Like a box of matches

[streetferret]

Who: Mako (streetferret), Korra (rebonding)
When: April 19th
Where: Ship: the Sun
What: Getting the rest of the weight off his shoulders.
Warnings: Dumb teenagers.
Style: Prose
Status: Closed

The crow’s nest wasn’t one of Mako’s usual spots to be on while the ship was sailing, but he needed time to think and it was the closest thing that gave him a view like the window from the attic of the pro-bending arena back in Republic City. Water reaching out from the bay and into the ocean, Air Temple Island was the only sight to be seen otherwise. Up in the crow’s nest, there was just water. It was close enough, it had to be.

There was a lot on his mind that he was trying to sort through, especially now that Bolin was here. All four of them together. He rested his arms on the railing and finally looked down at the ship’s deck. It had been an hour since he climbed up, and he was ready to spend an indefinite amount of time there were it not for him seeing Korra on deck.

One of the main reasons he sought out that thinking time.

Talking himself into climbing down the ladder, Mako got to the deck and caught up to the Avatar. "Hey. You got a minute? I need to talk to you." What he avoided telling her was becoming something he couldn't leave well enough alone. Even if he wanted to.

Especially now that his brother was here, his confidant that tended to talk more than he probably should. According to Mako anyway.

Comments

[rebonding]

Korra perked up upon hearing Mako's voice. She turned to look at him, eyebrows raised to cue that she was listening.

"Sure." Go for it, Mako. She was all ears.

[streetferret]

This- was going to be a lot harder than he steeled himself for. But it was a good opportunity, no one was within ear shot. Last thing Mako wanted was an unexpected audience.

"Back home, after we broke up." That she was incredibly attentive just then wasn't helping. "I didn't tell you everything that happened after you left."

[rebonding]

Something tightened in Korra's chest as he spoke. The lightheartedness sank from her expression. She crossed her arms, the corners of her lips turning down in a frown.

"I know." There was a subtlety in her her tone that may have been able to key him off that she wasn't too pleased. The answer came out almost too quickly, like a part of her had been waiting for him to approach her about this. Hoping that it would come sooner rather than later.

As it turned out, a few months later.

[streetferret]

As soon as he saw her body language change, Mako took his hands out of his pockets. He wasn't even aware that he did it and her tone said more than the two words did. And they didn't need any help, at all.

"You do?" He repeated, rhetorical, as he instantly pinpointed just how she might have known. That one window to escape presented itself, and he was tempted to take. She knew, he knew and he could leave it at that.

But he let it pass. Korra was looking straight at him, and he owed her that explanation.

He folded his arms over his chest, hand over forearm and took long breath. "Someone started hijacking Future Industry shipments after we broke up and you left. Since the police weren't helping, Asami and I went with an empty ship as bait to catch whoever was stealing them. We needed some extra help to pull it off, so we went to the Triple Threats and made a deal. Thing is, they were already paid off to keep us on the water while whoever they were working for stole the rest of Asami's mechatanks back in the city."

Part of it was him just telling Korra on what she missed while she was away, the other part was to loosen him up. Get himself talking instead of clamming up and bailing on the whole idea of telling Korra.

"We didn't know until we got back. I promised Asami I'd help her find out who was behind it." Varrick of course, but Korra was there to hear about that part, so he didn't even bother with it. He hated the man enough just for landing him in prison. "...She kissed me." That was unexpected and Mako furrowed his brow at the memory. Said like that because, he didn't kiss her back. He still had Korra on his mind, and that photograph was in his pocket when it happened.

Just like it was right now.

"It took a little while, but- we sort of started to see each other again. I got thrown in jail not too long after." He looked up at her. "Then, you came back." When he made his choice to willingly slip and fall back to Korra, without regard to the consequences.

The meticulous and cautious detective making mistakes on purpose.

A pause. "Sorry. I know you know, but I needed to tell you. Myself."

[rebonding]

The urge to interrupt him was almost overpowering, but Korra remained silent through it, expression unchanging. Even just that Asami hadn't felt the need to explain the 'story' behind how it happened spoke volumes. But that was how it had always been with Mako.

