"No. You're not going." In the quiet room where the only light came off the pale face of a cryptic moon fighting through shutter slits, falling dust, and heavy air, the words were like a knife, cold and desperate. The darkness could hide her tears, but it couldn't obscure the trembling fear behind her words.
"I'm going. And I'm going alone." His heated words shone brightly in his eyes a fire, dangerous and determined, dancing.
"You can't!" It infuriated her, the calm steadiness of his voice, made her want to scream to the high heavens. He knew the stakes, so why was he acting like they suddenly didn't matter? "He'll kill you, Mako! And I can't afford any more losses!" Was she an idiot for crying, for caring too much? She certainly felt like one.
"I need to get my brother out of there. I just can't leave him to die!" He was scared, scared out of his mind, but he knew the only thing worse than voluntarily throwing himself in the line of fire was having her follow him there. "I need my family, Korra. He's all I have left."
There was no point in fighting, was there? He was the only person she'd ever met as thick-headed and stubborn as she. "How do I know you'll come back?"
The hard line of his mouth morphed into a soft smirk for a moment. "You silly girl." He pulled her into his chest softly, an arm around her waist, lips to her forehead.
His hand touched hers for a moment, pulling away as he slid to the door. "You keep good care of that until I come back, you hear me?"
She opened her fingers slowly, watching the red piece of fabric intently so she wouldn't have to watch him disappear on the other side of the door.
It was only when the footsteps faded that she unrumpled the cloth, stretching it out in front of her before she finally found the nerve to wrap it round her neck; her fingers ran over the color in a silent prayer.
It was still warm.