"To my beautiful daughter and future son-in-law, may the spirits bless you!" Mr. Sato toasted, raising his glass high in the air amongst the crowd of people. Asami pecked her father on the cheek, showing a rare side of open affection. Her guard was down tonight and it was quite refreshing for Mako, he didn't feel the need to bit his tongue every other word.

He glanced down when he felt her hand entwine with his arm and immediately tensed. Asami lead them around from couple to couple, she would toss back her glossy black hair and laugh at the appropriate time. She was very good at pretending to care as Mako had learned over the pass few months, but then again she had years of practice. There was finally a lull in the swarm of party goers and Mako was allowed a moment to finally breathe, Asami took this moment to fix her make up in a mirror repainting her already blood red lips even darker.

"You look really nice tonight." Mako offered while Asami merely turned to him and raised a perfectly shaped eyebrow. "N-not that you don't always look nice, but tonight you look really nice as well." Mako stuttered, mentally slapping himself for his awkward turtleduck ramblings. He sighed scratching the back of his neck wishing he had his scarf with him if not to hide behind then to at least strangle himself with.

"I'm going to meet with some more sponsors for The Fire Ferrets and talk to my father about the tournament again." She replied dismissively completely ignoring his earlier attempts at flattery. "I advise you do the same, just try and flash a smile or something and if that doesn't work - find Bolin." She told him before gathering the fabric of her dress in her hand and sashaying away towards the heart of the crowd.

Mako scanned the room of unfamiliar faces, he was tired of thanking irrelevant people for unneeded congratulations on his teams advancement in the probending tournament. Although he preferred talking about the tournament rather than the engagement itself, every time the light caught the gem on Asami's ring his gut clenched in the most uncomfortable way.

"Congratulations." A familiar voice called from over his shoulder. Mako spun around to see the leering eyes of Tenzin and his wife Pema standing before him. As if the night couldn't get worse, the one pair of eyes he was hoping to catch sight of were nowhere to be found.

"Thank you for coming, I hope you're enjoying yourselves." Mako replied as Tenzin and him bowed to one another respectively.

"Oh we welcome any time away from the kids we can get, especially before this one is due." Pema joked rubbing her stomach affectionately, her warm smile an attempt to sooth the ever present grimace on Tenzin's face.

"Have you seen- "

"Korra was feeling a little under the weather and decided to remain on the island this evening and practice her bending." Tenzin spoke evenly, but his eyes were saying more than that. Mako avoided his gaze before he could decipher if it was disgust, disappointment or distain reflected in them.

If only he had looked though he would have seen there was nothing more in there but an understanding, a sad resignation that there is more out in the world that just simply living one's live; their duty. Tenzin's was to his father and the nomad culture, to produce offspring's to continue to line of lineage. He was only lucky enough to have found love along the way, but not all are as fortunate. He understood the brave firebender in front of him better than most and it was a somber acceptance that he knew the turmoil he faced.

"Of course, if you'll excuse me I just need to get some fresh air." Mako spoke backing away fleeing towards to opening doors leading to a balcony outside away from the party. He needed a minute of peace to just collect his thoughts and remind himself that he's doing the right thing for everyone.

"Hiding?"

Mako's hands gripped the balcony railing at the accusation, he turned to see that Bolin had followed him out of the room. His face was flushed, no doubt from all the dancing he'd been partaking in. He always was the life of the party; any party.

"No, I just need a break from it all." Mako sighed looking up at the tree that bloomed before him, grabbing one of the fallen flowers and examining it in the moonlight.

"I still can't believe you're marrying her."

"Well, believe it."

"How can you just marry her?"

"Don't you understand, Bolin? We'll want for nothing." He explained with such conviction that if his brother didn't know him so well he'd almost believe smile that his lips had twisted into. He knew better though, he saw his tawdry quirks for what there truly were.

"Do you even love Asami?"

Mako's forced smile faltered as his hand instinctively closed crushing the flower in his fist. What an irony it was to be affronted with all the riches just beyond his fingertips at such a beautiful but solemn price. "Asami is brilliant, but love is a luxury I can't afford."

"What about Korra?" Bolin hissed exasperated. For all of his brother's bravado he sure was thick when it comes to matters of the heart.

"What about her?"

"Are you kidding me? I've never seen two people more perfect for one another." Bolin scoffed frowning at his brother's cavalier nature of the situation. He knew Mako to avoid his true feelings, but would he really go as far as completely destroying them all for the sake of financial comfort? Were they really that bad off?

"Don't be stupid Bolin, she's the Avatar. I'm just some city boy off the streets, even Asami is too good for me. I should be grateful for what I have."

"You're such an idiot."

"Yeah, the same idiot that's taken care of you your entire life and given up everything to make sure that you'd never have to make the same sacrifices. That I would never disappoint you." Mako spat, bitterness laced in his words.

"You love Korra, but you're going to throw it away and marry Asami." Bolin sighed rubbing his face, his eyes red and hurt etched on his features. "You've never disappointed me more."

The brothers remained at odds; both believing they had the others best interests at heart. Bolin couldn't stand anymore of his brother's masochism, he could destroy himself if that was his plan but he'd be damned if he hurt Korra in the process.

"You're right, you don't deserve her." Bolin growled properly miffed at his brother, before turning his back and storming into the party.

"I know." Mako agreed staring out at the ocean before him wishing that it could swallow him whole and end this mess that he created. Bolin would thank him later on of course, the next time he needed food, or a place to sleep. Bolin would have time for love, for all the things Mako could not and would never have and the resentment bubbled in the pit of his stomach and burned his eyes.

He took a deep breath before releasing the crushed flower from his palm into the water, watching as it floated down before sinking beneath the murky surface.