disclaimer: I own nothing, only a computer.

Spies

"Korra, no."

"Shh!"

"This is ridiculous."

"They'll hear you!" Korra hissed at Mako, clamping her hand over his mouth.

He removed her hand from his face and leaned in right next to her.

"Someone is gonna come by and see us here, and wondering what we're doing, and then they'll see them, and Tenzin will find out, and he'll be angry, and then you'll be angry, and do you even want to think about how embarrassed Jinora will be?" he whispered in her ear.

Korra pouted

"But it's so cute!"

Mako sighed. It was kind of cute, he had to admit. Jinora was hanging out with the boy that she liked, the one that she had told him about at The Party, as Korra liked to call it. They were talking together, in that sort of friendly-but-shy, blushing-from-eye-contact way, and Mako had already observed three accidental brushings of their hands.

"Fine," he conceded, "We can stay. But you better have a damned good explanation if someone finds us hiding in the bushes!"

Korra squealed, but then remembered that they had to be quiet, so she just kissed Mako quickly instead.

Mako sighed. This wasn't going to end well, and he knew it. They were lying on their stomachs, in between two rows of bushes, peering out onto the yard where Jinora and the boy, who's name they didn't know, were walking around. Anyone walking by could easily spot them, and if they were spotted, it would be called to the attention of the spotter that the couple was spying on Jinora and her almost boyfriend, and that the two of them might very soon be kissing. Tenzin would be furious and overprotective, Mako was sure of that. The man had nearly burst an artery when he saw Mako and Korra kissing at The Party, and Mako didn't ever want to repeat the experience of getting the talk from Tenzin.

The air bending master had cornered them one evening when he dropped by their Pro-Bending training offering to take Korra home when they were done. When Korra said that it wasn't necessary, she could take care of herself, and that besides, Mako was already seeing her back, he had marched the two of them into an empty hallway and explained certain house rules to them. It had been horrible and awkward, and Mako had spent the rest of the week trying to forget ever hearing Tenzin talk about sex, while Korra had teased him mercilessly.

"You should have seen your face! I've never seen you look more scared!" she would laugh, and Mako would grumble slightly, and she would shove him away lightly, and he would pull her back in for a kiss. It had become a routine.

They tried to stay off Air Temple Island as much as possible, though, since Tenzin had been very clear and very strict about what they could and could not do. If he was that overprotective of Korra, Mako shuddered to think what he would be like with his own daughters.

He glanced at Korra, who was cupping her chin in her hands, focused on the scene in front of her.

"Just do it already," she muttered under her breath, and Mako snorted.

"Korra, they're both ten. And shy. We're wasting our time."

"Shhh! They're walking this way!"

As they approached, Mako could hear the two kids' conversation.

"Yeah, my sister really likes Pro-Bending. My dad takes her to matches all the time," the boy was saying.

"Really? Has she seen Korra play?" Jinora asked interestedly.

"Mmhmm. She wants to be just like her and play on a team. My dad says that when she's old enough, and her earth bending is good enough, she can do some training and stuff and see if she still wants to do it. But until then, she just goes talks non stop about the Avatar and how cute she thinks those two brothers are."

Korra poked Mako in the ribs and winked at him. He rolled his eyes.

"They're going out, you know," Jinora informed the boy, "Korra and Mako, the fire bender."

Mako and Korra both groaned quietly. As if people weren't talking about them enough already as it was, now they'd definitely be the subject of schoolyard gossip. Honestly, thought Mako, Jinora was as bad as the newspapers.

Since their first kiss had been a rather public affair, naturally, it was the talk of the town. Of course, there had been speculation before that, and after it happened, there were rumors floating around that Bolin had quit the team in a jealous fit. Those had made Korra laugh. Bolin's reaction had been pretty much the opposite of that; he had babbled for days about how he had known from the beginning, and how they owed it all to him because without him, Toza would have just chucked Korra out of the gym and would they please name their first child after him? Mako's brotherly patience had worn a little thin when Bolin had started asking after the dirty details, although he was sure that Korra had probably already told Bolin everything. Not that there was too much to tell, yet.

"I've never been to a match," Jinora was saying wistfully, "I'm not really into Pro-Bending that much, but I'd like to go."

