This story takes place a few years after Book 4.

The wind gently whipped Mako's hair as the Satomobile cruised through the city. The midday sun was warm on his skin. Unfortunately, whenever he opened his eyes, all he saw was darkness.

"Bolin, this is ridiculous," he grumbled.

"Ah, come on, Mako!" chirped Bolin. "You've gotta live a little! Humor me, here!"

"It's hard to do that right now, considering you blindfolded me and kidnapped me from work!"

"Think of this as a late lunch break. Besides, Beifong said I could."

"Where are we going that you needed me blindfolded?"

"It's a surprise, duh! Right, Pabu?" Mako heard the fire ferret purr behind him in the back seat. "Exactly! So just sit back and enjoy the ride!" Mako let out an exasperated sigh and settled into the passenger seat.

He lost track of how long they drove. The busy sounds of the city started to fade to birds chirping and the occasional passing car. He could hear children laughing outside stores, and the ding of a trolley one street over. Halfway through the trip Bolin started humming, then whistling, then singing. "It's a long, long way to Ba Sing Se; But the girls in the city they look so pretty—"

"Would you knock it off!"

"Fine, fine, Mr. Grumpypants." Pabu nipped playfully at Mako's ear, and the poor firebender rubbed his temples in frustration.

Finally, after what felt like an eternity, Bolin pulled to a stop and shut off the engine. "We're here! Hop on out, Mako!"

Mako slowly eased out of the car, careful not to trip on the curb or close the door on Pabu's tail. "Great, can I take this off now?"

"Patience is a virtue, Mako. Now come! Follow the sound of my voice!"

"You're kind of hard to ignore," Mako snapped as he stepped up onto the sidewalk and waved his arms around until he hit Bolin.

The earthbender chuckled as he grasped his brother's shoulders and maneuvered him over a few steps. "Okay, you're ready?"

Mako sighed. "As I'll ever be."

There were a few quick tugs behind his head, and the blindfold fell away. Mako rapidly blinked in the sunlight as his eyes adjusted. Before them was a white house on a small hill. The roof was a variation of the sloping pagoda Fire Nation style, but the walls were solid Earth Kingdom style with white stone and wood. The front yard was small, but it had a bigger backyard fenced off from the street. The door and window panes were Fire Nation red, and there was a brick overhang off to the side, probably for a Satomobile or Satocycle. He looked around; they were on a suburban street filled with Fire Nation-Earth Kingdom hybrid houses. A group of kids were playing with a panda-puppy a few houses down, and an old woman watered some flowers diagonally from them. It was a very warm and peaceful environment. This was one of the neighborhoods that had been built in the expansion of Republic City in the years after the Earth Empire's attack. Everything was modern and up-to-date while still trying to retain the city's old cultural charm.

"So?" Bolin asked as he bounced on his toes.

"So? So what? You brought me out to the suburbs."

"And this house."

"…Yes, and this house."

"Do you like it?"

"What? The house? Yes, it's a very nice house."

"You really think so? You really like it?"

Mako had to admit: it was a very nice looking house. Perfect for a small family: warm, cozy, close enough to make friends with the neighbors while still retaining some privacy. "Yes, it looks like a great house, Bo. What's your point?"

Bolin beamed as he dropped a scroll with a bright red ribbon into Mako's hands. "Go on, open it!"

Raising an eyebrow, Mako slid off the ribbon and unrolled the parchment. His eyes widened as he scanned the document; he almost dropped it in shock. "This… This is the deed to this house. And it's…"

"Yup!" Bolin exclaimed. "It's in your name!"

"B-But… I can't-"

"Don't worry about it, Bro! It's already been paid for in full. You don't have to worry about those pesky mortgage payments."

"In full?!" Mako's hands were shaking. "Bolin…you didn't…"

"Happy Birthday, Mako!" Bolin slung an arm around his brother's shoulder. "Well, I know your birthday isn't for another two weeks, but I just couldn't wait to show you! Plus, I need your signature to make it official."

"H-How? How did you afford this?"

"Nuktuk royalties! They still have to pay me any time they use my gorgeous face, and most of it goes in the bank. What, did you think I just spent all of it?" Well, yes, Mako had thought that. Thinking ahead was not usually in Bolin's wheelhouse. "I've been saving all that for a long time now, waiting for something special. And I know you've been thinking about settling down for a while now, so… Ta da!"

"It's only a twenty minute drive from the police station, you've got a space for your Satocycle during the winter, and there's a nice backyard for all my future nieces and nephews! Three bedrooms, one bathroom, a state of the art kitchen… And if you don't like something, I can help you remodel, you know, being an earthbender and all." He winked. "You can move in whenever you want!"

Mako still couldn't believe it. His baby brother had actually bought him a house? His brain felt like it had short-circuited, but his heart swelled.

"Bolin… I… I don't know what to say… Wha… Why?"

Bolin suddenly seemed reserved as he rubbed the back of his neck. "Mako, you're my brother. You're the whole reason I'm still alive today! You always fought so hard to take care of us. You're all I had for so long. I just… This is the least I could do after all you've done for me. Now that I can, I wanted to take care of you for a change." He squeezed the firebender's arm playfully. "Besides, my house is two streets over! Now you can't miss family dinners anymore!"

Mako bit his lip to stop a chuckle.

"So… what d'you think? Do you like it?"

Mako couldn't answer. Instead he reached over and wrapped Bolin in a tight hug and buried his face in his younger brother's shirt. The earthbender returned the embrace and winked at Pabu. "He likes it."

The brothers stood like that for a while, Mako trembling with silent tears as Bolin rubbed his back. Mako was never very good at expressing his emotions, even in front of his little brother. But their hugs were always able to communicate what their words could not. To Mako, the words, "Thank you," just didn't seem like enough to express his gratitude. Bolin didn't mind the tears seeping through his clothes. He just let his big brother get it all out of his system.

"I love you, Little Bro," the detective finally choked out.

"Love you back, Big Bro," came the reply.

They held each other for a little longer before Mako pulled away and tried to hide his flushed face. Bolin pulled out a handkerchief for him which Mako took with a small, "Thanks." It took another few minutes for him to wipe his tears and compose himself.

"You good?" Bolin asked.

Mako nodded with a sigh. "Yeah. I'm good. Oh, and…" he glared at him, "If you ever tell anyone at the precinct about what just happened-"

Bolin just a waved a hand. "No no, I get it! Not a word."

"Good." After another moment of silence, Mako smirked. "So, feel like giving me the grand tour?"

Bolin smiled back as he wrapped his arm around Mako; Pabu curled around his neck. "You betcha! I can't wait to show you the best part: a hot tub! Although, since you're a firebender, I guess every tub is a hot tub, huh?"

Mako just shook his head. "Bolin…"