Rating: T+/M- (I'd say try to be at least 16)
Words: 1,892
Pairing: It's a bit of all ships (tahnorra/irohsami/and even a bit of korrasami if you read carefully), though it definitely ends with a Makorra ring to it.
Summery: AU. Asami feels as though Korra needs a break, and takes her to a strip club to wind down. She's reluctant at first, but what happens what she starts to enjoy herself?
AU clarifications: Asami and Korra are good friends, there is still bending, she is still the avatar, they don't personally know Mako, but only know him as the probending star from the Fire Ferrets.
(image credits go to dorkynoodle's "Mako" from deviantart)
"Come on, Korra, you need a break!"
"I don't know, Asami, these kinds of places aren't really my thing"
Asami stopped right before the entrance. She wrapped her arm around Korra's shoulder and promised, "Believe me, you're going to love it"
The first thing that hit them was the noise, the cheering of the other women and the reverberating music was nearly deafening. Women packed the place, whether at their own tables that filled the establishment or by the stage's runway, where there were throngs of women waiting in anticipation. Korra watched as the lights were shut and then dimmed by the time they made it to their seat as an overly-dramatic announcer started.
"Ladies, whether you are single, taken, a bachelorette, or mother of the bride: this is Howl, and I'm proud to present to you Republic City's finest men we have to offer. We have a particularly special line up tonight who are ready to make your dream-boat man come alive. Now lets make some noise for someone who will teach you all the basics how this all goes!"
Korra leaned over to Asami, "You've got to be kidding me!"
"Just wait for it, you'll see!"
The spotlight turned center stage as all the other lights turned off. A pale, fair skinned man, who couldn't have been so much older than Korra herself, stepped on stage. His hair in an elegant twist that some girls themselves couldn't pull off, he turned to them dressed as what could have been a professor, paired with specs and a satchel. The room fell almost silent as he started addressing the crowd of women, "It seems here that I'm supposed to give some private lessons?"
In the same moment, the music started up again and the satchel was discarded, the glasses pushed up. He strutted closer to the edge of the stage and back flipped gracefully. He bent himself almost impossibly backwards and started rolling his hips as he unbuttoned his cuff-links with his teeth, Yuans being thrown tucked into the same pockets of the suit jacket being almost torn off.
"Professor Tahno, I believe there is someone in the crowd who needs some extra help after school!" the announcer called out again. The spotlight now fell on a table not too far from Korra and Asami's own, which was hosting one of the bachelorette parties.
Tahno glanced at the crowd before heading to the table, and to Korra's surprise he began to waterbend, lifting the fluid above his head before suddenly relinquishing his hold and allowing it to soak him and the white shirt he was wearing, the fabric now clinging onto his chiseled abs. "Guess I don't need this anymore." and all that was left soon enough was a G-string before he headed over to the bride-to-be's table.
"Now that those lessons are over, I think it's time to see what you've learned. It will be my pleasure and yours to present General Iroh" Howl had boomed over the screams.
Asami giggled, "He's my favorite!"
"Just how many times have you been here?" laughed Korra, she found that first performance a little obnoxious, but the mood of the room was contagious. She was starting to enjoy herself.
"Enough times to know, c'mon I want to get a little closer for this one!" she said excitedly as she pulled on her arm.
They pushed through the crowd and had to elbow a few times past an overeager bridesmaid, but managed to nearly touch the center stage runway. The lights dimmed to darkness once more and the spotlight came on again.
Dressed in a United Forces outfit, "General Iroh" made his way to the stage less flamboyantly, but no one could argue that it wasn't just as sexy. Asami screamed along with the others, and Korra was able to tell from her excitement alone that this had to be good. Yuans flew over their heads, even 10's being in the mix as General Iroh addressed them. "Well, in all my years of service I don't think I've been more inappropriately dressed"
Korra raised an eyebrow at Asami, but she wasn't even paying attention to anything but the man on stage, and she soon found out why. General Iroh began to firebend.
He brought the flame that he had kindled in his left hand directly to his right cuff and lit the suit on fire.
Gasps rose from the audience as the fire began to spread quickly, however it nearly died out as soon as it started. The fire burned away the suit, leaving him shirtless and in a pair of form fitting briefs. The women around Korra and Asami were screaming and cheering as he came towards the edge of the stage. "Now it would be my honor if I could have a volunteer."
Asami pulled out an entire 50 yuan and stuck it into his boot. There went the money for rent.
"I think we found ourselves someone willing" he said as he pulled Asami up unto the stage. Korra wished she had a camera on her, her expression was priceless (no—it costed them 50 yuans). The General spoke up again, Asami at his side blushing under the lights.
"Normally, we don't let anyone touch the merchandise, but I think we can make an exception."
