Brolin

Mako comes up with a new 'witty' nickname for his little brother, and Bolin is left feeling uncharacteristically exasperated.

Hello to any random readers! I wrote this a while ago, after the first two episodes of Legend of Korra Season 2, actually. I was inspired after hearing some of Mako's 'funny' one-liners. I really love the new Team Avatar, and I really love Bolin and Mako, (even if Mako is a total heartbreaker)

Disclaimer: I do not own the awesome Legend of Korra, nor do I own the wonderful characters in its marvellous universe!

Mako had never been the funniest guy.

Bolin didn't say this to be mean. It was just a fact. Just like how he had never been the most intelligent.

Mako was a broody individual who liked to sit in one place for a long time and contemplate matters Bolin would never care for. Bolin assumed this came from having to be tragically responsible at a young age. However, Korra had changed this somewhat. Mako was now slightly more light-hearted, and he could even laugh a little more. This was a positive development, but it did make Bolin a little jealous.

Don't get him wrong, he absolutely loved Korra. She was beautiful, and funny and quick and did he mention she was beautiful?

He and she would have made a great couple, but her preferences leaned towards the more strong and silent types. Bolin was strong, but he doubted he could ever be silent. The only time he really ever shut up was when he had a cold. However, he couldn't bring himself to be envious of their relationship. Both of them were happy, and it made Bolin gleeful to see his stoic big brother in a relationship with such a strong gal.

What made him jealous was how Mako had never been able to joke with him like he now did with Korra.

It was as if Korra was his whole world now. He didn't have much time to spare now he had become a cop, and he spent most of his free time doing sappy romantic stuff with Korra.

Bolin was now the captain of the newly formed (and quite pathetic) Fire Ferrets, so at least he could keep himself occupied whilst his brother traipsed around with the Avatar.

"Hey, bro," Bolin lurched at the greeting. Mako had just entered their apartment. He was in his cop uniform, and looked weary. "I got some dumplings."

"Awesome!" Bolin cheered, making grabby hands at his brother. "Give me!"

Mako rolled his eyes affectionately, and tossed the warm bag into the wriggling hands.

Bolin immediately began shoving the warm, tasty buns down his throat with the politeness of a starving homeless man, in a display that would have made the prim Asami wrinkle her delicate nose. Mako ignored the manners (or lack, thereof) he may have been the closest thing to a parental figure Bolin had ever had, but there was no use scolding him. He wouldn't listen anyways. Besides, they were both guys, and guys didn't care much for etiquette anyways.

Mako reached over and stole one from the rapidly emptying bag and chewed it much more slowly, savouring the warm sensation. "You should have seen this guy I caught today. When I took him into custody he was raving about some nonsense and breathing fire –"

"What'd you arrest him for?" Bolin interrupted; swallowing such a large mouthful it burned his throat. "Ouch..."

"He was harassing an elderly woman for some yuan. He was a debt collector who worked for the Triple Threats."

Bolin shuddered. It made him anxious that Mako was arresting men who had once been their colleagues. They may have been criminals, but it still didn't seem right. He supposed he would have to become accustomed to seeing Mako as a man of the law and not just some ragtag kid who'd used to run some numbers for them.

"Anyway, I taped his mouth shut and then decided to use one of my humorous quips –"

Bolin inwardly groaned. So this was what he was going on about. Ever since Mako had become a cop, he had decided that he would use lame one-liners after he had caught a particularly dangerous criminal. And those one-liners were awful. Mako may have found them witty, but they weren't truly witty when he wrote them down hours beforehand. And Korra kept laughing whenever Mako told her them, which was just further encouragement for Mako to continue thinking them up.

"– I said to him, 'Wow, your throat must be on fire'." Mako threw his arms out to the side with a large smile. "He couldn't respond since his mouth was taped shut, but I'm sure he would have laughed if he had the chance."

Bolin sincerely doubted it. "Haha...so funny..." Bolin said flatly. He thought about telling Mako to stop rattling off these jokes, but when he saw the proud expression on his brother's face, he gave a genuine wide grin. Mako indulged him whenever he concocted some silly scheme (although he'd always been rather dismissive) so the least he could do was pretend that Mako was funny. Besides, Mako was trying so hard. He didn't want him to become disheartened.

"I thought it was clever." Mako said, regaining his usual businesslike, serious demeanour. "When these fools go to prison, they can all exchange stories about the man who caught them, and his intelligent jokes." From out of his sleeve, he pulled out a slip of scrawled on paper. He showed it to Bolin, and pointed a long finger at the joke on the top of the list. "What do you think of this one?"

Bolin squinted at the neat handwriting, and read aloud. "It looks like you're bent out of shape." Bolin blinked slowly.

"It's for when they can no longer bend! After I've defeated them and they're subdued." Mako explained patiently. "Get it?"

"Oh yeah," Bolin chuckled. "That's a good one."

"I'm saving it for a particularly nasty defeat at my hands." Mako told him.

"You'd better make sure you have them tied up, lest they become bent over from laughing so hard."

"That wasn't funny." Mako deadpanned.

Bolin's eyebrow twitched. "Really...? I guess nothing's funny unless you write it beforehand."

"You have a problem?"

"Of course not," Bolin shook his head rapidly. "Your jokes are the bomb."

"Okay..." Mako said, suspicions gone. "Oh! I also thought up a nickname for you! How do you like Brolin?"

Bolin choked on the last dumpling he had been munching on. "What?" He spluttered.

"Brolin," Mako repeated eagerly. "It's 'Bro' and 'Bolin' combined. Since I call you bro, and Bolin, it would just be funny to have them together. Don't you think?"

"Yeah..." Bolin managed to get out. "That's so funny!"

"I thought it was." Mako said happily. "I asked Korra, and she giggled for about an hour. She said that you'd love it."

Bolin resisted the urge to facepalm.

"So, Brolin," Mako addressed with a magnitude of pride. "How about we go to Air Temple Island and hang out with Korra and Asami?"

"Sounds like fun." Bolin nodded. "Let's go!"

As Bolin and Mako walked out of their apartment in silence, Bolin pondered. Was this how Mako had felt whenever he did something exasperating? He could definitely sympathise with his brother now. No wonder Mako turned out so short-tempered.

Brolin...he supposed he could learn to like it.

Yeah. This was pretty lame and short, but I did laugh the whole time I wrote it. I hope you found some slight amusement from this. Point out any spelling/grammatical mistakes if you see them, and review to tell me what you think! Until next time. ^_^