A/N – What is the fanfic update you speak of? ERMAHGERD, I ACTUALLY HAVE A CHAPTER FOR YOU. I apologize for the long absence. I have been really overwhelmed with school, and I've had almost no free time. I also have finals coming up, so I want to at least make some progress before I hibernate with my books for the next few weeks.
This chapter will consist mostly of more bonding for Korra, Asami, and the bloodbending brothers, as well as Mako/Iroh bromance. We will also see more of the air babies in all their cuteness and glory. ^.^ Hope you enjoy my first update since the hiatus! I plan to improve from the last chapter. Oi, that last chapter. You all will never speak of it to anyone. =.=
"Korra. Korra!" Asami shook her shoulder.
"Wh-what?" Korra snapped out of her daze and stared at her worried friend.
"You got so quiet all of a sudden. Everything okay?"
"Huh? Yeah, I'm fine. Just thinking about stuff," she trailed off, her normally bright blue eyes showing the faintest hint of a shadowy grey.
Asami looked at her sternly, "Korra. Not even your bathroom excuse can save you now. You know you can tell me anything."
"I would, but…" Korra tilted her head toward Tarrlok and Noatak.
Noatak put a hand on his hip, "Well EXCUSE ME, princess."
"Yeah, are we not good enough for you or something?" Both stood there sassily.
Korra momentarily regained the sparkle in her eye and giggled, "No no, it's nothing like that, it's just . . . kind of a girl thing."
"Korra, nothing has ever stopped you from talking about periods in front of us. We've almost become desensitized to it," Tarrlok shuddered at the thought.
"Emphasis on ALMOST. We may be bloodbenders, but that stuff is just…"
"NOT THAT KIND OF GIRL THING!" Korra sputtered loudly. A few people in the area began to stare at them, forcing a scarlet tint to her cheeks.
Both bloodbenders raised their arms in surrender as if a gun was pointed at them.
Korra exhaled deeply, her cheeks returning to their normal caramel color, "It's about Mako."
Noatak turned around abruptly to run away, though stayed in place due to his brother's grip on his black jacket. He turned back and pouted, "It's times like these when I remember why I'm single."
"Do we need to have that conversation again?" Asami replied, arms crossed.
"No, ma'am," he hung his head.
"Good. Now let's sit down. We need to talk," she rested her hand on Korra's shoulder and led the three of them to Iroh's favorite tea shop.
-linebreak-
"So what's up with Mako? Have you been getting along?" Asami sipped her tea gracefully, her concerned eyes glued on Korra.
"Yeah, we've been getting along great. We have our occasional arguments, but nothing serious."
"Have you not been youknowwhatimean," Tarrlok gestured awkwardly with his hands, "as often?"
Asami reached across the table and flicked his forehead. "You two are hopeless," she sighed, plopping back in her seat.
"Wha, but, where do you think we get it from? It's not like you two are perfectly normal," Tarrlok whined, rubbing his forehead. "Besides, it was a genuine question."
"Well if it makes you feel better, our personal life is just fine," Korra grumbled while twiddling her ocean blue manicured thumbs, her cheeks returning to their previously crimson shade.
"If everything's all great and fine, what's bugging you?" Noatak rested his elbows on the table as he bent the tea in his cup subconsciously, his icy blue eyes following it.
"Well, he just seems . . . distant sometimes. It's been almost a year since we got together, our anniversary's coming up, and he just hasn't been talking to me as much this past week."
The three of them tensed at the mention of the anniversary. They all knew what Mako was planning. Noatak opened his mouth to tell Korra, but snapped it shut when he felt Asami pinch his arm from under the small white table.
Asami's arm remained cemented to her best friend's shoulder, "You know you mean the world to Mako. I bet he already has the perfect gift ready that's just as special as you are," she smiled her signature motherly smile and lightly pinched Korra's button nose to cheer her up.
Korra crinkled her nose and giggled, "You really are the best hoe ever," earning a sassy hair flip from Asami.
Both brothers simultaneously rolled their eyes and continued bending their tea, not caring that it was already cold.
-linebreak-
"Iroh!" Mako called. Meelo still chewing on his head, Iroh embraced his friend warmly, Jinora and Ikki following close behind him on air scooters.
"Hey! Have you seen Asami anywhere? I haven't seen her all afternoon."
"Last I saw her was this morning, but Bo said she went shopping with Korra."
"Took Tarrlok and Noa with them?"
Mako sighed, "Yup. They most likely are suffocating under a pile of shoeboxes right now."
"I wouldn't put it past those girls. So, what's up?" Iroh scooped Meelo up and set him gently on the sand, smoothing his hair out after a long play session with the him and his sisters.
"Don't give up now, General! We haven't taken out all of the enemy ships yet!" Meelo begged, tugging on Iroh's maroon coat.
"We'll have to retire for now, soldier. Those enemy ships will still be there tomorrow, and then we shall triumph! Remember, a good soldier-"
"-always knows when he is defeated," the little airbender pouted.
"Exactly. But a loss today can turn into . . ."
"A victory tomorrow," Meelo returned to his hyper, cheery self and flashed the Fire Nation prince his signature dopey grin. Iroh knelt to his height and patted his bald head through his bright orange winter cap.
"You're learning well, Meelo," he winked.
Mako smiled, remembering the pretend soldier games he and Bolin used to play as kids. Even on the streets, it was a happy time in his life, and ever since his friends had come into his life, he and his little brother couldn't have been happier. "Meelo, why don't you and your sisters go check on Rohan? I'm sure your mother could use some help. Besides, Iroh and I need to have some grown-up talk."
"But Mako, you aren't a grown-up," Ikki playfully stuck her tongue out at the young firebender.
