I wrote this a while ago, so it isn't up to date with all the episodes that have aired. This is an AU story that takes place sometime after "Spirit of Competition."

Flying to the Heavens

Part One of Two

"Mako? Bolin? Hello?" Korra pushed the door open and peered inside. "Anyone home?"

There was no response.

Korra sighed as she took a step into the apartment. Despite wearing her thick parka, Korra felt the chill in the attic. It was a cold winter morning, the sun barely rising above the horizon. "Mako…? Bolin…?" she called out again, hoping that at least one of the brothers would be up. "Is anyone awake?"

Then she saw Mako hunched over a large trunk with a small flame in his hand. She recalled that same trunk serving as a makeshift dining table during the various occasions she had visited. When she looked at Mako, she saw that he was only wearing an old white shirt and tattered pants. His red scarf was nowhere in sight. Korra thought he was crazy. Even though she had lived nearly all of her life in the South Pole, she still thought that winter in Republic City was at least chilly.

"Hey," she quietly greeted as she approached the firebender.

Mako ignored her. Instead, he focused on the contents lying on top of the trunk.

"Mako?" Korra lit up her own flame and peered over his shoulders. In front of him was a pile of papers. Then she realized what the papers were. "Rent?"

"And the water bill… the electric bill… and the gas bill…" Mako muttered with a heavy sigh.

Korra leaned forward and scanned the papers. Her eyes narrowed in anger. "I don't know how much an apartment normally costs around here, but I do know that you're being ripped off!"

"Don't worry about it," Mako said. "It's not your problem. I'll find some way to deal with it. I always do." Ever since the Fire Ferrets started to win more matches, Butakha—the owner of Republic City's pro-bending arena—had decided to increase the rent on the attic space. With the low pay he received for his job at the power plant, Mako feared that he and Bolin would eventually have to find somewhere else to live.

Korra looked at him with concerned eyes. Then she remembered something. "Oh, I almost forgot." Korra reached into her back pocket and then handed him a wad of money. "It's not much, but it should help with the bills."

Mako glanced at the money in Korra's outstretched hand. Despite his financial situation, he didn't feel comfortable taking her money, especially after everything she had done for the Fire Ferrets. "I don't want it."

"I figured that you would say that," Korra grumbled as she put the money away. If Mako wasn't going to take it, then she was going to pick up some groceries for him and Bolin at the local market. Maybe some new coats too.

"So, what brings you here?" Mako asked in a curious tone. "Don't you have airbending training with Tenzin soon?"

"Tenzin has a meeting with the council, and I'm taking a break today. I figured that I should spend some time with you and Bolin. You know, team bonding and stuff?"

Mako couldn't help but think that was an excuse to spend time with him. It wasn't too long ago when she awkwardly confessed her feelings and kissed him. Mako smiled to himself. He liked the Avatar. Actually, he liked her a lot. But now wasn't the time. He had more pressing matters to worry about—like not getting evicted. "You do know that I have work today?"

Korra didn't say anything. Instead, she wrapped her arms around him and pressed her chest into his back. Mako's eyes briefly widened as Korra rested her head on his shoulder. Then he let himself relax in her arms, forgetting all his troubles for a moment. It was nice. Both he and Korra stayed in that position for a while.

"Mako, it's okay to ask for help," she whispered in his ear.

Mako didn't answer. He didn't need help. He didn't need someone to pity him. He could do this on his own. After all, he always figured things out.

Okay, focus. Separate the energies, yin and yang. Then guide the energies as they become one again.

Mako took a deep breath and moved his arms in a circular motion. Suddenly, lightning appeared from his fingertips and he maintained it for as long as he could. Although working at the power plant wasn't the ideal job, it did have a decent pay and the work wasn't that laborious.

Actually, scratch that. It sucked. The pay was lousy, the working conditions were questionable, the hours were long, and generating lightning was tedious. Mako hated working at the power plant. He would much rather be practicing for the upcoming pro-bending matches than work at this crappy job for blue-collar firebenders.

Then the whistle went off.

Finally, Mako thought to himself. He removed his mask and wiped the sweat from his brow. He was exhausted. After collecting his pay, he made his way towards the street. On the other side, the trolley was preparing to leave. This time, he made sure to look both ways before running across the street. He didn't want to be hit by another moped again. Unfortunately, the trolley left and Mako was without transportation. It would be another hour before the next one came. After weighing his options—whether to force his fatigued body to walk to the other side of the city, or to waste an hour of his life waiting for the trolley and have a frantic Bolin searching for him—Mako decided to walk back to the apartment.

On the way, something in a store's display window caught Mako's eye. It was a cerulean blue sundress with a flowy skirt that fell to the mannequin's knees. Despite how beautiful the dress looked, it was winter and Mako had no idea why a boutique would advertise a dress unsuitable for the wintery outdoors. Regardless, Mako couldn't help but imagine his waterbending teammate wearing the dress—indoors of course. Realizing how out of character he was acting, Mako shook his head. He never noticed those particular things until he met Korra. Mako knew that Korra wasn't the typical girly girl, but at least the gesture would seem nice. Plus, he wanted to see her in something else other than her typical baggy pants.

Hopefully Korra won't burn it to ashes.

Then he hesitated before stepping into the shop. There was no way that he would be able to purchase the dress and pay the bills. Reluctantly, he stepped back and continued on his way.

"He's being a stubborn idiot again."

"Who?"

"Your brother."

"Ah…" Bolin nodded in understanding. "What did he do this time?"

