Elemental Fragments

[SoleAccord]

Shaking her head at Bolin's little flexing maneuver, Korra had turned and took another glance at what still needed to be done around here. Benders appeared to be outside shifting most of the uneven ground and getting all the debris gathered together, which meant that her place might've been inside to handle most of the interior cleaning and to help survey the damage. The abilities both had were now completely different, and though it was lousy and reminding her of her latest disability, Korra was no longer going to look at it as an excuse to do nothing. Even a non-bender could help rebuild. Bolin had guided himself to the general area where the earth benders would be at work, and that left her to get inside. "You know where I'll be too, then." she gave him a wink of the eye and proceeded inside the building, meeting with others who were gathered in a group and overlooking the stadium covered in glass and chipped stones. Peering up, the glass above the primary arena was completely shattered, and would be a hazard across the stands and what remained of the pro-bending section itself. Hugging herself, she proceeded to turn around, followed by a few of the others, and moved to the janitorial closet in order to get what supplies remained. Brooms were passed around, while others decided to make a run into town to gather supplies necessary for complete proper clean-up and repairing all that was chipped. Korra knew they recognized her as the Avatar, and had initially questioned her arrival inside after a pleasant greeting, but to the questions she could only tell the truth. "There's no need for segregation; we're all citizens of this city, and that means that the Avatar working with you is not going to be anything new from now on."

To that they were glad to hear, knowing how Tarrlok's curfew and the overall tension from the bending triads put a large amount of stress on the relations of two different people. Yet if a rich girl like Asami Sato could love a guy like Mako given her own struggles, then there would be few who had an excuse to hold onto that hatred. This was going to be a new time, for everyone. Sweeping glass across the stands and gathering it into easily spotted piles near the closest seats to the center of the action, she had grown curious of the rest of the building and had gone to explore. Letting the others know she'd return shortly, Korra moved through the familiar halls and saw what was once strong and solid was truly weaker and much more fragile than before. Given time, it wouldn't appear this way, but seeing it as it was now had reminded her again how everything had transpired the past few months. Sneaking out from the temple, coming here, Bolin saving her from questioning, meeting Mako. All of it seemed so long ago given what everyone had lost, but the real hitter was returning to the locker room for the Fire Ferrets. To sit in there, look at the benches and the lockers, and recall the preparation they had done inside was painful not because the stadium was ruined, but because the ability to bend water was now gone. Even if it had come back, she'd no longer be able to be part of the team, which meant she'd be replaced eventually. Even now she could hear the protests from Bolin, but to deny him and Mako something they loved just couldn't be her. Korra couldn't be selfish, and she'd like to think she wasn't, but there were moments throughout this struggle that reminded her of just how young she really was. Familiar burning resonated in her eyes but she fought that urge, stepping out and returning to help the others clean and saving that kind of drama for another time.

Thankfully the work had gotten her mind off of the inevitable, and working with the others made her mood much more pleasant. They weren't bitter towards benders from the sounds, they only wished that they could all understand one another and be united against people like Amon ahead of time. This struggle had changed a lot more for people than benders alone, and if there had to be one single thing to thank Amon for, it would be that. Everyone would need to learn to work together now. No more triads, no more hatred, and no more bullying. Things could be different for everyone but only if they welcomed a peaceful change throughout this city. She swept for a long time, and when it was over inside she had moved to most of the windows near the main entrance and cleaned up there. Residue from both battle and time was gathered as well and discarded in bags for trash, and it kept her focused more than she had expected. After that period of weakness in the locker room, she was now more determined than ever to see this place rebuilt whether she played again or not. At the very least, Bolin and Mako could have a home to be proud of here until they were ready to move back in. With nothing but the sound of her sweeping and the shifting of earth outside, by the time she had finally stopped moving that broom of hers she had heard Bolin's voice nearby, speaking with someone she didn't recognize from sound alone. Moving to the window nearby, she opened it and popped her head down below her, seeing a young woman speaking to him. After an amusing show of bringing both of them up towards the sky after revealing herself as an earth bender, Korra watched the two speak more and more, noting the girls approval of the Fire Ferret's and her obviously attraction to Bolin with the biggest grin on her face. By the time they were back on entirely flat ground and Bolin had moved off, Korra was already rushing back towards the arena and informing the others she was taking time off for lunch. They had nodded in approval and informed her they'd be doing the same momentarily, which meant she wouldn't need to feel guilty about preparing for lunch.

Leaving the stadium and now in plain sight, when Bolin had come over towards her Korra had a wide toothless grin on her face. It was cute, really cute, how he acted like that little conversation didn't just happen a minute and a half ago. He didn't appear to be telling her about it anytime soon, so Korra opted to bring it up first. "Mmmhm," she hummed in her throat with the most smug of smiles, looking over her shoulder towards where that girl and Bolin had interacted, "Why didn't you bring your new friend along, Bolin?" she asked, returning her gaze to him and edging closer. Nudging him in the chest with her left elbow, Korra couldn't help but gush at how clueless he was about that girl's intentions. Snickering, Korra began heading back into the city, heading to Narook's because she knew it was both something they enjoyed and it was affordable for the both of them, regardless if he was paying for two or not. Not to mention, it was his favorite, so no matter what the place was going to be ideal. Reaching behind her back, Korra grabbed her right arm with her left hand and led the two along, still laughing to herself at how he interacted with her. It was like he never talked to a girl before. Turning around mid-step and walking backwards, Korra closed her eyes, laughing a little louder now that she was facing him. "Mako said you brought girls to the locker room all the time, but you acted like you didn't see it Bolin. She was into you!" Korra argued, even if he may have wanted to insist that she was only a fan. "You didn't even ask her name first, she had to tell you. Either you're the expert at playing hard to get, or you were just totally oblivious!"

Korra's laughter and teasing had made the trip go by quickly, and by the time she could stop laughing to herself they had arrived at Narook's. Upon stepping inside, Korra and Bolin were met with applause by Narook himself, and soon after all of the customers inside. Korra was being praised for her efforts against Amon and thanked for taking back the city, but throughout this praise Korra had moved closer to Bolin, shoulder to shoulder, and held her hands up. "I couldn't have done it without my friends ..like this joker right here!" the laughter from before found its way back to Korra, and she blushed from the recognition she was getting for what happened. The only thing that could have made this better was Asami and Mako getting this kind of audience, but she figured perhaps they were getting some too, wherever they might've been. As a result of their efforts, Narook had proclaimed that for as long as he lived, and assuming business was still booming of course, Korra and Bolin could eat for free the rest of their lives. Korra was naturally surprised about this, but knew that between the two of them Bolin would be thrilled at this news. After Narook had promised to prepare Korra a special bowl, and for Bolin three, they were seated at the very same seat where Tahno had confronted them so long ago. It felt fitting, but even after sitting down across from Bolin Korra was still blushing. Clearing her throat, her smile never faltered until her hands rested on her lap and she looked at Bolin a little more seriously than she ever had before. "..I think you should do it. Go out with that girl sometime, have some fun with her, you've earned it for yourself!" she lightly kicked at his foot with her own under the table, and leaned forward after she had done so. Korra didn't find her interest in relationships with Bolin weird, because it gave her something to think about, and it'd keep him happy.

