"You think I don't know what my own father is capable of?" yelled Asami.
"No, I didn't mean…" Korra stammered. Why did I say that? Why did I say that! she thought in a panic.
"You don't get to disappear for three years and then act like you know what's best for me!"
"It's not like I planned to be gone for that long, I wanted to come back, but I never felt ready until now," Korra said, trying to rationalize herself. A loud clink from Wu's glass interrupted the conversation.
"As much as I'm enjoying this little catch-up, my royal bladder is about to explode. Mako, come on, I need you to stand guard,"
"I'm not gonna hold your hand every time you have to empty your 'royal bladder.' Go to the bathroom on your own for once!" Mako yelled.
"Fine," Wu said, walking away.
"Do you always go to the bathroom with him?" Korra asked.
"I don't go with him, with him, I just stand there in the general vicinity while he... I don't wanna talk about it," Mako said, looking away. They all sat in silence for a moment.
"Look, Asami, I'm really sorry. I didn't mean it that way, I didn't mean anything. And it's my fault for not coming back earlier. I'm just— sorry," Korra said pathetically. The hurt and intense self-deprecation in her voice made Asami look at Korra worriedly.
"It's... alright," she said in a whisper. Silence overtook the three once more as Mako still looked grumpily to the side and Asami stirred her drink. Korra slammed her hands down softly. Mako and Asami looked up.
"Ok, I've said I'm sorry more than once now, and believe me, I hate myself more than anyone else does, but this is not how we're going to do this! I know I have responsibilities, but you two do as well so stop stewing around in silence and talk to me! We're best friends, so let's talk!" Korra yelled irritably. Mako looked back towards the side.
"Korra, we've just spent a long time apart, and we've all changed in that time. It's going to take a little more than small talk to make this work again," Asami said firmly.
"I'm sure you don't want just to sit around here!" Korra said defiantly.
"Well, what about you? What were you doing with all of that time? I'll tell you what I've been doing, I've been working non-stop!" Asami said indignantly.
"Well, there we go, you could have told me that!" Korra yelled. She suddenly closed her eyes and scrunched up her face before taking a deep breath.
"I'm sorry. I've been recovering in the South Pole. Katara helped me walk again, and then I trained hard to get back here," Korra said, calmly.
"Thank you," said Asami, somewhat degradingly.
"What have you been working on?" Korra said, more annoyed now.
"I redesigned the city's infrastructure. There was a ceremony just a couple of weeks ago,"
"That's great! What needed redesigning?" said Korra, more upbeat.
"Well… the areas right next to the spirit wilds," Asami said.
"Oh," said Korra.
"Sorry about those… with Harmonic Convergence and all… couldn't really control it," Korra said awkwardly. Asami looked away to the ceiling. Korra groaned and put her hands on her head.
"Fine! And what about you, Mako? Why are you so quiet? What have you been doing?"
"Well, I've been telling you what I've been doing. Have you even been reading my letters? Was not replying not enough work for you, you had to forget I exist all together?" Mako snapped.
"That's not true! Asami, that's not true?" Korra said viciously turning to both of them.
"Well, of course, you read hers, you actually cared enough to respond to her!" Mako said harshly.
"I— will you at least look at me?" said Korra. Mako turned and stared her straight in the eye with intense anger. The sight made Korra's furrowed brow pop up abashedly. She looked away.
"You happy?" Mako said quietly, now looking at his hands.
"I haven't been happy in more than three years," Korra said, also looking at her hands. Her palms were sweating.
"Well then that makes two," he said.
"You're right, Asami. This isn't going to be easy, but lets at least try," Korra said softly.
"I have been trying! It wasn't even a minute since we met up for the first time in years and I open up to you and tell you something huge!" Korra looked hurt.
"And you obviously don't care enough about me to write me back!" said Mako. Korra looked furious.
"No! I didn't write Bolin either!"
"And look where he is now, maybe if he thought you remembered him he wouldn't have been so bored he had to join Kuvira's army!"
"You're blaming that on me?"
"Yes— no— I don't know!" Mako said, throwing his arms up.
"How is this my fault? At least I can step away from my job for two seconds to give a second thought about my family?"
"Oh, so now it's my problem! Bolin is not a kid, Korra, he can make his own decisions! Although you wouldn't know," said Mako. It was now Korra's turn to look away.
"You know, we may have broken up a long time ago, but you haven't changed at all," said Mako severely. Silence came again.
"I'm sorry— I don't want to start this up again, but I can't help but notice that that comment about not being able to 'step away from work for two seconds' included me as well," said Asami. Korra scoffed. Asami returned it with a glare.
"Yes?" she said in disbelief.
"Well, at least I can't be blamed about giving a second thought about my dead mother and criminal father," said Asami.
"That's not what I—" Korra began to scream.
"Hey, leave her alone," Mako said casually.
"Because I don't know anything about you two anymore, right?"
"You think this is any easier between the two of us? I just saw Mako at the ribbon-cutting ceremony for the first time in over a year!" Asami snarled. A tear fell from her eye, and she surreptitiously wiped it away with her sleeve. Korra remained silent. A nervous waiter came over to the table.
"Excuse me, ladies and sir… but the other guests are becoming disturbed…" said the waiter.
"Do you know who I am?" said Korra bitterly.
"I'm with the Republic City Police, and I need to commandeer this table," said Mako sarcastically as he cut off Korra, showing his badge. The waiter turned as pale as a sheet before nodding and walking away.
"We're all acting like teenagers. Maybe we just have that effect on each other. And I think we all… well, at least I have, said some things I wish I hadn't. Do you all just want to start over and try again?" Korra said poignantly. She got no response, and they all sat uncomfortably. The waiter came and placed their appetizers on the table.
"I wonder what's taking Wu so long. He's not one to miss out on lunch. I'll go check on him," Mako said, walking away. Korra and Asami looked at each other.
"So he really goes to the bathroom with him?" Korra asked. Asami shrugged. Korra laughed.
"Come on, we have to see this," Korra said, dragging Asami until they reached the outside of the men's bathroom and waited. Asami smiled apathetically before looking to the ground. Korra noticed her waiter carrying out laundry bags. Why would our waiter be doing the laundry? Korra thought.
"I'll be right back," Korra said. It was mere seconds until Asami saw Korra thrown to the ground. She gasped and ran into the bathroom.
"Mako!" she yelled. His eyes widened, and they ran out the door.
"They've got Wu! Get the car, I'm going after them!" yelled Korra. They took off running in opposite directions. Asami and Mako clambered in.
"Put on your seatbelt!" yelled Asami.
"Why are you worried about that right now?"
"I built these things, and we're going to go quickly and dangerously. Do you want to be jettisoned out of your seat?!" yelled Asami. Mako did as told as Asami started the car. She smiled as she backed up quickly.
"What could you possibly be smiling about?" asked Mako.
"We're on an adventure again!" said Asami before returning to a focused stare at the road. Mako gave a small laugh before doing the same.