Title: Fighting Words
Rating: T
Word Count: ~600
Summary: Korra was never sure how these arguments start, but they always ended the same.Mako and Korra in their later years. [Be the Peaf Prompt #55 – Fallout]
Author Note: I asked Kwongs randomly with no prompting to give me something for Mako and Korra to argue over. When she said "penmanship" I almost gave up. Until this happened.
.
.
"I don't know how anyone was supposed to read this!" Korra held up the scroll. "And if I can't read half the words on this letter, how was I supposed to know that you were going to drop in!"
"Aren't you happy?" Mako yelled. "You haven't seen me in months and now you're angry that I've come halfway across the world to see you?"
"At least you could have slowed down and written something legible," she huffed. "I was afraid you had a stroke or something, what with your age now."
He ran a hand through his slightly graying hair. "Korra, we've been married for twenty-eight years. You know I have horrible penmanship."
"Then you could at least know you have to take the time to keep your characters from turning out like sloppy stick figures one of our kids painted when they were three years old."
"Why are you so upset that I'm here?"
"You interrupted my important, diplomatic meeting by busting in with a bouquet of flowers!"
Korra always had difficulty reining in her temper once started. A small spark, stoked by the right wind and fueled by the right dry fuel would quickly flair up into a torrent of unrestrained emotion that was uncontrollable. Or, rather it was controllable, but it was just so much easier to keep fueling the flames.
"Oh what, with Mr. 'Tall Dark and Handsome,' Fire Nation Ambassador or whatever?"
"You can't possibly be jealous, can you?"
"I'm not jealous or anything!" He threw the bouquet of flowers down to the floor. "I'm trying to figure out why you're so damn angry with me!"
"I already told you!" Korra kicked the flowers into the all with a quick wisp of airbending. "You have horrible penmanship!"
"It's not like I exactly had anyone to teach me!"
Korra is never sure exactly how these arguments start. The smallest non-issue always had the potential to blow up into a knockdown, drag-out fight. After years and years of this happening, eventually they had to accept it was just part of their relationship dynamic. They were both stubborn, each refusing to back down so they could "win." As long as there wasn't lasting fallout, it didn't seem to be detrimental.
"Why can't you just accept that I'm right?" She crossed her arms. "You clearly have bad handwriting. Stop avoiding my point."
"Because you're avoiding my point!" Mako gritted his teeth. "The fact that you're not even happy to see me when I show up just to surprise you!"
Despite how all the arguments start, they always end the same.
Mako caught Korra's eyes wandering.
"Were you…" he squinted at her, "…checking out my ass?"
"I um…" she grinned, "I mean I can check your ass anytime I want."
At once, they burst into a bout of laughter. The realization of how stupid the argument had been washed over them both. This was why they worked. This was why years and years later they were still as in love as they had ever been.
Fighting words always crumbled away to loving words, which dissolved when words were no longer needed.