Pandora's Trio
Takes place just after the Season 1 finale. The Fire Ferrets win the first game of the bending season and they go out to celebrate. What started as a seemingly happy, normal evening changes everything. Makoralin aka Mako/Korra/Bolin.
*I wish I owned the Avatar franchise, but sadly I do not.
The team's usual celebratory place was a small noodle shop downtown. They had just defeated the Turtle Seals in a very tight and difficult bending match that had left the Fire Ferrets happy, but exhausted. Sitting in their corner booth finishing their meal the trio joked lightheartedly. "I don't know Bo." Mako prodded. "I think you're getting slow in your old age."
"Old?" Bolin said, frowning. "I'm younger than you are. And I wouldn't have been hit by that disk if you had guarded me." He rubbed his bruised cheek with the back of his hand.
"You're a big boy now." Mako said. "You can take care of yourself."
"Stop it now, you two." Korra tipped her bowl finishing her broth. "No arguing among teammates."
A waiter came along to clear their plates, and placed a tall hot sake on the table with four glasses. "I'm sorry." Korra said. "I think there's been a mistake. We didn't order this."
The water smiled and gestured to the bar. "Compliments of the lady near the door."
A radiant woman with long auburn hair waved at them. The boys waved back.
"One of your fan girls, Bolin?" Korra asked.
"Possibly. She looks really familiar." He chuckled a bit. "Cus', ya know, I'm so very popular with the ladies." He grinned big.
Mako looked ponderous too. "Yeah, I have seen her before. Didn't she have a different hair...color..." A streak of red flushed the elder brothers face. "Oh shit."
"What?" Bolin, asked.
Mako covered the side of his face with his hand shielding his view from the woman, who was now getting up from her seat. "Imagine her hair blonde and shorter... two years ago." He was nearly whispering now. Korra raised an eyebrow.
Bolin's face went blank for a moment as he scanned his memory. An instant later his eyes got wide and the same flush adorned his cheeks. "Timari?" Mako nodded.
"Oh, so you do remember me." Said the woman, now standing at the edge of their booth. "May I sit?"
The two brothers were silent, struck dumb. "Sure. Have a seat." Korra said. "Thank you for the drinks." She said pouring the glasses.
"Oh it's no bother. It's a small token of what you three did for us all, not to mention a victory toast for your game." She said, her voice like velvet. Both boys shifted uncomfortably in their seats.
Korra distributed the glasses and sipped hers. "Well, thank you again. Even being the Avatar doesn't get you a cocktail when you're underage."
"Ah yes, sadly those are the rules. But I'm fairly sure the bartender can be trusted with this little secret." Timari turned to Bolin sitting next to her. "Aww, poor baby." She rubbed his cheek with her perfectly manicured fingers. "Does it hurt much?"
Bolin drank his shot of sake in one gulp. "Nope. Feels just fine." His charisma on hiatus, he searched for small talk. "So -ehem- Timari, what have you been up to lately?"
"Oh, I'm running a small clothing boutique not far from here. Business has been doing fairly well, but I don't have as much free time as I used to. Perhaps the three of you should come in some time." She glanced at Mako's old scarf with slight disdain. "Maybe get some new attire."
"Maybe." Mako responded tersely, unconsciously tugging at the red fabric.
Finishing her drink, Timari got up. "Well I would love to hang out like old times, but I have an early morning." She opened her purse and pulled out a business card. Leaning toward Bolin she slipped it into his shirt pocket. "Give me a call if you feel so inclined." She kissed his cheek, leaving a small smear of lipstick.
Korra chuckled as she swore Bolin got even redder, but took pause when Timari leaned toward Mako and did the same. "Goodnight fellas. Nice meeting you Avatar Korra."
"Goodnight, and thank you." Korra said, waving. When the woman was gone she turned to her teammates who had just let out the breath they didn't know they were holding. "What's wrong with you two? She bought us drinks and seemed very pleasant. You two could have at least given her a little bit of a conversation."
