Author's Note: I'm not going to get into the shipping wars. Seriously, I think it's far too soon to get really invested ^^

She hadn't been coming for training for a while, but Mako didn't press her. He saw the uncertainty and fear in her eyes that night at the gala when she was faced with the reporters, one of the few things Korra can't handle; he had been completely stunned –

But then Asami whispered something in his ear a moment later, and he, frowning with concentration, strained to hear her over the media circus.

Between Mako spending more time with Asami (at least he wasn't shameless enough to call it 'keeping close ties with our sponsor') and Korra's involvement with the city taskforce, Bolin was feeling pretty out of it.

Until he turned on the radio, just in time to hear Korra issue her angry challenge.

"Korra – what? Are you nuts!" he yelled at the radio. Mako, who was working out in the background, shot him a funny look.

"She can't hear you, you know."

"Yeeah, I kinda figured it a minute after I shouted." The earthbender paced around the gym, muttering to himself. Mako ignored him.

"... Hey, Mako?"

"Yeah?"

"What do you think of Korra – well, not in that way. Let me rephrase that. Uh, I mean with that challenge thing?" He jabbed a thumb at the radio, now peacefully playing smooth jazz.

Mako took a minute to answer, releasing a few more punches into his punching bag. "What about her?" he said at length.

"What d'you mean, what about her? She's taking on the guy who nearly de-earthbended me, alone. As in, by herself. One on one."

The firebender shrugged, took aim, and nearly fell over when the punching bag was yanked away at the last moment. Mako swore.

"Bolin, what the – ?"

His brother released the bag, letting it swing back into place. "Don't you care? She's our friend."

The firebender had to look away, because Bolin was giving him the look (tried and tested over a good number of years) and they both knew what effect the look had on Mako. He sighed, putting a hand on his hip.

"Of course I do, Bo. Yeah, she's our friend, and she's our teammate, but she's also the Avatar." Mako sidestepped and resumed hitting the punching bag. "She's got her own responsibilities and problems, and we can't help her with those."

Bolin scowled. "So you're just gonna leave her be? After she helped us get into the tournament? After she saved yours truly's ass from Amon?"

Fire flared around Mako's fists. "Just leave it, okay?" he snapped. His younger brother stopped talking.

"Bolin. Whatever Korra does for the taskforce isn't our problem. Amon isn't our problem. In fact, our main problem right now is staying in the tournament as long as we can, because we actually have a chance at that pot." The firebender resumed his barrage of punches. "Hiroshi Sato believes in us, and I'm not going to let him down so easily."

The younger boy chewed on his lip. "... I know. It's just that – I feel kinda bad for Korra. You saw her face at the gala too, didn't you? The way that councilman guy steered her into those reporters? I think she didn't really want to join that taskforce thing."

"How'd you know?"

"Korra said this council guy had been sending her all sorts of stuff. There was this huge hamper of goodies, and even a Satomobile, I heard. Then we're all invited to this fancy gala thing he threw for her, she gets thrown to the reporters, and boom. She joins the taskforce." Bolin folded his arms. "Just put two and two together and it makes five. Or something like that."

He paused for a moment. "... I see."

His younger brother, seeing Mako's reaction, pressed his point home. "I think Korra's going through a lot right now. I mean, it's been a while since I saw her really happy, y'know? Like, reeeeally happy." He pulled a grotesque face which Mako supposed was meant to be a grin.

The firebender chose not to answer, dealing a vicious kick to the bag, making the chains creak noisily. "I'm going to shower," he said carefully, "I've meeting Asami later. Don't wait up."

"... Uh, sure, bro."

Mako came in close to midnight to find Bolin sound asleep on the windowsill, body leaning dangerously towards the floor. He bent a little to ease his brother into bed; from his vantage point, Mako noticed he had a good view of Avatar Aang Memorial Island.

He sighed.

If Bolin was surprised to find himself in his bed the next morning, he didn't mention it to Mako at all. The firebender was too busy ignoring him to notice anyway; he spent the entire day in the gym, pointedly hammering the stuffing out of the punching bag.

"Morning, Mako," began the earthbender. He got a grunt in response.

"I'm gonna go over to Air Temple Island, see how Korra's doing. If you want, you can come with me?" His palms were spread in a deliberately vague gesture. "It won't take long."

Mako paused to take a swig from his water canteen. "You sure? I mean, if it was me, I wouldn't want anyone around now."

Very slowly, Bolin folded his arms, taking a deep breath. "Not everyone's like you, big bro. I really think we should be there for her, even if she says she doesn't want us. That's what friends do." He was wearing a defiant pout, one Mako vaguely remembered their father wearing.

He absently reached for a scarf that wasn't there.

Finally, Mako heaved a very long-suffering sigh, the older-brother-giving-in sigh. "... I'll shower and change now, give me ten minutes."

Bolin beamed.