"We're going away for a while."
Although almost everyone in Korra's close circle of friends seemed shocked, Mako somehow knew it was coming. He had been watching his two ex-girlfriends rejoin the party when it struck him. All it took was a light brush of fingers and the look on Korra's face. It was one he hadn't seen in years.
Of course. Why hadn't he noticed it sooner? He had an inkling of Asami's feelings, but never entertained the possibility that Korra would actually return them. For a moment he wondered if he should be experiencing some sort of negative emotion. Sadness? Jealousy? Shame? It didn't matter. The warmth radiating from the Avatar made him realize that he felt nothing but happiness for his best friend.
Tenzin was the first to ask the obvious, still slightly out of breath from narrowly averting disaster involving the groom and a glider suit.
"Where are you going? The reception isn't over for a few hours."
"It's been a lot of fun, but we're all partied out," said Asami, inching closer to the Avatar.
"After everything that's happened, we need a break. We're taking a vacation to the Spirit World to... decompress. We'll only be gone for a few weeks," Korra added. There was a defensiveness in her tone as if she was expecting a protest against their decision.
"Korra!"
Bolin, a few too many drinks into the evening, stumbled over to the Avatar and slung his arm around her before anyone could raise the anticipated protest.
"Korra, Korra, Korra. That is a fabulous idea. Let's all go have a Spirit World adventure! I'll pack Pabu's safari gear. Hey Varrick! Want to go on a Team Avatar vacation to the Spirit World?!" he called over to the man of the evening, who was slumped over a nearby table, still pouting about the disruption of his heroic leap. He was definitely a few more drinks into the night than Bolin. The suggestion snapped him to attention and sent his hand flying through the air.
"Great idea! Zhu Li! We're honeymooning in the Spirit World!"
"No we're not, dear. We're going to Ember Island, like you promised," Zhu Li deadpanned as she passed by her husband to mingle with a few of her family members.
Mako didn't miss the furtive glance between Korra and Asami and apparently neither did Opal, who gave him a subtle nod before prying her boyfriend off the Avatar and dragging him back to the dance floor. Mako took the opening.
"I hear the Spirit World is nice this time of year... Or all year... Yeah, um, I'm not actually sure how it works, but you two have fun," That seemed to settle it and no one questioned further, apparently much to Korra's relief.
Mako made a trip to the buffet while Korra and Asami said their goodbyes. When he returned, he found the Avatar waiting for him alone.
"Where's Asami?"
"She's making some calls to get everything in order at her company."
"That makes sense. You guys are really leaving tonight?"
"Yeah... We figured, why wait?" She sighed. "Honestly, the sooner I can get Asami's mind off her dad, the better."
"Well I'm sure you'll be able to handle that, no problem. Especially without Bolin and Varrick tagging along and getting in the way," said Mako with the hint of a smile on his lips that evaporated into surprise when Korra stepped in to embrace him.
"Thanks, Mako."
"For what?"
"Having my back."
"Always."
His eyes lingered on her as she left the reception to meet Asami. He had no idea when he'd see her again. The last time she said she'd be leaving for a few weeks she was gone for three years.
However, Mako was content. It didn't matter how much time would pass before they reunited. Even compared to when they were dating, he and Korra had never been closer. He loved her and he always would, but this was different. She was like the sister he never had. He preferred it.
"How are you holding up, kid?"
Ripped back to reality, Mako noticed that Lin Beifong was standing beside him, holding two drinks.
"Hey Chief. My arm's getting better. The doctor said-"
"That's not what I meant."
"Huh?"
She responded with raised eyebrows. Mako could never deduce how she did it but she always managed to figure him out. He wondered if he was actually as guarded as he thought he was.
"Oh. Um... I'm fine."
"You sure? You've been awfully wistful all night. You look like you could use a drink," said Lin as she handed him one of the glasses of nondescript alcohol.
"Oh? Been keeping an eye on me, chief?" Mako asked as he took the drink, shooting her a sidelong smirk that she returned in full. "Thanks."
