Title: Heavy Eyes
Word Count: 2,922
Summary: [Korra's sick and pissed. Mako's tired and confused. This cannot turn out well… | Mako. Korra. Pre-Episode 5.]
be-the-peaf · Prompt 027 – Sickness
-.-
Note: This is a kind-of, sort-of sequel to my other story; "The Long Night", but not really (at least it doesn't really require reading before this one). *shrugs* :/
-.-
Korra was sick.
He hadn't noticed it at first. It was early morning and that meant practice. It also meant that he and Bolin would spend a good ten minutes waiting around the gym for their new teammate to show up, although how long it would take her to get to here from Air Temple Island was always up in the air, Korra seemed to come and go as she pleased.
It was the usual morning and usual waiting. Mako leans against the wall, arms crossed in front his chest while Bolin shuffles his feet around the net, kicking at some earth discs that were left out for the night. His brother stretches, letting out a forced yawn as he glances at the untouched gym doors. Mako looks at them too, staring at them in a long and focused gaze, as if his stern eyes will make Korra appear any faster. After a few moments of watching, Mako walks away from the wall and picks up a medicine ball from the floor.
"Let's get started," he says, facing his brother. "Korra can just catch up when she gets here."
Bolin hesitates, glancing at the door one last time before crossing the space in front of Mako. They line up opposite from each other and start the warm-up with chest passes, thrusting the heavy ball back and forth.
The door opens on the eleventh pass and Korra comes in with her gym bag strung around her shoulder and her feet dragging across the floor. Mako stops practice, resting the ball on his hip as she stops in front of the group.
"And just where have you been all day?" he asks, drawing his brow together as he looks at her. She ignores him, setting her bag on the ground to get her equipment out. Mako takes a step forward, his free arm waving into the air. "Practice starts at seven, Korra! You're not even dressed!"
"Just give it a rest, alright, Mako?" Korra mutters back while she gets the rest of her padding out. "I've been busy with the taskforce the last couple of nights. You should be glad I showed up at all."
Unbelievable, he thinks, growling and clenching his teeth together. Korra pulls her armguards on and Mako takes in a slow breath, trying to calm down.
"Look, Korra. I know this may not mean much to you, but we have a job to do here! The semifinals are coming up in a few weeks and you've gotten no practice in since joining that stupid taskforce."
Korra stops, setting the shoulder pads slowly to the floor. She stands up; shocked and gaping at his words.
"'Stupid'?" she repeats. "So fighting the Equalists and trying to stop Amon is stupid?"
"Right now it is, just look at you." He says, motioning to her. "You look like you were run over by an armadillo-bear."
Korra throws her hands into the air. "I do not believe this," she huffs, almost laughing as she pushes the hair from her eyes. "You are impossible. I was just late by a few minutes!"
"And you've been late or missing for the last week!" he shouts. "How many more times before you realize you won't be able to keep up in the tournament? This isn't some joke, Korra."
"You know something?" Korra asks pointedly, getting right into Mako's face. She was fuming now; her face twisted and red in suppressed anger.
"If you have a problem with me, then let's settle it." She says, poking his chest hard. "Right now."
Mako stares into Korra's eyes, holding the gaze as sparks seem to fly between them, waiting for one to make the first move. But just when Mako is about to tell her off and really start the fire, he notices something, and stops.
"Bolin." He says, not taking his eyes from Korra. "Practice is over."
"Good." Korra says, backing away from Mako before he can say anymore. She turns on her heel mid-stride, shoving her bag over her shoulder and heading for the door. "I'm leaving."
Bolin walks in front of her with his arms stretched out to his sides, blocking her from the door.
"No." he says. "You're not."
Korra furrows her brow in confusion, looking him over as she crosses her arms.
"And why is that?" she asks, still cross from her spat with Mako.
"I'll explain upstairs." Mako says, waving to them as he walks up the attic's stairs. Korra raises a single brow at him and is about to respond when Bolin presses his hands into her back, leading her along. She sighs, giving Bolin a look as he passes her but follows him up the wooden planks to the brother's home. Once there, she stands in the middle of the room, crossing her arms and glaring at Mako every chance she gets as he walked around the kitchen area. His words stung, she wasn't about to let them go just because he was acting strangely.
"Why am I here?" she asks, Mako passes her one more time, picking an empty glass from the top of a box. He holds it to the light, checking it if was clean.
"Because you're sick." he says, setting the cup down. Korra's hands go to her hips.
"What? I'm not sick." she says, shaking her head and wondering where this could have ever come from. "I'm a little tired but I feel fine."
"Mako can tell these things, Korra. Always could." Bolin says beside her. "He always seems to know something is wrong before it gets too bad."
