Amethyst

A/N: Hello, friends! Welcome back to more of my drabble series! Thank you for the great reviews (and writing suggestions) given for the last one! I appreciate all the critique and praise given for this story. Hope you guys like this one too. It's more of an implied Irosami this time around.

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Haze

Asami wasn't certain, but somehow, she was starting to feel less weird about Mako and Korra's relationship. She saw them out in Republic City the day before and met Korra's tentative wave. It was one thing to be heart-broken, it was another to want some space to figure things out. It took Asami a little longer than she expected, especially with all the effort she had to put into strong-arming Future Industries back on top of the market, but when she saw them together that day in the city, she was surprised not to feel the twist in her stomach that always made her look away. She gave the encounter some thought and finally came a conclusion that made her smile. Perhaps she was finally over all that confusing jealousy and hurt that made her avert her eyes. Perhaps, she could finally go back to just being their friend.

The thought alone made a joyful tingle race down her spine.

She missed the carefree way Bolin would calm any situation with his laughter, or the way Korra would send her a small look of appreciation when she would share her bread with her. She even missed the way Mako would mother them all with sharp warnings to be careful. Even though their friendship was founded on a rocky foundation, there was something so liberating about "Team Avatar" that made her feel like she could do anything, or be anything that she wanted to. She honestly missed them.

She considered dropping by Air Temple Island for a visit, just to see them, but Mako beat her to the punch.

To say she was surprised to see him on her doorstep was a slight understatement. He looked nervous and a little more than uncomfortable, and even gave a small jump when she opened the door. For a long moment they just stared at each other, unsure what to say until Mako broke the silence with a sharp, forced cough.

"Hey, Asami," he said.

"Hi," she responded cautiously.

"I… um…" He opened and closed his mouth a few times, but no words came out. A flush of embarrassment quickly crawled up his neck.

"Do you need something?" she asked slowly.

"I j-just…" His words caught again. Groaning, he fisted a hand in his hair. Finally, he thrust a newspaper in her face blurting out a demanding "Is this true?"

Asami had to step back to see what he was holding in his hand. A picture of her and General Iroh was printed on the front, the words "Biggest Budding Romance: Irosami" titling it in bold letters. A lead rock dropped in her stomach, but she made a show of rolling her eyes.

"Are you serious, Mako?" she asked with a frown. "You're here for this?"

"Is it true?" he repeated. His sharp eyebrows were brought down in seriousness, and Asami was a bit taken aback by the fact that he was actually a little angry. Suddenly, she didn't feel quite so cheery about being friends again.

"What if it was?" she asked, folding her arms.

He sputtered, caught off guard. "What if- Asami, he's like ten years older than you!"

"So?" she said sharply, feeling a tad defensive for Iroh. "Why does it matter to you?"

"Why?" he repeated. "B-because!" Asami gave him a disbelieving look. He glared back, suddenly too prideful to step away from her challenge.

Sighing in disappointment, Asami reached for the door. "Look, I'm not going to stand here and have you struggle with your conflicting feelings. I'm done with that."

"No. Wait!" Mako said quickly, reaching to hold the door open. He was close. Too close. Asami stepped back, pressing her lips together uncomfortably. She avoided his eyes, but caught the desperately worried look on his face.

"Look, I'm sorry, Asami," he said softly. "I'm not trying to start anything, I swear. I'm just worried about you. I don't want to see you hurt again. I just think getting involved with the General of the United Forces is a bad idea."

She didn't want to hear this. Mako was always worried about something or another, and it hurt to think that he still worried about her. Somehow she didn't believe that his worry was a farce. He still cared about her in his own way, but she just wished that he would just let her move on without all the complicated extras. She wanted to turn him away, close the door on him and let him fall into her past again, but something had her hesitating.

"Why?" she asked in a whisper. "Why is it a bad idea?"

He looked at her sympathetically. "Asami…"

"Why?"

He gave a reluctant sigh. "He's a prince of the Fire Nation and a General of the largest naval force on the sea. He can't stay in Republic City, no matter how much you want him to." She avoided his eyes. "He's a man, Asami. Not a kid like me. Things aren't going to be the same with him." He gave a small, frustrated groan. "I guess what I'm trying to say… Is that I want you to be sure about what you're getting into."

Finally, she looked over at him. He met her eyes hopefully, a sort of desperation for understanding shining in the amber color of his irises. It was awkward, but he really was trying to look out for her.

"I can take care of myself, Mako," she said slowly. "But, thank you for being worried."

He held her eyes for a moment before nodding, awkwardly stepping away from her. "Um, yeah. I just- y'know…"

She gave him a small smile. "Yeah. I know."

He took a long look at her, searching her eyes to be sure that his intentions came across clear. His protectiveness was something that she admired about him, but it was also something that got in the way during their relationship. He worried about everybody and took on more than he could handle to be certain that everybody was happy. She could think of a few moments that could have been handled better, but nobody was perfect.

"You know," he said suddenly. "You can come visit us at the island. Bolin would like that. He misses you." He met her eyes. "We all do."

The haze still seemed to linger between them, but she decided that it was finally time to wander out of the fog. Regardless of the mistakes he made, she chose to give him the benefit of the doubt.

"Yes, I think I might," she said with a smile.

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A/N: You guys have no idea how much your reviews make my day. You're all such lovely people. ;3; Thank you for reading and please review! :)