Their third morning at the Southern Air Temple, the group reluctantly decides that this must be their final day spent here before they depart at dusk. If it takes another two days to get home, this would mean they've borrowed Oogi for a full week. As lovely as this trip has been, Korra would rather not break Tenzin's trust by keeping his bison any longer than what was proposed.
With Korra's fire chakra open, only the air, sound, and thought chakras remain shut to her now. The fourth tier, the air chakra, is blocked by grief, perhaps her biggest emotional hurdle to overcome. Yet as her fire chakra releases and begins to flow freely, it feels as though she's on the cusp of opening the air chakra already. Whatever changed inside her mind over the course of the last few days shifted both of them simultaneously.
Korra doesn't want to think it's as easy as being honest, and allowing oneself to love others openly and unabashedly, but maybe it is. It is the biggest step toward enlightenment she's taken so far. Her grief may have lessened thanks to time spent meditating with the statues, but it feels like her two companions have pulled the most weight. This change is a reflection of their unwavering support, a manifestation of embracing and returning their love.
Korra doesn't know what she did to deserve Asami, who proved once again that she is the most considerate, patient and selfless person Korra's ever met. After Asami returned to sitting and pulled Korra down into her lap, they continued to talk in-depth about their anxieties and difficulties of the heart. It was surely one of the most raw and embarrassing conversations she's ever had, but it was more of what was needed, ripping herself open to reveal her deepest insecurities in order to acknowledge and move past them.
Maybe Korra loves Mako, and maybe she wants Mako, even after all this time. She wants his companionship, his touch, his affections, his favor. Asami is okay with that. More than okay, she encourages it, wanting Korra to follow her heart and find happiness in whatever form that takes. Their love will remain strong or become stronger after this, if all goes well.
Having a partner that truly listens and understands her so intimately feels too good to be true. For as compelling as Mako's presence is, Korra has never had someone able to read her mind like Asami can. She's never had someone trust her like this, so entirely and without reservation.
What's more, Asami doesn't hesitate to question Korra when she feels she's headed down the wrong path. Asami was the one who set Korra on this journey toward self-realization, recognizing and giving voice to the emotional difficulties she saw still bothered her. Asami isn't cowed by adversity, and is empathetic to a degree Korra can't begin to comprehend.
Asami said that perhaps people innately favor specific chakras. She won't reveal the state of her chakras, but Korra imagines that maybe Asami's naturally insightful, too, not blind to reality, seeing people in all their ugly truth. But Asami's sound chakra, the one that relates to honesty and openness… Korra feels that resonate more than ever in moments like these, where Asami gently coaxes her to listen and think deeper. There is a beauty in truth that is never more vibrant than when shared from her lips.
It was gut-wrenching to imagine that Asami would feel pain from her careless, selfish actions. A kiss on the neck from Mako sent Korra back in time – she remembered the ways he used to lave it with his tongue and teeth when they fucked. He was gentle when kissing her neck now, though, just a brush of lips in a warm embrace, but when she arched into him he had subtly encouraged that by latching on. It was impulsive. They didn't go further than that, but it had been enough to leave a hickey. A mark of their self-serving attitudes, disrespect and lack of restraint.
Years ago, Korra had taken kisses from Mako even when he was not hers to claim. Korra egged him on, teased and taunted him, even knowing he was in a committed relationship with Asami. He was conflicted, reluctant, and yet ultimately caved, which caused a permanent rift in his friendship with Asami even after their romance ended. Korra had deliberately ripped him from her – she could blame it on being a teenager, blame it on her immaturity and lack of exposure to the real world. All brainless excuses.
This was a deep regret Korra thought she'd come to terms with. She had voiced it to Asami, after all, and had opened her water chakra shortly thereafter, not letting guilt maintain its chokehold on her.