Korra sighs, rubbing her temple. "This is ridiculous. If I am sick I'll just get better at the island! No need to coop me up here."
"It's a fifteen minute walk to the ferry, then at least a ten minute ride across to the island." Mako says. "Even if you're able to go that far, it'll only make you worse in the long-run. It'd be better if you rested here for a few hours and fight it as much as you can before heading back."
"I told you, I'm not si-" Korra stops all of the sudden, stumbling in her place as both her hands go to her eyes. She rubs them, tiredness quickly sweeping over her. She thinks she might feel something else besides that. Mako presses a hand onto the box's side.
"Well?"
Korra glares.
"I'm using your couch."
-.-
She rests on the sofa, lying down on the padded cushions. She is silent, for the most part, facing the ceiling with her eyes closed. She looks to the side occasionally, peeking through her eyelids as the brothers go about their day, walking through the apartment as quietly as they can. Bolin goes through tricks with Pabu for some time while Mako goes about the room, sorting through boxes and putting things here and there. They make Probending plans, scrawling formations and tactics on the back of day old newspapers. She thinks about joining them, letting them know she's not really asleep, but she feels too tired to raise her voice and she closes her eyes for a moment and her brain does backflips inside her head. She presses the tips of her fingers against the skin and heat seems to radiate from it.
It's spreading inside her, whatever it is.
She keeps her eyes closed and hopes it will go away soon.
-.-
The sky is dark when she opens them again and she shoots up in a panic, her head whirling to the side and around the room until her eyes spot Mako, who is sitting on a stool with the remains of the probending plans in his hands. Korra swallows before speaking, fighting the sudden wave of heat and light headedness that came from looking around too quickly.
"How long was I asleep?" she asks, rising from the seat when she stops, doing a double-back and landing back onto the couch before Mako can put a foot on the floor. He pauses, the plans still in his hands as he takes in the flushed look of her face. He sets the papers down and walks to her, grabbing a glass of water that had been placed on the table.
"Most of the day," he says, giving her the glass. He sits on the table, resting his palms on his legs. "How do you feel?"
"Terrible." She says, drinking and wiping the collection of sweat from her brow. "I should have gone back."
"You needed the rest."
"Yeah…" she says into the glass, looking around the room for Bolin only to find that he is missing. She swallows the remaining water, handing the glass back to Mako. "Where's Bolin?"
"It's his turn to pick up dinner." He explains, putting the glass beside him. "Dumplings. I told him to get enough for you, if you're up for it, that is."
Korra leans into the couch, brushing her hair from her face. "You didn't have to do that."
"Food is good for the sick." He says. Korra draws her knees up; resting her side on the back of the couch. "You need to eat something."
"Thanks, I'll make sure to pay you back." She says, even if she doesn't feel like eating. Resting her cheek on the top cushion, she glances at Mako from the corner of her eye, blinking once. Something about him seems off. His eyes look dull. Korra hopes she hasn't gotten him sick.
"Are you okay?" she asks, propping herself up. Mako shakes his head slightly, rubbing his face as he takes in a long breath.
"Just tired." He finally says. Korra slowly pushes her feet on the floor, still looking at him.
"Want to sit here?"
"I'm fine." Mako raises his hand. "Don't worry about it."
"No, come over here." She says, patting the cushion down. "Besides, I'm getting tired of lying down."
Mako sighs, and the couch bounces as he sits next to her. Placing an elbow on the armrest, his other hand goes to his lap. Korra kicks her feet gently off the couch, letting them wave in the air and come to rest while she rubs the nail of her thumbs.
"Now what?" he asks. Korra's hands stop.
"We wait for Bolin to get back." she replies. Mako sighs once more, glancing over at her. Despite her current amount of energy, she still looks tired. Her eyes are drooping and her head floats in the air, like her mind has shut off. Mako scratches his head and wraps an arm over her shoulder, pulling her closer to his side. Korra freezes at his touch, lifting her head to meet his with a wary expression plastered to her face.
"What do you think you're doing?"
"I can tell you're still tired." He says, staring out at the rest of the room. "So just lean on me until Bolin gets back with the food."
Instead of complaining, Korra sighs and leans into him without another word. Mako looks at her and isn't surprised to see her expression so dull again. But it's not right; something else is on her mind and he shifts himself to face her more.
"What's wrong?"
Korra closes her eyes, breathes, and moves away from him, leaning over her legs as she stares into the floor.
"You were right," she says. "This… thing with the taskforce is getting out of hand. It's messing up my Avatar training and the team and-" she stops, the words on her tongue. "- and it's not good for me either. I need to quit."
Mako stares at her for a moment.
"Can you do that?" he asks.
