This is a Makorra one-shot I posted on tumblr awhile back! Hope everyone likes it!
Takes place in between Books 1 and 2.
Reviews and favorites are appreciated!
"Bro, what's up with you and Korra?"
Mako looked up from his case file to his brother, who was lounging on the coach beside him. Both were studying up before bed; Mako on a recent robbery a few blocks away from the police station, and Bolin on his probending plays for his next match.
"What do you mean, Bo?" Mako asked, closing his folder and tossing it onto the coffee table.
"Weeeell…" Bolin twiddled his thumbs. "You never see each other anymore. I was just wondering if you –"
"We're still together," Mako cut him off, easing the earthbender's worries.
"Oh, good," Bolin sighed in relief, wiping his brow. "I've gotta look out for you crazy kids, that's all." He paused. "So why isn't she here a lot anymore?"
Mako groaned. "She's been taking on more and more requests and giving a lot of people back their bending. They were ferrying in a boat to the island tonight for those who worked during the day and couldn't make it."
Bolin counted on his fingers. "Hasn't she already given, like, a couple thousand people back their bending? How many more does she have to…?"
"I don't know," Mako snapped a little too harshly. Bolin flinched and Pabu poked his head out from under a pillow, bothered by the outburst.
"Sorry," Mako apologized. "It's just… I know Korra's pushing herself too hard, but she won't let me help with anything. I'm really worried about her."
Bolin thought for a moment. "When do you go into work tomorrow?"
"I have the night shift, so not until eight." Mako's brows narrowed. "Why?"
Bolin grinned. "It's time for Operation-Surprise-Your-Girlfriend-At-Work-Even-If-She-Doesn't-Want-You-To!"
Mako's shoulders sagged. He knew where this was going…
She's going to kill me, Mako thought as he stepped off the ferry with a bouquet of flowers in hand. Did Korra even like flowers? Mako wasn't sure, but Bolin had forced them into his hands while he was leaving. They were probably thrown at Bo during his last probending match…
Sighing, Mako did his best to straighten his shoulders and walk onto the island with confidence. Korra's sessions were usually held at the gazebo, so Mako walked past the courtyard and made his to where his girlfriend would most likely be.
The gazebo was deserted.
Mako pushed his sleeve out of the way and checked his watch. It was nine o'clock. The session should have started fifteen minutes ago. Where was everyone…?
"Oh, Mako," Pema called, approaching the firebender. Mako swiveled to face her. Her face was etched with worry.
"What's wrong?" He asked immediately. "Shouldn't Korra be…?"
"The session for tonight was cancelled," Pema explained. "Korra… she collapsed about an hour ago. She's resting in bed, I'm sure she'll be –"
Mako didn't wait to hear what else Pema had to say. He was already sprinting toward the girls' dormitories.
Mako threw the door open. The flowers dropped from his hand and hit the floor.
Korra was lying in her bed, her head propped up on a bunch of pillows. She was awake, but her cheeks were flushed and her eyes were dull with exhaustion. She looked up and smiled weakly at Mako.
He was by her side in an instant.
"What happened?" He asked, lowering himself onto the side of her bed. She held up her hand slightly and he grasped it, intertwining his fingers with hers.
"I just… overworked myself a little bit… that's all."
"That's all?" Mako echoed, moving their joined hands to rest them on her forehead. "Korra, you're burning up."
He was answered with a fit of coughs. Korra sat up and held her head between her knees and Mako rubbed her back until her body stopped shaking.
"Okay… okay, I overworked myself a lot, are you happy now?" Korra moaned, lying back down.
"Obviously I'm not happy, no," Mako stated, pulling the covers up to Korra's chin. She looked completely dazed and her skin was clammy and warm.
"My head is killing me," she moaned, "but the healers can't help because it's not a physical injury."
"We'll see about that," Mako said, standing up. Korra tugged on his jacket.
"Where are you going?"
"I'll be back in an hour," Mako whispered, taking her hand and squeezing it. "Try to sleep."
"I'm not tired," Korra lied, but even as she said this her eyes started to droop heavily.
"… Promise you'll come back?" Korra asked, her voice slurred.
"I promise, Korra."
"Huuuuuh," Ikki breathed, watching as Mako added a few leaves to the kettle. "Mako, are you secretly a mom?"
Mako's brows twitched. "No, Ikki…"
"Are you positive?"
"Positive."