"Yeah, I've only been a couple times," the boy replied, "Hey! We should go to a match! Aren't the Fire Ferrets playing this weekend?"

"Yeah," said Jinora hesitantly, "But I don't know if my dad will let me go. He'll probably say that it's too dangerous."

"Only if you sit in the cheap seats. My sister and dad get box seats, and I'm sure that since you're friends with the Avatar and all, you could get any seat you wanted."

The two kids were walking away from them now, and the rest of their conversation was lost. Korra turned to Mako, a huge grin on her face.

"They're gonna go on a date!" she clapped her hands together, "Oh no. She's gonna want advice about how to act and what to wear and oh no, I don't know that crap."

Mako couldn't help but laugh at the terrified expression on her face.

"It can't be that hard," he said.

"Well, it's not like I've been on a lot of dates in my life, you know."

"But we-"

"Mako, please. When have we been on a real date?"

Mako opened his mouth to respond.

"And don't say drinks with Bolin, because that doesn't count."

Mako didn't have time to reply. Jinora and the boy were walking by the bushes again, and both Mako and Korra fell silent. A root was digging into Mako's ribs, and he shifted uncomfortably.

"Watch it," Korra hissed as he accidentally elbowed her.

"Sorry."

Propping himself up on an elbow, Mako pondered the ridiculousness of what he was doing. If he had known that hiding in a bush with Korra, spying on a couple of ten year olds first kiss, was on the menu when Korra had showed up in the morning, asking him over, he might have gone with Bolin instead. He would have saved himself some bruises and a whole lot of soreness the next morning.

"Korra, we should go. We're gonna get caught, if not by those two, then by the guards or Tenzin or someone."

Korra waved him off.

"The kid has to go home soon. It'll happen; just wait," Korra assured him.

Mako rubbed his temples and sighed, but stayed put. Jinora and the boy had stopped walking. They were smiling shyly at each other, and just when Mako had thought it would never happen, the boy leaned in and pressed his lips experimentally to Jinora's. It was all Mako could do to control Korra's flailing, and he couldn't help but smile broadly himself.

There were footsteps.

"Someone's coming!" he whispered in panic at Korra, who glanced behind them.

"Just follow my lead," she told him as the steps grew closer, and before Mako had time to ask what she meant by that, she had glued her lips to his and climbed on top of him.

"What're you doing?" he asked, pulling away from the kiss.

"Letting those two have their moment," she replied before covering his mouth with hers once again.

Mako gave up. He was winding his fingers in her hair when a very imposing looking shadow fell across them. Looking down at them was Tenzin, red faced as ever, cape billowing behind him. Mako detached himself from Korra, who was smiling sheepishly.

"What do you two think you're doing?" he asked them, crossing his arms over his chest.

"Oh, nothing, just a little mild inspection of soil softness," Korra said, standing up and drawing Tenzin's gaze away from anywhere near where Jinora and her friend were.

Hastily, Mako raised himself and joined Korra, brushing the dirt and leaves off of his coat.

"Is that what they're calling it these days?" Tenzin said dryly.

"C'mon Tenzin, lighten up. We were just having a bit of fun."

Tenzin narrowed his eyes at Korra, who stared back, smile in place. Mako shook his head at her lack of chagrin.

"Anyways," said Tenzin, deciding to let it go, "Have you two seen Jinora? I've been looking all over for her. Her friend needs to catch the next ferry back."

They both shook their head no.

"I think she may be up at the house. I heard her say something about wanting to show him some book or other," Korra offered.

"Right, well. I'll be back later," Tenzin said, "Please behave, Korra."

Korra smiled at him sweetly.

"I always do, you know me, Tenzin."

He walked off in search of Jinora. When he was out of ear shot, Korra cracked up. Mako hastily shushed her. Jinora was looking over at them while her friend was turned the other way.

"Sorry," Korra mouthed, and Jinora glared, but Mako could see that she was thankful for the diversion.

"We should probably go now," Mako murmured to Korra, and took her hand.

Before they walked away, though, Korra flashed Jinora a huge thumbs up and mouthed "Go for it!"

Mako rolled his eyes and kissed the top of Korra's head. Jinora saw the little gesture and grinned at him from across the yard. She gave the two of them a thumbs up, and with a huge smile on her face, she turned back to the boy to give him another quick kiss.