A/N: Hey there! Here is some Makorra friendship/fluff. Thanks to WargishBoromirFan for being my beta reader!
I do not own. All of this is (c) Bryke and Nickelodeon.
A Dose of Perspective
It's a miracle anyone likes her, Mako thought, pulling on his practice gear. His nose wrinkled at the stench of stale sweat as his shirt passed over his face. Korra had been spoiled her whole life and it showed in her absurd overconfidence. He doubted she has had to wear week-old, sweat-soiled clothing because she couldn't afford to do laundry daily.
He scoffed. No, she probably had lines of people begging to do the laundry of the Avatar. He sat down on the bench, inspecting his shoes with a grimace before pulling them on. A couple new holes and tears had appeared since their last match. He tried to be careful with his equipment, unlike her. She had thrown her helmet many a time in the heat of their inevitable arguments. Each time the hard material slammed against the floor, echoing throughout the room, he winced. His mind, out of habit, would begin to add up the cost of possible damages; counting how many nights without dinner before they could pay it off to Toza.
It was pointless trying to teach her about responsibility. She often stormed out while he was mid-lecture. She was too brash. Always acting without thinking, without regard for other people. She most likely grew up getting what she wanted, so why should that be any different now? It disgusted him. He tied his red sash around his waist. She made no sense, he concluded as he stood up.
It truly was a miracle that he even put up with her.
#
Korra showed up late for practice a few weeks later. It was the tenth time in a row. (Honestly, time management was not a difficult skill to learn.) By the time the gym doors opened and she walked in, Bolin had already wandered off to woo some crazy fangirl. With the team's peacemaker gone, Mako decided it was high time he confronted her about her attitude.
She threw her equipment bag in the corner, almost knocking over the weight rack in the process.
"Korra!" He fumed. Didn't she realize that as captain, he would be held responsible for anything she broke?
She ignored him, her foot slamming down, causing two earth disks to shoot up from the floor. A loud grunt reverberated off the walls as she channeled her energy into a one-two punch. Her stance was heavy and rigid, forcing her to use more energy in her punches. The disks were sent whizzing into the net, regardless. She stomped, the next two disks popped up, a louder grunt, and the net groaned in response. Again.
Again.
Again.
Korra's grunts were on the verge of becoming screams, her brows furrowed to the point where they were almost touching over her fiercely closed eyes.
Again.
He had never seen her like this. It was normal for her to take her frustrations out during practice, but it usually resulted in sparring. Not today, though. Today she hadn't looked at him once, let alone picked a fight. Mako wondered if she even knew he was there.
Her stance shifted. Her chest heaved with each panted breath. She raised her arms, skin glistening with the sheen of sweat. Taking a deep breath, her wrists rotated, her arms bending as she spun around, thrusting her hands forward with the smallest of sounds. A whimper filled with desperation.
Nothing.
A frustrated yell ripped from her throat, fire flicking from her tongue. The floor shook, tiles beginning to break apart. With one last rumble, she collapsed in on herself; knees hugged to her chest, forehead buried in her forearms.
He stood there, unsure of what to do. His anger had been replaced with confusion and worry. Testing his voice, he spoke carefully.
"Korra?"
A choked sob fought against her body, her usually strong shoulders quaked in response. His chest tightened, his mouth felt dry.
When had this strong, brash, confident girl become so...vulnerable?
Setting his helmet down, Mako crossed the room. He blew out a sigh and pulled his fingers through his hair before kneeling down beside her crumpled form. Tentatively, he reached a hand out to rest on her shoulder. Her skin was still slick with sweat. The touch sent her flying at him. He flinched, waiting for the impact of her fist or some element.
Her arms, instead, grasped around his neck and she lay half sprawled in his lap. He slid an arm around her shoulder, his other hand cupping the back of her head, ducking it under his chin. He doesn't say anything. He just lets her cry against his chest. Mako closed his eyes and allowed his long fingers to rub circles on her back, soothing both her and himself.
When her cries stopped and her body relaxed, finally letting herself become still, Korra spoke.
"I am a failure of an Avatar." Her voice was clear and laced with shame. His hold on her tightened, hoping that the gesture will keep his own heart from aching at her words. "This city—no, these people need my help and I can't do anything for them. I can't beat Amon. I feel powerless against chi-blockers. I can't even air bend!" She paused; he felt her frown deepen against his shoulder. "I am supposed to be a symbol of hope and peace, but instead I am just a reminder that Aang isn't here anymore."
Mako's breath caught in his throat and their first meeting slapped him in the face.
"You're the Avatar and I'm an idiot."
He groaned internally at his earlier stupidity. Yes, she might be infuriating sometimes, and yes, she might not have any regard for other people or their belongings, but she dealt with more each day than he would ever be able imagine.
Every day Korra had been faced with the responsibility of mastering all four elements and bringing balance to a city on the verge of war and, in her eyes, she failed at that responsibility every day. He looked down at the girl in his arms. She was trying so hard to live up to all of Aang's achievements that she couldn't even see the change she had brought to Republic City already. She was trying to do so much for this city and no one, not even her own teammate, could see that.
Mako pushed Korra away. Hurt flashed through her eyes before her mask of anger fell back into place.
"Fine, Mako," She snapped. "Forget I said anyth—"
"No." He gripped her shoulders, forcing her to look him in the eyes. "No, Korra. I won't forget what you said, so don't you dare forget what I am about to say to you.
"You are an incredible Avatar. You work your butt off day after day to protect these people and then put up with criticism because they refuse to appreciate what you do. Sure you haven't mastered air bending yet, but since you have arrived, you have boosted the morale around here. They have hope because of you. You might not be able to see it, but know that I—we believe in you, Korra." He smiled at her. "I know you can do this."
Her mouth dropped open and he watched as a briefest blush crept onto her cheeks. Her face softened into a sweet smile, those cerulean eyes twinkling with leftover tears. She reached forward and pulled him into a hug, nestling her head against his shoulder. Mako felt her soft hair brush against his cheek. She smelled like sea salt and cool breezes. It made his head feel light.
Korra's arms tightened around his chest, giving him an excuse to hold her closer, savoring the moment.
She lifted her head, her lips barely touching his ear.
"Thanks, Mako." They skimmed the length to his cheek where she placed a feather-light kiss before pulling back. "You're a great friend."
It was his turn for his mouth to hang open, his fingers reaching up to press the lingering shadow of the kiss. She stood up, her hips sashaying with her usual confidence as she picked up her bag. He tugged at his collar, craning his neck as an uncomfortable heat rushed to his face.
Korra whipped her head around, wolf tail gracefully mimicking the motion. Her mouth split into a grin and the spark in her eyes made his heart strain against his chest. The small pink tip of her tongue peaked between her front teeth, her eyes darted over to the stairs leading up to the attic and back to him.
"Last one upstairs makes the winner lunch!" And then she was gone, the echo of her jovially melodic laugh the only proof she had been there.
Mako ran his tongue over his lips, which quickly quirked into a grin as he leapt up to follow. Her energy had always been infectious. His helmet lay forgotten on the ground.
Maybe it wasn't so hard to see why people like her, after all.