Title: Dirty Little Secret

Author: SplishySplash/LastWaterBender

Genre: Smut/Romance/Angst

Pairing: MAKORRA, who else?

Rating: MMMMMMMM

Disclaimer: I own nothing. I know this is a little late, but this one was a hard one to write. Talk about your emotional roller coaster. It's fluffy and then WHAM not so fluffy, everything is hitting the fan. . . I need some direction now.

Summary: She was his dirty little secret, but now people are starting to know this dirty little secret.

They had spent the entire day together since running away from Air Temple Island. Hand in hand they discovered the city and more about each other, eating at a small café on the beach and wandered down into a small carnival.

He had won her a platypus bear and she won him a generic probending action figure, they walked down the streets shop to shop taking turns trying on different accessories, acting totally loose and carefree. "I'm glad to see you let loose." She said, setting a feathery mess on top of his head that was a traditional men's hat. He was uncharacteristically playing along with the Avatar who was having the time of her life.

"You must bring out the best in me." He said gruffly, trying to look annoyed but the smile on her face made him smile, earning her a kiss.

The next booth was a jewelry booth and she admired the shiny ornate rings and bangles which she had to try on. She didn't notice the fire bender slip some money to the owner, but as she was looking in a mirror she noticed him place a necklace around her neck. It was a thick choker like necklace with the pendent of the four great nations in the middle of it, it was beautiful.

In the mirror she gasped in shock. "You know," She started shyly. "In water tribe tradition, when a man gives a woman a necklace it's a sign of betrothal."

"I know." He said with his awkward smile, her eyebrows furrowed trying to comprehending what was happening. "It's what it is supposed to be."

She threw herself into his arms and he held her tightly.

"Is that a yes?" He asked into her ear, even though it was spontaneous he couldn't imagine hip life without her. When he met her only a few months ago, he didn't know it could be like this.

"Of course it is." She said excitedly and she kissed him.

The rest the day was spent kissing and playing hookie from their responsibilities. They laid in the grass head by head as the sun started to set. "We can run away, you know." Mako suggested turning to look at her.

She turned her head and smiled brightly. "I know." She whispered, kissing him awkwardly upside down. "I want to stay like this for ever." Her voice was a whisper and it carried in the wind.

"We can." He said and nothing did sound better than spending the rest of his life in the park with her, but as the sun began to set they made their way to the Air Temple Island.

They stopped in front of the giant gate and the same guard who had been there the night previous sat there, slightly surprised to see Korra but he was ignored. "Thank you." She said before kissing him.

It felt like the first kisses with the butterflies and rosy cheeks, even after a million kisses. "Good night." He whispered nuzzling her neck with his nose. He wanted to stay and express his love for her but he knew that it was too bold, he couldn't risk being caught and being caught by Pema once would make the security around Korra increase. Even after spending the entire day with her, he wanted to spend the rest of his life with her, even as corny as that sounded. "I love you."

"I know." She said against his lips, "I love you too."

After a fewe frantic kisses, a few soft pecks and a heavy make session he finally left watching her wave to the guard who had witnessed the whole exchange and with a soft wave she waved to him too before disappearing.

Slowly he walked back to the arena, suddenly enjoying the twinkling of the stars and softness of the breezes in an all too poetic way. He couldn't remember the last time he had felt so happy. Korra was happy.

When he opened the door, a very frantic Bolin stood on the other side. "Where have you been?" He screeched with his hair sticking in all directions.

Mako frowned and removed his jacket. "Out." Came his short answer.

"You disappear in the middle of the night and are gone all day! I've been worried sick, nobody has seen you and Asami has been worried sick about you!" He rambled, he was shaking. "You could have been mixed up with the Triad or worse the Equalists!" Mako shook his head, he wasn't stupid enough to fall in those hands, but Bolin seemed legitimately shaken by the loss of his older brother.

"I had a lot on my mind." Mako said, crossing the room into the kitchen searching for some food. "I needed the space to clear my mind." He shut the cupboards, deciding that he needed to go to bed instead. "I'm going to bed."

"Are you not going to call Asami and tell her that you are back?" Bolin asked in surprise.

With a raised brow, Mako turned to face him. "I am going to bed, I've got to work in the morning." He said with a shake of his head.

"Are you seeing someone else?" He asked deadpanned through the silence. It was a theory that Asami threw at him through tears after they had talked each other out of him being dead in a ditch somewhere, or being mixed up with an evil gang or got his bending taken away.

Bolin had followed Mako into his room and the older brother stopped. "What's it to you?" He growled, suddenly feeling the walls closing in on him. It was none of his brother's business who he associated and/or was now engaged to.

