\u201cBolin,\u201d says Mako, coming up to him. They\u2019re on the busy street, and Bolin\u2019s sitting on the steps outside of where the city council meets\u2014where Iroh, Bumi, and Tenzin are currently, anyways. They\u2019re discussing something about getting some fleets back to the Fire Nation while others should stay and protect Republic City for the time being.<\/p>\n
Of course, none of this is to Bolin\u2019s interest.<\/p>\n
\u201cYeah?\u201d says Bolin, and when he looks up he can see in his brother\u2019s eyes that Mako knows exactly what he\u2019s up to.<\/p>\n
Mako sighs. He sits down next to him. \u201cDon\u2019t tell me you\u2019re still hung up on\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n
Bolin turns away and Mako breaks off. He touches Bolin\u2019s knee gently. Glances to the flower dangling between Bolin\u2019s index and middle finger.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou\u2019re not actually going to give that to him, are you?\u201d he asks. He sounds like he doesn\u2019t want to be, but he comes off as teasing.<\/p>\n
Bolin can\u2019t help smiling at him. \u201cNo,\u201d he says, and then shuffles his feet and looks back down at the ground. \u201cWhat\u2019s the likelihood that he\u2019ll like me back, anyways?\u201d<\/p>\n
*<\/p>\n
He goes back to his room later that evening. He remembers the first time he\u2019d met Iroh, which was a little over three years ago. Iroh had come during one of his probending matches and Bolin hadn\u2019t seen him in the stands, because before then, he wouldn\u2019t have thought about looking for him in the stands.<\/p>\n
Afterwards, he can\u2019t believe that he hadn\u2019t seen him before. Bolin likes looking in the stands\u2014he likes the look of adoring fans and people screaming his name. He doesn\u2019t know if Iroh had, but after that match, Iroh had come to the back and said to the Fire Ferrets, \u201cGood game.\u201d<\/p>\n
Mako had asked, \u201cWhat are you doing here?\u201d and Bolin had said, \u201cDon\u2019t you know who this is, bro? It\u2019s General Iroh from the Fire Nation!\u201d Then Iroh had looked at him, had given him a little smile, and Bolin was lost.<\/p>\n
He is lost. He\u2019s lost in him.<\/p>\n
Iroh\u2014General Iroh\u2014still gives him the little smiles, fleeting moments that Bolin keeps locked in his mind. He remembers every single moment: there had been that time when he\u2019d visited during another Fire Ferrets game, and Bolin had spotted him in the stands and, bam!<\/em>, smile. Bolin had lost his footing then.<\/p>\n There had been another time, when General Iroh had come to inspect Republic City and, by complete coincidence, they\u2019d run into each other. Bolin had been thinking of going up to him, of saying hello, of asking, Want to get something to drink?<\/em>\u2014but Iroh had just given him another one of those smiles and Bolin had known it was enough.<\/p>\n Mako opens the door to the attic and Bolin lifts an arm, says, \u201cHey, man.\u201d Mako looks a bit dirty and slightly flustered, as if he\u2019d just come back from making out with his girlfriend. Bolin grins sleazily.<\/p>\n \u201cHow\u2019s Korra?\u201d he asks, trying to sound as subtle as he can.<\/p>\n Mako glares at him. \u201cIf you want to know, you can ask her,\u201d he says. \u201cShe\u2019s downstairs.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cOoh, hot date tonight?\u201d<\/p>\n Mako\u2019s still silent and he\u2019s rummaging through his clothes, so Bolin assumes that\u2019s a yes. He\u2019d push for more details, but Iroh is still on his mind. His crush on Korra had been small, one of those temporary things\u2014but Bolin\u2019s admired Iroh since Iroh had congratulated the Fire Ferrets for the first time. It\u2019s been a good few years.<\/p>\n \u201cSince you\u2019ll be alone, why don\u2019t you ask Iroh out for a drink?\u201d Mako suggests, and Bolin throws a pillow at him. He can think of a billion excuses, like, Iroh\u2019s probably busy<\/em> or He probably doesn\u2019t drink<\/em> or He probably has a girlfriend, anyways<\/em>; but they all amount to the same thing. Bolin won\u2019t. He just won\u2019t.<\/p>\n *<\/p>\n By some miracle Bolin and Iroh find each other, and they\u2019re alone, with neither Bolin\u2019s brother nor Iroh\u2019s lieutenant-friends around. Iroh\u2019s exploring through Republic City, and Bolin decides to join him. He says, \u201cI hope I\u2019m not bothering you.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYou\u2019re not,\u201d says Iroh, giving him a sidelong glance. Bolin laughs, hopes he doesn\u2019t sound as awkward as he feels.