We Love the Water Prologue

We Love the Water

Prologue

The first time Tahno met Korra was on a wedding aisle. He was in a black tux, his hair was perfectly combed to the side, and his bluish, gray eyes were fixed into a serious scowl on his face. He didn't see why he had to walk down the stupid aisle in this stupid suit next to this way too annoying girl who was taking her responsibilities as a flower girl far too lightly. For Pete's sake, she was so carelessly throwing those flower petals just wherever she pleased. Those were supposed to go on the aisle for the bride to walk on. He looked down and double checked to make sure the rings were still on the pillow he was clutching for what felt like the hundredth time. If anything was going to go wrong, it would not be his fault.
“You're doing it wrong,” he told her as they started walking down the aisle.
“Look, I'm the flower girl, so I decide where these flower petals go. You just have to deal with it, Pretty Boy,” she sassed back as she practically threw a handful of flower petals right into his face.
“Korra!” Senna chastised from her seat as she gave her daughter a warning glare.
Korra then looked at her dad, who also didn't seem pleased with her behavior. She sighed exasperatedly and continued on down the aisle, flinging the petals in every direction with unbridled enthusiasm. As she reached the end of the aisle, she proceeded to dump the remaining contents of the basket into an unceremonious heap on the floor, before marching over to stand with the bridesmaids, smiling smugly back at a scowling Tahno.
But it just wouldn't end there would it? She wouldn't leave him alone. She insisted they do everything together for the rest of the night. He tried everything to get away from her until finally he resigned himself to hiding under a table.
“There you are!” Korra exclaimed as she crawled under the table to sit next to him. “I've been looking everywhere for you! What are you doing under the table? Don’t you like parties?” Korra asked as she watched the small boy try to shift away from her warily.
“I'm hiding,” was little Tahno's irritated reply.
“Hiding? From who? Your mom? Your dad?” Korra inquired, her curiosity getting the better of her.
“From the flower girl,” Tahno answered, embarrassed by his answer. Boys were not supposed to be afraid of girls, but she was not a normal girl, so this shouldn't count.
“But...I'm the flower girl...” Korra responded, confused and saddened by his answer.
Tahno couldn't look at her. He had been taught that it was wrong to be rude, but he couldn't help it. She had it coming. However, his eyes returned to look at her in widened surprise when Korra started laughing. Not just a giggle, but a deep belly-laugh. His features twisted back into a suspicious scowl at her inexplicable amusement. What was so funny?
“You thought you could hide from me? From under the table? You're so silly!” she squealed between laughs.
“I am not,” Tahno argued back as he crossed his arms over his chest.  
“Says the silly boy who is sitting under a table instead of eating cake,” Korra retorted with another giggle as she shook her head and left him alone for the first time all night.
Tahno opened his little mouth to argue again, but he was all alone. Unable to stop himself, he crawled out from his secluded hiding place to follow her. Suddenly, the one person he had previously wanted to avoid was now the one person he wanted to hang out with. They shared the biggest piece of cake either of them had ever seen and spent the rest of the night playing tag and causing general mayhem.
Tahno came to a conclusion about his new friend Korra; she wasn't a girl, she was chaos. He liked chaos, he decided. She loved to swim and play in the mud and rain just like he did, so they both loved the water. But there was one thing he noticed, she never really used his name when she talked to him or about him to anyone else. She called him 'Pretty Boy'. He would scowl slightly at the term. Boys were supposed to be tough and strong, not 'pretty'. But at least it was better than 'Silly Boy', wasn't it? So in retaliation he began calling her 'Pretty Girl', and each time Korra just laughed it off and dragged him to wherever she wanted to go.
“Tahno! There you are. I've been looking everywhere for you! Your father is ready to leave,” Norah, Tahno's mother said as she caught her son trying to chase Korra through the crowded room.
“But I want to stay with Korra!” Tahno whined.
“That is not an option young man. Now you can say goodbye, but we're leaving now,” Norah lightly reprimanded.
“Yes, Mother,” Tahno answered begrudgingly as Korra returned to his side. “I have to leave now. Sorry,” Tahno said, his little shoulders sagging with defeat.
“It's okay, Pretty Boy, we'll see each other again. Thank you for playing with me,” Korra said as she patted his shoulder consolingly.
“You're welcome,” Tahno replied as he leaned in.
Korra, expecting him to hug her, leaned forward too but instead of receiving a hug, Tahno quickly kissed her on the cheek.
“Bye, Pretty Girl,” Tahno said hastily before fleeing to his mother and leaving.
Korra just stared after him, her big mouth hanging open in astonishment.
“Five years old and already kissing all the girls. What am I going to do with you?” Norah gently teased her son as they walked to their car where his father was waiting.
Tahno didn't say anything in response, but neither could he wipe away the small grin that had begun to spread across his face.