I realized I should probably note that the chapter titles were all lyrics from songs, if that wasn't obviously, and that I should jot down what songs they are. Soooooo

Ch.1 : Mr. Rattlebone - Matt Maeson
Ch.2 : Half Light - BANNERS
Ch.3 : It's Hard To be Human - Kina Grannis

It was dark by the time Mako came back. He had busied himself until he cooled his head and then continued to busy himself to cover the guilty feelings. He should have never let his fight with Bolin get out of hand. The throbbing in his face was well deserved. His trip to the nurse, minimizing the swelling and bruising, had been purely for Bolin's sake. Mako knew his little brother probably felt terribly guilty about it.

With a sigh, Mako limped through the abandoned hall of the arena. Doing the odd jobs around the arena and getting food for their dinner had done very little for his aches and pains. He would be relieved to finally sit down. After he fed his little brother of course. With what happened earlier, Bolin probably ate as little as Mako had. Not by choice, Bolin liked to eat when he was upset but there is a reason that one of the ways Mako kept himself busy was to shop.

Mako wasn't surprised that when he finally made it up the ladder and into the attic, he saw Bolin on their couch. He was curled into a tight ball on his side and was completely dead to the world. Pabu's ears twitched and looked up and over at him but made no move to greet him. Only settling back down against Bolin and Mako moved quietly through the room. As silently as he could, Mako emptied his bag of fruits, vegetables and grains into their new locked box that Pabu definitely couldn't get into this time.

The meat he was to cook tonight was set next to their hot plate. Another one of those "throw away" items that one of the arena staff had given them. Mako had adored it ever since. Turns out, when you don't have to produce the flame yourself, cooking was kind of nice. Mako liked to think he was even getting better at it.

Glancing over at Bolin, Mako just stood and watched him sleep a moment. Quietly he walked over and grabbed their heaviest blanket from the bed. Mako draped it over Bolin before slowly sitting beside his brother. With a sigh, he sank into the couch and began rubbing his aching leg. Only to flinch as he carelessly brushed the burn on his thigh. He'd bandaged the burn lightly, not wanting the padding to bulge from his pants. It wasn't very smart but thankfully infection wasn't a big concern now he had the means to clean it regularly.

Leaning his head back, Mako closed his eyes. He hardly slept at all and his eyes stung as a result. They were dry and felt heavy but closing them was just one relief among many problems. Mako's whole body ached in a painfully familiar way. A part of him feared that he'd open his eyes to the red brick walls and cracked asphalt. Or worse, to the cold concrete floor of a dim underground room. With a deep, frustrated breath, Mako opened his eyes and forced the thoughts away.

He sat up with the intent to stand and start dinner but he stopped. Glancing down he saw Bolin awake and silently staring at him. For a moment they just looked at each other and for a moment Mako almost apologized. But he broke eye contact and stood as casually as he could. His muscles screamed at him for leaving the comfort of the couch.

"I'm making dinner-" he stated as he walked back to the hot plate "-you hungry?" A dumb question perhaps but it was better than this silence between them.

"What happened to your leg?" Or maybe the silence wasn't so bad. Mako stopped and sighed, trying to push aside the annoyance and frustration at being asked the same question again. Mako glanced back at Bolin who had sat up, looking determined.

"Why-" Mako tried and failed to keep the irritation from his voice "-do you keep asking that? I already told you what happened." Bolin stood and Mako turned to face him.

"Why can't you just tell me the truth?"

"Why can't you just accept that I fell off the stupid ladder?"

"Because you're a liar!" Mako took a sharp breath and tensed. Bolin's words felt like a kick in the gut, hurting more than the hit from earlier. How could Mako even deny it? After all, it's true and they both knew it. Mako closed his eyes and shook his head.

"Whatever." He turned away, to do what? He wasn't really sure, Mako certainly didn't feel hungry anymore. "I'm done with this." He was stopped from walking away when Bolin grabbed his wrist.

"Well I'm not! Mako-" Bolin's breathing hitched and Mako's chest ached. "-I - please. Toza told me I should just let it go but …" Embarrassment mixed with the hurt and Mako turned back to his brother, jerking his arm from his grasp.

"So, what? You just tell Toza everything now?" It was bad enough the man saw their fight get as bad as it did, but now Bolin is just spilling everything else about it to him.

"He asked." Bolin scowled.

