Makorra - Fear

The snow was falling gently, but it was far from cold on the beach where Mako and Korra were practicing fire-bending.  The flames they threw at one another kept them warm in the brisk winter air.  Grinning mischievously, Korra spun away from a blast of flame, using her momentum to close the distance between them.  She anticipated the next strike and ducked under it, sweeping Mako's legs out from under him.  She could feel the fire above her head burst hotter for just a moment as the surprise caught him, and then it disappeared completely as he fell to the ground.  The cold winter air elicited a chill from her as it swept along the sweat soaking the back of her neck.

Standing tall, she planted her fists on her hips and grinned down at him, "Your style works great for pro-bending matches, but it's not so great for a real fight.  You need to ground yourself better."  That was, after all, the purpose of these matches.  Her friends were excellent at their sport, that was certain, but it wasn't true combat and they weren't professionally trained like she was.  Admittedly, she wasn't the best person to be teaching anything, but she was the only one available that could, especially when it came to fire-bending.  Korra was hoping that once she recovered, Beifong might help out with Bolin, but until then, she was the only one around who had mastered both elements and had training in real fighting, though not experience.

"Hmp," Mako laid his head back on the ground, staring up at the sky.  It was obvious from his expression that he was not amused, and that fact made Korra chuckle.  Taking advantage of her distraction, he quickly kicked out, catching her legs between his and taking her down.  In one fluid motion, he had her pinned below him, her wrists caught in his hands and her hips caught tight between his knees to prevent her from moving her legs.  "What was that?  Wasn't there something said about never letting down your guard?"

She gave only a token struggle, not truly trying to free herself from his grasp, "Hey!  That's cheating!"

"Why?  It's not like it was ever called that we were done, was it?  The match was still going, I thought."

Korra let out an indignant huff and blew at her bangs, glaring up at him and his arrogant grin.  He stared down at her, and the longer he held her down, the more she wondered at just what was going through his head.  Her cheeks heated as the unusual shyness he could bring out in her at times showed itself, though it went unnoticed, the cold air having long ago colored her face red.  "Mako...," she mumbled, her muscles going limp as she sank back into the mix of snow and sand below her.

A hot puff of breath brushed over her face, followed by the feel of rough lips pressing against hers.  Her eyes drifted shut as she enjoyed the kiss, and the fact that he was the one who started it this time.  She knew, deep down, that she shouldn't be so accepting, that he was with someone else, but the part of her that liked him, the part of her that went against what anyone said to get what she wanted, they wouldn't let the guilt win.

It came as a shock when she was no longer covered by a warm body and the frozen air hit her like a bag of bricks.  Her eyes snapped open and she lifted her head, looking over to where Mako had retreated, several steps away from her and with his back turned.  "Mako?"

He shook his head, his shoulders tense as he looked distastefully down at the ground in front of him, angry with himself for giving in like that.  "This is wrong.  I'm with Asami."

"Then why did you kiss me?"  She was starting to get angry.  He was right, of course, it was wrong.  But it was his girlfriend that he, they, betrayed, and it was him that had kissed her.  She had thought, or at least wanted to think, that he had made his decision and chosen her at last.  That didn't seem to be the case, though, and she wondered what game he was playing at.

"I don't know... I shouldn't have."

He started to walk away.  She was having none of that and leapt to her feet, storming over to him.  Grabbing his shoulder roughly, she turned him around and got in his face, "That's it!?  'I don't know'!?  That's a lie and you know it!  You like me!  You can't get me out of your head!  Just admit it!"

"I already told you! Yes, I like you!  But I like Asami, too!"

"Well, you can't have both of us!"

"I know that!"

"Then why did you kiss me!?"

"I don't know!!"

They glared at one another, panting as the cold air stole their breath away.  Gritting her teeth, Korra shook her head.  She leaned back, realizing she was standing with a foot forward, and crossed her arms over her chest.  "I don't get it.  What are you so afraid of?"

Baffled by the question, he held his hands out imploringly and shook his head, "What?  I'm not afraid of anything, I'm just confused."

"No.  You're afraid.  Of me. Of liking me.  Why?"

