"Spirits, it's murderous out here." I hiss through clenched teeth.
Bolin laughed. "It's not even hot, Korra. It's just summer."
"You're not from the South Pole." I muttered.
I felt drenched in sweat and even a cold shower would immediately dry when I walked out the door of the bathroom. Nothing could get rid of this heat.
Mako walked out to the training grounds.
"Do we have to train today, it's really hot out." I complained. I could tell I was being whiny, but I was dying out here.
"No, it's not even hot out. Amon isn't just going to not attack because it's too hot out for the Avatar. Maybe you'd feel more comfortable if you weren't covered in animal pelts." Mako replied.
"Well…ugh fine." Even I didn't have a response to that. I stomped to my room and changed into something barely decent. I wanted to be wearing as little clothing as possible in this heat.
I walked back down the stairs, hearing Bolin talking to Mako.
"I dunno bro, we've been working hard. Maybe we could hit the beach?"
"No, we still have to train."
"We've trained every day this week, c'mon."
"Bo, we can't risk it. Besides, all you want to do is stare at the scantily clad girls."
"I can't help that the ladies love me."
I walked in before Mako could respond and they both stared at me. Bolin blushed dark red and then looked away, before looking back, and then looking away again.
Mako's words to Bolin died in his throat and the slightest pink color brushed across his pale skin. For all his time outside, he would never tan.
"Is this better than pelts?"
"Um, whatever you're comfortable in. Whatever, let's start." Mako replied, visibly shaken.
I smirked and got into a battle stance.
After we had trained for what seemed like hours and Mako and Bolin both had lost their shirts, we laid on the grass, under a tree.
"So it's not that hot out, is it?" I mocked Mako.
"Shut up."
Bolin sat up. "I'm starving, you two?"
"It's too hot to eat." I replied, dying on the grass.
"It's never too hot to eat!" He replied indignantly. "Mako?"
"I'm not hungry, you go ahead."
"Fine, more noodles for me!" He stood up quickly and whistled as he walked away. His gait was somewhat bouncy, just at the prospect of food in his near future.
"Mako?" I ask.
A question burned in my mind, I've been waiting to ask forever and I probably shouldn't ask it at all, but I need to know.
"Yes?"
"Why are you so serious all the time?" It came out quickly, before I could second guess myself enough to wave it away.
He sighed, probably thinking over his answer. He always thought a lot. Sometimes, he thought too much.
"Well, Bo and I were orphaned, you know that. My parents were killed in front of me. I watched as a firebender struck them down in the street for no reason, other than the reason that we had no money to give him. He was turning towards me, when out of nowhere a shot of fire leapt through my hands, so white hot that even I was burned. He dodged it so quickly and struck me unconscious with a burst of lightening from his own hands."
He paused, taking in a deep breath. I tried to catch his eyes, but they were closed, as though he was fending off tears.
"I woke up with Bo hovering over me, tears streaming down his face and falling onto mine. Ever since then, I had to take care of Bolin. I took the smaller portion at dinner; I repaired the clothes that we owned. Bolin never suspected that I was going hungry some nights. So, I guess I had to be serious. It was better for Bo and it was the only way I knew to cope."
I could tell I was in some uncharted territory. I was where no one else had ever been before.
I felt my hand reach towards him and grab his. He stiffened at my grab, but relaxed with a deep breath out.
"I'm so sorry, Mako."
I didn't know what else to say. There's really nothing to say. I did only what I thought I could do. I took the glove off of his hand, revealing scars from the mugger. I brought it to my face and gently brushed them across my lips, in not a kiss, but an almost cleansing motion.
All I wanted to do was heal all of the hurt inside of him and get rid of the bad.
All I wanted was to stay like this forever and ever, his hand pressed against my lips and the shade of the tree sheltering us from anything that could hurt us or harm us.
"I've never told that whole thing to anyone, before. I mean, people know about my parents, but not like all of that." He said, almost absent-mindedly, as though he didn't mean to.
It seems like the only thing he has ever said without completely thinking through it.
I stared into his amber eyes, trying to convey everything that I felt.
That I thought he was beautiful, and I would be there for him, and that I'm completely falling for everything about him.
He stared right back and I felt like he was conveying some sort of message too.
In this moment, I felt like he loved me too. I felt that together, our youth was infinite.
And that was all I really needed.