<\/p>\n Iroh chuckles as well and asks, \u201cWhat was that for?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWhat was what?\u201d says Bolin.<\/p>\n \u201cYou were laughing at me.\u201d The corner of Iroh\u2019s lips twitch. Bolin doesn\u2019t let himself stare. \u201cWere you?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI wasn\u2019t!\u201d says Bolin defensively. \u201cI was laughing because I felt\u2014nervous.\u201d He feels a blush come on his cheeks and turns away so Iroh wouldn\u2019t see.<\/p>\n Iroh doesn\u2019t mention it, not even at Bolin\u2019s expressed nervousness. \u201cHow\u2019s your brother?\u201d he asks instead, changing the subject. \u201cAnd Korra?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYou see them every day, don\u2019t you know how they are already?\u201d says Bolin. \u201cCruising the streets, maintaining order, street patrol, blah blah blah.\u201d He rolls his eyes.<\/p>\n \u201cWell, yeah, but I want to know what you think,\u201d says Iroh. And then, \u201cHow\u2019s probending training?\u201d<\/p>\n Bolin perks up. \u201cIt\u2019s going great!\u201d he says enthusiastically. \u201cOur Waterbender needs some practice but Korra comes in every once in a while to give him lessons, and our Firebender\u2019s really good\u2014this other day, we were practicing, and I was trying to chuck an earth disk at her but she totally deflected it and shot a fire at my hair and geez<\/em>, my hair was awful for weeks, but it was totally awesome, and\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n Iroh laughs which cuts him off and Bolin scratches the back of his neck, embarrassed. He\u2019s well aware that he\u2019s probably smiling too hard, blushing to the color of a peach, and hopes Iroh won\u2019t mention that either.<\/p>\n Iroh doesn\u2019t, but he does say, \u201cThat\u2019s good; you always look like you\u2019re having fun when you\u2019re probending.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYeah,\u201d says Bolin.<\/p>\n \u201cSo,\u201d says Iroh. \u201cHook up with any of your many fangirls before?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2014\u201d says Bolin, thrown off. (What\u2019s he supposed to say?) \u201cI don\u2019t have that many fangirls,\u201d he finishes.<\/p>\n Iroh\u2019s the one who laughs this time and Bolin has to stop himself from staring again. \u201cThat\u2019s a lie,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n \u201cOkay, that is,\u201d says Bolin, and they both laugh.<\/p>\n They walk around Republic City and don\u2019t bring it up again. Bolin loves this, but he\u2019s a bit scared\u2014he says good-bye too early and goes back to the probending arena and tries to get Iroh out of his mind, and when he can\u2019t, wishes that he\u2019d stayed with him for a little bit longer.<\/p>\n *<\/p>\n \u201cYou know,\u201d says Mako. \u201cIf you can\u2019t get Iroh, there\u2019s always\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cNo,\u201d says Bolin before Mako can finish. Mako\u2019s been trying to get him out of this rut ever since Iroh\u2019s been staying here more often, and while Bolin appreciates the sentiment, it\u2019s not helping him\u2014well, get over Iroh isn\u2019t really his goal. Neither is getting Iroh.<\/p>\n Sometimes it\u2019s hard to know what you want when you like someone too much.<\/p>\n Mako sighs. \u201cI was gonna say Asami,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n Bolin crinkles his nose. \u201cI\u2019m not taking your leftovers, bro,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n \u201cShe\u2019s not<\/em> my leftovers,\u201d says Mako. \u201cI was suggesting, because she\u2019s single now too and me and Korra are together so I thought that it would\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n Bolin throws a pillow at him and Mako says, \u201cFine, fine, I get it.\u201d He throws the pillow back and Bolin buries his face in it.<\/p>\n \u201cSitting around and not doing anything about your feelings isn\u2019t accomplishing anything,\u201d says Mako, sitting down on the couch next to him.<\/p>\n \u201cThanks for the wise words, brother,\u201d says Bolin, and then removes his pillow. He sighs. \u201cAnd I know.