AN: So this is my submission for the Makorra Summer Project over on Tumblr. It is really long so I split it into three chapters on this site. Make sure to read all of the amazing works on there too ( /#!D4EV0RBL!ynlUzdAX-mNhoGxQ7zu9wVZCgJtHrffVfdJGNkHHDVI).
The aroma of the morning's freshly ground coffee teased his senses as he let the grounds slid into the coffee maker to begin the first batch of the day. He took a deep breath one more time as he allowed the smell to fill his senses. The spring sun shone through the windows, casting a warm glow on the small coffee shop. Mako loved mornings best because it allowed him to be alone with his thoughts before the morning rush hit and the stress of a new day set in. He'd often take this time to talk to the small picture of his parents that hung behind the counter, gazing out at the patrons of the shop.
Three years to the day was the last time he saw them and even then it was through the plate glass window that separated the ER surgery tables and the distraught brothers. He made a promise that day to never leave again, so he took over the family owned business that had served the Upper West side of Republic City for nearly two decades. He pulled his eyes away from the smiling pair, wiping away the moist corners of his eyes so that he could finish getting the store ready. He grabbed the empty metal trays from the display cabinet and went to the back to get the assortment of danishes and breakfast sweets that they were know so well for. Before he could finish he heard the soft jingle of the front door as it swung open.
"I'm sorry but we're not open yet" he said wiping his hands with a rag and backed through the door to shoo away the early customer. He had forgotten to lock the door again, a habitual issue that had been plaguing him for months. If he wasn't careful the place would get robbed blind.
"Then why is your door unlocked?" a woman asked sharply, her blue eyes narrowing their gaze at the young man who was in a hurry to kick her out.
"It shouldn't be" Mako replied as he quickly walked around the wooden counter and locked the door so no one else would enter. "I guess since you're already in here I should get you something."
"What would you like?" he asked finally making his way back behind the counter and returned her gaze that he was sure hadn't left him since she had entered his shop.
"What do you have?" she asked. He pointed to the chalkboard that was fastened to the wall directly behind him.
"Coffee" he said rather bluntly as he tossed the damp rag over his shoulder. This wasn't taken well because now her brow furrowed into a glare at him, as if it wasn't obvious enough what the shop sold.
"You don't have much of a selection" she said after she read over the menu while raping her fingers on the worn counter.
"If you want variety and all that sugary shit, you can head over to Sato Coffee." he replied pointing at the door "but if you want real coffee, then this is your place"
She took a few more minutes to decide causing Mako to regret that he didn't just ask her to leave in the beginning. He still had to wipe down the tables, water the plants, get the rest of the food out, take out the trash, and sweep the sidewalk. All this had to be done in an hour and this woman couldn't de-
"I'll have a medium dark roast" she finally said, cutting into his hurried thoughts of the rest of the morning. He gave her a nod and went to make the coffee for her.
Whoever this guy was, was sure arrogant because Sato Coffee was world renowned. She was sure the place didn't hold a candle to them. He handed her the freshly brewed drink and she snatched it from him. She took a drink and to her surprise the coffee was delicious. She took another sip just to be sure. Shit, he was right.
"By your silence I'm gonna assume I'm right" he said with a smirk as he turned to reach for a freshly made danish. She rolled her eyes in response and continued to enjoy the coffee. She also took this time to let her eyes wander around the small place. It was quite cozy with a few couches that had pillows scattered against them. The walls were littered with local event posters, a few pieces of local artwork, and the remaining space had tables with chairs.
"Hey" he said grabbing her attention "take this too"
She took the pastry from him, setting it down to grab her money to pay.
"It's on the house" he said holding up a hand as he watched her fish for her wallet. He figured for all the trouble she had gone through it was the least he could do. Maybe it would have her come back a second time so he could see her again.
"Well thanks" she said nodding and turned to leave. She got to the door and tried to push it open realizing that he had locked it. She let out an annoyed sigh and turned back around to have the shop owner come and open the door for her. When she did so she noticed that he was still staring at her. His gaze finally meet hers and he immediately turned a shade of scarlet once he knew he was caught staring.
"A little help?" she asked, motioning towards the door. He walked quickly to her, cheeks still flushed with embarrassment, fiddled with the lock and held it open for her. The two didn't say another word as she left except for a muttered 'I'm sorry' from him.
Once she had left he quickly closed the door, making sure it was locked, and finished getting ready for the day, all the while still thinking of those beautiful blue eyes.
