Title: Skipping Stones
Word Count: 967
Summary: [Mako skips stones and Korra bests him in more ways than one. | Makorra.]
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prompt · bumpy
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Despite what it may look from the city, Air Temple Island is a big place. Full of buildings, pathways and a whole load of trees (10,552 trees said the little girl… or he thinks it is) Mako still hasn't had the time to properly go about and explore some of the more uninhabited parts of the island, so he spends what free-time he does have on it to roam along it's many dirt and cobblestone paths, if only to find some unexplored venture. No matter how boring it may be when he finds it.
He spent his last journey walking along the northern beach, kicking up white sand and looking out to the horizon to the city until the cold air drew him back inside. This time he wants to search around the southern part of the island, out where the sky meets the ocean.
He walks past the training circle and the temple and finds a small path leading down the cliff. The waves come up from the south and crash against the rock, sending mist and moisture into the air and Mako has to be careful the further down he goes. The rock is slippery, but he makes his way down to a small gravelly beach. The rocks spread and shift under his weight and the sea breeze makes the air cold and damp. He won't stay here long; he'll just do a quick run down the beach.
But then he sees someone else sitting further down the strip of land. He stuffs his hands inside his pockets.
Of course it's her.
-.-
Korra hears the sound of feet on the rock and lifts her head, slightly unsurprised that it's Mako walking toward her. She stretches out one leg, leaning back on her hands as he stops at her side, looking down at her. The sun is still high in the sky and Korra squints to face him.
"Hey," she says, shielding her eyes from the sunlight. "What are you doing here?"
He shrugs. "Exploring the island."
"Find anything interesting?" she motions to her side and he sits, leaning back on the palms of his hands. Mako looks out to the sea; the waves spreading on the rocks and the blue sky and the place on the horizon where it and the water meet – it's quiet a view, to be so spread out, almost looking at nothing. But Mako knows there's so much out there, he just can't see it and he breathes, feels the sun hit his face.
"Yeah, I guess." He says, closing his eyes for a moment. "The view's nice."
She nods her head in agreement. He opens his eyes.
"Why are you here?" he asks. "Don't you have stuff to do?"
"I finished my training with Tenzin a while ago; thought I'd come down here." She explains. Then with a flick of her wrist she takes some water from the air, spinning a small circle above her open hand. Mako watches the water spin, tilting his head to the side.
He gets up, brushing the dust and water from his pants and leans down, taking a few small stones in hand. Walking to the edge of the beach, he takes them, one-by-one, and throws them out into the sea. They skip along the water two or three times before disappearing altogether. After he's done with those he takes more from his feet, and proceeds to skip them as well.
It isn't long until Korra walks up beside him, a bushel of stones hovering between them. Mako raises his eyebrows and smirks, taking one of the floating stones. She takes one too; skipping the smooth pebble eight times before it sinks far beneath the waves. Korra grins and Mako shakes his head.
"You're cheating, you know." He says and she is quick to lose her smile and pout, swaying her hip to one side.
"And how's that?" she asks.
"You're earthbending, aren't you?" he replies, skipping another rock with a sharp turn of his wrist. "That's cheating."
Korra shakes her head and takes another rock. "I'm not earthbending, Mako. I'm just that good." She throws and counts seven that time. The next nine.
"Yeah. Right." Mako says sharply, rolling his eyes. He's about to throw another stone when Korra steps in front of him, blocking his path with her hands planted on her hips. Mako stands straight and lowers his hand.
"How can I prove it? That I'm not cheating."
"I don't know." He says, stretching his neck. "Now will you get out of the way?"
But Korra doesn't. If anything, she gets closer; her face leaning right into his and he feels a wave of heat go over him that is not from the sun. He looks away, over to the ground and hopes that his cheeks aren't too red. Thankfully, Korra doesn't seem to care.
"I'm not cheating; I told you before." She says in a determined voice, stern and unshakable like the cliff of stone behind them. He takes a step back, making distance between them.
"Alright, alright. I believe you."
Korra smirks and her face is one of immediate superiority; a holier-than-thou sort of look and she walks cooly to the path leading up the cliff. Mako rolls his eyes and with nothing else to do, follows her. But right before they reach the cliff, Korra makes a sudden stop.
"Oh, Mako?"
"What?" he asks, still walking forward and Korra turns, her feet making a next arc on the ground and suddenly all Mako knows is that he somehow ended up on the ground with gravel crunching all around him. He sputters out the dust blown up by the rock and Korra is stalking over him with the biggest smirk he's ever seen.
"Now that was some earthbending."
:Fin:
This is not what I was supposed to be writing tonight but oh well~
Reviews and comments are always appreciated. ;)