When Asami found this bruise on Korra's neck, she looked distressed at the sight. Perhaps it was miscommunication, as Asami claimed to not be upset, but it still felt as though Korra and Mako had overstepped in some way. The idea of hurting Asami as Mako had, Asami losing trust in her and feeling betrayed by their actions… It shook Korra to think about. It was like she could feel guilt and the fear of judgment coalescing low in her gut, a storm cloud forming and threatening to slam that chakra shut again.
But they talked through it. They came to an understanding.
Korra is so unbelievably fortunate to have someone who understands the convoluted mess in her head.
It's been said before that Asami has a good head on her shoulders. She's strong, fearless, too witty for her own good. But with her apparent ease in overcoming grief and heartache, Korra wonders how deeply Asami bottles aberrant feelings like that, compartmentalizing pain rather than addressing it. For as much as she pushes Korra to process negative emotions, it's unclear if Asami truly overcomes hers so easily, or if she's just in the habit of burying them so deep they never see light.
The refusal to allow some-but-not-all touch from Mako is confusing, like she's letting him close, but not in. Korra doesn't quite understand how she can suck semen from his fingertips but doesn't want his lips to touch hers.
That's… a conversation for another day.
Korra feels resolute, regardless. She mindfully places her fear and guilt and shame aside, reminding herself that such things shall not hold her back any longer.
Upon meditating, she lets herself be grounded by the family she's made. She must open herself to intimacy, and embrace the will of both heart and mind. Earth, water, fire, and to see the world's truth with eyes unclouded: light.
Three more chakras to go. By the end of this day, it will be two.
Korra spends this last morning in the statue room, same as ever. This time she brushes a hand over each Avatar, speaking their names, searing their faces into her memory. She touches Avatar Kouji's topknot, Dawa's tattoos, Szeto's silly hat, Kyoshi's war fan. It takes her a moment to remember the names of many others, like the one with the greatswords, the one with heavy facial scarring, or the mustachioed one with the cape who looks more like a mover star than an Avatar.
These were all living, breathing individuals. These were all her. When she finds Siku, the bloodbender who grew as a person through listening and empathizing, Korra swears to return to Wan Shi Tong's library and read those books about the Avatars after all. To know herself, she must know them.
Korra hugs the statue of Aang and tells herself she needs to hug Tenzin when they get back home. She needs to thank him for the brutal honesty that brought her here.
Although Raava doesn't reveal herself, Korra knows she's here, too. Korra meditates before Wan for a while, allowing herself to embrace Raava's love for them all. It will uplift her and burden her no longer.
When she feels satisfied that this task has been completed, Korra returns to the bottom floor of the spire, to where her own statue will someday rest. She kneels to press her fingers into the stone floor there, reminding herself to love this one, too. And to do right by her.
At last, Korra leaves the building, letting its wooden door click shut with finality.
The others have disappeared somewhere. She's only able to find them quickly because Oogi can't keep a secret, flying up to reveal their location when asked. Although she can't see them yet, Korra thinks Asami and Mako must be on the rooftop of one of the medium spires, gazing out into the clouds blanketing the mountainous landscape beyond. It's such a bizarre place to catch a view, given that they have a bison, but clever.
This spire has small pockets within its pattern of stone bricks, spiraling up to the top, like intentional divots that one can grip with their hands and feet to climb. When Korra starts scaling it to join them, she imagines this might have been built for the younger airbenders, for a game they must have played, climbing to the top only to float back down after. Maybe it was a good launch point for their gliders.
A minute later, she's able to hoist herself up and join the others. Mako and Asami are both grinning when she lays eyes on them.
"Oogi!" Asami laughs and points to the flying bison accusatorily. "You spoiled it. I thought we were friends!"
Oogi does a few laps around the spire, making a noise that doesn't sound like laughter but feels like it is.
These two are surrounded by lemurs. One is curled up around Mako's shoulders and several others have swarmed into Asami's lap. When Korra carefully steps across the roof over to them, its tiles clatter noisily and most of the lemurs scatter.
