Title: Reunion
Rating: K
Notes: Mako and Korra meet face to face after 3 years. 3 YEARS! I couldn't help myself, I had to write *something*
—
Mako is at home, eating breakfast when he first hears the news.
He almost spits out his coffee.
She's coming home! Can you believe it? This is amazing! We've got to throw a party and oh I have to call Asami—-
Bolin's voice through the receiver turns into a low drone as he rambles on and on about reunion plans. Mako listens, but he isn't paying attention. He sips more coffee to wake himself up—-he's noticed that his dosage has gotten higher since he made Lieutenant—-and manages to answer when prompted.
Her boat gets in around 4…Opal and I were going to meet her at the docks….What do you mean you can't be there?! Reschedule or something, it's been three years, Mako! Korra's coming home!
Mako promises that he'll try, even though he knows he probably can't get out of his meeting, and jots down of the place that Pema has reserved for dinner. He takes another sip a he hangs up the phone, appreciating the strong taste that slides down his throat. He silently shrugs on his jacket, its gold bars glinting in the morning light, and drains the mug. His eyes settle on the teetering stack of letters piled on his windowsill.
—
Four o'clock has long come and gone—-it's practically bordering on Eight and Mako is still in the same damn meeting, listening to the same damn people argue about the same damn things. But he listens, and does his best to moderate until finally—-FINALLY, something is agreed upon.
Thank GOODNESS, he sighs to himself, shaking hands with the precinct officials. Dinner was at seven thirty…he's already late.
Mako walks purposely through the building but once he hits the main lobby, he breaks into a full-out sprint. He bursts out of the double doors, almost knocking down a woman in the parking lot, but he makes it to his bike without further incidents. Cramming his helmet onto his head as he jams the keys into the ignition, he tries to think of the fastest route to the restaurant….which happens to be on the other side of town. As he zooms off, he vaguely notices that his heart is beating a little too fast…but he ignores it to focus on speeding through a light that's just about to turn red.
—
Mako is sure that he's earned at least a dozen traffic violations in his race to the restaurant, but now that's he's here….he isn't quite sure what to do.
Its obvious, dummy. Just go in! Say hi. And sorry, since your meeting ran late.
He scowls at himself, it's not that easy.
The restaurant is decked in vivid greens and yellows—-it specializes in Earth Kingdom fare. It's on the fancier side and now, he's a little thankful that he had to wear his dressier uniform to the meeting today. Does Korra even like this kind of food? The Korra that he knows likes things in the categories of noodles, dumplings, and grilled meat on sticks. She likes to eat on park benches, while ambling through alleyways of interesting things…
She's probably different, now.
Mako has 3 years worth of letters on his countertop. The Korra that first wrote him was still impulsive, still reckless, but she was still damn determined. She wrote about learning how to walk again, spending hours in a healing bath, how proud she was of his promotion…and as the years slowly passed, she wrote about how Naga had puppies, how she was dealing with Avatar diplomacy, how she felt older…
He chuckled, remembering lines of her letters. Once, she'd lifted a boulder during earth-bending practice. She side-stepped a little funny and strained her shoulder—-Old age, Mako, I'm getting all these injuries in my old age, she wrote. Seriously, Korra. You're twenty, he wrote back. He could practically see her eyes rolling as he read her response. Yeah whatever, old man, at 21, you're practically ancient compared to me. But you'd be proud to hear that with age, I've gained wisdom. Or self-restraint? I could have cracked this wise-ass kid today—-but I didn't. Instead, I took a deep breath and shut him down with some Avatar philosophy. Bam! Tenzin was so proud.
Truthfully, Mako was proud too. Avatar Korra…using restraint? What was the world coming to? She's definitely different…but she's still Korra.
Grinning a little and chiding himself for dumb thoughts, he gets off his bike and straps his helmet to the handlebars. By now, he's beyond fashionably late, but better late then never, right? He bounds up the steps to entrance and the hostess informs him that the party has a private area, out back. He follows the winding hallway until it reaches the back-door of the restaurant—-there's a covered gazebo not too far in the distance. There's a small path that leads from the restaurant to the gazebo, lit only by the soft glow of moonlight and a lanterns here and there. He hears laughter (unmistakably Bolin's) and takes a couple steps—-until he freezes. Someone is standing on the path.
Hearing his footsteps, the person turns around. It's…a young woman. Her hair has been cut in a whispy bob, it's layers framing her face perfectly. Her posture is loose, relaxed, but it's confident. Her strikingly blue eyes blink twice—-once in surprise, once in recognition.
Mako always wondered what he'd do when he finally saw her in person after all this time. He considered playing the 'Cool Guy' Card—-standing with one hand on his hip and saying something witty. When he was lonely and maybe had a little bit too much to drink, he thought about the 'Lonely and Bitter' Card—-just brushing past her, 3 years, why were you gone for so long? …but that wasn't really how he truly felt. Or he could do the ever-safe, 'Hey Korra. Long time no see.'
Mako isn't surprised when he finds himself running towards her. She must not be either, because she meets him halfway. Before he knows it, his arms are around her and he's spinning her around as she laughs in his ear, her arms clasped around his neck. It's the most beautiful thing he's heard in a long, long while.
"Korra, you look—-fantastic!" he exclaims, finally setting her down. He doesn't let go of her waist but she doesn't seem to mind. Her arms remain in place as well.
She's making a face. "And you look…oh Mako, what did you do to your hair?" She tries to comb it with her fingers into something respectable but his hair stubbornly refuses her advances.
"Oh…yeah. Helmet hair." He frowns.
She cocks her head appraisingly. "It's okay. You…kind of look like your dad."
"Really?"
"Yeah. Really."
There's a silence now, but it's comfortable. Maybe its a bit forward for 'just being friends,' but Mako brushes some of her hair back over her ear…he notices that she leans ever so slightly into his touch.
"Are you hungry? You've got to try the pork buns, they are AMAZING. I promise." She loosens her grip around him so he lets go as well, and he's instantly missing the contact between them…until she grabs his hand, leading him up the path.
Mako's stomach grumbles earnestly in response. "Actually….that sounds great. I don't think I've had anything since breakfast," he says.
Korra turns back to playfully glare at him, "Lieutenant, are you telling me that all you've had today was coffee?"
"Yes ma'am." He grins as she shakes her head.
The laughter is louder now, that they're almost to the gazebo. He can hear the clinking of glasses and scraping of bowls very clearly now. In the last dark spot before they reach company, Korra stops. She squeezes his hand and she's smiling at him—-he squeezes back and finds himself smiling as well—-she's contagious. She wordlessly reaches up to straighten his lapels before she pulls him into the light.
Oh ho! Look who I found outside! Everyone raises their glasses as he plunks down at the table.
The words were unspoken but it's pretty clear—-
I missed you. And I missed you too.
—
ONE WEEK HURRAY! :)