Korra sank into a chair at the table and dropped her head in her hands. "Ugh, why does he hate me?" she grumbled.
Bolin sighed, sitting in the chair across from her. "He doesn't hate you," he said, "He just doesn't... he isn't good at...maybe a little."
"Not helping, Bo!"
"Maybe you should try being nice to him," he suggested.
She lifted her head to glare at her friend, "I am being nice!"
Bolin crossed his arms and leaned back in his chair, raising an eyebrow. It was, she noticed, a trait he picked up from his brother. "You put him through a wall at practice."
"He lived," she growled, "And I fixed the wall."
He shook his head. "You know he likes you, right?" he said.
She snorted. "Yeah, ok."
"He does, really," he defended, dropping the chair back down on all fours, "He sits in the window and looks at Air Temple Island all the time."
"Maybe he likes the view."
"He never did it before you lived there," he said.
"Maybe he has a thing for Tenzin," she grumbled.
"It's not Tenzin's name he says in his sleep," he said slyly. Her head snapped up.
"He's probably dreaming about strangling me," she said quickly, a blush coloring her dark cheeks. The thought of Mako dreaming about her definitely got her attention.
"Yeah, that's what he's doing," he said sarcastically, rolling his eyes. Her blush was adorable and he couldn't help but tease her. She kicked him under the table. "What? We share a room! I don't think 'strangling you' had anything to do with..."
"Shut up, shut up," she whispered harshly, face flaming, "Here he comes!"
Bolin turned in his chair to watch his brother saunter across the room. "Hey, Mako," he said with a big grin.
"Bo," he said, his eyes flicked to Korra, then away again, "Avatar."
She shot Bolin a look that clearly told him she thought he was full of it. "Korra," she growled. She hated it when he called her Avatar and he knew it.
Mako, who was rummaging through a cabinet, glanced over his shoulder, "Hmm?"
"Korra," she said a little louder, angrier, "My name is Korra. Say it with me... Korr-ah!"
"I know what your name is," he said. He was glad his back was to them, it was easier to hide his smirk that way. He took out a box of tea, "Do you want some, Korr-ah?"
"No," she snapped, "I was just leaving."
"Practice tomorrow, don't be late," he called after her. His only answer was the slamming door. He shook his head and couldn't resist a little smile.
Bolin scowled at him. "You two cannot be in the same room for thirty seconds without fighting," he said.
Mako shrugged. "Korra's ok." He didn't really mean to get her going, it was just so easy... and fun.
"Ok? Korra is freaking amazing!" Bolin exclaimed, "She's smart and pretty..."
"Reckless, annoying, unpredictable and irresponsible," Mako finished.
"She thinks you hate her."
He looked up from his tea-making sharply. "I don't hate her," he said. Did she really think that? "I like her, she's..." he searched his brain for a compliment, "Spontaneous."
His brother looked at him for a long moment. He looked puzzled for am second then smiled, as if figuring out for the first time some long ago punch line to a bad joke. "So what are you waiting for?"
Mako had not heard this joke. He arched a brow. "Waiting for?"
"Yeah. When are you gonna ask her out?"
He spilled the tea he was pouring and cursed. A blush crept up the back of his neck. "I am not asking out the Avatar," he said flatly, "I don't like her that way."
"Seriously?" Bolin said, giving him a look of disbelief, "Anybody but me, bro."
Mako rolled his eyes, trying to cover his embarrassment and deflect the subject. "Maybe you have a thing for her," he suggested.
"Oh, yeah, definitely," he said quickly, surprising his older brother, "But she's already turned me down flat."
"Flat?"
"Yep," he said sadly, "I've been 'friend-zoned'."
He couldn't help but smile at his brothers face. "Too bad, little brother," he said, ruffling his hair as he passed by, "I'm sure there will be scores of girls waiting to take her place after our championship match."
Bolin swatted his hand away and scowled at his brothers back. "You should tell her," he said.
"Tell who, what now?" Mako said, waving him off.
"Korra, that you like her!"
"Can't hear you, sorry!" Mako called, shutting the door to their room. Bolin sighed.
He needed a plan.
Behind the door, Mako's mind was racing. Korra had already turned Bolin down? Well' that settled it. If his brother didn't stand a chance then he was screwed. Those two were like grape-pea's in a pod- they always got along. Bolin could sit and talk with her for hours, he could make her laugh and smile. He sometimes saw her lean in close to say something quietly that they would both chuckle over. All she ever did with him was argue.
Every time he saw them together, it irritated him. It's not like he was jealous of his brother, never that. Bolin deserved the best of everything- and Korra was definitely that, if he let himself think about it- and Mako would give him anything he could, gladly, no question. He loved his brother.
But to see him with Korra...
He sighed, blowing a small breath of fire to warm his now cold tea. Something about her called to him, like she held the answer to a puzzle he didn't even know he had been trying to solve. She was everything he wanted and exactly what he was trying to avoid all rolled into one amazing girl.
Having next to no experience with these sort of emotions, he tended to give into his usual indifference and irritation. Did Korra really think he hated her? The thought left him chewing on his bottom lip. He hadn't meant for her to get that impression. Who was he supposed to ask for advice about these things anyway- Bolin? Fat chance!
Besides, she was just as snarky and argumentative with him- he didn't take offense to it, how was he supposed to know she would? They weren't six. When you didn't get along, you simply didn't get along. It wasn't secret code for unspoken attraction. They were too old for that foolishness.
Right?
He was a confident, semi-attractive guy. If he wanted to ask a girl out, he could. No big deal. How hard could it be anyway? He just didn't want to. He had no desire spend the evening with Korra, laughing at jokes and talking about their lives. His past was just that, and it was private. And who really liked walking on the peer, looking at stars and holding hands? It was silly to even think about. He shook his head. She would probably laugh at him if he ever asked her anyway.
Mako sat the cup of tea- cold again and still full- on the night stand and flopped, face down, on his bed. How had this happened? His life, his carefully ordered and organized life, was spinning wildly out of his control. He was terrified, thrilled and completely out of his mind.
And Bolin, his one source of comfort and love through thick and thin, was to blame. If it wasn't for him, he never would have met Korra. She wouldn't have joined the team and she wouldn't randomly walk into his home like she owned the place everyday.
He was utterly miserable. If this was love then he hated it. How did people get through this? Why does anyone want to fall in love? Groaning, he buried his head under his pillow. He decided he didn't like tea anymore. He never would have had that conversation with Bolin, never would have been thinking about any of this, if it wasn't for that cup of tea.
By the time Mako came back out, dumping a full cup of tea into the sink, Bolin had a plan.
"I have an idea," he said earnestly.
"Never a good sign," Mako groaned.
Choosing to ignore him, he said, "We can invite her out to dinner after the match and, last minute, I'll back out."
Mako shook his head. "Bo..."
"C'mon, Mako," he whined, "You like her, I know you do."
He pinched the bridge of his nose. "Ok, yeah, whatever," he said, "I like her.. but I don't need you to set up a date for me."
"If I leave it up to you, it'll never happen," Bolin said.
"It'll happen if it's meant to," Mako grumbled.
Bolin stood, folding his hands together, and doing his best to look wise. "Often one finds one's destiny exactly where one hides to avoid it," he said.
Mako blinked. "That was... surprisingly good," he said.
Bolin shrugged, grinning. "I got it off a cookie."
Mako slapped his palm against his forehead. He was doomed.