Suggested by an anon a few chapters ago- i tweeked it a smigin.
*sighs* i can't believe i have to do this every chapter- I DON'T OWN ANYTHING DAMMIT. R U HAPPY NOW?
"Do we HAVE to go?" Mako whined as Korra practically dragged the new cop out of their apartment.
"Yes, we have to go! Now stop being such a baby and use your feet!" Mako huffed and began treading after his girlfriend until they reached his motorcycle. He sat in the front and revved the engine, Korra holding on tight.
He sighed and tossed her helmet. "Where am I driving to, Korra?"
"Asami said to meet them outside The Dancing Dragon."
He raised an eyebrow and turned to his girlfriend. "She wants to have a double date at a bar?"
Korra held up her hands as if saying 'don't shoot'. "I just went along with it- why?" She smirked. "Does that bother the widdle baby?" She mocked.
Mako rolled his eyes and mumbled a 'whatever'. Korra continued to mock. Pinching his sides, she loudly stated "Can the widdle city boy not handle a drink!"
Mako sighed. This is going to be a long night.
…
Iroh stood, his arms crossed across his chest. Asami leaned against a railing and pouted. "Oh come on Iroh! It's just this one time!" She widened her beautiful eyes and fluttered her eyelashes. "For me?"
He sighed and let his head drop. "Why at a bar?"
Asami shrugged. "Thought it was somewhere we could all get together and have some fun."
Iroh mumbled something that was lost by the sound of a well powered engine. Asami's face lit up as she ran to greet her friend and Iroh stood, his face grim.
"Well, this will be fun." He said to himself, Asami walking up with Mako and Korra in tow.
…
The four of them placed their orders for their drinks and took a seat at a booth in the corner of the poorly lit bar. Asami and Korra instantly hit off a conversation, leaving Iroh and Mako awkwardly staring at each other from across the table.
Iroh gazed lazily around the room, taking in the details to pass the time. In the dim light of the bar, he saw rich, skimpy girls drunkenly scampering around, pulling themselves onto drunk, older men. Iroh scoffed at their cheapness and eyed Mako from the side, his facial expression the same as Iroh's.
Maybe we have more in common than I thought. Iroh thought, taking a swing of his Fire Whisky and shuttered.
Mako dropped his gaze to the drink in his hands and Iroh noticed a small tensing in his neck. He raised an eyebrow.
"Do you not drink?" Mako raised his head in surprise. He held a stern look against the General and sighed. He shook his head.
"I've had it before, but could never afford it anyways. I don't have a stomach for it."
Iroh quickly stole a look at his girlfriend and the Avatar, who were still in deep conversation about something or other before looking back at Mako.
"I don't like it much either."
Mako raised an eyebrow. "But you're the Fire Prince- how can you not like it?"
Iroh shrugged. "Never had the stomach for it."
"But you can make decisions that could possibly endanger hundreds of your men's lives every day?" Hearing this, both Korra and Asami shot him a glare and he bowed his head, the tips of his ears pink. "I-I'm sorry General. That was uncalled for."
Iroh waved him off, accepting his apology with ease. "You had to do the same when you were younger, did you not? I'm sorry for your loss."
Mako glanced up from his staring contest with the table cloth, already expecting to see 'The Face'- the one people still made when they heard how he and Bolin were orphaned.
Surprisingly, Iroh looked to Mako with admiration. "As my Grandfather used to tell me, grief can help shape you, whether in a good or bad way." He smiled brightly at Mako. "In your case, grief shaped you well."
Mako grinned sheepishly and uttered a 'thank you' and shifted his gaze to the girls. His eyes narrowed when the tall, drunk guy walked towards their table.
"Oh spirits," Iroh muttered, causally putting Asami's hand in his. In the dim light, Iroh made out sharp, angular features on the man's cocoa face as he pulled a hand through his midnight black hair. The man smiled sleazily and winked at Asami.
"Hey there beautiful," He began, the smell of alcohol escaping his mouth, his words slurring. He took Asami's hand in his. "Could I please have this dance?" Iroh groaned; the song playing was a fast song.
