Title: Parachutes
Author: tenzins (previously hangingmardigrasbeads)
Rating: K+, likely to change.
Summary: They balance each other, her pulling him up and him making sure she stays on the ground.

A/N: Expect a lot from this. And it's all Brooklyn's fault.

She's flighty.

Although she knows much, she knows very little. Her life has been concealed on the island, keeping her at a distance from society and social interactions. She's not the best with small talk, and she doesn't like parties. She hides in her room and the library, immersing herself in stories and fables that bring her comfort and companionship. They keep her on the ground.

However, when she does go outside, when she does spend her time with her siblings playing around, she soars. She loves her glider, and she loves airbending battles. She has fun with her training. She finds freedom in the air and the clear blue skies above the deep blue water. It's beautiful, and she soars around in happy circles, proving that she's mastered another trick and another move.

She's skilled.

But she lacks.

And as she stands in the middle of the very crowded room, across the bay from her home, with none of her family or friends around to comfort her, she begins to feel that lacking set in.

She moves through the crowd, dodging and avoiding as people older and taller than her bump into her and sloppily spill their drinks. The room smells of sweat and a mixture of cologne and perfumes. She moves towards the exterior wall, following the color of yellow she sees there, when she bumps into a man in red robes.

"I'm sorry," she apologizes, and he simply walks off. She lets out an exasperated sigh and keeps moving, until she finally reaches the wall. The temperature outside of the crowd is much cooler than inside. She lets out a sigh of relief.

She can't see any of her friends, and she lets out another sigh. She decides that it's probably okay if she disappears for awhile, and moves towards the door. She isn't particularly having a good time, and no one's around.

But then someone is.

She bumps right into him, and with an "oof" falls to the ground. He's instantly concerned, and before she can get a word out of her mouth, he's picked her up.

"Oh, I'm so sorry Jinora, I didn't see you there, are you okay?" Bolin asks in a hurry, the words spilling out of his mouth as he sets her right on the ground. She dusts off her pants and nods her head, words escaping her. He smiles at her.

"Where are you going? You're headed for the door," he says with a twinkle in his eye, and she crinkles her face.

"It's too warm in here. I need some fresh air," she states, and he nods.

"I'll come with you, to make sure you don't get into any trouble," he says with a voice laced full of sarcasm and wit. She moves ahead of him, and he rushes to catch up with her. He says nothing as they walk out the front door, nodding at the security guards there. They walk around the front of the building to a small lookout area. She airbends herself up onto the ledge, and he stands across from her, simply watching.

"Are you okay, Jinora?" he suddenly questions, and she looks up. His eyes are glued to her, and she realizes he's probably scared of her falling off the ledge. She gives him a smile.

"I am fine, there is no need to worry," she responds, and he tilts his head at her. He shrugs, and turns to look out at the water and the city, admiring the look of it at night. He rests his elbows on the railing and lets out a long breath. She turns around so they're facing the same way.

"You know, I never thought I'd be here."

She looks over at him, curiosity spread among her features. She moves over closer to him to hear him better.

"You mean at a party with councilmen and heads of state?" she asks, and he nods slowly.

"It's just so strange, to think of what life would be like if we hadn't met Korra, you know? I've gotten to meet you, and your family, and learn metalbending from Lin Beifong, and all of these crazy adventures…" he trails off, his eyes clouding over as he stares off into the distance.

She reaches over and puts her hand on his shoulder, but he still doesn't look at her. She doesn't mind.

"For what it's worth, I'm glad you met Korra."

He looks up at her finally, and a smile spreads across his face. His eyes soften and his forehead smoothes. He chuckles softly.

"It's worth something, Jinora," he responds quietly, and she can feel the blush on the back of her neck. She takes her hand off his shoulder and looks back out across the water, and he stands up straight.

"How about we go back inside? Don't want to scare your father," he says with a laugh, and she giggles softly. She stands up on the railing, and he holds his hands out as she jumps down. She smirks up at him, and he laughs.

They head back inside, and as they do so, Jinora gently grabs onto the bottom of Bolin's jacket. He looks down at her, and offers her a small smile.

"Don't worry, I'll stick with you," he says, and she grips the fabric tighter. She sighs in relief.

He doesn't leave her side the whole night, and she's glad he's there to keep her ground.

A/N: You can get the gist of this fic so far, right?

Reviews are always appreciate, but keep your hate to yourself.