Classic one bed trope with some fluff, hurt and comfort featuring Mako and Kuvira. Enjoy!
When it Rains
"I can't believe you got us lost!" She yelled.
"I asked what our exit was and you said the next one!" Mako returned.
"Yes Detective I said that one hour ago!"
He pulled his car into a nearby parking lot where a shabby motel sat just a few steps away. It was pouring rain, thunder clapping, and streaks of light illuminating the sky. "Well we don't have a choice now but to stop! I can't drive in this weather..."
He parked and pulled the keys out of the ignition. The windows of the car rattled against the heavy downpour as if the weight of the water would cause them to shatter.
"I shouldn't have let you drive at all." Kuvira snapped. She opened the passenger side and ran toward the front entrance, shielding herself with her arms above her head. Mako followed, instantly cold and drenched as he ran.
They stopped at the last door on the top floor with little to no enthusiasm. Kuvira held the hotel key in her hand and sighed, "Only one room available..." She grumbled. They weren't the only ones finding refuge at this run down pit stop in the middle of the Kolau Reserve.
She unlocked the door and pushed it open. They stepped inside and flipped the singular floor lamp on. There was a bathroom, linen closet, computer desk, ice box, tacky striped sofa chair, coffee pot that probably hadn't been cleaned in months, and...
"One bed..." Mako whispered.
Kuvira ripped off her sopping boots and chucked them at the door, leaving them on the mat outside. "I need to get out of these clothes..." She sighed. She didn't care about anything else at the moment.
She looked like she had just jumped in a pool, drowned and climbed out. Her hair had slipped out of her bun and fell in tangled waves down her back. Her clothes were soaked and stuck to her body like a glove. Her uniform and other items were thankfully clean and dry, folded up neatly in her suitcase.
She paused, realizing their luggage was still in the car. Mako seemed to share the same thought and eyed her defiantly. "I'm not-"
"Well...go on!" She laughed. "There is no way I am stepping outside again." Mako looked at her in disbelief, "It's just a little rain..."
"A little too much..." she retorted.
He looked down at his muddy shoes and swallowed his pride. "Fine...I'll be right back.."
Upon returning, he ditched his shoes by the door and knocked for her to open. "One second chief.." She snorted.
Kuvira opened the door in nothing but a towel wrapped around her body like a strapless dress. Her face was bare and hair finger-combed down her arms. She looked...normal to him. As weird as that sounded, unlike the usual pristine ultra refined General he came to know.
Mako forced his gaze not to leave her face as he stepped inside. The towel she wore was only long enough to stop about mid-thigh and was thread bare.
"I was able to pitch a line to the others letting them know we won't reach Omashu until tomorrow...hopefully..." The room telephone was severely outdated but Korra was able to get the message. Their little vacation was delayed because of course, Mako and Kuvira just had to work that extra day instead of hitch a plane ride with the others. A duo road trip was their only other option.
"We will," He added. "If that's the last thing I do."
"Don't act too enthusiastic to get rid of me.." She scoffed.
"I will when you do the same..." He rolled his eyes. Mako wondered why she was so on edge. The road trip had been smooth sailing up until they were hit by the storm, then all of a sudden Kuvira couldn't read West from East. It was admittedly a bit strange for a woman like her.
Kuvira took her luggage from him and dug inside for her pajama's and undergarments. As she turned away Mako pulled his shirt over his head, finally ridding himself of his water dredged clothes. Kuvira was already making herself comfortable and he wasn't going to shy away from doing the same. They were both adults, there was no need to act coy.
She paused as her eyes lingered over his shape. The broad definition of his shoulders and thick corded muscles of his arms. Admittedly she liked how his hair looked wet. It fell around his face in a messy yet attractive way.
The General quickly looked away as he turned to catch her staring. He slowly pulled his jeans down his legs, cringing at the cold, uneasy feeling left on his skin. He felt clammy on top of already being irritable from the drive and all the arguing.
Kuvira stood up and walked over to the bathroom. "I don't know about you, but I like hot water with my showers..." She opened a small heater adjacent from the restroom. It was filled with ash and coal, only needing to be lit aflame.
"Can I borrow a bit of fire Detective?" She asked.
At the promise of a little heat he complied. Mako strutted over to meet her, uncaring that he was only in his briefs at the point. He ignited the furnace and met her eyes attentively.
"Thank you.." She managed to say for once.
"Make it quick, that won't be enough to last within an hour before it burns out..."
She smirked, glossing down his chest to his soaked underwear which left very little to the imagination. "You could join me if you'd like, save some time and water..."
He ignored her bluff and turned away, "I'm a patient man..."
"hm..suit yourself.."
She showered fast and Mako soon did the same. Even though the fire was out by this point, the room was toasty enough to ease the chill from the room. Mako pulled back the curtains to see it was still storming outside. At least when they get to Omashu, they'll be higher up in altitude to avoid the flash flooding.
"Close the blinds.." Kuvira cringed.
Mako turned to see her nestling under the blankets on the bed. The one, singular, Queen sized bed.
He turned with his arms crossed and eyed the small sofa chair then Kuvira already staking claim on the mattress. "I'm not sleeping on that..." He said sternly.
Kuvira shrugged, "That's fine..." She tossed one of the pillows on the floor along with a make-shift blanket from the closet. "I'm sure the floor would be just as comfortable as this rock hard excuse of a bed..."
