Author's Note: Oh fanfiction, look at you, making me ship more non-canon couples. It didn't even occur to me to put Tahno and Korra together until I found a few stories up here, but once I started reading them it was like when I discovered Dramonie all over again. I love the angst!

Disclaimer: I don't own the Legend of Korra or the song "Just the Girl" by the Click Five.

Just the Girl

She's cold and she's cruel, but she knows what she's doing.
She pushed me in the pool at our last school reunion.

Ever since he'd lost his own bending, Tahno had been looking for excuses to watch the Avatar waterbend. He wouldn't exactly say he was stalking her, but he did spend an awful lot of time at the pro-bending gym given the fact that he couldn't bend anymore. And he always stood in the shadows, where she was sure not to notice him watching. He only came when she was practicing alone. That was when she did her traditional bending, rather than the pro-bending she'd picked up from the brothers. It was beautiful. There wasn't another waterbender he knew that moved like that, but of course, he only knew other pro-benders. Korra had learned from Katara, a master. Korra wasn't some kid that found out he could bend and started flinging elements at his friends.

Today Tahno had snuck in after Korra had already been practicing for quite awhile, if the state of her hair was anything to judge by. It had fallen out of its ponytail and her clips had slipped from their normal position. Her bangs were plastered to her forehead. Tahno could see her tan skin was shiny with sweat. It always amazed him that she could waterbend long and hard enough to actually make water. It was ironic.

He was distracted watching Korra as he crept over to his usual spot. Her movements were hypnotic and he couldn't take his eyes off her. Unfortunately for Tahno, someone had left some equipment on the side of the gym, and he tripped over it.

The water around Korra was immediately directed towards the sound of his muttered cursing. She stayed her hand long enough to recognize him. "Tahno? What the hell are you doing here?"

"Watching your fine waterbending," he replied with a little less than his usual bravado. Truth be told, he was a tad bit afraid of the water aimed his way.

Korra rolled her eyes and sent the water cascading over Tahno, soaking him like a tidal wave. "Get out. And don't come back."

The force of the water knocked him off his feet and thoroughly drenched the former waterbender. But it didn't really hurt. Tahno got up off the floor as gracefully as he could and tossed his sopping hair out of his face. "Don't count on it."

She's a mystery; she's too much for me.
But I keep coming back for more; she's just the girl I'm looking for.

"Really? How is it that you're always here when I want noodles?"

Well, it wasn't really a coincidence, but Korra would never know that. Tahno happened to spend pretty much every night in the noodle shop since his bending was taken. It wasn't just because he was hoping Korra would show up, it was also because the shop reminded him of better times. The Wolfbats had spent a lot of time at Narook's, but since Amon had ripped them of their common interest, they hardly saw each other anymore.

"Or, is it that you're always here when I want noodles? I believe I was here first, after all," Tahno drawled, looking up at her through his bangs.

"Ugh whatever, let's just get a table away from pretty boy guys."

Korra led the bending brothers to a booth on the other side of the restaurant that was nevertheless visible to Tahno's gaze. It didn't take him long to discern the truly ridiculous situation that existed between the group of friends. The earthbender—Bolin was it?—spent most of his time trying to catch the Avatar's attention in any way possible. He told loud, obnoxious jokes, flaunted his good looks, and complimented her. Unfortunately for him, she only had eyes for his older brother who, incidentally, had a girlfriend.

Tahno couldn't understand how the Avatar had allowed herself to get into this mess. And yet, he felt himself compelled to get involved too. He didn't care how many other guys liked her or that she liked Mako. He just wanted Korra in any way he could have her.

And the more she ignores me the more I adore her.
What can I do? I'd do anything for her.

He was back again, watching her practice her waterbending. She could feel his steel grey eyes on her, following her every move. Korra supposed she should have taken Tahno at his word when he said he would be back to watch her again. She only wondered how many times he'd been there before she had caught him. It made a slight shudder run down her spine.

Tahno wasn't hiding this time: he was sitting right on the side of the practice field in plain sight. When he'd sat down there, Korra's first instinct had been to bend him out the open gym door. Something told her that was what he wanted, though, so she kept her emotions in check and kept bending like he wasn't there.

"Why do you practice alone so much, Avatar?" he asked after he'd watched her for a long while.

Why do you say my name like a retarded badger-mole? Korra thought to herself, but she didn't reply.

"I'm sure that starry-eyed earthbender would love to practice with you," Tahno continued, knowing she had heard him.

What does he know, or care, about Bolin and me? Korra concentrated on bending the water into a complicated stream and continued to ignore him. She directed the water from her feet, up around her body in a spiral. Then, just as it reached her head, she split it off into two streams. They curled themselves around her arms, never getting close enough to get her wet, but always close enough that she could feel their moisture and coolness.

"But, maybe he's not the one you want?" Tahno asked, and Korra could hear the mocking tone in his voice. "Maybe it's a certain firebend—"

"Shut up!" Her concentration was dissolved. Instead of water, this time she sent flames his way.

Tahno was ready for it this time, however, and even from his sitting position he was easily able to dodge Korra's poorly aimed attack. He rolled over his shoulder towards her and felt the fire pass harmlessly a few feet over his head. Then he sprung lightly to his feet, directly in front of the frazzled Avatar. He lifted an eyebrow and smirked at her.

I can't believe I let him get to me, Korra thought as she stared angrily back at the former Wolfbat. I need to meditate, she finally decided. As she made her less than calm exit, Korra made sure her shoulder banged into Tahno's.

That was all good and well with Tahno. If she was annoyed with him, at least she was feeling something towards him. Plus she was hot when she was angry.

She's just the girl I'm looking for

"I can tell, you know," a familiar voice said next to him.

"Shaozu," Tahno inclined his head to the former firebender of the Wolfbats. "What do you mean?"

"The way you look at her is the same way she looks at him," Shaozu replied, rolling his eyes.

"You have no idea what you're talking about!" Tahno spat, tearing his eyes off the Avatar and the bending brothers to glare at his former teammate.

Shaozu's voice was surprisingly kind when he said, "It's ok to like her," though he ruined it by adding, "but I have no idea why you would. You can still have pretty much any girl in Republic City with your looks and money."

"That's not the point, Shaozu," Tahno replied. "I only want her."

Author's Note (again): If any of you are familiar with my Ouran High School Host Club story, this fic is going to be similar. It's going to be a collection of LoK one-shots, most of them centering around Tahno/Korra, but seeing as I do ship Asami/Mako/Korra/Bolin, you may see some of that mess crop up as well. Now do your thang! That is, review, subscribe, blah, blah blah, broken record, blah ;)