Previously on "Say My Name":
Bolin schemed a plan that forced Korra and Mako to "hang out" together, much to their dislike. However, there is good that comes out of it - Korra's memories of Mako are slowly coming back to her. At this point, her heart remembers the young firebender, but her mind does not. And now, her parents have finally arrived.
Mako trudged up the stairs to the Probending attic, soaked to the bone, his clothes sticking to his pale skin uncomfortably. The storm had unfortunately come in faster than he had expected, and it began to pour heavily five minutes after he had seen Korra off. He desperately wanted to be out of his wet clothes as soon as possible and in his dry bed, underneath the warmth of his blanket. He heard the low rumble of thunder as he blindly advanced up the dark staircase, heading to the light coming from the brothers' attic.
The immediate thought of Korra ran through his mind, worrying more than wondering if she had made it home alright. When it came to Korra, he was always unnecessarily worrying about her – especially now as she could no longer talk, which was entirely his fault as he always reminded himself. His other cause for worry was the fact that she was deathly afraid of thunder – a secret she made him swear not to tell any other soul, not even his brother, Bolin.
[Flashback]
Korra's eyes glanced upward, fascinated by the dark ominous clouds forming in the sky above her. She danced around the little droplets of rain that fell from the heavens, loving the feel of water on her warm skin. Her boyfriend was leaning against a tall tree, avoiding the drizzle as best he could, eyeing the energetic girl with a deadpan expression.
The couple had decided to stroll through the park – in actuality, Korra had dragged Mako here – however, neither was expecting rain in the forecast. The weather had been unquestionably perfect all day: sunshine and just a few clouds, and a light, cool breeze that barely rustled the trees. The sudden incoming storm was unexpected, but Korra wouldn't let it ruin her day.
It was cold outside, but not unbearable. The firebender was astonished that Korra could stand in this weather without her parka, but maybe that was due to her living most of her life in a much colder environment. The air smelled distinctly of rain, the scent so intoxicating that one could practically taste it.
The Avatar looked Mako's way, concerned as to why he was standing static against the tree.
"What's wrong?" she inquired as she waltzed his way. "You brooding over something?" she teased with a playful grin, and Mako rolled his eyes, displeased with her last statement.
"I don't brood," he refuted with folded arms and an unamused face. "I don't like the rain."
She cocked an eyebrow, and her grin spread wider across her face. "You just don't like getting wet," she revealed ecstatically.
The firebender kept a straight face as he flatly responded, "Yeah. So what?"
She spun around on her heel, her back facing her boyfriend with her hands folded behind her. "Who knew the 'cool under fire' guy was such a sissy," she shrugged and whispered in a slight chuckle, purposefully loud enough for the firebender to hear.
He remained aloof as he responded to her last remark. "There's nothing wrong with disliking the rain," he returned with annoyance. "I didn't come to the park to get wet," he added, eyes glued on his childish girlfriend who resumed playing in the rain.
"It's just a little drizzle," she affirmed as she spread her arms away from herself, letting the water drop on her dark skin. She walked back to her boyfriend, standing directly in front of his motionless figure. "Soooo," she drawled, "the little fire boy is afraid to get a little wet," she taunted in a demeaning manner, tapping his nose with her forefinger, stifling a laugh as she heard him exhale an annoyed growl. She shot him a mischievous smile before spraying him with water she extracted off her arms.
"Agh! Hey!" he spluttered angrily, turning his head to the side as he defensively put up a hand to his face. When she had finished her little water attack, he wiped the invasive liquid off his face with his hand, glaring down at the girl who was finding this much funnier than it actually was.
"You're such a child," he accused as he wiped the rest of his face dry with his sleeve.
She pouted – as she always did when hearing something disagreeable – her hands resting on her hips as she leaned her head his way. "I'm just teasing, Mako. Learn to have a little fun."
He scoffed. "Please tell me how spraying water on my face is 'fun'?" flicking the leftover water off his hands.
"Well, it's fun for me," she snickered, and he looked away with his hands stuffed deep in his pockets, not in the least amused. Korra shook her head and added, "Oh, c'mon. Don't be such a baby –" A sudden loud clap of thunder sounded directly above them, and the Avatar let out a short shriek as she stiffened in surprise, her face becoming unusually pale.