/~~~~~~\
It was July and Mako was enjoying the warm evening air as he thought back to that morning he had first seen her and kicked himself as he did so. Since he refused money from her he never was able to ask for her name. Months went past and he hadn't seen the blue-eyed woman again. Her eyes had captivated him to say the least and he wanted to know who she was.
"What's up Big Bro?" a voice asked disturbing his evening shut eye "you closed up early tonight"
"Business was slow so I figured I'd give myself a break" Mako replied, his eyes still closed, hoping that his brother would take a hint and leave him to his thoughts.
"Well I guess this is good timing! Wu is having a get together tonight and I was gonna see if you wanted to go?" Bolin asked, a bit excited knowing that his brother didn't have an excuse this time. He slumped down on the wicker chair opposite of Mako as he awaited his reply.
"Not tonight Bo" Mako replied, waving him off.
"Why? It's not like you got anything else to do. Besides I heard there are going to be some ladies at the party. When's the last time you out on a date? An actual date" Bolin asked, he wouldn't take 'No' for an answer, he needed a wingman tonight.
"Bo" Mako whined, he knew his brother wouldn't let up. Bolin was always trying to set him up with women who either were too bright and not that attractive or too attractive and not that bright. Mako was extremely picky when it came to women. He wanted someone who would challenge him and not just say 'Yes' to everything. Tonight wouldn't be any different.
"I'll take that as a 'Yes'" Bolin replied energetically, getting up and rustling Mako's hair before her ran out of the roof top exit. Mako chucked his bottle of water at the fleeing Boling but it slammed into the already closed door. He grumbled his disappointment of having his night ruined and ran a hand through his hair putting it back into its original, sloppy position. He trudged down to his tiny apartment and got ready for his brother to return within the hour.
Mako kicked a rock off the wall of the storefront as he waited for his never punctual brother. He glanced at his watch every now and again, promising himself that if Bolin didn't arrive in the next five minutes he'd call it a night, that was 30 minutes ago. Finally, Bolin pulled up in a rust sedan, honking at his brother and giving him a wave.
"What the hell took you so long? And where did you get this hunk of junk?" Mako asked as the door screeched open and took a moment to decide whether or not this was the safest option. He buckled in and immediately put a hand on the handlebar above in order to steady himself.
"Maryanne is not a hunk of junk." Bolin scowled as he threw the car into gear. The car had good pick up to it for being a bucket of rust but that still didn't calm Mako. Bolin weaved through the late evening traffic as they got deeper into the center of the city.
This was a place Mako didn't come very often because he liked the safety and quiet of the neighborhood where he resided. But each time he did come he also left with the inner conflict of whether or not to return to the crowded downtown area. Soon they arrived at Wu's party which seemed to be where all the other motorists on the road were headed. Bolin put the car in park after they circled the block a few times looking for a spot and went up to meet Wu. Wu was as boisterous as ever and greeted the brothers with a big hug.
"Mako! How long has it been old friend?" Wu asked as he brought them over to meet his guests that he was entertaining at the moment.
"Too long, Wu" he replied with a smile after he shook the final hand of the party goers. Wu began regaling a story so Mako took this time to grab a beer and separate himself from the crowd. He nursed the beer to about half it's original amount, to keep up appearances of course, and continued to watch people dance and talk with each other. After a while Bolin found Mako wallowing in his corner and shook his head.
"You are such are party pooper" Bolin said finally drawing Mako's attention away from a few girls who were staring at him.
"I'm not. I'm just enjoying the party the way I like to" he said turning back to the girls and waving at them.
"Well I've been looking for you because I have someone I want to introduce to you" Bolin said with a proud smile plastered on his face. Mako looked back at his brother but before he could he saw the beautiful blue eyes of the girl who he was about to meet. It was her! After all these months of wondering if he would see her again, her she was standing in front of him. Mako stood up immediately almost bumping in to her and outstretched a now sweaty palm. He didn't really know how to say hello to this woman because their last meeting didn't go so well.
"Dark roast, right?" He quipped, laughing internally as he did so but immediately regretted doing so once he had her reaction.. The woman just raised a confused eyebrow in response causing Mako to feel a bit embarrassed that he even made the joke.
"You came into my shop a few months ago." He said trying to recover from his previous blunder. Well it was more like three months but who was counting. They stood in a bit of an awkward silence and he took the time to wipe his hands on his pants.