Mako picked up the pillow and blanket and tossed them back on the bed. He arrogantly climbed on top, shuffling Kuvira to the right so that he could lay on the left. "We each paid our share of the room, so I'd like my half of the bed."
Kuvira leaned away from him, her face slightly flustered. She could feel the heat emanating from his body and hated to admit how much she liked it.
"Then sleep that way!" She pointed to the opposite end of the bed.
"I'd rather not have your feet in my face.."
Suddenly, thunder boomed, knocking out the electricity in the room.
"..Great." Kuvira snapped.
"Guess that's the end of it.." Mako concluded.
"Could you be quiet for a second?"
Mako lit a small flame in his fist and looked over to see a bit of worry in Kuvira's eyes. She was hugging her arms to her chest, staring towards the window.
"I'm sure the lights will be back in a few minutes..No reason to stress..."
She looked back at him and immediately glared, "Goodnight.." She flopped over, promptly ending the conversation.
After about thirty minutes of feverish tossing and turning, Mako laid flatly under the blanket unable to sleep. The patter of the rain wasn't helping ease into his slumber at all. He rolled over trying to get more comfortable when he noticed Kuvira's uneven breaths. He followed the line of her shoulders to her arms and saw that she was too tense to be passively sleeping. Suddenly, lightning crackled across the sky and she jumped, flinching against the sound.
His eyes lowered, watching intently. The sky snapped again, and again, she shuttered. This time pulling the blanket up to her chin.
The Detective finally understood why she had been in such a pensive mood all night. He wasn't a stranger to the pride of not wanting to admit that you were afraid.
He didn't know what came over him, wasn't entirely sure if this was the most appropriate thing to do, but he scooted closer to her. Obviously, she felt him move on the bed and froze, becoming keenly aware of his presence.
Realizing he couldn't stop what he already started, he slowly wrapped his arm around her torso and hugged her against his chest. To Mako's surprise, she fell against him, lightly threading her fingers through his and placing their intertwined hands on the center of her chest.
Kuvira closed her eyes for a moment and sighed, taking the first normal breath since they laid down to sleep. Mako felt her begin to calm down and in turn it gave him the same comfort. He rested his head on the pillow, breathing in the subtle scent of the motel's cheap shampoo in her hair.
When the thunder boomed, she squeezed his hand, holding her breath until it passed. He could feel the pace of her heart and felt relieved it had steadied to a regular rhythm.
"Who knew General Kuvira was afraid of a little lightning..." He said softly, trying to distract her mind.
Kuvira smirked, realizing how ironic that was considering this man could wield said lighting from the very tips of his fingers. Maybe that was why she felt so safe with him..
She swallowed roughly, realizing that what she was about to say was going to damper his attempt to ease her discomfort.
"My birth mother...literally dumped me on the side of the road..." She clamped her eyes shut, the memory so stark it felt real. "All I can remember is the rain...and that it was so cold...freezing..." She squeezed him again.
"and the lightning..."
Just a small, defenseless girl looking up at the orphanage in despair. It was so dark and she was all alone on the barren steps, drowning under the storm. It is said that people only remember how a situation made them feel and less about the specific details. It was so long ago and yet that sentiment was true. Every storm after that night always brought back the same emotions. They washed over her like waves on an ill-tempered sea. Her defensiveness toward him was just a front to shield that scared little girl.
Mako hummed, allowing the moment to exist without the need to respond. What could he possibly say to remedy that? It was better to hold her and allow the emotion to pass. Kuvira appreciated that he understood the power in that silence. She spent a good portion of her life having people speak every bit of encouraging and 'self-help' advice that existed. She took every step she could take to make a name of herself, despite her troubled past. It was nauseating at times, always hyper-fixating on the 'good'. There were times where wallowing in the grief was necessary.
Mako knew that very well.
"There were plenty of nights Bolin and I sheltered ourselves from a storm. It never really gets easy..." He pondered if telling her Bolin still preferred a night-light was crossing a boundary and decided against it.
"Although...you are a lot easier to cuddle with than Bolin..." He added with a small laugh. Admittedly he enjoyed the way their bodies formed to one another so effortlessly. He was happy to share the warmth.
She blushed, thankful her back was to him and that he couldn't see her reddened cheeks. She shifted a bit, pressing her lower half against his front, their hips flush together.
"...And who was there to shelter you?" She asked softly, already knowing the answer.
Mako lowered his head a bit more, dipping his nose into her mass of black curls. "Me...I guess..." He had to be strong for Bolin, and therefore, had to become his own source of strength as well. It was just the role he was accustomed to, always being the one to give comfort instead of receiving it.
"..Then we are the same.." Kuvira rolled over to face him, making sure his arm remained wrapped at her waist. Her green eyes looked softer to him now, more relaxed than earlier. The blue moon light from the cracks in the blinds illuminated the scene just enough to see the compassion on her face.
Her lashes were thick and heavy and he couldn't tell if her jaded expression was from sleep or another emotion. As she closed the gap between them he found his answer in the delicate press of her lips against his. She rested her palm under his chin as they continued to share several slow, deliberate kisses. Each one held the intention to give him a moment to receive the same solace he provided. Mako welcomed her embrace gratefully.
Kuvira gasped as lighting struck again, breaking their tender connection. She grabbed at the collar of his shirt and laid her head against the crook of his neck.
Mako smiled softly and hugged her close as they both drifted to sleep.