Korra slurped some of her noodles. "He was being stupid."

Bolin raised an eyebrow before inhaling the rest of his lunch. "Oh, okay…" he began after swallowing. "Do you plan to go into detail, or are you going to leave me guessing?"

Korra let out a loud sigh. "Why do stupid boys always do this to themselves?" she muttered in an exasperated voice. "Why do they think that they can carry the weight of the world on their own shoulders? I'm the one who's supposed to do that! I'm the damn Avatar, and even I still have to ask for help!"

Bolin blinked. "Okay, I'm still lost here. What's going on?"

"He won't accept the money I wanted to give him," Korra quickly answered while chewing on her food.

"Korra, you don't have to do that. You've already done so much for us. Without you…"

"I know… but still! I mean, it would make his life so much easier. And maybe he won't have to work extra shifts at the power plant and be crankier than usual."

Bolin nodded in agreement. "Yeah, he's rarely at home anymore, and he's been skipping practice. His firebending is getting a bit rusty. He'll be useless the next time we play."

"Unless they change the rules to allow lightning in pro-bending matches…" Korra mumbled.

"Yeah, but lightning wouldn't be fair for earthbenders or waterbenders; unless you, as a firebender, know how to redirect lightning... Anyways, if Mako keeps this up, the Fire Ferrets might need to look for a new firebender," Bolin said jokingly. "Or they could change the rules to allow the Avatar to bend more than one element… Even without Mako, I bet you and I could still dominate." Instead of seeing the smile Bolin expected, he saw Korra turn her head to the side and absently gaze at the wall. "Korra," he softly called out. "Are you alright?"

"The Fire Ferrets might need to look for a new waterbender."

Bolin blinked in surprise. "Why?" he asked.

"I'm leaving soon."

"Wait, what?"

"I'm going back to the South Pole." She had a guilty expression on her face. "I miss home. I miss my parents." Korra took Bolin's silence as a sign to continue. "When I was growing up, I never spent much time with them. I was always working on my bending, whether I wanted to or not. I already told Mako about this. I'm surprised that he didn't tell you."

By the time she finished, Bolin had a weepy look on his face; although, he couldn't remember what it was like to have parents and a place to call home. After all, he and his brother spent most of their childhood moving from different orphanages before living on the streets. "It must have been hard for you," Bolin said. Despite the luxury of financial stability, he couldn't imagine living without Mako—the only family he had left. Bolin would rather be dirt-poor as long as he had Mako.

Korra shrugged nonchalantly. "It wasn't that bad. My waterbending teacher, Katara, was awesome." Korra paused. "I miss her too."

"Are you coming back?"

"Yeah, I'll come back. Maybe after a week… or two…"

Bolin sighed. He didn't like the idea of losing a teammate. "Have you told Mako yet?"

Korra cringed at the thought of an angry firebender shooting lightning at her. "Uh, no… I was hoping you would do that for me. Please?"

"No way!" Bolin held his hands in front of him. "You're the one who's leaving. You tell him."

"B-But…" Korra pouted, hoping to convince him with her seemingly innocent face.

It didn't have the effect Korra wanted. Instead of gushing at her adorableness, Bolin simply lifted an eyebrow. "That won't work on me anymore—especially since you convinced me to dye Mako's underwear pink."

"Now that was hilarious!" Korra exclaimed, briefly switching topics.

There was a long pause between the two pro-bending teammates. It was an awkward pause. Normally, Bolin would start talking about an upcoming match and Korra would excitedly, and loudly, proclaim that the Fire Ferrets would annihilate their opponents. It wouldn't be a surprise for anyone. After all, the Fire Ferrets had done extraordinarily well for a rookie team.

"So… anything interesting going on?" Korra asked, attempting to lift the heavy atmosphere.

"Well…" Bolin began, "I just found out that my former crush—also the only person able to wield all four elements—is going back to the South Pole; and I'm trying to figure out how to tell this to my brother—a firebender who happens to know how to bend lightning—without getting fried or brunt to a crisp."

Korra stared hard at the floor. "I'm sorry."

"It's okay," Bolin attempted to comfort her. "You should see your parents and Katara. I'm sure they miss you."

Korra wasn't convinced. As much as she wanted to go back to the South Pole, she didn't want to leave Mako and Bolin. Also, Amon and his Equalists were still on the loose. "So… on a scale of one to ten, how mad do you think Mako will be when he finds out?" Korra nervously asked.

"Eleven."

"Oh, come on! He can't be that mad."

"Okay, twelve then."

"Argh!"

"He might even shoot lightning at you," Bolin added in a voice that sounded far too casual for Korra's liking. "We might need to look for the next Avatar soon."

"I give up!" Korra quickly stood. "Come on. We still have a lot of shopping to do."

Mako awoke from his spot on the couch when Korra and Bolin barged into the apartment. Already, he could feel the inevitable migraine appearing—an unfortunate symptom that resulted from overexposure to crazy Avatars.

"Hey Mako!" Bolin happily greeted as he placed a large brown bag in front of his brother. "Look at what we got!" The young earthbender pulled out a week's worth of groceries.

Korra, Mako thought. He turned to look at the Avatar, angry that she had felt sorry for them. He was ready to yell at her, but then he saw the sheepish smile on her face. Mako immediately felt guilty. He knew that she only wanted to help out, and he didn't want to seem ungrateful, especially since Bolin was so happy at the moment. "Thank you," he quietly said.

Korra grinned. "Don't thank me. It was mostly Tenzin's money."

