"It's not like I meant for this to happen!" Bolin defends in hushed tones.
Mako can't decide what holds more of his attention, his brother desperately trying to explain the scene in front of them, or the scene itself, Korra sleeping peacefully on their sofa. He lets out a small sigh. She's really cute when she can't be agitating, Mako thinks to himself.
"Mako, really, I mean, I would tell her to leave, but it's already so late and she's already passed out and I just don't think we should be rude," Bolin taps his fingers together and looks at his brother with pleading eyes, "Can she stay?"
Mako again sighs, it really is his go to response to everything in life. "Fine. But you're explaining to Tenzin tomorrow about how she ended up here."
"Thank you Mako!" Bolin exclaims, a little too loudly, and Mako quickly shushes him as they both look worriedly at Korra. But, she's still in the same position. Her hair loose around her face as it must have fallen out of its holder earlier. Both brothers relax and head up the stairs to their room to get changed for bed. Mako heads to his bed and gets in. Bolin heads to his bed, grabs his blanket and pillow and heads for the door.
"What are you doing?" Mako asks pointedly.
"I was just…" Bolin blushes, "I was just going to keep Korra company."
"Bolin, she's asleep, she doesn't need company," Mako counters.
"I just don't want her to wake up and be alone is all… she came all the way here…"
"Why is she here?" Mako sits up. Bolin puts down his bedding and comes and sits on the end of Mako's bed.
"I.. I'm really not sure," Bolin states. "She just, she showed up looking worried… so I let her in… and then we got to talking… and the next thing I know…" He pauses.
The next thing he knows what! Mako's basically burning on the inside, but instead he calmly encourages, "Go on."
Bolin sighs, "The next thing I know she's asleep." Bolin looks away from his brother.
He's lying. He's lying. Something happened. Something happened! "Come on Bo," Mako is a little too anxious, "What really happened?"
"The next thing I know, she's sobbing on me…" Bolin releases. "And I'm hugging her… and then I'm kissing her… and she's kissing me back…"
"BOLIN!" Mako exclaims without meaning to. His brother stares at his face, agape. Mako collects himself, "I mean, Bolin, I thought we talked about this… dating a teammate is just… it'd be too complicated." That's why I went for Asami instead, Mako adds to himself, in thought.
"I just… like I said, I don't know what happened."
Bolin seems generally confused, and Mako just feels completely crushed. Mako looks at his brother; Bolin is the man that he wishes he could be: compassionate, caring, fun, comforting. Mako really should not be jealous of him; he has everything he has ever wanted. He has Asami, and a home, and a family; they even have a spot in the championship.
But he cannot help his nagging feelings, and his need to know, "So, how'd she end up asleep on the couch?"
Bolin looks up from Pabu, who had wiggled his way into his owner's hands, to look Mako in the eye. He continues in a shaky voice, "We… we didn't know what we were doing. At some point, we just broke apart to stare at each other. She was on top of me… and without saying anything… she just laid her head on my chest and settled. And I settled with her." The corner of Bolin's mouth turns up into a half smile. "A while later, she said she liked hearing the sound of my heartbeat, knowing that I was okay and safe and all… and then all of a sudden she was out. Like a light switch had been flipped. So I stayed there for a while, just enjoying her warmth, and petting Pabu who you know always finds my hand to pet himself on. And then you came home, and I wiggled my way out. And that's that." He is looking to Mako to say something. But he doesn't. "Mako?"
Mako's insides are twisted. He feels like Bolin had just thrown a boulder straight at his sternum, there is so much pressure. He realizes he's forgotten to breathe. Mako takes a deep breath and lets it out slowly. His brother is happy. Korra is happy. Mako is happy, or at least, he was until all this happened, but he forces a smile on his face anyway.
"Go ahead Bolin, you don't want her to wake up without you near her. She'll forget where she is and for all we know she'll destroy the loft before she realizes."
Bolin smiles at his brother. "Thanks Mako, you really are the best." He gets up and grabs his bedding as Pabu jumps on his shoulder. Bolin closes the door behind him and heads down the stairs to set up camp on the floor next to the sofa.
I really am not upset, Mako tries to convince himself, this is a good thing, a good thing. But has he tries to fall asleep, all he can think about is how much he wishes that he was in his brother's shoes, falling asleep next to the avatar, not in his bed wishing the lump in his throat would go down, and that he could breathe without having to force it.