Korra growled as her feet hit the floor. In the name of Yue, who could possibly want anything at this hour? She specifically stayed away from the compound so this kind of thing wouldn't happen. She pulled the fur blanket up to Mako's shoulders and placed a kiss on his forehead as he slept. Licking her lips, she realized why he was so averse to letting her take his temperature earlier. He was burning.
"I'll have to do something about that," she muttered to herself as she walked to the door.
"Yes," she said rather standoffishly. She swung the door open, eyes closed as the frosty air circled her and snowflakes stuck to her eyelashes. She was glad for the few seconds of peace before she had to get back to business. "How can I help yo-" She paused, recognizing the aura of the person in front of her and opened one eye. Her suspicions were correct.
"Master Katara!" she exclaimed, pulling the older woman into a hug. Her toes curled as they dipped into the snow. She quickly ushered her waterbending teacher into the house.
"It's an honor to have you visit, Master Katara. What brings you?" Korra fidgeted a bit, realizing just how undignified she looked in front of one of the heroes of the hundred year war. Katara smiled. The edges of her eyes wrinkled as the sapphire orbs flickered with mischief thought to be lost long ago.
"The return of the avatar, of course. I knew you would be here. Aang also preferred seclusion to life in the public eye. As your teacher, I'm required to ask; what are you doing? Besides stealing my hairstyle that is."
Korra fingered her loopies and giggled almost nervously. She backed up towards the entrance of her room and faked a yawn. "Me? I was just heading to bed. Big day tomorrow. Lots of meetings and conferences and stuff, no place for a sleepy avatar, right?"
Katara took a few steps forward. She was no fool. "Korra, why are you posing in front of the curtain like a fire nation exhibitionist?"
"N-no reason!" she exclaimed all too quickly. Where was the quick wit she drew upon like the tides when she was bantering with Mako or Tahno?
Katara shook her head, amused. "You're still a terrible liar, dear. I don't know how you get away with anything with Toph's daughter around."
Korra sighed; shoulder's sagging with the effort. "I don't."
"That can't be – well no, I suppose you don't. Pull back the curtain dear, I have to see what it is this time."
Over the years, the young avatar developed a habit of collecting strange things and stowing them in the most obvious places imaginable. It had been quite a day when Senna found a polar bear dog pup swimming in the bath tub. She was allowed to keep Naga, but other strays weren't as lucky. As little time as the avatar spent in her parent's house she always managed to leave mayhem in her wake. On the rare occasions when Katara was the first to see her new possessions she'd make a case to let her keep them if they weren't too bizarre.
"Just know, it's not what it looks like," Korra defended as she allowed her teacher entry.
Katara was taken aback. She was expecting to see a platypus duck with a broken wing swaddled in old pajamas. But instead she laid eyes on a young man, and a good looking one from what she could tell. He looked to be about Korra's age, perhaps a few years older. The waterbender approached the teenage girl and laid a hand on her stomach. Her eyebrows knit together in concentration as she searched for early signs of life. After a moment, she heaved a sigh of relief. "Good, not pregnant," she observed.
Korra blanched at the suggestion. "You thought I was…with him…What? No! I mean not no like no but no like no, you know?" she babbled on to the point where she only had a faint idea what she meant.
"Sadly I do. Though it's greatly unfair to you Korra, it isn't best for the avatar to be with child while the world is in a crisis." Katara looked at her pupil again, this time taking note of her skimpy attire and slightly reddened lips.
"One question; did he propose with a betrothal necklace or an engagement ring?"
"It's not like that!" she exclaimed. Mako, still sleeping, moaned and rolled away from the source of the noise. "He's sick…and we're just…" Friends? Teammates? Individuals suffering from belligerent sexual tension? There were endless ways to fill in the blank, but none seemed appropriate.
Katara chuckled. "Firebenders never did fare well in the water tribes. It reminds me of when I cared for Prince Zuko. Spirits know I couldn't stand to see him in any pain, but it followed him like a shadow." The old woman's lips curled down into a nostalgic frown while Korra blinked in confusion. It seemed like they were once lovers but…
"But you were married to Avatar Aang." That was the best way to get her question answered without asking it.
Katara's expression was comical. "Gran Gran was right. Every girl thinks she invented the love triangle, just like that Sato man thinks he invented the wheel."
Korra made a face at the mention of Asami's dad. "I take it you're not a fan of the Sato industry."
