Disclaimer: I do not own Avatar: The Last Airbender, or The Legend of Korra. Goodness knows, Bryan and Mike would never let me do this to their characters.

A/N: Just four words: Long ass SMUT fic. That is all.

Enjoy!


Fire

0~0~0~0~0~0~0~0~0~0~0~0~0~0~0~0~0~0

One year later…

Mako really hated how he and Korra always ended up in bed this way.

Not the being in bed together part; that was the furthest thing from a complaint in his mind. It was more the leading up to lying naked in bed beside his girlfriend, their bodies a damp and overtaxed tangle, the scent of stale sweat and each other hanging in the air of his attic bedroom, that bothered the firebender.

Turning his attention to the slumbering woman beside him, Mako let his eyes rove over her body. She had passed out after their coupling, one arm thrown over her head, the other resting limply at her side. She hadn't even had the strength to pull the blanket over her body, the wrinkled red sheets only covering her from the knees down. Her skin was luminescent in the afterglow, absolutely radiant. Sweat clung to her arms and thighs, droplets of cum glistening in the dark hairs between her legs as the late afternoon sunlight warmed the attic. He traced her hips with his admiring gaze, appreciating their plumpness and feeling the familiar tingle in his fingers to grasp them hard as she rode him strong and steadily. Her nipples, dark like chocolate, were still puckered from her arousal and his abuse, a bite mark near her right areole.

He'd been rough, but so had she. He could still feel the raw burn of the scratch marks she'd left on his chest, parallel pink lines marring his pectorals and sides. There was even one welt on his stomach that had bled. It was where she'd clawed him when she came.

Tenderly, Mako pulled the blanket around Korra's exhausted body, covering her from her neck to her toes, lingering only a moment to caress her temple before lying down on his back beside her. He crossed his arms under his head and sighed, pensive.

This was getting out of hand.

He enjoyed the sex, really enjoyed it.

Mako was a healthy young man with a taste for physical activity and an active libido. He was also a firebender, and by that nature alone he was often looking for an outlet to let off a little extra steam. It was just his luck that he had a girlfriend who understood the needs of a firebender and shared in his same passions. Sometimes they couldn't wait to get their hands on each other, their clothing only removed in the necessary places before they joined, he hard and hot, she wet and slick. There were quickies in the locker room before and after matches, and trysts on the stairs leading up to the attic only because they couldn't hold out until they made it to his bedroom. They were confident and sure of themselves, playing upon each other's erogenous zones like fine musicians, strumming the notes to perfection.

Of course, they'd had to practice to get that good. Spirits knew, their first time was anything but perfect…


Seven months ago…

Korra moaned.

He loved it when she moaned.

It was quiet in the arena, the evening's matches long over. The Fire Ferrets hadn't had a game that night. Bolin was at some fancy charity fundraiser with Asami, making excuses for Mako and Korra who had opted to stay in and watch the matches before stealing away to the brothers' attic apartment and taking advantage of their rare privacy.

It was Korra who had started the kissing, it almost always was, but Mako wasn't going to be outdone. He was the one who had initiated the removal of clothing, boots and socks being easily discarded, then her top followed by his own, leaving his girlfriend in her simple chest bindings and him in a threadbare undershirt.

"Korra!" he growled when she bit his nipple through his undershirt, taking her twittering laughter personally. He pressed her body deeper into the bed, pinning down her muscular legs with his long, lean ones, his hips nudging her own. He groped at one breast while his other hand tugged on her hair. Mako rubbed Korra's nipple into a straining bud begging to be released into the air.

"You don't play fair," she whined, kissing his collarbone and shoulder.

"You're the one who bit me," he countered.

He found himself being flipped over for that smug statement.

"Now you're not playing fair," he groaned as she grinded against him. He reached for her hips, guiding her to a better angle so that she rubbed along his straining length with frustrating, but wonderful, friction. Korra laughed, stretching back sultrily, giving Mako the briefest view of the underside of her breasts before falling forward, trapping his head between her hands, their foreheads pressing together.

"Deal with it."

There was a daring glint in her eyes, the one she knew Mako couldn't refuse. He took the bait eagerly, kissing her, slipping his tongue into her mouth, bucking into her as he flipped them again, reclaiming his position on top. Desperate to keep kindling their arousal, Mako sought more of Korra's skin. He traced his fingers down her abdomen, twirling them playfully around her navel, caught up in the way her thigh was pressed against his cock, and how she smelled of sweat and smoke, and how she kept making those wonderful sounds, her breath tickling his ear.

His hand found her, fitting snuggly against the apex of her thighs, his palm rubbing shamelessly against her sex. He could feel her heat through her pants, his fingertips finding a small stain of moisture.

Korra froze under him, her breaths coming out choppy and trembling, her hands gripping at his undershirt so tightly that her nails were digging holes into the thin cotton.

They'd never gone this far before.

Sure, they'd groped each other more than a few times. They'd grinded against one another, getting hot and bothered, but this was new. Neither had ever had the courage to reach out and touch the other so intimately before. Mako hadn't even really been thinking, he just wanted Korra to keep making those sweet sounds. Now she was silent, as still as he had ever seen her, and he felt panic clash like a tsunami against his longing.

"I'm sorry," he whispered hoarsely. "I didn't mean t –"

She silenced him with a kiss. A chaste peck, far too innocent to fan the flames of his arousal like it did. She pushed him up from their laying position. He let her direct him, shuffling down the bed, knelling before her as he watched the beautiful young woman appraise him with her bewitching blue eyes. She was deciding something, and it made Mako gulp at the air greedily. He was catatonic as she removed her chest bindings, amber eyes entranced by the new flesh that was steadily revealed to him. Her breasts seemed to sigh when they were released, or perhaps that was him. They were perky and plump, moving up and down as Korra breathed heavily, fingers twitching impatiently at her sides as she let him drink her in. And just when he had believed that he had memorized the exact color of her dark nipples, Korra hooked her thumbs into the waistband of her bottoms and pulled them down, taking her underwear, too. With a grace as smooth as water, as fluid as a flame, she let her clothes fall to the floor and kneeled before him, nude and nervous, beautiful and regal, like a spirit awaiting tribute.

