It was a perfect, breezy evening for Varrick and Zhu Li's wedding, and Mako was all partied out. For him, that meant he'd eaten lots of good food, talked to some interesting people, watched Wu dance with various partners, and drank a few glasses of champagne. He was sitting on the sidelines, watching the stars twinkle against their indigo canvas, when Wu dashed up to him. The prince's face was flushed with excitement, and possibly from the champagne too, Mako wasn't sure. However, there was a worried look on Wu's face that he didn't like.

"Hey." said Mako. "What's up?"

"There's someone on the dance floor who keeps giving me weird looks." Wu told his bodyguard. "Can you come out and stay with me?"

Mako glanced around Wu dubiously. He could hear people laughing from the dance floor, even over the blaring music. "Really? It sounds pretty safe out there to me."

"That's 'cause there are other people around. Mako, what if I get kidnapped again?" Wu pressed on. The firebender had to admit, he did look scared.

"Fine." He stood up. "If he's still there, point him out to me, okay?"

A wide grin spread across the prince's dark face. "Of course!" he exclaimed. He grabbed Mako's hand and raced back toward the dance floor with Mako in tow.

Mako was keeping an eye out for suspicious characters as they fought through the throng of dancing couples, but he didn't see anyone he didn't recognize. "Do you see him?" he asked Wu.

"See who?"

"The guy you said was looking at you weird!"

"Oh, Mako, there's no guy." Wu laughed. "But while I've got you here, how about a dance?"

Of course that's why he brought me out here, thought Mako to himself. He sighed. "Wu, I can't dance." He raised his injured arm for Wu to see. "Remember? My arm is in a sling."

"That doesn't matter to me." Wu replied. "If anyone can figure out how to dance with one arm, it's you, Mako."

He was looking at Mako with such hope in his eyes, like a child pleading with their parents for a new toy. "Fine." he said eventually. "One dance."

Wu beamed. "Great!" He took Mako's uninjured right hand, and placed his other hand on Mako's left shoulder. The firebender started out staring purposefully at Wu's feet; he didn't want to step on the prince's toes, because he knew the younger man would make a scene. But it wasn't long before his eyes travelled back up to Wu's face, and he found himself becoming more relaxed.

"This isn't bad." admitted Mako.

"I knew you'd say that." Wu responded smugly, although it was painfully obvious that he was surprised, and that hearing that had just made his day.

They didn't talk much after that, just danced. One dance became two, two became three, and three became four… Eventually, Wu yawned, and Mako snapped out of his daze, realizing that he'd been staring into Wu's eyes for the majority of fifteen minutes.

"I-I'm a bit thirsty." he stammered, letting go of his dance partner's hand. "Do you want a drink?"

"Oh, let me." Wu offered. "I don't want you to exert yourself. Your arm might get worse!"
"From pouring two drinks?" Mako asked, and laughed. "It's fine, Wu. Do you want a drink or not?"

"Sure." Wu answered, and he followed Mako off of the dance floor. The firebender poured two glasses of punch. He brought Wu's to him, and then went back for his own.

"To surviving Kuvira's attack." said Mako, holding out his glass.

"I'll drink to that." replied Wu, raising his own glass.

They clinked their drinks together, and Mako sipped his. "Mm, this is nice." he remarked.

"Yeah. Hey, I really enjoyed dancing with you, Mako." said Wu. "Thanks for humouring me."

"Any time." replied Mako, smiling. "So I wasn't terrible? I mean, I'm usually a bad dancer, but with only one arm, I think I'd be worse…"

"No, you were wonderful." Wu told him. His voice was soft as he looked up into Mako's eyes. "But maybe… once your arm is better… we could have another dance?"

Dancing at a wedding was one thing. People who weren't couples danced at weddings, just for fun; for example, Mako had seen Ikki pulling a bewildered Huan Beifong around, and obviously they weren't a couple. Wu was asking him to dance after his arm was better, which would probably be in a couple of months, depending on how well it healed. To him, it sounded a bit like Wu was asking him out on a date.

And surprisingly, Mako didn't mind.

"Of course." he answered, his smile widening.

Wu looked dumbfounded. "Really? Are you serious?"

"Yeah, I am! I wouldn't lead you on, Wu." Mako said. "When I get my sling off, you'll be the first to know. Make sure you bring some nice records, too."

The prince beamed. "Oh, Mako… thank you, thank you, thank you!" He tossed his glass aside and gave Mako a tight hug. Mako winced as Wu's glass shattered on the ground, but he put his good arm around the prince anyway.

"Varrick's not gonna like all that broken glass everywhere." commented Mako, patting Wu affectionately on the back.

"I don't care what Varrick thinks right now, honestly." Wu murmured.

Mako laughed. "I think you will when he finds out."

Just then, Tahno, who was on the trombone in the wedding band, called out, "Here's another slow song for all you couples out there!"

Mako still couldn't believe that Tahno was actually there. Thinking about his old Pro-bending days seemed like such a trivial thing now that he had helped save the world a few times. But now, not even saving the world mattered anymore. Things were going to be peaceful again, he could feel it.

"One more dance?" he asked Wu, setting his glass down and extending his uninjured hand to the prince.

The look on Wu's face was enough to make Mako chuckle fondly for days to come.

"I'd love that!" said the prince, grabbing his hand. "You know, Mako, I've said it before and I'll say it again… I don't know what I'd ever do without you."

"I know." responded Mako. "And I don't know what I would do without you."

He gave Wu's hand a gentle squeeze, and colour spread through the prince's cheeks. Together, they headed back out onto the dance floor.

Maybe Mako wasn't all partied out, after all.

end