Undiscovered

Chapter Three

Mako was so jittery, impossibly more uptight than usual, not to mention he was cold around Korra; completely detached in every possible sense of the word. Bolin was so angry at his brother,

"Bro whatcha playing at?" He demanded in a hushed whisper as Korra was taking a shower. Mako turned to his brother with empty eyes,

"What do you mean" the younger brother stared then, to really take in Mako. His eyes were sad and empty, but there was a certain amount of determination there. He was generally dishevelled, clothes crooked and hair more unruly than was standard.

"With Korra. You're so hot and cold…" Mako had never thought of how his decision to take himself out of the equation would affect her. Not really. All he thought about was how he was helping her, by keeping out of her life, in preparation for later. But part of him felt he needed to know for sure, he didn't even want to whisper what he thought she was, but he needed to find out.

Mako's plan was to find out, once he had, and if she was what he suspected, then he would introduce her to Tenzin somehow, the airbending master. The son of the late avatar would surely know what to do. And then Mako would disappear.

It if got out he was ever in her life there would be havoc for her, the press would exploit his past, saying he and his brother were not worthy of her friendship, maybe even present her with well of friends, already packed and loaded with fake compliments and sickly sweet flattery. They may even question her; make speculations about the nature of her relationships with us. And that would make it impossible for anything to ever happen between then…not that he wanted that, of course not…at least that was what he kept telling himself.

"I'm just having a bad week Bo" Mako said tiredly, rubbing his hands over his eyes. The firebender had been thinking about the girl nonstop which made seeing her quite embarrassing; he acted awkwardly and coldly towards her because he was uncomfortable with her being on his mind so much.

Korra came back then, pausing to tilt her head and look between the two as she used a small towel to dry the tips of her hair.

"I was thinking that today you could do some practice with Bolin, it might be more entertaining than just watching" A light blush coloured the girls cheeks but she nodded, admittedly, she quite enjoyed watching them.

Korra had been coming to the boy's practices ever since Mako wouldn't let her be out of his sight, it was overbearing and he never explained it to either of them, something which Korra had admitted to Bolin bothered her deeply. Not just because he was withholding something, and acting significantly differently, but because he though her could take control of her every move.

Korra would be the first to admit she needed support, she had all these issues and all this anger shoved so far down it was impossible to dig it up without dredging in some deep dark memories with it. What she did not need, however, was someone to take control of her. There was a very significant difference between supporting someone, and controlling someone.

She had hoped that Mako would become a close friend; she had really hoped that she, Bolin, and Mako could form a family, of sorts; wanting them to see each other as siblings.

"Yeah, ok" Korra made her way to Bolin's side,

"So, you're going to be spending the day with me!" Bolin smiled broadly, wrapping an arm around her shoulders, Korra remained tense the whole time but Bolin carried on. He used his other arm to animatedly tell her of all they would be doing,

"And then we shall prove not only the avatar can bend more than one element! YOU SHALL PREVAIL AND BEND FIRE AND EARTH!" Mako grew nervous at the mention of the word that he had avoided even thinking for the last week; he knew he had to be more open with Korra. It was obvious Bolin wasn't as observant of her ways as he, and if she was the get more comfortable, Korra needed to know she was safe.

And Mako knew in the few weeks after Korra discovered she may well be the person everyone has been looking for, she will need support. And just before she was whisked away by aged masters of the old and traditional methods of bending, well, Mako wanted her to remember him as the man who was there for her, not the man that pushed her away.

This all assuming Mako had actually seen her bending water, and hadn't simply been hallucinating. But then again, had she really been bending that fire under the kart?

Bolin ran off to go get the gym key and Mako went up to Korra,
"I'm sorry for being…distant" Mako awkwardly forced the word out, conversing not his strong suit, the young girl looked up at him with those big blue eyes as she nodded her acceptance of what he had said,

Big Blue Eyes.

"Hey, Korra? How come you have blue eyes, if you're a fire bender?" They moved to sit down under the window opposite the gym, Korra shrugged,

"I didn't know I had Blue eyes actually, until I came to stay with you" her voice had become more confident over the last few weeks, it made the firebender smile,

"I was on the streets since I was six, so I don't remember much" Mako took her hand and gave it a squeeze letting her say what she felt she needed to,

"I was so angry, at everything, and one day fire just burst from my fists. I didn't feel in control at all, it was so scary. But eventually, slowly, it began to be more of a skill than un uncontrollable force" that was the most he had ever heard her say in one go and Mako shuffled closer, and went to wrap an arm around her waist, hovering his hand to see if she was relaxed, but to his surprise, she hadn't tensed. So he hesitantly laid his hand there,

"I'm used to you now" Mako's face contorted into shock, Korra laughed,

"I didn't understand you at all, I thought you hated me, but then you would be so nice. It was very confusing. But once Bolin explained how you had been just like me, I think I began to understand. You want to help, but you also want to make sure Bo is properly cared for and I could jeopardise that" Korra pursed her lips, as if contemplating whether to carry on, to really divulged all her thoughts, hesitantly, she continued,

"And then as you began to care a little too much, you pulled back. I get that, if you needed to kick me out because your brother came first that would be easier to do if you saw me as a stranger"

How was it that, this girl, this wonderful young woman that Mako has only known for a short amount of time, could be so, so insightful.