Mako stared at her as she tried to compose herself, a smirk growing on his face as he asked, "You were saying?" She glared at the firebender as she was about to snap something back to him, but jumped as another boom of thunder filled the air around them, and she subconsciously fell to a fetal position, covering her ears frantically with her hands.
The young man's face softened with concern as he stared at her trembling frame, removing himself from the tree as he crouched down to her left. "You okay, Korra?" He put an arm around her bare shoulders, feeling her fear.
She raised her head to meet his eyes – those fiery, stoic eyes of his she absolutely adored, but now wished to avoid. "W-what?" her mind unfocused and scattered. "Uh, yeah. I'm fine," she managed to say.
"You're shaking," he frowned.
"I'm just cold," she huffed, hoping it was a reasonable enough response.
His face became oddly serious. "You never told me you were scared of thunder."
The young woman's face became hostile before facing the other direction. "I'm not afraid of anything," she proclaimed proudly, though Mako was entirely unconvinced. "And I'm definitely not afraid of thunder," she lied under her breath, hugging her legs tighter as her knees met her buxumous chest.
Mako sighed, ignoring the drizzle he was now standing in as his focus was mainly on his girlfriend at the current moment. "It's okay to be afraid, y'know," tightening his grip around her shoulders, assuring her that he was here for her.
"Look, I'm not afraid, Mako," she argued as she slowly stood from her position, the firebender doing the same. She went to face him, her hands settled firmly on her hips, shifting her weight to one leg. "Only children are afraid of thunder, and I am NOT a child." Thunder once again came unexpectedly, this one being the loudest, and Korra jumped and lost her balance, landing in Mako's embrace. The firebender landed on his bottom as he fell to the ground, holding tightly onto the girl in his arms.
She shook uncontrollably in his firm arms and admitted repeatedly, "I'm afraid, I'm afraid, I'm afraid," digging her nails in his coat as she buried her face in his chest. He scooped her up in his arms bridal-style, standing up and walking back to the tall tree. He reclined his back to its trunk, setting Korra in his lap and pulling her closer to him. He stayed silent as he combed his hand through her damp hair, slightly rocking her back and forth to calm her.
"It's too loud," she whispered in a soft voice, barely audible for Mako to hear. "It's s-scary," she stuttered.
He nodded in understanding. "I know," he whispered as he rubbed up and down her back. He remembered when he too used to have a fear of thunder as a small child. He recalled the many stormy nights of when his mother used to comfort him whenever he hid in the corner of his room to escape the cursed loud noise. He recalled how warm his mother's embrace felt as she rocked his lithe frame for hours until sleep finally took him. However, when his parents had died, he had no one to comfort him, and he realized that he had to quickly get over his fear, which he successfully did over no time at all. He empathized with the scared girl in his arms, comprehending every bit of the fear he once harbored for thunder.
Another boom from the sky above and the Avatar whimpered into the firebender's coat, cursing herself for being such a coward. What happened to the tough girl everyone knew? The tomboy who claimed to be afraid of nothing?
She acts tough, but she's still only human, he thought. Avatar or not, she has fears like everyone else.
Mako took into account that Korra had neglected to bring along her parka—due to the fact that she wasn't expecting rain – and he removed his weathered scarf from his shoulders, carefully wrapping it around her thin neck. The girl didn't stir as he did this, her body tensing as she awaited the horrible encore of thunder. She relaxed as she felt him peck the top of her head, and she mumbled something unintelligibly in his chest, her warm breath seeping through his coat.
"I didn't hear you," he informed her.
Korra lifted her head from his chest, her eyebrows furrowed, and her cheeks an unmistakable tint of red. "I said, if you tell anyone about my fear of thunder, I'll kill you," she threatened with a hiss.
Mako exasperated a sigh, shaking his head. "Alright, alright. I won't," he agreed. "But there's nothing to be embarrassed about, Korra."
"Yes there is. It's a stupid fear," she spat.
"It's not stupid," he replied sternly, compassion evident in his low voice. "If you're afraid of something, you're afraid of something. Thunder is your fear, and that's fine."
"It's still stupid," she determinedly concluded, resting her head back down on his chest, listening to the steady beat of his heart. He was warm and comforting, and completely calm. She felt safe in his kind and welcoming arms, thin but surprisingly strong. Without a doubt, she trusted this young man.
"Seriously, Mako," she started. "Don't. Tell. Anyone. Not even Bolin. Swear that you won't."
