A/N: After this chapter I think I might finally up the rating to M but while there maybe (don't know yet) a lemon in the next chapter it will be classy lemons because I like my lemonade with a fancy drink umbrella lol. Plus I redid and reworked this chapter, it was late and I was dog tired so it ended up not being that great :( but I hope it's better now!

After they left, Bolin stayed holed up in his room for another hour, unhappy about the turn of events he thought to call Asami since she was normally home this time of night. Picking up the phone he dialed the numbers he knew by heart and waited her to pick up the opposite end.

"Hello."

"Hey Asami." He couldn't help but sound dejected and upset.

"What's wrong Bolin?" Asami was startled; she was not used to hearing Bolin sounding like this. He wasn't his usual optimistic self.

"I rather not, it's not my place to talk about it." He was still peeved about earlier and his mind kept going back to wanting to tell Korra.

"I know you didn't call me to talk shop. So spill it." Asami was always the one to get Bolin to spill whatever secret he was holding ever since the kidnapped Avatar debacle. Knowing whatever he was holding now was just eating him alive, so why not tell her.

"I'm all ears Bo!" she announced as he continued to stay quiet. "O.K. Asami..." She got on his nerves but he could never stay mad. They had the type of friendship that was supportive and good natured. Asami listened intently as he whispered what happened.

"I caught my brother with another girl today."

Bolin heard an audible gasp come from Asami's end.

"Wow. Does Korra know? I can't be- never mind, I totally did not expect that." The sarcasm was dripping from her voice. Truthfully Asami was over what Mako did but she couldn't help but get the little dig in. "But seriously, I did not see that coming. Why would he do that?" She asked curiously.

"No. Korra doesn't know but I guess that's what he's telling her on their date tonight." He shook his head and stare at the ceiling. "He said it was because he felt like someone else has her heart, so he didn't want to her to dump him before he could dump her I presume." He wasn't going to tell Asami that he might be the other person in this philanderer's equation. He figured he would save that for another time perhaps.

"Typical!" She exclaimed loudly. "I need to get back to these papers so if anything else happens or if you and Korra need somewhere to stay let me know. I'm sorry you had to see that and if I could give you a hug I would Bo." Asami had the empathetic nature that made it hard to turn her down, her generosity was her best trait and also her best flaw, she cared more than anything about Bolin (and even Korra) more than she let on.

"Thanks for listening. I needed that." Bolin smiled sadly and hung up.

He decided that once the storm between Korra and Mako was over, he would just settle on being her friend. She was going to need a friend more than another person trying to move in on her heart.

ℑℑℑℑ

A romantic dinner at Republic City's best restaurant, flowers, and all the affections that he had been neglecting to show her during the latter part of their relationship. It felt like Mako went all out for this date. Yet, Korra couldn't shake the sneaking suspicion that this night out was a cover for something else but she couldn't place her finger on what it was yet.

The candlelight flickered as they sat at the dining table. Mako slipped his fingers into hers, intertwining them with his. He wanted this to work, but if she wasn't going to love only him why would he stay? He pondered this gazing into her eyes; it was like they lost its spark for him. While what he was doing wasn't exactly the best way to deal- it worked for him.

"Korra, you know I love you, right?"

It was the type of question that if he asked Korra any other day it wouldn't pop up on her meter of suspicion like it was doing now.

"Yes, I do." She answered carefully. "Why'd you ask?" Poker face on, Korra was bracing herself for whatever Mako was getting ready to say.

He loosened his hand from hers and adjusted himself back into his seat properly.

"Answer me this and it will be all I ever ask of you." He stated clearly.

He knows… The thought settled into her head and her body grew tense. She was desperately struggling to stay cool as he continued.

"O.k…Shoot."

"If I asked you to marry me, would you love me and only me?" Mako stared intensely at her lips waiting for the answer. "Are you asking me to marry you?" she was confused. Korra really didn't know if she should feel happy or run the heck out of there.

But he started to do something that threw her off: He laughed callously.

"No, of course not."

Korra's face now read one of liberation and confusion.

"You didn't answer the second part of my question. Do you love only me?" His face was once again serious. "Because I feel like you don't. I can read it all over your face." The realization hit him like a satomobile; this relationship was a badly broken bird that would never fly.

The guilt surged into her like an open floodgate. He wasn't wrong in his observation, her feelings had been waning away after all this time but she didn't want to deal with it she wanted things to be like they were before.

"Yes… I do love you Mako but you haven't exactly been yourself lately either." She was deflecting. "I want to work things out Mako. I didn't come here for you to give me the third degree about your suspicions."

Mako looked down; it was almost as if he had gotten caught. Knowing the jig was up he looked back up into her eyes and sighed. Knowing if they continued on this path it would just lead to unhappiness and that is something he didn't want.