Asami giggled and turned to Iroh. She pouted and basically killed any of Iroh's coming protests. He rolled his eyes. "Go ahead."
He pulled in for a quick kiss, and with his lips near her ears, he whispered "If he lays a hand somewhere it shouldn't be or goes past his boundaries, give him an extra punch from me, alright?" Asami rolled her eyes and hoisted herself up, taking the man's outreached hand.
Korra grinned as Asami and her dance partner disappeared into the crowd and downed the rest of her drink, cringing.
Mako smirked and tickled her ribs. "The widdle baby can't handle some whisky?" Korra pushed his hand away and stuck her tongue out. Mako laughed and abruptly stopped, a new presence standing over the table.
Mako's sharp eyes recognized the man and his hard gaze softened. "Oh- hey Shu. Can I help you?"
Shu dropped his eyes to Korra, electric blue meeting dull green. He took Asami's seat and winked at Korra. "You can't help- but your girlfriend can. Would you care to join me in a dance?"
The music was still fast and Korra subconsciously swayed to it. She turned to Mako, her eyes pleading. Mako, trying to avoid her hypnotizing eyes, stared at his crossed arms. A flash of brown made its way in his view and Korra's tough hand tilted his chin up.
"It's just a dance Mako- I'll be back faster than you can say Avatar." Mako sighed but nodded. Korra gave him a gleeful kiss and took Shu's hand, swaying her way to the dancefloor.
Mako huffed and looked across the table at Iroh, his eyes down. Mako smiled softly. "Do you want to go get some air? It reeks in here." Iroh pushed the Fire Whisky away from him and stood. Mako did the same and followed the General out of the bar, leaving behind the obnoxious music and the smell of alcohol and sweat.
Mako pushed the front doors of the bar open and took a deep breath as he stepped outside. Iroh inhaled deeply and lightly stepped down the steps onto the sidewalk, taking a seat on a cold bench, Mako following behind.
There was a comfortable silence between the two until Mako spoke, his voice small. "Did you mean what you said?"
Iroh stared ahead. "About what, exactly?"
"About grief shaping me well?"
Iroh sucked in a deep breath. "I've had to deal with people who have been in the same situation as you- they lost their parents at a young age and did what they could to survive." He paused and closed his eyes. "Sometimes, what they do isn't right."
Mako tugged at his scarf protectively. "What do you mean?"
Iroh's eyes stayed closed. "They get involved with the underbelly of the cities and turn to violence and gangs as if they would help them."
Iroh paused again but opened his eyes. "But people like you are hard to find- still the same story as some of the most notorious criminals in the world, but you chose the hard path- you struggled and fought but managed to live a successful life in the end.
A tugging sensation began in Mako's heart and he just couldn't contain himself. "I did work for the Triads when I was younger!"
Iroh smirked. "I figured- but you found a way out, and that's the amazing part."
"Thanks, Iroh."
The sense of awkwardness was destroyed by this conversation and the Officer and General hit it off, talking about things from ProBending to new battleships, their conversations even shifting to their girlfriends.
The night wore on and the two sat outside of the bar, in the cold, rambling on about anything and everything.
…
"Korra, have you seen Iroh?" Asami asked. Korra stood on her tip-toes, searching the dancefloor and bar for the signature turtleduck hair of Iroh's or a flash or red. She shook her head and clutched Asami's wrist.
"Let's check out front." Korra suggested, Asami nodding. She propped open the door and they both smiled at the two socially awkward men conversating each other.
Asami nudged Korra slightly, whispering "Should we go get them?"
Korra smiled and shook her head. "Let's leave em out here- I don't think they're up for dancing." Asami's lips quirked in a quick grin and the two swayed back towards the music.
-.- this took me FOREVER. I just could NOT word it right! and i highly doubt i did well on it but whatever! I just picture them as being so socially awkward... just like me! ^.^
Review and tell me how i did!
~~Shelly~~