"Besides, not a lot of girl's around here can resist you once you turn that charm of yours on. She was hooked without you even trying, I say you've got nothing to lose by it! Or do I need to get her to come to you?"

-

The feeling of her fingers tracing him sent shivers down his spine, and with a little luck Asami had recalled what size he wore when they used to shop together when things were better between them. When she backed off, Mako didn't immediately understand why she apologized, but figured that detail out a moment or two later. Blushing, he shook it off as nothing, as it was the last thing he'd have the privilege of thinking about. Asami knew where to go and what to look for based on his measurements alone, becoming his unofficial fashion consultant in a matter of seconds and picking things out that Mako wouldn't have even considered. He wasn't a man with fancy taste and the rich life was never his, so wearing any of these new clothes frequently may not happen, especially if it wouldn't have looked right without his scarf. But even so having Asami know what would look well on him brought him a surprising amount of satisfaction. It was almost as though nothing had changed between them, and even if he knew that was untrue it still made him glad he asked her to do this with him. So sticking close beside her and watching what she had picked out, the only thing Mako wasn't looking forward to now was trying everything on. New clothes were usually stiff and hard to get used to, and with his attire he wasn't a man for fancy fabrics. But he trusted Asami, and she knew that much, so perhaps it wouldn't be so bad. Of course by the time she was finished Mako had realized that it was pretty bad, judging by that stack in her hands.

Taking it all in his grasp, the tailor had guided him to the dressing rooms in the back and with slight misery Mako had gone to try the clothing on. Deciding to try one of the brown ones out first, he examined himself in one of the mirrors inside the room, but didn't know what to really make of his appearance. It seemed that without his scarf, nothing seemed to work. Experimenting with his image, he wrapped the scarf around himself and tried to find some amount of comfort with it, but when he looked in that mirror he felt foreign. Removing it and sighing silently, he removed the shirt and tried some of the others, each seemed to be a little less appealing than the last. It'd be wrong if he left this store without anything, so examining the shirts thoroughly he decided what was bearable of them all, and what was something he didn't entirely favor. Oddly, half of the pile was gone thanks to that double check, but it just seemed to show that he just wasn't a man of fancy clothing. When you learned to live on fumes, you never had luxury to complain about clothing. Stepping out and bringing a pile with both what he liked in one arm and what he didn't in the other, he returned to find that Asami appeared to be gone. Setting the clothing he didn't favor on the counter, Mako had approached the tailor and asked him where his company had gone. Pointing behind him, Mako turned around to find Asami appearing ..different, but in a good way. He was nothing but a kid who lived on the streets, so there was no way he could likely name what she wore about the waist, but he knew it looked good on her. Moving to join her, they had gotten together in front of a mirror, but he blushed from how she adjusted his collar as though he was a child.

Together in front of a full-body mirror they stood, and it may have been him holding onto their glory days but Mako thought they looked ideal together. Different backgrounds maybe, but Asami was beautiful when she wasn't glaring daggers in his chest. The only thing that ruined the image in that mirror seemed to be him, and for a single moment he believed that the clothes were good on him. Then Asami had stepped out of the way, and Mako had felt the clothes didn't appear too good at all. It wasn't that they were terrible, it was just that Asami seemed to make everything better for him. When she moved, he averted his gaze and tugged at his own collar to appear casual about the situation at hand. "Well, as you know, I'm not really a man who had the pleasure of top-quality clothing." he told her, moving back to the changing room but getting one last quick glance towards her over his shoulder. If they were still together and had he not ruined things, who'd have known how much more he'd have gotten to see her wear over the course of the day. Thankfully the rest of the shopping had begun to move by quickly, and by the time they had left both of them seemed to be somewhat satisfied with the purchase. As he placed the last of the bags in the trunk, she had offered lunch for the two of them. He had no reason to disagree, and it'd be nice to eat with her again. Nodding in agreement, he got inside and trusted her taste beyond fashion, figuring she'd pick a good place for the two to eat. Once inside the Satomobile Mako kept silence and looked down to his lap plenty of times, passing a rare glance to her every now and then. Thing's seemed to be going well for him now, and the words last night seemed to have helped somewhat with her judgment of him. He knew he was still scum for what he did, and his opinion of himself wasn't changing any time soon. Perhaps like the shopping, lunch could go well too.

Eventually the car had stopped and Mako looked to Asami, figuring something was wrong. His gaze moved out to where they were, and he needed no reminder of where this was to feel a little sense of gratitude for stopping here. He remembered that day clearly, and remembered how shocked he was at the beauty that had crossed paths with him. Mako wasn't much for destiny, but if there was some kind of force that brought them together, Mako was certainly glad it did. Asami Sato was brought into his life, too generous to be true, too beautiful to be considered an angel. She was greater than anything he could ever compare her too because she couldn't be compared to anything. This was a woman he didn't regret knowing and loving, and she had to know that from last night. "It could've been worse ..it could've been someone else driving that moped." he replied to her, and held a small smile all the way to the restaurant she had chosen. Asami wasn't kidding when she mentioned shopping made one hungry, because even with eating this morning his stomach was aching for something to eat. Burning calories was easy when you were doing a shopping trip you didn't ask for, but it wasn't too terrible. He had gotten to see Asami in some attractive attire, after all. "You're telling me." Mako responded, stepping inside with her. When you're Asami Sato, getting a table wasn't too difficult, especially since money was going to be tight for many people now given the repairs many had to make. They were prepared to be seated within seconds, with much attention given to Asami, something Mako didn't exactly like. He didn't know what it was, but it made him a little uncomfortable seeing some of the glances given to Asami, specifically the waiter.

