A/N: And this is it for Makorra Week! I'll be working on the Makorra Summer Project soon, so look out for that! :D
She could tell how much the words had hurt him by the way his free hand was stuffed in his pocket. She could tell how much he wanted to punch the people saying them by the way his jaw twitched. She could tell how he was trying to control that impulse by observing the rhythm in which his chest rose and fell. It was a momentum she knew all too well, although under entirely different circumstances.
The first person to have said it was his immediate superior. She'd been sitting away, chatting with Tenzin and his family while Mako thanked his well-wishers when she heard it. She froze, wondering if she'd heard the man correctly. When she was sure of what had been said, she felt Jinora take her hand in hers to comfort her.
"You know Mako doesn't believe that," she reminded her.
So she looked at her husband and noticed how he was looking at her apologetically, letting her know in his own way that he wouldn't trade their life for anything. So she smiled back.
The second person to have said it was his old partner. Mako had dismissed him immediately and walked away from the man towards her. She didn't want this foul mood to stay so she tried to lighten it.
"Enjoying your party, Lieutenant?" she winked. He shrugged as though he'd rather have had a private celebration at home, but smiled just the same.
"I've been too distracted looking at you to even think about it," he whispered in her ear and kissed her cheek.
"Careful, Lieutenant. We still have an hour to go here," she reminded him.
"Another hour?" he asked her, feigning surprise.
She noticed the drawl in his voice. "Just one more hour, Mako. I promise we'll make a quick getaway," she assured him.
"I'll take your word for it," he sighed as he draped his arm across her shoulder, pinching the bridge of his nose with his thumb and fore finger.
"Need a drink? I was going to get one myself," she offered.
He exhaled as he scanned the table to see if Meelo and Rohan were around. He didn't want them to catch him drinking, even if the occurrance was very rare.
"Thanks," he mumbled as she ruffled his hair and got up to get him a glass of sake and a fresh glass of lychee juice for herself.
"Congratulations, Mako," Xin boomed. He was Lin's second in command and a competent Policeman, even according to Lin's standards.
"Thank you, Sir," Mako replied as he shook the man's hand cordially.
"We've been expecting you to rise through the ranks for some time now. Shame, isn't it, when your wife gets in the way of your progress," he remarked.
"With all due respect, sir, I wouldn't be here if it wasn't for her," Mako quipped and walked towards the frozen figure just slightly behind Xin.
When Korra returned with the drinks, she noticed the Deputy Chief approach her husband to congratulate him. But when he reiterated what the first two people had said, something inside her snapped. Before she even realized it, she'd crushed the glass in her hand. She quickly made to heal herself as Mako walked towards her.
"We're going home," he said firmly and she couldn't refuse.
She remained oddly silent all through the cab ride home. He was holding her bruised hand trying to soothe the pain, but he knew she wouldn't talk until she was ready. No matter how many times he'd told her that it didn't matter at all, whenever some idiot mentioned it, she seemed to take it harder that he ever would. As soon as they got home, he led her to the bathroom so she could heal herself.
"Korra, please... Just heal those cuts for now," he implored. She sighed and went to work as he stepped into their bedroom to take his suit off.
She'd been so happy when he'd given her the news of his promotion... She'd been so very proud of him.
"Am I holding you back?" he heard her ask as he peeled his undershirt off.
"Korra..."
"Am I holding you back?" she asked even more insistently.
"Korra, there's no need to-"
"Answer me!" she demanded.
"No," he stated plainly. "You never have. Of course there are times when I've thought about what I'd be doing if we weren't together, but..."
"Then it's true!" she yelled.
"Let me finish," he said. "Yes, there are times when I've thought about it, but whenever I do, I tell myself why I shoudln't take it so seriously. I wouldn't be on the force at all if not for you. And I'm not willing to lose you again."
"You shouldn't have to choose," she said quietly as she looked away. "It isn't right."
"Korra, I'm fine," Mako tried to assure her.
"Fine isn't good enough!" she yelled. "You deserve the chance to fulfill your dreams just as much as anyone else!"
"I am living my dream, Korra!" he said.
"Oh, come on, Mako! I saw you out there tonight! You knew you deserved this much earlier! Just own up to it! Be honest!" she said.
"You really want me to be honest, Korra?" he asked her, his temper rising slightly.
"YES!" she yelled, almost as if in relief.
"FINE! I deserved it earlier. I know I did. But honestly, it wouldn't have made me truly happy. Wanna know why?" he asked as he approached her and took her hands in his.
She couldn't answer, so she waited.
"Because you wouldn't have been in my life sharing these moments with me," he answered.
She sighed as his grip on her tightened. "I'm still keeping you from what you really want to do, aren't I?"
It pained him to notice how genuine her concern was. He looked at her, suddenly reminded of why he'd been distracted all through the event. He was lost the minute she'd walked out of the very room they were standing in wearing that exquisite red dress. He remembered telling her how he was itching to take it off her later; and he remembered how she'd silently challenged him about how long he'd even hold up. But looking at her now, he felt crushed under the weight of the little ways she showed her love for him.
"Before I met you," he began, slowly helping her out of her dress, "I had a simple plan." She simply nodded, having heard all of it before. "All I ever thought about was keeping Bolin safe. And to do that, I had to keep myself alive somehow."
"Mako, I just-"
"But you," he continued, lips brushing against hers, "you changed everything. Until I met you, I was just surviving. Until I met you, I didn't know what it meant to be truly happy. You taught me how to live and made me believe I had a future."
"But Mako, you deserve-"
"Don't say it. Don't ever say it. There isn't anything better. Not for me. There never will be," he said with a finality that almost convinced her.
"S-so... you don't regret it?" she managed to ask as she felt him kiss his way down her neck and shoulder. "I mean... We h-had to leave your party just because-"
"I'd rather just celebrate with you, anyway," he whispered in her ear as he fumbled with her bindings. "Unless... you have something else in mind?"
She lost all coherent thought as he hauled her to him and ran his hands along her sides. "Just shut up and kiss me," she ordered as she wrapped her legs around his waist.
He simply smiled into the kiss he gave her next. Hands down, it was the best celebration he'd had in years.
