Slightly AU because I wrote it before recent episodes, hardly noticeable though
He did not agree to this. He was a firebender, he liked moderately warm temperatures not sub-zero ones. He liked sand and sun, not ice and snow. More importantly, he preferred a stay-cation to a vacation any day. But Korra had shown up to practice with that life-ruiner smile of hers and "presents" for the two of them. She'd whipped out a thickly furred parka, black and red for him, green and brown for Bo, and "Guess what guys! We're going on vacation!"
To the south freaking pole.
He had said no automatically. But Bolin had begged with Korra right behind him, combining puppy dog looks into some kind of ambush of cute. He had almost won, what with his long list of excuses, until Asami had stepped in (still friends with them despite their break-up) saying she would take care of things while they were away and hey it might be fun.
Go, they said. It'll be fun, they said.
No, Mako most certainly had not agreed to this. But there he was, wearing his black and red parka, purchased for him by the instigator of this situation, brooding on the back of a flying bison.
Vacation my ass, Mako thought bitterly.
Between the steadily dropping temperature, the limited travel space of the bison, and the diabolically loud game being played by Bolin and the airbending children, Mako was beginning to contemplate jumping ship. He glanced over the side at ocean as it rushed by and wondered if the fall would actually be enough to kill him or only leave him severely maimed.
Across from him Korra leaned precariously over the side of the saddle in way that made Mako's fingers twitch nervously.
"Hey Naga! How you doing girl?"
The polar bear-dog gave a gleeful bark in reply from where she paddled valiantly below them. Korra slumped back into the bison, throwing herself next to him, decidedly too close because she was Korra and she always had to be too much of something.
"This is gonna be great!" she said, enthusiasm making her eyes bright and her hands move frantically to keep up with her words, "I can't wait to show you guys everything! You'll get to meet my parents and Katara and I can take you guys' penguin sledding and ice skating and—hey what's the matter?"
She stopped when she noticed how his expression darkened at all the things they would be doing outside. In the cold. He shrugged in reply.
"Getting frostbite isn't exactly my idea of a vacation."
"Awh," she mocked, "is wittle ol' Mako afraid to be out of his element."
Mako grimaced, though whether it is at the horrible pun or the good humored elbow to the ribs she gave him to affirm that yes he got it, it is hard to say.
"Gee Korra, that was so funny I almost laughed myself right off the bison."
When they get close enough to see the glow of the lights and the towering buildings colored the refracted blue of ice and snow, she leans out of the bison saddle again. Mako can't help himself and grabs a handful of her parka—just in case.
"Home," Korra breathed the word, her voice catching like she'd forgotten what it meant until just then. Her eyes shine a bottomless glacial blue. It is the stillest he's ever seen her and the least he's ever heard her have to say about something.
It's almost worth all the ice and snow and cold when he sees her fling herself from the bison into the nearest snow bank face first. And when she flops over with snow on her lashes, grinning and swinging her arms to make a snow angel. It is almost worth when the airbabies pile on top of her with cries of "Kor-ra!" and her affectionate response of "I love you little brats!" and she hugged them to her. It's almost worth it when she grabs his hand.
"We're going penguin sledding!" she yelled over her shoulder at Tenzin.
"But what about your parents?" Tenzin countered indignant.
"We'll see them at dinner. Come on Bo!"
Bolin gathered the children saying, "This way my little minions!"
It's almost worth it when they are careening down a snowy cliff on the back of an animal and he can feel her laughter and wild cheering directly transmit from her ribs to his. It's almost worth it when he sees her run head long into the arms of her father; when he lifts her up like she isn't seventeen and made of muscle and then catches her as she buries her face in his shoulder and her fingers clinging to his shoulders. He jokes that "one of us is getting too old for this."
It's almost worth it when Mako recognizes Korra's smile in her mothers. It's almost worth it when Senna hugs the two brothers in greeting. And at some point it stops being almost worth it and starts just being worth it.