In Love With a Beifong

Chapter One

"Oh, my dear Ginger, I cannot let you go-"

Click.

"Breaking news! President Raiko has issued a new bill-"

Click.

"Wow! Tahno lands another double jab combo, and Hazuk takes another roundhouse to the head. I don't know if-"

Click.

"Introducing the Sato Premier by Future Industries. Its new innovations will rewrite the standards for automobiles-"

Click.

"Hello, and welcome back to our special today, where we will learn the secret of Narook's signature sea weed noodles! Mr. Narook himself has been kind enough to join us today and help us prepare this famous Water tribe meal."

"Seriously? There's nothing good on today," Bolin moaned, sprawled out on the worn couch. He cracked his back and let out a massive yawn. Channel surfing must really take its toll on the body.

"It's the best we can do without a cable box, bro. We can't afford all those channels if we can barely afford a decent apartment," Mako called from the other room.

"Yeah. Don't remind me," the younger brother grumbled in response.

The two never really had any surplus money to spend on stuff like that. Mako's salary as a bottom-rank police officer coupled with Bolin's modest pay as a waiter at Narook's left little excess funds after paying the rent of their 700-square foot apartment. Life didn't come cheap in the downtown area of Republic City.

Still, they did manage to afford decent clothes, adequate food (although cheap ramen noodles every night isn't exactly gourmet to die for), and gym memberships, so he wasn't complaining. A lot of people had it way worse than the two brothers.

Watching a cooking program wasn't quite the most effective way to distract Bolin from his stomach growling. He grunted as he rose from the run-down couch and lumbered over to the kitchen. He pulled open the fridge door and was disappointed, but not surprised, when he noted that it was getting bare again.

"Crap, Mako, we're out of milk!" he hollered to his brother. Seeing nothing to his liking, he shut the door and ambled over to the pantry (which was mostly a door with a shelf behind it) and surveyed its contents.

"If you're looking for noodles, we're out of those too. You finished them yesterday, remember?" came his brother's call from across the apartment.

Bolin cursed under his breath. They didn't have any chips, either. A trip to the grocery store was direly needed.

"Yo, Bo, why don't you run over to the store and get us some groceries? You can take my bike."

"Why don't you? I gotta work tomorrow morning."

"Because I, uh... I'm busy..."

"You've got a date with Korra, now, don't you?" Bolin smirked, knowing his brother. He closed the pantry door and walked across the apartment to where Mako's voice had sounded from, the bathroom. The younger brother leaned against the inside of the door frame casually and examined Mako, who was gelling his hair in front of the mirror.

"D'awww, look at you, looking all spiffy for Korra," Bolin teased playfully.

His older brother was wearing a black two-button blazer and a white dress shirt with a red necktie. It wasn't often that Mako dressed up like this. He was a practical, industrious man, and would always feel more comfortable wearing a badge than a tie. But hey, one had to admit that the blazer looked quite good on the elder boy.

"Why are you dressing up? I thought Korra liked casual dates?" Bolin inquired. "I thought she didn't like being formal? I mean, she and I had a great time at freakin' Narook's a while back."

Mako scanned Bolin through the mirror. His fingers stopped whisking gel through his hair and he sighed. "Look, Bolin, I'm just gonna tell you. We hafta look nice because we're going to Kwang's Cuisine. And we're meeting up with Asami and her date, Iroh."

"What? You all're going out without me? How come I wasn't invited?" Bolin tried to keep the childish whine out of his tone, but ultimately failed.

"Well, you'd kinda need a date for that. And we, uh, didn't want you playing the third wheel."

"But—hey, I could've gotten a date! What makes you think I couldn't get a date?"

"No, no, it's not that I think you can't get a date! It's just that I know you broke up with that crazy Eska chick a few weeks ago, so I didn't wanna pressure you, bro."

"Well, you could have at least mentioned this thing to me beforehand! I could have gotten a date and come with you guys!" Bolin fumed, throwing his hands up in the air in frustration.

"Look, I'm sorry, Bolin. But it's too late now anyways. You're gonna have the apartment to yourself tonight. But since you've got nothing else to do, can't you just run real quick to the store?"

"Yeah, sure. Fine," Bolin groused in disgruntlement.

Just then, Mako's phone beeped in his pocket. He gave himself a quick look-over in the mirror and then checked his phone.

"Alright, Bo. See ya later. Asami's outside waiting with her ride, so I gotta go." He moved past his brother and exited the apartment in a hurry. "Oh! And the keys are on the table!" he called halfway out the door.

"Great. Mako's gonna be out having fun with Korra and Asami while I get to run errands. Alone. Isn't that awesome?" Bolin griped sarcastically to himself. He made his way to the cramped den area and shut off the TV. With a sigh, he walked over to the coffee table to grab Mako's motorcycle keys. He moved towards the door and grabbed his corduroy jacket off the hanger, putting it on quickly. He grabbed Mako's helmet, stuck his feet in his shabby shoes, and was out the door.

Bolin enjoyed riding his brother's motorcycle. It was a Future Industries bike (Asami was able to get it for him for a very low price), and it was nice. It was a decent size and a comfortable ride. It also had luggage racks where Mako installed some saddlebags to put their belongings. That would be useful for the groceries. The engine roared healthily and it rode smoothly, making for a fun ride.

