The pair watched in shock as Bolin disappeared into the crowd, his sobs cutting through the chilly night air.

"Shouldn't you go after him?"

"No, I'm the last person he wants to see right now. Possibly the second to last," he shoots her a dirty look. "I can't believe you did something so stupid!"

"Stupid?" She shouted. "I said it before and I'll say it again, you kissed me back!"

Their shouts started to draw attention from the crowd around them. "Aren't those two from the Fire Ferrets?" They heard the murmurs start to spread.

"Come on, let's get inside before you make things worse." Mako stalked towards the arena, Korra hot on his heels.

"I couldn't make things worse without your willing participation," she shot back, glowering at him.

"Shh! The last thing we need is for the papers to pick up on this. The gossip columns would have a field day!" He admonished, forcing Korra to bite her tongue as they wound through the arena in tense silence.

When the got to the level just below the attic, she let him have it again. "Why would you kiss me back if you didn't mean it!"

"I told you to be quiet!" He looked around them nervously, running a hand through his hair.

"There's no one up here! Seriously, why did you do – oomph!"

Mako's lips were pressed against hers again in a searing kiss that finally stunned her into silence. He held her face in his hands, and her heart pounded in her ears.

But that stillness lasted only for a moment before she blinked away the shock and kissed him back so fiercely he was forced to back against the wall. As soon as his back hit wood, he pulled away and gasped, "Upstairs."

She released him long enough to climb the stairs up to the attic. He carefully latched the door behind her, then faced her, his breath still coming hard and fast.

"And what was that?" She demanded.

"You kissed me back," he said with a smirk.

"Of course I did! I told you I liked you, and when the guy I like kisses me like that, what else am I supposed to do?"

He took a couple steps closer, until he was only inches in front of her, leaned down, and whispered in her ear, "Exactly. That is exactly why I kissed you back."

He pulled back just enough to look her in the eyes, those ice blue eyes that were so expressive, so burning with emotion right now.

"Then kiss me again," she demanded.

Mako took no time in obeying, and pulled her in by her waist, catching her lips with his again. She arched into him, the lines of their bodies meeting between them with no room to spare.

"Coat," she muttered, between desperate kisses. "Too hot."

He quickly pulled her parka off, and she made quick work of his jacket. As they started to shed articles of clothing, the intensity between them only began to build. There was a spark that had been lit and it was only a matter of time before it exploded.

He pressed kisses on her neck, his hands returning to her waist, slowly drifting upward until his thumbs skimmed the sides of her breasts.

"Wait," she said breathlessly, "Asami?"

"I'll tell her tomorrow that we're done."

"Tomorrow?"

"Do you want me to stop now?" He stopped his attentions just long enough to give her a look.

"No, but – "

"Korra, I never felt this way with her," he said, looking her in the eye. "She never made me feel like I was burning up from the inside if I didn't touch her, like I would melt away to nothing if I couldn't hold her."

There were no arguments from Korra after that.

Somehow they found their way to the couch, Korra straddling Mako below her as she tugged at his hair and he tugged at her shirt.

She rocked her hips against his as he fingers kneaded her skin, and couldn't tell if her skin felt like it was on fire because he was a naturally warm fire bender or because he was Mako.

Either way, she didn't care, so long as he didn't stop.

"Korra," he groaned, "You really weren't using him, were you?"

She froze, then punched him in the shoulder, hard. "No! And I can't believe you'd ask me that, and now of all times."

She started to pull away, but Mako held her tight. "I just have to know, before…"

"He is my friend, my good friend, but nothing more. I'm not attracted to him like that, and I didn't mean to lead him on."

"Please, Korra, I just…I just don't want to hurt him. But I want you so badly…" he trailed off, and Korra felt the anger subside, lust quickly taking its place.

"I want you, too," she said, sliding off his lap to sit beside him. "Isn't that enough right now?"

She leaned back, pulling him on top of her and enjoying the weight of him pressing into her. Pressing kisses on his neck and cheek, she led him back to her, leading them both back to the fire burning inside of her.

The rest of their clothes soon joined their coats, and they both surrendered to the fire, consequences and tomorrows be damned.