"Tarrlok can't say no, right?" she shrugs. "Even if I am the Avatar, there are better ways to fight Amon."
Mako leans into the couch and blows a sigh of relief into the air. Even if it's Korra' task and burden he still feels like a weight has been lifted from his chest. He's glad. So glad and he didn't even realize it.
"That's great." He says. "That's just – great."
"Glad to see you so happy." She says, sitting back next to him. "What's up with you anyway? I thought you hated me this morning."
"I kind of did." He admits. "But it's good that you're doing this for yourself. I'm relieved."
Korra shakes her head. "You're probably just happy you've finally got your waterbender back."
"Oh shut it." Mako rolls his eyes. "You can cream anyone in that ring."
"You know it." She smiles, happy to be on good-terms with him again and she presses her cheek against his shoulder and yawns.
"Still tired?"
"Yeah."
"Close your eyes." He says, his chin right next to her head. Korra is silent for a few moments, resting against him. Mako watches her, wondering if it was like this that day in the park when he woke up with her on his shoulder. Then his eyes turn away, feeling embarrassed for being such a jerk toward her when it was really her presence at the taskforce that had him going through the nights awake and restless. He had been that way ever since her challenge with Amon had passed; she always seemed to be on his mind at night, wondering if he would see her the next morning or even the next week. Some nights he would even keep an eye on the Air Temple, if only to see the ferry drop her off in the middle of the night. It was crazy and he knew it, but somehow his thoughts always seemed to end up to her.
Mako takes a deep breath, collecting his thoughts.
He has to tell her.
His hand cups her shoulder and he shakes her awake. She stirs, staring up at him.
"What is it?" she asks. Suddenly he can't seem to find his breath.
His hands sweat.
"Korra," he begins. "I need to tell you-"
Pabu appears on the steps and Mako stops, his mouth open mid-sentence.
"-I think the food is here."
He finishes. Bolin comes bounding up the stairs a moment later with a bag of hot dumplings in hand. Mako gets some plates from the kitchen for them to eat on. When he returns a second later Bolin has already taken his spot and a dumpling from the bag, eating and asking Korra if she feels any better.
"A little," Korra shrugs. "I should go back to the island soon; it's pretty late."
"Eat something first," Mako says, handing her a plate before he sits on the other couch.
"I will, I will." She takes a dumpling from the bag. Blowing on it before she takes a bite, she looks at Mako with a curious look, as if to ask him something, but Pabu manages to get near the bag and her attention is drawn to Bolin as he scolds the creature for not waiting for his share. Korra laughs as Pabu squeaks and climbs up her arm, the question put on hold for the moment. Mako sits back and eats his dumpling in small bites, waiting for her to try to ask again.
But she never does.
The night goes on, later than Korra would have liked and after they are full on dumplings Bolin is quick to fall asleep on the couch, tired from the day. Mako wraps the bag as Korra stands stretching and yawning.
"I should get going."
Waving him goodbye from behind, she heads for the stairs.
"Wait," he says and she stops, one foot atop a wooden plank as she turns around to see him walking toward her, wrapping his scarf tighter around his neck. "I'll walk you out."
She smiles, shaking her head but lets him walk beside her through the arena. The only sound the halls make is the ones from their shoes. The arena is empty and hollow and cold. Wind sweeps through the window cracks and Korra rubs her arms, missing the warmth of the attic. They're almost at the doors when she glances at Mako, who has been staring at the floor for most of the trip. Korra places a hand on the door handle to push it out but stops, her feet lingering as Mako crosses his arms to watch her go. She turns back to him.
"What was it before?"
"What?"
"Before, at the attic." she says, "You wanted to tell me something; what was it?"
"I was just telling you the food was here," he says, tapping his shoe on the wall. "There wasn't anything else."
"Are you sure?"
"I-" Mako sighs, his head shaking. "No, nothing else."
Korra frowns and pushes the door open.
"Alright," she says, "Goodnight."
"'Night." he says and his lungs seem to tighten in the cold. "Feel better."
"Thanks," Korra smiles, holding the door open. "I'll see you for practice as soon as I can."
She closes the door. Mako stands there for a while, pacing around in his spot. He shakes, his arms tightening around him to shield off a wind that isn't there and then in one move he take a step to the door and swings it open. He can see her back in the distance, walking under the streetlights on her way to the ferry. Mako turns around, letting the door shut on him. He bites his tongue the whole way to the attic, his pace fast, almost running, trying to forget what he was about to say.
You liar, Mako.
And he forgets.
:Fin:
I tried out a different method to go about writing this and while I think that went well I don't really like how this story turned out. But it was a good learning experience, so I'll do better next time I try something like this again. :|