All he had to offer was himself.

He followed her example, quickly shimmying out of his remaining clothing, blushing like a fool when he noticed Korra seemed transfixed by his erection. But, as she had let him have his fill of ogling her body, he waited with agitated patience as she examined him. Their eyes met suddenly and the air around them changed, as if it had finally dawned on the teenagers what they were doing…what they were about to do. And when she smiled at him, her eyes were large blue gems, speaking what her voice wouldn't.

She wanted him too, she wanted this. She was ready if he was.

He leaned forward and kissed her, adding a new layer to the passion they had created. He let her pull them down to the mattress, humming blissfully when their skin was pressed together, her breasts against his chest, his hips nestled against hers. She took his hand and led it down the side of her body, flattening it decisively against her stomach.

"Have you ever…" she paused, releasing his wrist to run her fingers up his hand, tracing each digit with a nervous flutter, "…done anything like this…before?"

"Not this far," he confessed. He'd never wanted to be this close to anyone before. She smiled at him, brazen and unafraid, before guiding his hand down her toned stomach.

"Good."

"Good?" he echoed, trying to keep his mind focused on her words, but that was hard when his fingers touched coarse, unexplored curls. Korra spread her fingers over his, leading him until the tip of his longest finger touched the softest flesh on her body. Reflexively, he curled that curious digit, finding a slick and hot cavity. She shuddered, half a laugh and half a sob slipping past her lips.

"Yeah. I hate when you have the upper hand," she confessed. She locked gazes with him, the ocean in her eyes battling with the inferno in his. It was a challenge, but then, most things with Korra were.

It was a good a thing Mako never was afraid of healthy competition…


Present...

That first time had been…clumsy.

Amazing, but very, very clumsy.

Mako found himself blushing and smiling fondly as he remembered that night, his nostalgic gaze falling on Korra's slumbering face as he replayed the image of her eager and nervous expressions when she'd given him her virginity.

They'd both been rough in their enthusiasm. He'd suckled on her nipples too hard (she'd slapped him in the face for that), and when she had decided to take his cock in her hands, her nails had pinched the sensitive skin of his head (the memory still made him cringe). They'd fumbled so much that night. It had taken forever for the firebender's fingers to find that charged bundle of nerves between Korra's legs that had the Avatar clawing at his sheets and screaming into the night. Then there had been the humiliating ordeal of realizing he had no protection and being forced to wrap Korra's pelt around his waist as he'd wandered to Bolin's room to riffle around for a condom. Korra had been keenly fascinated in watching him put it on, too, which had made him nearly rip the fragile lambskin before he'd successfully slipped it over his cock and joined her back in bed.

Her flesh had been tight and untried, sheathing him so snuggly that he'd wondered how he could even think about wanting to be apart from her. Korra hadn't cried that first time, that was far too damsel-like. She'd cursed and hissed through her teeth instead, pulling his hair while screwing her eyes shut against the invading pain and discomfort, telling him to move quickly, bucking her hips madly. He'd wanted to give her time to adjust, to get over the tenderness, but she'd kept arching under him like a dragon, impulsive, impatient, and stubborn as always. So he'd moved, slowly, waiting, listening for her sighs of discomfort to transform into great gasps of pleasure. Eventually they did, but by then Mako had been too far gone, plunging into her wildly, steam wafting off his back as he'd fought the oncoming climax, wanting to bring her pleasure, wanting her to reach that pinnacle with him.

He hadn't been able to hold out.

Korra had cuddled him after he came, kissing his brow, whispering her own amazement at what they had just done. Mako had felt like a bit of failure, curling his body against Korra's, trying to apologize for leaving her unsatisfied. But, just like Korra had said when they woke up in each other's arms a few hours later, her hand trailing down his abdominals and following the line of dark hairs that surrounded his navel and plunged lower, practice made perfect.

And it did.

It really did…


Six months ago…

"I love watching you train," Korra admitted, ripping his shirt to shreds before latching onto his neck.

"So I've noticed," he responded playfully, letting her pin him against the locker room wall, his amber eyes darting to the open door. "Korra, just let me –"

"No." She slammed him back against the wall so hard his head cracked on the tile.

"Agni's teeth, Korra!" he cursed, cradling his cranium while his savage girlfriend paid no mind to his pain and continued lavishing his body with sultry kisses.

It was quite amazing how quickly his headache was forgotten.

He gripped her arms, loving how she flattered attention to his neck and chest. He tried to kiss her back, tried to keep her still for just a moment so he could return her passion, but she was far too quick, even blocking him when he tried to move his hands behind her head and force her mouth to his.

"What are you doing?" he wondered, half amused, half irritated.

"Something," she teased, nipping his shoulder as her hands rubbed his growing erection through his training pants.

"Korra!" he moaned, thrusting his hips against her nimble fingers, reveling in the delicious friction. She started to loosen his trousers and Mako moved to help her with the ties at his waist. She slapped his palms, pushing them out of her way. She didn't want his help. He closed his eyes and soaked in the sensations, his heart hammering in his chest as his pulse sped much faster than it had during his training. He felt a knot of excitement coil in his belly, his abdominals tensing as Korra kissed his navel and released his cock into the moist air. She gripped him the way he'd taught her, firmly, squeezing gradually as her fist moved towards his head, her thumb ghosting over the tip, her blunt nail rubbing the sensitive flesh. He felt her laugh against him as he shuddered, and the only retaliation he could come up with was to pull her hair out of its constant wolftail and tug on the thick tresses.

She loved it when he pulled on her hair.

The pleasure running through his body was intense, only increasing with each stroke of Korra's hand. His head felt detached from his body, like he was floating away from everything but the way she made him feel. He looped his fingers through her hair, seeking something to keep him tethered to the world.

Korra's lips slipping over the head of his cock like a warm, wet sheath did it.

