A/N: Love Korra. Love alternate pairings in fanfiction. Hope you enjoy!

Space for Something New

Tahno opened the door shirtless, his hair still dripping from his recent shower. He'd applied his eyeliner to perfection, but had just barely managed to slap a towel around his waist.

"You knew I was coming over. Couldn't you bother to get dressed?" Korra rolled her eyes and shouldered past him into the tiny apartment's main room.

"If this visit is anything like the last couple times, I'd say that I'm overdressed." The Cheshire cat-deer himself couldn't have had a more self-satisfied grin plastered across his face. Tahno closed the door as he turned around and gave Korra a slow once-over, lingering on her hips. "I'd say you're a little overdressed too." He ran a hand through his hair in a well practiced gesture, and hooked a thumb inside the waistline of his wrapped towel.

She huffed at him, puffing out her bottom lip and crossing her arms. She stomped into the bathroom and yanked a threadbare robe from a wall hook. Stepping back into the only other room, Korra thrust the robe in his general direction. "It's not that kind of visit."

"Of course. You've said that before," he reminded her, dropping the towel without so much as a blush as he reached to take the robe from Korra. He raised an eyebrow suggestively, but pulled on the garment and tied the belt.

Korra smacked her forehead and let out an aggravated sigh. "Just - ugh. Thank you."

Korra woke up with a jerk. Her eyes flew open and she looked beside her, hoping that last night had been a bad dream. A good bad dream. The pale, lithe form with a messy mop of black hair dashed her hopes.

She hadn't been drinking. She had just been doing everything she could not to hit him in the face and get disqualified from their upcoming match. Unfortunately, "everything" included pushing him against the wall in the alley behind Narook's and shoving her tongue down his throat. She'd managed to wipe that smirk off his face, though.

Korra looked around the apartment, letting her eyes adjust. Where she sat on the bed, she could see every part of the tiny, messy studio except for the bathroom. Wolfbats newspaper clippings littered the dining table. Dirty glasses lined the countertop in the kitchenette area. Books were piled two feet high across every sitting surface. Who lived in this kind of filth? Oh, yes, Tahno did. He was so icky. So icky and so, so good with his hands. And tongue. And - well, everything else.

The first few rays of sunlight peeked in through the window, and Korra knew she had to get back to the island before anyone realized she hadn't come home the previous night. Hopefully, she would be able to slip out of here before Tahno opened his eyes. She slid out of bed as quietly as possible and tiptoed to the first article of clothing she could find. Of course it couldn't just be laying on the floor, like it would have in a normal illicit tryst. She sighed and hoisted herself onto the dining table.

She balanced carefully on one knee, trying to grab her shirt hanging off the chandelier. It must have gotten caught on the light after being carelessly flung in that general direction. Straining as high as she could, she lost her balance and toppled to the floor, knocking over one of the chairs and sending the newspapers flying. "Shit!" she exclaimed as she hit the floor.

"Although I'm glad that you didn't reach your shirt, I'm sorry that I no longer have that fabulous view of your ass," a lazy voice drifted over to her from the bed.

"Ah, sorry, did I wake you up?" Korra said nervously, quickly covering her breasts with the half skirt she'd found crumpled up on the floor next to where she'd landed. She looked over to Tahno, who was sprawled out naked on the bed, smirking the most self-satisfied smirk in the history of smirks. His hair looked as though a hurricane had styled it, and his eyeliner was smudged across the side of his face.

"No, I've been enjoying watching you scurry around the apartment naked looking for pieces of your outfit." He pulled her brassiere out from under the pillow and dangled it from one finger. "You missed this."

"Gimme that!" Korra snatched it from his hands, turned away from him and put it on.

"Who would have thought that the Avatar likes to wear lacy little underthings? I thought all you do-gooders were required to wear traditional attire."

"Sorry to disappoint you," Korra harrumphed, not sounding very sorry. Having found a broom amidst the mess, she used the handle to pluck her shirt from the light fixture. She pulled the garment over her head and tried not to look in Tahno's direction while she searched for her pants and boots.