"Umm… Korra?" Bolin nervously walked over. "Aren't you going to tell him?"

Mako raised an eyebrow. "Tell me what?"

"Uh…" Korra uneasily avoided looking into Mako's curious eyes. "I-I… I'm going back home for a while." The worried Avatar slowly inched her way towards the open window, prepared to dodge any incoming fireballs or lightning bolts.

"Okay."

"Okay?" Korra was surprised. Bolin too had a shocked expression on his face. They both didn't expect him to let her go so easily. They knew how much pro-bending meant to Mako. "Really?" Korra asked.

Mako looked at her with a blank expression. "Yeah, I'm fine with it. How long will you be gone?"

"Uh, a week or two," she repeated what she had told Bolin. She mentally prepared herself, ready in case Mako decided to kick her off the team. She wasn't sure if she could handle the idea of being replaced like the waterbender before her.

Like Hasook…

"Then it looks like the Fire Ferrets won't be playing until you get back." If the Fire Ferrets weren't going to play, then they won't earn the extra money from their winnings—meaning that Mako would be working extra shifts at the power plant. This prospect thrilled him.

"You're not going to look for a replacement waterbender?" Korra asked.

Mako stood and placed a comforting hand on her shoulder. "Korra, you're a valuable member of the team. No one can replace you."

"Then how did I replace your old waterbender so easily?"

Bolin stepped forward. "That's because he walked out on us. And you're a much better waterbender than he is." He gave Korra a reassuring hug. "Unfortunately for you, you're stuck with us even when we're old and grey," he playfully said. "And yes, I do plan on pro-bending when I'm eighty years old."

Mako watched as Korra let out a laugh. He couldn't help it when the corners of his mouth twitched upwards. But that smile turned into a frown when Korra tossed him a thick black coat. "Here, this will keep you warm. I don't want you to die from pneumonia while I'm gone." While Mako was examining the article of clothing, she handed Bolin the other coat in her arms.

"How much was this?" Mako asked with narrowed eyes.

Korra gave him an irritated look. "Mako, just shut up and take the damn coat."

The firebender was about to protest, but he decided that it was best not to upset Korra.

That night, Korra stayed over and had dinner with the brothers. When it got late, Bolin insisted that she spend the night with them. "You still can't airbend and you don't have a flying bison," he explained, "And we're not letting you swim in the bay tonight! I don't care if you're a waterbender! It's freezing out there!"

Korra pursed her lips. "Well, I did tell Tenzin that I was going out with you and that I probably wouldn't come home until late tonight… or tomorrow morning," she quickly added.

Mako raised an eyebrow at what she said, but didn't press the matter.

"Yes!" Bolin happily shouted. "Then he won't mind if you stay with us tonight!"

"But I don't want to be a burden," Korra muttered as she thought it over. "I could stay in a local hotel instead."

Bolin made an annoyed face. "But you're leaving soon. And we're going to miss you." With that said, the brothers' fire ferret suddenly scurried up Korra's arm, making itself comfortable around her neck. "See? Pabu is going to miss you too."

Korra wasn't sure if Bolin was right about Pabu, or if the fire ferret was just looking for a source of heat. "Okay, you convinced me," she said as she stroked Pabu's head. Korra was actually a bit excited. Excluding her time with Tenzin's daughters, this would technically be her first sleepover. "So how is this going to work out? The sleeping arrangements…?"

"You can take my bed and I'll sleep on the couch," Bolin immediately offered.

"No," Mako interrupted. The other two benders turned their attention to him. "Korra can take my bed and I'll sleep on the couch." He knew how uncomfortable the couch could be.

"Uh, okay," Korra agreed. "I need to pee. Where's the bathroom."

Mako quickly gave her directions and watched her climb down the steps and out the door. When he was sure that she was out of earshot, he turned to his brother. "Bolin, is this a good idea?"

"Uh, yeah. It's better than sending her out into the cold."

"No, I mean…"

Bolin gave Mako a reassuring smile. "Don't worry. It won't be like that time…" Bolin said, referring to when the two brothers fought over Korra. "Bros before…"

Mako's eyes shot at Bolin, daring him to finish that sentence.

"Eh, bros before… uh, girls…?"

"Yeah, bros before girls."

"Mako!"

The said firebender groaned and turned over to his side, trying to find a comfortable position on the lumpy, old furniture. He was wondering why he was hearing Korra's voice in his dream.

"Mako, are you awake?"

Maybe it wasn't a dream. Mako turned his head to the source of the annoyance. His heavy eyelids fluttered open. "Now I am," he said in an annoyed tone.

"Good! Now move over!" Korra whispered as she crawled underneath the covers and hugged the warm firebender. "Good night," she casually said with a happy smile.

"Korra," Mako growled, "What are you doing?"

"I'm trying to sleep," she replied as she wrapped her arms tighter around his torso. "Now be quiet."

"You have a bed," Mako mumbled. "Go sleep there."

"It's cold," she whined.

Mako let out an annoyed sigh. "Shouldn't you be used to the cold? Especially living in the South Pole and all?"

Korra raised her head and sent him an unamused glare. "Just because I'm used to it, it doesn't mean that I like it."

"Oh." Mako looked up at the girl lying on top of him. He noticed that her hair was down. It made her look more feminine. Then his face reddened. For a teenage girl, she was really pretty. A lot prettier than most of the girls he had seen. "This is really awkward for me…" he began.

"Really? Why should this be awkward? I like you and I know that you like me."