"No, no. They're nice people. Asami Sato even convinced her dad to sponsor my pro bending team in the championships." She leaned against the reddish fur pelt decorating the wall.
"Then why do you hate her so much?" Katara asked as she gracefully bended water into the flower pots sitting on top of the drawers.
"I don't hate her! It's just…she's sort of Mako's girlfriend." Korra hated how petty it sounded. She was sure Master Katara would look at her and say…
"Then why isn't he asleep in her bed?" That comment was not what the avatar expected.
"That is where my logic fails too. I mean I guess I'm a healer part-time, but you can't heal colds with waterbending so…" she sighed. "I'm just as useless as Asami."
The master bender knew better than anyone that its toughest to heal those closest to you. "Let me take a look." She took slow deliberate steps over the padded floors and leaned over the bed to place a hand on Mako's forehead. She closed her eyes, concentrating on his chi.
"Ah, so it's one of those things. The nightmares will start pretty soon. High fever, but low for a firebender. Touching Zuko when he was like this nearly cost me my hand."
Korra sighed. "We were attacked by some chi blockers before we left Republic City." She absentmindedly played with a tiny fireball.
"But you still have your bending," Katara observed. In her youth there was nothing she hated more than Ty Lee and her chi blocking.
"Yea…he protected me." The little flame went out as Korra looked down, pouting. What did she mean to him?
Katara nodded, remembering a similar scenario. "I'll leave you to your night then, Korra. I've been working on some new medicines. If you want, in a few hours I'll bring something over."
"That would be great. Thanks shishou." She gave an elegant bow and led her master back out the door.
When Korra crawled back into bed, Mako twitched as her cold feet made contact with his body. "Sorry," she whispered, knowing he wouldn't hear. She lied on her side with nothing to do but listen to her teammate's constricted breathing. She could hear the soft rattle of obstruction in his chest.
Ill-content with idleness, Korra looked for something to do. She split the air with her hands, draining moisture from it, feeling too lazy to get up. With a water glove on each hand she shifted the blanket and began healing Mako's bruises from the chi blocking. His fair firebender skin accentuated every darkening mark. "You're like a peach, city boy," she said tenderly while lightly tracing her finger over his arm.
The avatar was ferried out into the seas of unconsciousness. Visions of her past lives danced in front of her closed eyelids in snippets – Roku's mighty flame, Kyoshi's fan, Aang making Katara lick a frozen frog. Her head was pillowed by Mako's shoulder. She balanced on the cusp of sleep when the sound of her name brought her back to reality.
"…ra!"
"What?" she yawned, rubbing her eyes blearily."You're up? What's wrong?"
"Korra…watch out…Amon," he murmured, coughing lightly. Instinctively she shot up and scanned the room before realizing. The masked reformer wasn't responsible for her nightmares alone. This was something she could relate to. She considered waking him, but pulling someone prematurely from an Amon induced nightmare could very well result in cardiac arrest.
"You'll die…or your bending…don't go Korra," he begged as the coughing intensified. He lied on his side curled up and clutching his ribs.
"It's alright," she said, running her fingers through his dark hair. "I'm here, I'm alive." Mako's eyes shot open as the fit roused him from his restless sleep. He blinked back tears both from the coughing and the nightmare and rolling onto his back to face the avatar.
"Korra," he croaked, before clearing his throat. It felt dryer than the Fire Nation desert lands. "Thank the spirits you're alright."
Korra sighed, fighting the stress creases that meant to invade her forehead. "Naturally. The avatar can't be taken out so easily. Amon'll be scared as a duck-deer when I'm done with him, but for now I think the living room is secure." She joked as the delirious glaze left her patient's amber eyes. She got up, reluctantly, to bring him a glass of water. He sipped it cautiously as the avatar began her assault of questions.
"What's wrong with you Mako?" she asked. The emotion in her voice gave the words endless meanings. She sat on the edge of the bed, knees pressed against her chest.
The firebender sighed, pissed at himself for worrying her. She literally had the weight of the world on her shoulders, and here she was losing sleep over his stupid cold. "It's nothing, Korra. Go back to sleep."
"Waterbenders are practically nocturnal, so I'm fit to stay up and make sure you're okay. How great am I?" she joked, trying to somehow relieve the tension in her own mind.
"Amazing but-" his argument was cut off by a particularly painful sneeze. Korra sighed, crawling over to his end of the bed and pushed him gently back down onto the pillows.
