"Nice defense, Korra! Yeah, Mako! Woo!" Asami screamed, one hand cupped around her mouth, the other wrapped around the railing of the Sato's private box seats set into the pro bending arena wall.

"Asami, sit down, please." Her father's voice drew her attention away from the ring and she looked back at him over her shoulder.

She didn't recall standing up and leaving her seat, or even leaning out over the railing. She'd been so wrapped up in the Fire Ferrets—her friends—dominating the Red Sands Rabaroos. In what must've been less than a minute, Korra, Mako, and Bolin forced their opponents back into zone two, then knocked down the opposition with quick strikes of their respective elements. Mako and Korra were so nimble too, diving to avoid volleys of flame, water, or earth before rolling back onto their feet and returning fire in a flurry of punches and kicks. In fact they were so swift, neither of them took a single hit.

"Asami," her father said again. "Please, sit beside me and watch."

She looked back to her father, sitting in a plush seat, his hands resting lightly on the arm rests. He looked more tired than excited, the lines on his face deeper than she remembered. Without complaint, she flopped back into her seat beside him. He smiled and patted her hand. "Sorry," she said quickly. "It's just so exciting! They're doing so well."

Hiroshi adjusted his glasses. "Yes, I suppose they are." He gave her a small smile, which she returned long enough to seem polite before returning her gaze to the ring below.

Her father insisted on coming to all the pro bending matches with her, yet he never seemed to enjoy it like she did. She wanted to make him come around because once you got into it, pro bending was pretty amazing to watch. "This'll be great for business, especially if they make it all the way to the finals," she said, knowing he'd appreciate that aspect at least.

Hiroshi only hummed his agreement beside her. Asami was about to ask what was wrong when the crowd around them roared. Korra slung some water, then ducked as Mako sent a heated kick over her crouched form. Bolin fired off a fast spinning earth disk.

"Did you see that?! Wow!" Asami stood up from her seat again, pointing down as all three Rabaroos tumbled to the ring floor, ending round two.

Even from up high, she could hear Mako's shouts of joy. Beside her, her father shifted in his seat. "I certainly did see. Very impressive," he said, though he didn't sound impressed.

Asami sighed. "I don't understand how you can just sit there when all this exciting stuff is—ooh! Did you see that?" Asami drifted back towards the railing again. "Go Ferrets!"

The third round happened so fast Asami couldn't believe it. She blinked and it was over. One, two, three. The Rabaroos dropped to the floor in succession. Three bells rung, signaling the end of the match. Asami cheered as loud as the fans outside the box, clapping hard for the Fire Ferrets, who waved and yelled. It didn't matter if she was hoarse by tomorrow morning, or the fact that she could practically feel her father's eyes rolling as she chanted, "Ferrets, Ferrets," with more than half the arena populace; she was going celebrate that amazing win.

Then, she spotted Mako and Korra heading back towards the locker room platform. She smiled sheepishly at her father as she headed for the box door. "I'm going to go congratulate them. Want to come?" Her hand hovered over the door knob.

Her father sighed and shook her head. "No, dear. Go have fun with your…friends. Pass along my good wishes, will you?"

"Sure thing, dad." Asami leaned over to press a kiss to his cheek before bolting out the door; she couldn't wait to see the team.

The bell dinged and suddenly every person in the stands was on their feet, mouths open, feet pounding, arms waving. There were definitely more cheers than boos as Korra pumped her fists in the air. They did it! They won! Her heart pulsed in her chest as she jumped and waved at the people around her, some of them screaming her name. It was deafening but she loved every second of it.

Shiro Shinobi wasn't lying when he called the team a well-oiled bending machine. Every punch, every step, every spin and dodge was smooth, precise, and lethal—at least in terms of knocking down the three benders on the other team.

Not only had the Fire Ferrets won their first tournament match, they destroyed the Red Sands Rabaroos, clinching all three rounds in a matter of minutes. And Korra was so light on her feet, so quick with her watery defense, she didn't take a single hit. Mako was just as light on his feet, leaving Korra to wonder if he'd been an airbender in a past life.

