Happy reading


Mako patiently waited for her mediation session to end so he could take the first step of starting a new relationship.

The first step was to fix the old one.

He quickly realized if he was going to win her heart he first needed to secure his own and prepare it for anything. Even if it meant stepping out of his comfort zone.

Apologies were definitely out of his comfort zone.

"Alright Korra, you can leave if you want." He twisted his head upon hearing Tenzin's low voice boom through the crisp morning air.

"But don't forget about the-"

"Yeah, yeah I know! I'll see you guys later!"

He watched as she bounced up from her sitting position on the floor and made her way down the stone path to her living compound.

Mako took a few deep breaths through his nose and stepped in front of her without giving it a second thought.

She stopped in her tracks, surprise written all over her face.

"Mako?" She questioned.

"Hey… Korra." His voice was rough and held a hint of uncertainty. He tried to clear his throat and start again.

"How, uh, how are you?" He mentally slapped himself for sounding so childish. This was the first time he and Korra had spoken since the first night on their voyage back to Republic City. They had arrived on Air Temple Island the night before and it had taken him most of the morning to the work up the courage to confront her and try to apologize for his rude and uncalled for behavior. So far, he was failing miserably.

"Good," she answered shortly, crossing her arms in impatience. He inwardly sighed upon seeing her frustration towards him was still present. In all honesty though, he couldn't blame her.

"That's great…" He trailed off, losing his train of thought as he watched her lift her eyebrow and give him an expectant look.

Alright, you can do this. She deserves it.

"Listen," he began shakily. "I… I, uh, just… wanted… to know how you were feeling. You know… your bending and all…" He inwardly slapped himself across the face.

Her facial features softened for the quickest of moments before confusion settled in as a replacement.

"Um, I'm fine. I've been fine."

"Right… right…"

A long silence ensued, leaving Mako in a state of restlessness. Thankfully (or unthankfully though) Korra saved him from his miserable attempt at conversation.

"Well, uh, if that's all you wanted to say then I'm going to go grab a bite to eat before my meeting with the council members at City Hall…" She trailed off, unsure if this was the type of space Iroh was talking about.

Mako nodded his head vigorously and tried to hide his inner disappointment and utter embarrassment. "Oh yeah, yeah, I understand. That's completely fine. Yeah, I'll see you… see you later. Yeah, I'll see you later… then."

With one last concerned stare, Korra nodded once and then proceeded down the stone path without so much as a glance backwards.


"What just happened?"

Mako jumped, completely surprised by the familiar voice that came from his right. He was too lost in his thoughts to have noticed a figure walk up beside him after Korra had walked away.

He felt his stomach drop. A mix between surprise and dread settled in his core upon recognizing Asami's face.

"Asami…Um, what are you doing here?"

Completely ignoring his timid question, she continued on. "I mean, I think I understood the gist of what you were trying to do but then what actually happened is a different story." Her face was indifferent but her eyes held a hint of playful mischief that almost went unnoticed by the firebender.

Almost.

Mako rubbed his temple in defeat and sighed. "I tried to… have a conversation and…"

"…And you failed. Miserably," she finished with an amused smirk.

"Yeah. I did," he mumbled as he tried to avoid eye contact.

"Mako," she said softly, a tone in which he hadn't heard her use on him in a while. It caused his eyes to snap to her face. "Tell me what's wrong."

No matter how awkward he felt having any kind of conversation (especially this kind) with Asami, Mako still felt her calming presence cool his irrational emotions that burned within him. He was too emotionally distraught to push away the sense of relaxation he felt when she was around. He needed it and if she was willing to help, then she was an even more selfless person than he realized.

He felt his face soften and his shoulders droop. "I was trying to apologize to Korra… because, well…long story short, I messed up and I need to fix things between us."

Asami slowly nodded her head as she made her way towards the shade of a nearby tree. She played with a leaf that hung just above her head as she tried to decipher where this conversation could go and how she could play it out. Even though she was on her way to healing, she still had some tender spots that could potentially lead to bitterness and anger.

He followed to stand before her and waited patiently- almost desperately- to hear what she could offer him. She inwardly sighed. She had to stay away from such sour emotions. She was not going to turn into her father.

"Well," she began slowly, unsure of what to say. "Korra does seem upset with you…"

"I know, I know," he sighed, bringing his hand up to rub his face in distress. "I messed things up and I… I don't know what to do."

She glanced over at him and watched as he stared at the horizon, his mind far from where he stood.

"I think you should talk to her," she finally said after a few moments in silence passed between them.

His eyes glanced down at her face before returning to the skyline and she took that as a sign to continue.

"Break out of this impossible shell you've built around your heart."

"I don't know how," he admitted, his voice barely above a whisper.

"You can start by telling her how you feel..." Asami paused, deciding whether or not she should voice her harsh opinion that followed, but he needed to hear it and understand his time was limited.

"Korra's the Avatar. She saved Republic City and is now restoring people's bending. She's a strong and beautiful person who's meeting new people every day… She'll wait for you Mako, but not forever."

He closed his eyes, feeling his heart constrict and his stomach drop to the floor at the thought of Korra finding someone else to be with. The general's face flashed through his mind. His jaw clenched and the familiar flames of frustration and jealousy burned within his chest.

He exhaled a steamy breath through his nose. "I know." He tried to steady his voice before he spoke again. "What if… what if she's already moved on?"

"Well, you should probably go find out soon then, huh?" She didn't know what else to say. Korra was a spontaneous person. Trying to figure her out was pretty much close to impossible. Mako had to find his own way. She just wished it wasn't so difficult for him to voice whatever was on his mind. It made things ten times harder for everyone.

He glanced at Asami and gave her a sincere, but weak smile. "Thank you. You're an incredible person."

She smiled in return before quietly departing and leaving him to sit in his thoughts.

"Hey," she called lightly over her shoulder. "Everything will be alright."


Reviews make my day :D