"I think it's time for us to take a break."

I thought we were going to work this out.

Her jaw dropped. Korra only came here with the intentions of fixing what was broken but it seemed as if she was too late.

"I'm moving out. I'll still pay for the apartment since my brother is still there, it's only right." The firebender was cold in his delivery.

The earth crumbled around her as she dissected the word shrapnel he hurled towards her. "So it's over?" She gritted her hands on the table.

"You need to get it together Korra and I can't help you with that." The tension rose higher and higher as the conversation went on.

"Where are you going to stay at? You wouldn't move out if you didn't have some place lined up already." she probed.

"I'm staying with a friend." he replied coolly.

With that answer he given, it was when it dawned on her. "You've been cheating on me all this time?" Korra bit her lip, she wanted to cry but she didn't have the strength to do it anymore.

"Could you blame me?" Mako felt the aggravation of the question weighing itself on him. He wanted to be done with the evening at this point. Nothing ventured, nothing gained.

"Could I blame you? What?!" She rose up from her seat and raised her hand.

The stinging of his left cheek was her parting gift to him. Red and swollen, he rubbed it as it throbbed deeply.

The girl packed a hell of a punch. He thought as he picked himself up from the floor.

He loved her but he couldn't love her if she loved someone else. He knew he couldn't fix her and her fleeting feelings, especially if he needed to fix himself-that's not how it works. Palming a small flame in his hand it reminded him of their love, eventually he would have to snuff it out.

Mako would always love Korra in the end.

ℑℑℑℑ

She walked slowly down the street. The memories, the sacrifices and everything ran through her mind as she sobbed. She wanted nothing more than to be in her apartment and lay down in her bed….well after she bought a new one.

Reaching her apartment she dug in her pockets only to find she didn't have her keys. "Shoot. They must be inside." She pounded on the door and waited. She hoped Bolin wasn't asleep because while she wanted to be by herself she needed a shoulder to lean on.

"Who is it?" The muffled voice behind the door answered.

"It's me." She replied softly.

The door cracked open and she let herself in. "So I take it that your date didn't go as expected." Bolin asked quietly. Korra nodded.

"He's moving out." Korra considered just letting him have it, lash out on the person that inadvertently caused the fracture of her first serious relationship, but she realized it wasn't Bolin's fault. Mako chose to do what he did and that wasn't Bolin's burden to bear.

"Oh. Wow." Bolin was shocked but not surprised by that. "I'm sorry." Looking at her hurt and disappointed bothered him.

"Why should you be sorry? You didn't do anything to make him do those things." She sat on the couch and tucked her knees to her chest huffing.

I think we need a new couch. Bolin winced.

"No, I did do something wrong. I saw him with another girl today. I should have told you what I saw earlier before you left but I was so angry at him for what he was doing to you. I just couldn't." he confessed.

Korra was speechless not believing the words coming from his mouth. It hurt that her "best friend" wouldn't think to tell her that she was being played. He could have stabbed her for all she cared and it wouldn't have hurt as much the confession he was making now. She held her hand up and sped to her room. It was too much for Korra. Inside she pulled her sheets over her head and cried until she couldn't cry anymore.

She was disappointed. She was humiliated. He was stupid. He was hurting.

"…this will pass." She thought of the words Tenzin told her at the pavilion. It hurt too much think that one day she would have to move on and that she would have to deal with the fall out.

"I can't."

Sleep started to look like a better option for her and getting sleep began to be a problem for him. Bolin sat restless in his bed as he watched Pabu sleep in his spot in the corner. The fire ferret was dealing a lot better than his human companion had been lately. He chuckled at the thought of Pabu somehow having a say in all the mess that had been going on in the home.

"If I only had your life Pabu, it'd be a lot easier." He sighed.

It was then that he had the urge to check on Korra. He knew that she was more than likely still mad at him, but a small part of him hoped that she wasn't. Bolin crept out of his room and tip-toed to Korra's room silently.

A soft knock rapped on her door, He wasn't sure if she was up but he walked in anyways.

"Korra I'm sorry." He whispered in her ear.

Feeling guilty, he felt like she was never going to forgive him. "Just hold me." She was awake the whole time. Korra drew the other of the covers over and invited him in. She needed comfort and it would have felt wrong to turn him away.

They were quiet for the rest of the night. The silence was something they both welcome, everything was unspoken. It was better this way. He kissed her forehead as she fell asleep. She was peaceful; all that was left were remnants of her terrible night in the form of a tear-stained pillow. He watched her for a few more minutes, occasionally sweeping the hair out of her face. Soon after he drifted off into his own.

Korra was so close but yet so far away from his reach.

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