"Not disappointed at all. Neither were you, when I used my teeth to take them off of you."

Korra couldn't help but blush at that particular memory. No time for this. Gotta get out of here before anybody notices I'm gone, she thought.

"But if you want to wear those old fashioned bindings next time, I wouldn't mind unwrapping you nice and slow." Tahno stretched and stood, then casually walked to the closet, pulling a robe off a hanger.

"Next time? You wish," Korra muttered. She was pretty sure that finding the panties was a lost cause. "How do you live in this dump anyway? I've never seen such a messy place." She pulled on her trousers and hoped that Meelo wouldn't try to play the "pantsing" game that she'd recently taught him.

He ignored her question. "Too bad you put those pants on. I wasn't kidding about that rear view," Tahno said, leering at her. "It seems like every lady I meet in Republic City has that skinny flapper look. I just can't get enough of those curves you have. Reminds me of the girls back home in Foggy Swamp." As if he couldn't get any sleazier, he actually licked his lips.

She groaned in frustration. "Ugh! You are so -"

"Sexy? Amazing in the sack? Big and -"

"Gross! You are so gross!" Korra pulled on her last boot. She jumped up and headed for the exit.

"Keep telling yourself that, sweetheart," Tahno called to her. "See you in the arena tonight. Can't wait to celebrate my victory with you after the show."

She slammed the door and raced down the hall as fast as she could, telling herself that the flush on her cheeks was from the running.

"My apologies for making assumptions," he sniffed mockingly. "Please sit down. Would you like a glass of avoberry wine? I just opened a bottle."

After her most recent experience with drinking, Korra had stayed away from spirits - but her nerves got the best of her. She nodded. "Sure, pour me a little."

"No need." Without so much as looking at the bottle, he casually waved one hand, bending the liquid into a glass on the coffee table.

Korra smiled in spite of herself. "Even if you were a dirty cheater in the arena, it's good to see you bending again." She looked for a place to sit, but the couch and two dining chairs were still piled high with books and newspapers. She couldn't help glancing at the bed and noticing it was clear. Been there, done that, need to stay far away from it, she thought. She remained standing and sipped her beverage, trying to look anywhere beside the bed...or the couch...or Tahno's exquisitely chiseled stomach muscles peeking out from the folds of his robe...

Tahno noticed and chuckled. "Yes, I can clearly see you aren't interested in anything other than a friendly chat. So, why are you here? Trouble with your little Fart Ferret boyfriend?"

She'd spent the last several days restoring the bending of those from whom Amon had taken it. That afternoon she'd participated in a special press op where she had given back the bending of the White Falls Wolfbat pro-bending team. In spite of their former rivalry with her, the team had invited her out to celebrate (after a good hour of tearing up the town, having gotten caught up in the elation of enjoying their elements once again). The group had eventually made it to one of Republic City's most popular bars, where it seemed as though every pro-bending fan in the city had shown up. Shaozu was leading the crowd in a rousing rendition of a popular song with bawdy lyrics. Every time they got to the chorus, he shot flames into the air and sent the bartender and waitresses into fits.

The place was humid and stuffy, packed with the celebrants drinking, laughing, dancing, flirting. Mako and Asami had left a while earlier to help drag a helplessly inebriated Bolin home. But when they'd inquired as to whether Korra was ready to head out, she'd been in the middle of an arm wrestling contest with the earthbender Ming, and she wasn't about to give up her edge on the competition. They had shrugged and left her to defend her title as she waved them off with her free arm. Shortly thereafter she slammed Ming's fist on the table and jumped up to do a Water Tribe victory dance and knock back another shot that an onlooker handed her.

Perhaps that last drink had been one too many, Korra reflected hazily. Now she was sprawled out in a dark booth in the corner of the bar, her head swimming with booze and euphoria. She watched the scene, tired but pleased that she'd been able to bring so much happiness to so many people, having finally found her stride as the Avatar.

Someone put a fresh glass in her hand and bent liquor into it. Korra stared at the glass, confused through the fog of alcohol about where it had come from.