"Yeah, but I'm closer to being one than you," the 19 year old stuck his tongue out back at her and ruffled her hair, earning an infectious giggle.
"C'mon you guys, let's go help Mom," Jinora was on her way up to the stairs leading to the temple gates, gesturing to her brother and sister. When they caught up to her, she held her hand out, signaling them to stop. She led them behind one of the 10,552 trees on the island, where the three of them hid.
"Why are we hiding? I thought we were helping Mom. Besides, it's getting cold," Ikki whined, rubbing her rosy ears to warm them.
"It's 4 in the afternoon and the sun is out."
"It's still winter, smart one."
"For your information, we're hiding because I know they're gonna be talking about Korra and Asami," Jinora retorted. "They're gonna talk about how beautiful they are and how much they love them and it's gonna be so romantic."
"How do you know? They could just be talking about random stuff that handsome firebender boys like to talk about. And you just want to imagine Skoochy saying all those things about you."
Jinora turned beet red, "S-shut up! I just kno- shhhh," she clamped a hand over Ikki's mouth and pulled her and Meelo further into the frosted trees.
Not knowing that the kids were eavesdropping, Iroh asked, "So, what was it you wanted to talk about?"
Mako scratched the back of his neck sheepishly, "It's about Korra and our anniversary."
"I told you!" Jinora exclaimed quietly enough to keep her voice a whisper.
"Shut up, they'll hear us!"
"I gotta poo," Meelo interjected.
"SHHHHH," his sisters each put a gloved finger to their lips and turned their attention back to the two firebenders down by the shore.
-linebreak-
"Still having trouble figuring out what to get her?" Iroh smiled at Mako a smile warmer than any firebending. After ending the Equalist Revolution, he had become well acquainted with Korra and her group of friends. He had almost become a second brother to Bolin, and he later developed feelings for Asami Sato, who more than reciprocated them.
"Yeah, how'd you know?" Mako had always shared a special bond with Iroh. Though only four years older, the general had inspired him to do more to protect Republic City and become a police officer, where he got to work with Lin and Noatak, his mentors and good friends.
"Asami mentioned it. She said you had asked her and Noa about it a few days ago."
"Yeah, I asked Tarrlok and Bolin, too. None of us have been able to think of anything specific, but they all said I already knew what to get her," Mako's voice was laced with mild panic, his anniversary with Korra creeping closer and closer.
"Well, I think you know Korra better than any of her other friends, so it all depends on what you think you should get her."
"I've never gotten anyone actual gifts before, though. I only got Bolin whatever I could when we were kids, and that was usually food or something that we normally couldn't afford. I'm not exactly a seasoned shopper," Mako forced a chuckle. He always thought that he fell short for Bolin when they were young, having to scrape up measly gifts like his favorite dumplings or treats for Pabu.
"It doesn't have to be anything fancy. Is there anything that you know she'll like?" Iroh scratched his chin, feeling the faintest prickle even after a clean shave.
"Not anything that I know of. Come to think of it, I haven't really gotten her a real gift since we got together. Just her favorite noodles from Narook's after her performances, carriage rides, that kind of stuff."
"Just think. What else do you do together? When do you know she's the happiest?"
"Well, there are those nights after Bolin's pro-bending matches when we plan on staying up all night telling stories, even though we end up falling asleep in an hour. Then there was this one time she convinced me to dance in front of everyone when she threw that party to celebrate Asami's success with Future Industries. And those times we would go ice skating, and she would purposely fall just so I would catch her. And then we would go to the top of the arena and just stare . . . at the bay . . ." Mako jolted as the perfect idea struck him.
Iroh's warm, graceful smile grew into a not-so-princely, toothy grin, "You know what you're going to get her, don't you?"
"Hell yes I do," Mako bounced excitedly and was about to make his way back to the temple. He turned back to Iroh and half-smiled, "You knew the answer the whole time, didn't you?"
"Korra has told Asami enough about all the cute moments you two have shared, and Asami and I have made our own memories. But it's up to you to realize how important these moments are and how much they mean to everyone, especially Korra. They are what make your relationship special, and they define you. The best thing you can give to her is you."
"Thank you, that means a lot. I guess Bumi taught you a lot more than pick-up lines on Asami, huh?"
"I actually learned that from Aang when I was young. I guess you could say Korra taught it to me," Iroh chuckled.
"Yeah, I guess so. But again, thank you. There's just one more person I need to talk to."
"Good luck. Oh, and Mako?"
"Hm?" the younger firebender turned once more.
"You didn't fail Bolin. He still tells me today about how the dumplings you always worked to get for him were the best he's ever had. You're more than he could ever ask for."
"He's more than I could ever ask for, too. So are all of you guys."
Well, I hope this chapter was at least somewhat of an improvement! I've been working on it slowly for a while, as you can tell. I've been getting some great writing tips from friends, so hopefully I've used them well. This chapter was really important to me as far as Mako's character goes. Throughout the show, I really think the love triangle overshadowed the many good aspects of his personality, like how great of a brother he was to Bolin, as well as the responsibilities he took upon himself when their parents passed. Mako made his mistakes, but he was still a very good, kind-hearted person. He was protective, nurturing, and caring towards everyone he was close to, and he never intentionally tried to hurt anyone. Although some of the things in the chapter weren't really said in canon, I feel like they are things that Mako would do. The importance of this story is to put the love triangle behind these characters and prove that they can all move on and still be best friends. There is still a romance aspect to it, but I really want to emphasize the friendships and individual development of each character, and I hope that shows. In the next chapter, we will have more Korra/Asami/bloodbending bbies bonding of course, we will see just who that one last person is that Mako needs to talk to, and a certain someone will be making a special appearance. Hope you enjoyed Chapter 7, and make sure to review and give feedback! xoxo –Vanisha