Mako hadn't realized he fell asleep on the couch, until he was awoken by rapid banging on his apartment door. He rubbed the sleep from his eyes and yawned while he got up off the couch and started for the door. The sleep hadn't fully left his eyes so he made the trek to the door with his eyes almost closed.

"Bo, I gave you a key for a rea-" Mako opened his eyes wide when he felt someone wrap their arms around his waist and bury their head in his chest. He realized it was Korra, and she was sobbing.

"Korra?" he wrapped his arms around her, her clothes dripping wet, "are you okay? Are you being followed?" he eyed the door carefully.

Mako felt Korra shake her head against his chest, he relaxed a little, knowing she wasn't in any immediate danger.

"Can you tell me what's wrong? And why you're dripping wet?"

Korra pulled back but wouldn't look at him, instead chose to look at her feet, "I had a bad dream," she started to turn around, "its stupid, I should probably go,"

Mako grabbed her arm and pulled her back into his embrace, "If you don't want to talk about it, that's fine, but at least let me make you some tea. It'll help you relax,"

"Thank you, Mako," she reached up and gave him a quick kiss on the cheek.

Mako felt himself start to blush and turned around to head for the kitchen before she could notice. She closed the door behind her and waterbended the water from her body. She kept it in a ball in her palm and headed to the kitchen to dispose of it in the sink.

Mako thought it was fortunate that he had made biscuits earlier. They would go great with her tea, "I only have jasmine, which is great for you because its your favorite,"

"Not so much for you, because you hate it," she gave him a smirk. Her eyes with still slightly red from her crying.

"It's grown on me," he smiled at her before dropping the tea leaves into the water in the stove.

"Mako, can I ask you something?"

"Of course, Korra. What is it?" he leaned against the counter next to the stove and looked at her. She hopped onto the island that divided the kitchen and the living room before speaking again.

She looked down at her swinging feet, "Do you ever have nightmares?"

Mako stood silent for a minute, he looked at her sitting there. She looked so vulnerable and scared, it took all he had to not go over to her and wrap her in his arms again. Tell her how much he loved her and how he would spend his whole life protecting her.

He wanted to do all these things, yet he stayed in his spot, his arms gripping the counter behind him. She was the Avatar and he was a guy who grew up on the street. She could never love him the way he loved her.

He turned to look at the water, his eyes focusing on the floating tea leaves.

"All the time, actually,"

It was Korra's turn to stay quiet, when she spoke, she spoke slowly, "can you tell me a little about them?"

"They're mostly about losing the people I care the most about. Sometimes they just vanish, other times I'm too helpless to save them, every time I end up alone," he hadn't meant to say so much. He had never told anyone about his dreams, but if he were going to tell anyone, at this moment it was Korra.

"I had a dream like that, about you. It felt so real and I was so afraid. I jumped out my window into the Bay and came over here to make sure you were okay. I'm sorry if I scared you,"

"Korra, I-," he was interrupting by her sneezing.

She hopped off the island before she sneezed again.

"Are you sick?"

"No, no, no, I don't get sick,"

Mako took the needed steps to stand in front of her and placed a hand on her forehead, she was burning hot.

"You're sick, Korra. I should know, I took care of a sick Bolin more times than I would have liked to,"

Korra eyes drooped slightly closed and she leaned into him a little, putting all her body weight against him. He held her up and carried her bridal style towards the couch.

"Mako," she said weakly.

"It's alright, Kor. You probably got sick from running over here with all that cold water on you. The tea is almost ready," he covered her with the blanket he had been using for himself earlier and walked back to the kitchen.

The water was already boiling, so he took two teacups and filled them up. He got out a tray from one of the cupboards and placed the plate of biscuits and the teacups onto it.

Korra sat up and made room for him on the couch when she saw him walk into the living room. He handed her a teacup and sat down next to her.

"How are you feeling?" he asked her.

"Exhausted, after I left practice, I had to spar all day. The other bending masters came by and wanted to make sure I was still 'keeping up to par' with the other elements," she made a disgusted face when she mimicked her masters.

"You should have taken the day off from practice, then,"

"Not with the finals next week!"

"You can't work yourself to exhaustion either, Korra. You know what? I'm calling Bolin and telling him practice is cancelled tomorrow,"

"But M-,"

"We've been working hard since the tournament started, I think we need a day off," he pulled out his phone and sent Bolin a text message, letting him know, "there."

Korra gave Mako her signature pout, which made his stomach do a flip. He took a sip of his tea, hoping it would somehow cover his face.

They sat in silence for a few minutes, sipping in their tea and nibbling in the biscuits. Until Korra put her teacup down and brought her feet up onto the couch, her chin resting on her knees and her arms extending the blanket so it was covering every inch of her except her head. She started to shiver.

Mako couldn't control himself this time, he put his own cup down and wrapped his arms around her and pulled her to his chest. He rubbed his hands up and down her arms, hoping the friction would give her more heat.

Korra sighed with content, she repositioned herself so her legs were across his lap and her arms were wrapped around his waist from his side. She rested her head on his shoulder.

Mako took the blanket and fixed it so that it covered both of them.

Korra was silent for a long time and Mako suspected she had fallen asleep.

She very groggily said to him, "Thank you, Mako. I love you,"

Mako was speechless, she sounded as though she was on the edge of sleep. Did she really mean it? Or did she mean that she loved him in a platonic way. Mako wasn't sure, but he was sure of one thing.

"I love you, too, Korra," he kissed the top of her head and hugged her tighter.

Having her so close to him made all the worries in his head disappeared. He often had trouble sleeping, thinking of everything that could happen to her. With her in his arms, he didn't have to worry about that, he knew she was safe. He let his head fall and rest on the top of the couch, his eye lids slipping closed as he hugged the girl he loved.