Thank you all for the feedback! It was so nice to wake up in the morning and see my mail flooded. Really, I appreciate the reviews. I update faster because of the encouragement, so keep up the reviews and I'll make sure to update as soon as I can. ^^ This one's long and is the last of the sad arc. Hope this one's up to your expectations. Somehow. If not, please know I tried. :D

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#16: benches and fences (Mako and Korra)

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He sits on a bench in an obscure part of the park. Though it doesn't have that great a view of Yue Bay, it's still his favorite. This was where he would sit—and occasionally sleep—with Bolin and hide from their troubles and the rest of the world. And it frustrates him how even though he's managed to alleviate their living conditions, he still has to go to this place to run away. From her, someone he didn't expect to affect his world at all.

The frustration seeping in again, he stands and paces in front of the bench until he realizes that nothing he's doing could calm him—and he starts to burn stray dried leaves scattered across the grass. He usually wouldn't do something like that in a place he considers sacred, but. Apparently, anything Korra-related could overpower his feelings for other things.

It doesn't surprise him as much as it should, he knows, and that just adds to the aggravation he feels.

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It doesn't take her long to find him. After all, Bolin told her a lot of their past. He didn't seem to have as much trust issues as his brother does, but she can only imagine how much of a burden Mako had to handle when he was only eight years old or so.

The path to their secret hideout—as Bolin calls it—was hidden by a wild bush and covered in fallen branches and leaves. It wasn't the prettiest place, but Korra likes to think that to someone who wanted to escape reality, it was the perfect sanctuary.

And she sees him, in all his formal-attire glory. And the scowl on his face makes her feel so, so guilty, but she doesn't call him out on it yet because he was handsome that way and she feels weird and queasy looking at him like that, but she couldn't help it because she likes him.

She likes him, and she was pathetic and the Avatar and he…he was such an idiot.

It doesn't take long for her to give into calling his name, either.

"Mako."

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He turns around at the sound of his name being called out by an apparition—because it couldn't possibly be her. It's his mind tricking him again, and he feels his desperation, and seeing her there, just a few meters away from him—it hurts him. And he's scared, terrified at the idea of her being there, so he tries to fight his fears.

And throws a fire ball at her image.

And how surprised he is when she manages to bend the fire away from her and extinguish it with her own water. What do you know, it's Korra. He wants to smile and rush up to her and hug her—though it's totally out of character, he still wants to do all those to her because…he still didn't know. He wants to do all those, but she looks petrified in her place, like she couldn't believe that he had just tried to hit her.

He couldn't believe it either.

"What the hell is wrong with you?" she manages to scream, keeping her hands still at her sides. "You just tried to burn me, Mako!"

Yeah, he did. He frowns, thinking that he's already berating himself for it—she needn't repeat it.

He doesn't find any response, so instead he chooses to look at her, trying to find something in her accusing blue eyes. And he expects her to look away, but she returns his gaze and he realizes just how beautiful she looks with her hair windswept from the running she might have done and with her dress all wrinkled up and the full moon above them and making her dark skin glow in such an ethereal way and he…

He still didn't know.

"What are you doing here?" He doesn't mean to sound sarcastic or mean, but he's angry and he can't help it because she had to be the one to see him so vulnerable. "You should be at the party. You were the guest of honor, after all. It's not good for you to forgo your responsibilities just to have a stroll in the park, Avatar."

And he sees her closing her eyes, gritting her teeth, but oddly enough, not moving. She opens her eyes again, and this time it's more of an icy blue than the calm cerulean that matches her profile.

"But you, Mako, you left!" she blurts out, ire lacing her tone. "I want to talk to you—"

"I wasn't wanted there anyway. Where's Bolin?"

"Back at your apartment. But he doesn't have anything to do with what I have to tell you—"

"You left him? But you and him—"

"We're friends," she says, and suddenly she's a step ahead. He backs up and sits on the bench, and again, there's that indignant expression on her face. "And I like you."

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She's surprised at her own confession because the thought of her actually telling him her feelings has never crossed her mind. But it's true—she does like him. The spirits forbid, she's the Avatar and she just wants to forget about the rest of the world because she's content with just him.

But no, that's not possible.

"You can't like me."

She doesn't deal with rejection well. Having had everything she asked for—except, maybe, freedom—since she was younger, she doesn't know what to do when this guy is the only thing she could possibly want in this whole damned city—and she can't have him, apparently.

"I think I'm entitled to my own feelings!" she cries in defense, taking another step forward and looking away from his scrutinizing gaze. "And I just thought…that you wanted to know. Okay, you know what? No. Admit it, Mako. You like me."

"I don't—"

"Then why did you leave?"

"Because what you did was private and I felt like I was intruding—"

"There were a hundred other people around us!" she shouts, keeping her ground. "You're just making up excuses, Mako! Stop doing this…this. Going here, running away. You're one of the strongest people I know, and it amazes me how someone like me could faze you—"

"Oh, that's so like you, Korra! To get ahead of yourself and think that it's all about you. Typical, since you're the Avatar—but I thought you were better than that, but you keep proving me wrong about so many things, and…" He pauses when he sees her cry. She thought, oh shit, no, not now, but the tears were streaming down and she felt so helpless at his words. "Korra, I didn't mean that," he immediately amends. "Korra, shit, stop crying, please."

He stands up with his lips parted, and she runs to him and almost tackles him back down onto the bench from the force, but he kept them both standing. Korra wraps her arms around his torso and it takes him more than a second to register what she just did—but raises his own arms to return her hug.

Korra knows that she isn't supposed to cry—at the most stupidest of things, like this stupid boy in front of her, but she's so sure of herself, of her feelings. "You're such an idiot," she manages to croak. "But I still like you."

He doesn't know what to say to that—no, he does, but he doesn't think I think I like you, too, could suffice for someone like her.

"You keep running away. Just when I think I could finally understand you because I think I managed to make you trust me, you just go ahead and ignore me and my efforts are wasted and…I don't know where we stand anymore. You keep on…building fences around you."

"Fences? Not walls?"

"No, I've never tried to destroy fences before."

"Oh." For the first time in the entire night, Mako finds it in himself to smile, and he pulls her even closer to him. "I'm not…good at those things, Korra. Honestly. But I'll try." For you, he adds as an afterthought.

And when Korra stops sniffling against his chest, he pulls a way—just a bit—and plants a kiss on her forehead before engulfing her in his arms again. She sighs contently and thanks the spirits that her plan ended in her favor.

They're not there yet—just at the level of a mutual understanding that they do have something, even if both of them have no clue what it is exactly and what it should mean for them, but it's definitely there, no matter how many times they try to deny it.

It's not perfect, but it's a start.

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Preview of the next chapter:

"Is this some sort of prank? Bolin, get us the hell out of here!"

"No, no! Mako, you're going to ruin the party! The point of this game is that you stay there for seven minutes!"

"This is a closet, not the spirit world, you dolt! It doesn't count!"

"You have the Avatar in there with you! Make her bring you guys there or something...if you know what I mean."

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