welcome to republic city | legend of korra one-shots

being friends with bolin headcanons

- he gives big hugs every time he sees you (if you're okay with hugs)

- and he's always excited to catch up with you whenever there's been a bit of time since he last talked to you

- before he met opal, he'd plead with you to pretend to be his partner whenever groups of fangirls recognized him and overwhelmed him

- you'd only agree when he and pabu put on puppy dog eyes

- "it's not fair that you use pabu against me," you'd say every time

- he'd make up for it by letting you get snuggle time with pabu later

- the two of you tease mako for always being such a stick in the mud

- every time he meets a new friend (korra, asami, opal, etc.), he has a big grin when he introduces you to them

- he loves his friends also being friends, it makes his life so easy for everyone to be cool with each other

- he liked sparring with you to practice his pro-bending moves

- it would be a little exhausting on you, though

- so, sometimes you would play-fist-fight with him afterwards and he'd pretend to go down with a few (fake) punches

- "oh no! i've been bested by the great (y/n)! how will i ever recover?"

- pabu would hop up on his chest after he dramatically fell to the mat and lick his face, making you laugh

- he'd push aside the fire ferret, muttering, "no, pabu, i'm pretending to be dead, i'm not asleep."

- "maybe he's trying to eat your dead body," you'd say in an attempt to spook bolin

- "no, no, i know my pabu. if i die, he won't eat me. isn't that right, buddy?"

- you were uncomfortable when kuvira recruited bolin to work with her to "unify the earth kingdom" as you saw the kind of work they did

- at first, you tried to keep quiet about it because bolin was happy, but like everyone else in his life, you couldn't condone it when kuvira wouldn't give power back to prince wu

- "you wouldn't believe what mako and opal have been saying about kuvira," he said with a pout, trying to vent to you

- then he noticed your expression

- "hey, (y/n)? are you... okay?"

- "okay? how am i supposed to be okay when my best friend is working for an imperialist!" you replied, distraught. "i mean, don't you know anything about history? about the fire nation's hundred-year war? or chin the conqueror? this is how dozens of years of war starts! they never stop their so-called greatness with their own home, they always spread it to other countries, and all you can do is stand behind kuvira?"

- he was shocked to say the least and tried to talk you down

- but you were too shocked and angry, and all his calm demeanor did was rile you up more

- "i don't know what you want me to do," he said helplessly

- "leave kuvira! free the earth kingdom from her grasp! at the very least, just tell me you know what she's doing is wrong," you begged

- he stared at you for a long time while you waited for him to give some indication that he doubted kuvira

- there was conflict in his expression at least, but it wasn't enough

- "i'm sorry," he said eventually, "but i can't do that."

- "then i'm sorry, too. but i can't be friends with anyone who works with her."

- the first time he saw you after he and varrick escaped, he scooped you into a big hug

- "i'm so so so sorry i didn't see what you and everybody else meant about kuvira," he rambled, "i thought she was helping everyone in the earth kingdom, but we've been hurting people more---"

- "i forgive you, bolin."

- "---but she was persuasive and sneaky and a little intimidating when i tried to ask if it was possible for her to back down---"

- "i forgive you."

- "---and it took me way too long to realize what she's been trying to do - i mean, have you heard about her re-education camps? it's horrifying! i wish i could have seen this weeks ago---"
you pulled back from his arms and put your hands on his shoulders

- "bolin!" you called to get his attention. "i forgive you. we're cool. okay, buddy?"

- he looked like he wanted to say more, but he sighed with relief and just said, "okay," before squeezing you one last time

- "now, i assume you're back because she's got something too bad for words going on now," you said

- "yeah, we have to take her down!"

- "i'm with you, bolin."

- he grinned and looked like he wanted to hug you once more but settled for nodding and dragging you along to president raiko's office