Summary: Mako finally realizes what his love with Korra is.
A/N: I highly recommend you listen to this while reading. PLEASE. FOR YOURSELF. DO IT.
He always thought, as he grew up on the streets, that all he could ever want, was a giant house. Filled with money, and food, and friends. That's all he ever wanted for him and his brother. A roof over their heads, and things to fill the room. Endless plates of things to eat, and people to converse with. And Bo would talk about how he wanted to marry a princess, or a queen, or just any powerful woman. That's all he wanted. Mako on the other hand, could go on without someone on his arm. Or so he thought.
Whenever he and Bolin saw a girl, they would either give them a sad face and the old, "I wish there was something I could do.", treatment. Or girls would laugh for them either looking stupid or thinking they were cute. And when Zolt would bring in hookers for the gang, which the brothers refused when offered once or twice.
Bolin had no trouble with the ladies at all. He would always know what to say. Mako had no idea where it came from in him. Maybe it was from his dad.
Mako never thought having romance in his life was a necessary thing for him. He thought his purpose was to solely put a roof over his brother's head, and food in his mouth. That's really all he ever knew what to do with himself. He's accomplish any task to make sure of it. And then, his brother brought her.
At first he thought she was just an inconvenience. Another lady Bolin had wrapped around his finger. But you couldn't get anything to wrap around her at all. She was just so free and careless. He didn't understand how someone in today's world could be like that. And it was even more confusing when he learned she had the entire weight of the world on her shoulders.
She barely knew them and yet she agreed to help them with their team, and finding his brother. Maybe she really did care. But to him, she was just a teammate. Who helped rescue his brother. And for that he was grateful.
She made things seem enjoyable and fun. She told him that was what life is supposed to be like. No matter what you did. To take chances. Try new things. He thought she was crazy. But maybe he was crazy too. Because he actually went on a date that next week.
The woman he met supposedly the woman any man could ask for. Strong. Beautiful. Independent. Unstoppable. Caring. Sweet. Loving. And he enjoyed it. But even though, it seemed like something he should want, he wanted something else. Something different. To him it was like that at least.
What was it? He couldn't put his finger on it. Oh no. No no no no. He couldn't she was just a teammate, who saved his brother, and brought him into the beauty of life. She wasn't…was she? What was he thinking. No sane person would even dare to think of interfering with the perfectly functional situation. Well apparently, she wasn't sane. And neither was he.
She admitted to having similar feelings he had, and he did what he thought was best, and refused them. And then he tried to do what was best again, and tried to clear the air with her. But honestly, he kinda got what he wanted out of it. She must have done what she thought was best, and kissed him. He never thought he would enjoyed it as much as he did. It was quick though. Too quick for his liking. Just as he was about to pull her into his arms she left his lips, only to be greeted by his brother's heartbroken face. Guess he didn't say the right things with this lady.
He wanted to make his brother happy, and he did just the opposite. He didn't know where to direct his frustration, and he was ashamed to say that it went straight to her.
Time had past, and the air was clear again. His brother was smiling, She was making things brighter, and the beautiful girl stayed on his arm, much to his friend's demise. He went to his instincts though. He wouldn't mess things up between them anymore. Whoops. Wrong again.
His girlfriend had her happiness taken from her, and she was there to tell him to give it back to her. Damn it, she wasn't making it easy for him to not want to repay her in more ways than one. For just being…her. And then, he wished he had.
She was stolen from him. His happiness was taken from him now. And she wasn't there to tell him to go get it back. He lost control of himself. He wouldn't rest until she was back safe and sound. Under a roof. Food in her mouth. And in his arms. And even after she was in his arms, cradled into his warm chest, he stayed up the rest of the night, making sure his beauty of life wasn't stolen again.
Then in the morning, he was confronted with his actions of returning affection to her, by the very person, he wished didn't know. Because he didn't want to hurt anyone else.
He watched over her every second he could. When they fought side by side, and when they were almost defeated side by side. He was there to make sure she could bring out whatever troubled the world. And to be a should to lean on, and arms to wrap around her. And that's when he realized, he wasn't sane at all. He wanted this every moment of his life. Her bringing him joy, and beauty in the world, and him showing her affection and gratitude towards it. And her. And when he told her that, she turned him away.
Maybe he deserved it. For he had done the same to her. When she said the feelings were mutual. She said if there was no happiness where you were, you just had to put it there yourself. She wasn't happy. And he wouldn't be, until she was.
He ran. He followed her tracks until he saw her, being this beautiful creature in the sky. And when she came back down to Earth, she went straight into his arms. Jumped in fact. And he caught her effortlessly. And then he spun her around. He knew where it came from. Just the pure joy, and love, that was the fact that she was his. And to him, it was all he could ever want.
The months went on. They spent just about every day together, hand in hand. And one day, he remembered seeing couples spin around together carelessly. And he always wanted to know what it was like. Sometimes he would just randomly pull her around in his arms, and spin around with her in circles. They would laugh and giggle, and she would make that perfect smile. And then, he would lift her up into the air, and then he would have her lean down and kiss him. To him it was perfection.
But then, darkness. The source of it actually, lured her in. And she pushed him back. And he walked away from her. But then later, she came running back again. He thought the joy and love had left her, but it never left him, or her at all. But as the darkness faded, they came to the conclusion, maybe it wasn't a good idea. They weren't a good idea. They didn't work. He had no idea what to do. She was saying all these things. He thought this would make her happy. And to him, if she was happy, so was he. He loved her.
But he was wrong. She was his happiness. She was is joy. She was the most rare and beautiful part of life not many at all seem to find. And he found it. And she seemed happier, but she couldn't make him happy the same way she did before. Not like this. But after a time apart, he finally went back to try to see if she could make him happy this way. And she did make him realize one thing.
He realized, to him, she was his happiness. His joy. His rare, and beautiful, love of his life. To him, she was everything he actually wanted. And he was finally going to return the favor of affection that he gave her in the first place.