Seated at a booth near the far end of the restaurant, Mako looked over his menu and had a taste for a burger of some kind. He didn't know what he'd have on it, perhaps cheese and onions ..then again they also served steak, and Mako couldn't remember the last time he had a good steak in his stomach. Water, ice cold and fresh, was sat down beside the both of them and given enough time was had between the two of them, Mako had settled for a medium-well burger, topped with cheese, lettuce, and onions with a side of curled fries, but only after Asami had made her own order. Being a kid who struggled didn't mean he had forgotten his manners, and Asami was a lady both proper and generous. She didn't need to treat him, especially after everything, but he didn't think he needed to tell her. With their menus taken, it would just be them now, with nothing but each other. "Thanks again, for the shopping ..and the meal..and the free housing.." Mako smiled and leaned forward slightly, his demeanor showing his interest in Asami rather than anything else. He wanted to forget about the looks he saw, at least for now, and had she noticed he wanted her to forget too. "So, given you're the head of the industry now, what's your plan for putting yourself back on the grid in a positive light? If the arena's fixed up, Bolin, Korra and I can try to organize some kind of benefit for those less fortunate than us, and try to get some kind of game going for the people." Mako had considered this a huge topic for Asami given her father's sympathy for Amon, and had thought that with the Fire Ferret's he could help bring some happiness into this city again with some pro-bending matches being available to be seen with a very meager entry fee. That depended on the arena being fixed, and if Asami was willing to use her industry to sponsor both the team, and the resupplying of the vendors nearby. The decision was hers, but he wanted her to be a part of this rebuilding and strengthening.

"I mean without your help, we'd never have been able to compete ..plus it'd be a good way of helping people see that.." his voice trailed away, remembering that single moment of truth where Asami had to choose between the father who had taken care of her all her life, or the firebender and his friends. Mako knew that decision was made a long time ago, but he could understand the amount of strength it took to say no to that man.

"See that ..Asami Sato is better than her father was." In a way this felt wrong for him to say, but Asami took action against Amon whereas her father succumbed to hatred for benders based on the actions of one man. Mako understood his hatred, but the complete destruction of all benders was not ideal nor acceptable. If he had moved on past his hatred for the sake of his daughter, who held no hatred in her heart for benders, then perhaps she'd still have her father with her today. For this reason, Asami was the better person, and soon to be a better individual of business. A benefit, while Mako had little idea how to run one, would help the people and Sato industries too even if profit gains weren't large. Yet the profit didn't matter, because Asami thought about people over profit, and he knew she'd make good choices with her new power. Mako's pleasant expression faded, and he almost went too far on what he was going to say next, so he rested back slightly and brought his smile back. He'd save 'that' question for another time ...

"If you want, we can decide later. We can go see Bolin and Korra, and see what they make of that idea in a couple days or less. Just think about it, and in the meantime I'll help think of more ways to help the people accept Sato industries again. We can show them thing's will be different."

[Genkai]

Bolin looked to Korra, surprised she had noticed him with the earth bending Fire Ferret fan. He rubbed his stomach a little and smiled at her. "I didn't think it would be right, her and you and me..." He trailed off, trying to read if Korra was joking or actually serious. They finally began walking off to eat and Bolin felt his stomach twist into conflicted knots. Narook's Seaweed Noodlery was one of his favorite places to eat but it was clouded by bittersweet images of him and Korra laughing and smiling. 'I wonder if I just can't make Korra happy anymore. Could that night be just a dream?' He considered as they walked. 'Just being around her makes me happy.' He was thrown off as she turned around him to walk backwards and hold up the conversation. "Oh yeah, I brought girls back all the time, you could say." He smiled to her, though it was a more subdued one, as if reflecting on all those girls who paled in comparison to the one he was looking at now. Now he felt foolish for being such a flirt before Korra came into his life. It was as if none of it mattered now. "I mean the ladies love a nice strong earth bender right?" He then struck a pose. It was as if Korra brought out a more genuine side of him but he had to play up his flirtations at the moment, which he didn't feel like doing. He felt a little weird talking about any past women when she was around because it felt rude. Though as Korra kept talking about Misuzu, he felt a new kind of realization, of pain, wash over him. 'I guess it isn't weird for her because she doesn't feel "that way" about me.' He thought sadly. 'She's just a concerned friend and if that makes her happy...' He trailed off selflessly.

'I have to accept Korra and I won't happen, that we're just meant to be good friends.' He tried to brighten up but it wasn't easy. "I just wasn't interested in her." Bolin said honestly. He still wanted to keep their playful tone in tact, not sure he wanted Korra to see how much he was hurting at the moment. "But she was cute and an earth bender." He began to openly consider. "After everything that's happened, I think a date with her would be pretty fun. I could use some fun...not that you and I aren't having fun at the moment." Bolin said, trying not to appear too uneasy. Thankfully Korra seemed amused by something and they arrived at Narook's. Before Bolin could begin drooling over the food, everyone inside began to cheer and clap for them. Bolin didn't feel like he did much to help the city but before he could say or do anything, he noticed Korra moved closer to him and then shifted attention from her, to him. He ended up giving the group a big toothy smile but said nothing else. 'I kind of wish Mako was here, he'd know what to do in this situation with Korra.' He thought. Even though he knew his brother like Korra, and hurt Asami and him in the process, Bolin was sure that had Mako been around, he could have given Bolin honest advice as to whether he should just move on from Korra or not. While he knew he'd always be seen as the prankster who enjoyed making people laugh, cheering them up, it still stung to be labeled as a joker in Korra's voice. 'Maybe Korra and I don't really understand one another as well as I thought we did...that night was really a dream, a bad dream.' He thought back to getting flowers and heading off to find Korra, only to see her kissing his brother, a brother who brushed Korra off many times.

"Wow, thanks so much!" Bolin forced himself to exclaim as they went off to sit down. It was hard to rejoice when his emotions were fighting one another, trying to come to the solid truth that the beautiful, amazing girl just wasn't into it. Bolin was a man who looked on the bright side but in doing so, he had kept his wounds open, always fresh to be hurt all over again and he was growing tired of the pain. If he just moved on, then maybe Korra would be happy and he would be happier as well. Not quite the feeling with Korra, but still some form of happy. Once again, like slicing his heart open, Korra said she wanted him to go out with Misuzu. Bolin was considering it. "I guess I didn't have to act like I usually do around girls is because things felt naturally nice between me and her." Bolin tried to explain. "I mean with some girls, I don't have to try all that hard." He said, hoping she'd see that he wasn't just talking about Misuzu, but her. Korra then kicked him lightly under the table and he let out a genuine chuckle. "Alright alright, I'll find her after lunch and ask her out. Happy?" Bolin surrendered. 'Maybe this is the closure I need...that she really isn't interested in me and I can't wait around forever. Well I can but...I know it's not fair to her or to me, if I do. So I'll just move on and Korra can be my friend, that's all I can ask of her.' He told himself, trying to provide some resolution to his feelings. 'She says not a lot of girls can resist my chamr? I can think of one, the only one who really mattered.' He thought as their bowls were brought over.

