Mako's POV

It was past midnight when the fever broke. Asami had fallen asleep on a couch next to the bed, and I had covered her up with an extra blanket I found. Korra stirred and I took my place next to the bed.

"Asami?" she called, not opening her eyes. "Water…please…"

I filled the glass with the jug of water on the night stand and sat her up a little before giving it to her. She took a big gulp and muttered a 'thanks' before her eye lids slowly fluttered open. Her expression went from confusion to anger to confusion once again.

"What are you doing here?"

I sighed and grabbed the bear that was on the floor.

"I just wanted to apologize and thank you for standing up for my little brother," I mumbled giving her the bear. She gave me an even more confused look. "Bolin is my brother," I explained.

"How can a sweet kid like that have a brother like you?" she asked a little sourly.

I chuckled at that. "I know I've acted like a jerk, and I'm really sorry about what happened. I should have done more to stop it."

She sighed. "If I say I forgive you, will you let me sleep?"

I laughed and shook my head. She was getting better alright. "Yeah." Korra gave me a small smile before turning onto her side holding the bear.

"Korra?"

"What?" she whined making a face.

"Friends?"

She sighed and opened her eyes. Her electrifying blue looking right into my amber ones. She gave me a small nod before almost instantly falling asleep. I moved a stray lock of her hair from her face.

"You like her don't you?" Asami asked. I felt my cheeks flush. I cleared my throat and shook my head.

"She's my teammate," I answered smoothly. "I wanted to make sure she was ok."

"I didn't know you gave your teammates a teddy bear," she replied smugly. I scowled and she laughed. "Korra isn't your typical girl, she's-"

"Stubborn, reckless, a hothead, irritable-"

"A handful," Asami said cutting me off. "But she's worth fighting for," she added.

I took in her words before glancing over to Korra. She was sleeping peacefully, holding onto the bear I had given her, and I could swear she was smiling.

"It's late," I said getting up. "I should get going. Let me know how Korra is feeling tomorrow."

Asami smiled and nodded giving me a quick hug before I left. I dug my hands into my pockets thinking about what she said. Korra was more than a handful, but there was something about her that I liked. She made me feel different, I can't explain it. I smiled. Maybe Asami was right. Maybe I did like her and maybe she was worth fighting for.

Asami's POV

I was so glad it was Saturday. Korra didn't wake up till noon and I wouldn't have left her side anyway. Sleep had evaded me through most of the night, as I periodically had to wake up to make sure her fever didn't return. It didn't. But if it meant helping Korra get better than I would gladly lose some sleep. Korra would do the same for me anyways.

She stirred and I smiled, happy to see she was waking up. Korra yawned and stretched before looking over at me, a small smiled on her face. I patiently waited till I knew she was awake enough to continue our conversation from last night. Then, I spoke.

"How did you get those cuts?" I asked, trying to keep my voice open and even. She sighed and focused her attention on the bear in her lap. "I'm waiting." She didn't even glance up and I could tell she was about to tell me another lie.

"Like I told you last night, I really suck at rollerblading," the shorter girl replied with a half-hearted shrug. I wasn't convinced.

I let out an irritated sigh. She wasn't going to tell me anything. I'd suspected her father of abusing her for awhile now, but I could never prove it. It wasn't until recently that the abuse had escalated, almost to the point where I knew I was started to pay veryclose attention. Korra always had an excuse ready for when I noticed a bruise here or there. I wanted to confront her about it, but I feared one wrong move would tear apart our friendship. I couldn't afford that. More importantly neither could Korra.

As much as Korra didn't want to admit it, or show it for that matter, she depended on this friendship and the emotional support it provided. But if this continued for much longer I'd have to take matters into my own hands. For now though, I had to make sure that Korra didn't lose that support.

"I didn't dream that yesterday, right?" she asked, holding the stuffed toy the way a child would.

I smiled. "No, Mako was here. We were both really worried about you." I saw a small smile appear on her face and I couldn't help but grin. It was the first genuine smile I'd seen from her in a long time.

"Korra," I began carefully. "While you were asleep last night, you started talking."

Her body tensed and a look of panic invaded her features. She looked like a deer caught in the headlights of a car. She swallowed. "What did I say?" I could tell she was hoping the conversation would end soon.

"At first you were talking about your mother," I replied slowly. "But then you started whimpering and pleading for something," Someone, I thought. "To stop. It was almost as if...you were in pain."

Korra suddenly found the floor a whole lot more interesting than the conversation that was taking place. She was fidgeting in her spot on the bed, looking nervous. "I don't know what you're talking about," she finally answered.

"You can tell me," I said gently, placing my hand on her shoulder. "You know you can tell me anything."

"It was probably just a nightmare," she responded quickly, still not meeting my gaze.

I shook my head. "No, you were telling someone to stop. Someone was hurting you." I paused. "Korra, does your-"

"Would you just drop it already!" she snapped. I didn't even flinch but she must have seen something in my expression because hers softened. "I'm sorry. You stayed up all night taking care of me. I don't have the right to be mad at you." Of course, she could never stay mad at me for very long anyway.

I smirked and sat down next to her on the bed, throwing an arm over her shoulder. "I would do it again, you know?" I told her, sincerity in my voice. I saw her flash me a smile. "Are you hungry?" I asked, changing the subject.

Before she could answer, her stomach growled loudly and we bother shared a look before bursting into laughter. After I managed to calm down, I got up from the bed. "I'll go scrounge us up something to eat," I stated. Korra nodded in agreement before hanging her head to the side and pulling the bear closer to her. I smiled. Looks like Mako isn't the only one that has a crush, I thought