"You know what that's right. You're the guy who owns that tiny coffee place and decided to insult my friend." She said bringing a finger to her chin, trying to sound as if she forgot the memory but she hadn't. In fact she had been thinking about him and that shop ever since. On queue a dark haired woman beside her outstretched a hand to shake his.
"Asami Sato. Owner and operator of Sato coffee, or should I say 'that sugary shit'" she replied with air quotes. Mako grimaced and rubbed the back of his as it got hot from embarrassment.
"You told her I said that?" Mako asked glancing at the blue eyed girl..
"Where else would she have heard that from?" the blue eyed girl replied with a shrug. Mako narrowed his eyes at her ready to volley back at her. "But to be honest there is some truth to that. Your coffee and pastries were better. Seems like you're going to give Sato coffee a run for their money"
"Thanks" he muttered. Mako wanted to continue to be a bit annoyed that this girl would rat him out like this but he couldn't help smile at the compliment she had just given him.
"By the way, I'm Korra" she said extending a hand, looking into his eyes. She felt her heart skip a beat a bit when he took it in his hand and gave it a firm shake. Bolin's eyes grew wide once he realized he completely forgot to introduce the two.
"That's right! The whole reason I brought them over to you was to introduce you to Korra. Mako, Korra is amazing! She are new starting mid that we just called up from the developmental league. The best part? She's the first woman to ever play on the Republic City squad. Hopefully she help us get to the finals this year." Bolin said with a wide grin as he continued to list off her accomplishments.
Mako every once and a while glanced at Korra as he listened to his brother who talked about the pre-season and replayed the great goals Korra had scored. He slowly felt himself become more amazed at Korra and he wanted to get to know her more.
"Wow, that's incredible" Mako finally said as Bolin soon ran out of breath from his rant.
"Well I think we should be going. Remember Bolin, 7 am tomorrow for practice. Don't be late" Korra instructed Bolin. She looked back at Mako and realized that he never introduced himself nor never really got the chance to. "It's Mako, right?"
"Yes. It doesn't seem like I ever told you that in all this. Seems like Bolin is a huge fan" Mako replied with a smile as he glanced at his brother who was now saying goodbye to Asami.
"He's been a huge help since I got here. He helped me find an apartment and got me settled on the team." Korra replied joining Mako's gaze that was fixed on Bolin.
"Well I hope you stop in again and I'll make sure that your experience is a lot better next time around." he said quickly. Hoped? No, he longed for her to stop in again. He didn't know anything about Korra and now she was leaving again. He couldn't help but looking into her eyes again. His tall stature didn't help with that since every time he looked down he locked eyes with her. At this point, though, he was just happy to know her name.
"Maybe" she said with a smile as Asami joined her.
"I think I'll have to stop in as well and try this world famous coffee Korra bragged so much about." Asami said giving Mako a handshake. With the goodbyes finally worn out Korra and Asami took their leave. The brothers stayed a bit longer enjoying the atmosphere of the party and a bit of networking with some of the local folks who had shown up. Soon he and Bolin decided to leave and welcomed the night air nip at their faces as they stepped outside. As they walked down the street back to Bolin's car Mako tried to save the last remnants of his brief conversation with Korra.
"Korra…" he muttered to himself, almost saying it as if he were exhaling her name. His head was spinning a bit as the alcohol had taken over the sensible part of his brain but he didn't mind. He hadn't had a night like this in a while and knew as soon as his head hit his pillow he wouldn't be able to get it back. Bolin stumbled a bit which meant he wasn't able to drive seeing as he was worse off than him. It seemed that they were going to hoof it home.
"Give me the keys, Bolin" Mako said as he held out his hand. Bolin fumbled around in his pocket for his keys, dropping them on the cement as he pulled them out of his pocket. Mako bent down and quickly grabbed them so that Bolin wouldn't try to fish them from the cement and in doing so face plant on the ground.
The walk was brisk but needed as he felt his buzz wear off by the time he got to his apartment, Bolin's weight now being supported by Mako's frame. Mako looked up at the stars that had allowed themselves to be seen through the thick blanket of clouds that covered the night sky. Maybe he would get the chance to see Korra again, hopefully on a night as beautiful as this.
/~~~~~~\
The mid-day sun beat relentlessly down on the pitch creating an extremely muggy and thick humidity down on the field. Korra booted the soccer ball 40 yards as it curled itself into the back of the net continuing to the next one and repeated the process. She and Bolin had gotten a late start due to Bolin sleeping through his first five alarmes. The only reason he had finally showed up was because Mako kicked him out of his apartment once he couldn't take the blaring alarm noise anymore. It was around 2 pm and her body was dripping with sweat which caused her to strip down to her soccer shorts and her sports bra.