Mako is relaxed and resting with one hand placed behind Asami, propping himself up in that way. He has a small book in his other hand that he folds closed onto his lap. "I told her to stop feeding them."
"They're hungry," Asami protests.
"No, they're really not."
Eying the minimal space between the two, Korra remembers how she keeps squeezing herself between them. She did that on their first night sleeping together. She loved how they both held her, a veritable blanket of arms and legs tucking her in on all sides.
Then it happened again, during their second night with Mako. Asami stayed in Korra's arms while Mako pressed in against her back, his fingers splayed warmly over the curve of her waist with his hips nestled against hers. That was at least until he slipped away too early, once again.
They stayed clothed and didn't have sex that night, even though they clearly all wanted to. But Korra and Mako felt so physically and mentally exhausted from their lightningbending training that they decided against it. "Rain check?" Korra suggested against his mouth, and he couldn't hide how much those words affected him.
Korra would squeeze between them now, but they're awfully close already and the high rooftop is a bit too precarious to be pushing others around. She slips in beside Asami instead. Korra copies Mako, though, resting her hand behind Asami and pushing his hand back an inch to make room for hers.
"What a secretive spot," Korra teases. "You two needed this remote of a hiding place to talk about little ol' me?"
"If only. We were just discussing air nomad literature." Asami lifts a hand to Korra's jaw to pull her face closer, her smirk looking awfully mischievous. "Should we be talking about you? I do know some hot gossip."
Korra knows what she's really asking. Whether Asami should say anything to Mako. A full day has passed since their conversation where Asami gave her the green light to pursue him. But that's a little beyond intimidating, and she doesn't know how to even start such a conversation with Mako. Nothing has changed, beyond Korra kissing Mako at night and letting him sleep with his dick pressed against her, just a little. Baby steps.
"You're the one in control of your mouth," Korra says, letting her eyes lower to observe just that. Asami's lips are cherry red today, beautifully plush when they fall open just a bit. Korra kisses her there, then licks her own lips to see if she can taste cherry too.
"I told Mako he should show you those flowers," Asami says. "If you follow this main path, you'll reach the meadow. It looks to be covered in fog now, but it's very scenic in person. I've never seen anything else like it."
Korra tries to look beyond and see what she's referring to, but it's hard to make anything out through the fog that's rolling through the lower lands surrounding the temple. Since this is their last day here, it would be nice to take in all the scenery they can.
But this feels like a set-up, given the suggestive glint in Asami's eyes.
This is a set-up, Mako realizes.
Asami insisted she stay behind and play with Oogi. Apparently he's acting out because he's bored. She has to tinker with the record player again, even though Korra already fixed a part for her. There's a radio that needs its antennae adjusted and possible rewiring. She also wants to prep lunch and maybe take an early nap. Sure.
That morning Asami requested Mako sit on top of the spire with her, both of them seeming a little lost while they waited around for Korra. Asami is dexterous and smaller than him, so she looked more like a cat-squirrel than a CEO as she climbed up much faster than he possibly could. When they sat together, overlooking the plateau half-covered in fog, Asami gave him a book about the air chakra and told him that it might help Korra to meditate on its messages.
Its contents spoke of empathy, compassion, forgiveness and love, with most of its pages filled with poems and affirmations about love. As he tried to actually understand its contents more than just skim, he realized there's a lot of overly romantic one-liners that could be used to win a girl's heart. It's tacky, but Asami said this book came from Tenzin's library and is representative of air nomad culture. Suuure.
When Asami asked him to read it aloud to her, he picked the tamest affirmations. Even so, Asami closed her eyes and listened to him speak, as if meditating to the sound.
I'm willing to be at peace. I am releasing painful thoughts. Love is all around me. I feel good about the future.
And so on.
"You have a great voice," Asami said after some time. "I'm not sure I've ever told you that, but it's like silk. Read this for Korra, will you? The next time she meditates."