"That doesn't sound too good. Well, Master Katara should be here with the medicine in a few hours so just hang on until then." She lightly pressed his eyelids closed with her thumbs.
"Wait, Master Katara from the legends? Aang's wife?" he asked.
"That is correct." She stretched out like a cat and flopped face-first into the comforter.
"But she's White Lotus. Wouldn't she be with the others at the compound?" At this Korra looked up and adjusted her loopies slightly. The style was surprisingly difficult to maintain.
"Well the thing is, Master Katara is very wise and perceptive and-"
"So she outsmarted you," Mako noted. She stuck her tongue out at him.
"You know, you're a lot more pleasant when you're asleep." And cuter, she added mentally, chasing the thought out as soon as it came. Her comment made a question of Mako's resurface.
"Oh yea, what kind of Water Tribe magic did you use?" She looked at him quizzically.
"Huh?"
"Never mind…it's just that, I can never sleep at all when I'm sick. Not since I was a kid. I thought you might have done something."
She tapped her chin, thinking but nothing came to mind. "Nope, nothing in particular." Moments later he started to cough and almost instinctively, Korra started to rub the middle of his back. This act brought Mako back to memories that seemed to exist in another lifetime.
While the rain was pouring and his father would entertain Bolin with toy trucks and stories from his earth bending side of the family and how his green eyes were a telltale sign of the trait he would inherit. Meanwhile, his gentle amber eyed mother sat by his bedside and told the seven-year-old that the firebender cold meant he'd likely get his bending the next year. That day, she did everything she could think of to get her light sleeper son to rest.
As Korra's finger's traced lazy patterns over his back, he remembered. "That's it," he muttered, falling asleep yet again.
"I cannot believe you lost the avatar!" Councilman Tarrlok spat. He sat in one of the lesser meeting rooms glaring ice daggers at Tenzin.
"I didn't lose her! It's just…this place is huge! It's almost three in the morning. She's probably asleep in one of the spare rooms. She was so tired getting off the boat, she left Naga. And it's all because you've been working her so hard on that task force!" The airbending master's face was flushed with anger as he thought of using the winds to slice one of Tarrlok's ponytails.
"The boat? No one saw her get off the boat, believe me. Do you know how much press I lost because of that stunt? How do we know she was ever onboard? Amon's forces could have easily infiltrated it and he can be taking the avatar's bending away as we speak!"
At this point Pema hobbled in holding a tray with a teapot and several cups for the two men and the people she knew were listening outside. She poured Tarrlok's cup slowly and deliberately as if infusing her disdain into every ounce of the liquid. "Oh she was on the boat, alright. And she looked fabulous, thanks to me."
"Can you vouch for a time on that?" he asked, oblivious to the animosity.
"Don't interrogate my wife!" Tenzin fumed.
"Would you relax, Tenzin?" asked Lin Beifong as she glided into the room. "It's just protocol."
Pema's lips folded into a hard line. She would somehow manage to act civilized with two of her least favorite people in the room. "Yes its fine. I saw her last about a half hour before we docked."
So she does have some semblance of a brain, thought Lin. "Naturally that means she wasn't taken by sea as my metal-bending fleets were trailing you the entire time."
"What?" Tenzin asked.
"Well come on, I couldn't leave it all up to you. For the sake of Tui and La, you lost the avatar!"
"I did not lose her!"
"Not so loud," Pema cautioned. "Tonraq and Senna have been through so much with this avatar business. Let's try not to scare them until we actually know something."
Lin narrowed her eyes at the smaller, but pregnant woman. "The avatar's whereabouts are a matter of international security and you're worried about her parents' reaction?"
Pema stood her ground. She'd been on the older woman's bad side for so long it scarcely mattered anymore. "Yes, I am. Someone around here has to remember that there are real people involved here, not just pieces on some chess board. Korra is not just some ancient relic, she is a real living breathing teenage girl; one who has made a lot of huge sacrifices. And on the off chance she is missing, someone should be there to console her parents who would be scared of losing their daughter, not a power piece!"
"Then you'll be head of the welcoming committee," the chief said coolly. "Now that that's been decided I'm gonna go ahead and have my metal-benders search every inch of the South Pole for equalist ties."
"Now someone's making sense," Tarrlok said. "I'll get my task force to scout for her in Republic City just to be safe."
