The boat ride this time was very different than the first one. Kya wasn't here to keep Asami company, and Mako was keeping Korra as close as he could. Bolin and Asami spent time lounging and talking about machines, he knew quite a lot for someone who was still learning. At night Asami was all alone on deck, she laid her head on her little bison and stare up at the Stars and talk. She knew they wouldn't talk back but for some reason talking to the Stars made her feel closer to the Korra she knew, the Korra she was hoping to be close to once again.
As they got closer to the Southern continents everything got colder. Asami was not prepared for the change in whether and one of the ships men had a soft enough heart to give her his coat. It was about four sizes to big and smelled of fish, but it was warmer than the light cloths Asami had brought. It was a plain brown color and Asami promised once they made land shed give him his jacket back and get one for herself, that way he wouldn't be cold either.
When they finally docked again Asami was almost positive she would never thaw, but then she found the snow covered ground and realized she was never going to thaw anyway. Asami quickly realized there were no stores to get a coat at, but a nice older woman had a few winter clothes for trade. Korra walked over with Asami and watched as she slowly pulled a necklace with a ring on it from in her shirt. Asami looked at the ring with a downcast face, she didn't want to let this go.
"Will you take this in trade for the coat?" Asami asked in a voice barely above a whisper. The woman looked at the diamond ring and nodded. Asami was pulling the ring off when Korra stopped her.
"Here take this instead." Korra said and pulled a bracelet from off her wrist. It was simple beads of blue mixed with red. The woman eyed it and smiled handing Asami the jacket. Asami stared at Korra in amazement.
"You didn't have to do that Korra, I mean thanks but…you've…."Asami couldn't finish because she wasn't sure what to say. Korra just smiled and gave Asami a hug as she slipped the jacket onto her shoulders.
"That ring is important to you, really important, I can tell. You've already given up so much to come along with us, and I know you lost a lot more before we even met. I don't want you to give up anything else, just let me do this and don't think about it." Korra said giving her another smile and hug.
Asami smiled back and pulled Korra into a really tight hug, and then, whether out of habit or natural instinced, she kissed Korra's forehead before pulling away and pulling the jacket on and twirling in the snow. Korra stood there dumbfounded with what just happened. Asami had kissed her!
Asami turned smiling to Korra and saw her face and froze as realization hit her. Then she slowly smiled and put a hand on her shoulder. "You okay? Sorry about that, that was how my mom always showed…..well anything. She said with a smile. Korra paused and then smile happily giving Asami another hug.
"You're the best!" Korra squealed and then spun Asami around in a hug. Mako watched from afar, and angry scowl darkening his fair feature. Asami wouldn't know, Asami couldn't know because she wasn't there; Mako had given Korra that bracelet. It had been a gift when he'd first admitted that he liked her, and she'd given it away for a coat for the girl that could steal her away from him.
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Mako really wasn't a bad guy, just a little possessive of what he thought was his. He knew he didn't own Korra, but he loved her so much. At least he thought it was love, it what he had always considered love. Mako had no one, his brother didn't remember him, his parents were long dead. Korra was the only person that really touched his heart anymore. Was it wrong that he wanted to keep her.
Mako wasn't normally this jealous, in fact he'd never had this issue with anyone before. When Korra and Bolin had become best friends he'd been fine. When Korra had been working with Opal and Tenzin really close it hadn't been bad. But Asami represented something different entirely. Mako knew when he met Asami what Korra was to her, he knew that Korra was Asami Star. Mako knew that Asami was the one person he couldn't share Korra with.
It wasn't because Mako didn't like Asami, or because he thought Korra deserved better. It was because Asami was the one person that could completely take Korra from him. Watching Korra give away the bracelet he'd given her hurt more than he ever thought it would. And it was also the moment Mako realized that no matter what he did…..Korra was already lost to him.
Korra and Bolin ran off to play in the snow and Mako watched as Asami stood there with a frown. Mako didn't get it, Asami could tell Korra who she was and Korra would believe her. She could have Korra all to herself and yet…..she didn't do it. Asami held all the cards in her hand and yet she didn't do anything. Either Asami's poker face was better than anyone else's in the world, or she really had been telling the truth and just wanted Korra in her life.
Suddenly Korra in front of him, dragging him to play in the snow, Mako smiled and followed wrapping his fingers tightly in hers. He made Korra stop and pulled her into a kiss, this would be the first night that they could be alone with one another; and he planned on trying to make Korra want him more than Asami.