He agreed then, assuming meditating on such thoughts could help improve her spiritual wellness. But as he walks the stone path down to the meadow with Korra at his side, he begins to wonder what game Asami is playing at.
The little book is tucked away inside his jacket's inner pocket. Korra's donned her blue coat with white fur trim, feeling a bit chilly from the wind that's begun to buffet them, as if a cold front has begun to roll through. Mako's jacket is warm enough, but he knows his nose turns red before his cheeks do in temperatures like this. When Korra looks at him, he can tell she likes that little fact by the way her eyes linger there and her smile curls.
She isn't saying much, though. They're just…
He doesn't know what's going on anymore. First Korra held his hand and fell asleep with her head on his shoulder. Two nights later, he's having sex with both of them, spilling himself over one and spilling inside the other. Not just that, but Korra requests he stay that night, and Asami actually lets him.
When Korra slips out sometime after midnight, she kisses him before she goes.
Asami scoots closer, maybe just seeking warmth, but she falls asleep under his arm. He wakes with her soft hair tickling his nose and Korra prying her way back in between them.
He's kissing her then, still feeling electrified by the sensation of being kissed for the first time in so very long. He's powerless to resist Korra when she curls in close and wordlessly requests he touch and taste her again.
She feels the same as before, beneath his hands and mouth. It's the same when he breathes in the scent of her skin. He restrains himself as best he can, but she's paying this sort of attention to him for the first time in years, and it's difficult. His heartbeat hammers in his chest so hard he wonders if she can feel it.
The next morning he wakes with her in his arms. With hair a mess and looking all post-coital, licking her lips and leering like she wants him again. He imagines this is what every morning might be like in the universe where he didn't mess things up.
Then that night he's pulled into their room again. They don't propose he relieve their stress, but he kisses Korra again. He lost the battle against temptation after being drawn onto their bed, with a smiling Korra laid out before him, spreading his hand over the smooth skin of her belly and ribs.
Asami likes to watch, he thinks. She doesn't openly say that, but he can read her arousal well, the way she bites her lip, her fingers twisting into the bedsheets. The way her pupils flare when she sees something she likes. When he kisses Korra deeper and with tongue, he sees the subconscious adjustment of Asami's legs, and knows this is doing something for her too.
He must be losing his damn mind. This has gone on too long to be a dream. It's too vivid, too real, when he takes account of all the extra details. He had forgotten some parts of Korra, like the strength of her thighs as they squeeze against his ears, the indentations of muscle near her hip bones, the way her voice sometimes cracks as she moans. His body found hers without hesitation, and that part he remembered, at least.
The sex is one thing. He was reasonably comfortable being used as a glorified sex toy. Asami's allure and enthusiasm are unparalleled, and she always made sure he enjoyed himself. There were never strings, and it was easy to be whatever she needed. Even if she only really needed him in one capacity.
That is worlds apart from what he's doing with Korra. He's kissing her just for the sake of kissing. It's romantic, rule number one among all the things he isn't allowed to do, and Asami is allowing it. Encouraging it?
This walk to the meadow thing feels like encouragement of the same sort. She wants them to spend time together, to kiss, or something else.
He fights with himself trying to decide if he should ask for an explanation. Maybe Korra's letting him burn with questions and never giving him answers again. But his body and mind are in agreement that he's in love, and he doesn't want to break from whatever illusion they've cast over him.
He keeps his hands in his pockets as they walk, less because he fears Korra will want to hold his hand, but more because he would want to hold hers.
She wants to hold his hand. It's stupid and makes her feel like that braggadocious teenager again, getting all twitterpated over the thought of holding hands with a cute boy. But that doesn't stop her.
When she tugs at his arm, making his left hand slide out from his pocket, the feel of him isn't that of a boy at all. He's solid and strong. She feels the scarred skin of his fingers and palm against hers, and thinks she likes it, because this arm will forever reflect who he is at the end of the day. Not the mask he hides behind.