He wanted to change the topic because it was hard being upbeat, something Korra expected, when he just wanted to be alone with his thoughts. As they ate and talked about pro bending and everything else, he kept telling himself over and over that this was for the best, that he and Korra were just friends, that this was the best way to tell him that she wasn't interested in him. And it would take a lot of drilling that into his head before it would finally stick. From the moment he saw Korra, he knew she was special. While most men would say they weren't good enough for the Avatar, he honestly thought they would be a great match. They'd have cute babies to boot! But in the end, there was no sense in waiting for someone who didn't see the same future as he did, he and Korra together, dating, happy. At the moment. it might have made him ill to think about with everything she had said to him about the other girl. By the end of the meal, Bolin had his full and so did Korra. Thankfully they didn't have to pay but he still, like any gentleman, left a tip as they parted. Walking back, Bolin was fairly quiet just rubbing his tummy, thinking about the actual prospect of moving on. In his mind, he'd always know what he'd be missing with Korra, in his mind. As they got back to the construction site at the arena, Bolin ran off to find Misuzu before Korra tore into him again, cutting him deeper. Bolin found Misuzu fairly easy and ended up asking her out to dinner for tomorrow night, she happily agreed and wrote down her address so he could pick her up. He said they'd probably walk around and grab dinner, which she said was perfect.

The rest of the afternoon trickled by fast enough. He and Misuzu ended up working together with their earth bending skills. It would be a very slow, gradual process, but Bolin was slowly starting to enjoy the girl's company and think less and less about Korra. Of course Bolin still felt pretty raw on the inside but Misuzu seemed nice and funny, and enjoyed his qualities which he didn't have to think twice about. As the sun began to set, he decided it would be best to head back and find Korra. "I'll see you tomorrow at seven." He grinned and waved before heading off to find his friend. It didn't take terribly long to locate Korra and when he did, they headed back to the peir to take the boat back to Air Temple Island. While he was sure Korra would inquire about Misuzu, he felt the need to put some distance between him and Korra for a while so he just made up some excuse about needing to lay down elsewhere and managed to find a spot where he could do just that. Once the boat docked and the people got off, he headed off to go take a nice hot bath while he heard Korra mention she would be training until dinner. Bolin didn't think much about it and just made his way to the hot bath area and slipped into the soothing water. He sank down but kept his nose and eyes above water while he tried not to have second thoughts about him and Misuzu. 'I can't go there, I can't kept doing this to me and expecting Korra to suddenly like me. It's wrong.' He bitterly told himself, a tone he rarely used, even in his own mind.

As to the amount of time that passed, Bolin wasn't sure. It was Tenzin who knocked and said dinner was ready. "S-sure, thanks, be there in a sec!" He called out. Getting out, he grabbed a white towel and hurried off to his room to get dressed. He was back to his usual clothes and sitting at the table within ten minutes after Tenzin had left him with the summons. "Smells great. Oh hey, Korra and I went to Narook's Noodlery this afternoon and they wanted to give us free food for life." He grinned. "I don't think I really deserve that though." He then added more thoughtfully. When Korra showed up a bit late from trying to air bend, Bolin felt himself sit up a bit more straight, as if more attentive. Then he corrected himself and slouched a little. He and Korra were friends, just friends, that was fine. Bolin didn't need to be so eager to see her though, for now he wanted things a bit toned down, so maybe it would be easier to look past her awesomeness. The meal went by without too much wild instances and Bolin got up to help clear the table. It was then that he pulled Pema aside to ask if he could use her kitchen to bake some cookies. Pema, unaware of Bolin's novice abilities, agreed. Bolin smiled and when everyone was out of the way, he entered the kitchen and found himself a little lost. He found a cookbook and opened to a basic chocolate chip cookie recipe. He frowned and wondered if Korra knew how to bake. "Hey Korra!" He called out, thankful that this was a very superficial activity with less stress. Hopefully. "Hey Korra, come here." He called and soon she turned up. "I'm gonna bake some yummy cookies for Misuzu, do you think you can help me out?" He asked her. Besides, it was Korra's idea for Bolin to go out in the first place. He gestured to the list of ingredients like a lost puppy and then looked back to the Avatar.

- - -

Mako's comment made her softly smile. "It could have been." She just considered, though her moped was one of a kind, style wise so she was sure anyone driving it wouldn't really be interesting in Mako's eyes. As they headed inside, she knew many eyes fell upon her form. In truth, Asami Sato could have any man she wanted yet she had picked Mako, a man her father supposedly had approved of. That approval made her affections for Mako even greater and she had once foreseen a lovely relationship forming. But time revealed the truth. Mako had eyes for another. Her father really hated Mako. And she felt used by everyone close to her. If she stayed mad at Mako, she would be hurting herself. She wanted to move on, to try and make some kind of remedy between them. Based on the mid-morning shopping venture, it might be possible after all. She dragged her nails through her hair and slid into her seat, not paying too much mind to the onlookers. Many of them were surely replacing Mako with themselves but Asami as too much on her mind to think about admirers. Thankfully the girl was still on solid ground, had never taken her father's hard work for granted, had never basked in the glow of being tied to a famous name, had never acted spoiled or arrogant. So then why, why did bad things have to happen to her? In truth, Asami hated to play herself as a victim, wanted to see every loss as a way to make herself stronger, but at times she hated being so strong. Hated being her own support when she sometimes wanted someone to lean on, to tell her everything was okay, instead of having to hear little reassurances come from her or her father who was always so busy.

While her guest looked at his menu, Asami flagged down a waiter who was quick to rush over. "Two waters and I'd also like a bottle of your finest champagne please." She asked. The waiter nodded and excused himself. Asami went back to skimming the menu. She saw some fish that looked good, but she wasn't sure what she was in the mood for. She could already predict Mako would order something meaty that he could sink his teeth into. Their water was placed down and then their champagne bottle was opened and poured for them before it was placed back in a bucket of ice to keep it cool. Asami looked to Mako who gestured for her to order. "I'll have the scallop risotto please." She smiled and then Mako gave his order and they were left alone. She took her long slim glass of bubbly and held it up. "I suppose here's to fresh starts." She cheered and took a sip. Then Mako went to thank her once more for the shopping excursion as well as everything else. "You're welcome." Asami simply told him. And then the fire bender switched to a topic she didn't think he'd ever bring up: Sato Industries. After the smoke had cleared, everyone knew who was behind the planes and the tanks and everything else. The Sato name was now mud and Asami had to try and dig it up and prove to everyone that she wasn't her father, that she had good, honest intentions for everyone. It would take a lot of time and effort and made her consider who she could and couldn't trust. Republic City had to be rebuilt, not just on the outside scope, but on the inside as well, starting with how people felt about the innovative technology around them.