Mako was about to retort, but then he remembered what she had told him about her childhood. He figured that living in a compound for most of her life must have made her socially inept, and a bit crazy. Also, he didn't exactly mind that she was touching him—or rather cuddling with him—except that her weight was crushing his body. "Korra, I don't think this couch is big enough for the two of us."

"Deal with it."

Mako sighed for the umpteenth time that night. When he shifted to the side, his eyes widened when he felt something strange. Immediately, he lit a small flame in his hand and peered under the covers. "Korra, is that my…?"

"Yep," she replied in a satisfied voice.

"And my…?"

"Yep."

"Usually when you want to borrow something from someone, you're supposed to ask permission first… especially since the things you're burrowing happen to be my shirt and my boxers."

Korra shrugged. "You would have said yes. I just didn't want to wake you up."

He groaned. "Well, you had no problem waking me up just now."

"Hmm…"

Mako felt very uncomfortable at the moment. Physically. Her knee was digging into his thigh and her arms squeezed him too tightly. He remembered what it was like when Asami would hug him. She was gentle whenever she leaned onto him, gingerly placing her hands on his chest. Of course that relationship didn't last as long as Mako or Asami would have liked.

"If you're not sleeping in my bed, then I'm taking it back." With a powerful shove, Mako managed to push the young Avatar off his body. Then he walked away, taking the blanket along with him.

"Mako, wait!" Korra cried out. "And give me the damn blanket! I'm cold!"

"Deal with it!" he replied, stealing her trademark phrase.

"Ooh!" Korra glared at Mako as he wrapped the blanket around his body. She was sure that he was only doing that only to frustrate her further. Then she got up and followed Mako. Korra silently fumed when she saw him already comfortable in his bed. "Scoot over," she mumbled as she climbed in.

Instead of telling her to leave him alone, Mako lifted an arm up and, despite the awkwardness, pulled her shivering body close to his. "Feel better?" he asked.

Korra didn't speak but nodded into his chest. Then she glanced up at Mako's face. His eyes were closed, but she knew that he wasn't asleep. "They say that air is the element of freedom," she whispered.

Mako's eyes slowly opened. "Yeah?"

"Maybe that's why I haven't been able to airbend…" Korra trailed off. "Maybe it's because I haven't truly felt free."

Mako didn't say anything.

"Look at the sky bison," Korra continued. "They're free to go wherever they want. There are no boundaries to stop them. If there's a sea of lava, they could fly over it. With the rest of the other non-flying animals, they're trapped where they are. If you look at it figuratively, normal people are like the sky bison. They can do whatever they want, whenever they want, and wherever they want. With me, I'm trapped being the Avatar. To be burdened doing my Avatar duties whatever, whenever, and wherever the people want in this life… and in the next one. I'm the poor polar bear dog forever trapped on a tiny island surrounded by lava—and polar bear dogs can't bend lava. Do you get what I'm saying?"

"Actually you might be able to bend lava, since you can bend both earth and fire."

"Not the point."

Mako heaved a sigh. "I think that you're talking too much. You'll airbend soon. Your past lives were able to do it. Now go to sleep."

Korra frowned, but she forcibly closed her eyes. Moments later, she was asleep. Unfortunately for Mako, he couldn't sleep especially after hearing what Korra had said.

She's not the only polar bear dog trapped on a tiny island, he thought to himself.

"If you need anything, don't be afraid to contact Tenzin. And I'm serious about this." She directed her last sentence to a certain firebender.

Mako rolled his eyes exaggeratedly. "Alright, I will."

"Don't worry!" Bolin happily chirped. "If—or when—Mako ends up working himself to death, can I live with your airbender foster family?" he asked in a joking manner.

"Of course, Bolin!"

"Gee Bo, I doubt they'll accept you once they find out the amount of food you're capable of consuming," Mako muttered, his tone dripping with menace.

Ignoring his brother's comment, Bolin rushed forward and embraced Korra. She returned the gesture enthusiastically with a bone crushing hug, managing to lift the muscular teenager off the ground for a good minute or two. "I'll miss you, Bolin," she quietly said.

Bolin pulled away but placed his hands on her shoulders. "I'll miss you too, Korra. Now if there's anyone who gives you trouble in the South Pole, let me know. I'll rush over there and beat the shit—"

"Language!" Mako cut in, narrowing his amber eyes in a scolding manner.

"Uh… what I meant was that I will engage the sorry bastard in a duel, where I will proceed to use my superior strength to thrash the idiot until the whimpering bloke begs for forgiveness." Bolin turned to Mako for approval.

"That sounded better," Mako admitted, "…and more sophisticated."

Korra laughed. Amusement danced in her eyes. "Thanks. And if any girl gives you trouble, I'll beat the shit—"

"Language, Korra!" Mako interrupted again.

"Sorry," Korra mumbled. She turned back to Bolin. "As I was saying, I'll beat the crap out of any girl who gives you trouble!" she exclaimed.

"So, you're going to beat yourself up?" Mako asked in a teasing tone, referring to the time when Korra had caused Bolin much grief.

"Can it, Firebender Boy!" Korra snapped. That was still a sensitive topic for her.

Bolin chuckled. "Don't worry about it, Korra. We're all past that now. Right, Mako?" he aimed the question at his brother.

"Yeah, yeah… I'm sorry. I was just kidding around. Anyways, can I have a moment with Korra?"

Bolin looked at Korra and back at his brother, deeming it safe to leave the two alone. "Uh, sure… I'm going to check on Naga and Pabu."