Ikki sat on top of the kitchen table, watching as Mako added various ingredients to a kettle he had boiling on the stove. A basket full of vines, flowers, and different fruits and berries sat on the counter beside him. Mako worked with his sleeves rolled up and wore a pink apron (it was Pema's) to avoid splashing his jacket and scarf.
"It's just that… you look so much like my mom right now, it's uncanny," Ikki mused. "What are you making, anyways? Is it some kind of tea? Juice? A potion? Can I help?"
Mako sighed at Ikki's barrage of questions. He really needed to concentrate here, but he didn't want to upset the young airbender who he already knew was prone to emotional and dramatic outbursts.
"I'm making Korra something that will help with her fever," Mako told her. Ikki squealed.
"That is sooooo cute!" She giggled. "How do you know it'll work?"
"I used to make it for Bo, after our parents died. I learned it from my mother."
Ikki fell silent, immediately registering that his remedy was a touchy subject with the firebender.
"I think you're really sweet to be doing this," Ikki said, jumping up off the table and patting Mako on the arm.
Mako smiled. "Thanks, Ikki."
"You better make Korra feel better so I can air-scooter race with her real soon!" Ikki stated.
Mako nodded, pouring the contents of the kettle into a small cup.
"Count on it."
"Korra," Mako whispered, shaking her shoulder. She blinked open her eyes slowly; her breath was labored and skin was sticky with sweat.
Mako frowned. She was getting worse.
"I need you to drink this," Mako said, gesturing to the steaming cup he held in his hands.
"…Why?"
"It'll make you feel better."
"…"
"Korra…?"
"I don't wanna drink it," she pouted.
Mako sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose. "Korra, come on, you have to."
"It smells weird."
Mako pushed the cup into her hands. "Please. Do this for me," he whispered.
Something in Korra's eyes shifted and she looked up at him intently. After a minute or so she nodded and brought the cup to her lips.
"Urgh," Korra moaned, but forced herself to down the drink. Once the cup was empty she started coughing and wiped her mouth. "That tasted awful!"
"It was supposed to," Mako laughed, placing the cup on the table. "How do you feel?"
"I…" Korra blinked and brought a hand to her cheek. "I… feel cooler." She sat up and swiped some sweaty strands of hair away from her face.
Mako sighed with relief. "Good. It's working. I was afraid I'd made it wrong, it's been so long."
Korra glanced down at the empty cup and back up at her boyfriend. "Did you…?"
"Yes," Mako smirked, sitting down on the bed beside Korra. "It's an old Fire Nation remedy that I used to make for Bo when he was sick. It brings down fevers."
Korra hummed and snuggled closer to Mako's side. "It works wonders," she told him. "I don't feel like I'm on fire anymore."
The two teenagers sat in comfortable silence, watching the shadows from the moon's light dance across the walls of the room. Korra snored lightly against Mako's shoulder, and he smiled at her, brushing some stray strands of hair behind her hair.
"You need to go to bed," Mako laughed, laying Korra down against the pillows.
"Not tired," she muttered, one eye peeking open lazily.
"Liar," he said, pulling up the covers.
"… Mako?"
"Yeah, Korra?"
"You're mother would have been so proud of you."
Mako froze, locking eyes with Korra. She was hardly conscious, but her comment still stuck to him nonetheless. He wasn't surprised that Korra figured out where he'd learned to brew the remedy. She was always picking up on the smallest of details, even if it didn't seem like it sometimes.
He loved her for that.
Mako moved down and cupped Korra's face in between his calloused hands. Her eyes blinked open and she looked at Mako, her cerulean orbs bright in the shadows. Slowly, Mako tilted his head downward and pushed his lips against her's. They were chapped and warm from Korra's lingering fever, but Mako reveled in the feeling as he moved his lips against her's gently.
Korra sighed against his kiss and her hands snaked up to his hair. She tugged him closer and Mako complied; he could feel her heart beating rapidly against his chest.
Mako kissed Korra on the cheeks, on the nose, and quickly on the lips again before shifting his weight to his arms so he could hover over her without getting up.
Korra breathed slowly through her nose and stared up into Mako's eyes. "That was stupid," she mumbled.
Mako arched an eyebrow. "What?"
"No, not the kiss itself; that was amazing," Korra hastily explained. "It's just that… you're probably going to get sick now too, you know."
"I don't get sick," Mako scoffed, waving her comment aside.
"If you say so," Korra said doubtfully, sticking out her tongue at the firebender.