She sees his eyebrows crease a bit as they walk hand-in-hand, but his grip is a solid embrace around hers.
When they're nearly at the meadow, he asks what her plan for the day is.
"I want us to enjoy ourselves," is all she says, hesitantly.
It's a non-answer. His brain needs specifics, like the rules Asami had laid out for him. Korra's certainly doing the thing again, letting him wonder, letting his brain work and rework and rework the question as if that could provide an answer.
Mako doesn't push. He knows she hates when he pushes her. His tongue feels thick, his stomach twisting with anxiety and hope and confusion, and love. He loves that she's here with him, dedicating some of her precious time to him. She's so beautiful when her chin tucks down into her coat. She doesn't get cold so easily, but he can tell she's embarrassed as her cheeks turn darker faster than his.
This trip wasn't about the little white flowers.
When they reach the meadow, it's like Korra has eyes for only him. She isn't even looking at the fog-covered meadow stretching before them like a tundra in a snowstorm. And she loves snow.
"You're gonna have to be real blunt with me," he says. Deciding to be the bold one here, he brings himself close and cups both sides of her face with his hands, drawing her gaze up and directly at him. "I need you to spell it out for me, so I don't make any assumptions about what you want. Lay out some ground rules."
Her lips find the rough skin of his scarred palm.
"I don't like rules," she says. "I've never liked rules."
Mako swallows, giving himself a moment to find the proper response to that. He wonders how long this will go on for. Her letting him kiss her. Letting him make love to her, if that's what this is about.
Maybe she meant they can enjoy their time here, because all of this will end once they leave this place. Like Asami booting him out the door, it feels like once they leave the temple this door will slam shut in his face too. He'll have to resign himself to being the physical, and not emotional, at their beck and call. But at least Korra still wants him to kiss her.
"How does Asami feel about all this?" is what his mind comes up with. And he's happy with that question.
Even though, unlike with Korra, he seems to already know how Asami feels.
The flowers are still wet with morning dew when Mako falls back onto them. They're not a great nuisance, flattening soft beneath his hands, but he knows his clothes will be damp and maybe even dirty upon their return. Asami is going to laugh at him again.
He forgets to care, though, because Korra's quickly straddling his lap, meeting his mouth with hers once more. His hand is immediately in her hair, drawing her in close so their tongues find each other. He's always felt they have a perfect rhythm when kissing. He still knows how to get her riled up at least, because soon she's telling him she wants him, withdrawing only to take off her boots and pants.
They don't take their coats off. They're too impatient and it's too cold. Mako unfastens his belt and pants, and when he sees the brown skin of Korra's legs and hips being revealed to the crisp air, he's not far behind, pulling his pants and boxers down to his shins. She's on him again in an instant, pinning his hips beneath hers. He can feel the wet heat of her as she pulls flush against him, letting his hard cock press and grind against her there.
He tries to draw her closer into him for this. Korra manages to squeeze a hand between them even so, finding and giving him a few soft tugs. Her fingertips smear a bead of fluid that's gathered at his tip, then follow the length of him down. She squeezes on the upstroke to feel the silk of his skin sliding over the rigidity of his cock. Then she lifts up, changes the angle, and sinks down with more speed and eagerness than he expects.
He's buried in her to the hilt, all in one go. It's smoothly done and she doesn't seem to wince, but he's used to caution, and she isn't being cautious at all now. Huffing against her mouth, he closes his eyes at the sensation, all tight muscle and dripping slick and burning hot, clenching around him as she settles into a comfortable position. When she draws up, he assists, and when she goes to sit again he can't help but thrust up to meet her halfway.
She mewls at the sensation, breaking their lips apart. When their eyes meet, her open-mouthed face looks so gorgeous flushed with want.
His hands slip under clothes to touch her bare back, needing to feel how soft and warm she is. Then his hands drift down over her ass, squeezing the softness there and using that grip to guide her up and down, helping her maintain a pace as her body hugs him so perfectly. He already knows he's not going to last long, what with the way her inner muscles flex and bear down like this, tightening when she shifts the angle of her hips to lean back a bit.
