"Korra?" He couldn't believe it; why the heck was she calling him, after so long, at this time, like this?

"I-I'm sorry, Mako, I had no one else to call... oh, god, Mako, I..."

"Korra," Mako whispered down the phone, his tone soft and soothing, calming her frantic breathing, though he could still hear her sobs, "What's the matter?"

"I... I had another nightmare, and... And I was alone, and just remember how you used to- never mind, okay? I'm sorry to have disturbed you, g-goodnight, Mako." She muttered; still choking on her tears, Mako felt panic seep into his veins.

"No! Korra, come on; tell me, Korra, talk me." He pleaded, his voice still quiet, and he waited with a pain in his heart, waiting for her hiccupping breaths to stop and the dial tone to start.

"W-why are you whispering?" She finally asked, and Mako sighed in relief, before realising what his friend had said, and cringed.

"I... uh, Asami's in the next room." He finally said, and closed his eyes tight at her sharp intake of breath; then snapped open at her raspy chuckle.

"She doesn't know it's me on the phone, then?"

"Yep; so, are you gonna tell me about the nightmare that had you calling me so late, or not?" He said quietly, letting the moment of mirth take down a few of Korra's defences. Even now, after so long, he knew how to get her to open up.

"Can't we just... think, about the old times? You know, the good times? Do you remember the beach, Mako, that day when you just dragged me into the car, and drove us all the way to the coast, so I could see the water again, see the amazing views? I wish those days had lasted forever..." She finally sighed, and Mako could hear the sad smile that would be on her face.

"You know, I was thinking about that today as well; I was dreaming about it. The way your hair was blown back by the wind, the cliff, running across the sand... Why'd you have to go, Korra?" Mako finally murmured, hearing nothing but her light breathing, "Why did you have to leave me here, alone?"

"Mako..." She breathed, and Mako's eyes clenched shut, her voice, saying her name, so softly, with so much care, so much love; it hurt. He wanted to her to just keep saying his name, until she was right next to him, breathing it into his ear. Asami would never do that, she never did that; Asami wasn't Korra. Every time he dreamt about their days, thought about it, he would be brought back to those tender moments, the ones that hurt the most.

"Do remember the last time you did that? Say my name like that: we were on the beach... and you just looked at me, whispered my name, and, and we kissed..." Mako recalled a phrase he had once heard, and it slotted into his perfect memory easily, "Lips of an angel... Korra, why?" He could hear her now trying not to cry, her breathing hitched, and he could imagine her trying not to look at the phone, as if that would prevent those memories creeping up on her like they had for him. Mako knew it wouldn't work.

"You were dead," She finally whispered, her voice tiny, broken, hurt, "In my nightmare. You were lying there, so weak and I couldn't do anything; I was only hurting you more, everything I tried to do. You died, right there in my arms, and... And I don't even think that was the worst part... I had to live on without you, and that, that was the part that hurt the most." She finally said, her words slightly rushed, and Mako knew that she was crying again: more than anything, he wanted to be holding her.

"We never really moved on, did we?" He eventually said, and smiled sadly as Korra laughed, bitter and tired.

"No, I don't think we did... I need you, Mako." She blurted out, and he stiffened, turning slightly, relieved to see his girlfriend's back to him.

"I... I need you too, Korra. Asami is not you, and I need you. Where are you, baby?" He said, and he felt that burst of warm pain that he'd kept locked up for so long, that he'd never felt with Asami, explode into his chest.

"Why?" The childlike tone to her voice, the innocence, only made Mako want to be by her, holding her even more.

"Because I need my angel."


A/N: Okay, so this is loosely based on a song by Hinder called Lips Of An Angel if anyone wants to check it out