The girl was impossible, a difficult being, her pride taking over once again. He breathed a sigh through his nose and whispered, "I swear I won't tell anyone, not even Bolin." He ran a hand mindlessly through her ponytail, gazing at the large water fountain in front of them. Korra shook as they heard yet another clap of thunder, and he held her even closer, rubbing his hand up and down her arm soothingly, resting his chin on top of her head as he slowly rocked her back and forth.
That day he vowed he would always protect this girl, that he would never let anyone touch or hurt her, that he would never cause any harm to her, and that he'd never leave her.
"I love you."
[End of Flashback]
As he made it up the stairs, his little brother happily greeted him when he heard his approaching footsteps, however, the sound of the earthbender's voice was one he didn't want to hear at the moment.
"Hey, bro!" Bolin exclaimed as he sat on the red, worn-out sofa, petting down Pabu's soft fur. Despite the fact that it was rather cold in the room, the earthbender was in just his torn white tank top and his boxers. "Welcome ba –" The words on his tongue fell as he turned his head, staring wide-eyed at his brother's wet figure. "Whoa! You're soaking wet!"
"Yeah, I know," the firebender snarled, glaring down at him. Mako was clearly not in a good mood, but his brother was oblivious to the fact. He began to strip off his coat as Bolin casually asked with a sly grin, "Soooo … How was today?" and as a response Mako snorted a grunt, tossing his drenched coat in Bolin's direction, which landed on his face, causing Pabu to screech and scurry off the couch.
"I'm gonna go with 'not good,'" the earthbender replied, his voice muffled from underneath the coat on his face.
"It wasn't funny, Bo," Mako grumbled as he clumsily removed his water-soaked shoes. He dropped them carelessly on the ground, the shoes making a "slosh" sound as they hit the wooden floor. The firebender quickly grabbed a towel – not questioning whether it was clean or not – vigorously rubbing his jet-black hair dry.
Bolin tore the coat off his face, setting it on the small table in front of him. "Well, it's not like I did anything wrong," the earthbender defended with a sheepish expression, averting his eyes from his brother's glower.
Mako sneezed as he walked over to his brother who had an, "Uh-oh, I'm in trouble" sort-of-face. Bolin took sudden interest in his feet as the firebender towered over him.
"You don't know how awkward it was," Mako explained sternly as he narrowed his eyes, his arms crossed firmly against his chest. He sneezed once again before continuing, a sudden uncomfortable chill running down his spine. "There was no 'plan' or anything," he air-quoted, "so we had NO idea where to go –"
"Hey," he cut in abruptly. "You could've just took her to your guys' 'regular spots' or something." Bolin flinched back as Mako released a loud, frustrated growl, with his teeth clenching in rising anger. Mako's hands formed into tight fists, trying to keep his anger at bay, as he would most surely send the whole attic into flames.
"You don't understand!" he scolded. "I can't just take her to our 'regular spots,'" he mocked bitterly.
Bolin sat back on the sofa with his arms crossed, his feet rested on the table's surface, and his eyebrows lifted in disbelief. "Well, why not?"
The firebender craned his head backwards, his right hand running down his thin face, and his throat released an exasperated groan. He lowered his head back to his younger brother. "How many times do I have to explain it to you?" emphasizing each word slowly as if he was talking to an incompetent monkey. "She. Doesn't. Remember. Me," he explained in a low tone.
Bolin sighed. "I know that," clearly tired of hearing this told to him several times already.
Mako released a breath of incredulity as he was losing patience. "Then why aren't you taking into consideration how I feel?" pointing his thumb at himself, feeling hurt yet having an expression of anger on his face. "It won't ever be the same," he croaked. "Look. Just stop 'trying' to help me, because you're only making things wor –" He stopped as he felt a strong tickle in his throat, and began coughing harshly. A heavy sneeze quickly followed, making his head dizzy, seeing blue stars.
Bolin stood up as Mako held his head with his hand, waiting for the dizziness to wear off. "You okay, Mako?" his younger brother asked with great concern.
"Yeah," he answered weakly with a slight nod, sniffing up his snot.
Bolin put a hand on his brother's shoulder, his eyebrows knit with worry. "You look sorta pale," the earthbender pointed out. His older brother shook his head, brushing Bolin's hand off his shoulder.
"I'm fine," Mako reassured, however Bolin was not convinced in the slightest. The earthbender folded his arms, his eyes now serious.