The sun was nearly done lowering itself under the horizon when Bolin parked the bike in the parking lot of the supermarket. He took off his helmet and hung it on the handle bars, jogging inside the place afterwards.

Alright. Ramen noodles, milk, barbecue chips. Ramen noodles, milk, barbecue chips. Ramen noodles, milk, barbecue chips...

After getting a small cart, he headed down the canned food aisle. He quickly found a box of chicken ramen and placed it in his cart. Then he headed for the snack aisle, 'parked' the cart there, and starting roaming. The orphan scanned the shelves for the cheapest barbecue chip brand while repeating the list like a mantra.

"Ramen noodles, milk, barbecue chips. Ramen noodles, milk, barbecue chips. Ramen noodles, milk, barbecue—oof!"

His jabbering was cut off when he flat out collided with something. Or somebody, he corrected when he opened his eyes to see a flustered girl knocked onto the ground.

"Oh! I am so, so sorry! God, I am such a klutz sometimes! I wasn't looking where I was going, and-"

"-It's okay, it's okay! I wasn't really paying attention either. Here, uh, let me help you up." He extended his hand, and she hesitantly grabbed it. He pulled her off the ground easily.

"Sorry about that," he grinned. "I can never really think straight when food is on my mind. Or apparently walk, for that matter."

She chuckled. The sound was light and pleasant to Bolin's ears.

Now that he could get a good look at her, he realized that the girl looked vaguely familiar. Her apple green eyes, her ebony short hair, her olive tanned skin... He'd seen it somewhere, he knew it. He squinted his eyes slightly, trying to figure out why she looked so familiar. But he couldn't.

"I'm Bolin. And what's your name?" he asked, absentmindedly extending his hand to shake.

"Opal. And you?" said Opal, returning her gentle grip on his hand. Then her face flushed. "Wow, I'm really off today. Nevermind that."

"It's cool." He grinned goofishly, but then once again reconnoitered her look. "But I swear, you look really familiar," Bolin drawled.

Opal, being a member of the Beifong family—one of the most famous surnames in the country—knew exactly why she looked familiar, but decided to toy with him. Most of the time, people would recognize her by now, but this boy was clueless.

"Yeah, I get that a lot," she replied with a shrug and a small smile.

"Do you? Huh. But seriously, I'm this close to placing your face," said Bolin, holding his index finger and thumb apart as if he were going to pinch someone.

"Hmmm. Well, maybe if I told you a little about me, you'd be able to make the connection...?"

"Yeah, okay. Go ahead."

"Well, I don't live here in Republic City, I live in another town, Zaofu, but it's really close to here. It's just a little south of Republic. Also, I've got four brothers: two younger, two older..." She trailed off, waiting for Bolin to catch on. He didn't.

"Okay. Mmhmm. Four brothers, different city..." He pretended to look sophisticated, stroking his chin in thought. "Yeah. It's not clicking."

She laughed again lightly. Once again he was reminded that he loved the sound.

"Maybe it'll click later. Now tell me, are you from around here?" Opal inquired with a subtle smile.

"As a matter of fact, I am. Republic City born and raised," he replied proudly with a grin. "I live downtown with my brother. We share a place."

"That's cool. He's your only sibling?"

"Yep."

"Older or younger?"

"Older."

"Cool. You get along?"

"Yeah. We gotta, or else living with each other would suck."

"True."

There was a break in the conversation, allowing Bolin to look her over once again. And yet again, he couldn't quite pinpoint where he recognized her from. And ugh, was that killing him.

"Still can't figure out how I'm familiar?" she asked playfully, her brow arching.

"You got me," he muttered, massaging his temples. "But seriously, I know I saw you somewhere. You know I saw you somewhere. Why don't I know where I saw you?"

Again, her wonderful chuckle rang in his ears.

"Tell you what," she grinned. "You come over tomorrow for dinner, and I'll tell you how I'm familiar."

"Are you serious?"

"Yeah. Problem?"

"No, not at all! I've got nothing going on tomorrow, so that'll be great!"

They quickly exchanged phone numbers, and she said, "Give me the address, and I'll pick you up at your house."

"It's actually an apartment. 6112 Roku Street. I'll text it to you."

"Alright, cool. I'll be there at six o'clock tomorrow. See you then, Bolin," she said sweetly, smiling, before walking off.

"Y-yeah... see you... then..." he resounded in a flustered stutter.

What exactly did I just get myself into? he thought before mindlessly grabbing a bag of chips, placing it in his cart, and walking off to the checkout.

See you then, Bolin, his mind kept repeating.

It was only after he was halfway home did he realize he forgot the milk.

Dammit.

As soon as she was out of Bolin's sight, she dropped the bravado.

Did I really just do that? Opal mentally questioned herself, before walking out of the store to her car. She unlocked it with her keys and climbed in the front passenger seat. She got her iPhone out of the back pocket of her jeans and unlocked it.

"Huan, hurry up and checkout. I'm waiting in the car," she typed before pressing send.

She got no response, which was expected with her brother, but five minutes later Huan appeared with the groceries.

"Gee, thanks for your help," he grumbled after unloading them and climbing in the driver seat.

"No problem. Now let's get home so I can do my stupid homework. I've got classes tomorrow."

Author's note: Thank you so much to the user who requested this. :)