"This is none of his business."

"He's our friend."

"Toza is just our boss."

"You don't mean that."

"Yes I do, do you want him to kick us out because he thinks we're too much trouble?"

"Toza wouldn't do that!" Bolin gave Mako a shove. "And you know that. He's nice and he's our friend!" He gave Mako another shove, causing him to stumble. "You're just being an asshole!"

"Fuckin' stop!" Mako snapped, grabbing Bolin's arm and tossing him to the bed. He gasped when Bolin held on, dragging Mako down with him. Bolin wheezed when his brother's weight fell on him and he wiggled out just enough to grab his pillow. But as he swung it towards his brother, Mako caught it and yanked it from his hand.

Were Mako not so tired and frustrated, he might have called this childish but instead he wrestled his brother on the bed. Mako pushed Bolin's head into the mattress and quickly pulled his hand back. "Ow! Don't fucking bite me!" Bolin squawked as Mako pinched his nose. Only to reach up and pull Mako's hair. Back and forth their dirty jabs went. It was stupid, it was painful and Mako hated to admit it but it was kind of fun and it was all too easy to see that Bolin was losing his steam as well.

Mako was just short of laughing, of putting an end to the ridiculousness of it all when Bolin froze. Bolin was staring at something on Mako's chest and following the gaze, Mako realized that not only did Bolin grab at the collar of his shirt, he accidentally pulled off the bandage covering the very fresh, new burn. Mako jerked back and yanked the fabric from Bolin's grasp.

The bruise, the limp, they could be explained away by a simple fall. Even the burn on his hand could be shrugged off as a training mishap. There's no mistake where the circular burn came from. Bolin had more than his fair share of them to compare. Bolin knew he was lying from the beginning but now he had all the proof he needed.

"Why …" Mako sat up and turned away from his brother. "You - you said we were done with them. Why were you with them." Mako tried to get up but Bolin grabbed his arm and yanked him back down. "Why were you with him?"

Mako sat quietly, avoiding his brother's eyes. He shook his head and pulled out of Bolin's grasp. "It's nothing, don't worry about it." He said as he stood up and away from Bolin. It was a poor response, stupid really but what else could he say?

"What?" Bolin snapped as he jumped to his feet.

"Bolin-"

"All of this-" Bolin gestured to Mako "- it was Zolt, wasn't it? You said we were done with the Triple Threats!"

"Just drop it."

"Why were you with them?"

"It doesn't matter, I said drop it!"

"Why?!" Mako winced at the way Bolin's voice cracked. "Why can't you just tell me? I'm not a little kid anymore! Why are you always hiding things?"

"Because you don't think!" Mako spun on his heel, his face right in Bolin's. "I can't tell you because you just jump headfirst without thinking anything through!" Mako stepped forward, ignoring the way Bolin stared wide-eyed at him. "I can't tell you because you don't know how to leave well enough alone!"

Bolin took a step back, stumbling backwards onto the bed. "You jump into every fucking mess you can like you can just laugh your way out of it but you can't!" Mako began to pace in front of the bed, hands roughly running through his hair. "You can't just fix everything just because you really want to. It doesn't work like that and you should fucking know that by now."

"I didn't tell you because I can't trust you not to do something stupid!" Mako sucked in a sharp breath as instant regret coiled in his stomach. Bolin stared, slack jawed for just a brief moment before the well of tears in his eyes burst the dam. His breathing hitched as he curled in on himself. Mako just stood in silence as he watched his little brother quietly sob. The hatred he felt was visceral and he deserved every ounce of it.

Mako never should have let the situation out of control like this. It's been a long time since he just lost himself in his anger and desperation to just get Bolin to listen. He had foolishly though he had gotten better, that he had grown past lashing out like so. Mako wanted to storm off, scream, burn, jump in the bay but he didn't. He couldn't. This was his fault and he couldn't leave his little brother to cry himself asleep.

He hesitated for a moment before sighing, slowly he sat on the bed beside Bolin, keeping him at arm's length. Mako didn't touch him or pull him into a hug. Even Bolin, as clingy as he was, had his moments where a hug was the last thing he wanted. Absently Mako rubbed around the burn on his shoulder.

