Omg, why does writing feel like a chore nowadays? Just ugh. Anyways, a drabble that turned into a oneshot. Shameless Makorra fluff. Yadda yadda.
DISCLAIMER: Yeah, no, still don't own LOK.
Guardian
He can't move. His body convulses as his muscles tighten painfully, no longer responding to his screaming brain (resist! resist! get up!). The agony of his blood flowing unnaturally through his veins, pushed and pulled by an unseen force, is all too familiar to him.
It takes Mako a moment to remember where he is again. A former gym in the Pro-bending Arena, the windowless walls stacked with scaffolding and boxes, a hard floor biting into his skull. To his horror, he recognizes the place, the scene. He couldn't possibly…
A deep chuckle halts his thoughts.
Glancing up, Mako sees a familiar form lying right in front of him. Her wolftail is disheveled and her tan face hidden against the floor. She's not moving. Korra. He desperately tries to move his hand to reach her limp one, lying so close, but he remains trapped in a vice grip. He can't reach her.
"Kor–"
The firebender's heart begins to race faster when he sees the man towering over her, his hood cloaking the white and scarlet mask in shadow. Amon. His chuckle continues to bounce ominously around the room, deafening Mako's hearing. For a moment, the bloodbender just stands there, assessing, calculating, before a glimmer of amusement lights up his icy gaze. Mako's own golden irises widen.
Amon lifts a hand and instantly, Korra's upper body follows as he forces her on her knees. A strangled cry rips from her throat when her head is flung back, her fingers curling violently and her body trembling. She tries to struggle, to break free from her puppetmaster as he walks around to stand behind her, eyeing her like a prize. Mako can't see her face, but her pained grunts are enough to fill his senses and penetrate his core with dread.
He struggles within himself, shutting his eyes tightly and growling as he frantically attempts to find any form of control (because he needs to get up, right now!). Everything throbs and all he can feel is his blood clawing at his veins. His muscles are twisted so tight that his nerves cannot function properly. Nothing inside listens to him. He still can't move.
"No!"
Korra's distressed cry snaps his eyes open. Amon grips her neck tightly, hand poised just above her, staring directly at him. The amusement has not left his gaze and Mako suddenly knows what it means. The bloodbender wants him to watch as he lies useless on the ground, unable to move a muscle, about to take away what is most precious to him.
Amon presses his thumb to her forehead.
"Korra!"
The name tears his throat as he shoots up in his bed. The shout doesn't echo, but seeps through the paper walls and out the window, into the darkness of night. For a moment, Mako can still see the gym as a transparent Korra collapses onto the ground, drained and empty. The vision dissolves quickly, though, and soon enough, he finds himself surrounded by the walls of the room he stays in on Air Temple Island.
The candle on his bedside table had gone out, leaving the quarter moon to illuminate the room. The firebender breathes deeply (in and out) as he shuts his eyes and grips his sheets, trying to quell the nightmare-induced fear shaking his body and making him sweat. It takes a few minutes, but eventually his heart rate slows and his body begins to unwind. He's relieved to find he's in full control once again.
"This is the fifth time this week." Mako grumbles quietly to himself, digging the heels of his palms into his eyes.
Only a week had passed since the company that traveled to the South Pole returned to Republic City. A stifling peace replaced the air of rebellion that plagued the city. Yet, they could not relish the serenity. Tenzin immediately began to reestablish the United Nations Council while Lin Beifong retook the position of chief in the police force. Korra wanted to return the bending to Amon's victims as quickly as possible, empathetic with their loss and Mako devoted himself to stand by her side during the process. She decided to perform her miracle in the Pro-bending Arena.
The nightmares began after the first session. The firebender assumed the location triggered the memory and hoped it would only bother him once. Before, he could reassure himself that Korra had her bending returned, that she was safe in her own bed. The nightmare intensified as the days passed, distorting the memory so it felt real again. It tugged at his subconscious, pulling at the shame he suffered when he watched Amon take Korra's bending while he lied helpless on the floor. It was throwing his failure right back in his face every night.
Sighing, Mako crawls out of bed and trudges to the dresser. Pulling on a coat and wrapping his red scarf around his neck, he leaves his room and quietly makes his way down the hall. It seems Bolin and the rest of the men's dormitory did not hear his cry when he woke and silently the firebender thanks the spirits. He makes his way outside, hissing slightly when his bare feet touch the frigid stone of the courtyard, but he merely keeps walking until he reaches the girl's dormitory.
He has not explored this part of the island very well, but he knows exactly which room he seeks. Once he reaches his destination, he quickly slips inside and shuts the door gently. Turning around, he is relieved to see her still asleep. The polar bear dog sleeping next to the bed lifts her head and wags her tail, recognizing the new presence. Mako reaches out and scratches the white fur of her ear.
"Shh, Naga. Don't wake her. Go back to sleep." He whispers lowly.
The animal seems to understand and settles her head on her paws again. Heaving a sigh, the firebender makes his way over to the bed and glances at Korra's sleeping form. She breathes deeply from underneath the covers but her features appear peaceful. Her wolftail had come out during her slumber but the two smaller ones still barely remained. She is safe, just as he hoped and relief spreads his lips into a smile.
Carefully, Mako sits down beside her and is glad the movement doesn't disturb her. He reaches out and gingerly removes the rest of her hair from the hair ties, spilling the chocolate locks onto her face. His hand brushes them to the side, though, and reveals her natural beauty to him once again (oh, how he wanted to stare all night long). His fingers rest against her cheek, just as they had weeks ago when a cut marred her skin.
"I'm sorry, Korra." He murmured, his voice nearly inaudible. "I wish I could've done something. I wish I could've stopped what happened."
His fingers glide to her forehead, to the spot where Amon had placed his thumb, where he had taken her identity and purpose. He nearly sucked the life out of her. The pads of Mako's fingertips hover just above her skin, afraid to touch the sensitive spot.
"You saved me, but I couldn't save you. I just lied there and watched, powerless. Just like when my parents died. You would think by now, I wouldn't be that weak anymore."
He moves his hand again and this time gently settles his fingertips on her neck, at her pulse. He can feel the beat of her heart as her blood pumps normally, no invisible force reaching inside and manipulating her, hurting her. The firebender lets out a breath he didn't realize he was holding.
His gold eyes continue to gaze at her serene face, trying to memorize the image so he could hold on to it forever. He could only imagine what she would say if she had heard him, scolding him for brooding yet again and denying his pessimistic thoughts. His mind wandered to something he overheard Chief Beifong say to Tenzin when they returned.
'You know, if she never lost her bending, Korra might not have learned airbending or energybending. She wouldn't be the fully-realized Avatar she is right now.'
It's not until then Mako realizes how much that statement meant. Yes, he couldn't stop Amon from taking Korra's bending, but because he didn't, a sequence of events occurred that eventually wound up destroying the bloodbender and helping Korra reach her full potential. The benefits outweighed the consequences. It was as if everything happened for a reason.
Mako suddenly felt a weight lift from his heart at the revelation (finally a positive one). No, he couldn't, wouldn't blame himself anymore for what happened. Yet, he promises himself then and there that he wouldn't be helpless again, not when it mattered the most. He needs to be stronger, more adaptable. This is his new goal, his new purpose.
He leans down and barely brushes his lips with hers, breathing her in, reveling in her presence.
"I will never fail you again, Korra." His voice is laced with conviction and resolve. "I will protect you when you need me the most."
Deep in his heart, he knows she heard him.