'A pro bending match to raise money for the city, that's a good idea.' She thought. 'Sato Industries would sponsor it and could match the donations raised and put it back into the city.' As Mako spoke, her mind was working, trying to think of how to get her new found business off the ground, back to its former glory. 'Our sales will be hurt but in the long run, it's better to go out on a limb and recruit faithful customers. Maybe a giveaway could work, if we handed out tickets at the match, we could give away a car to a family in need, or something like that.' She considered. She took another drink of her champagne. Then he moved on and mentioned that she would be better than her father. For a moment her eyes almost teared up but she forced them away with some strong blinks. "Yes." She just said quietly and took a drink of water this time. She knew the topic was probably uncomfortable for Mako, not just her. She then looked up to Mako and he seemed to settle back, giving her some space as he concluded by bringing up Bolin and of course Korra. She couldn't help but feel an icy feeling slip down her spine and settle into the pit of her stomach. Asami's feelings toward Korra were complicated, jaded. Asami knew she would have to deal with Korra sooner or later, whether Asami could actually befriend Korra was another matter and the mental outcome changed every hour based on Asami's mood. It was complicated. 'We'll see...' She just told herself softly.

"Thank you for your support, Mako." Was all she was able to say. Asami needed to just focus on Mako's gesture. It was a big one and she had taken notice. She wouldn't let herself be soured in that moment by Korra. "I think your idea is a great one and I hope they'll see it too. Maybe I could hold a raffle or two and give away something to show some goodwill." She considered. Then their food arrived and they went right to eat, as both had succeeded in working up a nice hunger after shopping around. Asami offered Mako some of her pasta and he seemed to enjoy it. The rest of the meal went by fairly smoothly and they ended up getting a dessert on the house which was a decadent ice cream sundae. Considering the day, it was a welcomed treat. After the bill was placed, Asami quickly took it and left enough money to cover a generous tip as well as their overall bill. Standing up, the waiter once again approached them and said he hoped everything was to her liking. "Yes, thank you." Asami said and reached over and placed a hand on Mako's back. This changed the waiter's expression and Asami headed out with Mako. Once outside, Asami let out a bit of a laugh, her face a bit red. "I can't let him know I'm single." She explained with a laugh to Mako as she got into her parked car. "I hope you didn't mind..." She wondered if Mako didn't mind putting the waiter under the assumption they were a couple still. She started the car and looked to him. "Maybe I should teach you to drive sometime, it's not that hard." She just commented and headed back to her home which to her, was just a house these days. The drive home was quick and she parked out in front and helped Mako with the bags.

Once their things were put away, Asami left Mako alone for a while. She headed off to the Sato Industries main headquarters to take a look at the production status and inventory. Many of the workers still remained and she had a long discussion about her taking over her father's place. There were papers to look over and sign. It was a long process but she made sure her personal feelings and emotions stayed out, so that no one would see how hurt she was, that her father's betrayal still didn't make her flinch. At the end of the day, Asami had made some decisions and mentioned that she would produce three special cars to be given away in a few weeks, as she assumed, the arena would be fixed by then. Most of her workers said they were in favor of such a thing, while only one or two were against the cost and zero reward but Asami told them that it would build their following and pull in new customers would be lifelong friends of theirs. As the sun set, she stepped out of the large building and gave a stretch similar to the one she had done before eating lunch. The lunch was now worked off and she was kind of hungry. Since it was about dinner time she drove over to a small hole in the wall and got a nice pepperoni pizza and tub of chocolate ice cream, knowing it was a comfort food many women had after horrible breakups. When she got back home, she headed into the living room and sat down on the couch. Part of her considered calling down Mako but assumed the scent of pizza would find him soon enough. She asked for a servant to bring her a spoon and some plates and she dug into the ice cream when the spoon was placed in her hand.

Just as she predicted, Mako wandered down like a little cat and she handed him a plate. She already had one slice of pizza and was about to have her second. She also had eaten a significant chunk of ice cream already. Currently, Asami had the pizza box on the floor on front of her as she was sitting against the couch, rather than sitting on it. She had her boots kicked off to the side and her jacket off, leaving her in her pants and slim fitted top. For a while she didn't feel like saying anything. When Mako sat by her and had his fill of pizza, she handed him the ice cream and rested her head against his shoulder. "I hope no one breaks your heart, Mako." Asami said softly. As much as she hated the pain he caused her, she didn't want him to be on the receiving end. She wasn't that heartless, not when hers was shattered. As she looked back on the day she had, she could honestly say that it had been a good day, better than decent, but still not great. She licked her lips, tasting chocolate. She slipped an arm around Mako's arm. "It's official, I am now the president and owner of Sato Industries." She told him softly. "Maybe I should hire you." Asami considered. She closed her eyes and tried to mull over a better conversation than romance and business. She still knew she and Mako had a long way to go before trust would be rebuilt. Had she not been so torn up inside, she might have kissed him then and there. But she wasn't a fool and just held onto him instead. "You know, back at the store, we looked like a nice pair." She told him, opening her eyes to just rest on the pizza in front of them. As for what tomorrow would bring, she wasn't sure. She could take Mako to the track if he wanted, or they could check out the city and see if they could help. Already, Asami had sent money to the city to help fund their repairs. "This is also kind of...nice." She admited slowly, talking about her and him at the moment. 'I wonder if it'll get any better than "nice".'

[SoleAccord]

Lunch had gone over well, and with the insurance that Bolin would ask that nice girl out Korra no longer had any reason to really mention it. The noodles tasted better today than they ever had, and the burden of her role as Avatar felt a little farther away. Together with Bolin she felt almost ordinary, and this dinner they shared made it seem like the revolution wasn't a thing. In here, Narook's had felt like a sort of barrier between reality and imagination, and it was pleasant to be here and not think about what was outside for a little while. Miraculously, Narook's was barely scarred whatsoever and she believed it might've been that even Equalist's knew not to touch places with quality food, not to mention affordable. Bolin seemed to be just as pleasant as she was, and the date he'd have soon gave her a little more to think about. Whether he was unsure of himself or not, Korra knew that Bolin was deserving of some happiness, and that girl looked to be genuine with those feelings. Korra could trust her not to hurt him like she had, because the talk between Bolin and herself made no definite mention of Mako or herself. For that girl, Bolin was the one who stood out, not the handsome firebender or the legendary Avatar herself. That was the type of woman Bolin needed to get to know, and she was glad that she had pushed him into such an activity. Hopefully it wouldn't end in regret, but given the depression everyone held within what was known as 'Team Avatar', Bolin could be the first to be happy while the others caught up. Mako and Asami ..had a good deal to go over, and she was a huge part of that, but it was better for all of them if she just kept a little distance for at least another day.

With lunch concluding on a high note and a nice final round of applause from the customers, Korra and Bolin had returned to the stadium and assisted in the reconstruction once more. While Bolin and Misuzu were working closely together outside, Korra was getting busy inside as more and more of the people had come back from break. The glass and debris under the main floor was being fished out, the stands were swept, and as for Korra herself she had took to a little more sweeping. You didn't really notice how big things were until you had to clean it all, and the multiple floors that gathered dust and dirt were a pain in the backside for her to sweep up. Had she mastered airbending she might've been a little more confident to isolate some of that residue in one area on each floor, but it was still a little complicated to handle and her confidence in using it was slim to none at the moment. Bending you couldn't properly control was a dangerous thing, and her carefulness surpassed any laziness she might've had. Despite the pain it was doing it, by the time the trash was disposed of she was overlooking her work and feeling pretty good about it. All it needed now was a bit of moping and some air to get any airborne particles out. Leaving the floors satisfied and returning her tools, the rest of the people still working appeared prepared to pack up too. Time had passed fairly quickly, and most were calling it an evening to get back home to their families. Giving her goodbyes and them returning it, Korra was moving to the entrance to find Bolin when Bolin had actually ended up finding her.