Korra watched as the younger brother ran off before turning to the older one. "So, what do you need to talk about?"

"Uh…" Mako awkwardly averted his eyes from her curious gaze. "I just wanted to say good luck and come back soon."

Korra smirked as she raised an eyebrow. "Is that all? You could have said that without sending Bolin off."

"Hey, this is… difficult for me."

The young Avatar grinned. "Oh, come on. It's not that hard. Just say that you're going to miss me."

"I… I'm going to miss you," he managed to say. His cheeks suddenly flushed red with embarrassment.

"See? That wasn't so hard."

Her damn smirk infuriated him… and he was going to miss that. "Here." He took off his red scarf and wrapped it around her neck. "Uh, I hear that it's cold in the South Pole. This should keep you warm." And safe…

Korra rolled her eyes. "Of course it's cold, genius." She felt the soft scarf around her neck with her hand. "But thank you."

"So, I'll see you later?"

"Yeah, I'll see you."

He wanted to say something more, but quickly stopped himself. "Well, I guess this is goodbye."

Korra shyly turned away. "Yeah, I guess it is." She looked disappointed.

Mako didn't say anything as she turned around to make her way onto the large ship. From the corner of his eye, he could see Naga trotting towards him with Bolin in tow. Mako realized that he had to do something fast. He needed to show her how he felt.

"Hey!" Korra cried out when Mako suddenly caught her arm and spun her around. "Mako, what are you doing?"

He answered her question by pressing his lips on hers. Last time, she was the one who rushed into the kiss. This time, he was the impulsive one. After a good twenty seconds, the two slowly pulled apart.

Korra quickly looked away in embarrassment. "Wow…" she managed to say. Her cheeks were bright pink.

Feeling a burst of confidence, Mako smiled and leaned his forehead against hers. "Yeah… wow."

Korra giggled and lifted her chin, her nose touching his. "So, you like me and I like you… We kissed, twice actually. Does that mean we can… you know?"

"…"

Korra pouted in quiet frustration. "This is really awkward. And you're not helping."

"We'll figure it out when you get back," Mako suggested. "And we'll continue our talk about airbending and flying sky bison," he added.

Korra let out a sigh of relief. "That sounds like a good plan."

"Yeah."

Korra started to fidget. "Uh, I'll see you soon."

"Yeah. Soon."

Korra gave him a small smile before walking onto the ship, and her giant polar bear dog followed.

Bolin suddenly appeared beside Mako and waved his arms at the ship. "Have a nice trip, Korra! We'll miss you!" Then he turned to Mako with an angry look. "Bro, you just kissed Korra! Again!" Disapproval was written all over the earthbender's face.

Mako's eyes widened in surprise. "I thought you said that you were over her—"

"Y-You… How could you?" Bolin interrupted. His exaggerated sobs continued. "You traitor! Didn't you learn the first time?"

"Bolin, I'm so sorry. I'll make it up to you somehow. How about I pick up your favorite dumplings for dinner?"

"You think dumplings are going to fix my betrayed heart?" Bolin exclaimed as he grabbed his brother's shirt.

Ashamed, Mako averted his eyes to the ground. "No… and I'm sorry, Bolin."

Then Bolin burst out laughing as he slapped Mako's back. "Nah, it's cool. I was just messing with you. But I still want those dumplings."

Mako glared at his brother, angry and relieved at the same time. Then he looked back at the water and saw the ship disappearing beyond the horizon. Mako realized that without Korra, things would go back to the way they were. There would be no more fighting chi blockers on the streets or dealing with a certain shady politician. Instead, it would just be him and Bolin again. Maybe with her gone, he could finally have some peace and quiet in his life.

It was too quiet and peaceful for Mako's liking. He missed the chaos. He was waiting for Korra to burst into the apartment at any moment, demanding that he and Bolin go explore the city with her. Instead, he was glaring at a fruit basket—one of the many Tenzin's family had sent over. Mako couldn't help but feel annoyed. Did they think that he was incapable of caring for him and his brother? He had been doing it for the last ten years.

"Wow!" Bolin exclaimed in delight. "I've never seen so many fruit baskets in my life! They must really like us!"

Mako rolled his eyes. "Yeah, sure," he said as he prepared to leave. "Make sure you study tonight. The University is having an entrance exam in two months. If you get accepted, you can get an education and have a better life."

"Yeah, yeah… I know," Bolin said as he pulled out a textbook he borrowed from the library. "But I'm having trouble understanding this concept."

Mako's eyebrows furrowed as he glanced at the page Bolin was pointing at. Despite Mako's limited education, he still managed to teach Bolin to read and write. Aside from basic math, Mako felt useless when it came to helping Bolin with his studies. "Go to the library tomorrow," he said, "Maybe someone will help you."

Bolin frowned. "Let's say I get accepted… Do you have any idea how much the tuition is?"

"It doesn't matter. Money is of no concern when it comes to your education."

"But Mako—"

"Bolin, you can become something better than I'll ever be. Just study hard and you'll be fine."

"What about pro-bending?" Bolin asked in a quiet voice. "I can make a living from that."

"You can't pro-bend forever! What if you get an injury? What if…" Mako stopped himself. "What if you lose your bending?" he asked in a soft voice.

Bolin winced at Mako's words, remembering the incident with Amon.

"Look, it's okay to focus on pro-bending, b-but…" Mako struggled to find the right words, "…but you need to have a backup plan in case you can't pro-bend anymore. I… I don't want you to end up on the streets again."

