= = = = = Month 1 = = = = =
Masked women giggle as the slide up to Mako, "Oh Detective, you're not making it any fun, you have to wear a mask!"
"Ladies," he says as he tries to slink out of their arms, "I'm working right now."
"Oh, like that has ever stopped you from having fun before."
"Oh look, now you made him angry."
Mako, unable to hide his irritation, excuses himself from the women and makes his way over to Lin.
"Now we lost our chance of getting laid! I heard he was incredible too…"
Ugh...that stupid fling won't die down! "Beifong," he nods sharply.
"I see you're as popular as ever," Lin flatly notes as she scans the crowd.
"I don't want to talk about it." He assumes the position and begins scanning the crowd.
"Why don't you go eat, kid?"
"I'm not hungry."
"You were here before me, ugh...another drunk male looking like he's on the attack," Lin stretches her neck side to side cracking the joints. "I really wish they would go to a drink-ticket system. Our jails will be full of stupid drunks at this rate."
Mako turns to see a man in a Spirit Animal costume with his sights locked on a lady a few feet ahead making her way through the crowd. "I'll get this Chief, if you go, you might freak him out and cause a bigger seen."
"And you won't?"
"I'll pretend I know her," he responds but is already walking off. He notices the lady is in a red layered dress, but the layers seemed to float around her. The gold design around the bodice made her easy to spot, but that was also the problem. He saw the drunkard was nearly there and Mako still had half the room to cross. He picked up his pace when the guy grabbed the girl's arm. She turned and saw her face was covered in a beautiful gold and red masque but could tell by her body language that she was trying to pull away.
"Hey! Hey," he called out jogging up to them. "I've been looking for you all over…" He was thrown off. With her darker skin she assumed her eyes would be blue like Korra's, but they were amber. Pretty he thought breifly.
"Beat it kid, we're busy," the drunkard tightened his grip on the lady, but Mako swiftly put his hand on top of his. "Look, kid…." The guy finally looked at Mako, in his uniform. Mako smiles as recognition dawns on the guys face and half tosses the girl away. She stumbles, but Mako catches her.
"Thank you."
"No problem, Ma'am. It's my job." He stood in front of her, not sure what to do, but not really wanting to go. He feels someone approach and sees the two women from earlier heading in their direction. "Do you, umm, want to…"
"Do you mind showing me to the buffet?"
"What?"
"I'm hungry and this place is so big."
Mako laughs and gently puts his hand against her back, "After you." He extends his free arm and bows slightly.
She laughed, "You could just point."
"This is a full service job," he quipped as he escorted her to the food room. He explains how things are set up and stays with her as she selects her food. "I'm going to get something to drink. How about you find a table?"
"Oh I'm fine, you really don't- "
"It's fine, I need a break."
"Okay, can you get me water then?"
"Really, water?"
She giggled, "I think there's enough drinking going on, don't you?"
Her laugh sounds like bells. "Sure, I'll be back." It took longer than he anticipated. In fact, when he got to the table, he realized that he didn't have any food and she hadn't eaten hers. "You didn't have to wait for me to come back to eat. Usually girls eat when the guy's not looking."
"Well they must not be very attractive girls then."
He laughed. "Aren't you going to eat."
"Why don't you eat some. i can hear your stomach growl?"
A flush instantly crept on his cheeks, "What?"
"I don't mind. The line is long. Think of it as a thank you for helping me earlier."
"Isn't that kind of cheating? The food is free," but he ends up sharing her food. The conversation flows easily between the two. After the meal, the go back to the main area to seek access to the balcony. Tenzin spots Lin following someone, "Ahh, Mako. And as I thought, he's not in festive attire."
"To be fair, he is working, but it's nice to see that he's taken an interest in something other than work."
"Is that necessarily a good thing? You know his reputation of late."
"Oh that," Lin says, scanning the crowd again as Mako and the lady in red enter the balcony, "you should've seen him earlier. He's been fighting off women. I think those days are past him. The rumors are old."
"I don't see how you deal with it. If it were my children-"
"Well, that's the point, Tenzin. He's not my child. And regardless of what he does in his private time, he's a great Detective. It doesn't interfere with his work. Ugh, there's the President. He's about to make his speech. I'll go get Mako and see you on stage."
