Undiscovered

Chapter Five

"But you only just started!" the store owner exclaimed at an abashed Korra,

"I'm really sorry, I just don't think I can work here anymore" I'm pretty sure I did mention I can't hold down a job,

"I won't be paying you young lady!" Korra nodded, looking at her feet,
"Of course, I didn't expect you to, thank you though" He let out a gruff grumble and waved her off,

"Just go girl, you need to learn how to survive in the real world" Restraining her shaking fists, she placed a tight mocking smile of her face,
"Don't worry-" korra ground out,

"I will"

OoO

So how was she to word this…

"Hey I know that I keep running away, and then coming back, and I've been nothing but an inconvenience since I came into your lives, but hey, will you take me back in? I need a place to sleep you see"

Korra chuckled to herself,

"They are never going to want anything to do with you now Korra, so what's the plan?" She always found physically talking through a situation distracted her long enough to ensure that she didn't start over thinking; made things a lot easier to take in.

Korra heard her steady footfalls and allowed herself to breathe evenly; this was going to be fine. It was all going to work out alright, Avatar Aang was going to guide her when she was uncertain, and he was simply waiting for her to unlock her connection to him. I have to find councilman Tenzin.

As she neared to arena, Korra felt her stomach twist uncomfortably, and the warm orange colour of the sky, though beautiful, did nothing to calm her any.

All too soon Korra found herself outside the brother's door, should she knock? Should she just burst in and announce her presence? She thought not, so she waited. Setting up camp to the side of the door and waited for someone to leave, or alternatively, return.

Korra didn't have to stay there very long; she heard Bolin's distinctive voice drifting up the spiralling stairs from below,

"We really appreciate you helping Miss Sato" there was a tinkling laugh,

"Of course, I really love watching you two play, and I would gladly help find your friend"

Oh crap…

Korra felt more awkward than she ever had in her life, just the voice of this woman sounded so graceful, I bet she's beautiful she thought bitterly. What was she to say, or even do, when presented with an obviously impeccable example of what a woman should be, what she would never be?

Well, if she couldn't be an elegant and 'proper' woman, she would have to be a whole different type all her own; the world would have to deal with it. She would have to deal with it.

Korra stood, and forced her shoulders back as she stood and awaited their arrival.

Admittedly, they took their time coming up the stairs, so her confidence drifted away, as did her assured stance; so now she was leaning against the doorframe in what could only be described as exhaustion.

No Korra, keep it together.

"Korra?" Her aquamarine eyes snapped up in shock, she had known they were coming, but had lost concentration, again. Teaching her any form of bending was going to be a tough job if she couldn't even keep focused.

"Um, hey" Her voice was impossibly quiet again, like it had been when they had found her,

"Sorry" She apologised looking down, biting her lip to prevent the tears that threatened to fall, and fight the urge to throw herself at one of them for comfort. Exhaustion did funny things to your emotions, or maybe that was the supressing.

She hadn't realised Mako had also been there, having not heard him say a word on the way up, but then again, he was always a quiet one. But upon meeting his gaze, Korra saw his tired and worried eyes staring at her with such intensity she wanted to flinch. It was like a physical blow, and the worst part? She didn't even know if he was angry, or relieved or even upset. He was so good at hiding sometimes.

"What and earth for?! You gotta stop leaving us in the lurch Kor!" Bolin implemented a nickname he had never used before in an attempt to alleviate the tense atmosphere the staring had brought, it was somewhat successful because Korra gave him a wobbly smile before throwing her arms around the earthbender, who easily encased her in a protective and firm hug.

"It's good to have you back" He whispered in her ear before laying his head back in the crook of her neck,

"I missed you guys" She whispered, even though Bolin was the only one who could hear.

The two parted and Korra felt a little more like herself, a little more stable. She had to admit, she had gone a bit crazy for a few days, but she seemed ok now, so decided not to think about it anymore.
"So, you're the famous Korra" An absolutely stunning woman, maybe Mako's age, smiled softly down at her, Korra raised her hand ever so slightly to give a small wave,

"N-nice to m-meet you" Stuttering with her nerves Korra lowered her hand, and this woman hers, obviously expecting a hand shake and not getting one,

"I'm Asami, and I'm really happy you found your way back, these two were going out of their minds with worry. Must've really muscled into their hearts" she winked at her,

"Ew Asami, cut it out with all the mushy stuff!" Bolin joked as he pulled a face, hoping his over dramatic antics would cheer up Korra, peering out of the corner of his eye to see it had worked, his grin proceeded to widen.