"How long were you in the rain?" he inquired, implying that the rain was causing these symptoms.
Mako sneezed into his fingerless glove, his face turned to one of disgust as he stared at the snot, wiping his palm on his thigh.
"I don't think I was in the rain that long," he replied. "And besides," he rolled his eyes, "being in the cold or standing in the rain doesn't make you sick."
Bolin raised an eyebrow. "Whatever," his hand swatting the topic away as he preferred not to get into a scientific argument about how the cold doesn't cause illness. "But not eating right, having good hygiene, or having a healthy dose of sun," he counted on his thick fingers," really does a number on your immune system, y'know."
"I'm not sick," Mako insisted, standing upright as a way of proving his point, but became futile as he went into a coughing fit. It was a dry cough, the kind that continuously tickled the back of one's throat and strained it with each violent exhale of air.
Bolin released a short sigh. "Looks like the neglect of your body has finally caught up with you." He paused. "You need to go to bed and rest, Mako," the earthbender advised with a clap on his brother's shoulder.
Mako cleared his throat and shook his head in rebellion. "I'm fine, and I don't need to go to bed," he shivered, remembering that he was still in his wet clothes. Bolin pressed the back of his hand to Mako's forehead, a hand to his own as he was comparing temperatures.
"Mm-hmm. Yup," he said with a comprehensive nod. "Your head's a bit warm."
Mako removed his brother's hand from his head, replying, "I'm a firebender. Meaning my body temperature's slightly higher than others," he stated.
"Yeah, well, you're warmer than normal, that's for sure. Time for bed," he ordered as he pushed the tall young man to his designated side of the attic. Mako began to argue, but was instantly silenced as Bolin repeatedly commanded him to change his clothes and rest each time the firebender opened his mouth to protest. Mako reluctantly obeyed, as his stamina was fairly low, upset that he was going to bed at around four o'clock in the afternoon.
It was very dim in the attic at the time as dark, heavy rain clouds unfortunately now blocked their main source of light, sunshine. Mako listened closely to the soft pitter-patter of rain lightly penetrating the windows, his eyes following the drops of water that slid down the clear glass. The sky had become eerily dark and gloomy, as if it were an omen, foreshadowing a destined calamity.
From his angle, he couldn't see Air Temple Island, but it wasn't a necessity to be reminded of the girl who lived there.
Another roar of thunder.
I hope she's okay, he worried within himself, imagining the terror on Korra's face, how she would be hugging herself under the covers of her bed, fighting the fear alone.
He released another fit of harsh coughs, cursing his fragile and weak state. He rolled over on his back, staring at the tall, wooden ceiling above him. He pulled the thin covers up to his neck, shivering from the rising cold. He tried to generate heat by rubbing his feet together, as lighting a fire in bed would be terribly impractical.
The strength of his eyelids soon began to fail him, and he drifted off into a deep sleep.
The following morning was bright and sunny, a surprising contrast from yesterday's stormy weather. Mako opened his eyes just a crack, so as not to hurt them from the blinding sun. He rubbed his eyes to wipe away the drowsiness, and he yawned, stretching his limbs before getting out of bed. His health improved tenfold from yesterday, feeling strangely better than he has in weeks, possibly due to his getting at least more than half a day's worth of sleep last night.
He made his way to the bathroom, washing his face, brushing his teeth, fixing his hair (the best he could, as it unnaturally spiked in the front) – the routinely things one does to get ready for the day. He returned to his room, slipping on his coat, gloves, and shoes. They were still somewhat wet, but he figured once he got out into the sun, they would dry in no time.
Mako walked out into the main room, calling his brother's name to see if he was hungry for breakfast. Of course, knowing his brother, he'd never skip a meal. However, each time the firebender called his name, there was no response of any kind. He came to the conclusion that Bolin must've left for breakfast somewhere else, as he probably didn't want to wait for his older brother to awake from his slumber to make him some. Thinking about it, the firebender wasn't in a starving mood, nor was he necessarily hungry at the moment, and the first thing on his mind was to see Korra.
He knew that that wasn't a strange thing to think about, as it was normal to have the one you loved dearly on your mind. But would she find it strange that he keeps coming to the island just to see her? He was finding it extremely difficult to keep their relationship as friends, and he was aware that the girl was growing a bit suspicious of him. He worried that maybe she'd eventually think of him as some type of weirdo, a stalker. If it somehow came to that conclusion, she'd probably avoid him – one of his worst nightmares.
