Disclaimer: I don't own LOK or Payphone. Sadly.
I'm at a payphone
Trying to call home
All of my change I've spent on you
Mako stood at the payphone. He didn't have much money anymore, it was barely enough to call her at home. He'd spent everything on her; his time, his life, even his money…and she'd repaid him by kicking him out.
Where have the times gone
Baby, it's all wrong
Where are the plans we made for two
He couldn't believe she'd had the nerve to kick him out. After everything they'd been through. All those times they'd snuck off just so they could be alone, all the times he'd tried to impress her with flowers and things, when they sat by the cliff on Air Temple Island looking up at the stars…did they count for nothing?
Yeah I, I know it's hard to remember
The people we used to be
It's even harder to picture
That you're not here next to me
Mako couldn't remember a thing before the war with Amon. It had been erased by the happiness he'd felt at being with Korra. He just couldn't picture his life without her. She meant the world to him, and it nothing made sense if she wasn't there beside him. He picked up the phone, put in the coins, and dialed her number.
You say it's too late to make it
But is it too late to try
And in that time that you wasted
All of our bridges burned down
"Hello?" she answered. She sounded sleepy, like he'd woken her up.
"Korra? It…it's me." He waited, nervously, for her to respond. He knew she wouldn't be happy he'd called.
"It's too late, Mako. I told you, I'm not changing my mind," she said, knowing what he going to say.
He hesitated, but he was afraid she'd hang up if he waited too long. "I can try…I can be better. I promise."
"Mako…no. I told you."
It seemed like during the time she'd strung him along, everything had changed. The bridges that had spanned the gap between then had been broken…possibly beyond repair.
I've wasted my nights
You've turned out the lights
Now I'm paralyzed
Everything he'd done trying to fix their strained relationship had been in vain. All those sleepless nights Mako had been trying to think of some way to redeem himself didn't amount to anything, anymore. It was like he'd been relying on her for the light that he desperately needed to see what was really going on; to see past his problems, and see what was really important. And now that she was gone…he couldn't move. He couldn't breathe. It was like he was being bloodbended again. He couldn't control his own body…like he was paralyzed.
Still stuck in that time when
We called it love
But, even the sun sets
In paradise
He didn't want to believe it was real. He wanted to stay back in the past when everything was fine, and they were happy and in love. But even paradise has to come to an end sometime. He just didn't think it was any time soon.
"Korra, please listen to me!"
"Mako," she sounded as if she was about to cry, and Mako couldn't help but picture her, her lip trembling as she held back the tears.
I'm at a payphone
Trying to call home
All of my change I've spent on you
Where have the times gone
Baby, it's all wrong
Where are the plans we made for two
"Korra, I've only got a minute, so listen to me! First, I just want to say…what happened to us? We used to be so…connected. Now we're so…"
"Not?" she suggested.
"Right," he agreed.
His few minutes were running out and it wasn't turning out at all like he'd hoped. It was wrong.
If happy ever after did exist
I would still be holding you like this
All those fairy tales are full of it
One more stupid love song I'll be sick
He wanted it to be like those stories Jinora was always going on about, with the happy ever after and the way everything turned out perfectly no matter how horribly it had all started. If it was a fairy tale, he'd have been back at home with Korra, sleeping with his arm around her as he usually did… But fairy tales weren't real. And the past few days he couldn't even listen to the radio without thinking of Korra, all those love songs just came back to haunt him. He was dying without her, and he couldn't bear it.
Oh, you turned your back on tomorrow
'Cause you forgot yesterday
I gave you my love to borrow
But you just gave it away
By the time she'd kicked him out, she couldn't remember the good times anymore. Or at least she seemed to have forgotten. He knew she remembered them somewhere in the back of her mind.
"I gave you everything, Korra!" he was almost yelling. "And you do this to me? I can't believe."
You can't expect me to be fine
I don't expect you to care
I know I said it before but
All of our bridges burned down
"I don't know if you even care about me anymore, Korra, but I love you. How could you possibly expect me to be okay with leaving you after all this?"
Everything he'd done to trust her and get to know her when they first met, was for nothing now. It didn't matter. She didn't care.
I've wasted my night
You've turned out the lights
Now I'm paralyzed
Still stuck in that time when
We called it love but
Even the sun sets
In paradise
I'm a payphone
Trying to call home
All of my change I've spent on you
Where have the times gone
Baby, it's all wrong
Where are the plans we made for two
If happy ever after did exist
I would still be holding you like this
All those fairy tales are full of it
One more stupid love song I'll be sick
He waited, anxiously, for her to respond. When she didn't, he said, "Korra?"
"I'm here Mako. I…I get that you love me, Mako. But I just I'm not feeling it any more. I'm sorry. If I could somehow…learn it again, I would. But I don't think I can."
"You can Korra…please." He was begging. He never begged.
Now I'm at a payphone
Now baby, don't hang up
So I can tell you what you need to know
Baby, I'm begging you just please don't go
So I can tell you what you need to know
"I. I can't Mako. I have to go, I'm sorry."
"Korra, no!" He knew he had only a few seconds left before the phone shut off, and he didn't have any more money to put it. "I need to tell you. I love you so much, no matter what you say and do. It must have been horrible when you saw me with Asami, when you love me. I couldn't stand it if I saw you with someone else. But I want you to be happy, Korra. I really do."
She was silent for a moment, and he thought the phone had shut off already.
"Mako, I…"
"Korra, I'm sorry. I have to go. I don't have any more money to put in here and it's going to—" It shut off.
He slammed the phone back on the hook. He'd said what he wanted to. And now it was time to go back. One last time to make things right. It would take a while to get back to the house, but it was worth it.
Yeah, I'm at a payphone trying to call home,
All of my change I've spent on you
Where have the times gone
Baby it's all wrong
Where are the plans we made for two
If happy ever after did exist
I would still be holding you like this
And all these fairytales are full of it
Yeah, one more stupid love song I'll be sick
Now I'm at a payphone
As he pulled the Satomobile into the driveway, he sighed. Was it really the right thing? It had to be. He wanted the fairytale back, he wanted to be able to listen to the love songs without thinking of the relationship he could've have with Korra, instead of the one he had. It was a last-ditch effort to make things right again.
He knocked on the door. She opened it, looking upset, as though she'd been crying. He wanted to hug her, but he figured she'd just push him away again.
"Korra, I'm so—"
"No, Mako. I'm sorry. I screwed everything up. And it took a stupid mistake to realize it. I missed you Mako. Please…"
He hugged her. He'd gotten it all back. The bridges were fixed, and he was happy. He knew that she truly loved him. And it would never happen again.
And he kissed her.