Cartoon: Avatar: The Legend of Korra

Pairing: Mako/Korra

Genre: Romance, Humor

Rating: T

A/N: Woohoo! I was a little late jumping on the Avatar: TLaB fanfiction train but I will not be with TLoK! Only seen the first couple of episodes and I'm already shipping! I love Mako, Korra, Bolin, and Tenzin so much haha.

The Avatar and the Idiot

1 – The Icy Fire

Mako considered himself a cool, even-tempered guy. He didn't fly off the handle for no reason, didn't turn over some poor street vendor's cart if he felt particularly irritated, didn't punch holes in the wall when things didn't go his way, didn't set things on fire when he was frustrated…in short, he had a long fuse to his bomb, a fuse that was rather hard to light in the first place.

This sort of trait was rather unusual for a Firebender, especially one as talented as him; some of the greats, such as the late Fire Lord Zuko's crazed younger sister and even the Fire Lord himself at times, were known for channeling their rage into the fire they bended. Of course, Fire Lord Zuko had been able to eventually master his rage, but for a time he had relied on it, used it to his advantage, and had been absolutely terrifying. At least, that was what Mako had been told. Regardless, Mako prided himself on being able to stay cool and calm, calculating his opponents every move and not letting them bait him into some tantrum in which he would give up all sense of defense and go purely offensive before it was time to. There was nothing that an opponent could say or do that could throw him off and make him lose his game, there was nothing that could make him snap and lose his head just like that.

All that being said, however, there were a couple of things that had the potential to set him off and make him act un-Mako like. Just like any man, there were rules that he lived by, rules that governed his life and his inner mind that the world did not know and therefore could not possibly predict how he would react to them. But while the world might not know (and he was more forgiving when it was the world's fault) there was one person who did, one person that had known him his entire life, and that person he was not so keen on letting go free without a thing or two said…

"Whattaya think? Best seats in the house, huh?"

Mako resisted the urge to groan and smack himself in the face as his younger brother's cheery voice echoed throughout the small hallway of the Pro-bending arena. Aside from the usual cheerfulness, there was something else in his voice, something proud and arrogant and boastful and show-offy. The sound made Mako shiver, not with fright or disgust, but with barely contained anger. It was the one thing he hated to hear coming from his brother, the one thing that haunted his dreams and gave him nightmares. It was the one thing that could make the mightiest of men fall, the Achilles heel for man and beast alike for there was only one time when such a strong individual would allow himself to sound like a pompous buffoon (other than the fact that maybe he was one)…when there was a woman around to impress.

By the Avatar, why is Bolin so easily caught by a pretty face and slender hips? Mako wondered to himself as he moved about, dressing himself for the match to come. He caught his own reflection in the mirror and paused for a minute, studying his face.

For some reason, and thank the Avatar for this reason, he wasn't as easily swayed by the wiles of women. They were nice, he'd give them that, but in the end they usually only got in his way. He knew they weren't all like that of course, there were those that were very capable and could probably teach him a thing or two, but the ones that he tended to attract with his strong chin, stoic and brooding personality, and general bad-boy behavior were, well, fangirls.

He shivered again, his face twisting up in disgust and his amber eyes speaking of hidden pain.

Fangirls. There was nothing quite like that species and he was glad that there was just a few of them (although he feared their kind was on the rise).

Fangirls or regular girls however, they did tend to set a guy running silly and unfortunately Bolin was no exception.

Now, his brother was generally a humble guy, don't get him wrong. He did, however, like to show off to the ladies (because for some reason he fancied himself a ladies man despite the fact he'd never really gone on a date), especially right before a match and that just happened to violate one of Mako's inner rules: Never allow a citizen—especially one of the feminine variety—into the match area before a game. Maybe it was a dumb rule, maybe he was just an old fuddy-dud, but he didn't care. He was there to win; if the team didn't come out on top then what was the point in all the training he'd done? What was the point of all the bruises and beatings they'd suffered ever since they'd been born? What was the point in anything they did?