\u201d<\/p>\n *<\/p>\n Iroh\u2019s out getting dinner with Bumi and other members of their seaforce and Bolin pretends that he doesn\u2019t know\u2014or, notice, rather. Bolin\u2019s with Mako, Korra, and Asami (Team Avatar, he likes to call them, or the Fearsome Foursome. They just roll their eyes when he calls them that, but Bolin\u2019s sure that if Iroh heard him, he\u2019s laugh. Bolin likes that about him.) He doesn\u2019t look when they incidentally go into the same restaurant; he just watches from the corner of his eye.<\/p>\n \u201cHey, look who it is,\u201d says Korra, to half Bolin\u2019s dread, half his happiness. \u201cWe should go over and say hi.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWe should,\u201d says Asami brightly, and Mako glances at Bolin. Bolin pretends not to notice.<\/p>\n They do and Bolin says, \u201cHi,\u201d along with the rest of them. Iroh and Bumi say hi back and Iroh gives him a smile, which Bolin involuntarily returns.<\/p>\n \u201cYou guys want to sit with us?\u201d offers Iroh, and Korra says, \u201cSure.\u201d They pull up more chairs and sit down.<\/p>\n \u201cThe food\u2019ll be on me, guys!\u201d says Bumi, letting out a loud laugh. \u201cIt\u2019s good to see you again, Avatar,\u201d he says to Korra, and they start a conversation with others occasionally chiming in.<\/p>\n Bolin had expected that he\u2019d be less interesting to everyone else, that maybe he and Asami or he and a single lieutenant would be off to the side with their own conversation while more important people talk about more important things; but then Iroh turns to him because somehow, they\u2019re sitting next to each other, and Iroh says, \u201cCoincidence meeting you here.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s a small city,\u201d says Bolin, and when Iroh laughs, he says, \u201cOkay, it\u2019s not.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s not,\u201d Iroh agrees. He takes a sip of his drink. Bolin pretends he\u2019s not watching and instead turns to his food.<\/p>\n \u201cSo, how long are you guys staying in Republic City?\u201d he asks. \u201cWhen are you guys going back to the Fire Nation?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cTired of me already?\u201d Iroh teases.<\/p>\n Bolin shoots him a grin and wishes he could say, No, I want you to stay as long as possible<\/em>. \u201cI\u2019m not tired of you,\u201d he says. \u201cJust, y\u2019know, wondering.\u201d<\/p>\n Iroh exhales deeply and takes another sip of his drink. \u201cI dunno,\u201d he says. \u201cOnce we\u2019re sure that there\u2019s no more revolution or anything. So as long as everything\u2019s peaceful.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWell, it\u2019s not possible for everything<\/em> to be peaceful ever<\/em>,\u201d says Bolin.<\/p>\n \u201cTrue,\u201d says Iroh, and then smiles at him. \u201cI guess I\u2019ll just stay here forever then.\u201d<\/p>\n I\u2019d like that<\/em>, Bolin thinks, and drinks to wash his thoughts away.<\/p>\n *<\/p>\n Asami and Korra glance at him every once in a while and giggle to each other. Bolin hadn\u2019t thought much about it before until Korra comes up to him on one of her shifts and says, \u201cSo, are you gonna do about that little crush you have?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cW-What?\u201d Bolin splutters. \u201cI\u2014I do not<\/em> have a\u2014I do not have a crush on any\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cOh please,\u201d says Asami. \u201cWe both know that you have a raging boner for Iroh\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n Both Asami and Korra burst into giggles again, and Bolin\u2019s cheeks feel fire hot. He storms up to Mako later and says, \u201cYou told<\/em> them!\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cTold who?\u201d says Mako, bewildered.<\/p>\n \u201cAsami and Korra! You told them that I like Iroh!\u201d<\/p>\n Mako blinks, and then shoves Bolin away a little. \u201cI wouldn\u2019t do that,\u201d he says. \u201cYou\u2019re pretty obvious about it, anyways.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWhat\u2014I am not<\/em>,\u201d says Bolin. \u201cI am the master of subtlety, okay! Then they probably just noticed because they\u2019re my friends.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cUh huh,\u201d says Mako, sounding bored. He\u2019s flipping through some of his police reports. \u201cWell anyways, I\u2019m going to go on patrol now. You go practice your probending or eat or pine after Iroh like you always do, every day\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cHey!\u201d says Bolin, but Mako merely throws a grin over his shoulder before leaving the attic.