"And I don't want you to suffer anymore," Bolin replied.

Mako didn't say anything. Instead, he made his way towards the exit.

"Hey, where are you going?" Bolin called out.

"To work."

Bolin glanced outside the windows. It was nighttime. "But it's eight o'clock. And you've been working all day. Don't you think you should take a break? I mean, we have plenty of food here."

Mako turned to his brother. "Fruit baskets aren't going to pay the bills."

Bolin narrowed his eyes in suspicion. Then realization hit him. "Aw man! Did rent increase again?"

"Don't worry about it, Bolin."

Bolin wasn't satisfied with that answer. "Rent did increased," he stated as a matter of fact. "Look Mako, I can get a job in construction as an earthbender. It'll help—"

"I told you not to worry about it!" Mako said in a voice that sounded angrier than he intended. Upon seeing Bolin's downcast eyes, he immediately regretted using his harsh tone. "Finish up studying and go to bed soon. I'll be back in the morning."

"Mako," Bolin began, "I'm really worried about you."

"I'm fine. Don't worry about me."

"It's been two weeks already. When is Korra coming back?" an irritated Mako asked.

"Just be patient."

"Do you think anything happened to her?"

"I'm sure that she's fine," Bolin replied. While he was getting annoyed with his brother's nonstop questions about Korra's wellbeing, Bolin was happy that he had managed to convince Mako to join him at Narook's. "Aren't these noodles the best?" Bolin asked before inhaling another bowl.

Mako watched as the empty bowls began piling up on Bolin's end and mentally calculated how many hours of work at the power plant would be equivalent to a night at Narook's with Bolin. "I'm still worried about her," Mako said as he absently moved his food away.

"Me too," replied Bolin as he placed his chopsticks down. "But right now, I'm more worried about you."

Mako scoffed. "There's no need to worry about me."

Bolin gave his brother a serious look. Ever since Korra had left, Mako's unhealthy habits got worse. "You've been working too much. You've lost weight, and you're barely getting more than four hours of sleep a night. You're a wreck!" he pointed out.

Mako didn't answer. Instead he poked his noodles with a chopstick.

"If you would just let me take that job—"

"We've had this discussion," Mako cut in. "I don't want you dealing with this kind of stuff especially when the entrance exam is coming up. You need to focus on studying. If you get admitted—"

"I know!" Bolin slammed his fists on the table, nearly knocking over the bowls. "You've told me so many times already!"

Mako ignored Bolin's outburst. "If you score high enough, you could get a scholarship. If not, I'll find some way to pay for the tuition."

Bolin was silent. He figured that it was futile to continue arguing, and he didn't want to risk having Mako burn down the establishment. Instead, he channeled his anger in glaring at his brother. If Bolin was a firebender, Mako would have combusted a thousand times over.

"Hey Bo, have you ever imagined yourself being a sky bison?"

"Why would I imagine myself as a sky bison?" Bolin asked bitterly, still upset over the argument.

"Well, the sky bison are animals that can airbend, so they can go anywhere… whenever they want. They're free."

"Right… and we can totally do that too," Bolin replied. "If we have the right transportation and all," he added.

Mako continued, "Yeah, but what if you're on an island surrounded by lava. If you're a sky bison, you could fly away. If you're a polar bear dog…"

"Then you're screwed," Bolin finished for him. It didn't take a genius to come to that conclusion.

"Exactly… And right now, I feel like a polar bear dog."

Bolin gave his brother a concerned look. "Mako, why are you talking about polar bear dogs?"

Mako shrugged. "I don't know. It's just something Korra said to me before she left." He sighed as he pushed his unfinished bowl towards Bolin. "Wouldn't it be awesome if you could fly up to the heavens?"

Bolin stopped in mid slurp. "Okay, Mako… I think the sleep deprivation is starting to get to you." Suddenly, Bolin's eyes widened. "Uh oh…"

Mako raised an eyebrow. "What's wrong?"

Tahno, Bolin mouthed.

Mako turned his head to see a certain waterbender approach the table. "Great," he muttered with disdain.

"Well, well, well…" Tahno began as he sneered at the brothers. He briefly observed the surroundings, looking for the missing Avatar. "Now where's the other one…?"

Bolin and Mako ignored him.

"So that's why the Fire Ferrets haven't been playing." Then Tahno let out a laugh. "Don't tell me that your waterbender walked out on you guys again? Pity…" He waited for a response. Getting none, Tahno sat down in the chair next to Mako. Smirking as he placed his elbows on the table, Tahno continued. "Although… I've always wondered how you two managed to get the Uh-vatar to join your pathetic little team. She's way out of your league."

Again, the brothers didn't respond.

Tahno raised an amused eyebrow as he glanced at the brothers. "So, you're giving me the silent treatment? That's fine."

"Tahno, just leave," Bolin said in a small voice, wishing that Naga was nearby to scare off the nasty waterbender.

"Why? You two looked so miserable. I'm here to cheer you up." Tahno answered with false generosity. "…Especially since you're missing a teammate."

"Leave," Mako growled, his eyes narrowing into thin slits.

Tahno placed a hand under his chin as if he was thinking it over. "Uh… no. Anyways, since your waterbender is missing, do you think I can get her to join the Wolfbats? She seems to be a pretty good firebender." He smiled at Mako, daring him to speak. "I wonder what would happen if you have to go up against her in a tiebreaker."

Mako clenched his fists.

"Mako, calm down," Bolin warned. "He's just trying to provoke you."