"Korra!" he growled, his fingers straining in her hair, his eyes going wide and disbelieving as she took him a little more into her mouth. "Korra," he groaned again, unwilling to stop her as her tongue swirled along to tip of his cock.

It felt so good.

She hummed lowly, the vibrations sending a shock to every nerve in his erection, nearly undoing him. He felt her take him into her mouth as deeply as she could, shivering when her teeth accidentally caught on the sensitive skin, liking the dull burn it left behind and the way Korra licked the injury. She kissed his length, up one side and down the other before encasing him once again, her hands squeezing the flesh she couldn't swallow.

The firebender managed to find a hidden reserve of strength and opened his eyes. He wasn't surprised to find Korra staring at him. She was no doubt enjoying the complete control she had over him, relishing the power.

"Korra."

He whispered her name, his voice soaked with yearning and gratitude and passion. He untangled his fingers from Korra's hair, a challenge as she continued to bob her head purposefully along his length. He brought his palm to her cheek, keeping his eyes locked with hers. They were shining, they were always shining, but there was a darkness to her aquamarine irises. They were clouded over with desire, and looked like sapphires.

She released him from her mouth, licking the corner of her lips.

"Do you want me to stop?"

She was being sincere, not snide, and it was then that Mako understood just how much she wanted to please him; how much his opinion did and always had mattered. Licking his lower lip, the firebender smiled.

"Never."

Korra mirrored Mako's sultry smirk…


Five months ago…

When he'd teasingly asked Korra if she wouldn't mind scrubbing his back, he hadn't actually expected her to join him in the tub. Now, with her strong legs wrapped around his waist, her breasts pressed up against his back, her breath tickling his ear and her hands massaging soap along his shoulders and neck, Mako was very glad he'd extended the offer.

He ran his hands up and down her legs, fingers tracing nonsensical patterns on her knees, watching with idle fascination as the soapy water cascaded down her calves, small droplets of moisture clinging to the rich brown skin. Her hands felt as good as the warm water, working out the kinks and knots in his muscles, healing him from the stress of the day. And as he relaxed, his mind drifting into a pleasant fuzzy state while Korra hummed a Water Tribe lullaby in his ear, the firebender knew peace for the first time in years…

…that is until he felt his cock twitch when Korra kissed his earlobe.

He craned his neck and caught her smirk in the corner of his eye.

"Relaxed?" she asked huskily, her arms crossing over his chest.

"You tease," he accused roguishly before he kissed her. He tried to turn in her embrace so that he could reach for her breasts, but Korra was too fast. He was never too surprised that Korra always managed to slip out of his hold – the girl was as strong as a komodo-rhino – she could easily overpower him if she wanted to.

Mako thought Korra had moved because she wanted to sit in his lap. She liked being on top and he didn't mind letting her take the lead, but when he felt her push him further down the tub, the firebender was a little confused. He could hear Korra moving, the water lapping around her as she shifted. When he turned to see what she was up to, the teenager nearly choked. Korra had risen out of the water, the front of her body leaning heavily against the lip of the tub, her rear end thrust out at him in a sultry invitation. Her wet hair clung to her toned and shapely back, and she threw him a half-lidded glance over her shoulder.

She wanted him to take her like this, from behind, like a wild beast.

The image turned him on so much that he was on her in a moment, forging foreplay. Neither of them needed it anyway.

She was incredibly wet when he slid into her and it took all of Mako's strength not to come right then. Her fleshy walls encasing him were like liquid fire. He took a minute to breathe, regain his focus, and his first few thrusts were shallow and controlled. But then Korra mewled, gasping his name, and he couldn't be gentle any longer. He drove into her in a frenzy, gripping her hips harshly, squeezing her ass and thighs. His eyes were focused on the shadows the orange light played on her back, his ears trained on her pleas and cries.

"Right there!" she gasped. "Mako! Oh spirits, I…I can't. Please!"

He was touching something inside of her with each long stroke, a hidden spot that left her completely at his mercy. Mako felt a surge of power overtake him, like a dragon that had been dormant and dozing in his heart was suddenly awoken and set free. Was this how she felt every time she went down on him, leaving him a begging and quivering mess? Did Korra feel this same wonderful nirvana every time she had him under her control?

Korra was the Avatar. She had all the power of the physical and spirit world at the tips of her fingers, and yet she chose to let him work his own power over her, to submit to him. The knowledge was a heady aphrodisiac and it drove Mako over the edge. He couldn't help himself, couldn't control his body. He came inside of her, the last logical brain cell in his head berating him for not using protection. Yet the vision of Korra's belly swollen with their child made the firebender yearn for that future with startling sincerity.

He and Korra and a baby.

It would be perfect.

He didn't leave her unfulfilled. Slipping out of her, Mako bent over Korra's body, his fingers finding that little nub of nerves that always made her writhe and come. He tapped and rubbed it vigorously, burying his nose in her wet hair until he felt her climax.

Exhausted, they sank back into the tub and held each other until the water turned cold…


Two months ago…

Mako was enthralled as he watched Korra ride him, her hips dancing along his in a perfect rhythm, her brown skin taut and rippling with corded muscle. He had one hand on her rear, nails digging into the plump flesh like he was squeezing a ripe moon peach. The other hand was making love to one of her breasts while his tongue lavished attention on its twin. Mako loved the way Korra's nipple pebbled against his thumb, tweaking it over and over again until it was a tight bud, like a coffee bean. His tongue swirled over her other nipple, his mouth hot as he suckled.

Korra raked her fingers though his hair, exclaiming that she was close. Mako placed both of his hands on Korra's face and pulled her into a searing kiss as she moved frantically against him. He caught the scream of her climax in his mouth, hoping that he'd muffled her enough that one of the roaming Air Acolytes wouldn't come wandering into Oogi's stable wondering what was making all the noise since the sky bison was out on his evening flight with Tenzin.