Letting out a puff of air, Mako balled his hands into fists and closed his eyes.

I am calm, I am in control. I will win. And please, please, Bolin…don't tell me you've brought another-

"Whoa…unbelievable…" came a strong female voice.

His eyes snapped open.

Not again.

He groaned.

Resigning himself to the fate that his brother had indeed brought some girl along, he straightened his posture and marched out the door.

His footsteps were light and quick, his heart hammering in his chest with anticipation for the match to come and irritation at his younger brother.

The last thing they needed was some kind of distraction, especially one with a…chest. Oh, he wasn't worried about Bolin getting distracted, no, not really, but there was always the possibility that something could go wrong and she could get hurt and there was the really off chance that maybe Bolin just felt like turning around or showing off in a particularly stupid way. His brother wouldn't intentionally sabotage their shot at the gold, but there was no way in the name of the Avatar for Mako to know just what was going through his brother's head. They were very different after all.

Where Mako wanted to win in the quickest, most efficient way possible, Bolin was a little more inclined to giving the crowd a good show. Of course, that was what the people that hosted the Pro-bending competition wanted really because they made more money that way, but Mako didn't really care. If they liked his fighting style, his lightning-fast moves and precise strikes, great. If they didn't, whoop-dee doo. He couldn't care less.

What he wished he could care less about, however, was the fact that there was a female running amok with his brother in tow, hell-bent on impressing her. Sometimes Mako wondered how they were even related. Bolin was laid-back, naive, and goofy. Mako was aloof and indifferent with a bit of a control issue. As much as Mako cared for his little brother, he still marveled at their amazingly different personalities.

"This place is even more amazing than I imagined…"

He rolled his eyes.

From the sound of it, his brother was succeeding at his attempts to impress this woman. Or at least the arena was.

"Name's Bolin by the way."

Ah, the introduction. Soon they would be chatting it up, getting to know each other on a personal basis and then Bolin would be asking her out to dinner and getting thrown for a loop when she eventually determined how clumsy he was at relationships….

Something inside him began to boil. It wasn't the thought of his brother getting rejected—again—that got his blood going, but rather the thought that they were choosing now to start off their relationship. Really, didn't Bolin have any sense? Didn't the woman? Was he the only sane individual around that had some respect for what other people wanted (for he was well within his rights to interrupt them the minute he walked in but he wouldn't because he was a decent human being with manners)?

We don't have time for this nonsense! I don't have time to be thinking about this! Dammit! We've got a match in less than five minutes! If we don't win this, so help me..!

He stopped suddenly, physically and mentally. He quickly sucked in a few deep breaths, attempting to calm the storm within his mind.

Stay calm Mako, stay calm. Don't think about what could go wrong, concentrate on the here and now. Stay calm, centered, focused. You can do this. You have to win, despite any obstacles and distractions. Just stay calm.

Stay CALM.

Despite his little chant, his insides were still in a whirl as he walked down the hallway that he had just heard his brother's voice and the woman's coming from. No doubt they were inside the ready room, the woman with an awestruck look on her face and his brother with some goofy, lop-sided grin.

Upon reaching the open door that led to the area reserved for the combatants before the match began, he strode in purposefully, trying to ignore his twitter-paited brother and the woman at his side. But, Mako being Mako (and Mako was a curious individual) couldn't help himself, and his molten yellow eyes glanced over for a second to the odd pair in front of him. He was a little surprised to see that the woman was in full Water tribe gear. Most people in Republic City had adopted a sort of blended look of the old and new, but this woman was clad in what appeared to be traditional tribal wear. He wasn't opposed to it at all of course and it was rather flattering on her but it was something he had not expected to see in the modern streets of such a grand city. She also didn't look like the typical woman that Bolin brought around in yet another way: there was muscle in her lean body. The way she stood, the way she held herself…all suggested that she was hiding some great strength, that she was something unlike anything else he had ever seen before.