He headed downstairs, making his way to the gym, expecting to run into a gruff and grumpy Toza, but the old man was peculiarly absent.
That's strange, Mako pondered as he looked around for the elderly earthbender. Hmph. Lucky me, he shrugged, as he truthfully hadn't wanted to run into Toza in the first place. He never knew what to say to the old man – the guy always appeared to be cranky, and his attitude towards Probenders (or people in general) was always sour.
Mako exited the Probending Arena, his next destination being the ferry docks. His feet couldn't help but to pick up the pace, but he had to mentally slow himself down, trying to keep from being too excited to see Korra. He had to "train" himself to view the girl as just as a friend, and nothing beyond that. Sometimes he wondered why he was torturing himself this way, knowing fully well that one cannot simply stop loving another with the snap of the fingers. But he believed that if the two were to start over as a couple, he would damage the girl even further, hurting her more than any other human being would ever do to her.
He contemplated all of this on the ferry as he leaned against the railing, harboring a grave face deep in thought. It wasn't until the ferryman spoke that he realized he was the only person on the entire boat. Now that he thought about, there weren't a lot of people in the city streets either. Was it a holiday he apparently knew nothing about? He earnestly hoped Korra was still on the island, and not away celebrating this "supposed" holiday.
Mako disembarked as he arrived at Air Temple Island, the ferryman waving to the firebender who kindly returned the gesture. As he advanced only a few feet, something dark and heavy descended upon him, and the atmosphere seemed to change drastically. Mako's eyes darted around frantically, frozen where he stood. Anxiety replaced his previous felicity. What on earth was going on? He ran up the stairs wishing to ignore it, unaware that something was stalking him.
As the young man reached the top of the long staircase, there was no one in sight to greet him. The presence of something behind him suddenly became apparent and he turned … to find nothing there. He shook his head, convinced that he was just nervous to see Korra again, and walked on.
Where is everyone? Mako pondered. It's like a ghost town here.
He entered the main building, excusing himself verbally as he went through the entrance, believing this was a form of trespassing. As he was about to pass through a doorway ahead of him, he spotted Korra in the next room, sitting cross-legged at a small table and writing on a notepad. The girl's hand stopped, and she turned her head, meeting his eyes with her own. He smiled as he entered the room, but it fell instantly once he realized Korra was not alone. The faces he dreaded to see were here, and they weren't equally as ecstatic to see him either. They sat across the table from their daughter, eyes fixated on Mako.
"Nice to see you again," Tonraq flatly greeted him, his face void of emotion as he spoke.
Senna shared the expression of her husband, her voice just as insincere. "It's been a while hasn't it, Mako?"
The firebender couldn't read their faces, couldn't tell if they were angry or something else. But he knew they obviously weren't happy to see him by the way they were coldly speaking to him.
"Why not take a seat?" Senna suggested, pointing at the seat next to Korra.
"No, no, no," Tonraq told his wife calmly. "He can stand. This conversation won't take long." He turned his attention to Mako, his eyes slowly narrowing at the young firebender. Mako's heart began to beat violently fast in his chest, becoming apprehensive for what they had to say to him. After what seemed like an eternity, Tonraq stood up, his arms at his sides.
The Water Tribe man shot Mako a scornful look when he spoke. "Tenzin was kind enough to tell us everything." The firebender's blood ran cold, his breath caught in his throat.
What did he tell them? Mako gulped nervously.
Tonraq advanced towards the firebender who cautiously took a step back.
"You hurt my daughter," he accused angrily. "You attacked her," and Mako's eyes shot open, his heart thumping at a dangerous pace.
"It was an accident," Mako croaked, his voice strangely hoarse.
"We trusted you to watch over her; we asked you to take care of her. But you let her hit that motorcycle to save your sorry butt," he spat, his voice low and bitter.
"I-I didn't – I wasn't – It was an ac –" He swallowed his sentence as Tonraq forcibly grabbed the firebender's coat, slamming his back against the wall behind him. The man was surprisingly strong.
"Are you trying to kill my daughter?!"
