Even in the South Pole, the freezing snow filled, polar opposite of Republic City South Pole, Mako felt at home. Maybe it was because of the hospitality that everyone showed, or that his brother and his friends were there, but he knew deep down it was because Korra was in the South Pole. Anywhere she was, that's where home was.

They were staying at the white lotus sire so it didn't have tents and other standard forms of living. It had buildings, and practice arenas, but what Mako loved the best was the gym. It had some of the best equipment and training gear he had seen. He was headed there now, partially to train, but also to see if Korra was there. He liked to sneak up on her in her training to catch her off guard. She seemed to lose herself in airbending now a days, but then again that was the element of freedom.

As he walked along the path the snow crunched beneath his boots. He enjoyed the sound, it was different from the crackling sound the leaves made in Republic City as he walked over them. But there was another sound coming from a distance. Mako's head lifted up as his eyes darted across the land looking for the source of the sound. Suddenly he realized what it was and he turned to face the square practice arena.

"She's at it again." He muttered to himself. Korra was wearing gear similar to her fire ferrets uniform. She was facing what looked to be two firebenders, two eathbenders, and a waterbender. Even though it was against her in numbers Mako was not surprised to see how well she was handling herself.

One of the earthbenders threw a rock at her shoulder which she easily evaded. She quickly threw a ball of flame at him which sent him skidding out of the arena. Mako found himself inching closer and closer to the fight. He could see the fire in her eyes. She swiftly raised a barrier of earth between her and a fire blast. A water whip came at her from behind and lashed at her back. She gritted her teeth from the pain and stomped hard on the ground with her back foot, causing a slanted pillar to appear from the ground. It sent the water bender flying out of the arena as well.

"Come on Korra, two more to go." Mako murmured. He was amazed at what a natural in battle she had become. The eathbender and firebender circled her. Korra made small circles with her feet in the center paying close attention to the two. Suddenly the ground from underneath the earthbender jolted up from behind her. Korra snapped around and blew a gust of air at the earthbender and then flashed back the other way drawing water from a pouch at her side. The water surged forward hitting him and sending him out of the arena before he could be on the offense.

Mako began to clap now standing at the edge of the arena. "Great job Avatar Korra." Korra spun around to see him. Her blue eyes shimmering, and her face breaking into a smile.

"Mako!" She said as she ran toward him. She leapt into his arms and he twirled her like he did the week before after she had gone into the avatar state. She never took her gaze off of his bronze eyes, even when her feet touched the ground. Her hand cupping the side of his face, he smiled back down at her. Oh how she loved that smile. "I didn't know you were watching." She said beginning to blush.

"You were amazing. You've gotten so great at bending." He leaned in to kiss her. His lips brushed hers and then she tugged away. He opened his eyes to see the fire still in hers.

"Wanna face me? Show your stuff." She began to back up into the arena. She unstrapped her training gear so she just had her normal clothes on underneath it. Her arms opened wide in a challenging stance. "Come on Mr. Hat trick! Afraid of being beat by a girl?" She called out enticing him.

"No way. You just took on five guys, I can't face you." He said with a grin.

"How about..." She paused for a moment, contemplating about her proposition. "How about firebending only?"

"Fire bending only. No avatar stuff?" He asked.

"Nope, just you and me. Sort of a dialed down Agnai Kai." After she that Mako stepped onto the beige colored training arena, taking his stance. His hands up, his weight on his back foot perpendicular to the one in front of it. They began to circle each other.

Korra kept her vigilant gaze on Mako, searching for any off movements that might be an attack. Each fight became more difficult versus him though. They knew each other too well, they knew each other's strategies, moves, and tactics. Battling became a game for each of them. They rested new stunts, tried new stances, anything to get the upper hand on the other.

Mako's face gave him away first. His smile slipped as his lips pinned together like whenever he made a critical move. It was only a split second, but it was enough for her to lunge out of the way as a large gust of fire headed her way. Mako was recoiling from his punch, this was her move. She did a quick 1-2 combo of flames toward Mako, but Mako was quicker. He dive rolled over the balls of fire and straightened himself back up resuming their circling of one another.

Mako had his chance, it was Korra's turn, and he knew that. He could sense the fire in her soul. This was the most he had seen her alive since a week ago. She had entered the avatar state and masterly bended all the elements. he was vaguely aware of Korra's stance shifting, too lost in the memory.