He held Asami's hand under his own and brought it across his chest, the crowd around Korra determined on making her deaf. The hands slowly drifted lower and lower as Asami could just stand there, at a loss for words or coherent thought. When Asami stepped off the stage she looked at Korra and managed to process only one word, "Wow"
Even if she did have more to say, the lights turned back on and the General had slipped backstage and they were introduced to yet another piece of "merchandise".
"Ladies get ready for our final act of the evening, some of you may know him from the pro-bending arena, but down here we just know him as Magic Mako"
Korra's eyes widened as she recognized the Fire Ferret who had suddenly appeared on stage. "Oh my god, Asami, th-that's him! The pro-bender we saw at yesterday's match!"
Asami spat out her martini, "Fuck, you're right! Who would've known he was hiding all of that under that uniform."
Korra watched as Magic Mako crossed the central runway, dressed in an all black outfit of dress shirt, suspenders, and suit pants, save for a red scarf. The probender must have been a house favorite, his achingly slow strip tease being the cause of hundreds of screams. There was something in his stage presence in in itself that held Korra's attention. He was sure of himself, without being cocky like the first guy, but he held an air of liberation unlike, Iroh's reserved front, that she hungered to take a part of.
Now only shirtless with his trademark scarf, a pair of back dimples shown off when he turned around, Korra had realized Asami had drifted away. She glanced around the club, only to find her talking with the DJ, she was probably asking for Iroh's number she thought with a grin on her face. Oh, if only she knew.
"You're going to make love to me when we get back to the apartment" was what Asami had told her when she plopped in back into her seat. Korra couldn't help but burst out laughing, "Oh? And why is that?"
"You'll see for yourself."
"That has to be the third time you said that tonight—oh , hello!" she exclaimed.
Mako began to almost belly dance. He swayed his hips gracefully to the music, with every other beat bending backwards, tilting in the direction of the club, pulling at the suspenders and bringing those suit pants lower inch by agonizing inch. He firebent with his feet and backflipped, catching and springing himself back with his arms.
"Ladies and gentleman, "called the announcer, "it has come to my attention that we are hosting the Avatar herself this evening"
Korra's snapped in the direction of the girl innocently sipping her martini next to her, but she managed to beat her there, "You'll thank me"
"What are you talking about? If Tenzin—" her argument died in her throat as she noticed someone a little too shirtless arrive at their table. Standing almost a head taller than her was Magic Mako himself, his fingerless-gloved hands outstretched to her, "I've been told to escort you on stage, Avatar Korra"
"Uhm, s-sure" she had finally stammered.
She hoped the stage lighting would cover her blush. However, she soon realized when someone like that has your hand, leading you onto a stage to do spirits knew what, the odds weren't exactly in their favor.
From the center stage she noticed how much darker the rest of the club seemed to be, but was still able to find Asami's devious smile right up at the front.
"Now I don't know if there is a proper way to treat the Avatar, but down here we have our own ways of giving a warm welcome"
In the same moment Mako had taken off his ever-present scarf and swept her legs out from underneath her, catching her in one sculpted forearm before she could fall. Korra didn't realize what happened but found herself being carried in his arms, bridle style. He turned to her more than the crowd this time, "Now I'm going to lay you down on the stage, all you have to do is relax. Can you do that, for me?" he asked with a smirk. She loved that smirk.
Mako lowered her unto the stage gently, and there she lay, with her heart pounding in her throat as she tried to remember this moment forever. She turned her head, spotting Asami giving her a huge thumbs-up and a grin, mouthing "You owe me!"
Korra had to shut her eyes almost halfway under the hard lights, but the problem was fixed soon enough when Mako hovered over her, two arms on either side of her. Her thoughts raced, shreds of sanity in the mess of incoherency.
Ohmygod
"It's okay, just relax" He laughed
Please tell me I didn't just say that out loud
"Yup, you just said that out loud too"
I think I'll just stop here
Mako looked like he was sincerely laughing, not like the little chuckles he gave to the fan girls while on the runway earlier. "Don't worry about everyone out there, it's just you and me right now. Ready to give a show, Avatar?"
Mako lifted himself over her as if doing a push up and did a body roll, slowly starting with shoulders, down his back—those back dimples—, to rolling his hips. There were hardly two thin, layers of clothing between them, he would brush her lightly as he would dip his head in a mock-thrust, the feeling like she was being lightning bent at ever touch. He picked up the pace and arched his back deeper. Korra felt almost detached from it all, from the cheers, the music. She looked up at him and whispered, "Are you having fun?"
"Avatar Korra, you may be able to bend all the elements, but you've managed to bend me too."
He smirked.
She loved that smirk.
A/N: for people waiting for me to update my other shit. Don't fret: its coming. This isnt the usual stuff I post, and since it's rather new to me any reveiws will help!