There was a knock at the door.
"Mako, sweetie, dinner's ready!" Pema called from just outside the door where Korra was sleeping.
"I'm not hungry, thank you though." He called back.
Pema walked in, her face scrunched, and placed a hand gently on his shoulder. She didn't miss the flinch or the fact that his gaze never left her.
"She's going to be fine you know. She is going to wake up."
He sighed.
"I know, it's just that, I, I feel so bad for not being there, and I was so worried," His voice cracked just then and he paused before continuing, whispering now.
"I want to be there for her."
She smiled before reaching down and giving him a hug.
"Just to let you know, dinner is still waiting for you, okay?" She said as she walked out of the room, that smile still on her face. If she had saw his face, she wouldn't have missed the quick grin that touched his face. It vanished though, when he saw that Korra was grimacing and twitching under the covers. Her face betrayed what was happening, which Mako realized as a nightmare.
"Korra?" He tried, as he began shaking her shoulders. She had suffered so much already that anything, anything he could do to prevent her from suffering anymore, he would do.
"Korra!" He almost yelled, getting panicky when she wouldn't wake up,her body limp, tears streaming down her face. Getting desperate, he pulled her into a hug, squeezing her as tightly as possible until finally, finally, the crying stopped, and she hugged him back, burying her face into the crook of his shoulder.
He was apologizing over and over again as they rocked together, back and forth.
"I am so sorry, I shouldn't have let you go and I should've found you sooner and I should've woken you up earlier and oh spirits I am so, so sorry. Please forgive me and I hope you don't hate me-"
She chuckled and the unexpectedness caused him to stop talking.
"Mako," her voice muffled before she leaned back to look at him.
"It's okay. I don't hate you. There's nothing you could've done and," she turned away for a second to cough, "and I'm glad you guys rescued me. Thank you."
He closed the distance between them and kissed her and she kissed him back and it seemed that all was right in the world.
They pulled apart and she grinned.
"Thank you,"
"Your welcome,"
"You know, there is one thing you can do for me,"
Mako shot up straight and swayed, collapsing and face palming back onto the bed.
"Woah there, are you okay?"
He raised himself up quickly and answered just as fast.
"Yup, I'm fine. You need what?"
Korra reached up to grab his arm.
"Mako. You are tired."
He smiled but didn't deny that.
"You need sleep. I need sleep. We should sleep together?"
He started blushing as Korra pulled him onto the bed.
"B-but Korra, we're n-not really gonna,"
And she laughed. Occasionally there were coughs that interrupted until it was just coughing and Mako patting her back.
"Mako, not like that. Like actual sleeping in the same bed. Okay?"
She didn't wait for an answer before throwing the covers over herself and rolling over, facing away from him. Suddenly, the weight on the mattress shifted and Mako's arm draped over Korra. He moved closer and Korra leaned back and they were cuddling.
They fell asleep like that. And stayed asleep like that, even when Pema came in later, to announce breakfast.