Her inner walls clenched around him desperately when she came, her orgasm sending him reeling into his own as he pumped his hips into her, riding out the euphoria as long as possible, all the while still kissing her. They collapsed on a pile of straw, their limbs heavy and lifeless, like they were a pair of Ikki and Jinora's dolls. Korra lay on Mako's chest, panting, too tired to pull her top down and cover her breasts. Mako didn't mind. He relished the smooth circles she rubbed along his chest and arms, her hands like water as they changed directions, calm but tumultuous at the same time.

He was still inside of her, snug and warm, exactly where he wanted to be.

"Not that I'm complaining," he started when his brain remembered that he could speak, "but what was that all about?"

Mako wasn't a prude, and he wasn't prone to refusing Korra when she wanted him, but there had been something different in the way she'd practically tackled him on route to the ferry and dragged him into Oogi's stable. It was the first time they'd made love half dressed. Spirits, he still had his boots on! Korra had been in a frenzy to join with him, yet they moment she'd sunk down onto his cock she'd seemed to immediately calm, exploiting their love making for as long as she could, going slow and steadily, like it was the last time they would ever be together.

"I thought I'd lost you," she confessed in a cracking whisper, lips brushing against his neck.

Mako shut his eyes and berated himself. He understood now.

Five days ago, he and Korra had been ambushed by chi-blockers. While they had made it out of the fight, Mako had been severely injured by one of the electrified weapons that the Equalists were prone to use. He'd fallen into unconsciousness, the blinding pain of sharp, debilitating energy paralyzing his body. When he'd woken up almost two days later, he was on Air Temple Island, Korra at his bedside like a vigilant, if a bit smothering, guardian spirit.

She'd been worried. He had scared her.

Mako hugged Korra warmly.

"I'm alright," he said against her temple. "I'm not going anywhere. I won't leave you." He believed those words, wanted her to believe them, too, but her fingers trailed down his side and rested over the spot where they both knew a puckered and raw scar still lay healing under a fresh bandage. One of his hands joined hers, linking their fingers, squeezing. She moved to hover over him then, eyes locking with his.

"I don't ever want to lose you," she confessed, her voice as gentle as a leaf on the wind. "I don't ever want to be without you."

Every emotion Mako had for this woman filled him to the brim at that moment. He was humbled and in awe. He could see how she felt for him, it was written plainly on her face. He wanted to tell her he felt the same way, that he never wanted to be away from her, that she was what made his life whole, that she was his family.

But her eyes had too many colors, and he was, after all, only human.

He kissed her instead, gently, slowly, letting his tongue seduce her as he got hard again. He flipped them over and made love to her with a grace gained from years of firebending, his body fluid and sharp, specific and on point like a dancer.

He never noticed the pool of tears that had gathered in the corners of Korra's eyes…


Present day…

They weren't a perfect couple. Spirits, they weren't perfect people. They had their problems, their arguments and disagreements like everyone else. Normally, they would work through their issues in the gym, pummeling each other during practice until the fight was gone, but something had changed after that night in Oogi's stable, and not for the better.

When her body was too tired, when she'd exhausted herself with bending and training, Korra had started to vent her frustrations with her boyfriend verbally, and while that wasn't rare, the barbs and accusations she threw at Mako were often more damaging than any element she could bend in his direction.

He remembered the first time this new, viscous side of Korra emerged…


Seven weeks ago…

"You got cocky!" Mako snapped, slamming his locker shut. "I told you to stay on defense. I told you that the Sparrowkeets' new earthbender was going to try and take you out and to keep an eye on him. I told you I'd push him back and not to worry."

"I can take care of myself!" Korra screamed, throwing her helmet in his general direction, missing him only because she didn't really want to break his nose. "I don't need you to protect me, in the ring or otherwise."

"I'm team captain –"

"And I'm the Avatar!" she interrupted, crossing her arms angrily.

"So you think that means you know better than me?"

"No," Korra answered, pouting, "but I do know that the Sparrowkeets' earthbender was open and I took a chance because you wouldn't. At least I had the balls to do something about it."

"Korra," he growled, his pride taking an unforgiving hit. "Just because you've had years of training, just because your teachers were some of the best benders in the world, just because you're the fucking Avatar, doesn't mean anything!"

He gave as good as he got, hitting Korra where he knew it would hurt the most. She loathed the very notion of her life's training as having been for nothing. Mako cut into one of her most secret insecurities, and she could feel the scar like a physical blow.

"What do you know?" she snapped. "Mako, the firebender from the school of hard knocks. Mako, the piteous boy with the shady past. Mako, the orphan."

He gasped at the cruelty in her words, his entire body stinging as if he'd just been beaten within an inch of his life. It felt as if his heart had shattered, the pieces spilling from his chest to crumble at his feet on the dirty floor of the locker room. Korra looked just as stunned, like she was surprised such venom could slip past her lips, but the poison was out now, and it had infected the air between them.

"You know what, I'm done."

Korra shook her head, seeming to wipe her conscience of the whole situation. Mako didn't say a word. He watched, as still as a statue, as Korra tore off her Fire Ferrets uniform, throwing the damp red clothing and pads at his feet.

"Good luck getting a new waterbender," she said as she walked past him, "and better luck finding a new girlfriend that will put up with your shit."

She left him there, bruised and broken, and despite her heartless words, her callous behavior, Mako found himself wishing she would come back…


Present day…

That first fight still haunted Mako. They had both been so malicious to one another. The firebender hadn't even known that such spitefulness resided in his heart until he'd found himself slinging pitiless insults at Korra with more viciousness than he'd ever used to bend fire at an opponent.

That first time they'd broken up, Mako had really thought it was the end. Everything that was said in the locker room had sounded so final. But that night, he'd been woken up from a disquieting sleep to find Korra leaning over him, water from Yue Bay dripping from her hair and falling onto his cheek. She'd been so upset, so desperate, that she'd forgotten to bend the water off of her after swimming to the arena and launching herself up to his apartment. She'd said she was sorry. He'd said he was sorry. They had fast and furious make-up sex before falling asleep in each other's arms, waking up the next day and going out for breakfast as if nothing had happened…

…until they'd got into a fight over whose turn it was to foot the bill. In a flurry of emotion, Korra had once again declared her and Mako to be through, throwing a plate of eggs in his face before storming out of the restaurant, leaving him behind to pay for the food and the hole she'd punched through the wall.