-.-.-
The President finally finished his speech but Mako lost sight of the lady in red when reporters repositioned everyone for pictures. I guess I'll never see her again.
"Mako, go home."
Mako double blinked, still seeing spots from the flashes. "I'm good, Chief."
"You have too many hours for this event. Go home. I'm closing shop with the others. That's an order." She added when he saw that he was going to protest.
Mako sighed reluctantly. It's not like he has anyone to go home to. He hopped off the stage and made his way over to Bolin to say goodbye before heading out.
"What? You're not going to party some more? Varrick always throws the best after parties!"
"Come on, Bolin, it's already late! Nah! It's New Years…"
Mako laughed, Bolin was as energetic as he had enough of the parties and the alcohol. The Chief was right, he should just go home. Mako steps out into the cold winter air, breathing it in, clearing his nose of all the perfumes and food and alcohol and sweat from the Ball. He can't help but notice attendees staggering, some waiting for their rides, others walking home. ugh, the idiot from before. He sees the man talking with a few guys.
"Stupid cop. Getting in my way." The guys playfully jostle him around. "Don't worry, I'm going to get it still...all alone...mine…"
Unable to turn off work-mode, Mako sensed a threat and decided to follow the guy. A lot of times, drunks make idle threats and empty promises, but the guy was walking in the direction of Mako's apartment...So i'm not really following him… he kept justifying to himself. He followed the guy for a bit, and decided that nothing was happening...or did, until the guy started running and disappeared around a corner. Tsk! Mako picked up the pace and turned the corner and found it empty. Damn it, I followed too far behind… He scanned the area and found nothing out of the ordinary. There were a few people walking home from parties, but no one reacting to anything - no alarms, no looting, no crime-in-action-stop-and-stare… Mako was about to turn around something caught his eye, there in the very edge of the street light was a gold mask….a few feet from an alley. And then he heard it, the faint din of a struggle.
Mako ran up and saw the outlines of people in struggle. "Stop right there!" he yelled as he sent a fire blast above the shadowy figures heads to illuminate the dark alley. "You again!" Mako took off running but the guy threw the person down to the ground. "Ugh come on," Mako cried in frustration, being forced to stop and not chase the perp. "Hey, it's okay, I'm a copy," he delivered his canned lines.
He reached down and felt an arm, and light a flame with his free hand. "Are you okay?"
"How did you know?" the voice asked, a bit rough.
"I didn't, just got a bad feeling. So I followed him. Glad I did," the face finally looked up. "It's you! You're the one from the party!" Mako quickly extinguished the flame to help her to her feet. "Are you hurt," he asked, with more concern than the first time.
"I'm fine."
"Here, let me take you home."
"It's okay, really."
"You've just been attacked. Do you think I'd let you walk home alone," he says as he picks up her mask. "You're bleeding."
'Am I?"
Mako pulls her into the street light to look at her more. "We should get you cleaned up. My place isn't far from here."
"I'll be fine real-"
"Cut it out. Let me help you okay? We're going to my place, no objections."
She gives in as they walk to his place in silence. There is tension in the air: Mako from adrenaline and the lady from a swirl of emotions. She's been running for months, how could she have let her guard down...and now she's going with a cop to his place? She's tired, she wants to see her friend, but she won't be back for months.
-.-.-
"Here's some water, I'm going to get the medical kit." She looks at her amber eyes, "NO objections okay? No more apologies or saying you're fine as long as you're here."
Her mouth instantly snaps shut as he walks off to get the medical kit. But she wastes no time in drawing water from the glass to focus on the cut on her arm.
"You're...you're a bender?"
She nods.
"You didn't say anything at the party."
"Do people start off with that?"
"I guess they don't. No wonder you kept telling me you'll be fine." He sets the kit down and she puts the water back in the glass.
"Thank you."
Mako notices she's trembling a little. "So you're a healer?" She must be in shock after what happened.
"Yes." how much is he going to ask me?
There was awkawrd silence. "Um… I should be getting home…"
"No." She panicked. "You're covered in dirt and you still have blood on you and your dress is torn. You'll draw attention leaving in that state. At least take a shower. Don't worry about clothes, I've got some old stuff you can wear. And don't argue with me, okay."