She had ran toward him and confessed she loved him too. She had stood on her toes to kiss him. As he kissed her back he did it more passionately than he had their first kiss back in Republic City. His arms wrapped around her waist as he leaned further into it. He leaned down so she was flat on her feet instead of her toes. He wasn't sure how long they stood there kissing each other, only that it felt like eternity. When they finally broke away from each other he didn't move his arms from her waist, nor did she remove her arms from around his neck.

He had pushed his forehead against hers and could feel her cool breathe against his neck. "Korra." He begun as he opened his eyes. He looked at her closed ones, knowing she was just soaking up everything that had just happened. "You're the love of my life Korra." Her eyes opened at this and looked deeply into his.

"Mako." She said trembling slightly. It was him this time pulling her into him to land another kiss. As their lips locked and molded to each others. This kiss was longer and more passionate than their last. It was pure filled with nothing but their love. Mako's body began to tremble, an sting. Suddenly a burning feeling snapped him out of his memory. His body was on fire. He let out a wail and collapsed to the ground in pain.

"Mako!" Korra cried. She ran toward him. "Mako I'm so sorry. Oh gosh are you ok. Mako!" She began to move his head onto her lap. "Stay with me. Gosh, Mako!" She pleaded. She leaned in and kissed him, tears from her eyes falling onto his face. Her kiss was pleading, begging for him to forgive her. It was filled with sadness, and regret. He tried to lean into it, but his chest burned as he attempted to move causing him to groan in pain. She broke away from the kiss analyzing him.

His mouth was in a grimace trying to deal with the pain from the burn. His white shirt had burn holes in it, and it was turning mostly black from the flames. She moved her hands to the bottom of his shirt, preparing to lift it.

"K-Korra. It's ok, I'm not hurt that ba-" He cringed as she lifted his shirt slightly and the cold South Pole air touched his skin.

"Mako stay still. Don't talk. Ok sweetie" she said looking at the raw red skin on his chest.

"Can do." He managed to utter. She slowly lifted the entire shirt. Knowing she couldn't get it off his damaged arms she just lifted it as high as she could and folded it over resting on his chin. His entire chest and abs were red, but it didn't look bad right above his pant line. Good thing too, she didn't want to have to go lower than his waist.

She slowly bended the water from her pouch over his chest willing it to repair his wounds. He cringed and grimaced at the touch of the water against his skin. She took one of her hands and placed it on his cheek.

"I'm sorry sweetie." She said somberly before moving her hand back to the water and continuing the healing process. She worked her way, but it was still taking long, and his skill was still bad. Although Mako was getting used to the waters sensitive touch. He hadn't moaned or groaned from the pain in a bit. "We need to get to my room, I have better healing water there. It has more minerals and stuff. This is just taking too long with normal bending water." Mako nodded his head understanding in approval. "Naga!" Korra called.

The polar bear dog came rumbling toward them out of nowhere. She realized this was not a regular ride when she saw Korra healing Mako. A few single tears began to shed down her face. Naga got as close as she could to them and kneeled to the ground so it would be easier for them to get her on her back.

"Mako." Mako's eyes looked at hers. Hers blue eyes were easy to get lost in. He trusted her, he loved her. "Mako, Mako look at me, this won't be pleasant. This is going to hurt. I'm sorry. So, so sorry Mako." The tears started to come again.

"Don't cry Korra." Mako said, struggling to raise his hand to her face and wiping away her tears. She hooked her left arm underneath his right shoulder, and wrapped her right arm around her chest, He could feel the pain but he slammed his eyes shut, and gritted his teeth. If this was the pain he could deal with it, but when Korra pulled him up and lifted both of them to Naga's back, the pain was ten times worse. He couldn't contain himself from screaming out from the pain.

His back rubbed against the saddle. His head rested against Korra's chest, her arms locked around his chest, and her legs on the outside of his keeping him on the saddle. Sounds of pain came out from him even though his teeth were buckled down hard on each other.

"Shh Mako, shh." Korra said soothingly, stroking the side of his face.

"Korra." Mako came to utter, the pain was getting to strong. He struggled to open his eyes, to see hers. Her blue eyes were radiant.

