Tahno is a man who wants to be adored, but he can't stand to be owned. As many girls trail behind him and throw themselves at him, there's always a cold distance in his interactions with them. He can feel that as much as they admire him, they want to possess him even more. What first attracted him to Korra might have been that same fierce sense of independence. She's the kind of girl who would fight being controlled even if it went against her better judgment. She would never let a man define who she is, but that also meant she would never let herself try to label a man as hers.

He might cultivate an artificial persona for the public, but the arrogance is all real. It bothered him at first that she didn't immediately admire him, but that irritation was what made him realize how different she was from the others. After so long letting an endless string of admirers circle him, loving him without reciprocation, it took a long time to realize he had found a chance for a relationship of equals. As soon as he realized, he just about tripped over his own feet trying to switch from provoking her to courting her.

It was a delicate thing. He could describe that independence and contrary nature that captivated him, but if he tried it with her, she'd probably argue about it for years. However, they work together better than he even expected. It's a strange relief to be with her and know that she'd be fine if he left, or that she could even be the one to leave him. He'd thought for a long time that he'd never find a relationship that didn't feel like it was strangling him. He has the space he needs, but he knows that she wants that space just as badly. With that independence, he feels that much more comfortable with her and finds himself smiling and laughing more freely that he has for years. Neither of them owns the other, but she adores him and he definitely adores her.