Her total confidence in her statement aggravated him, and his hands clenched into fists at his sides.  "You're being ridiculous!  What do I have to be afraid of?  Stop making this all about you!"

"What!?"  Offended, she growled quietly and pointed an accusing finger at him, "I'm not!  You're afraid, and I want to know why!  I think I deserve that much, since it is me that you're afraid of!"

"I'm not afraid!"

"You're lying!"

"You're crazy!  I'm out of here," he walked away, and this time Korra let him.  She watched him leave, her anger turning to a bitter sadness at their situation.  It seemed as though every time they started to get close, that she just might be winning him over, they always got into a fight that ruined all of the progress they had made.  Sighing, she rubbed her head, confused by his behavior and everything that had just happened.

---

It was late and she should have been in bed.

Unable to sleep, Korra was back on the beach where she and Mako had been practicing earlier that day.  That beach where she and Mako had fought.

She let out an aggravated sound, forcefully moving through the air-bending forms she had learned.  It never occurred to her that stomping through a style meant to be light might just be her problem.  It also never occurred to her that trying to do something that had eluded her thus far at a time when she was already at wit's end might not have much of a calming effect.  Frustrated with herself, with her situation, she ending the form she was working on with a blast of fire and a shout.

Taking a rest from her practicing, she glared at her hands as though they had betrayed her.  Her thoughts were interrupted by the sound of fallen twigs snapping underfoot.  She looked toward the sound to see Mako stepping free of the tree line and walking over to her.  He stopped just a few paces in front of her, and they stared at one another in silence for what felt far too long for Korra's limited patience.  Opening her mouth to confront him, she was stopped by him speaking first.

"You were right, Korra."

More than a little confused, she cocked a brow and crossed her arms.  "About what?"

He sighed, looking down at the ground as he rubbed the back of his head.  "I am afraid.  I thought about everything you said today, and you were right.  I'm afraid of having feelings for you."

Immediately coming off the defensive now that she realized where this conversation was going, she took a hesitant step forward and held out a hand to him, "But... Why?  I don't understand.  What did I do to make you feel like you can't trust me?"

"Nothing," he shook his head, opening his arms to her.  "It's nothing like that.  It's just, you're the Avatar.  You have such an important role in the world, and I..."

"Don't give me some 'I don't deserve you' crap," Korra interrupted him.  She was going to have absolutely none of that.

Shaking his head, Mako sighed again, glancing away.  It would be a lot easier if she just let him speak, but she wasn't one to hold back her thoughts.  "No, no, that's not what I was going to say."

When he didn't elaborate, she took another step forward and peered up at him, "Then what?"

"I've already lost so much.  You're powerful, but it's also your duty to put yourself in harm's way.  The likelihood of something happening to you, it's, I don't know if I could handle that."

That was far from anything she had expected him to say.  Trying to process just everything that meant, Korra shook her head slowly.  She reached up and touched his face, a concerned frown turning down the corners of her mouth.  "You're afraid of losing me?  So, you won't be with me?"

"I'm sorry.  I know it's selfish, but I just can't.  Not now, I don't know if ever."

So that was it, then.  She nodded, though she was having a difficult time accepting it.  His tone, though, it had an air of such finality that she knew better than to push it.  His decision was made up, at least for now.  He had hinted that there was a chance he might change his mind, and all she could do to try to change it would be to prove he had nothing to fear.  She wasn't sure that she could, though, and she wondered if anything might happen to change things between them.  "I don't understand, though," she muttered, sounding petulant even to her own ears.  "If you have the feelings anyways, why wouldn't you want to at least make the most of every moment?"

He flashed her a tired smile and shook his head.  Settling his hand on her shoulder, he pulled her in for a brief hug.  "I'm not as strong as you," he mumbled against her ear.  Pulling back, he turned to walk away, "Try to get some sleep, Korra.  Another long day of practicing tomorrow, right?"

"Yeah," she nodded, watching his back as he left the way he came.  She had hoped that by confronting him, he would come around.  Instead, she seemed to have succeeded in the opposite.  Rubbing the back of her neck, she looked down at the ground and grumbled to herself, "Good one, Korra."