"Turns out that you're quite the party girl, Avatar," a smooth voice entreated her. Tahno, the one man she'd been avoiding all evening. He slid into the seat across from her. Korra shifted her weight, moving her feet off the booth seat, and she tried to sit up straighter. Her head spun and she lurched forward. The heat from the room started to seem suffocating instead of cozy.

Tahno noticed. "Perhaps you need a glass of water instead of this stuff. Thanks to you, I can help you with that again." With a flick of his wrist, he whipped the alcohol out of the glass, then drew some water from a nearby pitcher and splashed it into the container. "Damn, that feels good. Here, drink up." Tahno urged her to take a sip. The water was cool and sweet on her tongue, but it couldn't beat back the first twist of nausea - whether that was from the alcohol sloshing in her stomach or Tahno's presence, she wasn't sure. She gulped the water down and ran a hand nervously over her hair.

"Ah, I think I need some air actually," Korra stood up unsteadily. "I'm gonna step outside for a minute."

"I'm coming."

I've heard that from you before, Korra thought before she could suppress it. She felt her face burn at the memory of his body below hers, his thumbs digging into her hips as he was going over the edge - "No thanks, I've got it from here," she protested. She stumbled forward, and Tahno caught her by the back of her shirt collar, hauling her up before she faceplanted onto the dirty floor.

"Come on. It's the least I can do." He put a hand on her shoulder, helping her navigate through the crowd toward the front door. As they got closer, she could feel the cool, refreshing marine air wafting in as people entered and exited.

Korra shoved through a group of oblivious girls blocking her escape and suddenly she was outside, the air reinvigorating her. She walked a few steps forward, out of the cone of bright light over the entrance to the bar, and dropped her hands to her knees. She closed her eyes, breathing deeply. The nausea subsided. The fog in her head cleared.

Tahno put a hand on her back. "Hey, you alright?"

She shrugged it off. "Yeah, lots. I just drank too much. I'm gonna stroll along the waterfront for a bit and then head back to the island." She stood up, swaying slightly. Carefully, she walked across the street to the boardwalk, staring out over the black sea and reflection of lights from the city. "Glad you are enjoying your bending. Catch ya later." She waved dismissively over her shoulder, hoping he'd take the hint and go back inside.

Instead, he followed her to the pier. "And let me miss my opportunity for a rematch with the only Fart Ferret who could last more than one round against me?"

Korra's head snapped up in anger. Tahno winked at her.

"You couldn't come up with anything better than Fart Ferret?" Korra huffed. "If you weren't constantly cheating, you couldn't even touch me in the arena," she replied.

"Hmm. Maybe not. Although you seemed to enjoy my touch outside of the arena," he purred. He drew a ball of water up from below the docks and spun it slowly above their heads.

What a sleazebender, she thought. "That was a while ago. I'm with Mako now," Korra said, as if to remind herself.

"I don't see him around."

"We're together," she insisted. She pursed her lips in annoyance and turned away. "Whatever, you don't have to believe me. I'm going home." She leaned over the rail of the boardwalk, preparing to dive into the water for the swim back to the island. Hopefully the cold ocean currents would clear her head and help wash away the foolish thoughts racing through her brain.

"Little Avatar, how sensitive you are. I'll quit flirting if you spar with me for a few minutes to remind me how good it feels to be the best pro-bender this city has ever seen." He encircled himself in the water and crouched into an offensive stance.

Korra knew he was baiting her, but she always had a hard time turning down a fight, and the booze wasn't helping her inhibitions any. "Fine. I kicked your teammate's ass earlier tonight. What's one more Wolf Butt to pulverize?" She pulled a whirl of water up from below the pier and whipped it toward Tahno. Unfortunately, she overshot and spun around, falling flat onto her bottom. The water splashed into the cab of a convertible Satomobile parked across the street, soaking the upholstery and dripping out from both doors.

Korra's eyes bugged out. "Oh, crap!"

Tahno let his water loop splash to the ground. He grabbed Korra's hand and pulled her up. "That car looks an awful lot like the one Ryu the Rock drove up in. We should probably get out of here before comes back."

"Triad thugs don't scare me," Korra declared. She opened her mouth to expound more on the subject but hiccupped loudly instead.