"Somehow I doubt that's necessary," said Tenzin. Just then the door creaked open, allowing Bolin and Asami to enter, the former timidly and the later nonchalantly.
"H-hey, important and powerful people, how are we doing?" Bolin tried, Pabu squeaking nervously from his place perched on his right shoulder.
"Who are these children?" Tarrlok asked petulantly.
"Witnesses, representatives," Tenzin said. "And most importantly they're friends of Korra's."
Lin was brought to attention by this. "Do you have any idea where the avatar would have went, assuming this wasn't a kidnapping."
Asami shrugged. She didn't know much about the waterbender. No matter how hard she tried to start a friendship, Korra was always cold, resentful even for reasons the heiress couldn't fathom.
"Korra hates the press," Bolin started, shyness obliterated with the thought of her in danger "and all the protocol and publicity. She probably wanted a break to go what was it…penguin sledding or something and lost track of time. And if Amon took her, it was probably then." The earthbender kept his tone level but the fear of the revolution was too strong. He never wanted to see Korra in the position he was in that night.
Tarrlok's brow furrowed at this. "You think she could have pulled off a getaway like that undetected?"
"She is a top notch escape artist," Tenzin allowed.
"Why are you guys really here?" Pema asked when the silence that followed was more pregnant than her.
"Well, the thing is, my brother Mako is missing too," Bolin allowed. Lin gave Asami a questioning glance.
"It took two of you to deliver that message?"
Something about the woman's patronizing implications set her off. "He's my boyfriend, okay! If anything happened to him-"
"Okay, alright," the chief interrupted. "Just to get a clear picture of things, this Mako, are he and the avatar close?" Back home, she got cases like these all the time – teen girl goes missing all night, comes back with a smile the next morning and gets grounded. The parents were almost always conservative idiots, but this case was a bit more delicate.
"Not that close! They were on the same pro bending team and all but from what I can see he can barely stand her!" Asami's statement was pitifully true, from what she had seen. But Bolin had seen something else, something he clearly wasn't meant to see. The kiss between his brother and Korra was something that still grated his nerves down to chalk dust. He didn't like to think of it, let alone mention it, but if it meant their safety he had to tell the truth.
"Don't you all see what's going on here?" All of a sudden, Ikki jumped out from behind a massive ice pillar. Jinora tried desperately to grab her back, but it was too late. "Korra left to spend time with her firebending boyfriend! They took my advice! They must be halfway to that castle in the sky by now!"
All the adults in the room blinked, too shocked to do anything else meanwhile Bolin twitched and Asami fumed.
"I thought I was her…" the earthbender trailed off, feeling suddenly dejected. During Ikki's revelation, Katara had slipped into the room.
"My genius granddaughters are at it again."
"Mother!" Tenzin exclaimed. "It's great to see you! By any chance, have you seen…"
"Korra is fine. She's safe, she's secure. She's even getting some waterbending practice in if you look at it right. Give the girl some room to breathe."
"Look at what right? Where's Mako?" Asami asked, jade eyes burning with passion.
"Do you know who you're talking to?" asked Tarrlok.
"Do you?" Katara countered. "She's obviously the Sato heiress, here to represent Future Industries at this summit." The pompous councilman seemed to shrink a size, earning smirks from both women.
"I didn't realize. My apologies Master Katara, Miss Sato."
"I'm sorry too," Asami said to Katara, sheepishly fingering her dark ringlets of hair. "I shouldn't have snapped, it's just stress. Would you mind telling me where he is?"
"He is in good hands," the wise master allowed. This young woman seemed nice enough, but ultimately her loyalty was to Korra.
Healer's hands, Bolin realized immediately. "Mako's hurt?" he asked. Amazingly enough that seemed worse than the scandalous lovemaking he originally imagined.
"Eh, not exactly, but don't worry it isn't life threatening. As a matter of fact, I must be going back to Korra. The herbs must be close to finished by now."
"So, you're not going to tell us where the avatar is," Tarrlok summarized.
"I don't find it necessary, so no." Katara explained with sagely wisdom. "Enjoy the remainder of your night," she said before disappearing from the conference hall.
As soon as she departed Bolin and Asami exchanged glances. It was a splendid night for a secret pursuit.
The room was sweltering. Heat that was unreal for this part of the world came off the young firebender in waves. Korra long since removed her sweaty tank top and was down to her breast bindings and shorts. The fever dreams had gotten worse over the course of the night and this was the worst yet. He usually shocked himself out of them coughing and she would bring him water or tea just as he woke up. She had the timing down to a science. She was just worried the house's icy foundation wouldn't hold up.