And just like before, she'd come to him that night, saying she was sorry which led to them having sex until dawn and sleeping in past their allotted training time, which led to Mako blaming Korra, which led to another fight. The cycle was vicious, and for seven weeks it hadn't stopped…


Five weeks ago…

"I'm not done talking to you," Korra roared as she followed Mako out of the great hall.

"Well I'm done listening to you," he snorted, ignoring the raging woman at his heels. The couple was at the Sato estate, Asami having organized a rather ostentatious party for Mako's birthday. It was supposed to be a night of revelry and fun, but when Korra kept muttering snide criticisms about the food, the wine, the cake, and especially the Sato heiress into his ear, Mako couldn't stand it. They'd been dancing when she made the comment that Asami's taste in music was stuffy when Mako had decided that it was the last straw. He'd left Korra in the middle of the dance floor, embarrassing the young Avatar and not caring in the slightest.

Mako entered the washroom, wishing Korra wouldn't follow him, but knowing that she was. It made his head ache when she slammed and locked the door behind her.

"Mako –"

"If it's about Asami I don't want to hear it!" he hissed. "She's my friend, Korra, and I thought she was your friend, too. What's wrong with you?"

"Nothing's wrong, I just think that if Asami was your friend she'd know you a little better than to throw this over-the-top ball for your birthday,"

"I happen to like everything she's done," Mako said, pleased when he noted the surprise that flashed across Korra's face. "Why are you so insecure?"

"I'm not," Korra insisted, crossing her arms and turning her back on him. "Just seems fishy that an ex-girlfriend would go to so much trouble."

Mako wanted to hit his head against a wall, or better yet, give Korra a good shake. She was still hung up on his very short-lived relationship with Asami, the one that ended over a year ago. Huffing, the firebender approached Korra and placed a hand on her shoulder.

"Do you need me to say it?" he asked, masking his disappointment when Korra shrugged. He thought she knew him better than that. Still, if it would make her happy, then he would say what she needed to hear. "I don't have those feelings for Asami. Not anymore. And what I did feel for her…it's nothing compared to what I feel for you." He never saw her face, never saw the relief wash over Korra's features or the blush that tinted her cheeks, or the spark of hope that lit up in her eyes. She let him turn her body to face his, let him hug her, his arms as reassuring as the promise of a sunrise.

"I didn't mean it," she muttered into his suit jacket.

"I know," Mako answered. 'You never do.'

He kept the thought, frustrated and tired as it was, to himself.

They hugged each other for a long time, locked away in the bathroom, the echo of Mako's birthday party muffled by the marble walls that kept them hidden away from the crowd. When the atmosphere around them changed from something peaceful to something more charged, neither could say, but soon, Korra was kissing him, and he was bunching her dress up around her thighs, and she was touching his ass and he was lifting her onto the long counter so she could wrap her legs around him.

"So, Birthday Boy, do you want your gift now, or –oh!"

He'd slipped his fingers into her underwear before she could finish her offer, discovering that Korra was already wet and sensitive, jumping when his thumb rubbed her just the right way. He didn't say a word as he took her, hard and fast, seeking only the blinding release that Korra's body promised, taking her selfishly. It was the first time they'd been together when he hadn't even tried to make her come, and as they adjusted themselves before heading back to the party, Mako knew Korra was left wanting.

It frightened him how little he cared…


Two weeks ago…

"Harder!" Korra begged, her back arching, one hand wandering down between her legs so she could rub herself into a frenzy while Mako took her savagely from behind. The firebender groaned, biting her shoulder. The steam was suffocating, perspiration making their clothes stick uncomfortably to their skin. His cock was slapping into her at a brutal pace, the knot in the stomach cranking and tightening, but he desperately kept himself at bay. Korra was making those wonderful sounds again.

They were in the engine room of the ferry that traveled daily from the mainland to Air Temple Island, hidden in a steamy corner, rutting away like two polar bear-dogs in heat.

This time, the fight had been Mako's fault.

They were practicing and Mako had critiqued Korra's waterbending. As usual, she took his notes personally, and as had been usual for the past several weeks, their normal banter quickly turned into mean-spirited jabs and humiliating criticisms. Fed up with everything, Mako had waved his hand in dismissal, saying that Hasook was a better waterbender than Korra.

Korra never made a comeback. She'd just walked out of the gym. Mako hadn't heard from her in three days, finally giving in on the morning of the fourth and going to Air Temple Island to seek her out. Their reunion had been tense, like reality would crack if they took one toe out of line. They were civil, and when Mako had asked Korra if she wanted to go back to the arena with him on the next ferry, she'd said yes. They hardly spoke, hardly touched. They just stood at the railing of the stern, looking up at Avatar Aang's colossus as they passed,

And then Mako took her hand in his, twining their fingers together.

He'd meant for the gesture to be reassuring, to be gentle and romantic, something sturdy in this bizarre web of passion, and anger, and tension they had caught themselves up in. He'd never intended for the action to lead to anything more, but then Korra stole a kiss and whispered in his ear how badly she wanted him and Mako couldn't find it in himself to refuse her.

She was his downfall every time.

"I'm gonna come," he grunted.

"Me too," she moaned. They climaxed together, the sound of the engine drowning out their cries. His physical needs sated, Mako leaned over Korra's back, holding her to him, wondering why he felt so empty after having sex with her when once he'd felt so full.

Something was wrong.

Lately, it seemed that all Mako and Korra did was have round after round of make-up sex. They still had passion, and tension, but as Mako came down from his euphoric high, his breath coming in damp puffs against Korra's ear, the firebender suddenly knew what was missing.

For the last several weeks, Mako and Korra hadn't been making love. They were just fucking, the motions of their bodies driven by something primal, not emotional. Their feelings weren't part of the equation. Somewhere along the way, they'd stopped caring.

The realization made Mako sick.