"Yeah, well, if you can't even aim a water whip at me properly right now, you shouldn't start a fight with his gang tonight."

Korra pondered that for a moment, just about to concede that he made an interesting point, when the bar door swung open and several flashily dressed benders stepped out. The largest, meanest looking one jangled a set of car keys and was approaching the soaked Satomobile.

"That's Ryu. Let's not stick around to find out how impaired your abilities are. Come on, this way!" He froze the water on the street and gestured to her. Korra took one look back at the benders and took Tahno's hand. She knew Tenzin would be glad that she backed down from what he would deem unnecessary violence, but she wasn't sure that absconding with Tahno was in her best interest either. They took off skating as fast as they could, and just as they were rounding a corner she thought she heard the sound of a rough voice exclaiming angrily, "What the hell happened to my car?!"

"Come on, let's put a good distance between us and them," Korra muttered to Tahno as they escaped. They skated past warehouses and along several blocks of an alley that backed up to a row of restaurants. She giggled and shouted "'Scuse us!" as they surprised dishwashers taking out the trash from the evening's festivities. Although she was quickly sobering up, she couldn't quite squelch the off-kilter feeling as they rushed along. Within a couple blocks they entered a modest residential area, with four- and five-story apartment buildings lining both sides of the street. Many windows had laundry hanging off the fire escapes. Tahno unfroze their path and they skidded to a halt, breathless. Korra was laughing so hard she was nearly doubled over.

Tahno smiled at her, confused. "What's so funny?"

As she recovered from her fit of laughter, she explained, "We could have just bent the water out of the car before Ryu came back. I'm sure that it would have been hard to tell that we messed it up in the first place."

"I suppose that's true. I guess I enjoy using my bending to get into trouble more than getting out of it." He caught her eye, seeming to gauge her response.

Korra looked away and pretended not to hear him. Instead, she gazed down the street, realizing that she recognized the block. Her smile faded. She stared up at the familiar building they now found themselves standing before. "We're at your place."

Tahno shrugged. "Whenever I get to the property damage portion of the evening, I figure it's time to call it a night." He climbed a half-dozen stairs leading to a double door with thick brass hardware and turned to her. "You coming in?" he asked what Korra was sure was his best impression of an innocent question.

She knew she was supposed to tell him that she needed to go home, that she had a boyfriend, that she'd see him around in the arena sometime, that - "Sure," she heard the word come out of her mouth.

Even Tahno looked surprised. "Alright then." He unlocked the door and held it open for her.

They didn't even make it up the first flight of stairs before they were clinging to one another, lips locking together and hands grasping at clothing.

"You know, it's not like I go around calling you guys the Wolfbutts," she grunted. Anymore, anyway. Maybe coming here hadn't been such a good idea after all.

"You're right, I'm being unfair. How is Officer Mako, consort to the Avatar?" Tahno said as disinterestedly as possible, leaning against the wall and examining his fingernails.

"I don't know, I haven't seen him in a while," Korra responded pointedly.

"Really," Tahno drawled. He looked up from his nails and raised an eyebrow at Korra. "This conversation is taking a more interesting turn. Why haven't you seen him lately?"

"Because," she paused and looked up. She took a breath and said in a rushed voice, "because we're not dating anymore." She looked back to him to see if his expression would change.

Tahno looked at her thoughtfully - his expression seemed almost concerned. "I hope - I hope that's what you wanted." He stepped forward and took the now empty glass from Korra's hand, their fingertips brushing and sparking. "He didn't find out about - you know, what we did -"

"No, no," Korra said quickly. "We just weren't quite right together." She shrugged, a little sadly.

The moment passed; he was all back to oily flirtation. He gave her a slick half smile. "So you're looking for someone to pass the time with until another do-gooder comes along to sweep you off your feet?"

"Tahno! Open up!" Korra yelled as she bounded up the narrow steps leading to his apartment. When she reached the door, she pounded on it with both hands. "Hurry up, I need to tell you something!"