"N-no," Mako strained. "I would never –" Tonraq slammed the young man's body against the wall again – considerably harder than the last – and Mako bit his tongue, the awful taste of rust on his taste buds. He felt the grip on his coat grow tighter, and his heart beat faster and more violently, as if he was running a marathon. The men locked eyes, neither turning away from the other. Orange eyes clashed with blue ones; timidness met with fury.
Tonraq was furious, enraged, and ready to kill. "I warned you I'd end you," he hissed through clenched teeth, tossing the young man's body, none too gently, to the side. Mako scrambled to his feet, face blanched, and knees shaking. He could sense something rushing to this room – something dark, something big, something familiar.
"Stay away from Korra," her father sternly commanded. Mako glanced over to look at the girl, dejected that she was no longer looking at him, her back the only thing he could see. He stepped backwards towards the doorway as Tonraq approached him, eyes wide as what had followed him was now directly behind him, craving him, desire for his soul impatiently growing.
"You may no longer see her," Tonraq whispered. "Goodbye," pushing the firebender towards the mysterious entity: engulfed, eaten, and devoured by his fear.
A sonorous boom of thunder rung through the sky, like the sound of a thousand angry drums beaten simultaneously. Mako awoke with a loud gasp, eyes wide in complete darkness. He sat up, trying to examine his surroundings. He stared out the window, the sky suddenly becoming bright due to a flash of lightning.
"It was … just a dream," he whispered to himself reassuringly, releasing a deep sigh, heart beating fast. A nightmare, he thought, combing a hand through his wet hair.
His body was hot, burning, in fact. His body temperature had risen substantially since the time he fell asleep, roughly being eight hours ago. He had a dangerously high fever, most likely the reason for the bad dream. He felt his shirt and swiftly removed it, as it was now damp with sweat. His body ached all over, and he then released a harsh fit of coughs, each one causing his head to spin. He flipped his pillow over before resting back down on it, pulling the covers up to his chin. He switched to sleep on his right side, facing the misty window. The rain was hard and heavy; thunder reverberated through the air; lightning illuminated the night sky.
Mako was afraid to go back to sleep, fearing he would have another terrible nightmare. Instead, he kept wide-awake practically all night, his incessant coughs contributing to his lack of sleep. He kept his delirious mind preoccupied with thoughts of Korra, trying to recall her boisterous laugh, her contagious smile, her adorable pout, her pretty bright blue eyes – any and everything about her he could remember to keep himself sane.
He finally drifted off to sleep as the sun began to rise, and before Bolin came to check up on him.
It had been well over a week and a half before Mako's health had finally improved and completely clear of the symptoms of the illness.
"Man," Bolin started with his mouth full of food, "you were sick for a long time, bro," swallowing his noodles and noisily stuffing his mouth with more. The brothers had stopped to eat at Narook's, one of Bolin's favorite Water Tribe restaurants, and an affordable place to buy a lunch.
"I know," the firebender agreed. "That was probably one of the worst yet," he continued, slurping up his noodles in a more sophisticated manner than his brother.
"Weeeell, if you took better care of yourself," the earthbender pointed at Mako with his chopsticks, "that wouldn't have happened."
Mako said nothing, as he knew his brother was right, and he simply nodded in agreement.
After a moment of slurping and swallowing, Bolin suggested, "Hey! Let's go to the island after this! I haven't really seen her since you got sick, and I bet you're suffering from Korra-withdrawal," he teased, wagging his eyebrows and smirking wide. Mako rolled his eyes, clearly not amused.
The storm had long passed, and the sky was clear of clouds. It was bright, sunny, and the sun was warm on the skin. The brothers were now on Air Temple Island, not once seeing a single soul as of yet. Mako was becoming nervous, as this was the same setting of his horrible nightmare about a week ago.
"You okay, Mako?" his brother asked when he noticed the firebender's paling face.
"Huh? Yeah, I'm fine," was his quick response.
Bolin eyed his brother up and down, eyes narrowed and fingers on his chin, realizing that there was something … different about his older brother.
Mako noticed his brother's hard stare, and as he couldn't ignore it, he turned to him, annoyed. "What?" he inquired. "What are you staring at? Is something on me?"
Bolin snapped his fingers and exclaimed, "Ha! I got it! Your scarf's missing! Hmm … Sooo, where is it? It's not like you to misplace that. Especially something that important to you."
Mako scratched the back of his neck uncomfortably, knowing that his answer would reward him another teasing grin from his younger brother. "I, uh … I … I-let-Korra-borrow-it," he muttered speedily.