Focus Mako, focus.

Turning his attention away from his brother and the Water tribe girl, he opened the cabinet to get the rest of his fighting gear on.

"Korra."

His ears perked up.

Korra?

Her voice, even though he had heard it in the hallway, was even stronger than its echo had implied. It spoke of a woman who was confident in herself and who she was, it was rough yet beautiful and full of wonderment and compassion.

But of course, now was not the time for such thoughts and musings. There was a match to fight and a tournament to win. He gave himself a mental shake before looking over to his younger brother, still at the woman's side. He pursed his lips, a little perturbed to see that his brother seemed not to have noticed his prescense.

"Pst. Bolin."

His brother turned around, a look of surprise mixed with fear etched on his face. Oh, he knew Mako's inner rules and he knew that he had been caught red-handed. Again.

"Yeah?" his brother asked, stepping closer so as to get the woman—Korra—out of hearing range so she wouldn't hear the reprimand that was sure to leave Mako's lips.

"I told you, you have to stop bringing your crazy fangirls in here before the matches," Mako chided, frowning a bit, his smooth face crinkling at the brow, "Get her out of here."

As he waited for his brother's response, he continued to fix his wrist guards. It wouldn't do if he was to get burned or injured or something. He really couldn't afford it.

"Ah, come on Mako," his brother whined, "Alright look, I kinda promised her she could stay, but man, I got a good feeling!"—and at this Mako couldn't help the mental sigh that his brain gave—"There's something special about her! I know it!"

Mako closed his eyes and reached for his helmet, trying to control his irritation. While his face was a perfect mask of calm, frustration was coursing through his veins and adding to the adrenaline that was already present. He was frustrated because he loved his brother and couldn't say no, he was irritated because there was a girl, a distraction, present. He was frustrated because he was quickly losing control of the situation to his younger brother, he was irritated because he let the control go so easily. It was hard to deny one's kin, especially if they were younger, their wishes.

Stay calm, stay calm. I am in control. I am in control.

He looked into his helmet, his face slightly drawn down into a pout as he stared at his reflection.

Dammit.

When Bolin wanted something, he got it. And for some reason, he wanted this girl, this Korra, to be there.

Mako remained silent, seeing if his brother would honor his wishes and dismiss the woman or give in to his own wants and let her stay. To Mako's dismay, Bolin ran over to where the Water tribe woman was standing, still looking out in awe at the arena, and grabbed her by the shoulders, shoving her gently but excitedly towards him.

Great.

"C'mere, I want you to meet my brother, Mako!"

Mako shut the door to the cabinet, ready for what was to come. He briefly wondered if she'd be any different than the others, if she'd actually say something intelligent for a change. Secretly, he hoped that she would. For once, he would like to meet someone who had the brains along with the beauty—and yes, she was a beauty. While he was cold and harsh in comparison to his brother, he was no clod and had eyes and was still a man. He could appreciate a woman's qualities but not let them know it. He could look at them and remain detached and cold, free from the passions of an ordinary man. He had only come about such a disposition from his hard life earlier on, and he was glad for it.

"Mako? Wow I-I-I heard you play on the radio!"

He let out a little breath as he put on his helmet.

No different.

"C'mon Bolin, we're up," he said, ignoring Korra entirely. In fact, his mind was already pushing the little encounter out of his mind completely.

"Or I could meet him later…" he heard Korra say.

"Yeah, sorry about that, my brother just gets real focused before a match…"

The rest of what his brother said was lost to him, his mind driving out all other thoughts and focusing on the only thing that mattered: winning.

Yes, he was irritated. Yes, he was frustrated. Yes, the woman—Korra—was strange. No, she didn't seem any different. Yes, he was going to have a word or two with Bolin later. But all that didn't matter, not now.

Just before his mind completely shut down and went into full combat mood, he heard her clear, strong voice once more.

"Haha. Good luck! Knock 'em out!"

A small smile couldn't help but grace his lips. Oh, he was going to do so much more.