"Coming, coming," his muffled voice emanated from the apartment. The door swung open, revealing a gaunt, unkempt Tahno. He was in the same clothes she'd seen him at the police station the day before. In spite of his haggard state, he seemed to brighten at her appearance. "Avatar. You look...wet."

"Yeah, well, it's raining out." She bent the water off herself with one wave of her hand before she remembered that doing so in front of Tahno right now was pretty insensitive.

He looked away from her. "Oh. I suppose it is. I can't feel it anymore, like I used to," he mumbled morosely. She looked past him and noticed that the shades were drawn down, keeping his tiny place even darker and mustier than usual. She wondered when he'd last ventured outside.

"Um, well, I came here because I have something exciting to tell you!"

"Yeah?" His eyes lit up. "Have you found Amon?" he asked hopefully.

Korra faltered. "Well, not yet, but we've got some good leads," she said.

Tahno looked crestfallen. "Oh. Let me know when you hear something. That's the only thing that would really excite me anymore," he intoned hollowly, and began to close the door, turning away. "Thanks for stopping by."

"Wait!" Korra jumped forward and kept him from closing it, grabbing his wrist. "Actually, I'm here for another reason." Suddenly she realized that he might take that the wrong way, given her previous visit. She dropped his arm and stepped back.

Tahno's eyes narrowed as he glared at her. "Look, I'm not interested in your pity. We had a little fun before our match, but you don't need to pretend to care about me just because I was unlucky enough -"

Korra recoiled. "I'm not here to pity you, you jerk. I talked to Katara and got some suggestions on how to counteract the chi-blocking that the city healers probably haven't tried. I thought you might let me try them out on you to see if I could get your bending back. But if you're just -"

"Hold on." He swallowed and closed his eyes for a moment. "I'm sorry. Come in." He stepped aside and motioned for her to follow.

"And Tahno," she whispered, "I do care. That's why I'm here.""

He nodded. "Just tell me what you need me to do."

Defeated, Korra returned the water to the bowl. She mopped her brow with her half skirt, her face slick with sweat from hours of attempts to heal Tahno's broken pathways. Tahno stared ahead blankly, kneeling on the floor. She didn't have to tell him it didn't work; he could feel it.

"I'm...I'm sorry," her voice trembled. Korra unfolded her legs and wiped her eyes on her sleeve. "I'll just go now." She stood up and smoothed out her pants.

"Thanks for trying, anyway," He half stood, taking one of her hands and entwining his fingers with hers.

"I just wish I could help you. Help everyone who Amon has hurt this way." She clenched and unclenched her fist in helplessness. She patted Tahno's shoulder tenderly. "I'll keep trying until I can get your bending back."

"Wait," Tahno begged. He grasped her hand harder.

"What is it?"

He looked down for a moment, then back up into her eyes. A defeated, pathetic smile passed across his face. "Maybe I could use a little pity after all."

In spite of her sorrow, the corner of Korra's mouth twitched. She kneeled down with him and wrapped her arms around his neck, trying to squeeze out the pain they both felt.

"I don't want a do-gooder! I want -" Korra couldn't quite bring herself to say his name. "I want to get to know you better, Tahno."

Tahno looked at her as if he couldn't quite believe what she'd just told him. "You want - like, to talk?" he responded lamely.

"Uh, yeah, I thought maybe we could go on a - you know, a date." Korra looked down at her feet. "This was dumb. I shouldn't have come here." She turned away from him.

"Korra."

Not Avatar. She looked back at him hopefully. He stepped close to her again and took her hand in his, his thumb grazing across her knuckles.

"I'd like that. Would you let me take you to breakfast tomorrow morning?"

"Oh," Korra said, confused. That seemed like a pretty weird time to go on a date. "I thought we could do something tonight."

Tahno placed her arm around his neck and pulled her body against his. He leaned down and kissed her. "Yes, I thought we could do that first," he whispered.

Korra rolled her eyes, but she kissed him back.

A/N part II: I love the fanon about Tahno being from Foggy Swamp. Couldn't resist it. Additionally, the final episode of Book II had me pretending in my head that something like this could happen. But since I am only pretending that, I figured I would write it instead.