AN: I accidentally started shipping this. Oops. Anyway... enjoy!
Mako could still remember the exact moment when, in his eyes, Wu had gone from the childish burden he had to follow around to someone he truly wanted to protect.
They were in Wu's suite at the hotel. The prince was luxuriating in the bath, while Mako read a book in the other room. Technically, he should have been in the bathroom with Wu, but even Mako had a limit to how many times he could handle watching the weedy prince splash about in the suds.
Just then, Wu's voice emanated from behind the closed bathroom door. "Oh, Makooooooo!"
Mako rolled his eyes. "What is it, Wu?" he growled in a voice that was just polite enough to fool the dim prince.
"Come in here for a second!"
Mako stood up grudgingly. He went over to the bathroom, and headed inside. Wu was sitting in the ridiculously giant bathtub, with heaps of suds all the way up to his skinny shoulders. "Mako, I'm ready to get out." the prince said. "Dry me?"
Mako's face reddened. "I-I'm not going to dry you. I'm your bodyguard, not your servant. You can dry yourself."
Wu pouted. "Fine." he sighed. "Will you at least go get me some fresh towels? I used all the ones here for my blanket fort."
Mako should have gotten one of the hotel employees to get the towels. He shouldn't have left Wu's side. But he just wanted to get away from the prince for a while. "Okay." he replied. "I'll go get some."
At that point, the firebender didn't care much for Wu himself, just for the hefty paycheck that would come his way for protecting him. So he took his sweet time on his way back from the front desk. With his arms full of soft, white towels, Mako stopped to buy a muffin. He ate it slowly as he walked, enjoying his solitude. After weeks and weeks of nonstop Wu, it was gratifying to have silence for once.
Mako hadn't even reached Wu's suite when he realized that something was wrong. There was an acrid scent of smoke in the air, and wisps of it were coming from under the door. Immediately, a jittery burst of fear ran through Mako's body. He tossed aside the heap of towels, but took one with him to hold over his nose and mouth. With one hand holding the towel over his face, the firebender raced in.
The room was filled with smoke, making it difficult to see. However, Mako could see small fires in various places, like rubies in the rough. He squinted, trying to make out what- or who- was nearby. "Wu!" he shouted, glancing wildly around. "Wu, where are you?"
The towel was muffling his voice, and Mako worried that Wu might not hear him. He went further into the room, his heart pounding. "Wu! Wu, it's Mako! Where are you? Are you here? A-Are you okay?"
What if Wu wasn't okay?
The thought struck real panic into Mako's body. And for the first time, it wasn't about possibly losing his job. It was about possibly losing Wu.
Mako stopped yelling for a moment to catch his breath. It was then that he heard Wu's voice. It was weak, but it was definitely Wu. "Mako? Where are you?" The prince coughed, and Mako realized that he was probably dim enough not to cover his nose and mouth.
"Wu! It's Mako, I'm here!" bellowed Mako. He's close, thought the firebender.
"Mako, I-I'm scared!"
"I'm coming!" Mako promised as he continued to follow the sound of Wu's voice and occasionally, the weak coughs that emanated from the same area.
Suddenly, Mako bumped into something and fell. He landed on something high and soft. Wu's bed, the firebender realized as he picked himself up. Just as he was about to continue searching, a hand shot out and grabbed one of his ankles. Mako immediately crouched down to look under the bed. He could see Wu's terrified face looking right back at him.
"There you are!" Mako exclaimed, his voice dripping with relief. He passed the towel to Wu. "Here, put this over your nose and mouth. Then come out. I'm getting you out of here."
Without question, Wu did as he was told. Once he was out from under the bed, Mako swept him up in his arms and raced for the door.
He waited until they were far from the burning suite before he dumped the prince onto the floor and dropped to his knees next to him, gasping. After a few moments, in which Wu coughed and Mako panted, the firebender asked, "What happened?"
"I'm not sure, exactly. I was just rubbing some lovely lavender body butter on myself, and then this creep came in through the window!" recounted Wu, gesturing wildly. "I jumped out of the tub and ran for the door. In my birthday suit, Mako! Can you believe it!?"
It was then that Mako noticed that Wu was still naked. Heat crept into his face as he realized that he'd carried a naked Wu all the way from the suite. He looked pointedly at Wu's face, instead of letting his eyes slide lower. "Um, no, I can't believe it. Go on." he told the prince.
"Well, he followed me out, but by then I was under the bed. I'm really good at hiding, so he didn't see me. So he just started firebending everywhere. Before I knew it, there was too much smoke for me to see, but I guess the guy left." finished Wu.
"I'm just glad you're alright, Wu." Mako told the prince softly.
"I'm not alright!" he wailed. "My throat feels like it's on fire! Will I ever get my sexy voice back again!? Oh, Mako, why weren't you there for me?"
Although Mako knew that Wu was just being dramatic, and that he wasn't actually angry at him, the prince's words made him feel ten times guiltier. If he hadn't dawdled while getting the towels- or better yet, if he'd sent some other servant to get them- none of it would have happened. He'd gotten lucky this time, and was able to get Wu out remarkably unscathed. Maybe next time it wouldn't work out like that.
No. There wouldn't be a next time. Mako was going to make sure that nothing else ever happened to Wu. He was the prince's bodyguard, for heaven's sakes. And for some strange reason, Wu reminded Mako of Bolin when he was younger. Mako had had to protect him too, but he'd been happy to do it. Having to protect Wu felt the same.
"I'm very sorry." Mako murmured. "It won't happen again."
"I should hope not. But, uh… I'm glad you came for me, Mako. I was really scared." admitted Wu. "Thank you."
Mako was about to say, "It's my job", but he caught himself. It was more than just a job. He wanted to protect Wu. So instead, he said, "It's no problem, Wu. Again, I'm just glad I could get there in time."
A smile spread across the prince's face. "Will you carry me?"
"Only if you put on some clothes." Mako responded. His face felt uncomfortably hot again.
"I can't get dressed until I'm dry. Hey! Did you end up getting those towels?" Wu asked.
Mako rolled his eyes. "I sure did."
end