Asami waved off his comment and raised a bag,

"I have food, and you look like you need it" She motioned to Korra, who scowled ever so slightly, pouting at the comment.

Korra all but sprang a meter in the air when she felt a hand on her lower back, she turned, wild eyed, to see Mako standing there, staring at her blankly. His thumb rubbed over one of the bumps of her vertebrae that protruded from her spine, frowning at his hand as if it deeply upset him.

Bolin and Asami exchanged a glance, not knowing what was exchanging between the two. The heiress noted how Bolin loosed somewhat downcast, and wondered if there was some sibling rivalry for the frighteningly thin girl.

Eventually, Bolin went in, deciding he wasn't going to wait for the two to snap out one of their seemingly telepathic moments of communication. He slammed the plates a little too hard onto the table and Asami, who had followed him in, raised a perfectly shaped brow,

"Are you alright?" Bolin looked at her, his face clearing of the frustration it had held a moment early as he blinked,

"Yeah, yeah, sorry, I'm fine. I just wanted a bit more time with Korra before they…" He trailed off, motioning to the shut door; Asami gave a sad smile,

"She did run to you first. I think she'd pick you...if she had to choose that is. The poor thing looked more than a little scared of Mako" Bolin gave her a look of confusion, but upon realising what she had assumed chuckled,

"Korra doesn't like either of us that way, I don't think. She sees us as brothers, I'm sure of it" Asami flushed,

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to jump to conclusions, you're just so close and…" Bolin nodded,

"We are, and it's fine. Korra seems like she's scared of Mako but really, she's just startled easily, and isn't too fond of contact unless she's upset, or initiates it, which is why she didn't shake your hand"

"Oh I see, I think I understand now, and you noticed that? I thought she didn't like me or something" Asami looked down,

"I notice everything that she does, when we took her in, Korra barely spoke at all, so you had to learn to pay extra attention to her actions, I guess its habit now. And Korra is so…kind, she would never not like you, especially with you being so nice to her. I think she's probably just a bit intimidated by having so many people around her" Asami nodded, and the two dished up in companionable silence.

OoO

"You're so pale Korra" Mako eyed her worriedly through his mask of indifference. Not knowing how to reply the girl simply looked at her feet, becoming increasingly aware of his hand as it burned her back, unsure if it was his warmth of something generated by herself.

"Please don't do that again, if you need space, we can give it to you…but…I-" Mako struggled for words, quickly becoming frustrated and running his free hand through his already unruly hair,

"We were so worried, Korra, I was so worried. I thought I'd lost you forever" Her breathing came more quickly now, the information of knowing people cared really hit a nerve and made her feel very odd. That was the only way she could describe it, the feeling so foreign.

You feel loved, idiot.

Now her breathing stopped all together. These boys, these wonderful boys had taken her in and saw her as a little sister. They cared about her, and worried over her whereabouts and-

"What's this?" Mako tugged at the cuff of her gloves, a calculating and demanding tone in his voice,

"Um…" Korra didn't have time to compose herself and formulate a reply before the firebender had them off; though quickly, he had still been gentle enough that no scabs had reopened,

"Korra…" he breathed, pain in his voice as he lightly traced over her battered hands,

"Who did this?" His voice having a new, dark and metallic edge to it,

"I swear to god I will-" her hands went from his chest to trailing down his arms, and finally, settling on his clenched fists, waiting for them to relax. When they had, Korra took a deep breath, refusing to look at him in fear of losing her nerve,

"I-I did Mako, please, don't be angry, I'm tired and we can talk tomorrow and I'm sorry, just please-"

"Why?" He murmured as he pulled her into a quick and awkward hug, wishing he had his brother's bear-like abilities when it came to embracing another.

"Too much, too soon. I have all these emotions Mako, I don't even know how to explain it, I need help. And guidance…"

"I know what you mean, they get impossible to ignore when you bottle them up for so long, and then they come out in bad ways. Bending helped me, maybe we should take you to Tenzin, so he can train you and then you'd be allowed to use your bending, and hopefully that will help you get rid of some or all of this bad energy" Korra cracked a smile, he thought just like she did, nodding, the slightly happier avatar replied,

"yeah that sounds ok, I don't know if I want him to know though…" Mako gave her a look,

"Korra, he won't take a nonbender in and try to teach them airbending, if thats-" Korra laughed as Mako seemed to ever so carefully explain to her,

"No, no, I mean, I want to watch him first, see what type of person he is, it'd make me feel more…comfortable" Mako looked a little red-cheeked but nodded,

"That sounds fine to me, they're making an announcement about the elimination of probending in a few days, we can go to that?"