"Bolin, I …" Mako trailed off with a deep sigh. Beside him Bolin still shook with his soft crying. His hand moved from his shoulder and began to tug on his hair. "Look-" his voice firm "-I know you're worried and want to help but this is my problem and-"

"Shut up!" Mako was startled quiet by Bolin's sudden outburst as his brother uncurled himself and looked up angrily at Mako. His eyes are already red and puffy. "It always has to be you! You think you need to protect me from everything, all the time." Mako huffed and rolled his eyes.

"Your my little brother, it's my job-"

"No it's not!" Bolin's voice cracked as he snapped back. "You're still a kid too!"

"I'm not -"

"Yes you are! You don't have to protect me all the time. You're not my dad." Any argument Mako was mustering, died on his tongue. "And you're not my mom. Mako-" Bolin took a shuttered breath, clearly trying not to lose himself crying again "-you're my brother. We're suppose to have each other's backs. Not making bad deals behind them."

Mako's face scrunched up before he buried his hand in his hair, gripping the short strands painfully as he tried to ground himself. He wanted to bite out that it wasn't how things played out. That Bolin didn't get it because Mako was the closest thing Bolin had to a mother or father anymore. That no matter what he thought, it was Mako's job. But instead he breathed a deep sigh and ran his hand roughly down his face.

"I know I'm kind of dumb and I mess things up a lot …" Mako clenched his eyes harder. "I'm not so little anymore, Mako. You don't have to hide and protect me from everything. Just let me try." Bolin pleaded desperately, making Mako's stomach roll. The room fell into silence, only broken by Bolin's quiet sniffling.

"I didn't mean it like… you're not dumb, Bolin. It's just that -" Mako took another deep breath and met Bolin's eye "-this is my problem." Mako immediately held his hand up "let me talk" he said, cutting off Bolin's argument. Taking a moment, Mako scratched his head as he tried to figure out how to explain.

"I was so stupid, Bolin." He finally said in a harsh whisper. Mako's shoulder slumped, defeatedly. "I didn't even think, didn't even consider what it'd cost and I should have." Anger flared up again, he knew he was just confusing Bolin but Mako felt it roll through him. "I should have-" he hissed "-but I was such a child. All I heard were his dumb praises and saw a flashy, cool ability that I knew I could do. I just needed a little nudge and he was right there offering. I didn't even think!" Bolin sniffed and scooted closer to Mako.

"This 'bout-" Bolin bit his lip and fiddled his fingers "-this 'bout the lightning stuff?" Mako snorted, smiling humorlessly as he shook his head.

"Yeah, it's about the lightning stuff … that's why-" Mako sighed, the anger leaving him as fast as it came "-this is my problem, Bo. It's my debt to pay off. It'll take a while but it's nothing I can't handle and I will handle it alone." He stated firmly, looking Bolin straight in the eye as he did so.

"But-"

"No! You don't like it, fine but you are not getting involved with them again, Bolin. That's final, you understand?" Bolin tried to look away but Mako bent his head to catch his eye. "Bolin!" His little brother's eyes filled again and his lip trembled as he slowly nodded. Mako sighed and looked away before the tears fell. As he made to get up, to do what, he wasn't sure, Mako let out a surprised grunt as Bolin collided with him.

He supposes he shouldn't be surprised as Bolin buried his face in Mako's chest. He may have been the entire reason for Bolin's distress but who else was he to turn to. All alone, you learn to find comfort where you can, even with the people that hurt you. So with another deep sigh, Mako settled back and began running his hand through Bolin's hair as comfortingly as he could. Over his shoulder he noticed Pabu watching them carefully, the little creature having steered clear of the fluctuating emotions.

"It's not -it's not fa-air." Bolin whispered through his sobs and Mako felt a familiar numbness settling in. Staring at nothing, Mako could do nothing but stroke his brother's hair and let him cry.

"Life's never been fair, Bolin. You and I both know that by now."

Can you believe I had this nearly done for months? But it's just one of those things that no matter how much I fiddle, I just can't get it just as I want it. But it's to the point where I stared at it so long I kind of hate it. I'm done looking at it, take it away boys!

I think this will be my last LoK piece for a while. But I will come back to it, I wouldn't just end the series on such a sad note, I just need a break from the fandom.
This story is done but aside from the very beginning stuff I want to add (I'm an unorganized mess, I know) there is one or two more stories before I end this little series. Two for sure if I decided to make this Mako Whump there series, haha.

Anyways! I hope you enjoyed it! And if you did I'd love to hear about it. 😉