Even though Mako wasn't as hotheaded as Korra, it didn't mean that he didn't have his own episodes of fiery temper tantrums.

"For such a young girl, she sure has an amazing rack…" Tahno drawled. "I could stare at it all day."

Bolin panicked as he watched Mako tremble from rage.

"And she's so feisty. Imagine how amazing she would be in bed…" the Wolfbat spoke in a low tone.

Mako looked as if he was going to be sick.

"…extremely flexible…" Tahno continued his musings. "I wonder how far I can bend her…"

Much to Bolin's dismay, flames flared from Mako's nostrils. If Tahno continued, Bolin feared that he would not be able to restrain Mako from setting the entire restaurant on fire. Then Tahno leaned towards Mako's ear and whispered the cruder things he intended to do to Korra… all in graphic detail. Unfortunately, Bolin was close enough to hear.

"…tie her up and then…"

Mako took a deep breath, struggling to contain his rage. He swore to himself that he would never let that freak get within a hundred feet near Korra.

"And then I would…" Tahno stopped, pretending to finally take notice of Mako's anger. "Hmm…? Someone's getting upset."

Tahno was quickly silenced when a fist collided with his face.

But Mako wasn't the one who hit him.

"One count of public disturbance, one count of extensive property damage, one count of aggravated assault…" Chief Beifong paused, "…and one count of attempted murder. I see that the young Avatar has been a bad influence on you."

"It was provoked!" a handcuffed Bolin protested while Mako groaned and rubbed his forehead. At that moment, Mako wished he had his brother's ability to earthbend, so he could dig up a hole and hide in it for the rest of his pitiful existence.

"It may have been provoked, but crass comments about the Avatar do not warrant an arrest," the chief of police calmly replied, crossing her arms and looking down at the seated earthbender. "However, fracturing someone's skull with a boulder does."

"But he was saying horrible things about Korra!" Bolin yelled. "It was sexual harassment!"

"Only if the Avatar was present at the scene… then Korra would be able to press charges," she explained in a bored voice. "The prohibition of lewd comments, no matter how vulgar they are, would be a violation of a citizen's right to freedom of speech."

"But she's the Avatar!"

"And is she entitled to special treatment because of that?" Chief Beifong asked. That was a rhetorical question, of course.

"Yes, she is entitled to special treatment! Not only did Tahno make crass comments about Korra, he also made crass comments about Avatar Aang!" Bolin retorted.

"Oh?" The chief raised a curious eyebrow as she inclined her head slightly. "I don't recall hearing about that in any of the eyewitnesses' accounts."

"W-Well, Korra technically—or spiritually—is Avatar Aang, so Tahno not only sexually harassed Korra… he also sexually harassed Avatar Aang and all the other Avatars that came before him," Bolin stammered.

Mako blinked and then groaned, slapping his forehead in exasperation. He was so mortified to the point where he would be willing to give up his bending—and his precious scarf, if he had it at the moment—in order for him and Bolin to be back in their apartment and away from this mess.

"An unconvincing argument… but it does make sense in a way," Chief Beifong considered, titling her head in deep thought.

Bolin's face lit up.

"However, it doesn't matter because you broke four laws tonight," she said, holding up the same number of digits. "You'll be spending the night in a jail cell."

Bolin's mouth dropped. "B-But…"

"Though I guess I could drop the charges," offered the chief.

"Really?" Bolin asked.

Chief Beifong had an uncharacteristic smirk on her face, almost as if the brothers' obvious discomfort amused her. That frightening smirk sent shivers down the their spines. "While I'm not particularly fond of the current Avatar, I don't appreciate it when someone talks about having Avatar Aang bent over a table and with—"

"Please don't continue," Mako begged as he forced down the bile that threatened to overspill into his mouth. He didn't need to have that image in his head.

Chief Beifong simply shrugged and waved a hand, causing Bolin's handcuffs to drop to the ground. "Get out of here before I change my mind."

"I'm sorry for causing all this trouble, Chief," Bolin said as he stood up and bowed in front of her. "Thank you."

Mako gave the chief a shocked look. "Wait, you're seriously letting my brother go?"

"I'm not afraid to break a few rules here and there," she answered casually as she watched her officers prepare to leave.

Mako could have sworn that he saw a mischievous glint in her green eyes.

The chief turned back to Bolin with a somewhat frightening, yet peculiar, frown that looked like upside-down smile. "Way to show some backbone, kid…" she said in a slightly impressed voice. "…unlike your sissy brother."

Mako frowned at her sharp and unnecessary cruel words. He was not a sissy. However, if the chief was letting his brother go, then he wasn't going to complain.

Then the chief's eyes suddenly narrowed. "Where is the Avatar? She's not off damaging property again, is she?" she asked, surveying the brothers.

"Nope," Bolin answered. "She's not earthbending the streets or burning down any buildings here. However, she could be earthbending streets or burning buildings in the South Pole since she's visiting home."

It almost looked as if Chief Beifong was disappointed, though she would never admit that the rambunctious Avatar was growing on her. Like a mosquito on a cow hippo, thought Chief Beifong. "Just be sure that you monitor her when she gets back."

"Don't worry. When Korra gets back, my big brother and I will personally make sure that the teenage Avatar will not wantonly—or intentionally—deface city property, or flagrantly disobey the law in her vigilante schemes to take down Amon and his Equalists," Bolin deadpanned before breaking into a large grin.

