A/N: Thanks to Auren02 for reviewing. Mako made mistakes while he was dating Korra and Asami, sure - but I don't think he meant to be unfaithful. He's just...really awkward socially, because he's used to just depending on himself and his brother and keeping everybody else at arm's length. This drabble series is supposed to explore that as he realises his flaws (he already realised some in the show) and works to overcome them.

But! It's gonna take him a while to get there, and in the meantime there will be angst...

5. My shadow's the only one that walks beside me

A firm hand slams onto his desk, startling him out of the light doze he's slumped into. He jolts upright, rapidly blinking sleep back and striving to look as though he'd totally meant to shut his eyes for a few seconds.

"Uh…hey, Chief. I was just —"

"Sleeping on the job?" Lin stares at him from stern jade eyes under arched eyebrows. "Get out of here."

It feels like he's been doused in ice water; he's truly awake now. "No! Chief, I'm good, I promise — won't happen again."

"I know it won't, because you're leaving. Now."

"Chief…"

Her eyes soften ever so slightly at the broken apprehension in his voice.

"Mako, you've been here for 36 hours."

He blinks. "I…have?" He glances at the clock on his desk, but can't quite read the blurry numbers.

"Everything all right, kid?"

There is uncharacteristic concern in Lin's normal no-nonsense attitude, and for a second he entertains the idea of telling her the truth. But then he notices the tired lines in the Chief's face and the weariness in her posture.

It's been a rough couple of weeks at the station, with gang violence escalating in the wake of a power vacuum left by the deaths of several high-ranking triad members in a brutal skirmish near the downtown spirit wilds. No one quite knows exactly what happened in that conflict, but they all know a turf war is brewing. Among the confirmed casualties are Ataru the Inferno, leader of the Agni Kais, and his wife Suzuki; Kasoda, second-in-command of the Red Monsoons; Scarface Qin, a capo of the Terra Triad; and Viper of the Triple Threats. They've also heard reports that the Creeping Crystals, a triad that has mostly been dormant for the last decade, is resurfacing under the leadership of Jargala Omo, and there are rumours that Lightning Bolt Zolt has crawled out of whatever hole he was hiding in after losing his bending to Amon to challenge for control of the Triple Threats again.

"I'm fine, Chief. Just tired."

Lin peers at him, obviously not entirely convinced, but she exhales. "Go home, Mako. You're no good to anyone if you work yourself to exhaustion."

He doesn't argue as he picks up his coat and his keys. Lin frowns, but doesn't say anything as he gathers case files to take home before silently making his way out of the station.

In the greying twilight of the late evening, the setting sun casts long shadows. He walks through them, forgoing the convenience of his RCPD Satobike in favour of a solitary march to delay his arrival home. He'll walk back to work in the morning and maybe ride the bike home tomorrow night…or the next night.

Not that it'll make much difference.

Every day is the same. Sleep, eat (barely), work. Rinse and repeat. Over and over again, with only shadows for company on the occasions he returns to his small apartment just long enough to perform the necessary tasks that enable him to function enough to go back to work at the next opportunity. The only reason he isn't sleeping at the office is because they're currently operating out of a temporary headquarters that doesn't have space to spare, while their original building downtown is being rebuilt. He's clocked in so much overtime in the last month, it's ridiculous — but this is the first time Lin's actually kicked him out.

She must finally have noticed.

Work is all he lives for these days. It's the only thing that gives him a semblance of something to look forward too. Solving cases and making arrests aren't as thrilling as they used to be, but he keeps going because it puts the bad guys away…and because he has no idea what else he would be doing.

He's almost thankful for the current unrest among the triads; it gives him something to focus on other than the hollow feeling at his core.

His arm is out of its sling and more or less functional, but it still doesn't feel like part of him. He'd stopped seeing Kya for physical therapy when she returned to the South Pole nearly two months ago. He still can't firebend out of that arm, and what he's managed to muster with his right arm has been weak and cold.

He hasn't seen any of his friends in weeks. Wu and Korra are in the Earth territories working to establish democracy, Asami is spearheading various projects at Future Industries (including the reconstruction of RCPD Headquarters), and even Bolin is frequently out of town on business dealings with Varrick and Zhu Li ("Someone's gotta keep him honest"). Tenzin and the airbenders are still carrying on in their roles as global peacekeepers, and he assumes the Zaofu Beifongs are back to pursuing their peaceful, innovative lifestyle.

Everyone's doing something with their life.

Everyone except him.

He reaches home sooner than he would like. The light switch chases the shadows away from his apartment, but does nothing to brighten the shadow he's become. He looks at the clock above his tiny dining table.

8pm. Ten hours before he can return to the station.

If only he could have a similar concrete time for when he can expect his gloom to fade.

A/N: Yep, Mako's really low right now. It happens to the best of us. FYI, this chapter is about 4 months after the Book 4 finale.

Thanks for reading and please leave a review on your way out :)