"Only for entirely selfish reasons. I need my best detective back. I trust you to be able to do your job one armed, but pining over the Avatar? Not so much."
"It's not like that, chief. Didn't you see her? She looked way happier than she ever did when she was with me."
Mako expected some sort of jab, most likely ribbing his romantic failures or his unique ability to send both his exes into each other's arms. Those inevitable jokes were going to be a blast.
Lin said nothing. He shifted his attention from the party to his boss and saw that she was staring off at the crowd. After a moment longer, she turned back to him.
"That's a real smart attitude to have, kid. Don't let yourself get bitter and dwell on it or you'll wake up one day and find that you've wasted a few decades of happiness."
"Now who's being wistful?"
"Shut up, Mako," said Lin, rolling her eyes. They shared a smile and turned back to people watch as they nursed their drinks.
Lin's eyes wandered over the crowd. What was it about weddings that made everyone so dang cheerful? Tenzin was sitting hand in hand with Pema listening to the band as Rohan slept on his lap. Opal and Bolin were sneaking off to who knows where to do who knows what. The newlyweds were feeding each other needlessly decadent deserts that Lin suspected were only served to show off Varrick's immense wealth. A predatory Suyin was closing in on a blushing Bataar after returning from the dance floor.
Lin wanted to be disgusted, but she just couldn't bring herself to it. They were just so happy. In light of the recent months, she wondered why she hadn't been for so long. All of the reasons she had repeatedly told herself for years seemed so trivial now. What was it about weddings? The open bar probably helped.
"You look nice, by the way. I don't think I've ever seen you made up before," said Mako, interrupting her debate on when she had become so petty. Lin sharply turned away to shield Mako from the color that was flushing her cheeks.
"Well... You know... It's a wedding..."
"Yeah. It is. Everyone seems to be having a great time, too. Varrick must be pleased that his big day is such a hit."
"I still can't believe Raiko showed up."
"He must be a very forgiving person. Or he didn't want to pass on a Varrick party."
"I guess he'd have to be crazy to. We showed up, and I'm pretty sure we're the only ones here without dates."
"I think your nephew over there is dateless, too." Mako gestured to Huan, who was awkwardly trying to lose the smitten and persistent Ikki. If he didn't know better, he would have sworn he saw hearts in her eyes.
"Oh great. The tortured artist is the only other person without a date. What does that say about us, exactly?"
"I'm not too worried about it."
"You're right. Who cares?" said Lin as she raised her glass. "To being alone at a wedding."
"I can drink to that," said Mako as he clinked her glass. They downed the rest of their drinks and resumed their party watching in comfortable silence. Neither of them ever felt the need to force small talk with each other, whether it was during the long nights at the office during an important investigation or at one of the many pointless Republic City ceremonies that required their presence.
Mako wasn't sure how much time passed, but neither of them made an excuse to mingle elsewhere. The band was transitioning from a foxtrot to a slow dance when he decided to finally speak up.
"Even though we already toasted to our datelessness, that's no reason not dance. Would you like to join me?"
Despite having worked together for over four years, Lin's wide eyes were a testament to the fact that Mako could still surprise her.
"You never struck me as the dancing type, Mako."
"I'm not. But how pathetic would it be if we went to a wedding without dancing once? Even Huan managed to dance with Ikki."
"What about your arm?"
"I'll be fine. You trust me to do my dangerous line of work with an injured arm but not dance to a slow song? Besides, we wouldn't want to let Lu and Gang's beautiful playing go to waste," said Mako, offering Lin his one good hand. She couldn't suppress the chuckle that forced itself out of her.
"They really do make much better musicians than detectives, don't they?" Her hand hovered by her side for a moment's hesitation before taking Mako's. "Fine. You lead."
As Mako led her past the mostly inebriated wedding guests to the dance floor, Lin's eyes darted around suspiciously. She knew someonesomewhere was judging her. Just what was she doing? When was the last time she danced with anyone, much less with her subordinate who happened to be more than thirty years her junior?
"Expecting a Triple Threat attack or something? Relax," said Mako, looking back at her. She shot him a glare.