Chief Beifong frowned, uncertain whether the young earthbender would be able to keep his promise. She turned to Mako. "And make sure that your brother does not engage in any… violent crimes. I don't want to waste my officers' precious time to arrest him."

Mako nodded stiffly before grabbing Bolin and taking off. The two raced down the streets, laughing along the way. After all, they just faced down probably the scariest woman in the entire city and managed to get away unscathed.

"Hey Mako?"

"Yeah?"

"Chief Beifong is so cool!"

The second a wild—and somewhat insane—Avatar came flying through the attic's window was the very same second Mako knew that he was in for one heck of a night. Without a word, that same Avatar grabbed Mako and pulled him out of his comfortable bed.

"Korra!" Mako hissed as the crazy girl dragged him across the room with her superior strength. "What are you—Oh no…"

An almost sinister grin appeared on Korra's features upon seeing Mako's horrified face. "Oh, yes!"

"No, Korra! I don't want to jump outside the window and fall to my death!" he yelled, hoping that his brother would wake and rescue him from whatever mischief the Avatar had in mind.

Korra laughed. "Relax. We're just going out for a swim."

"A swim?" Mako paled drastically. "NO!"

"Just chill, City Boy. I won't let you drown." She smiled at him, like a predator cornering its prey.

"That wasn't what I meant! It just so happens to be four in the morning, and I have to be at work in exactly three hours!"

Korra didn't respond. Instead, she chucked him outside with relative ease.

"KORRA! I'M GOING TO KILL YOU!" Of course, Mako didn't mean it. Sometimes being thrown outside a tall building and sent plummeting to your death could make you say a lot of things you don't mean.

After exercising the foulest words he knew in the most creative combinations, Mako found himself getting closer to the concrete ground. In a futile attempt to save his sorry ass, Mako raised his arms to generate some flames in hopes of slowing his descent. Before the fire shot out, he found himself enveloped in a bubble of salt water before sinking deep into the frigid bay.

That damn idiot! Mako thought to himself as he swam up to the surface. Sputtering curses, his eyes scanned the water for Korra. Now where is she?

"I learned some interesting words and phrases just now," came her jovial voice. Mako turned his head and saw Korra swimming towards him with a grin that was far too happy for his liking. Then he saw that she was still wearing his scarf.

"You… You just threw me out of a window," Mako stated, as if she didn't remember the last minute.

"Wasn't it fun?" She then laughed.

Mako silently fumed. She even had the nerve to laugh at their current predicament. "What? Falling out of a window? Sure, that was a blast." Mako deadpanned.

"But didn't it feel like you were flying?" Korra asked as she waved her arms animatedly.

"No, it felt like I was falling. Falling to my death!" he shouted. At that moment, Mako considered the prospect of surrendering Korra to Chief Beifong under the charge of attempted murder. If he was lucky, the chief might also charge her for disturbing the peace—Mako's peace, to be exact. He would just have to conveniently leave out the part where she waterbended him into the bay.

"Eh, you can swim, right?"

Mako rolled his eyes. "Nooo… I'm currently drowning in Yue Bay, waiting for someone to come and save me," he muttered sarcastically.

Korra blinked at him.

"Of course I can swim!" he suddenly yelled, splashing her as he thrashed his arms. If he was in his right of mind, he probably would have known better than to piss off Korra in her natural element. She could drown him right then and there, and he wouldn't be able to do anything about it. "You are so immature!"

Korra pouted before lunging at him. However instead of tackling him, she planted her lips firmly on his. "Feel better," she asked after pulling away.

"Y-You're…" Mako shook his head. "Don't think that a kiss will excuse this behavior from you!"

Korra gave him a mischievous smirk in response. It was as if her trip back to the South Pole had recharged her. Now she was like a hyperactive rabaroo, ready to wreck havoc upon Republic City. "Aren't you happy that I'm back?" she asked.

Mako attempted to scowl, but the corners of his mouth twitched upwards. "Happy that you're back? Yes. Happy that you threw me out of my apartment and into the bay? No, I'm furious!" he answered, albeit in a teasing manner—well, teasing for someone who just nearly died.

Korra didn't say anything, misinterpreting his sarcasm and perhaps regretting her actions.

Mako noticed her silence. "Okay, I'm really happy that you're back even though you just threw me into the bay. Now can you please waterbend me up to the apartment? Seriously, I have work soon and I need my sleep."

Korra frowned, her bottom lip sticking out in an adorable manner. "Why do you need to work so hard? Do you like working?" she asked as she swam closer to him.

Mako slowly backed away, putting some distance in between them. "No, I—"

"Then quit!" Korra interrupted, her voice loud and confident. "Live with me on Air Temple Island. It's free rent in exchange for babysitting the airbender kids."

"I don't know…"

"Come on! It'll be fun!" Korra urged as she grabbed his arm. She frowned when she realized that his arm was scrawnier than she remembered.

"I'll think about it."

She poked at his ribs. "You're a lot skinnier than before I left. We need to fatten you up. Tomorrow, you're going out on a date with me. The airbender kids once took me to this great bakery that makes the best egg custards!"

Mako let out an amused chuckle. "Is that why you threw me out of the window? To ask me on a date?"

Korra nodded. "Yup. And if you refuse, I'll drown you right now."

"You're crazy!"

"Then is that a yes?"

Mako sighed. "Fine."

A/N: That's the end of Part I. And yes, I do realize that this outdated (Tahno here is still a jerk and he hasn't lost his bending yet).

Anyways, I hope you enjoyed this. Please don't forget to leave a review.