"Sure, tell me two months later." Her tone was still short, her arms still indignantly crossed. Korra looked away for a moment. "I don't care how it happened, Mako. Technically, I shouldn't even care that it did." Her eyes darted back to him, accusing.

"But why did you think it was a good idea to just roll with it when I got back? Because you didn't think I could take the truth of what happened? How do you think Asami felt?" The fact that he had chosen to pretend the breakup never happened alone was enough to make her upset.

Mako was supposed to be the one who didn't hide anything from her.

[streetferret]

He was picking up what she was saying just as much as what she wasn't saying, but he's more just kicking himself for thinking he was prepared to do this. Korra was more than a handful, and even more so when she was right.

And if there was one thing Mako hated, it was being wrong.

He gave a hard stare at the railing, unable to explain how he had been churning that over in his head for two months. "I don't know." He admitted, looking back at Korra and trying to keep that controlled look.

"I wanted to tell you, but I went with it because- it just felt right." Damn it, he was being just as stupid now as he was then. How did he even talk himself into this?

"Look, I knew you could handle it." They were broken up, he technically didn't owe an explanation for that. But he felt like he did. "And I saw how Asami felt." That glare still seared his mind when he revisited it.

"I just- I don't know. I wanted to you to know. But you already did." But he got it out. Said what he needed to. And why on earth couldn't this had been done anymore smoothly? He could have planned for that at least.

[rebonding]

"It felt right!" Korra parroted with an indignant laugh. She let her arms drop to her sides with a huff.

"Mako, if you don't know, then how am I supposed to? You were supposed to be plain and honest with me when no one else was, and you didn't even have the guts to do that!" Emotions that she had been stewing on for so long were suddenly bubbling over, and Korra, being Korra, wasn't even going to try to stop them.

[streetferret]

"I thought that's what I was trying to do here." His voice raised and he took in a breath, about ready to shout. But he paused and forced out through his nose. Even that didn't sound right, but he was determined to keep himself under control.

Especially since he started this.

"I'm sorry I didn't tell you sooner."

[rebonding]

"That's my point, is that it took you two months just to be square with me!" Korra turned, half facing away from him with her hands clinched at her sides.

"You waited until it was all over. And now it is, and we still can't even talk to each other."

[streetferret]

"You could have told me that you already knew. But instead, you waited too." He was doing his best to keep that rumbling fire in his chest from making him explode at her. Something he would have easily done months ago.

"I shouldn't have waited, okay? I should have told you while we were going to the South Pole..." And he could already see Bolin's face grinning at him for not doing it. He balled up his fist, and shoved it into his pocket. That was as much directed at Korra as it was at himself.

He really should have done it then.

[rebonding]

"Don't you dare turn this on me!" She whirled around to face him, her frustration stoked once again.

"I kept hoping that you'd actually do something about it. I shouldn't have to chase you down just to clear up what you screwed up!"

[streetferret]

"You didn't chase me down! I came to you." Screwed up. That's exactly what he had done, and it stung worse than any injury hes taken from the streets, pro-bending and from being a cop.

How he ever thought this wouldn't end up in a fight, with Korra of all people- he slammed his palm into his forehead and roughly ran his fingers through his hair. He couldn't even think of what he was expecting her to say.

[rebonding]

"That's not the point! You pointed out that I didn't come to you, I told you why. End of story." Korra took a shaky breath and stood up straighter, still glaring at Mako.

"I hope your conscience feels all better, now." She turned to storm off, her angry facade cracking as soon as she was no longer facing him. She'd been hurtful, and she knew it. But she didn't know how else to react, when he made something hurt that she couldn't quite place.

[streetferret]

He kept his cool under her glare, his face one of stern determination and only looked away when she turned from him. His conscience was anything but, and he wondered if it was trying to stab at his chest just then.

His expression faded with each step she took further away from him until a somber wave guilt cooled down the hot red coals he felt in his stomach. Mako resigned himself to go to the galley. Both to lose himself in helping to prepare the crew's meal and because he knew that was the one place Korra wouldn't be.