Mako downed his drink and poured himself another. "Top me off, would you Bro?" Bolin asked, and he did.
"Could we please not talk about her?" Mako said sternly to Korra. "It's been a nice night and I would really rather things not get awkward."
"Well...okay." Korra said, finishing her drink. She would get it out of them eventually, but for the moment they enjoyed their victory as Mako changed the topic.
It wasn't long before the slightly inebriated trio was making their way up the long stairs to the brothers apartment. There was no way she was making it back to the Air Temple this evening, and besides, she didn't want to risk waking up Tenzin's new son.
That, and the boys had recently had a large 'donation' of furniture from Future Industries. Their placed looked more like a home and less like a barracks nowadays. Complete with oversized couch, queen size beds, and some tasteful tables and lamps. Quite the improvement over the soap boxes and cots.
Seeing her slight opportunity, Korra planted the seed of discussion. "That really was nice of that lady to get us those drinks. I wasn't expecting a second bottle though. What was her name again?"
"Timari." Bolin sighed dreamily.
"Oh yes. That was it. How do you two know her again?"
"Don't Bo." Mako pleaded weekly, leaning on the hand rail for balance.
The earth bender hiccuped. "She's gonna hear about her eventually anyway. Might as well be from us."
Mako sighed. "Fine." He turned to Korra and shrugged. "You asked, this is your Pandora's box now."
The trio reached the top of the stairs. "We met her a few years ago when we started the pro bending league. She was one of my 'fan girls' that I brought up to the viewing box and afterward she... kinda had her way with me. She was pretty wild. Taught me a few tricks too." He smirked and raised his eyebrows, flopping on the large couch.
Mako and Korra occupied the vacant cushions as well. They were beat.
"Well that's not so bad." Korra said, a bit disappointed. She was expecting more, from the way the guys had reacted to her.
"And then she had her way with Mako." He gestured at his brother who was trying to feign indifference and failing.
"Oh?" Korra said. She wasn't jealous by any means, just surprised. "Didn't know you had it in ya."
"Yeah, well I was young and they were doing it on my bed while I was in the same room. Hormones kinda...took over."
"And then she had the both of us." Bolin paused. "At the same time."
Korra was shocked. Now it was her turn to blush. She hadn't even ever considered that option or even the mechanics how to accomplish such a task. For lack of anything else to say she responded. "Well... how was it?"
"Fantastic." The brothers said in unison.
There was a pregnant silence in the room. The trio's exhaustion, combined with the alcohol, and recent revelations. Nobody quite knew what to say next.
After seemingly forever. Bolin whispered, "Fuck it." and leaned over to capture Korra's lips in his.
Korra leaned back against Mako in surprise, breaking the kiss. The shock painted on the fire bender's his face as well.
Leaning over her torso, the younger brother kissed her again. Less desperate this time.
In a brief instant, the contact began to switch from shock to melting pleasure. Korra wasn't sure if it was the alcohol or what, but Mako was not saying anything either.
Just as quickly as it started, the kiss ended and the earth bender slumped down onto her chest and began to snore lightly.
Pinned in an awkward position Korra turned to face her boyfriend, who was still at a loss for words. After trying to wriggle out from under Bolin's weight she found it more trouble than it was worth. She sighed. "Guess we're sleeping on the couch tonight."
Mako yawned. Despite what had just occurred, he just seemed too tired and too drunk to deal with it at the moment. "I'll kill him in the morning." He said as Korra made herself comfortable, laying on his thigh.
She brushed a strand of dark hair out of Bolin's face as he snuggled up against her stomach. "He is kind of cute when he sleeps... and quiet."
Mako yawned again and closed his eyes. "Yeah. He has his moments."
More very soon! I promise! Its 3:30 in the morning and I need to get up for work in...shit, about three hours. Will write more after work!
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