"Come on, Mako, we're going to be late!"
"Yeah, yeah, I'm coming."
"Get your coat. It's cold out there."
"I'm a firebender, Wu. I can keep myself warm."
"I bought you that coat!"
Mako shot Wu an exasperated look. He and the ex-prince had only been dating for a few months, and already they were bickering like an old married couple. Although, when he thought about it, he realized that they'd been like that even before they started dating. It was just who they were.
That day, Mako was finally getting his sling and bandages off. Although it would be a relief to have full mobility with his left arm and hand again, he was worried about two things; his ability to firebend with the injured hand, and how it would look. Personally Mako didn't care how his arm looked, but Wu was a perfectionist with a taste for beauty. Would he be turned off by Mako if he had some hideous scar?
No. Of course he wouldn't, Mako tried to tell himself. Wu loves you. He wouldn't stop loving you just because of something like that.
He grabbed his coat and headed toward the door, where Wu was standing all bundled up. Sometimes, it was strange seeing him in regular clothes, clothes that Mako would see normal people wearing around Republic City. After Wu's abdication from the throne, he had been allowed to keep some of the royal funds. He had taken just enough to buy a small house near the police station for him and Mako to live in, and he'd donated the rest of the money to improving the poorest parts of the Earth Kingdom. "I'm like Kuvira, but better." he had said. Mako had never been more impressed.
"This will be the last time I ever need help getting dressed." joked Mako. Wu cracked a smile as he helped the firebender into his coat.
"This is so exciting." said the ex-prince. "Are you excited, Mako? Think about all the things you'll be able to do now! And… all the things we'll be able to do." He waggled his eyebrows at Mako, who rolled his eyes.
"Wu, don't get dirty."
"Whaaat? I meant dance! And, y'know, hold hands! Your mind is in the gutter."
Mako huffed in frustration, though his face felt hot, and he knew that it was bright red. "Fine. Come on, let's go."
"I was ready long before you were!"
It was a cold, wintry Saturday morning in Republic City. There was a crisp wind blowing through the tall buildings, as well as an intricate layer of frost and snow covering everything in sight. Wu was shivering a bit, even under his thick coat; he was thin and weak, and very susceptible to the cold. Mako put his good arm around the prince, letting his internal firebender heat warm up the younger man. Wu smiled up at him. "Thanks."
"Any time."
They got into their Satomobile. Wu had been doing all of the driving while Mako was injured, which had been difficult, considering he'd never driven before then. Asami had personally taught him, though, and soon enough he was… at least safe enough for the streets. "I can't wait for you to start doing some of the driving." remarked Wu as they pulled out of the driveway.
"Me too." added Mako. "Sometimes I fear for my life when you're behind the wheel."
"Hey! I'm not that bad."
"You've never been in a car with you before."
When the two men got to the hospital, they sat down in the waiting room. Wu immediately grabbed a fashion magazine and began flipping through it. Mako picked up a newspaper. It was an old one, from about two months previous. One of the headlines read, 'Avatar Korra Confirms Same-Sex Relationship With Asami Sato'. A smile spread across his face as he read those words. He remembered when Korra and Asami had first told everyone about their relationship. He had been- and still was- incredibly happy for them. On top of that, he remembered what Wu had said to him afterward. "What a time to be alive," he had told Mako. "We've got a bisexual Avatar and a gay Earth Monarch. If this doesn't inspire some sort of change in the world, I don't know what will." The two of them had made out a little bit in the back of the Satomobile, just to celebrate.
Mako's train of thought was interrupted when a nurse's voice from behind him called, "Mako? We're ready for you now."
"Oh!" Wu tossed aside his magazine, and jumped to his feet. "Come on, Mako!"
Mako's mouth felt dry. This was it. He took a deep breath. Wu loves you, he told himself. You're the only one that he wants to be with. This isn't going to change anything. And he may be shallow, but he's not that shallow.
"Yeah, let's go." he said, and put the newspaper down. As they followed the nurse, Wu slipped his hand into Mako's, and warmth spread through the firebender's body. Of course he's still going to love you, he thought. You were just scared. He thinks the world of you.
The nurse brought them into the healer's office. "Mako, it's nice to see you again." the healer greeted him. "And hello, Wu. I trust you're both well?"
"Yes. Thank you." Mako replied.