<\/p>\n *<\/p>\n Iroh asks him out for drinks and it\u2019s the first time they\u2019ve gone out for drinks and after the first drink, Iroh sets his bottle on the table and turns to Bolin and says, \u201cI like you.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYeah, can I have a straw?\u201d Bolin\u2019s saying to the bartender, and then turns to Iroh and says, \u201cSo, w\u2014wait, what<\/em>?\u201d<\/p>\n Iroh turns back to the bar. His eyes are fixated on a lamp above him. \u201cI like you,\u201d he says. \u201cI\u2019ve been meaning to\u2014I don\u2019t know.\u201d He glances down and his cheeks are flushed. \u201cTell you, I guess, though I never imagined that I would.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYou\u2014\u201d says Bolin. \u201cYou would\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cTell you? I guess I did,\u201d says Iroh.<\/p>\n \u201cYou would like me<\/em>?\u201d says Bolin, and he grabs Iroh\u2019s right shoulder so that Iroh is facing him.<\/p>\n Iroh still won\u2019t meet his eyes. \u201cIf you\u2019re grossed out, it\u2019s okay\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI like you too,\u201d says Bolin, and he watches Iroh so that he can remember every second, everything in this moment. Iroh looks at him and his eyes are surprised, at first\u2014and then relieved, happy even. He doesn\u2019t hug Bolin or kiss him (which is good, because Bolin doesn\u2019t think he could handle that right now, at the least) but he looks back to the table and Bolin sees a smile from the side of his face. Bolin\u2019s hand isn\u2019t on his shoulder anymore but Iroh places his hand over his.<\/p>\n \u201cOkay,\u201d says Iroh, and then, \u201cI guess that\u2019s a good thing.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI think it is,\u201d says Bolin, and they both laugh.<\/p>\n *<\/p>\n They go out for drinks a bit more and Bolin doesn\u2019t know if they\u2019re together, if they\u2019re a couple, if they\u2019re something official<\/em> because that\u2019s the most annoying thing about everything. Like Mako and Korra, except he doesn\u2019t think they ever talked about it either, because Mako doesn\u2019t like talking about his feelings and Bolin doesn\u2019t think Korra would confront him about something like that. They\u2019d just find something mutual, and understand each other without talking.<\/p>\n Bolin wishes he has that with Iroh and he thinks he could<\/em>, except he thinks about it too much.<\/p>\n But they go out for drinks and dinner every evening they can, which is every few days. Iroh still has duties as General as well as patrolling Republic City with the police force, right now. Bolin would join him and Mako, except he has probending training and that takes up most of his day. Even when Iroh isn\u2019t around, he goes out to eat at the place as they always do, and sometimes thinks of what Iroh would say if he were here.<\/p>\n \u201cYou\u2019re eating too much<\/em>,\u201d Iroh might say, and Bolin would say, \u201cYou\u2019re eating just as much as me.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n \u201cWell,\u201d <\/em>says imaginary Iroh, \u201chardly. I\u2019m not saying it\u2019s a bad thing, though.\u201d<\/em> He\u2019d grin and Bolin would chuck a piece of meat at him and Iroh would say, \u201cNice maturity you got there.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n \u201cYou just like teasing me too much, don\u2019t you?\u201d<\/em> Bolin would say to Iroh.<\/p>\n \u201cYeah, but I like it. And I like you.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n Bolin blushes and hides his face even though he\u2019s alone and it\u2019s not like anyone can hear what he\u2019s thinking. Maybe he\u2019s just flattering himself too much. Maybe Iroh doesn\u2019t like him that much; maybe Iroh doesn\u2019t think like this of him.<\/p>\n \u201cHey, sorry I\u2019m late,\u201d says a voice behind him and Bolin turns and beams when he sees Iroh. Iroh\u2019s hair\u2019s messed up and his jacket is slung over his arm but Bolin can\u2019t be happier to see him.<\/p>\n \u201cDon\u2019t be,\u201d he says, and pulls out the chair next to him. \u201cSit down.\u201d<\/p>\n Iroh laughs. \u201cI\u2019m not a girl, Bolin,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n \u201cI don\u2019t pull out chairs for only girls,\u201d says Bolin, and smiles involuntarily at the slight reddening of Iroh\u2019s cheeks.<\/p>\n *<\/p>\n \u201cI thought\u2014think about you a lot,\u201d says Iroh when they\u2019re walking home. Iroh\u2019s staying on Avatar Island with Korra and Bumi and the rest of the army that\u2019s here. They\u2019re a few blocks away from the probending stadium and Bolin wishes they were even farther.