"Big," Korra groans, but maybe that word wasn't even meant for his ears. Her thighs tremble, a spasm of pleasure rocking through her. He takes in how beautiful she looks like this, watching as she closes her eyes, throwing her head back as she begins to ride him in earnest. Maybe she could come just like this. It's been so long since he truly studied the cues her body gives him, and maybe he's forgotten some of them, but he wants to relearn. After a few moments of watching her hips roll in a mesmerizing way, listening to the sounds of their sex and the way she's panting, he lets his thumb find the nub of her clit, swiping up against it hard and making her tremble again.
When she finally gasps and spasms around him, the timing feels too perfect. He is right on the edge when he feels her tighten rhythmically. Her hips jerk to a stop, but his do not, slamming up into her and making her quiver and shout through the tail end of her orgasm.
Mako knows more than his nose is red now when her eyes flicker across his perspiring face. Wiggling her cunt down against him, she asks for him to join her, and he obediently does. All of his body feels hot and tingly as he finishes. His cock jumps, spurting hard, his body contracting tight and trying to fill her with everything he has to give. He's bottomed out inside her when they both finally slow to a stop.
When he relaxes back against the ground, flowers encircling his head, Korra lays down to rest against him and catch her breath. She keeps him inside, not willing to part with him in this way yet. This, too, he remembers.
He embraces her, trying to commit the feel of her to his memory, in case this is the last time. He loves the weight of her on top of him, the feel of her fur coat beneath his fingers, the rhythmic movement of her breaths. All he smells are the flowers that remind him of the past, but he soon buries his nose into her hair, kissing her there and smelling the sweet almond of whatever product she's used recently. It's a new scent, and lovely.
A minute later, she sits up. He thinks he might still be hard and able to go again if she wants. Hopefully.
"I missed your face," she admits. Her fingers find his temple, then drift to follow the line of one eyebrow. When she adjusts again, she quickly learns his body still wants more. Her mouth opens slightly as she rocks against him, just once. "Oh, I really missed this. You fit so perfectly."
"You feel so good," he returns, letting his hand tangle back into her hair. It's short. As much as he loved her high ponytail – and all of her long hair, especially when it was let down to flow in loose waves – he likes it short like this too. He lets the strands fall through his fingers. Maybe he's too honest when he says, "I want to memorize all of you."
Even as her hips don't move, he can feel her body clench at that.
"Show me," she says, pulling at his jacket.
At last, she slides off, exposing him to the cold. He can feel how messy they are, her slick coating much of him, and she's probably no better off. He removes the rest of his clothes as she removes her own. The air bites at them, the wind lessening but the chill remaining, but it's worth doing this when he sees the rest of her revealed to him, her nipples already puckered from the temperature or from arousal.
He lays his coat down for her. When they lay back, it isn't shoulder to shoulder like he'd laid here with Asami. Korra allows herself to climb halfway across his chest, propped up and looking down at him. When she kisses him again, it feels so different from the way he's been treated for years. He's appreciated, and seen.
He sees her. His fingers trail across the sharpness of her collarbone, over the curve of her muscular shoulder and bicep. She is of the same mindset, using her fingers to commit parts of him to memory.
Her fingers trace over a scar on his neck. "Was this from that metalbender?"
It takes Mako a moment to register how she knows about that. The series of arrests that went down poorly, where a metalbender had showered him with shrapnel. The bulk of it sliced his uniform, but one piece came dangerously close to his jugular, and he'd written that story in a letter to Korra. Two years ago.
"You read my letters?" he asks, stunned.
Korra stares at him. Her fingers rest against his neck and jaw, her face morphing into a sadder expression. "Of course I did. I read them all… I never stopped thinking about you. Not writing back to you was killing me inside."
"So why didn't you?"
Her responding inhale is shuddery.