He moved away from Korra like she'd burned him, violently pulling the condom from his cock and throwing it into a dark corner of the engine room like it was a dirty secret. How had this happened? How had they – how had he – let this happen? This relationship, this wonderful and tumultuous and exasperating and exciting relationship had suddenly transformed into something that was hollow and barren, completely devoid of the depth and respect it had started with. Mako was ashamed, angry for falling into such a deplorable place, guilty for treating Korra as little better than a piece of meat.

She was so much more than that. She meant so much more to him.

With a newfound and solemn determination, Mako swore to set everything right. He committed himself to regaining that balance, that deeply rooted connection, that admiration and loyalty, that bond, that beautiful and unexplainable force that joined them together closer than their bodies ever could.

"Hey. Is everything alright?"

He was startled when Korra touched his arm, disturbing his musings. She'd readjusted her clothing, looking the picture of innocence and concern. Mako felt his stomach do flip-flops as the very sight of her. For reasons only the Spirits knew, Korra wanted to be with him.

And he wanted to be with her.

He was going to fix whatever it was that had broken between them because he cared about her more than anything else. Because he cared about them.

"Everything's fine," he said, meaning the words and feeling a tranquil confidence wash over him. "I promise, everything is going to be fine…


Present Day…

He'd meant those words, and if nothing else, Mako was a man that stood by his promises. The first thing he had decided was that the sex had to stop. Until they delved into the root of the problem, until it wasn't just about the release but about the closeness, Mako wouldn't even let himself think about touching Korra intimately.

For a while, it had worked.

Once Korra had caught on that her boyfriend was avoiding sleeping with her, and once she'd calmed down from that slap in the face, the pair had actually started talking again. They'd go for long rides on Naga though the city, join Asami and Bolin for double dates at the cinema, listen to the radio, or sometimes they would just snuggle on the couch in his apartment, secluded and warm, and just be together. The closeness they'd seemed to have lost was slowly returning.

Until the inevitable happened.

The fight had been over, of all things, his scarf. They were wasting time in a new department store, hoping to spot a birthday present for Bolin. While Mako had been perusing through some records, searching for his brother's favorite jazz band's newest album, Korra had popped up by his side, smiling from ear to ear as she held up a soft blue woolen scarf. When he'd asked her why she was showing it to him, the Avatar had proudly announced that it was time Mako got himself a new one and got rid of the old rag he had draped around his neck.

Mako was insulted and pissed off.

While his scarf had seen better days, the patched and scraggly scarlet cloth was the only thing he had left of his father. Korra knew this. She was supposed to understand. When he told her so, the smile had vanished from his girlfriend's face. She'd called him a sentimental pretty boy. He'd called her an overemotional basket case. Korra had thrown the blue scarf in his face and stormed off. He'd followed her, hands clenched in his pockets, his blush more from the frustration he was keeping in check rather than the embarrassment of feeling every shoppers' eyes follow him out of the store. They'd marched back to the arena, Korra a few steps ahead of him. When they finally got to the attic apartment, the oil hit the fire…


Two hours ago…

"You're a prick."

"And you're a shrew."

"Idiot!"

"Pest!"

They were standing toe to toe, their chests rubbing together with each heaving breath they took. Mako was looking down on Korra, brows furrowed, mouth pressed into a thin frowning line. Korra had her chin tilted defiantly, pout in place, and a storm raging in her blue eyes. It really wasn't a surprise when she leaned forward to kiss him. It wasn't even a shock when he returned her embrace, tongue and teeth meeting hers like opposing solders on a battlefield. Spirits, he'd missed the taste of her, the smell of her, how she felt, and those mewls of pleasure that were like music to his ears…

…but he couldn't let it go any further. Not if he wanted to save what they had. Not if he wanted to hold on to everything they'd been rebuilding over the past two weeks.

"No," he groaned, pulling away from her, hating himself when he saw the hurt and anger clash in her eyes.

"Why won't you touch me anymore?" Korra asked, her voice a weak sob. Mako felt his walls crumble. He was hurting her by being physically distant, and yet she was hurting him by being emotionally out of reach. They were trapped in an abyss, no end or beginning in sight, suspended in a dark cavern where they were damned either way.

And that's when Mako made up his mind.

He turned on her, hoisting his girlfriend up and onto his shoulder as he walked towards the ladder that led to his bedroom.

"Put me down!" Korra demanded, punching his rear end, her flailing legs very nearly smacking him in the groin. The firebender moved quickly, dumping Korra on his bed, his jacket, shirt, gloves, scarf and boots gone from his body before she had a chance to even gather her bearings. Kneeling down beside the bed, he pulled her legs towards him, stripping her of her boots and pants and underwear even as she thrashed. "What are you doing?"

"This is what you want, right?"

He moved to rest on top of her, kicking his pants off his legs. He pressed his cock against her thigh, the contact of her warm skin enflaming his growing erection. He couldn't help smirking when she stilled beneath him. Taking advantage of her motionlessness, Mako relieved her of her top and brazier, leaving her as naked as he. Gently, with a tentativeness he hadn't expressed since their first time together, Mako leaned forward and kissed Korra. He didn't rush to deepen the kiss, he simply laid his lips upon hers and sighed, offering gentle pecks as his hands roamed her body. His caresses were as light as feathers, playful, but there was something else there, something that was reverential and true.

He was worshiping her.

When his hands found her breasts Korra arched into his touch with a sigh, wanting him to go faster, to be rougher, to forgo this steady and infuriatingly slow pace. But Mako wouldn't be deterred. He kissed a path to her breasts, taking one in his mouth and suckling. Korra writhed and pleaded, her legs clamping like a vice around his hips. She pulled at his hair, demanding that he take her. Angry at her insistence, Mako bit her breasts, causing his girlfriend to cry out in pain, arching against him. He moved then to hover over her, their noses bumping.

"Fine," he seethed through clenched teeth. "But just remember. This is what you wanted." He bit her earlobe for good measure, making sure she understood that what was about to happen was all her doing.