<\/p>\n \u201cI think about you a lot too,\u201d says Bolin, surprised.<\/p>\n Iroh shakes his head. Bolin wonders if he\u2019s had too much to drink. \u201cBefore\u2014before I told you,\u201d he says, and Bolin knows what he means: before I told you I like you.<\/em> \u201cI\u2014thought of all the different ways I could\u2019ve told you,\u201d he says, \u201cand all the ways you could\u2019ve reacted.\u201d He hiccups and his cheeks turn a bit red. \u201cI don\u2019t know why I\u2019m telling you this.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI,\u201d says Bolin, because he\u2019s surprised.<\/p>\n Iroh shakes his head. \u201cForget it, I sound stupid,\u201d he says. \u201cYou probably\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cIroh,\u201d says Bolin, and stops in the street. Iroh turns to him.<\/p>\n \u201cIroh,\u201d he says again, and takes a step forward so they\u2019re close. \u201cI like you, a lot.\u201d He swallows. \u201cI, um. I think about you a lot too.\u201d His fingers flirt with Iroh\u2019s, a little. Iroh grabs his hand and holds on tight like he doesn\u2019t want the earth to push Bolin away.<\/p>\n \u201cI really<\/em> like you,\u201d says Iroh, and it sounds like a warning, like he needs to let Bolin know before Bolin knows what he\u2019s in for.<\/p>\n Bolin doesn\u2019t think it\u2019s needed. He\u2019s a rock; he thinks he can be Iroh\u2019s rock.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s okay,\u201d says Bolin, and he can see Iroh take a leap of faith, see the brief flash of doubt in his eyes before Iroh leans in and flits his lips against Bolin\u2019s. Bolin presses back before Iroh can try to dance away, like a flickering flame.<\/p>\n They break apart and then Iroh holds onto Bolin\u2019s face and kisses him properly. Bolin grabs onto his shoulders and feels like there\u2019s nothing between them.<\/p>\n \u201cIf it\u2019s not obvious enough,\u201d he says when they stop, noses pressed against each other, \u201cI like you too.\u201d<\/p>\n Iroh grips his cheeks and says, \u201cOkay,\u201d and when Bolin blows into his face, gently, Iroh pulls away and lets out a loud, bright laugh.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Bolin just has a crush on Iroh. No big deal.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[66],"fandom":[523],"rating":[675],"ship":[],"relationship":[606],"minorfandomships":[750],"class_list":["post-2005","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-default","tag-fluff","fandom-avatar","rating-teen","relationship-slash","minorfandomships-bolin-iroh-ii"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/aroceu.com\/fic\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2005","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/aroceu.com\/fic\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/aroceu.com\/fic\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/aroceu.com\/fic\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/aroceu.com\/fic\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2005"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/aroceu.com\/fic\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2005\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/aroceu.com\/fic\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2005"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/aroceu.com\/fic\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2005"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/aroceu.com\/fic\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2005"},{"taxonomy":"fandom","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/aroceu.com\/fic\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/fandom?post=2005"},{"taxonomy":"rating","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/aroceu.com\/fic\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/rating?post=2005"},{"taxonomy":"ship","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/aroceu.com\/fic\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/ship?post=2005"},{"taxonomy":"relationship","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/aroceu.com\/fic\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/relationship?post=2005"},{"taxonomy":"minorfandomships","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/aroceu.com\/fic\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/minorfandomships?post=2005"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}