She kneeled beside him, knees digging into the plushy brown fur, bending an orb of water over his face neck and chest to bring down the fever. Unfortunately the primary result of that was evaporated water and even higher room temperatures
Korra growled. Frustration the size of a full grown sky bison was eating away at her insides. Nothing was working. Mako's face contorted in pain and violent shivers ran down his spine, and the only comfort Korra could give was caresses and whispered sweet nothings. All she could do was wait, and the thought was maddening. Hesitation only allowed enemies room to advance and her teammate was her most precious asset. She wouldn't lose any ground on this front.
"Bend." His voice was only a strangled whisper, but from it she knew he'd be up soon.
"It's back," she assured, stroking his left cheek tenderly. "You might melt the polar ice caps, but its back." She had one leg on the floor, about to start the kettle but his next words froze her in place.
"They're just non-benders… don't hurt them." Korra grasped his hand, immediately understanding. He was reliving the night his parents died.
Sweat rolled down his face mingling with the bitter tears of anguish and loss. His breathing became sharp and shallow as the images flooded his sub consciousness. "Mom, dad…sorry I didn't protect you. The bending came…a month too late. I t-tried my best with Bolin…for you."
Korra felt tears pricking the nerves behind her eyes. This was her first time at eye level with his demons. She had no idea he was always in so much pain. "You did great with Bolin," she coaxed. "And you were only eight. It's not your fault."
"I'm sorry…I bend the element that killed you."
That's so stupid, Korra wanted to yell. She wanted to kick him awake and give a lecture about misplaced guilt and self loathing, but that would wait until another day. What she needed to do was find a nonviolent way to drag him out of his personal purgatory before he roasted himself alive.
So she kissed him – first on both cheeks, and the tip of his red nose. She left a trail of them over his jaw line and then a daring one, right on his slightly parted lips. Subtlety had never been her strong suit, and this was clearly for the better.
He sat up abruptly, knocking Korra back slightly. His amber eyes were clouded by fever and grief. Korra was stunned by the silence, expecting to hear another coughing fit, but no sound came from her teammate save for a few short gasps. Not even when he mouthed the syllables of her name. It was like he was being choked by invisible hands.
"Mako, breathe," she begged while bending steam to lessen the pressure on his chest. She thanked the spirits that water was her first element. After the wheezing stopped, he coughed, dislodging a massive fireball from his chest. Sighing, Korra quickly diffused it with her bending. What would they do if she wasn't the avatar?
When he seemed to be alright Korra wrapped her arms around his middle and pulled him into a hug. "Feel any better?" she asked.
"Lots. Thanks Korra. I think you're the only person who's ever taken care of me like this. It means a lot." His pulse rate quickened as he realized he was pressed against a voluptuous woman in only her breast bindings. She was just as much a work of art as she was on the boat, maybe even more so.
"It's no problem." Once again, she stared at his shirt, too nervous to look him in the face. "Just don't scare me like this again. If something's wrong tell me before it gets out of hand."
At this Mako managed to crack a weak smile. "Is this the mighty avatar afraid of something? Alert the media."
She chuckled, managing to glance at his face. "Of course. Until pro-bending allows the avatar to use two elements we need you around, city boy. But just for show."
They were both exhausted and soon found themselves a single huddled mass under the covers. Mako's arm wrapped around Korra's waist, spooning her and her head rested on his shoulder. She tilted up to kiss him goodnight, but he resisted.
"Asami?" she asked. Mako winced.
"That's a good point, but I just didn't want to give you a cold." She leaned up and kissed him amorously.
"Too late…Um, I mean you only live once, right? Or well…several thousand times in my case."
Mako brought his face way down to her ear and whispered "There will only be one Korra. Be careful with her." These were the last words she heard before finally drifting to sleep.
Katara reached the igloo in time to hear the last snippets of their pillow talk. This generation would get it right. She left the herbal concoctions on the coffee table and shut the lights while reminiscing contently on time well wasted.
A/N: I think that was the most fluff I've ever accumulated …anywhere. I couldn't resist hinting at a little Zutara (please forgive me). I've been working out plot ideas and this can (and or) will become a full length story. Chapter three would deal more with the Asami issue and the equalist revolution. Read and Review please. Your support is highly appreciated ^_^