She sighs and he pats her on the shoulder. As she enters the bathroom she notices that he's already laid out clothes and a towel for her. She smiles to herself at his thoughtfulness. Maybe this isn't a bad thing. Maybe coming here will be a good thing. Maybe I can hide in plain sight...there are so many people like me who are mixed, they may not be able to find me. She convinces herself that maybe things will be okay and she can start new here as she rinses the dried blood from her body and continues to heal herself with the water from the shower.
-.-.-
She emerges to find Mako setting a small meal on the table. "I was hungry so I made some food. I'm guessss…" he stutters over himself as he sees her in his old clothes. A faint blush creeps up to his cheeks as he coughs to hide his embarrassment. "I'm guessing you're hungry too."
"Thank you...ummm…"
"Mako. The name's Mako. I guess we never really did introductions during the party."
"No, I guess not," she quickly slips food in her mouth to keep her from talking, but her taste buds betray her. "Oh man, this is really good."
"Thanks. It's nothing fancy."
She hid her mouth as she spoke, "The taste matters more than the presentation."
Funny. Her manners are not as good as Asami's but much better than Korra's. "Thanks...so, you never did tell me your name…"
"Oh, Mirai."
"That's not typical Water Tribe is it?"
"Oh I guess not. Water tribe names are usually full of Ks and ah sounds."
They end up talking through the light meal, and sitting on the couch and talking some more. She ask Mako questions about himself, offering up anecdotes on her life without giving much detail. Eventually they both start to drift. "You should get to bed."
"What? No, I should go ho-"
"Mirai."
Her breath caught at the sound of her name from his lips.
"You promised me no more arguing."
"I did, but I can not take your bed after you've saved, clothed, and fed me."
"You can, you will, I insist."
"No-"
"Man you're stubborn!" She flinched and Mako immediately regretted raising his voice. "How about this, we'll sit in bed and talk. Whoever falls asleep first get the bed."
Delirious from the lack of sleep, it sounded like a fine idea. Sitting some how became leaning. Leaning some how became laying down, facing each other.
"...i can't remember if I told this story so many times, or if it's been so long since I've told it…." he says when she reaches out to hold his hand after telling her of the murder of his parents. "It feels like so long ago, like I have another life now." She smiles, eyes closed. She's fading fast.
"It's not another life, just another chapter."
"Book reference again?"
"Is there anything better?"
"You remind me of a friend, more like a little sister…" Ahh….and she's out. He smiles as his eyes close. She is pretty amazing. it's been forever since someone made me feel like this….ugh, don't think about the last time….besides are you stupid, you just met her...He opens his eyes one last time to look at Mrai before sleep claims him.
-.-.-
The next morning Mako wakes and finds that they're still holding hands even though they've both moved since they've fallen asleep. Suddenly, Mirai bolts upright and looks around. "Hey, hey… it's okay. You're safe remember?"
"Oh, I'm sorry," her hand slips from his as she hides her face in embarrassment.
"You really have to stop apologizing all the time, it's annoying…" he jokes, but realizes she didn't take it that way. UGH, just do it. Mako leans over and kisses her gently on the corner of her mouth. "it's not bad to apologize, but I alredy told you you're not imposing. So stop because I want to do this for you."
Mirai flushes and Mako grins at himself, pleased. "Don't you have work?"
"No, I have off for working the stupid party. Everyone else wanted to go so bad and I didn't have a date. So it worked out."
"you didn't like it?"
He rolled out of bed and made his way to the ktichen, "I don't normally like politics, but I do what I need to because of my job."
Mirai followed him to the living room and they continue talking as Mako cooks. They end up talking more and time slips by them. Completely at ease with Mirai, Mako doesn't even notice.
"Oh, I should probably go home…"
"Keep the clothes."
"I couldn't-"
"Walking home in your dress this late in the day after the party would look weird. I thought you said you didn't want to stand out?
"Are cops always this smart?"
"Look, if you feel bad about it, just give them back the next time you see me.
She smiles at Mako, "Okay, I promise to clean your clothes so I can return them to you the next time I see you."
"Perfect," he says as he tucks stray hair behind her ear.
= = = = = author's note = = = = =
i googled fire nation dress or something like that and found this picture. i thought "sure why not, like looks suitable for a ball!"
cdnpix show / imgs / e640d4f29469eb2810a05616e0939ab5 . jpg
cdnpix show /imgs/ e640d4f29469eb2810a05616e0939ab5. jpg