He flipped them over, letting Korra take the lead, meeting her for every kiss and bite, each bruising touch and shuddering curse. He let her use him, watching as she rode him to a frantic completion. He memorized the way her breasts heaved as she fell up and down on his cock in a rapid rhythm. His eyes traced the curve of her hip, the dimple of her waist, the richness of her brown skin. He breathed in deeply, wanting to ingrain the scent of her and him together in his memory. He wanted to capture the moment, wanted to seal it up tightly and horde it just for himself.

Because Mako knew this was the last time.

There wouldn't be anymore of these petty and mean fights. There wouldn't be round after round of make-up sex in every dark ferry corner. There wouldn't be anymore of this unwelcome and seemingly unbridgeable distance. When they were done, Korra would likely fall asleep, and when she woke up, Mako was going to ask her to tell him what was wrong. And if she refused to tell him, then he was done.

They were done…


Present day…

Korra stirred beside him, a long yawn announcing her return to consciousness. Mako felt his heart ache, his chest clenching in pain. He took a long, shuddering breath and sought the strength he knew he would need for this conversation. He'd made up his mind about Korra, and while the woman beside him probably wouldn't want to listen to what he had to say, he was determined to tell her.

He had had enough.

"Hi," Korra drawled, snuggling against his side like Pabu, content and relaxed, almost purring in his ear.

Mako moved quickly.

Before Korra had a chance to understand what was going on, her boyfriend had her pinned beneath him. He pressed his full weight on top of her, their naked bodies aligned in a perfect connection of his angles and her curves. A lustful spark bloomed in the Avatar's eyes and she raised her hands to wrap around Mako's neck and pull his mouth to hers. Mako caught her wrists in an iron-like grip before she got the chance and pinned them above her head. Smirking at the firebender's bid for control, Korra craned her neck, still trying to kiss him, but Mako moved away and her lips barely brazed his chin.

"Mako? What the hell?" she asked, not liking his coyness. Looking up at his face, Korra realized that, despite the circumstances, Mako was not in an amorous mood. His golden eyes were hard, his brows furrowing and creasing the skin of his forehead. He wasn't smiling or smirking, his mouth a firm and unmoving line. She already knew that what he was going to say wasn't going to be pleasant.

"I can't do this anymore."

She hadn't expected that. Korra felt a fear that surpassed the terror that Amon once stuck in her take hold of her spirit, the seriousness of the situation, the heavy melancholy of the atmosphere pushing down on her like a mountain. This wasn't right. Mako never initiated their breakups. He never spoke with such finality. He never looked at her with such pain.

"What –"

"Tell me what's wrong," he interrupted, his voice low and quiet.

"Nothing," she spouted reflexively.

"Tell me or…" Mako closed his eyes and swallowed, forcing the words past his lips. "Or we're through."

Korra gasped. Mako didn't make threats. He was serious.

The fear of losing him, the paralyzing and devastating panic of having him walk out of her life was too much. There were too many feelings, too many tears and hurt and pain welling inside of her. When she felt Mako shift to get off her, Korra felt a dam inside of her burst.

"I'm afraid!" she cried.

"Of what? What are you afraid of?" he yelled back. She clamped her lips tightly, stubbornly, refusing to give him an answer. Mako was at a loss. He could see Korra slipping away form him like water, earth, fire, air between his fingers. He was desperately trying to hang on, but she was like vapor. "Korra, please."

He touched his brow to hers, looking into her eyes with a raw desperation. He was begging, reaching out for her, not wanting to put an end to a relationship that meant more to him than anything else in the world. He didn't want to leave Korra, but he wouldn't put himself though the torment of her callousness and distant attitude. Either she was in it for the long run, or he wasn't going to stick around, because he wanted everything.

He wanted it all.

He wanted Korra.

Mako brought his hand to her face. He let his thumb trace her cheekbone.

And then he said it.

"I love you."

The words had been lodged in his throat for a long time, but the feeling had been residing in his heart for longer. He'd simply never had the nerve to say them. Korra shuddered against him, her breath coming out in choppy puffs, eyes as wide as an ocean as she looked up at him with astonishment, and humility, and understanding.

"I love you," he said again, "so please tell me what's wrong."

Korra wrapped her arms around him in a tight and almost desperate hug, burrowing her face against him. "I thought you didn't," she confessed, her vulnerability secure and hidden in the crook of his neck. Mako was stunned.

"Why? How?" he asked.

"Because you never said anything after I told you."

Mako stilled moving to gently prod Korra's face away from his neck so he could look at her properly.

"You never told me you loved me," he said, confused and a bit irked that she still hadn't said how she felt.

"I did, too. In Oogi's stable," she began with an earnest whisper, "I told you I never wanted to be without you."

"That could mean a lot of things," Mako argued gently.

"You still never said anything back," she countered.

"I didn't know you were saying you love me!" he snapped, defensive of his foolishness. Because of course Korra had her own way of doing everything, even saying 'I love you' to her clueless boyfriend. "You love me," he stated, the truth sinking in like aloe on a burn. It was healing.

"Yeah," Korra admitted a bit bashfully. "I love you." she clarified. "I was afraid of getting my heart broken."

"I've been afraid, too," he confessed, his muscles relaxing under the wonderful, beautiful truth of her feelings. Of their shared feelings. Korra's fingers traced his collarbone, drawing symbols on his skin as the couple basked in the new reality their relationship had entered. He took her wandering hand in his and brought it to his lips, kissing the finger that had been tickling his skin. Korra watched him with quiet ease, her thumb running along the small scars on his knuckles.

"Fire can burn," she whispered, trying to tell him why she had been afraid. Mako understood.

"So can ice," he said.

In the end, neither Korra or Mako wanted to get hurt. They had shared so much together, their friendship, their humor, their ideas and fears, their affection and their bodies. But sharing their hearts, that was something far more intimate than anything they had ever done before. Now, either one could hurt the other, irrevocably destroy all that they were. This power was heady and invigorating, but it was also terrifying and humbling.