"Now, let's get those bandages off. All right, come over here. Tell me as soon as you feel any pain, and I'll stop."
Gently, he pulled Mako's sling off. Mako lifted his arm, still ensconced in bandages, and was pleased to find that it felt normal. "It doesn't hurt at all." he told the healer.
"That's great!" the healer said. "Now, when I take off the bandages… just know that there will most probably be some scarring. You may feel some stiffness as well, but that is to be expected."
"Will I still be able to firebend with this hand?" Mako asked nervously.
"I hope so." responded the healer, smiling wanly. He reached out and slowly began unravelling the bandages. Mako braced himself. As the bandages were peeled away, he began to see that the healer had been right; there was scarring. Up his arm, from his fingers all the way up to his elbow, the skin was mottled by ugly pink lines. His eyes widened as he watched more and more of it reveal itself. He dared to glance over at Wu, whose eyes were wide as well and whose mouth was open slightly. His stomach was starting to tie itself into painful knots.
"And there we go." announced the healer, throwing out the last of the bandages. "So? Not bad! Try making a fist."
Mako did as the healer told him to. His fingers felt heavy and stiff, but he was able to close them. Then, he opened them and caused a tiny flame to appear in the palm of his hand. It flickered and wavered a bit, but after a few seconds, it strengthened. Relief poured through Mako, and he sighed, letting the flame disappear. "Everything seems fine to me."
"Oh, that's wonderful!" The healer clapped his hands together, grinning. "Well, Mako, there you have it. If anything happens, anything at all, or you have questions for me… don't hesitate to give me a call. All right?"
"Yes. Thank you."
Once they were back in the waiting room, Wu stopped and pulled his boyfriend in for a tight hug. "Mako! Isn't that great? You can still firebend with that hand!" He was beaming from ear to ear.
"Yeah." Mako shoved his hands in his pockets. "It's great."
The smile faded off of Wu's face. "What's wrong? Aren't you happy?"
"Of course. Everything feels fine, and my firebending still works. It's just… well… it's the scars." Mako admitted.
Wu looked surprised. "The scars? I didn't think you would care about that."
"No, I don't." replied Mako quietly. "But… you might."
"Me?" Wu's olive-coloured eyes widened. "What do you mean?"
"Well, you know how you are, Wu. I thought… maybe…" Mako realized just how idiotic it sounded as he said it. "…maybe you wouldn't love me if I wasn't perfect anymore."
"What!?" cried the ex-prince. "Mako, that's crazy! Do you really think I'm so superficial? I will always love you. Always! Besides, you got those scars from trying to blow up Kuvira's crazy mecha thing! You saved hundreds of lives by doing that. When I see those scars, I think, 'Wow, my boyfriend is so brave. He's a hero! I love him so much'. And, Mako? You'll always be perfect to me. Even if you had some huge messed up scar on your face like Fire Lord Zuko, I would still think you were the most handsome person I have ever met. And I've met some handsome people! But it's you that I love. So… I don't care about your scars. In fact, I love them, because they're part of you."
By the end of Wu's little speech, Mako was grinning so widely that it almost hurt. His eyes were a little misty as well. "Wu, that's… thank you. I love you so much."
Wu reached out and took his hand. His left hand, the scarred one. The ex-prince's fingers felt strange against his raw skin, but there was no one he'd rather have touching him. He lifted Wu into the air, pressing the other man's lips against his. Wu wrapped his arms around Mako's neck.
"Sir?"
Mako let his scarred hand brush against the thick fabric of Wu's winter coat. Each and every material felt different to that hand. He wanted to feel everything all over again.
"Sir?"
Finally, he pulled away from Wu. The receptionist was standing behind them with a forced smile on her face. Embarrassed, he dropped Wu back down onto the ground. "I-I'm sorry." he said. "Come on, Wu, let's go."
Laughing, Wu took Mako's hand. The two of them headed back outside. It was still blustery and cold, so Mako wrapped his arms around his boyfriend. Wu smiled as he cuddled up against him, tucking his head in the crook of Mako's neck.
"I'm so lucky I have you, Mako." the ex-prince murmured.
"I think I'm the lucky one." Mako responded. "You know why?"
"Why?"
"I get to drive again."
The pout on Wu's face was enough to make Mako laugh all the way to the Satomobile.
the end