Surprisingly, Bolin said nothing but, "Oh, I see," walking past Mako who missed his little brother's grin. "By the way, bro," Bolin began nonchalantly, "did I tell you that Korra's parents are here?"
The world froze and shattered in Mako's eyes, his heart stopped dead cold in his chest. "What?!" he shouted, his voice unmistakably anxious. "No. You haven't mentioned that AT ALL."
"Oh. Well, I meant to," he shrugged, not fully comprehending the reason behind his brother's panic. "I visited Korra once while you were sick in bed, and I talked to her parents again. They're pretty cool! Oh. And they asked about you."
The firebender put a hand on his brother's shoulder, halting him in his footsteps. "Wait. You didn't mention anything 'unnecessary' did you?" his tone grave and serious.
"Mako! Bolin!"
The brothers swerved around, meeting the eyes of three spirited children, as well as Korra, her airbending master, and Tonraq and Senna.
"It's nice to see you two again," Tenzin greeted with an acknowledging nod. "I was just about to take Korra for another training session. Her parents and my children are to be her audience. Would you wish to accompany us?"
"Yeah! Come with us!" Meelo exclaimed happily, tugging on Bolin's sleeve.
"C'mon! We have something cool to show you!" Ikki added, grabbing the earthbender's hand.
"Whoa! Alright, alright!" he laughed as the kids forcibly dragged him away. Korra chuckled as she followed directly behind them, Tenzin sighing at the tenacity of his overly energetic children. Mako turned to follow them, but was stopped when a hand gently grabbed his forearm. He hesitantly turned to face Korra's parents, growing uneasy as he realized he was alone with the two people he currently feared the most.
"Your brother told us about your condition," Senna frowned. "Are you feeling better now?" she asked concernedly.
Mako cleared the lump in his throat, and managed to say, "Yes. I'm feeling a lot better."
"That's good to hear," releasing a sigh of relief.
Her husband added, "Yes, it is. Don't want you dying on us," he chortled. Mako smiled weakly, but avoided his eyes, still fearful of the man. After a moment of awkward silence, Tonraq said in a low tone, "Tenzin's told us what happened."
No. No. No! Mako screamed within himself. Why?! Please … Not like the dream. Please don't be like the dream!
His head bowed slightly to the side, avoiding the eyes of the couple. If he had looked at the older man, he would've seen eyes of sympathy, compassion, and condolence. Mako tensed slightly as he realized he was suddenly being pulled into a hug – gentle, warm, motherly … familiar.
"It must be awful to be forgotten by the one you love," Senna whispered softly. The young man was taken aback and absolutely puzzled. Had Tenzin not told them everything?
"Yeah," he finally whispered back. "It's not the greatest feeling." He awkwardly returned the hug, careful not to crush the woman, a tear running down his cheek. Senna wiped back the tear, reminiscent of a mother wiping back the tear of a small child, and she gave him the warmest, comforting smile she could give. Tonraq patted the young man's shoulder, offering his own sympathetic smile.
"She didn't forget you," Senna strongly believed, being slowly pulled to her husband's side. "She just needs to remember."
"We're here for you, son."
Son, huh? Mako thought with a smile, feeling as if he was part of the family already.
Then, a sudden weight came off his shoulders, the fear he harbored for the past week gone, now replaced with hope ... and love.
A/N: Yay! It's finally here! A long chapter for a long wait. ;D So, is this story still interesting? *crosses fingers*
Goodness gracious, guys! Thank you all SO MUCH for the reviews, favorites, and follows so far! Your reviews make me laugh, smile, and motivate and encourage me to keep writing (and yes, I read every single one, much more than once since I'm such an easily pleased dork). \(^w^)/ Favoriting and following also makes me smile 'cause that tells me people like it and/or are (somewhat) interested. :) So, don't worry – I shall never abandon this story, as I know how much people like/love/are interested in this story. :)
*As a note, from now on I will only update on Saturdays and Sundays (possibly Fridays) due to my schedule. That doesn't guarantee that I'll update every weekend, however. But I just wanted to inform you guys so that people aren't checking every day for an update (if people actually do that).
The next chapter(s) are going to upset/kill you guys ... possibly. Prepare your hearts!
Please review and tell me what you think so far! Or favorite and/or follow it – I appreciate either one! XD