Mako rolled away from Korra and sat up. "Go to sleep, Korra," he said softly. "You need to rest."
"I'm fine," Korra yawned, her eyes drooping closed as Mako pulled the covers over her body and tucked her in. He was just about to leave when he heard her mutter sleepily:
"… Thanks, Mako. For everything..."
"Of course," he whispered.
Late into the night, Korra woke up with her head resting on something that was definitely not a pillow. Lifting her gaze slightly, she noticed that Mako was lying next to her, his head propped up against the bedpost.
He held a book in one hand and a small ball of fire in his other as a reading light.
He must have gotten the book from Jinora.
Smiling softly, Korra kissed his shoulder and fell back into a quiet sleep.
"Kooooraaaaaaaaaa!"
Korra, mid-stretch after a rigorous training session, snapped her head up in the direction of Bolin's voice. The earthbender sprinted over to her and nearly knocked into her after trying to skid to a stop.
"Woah, Bo!" Korra yelped, grabbing his arms and helping him stand upright. "What're you doing here? Don't you have practice soon?"
"Yes!" Bolin gasped, trying to catch his breath. "But I had to come see you – I have a favor!"
Korra cocked and eyebrow and crossed her arms. "… A favor?"
Bolin looked up pleadingly. "I really have to go to practice, but I'm worried about Mako!"
Korra's mind raced. "Why? What's wrong with him?"
"Weeeell... Remember when you were sick a few days ago?"
"I told you it was a stupid idea to kiss me."
Groaning, Mako unburied his head from his pillow and squinted up at the figure standing above his bed. "… Korra?"
"Who else could it be, you dork?" Korra laughed, pulling off her boots and climbing into bed with him.
"What… what are you doing here?" Mako moaned, shifting over so he could look into her eyes. "Shouldn't you be meeting with President Raiko?"
"I cancelled," Korra stated simply, pushing some of his sweaty hair away from his forehead.
"Korra…"
"What?" She huffed. "I can't stand the guy! I'd much rather keep my boyfriend company on his day off."
"This isn't a day off," Mako coughed, black dots swimming across his vision. "I haven't called Lin yet. She's probably pissed…"
"Hmmm." Korra rolled over to the edge of Mako's bed and grabbed the phone. She dialed the number to Lin's personal office and waited as it began to ring.
"She's not going to be happy," Mako muttered.
"Bah! Let her," Korra scoffed.
"Hello?"
"Heeeey, Lin," Korra greeted the Beifong cheerfully. "It's Korra!"
"I can tell," Lin said distastefully.
"I'm calling to inform you that Mako, that cute firebender who works in your office, is going to have to be excused from work today. Avatar's orders."
"What?"
"He's sick," Korra explained. "I'm taking care of him. He can't come into work."
"Don't tell me…THISis the reason you cancelled with the President of the United Republic of Nations?!"
"You know, when you say his full title like that, it makes him sound way more important than he really is," Korra mused.
"TELL MAKO TO GET HIS LAZY ASS TO THE OFFICE THIS INSTANT!" Lin yelled into the receiver, clearly fed up with Korra's antics. "And you! I command you to go and speak with the President! You DO NOT cancel on him unless it is a life-or-death situation!"
Korra glanced at Mako and tried to bite back a laugh. He looked absolutely pale with worry. Korra waved her hand dismissively.
"Sorry Lin, no can do! We're both booked!"
"KORRA, MAKO, DON'T YOU – "
Click.
"Did you just hang up on her?" Mako choked, still in disbelief that Korra had so nonchalantly spoken to his boss like that.
"She was being rude," Korra shrugged, jumping back into bed. Mako winced as she jostled the mattress. "Oops, sorry."
"No," Mako breathed, smiling up at her. "I'm glad you're here. Thanks for coming."
Korra pressed a kiss to his forehead. "Anytime."
They fell asleep in each other's arm, and Mako had to admit that he felt a bit better by the end of the day.
Lin, mid-shout, nearly cursed out loud when she heard Korra hang up the phone on the other end of the line. The nerve that girl had. How dare she…
Her mind flashed to the pair of them – the detective and the Avatar – and her anger cooled. Both were very devoted to their jobs, even if the latter sometimes didn't act like it. But Mako… he would never skip work unless he couldn't avoid it. And Korra… she'd never neglect her Avatar duties unless there was someone far more important that she had to take care of…
"Feel better," Lin sighed.
She hung up the receiver with a smile.