After a light exchange between them, they had agreed to return home for the day. She was all too tempted to bring up how the work with that girl went, but she seemed to read him well enough to know that it might not have been the best idea now. Moving to Narook's had taken up much of their conversation and she wouldn't have been surprised if he got a little tired of it. So, awkwardly, she kept quiet walking back, and returning to the boat, giving Bolin the space he must've desired on the subject. Landing on the island, they had both split up from there, and Korra had ran off to find Naga who may have likely been lonely all this time. Ascending the stairs, her oldest companion nearly charged her once spotted, and Korra had to quickly rush to Naga so she didn't end up falling all the way back down. Brushing her hands on the clean white coat, Korra laughed in amusement and joy when a big wet tongue ran itself against her cheek. "I missed you too Naga! Come on, training time!" the two had wandered off, and in the familiar grounds where Korra had initially tried learning from Tenzin she stood ready. Attempting to properly bend the air in front of her, Korra had generated a somewhat unstable sphere in front of her. Hands closely cupped, she brought all her focus on the sphere, keeping it as small as possible before attempting to expand it. When she had bended the air before to save Mako from a poor fate, it was unstable and uncontrolled, and it was a little disappointing to see that that hadn't changed all too much but given her lack of actual training since that day, it wasn't much of a surprise. However, she was steadying the sphere generated and keeping its shape as solid and stable as she could. This exercise was a test for herself without formal training from Tenzin, only used for her to see what she was capable of doing by herself. With time passing by, her exercises changed, moving to generating small gusts of wind from her palms to attempting creation of a full-blown air scooter. Sharing in small successes and plenty of failures, she wasn't discouraged for very long.

When day turned to dusk and the sky began to grow red and dim, Korra had settled down and let out a large sigh of relief. Her progress on her own wasn't too big but it felt a little nice to get back in touch with the bending she could never manage before. Naga had long since wandered off to catch some dinner of her own in the bay, and that left her alone in the training yard for at least half an hour. Stepping towards the home of Tenzin and his family, Korra stopped after a few steps and hesitated. Something had felt off all of a sudden, as though she wasn't exactly alone in this place. Looking over her shoulder, she saw nothing, yet something told her that someone was here before, watching her. "..Bolin?" she called cautiously, wondering if it had been the earth bender trying to let her know about dinner. There hadn't been any response coming back to her ears yet still she felt a little concerned. The wind picking up slightly hadn't exactly helped her feel more comfortable in this situation. Turning her body around entirely, she continued looking around, all the caution in the world on her shoulders. Bolin was her friend and had no reason to hide ..but that didn't mean the kids wouldn't. To be honest she was surprised none of them had come out to disturb her during training, and it wasn't as if they were masters of silence. Meelo got caught sneaking sweets all the time. "..Bolin, if this is you, you can come out now." she requested, yet still Korra heard no verbal answer. Her instincts weren't always correct, but they weren't frequently wrong either. Eyes moving left and right, she tightened her stance and took a deep breath, keeping her senses open for danger. A moment had passed, yet nothing had come out. Her first instinct was to dismiss it as her imagination, but feeling the presence of someone just behind her she had turned around and drew back her fist, prepping a clumsy yet dangerous blast in the palm of her right hand. It wasn't a person, rather a creature that was behind her, holding what appeared to be a tiny acorn.

"..Pabu?" Pabu had indeed been cowering behind the acorn he held, half-expecting Korra to blast him with her powers. Lowering her hand and ending the bending she prepared, she knelt down to him and beckoned him closer. "Sorry, I thought ...never mind. What are you doing?" Korra wasn't exactly a translator on the level of Bolin, but she could tell food was involved, and at this hour the only food that really mattered was dinner. Climbing up on Korra's shoulder, he pointed towards where dinner would be, and eagerly awaited it. Korra stood back up and took the acorn, seeing the little tooth marks on it and determining who was really the hungry one out of the two. Tossing it over her shoulder casually, she laughed and proceeded to return to the house. "We'll get you some real food, what do you say?" Pabu was naturally enthusiastic. The acorn tossed over Korra's shoulder however, had rolled itself to a stop, hitting the idle foot of a man cloaked in black and face hidden well beneath the black of his hood. Korra had been oblivious once distracted by her small friend, and had lowered her guard once more. Bending down to pick up the acorn, the man's hand slipped inside his cloak with it, and he backed away into the growing shadow of the temple. The observation had been made, but perhaps the open greeting could wait until the time was right for the both of them.

"Sorry I'm a little late ..time flies when you're ..not really flying." Korra had entered to find everyone prepared for dinner, and Pabu had jumped down to reunite with Bolin and climb on his shoulders. Taking her seat and partaking in Pema's cooking, the usual hijinks of Meelo and Ikki's rants provided plenty of struggle for Pema to get them to eat, and in Meelo's case, eat as though he wasn't a baby. Tenzin and Korra had spoken together on her efforts to improve her abilities by herself for a little longer, and then when she felt her grasping of the airbending straws could be concluded, she'd look to him to bring her into the more advanced area. Tenzin appeared surprised with Korra's attitude improvement in the course of a single day, but was incredibly pleased to hear that she was willing to get back into learning her one and only bending so soon. Dinner had concluded on a high note for her, and by the end she had helped Pema do the dishes. Thanks to her efforts, Pema could get the children ready for bed and have a little more time to hold Rohan before he too went to sleep. Tenzin and Korra had exchanged pleasant glances, with Tenzin quietly thanking her, before he had moved off to tend to the trio of little rascals he called his offspring. Rubbing her stomach, the Avatar crept back out of the house and wanted to spend a little more time with Naga before she resumed some night time training. Finding her loyal polar bear dog, Korra had only minimal time to hold her and mention how much she may have needed to get her teeth brushed before she heard Bolin's voice call to her. Parting with Naga, she ran back inside soon enough. "I'm here, what's wrong?" she asked curiously. As it turned out, lover-boy planned to bake cookies for his date, but needed assistance to do it. The gesture to the ingredients list had Korra following it closely; Bolin had selected sugar cookies, and while Korra wasn't an expert at any type of cooking she knew they would at least need a cooking sheet and some dough. Moving to the fridge, Korra popped the door open and looked for any dough Pema might've stored if she was in the mood to treat the kids. "It's a little late to go back out again ...let's see ..ah, here we go!" pulling out a white tub with branded cookie dough, Korra examined the very top of it which told of its name and type. "It's chocolate instead of sugar, I hope that's okay." Bolin wasn't in much of a position to complain unless he'd rather they not have any at all. Compliant and happy that there was at least something Pema kept, he was more than okay with using chocolate instead. Setting it down on the counter, Korra had moved low to find a cooking sheet, and the time had gone on ...