"Mako come on stay with me. Come on Mako." Mako struggled against the pain, but it was to immense. His eyes began to flicker shut.

"Not your fault." His voice began to slip. "Mind elsewhere."

"Mako! Mako!" No response came from him. "Naga hurry!" The urgency in Korra's voice became more intense as Mako drifted off into unconsciousness . Naga burst through the large door of the white lotus building. She began to sprint down the hallway until she was in front of Korra's room. Korra eased Mako's head off her chest and placed it on the saddle as she slid off of Naga's back. She ran to her door and slid it open.

"Come on girl." Naga cautiously walked through the opening and over to Korra's bed. Korra took a deep breath and began to force a wall of air under Mako. He began to lift from the saddle and hovered over to her bed. Korra could feel her strength failing. "Come on." She begged until Mako hovered directly over the bed. She let go of the air slowly so he glided upon the mattress. Naga rushed out letting Korra close the door behind her.

She ran to Mako's side tugging at his shirt and maneuvering his arms to slide it off, leaving him shirtless. She turned to her dresser where a bowl sat. It was light blue with water tribe patterns all over it. She bended the water over to the bed on Mako. Again she began with the healing process, starting with his arms and returning to his chest. She remembered what Katara had taught her about burns, how the quicker it was the more painful, and the slower the better. Korra began to ease down the speed of the process making each strip of skin she healed as painless as possible. After a while Mako began to stir.

"Mako?"

"K-Korra." He stammered, his eyes fluttering open.

"Shh sweetie." She said soothingly. She continued to heal as he slowly came back to his senses. "Does this hurt?" She tenderly asked him.

"Well my chests kinda numb. So I can't feel much of anything."

"That's the minerals. They're working." She said to him. She had to be strong for just a bit longer. She couldn't break down, couldn't cry, the healing was almost over. As her hands hovered with the water above his chest she finally healed all the burn. She collected the water and bended it back into the bowl. He let out a grateful sigh, she could tell his pain had gone, the pain she caused. She collapsed onto his chest and began to cry into his shoulder.

"M-Mako. I'm so sorry. You know how much I care about you. I would never intentionally hurt you so badly. Mako forgive me." She choked out between sobs.

"Korra what! Forgive you! I was never upset with you! It wasn't your fault it was mine. My head was elsewhere, I wasn't paying att-" Korra leaned up and kissed him mid sentence. Her kiss was full of longing and need. Her hands feeling though the back of his dark hair. Mako leaned himself into the kiss, giving her all the love and affection he could give. He opened his mouth a bit more and felt his tongue massage her as it felt through her mouth.. He wrapped his arms around her pulling her closer to him. His hands drifted upwards cupping her face. He held onto her for as long as possible until she broke away.

"How could... How could you kiss me like that...After all I..." her voice lowered to a whisper "did to you."

"Korra it wasn't your fault. I'm trying to tell you that. I lost attention, got distract and didn't see your move. You did nothing wrong." Her chin rested on his chest, she looked up into his eyes and saw he was telling the truth.

"What could have gotten you so distracted. In the fight your eyes were almost glazed over. You didn't even flinch when I made my room, just kept circling. It was like you weren't there. Where were you?" Mako began to flush furiously thinking about where his mind was.

"All I saw was the fire in your eyes. It reminded me of after you went into the avatar state," Her face showed she recalled them memory. She began putting together the pieces. "And then you ran to me, and you told me."

"I love you to. She leaned up and kissed him. It was gentle and short showing him her affection. She began to blush though as her head lingered above his. "With all my heart and soul I do sincerely love you Mako. I'm yours."

"Korra." Mako muttered, brushing a strand of hair out of her face. "My love for you can't be expressed through words." His hands reached the back of her head grabbing her luscious dark hair and pulling her down to him giving her a long affectionate kiss. It's passionate, but not overbearing, more intimate as he pours all his feeling into it. He's not sure who breaks away first, but Mako doesn't let go of her. He eased her onto her side next to him and pulls the covers over the both of them.

Korra moves her head and cuddles against his bare chest. His heart beat is a symphony to her ears. He holds her close not wanting to let go, to lose her. Before she drifts off into sleep she wonders if this is what home feels like, the feeling she has around Mako. Home is wherever Mako is. Home is wherever she and Mako are.