn't there to answer him.
Two more days, he tells himself.
He fights the urge to go to Shaozu's house to borrow his phone. He doesn't even know who or where he would phone to reach her.
Would I call the Fire Nation Palace? Do they even have a telephone line? he ponders. Maybe I can ask General Iroh.
He's only met the general a handful of times, but they've always gotten along despite the fact that Iroh's jawline was perfect and, therefore, a major threat.
Wait, is General Iroh in the Fire Nation right now? With Korra? He can't remember Korra mentioning him in the past few weeks. But why wouldn't he be there? He was a noble and the Fire Nation was his home. It was the place where he grew up and learned how to fight and how to flirt and β . Tahno could imagine it now. 'Oh, Avatar, look at this romantic pond that I used to visit when I was a child. We should have a picnic here. Oh, you need me to cut that piece of cheese for you? Why don't I use my god-like cheekbones to cut it for you?'
Within five minutes, Tahno had thrown on a sweater (backwards, with the tag sticking out), slicked his hair down (curls strewn about), and was halfway out the door to visit Shaozu's house β and to borrow his telephone so that he could call his two-timing Avatar girlfriend β when he stopped himself in a much-needed moment of clarity.
"You're being paranoid," he says out loud. He repeats himself and the words reverberate throughout the apartment. He sits back down at the kitchen table and glares at his bowl.
"Stupid cheese-cutting cheekbones."
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Day Six
Fire Nation
Don't call him. Don't call him. Don't call him.
She doesn't mind washing the dishes. She's a waterbender and the chore is quick and painless. But she does care about losing a bet.
So even though she has a nightmare β it's always the same nightmare, anchored by an image of Amon's mask β and she usually tells Tahno about it, she won't call him.
She closes her eyes and tries to imagine him if he was there to comfort her β the way his fingers trace circles into her lower back, the way he clumsily brushes his lips against her cheek because he's still half-asleep, the way he embraces her even more tightly when she's too shaken to go back to sleep.
Don't call him.
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Day Seven
Republic City
The apartment is empty when she returns. It's mid-afternoon and the city is bustling outside the window, but everything inside the apartment is eerily still. Their bed is made, the kitchen table is clean, and the floor is clear β absent of her clothes, his shoes, their usual mess.
Where is he? Granted, she's a few hours early β she decided to surf for the last stretch of the journey; it was bitterly cold, but ultimately refreshing.
She sits down at their table and tries to imagine eating alone in an empty apartment for seven days. But what if he wasn't alone? What if he invited one of his old girlfriends to the apartment? WHAT IF SHE SAT IN THIS VERY SEAT?!
The door opens and breaks her out of her reverie. Korra stands up quickly, almost knocking her chair over.
"Who was she?!" Korra yells.
Tahno's brows knit together in confusion as he walks into the room, clutching a bouquet of flowers. "What?"
Her eyes widen and her cheeks twinge pink with embarrassment. "Oh, uh. Nothing. I was acting out a thing in my mind. A stupid thing. It doesn't matter. Don't worry about it. Hi."
"Hello," he says cautiously. "What are you doing here?"
She crossed her arms over her chest. "I live here."
"Not for another three hours."
"I came home early." Her eyes dart to the flowers. "What are those?"
"Flowers."
"Obviously. Are they for me?" She smiles triumphantly.
"No, they're for Naga."
She doesn't know whether she wants to laugh or to hit him. "Don't make me Avatar state your ass out of here."
"Did you miss me?" He crosses the room and sets the flowers on the table. He closes the space between them and looks down at her with a smirk on his face.
"No," she says defiantly.
He dips his head to kiss her, but she turns and his mouth brushes her cheek. His voice is low. "I missed you."
She turns to face him, a grin spreading across her features. "I win."
He rolls his eyes and smiles. Tahno cups her cheek with one hand and grasps her waist with another. He lowers his head and kisses her. "No. I'm pretty sure I do."
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End Note: Do you need some bread for that cheese? Anyway, the prompt called for a first in the Tahnorra relationship and an exploration of their relationship β more specifically, the sweeter, non-superficial sides of Tahno and Korra. And so I chose to write this because absence makes the heart grow fonder? Or something? Crazier? I'm not sure. Anyway, I hope you liked it, jimena-garse! And thanks again to Kris, for putting this crazy challenge together!
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