They stayed in each other's arms for a long time, the tension slowly draining until Korra laughed. Mako joined her, chuckling in-between showering kisses on her face, her shoulders, her breasts. Her chuckles soon turned to sighs, her sighs to moans. And he loved her moans. Mako and Korra moved together, kissing, touching, revealing in their newly admitted feelings. The gentle nature of their caresses soon changed, and within moments they were making love, the sacredness of the act feeling newer than even the first time.

They completed each other, his kisses the echo of her love, her moans the broken melody of his name…


One year later…

"You said 'yes', don't try to back out of it now," he teased, spooning her against his body, one arm over her middle and the other acting as a pillow for her head. He buried his nose in her hair, relishing the smell of orange blossoms that lingered in the tresses.

"Anything I say when you're doing that to me doesn't count," Korra argued, trying to catch her breath. Her mind was still in a daze, reason slowly finding its way back to her brain after the explosive release she'd just experienced. It made the Avatar thankful to all the spirits that Air Temple Island was empty save for herself and her lover. 'Thank Yue for every sacred Air Nomad pilgrimage that happens to take place at the Eastern Air Temple,' she thought with a satisfied smirk, snuggling into Mako's chest, kissing his still racing pulse at the crook of his elbow. She could feel him smile against her neck.

"Oh, so when you were screaming for me to go harder, faster, you didn't mean it?" he asked, the hand on her belly moving swiftly to capture one of her plump breasts, squeezing lightly. "When you told me to taste you here?" he pinched her nipple, "and here?" he licked her shoulder, teeth grazing the skin as his hand dragged down her belly before cupping her slick and still sensitive sex. "You didn't want me to kiss you here? Because that's what you told me. Practically ripped my hair out when I asked if you were sure."

"You were teasing me, you jerk," she groaned, raising one leg to rest on his so that his fingers could continue their delicate petting.

"You still said 'yes'. It counts."

Knowing he wasn't going to drop the issue, Korra sighed, some of the passion fleeing in the wake of her curiosity and nerves. She reluctantly batted his hand away from her and turned in his embrace. She studied him, her gaze intense.

"Are you serious?"

He could see the questions in her eyes and realized he wasn't being rejected, she just needed something more substantial, something that truly proved his commitment to her, but that was Korra, all about the actions and less about the words.

Smirking, Mako rolled out of the bed and made his way to his pile of clothes, riffling through the pockets of his jacket. He could feel Korra staring at him, long past the point of being bashful at her seeing him naked. In fact, he flexed, tightening the muscles of his trim thighs and rear end, knowing Korra likely had her gaze fixed admiringly on ass. She had declared more than once that his rear end was her second most favorite feature of his (the first being his lips), and since he did love her, the firebender decided to indulge the woman before his fingers found the object he was seeking.

He held the betrothal necklace by its silver chain, letting the pendant he had carved from one of the many white stones that dotted the shores of Air Temple Island dangle in the space between them. Korra's smug expression softened, shifting into a tender and content smile. Her blue eyes danced as he made his way back to the bed, kneeling on the floor and propping his elbows on the mattress. He held the necklace up for her inspection, proud of what he had made and hoping that Korra could see all of the dedication and passion he had put into shaping the stone.

"What do you say?" he asked, trying to be charming. "Mrs. Hat Trick has a nice ring to it, don't you think?"

Korra admired the necklace for a second more before taking in Mako's handsome face. He was smiling at her, his features softened, making him seem so much younger than his eyes claimed. He was looking at her like she was his entire world, vulnerable and trusting, just like that hot, hazy, far away afternoon when he'd first told her that he loved her. Cupping his face between her hands, Korra leaned up and kissed him, slowly, just barely nibbling on his upper lip.

"I think Mr. Avatar sounds better," she whispered playfully against his lips as she moved one hand to delicately grasp the pendant.

Mako stared into Korra's eyes, entranced with them as always, boring deeper and deeper until he was certain he could see her soul. Not her Avatar spirit, not the part of her that was linked to a thousand other lives, but that unique, enchanting, sassy spark of life that twittered and danced beyond the fringes of the crystalline blue in her eyes…the part of her that was solely Korra.

And he saw his answer.

Releasing the ends of the necklace, Mako let Korra grasp the weight of the stone in her palm and pressed his forehead to hers.

"Works for me."

Korra's smile was blinding.

"Then…I said 'yes'," she confirmed happily, kissing him on the nose.

Shifting, she knelt upon the bed, unabashedly nude and beautiful. She thrust her chest out as she arched her arms back to secure the necklace around her neck, humming when the stone's smooth surface made contact with her flushed skin. Eyes darkened by a new onslaught of lust and love, Korra let Mako take his fill of ogling her body before beckoning him to the bed with a sultry flick of her finger. He obeyed readily, pulling her into his arms, pressing her against him so that the cool stone of the necklace stuck to his skin as well, branding him as much as her.

"Now," she purred, licking her lips and threading her fingers through his disheveled hair, "what do you say we celebrate our engagement?"

Her kiss was like fire, and he played in the flames.

0~0~0~0~0~0~0~0~0~0~0~0~0~0~0~0~0~0

Fire is the element of power – Iroh


Monkey feathers! This thing nearly killed me! Sorry about the fic being a week late. As you can see, it was a bit of a huge project, much longer than I'd ever anticipated, even with my pre-planning and outlines.

Anyway, that was a lot of smut, wasn't it? Not gonna lie, it was both fun and frustrating to write. So, if you couldn't tell, I'm one of those people that believes that communication is the solid foundation to any and all relationships, be they romantic or otherwise, and I also believe that sex without the emotions to back it up is simply unfulfilling. There's nothing wrong with wanting to actually care about the person you share your body with, in fact, it makes the act of making love all the more satisifying for both partners.

The next chapter will be air, the element of freedom. Hmm...wonder what I'll write about.

I hope you liked this latest installment. Hopefully, your smexy dreams for this couple have been sated by my little fic. Happy Saturday, and don't forget to watch the new episode of Korra!

If you are so inclined, please leave a review, questions, critiques, or comments. They are always appreciated.

Keep calm and Korra on!