Given fifteen minutes of time, the preparation had been completed and the cookies were safely tucked in a small container, fourteen in total. Thick yet warm and gooey cookies stored with little struggle removing from the cooking sheet sat in that warm container, and as fun as it was, Korra felt they could reward themselves at least a little bit. There they stood, side by side, looking down at that container. When her eyes moved to Bolin, Bolin's eyes seemed to go to hers at the exact same time. They both knew what the other was thinking, what they really wanted. "..One each wouldn't kill us, right?" she tempted him. Bolin was always the heavy eater between them but that wasn't to say Korra didn't have a sweet tooth herself. Prying open the container, she took the topmost one and held it up to his mouth, gently waving it to get the aroma into his nostrils. "Open wide.." she coaxed, and he didn't give much reason to argue either. He took it whole, chewing and expressing his approval with nothing but the pleasant twist of his face when warm chocolate met his taste buds. Reaching in again, Korra had opted to feed herself based on Bolin's own approval and was just as delighted as he was when the flavor reached her. Chewing hard and swallowing with great pleasure, she exhaled loudly and moved into the fridge, grabbing a container of milk and a couple of glasses to go with it. "I think we've earned some for ourselves, those are some good cookies. I didn't expect them to be so flawless!" Korra had actually expected something to go horribly wrong as they were prepared. Overcooking them, placing the dough too close to each other, the simple things. Yet against the odds everything had worked out for them, and she wouldn't have had it any other way. With the glasses poured, Korra had taken hers in hand and Bolin had taken his own. Bringing hers forward, she intended to clank it against his own. "To probenders turned pro bakers. I bet she'll ...like them." Misuzu would've liked them, but Korra would rather have kept them to herself and shared them with Bolin. She wasn't willing to call it jealousy, but ..they made it together, so why couldn't they use this batch for their own pleasure? Her hesitation made things a little awkward between them, but not as awkward as it was hearing the container slowly moving across the counter. Korra's eyes moved to the counter as a little hand slowly pulled the container towards the edge, and when reaching the end, another slightly smaller one came and pulled it down.

The kids weren't asleep yet apparently ...

-

There couldn't have been a more awkward moment for Mako when he compared his order in his head to Asami's own. Even after they had dated and despite Asami understanding that they were two different people who grew up differently, he still felt inferior when it came to her fine tastes. She could afford all the clothes in the world, and here he was not even comprehending what a risotto was. His face grew a little hot from embarrassment and he figured the waiter might have clowned him a little when he brought back the food to them. Compared to herself, Asami had seen good things in him and Mako often couldn't help but wonder what she saw that day besides a probender, and a commoner at that. She took to the champagne well enough, but he wasn't up to celebrating so formally, so instead he had awkwardly taken his glass of cool water and raised it with her. That action only proceeded to make him feel dumber about it as well; who actually saw a beautiful woman raise a glass of champagne and answered with water? Mako knew he couldn't dwell on something Asami already knew. Comparing himself to her constantly did him no favors, but any man who had a woman like her wouldn't be able to help themselves. When this dinner was done with, he may need to start talking to her cooks at home to know what fine dining was really about. Perhaps next time instead of a casual meal he could order something that would surprise and impress her. But until then, the here and now was far more important than later.

Luckily for him Asami was entirely receptive of his suggestions, bringing him much more ease sitting across from her and not feeling as though he was beneath. A raffle was just as good an idea as anything he had come up with, his agreement to be shown by a nod of the head and a smile at that. It seemed that despite the rocky start they had yesterday, Asami was starting to grow a little warmer towards his opinions now. Repairing the company could serve as a good means of getting their relationship stronger as they struggled through it together. Sato Industries had sponsored the Fire Ferrets, and that in turn could have some negative effects on the team too if people had been petty enough to blame anyone tied to them. Her battle was uphill, in a frightening thunderstorm, with hail the size of Satomobiles raining down on her. Even so, Mako was going to remain the one person behind her, keeping her from falling back down. It wasn't because he was obligated, only because he knew Asami had been so innocent during all of this yet remained so strong at the same time. Korra may have lost her ability to bend most of her elements, but Asami lost a father, something not so easily replaceable in the eyes of decent people. The food had been spectacular given the slow and fearful morning he had, Asami's offering of her dish a pleasant surprise. Returning that favor, she took a few fries in hand, likely hesitating on the burger so as to remain a little ladylike. The boy didn't know what it was, but there was something about the idea of Asami being less ladylike and more like others that tempted him to share a burger with him one day. She could cut and chew so ladylike, but how could she handle a burger as thick and flavorful as his? It could be called strange, but as he struggled to adapt to a more refined way of dining, he wanted her to loosen up and eat like others had. That image made him chuckle, even as he swallowed the last of that burger and wiped his mouth. It was silent enough to avoid open questioning, but his smile was there and plain as day. The possibilities were humorous, and he was going to have to accept that it would be a strange request and save it for a very, very good day.

Somehow the dessert was free. Mako didn't know how it was possible; Asami didn't seem to know anyone who owned this place and the opinion on Sato Industries would be at an all-time low. Or maybe it was that people knew Asami had nothing to do with her fathers treachery, as she was never seen with the Equalists whatsoever. It wasn't like a guy like him had any reason to question a free dessert to begin with, and deciding to roll with everything becoming a pretty perfect day, he partook in it just as Asami had and was glad to keep his mouth shut about it. Whatever force brought this free dessert to the table, Mako would thank them for the gift. When the bill had come around, Mako had taken a quick peek to see how much he had cost, and patted his pants quietly for his wallet. It wasn't like he had much money on him, probably not even enough to cover the tip. A job had to be taken again soon, and if it had to be charging electrical pylons and generators then so be it. Being a man without a source of income had begun to feel a little wrong with him, and ..it almost seemed like he was a leech with how much Asami had spent on him today. Sliding out of the booth with her, the waiter had approached again and had this look in his eye, a look Mako knew very well. Attraction to Asami was not illogical, but seeing someone else eying her brought him pride and displeasure. Asami wasn't his girlfriend any more, but an ex had a right to feel this way ..a little less when it was because of them that the relationship ended, but even so. Instead of ignoring him, Asami had instead placed a hand on his back, a gesture Mako sold by edging a little closer to her. It was tempting to sneak an arm around her waist, or plant a nice kiss on her cheek, but luckily the waiter took the hint before he had made that mistake.

