Title: Sweat
Author: AishiteSubete
Rating: T
Summary: In which Korra takes notices of a few things she had never anticipated. Pointless Tahorra.

A/N: Fail fever-induced writing is fail.

[SWEAT]

Korra watched the way his muscles twitched underneath the thin fabric of his skin as he moved. The water in the air around him hovered silently, listening to each flick of his wrist and turn of his palm like a solemn command. The avatar hadn't intended on training with him at all; it was just her luck that once she had the gym to herself that the Wolfbat king would stride in and offer to "show her how a real pro bends." She paid more attention to the shape of his body than the shape of his forms, taking notice of how the sweat that covered his shoulders accented his movements.

Bolin had told her multiple times after they met about Tahno's personality-player, heartbreaker, cheater, and absolute douchebag. Korra understood, and she could see it in the very way he sauntered into the arena. But at that moment, when his movements were fluidly directing the water in the bins, it was hard to believe that someone who bended so beautifully could be so cruel.

Tahno stopped bending and let the water fall around his ankles in a few consecutive splats. "That was good, but not as good as I would hope from a real pro." Korra said coyly, shooting a grin in the Wolfbat's direction. Tahno just smiled, extending his arms and flexing his muscles.

"Oh yeah?" He challenged, taking a few calculated steps towards Korra. "And do you want to teach me how a real pro bends?"

Korra only laughed, placing her hands on her waist. "I thought you'd never ask," she chirped. She repressed a smile as she sank into a less modern, more traditional stance, lifting her arms and manipulating the water in the basins. She moved as though she was the water, creating sweeping arcs and noticable ripples as she swirled the liquid around her. Tahno couldn't help but be entranced by the way they moved as one, by how Korra became the water as she bended it.

The water didn't fall from Korra's control until Tahno had invaded her personal space, maneuvering her against a wall. "When I asked you to show me how a real pro bends, I didn't mean it like that."

Korra knew; that's why she let his hands map out her body and his tongue memorize the landscape of her mouth. She responded to him just as feverishly as he had wanted—more so than she had planned. One hand worked through his hair, finding it as unbelievably soft as it looked, while the other traced the outlines of his muscles, feeling the sheen of sweat that laid there. The more he pressed against her, the slicker the space between his bare chest and her equally bare abdomen became.

Korra was thankful that she chose to train in only her wraps when the boys left.

Tahno nipped at her lower lip, letting his hands rest dangerously low on her hips. He never believed that the avatar would be so…accepting of his advances. He smiled inwardly, traveling open-mouthed kisses lower down the tanned skin of her jawline and neck. He sought out her weak areas, making it a point to lavish harsh bites and gentle licks there; the sounds she made as she gripped his scalp and wrapped her thighs around his waist were reward enough.

"Korra?"

The two benders froze, Tahno's lips resting on the avatar's collarbone and her legs crushing them together, pelvis-to-pelvis. It was Mako. Korra disentangled herself from Tahno as smoothly and quickly as she could, running to cover herself in training gear before the firebender arrived in the gym. Hopefully she could successfully hide the love bites left on her neck and shoulders, even if her kiss-swollen lips would be a dead giveaway to what had transpired between herself in the Wolfbat.

Tahno chose instead to wipe the sweat from his brow and lift more water from the basins, bending it in thick, whip-like forms and striking the training dummies with frightening accuracy and venom. Korra, after redressing herself, went to do the same, Mako arriving as she made the first flick of her wrist to initiate the movement.

Mako didn't quite understand as he watched the two waterbenders practice together in peace. There were no injuries on either of them, no smart comments being swatted back and forth, and there was no choking tension looming in the air. It was calm, and the two benders moved their element like the picture of beauty, serene and focused. "Uhm, Korra?" He mumbled, looking back and forth between her and Tahno.

"Yeah?" Korra responded, bending the water back into the basin and hoping that her voice didn't sound as nervous as she believed it did. Perhaps Mako hadn't figured out what had happened between herself and Tahno?

"Bolin had a great idea," Mako continued, walking over to the lockers to remove Korra's casual clothes from storage and to throw them on a bench. "He suggested that the three of us should go get lunch together—you know, at that awesome Water Tribe place he took you a few days ago."

Korra sauntered over to her clothes, picking them up before telling Mako that it was a brilliant idea. "Just let me change and we can head out," she said happily, walking towards the locker rooms.

"We'll be waiting in the attic," Mako said, flicking his wrist in a light wave before leaving the gym.

Tahno only chuckled as Korra walked towards the locker rooms, already loosening the ties on her training gear. "Hey Avatar," he began, and she stopped to look at him. "Maybe tomorrow we can have a few more of these private lessons."

Korra only chuckled as she retreated into the privacy of the locker room. She would be lying if she said she wasn't looking forward to the rest of those private lessons.