Title: The Long Night
Word Count: 1,163
Summary: ["You Fire Ferrets can't seem to keep a waterbender for long…" | Mako. Bolin. Korra.]
Uploading this and week 16 because I forgot to put them up here.
-.-
be-the-peaf · Prompt 015 – Fear
-.-
Even though she said she could handle herself, Mako still wanted to make sure Asami got home safely. After taking a cab to the Sato Mansion, to which he sheepishly tried to pay for the fare, only to have Asami cover what he couldn't. She says not to worry about it and then, giving him a kiss on the cheek, slips him enough money for the trip back to the arena. He stands in front of the cab, dumbfounded and dazed as she walks toward the manor, waving him goodbye and goodnight. The cab drive asks him if he still needs the ride and Mako slips into the back of the vehicle, his mind too filled with stars to pay attention to anything else.
The city passes by in a blur of light and sound and soon the cab pulls in front of the arena, slowly halting before the golden doors. Mako opens the cab doors, hands the money to the driver and heads inside, ready for an easy night's rest. He goes through the hallways of the gym, toward the attic when he sees Botaka standing idly outside one of the locker rooms. Botaka has his head down, his eyes fixed onto a thick wad of yuans in his hands. Smoothing the paper money with his fingers, he flips one of the sides, over and over again.
Then, he looks up at Mako and his face brightens into a wide smile.
"Ah, Mako! Good to see you!" he says, slapping a hard hand on Mako's back.
"Uhhh, it's good to see you too, but why are you-"
"Come, come! Come inside!" Botaka says, leading him to the lock room door. "There's plenty of room!"
Botaka pushes Mako through the doorway and he stumbles in, barely catching his feet on the ground and he looks up to a room full of probenders and staff, all huddled together and they all turn in on him, waiting. As if he has something important to say.
"What's going on?" he asks, taking a step forward. A thin looking guy from the Ba Sing Se's Badgermoles scoffs from his place on the back wall, shaking his head at Mako.
"He doesn't know a thing." The probender says, and a few of the men around him snicker and grin while others seem to avoid eye contact with Mako, facing away from him, like they were ashamed of something. Mako grits his brow together and his eyes scan the crowd, searching for a face.
"Where's Bolin? Toza?" he asks, raising his voice so it can be heard throughout the room. "What's happened?"
"Don't worry, it ain't them…" Tahno says from the middle of the room, standing up so he can be seen. He puts his hands into his pockets, and stands in a very coy fashion, his head tilted to one side.
"It's a shame, really," he continues, shifting his weight on the floor. "You Fire Ferrets can't seem to keep a waterbender for long…"
Mako's stomach drops to the floor and quickly walks to Tahno, taking his shirt in his hand, raising him into the air.
"What are you talking about?" he growls. He feels hands on his back and arm but Tahno lifts his hands and the hands stop in their place, clinging onto the fabric of his clothes. Then, he looks Mako right in the eyes.
"Put me down, Fire-Boy." He says, the words seething through his teeth, hot air in his face. Mako takes a deep, long breath and lowers Tahno to the floor. After brushing off his shirt, Tahno walks around the center of the group and over to a table placed in the middle. A radio stands solo on top the wood and he reaches around, slowly, and raises the volume. The room is filled with static and white noise.
"If you really want to know," he says, cranking the knob higher and higher. "Go ask your brother."
Mako leaves the room with a gust of wind trailing out the door. Nobody stops him.
-.-
He runs the rest of the way to the attic and bounds up the steps, throwing the door open so hard it hits the floor behind him with a loud bang. He doesn't shut it because his eyes are locked on his brother's back, sitting in silence across the room.
"Bolin!" Mako shouts, sliding on the floor as he stops next to him. "What happened? Where's Korra?"
Bolin remains silent, staring out the window into the bay. Then, after taking a few deep breaths, he speaks.
"Korra challenged Amon to a duel. Tonight." He says, his voice low, almost trembling as he speaks. "She's over on Avatar Aang's Island; waiting for him."
Mako steps backwards, stumbling over his feet as he slowly sits down on their couch. His mouth hangs open but no words come – he just stares down at the floor for a brief moment. Then, he looks to Aang's Island.
"Come on, Bolin." He stands up and grabs Bolin's arm, heaving him up. "We've got to get down there."
Bolin pulls against his grip. "Mako, we can't! There's reporters lined down the whole pier, and the police are keeping them away."
"Then we'll get a boat. Sneak around them." He says, walking to the door. "We have to do something."
"I know, Mako. Believe me, I tried." Bolin says. "I went down to the docks as soon as I heard from those guys-"
"Well then you didn't try hard enough!" Mako yells, twisting his body around, hands crushed into tight fists. Bolin jumps back, shocked by his outburst, and edges back to the windows. Away from Mako.
"Bro…"
Mako flusters, running his hand over his face, shifting around the room. Finally he sinks to the floor, head hung low in shame.
"I'm sorry, Bolin." he says, still facing the floor. "I know you tried. I'm sorry."
"I get it," Bolin sighs, slumping against the window. "It's just – what do we do?"
"What can we do?" Mako's brow furrows together, his eyes shut.
Bong! Bong! Bong!
They shoot open. Mako looks up.
Bong! Bong! Bong!
"What time was it starting?" he asks. "The duel?"
Bong! Bong! Bong!
"Midnight." Bolin answers.
Bong! Bong! Bong!
Mako stands up and takes a breath. He walks to Bolin's side at the windows.
"She'll-" Bolin begins, his voice caught in his throat as his brother approaches. "She'll be alright. Won't she?" he asks, almost begs Mako.
"Yeah." He says breathlessly. "Of course she will."
Both of the brother's eyes fix out the window, onto the statue and the island that seems too far away, just out of their reach. And as the clock ticks away on the island, they're eyes never leave. They're too afraid to look away, even for a second and they hope, they pray, to whatever spirit is out there, that she'll get through this. That she'll be alright.
The night will be long. Mako knows he won't be sleeping.
:Fin:
This didn't take the route I wanted it too. But I guess I like it. :/