"Korra are we almost done?" Bolin whined as he got up after he had dove to make the save.
"No Bolin. This is what you get for sleeping in when you promised to be out here earlier. You aren't the only one hating this" she barked as she flung another ball into the top left corner of the net. Every muscle in her body contracted and released as she started to feel the effects of fatigue set in. She finished up beating the remaining soccer balls left in the row that she had constructed. She wanted to hit the ground running in her first game next week. She had come off the bench in for all the preseason games but now she was going to start. She wanted to show the team that she was worth the wait.
She thought back to the previous night as she booted the last one and how she wanted to have stayed longer to talk with Mako. She didn't know much about him other than owning the coffee shop and having extremely piercing amber eyes. He had a mystery to him, something that had peaked her interest when she first walked into the shop. Her thoughts snapped back to the self-constructed practice that they were still in the middle of and watched as the last soccer ball rocketed around in the seats behind the net. She missed?
"Put the guns away, Korra" Bolin laughed as he turned back to look at a puzzled Korra. She never missed. She grabbed a spare ball, tossed it in the same spot, and unloaded on it causing it to whiz past a diving Bolin.
"There we go" she muttered to herself as she saw the ball fly to the back of the net. How could she let herself lose focus so easily like that? She shook her head as she ran over and grabbed a few bottles of water and joined Bolin who still hadn't gotten up from the ground that he landed on. She tossed a bottle of water on his stomach and it harmlessly bounced off. She saw that his eyes were closed and his arms flopped out at 90 degree angles to his body.
"Come on. It wasn't that bad Bo." Korra said sitting down next to the goal post.
"Yes...it was" he said in between breathes, his eyes still shut as he tried to slow his heart rate down. He hadn't practiced this hard in ages and maybe that was a bad thing. He was either out of shape or Korra was just that insanely good that she was beginning to find flaws in his keeping.
She laughed in reply as she poured one of the bottles of water on her head and allowed the cool liquid to provide a bit of relief on her scalding body.
"So what's the story on your brother?" she asked. She figured this would be as good a time as ever to find out more about him.
"What do you mean?" Bolin asked as his eyes opened, bringing the cloudless sky into view. He was always hesitant to talk about Mako to other people. It wasn't that he hated his brother but Mako was….complicated.
"Well I barely know him. I've been his shop once and had a 5 minute conversation with him. If I'm going to see more of him (she hoped) then I want some back story. He doesn't seem like much of a talker" Korra replied as she closed her eyes to take a drink of the refreshing water.
"He isn't" Bolin replied from his back "he's a bit complicated, Korra. Once our parents died a few years ago, he changed. Not in a bad way but just in a different way. He felt like he let our family down when he left to go to Ba-Sing Se. He had a falling out with them and said that he wasn't coming back. They wanted him to run the business but he wanted to be a cop instead. They didn't like that and pulled his funding for university so he left and became a cop out there." Bolin started to say.
"Wait a minute. Was he the same Mako that caught that murderer from that cold case?" she asked interrupting him. She remembered hearing about a young detective solving a decade old case. It was all over the news but he had declined interviews and was a mystery to the rest of the world.
"The one in the same. He was 19 at the time so that's why it got all that media attention. I thought it was awesome but he hated it. He isn't a limelight kind of guy." Bolin said finally sitting up. He let out a hiss of pain as his body didn't want him to move out of the position.
"So why did he come back?" she asked as she started to fidget with the soccer ball. For some reason she felt this might be a tough thing for Bolin to talk about.
"I'll let him tell you that" Bolin said with a grin. He couldn't give his brother's life story away. That wouldn't be fair to Mako.
"Bo" Korra coaxed with a pouty lip protruding from her face.
"My lips are sealed on that one. Sorry I'm not sorry Korra" he said getting up and stretching his arms out. "Ready to go again?"
Korra had a confused look paint her face. "I thought you were ready to be done?"
"Not yet. I still got some gas in the tank. You're starting to expose flaws that I didn't know I had. I gotta work on these before our next game" he said as he started to send the balls that had collected in the back of the net out to where Korra had been.
She shrugged her shoulders and complied with Bolin's request. If Bolin wasn't going to divulge any more information to her she might as well make use of his keeping skills. This just meant that she had to go see Mako again, something that she couldn't help but feel excited about.