Speaking of the tall, pretty firebending boy, Korra saw Mako finish waving to the crowd around him and start back towards the locker room platform. Korra made one more flourish of her arm before chasing after him. Behind her, Bolin was too busy flexing and catching kisses from fans to notice her or his brother leaving.

As she watched Mako all but bounce into the team's changing area, Pema's words from earlier this evening echoed back to her: "Watching my soul mate spend his life with the wrong woman became too painful. So I hung my chin out there and I confessed my love to Tenzin. And the rest is history."

Asami wasn't here. It was just the two of them. Mako had worked with her flawlessly, blasting an earth disk that was about to hit her, taking her cues to attack while she defended behind a shield of water. And that amazing play where she feigned an attack, only to drop to the ring floor so he could cast a sweep of fire at the Rabaroos' earthbender. It was like they were reading each other's minds. Maybe now was the time, with the buzz of victory filling them to the brim, to bring it up their strange in synch-ness?

Mako noticed her behind him then. "Wow, we were really connecting out there in that ring."

So he felt it too? Korra grinned. Okay, she was going to do it, put it all out there. "Yeah! You know, I feel like the two of us have been connecting really well out of the ring, too."

Mako took off his helmet and opened his locker, the grin slipping a little from his face. "Uh, sure." He shrugged.

Korra pressed on, feeling heat settle across her cheekbones. "So I was thinking we should spend some time together."

Mako chuckled and turned to face her. "We've been spending lots of time together."

She almost sighed in exasperation. He really wasn't making this easy. "I mean outside of the gym. And not while searching for kidnapped family members or fighting chi blockers."

Mako's smile completely disappeared, his head dipping to look at the floor. He bit his lip before saying, "I dunno, Asami and I—"

Korra couldn't let him finish that thought and exploded. "Look I really like you and I think we were meant for each other."

Mako's eyes widened in pure shock before he composed himself, turned his back on her, and shoved his helmet in his locker. Korra's heart dropped and she hid her face behind her hand. How many times was she going to embarrass herself today? She considered bolting again, but Mako spoke again, voice low, hesitant. "Korra, I'm really sorry but…I just don't feel the same way about you."

Her blood turned to ice as his words washed over her. So he didn't feel it. It was all her. And she'd ruined things now. "Forget I said anything," she rushed, trying to ignore the sudden burn in her throat.

Before it could get more awkward, Asami and Bolin arrived, cheery and boisterous. Korra refrained from cringing when Asami gave Mako a congratulatory hug that ended with her arm still draped around him. Had Mako been trying to tell her that Asami was his soul mate? She turned away from the pair, almost running straight into Bolin, who, after a slew of flattering comments, promptly asked her out on a date.

Korra was stunned and a slight blush tinged her cheeks as she said, "You really feel that way about me?"

Bolin's eyes sparkled. "I've felt that way since the moment I saw you."

So this was a soul mate thing. Korra already knew Bolin wasn't her soul mate. He'd taken a few hits in the match and she felt nothing in response, pain-wise. The only thing bothering her now was the scratchiness of her throat, like she'd talked for too long, though she knew she hadn't. But the way Bolin looked at her, complemented her, genuinely seemed to like her—it was like healing water seeping over the sting of Mako's rejection. So as Bolin stared at her with his bright, green eyes, she caved. "You know what, I could use some fun." She was careful to avoid the word date. "Okay, sure."

"Yes!" Bolin pumped his fist in the air, then rambled on about how he was so lucky and how they were going to have a blast.

Korra laughed and let him lead her out of the room, his strong arm around his shoulders. She'd tell Bolin they weren't soul mates as soon as he let her get a word in edgewise, but she was sure the earthbender would still take her out anyways so they could, at the very least, bask in their win. And it was a very welcome distraction from the gnawing in her stomach, of having been so sure that Mako was something, but turning out to be nothing.

Fun fact: I rewatched the first championship tournament match and Bolin is the only one on the Fire Ferrets that's shown getting hit with an element. Mako and Korra dodge, block, or destroy everything thrown at them.