"Thank you" Mako whispered, as he tucked her head under his chin, quickly releasing it, realising it was an instinct he should have probably ignored,
"For what" Korra asked back, her voice now a little defensive, probably due to having too much too soon with Mako's closeness,

"Being the most understanding friend, I think I've ever had" Korra smiled brightly, and Mako felt a little disheartened at how happy she felt with the 'friend' title.

But to Korra, a friend meant everything in the world. It was the first step towards her having a family.

OoO

"Now shift your weight to the left and POW! Yes! You've so got this!" Bolin exclaimed as Korra shifted through Bo's stance forms and punch combos,

"You're a natural!" the earthbender clapped her on the back and went to go fill up his water bottle from the fountain in the corner,

"He's right you know" Mako said from his leaning position against the wall, unfolding his arms and walking toward the Korra as she continued to work through the stances. Forever determined.

Korra grunted in reply as she threw the punches faster, in turn, slipping into the stances with a rapidity Mako didn't think even Bo could achieve. Earthbending was a very rooted form of bending though, making fluidity something of a skill.

Mako frowned, and then moved to place his hand on her lower back, and the other over her shoulder. Pushing her back and pulling her shoulder towards him Mako straightened her up.

Crack

The two brothers and Korra whipped round to look at the wall, where a smashed rock disk lay in pieces,

"Seriously Bro! we only have so many of those! Be careful!" Bolin threw his arms around letting water splosh about and onto the floor from his still open water bottle; Mako scratched the back of his neck,

"Uh yeah, sorry Bo, won't happen again"

"Better not Mako!" He gave his older brother a look and then the owner of the gym burst in,
"Out you guys, the group for the next slot is waiting" The left without a word and Mako kept stealing glances at Korra, who looked well and truly rattled.

OoO

"Right, what's up with you two?!" Bo demanded as they sat down for dinner,

"I-I think I-"

"We're tired" Mako interrupted Korra, who was still in a state of shock. But still she managed to glare at Mako, He knew, was all she kept thinking, that alongside, Bloody hell, I can earthbend.

"Riiight, ok guys"

Bolin wasn't convinced in the slightest, but they finished their meal in silence and then went to bed.

OoO

"Wanna go for a walk with me?" Mako whispered to Korra, it was 6 in the morning and Korra was a light sleeper so quickly got up and dressed.

Korra was in a mood with him, and Mako knew it.

What can she possible be mad about! Then again, she is a girl, and apparently they can kick off regarding just about anything, but still, it's not as if I've done anything wrong, or demanded answers I know she doesn't have…I'm just going to have to ask her. Over breakfast…soften her up a bit.

Mako looked at the girl; she seemed much stronger now, opposed to when they had found her. Bolin didn't have to get up in the middle of the night to calm her down after she woke up screaming or crying anymore, it still hurt Mako a little she didn't want him there when she was most frightened. Korra had explained this to be because Bolin reminded her of how her father behaved, it comforted her.

I could comfort her. He thought bitterly, no, stop it Mako. He scolded himself over and over for the same things, thinking the same thoughts, behaving the same way. It was a tiring cycle which he found he could not break, and whatever fuels this cycle was determined, and showed no signs of running out; a finite resource.

Mako handed Korra one of his old coats to put on, as it was still chilly out and even though she was stronger, he didn't want to risk her getting ill.

Korra wouldn't say a word, the firebender had first thought it to be shock, but upon reflection, he realised her eyes were no longer glazed, they were assured. She knew who she was, and she had accepted it.

OoO

"Why didn't you tell me" They had been sat at the sea front for two hours now, picking at their food and staring at the sea. Korra's eyes lit up near the water, they sparkled and danced and she seemed so happy, so at home,

"What do you mean?" Korra gave an incredulous look at his reply,
"Don't deny it, you knew" Mako opened his mouth to reply, but shut it, taking a breath he spoke very carefully,

"Not for certain…I never knew for certain, and either way, I wanted you to find out for yourself" Mako said uneasily, not happy with how he worded it, but knowing she would comprehend, or at least, hoped she would, if she was as understanding as she had been yesterday. That could have been an act, Mako's untrusting side warned, Why would she lie? Present day, more logical Mako thought, counteracting the dubious defensive side of him that had been engrained as a survival mechanism,

"You probably wouldn't have believed me anyway" Mako muttered, looking away and into the distance at avatar Aang's statue,

"I've got a lot to live up to" Korra replied, not denying his statement, not saying she understood why he acted the way he did. She simply followed his eye line and made sure she saw what he saw, no longer willing to dwell on the past, but to make sure they were still on the same page in the present, and still hopeful for their future. Because Korra wasn't letting them leave her, not now, nor never.

"This is your destiny Korra, you have to be your own person" Mako breathed out with the sea breeze, shutting his eyes, hiding his amber orbs from the young girls view as she peered at him behind her hair as it billowed around her,

"You need to find your own path as the Avatar"

OoO

A:N

I would like to thank all of you who have reviewed so far (Me, Guest, infamous3, and chapara-11), and also those who have favourited and put this story on alert. I want you all to know I really do appreciate it, especially as I find writing really difficult, any criticism is happily received, but praise is something I've never got much of and makes me so much more confident that I'm not just screwing everything up. So I really am grateful for all your praise encouragement, Sasha x