"I thought you were better than that." Bolin snapped, he watched Mako tense and stand up straighter. He knew that he had hit a chord.

The fire bender got very angry, very quickly and nearly blasted fire at his brother. "It's none of your business." He said evenly and smoke came out of his nostrils. Control, he was good at that.

"It is my business if you are stringing Asami along, it isn't fair to her." Bolin argued and then it had hit him. "It's Korra."

Mako turned around with a hard glare. "Leave her out of it." He said protectively, he didn't want the reputation of the woman he was going to spend the rest of his life with dragged through the dirt.

"You've been screwing around with Korra." Bolin cried angrily, he was disappointed in his brother's moral choices, but with Korra? He still had his crush on the water bender, but even so why did she have to like Mako?

"I have not been screwing around with Korra." Mako seethed into Bolin's face.

"Then what?" Screamed Bolin with his face red and heavy breath. "If you're not fucking Korra behind your girlfriends back, then what are you doing?"

Something inside Mako snapped. "I love her, okay?" He yelled, the tension filled the room that could be cut with a knife, but instead a fist collided with his jaw. Mako was not supposed to fall in love with the Avatar, Bolin was. Mako had Asami, the wealthy and beautiful heiress and they would all live happily ever after. But if that didn't work, Mako was supposed to be the bigger man and break up with his girlfriend before moving on. It was as if Bolin had realized that his hero was a fake.

The world stilled and Bolin stomped off with a huff. Mako sat down on the bed, nursing his jaw. Why was Bolin so invested in who he spent his time with? He glanced out of the window at the Air Temple and suddenly he didn't care what his brother thought. He had spent all of his life caring about his brother's thoughts, wants and needs and even though he wasn't looking for his brothers well wishes when it came to Korra or Asami, it didn't bother him to see Bolin this angry. It was time to stop babying him and let him grow up.

Mako never imagined being so obsessed with the Avatar, because it was like having his cake and eating it too. He would have laughed at himself when this all started had he known what he knew now, but Korra was worth every second of it.

He laid down on his bed and closed his eyes, but sleep did not come to him.

Korra knew that skipping out on training was going to have repercussions, even with Pema seemingly sticking up for her. She sat under the meditation pavilion with a smile on her face as she sat cross legged and stood up tall with her fists together, she didn't complain like she normally did. Jinora felt her head for a fever and Pema concluded that a day off was what she needed, but couldn't get Korra out of meditation practice.

Her eyes closed and she breathed in and out slowly, finding her Nirvana and staying there for a record time before dinner was called. She realized just how hungry she had gotten as she patiently waited for her plate to be dished up.

Tenzin watched Korra skeptically, who was this girl? This was totally uncharacteristic for her to be patient and quiet at the same time. The kids noticed too and began to pry information from her, she laughed freely at their antics and the master Airbender couldn't figure out what was off.

That is until Jinora picked it out. "Where did you get that necklace?" Asked his oldest daughter, reaching out to admire the beautiful craft that was wrapped around her neck.

Necklace?

The pieces fit together like a burping sky bison and Tenzin started to cough forcefully when he started choking on his food. Pema looked at him concerned, obviously unfamiliar with the water tribe tradition. "What is that?" Tenzin said breathlessly, literally.

Korra smirked, there was the girl he knew. "It's a necklace." She said, knowing that he knew what it was.

The array of colors that Tenzin could turn was almost magic, first a magenta color because he had stopped breathing and then maroon for Rage, white for fear and finally his normal cream colored skin when his breathing techniques had kicked in.

Pema looked it over, surprised by the way her husband was acting. "It's beautiful, Korra." She said with a small glare to her husband.

"Where did you get it?" Jinora asked again.

The water bender's smile turned shy, but she couldn't lie. "Mako gave it to me." She said.

Pema's 'how sweet' was drowned out by Tenzin jumping to his feet and slamming his hands on the table. "WHAT?" He all but screeched.

"What is with you, Tenzin?" Scolded Pema, placing a hand on his arm as she wondered what was going on in the head of her husband. He was normally really sweet and well mannered, but sometimes he was as hot headed as Korra.

Tenzin shot a guilty look at his wife and then to Korra, motioning with his hands and gaping like a fish. "That fire bender boy gave her a necklace!"

"I think it's sweet." Cooed Jinora, it was like the Avatar was living in a fantasy. Lucky.

"IT'S A BETROTHAL NECKLACE!" Snapped Tenzin and the room went silent.

That is until Pema, Jinora and Ikki squealed excitedly and almost immediately enveloped her into a hug. Tenzin fell back into his chair resigned and sighed. He wasn't going to win being in a house full of girls.

He prayed to the spirits that his girls wouldn't be as difficult as the Avatar.