"When you get to jail, tell them Mako sent ya." The deafening click of the handcuffs on Varrick's wrists brought the closest thing to a smirk on to Mako's face for the first time in weeks.
And just as quickly as it had appeared, it vanished; Mako's tired, golden eyes widened in alarm, his stomach twisting painfully at what had just left his mouth.
Her blue eyes shimmered brightly as a melodic laugh left her lips; Mako's heart fluttered. She was too beautiful.
"Ooh, I like that one."
"Okay," he decided, stowing his list into his jacket, "I'll use that next time."
Leaving his catch to Beifong, he turned on his heel and strode away from Varrick's ship. He needed to be alone.
Mako had made it to his empty apartment right before lunch, not noticing if his younger brother was even home. He made a beeline to his bedroom, and quickly closed the door.
Passing the few pictures he possessed of himself, Bolin, his parents, her, Mako extracted a folded sheet of paper from his jacket and took a pen from the desktop. He carefully scratched out the catch phrase neatly written underneath "You should put more 'try' in 'triad'."
When you get to jail, tell them Mako sent ya.
His tears, for once, fell freely as his amber gaze, fatigued and pained beyond belief, sought the comfort of his most recently acquired picture of Avatar Korra — clipped from an obituary three weeks ago.
"I used the one you liked today, sweetie."
notes: i'm really into hurting people's feelings these days. including my own. i've been spoiling myself and reading in-depth spoilers for the beginning part 1, and i am hyped. whoo man. hyped.