Maybe this is too difficult to talk about now. The last time they spoke of the letters was when they first reunited, the day Wu got kidnapped. They'd been bickering like old times that whole day. It was too easy to fall into this pattern with her. Maybe it's his tone, his bluntness, or something else, but he always sets her off, and he doesn't know how to change that beyond shutting up.
"Every day was a battle I lost," she answers after a while. "Every moment of every day was torture. Not being able to contact Raava. Not being able to move half of my body. I couldn't even sleep because of the nightmares. I was in such a dark place, I didn't think you'd understand. No one did."
No, he probably wouldn't have understood. He would try to give advice, or try to listen and be supportive, and either way it would backfire.
He's never been able to fully understand her. But he wants to try, at least.
Gently, he offers room for her to lay down on his chest, and she accepts the hint. Her ear rests over his heart. After a moment, her hand reaches out to feel the burn scar on his abdomen, laying flat there.
"I'm sorry you had to go through all of that without a support system," Mako tells her. His fingers push her hair back behind an ear, exposing her face, even if she's sad and would probably rather hide her expression from him.
Her fingers whorl over the scar now, as if tracing something there. Spirals. "I had my parents, and Katara. And Naga."
But Korra knows what he means. She didn't have any of Team Avatar. She didn't have Bolin to make her laugh. She didn't have Asami to cheer her up. And she didn't have Mako. For whatever he did that made her happy, once upon a time.
"Did writing to Asami help?" he asks. His fingers trail down to the dip of her spine, feeling her.
Without needing to elaborate, Korra nods.
Asami slowly stopped requesting he visit in that final year, once Korra started writing back to her. The few occasions she did request his company, her mind was clearly elsewhere. One day he was tired of her staring at the ceiling, lost somewhere else in her mind, with her body not responding how it used to. He left early with both of them unsatisfied and she didn't ask him to come back.
"I witnessed Asami fall in love with you while you were gone," he says. That's all that was. Not a slight against him, even as it burned to know his efforts weren't enough to keep anyone by his side. "Absence makes the heart grow fonder, or something."
Mako can feel her smile before he sees it. She lifts her head up to meet his gaze again. "I think reunion makes the heart grow fonder, too. I'm sorry it took me this long to come back."
They hold each other until it gets too cold to bear. Mako shows Korra a firebending trick to warm their fingers, and Korra humorously tries to replicate the technique in her toes, but it's not enough to fight the chill. Reluctantly, they redress themselves. The place where they rested is an absolute wreck of petals, but it's a drop in the ocean, so maybe whoever planted these won't mind too much. Korra helps to wipe off his coat and he doesn't even care that it's wet now.
He feels for the little romantic book in his pocket. He doesn't need it to put words in his mouth, though.
Korra said Asami is comfortable with whatever happens between them, but of course 'whatever happens' is not clear enough. He himself doesn't know what's happening between them. Maybe it's just sex, plus kissing, plus sweet words that echo in his ears like all the sweetness she's said before. But walking back up the stony path together, Mako holds her hand too, kissing her knuckles, not letting her go.
When she swings their hands, it feels like the Glacier Spirits Festival. Her in a blue coat, acting silly, and Mako trying but not knowing if what he's doing is correct.
"How's the next chakra?" he asks, thinking of love and grief, and wishing they had more time here to address them both. It's a small consolation that the bison takes two days to reach Republic City. Maybe that's enough time to show her he's trying. Maybe he can work on his friendship with Asami, and she can clarify what 'whatever' means.
Korra slows to a stop. Closing her eyes, she lays her other hand to her chest, feeling to see if her air chakra has opened any further.
She breaks into a grin, then starts laughing so hard she starts coughing and wheezing.
"What?" Mako asks, unable to resist smiling with her. She's more than ecstatic, so he can tell it's good news, but –
She shakes her head. "Oh man, Mako. She's gonna be mad for real this time. I told Asami sex doesn't open chakras!"