A/N: Originally posted on my tumblr (link in my profile if you're curious). Finally decided to put it up here.
Basically this is my short head canon for how Korra ended up with Mako's scarf in episode 3. It's Makorra if you squint.
Later, if I write more things like this, I might shift this from a short one-short to a series of long drabbles. I just gotta figure out a theme. I have another double-drabble that I could post in something like that, but it's not Makorra, and really doesn't have any specific character in mind. It's just a dissection of a single moment and how one would feel. So I'm not sure it relates enough for me to add that to this one.
Korra finished tucking stray pieces of her dark hair beneath her hat, which she had "borrowed" from one of the other pro-bending team's female members. She turned to Mako, who was buttoning up his trench-coat, her lips set in a grim line. "Okay I'm ready, let's go." The two had stopped off at the bending brother's flat atop the arena to find disguises and wait for the evening, when the Equalists rally would start. As the sun went down, the tension in the air thickened. Mako was worried sick, but refused to let it overcome his emotions, while Korra was feeling the anticipation of a fight like a tingle beneath her skin.
The young Avatar turned to leave before she had even finished her sentence when Mako grabbed her arm and spun her back, "Woah there, wait a minute."
"What!" Korra snapped impatiently, crossing her arms. "We've been waiting for hours. The rally should start soon."
"We need to be prepared, unless you want to be caught before we can even get into it." Mako replied firmly, though his eyes were busy studying her form, brows furrowed in consideration. The hairs on Korra's neck stood on end as she anxiously waited for his judgment of her disguise, tapping her foot. She opened her mouth to brush off his comment and just leave, but decided he'd know how to blend in in this city better than she did. His hand was poised against his chin, and it reminded Korra somewhat of Tenzin when he would stroke his beard like some criminal mastermind thinking up ways to make her airbending training even worse. She was halfway through imagining Mako with Tenzin's beard when he flicked her collar up, reaching around her neck to make sure it covered as much as it could. Korra, unused to close contact of boys her age, had to force down the blush that threatened - because she certainly wasn't one of those girls, and they had far more to worry about right now. "Alright good, can we go now?"
But Mako was still staring at her, shaking his head. "Still no good. Your face is a problem."
This time she did blush - from immediate indignation that was as hot as the fire flowing through her veins. "What?"
Mako either didn't notice the lack of tact his comment had to a teenage girl, or didn't care. Korra was willing to bet the latter. "I can still see it clearly, even with the collar up and that hat shadowing your forehead. You're obviously the Avatar." The firebender gestured to her face with a frown, which was still not thrilling Korra.
"Well what'll you have me do about it, city boy?" Her hands went to her hips, "Wear a paper bag?" Mako smirked, as if enjoying picturing the idea, and it took a bucketful of self-restraint to keep from punching him in the face so he could wear some stupid paper bag. "And what about you, mister famous-pro-bending-brother?"
"Unlike you, I don't make a big deal about how well or badly I'm known," He said, though fingered at his collar anyway. "And most don't even recognize me anyway. They either hear me play on the radio, or watch me from seats scores of feet away from the actual ring. You, on the other hand, have already appeared multiple times in the papers." Mako fixed his raised collar, fingers pausing at his scarf and he fell into a thoughtful silence.
Korra rolled her eyes, annoyed at his logic but finding no point in arguing it. "Fine. That still doesn't fix the 'problem.'" She raised her hands to give air quotations, tone sour, though in doing so her jacket collar flopped down, as it wasn't made to stand up. She growled under her breath and was ready to just rip the jacket off completely when Mako looped something around her neck a few times. She blinked and looked down, holding the edge of his red scarf he seemed to wear all the time. It was wide and long enough to pile around her and she could easily duck her chin, mouth, and nose beneath it like a turtleduck into its shell, effectively hiding the rest of her face. For some, inexplicable reason, the gesture threatened another blush but she managed to keep her cheek color in check.
"There," Mako nodded, though he still looked more serious than pleased, as usual.
Korra frowned and glanced away, not expecting a piece of his closely worn wardrobe, the same he had ducked his own face down into a few hours earlier. "Thanks." Her voice was soft, and the two stood in awkward silence for a moment, Korra's arms crossed once more and Mako's hands shoved in his pockets, both looking in different directions. Mako muttered a low, no problem, keeping his gaze averted. Korra cleared her throat first.
"It's almost time-"
"Yeah, let's head out." Mako replied just as quickly, moving towards the ladder in record time.
Korra followed after only a step behind, but while he wasn't looking, she took a deep breath, Mako's scent now surrounding her senses. She rolled her eyes at her own antics before composing herself. This was no time for... whatever this was. They had an earthbender to save.
.x.