"Very funny. Keep walking, smart guy."
He was right, though. What was the big deal? Nothing wrong with just dancing. When the pair arrived to the dance floor, she did her best to zone out everyone else at the reception. Why should she let them make her feel self conscious? The second Mako turned to face her, Lin's arms were around his neck. This time, Mako was entirely unable to shield Lin from his own flushed face as his arm hung awkwardly in the air.
"Wow, you're tense. Expecting a Red Monsoon attack? Relax."
"Haw haw."
Mako shook his head and sighed as he rested his hand on her lower back. The pair began to sway to the music without breaking eye contact, each wordlessly wondering if they had ever been so physically close before.
"I'm glad you're all right, Mako. Looks like I don't have to assign you any intense, midnight oil burning cases anymore."
"...You did that for-"
"Eh, you seemed less miserable when you spent all your brain power on cracking the tough cases instead of... you know."
"Yeah. I know. Thanks. It helped."
"I'm glad."
How did she do it?
"...Was it really that obvious?"
"No one else ever said anything, but to me it was clear as day. I went through... something similar, so it wasn't hard to pick up on."
Lin's eyes glossed over slightly but Mako didn't miss a beat. "And here I thought it was just you being the world's greatest detective." He gave her a playful squeeze as she refocused.
"It doesn't take a world class detective to get to the bottom of you and your brooding."
"Look who's talking about brooding."
"Watch it." Lin's warning was quick but lacked any actual edge.
The slow, mellow notes drifted over the dance floor as Mako and Lin turned to the soft beat. Maybe it was their proximity or maybe it was the alcohol, but Mako noticed his boss's body for the first time. It was hard to fathom that she was over fifty. Her regular vigorous workout sessions must have been the cause of a figure of a woman in her thirties. Wait. What was he thinking? This was Lin. His boss. The aunt of his brother's girlfriend. There was no way such thoughts were appropriate.
He was busy attempting to forget his observations when he felt a gentle weight on his chest. He looked down to see Lin's head resting against him as they danced. Not exactly helping.
"Uh..."
"Hey Mako?" said Lin, not turning her face up towards her dance partner.
"Yeah, chief?"
"You can call me Lin, you know. Formalities seem silly at this point, don't they?"
"I guess you're right, Lin... What's up?"
"Thanks for hanging out with me tonight. It's been nice to finally spend an evening not feeling like a dried up hag for once."
"You shouldn't need me for that. Just look in a mirror. Pretty ridiculous feelings for the greatest police chief Republic City has ever seen."
"Don't let my mom hear you say that."
"No need to worry about that. I value my life."
"With how often you picked fights with Korra, I doubt that." It was then she realized she had been grinning. When did that happen?
Lin wasn't sure what had compelled her to let her guard down, but she was certain that there was something refreshing about allowing herself to feel vulnerable. She knew that Mako wasn't really an "open up and talk about your feelings" kind of person. Just like her. All the same, she appreciated the effort he was clearly making.
There was that comfortable silence again. They finished their dance without another word. Something felt right about the quiet between them. As the final notes of the soft jazz drifted into nothing, Lin finally looked into Mako's eyes.
"Do you want to get out of here?" Do you want to get out of here? Wow. When was the last time she used that line? Must have been over thirty years.
"Um, right now? Together?"
"Why not? I'm sick of this music and the food here is way too fancy... And I don't really feel like being alone tonight..." Maybe just a dance wasn't enough.
"Well... My apartment's a little messy, but I've got some leftover takeout in the fridge and the new Kanno Yoko record I've been meaning to listen to."
"Works for me."
For an instant as Lin took Mako's arm to go hail a cab, they considered the HR nightmare that could erupt if anyone from the RCPD found out, but immediately dismissed it. Forget HR. They would worry about that later.
What was it about weddings?
Almost everyone they knew had someone to go home with that night. Why shouldn't they? Despite having both been defined by their loneliness for so long, they knew they had no real reason to be alone, at least tonight. If just for tonight, they would have each other.