"Sounds like a plan" she whispered as they went back inside.

OoO

Korra's gloves were back on by the time the two reached the dinner table, Mako again leading her with a hand on her back, which she was beginning to think was something she was going to have to accept.

He hasn't made an over-protective comments yet, kept his mouth well and truly closed when he first saw me as well. Maybe this is his way of being all older-brother-super-protector without actually demanding my whereabouts and general rundown of my every move. Korra mused to herself.

The four chatted easily over their food, it was explained how they had bumped into Asami after she almost ran them over with her motorcycle, and she had demanded if there was anything she could do, when Bolin had, completely misinterpreting the question, broke down into hysteria explaining about Korra missing. Insisting she help, the three were just coming back here to decide a plan of action.

They finished, and Korra sprang up to wash the dishes, the brothers had got used to this, and usually took it in turns to silently move to dry what she washed. Bolin was faster than his brother this time around, desperate to spend some time with Korra and proudly claimed his light green dishtowel. He began drying dramatically in circular motions with a huge shit eating grin on his face.

Asami tried to make awkward conversation with the firebender in the other two's absence, but found it extremely difficult as he was not a talkative one like his brother.

Korra found that the warm soapy water soothed her aching hands and left them sitting in there after finishing her last plate. Bolin had dried and packed everything away and stared at Korra with a small contented smile on his face. That was until he noticed the water beginning to glow.

His jaw dropped and eyes all but bugged out of his head,

"B-bro?" upon not getting a reply, Bolin looked up at Korra, who seemed to be in a world of her own, as if really concentrating on something. He saw a globule of water rise up her arm and encircle it, glowing like a huge and busy firefly; all her scrapes and bruises fading to nothing. This blob of hyperactive freaky water then made its way back down her arm and into the water basin, only to rise up the other arm,
"MAKO GET OVER HERE!" Bolin screamed in an embarrassingly high octave, too freaked out to care.

Mako rushed over, opening his mouth to ask whatever was the matter, and had he felt something that he thought was a snake in the sink again, but then promptly snapped it shut; watching in awe as Korra healed herself.

The firebender knew better than to disturb her when she was in a zone, whether it be meditating (he got a hit in the nose for that one, accidently of course), or making their beds, or doing something extraordinary, finding out pretty quick it never ended well to break what she described as her 'rare and cherishable concentration'.

Once the water had returned, and some of the tension and concentration fell out of her face, Mako waited for Korra's eyes to open. When they didn't, he looked over at Bolin, who shrugged. They heard a chair scrap as Asami made her way over to see what was wrong,

"Korra?" Mako whispered in her ear, gently trying to coax her back to present, lightly resting an open hand on her shoulder,

"Korra, are you ok? Do you feel better now? Let me see your hands" Hoping his questions would get a response Mako waited, and he did get one, just not a verbal variation. Korra gently nodded, her eyes clenching shut again as she tiredly raised her hands a few centimetres, Mako realised she was too exhausted and looped one arm under her lower arm to lift them the rest of the way out of the water, using his free hand to gently probe where bruises and cuts used to be.

Bolin fetched a dry towel and dabbed the areas of her arms that were wet but not under Mako's inspection.

"What's happened?" Asami asked confused, and Bolin wished he could answer her, but he didn't know, and was too shocked and confused to state so. Mako on the other hand seemed to be completely calm and aware of what was happening, something that made a small part of Bolin scowl inside.

"You did a really good job there sweetheart, But I know you're tired so I'm going to carry you to the sofa, is that ok?" Korra nodded weakly again, confused herself as to why she was so tired, and why her arms and hands no longer ached as they had done so badly before. She didn't even question how Mako had called her 'sweetheart' but Bolin certainly was; jealously causing him to clench his fists.

Asami lay a sympathetic hand on his shoulder, knowing however much Bolin had earlier denied it, that it was true. The brothers were unknowingly fighting for that girl.

The two looked over at the firebender with uncertain and lopsided frowns as he tucked the confusing and mysterious girl before them into her makeshift bed.

I believe, things just got complicated.

OoO