Once outside Asami had broken the minor tension of the gesture, and Mako had laughed with her despite how awkward it was for him. He really desired Asami, yet couldn't help but feel as though it was a tease. Did he mind it? Not at all, he welcomed the opportunity to protect her single status, but wished that his mistakes weren't catching up to him like they were. Getting inside the Satomobile with her, Mako had finally responded to her. "No, not at all. He wasn't good enough for you anyway." the smile he gave was warm, and Mako meant what he said. No one was good enough for Asami, but it felt good to know that once upon a time she had loved him more than anything. The subject of learning how to drive the satomobiles were something that crossed his mind from time to time, and he'd definitely give it more consideration now that Asami had brought it up. She did everything for him, and Mako couldn't help but feel he was more a burden than an equal to her. When they had returned home, he was quick to get most of the bags, but left Asami with two in order to not make it appear as though he was trying to show off or make some kind of statement. From there they had parted ways; Asami had things she needed to take care of and Mako had nothing but time, time to put away his new clothes and get some reading material. Taking to some of the chefs within the mansion, he got a small lesson on the 'finer' things in dining, as well as how to properly taste wine without actually swallowing it. It was a start, but it really just made him feel uncomfortable being exposed to things so foreign to him. Perhaps he wouldn't be the fine gentlemen a father would want for a high-class daughter like her, but he could at least be good to her. The day had felt slower and less cheerful without her presence, so he took to the training course and tried picturing himself driving it with her. A real machine in his hands, guiding it smoothly around the track and ...eh, Mako couldn't see it yet. More and more he couldn't see a lot of things Asami could do. Still, he had something to work towards now, and he had no reason not to try and learn sometime.

Returning to his room for the rest of the evening until he returned, his hands were running across his new clothing for what seemed the dozenth time until the aroma of pizza made its way to his room. Without Asami or the others, he was actually somewhat bored being alone, and had even taken a shower a little early. Wandering from his room and suspecting that the chefs here could do better than pizza, he silently crept down the stairs with bare feet and black sweatpants, a red t-shirt completing a comfortable sleeping outfit. Driven to the point where sleep seemed less boring than roaming around awake, the books on cuisine and 'How To Drive A Satomobile - Dummy Edition' weren't exactly appealing without her around. This lack of Asami coupled with the day itself being a little long had brought a light drowsiness to him, but when he stepped into the living room it had changed a little. The aroma, and with Asami being back, lifted his energy and spirits up slightly. In silence he joined her, sitting to her right and taking a slice of pizza himself. He was tempted to talk to her about what she had done today while she was out and how everything went, but at the same time expected her to bring it up herself at some point. She never did. Down to the crust of a slice of pizza, he was wrapping up the crust itself and swallowed before Asami's head had brought itself to his shoulder. His attention went down to her, and her words had hit him. She knew pain he didn't, and Mako understood her well enough, but she hadn't stopped there. It had gone back to work and what she had gotten done today; becoming the new president and even suggesting he work for her. At least with that kind of thing he could speak without such a lump in his throat. "I'm glad, I really am ..but I'm not sure I qualify for engineering. If you need a generator recharged, you know who to call though." he tried to add a little humor into the situation, but Asami continued to bring reality into it all. Mako agreed they did look great side-by-side, and he wouldn't have minded taking another photo to replace the one they had taken together once before even if it came down to wearing such unfamiliar clothing. But this was as good a time as any, and Asami had been so good to him today that capitalizing may not have been so bad.

"I agree ..and what you said, about no one breaking my heart ..I hope you don't." Mako couldn't really think of another woman with her, yet somehow he had seen the beauty of Korra, the realness of her, the raw energy and down-to-earth attitude and mistook that for love. Korra was definitely easier to relate to, because she hadn't come from an amazing family herself. Still, he took it too far the moment he thought he had the right to question her happiness with Bolin that night. This was all his fault, and he accepted that he was the catalyst in the rift that formed between everyone. "My heart aches having you lean against me and knowing that it wouldn't be right of me to hold you back. I was the one person who was there for you, who was supposed to protect you ..and I destroyed this relationship, and my brothers, in one swoop. I've failed as an older brother ..and a good boyfriend." his right hand came around and he gently took her chin, guiding it towards him. The offering of ice cream had been sweet, but there was something sweeter on his mind than the frozen treat. For no reason other than a beautiful situation with the feelings coming out under better circumstances, Mako hoped Asami would see his feelings with her own eyes rather than just hear them. There was no door to separate the two now. "I'm to blame Asami, and I don't want you to believe that you ever wronged me ..you had nothing to do with the mistake I made." As he had doubts about his knowledge of the finer things, Asami may have held some belief that she did something wrong for him to look at another woman. At least one of the two would be reassured right now, as their eyes met, and Mako fell in love with them all over again. He no longer wanted her hatred, but instead her forgiveness, her warmth, and so much more.

"I talked enough last night, and right now ..I just don't want to speak. What more can I say to you other than what you know, but might not believe?"

I love you.

I'm sorry.

I want you back.

Mako couldn't afford redundancy at such a stage, and he was already beginning to push his luck by even being so close to her. But what he and Asami could probably agree on, even without saying it, is that they were responding as a couple. The hand on the shoulder could have been more than just a dodge from a pesky waiter, it could've been the sincere desire to reach out to him. Standing beside him in the mirror at the store was acknowledging that they were beautiful by appearance alone, and there was once much more to them than merely looking good together. They were what the other could've used, shoulders they could rest on without worry or fear. Even with the silent invitation to sit beside her by aroma and air alone, it was as if, subconsciously, Asami was reaching out to him again and Mako was accepting that hand, because it was the hand he should've been extending. Reading into everything today because he had the time to do so, there wasn't a doubt in his mind that Asami definitely held that passion for him, and he didn't expect her to try to lie about it, especially not directly to his face. Though the air was heavy with silent tension but overwhelming desire on his part, Asami had still given him the floor and let him speak. Reaching over, he took the hand farthest from him and placed it against his chest so she could feel just how hard his heart was pounding at this very moment. It couldn't have been easy for her to hear all of this, but it was twice as difficult for him to be saying it.

"It's cruel to ask you this, I know ..but ..can you deny what we both know just by being together? Can you find it inside yourself to let me in, just one final time?"

The cards were on the table now and it couldn't get any more serious than it was now. Mako had placed himself on coals, and it was Asami's call on if he got burned, or if the coals were cool enough to step on and comfortable enough to remain. His face inched closer to hers, desiring the lips he hadn't kissed for so long, and the embrace of the woman he loved. If she had retreated, he would stop immediately ..but should she move in with him, letting her body speak when her mind had no will to do so, then he would merge his lips against hers and not break that link until he needed to breathe again.

Asami alone determined how this night would end from here.